Digital Commons Network^™

Anxiety Disorders Do Not Modulate Performance Monitoring During Visuomotor Learning, Olivia Perry, Leo Barzi, Kaylie Grimm, Leah Charles, Christopher Hill

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Humans experience different levels of anxiety throughout their daily lives. Some individuals even experience chronic, unprovoked anxiety that leads to a diagnosis of a psychological disorder known as generalized anxiety disorder. Many neurological diseases develop anxiety as a comorbidity and hinder therapeutic interventions. However, we don’t understand how anxiety disorders may affect the development and learning of new motor skills. Thus, the purpose of this study is to evaluate how different levels of anxiety may affect your ability to learn a new skill. We recruited physically healthy, right-handed young adults with and without a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder. Participants …

Environmental Influence On The Smart Self-Sensing 3d-Printed Concrete Column, Laraimie Reid, Khalilullah Taj, Yen-Fang Su

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

This study investigates the influence of environmental factors on the self-sensing performance of 3D-printed cementitious composites for structural health monitoring. Square 3D printed column samples containing control mortar and self-sensing cementitious composite (SSCC) were fabricated and cured, then exposed to controlled drying cycles and temperature variations from room temperature to 60°C. Under cyclic compressive loading, changes in electrical resistance were monitored to evaluate the fractional change in resistivity (FCR) and stress sensitivity. The results demonstrate that both internal moisture variation and elevated temperature significantly affect the piezoresistive sensitivity. Although resistance decreased with an increase in humidity and temperature, a better …

Imposter Syndrome And Coping-Motivated Cannabis Use: The Impact Of Race, Lan Qiu, Katharine Thomas, Julia Buckner

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Cannabis use among college students has become increasingly prevalent, with coping being
one of the primary motives for use. Imposter syndrome, characterized by persistent self-doubt
and fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of competence, is particularly common
among students. Given its association to social anxiety and social anxiety’s relation to coping
motives and cannabis-related problems, imposter syndrome may contribute to coping-motivated
cannabis use and related problems. Yet, no known research has examined the impact of race
on the relation of imposter syndrome and cannabis use behaviors among Black and non-
Hispanic/Latine White students. The current sample included …

Action Research In Action: How Lab Findings Informed Change In Baton Rouge’S Math Classrooms, Brookelyn Pasipanki, Avery Ned, Colleen Sinclair

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

In a 3-year collaboration with the East Baton Rouge Parish School System (EBRPSS), we conducted semi-annual surveys of student motivation to see if we could identify key psychological factors underlying math performance. We developed the Math Mind Measures (MMM) to assess 10 distinct motivational factors. Analyses revealed that math anxiety and math self-efficacy were the strongest predictors of end-of-year standardized test scores. We shared our findings with students and teachers, via focus groups, to shape a Teacher Action Checklist. This checklist aims to inform practice by enhancing motivation and decreasing demotivation. EBRPSS also implemented professional learning trainings to capitalize on …

Water Remediation And Hydrogen Production With Cobalt-Doped Tio2 Photoanodes, Moises Osorio, Liz Diaz, Caleb Osei-Appau, Fanny Duquet, Anne Lobitz, Chahinez Arroumia, Stéphanie Roualdès, Samuel Bayo, Francois Zaviska, Samuel Snow

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Finding clean energy and water sources are some of the most important challenges in the engineering field. The use of TiO2 photoanodes is a promising method for hydrogen production and water treatment. Synthetizing TiO2 using polymeric biosurfactants and/or doping with Cobalt Oxide may allow optimization for both hydrogen production and water treatment. Photocatalytic experiments were performed using a UVA lamp with emissions centered at 395 nm, across different modes of application, such as powder and thin film. Three polymeric biosurfactants were tested, including GBACoco (GC), GBAC18:1 (GB) and BIO868 (BIO), with a range of molar ratios from 0 to 0.5 …

Bayou Bride: Combining Alligator Leather And Digital Textile Printing In Bridalwear, Martha Rigney, Casey Stannard

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Alligator leather is attractive to luxury consumers because of its unique texture and beauty. However, due to the shape of alligator hides, differing scale patterns, and the hardness of the leather, it is less appealing for usage in apparel. One strategy to retain the visual appeal of alligator leather while improving comfort and versatility is to create photo-realistic digitally printed “alligator” textiles alongside real leather. Discovering new ways to use alligators is crucial to the alligator industry, which is experiencing a price slump. This project focused on the bridal market; the utilization of sublimation dye printing allowed me to experiment …

Deriving Mercury Exposure Risk From The Feeding Ecology Of Coastal Sharks In Coastal Louisiana, Mallory Miller, Jeffrey Plumlee, Owen Henderson, Sydney Moyo, Michael Hayes

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Coastal sharks have high concentrations of mercury (Hg) in tissues, but what increases mercury exposure is unclear. Blacktip (Carcharhinus limbatus) and bull (Carcharhinus leucas) sharks are commonly harvested in Louisiana’s commercial shark fishery. Because of health risk from mercury consumption, we ask: Are there food web characteristics that increase exposure of sharks to mercury? Biomarkers, such as stable isotopes sulfur (δ³⁴S) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) indicate feeding habits linked to prey trophic level and prey use of freshwater which influences total mercury (THg) concentrations. We hypothesize increasing trophic level (higher δ¹⁵N) and increasing reliance on freshwater prey (higher δ³⁴S) will increase …

Feelings And Futures: Social Design Addressing Identity And Engagement Of Adolescent Girls In A Community-Based Organization, Eseoghene Mukoro

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Community organizations can provide numerous benefits to adolescent youth in various aspects of their lives—socially, psychologically, and physically, to name a few. Unfortunately, many youth-serving organizations aim to serve youth without directly involving their perspectives in the creation of their respective programs. At the Gardere Initiative, adolescent girls appear to have low levels of engagement and belonging, while their male counterparts enjoy activities and spaces catered to them. This poses a question of how this community organization might better serve the desires and life context of these adolescent girls.
Social Design is the practice of designing an intervention (product, service, …

Memory For Everyday Chores In Younger And Older Adults, Cameron Mccleary, Katie Cherry

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

This study examined episodic memory performance for everyday household chores in younger (18-32 years) and older adults (65-79 years). With the increasing older adult population in the United States, understanding age-related memory differences and identifying strategies to enhance memory performance in later life is needed. Building on previous research demonstrating the pictorial superiority effect and benefits of semantic encoding across the adult lifespan, this study utilized a 2 × 2 × 2 between-groups factorial design to investigate the effects of age group (younger, older), encoding task (standard intentional learning, semantic elaboration), and stimulus format (text only, text with pictorial illustrations) …

Relearning Language: A Meta-Analysis Of Syntactic Priming In Aphasia, Ally Miller, Willem Van Boxtel

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Background: Despite the importance of grammatical skills for participation
in daily life, treatments for sentence–level abilities in aphasia
are comparatively scarce. The psycholinguistic paradigm of syntactic
priming has recently been advanced as a potential assessment and
treatment for grammatical skills, and existing evidence on priming in
aphasia is highly promising. Nevertheless, a comprehensive analysis of
the strength of priming effects in aphasia, as well as treatment components
which might amplify these effects, has not been reported.
This meta–analysis synthesizes existing findings on syntactic priming
in aphasia, aiming to provide a comprehensive picture of priming
effects and their potential application for …

The Healing Power Of Nanoparticles: Bioengineering Gelatin Films With Lignin-Graft-Plga Nanoparticles For Enhanced Tissue Repair, Marie Howe, Cristina Sabliov, Thanida Chuacharoen, Willyam Nikiema

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Fish gelatin, a biocompatible material, can be methacrylated to enable its photo-crosslinking and formation of hydrogels for tissue-repair applications (1). This study investigated the incorporation of lignin-grafted PLGA nanoparticles (LNPs) into 3D-printed fGelMA hydrogels as controlled drug delivery systems. Lignin has UV absorbing properties, which could potentially interfere with photocrosslinking of fGelMA (2). These LNPs possess hydrophobic PLGA core and hydrophilic lignin forming the shell providing ample opportunities for delivery of drugs of different chemistries (3). Fluorescent LNPs (FLNPs) were engineered by covalently bonding a fluorophore to the shell prior to nanoparticle synthesis to allow for fluorophore tracking. The understanding …

Motor Planning And Execution During Feeding In Autistic Children, Iresa Lincoln

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Autism is one of the most common pediatric developmental disability diagnoses, diagnosed in approximately 1 in 31 children in the U.S. and 1 in 100 children globally. Autism is often characterized by differences in social communication and repetitive patterns of behavior, activities,
or interests; however, prevalence of clinically significant motor differences in autistic individuals is between 50-95%. These motor differences often interfere with activities of daily living and community participation. Research assessing motor control in autism has yielded mixed findings as to whether the motor differences observed in autistic individuals are associated with differences in motor planning or motor execution. …

Bridging Distances: Exploring Teleoperation’S Present And Prospects In The Construction Industry, Marc Hebert, Aras Maqsoodi, Ali Kazemian

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Telerobotics has enabled major advancements and developments in multiple fields by providing safer robotic solutions. The construction industry has previously employed teleoperation, but its use has been limited in scope and primarily focused on earthwork. Teleoperation is a valuable tool for ensuring safe operations in extreme environments and inaccessible areas, enabling construction workers to remotely oversee tasks that are traditionally high-risk. Recent advancements in high-speed telecommunication networks, innovative control systems, and growing research in teleoperation have significant potential and practicality for application in the construction industry. This paper reviews the existing literature on construction teleoperation, emphasizing how advancements in Human-Machine …

Evaluation Of Liberty® Herbicide For Zygosity Verification In Transgenic Maize (Zea Mays) Expressing The Bar Gene From Streptomyces Hygroscopicus, Isabel Hau

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Maize (Zea mays) is a major global crop cultivated for food and feed. Most commercial varieties grown in the United States contain herbicide-resistant traits to facilitate weed management. One such herbicide trait is Liberty-Link, which contains the bialaphos resistance (bar) gene from Streptomyces hygroscopicus that confers resistance to glufosinate-ammonium, the active
ingredient in Liberty herbicide. This bar gene is also widely used as a selectable marker in plant transformation. In non-transgenic plants, glufosinate-ammonium inhibits plant glutamine synthetase by acting as a glutamate analog, thereby disrupting amino acid biosynthesis and leading
to plant death. In contrast, transgenic plants expressing the bar …

Characterization Of The Crazy Sphinx Skarn Deposit, Boulder Batholith, Helena, Mt, Samuel Juneau

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

The Boulder Batholith of southwest Montana is a geologically significant locality due to its high concentrations of critical metals like copper, lead, zinc, silver, gold, and molybdenum. The Crazy Sphinx Mine, a locality discovered and named by Bart Cannon, is well known for producing high quality mineral specimens of blue spinel, colorless grossular, and amber vesuvianite. The Crazy Sphinx Mine is interpreted to be a skarn deposit of the Boulder Batholith which is hosted in interbedded limestone and clay mudstone. To date there have been no publications on Crazy Sphinx Mine characterizing the overall mineral assemblage of the skarn deposit. …

Measuring The Rise And Fall Of Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations In Blue-Tongued Skinks (Tiliqua Scincoides) Following Ultraviolet B Exposure And Withdrawal, Ashleigh Godke, Haerin Rhim, M. Graciela Aguilar, Keishla Marrero-Acosta, Mark Mitchell

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Species-specific husbandry guidelines remain limited for blue-tongued skinks (Tiliqua scincoides), especially in relation to ultraviolet B (UVB) lighting and vitamin D requirements. This study aimed to determine whether UVB exposure is necessary for these skinks and how long 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) concentrations persist after UVB withdrawal. Eleven adult skinks who had been fed with wet cat food were exposed to 12 or 2 h of UVB per day for four weeks. Plasma 25-OHD concentrations were very low at the baseline, and significantly increased post-UVB in both groups (p < 0.01), with the 12-hour group increasing from baseline concentrations of 18.5 [12.8–20.5] nmol/L to 820 [730–1251.3] nmol/L and the 2-hour group increasing from baseline concentrations of 22 [15.5–22] nmol/L to 635 [401–892.5] nmol/L. Following the discontinuation of UVB exposure, 25-OHD gradually declined and was not significantly different from baseline concentrations at 7 and 4 months for the 12-hour and 2-hour groups, respectively. Dietary vitamin D3 (2.5 IU/g as dry matter basis), provided through wet cat food alone, appeared insufficient to support sustained plasma 25-OHD concentrations. These findings strongly suggest that blue-tongued skinks rely on UVB exposure to increase their 25-OHD concentrations. Moreover, the shorter 2-hour exposure provided a significant rise in 25-OHD concentrations and remained above baseline for 4 months, suggesting the shorter exposure can benefit these animals, while potentially reducing secondary risks associated with UVB exposure.

From Millionaires To Marsh Island: Origin And Development Of Wetland Conservation Efforts In Louisiana, Roan Guidry

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Wetlands are protected, managed, and restored worldwide to provide a range of ecosystem services, including (i) habitat for plants and animals, (ii) carbon storage, (iii) improving downstream water quality, and (iv) reducing flooding by river and coastal waters. When did such conservation begin, and how do early conservation efforts shape recent public policy? This thesis identifies some of the earliest recorded examples of private efforts in Louisiana and analyzes how these early efforts shaped State and Federal Government action in the realm of conservation. The earliest wetland protection efforts in Louisiana began in the 1910s to sustain continental populations of …

Relevant Responses Are Retrieved Faster In Familiar Contexts, Meghan Garcelon, Stanely West, Christopher Cox

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Determining which aspects of knowledge are relevant depends on current context and task demands. Familiar contexts may proactively reshape our brain’s knowledge repository to make context-appropriate information more accessible, increasing response selection speed. To test this, participants were asked to perform a word association task while imagining playing a game with a peer or child (contextualized conditions) or to produce short or creative responses (rule-based conditions). Participants were only assigned to only one of four conditions. We expected the context of playing a game with a peer or child would result in faster response times than making responses adhering to …

Analyzing And Understanding America’S Involvement In The Global War In Terror Through The Oral Histories Of Its Veterans And Other Sources, Bryce Edwards

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

From 2001 to the early 2020s, the United States and its allies have consistently engaged in political, military, counterinsurgency, and nation building operations in nations such as Afghanistan and Iraq. The efforts of this coalition first rallied to combat the threat of global terrorism after September 11th, yet it would then develop in decades-long assignment to rebuild these countries and their institutions with fundamental (and foreign) western values. This thesis intends to examine the conflict by conducting oral histories of its many veterans, to better understand their lived experience. These interviews will be supported by scholarly works from those involved …

Gullah Geechee, Progenitors For African North American Maternal Lineage, Jennifer Caldwell, Imani Sykes, Robbie Beyl, Tomilowo Abijo, Kiara Charles, Fatimah Jackson

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

African American ancestral lineages are marked by resilience, shaped by centuries of forced migrations, the Transatlantic and domestic slave trades, and subsequent movements within the United States. These historical events have influenced both the cultural and genetic diversity of Legacy African Americans. This study examined mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups among 189 participants—79 Gullah Geechee and 110 African Americans—to explore the Gullah Geechee as potential progenitors of other Legacy African North American lineages. Haplogroup analysis revealed L2 and L3 as the most frequent among both groups, comprising 34.6% and 38.8% in African Americans and 28.0% and 54.7% in Gullah Geechee, respectively. …

Droplet Microfluidics Integrated With Machine Learning Reveals How Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Modulate Endocrine Response And Tumor Heterogeneity In Er+ Breast Cancer, Calley Chauvin, Braulio Andres Ortega Quesada, Elizabeth Martin, Adam Melvin

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Approximately 70% of breast cancer (BC) diagnoses are estrogen receptor positive (ER+) with ∼40% of ER+ BC patients presenting de novo resistance to endocrine therapy (ET). Recent studies identify the tumor microenvironment (TME) as having a key role in endocrine resistance in which adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) play an essential role in cancer progression. Prior studies have indicated that ASC characteristics such as age and BMI may play a role in cancer progression. Unfortunately, most studies on ASC-BC cross talk have relied on established two-dimensional (2D) culture systems or the use of conditioned media that cannot replicate the complexity of …

Innovative Smart Sensing System For Accurate Monitoring Of Uhpc Setting Time, Ted Atera, Khalilullah Taj, Masoud Pasbani, Yen-Fang Su

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) is an advanced concrete material known for its strength and durability. Its superior mechanical properties make it an ideal material for demanding structural applications such as bridges. Accurate setting time measurements are crucial in helping to optimise the performance of UHPC. All conventional methods and standards for measuring the setting time of concrete rely on using expensive specialised equipment, such as the Vicat apparatus, which assesses penetration depth or resistance. However, these methods may not be well-suited for UHPC due to its rapid surface drying while the interior remains fresh. This prevents free needle penetration and leads …

Freshwater Mussels Of Louisiana: A Field Guide, Franchesca Ruiz, Garrett Hopper

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Freshwater mussels (Order Unionidae) are important animals that provide valuable ecosystem functions and services. Due to a multitude of factors such as habitat modifications and habitat destruction related to human population growth many mussel populations are declining throughout the United States increasing the need for public awareness. Louisiana is home to 63 mussel species, but most residents are not aware of their presence, importance, or state of imperilment. We addressed this by creating a field guide to the freshwater mussels of Louisiana. Our goals include providing a resource for accurate freshwater mussel field identification, increasing public and scientific awareness of …

Design Of Novel Small Molecule Modulators Of Cd36 For Metabolic And Oncological Applications, Arys Morman, Benedict Barras, Fatima Rivas

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Metastasis accounts for over 90% of cancer related deaths and current studies link CD36 to the development of metastasis in several cancer models. CD36 is a scavenger receptor that is involved in fatty acid uptake and oxidized lipoprotein recognition. In both metabolic disorders and cancer, CD36 activity has been associated with lipid accumulation, insulin resistance, and tumor metastasis, making it a promising yet underexplored therapeutic target. Our current aim is to develop a library of small molecules that can be used to inhibit CD36 thereby decreasing production of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL).
Triple-negative breast cancer is one of the most …

Structural Determination And Regulatory Mechanisms Of Rice Lipoxygenase-1, Lillie Ballanco, Nathaniel Gilbert, Adam Offenbacher

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Lipoxygenases (LOXs) are non-heme iron containing enzymes that catalyze the oxygenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as linoleic acid (LA). These lipoxygenase enzymes are found in both plants and animals. In humans, LOXs have been linked to inflammatory diseases such as asthma, atheroscelerosis, and allergic rhinitis. Plant LOXs have been primarily linked to the growth, development, and stress response of the plant. This paper focuses on Oryza sativa lipoxygenase-1 (OsLOX1), an enzyme found in rice (Oryza sativa). OsLOX1 has been associated with enhanced drought tolerance in rice and may play a role in regulating growth under water-limited conditions. Understanding …

Building Shields: Accreditation, Insurance, And Public-Private Partnerships As Tools To Safeguard Critical Race Theory And Democracy In Higher Education, Taifha Natalee Alexander

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

Following the racial justice uprisings of 2020, universities have become increasingly vulnerable to coordinated political campaigns aimed at dismantling antiracist teaching, training, and research. These attacks, ranging from legislative bans on Critical Race Theory (“CRT”) to executive efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, expose the fragility of higher education’s role as a guardian of democratic pluralism. This Essay demonstrates that universities cannot rely solely on moral suasion or First Amendment litigation to resist these escalating, structural assaults. Instead, colleges and universities must build a multilayered legal strategy that renders the teaching of CRT and the pursuit of …

An Investigation Into The Use Of The E1 Gene As A Target Gene For Molecular Detection And Differentiation Of Hr-Hpv Types, Shannon Reina

Masters

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most diagnosed sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world and high risk (HR-HPV) types are associated with 96% of cervical cancer cases. Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death amongst women and screening for cervical cancer has led to a 70% reduction in deaths. Medical professionals currently use the HPV vaccine and screening to prevent the spread of HPV and to diagnose precancerous lesions in the cervix before they develop to late grade cancer. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that HPV testing be used as a primary screening method as a …

Advancing Safe Medication Administration During Pediatric Emergency Care Through Nurse Education: A Quality Improvement Project, Ciera Hunter

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: Due to the increased complexities of pediatric medication administration, preventable errors occur at a higher rate than in general adult populations. Rural emergency departments (EDs) often see fewer pediatric patients and have less specialized support available on-site. Nurse continuing education is an evidence-based intervention to reduce medication administration errors making it vital to supporting patient safety and maintaining pediatric readiness.

Local Problem: The microsystem is a rural, critical access hospital in northern New England. In 2021, the microsystem scored 66/81 on the National Pediatric Readiness Project’s (NPRP’s) ED Assessment. In 2026, the score dropped 11 points to 55/81. Contributing …

Addressing Perception Of Nurse Burnout Through Educational Interventions On An Inpatient Hematology And Oncology Unit: A Quality Improvement Project, Kendra Flint

Master's Theses and Capstones

Introduction Nurse burnout is a growing concern in healthcare due to its negative effects on nurse well-being, staff retention, patient safety and quality of care. This quality improvement project evaluated whether a brief educational intervention could improve nurses’ confidence in recognizing and managing early signs of burnout within an inpatient hematology and oncology unit.

Methods This QI project utilized the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework to guide implementation and evaluation. Registered nurses completed anonymous pre- and post- intervention electronic surveys and descriptive statistics were used to compare change in self-reported confidence and burnout perception.

Intervention Participants were directed through a brief electronic …

Promoting Safe And Effective Ciwa-Ar Protocol Adherence On An Inpatient Psychiatric Unit Through An Educational Reference Poster: A Quality Improvement Project, Kenan J. Gray

Master's Theses and Capstones

Abstract

Background: Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) can progress to seizures, delirium tremens, and autonomic instability. The Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol–Revised (CIWA-Ar) supports symptom-triggered AWS management, but safe use depends on timely nursing assessment, reassessment, and documentation.

Local Problem: On an adult inpatient psychiatric unit, chart audits identified CIWA-Ar protocol adherence gaps, including missed four-hour assessments and one-hour reassessments after lorazepam.

Methods: This quality improvement project used the Plan-Do-Study-Act model. Three educational reference posters were placed in high-visibility staff areas with QR-linked access to the facility’s AWS protocol and CIWA-Ar scoring guidelines. Outcomes were evaluated using pre- and post-intervention …