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2007

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Magnetic And Transport Properties Of Oxide Thin Films, Yuanjia Hong Dec 2007

Magnetic And Transport Properties Of Oxide Thin Films, Yuanjia Hong

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation research focuses on the investigation of the transport and magnetic properties of transition metal and rare earth doped oxides, particularly SnO2 and HfO2 thin films. Cr- and Fe-doped SnO2 films were deposited on Al2O3 substrates by pulsed-laser deposition. Xray- diffraction patterns (XRD) show that the films have rutile structure and grow epitaxially along the (101) plane. The diffraction peaks of Cr-doped samples exhibit a systematic shift toward higher angles with increasing Cr concentration. This indicates that Cr dissolves in SnO2. On the other hand, there is no obvious shift of the diffraction peaks of the Fe-doped samples. The …


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 Dec 2007

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 …


Sugar Hill: Architectural, Cultural And Historic Significance Of An Early Twentieth Century African American Neighborhood In New Orleans, Louisiana, Niala Lynn Howard Dec 2007

Sugar Hill: Architectural, Cultural And Historic Significance Of An Early Twentieth Century African American Neighborhood In New Orleans, Louisiana, Niala Lynn Howard

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Across the United States, efforts are being made to document African American history and its contribution to the development of this country. At all levels of government and through individual research, attempts are being made to recognize and pay tribute to the role of the Black American. These efforts involve documenting the architectural, cultural, historical, scientific, and social contributions. In New Orleans, the Black American played a major role in the development of the city. For most of the 20th century, African Americans have been the majority of the population. However, little has been done to document their rich architectural …


Feasibility Of The Use Of Two Spent Blast Materials As Aggregate In Hot Mix Asphalt In Louisiana Post-Katrina, Amer Kholoqui Khanfar Dec 2007

Feasibility Of The Use Of Two Spent Blast Materials As Aggregate In Hot Mix Asphalt In Louisiana Post-Katrina, Amer Kholoqui Khanfar

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Using spent abrasive blast material (ABM) in hot mix asphalt to replace part of the fine aggregates used in the production of conventional hot mix asphalt has several environmental benefits. First, onsite storage of spent ABMs negatively impact neighboring properties because the fine materials are a source of airborne debris and dust. Use of tarps as curtains only reduces this hazard. Secondly, storage piles of this waste are situated near canals, waterways and the Mississippi River. Future storms may carry these waste products into the neighboring waterways. Most importantly, these wastes are ultimately disposed of in non-hazardous landfills. Reuse of …


Short And Long-Term Changes In The Fish Assemblages Of Bayou Lacombe, Louisiana, Jeffrey M. Van Vrancken Dec 2007

Short And Long-Term Changes In The Fish Assemblages Of Bayou Lacombe, Louisiana, Jeffrey M. Van Vrancken

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Over the past thirty-five years, anthropogenic disturbances around Bayou Lacombe have altered its fish assemblage. In 2005, the impact of Hurricane Katrina on southeast Louisiana presented me with a unique opportunity to explore the effects of a catastrophic storm on the Bayou. I explored the effects of natural and human disturbances on the Bayou's fish assemblage by electrofishing six historically sampled stations. My research goals were to determine: 1) which Bayou Lacombe fish assemblages were most resilient to the multiple effects of Hurricane Katrina, 2) if there were significant differences in the Bayou's fish assemblages over the past 35 years …


Interactions Of The Striatal Gene Rhes With The Dopaminergic System In Rodents, Gabriel Quintero Dec 2007

Interactions Of The Striatal Gene Rhes With The Dopaminergic System In Rodents, Gabriel Quintero

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Mice that are incapable of expressing the small G protein Rhes have been generated and have shown to have abnormalities in behaviors mediated by the striatum, a region in which Rhes is highly expressed. Moreover, conditions that result in dopamine supersensitivity and a breakdown in D1/D2 synergism in rodents, consistently decrease rhes mRNA in striatum. Thus, Rhes may play have relevance in dopamine signal modulation. For evaluating the role of Rhes in anxiety, stereotypy and basal motor activity, adult male and female wild-type (WT) mice, Rhes knockout (KO) mice, and mice heterozygous for the KO and WT alleles (Het) were …


When Decision Meets Estimation: Theory And Applications, Ming Yang Dec 2007

When Decision Meets Estimation: Theory And Applications, Ming Yang

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In many practical problems, both decision and estimation are involved. This dissertation intends to study the relationship between decision and estimation in these problems, so that more accurate inference methods can be developed. Hybrid estimation is an important formulation that deals with state estimation and model structure identification simultaneously. Multiple-model (MM) methods are the most widelyused tool for hybrid estimation. A novel approach to predict the Internet end-to-end delay using MM methods is proposed. Based on preliminary analysis of the collected end-to-end delay data, we propose an off-line model set design procedure using vector quantization (VQ) and short-term time series …


The Young Lady's Consent, Christopher O. Kidder Dec 2007

The Young Lady's Consent, Christopher O. Kidder

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This play is a translation and adaptation of a Spanish play originally written in 1806 by Leandro Fernández de Moratín, El sí de las niñas. Because that play was not available to English-speaking actors, I translated the work directly from the original Spanish. The resulting manuscript was not the finished product of this play, however. Through a series of workshops with actors trained in a physical method of theatre I devised in order to modernize classic works to a more modern audience's tastes, the script morphed and grew into the play that follows.


Climate Change And The Great Plague Pandemics Of History: Causal Link Between Global Climate Fluctuations And Yersinia Pestis Contagion?, Richard Christian Bilich Dec 2007

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 …


Assessing The Effectiveness Of Louisiana's Freshwater Diversion Projects Using Remote Sensing, Michael G. Metzger Dec 2007

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Louisiana's Freshwater Diversion Projects Using Remote Sensing, Michael G. Metzger

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Southern Louisiana is experiencing a dramatic loss of freshwater wetlands as a result of natural and man-made changes in the landscape. Multitempral remotely sensed data were used to examine the impact of the Caernarvon Freshwater Diversion Structure, built in 1991 to divert water to Breton Sound. Satellite imagery data covering the period from 1974 to 2006 were analyzed by computing several spectral indices including NDVI, VI, IR/R, Sqrt IR/R, T-NDVI, and NDWI, as well as principle component analysis. The resulting enhanced images were classified into two classes, vegetation or open water. The ratios of vegetation to open water were then …


The Village Of River Ranch: A Post Occupancy Evaluation Of A Traditional Neighborhood Development In Lafayette, Louisiana, Elizabeth A. Tomlinson Dec 2007

The Village Of River Ranch: A Post Occupancy Evaluation Of A Traditional Neighborhood Development In Lafayette, Louisiana, Elizabeth A. Tomlinson

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The proponents of New Urbanism claim the neighborhoods they design, called Traditional Neighborhood Developments (TNDs), promote community, sense of place, physical health, and environmental sustainability. Critics assert that community is stressed at the expense of individuality, that design unity has become rigid uniformity, and that the neighborhoods are orchestrated and do not reflect real life. This thesis, a post occupancy evaluation (POE), examines how one TND works for its residents and whether it accomplishes the goals of the architect/planner. An additional, essential purpose of this POE is to serve the "feed-forward" role of informing future neighborhood planning projects. The Village …


Geomorphic History Of The Atchafalaya Backwater Area: Upper Deltaic Plain Development, Louis D. Britsch Dec 2007

Geomorphic History Of The Atchafalaya Backwater Area: Upper Deltaic Plain Development, Louis D. Britsch

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Earlier researchers have produced conceptual models of Mississippi River delta plain development which divide the deltaic plain into upper and lower reaches. The upper deltaic plain has been described as an area composed mainly of lacustrine, lacustrine delta, backswamp, and crevasse channels, with minimal distributary development. The lower deltaic plain is characterized by numerous distributaries forming distributary systems and lobes. Detailed geomorphic mapping and chronologic reconstruction within the Atchafalaya Backwater Area of the upper deltaic plain of the Mississippi River has led to the recognition of a complex network of distributary development related to three distinct distributary systems that formed …


Set Design For Three Sisters: An Extraordinary Encounter With Chekhov, Tricia Duffy Vitrano Dec 2007

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 Dec 2007

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 Dec 2007

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. Dec 2007

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 …


Visual Perception In Traumatic Brain Injury: Effects Of Severity And Effort, Luis Aguerrevere Dec 2007

Visual Perception In Traumatic Brain Injury: Effects Of Severity And Effort, Luis Aguerrevere

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have found that poor effort can significantly impact psychometric performance by Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients. So far, this impact has been relatively well studied in attention and memory. However, this is not the case for visual perception functions. Thus, the goal of this study was to determine to what extent TBI severity affect visual perception after controlling for effort. Results showed that mild TBI good effort group did not differ from a demographically matched control group. In contrast, a mild TBI poor effort group, a moderate-severe TBI group and a right hemisphere cerebro-vascular (CVA) group performed worse …


The Impact Of Louisiana Intech Professional Development On Elementary School Leaders' Perceptions Of Change And Student Achievement, Sheryl Abshire Dec 2007

The Impact Of Louisiana Intech Professional Development On Elementary School Leaders' Perceptions Of Change And Student Achievement, Sheryl Abshire

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Each year, hundreds of Louisiana's teachers participate in state-sponsored Integration of Technology (INTECH) training. Although INTECH training and certification is acknowledged by the Louisiana Department of Education as the standard for technology-trained teachers, no research has been conducted to determine its impact on student achievement (Picard, 2000). The study's purposes were to examine perceptions of school leaders about Louisiana INTECH professional development as a change agent in schools and to determine the impact of this training on third grade mathematics and reading achievement. This study addressed the questions: Do elementary school leaders perceive INTECH professional development as a catalyst for …


Exploring The Assessment Aspect Of Differentiated Instruction: College Efl Learners' Perspectives On Tiered Performance Tasks, Yeh-Uh Hsueh Chen Dec 2007

Exploring The Assessment Aspect Of Differentiated Instruction: College Efl Learners' Perspectives On Tiered Performance Tasks, Yeh-Uh Hsueh Chen

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

If human beings are believed to be individually unique, why are students evaluated with standardized tests? Differentiated instruction, honoring individual differences of each learner, provides an alternative answer to the question by employing tiered performance tasks to address personal needs in assessment situations. To explore the applicability of differentiated instruction in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) environment, this case study explored Taiwanese college students’ perspectives on tiered performance tasks and educational implications of the perspectives with regard to EFL learning and teaching at the tertiary level. Grounded in the humanistic stance of education and sociocultural view of learning, …


Risk, Resilience, And Success In College For Students With Vision Disabilities, Rose Angelocci Dec 2007

Risk, Resilience, And Success In College For Students With Vision Disabilities, Rose Angelocci

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

College students with visual disabilities are less likely to graduate than their sighted counterparts. The purpose of this study was to understand the life experiences of successful college students with visual disabilities. Concepts of risk and resiliency were used as a conceptual framework for understanding how people can have positive outcomes in spite of adversity. Individual, family, school, and community influences were explored. In-depth interviews were conducted with six participants who have vision impairments and were nearing the completion or had recently completed a college degree. Data were analyzed for common themes and meanings using a phenomenological method advanced by …


Increasing The Efficiency Of Network Interface Card, Amit Uppal Dec 2007

Increasing The Efficiency Of Network Interface Card, Amit Uppal

Theses and Dissertations

A Network Interface Card (NIC) is used for receiving the packets, processing the packets, passing the packets to the host processor, and sending the packets to other computers in a network. NIC uses the buffer management algorithm to distribute the buffer space among different applications. An application may use User Datagram Protocol (UDP) or Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), depending upon the type of application. Buffer Management Algorithm for UDP-based applications may be completely different from the one for TCP applications, since in UDP- based applications receiver do not send acknowledgement back to the sender. This thesis proposes two buffer management …


Dynamic Electron-Phonon Interactions In One Dimensional Models, Rahul Padmakar Hardikar Dec 2007

Dynamic Electron-Phonon Interactions In One Dimensional Models, Rahul Padmakar Hardikar

Theses and Dissertations

We study the unusual phases seen in charge transfer salts (CTS) at 1/2 and 1/4 filling. We use the Holstein-Hubbard model (HHM) and the Peierls extended Hubbard model (PEH) to study competing phases in CTS. In the 1/2illed HHM the Holstein coupling promotes a Peierls charge-density wave phase while the on-site Coulomb repulsion U gives rise to antiferromagnetic correlations and a Mott insulating state. Takada et al. have shown possibility of a third metallic phase between the Mott and the Peierls phase. We investigate the presence of an intermediate phase between the Mott and Peierls phase using Stochastic Series Expansion …


Development Of Bio-Photonic Sensor Based On Laser-Induced Fluorescence, Chan Kyu Kim Dec 2007

Development Of Bio-Photonic Sensor Based On Laser-Induced Fluorescence, Chan Kyu Kim

Theses and Dissertations

Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) has been shown to be potentially useful for identifying microorganisms in real time. It is a selective and sensitive technique because the excitation is performed at one wavelength while the emission is monitored at longer wavelengths so that background from the excitation source can be eliminated. This specialized optical property of LIF can be applied to development of an optical sensor capable of quickly, non-invasively, and quantitatively probing complex biochemical transformations in microorganisms. Various bio-photonic optical fiber sensors based on laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy were developed as diagnostic tools for microorganisms. In the first phase, the enhancement …


Non-Equilibrium Surface Growth For Competitive Growth Models And Applications To Conservative Parallel Discrete Event Simulations, Poonam Santosh Verma Dec 2007

Non-Equilibrium Surface Growth For Competitive Growth Models And Applications To Conservative Parallel Discrete Event Simulations, Poonam Santosh Verma

Theses and Dissertations

Non-equilibrium surface growth for competitive growth models in (1+1) dimensions, particularly mixing random deposition (RD) with correlated growth process which occur with probability $p$ are studied. The composite mixtures are found to be in the universality class of the correlated growth process, and a nonuniversal exponent $\delta$ is identified in the scaling in $p$. The only effects of the RD admixture are dilations of the time and height scales which result in a slowdown of the dynamics of building up the correlations. The bulk morphology is taken into account and is reflected in the surface roughening, as well as the …


Flexural And Tensile Properties Of Thin, Very High-Strength, Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Panels, Michael Jason Roth Dec 2007

Flexural And Tensile Properties Of Thin, Very High-Strength, Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Panels, Michael Jason Roth

Theses and Dissertations

This research was conducted to characterize the flexural and tensile characteristics of thin, very high-strength, discontinuously reinforced concrete panels developed by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. Panels were produced from a unique blend of cementitous material and fiberglass reinforcing fibers, achieving compressive strength and fracture toughness levels that far exceeded that of typical concrete.The research program included third-point flexural experiments, novel direct tension experiments, implementation of micromechanically based analytical models, and development of finite element numerical models. The experimental, analytical, and numerical efforts were used conjunctively to determine parameters such as elastic modulus, first-crack strength, post-crack modulus …


Hydrodynamic Modeling Of Impact Craters In Ice, Jesse Andrew Sherburn Dec 2007

Hydrodynamic Modeling Of Impact Craters In Ice, Jesse Andrew Sherburn

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, impact craters in water ice are modeled using the hydrodynamic code CTH. In order to capture impact craters in ice an equation of state and a material model are created and validated. The validation of the material model required simulating the Split Pressure Hopkinson Bar (SPHB) experimental apparatus. The SPHB simulation was first compared to experiments completed on Al 6061-T6, then the ice material model was validated. After validation, the cratering simulations modeled known experiments found in the literature. The cratering simulations captured the bulk physical aspects of the experimental craters, and the differences are described. Analysis …


Influence Of Source/Drain Residual Implant Lattice Damage Traps On Silicon Carbide Metal Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor Drain I-V Characteristics, John Adjaye Dec 2007

Influence Of Source/Drain Residual Implant Lattice Damage Traps On Silicon Carbide Metal Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor Drain I-V Characteristics, John Adjaye

Theses and Dissertations

4H-SiC n-channel power MESFETs with nitrogen-doped epitaxially grown channel and nitrogen n+-implanted source/drain ohmic contact regions, with and without p-buffer layer fabricated on semi-insulating substrates exhibited hysteresis in the drain I-V characteristics of both types of devices at 300 K and 480 K due to traps. However, thermal spectroscopic measurements could detect the traps only in the devices without p-buffer. In this study the two-dimensional device simulator, MediciTM, and optical admittance spectroscopy (OAS) measurements are used to help resolve the discrepancy in the initial experimental characterization results and interpret the results. Device simulations also showed hysteresis in the drain I-V …


Energy Storage System Requirements For Shipboard Power Systems Supplying Pulsed Power Loads, Prashanth Duvoor Dec 2007

Energy Storage System Requirements For Shipboard Power Systems Supplying Pulsed Power Loads, Prashanth Duvoor

Theses and Dissertations

Energy storage systems will likely be needed for future shipboard power systems that supply loads with high power variability such as pulsed power loads. The power generation in shipboard power systems may not be sufficient to satisfy the energy demands of the pulsed power load systems operating in conjunction with other ship service loads. Two fundamental items in evaluating the requirements of an energy storage system are the energy storage capacity and the ratings of the power conversion equipment that interfaces the energy device to the power system. The supply current of pulsed power load systems is aperiodic and cannot …


Evaluation Of A Low Profile Cascade Aerator, Chukwukelue Kenneth Monwuba Dec 2007

Evaluation Of A Low Profile Cascade Aerator, Chukwukelue Kenneth Monwuba

Theses and Dissertations

The aeration potential of a low profile cascade aerator was studied under varying operational conditions in accordance with the ASCE Standard for Measurement of Oxygen Transfer in Clean Water [ASCE 2-06, 2007]. Operational parameters delved into included the channel slope (2.50, 4.50 and 6.50); water flow rate (465.75 L/min.m (37.5 gpm/ft), 931.45 L/min.m (75 gpm/ft) and 1397.20 L/min.m (112.5 gpm/ft)); and weir geometry (rectangular-shaped, inverted T-shaped, W-shaped and inverted Cross shaped weir). The oxygen transfer coefficient, KLa, was derived by use of a FORTRAN-based nonlinear regression analysis computer program and served to assess the effectiveness of various combinations of operational …


Lb_Migrate: A Dynamic Load Balancing Library For Scientific Applications, Rohit Kailash Chaube Dec 2007

Lb_Migrate: A Dynamic Load Balancing Library For Scientific Applications, Rohit Kailash Chaube

Theses and Dissertations

Parallel and distributed environments are used to solve large scientific and engineering problems that often are irregular and data parallel. However, performance of many parallel applications is affected by computation overheads, communication time and load imbalance. Among these factors, load imbalance is caused by the irregular nature of the problem, its algorithm, the difference in processor characteristics, and runtime loads. A number of applications achieve load balancing by one-time assignment of task. However, a number of applications have workloads that are unpredictable, and vary over the course of their execution. For such type of applications, load balancing is achieved by …