Digital Commons Network^™

Do Menopausal Status And Apoe4 Genotype Alter The Long-Term Effects Of Intensive Lifestyle Intervention On Cognitive Function In Women With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus?, Hussein N. Yassine, Andrea Anderson, Roberta Brinton, Owen Carmichael, Mark A. Espeland, Siobhan Hoscheidt, Christina E. Hugenschmidt, Jeffrey N. Keller, Anne Peters, Xavier Pi-Sunyer

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

In the Look AHEAD trial, randomization to Intensive Lifestyle Intervention (ILI) or Diabetes Support and Education (DSE) did not result in differences in cognitive outcomes. However, menopause and APOE genotype are factors that affect the response to this intervention. The effect of this intervention on a single cognitive assessment was examined in 3 groups of women: premenopausal or < 5 years postmenopausal (N = 594), within 5–10 years (n = 388), and ≥10 years postmenopausal (n = 963), and as a function of continuous years since menopause. The late postmenopausal group in the ILI had worse composite z-scores compared to those in the DSE, whereas the younger premenopausal or early postmenopausal women in the ILI had better composite z-scores than the DSE. A significant interaction between years since menopause and intervention arm, but not baseline age, was observed on executive function domains. ILI appeared only to benefit cognitive function among non-APOE4 carriers during premenopause or early postmenopause. These findings emphasize the importance of assessing menopause and APOE status to understand how weight loss impacts cognition.

Exploring Students’ Cultural Competence Development During A Short-Term International Experience: A Q-Sort Study, Shelli Rampold, Bradley Coleman, J. C. Bunch, Richie Roberts

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Exploring Predictors Of Older Adults' Performance On A Novel Driving Simulator Task, John Philip Bernstein

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

On a per-mile driven basis, older adults are at increased risk of being involved in an automobile accident. The development and implementation of driving assessment tools is necessary to inform decisions about driving reduction and cessation. Driving simulators are one method of assessing driving performance and safety, however many simulators are cost-prohibitive for most researchers and clinicians. Additionally, while driving performance has been previously explored with respect to clinical populations (e.g., Alzheimer’s Disease), less work has evaluated this topic in a cognitively healthy sample. The present study sought to determine whether a novel, cost-effective driving simulator (Assetto Corsa (AC)) might …

Examining Patterns Of Executive Functioning Across Dimensions Of Psychopathology, Scott Roye

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Executive functioning is a multifaceted collection of higher-order cognitive processes used to perform goal-oriented tasks. Although this construct is heavily researched, a major issue regarding the current literature stems from the influence of task impurity, which interferes with how executive functioning performance is interpreted. Additionally, while executive functioning has been previously explored in clinical populations, less work has evaluated this topic measuring dimensional psychopathology. The present study sought to examine the role of executive functioning, as it relates to dimensional psychopathology. Data was analyzed from a total of 731 individuals between the age of 18-59 years who took part in …

Factor Predicting Maternal Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Trajectories Following A Natural Disaster: Coping, Social Support, And Family Functioning, Jennifer Clare Piscitello

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Natural disasters are sudden, large-scale events that are associated with significant mental health consequences. Although, most individuals demonstrate resilience, a significant subset of the population develops significant long-term distress (La Greca et al. 2013; Lai, et al., 2015; Lowe & Rhodes 2013; Self-Brown et al., 2014). Moreover, results from emerging longitudinal research suggests that symptom patterns are heterogenous. For example, some individuals recover over time or demonstrate a delayed onset. The most commonly studied post-disaster reaction in adults is posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms. However, the extant literature examining elevated PTS symptoms and related risk factors in disaster research has relied …

Study On The Chemical And Mechanical Stability Of Polymer Nanofluidic Biosensors, Dae Won Kim

LSU Master's Theses

Polymer nanofluidic devices have great potential to replace silicon (Si) and glass-based nanofluidic devices in biomedical applications due to their advantages such as low material and fabrication cost, various physicochemical properties, well-developed surface modification protocol, and low electrical noises for electrical measurements. In nanofluidic sensing applications, single molecules such as DNA are introduced into the fabricated nanochannel or nanopore, measuring their physicochemical properties optically or electrically. The properties of materials for nanofluidic devices have a significant role in the performance of the devices, such as DNA translocation and device stability.

Among several nanoscale fluidic physics, surface charge density is a …

The Effect Of Aircraft Manufacturing Riveting Tools On Hand-Arm Vibrations And Muscle Fatigue, Lou Toua Vi

LSU Master's Theses

The overall objective of this research was to compare four types of rivet guns varying by manufacturer and piston material (Tungsten vs. Steel), two rivet gun handle positions (Horizontal and Vertical), and three bucking bars including two with similar dimensions bars made of tungsten and steel, and a Honsa new technology spring dampener and tungsten combined bucking bar based on their impact on hand-arm vibrations and the effect of these vibration levels on muscle fatigue. This objective was covered in three parts. The first part consisted of examining the impact of these factors on riveters’ vibration exposure and muscle fatigue, …

Generalizability Of Multiple Measures Of Treatment Integrity: Response Card Intervention, Elizabeth Kelsey Wilson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Treatment integrity is essential for the implementation of interventions in schools as it determines the accuracy or consistency with which different components of a treatment are implemented. There are no current standards regarding the best practices in treatment integrity measurement; however, higher treatment integrity is associated with enhanced student outcomes. At present, there is no database that provides information related to treatment integrity for practitioners, researchers, and policy-makers to reference when choosing an appropriate level of treatment integrity needed for a given intervention. Consequently, there is a need to establish convergent validity among different methods of treatment integrity measurement using …

Text-Influenced Expressions Of Understanding: Differences In Kindergartners’ Discourse And Written Retellings Of Traditional And Digital Texts During Buddy Reading, Julie Parrish

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Buddy reading a text is a collaborative act that typically generates discourse that provides researchers with a glimpse of the comprehending taking place. However, in recent years, the infusion of technology in classrooms has resulted in many traditional texts being replaced by digital versions. Thus, this qualitative case study examined the spoken and written discourse of 12 kindergartners (6 dyads) as they buddy read a traditional and digital text.

Drawing upon two distinct lenses—sociocultural and comprehension signifier—video recordings, transcriptions, and written retellings were analyzed. Specifically, process coding and in vivo coding were used to construct categories and uncover sociocultural patterns …

Individual Differences In Prospective Memory Aftereffects: The Role Of Working Memory Capacity And Inhibition., Samantha Nicole Spitler

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined attentional control and executive function (EF) in relation to canceled intentions in two experiments. After an intention is canceled, a commission error occurs when one continues to actively fulfill the intention in response to a prospective memory (PM) cue. Aftereffects are slower response times to inactive PM cues when encountered in ongoing processing. Attentional control was indexed by working memory capacity (WMC) and EF was indexed by three measures of inhibition. In prior canceled intention PM research, attentional control and inhibition have not been extensively studied. However, two major methodological factors in PM research could implicate attentional …

Previous Experiences Drive Attention, Sunghyun Kim

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Traditionally, the allocation of attention was understood within goal-driven and stimulus-driven factors. However, the traditional approach cannot fully account for the mechanism of attentional orienting. Instead, a growing body of evidence shows that previous search experiences, irrelevant to both goal-driven and stimulus-driven factors, influence attentional allocation. For example, when contexts predict information of targets, the contexts guide attention toward the stimuli having the information predicted by the contexts: contextual cueing. In addition, more valuable stimuli attract more attention: value-driven attentional capture. However, two critical issues are present. First, contextual cueing has been found largely when the contexts and the target …

Delving Into The First Year: A Case Study Of The Novice Teacher Induction Experience, Lindsay Stewart

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The issue of high teacher turnover and low teacher retention rates are the driving force of this research. Teacher retention begins with understanding how induction practices are carried out both formally and informally and what support novice teachers need. The majority of research around teacher induction and turnover works with large data sets to produce pertinent percentages and figures (Ingersoll, 2012; Glazerman et al., 2010; Redding & Henry, 2018; Ronfeldt & McQueen, 2017). To supplement the existing research around new teacher induction, this case study was conducted to 1) combine the research-based induction practices with the theoretical underpinnings of these …

The Relative Impact Of Risk And Protective Factors On The Psychological Functioning Of Sexual And Gender Minority Youth, Ilayna Krysten Mehrtens

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Research has consistently indicated that sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth are at increased risk of psychological and emotional concerns relative to their cisgender heterosexual (cis-heterosexual) peers. A large body of research has sought to identify the risk factors that may contribute to this disparity; however, fewer studies have investigated the factors that may promote resiliency, thereby reducing risk. Subsequently, very little is known about the relative influence of risk and protective factors among SGM youth. Additionally, significant methodological concerns have been identified, which may affect the interpretability, generalizability, and clinical applicability of existing research. The purpose of this study …

Access Granted: The Journey Of Conditionally Admitted, First-Generation College Students At An Hbcu, Zackeus Dontrell Johnson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative case study was undertaken to understand the perspectives of first-generation, conditionally-admitted students, regarding how their participation in a college access program may or may not have contributed to their persistence at a Historically Black College and University. This study was grounded in Tinto’s (2012) Model of Institutional Action for Student Success, Schlossberg’s (1990) Transition Theory, and Astin’s (1984) Student Involvement Theory. This single case study was positioned at a university in the South, named Success State University for this research. The study included 5 female participants who participated in virtual interviews due to the unforeseen Coronavirus 2019 outbreak. …

Evaluating The Effects Of A Brief Assertiveness And Help Seeking Skill Intervention, Madeline S. Blocker

LSU Master's Theses

Children in foster care lead their lives at an increased risk for mental health issues that are often complicated by the unstable and unpredictable nature of their living arrangements and interpersonal relationships. As such, there is substantial need to examine brief therapies and interventions for use with children in foster care and children who have experienced similar trauma and instability. Mental health care providers for children in foster care often may not have sufficient periods of time to implement treatment with fidelity. The present study investigated the efficacy of a summer camp based, brief behavioral intervention targeting help-seeking behavior and …

Effectiveness Of Sodium-Glucose Co-Transporter-2 Inhibitors On Ischaemic Heart Disease, Yun Shen, Jian Zhou, Lizheng Shi, Elizabeth Nauman, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Eboni G. Price-Haywood, Ronald Horswell, San Chu, Shengping Yang, Alessandra N. Bazzano, Somesh Nigam, Gang Hu

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Aim: To compare the cardiovascular risks between users and non-users of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors based on electronic medical record data from a large integrated healthcare system in South Louisiana. Materials and methods: Demographic, anthropometric, laboratory and medication prescription information for patients with type 2 diabetes who were new users of SGLT2 inhibitors, either as initial treatments or as add-on treatments, were obtained from electronic health records. Mediation analysis was performed to evaluate the association of use of SGLT2 inhibitors and changes of metabolic risk factors with the risk of incident ischaemic heart disease. Results: A total of 5338 new …

Intermittent Fasting And Metabolic Health: From Religious Fast To Time-Restricted Feeding, Kristin K. Hoddy, Kara L. Marlatt, Hatice Çetinkaya, Eric Ravussin

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Over the past 10 to 15 years, intermittent fasting has emerged as an unconventional approach to reduce body weight and improve metabolic health beyond simple calorie restriction. In this review, we summarize findings related to Ramadan and Sunnah fasting. We then discuss the role of caloric restriction not only as an intervention for weight control, but importantly, as a strategy for healthy aging and longevity. Finally, we review the four most common intermittent fasting (IF) strategies used to date for weight management and to improve cardiometabolic health. Weight loss is common after IF but does not appear to be different …

Genetic Susceptibility, Lifestyle Intervention And Glycemic Changes Among Women With Prior Gestational Diabetes, Zhaoxia Liang, Leishen Wang, Huikun Liu, Yuhang Chen, Tao Zhou, Yoriko Heianza, Junhong Leng, Weiqin Li, Xilin Yang, Yun Shen, Ru Gao, Gang Hu, Lu Qi

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Aims: Women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) or high genetic susceptibility are prone to development of type 2 diabetes. We examined whether a lifestyle intervention modified the genetic effect on changes in glycemic markers among women with prior GDM. Research design and methods: This study included 560 women with prior GDM from a randomized controlled trial, the Tianjin Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Prevention Program, who were assigned into an intervention arm (improved physical activity and healthy dietary intakes) or a control arm. We assessed associations of GDM related genetic variants in/near the CDKAL1 (rs7754840) and MTNR1B (rs10830962) genes with changes …

Rationale And Study Design For Lifestyle Intervention In Preparation For Pregnancy (Lipp): A Randomized Controlled Trial, M. L. Erickson, J. T. Mey, C. L. Axelrod, D. Paul, L. Gordesky, K. Russell, H. Barkoukis, P. O'Tierney-Ginn, R. A. Fielding, J. P. Kirwan, P. M. Catalano

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Introduction: Maternal obesity increases neonatal risk for obesity and metabolic syndrome later in life. Prior attempts to break this intergenerational obesity cycle by limiting excessive gestational weight gain have failed to reduce neonatal adiposity. Alternatively, pre-conception lifestyle interventions may improve the in utero metabolic milieu during early pregnancy leading to improved fetal outcomes. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) is evaluating whether a lifestyle intervention to reduce weight and improve maternal metabolism in preparation for pregnancy (LIPP) attenuates neonatal adiposity, compared to standard medical advice. Material and methods: Overweight/class 1 obese women after a previous pregnancy, ~12 weeks postpartum, preparing for …

Components Of Psychological Flexibility And Inflexibility That Predict Risk-Taking Behaviors, Shelley Renee Upton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Psychological flexibility is conceptualized as contact with the present moment and the ability to persist or change one’s behavior to achieve valued ends. The opposite of this process is known as psychological inflexibility, which is posited to lead to the development and maintenance of various psychological disorders. There are 6 components underlying psychological inflexibility—these are cognitive fusion, experiential avoidance, fixating on the past or future, self-conceptualization, lacking contact with values, and inaction toward valued ends, as well as 6 components underlying psychological flexibility (i.e., defusion, acceptance, present moment awareness, self-as-context, contact with values, and committed action). Psychological inflexibility may be …

Social Capitalization As A Positive Emotion Regulation Strategy In Individuals At-Risk For Developing A Schizophrenia-Spectrum Disorder, Elana Klein Schwartz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Extant literature indicates that emotional deficits, such as impaired emotion expression/experience, are prominent in schizophrenia-spectrum psychopathology and linked with poorer functional (e.g. social) outcomes. Interestingly, individuals exhibiting schizotypy, an underlying personality organization that confers a vulnerability to developing schizophrenia, report more abnormalities in emotion experience compared to healthy controls and individuals with schizophrenia, a phenomenon termed the “schizophrenia-spectrum emotion paradox.” To aid in the clarification of emotional abnormalities and explore the dynamic nature of emotion experience in individuals with schizotypy, the present study enrolled 93 college-aged individuals to examine positive emotion regulation through the use of social capitalization. In social …

Investigating Leadership Styles Of Childcare Directors, Michelle P. Grantham-Caston

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The aim of this study was to contribute to the literature on childcare director’s leadership styles and director’s self-perception. For leaders in childcare to be effective they must possess skills, characteristics, and traits of effective leadership which have been identified in the seminal literature of Bass (1995) and Burns (1979). This quantitative study examined early childhood leaders self-identification with the leadership styles in The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) (Bass & Avolio, 1995) as well as other demographic variables which could contribute to early childhood leaders’ self-perception of leadership styles. This study was to break apart the three overarching leadership styles …

The Role Of An Educational Intervention In Addressing Parent Spectator Behaviors In Louisiana Youth Sports, Jerry F. Reynolds Ii

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Contemporary youth sports environments present significant psychosocial challenges to the family system. Among the greatest challenges to address are spectator behaviors of parents, which in the public eye has deteriorated and is out of control. Spectator behaviors and their impact upon the sports environment and family system is the topic of investigation in this study. Within the state of Louisiana, the advent of Act 355 extends the consequences of parent behavior and presents challenges to families, referees, and sports organizations. To better understand how legislation impacts parent perceptions of their spectator behaviors, the author examined spectator behaviors parents are observing, …

Current Practices And Infrastructure For Open Data Based Research On Occupant-Centric Design And Operation Of Buildings, Mikkel B. Kjærgaard, Omid Ardakanian, Salvatore Carlucci, Bing Dong, Steven K. Firth, Nan Gao, Gesche Margarethe Huebner, Ardeshir Mahdavi, Mohammad Saiedur Rahaman, Flora D. Salim, Fisayo Caleb Sangogboye, Jens Hjort Schwee, Dawid Wolosiuk, Yimin Zhu

Faculty Publications

Many new tools for improving the design and operation of buildings try to realize the potential of big data. In particular, data is an important element for occupant-centric design and operation as occupants’ presence and actions are affected by a high degree of uncertainty and, hence, are hard to model in general. For such research, data handling is an important challenge, and following an open science paradigm based on open data can increase efficiency and transparency of scientific work. This article reviews current practices and infrastructure for open data-driven research on occupant-centric design and operation of buildings. In particular, it …

Cultural Heritage And User Interface Design, Narges Tavakoli

LSU Master's Theses

This study centers around localizing the user interface and experience design of digital products considering the culture of the audience and their visual heritage. Even though it seems the internet has made the distance between developing and advanced countries less than before, there are still fundamental differences between people’s beliefs and expectations. As a graphic designer who is based in The United States and is from Iran, I noticed the digital products (web, mobile applications) produced in Iran disregard the Iranian’s specific needs and emulate western patterns. So, I researched the dissimilarities between the two countries by using Greet Hofstede’s …

A Comprehensive Examination Of Clinical Cutoff Scores For The Inventory Of Callous-Unemotional Traits (Icu), Emily C. Kemp

LSU Master's Theses

Youth with elevated callous-unemotional (CU) traits represent a clinically important subgroup of youth who display particularly severe conduct problems and antisocial behavior and thusly impose great costs to themselves, other individuals, and society. The recent addition of the specifier for CU traits, “with Limited Prosocial Emotions (LPE),” to major classification systems has prompted the need for comprehensive and valid assessment tools that aid in the identification of these traits. One such tool is a multi-informant questionnaire, the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU). However, a major limitation of this measure is a lack of well-validated cutoff scores. With this, the present …

A Case Study On Alternative Spring Break: Supporting Black Women At An Hbcu, Aeryel Williams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is a college-based travel program in which students spend their traditional spring break vacation traveling to a new domestic or international city to complete a service-learning project such as community restoration in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. As a result of participating in Alternative Spring Break, students gain invaluable experiences and transferable skills that can be applied to their academic and career goals. In this dissertation, the specific transferable skill explored is emotional intelligence.

The purpose of this dissertation is to illuminate the lived experiences of Black women who have participated in a college-based travel program …

A Component Analysis Of Implementation Planning: Examining Mechanisms That Underlie A Teacher Implementation Support Strategy, James Jaran Upright

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

To maximize instructional time, teachers must be able to effectively manage student behavior. However, surveys consistently reveal that a significant portion of teachers feel underprepared to address challenging classroom behavior. One of the most effective ways to reduce problem behaviors in school is with systematic classroom management strategies, such as the good behavior game. However, teachers often struggle to effectively implement such procedures. Promising evidence has emerged for implementation planning as an effective support strategy to improve teachers’ intervention implementation. Implementation planning is a one-time consultation process for intervention procedure planning (action planning) and identification and resolution of implementation barriers …

In The Garden, Clare Samani

LSU Master's Theses

My work has focused largely on identity and self-expression, primarily through clothing, pattern, and color as a symbolic content. Having heavily investigated historical costume and clothing from various periods, my attention is drawn to the highly sculptural and ornamented garments of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the rococo, and the baroque. In these colorful and puffed garments, I am attracted to the similarities that I see in nature. How we adorn ourselves mimics various flowers, plants and animals in the pursuit of desire and procreation. Focusing on fabric manipulation, printmaking and sculpture, In the Garden coalesces into ambiguous sculptures that …

Meanwhile, Samantha Combs

LSU Master's Theses

Meanwhile is an installation that explores the psychological and physical impact emotions have on individuals and the experienced struggle of restraining and letting go of them. Through the influence of Abstract Expressionism and use of metaphorical materials like soap and self-help book paper, each artwork embodies the intensity of this emotional struggle. Meanwhile represents and exposes the grotesque beauty of peoples’ psychic experience.