Digital Commons Network^™

The Influences Of Microbial Diversity On Carbonate Geochemistry Across A Transition From Fresh To Saline Water In The Edwards Aquifer, Texas, Cassie Jo Gray

LSU Master's Theses

Microbially-mediated karstification through the production of metabolic byproducts has been well-documented in cave environments, but less is known about deep karstic settings. This research aimed to distinguish between microbial and geochemical influences on carbonate dissolution in the Edwards Aquifer, a prolific karst aquifer in central Texas, specifically from a transect of six wells across a transition from fresh to saline water in New Braunfels. For the first time, a portion of the aquifer’s bacterial diversity was examined from molecular 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses, which revealed that Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Betaproteobacteria dominated the aquifer, with rare Bacteroidetes, Nitrospirae, and Firmicutes …

School Gardens: Effects On Low Socioeconomic First Grade Students, Margo Lynn Castro

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine if there are any effects of school gardens on low socio-economic first grade classroom located in the Southern Region of the United States. It is crucial for students to understand food sources and where it originates. Data was gathered through interviews using qualitative research methods. Analysis consisted of examining data from themes and discriminate cases. Personal interviews were done with teachers and students involved in the garden project. Permission was received to interview the students at school. All participants will remain anonymous. The results of the study found that the garden project …

Macular Pigment Optical Density During Pregnancy And Its Relationship To The Diet, Alicia Page

LSU Master's Theses

Women, compared to men, are at higher risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in the elderly. The accumulation of dietary carotenoids, lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z) within the macula make up macular pigment and provide important protection to the retina. Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) gives a measure of macula pigment density. MPOD has been shown to be influenced by fruit and vegetable L and Z and docosahexanoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3), cold water marine fish being the dietary source. A high MPOD may protect against AMD. Intake of DHA by women is low (40-120 mg/d) …

Effects Of Serum Addition To Culture Medium On Gene Expression In Day-7 And Day-14 Bovine Embryos, Jaime Manuel Angulo Campos

LSU Master's Theses

The addition of serum to embryo culture media may alter gene expression and trigger development of Large Offspring Syndrome. The objectives of this study were to determine gene expression levels in embryos cultured in the absence or presence of 5% calf serum and compare these expression patterns to in vivo derived embryos (IVD), and to determine the effects of serum on the length of day-14 embryos. Abattoir derived oocytes were fertilized and cultured in mSOFaa. At 72 hours post-insemination (hpi), embryos were randomly allocated into two treatments: mSOFaa without and with 5% calf serum. Embryos were then cultured to 168 …

Resistant Starch And Sodium Butyrate Reduce Body Fat In Rodents, Kirk Adam Vidrine

LSU Master's Theses

Introduction: Obesity levels in the United States have significantly increased in the last forty years. Lifestyle and pharmacological treatments have been largely ineffective in treating obesity for most people. Both Resistant Starch (RS) and Dietary Sodium Butyrate (SB) are bioactivties which have shown the ability to decrease body fat levels of rodents without increasing physical activity or decreasing energy intake. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY) are gut hormones that may be involved in increased energy expenditure at a cellular level with dietary RS and SB. Objective: To discern if SB and RS both work through the increase …

Effects Of Meal Timing On Anabolic Hormone Status And Energy Metabolism In Neonatal Dairy Calves, Katherine Claire Simon

LSU Master's Theses

Twelve neonatal Holstein bull calves (38.52 ± 5.87 kg) were fed milk replacer at a fixed or varied meal time to determine the effects on metabolic hormone secretion, average daily intake, growth, and energy metabolism. Body weights were measured every two weeks from birth to 8 weeks. Rumen fluid was collected every two weeks from week 2 through 8. Serial blood collections were conducted every two weeks from week 2 through 8. Blood was collected, beginning at 0530, at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, 120, 135, and 150 minutes. Plasma was analyzed for ghrelin, leptin, growth hormone …

An Economic Analysis Of The Costs Of Alternative Sugarcane Fallow Weed Control Programs, José Rodolfo Mite Cáceres

LSU Master's Theses

Economic research was conducted to present estimates of costs per acre associated with fallow sugarcane weed control programs for Louisiana in 2010. The 2010 projected costs are associated with the various phases of sugarcane fallow using different machinery, implements, and weed control practices followed by most growers in the main sugarcane production area of Louisiana. For bermudagrass and johnsongrass weed control treatments, the herbicides applied were Roundup Original Max at 46 oz/A, generic glyphosate at 64 oz/A, DuPont K4 60DG, Trifluralin 4EC at 4 qt/A, and EPTC at 3.5 pt/A. Purple nutsedge weed control treatments included Roundup Original Max at …

Functional Characterization Of A Zinc Finger Protein Aebp2, Hana Kim

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

AEBP2 is a zinc finger protein that has been shown to interact with the mammalian Polycomb Repression Complex 2 (PRC2). I characterized this unknown protein and tested its potential targeting roles for the PRC2. AEBP2 is an evolutionarily well-conserved gene that is found in animals ranging from flying insects to mammals. The transcription of mammalian AEBP2 is driven by two alternative promoters and produces multiple transcripts that give rise to at least two isoforms of the protein. These isoforms show developmental stage-specific expression patterns: the larger adult-specific form (52 kDa) and the smaller embryo-specific form (31 kDa). The AEBP2 protein …

Quantification Of Energy Intake Using Food Image Analysis, Sertan Kaya

LSU Master's Theses

Obtaining real-time and accurate estimates of energy intake while people reside in their natural environment is technically and methodologically challenging. The goal of this project is to estimate energy intake accurately in real-time and free-living conditions. In this study, we propose a computer vision based system to estimate energy intake based on food pictures taken and emailed by subjects participating in the experiment. The system introduces a reference card inclusion procedure, which is used for geometric and photometric corrections. Image classification and segmentation methods are also incorporated into the system to have fully-automated decision making.

Relative Height And Weight Among Children And Adolescents Of Rural Southwestern Nigeria, Omolola Ayoola, Kara Ebersole, Olayemi O. Omotade, Bamidele O. Tayo, William R. Brieger, Kabiru Salami, Lara R. Dugas, Richard S. Cooper, Amy Luke

Faculty Publications

Background: There are few data describing the relative height and weight patterns of children and adolescents in rural Nigeria, despite a prevalence of stunting of over 38% among children younger than 5 years. Aim: The present study documented the height and weight patterns relative to international standards among children and adolescents aged 520 years in rural Nigeria. Subjects and methods: Children 520 years of age were enrolled from two rural villages. Height and weight were measured; body composition was estimated using bioelectrical impedance analysis. z-scores and centiles for height and body mass index were calculated; prevalences of low relative height …

Magnetic And Nonmagnetic Nanoparticles From A Group Of Uniform Materials Based On Organic Salts, Aaron Tesfai, Bilal El-Zahab, Algernon T. Kelley, Min Li, Jayne C. Garno, Gary A. Baker, Isiah M. Warner

Faculty Publications

The size and uniformity of magnetic nanoparticles developed from a group of uniform materials based on organic salts (GUMBOS) were controlled using an in situ ion exchange, water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion preparation. Most of these nanoGUMBOS are in fact ionic liquids (i.e., melting points less than 100 °C), while others have melting points above the conventional 100 °C demarcation. Simple variations in the reagent concentrations following a w/o approach allowed us to smoothly and predictably vary nanoparticle dimensions across a significant size regime with excellent uniformity. Average sizesofGUMBOS particles ranging from 14 to 198 nm were achieved by manipulation of the …

Failure To Ferment Dietary Resistant Starch In Specific Mouse Models Of Obesity Results In No Body Fat Loss, June Zhou, Roy J. Martin, Richard T. Tulley, Anne M. Raggio, Li Shen, Elizabeth Lissy, Kathleen Mccutcheon, Michael J. Keenan

Faculty Publications

Resistant starch (RS) is a fermentable fiber that decreases dietary energy density and results in fermentation in the lower gut. The current studies examined the effect of RS on body fat loss in mice. In a 12 week study (study 1), the effect of two different types of RS on body fat was compared with two control diets (0% RS) in C57Bl/6J mice: regular control diet or the control diet that had energy density equal to that of the RS diet (EC). All testing diets had 7% (w/w) dietary fat. In a 16 week study (study 2), the effect of …

Evaluation Of Rhodamine B As An Orally Delivered Biomarker For Rodents And A Feed-Through Transtadial Biomarker For Phlebotomine Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae), T. M. Mascari, L. D. Foil

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of rhodamine B as an orally delivered biomarker for rodents and a feed-through transtadial biomarker for phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae ). Rhodamine B-treated hamsters were visibly marked for up to 8 wk, and their feces were fluorescent when examined under a fluorescence microscope. The development and survival of sand fly larvae fed feces of rhodamine B-treated hamsters were not significantly different from control sand flies. Adult male and female sand flies, that had been fed as larvae the feces of rhodamine B-treated hamsters, were fluorescent when examined using fluorescent …

Coordination Of Ribosomal Protein And Ribosomal Rna Gene Expression In Response To Tor Signaling, Li Juan Xiao, Anne Grove

Faculty Publications

Cells grow in response to nutrients or growth factors, whose presence is detected and communicated by elaborate signaling pathways. Protein kinases play crucial roles in processes such as cell cycle progression and gene expression, and misregulation of such pathways has been correlated with various diseased states. Signals intended to promote cell growth converge on ribosome biogenesis, as the ability to produce cellular proteins is intimately tied to cell growth. Part of the response to growth signals is therefore the coordinate expression of genes encoding ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and ribosomal proteins (RP). A key player in regulating cell growth is the …

Modulation Of Lung Inflammation By Vessel Dilator In A Mouse Model Of Allergic Asthma, Xiaoqin Wang, Weidong Xu, Xiaoyuan Kong, Dongqing Chen, Gary Hellermann, Terry A. Ahlert, Joseph D. Giaimo, Stephania A. Cormier, Xu Li, Richard F. Lockey, Subhra Mohapatra, Shyam S. Mohapatra

Faculty Publications

Background: Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and its receptor, NPRA, have been extensively studied in terms of cardiovascular effects. We have found that the ANP-NPRA signaling pathway is also involved in airway allergic inflammation and asthma. ANP, a C-terminal peptide (amino acid 99-126) of pro-atrial natriuretic factor (proANF) and a recombinant peptide, NP73-102 (amino acid 73-102 of proANF) have been reported to induce bronchoprotective effects in a mouse model of allergic asthma. In this report, we evaluated the effects of vessel dilator (VD), another N-terminal natriuretic peptide covering amino acids 31-67 of proANF, on acute lung inflammation in a mouse model …

Louisiana Agriculture Summer, 2009

Louisiana Agriculture

No abstract provided.

Variations In The Composition Of Gelling Agents Affect Morphophysiological And Molecular Responses To Deficiencies Of Phosphate And Other Nutrients 1[C]W[Oa], Ajay Jain, Michael D. Poling, Aaron P. Smith, Vinay K. Nagarajan, Brett Lahner, Richard B. Meagher, Kashchandra G. Raghothama

Faculty Publications

Low inorganic phosphate (Pi) availability triggers an array of spatiotemporal adaptive responses in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). There are several reports on the effects of Pi deprivation on the root system that have been attributed to different growth conditions and/or inherent genetic variability. Here we show that the gelling agents, largely treated as inert components, significantly affect morphophysiological and molecular responses of the seedlings to deficiencies of Pi and other nutrients. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy analysis revealed variable levels of elemental contaminants not only in different types of agar but also in different batches of the same agar. Fluctuating levels of …

Andersonvilles Of The North: The Myths And Realities Of Northern Treatment Of Civil War Confederate Prisoners, Jeanne T. Heidler

Civil War Book Review

Prisoners of War

Changes In Composition Of Culturable Bacteria Community In The Gut Of The Formosan Subterranean Termite Depending On Rearing Conditions Of The Host, C. Husseneder, J. M. Berestecky, J. K. Grace

Faculty Publications

The hindgut of feeding termites that feed on wood and litter contains a diverse population of bacteria and protists that contribute to the carbon, nitrogen, and energy requirements of the termite. For understanding the ecological balance in the termite gut, detailed knowledge about the composition of the microbial gut flora is imperative, i.e., the numbers and relative proportions of the microbial taxa and the variability in the microbial composition among different termite colonies and living conditions of termites should be described. Therefore, we isolated and enumerated eight bacterial morphotypes from the gut of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes]]formosanus Shiraki. Five …

Impedance Spectroscopy Of Zebrafish Sperm, Robert Egnatchik

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Nutrient Enrichment Drives Gulf Of Mexico Hypoxia, Donald F. Boesch, Walter R. Boyton, Larry B. Crowder, Robert J. Diaz, Robert W. Howarth, Laurence D. Mee, Scott W. Nixon, Nancy N. Rabalais, Rutger Rosenberg, James G. Sanders, Donald Scavia, R. Eugene Turner

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Effects On Hatchability Due To Pre-Incubation Warming Of End Of Lay Broiler Breeder Eggs, William Andrew Greenwald

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Salivary Gland Thrombostasin Isoforms Differentially Regulate Blood Uptake Of Horn Flies Fed On New Zealand White Rabbits, Mary S. Cupp, Eddie W. Cupp, Dunhua Zhang, Xin Yue, Latora Todd, Victor Panangala, Christine Navarre, Elizabeth Whitley

Faculty Publications

Thrombostasin (TS) is a previously characterized anticlotting protein with multiple isoforms found in the saliva of horn flies. In this report, the effect of TS isoforms on blood feeding was assessed using individual flies that carried corresponding ts allelles. Laboratory studies of horn fly blood feeding were conducted using colony-reared flies fed on New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. After timed 20-min feeding periods, each fly was characterized for gender, blood volume uptake, and ts genotype. The results showed that mean blood volumes obtained by individual flies were not related to fly gender but were correlated to the ts genotype(s) carried …

Salivary Gland Thrombostasin Isoforms Differentially Regulate Blood Uptake Of Horn Flies Fed On New Zealand White Rabbits, Mary S. Cupp, Eddie W. Cupp, Dunhua Zhang, Xin Yue, Latora Todd, Victor Panangala, Christine Navarre, Elizabeth Whitley

Faculty Publications

Thrombostasin (TS) is a previously characterized anticlotting protein with multiple isoforms found in the saliva of horn flies. In this report, the effect of TS isoforms on blood feeding was assessed using individual flies that carried corresponding ts allelles. Laboratory studies of horn fly blood feeding were conducted using colony-reared flies fed on New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. After timed 20-min feeding periods, each fly was characterized for gender, blood volume uptake, and ts genotype. The results showed that mean blood volumes obtained by individual flies were not related to fly gender but were correlated to the ts genotype(s) carried …

Reduced Adipose Tissue Oxygenation In Human Obesity Evidence For Rarefaction, Macrophage Chemotaxis, And Inflammation Without An Angiogenic Response, Magdalena Pasarica, Olga R. Sereda, Leanne M. Redman, Diana C. Albarado, David T. Hymel, Laura E. Roan, Jennifer C. Rood, David H. Burk, Steven R. Smith

Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE-Based on rodent studies, we examined the hypothesis that increased adipose tissue (AT) mass in obesity without an adequate support of vascularization might lead to hypoxia, macrophage infiltration, and inflammation. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-Oxygen partial pressure (AT pO 2) and AT temperature in abdominal AT (9 lean and 12 overweight/obese men and women) was measured by direct insertion of a polarographic Clark electrode. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and insulin sensitivity was measured by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. Abdominal subcutaneous tissue was used for staining, quantitative RT-PCR, and chemokine secretion assay. RESULTS-AT pO 2 was lower in overweight/obese subjects …

Food Entrainment Of Circadian Gene Expression Altered In Pparα-/- Brown Fat And Heart, Brian Chun Kim Goh

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Self-Reported Physical Activity Improves Prediction Of Body Fatness In Young Adults, M. Zanovec, Lisa G. Johnson, Brian D. Marx, Michael J. Keenan, G. Tuuri

Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: To examine self-reported physical activity levels from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) as an independent predictor of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-measured percent body fat (%BF) from body mass index (BMI), gender, and race. METHODS: Two hundred and seventy-eight students, aged 18-24 yr, volunteered to participate. There were 133 males (85 white and 48 black) and 145 females (77 white and 68 black). Total activity levels were quantified in MET hours per week (MET-h•wk -1) using the IPAQ short form. Height and weight were measured, and BMI values were calculated (kg•m -2). %BF was assessed using DXA. Linear regression …

Race And Ancestry In Biomedical Research: Exploring The Challenges, Timothy Caulfield, Stephanie M. Fullerton, Sarah E. Ali-Khan, Laura Arbour, Esteban G. Burchard, Richard S. Cooper, Billie Jo Hardy, Simrat Harry, Robyn Hyde-Lay, Jonathan Kahn, Rick Kittles, Barbara A. Koenig, Sandra S.J. Lee, Michael Malinowski, Vardit Ravitsky, Pamela Sankar, Stephen W. Scherer, Béatrice Séguin, Darren Shickle, Guilherme Suarez-Kurtz, Abdallah S. Daar

Faculty Publications

The use of race in biomedical research has, for decades, been a source of social controversy. However, recent events, such as the adoption of racially targeted pharmaceuticals, have raised the profile of the race issue. In addition, we are entering an era in which genomic research is increasingly focused on the nature and extent of human genetic variation, often examined by population, which leads to heightened potential for misunderstandings or misuse of terms concerning genetic variation and race. Here, we draw together the perspectives of participants in a recent interdisciplinary workshop on ancestry and health in medicine in order to …

Whole-Genome Association Study Identifies Stk39 As A Hypertension Susceptibility Gene, Ying Wang, Jeffrey R. O'Connell, Patrick F. Mcardle, James B. Wade, Sarah E. Dorff, Sanjiv J. Shah, Xiaolian Shi, Lin Pan, Evadnie Rampersaud, Haiqing Shen, James D. Kim, Arohan R. Subramanya, Nanette I. Steinle, Afshin Parsa, Carole C. Ober, Paul A. Welling, Aravinda Chakravarti, Alan B. Weder, Richard S. Cooper, Braxton D. Mitchell, Alan R. Shuldiner, Yen Pei C. Chang

Faculty Publications

Hypertension places a major burden on individual and public health, but the genetic basis of this complex disorder is poorly understood. We conducted a genome-wide association study of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) in Amish subjects and found strong association signals with common variants in a serine/threonine kinase gene, STK39. We confirmed this association in an independent Amish and 4 non-Amish Caucasian samples including the Diabetes Genetics Initiative, Framingham Heart Study, GenNet, and Hutterites (meta-analysis combining all studies: n = 7,125, P < 10-6). The higher BP-associated alleles have frequencies > 0.09 and were associated with increases of 3.3/1.3 mm Hg in SBP/DBP, respectively, in the …

Gumbo Yearbook, Class Of 2009, Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College

Gumbo Yearbook

The Gumbo yearbook chronicles the entire academic year at LSU. In words and especially photos, the Gumbo shows the people, places, and events that make each year unique. In addition to formal portraits of schools and departments, the book contains hundreds of snapshots of students with their friends and dozens of pages showcasing organizations.