Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Perceptions On Consumer Acceptance Of Genetically Modified (Gm) Foods, Jae-Hwan Han

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigates the effects of risk/benefit beliefs on consumer purchase intentions for genetically modified (GM) foods. A random, national, mail survey is conducted. Three main problems are addressed in the study. The first problem addressed is to analyze the relationship between consumers risk/ benefit beliefs regarding GM foods, and their willingness to buy GM crop and meat products. The second problem deals with linkages between a consumer’s risk/benefit beliefs about GM foods and willingness to pay (WTP) for GM foods with a benefit disclosure. The third problem addressed is to test a causal relationship between knowledge and trust toward …

Consumer Expectation Formation In Health Care Services: A Psycho-Social Model, Kenneth Randall Russ

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A psycho-social model of consumer expectation formation in a health care services context was developed and tested. A field study involving obstetrical patients (n=171) at a large women’s specialty hospital in the southeast was conducted. Initial support for the structural model which posits that consumer expectations in health care services are multidimensional involving role, process, outcome, and service quality was found. Furthermore, the research identified that the uncertainty of a health service encounter may cause certain consumer segments to choose coping strategies and expectation processes based on their locus of control orientation from along a continuum ranging from “approach-active” to …

A Conductor's Study Of Ruth Watson Henderson's Voices Of Earth, Ryan Jeffrey Hebert

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Ruth Watson Henderson (b. 1932) has become one of Canada’s most prolific composers. She began her music study at a very early age and her career as a performer prospered as she received many awards and honors throughout her life. Her accomplishments as a performer and composer are numerous. Her work as the accompanist for the Toronto Children’s Choir has led to many pieces for children’s voices, and her involvement in church music as an organist has resulted in many sacred compositions for mixed choir. This research presents a brief biographical introduction of Ruth Watson Henderson and a conductor’s analysis …

"Nos Frères D'Outre-Golfe": Spiritualism, Vodou And The Mimetic Literatures Of Haiti And Louisiana, Jean-Marc Allard Duplantier

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The nineteenth-century Francophone literatures of Haiti and Louisiana are often dismissed as pale imitations of literary trends in metropolitan France. This study revisits these literatures and explores how Creole writers used borrowed ideas and imitated styles to assemble "relational" Creole identities. Two interrelated spiritual practices-the mid-century craze for "table turning" commonly known as modern Spiritualism, and the syncretistic New World religion Vodou-structured these writers' mimetic methods, enabling them to speak as, and thereby subvert the hegemony of, their cultural forebears. In France, the mid-century interest in Spiritualism provided French fantastic literature with a useful system for producing the many "revenants" …

Client Centred Care, Registered Nurses' Association Of Ontario

General Submissions: Community and Population-based Materials

The purpose of this guideline is the development and utilization of "client centred" best practice for all health sectors, which empowers the client, improves client satisfaction, and enhances quality of care and quality of work life. The central theme of the guideline focuses on the experience of the client from his/her perspective, minimizing vulnerability, and maximizing control and respect.

Supporting And Strengthening Families Through Expected & Unexpected Life Events, Registered Nurses' Association Of Ontario

General Submissions: Community and Population-based Materials

Focusing on the family is an integral component of nursing practice. The guideline development panel acknowledges that most nurses already have relevant knowledge and skills to care for families. However, this guideline was developed to promote and facilitate continuing education, reflection and reaffirmation of the importance of caring for families. The intent of the guideline is to further build upon, improve and deepen nurses' knowledge and skills towards meeting the needs of families.

The Influence Of A School-Based Substance Abuse Prevention Program In Reducing Smoking Among Sixth Grade African American Students In Louisiana, Alan J. Nichols

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Youth tobacco smoking is one of the major public health problems of this society. Although, by some reports, adult cigarette smoking has been declining, teen smoking rates continue to remain unacceptably high. Current data indicates that smoking rates among minority youth which had declined in the past few years are beginning to rise again. The current increase in teen smoking and subsequent health dangers associated with smoking demonstrates a need for more effective, empirically based youth smoking prevention strategies. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of a substance abuse prevention program in reducing smoking among sixth …

Uv-Liga Micro-Fabrication Of Inertia Type Electrostatic Transducers And Their Application, Seok Jae Jeong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation discusses the design, working principles, static & dynamic analysis and simulation, mechanics of material, applied MEMS technology, micro-fabrication, and experimental testing of two types of micro-transducers: micro-power relay and micro-accelerometer. Several possible design concepts were proposed, and the advantages and disadvantages of electrostatic working principles were also discussed. Transducers presented in this research used electrostatic force as a driving force in the micro-relay and capacitance as a sensing parameter in the micro-accelerometer. There was an analogy between the micro-relay and the micro-accelerometer in their theoretical approach and fabrication processes. The proposed micro-transducers (micro-relay and micro-accelerometer) were fabricated using …

Aerobic Degradation Assessment For The Fungicide Bas 505 Using Batch And Intact Soil Core Methodologies, Jason Allan Mcdonald

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Although registration protocol stipulates that pesticide degradation be quantified using homogeneous soil, research suggests that degradation in intact soil may give results more consistent with field data. This project examined degradation of the turf and cereal fungicide BAS 505 [N-methyl-(E)-2-methoxyamino-2-(2-((2,5-dimethylphenoxy)methyl)phenyl) acetamide]. Yearlong and four-month-long incubation studies compared degradation rates in intact cores and homogeneous (batch) samples of Ruston fine sandy loam (fine-loamy, siliceous, thermic Typic Paleudults) soil. Recovery of BAS 505 in methanol extracts was measured 12 times over the 360 d incubation by HPLC-LSC analysis, and declined to 36 % and 57 % of the amount applied in cores …

Exploring The Hot-Carrier Effect On The Wireless Transceivers, Sameer R. Herlekar

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Phase noise can be regarded as the most severe cause of performance degradation in the wireless communication systems. The hot-carriers (HCs), found in the CMOS synchronization circuits, are the high-energy charge carriers that degrade the MOSFET devices’ performance by increasing the threshold voltage required to operate the MOSFETs. The HC effect manifests itself as the phase noise whose level increases with the continued MOSFET operation and such increases result in the performance degradation of the voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) built on the MOSFETs. The HC effect is particularly evident in the short-channel MOSFET devices. In this dissertation, we analyze the wireless …

Performing Citizenship: Tensions In The Creation Of The Citizen Image On Stage And Screen, John William Wright

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

What does it mean to be a “citizen” of the United States? In the simplest of terms, citizenship is a limited position of identity, relegated to a narrow definition of legal and geographical position for an individual. But to be a “citizen” in America means far more than that – it becomes an accepted image of our collective identity which seeks an historical and political supremacy that allows America, and its citizens, to claim ideological status over anyone who is not a part of that nationalistic frame. The citizen has, for us, become a set of understood rights and privileges, …

Factors Which Influence Client Satisfaction With The Services Of Community Development Corporations, Shanta Harrison-Proctor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine factors which influence client satisfaction with the services of community development corporations (CDCs) in metropolitan regions of Louisiana. The CDCs were evaluated based on five specific criteria: housing, social services, workforce development, educational enrichment, and community outreach. The objectives addressed were: description of clients, levels of client satisfaction, and relationships between satisfaction and selected demographic characteristics. The instrument used in this study was a researcher-designed survey questionnaire used to collect client information. It was comprised of two sections – demographics and client satisfaction. The target population for this study was adult …

Ultra-Violet Lithography Of Thick Photoresist For The Applications In Biomems And Micro Optics, Ren Yang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

UV lithography of thick photoresist is widely used in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and micro-optoelectromechanical systems (MOEMS). SU-8 is a typical negative tone thick photoresist for micro systems, and can be used for both structural material and pattern transfer. This dissertation presents an effort to comprehensively study these important subjects. The first part, and the most fundamental part of this dissertation concentrated on the numerical analysis and experimental study of the wavelength dependent absorbance of SU-8 and the diffraction effects on the sidewall profiles of the microstructures made using UV lithography of SU-8. This study has laid the foundation for all …

Level Of Youth Voice In The Decision-Making Process Within The 4-H Youth Development Program As Perceived By State 4-H Program Leaders, State 4-H Youth Development Specialists, And 4-H Agents/Educators, Todd Anthony Tarifa

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study aimed at determining the level of inclusiveness of youth voice in the decision-making process in the 4-H youth development program. It described the 4-H program’s position on youth voice among State 4-H Program Leaders, 4-H State Youth Development Specialists, and 4-H Youth Agents/Educators. The information gathered was utilized in identifying the level of inclusiveness of youth voice in the decision-making process to better understand how to suit youth’s needs, identify promising practices, and barriers. Three underlying constructs were identified that represented State 4-H Program Leader’s, 4-H Youth Development Specialist’s, and 4-H Agent’s/Educator’s personal views on youth voice in …

A Historical Examination Of The Tradition Of Experience In The Teaching Of Literature In English Education, Deborah Davis Reed

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

By examining major documents for tensions regarding the teaching of literature in the field of secondary English education, this dissertation addressed the following questions: (1) What assumptions about learning and knowledge helped to shape the field? (2) To what extent does the field demonstrate consistency or change in its discourse defined-positions? and (3) How might current conversations in the field fit within a larger historical, social, and political context, thus equipping English educators to better articulate and situate their own pedagogical beliefs? Stephen Toulmin’s (1958) model of an argument served as a means of analyzing the field’s ongoing conversation about …

Jack Kerouac's Spontaneous Prose: A Performance Genealogy Of The Fiction, Justin Thomas Trudeau

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study analyzes Jack Kerouac’s writing method of spontaneous prose and articulates how the method can be understood as performative writing. Kerouac’s “Essentials of Spontaneous Prose,” On the Road, Visions of Cody, and Doctor Sax are explored to evaluate both the successes and failures of the author’s attempts to break literary boundaries and create a new writing method based upon spontaneous tenets. These three novels, which were written in succession from 1950 to 1953 when Kerouac was in his most productive period, represent both the emergence and dissent of the author’s use of performative writing. To explicate the cultural genesis …

Optical Control Plane: Theory And Algorithms, Stefan Alexandru Pascu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this thesis we propose a novel way to achieve global network information dissemination in which some wavelengths are reserved exclusively for global control information exchange. We study the routing and wavelength assignment problem for the special communication pattern of non-blocking all-to-all broadcast in WDM optical networks. We provide efficient solutions to reduce the number of wavelengths needed for non-blocking all-to-all broadcast, in the absence of wavelength converters, for network information dissemination. We adopt an approach in which we consider all nodes to be tap-and-continue capable thus studying lighttrees rather than lightpaths. To the best of our knowledge, this thesis …

Crisis Intervention, Registered Nurses' Association Of Ontario

General Submissions: Community and Population-based Materials

This guideline describes best practice in crisis intervention. While its primary focus is on mental health crises, its application has relevance to all settings and populations who experience developmental, situational, community or environmental crises. It is intended that this guideline will enhance the understanding of crisis intervention and standardize its practice, as well as enhance professional nursing practice.

Site-Based Technology Facilitators: Catalysts For Achieving Teacher Technology Proficiency In K-12 Classrooms, Janet Giandelone Broussard

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which professional development implemented by a school-based instructional technology facilitator impacted the technology proficiency of teachers in SCHOOLTech sites. A second purpose was to identify the types and frequencies of professional development implemented by school-based facilitators in SCHOOLTech sites, as well as, in five case study sites that had shown increases in teacher technology proficiency. The final purpose was to determine if there was a significant difference in student achievement levels between SCHOOLTech and non SCHOOLTech schools. Investigation was carried out through a within-stage mixed model design requiring …

The Relationship Between Mania And Feeding/Mealtime Behavior Problems Among Persons With Intellectual Disability, Rinita Laud

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study represents the first to assess whether a relationship between mania and feeding/mealtime behavior problems exists in individuals with ID. Participants were compared across three groups (manic, non-manic psychiatrically impaired, and controls) on subscales and items of the Screening Tool for fEeding Problems (STEP). An attempt was made to assess for differences in problematic feeding behavior. Individuals in the manic group exhibited clinically significant symptoms of mania (n = 18), those in the non-manic psychiatrically impaired group exhibited symptoms of psychopathology other than mania (n = 18), and those in the control group did not exhibit symptoms of mania …

Separation Anxieties: Representations Of Separatist Communities In Late Twentieth Century Fiction And Film, Brett Alan Riley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the late 20th century and beyond, American social movements advocating equality have increased national attention to issues of exclusion, inclusion, and multiculturalism within communities. As a result, studying the nature of communities—how the term "community" might be defined, who belongs to a given group or social structure, who does not belong, and why—has become increasingly important. American artists have responded by exploring these sites of social, political, and personal change in their works. Separation Anxieties: Representations of Separatist Communities in Late Twentieth Century Fiction and Film analyzes seven fictional works in which some group is philosophically and/or geographically isolated—sometimes …

Entering The Academy: Exploring The Socialization Experiences Of African American Male, Dorian L. Mccoy

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the socialization experiences of African American male faculty at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and predominately White institutions (PWIs). Rosch and Reich’s Enculturation Model was used as the theoretical framework. To gain a better understanding of the socialization experiences of African American male faculty, a group that has traditionally been underrepresented and marginalized in academia, Critical Race Theory (CRT) was incorporated into the study. More specifically, counter-storytelling, a basic tenet of CRT, was used to learn the stories that African American male faculty tell about their socialization experiences. A mixed methodology research design was utilized. Interviews …

An Introduction To The Music Of Tania León And A Conductor's Analysis Of Indígena, James Spinazzola

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to provide an introduction to the living American composer, Tania Leon, and a detailed analysis of Indigena, her work for large chamber ensemble. Chapter One includes Leon’s biographical information, focusing on her cultural heritage and her dual careers as a composer and conductor. Chapter Two details her compositional style, illustrated by examples from selected works. Subsections focus on her compositional practices with regard to rhythm, melody, harmony, texture, and form, as well as the prevalence of jazz and Latin American influences in her work. Chapter Three analyzes Indígena from a theoretical perspective and makes …

Health Literacy: The Knowledge And Experiences Of Senior Level Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Catherine M. Cormier

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the health literacy knowledge and experiences of senior level baccalaureate nursing students enrolled at state universities in Louisiana. Three hundred and sixty-one students from eight baccalaureate nursing programs agreed to participate in the study. The Health Literacy Knowledge and Experience Survey (HL-KES) was utilized to measure the health literacy knowledge and experiences of participants. Participants were able to identify low socioeconomic groups as high risk for low health literacy skills and were strongly aware of the consequences associated with low health literacy skills. Knowledge gaps were evident in the following areas: identifying …

The Development Of Global Awareness In Elementary Students Through Participation In An Online Cross-Cultural Project, Allen C. Grant

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study provided insights about how to develop online cross-cultural projects designed to foster global awareness in upper elementary-age students. Three schools, located in the southern United States, Mexico and Turkey, implemented a cross-cultural model as part of a comparative case study. The primary goal of this research was to gain an understanding of how these populations develop global awareness in an online environment. A second goal was to determine the necessary implications for practice when conducting online, cross-cultural projects in upper elementary classrooms. During eight weeks of implementation, students participated in cross-cultural groups as members of an online community. …

Echinochloa Polystachya Management In Louisiana Rice, Roy Matthew Griffin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

E. polystachya introduced at stand densities (SD) of 10,000 through 70,000 stolon segments/ha produced 5.4 to 6 stolons/introduced segment; however, 130,000 through 520,000 SD produced 1.4 to 2.1 stolons per introduced segment indicating increased intra- and inter-specific competition. Stolon production was greater than 160,000 plants/ha with 30,000 through 520,000 SD. The 520,000 SD produced a total stolon length of 318 km/ha and no difference was observed for the 260,000 SD. Total node production was 290,000 nodes/ha with an average of 29 nodes/introduced segment in the 10,000 SD and 5.4 to 9.8 nodes/introduced segment with 70,000 or greater SD indicating greater …

Understanding Compulsive Buying: The Dimensions And Management Of Addictive Shopping, Andrew Richard Wilczaki

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Drawing on messages collected from an internet support group, this paper examines the motivations and dimensions of compulsive shopping as an addictive disorder. Two thousand nonrandom internet messages were collected and subjected to content analyses, resulting in a final sample of 197 subjects. Factor analyses and logistical regression models found varying motivations for compulsive shopping that were not mutually exclusive: the need to escape and the need to fill a void. Subsequently, compulsive shoppers with these motivations were found to manage their shopping differently, specifically in terms of help-seeking behaviors and organizational behaviors.

Gambling By College Students: Personality Characteristics And Acceptability Of Internet-Based Treatment, Andrew E. Cameron

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Personality disorders are associated with Pathological Gambling (PG) among adults. Little is known, however, about these symptoms in college-student gamblers. In addition, little is known about the current prevalence or treatment preferences of college gamblers. An online survey of gambling practices and personality characteristics was conducted, as well as a series of focus groups evaluating a web-based gambling treatment program. A higher prevalence of PG was observed among college students than previously reported. College students with PG displayed similar personality disorder symptoms to those observed among adults with PG. Students preferred free or reduced cost treatment. Focus group participants provided …

Motivations Of Professional Strippers, Lisa Monchalin

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This research studied 470 different strippers across the globe through a content analysis of messages exchanged in a stripper-oriented discussion group. Stripping literature has primarily focused on the external rewards of stripping and has found that the primary motivation for engaging in stripping is the economic gain. This research revealed that there are other motivations to stripping beside just economic. Nonmonetary motivations were significantly important to the strippers; and were discussed more than monetary motivations.

Significant unexpected findings included the fact that strippers feel that their job is similar to service type jobs. Multivariate analyses revealed that strippers who discuss …

To Be Acknowledged As Citizens, Danielle Leigh Troia

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This paper takes another look at the displacement of lesbians and gays from civic society by being prohibited from accessing marriage rights. First, certain events in anti-gay discrimination and marriage history that contributed to the second-class citizenship of lesbians and gays are reviewed. Second, a look at how the secondclass citizenship is unique to lesbians and gays is examined. Finally, this paper looks at the marriage, fatherhood, and faith-based initiatives under welfare reform and how they reinforce heterosexual marriage and family in American society.

After extensive research, I have found that the roles of the initiatives under welfare reform have …