Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2013

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 72871 - 72900 of 73786

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Now And Then, Scottt Arthur Jan 2013

Now And Then, Scottt Arthur

LSU Master's Theses

I am interested in painting that begins in observation and manifests itself as a meeting ground of the subject and myself. My paintings explore color and spatial relationships as well as a surface that is manipulated over time. I often paint from nature on site as well as from small sketches and drawings that are later brought back to the studio and painted on a larger scale.

Go to article

Molecular Phylogenetics Of The North American Snake Tribe Thamnophiini, John David Mcvay Jan 2013

Molecular Phylogenetics Of The North American Snake Tribe Thamnophiini, John David Mcvay

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Advancements in phylogenetic theory and methodology coupled with improvements in computational and sequencing technology facilitate study of the divergence and diversification patterns of life. I apply our current understanding to further explore the relationships and evolution of the North American snake tribe Thamnophiini, as well as to address current topics in phylogenetic and taxonomic methodology. There are two paradigms for the phylogenetic analysis of multi-locus sequence data: one which forces all genes to share the same underlying history, and another that allows genes to follow idiosyncratic patterns of descent from ancestral alleles. The first of these approaches (concatenation) is a …

Go to article

Louisiana Department Of Children And Family Services : A Case Study Of Child Welfare Workers' Burnout, Crystal Ward Jan 2013

Louisiana Department Of Children And Family Services : A Case Study Of Child Welfare Workers' Burnout, Crystal Ward

LSU Master's Theses

Social work can be an extremely gratifying profession. However, social workers who are exposed to graphic realities related to vulnerable and traumatized individuals and families may experience challenging workload demands and increased levels of burnout. To best understand and support these key human service workers, it is important to investigate variables influencing levels of burnout. In this study, the author examined whether specific individual worker characteristics contribute to burnout among child welfare workers in Louisiana. Characteristics were compared to individual variables such as job tenure, agency department, supervisor/front line worker, and educational background. The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) was completed …

Go to article

Analytical Modeling And Diagnosis Of Penetration Rate Performance Of Pdc Bits, Reza Rahmani Jan 2013

Analytical Modeling And Diagnosis Of Penetration Rate Performance Of Pdc Bits, Reza Rahmani

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The high cost of drilling deep (15000+ ft) wells, due to slow rate of penetration (ROP) at depth, has severely limited the utilization and economic significance of deep hydrocarbon resources. The overall objective of this study was to obtain a better understanding of the major cause(s) of slow ROP in deep drilling. An analysis of field data demonstrated the impact of the problem and identified shale and limestone as the primary lithologies where slow ROP occurs at depth. Previous researchers have concluded that interactions between rock, drilling fluid, cuttings, and the bit control ROP. More specifically, several researchers have concluded …

Go to article

Corporate Use Of Social Media, Viktorya Mirzoyan Jan 2013

Corporate Use Of Social Media, Viktorya Mirzoyan

LSU Master's Theses

Despite significant and constantly increasing volume of social media use by both individuals and corporate entities, scarce scholastic attention has been paid to practices undertaken by companies and organizations in creating presence on social media, managing social media accounts and communicating with constituents on social media. New social media platforms appear regularly, attracting millions of daily visitors, however, this new type of communication media still lacks in-depth analysis, which would provide guidelines to be used by corporate entities to make their presence on social media most effective. This study makes the first step to analyze possible relationships between companies’ practices …

Go to article

A Stylistic Analysis Of Libyan Short Stories : The Connotation Of Adjectives, Safa M. Elnaili Jan 2013

A Stylistic Analysis Of Libyan Short Stories : The Connotation Of Adjectives, Safa M. Elnaili

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT Between 1969 and 2011, Libya experienced an oppressive dictatorship that paralyzed the country`s political, economical, and social growth. Libya`s literary identity was oppressed due to the policy of censorship and authors were unable to express their opinions freely. In fear of punishment, most Libyan writers criticized the regime and discussed their struggles in the society only implicitly. Censorship has led Libyan writers to adopt different literary styles to reflect on society. In this paper, I will shed light on one of the writers` techniques by examining six Libyan short stories using a stylistics analysis approach. I analyze the lexical …

Go to article

Explicit Instruction In Self-Regulatory Skills And Deliberate Practice, Kimberly Joy Gedde Jan 2013

Explicit Instruction In Self-Regulatory Skills And Deliberate Practice, Kimberly Joy Gedde

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT The purpose of this investigation was to explore explicitly teaching self-regulation for musical practice. The study consisted of a pre-test, intervention, and post-test design in a case-study format. Three participants completed a pre-test practice task where they were asked to sight-read an excerpt of music, practice for 25 minutes and then perform the excerpt again. Following the pre-test participants completed five instructional sessions explicitly teaching them to self-regulate during musical practice using a cyclical model of component steps. Immediately following the five instructional sessions all participants completed a post-test practice task, which was identical to the task from the …

Go to article

The Creation Of "Voices In My Head," A One-Man Show, Anthony Michael Mcmurray Jan 2013

The Creation Of "Voices In My Head," A One-Man Show, Anthony Michael Mcmurray

LSU Master's Theses

The thesis assignment began with one simple question, “Can we conceptualize, compose, and create a one-man show, where we hold an audience’s attention, for no less than 30 minutes?” We were encouraged to find a piece that we could live with over the course of the next 9-12 months. Not wanting to carry around some heavy emotional weight, and knowing that I can’t take anything seriously for more than a month at a time without making fun of it, I went in the opposite direction of drama and dove head first towards the land of comedy. From the moment that …

Go to article

An Examination Of Speech Characteristics Under Conditions Of Affective Reactivity And Variable Cognitive Load As Distinguishing Feigned And Genuine Schizophrenia, Gina M. Najolia Jan 2013

An Examination Of Speech Characteristics Under Conditions Of Affective Reactivity And Variable Cognitive Load As Distinguishing Feigned And Genuine Schizophrenia, Gina M. Najolia

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Proper assessment of schizophrenia is complicated by the need for clinicians to be cognizant of the possibility of malingering, i.e., the intentional production of false or grossly exaggerated symptoms, motivated by external incentives. Current standardized schizophrenia malingering detection methods rely on endorsement of improbable or exaggerated, mainly positive, symptoms. However, these detection methods may be vulnerable to successful manipulation by sophisticated malingerers, particularly if coached regarding response style assessment strategies. This paper explored the utility of supplemental variables to examine in schizophrenia malingering detection by using a simulation study design to compare schizophrenia patients, a community participant sample instructed to …

Go to article

American-Indian Media: The Past, The Present, And The Promise Of Digital, Victoria Leigh Lapoe Jan 2013

American-Indian Media: The Past, The Present, And The Promise Of Digital, Victoria Leigh Lapoe

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores how digital media are changing the rich cultural act of storytelling within Native communities. The norms and routines of the non-Native press often leave consumers with a stereotypical view of American-Indians. The researcher interviewed key Native journalists identified through the Native American Journalists Association. She also observed journalists at a primarily Native newspaper and Native radio station. The study conducted interviews with more than 40 Native journalists around the country to understand how digital media possibly advances the distribution of storytelling within the American-Indian community.

Go to article

Modeling, Simulation And Analysis Of Renewable Energy Production Systems: Application To Multi-Product Biorefineries, Aryan Geraili Nejadfomeshi Jan 2013

Modeling, Simulation And Analysis Of Renewable Energy Production Systems: Application To Multi-Product Biorefineries, Aryan Geraili Nejadfomeshi

LSU Master's Theses

The primary purpose of this research is to investigate the design and modelling of fully integrated processes which utilize renewable feedstock as raw materials and evaluate the alternative technology and possible process integration options for biorefinery processes to select the optimal configuration based on the production yields and economical profit criteria. The case study considered in this work is a lignocellulosic biorefinery plant which has different technology choices for each section of the process and the ability to produce multi-products from lignocellulosic raw materials. We analyzed different scenarios by simulating the superstructures in Aspen Plus. To incorporate more non-linarites in …

Go to article

Evolutionary And Ecological Dynamics Of Rapid Radiation Of Pocket Gophers (Thomomy's) In Mexico, Verity Lynn Mathis Jan 2013

Evolutionary And Ecological Dynamics Of Rapid Radiation Of Pocket Gophers (Thomomy's) In Mexico, Verity Lynn Mathis

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding biodiversity is one of the driving foundations of evolutionary biology and researchers use a myriad of tools to uncover and understand the processes contributing to it. The evolutionary and ecological dynamics in a group of smooth-toothed pocket gophers, the Thomomys umbrinus species complex, is studied for this dissertation. This complex is distributed from south-central Arizona and southwestern New Mexico south to Veracruz, Mexico. The genetic complexity of T. umbrinus was initially discovered via allozymes and karyotypes, resulting in five genetic clades: three with one diploid number of chromosomes (2n = 76; two clades distributed in the Sierra Madre Occidental …

Go to article

Concentration And Detection Of Hepatitis A Virus And Its Indicator From Seawater, Jiemin Cormier Jan 2013

Concentration And Detection Of Hepatitis A Virus And Its Indicator From Seawater, Jiemin Cormier

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is the leading worldwide cause of acute viral hepatitis, and its outbreaks often occur from fecal contaminated shellfish. HAV is extremely stable in the environment and can survive 3~10 months in water. In addition, HAV can be bio-concentrated by shellfish by as much as 100 fold from fecal contaminated waters. Bacteriophage MS2 is used widely as a surrogate for HAV, and its presence has been proven to be a reliable indication of the presence of HAV. A rapid detection of viral contamination in water environments can prevent economic loss and can identify the source of …

Go to article

Classroom Observation, Self-Assessment Of Efficacy, And Student Perceptions Of Engagement As Predictors Of Value-Added Scores, Leslie Davis Blanchard Jan 2013

Classroom Observation, Self-Assessment Of Efficacy, And Student Perceptions Of Engagement As Predictors Of Value-Added Scores, Leslie Davis Blanchard

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine which has the strongest correlation to student achievement as measured by value-added test scores: Principal Observations, Teachers Self-Efficacy Ratings, or Student Perceptions of Teacher Effectiveness. 68 teachers from a K-12 public school in the southeast region of the United States agreed to participate in the study. The Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) was utilized to measure the teachers in terms of their own reports of self efficacy. The School Improvement Model (SIM) of Iowa State University instruments were used to measure the students’ perceptions of teacher effectiveness. The Teacher Advancement Program …

Go to article

Characterization Of Echerichia Coli Lpp As A Plasminogen Binding Protein, Tammy Gonzalez Jan 2013

Characterization Of Echerichia Coli Lpp As A Plasminogen Binding Protein, Tammy Gonzalez

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Perceptions Of Bisexual Relationships, Grace Felling Jan 2013

Perceptions Of Bisexual Relationships, Grace Felling

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Go to article

It Could Be Worse : The Link Between Language And Culture Within Expressions Of Expectation In The Red River Valley, Devon Olson Jan 2013

It Could Be Worse : The Link Between Language And Culture Within Expressions Of Expectation In The Red River Valley, Devon Olson

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Oral Care & Asian And Pacific Islander Communities In Oregon, Amira Caluya Jan 2013

Oral Care & Asian And Pacific Islander Communities In Oregon, Amira Caluya

Center to Advance Racial Equity Publications and Reports

This report attempts to describe the current knowledge of oral health care access within Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities in Oregon based on secondary data from the Oregon Health Authority’s Smile Survey 2007, Smile Survey 2012; and the Coalition of Communities of Color’s 2012 report, The Asian and Pacific Islander Community in Multnomah County: An Unsettling Profile. To be clear, the 2012 survey report draft is cited most, as the 2012 survey reported more data on children of color compared to the 2007 survey. This paper also attempts to highlight the multifaceted aspects of access to care …

Go to article

Topology And Shape Optimization Of Hydrodynamically–Lubricated Bearings For Enhanced Load-Carrying Capacity, Mohammad Fesanghary Jan 2013

Topology And Shape Optimization Of Hydrodynamically–Lubricated Bearings For Enhanced Load-Carrying Capacity, Mohammad Fesanghary

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Bearings are basic and essential components of nearly all machinery. They must be designed to work under different loads, speeds, and environments. Of all the performance parameters, load-carrying capacity (LCC) is often the most crucial design constraint. The objective of this research is to investigate different design methodologies that significantly improve the LCC of liquid-lubricated bearings. This goal can be achieved by either altering the surface texture or the bearing geometrical configuration. The methodology used here is based on mathematical topological/shape optimization algorithms. These methods can effectively improve the design performance while avoiding time-consuming trial-and-error design techniques. The first category …

Go to article

Examining Self-Efficacy Of Preservice Elementary Teachers With Regard To The Next Generation Science Standards, Jennifer Noiva Jan 2013

Examining Self-Efficacy Of Preservice Elementary Teachers With Regard To The Next Generation Science Standards, Jennifer Noiva

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Voting For Women : How Views Toward Women Influence Voting Behavior, Colleen Lofton Jan 2013

Voting For Women : How Views Toward Women Influence Voting Behavior, Colleen Lofton

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Go to article

The Correlation Between Autism Spectrum Disorder And Food Allergy, Megan A. Strube Jan 2013

The Correlation Between Autism Spectrum Disorder And Food Allergy, Megan A. Strube

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Integrating Select Industry Into New Urbanism, Marcus Wax Jan 2013

Integrating Select Industry Into New Urbanism, Marcus Wax

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Go to article

What's Up Allergies : Resources On Living With Multiple Food Allergies, Laura Slaathaug Jan 2013

What's Up Allergies : Resources On Living With Multiple Food Allergies, Laura Slaathaug

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Go to article

When The Mouse Meets The Elephant : A Manual For String Bass Players With Application Of The Philosophy And Principles Of The F. M. Alexander Technique, Yun-Chieh Chou Jan 2013

When The Mouse Meets The Elephant : A Manual For String Bass Players With Application Of The Philosophy And Principles Of The F. M. Alexander Technique, Yun-Chieh Chou

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study was concerned with the use of the Alexander Technique principles in avoiding unwanted muscular tension and maintaining proper use of the body in double bass playing. Of particular importance was how the Alexander Technique could facilitate the fundamentals of double bass playing. The Alexander Technique is a hands-on method which aids the individual in achieving muscular coordination which is free and lively. Applying the principles of the Alexander Technique helps one achieve a harmonious psychophysical state, which results in greater ease, poise, and physical coordination in any activity, even the most demanding of virtuoso works for double bass. …

Go to article

Developmental Education Programs : Students' Perceptions Of The Effectiveness At The Community College Level, Thad David Mitchell Jan 2013

Developmental Education Programs : Students' Perceptions Of The Effectiveness At The Community College Level, Thad David Mitchell

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Developmental education and the surrounding issues of academically underprepared students have been an ongoing source of debate within American higher education. While secondary education systems are frequently blamed for failing to adequately prepare students, community colleges, state colleges, and universities offer developmental programs to aid students in need of remediation in the form of developmental courses. Reading, Math, and English are subjects that are often taught on a developmental level. These courses are designed to provide students with the basic skills needed to be successful in higher education. This research was designed to examine students’ perception of the effectiveness of …

Go to article

Parallel Suffix Tree Construction For Genome Sequence Using Hadoop, Umesh Chandra Satish Jan 2013

Parallel Suffix Tree Construction For Genome Sequence Using Hadoop, Umesh Chandra Satish

LSU Master's Theses

Indexing the genome is the basis for many of the bioinformatics applications. Read mapping (sequence alignment) is one such application to align millions of short reads against reference genome. Several tools like BLAST, SOAP, BOWTIE, Cloudburst, and Rapid Parallel Genome Indexing with MapReduce use indexing technique for aligning short reads. Many of the contemporary alignment techniques are time consuming, memory intensive and cannot be easily scaled to larger genomes. Suffix tree is a popular data structure which can be used to overcome the demerits of other alignment techniques. However, constructing the suffix tree is highly memory intensive and time consuming. …

Go to article

Essays On Credit Default Swaps And Debtor-Creditor Relationships, Cihan Uzmanoglu Jan 2013

Essays On Credit Default Swaps And Debtor-Creditor Relationships, Cihan Uzmanoglu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Over the last decade, markets for credit insurance have developed dramatically and credit default swaps (CDS) have become the instrument of choice when it comes to hedging credit risks. The expanded hedging opportunities CDS provide and the allied benefits of better risk-sharing notwithstanding, concerns over the economic role of CDS arise from their ability to engender “empty” creditors – joint holders of the bond and CDS, and the role such creditors play in distress situations. Financially distressed firms often restructure their debt through out-of-court renegotiations with creditors to avoid formal default. In addition to the going concern value of the …

Go to article

Investigating Soil Property And Quality Changes From Samples Submitted To The Lsu Agcenter Soil Testing Laboratory, Mark A. Williams Jan 2013

Investigating Soil Property And Quality Changes From Samples Submitted To The Lsu Agcenter Soil Testing Laboratory, Mark A. Williams

LSU Master's Theses

The primary purpose of the study is to investigate the trends in soil nutrient levels from soil samples submitted to the LSU AgCenter soil testing and plant analysis laboratory during 2008 to 2012. This study indicates the trend for soil pH, soil phosphorus and soil potassium for corn, cotton, rice, grain sorghum, soybeans, and sugarcane. These six crops were analyzed in this study because of the economic significance to the Louisiana agricultural industry. The trend in soil nutrients studied were generally within the recommended levels for sustainability and environmental stewardship. This study describes the trends for soil pH, soil phosphorus …

Go to article

A Linear Programming Model And Partial Budget Analysis To Optimize Management Strategies Of Western Flower Thrips In Greenhouse Impatiens Production, Xiaohua Yue Jan 2013

A Linear Programming Model And Partial Budget Analysis To Optimize Management Strategies Of Western Flower Thrips In Greenhouse Impatiens Production, Xiaohua Yue

LSU Master's Theses

The research problem of this thesis was to compare strategies and costs of protecting impatiens in greenhouse culture from western flower thrips that would provide a plant of acceptable quality to the market and would address the issue of development of resistance to commonly used pesticides by evaluating biopesticides. Partial budgets based on alternative strategies were identified. Six control strategies were identified from a combination of commercial growers, research experts and biopesticide recommendations from product distributors. The research-recommended strategy 6 had the highest total production cost ($197.44), while one of the grower strategies based on conventional pesticides had the lowest …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last