Digital Commons Network^™

Enhancing Esl Instruction Through Reflective Teaching: A Resource Guide For Administrators Of Intensive English Programs, Wesley Weston

Master's Projects and Capstones

Reflective teaching practices are meaningful and practical ways for administrators to support and encourage ongoing professional development among ESL teachers. Today, the global demand for English instruction has greatly surpassed the supply of qualified and experienced teachers. Many ESL teachers, therefore, can benefit significantly from continuous professional development, especially at Intensive English Programs preparing international students for higher education in the US.

Administrators can help further teacher development through the implementation of microteaching, peer observations, and surveys. These methods effectively foster professional growth by stimulating reflective inquiry, which promotes personal learning, behavior modification, and better performance. Furthermore, these practices help …

Assessment Of Selected Antibiotic Resistances In Ungrazed Native Nebraska Prairie Soils, Lisa M. Durso, David A. Wedin, John E. Gilley, Daniel N. Miller, David B. Marx

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The inherent spatial heterogeneity and complexity of antibioticresistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance (AR) genes in manureaffected soils makes it difficult to sort out resistance that can be attributed to human antibiotic use from resistance that occurs naturally in the soil. This study characterizes native Nebraska prairie soils that have not been affected by human or food-animal waste products to provide data on background levels of resistance in southeastern Nebraskan soils. Soil samples were collected from 20 sites enumerated on tetracycline and cefotaxime media; screened for tetracycline-, sulfonamide-, b-lactamase–, and macrolide-resistance genes; and characterized for soil physical and chemical parameters. All …

Cooperative, Cognitive And Coordinated Communications For Underwater Acoustic Networks, Yu Luo

Doctoral Dissertations

Underwater acoustic networks (UANs) have a wide range of applications. However, UANs face grand challenges on the narrow communication bandwidth. To tackle this issue, in this dissertation, I explore three critical techniques: cooperative communications (COP-COM), cognitive communications (COG-COM) and coordinated communications (COD-COM), to improve acoustic spectrum usage.

In the first research thread, I propose a new relay selection criterion, called cooperative best relay assessment (COBRA), for underwater COP-COM. COBRA takes into account not only the spectral efficiency but also the long propagation delays of acoustic signals. In addition to COBRA, I develop a new cooperative scheme, called mirror node assisted …

American Cosmologies: Race And Revolution In The Nineteenth Century, Gordon D. Fraser

Doctoral Dissertations

“American Cosmologies” brings together the study of nineteenth-century print culture and the study of metaphor by examining how revolutionary political groups distributed, circulated, and serialized cosmological language in order to materialize political action. Challenging cultural histories that present revolutionary ideals as part of a genuinely universal discourse, this project demonstrates that writers and political actors throughout the nineteenth century deployed the language of cosmic movement – of celestial revolution as political revolution, for instance – as a means of legitimizing and materializing acts of political violence. In attributing political transformation to cosmic forces, writers and revolutionaries rendered in print their …

Contagious Deadly Sins: Yellow Fever In Nineteenth-Century New Orleans Literature, Kathleen M. Downes

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the nineteenth century, New Orleans was repeatedly plagued by yellow fever epidemics. In this paper, cultural representations of yellow fever are considered in three novels: Baron Ludwig Von Reizenstein’s The Mysteries of New Orleans (1854-1855), George Washington Cable’s The Grandissimes (1880), and Mollie Evelyn Moore Davis’ The Queen’s Garden (1900). Because the etiology was unknown during the nineteenth century, yellow fever becomes a floating signifier on which to project the ills they observed in New Orleans society. Yellow fever thus becomes a representation of loose sexual mores, as well as a divinely retributive punishment for slavery, or …

Towards A Theory Of Recursive Function Complexity: Sigma Matrices And Inverse Complexity Measures, Bradford M. Fournier

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This paper develops a data structure based on preimage sets of functions on a finite set. This structure, called the sigma matrix, is shown to be particularly well-suited for exploring the structural characteristics of recursive functions relevant to investigations of complexity. The matrix is easy to compute by hand, defined for any finite function, reflects intrinsic properties of its generating function, and the map taking functions to sigma matrices admits a simple polynomial-time algorithm . Finally, we develop a flexible measure of preimage complexity using the aforementioned matrix. This measure naturally partitions all functions on a finite set by characteristics …

Spared The Technicolor, Peter C. Friedman

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Two Essays In Finance And Economics: “Investment Opportunities In Commodity And Stock Markets For G7 Countries” And “Global And Local Factors Affecting Sovereign Yield Spreads”, Selma Izadi

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In chapter 1, I investigate the return links and dynamic conditional correlations between the equity and commodity returns for G7 countries from 2000:01 to 2014:10. The commodity futures include BCOM Index which contains the futures and spot price of 22 commodities, Brent and Crude oil futures, gold and silver futures, Wheat, Corn and Soybean futures and CRB index. The finding indicates that during the full sample period GOLD, WHEAT and CORN have the smallest dynamic conditional correlations with all the Equity indexes. In addition, the correlations between the GOLD/Equity pairs are negative during the financial crisis. This fact indicates the …

“Beauty Joined To Energy”: Gravity And Graceful Movement In Richard Wilbur’S Poetry, Elizabeth Lynch

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Throughout his work, Wilbur maintains a thematic and aesthetic fascination with kinetic energy, especially insofar as this graceful movement often seems to defy the world’s gravity. Wilbur’s energetic verse and imagery invites readers to delve into the philosophical and spiritual meditations of his poems, as well as to notice the physical world anew. The kinetic aspects of Wilbur’s subject matter, wordplay, wit, and figurative language elucidate the frequent tempering of gravity with levity within his work. Many critics have studied Wilbur’s philosophy, Christianity, metaphors, wordplay, and approach to language as found in his poetry, but this essay attempts to use …

A Literacy-Level Curriculum For Adult Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners With Limited Formal Education, Kirsten L. Keihl

Master's Projects and Capstones

Many Spanish-speaking adult immigrants in the United States face an immediate need to learn English, but also suffer from a lack of formal education as many did not complete middle school or high school. These learners need a curriculum that is tailored specifically to their needs. This project provides a communicative curriculum for teaching English and Spanish literacy, English speaking and listening skills, and basic classroom skills utilizing native language instruction when helpful using learning strategies and authentic materials that are appropriate for adults. It also addresses sociocultural and sociopolitical concerns of this population and utilizes culturally relevant materials.

Prioritizing The Management Of Arundo Donax: Recommendations For Removal And Revegetation In California Riparian Habitats, Matthew S. Waterworth

Master's Projects and Capstones

The highly invasive grass species, giant reed (Arundo donax), has been a major contributor to riparian habitat degradation in California for over 50 years. Several modes of vegetative reproduction have allowed this alien species to take advantage of fluvial processes and rapidly spread within California watersheds. A. donax dramatically alters hydrologic regimes, displaces native vegetation, and removes food and habitat for native wildlife. It is widely accepted that removal of this invasive on a watershed scale is critical to restore natural riparian processes and facilitate the reestablishment of native flora and fauna. The following study analyzed the efficacy of …

The Rhetoric Of Law And The Epistle To The Hebrews, Theodore A. Holt Iv

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Epistle to the Hebrews demonstrates a complex of what scholars label technical legal terms. Enlisting a series of word studies, this thesis attempts to uncover where the author learned the terminology in order to understand more about the anonymous author and the theology of the Epistle to the Hebrews. This thesis examines terms in Heb 2:2-4; 6:13-18; 7:11-19; 8:13; 9:15-18; 10:9.

Reinforcing Teach-Back Method Regarding Pain Management For Non-Verbal Patients And Their Families, Renee Krystle Doll Lazaro

Master's Projects and Capstones

Pain has been known to have physiologic, psychologic and emotional consequences. Education in pain management has been part for standard care for nurses. The purpose of this study was to reinforce teach-back techniques with nurses when delivering pain management education with non-verbal patients in order to improve patient outcomes in the adult ICU. By using the teach-back method, the nurse will be able to hone a more collaborative approach in dealing with pain, encourage autonomy and include the patient/family in making informed decisions regarding treatment for pain. Reinforcement regarding teach-back was focused on teaching points, and rewording teach-back cues to …

Utilizing Ecological Connectivity In California Desert Wilderness Preservation, Lauren Kahal

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Wilderness Act of 1964 gave the federal land management agencies—the National Park Service, United States Forest Service, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management—the authority to identify, propose, and manage lands as wilderness. Wilderness, once approved by Congress for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System, is offered the highest form of land preservation in the nation. However, the wilderness identification process used by the implementing agencies is based on a half-century old statute with an aging definition of wilderness. While designated wilderness can protect the plant and wildlife communities within its borders from direct anthropogenic …

Editorial: "Euscorpius" At 50, Victor Fet, Michael E. Soleglad

Euscorpius

Five years since its conception, “Euscorpius”, the online peer-reviewed research journal devoted to scorpion science, celebrates its 50th issue today with its 50th author, and shows no signs of aging or slowing down. We celebrate these achievements together with the colleagues and friends all around the world, since success of “Euscorpius” became possible only through collaboration, networking, and mutual support—aptly provided in the Internet environment. No other medium allows so much connectivity, rapid response, and coordination as this marvelous modern communication device. For us, “Euscorpius” in its five years became much more than a …

Conspectus Genericus Scorpionorum 1758–2006 (Arachnida: Scorpiones), Gérard Dupré

Euscorpius

Genus-group names introduced for all extant scorpions in 1758–2006, are listed. The treatment follows the Conspectus of Francke (1985), with considerable additional information accumulated during intensive scorpio-logical research of 1983–2006. We list, as currently valid, 191 genus-group names, which include 167 genera and 24 non-nominotypic subgenera. The list also includes all available genus-group synonyms as well as unavailable names and detected incorrect spellings.

Scorpions Of Iran (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part Vi. Lorestan Province, Shahrokh Navidpour, Hassan H. Nayebzadeh, Michael E. Soleglad, Victor Fet, František Kovařík, Mohammad Hassan Kayedi

Euscorpius

Ten species of scorpions belonging to three families are reported from the Lorestan Province of Iran. Of these, five species are recorded from the province for the first time: Hottentotta zagrosensis Kovařík, 1997; Mesobuthus eupeus phillipsii (Pocock, 1889); Orthochirus iranus Kovařík, 2004; Razianus zarudnyi (Birula, 1903) ; and Scorpio maurus townsendi (Pocock, 1900). One new species is described, Hottentotta lorestanus sp. n.; it can be easily distinguished from the other four species of the genus known from Iran by its coloration; it is the only Iranian species which has the entire pedipalps yellow and the metasomal segments I to …

The Genus Vachoniolus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) In Oman, Graeme Lowe

Euscorpius

Study of new material collected in Oman by ultraviolet detection revealed three species of Vachoniolus, an unusual genus of psammophilous buthid scorpion distinguished by grossly swollen male pedipalp chelae. The presence of the type species, V. globimanus Levy, Amitai et Shulov, 1973, in Oman is confirmed, and two new species are described: V. batinahensis sp. nov. from the Al Batinah coastal plain north of the Al Hajar mountains, and V. gallagheri sp. nov. from desert alluvial fans south and west of the Al Hajar mountains. The number of Vachoniolus species is thereby raised to four, including …

Etudes On Iurids, Iv. Observations On Calchas Gruberi From Megisti Island, Greece (Scorpiones: Iuridae), Iasmi Stathi, Victor Fet, Michael E. Soleglad

Euscorpius

A series of Calchas specimens from the Greek island of Megisti (= Kastelorizo) was examined. It is shown by detailed analysis of several key diagnostic characters that this population from Megisti Island belongs to C. gruberi Fet, Soleglad et Kovařík, 2009. Therefore, C. nordmanni Birula, 1899 is not present in Greek fauna. The population of C. gruberi from Megisti comprises the largest specimens so far reported.

A New Case Of Duplication Of The Metasoma And Telson In The Scorpion Euscorpius Flavicaudis (Degeer, 1778) (Euscorpiidae), Wilson R. Lourenço, Florian Hypolite

Euscorpius

The specimen presented in this note is a juvenile female of Euscorpius flavicaudis (DeGeer, 1778), with a total length of 13 mm, including the telson. It was collected by the junior author, while searching for scor-pions in the Alps, during the early summer of 2010, at Laragne-Montéglin, Hautes-Alpes in France.

Taxonomic Position Of The Genus Simonoides Vachon Et Farzanpay, 1987, And Description Of A New Species Of Orthochirus Karsch From Iran (Scorpiones, Buthidae), František Kovařík, Victor Fet

Euscorpius

Simonoides Vachon et Farzanpay, 1987 is synonymized with Orthochirus Karsch, 1891. Lectotype is designated for Simonoides farzanpayi Vachon et Farzanpay, 1987. Orthochirus sobotniki Kovařík, 2004 is synonymized with Orthochirus farzanpayi (Vachon et Farzanpay, 1987), comb. n. Orthochirus gruberi, sp. n. (Iran) is described and dis-tinguished from all other Iranian species of the genus on a combination of two characters, the presence of rows of granules with internal and external granules on the movable fingers of pedipalps and hirsuteness of the entire me-tasoma and telson.

Two New Species Of Hottentotta Birula, 1908 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From Northern Oman, Graeme Lowe

Euscorpius

Two new endemic species of Hottentotta Birula, 1908, are described from the Al Hajar Mountains of northern Oman: H. pellucidus sp. nov., from the Shir Plateau of Jabal Bani Jabir in the eastern Al Hajar, characterized by: medium size, uniform yellow color, dense cover of long and short macrosetae on pedipalps, legs and metasoma, only two macrosetae on tergite posterior margins, and slender male pedipalp chelae with very weakly scalloped fingers; and H. saxinatans sp. nov., from Jabal Akhdar in the western Al Hajar, characterized by: medium size, uniform yellow color with faint fuscosity on metasomal …

Observations On Prey-Capture Behavior Of Androctonus Crassicauda (Olivier, 1807) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) In Northern Iraq, Alexander K. Stewart

Euscorpius

Modern studies of scorpion prey-capture behavior have included several genera from a variety of habitats and have demonstrated that scorpions have a limited, yet similar, repertoire of reactions towards their prey. These experiments, however, by necessity have dealt with scorpions under the ecologically artificial conditions of an indoor laboratory. The experimental design presented here included both indoor and outdoor laboratory experiments to study the prey capture in Androctonus crassicauda (Olivier, 1807). Thirty indoor and twenty outdoor experiments recorded scorpion activities from initial prey recognition to prey ingestion. By experimenting with this indigenous species in its harsh environment (an outdoor laboratory, …

Redescription Of Scorpiops Margerisonae Kovařík, 2000, With The First Record Of Its Female, From China (Xizang) (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae: Scorpiopinae), Zhi-Yong Di, Ming-Sheng Zhu

Euscorpius

Scorpiops margerisonae Kovařík, 2000 (Euscorpiidae: Scorpiopinae), from China (Xizang) is redescribed; its female is reported and depicted here for the first time.

Rare Or Poorly Known Scorpions From Colombia. Iv. Additions, Synonymies And New Records (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Scorpionidae), Rolando Teruel, César A. Roncallo

Euscorpius

The results of the study of new samples of scorpions from Colombia are presented. Tityus erikae Lourenço, 1999 is demonstrated to be a junior synonym of Tityus tayrona Lourenço, 1991, and the adult female of Tarsoporosus macuira Teruel et Roncallo, 2007 is described for the first time. Also, new locality records and supplementary information on morphological variability (including some diagnosis updates) are given for Centruroides margaritatus (Gervais, 1841), Rhopalurus caribensis Teruel et Roncallo, 2008, Tityus tayrona, and Tarsoporosus macuira.

On The Adult Female Of Oiclus Nanus Teruel Et Chazal, 2010 (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae: Diplocentrinae), Rolando Teruel, Léonard Chazal

Euscorpius

The adult female of Oiclus nanus Teruel et Chazal, 2010 is herein described for the first time, on the basis of a topotypic specimen. Taxonomic diagnosis of this species endemic from Guadeloupe is emended, and the comparison to its closest relative is also improved.

Two New Species Of The Genus Chaerilus Simon, 1877 From Malaysia (Scorpiones: Chaerilidae), František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Two new species of Chaerilus are described. C. ojangureni sp. n. is most similar to C. laevimanus Pocock, 1899, from which it differs in the presence of carinae on the dorsal surface of metasomal segments and in having trichobothrium d₂ situated on the dorsal surface of the patella of pedipalps. C. sejnai sp. n. is 16 to 22 mm long, only slightly smaller than C. celebensis Pocock, 1894, C. petrzelkai Kovařík, 2000 and C. rectimanus Pocock, 1899. It is most similar to C. rectimanus from Malaysia, whose males however lack a pronounced internal tubercle on the patella of pedipalps. …

The Environmental Impacts Of Colonialism, Lawrence Wood

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The politics of the global imperial era are having real-world environmental consequences globally, especially in the former colonies. Indifferent administration by overseas imperial powers transparently sought to enrich their home country with little to no thought about the long term environmental or political consequences for the colony. One of the main objectives of global imperialism, from the first Spanish colonies to the last of the British and Portuguese colonies, was the enhanced profitable extraction of resources. The industrial revolution fueled the need for colonial resource extraction. Industrialization and imperialism formed a positive feedback loop, in which one created a greater …

Impact Of Executive Order 13211 On Environmental Regulation: An Empirical Study, Elizabeth Ann Glass Geltman

Publications and Research

A great deal has been written about the Energy Policy Act of 2005 exempting oil and gas operations using hydraulic fracturing from the purview of certain federal environmental laws. Far less attention has been paid to George W. Bush’s Executive Order 13211 (EO 13211), entitled “Actions Concerning Regulations that Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution or Use.” The executive order requires federal agencies to evaluate the impact of federal regulations on “supply, distribution and use of energy.” This study examined the impact of EO 13211 on United States environmental and conservation regulations proposed and promulgated by federal agencies. The study found …

Finding Function In The Unknown, Kelly Boyd, Emma Highland, Amanda Misch, Amber Hu, Sushma Reddy, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Through high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNAseq), transcriptomes for a single cell, tissue, or organism(s) can be ascertained at a high resolution. While a number of bioinformatic tools have been developed for transcriptome analyses, significant challenges exist for studies of non-model organisms. Without a reference sequence available, raw reads must first be assembled de novo followed by the tedious task of BLAST searches and data mining for functional information. We have created a pipeline, PyRanger, to automate this process. The pipeline includes functionality to assess a single transcriptome and also facilitate comparative transcriptomic studies.