Digital Commons Network^™

Ecology Of The Tick-Borne Pathogen, Rickettsia Parkeri, In Its Primary Vector, Amblyomma Maculatum, And Select Vertebrate Hosts, Gail Miriam Moraru

Theses and Dissertations

Rickettsia parkeri is a tick-borne microorganism, only recently recognized to cause disease in humans. The ecology of this disease is largely unknown, and was addressed through a series of laboratory and field investigations. Feeding behavior of immature stages of the primary vector, Amblyomma maculatum, on mammalian, avian, and reptilian host models was investigated. It was determined that this tick does not feed on anoles, and nymphs do display longer periods of attachment to and are significantly heavier having fed on cotton rats as compared with quail. Field surveys indicate evidence of exposure to spotted fever group rickettsiae in small mammals …

Effects Of Television Weather Broadcasters On Viewers During Severe Weather: To Be Or Not To Be On-Screen, Amanda Marie Lea

Theses and Dissertations

An association was tested between the presence of a television weather broadcaster on-screen and viewers’ likelihood to seek shelter, measured via risk perception and preventative behavior. Social networking websites were used to recruit respondents. Four clips of archived severe weather videos, one pair (on-screen and off-screen broadcaster) using the reflectivity product and another pair (on-screen and off-screen broadcaster) using velocity product, were presented to participants. Viewers’ trust and weather salience were also quantified for additional interactions. A relationship between viewers’ risk perception (preflectivity = 0.821, pvelocity = 0.625) and preventative behavior (preflectivity = 0.217, pvelocity = 0.236) and the presence …

Estimating And Modeling Red Oak Acorn Yield And Abundance In The Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Jacob N (Jacob Nathaniel) Straub

Theses and Dissertations

Red oaks (Quercus spp.; Section Erythrobalanus) produce acorns which are valuable forage for wildlife especially mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and wood ducks (Aix sponsa). Scientists have limited information on amount, timing, and persistence of these acorns in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV). Conservation planners rely on precise estimates of acorns and other forage to estimate habitat needed by waterfowl in the MAV and other regions. My study provided premiere landscape-scale, multi-year estimates of red oak acorn yield and on-ground abundance in the MAV. Mean yield of acorns was 534 kg(dry)/ha (42.3 acorns/ m2) across all sites, years (falls-winters 2009-2012), and oak …

Stalking On The Screen: Examining Media Portrayals Of Relational Stalking Behavior, John Robert Macarthur

Theses and Dissertations

I coded a random sample of 266 movies to test whether previous researcher’s assertions that the media legitimizes unwanted courtship persistence (UCP) and minimizes stalking behavior is true. Consistent with their assertions, I found that the media does frequently depict stories of unwanted courtship persistence, and they were portrayed, on average, as acceptable. Although pursuers were generally portrayed positively, pursuers who engaged in UCP were more likely to be portrayed negatively than non-UCP pursuers. However, UCP pursuers were more successful than non-UCP pursuers in winning over their love interest. Using Cupach and Spitzberg’s (2004) Obsessional Relational Intrusion (ORI) scale, I …

Modeling And Uncertainty Analysis Of Cchp Systems, Joshua Aaron Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Combined Cooling Heating and Power (CCHP) systems have been recognized as a viable alternative to conventional electrical and thermal energy generation in buildings because of their high efficiency, low environmental impact, and power grid independence. Many researchers have presented models for comparing CCHP systems to conventional systems and for optimizing CCHP systems. However, many of the errors and uncertainties that affect these modeling efforts have not been adequately addressed in the literature. This dissertation will focus on the following key issues related to errors and uncertainty in CCHP system modeling: (a) detailed uncertainty analysis of a CCHP system model with …

Genomic And Functional Analysis Of Next-Generation Sequencing Data, Philippe Chouvarine

Theses and Dissertations

Advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have resulted in significant reduction of cost per sequenced base pair and increase in sequence data volume. On the other hand, most currently used NGS technologies produce relatively short sequence reads (50 - 150 bp) compared to Sanger sequencing (~700 bp). This represents an additional challenge in data analysis, because shorter reads are more difficult to assemble. At this point, production of sequencing data outpaces our capacity to analyze them. Newer NGS technologies capable of producing longer reads are emerging, which should simplify and speed up genome assembly. However, this will only increase the …

Hearth And Home: Life In And Around A "Kitchen" From Ancient Judah As Excavated At Tell Halif, Tim Frank

Theses and Dissertations

A room with many well-preserved artifacts was excavated at Tell Halif in a level associated with Ancient Judah. By using analogy the use of these artifacts can be compared with that of other similar objects. Analogy is at the heart of archaeological interpretation and allows a more explicit determination of the possible uses of artifacts and their patterning. The artifacts serve as evidence for reconstructing life in and around an archaeologically excavated space. By discerning the patterns of artifact distribution we can interpret how the space might have been used. The room excavated at Tell Halif has strong evidence for …

Examining Public Administrators' Perceptions Of Welfare Policy Performance, Elizabeth D. Evans

Theses and Dissertations

Efforts to meet the needs of poverty stricken Americans have resulted in the passage of numerous federal and state policies. Current Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) policy emphasizes sharing the responsibility for meeting citizens’ needs through partnerships with those in poverty. Such reforms challenge local administrators to define and assess the terms of welfare policy reform success. This study’s adaptation of the theory of positionality examines how position in public organizations can inform employees’ views of welfare policy performances. Specifically, it seeks to determine if the type of administrative responsibility and interaction (positionality) with citizens leads to differing views …

Experiments And Simulation For 6061-T6 Aluminum Alloy Resistance Spot Welded Lap Joints, Radu Stefanel Florea

Theses and Dissertations

This comprehensive study is the first to quantify the fatigue performance, failure loads, and microstructure of resistance spot welding (RSW) in 6061-T6 aluminum (Al) alloy according to welding parameters and process sensitivity. The extensive experimental, theoretical and simulated analyses will provide a framework to optimize the welding of lightweight structures for more fuel-efficient automotive and military applications. The research was executed in four primary components. The first section involved using electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD) scanning, tensile testing, laser beam profilometry (LBP) measurements, and optical microscopy(OM) images to experimentally investigate failure loads and deformation of the Al-alloy resistance spot welded …

A Procedure Using Rotylenchulus Reniformis Nucleotide Sequences To Quantitatively Measure Plant-Parasitic Nematode Infestation Levels Using Metagenomic Dna Isolated Directly From Soil, Kurtis C. Showmaker

Theses and Dissertations

Molecular diagnostic tests have been developed and utilized to diagnose and to confirm diagnoses of many plant-parasitic nematodes. We evaluate the potential of a qPCR assay to detect and quantify Rotylenchulus reniformis in Mississippi directly from soil. A novel pipeline utilizing multiple databases containing nematode DNA and EST sequences was developed to aid in the selection of R. reniformis primers used in a PCR and qPCR assays. In vitro testing showed that the primers and probes developed from the novel pipeline for the qPCR assays could accurately detect the presence of R. reniformis. Subsequent testing resulted in a trend of …

Two Essays On Investment, Yao Zheng

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two essays: one looks at the time-varying relationship between earnings and price momentum, and the other looks at how liquidity and transparency affect the pricing differential between Chinese A-and Hong Kong H-share.

The first essay presented in Chapter I investigates the time varying relationship between earnings momentum and price momentum. Using a Markov-switching framework, allowing for variation between high volatility and low volatility states, I find that price momentum is significantly more influenced by earnings momentum in the high volatility state. Further for price momentum I find that loser firms display a higher degree of differential …

Grandpa Bandit, Jasmine D. Dunn

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Grandpa Bandit tells the story of elderly Virgil Wells, an upstanding citizen who is forced to partake in criminal activities in order to be able to provide for his ailing wife, Mary. As their funds decrease and their medicare is terminated, Virgil applies for work but is overlooked. His abilities are underestimated. He's viewed as a liability because of his age. When all attempts at making an honest living fails, Virgil decides that his only option is to rob a bank.

Throughline: The common misconception that the elderly are incapable of working hard during their golden years often leaves these …

The Spirit Of The Spitfire: Creating The Role Of Nancy Shedman In Romulus Linney's "Holy Ghosts", Caleigh M. Keith

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explains the acting method used by Caleigh Keith while portraying the role of Nancy Shedman in Romulus Linney’s Holy Ghosts. Included are chapters of historical research, character analysis, and a production report, which includes a scored script, rehearsal and performance journal, and a self-evaluation of the actor’s work. Holy Ghosts was produced by Theater UNO at the University of New Orleans in the Robert E. Nims Thrust Theater of the Performing Arts Center. It opened Tuesday, February seventh, and ran through Sunday, February twelfth, two thousand and twelve. Evening performances were at seven-thirty and Sunday’s matinee was …

Pigments Of Imagination: An Actor's Journey Of Creating The Character Of Jack Lawson From David Mamet's Race, Paxton H. Mccaghren

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to create a believable, multiple dimension character portrayal of Jack Lawson in David Mamet’s Race. Documentation of the process will include: an explanation of the acting technique and analysis used to create the backstory and portrayal of the character; insight into the background and beliefs of playwright, David Mamet; and a personal review of my growth and performance.

Gender Perceptions Of Administrative Team Members Regarding Secondary Principals' Leadership Actions And Behaviors In Managing Change, Shannon L. Verrett

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This cross-sectional survey study investigated middle and high school administrative team members’ leadership classifications and perceptions of secondary principals’ leadership actions and behaviors in the context of change and to what extent these perceptions are gender specific. In addition to gender, the study also examined the impact of race/ethnicity, age, campus level, length of employment in the district, length of time working with the principal, and closeness to the principals on leadership actions and behaviors. The results of the study are intended to highlight the importance and value of feminine-inspired leadership approaches and administrative team members’ perspectives of leadership …

Factors That Influence The Participation Of Immigrant Latino Parents In The Special Education Process Of Their Children With Disabilities, Maria Isolina Ruiz

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act emphasized the importance of parents’ participation in all educational decisions concerning their children with disabilities. However, parents’ ability to actively participate in, and contribute to, their children’s special education process is influenced by a variety of parent and school related factors. For immigrant Latino parents, these factors may include additional issues related to cultural and linguistic diversity not experienced by most parents. This study examined the experiences of immigrant Latino parents when navigating the special education system as well as the impact that such experiences had on parents’ participation in the special education process …

Exploring The Relationship Between English Composition Teachers' Beliefs About Written Feedback And Their Written Feedback Practices, Sandra Vandercook

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

For teachers of freshman English composition, the most time-consuming aspect of teaching is responding to student papers (Anson, 2012; Straub, 2000b). Teachers respond in various ways, but most teachers agree that they should offer written feedback to students (Beach & Friedrich, 2006). However, little research has been conducted to determine how teachers’ written feedback practices reflect their beliefs about the purpose of such feedback. This qualitative study explores the relationship between English composition teachers’ beliefs about written feedback and their actual written feedback practices.

The participants were a sample of four instructors of freshman English composition at a mid-sized metropolitan …

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 …

From Amber To Darkness, Courtney J. Spencer, Courtney Spencer

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

N/A

Odor Monitoring At Wastewater Treatment Plants, Natasha Halageri

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is notable for its toxicity and corrosion is one of the major sources of odor in wastewater treatment plants. Evaluation of existing or potential odor problems requires knowledge of the type of compounds likely to cause such problems and the mechanism of their formation in wastewater systems which is discussed in this paper. For the present study, the East Bank wastewater treatment plant was chosen since it is the largest wastewater treatment facility within Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. To combat the odor problems in this facility, a monitoring program was designed and developed to characterize the …

“Man’S Country. Out Where The West Begins”: Women, The American Dream, And The West In Joan Didion’S Slouching Towards Bethlehem, Coleen Maidlow

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the feminist perspective in Didion’s collection of essays Slouching Towards Bethlehem. Throughout the text, Didion looks closely at the West and the changing social climate which surrounds her. Her essays chronicle women struggling to find a balance between the domestic and independence promised by myth the West. I analyze how women are granted only limited participation within the American Dream because of the masculine power structures which dominate our society. As the values of the American Dream shift, the women that Didion depicts attempt to find identity and independence despite the restrictive forces around them.

Gaining Relevance In The Face Of Obsolescence: The Uss Texas – A Battleship In The Second World War, Kali Martin

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Despite the vast material that has been written about the Second World War, most literature mentions battleships in passing, giving little attention to a role that battleships filled- that of naval gunfire support for amphibious landings. The literature regarding the Navy’s older, obsolescent battleships such as the Texas is scarce. Using primary sources regarding the Texas and the evolution of naval gunfire doctrine from the pre-war and wartime periods, this study looks at the involvement of the Texas in the Second World War and how the Navy employed its oldest battleships. The amphibious landings of the war provided a …

The Feasibility Of Closing Vehicle Crossings Along St. Charles Avenue: A Study Of Transit Safety And Performance, Vivek B. Shah

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The St. Charles streetcar is an important transit line in the city of New Orleans, with about 65,000 people living within a ½ mile walking distance from it. However, the line experiences a very high streetcar/automobile crash rate due in large part to the large number of grade vehicle crossings over the tracks that lack signalization. Through traffic modeling, the closure of many of these vehicle crossings and the diversion of automotive traffic to the remaining, signalized crossings is analyzed to determine traffic impacts on street network. The result is a modest increase in traffic, about 7-8%, at the remaining …

Manufacturer Product Line Decisions In Growing Consumer Technology Markets: A Case Of Digital Cameras, Kyryl Lakishyk

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

The objective of this dissertation is to deepen our understanding of competitive and demand drivers of manufacturer new product introductions in consumer technology markets.

Researchers in economics and marketing commonly view differentiated products as combinations of "attributes" that are located in multi-attribute space. In first study presented in Chapter 2 of this dissertation, I conform to this common view of products as multi-attribute bundles and, therefore, carefully construct both a multi-attribute product space, as well as, and even more importantly, product clusters within this multi-attribute product space. I focus on the early stages of US Digital Cameras category: 1998-2000). Operationalizing …

Engaged Leadership: New Concept Or Evolutionary In Nature?, Edward Woods Iii

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

Mr. Woods provides a critique and a book review of Clint Swindall‘s Engaged Leadership. His accolades relate primarily to Swindell‘s communication of connecting the dynamics of a work environment and the applications of engaged leadership in fable format. He decries, however, the author‘s missed opportunities to further associate engaged leadership to an established theory of management and to use polling data which attempts to ascertain any cost savings associated with engaged leadership.

The Needs Of The Stakeholders Are The Seeds Of Growth For The Organisation (Interview With Mr. G. Narayana), Shashank Shah

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

A rare interview with a well-regarded leader of commerce in India is presented by the author, Dr. Shashank Shah. The interviewee, Mr. G. Narayana, is Chairman Emeritus of Excel Industries Ltd. (Excel). Mr. Narayana is noted for his ability to positively motivate people through kindness and the integration of spirituality in the workplace. His brand of leadership is characterized by a type of management philosophy that integrates the scientific principles of the West with the profound thought of Indian scriptures.

Commentary: The Business Of Warfare: Winning Hearts And Minds, Susannah Marie Gingerich-Larson

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

Assuming there are business ethics in warfare appears to represent the ultimate irony. There is no doubt that certain business profit from the exploits of war. But when the objectives are reconfigured with the objectives embracing, this is the time when ethical leadership is most in demand.

A Model For Implementing A Successful Sustainability Strategy, David B. Brauer

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

The process of implementing sustainability within national and international corporate functions requires senior management commitment and a sustainability team which employs the correct leadership knowledge and skills. Additionally, all stakeholders must fully understand, accept, routinely monitor, and participate in the strategy of sustainability. This core business value must also be clearly articulated throughout the organization.

The Personal Values Of School Leaders In Pakistan: A Contextual Model Of Regulation And Influence, Sharifullah Baig

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

The author presents a unique comparative case study which explores the types of personal values and the motivational bases for the acquisition of ethical leadership practices in the context of two schools in Pakistan. Baig notes that the data shows that the inherent religious and communal values of one‘s community and social structure constitute strong, motivational factors in cultivating a school and forging relationships with members of the external community.

Conflict Resolution: Cultural Understanding Imperative, Livingston S. Tindal

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

Business transactions and other potential incidences of conflict resolution must be met by participants who have transcended the isolating and often arrogant traits of individualism and must expand to embrace the collective — to realize the importance of learning and understanding cultural differences and whatever creates the uniqueness of the individual. This is particularly critical for success in the global marketplace.