Digital Commons Network^™

The Mechanisms Of Auditory Distraction: The Roles Of Interference-By-Process And Attention Capture, Danielle A. Lutfi-Proctor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

It is generally believed that there are two main mechanisms of auditory distraction: attention capture and interference-by-process. Attention capture is said to occur when sounds drag your attention away from what you are attempting to focus on and harm performance as a consequence. Interference-by-process, meanwhile, states that the processing of the sounds can conflict with the processing needed to complete the task of interest. Whether or not the two mechanisms can jointly lead to distraction is unclear at this time. The following dissertation examined the roles of both distraction mechanisms in a cross-modal variant of the Stroop task, in which …

Spectral Properties Of Photonic Crystals: Bloch Waves And Band Gaps, Robert Paul Viator Jr

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The author of this dissertation studies the spectral properties of high-contrast photonic crystals, i.e. periodic electromagnetic waveguides made of two materials (a connected phase and included phase) whose electromagnetic material properties are in large contrast. A spectral analysis of 2nd-order divergence-form partial differential operators (with a coupling constant k) is provided. A result of this analysis is a uniformly convergent power series representation of Bloch-wave eigenvalues in terms of the coupling constant k in the high-contrast limit k -> infinity. An explicit radius of convergence for this power series is obtained, and can be written explicitly in terms of the …

Walter Lippmann's Search For A Sustainable Liberalism, Eric Schmidt

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Walter Lippmann’s intellectual journey represents the journey of American liberalism in the 20th century: an attempted return from infatuation with the progressive ideals of inevitable historical development and scientific progress to the stability of human rights and freedom. America’s path to defining its brand of liberalism finds expression in the philosophical works of Lippmann, who was at the center of this struggle. Lippmann was a defender of the liberal democratic state whose value as a thinker derives from his attempt to understand the problem of political freedom (are people competent to self-rule in a mass democracy?) throughout this critical time …

Ben Moore's "Dear Theo," For Tenor Voice And Piano: A Performer's Guide, Gregory Michael Gallagher

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

American composer Ben Moore (b. 1960) is a well-regarded painter, pianist, and composer whose compositions have been sung by leading singers of the Metropolitan Opera. This document serves as a performer’s guide to Moore’s song cycle Dear Theo. The song cycle utilizes Moore’s own text adaptations of letters written by Vincent van Gogh to his brother Theo. Chapter 1 presents a biographical sketch of Vincent van Gogh and his path to becoming a painter. Chapter 2 provides a brief life history of Ben Moore based on personal interview. Chapter 3 details the process of creating the song cycle Dear Theo. …

Old Testament History, Steelman Library, Gerry White Dr.

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Western Art Appreciation, Steelman Library, Jon Seals

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Drawing 2, Steelman Library, Jon Seals

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Student Learning By Narrowing The Gap Between Feedback Giving And Feedback Receiving, Eileen Goold

Conference Papers

Feedback is one of the most powerful influences on learning and achievement. However the mere provision of feedback to students does not necessarily lead to improved learning. Feedback is ineffective if it does not close the gap between learning goals and students’ performance. Often students do not have clear goals and they do not know what learning activities will improve their learning performance. Consequently the opportunity to learn from the feedback is lost. Learning is a social process and while young people have increasingly strong social needs they struggle with academic language. This study investigates the influence of lecturers’ feedback …

Compositional Changes For Reduction Of Polymerisation-Induced Shrinkage In Holo, Dervil Cody, Mohesh Moothanchery, Emilia Mihaylova, Vincent Toal, Svetlana Mintova, Izabela Naydenova

Doctoral

Polymerisation-induced shrinkage is one of the main reasons why many photopolymer materials are not used for certain applications including holographic optical elements and holographic data storage. Here, two compositional changes for the reduction of shrinkage in an acrylamide-based photopolymer are reported. A holographic interferometric technique was used to study changes in the dynamics of the shrinkage processes occurring in the modified photopolymer during holographic recording in real time. Firstly, the effect of the replacement of the acrylamide monomer in the photopolymer composition with a larger monomer molecule, diacetone acrylamide, on polymerisation-induced shrinkage has been studied. A reduction in relative shrinkage …

Frankenfolk: Distinctiveness And Attractiveness Of Voice And Motion, Jan Ondřej, Cathy Ennis, Niamh Merriman, Carol O'Sullivan

Articles

It is common practice in movies and games to use different actors for the voice and body/face motion of a virtual character. What effect does the combination of these different modalities have on the perception of the viewer? In this article, we conduct a series of experiments to evaluate the distinctiveness and attractiveness of human motions (face and body) and voices. We also create combination characters called FrankenFolks, where we mix and match the voice, body motion, face motion, and avatar of different actors and ask which modality is most dominant when determining distinctiveness and attractiveness or whether the effects …

The Impact Of Soft Cl Wear On Corneal Curvature And Thickness And On The Outcomes Of Refractive Laser Surgery, Aoife Lloyd Mckernan

Doctoral

Introduction: Soft CL (SCL) wear can alter the cornea and have significant effects on vision quality (Hardten and Gosavi, 2009; Pflugfelder et al., 2002; Ryan and Jacob, 1996; Tseng et al., 2007). This may have implications for visual outcomes following corneal refractive surgery (CRS) (Tang et al., 2005). The time required for resolution of these SCL-induced changes can vary (González-Méijome et al., 2003a; Hashemi et al., 2008; Ng et al., 2007; Nourouzi et al., 2006; Schornack, 2003; Wang et al., 2002b). Despite this, current guidelines relating to cessation of SCL wear prior to CRS vary greatly, and are lacking in …

Resolving Perception Based Problems In Human-Computer Dialogue, Niels Schütte

Doctoral

We investigate the effect of sensor errors on situated human­ computer dialogues. If a human user instructs a robot to perform a task in a spatial environment, errors in the robot's sensor based perception of the environment may result in divergences between the user's and the robot's understanding of the environment. If the user and the robot communicate through a language based interface, these problems may result in complex misunderstand­ ings. In this work we investigate such situations. We set up a simulation based scenario in which a human user instructs a robot to perform a series of manipulation tasks, …

Novel Therapeutic Approaches To Induce Autophagy In Brain Cancer, Gillian Conway

Doctoral

Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is classified as a malignant grade IV astrocytoma, and is considered to be the most biologically aggressive brain tumour with a 5-year survival rate of ~4%. The most frequent issue arising with GBM tumours is the high level of resistance observed to conventional therapeutic methods i.e. surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, thus signifying the urgency for the development of novel therapeutic methods. This study aims to investigate and develop both a complimentary and novel method to overcome the current treatment barriers. We have investigated the use of novel technologies such as cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) as an alternative …

A New Educational Mobile Devices Platform For Social Inclusion In Tanzania, Fredrick Mtenzi

Articles

Abstract— It is evident that advances in technology has led to improvement in societal wellbeing. In this paper we demonstrate how mobile phones are used in providing reliable and quality education to students in disadvantaged areas of Tanzania. The main contribution is on leveraging on the success that Tanzania has had on using mobile banking to the un-banked population. These lessons are adapted to the education sector, where clever/smart integration of existing disruptive technologies such as mobile phones and social networks are be used to provide access to high quality educational contents. Further, the paper shows how educational content can …

Long-Term Drainage Reduces Co2 Uptake And Increases Co2 Emission On A Siberian Floodplain Due To Shifts In Vegetation Community And Soil Thermal Characteristics, Min Jung Kwon, Martin Heimann, Olaf Kolle, Kristina Luus, Edward A. G. Schuur, Nikita Zimov, Sergey A. Zimov, Mathias Göckede

Articles

Abstract. With increasing air temperatures and changing precipitation patterns forecast for the Arctic over the coming decades, the thawing of ice-rich permafrost is expected to increasingly alter hydrological conditions by creating mosaics of wetter and drier areas. The objective of this study is to investigate how 10 years of lowered water table depths of wet floodplain ecosystems would affect CO2 fluxes measured using a closed chamber system, focusing on the role of long-term changes in soil thermal characteristics and vegetation community structure. Drainage diminishes the heat capacity and thermal conductivity of organic soil, leading to warmer soil temperatures in shallow …

Sparse Adaptive Local Machine Learning Algorithms For Sensing And Analytics, Jack Cannon

Maseeh Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

The goal of digital image processing is to capture, transmit, and display images as efficiently as possible. Such tasks are computationally intensive because an image is digitally represented by large amounts of data. It is possible to render an image by reconstructing it with a subset of the most relevant data. One such procedure used to accomplish this task is commonly referred to as sparse coding. For our purpose, we use images of handwritten digits that are presented to an artificial neural network. The network implements Rozell's locally competitive algorithm (LCA) to generate a sparse code. This sparse code is …

Real-Time Monitoring Of Personal Exposures To Carbon Dioxide, Elliott T. Gall, Toby Cheung, Irvan Luhung, Stefano Schiavon, William W. Nazaroff

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Elevated indoor CO₂ levels are indicative of insufficient ventilation in occupied spaces and correlate with elevated concentrations of pollutants of indoor origin. Adverse health and well-being outcomes associated with elevated indoor CO₂ levels are based on CO₂ as a proxy, although some emerging evidence suggests CO₂ itself may impact human cognition. Using portable monitors, we conducted an exposure study with 16 subjects in Singapore to understand the levels, dynamics and influencing factors of personal exposure to CO₂. Participants carried a CO₂ monitor continuously for 7-day periods recording their exposure levels at 1-min intervals. …

Enhancing Watershed Planning In Implementation Of The Colorado Water Plan: An Overview Of Implementation Challenges And Opportunities, Douglas S. Kenney

Books, Reports, and Studies

25 pages.

Introduction -- Review of existing efforts -- Summary of interviews -- The salience of funding -- Recommendations -- Attachment A: Summary of reviewed watershed plans.

To Branch Out Or Stay Focused?: Affective Shifts Differentially Predict Organizational Citizenship Behavior And Task Performance, Liu-Qin Yang, Lauren S. Simon, Lei Wang, Xiaoming Zheng

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

We draw from personality systems interaction theory (PSI; Kuhl, 2000) and regulatory focus theory (Higgins, 1997) to examine how dynamic positive and negative affective processes interact to predict both task and contextual performance. Using a twice-daily diary design over the course of a three-week period, results from multi-level regression analysis revealed that distinct patterns of change in positive and negative affect optimally predicted contextual and task performance among a sample of 71 individuals employed at a medium-sized technology company. Specifically, within persons, increases (upshifts) in positive affect over the course of a work day better predicted the subsequent day’s organizational …

"Life Beyond Life": Reading Milton's Areopagitica Through Enlightenment Vitalism, Erik L. Johnson

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

The Life Experiences Of Ten Female Refugees From Iraq And Iran: An Oral History Research Study, Nicole Ludwig

Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study about the experiences of 10 religiously persecuted female refugees from Iran (Baha’i) and Iraq (Chaldean) was conducted in both Northern (Bay Area) and Southern (San Diego County) California. The study focused on three periods in their lives: previous experiences in the refugee’s home country prior to resettlement; adaptation to a third country during the resettlement process, especially in regard to experiences with resettlement agencies; and finally, resettlement as refugees in the United States. An oral history methodology was used to conduct the in-depth interviews with the participants.

Key findings in the research study included identifying various pull …

Effect Of Mindfulness Training On Interpretation Exam Performance In Graduate Students In Interpreting, Julie E. Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations

Many graduate interpreting students struggle because the real-time, interactive nature of interpreting dictates that they be able to regulate their attention across different parallel cognitive activities and manage the inherent stress and unpredictability of the task. Within the framework of Cognitive Load Theory, this mixed-methods study explored the effect of short-term mindfulness training on consecutive interpreting exam performance using a quasi-experimental repeated-measures design. It also examined the relationships among mindfulness, stress, aspects of attention, and interpreting exam performance. The sample included 67 students (age M = 26.9 years; 82% female) across seven language programs (Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, …

Nuancing Human Rights Discourse And Practice: Perspectives From Myanmar, Amy Marie Argenal

Doctoral Dissertations

Through a participatory action research project with human rights activists in Myanmar, this study builds on discourse around inherent power imbalances in international human rights work by highlighting voices often left out of the human rights discourse. Using postcolonial and third world feminist frameworks, this research offers analysis of ten research participants’ narratives on their relationship with human rights discourse and a discussion of their practice. By looking at questions of how community activists from Myanmar engaged in a human rights discourse, the study offers nuanced understandings and critical analysis of how and why certain activists will embrace or reject …

Arabic Teachers' Perception Of An Integrated Approach For Teaching Arabic As A Foreign Language In Colleges And Universities In The United States, Abeer Al-Mohsen

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the perception of Arabic teachers on whether an integrated approach is critical for students’ communicative competence in Arabic. Additionally, the study attempts to uncover what might be potential barriers to the integrated-approach program-wide implementation in the field of Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language in higher education institutes in the United States. Although many studies investigated students’ perception of learning Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) only, few studies focused on teachers’ perceptions of the issue and understanding of what communicative Arabic instruction should entail.

Using a mixed-method study, the researcher conducted the study in two sequential phases: a …

The Effect Of More And Less Relevant Details And Teacher Voice On Student Retention And Problem-Solving Transfer In Teacher-Created Multimedia, Colette Roche

Doctoral Dissertations

Many teachers create multimedia resources for their students, but most are uncertain as to what factors to consider regarding the design of multimedia instructional materials. Prior research identified instructional design principles for multimedia including the coherence principle and voice principle.

The purpose of this study was to test the coherence principle in a realistic setting using a heterogeneous group of ninth grade students in a humanities course to determine the effect of seductive details on retention and problem-solving transfer. To extend understanding of the voice principle, this study examined the effect of the teacher’s voice on student learning as measured …

Training In Summarizing Notes: Effects Of Teaching Students A Self-Regulation Study Strategy In Science Learning, Michelle Mendoza Nebres

Doctoral Dissertations

The last two decades of national data assessments reveal that there has been a sharp decline in nationwide standardized test scores. International assessment data show that in 2012 a very low amount of American students were performing at proficiency or above in science literacy. Research in science literacy education suggests that students benefit most when they are self-regulated (SR) learners. Unfortunately, SR poses a challenge for many students because students lack these skills. The effects of having learned few SR strategies at an early age may lead to long term learning difficulties—preventing students from achieving academic success in college and …

Implicit Theories And Perceptions Of Academic Changes Among Teachers In Lasallian Secondary Schools In The San Francisco New Orleans District, Heidi M. Harrison

Doctoral Dissertations

A central issue in education is whether teachers are preparing students to succeed and serve a rapidly changing world. In Catholic Lasallian schools, teachers are called to accomplish the Church’s ministry of education and therefore to continually renew and adapt their practices to prepare students for their contemporary society and to live out Christian values in service to others.

This study focused on the fundamental beliefs and perceptions of teachers who implement academic changes in Lasallian schools. It utilized the psychological framework of implicit theories (Dweck, 2000) as its theoretical rationale. The purpose of the study was to investigate the …

The Perceived Influence Of Lasallian Mission Formation Programs On Participants From The District Of San Francisco New Orleans, Gary Cannon

Doctoral Dissertations

The Perceived Influence of Lasallian Mission Formation Programs on Participants from the District of San Francisco New Orleans

The mission of Catholic education involves the faith formation and the integral human development of individuals (Second Vatican Council, 1965a). The Catholic Church recognizes that the realization of this two-fold mission, religious and academic, is primarily dependent upon school faculty and staff. The De La Salle Christian Brothers have made mission formation of faculty and staff one of their principal aims. Within the United States, they provide a variety of Regional and District formation programs to assist their faculty and staff advance …

San Francisco Bay Area School Districts Contracted With California Public Employees' Retirement System (Calpers) And The Impact Of The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act Of 2010, Michael David Blanco

Doctoral Dissertations

San Francisco Bay Area school districts contracted with California Public Employees’ Retirement system (CalPERS) and the impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010

This qualitative study examined the impact of high cost CalPERS medical plans on the participant’s school district in regards to the 2020 Cadillac Tax, the types of administrative action the participants have taken to comply with the mandated reporting to the IRS, and the types of administrative measures the participants have taken to comply with the offer of coverage to employees working a minimum of 30 hours per week. The theoretical framework used …

Exploration Of Soka Education Principles On Global Citizenship: A Qualitative Study Of U.S. K-3 Soka Educators, Mahi Takazawa

Doctoral Dissertations

The globalized world continues to be wracked by environmental, economic, sociopolitical, and spiritual crises (Earth Council, 2002; Laszlo, 2009). Education for global citizenship holds the key to resolving these problems (Andrzejewski & Alessio, 1999; Ikeda, 2005). Unfortunately, U.S. K-12 education for global citizenship is predominantly driven by hegemonic neoliberal interests with the sole aim of producing human capital for global economic competition instead of developing socially responsible global citizens (Andrzejewski & Alessio, 1999; Giroux, 2012). Fostering a mindset for global citizenship urgently requires an alternative form of education that is ethical in its orientation (Noddings, 2005). One such model is …