Digital Commons Network^™

Physical Activity Effects On Depressive Symptoms In Black Adults, Jessica D. Richardson, Sarah Grace Dalton, Elisa R. Torres, Carolyn M. Sampselle, Kimberlee A. Gretebeck, David L. Ronis, Harold W. Neighbors

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objectives

Randomized trials found physical activity (PA) effective in decreasing depressive symptoms. Few studies included Black participants. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to determine the effects of PA on depressive symptoms in Black adults.

Methods

Articles were abstracted by conducting a computer and hand search of eligible studies.

Results

Eight of 13 studies found a significant inverse relationship between PA and depressive symptoms in Black adults. Sources for the heterogeneity were explored.

Conclusion

Future studies should include representative samples of Black adults, incorporate a theory which considers multiple levels of influence, account for genetic factors in the …

Moving Teeth Faster, Better And Painless. Is It Possible?, Jose A. Bosio, Dawei Liu

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Survival Rates Of Short-Span Implant-Supported Cantilever Fixed Dental Prostheses, Gary L. Stafford

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Data sources

Publications were sought using Medline, and searches were made by hand of the journals Clinical Oral Implants Research, International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry, Journal of Periodontology, Journal of Clinical Periodontology and the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants, along with reference lists of identified articles.

Study selection

Titles and abstracts were initially screened by two independent reviewers to identify prospective or retrospective longitudinal cohort studies or controlled studies reporting on implant supported cantilever fixed dental prostheses (ICFDP) with a mean followup period of at least 5 years. A clinical examination had to be performed …

The Pacto De Sangre In The Late Nineteenth-Century Nationalist Emplotment Of Philippine History, Filomeno V. Aguilar Jr

History Department Faculty Publications

The Pacto de Sangre (Blood Compact), despite its crucial significance in Filipino conceptions of history, is seldom interrogated in Philippine historiography. The event that happened in Bohol in 1565, involving Sikatuna and Legazpi, was narrativized in the late nineteenth century and became integral to the nationalist emplotment of the past. However, the two principal narrative strands of Marcelo del Pilar and Andres Bonifacio differed owing to divergent political projects. This article revisits the making of a founding myth of Filipino nationhood in light of scholarship on ancient blood oaths and the historical account of the encounter of Sikatuna and Legazpi.

Why The Supreme Court Cares About Elites, Not The American People, Lawrence Baum, Neal Devins

Faculty Publications

Supreme Court Justices care more about the views of academics, journalists, and other elites than they do about public opinion. This is true of nearly all Justices and is especially true of swing Justices, who often cast the critical votes in the Court’s most visible decisions. In this Article, we will explain why we think this is so and, in so doing, challenge both the dominant political science models of judicial behavior and the significant work of Barry Friedman, Jeffrey Rosen, and others who link Supreme Court decision making to public opinion.

Jennifer Higdon's Oboe Concerto: The Composition, Transformation, And A Performer's Analysis, Janice Elizabeth Crews

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This monograph presents a formal examination of Jennifer Higdon’s Oboe Concerto in its various forms. Jennifer Higdon has garnered international success, yet few in-depth studies of her music exist. In this document, personal accounts from commissioners illustrate the unusual commission of Oboe Concerto. Likewise, the composer, a conductor, and soloists for premiere performances highlight unique aspects of the concerto, particularly its unusual form, multiple versions, and the potential challenges in preparing the work. Higdon’s concerto showcases the lyrical capabilities of the oboe, with an emphasis on melody and sustained tone. The transformation of the concerto illustrates Higdon’s skills of self-promotion, …

Model-Based Nonlinear Control Of Active Tilting-Pad Bearings, An Wu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A promising mechanical bearing candidate for active operation is the tilting-pad bearing. The proposed active tilting-pad bearing has linear actuators that radially translate each pad. The use of feedback control in determining the actuator forces allows for the automatic, continuous adjustment of the pad position during the operation of the rotating machine. In the first part of the dissertation, we develop a nonlinear dynamic model of the active bearing system. The hydrodynamic force produced by the fluid film is modeled as a nonlinear, squeeze-film damper plus repellent spring. A model-based nonlinear controller is then designed to exponentially regulate the rotor …

More Than Words, More Than Wounds: (Re)Writing 'Wounded' Women And Healing Pedagogies, Rachel Nicole Spear

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This project reconceptualizes how women and their personal stories of trauma have been read and represented in literary, feminist, and pedagogical studies, asserting that these authors and their texts should be recognized respectively as wounded healers and healing narratives. By situating my study within links among trauma, women, and writing, I argue that women and their personal stories of trauma exist in marginal, or rather, wounded positions. I problematize scholarship where links among these three commonly emerge (namely psychoanalytic, autobiographical, and feminist fields) to challenge monolithic readings and re-write these women and texts as more than wounded. More than Words, …

Task And Relationship Conflict In Subordinates And Supervisors Relations: Interaction Effects Of Justice Perceptions And Emotion Management, Sungwon Choi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the antecedents and outcomes of task and relationship conflict in subordinates and supervisors relations. Based on abusive supervision studies and the justice framework, I proposed that the relationship between abusive supervision and task conflict is mediated by procedural justice, and that the relationship between abusive supervision and relationship conflict is mediated by interactional justice. Based on emotional intelligence theory, I also proposed that these mediation processes are moderated by an individual’s emotion management ability (EMA). Finally, I anticipated that relationship conflict elicits more detrimental effect on employees’ organizational citizenship and workplace deviance behaviors. A total of 310 …

Investigations Of Structure / Property Interrelationships Of Organic Thin Films Using Scanning Probe Microscopy And Nanolithography, Zorabel Mallorca Lejeune

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Studies of the surface assembly and molecular organization of organic thin films were studied using scanning probe microscopy (SPM) and scanning probe lithography (SPL). Systems of organic thin films such as n-alkanethiols and pyridyl functionalized porphyrins were characterized at the molecular level, and measurements of the conductive properties of polythiophenes containing in-chain cobaltabisdicarbollides were accomplished. Understanding the self-organization and mechanisms of self-assembly of organic molecules provides fundamental insight for structure/property interrelationships. Investigations of the surface assembly of 5,10-diphenyl-15,20-di-pyridin-4-yl-porphyrin (DPP) on Au(111) were done using SPL methods of nanoshaving and nanografting. Automated computer designs were developed for nanofabrication to provide local …

Cross-Race Advising Relationships: The Role Of Race In Advising Relationships Between Black Doctoral Student Protégés And Their White Faculty Advisors, Marco Javon Barker

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the role of race in cross-race advising relationships between White faculty advisors and their Black doctoral student protégés. I examined the racial context of doctoral education experiences and relationships between doctoral students and faculty. Blacks with doctoral degrees comprise only 0.3% of those 18 years and older and only 3.5% of those with doctoral degrees (U.S. Census, 2000). Although there has been an increase in the number of Blacks enrolling in doctoral programs (Cook & Cordova, 2006), Nettles and Millett (2006) found that Blacks and Latin Americans have higher attrition rates …

"Blessed Be The Critics Of Newspapers": Journalistic Criticism Of Journalism 1865-1930, Yasmine Tarek Dabbous

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined journalistic press criticism between 1865 and 1930. It sought to understand how the first modern journalists conceived of their profession in a period of great transitions. As the study revealed, journalists writing about journalism between 1865 and 1930 discussed recurring themes such as commercialization, sensationalism, advertising, and ethics. They expressed ambivalence toward the rise of big business in their field and the consequences it could have on the quality of the work. In the process, journalists also defined journalism as a profession providing a public service or as a business aiming solely for circulation and profit. Definitions …

Three Essays On The Role Of Amenities As An Economic Development Strategy, Junpyo Hong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

It is well known that an amenity is a key driving engine to regional economic growth. However, the site-specific nature of an amenity can characterize them as public goods. Due to this characteristic, local governments have difficulty optimally supplying amenities. This dissertation tries to find relationships between an amenity and economic growth. Three empirical papers comprise the original research in this dissertation. The findings of the meta-analysis in the first essay suggest little methodological diversity exists among researchers linking amenities to economic growth., I do find that employment growth is more likely related to man-made amenities even in research on …

The Achievement Of Business Education Students On High School Core Subjects, Mohd Khata Bin Jabor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The importance of academic courses taken during high school has been well documented. It could determine the students’ achievement in high school, affect the students’ ability to transition to postsecondary education and expand the students’ choice of postsecondary majors and degree options (Laird, Chen, & Levesque, 2006). This study examined whether enrollment in business education is related to achievements in high school core subjects. The rationale for the study is to determine if business education contributes to the academic achievement of high school students. This study used the data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) High School Transcript …

The Effects Of Self-Assessment On Student Learning Of Mathematics, Daniel James Hotard

LSU Master's Theses

Self-assessment can be defined as students judging their own work, based on evidence and explicit criteria, for the purpose of improving future performance. Many researchers agree that implementation of student self-assessment in the classroom is an important tool for improving academic performance and self-efficacy. In this thesis, I investigated the effects of student self-assessment on learning gains of 81 alternative high school Algebra I students. This study took place over the course of two units of instruction. Classes were divided into two groups. One group of students utilized rubrics to self-assess their own work for the first unit, while the …

The Effect Of War On Art: The Work Of Mark Rothko, Elizabeth Leigh Doland

LSU Master's Theses

My goal for this thesis was to adequately illustrate the effect war can have on art and artists. I chose to single out one particular artist who lived and worked during a time of war and explore his life and work. My choice of artist was not random: I chose an individual who was particularly concerned about his external environment, and was active in the political and social issues of the time. My subject is Mark Rothko, a Russian-Jewish artist who immigrated from Russia as a boy and spent his life in the hotspot of artistic inspiration, New York City. …

Stochastic Trends In Crop Yield Density Estimation, David I. Maradiaga

LSU Master's Theses

The search for improved methods of estimating crop yield density functions has been a theme of recurrent research interest in agricultural economics. Crop yield density functions are the statistical instrument that generates probability estimates of yield risk, and risk is an important decision variable in production agriculture. Recent research in crop yield density estimation suggests that yield probability estimates can be sensitive to the way yield data are filtered, and if true, then the search for an “adequate filter” is warranted. Such a quest is pursued in this study. It is proposed that unit-root tests can be used to identify …

Depolarization By Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 4 In Pancreatic Alpha-Cells Regulates Glucagon Secretion, Piper Lynn Nelson

LSU Master's Theses

The Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 4 protein (TRPM4) is a member of the TRP family of ion channels that is expressed in both electrically excitable and non-excitable cells. Functional studies revealed that TRPM4 significantly impacts Ca2+ signals in both immune and pancreatic β-cells, which is important for cellular processes such as hormone secretion. However, its role in glucagon secreting α-cells has not been reported. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is often associated with increased glucagon levels; yet, the exact mechanism controlling its secretion is not known. In pancreatic α-cells, an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration causes glucagon secretion. We hypothesize that …

Detect Live Salmonella Cells In Produce By Coupling Propidium Monoazide With Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (Pma-Lamp), Siyi Chen

LSU Master's Theses

Salmonella is a leading cause of foodborne illnesses worldwide. In recent years, an increasing number of Salmonella-related outbreaks in produce has been reported. It is therefore important that the produce industry be equipped with rapid, sensitive, specific detection methods for live Salmonella cells in produce to better ensure the produce safety. In this study, we first designed and optimized a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for Salmonella detection by targeting the invasion gene (invA). Then we incorporated a chemical reagent, propidium monoazide (PMA) into the sample preparation step to prevent LAMP amplification of dead Salmonella cells. To our knowledge, this …

Application Of Peer Instruction In The High School Setting, Wiley Iverstine

LSU Master's Theses

This study investigates whether the response component of Peer Instruction can be successfully added to my normal classroom instruction creating higher gains in student conceptual understanding of force concepts. This action research is intended to analyze this goal for possible application in any regular high school Physics classroom, using myself as a case study. The Force Concept Inventory was used as a pretest/posttest determinate of the learning gains of 85 students spread through four regular Physics classes during the 2009-10 school year. Forty-Two of these students were used as an experimental group where the response component of Peer Instruction was …

The Relationship Among Self-Efficacy, Negative Self-Statements, And Social Anxiety In Children: A Mediation, Brittany Nicole Moree

LSU Master's Theses

Evidence suggests that general self-efficacy, one’s beliefs about his or her global abilities, and social self-efficacy, one’s beliefs in his or her ability to navigate social situations, are strongly connected to levels of social anxiety. Negative self-statements, also known as negative self-referent cognitions, have also been linked with levels of social anxiety. Although self-efficacy and negative self-statements have been shown to be important variables in the phenomenology and maintenance of social anxiety in children, they have yet to be examined in conjunction with one another. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between negative self-statements and selfefficacy …

Itraconazole Loaded Poly (Lactic-Co-Glycolic) Acid Nanoparticles For Improved Antifungal Activity, Nipur Rajan Patel

LSU Master's Theses

PLGA (polylactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles containing the hydrophobic antifungal Itraconazole (ITZ) were developed to address the need for more efficient means of treating fungal infections. PLGA-ITZ nanoparticles were synthesized using an oil-in-water emulsion evaporation method. The nanoparticles morphology (TEM), size and size distribution, zeta potential (DLS), encapsulation efficiency (UV-VIS), release profile, and antifungal activity were characterized. The blank NPs and loaded PLGA-ITZ NPs were spherical with diameters of 201±5 nm, 232±1 nm and 223±36 nm at 0%, 12.5% and 25% loadings, respectively. All synthesized particles measured a negative zeta potential ranging from -28 to -33 mV. The maximum encapsulation efficiency of …

Dry Event Trends And Frequencies In The South Central United States, Michael Roberts

LSU Master's Theses

In this study, dry spells in the southern United States are analyzed. Dry spells are defined as consecutive days with no recorded rainfall. Seventy (70) weather stations are researched in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Daily precipitation for each station identifies potential trends in consecutive dry days. Stations were selected for their completeness, longevity, and their proximity to one another. Only stations with five percent or less missing data were allowed. All 70 stations will be analyzed from 1950-2008. Twenty-four stations possess over 100 years of data and will be analyzed. The best geographical indicator for consecutive dry …

Collaboration Via Wikis: Social Aspects And Adapting Teacher Feedback In An Online Environment, Madeline Boudreaux

LSU Master's Theses

The primary goal of this thesis is to investigate the way in which learners interact when asked to work together to write and revise a composition in an online environment. Specifically, the first research question explores the working styles of learners in the context of a wiki. It seeks to determine whether the various dyads work collaboratively or cooperatively to write and revise a composition in Spanish. The second research question deals with the type and degree of politeness that students express towards each other when working together to write and revise their composition. Specifically, it investigates the nature of …

Land Use, Individual Attributes, And Travel Behavior In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Anzhelika Antipova

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Although the interrelationship between land use and travel behavior was given more than scant attention in the past, urban planners are far from a solution to reduce commuting and travel by car. One of the reasons is that studies of this kind are often conducted at the aggregate scale limiting one’s probabilities of making inferences of individual/household-level travel behavior. Using 1997 Baton Rouge Personal Transportation Survey (BRPTS) data this study attempts to overcome this limitation. First, a multi-level modeling (MLM) approach is applied to investigate the geographical effect of a place and the role of population composition in accounting for …

Microfluidic Devices Interfaced To Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry For Proteomics, Jeonghoon Lee

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Microfluidic interfaces were developed for off-line matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI). Microfluidic interfaces allow samples to be manipulated on-chip and deposited onto a MALDI target plate for analysis. For this research, microfluidic culturing devices and automated digestion and deposition microfluidic chip platforms were developed for the identification of proteins. The microfluidic chip components were fabricated on a poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, wafer using the hot embossing method and a molding tool with structures prepared via micromilling. One of the most important components of the chip system was a trypsin microreactor. An open channel microreactor was constructed in a 100 µm …

Predator-Prey Interaction In Estuarine Bivalves: Size Selection, Effects Of Salinity, And Indirect Interactions, Barry Richard Aronhime

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

High stress environments can reduce species diversity. How such stress-induced reduction in predator diversity impacts prey survival is less well studied. Brackish waters in estuaries are stressful, species depauperate areas, but also prime oyster habitat in Louisiana. Surveys revealed reduced bivalve predator diversity at the low salinity (high stress) site. Exclosure experiments indicated highest prey mortality at the high salinity (low stress) site. Predator enclosures corroborated the field study results, with reduced consumption rates at the low salinity site for both stone crabs, Menippe adina and oyster drills Stramonita haemastoma, but not blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus. Blue crab mortality in …

Spatial Analyses Of Pedosphere Carbon Stock And Sequestration Potential In Louisiana's Watersheds, Biao Zhong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation research aimed to quantify current soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks across Louisiana’s landscape, examine the spatial relationships between SOC and terrain factors at the watershed and river basin scales, and predict SOC changes in surface soils during future climate change. Using Louisiana as an example, a spatially-explicit modeling framework was developed that is conducive to watershed-scale prediction of soil carbon stock and change. SOC densities at the watershed scale were estimated using the USDA NRCS Soil Geographic Database (STATSGO). Louisiana watersheds and National Land Cover Database (NLCD) were used to aggregate total soil carbon and estimate average soil …

Stacy Garrop's Settings Of Sonnets By Edna St. Vincent Millay: A Conductor's Analysis, Justin W. Durham

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Stacy Garrop is an emerging composer of choral and orchestral music. The focus of this research is to provide information on her career and compositional style and to provide a conductor’s analysis of six multi-movement a cappella works which set to music sonnets by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Works to be examined: Sonnets of Love and Chaos (2001) Sonnets of Vanity, Loss, and Rapture (2002) Sonnets of War and Mankind (2003) Sonnets of Desire, Longing, and Whimsy (2004) Sonnets of the Fatal Interview (2005) Sonnets of Beauty and Music (2006) The document is divided into nine chapters tracing the musical …

Modulation Of Cholinergic Signaling In Embryonic Zebrafish: Anatomical And Behavioral Consequences, Evdokia Menelaou

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Smoking during pregnancy remains a major health concern in the United States. Nicotine is one of the main ingredients of cigarettes and a neurotoxicant which has been purported to affect many aspects of nervous system development causing long-term abnormalities in the offspring. We took advantage of the zebrafish model to investigate the effects of nicotine in nervous system anatomy and function. It was previously reported that embryonic nicotine exposure causes pathfinding errors in secondary motoneuron (SMN) axons through the activation of nicotine acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). However, the nicotine-induced effects on SMN pathfinding coincided with muscle degeneration. We hypothesized that nicotine …