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2014

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Chronic Toxicity Of Nano Metallics On Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus Clarkii) In Laboratory And Mesocosm Studies, Jake Andrew Farlow Jan 2014

Chronic Toxicity Of Nano Metallics On Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus Clarkii) In Laboratory And Mesocosm Studies, Jake Andrew Farlow

LSU Master's Theses

Nanotechnology has become integrated in commercial, industrial and medical products, and its use has grown exponentially in the past several years. Although potential applications of nanoparticles (NPs) are numerous, concerns about their water quality, environmental, and human health impacts remain unclear. Crayfish are ubiquitous to streams and wetland habitats, are used as a food source, and inhabit areas that could be impacted by water quality issues. Numerous studies have been conducted on the toxicity of various classes of agricultural pesticides and oils to crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) as a non-target organism. However, there is little evidence published on chronic toxicity of …

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Factor Analysis And Cut-Off Scores For The Autism Spectrum Disorders-Observation For Children, Megan Alice Hattier Jan 2014

Factor Analysis And Cut-Off Scores For The Autism Spectrum Disorders-Observation For Children, Megan Alice Hattier

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Optimal prognoses for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) often rely upon early intervention; thus, there has been a call for reliable and valid assessment tools in order to ensure accurate diagnoses among youth at risk for developmental disabilities (DDs) such as autism. The target of this paper is to inspect the underlying factor structure of a recently developed observation tool for assessing autistic symptoms, the Autism Spectrum Disorders – Observation for Children (ASD-OC). More importantly, cutoff scores were also developed for clinical use in order to distinguish between those with and without an ASD. Given that marked changed were …

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Teaching Climate Literacy Using Geospatial Tools, Steven L. Babcock Jan 2014

Teaching Climate Literacy Using Geospatial Tools, Steven L. Babcock

LSU Master's Theses

Antarctica is the world’s coldest, driest and windiest continent. It is a harsh environment that few people will ever see but it is a very important part of our Earth system. Over the past 34 million years the climate in Antarctica has deteriorated from one that supported lush vegetation to the conditions observed today. By studying this trend and the associated changes to ice and vegetation we can gain critical insight into climate changes taking place today. This thesis presents three pieces of curricula that will help students and the general public understand some of the research currently underway in …

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The (In)Visible Road Map: The Role Of Mentoring For First-Generation Black Female Doctoral Students At Predominantly White Institutions, Takea Vickers Jan 2014

The (In)Visible Road Map: The Role Of Mentoring For First-Generation Black Female Doctoral Students At Predominantly White Institutions, Takea Vickers

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Although women’s status in higher education has vastly improved over the past decades, invisible barriers remain that disenfranchise first-generation Black female doctoral students at predominantly White institutions (PWI). Specifically, the sparse literature base constricts existing knowledge and understanding about the mentoring relationships of first-generation Black female doctoral students and the barriers they face in the academy. Using the theoretical framework of intersectionality, this study sought to address the ways in which first-generation Black female doctoral students navigated the academy through mentorship and the ways in which mentoring relationships were formidable to construct. Five first-generational Black female doctoral students and two …

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Examining The Boundary Conditions Between Cognitive Control And Interference Derived From Stimulus-Based And Response-Based Conflict, Jonathan D. Tall Jan 2014

Examining The Boundary Conditions Between Cognitive Control And Interference Derived From Stimulus-Based And Response-Based Conflict, Jonathan D. Tall

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Cognitive control is a broad construct that defines a set of processes involved in maintaining task goals in response to interference. Working memory capacity (WMC) is a similarly defined construct that shares many overlapping functions with cognitive control. The studies presented used controlled forms of interference to identify limits, or boundary conditions, that could help clarify the relationship between cognitive control and WMC. Experiment 1 used context effects to manipulate how interference and cognitive control could overlap. A spatial Stroop/Simon task was used in which proportion congruency for each subset (e.g., Simon or spatial Stroop) was manipulated to produce a …

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Spectrum Sensing, Spectrum Monitoring, And Security In Cognitive Radios, Erfan Soltanmohammadi Jan 2014

Spectrum Sensing, Spectrum Monitoring, And Security In Cognitive Radios, Erfan Soltanmohammadi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Spectrum sensing is a key function of cognitive radios and is used to determine whether a primary user is present in the channel or not. In this dissertation, we formulate and solve the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) for spectrum sensing when both primary user transmitter and the secondary user receiver are equipped with multiple antennas. We do not assume any prior information about the channel statistics or the primary user’s signal structure. Two cases are considered when the secondary user is aware of the energy of the noise and when it is not. The final test statistics derived from …

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Changes In Climate And Moisture Availability In The Antarctic Eocene, Oligocene, And Miocene: Evidence From Palynological And Stable Isotope Geochemical Analyses Of The Shaldril And Andrill Cores, Kathryn Whitney Griener Jan 2014

Changes In Climate And Moisture Availability In The Antarctic Eocene, Oligocene, And Miocene: Evidence From Palynological And Stable Isotope Geochemical Analyses Of The Shaldril And Andrill Cores, Kathryn Whitney Griener

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Prior to the Late Eocene, the Antarctic continent experienced lush vegetation under temperate conditions. Just before the Eocene/Oligocene Boundary, the climate of the southernmost continent began to deteriorate dramatically. This cooling trend largely continued until most Antarctic vegetation disappeared, ~13.85-12.8 Ma. Classifying the nature and cause of Antarctica’s drastic climate change is essential for furthering our knowledge of Earth’s history, and also for grasping the potential effects of current and future climate shifts. Here, I present evidence from three new palynomorph-centric studies that deepen our understanding of Antarctic earth science, climate change, and of climate proxies. The first study involved …

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Evaluating Alternative Techniques For Forecasting Industrial And Occupational Employment, Drew A. Varnado Jan 2014

Evaluating Alternative Techniques For Forecasting Industrial And Occupational Employment, Drew A. Varnado

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This paper offers three different regional output-by-industry forecasting techniques (time series, Social Accounting Matrix (SAM)-based, and Computable General Equilibrium (CGE)-based) and two different occupation-by-industry matrices (national and state geographies) for use in the creation of industry/occupation employment forecasts. Estimates are compared to actual data from eight years from 2001 to 2010. OLS regressions are run to determine how well modeled employment estimates fit actual employment for the state of Louisiana. A meta-analysis style regression of the R-sqaured values on model characteristics (accounted for using Boolean dummy-variables) determines that industrial output forecasting techniques do not provide statistically different R-squared values, but …

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Evaluation Of Stromatolites From The 3.4 Ga Kromberg Formation, Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa, Corey E. Shircliff Jan 2014

Evaluation Of Stromatolites From The 3.4 Ga Kromberg Formation, Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa, Corey E. Shircliff

LSU Master's Theses

Silicified sedimentary rocks from the 3.4 Ga Kromberg Formation of the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa contain laminated structures that have been identified as possible stromatolites in the field. Morphological evaluation and a variety of chemical analyses are presented here, in an effort to describe the samples in a sedimentary context and consider biogenicity of these laminated forms. Two major types of laminated structures were identified in the field – domical laminates and flat-laminated samples with little to no synoptic relief. The domical sample presents the best morphological evidence for biogenicity. There are several characteristics that suggest the deposition …

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Robust Preconditioners For The High-Contrast Elliptic Partial Differential Equations, Zuhal Unlu Jan 2014

Robust Preconditioners For The High-Contrast Elliptic Partial Differential Equations, Zuhal Unlu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this thesis, we discuss a robust preconditioner (the AGKS preconditioner) for solving linear systems arising from approximations of partial differential equations (PDEs) with high-contrast coefficients. The problems considered here include the standard second and higher order elliptic PDEs such as high-contrast diffusion equation, Stokes' equation and biharmonic-plate equation. The goal of this study is the development of robust and parallelizable preconditioners that can easily be integrated to treat large configurations. The construction of the preconditioner consists of two phases. The first one is an algebraic phase which partitions the degrees of freedom into high and low permeability regions which …

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What Risks Do African Youth Face Of Gang Involvement? A Community Needs Assessment In Multnomah County, Marie-Elena Reyes, Ann Curry-Stevens Jan 2014

What Risks Do African Youth Face Of Gang Involvement? A Community Needs Assessment In Multnomah County, Marie-Elena Reyes, Ann Curry-Stevens

Center to Advance Racial Equity Publications and Reports

African youth face deep challenges in attaining success in the USA today. Opportunities for academic and economic success are limited, constrained by today’s neoliberal conservatism in public policy and facing a harsh environment for getting a foothold in employment. This report documents the risks such youth face for becoming gang-involved, drawing forth original quantitative and qualitative study of risk factors and perspectives of key local and national leaders on community needs, assets and ideas for service supports that are likely to protect African youth, and help them reach adulthood with their futures intact.

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Protocol For Culturally Responsive Organizations: Literature Review And Standards For Performance, Marie-Elena Reyes, Ann Curry-Stevens Jan 2014

Protocol For Culturally Responsive Organizations: Literature Review And Standards For Performance, Marie-Elena Reyes, Ann Curry-Stevens

Center to Advance Racial Equity Publications and Reports

At the request of the Coalition of Communities of Color, the Center to Advance Racial Equity (CARE) was asked to assist in the development of a Protocol for Culturally Responsive Organizations (also called the Protocol) that it would use to improve the quality of services available to communities of color in mainstream health and human services. To achieve this, we have researched the literature available that provides evidence of the effectiveness of various interventions. Priority has been given to the literatures on culturally-responsive service delivery (which has been thin) and culturally-competent services (which while abundantly written about, relatively little exists …

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A Diagnosis Feature Space For Condition Monitoring And Fault Diagnosis Of Ball Bearings, Ali Kahirdeh Jan 2014

A Diagnosis Feature Space For Condition Monitoring And Fault Diagnosis Of Ball Bearings, Ali Kahirdeh

LSU Master's Theses

The problem of fault diagnosis and condition monitoring of ball bearings is a multidisciplinary subject. It involves research subjects from diverse disciplines of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and in particular signal processing. In the first step, one should identify the correct method of investigation. The methods of investigation for condition monitoring of ball bearings include acoustic emission measurements, temperature monitoring, electrical current monitoring, debris analysis and vibration signal analysis. In this thesis the vibration signal analysis is employed. Once the method of analysis is selected, then features sensitive to faults should be calculated from the signal. While some of the …

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The Art Of Translation From Chinese To English, Kristen Fabin Jan 2014

The Art Of Translation From Chinese To English, Kristen Fabin

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

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Magazine Image Influence, Extraversion, And Body Image In Fraternity And Non-Fraternity College Males, Morgan Draxten Jan 2014

Magazine Image Influence, Extraversion, And Body Image In Fraternity And Non-Fraternity College Males, Morgan Draxten

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

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Quality Of Life Of People With Type 1 Diabetes On Insulin Pump Therapy And Its Relation To Hba1c In Patients Ages 18-25, Amber Logie Jan 2014

Quality Of Life Of People With Type 1 Diabetes On Insulin Pump Therapy And Its Relation To Hba1c In Patients Ages 18-25, Amber Logie

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

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The Effects Of Embryonic And Larval Cadmium Exposure On Zebrafish Behavior, Memory, And Physiology, Myranda Beckmann Jan 2014

The Effects Of Embryonic And Larval Cadmium Exposure On Zebrafish Behavior, Memory, And Physiology, Myranda Beckmann

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

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Analytical Method For Determination Of Trans-Resveratrol And Its Metabolites, Kari Ann Kusler Jan 2014

Analytical Method For Determination Of Trans-Resveratrol And Its Metabolites, Kari Ann Kusler

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

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Behavioral Changes Associated With Thromboxane Receptor Antagonist, Sq 29,548, Treatment In A Mouse Model, Andrew A. Rebel Jan 2014

Behavioral Changes Associated With Thromboxane Receptor Antagonist, Sq 29,548, Treatment In A Mouse Model, Andrew A. Rebel

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

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Cognitive Dissonance Reduction In Relation To Intelligence, Tyler Chad Richter Jan 2014

Cognitive Dissonance Reduction In Relation To Intelligence, Tyler Chad Richter

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

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L'Envers De L'Histoire De Jacques Collin: On A New Approach To Balzac's Most Infamous Criminal Mastermind, Lauren Elise Pendas Jan 2014

L'Envers De L'Histoire De Jacques Collin: On A New Approach To Balzac's Most Infamous Criminal Mastermind, Lauren Elise Pendas

LSU Master's Theses

Scholarship has failed to explore adequately how Honoré de Balzac evokes the human condition’s universal elements through his most infamous criminal mastermind: Jacques Collin, alias Vautrin. Unlike analyses of Collin that I have encountered, this thesis takes all three novels and the obscure play in which Collin appears into account, challenges the transparency of his statements and the narration’s descriptions of him, explores the conservative position framing Balzac’s critique of early nineteenth-century Paris, and actively focuses on evidence of Collin’s typical subjectivity (i.e. his insatiable desire and fallibility). Consequently, this reading does not evaluate Collin’s significance solely through his apparent …

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A Storied Surface, Courtney Wilburn Marse Jan 2014

A Storied Surface, Courtney Wilburn Marse

LSU Master's Theses

A Storied Surface is an exploration of narrative based graphic design engineered for textile surfaces. Beginning with an experiment involving the characters of the novel Matilda, I developed a design system. My process involves creating narratives and illustrating the characters. Then the illustration is abstracted. The abstraction is used to create prints. Finally, all of the elements including the original illustration, abstraction, and print are used to create engineered designs for three-dimensional surfaces. Advances in digital textile printing and the increasing implementation of graphic textiles in the fashion industry led me to experiment with applying my own design to textiles …

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Experiences Of A Novice Modeler Navigating The Alternative Certification Process, Melanie Matherne Dimler Jan 2014

Experiences Of A Novice Modeler Navigating The Alternative Certification Process, Melanie Matherne Dimler

LSU Master's Theses

Interactive Engagement methods of instruction have proven more effective than Traditional instruction in terms of conceptual learning in introductory physics classrooms. Modeling instruction is one type of Interactive Engagement methodology used in introductory physics at the secondary and collegiate level. This study compares the conceptual gains of students taught by an experienced traditional instructor to the conceptual gains of students taught by a novice, alternatively certified instructor who employs the Modeling methodology in physics classes at a large suburban high school. Pre-tests and post-tests were administered to all groups using validated physics conceptual inventories and a scientific reasoning assessment. AP …

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A System Approach To Investing In Uncertain Markets, Iman Khademi Jan 2014

A System Approach To Investing In Uncertain Markets, Iman Khademi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

We consider the problem of trend-following in US stock market and propose a combined economic and technical model to approach this problem. A bank of linear and nonlinear, discrete-time, low-pass filters with different sampling rates is used to generate timing signals for US stock market indexes such as NASDAQ Composite and S&P 500. These timing signals help us find the appropriate times to step in or out of the market. Back-testing and real-time implementation results along with the risk analysis validate our model. According to the trend of the market, we may adopt a long or short position. If we …

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The Roles Of Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, And Neurotransmitters In An Animal Model Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Carl Brad Wilson Jan 2014

The Roles Of Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, And Neurotransmitters In An Animal Model Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Carl Brad Wilson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a trauma- and stressor-related disorder, is a condition that can develop in response to life-threatening situations. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM-5), a diagnosis of PTSD necessitates exposure to a life-threatening event, intrusive recollections, avoidance of associated stimuli, hyperarousal, and a significant social impairment. All of these symptoms must persist for at least 30 days and not be due to illness, medication, or substance abuse. To date, no definitive diagnostic biomarkers have been identified for PTSD. Recent research, however, points toward physiological abnormalities in the brain, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and …

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Do Tight Deadlines And Dirty Diapers Fuel Or Fizzle The Next Big Thing? The Differential Effect Of Work And Non-Work Stressors On Employee Creativity, Rachel Trout Jan 2014

Do Tight Deadlines And Dirty Diapers Fuel Or Fizzle The Next Big Thing? The Differential Effect Of Work And Non-Work Stressors On Employee Creativity, Rachel Trout

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

As our society has transitioned from an economy built on production to one built on knowledge, employee creativity has become necessary for organizations seeking to gain and maintain profits. Therefore, the focus of this dissertation was to investigate how an employee’s social environment, specifically stressors from their work and non-work roles, impacts their ability to generate new ideas at work. Two independent studies were conducted. Within Study 1, the challenge-hindrance framework was integrated with the componential model of creativity (Amabile, 1983) to determine how individual factors interacted with work and non-work stressors. Although main effects were present, moderation was not …

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Structuring Language And Community In An Online Space, Christopher Linder Jan 2014

Structuring Language And Community In An Online Space, Christopher Linder

LSU Master's Theses

Massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) present an interesting area for linguistic and social research, being a setting for of computer-mediated communication (CMC) that is task-oriented in nature and often requires high level of cooperation between players. This study investigates how Spanish-speaking players of the MMO Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn use the linguistic phenomena of discourse markers, laughter and politeness to structure their communication and their community. Through analysis of in-game conversations gathered from a community of said players, this study demonstrates how each of these phenomena work together to build a community based on inclusive language and positive …

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Bone Modification In Male To Female Transgender Surgeries: Considerations For The Forensic Anthropologist, Shelby Buchanan Jan 2014

Bone Modification In Male To Female Transgender Surgeries: Considerations For The Forensic Anthropologist, Shelby Buchanan

LSU Master's Theses

No forensic anthropological standards exist for the identification of transsexual individuals from skeletal material. In fact, current standards produce inaccurate biological profiles for transsexuals. The reason being that current standard for ascription of sex from skeletal remains relies on pelvic morphology. Positive identification of unidentified individuals relies on the accuracy of the biological profile, which includes sex, provided by the forensic anthropologist. In the case of male-to-female (MTF) transsexuals, ascription of sex based on pelvic morphology will result in an inaccurate assessment of sex. This study, therefore, attempts to determine whether or not there exists evidence in the skeleton of …

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Exploring Influences On Gender Equality In Photojournalism: Is The Field Picture-Perfect?, Andrea Briscoe Jan 2014

Exploring Influences On Gender Equality In Photojournalism: Is The Field Picture-Perfect?, Andrea Briscoe

LSU Master's Theses

America prides itself on having a free press. Ideally, this free press would look like the communities in which they cover. However, research shows that gender discrepancies are quite common in newsrooms (Anderson 2014; Briscoe 2012; Norris 1997; Willnat and Weaver 2014). Women often have a marginal presence in newsrooms, and this is troublesome, because scholars have noted that men and women approach newsgathering and reporting differently (Beam and Cicco 2010; Briscoe 2012; Grabe et al. 2011; Weaver 1997). While research has focused on gender discrepancies in various types of media, little to no research has looked at the field …

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Cdom Optical Properties Near Dwh Site, Gulf Of Mexico: Pot Oil Spill, Zhi Li Jan 2014

Cdom Optical Properties Near Dwh Site, Gulf Of Mexico: Pot Oil Spill, Zhi Li

LSU Master's Theses

The Deep Water Horizon (DWH) oil spill resulted in the largest accidental release of crude oil in U.S. waters with both short- and long-term effects on the marine environment. Extensive studies conducted immediately following the oil spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico provided greater understanding of the physical processes influencing the distribution of the released oil, including the use of optical detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a toxic crude oil fraction in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In this study, the optical properties of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and the concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were …

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