Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Smoking On The Body Mass Index-Mortality Relation: Empirical Evidence From 15 Studies, V. Hawthorne, V. Hawthorne, D. Kozarevic, N. Vojvodic, C. R. Gillis, D. Hole, C. Hart, T. Jorgensen, T. Thomsen, M. Davidson, U. Goldbourt, S. Yaari, G. Cao, R. Cooper, R. Durazo-Arvizu, Z. Li, Y. Liao, D. Mcgee, T. E. Prewitt, C. Sempos

Faculty Publications

The authors examined the impact of smoking status on the relation between body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)2) and mortality across a group of 15 diverse observational studies. The studies included a heterogeneous sample of national samples, cohort studies with mortality follow-up, and clinical trials. Consideration of the data according to natural strata resulted in the formation of 42 analytic cohorts. The authors examined survival through the end of follow-up for each study, as influenced by body mass index, age, and current smoking status at baseline, using a proportional hazards model to describe the relation between body mass index and …

Louisiana Agriculture Fall, 1999, Lsu Agcenter

Louisiana Agriculture

No abstract provided.

Is There An Absence Of Theory In Social Epidemiology? The Authors Respond To Muntaner, Richard S. Cooper, Jay S. Kaufman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Accelerating Land-Use Change On The N-Cycle Of Tropical Aquatic Ecosystems: Current Conditions And Projected Changes, J. A. Downing, M. Mcclain, R. Twilley, J. M. Melack, J. Elser, Nancy N. Rabalais, W. M. Lewis Jr., R. Eugene Turner, J. Corredor, D. Soto, A. Yanez Arancibia, J. A. Kopaska, R. W. Howarth

Faculty Publications

Published data and analyses from temperate and tropical aquatic systems are used to summarize knowledge about the potential impact of land-use alteration on the nitrogen biogeochemistry of tropical aquatic ecosystems, identify important patterns and recommend key needs for research. The tropical N-cycle is traced from pre-disturbance conditions through the phases of disturbance, highlighting major differences between tropical and temperate systems that might influence development strategies in the tropics. Analyses suggest that tropical freshwaters are more frequently N-limited than temperate zones, while tropical marine systems may show more frequent P limitation. These analyses indicate that disturbances to pristine tropical lands will …

Archaeological Investigation Of Unit Two At The Sharp Site (16lv13), Livingston Parish, Louisiana, Laura Cathleen Tanley

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is an examination of southeastern Louisiana archaeology focusing on Unit Two at the Sharp site (16LV13) on the Lower Amite River. The artifact analysis, and more specifically the pottery analysis, demonstrated a significant early occupation at the site. The analyzed pottery represents cultural components at the Sharp site which span from the Tchula through Coles Creek periods.

Within Unit Two there was an obvious subsistence change evident. The upper strata of the midden contained a great deal of Rangia clam shell, while the earlier cultural occupations below it did not. This change in exploitation of local food sources …

Nutrient Enhanced Coastal Ocean Productivity In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, William J. Wiseman Jr., Michael J. Dagg, Nancy N. Rabalais, Terry E. Whitledge

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Louisiana Agriculture Spring, 1999, Lsu Agcenter

Louisiana Agriculture

No abstract provided.

Diet Overlap Of Native And Translocated Northern White-Tailed Deer In Southeastern Louisiana, Brian Matthew Zielinski

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

I used microhistological analysis of fecal pellets to estimate and compare seasonal diet compositions between free-ranging, southern and translocated. northern woodland white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on Golden Ranch Hunting Farm, Gheens, Louisiana,. over four consecutive seasons, from January 1997 through January 1998. I analyzed pellet groups with Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) and wet chemistry techniques to evaluate and compare crude protein levels between populations of deer and provide indices of diet quality. On average, native and translocated deer diets were 87.65% similar during the entire study, and were significantly associated during all seasons ( P < 0.0000 I ). suggesting that deer fed on similar plant species in like quantities throughout the year. Few differences were found in plant selection frequencies per fecal sample. hut significant differences were detected (P 0.00 l) among deer populations in the use of Berchemia scandens and Vitis rotundifolia during spring. Northern deer also ingested a greater diversity of plants (P < 0.05) during spring and winter; and fecal crude protein levels were similar (P > 0.05) in all seasons …

Diets Of White-Tailed Deer At Avery Island, Louisiana, Nathan D. Rains

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

I conducted a food habits study of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) at Avery Island, Louisiana, to determine if deer diets differed among seasons. In 1997, I randomly collected 25 seasonal fecal pellet groups in January. April, August and October respectively I also collected reference forage plant samples in conjunction with fecal pellet collections I estimated botanical composition of deer diets based on a microscopic analysis of fecal pellets I compared diets using a chi- squared contingency table to assess significant seasonal variation I also used Kulczynski's similarity index to determine degree of similarity among seasonal diets

I found significant differences …

An Examination Of The Spaced-Retrieval Technique: A Method To Improve Memory In Older Adults With Probable Alzheimer's Disease., Shannon S. Simmons-D'Gerolamo

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

In this study, we used the spaced-retrieval technique as a mnemonic device for those persons with cognitive deficits such as probable Alzheimer's Disease. Three main goals of this research were to gain insight into the long-term effectiveness of the spaced-retrieval technique, examine ways to enhance the overall effectiveness of the spaced-retrieval technique, and adapt spaced-retrieval for applied use in real-world settings. Results indicated that participants did not show savings-in-relearning over a two year follow-up span, but did show it over a one year and six month span. Results provided modest evidence of the effects of exposure to the target-item orientation …

Influence Of Environment And Genotype On The Expression Of Host Plant Resistance In Sweet Potato To The Sweet Potato Weevil, Cylas Formicarius (Fab.)., Lixin Mao

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Field and laboratory experiments were conducted to study the influence of environment and genotype on the expression of sweetpotato resistance to the sweetpotato weevil (SPW), Cylas formicarius (Fab.). Roots of four genotypes ("W-244", "W-250", "Beauregard", "Centennial") were evaluated for SPW feeding and oviposition at three different storage times. Roots from Louisiana, South Carolina and Mississippi were also evaluated. Genotype had a significant effect on feeding and oviposition. Storage time and production sites appeared to affect resistance expression; the outcomes depend on the genotypes. The effect of nitrogen on sweetpotato resistance to SPW was studied. Four genotypes were grown in the …

Perkinsus Marinus Extracellular Protease Modulates Survival Of Vibrio Vulnificus In Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Hemocytes, B. D. Tall, J. F. La Peyre, J. W. Bier, M. D. Miliotis, D. E. Hanes, M. H. Kothary, D. B. Shah, M. Faisal

Faculty Publications

The in vitro effects of the Perkinsus marinus serine protease on the intracellular survival of Vibrio vulnificus in oyster hemocytes were examined by using a time-course gentamicin internalization assay. Results showed that protease-treated hemocytes were initially slower to internalize V. vulnificus than untreated hemocytes. After 1 h, the elimination of K vulnificus by treated hemocytes was significantly suppressed compared with hemocytes infected with invasive and noninvasive controls. Our data suggest that the serine protease produced by P. marinus suppresses the vibriocidal activity of oyster hemocytes to effectively eliminate V. vulnificus, potentially leading to conditions favoring higher numbers of vibrios in …

Louisiana Agriculture Winter, 1999, Lsu Agcenter

Louisiana Agriculture

No abstract provided.

Abdominal Adiposity In Six Populations Of West African Descent: Prevalence And Population Attributable Fraction Of Hypertension, Ike S. Okosun, Terrence E. Forrester, Charles N. Rotimi, Babatunde O. Osotimehin, Walinjom F. Muna, Richard S. Cooper

Faculty Publications

Objectives: The objective of this investigation was to examine the prevalence of abdominal adiposity and its association with the prevalence of hypertension among African descent populations in Nigeria, Cameroon, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Barbados, and the United States (US). Research Method: The data for this investigation were obtained from the International Collaborative Study on Hypertension in Blacks. Hypertension was defined as mean diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg or current treatment with prescribed antihypertension medication. Abdominal overweight was defined as waist circumference (WC) ≥94 and ≥80 cm for men and women, respectively. Abdominal obesity was defined as …

Self-Reported Health Status And Mortality In A Multiethnic Us Cohort, Daniel L. Mcgee, Youlian Liao, Guichan Cao, Richard S. Cooper

Faculty Publications

The authors examined the relation between self-reported health status and mortality among the following racial/ethnic groups: Native Americans, Asian/Pacific Islanders, blacks, whites, and Hispanics. They pooled 1986- 1994 data from the National Health Interview Survey to obtain information on more than 700,000 cohort participants. Although fewer than 5,000 Native Americans are included in this cohort, the data provide information previously unavailable for this group. Also included are almost 17,000 Asian/Pacific Islanders, over 90,000 blacks, and over 50,000 Hispanics. The authors found strong associations between self-reported health status and both socioeconomic status and subsequent mortality. A self-report of fair or poor …

Genetic And Physiologic Analysis Of The Role Of Uncoupling Protein 3 In Human Energy Homeostasis, Wendy K. Chung, Amy Luke, Richard S. Cooper, Charles Rotini, Antonio Vidal-Puig, Michael Rosenbaum, Melvin Chua, Gemma Solanes, Min Zheng, Long Zhao, Charles Leduc, Andrew Eisberg, Florence Chu, Ellen Murphy, Mindy Schreier, Louis Aronne, Sonia Caprio, Bowie Kahle, Derek Gordon, Suzanne M. Leal, Rochelle Goldsmith, Antonio L. Andreu, Claudio Bruno, Salvatore Dimauro, Moonseong Heo, William L. Lowe, Bradford B. Lowell, David B. Allison, Rudolph L. Leibel

Faculty Publications

By virtue of its potential effects on rates of energy expenditure, uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) is an obesity candidate gene. We identified nine sequence variants in UCP3, including Va19Met, Val102Ile, Arg282Cys, and a splice site mutation in the intron between exons 6 and 7. The splice mutation results in an inability to synthesize mRNA for the long isoform (UCP3L) of UCP3. Linkage (sib pair), association, and transmission disequilibrium testing studies on 942 African-Americans did not suggest a significant effect of UCP3 on body composition in this group. In vastus lateralis skeletal muscle of individuals homozygous for the splice mutation, no …

Influence Of Calcium Silicate And Sterilization On The Natural Suppressiveness And On The Conduciveness Of Two Soils To Rhizoctonia Solani, Fabrício De Ávila Rodrigues, Gilberto Fernandes Corrêa, Caspar Henrique Korndörfer, Maria Amelia Dos Santos, Lawrence Elliot Datnoff

Faculty Publications

The effect of calcium silicate slag and soil sterilization on the natural suppressiveness of a Typic Acrustox (clay Dark Red Latosol - LEa) and the natural conduciveness of an Oxic Haplustoll (TRe) to Rhizoctonia solani were studied under greenhouse conditions. The experimental design was a three-replicate completely randomized one, with 2 × 3 × 2 factorial combination of the following treatments: two soil kinds (LEa and TRe, collected at 0-20 cm layer); three treatments with and without soil sterilization, calcium silicate slag and nontreated control; and uninfested and infested with R. solani. Each soil material was infested previously with 800 …

Life Events, Social Support, And Blood Pressure Control In Low -Income Hypertensive Patients., Steven Christopher Ames

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study examined whether minor, chronic, and major stressors predicted poor blood pressure control in low-income hypertensives, and whether social support served as a moderator of this relation. Additionally, whether the construct of social support served as an independent predictor of poor blood pressure control was also examined. Participants included 231 patients randomly recruited from primary care medicine clinics at a public medical center. The sample included in this study was selected from an existing data set. The existing data set consisted of 432 patients randomly chosen on consecutive days from a family practice and an internal medicine medical clinic …

An Investigation Of Opinions Of Public Officials And The General Public Concerning Solid Waste Issues With Implications For Extension Programming., William A. Carney Jr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The primary purpose of this study was to determine opinions of public officials and the general public concerning solid waste disposal, and to make recommendations for future Extension programming. The study utilized four focus group interviews to obtain qualitative data. The two urban groups were composed of municipal public officials from the parishes of Jefferson, East Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Rapides and general public participants from the parishes of East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, and Livingston. The two rural groups consisted of public officials from the parishes of Acadia, Jefferson Davis and Vermilion and general public participants from the …

Reduction Of Endogenous Bacteria Associated With Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus) Fillets Using The Grovac Process., Milton Ruben Ramos

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Fresh catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) fillets (CF) can serve as vehicles for spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. Concern for the microbiological safety of chilled CF has grown lately because psychrotrophic pathogens can survive and grow at refrigeration temperatures. The Grovac method, a new, patented (U.S. 5,543,163) process is being used in an attempt to reduce the growth of pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in CF. This process involves the using of a process solution of ascorbic acid (AA) and sodium chloride (NaCl), vacuum and tumbling. Specific objectives of this study included the isolation and identification of endogenous microflora associated with fresh whole catfish …

Sire Selection And Mating Practices In United States Dairy Herd Improvement Association Holstein Herds., Asiye Yilmaz

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Over two million Holstein mating records was used to investigate selection and mating practices. Population statistics revealed non-random mating and selection. Herd production level was associated with higher breeding value sires and price paid per unit of semen. The decision to use an Artificial Insemination (AI) sire or natural service sire was studied and a discriminant function was derived that accurately categorized matings in a test data set of 117,000 observations, with an error rate less than 2.5 percent. Discriminating variables were herd production level, lactation number, service number, breeding month, cow status code, and days in milk at breeding. …

Perceptions Of Technical Education Professionals Regarding The Purposes Of Technical Education Programs In Zimbabwe's Secondary Schools., Davison Muchemwa Mupinga

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the current and ideal focus of the technical education program in Zimbabwe's secondary schools. Data were collected in Zimbabwe from 452 technical education professionals (397 technical teachers, 39 technical teacher educators, and 16 education officers for technical subjects). The technical teachers were all from Harare region, the teacher educators were from three technical teacher colleges, and the education officers were from all the nine educational regions in Zimbabwe. A three part researcher designed questionnaire was used to collect data for this study. Respondents rated 40 statements of purposes of technical education on …

Risk Management Of Aflatoxin Through Mutagenic Potential Modification And Toxin Formation By Intrinsic Components In Food., Syed Shahid Ali

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Aflatoxins are the secondary metabolites of Aspergillus flavus and their presence in food and feed crops is unavoidable. This study evaluates the antimutagenic properties of phytic and linoleic acids in aflatoxin-affected food. A reduction in the number of revertants was a function of an increased concentration of phytic/linoleic acids and phosphotidylinositol in the Salmonella/microsomal mutagenicity assay (tester strains TA-100 and TA-98) with and without metabolic activation (S-9). Linoleic acid (10 and 100 mug/plate) and phosphotidylinositol (25mug/plate) were antimutagenic against most of the mutagens tested. Although a reduction in the number of revertants was observed in the phytic acid treatments, the …

Increased Nutritional Value And Oxidative Stability Of Restructured Beef Roasts With Purified Extracts From Rice Bran., Joo-Shin Kim

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The effects of semi-purified extracts of rice bran were studied in restructured beef roasts to increase nutritional value and oxidative stability. Crude rice bran oil at 0, 1, and 2% (w/w) was added to restructured beef roasts that were stored at 4°C and analyzed at 0, 7, and 14 d. Saturated fatty acid to unsaturated fatty acid (SFA/UFA) ratio decreased, vitamin E vitamers increased (p < 0.05), and cholesterol decreased in the beef roasts with rice bran oil. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs) numbers were lower (p < 0.05) in the beef roasts with rice bran oil after 7 days of storage and the cholesterol oxidation product, 7-ketocholesterol, decreased in a similar manner. The addition of 2% rice bran oil (RBO) was effective in increasing nutritional value and reducing the level of oxidative degradation. Beef roasts containing either rice fiber (RF) or RF/RBO had higher oxidative stability (p < 0.05) during storage (0, 4, and 8 d) compared to control roasts, with no additive. TBARs value and 7-ketocholesterol of beef roasts with RF and RF/RBO were lower (p < 0.05) than those of the control during storage. SFA/UFA ratio was significantly reduced in beef roasts with additives, whereas vitamin E vitamers and UFA were higher (p < 0.05) in the roasts with RF/RBO. Beef roasts containing RF and RBO were acceptable to consumers in sensory attributes. Cholesterol autoxidation was examined in an aqueous meat model system with different levels of nonsaponifiable fraction from rice bran (0, 700, 1400, and 2100 ppm). The effect of nonsaponifiable fraction was determined at 4 h intervals for 16 h at pH 5.5 and 80°C. Increased oxidation time reduced (p < 0.05) total vitamin E vitamers and cholesterol concentration. Oryzanol was not significantly reduced with the 2100 ppm treatment after 4 h cholesterol oxidation. An increase in the nonsaponifiable fraction resulted in a decrease (p < 0.05) in the formation of 7-ketocholesterol. The highest level of additive (2100 ppm) was the most effective in inhibiting cholesterol autoxidation; the order of inhibition was 91.7% (2100 ppm) > 81.8% (1400 ppm) > 63.1% (700 ppm).

Development Of Efficient Rice Dna Transformation Methods And Rapid Evaluation Of Transgenic Lines., Junda Jiang

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A rapid and efficient method was developed for production and field evaluation of transgenic herbicide resistant elite U.S. rice (Oryza sativa L.) lines and cultivars. Six elite U.S. rice lines, including the cultivar Cocodrie, were transformed for glufosinate (phosphinothricin) herbicide resistance by particle bombardment of mature seed-derived embryogenic calli with a synthetic pat gene or the bar gene from Streptomyces hygroscopicus. By utilizing optimized media for embryogenic callus induction and bialaphos or hygromycin B as a selection agent, 258 independent transformed calli, producing 1268 transgenic plants, were recovered from 5201 bombarded calli. Transformation efficiency ranged from 5% for breeding line …

Classification Of Text Documents Using A Logical Analysis Approach., Salvador Nieto Sanchez

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The main problem investigated in this dissertation is as follows: Given are two samples of documents each from one of two disjoint collections of documents. The question is how to obtain a set of patterns of text features that make a document in the two samples (and other unclassified documents) to be classified correctly in one and only one document class. A sample of 2,897 documents from the TIPSTER collection was used to investigate this problem. This problem was divided into the following four subproblems. The first subproblem consists of identifying the set keywords to describe the documents' content. Computational …

Cryopreservation Of Gametes And Larvae Of The Eastern Oyster Crassostrea Virginica., Carmen G. Paniagua-Chavez

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Storage of gametes and larvae offers benefits for research and commercial oyster production and should be applicable in the hatchery at a commercial scale. We optimized refrigerated storage of eastern oyster sperm. Significant differences were found in the motility of sperm suspended in artificial sea water (ASW) of different osmotic pressures (P < 0.001). The highest motility was found in undiluted sperm and the lowest in 1:31 dilution. The greatest larval survival at 12 h (48%) was obtained with sperm diluted in calcium-free Hanks' balanced salt solution (C-F HBSS). Thus, for storage of longer than 1 d, it is best to leave samples undiluted. However, when sperm samples are diluted, it is best to maintain high sperm concentrations and to use C-F HBSS as an extender. Samples were frozen at -2.5°C/min, held for 5 min at -30°C, and plunged in liquid nitrogen using 10% propylene glycol (PG) as the cryoprotectant for sperm and 10% or 15% PG for trochophore larvae. Motility and fertilizing ability of thawed sperm were affected by cryoprotectant concentration and thawing temperature (P = 0.0001). Larval survival was affected by the concentration of larvae per straw (P = 0.0011). Frozen samples were transported to an oyster hatchery at Grand Isle, Louisiana. After 4 months, 1,000 oysters from the control group, 230 oysters produced from thawed sperm, and 850 oysters from thawed larvae were found. Oysters produced from thawed larvae developed normally in the hatchery, demonstrating opportunities for use of cryopreservation in research and aquaculture. Flow cytometry with the fluorescent dyes Sybr-14 and propidium iodide (PI) was used to assess membrane damage of thawed sperm, and rhodamine 123 and PI were used to assess mitochondrial function. Preliminary studies of cryopreservation of oyster eggs were performed. Fluorescein diacetate (FDA) was used to identify viable eggs. Dimethyl sulfoxide (0.88 M and 1.75 M) and sucrose (0.12 M and 0.25 M) were the least toxic cryoprotectants evaluated. The cooling rate yielding least damage to eggs was -1.5°C per min. However, only an average of 14 eggs (out of 200) were stained with FDA in thawed samples and none were fertilizable.

The Effects Of Rumen Undegradable Choline In The Nutrition And Metabolism Of Dairy Cows., Fernando Vazquez

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study was conducted to determine whether supplemental rumen protected choline could improve lactation performance and lipid metabolism in cows in negative energy balance. In experiment 1, 19 primiparous Holstein cows were randomly assigned to dietary treatments consisting of either a control ration or control plus 15 g/d of supplemental rumen-protected choline (60 g/d of Cap-Shure, Balchem Corp., Slate Hill, NY). Close-up and early lactation rations were formulated from a grass hay and corn silage forage base, respectively, with a corn-soy concentrate, whole cottonseed. and alfalfa hay included as appropriate to meet nutrient requirements. Cows were milked twice daily. Cows …

Effect Of Rice Cultural Practices On Rotational Crop Herbicide Carryover And Imazethapyr Efficacy., Wei Zhang

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A two-year study was conducted to evaluate the possible interaction between rotational crop herbicides and herbicides used in water-seeded rice culture. Rice growth and yield reduction with rotational crop herbicides were not affected by the rice herbicides. However, the combination of molinate or thiobencarb with fluometuron, imazethapyr, metolachlor, or norflurazon at low residue levels further reduced rice heading compared with the corresponding rotational crop herbicide alone. Fluometuron and metolachlor residues at 1 to 2 half-lives have potential to injure rice and reduce rice yield in a water-seeded culture. Norflurazon injured rice and reduced rice yield at a residue level as …

The Potential Of High Oryzanol Rice Bran Oil As An Antioxidant In Whole Milk Powder., Jackin Njagi Nanua

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Lipid autoxidation of whole milk powder (WMP) during storage lowers its organoleptic quality and causes accumulation of oxidation products. This study evaluated the effectiveness of high-oryzanol (2.5%) rice bran oil (RBO) as an antioxidant in WMP. The powder was fortified with 0.1% and 0.2% RBO and its oxidation studied during accelerated storage at 45°C and 0.31 water activity for 40 days. Free radicals were determined by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Oxidation was estimated by determining thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and cholesterol oxidation products using gas chromatography. The effect of RBO on flavor and consumer preference of freshly manufactured milk …