Digital Commons Network^™

Application-Level Optimization Of End-To-End Data Transfer Throughput, Esma Yildirim

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

For large-scale distributed applications, effective use of available network throughput and optimization of data transfer speed is crucial for end-to-end application performance. Today, many regional and national optical networking initiatives such as LONI, ESnet and Teragrid provide high speed network connectivity to their users. However, majority of the users fail to obtain even a fraction of the theoretical speeds promised by these networks due to issues such as sub-optimal protocol tuning, disk bottleneck on the sending and/or receiving ends, and processor limitations. This implies that having high speed networks in place is important but not sufficient for the improvement of …

Parent Report Of Home Literacy Experiences In Children With And Without Speech And Language Impairments, Amanda Blair Grace

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate caregivers’ perceptions of their children’s literacy experiences and determine if their perceptions differed as a function of whether their children presented with speech and language impairment or with typical language development. Participants were caregivers of children, between the ages of 24 and 54 months. Eleven children presented with speech and language impairments (S/LI) and 14 children presented with typically developing (TD) language. Caregivers’ perceptions about early home literacy experiences were collected through a questionnaire. Results showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups of caregivers’ responses to the …

A Comparison Of Soil And Corn Kernel Aspergillus Flavus Populations: Evidence For Niche Specialization, Rebecca Ruth Sweany

LSU Master's Theses

Aspergillus flavus is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that infects peanuts, cotton, corn and tree nuts. Aspergillus flavus is a major problem globally due to the production of acutely toxic and carcinogenic aflatoxins. Louisiana climatic conditions lead to annual threats of corn aflatoxin contamination. The purpose of this study was to determine the specific ability of different strains of A. flavus to infect corn. Five soil samples and 10 corn ears were collected from each of seven corn fields throughout Louisiana. In addition, Francis Deville of Monsanto Company collected 7, 6, 2, and 4 soil samples and corn ears from four …

The Wolseley Elm, Liza Jones

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Accuracy Of Srs Dose Delivery Using The Tomotherapy Hi-Art System, Catherine Leigh Batte

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: To quantify the accuracy and precision of both target positioning and dose delivery for intracranial radiosurgery delivered with the TomoTherapy Hi-Art System using a non-invasive immobilization device. Methods: Techniques developed by Vinci et al (2007) were refined for the measurement of dose distributions in each principal plane using a CIRS head phantom. Pieces of Gafchromic EBT2 film were cut and digitized using a template developed by Vinci et al (2007). A plan was created for a 2 cm diameter x 2 cm long cylindrical target in the TomoTherapy treatment planning system (TPS) version 3.2.1. Intentional misalignments of 5 mm …

Individual Differences And Memory Aging Concerns Of Older Adults, Emily Olinde Boudreaux

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The present research was designed to address two issues with respect to the self-reported memory functioning of older adults. The first issue concerns older adults’ practical memory concerns, defined as self-appraisals of one’s own memory that include worries, apprehension, and fears about aging that relate to memory. We used a mixed method approach in this study to provide a comprehensive assessment of self-reported memory functioning based on quantitative (the Memory Functioning Questionnaire, the Memory Controllability Inventory) and qualitative (the Practical Memory Concerns survey) indicators. The second issue concerns the contribution of individual difference to older adults’ self-perceived memory functioning. The …

Adoption Of Breeding Technologies In The U.S. Dairy Industry And Their Influences On Farm Profitability, Aditya Raj Khanal

LSU Master's Theses

Current trends in the U. S. dairy industry show an increase in milk cows per farm and milk production per cow, though the total number of milk cows in the industry is declining. This increase in productivity is attributed to advancements and adoption of modern dairy technologies. Breeding technologies are one of the important components of this structural change. This study analyzed the factors affecting the adoption of modern breeding technologies such as artificial insemination, embryo transplants, and sexed semen, and the impact of these technologies on farm productivity and profitability. Results of a bivariate probit model with selection showed …

Application Of Peer Instruction In The High School Setting, Wiley Iverstine

LSU Master's Theses

This study investigates whether the response component of Peer Instruction can be successfully added to my normal classroom instruction creating higher gains in student conceptual understanding of force concepts. This action research is intended to analyze this goal for possible application in any regular high school Physics classroom, using myself as a case study. The Force Concept Inventory was used as a pretest/posttest determinate of the learning gains of 85 students spread through four regular Physics classes during the 2009-10 school year. Forty-Two of these students were used as an experimental group where the response component of Peer Instruction was …

Evolutionary Dynamics Of Bird Populations In Southeast Asia, Haw Chuan Lim

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A confluence of factors determines the biological diversity we observe today. Here, I conducted three investigations of the historic, geographic and ecological factors that shaped the morphological and genetic diversity of rainforest birds in Southeast Asia. (1) In the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher (Ceyx erithaca) complex, the birds are highly polymorphic in plumage. Quantitative analysis of this variation indicated that a large proportion of birds in Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula and Borneo have plumages intermediate between the northerly black form from mainland Asia and the southerly rufous form from Java. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that birds from continental Southeast Asia (north of …

Student Perspectives On Study Abroad: The Case Of Louisiana State University's Summer Internships In The French Alps, Terri Lee Schroth

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

While many studies have been conducted on study abroad programs, few have sought to examine the inner workings of a short-term, non-traditional (non-classroom based) program, particularly from the participants’ point-of-view. This in-depth case study explores a short-term (4-week) cultural and linguistic internship program, “LSU in the French Alps,” as well as the perspectives of four program participants. This research was conducted during four phases of the study abroad experience: the pre-departure orientation (4 days on LSU’s main campus), the in-country stay (4 weeks in the French Alps), re-entry into the United States (first 10 days upon return), and post study …

From The Killing Fields To A Field Of Hope: The Portrait Of A Teacher's Dream, Kathy Ellen Smith

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Few qualitative studies have been done in Cambodia, a country held hostage by the murderous Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. Still struggling to recover from these atrocities, Cambodia looks to education to aid in its redevelopment. This ethnographically-informed case study describes the professional literacy life of a female Cambodian primary school teacher in the post Pol Pot era. This study describes this woman’s professional and personal life as she strives to build literacy in a small village. Her work is considered in the context of her colleagues and village. Additionally, the research portrays forces that impact literacy development, ways in …

The Illumination Of E. E. Cummings' Poetry In J. A. C. Redford's "Love Is The Every Only God", Amy Louise Aucoin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The choral work love is the every only god, composed by J. A. C. Redford, was published in 2001, placing it among the initial choral concert works published in the twenty-first century. love is the every only god is a song cycle for divisi mixed chorus with piano accompaniment based on six poems by E. E. Cummings. The work is organized into six movements with two interludes and lasts approximately twenty-five minutes. Beyond his regard for the art of poetry and care in choosing a text, Redford sees himself as an illuminator of the text, providing the listener with a …

Hoffman V Red Owl Stores And The Limits Of The Legal Method, Robert E. Scott

UC Law Journal

According to the overwhelming majority view, promissory estoppel is not an appropriate ground for legally enforcing statements made during preliminary negotiations unless there is a "clear and unambiguous promise" on which the counterparty reasonably and foreseeably relies. Bill Whitford and Stewart Macaulay were among the first scholars to note the apparent absence of such a promise in the case of Hoffman v. Red Owl Stores. Several years ago, after studying the trial record, I concluded that the best explanation for the breakdown in negotiations was the fundamental misunderstanding between the parties as to the amount and nature of Hoffmann's equity …

Hoffman V. Red Owl Stores: The Rest Of The Story, William C. Whitford, Stewart Macaulay

UC Law Journal

Hoffman v. Red Owl Stores is one of the most famous twentieth-century cases in American contract law, usually credited both with expanding the reach of the promissory estoppel doctrine and with opening up the issue of liability for precontractual reliance. It is a staple in contracts casebooks. By fortunate circumstance, we have located the plaintiff, who retains a vivid memory about many of the circumstances in his famous case. We have interviewed him and we have examined the full trial record, as well as the briefs on appeaL In this Article we tell the story of what we have learned …

Gender Differences In Core Symptomatology In Autism Spectrum Disorders Across The Lifespan, Tessa Taylor Rivet

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A preponderance of males with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been evident since the initial writings on the topic. This male predominance has consistently emerged in all ASD research to date in epidemiological as well as clinical populations. Despite this long recognized gender disparity in ASD, surprisingly there is a paucity of research addressing gender as it relates to core ASD symptom presentation. Gender differences may manifest with regard to symptom domains, severity, breadth, and so forth. The present research examined gender differences in ASD symptomatology in three populations: infants and toddlers at risk for developmental disability, children and adolescents, …

Engquist And The Erosion Of The Equal Protection Clause: An Attempt To Stop The Creep Of Irrational Dicta, Darien Shanske

UC Law Journal

This Article is about the erosion of the protections offered by the Equal Protection Clause resulting from the Supreme Court's decision in Engquist v. Oregon Department of Agriculture. Lower courts, purportedly following Engquist, have limited the reach of the Equal Protection Clause in several dozen cases in the last year. Until Engquist, it was uncontroversial that any person alleging irrational treatment by a government official could at least challenge the government official to give a reason that would satisfy rational basis review. Since the Supreme Court decided Engquist, lower courts have leapt to find that government officials cannot be found …

The National Impact Test: Applying Principled Commerce Clause Analysis To Federal Environmental Regulation, David M. Metres

UC Law Journal

Current doctrine limits Congress's commerce power to regulation of "economic" activities. Because many environmental laws regulate noneconomic objects, some have argued that the Constitution does not grant Congress power to enact these environmental laws.

This Note rejects analysis of whether an object of regulation is "economic," and substitutes a test inspired by the principles underlying the Commerce Clause to demarcate the proper spheres of federal and state regulatory authority. Under the "national impact test," courts should evaluate whether federal legislation regulates activities with a nationwide impact or which the states cannot regulate on their own. If Congress does not make …

Charity And Information: Correcting The Failure Of A Disjunctive Social Norm, Brian Broughman, Robert Cooter

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Charitable donations fund social goods that the state and markets undersupply. Despite widespread belief in the importance of private charity, most Americans donate little or nothing. Experiments in behavioral economics show that anonymity, not human nature, causes low contributions. Anonymity poses a particular challenge for charity because of the special character of the obligation. Charity is a disjunctive social norm, meaning the obligation is owed to ‘A or B or C or …’. Disclosure of each individual’s aggregate conduct is necessary for the effectiveness of any disjunctive social norm. To revitalize charity we propose a public registry where each taxpayer …

Designing A Whey Protein Based Material As A Scaffold For Bone Regeneration, Mia Dvora

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A novel gel material was designed and optimized for use as a bone tissue regeneration scaffold. Whey protein isolate (WPI), the primary component of the material, underwent considerable testing for conformity to a set of known material characteristics required for application in bone regeneration. WPI gels of different compositions were fabricated by thermally inducing gelation of high-concentration protein suspensions, and characterized for compressive strength and modulus, hydration swelling and drying properties, mechanical behavior change due to polysaccharide additives, and intrinsic pore network structure. The gels were also tested for their compatibility with MC3T3-E1 cells, and interactions such as cell adhesion, …

Copyright Infringement And Harmless Speech, Christina Bohannan

UC Law Journal

Copyright law is a glaring and unjustified exception to the rule that the government may not prohibit speech without a showing that it causes real harm. While the First Amendment sometimes protects even harmful speech, it virtually never allows the prohibition of harmless speech. Yet, while other speech-burdening laws, such as defamation and right-of-publicity laws, require that the defendant's speech is likely to cause harm, copyright law does not make harm a requirement of infringement. Copyright law considers harm to the market for the copyrighted work as a factor in fair use analysis, but harm is not always required and …

Inequitable Sentencing For Possession Of Child Pornography: A Failure To Distinguish Voyeurs From Pederasts, Jesse P. Basbaum

UC Law Journal

This Note identifies several infirmities of United States Sentencing Guideline section 2 G2.2, the sentencing scheme for possession of child pornography. The production and web-based dissemination of child pornography images has increased substantially over the past decade. The Department of Justice has aggressively prosecuted these crimes under the rationale that (r) possession of child pornography leads to contact offenses, (2) demand drives supply, and (3) the mere availability of an image or video constitutes continued and indirect abuse of the child depicted. In light of these and other concerns, Congress has enacted dramatic increases in the potential sentences for possessors …

Reflections On Teaching: Dwelling In A Third Space, Sean William Buckreis

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

What does it mean to teach well? What does it mean to be a good teacher? These are questions that have been asked for hundreds if not thousands of years; yet, an unequivocal answer has not been reached. Drawing on Thomas Kuhn’s (1962/1996) concept of a paradigm, it is easy to see that the field of curriculum is anything but paradigmatic. Competing philosophical, psychological, and sociological schools of thought, for example, all support differing ideas of what “good teaching” looks like, and teacher education programs often reflect this diversity of thought. The situation does not end at the borders of …

The Role Of Daily Routines In Adolescents Diagnosed With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, David N. Landry

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Researchers consistently report both immediate and long-term benefits of establishing daily routines during childhood (e.g., increased physical health, medical treatment adherence, homework completion, and family communication). Increasing routines is also an essential component of evidence-based treatment programs for childhood externalizing problems (i.e., impulsivity, hyperactivity, and noncompliance). Research indicates that ADHD children respond particularly well to the regularity and predictability offered by daily routines. However, relatively few studies have examined the role that routines play on the adjustment and development of adolescents. In part, this is due to the lack of assessment tools available that specifically measure adolescent routines. The Adolescent …

Incentives, Risk, And The Role Of Private Investments In Louisiana Coastal Wetland Restoration, Cheikhna Ould Dedah

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The coast of Louisiana, with more than three million wetland acres, accounts for about 40 percent of the nation’s total wetlands. Louisiana is estimated to have lost more than 1.2 million acres of its coastal wetland in the last century. Although 75% of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands are privately owned, little has been done to encourage private landowners to undertake wetland restoration projects. This dissertation examines the factors that influence the decisions of the landowners to undertake wetland restoration projects. We develop a theoretical framework for understanding the landowner’s decision-making process in the presence of high uncertainty and increasing restoration costs. …

Public Opinion, Cultural Change, And Constitutional Adjudication, Calvin Massey

UC Law Journal

When do courts pay attention to public opinion in deciding constitutional issues? When should courts do so? This Article provides a limited answer to those questions. Courts often pay attention to public opinion when deciding constitutional issues, especially when the issue is one that involves a challenge to a long-standing cultural norm. That pattern is present, for example, in each of Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education. The Court changed its view of equal protection because public opinion about racial segregation changed. Today, the long-standing cultural understanding of marriage is challenged by those who claim that its …

America's New Glass Ceiling: Unpaid Internships, The Fair Labor Standards Act, And The Urgent Need For Change, Jessica L. Curiale

UC Law Journal

Unpaid internships are increasing in the United States, and one can surmise that they will become even more common as the economy continues to deteriorate. Most internships are not paid, especially in "glamorous fields," such as politics or entertainment. Instead of wages, the company offering the internship promises the candidate "great experience" and an opportunity to get his foot in the door. Because employers respond favorably to internship experience on a resume, individuals see internships as increasingly necessary to be competitive in the job market. But without being paid, low-income individuals often cannot afford to take them. This raises a …

The Development Of Primary And Secondary Memory And Their Relationship To Fluid Intelligence, Sharon Diane Eaves

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Researchers have been able to link working memory to many important cognitive abilities throughout the life span. Two of the unanswered questions about working memory are what cognitive processes function during working memory task performance and how do these processes directly relate to intelligence? A recent model (Unsworth & Engle, 2006) suggested that performance on working memory tasks was determined by two abilities: the capacity of primary memory and the ability to efficiently retrieve information from secondary memory. In the current study, we extended Unsworth and Engle’s (2006) methodology to include two groups of children (ages 8-9 and 10-11). Our …

Tools For Transition : A Look At The Factors And Forces That Prevent People From Escaping Homelessness, Michael Jundt

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Exploratory Study To Examine Campus Security Methods To Prevent Or Minimize An Active Shooter, Katelyn Shea

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Stories From Luis De LióN'S La Puerta Cielo In Translation, Jessica Skroch

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.