Digital Commons Network^™

A Brief Review Of Speaker Recognition Technology, Clark D. Shaver, John M. Acken

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper reviews the development of speaker recognition systems from pre-computing days to current trends. Advances in various sciences which have allowed autonomous speaker recognition systems to become a practical means of identity authentication are also reviewed.

Service-Learning And The Hungry And Homeless: Tangible Sensibilities Of Care Among Young Urban Adolescents, Dilafruz R. Williams

Educational Leadership and Policy Faculty Publications and Presentations

For over 20 years, Sunnyside Environmental School in Portland, Oregon has adopted service-learning as an instructional approach to engage young people with local communities. This report explores the voices of sixth through eighth graders illustrated by their Reflection Journals as they interacted with hungry and homeless individuals in the community. The human-scale connections resulted in tangible sensibilities of care evident in students’ reflections: dispelling stereotypes as students became open-minded, making a noticeable difference however small, developing compassion through new understandings, and taking action to correct social injustices in the communities where they live.

Influence Of Silicon On The Development Of Anthracnose Of Grain Sorghum, Sanjay Pokhrel

LSU Master's Theses

To study the effect of Silicon (Si) with and without a fungicide on anthracnose development of sorghum, several experiments were conducted in the greenhouse and field. In the initial study, different Si rates [0 (control), 0 (lime control), 200, 400, 600, 800 kg Si/ha] were used in a low-Si Alfisol to determine if inoculum densities were affected by Si levels. No differences were observed between inoculum densities of 1*105 and 1*106 conidia/ml in affecting anthracnose development in the greenhouse. Anthracnose severity was found to be lowest in plants treated with 800 kg Si/ha, regardless of inoculum density. In another study, …

Contemporary Perspectives On Wrongful Conviction: An Introduction To The 2016 Innocence Network Conference, San Antonio, Texas, Gwen Jordan, Aliza B. Kaplan, Valena Beety, Keith A. Findley

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Innocent people have been convicted of crimes they did not commit throughout history. The exact number of wrongful convictions is unknowable. In 2014, however, the National Academy of Sciences (“NAS”) released a study of the cases of criminal defendants who were convicted and sentenced to death and concluded that 4.1% were wrongfully convicted. The researchers explained that “this is a conservative estimate of the proportion of false conviction among death sentences in the United States.” According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1,561,500 adults were incarcerated in federal prisons, state prisons, and county jails in 2014, …

Effect Of Two-Year Caloric Restriction On Bone Metabolism And Bone Mineral Density In Non-Obese Younger Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Dt Villareal, L Fontana, Sk Das, Et Al.

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Although caloric restriction (CR) could delay biologic aging in humans, it is unclear if this would occur at the cost of significant bone loss. We evaluated the effect of prolonged CR on bone metabolism and bone mineral density (BMD) in healthy younger adults. Two-hundred eighteen non-obese (body mass index [BMI] 25.1?±?1.7?kg/m(2) ), younger (age 37.9?±?7.2 years) adults were randomly assigned to 25% CR (CR group, n?=?143) or ad libitum (AL group, n?=?75) for 2 years. Main outcomes were BMD and markers of bone turnover. Other outcomes included body composition, bone-active hormones, nutrient intake, and physical activity. Body weight (-7.5?±?0.4 versus …

Geospatial Analysis Of Food Environment Demonstrates Associations With Gestational Diabetes, Mk Kahr, Ma Suter, J Ballas, Sm Monga, W Lee, M Hu, Cd Shope, A Chesnokova, L Krannich, En Griffin, J Mastrobattista, Ga Dildy, Sl Strehlow, R Ramphul, Et Al.

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of most common complications of pregnancy, with incidence rates varying by maternal age, race/ethnicity, obesity, parity, and family history. Given its increasing prevalence in recent decades, covariant environmental and sociodemographic factors may be additional determinants of GDM occurrence. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that environmental risk factors, in particular measures of the food environment, may be a diabetes contributor. We employed geospatial modeling in a populous US county to characterize the association of the relative availability of fast food restaurants and supermarkets to GDM. STUDY DESIGN: Utilizing a perinatal database with >4900 encoded antenatal and …

Federal Anti-Sanctuary Law: A Failed Approach To Immigration And A Poor Substitute For Real Reform, Elizabeth Mccormick

Articles, Chapters in Books and Other Contributions to Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Fiduciary Political Theory: A Critique, Ethan Leib, Stephen Galoob

Articles, Chapters in Books and Other Contributions to Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

The Uncoordinated Public Domain, Robert Spoo

Articles, Chapters in Books and Other Contributions to Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Vitrification Of Immature And Mature Bovine Oocytes, Paige T. Hardin

LSU Master's Theses

Vitrification is the latest technique used in cryopreservation, the ability to utilize this method with oocytes and embryos has become a valuable system. Vitrification has been successful with bovine embryos and oocytes but is far from optimal. Following cryopreservation storage discarding embryos can cause ethical issues, and mature oocytes have fragile organelles that can be detrimentally affected by ice crystal formation during freezing. Immature oocytes have not formed some of these temperature sensitive microfilaments and can circumvent these detrimental effects. The common intracellular cryoprotective agents are dimethyl sulfoxide, glycerol and ethylene glycol. Different combination of these agents have been reported …

Development Of A Biosensor System To Detect Bacteria In Food Systems, Luis Alonso Alfaro Sanabria

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The development of biosensors may assist for the on-site detection of foodborne pathogens. The overall goal of this study was to develop a biosensor system for detecting Listeria innocua (non-pathogenic surrogate bacteria used as a model for pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes) in food systems. The study was divided into three main parts: (1) development of a sample collection and interface system for Listeria innocua from food samples, (2) development of a sample concentration system for the collected bacteria prior detection, and (3) development of a detection system based on a carbon nanotube potentiometric biosensor for a quantitative detection of Listeria innocua. …

The Multidimensional Bullying Victimization Scale: Development And Validation, Shannon Marie Harbin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

One in three middle and high school students are victims of bullying (National Educational Association, 2012). The prevalence of bullying has increased over the past 10 years by approximately 25% (Nation Center of Education Statistics, 2013) and is now considered a public health concern. Published measures of bullying lack breadth and/or psychometric support. The present study created a psychometrically sound measure assessing bully victimization in adolescents. This measure examines three dimensions of bullying: direct, indirect, and evaluative. Items were generated based on information collected from student focus groups, as well as previously published measures and themes within recently published literature. …

Policies Of Loss: Coastal Erosion And The Struggle To Save Louisiana's Wetlands, Rebecca B. Costa

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Since the 1930s, Louisiana has lost approximately 1,800 square miles of land due to the subsidence of the state’s coastal wetlands. By the early 1970s, public officials and private citizens were starting to become aware of the crisis on the coast, and a broad agreement developed among state and federal representatives that action was needed to address the problem. Over the course of nearly forty years, policymakers in Louisiana and Washington, D.C., implemented a series of laws and regulations meant to protect vulnerable ecosystems like the state’s wetlands. In the 1980s, officials also started crafting policies to help restore Louisiana’s …

Spiritual Violence, Gender, And Sexuality: Implications For Seeking And Dwelling Among Some Catholic Women And Lgbt Catholics, Theresa W. Tobin

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Seekers And Dwellers: Some Critical Reflections On Charles Taylor’S Account Of Identity, James B. South

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Construct Validity Of The Behavioral Rating Inventory Of Executive Function (Brief): Comparing Variance Associated With Common Method Versus Similar Constructs, Lauren K. Hoefling

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) is a teacher and parent questionnaire designed to measure executive functioning (EF). Due to the role of EF in ADHD, the BRIEF is often used in assessment of ADHD. The purpose of the current study was to explore the convergence and divergence of the BRIEF with a performance-based measure of EF, behavior rating scales, an observational measure of child behavior during testing, and longer-term academic outcomes. The current study used archival data representing 105 children referred to an ADHD evaluation clinic. It was hypothesized that the BRIEF would be significantly correlated with …

Improvisational Unionism, Michael M. Oswalt

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Recent fights for a $15-an-hour minimum wage at Walmart and in the fast-food industry have interested academics, captivated the press, and energized the public. For good reason. The campaigns upend conventional wisdom about what unions do (help workers win collective bargaining rights) and why they do it (build the membership). Scattered flash strikes for seemingly impossible or idiosyncratic goals on no obvious timeline have shattered that mold. Though much has already been said about these developments, scholarship has yet to provide a rigorous theoretical frame to categorize and explain the new form of activism. This Article argues that improvisation — …

In Praise Of (Some) Ex Post Regulation: A Response To Professor Galle, Kyle D. Logue

Vanderbilt Law Review

No abstract provided.

Ethnic Political Parties And Civil Conflict, Erin Nicole El Koubi

LSU Master's Theses

The lack of consensus on the significance of ethnicity on civil conflict derives from the measures used, not from the concept’s lack of merit. Current measures, such as the ethno-linguistic fractionalization index (ELF), examine differences in demographics rather than how the diversity becomes politically relevant or when the diversity leads to conflict. By using Horowitz’s (1985) theory of ethnic voting and a measure for how closely a state’s political parties are aligned with ethnic groups, one can better assess how countries’ ethnic groups are politically organized and how this organization is associated with civil conflict. Using an original measure derived …

Social Studies In The Modern Era: A Case Study Of Effective Teachers' Use Of Literacy And Technology, Kristal Curry, Todd Cherner

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this research project was to highlight the practices and philosophies of two effective—but different—social studies teachers who balance the demands of teaching in the modern era while honoring their own philosophies for teaching social studies. This project was ground in the theoretical framework provided by TPACK and used a case study methodology for its research design. While the pedagogical content knowledge of the participants was strong and technology was used abundantly for instructional purposes, this research raised questions regarding how teachers can most effectively use technology to enhance instruction by helping students conceptualize content knowledge and apply …

Limiting Deterrence: Judicial Resistance To Detention Of Asylum-Seekers In Israel And The United States, Michael Kagan

Scholarly Works

Governments have advanced the argument that asylum-seekers may be detained in order to deter other would-­be asylum­-seekers from coming. But in recent litigation in the United States and Israel, this justification for mass detention met with significant resistance from courts. This Essay looks at the way the American and Israeli courts dealt with the proposed deterrence rationale for asylum-seeker detention. It suggests that general deterrence raises three sequential questions:

1. Is deterrence ever legitimate as a stand alone justification for depriving people of liberty?

2. If deterrence is sometimes legitimate, is it valid as a general matter in migration control, …

Design And Analysis Of Geothermal Wellbore Energy Conversion System Working On Zero Mass Withdrawal Principle, Ildar Akhmadullin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This project is sponsored by the Department of Energy of the United States and dedicated to development of electricity production from the low-enthalpy geothermal reservoirs. The prime interest are reservoirs that are characterized by low temperature of heat source located in deep saline aquifers with high permeable rock. Usually energy production from these resources are not economical by using a conventional binary power plant approach. The presented PhD work is a study of a new system that utilizes a single-well technology and working on supercritical power cycle (PC). The wellbore energy conversion system is operating with Zero Mass Withdrawal (ZMW) …

The Grapes Of Wrath: On The Health Of Immigration Detainees, Stacey A. Tovino

Scholarly Works

This Article challenges the lack of health care provided to individuals in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) custody. As background, many immigration detainees are physically and emotionally vulnerable at the time of initial confinement due to a history of torture and trauma, which may include human trafficking, sexual violence, political oppression, psychosocial trauma, and acculturative stress. Detention can exacerbate preexisting vulnerabilities and contribute to severe physical and mental illness as well as death. Between October 2003 and October 2015, 153 individuals died while in ICE custody. Although most proposals for detainee health reform borrow heavily from constitutional law, international …

The Certifying Triangle Of Financial Reports, Dong Li

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research provides theoretical, regulatory, and empirical underpinnings that financial reports are the joint representation of the certifying triangle (i.e., CEO-CFO-Auditor). This research also finds that replacement of the CEO tends to reduce the survival rate of the CFO with the firm, and vice versa; replacement of the CFO reduces the survival rate of the auditor, and vice versa. However, an association does not exist between the survival rate of the CEO and the auditor. Moreover, while a single realignment of the certifying triangle does not reduce the year-end ERC, a double (CEO-CFO) realignment significantly decreases the ERC. This negative …

Chemical Communication: The Effects Of Stress-Induced Apocrine Sweat On Human Perceptions And Interactions, Laura Caitlyn Hatcher

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In times of stress, humans secrete a type of sweat (apocrine sweat) that they do not secrete at any other time. This sweat has been previously shown to influence others who are exposed to it. The current project seeks to explore how apocrine sweat influences the people who are exposed to it. Using the framework of Emotional Contagion Theory, two studies were conducted to assess the effects of stress-induced apocrine sweat on human perceptions and interactions. Study 1 saw participants exposed to either thermoregulatory sweat or apocrine sweat before watching a short, fear-inducing video. Participants then reported their levels of …

Crafting Comment Letters: Teach Policy, Develop Skills, And Shape Pending Regulation, Benjamin P. Edwards, Nicole G. Iannarone

Scholarly Works

Professor Benjamin Edwards joins his colleague, Professor Nicole Iannarone, in this essay, unpacking the regulatory comment letter process and how to incorporate it into the law school curriculum. Participating in live rulemaking offers unique opportunities for students including mastering the substantive area of law, developing critical thinking skills, and developing their professional identities. The authors describe their own experiences in incorporating students into the regulatory rulemaking process. Because of the focus on securities law, their students review and comment on proposed actions by securities regulators - the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). After providing …

Systematics Of Targeted Flat Sedges (Cyperus, Cyperaceae) Of The Americas, Including A Floristic Analysis Of An Imperiled Sedge-Rich Prairie Community, Christopher Simon Reid

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The sedge family, Cyperaceae, is a large group with approximately 5,000 species distributed among ca. 100 genera. Sedges are economically and ethnobotanically important. They are conspicuous members of many floras around the world and provide vital food and cover for wildlife. The focus of this dissertation is on the genus Cyperus, which includes about 900 species. Due to its large size, advancements in knowledge of Cyperus are made in small “bites”. The molecular phylogenetics component of this research focused on New World Cyperus. Chapter 2 presents a phylogentic analysis employing sequences from the nuclear ITS region. Chapter 3 presents a …

Molecular Simulation Studies Of Hydrophobins Near Gas, Oil And Water Interfaces, Yuwu Chen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation contains fundamental, classical molecular simulation studies of the properties of hydrophobins (a unique family of surface-active proteins produced by filamentous fungi in soil) near interfaces involving gas, oil, water, organic solvents and polymers. These studies are relevant to possibly using hydrophobins as natural oil dispersants and in processing of polymers. Preliminary studies by the Russo group suggest that these small surface-active proteins can encapsulate oil, gases and polymers in cylindrical structures. We have performed classic molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and potential of mean force (PMF) calculations of a class I hydrophobin EAS using both all-atom and coarse-grained representations. …

Shrinking The Post-Plenary Power Problem, Michael Kagan

Scholarly Works

In this essay, Professor Michael Kagan responds to Professor Matthew J. Lindsay's article, Disaggregating “Immigration Law.” Professor Kagan posits a majority of Supreme Court justices appear to be at least occasionally uneasy with the plenary power doctrine that has shaped immigration law since the Chinese Exclusion Case, but they are not all sure how to live without it either. He argues so long as this remains the case, the Court’s immigration jurisprudence is likely to be incrementally favorable to immigrants on the whole, but tentative, inconsistent, and incoherent in some important ways. He concludes the importance of Professor Lindsay’s intervention …

Thiol-Acrylate Polymerization Kinetics And Applications In Microfluidics, Michael Perrin Tullier

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The reaction kinetics and some applications in the field of microfluidics for thiol-acrylate Michael addition polymerizations using multifunctional monomers have been researched and are presented here. The polymerization rate constants for base-catalyzed systems were found to increase with increasing thiol and acrylate functionality, which was attributed to the intramolecular interactions between functional groups. The nucleophile-initiated thiol-acrylate Michael addition polymerization kinetics were monitored via FTIR, and it was determined that the increase in the rate of reaction in these multifunctional systems was significantly less dramatic than the increase observed in monofunctional systems. While no radical polymerization was observed during most typical …