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Planned Parenthood In Crisis: Social Media Strategies And Frames, Lauren Hudel Goodman
Planned Parenthood In Crisis: Social Media Strategies And Frames, Lauren Hudel Goodman
LSU Master's Theses
Planned Parenthood entered crisis mode in the summer of 2015 with the release of videos alleging sales of fetal tissue by the Center for Medical Progress. Its crisis communication strategy was implemented to manage its reputation and influence public opinion regarding the organization and potential defunding by Congress. Through the use of women’s health and abortion framing, Planned Parenthood was able to prime its public’s attitudes towards the organization and potential negative outcomes of removing federal funding from the organization. As discovered through a content analysis, Planned Parenthood specifically addressed the crisis in its press releases, allowing the organization to …
The Attentional Mechanisms Of Active Forgetting, Laura Lee Heisick
The Attentional Mechanisms Of Active Forgetting, Laura Lee Heisick
LSU Master's Theses
Recent work has shown that intentional forgetting of distracting, erroneous, or irrelevant information aids memory, and relies on active, effortful processes. Two experiments investigated the underlying attentional mechanisms that are active during directed forgetting (DF). Across both experiments, participants completed a modified item-method DF task, in which they received memory instructions to remember or forget individual images for a subsequent memory test. Participants studied items associated with remember or forget instructions before they were shown a subliminal presentation of target items. Finally, participants responded to probes by identifying briefly shown letters to assess how attention and item identity information are …
Detecting The Spatial Patterns Of Blue-Green Algae In Harsha Lake Using Landsat 8 Imagery, Jing Huang
Detecting The Spatial Patterns Of Blue-Green Algae In Harsha Lake Using Landsat 8 Imagery, Jing Huang
LSU Master's Theses
The incidence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) caused by blue-green algae has been increasing in coastal and freshwater ecosystems of the United States in recent years, and has had great influence on ecosystem, economic, and public health. This thesis aims at testing the feasibility of using machine learning methods in comparison to traditional regression models to detect and map the blue-green algae distribution in low-medium biomass waters (Chl-a < approx. 20 μg/L) from a Landsat 8 image with the support of some in situ Chl-a measurements in Harsha Lake, Ohio. Two algorithms were compared: one is the conventional empirical method – Stepwise Multiple Linear Regression – to see if there is a strong linear relationship between measured Chl-a concentrations and the Landsat 8 spectral data in the study area, and the other is one of the most popular machine learning methods–Random Forests. Major findings include: (1) both a conventional linear regression model and a Random Forests model worked well in mapping the extent and biomass of blue-green algae in Harsha Lake on September 21, 2015, but the Random Forests model outperformed the linear regression model; (2) the prediction surface from the Random Forests method illustrated that 89.30% of Harsha Lake’s area had Chl-a values less than 10 µg/L on the sampling date, while only 10.70% of the entire study area had Chl-a concentrations between 10 µg/L and 20 µg/L. Higher Chl-a values (especially for Chl-a larger than 10 µg/L) were mostly distributed in the mouths of rivers or streams, which might be caused by the influx of nutrients from agricultural or urban land use by rivers and streams. The results show the utility of the Random Forests approach based on Landsat 8 imagery in detecting and quantitatively mapping low biomass HABs, which is considered to be a challenging task.
A Climatological Exploration Of Land Change And Land Use On Lightning Patterns Over Louisiana, Nicholas James Sokol
A Climatological Exploration Of Land Change And Land Use On Lightning Patterns Over Louisiana, Nicholas James Sokol
LSU Master's Theses
Lightning is one of the most impactful weather phenomena but yet little precise and accurate information is known about how its frequency is impacted climatologically by changes in land use/land cover (LULC). This is unfortunate because LULC changes occur ubiquitously as the human influence on the environment proceeds. This research uses NOAA’s gridded annual lightning data from the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN), and LULC classification data from the NOAA coastal change analysis program (C-CAP) to analyze frequency changes in lightning across a swath of Louisiana, coastal Mississippi, and coastal east Texas over the years 1995–2011. Results suggest that urban …
Modeling Tropical Cyclone Storm Surge And Wind Induced Risk Along The Bay Of Bengal Coastline Using A Statistical Copula, Nazla Bushra
Modeling Tropical Cyclone Storm Surge And Wind Induced Risk Along The Bay Of Bengal Coastline Using A Statistical Copula, Nazla Bushra
LSU Master's Theses
High winds, torrential rain, and storm surges from tropical cyclones cause massive destruction to property and cost the lives of many people. Among the coastal areas affected by these major natural calamities, the coastline of the Bay of Bengal (BoB) ranks as one of the most susceptible to tropical cyclone storm surge risk due to its geographical setting and population density, Bangladesh suffers the most. The purpose of this study is to describe the relationship between storm surge at the BoB and peak reported wind and describe the dependency structure between wind speeds and storm surges at that location. Various …
Exploring Intermedia Agenda Setting Effects Of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Andrew Abad
Exploring Intermedia Agenda Setting Effects Of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Andrew Abad
LSU Master's Theses
The HBO television program Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is a new and unique take on the typical political comedy show popularized by programs like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Uninterrupted by commercial breaks and with full creative control, host John Oliver and his team spend 30 minutes on Sunday nights discussing a typically underreported story at length, abandoning the monologue and interview portions reminiscent of traditional political comedy shows in favor of a long-form style investigation into a particular issue or topic. The main segment of each episode is then uploaded to the social media website, …
Activity Level As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Child And Maternal Anxiety, Paige Marie Ryan
Activity Level As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Child And Maternal Anxiety, Paige Marie Ryan
LSU Master's Theses
Anxiety is excessive and impairing for approximately 30% of individuals. Families with anxiety problems tend to pass on those problems to their children, specifically due to a variety of factors: genetics, parenting style, and other environmental risks. On the other hand, promoting behaviors like positive activity scheduling, participation in clubs, and physical activity has been shown to decrease symptoms of anxiety. However, research has yet to focus on this relationship by increasing activity level (e.g., participation in organizations, hobbies, sports). The purpose of this study is to investigate if the relationship between maternal and child anxiety is dependent upon the …
Effects Of Weather Hazards On Traffic Volume: A Case Study Focused On Atlanta, Ga, Thana-On Punkasem
Effects Of Weather Hazards On Traffic Volume: A Case Study Focused On Atlanta, Ga, Thana-On Punkasem
LSU Master's Theses
Severe weather events can have a significant impact on transportation networks. Many previous studies tried to analyze and explore the tremendous impact of extreme weather events on traffic behavior, speed, travel time and capacity. The purpose of this research was to analyze and discuss the impact of precipitation, temperature, visibility and wind speed on hourly weekday traffic flow volume in Atlanta, Georgia. This study focused on investigating which weather variables affect traffic volume, developing a machine learning based predictive technique to derive weather-traffic volume decision rules, and building a decision support tool. The correlation between extreme weather events and traffic …
Ceramic Technology, Production, And Exchange As Seen Through Macroscopic Analysis Of Pottery Fragments From The Early Horizon Center Caylán, Nepeña Valley, Peru, Michelle Nicole Miller
Ceramic Technology, Production, And Exchange As Seen Through Macroscopic Analysis Of Pottery Fragments From The Early Horizon Center Caylán, Nepeña Valley, Peru, Michelle Nicole Miller
LSU Master's Theses
In this thesis, I examine the production, use, and decoration of ceramic vessels at the Early Horizon center of Caylán (800-1 B. C. E.) on the Peruvian North Central-Coast. Pottery sherds are artifacts ubiquitously recovered at archaeological sites, especially in sedentary agrarian societies. Most studies of ceramics in Peru have focused on typological sequences. Recently investigators in the Nepeña Valley have focused on ceramic pastes and technologies. The materials examined in this thesis were excavated from Caylán. Caylán is an incipient urban center, which developed during the Early Horizon (900-200 B. C. E.). Caylán’s dense urban core consists in 43 …
Psychometric Extension Of The Memory For Names Test, Heather Chance Foil
Psychometric Extension Of The Memory For Names Test, Heather Chance Foil
LSU Master's Theses
The purpose of this study was to re-evaluate the psychometric properties of the Memory for Names (Mem4Names) test among a sample of older adults without cognitive impairment. Mem4Names is a test of famous face recognition that was shown to be a reliable and valid measure of semantic memory in older adults both with and without cognitive impairment (Brouillette et al., 2011). The current study re-examined the psychometric properties of the Mem4Names test among 133 volunteers at Pennington Biomedical Research Center’s Institute for Dementia Research and Prevention. The study confirmed previously reported calculations of the test’s reliability by calculating Cronbach’s alpha …
Treatment Acceptability And Child Discipline: The Influence Of Parent Factors, Kasia Simone Plessy
Treatment Acceptability And Child Discipline: The Influence Of Parent Factors, Kasia Simone Plessy
LSU Master's Theses
The consideration of parents’ acceptance of child discipline methods is important when developing culturally sensitive parent training programs, as treatment acceptability has been associated with treatment adherence and effectiveness. Past parent training research has primarily been conducted with middle-income, Caucasian mothers. The purpose of this study is to examine parents’ acceptance of five common discipline methods often used by or recommended to parents. To address the lack of research considering parental factors, this study examines the influence of gender, race, and income on parents’ acceptability ratings. Participants were 106 mothers from heterogeneous backgrounds. Acceptability ratings were measured using the Treatment …
Constructing The Search Template: Episodic And Semantic Influences On Categorical Template Formation, Juan D. Guevara Pinto
Constructing The Search Template: Episodic And Semantic Influences On Categorical Template Formation, Juan D. Guevara Pinto
LSU Master's Theses
Search efficiency is usually improved by presenting observers with highly detailed target cues (e.g., pictures). However, in the absence of accurate target cues, observers must rely only on categorical information to find targets. Models of visual search suggest that guidance in a categorical search results from matching categorically-diagnostic target features in the search display to a top-down attentional set (i.e., the search template), but the mechanisms by which such attentional set is constructed have not been specified. The present investigation examined the influences of both semantic and episodic memory on search template formation. More precisely, the present study tested whether …
A Statistical, Data-Driven Assessment Of Climate Extremes And Trends For The Continental U.S., Xinbo Huang
A Statistical, Data-Driven Assessment Of Climate Extremes And Trends For The Continental U.S., Xinbo Huang
LSU Master's Theses
Climate extremes are meteorological events that can have significant impacts on human and natural systems. Weather hazards, such as heat waves, drought, heavy thunderstorms, floods, hurricanes, occur frequently, and are a threat to human lives and property. Climate data observations spanning over 100 years are an important asset in understanding climate extremes and trends. This research uses daily climate data observations from more than 3000 climate stations in the continental U.S. to assess the climate trends and extremes, including temperature, precipitation, and snowfall. The climate data measurement sites were grouped by climate divisions and each climate division was statistically assessed …
Successful Aging In Oldest-Old Adults: Role Of Physical And Social Factors, Katie Elizabeth Stanko
Successful Aging In Oldest-Old Adults: Role Of Physical And Social Factors, Katie Elizabeth Stanko
LSU Master's Theses
Successful aging, increasing in chronological age while maintaining health, is related to a multitude of factors including social and physical behaviors. Older adults may report that they are aging successfully while biomedical outcomes suggest otherwise. In the present study, sociodemographic characteristics, social engagement, physical activity in relation to frailty and health-related quality of life (HR QoL) were examined using a lifespan sample of adults (N = 732) from the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study (LHAS). Four age groups were compared: younger (21-44 years), middle-aged (45-64 years), older (65-84 years), and oldest-old adults (85 to 101 years). A main effect of age …
An Examination Of Autism Symptomatology In Young Children With Family History Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jasper Abarte Estabillo
An Examination Of Autism Symptomatology In Young Children With Family History Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jasper Abarte Estabillo
LSU Master's Theses
Multiple genetic and environmental factors have roles in the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Thus, researchers have become increasingly interested in studying family members of individuals with ASD in order to examine possible risk factors and to identify early markers of the disorder. While family history of ASD may put an individual at risk for developing autism, there is limited research examining how the degree of relationship to the affected individual may be related to an individual’s presenting ASD symptomatology. Because closer familial relationships (i.e., first-degree relatives) have more shared genetic material and tend to have increased common environment …
Individuals With Dementia In Respite Care: Longitudinal Changes In Anxiety, Social Engagement, And Problem Behaviors, Rachael Elizabeth Mills
Individuals With Dementia In Respite Care: Longitudinal Changes In Anxiety, Social Engagement, And Problem Behaviors, Rachael Elizabeth Mills
LSU Master's Theses
Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia commonly referred to as persons with dementia (PWD), often experience behavioral and psychological symptoms as a result of the disease process. With no cure for AD and no way to prevent the onset of this disease, studies are analyzing methods to manage the symptoms of this disease. Previous literature on the effect of social adult day models is limited, especially pertaining to particular symptoms linked to this disease. This study explored three presenting symptoms associated with AD: anxiety, problem behaviors, and social engagement. Using a secondary data analysis, a sample of 30 participants …
What Every New Coach Should Know: Analysis Of Coaches' Goals For Organizational Entry/Assimilation, Through The Goals-Plans-Action Theory And Socioemotional Selectivity Theory, Destini J'Ne Hughes
What Every New Coach Should Know: Analysis Of Coaches' Goals For Organizational Entry/Assimilation, Through The Goals-Plans-Action Theory And Socioemotional Selectivity Theory, Destini J'Ne Hughes
LSU Master's Theses
This manuscript attempts to act as an organizational entry pamphlet, in providing a wealth of knowledge to those who are looking to get into collegiate coaching for the first time. The majority of participants were selected from the coaching staff of NCAA Division I collegiate women's basketball teams, with a total of 55 participants involved in this study. Although this study was conducted specifically for new collegiate women basketball coaches that are starting the job for the first time, successfully, the results of this study can be applicable to any coach and any sport. Based on the responses of these …
Tropospheric Ozone Prediction With Land Cover Regression In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Mallory Nance Thomas
Tropospheric Ozone Prediction With Land Cover Regression In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Mallory Nance Thomas
LSU Master's Theses
Ground level ozone (O3) is a pollutant of great public health concern. Spatial interpolation techniques provide powerful tools in estimating O3 exposure, but many fall short when predicting O3 on complex surfaces, especially given the high local variability typically associated with O3 data. Like most other locations, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, O3 non-attainment zone (BRNZ) is plagued by a sparse density of O3 monitoring stations. This research explores land use regression (LUR) as an alternative spatial prediction method in and around the BRNZ. Multiple years of data are used to partially compensate for the small sample of spatial points. To …
Glue Sticks And Gaffs: Disassembling The Drag Queening Body, Ray Siebenkittel
Glue Sticks And Gaffs: Disassembling The Drag Queening Body, Ray Siebenkittel
LSU Master's Theses
Drag queening men, typically gay men who perform femininities for entertainment, use makeup, padding, injections and other tools to change their bodies for performance. I focus on the backstage activities of drag performers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, rather than conventional observations from the audience, to explore the negotiation, construction and implications of these bodies, both physically and discursively. Through autoethnographic accounts and participating in my own drag performance, I highlight the often unseen, less frequently discussed aspects of drag queening in order to lessen the distance between the efforts of performers and the stage. Drag queening men’s bodies are a …
Electoral Determinants Of State Repression In Democracies, Tonya Kenny
Electoral Determinants Of State Repression In Democracies, Tonya Kenny
LSU Master's Theses
One of the most consistent findings, to date, in the human rights literature asserts that democracy decreases the likelihood of state repression. Several studies have noted the pacifying effects of democratic norms, competitive elections, and institutional checks on the executive as aspects that make democracies less repressive. However, the basic dichotomous measures that are commonly used in the literature only capture the presence or absence of these democratic characteristics and cannot account for the variation that exists between countries within these democratic institutions. In this paper, I suggest that electoral outcomes resulting from variation in institutional choice may have certain …
Perceptions Of Criminality: An Experiment On Race, Class, And Gender Stereotypes, Patricia Davis
Perceptions Of Criminality: An Experiment On Race, Class, And Gender Stereotypes, Patricia Davis
LSU Master's Theses
The study of perceptions of criminality is significant in sociology due to its sociopolitical implications for our criminal justice system. Race, class, and gender disparities in this system influence prejudices in the American public, which in turn allows the perpetuation of inequality. Using an intersectional approach, this research seeks to interpret how race, class, and gender intersect to create and shape perceptions of criminality. Conducting an experiment on approximately 500 undergraduate students at a southern university during the Spring 2015 semester, subjects are shown a series of photographs and asked to select who, out of the individuals depicted, they believe …
Attitudes Toward Police Among College Students: Differences Among Race, Social Work Status, And University History, Lisa Marie Lewis
Attitudes Toward Police Among College Students: Differences Among Race, Social Work Status, And University History, Lisa Marie Lewis
LSU Master's Theses
Minority populations often have more negative attitudes toward the police than their White counterparts. This study explored the differences between Black college students’ attitudes towards the police in comparison to White college students. Using a sample of 1,108 students from a traditional flagship university and a Historically Black College University, the study sought to seek out differences in attitudes toward the police based on race, social work student status, and university history. Results indicated a significant difference between Black students’ attitudes toward the police when compared with their White student counterparts. Results also indicated a significant difference in attitudes toward …
Metric Variation In The Human Sacrum: Costal Process Length Among Black And White South Africans, Christy Rose Wayne
Metric Variation In The Human Sacrum: Costal Process Length Among Black And White South Africans, Christy Rose Wayne
LSU Master's Theses
Considerable attention has been given to the measureable differences that exist between different human populations in the size and shape of the pelvis, with Africans having a narrower pelvis than Europeans. By collecting data on sacral breadth from a South African skeletal population, this study (1) tests the hypothesis that African blacks possess a narrower sacrum, and by inference pelvis, than whites and (2) considers whether the size variation between blacks and whites is due to nutritional, historical and social differences, to a genetic basis related to climatic adaptation, or to both. White South Africans were found to possess a …
Interrelationships Among Physical Health, Health Risk Factors, Psychosocial Characteristics, And Social Support In Individuals With Major Depressive Disorder Receiving Integrated Care In Community Mental Health Settings, Blaine Stewart Masinter
Interrelationships Among Physical Health, Health Risk Factors, Psychosocial Characteristics, And Social Support In Individuals With Major Depressive Disorder Receiving Integrated Care In Community Mental Health Settings, Blaine Stewart Masinter
LSU Master's Theses
Integrated primary and behavioral health care (PBHC) programs in community mental health (CMH) settings is a topic of burgeoning interest in the current literature. These settings aim to counter the health discrepancies and inordinate mortality of persons with serious mental illness (SMI) and comorbid medical conditions. Within the SMI population, the most prevalent diagnosis is Major Depression (MDD). MDD has been well studied in the literature and has been associated with increased rates of physical health conditions. Research has correlated higher levels of social support to lower levels of psychological distress and increased physical health. This cross-sectional, descriptive study examines …
John Witherspoon And Reformed Orthodoxy: Reason, Revelation, And The American Founding, Stephen Michael Wolfe
John Witherspoon And Reformed Orthodoxy: Reason, Revelation, And The American Founding, Stephen Michael Wolfe
LSU Master's Theses
There has been a revival of interest in the last couple of decades on two intersecting topics—the political theory and importance of the “forgotten” American founder and Reformed minister, John Witherspoon, and the natural theology and natural law in the Reformed theological tradition. Witherspoon, as president of Princeton, had much to say about natural theology and natural law, and many scholars have attempted to understand his relationship to Enlightenment thought and Christian orthodoxy, yet there has been no attempt by scholars to bring recent scholarship on Reformed theology to bear on our understanding of his thought. The dominant view in …
Turning The Table Over: Collaboration And Critique At The New Orleans Jazz And Heritage Festival, Erin Colleen Jordan
Turning The Table Over: Collaboration And Critique At The New Orleans Jazz And Heritage Festival, Erin Colleen Jordan
LSU Master's Theses
In the late 1970s, the African American Jazz Coalition responded to the marginalization of black vendors at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival by partnering with the Festival to create the Koindu Marketplace, now known as Congo Square. Whereas much public representation of the Festival suggests a transcendence of racial boundaries inside Festival grounds, the content and structure of contemporary interviews with the activists reflect continued racial tensions, power dynamics, and resentment. This thesis analyzes oral histories with the founders of the Afrikan American Jazz Coalition stored at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Archive. Critical discourse analysis …
Ethnic Political Parties And Civil Conflict, Erin Nicole El Koubi
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 …
Meeting Biopsychosocial Needs Of Individuals With Histories Of Multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences, Christine G. Morgan
Meeting Biopsychosocial Needs Of Individuals With Histories Of Multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences, Christine G. Morgan
LSU Master's Theses
According to Felitti and colleagues (1998), a significant portion of the general population has been exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) with subsequent and persistent, dose-related, negative consequences to physical and mental health. Debilitating disturbances to biopsychosocial well-being are significant and frequently lead to fatality in adulthood. After reviewing the prevalence and severity of ACEs, this thesis presents an overview of the literature outlining the biological, social, and psychological factors contributing to the development and progression of disease in the brain and body. Additionally, current trauma-informed interventions are summarized. Three experienced clinicians share practical advice for implementing evidence-based, trauma-informed mental …
Influence Of Motivation On Phonics Effectiveness, Rachel L. Bradley
Influence Of Motivation On Phonics Effectiveness, Rachel L. Bradley
LSU Master's Theses
Reading is a basic life skill, and is paramount to students’ success in school. In fact, skilled readers tend to succeed in subject areas including mathematics, social studies, and science (Valleley & Shriver, 2003). Phonics is one of the cornerstones of learning to read. Without mastering phonics, students are more likely to experience persistent difficulties in reading (Elbro, 1996; Bus and Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, 1999; Rose, 2006). However, student motivation to read can impact the effectiveness of reading programs (Melekoglu, 2011). The current study examines the influence of motivation on the effectiveness of a phonics program with six first-graders …
National Alliance On Mental Illness (Nami) New Orleans Helpline Analysis, Deborah Ann De La Houssaye
National Alliance On Mental Illness (Nami) New Orleans Helpline Analysis, Deborah Ann De La Houssaye
LSU Master's Theses
ABSTRACT This study built on prior research about helplines that focused on descriptive accounts of caller profiles (frequent callers, children callers, male/female, reason for calls, help seeking intentions/beliefs, attitudes and expectations of callers); counselor profiles (active listening skills, motivation, empathy, altruism, family peer advocates); and helpline profiles (advantages and limitations of telephone, chat rooms, emails, and texting). The intention of this study was to assess the needs of the organization in order to build a helpline that meets the needs of the clients. It assessed existing data from calls made to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) New Orleans …