Digital Commons Network^™

An Evaluation Of The Break Up With Salt Community-Based Hypertension Education Program, Helena L. Salgado

LSU Master's Theses

Introduction: Hypertension is a primary risk factor for heart disease and stroke, and contributes to renal disease, premature death, and disability. More recently, hypertension has also been identified as a risk factor for serious symptoms or as an underlying cause of death from Covid-19. Break up with salt (BUWS) is a 4-session, community-based nutrition education program of the LSU AgCenter, developed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, to help Louisiana’s adults prevent or mange hypertension. The BUWS curriculum focuses on the DASH diet, healthy food selection and preparation skills, and physical activity and stress management. BUWS was piloted in a …

The Orlando International Fringe Festival: An Historical And Administrative Overview, Brook Akya Hanemann

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation marks the first historical and administrative overview of the Orlando International Fringe Festival. The Orlando International Fringe Festival (OIFF) is America's oldest still-operating fringe theatre festival. This two-week performing arts and immersive cultural event features uncensored, unjuried, accessible, and inclusive performances on indoor and outdoor stages. The Festival subverts traditional commercial theatre models by giving 100% of ticket proceeds back to its artists. Originally held in Downtown Orlando, it now resides at the Loch Haven Cultural Complex of Orlando where it overcame struggles common to arts organizations such as the beer truck scenario, a sustainability issue linking an …

The Predictive Influence Of Challenging Behavior On Parent Stress In Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Paige Weir

LSU Master's Theses

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication, restricted interest, and repetitive patterns of behavior. Individuals with ASD also exhibit challenging behaviors that affect parent and caregiver stress directly. However, researchers have not yet examined the predictive influence of specific challenging behaviors on parent stress, particularly in young children (i.e., infants and toddlers) with ASD. Therefore, the current study expands existing literature by a) investigating the influence that challenging behaviors of young children with ASD have on parent stress and b) examining the unique contribution that each behavior (i.e., aggressive/disruptive behavior, stereotypy, and self-injurious …

Incorporating Student Reading Interests Into The Curriculum, Tia Denise Walker

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this research was to examine the reading habits and interests of secondary school students in an urban community in order to discover ways to increase student reading interests. The researcher wanted to understand why adolescents choose to read or not to read certain texts and understand the reading behaviors of these students. The study focused on students’ intent to read certain texts such as traditional books and non-traditional texts. To gain knowledge on a larger population of students, a questionnaire based on student reading habits was distributed to all students enrolled in English 1 at the research …

Income Inequality And Polarization In The United States, Tatum Colette Taylor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Economic inequality has been on the rise in the United States for decades, as has political polarization. Pulling from grievance theory and relative deprivation theory, I explore the relationship between these two trends, predicting economic inequality may actually contribute to citizen polarization. I also predict that polarization of identities, issue opinions, and feelings towards groups polarize differently. In this study I test using linear regression analysis and data primarily from the American National Election Study whether income inequality and perceived growth of the income gap over 20 years affect ideological, substantive, and affective polarization from 2004-2016. I also examine the …

Efficiency Of Teaching Sight Words In Similar Vs Dissimilar Sets, Jensen Chotto

LSU Master's Theses

Early reading intervention can decrease the likelihood that children who struggle with reading develop long-term reading problems. Due to the prevalence of words that cannot be read phonetically in the English language, sight word instruction is required to supplement phonics instruction. In this study, we compared the effects of creating sets of sight words with the same starting letter (3 words per set, 3 total sets) versus distributing words with the same starting letter across sets when assessing acquisition of the combined set (9 words) in five 4-to-6-year-old children using a combined adapted alternating treatments design and pre-posttest design. All …

Consumers' Perception Of Food Containing Insect Protein Affected By Serving Condition And Questionnaire Protocol, Yupeng Gao

LSU Master's Theses

Edible insects are a new sustainable protein source compared to meat. Western consumers show aversion to the prospect of insects as food due to unfamiliarity, food neophobia, and negative emotions. This dissertation research explored consumers’ emotional perception of insect-based food products presented under different testing conditions and examined the influence of other people’s emotional expressions towards consumers’ purchase decisions. To identify and rate emotion intensities, tests were conducted using three presenting formats including text, image, and an actual product; all of which were applied for both cookies containing insects and without insects. In addition to these presenting formats, news of …

The Influence Of Participation In Gambling Activities On The Personal Lives Of Gamblers As Perceived By Female Gamblers In Louisiana, Carondalette Turner

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Historically, gambling has been a source of many ills within many cultures throughout the United States. During the last five years, there has been a precipitous surge in the accessibility of legalized gambling. Few studies have methodically surveyed the relationships between extent of gambling behavior and the consequences of gambling that may occur. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence of selected personal, and perceptual demographic characteristics on the extent of gambling behavior exhibited by female residents of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

This study used a survey design with instrument distributed by hand at selected community organizations. …

A Systematic Review And Reflection On The Dimensions Of Diversity Represented In Behavior Analytic Research, Jodie Waits

LSU Master's Theses

The United States continues to transition towards a majority-minority composition and this trend has most rapidly emerged for school-aged children. Work with diverse populations calls for specialized skills and training experiences, but these are not strongly reflected in most training programs in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). The present review was conducted to evaluate the scope and range of the dimensions of diversity included in Behavior Analytic research (e.g. race/ethnicity, gender, sexuality, etc.), as well as to compile recommendations related to culturally responsive practice in ABA. The search revealed a total of 50 publications featuring a dimension of diversity. These works …

An Erp Study Of The Effects Of Iconic And Nonsense Gestures On Memory Formation, Brianna E. Cairney

LSU Master's Theses

Co-speech gesture is an important part of human communication and aids in comprehension, learning, and memory. The addition of iconic gestures to speech has been shown in prior work to enhance memory for the speech. However, it remains unclear as to whether this benefit requires gestures to be meaningful, or, conversely, if any attentionally-engaging gesture will enhance memory. In the current study, we tested two theories to explain the mnemonic benefits of co-speech gesture: Dual Coding Theory, which attributes these benefits to multimodal encoding and enhanced imageability, and Attentional Highlighting Theory, which posits that gestures draw more attention to concurrent …

How Object Storage Skills Relate To Language Development, Jessica Laurent

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Parent Play Correlates With Infants’ Object Construction Skill, Makayla Barber

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

“Oye, Como Va:” How Streaming Services Have Contributed To The Globalization Of Latin Music, Isabel Caballero

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Use Of Racial And Ethnic Categories In Medical Testing And Diagnosis: Primum Non Nocere, Jay S. Kaufman, Joanna Merckx, Richard S. Cooper

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Use of race and ethnicity is common in medical tests and procedures, even though these categories are defined by sociological, historical, and political processes, and vary considerably in their definitions over time and place. Because all societies organize themselves around these constructs in some way, they are undeniable facets of the human experience, with myriad health consequences. In the biomedical literature, they are also commonly interpreted as representing biological heterogeneity that is relevant for health and disease. CONTENT: We review the use of race and ethnicity in medical practice, especially in the USA, and provide 2 specific examples to …

How Work From Home Has Affected The Occupant’S Well-Being In The Residential Built Environment: An International Survey Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic, Zhihong Pang, Burcin Becerik-Gerber, Simi Hoque, Zheng O’Neill, Giulia Pedrielli, Jin Wen, Teresa Wu

Faculty Publications

This paper presents the results from an international survey that investigated the impacts of the built environment on occupant well-being during the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic when most professionals were forced to work from home (WFH). The survey was comprised of 81 questions focusing on the respondent’s profiles, residences, home indoor environmental quality, health, and home working experiences. A total of 1460 responses were collected from 35 countries, and 1137 of them were considered complete for the analysis. The results suggest that home spatial layout has a significant impact on occupant well-being during WFH since home-life distractions and …

Leptin Treatment Prevents Impaired Hypoglycemic Counterregulation Induced By Exposure To Severe Caloric Restriction Or Exposure To Recurrent Hypoglycemia, Marina A. Duvall, Carolyn E. Coulter, Jasmin L. Gosey, Matthew J. Herrera, Cristal M. Hill, Rajvi R. Jariwala, Lauren E. Maisano, Laura A. Moldovan, Christopher D. Morrison, Ngozi V. Nwabueze, Hunter X. Sikaffy, David H. Mcdougal

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure (HAAF) is a maladaptive failure in glucose counterregulation in persons with diabetes (PWD) that is caused by recurrent exposure to hypoglycemia. The adipokine leptin is known to regulate glucose homeostasis, and leptin levels fall following exposure to recurrent hypoglycemia. Yet, little is known regarding how reduced leptin levels influence glucose counterregulation, or if low leptin levels are involved in the development of HAAF. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of hypoleptinemia on the neuroendocrine responses to hypoglycemia. We utilized two separate experimental paradigms known to induce a hypoleptinemic state: 60% caloric restriction (CR) …

Association Between The Fto Rs9939609 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism And Dietary Adherence During A 2-Year Caloric Restriction Intervention: Exploratory Analyses From Calerie™ Phase 2, James L. Dorling, Daniel W. Belsky, Susan B. Racette, Sai Krupa Das, Eric Ravussin, Leanne M. Redman, Christoph Höchsmann, Kim M. Huffman, William E. Kraus, Michael S. Kobor, Julia L. Macisaac, David T.S. Lin, David L. Corcoran, Corby K. Martin

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Caloric restriction (CR) improves markers of aging in humans; but it is not known if the fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) rs9939609 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), which is associated with appetite and energy intake, influences adherence to prolonged CR. Utilizing data from the two-year Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy (CALERIE™) phase 2 randomized controlled trial, we tested whether the FTO rs9939609 SNP was associated with adherence to CR in healthy adults without obesity. As secondary aims, we assessed whether the FTO rs9939609 SNP was associated with changes in body composition, biomarkers of aging, and …

Best Practices For Meta-Reviews In Physical Activity And Health Research: Insights From The Physical Activity Guidelines For Americans Advisory Committee Scientific Report, Linda S. Pescatello, Emily A. Hennessy, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, William E. Kraus, Anne F. Fish, Lynette L. Craft, Blair T. Johnson

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Background: Systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) have proliferated with a concomitant increase in reviews of SRs/MAs or “meta-reviews” (MRs). As uncovered by the 2018 US Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee (PAGAC), there is a paucity of best practice guidance on MRs on physical activity health-related research. This manuscript aims to fill this gap. Methods: In total, the PAGAC conducted 38 literature searches across 3 electronic databases and triaged 20,838 titles, 4913 abstracts, and 2139 full texts from which 1130 articles qualified for the PAGAC Scientific Report. Results: During the MR process, the following challenges were encountered: (1) if the …

Effects Of Testosterone Administration On Fmri Responses To Executive Function, Aggressive Behavior, And Emotion Processing Tasks During Severe Exercise- And Diet-Induced Energy Deficit, Owen T. Carmichael, Sreekrishna R. Pillai, Kori Murray, Preetham Shankapal, John Caldwell, Oshin Vartanian, Claire E. Berryman, J. P. Karl, Melissa Harris, Jennifer C. Rood, Stefan M. Pasiakos, Harris R. Lieberman

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Background: Clinical administration of testosterone is widely used due to a variety of claimed physical and cognitive benefits. Testosterone administration is associated with enhanced brain and cognitive function, as well as mood, in energy-balanced males, although such relationships are controversial. However, the effects of testosterone administration on the brains of energy-deficient males, whose testosterone concentrations are likely to be well below normal, have not been investigated. Methods: This study collected functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 50 non-obese young men before (PRE) and shortly after (POST) 28 days of severe exercise-and-diet-induced energy deficit during which testosterone (200 mg testosterone …

The Young Black Girl: A Narration Of Stem Identity Through Science Origin In Elementary School, Heather F. Lavender

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

An ethnographic qualitative case study was conducted by examining the perceptions of two 5^th grade Black girls at an independent school about their involvement with school science, the impact of race and gender towards their perception, and the influence of teachers, peers, and family on their science identity. Black girls are often relegated to outsider status within the classroom, lacking power and authority, which results in Black girls being denied a rightful presence in their learning community (Dumas & Ross, 2016). Additionally, their presence in STEM careers does not reflect their presence nationwide (Graves et al., 2014). The proposed …

A Student's Pathway To Success: Understanding The Connectivity Between High School Counselors' Self- Efficacy And College And Career Advising, Amanda Belanger Lacerte

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how a high school counselor’s perceived self-efficacy impacts high school student advising sessions as it pertains to the student’s program of study and course selection. The foundation of this study was grounded in Bandura’s (1986) Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). This single case study was conducted at The Red Stick School located in an urban area in the Deep South. The study included 5 high school counselors as participants who participated in virtual interviews. Explanation building was the qualitative analytical technique used to analyze the data and explain how and/or why students …

Lsu Research Fall 2021, Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College

Research Magazine

LSU Research is published annually by the Office of Research & Economic Development, Louisiana State University.

Fall 2021 Catalog, Lsu Press

LSU Press Seasonal Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Legacy Of A 10-Year Multidomain Lifestyle Intervention On The Cognitive Trajectories Of Individuals With Overweight/Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Kathleen M. Hayden, Rebecca H. Neiberg, Joni K. Evans, José A. Luchsinger, Owen Carmichael, Gareth R. Dutton, Karen C. Johnson, Steven E. Kahn, Stephen R. Rapp, Sevil Yasar, Mark A. Espeland

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Introduction: Weight loss and increased physical activity interventions are commonly recommended for individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and overweight or obesity. We examined the impact of randomization to an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) on trajectories of cognitive function over 10 years in a cohort of participants in a randomized clinical trial who had T2D and overweight/obesity at baseline. Methods: Participants aged 45-76 years were enrolled in 2001-2004 and were randomized to the ILI or a diabetes support and education (DSE) condition. Cognitive function was assessed in 3,938 participants at up to 4 time points 8-18 years after randomization. General …

Ehealth Interventions Targeting Nutrition, Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, Or Obesity In Adults: A Scoping Review Of Systematic Reviews, Melinda J. Hutchesson, Claire Gough, Andre Matthias Müller, Camille E. Short, Megan C. Whatnall, Mavra Ahmed, Nicole Pearson, Zenong Yin, Lee M. Ashton, Carol Maher, Amanda E. Staiano, Chelsea E. Mauch, Ann Desmet, Corneel Vandelanotte

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

A vast body of evidence regarding eHealth interventions for nutrition, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and obesity exists. This scoping review of systematic reviews aimed to evaluate the current level of evidence in this growing field. Seven electronic databases were searched for systematic reviews published until October 27, 2019. The systematic reviews must have included adult participants only and have evaluated eHealth behavioral interventions with the primary aim of changing nutrition, physical activity, and sedentary behavior or treating or preventing overweight and obesity. One hundred and six systematic reviews, published from 2006 to 2019, were included. Almost all (n = 98) …

Preference, Expected Burden, And Willingness To Use Digital And Traditional Methods To Assess Food And Alcohol Intake, Christoph Höchsmann, Nicole Fearnbach, James L. Dorling, Tera L. Fazzino, Candice A. Myers, John W. Apolzan, Corby K. Martin

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

We conducted an online survey to examine the preference, expected burden, and willingness of people to use four different methods of assessing food and alcohol intake such as food/drink record, 24-h recall, Remote Food Photography Method© (RFPM, via SmartIntake® app), and a novel app (PortionSize® ) that allows the in-app portion size estimation of foods/drinks by the user. For food (N = 1959) and alcohol (N = 466) intake assessment, 67.3% and 63.3%, respectively, preferred the RFPM/SmartIntake®, 51.9% and 53.4% preferred PortionSize®, 48.0% and 49.3% the food records, and 32.9% and 33.9% the 24-h recalls (difference in preference across all …

Consensus Revisited: Quantifying Scientific Agreement On Climate Change And Climate Expertise Among Earth Scientists 10 Years Later, Krista F. Myers, Peter T. Doran, John Cook, John E. Kotcher, Teresa A. Myers

Faculty Publications

The scientific consensus on human-caused global warming has been a topic of intense interest in recent decades. This is in part due to the important role of public perception of expert consensus, which has downstream impacts on public opinion and support for mitigation policies. Numerous studies, using diverse methodologies and measures of climate expertise, have quantified the scientific consensus, finding between 90% and 100% agreement on human-caused global warming with multiple studies converging on 97% agreement. This study revisits the consensus among geoscientists ten years after an initial survey of experts, while exploring different ways to define expertise and the …

Exploring Traffic Safety Problems And Challenges Of Older Roads’ Users In Louisiana: Causes And Countermeasures, Hany Hassan Ph.D, Saba Doulabi

Publications

It is well established that older pedestrians and drivers with 65 years and above are among the most vulnerable road users. As the number and proportion of older road users (as drivers and pedestrians) grows in many countries, as well as their share in pedestrians’ and drivers’ crashes and injuries, it behooves transportation researchers to further investigate the safety and mobility challenges of older road users. This study aims mainly to provide a comprehensive investigation of older pedestrians’ and drivers’ safety challenges. To this end, a three-fold research approach is designed to thoroughly examine older road users’ safety challenges as …

Social Marketing Campaigns To Promote Healthy Eating In Low-Income Louisiana Environments: A Mixed Methods Formative Assessment, Linda Fergus

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A healthy diet consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) is associated with reduced risk of obesity and chronic disease. Many people do not consume a healthy diet, especially those with limited resources. The purpose of this research was to study social marketing campaigns and message design factors that promote healthy eating and improved physical activity (PA) behaviors to low-income populations in Louisiana (LA) and to describe the attitudes, beliefs, and barriers of the rural, low-income LA population regarding healthy eating.

In a scoping literature review, an evidence map of publications regarding social marketing campaigns that aim to promote …

An Examination Of Yoga To Improve Symptoms Of Post-Traumatic Stress In Firefighters, Amanda Joy Weathers-Meyer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Firefighters routinely experience traumatic events while executing their daily occupational duties; in turn, this elevates their risk of experiencing post-traumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS). To successfully contend with repeated trauma exposure, effective and culturally appropriate treatment options for firefighters are needed. A growing body of literature shows that yoga effectively reduces PTSS, notably with those in male-dominated fields. Despite these encouraging findings, the impact of yoga on PTSS among fire service personnel has yet to be examined. Therefore, this dissertation aimed to: (a) obtain preliminary data on yoga’s effectiveness to reduce PTSS in firefighters, (b) investigate cultural appropriateness and firefighter receptivity …