Digital Commons Network^™

Set Design For Three Sisters: An Extraordinary Encounter With Chekhov, Tricia Duffy Vitrano

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The thesis An Extraordinary Encounter with Chekhov strives to examine the process and phases involved in the design of the set for Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters. This play was produced in the Spring of 2007, at the University of New Orleans. This production was chosen by the graduate committee, as the final work to complete my Master of Fine Arts degree in set design. I seek to examine the nature of the creative process for the set design through a series of encounters, from the initial encounter with the play to the various encounters with the director and other collaborators. …

The Influence Of Urban Form, Socio-Demographics, And Transit-Oriented Development On Journey-To-Work Characteristics, Jason Daniel Sappington

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A growing consensus among planners and policy-makers is that the automobile-oriented city, one that dominates the American landscape, is no longer sustainable. Such concerns demand a search for ways to promote alternative forms of travel. To this end, this study employs a multiple linear regression analysis in order to determine the relationships between the share of public transit and walking/bicycle commuting and variables representing three categories: urban form measures, socio-demographic and household characteristics, and the presence of a transit-oriented development. These relationships were examined in thirteen metropolitan regions.

Potential Transportation Improvements And Land Use Impacts In The Elysian Fields Corridor, Caroline Lanford

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study examines potential transportation improvements in the Elysian Fields Avenue Corridor, and the benefit that these improvements may produce. Data for the study area are compiled and analyzed. Conceptual plans for the implementation of different transit technology alternatives were developed and assessed in terms of user benefits, cost, potential land use impacts, potential economic impacts, and feasibility. Case studies and relevant literature are reviewed. The intent of this thesis is to provide an overview of the study area prior and subsequent to Hurricane Katrina, develop plans for the implementation of transit alternatives in the Elysian Fields Avenue Corridor, and …

Urban Growth With Limited Prosperity: A History Of Public Housing In Laredo, Texas -- 1938 To 2006, Carlos Valle Jr.

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Public housing in the United States has been a controversial sociopolitical topic since the years of the Great Depression. The issue of appropriate and secure habitation for the country's "deserving poor" continues to be of great importance as government subsidies become scarce in the early 21st century. This dearth of support for public housing is even more evident and prominent along the United States-Mexico border of South Texas, a territory described as having a third world environment. The dissertation is a narrative history of public housing in Laredo, Texas, a border community. Compiled from news media records and the archives …

Watermarking With Wavelet Transforms, Kristen Michelle Parker

Theses and Dissertations

Digital watermarking algorithms based on wavelet transforms provide increased performance and perceptual quality. This thesis proposes two wavelet-based schemes: one robust and one fragile. Robust watermarks should withstand attacks, such as compression, while maintaining the data integrity. The first approach presented is an algorithm which implements image watermarking in the domain of an overcomplete, or redundant, wavelet transform. Alternately, fragile watermarks are intended for use in applications wherein any loss of image quality is not acceptable. In the second approach presented, data embedding in the domain of an integer wavelet transform is considered. An algorithm is proposed that uses a …

The Vehicle Routing Problem With Simultaneous Pick-Up And Deliveries And A Grasp-Ga Based Solution Heuristic, Arif Volkan Vural

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, the vehicle routing problem and one of its variants, the vehicle routing problem with simultaneous pick up and deliveries (VRPSPD) are studied. The traditional vehicle routing problem (VRP) consists of constructing minimum cost routes for the vehicles to follow so that the set of customers are visited only once. A lot of effort has been devoted to research on developing fast and effective solution methods for many different versions of this problem by different majors of engineering profession. Thus, a structuring effort is needed to organize and document the vast literature so far has accumulated in this …

And This, Our Measure: Figurative Realism And Workaday Culture., Perry Walter Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Man has created vast and powerful systems. These systems and their associated protocols, dogmas, and conventions tend to limit rather than liberate. Evaluation based on homogeneity threatens the devaluation of our humanity. This paper and the artwork it supports examine contemporary culture and its failings in the stewardship of the humanist ideal.

My paintings referenced herein are satirical narratives. The story told is one of alienation and evisceration. The visual subject matter is the human figure and environments dominated by architectural geometry. The male figures are conspicuously turned from view, a visual cue to their estrangement. Parallel and subordinate thoughts …

Mentoring At-Risk Youth: A Case Study Of An Intervention For Academic Achievement With Middle School Aged Students., Kellie Carter Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students without caring, positive role models often make poor decisions. School personnel are aware of the need to help these students be productive members of society; therefore, they examine strategies and reforms to reach them. A mentoring program is one such intervention that is gaining in popularity.

This research study examined a mentoring program entitled the LISTEN (Linking Individual Students To Educational Needs) Mentoring Program that I developed in 2003. For the purposes of this research, the mentoring program was developed and implemented in one middle school in Northeast Tennessee. The goal of the LISTEN mentoring program was to identify …

"W"- Men: Male Nurses' Negotiation Of Masculinity In A Predominantly Female Profession, Deborah Yoder (Deborah Jane Yoder) Miranda

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explores male nurses’ negotiation of masculine gender identities in the nontraditional work of registered nursing. Few registered nurses in the United States are men, and men leave the profession within the first four years after graduation at twice the rate of women. This study builds on previous work by seeking to understand why male nursing graduates of an institution formerly for women only, made the decision to become nurses, how they decided to attend a women’s college over a more gender balanced campus experience, and in what ways they negotiate gender identities in the configuration of nursing …

A Study To Identify The Effects Of Community College Student Recruitment Marketing By Television On Prospective Students, Raymond Benjamin Denton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare and to evaluate the television market segmentation suggested in Massey's 1997 study, to investigate the viewing habits of those potential community college students, and to look for the message that called them to action. Segmentation specifically refers to the difference in preferred call to action messages between directed students, lateopters and drifters. The demographics that make-up the college in this study (Meridian Community College) was of particular interest in determining the suggested segmentation. Research questions put forward in this study were: 1. What are the descriptive profiles of the respondents? 2. Is …

Sixth-, Seventh-, And Eighth-Grade Students' Experiences With The Internet And Their Internet Safety Knowledge., Tonya Berrier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to a 2002 National Center for Education Statistics report, 98% of schools in 2001 were connected to the Internet and 63% of public classrooms had Internet connections. According to a 2003 United States Census Bureau report, 68.3% of homes with children subscribed to the Internet. These statistics reveal the scope of access children have to the Internet. This study focused on the children's voice by investigating the children's report of their online activities and their awareness of cyber security, ethics, and safety issues. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the specific reported online activities and …

Parental Involvement In Two Elementary Schools: A Qualitative Case Study., Vonda K. Stevens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parent involvement is essential if students are to succeed in school. In fact, "parental involvement is more important to student success, at every grade level, than family income or education" (Starr, 2004). Yet many schools struggle to effectively engage parents in the education of their children as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 now requires.

The purpose of this study was to explore parents', administrators', and guidance counselors' perceptions of parent involvement at a Title I elementary school and a non-Title I elementary school, both of which are located in the southern Appalachian region of the United …

From Teacher To Teller: How Applied Storytelling Informs Autobiographical Instruction., Peggy Rosann Kent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses autobiographical inquiry to "re-member" how I came to understand that applied storytelling was a valid teaching tool in facilitating autobiographical expression in mature learners. It is an examination of how story sharing and story listening can transform a continuing education classroom into a learning community. Applied storytelling can help elders reframe their negative mental models about the value of their stories, memory, and mythology and create opportunities for positive story sharing experiences. I selected highlights of my journey that best represented my experience and use of applied storytelling techniques. Each chapter includes an exercise and reflection as …

Ethics Training: Views Of Tennessee Local Elected Officials., Kimberly Pearman Arms

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if local elected officials in Tennessee perceive ethics training will affect ethical behavior, and, if so, what format they recommend for ethics training including length of time, delivery methods, and instructors' qualifications. This study provides information regarding whether ethics training is likely to be efficacious and how officials feel about the training. Specifically, this study informs officials and others who invest with both time and financial resources about the value of training, what to teach if they are going to offer ethics training, and who should teach ethics.

More than 2,000 local …

The New Orleans Police Department: Melding Police And Policy To Dramatically Reduce Crime In The City Of New Orleans, Kevin A. Unter

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In 1996, the New Orleans Police Department implemented the COMSTAT management and accountability style of policing. Within three years of that implementation, murder was cut by over fifty percent and violent crime fell by nearly the same amount; overall crime was cut by over one-third compared to just three years ago. This dissertation seeks to explore the reasons crime declined so rapidly in New Orleans post-COMSTAT implementation, compared to crime in the rest of the country. Drawing on political and criminological theories of policing as well as sociological theories, variables unique to each set of theories were identified and tested …

Examining Cognitive And Emotional Correlates To Proactive And Reactive Relational And Overt Aggression In A Community Sample, Ann Crapanzano

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study attempts to further test the importance of distinguishing between the reactive, proactive, relational, and overt forms of aggression by examining the distinct correlates to these types of aggression and test potential gender differences in these correlates. This study also attempts to tie research on aggression with research on bullying . A sample of 282, 4th through 6th graders were surveyed on instruments meant to assess the subtypes of aggression, as well as their correlates. Participants were placed in categories based on self-reports and peer ratings of whether they acted as bullies and/or whether they were victims of bullying. …

Blood Into Milk: Poems, Ginny Kaczmarek

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Synthesis Of Novel Chiral Heterocyclic Compounds For Antibacterial Agents And Peptidomimetics, Jean-Rene Ella-Menye

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Small chiral molecules are very important building blocks in the synthesis of biologically active compounds. These building blocks include nitrogen and oxygen-containing heterocycles such as 2-oxazolidinones, 1,3-oxazinan-2-ones, 2-oxazolines, oxazines, morpholine and morpholinones. Because of their interesting properties, chiral heterocycles have stirred great interest in the synthetic chemist community to develop useful and efficient strategies to these molecules. In this dissertation, the design and syntheses of various heterocyclic building blocks are presented, as well as the testing of their biological activities as antibacterial. Another very interesting family of heterocycle-containing molecules are the Aeruginosins. They are a family of marine natural products …

Disaster Response System, Shiquan Fu

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

With integration of geospatial information system into a conventional information system a basic disaster response information system is implemented. The result is a report on various useful technologies and software engineering methodologies that could be utilized to implement a preliminary system, which in turn clarifies many uncertainties and surprises that are typical of many such systems. The foundations of my project include the Unified Process of software development, the relational data models, the decision tree technique, class design principles such as the MVC pattern.

Assessment Of Growth Response And Patterns Of Biomass Allocation By Panicum Hemitomon Schultes: Implications For Thick-Mat Floating Marsh Creation And Restoration, C. Ellery Mayence

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

I carried out several large, manipulative greenhouse and controlled-setting experiments to elucidate Panicum hemitomon growth response as influenced by environmental conditions associated with restoring thick-mat floating marsh. Initially, Panicum hemitomon growth response was assessed in conjunction with manipulated nutrient availability and hydrology. Next, I assessed Panicum hemitomon growth response in conjunction with a suite of substrate and mat or containment materials. Finally, I evaluated Panicum hemitomon growth response, as well as overall created floating marsh vegetated development, using both a multi-species planting approach and a suite of Panicum hemitomon establishment techniques. All partitions of Panicum hemitomon biomass (shoot, rhizome, and …

Executive Dysfunction Following Traumatic Brain Injury And Factors Related To Impairment, Jonathan Ord

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Deficits in executive function are commonly reported following Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and are important for establishing functional impairments. Understanding the nature of executive dysfunction following TBI is often complicated by secondary factors that can impact measured ability. This study sought to clarify the persistent effects of TBI on executive function, as measured by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), while accounting for effort given during testing, as measured by the Portland Digit Recognition Test. Results suggested a dose-response relationship between TBI severity and subsequent WCST deficits. Mild TBI patients who provided good effort during testing showed no observable differences …

Climate Change And The Great Plague Pandemics Of History: Causal Link Between Global Climate Fluctuations And Yersinia Pestis Contagion?, Richard Christian Bilich

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The two great bubonic plague outbreaks of history, Justinian's Plague and the Black Death were responsible for the deaths of over one hundred million individuals across Eurasia and Africa. Both occurrences of the plague coincided with climatic shifts that are well documented by both literary and physical evidence. This thesis explores the possibility that both Justinian's Plague and the Black Death were precipitated by climatic shifts preceding their respective eras and that these changes also contributed to disappearance of each pandemic. A scientific analysis investigating the climatic changes including the anomalous weather of 535-536 A.D., the Medieval Warm Period, and …

Fighting The Lethargy: Creating The Role Of Masha In Anton Chekhov's The Three Sisters, Lisa Picone

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis serves as documentation of my efforts to define accurately my creative process as an actor in creating the role of Masha in The Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov. This includes research, character analysis, rehearsal journal and an evaluation of my performance. The Three Sisters was produced by the University of New Orleans Department of Film, Theatre and Communication Arts in New Orleans, Louisiana. The play was performed in the Thrust Theatre of the Performing Arts Center at 8:00 pm on the evenings of April 19 through 21 and April 26 through 28, with one matinee at 2:30 pm …

Current Public Relations Status In China., Fang Meng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is to explore the status of public relations in China. It examines if J. Grunig and Hunt's (1994) four models of public relations-press agentry, public information, two-way asymmetrical, and two-way symmetrical-are practiced by Chinese public relations practitioners and if there are additional patterns of practicing public relations in China. It is a qualitative study. Long interviews with 10 participants were conducted to learn about the phenomenon of public relations in China. The interviews were based on one-to-one chat via the Microsoft Messenger software online. The data were collected using open-end questions that allowed the participants to provide in-depth …

Life And Debt For Etsu Graduate Students., Laura Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Through in-depth interviews with 21 participants, this thesis investigates how graduate students at East Tennessee State University feel about their finances. Although all adults, by necessity, have everyday money concerns, this study explores the unique experiences that post-baccalaureate students have with debt, how they talk about it, and what meanings they attach to student loans in their daily lives. This study is novel in that little research to date has examined how graduate students' perceptions of adulthood are connected to their financial situations and their stage in life. For example, saving money is important to this population mainly because it …

Relationships Between Student Attendance And Test Scores On The Virginia Standards Of Learning Tests., Jeffrey Cassell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between student attendance and student test scores on a criterion-referenced test, using test scores of all 5^th graders in Virginia who participated in the 2005-2006 Standards of Learning tests in reading and mathematics. Data collection for this study was performed with the cooperation of the Virginia Department of Education using a state database of student testing information. Pearson correlation coefficients were determined for the overall student population and for the subgroups of economically disadvantaged, students with disabilities, limited English proficient, white, black, and Hispanic. The results of this study indicate that there is a …

I Think I Can: Identity And Social Experiences Of Adolescents With Physical Disabilities., Amy Sorensen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An online survey was completed by 40 adolescents and young adults (ages 12 to 22) with physical disabilities for the purpose of exploring their social experiences. The survey focuses on key variables associated with individual identity, group identity, social relationships and activities, and future aspirations. Positive outcome variables were explored including: self-esteem, self-efficacy, body satisfaction, cultural identity, relationship quality, activity participation, and future orientation. Independent variables included sex, population size, ability level, and proximity to disability. Ability level proved to be the most predictive of positive outcomes. Sex, population size, and proximity to disability exhibited small associations to some of …

The Status Of Public Relations In Russia., Inga Lvovna Ragozina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the status of public relations in the fledgling democratic Russian Federation. The purpose was to determine: whether public relations practitioners in Russia practice Grunig and Hunt's (1984) press agentry, public information, two-way asymmetrical, and two-way symmetrical models of public relations; how public relations has contributed to the political and economic transformation in Russia; and how the former communist propaganda has affected contemporary public relations.

Telephone interviews were conducted with 10 Russian public relations practitioners. The findings revealed that the 4 models of public relations are practiced in Russia; communist propaganda affected contemporary public relations; and, the field …

The Rise And Fall Of The Hillbilly Music Genre, A History, 1922-1939., Ryan Carlson Bernard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research will examine the rise in popularity of the hillbilly music genre as it relates to the early part of the twentieth century as well as its decline with the arrival of the western hero, the cowboy.

Chapter 1 examines the origins of traditional music and how instrumental the fiddle and banjo were in that development. Chapter 2 looks closely into the careers of recording artists who recorded what would later be called hillbilly music. Chapter 3 examines the string band and the naming of the hillbilly genre. Chapters 4 and 5 look at the aspect of radio programming …

Examining Significant Differences Of Gunshot Residue Patterns Using Same Make And Model Of Firearms In Forensic Distance Determination Tests., Heather Lewey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In many cases of crimes involving a firearm, police investigators need to know how far the firearm was held from the victim when it was discharged. Knowing this distance, vital questions regarding the re-construction of the crime scene can be known. Often, the original firearm used in commission of a suspected crime is not available for testing or is damaged. Crime laboratories require the original firearm in order to conduct distance determination tests. However, no empirical research has ever been conducted to determine if same make and model firearms produce different results in distance determination testing. It was the purpose …