Digital Commons Network^™

Quantifying Brain Network Coordination During The Imaginal Replay Of Naturalistic Shared Experiences Through Role-Playing Games, Zachary Traylor

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

University Students' Perceptions Of Humor Use By Male And Female Language Teachers In Lower And Intermediate-Level Spanish Classes, Anne-Catherine Jagneaux

LSU Master's Theses

This study explores students’ perceptions of their teachers based upon the teacher’s use of humor. It was guided by the following two research questions: 1) What are students’ overall opinions of the use of humor in the classroom in terms of its effect on the perceived characteristics of teachers?, and 2) Do male and female students perceive humor differently based on the gender of the teacher? Data were obtained to investigate how students view their teachers’ characteristics such as credibility, approachability, intelligence, overall likeability, in relation to their use of humor. The question of gender bias was addressed by investigating …

Community Dynamics Of Fish Assemblages On Mid-Shelf And Outer-Shelf Coral Reefs In The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Lynne S. Wetmore, Michael A. Dance, Ronald L. Hill, Jay R. Rooker

Faculty Publications

Offshore coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) are unique model systems for examining the mechanisms structuring reef fish communities due to their substantial geographic isolation, and the presence of replicate experimental units of both low (mid-shelf) and high coral diversity (shelf-edge) reefs. Here, we examined the species assemblage structure of juvenile and adult fishes at two mid-shelf reefs (Sonnier and Stetson Bank) and two shelf-edge reefs (East and West Flower Garden Banks) in the northwestern GOM to evaluate the relative importance of habitat (i.e., coral diversity) vs. recruitment in structuring resident fish assemblages. Visual reef fish surveys (n …

Taxonomy And Systematics Of The New Zealand Pselaphini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Brittany Elin Owens

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The New Zealand (NZ) Pselaphini was revised at the species level, a phylogenetic analysis was performed using morphological data, and first steps were taken towards the construction of a molecular analysis of the tribe. Eight new genera and 33 new species were discovered from specimens collected from the NZ mainland, offshore islands, Chatham Islands and the Subantarctic Islands. Of the 13 species originally described in the genus Pselaphus by Thomas Broun during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, all were either reassigned to the genera Pselaphaulax and Pselaphogenius, or were placed into new genera. Three names …

Consumers' Preferred Body Scanning Technology: A Comparison, Saiful Islam

LSU Master's Theses

Poor fit of apparel products has been troublesome for both the consumers and manufacturers for many years. The acquisition of a correct set of body measurements is crucially important for achieving proper fitting apparel. Three-dimensional body scanning technology has been recognized as a promising alternative to the traditional measuring tape method of obtaining body measurements. Three-dimensional body scanners are quick, efficient, highly reproducible, and largely free of error related to human intervention.

The purpose of this study was to investigate consumers’ preferred type of body scanning technology. Three types of body scanners (traditional body scanner, suit-based body scanner, and mobile-based …

The Fantastic Bildwelten Of Wolfgang Harms, Tanya A. Kramer

LSU Master's Theses

Wolfgang Harms is an artist from Nuremberg, Germany, who has not been studied at length in the recent past. This thesis explains why the artist is deserving of study. The first chapter is a biographical introduction to the artist and his early works. The following chapters discuss the importance of Nuremberg and mural painting to Harms. The final chapter will analyze the artist’s place in the historical context of Fantastic Realism and the history of art in general. Overall, the purpose of the thesis is to show how Wolfgang Harms is a unique independent-minded artist, who is deserving of more …

Research To Practice- Implementing Sign-Infused Intervention As A Novice Clinician, Loren Stoller

LSU Master's Theses

Speech-Language Pathologists often infuse manual signs into oral language interventions for children with various communication disorders. The current study was designed to learn more about sign-infused language intervention by examining one novice clinician’s use of signs during oral language intervention with a child diagnosed as a late talker. The researcher was the clinician, and while a novice interventionist, she was proficient in American Sign Language (ASL) and had five years of experience using ASL with others. The child was 26 months of age at the start of the study, and data collection included three pre-intervention sessions, 12 intervention sessions, and …

Antibiotic Resistance In Bacteria From Songbirds And Fitness Studies Following Environmental Stressors In Vitro, Leah R. Forsyth

LSU Master's Theses

Since their initial discovery in 1928, antibiotics have been utilized for agriculture and human health purposes. The increasing use of antibiotics by humans and the rapid evolution of antibiotic resistance might be leading to the presence of more antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment. Understanding potential relationships between humans, bacteria, and the environment is important in order to study the spread and progression of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Several past studies have focused on oxidative stress, temperature stress, and antibiotic resistance in bacteria, but to my knowledge few if any have done a wide comparison between these environmental stressors and the …

Patronage, Audience And Ownership Of The Psalter Of Blanche Of Castile, Blair C. Gallon

LSU Master's Theses

The so-called Psalter of Blanche of Castile (Psautier latin dit de saint Louis et de Blanche de Castille, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, Paris, MS 1186 réserve) is a well-preserved illuminated manuscript made in Paris in the first half of the thirteenth century. As a devotional book, it witnesses the concerns of a thirteenth century individual of high rank, most likely a woman. As its modern name indicates, scholars link its existence to the Queen of France Blanche of Castile (4 March 1188 – 27 November 1252; r. 1226-34, 1248-52). No firm documentation, however, attests to the circumstances …

In Vitro Analysis Of Equine Platelet Rich Plasma And In Vivo Effect Of Cytokines After Repeated Intra-Articular Injections In Osteoarthritic Joints, Carlos Aguilar Miranda

LSU Master's Theses

INTRODUCTION- The use of biologic therapies like platelet rich plasma (PRP) has a potential benefit for the treatment of osteoarthritis in horses. However, key parts of it are still unknown. The objective is to evaluate the degree of platelet activation achieved when in contact with exogenous activators. As well as the long-term effect in the anabolism and catabolism of cytokines involved in equine osteoarthritis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS-In one in vitro study PRP was collected from 6-horses using a commercially available kit. Platelets were exposed to PBS as negative control or to varying concentrations of CaCl2. Activation was determined via cell …

Model Development To Assess Groundwater Flooding And Levee Underseepage In New Orleans, Louisiana, Shuo Yang

LSU Master's Theses

Flooding is a major threat to New Orleans due to its geographic location and geologic condition. However, potential groundwater flooding is seldom studied and poorly understood even though groundwater level is expected high in the city. High groundwater level might result in groundwater flooding in low-lying areas. High uplift pore water pressures may cause strong underseepage and risk levee safety. The objective of this study is to assess the impacts of hydrogeology on groundwater flooding and evaluate potential underseepage-induced hazards along levees in New Orleans. In this study, a groundwater flow model development which involves stratigraphy modeling, groundwater flow model …

Functions Of Cdk/Cyclin Complexes In Endoreplication Regulation By The Cdk Inhibitor Siamese, Kai Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Arabidopsis trichome (leaf hair) is a specialized single cell extended from epidermal cell on the leaves, which is a typical endoreplication and is also known as endoreduplication. Several D-type cyclins were tested to check the cell division in trichome, and the trichome expressing either CYCB1;2 or CDKB2;2 cannot trigger cell division, even if simultaneous expression of CYCB1;2 and CDKB2;2 failed to produce mitosis in trichome. Only CYCD3;1 specifically promotes multicellular trichome. cdkb1;1cdbk1;2 double mutants and sim cdkb1;1cdkb1;2 triple mutants exhibit the phenotype similar to the wild type and very limited cell division respectively. Overexpression of a CDKB1;1 dominant-negative construct that …

Conservation Potential And Mechanisms Of Avian Decline In Experimentally Fragmented And Regenerating Amazonian Rainforest, Cameron Lee Rutt

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Twenty percent of the Brazilian Amazon has now been deforested, and deforestation rates are increasing. Yet the process of deforestation threatens biodiversity beyond the direct loss of habitat by inducing edge effects and creating forest fragments. In the tropics, among the most vulnerable birds to these human disturbances are a group of insectivorous species that forage on or near the ground. A variety of mechanisms have been proposed to explain these declines, but evidence for these hypotheses remains scare or equivocal. In this study, we examine three proposed mechanisms—physiological constraints to bright light, reduced breeding activity and nest success, and …

Effects Of Freshwater Inflow On Nekton Assemblages And Blue Crab Populations In Southeastern Louisiana, Caleb Benjamin Taylor

LSU Master's Theses

Estuaries along the northern Gulf of Mexico represent some of the most productive ecosystems in the world, providing vital habitat for many recreationally and commercially valuable species, including the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus. The mixing of fresh river and saline ocean water in coastal estuaries contribute to this productivity. Dominated by large river influences and consisting of multiple estuaries, Louisiana contributes the largest commercial fishery in the Gulf of Mexico, and remains, on average, the largest supplier of blue crabs in the nation. However, across southeast Louisiana, freshwater flow is largely dependent on Mississippi River discharge, which is highly …

Hyaluronic Acid-Cellulose Composites As Patches For Minimizing Bacterial Infections, Kelsey M. Lopez, Sudhir Ravula, Rocío L. Pérez, Caitlan E. Ayala, Jack N. Losso, Marlene E. Janes, Isiah M. Warner

Faculty Publications

Copyright © 2020 American Chemical Society. A facile method was used to synthesize biocomposites containing differing ratios of hyaluronic acid (HA) and cellulose (CEL). Based on the properties of the individual polymers, the resultant composite materials may have potentially great wound care properties. In the method outlined here, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim][Cl]), a simple ionic liquid, was used as the sole solvent without chemical modifiers to dissolve the biopolymers at ratios of 1:1 and 2:1 HA to CEL. This method was completely recyclable since the ionic liquid, [Bmim][Cl], can be recovered. Results from spectroscopic measurements [Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and X-ray …

Heat Shock Protein 70 Levels And Post-Harvest Survival Of Eastern Oysters Following Sublethal Heat Shock In The Laboratory Or Conditioning In The Field, Sandra M. Casas, Jerome F. La Peyre

Faculty Publications

© 2020, Cell Stress Society International. A major problem of storing and shipping eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) from the Northern Gulf of Mexico in summer and early fall is their elevated mortality. A study was therefore conducted to determine whether heat shocking the oysters or conditioning them to aerial exposure prior to harvest could reduce their mortality during cold storage. Increasing the levels of stress proteins in bivalves has been shown to reduce their mortality when exposed to additional stressors. In this study, the levels of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) proteins and cumulative mortality during cold storage, out of …

Genome-Wide Association Study To Identify Genetic Loci Associated With Gastrointestinal Nematode Resistance In Katahdin Sheep, G. M. Becker, K. M. Davenport, J. M. Burke, R. M. Lewis, J. E. Miller, J. L.M. Morgan, D. R. Notter, B. M. Murdoch

Faculty Publications

© 2020 The Authors. Animal Genetics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics Resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes has previously been shown to be a moderately heritable trait in some breeds of sheep, but the mechanisms of resistance are not well understood. Selection for resistance currently relies upon faecal egg counts (FEC), blood packed cell volumes and FAMACHA visual indicator scores of anaemia. Identifying genomic markers associated with disease resistance would potentially improve the selection process and provide a more reliable means of classifying and understanding the biology behind resistant and susceptible …

Video Games, Obesity, And Children, Chelsea L. Kracht, Elizabeth D. Joseph, Amanda E. Staiano

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To examine associations between video game play and obesity in children. RECENT FINDINGS: Based on a scoping review of 26 studies (25 cross-sectional; 1 longitudinal) published in 2013-2018, 14 studies (53%) reported no association between video game play and obesity, and 12 studies reported positive associations. In a review of 8 systematic reviews, there was preliminary evidence on the effectiveness of exergame (physically active) play for weight reduction and to attenuate weight gain but little indication that interventions effectively reduced video game play or general screen time. This review found ambiguous evidence on the extent to which …

Naringenin Increases Insulin Sensitivity And Metabolic Rate: A Case Study, Navya Murugesan, Kaylee Woodard, Rahul Ramaraju, Frank L. Greenway, Ann A. Coulter, Candida J. Rebello

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Our studies in primary human adipocytes show that naringenin, a citrus flavonoid, increases oxygen consumption rate and gene expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), glucose transporter type 4, and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1β (CPT1β). We investigated the safety of naringenin, its effects on metabolic rate, and blood glucose and insulin responses in a single female subject with diabetes. The subject ingested 150 mg naringenin from an extract of whole oranges standardized to 28% naringenin three times/day for 8 weeks, and maintained her usual food intake. Body weight, resting metabolic rate, respiratory quotient, and blood chemistry panel including glucose, insulin, and safety …

The Relative Importance Of Local And Regional Processes To Metapopulation Dynamics, Tad A. Dallas, Marjo Saastamoinen, Torsti Schulz, Otso Ovaskainen

Faculty Publications

© 2019 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2019 British Ecological Society Metapopulation dynamics – patch occupancy, colonization and extinction – are the result of complex processes at both local (e.g. environmental conditions) and regional (e.g. spatial arrangement of habitat patches) scales. A large body of work has focused on habitat patch area and connectivity (area-isolation paradigm). However, these approaches often do not incorporate local environmental conditions or fully address how the spatial arrangement of habitat patches (and resulting connectivity) can influence metapopulation dynamics. Here, we utilize long-term data on a classic metapopulation system – the Glanville fritillary butterfly …

Potential Population Growth Of Melanaphis Sacchari (Zehntner) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Under Six Constant Temperatures On Grain Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor L.), M. F. Souza, J. A. Davis

Faculty Publications

Sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari Zehntner (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is now widely established in sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench (Poaceae), production areas of the USA, and is an important economic pest. To calculate economic thresholds, population growth parameters under varied temperature conditions are needed. However, detailed laboratory studies of temperature effects on the biology and population parameters of M. sacchari since the sorghum outbreak in the US have not been performed previously. Therefore, this study evaluated the response of M. sacchari to 6 different constant temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30, 32, and 35 °C) on sorghum tissue. Aphid development, age-specific survivorship, fecundity, …

Insect Herbivores Associated With Nymphaea Mexicana (Nymphaeaceae) In Southern United States: Potential Biological Control Agents For South Africa, Megan K. Reid, Julie A. Coetzee, Martin P. Hill, Rodrigo Diaz, Lyn A. Gettys, James P. Cuda, Christopher S. Reid

Faculty Publications

Nymphaea mexicana Zuccarini (Nymphaeaceae) (Mexican waterlily) is an emergent floating-leaved aquatic plant from the southeastern USA that is invasive in South Africa. In invaded waterbodies this plant restricts water movement, increases siltation, decreases recreational activities, and can deplete water oxygen levels, which in turn negatively impacts aquatic fauna. Currently there are no chemical, mechanical, or biological control programs in place for N. mexicana in South Africa, but the sustainability of biological control makes this the most desirable option. Field surveys for potential biological control agents were conducted in the native range of N. mexicana in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas from …

An Economic And Ecological Analysis Of Three Land Building Approaches Using Mississippi River Sediment, Madison Hasenkampf

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Gnrh As A Neuromodulator In Midbrain Sensory Regions During The Female Cichlid Reproductive Cycle, Mark Anthony Maier Ii

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

A Target Enrichment Bait Set For Studying Relationships Among Ostariophysan Fishes, Brant C. Faircloth, Fernando Alda, Kendra Hoekzema, Michael D. Burns, Claudio Oliveira, James S. Albert, Bruno F. Melo, Luz E. Ochoa, Fábio F. Roxo, Prosanta Chakrabarty, Brian L. Sidlauskas, Michael E. Alfaro

Faculty Publications

© 2020 by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Target enrichment of conserved nuclear loci has helped reconstruct evolutionary relationships among a wide variety of species. While there are preexisting bait sets to enrich a few hundred loci across all fishes or a thousand loci from acanthomorph fishes, no bait set exists to enrich large numbers (>1,000 loci) of ultraconserved nuclear loci from ostariophysans, the second largest actinopterygian superorder. In this study, we describe how we designed a bait set to enrich 2,708 ultraconserved nuclear loci from ostariophysan fishes by combining an existing genome assembly with low coverage …

Fgf21 And The Physiological Regulation Of Macronutrient Preference, Cristal M. Hill, Emily Qualls-Creekmore, Hans Rudolf Berthoud, Paul Soto, Sangho Yu, David H. Mcdougal, Heike Münzberg, Christopher D. Morrison

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

The ability to respond to variations in nutritional status depends on regulatory systems that monitor nutrient intake and adaptively alter metabolism and feeding behavior during nutrient restriction. There is ample evidence that the restriction of water, sodium, or energy intake triggers adaptive responses that conserve existing nutrient stores and promote the ingestion of the missing nutrient, and that these homeostatic responses are mediated, at least in part, by nutritionally regulated hormones acting within the brain. This review highlights recent research that suggests that the metabolic hormone fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) acts on the brain to homeostatically alter macronutrient preference. …

Spatial And Pregnancy-Related Changes In The Protein, Amino Acid, And Carbohydrate Composition Of Bovine Oviduct Fluid, Beatriz Rodríguez-Alonso, Veronica Maillo, Omar Salvador Acuña, Rebeca López-Úbeda, Alejandro Torrecillas, Constantine A. Simintiras, Roger Sturmey, Manuel Avilés, Patrick Lonergan, Dimitrios Rizos

Faculty Publications

Knowledge of how the biochemical composition of the bovine oviduct is altered due to the oviduct anatomy or the presence of an embryo is lacking. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of (І) oviduct anatomy and (ІІ) embryo presence on oviductal fluid (OF) protein, amino acid, and carbohydrate composition. Cross-bred beef heifers (n = 19) were synchronized and those in standing estrus were randomly allocated to a cyclic (non-bred) or pregnant (artificially inseminated) group. All heifers were slaughtered on Day 3 after estrus. The oviducts ipsilateral to the corpus luteum from each animal were isolated, …

Pollen Placement On Petals, Kyle E. Harms

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Synthesis Of Praseodymium-And Molybdenum- Sulfide Nanoparticles For Dye-Photodegradation And Near-Infrared Deep-Tissue Imaging, Ye Wu, Pengfei Ou, Jun Song, Ling Zhang, Yingcheng Lin, Pengfei Song, Jian Xu

Faculty Publications

Development of nanoparticles with multi-functionalities is of great importance. In this study, praseodymium sulfide (Pr2S3) and molybdenum sulfide (MoS2) nanoparticles were synthesized. The structural, morphological and optical properties of the as-obtained products were investigated by XRD, XPS, TEM, UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Pr2S3 is found to be used in selective photodegradation of fluorescein sodium salt. MoS2 can be utilized for selective photodegradation of rhodamine B. In the mixture of rhodamine B, fluorescein sodium salt and rhodamine 6 G, most of rhodamine B and part of fluorescein sodium salt are optically degraded by Pr2S3. In the mixture of rhodamine B, …

Testing The Interaction Between The Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Regulator And Anoctamin 1 In Amacrine Cells Of Gallus Gallus Retinas, Hailey Danielle Simpson

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.