Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating Patterns Of (Mal)Adaptation In Two Dominant Cajun Prairie Grasses: Schizachyrium Scoparium And Panicum Virgatum, Braden Isaiah Doucet

Masters Theses

Local adaptation is assumed to be prevalent within natural populations, but anthropogenic climate change and habitat destruction have been demonstrated to cause maladaptation. This thesis examines patterns of adaptation within two dominant grass species of our local Cajun Prairie ecosystem, Panicum virgatum and Schizachyrium scoparium. Using a provenance common garden study, our results reveal how climate change and habitat destruction have altered the patterns of adaptation within local populations. Chapter 1 examines how source climate and geographic distance predicts population fitness. Chapter 2 examines the type, magnitude, and direction of selection acting on key ecological traits of both species, as …

Hyperdimensional Computing For Edge And Mobile Devices, Colin Eddy Dupuis

Masters Theses

This thesis presents a set of four Hyperdimensional Computing (HDC) frameworks and their Android application implementations to evaluate efficiency and feasibility on resource-constrained devices. These proposed methods target a range of application domains, including wearable health monitoring, mobile malware detection, and activity recognition utilizing both computer vision and multiple sensor streams as input. The proposed frameworks utilize HDC’s simple, lightweight arithmetic operations to convert raw data into high-dimensional representations for use in both binary and multi-class classification schemes. Each method utilizes unique encoding techniques tailored for each use case, demonstrating the flexible nature and specialization HDC offers as an emerging …

A Study On The Perception Of Fear Of Crime Among Ul Lafayette Students, Md Rakibul Hasan

Masters Theses

Research has constantly found that campus crime rates are relatively low compared to those in the surrounding areas. Many students still experience a meaningful level of fear of crime that significantly influences their daily routines and impacts their lives. This study examines the perceived fear of crime among students at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette) and how it varies across demographic groups. The study used a quantitative, cross-sectional design with a non-probability convenience sampling technique. Data were collected from 512 currently enrolled UL Lafayette students during the spring 2026 semester using a Qualtrics online survey. The survey …

Viral Visions Of Femininity: A Visual Thematic Analysis Of Trending Tradwife Imagery On Instagram, Phoebe L. Lim

Masters Theses

This study uses visual thematic analysis and a semiotics lens to examine how trending tradwife content on Instagram constructs domestic femininity through recurring signifiers of whiteness, homemaking, motherhood, and hyperfeminine aesthetics. Current rhetorical analysis of the tradwife movement argues that the imagery of sweet, nostalgic traditionalism functions to mask visual and semiotic codes associated with patriarchal hierarchies, anti-feminism, pronatalism, and alt-right ideologies (Proctor, 2022). Drawing on the theoretical models of Saussure, Peirce, and Barthes (1972), this research analyzes how strategically curated visuals of domesticity and femininity function as ideological signifiers within digital culture. Analysis of 100 posts under #tradwife found …

The Perception Of Advertising Disclosures From Social Media Influencers And Its Impact On Consumers, Maria Lindquist

Masters Theses

Social media influencers play a commercial role on social media platforms such as Instagram, where sponsored content is often integrated into personal and relatable content. Content which could be considered a “normal” post by social media influencers. Sponsorship disclosures are required and regulated by the Federal Trade Commission to signal paid advertising and partnerships between Influencers and brands. Sponsorship disclosures are theorized to activate persuasion knowledge and psychological reactance, potentially reducing consumer purchase intentions. This study examined how varying levels of sponsorship disclosure affect purchase intentions, perceived authenticity, and psychological reactance among young adult social media users. Sourcing information from …

The Effect Of Perceived Support On Black College Students' Sense Of Belonging, Jamillia Domani Mckinley

Masters Theses

Black college students oftentimes navigate higher education environments while managing academic demands alongside racialized stressor that can weaken their sense of belonging. Existing literature and research examined peer relationships, faculty support, and institutional support separately; however, little to no studies considered how these forms of support operate together in shaping belonging. The current study addressed that gap by examining whether perceived peer support, teacher support, and institutional support predict Black students’ sense of belonging in college and university settings. Through the lens of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, belonging was viewed as a foundational need for confidence, connection, growth, and self …

From Fear To Action: The Role Of Media In Scam, Goodness Okhumode

Masters Theses

Scams have existed for a long time and are still prevalent today, with little indication of decline. Understanding how media exposure influences scam perceptions and motivates protective behavior among young adults has become pertinent in communication research. Drawing on Cultivation Theory and Protection Motivation Theory, this thesis examines how self-reported exposure to scam-related media content influences threat perceptions, efficacy beliefs and the adoption of preventive safety measures among young adult social media users. A quantitative online survey was used to collect data from undergraduate students of the CMCN 100 Spring 2026 class at a U.S. university. Seven hypotheses and two …

Optimizing Co₂ Wag Flooding Parameters For Enhanced Oil Recovery And Formation Damage Control In Asphaltene Reservoirs Using Soft Experimentation, Derrick Amoah Oladele

Masters Theses

CO₂ Water Alternating Gas flooding has become an important enhanced oil recovery process in increasing oil production in medium to heavy oil reservoirs. However, CO₂ injections have the potential to cause asphaltene destabilization, leading to precipitation, deposition, and pore plugging. This study evaluated and optimized the effect of CO₂ flooding parameters to maximize oil recovery and minimized formation damage. Eclipse 300 compositional reservoir simulator was used to assess the effect of CO₂ Water Alternating Gas (WAG) Injection Rate, WAG Ratio, and CO₂ Water Alternating Gas (WAG) Injection Pressure on the reservoir. Predictive models for Cumulative Oil Production (FOPT) and Asphaltene …

Tinder Troubles: Testing The Motivation-Based Model Of Online Disinhibition In A Mobile Dating App Context, Zachary Schleter

Masters Theses

As individuals turn to dating apps to find romance, friendships, sex, and more, understanding the factors that shape user behavior on these platforms has become increasingly important. Guided by Wen and Miura’s (2023) motivation-based Model of Online Disinhibition, this study examined how individual factors and motives for using Tinder predict online disinhibition and subsequent disinhibited behaviors. Specifically, using an English translation of Wen & Miura’s Multi-dimensional Measure of Online Disinhibition (2024), the study tested whether gender and five Tinder use motives—sexual experience, entertainment, romance, socializing, and distraction—predicted levels of online disinhibition on Tinder and whether online disinhibition, in turn, predicted …

Disparities In The Identification Of Vulnerable Communities Due To Design Storm Methods: A Case Study In The Vermilion River Watershed, South Louisiana, Usa, Claire Orgeron

Masters Theses

Accurately identifying socially vulnerable populations at-risk of flooding is critical for equitable disaster mitigation and planning. This study investigates how the selection of design storm method, which is fundamental to developing flood risk maps used for this identification, influences which socially vulnerable populations are recognized as being at elevated flood risk. The most widely used design storm approach relies on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Atlas 14 point-based rainfall frequency estimates. These estimates are typically applied spatially using areal reduction factors, thereby disregarding rainfall spatial variability in real storms. Stochastic Storm Transposition (SST), an alternative design storm approach that …

One-On-One Vs. Group Health Coaching: Impact On Weight, Knowledge And Well-Being., Julie Nelson

Nursing Capstones

This DNP scholarly project completed a retrospective review, comparing the effectiveness of one-on-one versus group-based health and wellness coaching in improving outcomes related to weight loss, health knowledge, and participant perceptions of well-being. The project reviewed existing, de-identified data from adults who previously completed a coaching program focused on healthy behavior change. Coaching was delivered in either a group or one-on-one format, and outcome measures included changes in weight, knowledge of healthy behaviors, and participant reported impressions of overall health and wellness. The aim of the project was to determine if the delivery method of coaching impacts outcomes, thus informing …

Improving Nurse Burnout With Wellness Activities During Break Times, Alyson Sigvertsen

Nursing Capstones

Nursing burnout continues to be a critical concern in healthcare worldwide. Due to a lack of physical, emotional, and mental breaks, burnout has a high prevalence in the nursing profession. Burnout leads to reduced patient quality of care, higher staff workload, increased risk of errors, delay in care, and reduced job dissatisfaction. Nursing staff who do not take their scheduled breaks are more at risk for burnout because of the strong correlation between burnout and lack of rest (Stutting, 2023). For nurses to take their scheduled breaks is a common practice; however, nurses report continued stress as their break includes …

Staff Education To Improve Adolescent Behavioral Health Referrals Through Crafft Screening And Motivational Interviewing Training, Franca Achaleke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Perceptions And Experiences Of Female Call Of Duty Players, Joshua Swanson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Interexaminer Variability In Objective Structured Clinical Examinations At A Medical University, Rakesh Calton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Scientific Crosstalk: Natural Language Processing, Praveshika Bhandari

Theses and Dissertations

While sentiment analysis has made significant strides in domains such as social media and personal correspondence, its application to formal scientific writings remains under-explored. The crosstalk between emotional expressions in personal and professional communications has also received limited attention despite its potential to reveal insights into the emotional drivers of scientific creativity. Our research introduces a computational framework designed to detect and quantify emotional expressions across various documents over time. Leveraging state-of-the-art transformer models fine-tuned on domain-specific corpora, the framework models emotional tone distribution. Integrating emotion analysis with knowledge graph modeling enables the exploration of emotional trends alongside key scientific …

Are The Big Ten And Sec Monopoly Pros? Publicity Rights Organizations And New Nil Antitrust Questions, Michael H. Leroy

Seton Hall Law Review

No abstract provided.

Raul Matos-Salazar V. Attorney General United States Of America

2026 Decisions

Agency

Stories From The Pantanal: Documentary Filmmaking And Conservation In A Changing Wetland Landscape, Tobin Yates

Environmental Studies Senior Theses

This thesis pairs a short documentary film, Umbigo do Pantanal, with a written component examining conservation in Brazil's Pantanal wetland. Six days of fieldwork in Mato Grosso in September 2025 centered on Sandro Sebastião Godofredo, a multi-generational Pantaneiro rancher whose 130,000-hectare property is transitioning from intensive cattle operations toward ecosystem-based conservation and ecotourism. Sandro's account, drawn from interviews recorded on his ranch and along the São Lourenço River, anchors a broader argument about the limits of single-species conservation models in the Pantanal. The dominant jaguar-focused approach concentrates ecotourism revenue in a small portion of the wetland while pushing the costs …

Activated Dorsomedial Hypothalamic Astrocytes Regulate Feeding Behavior, Bella M. Lisenby

Honors Projects

The dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) region of the brain has been shown to be important for anticipatory feeding activity and play a role in restricting excessive food intake. In obese animals that overconsume calories, astrocytes within the DMH exhibit intracellular signaling changes indicative of cellular activation. Because astrocytes are known to influence neuronal function, we hypothesize that activated astrocytes regulate behavior. In the current study, we use chemogenetics combined with stereotaxic surgery to assess the contribution of astrocyte activity in the DMH towards metabolic behaviors.

Academic Senate - Agenda, 06/02/2026, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Oral Adherence Education From Pharmaceutical Nurse Educators, Joshua David Boss

Nursing Capstones

The project investigates the impact of pharmaceutical nurse educators providing oncology practice nurses with education on oral anticancer medication adherence. A sample of nine registered nurses and advanced practice nurses participated in the pre-education survey and educational intervention, whereas seven participated in the post-education survey. Using a quantitative, quasi-experimental design, the project found an increase in understanding of the role pharmaceutical nurse educators play on the multidisciplinary team following the educational intervention. The findings support the need for an industry-wide naming clarification for the pharmaceutical nurse educator role, including the title across companies. Additionally, the need for the pharmaceutical nurse …

Effects Of L-Baiba Supplementation With And Without Grains Of Paradise On Changes In Resting Metabolic Rate, Body Composition, And Cardiometabolic Risk Factors, Leah E. Allen, Paige J. Sutton, Alex Schrautemeier, Kevin Holley, Connor J. Gaige, Joesi M. Krieger, Anthony M. Hagele, Karenina Antequera Gutierrez, Petey Mumford, Chad Kerksick

Faculty Symposium

To evaluate the impact of 56 days of supplementing with L-BAIBA or L-BAIBA + GOP (BGOP) on resting metabolic rate, body composition, perceptual indicators of mood and affect, and cardiometabolic markers in overweight and obese men and women.

METHODS: Healthy men and women (43.2±11.4 years, 169.4±7.6 cm, 90.3±15.6 kg, 31.4±4.4 kg∙m-2) completed a weekly exercise program and followed a calorierestrictive diet and were randomly assigned in a double-blind and blocked manner according to sex and DXA lean mass to consume daily either a placebo (PLA) (n=12 [11F, 1M]), 500 mg L-BAIBA (L-BAIBA: MitoBurn™, NNB Nutrition) (n=13 [9F, 4M]), or …

Biol A111l:Human Anatomy And Physiology I Laboratory, Jeremy Nettleton

Publications

A Human Anatomy and Physiology I Lab syllabus with links to open access textbook.

Attachment Styles And Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Following Sexual Infidelity In Committed Relationships, Arnetta Yardbourgh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Divided Attention On Linguistic Tasks And Speech In Healthy Young Adults, Allison Coca

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of divided attention on concurrent speech and linguistic tasks by investigating performance on three linguistic computer tasks (phonological, syntactic, and semantic) and speech kinematics. Thirty-seven healthy young adults (19 male, 18 female) ages 19-30 were recorded performing a sentence repetition task using electromagnetic articulography. Each participant completed the sentence repetition once in isolation and once concurrently with each of the three linguistic computer tasks. Participants also completed computer tasks in isolation. Significant dual-task effects were observed on total number of correct responses in the phonological and syntactic linguistic tasks. No …

Advocacy Matters, Richard Collins

American Indian Law Journal

The Supreme Court’s 2022 Castro-Huerta decision was wrong on the points it discussed. It was doubly wrong for a reason it ignored. But the latter error was shared because all briefs and the dissenting opinion ignored it as well. The question presented was whether a nineteenth-century federal Indian country statute provided for exclusive federal jurisdiction over interracial crimes, or for concurrent authority with states. The Court held that the statute allowed concurrent jurisdiction. But it ignored the fact that Congress and the Court, until fairly recently, avoided concurrent federal-state jurisdiction over crimes. Had the self-styled originalist Justices taken their theory …

Stability At Stake: The Effects Of Overturning Chevron On Indian Gaming, Evan Callahan

American Indian Law Journal

The Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright to overturn Chevron Deference marks a significant change in administrative law and could have drastic consequences for the regulation of Indian gaming in the United States. This Note explores the implications of such a shift, emphasizing the importance of maintaining stability in the highly regulated gaming industry. Many stakeholders, including operators, investors, regulatory agencies, and patrons, may face significant uncertainty without doctrines such as Chevron Deference. Without agency expertise in interpreting statutes, the Court may instead directly influence the regulation of Indian gaming in the United States, presenting challenges and uncertainties for all …

Reading Between The Treaties: Why The Supreme Court Must Honor The Indian Canons Of Construction, Amelia R. Wimmer

American Indian Law Journal

This Note critically examines the Indian canons of construction as interpretive tools employed by the United States Supreme Court in cases involving treaties and statutes with Tribal Nations. Ultimately tracing their origins to Worcester v. Georgia, this Note explores how the Indian canons were designed to protect tribal sovereignty, ensure the liberal construction of ambiguous provisions in favor of tribes, and prevent the abrogation of tribal land and rights. Shifts in interpretive philosophy and the rise of textualism have led to a checkered application of the Indian canons across courts. However, a continued application of the Indian canons is necessary …

The Federal Trust ​​​Responsibility ​And Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction: Restoring Justice In Tribal Nations​​​ ​, Sofia Sallas

American Indian Law Journal

Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction (SDVCJ), enacted through the Violence Against Women Act, was designed to address jurisdictional gaps that long allowed non-Indian perpetrators of domestic violence in Indian Country to evade accountability. Yet despite restoring Tribal authority, SDVCJ remains significantly under-implemented. This Note argues that this failure is not merely a policy shortcoming, but a legal one. Congress restored Tribal criminal jurisdiction while conditioning its exercise on federal funding, coordination, and institutional support. Federal agencies, however, have failed to provide the consistent infrastructure necessary for SDVCJ to function in practice. These failures breach the federal trust responsibility, which imposes …