Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2009

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 13831 - 13860 of 14006

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Michael Martin And The Moral Argument For God's Existence, Robert Keith Loftin Jan 2009

Michael Martin And The Moral Argument For God's Existence, Robert Keith Loftin

LSU Master's Theses

Theism, that is, belief in the existence of God, has, over the last forty or so years, been making a quiet comeback. Whereas for several decades the “death of God” was heralded—culminating, perhaps, with Time magazine’s April 8, 1966, title: “Is God Dead?”—philosophers are once again vigorously debating the rationality of theistic belief. Emerging from amid this renaissance is an increasing number of publications treating the various so-called “theistic proofs” or arguments for God’s existence. These arguments are part of the project of natural theology, that is, the project of establishing the rationality of theistic belief apart from appeal to …

Go to article

Processor Design Space Exploration And Performance Prediction, Balachandran Ramadass Jan 2009

Processor Design Space Exploration And Performance Prediction, Balachandran Ramadass

LSU Master's Theses

The use of simulation is well established in processor design research to evaluate architectural design trade-offs. More importantly, Cycle by Cycle accurate simulation is widely used to evaluate the new designs in processor research because of its accurate and detailed processor performance measurement. However, only configuration in a subspace can be simulated in practice due to its long simulation time and limited resources, leading to suboptimal conclusions that might not be applied to the larger design space. In this thesis, we propose a performance prediction approach which employs a state-of-the-art technique from experimental design, machine learning and data mining. Our …

Go to article

Populations Of Vibrio Vulnificus And Vibrio Parahaemolyticus In Breton Sound And Barataria Bay, Brian William Matherne Jan 2009

Populations Of Vibrio Vulnificus And Vibrio Parahaemolyticus In Breton Sound And Barataria Bay, Brian William Matherne

LSU Master's Theses

Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus are halophilic gram-negative bacteria that are found in warm coastal waters. These two species are the leading cause of fatal shellfish poisoning. The objective of this study was to determine the population dynamics of V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus as impacted by temperature and salinity in Breton Sound and Barataria Bay of Louisiana. Water samples were collected from each water body along s salinity gradient transect monthly from September 2007 through July 2009. Furthermore, from March 2008 through July 2009 sediment and live oyster samples were collected exclusively from the Breton Sound. The population of …

Go to article

Certification: Implications For Sustainable Forest Management And Timber Export Trade In Ghana, Abraham Baffoe Jan 2009

Certification: Implications For Sustainable Forest Management And Timber Export Trade In Ghana, Abraham Baffoe

LSU Master's Theses

Forestry is a major contributor to the Ghanaian economy and has the potential to increase its contribution if a number of challenges are overcome. Over the past 15 years, Ghana has modified its forest policies, laws, and regulations, but still faces serious challenges with illegal logging and unsustainable forest management. At the same time, Ghana’s major wood product trading partner, the European Union (EU), is requesting that Ghana, under the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA), ensures that wood products from Ghana to the EU are legally produced. Additionally, several EU wood product importers have requested their suppliers in Ghana to meet …

Go to article

Global Positioning System In Curved Space-Time And Other Applications Of General Relativity, Argenis Daniel Da Silva Jan 2009

Global Positioning System In Curved Space-Time And Other Applications Of General Relativity, Argenis Daniel Da Silva

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this work, we present some applications of the theory of General Relativity. First, we show a numerical scheme to account for relativistic effects in the Global Positioning System. Then, a couple of applications of astrophysical interest are worked out. These are the study of the gravitational collapse of stars and the dynamical evolution of a three-dimensional Einstein-Klein-Gordon field.

Go to article

Biophysical Economic Analysis Of Nutrient And Sediment Management Practices In The Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Augustus Nyako Matekole Jan 2009

Biophysical Economic Analysis Of Nutrient And Sediment Management Practices In The Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Augustus Nyako Matekole

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Conventional drainage systems and poorly drained soils tend to increase row crop agriculture nutrient and sediment effluent loads. Best management practices help reduce row crop production environmental pollution. This dissertation looked at nutrient and tillage management practices that could help farmers address future total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for the Cabin-Teele sub-watershed, within the lower Mississippi River Basin. The dissertation had two objectives. The first objective was to examine the economic and environmental impact of tillage and nutrient management practices in reducing agricultural pollutants to meet TMDL requirements. Relative cost effectiveness of different tillage and nutrient management practices were analyzed …

Go to article

Realtime Reservoir Characterization And Beyond: Cyber-Infrastructure Tools And Technologies, Yaakoub Youssef El-Khamra Jan 2009

Realtime Reservoir Characterization And Beyond: Cyber-Infrastructure Tools And Technologies, Yaakoub Youssef El-Khamra

LSU Master's Theses

The advent of the digital oil _x000C_eld and rapidly decreasing cost of computing creates opportunities as well as challenges in simulation based reservoir studies, in particular, real-time reservoir characterization and optimization. One challenge our e_x000B_orts are directed toward is the use of real-time production data to perform live reservoir characterization using high throughput, high performance computing environments. To that end we developed the required tools of parallel reservoir simulator, parallel ensemble Kalman _x000C_lter and a scalable work ow manager. When using this collection of tools, a reservoir modeler is able to perform large scale reservoir management studies in short periods …

Go to article

Seasonal Variability In Absorption And Fluorescence Properties Of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter In The Barataria Basin, Louisiana, Usa, Shatrughan Singh Jan 2009

Seasonal Variability In Absorption And Fluorescence Properties Of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter In The Barataria Basin, Louisiana, Usa, Shatrughan Singh

LSU Master's Theses

Absorption and fluorescence measurements of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were examined along a transect containing 36 sampling stations in the Barataria Basin during high and low conditions to observe seasonal variation in these optical properties. The objectives of this study were (i) to observe CDOM variability in Barataria Basin in variable flow (high and low) conditions, and to characterize the CDOM, (ii) to identify the constituents of CDOM and to model CDOM compositional variability in the Barataria Basin using parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). CDOM–salinity relationships were non-conservative in lower and upper part of the transect; however a conservative inverse …

Go to article

Integrated Model-Centric Decision Support System For Process Industries, Daira Aragon Jan 2009

Integrated Model-Centric Decision Support System For Process Industries, Daira Aragon

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

To bring the advances in modeling, simulation and optimization environments (MSOEs), open-software architectures, and information technology closer to process industries, novel mechanisms and advanced software tools must be devised to simplify the definition of complex model-based problems. Synergistic interactions between complementary model-based software tools must be refined to unlock the potential of model-centric technologies in industries. This dissertation presents the conceptual definition of a single and consistent framework for integrated process decision support (IMCPSS) to facilitate the realistic formulation of related model-based engineering problems. Through the integration of data management, simulation, parameter estimation, data reconciliation, and optimization methods, this framework …

Go to article

Scanning Probe Microscopy Investigations Of (1) Arrays Of Cysteine-Coated Cds Nanoparticles And (2) Structures Formed During The Early Stages Of The Corrosion Of Copper Surfaces, Brian Robert Lewandowski Jan 2009

Scanning Probe Microscopy Investigations Of (1) Arrays Of Cysteine-Coated Cds Nanoparticles And (2) Structures Formed During The Early Stages Of The Corrosion Of Copper Surfaces, Brian Robert Lewandowski

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) characterizations are becoming more prevalent for surface investigations due to their capabilities for obtaining structural information and physical measurements. New capabilities of SPM for studying and controlling nanoscale processes are emerging as valuable assets in research. A fundamental understanding of the interactions of surface reactions provides essential information for developing workable applications for nanotechnology. Two applications of SPM are discussed in this dissertation. The first investigation uses atomic force microscopy (AFM) for the characterization of nanostructures produced with a newly developed lithographic technique called “two-particle” lithography. This new technique is based on particle lithography for the …

Go to article

Merged Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry, Jianan Dong Jan 2009

Merged Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry, Jianan Dong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Ambient ionization allows the analysis of materials in their native environment without sample preparation by creating ions outside the mass spectrometer. The goal of this research was to develop new ambient ionization techniques for application to solids, liquids and particles under ambient conditions. Samples to be analyzed were directly merged with an electrospray of droplets, and then ionized and detected by a mass spectrometer. An ion trap mass spectrometer was modified with a nanoelectrospray source and configured for three experiments: merged electrospray ionization of dry particles, merged electrospray ionization of combustion products, and infrared laser desorption/ablation using electrospray for post-ionization. …

Go to article

Hydro Mechanical Behavior Of Unsaturated Soil Subjected To Drying, Dev Raj Pokhrel Jan 2009

Hydro Mechanical Behavior Of Unsaturated Soil Subjected To Drying, Dev Raj Pokhrel

LSU Master's Theses

The literature of unsaturated soils in terms of hydraulic and mechanical behavior is reviewed. The hydro- mechanical behavior of unsaturated soil was studied using experimental investigation and numerical simulation of 1D and 2D modeling in HYDRUS software. Low plasticity silty clay (CL) and sand bentonite mixed soil SB (5% and 2% bentonite) specimens were investigated. Soil water characteristics curve (SWCC) tests were carried out in CL sample along with shear wave velocity measurement test using bender element (BE). The influence of moisture variation on specimens was investigated to see its impact on suction and on stiffness of soil. Similarly, the …

Go to article

Preparation Of The Chinese Sweet Leaf Tea Extract And Its Anti-Obesity Effect In Rodents, Gar Yee Koh Jan 2009

Preparation Of The Chinese Sweet Leaf Tea Extract And Its Anti-Obesity Effect In Rodents, Gar Yee Koh

LSU Master's Theses

The aqueous leaf extract of Rubus suavissimus (Chinese sweet leaf tea) was active in inhibiting angiogenesis, which could be used to suppress adipogenesis and cause weight loss. Following this revelation and approach, the anti-obesity effect was thoroughly investigated in normal and obese rat models. The investigations began with the preparation of quality-controlled extract. First, the crude extraction methods were examined leading to the characterization of the chemical composition. Second, the impure components were removed by alcohol precipitation and column chromatography, resulting in a standardized sweet leaf tea extract (RUS). Third, three bioavailable compounds identified from the urine analyses were re-constituted …

Go to article

Population Characteristics Of A White-Tailed Deer Herd In A Bottomland Hardwood Forest Of South-Central Louisiana, Justin W. Thayer Jan 2009

Population Characteristics Of A White-Tailed Deer Herd In A Bottomland Hardwood Forest Of South-Central Louisiana, Justin W. Thayer

LSU Master's Theses

White-tailed deer are an important economic and recreational resource in Louisiana. A basic understanding of population dynamics is essential to ensure sound management, but baseline information in Louisiana is lacking. Likewise, the notion of Quality Deer Management (QDM) continues to gain momentum in Louisiana. Our objectives were to evaluate space use, survival, and mortality for a deer herd managed under a QDM regime in south Louisiana. We captured 65 deer in West Baton Rouge and Iberville Parishes during 2007 and 2008, radio-marked 37 males and 11 females, and ear-marked an additional 10 males and 7 females. Home ranges (95%) for …

Go to article

Fine- To Basin-Scale Distributions Of Calanus Finmarchicus And Its Predators In Three Deep Basins Of The Gulf Of Maine During December 1998 And 1999 From Video Plankton Recorder (Vpr) Data, Christian Briseño-Avena Jan 2009

Fine- To Basin-Scale Distributions Of Calanus Finmarchicus And Its Predators In Three Deep Basins Of The Gulf Of Maine During December 1998 And 1999 From Video Plankton Recorder (Vpr) Data, Christian Briseño-Avena

LSU Master's Theses

The calanoid copepod Calanus finmarchicus is broadly distributed in the North Atlantic, where it dominates the spring zooplankton biomass of shelf ecosystems. Calanus finmarchicus diapauses in the deep basins of the Gulf of Maine (GOM) during late-summer through early-winter. During diapause, predators that co-occur in regions of high copepod abundance may reduce survivorship through predation. Consequently it is important to measure the distribution patterns of C. finmarchicus and its predators. Two cruises were carried out during December of 1998 and 1999 in the GOM. Video Plankton Recorder (VPR) data collected in Wilkinson, Jordan and Georges Basins were used to describe …

Go to article

Two-Dimensional Microscanners With T-Shaped Hinges And Piezoelectric Actuators, Wenyu Song Jan 2009

Two-Dimensional Microscanners With T-Shaped Hinges And Piezoelectric Actuators, Wenyu Song

LSU Master's Theses

For a wide range of application areas such as medical instruments, defense, communication networks, industrial equipment, and consumer electronics, microscanners have been a vibrant research topic. Among various fabrication methodologies, MEMS (microelectromechanical system) stands out for its small size and fast response characteristics. In this thesis, piezoelectric actuation mechanism is selected because of its low voltage and low current properties compared with other mechanisms, which are especially important for the target application of biomedical imaging. Although 1- and 2-dimensional microscanners with piezoelectric actuators have been studied by several other groups, this thesis introduces innovative improvements in design of the piezoelectric …

Go to article

Stochastic Navier-Stokes Equations With Fractional Brownian Motions, Liqun Fang Jan 2009

Stochastic Navier-Stokes Equations With Fractional Brownian Motions, Liqun Fang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The aim of this dissertation is to study stochastic Navier-Stokes equations with a fractional Brownian motion noise. The second chapter will introduce the background results on fractional Brownian motions and some of their properties. The third chapter will focus on the Stokes operator and the semigroup generated by this operator. The Navier-Stokes equations and the evolution equation setup will be described in the next chapter. The main goal is to prove the existence and uniqueness of solutions for the stochastic Navier-Stokes equations with a fractional Brownian motion noise under suitable conditions. The proof is given with full details for two …

Go to article

Project-Based High School Geometry, Danica Le'trice Robinson Jan 2009

Project-Based High School Geometry, Danica Le'trice Robinson

LSU Master's Theses

Project-based learning (PBL) is an instructional strategy that allows students the autonomy to learn, explore and investigate throughout the learning process by means of projects. Many educators have seen the need for such a strategy in the classroom as a remedy for motivating students, showing relevance of student’s education to everyday life, preparing students for college and the work force, and the dire need for students to develop critical thinking skills to encourage future success. In my thesis I will define project-based learning, discuss its characteristics, compare PBL to traditional teaching methods and reflect on my experiences with project-based learning …

Go to article

Studies Of States And State Transitions In Low Mass X-Ray Binaries, Charles Bradley Jan 2009

Studies Of States And State Transitions In Low Mass X-Ray Binaries, Charles Bradley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

We investigate the model of a disk/coronal accretion flow into a black hole. We build a numerical code to ascertain whether the inner regions of an accretion disk in X-ray binaries can transform from a cool standard disk to an advection-dominated flow through the known properties of Coulomb interaction in a two-temperature plasma, taking into account viscous heating, standard radiation processes, and thermal conduction. A hot, diffuse corona covering the whole disk is powered by accretion, but it exchanges energy with the underlying cool disk through radiative interactions and conduction. If the accretion rate is low enough, at some intermediate …

Go to article

A Non-Invasive Semiconductor Optical System To Measure Skin Tension, Anna Charron Dugas Jan 2009

A Non-Invasive Semiconductor Optical System To Measure Skin Tension, Anna Charron Dugas

LSU Master's Theses

The objectives of this project are to design, construct, validate and test a low-cost, non-invasive and painless device to measure skin tension. Skin is a complex, multi-layered, anisotropic material with non-linear viscoelastic behavior during stress application. The intricate balance of different semi-elastic fibers and continuous regeneration has brought difficulty to the accurate measurement of its mechanical properties. Commercial skin tension measurement products have been described, but are too expensive to be readily accessible for skin research and clinical utilization. The device to be developed in this project differs from existing devices in that it measures skin deformation under vacuum using …

Go to article

The Relationship Between Self-Esteem And Academic Success Among African American Students In The Minority Engineering Program At A Research Extensive University In The Southern Portion Of The United States, Sandra Latrice Harris Jan 2009

The Relationship Between Self-Esteem And Academic Success Among African American Students In The Minority Engineering Program At A Research Extensive University In The Southern Portion Of The United States, Sandra Latrice Harris

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between the self-esteem and academic success of African American students in the Minority Engineering Program (MEP) at a research-extensive university in the Southern portion of the United States. The nature of the study required the use of descriptive, comparative, and correlational research methods. The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory Adult Form (CSEI-A), a 25-item dichotomous self-report questionnaire was used to measure the level of self-esteem of all respondents. CSEI-A data was collected through the use of an on-line survey program, called Zoomerang©. Data on the specific demographic and academic variables …

Go to article

Gender Biases In Hiring Practices, Heather Howe Jan 2009

Gender Biases In Hiring Practices, Heather Howe

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Analysis Of The Pilot Program Forward Impact, Caleb Skipper Jan 2009

Analysis Of The Pilot Program Forward Impact, Caleb Skipper

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Environmental Influences On The Mobility And Speciation Of Arsenic In The Geothermal Waters Of El Tatio Geyser Field, Chile, Lindsey R. Johnson Jan 2009

Environmental Influences On The Mobility And Speciation Of Arsenic In The Geothermal Waters Of El Tatio Geyser Field, Chile, Lindsey R. Johnson

LSU Master's Theses

El Tatio geyser field, northern Chile, impacts regional water quality, policy, and agricultural commerce due to the geothermal waters containing high concentrations of naturally-occurring arsenic (As). In the circumneutral pH, non-sulfidic thermal waters at El Tatio, dissolved arsenite [As(III)] dominates geyser discharge water upstream, but dissolved arsenate [As(V)] dominates downstream. Microbial mats and sediments were analyzed for changes in As speciation using X-ray spectroscopy methods, such as XANES and EXAFS at both the As and Fe K-edges, combined with ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and molecular genetics, to understand As cycling. The sediments and microbial mats were dominated by As(V) speciated as both …

Go to article

Size Controlled Metal Oxide Nanoparticles:Synthesis, Characterization, And Application To Catalysis, Hongyi Wu Jan 2009

Size Controlled Metal Oxide Nanoparticles:Synthesis, Characterization, And Application To Catalysis, Hongyi Wu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The research in this dissertation focuses on the synthesis of size-controlled metal oxide nanoclusters (< 10 nm) on amorphous silica and their catalytic performance in thermal degradation of chlorinated benzenes with regard to the cluster size effect. Furthermore, with the concern that metal can condense as the nano-size nuclei core for particle growth in combustion process, a flow reactor was built to investigate the effect of metal oxide nanoparticles on the formation of soot in fuel-rich combustion. The synthesis of copper oxide nanoclusters was carried by calcination of silica impregnated with dendrimer-metal complexes. The 4th generation poly(propylene imine) dendrimer DAB-Am32 was used in this template-based method. The sizes of copper oxide nanoclusters were exquisitely controlled in the range of 1-5 nm with narrow size distribution by changing the stoichiometric ratio of metal ion to the terminal primary amines of dendrimer, the equivalent metal oxide loading on surface, and the impregnation procedure. XANES and XPS studies revealed that CuO was the dominant component of copper oxide nanoclusters. This method was also experimentally proven to be valid in the preparation of other metal oxide nanoparticles, e.g., Ni and Fe, and with other oxide substrates, e.g., titanium oxide. Chlorinated benzenes were selected as the model compound for studying the activity of metal (Cu and Fe) oxide catalysts with regard to their cluster sizes. Compared to the surrogate of coarse metal oxide samples, which was prepared by incipient wetness method, their nanosize analogues showed superior catalytic activity on the conversion of chlorinated benzenes under both pyrolytic and oxidative thermal condition. Furthermore, such catalytic size effect was also observed on the selectivity of products yields. Sooting combustion was performed using a two-zone flow reactor with precise control on experimental parameters. Gas suspended metal oxide nanoparticles were generated by burning off the organic backbone of the dendrimer-metal complexes in zone 1 and immediately transferred to zone 2, where the hydrocarbon combustion occurred. TEM results of the particulate sample collected at the outlet of reactor indicated that metal oxide nanoparticles promoted soot formation. GC/MS analysis of the extracted organic materials from soot samples suggested the formation of PAH was also promoted by metal addition as well.

Go to article

The Influence Of Alcohol Advertising On Associative Memory And Consideration Sets, James Charles Smith Jan 2009

The Influence Of Alcohol Advertising On Associative Memory And Consideration Sets, James Charles Smith

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Survey studies suggest that alcohol advertising influences attitudes and beliefs that promote alcohol use. Strategies from memory research and marketing were used to test the influence of beer advertising found in popular magazines. Effects on preference for alcohol and memory associations between alcohol and the positive outcomes of drinking were measured. One hundred eighty undergraduate women and men viewed 5 ads. A 2 x 2 + 1 (control group) factorial design simultaneously varied ad type (arousing or sedating messages) with processing type (selective attention or elaborative processing). Preferences for alcohol and memory associations did not differ between the control group …

Go to article

A Severe Weather Climatology Comparison Study For The Grand Forks, Nd And Duluth, Mn National Weather Service Forecast Office County Warning Areas, Kevin Skow Jan 2009

A Severe Weather Climatology Comparison Study For The Grand Forks, Nd And Duluth, Mn National Weather Service Forecast Office County Warning Areas, Kevin Skow

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Barrier Island Migration Over A Consolidating Substrate, Julie Dean Rosati Jan 2009

Barrier Island Migration Over A Consolidating Substrate, Julie Dean Rosati

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Barrier islands that overlie a compressible substrate load and consolidate the underlying subsurface. Through time, the elevation and aerial extent of these islands are reduced, making them more susceptible to inundation and overwash. Sand washed over the island and onto back-barrier marsh or into the bay or estuary begins the consolidation process on a previously non-loaded substrate, with time-dependent consolidation a function of the magnitude of the load, duration of load, and characteristics of the substrate. The result is an increase in the overwash, migration, breaching, and segmentation of these islands. This research determined the degree to which consolidation affects …

Go to article

Platforms And Protocols For The Multidimensional Microchip Electrophoretic Analysis Of Complex Proteomes, John K. Osiri Jan 2009

Platforms And Protocols For The Multidimensional Microchip Electrophoretic Analysis Of Complex Proteomes, John K. Osiri

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The need for rapid, portable and high-throughput systems in proteomics is now prevalent because of demands for generating new protein-based disease biomarkers. However, 2-D protein profile patterns are lending themselves as potential diagnostic tools for biomarker discovery. It is difficult to identify protein biomarkers which are low abundant in the presence of highly abundant proteins, especially in complex biological samples like serum. Protein profiles from 2-D separation of the protein content of cells or body fluids, which are unique to certain physiological or pathological states, are currently available on internet databases. In this work, we demonstrate the ability to separate …

Go to article

Studies Of Homogeneous Dirhodium Catalyst System, Catherine L. Thomas Alexander Jan 2009

Studies Of Homogeneous Dirhodium Catalyst System, Catherine L. Thomas Alexander

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Hydroformylation studies were conducted to investigate the effects of various H&sub2;/CO ratios on rac-[Rh&sub2;H&sub2;(μ-CO)&sub2;(et,ph-P4)]²+;, a dirhodium tetraphosphine catalyst system. Similar experiments were also conducted with monometallic catalysts based on BISBI, NAPHOS, and Xantphos, some of the best bisphosphine ligands for hydroformylation catalysis. This was due to the lack of information in literature on the effects of variable ratios and pressures on activities and selectivities of catalysts that contain bisphosphine ligands, and these studies were also used as a basis of comparison for the dirhodium system. Results indicate that the dirhodium system is more efficient with higher H&sub2;/CO ratios (2:1, 90 …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last