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Post Activation Potentiation In North American High School Football Players, Granite Tano, Alan Bishop, Joe Berning, Kent J. Adams, Mark Debeliso

Kinesiology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Post activation potentiation (PAP) is an acute enhancement of muscular power production resulting from a high intensity potentiating exercise. Practical applications of the PAP phenomena as a warmup strategy are the focus of ongoing research. This study compared the effects of a dynamic and a PAP warm up strategy on speed and horizontal plane muscular power output. High School male football players (n = 16) participated in a repeated measures cross over design study consisting of 3 testing days. Day 1: one repetition maximum (1-RM) back squats were established. Day 2: half of the participants completed a dynamic warmup …

Strengthening Shear Deficient Thin-Walled Steel Beams By Bonding Pultruded Gfrp Sections, Tuna Ulger

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Rehabilitation and retrofitting methods offer economical and feasible alternatives for upgrading aged and deficient structures. Structural strengthening using Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites have been widely investigated by researchers and used in field applications. The main advantage of FRP composites is the superior mechanical properties they offer over traditional structural materials. One novel alternative of these retrofitting methods was developed at Louisiana State University and called “Strengthening-by-Stiffening” (SBS). In SBS, the external strengthening of shear deficient thin-walled steel structures is achieved by bonding pultruded FRP sections to buckling prone web panels. Contrary to the commonly used uniaxial tension resistance of …

Buying In And Selling Out: African-American Ownership Of Record Labels In The Twentieth Century, Stuart Lucas Tully

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Throughout the twentieth century, African-American owned record labels seemingly served as embodiments of entrepreneurialism’s capacity to generate social uplift for the race as well as wealth. However, an examination of Black Swan Records, Motown, and Def Jam Records, demonstrates how this assertion is undermined by the actions of their owners. Harry Pace founded Black Swan Records in 1921 not only to showcase black artists, but also prove the African-American audience was capable of appreciating classical music and other high culture. However, faced with financial pressures, Pace expanded the genres recorded on Black Swan to include jazz and other genres deemed …

Vegetation Influences Microbial Community Structure And Methane Emissions In Southeastern Louisiana Wetlands, Anthony Jason Rietl

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Methane has a warming potential 28 times that of carbon dioxide and has been increasing in the Earth’s atmosphere since 1750. An understanding of the dynamics of methane emissions from natural sources is becoming increasingly important as we may need to mitigate emissions from these sources in the future to help reduce the effects of climate change. Wetlands are the single largest natural source of methane; however, little attention has been given to how plant species, biota, and interactions between above and belowground communities and microbial communities may affect methane emissions. First, microbial community structure and function was assessed for …

21st Century Transformational Leadership: The Neo-Stereotypical Phenomenon Of A Black Female Principal, Terri Valentine Wallis

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the leadership perceptions of a Black female first year principal in a predominantly White private Christian school. For years, educational research and leadership models for school principals were theorized and constructed based on White men or those in the dominant group. This study is significant in that it sought to explore the perception of the leadership behaviors and dispositions of a Black female to determine if there was a correlation between the Transformational Leadership Theory and the emergent leadership style. In the qualitative tradition, this autoethnographic study used narrative inquiry to explore …

Succession In Family Owned Businesses: The Influence Of Succession Planning And Demographic Characteristics On Succession Success, Steven Thomas Perret

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence selected aspects of succession planning and selected demographic characteristics had on the level of success in the succession of family owned businesses (FOB¡¯s) in south Louisiana. To achieve this, the researcher designed a survey instrument to collect data. A total of 61 FOB¡¯s responded indicating they completed succession; however, only 23 or (38%) completed a planned succession to the next generation. An important finding was that having a high quality succession plan had a positive influence on the perceptions of family owned business owners and managers. Another important finding …

“A Voice, A Messenger” By Aaron Jay Kernis: A Performer's Guide And Historical Analysis, Pagean Marie Disalvio

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

a Voice, a Messenger by Aaron Jay Kernis is a concerto for trumpet and ensemble comprising winds, brass, percussion, double basses, harp and piano. It is a contemporary 21st century work that demonstrates historical awareness and has the potential to become a noteworthy addition to the trumpet solo repertoire. Kernis’s work is challenging, rewarding, and tests the technical ability of the modern trumpeter’s agility and physical endurance without surpassing the instrument’s potential. In conjunction with my lecture recital, this document serves to expose trumpeters and other musicians to this new and significant composition. Original interviews with two of the trumpet …

Circumstellar Dust Shells: Clues To The Evolution Of R Coronae Borealis Stars, Edward Joseph Montiel

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The existence of extended, cold dust envelopes surrounding R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars has been known about for over 30 years. RCB stars are an exotic group of extremely hydrogen-deficient, carbon-rich supergiants that are known for their spectacular declines in brightness (up to 8 mags) at irregular intervals. There are three possible origins of these envelopes: (1) they are fossil planetary nebulae (PNe), indicating that RCB stars formed via a final Helium-shell flash; (2) they are the remnant material from the merger of a CO and a He white dwarf binary, (3) they have been constructed from dust ejection events …

Internal Cooling Using Novel Swirl Enhancement Strategies In A Slot Shaped Single Pass Channel, Del Alan Segura

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A series of heat transfer tests using a single pass slot shaped channel utilizing varying configurations of trapezoid shaped turbulence enhancement strip or varying configurations of high velocity jets issuing from side channels are studied. Thermochromatic Liquid Crystal techniques are used to determine local heat transfer coefficients, which are converted to normalized Nusselt values. The results show a marked improvement over traditional heat transfer enhancements used in the mid-span region of first stage turbine blades.

Physical Activity Promotion From The Social Cognitive Theory Perspective: An Examination Of Mobile Fitness Apps, Steven L. Maberry

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The current study has expanded the scientific understanding of physical activity motivation through the use of smartphone mobile technology. With the emergent popularity of social media, software developers have begun incorporating components of social media into mobile fitness apps, which allow users to easily engage with peer support networks to obtain motivation for continued participation. Grounded in Bandura’s (1977) social cognitive theory, the study has also extended the physical activity knowledge base related to self-efficacy and peer and family support systems.

Four hundred sixty-seven adults (mean age: 35.8 years) completed an online survey, the results of which were used to …

"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 …

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 …

Roles Of Members Of The Conserved Deda/Tvp38 Membrane Protein Family In Escherichia Coli Drug Resistance And Alkaline Ph Tolerance, Sujeet Kumar

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation is to understand the functions of Escherichia coli YqjA and YghB, which are members of the conserved DedA/Tvp38 membrane protein family. YqjA and YghB are inner membrane (IM) proteins with multiple predicted membrane–spanning domain, sharing 62% amino acid identity and partly overlapping functions. Simultaneous in-frame deletions of these two genes in a strain named BC202 results in various phenotypes including cell division defects, temperature sensitivity, and sensitivity to drugs and alkaline pH. The cell division defect of BC202 is due to the inefficient secretion of periplasmic amidases by the twin arginine transport (Tat) pathway into …

Coastal Ecosystem Resiliency After Major Disturbances, Giovanna Mcclenachan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Disturbances are a common occurrence in coastal ecosystems and can provide opportunity for adaptation and renewal in healthy systems; hurricanes bring mineral accretion to a marsh, floods provide a pulse of freshwater and nutrients to estuaries, and fires increase species diversity and abundance in forests. Humans, however, have depleted the resiliency of many coastal systems via top down and bottom up mechanisms, leaving these ecosystems more vulnerable to both natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Louisiana’s wetlands have been modified for centuries via canals, levees, agricultural impoundments, etc., leading to a decreased resiliency to land loss. The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill …

Effects Of Landscape Fragmentation On Land Loss, Weijia Cheng

LSU Master's Theses

Coastal Louisiana, the seventh largest delta on earth, is one of the most vulnerable coastal areas in the United States of America (USA) because of its land loss problem. Coastal land loss is usually caused by many complicated factors. With the rapid increase in human activities, more studies on land loss have focused on the anthropogenic elements, but less on the pattern of the landscape. It is expected that the type of spatial arrangement, such as high degree of fragmentation, would affect the degree of land erosion. A quantitative evaluation of coastal landscape fragmentation and its influences on land loss …

Boys On Blue Benches: Disfigured Veterans Of The First World War, Brenna K. Pritchard

LSU Master's Theses

The First World War saw a multitude of facial wounds, with veterans coming home with severe facial mutilation numbering in the thousands. These veterans have been somewhat overlooked in the historiography of medicine in World War I, and this work seeks to remedy that by examining every aspect of their lives, from the moment of the wound, to the aftermath of their return home. The medical professionals who treated these men gave a great deal of thought to the philosophy behind their work, and frequently voiced the opinion that their work was essential for the wellness of these men’s psyches. …

#Cone-Versation: A Tactical Urbanist Experiment, Yifu Liu

LSU Master's Theses

The thesis intends to introduce tactical urbanism as a way to expand the toolkit for designers to communicate with theirs audiences from the public. Lessons from the post-Katrina planning processes urges for better communication tool that invites broader conversation while providing more direct physical outcome from the process. Tactical urbanism is introduced to the city and the discipline of landscape architecture in order to provide a fresh solution to the communication by changing the speech between the authority figure and the residents into a more personal conversation with an invitation through on-site installation. At the same time, it is a …

Glue Sticks And Gaffs: Disassembling The Drag Queening Body, Ray Siebenkittel

LSU Master's Theses

Drag queening men, typically gay men who perform femininities for entertainment, use makeup, padding, injections and other tools to change their bodies for performance. I focus on the backstage activities of drag performers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, rather than conventional observations from the audience, to explore the negotiation, construction and implications of these bodies, both physically and discursively. Through autoethnographic accounts and participating in my own drag performance, I highlight the often unseen, less frequently discussed aspects of drag queening in order to lessen the distance between the efforts of performers and the stage. Drag queening men’s bodies are a …

Silicon Fertilization In Rice:Establishment Of Critical Silicon Level And Its Impact On Availability Of Nutrients In Soils Of Louisiana, Wooiklee Sundayboy Paye

LSU Master's Theses

While silicon (Si) fertilization is widely practiced in paddy rice production, the establishment of critical soil Si levels has remained understudied. This study was undertaken to: 1) determine the critical soil Si level for rice production in Louisiana using different extraction procedures, and 2) document the relationship between plant-available Si and select essential plant nutrients in soil and their uptake by rice. Field trials were established at 12 sites across Louisiana from 2013 to 2015. Si was applied as silicate slag (SiO3, 14% Si) at the rates of 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 Mg ha-1. Agricultural lime was …

Microfluidic Device For Motility And Osmolality Analysis Of Zebrafish Sperm, Jacob Ethan Beckham

LSU Master's Theses

An increasing number of laboratories are evaluating sample quality via motility analysis by means of computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) after sperm activation by manual dilution and mixing. Even with the use of CASA, due to user variation, there is a lack of control over the activation process, resulting in inconsistent motility analysis. Low sample volume (~1-2µL), and a short motility duration (burst motility of less than 15s) add to the complexity of these difficulties. The objectives of this study were to develop a microfluidic device with the capabilities to (1) standardize the method of activation for zebrafish sperm so that …

What Every New Coach Should Know: Analysis Of Coaches' Goals For Organizational Entry/Assimilation, Through The Goals-Plans-Action Theory And Socioemotional Selectivity Theory, Destini J'Ne Hughes

LSU Master's Theses

This manuscript attempts to act as an organizational entry pamphlet, in providing a wealth of knowledge to those who are looking to get into collegiate coaching for the first time. The majority of participants were selected from the coaching staff of NCAA Division I collegiate women's basketball teams, with a total of 55 participants involved in this study. Although this study was conducted specifically for new collegiate women basketball coaches that are starting the job for the first time, successfully, the results of this study can be applicable to any coach and any sport. Based on the responses of these …

Building A Community Of Writers Through Free Writing, Reflection, And Collaboration, Adrienne Renee Tate

LSU Master's Theses

This teacher-research project was implemented into a sophomore English Language Arts classroom in order to examine free writing as a writing strategy to encourage students’ interactions and cultivate community. The researcher wanted to discover if free writing was a strategy English teachers can implement to encourage collaboration and community amongst his or her students. This study was conducted approximately for one semester in an English II honors class in southern region of the United States. This project used a mixed-methods approach to determine if free writing is a strategy to encourage students’ interactions and cultivate community. To determine the effectiveness …

Investigating Species And Population Level Foraging Variation And Individual Specialization In Pygoscelis Penguins Using Stable Isotope Analysis, Rachael W. Herman

LSU Master's Theses

Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis papua) are known to be generalist foragers, while Adélie (P. adeliae) and Chinstrap (P. Antarctica) tend to specialize on krill within the Western Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands, particularly during the breeding season. However, little is known on temporal consistency in diet and foraging habitat of these species, particularly at the individual level. We used stable isotope analysis (SIA) of blood and feathers to evaluate seasonal and individual foraging consistency within Adélie, Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins breeding in the South Shetland Islands, as well as among three Gentoo Penguins’ populations in the Western Antarctic Peninsula and …

Single-Family Housing Construction Cost In The Greater Baton Rouge Area, Justin Pierce Estes

LSU Master's Theses

Most research focused on housing costs has noted a paucity of empirical cost data for residential construction, and researchers have suggested that collecting these data for individual metropolitan areas is ideal. The goal of this study is to obtain these data and compare them to national average sources to determine how well national data represent local costs. Data collection included obtaining prices from big box stores and through a survey of local Baton Rouge residential contractors for material, square foot and assembly costs for the major components of a house (i.e. foundation, wall, roof). From the material cost data evaluated, …

Resilient Future: The Cultural Riverfront Edge In The New Capital, Amaravathi, In Andhra Pradesh, India, Priyanka Malik

LSU Master's Theses

India faced the bifurcation of a united Andhra Pradesh state into the state of Telangana and state of Andhra Pradesh or Seemandhra, on 2nd June 2014. Since the year 1948, the city of Hyderabad remained the capitol of united Andhra Pradesh. However, post the bifurcation, the two states are required to share Hyderabad as their administrative capitol for ten years after which the city of Hyderabad will be the centre for the state of Telangana. The state of Andhra Pradesh is thus building a new capital Amaravathi, along the banks of Krishna River. The name of the capital is borrowed …

Neural Recovery Rates Of Knee Extensors Following A Resistance Exercise Protocol, Darren Michael Polk

LSU Master's Theses

Fatigue can manifest in the human body in a multitude of ways, one of these is neural-based fatigue. Neural-based fatigue occurs when the nerve fails to activate a muscle (Brooks et al., 2005). The purpose of this research is to investigate rates of neural recovery following a resistance exercise protocol. A pre-test consisting of a 5-second maximum voluntary isometric knee extension was performed. Next, each subject performed a resistance exercise protocol consisting of 5 sets of 10 repetitions of isokinetic knee extensions. Post-tests following the resistance exercise protocol consisted of 5-second maximum voluntary isometric knee extensions after 1, 5, 10, …

Hanging The Servant Girl To Hunting The Ripper: The Victorian Birth Of The True Crime Genre, Jonathan G. Brown

Masters Theses

More definitive answers about the creation and form of the modern True Crime genre narrative can be found by exploring, not the creators of True Crime narratives, but by following reader expectations and examining the social situation from which True Crime narratives were able to arise. Theorists in the genre field such as Lloyd Bitzer Carolyn Miller and Amy Devitt have introduced and refined the view of genre as a social action. In this view, genre does not come about as a set of rules imposed upon types of literature to bring order, but as a societally accepted creation constructed …

"Boys Learn The Teacher, And Then They Learn The Subject": The Importance Of The Teacher-Student Relationship In Engaging High School Boys In The Writing Classroom, Leslie Ellis

Masters Theses

This thesis explores methods for engaging high school boys in the writing classroom. Chapter one describes the differing beliefs scholars have about boys' educational situation, specifically in English language arts. Several researchers and scholars describe boys' situation as dire because boys have failed to improve as girls have over the last sixty years. These researchers cite various reasons for boys' academic stagnation, such as learning styles, hormones, brain structure and development, the feminization of the classroom, motivation, engagement, and teaching styles. These factors may contribute to the gender gap in writing. Other scholars deny the urgency of boys' lack of …

Heroic Texts And Special Effects, Joshua D. Goss

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Forging Tomorrow's Air, Space, And Cyber War Fighters: Recommendations For Integration And Development, Mark Reith

Faculty Publications

Today’s Airmen operate in contested environments, and years of technical-data spillage, coupled with policies emphasizing commercial-off-the-shelf acquisition, ensure that the immediate future will remain contested as our adversaries seek to exploit level playing fields. Long gone are the days of Operation Desert Storm and Enduring Freedom when air superiority dominated and the supporting elements of space, communications, and computers were largely out of reach for many nation-states. Since then, technology has become ubiquitously intertwined in weapon systems and today largely turns the gears of warfare, allowing a range of actors to erode national instruments of power.