Digital Commons Network^™

Robotics And Inquiry: Addressing The Impact On Student Understanding Of Physics Concepts (Force And Motion) From Select Rural Louisiana Elementary Students Through Robotics Instruction Immersed Within The 5e Learning Cycle Model, Bianca Rodrigue Deliberto

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This embedded mixed methods study investigates the development of rural elementary students’ conceptual understanding of force and motion as a result of the implementation of robotics instruction immersed within a 5E Learning Cycle Model lessons. Three treatment groups and one controlled comparison group (n=96) participated in pretests and posttests (Science Series Assessment 1, Russell and McGuigan, 2001) the day the activities were completed as well as one week after the completion of the treatment, 5E Learning Cycle Model lessons and draw and tell interviews. Prior to the intervention, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills stanine scores were grouped into three …

A Contrast Of Hunter Characteristics And Attitudes Between Random And Convenience Samples In The 2010, 2012, And 2013 Surveys Of Louisiana Waterfowl Hunters, Lucien Jr. Paul Laborde

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

I surveyed random (mail and internet panel surveys) and convenience samples (web surveys) of Louisiana waterfowl hunters following the 2009-2010, 2011-2012, and 2012-2013 seasons. I hypothesized significant differences in effort, success, satisfaction and demographics, but no difference in attitudes, in responses between random and convenience survey methods. I mailed to stratified random samples of 2,500 in 2010, 6,400 in 2012, and 2,500 each for mail and on-line internet panel response in 2013. An identical web survey, hosted each year during the same time period, facilitated open-access response. I received 1,676 usable responses in 2010 (727 mail and 949 web), 2,382 …

The Life And Work Of Mark Jacobi: Clarinet Repair In Philadelphia And The Influence Of Hans Moennig, John Anthony Coppa

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Since the invention of the clarinet there have been instrument repairmen and technicians who have properly maintained and serviced those instruments. This project presents the life and work of Mark Jacobi, one of the most influential clarinet repair technicians of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It connects the lineage of clarinet repair in Philadelphia and the life and traditions of Hans Moennig with the work currently being done in Mark Jacobi’s repair workshop. This document outlines the evolution of the clarinet barrel from its early incarnation as an attached extension of the mouthpiece section to its modern state as a …

The Control Of Amplitude And Direction In Bimanual Coordination, Zhujun Pan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Spatial coordination of bimanual movements is important when performing daily activities. Whereas, older adults and individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) commonly show difficulties in temporally coordinating the hands in bimanual coordination tasks, the effects of aging and Parkinson’s disease on the quality of spatial coordination between the hands are unclear. Thus, the present work investigated the impact of older age and PD on the spatial interference in a bimanual task in which 48 right hand-dominant participants (16 young adults, 16 older adults and 16 individuals with PD) drew simultaneously two lines with both hands with varied movement amplitudes (3 and …

The Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Vitamin D And Exercise, Laura Ann Forney

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Elevated inflammation is associated with several chronic diseases, including obesity. Exercise is an established effective treatment of this condition by decreasing adiposity and independently regulating inflammatory pathways. The potential for vitamin D to confer anti-inflammatory benefits has been explored in cell culture studies, but few have explored its action at the whole body level. PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between inflammatory markers in trained and untrained individuals with vitamin D levels either above or below a suggested optimal concentration. METHODS: College-aged females (N = 63), both trained and untrained, reported to the lab four times: to assess body size and …

Performance Improvement Of Distributed Computing Framework And Scientific Big Data Analysis, Praveenkumar Kondikoppa

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Analysis of Big data to gain better insights has been the focus of researchers in the recent past. Traditional desktop computers or database management systems may not be suitable for efficient and timely analysis, due to the requirement of massive parallel processing. Distributed computing frameworks are being explored as a viable solution. For example, Google proposed MapReduce, which is becoming a de facto computing architecture for Big data solutions. However, scheduling in MapReduce is coarse grained and remains as a challenge for improvement. Related with MapReduce scheduler when configured over distributed clusters, we identify two issues: data locality disruption and …

Giftedness And Overexcitability : Investigating The Evidence, Daniel Lawrence Winkler

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Many scholars of gifted education have often argued and believed that gifted individuals are neurologically overexcitable while non-gifted persons are not (Chang & Kuo, 2013; Harrison & Haneghan, 2011; Piechowski, 1979, 2006; Silverman, 2000a; Siu, 2010; Tieso, 2007a). This means that gifted persons are more sensitive, intuitive, empathic, and physically and emotionally aware. Some scholars have suggested that this significant degree of overexcitability may even mean that gifted persons are morally superior to non-gifted persons (Silverman, 1994). Over the past thirty years, this relationship between overexcitability (OE) and giftedness has become increasingly popular, as many websites, textbooks, and researchers have …

Drinking Buddies: Who Are They And When Do They Matter?, Cathy Lau-Barraco, Ashley N. Linden

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present study sought to further examine the role of peers on alcohol use and problems among young adults. In particular, we focused on a specific subset of peers in one's social network mostly for activities related to alcohol use called "drinking buddies." The presence of drinking buddies in one's social network has been shown to predict heavy drinking uniquely over time but few studies have focused on potential factors moderating the relationship. Consequently, an aim of present study was to examine the influence of drinking buddies on alcohol outcomes and the extent to which the relationship may be dependent …

Poised Between Two Worlds : Nikolai Kapustin's Piano Sonata No. 1 And The Classical And Jazz Tradition, Kit Loong Yee

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The music of Nikolai Kapustin is a roller coaster ride of syncopation, hemiolas, glissandos and perpetual motion. Born in Russia at a time when the communist government forbade such creative foreign elements as improvisation and jazz, Kapustin brought to life an innovative style of music that melded classical and jazz elements into a unique, emotive sound that leaves the listener breathless. The focus of this study is Kapustin’s Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 39. This study goes through a detailed analysis of the sonata as a whole as well as each individual movement. It also includes a brief biography of …

Caffeinated Alcohol Use And Expectancies For Caffeine Versus Alcohol, Cathy Lau-Barraco, Ashley N. Linden

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background- Caffeinated alcoholic beverage (CAB) use is related to alcohol-related risk. Limited research has examined outcome expectancies and CAB consumption.

Objectives- This study tested the predictive utility of caffeine and alcohol expectancies in CAB use outcomes (i.e. quantity, frequency, and alcohol-related harms).

Methods- Participants were 419 (302 women) alcohol and caffeine users from a mid-sized urban university. Data collection occurred between August 2010 and December 2011. Participants completed measures of caffeine and alcohol expectancies, alcohol problems, alcohol use, and CAB use.

Results- Caffeine and alcohol expectancies contributed uniquely to approximately 12% of the variability in quantity, 8% in frequency, and …

Caffeinated Alcohol Consumption Profiles And Associations With Use Severity And Outcome Expectancies, Cathy Lau-Barraco, Robert J. Milletich, Ashley N. Linden

Psychology Faculty Publications

Growing evidence suggests that the consumption of caffeinated alcoholic beverages (CAB) may be riskier than alcohol alone. Efforts to identify patterns of CAB use and the correlates of such drinking patterns could further our conceptualization of and intervention for this health issue. Consequently, the current study aimed to (1) identify distinct classes of CAB users, (2) examine differences between classes on measures of alcohol and caffeine problems, and (3) compare distinct classes of CAB users on caffeine and alcohol outcome expectancies. Participants were 583 (31% men) undergraduate students from a psychology research pool. Latent profile analysis models were derived using …

Application Of Scanning Probe Microscopy To Characterize Physical Properties Of Polymer Brushes, Photoactive Polymers And Rare Earth Oxide Nanostructures, Susan Denise Verberne-Sutton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A sample stage for characterizing photoactive materials was developed for studies with scanning probe microscopy (SPM). A sample stage was designed that directs light from a solar simulator via a fiber optic cable to illuminate the sample. Current-sensing and photocurrent measurements can be acquired with a conductive tip. The designed photocurrent stage can be used for SPM systems with a tip-mounted scanner. Current-sensing measurements can be taken with or without illumination to measure the current produced from organic photovoltaic (OPV) or photoconductive samples. Topography, lateral force and current-sensing images are acquired simultaneously, providing information of how nanoscale morphology affects the …

How Patients' Self-Disclosure About Sickle Cell Pain Episodes To Significant Others Relates To Living With Sickle Cell Disease, Valerian J. Derlega, Louis H. Janda, Jeannie Miranda, Ian A. Chen, B. Mitchell Goodman Iii, Wally Smith

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objectives: This cross-sectional study examines to whom and how fully sickle cell disease (SCD) patients talk to others about sickle cell pain, how helpful it is to talk with others about these pain episodes, and the association between talking to others about sickle cell pain episodes and patients' psychological adjustment and coping strategies in managing the disease.

Methods: A convenience sample of 73 African American patients with SCD (30 men and 43 women), were recruited from two SCD clinics at the time of routine medical visits. Most participants had been diagnosed with hemoglobin SS, and they reported an average number …

Estimating U.S. Household Seafood Demand Based On Longitudinal And Cross-Sectional Data, Huabo Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This overall goal of this research is to examine and update U.S. at-home household demand estimates for seafood (including species and generic products) that can be used in policy formulation (by both the private and public sector). As such, this study estimated quantity-based household demand functions for seafood in aggregate, by generic product form (fresh, frozen, and prepared), and primary species. Given that the role of quality has been shown to significantly influence expenditures and seafood demand, this paper also seeks to incorporate the household quality choice into the demand model. In order to help to tailor the market strategy, …

Fixed-Time Schedule Effects On Participant Responding: An Evaluation Of Similar Vs. Dissimilar Schedule Programs Using A Group Design Approach, Jessica Pearl Alvarez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

We evaluated the effectiveness of fixed-time (FT) schedules of reinforcement at eliminating participant’s responding using a between-subjects group design. Participants experienced one of three conditions; a FT leaner schedule, a FT yoked schedule, or a FT denser schedule using a computerized experimental program. Dependent variables of interest are the total number of responses made during the fixed-time reinforcement phase and the latency until the participant met extinction or exit criteria.

Protective Behavioral Strategies, Alcohol Expectancies, And Drinking Motives In A Model Of College Student Drinking, Ashley N. Linden, Cathy Lau-Barraco, Robert J. Milletich

Psychology Faculty Publications

An extensive body of research asserts alcohol expectancies, or beliefs regarding the effects of alcohol, as an important influence on drinking. However, the extent to which expectancies are related to drinking motives and protective behavioral strategies (PBS) has yet to be examined. Existing alcohol mediational models suggest associations between expectancies and drinking motives as well as positive drinking motives and PBS use. Thus, it is possible that drinking motives and PBS use act as intervening factors in the relationship between expectancies and alcohol outcomes. Consequently, the cross-sectional study presented here aimed to test the indirect effect of expectancies (i.e., social …

Substance-Abusing Mothers And Fathers' Willingness To Allow Their Children To Receive Mental Health Treatment, Michelle L. Kelley, Gabrielle M. D'Lima, James M. Henson, Cayla Cotton

Psychology Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes of substance-abusing mothers and fathers entering outpatient treatment toward allowing their children to participate in individual- or family-based interventions. Data were collected from a brief anonymous survey completed by adults at intake into a large substance abuse treatment program in western New York. Only one-third of parents reported that they would be willing to allow their children to participate in any form of mental health treatment. Results of chi-square analyses revealed that a significantly greater proportion of mothers reported that they would allow their children to participate in mental health treatment …

Junk Food, Rita Lakhani, Namrata Patil, Juby Jincy, Merlin Beulah, Savita Kambayat, Pankaj Bhadarge

General Submissions: Community and Population-based Materials

A descriptive study on the habit of consumption of junk food amongst urban adolescence in selected colleges of Mumbai.

A Tale Of Lovers : Chopin's Nocturne Op. 27, No. 2 As A Contribution To The Violist's Repertory, Rafal Zyskowski

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this project is to present a violist with complete transcription and performer’s guide of Fryderyk Chopin’s Nocturne Op. 27, No. 2 originally written for solo piano in 1835. Chopin wrote predominately for the piano, and the nocturnes are some of his most sublime works that have a personal quality that likely reflect a diary of his personal feelings. At the beginning of this document a brief overview of the composer’s lifetime and analysis of the events that took place around the time of composition are provided. Later on, the characteristic genre features, the formal structure, the influences …

Based On Teacher Perceptions, Would The Use Of Social Media Via Mobile Devices In Grades 9-12 Classrooms Increase Student Engagement In Learning Activities?, Rodney J. Johnson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research study addressed teachers’ perceptions of the use of social networking via mobile devices and the impact that social media accessed via mobile devices has on the learning engagement of students in grades 9-12 in select Louisiana high schools, in a rural southern parish of the United States (Gibbs, 2012). The study examined teachers’ perceptions of whether or not the use of social media improved students’ engagement in learning activities. Some researchers assert that the use of social media and smart cell phones is both the current and future mode of communication and that educators would do well to …

Tomographic Imaging Of Combustion Zones Using Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (Tdlas), Avishek Guha

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This work concentrates on enabling the usage of a specific variant of tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (abbr. TDLAS) for tomogaphically reconstructing spatially varying temperature and concentrations of gases with as few reconstruction artifacts as possible. The specific variant of TDLAS used here is known as wavelength modulation with second harmonic detection (abbr. WMS-2f) which uses the wavelength dependent absorbance information of two different spectroscopic transitions to determine temperature and concentration values. Traditionally, WMS-2f has generally been applied to domains where temperature although unknown, was spatially largely invariant while concentration was constant and known to a reasonable approximation (_x0006_+/- 10% …

A Forgotten Composer And His Music: Two Viola Compositions By Arends, Monica Pamela Rodriguez De La Hoz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this document is to explore the viola music of the unknown Russian multi-talented musician Andrei Fedorovich Arends, in his two compositions written for that instrument: the Ballade for viola and piano, Op. 4 (1885) and the Concertino for viola and orchestra, Op. 7 (1886). The first section of the document provides an essential biography of the composer and information about his artistic highlights. The second section is devoted to a formal and stylistic analysis of the Ballade and the Concertino and their musical influences. The final section provides a performance guide to the Concertino, including the author’s …

Avis De Recherche : Valentine Penrose, Œuvre Et Vie D'Une Artiste Surréaliste, Séverine Aline Orban

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

"Avis de Recherche: Valentine Penrose, vie et œuvre d’une artiste surréaliste" presents a new appreciation of the work of French artist, poet and novelist Valentine Penrose associated with the Surrealist Movement. This research offers the first detailed and accurate version of Valentine Penrose’s biography, which shows her relationship with artists and writers of her time, and her engagement during the Spanish Civil War and WWII. It compiles and publishes for the first time all her unpublished and ‘forgotten’ works with accompanying analyses for each piece. It demonstrates through the recording of her life and the exploration of her poetry how …

Performance Of Active Vibration Isolation In The Advanced Ligo Detectors, Ryan Thomas Derosa

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The second generation of LIGO detectors has finished construction and the commissioning effort is pushing the instruments towards their designed sensitivity. Around the world similar undertakings are underway, and soon a global network capable of astrophysical observation will be operational. The first sentences are being written in an important chapter of terrestrial gravitational wave detection, an entire century after the theoretical foundations of general relativity were laid, and after decades of calculation, design, proposals, plans, and laboratory work. In order to make sensitive measurements, the detector must be well isolated from the vibrations of the ground, and much of this …

Parallel Processes In Hpx: Designing An Infrastructure For Adaptive Resource Management, Vinay Chandra Amatya

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Advancement in cutting edge technologies have enabled better energy efficiency as well as scaling computational power for the latest High Performance Computing(HPC) systems. However, complexity, due to hybrid architectures as well as emerging classes of applications, have shown poor computational scalability using conventional execution models. Thus alternative means of computation, that addresses the bottlenecks in computation, is warranted. More precisely, dynamic adaptive resource management feature, both from systems as well as application's perspective, is essential for better computational scalability and efficiency. This research presents and expands the notion of Parallel Processes as a placeholder for procedure definitions, targeted at one …

Search-Based Model-Driven Loop Optimizations For Tensor Contractions, Ajay Panyala

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Complex tensor contraction expressions arise in accurate electronic structure models in quantum chemistry, such as the coupled cluster method. The Tensor Contraction Engine (TCE) is a high-level program synthesis system that facilitates the generation of high-performance parallel programs from tensor contraction equations. We are developing a new software infrastructure for the TCE that is designed to allow experimentation with optimization algorithms for modern computing platforms, including for heterogeneous architectures employing general-purpose graphics processing units (GPGPUs). In this dissertation, we present improvements and extensions to the loop fusion optimization algorithm, which can be used with cost models, e.g., for minimizing memory …

A Qualitative Study Utilizing Non-Fiction African-American Folktales: Process And Product With Struggling Second, Third, And Fifth Graders In North Louisiana, Gail Guidry Griffin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation presents a qualitative of a study utilizing non-fiction African-American Folktales with struggling readers in second, third, and fifth grades. The study was conducted to explore how teachers, reading/library media specialists, and students utilize a variety of non-fiction folktales in their classrooms and the library media center. From this topic the following research questions were devised. The researcher discovered the challenges that teachers are faced with the implementation of folktales, how is folktales aligned with the (CCSS) Common Core State Standards, what role do heroes play in folktales, and what traits and/or characteristics would students prefer their hero to …

Bio-Imprinted Hydro-Gels (Bigs) For Protein And Virus Detection, Wei Bai

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Detection of bio-markers at low concentration is becoming a more and more important topic in scientific research due to its importance in applications crucially related to people’s life like medical diagnosis, environment protection and national security. In the past decades, as the improvement of the modern analytical technologies progressed, plenty of methodologies have been developed to realize the fast and accurate detection of bio-markers in liquid media. However, some drawbacks still remain like the expensive cost, high requirement of operational environment, and need for skilled operators. Here, a new kind of aptamer-based bio-imprinted hydrogel sensor (BIG) with specific macroscopic volume …

Using An Epidemiological Approach To Critically Analyze A Population Health Problem - Al Hamsa Prison, Libya, Anthony Gomez

General Submissions: Community and Population-based Materials

Population health as defined by Nash, Reifsnyder, Fabius & Pracilio (2011) is the "distribution of health outcomes within a population, the health determinants that influence distribution, and the policies and interventions that impact the determinants" (p. xxxv). Studying a health problem that affects the population would always lead to a better healthcare delivery system, promoting health services that are accessible, affordable, available, and acceptable.

The Impact Of Structured Debriefing, Following Simulation, On Bsn Student Development Of Clinical Reasoning And Clinical Judgment Skills, Robin Weaver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The necessity of appropriate clinical reasoning and clinical judgment skills is recognized as essential for the development of a competent practitioner. In response to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report which called for a re-evaluation of the educational processes used to prepare practitioners, nursing educators have embraced the use of simulation technology as an innovative approach to enhance student learning. Simulation has been recognized as a vehicle to support student development of knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to become a competent practitioner. Recognized in the literature as the most essential element of simulation, debriefing practices vary throughout nursing education. Recently …