Digital Commons Network^™

2012 Fall Commencement, Harding University

Commencement Programs

Program for the Harding University Commencement on December 15.

Commencement Speaker: John Reese

Seasonal Prediction Of Climate Extremes For The Pacific: Tropical Cyclones And Extreme Ocean Temperatures, Yuriy Kuleshov, Claire Spillman, Yan Wang, Andrew Charles, Roald De Wit, Kay Shelton, David Jones, Harry Hendon, Catherine Ganter, Andrew Watkins, Jemishabye Apajee, Aurel Griesser

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Climate change and climate extremes have a major impact on Australia and Pacific Island countries. Of particular concern are tropical cyclones and extreme ocean temperatures. As a practical response to climate change, through the Pacific Australia Climate Change Science and Adaptation planning Program (PACCSAP), enhanced web-based information tools to provide seasonal forecasts for climatic extremes in the Western Pacific have been developed. Using the dynamical seasonal prediction model POAMA (Predictive Ocean Atmosphere Model for Australia), we aim to improve accuracy of seasonal forecasts of tropical cyclone activity and extreme sea surface temperatures for the Western Pacific. Since the PACCSAP has …

Reading Han Fei As "Social Scientist": A Case-Study In "Historical Correspondence", Henrique Schneider

Comparative Philosophy

Han Fei was one of the main proponents of Legalism in Qin-era China. Although his works are mostly read from a historic perspective, the aim of this paper is to advance an interpretation of Han Fei as a “social scientist”. The social sciences are the fields of academic scholarship that study society and its institutions as a consequence of human behavior. Methodologically, social sciences combine abstract approaches in model-building with empiric investigations, seeking to prove the functioning of the models. In a third step, social sciences also aim at providing policy advice. Han Fei can be read as operating similarly. …

Automatic Object Recognition And Registration Of Dynamic Heavy Equipment Using A Hybrid Ladar System, Mengmeng Gai

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

It has been a challenging subject to recognize dynamic objects from a scattered work environment because large and complex 3D site data obtained by a laser scanner makes it difficult to process itself in real or near real time. This thesis introduces a model-based automatic object recognition and registration framework, Projection-Recognition-Projection (PRP), to assist heavy equipment operators in rapidly perceiving 3D working environment at dynamic construction sites. In this study, a digital camera and a hybrid laser scanner were used to rapidly recognize and register dynamic target objects in a 3D space by separating target object’s point cloud data from …

"Go, Going, Gone": Anti-Chinese Sentiment In Washington Territory, 1885-1886, Naomi Eide

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

Unwilling to conform to the pressure set forth by the national government, the citizens of Washington Territory, during 1885 and 1886, united to purge the region of the Chinese through a systematic ethnic cleansing of two major territorial cities. Motivated by the desire to become active members of the federal government, Territorial leaders ignored the negative effects of population exclusion and led an active movement rallying around the cry that “the Chinese must go.” Not until the lawlessness of the rioters shut down the territorial government, did the political agitators acknowledge how outsiders perceived their drastic actions, realizing that the …

Evaluation Of Feeding Varying Levels Of Digestible Lysine On Broiler Breeder Male Reproductive Characteristics And Body Weight Changes, Chinwendu Nkechi Obi

Theses and Dissertations

A preliminary test was conducted evaluating the effect of digestible lysine (dLys) on broiler breeder (BB) male semen quality from forty-one to forty-nine wk of age. Five dietary treatments: corn-soybean meal diet with 1,000 mg dLys/rooser/day (Soy1,000), distillers dried grains with solubles diet with 1,000 (DDGS1,000), 850 (DDGS850), 700 (DDGS700), and 550 (DDGS550) mg dLys/rooster/day. Semen quality was similar except percentage dead sperm which was higher in DDGS550. A second trail was conducted using the same dietary treatments as the preliminary test during twenty to thirty-nine wk of age. Semen quality was similar except percentage dead sperm which was higher …

Determinants Of Reit Ratings: Evidence From The U.S. Reit Market, Charod Dante Dodd

Theses and Dissertations

“What determines bond ratings?” has been asked since 1860 when Henry V. Poor, of now Standard & Poors, released his first financial and operational analysis of the railroad industry and is still asked today. The determinants of bond rating studies date back to Fisher (1959) and single out various industries (railroad, manufacturing, industrial, and utility) but do not focus on REITs. REITs are different from other industries in various ways. Literature suggest differences between REITs and non-REIT industries including: the regulatory IRS restrictions regarding REITs, the uncertainty regarding the value of REITs, the number of uninformed investors is greater in …

Assessment Of Herbicides For Control Of Non-Native Species: Italian Ryegrass (Lolium Perenne Spp. Multiflorum), Tropical Spiderwort (Commelina Benghalensis), And Tropical Soda Apple (Solanum Viarum), Ernest Kwaku Kraka

Theses and Dissertations

Herbicides were evaluated for control of non-native and invasive plants namely tropical soda apple (TSA) (Solanum viarum), tropical spiderwort or Benghal dayflower (Commelina benghalensis), and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) from 2007 to 2012 in greenhouse at Plant Science Research Center, Mississippi State University, Starkville-Mississippi. In TSA study, aminopyralid at 0.88 or 0.12 kg ae/ha, and triclopyr + picloram + 2,4-D at (0.56 + 0.15 + 0.56) kg ae/ha controlled TSA seedlings emergence ranged from 83 to 96% at premergence (PRE), and 1 month after treatments (MAT). All herbicides failed to provide more than 63% control of TSA at 3 and …

Title Ix Compliance: A Comparison Of Division I Equality, Jacqueline Leake

Honors Theses

The passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 has had a significant impact on college athletics. However, there is still a large disparity between opportunities offered for men and women. This study determined the true gender equality within Division I athletics. Inequalities were assessed in the areas of athletic participation, athletically related student aid, recruiting expenses, and total expenses. Data from these areas were gathered from the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Analysis Cutting Tool. Ratios and the difference between the ideal and current values were calculated for each category. Institutions were ranked in each category, as well …

What Impact Does Cause-Related Marketing Have On Professional Sports Teams?, Christina Damore

Honors Theses

In today's competitive business climate, firms must find new and innovative ways to differentiate their brand from others in their field. American Express Credit Card Company discovered such a marketing tool in 1981 when they sponsored the Statue of Liberty Restoration Project by donating a predetermined percentage of their card sales. The purpose of the sponsorship was twofold: American Express wished to increase card usage as well as support a cause to gain an overall better corporate image. In the end, American Express experienced a 28% increase in card usage and was able to donate $1.7 million to the Statue …

The Lyme Disease Spirochete In Tick Species Collected From Warren County, Kentucky, Cheryl C. Onwu

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The overall goal of this present study was to determine the prevalence of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, in south central Kentucky. A survey of ticks collected from a single location in Warren County, Kentucky was conducted between the months of April and June, 2010. A total of 293 ticks were collected. Three species were identified: 264 (91.7 %) of the ticks were Amblyoma americanum, 18 (6.6%) were Dermacentor variabilis, and 1 (0.35%) was Ixodes scapularis. The ten remaining ticks were immature nymphs and could not be identified. After identifying the species and sex of …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Metallocorrole And Metalloporphyrin Complexes For Catalytic Oxidations, Zhibo Yuan

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Macrocyclic ligand-complexed transition metal-oxo intermediates are the active oxidizing species in a variety of important biological and catalytic oxidation reactions. Many transition metal catalysts have been designed to mimic the predominant oxidation catalysts in nature, namely the cytochrome P450 enzymes. Metal porphyrin complexes have been the center of research as catalysts in this context. This study focuses on the synthesis of porphyrin and corrole macrocyclic ligands and the corresponding ruthenium and iron complexes which are fully characterized by UV-vis and NMR spectroscopies.

The catalytic oxidation reactions towards organic sulfides by these metal complexes were also studied. Two ruthenium porphyrin complexes …

The Quality Of Corporate Governance And The Length It Takes To Remove Apoor Performing Ceo. Does Performance Of The Former Firm Affect A Ceo's Ability To Find An Identical With A Subsequent Firm?, Huong Nguyen

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Abstract 1:

In this paper, we investigate the effects of internal corporate governance on the length it takes to remove a CEO after the initial sign of poor firm performance. We find that firms that have a better quality of internal corporate governance are quicker to remove poor-performing CEOs. This result persists after controlling for other factors that might influence the CEO removal decision.

Abstract 2:

Employing a sample of voluntary CEO turnovers selected from S&P 500 firms over the period 2004-2009, I investigate the impact prior firm performance on a CEO’s potential of being hired on an equivalent job …

An Exploration Of Counseling Practicum Students' Experiences In Department-Based And Community-Based Settings, Corrie Delorge Minges

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Counselor educators are continually improving the quality of their training programs. The purpose of the present study was to investigate counseling students’ practicum experiences and development in community-based and department-based settings. The framework for this study was based on Stoltenberg’s integrated developmental model, which describes stages of counselor development and supervision conditions needed for a learning environment (Stoltenberg & Delworth, 1987; Stoltenberg & McNeill, 2010; Stoltenberg, McNeill, & Delworth, 1998)

A nation-wide study was conducted utilizing counselor education practicum students enrolled in programs listed in the CACREP program directory (2008) and Counselor Preparation: Programs, Faculty, Trends (12^th ed.; …

Risk, Vulnerability, And Hazards: The Industrial Canal And The Lower Ninth Ward, Jerry V. Graves Jr.

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify, analyze, and describe the social outcomes that may be affected by the environmental risks generated by infrastructure projects; to examine the ways in which vulnerability and exposure to hazards may increase risk in neighborhoods over time; and to examine the implications of addressing the exacerbation of exposure to natural hazards within the traditional environmental justice framework. The Industrial Canal and Lower Ninth Ward were selected as the subjects of this case study because the canal has existed on the perimeter of the neighborhood for nearly one century, isolating Lower Ninth Ward residents …

Autonomic And Behavioral Reactivity To An Acute Laboratory Stressor, Jeremy C. Peres

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Stress has been widely shown to directly influence people’s emotional and behavioral processing as well as their underlying biological systems. This project examined physiological and behavioral responses as indicators of stress and coping in the context of a psychosocial stressor in a controlled laboratory setting. We examined the association between indicators of behavioral coping and underlying physiological reactivity within participants while experiencing stress. Participants included 68 emerging adults. Physiological measures include autonomic biomarkers (e.g., heart-rate, skin conductance) at rest and during the stressor while behavioral indicators that were coded include acute verbal and non-verbal actions exhibited by participants during the …

Application Of Web Mashup Technology To Oyster Information Services, Christian Chuindja Ngniah

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Web mashup is a lightweight technology used to integrate data from remote sources without direct access to their databases. As a data consumer, a Web mashup application creates new contents by retrieving data through the Web application programming interface (API) provided by the external sources. As a data provider, the service program publishes its Web API and implements the specified functions.

In the project reported by this thesis, we have implemented two Web mashup applications to enhance the Web site oystersentinel.org: the Perkinsus marinus model and the Oil Spill model. Each model overlay geospatial data from a local database …

Potluck, Robert J. Zajkowski

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of A Process Model Of Physical Child Abuse: Considering Direct, Indirect, And Interactive Effects Of Cumulative Socio-Contextual Risk On Markers Of Physical Child Abuse In Mothers Of Young Children, Kathleen Mcgoron

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Understanding pathways to physical child abuse may aid in creating and implementing abuse prevention services. Yet studying child abuse in community samples of parents is fraught with challenges. One solution to these challenges is to examine markers of physical child abuse, rather than asking about abuse directly. The goal of the current investigation is to test a theoretical model of processes that increase the presence of four proximal risk factors, or markers, which have been linked to increased risk for physical child abuse in mothers of young children. The four markers of physical child abuse include: child abuse potential, over-reactive …

Measuring The Sustainability Of U.S. Public Bicycle Systems, Max W. Williamson

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

As cities worldwide plan for increasing urbanization levels, new challenges in mobility will arise. Any approach taken to address these new issues will need to consider how to move more people with declining resources, thus the need for a sustainable solution arises. This thesis examines the growing trend of cities creating public bicycle systems as a means to add sustainability to a transportation system and identifies what are the criteria and indicators of a sustainable public bicycle. The criteria and indicators are used to examine data collection techniques of three Public Bicycle Systems in the United States: Capital Bikeshare in …

Diary Of A Gay Bride, Kelly M. Frankenberg

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Diary of a Gay Bride is a memoir about an artist planning her multi-cultural gay wedding in hopes her dying mother will be able to attend.

Happy Valley, Robert D. Gray

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

How Are American Cities Planning For Climate Change? An Evaluation Of Climate Action Planning In Chicago, Il And Portland, Or, Nicolette Jones

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Contending with a changing climate presents a necessary push for planning. Although climate change is considered a global environmental problem requiring a global commitment and trans-national action, more and more, policymakers are recognizing the vital need for action at the local level. In the US, especially in the absence of national climate legislation, many local governments have begun developing strategic plans, or climate action plans (CAPs), to address adapting to impacts of climate change and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. This thesis involves case studies of Portland, OR and Chicago, IL, cities with recently adopted CAPs and with considerable recognition in …

Factors That Shape Environmental Perceptions: The Role Of Health And Place, Elizabeth Langlois

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Risk perception is the judgment people make about the characteristics and severity of a risk. Numerous theories and models exist which have identified the factors that influence risk perception. Among these factors, location, health status, and demographic characteristics are known to shape risk perception. To measure the influence of these factors on environmental perception, a series of surveys conducted in four Louisiana communities between 2004 and 2005 describe community perceptions about environmental issues and health status. The objective of the study was to characterize and compare environmental concerns relative to location, health status, and demographic characteristics. Results indicate that location …

The Effect Of Participation In A Community Gardening Program On Mood Of College Students, Alicia Fay Mau

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The purpose of this study was to find the effect of gardening in a community setting on mood and affect of college students. Participants of the study included sixteen students attending James Madison University. There were eight controls and eight gardening participants in the six-week experiment. All participants took a pre and posttest based on the Positive and Negative Affect Scale-X (PANAS-X). Gardening groups also took the Affect Balance Scale (ABS) after an hour-long gardening session each week. Statistical analysis showed significant changes in several of the items examined by the PANAS-X. Among gardeners, negative affect went down significantly (t=0.019) …

Lipophilic And Hydrophilic Quantitative Analysis Of Antioxidant Activity In Tomatoes And Tomato Products, Anna Tran Dinh

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The amount of antioxidants present in food varies depending on environmental conditions in which produce was grown and how products were processed prior to consumption. It would, therefore, be useful to quantify antioxidant activities in these foods. This study focused on quantitative analysis of antioxidant activities in commercially produced whole tomatoes and processed tomato products. For commercially processed tomatoes, diced tomatoes had total antioxidant activities (TAA) ranging from 1.243 to 2.243 μmol TE/g fresh weight (fw), juice 1.573 to 6.86 μmol TE/g fw, paste 6.3 to 13.248 μmol TE/g fw, sauce 1.62 to 3.168 μmol TE/g fw, and soup 1.073 …

Sulfur Dioxide Trends In Malta: A Statistical Computing Approach, Nicholas Desira

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

A statistical investigation of data related to emissions and measurement of SO2 in the Maltese islands encompassing the period 2004 to 2012 was conducted. The purpose was to investigate whether SO2 levels were driven by the Marsa power station (MPS), which was considered to be the main source of SO2 on the island. In addition, the study sought to establish spatial and temporal trends in the SO2 concentrations measured throughout the islands. Data was obtained from the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (4 fixed monitoring stations and a diffusion tube network) and also from the Enemalta Corporation (emissions of MPS). …

Mergers And Acquisitions In Small And Medium Sized Enterprises In The Health Care Industry: The Effect Of Regulations On Merger And Acquisition Success, Jessica Bucci

Honors Theses

This study aims to address the lack of information present on small and medium sized enterprises in the merger and acquisition process. An analysis of M&As in the health care industry was conducted The regulations in the health care industry are also investigated in order to demonstrate their effect on SMEs wishing to participate in M&As. A qualitative analysis was conducted to analyze interviews of physicians who have participating in M&As. The results demonstrate the similarities and differences in large and SME M&As.

Potential Changes To The Cubitt Creek System After Dredging, Hillary Sparagna

Honors Theses

Dredging is the process of removing sediments from beneath the water's surface to increase the depth of the area. Many times, dredging is used to deepen navigational channels for boats in inlets and bays, control river flow, and environmental remediation of contaminated sediments. Sustainable dredging is when the sediments that have been dredged are used to replenish beaches. This method saves money, minimizes ecological impact, saves capacity at deposit sites, and can be used for habitat restoration.

Effects Of Selenium On The Freshwater Alga Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii With And Without The Proteasome Inhibitor Mg132, E. Patrick Vallentine

Honors Theses

Selenium is a required nutrient in animal life but has not been shown to be needed in plants. The model plant cell Chlamydomonas reinhardtii may be an exception as it appears to increase its growth rate in the presence of selenium. Because selenium has the same valence state as sulfur it may be incorporated into proteins as the modified amino acid selenocysteine. This incorporation of selenocysteine into protein may disrupt the disulfide bridges that give proteins the correct conformation. Misfolded proteins can wreak havoc on a cell. This stress can be measured through several parameters. Chlorophyll levels, glutathione levels, growth, …