Digital Commons Network^™

De La Saleté A La Poésie : Portrait De La France Périphérique Dans L’Été Des Charognes De Simon Johannin, Julie Catel

Tête à Tête: Journal of Francophone Studies

Simon Johannin's debut novel, "L'Été des charognes," published in 2017, offers a vivid portrayal of life in La Fourrière, an isolated village located in the Vosges. This area falls within what the French sociologist Christophe Guilluy terms 'France périphérique,' which refers to rural regions plagued by poverty and a sense of neglect. Through the perspective of an adolescent narrator, Johannin depicts the village's harsh daily reality, emphasizing its pervasive violence and the filth that characterizes its landscape. The narrative is saturated with descriptions of unpleasant odors, particularly from the decomposing carcasses of farm animals awaiting disposal, which permeate the village …

Entre Caricature Et Stigmatisation: Presentation Des Bossus Dans Contes D'Amadou Koumba De Birago Diop, Uchenna Bethrand Anih

Tête à Tête: Journal of Francophone Studies

Cet article s’intéresse à la peinture des bossus dans les contes traditionnels africains en employant Contes d’Amadou-Koumba de Birago Diop comme étude de cas. Conscient que les bossus sont déformés représentant des personnages complexes incarnant de différentes significations symboliques telles que figure rusé, source de sagesse, d’humour ou d’espièglerie dans les contes classiques et aussi, ils sont peu abordés dans les critiques littéraires africains. Interroger la présentation des bossus dans la culture orale africaine offrira des éclaircissements sur l’attitude des Africains envers les déformés surtout les bossus en Afrique noire. Il est question de démontrer l’attitude collective envers les bossus …

L’Insécurité Linguistique Et La Confiance De S’Identifier Comme Bilingue: Le Cas Des Élèves D’Immersion Française En Saskatchewan Au Canada, Olushola J. Adedeji, Michael Akinpelu

Tête à Tête: Journal of Francophone Studies

Les élèves d’immersion française partout au Canada ont le droit de s’identifier avec grande fierté et légitimité comme des bilingues (en anglais et français) canadiens. Pourtant, le niveau de fierté de s’identifier ainsi dépend largement de son niveau de confiance dans les deux langues. La présente étude examine les discours des élèves et des enseignants en immersion française pour dégager des idéologies linguistiques qui influent négativement sur la confiance des jeunes d’immersion française de se connaitre comme des bilingues. Les extraits de discours utilisés pour cette étude proviennent des données qualitatives et quantitatives collectées pour une thèse de doctorat (Auteur …

Pooled Analysis Of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, And Sleep Among Children From 33 Countries, Kar Hau Chong, Thomas Suesse, Penny L. Cross, Sarah T. Ryan, Eivind Aadland, Oluwayomi Aoko, Ankhmaa Byambaa, Valerie Carson, Jean Philippe Chaput, Hayley Christian, Dylan P. Cliff, Marieke De Craemer, Clarice Maria De Lucena Martins, Christine Delisle Nyström, Catherine E. Draper, Asmaa El Hamdouchi, Alex Antonio Florindo, Hongyan Guan, Amy S. Ha, Najmeh Hamzavi Zarghani, Kylie D. Hesketh, Mohammad Sorowar Hossain, Jajat Jajat, Thanh Kim, Denise Koh, Anna V. Kontsevaya, Nicholas Kuzik, Marja H. Leppänen, Marie Löf, Himangi Lubree, Kim Meredith-Jones, Tawonga W. Mwase-Vuma, Johan Y.Y. Ng, Rachel Novotny

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Importance: The prevalence estimates of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep (collectively known as movement behaviors) in 3-and 4-year-old children worldwide remains uncertain. Objective: To report the proportion of 3-and 4-year-old children who met the World Health Organization guidelines for physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep across 33 countries. Design, Setting, and Participants: Pooled analysis of data from 14 cross-sectional studies (July 2008 to September 2022) identified through systematic reviews and personal networks. Thirty-Three countries of varying income levels across 6 geographical regions. Each study site needed to have at least 40 children aged 3.0 to 4.9 years with valid …

Short Communication: Numerically Simulated Time To Steady State Is Not A Reliable Measure Of Landscape Response Time, Nicole M. Gasparini, Adam M. Forte, Katherine R. Barnhart

Faculty Publications

Quantifying the timescales over which landscapes evolve is critical for understanding past and future environmental change. Computational landscape evolution models are one tool among many that have been used in this pursuit. We compare numerically modeled times to reach steady state for a landscape adjusting to an increase in rock uplift rate. We use three different numerical modeling libraries and explore the impact of time step, grid type, numerical method for solving the erosion equation, and metric for quantifying the time to steady state. We find that modeled time to steady state is impacted by all of these variables. Time …

Euphemism In Ai Discourse As Colonial Harm & Effect: Learnings From Subaltern Puerto Rico, Jacqueline Oquendo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Through three integrated studies, this dissertation explores complex human-AI interactions by comparing the perceptions of two groups of U.S. citizens: subaltern Puerto Ricans and stateside Americans’ interactions with ChatGPT. This corpus-assisted Critical Discourse Analysis or CLCDA, triangulated with 1:1 semi-structured interviews, validates scholars’ concerns about the biases inherent in generative AI. Contributing to those concerns, this dissertation reveals that ChatGPT deploys discourse strategies that, when executed, facilitate digital colonialism. Euphemistic language is prominent among its discourse strategies, replacing controversial words, phrases, and topics with more palatable ones. When prompted on events of historical significance, I find that ChatGPT’s discourse obscures …

Body, Mind, And Archives: A Critical Questioning Of “Places For Knowledge” In David Treuer’S The Translation Of Dr. Apelles, Lisa Brau-Weglinski

Comparative Woman

Western conceptualizations of time and space are common topics to be queried within the field of Indigenous literary study. However, while the focus has been laid on temporal and spatial literary conventions, too little attention has been drawn to the conceptualization and norms around an identity forming element: knowledge. This paper is particularly suspicious of Western conceptualizations of “places for knowledge,” as this has very real consequences for how we understand and treat ourselves and others. As such, my work highlights that “places for knowledge” can cloud and limit our perception of reality, which, concerning the project of decolonization …

Mapping Gender And Territory: The Continent Allegories On European World Maps From The Late Middle Ages To The Renaissance Until The Early Enlightenment, Katharina Eva Oehmichen

Comparative Woman

The four-part set of female continent allegories, which originated in the early Renaissance, was born out of a European need for a new vehicle of thought that served the functions of representing imperial expansion and the superiority of Western science and civilization, while gratifying the curiosity of the readers about newly discovered lands at the same time. The shift from the Christian symbolic tradition of the representation of the continents on world maps mirrored the shift in Western perception and knowledge of the world and Europe’s position in it. Apart from geo-political and imperial agendas that might have favored a …

Living Losses, Courtney A. Brown Phd

Comparative Woman

Contextually, I am from a line of strong black women. I am from a community of strivers and survivors who’ve accomplished great things through the blanket of patriarchy and civil injustices. I stand on the shoulders of many who took literal and figurative hits so that I could have opportunities they only dreamed of. I have followed in this legacy shattering glass ceilings into unrecognizable pieces for those who will come next.

However, breaking through has not come without cuts, bruises, scrapes and wounds. The celebration of smashing stereotypes should at least be balanced with the acknowledgement of the formidable …

Calculation And Comparison Of Step Guidelines For Preschooler Physical Activity While Indoors, Halle Roman, Leanne M. Redman, Cody D. Neshteruk, Derek Hales, Brian Helsel, Chelsea L. Kracht

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Objectives: Preschooler physical activity (PA) is vital for growth and development. The World Health Organization PA guidelines state preschoolers should achieve ≥ 180 min/day of Total PA (TPA) of which ≥ 60 min is moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). A step/day recommendation to match these guidelines may be a more practical metric for caregivers to promote PA. The purpose of our investigation is to improve upon existing step recommendations by creating one for indoor-based activities, acknowledging where preschoolers spend most of their time, and various cut-points for PA. Methods: In a laboratory study (Aim 1), a validated direct observation protocol was used …

Measurements Of Exchange Flows At A Tidal Pass And Transport To The Ocean, Chunyan Li

WAVCIS

No abstract provided.

In Silico And Functional Analysis Identifies Key Gene Networks And Novel Gene Candidates In Obesity-Linked Human Visceral Fat, Lijin Wang, Pratap Veerabrahma Seshachalam, Ruiming Chua, Hongwen Zhou, Sun Lei, Sujoy Ghosh

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Objective: Visceral adiposity is associated with increased proinflammatory activity, insulin resistance, diabetes risk, and mortality rate. Numerous individual genes have been associated with obesity, but studies investigating gene regulatory networks in human visceral obesity have been lacking. Methods: We analyzed gene regulatory networks in human visceral adipose tissue (VAT) from 48 and 11 Chinese patients with and without obesity, respectively, using gene coexpression and gene regulatory network construction from RNA-sequencing data. We also conducted RNA interference-based functional tests on selected genes for effects on adipocyte differentiation. Results: A scale-free gene coexpression network was constructed from 360 differentially expressed genes between …

Velocity And Transport Data From Belle Pass, Louisiana, Chunyan Li

WAVCIS

No abstract provided.

Healthy Lifestyle And Cardiac Rehabilitation For Weight Loss, Christoph Höchsmann, James L. Dorling, Carl J. Lavie, Peter T. Katzmarzyk

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Purpose of Review: Considerable current interest is directed at pharmacological agents for producing significant weight loss. However, healthy lifestyle choices can also lead to clinically meaningful weight loss and improvements in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Recent Findings: In this review, we summarize the recent research from our PROmoting Successful Weight Loss in Primary CarE in Louisiana (PROPEL) randomized controlled trial and review previous data on the potential benefits of cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training (CRET) programs to produce weight loss and improvements in CVD risk factors. Summary: Although obesity medications are becoming extremely attractive for secondary and even primary …

Validation Of The Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment Screen In An American Sample Of Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment And Mild Dementia, Dariella A. Fernandez, Suzanne Schmitz, Heather Foil, Robert Brouillette, Jeffrey N. Keller, Robin C. Hilsabeck

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Objective: Early detection of cognitive impairment is critical for patient outcomes, yet cognitive impairment is under identified in primary care settings largely due to time constraints. The Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment (Qmci) screen was developed to address the need for a short cognitive screening instrument (< 5 min) that is sensitive to early cognitive change but has not been validated in the United States (US). The objective of this study was to examine the classification accuracy of the Qmci in participants from two memory specialty (e.g., secondary outpatient) clinics in the US. Methods: Participants were 152 older adults: 87 participants were cognitively normal (CN), 48 were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 17 were diagnosed with mild dementia (DEM). Classification accuracy of the Qmci and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) were compared in participants with and without cognitive impairment. Results: The Qmci demonstrated higher classification accuracy in differentiating CN from cognitively impaired participants (i.e., MCI and DEM) (AUC = 0.82) than the MMSE (AUC = 0.77). The optimal cut-off score for the Qmci was < 67, which achieved a sensitivity of 79% and specificity of 80%. The optimal MMSE cut-off score was < 27, which achieved a sensitivity of 97% and specificity of 43%. Conclusions: The Qmci is a valid cognitive screening instrument for detecting early stages of cognitive impairment in memory clinic samples in the US. Its short administration time and increased specificity for detecting MCI make it an attractive option for use in primary care settings. Further validation of the Qmci is needed, specifically within primary care settings.

Genomic Analysis Of Intracranial And Subcortical Brain Volumes Yields Polygenic Scores Accounting For Variation Across Ancestries, Luis M. García-Marín, Adrian I. Campos, Santiago Diaz-Torres, Jill A. Rabinowitz, Zuriel Ceja, Brittany L. Mitchell, Katrina L. Grasby, Jackson G. Thorp, Ingrid Agartz, Saud Alhusaini, David Ames, Philippe Amouyel, Ole A. Andreassen, Konstantinos Arfanakis, Alejandro Arias-Vasquez, Nicola J. Armstrong, Lavinia Athanasiu, Mark E. Bastin, Alexa S. Beiser, David A. Bennett, Joshua C. Bis, Marco P.M. Boks, Dorret I. Boomsma, Henry Brodaty, Rachel M. Brouwer, Jan K. Buitelaar, Ralph Burkhardt, Wiepke Cahn, Vince D. Calhoun, Owen T. Carmichael, Mallar Chakravarty, Qiang Chen, Christopher R.K. Ching, Sven Cichon

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Subcortical brain structures are involved in developmental, psychiatric and neurological disorders. Here we performed genome-wide association studies meta-analyses of intracranial and nine subcortical brain volumes (brainstem, caudate nucleus, putamen, hippocampus, globus pallidus, thalamus, nucleus accumbens, amygdala and the ventral diencephalon) in 74,898 participants of European ancestry. We identified 254 independent loci associated with these brain volumes, explaining up to 35% of phenotypic variance. We observed gene expression in specific neural cell types across differentiation time points, including genes involved in intracellular signaling and brain aging-related processes. Polygenic scores for brain volumes showed predictive ability when applied to individuals of diverse …

Interactive Effects Of Co2, Temperature, And Nutrient Limitation On The Growth And Physiology Of The Marine Coccolithophore Emiliania Huxleyi (Prymnesiophyceae), James P. Bradley, Edward A. Laws

Faculty Publications

The marine coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi (strain PnB 272 B10) was grown in a continuous culture system on a 12:12 light:dark cycle at temperatures from 10 °C to 28 °C under either nutrient-replete or nitrate-limited conditions and at either 493 ppmv (low) or 1003 ppmv (high) partial pressures of CO2 (pCO2). The maximum and minimum nutrient-replete growth rates were 0.751 d⁻¹ at 20 °C and 0.365 d⁻¹ at 10 °C, respectively. Ratios of particulate organic carbon (POC) to particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) were independent of pCO2 and of the degree of nitrate limitation but were temperature dependent and lower …

Studying Geometry Of The Ultraluminous X-Ray Pulsar Swift J0243.6+6124 Using X-Ray And Optical Polarimetry, Juri Poutanen, Sergey S. Tsygankov, Victor Doroshenko, Sofia V. Forsblom, Peter Jenke, Philip Kaaret, Andrei V. Berdyugin, Dmitry Blinov, Vadim Kravtsov, Ioannis Liodakis, Anastasia Tzouvanou, Alessandro Di Marco, Jeremy Heyl, Fabio La Monaca, Alexander A. Mushtukov, George G. Pavlov, Alexander Salganik, Alexandra Veledina, Martin C. Weisskopf, Silvia Zane, Vladislav Loktev, Valery F. Suleimanov, Colleen Wilson-Hodge, Svetlana V. Berdyugina, Masato Kagitani, Vilppu Piirola, Takeshi Sakanoi, Iván Agudo, Lucio A. Antonelli, Matteo Bachetti, Luca Baldini, Wayne H. Baumgartner, Ronaldo Bellazzini

Faculty Publications

Discovery of pulsations from a number of ultra-luminous X-ray (ULX) sources proved that accretion onto neutron stars can produce luminosities exceeding the Eddington limit by several orders of magnitude. The conditions necessary to achieve such high luminosities as well as the exact geometry of the accretion flow in the neutron star vicinity are, however, a matter of debate. The pulse phase-resolved polarization measurements that became possible with the launch of the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) can be used to determine the pulsar geometry and its orientation relative to the orbital plane. They provide an avenue to test different theoretical …

Probing The Polarized Emission From Smc X-1: The Brightest X-Ray Pulsar Observed By Ixpe, Sofia V. Forsblom, Sergey S. Tsygankov, Juri Poutanen, Victor Doroshenko, Alexander A. Mushtukov, Mason Ng, Swati Ravi, Herman L. Marshall, Alessandro Di Marco, Fabio La Monaca, Christian Malacaria, Guglielmo Mastroserio, Vladislav Loktev, Andrea Possenti, Valery F. Suleimanov, Roberto Taverna, Iván Agudo, Lucio A. Antonelli, Matteo Bachetti, Luca Baldini, Wayne H. Baumgartner, Ronaldo Bellazzini, Stefano Bianchi, Stephen D. Bongiorno, Raffaella Bonino, Alessandro Brez, Niccolò Bucciantini, Fiamma Capitanio, Simone Castellano, Elisabetta Cavazzuti, Chien Ting Chen, Stefano Ciprini, Enrico Costa

Faculty Publications

Recent observations of X-ray pulsars (XRPs) performed by the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) have made it possible to investigate the intricate details of these objects in a new way, thanks to the added value of X-ray polarimetry. Here we present the results of the IXPE observations of SMC X-1, a member of the small group of XRPs displaying super-orbital variability. SMC X-1 was observed by IXPE three separate times during the high state of its super-orbital period. The observed luminosity in the 2- 8 keV energy band of L ∼ 2 × 10³⁸ erg s^{- 1} makes …

The Roles Of Vicarious Trauma Exposure And Perceived Social Support In Codeine Syrup Misuse Among Black Men Living In Prisons, Jardin Dogan-Dixon, Shawndaya S. Thrasher, Shemeka Thorpe, Paris Wheeler, Danelle Stevens-Watkins

Faculty Publications

Using General Strain Theory, this study investigates the effects of vicarious trauma exposure and perceived social support on nonmedical codeine syrup misuse among Black incarcerated men nearing community re-entry. Data were drawn from the Helping Incarcerated Men project, a study examining mental health, substance misuse, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behaviors among Black men living in prisons who were within 180 days of release. A total of 200 Black men self-reported demographics (i.e., age and length of incarceration after age 18), vicarious trauma exposure (e.g., ever witnessing an assault with a weapon and a sudden accidental death), perceived social …

Cultural Predictors Of Self-Esteem Among Black Women With Criminal Justice Involvement And Herpes Simplex Virus, Natalie Malone, Jardin N. Dogan-Dixon, Shemeka Thorpe, Shawndaya S. Thrasher, Paris Wheeler, Danelle Stevens-Watkins, Carrie B. Oser

Faculty Publications

Black women have disproportionately alarming HSV-2 infection rates yet receive little attention in sexual health literature. Using a strengths-based resilience framework, this study sought to determine culturally relevant protective predictors of self-esteem for Black women who are justice-involved and have HSV-2. The authors conducted secondary data analysis on data from the “Black Women in the Study of Epidemics (B-WISE) Project,” a longitudinal prospective study investigating health disparities and health services utilization among Black women with justice involvement. At baseline, N = 151 Black women with HSV-2 who were incarcerated or on probation completed survey measures assessing self-esteem, ethnic identity affirmation …

Characterization Of Health And Safety Resources For Athletes With Sickle Cell Trait At Ncaa Institutions, Susan W. Yeargin, Courtney M. Meyer, Rebecca M. Hirschhorn, Abbi D. Lane, Shawn M. Arent, Clint R. Haggard

Faculty Publications

Yeargin, SW, Meyer, CM, Hirschhorn, RM, Lane, AD, Arent, SM, and Haggard, CR. Characterization of health and safety resources for athletes with sickle cell trait at NCAA institutions. J Strength Cond Res 38(11): 1967-1973, 2024 - The purpose of this study was to report the prevalence of student-athletes with sickle cell trait (SCT), determine which screening practices are most commonly used, describe the health and human performance services provided to athletes, and ascertain if differences between National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) designations or divisions exist. A cross-sectional survey design was used to query healthcare administrators regarding SCT resources at their …

The Sec Spanish Consortium: Foundations For Linguistic Gratuity And Language Documentation Among Latinx Populations In New Destination Communities Of The U.S. South, Stephen Fafulas, Chad Howe, Rafael Orozco, Alicia Cipria, Erin O’Rourke, Nina Moreno, Matthew J. Van Hoose

Faculty Publications

Latinx populations in the USA have grown steadily in recent decades, with significant increases taking place in “new destination communities” of the U.S. South. The focus of our paper is to highlight opportunities for working with these populations, including traditional sociolinguistic ethnographies and community-engaged research. We highlight an initiative named “The SEC Spanish Consortium” which is an interinstitutional collaboration centered on scholarship and service involving Latinx populations in new destination communities of the U.S. South. We show that ongoing and future scholarly work in the U.S. South can act as a mechanism for documenting these emerging Latinx communities while simultaneously …

Editorial Introduction: Policy Actors, Dynamics, And Developments—New Insights From Process Theories And Methodological Applications, Geoboo Song, Gwen Arnold, Melissa K. Merry, Davor Mondom, Ben Galloway, Briana Huett, Camille Gilmore, Saba Siddiki, Holly L. Peterson, Creed Tumlison, Heasun Choi, Meerim Seiitova

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Prediction Of Individual Weight Loss Using Supervised Learning: Findings From The CalerieTm 2 Study, Christina Glasbrenner, Christoph Höchsmann, Carl F. Pieper, Paulina Wasserfurth, James L. Dorling, Corby K. Martin, Leanne M. Redman, Karsten Koehler

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Background: Predicting individual weight loss (WL) responses to lifestyle interventions is challenging but might help practitioners and clinicians select the most promising approach for each individual. Objective: The primary aim of this study was to develop machine learning (ML) models to predict individual WL responses using only variables known before starting the intervention. In addition, we used ML to identify pre-intervention variables influencing the individual WL response. Methods: We used 12-mo data from the comprehensive assessment of long-term effects of reducing intake of energy (CALERIETM) phase 2 study, which aimed to analyze the long-term effects of caloric restriction on human …

Research Gaps And Priorities For Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (Qmra), Kerry A. Hamilton, Joanna Ciol Harrison, Jade Mitchell, Mark Weir, Marc Verhougstraete, Charles N. Haas, A. Pouyan Nejadhashemi, Julie Libarkin, Tiong Gim Aw, Kyle Bibby, Aaron Bivins, Joe Brown, Kara Dean, Gwyneth Dunbar, Joseph N.S. Eisenberg, Monica Emelko, Daniel Gerrity, Patrick L. Gurian, Emma Hartnett, Michael Jahne, Rachael M. Jones, Timothy R. Julian, Hongwan Li, Yanbin Li, Jacqueline Mac Donald Gibson, Gertjan Medema, J. Scott Meschke, Alexis Mraz, Heather Murphy, David Oryang, Emmanuel De Graft Johnson Owusu-Ansah, Emily Pasek, Abani K. Pradhan

Faculty Publications

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic highlighted the need for more rapid and routine application of modeling approaches such as quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) for protecting public health. QMRA is a transdisciplinary science dedicated to understanding, predicting, and mitigating infectious disease risks. To better equip QMRA researchers to inform policy and public health management, an Advances in Research for QMRA workshop was held to synthesize a path forward for QMRA research. We summarize insights from 41 QMRA researchers and experts to clarify the role of QMRA in risk analysis by (1) identifying key research needs, (2) highlighting emerging applications of …

Do #Blm At The Plantation: A Study Of Plantation Tourism After The Racial Reckoning Of 2020, Denetria N. Lee

LSU Master's Theses

Following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, the widespread public protest of racial injustice created a groundswell that prompted corporate and media responses, so much so that by the end of the summer of 2020, it seemed as if "Black Lives Mattered" everywhere and to everyone. Public response incentivized subsequent corporate response in financial pledges and other commitments to racial justice initiatives until 2020, which became known as the year that America confronted racism or the racial reckoning of 2020. While the public demanded acknowledgment of the many forms of contemporary racial …

Redefining The Art Songs Of Maude Valérie White, Sarah C. Rees

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Maude Valérie White (1866-1937) was an English composer during the Victorian Era. Her main output was in the genre of art song, of which she wrote more than two hundred during her life. Her music was very popular at the height of her career around 1880-1890, but fell out of favor with the general public in line with the general reaction against Victorian art and ideals. This written document focuses on the life of Maude Valérie White contextualized within the ideals of Victorian womanhood. It will explore the development of her musical style through eight song analyses: The Devout Lover, …

Determining The Impact Of Lethal Temperature And Relative Humidity When Combined With Various Insecticide Classes Against A Bed Bug (Cimex Lectularius) Population., Bandana Shrestha

LSU Master's Theses

Common bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are obligatory blood-feeding pests that have adapted well to survive in challenging environmental conditions. Known for their high tolerance to dehydration, low water loss, and high critical thermal maximum, they have become difficult to manage. Environmental factors, particularly temperature and humidity, play a significant role in their survival. However, with growing resistance to insecticides, integrated pest management (IPM) strategies are now essential for effective bed bug control. A key strategy in IPM involves combining insecticides with heat treatments. This method aims to overcome the limitations of heat treatment alone, as bed bugs may …

Precision Bottlebrush Polymers: Synthesis, Characterization, And Structure-Property Relationship, Nduka D. Ogbonna

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Bottlebrush polymers, a type of non-linear polymer characterized by densely grafted side chains on a linear backbone, offer a versatile platform for material design due to their unique thermomechanical and rheological behavior. Addressing the grand challenge of achieving structural precision for bottlebrush polymers remains crucial because traditional disperse mixtures are plagued with batch variability, limiting our ability to control their functions, and correlate theoretical predictions with experiments. To date, narrow-dispersity bottlebrush polymers remain highly heterogeneous, as they are typically synthesized from disperse linear building blocks.

To address this longstanding challenge of structural heterogeneity in brush polymers, the primary objective of …