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2008

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Dosimetry Intercomparison Using A 35-Kev X-Ray Synchrotron Beam, Scott Oves Jan 2008

Dosimetry Intercomparison Using A 35-Kev X-Ray Synchrotron Beam, Scott Oves

LSU Master's Theses

Significance: Photon activated Auger electron therapy utilizes a keV-ranged, monoenergetic x-ray beam, and radiobiological and animal experiments studying this therapy require accurate dosimetry techniques. However, there exist few dosimetry protocols for low-energy x-ray beams. This research intended to use the CAMD synchrotron as a source of monochromatic, 35-keV x-rays and test dosimetry techniques of film and ion chamber. The hypothesis of my research was that depth-dose measured in a PMMA phantom using an air-equivalent ionization chamber and radiochromic film dosimeters in a PMMA phantom irradiated by a 35-keV, monochromatic x-ray beam will agree to within 5% of each other and …

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Conversations On Citizenship: Young People's Perceptions And Performances Of Democratic Citizenship, Katherine Rhodes Knobloch Jan 2008

Conversations On Citizenship: Young People's Perceptions And Performances Of Democratic Citizenship, Katherine Rhodes Knobloch

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this paper is to illuminate how the practice of democratic citizenship compares to ideals of it. I hope to provide a clear view of what contemporary democratic citizenship means, how this conception has been formed, and how democratic citizenship can be effectively practiced to serve the ideals held by democratic citizens. To do this, this paper will be comprised in several parts. After an initial explanation of the theoretical perspective used, I will explore how democracy was understood and implemented in the formative stages of United States government. Next I review contemporary practices of citizenship before examining …

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The Perils And Empowerments Of Mountain Literacies: Reading Loss And Shifting Identities In Appalachian Memoirs And Novels, Erica Abrams Locklear Jan 2008

The Perils And Empowerments Of Mountain Literacies: Reading Loss And Shifting Identities In Appalachian Memoirs And Novels, Erica Abrams Locklear

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes the literary portrayal of literacy events in memoirs and novels written by Appalachian women during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Drawing from contemporary literacy scholarship, my project engages several definitions of the term "literacy," including theories defining it as a technical skill, a social act, cultural knowledge, or a potent form of ideological power. In a region historically (and often inaccurately) stigmatized as illiterate, "literacy" is a loaded term, a concept doubly associated with cultural pride and with cultural loss. By applying literacy theories to Appalachian literature, I analyze the identity conflicts literacy attainment causes for several …

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Book Review. Governing Through Crime: How The War On Crime Transformed American Democracy And Created A Culture Of Fear By Jonathan Simon, Jeannine Bell Jan 2008

Book Review. Governing Through Crime: How The War On Crime Transformed American Democracy And Created A Culture Of Fear By Jonathan Simon, Jeannine Bell

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

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Determination Of Ctv-To-Itv Margin For Free-Breathing Respiratory-Gated Treatments Using 4dct And The Novalis Exactrac Gating System With Implanted Fiducials, Jason Edward Matney Jan 2008

Determination Of Ctv-To-Itv Margin For Free-Breathing Respiratory-Gated Treatments Using 4dct And The Novalis Exactrac Gating System With Implanted Fiducials, Jason Edward Matney

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this project was to investigate the interplay between gating window characteristics and target margin required to compensate for residual motion during the gating window. This project investigated the accuracy of ExacTrac and 4DCT imaging localizing an implanted coil at various phases of respiration. Radiochromic film measured delivered dose patterns for selected gating intervals over a variety of respiratory patterns. In order to establish accurate dosimetry, this project implemented and tested an EBT radiochromic film dosimetry system. Film testing showed that the performance of a medical grade Vidar Dosimetry Pro radiographic film scanner and an Epson V700 Photo …

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Seeing (Red): A Qualitative Analysis Of The Product (Red) Campaign And Integration Of Public Relations And Marketing Theory, Amy Elizabeth Martin Jan 2008

Seeing (Red): A Qualitative Analysis Of The Product (Red) Campaign And Integration Of Public Relations And Marketing Theory, Amy Elizabeth Martin

LSU Master's Theses

In an effort to combat the AIDS epidemic around the world, the Product (RED) campaign aims to engage consumers in an “economic initiative” with exclusive products from their corporate partnerships. Academic journals claim that this effort is a new form of Cause-Related Marketing (CRM), even though it involves many Public Relations strategies and tactics. Product (RED)’s unique nature is unlike previous CRM campaigns due to its corporate partnership agreements. Researchers have not previously studied initiatives such as Product (RED) through either Public Relations or Marketing theories. David’s (2004) Convergence Theory creates a cyclical model to merge both Public Relations and …

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Nonperturbative Dynamics Of Strong Interactions From Gauge/Gravity Duality, Hovhannes Roman Grigoryan Jan 2008

Nonperturbative Dynamics Of Strong Interactions From Gauge/Gravity Duality, Hovhannes Roman Grigoryan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis studies important dynamical observables of strong interactions such as form factors. It is known that Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) is a theory which describes strong interactions. For large energies, one can apply perturbative techniques to solve some of the QCD problems. However, for low energies QCD enters into the nonperturbative regime, where different analytical or numerical tools have to be applied to solve problems of strong interactions. The holographic dual model of QCD is such an analytical tool that allows one to solve some nonperturbative QCD problems by translating them into a dual five-dimensional theory defined on some warped …

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A Pedagogical Analysis Of Selected Pieces From Preludes, Op. 38, By Dmitri Kabalevsky, Sayaka Kanno Jan 2008

A Pedagogical Analysis Of Selected Pieces From Preludes, Op. 38, By Dmitri Kabalevsky, Sayaka Kanno

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Dmitri Borisovich Kabalevsky (1904-1987) is considered one of the composers who made the greatest contribution to the teaching repertoire for the piano. His interest in young people and devotion to music education has resulted in books and articles, as well as widely used pedagogical works including Childrenfs Pieces, Op. 27, Twenty-Four Little Pieces, Op. 39, and Five Sets of Variation, Op. 51. Many teaching materials in beginning to early intermediate levels include Kabalevskyfs accessible and imaginative pieces from these collections. In comparison, his advanced works are rarely performed in concerts or used for teaching among educators.@@ This research focuses on …

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Microassembly Technology For Modular, Polymer Microfluidic Devices, Byoung Hee You Jan 2008

Microassembly Technology For Modular, Polymer Microfluidic Devices, Byoung Hee You

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Assembly of modular, polymer microfluidic devices with different functions to obtain more capable instruments may significantly expand the options available for detection and diagnosis of disease through DNA analysis and proteomics. For connecting modular devices, precise, passive alignment structures can be used to prevent infinitesimal motions between the devices and minimize misalignment. The motion and constraint of passive alignment structures were analyzed using screw theory. A combination of three v-groove and hemisphere-tipped post joints constrained all degrees of freedom of the two mating modules without overconstraint. Simulations and experiments were performed to assess the predictability of dimensional and location variations …

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Bioanalytical Methods For Studies Of Homocysteine And Novel Cardiovascular Disease Indicators, Arther T. Gates Jan 2008

Bioanalytical Methods For Studies Of Homocysteine And Novel Cardiovascular Disease Indicators, Arther T. Gates

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores the development of analytical methods for studies of CVD biomarkers and related biomolecular indicators. Initially, spectroscopic studies were conducted to investigate the chemical reactivity of homocysteine (Hcy), an independent CVD risk factor and serological biomarker. Consequently, we proposed an alternate theory for in vivo Hcy clearance based on spontaneous pyridoxal tetrahydrothiazine (PT) formation from Hcy and pyridoxal. The validity of PT-assisted Hcy clearance was further evaluated by use of capillary electrophoretic methods, which allowed rapid monitoring of protein oligomerization in PT-protein reaction mixtures. The results of these studies suggest that PT formation is a plausible mechanism for …

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Add, Subtract, And Multiply: Paintings, Elizabeth Lorena Noble Jan 2008

Add, Subtract, And Multiply: Paintings, Elizabeth Lorena Noble

LSU Master's Theses

Noble, Elizabeth Lorena, B.A., University of Central Arkansas, 2005 Master of Fine Arts, Fall Commencement, 2008 Major: Studio Art Add, Subtract, and Multiply: Paintings Thesis directed by Professor Edward Smith Pages in thesis, 44. Words in abstract, 209. ABSTRACT This thesis chronicles the daily rituals involved in personal grooming, adornment, and cosmetic use. As a woman and a painter, I appropriate the female figure in my work and use the body to provoke thought and conversation about the concept of the body as a workable surface. I see the body surface similarly to how I see the painting surface. In …

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Opportunities And Challenges Associated With Development Of Wood Biomass Energy Production In Louisiana, Anil Raj Kizhakkepurakkal Jan 2008

Opportunities And Challenges Associated With Development Of Wood Biomass Energy Production In Louisiana, Anil Raj Kizhakkepurakkal

LSU Master's Theses

Wood residue produced by forest products industry has been recognized as a potential fuel that can generate energy to run the industry. A survey was done among forest products industry to get a general idea about energy produced from woody biomass created from forest industry in Louisiana, USA. The industry was classified into primary and secondary forest products industry. The study provided information regarding utilization and wastage of wood residue. Survey response rate was 25 percent. It addressed problems faced by wood residue energy development and came up with solution to solve them. When survey results were compared to previous …

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An Investigation Into Fuel Cells And Flow Cytometers Optimal Design, Etim Sunday Udoetok Jan 2008

An Investigation Into Fuel Cells And Flow Cytometers Optimal Design, Etim Sunday Udoetok

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The aim of the fuel cells part of this project was to investigate the performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and closely related fuel cell types like the Alkaline Fuel Cells and Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells. The investigation involved understanding the performance of fuel cells, addressing the shortcomings of currently used designs, and finding new methods for improving the performance of fuel cells. CFD was used to study flow channels and information learned from the study was used to design a new and improved flow channel. A prototype of the new design was fabricated, tested and found to perform …

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The Construct Validity Of The Clinical Assessment Of Working Memory Ability, Benjamin David Hill Jan 2008

The Construct Validity Of The Clinical Assessment Of Working Memory Ability, Benjamin David Hill

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Working memory is the cognitive ability to hold a discrete amount of information in mind in an accessible state for utilization in mental tasks. This cognitive ability is impaired in many clinical populations. There have been a number of theoretical shifts in the way that working memory is conceptualized and assessed in the experimental literature. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Working Memory Indices (and their component subtests) from the WAIS-III and WMS-III accurately assess the working memory construct as it is currently defined in the experimental cognitive literature. Results generally supported the construct validity of …

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Dynamic Workflow Management For Large Scale Scientific Applications, Emir Mahmut Bahsi Jan 2008

Dynamic Workflow Management For Large Scale Scientific Applications, Emir Mahmut Bahsi

LSU Master's Theses

The increasing computational and data requirements of scientific applications have made the usage of large clustered systems as well as distributed resources inevitable. Although executing large applications in these environments brings increased performance, the automation of the process becomes more and more challenging. The use of complex workflow management systems has been a viable solution for this automation process. In this thesis, we study a broad range of workflow management tools and compare their capabilities especially in terms of dynamic and conditional structures they support, which are crucial for the automation of complex applications. We then apply some of these …

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The Role Of Attentional Focus In Event-Based Prospective Memory, Jill Shelton Jan 2008

The Role Of Attentional Focus In Event-Based Prospective Memory, Jill Shelton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Shelton, Jill, B.S., University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, 2001 M.S., University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, 2003 Doctor of Philosophy, Summer Commencement, 2008 Major: Psychology The Role of Attentional Focus in Event-based Prospective Memory. Dissertation directed by Professor Emily Elliott Pages in dissertation, 59. Words in abstract 188. ABSTRACT Two experiments were conducted to investigate how attentional resources are utilized in event-based prospective memory (PM). A PM component (make a designated response when you see a bird word) was embedded in a living/non-living judgment task (Experiment 1) and a recall task that required participants to alphabetically re-order sets of items (Experiment 2). One hypothesis predicts …

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Komatiitic Flows Of The Pioneer Ultramafic Complex Of The 3.3ga Weltevreden Formation, Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa: Stratigraphy, Petrology, And Geochemistry, Marc Romain Cooper Jan 2008

Komatiitic Flows Of The Pioneer Ultramafic Complex Of The 3.3ga Weltevreden Formation, Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa: Stratigraphy, Petrology, And Geochemistry, Marc Romain Cooper

LSU Master's Theses

The 3.29 Ga Pioneer Ultramafic Complex (WPC) is a 1 km thick east-northeast trending tilted (90° dip) section of layered ultramafic rock in the Weltevreden Formation in the west-northwest region of the Barberton Greenstone Belt (BGB). It was originally interpreted as an intrusive complex with slaty zones that have a linear horizontal fabric produced by shear. However, a recent study identifies these slaty zones as komatiitic tuffs and attributes their horizontal fabric to plane and cross bedding. The present study suggests the non-slaty zones are extrusive komatiitic flows with abundant pyroxene spinifex tops, normal volcanic textures and crystal sizes, and …

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Replication Of Viruses Responsible For Sweet Potato Virus Disease In Resistant And Susceptible Sweepotato Genotypes And Identification Of Molecular Markers Linked To Resistance, Douglas Watuku Miano Jan 2008

Replication Of Viruses Responsible For Sweet Potato Virus Disease In Resistant And Susceptible Sweepotato Genotypes And Identification Of Molecular Markers Linked To Resistance, Douglas Watuku Miano

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Virus diseases are a major constraint to sweetpotato production in East Africa. The most important is the Sweet potato virus disease (SPVD), a result of co-infection of Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV) and Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV). Studies were done on different aspects of resistance to SPVD, and to determine the presence of Sweet potato virus G (SPVG), Sweet potato virus 2 (SPV2), and Sweet potato leaf curl virus (SPLCV), viruses that have not been reported infecting sweetpotato in Kenya. None of the samples reacted to antisera for either SPVG or SPV-2. SPLCV was detected infecting sweetpotato …

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The Dichotomy Of Working And Stay-At-Home Mothers : And How To Choose, Kaleen Skramstad Jan 2008

The Dichotomy Of Working And Stay-At-Home Mothers : And How To Choose, Kaleen Skramstad

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

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The Effectiveness Of The Introduction And Amendment Of Traffic Laws On Louisiana Road Crashes, Vamshi Krishna Mudumba Jan 2008

The Effectiveness Of The Introduction And Amendment Of Traffic Laws On Louisiana Road Crashes, Vamshi Krishna Mudumba

LSU Master's Theses

Evaluating the safety benefit of a treatment provides information to the future safety projects of our transportation system. Various transportation laws have been amended in the state of Louisiana, aiming to reduce the roadway crash rates. The major traffic laws introduced or amended in the state in the past decade were the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Program in 1998, repealing the mandatory motorcycle helmet law in 1999 and reenacting it in 2004, introducing the open alcohol container laws in 2000, and lowering the per se Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) from 0.10 to 0.08 percent in 2003. A before-and-after analysis was …

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A Matter Of Questionable Death: An Analysis Of Physical Child Abuse, Carey M. Schwartz Jan 2008

A Matter Of Questionable Death: An Analysis Of Physical Child Abuse, Carey M. Schwartz

LSU Master's Theses

The ability to identify child abuse through skeletal remains is a skill that has generally received little attention. Since the publication of influential articles dealing with battered-child syndrome and shaken baby syndrome, researchers have put more effort toward finding recognizable patterns of physical child abuse. Several studies have found specific fracture patterns associated with child abuse; the humerus, femur and tibia, skull, ulna and radius, and the ribs have all been identified as the most commonly fractured bone resulting from physical child abuse in previous studies. Furthermore, researchers have found that subdural and retinal hemorrhages are the most commonly seen …

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Assessment Of Oxygen Sources And Sinks In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Using Stable Oxygen Isotopes, Zoraida Jazmin Quinones-Rivera Jan 2008

Assessment Of Oxygen Sources And Sinks In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Using Stable Oxygen Isotopes, Zoraida Jazmin Quinones-Rivera

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Coastal hypoxia (< 2 mg O2L-1) represents a global problem that continues to worsen as nutrient fluxes to these areas increase. The second largest zone of human-induced hypoxia is located on the Louisiana continental shelf where hypoxic bottom waters commonly occur during summertime. This region is strongly impacted by the large flux of freshwater and nutrients from the Mississippi River, which influences both biological and physical processes that control oxygen dynamics. Yet, based on oxygen concentration measurements alone, it is difficult to separate the effects of biological factors from physical factors. To address this problem, I used a dual budget approach to assess the importance of oxygen sources and sinks on the Louisiana continental shelf. The dual budget was based on using stable oxygen isotopes (ä18O) in combination with conventional oxygen concentration measurements. To analyze temporal trends, surface and bottom water samples were collected monthly between July 2001 and July 2003 along an onshore-offshore transect. For better spatial resolution, shelfwide sampling was conducted extending from the Mississippi River Delta to the Louisiana-Texas border in the month of July of 2001, 2002, and 2003. Oxygen saturations values ranged between 180% at the surface and almost 0% close to the bottom with a corresponding range of ä18O values from 15‰ to 50‰. Biological parameters were important during all seasons for surface oxygen dynamics. The effects of physical factors were less apparent, except during severe physical disturbances. Bottom water oxygen dynamics showed clear seasonal signals of high oxygen depletion and larger contributions of benthic respiration during the summer, which corresponded to the strong stratification of the water column. In bottom waters, summer oxygen depletion was predominantly due to benthic respiration, accounting for about 73%, 80% and 60% of the total oxygen loss for 2001, 2002 and 2003 respectively. Model estimates of production/respiration (P/R) ratio during the July shelfwide cruises indicated that surface waters were productive with an average calculated P/R above 1. Depth stratified sampling (5 m intervals), which started in July 2002, showed that productivity in the mixed layer (5 to 10 m) was not homogeneous. Calculated P/R exceeded 1 only in the surface layer, while at 5 m P/R was approximately 1 and at a depth of 10 m, P/R was less than 1. Additionally, hypoxic conditions were only detected within 5 m of the bottom sediments. The dual budget approach yielded new estimates of productivity dynamics in surface waters and of sediment oxygen demand in bottom waters. For the first time, this study provided routine insight into productivity and respiration dynamics over large temporal and spatial scales. This could not have been accomplished using traditional methods because they commonly rely on time-consuming incubations. The study has shown that respiration dynamics in bottom waters vary seasonally with higher contribution of benthic respiration during stratified summer conditions and prevalent water column respiration during fall and winter. In contrast, seasonality in surface waters was less pronounced as productivity was more dependent on (salinity-inferred) nutrient supply than climatic forcing.

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Vibrations For Improving Multiphase Contact, Yogesh G. Waghmare Jan 2008

Vibrations For Improving Multiphase Contact, Yogesh G. Waghmare

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Present work demonstrates the use of vibrations to enhance performance of two multi-phase contacting systems: a bubble column for gas-liquid contacting (physical absorption) and a Piston Oscillating Monolith Reactor (POMR) for gas-liquid-solid contacting (catalytic reactions). In a bubble column reactor, enhancements of mass transfer coefficient and gas hold up were experimentally studied for the air-water system. Mass transfer coefficient enhancements up to 500% and gas hold-up improvements up to 200% were achieved under the application of low amplitude (0.5-2.5 mm) vibration at low frequencies (0-25 Hz). A fundamental theory was developed from first principles to explain these enhancements. The theory …

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A Capacity-Approaching Coded Modulation Scheme For Non-Coherent Fading Channels, Youngjeon Cho Jan 2008

A Capacity-Approaching Coded Modulation Scheme For Non-Coherent Fading Channels, Youngjeon Cho

LSU Master's Theses

Approaching the Shannon limit of the communication channels has been studied by many researchers to efficiently and reliably transmit data through the channels. To solve this problem, various methods and schemes have been proposed for approaching the theoretical limit for Shannon’s channel capacity. Among them, both low-density parity check (LDPC) codes and Turbo codes have been proposed to minimize the bit error rate (BER). Therefore, understanding of LDPC codes and Turbo codes is useful for their applications in modern communication systems. The study about non-coherent channels, which do not require explicit knowledge or estimation of the channel state information, has …

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Color, Line, And Form And The Image Of The Horse, Jessica Mongeon Jan 2008

Color, Line, And Form And The Image Of The Horse, Jessica Mongeon

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

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Potatoes Again : The Travel Diary Of A World War Ii Prisoner Of War, Jon Lucht Jan 2008

Potatoes Again : The Travel Diary Of A World War Ii Prisoner Of War, Jon Lucht

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

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Not Made Of The Right Matter : The Ordination Of Women In The Roman Catholic Church Priesthood, Emily Dubord Hill Jan 2008

Not Made Of The Right Matter : The Ordination Of Women In The Roman Catholic Church Priesthood, Emily Dubord Hill

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

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Anyone Can Act, Jared Fladeland Jan 2008

Anyone Can Act, Jared Fladeland

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

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Envisioning Post-Conviction Review For The Twenty-First Century, Joseph L. Hoffmann, Nancy J. King Jan 2008

Envisioning Post-Conviction Review For The Twenty-First Century, Joseph L. Hoffmann, Nancy J. King

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

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Can We Estimate Stature From The Scapula? A Test Considering Sex And Ancestry, Rachel Marie Burke Jan 2008

Can We Estimate Stature From The Scapula? A Test Considering Sex And Ancestry, Rachel Marie Burke

LSU Master's Theses

The biological profile is one of the most important things that forensic anthropologists accomplish in their work. This includes the determination of age, race, sex, and stature. These four components of the biological profile aid in the identification of an individual in the forensic context. Since the beginning of the field of physical anthropology, osteologists and anatomists have studied human remains in order to provide new and more accurate ways of building the biological profile. Two published studies have attempted to estimate stature from measurements of the scapula. One previous study found that certain measurements of the scapula were highly …

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