Digital Commons Network^™

Factors That Influcence African Americans To Enroll In Agricultural Science Programs, Levar Desmond Graham

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that most influence African Americans to enroll in agricultural science programs at 1890 and 1862 Land Grant universities. This study used a quantitative approach in researching the problem of identifying the factors that led minorities to enroll in agricultural science programs at 1862 and 1890 land-grant institutions. A survey instrument was designed which collected the factors, demographics, and attitudes that influenced minority enrollment in agricultural sciences at 1890 and 1862 universities. The setting for the data collection in this study is 1890 and 1862 land grant universities in the southern …

Fulfilling The Drive: Dutch Morial And The 1982 New Orleans Mayoral Election, Daniel Braud

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the impact of racial politics on the New Orleans mayoral election of 1982. Ernest "Dutch" Morial, the city's first black mayor, sought re-election against a popular white candidate, Ron Faucheux, and a well-liked black candidate, William Jefferson. Race played an integral role throughout the campaign as Morial continually battled attacks from both the conservative white community and the traditional black politicians, all of whom resented the oftentimes brash mayor and his push for change. Controversy also surrounded his handling of the police strike of 1979 and the Fischer Housing Project shootings of 1980. This study argues that …

A Study Examining The Experiences Of Community College Students Who Are Members Of Phi Theta Kappa, Teresa Lashone Houston

Theses and Dissertations

Community colleges are in a unique position in the hierarchy of higher education. They provide quality education at an affordable price. They are strategically located in communities to provide educational opportunities for everyone. The latest prediction is that enrollment at two-year institutions is expected to increase from 5.7 million students to 6.3 million students by 2012 (Gerald & Hussar, 2002). However, research indicates that the retention and transfer rates of community college students are low. This is problematic due to the increased calls for accountability on the national education agenda which are linked to student outcomes. This is astounding for …

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Infections Affect Professional Antigen Presentation In Bovine Monocytes, Sang-Ryul Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Monocytes are professional antigen presenting cells (APC). They serve as precursors of macrophages and dendritic cells (DC). We have used cytopathic (cp) and non-cytopathic (ncp) Bovine Viral Diarrhea Viruses (BVDV) to determine the genes and proteins expression levels in bovine monocytes. Four specific aims were accomplished in this study. The first aim was to assess the baseline expression of the proteins involved in professional antigen presentation in bovine monocytes. The results showed that the differential detergent fractionation (DDF) approach can provide interpretable and meaningful functional information in bovine monocytes. The second aim was to evaluate the role of in vitro …

Comparing The Performance Of Heterogeneous And Homogeneous Swarms, Jason Alexander Hales

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis compares the performance of heterogeneous and homogenous swarms. Swarms are defined as particles or agents which react to their environment and fellow particles or agents according to social rules. The weights of three attributes of an individual agent were varied for these experiments: Collision Avoidance with individual agents in the swarm, Center of Mass of the swarm and the parameter that controls Velocity Matching in the swarm. In homogenous swarms, all individuals had the same attribute weights while in heterogeneous swarms weights for one attribute were taken from a normal distribution for the population. These swarms were then …

"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 …

Traction-Induced Injury Of Rat Achilles' Tendon: New In Vivo Biomechanical Model For The Assessment Of Tendon Disease And Injury, Edward Brown Silverman

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this project is to advance the understanding of tendon disease and injury through the design and validation of a new model of tendon injury. Controlled, mechanically-induced traction injury was created in rat Achilles’ tendons with a tensioning apparatus through a minimally invasive surgical approach. Tendons were tensioned to subailure loads. Assessments of damage to tendons included gross morphology, evaluation of biomechanical of load strain curves, histopathology under light microscopy (H&E), collagen fibril structure and disruption under scanning electron microscopy, and immunohistochemical study of MMP-13 expression under confocal laser microscopy. Tendon injuries were found to be more severe …

Understanding The Challenges Faced By Beginning Mat Teachers, Li-Ching Hung

Theses and Dissertations

Several states introduced alternative certification (AC) programs in the mid-1980s to alleviate the teacher shortage situation, and the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program is an example of just such a curriculum. Three research questions for this study were: 1) what were the challenges beginning MAT teachers faced? 2) what were beginning MAT teachers? perceptions of their training program?, and 3) what were the beginning MAT teachers? attitudes toward their teaching career? Case methodology was conducted to highlight the research questions. Six beginning MAT teachers that graduated from Mississippi State University participated in this study. Data were drawn from …

Development Of A Tungsten Carbide-Nickel Braze Alloy Hardface Coating, Travis Earl Puzz

Theses and Dissertations

If an expensive part such a turbine blade or high quality tool needed to be refurbished instead of discarded, the part would have be coated in a way that would resemble or even exceed its previous surface properties. In this regard, this work studies a tungsten carbide-nickel braze alloy hardface composite prepared by liquid infiltration. A unique polymeric binder system was used to form the brazing cloth which formed the carrier for the tungsten carbide and nickel braze alloy particles. After thermal pyrolysis of the binder, the nickel braze alloy would infiltrate into a porous tungsten carbide layer becoming a …

Behavioral Outcomes And Molecular Marker Modulation During Learning And Memory Formation Following Developmental Exposure To Organophoshorus Insecticides, Frank Orlando Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Effects of developmental exposure to chlorpyrifos (CPS) or methyl parathion (MPS) on visuospatial, adaptive fear response, and passive avoidance memory and the signaling mechanisms responsible for these neurocognitive changes were investigated. Using an incremental low dose regimen, rat pups were orally gavaged daily with either corn oil (vehicle), CPS, or MPS from postnatal day 1 (PND1) -PND21. Cholinesterase activity was significantly inhibited with the highest dosages of CPS and MPS for up to 19 days after the last dosages. OP exposure impaired working and reference memory in males whereas in the females, enhancement occurred following CPS exposure. In addition, the …

An Anatomy Of An Unsuccessful School Bond Election In A Rural School District, Leigh Barrett Mobley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the failed bond attempt of the Community School District and investigate reasons for the failure. Specifically, the role of the superintendent, the opposition, the media, and the school board during the bond election process were examined to determine how their roles influenced the outcome of the election. This qualitative case study employed purposeful sampling. Data collection techniques included document analysis, audiovisual material analysis, and personal interviews. Participants included media representatives, community members who were opposed to the bond election, members of the bond election committee, members of the board of trustees at …

An Examination Of The Implementation Of The Americans With Disabilities Act (Ada) In Mississippi Community Colleges, John Carter Arnold

Theses and Dissertations

Community colleges face great challenges in dealing with students with disabilities. The purpose of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is to extend protection against discrimination to individuals with disabilities. Although the Americans with Disabilities Act is very general and does not address specific situations, the fact is clear that colleges are mandated to provide equal educational opportunities for students with disabilities. Proper implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act is necessary not only to assure compliance with the law but also to assure that every student is afforded equal opportunity to achieve success in college. The problem …

Anglican Church Policy, Eighteenth Century Conflict, And The American Episcopate, Kenneth Ray Elliott

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how leaders in the Church of England sought to reorganize the colonial church at critical moments, in the late 1740s, the early 1760s and the mid 1770s, by installing one or two resident bishops when the British government moved to bring the colonies into closer economic and political alignment with England. Examining Anglican attempts to bring bishops to the American colonies within the context of the Anglo-American world moves beyond the current literature and provides insight into the difficulties British political and ecclesiastical authorities had managing the colonies more efficiently. Even though the Church of England sustained …

Level Of Involvement Among Mississippi Community College Workforce Personnel In Community And Economic Development Activities, James L. Haffey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to find out if there is a significant amount of involvement among workforce personnel and to try to identify the types of activities that were most prevalent. The study attempted to gauge community and economic development involvement by surveying participation in a variety of programs. The following organizations were studied: The State Board for Community and Junior Colleges, The Mississippi Manufacturers Association, The Mississippi Entrepreneurial Alliance, The Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Mississippi, The Society for Human Resource Managers. Over two dozen other organizations were also included in a survey along with data from the …

Professional Development In Business Education: Status, Needs, Motivators, And Impact On Instruction, Kellie Ann Shumack

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the impact of teacher in-service and individual professional development for business educators in the following areas: classroom instruction, teacher motivation, the continuity of individual professional development, the professional development needs of business educators compared with those of other teachers, the status of business education professional development, and the manner in and extent to which current professional development activities are meeting needs. Satisfaction levels with in-service and individual professional development were also identified. Lastly, this study examined the role of business educators in determining local in-service events. Participants included 109 Alabama business educators who completed an online survey …

Purification And Structural Analysis Of Newcastle Disease Virus V Protein And Flowering Locus T (Ft) Protein, Swapna Jayapalan

Theses and Dissertations

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is one of the paramyxovirus that has been studied at length since this virus infects the birds of all species. NDV is highly virulent in chickens and results in a high mortality rate because the V protein of NDV is found to inhibit the avian immune response system. No drugs are available for treating NDV therefore, determining the structure of V protein would help in developing a drug that can inactivate the V protein, thereby increasing the host immune response against viral infection. The research here is focused on purification and initial structural analysis of the …

Fuzzy Logic Techniques Applied To A Switchgrass Ecological Site Suitability Model For The State Of Mississippi, Michele Louise Maxson

Theses and Dissertations

Fuzzy logic provides a natural way of dealing with models that require the modeler or user to interpret linguistic variables in order to make a decision. This study focuses on employing fuzzy logic methodologies in order to create an Alamo switchgrass ecological site suitability map for the state of Mississippi. The inputs in the model are available water content (AWC), slope, pH, drainage, color, and texture. All variables were examined through the fist six inches (15cm) of soil. These six variables were assigned fuzzy restrictions based on expert knowledge from plant and soil scientists, combined using the fuzzy additive weighting …

Natural History Of The Pichi (Zaedyus Pichiy) In Mendoza Province, Argentina, Mariella Superina

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The pichi Zaedyus pichiy (Xenarthra, Dasypodidae) is a poorly known, diurnal armadillo inhabiting arid and semi-arid regions of Argentina and Chile that has endured substantial population declines. My objective was to elucidate different aspects of the natural history of Z. pichiy as a first step towards establishing a conservation plan. Wild and captive pichis were studied. Body temperature of wild pichis averaged 35.2±1.2 °C and was highly variable (range 32.2 – 38.3 °C). Temperature measurements of semi-captive males showed that pichis can survive energetically challenging periods by entering hibernation or daily torpor. Stomach contents of poached animals revealed that pichis …

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.

Sandra Day O'Connor: Moderate Or Something More?, Patricia Arceneaux

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In 2006 an historic era of the Supreme Court came to a close with the retirement of its first female justice, Sandra Day O'Connor. This paper attempts to expand judicial behavior scholarship by examining O'Connor's policy preferences for possible ideological change during her twenty-five year tenure on the Court. Average liberalism scores for her overall and civil rights/civil liberties issue area votes show an increase in liberalism over time. The researcher employs time series cross section analysis with panel corrected standard errors to determine factors responsible for this increase. Issue change, interagreement with the other justices, changes in Court membership, …

Magneto-Optical Study Of Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles, Byron L. Scott

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A magneto-optical study of CoxFe1-xFe2O4 nanoparticles is presented, with cobalt molar ratio 0.x.1. The ferrite nanoparticles were produced using a generic wet-chemical synthesis procedure. Stoichiometric amounts of Fe2+, Fe3+ and Co2+ salts are dissolved in a non-aqueous polar medium (diethylene glycol). A coprecipitation reaction with sodium hydroxide produces ferrite nanoparticles with average diameter of 6 nm. The nanoparticles can be stabilized by tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide in water, or, alternatively, the nanoparticles can be treated with a hydrophobic capping ligand with a carboxylic acid or amine head group and suspended in a non-polar organic solvent. As a complete structural analysis of …

U.S.-Austrian Relations In The Pre-Anschluss Period: Fdr's Unwillingness For War, John S. Berteau

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This paper evaluates the United States' decision not to come to Austria's aid prior to and during the Anschluss of 12 March 1938. The uniqueness of this work is the two-front evaluation of both the internal/domestic affairs of the United States and the foreign policy of the US Government vis-à-vis Hitler's aggressive foreign policy. As this paper will show, Anschluss might have been prevented, but at a cost neither the United States nor European powers were willing to pay. The domestic situation in the United States was too fragile, as was the lack of public support for war for FDR …

An Investigation Of Factors Identified By Novice Teachers That Influence Performance On Standardized Assessments And Teacher Performance, Donna Odom Lacaze

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Entry in the teaching profession is often dependent on a number of steps or phases involving standardized assessments and performance assessments. The relationships between and among the variables incorporated in such instruments are typically assumed, but not necessarily substantiated. Furthermore, the relationships between the variables assessed and factors involved in teacher preparation have not been investigated. This study was designed to investigate the nature of such relationships in one particular case. In the spring of 1997, the Louisiana legislature changed the Louisiana Teacher Assessment Program to create the Louisiana Teacher Assistance and Assessment Program (LaTAAP). LaTAAP is a uniform statewide …

African-American Legislators Post-Katrina: Race, Representation, And Voting Rights Issues In The Louisiana House, William T. Hoston

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), the number of African- Americans competing for and holding state legislative offices has increased significantly. Their growth is most notable in southern state legislatures. A growing number of studies have been devoted to African-Americans in these state legislatures. Absent from previous studies is a comprehensive analysis of African-Americans in the Louisiana state legislature. In 2007 there were a total of 32 African-American legislators. Louisiana ranks among other states with the highest number, 32, and percentage, 22, of African-American legislators. Yet, despite their relatively large presence few scholarly studies have …

The Carter Mansion Revisited., Jenny L. Kilgore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Historic John and Landon Carter Mansion, a satellite property of Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area in Elizabethton, Tennessee, is one of Tennessee's earliest historic homes.

Because the house is not open year-round, the state park service has expressed a need for an interpretive kiosk to stand on the property and provide visitors with information on the Carter Mansion. This project represents an effort to summarize existing knowledge on the house, to address common misconceptions, and to create an interpretive kiosk design based on historical research.

Predicting Student Perceptions Of School Connectedness: The Contributions Of Parent Attachment And Peer Attachment, Jennifer Anne Dixon

Open Access Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between attachment quality and school connectedness in a high school sample of adolescents. Although there is a literature related to adolescent attachment quality and its effects on adjustment and development, relatively little attention has been paid to the relationship between parent and peer attachment and school connectedness. Further, these attachments and connections have yet to be examined among general and special education populations. Attachment quality has been correlated with identity development, self-esteem, competence, and psychopathology and has been investigated as a mediator in the relation between risk and resilience. School connectedness centers around the theory …

Regulation Of The Lactoperoxidase System In The Airway, Miryam A. Fragoso

Open Access Dissertations

The lactoperoxidase (LPO) antimicrobial system has been shown to play an important role in maintaining sterile conditions in several tissues including the mammary gland, the salivary gland, and the airway. The LPO system in the airway consists of the enzyme LPO and its substrates hydrogen peroxide and an anion. LPO catalyzes the oxidation of a halide or pseudohalide ion for example SCN-or I- by hydrogen peroxide producing a product, OSCN- or OI- which have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. In order to have a functional antimicrobial system all the components need to be present at appropriate concentrations. The LPO system …

Usa V. Shusterman

2007 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Benedetto V. Comm Social Security

2007 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Mekhtiche V. Atty Gen Usa

2007 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania