Digital Commons Network^™

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

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Combined Effects Of Co2 And Light On Large And Small Isolates Of The Unicellular N2-Fixing Cyanobacterium Crocosphaera Watsonii From The Western Tropical Atlantic Ocean, Nathan S. Garcia, Fei-Xue Fu, Cynthia L. Breene, Elizabeth K. Yu, Peter W. Bernhardt, Margaret R. Mulholland, David A. Hutchins

OES Faculty Publications

We examined the combined effects of light and pCO₂ on growth, CO₂-fixation and N₂-fixation rates by strains of the unicellular marine N₂-fixing cyanobacterium Crocosphaera watsonii with small (WH0401) and large (WH0402) cells that were isolated from the western tropical Atlantic Ocean. In low-pCO₂-acclimated cultures (190ppm) of WH0401, growth, CO₂-fixation and N₂-fixation rates were significantly lower than those in cultures acclimated to higher (present-day approximate to 385ppm, or future approximate to 750ppm) pCO² treatments. Growth rates were not significantly different, however, in low-pCO₂-acclimated cultures of …

Processing Research Snd Development Of A 'Green' Polymer Nanoclay Composites Containing A Polyhydroxybutyrate, Vinyl Acetates, And Modified Montmorillonite Clay, James N. Mckirahan

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the feasibility of direct melt-blending (intercalation) montmorillonite nanoclay to polyhydroxybutyrate along with vinyl acetate, at different weight percentages, to enhance plasticization using typical plastic processing equipment and typical processing methodology. The purpose was to determine and compare the specific mechanical properties of tensile strength and flexural strength developed as a result from this processing. Single screw and twin screw extrusion, Banbury mixer compounding, and compression molding were used to intercalate montmorillonite, and for sample preparation purposes, to test tensile and flexural strength of the resultant polymer clay nanocomposites (PCN). Results indicate Polyhydroxybutyrate …

For The Absent, Jae Hyung Lee

Theses

When faced with trauma we often do not recognize the importance of taking time to heal. The purpose of my work is to heal myself from my past. The process of making pieces can ease agony and create hope in my mind. My design concept will be developed through the creation of my work, and I hope to begin healing from the trauma of my father's death. I have reflected on the post-traumatic feelings that are associated with my father's death eight years ago. I realize that I still feel anger, sadness and grief. To confront this reality and work …

Li Song: The Decay Of The Sublime, Curtis L. Carter

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

An Oral Strategy For Training Leaders Among The Aztec Indians, Anthony Conner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Today there are over 150 Unengaged Unreached People Groups and Unreached People Groups in Mexico. Current methods of outreach are missing the mark with the indigenous people groups. Leaders are poorly equipped to take the Gospel to these least reached areas. The purpose of this project is to research and implement a program to train leaders in an indigenous context in Southern Mexico. The development of this program is based on the biblical mandate to reach all people groups, communication among indigenous peoples as affected by culture and worldview, surveys and interviews with missionaries and national leaders, and special considerations …

The Victorious Christian Life: Overcoming Alcohol Dependence Through The Phenomenon Of Christian Spirituality, Michael Byrne

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Interviews were conducted with graduates of a northeastern evangelical Christian-based treatment program to discover insights regarding the role that the phenomenon of Christian spirituality played in their recovery. Eight themes were extracted from three periods of time in the participants' lives as they related to the phenomenon of Christian spirituality: prior to treatment; during treatment; and after treatment. These themes revealed that the participants lacked resiliencies to overcome alcohol dependence themselves. All participants reported that critical aspects of Christian spirituality, such as regeneration and cultivation of a divine-human relationship through lifestyle exercise of Spiritual Disciplines and diligent application of the …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of Non-Completers In Online Doctor Of Education Programs, Bernadette Wyman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The chance of an individual completing a traditional doctorate program is 50% (Bowen & Rudenstine, 1992; Council of Graduate Schools Ph.D. Completion Project, 2008; Ivankova & Stick, 2007). Student attrition in online programs is 10% to 20% greater than that of traditional, residential programs (Allen & Seaman, 2010; Carr, 2000; Diaz, 2000; DiRamio & Wolverton, 2006; Parker, 1999; Rovai, 2002). While doctoral attrition rates have been examined for decades, little research focuses on the phenomenon of attrition with doctoral candidates who enrolled in online graduate programs (Perry, Boman, Care, Edwards & Park, 2008). The phenomenon of attrition is multifaceted and …

Integrated Functional Anlaysis Of Quorum-Sensing In The Rice Pathogenic Bacterium Burkholderia Glumae, Ruoxi Chen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell-to-cell communication mechanism that allows bacterial cells to collectively behave like a multicellular organism. It regulates the expression of toxoflavin, one of the major virulence factors of the rice pathogen, Burkholderia glumae. The QS system of B. glumae is mediated by the core genes, tofI and tofR. N-octanoyl-L-homoserine lactone, the primary QS signal molecule of B. glumae, is synthesized by tofI and binds to the cognate receptor tofR at the quorum point. However, tofI and tofR null mutants produce toxoflavin in certain growth conditions, indicating the presence of tofI- and tofR-independent pathways for toxoflavin production. …

Designing A Cost Effective Microalgae Harvesting Strategy For Biodiesel Production With Electrocoagulation And Dissolved Air Flotation, Adam James Dassey

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Microalgal harvesting strategies for biodiesel production have been a major setback in the industry with high energy estimates of $3400/ton biomass by centrifugation. The present study utilized effective mass and energy balances to reduce these large operating costs. The energy for Stage 1 centrifugation was reduced by 82% when harvesting 28.5% of biomass at 18 L/min as opposed to 95% harvesting at 1 L/min. This strategy was further confirmed using electrocoagulation (EC) with Nannochloris and Dunaliella algae with perforated aluminum and iron electrodes at low (< 6 mg/L) metal ion concentrations. Despite 20% lower harvesting efficiencies, the iron electrodes were more energy and cost efficient with operating costs less than $0.03/L oil when flocculating and settling Nannochloris and Dunaliella cultures. Furthermore, a continuous multistage algae harvester using EC and dissolved air flotation (DAF) for Stage 1 harvesting and centrifugation for Stage 2 dewatering was designed. It was determined throughout the testing that greater EC costs for improved harvesting efficiencies were necessary to offset the large energy requirements of the DAF. The multistage system dewatered a low density (100 mg/L) Nannochloris to 20% solids for a final energy requirement of 1.536 kWh/kg algae ($138/ton). Using the data collected from this research and existing literature, a life cycle analysis was assembled to judge the sustainability of microalgal biofuels in Louisiana. High and low energy estimates for culturing (mixing, CO2, nutrients), harvesting, lipid extraction and energy conversion were compared with the current research. Scaling the EC/DAF system for a full size facility was expected to reduce the harvesting costs to 1.133 kWh/kg algae, resulting as $0.44/L oil for a culture with 20% lipids. Despite this improvement in harvesting costs, the production of algal for the sole purpose of biodiesel was not economically viable. Considering a system with a growth rate of 15 g/m2/day and lipid content of 20%, the energy inputs exceeded the outputs from biodiesel production by 36% under the most ideal conditions. However, incorporating additional revenue through wastewater treatment and biogas production from residual biomass could improve sustainability and profitability of algal biodiesel to an 18.5% energy surplus at its current state.

The Disappearing Fourth Wall: Law, Ethics, And Experiential Theatre, Mary Lafrance

Scholarly Works

The cutting edge of experiential theatre blurs the lines between performer and audience. Both the performer and the audience are vulnerable. Audiences may be subject to assaultive or disturbing behavior or images. The performance may take place in an unconventional venue that poses safety hazards. A single audience member may be alone with a performer, who may engage in provocative or shocking behavior, including verbal abuse or touching. The performer may invite similar conduct from the participant. Typically, the participant does not know in advance what will take place and does not sign a waiver. While the performer has a …

Silver Transport And Adsorption-Desorption In Soils: Influence Of Zinc, Liyun Zhang

LSU Master's Theses

Transport of heavy metals such as Ag is affected by several rate-limiting processes including adsorption and release reactions in soils. In this study, the objective was to qualify adsorption-desorption behavior and transport of silver in the different soils. This study also investigated the influence of the presence of Zn on Ag retention and transport in soils. Kinetic batch adsorption-desorption and column experiments were carried out to investigate the adsorption-desorption and transport of silver in soils having different properties in the presence of Zn. Transport of Ag was carried out using miscible-displacement experiments in water saturated soil columns. For all soils, …

El Uso Variable De Los Pronombres Sujetos En El Castellano Puertorriqueño Hablado En Luisiana Y Puerto Rico, Lee-Ann Marie Vidal Covas

LSU Master's Theses

Abstracto: La alternancia entre sujetos expresos y tácitos constituye una característica fundamental del castellano. Orozco (under review:15) indica que el uso variable de los pronombres sujetos es una característica morfosintáctica heredada del latín. Leonetti (2009: 8) propone que la “alternancia no es siempre del todo libre, ya que está determinada por algunos factores gramaticales y discursivos, pero podemos afirmar que en un buen número de contextos realmente existe la posibilidad de optar libremente” entre usar un pronombre explícito y usar uno implícito o tácito. El presente estudio explora la variación en el uso de los pronombres personales de sujeto en …

Investigations On The Essentiality Of The Escherichia Coli Deda Membrane Protein Family, Lisa A. Boughner

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The DedA protein family is a highly conserved family of membrane proteins, with members present throughout all domains of life: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. Investigation of the DedA membrane protein family began with the isolation of BC202, an Escherichia coli mutant with in-frame deletions of two DedA proteins of unknown function (YqjA and YghB) that share 61% amino acid identity. BC202 demonstrates temperature sensitivity, inefficient cell division, an altered phospholipid composition, increased expression of extracytoplasmic stress response pathways, as well as an inability to maintain the cell membrane proton motive force (PMF). Additionally, Borrelia burgdorferi has a single DedA homolog …

Vitrification Of Equine Expanded Blastocysts, Fabian Andres Diaz

LSU Master's Theses

The cryopreservation of equine expanded blastocysts (>300 um) has been largely unsuccessful primarily due to the low permeability to cryoprotectants and the large size of the equine embryo. Mechanical alternatives may provide means to overcome the capsule barrier and the relative large embryo size. In this regard, multiple experiments were performed in this study to evaluate different approaches of capsule puncture and blastocoele fluid extraction with the objective to develop a cryopreservation protocol for Day 8 equine expanded blastocysts. In the first experiment, twenty-four Day 8 expanded blastocysts were exposed to standard equine embryo vitrification solutions following one- or …

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 …

Madécasse: Competing With A 4x Fairtrade Business Model, Scott Marshall, Darrell Brown, Bex Sakarias, Min Cai

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Brett Beach and Tim McCollum, co-founders of Madécasse, spent two years as Peace Corps volunteers in Madagascar. During that time, they fell in love with the country and its people. Recognizing the need of the Malagasy for stable jobs and fair wages and the connection between poverty and environmental destruction, Brett and Tim discussed possibilities for a social enterprise in the country.

Madagascar presents a beautiful yet challenging place to operate a business. It has a wide range of flora and fauna, approximately 70% of which are found nowhere else on Earth and it produces coffee, vanilla, sugar, cotton, pepper, …

Silver Nanoparticles As Drug Delivery Systems, Ammar Tahseen Qureshi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this project is to study the potential applications of silver nanoparticles (SNPs) in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. Bone cements have been used in the orthopedic surgeries for many years to anchor prosthetics while filling up the spaces between the prostheses and bone. Antibiotics are an active component of bone cements but the increasing bacterial resistance to these antibiotics and difficulty of shaping and molding the bone cements increases the need for new antimicrobial biomaterials. Adult stem cell based regenerative therapies have been one of the most widely researched areas of tissue engineering. This is due …

Cognitive Case Studies Of Chinese In Discourse Analysis And Classroom Teaching, Yanqiu Yang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the first case study, a piece of recent BBC news reported on Chinese netizens leaving random but funny comments on a Western website attracted people’s attention. A closer look at those comments reveals that understanding the Chinese netizens’ comments requires metaphorical and cultural knowledge. This study starts with theoretical explanations on metaphor from different perspectives and then presents cultural variations in Western and Eastern metaphors. With theories and cultures grounded, a detailed analysis was done to show people without Chinese cultural background how to understand the Chinese Internet metaphors that drew people’s attention. The second case study takes a …

Sites Of Indigenous Language Practice : Geography Of American Indian Language Policy, Thomas Pierre-Yves Brasdefer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

For over 1.9 million indigenous people in the United States, speaking their native language has become a rare opportunity. There are several obstacles standing in their way, from geographically separated communities to hundreds of years of contrarian policies and sometimes a collective lack of interest. Today, indigenous language use has become an integral part of self-determination and political sovereignty, sometimes more so than a communicative activity. This dissertation examines the political steps taken by American Indian communities around the United States to ensure that their languages can still be spoken into the twenty-first century, and analyzes the complex implications of …

Thermal, Compositional, And Salinity Effects On Wettability And Oil Recovery In A Dolomite Reservoir, Azadeh Kafili Kasmaei

LSU Master's Theses

Low salinity and composition effects in improving oil recovery in sandstone reservoirs are known. However, these effects have not been thoroughly studied for the carbonate reservoirs. Because of the lack of the clay minerals in the carbonate rocks, the mechanisms for the improved oil recovery with low salinity, brine composition, and temperature may not be the same as those for sandstones. This experimental study attempts to investigate the effects of low salinity, brine composition, and temperature on wettability and oil recovery in a dolomite reservoir. Also, it is attempted to confirm that wettability alteration is the main mechanism for improvement …

Lichens As A Biomonitoring Tool For Detecting Heavy Metal Air Pollution Associated With Industrial Activities In Collie, South-Western Australia, Meenu Chathurika Vitarana

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

During the last few decades, various techniques for using lichens as biomonitors have been developed for monitoring air pollution and forest ecosystem health. Lichens have been used effectively to determine the dispersion of heavy metals emitted by industrial point-sources; however the approach has not been commonly used in Australia. This thesis aimed to determine the effectiveness of using a lichen biomonitoring approach to measure the heavy metal pollutants emitted from coal-fired power stations and related industries in Collie, south-western Australia, an area with concern over poor air quality. Three different approaches to lichen biomonitoring were investigated. The first explored lichen …

Determinants Of Corporate Environmental And Social Disclosure In Chinese Listed Mining, Electricity Supply And Chemical Companies Annual Reports, Junru Zhang

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

As the environmental and social disclosing systems have been developed over decades, the climate of corporate environmental and social responsibility is becoming mature nowadays globally. What and how environment-sensitive companies (i.e. companies that are more likely to do environmental damages) disclose such information voluntarily are extensively concerned by the public, especially in China, where strong debatable issues constantly raise as a result of the rapid economic growth. Corporate environmental and social responsibility is no longer an international obligation but a domestic demand for China. This study will enhance our understanding of a very important issue in arguably the world's most …

On A Joint Physical Layer And Medium Access Control Sublayer Design For Efficient Wireless Sensor Networks And Applications, Mahir Lumumba Meghji

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are distributed networks comprising small sensing devices equipped with a processor, memory, power source, and often with the capability for short range wireless communication. These networks are used in various applications, and have created interest in WSN research and commercial uses, including industrial, scientific, household, military, medical and environmental domains. These initiatives have also been stimulated by the finalisation of the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, which defines the medium access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) for low-rate wireless personal area networks (LR-WPAN).

Future applications may require large WSNs consisting of huge numbers of inexpensive wireless sensor …

Teaching Excellence : An Illusive Goal In Higher Education Teaching And Learning, Heather Sparrow

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In the last decades of the 20th Century, and through the first decade of the 21st Century, both the natural world and human society have experienced dramatic change. Contemporary society world-wide has high expectations of the contribution that universities can make in helping people learn to live with change, to lead change, to manage change, and to support improvement in all spheres of life. The global community seeks ‘excellence’ across all higher education roles: community engagement and leadership, research and innovation, and teaching and learning. However, universities are not always regarded as effective in fulfilling the needs of students, business …

Tablet Pc Use In Teaching And Learning : A Case Study, Andrew Stewart

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

With the emergence of the use of the traditional (non-touch screen) notebook computer in the classroom, different teaching styles and equipment have been introduced. Teachers have started to use the Notebook PC to support their teaching. They now have the ability to gather and use a far greater range of materials in the classroom with little distraction.

The introduction of the touch screen Tablet PC has brought another dimension to the way technology can be used in the classroom. This study seeks to investigate the ways in which Tablet PC technology has been used to enhance the learning of students …

Migration Matters : The Experience Of United Kingdom Registered Nurses Migrating To Western Australia, Caroline J. Vafeas

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This qualitative study uses heuristic inquiry to investigate the unique journey of 21 registered nurses (RN) who migrated from the United Kingdom (UK) to Perth in Western Australia (WA) between 2003 and 2008. The study explores the reasons for migration as well as the professional, social and psychological impact on each participant and their accompanying family during the first two years of settling in a new country.

In the contemporary climate of international nurse mobility, many employers are attempting to attract new employees, often with tantalising offers of an immediate visa and the enticement of a better climate and standard …

My Worst Ever Night At The Best School Ball Ever : Creating Taboo Theatre For Teenagers, Jeremy F. Rice

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

My Worst Ever Night at the Best School Ball Ever (School Ball) is a new play for teenage audiences. The action takes place on the night of a ball for final year students. A prank with a goat goes horribly wrong, a photo of a girl pissing in a pot plant is widely circulated, and everyone finds out about the boy in a sexual relationship with a teacher. At the heart of the play are teenagers, armed with mobile phones, trying to find their way in a contradictory and confusing world.

The creative development of School Ball centred on practice-based …

Using Semi-Supervised Classifiers For Credit Scoring, Kenneth Kennedy, Brian Mac Namee, Sarah Jane Delany

Articles

In credit scoring, low-default portfolios are those for which very little default history exists. This makes it problematic for financial institutions to estimate a reliable probability of a customer defaulting on a loan. Banking regulation (Basel II Capital Accord), and best practice, however, necessitate an accurate and valid estimate of the probability of default. In this article the suitability of semi-supervised one-class classification algorithms as a solution to the lowdefault portfolio problem are evaluated. The performance of one-class classification algorithms is compared with the performance of supervised two-class classification algorithms. This study also investigates the suitability of oversampling, which is …

Fundamentals Of Speech, Steelman Library, David Yates

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.