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Tshkt1;2, A Hkt1 Homolog From The Extremophile Arabidopsis Relative Thellungiella Salsuginea, Shows K + Specificity In The Presence Of Nacl, Zahir Ali, Hyeong Cheol Park, Akhtar Ali, Dong Ha Oh, Rashid Aman, Anna Kropornicka, Hyewon Hong, Wonkyun Choi, Woo Sik Chung, Woe Yeon Kim, Ray A. Bressan, Hans J. Bohnert, Sang Yeol Lee, Dae Jin Yun Mar 2012

Tshkt1;2, A Hkt1 Homolog From The Extremophile Arabidopsis Relative Thellungiella Salsuginea, Shows K + Specificity In The Presence Of Nacl, Zahir Ali, Hyeong Cheol Park, Akhtar Ali, Dong Ha Oh, Rashid Aman, Anna Kropornicka, Hyewon Hong, Wonkyun Choi, Woo Sik Chung, Woe Yeon Kim, Ray A. Bressan, Hans J. Bohnert, Sang Yeol Lee, Dae Jin Yun

Faculty Publications

Cellular Na +/K + ratio is a crucial parameter determining plant salinity stress resistance. We tested the function of plasma membrane Na +/K + cotransporters in the High-affinity K + Transporter (HKT) family from the halophytic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) relative Thellungiella salsuginea. T. salsuginea contains at least two HKT genes. TsHKT1;1 is expressed at very low levels, while the abundant TsHKT1;2 is transcriptionally strongly up-regulated by salt stress. TsHKT-based RNA interference in T. salsuginea resulted in Na + sensitivity and K + deficiency. The athkt1 mutant lines overexpressing TsHKT1;2 proved less sensitive to Na + and showed less K + …

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Genetic Effects Of Traits Associated To Nitrogen Use Efficiency In Maize, Júlio César Dovale, Roberto Fritsche-Neto, Felipe Bermudez, Glauco Vieira Miranda Mar 2012

Genetic Effects Of Traits Associated To Nitrogen Use Efficiency In Maize, Júlio César Dovale, Roberto Fritsche-Neto, Felipe Bermudez, Glauco Vieira Miranda

Faculty Publications

The objectives of this work were to determine the genetic control of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), to identify the importance of N acquisition (NAE) and utilization (NUtE) efficiencies on its composition, and to quantify the relation between production of shoot (SDM) and root dry matter mass with NUE and its components. Forty-one hybrid combinations were evaluated in two N availabilities: low (LN) and high (HN). A randomized complete block design with two replicates, in a simple factorial arrangement (hybrid combination x N availability), was used. Statistical analyses were done using mixed model equations. High magnitude correlations were detected between NAE …

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The Ubiquitin Ligase Siah2 Regulates Pparγ Activity In Adipocytes, Gail Kilroy, Heather Kirk-Ballard, Lauren E. Carter, Z. Elizabeth Floyd Mar 2012

The Ubiquitin Ligase Siah2 Regulates Pparγ Activity In Adipocytes, Gail Kilroy, Heather Kirk-Ballard, Lauren E. Carter, Z. Elizabeth Floyd

Faculty Publications

Moderate reductions in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ levels control insulin sensitivity as effectively as activation of PPARγ in adipocytes by the thiazolidinediones. That observation suggests that PPARγ activity can be regulated by modulating the amount of PPARγ protein in adipocytes. Activation of PPARγ in adipocytes is linked to changes in PPARγ protein levels via increased degradation of PPARγ proteins by the ubiquitin proteasome system. Identification of the ubiquitin ligase or ligases that recognize ligand bound PPARγ is an essential step in determining the physiological significance of the relationship between activation and ubiquitin-dependent degradation of PPARγ. Using an RNA interference-based screen, …

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Tolerance, Fermentation, And Cytokine Expression In Healthy Aged Male C57bl/6j Mice Fed Resistant Starch, June Zhou, Michael J. Keenan, Jeffrey Keller, Sun O. Fernandez-Kim, Paul J. Pistell, Richard T. Tulley, Anne M. Raggio, Li Shen, Hanjie Zhang, Roy J. Martin, Marc R. Blackman Mar 2012

Tolerance, Fermentation, And Cytokine Expression In Healthy Aged Male C57bl/6j Mice Fed Resistant Starch, June Zhou, Michael J. Keenan, Jeffrey Keller, Sun O. Fernandez-Kim, Paul J. Pistell, Richard T. Tulley, Anne M. Raggio, Li Shen, Hanjie Zhang, Roy J. Martin, Marc R. Blackman

Faculty Publications

Health benefits of resistant starch (RS), a dietary fermentable fiber, have been well documented in young, but not in old populations. As the essential step of more comprehensive evaluations of RS on healthy aging, we examined the effects of dietary RS on tolerance, colonic fermentation, and cytokine expression in aged mice. Healthy older (18-20 months) C57BL/6J male mice were fed control, 18% RS, or 36% RS diets for 10weeks. Body weight gain, body composition, and fat pad weights did not differ among the three groups after 10weeks, indicating good tolerance of the RS diet. Fermentation indicators (cecum weights, and cecal …

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Ethylene's Role In Phosphate Starvation Signaling: More Than Just A Root Growth Regulator, Vinay K. Nagarajan, Aaron P. Smith Feb 2012

Ethylene's Role In Phosphate Starvation Signaling: More Than Just A Root Growth Regulator, Vinay K. Nagarajan, Aaron P. Smith

Faculty Publications

Phosphate (Pi) is a common limiter of plant growth due to its low availability in most soils. Plants have evolved elaborate mechanisms for sensing Pi deficiency and for initiating adaptive responses to low Pi conditions. Pi signaling pathways are modulated by both local and long-distance, or systemic, sensing mechanisms. Local sensing of low Pi initiates major root developmental changes aimed at enhancing Pi acquisition, whereas systemic sensing governs pathways that modulate expression of numerous genes encoding factors involved in Pi transport and distribution. The gaseous phytohormone ethylene has been shown to play an integral role in regulating local, root developmental …

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Reproductive Efficiency Of Captive Chinese- And Indian-Origin Rhesus Macaque (Macaca Mulatta) Females, H. Michael Kubisch, Kathrine P. Falkenstein, Chelsea B. Deroche, Donald E. Franke Feb 2012

Reproductive Efficiency Of Captive Chinese- And Indian-Origin Rhesus Macaque (Macaca Mulatta) Females, H. Michael Kubisch, Kathrine P. Falkenstein, Chelsea B. Deroche, Donald E. Franke

Faculty Publications

Reproductive and survival records (n = 2,913) from 313 Chinese-origin and 365 Indian-derived rhesus macaques at the Tulane National Primate Research Center (TNPRC) spanning three generations were studied. Least-squares analysis of variance procedures were used to compare reproductive and infant survival traits while proportional hazards regression procedures were used to study female age at death, number of infants born per female, and time from last birth to death. Chinese females were older at first parturition than Indian females because they were older when placed with males, but the two subspecies had similar first postpartum birth interval (1st PPBI) and lifetime …

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Retrotransposons As A Major Source Of Epigenetic Variations In The Mammalian Genome, Muhammad B. Ekram, Keunsoo Kang, Hana Kim, Joomyeong Kim Jan 2012

Retrotransposons As A Major Source Of Epigenetic Variations In The Mammalian Genome, Muhammad B. Ekram, Keunsoo Kang, Hana Kim, Joomyeong Kim

Faculty Publications

Transcription of retrotransposons is usually repressed by DNA methylation, but a few elements, such as intracisternal A-particles (IAPs) associated with the Agouti and Axin-fused loci, partially escape this repression mechanism. The levels of this repression are also variable among individuals with an identical genome sequence, generating epigenetically different states of loci or epialleles. In the current study, we tested the existence of additional retrotransposon-derived epialleles in the mouse genome. Using a series of bioinformatics approaches, 143 candidate epialleles were first identified from the mouse genome based on their promoter activity and association with active histone modification marks. Detailed analyses suggest …

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Contextual Chemosensory Urine Signaling In An African Cichlid Fish, Karen P. Maruska, Russell D. Fernald Jan 2012

Contextual Chemosensory Urine Signaling In An African Cichlid Fish, Karen P. Maruska, Russell D. Fernald

Faculty Publications

Chemosensory signaling is crucial for communication in many fish species, but little is known about how signalers modulate chemical output in response to sensory information and social context. Here, we tested the hypothesis that dominant male African cichlid fish (Astatotilapia burtoni) use urine signals during social interactions, and demonstrate that this signaling depends on social context (reproductive; territorial) and on available sensory information (visual cues; full interaction). We injected males with dye to visualize urine pulses and exposed them to full sensory information or visual cues alone of four types: (1) dominant male; (2) gravid (reproductively receptive) females; (3) mouth-brooding …

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Variants In Cxadr And F2rl1 Are Associated With Blood Pressure And Obesity In African-Americans In Regions Identified Through Admixture Mapping, Priya B. Shetty, Hua Tang, Bamidele O. Tayo, Alanna C. Morrison, Craig L. Hanis, Dabeeru C. Rao, Jeffery H. Young, Ervin R. Fox, Eric Boerwinkle, Richard S. Cooper, Neil J. Risch, Xiaofeng Zhu Jan 2012

Variants In Cxadr And F2rl1 Are Associated With Blood Pressure And Obesity In African-Americans In Regions Identified Through Admixture Mapping, Priya B. Shetty, Hua Tang, Bamidele O. Tayo, Alanna C. Morrison, Craig L. Hanis, Dabeeru C. Rao, Jeffery H. Young, Ervin R. Fox, Eric Boerwinkle, Richard S. Cooper, Neil J. Risch, Xiaofeng Zhu

Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: Genetic variants in 296 genes in regions identified through admixture mapping of hypertension, BMI, and lipids were assessed for association with hypertension, blood pressure (BP), BMI, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). METHODS: This study identified coding SNPs identified from HapMap2 data that were located in genes on chromosomes 5, 6, 8, and 21, wherein ancestry association evidence for hypertension, BMI, or HDL-C was identified in previous admixture mapping studies. Genotyping was performed in 1733 unrelated African-Americans from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's Family Blood Pressure Project, and gene-based association analyses were conducted for hypertension, SBP, DBP, BMI, …

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Offspring Production With Cryopreserved Sperm From A Live-Bearing Fish Xiphophorus Maculatus And Implications For Female Fecundity, Huiping Yang, Markita G. Savage, Leona Hazlewood, Ronald B. Walter, Terrence R. Tiersch Jan 2012

Offspring Production With Cryopreserved Sperm From A Live-Bearing Fish Xiphophorus Maculatus And Implications For Female Fecundity, Huiping Yang, Markita G. Savage, Leona Hazlewood, Ronald B. Walter, Terrence R. Tiersch

Faculty Publications

Xiphophorus fishes are well-established models for biomedical research of spontaneous or induced tumors, and their use in research dates back to the 1930s. Currently, 58 well-pedigreed lines exist among 24 Xiphophorus species housed as live animals at the Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center. The technique of sperm cryopreservation has been applied to preserve these valuable genetic resources, and production of offspring has been reported with cryopreserved sperm in two species (X. helleri and X. couchianus). The goal of this research was to establish protocols for sperm cryopreservation and artificial insemination that yield live young in X. maculatus, a widely used research …

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Development Of Cantaloupe (Cucumis Melo) Juice Powders Using Spray Drying Technology, Kevin Mis Solval, Srijanani Sundararajan, Luis Alfaro, Subramaniam Sathivel Jan 2012

Development Of Cantaloupe (Cucumis Melo) Juice Powders Using Spray Drying Technology, Kevin Mis Solval, Srijanani Sundararajan, Luis Alfaro, Subramaniam Sathivel

Faculty Publications

Cantaloupes are a good source of carotenoids and vitamin C. Cantaloupe fruit juice powder containing vitamin C and β-carotene can be produced by spray drying. The objective of this study was to develop cantaloupe fruit juice (CJ) powder and to evaluate its nutritional and physical properties. Fresh cantaloupe fruits purchased from a local store were diced and juiced. CJ with 10% maltodextrin (MD) added was spray dried at inlet temperatures of 170, 180 and. /or 190 °C. Three spray dried cantaloupe powders, including CJ dried with MD at 170 °C (CJP1), CJ dried with MD at 180 °C (CJP2), CJ …

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Overexpression Of Arabidopsis And Rice Stress Genes' Inducible Transcription Factor Confers Drought And Salinity Tolerance To Rice, Karabi Datta, Niranjan Baisakh, Moumita Ganguly, Sellapan Krishnan, Kazuko Yamaguchi Shinozaki, Swapan K. Datta Jan 2012

Overexpression Of Arabidopsis And Rice Stress Genes' Inducible Transcription Factor Confers Drought And Salinity Tolerance To Rice, Karabi Datta, Niranjan Baisakh, Moumita Ganguly, Sellapan Krishnan, Kazuko Yamaguchi Shinozaki, Swapan K. Datta

Faculty Publications

Rice yield is greatly affected by environmental stresses such as drought and salinity. In response to the challenge of producing rice plants tolerant to these stresses, we introduced cDNA encoding the transcription factors DREB1A and DREB1B under the control of the stress inducible rd29 promoter. Two different indica rice cultivars were used, BR29, an improved commercially cultivated variety from Bangladesh and IR68899B, an IRRI bred maintainer line for hybrid rice. Agrobacterium mediated transformation of BR29 was done independently with DREB1A isolated from rice and Arabidopsis and DREB1B isolated from rice, whereas biolistic transformation was done with rice- DREB1B in the …

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Spiritual Support As Coping Among Alzheimer's Caregivers, Mary Katherine Schillings Jan 2012

Spiritual Support As Coping Among Alzheimer's Caregivers, Mary Katherine Schillings

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of spiritual support on Alzheimer’s caregiver’s perceived burden. This study will examine the relationship between spiritual support and burden among Alzheimer’s caregivers. The collection of data was accomplished by a packet of surveys mailed to Alzheimer’s caregivers. For this study the population is separated and difficult to survey as a whole, therefore, a smaller cluster sample is surveyed from a specific organization. The global score of the burden measure is negatively correlated with the global score of the Spiritual Support Scale. In this study, spiritual support is not the sole …

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Development Of A Frozen Yogurt Fortified With A Nano-Emulsion Containing Purple Rice Bran Oil, Luis Alonso Alfaro Sanabria Jan 2012

Development Of A Frozen Yogurt Fortified With A Nano-Emulsion Containing Purple Rice Bran Oil, Luis Alonso Alfaro Sanabria

LSU Master's Theses

The U.S. frozen dessert business, including retail and foodservice markets, is the largest in the world. There is a need for deserts that offer better nutritional attributes, such as antioxidants than traditional deserts. Purple rice bran oil (PRBO) is an excellent source of natural antioxidants including tocopherol, tocotrienol, and oryzanol. Adding nano-emulsions of purple rice bran oil (NPRBO) to many products including frozen yogurts (FY) will improve the nutritional profile of the product by substantially increasing the natural antioxidant content. This fortification may have the potential to broaden the FY market. The objectives of this study were to develop and …

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Inhibition Of Adipocyte Differentiation In 3t3-L1 Cell Line By Quercetin Or Isorhamnetin, Diana Gabriela Carvajal-Aldaz Jan 2012

Inhibition Of Adipocyte Differentiation In 3t3-L1 Cell Line By Quercetin Or Isorhamnetin, Diana Gabriela Carvajal-Aldaz

LSU Master's Theses

Carvajal-Aldaz, Diana Gabriela, B.S. Food Science, Zamorano University, 2007 Master of Science, Fall Commencement, 2012 Major: Food Science Inhibition of Adipocyte Differentiation in 3T3-L1 Cell Line by Quercetin or Isorhamnetin Thesis directed by Professor Jack N. Losso Pages in thesis, 43. Words in abstract, 281. ABSTRACT Obesity has become a major health problem worldwide. Obesity increases the risk of hypertension, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Quercetin is a bioactive compound widely found in a variety of foods that are consumed daily. Isorhamnetin is a bioactive compound found in some foods and also is a quercetin metabolite. Many studies have …

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Does Endurance Training Alter Energy Balance?, Brittany Inlow Jan 2012

Does Endurance Training Alter Energy Balance?, Brittany Inlow

LSU Master's Theses

An examination of the effects of a structured activity program on resting metabolic rate (RMR), physical activity, and dietary behavior is essential in gaining a better understanding of potential strategies that may be used in future exercise training programs. PURPOSE: To explore whether endurance training alters energy balance via changes in resting metabolic rate (RMR), daily energy expenditure (EE) and energy intake (EI). METHODS: Twenty-four subjects (17 females, 7 males; 21 + 0.3 years old) were assigned to one of two groups: 1) endurance (E; n = 12), or 2) active control (AC; n = 12). The E group completed …

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Evaluating The Efficacy Of Methoxyfenozide On Louisiana, Texas And The Mid-Southern Soybean Looper Populations, Sebe Anthony Brown Jan 2012

Evaluating The Efficacy Of Methoxyfenozide On Louisiana, Texas And The Mid-Southern Soybean Looper Populations, Sebe Anthony Brown

LSU Master's Theses

The soybean looper, Chrysodeixis includens (Walker), is a defoliating insect pest of soybean in the Mid-South and Texas. In 2008, Louisiana producers reported unsatisfactory control of soybean loopers in soybean with methoxyfenozide. In 2009 and 2010, field collections from Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi and Texas were exposed to discriminating concentrations (0.020 to 5.000 ai ìg/ml) of methoxyfenozide in diet incorporation bioassays. All field colonies were compared to a reference strain LC50 of 0.007 ìg/ml for 2009 and 0.008 ìg/ml for 2010. Louisiana populations exhibited LC50’s of 0.079 ìg/ml and 0.122 ìg/ml for 2009 and 2010, respectively, which were the highest values …

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Identification Of Algal Strains By Pcr Amplification And Evaluation Of Their Fatty Acid Profiles For Biodiesel Production, Reynaldo Moreno Jan 2012

Identification Of Algal Strains By Pcr Amplification And Evaluation Of Their Fatty Acid Profiles For Biodiesel Production, Reynaldo Moreno

LSU Master's Theses

Four microalgae, obtained from different brackish and fresh water sources within the state of Louisiana’s Southeast region, were evaluated for their potential use in the production of biodiesel. The microorganisms were isolated and identified using genomic DNA, and 16S rRNA or 18S rRNA gene amplification followed by sequencing. The resultant sequences were compared with those available on the NCBI website database through the BLAST bioinformatic tool. The results showed high correlation with known nucleotide sequence identities at 99 % with Synechococcus sp., 98 % with Sellaphora pupula, 99 % with Chlorella sorokiniana, 99 % with Scenedesmus abundans, and 99 % …

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Marketing Channels And Internet Technology Used By Specialty Crop Farmers, Sandamali Kanaththa Kankanamge Jan 2012

Marketing Channels And Internet Technology Used By Specialty Crop Farmers, Sandamali Kanaththa Kankanamge

LSU Master's Theses

An online survey was used to collect data on specialty crop farms in 2010 in Louisiana. The objectives included evaluation of familiarity with the Louisiana Food MarketMaker website and the All about Blueberries website, about marketing channels used, and the adoption of electronic and Internet based technologies to assist with marketing of differentiated products. Variables included use and effectiveness of marketing channels, level of use and quality of internet service, use of Internet-based functions and applications, barriers to internet use, frequency of use and usefulness of social media and smart phones, effectiveness of and familiarity with MarketMaker and All about …

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Late Formative Plant Use And Diet At Caylán (Peru) As Seen Through The Analysis Of Macrobotanical Remains And Human Feces, Beverly Marie Clement Jan 2012

Late Formative Plant Use And Diet At Caylán (Peru) As Seen Through The Analysis Of Macrobotanical Remains And Human Feces, Beverly Marie Clement

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis presents macrobotanical and fecal data from Caylán (800 – 1 BCE), a Late and Final Formative urban center located in the Nepeña Valley, on the north-central coast of Peru, Department of Ancash. A predominant theme in Andean archaeology is understanding subsistence strategies practiced by humans during critical social, economic, and political periods in Peruvian prehistory. Excavations at the site of Caylán have unveiled ample amounts of plant and other organic remains. This research consists of a two-part analysis: examination of macrobotanical remains from the 2009 field season and excavated human feces found in various contexts of the site …

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The Effect Of Loving Kindness Meditation And Student Teachers Stress And Empathy, Imre Csaszar Jan 2012

The Effect Of Loving Kindness Meditation And Student Teachers Stress And Empathy, Imre Csaszar

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Teachers face increasing demands in the twenty-first century as they engage with students, administrators, coworkers, staff, and parents. High demands and stressors may generate feelings of emotional exhaustion in educators. If left ignored or untreated the emotional exhaustion may eventually lead to burnout and impairment. This prospectus highlights a study designed to explore a preventative option to mitigate the experience of stress felt by student teachers through a structured, guided mindfulness training practice: loving kindness meditation.

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Evaluation Of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Associated With Fertility And Production Traits In Holstein And Multi-Generational Angus Females, Rebecca Ann Hill Jan 2012

Evaluation Of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Associated With Fertility And Production Traits In Holstein And Multi-Generational Angus Females, Rebecca Ann Hill

LSU Master's Theses

The objective of this study was to test the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with fertility in two populations consisting of Holstein cows and multi-generational Angus cows. The candidate gene approach was utilized and previously described SNPs were tested for possible associations with fertility. Single nucleotide polymorphisms on three genes were evaluated including leptin receptor LEPR, calpastatin CAST, and DGAT1. Fertility traits were evaluated in conjunction with production traits for Holstein females and growth traits for Angus females. One SNP was significantly associated with birth weight (P < 0.05) in Angus females while a trend (P < 0.10) was observed for two markers influencing birth weight performance and three markers influencing weaning weight performance. An association of two SNP for birth weight and back fat thickness in Angus females was identified.!A trend (P < 0.10) was observed for one marker within LEPR influencing average services to conception, two markers within CAST influencing average days open, two markers within CAST and one marker within DGAT1 influencing average protein production, and one marker within CAST and one marker within DGAT1 influencing average milk production. One SNP within LEPR was significantly associated with average milk production (P < 0.05) in Holstein females. An association of one SNP within CAST and one SNP within DGAT1 for average protein production and average milk production in Holstein females was identified. An association of one SNP within CAST for average days open and average protein production in Holstein females was also identified. The association of these markers indicates that the evaluated quantitative trait loci (QTL) region may harbor causative mutations responsible for the variation observed in fertility and production traits. Further evaluation of SNP in these regions is necessary in order to identify mutations accounting for the largest degree of variation for fertility and production traits.

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Diversity Of Yeasts Associated With Wood And The Gut Of Wood-Feeding Insects, Hector Raul Urbina Jan 2012

Diversity Of Yeasts Associated With Wood And The Gut Of Wood-Feeding Insects, Hector Raul Urbina

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The gut of insects and plant tissues are productive sources for the isolation of undescribed species of yeasts. In particular, the gut of lignicolous insects is colonized by yeasts that can carry out the fermentation of several sugars. The consistent association between xylose-fermenting (X-F) yeasts and the gut of lignicolous insects has been used as evidence of a symbiotic relationship between them. In general passalid beetles (Passalidae) and wood-roaches (Cryptocercidae) feed on rotted wood where they spend most of their lives. Digestion of the substrate depends on the symbiotic microbiota, which include strict and facultative anaerobic microorganisms such as bacteria, …

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The Moderating Effect Of Autism Symptomology On The Relationship Of Cognitive And Adaptive Functioning With Anxiety Symptoms In Infants And Toddlers, Robert D. Rieske Jan 2012

The Moderating Effect Of Autism Symptomology On The Relationship Of Cognitive And Adaptive Functioning With Anxiety Symptoms In Infants And Toddlers, Robert D. Rieske

LSU Master's Theses

Anxiety disorders have been shown to have a high prevalence rate in the general population and the prevalence in those with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is even higher. The detection, diagnosis, and implementation of an early intervention program for these disorders are crucial to the developmental outcome for such individuals. Researchers have shown how cognitive and adaptive functioning are related and affect anxiety symptoms in children as well as the high comorbidity with ASD. The aim of this study was to confirm those relationships, using scores from the BISCUIT-Part 2 (anxiety symptomology) and the BDI-II (Cognitive and Adaptive Developmental Quotient), …

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Insights Into The Catalytic Mechanisms Of The Protein Enzymes, Pfkfb3 And Vlde, Using X-Ray Crystallography, Michael Christopher Cavalier Jan 2012

Insights Into The Catalytic Mechanisms Of The Protein Enzymes, Pfkfb3 And Vlde, Using X-Ray Crystallography, Michael Christopher Cavalier

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This work describes the crystallographic studies of two enzymes and provides mechanistic insights into their respective catalytic processes. The first study investigates the molecular basis of the fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase reaction of the inducible isoform of the bifunctional enzyme, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase (PFKFB3). The bifunctional enzyme is solely responsible for the cellular concentration of a regulator of glucose metabolism, fructose-2,6-bisphosphate. PFKB3 was investigated using the crystal structures of the enzyme in a phospho-enzyme intermediate state (PFKFB3-P•F-6-P), in a transition state-analogous complex (PFKFB3•AlF4), and in a complex with pyrophosphate (PFKFB3•PPi). With these structures, the structures of the Michaelis complex and the transition state were extrapolated. …

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A Novel Immunomodulatory Subunit Vaccine To Combat The Involvement Of Bovine Respiratory Coronavirus Infections In Shipping Fever, Genevieve Elizabeth Lum Jan 2012

A Novel Immunomodulatory Subunit Vaccine To Combat The Involvement Of Bovine Respiratory Coronavirus Infections In Shipping Fever, Genevieve Elizabeth Lum

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Bovine respiratory coronavirus (BRCoV) is a group 2a coronavirus expressing both hemagglutinin-esterase and spike (S) envelope glycoproteins. The S glycoprotein is a primary coronavirus virulence factor responsible for both receptor specificity and membrane fusion-mediated entry into host cells. In addition, the S glycoprotein serves as a major antigen targeted by both the cellular and humoral immune responses and, as such, is an important target for antibody-facilitated virus neutralization. The objective of this research was the design of a safe and effective vaccine against BRCoV using a “prime-boost” vaccination approach. This method utilized an initial DNA vaccine encoding either the soluble …

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Food Cravings And Food Cue Responding Across The Menstrual Cycle, Megan Apperson Mcvay Jan 2012

Food Cravings And Food Cue Responding Across The Menstrual Cycle, Megan Apperson Mcvay

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Food cravings have been linked to obesity and eating disorders. Women report craving food more than men, and women experience greater rates of obesity and eating disorders. Retrospective and quasi-prospective studies have suggested that food cravings may be more common during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Unfortunately, these studies have been limited by the use of poorly defined menstrual cycle phases, disregard for individual differences in menstrual cycle length, and absence of validated measures of cravings. The current study examined the effects of menstrual cycle phase on 1) cravings in response to a high fat/high sugar chocolate candy …

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Psychometric Re-Evaluation Of The Spiritual Support Scale, Angela M. Bowman Jan 2012

Psychometric Re-Evaluation Of The Spiritual Support Scale, Angela M. Bowman

LSU Master's Theses

Informal caregivers provide a substantial amount of emotional, financial, physical, and social support to their loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s caregivers often report immense levels of burden, which are associated with the demands of their caregiving duties. Caregivers mediate this burden through various means of coping, including spiritual support. Individuals who successfully manage the negative stressors related to Alzheimer’s caregiving are often highly resilient. The purpose of this study was to re-evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spiritual Support Scale among a sample of Alzheimer’s caregivers. The Spiritual Support Scale was initially utilized to measure spiritual coping among a …

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Identifying The Common Characteristics Of Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs In Louisiana, Kyrie’ A. Deslatte Jan 2012

Identifying The Common Characteristics Of Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs In Louisiana, Kyrie’ A. Deslatte

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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Vacuum Tumbling For The Incorporation Of Phosphates In Gulf Shrimp., Matthew Daryl Cael Jan 2012

Vacuum Tumbling For The Incorporation Of Phosphates In Gulf Shrimp., Matthew Daryl Cael

LSU Master's Theses

A processing method for shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico region is to place mechanically peeled shrimp in plastic bags in a retail box and add a mixture of water, sodium chloride, and sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP). The box is then placed in frozen storage. As the shrimp and solution freeze, there is a potential for the shrimp to absorb solution inconsistently. When used properly, phosphates help to retain natural moisture, and protect the product through freezing and thawing. However, excessive absorption of phosphate solution can lead to a loss of functional benefits in the finished product. When thawed, the over-treated …

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