Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2004

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 70651 - 70680 of 71233

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

"Never Could Read No Road Map": Geographic Perspectives On The Grateful Dead, Daniel R. Culli Jan 2004

"Never Could Read No Road Map": Geographic Perspectives On The Grateful Dead, Daniel R. Culli

LSU Master's Theses

The Grateful Dead hold a unique niche in the musical, social, and cultural history of the United States. However, while the volume of available academic literature concerning the band is increasing, the Grateful Dead remain to be nearly ignored by academia and, to this point apparently, completely ignored by cultural geographers. This paper introduces the Grateful Dead into the field of geography. I analyze the geography of certain aspects of the band, such as its context in San Francisco, the carnival atmosphere of the entire phenomenon, the over 2300 tour dates, as well as the huge catalog of lyrics sung …


B.S., Michael P. Redmond Jan 2004

B.S., Michael P. Redmond

LSU Master's Theses

This is a novel about a hack of a novelist who guides a fraud of a novelist around an allegorical version of the United States of America. It tests the limits of its readers’ patience with irony and metafiction. Themes that are explored, mocked, and then explored again include belief, identity, reality, geography, the intersections of the aforementioned, and the comical futility of such exploration. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.


Growth, Lori Penn Jan 2004

Growth, Lori Penn

LSU Master's Theses

Every living being encounters growth. As humans, our experiences help to shape our mental and emotional development. Each of these experiences provides an opportunity for growth. In my work, apes, monkeys, and lemurs serve as visual metaphors for human growth. The body of work that I created for my thesis project reflects different emotions and experiences that facilitate growth and maturity.


Do Out-Of-State Buyers Pay More For Real Estate? An Examination Of Anchoring-Induced Bias And Search Costs, Val E. Lambson, Grant R. Mcqueen, Barrett A. Slade Jan 2004

Do Out-Of-State Buyers Pay More For Real Estate? An Examination Of Anchoring-Induced Bias And Search Costs, Val E. Lambson, Grant R. Mcqueen, Barrett A. Slade

Faculty Publications

We explore the questions of whether and why out-of-state buyers pay more for real estate than their in-state counterparts. Theoretically, we develop a model capable of explaining a premium if out-of-state buyers have high search costs, upwardly biased beliefs about prices or an unusually short time horizon to purchase. Empirically, we find that out-of-state buyers pay a statistically significant and economically meaningful premium for apartment complexes in the Phoenix area. We also find some evidence consistent with the premium being driven by high search costs, biased beliefs (anchoring) and haste associated with out-of-state buyers.


Photo-Control Of Dna Oligonucleotides With Cage Compounds, Bilal Ghosn Jan 2004

Photo-Control Of Dna Oligonucleotides With Cage Compounds, Bilal Ghosn

LSU Master's Theses

Many biochemical processes in which DNA and other nucleic acids participate are central to functions in both living cells and in molecular biology assays. While many compounds have been used to regulate the activity of DNA, these strategies are limited to the aqueous-based diffusion of the activator to the target DNA molecule. An improvement to the induction of DNA bioactivity is to move to a light-based modulation. This research demonstrates a light-based technique using a photo-cleavable cage compound to transiently inactivate DNA hybridization. Function can be restored with exposure to near-UV light, allowing for temporal control of DNA oligonucleotide (ODN) …


Synthesis, Characterization And Tribological Behavior Of Nitrogen-Doped Chromium-Diamond-Like Carbon Nanocomposite Thin Films, Sunil Kumar Pal Jan 2004

Synthesis, Characterization And Tribological Behavior Of Nitrogen-Doped Chromium-Diamond-Like Carbon Nanocomposite Thin Films, Sunil Kumar Pal

LSU Master's Theses

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films have been extensively studied for more than two decades due to their highly attractive properties. These films exhibit unique mechanical, chemical and electronic properties and thus, possess great potential for applications in tribology. However, two drawbacks in the DLC films are high level of internal stress developed during growth preventing deposition of thick films and low thermal stability. Synthesis of Me-DLC (Cr-DLC and N-doped Cr-DLC) presents a way to overcome these drawbacks. In the present study, DLC, Cr-DLC and N-doped Cr-DLC films were deposited on Si substrate using a hybrid Plasma assisted CVD/PVD process. Film characterization …


State-Level Environmental Risk Perception: An Analysis Of 20 Comparative Risk Reports, Mandy Green Jan 2004

State-Level Environmental Risk Perception: An Analysis Of 20 Comparative Risk Reports, Mandy Green

LSU Master's Theses

Research was conducted to identify the states that compiled Comparative Risk Reports and the year in which the study was completed. The information relating to the type of committee that compiled the risk report and the final risk rankings was examined. State Comparative Risk Reports were collected for twenty states and the risk rankings that each state compiled were reviewed to determine which states ranked third generation environmental problems and the ranking that those problems were given. The risk reports compiled by each state were also used to determine which states ranked natural resource based problems and the ranking that …


An Evaluation Of Methods Used To Obtain The Railroad Preemption Queue Clearance Time, Deeangela Renee Kenon Jan 2004

An Evaluation Of Methods Used To Obtain The Railroad Preemption Queue Clearance Time, Deeangela Renee Kenon

LSU Master's Theses

Because of the potential for serious train-vehicle accidents at or near railroad-highway grade crossings, preemption of traffic signals is a very important supplement to an active warning system. Preemption is the transfer of normal signal phasing to a special control mode with the purpose of clearing any vehicles that are queued within the dynamic envelope as the train approaches, and prohibiting signal phases that would allow additional vehicles in the track area while the train is present. The focus of this research was the determination of the Clear Track Green Interval (or the Queue Clearance Time). The clear track green …


An Evaluation Of Reference Evapotranspiration Models In Louisiana, Royce Landon Fontenot Jan 2004

An Evaluation Of Reference Evapotranspiration Models In Louisiana, Royce Landon Fontenot

LSU Master's Theses

Daily and monthly output from seven evapotranspiration models (FAO-24 Radiation, FAO-24 Blaney-Criddle, Hargreaves-Samani, Priestly-Taylor, Makkink, and Turc) have been tested against reference evapotranspiration data computed by the FAO-56 Penman-Monteith model to assess the accuracy of each model in estimating grass-reference evapotranspiration in Louisiana. Models were compared at eight stations of the Louisiana Agriclimate Information System using data from December 2002 to November 2003. Comparisons were also made using three composite regions: statewide, inland, and coastal. A pan evaporation to reference evapotranspiration model (FAO-24 Pan Evaporation) was also tested against daily grass reference evapotranspiration from the FAO-56 Penman-Monteith model using data …


Tyranny, Natural Law, And Secession, Geoffrey Plauche Jan 2004

Tyranny, Natural Law, And Secession, Geoffrey Plauche

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis is an examination of the problem of tyranny from the perspective of radical libertarianism. History is to be seen as a race and conflict between liberty and power. After a brief introduction, the second section of this thesis is devoted to sketching out a natural law and natural rights theory. With this as the foundation, the third section analyzes the seminal work of Étienne de la Boétie’s The Discourse of Voluntary Servitude in which he elucidates the nature of tyranny and the psychology of subjection. All governments, even the worst tyranny, rest upon general popular acceptance. Religious and …


Spectroscopic Investigation Of Nitrogenase: Epr And Mcd Studies Of The Femo Cofactor And The P-Cluster, Robyn B. Broach Jan 2004

Spectroscopic Investigation Of Nitrogenase: Epr And Mcd Studies Of The Femo Cofactor And The P-Cluster, Robyn B. Broach

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Little is known about substrate binding and reduction of nitrogenase. EPR spectroscopy is used here to observe intermediate states generated by different substrates. Two different spin states (S=3/2 and S=1/2) were exhibited for each substrate, which may result from different binding of the substrate to the cofactor (side-on or terminal binding) or the difference of the substrate binding to either Fe or Mo of the cofactor. Parallel studies were performed on a variant MoFe protein, alpha-195Gln, which exhibited different signals from the wild-type suggesting that the substituted amino acid maybe necessary to reach some mechanistic states that the …


The Contributions Of Floyd Leslie Sandle To Black Educational Theatre In Louisiana, Ava Marie Brewster-Turner Jan 2004

The Contributions Of Floyd Leslie Sandle To Black Educational Theatre In Louisiana, Ava Marie Brewster-Turner

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Floyd Leslie Sandle appeared on the theatrical scene in 1938 on the campus of Grambling State University. From his humble beginnings in the segregated town of Magnolia, Mississippi, to Dillard University where his passion for theatre was nurtured by Dr. Sheppard Randolph Edmonds, Sandle made significant strides in the dvelopment of Black Educational Theatre in Louisiana. Through his unique approach of presenting plays to the residents of the rural community of Grambling, Louisiana, Sandle was able to establish a state certified Speech and Drama Department at Grambling State University. He trained students in educational theatre though his lectures, laboratory experiences, …


The Relationship Among Alcohol Consumption, Dietary Intake, And Body Mass Index In Young Adults, Mary C. May Jan 2004

The Relationship Among Alcohol Consumption, Dietary Intake, And Body Mass Index In Young Adults, Mary C. May

LSU Master's Theses

This study was designed to assess the relationship of alcohol consumption, dietary intake, and body mass index (BMI) in 1,335 young adult males and females aged 20-38 years (62% female and 27% black) who were part of the Bogalusa Heart Study. Data were collected in 1995-1996 on dietary intake and alcohol consumption patterns. The prevalence of alcohol consumption was higher in males compared with females and higher in whites than blacks. Among drinkers, whites and blacks did not differ in the amount of alcohol consumed. Energy from alcohol was also greater in males than in females. Total energy intake did …


The Influence Of Selected Perceptual And Demographic Factors On The Involvement Of Youth In Violent Behaviors, Nathaniel Mcclinton Jan 2004

The Influence Of Selected Perceptual And Demographic Factors On The Involvement Of Youth In Violent Behaviors, Nathaniel Mcclinton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of selected perceptual and demographic factors on the self-reported aggressive/violent behaviors of young adults while they were enrolled in school. Specific objectives formulated to guide the research were to: 1)determine the level of involvement in violence and violent behaviors; 2) determine the attitudes and beliefs of young adults; 3)determine the environmental conditions experienced by young adults when last in school; 4)determine if a relationship exists between the level of violence and violent behavior and selected perceptual and environmental factors among young adults, and finally 5)determine if a model exists to …


Modeling Event-Based Coupled Hydrologic And Mass Transport In Small Urban Watersheds, Yuhong Sheng Jan 2004

Modeling Event-Based Coupled Hydrologic And Mass Transport In Small Urban Watersheds, Yuhong Sheng

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

To investigate the event-based coupled hydrologic and mass transport processes of particulate matter and their eventual fate in unit operations/processes, several methodologies were developed. Discrete rainfall-runoff events data were collected at two similar urban watersheds for model calibration and verification. A mathematically and physically-based criterion was proposed to differentiate rainfall-runoff events between either mass-limited or flow-limited. Statistical techniques of Logistic Regression and Discriminant Analysis were utilized to derive classification rules for event categories based on hydrologic data only. With watersheds assumed as either lumped systems or distributed systems, physically-based semi-empirical models were developed to simulate particulate mass delivery process during …


Chromosomal Localization Of A Proinsulin Transgene Inserted With A Transposon-Based Vector Into Japanese Quail, Coturnix Coturnix, Lacey R. Mcnally Jan 2004

Chromosomal Localization Of A Proinsulin Transgene Inserted With A Transposon-Based Vector Into Japanese Quail, Coturnix Coturnix, Lacey R. Mcnally

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The overall goals of this research were to develop a reproducible method of detecting stable DNA insertion into Japanese quail and provide a method for gene location on avian chromosomes. This research resulted in the development of a different method of obtaining chromosome spreads in Japanese quail, the establishment of primed in situ hybridization as a method for the chromosomal gene detection in birds, development of Teflon-coated coverslip slides to facilitate laser microdissection of 0.5 ƒÝm samples, and chromosomal identification of proinsulin transgene insertions by laser microdissection and nucleotide sequence from G2 Japanese quail. The 28S rDNA was found on …


Design And Performance Of Electric Shock Absorber, Oly D. Paz Jan 2004

Design And Performance Of Electric Shock Absorber, Oly D. Paz

LSU Master's Theses

The electric shock absorber is a device that converts the kinetic energy of an oscillating object into electric energy. This kinetic energy is normally dumped in a form of thermal energy in a conventional, mechanical shock absorber. The electric shock absorber consists of a permanent magnet linear synchronous generator (PMLSG), a spring, and an electric energy accumulator. The major goal of the project is to design and analyze the operation of an electric shock absorber. In order to define the initial requirements that the electric shock absorber has to satisfy, the construction and performance of currently used shock absorbers were …


A Performer's Guide To Virgil Thomson's Five Songs From William Blake, Andrew David Whitfield Jan 2004

A Performer's Guide To Virgil Thomson's Five Songs From William Blake, Andrew David Whitfield

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Though perhaps his most well-known vocal works might be his operas, Four Saints in Three Acts and The Mother of Us All, American composer Virgil Thomson (1896-1989) did write nearly seventy songs for voice and piano, including several important song cycles. One of these cycles, the Five Songs from William Blake, represents an impressive composition for the baritone voice. Unfortunately, much of the previous scholarship about Thomson did not award these Blake songs adequate attention, nor was it able to draw upon many of the primary sources about Thomson’s life and work that are now available. The purpose of this …


Fabrication And Assembly Of An Array Of Micro Fuel Injector Nozzles For A Trapped-Vortex Combustor, Tracy Ettel Morris Jan 2004

Fabrication And Assembly Of An Array Of Micro Fuel Injector Nozzles For A Trapped-Vortex Combustor, Tracy Ettel Morris

LSU Master's Theses

An array of four fuel injector nozzles, each with micrometer-scale swirlers and a microhole, is created on a single coupon. The nozzles are intended to atomize fuel to blend with swirling air before ejecting into a trapped-vortex combustion chamber. A first-generation metal prototype is fabricated in order to form the micro features, supply the fuel and gas to the nozzles, and guide the mixture to the combustion chamber. Microfabrication methods and precision machining are used to create a multiple plate laminate assembly. The central plate contains the four microholes, which atomize the fuel, and facilitate the swirler structures needed to …


Spectroscopic And Synthetic Studies Relating To A Dirhodium Hydroformylation Catalyst, Petia Gueorguieva Gueorguieva Jan 2004

Spectroscopic And Synthetic Studies Relating To A Dirhodium Hydroformylation Catalyst, Petia Gueorguieva Gueorguieva

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The main goal of this dissertation research was to further study and characterize our bimetallic hydroformylation catalyst, rac-[Rh2(nbd)2(et,ph-P4)](BF4)2, and to fully identify the catalytically inactive mono- and dirhodium complexes formed upon fragmentation of the catalyst under hydroformylation conditions. Various in situ NMR methods such as 1D 1H and 31P, and 2D COSY, HMBC, and HMQC were employed and indicated the formation of the key catalyst, [rac-Rh2H2(μ-CO)2(CO)4(et,ph-P4)]2+, 4, and a number of other Rh-phosphine species on and off the catalytic cycle. …


Analysis And Evaluation Of A Bioengineered Submerged Breakwater, Matthew Dwain Campbell Jan 2004

Analysis And Evaluation Of A Bioengineered Submerged Breakwater, Matthew Dwain Campbell

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana's coastline has received national attention due to rapid erosion rates estimated from approximately 60 to 100 square kilometers per year. The disappearance of coastal areas jeopardizes public and private infrastructure, property values, aquatic ecosystems, and standards of living. In order to resolve the erosion problem, innovative solutions have been explored that may improve effectiveness and cost efficiency. This research involves a technology, termed an "oysterbreak," which is a bioengineered submerged breakwater. This structure promotes oysters to form a dense structure that dissipates wave energy. Since the structure is biologically dominated, initial material use is modest. The oysterbreak was evaluated …


State-Specific Effects Of Withdrawal In Smokers, Carla J. Rash Jan 2004

State-Specific Effects Of Withdrawal In Smokers, Carla J. Rash

LSU Master's Theses

Comparisons of responses to a free-recall task were made in withdrawal and non-withdrawal states of 41 smokers. A 2 x 2 design was used to investigate state-specific learning effects in smokers during nicotine withdrawal using a list of 20 common words. Nicotine withdrawal was defined as a minimum of 12 hours abstinence from smoking. Physiological measures of heart rate and blood pressure were examined for drug-compensatory responses. No significant decreases in physiological responding were found. Additionally, no interaction was found between reported urge and withdrawal. The primary hypothesis regarding state-specific effects on recall was not supported. These findings are to …


Site-Directed Mutagenesis Studies Of E. Coli Biotin Carboxylase, Valerie Melissa Sloane Jan 2004

Site-Directed Mutagenesis Studies Of E. Coli Biotin Carboxylase, Valerie Melissa Sloane

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase is an essential enzyme in all plants, animals, and bacterie, where it catalyzes the committed step in fatty acid synthesis. The Escherichia coli version of the enzyme has three functional components that dissociate readily: biotin carboxylase, carboxyltransferase, and a biotin carboxyl carrier protein. The biotin carboxylase component catalyzes the ATP-dependent carboxylation of biotin, using bicarbonate as the carboxylate source. Biotin carboxylase is a member of a functionally diverse superfamily of proteins known as the ATP-grasp enzymes. In the first study, four residues of biotin carboxylase, Lys 116, Lys 159, His 209, and Glu 276, were selected for site-directed …


Orbit Structure On The Silov Boundary Of A Tube Domain And The Plancherel Decomposition Of A Causally Compact Symmetric Space, With Emphasis On The Rank One Case, Troels Roussau Johansen Jan 2004

Orbit Structure On The Silov Boundary Of A Tube Domain And The Plancherel Decomposition Of A Causally Compact Symmetric Space, With Emphasis On The Rank One Case, Troels Roussau Johansen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

We construct a G-equivariant causal embedding of a compactly causal symmetric space G/H as an open dense subset of the Silov boundary S of the unbounded realization of a certain Hermitian symmetric space G1/K1 of tube type. Then S is an Euclidean space that is open and dense in the flag manifold G1/P', where P' denotes a certain parabolic subgroup of G1. The regular representation of G on L2(G/H) is thus realized on L2(S), and we use abelian harmonic analysis in the study thereof. In particular, …


The Effect Of The Implicit Theory Of Integrity On An Internal Auditor's Asessment Of Management Fraud Risk, Stephanie F. Watson Jan 2004

The Effect Of The Implicit Theory Of Integrity On An Internal Auditor's Asessment Of Management Fraud Risk, Stephanie F. Watson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research project is to determine whether the implicit theory of integrity, a theory from the social psychology literature that predicts how social judgments and decisions are made, can explain internal auditors’ decisions. The implicit theory (Dweck and Leggett 1988) states that there are two types of people: (1) entity theorists and (2) incremental theorists. Entity theorists form strong inferences from observed behavior that are used to predict future behavior. Incremental theorists, on the other hand, do not infer characteristics from behavior, and therefore, do not attempt to predict future behavior. In an internal auditing context, the …


Towards Automated Capture Of 3d Foot Geometry For Custom Orthoses, Rajeev Madazhy Jan 2004

Towards Automated Capture Of 3d Foot Geometry For Custom Orthoses, Rajeev Madazhy

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis presents a novel method of capturing 3D foot geometry from images for custom shoe insole manufacture. Orthopedic footwear plays an important role as a treatment and prevention of foot conditions associated with diabetes. Through the use of customized shoe insoles, a podiatrist can provide a means to better distribute the pressure around the foot, and can also correct the biomechanics of the foot. Different foot scanners are used to obtain the geometric plantar surface of foot, but are expensive and more generic in nature. The focus of this thesis is to build 3D foot structure from a pair …


Biological Treatment Of Industrial Wastewater Containing High Concentrations Of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (Las), Luis Alberto Espinoza Jan 2004

Biological Treatment Of Industrial Wastewater Containing High Concentrations Of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (Las), Luis Alberto Espinoza

LSU Master's Theses

Lauryl Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (LAS) is the major anionic surfactant used worldwide in detergent and household cleaning product formulations. Its biodegradation and removal has been extensively studied in wastewater treatment facilities and laboratory-scale tests at low concentrations (<10 mg/L) typical of those encountered in municipal wastewater treatment plants. Less effort, however, has been expended investigating degradation of higher concentrations of LAS representative of those expected in wastewater generated at LAS manufacturing operations. The research described in this thesis was conducted to study biological processes for treating wastewaters containing high concentrations (e.g., 400 mg/L) of LAS. Initial experiments were carried out using a respirometry technique, and subsequently, three different laboratory-scale bioreactor systems. The three systems studied were a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR), a Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactor (SBBR), and an Intermittent Cycle Extension Aeration System (ICEAS). The SBR and ICEAS were operated on a five-day cycle basis with a hydraulic retention time of four days. The SBBR was operated mainly in a two-day cycle having a hydraulic retention time of ten days as well, and polyurethane foam cubes were used as a support medium for attached biomass growth. The three systems were compared on their ability to remove LAS measured in terms of total organic carbon (TOC) and methylene blue active substances (MBAS). The reactors were also compared on the basis of foam production. The ICEAS showed the best performance in terms of controllable foam production while exhibiting a capacity for effectively dealing with transient periods of elevated loading. When a short Fill period was used, the SBR and SBBR had the disadvantage of producing excessive foaming, and an intermittent aeration strategy was required avoid overflow.


Students' Construction Of The Body In Physical Education, Laura Azzarito Jan 2004

Students' Construction Of The Body In Physical Education, Laura Azzarito

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Recently, physical education researchers have been concerned about the results of national studies reporting young people's low level of participation in physical activity and health problems associated with inactivity. In general girls are less active than boys, and youth from low socioeconomic classes are less active and are more likely be unhealthy than middle or upper class youth. Blacks have the highest risks of health problems and the highest levels of physical inactivity. Among a number of recommendations included in Healthy People 2010, physical education has been identified as a fundamental site for addressing today's challenges. According to physical education …


Spatial Analyses And Growth Of Trees In Selected Bottomland Hardwood Stands, Luben D. Dimov Jan 2004

Spatial Analyses And Growth Of Trees In Selected Bottomland Hardwood Stands, Luben D. Dimov

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sustainable management and conservation of the extensive bottomland hardwood forest resource in the southeastern U.S. requires a good understanding of basic structural and competitive relationships within these forests. To gain an insight into these relationships, plot information from stands in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi were analyzed. The effects of individual tree attributes, distance-dependant, and distance-independent competition measures on 5-yr radial growth of red oak crop trees were examined. Selected species included cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda Raf.), water oak (Q. nigra L.), and Nuttall oak (Q. nuttallii Palmer). Spatial continuity of tree variables was explored through geostatistical analysis. Finally, spatial distribution …


The Influence Of State Merit-Based Aid On Access And Educational Experiences: An Exploration Of The Louisiana Tuition Opportunity Program For Students (Tops), Roderick L. Smothers Jan 2004

The Influence Of State Merit-Based Aid On Access And Educational Experiences: An Exploration Of The Louisiana Tuition Opportunity Program For Students (Tops), Roderick L. Smothers

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Access to higher education at the beginning of the new millennium faces unprecedented challenges. Although many of those challenges have been identified and addressed through research and federal and state policies, there still exists an inherent gap in the current and potential future success of today’s college students. This is particularly true for minority and lower-income students. Some of the identified challenges include: lack of financial assistance, persisting through and graduating from college, pre-college preparation, socioeconomic status, and family support/motivation. This study focuses primarily on the financial barriers that impede the process of providing equal access to all students, which …