Digital Commons Network^™

Access Versus Choice: Testing The “Food Desert” Construct In Champaign, Il, Rhiannon L. Jerch, Kathy Baylis, Sahan T.M. Dissanayake

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

How does one’s food environment affect food purchase decisions? Food access has received significant political and academic attention, particularly under the Obama administration. Existing literature on food access and “food deserts” mainly focuses on geographic distance or the retail of fresh fruits & vegetables versus fast food within a neighborhood to determine and identify inequitable access. In this paper I attempt to develop an endogenous measure of food access by asking how geographic placement of food retail affects food expenditure, particularly of fruits & vegetables. I use novel data on 886 households matched to food prices from a census of …

Automated Extraction And Classification Of Time-Frequency Contours In Humpback Vocalizations, Hui Ou, Whitlow W.L. Au, Lisa M. Zurk, Marc O. Lammers

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A time-frequency contour extraction and classification algorithm was created to analyze humpback whale vocalizations. The algorithm automatically extracted contours of whale vocalization units by searching for gray-level discontinuities in the spectrogram images. The unit-to-unit similarity was quantified by cross-correlating the contour lines. A library of distinctive humpback units was then generated by applying an unsupervised, cluster-based learning algorithm. The purpose of this study was to provide a fast and automated feature selection tool to describe the vocal signatures of animal groups. This approach could benefit a variety of applications such as species description, identification, and evolution of song structures. The …

A Transformation-Based Approach To Implication Of Gste Assertion Graphs, Gouwu Yang, William N. N. Hung, Xiaoyu Song, Wensheng Guo

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Generalized symbolic trajectory evaluation (GSTE) is a model checking approach and has successfully demonstrated its powerful capacity in formal verification of VLSI systems. GSTE is an extension of symbolic trajectory evaluation (STE) to the model checking of -regular properties. It is an alternative to classical model checking algorithms where properties are specified as finite-state automata. In GSTE, properties are specified as assertion graphs, which are labeled directed graphs where each edge is labeled with two labeling functions: antecedent and consequent. In this paper, we show the complement relation between GSTE assertion graphs and finite-state automata with the expressiveness of regular …

Fraction Proficiency And The Number Line, Jeanne Elizabeth Bass

LSU Master's Theses

The Common Core State Standards place special emphasis on developing fraction proficiency and the use of the number line, especially in grades three through five, whereas the previously mandated “Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum” put lower priority on fractions and gave little attention to the number line as a model for fractions. The present study was performed in several 6th-grade math classrooms in rural Louisiana. We piloted fraction proficiency tests that were intended to check basic vocabulary and student access to various fraction models, as expected in the Common Core. Some strong error patterns were observed. They might be related to difference …

Consciousness As Integrated Information: A Provisional Philosophical Critique, Anthony F. Peressini

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

Giulio Tononi (2008) has offered his integrated information theory of consciousness (IITC) as a ‘provisional manifesto’. I critically examine how the approach fares. I point out some (relatively) internal concerns with the theory and then more broadly philosophical ones; finally I assess the prospects for IITC as a fundamental theory of consciousness. I argue that the IITC’s scientific promise does carry over to a significant extent to broader philosophical theorizing about qualia and consciousness, though not as directly as Tononi suggests, since the account is much more focused on the qualitative character of experience rather than on consciousness itself. I …

Review Of Race: A Philosophical Introduction, 2nd Edition By Paul C. Taylor, Michael Monahan

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Standing Wave, Curtis Carter

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Ultimate Concern And Finitude: Schelling’S Philosophy Of Religion And Paul Tillich’S Systematic Theology, Michael Vater

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Sartre's Second Or Dialectical Ethics, Thomas C. Anderson

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Erkenntnis And Interesse: Schelling’S System Of Transcendental Idealism And Fichte’S Vocation Of Man, Michael Vater

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Childish Nonsense? The Value Of Interpretation In Plato's Protagoras, Franco Trivigno

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Feasibility Study Of Residential Grid-Connected Solar Photovoltaic Systems In The State Of Indiana, Mahmoud Al-Odeh

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to measure the financial viability of installing and using a residential grid-connected PV system in the State of Indiana while predicting its performance in eighteen geographical locations within the state over the system's expected lifetime. The null hypothesis of the study is that installing a PV system for a single family residence in the State of Indiana will not pay for itself within 25 years. Using a systematic approach consisting of six steps, data regarding the use of renewable energy in the State of Indiana was collected from the website of the US Department of Energy to …

Diurnal And Nocturnal Avian Antipredator Behavior In Thermally Challenging Conditions, Jennie M. Carr

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diurnal avian antipredator behavior has been the focus of much past research, yet the influence of the thermal environment on such behaviors is often overlooked. Far less is known about nocturnal avian antipredator behavior, including how these behaviors are influenced by challenging thermal environments. The first portion of my research focused on how the thermal environment influences the diurnal antipredator behavior of wintering birds while (i) exposed to high wind speeds, (ii) foraging in sunlit and shaded microhabitats, and (iii) when using thermoregulatory postures to conserve body heat. In addition to increasing convective heat loss, high wind speeds increase the …

Bringing Nature To Light: Schelling’S Naturphilosophie In The Early System Of Identity, Michael Vater

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Reforming Legal Education To Prepare Law Students Optimally For Real-World Practice , John Lande

Journal of Dispute Resolution

This article synthesizes some of the main points of the symposium contributors. They covered a wide range of key issues and thus this symposium provides a good overview of the challenges of and options for legal education reform. Of course, given the vast scope of the problems presented, this symposium issue of the Journal of Dispute Resolution cannot provide an all-encompassing analysis nor a comprehensive set of recommendations for reform. We do, however, hope that it will be a useful contribution to the growing movement and literature designed to improve legal education in the U.S. Part II of this article …

Sedimentation Of Swarms Of Particles At Low And Moderate Reynolds Numbers, Oladapo Olanrewaju Ayeni

LSU Master's Theses

The sedimentation of a cloud of particles in a viscous fluid at low and moderate Reynolds numbers has been studied using an Eulerian-Lagrangian multiphase flow approach. We looked at the volume fraction dependence of the settling cloud and find a similar dependence in the simulations as in the theoretical predictions of (Nitsche and Batchelor 1997). The average cloud settling velocity and the velocity fluctuations around this average are found to have a functional dependence on ö^1/3 at negligible Reynolds number. The velocity fluctuations display strong anisotropy with the magnitude of the vertical component almost three times the magnitude of the …

Does Flexible Grouping Increase Retention Levels To Improve Test Scores More Than Traditional Lecture In The Science Classroom, Brian Joseph Carter

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of my research was to analyze the effect flexible grouping had on science retention scores. Education faces so many challenges today. The old way of teaching, traditional lecture is being challenged. For centuries, traditional lecture was the primary way of teaching and most colleges still use this teaching method. In this thesis traditional lecture and flexible grouping are compared. Through the use of pretests and posttests in my traditional and honors chemistry classes, I tested both strategies. Presentation of seven chapters were used for data collection and through the research, several things were discovered. In this study, honor …

Constitutional Value Judgments And Interpretive Theory Choice, Ian C. Bartrum

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Cajun Status On Kindergartners' Use Of Five Grammar Structures, Corrina Spedale

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between Cajun status, as defined by location, and five grammatical structures of Cajun English (CE): zero marking of past tense, zero marking of third person singular, zero marking of copula is and are, and was-leveling. The data were from 35 kindergartners, 14 from a Cajun status school, 21 from a non-Cajun status school; 15 were male and 20 were female. The data compared rate-based differences between the Cajun status and non-Cajun status children’s productions of the five CE structures in transcribed language samples. Five independent samples t-tests revealed that …

Impact Of Iudr In Rat 9l Glioma Cell Survival For 25-35 Kev Photo-Activated Auger Electron Therapy, Diane Alvarez

LSU Master's Theses

Introduction: Photo-activated Auger electron therapy is a potential technique that could preferentially target cancer cells. This binary therapy uses a drug containing a high-Z element like iododeoxyuridine (IUdR), which serves as a radiosensitizer and molecular carrier of high-Z iodine into cancer cell DNA. Iodine becomes the Auger electron source when activated by photons with an appropriate energy. This work studied the survival of rat 9L glioma cells with IUdR replacing thymidine in the DNA. Irradiations at monochromatic energies above and below the iodine K-edge (33.2 keV) are part of a larger study from 25-70 keV. It was hypothesized that SER10 …

Comparing The Treatment Effect Of Conversational And Traditional Aphasia Treatments On Linguistic Complexity Measures, Kelsey Ann Copperberg

LSU Master's Theses

Linguistic complexity is frequently analyzed in studies of child language acquisition and impairment (Heilmann, Miller, & Nockerts, 2010; Price, Hendricks, & Cook, 2010) and the language of aging adults (Capilouto, Wright, & Wagovich, 2005; Kemper & Sumner, 2001; Kemper, Thompson, & Marquis, 2001; Kynette & Kemper, 1986; Shewan & Henderson, 1988) to document changes over time. There is little, if any, literature applying linguistic measures to analyze the language of individuals with aphasia as well as to analyze effects of different treatment measures. The current study analyzed semantic and syntactic components of linguistic complexity used by people with aphasia (PWA) …

"Mi Mamá Es Cuatro Pies" : A Study Of The Use Of Calques In Hondurans And Salvadorans In Southern Louisiana, Alexandria Janine Bivin

LSU Master's Theses

“Mi mamá es cuatro pies”: A study of the use of calques in Hondurans and Salvadorans in Southern Louisiana Keywords: calques, language proficiency, bilingual, lexical borrowing, arrival age In this study, I explored calques among Hondurans and Salvadorans in Southern Louisiana. The study has a total of twenty-four Spanish-English bilinguals separated into three groups based upon their age of arrival to the United States. Similar to but modified from that of Silva-Corvalán (1996), group I, is comprised of participants who arrived to the United States after the age nineteen. The participants in group II immigrated to the United States between …

Discrete Phase Simulations Of Drilled Cuttings Transport Process In Highly Deviated Wells, Doguhan Yilmaz

LSU Master's Theses

Transporting drilled cuttings from the bottomhole to the surface becomes more difficult and problematic in highly deviated wells than in vertical wells. Cuttings tend to settle down on the low side of the annulus typically in the form of a bed which can cause further problems. The height of this bed depends on many parameters such as annular domain geometry, drilling fluid density and rheology, annular flow rate, drill pipe rotation speed, cuttings size, shape, and their density. Prediction of the stationary cuttings bed height with respect to these aforementioned parameters is thus necessary to optimize the range of the …

The Individual Mandate's Due Process Legality: A Kantian Explanation, And Why It Matters, Peter Brandon Bayer

Scholarly Works

In National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, one of the most controversial decisions of this young century, an intensely divided Supreme Court upheld the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's most provocative feature-the Individual Mandate-under Congress's taxing power. In so doing, the Court rejected what appeared to be the Individual Mandate's more applicable constitutional premise-Congress's authority to regulate interstate commerce. Yet, neither the Constitution's Taxing Clause nor its Commerce Clause provide the ultimate answer as to whether Congress may regulate the multi-billion dollar healthcare market by compelling unwilling persons to buy private health insurance. The final determination of the …

Through The Eyes Of Jurors: The Use Of Schemas In The Application Of "Plain-Language" Jury Instructions, Sara Gordon

Scholarly Works

"Through the Eyes of Jurors" is the first law journal article to consider all of the major cognitive psychology studies that examine how "schemas," or the preexisting notions jurors have about the law, shape jurors' use of jury instructions, even when those jurors are given "plain-language" instructions. This Article examines the social science research on schema theory in order to advance our understanding of how schemas continue to influence jurors' use of jury instructions, even when those jurors are given "plain language" instructions.

A significant body of legal literature has examined jurors' use and understanding of jury instructions, and many …

Dubious Deference: Reassessing Appellate Standards Of Review In Immigration Appeals, Michael Kagan

Scholarly Works

The long-standing doctrine of deferential review by appellate courts of findings of fact by administrative agencies is seriously flawed for two main reasons. First, the most prominent justification for deference relies on the empirical assumption that first-instance adjudicators are best able to determine the truth because they can directly view witness demeanor. Decades of social science research has proven this assumption about the value of demeanor false. Second, in principle, the deference rule applies to all types of administrative adjudication, with no attention to the relative gravity of interests at stake in different types of cases or to the varying …

Molecular Dynamics Of Interfacial Phenomena At Air/Ice, Air/Water, And Air/Salt Water Interfaces, Thilanga Prabhash Liyana Arachchi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to investigate the adsorption of organic contaminants, namely polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and green leaf volatiles (GLVs), as well as their interactions with reactive oxygen species (ROSs) on atmospheric air/water and air/ice interfaces. In another series of projects, we studied several intermediate and semi-volatile organic compounds from oil (IVOCs and SVOCs, e.g., alkanes with 17-31 carbon atoms), surfactants and dispersants at air/salt water interfaces. These simulations are relevant to understand the fate of these compounds during the recent 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill. The adsorption of gas-phase aromatics (benzene, naphthalene and phenanthrene), ROSs …

A Hybrid Procedure For Classifying Synoptic Weather Types For Louisiana With An Application To Precipitation Variability, Amanda Michelle Billiot

LSU Master's Theses

An automated synoptic weather classification system, based on the weather types devised by Robert Muller for Louisiana, is presented in this thesis and an application of the classification system to precipitation variability in Louisiana is demonstrated. The automated classification presented here is a hybrid classification system that uses sea level pressure composites for each Muller weather type as seeds in a correlation procedure to classify daily NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis sea level pressure patterns. The resulting hybrid classification is automated, objective, and has value in describing the surface weather variability in Louisiana. In the second part of this research project, the newly …

Approximate Sequence Alignment, Xuanting Cai

LSU Master's Theses

Given a collection of strings and a query string, the goal of the approximate string matching is to efficiently find the strings in the collection, which are similar to the query string. In this paper, we focus on edit distance as a measure to quantify the similarity between two strings. Existing q-gram based methods use inverted lists to index the q-grams of the given string collection. These methods begin with generating the q-grams of the query string, disjoint or overlapping, and then merge the inverted lists of these q-grams. Several filtering techniques have been proposed to segment inverted lists in …

The Effects Of Emotional Arousal On Item And Associative Memory, Leslie Ann Butler

LSU Master's Theses

Although the conclusions of research examining the impact of emotional arousal on associative memory are mixed (e.g., Mather & Nesmith, 2008; Zimmerman & Kelley, 2010), it has recently been suggested that associative memory should be enhanced by arousal when encoding is intentional rather than incidental (Mather & Sutherland, 2011). Research has also suggested that arousing items are more subject to interference effects in memory than non-arousing items. These predictions were explored across two experiments. In both experiments, participants intentionally encoded a series of picture pairs that consisted of two neutral pictures, two negatively arousing pictures, or one neutral picture and …