Digital Commons Network^™

Lattice Boltzmann Simulation Of Flow Around Bluff-Bodies, Kevin Tubbs

LSU Master's Theses

In this work, results from a 2-D Lattice Boltzmann (LB) solver are presented simulating flow past rectangular square cylinders at low Reynolds numbers (< 250). The LBGK equation is a hyperbolic equation that approximates the Navier Stokes equations in the nearly incompressible limit. It is a system of 9 one dimensional partial differential Hamiltonian-Jacobian equations, consisting of an advection and diffusive portion. The LB method is an alternative computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method used to numerically predict incompressible viscous flow. The current LB method uses a statistical mechanics formulation to solve the Boltzmann equation. The LB model captures the nonlinear Navier Stokes advection terms using linear streaming operators. In this thesis, the LB model is classified as an explicit, Lagrangian, finite-hyperbolicity and weakly compressible approximation of the Navier Stokes equations. The momentum flux tensor is captured locally as opposed to a pressure field eliminating the need to solve the Poisson equation. This allows the fluid structure interactions (FSI) behavior to be calculated elegantly at the interface through the mesoscopic momentum transfer between the fluid and structure. At this level, the forces are simultaneously calculated. The LB equations are discretized both in time and phase space using a standard D2Q9 lattice model. Validation tests for flow around single square cylinders at different aspect ratio at low Reynolds numbers are presented. Good agreement with other investigators is achieved. Flow past multiple bluff bodies (representing building in a city) is also presented. The vortex shedding simulations presented provide preliminary indications in terms of St that the LB method can be used to simulate high Re flow.

The Effect Of Program Commitment On The Degree Of Participative Congruence And Managerial Performance In A Budgeting Setting, Kevin T. Breaux

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research endeavor is to investigate the effect that the degree of participative congruence has on the relationship between program commitment and managerial performance. The degree of participative congruence (Clinton and Hunton 2001) is a new measure of participation designed to determine the amount of congruence between the perceived need for participation and the degree of participation allowed. This study used a questionnaire to evaluate the antecedents of and effects of the degree of participative congruence (DPC) in a budgeting setting. In order to investigate these effects, the questionnaire was mailed to a sample of 1,500 AICPA …

Constructive Habituation As An Educational Approach To Process-Object Reification In Mathematics, Alonzo F. Peterson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sfard and Thompson (1994) state that what matters most is that educators develop ways of thinking, teaching, and learning mathematics. This study introduced constructive habituation, a new strategy developed to aid both students and teachers in the thinking, teaching, and learning of mathematics. Constructive habituation attempts to unite constructivist teaching methods aimed at supporting students’ conceptual understanding of content and habituationist teaching method aimed at establishing routine responses to routine tasks. This study is exploratory in nature, designed to investigate if constructive habituation is a more effective means than a traditional teaching method in helping students reach process-object reification as …

The Fate Of Bifenthrin And Fipronil In Pine Bark Nursery Media, Russell Stanley Harris, Iii

LSU Master's Theses

Concerns over the adverse effects of pesticides on human health and the environment have led to the development of stricter pesticide regulations and the outright banning of many pesticides in the U.S. Bifenthrin and fipronil are important pesticides used in the nursery industry for the control of imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta Buren, S. richteri Forel, and their hybrids) to meet the requirements of the Imported Fire Ant Quarantine. Nurseries typically use highly-organic media ("soilless" media) and little is known about the fate of these pesticides when used with these media. Our research measured the influence of irrigation frequency and …

Taxing Political Donations: The Case For Corrective Taxes In Campaign Finance, David Gamage

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Command-and-control regulations are generally thought to be inferior to incentive-based alternatives. This essay proposes an incentive-based approach for regulating campaign finance. In place of our current regime of contribution ceilings, the essay calls for a graduated system of contribution taxes. Rather than capping the size of political donations at a specified dollar level, we should tax donations based on a schedule of graduated rates - the larger the size of a contribution, the higher the level of taxation.

Contribution taxes generate two primary advantages over contribution ceilings. First, contribution taxes preserve more total surplus. This surplus can be shared by …

Better Writing, Better Thinking: Using Legal Writing Pedagogy In The "Casebook" Classroom (Without Grading Papers), Mary Beth Beazley

Scholarly Works

In this Article, Professor Beazley proposes that a Legal Writing revolution is the next revolution in legal education, and that the revolution is not just coming, it has begun. She offers first steps for law school faculty to take in furtherance of this revolution. Professor Beazley argues that the pioneers of this new revolution are Legal Writing faculty. Section I of this Article examines some ways that the law school culture that segregates Legal Writing faculty has both promoted their opportunities to develop innovative pedagogies and inhibited their ability to share those pedagogies with other faculty. Section II explains certain …

Field Evaluation Of Mosquito Control And Repellent Devices In Southern Louisiana, Brett Warren Collier

LSU Master's Theses

The effect of 2 mosquito traps and 2 repellent systems upon the catch of an American Biophysics Corporation (ABC) light trap were evaluated over a 14-month period at 3 locations in Louisiana. Devices evaluated included: 1) ABC Mosquito Magnet® with dry ice and octenol, 2) the BioSensory 500 cc Dragonfly® Biting Insect Trap with CO₂, octenol, and Mosquito Cognito® which uses Conceal™ inhibitor, 3) the SC Johnson OFF!® Mosquito Lantern, and 4) the ThermaCell® cordless mosquito repellent system for residential use. The number of mosquitoes caught in the ABC light traps at the SC Johnson OFF!® Mosquito Lantern …

Bacterial Plume Dynamics In The Marshland Upwelling System Employed In The Near Freshwater Conditions, Benjamin Kojo Addo

LSU Master's Theses

The marshland upwelling system (MUS) was installed in a floatation marsh along the banks of the Bayou Segnette Waterway, Louisiana. This site was characterized by native groundwater of low salinity regime. Previous studies focused on the removal of fecal pathogens from settled/raw and secondarily treated wastewater under high saline groundwater conditions. The objectives of this research were to: 1) quantify the impact of natural die-off on bacterial removal within the MUS, 2) determine bacterial retardation rates in laboratory-repacked sandy loam soil columns, and 3) evaluate the effectiveness of the MUS in removing fecal pathogens from settled, raw wastewater. Varying salinities …

Enron, Titanic, And The Perfect Storm, Nancy B. Rapoport

Scholarly Works

In this article, I explore the contention of Jeffrey Skilling, former Enron CEO, that Enron's debacle was due to a perfect storm of events. I reject his contention, arguing instead that Enron's downfall was more like Titanic's - hubris and an over-reliance on checks and balances led to Enron's downfall. I then explore how character (especially of those at the top of an organization) can lead to Enron-like disasters, and I talk about how cognitive dissonance can lead to very smart people making very stupid decisions. I end with some musings about how lawyers can learn from Enron.

Did White House Reporters Defer To The President After September 11?, Jodi Kathleen Bannerman

LSU Master's Theses

This study's primary focus is to determine if the White House press corps acted more deferential to President Bush and his agenda after September 11, 2001, and if so, to see how long the period of decreased adversarial relations lasted. This purpose is accomplished through a content analysis of 37 White House press briefings, conducted by then White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, examining press-briefing questions three months before, on, directly following, and three months after September 11 according to four dimensions of adversarial relations: initiative, directness, assertiveness, and hostility. Ten question design features comprise the criteria to measure each …

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Skilling; How Enron's Public Image Morphed From The Most Innovative Company In The Fortune 500 To The Most Notorious Company Ever, Nancy B. Rapoport, Jeffrey D. Van Niel

Scholarly Works

In this article, we explore the hypothesis that Enron's financial releases were so complex and misleading that no one could have predicted its rapid downfall, and we find that, contrary to our hypothesis, a number of people were contradicting Enron's own rosy view of itself long before the middle of 2001. We then talk about the ways in which Enron became part of the public consciousness, far beyond what it had done merely as a business entity.

Food Safety Knowledge And Practices Of Food Recovery Agency Workers Before And After Food Safety Training, Sara Katherine Waggoner

LSU Master's Theses

Many food recovery agencies depend on donated food, and its safety is critical for the health of vulnerable populations. A food safety curriculum was developed for agency volunteers and paid staff of the Lower Mississippi Delta region. Examples of topics in the curriculum included: personal hygiene, food storage, transporting food safely, and HACCP. Food Safety Knowledge Pre- and Posttests (20 questions) were identical, and validity and reliability were established prior to use. Paired t-tests were performed to determine the effectiveness of the curriculum (n=190). A Food Safety Practices Survey (10 questions) demonstrating attitudes and behaviors regarding food safety practices in …

Construct Validation Of An Arabic Version Of The Learning Transfer System Inventory For Use In Jordan, Samer Abdelkarim Khasawneh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Organizations in Jordan have invested heavily in employee training. However, these training efforts may not be as effective. One area of particular interest is learning transfer, or the extent to which learning from training is applied on the job. Recent research efforts have led to the development of the Learning Transfer System Inventory (LTSI), the only valid and reliable measure of key transfer system factors. This study validated the constructs of the LTSI for use in Jordan. By doing so, HRD practitioners in Jordan can use such instrument to diagnose early problems with learning transfer, the key to training effectiveness …

Racial Differences In The Mental Health Needs And Service Utilization Of Youth In The Juvenile Justice System, Michael Jenuwine, Purva Rawal, Jill Romansky, John S. Lyons

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Mental health placement rates by the juvenile justice system differ by race. However, it is unknown whether mental health needs differ by race. This study attempted to investigate potential differences in mental health needs and service utilization among Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic juvenile justice involved youth. A stratified random sample of 473 youth petitioned, adjudicated, and incarcerated from 1995-1996 was examined using a standard chart review protocol and the Childhood Severity of Psychiatric Illness measure for mental health needs. Significant and unique mental health needs were demonstrated for all racial groups. African American youth demonstrated the greatest level of …

The Myth Of Eternal Preservation: Patterns Of Damage In Egyptian Mummies, Ellen Salter-Pedersen

LSU Master's Theses

Mummification can preserve a body for several millennia, but it is a popular misconception that these bodies are in pristine condition. The activities of tomb robbers, archaeological excavation and transportation, and the embalming process itself may damage the body. This thesis examines published reports on Egyptian mummies from museums in the United States, Europe, and Egypt for the presence of osteological fractures, dislocations and other related damage. These reports include biographical information and the results of investigations made by one or more of the following techniques: unwrapping, autopsying, x-raying, and CT-scanning. Data on 275 Egyptian mummies were collected and examined …

A New Broad Spectrum Disinfectant Suitable For The Food Industry, Giovanna Aita Dequeiroz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A unique biocide composition (patent pending) that is formed from a hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite mixture was investigated. A biocidal "complex" is formed by adding the peroxide to the hypochlorite in an amount so that the weight ratio of the peroxide to the hypochlorite is no less than 1:10. The chemical structure of this biocidal "complex" is uncertain but we postulate that it is a semi-stable complex, whose stability is disrupted by heat, acid, U/V exposure and the presence of organic matter (i.e., microbes) The antimicrobial activity of the biocidal "complex" is most likely a combination effect between oxidation …

A Stage Targeted Physical Activity Intervention Among A Predominantly African American Low Income Medical Population, Dorothy Whitehead

LSU Master's Theses

Despite the numerous health benefits, there is a high prevalence of physical inactivity and associated chronic diseases in the U.S., particularly among low income African Americans. Past studies indicate that mailed, stage-matched physical activity promotion materials are effective, low cost, and show potential for reaching hard to reach groups. However, this has not been examined in a low-income African American population. The current study utilized a low-cost, mailed intervention to promote physical activity among a low income African American primary care population (N=207). The sample was predominantly female (82.6%), African American (69.1%), and overweight (81.3%). At baseline, all participants completed …

The Organ Works Of Fela Sowande: A Nigerian Organist-Composer, Godwin Simeon Sadoh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Fela Sowande (1905-1987) has a huge compositional output including orchestral and vocal works. However, his organ music outnumbered the totality of his compositions. His organ pieces represent a truly intercultural music in which distinct tripartite cultural idioms are evident—Nigerian, African American and European. Works of this nature serve as creative source materials for aspiring composers, performers, scholars, music educators, and students in Africa and the world. This composer, folklorist, and music educator was born into a well-known music family in Nigeria. He was active in radio broadcasting, Yoruba folklore and mythology, indigenous music research, Nigerian art music, performance, orchestral conducting, …

Vie Et Mort De La Rhetorique Dans Le Conte Du Graal Ou Le Roman De Perceval, Oana Carmina Cimpean

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis illustrates the distinction established by Maurice Blanchot in Le Livre à venir, between novel and narration, as it appears in Chrétien de Troyes' Le conte du Graal ou le roman de Perceval. The novel accompanies the hero to the meeting with the Sirens, while the narration constitutes the meeting itself. Once the hero had his meeting with the Sirens, in Perceval's case he has the privilege of hearing God's names, he disappears from the novel, entering the realm of silence, which dominates the narration. In leaving the novel, Perceval gains access to a superior meaning, hidden to the …

Design And Development Of A Process Control Temperature System For Eastern Oyster Crassostrea Virginica Research, Praveen Kolar

LSU Master's Theses

A process-control temperature system was designed and developed for facilitating somatic cell research on eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica. The system consisted of sixteen independent tanks capable of individual temperature regimes controlled by a central computer. Food grade 250-L tanks were used to hold 60 oysters per tank. Each tank was equipped with heating and cooling mechanisms. Immersion heaters were used for heating and a pump and a stainless steel heat exchangers immersed in chilled water (~ 7°C) were used for cooling. Type-T thermocouples along with a CIOEXP32 multiplexer board (Measurement Computing Inc.) were used to measure water temperatures. Control was …

The Mitigation Of Asymmetric Information Through The Use Of Earnouts, David Robert Beard

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

We examine the use of a contracting method in mergers and acquisitions known as an earnout. In this type of transaction, the bidder agrees to pay the target an initial amount for the acquisition plus future payments contingent on the achievement of performance milestones. Theory suggests that the contingent payment associated with earnouts should reduce adverse selection problems facing both parties in the merger. The purpose of this dissertation is to study the ability of earnouts to mitigate problems associated with asymmetric information and problem of agency. Specifically, we answer the following questions in analyzing these transactions. First, empirical evidence …

The Entrepreneurship Effect: An Accidental Externality In The Federal Income Tax, Leandra Lederman

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Case law and commentators sometimes speak as if all income-producing activities are taxed similarly. However, that simply is not true for individuals. Although the expenses and losses of business activities generally are deductible from income of any source and net losses can be carried to other tax years, individuals' investment expenses and losses generally are deductible only from investment income. Although many of the provisions restricting investment-related deductions were enacted at different times, and each one has its own rationale, the combined effect of these provisions on individual investors is a systematic preference for business losses over investment losses.

Economists …

Routes Of Freedom: Slave Resistance And The Politics Of Literary Geography, Judith Louise Kemerait

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation integrates rhetorical, historical, and spatial analysis in an effort to expand our understanding of the cultural work performed by antebellum narratives that take slavery in the United States as their subject matter. Specifically, it focuses on the complicated relationship between place and human praxis as revealed in five texts: The Confessions of Nat Turner, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Dred, Martin R. Delany’s Blake, Frederick Douglass’s “The Heroic Slave,” and Herman Melville’s Benito Cereno. In my attention to literary geographies, I trace spatial patterns in which considerations of organized resistance and slave rebellion are repeatedly placed in “wild-spaces” such as …

Coastal Lakes Aquatic Plant Survey Report, Mary Pfauth, Mark Sytsma

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Invasive, non-indigenous plants can degrade water quality and fish habitat when they invade lakes, ponds, and streams. Changes in plant community architecture in lakes due to invasion by canopy-forming invasive aquatic plants can result in loss of native plant biodiversity and reduction of the structural complexity of the underwater habitat. Differences in photosynthetic biochemistry between non-indigenous and native plants can result in large diurnal pH and dissolved oxygen concentrations.

Providing Education And Support For Rural Palliative Care Nurses In Western Australia: An Intervention Study, Ruth Mcconigley

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Rural palliative care nurses (RPCNs) in Western Australia (WA) are a small population, who have embraced the specialist palliative care role since the first palliative care service in rural WA began in 1990. However, there are some challenges involved with being a specialist nurse in a generalist health care setting. fu particular, there is a suggestion in the literature that RPCNs may be professionally isolated, may be prone to burnout, and may therefore experience decreased job satisfaction and may consider leaving the palliative care field.

Work Intensification And Professionalism : A Study Of Teachers' Perceptions In The State School System In Western Australia, Niall B. Richardson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The past two decades have witnessed the introduction throughout much of the Western world of what has become known as economic rationalism, and for some commentators, as economic liberalism. Grounded in neoclassical economic theory, and with close kinship to the Taylorist and Fordist principles of the early decades of the twentieth century, the vision of economic rationalism has led to measures which have tended to favour the business sector in Australia. Throughout the 1990s, the focus has been on the notions of competitiveness, competition, productivity, efficiency, and profit, while the notions of the individual, and of social justice and equity, …

Perceptions Of Wine Quality, Stephen J. Charters

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The term `quality' is regularly used by those who produce, promote and consume wine. However, the nature and features of wine quality are rarely explained. This study was designed to explore what drinkers consider to be the nature of wine quality and what they believe its features to be. Focus groups and individual and small group interviews were used to explore the conceptualisation and dimensions of wine quality, how that quality is assessed, and what its relevance may be. There were 105 informants, sourced from three states across Australia primarily by utilising friends and acquaintances of the researcher. Informants included …

Plague, Pestilence & Pollution : Berkoff's Collision With Aeschylus And Sophocles, Michelle Aslett

Theses : Honours

Our humanity is bound to perennial themes in drama, so when a classic play is adapted to 'suit' contemporary audiences, the revised version will often reflect the zeitgeist of the times in which it was produced. The magic of retrospection then allows us to examine the social and political particulars that influence the adapted as well as the original work. Indeed, Steven Berkoff's reworkings of both Aeschylus' Agamemnon and Sophocles' Oedipus Rex reflect an unsettled and divided British context in the throes of ideological upheaval during the 1970's and early 1980's. While consistent criticism of leadership and political strife in …

Men's Strengths In The Transition To Fatherhood, Dawson C. Cooke

Theses : Honours

This paper considers the ways men succeed or grow stronger (strengths perspectives) in the transition to fatherhood. Becoming a father is a normative life event for a man that presents a unique opportunity for developmental growth. This aspect of fatherhood has rarely been addressed in psychological literature despite the growing interest in fatherhood and strengths perspectives. An overview is given of fathering literature with attention to the transition to fatherhood, positive outcomes and strengths, and recent Australian studies. Models and classifications of strengths are introduced, including findings from the positive psychology movement (C. Peterson & M. E. P. Seligman, 2004) …

Exploring Women's Experiences Of A Medically Necessary Caesarean, Michelle Cotterell

Theses : Honours

Caesarean delivery accounts for approximately one in four births both in Australia and on a global level. Examination of the experience of caesarean delivery is limited, although as caesarean delivery rates are increasing, a practical understanding of the constructs surrounding surgical birth needs to be gained. This review aims to present an overview of the current literature exploring the mother's experience of caesarean delivery. The different modes of medically necessary caesarean delivery, both unplanned and planned are defined. Societal views of caesarean birth as an easier and convenient mode of delivery in comparison to vaginal birth are described and it …