Digital Commons Network^™

An Introduction To The Piano Music Of Manuel M. Ponce, Luis Francisco Gaytan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Manuel María Ponce Cuéllar (1882-1948) was a Mexican pianist, composer and educator. A prolific composer, Manuel Ponce wrote orchestral suites and symphonic poems; three concertos, one each for piano, guitar and violin; chamber works; over 400 works for piano, both solo and in ensemble; a large collection of works for the guitar long considered the foundation of the modern guitar repertoire; over 200 songs; choral works and music for the stage. His constant search for and assimilation of new musical materials and compositional techniques lead him to write a large and eclectic catalogue of works. A brilliant pianist on his …

Teacher Matters: Teacher Normative Influence And Student Persistence In College, Jonathan Paul Denham

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation extends the work on teacher immediacy (TI) and student persistence by using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (Ajzen, 1985) to account for variability in college student persistence. Students provided perceptions of their teachers’ immediacy behaviors using modified versions of Gorham’s (1988) TI scale. Instruction prompts of the TI scale were manipulated to create four conditions. The results from Study 1 demonstrate that TI scale prompt language has an effect on the ways participants assess their teacher’s immediacy behaviors. The results from Study 2 show that student perceptions of their teacher’s immediacy behaviors change over the course of …

Bells In Tower At Evening Toll : A Performer's Guide To The Songs Of David P. Rossow On The Texts Of William Shakespeare And A. E. Housman For Baritone Voice And Piano, Matthew Joseph Daniels

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

David P. Rossow (b. 1975) is a contemporary American composer and arranger of choral works, music for jazz ensemble, and most recently, songs for solo voice and piano. This document serves as a performer’s guide to Rossow’s songs for baritone/low male voice and piano, Three Shakespeare Sonnets and Three A.E. Housman Songs. Chapter 1 is comprised of relevant biographical information about the composer from early childhood to present (2014). Chapters 2 and 3 are performance guides to Three Shakespeare Sonnets and Three A.E. Housman Songs, respectively. Included in these chapters are the following: date of composition; source of poetry; harmonic …

Reducing Juvenile Justice Involvement Through A Childhood Truancy Intervention, Bret James Blackmon

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study employed a mixed methods design to evaluate an elementary school truancy intervention in terms of reducing rates of juvenile delinquency over six years. Few (n = 11) participants became involved in the formal justice system, so the intervention’s effectiveness was measured by re-referrals for continued truancy. The regression discontinuity design was used to compare the intervention group to the comparison group. The intervention group received intensive case management and the comparison group received a warning letter. A regression discontinuity design using multivariate logistic regression indicated that the intervention did not reduce the likelihood of subsequent re-referrals, and the …

Pacific Childhoods In The Rafu: Multiple Transnational Modernisms And The Los Angeles Nisei, 1918-1942, Bruce Makoto Arnold

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The second generation Japanese Americans (Nisei) who grew up in the Los Angeles area before the Second World War had two primary cultures seemingly competing for their attention: that of their first-generation parents (Issei) and that of the dominant culture surrounding them. However, the generation gap between the Issei and Nisei was extreme, with the former being raised right in the midst of the Second Industrial Revolution in Japan while the latter was raised in the United States during the Revolution’s consolidation into the modern that stressed science over tradition, organization over instinct, and intellect over tradition. Previous studies paint …

Lopsided, Scarred, And Squint-Eyed: Ugly Women In The Work Of Southern Women Writers, Monica C. Miller

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The ubiquity of ugly female characters in the work of southern women calls into question what W. J. Cash termed “gyneolatry,” the worship of the beautiful white woman upon which so much of southern ideology has been based. If the South functions as an internal other for the nation, then examining this fiction’s multiplicity of ugly women illuminates the ways in which women defy not only the norms of southern gender but also those of the larger American culture, in which the southern woman often acts as a representation of the South in general. By considering ugliness as a category …

Research In Biological Control Of The Formosan Subterranean Termite, Cai Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, is a worldwide distributed pest of wooden structures and living plants that causes huge economic losses. Compared to chemical pesticides, biological control may provide a more environmentally friendly and persistent method for the control of C. formosanus. In this research, a series of studies were conducted to understand the termite-pathogen interaction and to develop a feasible biological control strategy. In the first part of the research, the toxicity of Bt toxins expressed by genetically modified maize to termites was tested. Plant tissues or extracts of three commercially planted Bt maize and two non-Bt …

Phylogenetic And Morphological Community Structure Of North American Desert Bats, Lorelei Elizabeth Patrick

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Patterns of community structure may be examined using phylogenetic and morphological data; these patterns can then be used to infer the processes that gave rise to these patterns. Communities made up of similar species may be structured by habitat filtering, wherein only species with traits necessary to survive in a particular location are found there. Communities made up of dissimilar species may have been structured by competition, which reduces overlap in resource use. I examined the sensitivity of phylogenetic community structure (PCS) metrics to changes in phylogeny and community delimitation method, investigated patterns of PCS and correlation to environmental variables …

Analysis Of Hydrodynamic Drag Forces Acting On Suspended Fine Particle In Porous Media, Seyed Amin Mirsaeidi Farahani

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

An important class of flow and transport problems occurring in porous media involves the interactions between suspended fine particles and the moving fluid at Stokes limit. Historically, due to the complicated geometries of porous media, researchers have had to resort to simplifying assumptions to conceptualize the underlying physics. However, the advent of high performance computing, in recent decades, has made it possible to vigorously investigate this problem at the streamline scale level. In this work, the flow problem is solved by means of a finite-element model. The simulations results are used to compute the drag forces experienced by suspended fine …

An Exploration Of Self-Management Support In The Context Of Palliative Nursing: A Modified Concept Analysis, Bridget Johnson, Liz Rogerson, Jurate Macijauskiene, Aurelija Blaževičienė, Patricia Cholewka

Publications and Research

Background
The role of self-management is often ambiguous, yet, it is an important area in clinical practice for palliative nurses. A clear conceptual understanding, however, of what it represents is lacking.

Method
This paper reports an analysis of the concept of self-management support in palliative nursing. Avant and Walker's method was used to guide this concept analysis. A search of electronic databases (1990–2013), use of internet search engines and supplementary hand searching produced an international data set of reviews, empirical research, editorials, protocols and guidelines.

Results
Based on the analysis self-management support in palliative nursing has been defined as assessing, …

Vocal Fold Analysis From High Speed Videoendoscopic Data, Jing Chen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

High speed videoendoscopy (HSV) of the larynx far surpasses the limits of videostroboscopy in evaluating the vocal fold vibratory behavior by providing much higher frame rate. HSV enables the visualization of vocal fold vibratory pattern within an actual glottic cycle. This very detailed infor-mation on vocal fold vibratory characteristics could provide valuable information for the assessment of vocal fold vibratory function in disordered voices and the treatments effects of the behavioral, medical and surgical treatment procedures. In this work, we aim at addressing the problem of classi-fying voice disorders with varying etiology by following four steps described shortly. Our method-ology …

On The Governance Of Innovation: Institutional Ownership Vs. Stock Price, Huong Thi Thu Le

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Firms can change their outstanding shares to manage their stock price levels. Those with lower stock prices tend to attract more speculative trading, which causes higher price volatility and may force their managers to excessively focus on short-term earnings at the expense of R&D and other long-term projects. Thus, I hypothesize that keeping high stock price levels allows firms to (i) limit speculative traders’ influences on stock prices and thus mitigate investor short-termism, and (ii) enhance R&D productivity. Indeed, I find that high-priced firms are less likely to cut R&D to reverse an earnings decline, less likely to fire their …

Militant Feminism And The Women Of The Weather Underground Organization, Mona Cristina Rocha

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Militant feminism is characterized by two positions. First, the militant feminist believes that where the use of violence is justified, it is just as justified when performed by women as by men. Second, militant feminists hold that militant action can be justified in the pursuit of aims consistent with feminist values. Shortly after the emergence of second-wave feminism in the mid-1960’s, there is a surge of militant feminists among radical leftist organizations, such as the Weather Underground Organization. Second-wave feminists articulated a view of womanhood that was not confined to the home; militant feminists, such as those of the Weather …

Climate Extremes In The Southeast United States : Variability, Spatial Classification, And Related Planning, Emily J. Powell

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Spatial and temporal trends in temperature and precipitation extremes were investigated for the Southeast United States for the period 1948 to 2012 using 27 extreme indices developed by Working Groups headed by the World Meteorological Organization. Results show region-wide warming in extreme minimum temperatures and cooling in extreme maximum temperatures. As a result, diurnal temperature ranges are decreasing for most stations. The intensity and magnitude of extreme precipitation events appear to be rising overall, though eastern sites are experiencing increasing dryness in some indices. Seasonal trends suggest that warming in minimum temperatures is most pronounced in summer and least pronounced …

Can You Hear Me Now: A Cross-National Analysis Of Media, New Icts, Press Freedoms And Sociopolitical Instability, Conflict, And Democracy., Britt Christensen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Using cross-national panel data, I investigated relationships among sociopolitical instability, major intrastate conflicts, democracy levels, and media and new information and communication technologies (ICTs) penetration rates and press freedoms. I conducted similar analyses regarding all non-democracies, looking at various types of political instability and media/ICT penetration rates. The results of this research add to democratic, freedom of expression, and political communication theories. These findings bring empirical evidence to help illuminate many of the popular debates surrounding the impact of new ICTs and freedom of expression on popular dissident activities. My results suggested that countries with higher rates of Internet and …

Examining The Psychometrics Of The Psychopathology Inventory For Mentally Retarded Adults-Ii For Adults With Mild And Moderate Intellectual Disabilities, Brian Christopher Belva

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

With growing recognition of the occurrence of psychological disorders in individuals with intellectual disability (ID), researchers and clinicians alike have placed emphasis on developing measures to assess for psychopathologies in this population. Despite an increased interest in the topic, there is still a dearth of psychometrically robust measures available to assess for psychopathology in adults with mild and moderate ID. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of a revised measure for psychopathology in individuals with mild and moderate ID, the Psychopathology Inventory for Mentally Retarded Adults – Second Edition (PIMRA-II). Internal consistency, inter-rater reliability, and …

Novel Nanostructured Titania And Titania Nanocomposites For Photovoltaics And Photocatalysis, Xinning Luan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

With the consumption of energy continually increasing around the world and the main source of this energy, fossil fuels, slowly being depleted, the need for alternate sources of energy is becoming more and more pertinent. Demand for solar energy has experienced exponential increase over the last decade. Nanostructured TiO2 has attracted significant attention due to its nontoxicity, low cost and wide applications in photovoltaics and photocatalysis. This research is focused on novel synthesis and surface modification of TiO2 nanotube arrays for applications in advanced dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and efficient photocatalysis. The first part of this work entails fast synthesis …

A Comparative Content Analysis Of Alcoholism Treatment Programs With A Focus On A Native Treatment Alternative, Mike J. Eshkibok

Theses and Dissertations

A historical account of Native American Indian culture is set forth to provide the antecedent events for understanding problems with and solutions to alcoholism among Native American Indians. Two 12-step alcohol treatment programs are explained, compared, and contrasted: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and a Native 12-Step Program.

Qualitative analysis was used to collect information from 13 Native American Indian counselors in alcohol treatment programs and data was analyzed by coding transcripts of taped interviews, then grouping data into categories, determining themes from the categories, and drawing conclusions.

Three conclusions emerged from the qualitative data analyzed from Native American Indian alcohol treatment …

Successful Reorganization Of Rural North Dakota Schools With Declining Enrollment, Steven Lewis Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify perceptions of North Dakota leaders who had been involved in successfully reorganized school districts resulting from declining enrollments and reduced resources. All reorganized districts in this study were affected by serious declining enrollments in their respective rural communities. These successfully reorganized school districts developed reorganization plans and positive cultures within their communities that resulted in each plan being passed by a voting citizenship. The school districts studied laid the groundwork for reorganization with neighboring districts by forming cooperative agreements in athletics, shared staff, and shared special education services.

The researcher sought answers …

The Twin Taboos Of Discussing Religion And Politics : A Study Of Six "Basic" Emotions And Interpersonal Relationships In Response To Rick Perry's "Strong", Michael Francis Rold

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A fear appeal has become a common way to describe a message created by individuals, groups, or entities to achieve an array of social and political goals. For instance, law firms may use fear-based advertisements on television by listing several debilitating diseases to educate potential clients about the side effects of certain drugs. In the realm of politics, candidates may use fear-based appeals in their messages as well: certain Republican candidates use the fear of attacks similar to the ones of September 11, 2001, to “scare” the American people into voting for the candidate who would best protect the country …

Teaching Vocabulary Through Weekly Spelling Lessons: An Efficacy Study, Elizabeth Lindsey

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, research has proved that vocabulary knowledge is highly correlated with reading comprehension and academic success. Despite the importance of vocabulary instruction, teachers are lacking a cohesive approach. Teachers are concerned about the quality and quantity of vocabulary instruction in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to determine if students in the Grand Forks Public Schools were learning their vocabulary words through indirect instruction using the Scott Foresman's Reading Street program. Twenty-seven fourth grade students were given clinical vocabulary assessments, as well as a researcher-designed assessment to determine percentage of vocabulary words known. Results indicated that …

A Persistent Storage Model For Extreme Computing, Shuangyang Yang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The continuing technological progress resulted in a dramatic growth in aggregate computational performance of the largest supercomputing systems. Unfortunately, these advances did not translate to the required extent into accompanying I/O systems and little more in terms of architecture or effective access latency. New classes of algorithms developed for massively parallel applications, that gracefully handle the challenges of asynchrony, heavily multi-threaded distributed codes, and message-driven computation, must be matched by similar advances in I/O methods and algorithms to produce a well performing and balanced supercomputing system. This dissertation proposes PXFS, a storage model for persistent objects inspired by the ParalleX …

An Examination Of Secondary English Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions Of Field Experiences: Shaping The Understanding Of Teaching And Its Challenges Before Student Teaching, Leylja A. Emiraliyeva-Pitre

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In response to the growing demands and pressures on teacher preparation and quality, as well as the call for further research distinguishing the role and impact of early field experiences (FEs), this qualitative study explored the perceptions of the secondary English pre-service teachers at a large southern State University. The study was guided by four research questions that aimed to: (1) examine the pre-service teachers’ perceptions about the value of their early FEs; (2) explore how early FEs shaped the pre-service teachers’ understanding of teaching; (3) identify concerns about teaching that the pre-service teachers have as they undergo FEs; and …

Restoring Constitutional Equilibrium, Adam Lamparello

University of Dayton Law Review

No abstract provided.

Educational Aspirations Of Middle And High School Students : A Focus On Turkish - American Youth, Dilek Atmaca Suslu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed -methods study was to investigate the educational aspirations of Turkish-American middle and high school students. For comparison purposes students from other ethnic groups were also included in the study. Factors related to family, school and the individual student were examined through survey data and interviews. In addition, possible barriers to educational goals, preferred area of study, and perceived parent support were explored. Interview with Turkish-American parents revealed types of parental supports and insights about their understanding of children’s experiences and performance. The results of the ordinal regression analyses revealed that parents’ expectations and school achievement …

Membership On Committees, Task Forces, And Councils

Academic Affairs Policies

The policy was implemented regarding the appointment of committees, task forces, and councils to promote effective communication within the University and to ensure proper assignments for personnel.

Localization And Security Algorithms For Wireless Sensor Networks And The Usage Of Signals Of Opportunity, Gustavo Andres Chacon Rojas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation we consider the problem of localization of wireless devices in environments and applications where GPS (Global Positioning System) is not a viable option. The _x000C_rst part of the dissertation studies a novel positioning system based on narrowband radio frequency (RF) signals of opportunity, and develops near optimum estimation algorithms for localization of a mobile receiver. It is assumed that a reference receiver (RR) with known position is available to aid with the positioning of the mobile receiver (MR). The new positioning system is reminiscent of GPS and involves two similar estimation problems. The _x000C_rst is localization using …

The Hard Decisions: A Qualitative Study Of Marital Reconciliation, Hannah Pearce Plauche

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The topics of marriage and divorce have been studied extensively, especially in recent decades; however, the topic of marital reconciliation has been scarcely researched. Seven couples (N = 14) participated in a qualitative investigation of marital reconciliation. Each couple had filed a petition for divorce in the state of Louisiana between the years 2000-2010. Before the required 12 month period of living apart were complete, each couple decided to discontinue the divorce proceedings and reconcile their marriages, and have lived together continuously for a period of more than three years. A purposive, convenience sample was solicited due to the specific …

Predictors Of National Broadcast And Cable Television News Coverage Of The Members Of The U.S. House Of Representatives, Jeremy Padgett

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines how institutional, individual, and situational variables work to influence the volume of national broadcast and cable television news coverage members of the 109th, 110th, 111th, and 112th U.S. Houses of Representatives received. Analysis combines public data on House structure, member characteristics, member effort, and member circumstances with original computer-aided content analysis of the 38,430 transcripts in which members spoke and the 243,205 statements members made on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC between January 3, 2005 and January 3, 2013, the full terms of these four congresses. The results presented in this dissertation yield important …

Joseph Joachim Raff: A Biographical Sketch And A Conductor's Analysis Of His Sinfonietta, Op. 188, James Fuller Lyon Iv

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Despite its obscurity, Sinfonietta, Op. 188 by Joachim Raff (1822-1882) is an important chamber work for winds and should find its place more frequently on the concert programs of university wind ensembles. In order to test this hypothesis, I investigate Raff’s biography for evidence that might explain its obscurity while leaving the door open to question that status. Furthermore, I investigate the Sinfonietta from a conductor’s perspective and apply a critique of its artistic merit. Several factors explain Raff’s fall from acclaim; none of them relegate his music to permanent obscurity. Based on the composer’s historical significance, analytical results, and …