Digital Commons Network^™

Revolting Drag: Filth, Horror, And The Queer Art Of Monstrosity, Claire-Scott A. Lynch

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis examines how The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, a horror-themed reality drag competition series, uses monstrosity as a tool of queer resistance. In contrast to mainstream drag representations, which often promote assimilationist ideals, Dragula embraces filth, grotesqueries, and failure as strategies of disrupting normative structures. Grounded in queer theory and queer of color critique, this thesis uses thematic analysis to explore how Dragula mobilizes monstrosity to resist normative portrayals of queerness. Through close analysis of the show’s season finales, the study identifies three major themes: grotesque aesthetics, beyond the binary, and identity as resistance. These findings reveal how Dragula positions …

A Skill Assessment Framework For The Fisheries And Marine Ecosystem Model Intercomparison Project, Nina Rynne, Camilla Novaglio, Julia Blanchard, Daniele Bianchi, Villy Christensen, Marta Coll, Jerome Guiet, Jeroen Steenbeek, Andrea Bryndum-Buchholz, Tyler D. Eddy, Cheryl Harrison, Olivier Maury, Kelly Ortega-Cisneros, Colleen M. Petrik, Derek P. Tittensor, Ryan F. Heneghan

Faculty Publications

Understanding climate change impacts on global marine ecosystems and fisheries requires complex marine ecosystem models, forced by global climate projections, that can robustly detect and project changes. The Fisheries and Marine Ecosystems Model Intercomparison Project (FishMIP) uses an ensemble modeling approach to fill this crucial gap. Yet FishMIP does not have a standardised skill assessment framework to quantify the ability of member models to reproduce past observations and to guide model improvement. In this study, we apply a comprehensive model skill assessment framework to a subset of global FishMIP models that produce historical fisheries catches. We consider a suite of …

Astaxanthin Protects Against Environmentally Persistent Free Radical-Induced Oxidative Stress In Well-Differentiated Respiratory Epithelium, Ayaho Yamamoto, Peter D. Sly, Lavrent Khachatryan, Nelufa Begum, Abrey J. Yeo, Paul D. Robinson, Stephania A. Cormier, Emmanuelle Fantino

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) are combustion products present in substantial numbers on atmospheric particulate matter with half-lives of days to years. The mechanisms linking EPFR exposure and respiratory diseases are unclear, but likely involve oxidative stress. We investigated the mechanisms by which EPFR exposure impact on well-differentiated primary human nasal epithelial cells from subjects sensitive or resistant to oxidant stressors, cultured at an air-liquid interface. We found that EPFR exposure induced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) production; increased mitochondrial DNA copy number; down-regulated mucus production gene, Mucin-5AC (MUC5AC); up-regulated detoxifying gene, cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related …

Correction To: Microaggressions And Cannabis-Related Problems Among Black Adults: The Roles Of Negative Affect And Cannabis Use Motives (Cognitive Therapy And Research, (2023), 10.1007/S10608-023-10375-8), Julia D. Buckner, Michael J. Zvolensky, Caroline R. Scherzer

Faculty Publications

The original publication includes description of the study’s method from an earlier draft that did not include changes requested by the journal Editor to reduce overlap with other publications using this sample. The correct revised Method section is presented here. Participants were recruited for a larger study of race-based microaggressions and substance use (Buckner, Morris, et al., 2023; Buckner, Threeton, et al., 2023; Buckner et al., in press). In Fall 2021, 65.9% of the undergraduates at this large, predominantly White institution in the Southeast identified as White, with 15.6% identifying as African American/Black. For the current study, inclusion criteria were: …

Examining Whether Method Of Suicide Exposure And Closeness To Decedent Relate To Firearm Storage Practices, Evan A. Albury, Jessica L. Gerner, David A. Jobes, Raymond P. Tucker

Faculty Publications

Introduction: One factor that can influence whether someone will engage in secure firearm storage is having a suicide exposure (SE). Daruwala et al. (2018) examined this and found that individuals with an SE, without considering perceived closeness, did not significantly differ from those who did not have an SE in their firearm storage practices. Thus, the present study aimed to replicate and extend the research of Daruwala et al. (2018) by examining if the method of suicide (by firearm or other means) and closeness of suicide decedent relate to secure firearm storage practices. Methods: 308 male firearm owners completed self-report …

Exact Inference For Transformed Large-Scale Varying Coefficient Models With Applications, Tianyu Chen, Robert Habans, Thomas Douthat, Jenna Losh, Lida Chalangar Jalili Dehkharghani, Li Hsiang Lin

Faculty Publications

Studying migration patterns driven by extreme environmental events is crucial for building a sustainable society and stable economy. Motivated by a real dataset about human migrations, this paper develops a transformed varying coefficient model for origin and destination (OD) regression to elucidate the complex associations of migration patterns with spatio-temporal dependencies and socioeconomic factors. Existing studies often overlook the dynamic effects of these factors in OD regression. Furthermore, with the increasing ease of collecting OD data, the scale of current OD regression data is typically large, necessitating the development of methods for efficiently fitting large-scale migration data. We address the …

Do Analysts’ Gross Margin Forecasts Influence Manager's Decisions To Recognize Inventory Losses?, Nusrat Jahan, Padmakumar Sivadasan

Faculty Publications

Accounting standards require firms to write down their inventory when its market value (or net realizable value) drops below cost. Recognizing inventory write-downs decreases gross margins and increases scrutiny of managers’ inventory management practices. Further, it is difficult for market participants to assess inventory balances. Therefore, managers often delay recognizing inventory losses. Compared with other analysts, analysts who issue disaggregated gross margin (GM) forecasts evaluate a firm's inventories more closely, which should motivate managers to recognize expected inventory losses. Consistent with this prediction, managers’ likelihood of recognizing an expected inventory loss increases as more analysts provide GM forecasts. However, the …

Louisiana Agricultural Magazine, Spring 2025

Louisiana Agriculture

Growing fruits and pecans is a part of Louisiana’s agricultural heritage. Citrus trees have been planted here for three centuries, and the state is famous for strawberries. Pecans and mayhaws are native to the state, and they are beloved by Louisianans. Some of these fruits have become industries worth millions of dollars, while others have become popular for home production.

This issue of Louisiana Agriculture focuses on the efforts of LSU AgCenter Extension experts working to foster home fruit production and support the fruit and pecan industry in Louisiana. Through their research and extension programs, they provide homeowners and commercial …

Introduction: The Future Of Global Journalism—Relationships, Tools, And Power, Ruth Moon, Lea Hellmueller, Herman Wasserman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Unveiling The Nexus Between Digital Monitoring And Experiences Of Intimate Partner Violence In Romantic Relationships, Caley Hewitt, Fanny A. Ramirez, Anna Gjika

Faculty Publications

Using survey data from a sample of 378 women who live in the United States and self-identify as either Black or Latinx, this study explores predictors of women’s digital monitoring practices in intimate relationships in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV). We use literature about surveillance, monitoring, and IPV to frame our study. Our results show three significant instances that influence the odds of monitoring a romantic partner: (1) past experiences with digital abuse, (2) past experiences with offline psychological abuse, and (3) age, with younger women having increased odds of engaging in digital monitoring compared to older women. …

From Exit To Apathy: Migration, Remittances, And The Erosion Of Political Participation, Sanjida Mehrin

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis offers new perspectives on migration and political behavior in Latin America by analyzing how remittances affect political engagement and how economic perceptions influence migration intentions. While classic models focus on structural economic conditions, this study emphasizes the independent significance of subjective economic judgments as well as the different political implications of remittances across national contexts. The first chapter challenges traditional models that mainly link migration with objective economic indicators by examining how migration intentions are influenced by retrospective economic views. Using individual-level data from the 2018 LAPOP survey across 19 Latin American countries, the analysis employs country fixed …

Audience Participation Structures In The Concert Hall And D, Me, You, We, A Non-Opera For Actor, Chatbot, Musicians, And Audience, Treya Michelle Nash

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Audience participation in the concert hall space has developed into a rich participatory practice with specific characteristics and challenges. Though composers—especially since the 1960s—have written many pieces involving audience participation, asking the concert hall audience to participate remains uncommon. Attempting to shift the role of the audience in such a traditionally spectator-oriented space can lead to tensions that undermine the efficacy of the experience. This research categorizes participatory pieces into the structural elements of performance and facilitation forces, audience groupings, audience roles, and communication types. These structures are used to discuss the complicated relationship between control and agency within participatory …

The Passive-Active Interaction (Pai) Model: Redefining Audio Interactions In Video Game Music, Morgan A. Weeks

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Scholarship on music in video games has focused on the player in two main ways: the psychological effect music has on the player and the physical, kinesthetic relationship between the player’s inputs and the game’s music. This dissertation builds on this work by exploring gameplay moments in which the music informs the player’s inputs through rhythms, tempo, harmonic relationships, and changes in the musical texture. Using “analytical play” (Summers 2016), rhythmic analysis, looping analysis, and harmonic observations, alongside a variety of different video games, consoles and genres, I have developed an analytical Passive-Active Interaction (PAI) Model that is applicable to …

How Financial Aid Affects The Odds Of Study Abroad Participation For Students Of Color, Patrick Newcomb

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Prior research has shown that studying abroad provides students with enriching, diverse educational experiences with positive personal, academic, and professional outcomes. Despite the benefits, only a small portion of American higher education students participate in study abroad programs. Students of color disproportionately study abroad at lower rates than White students. Since cost is often cited as the primary barrier preventing education abroad, this study examined the types of financial aid associated with study abroad access and participation.

This study used data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, which is a nationwide dataset designed to represent the makeup of institutions …

Geo-Ai For Wetland Classification And Evolutionary Analysis, Lirong Yin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Wetlands, as a crucial component of the Earth's ecosystem, play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance and preserving biodiversity. However, wetlands are currently facing severe challenges, as both natural and human-induced factors are contributing to their global degradation. Gaining a deep understanding of the species composition and biodiversity within wetland-covered areas and accurately analyzing their changing trends not only helps assess the current and future state of wetlands but also provides strong support for the formulation of scientifically sound wetland conservation strategies. In recent years, the rapid development of geospatial intelligence and remote sensing technologies has brought new opportunities …

Tonality Without Function In Lee Hoiby's The Shining Place: Five Poems Of Emily Dickinson, Anne Millspaugh

LSU Master's Theses

Lee Hoiby’s life and style are discussed, and his song set The Shining Place: Five Poems of Emily Dickinson is analyzed. A small biography of Emily Dickinson and of the set itself is provided. The song set is analyzed through how Hoiby set Dickinson’s dashes in the music, how diatonic collections are used within the songs, and how motives are used within the songs. Interviews conducted between myself and Lee Hoiby’s partner Mark Shulgasser are transcribed at the end in Appendix A.

The Influence Of Selected Demographic And Academic Factors On The Persistence To Degree Completion Of Military Veterans At A Research University In The South, Damon L. Ploger

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A large number of veterans leave the military each year, hoping to reacclimate successfully to civilian society while utilizing the knowledge and skills they acquired in the military to assist in their pursuit of gainful employment. Many wish to enhance this process by earning a college degree. Unfortunately, various barriers and other random personal hurdles can impede the progress of the now-veteran student toward degree completion. The lack of knowledge about these barriers and the factors that support a veteran student’s persistence to complete a college degree has created the need for this investigation. The primary purpose of this study …

"En Clave" Tania León And Roberto Sierra: Autochthonous Music Of Cuba And Puerto Rico, Contemporary Music Composition And The 'Puente' In Between, Omar A. Ramirez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This document is in two parts. The first examines selected works of Latin-American composers Tania León and Roberto Sierra. Both composers cite their cultural background as a force that shapes their artistic expression. Many of their works are titled in Spanish, with compositions referencing their homelands in subject and narrative, and incorporate the autochthonous music(s) of Cuba and Puerto Rico. Elements of these afrodiasporic musical traditions can be found in their works: Alegre, Batá, Stride, (Leon), Loiza, and Concerto for Viola (Sierra), each examined here.

Autochthonous musical elements are highlighted in score excerpts and described using …

Understanding The Experiences Of Biology Teachers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Amber R. Collins

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic has caused the world to focus on the transition of learning environments that are more digital and virtual than any other time in educational history. Schools all over the world were required to adjust not only the mode of instruction, such as in virtual, hybrid, or in-person, but also create guidelines and procedures that reduce the amount of interaction between the teacher and the student (Garbe, Ogurlu, Uzeyir, & Cook, 2020). The research questions that guided this study were: 1) What are the experiences of five Biology teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic in transitioning to …

The Role Of Mental Health Literacy And Social Media In Shaping University Students’ Intentions To Use Telehealth Services: A Theory Of Planned Behavior Approach In A Post-Pandemic Society, Jena R. Anderson

LSU Master's Theses

This study examined the relationships between mental health literacy and social media use as an informational resource in college students and their intentions to use teletherapy. Using the theory of planned behavior as the framework, this research explores how attitudes towards teletherapy, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control influence students' willingness to seek out mental health services such as teletherapy. Findings revealed that mental health literacy is a strong predictor of students' attitudes and perceived behavioral control, reinforcing prior research that links literacy to better health management among patients. Social media was also a strong predictor of subjective norms, highlighting …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And High School Dropout: The Roles Of Student Disengagement And Social Support, Rachel D. Pounders

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

More than two million students a year leave high school without a completion credential (NCES, 2024). Students who drop out are at-risk for detrimental long-term outcomes physically, mentally and economically (Rumberger, 2020). Students with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are significantly more likely to have poor educational outcomes, including school dropout (Metzler et al., 2017; Pan et al., 2019). However, there is limited insight into what affects the pathway between ACEs and poor educational outcomes for students (Dupéré et al., 2019; Morrow & Villodas, 2018). Informed by prominent dropout theories with ecological foundations and the theory of stress and coping, this …

Assessing Groundwater Availability And Land Subsidence Risk Associated With Anthropogenic Activities In A Complex Aquifer System, Aya Bakr Attya Mohamed

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Southern Hills aquifer system (SHAS) is the primary source of water in the Capital area of Louisiana. However, the overexploitation of freshwater-bearing aquifers and the presence of two active faults, the BR fault and the DSS fault, have resulted in groundwater depletion, saltwater intrusion, and increased the risk of land surface subsidence. Such critical issues pose substantial threats to groundwater availability and exert detrimental effects on the environment and urban infrastructures. This dissertation presents a comprehensive investigation of the SHAS for recognizing the consequences of groundwater depletion and its potential long-term impacts on groundwater availability and land stability. A …

Studies On Cell Cycle Regulation And Ecm Modification During Tubular Organ Formation In Drosophila Embryos, Jeffrey Matthew

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The formation of tubular organs—such as the heart and kidneys—is a complex developmental process that requires the precise coordination of tissue remodeling with dynamic changes in cellular behavior. Key processes including cell proliferation, apoptosis, and extracellular matrix (ECM) formation must be tightly synchronized with mechanisms that generate and transmit physical forces, transforming a flat epithelial sheet into a three-dimensional organ. Disruptions in the homeostasis of these processes during organogenesis can lead to congenital defects, such as pulmonary atresia and renal hypoplasia.

To investigate the mechanisms underlying epithelial morphogenesis, the Chung laboratory employs the Drosophila embryonic salivary gland (SG) as a …

Quantitative Risk Analysis For Elections, George A. Buras

LSU Master's Theses

This paper examines risk analysis and risk management in the field of election security. The purpose of this paper is not to enumerate risks to election security or explain how they might be mitigated, but rather to understand and improve how we measure and communicate those risks.

First, I contextualize election security risks by establishing what it means for an election to be secure and I give an overview of the types of events that might threaten election security. Then, I explore different methods that we can use to model electoral risks. Existing resources for managing electoral risks use qualitative …

Voices Of Heritage And Resilience: A Performance Guide To Soprano Arias Celebrating The Black Experience In Opera, Imani S. Francis

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Voices of Heritage and Resilience: A Performance Guide for Soprano Arias Celebrating the Black Experience explores a selection of soprano arias that illuminate the depth, complexity, and resilience of Black identity through opera. This study provides historical context, musical style, and vocal performance strategies for works that center around the African American experience, spanning both traditional and contemporary repertoire.

By examining the relations between text, music, and historical significance, this dissertation highlights how these arias convey themes of struggle, conflict, oppression, love, and perseverance. It also supplies guidance to the singer through the use of vocal methods, interpretation, and stylistic …

Quaternary Subsurface Characterization Of The Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer: Insights From Interval Kriging And Airborne Em-Borehole Data Integration, Yuqi Song

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Pleistocene period significantly contributed to the formation of alluvial aquifer worldwide. These productive aquifers are crucial for domestic, industrial, and agricultural water supplies. The Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer (MRVA), a principal aquifer in the U.S., is crucial for national food security and global agricultural supply. This study aims to characterize the subsurface architecture of the MRVA, thereby enhancing fundamental understanding of sedimentological processes involved in the genesis of glacio-fluvial aquifers worldwide. The research objectives are threefold: (1) to provide a detailed characterization of the MRVA; (2) to develop 3D geostatistical methods for geological modeling; and (3) to develop …

Exploring Pedagogical Approaches And Discussion For Young Beginner Double Bass Players, Jiaying Zhang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In recent years, early childhood education for the double bass has gained increasing attention and plays a crucial role in shaping the future development of the instrument. However, compared to other instruments, research on early childhood education for the double bass remains relatively underdeveloped, with a lack of written materials on the subject. This thesis introduces the formation of early childhood teaching concepts and explains why parents play an irreplaceable role in a child’s initial exposure to music learning. By collecting and analyzing traditional double bass teaching methods and integrating common principles from other string instrument teaching approaches, this study …

Rheological, Interfacial, And Filtration Behavior Of Lignocellulosic Nanomaterials In Suspension And Emulsion Drilling Fluids, Meen Sung Koo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In recent years, the rheological aspects of suspensions/emulsions applied by cellulose nanomaterials (CNMs) have been gained considerable interests due to high gel-forming properties ascribed by hydrophilicity, crystallinity, ease functionalization, and high aspect ratio. Introducing residual lignin in CNMs (LCNMs) seemed to be capable of achieving various advantages in the application of CNMs ascribed by hydrophobicity, binding effects, and abundant aromatic groups derived from complexity of lignin. This dissertation dedicates to the characterizations of (L)CNMs, and rheological properties of (L)CNMs applied fluids (i.e., suspension and emulsion). In the suspension system, the presence of lignin in LCNMs decreased gel strength, viscosity, and …

The Effects Of Disclosure Of Genai Use In The Production Of Advertising In High And Low Involvement Settings, Shawn Griffin

LSU Master's Theses

This study explores the effects of GenAI disclosure on advertising effectiveness and how these influences interact with consumers’ involvement in advertised products using a 2×2 experimental design with 83 participants, manipulating AI disclosure (disclosed vs. not disclosed) and involvement level (high vs. low). Findings indicate that disclosure negatively impacts brand attitude but has no significant effect on ad attitude, purchase intention, or sharing intention. An interaction effect was also found that in high-involvement conditions, disclosure increased the intention to share the ad. These results, framed through the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) and Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM), offer insights into the …

“San Antonio, ¡De Cabeza!”: An Opera By Marcelo Beltrán Using A Fusion Of Ecuadorian Musical Traditions And Various Musical Genres, Lucía Berenice Carrera Troya

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores the opera San Antonio, ¡de cabeza! (Saint Anthony, upside down!), examining its cultural and musical significance in Ecuadorian folklore and its integration of traditional Ecuadorian genres to create a nationalist opera that is also grounded in operatic traditions. The figure of Saint Anthony of Padua is explored, tracing the origins of his legend and its influence on Ecuadorian folklore, with a focus on how these elements are represented in the opera. The life and career of the composer are discussed, emphasizing academic background, and the development of San Antonio, ¡de cabeza! within the context of his broader …