An Athletic Approach To Studying Perception-Action Integration: Does Sport-Specific Training, And The Impact Of Injury, Influence How Individuals Visually Guide Navigation?, Carmen Baker, Jennifer Campos Ph.D, Michael E. Cinelli Ph.D.

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The objective of this thesis was to investigate perception-action integration capabilities of individuals during a choice navigation task. This task assessed navigation strategies in open space while individuals avoided colliding with two vertical obstacles that created a body-scaled, horizontal gap, at three varying obstacle distances from the starting location (3m, 5m, 7m). The two studies completed in this thesis employed the same paradigm to assess the hypothesized group differences. Gaze behaviours and kinematics of navigation strategies were compared between: 1) athletes specifically trained in navigating in open space versus non-athletes; and 2) athletes with post-concussion syndrome (PCS) versus non-concussed, specifically …

The Felt Sense Of Interconnectedness: A Qualitative Analysis Of Perceptions On Finding Resilience In The Aftermath Of Trauma Using The Mind-Body Connections Of Yoga, Ashley Collette

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Members and veterans of the military are at an increased risk of exposure to traumatic experiences due to the very nature of their occupation. The most recent statistics on Canada’s deployment to Afghanistan show that 13.2% of the (Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members deployed have been diagnosed with a mental injury within a five year follow up period of redeployment from the theatre of operations. The present preliminary study was designed to examine Yoga as a therapeutic intervention for trauma in a population of CAF members and veterans. The author interviewed 4 service providers and 2 service users of Yoga-based …

Moral Identity Development In Adulthood, Lourdes Andrea Murua

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

Past research on moral identity development mostly focused on adolescence and early adulthood. As a consequence, little is known about developmental changes in moral identity in the adult years. The purpose of the present study was to broaden the research done on moral identity by investigating the changes in moral identity that individuals experience between adolescence and mid age. To this end, 252 participants were recruited. They ranged in age from 14 to 65 years, and were split into four age-groups: 14-18 years (N=67, 41 females) mean age 16.97; 19 to 25 years (N=52, 29 females) mean age 22.48; …

The Electronic Structure Of Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals Formed On Metal Oxide Surfaces, Chad Allen Thibodeaux

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

We have investigated the electronic structure of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) formed on two different metal oxides: Cu(II)O and ZnO. Cu(II)O is known to be one of the most active metal oxides to form EPFRs. ZnO, however, forms the longest-lived EPFRs. First, we examined the adsorption of phenol on different crystal faces of ZnO. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) shows direct evidence of charge transfer away from the ZnO to the phenol. This differs from the hypothesized mechanism of EPFR formation that says that an electron is transferred to the metal oxide. UPS difference spectra also shows that the phenol …

Canadian Christian Nationalism?: The Religiosity And Politics Of The Christian Heritage Party Of Canada, Leah A D Mckeen

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In this dissertation I examines the worldview and concerns held by members of the Christian Heritage Party of Canada (CHP) as a means of understanding Canada’s Christian Right. I present a perspective of Canada’s Christian Right that challenges assumptions made about this religio-political ideology by showing how the political choices made by members of the CHP make sense within the members’ context. The CHP is a federal political party, first registered in 1986, that markets itself as “Canada’s only pro-life party.” Although the party was initially developed by a group of conservative Protestants and Roman Catholics, the majority of its …

On Getting Better And Working Hard: Using Improvement As A Heuristic For Judging Effort, Monica El Gamal

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

There is a strong conceptual association between improvement and effort. Therefore, we propose that people tend to use improvement as a heuristic for judging effort in others. Hence, they would perceive greater effort in improved performance records than in non-improved records with superior overall performance. To examine whether people use improvement as a heuristic for effort, we compared judgments of effort investments and trait effort in improved and consistently-strong performance profiles with equivalent recent performance. Across six empirical studies, participants thought that those with improved profiles exerted more effort and were more hardworking than those with consistently-strong profiles, and this …

Youth Athlete Leaders' Use Of Transformational Behaviours And Relations To Trust In The Leader And Sport Outcomes, Amy M. Cubitt, Mark Eys

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Leadership is one of the most crucial factors determining whether a group succeeds or fails (Bass, 1990). Furthermore, leaders displaying transformational behaviours are thought to lift followers to higher levels of motivation to get them to perform beyond expectations (Bass, 1985), and they tend to have followers who are more committed and satisfied (Bass & Riggio, 2006). Another outcome of transformational leadership in organizations is that followers are more willing to trust leaders who show care and concern for the follower (Dirks & Ferrin, 2002). The purpose of the present study was to determine if the use of full range …

Biophysical Characterization Of The Folding, Membrane Topology And Ion Transport Activity Of Ucp2 Using Selective Trp Mutants, Tyler C. Auld

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Human Uncoupling Protein 2 (hUCP2) is one of five known human UCPs which are found in the inner mitochondrial membrane and have been shown to facilitate the translocation of protons from the intermembrane space to the mitochondrial matrix. The detailed physiological role of UCP2 proton transport, the mechanism by which it mediates this proton transport, as well as its structure has also yet to be elucidated. In order to help determine the topology of UCP2 embedded in the membrane as well as its mechanism of proton transport, the intrinsic fluorescence properties of the two tryptophan residues (Trp) present in its …

Transient Trunk Flexion: The Potential To Alleviate Low Back Pain During Prolonged Standing, Danielle M. Stewart

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The current study examined potential benefits of intermittent, short-term periods of full trunk flexion on the development of low back pain (LBP) over two hours of standing. Sixteen participants completed a 2-hour standing protocol, on two separate days. On one day, participants stood statically for 2 hours; on the other day participants bent forward to full spine flexion for 5 seconds every 15-minutes. During both protocols, participants reported LBP using a 100mm visual analogue scale every 15-minutes. During the flexion trials, erector spinae muscle activation was monitored. Ultimately, intermittent trunk flexion reduced LBP by 36% (10mm) at the end of …

Plans As Emotion Regulation Tools? Examining The Consequences Of Planning On Affect, Rebecca Friesdorf

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Psychologists have studied extensively the consequences of planning for motivation and task performance, but little work has examined whether plan-making serves another function, that of helping us feel better about the yet-to-be completed task. In the present research, we examined whether making plans for completing a future task positively impacts feelings related to that task. In three studies, we tested the possibility that planning decreases negative emotions about the task planned for, and whether some types of planning are more beneficial for this than others. In Studies 1 and 2, participants were asked to nominate an important task they had …

Hunting For 'Paper Gangsters': An Institutional Analysis Of Intelligence-Led Policing In A Canadian Context, Crystal Weston

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Contemporary police departments are facing immense pressure to preserve public safety while also remaining fiscally accountable. As a response to economic pressures, police services are turning to intelligence led policing (ILP). ILP promises ‘smarter’ and more efficient policing with the use of advanced technologies and data analysis for decision-making. The present study examines ILP implementation in one urban Canadian police department. Through in-depth interviews with fifteen patrol and middle-management members, fifty-five hours of observation, and an analysis of organizational documents, I examine how ILP reform has been understood and enacted by patrol officers on the ground. From this analysis, I …

Motivations To Gamble In Younger And Older Adults, John Bryan R. E. Smith

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Gambling is a form of entertainment that is enjoyed by many adults, ranging from university students to older adults. A small subset of gambling research focuses on the motivations to pursue gambling, and very little research has investigated if age differences exist in motivation. Older adults typically experience decreased sense of control compared to university students (Mirowsky 1995, 2013), and it was hypothesized that this would be a key motivational difference. Through two experiments, this research aimed to investigate if different motivation models for gambling should be used for different age groups. Two competing models are tested: Loroz’s (2004) model …

“Are The Girls Out To Bingo? And Is “Frenchie” Gettin Tipsy? On A Sudbury Saturday Night”: Gambling Among Older Francophones In North-Eastern Ontario, Éric R. Thériault

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Since its legalization, gambling has become a popular form of entertainment in Canada (e.g., Tepperman & Wanner, 2012). Despite this increase in popularity, little research has been done examining gambling among older adults, and even in this area of research there is a lack of attention to minority groups (e.g., Ariyabuddhiphongs, 2012; Munro, Cox-Bishop, McVey, & Munro., 2003). Tirachaimongkol and colleagues (2010) proposed a theoretical pathways model to help explain problem gambling risk in older adults. This model includes three “clusters” of risk factors, including individual vulnerability factors, social and environmental factors, and behavioural regulation factors. The second cluster is …

Growth Potential In Relationships: A Promotion-Focus Perspective, Amanda E. Kohler, Justin Cavallo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Relationship research has long emphasized the importance of felt security for interpersonal wellbeing, but has focused less on how opportunities for growth influence relationship well-being. The present research investigates whether people’s motivational states may influence the extent to which people value growth in their romantic relationships. Drawing on regulatory focus theory, which distinguishes between promotion (concerned with advancement) and prevention (concerned with security) self-regulatory orientations, it was hypothesized that promotion-focused individuals would be more satisfied with relationships that offered greater opportunity for growth than with those that offered greater opportunity for security. In three experimental studies, participants evaluated others’ (Study …

Exploring Interactions Between Police And People With Mental Illness, Krystle L. Shore Ms.

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Contact between people with mental illness (PMI) and police is on the rise. The current study analyzed a six-month period of official police data (N = 400 occurrences) to provide a description of the PMI that came into contact with police and the typical characteristics and outcomes of these encounters. Results indicated that these interactions were initiated by family members and are taking place at home. Police are most commonly resolving the situations formally with apprehensions under the Mental health Act (55%), however only half of the time these apprehensions result in the PMI being admitted into hospital care, …

The Development And Application Of A Measure To Assess The Interpersonal Qualities Of Self-Talk, Elizabeth L. Price

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In three studies, this research describes the development and potential application of a new self-report measure, the Interpersonal Self-Talk Scale (IPSTS). Based on Kiesler’s (1983) Interpersonal Circle: Acts Version, and the Revised Interpersonal Adjective Scales (IAS-R; Wiggins et al., 1988) the IPSTS was designed to measure the distinct interpersonal qualities of self-talk. In Study 1 (N = 316), a principal components analysis of the IPSTS items yielded two underlying dimensions of dominance and affiliation. The preliminary octant subscales displayed good internal consistency reliability and circumplex structure, and the IPSTS was shown to measure a construct that is reasonably …

Critical Champions Or Careless Condemners? Exploring News Media Constructions In Cases Of Wrongful Conviction, Katherine Rozad

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Countless incidences occur throughout the world each and every day. However, only a few of these occurrences are deemed newsworthy by the media. One area of information quite often categorized as “newsworthy” is that surrounding crime. Within crime-related news coverage are occasionally cases of wrongful conviction – miscarriages of justice in which the innocent are labeled “guilty” and wrongly punished. Despite decades of research in both the areas of crime and media, as well as wrongful conviction studies, no research to date has examined the way that cases of wrongful conviction are constructed in the media from the beginnings of …

Purification And Characterization Of Bcsc; An Integral Component Of Bacterial Cellulose Export, Emily D. Wilson Ms

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Biofilms are a growing concern in the medical field due to their increased resistance to antibiotics. When found in a biofilm, bacteria can have antibiotic resistance 10-1000 times that of their planktonic counterparts. Therefore, it is important to study the formation of biofilms. Cellulose biofilms are formed by Enterobacteriaceae, such as many Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. strains. Biofilms provide these species with benefits including antimicrobial protection, development of bacterial communities, promotion of DNA exchange, uptake of nutrients, and, in the case of cellulose biofilms, immune system evasion. Cellulose biofilms are controlled by the Bacterial cellulose synthesis (Bcs) complex located …

Neither War, Nor Peace: Everyday Politics, Peacebuilding And The Liminal Condition Of Bosnia-Herzegovina And Northern Ireland, Branka Marijan

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis focuses on cultural and everyday practices of local populations in post-conflict peacebuilding. It builds on the “everyday” turn in critical peacebuilding literature by recognizing the everyday as political. Rather than examining the practices of political elites this thesis is concerned with the ordinary citizens of these societies. In other words, I show that it is through practices and cultural forms of expression that local populations enact their agency, at times supporting and at times contesting the broader peacebuilding project. Moreover, rather than viewing the everyday acts as hidden or as evidence of resistance to the dominant peacebuilding approaches …

Social Factors Influencing Early Reading Development From Kindergarten To Grade One In English-Speaking Public Schools In Ontario And Quebec, Katherine Wood

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This research study examines the influence of providing parents with early literacy or socio-emotional instruction on their children’s performance in reading and social skill development. Parents were offered four interactive workshops designed to assist them in identifying everyday opportunities to reinforce either early reading skills or early social skills development. Two reading skills approaches were explored, traditional text reading and traditional text reading with computer-assisted learning opportunities. These two reading approaches were contrasted with a set of social development workshops derived from social-emotional learning models. Children’s performance was measured at three time intervals from early kindergarten to early in grade …

From Lending In The Andes To Thriving In Latin America: Caf’S Continuity, Growth And Long-Term Financing In The Region, Veronica Rubio Vega

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

What explains the Development Bank of Latin America’s (CAF, in Spanish) continuity and expansion since the 1990s? This thesis explores how an initially small Andean development bank crafted a successful strategy to survive in a troubled region and eventually thrive as an important lending source. This thesis argues that CAF’s expansion can be attributed to four main factors: 1) leadership, 2) institutional design, 3) member governments’ preferences and 4) Brazil’s push for regional cooperation beyond trade.

Theoretically, this thesis draws upon two sets of interrelated academic debates to explain CAF’s growth: 1) International Political Economy (IPE) and International Organization (IO) …

The Effect Of Gvs On Path Trajectory And Body Rotation In The Absence Of Visual Cues During A Spatial Navigation Task, Tanya Karn

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Background: The vestibular system has been shown to contribute to mechanisms of locomotion such as distance perception. Galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) is a tool used to perturb the vestibular system, and causes significant deviations in path trajectory during locomotion. Previous research has suggested that applying GVS during straight-line locomotion tasks is not sufficient to determine the effects of the vestibular system on locomotion. However, spatial navigation challenges one’s ability to navigate throughout the environment using idiothetic cues to constantly update one’s position. The purpose of the current study was to determine the effects of GVS on both path trajectory and …

Mechanisms Controlling Stem Cell Differentiation, Tran Doan Ngoc Tran

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Mesenchymal stem cells are multipotent cells that can differentiate into many cell types. However, the molecular mechanism controlling this process remains unclear. We utilized rat dental follicle stem cells (rDFSCs) and human adipose derived stem cells (hASCs) to study the mechanisms controlling osteogenesis and adipogenesis. Elevations in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration are a phenomenon commonly observed during stem cell differentiation but cease after the process is complete. The Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 4 (TRPM4) is an ion channel that controls Ca2+ signals in excitable and non-excitable cells. However, there are no studies on TRPM4 in stem cells. In another study, …

“Don’T Talk About It”: Investigating The Effects Of Pei’S Cultural Silence On Abortion Access And Advocacy From The Perspective Of Advocates And Support People, Emily A. Rutledge

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

As an arm of a greater study that investigates the impacts of PEI's abortion restriction over the past two decades, "Don't talk about it" explores the situation from the perspective of support people and advocates to abortion access including; their emotional experiences of support and advocacy, the associated risks and repercussions, as well as their understandings of the barriers, facilitators and impacts of compromised access to off-Island services for PEI women and girls. Key findings show an overarching culture of silence and blame surrounding abortion on PEI, reinforced by stigma and repercussions for those speaking out. This silence serves to …

Enhancing Canadian Girls’ Resilience Through Girls-Only Programming, Ayesha Umme-Jihad

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Canadian girls face a number of complex issues as they transition through girlhood and into adolescence. Despite the barriers they face, girls can be resilient with the development of internal and external assets. Presently, we know that protective factors developed in girls-only programs between the critical ages of 9 and 13 enhance girls’ resilience in the short-term (Alcade, Hayward, Loomis, & Hodgson, 2012). This thesis project operationalizes protective factors as confidence, critical thinking skills, connectedness, and parental relationships. Risk factors are operationalized as adversity within environments, depression, negative behaviours, and substance use. A mixed methods approach is used to investigate …

Positive Parenting In Adolescence And Its Association With Future Hopes And Fears In Adulthood: A Longitudinal Analysis, Harmanpreet Chauhan

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

During young adulthood (ages 20-39), individuals begin to develop a future orientation by thinking about their possible selves. In this longitudinal study, young adults’ future hopes and fears were examined in relation to their perceptions of the parenting style they experienced in adolescence. An interview was conducted with participants at age 26 and 32 to assess their future possible selves. Participants discussed both hoped-for and feared selves. The long-term impact of parenting on future hopes and fears was examined by exploring the possible impact of perceived parenting styles experienced in adolescence. Interviews were conducted in 2005 and 2011 with 26 …

Nucleolar Proteins Are Essential For Ribosome Biogenesis And Nuclear Homeostasis In Drosophila Melanogaster, Yubo Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Four nucleostemin-like proteins (NS1-4) were identified previously in Drosophila melanogaster. NS1 and NS2 are nucleolar proteins, while NS3 and NS4 are cytoplasmic. Here we show that NS2 is homologous to the human nucleostemin-like protein, Ngp1, and that endogenous NS2 and exogenous GFP-NS2 enriches within peripheral regions of nucleoli in larval polyploid midgut cells. Like NS1, depletion of NS2 in midgut cells blocked the release of the 60S ribosomal subunit as detected by the accumulation GFP-RpL11 within nucleoli, and this likely led to a general loss of 60S subunit proteins as shown by immunoblot analyses. At the ultrastructural level, nucleoli in …

Method Development For The Assignment Of Nmr Peaks And The Determination Of Quaternary Protein Structure Using Reductive Methylation, Pamlea Nicole Brady

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The work described herein is centered on reductive methylation, a chemical modification reaction, which allows for the introduction of methyl groups at the primary amines of the lysine side chain and at the N-terminus. The resulting methyl groups are effective probes for the study of protein structure and dynamics using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Described herein is work conducted on the development of tools for the study of protein structure using reductive methylation, highlighting options for addressing limitations of the labeling method encountered by its practical use. Chapter 1 serves as a brief introduction to protein structure and the …

Evaluating And Increasing The Range Of Reinforcers For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Megan Kliebert Wiggins

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Prior research has demonstrated the utility of several preference-assessment methodologies to identify stimuli more likely to function as reinforcers for individuals with limited verbal repertoires. However, differing results have been obtained from studies evaluating the reinforcement effects of stimuli identified as high preference by one assessment method but low preference by another assessment method. The first focus of the project was to evaluate the reinforcing efficacy of edible and leisure items based on predictions from preference assessments. Results indicated that edible and leisure items approached frequently during a single-stimulus preference assessment but infrequently during a paired-stimulus preference assessment produced less …

Development And Optimization Of Non-Hydrostatic Models For Water Waves And Fluid-Vegetation Interaction, Ling Zhu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary objective of this study is twofold: 1) to develop an efficient and accurate non-hydrostatic wave model for fully dispersive highly nonlinear waves, and 2) to investigate the interaction between waves and submerged flexible vegetation using a fully coupled wave-vegetation model. This research consists of three parts. Firstly, an analytical dispersion relationship is derived for waves simulated by models utilizing Keller-box scheme and central differencing for vertical discretization. The phase speed can be expressed as a rational polynomial function of the dimensionless water depth, $kh$, and the layer distribution in water column becomes an optimizable parameter in this function. …