Digital Commons Network^™

Mindfulness And Teen Behavior: Teenagers' Perceptions Of Behavior That Led To Expulsion, Michelle L. Lee

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of teaching specific mindfulness techniques to teens who have difficulty functioning in the classroom, using the Mindful Schools Curricula; the course includes 18 lessons on being mindful of sound, breath, movement, thoughts, and emotions. Specifically, the study was designed to determine whether a mindfulness course would be beneficial for South Parish High School teens who are expelled. The study design was mixed methods. Participants were administered pre- and post- scientific validated survey scales that measure mindfulness characteristics as one data source. Participants’ parents were given a questionnaire to return and …

For Every Mountain: A Phenomenological Study Examining The Experiences Of First-Generation, Low Socioeconomic Status, Black Males Excelling At Select Predominately White Institutions In Louisiana, Jovan Thomas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study is an attempt to examine the academic experiences among low SES, first-generation Black males who are excelling at select PWI’s in Louisiana. The images created of Black men in our society often confine them to environments shaped by drugs, crime, athletics, and academic failure. The path to upward mobility or economic success for African American men is often filled with obstacles and roadblocks. For a period of decades, there has been much research dedicated to African American male academic success and first-generation college students, whereas, the focus on low SES, first-generation Black males who excel at Predominantly White …

I Am Complicated, And So Is My Blackness: A Trifecta Exploration Of Educational Spaces And Identity Development, Kala Burrell-Craft

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Myriads of research studies have been written over the past 20 years highlighting the racial gap and disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes between Black and White students, but as revealed in a review of the literature, more studies need to be conducted that examine the intersection of race, space/place, and racial identity development. Using critical race theory as a framework, this study comprised of three separate, but related essays that explore the function of educational spaces in which Black Americans navigate, grow, and develop as it intersects with race, space/place, and identity development. Essay one is a critical narrative …

Creating Coping Mechanism: An Anatomy Of A Gallery-Based Installation And Performance Work, Jamie M. Kutner

LSU Master's Theses

The project described in this paper is an exhibition of gallery-based durational performance art, and resulting three-dimensional artifacts, that was created through a tangled process of relapse and recovery from mental illness. The first section of this paper peers into the parameters of ephemeral artistic practice. I discuss the process of merging my recovery and creative practice through performance art, and then parse the discussion of the work into the categories of performer, audience, site, and time. Section II details various aspects of spectator experience through a second-person narrative tracing the crowd flow of the exhibition. I conclude with an …

Parallel Tracks: Three Case Studies Of The Relationship Between Street Art And U.S. Museums In The Twenty-First Century, Erin Rolfs

LSU Master's Theses

An examination of three case studies involving U.S. museum exhibitions of street and graffiti art in the twenty-first century. This thesis covers the Brooklyn Museum of Art’s “Graffiti” show in 2006, Los Angeles’s Museum of Contemporary Art’s “Art in the Streets” in 2011, and the 2012-2015 activities of the Baton Rouge Museum of Public Art. These events offer a chronological and geographical range to provide a broad scope of investigation into the pitfalls and opportunities of museum’s exhibiting graffiti and street art. The heart of this research is not to prolong the debate about whether museums endanger their authority when …

Loss Of Dbc1 (Ccar2) Affects Tnfα-Induced Lipolysis And Glut4 Gene Expression In Murine Adipocytes, Ashley A. Able, Allison J. Richard, Jacqueline M. Stephens

Faculty Publications

© 2018 Society for Endocrinology Published by Bioscientifica Ltd. STAT5A (signal transducer and activator of transcription 5A) is a transcription factor that plays a role in adipocyte development and function. In this study, we report DBC1 (deleted in breast cancer 1 - also known as CCAR2) as a novel STAT5A-interacting protein. DBC1 has been primarily studied in tumor cells, but there is evidence that loss of this protein may promote metabolic health in mice. Currently, the functions of DBC1 in mature adipocytes are largely unknown. Using immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting techniques, we confirmed that there is an association between endogenous STAT5A …

Physiological And Genomic Characterization Of Novel Isolate From Om252 Clade Of The Gammaproteobacteria, Emily Nall

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Single Cell Analysis Of Fluid Shear Stress Induced Breast Cancer Cell Phenotypic Changes In A Microfluidic Device, Grant Landwehr

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Spatiotemporal Filtering Of High Harmonics In Solids, Christopher Q. Abadie, Mengxi Wu, Mette B. Gaarde

Faculty Publications

We study the macroscopic spatial and temporal properties of harmonic radiation generated by a model solid in the interaction with an intense, focused laser beam. We show that different temporal contributions to the harmonic yield can be separated in the spatial domain because they lead to radiation with different divergences, similar to what is observed in gas-phase harmonic generation. We show that applying a spatial filter in the far field results in a temporal separation of the two contributions upon refocusing, which yields spatially collimated harmonics, a spectrum with well-resolved peaks, and a subcycle time profile of the harmonic radiation …

An Ethanolic Extract Of Artemisia Scoparia Inhibits Lipolysis In Vivo And Has Antilipolytic Effects On Murine Adipocytes In Vitro, Anik Boudreau, Allison J. Richard, Jasmine A. Burrell, William T. King, Ruth Dunn, Jean Marc Schwarz, David M. Ribnicky, Jennifer Rood, J. Michael Salbaum, Jacqueline M. Stephens

Faculty Publications

© 2018, American Physiological Society. All rights reserved. An ethanolic extract of Artemisia scoparia (SCO) has metabolically favorable effects on adipocyte development and function in vitro and in vivo. In diet-induced obese mice, SCO supplementation significantly reduced fasting glucose and insulin levels. Given the importance of adipocyte lipolysis in metabolic health, we hypothesized that SCO modulates lipolysis in vitro and in vivo. Free fatty acids and glycerol were measured in the sera of mice fed a high-fat diet with or without SCO supplementation. In cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes, the effects of SCO on lipolysis were assessed by measuring glycerol and free …

Maternal Encouragement Of Modest Behavior, Temperamental Shyness, And Anxious Withdrawal Linkages To Chinese American Children's Social Adjustment: A Moderated Mediation Analysis, Merve Balkaya, Charissa S.L. Cheah, Jing Yu, Craig H. Hart, Shuyan Sun

Faculty Publications

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Past studies have revealed potential differences in the functional meaning and social evaluation of children's temperamental shyness between Chinese interdependence-oriented and North American independence-oriented cultural contexts. However, very little is known about shy Chinese American children's adjustment in Western school contexts and potential pathways underlying their adjustment. To address this gap in the literature, we examined the associations between Chinese American children's temperamental shyness and their social adjustment outcomes, including peer exclusion, prosocial behavior, and assertiveness/leadership skills. In addition, the mediating role of children's display of anxious-withdrawn behavior and the moderating role of …

Stress Fluctuation, Crack Renucleation And Toughening In Layered Materials, C. J. Hsueh, L. Avellar, B. Bourdin, G. Ravichandran, K. Bhattacharya

Faculty Publications

It has been established that contrast in the elastic properties can lead to enhancement of fracture toughness in heterogeneous materials. Focussing on layered materials as a model system, we show that this enhancement is a result of two distinct phenomena – first, fluctuations in stress leading to regions where the stress intensity at the crack is considerably smaller than that of the macroscopically applied value; and second, the lack of stress intensity when a crack is at a compliant to stiff interface thereby requiring renucleation. Using theoretical, computational and experimental methods, we study two geometries – a layered material and …

Interactions Observed With Clomazone Plus Pendimethalin When Mixed With Postemergence Rice Herbicides, Matthew Osterholt

LSU Master's Theses

A study was conducted at the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center’s H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station (RRS) in 2017 and 2018 to evaluate whether the pre-packaged mixture of clomazone plus pendimethalin should be applied delayed preemergence (DPRE) or postemergence (POST) within a herbicide residual overlay with saflufenacil, clomazone, or quinclorac. POST applications also included penoxsulam or halosulfuron in combination with the second residual application. No differences were observed with barnyardgrass control at 14 DAT across all treatments with 92 to 98% control. At 42 DAT, barnyardgrass treated with either clomazone plus pendimethalin applied at either timingin combination with either …

Design And Application Of Task-Specific Gumbos And Nanogumbos For Sensing And Separation, Mingyan Cong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The work presented in this dissertation employs task-specific materials for sensing and protein separation applications. These materials were derived from a group of uniform materials based on organic salts (GUMBOS). GUMBOS are organic salts similar to ionic liquids, but have melting points ranging from 25 to 250 °C. As with ionic liquids, the properties of GUMBOS can be easily tuned by changing the counter-ion. Thus, task-specific GUMBOS can be designed and prepared with properties that are beneficial for applications in sensing or protein separation. In this dissertation, the selective responsive behavior of a series of GUMBOS and nanomaterials derived from …

Analysis Of Fluvial Scroll Bar Development With Surface Wave Inversion: False River, Louisiana, Blake Odom

LSU Master's Theses

The development of ridge-and-swale scroll bar topography of meandering river point bars is not well understood. We hypothesize that scroll bars formed during lateral accretion by the landward migration of transverse bars. To explore this, we relate the scroll bar topography to the internal sedimentary structure. We acquire, invert, and interpolate three pseudo-2D shear wave velocity profiles in two regions of the False River point bar, a Mississippi river oxbow lake in Pointe Coupee Parish Louisiana. Prior studies provide electrical conductivity well logs and cores as well as SH seismic reflection images along the same seismic surveys. LiDAR elevation data …

Groundwater Modeling For Mississippi River Alluvial Aquifer Of Northeastern Louisiana, Ramazan Karakullukcu

LSU Master's Theses

The Mississippi River Alluvial Aquifer (MRAA) locates in northeastern Louisiana, extending from the north border of Louisiana and Arkansas to south central Louisiana and underlies the Mississippi River Valley. The MRAA is the second most used groundwater source with about 390 million gallons per day in 2010, which accounts for 25% of all groundwater withdrawals in Louisiana. The groundwater uses are mainly for irrigation, public supply and industries. The excessive groundwater pumping and the economic importance of the MRAA have drawn attention to build a groundwater model to study future water resources management and sustainability plans. The model is the …

Hyperspectral Imaging For Characterizing Single Plasmonic Nanostructure And Single-Cell Analysis, Nishir Sanatkumar Mehta

LSU Master's Theses

Orientation of plasmonic nanostructures is an important feature in many nanoscale applications such as photovoltaics, catalyst, biosensors DNA interactions, protein detections, hotspot of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and fluorescence resonant energy transfer (FRET) experiments. Silver nanocubes with significant spectral signatures between 400-700 nm are observed in this experimental research. Whereas study of single cells will enable the analysis of cell-to-cell variations within a heterogeneous population. These variations are important for further analysis and understanding of disease propagation, drug development, stem cell differentiation, embryos development, and how cells respond to each other and their environment. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells possess the …

Carlos Puebla And The People's History Of The Cuban Revolution (1956-1980), Juan Rodríguez-Cepero

LSU Master's Theses

The Cuban Revolution was one of the most important events in 20th century Latin American history. The unlikely success of revolutionary heroes such as Fidel Castro and Ernesto “Che” Guevara inspired not only similar movements throughout the region, but an entire generation of artists and musicians. One such artist was Cuban singer-songwriter Carlos Puebla. A long-time critic of Batista and his corrupt administration, Puebla set to music the ideals that the Revolution sought to build a new Cuba upon. In a country which

most of the population was illiterate until 1961, the music of artists such as Puebla served as …

Longitudinal Study Of The Attitudes And Behaviors Of Environmental Education Program Participants., Kasie R. Dugas

LSU Master's Theses

The goal of this longitudinal study was to measure the attitudes and behaviors of participants of the Marsh Maneuvers program over the course of the last 25 years. The goal of the Marsh Maneuvers program is to educate students into becoming environmentally literate adults. Environmental literacy is considered herein to be people possessing knowledge about and positive attitudes and behaviors towards the environment. Although students learn basic science and environmental knowledge in the classroom, true environmental literacy is believed to require more hands-on understanding of the material. To evaluate the effectiveness of the program, the following three objectives were completed. …

Course Design…Online: Helping Students Perform In The Digital Age, Joseph W. Harris

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The current study sought to test the relationship between course design, as described by the rubric produced by Quality Matters, and online university student performance. Due to the link between student motivation and active learning behaviors, and thus performance, it was predicted that the better-designed courses would facilitate student motivation. It was also predicted that goal orientation would moderate this relationship. While a significant relationship was observed between student motivation and course performance, no relationship was observed between course quality, as measured by the QM Rubric, and motivation, or performance. Only slight evidence was found for a moderating effect of …

Citizen Science In 4-H: Youth Volunteer Motivations, Participation, Retention And Scientific Literacy, Veronica Del Bianco

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the influence of volunteer motivation, participation, and citizen science project type on the retention and scientific literacy of 4-H youth volunteers ages 8-19 years participating in science projects. The conceptual model of participation in organized activities (OA) proposed by Bohnert, Fredericks and Randall (2010) was used as a framework for the variables included in the study categorizing them as predictors of participation, participation, program characteristics, or outcomes. A systematic review of volunteer motivations, retention, and scientific literacy in citizen science projects exposed that the literature contains silos of information published in …

Beam Theory For Classical And Quantum Nonlinear Optics---Exposing Classical And Quantum Correlations Of Transverse-Spatial Modes, Robert Nicholas Lanning

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Optics is arguably the most important branch of physics that has ever been studied. It is not only an essential ingredient of many other branches of physics that we study, it governs how we see, how we measure, and how we communicate in the modern world. And as the world continues to change, so do our tools and resources. In a relatively short amount of time, we have progressed from rudimentary tools that shape the world around us, to tools that harness the fundamental laws of nature. Unsurprisingly, the laws of nature governing optics remain paramount. This is because many …

Unpacking The Double Bind: Exploring How The Intersection Of Race And Gender Shape The Undergraduate Experiences Of African American Women In Engineering, Anissa Guerin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This three-part qualitative study explored the factors that contribute to the success of African American female students’ persistence in engineering majors. This study also addressed obstacles African American female students face and overcome to persist in engineering majors. Examining African American women in engineering who persist would be an effective method to provide academic support and increase participation amongst this underrepresented group. In addition to exploring the challenges and barriers faced by African American women, this study also acknowledged the skills, perspectives and resources African American women bring to engineering and engineering education. Highlighting their distinctive contributions and attributes would …

Calculation Guided Rational Design And Synthesis Of Novel Cationic Fluorescent Meso–Pyridinium Bodipys For Bio-Imaging, Daniel J. Lamaster

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Chapter 1 contains a brief overview of the history, synthesis, and properties of BODIPY dyes as well as that of the biomedical applications of bio-imaging and photodynamic therapy. Additionally, an overview of the theoretical framework of density functional theory and its time-dependent variant are provided. In Chapter 2, the effects of structural modification on the electronic structure and electron dynamics of cationic meso-(4-pyridyl)-BODIPYs were investigated. A library of 2,6-difunctionalized meso-(4-pyridyl)-BODIPYs bearing various electron-withdrawing substituents was designed and DFT calculations were used to model the redox properties, while TDDFT was used to determine the effects of functionalization on the excited …

Effect Of Heat Stress On Bovine Follicular Development And Epigenetic Changes, Fabian Andres Diaz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Climate is one of the most important limiting factors in animal production. Cattle under the effect of heat stress have reduced fertility. Negative effects during gamete maturation and embryo development have been observed at the morphological, biochemical, transcriptional and developmental levels. Epigenetic mechanisms play a fundamental role in the regulation of gamete and embryo development. Several genes activated during gamete maturation and early embryo development are controlled by epigenetic mechanisms. There are no studies evaluating the effect of heat-stress on the epigenetic profile of bovine oocytes and embryos. Similarly, there is no information on the effect of heat stress on …

Political #Tweet-Talkin': How Reporters And Politicians Use Twitter In State Government, Jennifer Korth

LSU Master's Theses

Political and media institutions have a dynamic relationship at both the national and state level. Over time, their relationship has changed as a result of technological advances. Twitter has become a powerful communication tool for both politicians and media professionals and has changed the way these two groups correspond with one another and with constituents. Little research has been conducted on state-level political and media institutions’ use of Twitter and this two-project piece aims to fill this void. Project 1 identifies the extent to which journalists covered United States governors’ tweets in 2017. Generally, very few tweets per governor were …

Dynamics Of The Community Resilience To Drought Hazard In The South-Central United States, Volodymyr Mihunov

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Drought effects cross-cut meteorological, agricultural, hydrological, and socioeconomic systems and affect both natural and human communities. The drought hazard varies in time and space in its intensity and impact on human communities. An identification of the main variables that affect resilience is crucial to coping with the hazard and promoting resilience. The study applied the Resilience Inference Measurement (RIM) framework to measure the resilience levels of the 503 counties of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. In the first assessment, through k-means cluster analysis, stepwise discriminant analysis (74.7 percent accuracy, 72.8 percent leave-one-out cross-validation accuracy), and regression analysis (adjusted …

Taking (Birth) Control: Empowerment Through Contraceptive Education, Meghan Saas

LSU Master's Theses

TAKING (birth) CONTROL is a body of work that educates women on their options for contraceptives, and empowers them to claim their right to choose if—and when—to have a child. Utilizing graphic design and letterpress printing processes, I created a visual system consisting of carefully honed typographic, color, and graphic styles. The bulk of the materials make up an educational toolkit for use at Delta Clinic of Baton Rouge, one of only three remaining abortion providers in Louisiana. Delta Clinic was in need of comprehensive and affordable materials for their patients on the subject of contraception. The toolkit consists of …

Soybean Response To Dicamba: Associated Injury Criteria And Development Of A Model To Predict Yield Loss, Matthew Ryan Foster

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In research conducted using indeterminate soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], fourteen injury criteria observed following dicamba at 0.6 to 280 g ae ha^-1 (1/1000 to ½ of 560 g ha^-1 use rate) were rated using a scale of 0= no injury, 1= slight, 2= slight to moderate, 3= moderate, 4= moderate to severe, and 5= severe. Greatest crop injury 15 d after treatment (DAT) was observed following dicamba applied at 0.6 to 4.4 g ha^-1 at V3/V4 for upper canopy pale leaf margins (3.8 to 4.2) and at R1/R2 for terminal leaf cupping (4.1 to 5.0) …

Effective Methods And Tools For Mining App Store Reviews, Nishant Jha

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Research on mining user reviews in mobile application (app) stores has noticeably advanced in the past few years. The main objective is to extract useful information that app developers can use to build more sustainable apps. In general, existing research on app store mining can be classified into three genres: classification of user feedback into different types of software maintenance requests (e.g., bug reports and feature requests), building practical tools that are readily available for developers to use, and proposing visions for enhanced mobile app stores that integrate multiple sources of user feedback to ensure app survivability. Despite these major …