Digital Commons Network^™

(Im)Possible Encounters, Possible (Mis)Understandings Between The West And Its Other: The Case Of The Maghreb, Tanja Stampfl

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

My work deals with what I call (im)possible encounters, possible (mis)understandings between the West and the Rim of the World (in my case The Maghreb). I focus on writers (such as Paul Bowles, Patricia Highsmith, Edith Wharton, Tayeb Salih, Ahlam Mosteghanemi, Ahdaf Soueif) who stepped across the cultural dividing line to claim a voice of their own; a voice that enabled them to represent and at times misrepresent the host culture they chose to live in, and which acts as a “lieu” and at times “milieu de mémoire.” It is what the late Edward Said aptly called “intertwined histories, overlapping …

A Finite Element Approach To Model Electromagnetic Fields Scattered By A Buried Cavity, Nicole Pernischova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the plane-wave scattering from a two-dimensional arbitrarily shaped cavity embedded in an infinite metallic surface that has been covered with a layer or layers of dielectric material, considering both transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarizations. Due to the shape of the cavity, this problem is approached using the finite element method. This approach provides a boundary condition at the opening of the cavity which accounts for the effect of the overlayer(s) while confining the problem to the finite domain of the cavity itself. After determination of the solution for the electric and magnetic fields at the cavity …

A Modular Approach To Lung Nodule Detection From Computed Tomography Images Using Artificial Neural Networks And Content Based Image Representation, Omer Muhammet Soysal

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Lung cancer is one of the most lethal cancer types. Research in computer aided detection (CAD) and diagnosis for lung cancer aims at providing effective tools to assist physicians in cancer diagnosis and treatment to save lives. In this dissertation, we focus on developing a CAD framework for automated lung cancer nodule detection from 3D lung computed tomography (CT) images. Nodule detection is a challenging task that no machine intelligence can surpass human capability to date. In contrast, human recognition power is limited by vision capacity and may suffer from work overload and fatigue, whereas automated nodule detection systems can …

Sparse And Redundant Image Representations Using Adaptive Dictionaries In Digital Image Denoising, Teresa Sano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Digital image denoising is a widely know problem in image processing. In this work, we focus on removing additive white Gaussian noise from a given image. We use a denoising method that was extended from the Sparseland model. This method builds sparse image patch representations using redundant dictionaries and has been shown to denoise images fairly well. We look to improve this method by adapting the dictionaries to more accurately represent specific image features. The image features were chosen to be the details, textures, and smooth regions of the image. Two different dictionaries were tested, the Discrete Cosine Transform and …

Uncovering The Roots Of The Crucified God: How Walter Brueggemann's Old Testament Theology Challenges And Contributes To Jürgen Moltmann's And Jon Sobrino's Interpretations Of The Cross, Patricia A. Sharbaugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation provides a study and analysis of Old Testament theology's discernment of God through hiddenness, silence, absence, and suffering and then brings into conversation notions of God drawn from these Old Testament traditions with notions of God drawn from an interpretation of the cross. This exploration is done through an in depth study of Walter Brueggemann's Old Testament theology of God as both a challenge and a contribution to the interpretation of the cross of Jesus Christ in the works of Jürgen Moltmann and Jon Sobrino.

The interpretations of the cross in the works of Moltmann and Sobrino recognize …

Performance-Based Quality Specifications: The Link Between Product Development And Clinical Outcomes, Steven Short

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The design of drug delivery systems and their corresponding dosing guidelines are critical product development functions supported by clinical pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) data. Largely, the importance of variance and covariance in product and patient attributes is poorly understood. The existence of PK/PD diversity among myriad patient sub-populations further complicates efforts to gauge the importance of product quality variation. Nevertheless, a platform capable of evaluating the effects of product and patient variability on clinical performance was constructed. This dissertation was predicated on requests to re-define pharmaceutical quality in terms of risk by relating clinical attributes to production characteristics.

To …

Beta-Diketone And -Ketoenamine-Based Organic Building Blocks For Porous Metal Organic-Materials, Yoseph Solomon Marcos

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on synthesis of multifunctional â-diketone and â-ketoenamine ligands and their reaction with metal ions, mainly Cu2+. Several new bi-, tri-, and tetrafunctional organosilicon â-diketone building blocks with â-diketone groups at approx. 109° (tetrahedral) were successfully synthesized. New thiophene based bifunctional ligands where the â-diketones are at about 145° are also reported here. We also prepared a range of new aryl-â-ketoenamines from their analogous â-diketones in very high yield using a simple microwave-assisted procedure. Reactions of organosilicon tris(â-diketone)s LH3 with Cu2+ were explored quite intensively. These ligands form metal-organic-polyhedra (MOPs) that are soluble in organic solvents, and insoluble …

A School For Our Children: A Case Study Of A School Closing The Student Achievement Gap, Monica Diane Lamar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the student achievement gap from the perspective of a school closing the student achievement gap. The intent of the dissertation was to discover or identify factors as to how an elementary school eliminates the student achievement gap as delineated by accelerative factors theory (AFT). In addition, the student achievement gap is an educational problem that emphasizes race. Critical race theory (CRT) was utilized to view how race and racism was situated in the school. These methodologies were chosen specifically to garner critical information of the efforts utilized by the parents, teachers and administrators to close the student …

A Determination Of The Essential Outcomes For Higher Education Supply Chain Management Program Success, John R. Mawhinney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As one of business and industries newest strategies to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and competitiveness of organizations, supply chain management is evolving into a major business school discipline. The rapid growth of SCM integration concepts enabled by information systems and technology continues to experience significant improvements and changes. These factors create challenges for higher education business schools with keeping current and driving research to advance the discipline. This study surveyed SCM corporate executives to determine if there is agreement on the core concepts that should be included in SCM curriculum, and the level of mastery program graduates should attain for success. …

Arabidopsis Thaliana Glx2-1 Contains A Dinuclear Metal Binding Site, But Is Not A Glyoxalase 2, Pattraranee Limphong, Michael W. Crowder, Brian Bennett, Christopher A. Makaroff

Physics Faculty Research and Publications

In an effort to probe the structure and function of a predicted mitochondrial glyoxalase 2, GLX2-1, from Arabidopsis thaliana, GLX2-1 was cloned, overexpressed, purified and characterized using metal analyses, kinetics, and UV–visible, EPR, and ¹H-NMR spectroscopies. The purified enzyme was purple and contained substoichiometric amounts of iron and zinc; however, metal-binding studies reveal that GLX2-1 can bind nearly two equivalents of either iron or zinc and that the most stable analogue of GLX2-1 is the iron-containing form. UV–visible spectra of the purified enzyme suggest the presence of Fe(II) in the protein, but the Fe(II) can be oxidized over …

Mutation Of H63 And Its Catalytic Affect On The Methionine Aminopeptidase From Escherichia Coli, Sanghamitra Mitra, Brian Bennett, Richard C. Holz

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

In order to gain insight into the mechanistic role of a flexible exterior loop near the active site, made up of Y62, H63, G64, and Y65, that has been proposed to play an important role in substrate binding and recognition in the methionyl aminopeptidase from Escherichia coli (EcMetAP-I), the H63A enzyme was prepared. Mutation of H63 to alanine does not affect the ability of the enzyme to bind divalent metal ions. The specific activity of H63A EcMetAP-I was determined using four different substrates of varying lengths, namely, l-Met-p-NA, MAS, MGMM and MSSHRWDW. For the smallest/shortest …

Achievement Of Boys And Girls In Single-Gender Kindergarten Classrooms At One Elementary School In Western Michigan, Celeste L. Diehm

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The impact of single gender classrooms on kindergarten students’ acquisition of literacy skills was investigated in this research project. A sample of 144 kindergarten students in one public school district in western Michigan participated in this quasi-experimental, quantitative study during the 2008-09 school year.

The development of reading skills is important for a child’s success throughout his or her educational career and is influenced by many factors. This study explored the impact of the variables of age, developmental readiness, socioeconomic status, family structure, and teacher experience on the acquisition of literacy skills among children in different classroom compositions including all-girls, …

The Evolution Of Eastern Michigan University: The Politics Of Change And Persistence, Dawn Malone Gaymer

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Background: Eastern Michigan University (EMU) is a regional comprehensive university established as a teacher training school in 1849. This case study analyzed the politics of change and persistence as the organization evolved from a normal schools that trained teachers to a regional comprehensive university.

Purpose: This study was pursued to inform higher education leadership; satisfy the personal interests of the researcher and to contribute knowledge to comprehensive university organizational studies.

Research Design: An interpretive longitudal historical case study design was pursed for this research. This case study reviewed the political cultural environment that occurred prior to the organization’s formation and …

Ninth-Grade Interventions And The Impact On High School Graduation Rates, Shannon Mcbrady

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

There is a need to become economically sensible when deciding on new school initiatives and reforms. This is partly due to increasing accountability and tightening school budgets. Hertzog & Morgan (1999) found the freshman year sets the tone for a student‟s entire high school career. Yet, frequently, ninth-graders struggle to feel connected to school and therefore experience failure. Often times this period of failure is related to the developmental process the ninth-grader experiences. Many ninth-graders struggle in various areas including behavioral growth, social pressures, and adjusting to the rigidity of high school (Mizelle & Irvin, 2000). Researchers have found that …

Language, Emotion, And Imagination: Constructing Human Identity Through Hemingway's Work, Gorka Diaz

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis examines how Hemingway’s use of language evokes emotions in his stories and how his particular way of evoking emotions affects readers. Hemingway’s style of providing vivid experiences for readers centers on the image as the dimension where emotions are offered, but also the dimension where the writer’s work converges with the reader’s reception of it. The reader reconstructs the text through the act of signifying emotions. This process of signification is made possible only through the use of the reader’s imagination. The study of the relation between emotion and imagination emphasizes that readers decode fiction as they decode …

Prevalence Of Vitamin D Insufficiency Among Breast Cancer Survivors, Kristen Poole Trukova

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this study was to determine if vitamin D deficiency is a prevalent problem for female breast cancer survivors (BCS) who have completed treatment for breast cancer. Ninetynine breast cancer survivors and a control population of fifty-five women with no history of breast cancer participated in this study. Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D concentrations were measured throughout 2007. Dietary and supplement intake of vitamin D was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire. Zip code of residence was used to evaluate potential for skin production of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency (<32ng/mL) was observed in 76 of 99 (77%) of BCS, and 51 of 55 (93%) of controls. Women taking vitamin D supplements were less likely to exhibit vitamin D deficiency, but supplementation did not guarantee sufficiency. Vitamin D deficiency appears to be prevalent among both groups. Vitamin D status should be routinely evaluated for all women as part of regular preventive care.

Cultural Determinants Affect Implementation Of Good Clinical Practice (Gcp) In Human Research Studies In Malawi, Africa, Joann Jeanne Schmidt

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Clinical research conduct and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) implementation are influenced by local culture. This study examines the experiences of 26 clinical research personnel in Malawi, Africa, in order to define relevant issues, identify solutions, and give voice to local investigators. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Six themes, related to cultural determinants, emerged: 1) communitybased decision-making, 2) illiteracy, 3) patient identifiers, 4) local myths and misconceptions, 5) poverty and disease, and 6) barriers to teamwork. Findings revealed that: 1) Malawians are best at identifying local solutions, 2) operations research is needed 3) greater networking and communication …

Comparison Of Nutrient Intakes For Vegetarians, Non-Vegetarians, And Dieters: Results From The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004, Bonnie Farmer

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Studies showing lower body mass index for vegetarians than non-vegetarians suggest that a vegetarian diet may be an approach for weight management. The purpose of this study was to compare nutrient intakes of vegetarians, non-vegetarians, and dieters to show that a vegetarian diet does not compromise nutrient intake. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2004) data were analyzed for persons 19 years of age and older. Vegetarians were those who did not report eating meat, poultry, or fish. Dieters were those who consumed 500 kilocalories less than estimated energy requirements. Adjusted means for fiber, vitamins E, A, and C, thiamin, …

Predicting Child Abuse Potential During Pregnancy, Kylene Krause

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined how mothers' perceptions of their childhood relationships with their mothers, expectations about being a mother, demographic characteristics, and perceptions of social support are related to a woman's child abuse potential during pregnancy. Data were collected during an initial interview with women during their third trimester of pregnancy as part of a larger longitudinal study. One hundred twenty high-risk women between the ages of 18 and 42 were recruited through fliers from public locations and pregnancy-related programs in southeastern Michigan to participate in this study. Results showed that perceptions of a higher quality childhood relationship with one's mother, …

A Versatile Preparation Of Geländer-Type P-Terphenyls From A Readily Available Diacetylenic Precursor, Matthew J. Modjewski, Sergey V. Lindeman, Rajendra Rathore

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

A series of doubly bridged p-terphenyls (4) have been synthesized utilizing a facile three-step synthesis starting from the readily available diacetylenic precursor (1) in excellent overall yields, and their structures were confirmed by 1H/13C NMR spectroscopy as well as by X-ray crystallography. The racemization barrier between the meso and chiral atropisomers of one of the derivatives of 4 was found to be ∼12 kcal/mol by variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy. The versatility of the protocol developed herein was further demonstrated by the preparation of a quadruply bridged penta-p-phenylene derivative.

A Versatile Synthesis Of Electroactive Stilbenoprismands For Effective Binding Of Metal Cations, Sergey V. Lindeman, Rajendra Rathore, Paromita Debroy

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

A versatile synthesis of a new class of polyaromatic receptors (stilbenoprismands) containing a Δ-shaped cavity similar to that of the π-prismand together with an intimately coupled electroactive stilbenoid moiety was accomplished via an efficient intramolecular McMurry coupling reaction. The presence of the Δ-shaped cavity in stilbenoprismands allows an efficient binding of a single silver cation as probed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Electron-rich stilbenoprismands undergo a ready oxidation to their highly robust cation−radical and dicationic salts. X-ray structure determination of a representative dicationic stilbenoprismand showed that the charges were largely localized on the tetraarylethylene moiety, which results in a twisting …

Octamethoxydibenzochrysene: Isolation And X-Ray Crystallographic Characterization Of A Twisted Polyaromatic Cation Radical, Tushar Navale, Linyi Zhai, Sergey V. Lindeman, Rajendra Rathore

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

The isolation and X-ray crystal structure determination of octamethoxydibenzochrysene (3) cation radical together with DFT calculations allow us to delineate evidence that the complex structural changes (i.e. elongation and shortening of various bonds) in a polyaromatic hydrocarbon can be predicted based on the positioning of the largest bonding and antibonding character of the HOMO.

Terphenyl Crowns: A New Family Of Receptors Containing Ethereal Canopies That Direct Potassium Cation Onto Benzenoid Platforms For Cation–Π Interactions, Ruchi Shukla, Sergey V. Lindeman, Rajendra Rathore

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

We have synthesized three simple and versatile terphenyl crowns (TC) receptors containing ethereal canopies that direct a potassium cation for efficient cation–π interactions as established by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and by isolation and X-ray crystallography of their K⁺ salts.

Response Of Selected Warm-Season Turfgrasses And Ornamental Monocots To Short-Term, High Concentration, Ozone Fumigation, Lou Ann Mcknight

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Ozone (O3), one of the most powerful oxidants known, is phytotoxic at high levels in the troposphere, or ground-level. Effects of acute ozone exposure for two consecutive days was examined on Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides), zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica), St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), Liriope muscari ‘Big Blue’, Liriope muscari ‘Aztec’, and Ophiopogon japonicus. Zoysiagrass, St. Augustinegrass, Liriope muscari ‘Big Blue’ were used in the second study based on the differential responses found in the study. Ozone induced severe visual damage to St. Augustinegrass with symptoms appearing as chlorotic streaks. St. Augustinegrass and Liriope muscari had a significant reduction in …

Sedimentation On A Mixed Siliciclastic/Carbonate Continental Margin Over Decadal To Millennial Timescales: Gulf Of Papua, Zahid Muhammad

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sediments from the Gulf of Papua were examined to estimate particle flux and sediment mass accumulation rates on multiple timescales. Patterns of sediment mass accumulation and inventory-derived 210Pb fluxes display regional variations, decreasing seaward, and along isobaths seaward from the northeastern shelf edge. The amount of terrigenous sediment load being discharged annually from the shelf and accumulating in Pandora Trough is approximately 7-14×106 tonnes. The existence of possible turbidity-current transport and deposition have been documented in deeper parts of the Gulf of Papua. High excess 210Pb fluxes estimated from seabed inventories at the shelf edge and upper slope are consistent …

An Introduction To The Life And The Songs Of Composer Chris Deblasio, With Special Emphasis On His Cycle All The Way Through Evening, Brian Bonin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

For composer Chris DeBlasio, the omnipresence of HIV/AIDS during the final years of his life helped to channel his creative energies into a unique compositional voice. At a time when certain elements of the New York music scene rewarded atonality and musical experimentation, DeBlasio pursued a lyrically tonal, theatrically-informed style in the company of composers such as Jake Heggie and Ricky Ian Gordon. Unfortunately, his death in 1993 at age thirty-four limited the growing awareness of his compositions in the greater artistic community and robbed him of the success eventually experienced by his fellow tonal compatriots. Today, he is best …

Copula-Based Multivariate Hydrologic Frequency Analysis, Hemant Chowdhary

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Multivariate frequency distributions are being increasingly recognized for their role in hydrological design and risk management. The conventional multivariate distributions are severely limited in that all constituent marginals have to be from the same distribution family. The copula method is a newly emerging approach for deriving multivariate distributions which overcomes this limitation. Use of copula method in hydrological applications has begun only recently and ascertaining the applicability of different copulas for combinations of various hydrological variables is currently an area of active research. Since there exists a variety of copulas capable of characterizing a broad range of dependence, the selection …

Development And Initial Validation Of The Family Eating And Activity Questionnnaire, Jennette Lea Palcic

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Pediatric overweight is a growing public health concern in the United States. According to the CDC approximately 17% of children are currently obese (Body Mass Index (BMI) ¡Ý 95th percentile) and the percentage of obese children has tripled since the 1970¡¯s. Both eating and physical activity behaviors have been shown to be related to increased rates of obesity; however, there is a lack of assessment tools to measure these behaviors. The purpose of the current study was to develop a psychometrically sound, parent-report measure of family and child behaviors related to obesity in children between 5- and 12- years-old. Item …

Ecological Risk Models For Visceral Leishmaniais [Sic] In Bahia, Brazil And Diagnosis Of Trypanosoma Cruzi Infection In Dogs In South Central Louisiana, Prixia Nieto

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Three predictive models were developed within a geographic information system using earth observing satellite remote sensing (RS), the Genetic Algorithm for Rule-Set Prediction (GARP) and the growing degree day-water budget (GDD-WB) concept to predict the distribution and potential risk of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the State of Bahia, Brazil. The objective was to define the environmental suitability of the disease as well as to obtain a deeper understanding of the eco-epidemiology of VL by associating environmental and climatic variables with disease prevalence. The RS, the GARP model and the GDD-WB model, using different analysis approaches and with the same human …

Factors That Influence Course Completion Of Individuals Enrolled In Craft-Training Courses Offered By A Large Organization Of Member Construction Companies, Alvin James Justelien, Iii

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The construction industry is one of the largest providers of jobs in the United States. Between 2009 and 2013, approximately 20% of the 7.7 million Americans employed in construction related jobs (Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 2009) would be eligible to retire. The industrial construction industry must attract, train, and retain a significant number of people to the construction industry. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence of selected personal demographic characteristics and academic behaviors of individuals participating in craft training courses offered by a large organization of member construction companies who successfully completed or left …