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 …

Adapting To Rising Sea Levels In San Francisco Bay: The Potential For Thin Layer Sediment Application To Enhance Tidal Marsh Resiliency Through This Century, Scott K. Hine

Master's Projects and Capstones

The research here focuses on two projected century sea-level rise scenarios (100 and 180 cm/century) and the potential to offset elevation loss to sea-level rise by supplying deteriorating tidal marsh habitat with a thin layer of dredge sediment via high-pressure spray disposal within San Francisco Bay. This adaptation strategy is then analyzed for potential integration into the Bay’s long term management plan for dredge material disposal. The Marsh Equilibrium Model (Morris, 2012) is used to evaluate elevation deficits for existing tidal marsh habitat around San Pablo Bay against future century sea-level rise scenarios and model marsh resiliency following elevation enhancement. …

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 …

Improving Energy Sustainability In Electrical Vehicle Energy Networks And Internet Of Things, Abdurrahman Arikan

Doctoral Dissertations

Energy sustainability is a pressing issue facing the modern society. The twin pillars of sustainable energy are renewable energy and energy efficiency. In this dissertation, we propose novel architectures and approaches to improve energy sustainability in two application domains: transportation and the Internet of Things. Transporta- tion is one of the major sources of energy consumption and environmental pollution. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) present many opportunities in improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, with batteries and built-in mobility, PHEVs can form a mobile and distributed energy network, where energy can be conveniently transported from place …

Temperature Dependent Characterization And Crystallization Dynamics Of Ge2sb2te5 Thin Films And Nanoscale Structures, Kadir Cil

Doctoral Dissertations

Phase change memory (PCM) is currently seen as the most promising candidate for a future storage-class memory with the potential to be as fast as Dynamic Random-Access Memory but with much longer retention times, and as dense as flash memory but significantly faster due to unique material properties which include strong electrical resistivity contrast, fast crystallization and high crystallization temperature. PCM devices utilize chalcogenide materials (most commonly Ge₂Sb₂Te₅, or GST) that can be reversibly and rapidly switched between amorphous and crystalline phases (enabling storage of information) with orders of magnitude difference in electrical resistivity. …

Flame Combustion Synthesis Of Nano-Materials For Catalysts And Sensors, Rishabh Jain

Doctoral Dissertations

Synthesis of functional nanomaterial thin films using a scalable flame combustion technique called Reactive Spray Deposition Technology (RSDT) was explored. Nanomaterials were used as sensing film for local gas monitoring and human breath analysis for medical diagnosis (different phases of WO₃) and catalysts for water-gas shift (WGS) reaction (Pt supported on ceria). Areas of application include: handheld portable devices for immediate breath composition monitoring, medical diagnosis, and environment monitoring (workplace, residence and automobile). Two case studies will be explained in detail: (1) acetone sensing in human breath for blood glucose monitoring and (2) NO₂ sensing for air …

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 …

Real System Features And Implications In Underwater Acoustic Networks, Lina Pu

Doctoral Dissertations

As an emerging research area, underwater acoustic network (UAN) has attracted tremendous interests from both academia and industry in recent years. However, little work has been conducted to test algorithms and protocols in real sea experiments. Due to the complexity of acoustic environments and the uncertainties in acoustic systems, it is difficult for theoretical studies or simulations to evaluate UANs in the real world. Studying real system features of UANs has become crucial in the field.

In this dissertation, I study the real system features revealed in sea tests and analyze their impact on underwater media access control (MAC), time …

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 …

Bodipy-Based Fluorescent Probes For Sensing Protein Surface-Hydrophobicity, Nethaniah Dorh, Shilei Zhu, Kamal B. Dhungana, Ranjit Pati, Fen-Tair Luo, Haiying Liu, Ashutosh Tiwari

Department of Chemistry Publications

Mapping surface hydrophobic interactions in proteins is key to understanding molecular recognition, biological functions, and is central to many protein misfolding diseases. Herein, we report synthesis and application of new BODIPY-based hydrophobic sensors (HPsensors) that are stable and highly fluorescent for pH values ranging from 7.0 to 9.0. Surface hydrophobic measurements of proteins (BSA, apomyoglobin, and myoglobin) by these HPsensors display much stronger signal compared to 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonic acid (ANS), a commonly used hydrophobic probe; HPsensors show a 10- to 60-fold increase in signal strength for the BSA protein with affinity in the nanomolar range. This suggests that these HPsensors …

Mother Tongue Interference In English Language Pronunciation Of The Chinese Immigrant In The United States, Chaowei Hu

Master's Projects and Capstones

English is one of the most widely used languages in the world. As an unofficial lingua franca, it serves a key role in cross-cultural communication. Chinese immigrants in the US will certainly encounter many difficulties in acquiring L2 proficiency. Some of these challenges are tied to 1) Chinese immigrants’ history in the US and the variety of Chinese dialects; 2) distinctions between Chinese and English phonological systems; 3) diversity among Chinese Americans; 3) mother tongue influence on English language learning; and 4) foreign language anxiety.

“It Is The Promiscuous Woman Who Is Giving Us The Most Trouble”: The Internal War On Prostitution In New Orleans During World War Ii, Allison Baffoni

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

When the United States entered World War II, federal officials began planning a war on prostitution and decided to make New Orleans the poster city for reform. New Orleans held a reputation for being a destination for prostitution tin the U.S. A federally appointed group aptly named the Social Protection Division began a repression campaign in militarily dense areas throughout the United States. The goal was to protect soldiers by eliminating the threat from venereal disease carrying prostitutes. The Social Protection Division created a campaign with the New Orleans Health Department and the New Orleans Police Department to repression prostitution. …

Here Goes Nothing: Creating The Role Of Timothy Allgood In "Noises Off.", Justin G. Bupp

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Noises Off is the epitome of farce. Doors everywhere, mistaken identities, and unrequited love. The characters push themselves to the limit, both mentally and physically. They stop at nothing to put on their production and their stage manager, Timothy Allgood, becomes the babysitter of the group, which at times becomes comparable to herding cats.

This document describes the journey made from casting to final bows. It contains biographical research on the playwright, Michael Frayn, as well as a historical look at the genre of farce, techniques pioneered by Sanford Meisner and Konstantin Stanislavski, along with materials, including a scored script, …

Improving Patient Satisfaction, Wait Times, And Access To Care In A College Health Setting; Expanding The Rn Role As Prescribing Agent With Standardized Procedures, Kimberly D. Perris

Master's Projects and Capstones

The CNL theme for this project is Nursing Leadership, Advocate for the Profession and is inspired by the Institute of Medicine’s call for all nurses to work to the maximum scope of their practice. The specific aim was to demonstrate RN confidence working independently, and proficiency using one RN protocol to provide hormonal contraception with an overall aim of improving patient satisfaction and access to care. This project took place in a rural university student health center where family planning and contraception services are the number one service provided.

The RN visit project has been multidisciplinary and collaborative in creating …

Enhancing Education Of Medication Side Effects To Improve Patient Outcomes, Kyle R. Woolley

Master's Projects and Capstones

Patient satisfaction scores regarding how effectively staff educates patients about possible side effects of new medications are not consistently above the national average at a large metropolitan hospital in California (MHC). The results of these patient satisfaction scores shed light on the need for evidence-based strategies to improve a patient’s perception of the medication education provided to them. The basis of the incentive to improve care is ultimately increased safety and better patient outcomes. From the Root Cause Analysis, it became apparent that a few common barriers need to be addressed, but the one most frequently reported by everyone that …

Beyond Access To Education: Using Collaborative Learning To Promote Agency In Unauthorized Latinos Entering Community College, Amanda C. Price

Master's Projects and Capstones

The US is widely recognized as a nation of immigrants; however, when an estimated 70,000 unaccompanied child migrants arrived from Central America in 2014, unauthorized immigration became a full-blown humanitarian crisis. Unauthorized immigrants, 71% of whom come from Mexico and Central America, make up an increasingly significant portion of the population. This is particularly true in California, where 28% of unauthorized immigrants reside. However, despite the overwhelming consensus that command of English is paramount to a successful life in the US, an alarming 51% of unauthorized immigrants speak English “not well” or “not at all”.

Unauthorized immigrants face unique challenges …

The Battle Against Childhood Obesity, Allison Fox

Capstones

When 16-year-old Eric Foy came home from high school one weeknight in the fall of 2005, his life changed forever. His mother, Claudia, was resting on the tan couch in the living room, but she was slumped over to the left, towards the end table that held a dozen framed photos of his extended family. “Get me juice,” Claudia whispered to her son. Immediately, Eric knew what was happening –his mother’s blood sugar level was crashing. As he ran to the kitchen to pour a glass of orange juice, he started to panic.

Dislocation And Adjustment Of International Student-Athletes, Thiago Brito Lopes

Master's Theses

One reason that attracts international student-athletes to American universities could be the interest in earning high quality education with the possibility of playing high performance sports. However, when compared to other international students, differences are seen: Other foreign students who look for a degree in the US desire not only an international education, but also potentially staying in the country. The University of San Francisco, where a cosmopolitan city meets education, fits it best. At USF, 82 countries are represented, reaching a number of 1708 students. Approximately ¼ of the whole student population is international. The ratio with student-athletes is …

Photooxidation Reactions Of Small-Chain Methyl Esters, Aerosol Photoelectron Spectroscopy, And The Photodissociation Of Ethylenediamine, Giel Muller

Master's Theses

Research conducted at the University of San Francisco is presented within this masters thesis, including the Cl-initiated photooxidation reactions of methyl propanoate, methyl butanoate, and methyl valerate (pentanoate), the aerosol photoelectron spectroscopy of isoprene and gamma-valerolactone, and the TPEPICO investigation of ethylenediamine. Experiments were conducted at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab Advanced Light Source (ALS), the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center in Hsinchu City (NSRRC), and the University of Stockton in California, respectively.

The Multidimensionality Of Schoolgirl Dropouts In Rural Bangladesh, Tiffany Yancey

Master's Theses

This thesis outlines the underlying causes for girl dropouts in the secondary school system of rural Bangladesh and assesses the barriers that affect adolescent girls and their families. The complex dynamics of the historical context within the patriarchal-dominant structure of society creates a system that hinders girls’ education and forces them into marriage at an early age. Poverty and lack of parental involvement in schools, as well as societal traditions and lack of government infrastructure play an enormous role and are the main structural factors that are linked to schoolgirl dropouts in this study. This thesis also analyzes previous education …

Remembering Vietnam War Veterans: Interpreting History Through New Orleans Monuments And Memorials, Catherine Bourg Haws

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This thesis is concerned with the question of how America’s citizen soldiers are remembered and how their services can be interpreted through monuments and memorials. The paper discusses the concept of memory and the functions of memorialization. It explores whether and how monuments and memorials portray the difficulties, hardships, horror, costs, and consequences of armed combat. The political motivations behind the design, formation and establishment of the edifices are also probed. The paper considers the Vietnam War monuments and memorials erected by Americans and Vietnam expatriates in New Orleans, Louisiana, and examines their illustrative and educational usefulness. Results reflect …

Expectations And Violations Of Privacy During Adolescence, Matthew D. Marrero

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study tested a conceptual model of adolescents’ feelings of privacy invasion derived from CPM. Specifically, goals were to describe adolescents’ expectations of privacy, to describe how often adolescents are exposed to behaviors that threaten privacy, and to test privacy beliefs, potentially invasive behaviors, and having things to hide as predictors of individual differences in feelings of privacy invasion. Furthermore, each question and hypothesis was examined across four privacy domains and four relationships to determine whether privacy functions similarly or uniquely across domains and relationships. Participants were 118 adolescents (59% female), ranging from age 15 to 18 years of age …

Queering The Wac: The World War Ii Military Experience Of Queer Women, Catherine S. Cauley

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The demands of WWII mobilization led to the creation of the first standing women's army in the US known as the Women's Army Corps (WAC). An unintended consequence of this was that the WAC provided queer women with an environment with which to explore their gender and sexuality while also giving them the cover of respectability and service that protected them from harsh societal repercussions. They could eschew family for their military careers. They could wear masculine clothing, exhibit a masculine demeanor, and engage in a homosocial environment without being seen as subversive to the American way of life. Quite …

A Simulation Of The Mississippi River Salt Wedge Estuary Using A Three-Dimensional Cartesian Z Coordinate Model, Steven K. Ayres

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The stratified flow of the lower Mississippi River due to density gradients is a well documented phenomenon. This stratification of fresh and saline water manifests itself as a heavier wedge of saline water that extends upriver and a buoyant fresh water plume extending into the Gulf of Mexico past the Southwest Pass jetties. The maximum absolute distance of saltwater intrusion observed anywhere in the world occurred on the Mississippi River in 1939 and 1940 when saltwater was observed approximately 225 km upstream from the mouth of Southwest Pass. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers now prevents the wedge from …

Submarine Channel Evolution Linked To Rising Salt Dome, Mississippi Canyon, Gulf Of Mexico, Rachel C. Carter

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

By examining halokinetics and channel evolution in a deep-water system, we investigate how submarine channel morphology is affected by changing seascape linked to diapirism. The study area is located in Mississippi Canyon, Gulf of Mexico (GOM), situated directly off the continental slope in a prominent salt dome region. Interactions of salt domes with submarine channels in the GOM are poorly documented. Utilizing 3D seismic data and seismic geomorphology techniques, a long-lived Plio-Pleistocene submarine channel system has been investigated to develop a relationship between variable phases of salt movement and plan-form morphology of preserved channels.

We suggest that halokinetics acts as …

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 …

"It's No Life Being A Steer": Violence, Masculinity, And Gender Performance In The Sun Also Rises And In Our Time, Brock J. Thibodaux

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Nearly all discussions of Hemingway and his work touch on the theme of masculinity, a recurrent theme in all of his works. Examinations of Hemingway and his relationship to masculinity have almost unanimously treated the author as a misogynist and a champion of violent masculinity. However, since the posthumous publication of The Garden of Eden in 1986, there has been much discussion of Hemingway’s uncharacteristic use of androgynous characters in the novel. Critics have taken this as a clue that Hemingway possessed a complex attitude regarding gender fluidity, but have failed to examine the constructions of gender and identity in …

The Tunisian Revolution: Empire And The Power Of The Multitude, Caroline A. Burns

Master's Theses

The self-immolation of Mohammed Bouazizi ignited the revolution that would oust Tunisian dictator Ben Ali in 2011. The momentum of the revolution in Tunisia spread ideas, tactics, and revolutionary chants across borders to various parts of the globe. The speed and intensity of the revolution dominated the attention of the unsuspecting global community. In order to understand the conditions under which this revolution transpired, I use Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri's theory of Empire to show how the contemporary global system functions. Through the historical development of Tunisia and concurrent rise of Empire emerges "the multitude," the heterogeneous manifestation of …

The German Army At A Crossroads Of Modernization, Sarah E. Liebig

Master's Theses

This thesis examines the German civil-military relationship and the challenges the country is facing amidst modernizing reforms to the German armed forces. Over the last quarter of a century, new international security threats have manifested and continue to transform requiring Germany to adapt its military and defense policies in order to effectively protect itself and serve as a capable ally to other member states of international organizations such as NATO and the EU. The adaptations and reforms required of Germany have led to concern that the cornerstone civil-military relationship concepts are at risk. In this thesis I identify the major …