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Characterization And Utilization Of Rice Defense Associated With Partial Resistance To Bacterial Panicle Blight: An Emerging Rice Disease Problem In The Southeastern United States, Bishnu Kumar Shrestha Jan 2011

Characterization And Utilization Of Rice Defense Associated With Partial Resistance To Bacterial Panicle Blight: An Emerging Rice Disease Problem In The Southeastern United States, Bishnu Kumar Shrestha

LSU Master's Theses

Rice is a staple food for much of the world’s growing population. Rice production is limited by a number of abiotic and biotic factors. These factors have direct effects on food security because less food is available to growing population. Bacterial panicle blight (BPB), caused by the bacterium Burkholderia glumae, is an emerging disease that causes grain rot, panicle discoloration, and unfilled grains in rice. Up to 70% of yield reduction has been reported in severely infected rice fields. No completely resistant rice cultivars have been identified, however, a medium-grain cultivar, Jupiter, showed a high level of partial resistance …


Assessing Attentional Bias And Cerebral Laterality In Specific Phobia Using A Dichotic Listening Paradigm, Whitney Shay Jenkins Jan 2011

Assessing Attentional Bias And Cerebral Laterality In Specific Phobia Using A Dichotic Listening Paradigm, Whitney Shay Jenkins

LSU Master's Theses

Researchers have found fear to impact a variety of cognitive variables in individuals with specific phobia. Attentional bias is a cognitive variable that has received considerable attention in the specific phobia literature; however, the existing literature follows only one line of attentional bias—bias as encoded through images, words, or other content presented visually. This study aimed to expand on this area by assessing attention and cerebral laterality in individuals with specific phobia using a dichotic listening paradigm (i.e., via auditory means). Results indicated that participants with specific phobias do not significantly differ from controls in terms of the number of …


Vessel Manifest, Jessie Marie Hornbrook Jan 2011

Vessel Manifest, Jessie Marie Hornbrook

LSU Master's Theses

Vessel Manifest explores vessel forms and their pathways through time and experience. In using semiotic definitions to define the term vessel I investigate the ways in which it has become profound in my life. In seeking comfort and in searching for an explanation for the process of life and death, I look to the ways in which a vessel can manifest itself, physically, emotionally, mentally, and metaphysically. Memories of life spent on the water and theories and tenets of Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy are sewn together through images of physical vessels and abstract vessel forms. The large-scale intaglio prints incorporate multi-media …


Obesity Treatment Alternatives: Foods To Surgery, Brooke Erwin Bayham Jan 2011

Obesity Treatment Alternatives: Foods To Surgery, Brooke Erwin Bayham

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of these studies was to explore the roles of dietary strategies and bariatric surgery in obesity treatment. The breakfast study was a randomized, crossover trial used to evaluate the role of egg proteins, and a retrospective chart review was conducted to obtain comparative information about two different bariatric surgeries. The breakfast study included 20 subjects who were randomized to receive an egg breakfast (EB) or a cereal breakfast (CB) matched for energy density and macronutrient composition but different protein quality for one week. Following a washout period, each subject was crossed over to receive the opposite breakfast for …


Enumerate / Construct, Andrew Gilliatt Jan 2011

Enumerate / Construct, Andrew Gilliatt

LSU Master's Theses

I am fascinated how we define and personalize ourselves through the objects we own and accumulate. It is my goal to make a collection of utilitarian pottery forms that through the use of color, form, and pattern, are cohesive in their variety, and are accessible as objects for daily use.


Spiritual Development As A Component Of Holistic Development In Higher Education, Mary Claire Gilder Jan 2011

Spiritual Development As A Component Of Holistic Development In Higher Education, Mary Claire Gilder

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine spirituality in terms of development among college students. A review of literature and best practices was conducted, and students were interviewed regarding their spiritual identities, their collegiate experiences, and the relationship between the two. The findings of this study show that college students value spirituality in multiple ways, although they are typically uncomfortable discussing spirituality and spiritual issues on campus.


Trials & Tributaries: Myth And Disaster In Southern Louisiana, Hannah March Campbell Sanders Jan 2011

Trials & Tributaries: Myth And Disaster In Southern Louisiana, Hannah March Campbell Sanders

LSU Master's Theses

Trials and Tributaries examines recent disasters occurring in southern Louisiana, interpreted through the Greek myths The Twelve Labors of Herakles. Mankind’s false sense of control over Louisiana’s resources leaves us vulnerable to nature’s powerful acts of reclamation: hurricanes, floods and the ground sinking beneath our feet. While researching the details and origins of The Twelve Labors, I found a plethora of similarities with local culture, politics and natural disasters. The characters in these narrative prints include hybrid monsters drawn from Greek mythology, which I have then further augmented with various forms of local south Louisiana fauna and contemporary political figures. …


Permission To Perform: A Waltz With Zelda, Sarah E. Smith Jan 2011

Permission To Perform: A Waltz With Zelda, Sarah E. Smith

LSU Master's Theses

This paper discusses an artistic journey of creating a one-woman show. It is the purpose of Sarah E. Smith, creator and performer, to marry private human experience to public theatrical expression. In this project, Smith is experimenting with character development generated by abstract, physical, absurd, and unconventional explorations. This exploration will create a distance from the literal translation of the story and will allow the audience to gain a better perspective of the character and her dilemma. It is the intention of the creator to make the action and need of the character more visceral, immediate and striking by expanding …


Demography, Paleopathology, And Health Status Of The Moche Remains In Huambacho, Peru: A Comprehensive Osteological Analysis, Emily Grace Jan 2011

Demography, Paleopathology, And Health Status Of The Moche Remains In Huambacho, Peru: A Comprehensive Osteological Analysis, Emily Grace

LSU Master's Theses

The Moche civilization, which thrived in northern Peru from AD 100-800, influenced a vast area that extended to the southernmost monumental site of Pañamarca. Huambacho, an archaeological site in the Nepeña Valley, which dates to the Early Horizon (600-200 cal BC), has yielded multiple Moche graves uncovered by the Proyecto Huambacho (2003-2004). The graves provide the first evidence of Moche presence outside of the neighboring Pañamarca monumental complex. This research entailed the osteological analysis of eleven individuals from nine Moche grave contexts at Huambacho, including the analysis of demographic features, pathology, trauma, and antemortem cultural modifications. Methodology included the visual …


Spatiotemporal Responses Of Macroinvertebraes To Timber Harvesting In Low-Gradient Headwater Streams Of Central Louisiana, Derrick Klimesh Jan 2011

Spatiotemporal Responses Of Macroinvertebraes To Timber Harvesting In Low-Gradient Headwater Streams Of Central Louisiana, Derrick Klimesh

LSU Master's Theses

Macroinvertebrates are reflective of their nearby environment and are popularly used to detect changes in water quality. In this thesis research, macroinvertebrates were collected to investigate aquatic effects of timber harvesting operations with and without the use of best management practices (BMPs) in a forested, low-gradient, subtropical watershed in central Louisiana. Habitat assessments, physicochemical and hydrologic measurements, and macroinvertebrate sampling were conducted nine times from 2006 to 2010 during the spring and late summer, at 13 site locations ranging from plot level to watershed outlet. Timber harvesting occurred in September of 2007. A total of 86,183 macroinvertebrates were identified from …


Surface Parameterization Over Regular Domains, Shenghua Wan Jan 2011

Surface Parameterization Over Regular Domains, Shenghua Wan

LSU Master's Theses

Surface parameterization has been widely studied and it has been playing a critical role in many geometric processing tasks in graphics, computer-aided design, visualization, vision, physical simulation and etc. Regular domains, such as polycubes, are favored due to their structural regularity and geometric simplicity. This thesis focuses on studying the surface parameterization over regular domains, i.e. polycubes, and develops effective computation algorithms. Firstly, the motivation for surface parameterization and polycube mapping is introduced. Secondly, we briefly review existing surface parameterization techniques, especially for extensively studied parameterization algorithms for topological disk surfaces and parameterizations over regular domains for closed surfaces. Then …


Small And Medium Enterprise Agricultural Producers And Forest Landowners Attitudes And Perceptions Towards New Bio-Based Paths To Prosperity: A Pilot Study In Louisiana And Mississippi, Roger D. Smithhart Jan 2011

Small And Medium Enterprise Agricultural Producers And Forest Landowners Attitudes And Perceptions Towards New Bio-Based Paths To Prosperity: A Pilot Study In Louisiana And Mississippi, Roger D. Smithhart

LSU Master's Theses

Energy producers, developers, legislators, policy makers, and the public are searching for alternative energy sources to alleviate energy demands and dependency on fossil fuels. Of the renewable energy sources, biomass from forestry, crop, and animal residues offer a clean and sustainable solution to help mitigate climate issues and stabilize energy needs. However, most forests and farms in the U.S. are privately owned. It’s important to understand forest landowners’, agricultural producers’, and poultry producers’ attitudes and perceptions towards management activities intended for producing bio-based products. Three surveys were conducted tailored for each group. We surveyed 3,500 small to medium forest landowners …


Analysis Of Marine Sediment Of Prehispanic Maya Saltworks 24 And 35 In Paynes Creek National Park, Southern Belize, Roberto Rosado Ramirez Jan 2011

Analysis Of Marine Sediment Of Prehispanic Maya Saltworks 24 And 35 In Paynes Creek National Park, Southern Belize, Roberto Rosado Ramirez

LSU Master's Theses

Through the study of four marine sediment columns taken at two different underwater Classic Maya sites identified as saltworks facilities in southern Belize, this research had the objective of provide some insights on the occupation of these sites and the formation of their archaeological record. The marine sediment studied in this research was composed of partially decomposed plant matter, inorganic minerals, and water in different proportions, with mangrove roots composing the major organic component of the mangrove peat. This research included macroscopic descriptions of the marine sediment, loss-on ignition of 32 samples uniformly distributed throughout the sediment columns to determine …


Environmental Factors Impacting Coastal Beach Health, Kevin Michael Chenier Jan 2011

Environmental Factors Impacting Coastal Beach Health, Kevin Michael Chenier

LSU Master's Theses

The objectives of this research were to 1) determine the variability of fecal-indicator bacteria in Gulf of Mexico marine waters, 2) determine the effect of environmental variables on enterococci concentrations, 3) determine if beach sand at Holly Beach, LA was capable of acting as a reservoir for fecal-indicator bacteria, and 4) determine if a model could be developed to reduce the time it takes to issue a beach swim advisory. Fecal-indicator bacteria concentrations varied from year to year in historical data collected from a Gulf Coast beach. Afternoon fecal-indicator bacteria concentrations were consistently lower than morning concentrations, demonstrating daily variability. …


Mechanical Evaluation Of Aluminum Oxide Roughened Screws In Equine Third Metacarpal Bone, Petrisor Baia Jan 2011

Mechanical Evaluation Of Aluminum Oxide Roughened Screws In Equine Third Metacarpal Bone, Petrisor Baia

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT Objectives – To compare the osseointegration of roughened and electropolished 5.5 mm cortical screws used to secure a 4.5 mm broad dynamic compression plate (DCP) in equine third metacarpal (MC3) bones. Study Design – In vivo study Animals – 5 Adult thoroughbred horses (2-7 years old). Methods – For each horse one MC3 was randomly assigned to secure a 4.5 mm broad DCP with 4aluminum oxide (Al2O3) roughened screws on the dorsal mid diaphysis. Four regular electropolished screws used to secure a similar plate on the contralateral limb served as control. They were removed at 12 weeks and the …


Inhibitory Effects Of Berry Anthocyanins On Palmitic Acid- Or Lipopolysaccharide- Induced Inflammation In Human Preadipocytes, Chenfei Gao Jan 2011

Inhibitory Effects Of Berry Anthocyanins On Palmitic Acid- Or Lipopolysaccharide- Induced Inflammation In Human Preadipocytes, Chenfei Gao

LSU Master's Theses

Obesity is an inflammatory disease associated with the development and progression of chronic degenerative diseases including insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and cancer. Circulating free fatty acid (FFA) are known risk factors promoting inflammation that can lead to CVD. Pre/adipocytes are known storage of low grade inflammatory biomarkers associated with obesity. However, the effects of dietary anthocyanins on inflammatory biomarkers in preadipocytes have not been reported. Berries are rich sources of naturally occurring antioxidant polyphenolics. There is increasing interest in the ability of berry anthocyanins to provide health benefits against obesity. Anthocyanins were isolated from …


Use Of Condensed Tannins Supplementation And Inorganic Copper As Deworming Agents In Naturally Infected Ewes And Lambs, Moara De Santana Martins Jan 2011

Use Of Condensed Tannins Supplementation And Inorganic Copper As Deworming Agents In Naturally Infected Ewes And Lambs, Moara De Santana Martins

LSU Master's Theses

Sheep production is an important socioeconomic activity for the small producers and it can represent their primary income source. Gastrointestinal parasites have become the principal limiting factor for this industry around the world, especially because of the anthelmintic resistance phenomenon that has been increasing worldwide. The negligent use of anthelmintics has been reported as the main factor in the development of resistance. Among the parasites that infect sheep, H. contortus is considered the most harmful and also the parasite responsible for the fastest development of nematode resistance in small ruminants. Due to the economic impact this parasite may bring upon …


The Effects Of Fantasy Football Participation On Team Identification And Nfl Fandom, Jeremy Lee Jan 2011

The Effects Of Fantasy Football Participation On Team Identification And Nfl Fandom, Jeremy Lee

LSU Master's Theses

Nearly 27 million people in North America played fantasy sports in 2009. This quantitative study examined how a person’s level of participation in fantasy football affects team identification, team loyalty, fandom of the National Football League (NFL), and consumer behavior. I also looked at whether fantasy football participants prefer a win by their fantasy team or their favorite team. An online survey was conducted using a snowball sample. I found higher participation levels result in higher team identification, higher team loyalty, and higher fandom, where fandom of the NFL is higher than team identification. Higher levels of participation also led …


Population Characteristics Of A White-Tailed Deer Herd In An Industrial Pine Forest Of North-Central Louisiana, John Henry Harrelson Jan 2011

Population Characteristics Of A White-Tailed Deer Herd In An Industrial Pine Forest Of North-Central Louisiana, John Henry Harrelson

LSU Master's Theses

White-tailed deer are the most important game species in Louisiana, and throughout the southeastern United States. Likewise, the forest products industry represents the most important agricultural commodity in Louisiana, and industrial landowners frequently lease their properties to sportsmen specifically for white-tailed deer hunting. I conducted research assessing survival, space use, and habitat selection of white-tailed deer on a 3885 ha industrial forest owned by Plum Creek Timber Company. I captured 61 deer in Union Parish, Louisiana in 2009-2010, radio-marked 24 females and 23 males, and ear-tagged 7 females and 6 males. Season and sex interacted to affect home range and …


Development And Validation Of Biomechanical Models To Quantify Horse Back Forces At The Walk In Three Horse Breeds, Laxmi Raghunandana Kaidapuram Jan 2011

Development And Validation Of Biomechanical Models To Quantify Horse Back Forces At The Walk In Three Horse Breeds, Laxmi Raghunandana Kaidapuram

LSU Master's Theses

Therapeutic horseback riding is a common component of physical therapy programs. Quantification of the horse back forces will provide vital information to match therapeutic riders with equine partners. To meet this medical need, a model to quantify the horse back forces from ground reaction forces was developed to test the hypothesis that the forces transferred to a static weight on the horse’s back can be predicted given horse breed and weight. Simultaneous, real time kinetic, kinematic, and back force data on a static weight were collected from 7 adult horses: 3 thoroughbreds, 3 quarter horses, and 1 paso fino. An …


I Can Has Thesis? A Linguistic Analysis Of Lolspeak, Jordan Lefler Jan 2011

I Can Has Thesis? A Linguistic Analysis Of Lolspeak, Jordan Lefler

LSU Master's Theses

Lolspeak, which I characterize as an internet dialect of English that is used in conjunction with images of cats, exhibits distinctive variations and patterns which differ from those of standard English. Lolspeak has influenced other language use and may have a significant impact on the English language, due in part to the internet’s role in the evolution of English (Crystal “Language and the Internet,” 2006:26-27). To approach this data, I created a multi-modal discourse transcription technique for analyzing Lolspeak utterances within the context of their images based on Grounded Theory (Glaser and Strauss “The Discovery of Grounded Theory” 2007:9). I …


Examining Teen Girls' Fashion Behavior In The Virtual And The Real World: An Exploratory Study, Caroline Makena Kobia Jan 2011

Examining Teen Girls' Fashion Behavior In The Virtual And The Real World: An Exploratory Study, Caroline Makena Kobia

LSU Master's Theses

Over the past few years, changes in technology, especially the emergence of virtual worlds, have impacted the landscape of doing business. Many industries, such as retailing and fashion industries have recognized the e-commerce potentials and have engaged in setting up strategic ventures in the virtual worlds to develop products and/or services that are geared towards meeting consumer needs. Previous research has examined consumers’ adoption of innovative products, but there is no known study that has examined consumers’ adoption of virtual fashion. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to shed some light on understanding consumer adoption of virtual fashion. …


Impact Of Embalming And Burial On Decomposition Rates And Diffusion Of Volatile Fatty Acids In Kentucky, Bonnie Charlana Mcquinn Jan 2011

Impact Of Embalming And Burial On Decomposition Rates And Diffusion Of Volatile Fatty Acids In Kentucky, Bonnie Charlana Mcquinn

LSU Master's Theses

Six still-born fetal pigs were divided into two groups (three were embalmed, and three non-embalmed) to determine a postmortem interval on decomposing remains in eastern Kentucky. One pig from each group was placed on the surface, one from each group was interred at a depth of two feet, and one from each group was buried at four feet. This study focused on observing necrophagous insect succession as well as how far on both a horizontal and a vertical plane volatile fatty acids leach from a body. Soil samples were taken from near all specimens at the time of respective termination …


Emotion And Rhetoric In Bioshock, Jason Liban Rose Jan 2011

Emotion And Rhetoric In Bioshock, Jason Liban Rose

LSU Master's Theses

In this paper, I tie four concepts together to form a defense both of videogames as art, and of rhetoric as a value-neutral tool of expression, that can be both positive and useful for society. (1) In the first chapter, I explain the Platonic view of rhetoric as an “empty knack” and how it differs from other accounts of rhetoric, ancient and modern. (2) In the second chapter I present a nuanced understanding of the role emotion plays in practical moral reasoning under a computational model of the mind, as described by Antonio Damasio’s neurological somatic marker theory in Descartes’ …


Nietzsche, Unconscious Processes, And Non-Linear Individuation, Damon Paul Mcgregor Jan 2011

Nietzsche, Unconscious Processes, And Non-Linear Individuation, Damon Paul Mcgregor

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis attempts to create an ontology of the self using Nietzsche’s concept of will-to-power forces, which operate in the individual unconsciously, leading to non-linear individuation resulting from responding or participating in chance events. Individuation results non-linearly because of Nietzsche’s claim that the “Deed has no doer” and that subjects and thoughts rely on fictitiously created causal chains, but that in actuality there are nothing but chance events and competing forces of nature which shape the individual into non-linear directions. The individual can only respond as creatively as possible to moments which arise, once loss of ultimate control is embraced. …


"We Live In A Used World": Cultural Geographies Of American Garage Sales, Gentry Powell Hanks Jan 2011

"We Live In A Used World": Cultural Geographies Of American Garage Sales, Gentry Powell Hanks

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis seeks to understand the emotional geographies of American garage sales, which I argue are liminal. Through a methodology of narrative surveys (open-ended questionnaires), mental maps, participant-observation, and interviews, I make the case that garage sales, through absent and/or present items, narratives, and exchanged histories, can reveal much in terms of identity, values, and cultural practices. These archives on the margins hold stories, artifacts, and performances of a distant or near past, giving geographers an innovative lens through which to explore the intricacies of materiality, place, and representation. This thesis provides a range of theoretical and practical perspectives on …


The Expression Of Cardiotrophin-1 Is Differentially Regulated In Murine And Human Obesity Type Ii Diabetes, Kelesha Crystal Sarjeant Jan 2011

The Expression Of Cardiotrophin-1 Is Differentially Regulated In Murine And Human Obesity Type Ii Diabetes, Kelesha Crystal Sarjeant

LSU Master's Theses

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in all developed nations. Several independent studies have shown that cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) serum levels are modulated in patients with various types of cardiovascular disease including ischemic heart disease, valvular heart disease, and accelerated arthrosclerosis. CT-1 is a member of the Interleukin-6 family, or gp130 family of cytokines. It is also known to induce cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in vitro and in vivo, and is a critical component for cardiomyocyte survival. CT-1 is a naturally occurring protein with a molecular mass of approximately 21.5 kD and a 200 amino acid long sequence, it was discovered …


Transport Properties Of Nanometer-Sized Assemblies Through Nanofluidic Channels With Single Entity Electrical Detection, Franklin Ifeanyichukwu Uba Jan 2011

Transport Properties Of Nanometer-Sized Assemblies Through Nanofluidic Channels With Single Entity Electrical Detection, Franklin Ifeanyichukwu Uba

LSU Master's Theses

Recently, there have been reports on biological and solid-state nanopores that identify single biopolymers or their constituent monomers by analyzing changes in ionic current blockades when they block the flux of buffer ions while travelling through the nanopores. Nevertheless, there have been several limitations in their application, especially as DNA detectors; Poor confinement of the DNA strand within the nanopore (~0.1 % of a 10 kilobase (kb) DNA), poor signal sensitivity and random motion experienced by the DNA in solution that results in a large amount of noise in the signal. These have led to the development of nanochannel-based devices, …


Evaluation Of Selected Plant Products As Dietary Protein Sources For Florida Pompano (Trachinotus Carolinus), Gregory Lech Jan 2011

Evaluation Of Selected Plant Products As Dietary Protein Sources For Florida Pompano (Trachinotus Carolinus), Gregory Lech

LSU Master's Theses

Profitability of aquaculture enterprises worldwide has been affected by rising fish meal prices. Plant proteins are promising replacements for fish meal because of their lower cost and worldwide availability. The goal of this research was to provide nutritional information for the development of all-plant diets for Florida pompano by evaluating growth of fish fed soy-based, fish-meal-free diets and assessing the nutritional value of several plant protein sources. In the first experiment, juvenile Florida pompano were fed five, soy-based, fish-meal-free diets containing graded levels of soybean meal (SBM, or M) at 0, 20, 25, 30, or 35%, with the remaining protein …


Comparison Of Disk Diffusion, Agar Dilution, And Broth Microdiultion For Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Of Five Chitosans, Lin Jiang Jan 2011

Comparison Of Disk Diffusion, Agar Dilution, And Broth Microdiultion For Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Of Five Chitosans, Lin Jiang

LSU Master's Theses

Chitosan is a polysaccharide biopolymer with excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low toxicity, which allows for potential wide applications. Recently, antimicrobial activities of chitosan against foodborne pathogens have been studied; many used disk diffusion to determine the activity. However, this method is unable to obtain minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs), i.e., not quantitative. The objective of this study was to compare disk diffusion with agar dilution and broth microdilution, two quantitative methods used routinely in clinical laboratories, to determine MICs of chitosan against foodborne pathogens. Five chitosan compounds with molecular weights ranging between 43 and 1,100 kDa were tested against 36 representative …