Digital Commons Network^™

Obesity Management: Clinical Review And Update Of The Pharmacologic Treatment Options, Raymond A. Plodkowski, Megan E. Mcgarvey, Keith Reisinger-Kindle, Bradley Kramer, Erik Nelson, Jennifer Lee, Quang T. Nguyen

College of Osteopathic Medicine (TUN) Publications and Research

The toolbox of medications available for medical weight management is more robust than ever and includes a wide variety of mechanisms of actions and options for patients.

Federal Anti-Sanctuary Law: A Failed Approach To Immigration And A Poor Substitute For Real Reform, Elizabeth Mccormick

Articles, Chapters in Books and Other Contributions to Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Sepsis-Review Of Screening For Sepsis By Nursing, Nurse Driven Sepsis Protocols And Development Of Sepsis Hospital Policy/Protocols, Matthew Mccaffery, Omobola Onikoyi, Dilisha Rodrigopulle, Ali Syed, Suzanne Jones, Laura Mansfield, Murali G. Krishna

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (Middletown) Publications and Research

Sepsis is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. In order to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with sepsis in patients, early detection is vital, and so screening protocols have been developed. The Surviving Sepsis Campaign has developed an evidence based screening guideline that has been adapted by various institutions. Having specific criteria in detecting a septic patient is the defining factor in screening for sepsis by nursing staff. In order for the sepsis protocol to be effective, it is necessary that nursing and other front line staff be educated. Institutional barriers regarding implementation of …

Vitrification Of Immature And Mature Bovine Oocytes, Paige T. Hardin

LSU Master's Theses

Vitrification is the latest technique used in cryopreservation, the ability to utilize this method with oocytes and embryos has become a valuable system. Vitrification has been successful with bovine embryos and oocytes but is far from optimal. Following cryopreservation storage discarding embryos can cause ethical issues, and mature oocytes have fragile organelles that can be detrimentally affected by ice crystal formation during freezing. Immature oocytes have not formed some of these temperature sensitive microfilaments and can circumvent these detrimental effects. The common intracellular cryoprotective agents are dimethyl sulfoxide, glycerol and ethylene glycol. Different combination of these agents have been reported …

The Multidimensional Bullying Victimization Scale: Development And Validation, Shannon Marie Harbin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

One in three middle and high school students are victims of bullying (National Educational Association, 2012). The prevalence of bullying has increased over the past 10 years by approximately 25% (Nation Center of Education Statistics, 2013) and is now considered a public health concern. Published measures of bullying lack breadth and/or psychometric support. The present study created a psychometrically sound measure assessing bully victimization in adolescents. This measure examines three dimensions of bullying: direct, indirect, and evaluative. Items were generated based on information collected from student focus groups, as well as previously published measures and themes within recently published literature. …

Characterization Of Xylella Fastidiosa In Rabbiteye Blueberry, Mary Helen Ferguson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Xylella fastidiosa colonizes the xylem of a wide range of plants and causes symptoms in many of them. It was of interest to determine how widespread X. fastidiosa was and what its potential impact might be in rabbiteye blueberry. X. fastidiosa was detected from two of 17 Louisiana orchards from which samples were collected. A yield study was conducted at one of these orchards, and mean yields of X. fastidiosa-positive plants were 55% and 62% less than those of X. fastidiosa-negative plants in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Average berry weight was also lower in X. fastidiosa-positive plants. However, plants that …

Introductory Note To United Nations Security Council Resolution 2298, David P. Fidler

Articles by Maurer Faculty

On July 22, 2016, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2298 supporting efforts by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to remove chemical weapons from Libya and facilitate their destruction in another country. This resolution was critical to the international effort to prevent chemical weapons in Libya from being at risk of acquisition by members of the so-called Islamic State operating in Libya.

A Statistical, Data-Driven Assessment Of Climate Extremes And Trends For The Continental U.S., Xinbo Huang

LSU Master's Theses

Climate extremes are meteorological events that can have significant impacts on human and natural systems. Weather hazards, such as heat waves, drought, heavy thunderstorms, floods, hurricanes, occur frequently, and are a threat to human lives and property. Climate data observations spanning over 100 years are an important asset in understanding climate extremes and trends. This research uses daily climate data observations from more than 3000 climate stations in the continental U.S. to assess the climate trends and extremes, including temperature, precipitation, and snowfall. The climate data measurement sites were grouped by climate divisions and each climate division was statistically assessed …

Euphoria From Drinking Alcoholic Beverages May Be Due To Reversible Constriction Of Cerebral Blood Vessels: Potential Roles Of Unrecognized Ionized Hypomagnesemia, And Release Of Ceramides And Platelet-Activating Factor, Burton M. Altura, Aimin Zhang, Nilank C. Shah, Gatha J. Shah, Asefa Gebrewold, Bella T. Altura

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (Middletown) Publications and Research

The authors discuss the feeling of euphoria when drinking alcohol. They summarize studies that suggest this feeling is due to blood vessel constriction, and explain why they believe that the specific mechanism that results in euphoria is the rapid, reversible release o free magnesium ions ([Mg2+]) coupled to the release of ceramides and platelet-activating factor (PAF).

Electromagnetic Analysis Of Different Geometry Of Transmitting Coils For Wireless Power Transmission Applications, Mohammad Haerinia, Ali Mosallanejad, Ebrahim S. Afjei

Electrical Engineering Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Resonant Inductive Coupling As A Potential Means For Wireless Power Transfer To Printed Spiral Coil, Mohammad Haerinia, Ebrahim S. Afjei

Electrical Engineering Student Publications

This paper proposes an inductive coupled wireless power transfer system that analyses the relationship between induced voltage and distance of resonating inductance in a printed circuit spiral coils. The resonant frequency produced by the circuit model of the proposed receiving and transmitting coils are analysed by simulation and laboratory experiment. The outcome of the two results are compared to verify the validity of the proposed inductive coupling system. Experimental measurements are consistent with simulations over a range of frequencies spanning the resonance.

Improvisational Unionism, Michael M. Oswalt

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Recent fights for a $15-an-hour minimum wage at Walmart and in the fast-food industry have interested academics, captivated the press, and energized the public. For good reason. The campaigns upend conventional wisdom about what unions do (help workers win collective bargaining rights) and why they do it (build the membership). Scattered flash strikes for seemingly impossible or idiosyncratic goals on no obvious timeline have shattered that mold. Though much has already been said about these developments, scholarship has yet to provide a rigorous theoretical frame to categorize and explain the new form of activism. This Article argues that improvisation — …

After Images: Using Augusto Boal's Image Theatre To Balance Artistry, Analysis, And Activism In The Performance Composition Process, Bonny Leah Mcdonald

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, I describe several performance experiments in which I applied Brazilian theatre artist Augusto Boal’s Image Theatre method to mobilize a composition process that is artistically exciting, politically relevant, and pedagogically engaging. Over the span of about seven years I used Image Theatre as the bedrock of my artistic practice as a director of social justice themed works for the stage. I show how using Image Theatre as a tool for performance composition can balance artistry (theatrical practice), analysis (cultural studies), and activism (collaborative struggles toward justice). To do so, I review relevant literature on Boal and Image …

Social Studies In The Modern Era: A Case Study Of Effective Teachers' Use Of Literacy And Technology, Kristal Curry, Todd Cherner

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this research project was to highlight the practices and philosophies of two effective—but different—social studies teachers who balance the demands of teaching in the modern era while honoring their own philosophies for teaching social studies. This project was ground in the theoretical framework provided by TPACK and used a case study methodology for its research design. While the pedagogical content knowledge of the participants was strong and technology was used abundantly for instructional purposes, this research raised questions regarding how teachers can most effectively use technology to enhance instruction by helping students conceptualize content knowledge and apply …

Limiting Deterrence: Judicial Resistance To Detention Of Asylum-Seekers In Israel And The United States, Michael Kagan

Scholarly Works

Governments have advanced the argument that asylum-seekers may be detained in order to deter other would-­be asylum­-seekers from coming. But in recent litigation in the United States and Israel, this justification for mass detention met with significant resistance from courts. This Essay looks at the way the American and Israeli courts dealt with the proposed deterrence rationale for asylum-seeker detention. It suggests that general deterrence raises three sequential questions:

1. Is deterrence ever legitimate as a stand alone justification for depriving people of liberty?

2. If deterrence is sometimes legitimate, is it valid as a general matter in migration control, …

The Grapes Of Wrath: On The Health Of Immigration Detainees, Stacey A. Tovino

Scholarly Works

This Article challenges the lack of health care provided to individuals in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) custody. As background, many immigration detainees are physically and emotionally vulnerable at the time of initial confinement due to a history of torture and trauma, which may include human trafficking, sexual violence, political oppression, psychosocial trauma, and acculturative stress. Detention can exacerbate preexisting vulnerabilities and contribute to severe physical and mental illness as well as death. Between October 2003 and October 2015, 153 individuals died while in ICE custody. Although most proposals for detainee health reform borrow heavily from constitutional law, international …

Domestic Violence And The Politics Of Self-Help, Elizabeth L. Macdowell

Scholarly Works

Self-help programs are conceptualized as alternatives to attorney representation that can help both courts and unrepresented litigants. The rhetoric of self-help also typically includes empowering unrepresented individuals to help themselves. But how do self-help programs respond to litigants’ efforts at self-advocacy? This Article reports findings from a study of courthouse self-help programs assisting unrepresented litigants applying for protection orders. The central finding is that self-help staff members were not neutral in the provision of services despite a professed ethic of neutrality. Using the sociological concept of demeanor, this Article shows that staff members rewarded protection order applicants who conformed to …

The Certifying Triangle Of Financial Reports, Dong Li

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research provides theoretical, regulatory, and empirical underpinnings that financial reports are the joint representation of the certifying triangle (i.e., CEO-CFO-Auditor). This research also finds that replacement of the CEO tends to reduce the survival rate of the CFO with the firm, and vice versa; replacement of the CFO reduces the survival rate of the auditor, and vice versa. However, an association does not exist between the survival rate of the CEO and the auditor. Moreover, while a single realignment of the certifying triangle does not reduce the year-end ERC, a double (CEO-CFO) realignment significantly decreases the ERC. This negative …

"Miss" Communication: Women Navigating The Crossroads Of The Journalism And Mass Communication Industry And Academia, Aariel Roxanne Charbonnet

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the career transitions of women from the mass communication industry to academia using Schlossberg’s (1984) theory of transition. In addition to the job demands as academics and administrators, mass communication leaders must satisfy the demands of the professional communities their schools serve. This calls for a more practical curriculum with media and communication professionals serving as faculty members. For women, the demands appear to have another layer, as women are leaving the journalism industry earlier than men (Willnat & Weaver, 2014). This begs the following questions: Why are women leaving the industry? What are the experiences …

Chemical Communication: The Effects Of Stress-Induced Apocrine Sweat On Human Perceptions And Interactions, Laura Caitlyn Hatcher

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In times of stress, humans secrete a type of sweat (apocrine sweat) that they do not secrete at any other time. This sweat has been previously shown to influence others who are exposed to it. The current project seeks to explore how apocrine sweat influences the people who are exposed to it. Using the framework of Emotional Contagion Theory, two studies were conducted to assess the effects of stress-induced apocrine sweat on human perceptions and interactions. Study 1 saw participants exposed to either thermoregulatory sweat or apocrine sweat before watching a short, fear-inducing video. Participants then reported their levels of …

Crafting Comment Letters: Teach Policy, Develop Skills, And Shape Pending Regulation, Benjamin P. Edwards, Nicole G. Iannarone

Scholarly Works

Professor Benjamin Edwards joins his colleague, Professor Nicole Iannarone, in this essay, unpacking the regulatory comment letter process and how to incorporate it into the law school curriculum. Participating in live rulemaking offers unique opportunities for students including mastering the substantive area of law, developing critical thinking skills, and developing their professional identities. The authors describe their own experiences in incorporating students into the regulatory rulemaking process. Because of the focus on securities law, their students review and comment on proposed actions by securities regulators - the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). After providing …

A Phenomenological Study Of Louisiana 4-H Agents Perceived Job Expectations, Renee Naquin Castro

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions related to job expectations as described by 4-H agents in the state of Louisiana. The study explored feelings, skills and knowledge associated with job expectations. This study used a qualitative approach to examine perceptions related to job expectations. A phenomenological study captured the essence of this experience. The participants for this study included LSU AgCenter Extension 4-H agents who work in different parishes located in the state of Louisiana. The state is divided into five regions divided into parishes. Initially two agents from each region were identified to take part in …

Leveling The Playing Field: Sport And Resistance In Low-Wealth Communities, Danielle Jo Thomas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A consequence of systemic racism in the United States is low-wealth minority neighborhoods that are segregated from the rest of society and whose residents have less opportunities for social mobility than the general population. These neighborhoods often become the target of post-racial neoliberal projects of community development that emphasize individual development and achievement, or assisting residents with “escaping” their community as a means of achieving social mobility. One of the major forms of development is sport for development, aimed at youth in low-wealth minority neighborhoods. Here I call for a new narrative of community development that is critical, taking into …

Analysis Of Insect Pest Reports At Lsu Residential Life, Namoona Acharya

LSU Master's Theses

Urban insect pests are adversely affecting student living on campus at LSU. Insect pest reporting was started systematically in 2000 at LSU Residential Life after introducing Maximo database. To analyze the insect pest reports, complaints from students on ants, bed bugs and cockroaches were selected from the database. From the 16-year data set, the growth trend of reports of ants, bed bugs and cockroaches was found to be increasing. The highest reported month and year for ants was September 2004. In August 2008, cockroaches were most reported on. Bed bug reports peaked in October 2009. Based on the reports, the …

Parenting The Gifted And Talented Child: A Qualitative Inquiry Of The Perceptions Of Mothers Regarding Their Unique Experiences In Raising Gifted And Talented Children, Mary F. Hidalgo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The lived experiences of mothers raising gifted and talented (G/T) children can differ from the lived experiences of mothers raising non-G/T children, and these unique experiences may spark concern, impact choices, and exacerbate stress and anxiety. The purpose of this study was to gather data in order to illustrate the distinctly defining experiences and perceptions of mothers currently raising G/T children as well as to consider both the internal and external factors affecting and influencing perspectives and self-efficacy. Utilizing a qualitative, case study research design approach, the researcher conducted interviews with eight volunteer mothers willing to share their thoughts and …

Programmed Shifts In Reward Quality And Quantity: A Planned Positive And Negative Contrast Analysis, Michael Schafer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Two experiments were conducted in an attempt to occasion both positive and negative contrast effects. The primary purpose was to occasion both decrements and increases in responding following planned shifts in quality or magnitude of reinforcement. Participants were children ages 7 to 16 years who were receiving therapy using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and had a prior diagnosis of autism. In Experiment I, changes in responding were measured following manipulations of reinforcer quality. Results indicated response patterns consistent with negative contrast effects following shifts from high quality to low quality reinforcers, and positive contrast effects following shifts from low quality …

A Qualitative Analysis Of The Lived Experiences Of Childcare Providers Employed At Non-Accredited Childcare Centers Serving Low Income Families, Chantel M. Ellis Brown

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of childcare providers employed at non-accredited childcare centers serving low income families. This study examined childcare providers and the environment in which they worked. The study sought to obtain an in-depth understanding of the day-to-day experiences, behaviors, perspectives, and attitudes of the participants. Participants were selected based on three factors: 1) Participant must be at least 18 years of age. 2) Participants must be employed full-time (at least 40 hours per week) at a non-accredited childcare center serving low income families 3) Participants must have at least …

Coming To The Table: Exploring The Narrative Of Cafe Reconcile And Learning In The Kitchen, Danielle Klein

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In New Orleans, Louisiana, food shapes much of the discourse around cultural history and identity. Residents of this city identify with the historical and cultural significance of the dishes they cook, and as a result foodways as a curriculum emerges as a way to engage individuals in their learning and development. This study is concerned with how students learn in a space where the classroom is not just four walls and rows of desks, but instead is reimagined to also include a kitchen, restaurant, and the context of the local community. Furthermore, this study explores what learning looks like in …

Caregiver Choice In Autism Intervention: Selections And Influential Factors, Hilary Lynn Adams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Although research on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) continues to increase, there is not yet a “cure” for the disorder. There is a lack of consensus regarding most effective treatments, much less an accepted treatment plan or course. Families may feel alone and lost in the treatment decision process. In order to best assist caregivers, psychologists must understand the selections caregivers make, their sources of information, and what influences them in their decision-making process. With this knowledge, clinicians may best effect change in caregiver choice by encouraging informed decision-making and use of empirically-based interventions. Thus, the purpose of the current study …

Leveraging Federal Land Plans Into Landscape Conservation, Robert L. Fischman

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Professor Fischman’s article suggests several ways in which a mandated unit-level (e.g. an individual national forest) plan can better contribute to goals of a larger region (e.g. the Willamette River watershed) and of federal agencies (e.g. mandates to maintain ecological integrity). The scientific literature is largely in agreement that achieving ecological integrity, adaptive management, and climate change resiliency all require large-scale coordination across property boundaries and jurisdictions. The author takes these widely accepted findings as a starting point and shows how public agencies can implement effective practices. The article attempts to integrate traditional regulatory analysis with actual planning practices as …