Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Sex On The Accumulation Of Hepatic Mercury In Mallards Wintering In Louisiana, Latorya E. Mason

Master's Theses

The increase in mercury production through anthropogenic activities has led to a global crisis of mercury pollution that poses a significant threat to the health of both humans and wildlife. Aquatic ecosystems are especially at risk due to the creation of methylmercury, a toxic form of mercury, by sulfate-reducing bacteria in anoxic sediments and soils. Methylmercury enters the food chain where it bioaccumulates in individual organisms and then biomagnified with increasing trophic level. Aquatic birds are useful bioindicators of many pollutants, including mercury, due to their abundance and position in the food chain. Previous studies have primarily focused on mercury …

The Lack Of And Discouragement Of Certified And Intended Music Educators Due To The State Of Louisiana Teacher Certification Requirements, Kendall James Damond

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Current trends in today’s secondary education level lean towards a shortage of certified teachers and educators in all subject areas. As public and private school administrations devise new incentives and plan to recruit individuals to the field of education, preservice educator requirements and university curriculum demands continue to discourage and prevent aspiring educators from not only becoming fully certified but also continuing the journey of the teacher preparation and certification process. This qualitative research study will focus on Louisiana’s music teacher certification preparation practices within its universities and the effects of failure to successfully pass the Praxis II: Music Content …

Crisis Of Conscience In Post-Roe America, Elizabeth Sepper

The Journal of Contemporary Legal Issues

This essay proceeds in four parts. Summarizing my previous writing, Part II explains that since Roe, the law has systematically favored refusing individuals and institutions. This asymmetry was unjustified, because “[c]onscience equally may compel a doctor or nurse to deliver a controversial treatment to a patient in need.” After Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the asymmetry may deepen. In restrictive states, Part III contends, the crisis of conscience for willing providers will increase, even as rights to refusal expand. Part IV identifies several possible complications for the legal framework governing conscience in medicine. It suggests that as …

Investigating Drivers Of High Wetland Loss Rates In Brackish Marshes Of The Mississippi River Delta, Natalie M. Matherne

LSU Master's Theses

Coastal wetlands provide numerous ecological services, but high rates of wetland loss have been seen, especially within the Mississippi River Delta. The erodibility of the marsh, which depends on its strength, can be affected by waterlogging-impacted factors. This study focused on investigating factors influencing soil shear strength in brackish to intermediate salinity marshes along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast using a comparative field study and a controlled greenhouse experiment to test the hypothesis that soil waterlogging reduces soil strength. I predict species-specific responses such that marshes dominated by the Sporobolus pumilus (formerly, Spartina patens), which is less flood …

Time, Place, & Purpose: The Performance Of Creole Identity In Louisiana, Rachel N. Aker

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Though much of the early development of Louisiana Creole culture can be found in New Orleans, the culture spread and continued to grow throughout the rest of South Louisiana in both similar and different ways. Expanding beyond Joseph Roach’s treatment of Creole cultural performances in New Orleans in Cities of the Dead (1996) and journeying across land and water, this project identifies more Creole cultural performance as they emerge across place and time. I present Louisiana and the Gulf South as a kind of inland archipelago, with the currents of culture-creation moving in and around distinct community enclaves. The flow …

Two New Species Of False Click Beetles (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) From The Americas, Robert L. Otto

Insecta Mundi

Abstract

Identifications of recently collected Eucnemidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) borrowed from two collections have resulted in the discovery of two new species: Entomophthalmus abbreviatus Otto (Cuba) and Trigonopleurus cordobaalfaroi Otto (Guatemala and Louisiana, United States). Images of the two newly described species along with two New World Entomophthalmus Bonvouloir species for comparative purposes are included.

Resumen

Las identificaciones de Eucnemidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) recolectados recientemente tomados de dos colecciones han resultado en el descubrimiento de dos nuevas especies: Entomophthalmus abbreviatus Otto (Cuba) y Trigonopleurus cordobaalfaroi Otto (Guatemala y Louisiana, United States). Se incluyen imágenes de las dos especies recientemente descritas junto con …

Legislating Criminal Justice Reform In Louisiana, Jason Callegari

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

While best practices in criminal justice reform have been studied and identified, the point at which reform legislation is decided upon and factors related to its passage is a traditionally understudied. My research will explore the factors that influence the political will of legislators who pass criminal justice reforms. Using a constructivist view of grounded theory, my research uses qualitative data to determine patterns of words and generalities implicit in decision-making for legislators in the state of Louisiana by way of semi-structured interviews with current and former state legislators. Coded results will show patterns associated with participants' willingness to support …

Work Hard For The Money: Performance-Based Funding In The State Of Louisiana, Victoria C. Lloyd

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine in what ways, if any, the introduction of the equity incentive portion of Louisiana’s performance-based funding model impacted the underserved student groups it was designed to support. I employed a quantitative quasi-experimental design for this study by running three outcome variables (Adult Learner Enrollment, First-Time Enrollment for Racially Minoritized Students, and Low-Income Student Enrollment) by sector (two- and four-year public institutions) and employing a differences-in-differences regression with panel data. In my analysis I uncovered two main findings: 1) Louisiana’s equity incentive is showing early signs of success for all three underserved groups …

“Always Said To Be Of Indian Extraction”: Native/African American Freedom Suits In Virginia 1773-1853, Cress Ann Posten

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Freedom suits of enslaved people in Virginia who claimed liberty based upon matrilineal descent from a Native American woman provide a multi-dimensional lens into social, cultural, and legal aspects of colonial and antebellum considerations of race, kinship, and self-determination. Within records of depositions are detailed transcriptions of questions posed to neighbors, family members, acquaintances of enslavers, and slaveowners themselves. Answers reveal a nuanced and complicated set of opinions concerning who had a right to freedom. Local memory banks overflowed with detailed descriptions of the plaintiff and his or her native ancestress, including skin color, hair texture, and manners. Within isolated …

The Cajun Traiteurs, Shelby Kathleen Robert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Traiteurs are traditional folk medicine healers who are a part of the culture of the Cajuns of Louisiana. These people are believed to possess special healing powers given to them by God. They are a significant part of the lifestyle and traditional culture of the Cajuns. The Cajuns are the descendants of the Acadians, a group of French colonists who were forcibly removed from Nova Scotia and dispersed all over North America by the British in 1755. Though the Acadians were able to partially reassemble themselves in Louisiana, they still faced great adversity within the state. This project examines the …

Music Advocacy: The Cognitive Development, Behavioral And Emotional Management, And Academic Success That Music Education Provides Students In Louisiana’S Low Socioeconomic Elementary Schools, Cory D. Dugar

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There are many technological curricular activities in math and science classrooms, yet few are found in music classrooms. Although many elementary schools may be benefiting from advocacy for music and technology, many elementary schools in the state of Louisiana have lost funding for music programs. For the Louisiana Department of Education to act as an advocate for music education, there must be a thorough understanding of the benefits of music education. Extensive research is one way to suggest that elementary music classes can raise the cognitive capacity of elementary students and could be the catalyst for ensuring the upcoming generation’s …

Molecular Identification Of Oomycete Species Associated With Woody Plants In Louisiana And Survey Of Oomycete Species Associated With Live Oak Trees Planted On The Louisiana State University Campus, Hamilton Crockett

LSU Master's Theses

Three Oomycetes genera, Phytophthora, Phytopythium and Pythium, contain many important plant pathogens. Historically, Phytophthora infestans, responsible for the great Irish potato famine, and Phytophthora ramorum, causal agent of sudden oak death disease, are the two better-known high impact pathogens. The LSU AgCenter Plant Diagnostic Center (PDC) has been isolating putative Phytophthora and related species from combined root and soil samples collected from various woody ornamentals and trees for over a decade. In August of 2016, Louisiana received torrential rains, which resulted in historic flooding in several southern parishes. During subsequent years, the PDC staff isolated a …

Is There Really A Difference In Outcomes Between Men And Women With Hepatocellular Cancer?, Andrea Fa, Denise M. Danos, Lauren Maniscalco, Yong Yi, Xiao Cheng Wu, Mary A. Maluccio, Quyen D. Chu, John M. Lyons

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a male-dominated disease. Currently, gender differences remain incompletely defined. Data from the state tumor registry were used to investigate differences in demographics, comorbidities, treatment patterns, and cancer-specific survival (HSS) among HCC patients according to gender. Additional analyses were performed to evaluate racial differences among women with HCC. 2627 patients with HCC were included; 498 (19%) were women. Women were mostly white (58%) or African American (39%)—only 3.8% were of another or unknown race. Women were older (65.1 vs. 61.3 years), more obese (33.7% vs. 24.2%), and diagnosed at an earlier stage (31.7% vs. 28.4%) than men. …

"The Second Side" A Historic Retelling Of African American Life In Iberia Parish, Louisiana, Breighlynn Polk

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

In 1834, new living quarters emerged in the Main Street District of New Iberia for the Weeks family, who were prominent white sugar cane planters that owned a fully operating plantation twenty-five miles away. With their sixteen-room home sited twenty feet above the banks of the bayou, the Weeks family earned the reputation of flamboyant community members whose wealth was accumulated through the exploitation of enslaved African Americans. However, the ability to savor riches generated through the institution of slavery was short lived as the Union Army’s strategy of “Total War” threatened the prosperity of slave-owning families in the South. …

The Great Unlearning, Catherine Mccrory Pears

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Great Unlearning is a conceptual exploration: sifting through experiences and objects to overcome psychological pain, expectations of society, individual upbringing, and outside influences in an ongoing quest for authenticity. To both embrace personal history and honor loved ones while letting go of lingering negativity is challenging. Using objects culled from my life, examining the past, and incorporating items gathered along my path through nature, the work seeks personal healing while promoting the power of all people to break from indoctrination, group think, and mob mentality to make better choices to live a satisfying and peaceful existence…hopefully in a democratic …

The Beast Lives Here, Kelli Kirkland

Honors Theses

A staple of the bildungsroman, or coming-of-age, genre is a loss of innocence, often through trauma, so it is only natural for our protagonist to grasp at whatever coping mechanism may offer them comfort. As a coming-of-age novel, The Beast Lives Here asks: How does folklore and the supernatural interact with young, impressionable protagonists who are desperate to find explanations for their pain? The Beast Lives Here follows teenage narrator August (Aggie) Cain as she and her best friend move from junior to senior year of high school. Her excitement, however, is cut short by her best friend's lengthy trip …

Turmoil On The Mississippi River: Harnessing Green Infrastructure To Accommodate Drastically Changing Environmental Patterns, Edouard Ballett

Supply Chain Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Mississippi River is one of the most important commercial waterways in the world. It connects the United States’ agricultural and manufacturing centers with the rest of the country and the global supply chain while also being the economic engine for developments up and down the river. Over the past four years, the Mississippi River has experienced its worst drought and flood on record. Climate change is increasing the commonality of extreme weather events, and we must alter outdated concrete or “gray” infrastructure. Traditional river engineering of levees, locks, and dams increases the severity of river flow or lack thereof, …

From Natchitoches To Nuremberg: The Life Of Legal Pioneer Lyria Dickason, Todd C. Peppers

Scholarly Articles

Lyria was one of a small handful of women who graduated from a Louisiana law school in the 1930’s. Despite the employment barriers facing female attorneys, she went on to become one of the first female law clerks in both the federal and state judiciary. To date, Lyria’s story has not been told. I have recently discovered, however, that Lyria’s children and grandchildren preserved her letters to her family. They are a treasure trove of information about a woman whose career took her from rural Louisiana to Louisiana’s highest court as well as the post-war ruins of Nazi Germany. The …

Sara (Wheeler) Mcdaniel '98 (Renovation Takes Root), Jon Merryman

Press Releases

If you’ve ever wondered why Minden, La., is called “the friendliest city in the South,” one visit with Sara McDaniel ’98 explains it all. She is genuine, friendly, humble and kind – much like others you’ll meet in this sweet, Southern town.

After teaching elementary students in Texas for 10 years, McDaniel shifted to a career that supported teachers through educational sales and consulting. During this time, she went through a difficult divorce, struggling with what was next.

After feeling the Lord leading her to return home to Louisiana in 2014, McDaniel set her sights on restoring a cottage built …

Savages And Sable Subjects: White Fear, Racism, And The Demonization Of Creole Voodoo In New Orleans In The 19th Century, Christopher L. Newman

Madison Historical Review

Prior to the Haitian Revolution, the religion of Voodoo maintained a safe and uninterrupted presence in New Orleans. Practiced by free and enslaved Blacks, Voodoo thrived within the larger Creole culture of the Louisiana territory. However, after the rebellion, white slaveholders in New Orleans would come to regard Voodoo as an evil, savage superstition related to Haitian Vodou. The demonizing of New Orleans Voodoo would emerge from white slaveholders’ fears of slave uprisings inspired by the Haitian Revolution and a migration of Haitian rebels into New Orleans. Yet theological objections were not the primary impetus for white aggressions toward Creole …

An Analysis Of Hurricane Laura's Storm Surge In Cameron Parish Using Synthetic Storm Tracks, Climatology, And Statistics, Cameron Goff

LSU Master's Theses

Cameron Parish is a large coastal parish in southwest Louisiana that has been impacted by several powerful tropical cyclones. In 2020, the strongest hurricane in recorded history to ever hit this region, Hurricane Laura, set a state record for the highest storm surge measurement at 6.34 meters. I examine the climatology of tropical cyclone landfalls in this parish, looking for trends in intensity and frequency with time. I then compare the extreme surge of Hurricane Laura with a dataset of 645 synthetic tropical cyclones generated and used by the Coastal Hazards System for Louisiana. Plots comparing various meteorological statistics to …

Oil, Indifference, And Displacement: An Indigenous Community Submerged And Tribal Relocation In The 21st Century, Jared Munster

American Indian Law Journal

Coastal land loss driven by erosion and subsidence, and amplified by climate change, has forced the abandonment and resettlement of the remote Louisiana Indigenous community of Isle de Jean Charles. This relocation, to a relatively ‘safer’ site inland has led to division among the residents and will inevitably cause irreparable damage to the culture and traditions of the Houma and Biloxi Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogees peoples who called this small, isolated island home. Driven to the water’s edge by European colonization of south Louisiana, this community developed a dynamic subsistence lifestyle based on agriculture, hunting, and fishing which survived undisturbed …

Erosion: Landscape Reveals Us, John Alexander Mcbride

Dance (MFA) Theses

This thesis explores the connective tissue between the land on which we stand and the body we inhabit. Through the lens of climate change and erosion, this research unveils the lasting effects of severe and traumatic weather patterns on the psychology and physiology of those who continue to endure them. How bodies (capitalistic bodies, collective bodies, and our personal bodies) treat the land and each other affects us all—we are all part of the eroding ecosystem, linked together by the soil beneath our feet. The soil that has been scorched and stolen, mined and massacred. The soil that is fertile …

Louisiana Grocery And Feed Company, Jackson Brewery, Menu, Date Unknown

Diane Whitman donations

No abstract provided.

Golden Star Steak And Lobster House, Menu, Date Unknown

Diane Whitman donations

No abstract provided.

Nawlin's Cajun & Creole Spices, Menu, Date Unknown

Diane Whitman donations

No abstract provided.

Cajun Cookin' At Harglo's, Menu, Date Unknown

Diane Whitman donations

No abstract provided.

K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen, Menu, Date Unknown

Diane Whitman donations

No abstract provided.

Aft Deck Oyster Bar, The Monteleone Menu, Date Unknown

Diane Whitman donations

No abstract provided.

Ralph & Kacoo's, Menu, Date Unknown

Diane Whitman donations

No abstract provided.