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Glacial Deposits, Vol. 38, 2009-2010, Department Of Geography-Geology

Glacial Deposits

Newsletter of the Department of Geography-Geology

Off-Farm Labor Supply By Farm Operators And Spouses: A Comparison Of Estimation Methods, Mahesh Pandit

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis studies the off-farm labor supply decision of farm operators and their spouses in the United States. The data used in this study is from the Agricultural Resource Management survey, 2006. The objective of this study is twofold. First, to identify those factors that affect off-farm labor supply of farm operators and their spouses. In particular, this study investigates the impact of human capital of farm operators and spouses, personal, family, farm and location characteristics on labor allocation for on- and off-farm work. Empirical results indicate that farm operators’ and their spouses’ human capital are positively correlated with off-farm …

Palynological Analysis Of Tiger And Trinity Shoals, Louisiana Continental Shelf, Russell Ryan Crouch

LSU Master's Theses

Forty sediment samples taken from twenty-six vibracores collected from Holocene shoals (Tiger and Trinity) were processed for palynomorphs and analyzed to characterize the terrestrial and marine paleo-environments of southern Louisiana at the time of deposition of each shoal. Abundant and diverse pollen assemblages were recovered while marine microplankton were sparse (< 2% relative abundance). Pollen species were grouped by plants of similar environmental significances including arboreal, non-arboreal, aquatic, and shrub categories. Palynological signals were compared in detail between each core, as well as along strike and dip transects, to help determine whether or not these shoals were deposited coevally or in distinct depositional cycles. Evidence shows that Tiger and Trinity Shoals carry remarkably similar palynological profiles, indicating that sediments of these shoals areS from the same source, and that deposition extended over an interval of time such that climate change was not sufficient enough to alter the vegetation response (hence palynological signal). Pollen profiles show source sediments are predominantly from the lower Mississippi River drainage basin and exhibit species similar to those present in modern Louisiana coastal marshes and swamps (i.e., Taxodium distichum, Cyperaceae, Graminae, Chenopodiaceae, and Asteraceae), and coastal to upland hardwood forests of the Mississippi River alluvial valley (i.e., Pinus, Quercus, Carya, and Liquidambar styraciflua).

Bioaerosols And The Risk Of Upper Respiratory Infection In Dental Hygienists, Christen Rebecca Gautreau

LSU Master's Theses

Multitudes of pathogenic and infectious microbes are known to spread via contaminated aerosols. Dental personnel have an increased incidence of respiratory infections. Ultrasonic scaling procedures are reported to produce the largest amounts of contaminated aerosols of any dental procedure. The goal of the current study was to see if dental hygienists are at an increased risk of respiratory infections during the performance of their job and to see if certain dental procedures had a significant effect on this risk. This study was conducted at the Dental Hygiene Clinic of the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry in New Orleans, LA. …

Grade Level Expectations: Do They Prepare Students For Introductory College Chemistry?, Micah M. Davies

LSU Master's Theses

This study investigates whether the Grade Level Expectations (GLEs) as outlined by the Louisiana Department of Education prepare students for introductory college level chemistry. A sample of 135 students in Dr. Watkins fall 2009 CHEM 1201 classes were tested for correlations between knowledge of the GLEs (chemical concept inventory pre-test and post-test score and normalized gain) and performance in CHEM 1201 (average exam score and final exam score). No significant correlations were found between any of these variables. For further analysis, students were grouped into two groups, in-state public school students and out-of-state/private school students. It was assumed that in-state …

Integration Of Paleotempestology With Coastal Risk And Vulnerability Assessment: Case Studies From The Dominican Republic And Nicaragua, Devyani Kar

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Hurricanes account for a significant portion of damages, injuries, and fatalities in the Caribbean. The Dominican Republic has had 3 major hurricane strikes in this century resulting in loss of lives for thousands of people and billions of US $ in economic loss. Major hurricanes had been relatively infrequent in north-eastern Nicaragua’s modern history until Hurricane Felix, a Category 5 storm, made landfall in the north-east in 2007. It caused 130 confirmed deaths and brought devastation to many villages. These events highlight a need for re-evaluation of hurricane risk based on a more comprehensive and long-term hurricane history. Using paleotempestological …

Data Transfer Scheduling With Advance Reservation And Provisioning, Mehmet Balman

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Over the years, scientific applications have become more complex and more data intensive. Although through the use of distributed resources the institutions and organizations gain access to the resources needed for their large-scale applications, complex middleware is required to orchestrate the use of these storage and network resources between collaborating parties, and to manage the end-to-end processing of data. We present a new data scheduling paradigm with advance reservation and provisioning. Our methodology provides a basis for provisioning end-to-end high performance data transfers which require integration between system, storage and network resources, and coordination between reservation managers and data transfer …

Exploring The Impacts Of Wiki Collaborative Technologies Within The English Writing Environment, Valarie D. Dufrene

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The use of technology in the writing classroom has been a staple since the early-1990’s when the personal computer made its way onto the desks of teachers and students across America. Since that time, the challenge has been for educators to incorporate the most recent technologies in an effort to stimulate student writing. This study examined the effects the use of a web-based wiki technology can have on the writings of high school students. The primary goal of this study was to explore how the web-based collaborative technology in Google Docs and used in a secondary English IV classroom can …

Factor That Influence The Critical Thinking Skills Of Public School Teachers In A Parish In Southwest Louisiana, Dale Beglis Schanz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of selected personal and professional demographic characteristics on the critical thinking abilities of teachers in a parish in Southwest Louisiana. The study is a correlational design using a descriptive survey technique with questions for the data collection. The examiner looked at attribute independent variables – characteristics that a subject has before a study begins such as gender, age, race, highest level of education completed, and years of teaching experience. Three hundred and twenty-four teachers in twelve public schools (three high schools, four middle schools, and five elementary schools) participated in …

A Study Of Hough Transform For Weld Extraction, Rakesh Gunaseelan

LSU Master's Theses

The process of joining metals is called welding. At times, selecting a poor quality material or improper usage of welding technologies may cause defects in welded joints. Some of these welded joints have to be tested nondestructively, because their failure can cause lot of damage, for instance in power plants. Radiography is a very common method for non-destructive testing of welds. It is done by certified weld inspectors who have knowledge about weld flaws, looking at the radiograph of the welded joint with naked eye. The judgment of the weld inspector can be biased; subjective, because it is dependent on …

One Is The Loneliest Number: The Single Taxpayer In A Joint Return World, Lily Kahng

UC Law Journal

The United States is one of the few developed countries to retain the joint income tax return, available for heterosexual married couples only. Since its adoption in 1948, its underlying assumptions have been challenged on many valid grounds, and yet it remains firmly embedded in mainstream political and policy discourse. In recent years, most of the debate surrounding the joint return has focused on reducing marriage penalties, bonuses, and determining who among the universe of couples ought to be extended the benefit of the marriage bonuses. The treatment of single people has received almost no attention.

The scant attention paid …

Geological Analysis And Hydrodynamic Modeling Of Tropical Cyclone Influence: Northeastern Gulf Of Mexico Inner Shelf, Amy Lynn Spaziani

LSU Master's Theses

The need to characterize offshore resources as borrow areas for beach restoration has initiated interest of the impact of storms to the inner continental shelf. While numerous studies have investigated the response of coastal systems to major storms, very little is known about the geological response of inner shelves to frequent and intense storms. This approach integrated a geological study with modeling of hydrodynamics during recent storms, in order to relate trends in the geological signature to physical forcing mechanisms during storms. First, waves and hydrodynamic conditions were modeled during two major recent storms that made landfall in the northeastern …

Evaluating Remote Setting Techniques For Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Seed Production In Louisiana, Victoria D. Ippolito

LSU Master's Theses

Research was conducted to implement remote setting technology for the commercial- scale production of oysters on alternative cultch material in Louisiana. Genetic research has created an enhanced oyster stock for commercial cultivation. Since the Louisiana oyster industry relies on natural seed production for product, they are unable to utilize these new advances and are never guaranteed a reliable source of oyster seed. Remote setting is one way of producing a consistent supply of genetically improved oysters. Cultch material for oyster settlement is a limiting resource. Several alternatives to clamshell have been explored. The objectives of this study are: (1) test …

Popular Sovereignty, Slavery In The Territories, And The South, 1785-1860, Robert Christopher Childers

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The doctrine of popular sovereignty emerged as a potential solution to the crisis over slavery in the territories because it removed the issue from the halls of Congress. Most historians have focused on its development and implementation beginning in the late 1840s and culminating with passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, but have not recognized its significance in earlier debates over slavery. Popular sovereignty, which took various forms and received different definitions, appeared as a potential solution to the problem of slavery extension as early as the first decade of the nineteenth century when settlers in the Louisiana Purchase …

Investigations Of Structure / Property Interrelationships Of Organic Thin Films Using Scanning Probe Microscopy And Nanolithography, Zorabel Mallorca Lejeune

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Studies of the surface assembly and molecular organization of organic thin films were studied using scanning probe microscopy (SPM) and scanning probe lithography (SPL). Systems of organic thin films such as n-alkanethiols and pyridyl functionalized porphyrins were characterized at the molecular level, and measurements of the conductive properties of polythiophenes containing in-chain cobaltabisdicarbollides were accomplished. Understanding the self-organization and mechanisms of self-assembly of organic molecules provides fundamental insight for structure/property interrelationships. Investigations of the surface assembly of 5,10-diphenyl-15,20-di-pyridin-4-yl-porphyrin (DPP) on Au(111) were done using SPL methods of nanoshaving and nanografting. Automated computer designs were developed for nanofabrication to provide local …

Cross-Race Advising Relationships: The Role Of Race In Advising Relationships Between Black Doctoral Student Protégés And Their White Faculty Advisors, Marco Javon Barker

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the role of race in cross-race advising relationships between White faculty advisors and their Black doctoral student protégés. I examined the racial context of doctoral education experiences and relationships between doctoral students and faculty. Blacks with doctoral degrees comprise only 0.3% of those 18 years and older and only 3.5% of those with doctoral degrees (U.S. Census, 2000). Although there has been an increase in the number of Blacks enrolling in doctoral programs (Cook & Cordova, 2006), Nettles and Millett (2006) found that Blacks and Latin Americans have higher attrition rates …

Hepatotoxic Cyanobacterial Blooms In Louisiana's Estuaries: Analysis Of Risk To Blue Crab (Callinectes Sapidus) Following Exposure To Microcystins, Ana Cristina Garcia

LSU Master's Theses

The most common toxins detected following freshwater harmful algal blooms are microcystins, a group of hepatotoxins produced by cyanobacteria (e.g., Microcystis and Anabaena spp.). Preference for filter-feeding prey, including bivalves, makes the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, vulnerable to microcystin contamination and makes the commercially important crab a potential vector of microcystins. I used a combination of field and laboratory studies to determine blue crab vulnerability to microcystin contamination and consequent impacts on crab physiology. Samples collected from a hyper-eutrophic freshwater lake, Lac des Allemands, Louisiana, were analyzed for cyanobacterial abundances and microcystins in surface water and blue crabs using light-microscopy …

Project Explorations And Student Learning In Geometry, Verna Marie Richard

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the structural framework of the EBRPSS 8th Grade Mathematics Comprehensive Curriculum and to compare its effectiveness to a set of project-based lessons that I created for “Unit 4: Measurement and Geometry”. Two classes participated in this study. Pretest and Posttest scores were analyzed to determine if there was a significant advantage to using my supplements. Results of the analysis revealed that there was an advantage to using the supplements, in spite of the time shortage. Hopefully, the supplements implemented in this study will serve as a model for teaching “Unit 4: Measurement …

Three Essays On The Role Of Amenities As An Economic Development Strategy, Junpyo Hong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

It is well known that an amenity is a key driving engine to regional economic growth. However, the site-specific nature of an amenity can characterize them as public goods. Due to this characteristic, local governments have difficulty optimally supplying amenities. This dissertation tries to find relationships between an amenity and economic growth. Three empirical papers comprise the original research in this dissertation. The findings of the meta-analysis in the first essay suggest little methodological diversity exists among researchers linking amenities to economic growth., I do find that employment growth is more likely related to man-made amenities even in research on …

Chemistry Of Rhenium(I) Tricarbonyl Complexes Of Biomedical Relevance, Theshini Perera

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

fac-[Re^I(CO)₃L]ⁿ complexes serve as models for short-lived fac-[^99mTc^I(CO)₃L] imaging tracers. Dangling groups on L, needed to achieve desirable biodistribution, complicate the NMR spectra, which are not readily understood. In fac-[Re^I(CO)₃L]⁺ with less complicated L, NH groups (exo-NH) projecting toward the L face sometimes showed an upfield shift attributable to steric shielding of the exo-NH group from the solvent by the chelate rings. To investigate whether exo-NH groups in six-membered rings exhibit the same effect and whether the …

The Influence Of Computer User Knowledge And Selected Demographic Characteristics The Academic Achievement Of High School Seniors, Michael E. Brown

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to identify the influence of computer user knowledge as measured by the Computer User Knowledge Survey (CUKS), and the personal demographic characteristics of Gender, Age, and Race on academic achievement as measured by the Graduation Exit Examination-21 (GEE-21), among high school seniors in public schools in a parish in South Louisiana. The CUKS and the Gender and Race data were collected from the self-perceived CUKS survey administered to 295 seniors registered in English IV classes at a school in South Louisiana. The academic achievement data and the ages of the student subjects were …

Macroinstability And Perturbation In Turbulent Stirred Tank Flows, Somnath Roy

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Impeller stirred tank reactors (STRs) are commonly used in the chemical processing industries for a variety of mixing and blending technologies. In this research, a numerical study of flow and mixing inside turbulently agitated STRs are carried out. An immersed boundary method (IBM) is utilized to represent moving impeller geometries in the background of multi-block structured curvilinear fluid. The IBM This curvilinear-IBM methodology is further combined with the large eddy simulation (LES) technique to address the issue of modeling unsteady turbulent flows in the STR. Verification of the combined IBM-LES implementation strategy in curvilinear coordinates is done through comparisons with …

An Analysis Of Predictors Of Exclusionary Discipline Practices And The Relationship With Student Achievement Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling, Amanda Dahir

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

School discipline plays an important role in maintaining a safe and orderly learning environment for students. Disruptive behavior in the classroom interferes with classroom learning time making it difficult to accomplish academic goals. A common method of handling discipline problems within schools is removing the disruptive student from their classroom (e.g. suspension or expulsion). There is a great need to study and understand the differences between school disciplinary practices and to allow research findings to guide the way in which discipline is administered. The current study examined a large database for the entire state of Louisiana to determine the relationship …

Portland State University Climate Action Plan, 2010, Fletcher Beaudoin, Noelle Studer-Spevak

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

In June 2007, Portland State University (PSU) joined this effort by signing the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). The commitment challenged PSU to form a committee to oversee climate efforts, track carbon emissions, and develop a Climate Action Plan (CAP) to move toward carbon neutrality. This document fulfills the final requirement for ACUPCC and supports regional climate goals of partner agencies, such as those described in the 2009 City of Portland and Multnomah County Climate Action Plan.

Delineation Of A Produced Water Plume In Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, Matthew C. Smith

LSU Master's Theses

Three pits were excavated in the 1960’s at the Fordoche Oil Field in Lottie, Louisiana, as evaporation pits for oil well produced brines. The pits were closed and completed in the 1980’s. Previous studies indicate that produced water has leached into the subsurface within the area to the south and southeast of the pits. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) was utilized in an attempt to delineate the present location of the plume as well as test the feasibility of GPR within a clayey soil in south Louisiana. In addition to collection of GPR data, electrical conductivity logs and soil cores (including …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Cooperative Learning Structures In Improving Students' Performance, Jonah Njenga

LSU Master's Theses

In a desperate attempt to improve high school classroom performances, recently, schools have begun to move towards incorporating cooperative learning strategies into their classrooms. Generally, cooperative learning strategies can be described as the use of small groups to encourage learners work together and accomplish shared goals and subsequently maximize theirs and others’ potential. In an attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy on classroom learning, this study compares the gains in means of scores between a group taught using cooperative learning strategies and another group taught using non-cooperative learning strategies. Fifty-three students taking Algebra I were given a pretest …

Status Of Wintering Grassland Birds In A Post-Hurricane, Salvage-Logged Forest, Matthew Edward Brooks

LSU Master's Theses

North American grassland birds have been declining at an alarming rate. Winter habitat for grassland species in the southeastern U.S. generally occurs within forests subject to management. I studied wintering grassland bird communities in De Soto National Forest in southern Mississippi. My objectives were to: 1) Assess bird communities and vegetation structure in upland forest stands that were salvage-logged following Hurricane Katrina, in stands managed for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (Picoides borealis, RCW), and in stands containing bogs; and 2) Determine the extent of the association between vegetation and occurrence of the common wintering grassland birds. I conducted bird and vegetation surveys …

Particle Analysis In Infrared Laser Desorption And Ablation, Xing Fan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The fundamental physical processes of mid infrared laser ablation in the context of laser desorption mass spectrometry were investigated. Understanding the mechanisms of infrared laser desorption and ablation can lead to improvements in these techniques and expand their applications. Particles were generated from glycerol irradiated at atmospheric pressure using a tunable infrared laser at wavelengths between 2.6 and 3.8 µm. The wavelength dependence of size distributions of ablated particles was measured. The particle concentration roughly tracked the infrared absorption spectrum of glycerol and the mean particle size tracked the inverse of the IR absorption. A novel approach, post ablation particle …

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 …

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 …