Digital Commons Network^™

Maxwell's Paradox: Classical Electrodynamics And Its Time Reversal Invariance, Valia Allori

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

In this paper, I argue that the recent discussion on the time - reversal invariance of classical electrodynamics (see (Albert 2000: ch.1), (Arntzenius 2004), (Earman 2002), (Malament 2004),(Horwich 1987: ch.3)) can be best understood assuming that the disagreement among the various authors is actually a disagreement about the metaphysics of classical electrodynamics. If so, the controversy will not be resolved until we have established which alternative is the most natural. It turns out that we have a paradox, namely that the following three claims are incompatible: the electromagnetic fields are real, classical electrodynamics is time-reversal invariant, and the content of …

The Rhetorical Function Of Laugh Tracks In Situation Comedies: Examining Queer Shame In Will & Grace And Roseanne, Jimmie Manning

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

I examine laugh track use in two highly popular television programs, Will & Grace and Roseanne, to consider how the construction of what is or is not supposed to be funny has rhetorical implications for queer identities and relationships. These texts were selected not only for their abundance of queer characters—Will & Grace focused on a gay man/straight woman best friend relationship and Roseanne featured at least one queer character each year beginning with the third season—but also because of their immense popularity. I argue that these two programs constitute what I call enduring popular culture texts, popular entertainment that …

An Empirical Analysis Of Noncompetition Clauses And Other Restrictive Postemployment Covenants, Randall S. Thomas, Norman D. Bishara, Kenneth J. Martin

Vanderbilt Law Review

Employment contracts for most employees are not publicly available, leaving researchers to speculate about whether they contain postemployment restrictions on employee mobility, and if so, what those provisions look like. Using a large sample of publicly available CEO employment contracts, we are able to examine these noncompetition covenants, including postemployment covenants not to compete ("CNCs" or "noncompetes'), nonsolicitation agreements ("NSAs"), and nondisclosure agreements ("NDAs'). What we found confirms some long-held assumptions about restrictive covenants but also uncovers some surprises.

We begin by discussing why employers use restrictive covenants and examining how the courts have treated them. We then analyze an …

Towards A New Paradigm Of Judicial Education, Mary R. Russell

Journal of Dispute Resolution

When talking about judicial education, a central question emerges: What is the goal of judicial education for judges? A simple answer springs to mind: To make us better judges, of course. This of course is a deceptively simple question with a deceptively simple answer, until there is an attempt to specifically identify how to accomplish this worthy judicial education goal, and that is where simplicity disappears

Judicial Education: Pedagogy For A Change, T. Brettel Dawson

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Canadian judges have maintained a steadfast, long-term commitment to judicial education. Through teaching one another, judges renew their vision over time, and more concretely, address their concerns and challenges today. Since its inception in 1985, the National Judicial Institute (NJI) has sought to be a partner and a resource to judges and Courts in a shared endeavour to create relevant, practical, and effective judicial education. Working together, the NJI, judges, and Courts have built a “Canadian model” of judicial education widely respected and emulated.

Let Me In: The Right Of Access To Business Disputes Conducted In State Courts, David W. Brown

Journal of Dispute Resolution

After examining the history of the First Amendment right of access to civil proceedings, this note will analyze how the two-pronged historical test applies to arbitrations conducted in a state court. The prongs of the test — experience and logic — provide the framework for the analysis conducted in this note.6 This note argues the analysis conducted in Strine was the correct approach, and suggests the implementation of Sunshine Laws similar to those in other states as a constitutionally permissible alternative that would satisfy the holding in Strine.

The Role Of Motives And Decision Rules In Restaurant Tipping, Jacob Lee Hiler

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this research is to address critical deficiencies in our understanding on how bill size, service quality, motives, and decision rules affect tipping behavior. This research uses social norm and equity theories to define the role of motives and decision rules used in determining tipping behavior. Additionally, it provides further evidence of other operant motives and decision rules through qualitative analysis. A conceptual framework and operational model are developed and empirically tested.

Junior Level Baccalaureate Nursing Students' Lived Experiences With Test Anxiety: Can Music Serve As A Means To Reduce Test Anxiety And Increase Self-Efficacy?, Keeley Clark Harmon

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Test anxiety is a pervasive problem in education programs. Nursing education is not an exception as approximately 30% of nursing students are impacted by varying levels of test anxiety that can affect their ability to succeed. This mixed methods study utilizes concepts from Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, the Cognitive-Attentional (Interference) Model, and the Georgi Lozanov method to explore the lived experiences of junior level baccalaureate nursing students with test anxiety. The 39 participants in the quantitative portion of the study were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The experimental group (n=18) listened to a nine minute and 27 second …

Design And Implementation Of A Passive Neurostimulator With Wireless Resonance-Coupled Power Delivery And Demonstration On Frog Sciatic Nerve And Gastrocnemius Muscle, Jose Aquiles Parodi Amaya

LSU Master's Theses

The thesis presented has four goals: to perform a comprehensive literature review on current neurostimulator technology; to outline the current issues with the state-of-the-art; to provide a neurostimulator design that solves these issues, and to characterize the design and demonstrate its neurostimulation features. The literature review describes the physiology of a neuron, and then proceeds to outline neural interfaces and neurostimulators. The neurostimulator design process is then outlined and current requirements in the field are described. The novel neurostimulator circuit that implements a solution that has wireless capability, passive control, and small size is outlined and characterized. The circuit is …

The Impact Of Therapist Self-Disclosure On Client-Perceived Working Alliance Amongst Psychiatrist Inpatients, Sean C. Morrison

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Working alliance has been shown to predict positive psychotherapy treatment outcomes. Past research focuses on therapist characteristics that correlate with working alliance after multiple therapy sessions (e.g., warmth, trustworthy) rather than employing experimental designs examining specific techniques that quickly improve working alliance. Specific techniques that have been empirically shown to improve working alliance quickly may be particularly beneficial today in the age of managed care wherein clinicians often face constraints limiting the amount of time they can spend with clients. Therapist self-disclosure (TSD) of information about a clinician’s personal life, when used appropriately, may have the potential to quickly improve …

Bacterial Xanthine Dehydrogenase Regulators, Smitha Sivapragasam

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Bacteria are resilient organisms that tend to evolve rapidly in order to acquire abilities to survive in a constantly changing environment. Transcriptional regulators play a vital role in regulating the function of various essential proteins of the cell. The gene encoding Xanthine Dehydrogenase Regulator (XdhR), a transcriptional regulator, is divergently oriented to the gene cluster (xdhABC) encoding Xanthine Dehydrogenase (Xdh) protein in Streptomyces coelicolor, Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Ralstonia solanacearum. Xdh participates in purine salvage pathway in converting adenine to guanine. My research here is aimed at identifying the novel function of Xdh and XdhR in the above mentioned bacteria. XdhR …

Evaluating And Increasing The Range Of Reinforcers For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Megan Kliebert Wiggins

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Prior research has demonstrated the utility of several preference-assessment methodologies to identify stimuli more likely to function as reinforcers for individuals with limited verbal repertoires. However, differing results have been obtained from studies evaluating the reinforcement effects of stimuli identified as high preference by one assessment method but low preference by another assessment method. The first focus of the project was to evaluate the reinforcing efficacy of edible and leisure items based on predictions from preference assessments. Results indicated that edible and leisure items approached frequently during a single-stimulus preference assessment but infrequently during a paired-stimulus preference assessment produced less …

Workshop Synthesis: Built Environment And Contextual Variables, Kelly Clifton, Pascal Perez

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This two-day workshop focused on the important issue of how to define, convey and understand the built environment context as it relates to transport decisions. The field has grown tremendously over the last few decades, fueled in part by the increasing availability of archived spatial data about the environment and geo-referencing activity and travel patterns. But there are persistent issues particularly with inconsistencies in data format or availability across locations that hamper efforts to advance our understanding across regions. Further, there are new challenges in how we communicate context to survey respondents, particularly in stated preference surveys. Much of the …

Characterization Of Adaptive Hyperplasia Of The Intestines Following Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass And Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy In Rats, Michael Brodie Mumphrey

LSU Master's Theses

Bariatric surgery is currently the only treatment for obesity that is effective in both the short and long term. Despite this, little is known about the mechanisms through which these surgeries act. While no single critical system has yet been identified, a number of major hypotheses have been proposed. One hypothesis is that adaptive hyperplasia of the intestines following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery is required in order to receive the beneficial effects of the surgery. In this thesis I characterized the adaptive response of the intestines following RYGB and showed that significant hyperplasia occurs in the intestinal mucosa. In …

Does The Bicycle Detector Symbol Change Cyclist Queuing Position At Signalized Intersections?, Stefan W. Bussey, Christopher M. Monsere, Peter Koonce

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Manual of Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) includes a bicycle detector pavement marking (Section 9C-05) and accompanying explanatory sign (R10-22) which may encourage cyclists to position themselves over detection at traffic signals. This paper presents the results of an observational and survey- based study evaluating the bicycle detector marking. Three minor actuated approaches at signalized intersections with significant bicycle volumes and without bicycle detector markings were selected for treatment. Three configurations were compared: 1) bicycle detector marking only 2) bicycle detector marking with the R10-22 explanatory sign, and 3) an alternative bicycle detector installed over a contrasting green rectangle. Analysis …

Factors Affecting Within-Plant Variation Of Cotton Fiber Quality And Yield, Matthew Oliver Indest

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Cotton is sold by weight, but a bale’s lint price per pound is determined by its fiber quality profile. Cotton quality is defined by a set of standardized properties (length, strength, elongation, uniformity, color, trash, and micronaire) collected on every United States bale. Each cotton fiber is the remnant of a single cell which upon harvest exists as a dry, hollow tube of crystalline cellulose. The length, perimeter, and thickness are a fiber’s physical dimensions. These dimensions influence both the mechanics involved in yarn spinning and the quality of the yarn produced. Genetic and environmental factors affect the development and …

Supply Chain Integration Configurations: Process Structure And Product Newness, Christos Tsinopoulos, Carlos Mena

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the configurations of supply chain integration.

Design/methodology/approach – The authors use qualitative data from manufacturers shortlisted for the UK’s Manufacturing Excellence awards over three years. Detailed processes and policies of 68 manufacturers are analysed.

Findings – Process structure and product newness require different supply chain configurations, which change as products mature. Supply chain integration is dynamic, and the extent of collaboration between suppliers and customers will be different at different moments in time. The authors define and discuss four key supply chain configurations: customised; ramp-up; recurring; coordinated.

Research limitations/implications – …

Different Approaches To Investigatory Journalism In The Muckraking Era, Tim Vest Klein

LSU Master's Theses

The muckraking era is seen as a golden age of investigatory journalism. This thesis argues that within the muckraking era, there were a number of distinct types of journalism. To understand the muckrakers, we must recognize these different types of investigatory journalism and the potential influence the different types of storytelling can have on public opinion. Fourteen of the preeminent muckrakers are analyzed based on their most important investigatory journalism articles

Near Total Resonant Light Absorption In A Graphene Monolayer At Multiple Tunable Wavelengths With Multilayer Structures, Iman Zand

LSU Master's Theses

Graphene could be potentially important for a broad range of photonic and optoelectronic applications. For such graphene-based applications it is critical to enhance the absorption of light in graphene monolayers in order to achieve near total absorption. Several structures have been proposed to enhance light absorption in graphene at visible and infrared wavelengths such as one-dimensional Fabry-Perot cavity structures, and photonic crystal slabs. Fabry-Perot cavity structures, which employ periodic Bragg mirrors, can lead to near total light absorption on resonance. However, such structures cannot achieve near complete absorption in graphene at multiple closely-spaced tunable wavelengths, which is potentially important for …

New Orleans, A City Of Layers Preventing Extinction, William Francis Reinhardt

LSU Master's Theses

Preventing the loss of New Orleans occupies the minds of many designers in Louisiana. Great efforts to preserve the city are targeting the slow return to naturalization of the engineered river to find a new balance determined by plan formulators of the Federal government. Throughout history, many experimental movements have been born from the landscape architecture practice, and may be key to the future of New Orleans. Separate chapters are devoted towards the movements created by William Kent, Fletcher Steele, and Jens Jensen to explore as inspiration to be applied to coastal living. Finally, the future of New Orleans is …

Context Aware Textual Entailment, Soha Arab-Khazaeli

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In conversations, stories, news reporting, and other forms of natural language, understanding requires participants to make assumptions (hypothesis) based on background knowledge, a process called entailment. These assumptions may then be supported, contradicted, or refined as a conversation or story progresses and additional facts become known and context changes. It is often the case that we do not know an aspect of the story with certainty but rather believe it to be the case; i.e., what we know is associated with uncertainty or ambiguity. In this research a method has been developed to identify different contexts of the input raw …

Command Abilities Of Captain Career Course Completers In Maneuver, Fires And Effects: A Self-Perceived Assessment, Michael C. Shaw

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between specific demographics of U.S. Army Company Grade Officers that have completed the U.S Army’s Captains Career Course (CCC) in Maneuver, Fires and Effects and their self-perceived capacity to perform as a successful Company Commander. This study included six objectives. The research hypothesis states: Company Grade Officers in the U.S. Army who have held a command position prior to completion of the CCC will have higher self-perceived abilities to function as a successful company commander than those who have not held a command position. The instrument was …

Social Anxiety And Cannabis-Related Impairment: The Roles Of Anxiety Sensitivity And Intolerance Of Uncertainty, Emily Robin Jeffries

LSU Master's Theses

Cannabis use is associated with many negative consequences. Identification of factors associated with cannabis could inform prevention and treatment efforts. Social anxiety appears to be one risk factor for cannabis-related problems. Thus, it is important to identify malleable cognitive vulnerability factors that may play a role in the social anxiety-cannabis problems relationship. Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is the fear of anxiety-related bodily sensations and is composed of three subfacets: physical, cognitive, and social concerns. AS is associated with greater social anxiety and may play a role in cannabis-related impairment. Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) refers to a tendency to respond negatively to …

Straight Ahead: The Life, Pedagogy, And Influence Of Dennis L. Schneider, Louie Colton Sperry Eckhardt

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The career of Dennis L. ‘Denny’ Schneider, Professor of Trumpet at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 1961-1996, was expansive. From small town Nebraska, Schneider graduated from the University of Nebraska and Indiana University. After serving in the USAF Strategic Air Command Band, and teaching public school music, Schneider began teaching at the University of Nebraska. He served as principal trumpet of the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra, Omaha Symphony Orchestra, and the Nebraska Chamber Orchestra for decades. Schneider also served as principal trumpet for the Cabrillo Summer Festival Orchestra, and performed and recorded with the Summit Brass. He was the recipient of …

Impact Of Reduced Rates Of Hormonal Herbicides Aon Sweetpotato (Ipomoea Batatas Lam.) Growth And Development, Thomas Michael Batts

LSU Master's Theses

Studies evaluated impact of dicamba, 2,4-D, and glyphosate at reduced rates to sweetpotato at root formation (RF) and development (RD) growth stages. For DGA salt of dicamba at RF, glyphosate plus dicamba at 1/10x reduced storage root number 42%, canner grade yield 33%, and total yield 36%. With choline salt of 2,4-D at RF, storage root number compared to the non-treated (6.5) was reduced with glyphosate alone at 1/100x (5.1), 2,4-D alone at 1/250x (5.1), and glyphosate plus 2,4-D applied at 1/10 (4.2) and 1/1000x (5). Canner yield was reduced 32% with glyphosate alone 1/10x, 26 and 27% with 2,4-D …

Space Cops And Cyber Cowboys: An Institutional Comparison Of The Governance Of Space Exploration And The Internet, James Luther Gilley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A growing concern for human society is the question of technology, how they are to be used and how can they best be governed. The very question of whether technology is governable remains for the most part unexplored. This work will seek to examine these important questions. By utilizing a historical institutional perspective, two case studies of the governance of technologies that have emerged in the last century will be explored. Space Exploration technologies and the advanced networking of computers known as the Internet will serve as the case to illuminate the question of governing technology. Deep qualitative functional analysis …

New Identification And Decoding Techniques For Low-Density Parity-Check Codes, Tian Xia

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Error-correction coding schemes are indispensable for high-capacity high data-rate communication systems nowadays. Among various channel coding schemes, low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes introduced by pioneer Robert G. Gallager are prominent due to the capacity-approaching and superior error-correcting properties. There is no hard constraint on the code rate of LDPC codes. Consequently, it is ideal to incorporate LDPC codes with various code rate and codeword length in the adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) systems which change the encoder and the modulator adaptively to improve the system throughput. In conventional AMC systems, a dedicated control channel is assigned to coordinate the encoder/decoder changes. …

Community Assessment Of African Maternal Health In The Portland Region: Drivers For Community, Health Services And Institutional Change, Marie-Elena Reyes, Ann Curry-Stevens

Center to Advance Racial Equity Publications and Reports

This community needs assessment surfaces a range of health priorities faced by the African community. While the scope of the study is limited by time and resources, and strategically focused on maternal health, there are a wider set of upstream and downstream health challenges that impede the community’s wellbeing. We encourage policy makers to remember these whenever health policies, and in fact all manner of policies and programs tied to the social determinants of health, are being considered.

The main body of this report contains the insights of the 56 African women who participated in six focus groups. Their voices …

Child And Maternal Health In The Slavic Community: Insights On Assets And Priorities, Marie-Elena Reyes, Ann Curry-Stevens

Center to Advance Racial Equity Publications and Reports

The Slavic community’s health is impacted by race and ethnicity, and also by issues that flow from being a newcomer community, and also from their status as refugees. They also bring to the U.S.A. cultural orientation that is collectivist, and shared experiences of persecution and deep distrust of the government. As is detailed in this report, these experiences have an impact on health and wellbeing, and simultaneously have a detrimental effect on the economic stature of the community.

This Community Needs Assessment on the Health of Slavic Children (ages 0-5 years) was conducted to produce a “needs assessment” report outlining …

Interorganizational Collaboration And Systemic Change Framework For Building Information Modeling (Bim) Adoption, Rehema Joseph Monko

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

It was found that an integrated framework needs to be developed for the construction industry that allows optimized interorganizational collaboration and systemic change while using Building Information Modeling (BIM) technologies. The framework needs to be effective so the industry can adopt BIM through a set of interdependent activities beyond their organizational boundaries. The adoption has been proven difficult because of industry competitiveness and a fragmented work environment. Meanwhile, existing frameworks vary between studies. This research developed an integrated framework, identified critical factors, and provided an evaluation guide for interorganizational collaboration and set of coordinated changes necessary to adopt BIM. This …