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Sorption And Desorption Characteristics Of Tylosin In Three Louisiana Soils And Clay Minerals, Zehua Zhou Jan 2008

Sorption And Desorption Characteristics Of Tylosin In Three Louisiana Soils And Clay Minerals, Zehua Zhou

LSU Master's Theses

Tylosin, a macrolide class and widely used antibiotic in animal production, could contaminate environment through manure application to soil and further to river and ground water. Tylosin transport and movement in the environment are largely determined by its sorption and desorption in soils, which are poorly understood so far. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine (1) the optimal conditions for tylosin stability, (2) sorption and desorption characteristics of tylosin by poultry litter-impacted three Louisiana soils and (3) sorption and desorption of tylosin by selected clay minerals, the main components of soil which have strong potential application in …

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Ancient Greek And Ancient Hebrew Agrarianism: An Ecocritical Study Of Hesiod's Works And Days And The Book Of Proverbs, Ernest Nathan Manning Jan 2008

Ancient Greek And Ancient Hebrew Agrarianism: An Ecocritical Study Of Hesiod's Works And Days And The Book Of Proverbs, Ernest Nathan Manning

LSU Master's Theses

The subject of this thesis revolves around the “Western” view of nature and its social origins. The author advances the subject through a comparison of two ancient texts: Hesiod’s Works and Days and the Old Testament book of Proverbs. He concludes that the Western view of nature gestated in agricultural societies of small-farmers who saw themselves as being both part of and separate from the natural world. Their ability to control nature being limited, they saw civilization as fulfilling a limited agricultural role in the cosmos, as being different but part of and not controlling the whole. In the last …

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The Utilization Of Red Blood Cells In Diets For Swine And Poultry, Emily Dawn Frugé Jan 2008

The Utilization Of Red Blood Cells In Diets For Swine And Poultry, Emily Dawn Frugé

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this research was to determine if increasing levels of RBC would affect growth performance and carcass characteristics of finishing pigs and growth performance of broilers. Three experiments were conducted to determine the effect of incremental levels of red blood cells (RBC; 0 to 4% and 0 to 2%), and thus increasing levels of dietary Leu on growth performance and linear carcass measurements of finishing pigs. Our results suggest that feeding 3 or 4% RBC causes a decrease in growth performance. However, feeding 1 or 2% RBC in the diets of finishing pigs had no detrimental effects on …

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The Effects Of Food Deprivation On Caffeine And Food Reinforcement In Females, Lauren Baillie Jan 2008

The Effects Of Food Deprivation On Caffeine And Food Reinforcement In Females, Lauren Baillie

LSU Master's Theses

This study examined the reinforcing value of caffeine and food in a sample of 14 normal-weight females who indicated some degree of dietary restraint, and consumed caffeine daily. Eligible individuals participated in two sessions, one of which required a 24-hour fast. During both sessions, participants completed measures assessing caffeine withdrawal symptoms, urge to drink caffeine, hunger, and a multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) requiring them to earn points towards either snack foods or caffeinated beverages. There were no significant differences between the fasting and non-fasting conditions on MCQ scores, though the means were in the predicted direction (i.e., participants appeared to work …

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Message Framing And Interactivity In Direct-To-Consumer Internet Advertisements: Visual And Textual Cues On Web Sites For Prescription Medications, Brooke Alayne Harrington Jan 2008

Message Framing And Interactivity In Direct-To-Consumer Internet Advertisements: Visual And Textual Cues On Web Sites For Prescription Medications, Brooke Alayne Harrington

LSU Master's Theses

Americans’ adoption of the Internet has spawned the increased usage of this medium for direct-to-consumer advertising by pharmaceutical manufacturers, despite the widespread controversy over the ethics of the practice, the educational value of direct-to-consumer advertising, and the ultimate cost of the practices to the public. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates the industry’s advertising within traditional media, the agency does not yet impose standards for direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medications on the Internet. This content analysis of the visual and textual cues of 100 direct-to-consumer Web sites for prescription medications identifies the unexpected strong presence of gain frames …

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The Integration Of Mosquito Avian Host Preference With West Nile Virus Activity In Wild Bird And Mosquito Populations In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jessica Erin Brauch Jan 2008

The Integration Of Mosquito Avian Host Preference With West Nile Virus Activity In Wild Bird And Mosquito Populations In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jessica Erin Brauch

LSU Master's Theses

West Nile virus (WNV) infection rates in wild birds and mosquitoes, and the blood-feeding patterns of mosquitoes were examined at two study sites in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to identify the potential avian reservoir hosts and mosquito vectors of West Nile virus (WNV). Blood samples from a total of 2,442 wild birds in the orders Passeriformes, Piciformes and Columbiformes were collected from May 2006 to April 2008 and tested for the presence of WNV RNA using RT-PCR and antibodies to WNV using an epitope-blocking ELISA. WNV was detected in 3.77% of wild bird blood samples and antibodies to WNV were detected …

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An Evaluation Of The Perceived Obstacles For Policy Officials Regulating The Post Harvest Treatment Of Raw Oysters To Control The Human Health Vibrio Vulnificus Problem, Amy Leah Oestringer Jan 2008

An Evaluation Of The Perceived Obstacles For Policy Officials Regulating The Post Harvest Treatment Of Raw Oysters To Control The Human Health Vibrio Vulnificus Problem, Amy Leah Oestringer

LSU Master's Theses

Vibrio vulnificus is the leading pathogen linked to seafood-associated deaths. This naturally occurring marine bacterium presents a human health risk when it is consumed in raw oysters. Hospitalization is necessary in 90 % Vibrio vulnificus illnesses and 40% end in death. (CDC) Several guidelines and regulations have been enacted to combat this human health issue, but have failed to reduce the steadily rising illness rate. Post-harvest processing requirements for raw oysters could be used to reduce illness rates. A survey was conducted to measure the perceived obstacles that regulators and industry representatives of the raw oyster industry face in policymaking …

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Distributions And Associations Of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms In The Leptin Gene Of Bos Taurus And Bos Indicus Cattle, Douglas Henry Fischer, Jr Jan 2008

Distributions And Associations Of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms In The Leptin Gene Of Bos Taurus And Bos Indicus Cattle, Douglas Henry Fischer, Jr

LSU Master's Theses

In recent years, the use of genetic markers has become more and more prevalent in beef breeding programs. This research focused on four previously identified single nucleotide polymorphisms in a leptin gene on chromosome 4 of beef cows. The SNP were E2FB, T945M, UA1, and UA2. Beef cows used in this research were maintained at the Louisiana State University AgCenter Central Research Station. Cows consisted of purebred Bos tauras and Bos indicus cattle as well as crossbreds. The objectives were to estimate genotypic and allelic frequencies for each SNP and to determine the influence of cow breed type, cow age, …

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How The Mustang Trampled The Luftwaffe: The Role Of The P-51 In The Defeat Of The German Air Force In World War Two, Robert W. Courter Jan 2008

How The Mustang Trampled The Luftwaffe: The Role Of The P-51 In The Defeat Of The German Air Force In World War Two, Robert W. Courter

LSU Master's Theses

The purposes of this study were to trace the evolution of the North American P-51 Mustang as an escort fighter in World War Two and to enumerate the reasons why it played a leading role in the extension of the American strategic bombing campaign into Germany and the ultimate defeat of the German Luftwaffe. The Mustang prototype was built in 1940 in response to a British request for a fighter to help repel German invaders. The original model, powered by an Allison engine and three-bladed propeller, was fast and maneuverable at low altitudes, but its performance deteriorated rapidly at altitudes …

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Influences Of Maternal Corticosterone On Incubation Length And Hatchability Of Eggs Laid By Quail Hens Selected For Divergent Adrenocortical Stress Responsiveness, Jason Berante' Schmidt Jan 2008

Influences Of Maternal Corticosterone On Incubation Length And Hatchability Of Eggs Laid By Quail Hens Selected For Divergent Adrenocortical Stress Responsiveness, Jason Berante' Schmidt

LSU Master's Theses

Unstressed and stressed quail hens selected for exaggerated (HS, high stress) rather than reduced (LS, low stress) plasma corticosterone (B) response to brief restraint deposit more B into their eggs than do their LS hen counterparts. HS hens implanted with B also show reduced egg lay when compared to LS- and HS-control and LS-B-implanted hens. Herein, the effects of stress line on length of egg incubation (LEI) and chick body weight at emergence (BWTE) (Exp. 1) and the interactive influences of line with maternal B-treatment (sub-Q control, CON-, or B-implants) on LEI (Exp. 2) and on egg fertility (FERT), total …

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The Lower Ninth Ward, New Orleans: Vestiges Of A Neighborhood, Adam N. Hess Jan 2008

The Lower Ninth Ward, New Orleans: Vestiges Of A Neighborhood, Adam N. Hess

LSU Master's Theses

The Lower Ninth Ward, New Orleans: Vestiges of a Neighborhood is a photo-documentary of the remnants of one of America’s most unique and culturally distinct neighborhoods. Three years after Hurricane Katrina devastated this neighborhood, it lies in ruin, slowly returning to nature. All that remains of the community that once occupied the Lower Ninth are the dilapidated buildings, the crumbling homes, and the small possessions left behind. For the past three years I have explored the Lower Ninth Ward, discovering the remains of a community rich in tradition, family, and religion. Through the use of black and white photographs and …

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Examination Of Blueberry Anthocyanins In Prevention Of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Through Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cell Culture Study, Naomi Marie Sundalius Jan 2008

Examination Of Blueberry Anthocyanins In Prevention Of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Through Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cell Culture Study, Naomi Marie Sundalius

LSU Master's Theses

This research investigated the ability of blueberry anthocyanins to inhibit the uptake of N-retinyl-N-retinylidene ethanolamine (A2E) by retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells as quantified by pigment epithelial derived factor (PEDF) levels in RPE cells. The A2E was synthesized and identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Freeze dried blueberry powder of 50/50 blend (Tifblue/Rubel) anthocyanins were extracted by acetone and concentrated through chromatography. A RPE cell culture study investigating four treatments using a combination of 100 ìM A2E in DMSO and 100 ìg of blueberry anthocyanins in DMSO was tested. The treatments included: (A) control RPE cells; (B) RPE …

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Evaluating Ecological Equivalence In Created Marshes, Christopher Bromley Llewellyn Jan 2008

Evaluating Ecological Equivalence In Created Marshes, Christopher Bromley Llewellyn

LSU Master's Theses

The overall goal of coastal wetland restoration is to achieve ecological equivalence through the reproduction of structural and functional characteristics. This study sought to examine ecological equivalence using a chronosequence of temporal replicates of created marshes using traditional structural measures of equivalence and tested the use of stable isotopes as a measure of functional equivalence. The objectives of this study were to: (1) compare measures of structural equivalence at created and reference marshes; (2) use stable isotope analysis of blue crab muscle and hepatopancreas tissues to compare functional equivalence at created and reference marshes; and (3) determine if there is …

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Isang Yun And His Selected Cello Works, Jee Yeoun Ko Jan 2008

Isang Yun And His Selected Cello Works, Jee Yeoun Ko

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Isang Yun was born in Duksan, in Korea, in 1917, and became one of the leading Korean composers in Germany in the twentieth-century. IsangYun’s Music is frequently performed throughout the world even after his death. His name as a composer was recognized as a mediator of East Asian and Western musical traditions. This thesis will discuss his involvement in political issues during the Japanese occupation in Korea in addition to the background of his controversial extreme penalty and the strong support he received from the North Korean government after his release. The discussion will also include the reconciliation between Isang …

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Utilization Of Aptamers As Affinity Probes In Polymeric Microdevices For Disease Management And The Production Of A Recombinant Membrane Protein, Anne Obubuafo Jan 2008

Utilization Of Aptamers As Affinity Probes In Polymeric Microdevices For Disease Management And The Production Of A Recombinant Membrane Protein, Anne Obubuafo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Aptamers have emerged as potential affinity agents that rival or complement antibodies in developing diagnostic assays for disease detection. We have demonstrated the use of PMMA microfluidic devices for conducting rapid affinity microchip CGE of a target protein using aptamers as the affinity probes with an electrophoresis development time of <2 min. Migration times were reproducible for thrombin complexes and free aptamers in CGE buffer with device-to-device RSD variations below 10%. By removing salts from plasma and adding an unlabeled random sequence oligonucleotide to the plasma, thrombin was detected in plasma. This method can be easily adapted to high-throughput parallel screening of plasma samples in multi-channel polymeric microdevices. The expression of rEpCAM in bacteria and mammalian cells was investigated with results showing successful expression in the mammalian systems, while protein expression in the bacteria was inhibited. Higher and prolonged expression levels were obtained in Cos 7 cells as compared to BHK and Hep2 cells due to episomal expression in Cos 7 cells. By combining a one-step IMAC procedure with electrophoresis and electro elution a more selective approach to obtaining electrophoretically pure rEpCAM was achieved. We developed dual-aptamer sandwich assays for thrombin and PDGF-BB targets on PMMA substrate using UV modification with a one-step EDC/NHS coupling reaction. Results indicate that the use of high EDC concentrations lead to faster immobilization and increased coverage density with a shorter sandwich assay development time. The assays were sensitive for both proteins and showed linearity in fluorescence response to changing protein concentration. Single molecule detection methods provide high sensitivity techniques in which aptamers can find use. We have demonstrated the use of two aptamers in a FRET-based assay for the detection of low levels of thrombin. Sensitivity and reliability of the aptamer smFRET assay depends on complex formation and stability. Due to the dissociation constants of the aptamers, single molecule events detected were below the calculated value for a 6 pM concentration of thrombin. Future work will involve adjusting the single molecule system by the use of pinholes to enable analysis of higher sample concentrations.

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Space-Time Multiresolution Approach To Atomistic Visualization, Dipesh Bhattarai Jan 2008

Space-Time Multiresolution Approach To Atomistic Visualization, Dipesh Bhattarai

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Time-varying three-dimensional positional atomistic data are rich in spatial and temporal information. The problem is to understand them. This work offers multiple approaches that enable such understanding. An interactive atomistic visualization system is developed integrating complex analyses with visualization to present the data on space-time multiresolution basis facilitating the information extraction and generate understanding. This work also shows the usefulness of such an integrated approach. The information obtained from the analyses represents the system at multiple length and time scales. Radial distribution function (RDF) provides a complete average spatial map of the distribution of the atoms in the system which …

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Assessing The Effectiveness Of The Response To Instruction Model For English Language Learners By Utilizing A Non-Language-Based Intervention, Chisato Komatsu Jan 2008

Assessing The Effectiveness Of The Response To Instruction Model For English Language Learners By Utilizing A Non-Language-Based Intervention, Chisato Komatsu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the use of the Response to Intervention (RTI) model for English Language learners (ELLs) by using a computerized constant time delay procedure (CTD) that de-emphasized the use of language. Forty-five ELLs, 22 native English speakers, and five students with a diagnosis of mild mental retardation participated in the study. A computer-administered CTD procedure was utilized for paired associate tasks. The study found differences and patterns in students’ performances that could be used to differentiate responders and non-responders to intervention. An interesting finding was that once the students were divided into groups …

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Bile Salts As Olfactory And Gustatory Stimuli In The Channel Catfish, Shane Howell Rolen Jan 2008

Bile Salts As Olfactory And Gustatory Stimuli In The Channel Catfish, Shane Howell Rolen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A chemotopic map of biologically relevant odorants (that include amino acids, bile salts and nucleotides) exists in the olfactory bulb (OB) and forebrain (FB) of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Chapter one). Neurons processing bile salt odorant information lie medially within these bilaterally symmetric structures; however, information as to how single neurons discriminate and process this odorant information is lacking. Chapters two and three of the dissertation identify the range of odorant bile salt molecules that excite these neurons [i.e. the excitatory molecular receptive range (EMRR)] within the bile salt chemotopic zones of the OB and FB. The results of the …

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Trophic Control Of Saltmarsh Invertebrates, David Samuel Johnson Jan 2008

Trophic Control Of Saltmarsh Invertebrates, David Samuel Johnson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Top-down (consumer) versus bottom-up (resource) control of food webs has long interested ecologists. Here, I take advantage of a full-factorial design of ecosystem-wide manipulations of nutrient additions (loading rates 10x above background) and the significant reduction (~60%) of a key predator, the killifish Fundulus heteroclitus, in the tidal creeks of the Plum Island Estuary, Massachusetts. Prior to manipulations, annelids numerically constituted 97% of the infaunal community and the largest scale (creeks) accounted for little spatial variability in annelid populations and diversities. Tidal creeks were similar based on diversity indices, abundance, and community patterns, suggesting the tidal creeks are appropriate replicates/experimental …

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Optimization Of Treatment Of Chlorinated Volatile Organic Compound Mixtures In Constructed Wetlands: Vegetation And Substrate Effects, Stephen Emmanuel Mbuligwe Jan 2008

Optimization Of Treatment Of Chlorinated Volatile Organic Compound Mixtures In Constructed Wetlands: Vegetation And Substrate Effects, Stephen Emmanuel Mbuligwe

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Microcosm and mesocosm scale experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of vegetation and substrates on the performance of engineered wetland systems (EWSs) meant to treat mixtures of volatile organic compounds (cVOCs). The experiments were conducted with a view to optimizing contributions of these wetland components. Phragmites communis and Typha latifolia, the commonest wetland plant species, were compared in mesocosm scale EWSs. Eight common wetland plant species were compared using microcosm experiments based on the potential of their rootmatter to enhance treatment of cVOC mixtures. Twelve common wetland plants were similarly compared but on the basis of their aboveground …

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Comparative Aspects Of The Control Of Posture And Locomotion In The Spider Crab Libinia Emarginata, Andres Gabriel Vidal Gadea Jan 2008

Comparative Aspects Of The Control Of Posture And Locomotion In The Spider Crab Libinia Emarginata, Andres Gabriel Vidal Gadea

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The study of pedestrian locomotion in crustaceans has largely focused on forward walking macrurans, or sideway walking brachyurans. The spider crab, Libinia emarginata is a brachyuran that, unlike its close relatives, preferentially walks forward. The phylogenetic position, behavioral preference, and amenability to experimental techniques make spider crabs an attractive model for comparative studies of crustacean locomotion. This dissertation looks at the neuroethology of forward walking in L. emarginata. I described the skeletal, muscular, and neural anatomy of the walking machinery of L. emarginata and found adaptations at each level that reflect its walking preference. The ranges of motion of leg …

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The Effects Of In Utero Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure On Immune Responses To Allergen In Adult Offspring, Rodney Lamar Rouse Jan 2008

The Effects Of In Utero Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure On Immune Responses To Allergen In Adult Offspring, Rodney Lamar Rouse

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Fetal stress has been linked to adult atherosclerosis, obesity, and diabetes. Epidemiology studies have associated fetal exposure to maternal smoking and post-natal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) with increased asthma risk. We tested the hypothesis, in a mouse model of asthma, that ETS exposure in utero alters airway function and respiratory immune responses in adult offspring. Pregnant BALB/c mice were exposed daily to ETS or filtered air (AIR). Neonatal gene expression was assessed. Offspring inhaled aerosolized ovalbumin (OVA) or saline in weeks 7-8. Regardless of whether they inhaled OVA or saline, mice were sensitized by OVA injections in weeks …

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The Relationship Between Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines, Prostaglandins, And Fetal Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Activation In Mares With Infective Pre-Term Delivery, Sara K. Lyle Jan 2008

The Relationship Between Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines, Prostaglandins, And Fetal Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Activation In Mares With Infective Pre-Term Delivery, Sara K. Lyle

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Ascending placentitis is a significant cause of abortions, stillbirths, and perinatal loss in horses. A technique for laparoscopic-guided catheterization of the allantoic space was developed and utilized in an experimental model of streptococcal infective pre-term delivery in pony mares. Mares received either 1 x 107 CFU live S. zooepidemicus (n=3), 5.1 x 108 CFU live S. zooepidemicus (n=1), 1 x 107 heat-killed S. zooepidemicus (n=3), 1 mL sterile PBS (n=3). Sham control mares did not receive a transcervical inoculation (n=3). One mare not instrumented with an allantoic catheter received 5.1 x 108 CFU live S. zooepidemicus. Mares with spontaneous abortion …

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Off-Line Maldi Mass Spectrometry Of Bioaerosols, Jae-Kuk Kim Jan 2008

Off-Line Maldi Mass Spectrometry Of Bioaerosols, Jae-Kuk Kim

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used for off-line analysis of bioaerosols. The overall goal of the work is to develop methods and instrumentation to minimize sample treatment and maximize sensitivity and selectivity for bioaerosol analysis. This work is divided into three parts: sample preparation, test bioaerosol analysis, and instrument development. Untreated silicon wafer substrates were used as an alternate to conventional stainless steel targets and proved to be excellent substrates for large molecule analyses as well as small molecule analyses with excellent spot-to-spot and shot-to-shot reproducibility, which is useful for high-throughput and automated sample analysis. MALDI sample preparation …

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Identification Of Quantitative Trait Loci Influencing Early Height Growth In Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris Mill), Lisha Wu Jan 2008

Identification Of Quantitative Trait Loci Influencing Early Height Growth In Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris Mill), Lisha Wu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The delay in early height growth (EHG) has been a limiting factor for artificial regeneration of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.). Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers have been used to map the genome and quantitative trait loci controlling the EHG in a backcross family (longleaf pine x slash pine) x longleaf pine. A total of 228 locus specific SSR markers were screened against 6 longleaf pine recurrent parents and a sample of 7 longlef x slash pine hybrid parents. In total, 135 polymorphic markers were identified. Based on the genetic variance in EHG, available sample size, and the number of …

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Novel Devices And Protocols Enabling Isolation And Enumeration Of Low Abundant Biological Cells From Complex Matrices, Andre Antonio Adams Jan 2008

Novel Devices And Protocols Enabling Isolation And Enumeration Of Low Abundant Biological Cells From Complex Matrices, Andre Antonio Adams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The dimensions of microfluidic devices closely parallel those of biological cells; thusly, they are excellent platforms for the speciation, transport, manipulation, and analysis of cells. Electrokinetic transport of Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae was evaluated in microfluidic devices fabricated in pristine and UV-modified poly(methylmethacrylate) and polycarbonate. The magnitude and direction of transport of the cells was dictated by the buffer composition, conduit surface chemistry, and intrinsic cellular electrical properties. Baker’s yeast in all devices migrated toward the cathode, because of their smaller electrophoretic mobility compared to the electroosmotic flow of the polymer. E. coli cells suspended in 20 mM PBS …

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Novel Oncolytic Herpesviruses For Breast Cancer Treatment, Anna Israyelyan Jan 2008

Novel Oncolytic Herpesviruses For Breast Cancer Treatment, Anna Israyelyan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Oncolytic herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) has shown great potential as an effective agent for cancer therapy ¨C oncolytic virotherapy. To enhance oncolytic capabilities of previously reported agents, new oncolytic and fusogenic HSV-1 OncSyn and OncdSyn viruses were constructed based on wild type HSV-1 (F) strain. To provide for safety and tumor selectivity, the viruses carried a large deletion including one of the two ¦Ã134.5 genes. The ¦Ã134.5 gene, a major neurovirulence factor, was replaced by a gene cassette constitutively expressing the red fluorescent protein. Homologous recombination was utilized to transfer the fusogenic gBsyn3 mutation to the viral genome to …

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The Zinc Induction Of Heme Oxygenase-1 Gene Promoter In Mouse Hepa Cells, Salim M. Alawneh Jan 2008

The Zinc Induction Of Heme Oxygenase-1 Gene Promoter In Mouse Hepa Cells, Salim M. Alawneh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) catalyzes the initial and rate-limiting reaction in heme catabolism (yielding equimolar quantities of iron, carbon monoxide, and biliverdin), which is further metabolized to bilirubin by biliverdin reductase. HO-1, an important enzyme with antioxidant and cytoprotective properties, functions against oxidative stress generated in response to heme and to various stress stimuli, such as zinc. The cytoprotective function of HO-1 is dependent on both the activities of the reaction products and on the inducibility of the heme oxygenase gene (hmox-1), which is regulated primarily at the level of gene transcription by two distal enhancers, E1 and E2. Characterization of …

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The Diet Of Saltmarsh Consumers, Kari Ann Galvan Jan 2008

The Diet Of Saltmarsh Consumers, Kari Ann Galvan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Salt marshes are areas of high primary production that in turn support high secondary production. Macrophytes, phytoplankton and a variety of benthic algae all contribute to the high primary productivity. Each has the potential to contribute to the saltmarsh food web making it difficult to determine organic matter resources important to secondary production in salt marshes. Furthermore, our understanding of saltmarsh food webs is complicated by anthropogenic effects such as nutrient inputs and exploitation of key predators. I utilized a combination of natural abundance stable isotopes, isotope tracer additions, gut content analysis and manipulative experiments to determine the diets of …

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Native Spiritualities As Resistance: Disrupting Colonialism In The Americas, Kirstin Lea Squint Jan 2008

Native Spiritualities As Resistance: Disrupting Colonialism In The Americas, Kirstin Lea Squint

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This project analyzes eight novels which represent revolt or resistance by varied Native peoples against the European and Euro-American colonization of the Americas. I take a comparative approach to literatures of the Americas because of the dearth of research examining the literatures of both continents side by side, particularly literatures by and about Indigenous Americans. Chapter One introduces the theoretical bases for the project, including colonial and postcolonial theories, Native American literary theories, and aesthetic concerns specific to American Indian literatures. The second chapter is a comparative analysis of Miguel Angel Asturias’s Men of Maize and Leslie Marmon Silko’s Almanac …

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