Digital Commons Network^™

Dicotomía: Context, Aesthetic, And Performance Of The Symphonic Works Of Margarita Luna García, Gabriela Sofía Gómez Estévez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Dominican women had an active role in the musical life and discourse of the Dominican Republic in the twentieth century and made substantial contributions as composers, performers, pedagogues, and scholars. Margarita Luna García (1921-2016), Dominican composer and pedagogue, was one of the most notable figures of avant-garde music in the Dominican Republic in the twentieth century. Numerous modernist trends converge in her works including serialism, indeterminacy, and graphic notation. Influenced by Paul Hindemith, Béla Bartók, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Dominican composer Manuel Simó, her works synthesize vernacular musical material and modernist techniques. Luna García’s orchestral works make use of folk rhythms, …

Utilizing A Text-Mining Approach To Investigate Consumers’ Perception Of Secondhand Fashion Consumption: Mass-Market Vs. Luxury Market, H M Rakib Ul Hasan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The dissertation aimed to investigate (i) the difference in consumer perception between the mass-market and luxury market of secondhand fashion services, (ii) determine the types of value and strategies that can be adopted into mass-market SHF from luxury SHF business platforms, (iii) investigate the word-of-mouth communication of mass-market SHF consumers, and (iv) investigate the consumer perception of the ‘quality’ and ‘fashionability’ of the mass-market SHF product. Two studies were designed to address the research questions due to the nature of available data. The data were collected from third-party consumer review sites where consumers can review their perception of secondhand fashion …

Injectable Antioxidant And Oxygen-Releasing Lignin Composites To Promote Wound Healing, Swathi Balaji, Walker D. Short, Benjamin W. Padon, Jorge A. Belgodere, Sarah E. Jimenez, Naresh T. Deoli, Anna C. Guidry, Justin C. Green, Tanuj J. Prajapati, Fayiz Farouk, Aditya Kaul, Dongwan Son, Olivia S. Jung, Carlos E. Astete, Myungwoong Kim, Jangwook P. Jung

Faculty Publications

The application of engineered biomaterials for wound healing has been pursued since the beginning of tissue engineering. Here, we attempt to apply functionalized lignin to confer antioxidation to the extracellular microenvironments of wounds and to deliver oxygen from the dissociation of calcium peroxide for enhanced vascularization and healing responses without eliciting inflammatory responses. Elemental analysis showed 17 times higher quantity of calcium in the oxygen-releasing nanoparticles. Lignin composites including the oxygen-generating nanoparticles released around 700 ppm oxygen per day at least for 7 days. By modulating the concentration of the methacrylated gelatin, we were able to maintain the injectability of …

The Reality Of Teaching English Virtually: Esl Teachers' Perspectives And Experiences During The Covid-19 National Pandemic, Natalia Guerrero

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the dilemma ESL teachers experienced as the educational system shifted from the usual modus operandi of in-person lessons to the uncharted virtual learning environment (VLE). ESL teachers, in one of the largest urban districts in Louisiana, accumulated additional roles and responsibilities that were unique to the teachers of the English learner (EL) population enrolled at their schools.

Data collected to answer the research questions were the product of single and focus group’s interviews with five ESL elementary and middle school teachers in Freedom District. State and district emergency response to COVID-19 guidelines, along with instructional artifacts, were …

Apocalypse Then And Now: Narrative Influence And Thematic Subversion Of Victorian Literature In Modern American War Narratives, Douglas James Scully

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, I argue that by looking at the lasting impact of Victorian war literature on a variety of modern media, one can see that an increased cultural awareness of trauma has led to less humane depictions of the traumatized. The multitude of Sherlock Holmes adaptations produced and set in various time periods and covering assorted wars serves as a strong example in my first chapter of how a Victorian-produced text can have a lingering impact, and the veteran Watson serves as a strong tool for adaptors to use when commenting on the shifting nature of war and the …

The Characterization Of Selected Α- And Β-Carbonic Anhydrases Of Arabidopsis Thaliana, Hiruni Weerasooriya

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are zinc-metalloenzymes that interconvert two inorganic carbon (Ci) species, CO₂ and HCO₃^-. In Arabidopsis thaliana, there are eight αCA genes, six βCA genes, three γCA genes, and two γCA-like genes. The majority of CA research in plants has focused on finding a link between CA activity and photosynthesis rates. Since the CA genes are expressed in different plant tissues and multiple CA isoforms are distributed among various organelles of the plant cell, I hypothesize that CAs facilitate CO₂ diffusion among cell compartments and maintain Ci pools for carbon-requiring reactions by interconverting …

Optimization Of Host Cell-Compatible, Antimicrobial Peptides Effective Against Biofilms And Clinical Isolates Of Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Jenisha Ghimire, Robert J. Hart, Anabel Soldano, Charles H. Chen, Shantanu Guha, Joseph P. Hoffmann, Kalen M. Hall, Leisheng Sun, Benjamin J. Nelson, Timothy K. Lu, Jay K. Kolls, Mario Rivera, Lisa A. Morici, William C. Wimley

Faculty Publications

Here, we describe the continued synthetic molecular evolution of a lineage of host-compatible antimicrobial peptides (AMP) intended for the treatment of wounds infected with drug-resistant, biofilm-forming bacteria. The peptides tested are variants of an evolved AMP called d-amino acid CONsensus with Glycine Absent (d-CONGA), which has excellent antimicrobial activities in vitro and in vivo. In this newest generation of rational d-CONGA variants, we tested multiple sequence-structure-function hypotheses that had not been tested in previous generations. Many of the peptide variants have lower antibacterial activity against Gram-positive or Gram-negative pathogens, especially variants that have altered hydrophobicity, secondary structure potential, or spatial …

Ion Selective And Water Resistant Cellulose Nanofiber/Mxene Membrane Enabled Cycling Zn Anode At High Currents, Wangwang Xu, Xiaobin Liao, Weina Xu, Kangning Zhao, Guang Yao, Qinglin Wu

Faculty Publications

Aqueous rechargeable zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) are regarded as a promising candidates for next-generation energy storage devices but strongly hindered by the limited utilization of the zinc metal anode (below 5%) due to the active water/anion corrosion. Herein, an ion selective and water-resistant cellulose nanofiber (CNF)/MXene composite membrane has been developed through molecular sieving to restrict active water and anions from the electrode/electrolyte interface through dehydration of zinc ions, avoiding the water/anion-induced corrosion/decomposition. In this way, the CNF/MXene@Zn anode exhibits significantly enhanced coulombic efficiency (99.5 % at 10 mA cm-2) and low voltage hysteresis. Moreover, coated with CNF/MXene composite membrane, …

Seasonal Seepage Fluid Flow And Pressure Detection Beneath Flood Protection Levees In The Lower Mississippi River Valley Using Non-Invasive Geophysical Methods, Daniel Locci

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores the use of shear-wave seismic reflection and electrical resistivity techniques to complement our understanding of seepage pore pressure variations and soil type estimation beneath earthen levees in the Mississippi River floodplain. The seasonal variations of water level in the river create changes in pore pressure in the adjacent aquifer, which can be detected using time-lapse shear-wave velocity analysis. The seismic reflection patterns during these pressure variations show changes in velocity that can be translated into changes in effective pressure, allowing us to distinguish between confined and leaky aquifers.

In addition, the integration of geophysical methods such as …

Understanding The Influence Of Colorism On The Dating Preferences Of Black Undergraduate Students At Predominantly White Institutions, Odessa Foster

LSU Master's Theses

This study examined the effects of colorism on emerging Black undergraduate college students and how it influences their dating preferences while attending a Predominantly White Institution. The participants were 18-24 years old and self-identified as Black women attending a PWI. A secondary analysis was conducted. The findings of this study revealed that family can influence emerging Black adults dating preferences as they are likely to have the same preference as their family. There is a significantly positive relationship between family preference and dating preferences. This study also examined the correlation between media/social media and dating preferences. As there were positive …

Rapid Intensification As A Crucial Hurricane Hazard: Educating And Empowering Young Stakeholders Affected By Hurricanes On The Gulf Coast, Kathleen M. Benedetto

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In recent decades, the scientific ability to project tropical cyclone (TC) intensities and tracks has improved. Hurricanes undergoing the process of rapid intensification (RI) have created new barriers in formulating predictions of TC paths and peak velocities. Current research suggests the warming climate may produce more intense TCs with a higher probability of undergoing RI during their life cycle. The increased likelihood of rapidly intensifying TCs necessitates the development of an RI climatology spanning the current North Atlantic record. A time series count analysis suggests a significant increasing trend of RI events in the Atlantic basin by 29.1% (17%–45%) from …

In Knowledge We Trust(Ed): A Case Study In Abolition Theatre, Misty Dawn Saribal

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation argues for performance art’s role(s) in growing abolition on higher education campuses. After defining abolition’s intersections with higher education, and discussing why performance is often diminished and overlooked, I examine a university abolitionist performance I co-directed that highlighted prison labor on our university’s campus titled ‘In Knowledge We Trusted: Red Tape, White Institutions, and Blue Students.’ A rationale for abolition performance and an abolition performance praxis is detailed with attention to avoiding the pitfalls of authenticity policing in prison abolition and genre policing in abolitionist art. Conclusions about how the performance contributed to and embodied abolition politics and …

The Social Support Experiences Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) Adults, Lindsay A. Duede, Colter Ray

LSU Master's Theses

Social support researchers commonly recognize that support is most useful when it matches the needs and desires of those receiving it. Yet, the majority of research regarding attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and social support frames questions of communication competence by placing neurodiverse communities at odds with neurotypical ones. This practice reinforces a hierarchy in which neurotypical individuals are viewed as correct and deviations from that norm as failures. Individuals with ADHD experience emotions differently than those without it; thus, it stands to reason that people with ADHD could have different needs and desires for support. Therefore, this study has two key …

Design And Synthesis Of Plasmonic Nanoparticles For Nir Bioimaging: Investigating The Role Of Absorption And Scattering, Luis Dias Bumba Manuel

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Nanoparticles have made vast advances in the realm of nanomedicine and bioimaging, enabling technologies such as photothermal therapy of malignant tumors and noninvasive monitoring of living tissue. Many of these innovations have only arisen in the last few decades with potential for growth in many avenues. The research shown in this work addresses some of the existing literature's void. Particularly solving synthesis challenges that have existed for more than 20 years in synthesizing Au nanoshells and establishing the potential for molecular-level deep imaging of plants. A novel investigation of the role of light absorption and scattering in bioimaging led to …

Characterizing Marr Homologs That Mediate Bacterial Fitness And Survival, George Chukwuemeka Nwokocha

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Plant disease outbreaks are on the rise, threatening food security in many parts of the globe. To address these enormous challenges, new intervention strategies like bio-controls are being used as an important sustainable alternative to mitigate the negative effects of pathogens and increase the quality and productivity of agricultural crops. MarR family transcriptional regulators have been studied for their involvement in regulating bacterial virulence genes that help colonize plant hosts and therefore could serve as targets for biocontrol. The transcriptional regulator PecS, a member of the MarR family, is encoded by select bacterial pathogens and we show here that PecS …

Nanosecond Infrared Laser Ablation Dynamics, Achala Priyadarshani Deenamulla Kankanamalage

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Laser ablation dynamics encompasses studies of fundamental physical processes of mid infrared laser ablation. Understanding the mechanisms of IR laser desorption and ionization can lead to improvements in laser ablation-based techniques and expansion of their applications. Control of material removal ensures both accuracy and precision of the laser ablation-based techniques. The laser ablation mechanism in the studied wavelength region, is a process of water vaporization and photothermal disruption of tissue. Glycerol was used as the ablation target to establish the methods. Experiments were first aimed at developing methods to monitor material removal during ablation using a 2.94 µm wavelength mid-IR …

The Abolitionist Spectator: Resistant Readings Of Punishment, Rehabilitation, And Reform At The Louisiana State Penitentiary, Kathryn Marie Morris

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

For the majority of the twenty-first century, Louisiana has been the global leader in rates of incarceration. Despite its prevalence, many people encounter prisons and punishment only through representations in movies, television, and the news, remaining distant from the actual processes of punishment and prisons built in remote areas. The Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, however, is unique in the number of opportunities it presents for the public to enter the prison for large-scale events like the famous Angola Prison Rodeo, select drama club performances, or to visit the Angola Prison Museum. These opportunities are often read cynically, as moments …

Effects Of Stereotypes On Black Women Audiences, Darian M. Shorts

LSU Master's Theses

This study focuses on the effects that televised racial stereotypes have on the self-perception of viewers who identify as Black women. This paper lists three commonly used stereotypes for Black women in television and provides detailed background and analysis of each. There were three goals that I wanted to achieve with this study. The first goal of this study was to measure the amount of stereotyped entertainment these specific viewers consume. The second goal of this study was to understand the positive and negative effects that racial stereotypes have on Black women. The last goal of this study was to …

Times Of Crisis: A Comparative Discourse Analysis Of U.S. And Mexican Presidential Rhetoric, Kassandra Gonzalez-Ramos

LSU Master's Theses

Language is a communicative tool that in the possession of politicians holds the power to be persuasive and aggressive, empowering and uniting, or disruptive and dividing. Previous research has relied on numerous methodological approaches to analyze political discourse from different viewpoints to reveal the manner in which politicians as part of political institutions transform and manipulate language. The current investigation performs a critical discourse analysis (CDA) based on the framework developed by Van Dijk (1993,1997) in order to demonstrate the speech act realization in a total of 14 political speeches delivered by American presidents Biden, Trump, and Obama and Mexican …

Watching Sports Online: Evaluating The Viewing Motivations Of Sports Streaming Service Users, Jordan Dove

LSU Master's Theses

With millions of viewers tuning in to sporting events each year, there are many different motivations to analyze as to why there are such a large amount of people involved. More recently, sports streaming services have become a second option for viewers to watch sporting events, creating even more popularity for the sports market. New highs of streaming viewers have been seen with each passing year, as new media continues to take over old traditional media like network television. In 2022, for instance, streaming service viewership surpassed cable tv and broadcasts (Nielsen, 2022), creating a turning of the tide. Many …

Beyond Compulsion: Félix Ravaisson's Conception Of Habit, Christopher Johnson

LSU Master's Theses

In opposition to a tendency present within the history of Western philosophy to regard ‘habit’ as a conservative force (represented by figures including Descartes, Spinoza, and Kant), contemporary philosophers working on habit (including Clare Carlisle and Catherine Malabou) have marshaled the thought of nineteenth century French philosopher Félix Ravaisson. With recourse to the ‘double law of habit,’ Ravaisson, in his 1838 doctoral thesis, depicts habit as both resistance and receptivity to change. I begin, in Chapter One, with a brief overview of the aforementioned negative evaluations of habit, as surveyed separately by Carlisle and Malabou. As these contemporary philosophers observe, …

A New Test Of The News: An Examination Of The New York Times And Cnn Coverage Of The War In Ukraine, Hannah Ross

LSU Master's Theses

Russia launched a military invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, setting off Europe’s largest war since World War II. The war captured the attention of American news organizations, which gave the conflict unprecedented levels of coverage. This thesis tested the coverage of the war in Ukraine by two major American news outlets: The New York Times and CNN. This study used qualitative content analysis to examine the top four front-page stories of the Times and CNN Newsroom show. Two timeframes were used to analyze these materials: February 24, 2022, to March 9, 2022, and September 17, 2022, to September …

Identifying Key Language Research Priorities In Autistic Children According To Parents, Taylor Hale

LSU Master's Theses

The lack of involvement of the autistic community and its stakeholders in autism research has led to a call to action. At present, autism researchers have limited knowledge about stakeholders’ priorities for research. The current study aimed to bridge the disconnect between the extant autism research and the recent neurodiversity movement by surveying key stakeholders – parents of autistic children – on their perspectives on autism research that focuses on language. Twenty-six parents of autistic children completed an online survey on their views on autism language research with an option to participate in a follow-up interview. Six parents participated in …

Examining Framing Of Local And National Media Coverage Of Sandy Hook And Robb Elementary School Shootings, Gabrielle L. Debruler

LSU Master's Theses

There have been over 350 K-12 school shootings since the shootings at Columbine High School in 1999 (Cox et al., 2023). Thousands of journalists cover these attacks each in their own way with unique motives. This information goes to the public, and it is up to that person how they want to consume the story and view the shooting. National and local journalists tend to cover school shootings quite differently throughout time with unique frames. The shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary and Robb Elementary Schools illustrate this framing distinctively.

Through a qualitative study of national and local coverage of the …

Exploring The Effects Of Individuals’ Perceived Prototypicality Within A Fandom, Keely Diebold

LSU Master's Theses

Passionate fandoms centered on popular film and television series can elicit large-scale positive fan activity. At the same time, however, negative consequences can arise as factions or subsets of members with varying opinions arise within fandoms. One possible explanation for this phenomenon is varied levels among fandom members of how prototypical they view themselves within the context of that fandom. Research on social groups, however, has historically looked exclusively at perceptions of others' prototypicality and not of the self. Drawing on theories of social identity (SIT) and self-categorization (SCT), this project serves to bridge this research gap by exploring to …

Expand And Compare The Use Of Different Digital Fashion Technologies In Simulation Three-Dimensional Structured Designs, Fatimah Hakeem

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation research determined the ability of three-dimensional (3D) simulation technology (CLO3D^TM and OptiTex^TM software) to develop digital prototypes of structured apparel designs using different creative pattern-cutting techniques. The project’s focus was to compare the similarities between physical and virtual prototypes and evaluate differences in performance between the two software programs using fit and appearance criteria. The participants’ evaluations were analyzed with their performance on the Apparel Spatial Visualization Test (ASVT) to determine whether there was a correlation between the level of performance on the ASVT and evaluation of the technologies. It was predicted that participants with higher …

News(?)Papers: A Typology Of Fake News, 1880-1920, Olivia G. Romaguera

LSU Master's Theses

“Fake news” is a malleable concept. It can be beaten and reshaped to fit many different contexts. One widely accepted definition of fake news is false information purporting itself to be factual. Another is information that is factual but called “fake” in order to discredit it. Concern over the spread of fake news increased in recent years. But preoccupation with what is happening today has left a gap in our understanding of the phenomenon, specifically its roots in the past. “Fake news” was present when news technology was relatively primitive; it is not essentially a function of such modern advancements …

Improving Teacher Intervention Decisions Using The Fraction Error Flowchart, Katherine Pettrey

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the U.S. the fifth-grade mathematics curriculum is largely devoted to building fraction skills, providing an essential foundation for future success in mathematics (National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008). Unfortunately, students in the U.S. struggle with fraction proficiency (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2022; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2018). Even when teachers facilitate interventions for struggling students those interventions may not be aligned with student need (Riccomini, 2005). Additionally, teachers struggle to identify research-based practices (RBPs) when presented with student data (Means et al., 2009). The purpose of this study was to create and test a flowchart that could …

Did The Rapid Transition To Online Learning In Response To Covid-19 Protocols Results In Forced Disclosure By Faculty Members With Invisible Disabilities, Charles Edward Ethridge

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In December of 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 virus, now commonly referred to as COVID-19, was first identified in Wuhan, China. The virus proved highly contagious and quickly spread around the globe. By April 7, 2020, Stay-at-Home orders and/or directives regarding the closures of non-essential businesses and schools had been issued throughout the US. While there has been considerable research since 2020 regarding the impact of COVID-19 on higher education, nearly all the research has focused on the effects on students, the economic impact on institutions, and the future landscape of higher education. However, there is little research regarding the effect on …

Is There A Balance Between The U.S. Government Secrecy Regime And Free Speech Rights Of Government Employees?: The Legal Landscape Of The U.S. Government Control Of Information, Qinqin Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores the tension between the U.S. government’s control of information and government employees’ claims to free speech rights. The U.S. government prepublication review is a censorship system that requires former and current federal government employees to submit any materials intended for publication to their agencies for prior review before they attempt to make any external communication or proceed with any publications. The prepublication review regime has become an essential means by which the U.S. government controls internal information, and has long been controversial because of its censorship nature. Specifically, this dissertation focuses on legal disputes between the U.S. …