Digital Commons Network^™

Comparison Of Different Integral Histogram Based Tracking Algorithms, Sriharsha Atluri

LSU Master's Theses

Object tracking is an important subject in computer vision with a wide range of applications – security and surveillance, motion-based recognition, driver assistance systems, and human-computer interaction. The proliferation of high-powered computers, the availability of high quality and inexpensive video cameras, and the increasing need for automated video analysis have generated a great deal of interest in object tracking algorithms. Tracking is usually performed in the context of high-level applications that require the location and/or shape of the object in every frame. Research is being conducted in the development of object tracking algorithms over decades and a number of approaches …

Elicited Imitation For Prediction Of Opi Test Scores, Deryle W. Lonsdale, Kevin Michael Brooks Cook, Jeremiah Lane Mcghee

Faculty Publications

Automated testing of spoken language is the subject of much current research. Elicited Imitation (EI), or sentence repetition, is well suited for automated scoring, but does not directly test a broad range of speech communication skills. An Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) tests a broad range of skills, but is not as well suited for automated scoring. Some have suggested that EI can be used as a predictor of more general speech communication abilities. We examine EI for this purpose. A fully automated EI test is used to predict OPI scores. Experiments show strong correlation between predicted and actual OPI scores. …

Decomposition Rates In Tobacco And Hay Barns In Kentucky, Valerie Kauffeld

LSU Master's Theses

Nine pig (Sus scrofa) carcasses were placed in three different microenvironments in eastern Kentucky in the summer of 2010 in order to aid in the determination of a Postmortem Interval (PMI) template for recently mummified remains. The three microenvironments were a tobacco barn, hay barn, and control barn. Three pigs were placed in specific locations in all of the barns – outside the barn on the ground, inside the barn on the ground, and in a loft placed within five feet of the roof. Little to no natural mummification occurred at each site. Residual nicotine was also analyzed in order …

Hydrodynamic Focusing Micropump Module With Pdms/Nickel-Particle Composite Diaphragms For Microfluidic Systems, Jeonghwan Kim

LSU Master's Theses

In this research, a rapid prototype of multi-fluidic speed-modulating (MFSM) micropump which enables modulation of hydrodynamic focusing in micro-fluidic flow has been designed, fabricated, and characterized. The size of the entire module is 33 mm x 25 mm x 8 mm and comprises of three MFSM micropumps to achieve hydrodynamic focusing. These pumps are simultaneously operated by the same actuation source. Each micropump consists of Tesla-type valves in the bottom layer and PDMS/Ni-particle composite (PNPC) diaphragm in the middle layer. The deflection of the diaphragm is obtained by the external pneumatic force, and the permanent magnet controls the displacement resulting …

Automating The Scoring Of Elicited Imitation Tests, Deryle W. Lonsdale, Carl Chritensen

Faculty Publications

This paper explores the role of machine learning in automating the scoring for one kind of spoken language test: elicited imitation (EI). After sketching the background and rationale for EI testing, we give a brief overview of EI test results that we have collected. To date, the administration and scoring of these tests have been done sequentially and the scoring latency has not been critically important; our goal now is to automate the test. We show how this implies the need for an adaptive capability at run time, and motivate the need for machine learning in the creation of this …

The Entrepreneur's Reference Guide To Small Business Information, Leticia Camacho

Faculty Publications

Compiled by Robert M. Jackson, business reference specialist at the Library of Congress, this guide includes several areas of entrepreneurship: "Getting Started," "Raising Capital," "Managing Your Business," "Human Resources," "Markering: Research, Srraregy, and Advertising," "Doing Business with Government," and "International Opportunities." The author includes valuable information about the research process and how to gather data and keep current.

Transitioning To E-Books: Usage And Attitudes Among Business Faculty, Leticia Camacho, Andy Spackman

Faculty Publications

The authors discuss declining usage of print collections in business disciplines and describe a survey of business faculty conducted in fall 2009. Results indicate a preference for print books but a willingness to substitute e-books. Using these results, this article outlines reasons for faculty preferences and implications for future collection development.

Word Frequency And Processing: Why The Brain Stores Some Words Whole And Others In Parts, Jeffrey R. Parker

Faculty Publications

Discussion about the structure of the lexicon has primarily focused on morphologically complex words. Theories about the lexicon assume that certain items are stored, such as morphologically simple words, e.g. hero and govern, and derivational suffixes, e.g. -ism and - ment. Given these assumptions, the majority of arguments discuss the status of morphologically complex words, e.g. heroism and government. Theories posit different levels of parsing and storage. The extent to which theories accept parsing as a active process during lexical access ranges from classical approaches which assume all morphologically complex words are parsed, to theories which suggest all …

Style-Related Comovement: Fundamentals Or Labels?, Brian H. Boyer

Faculty Publications

I find that economically meaningless index labels cause stock returns to covary in excess of fundamentals. S&P/Barra follow a simple mechanical procedure to define their Value and Growth indices. In doing so, they reclassify some stocks from Value to Growth even after their book-to-market ratios have risen, and vice versa. Such stocks begin to covary more with the index they join and less with the index they leave. Backdated constituent data from Barra reveal no such label-related shifts in comovement during the 10 years prior to the actual introduction of the indices in 1992.

Effects Of Automated And Participative Decision Support In Computer-Aided Credibility Assessment, Matthew L. Jensen, Paul Benjamin Lowry, Jeffrey L. Jenkins

Faculty Publications

Historically, inaccurate credibility assessments have resulted in tremendous costs to businesses and to society. Recent research offers unobtrusive credibility assessment aids as a solution; however, the accuracy of these decision aids is inadequate, and users often resist accepting the aids’ recommendations. We follow the principles of signal detection theory to improve the accuracy of recommendations in computer-aided credibility assessment by combining automated and participatory decision support. We also leverage participation in decision-making theory to explain and predict an increased acceptance of assessment aid recommendations when perceptual cues are elicited from users. Based on these two theories, we design and test …

Expression, Identification, And Bioactivity Of Recombinant Human Erythropoietin From Lmh/2a (Leghorn Male Hepatoma)Cell Line, Amanda Cecile Broussard

LSU Master's Theses

Erythropoietin (EPO) is the main cytokine regulator for red blood-cell production in the human by binding to erythropoietin receptors to promote erythroid proliferation, survival and differentiation. Administration of recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) as a therapeutic has been shown to improve renal and non-renal anemia and this success has led to a high medical global demand. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, yeast, and bacteria have been used to produce rhEPO but nevertheless there is still a need for a low-cost and high quality expression system for rhEPO. LMH/2A cells, as an alternative model, were transfected with the codon optimized human EPO …

Wave-Induced Sediment Transport: Simulation Of Turbulent Wave Boundary Layers, Jeffrey C. Harris

Open Access Dissertations

Two manuscripts are presented which develop a numerical method for studying boundary layer flow and sediment transport on the seafloor. Inviscid flow, either through an analytic solution or a numerical wavetank (NWT) is used to force a previously developed three-dimensional Navier-Stokes model. The resulting hybrid model is able to simulate complex turbulent flows near the ocean bottom or around obstacles.

The first manuscript reports on developments of a perturbation approach to large-eddy simulations (LES) of wave-induced boundary layers. In the present formulation, the total velocity and pressure fields are expressed as the sum of irrotational and near-field viscous perturbation, where …

Dynamic Response Of Structural Materials To Shock Loading, Puneet Kumar

Open Access Dissertations

An analytical and experimental study has been conducted to investigate the blast resistance and mitigation behaviors of structural materials. Understanding the failure mechanisms in these materials will lead to an optimal design of light weight structures capable of withstanding blast loadings. This improved blast mitigation property is extremely important in protecting many commercial, naval, aerospace and defense structures.

A controlled study has been performed to understand fracture and damage in glass panels subjected to air blast. A shock tube apparatus has been utilized to obtain the controlled blast loading. Five different panels, namely plain glass, sandwiched glass, wired glass, tempered …

Essential Elements Of Effective Practices For English Learners, Karen Cadiero Kaplan, Ph.D., Magaly Lavadenz, Ph.D., Elvira G. Armas, Ed.D.

Education and Policy Briefs

One of the most powerful variables for English Learner success is the quality of their teachers. This policy brief published by Californians Together (1) provides a synthesis of effective practices for instructing ELs; (2) presents four research-based essential elements critical for EL program implementation, teacher reflection, and monitoring of teacher effectiveness; and (3) concludes with program and policy recommendations. Three key areas for policy action are prioritized: (1) District and state level policies must require that local and state leadership support the implementation of these essential elements; (2) Alignment of fiscal and human resources must be targeted to ensure that …

The Failure Of Collective Security In The Post World Wars I And Ii International System, Joseph C. Ebegbulem

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The League of Nations and the United Nations Organization were two post-World War (World War I and World War II) organizations established for the maintenance of peace and security in the international system. One of the cardinal objectives of these organizations was the promotion of a Collective Security System which was considered as vital in the pursuit of global peace and security. In other words, Collective Security is an institutional mechanism established to address a comprehensive list of major threats to peace and security around the world. With the escalation of conflicts and wars in different parts of the world, …

De La Légalité Et La Légitimité De La «Guerre Préventive», Richard Rousseau

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The right to self-defense is a central concept in international law and a fundamental principle in the system of states. It can be used only if the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has not taken the necessary steps to maintain peace. Additionally,, a state which decides to exercise this right must keep the UNSC informed as to the measures it is implementing and the justification. However, most states seem to agree on the principles regulating the use of force in international relations, they frequently have different and sometimes divergent conceptions as to the meaning and the implications of the Genera …

Presse À Injection De Plastique Horizontale : Grilles De Vérification De La Sécurité, Sabrina Jocelyn, Serge Massé, Christian Sirard

Fiches

No abstract provided.

Horinzontal Plastic Injection Molding Machine: Safety Checklist, Sabrina Jocelyn, Serge Massé, Christian Sirard

Fiches

No abstract provided.

A Study On The Effects Of Therapeutic Listening On The Social And Functional Behavior Of Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Robin Abbott

Theses and Dissertations

Auditory sensory differences and sensitivities are often mentioned by parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and in research involving children with ASD. Addressing these auditory processing differences is the goal of various auditory treatment techniques, but current research does not yield a body of evidence in support of auditory therapy as a treatment for children with ASD. This study is a single-subject study, repeated across two subjects, to investigate the effect of the Therapeutic Listening program on the social engagement and self-care skills of preschool-aged children with ASD. Both social engagement and self-care skills increased with for both …

The Secret Is Out, Sarah O'Brien

Theses

Family... what defines family is different for each individual. As we face a shrinking economy and difficult job placement, family is our primary focus as we get through the tough times. The nuclear family (husband, wife, children and dog) does not include divorce, extended family, aging family, or many other issues that trouble today's modern families. What if your family is not what society considers typical? What if your family includes gay parents or loved ones? With television shows like Modern Family and Grey's Anatomy, gay couples are more present but what are their real life experiences? The Secret Is …

Apns And Program Planning: An Example Of A Primary Care Provider Educational Program On Tb In The Us Foreign Born, Allison Huffman

Nursing Doctoral

No abstract provided.

Acoustic Emission Detection In Carbon Composite Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Optical Sensors, Nehemiah J. Mabry

Theses

No abstract provided.

The Dynamics Of Vehicles Under Solid Rocket Propulsion, Robert William Stough

Theses

No abstract provided.

Design And Analysis Of A Titanium/Nanocomposite Pressure Vessel For Aerospace Applications, Roosevelt Wright

Theses

No abstract provided.

The Design State Space For Software Metrics Extraction And Analysis, Raouf Alomainy

Theses

No abstract provided.

Initial Design Process For A Pulsed Thermonuclear Fusion Reaction Engine, Ross Jared Cortez

Theses

No abstract provided.

Purification And Phytotoxic Analysis Of Ceratoplatanin Proteins In Botrytis Cinerea, Subodh Rathi

Theses

No abstract provided.

Excluding Unemployed Workers From Job Opportunities: Why Disparate Impact Protections Still Matter, Helen Norton

Publications

No abstract provided.

The Inefficiencies And Deficiencies Of Waste Coal, Jonathan Skinner, Michael Brown

Publications

No abstract provided.

Old Enough To Fight, Old Enough To Swipe: A Critique Of The Infancy Rule In The Federal Credit Card Act, Andrew A. Schwartz

Publications

In the 1960s and 1970s, American society came to the considered conclusion that if eighteen-year-olds can be drafted to fight and possibly die for their country, they should be treated as adults under the law. Thus, in 1971, the Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which lowered the voting age to eighteen from twenty one, was proposed and ratified in just three months, making it the fastest amendment in American history. The minimum age for federal and state jury service was also lowered to eighteen from twenty one. And, with regard to contract law, every state passed legislation reducing …