Digital Commons Network^™

Storytelling In Appreciative Inquiry, Joel Jeppson Richards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is an examination of the role of story and storytelling within Appreciative Inquiry, a method of organizational change that orients around a consensus model building on individual and collective strengths instead of focusing on overcoming problems. Interviews with 12 Appreciative Inquiry practitioners were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed using a process of iterative coding consistent with a General Inductive method of qualitative research. Once consensus with a secondary coder was achieved, 6 themes emerged. The 6 emergent themes outlined general roles that story and storytelling plays in the Appreciative Inquiry process: relationship building, coauthoring a future, reframing narrative, narrative …

Adjusted Tools, Angelique Lynch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis supports the Master of Fine Arts exhibition, Adjusted Tools, at the Tipton Gallery, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, from August 3^rd thru August 29^th, 2012. The exhibition is comprised of eight sculptures, which are presented on pedestals and wall mounted.

The artist references her own investigation of social patterns associated with preconceived roles of gender and how those patterns relate to housework. The artist experiments with an array of different materials including wood, stone, steel, and bronze that are fashioned into forms such as irons, ironing boards, and clothes pins. Topics addressed …

Identity Discrepancy, Male Role Norms, And Mental And Physical Health, Daniel Kevin Mckelvey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Male gender role norms were considered from a self-discrepancy perspective. The male gender role was divided into 4 perspective domain combinations based on the participant's perceptions: self-ideal/ought, other-ideal/ought, self-actual, other-actual. These categories were assessed using an adapted form of the Male Role Norms Inventory-Revised (Levant et al., 2007). It was hypothesized that large discrepancies between the perspective domains in a male's gender role concept would be significantly related to depression, anxiety, and lower general health quality, and this relationship would be moderated by the centrality of the perspective domains to the participant's gender role concept and by the centrality of …

Rural Appalachian Health Care Providers' Perceived Barriers To Intimate Partner Violence Screening In Primary Care, Jamie Tedder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a major problem in the United States. There are many health concerns associated with IPV (e.g. chronic pain, gynecological problems), leading researchers to examine the detection and management of IPV in primary care settings. However, a disproportionate amount of this research has focused on the detection and management of IPV in urban primary care clinics, with the detection and management of IPV in rural primary care being largely understudied. The current study addresses this gap in the literature by describing the screening practices and barriers to screening reported by rural providers as well as differences …

An Investigation Of The Optical Properties Of Disordered Silicon Nanowire Mats, Hua Bao, Weixia Zhang, Liangliang Chen, Haoxiang Huang, Chen Yang, Xiulin Ruan

Birck and NCN Publications

Optical reflectance spectra of three disordered silicon nanowire mats with average diameters of 40, 60, and 80 nm are investigated both experimentally and theoretically. The total hemispherical reflectance spectra from 200 to 1600 nm wavelength are first measured. All three samples exhibit reflectance about 15% to 20% within the ultraviolet band. As the wavelength becomes longer, the reflectance will first increase to around 50% and then decrease to below 20%. Such reflectance spectra are attributed to the combined effect of silicon dielectric function, the nanowire geometry, and the volume fraction of the mats. An analytical method based on Mie scattering …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.; …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Leadership In Young Children, Deborah Lee Fox

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore how teachers described, recognized, and would potentially influence leadership behaviors in children aged 4 to 6 years. One hundred thirty-three early childhood teachers and teachers of the gifted were surveyed using a researcher-designed instrument called the Recognizing Leadership in Children (RLIC) Survey to assess if teachers could recognize leadership from classroom scenarios that were based on actual classroom observations. As part of the survey, teachers wrote how they thought they might respond to the leadership scenarios. As there is a scarcity of literature concerning children’s leadership, the results from this study contribute …

A Study Of The Impact Of Instructional Approach On Community College Students’ Problem Solving And Metacognitive Abilities In The Developmental Mathematics Course, Introductory Algebra, Sandra T. Landry

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the cognitive, metacognitive, affective and instructional constructs that influence students’ problem solving development in a community college Introductory Algebra course. The study addressed the lack of success that developmental mathematics students in a community college have in the Introductory Algebra course and in subsequent curriculum mathematics courses. Research suggests that the prevalent procedural-oriented instructional methodology used in most mathematics classrooms may be contributing to the lack of student success. The community college students (N = 140) in this study were enrolled in an Introductory Algebra course. The study investigated the relationships …

Factors Associated With Play Therapists' Use Of Family-Systems Play Therapy Interventions, Jaime K. Parker

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Four hundred fifty-six (456) members of the Association for Play Therapy responded to the researcher-developed survey, the Play Therapists' Decision-Making Inventory-Revised (PTDI-R). The instrument assessed play therapists’ perceptions of the role of attachment in the treatment process, the frequency with which play therapists feel competent to use family-systems play therapy, and the frequency with which they utilize these interventions. Items from the PTDI-R were analyzed using a principal component analysis to assess the underlying structure of six items that addressed participants’ frequency of use of FSPTI relative to their understanding of the attachment relationship. This factor accounted for …

Comparing Biology Grades Based On Instructional Delivery And Instructor At A Community College: Face-To-Face Course Versus Online Course., Amanda Rosenzweig

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Through distance learning, the community college system has been able to serve more students by providing educational opportunities to students who would otherwise be unable to attend college. The community college of focus in the study increased its online enrollments and online course offerings due to the growth of overall enrollment. The need and purpose of the study is to address if there is a difference in students’ grades between face-to-face and online biology related courses and if there are differences in grades between face-to-face and online biology courses taught by different instructors and the same instructor. The study also …

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 …

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Sonar Signal Processing For Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Operating Shallow Water, Patricia E. Giardina

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The goal of the research was to develop best practices for image signal processing method for InSAS systems for bathymetric height determination. Improvements over existing techniques comes from the fusion of Chirp-Scaling a phase preserving beamforming techniques to form a SAS image, an interferometric Vernier method to unwrap the phase; and confirming the direction of arrival with the MUltiple SIgnal Channel (MUSIC) estimation technique. The fusion of Chirp-Scaling, Vernier, and MUSIC lead to the stability in the bathymetric height measurement, and improvements in resolution. This method is computationally faster, and used less memory then existing techniques.

Blow-Up Of Solutions To The Generalized Inviscid Proudman-Johnson Equation, Alejandro Sarria

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The generalized inviscid Proudman-Johnson equation serves as a model for n-dimensional incompressible Euler flow, gas dynamics, high-frequency waves in shallow waters, and orientation of waves in a massive director field of a nematic liquid crystal. Furthermore, the equation also serves as a tool for studying the role that the natural fluid processes of convection and stretching play in the formation of spontaneous singularities, or of their absence.

In this work, we study blow-up, and blow-up properties, in solutions to the generalized, inviscid Proudman-Johnson equation endowed with periodic or Dirichlet boundary conditions. More particularly,regularity of solutions in an Lp setting will …

The Use Of Re-Authoring To Reconcile Fundamentalist Religious Beliefs With Sexual Orientation: A Narrative Study, Karen Parker

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A narrative qualitative research design was used to understand the journeys of three lesbians with Oneness Pentecostal backgrounds who have reconciled their religious beliefs with their sexual orientation. Three participants were selected who met the following criteria: (a) the participant is a lesbian female who (b) grew up in a Oneness Pentecostal church and (c) has reconciled being a lesbian with her religious beliefs, and who is (d) willing to discuss her outing process. These participants were interviewed. The interview questions were submitted to participants prior to the scheduled interviews. The interviews began with an open-ended inquiry. In answer to …

Analysis And Characterization Of Residual Stresses In Pipe And Vessel Welds, Shaopin Song

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This research sought to establish residual stress distribution characteristics in typical pipe and vessel welds by carrying out a comprehensive parametric study using an advanced sequentially coupled thermo-mechanical finite element procedure. The parametric study covered vessel and pipe components with a ranging radius to thickness ratio from r/t=2 to 100, for thickness ranging from t=1/4” to 10”. Component materials varied from low carbon steel to high alloy steels, such as stainless steel and titanium alloy. Furthermore, a structural mechanics based framework is proposed to generalize through-thickness residual stress distributions for a broad spectrum of joint geometry and welding conditions. The …

Adolescents With Callous Unemotional Traits And Their Roles In Group Crime, Laura C. Thornton

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the relationship between callous-unemotional (CU) traits and self-reported leadership characteristics during group crimes among 614 first-time offenders participating in a large multi-site study. Resistance to peer influence (RPI) and self-esteem (SE) were hypothesized to mediate the relationship between CU traits and leadership during group crime. The results indicated that youth with CU traits were more likely to commit crimes with others. Further, although youth with CU traits reported they came up with the idea for crimes and were leaders during group crimes, these relationships were not mediated by RPI and SE. Future research on youth with …

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 …

Evaluating The Role Of Environmental Stressors And Sensitive Parenting On The Emergence Of Behavior Problems During Early Childhood, Brenna Sapotichne

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Repeatedly, parenting quality has been shown to affect children’s level of behavior problems during early childhood (e.g., Bayer, Sanson, & Hemphill, 2006; Shaw, Gilliom, Ingoldsby, & Nagin, 2003). However, the parent-child relationship exists within a broader social context (Bronfenbrenner, 1986). Therefore, social contextual stressors such as financial strain, neighborhood danger, and residential overcrowding may affect children’s adjustment through parenting. Based on The Family Stress model (Conger & Elder, 1994), the current study tests the theory that sensitive parenting mediates the relationship between these three environmental stressors (i.e., financial strain, neighborhood danger, and residential overcrowding) and children’s behavior problems from ages …

Application Of Digital Forensic Science To Electronic Discovery In Civil Litigation, Brian Roux

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Following changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure in 2006 dealing with the role of Electronically Stored Information, digital forensics is becoming necessary to the discovery process in civil litigation. The development of case law interpreting the rule changes since their enactment defines how digital forensics can be applied to the discovery process, the scope of discovery, and the duties imposed on parties. Herein, pertinent cases are examined to determine what trends exist and how they effect the field. These observations buttress case studies involving discovery failures in large corporate contexts along with insights on the technical reasons those …

They Took My Bedroom: A Case Study Of Eminent Domain In New Orleans, Jared E. Munster

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Of the many powers granted to federal, state, and local governments through the Constitution of theUnited States, eminent domain is possibly the strongest and most imposing, at least as it relates to citizens’ property rights. This dissertation explores several large-scale public undertakings inNew Orleansduring the period from 1929 to 2011 in which the application of eminent domain was necessary to accomplish the government’s goals. This research window will allow the analysis of eminent domain applications from the construction of the Municipal Auditorium through the new medical center projects spurred by the flooding associated with Hurricane Katrina. This timeframe also allows …

Geochemical Evidence For Vertical Migration Of Deep Formation Fluids Through The Baton Rouge -Denham Springs Fault System, Lesley C. Prochaska

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Accumulations of brackish groundwater exist across south Louisiana within the shallow, south-dipping Pleistocene to Upper Miocene Baton Rouge Aquifer System (BRAS). This research investigates the source of brackish groundwater through geochemical analysis of representative groundwater samples by comparing the following geochemical ratios along with other trace elements. Low Bromide (Br)/Chloride (Cl) and Potassium (K) /Cl ratios, high Sodium (Na) /Cl ratios, trace Magnesium (Mg) concentrations, and low Strontium (Sr) ⁸⁷/Sr⁸⁶ in brackish waters from the BRAS are inconsistent with in situ saline water from marine formation fluids of similar age. The ratios are consistent with in situ saline-water …

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 …

Positive And Negative Parenting Strategies, Parental Psychopathology, And Relational Aggression In Youth, Genevieve E. Lapre, Monica A. Marsee

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the mediating role of parental psychological control on the association between parental psychopathology and youth relational aggression in a community sample of 118 adolescents (aged 11-17) and their parents. Additionally, an analysis was conducted to examine the moderating role of positive parenting on the association between parental psychopathology and relational aggression. Further analyses controlled for overt aggression and examined effects of youth gender. Results suggest psychological control partially mediates the association between parental psychopathology and relational aggression. The overall mediation was not significant after controlling for overt aggression; however, the association between psychological control and relational aggression …

Cloning, Expression, And Characterization Of Ara H 3, A Major Peanut Allergen, Cathryn E. Garvey

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Abstract There are eight foods that contribute to food allergies in the western world and peanut is the most common. Currently, there are no medical treatments that can cure an individual of food allergy, so avoidance of the allergic food is the only option. In the United States, there are three immunodominant allergic proteins accountable for patient sensitization to peanut, Arachis hypogea 1, 2, and 3 (Ara h 1, Ara h 2, Ara h 3). Therefore, research into why peanuts are more allergic than other foods that have homologous proteins is critical and may be obtained by studying the structural …

Calculation Of A Synthetic Gather Using The Aki-Richards Approximation To The Zoeppritz Equations, Graham Ganssle

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A synthetic seismic gather showing amplitude versus offset can be analyzed by the interpretive geophysicist to predict rock properties useful in oil exploration. Reflection coefficients derived from measured well log data are convolved with a Ricker wavelet to create a synthetic seismic trace. The Zoeppritz equations describe the propagation of an acoustic wave across an interface between two viscous media of different acoustic impedances with respect to increasing offset angle. The Aki-Richards linear approximation is used to create a synthetic seismic gather with offset angles up to fifty degrees. This gather is compared to a synthetic gather created using commercially …

Localization And Mutational Analysis Of The Nuclear And Aggregation-Prone Ime4 Protein In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Patricia M. Dehon

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Ime4 is a protein that is induced during meiosis and has a primary role in regulating sporulation in starving diploids. One function of Ime4 is methylation of adenosine residues within mRNA transcripts. Recent studies have shown Ime4 to be induced in haploids during the mating response, although its role in mating has not been determined. In this report, I identify the subcellular localization of Ime4 during the mating response through treatment with alpha factor. A plasmid containing IME4-GFP under the control of the medium strength promoter CYC1 was created in order to express the protein in a …