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Statistical And Simulation Modeling Of Brown Shrimp Population Dynamics In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico., Heather Lynn Haas

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation used statistical and simulation modeling to examine population dynamics of brown shrimp, Penaeus (Farfantepenaeus ) aztecus. Brown shrimp are ideal to use in examining recruitment because shrimp represent a common life history strategy, because they are commercially important, and because there are extensive data available. In the first section of this dissertation, I used long-term monitoring data to examine correlative relationships between annual, stage-specific abundance estimates and environmental factors. Criticisms of traditional correlative studies were addressed by using a spatially and temporally-extensive dataset, by comparing stepwise multiple regression to Bayesian model averaging, and by investigating nonlinear relationships with …

Evaluating The Taxonomic Status Of The Great White Heron (Ardea Herodias Occidentalis) Using Morphological, Behavioral And Genetic Evidence., Heather Louise Mcguire

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The Great White Heron was originally described as a distinct species (Ardea occidentalis), but is currently considered to be the white morph of a polymorphic Great Blue Heron subspecies (A. herodias occidentalis). Great White and Great Blue heron breeding ranges overlap in the Florida Keys (USA), providing an opportunity to evaluate the degree to which these two taxa are reproductively isolated. The current classification leads to predictions of no significant size difference (H01), random mate choice (H02), and no genetic divergence (H03) between sympatric white and blue herons. Sympatric Great White and Great Blue herons did not differ significantly in …

Molecular Systematics Of Eastern Cottonwood Using Aflp And Rapd Markers., Xiaohong Ma

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides Bartr.) is the fastest growing tree in southeastern United States with great potential as a biomass source. DNA-based molecular marker techniques are playing increasingly important roles in elucidating genetic diversity within species. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were employed to study genetic relationships among 57 clones from subregion Lower Mississippi river, West Central, and West Gulf. A total of 101 polymorphic RAPD markers were amplified from 14 primers. Six AFLP primer pairs resulted in a total of 457 polymorphic markers. Both RAPD and AFLP markers were able to uniquely …

Effects Of Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitors On Equine And Bovine Follicular Dynamics And Steroidogenesis., Carlos Roberto Fontes Pinto

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Current scientific literature has shown that: (1) NO is a pro-ovulatory agent and inhibition of its production inhibits ovulation, and (2) NO has strong antisteroidogenic activity, especially on estradiol (E2) production by granulosa cells. The experiments described in this dissertation were designed to answer the following questions involving effects of NO on ovarian physiology: (1) is the inhibitory effect of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors on ovulation irreversible (follicular atresia) or temporary (delayed ovulation)? and (2) what is the relationship between NO and hCG-induced preovulatory luteinization? Accordingly, cycling mares were subjected to treatment with NOS inhibitors (L-NAME or aminoguanidine) during …

Patterns Of Reef Fish Larval Supply To Petroleum Platforms In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico., James Marvin Tolan

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Surveys of ichthyoplankton assemblages were conducted from four oil and gas platforms located in the northern Gulf of Mexico from November 1994 through July 1997. Diurnal collections, supplemented with light trap collections from the surface and -20 m depth, were taken quarterly during 1994 and 1995. Quarterly ichthyoplankton sampling at dawn and dusk only during 1996 and 1997 were supplemented with surface "lighted plankton net" collections. Of the 36,676 individuals collected, epipelagic (neretic and oceanic Clupeiformes, neretic Carangidae and Lutjanidae, as well as oceanic Scombridae) and mesopelagic (Myctophidae and Gonostomatidae) families comprised the majority of the ichthyoplankton. Reef-dependent (e.g., Pomacentridae, …

Near The Lewis & Clark Trail, Chad Colin Husted

LSU Master's Theses

Near the Lewis & Clark Trail is a creative writing thesis that contains two distinct parts. Part one is a short story cycle: a collection of interlinked narratives that together, tell a larger, cohesive story. Many different points of view, narrative techniques, and non-linear time sequences are used in order to provide a pastiche of different voices, points in time, and perspectives, that ultimately form an overall narrative structure. In addition to the stories, there are several fictional documents that are used to separate the work at critical times, and to provide subtext. In between the stories are: a letter …

Optimization Of Apex-Mediated Dna Transformation In Rice, Marsha Natalie Samuels

LSU Master's Theses

Genetic transformation using the rice shoot apical meristem, derived from germinating seedlings, was established in this study for commercial varieties of Oryza sativa. To optimize apex-mediated DNA transformation in rice several parameters were tested to improve the efficiency and reliability of isolation of the shoot apices and regeneration of vegetative shoot apices. Results from these experiments indicated that certain factors were important in increasing the frequency of survival rate of the apex, co-cultivation and co-transformation. These factors included: the starting size of the apex had to range between 1.0 mm and 1.2 mm for maximum survival of the apex, concentration …

Mass Media Ethics Vs. Ethnicity : The Cuban American National Foundation's Battle With The Miami Herald, Michelle M. Cobas

LSU Master's Theses

In 1992, a prominent Cuban-American organization, the Cuban American National Foundation, launched a full-scale campaign against the Miami Herald following an editorial against the Cuban Democracy Act, sponsored by Congressman Robert Torricelli, (D-NJ). The bill, which the Foundation endorsed and helped craft, was aimed at tightening the loopholes on the U.S. embargo against Cuba. Two men-CANF Chairman Jorge Mas Canosa and Herald publisher David Lawrence-represented opposing sides of the feud. CANF galvanized the exile community to support its side of the debate. The Herald used its opinion and editorial pages to argue against Mas's charges that the newspaper attacked the …

An Improved In Vitro Model For The Study Of Mycobacterium Leprae/Schwann Cell Interactions, Deanna Alisa Hagge

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Globally, millions of leprosy patients suffer irreversible peripheral nerve damage resulting in blindness or other disabilities as a consequence of Mycobacterium leprae infection. Schwann cells, the neural target of M. leprae, have a central role in leprosy histopathology including axonotrophy, altered myelin architecture and demyelination. The mechanisms of nerve damage have not been fully elucidated but appear to be the direct result of M. leprae within Schwann cells or a combined effect with an aggressive immune response to M. leprae within the nerves. There is no standardized in vitro model for the study of M. leprae interactions with the Schwann …

The Association Of Food Cravings And Preferences With Food Intake, Corby Kyle Martin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

An ubiquitous assumption about food intake behavior is that people eat the types of foods that they crave and prefer. Food preferences reflect hedonic ratings of the degree to which people like certain foods. The present study investigated the association of food cravings and hedonic ratings with food intake behavior, assessed in the laboratory with a Universal Eating Monitor (Kissileff, Klingsberg, & Van Itallie, 1980). The study sample consisted of 162 adults who completed the Food Craving Inventory (FCI; White, Whisenhunt, Williamson, Greenway, & Netemeyer, 2001), a questionnaire that measures craving, including cravings for specific types of foods (i.e., High …

Carbon Monoxide Production Is Not Enhanced By Nitrogenase Activity, P. Milligan, G. M. King

Faculty Publications

A diverse group of nitrogen-fixing bacteria and two heme degraders were grown with and without fixed nitrogen sources under oxic and suboxic conditions, with and without addition of heme-containing compounds. Several of the strains produced carbon monoxide (CO) under one or more of these conditions, but nitrogenase activity did not stimulate rates of production relative to controls. Although nitrogenase can reduce CO2 to CO in vitro in the absence of N2, this process likely contributes minimally to CO production in soils under in situ conditions. In contrast, myoglobin or hematin addition under oxic conditions significantly stimulated CO production by the …

Minimal And Contributing Sequence Determinants Of The Cis-Acting Locus Of Transfer (Clt) Of Streptomycete Plasmid Pij101 Occur Within An Intrinsically Curved Plasmid Region, M. J. Ducote, S. Prakash, G. S. Pettis

Faculty Publications

Efficient interbacterial transfer of streptomycete plasmid pIJ101 requires the pIJ101 tra gene, as well as a cis-acting plasmid function known as clt. Here we show that the minimal pIJ101 clt locus consists of a sequence no greater than 54 bp in size that includes essential inverted-repeat and direct-repeat sequences and is located in close proximity to the 3′ end of the korB regulatory gene. Evidence that sequences extending beyond the minimal locus and into the korB open reading frame influence clt transfer function and demonstration that clt-korB sequences are intrinsically curved raise the possibility that higher-order structuring of DNA and …

A Spatial Inquiry Of Infant Low Birthweight And Cancer Mortality In East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, Esra Qzdenerol

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Infant low birthweight rate in East Baton Rouge Parish is higher compared to the nation. Cancer is one of the most serious health problems in Louisiana. A few studies have indicated a relationship between the two health outcomes and their environment, but conclusions from these studies have not always been consistent. The spatial and temporal scales of the data and the methods used in these studies contribute to the inconsistent and uncertain results. The spatial patterns of infant low birthweight and cancer mortality in East Baton Rouge Parish from 1993 to 1996 and their relationships with environmental factors at three …

Interactions Of Tillage And Soil Depth On Fluometuron Degradation In A Dundee Silt Loam Soil, R. M. Zablotowicz, M. A. Locke, L. A. Gaston, C. T. Bryson

Faculty Publications

Fluometuron (N,N-dimethyl-N'-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]urea) is the most widely used soil applied herbicide in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) production in the Southeastern United States. Thus, there is a need to understand the persistence of this herbicide under various crop management systems in regards to both herbicide efficiency and environmental fate. The effects of long-term no-tillage practices on fluometuron degradation were studied in a Dundee silt loam under laboratory conditions. Soil was collected at four depths (0-2, 2-5, 5-10, and 10-25 cm) from field plots following 11 years of continuous no-tillage (NT) or conventional tillage (CT). Organic carbon content, microbial biomass, and fluorescein diacetate (FDA)-hydrolytic …

Kinetic Characterization Of His-Tagged Cp47 Photosystem Ii In Synechocystis Sp. Pcc6803, Zhao Liang Li, Terry M. Bricker, Robert Burnap

Faculty Publications

Recently, construction of strains of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 having a His6 extension (His-tag) of the carboxyl terminus of the CP47 protein has been reported (T.M. Bricker et al, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1409 (1998) 50; M.J. Reifler et al., in: Garab, Pusztai (Eds.) Proc. XIth International Congress on Photosynthesis, 1998). While these initial reports suggest a minimal impact of the His-tag upon Photosystem (PS) II function, a more thorough analysis of the kinetic properties of the modified complex is essential. This communication reports on a more detailed kinetic analysis to assess possible perturbations of PS II due to the genetic addition …

Eosinophil Major Basic Protein-1 Does Not Contribute To Allergen-Induced Airway Pathologies In Mouse Models Of Asthma, K. L. Denzler, S. C. Farmer, J. R. Crosby, M. Borchers, G. Cieslewicz, K. A. Larson, S. Cormier-Regard, N. A. Lee, J. J. Lee

Faculty Publications

The relationship between eosinophils and the development of Ag-induced pulmonary pathologies, including airway hyper-responsiveness, was investigated using mice deficient for the secondary granule component, major basic protein-1 (mMBP-1). The loss of mMBP-1 had no effect on OVA-induced airway histopathologies or inflammatory cell recruitment. Lung function measurements of knockout mice demonstrated a generalized hyporeactivity to methacholine-induced airflow changes (relative to wild type); however, this baseline phenotype was observable only with methacholine; no relative airflow changes were observed in response to another nonspecific stimulus (serotonin). Moreover, OVA sensitization/aerosol challenge of wild-type and mMBP-1(-/-) mice resulted in identical dose-response changes to either methacholine …

Potential Gene Conversion And Source Genes For Recently Integrated Alu Elements, Astrid M. Roy, Marion L. Carroll, Son V. Nguyen, Abdel Halim Salem, Michael Oldridge, Andrew O.M. Wilkie, Mark A. Batzer, Prescott L. Deininger

Faculty Publications

Alu elements comprise >10% of the human genome. We have used a computational biology approach to analyze the human genomic DNA sequence databases to determine the impact of gene conversion on the sequence diversity of recently integrated Alu elements and to identify Alu elements that were potentially retroposition competent. We analyzed 269 Alu Ya5 elements and identified 23 members of a new Alu subfamily termed Ya5a2 with an estimated copy number of 35 members, including the de novo Alu insertion in the NFI gene. Our analysis of Alu elements containing one to four (Ya1-Ya4) of the Ya5 subfamily-specific mutations suggests …

Reading Between The Lines: Human Genomic Variation Induced By Line-1 Retrotransposition, Fang Miin Sheen, Stephen T. Sherry, Gregory M. Risch, Myles Robichaux, Ivane Nasidze, Mark Stoneking, Mark A. Batzer, Gary D. Swergold

Faculty Publications

The insertion of mobile elements into the genome represents a new class of genetic markers for the study of human evolution. Long interspersed elements (LINEs) have amplified to a copy number of about 100,000 over the last 100 million years of mammalian evolution and comprise ~15% of the human genome. The majority of LINE-1 (L1) elements within the human genome are 5' truncated copies of a few active L1 elements that are capable of retrotransposition. Some of the young L1 elements have inserted into the human genome so recently that populations are polymorphic for the presence of an L1 element …

Polymeric Substances And Biofilms As Biomarkers In Terrestrial Materials: Implications For Extraterrestrial Samples, Frances Westall, Andrew Steele, Jan Toporski, Maud Walsh, Carlton Allen, Sean Guidry, David Mckay, Everett Gibson, Henry Chafetz

Faculty Publications

Organic polymeric substances are a fundamental component of microbial biofilms. Microorganisms, especially bacteria, secrete extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) to form slime layers in which they reproduce. In the sedimentary environment, biofilms commonly contain the products of degraded bacteria as well as allochthonous and autochthonous mineral components. They are complex structures which serve as protection for the colonies of microorganisms living in them and also act as nutrient traps. Biofilms are almost ubiquitous wherever there is an interface and moisture (liquid/liquid, liquid/solid, liquid/gas, solid/gas). In sedimentary rocks they are commonly recognized as stromatolites. We also discuss the distinction between bacterial biofilms …

The Breeding Ecology Of White-Faced Ibis In The Lower Carson River Basin, Nevada, Eric Patrick Kelchlin

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The Great Basin White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) population is recognized as a Species of Management because of its small population size, limited number of traditional breeding sites, and vulnerability to habitat loss. The ability to predict future population trends and develop wetland management strategies is limited because many aspects of their breeding ecology and population dynamics are unknown. 1 examined White-faced Ibis nesting ecology and breeding habitat selection at the Lower Carson River Basin, Nevada, from 1995-1997, and the relationship between the local surface water conditions and trends in the number of breeding pairs from 1970-1997 on a local and …

F00rs Sgb No. 4 (Bio Engr), Griggs

Student Senate Enrolled Legislation

A BILL

To appropriate one thousand two hundred sixty-five dollars and seventeen cents ($1,265.17) to the LSU Department of Biological Engineering Senior Design Project Team to help defray the cost of purchasing hardware and chemicals to be used in the fabrication and testing of a prototype for a student-designed biological reactor that will produce xylitol.

Louisiana Agriculture Fall, 2000, Lsu Agcenter

Louisiana Agriculture

No abstract provided.

Discovery Of A Novel, Paternally Expressed Ubiquitin-Specific Processing Protease Gene Through Comparative Analysis Of An Imprinted Region Of Mouse Chromosome 7 And Human Chromosome 19q13.4, Joomyeong Kim, Vladimir N. Noskov, Xiaochen Lu, Anne Bergmann, Xiaojia Ren, Tiffany Warth, Paul Richardson, Natalya Kouprina, Lisa Stubbs

Faculty Publications

Using mouse BAC clones spanning an imprinted interval of proximal mouse chromosome 7 and the genomic sequence of the related interval of human chromosome 19q13.4, we have identified a novel mouse gene, Usp29 (ubiquitin-specific processing protease 29), near two known imprinted genes, Peg3 and Zim1. Gene Usp29 is located directly adjacent to Peg3 in a ″head-to-head″ orientation, and comprises exons distributed over a genomic distance of at least 400 kb. A similar human gene is also found in the homologous location in human chromosome 19q13.4. The mouse Usp29 gene is also imprinted and is transcribed mainly from the paternal allele …

High Phosphorylation Efficiency And Depression Of Uncoupled Respiration In Mitochondria Under Hypoxia, Erich Gnaiger, Gabriela Méndez, Steven C. Hand

Faculty Publications

Mitochondria are confronted with low oxygen levels in the microenvironment within tissues; yet, isolated mitochondria are routinely studied under air-saturated conditions that are effectively hyperoxic, increase oxidative stress, and may impair mitochondrial function. Under hypoxia, on the other hand, respiration and ATP supply are restricted. Under these conditions of oxygen limitation, any compromise in the coupling of oxidative phosphorylation to oxygen consumption could accentuate ATP depletion, leading to metabolic failure. To address this issue, we have developed the approach of oxygen-injection microcalorimetry and ADP-injection respirometry for evaluating mitochondrial function at limiting oxygen supply. Whereas phosphorylation efficiency drops during ADP limitation …

Response Of Atmospheric Methane Consumption By Maine Forest Soils To Exogenous Aluminum Salts, K. Nanba, G. M. King

Faculty Publications

Atmospheric methane consumption by Maine forest soils was inhibited by additions of environmentally relevant levels of aluminum. Aluminum chloride was more inhibitory than nitrate or sulfate salts, but its effect was comparable to that of a chelated form of aluminum. Inhibition could be explained in part by the lower soil pH values which resulted from aluminum addition. However, significantly greater inhibition by aluminum than by mineral acids at equivalent soil pH values indicated that inhibition also resulted from direct effects of aluminum per se. The extent of inhibition by exogenous aluminum increased with increasing methane concentration for soils incubated in …

The Impact Of Price And Yield Variability On Southeastern U.S. Catfish Producer Operations (Bulletin #876), Richard F. Kazmierczak Jr., Patricia Soto

LSU AgCenter Bulletins

This study empirically assessed the impact of stochastic price and yield variables on catfish producer profits within a risk-evaluation framework.

Re: 'Differences In Socioeconomic Status And Survival Among White And Black Men With Prostate Cancer' [1] (Multiple Letters), Jay S. Kaufman, Robert Millikan, Charles Poole, Paul Godley, Richard S. Cooper, Vincent Freeman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

New Insights Into The Size And Stoichiometry Of The Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type-1·Vitronectin Complex, T. J. Podor, S. G. Shaughnessy, M. N. Blackburn, C. B. Peterson

Faculty Publications

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-type 1 (PAI-1) is the primary inhibitor of endogenous plasminogen activators that generate plasmin in the vicinity of a thrombus to initiate thrombolysis, or in the pericellular region of cells to facilitate migration and/or tissue remodeling. It has been shown that the physiologically relevant form of PAI-1 is in a complex with the abundant plasma glyco-protein, vitronectin. The interaction between vitronectin and PAI-1 is important for stabilizing the inhibitor in a reactive conformation. Although the complex is clearly significant, information is vague regarding the composition of the complex and consequences of its formation on the distribution and activity …

Mutational Analysis Of The Tra Locus Of The Broad-Host-Range Streptomyces Plasmid Pij101, Gregg S. Pettis, Stanley N. Cohen

Faculty Publications

The tra gene of Streptomyces lividans plasmid pIJ101 encodes a 621- amino-acid protein that can mediate both plasmid transfer and the interbacterial transfer of chromosomal genes (i.e., chromosome-mobilizing ability [Cma]) during mating. Here we report the results of in-frame insertional mutagenesis studies aimed at defining regions of Tra required for these functions. While hexameric linker insertions throughout the tra gene affected plasmid and chromosomal gene transfer, insertions in a 200-amino- acid region of the Tra protein that contains presumed nucleotide-binding motifs and that is widely conserved among a functionally diverse family of bacterial and plasmid proteins (K. J. Begg, S. …

Runoff Losses Of Atrazine, Metribuzin, And Nutrients As Affected By Management Practices For Sugarcane (Bulletin #875), H. M. Selim, R. L. Bengtson, H. Zhu, R. Ricaud

LSU AgCenter Bulletins

A primary objective of this investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of selected pesticide management practices on the movement of atrazine and metribuzin in surface runoff from sugarcane fields in south Louisiana.