Digital Commons Network^™

Adaptive Reuse A Brief Introduction + Critique Of Academic Methods, Nicholas Bertucci

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

A Street-Based Simulation Approach To Evaluating Crime Theories And Deterrence Efficacy In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Shaun Edward Williams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Criminology of place and deterrence strategy evaluations share separate yet similar paths towards incorporating microgeographic units of analysis within deterrence strategies. These transitions have been underway since Weisburd’s 2015 criminology of place work and Kennedy’s 1997 Ceasefire publication for deterrence strategy evaluation. Rather than purely theoretical or practical challenges serving as agents of change, scale appropriateness can arguably be pinpointed as the foundation for change in both areas. Microplace offers improved insight into the study of crime and place dominated by areal designs. This status quo has hampered evaluation but has not slowed the flow of resources to support strategy …

Effect Of Steam Conditioning On Pecan Safety And Quality And Utilization Of Pecan Shell Extract As An Antimicrobial Coating To Maintain The Quality And Safety Of Fresh Produce, Karuna Kharel

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Pre- and post-harvest practices can pose microbial risk on fresh produce thus, appropriate intervention strategies to inactivate foodborne pathogens without compromising quality is important. The first part of this study investigated the effect of steam conditioning on inactivating Enterococcus faecium, a surrogate for Salmonella enterica, on in-shell pecans; and second part determined the in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial efficacy of pullulan coating incorporated with pecan shell extract on produce. The treatments’ effect on quality of pecans and produce during storage were also evaluated. In-shell pecans inoculated with Enterococcus faecium (7.28±0.17logCFU/g) were treated with steam at 70°C, 80°C …

Performing Memory Forensics For Object Recovery From Android Application Memory, Sneha Sudhakaran

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The analysis of application-specific behavior has become an increasingly important technique in cyber forensics and incident response. The ability to determine the precise actions taken by a user can be the difference between a successful analysis and one that fails to meet its goals. The precise actions includes URLs visited, files downloaded, messages sent and received, images viewed, and data accessed. Evidence extraction from application memory at runtime is an effective solution to successfully extract valuable objects allocated by each application, and it is evident that there is a need for more Android forensics analysis tools that support recovering evidence …

Effects Of Engagements And Presentation Order In Informal Science Presentations, William Henry Katzman

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Science museums conduct presentations for their audiences to attract and educate visitors, yet research on presentations has primarily concentrated on whether individual presentations were effective. This mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study looks at how the presenter’s mental and physical engagements within a presentation affects audience members by altering sociocultural context of the presentation.

Physical engagements involve asking audience members to physically participate, while mental engagements involved asking audience members to make predictions prior to observing a demonstration. Audiences were given presentations containing: 1) Both mental and physical engagements, 2) Physical engagements only, 3) Mental engagements only or 4) No engagements (control).

This …

The State Of Agricultural Mechanics In The Preparation Of School-Based Agricultural Education Teachers, Tyler Granberry

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Agricultural mechanics has become a primary subject area for school-based agricultural education (SBAE). However, despite a long history and high prevalence in SBAE, preservice and in-service SBAE teachers have frequently expressed concerns regarding teaching agricultural mechanics. Research from the early 21st century documented the characteristics of preservice SBAE teacher training in agricultural mechanics on a national level. However, more recent studies have suggested that the agricultural mechanics training requirements for preservice SBAE teachers have changed. The purpose of this study was to compare the level of agricultural mechanics preparation of preservice SBAE teachers between 2000 and 2021. To accomplish this, …

Colonial Myths: The Conquest Of Cabeza De Vaca, Willie Hurst

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis examines the relaciónes (report) Naufragios (1542) and Comentarios (1555) with the intention of expanding upon the ample publications already existent on Cabeza de Vaca. With this thesis I offer a contrasting reading and reexamination of both of Cabeza de Vaca’s works. I argue that a number of the scholarly publications on Cabeza de Vaca fail to understand, define, and explore the identity and goals of Cabeza de Vaca as his own unique version of a conqueror which ultimately leads to a misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the texts. After an initial chapter discussing how Cabeza de Vaca never underwent …

A Case Study Of The Underrepresentation Of African American Male Educators: Career Choices And Experiences In Secondary Schools, Anthony Wayne Graham Jr

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to examine the career choices and experiences of African American male teachers in secondary grade settings. Participants included 17 African American males who taught core subjects at varying grade levels. All participants worked at schools in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, metropolitan area. The main source of data collection was completed through semistructured interviews with 17 African American male teachers. I arranged to visit the different schools and address all potential teachers interested in participating in this study. Additionally, I contacted all interested subjects through email. The findings provided important information related to …

Writing Exclusionary Spaces: Myths, Tropes, And Stereotypes Surrounding The Roma In 19th- And 20th-Century French Literature, Jade Scottie Basford

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The “gypsy” figure has been popular in popular culture for hundreds of years – certainly since the 1600s. The figure can embody wanderlust, difference, bold sexuality, freedom, danger, and criminality. In 19th-century France, the figure’s trendiness was apparent in literature. Writers such as Victor Hugo, George Sand, Charles Nodier, and Prosper Mérimée profited from using these figures in writing. Most criticism of these works focuses on the origins of the tales or critical analyses of the narratives themselves. This research expands upon the extant scholarship to develop an overview of the usage of this figure as it moved throughout the …

New Transcription For Cello And Piano Of The “Sonata For Violin And Piano” By Uruguayan Composer Hector Tosar, Including A Performance Edition, Analysis, And Biography, Jose Pedro Romero-Ottonello

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This paper accompanies my transcription for cello and piano of Héctor Alberto Tosar Herrecart’s Sonata for Violin and Piano. It presents a brief study of Tosar's life, documenting his study with various composers in Uruguay and elsewhere, influences on his evolving compositional style, and an analysis of the sonata itself. I examine the manuscripts of other works by Tosar to provide an understanding of his musical language, including his “Serie sinfónica: en cuatro movimientos,” “Sinfonía no. 2 para orquesta de cuerdas,” “Sonatina no. 2. Solitude,” and “Salmo CII: para coro y orquesta.” The purpose of this project is to document …

Experts’ Views On Issues Affecting Egg Labeling In The United States: A Delphi Study, Rexanna Powers

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

When purchasing food, many consumers have reported they question the ethical and humane treatment of products derived from animals at the point of purchase. To complicate this issue further, many U.S. consumers lack exposure, interaction, and involvement with the agricultural industry. As a result, they have reported a willingness to pay premium prices for meats, dairy, and eggs whose packaging suggests quality welfare practices. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was three-fold: (1) establish operational definitions for poorly understood poultry industry terms, i.e., cage-free, free-range, pasture-raised, and organic; (2) describe experts’ perceptions of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) …

Corporate Website Disclosures And Financial Reporting Quality, Nicholas Mueller

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between corporate website disclosures and financial reporting quality. Using a sample of the S&P 500 and S&P 400 firms, a voluntary website disclosure score is created by identifying specific website disclosures. After controlling for website disclosure requirements imposed by U.S. stock exchanges, the results indicate that firms with greater website disclosures are associated with lower abnormal accruals and differential persistence of cash flows and operating accruals. Additionally, using the Chen, Miao, and Shevlin (2015) measures for disaggregation quality of financial statement items, the results suggest that the association between financial reporting quality and website disclosures …

Confederately Wrong: The Names Of Hermitage Neighborhood It Should Be Changed, Christopher Toombs

LSU Master's Theses

The Civil War was one of the most defining acts of war in American History. The Union and the Confederacy battled over the future of African born slaves. The Confederacy wanted to see the African born slaves in chains forever. However, the Union possessed the desire to allow the African slave a proper place in their society. LSU played a major part in the civil war on behalf of the confederacy. LSU’s staff, faculty, and students fought in the war for Baton Rouge and lost to the Union. Hence, the spirit of confederacy was embedded in Baton Rouge culture regardless …

Unmarked Human Burial Site Policy In Louisiana: Pre-Columbian Context And Community Perspectives, Sadie M. Schoeffler

LSU Master's Theses

Since the passing of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA), state governments have implemented similar policies that allow for Native American tribes without federal recognition to petition for the repatriation of human remains and objects significant to their culture (Seidemann, 2010). Per La. R.S. 8:671-681, which is the Louisiana Unmarked Human Burial Sites Preservation Act of 1992 (UBA), the Division of Archaeology in the Louisiana State Office of Cultural Development is responsible for overseeing the protection and preservation of unmarked burials. These burials are often of pre-Columbian or historic cultural and temporal context, which warrants …

Emerging Trends: Scenic Design Beyond The Stage, Kellie N. Murphy

LSU Master's Theses

The role of a scenic designer is so exciting but opportunities to design can fluctuate a bit. While the work is rewarding, the career itself can be much like a gig at times. Then when you factor in a major event such as a global pandemic, where does this leave a scenic designer in terms of employment and livelihood? Are there other possibilities for work with a Master of Fine Arts in Scenic Design? How do we continue to tell stories while providing for ourselves? Have artists considered how these skills are transferrable to other allied fields?

As a scenic …

Does Your Opponent's Gender Make A Difference? A Content Analysis Of The Use Of Gender Stereotyped Issues In Female Candidates’ Campaigns In A Mixed-Gender Versus An All-Women Races., Caley R. Hewitt

LSU Master's Theses

All-women races are steadily growing in politics as more women run with every election. While research shows how women campaign and face stereotypes when facing a male opponent or a female opponent, it does not assess how candidates may change their strategies when facing a male opponent or a female opponent. I ask if female candidates’ campaign differently on stereotypic issues between a mixed-gender election to an all-female election, specifically looking at the use of Twitter. These results showed that Democratic female candidates used more feminine-based issues facing a female opponent versus a male opponent. These results also show that …

Methods And Practices Of Teaching Online Theatrical Scenic Painting Curricula, Madison Stinemetz

LSU Master's Theses

This research investigates, at the time of writing, the methods and practices that have proven successful or not for teaching online scenic painting courses. Through the grounding offered by the data collected in this survey, this paper seeks to establish a baseline of common methods and practices currently utilized for scenic painting courses in the online learning environment. The purpose of this work is to offer a strong framework for future online versions of scenic painting curricula. The methodology for the data collection of this work included analyzing published topical documents, the examination and data analysis of results from an …

The Adoption Of Conservation Practices And Program Participation Among Socially Disadvantaged Agricultural Producers: A Meta-Analysis, Myles A. Brown

LSU Master's Theses

As climate change has become undeniable in recent years, it has become increasingly important for the agriculture industry to address conservation. Within the agriculture industry, small farmers are usually the ones who take on this burden on a daily basis. However, some socially disadvantaged agricultural producers face unique challenges compared to the average farmer, which may impede their ability to adopt the necessary conservation practices or participate in conservation programs. This review sought to provide a definitive economic analysis on the possible effect of race on conservation adoption and program participation, as there is not much research on this topic. …

Examining Factors Related To Employees' Perceived Value Congruence In A Newcomer Training Program, William Joseph Mattera Jr

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The first 90 days of employment have received more and more attention concerning how an individual employee (“individual”) can succeed within the work environment. Watkins (2013) centers the responsibility on the individual to engage in understanding, embracing, and shifting toward buying into an organizational culture. However, what role does an organization play in successfully transitioning an individual into their culture? The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of a new employee training program on perceptions of role clarity, organizational culture, organizational goals and values, and perceived value congruence.

A quantitative approach was utilized to analyze responses …

A Synthesis Of Contemporary Music Composition Pedagogy Practices For The Undergraduate And Graduate Level Sequences, And An Exploration Of Time, Sound, And Space: An Aleatoric Event Score In Collaboration With The Lsu Museum Of Art, Jeremi Wayne Edwards

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two parts. The first part consists of a synthesis of contemporary music composition pedagogy practices for the undergraduate and graduate level sequences. A conversation of the study of music composition pedagogy is used to investigate current pedagogical practices in music composition and present those findings as a resource guide for new and future teachers. The second part presents an Exploration of Time, Sound, and Space, an Aleatoric Event Score Collaboration with the LSU Museum of Art. This event score is a product of the development of this dissertation commenced with a straightforward question; can we experience/consume …

Effects Of Experimental Sleep Restriction On Energy Intake, Energy Expenditure, And Visceral Obesity, Naima Covassin, Prachi Singh, Shelly K. Mccrady-Spitzer, Erik K. St Louis, Andrew D. Calvin, James A. Levine, Virend K. Somers

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Background: Although the consequences of sleep deficiency for obesity risk are increasingly apparent, experimental evidence is limited and there are no studies on body fat distribution. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of experimentally-induced sleep curtailment in the setting of free access to food on energy intake, energy expenditure, and regional body composition. Methods: Twelve healthy, nonobese individuals (9 males, age range 19 to 39 years) completed a randomized, controlled, crossover, 21-day inpatient study comprising 4 days of acclimation, 14 days of experimental sleep restriction (4 hour sleep opportunity) or control sleep (9 hour sleep …

Passive Air Samplers For Community Monitoring Of Air Toxics Following Hurricane Ida In Terrebonne Parish, Sarah Besson

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Fit-Effectiveness Of Fabric-Based Reusable Face Masks On 3d Printed Niosh Headforms, Casey Stannard, Charles Freeman, Lesley Strawderman, Meagan Moore, Wayne Newhauser, Reuben Burch, Catherine Black, David Saucier

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Behind The Timeline: The Gendered Dynamics Among Civilian Volunteer Search And Rescue Organizations, Kyle Breen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the aftermath of disaster, it is often neighbors and other civilians nearby who respond first. Civilian disaster response, then, is not new. However, a new phenomenon emerged following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and again after the 2016 Louisiana Floods and Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Civilians convoyed to New Orleans with their boats to rescue others after Katrina, and again in 2016 and 2017. The difference in these more recent events has been the official formation of these volunteers into organizations that conduct search and rescue (SAR) as well as other relief activities. These civilian volunteer SAR organizations have gained …

Investigation Of Groundwater Depletion And Leveel Underseepage With Unstructured-Grid Modeling Approach, Ye-Hong Chen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Unstructured grid is a tessellation of geometric shapes in irregular patterns that provides flexibility in grid design for groundwater modeling. However, groundwater modeling is mostly developed with uniform grid tessellation and layer, which could simplify model structure or cause expensive computational costs in high-resolution simulations. Unstructured grid incorporates non-uniform horizontal and non-uniform vertical discretizations providing the capability to replicate complex hydrostratigraphy, capture geologic features that are crucial for groundwater flow simulation, and reduce computational costs while maintaining a high resolution for areas of interest. This study contains three parts to investigate unstructured-grid approach on constructing high-fidelity groundwater models, comparisons with …

Strategic Use Of Topic-Congruent Managerial Responses In Online Review Systems, Sun Tae Kim

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Strategic use of systems beyond firm control (SBFC) is a critical challenge for firms that are voluntarily or involuntarily represented in these systems. Firms are forced to use SBFCs that are information systems neither designed nor controlled by them to stay competitive in the market. Online review systems are a class of SBFC in which companies can participate while playing by the systems’ rules through managerial responses. Through a mixed-methods investigation that combines an archival study and two experimental studies, we extend the understanding of the benefits that the firms who intervene in these systems can receive. In the first …

Image And Video Segmentation Of Appearance-Volatile Objects, Yongqing Liang

LSU Master's Theses

Segmentation is a process of partitioning a digital image or frame into multiple regions or objects. The goal of segmentation is to identify and locate the objects of interest with their boundaries. Recent segmentation approaches often follow such a pipeline: they first train the model on a collected dataset and then evaluate the trained model on a given image or video. They assume that the appearance of object is consistent in training and testing sets. However, the appearance of object may change in different photography conditions. How to effectively segment the objects with volatile appearance remains under-explored. In this work, …

Mapping Conceptions Of Ideology In Contemporary Philosophy, Mary Marlowe

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Calcium On Boron Toxicity In Schrenkiella Parvula And Arabidopsis Thaliana, Todd John Thibodaux

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Young Black Poets Of Baton Rouge An Ethnographic Study On The Black Poetic Perspectives, Influences, And Community Ties In Baton Rouge., Kaya Lewis

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.