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2011

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Stay Calm And Tweet: A Best Practice Approach To The Use Of Social Media In A Crisis Situation, Elizabeth Barrow Tadie Jan 2011

Stay Calm And Tweet: A Best Practice Approach To The Use Of Social Media In A Crisis Situation, Elizabeth Barrow Tadie

LSU Master's Theses

At some point in its history every organization will face a crisis situation. How an organization responds to a crisis incident decides its survival. As Internet technology flourishes, public relations practitioners are provided with additional tools to manage crisis situations. This study investigates the role that emerging social media components play in the field of crisis management. It presents a best practice approach to using new technology in times of emergency. A qualitative study of Louisiana public relations practitioners analyzes how and why social media is being integrated into crisis communication plans. Social media components are used to quickly communicate …

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Analysis Of Major Hydrologic Events In Ascension Parish, La, Jessica Irene Mason Jan 2011

Analysis Of Major Hydrologic Events In Ascension Parish, La, Jessica Irene Mason

LSU Master's Theses

Ascension Parish is located in Southern Louisiana and is characterized by low slope and low elevation. This combination allows for much hydrologic storage during a flood event. Because Ascension Parish is one of the most rapidly growing areas in the United States, it is necessary to accurately predict the hydrologic and hydraulic properties of flow and accurately model them. Several processes within a hydrologic model greatly influence the output flow hydrographs so selecting correct methods and parameters is important. Transform methods describe how excess precipitation is transformed into runoff. There are several methods that can be used as a transform …

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Modeling Effects Of Coupled Convection And Co2 Injection In Stimulating Geopressured Geothermal Reservoirs, Tatyana Plaksina Jan 2011

Modeling Effects Of Coupled Convection And Co2 Injection In Stimulating Geopressured Geothermal Reservoirs, Tatyana Plaksina

LSU Master's Theses

Geopressured geothermal brines are a vast geothermal resource in the US Gulf of Mexico region. In particular, geopressured sandstones near salt domes are potential sources of geothermal energy because salt diapirs with high thermal conductivities may pierce younger, cooler strata. These characteristics enhance transfer heat from older, hotter strata at the base of the diapir into shallower strata. Moreover, widespread geopressure in the Gulf region tends to preserve permeability, enhancing productivity. As an example, the Camerina A sand of South Louisiana was chosen as a geomodel for a numerical simulation study of effects of CO2 injection and coupled convection as …

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Proteomic Analysis Of The Blood Of Alligator Mississippiensis, Lancia Nadinia Fallen Darville-Bowleg Jan 2011

Proteomic Analysis Of The Blood Of Alligator Mississippiensis, Lancia Nadinia Fallen Darville-Bowleg

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

My research focus was to investigate alligator blood using mass spectrometry-based proteomics methods to understand their innate immune systems. The first goal was to sequence peptides and proteins from the blood serum and leukocytes using tandem mass spectrometry and de novo sequencing. The second goal was to determine the function of these biological molecules and their relationship to the immune system. One- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was used to separate proteins from alligator leukocytes, which were enzymatically digested. The peptides were measured using reversed phase nano-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (nano-HPLC-MS/MS) followed with de novo sequencing. …

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Moral Dilemmas In Contemporary Virtue Ethics, Nicholas Schroeder Jan 2011

Moral Dilemmas In Contemporary Virtue Ethics, Nicholas Schroeder

LSU Master's Theses

A simple definition of a moral dilemma is a situation where an agent ought to do two different things but can only do one. Though this definition may seem straightforward enough, it has created a stir over the last fifty years. Bernard Williams first used the concept of moral dilemmas to call the adequacy of the major ethical theories into question, challenging the possibility of consistent ethical systems. More recently, virtue ethicists, like Rosalind Hursthouse, have used moral dilemmas to challenge the two dominant schools of moral philosophy: deontology and utilitarianism. These attacks have been instrumental in setting up virtue …

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Evaluation Of Selected Plant Products As Dietary Protein Sources For Florida Pompano (Trachinotus Carolinus), Gregory Lech Jan 2011

Evaluation Of Selected Plant Products As Dietary Protein Sources For Florida Pompano (Trachinotus Carolinus), Gregory Lech

LSU Master's Theses

Profitability of aquaculture enterprises worldwide has been affected by rising fish meal prices. Plant proteins are promising replacements for fish meal because of their lower cost and worldwide availability. The goal of this research was to provide nutritional information for the development of all-plant diets for Florida pompano by evaluating growth of fish fed soy-based, fish-meal-free diets and assessing the nutritional value of several plant protein sources. In the first experiment, juvenile Florida pompano were fed five, soy-based, fish-meal-free diets containing graded levels of soybean meal (SBM, or M) at 0, 20, 25, 30, or 35%, with the remaining protein …

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Hmo2, A Yeast Hmgb Protein That Preferentially Binds To Dna Ends, Sreerupa Ray Jan 2011

Hmo2, A Yeast Hmgb Protein That Preferentially Binds To Dna Ends, Sreerupa Ray

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

DNA damage is a common hazard that all cells have to combat. Saccharomyces cerevisiae HMO2 is a high mobility group protein (HMGB) that is a component of the chromatin remodeling complex INO80, which is involved in double strand break repair. I show here using DNA end-joining and exonuclease protection assays that HMO2 binds preferentially to DNA ends. While HMO2 binds DNA with both blunt and cohesive ends, the sequence of a single stranded overhang significantly affects binding, supporting the conclusion that HMO2 recognizes features at DNA ends. Analysis of the effect of duplex length on the ability of HMO2 to …

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"The Prince And His People": A Study Of Edwardian Propaganda, 1547-1549, Allison Claire Cooper Jan 2011

"The Prince And His People": A Study Of Edwardian Propaganda, 1547-1549, Allison Claire Cooper

LSU Master's Theses

One of the most important events of Edward VI’s reign, the 1549 rebellions, has been intensely studied by historians of the period. However, most monographs of the rebellions pinpoint the enclosure commissions or Edward Seymour’s inability to govern effectively as the reasons behind the riots. What is ignored is the intimate relationship between the eastern rebels’ language in their petitions and the rhetoric employed in evangelical propaganda from Edward’s accession in January 1547 to the outbreak of the rebellions in May 1549. My research in Edwardian propaganda during Somerset’s protectorate reveals a dialogue established between evangelicals and Catholics concerning doctrine …

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Temporal Changes Of Coastal Community Resilience In The Gulf Of Mexico Region, Kenan Li Jan 2011

Temporal Changes Of Coastal Community Resilience In The Gulf Of Mexico Region, Kenan Li

LSU Master's Theses

The Gulf of Mexico Region is a region where coastal hazards are frequently occurring. To study the resilience of the counties along the Gulf of Mexico is of great importance to its sustainable planning and development. It also plays a huge role in coastal hazard mitigation. This study assesses the temporal changes of coastal community resilience of 132 counties along the Gulf of Mexico. The basic analytical framework to assess resilience consists of three dimensions (exposure, damage, and recovery) and two relationships (vulnerability and adaptability). Vulnerability refers to the relationship between exposure and damage, whereas the relationship between damage and …

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Stage Specific Cotton Water Use Crop Coefficients In Northeast Louisiana, Vipan Kumar Jan 2011

Stage Specific Cotton Water Use Crop Coefficients In Northeast Louisiana, Vipan Kumar

LSU Master's Theses

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is an important commercial crop in the northeastern part of Louisiana. Research-based information for irrigation scheduling in cotton is lacking in this region. A two-step reference evapotranspiration (ETo) - cotton crop coefficient (Kc) approach is considered a standard method of crop water use (ETc) estimation. Therefore, a study was conducted to determine stage-specific cotton water use crop coefficients (Kc), a ratio of ETc to ETo at the LSU AgCenter Northeast Research Station in 2010. For ETc estimation, paired weighing lysimeters were used. Cotton variety ‘Stoneville 5458 B2RF’ was planted on weighing lysimeters by hands and surrounding …

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Investigation Into The Cause Of Earthen Embankment Instability Along The "V-Line" Artificial Levee In Marrero, Louisiana, Usa, Jason Hicks Jan 2011

Investigation Into The Cause Of Earthen Embankment Instability Along The "V-Line" Artificial Levee In Marrero, Louisiana, Usa, Jason Hicks

LSU Master's Theses

The “V-line” levee, located in Marrero, LA, has a crack along its crest, measuring approximately 100 meters in length, 30 centimeters in depth, and 30 centimeters in width. This crack is a sign of levee instability. Seismic shear wave, CPT, and laboratory shear strength data were collected and processed to identify the cause of the instability. A zone of low seismic shear wave velocity was interpreted approximately 3 meters deep from the berm of the levee. Because of the large spacing between laboratory shear strength test sampling and CPT sites, a similar zone of low shear strength was not found …

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The Relationship Between Visual Attention And Prospective Memory, Noelle L. Brown Jan 2011

The Relationship Between Visual Attention And Prospective Memory, Noelle L. Brown

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The current study examined the role of attention in prospective memory. Prospective memory refers to the ability to form an intention to do something in the future, such as email a colleague, and additionally remembering to do so at the appropriate moment. Theories of prospective memory retrieval suggest that attention is required to complete an intention. However, the exact role of attention and whether it is always required remains unclear. One challenge in examining the allocation of attentional resources in prospective memory is that a direct measure of these resources does not exist. The current study attempted to address this …

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Characterization And Prototyping Of The Rotating Modulator Hard X-Ray/Gamma-Ray Telescope, Brent Budden Jan 2011

Characterization And Prototyping Of The Rotating Modulator Hard X-Ray/Gamma-Ray Telescope, Brent Budden

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A hard x-ray/gamma-ray telescope with high sensitivity and wide field of view would be capable of performing an all-sky census of black holes over a wide range of obscuration and accretion rates. As an example, NASA's Black Hole Finder Probe mission was designed to provide a 5-sigma flux sensitivity in a 1-year observation of ~0.02 mCrab in the 10 - 150 keV energy range and 0.5 mCrab in the 150 - 600 keV energy range with 3 - 5 minutes of arc angular resolution. These are significantly higher sensitivity and resolution goals than those of current instruments. The design focus …

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Stochastic Modelling Of Eukaryotic Cell Cycle, Murali Krushna Koneru Jan 2011

Stochastic Modelling Of Eukaryotic Cell Cycle, Murali Krushna Koneru

LSU Master's Theses

Stochastic models are developed to capture the inherent stochasticity of the biochemical networks associated to many biological processes. The objective of the present thesis is to present a detailed picture of stochastic approach for the mathematical modeling of eukaryotic cell cycle, to demonstrate an important application of such model in chemotherapy and to present a methodology for selecting the model parameters. The stochastic cell cycle model, developed using stochastic chemical kinetics approach, leads to the formation of an infinite dimensional differential equation in probabilities of system being in a specific state. Using Monte Carlo simulations of this model, dynamics of …

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A Systematic Study Of Xylella Fastidiosa Strains Isolated From Pecan, Grapevine, Oleander, And Sycamore In Louisiana, Rebecca Ann Melanson Jan 2011

A Systematic Study Of Xylella Fastidiosa Strains Isolated From Pecan, Grapevine, Oleander, And Sycamore In Louisiana, Rebecca Ann Melanson

LSU Master's Theses

Xylella fastidiosa causes disease in a number of economically important crops and landscape shrubs and trees including grapevine, citrus, oleander, and sycamore. In pecan, X. fastidiosa causes pecan bacterial leaf scorch (PBLS), which leads to defoliation and reduces nut yield. No economically effective treatments are available for PBLS. In order to improve PBLS management practices, it is necessary to determine the subspecies of X. fastidiosa strains that infect pecan so potential sources of inoculum can be identified. Multiprimer PCR and phylogenetic analyses using nucleotide sequence data from the 16S-23S rDNA intergenic transcribed spacer (ITS) region and pglA consistently identified strains …

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An Analysis Of The Methodological And Human Error Within Momentary Time Sampling Data Collection, Joslyn Cynkus Mintz Jan 2011

An Analysis Of The Methodological And Human Error Within Momentary Time Sampling Data Collection, Joslyn Cynkus Mintz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Teachers often serve as data collectors for the problem behavior of referred students in their classrooms; yet, the accuracy of teacher data collection has rarely been directly assessed. Momentary time sampling (MTS) may be a potentially useful option for teacher data collection because it does not require continuous monitoring, but rather requires the teacher to score the occurrence or non-occurrence of targeted behaviors at given instances. Research has shown that the smaller the interval between observations, the less methodological error will be introduced into MTS. However, the use of short-interval windows requires additional effort on the part of the teacher, …

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Oceanic Light Absorption Properties: Assessment And Characterization In The Southeastern Bering Sea Using Field And Satellite Observations, Puneeta Suresh Naik Jan 2011

Oceanic Light Absorption Properties: Assessment And Characterization In The Southeastern Bering Sea Using Field And Satellite Observations, Puneeta Suresh Naik

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In recent decades the Bering Sea has been subjected to large climatic variability with cascading consequences on its productive marine ecosystem. Long-term as well as short-term monitoring is essential if we are to maintain its capability to supply the resources on which the national and local economy depend. Remote sensing together with in-situ and laboratory measurements of physical, biological and optical properties have considerable potential for monitoring and measuring the effects of climate-driven changes on this ecosystem. A major shortcoming to obtain accurate estimates of optically active components (such as colored dissolved organic matter, non-algal particulate matter, and phytoplankton) from …

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Optimizing The Feeding Time For Low Crude Protein, Amino Acid-Supplemented Diets For Broilers, Stephen T. Treese Jan 2011

Optimizing The Feeding Time For Low Crude Protein, Amino Acid-Supplemented Diets For Broilers, Stephen T. Treese

LSU Master's Theses

The objectives of this research were to determine whether delaying the feeding of a diet with reduced crude protein, supplemented with L-Lysine, for several days post-hatching, would result in improved growth performance of broiler chicks and determine an optimal time to feed such a diet to the chick. All experiments were conducted in brooder batteries from 0- to 14- or 18- days (d) post-hatching. Treatments contained a minimum of 6 replicate pens with at least 6 broilers per pen. Two experiments were conducted to determine whether delaying the feeding of a corn-soybean meal (SBM) diet with reduced CP for either …

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Wave Forces On Bridge Decks And Damping Techniques To Reduce Damages, Aaron Michael Henry Jan 2011

Wave Forces On Bridge Decks And Damping Techniques To Reduce Damages, Aaron Michael Henry

LSU Master's Theses

The population of the Gulf Coast has grown immensely since 1960. Bridges along the coast are a vital part of this area’s infrastructure. They impact the transportation of goods and services, as well as the tourism in these areas. Many of these coastal bridges are at risk of being damaged or even destroyed during extreme weather events. This can cause not only short and long-term monetary problems, but the damage also can exacerbate the issues in getting people out of dangerous areas and getting help into areas in need, after an event. Damages during extreme weather events are the result …

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A Comparative Study Of Cellulose I And Ii And Fibers And Nanocrystals, Yiying Yue Jan 2011

A Comparative Study Of Cellulose I And Ii And Fibers And Nanocrystals, Yiying Yue

LSU Master's Theses

The influence of sodium hydroxide treatment on the structure of cotton fibers was studied. Compared to raw cotton fibers, the entire bundles of mercerized fibers were converted into a swollen and roughened state. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) indicated that intermolecular hydrogen bonding was enhanced by mercerization treatment. Wide-angle X ray diffraction (WXRD) results showed decreased fiber crystallinity after mercerization. The structure of cellulose II fibers was more thermally stable than cellulose I fibers. Mechanical properties of cotton fiber-reinforced polyethylene oxide (PEO) composites demonstrated that both raw and mercerized cotton fibers enhanced their tensile strength of the PEO matrix, but …

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Two-Particle Level Diagrammatic Approaches For Strongly Correlated Systems, Herbert Fotso Jan 2011

Two-Particle Level Diagrammatic Approaches For Strongly Correlated Systems, Herbert Fotso

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis presents the development of new numerical methods for the treatment of strongly correlated electron systems based on self-consistent approaches at both the one and the two-particle level such as the parquet formalism. The parquet formalism was solved for the first time on a two-dimensional cluster. When the fully irreducible vertex is approximated by the bare vertex, we obtain the parquet approximation. Its validity was investigated by comparing results that it produces to those of other conserving approximations such as the FLuctuation EXchange (FLEX) approximation or the Second Order Perturbation Theory (SOPT). We found that it provides a significant …

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Interfacial Shear Bond Strength Between Old And New Concrete, Zhifu Wan Jan 2011

Interfacial Shear Bond Strength Between Old And New Concrete, Zhifu Wan

LSU Master's Theses

The quality of the bonded concrete overlay depends on the bonding at the layer’s interface, which is affected by water to cement (w/c) ratio in new concrete, moisture condition of old concrete surface. The objective of this study is to quantify the interface shear bond strength affected by these variables. At the Phase I, twelve old concrete cubes with two different moisture conditions (air dry, saturated surface dry (SSD)) at the interface were chosen. Silica fume addition with two w/c ratios of 0.45 and 0.6 were used for new overlay concrete. It was found that silica fume significantly increased both …

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Calcium-Dependent Mechanisms In The Chicken Retina, Merve Tekmen Jan 2011

Calcium-Dependent Mechanisms In The Chicken Retina, Merve Tekmen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Multiple classes of retinal amacrine cells use L-type Ca2+ channels to mediate synaptic transmission. I have used whole cell voltage clamp recordings from primary cultures of amacrine cells to investigate the regulation of these channels. In this study, I show that inhibiting mitochondrial calcium uptake (MCU) caused a reversible reduction in the Ca2+ current amplitude. Replacing external Ca2+ with Ba2+ minimized the effects of blocking MCU indicating that the Ca2+ influx is the primary source of the inhibition. With 1,2-bis-(o-aminophenonxy)ethane-N,N,N’,N’-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA) in the recording pipette, MCU inhibition caused an increase in the current amplitude indicating that the fast buffering …

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Plasma Nitrite Reserve And Vascular Function Before And After Handgrip Training In Patients With Heart Failure, Daniel Paul Credeur Jan 2011

Plasma Nitrite Reserve And Vascular Function Before And After Handgrip Training In Patients With Heart Failure, Daniel Paul Credeur

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

There is a direct relationship between vascular health and physical function. The controllers of this relationship are unclear, but appear to involve biomechanical and biochemical influences on the vascular wall. Purpose: The purpose of this dissertation was twofold: (1) to explore the relationship between vascular health and physical function in three populations (elderly, young and chronic heart failure patients); and (2) to determine the modifying role of physical activity, inactivity and exercise training on controllers of this relationship. Methods: Four projects were designed to address 3 key issues in exercise vascular biology, including the influence of the pattern of blood …

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Pavement Structural Evaluation Using The Rolling Wheel Deflectometer, Ahmed Moustafa Abdel-Khalek Jan 2011

Pavement Structural Evaluation Using The Rolling Wheel Deflectometer, Ahmed Moustafa Abdel-Khalek

LSU Master's Theses

The Rolling Wheel Deflectometer (RWD) offers the benefit to measure pavement deflection without causing any traffic interruption or compromising safety along the tested road segments. This study describes a detailed field evaluation of the RWD system in Louisiana in which 16 different test sites representing a wide array of pavement conditions were tested. Measurements were used to assess the repeatability of RWD measurements, to examine the effect of truck speeds, and to study the relationship between RWD and FWD deflection measurements and pavement conditions. Based on the results of the experimental program, it was determined that the repeatability of RWD …

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Spatial Ecology Of Adult Spotted Seatrout, Cynoscion Nebulosus, In Louisiana Coastal Waters, Jody Lynn Callihan Jan 2011

Spatial Ecology Of Adult Spotted Seatrout, Cynoscion Nebulosus, In Louisiana Coastal Waters, Jody Lynn Callihan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Spotted seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus, are common in estuaries and coastal waters of the south Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico and are of considerable recreational and economic importance. Still, the spatial ecology of this species is under-studied and poorly resolved, especially in Louisiana waters. To address this important knowledge gap, I examined the movements, distribution, and habitat use of adult spotted seatrout in coastal Louisiana primarily using high-resolution acoustic telemetry and secondarily, conventional tagging (mark-recapture) data. At the largest spatial scale investigated, I found that adults exhibited a high degree of estuarine fidelity and rarely undertook large-scale movements in excess of …

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Variability In Red Snapper Otolith Microchemistry Among Gulf Of Mexico Regions, Michelle Zapp Sluis Jan 2011

Variability In Red Snapper Otolith Microchemistry Among Gulf Of Mexico Regions, Michelle Zapp Sluis

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, has been an economically important reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) for over 150 years and is currently overfished. Catch statistics and demographic differences have lead to the population being categorized into eastern and western substocks divided by the Mississippi River, but data is recombined to set a Gulf-wide annual catch limit. The two objectives of this study were to apply otolith nursery chemical signatures to estimate red snapper mixing dynamics in the western Gulf, and to determine if signatures based upon trace metals associated with oil and gas platforms could discriminate between region …

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A Look At The Integration Of Wetlands And Hazard Mitigation Planning In Coastal Louisiana, Kathleen Melissa Bowers Jan 2011

A Look At The Integration Of Wetlands And Hazard Mitigation Planning In Coastal Louisiana, Kathleen Melissa Bowers

LSU Master's Theses

Due to the destruction of the damaging hurricanes of 2005, Katrina and Rita, more effort has gone into the rebuilding and prevention of future disasters along the Louisiana coast than ever before. This research focuses on the use of wetlands, in the ten coastal parishes of Louisiana, as a mitigation effort aiding in the protection of coastal communities. Using content analysis and decision support software, a wetland ranking was created that represents how wetlands are utilized and protected within each parish. Criteria gathered from the plans include how many times wetlands were mentioned, collaboration with the state and other agencies, …

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Three Essays On The Labor Allocation Decisions Of The Modern Farm Family, Jeremy Michael D'Antoni Jan 2011

Three Essays On The Labor Allocation Decisions Of The Modern Farm Family, Jeremy Michael D'Antoni

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this dissertation is to address the role of government payments in the allocation of off-farm labor through three essays. Government payments have been a part of agriculture since 1933 and at no time has the government stated a policy objective of decreasing the agricultural labor force. Using time series data and new econometric techniques, the first essay finds agricultural policy may have an unintended impact on labor migration. Specifically, we find that government payments increased labor migration from the farm. From 1939 to 2007, increased direct government payments resulted in greater migration of labor from agriculture. The …

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Effects Of Row Spacing And Debris Distribution On Small Mammal And Vegetation Communities In Newly Established Loblolly Pine Plantations, Louisiana, Joshua Lee Grace Jan 2011

Effects Of Row Spacing And Debris Distribution On Small Mammal And Vegetation Communities In Newly Established Loblolly Pine Plantations, Louisiana, Joshua Lee Grace

LSU Master's Theses

Commercial pine (Pinus spp.) forests in the southeastern United States are key to providing fiber for global wood supply needs. Concern has arisen over possible effects of intensive forest management techniques, including row spacing and distribution of woody debris after logging, on plant and wildlife communities. Therefore, we quantified response of plant and small mammal communities in replanted loblolly pine (P. taeda) stands to mechanical site preparation including 2 levels of row spacing and 2 methods of distributing woody debris following harvest in north and southeastern Louisiana, USA. Sites (n=16) were prepared with a combination of row spacing between planting …

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