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The Role Of Burkholderia Thailandensis-Encoded Marr Homologs In Response To Host-Derived Signals, Ashish Gupta Jan 2016

The Role Of Burkholderia Thailandensis-Encoded Marr Homologs In Response To Host-Derived Signals, Ashish Gupta

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Multiple antibiotic resistance regulator (MarR) family is the most ubiquitous category of transcriptional regulators that exists among different bacteria and archaea. MarR family transcriptional regulators have been studied for their involvement in various biological processes, such as environmental chemical response, pathogenicity, and environmental stress responses. This work elucidates the role of MarR homologs MftR (major facilitator transcriptional regulator) and BifR (biofilm regulator) in the soil bacterium Burkholderia thailandensis. Burkholderia thailandensis-encoded MarR homolog MftR is divergently oriented to a gene that encodes the efflux pump MftP (major facilitator transport protein). MftR binds two cognate sites (each site consist of 9 bp …

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Structure And Functional Potential Of Microbial Communities In Subglacial Lake Whillans And At The Ross Ice Shelf Grounding Zone, West Antarctica, Amanda Marie Achberger Jan 2016

Structure And Functional Potential Of Microbial Communities In Subglacial Lake Whillans And At The Ross Ice Shelf Grounding Zone, West Antarctica, Amanda Marie Achberger

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The abundance of liquid water found beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) is thought to provide a suitable habitat for microbial life. However, the thick ice sheet has posed a significant obstacle to accessing this isolated system and as a consequence, little data exists to infer ecosystem processes occurring beneath ice sheets. To address this deficit, data generated through 16S rRNA (genes and molecules) and metagenomic sequencing was used to evaluate the diversity and potential metabolic function of communities inhabiting Subglacial Lake Whillans (SLW) and the ocean basin into which it discharges (Whillans Ice Stream grounding zone; WIS-GZ). The analysis …

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Participation In Active And Passive Music Interventions By Individuals With Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias: Effects On Agitation, Robert J. Prattini Jan 2016

Participation In Active And Passive Music Interventions By Individuals With Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias: Effects On Agitation, Robert J. Prattini

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The ability of music to produce calming effects on us is well documented, and its use is becoming an increasingly accepted intervention with populations displaying agitated and disruptive behaviors, such as people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or other dementias. One reason for its widespread use is because research has demonstrated music’s efficacy in reducing agitation, and consequently disruptive behaviors, in those with AD. Prior studies on music’s effects on agitation in older people with AD have utilized either recorded music used passively, or active sessions with a music therapist or musicians, but none have compared the effects of each type …

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Necessary Medicine: Rethinking Health Communication At Burning Man, Raquel Irene Polanco Jan 2016

Necessary Medicine: Rethinking Health Communication At Burning Man, Raquel Irene Polanco

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study turns to the annual Burning Man Festival held in Black Rock City, Nevada as a site of cultural performance where participants negotiate health meanings. I adopt a culture-centered approach to health communication and utilize critical performance ethnography and narrative performativity as methodological and theoretical frameworks to investigate the specific communication practices that bring about health meanings at the festival. Analysis revealed the significance of everyday life practices performed through narrative for understanding how Burning Man participants understand, reinforce, and counter various health meanings with implications for the field of health communication and performance studies.

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Development Of A Biosensor System To Detect Bacteria In Food Systems, Luis Alonso Alfaro Sanabria Jan 2016

Development Of A Biosensor System To Detect Bacteria In Food Systems, Luis Alonso Alfaro Sanabria

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The development of biosensors may assist for the on-site detection of foodborne pathogens. The overall goal of this study was to develop a biosensor system for detecting Listeria innocua (non-pathogenic surrogate bacteria used as a model for pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes) in food systems. The study was divided into three main parts: (1) development of a sample collection and interface system for Listeria innocua from food samples, (2) development of a sample concentration system for the collected bacteria prior detection, and (3) development of a detection system based on a carbon nanotube potentiometric biosensor for a quantitative detection of Listeria innocua. …

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Characterization Of Xylella Fastidiosa In Rabbiteye Blueberry, Mary Helen Ferguson Jan 2016

Characterization Of Xylella Fastidiosa In Rabbiteye Blueberry, Mary Helen Ferguson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Xylella fastidiosa colonizes the xylem of a wide range of plants and causes symptoms in many of them. It was of interest to determine how widespread X. fastidiosa was and what its potential impact might be in rabbiteye blueberry. X. fastidiosa was detected from two of 17 Louisiana orchards from which samples were collected. A yield study was conducted at one of these orchards, and mean yields of X. fastidiosa-positive plants were 55% and 62% less than those of X. fastidiosa-negative plants in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Average berry weight was also lower in X. fastidiosa-positive plants. However, plants that …

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Design, Synthesis And Biological Applications Of Polypeptoids And Boron Dipyrromethenes, Sunting Xuan Jan 2016

Design, Synthesis And Biological Applications Of Polypeptoids And Boron Dipyrromethenes, Sunting Xuan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The dissertation is about the design, synthesis and biological applications of polypeptoids and boron dipyrromethenes (BODIPYs). The dissertation is divided into seven chapters reporting various aspects of the background to my field of study and the results obtained during my PhD program. Chapter 1 is a concise overview of the fundamental concepts of polypeptoids and hydrogels, as well as their recent developments on synthetic strategies, property investigations, and biological applications in different fields. Chapter 2 presents the design, synthesis and potential application as tissue engineering scaffold of thermoreversible ABC polypeptoid hydrogels. A series of ABC copolypeptoids were synthesized and their …

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Psychological And Environmental Predictors Of Test Anxiety: A Structural Equation Model, Meredith Taylor Harris Jan 2016

Psychological And Environmental Predictors Of Test Anxiety: A Structural Equation Model, Meredith Taylor Harris

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Test anxiety is a construct that includes cognitive, physiological, and behavioral symptoms occurring in response to anxiety prior to, during, or following examinations. The current literature on test anxiety has evaluated a number of possible predictors, including demographic variables, academic indicators, and self-perceptions. The movement toward school accountability and higher academic expectations of students has increased the severity of consequences occurring as a result of poor academic achievement. Thus, test anxiety is a critical concern that may impact student academic success. The current study evaluated a structural equation model to determine the strength of associations between trait anxiety, academic achievement, …

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Temporal Dynamics Of Benthic Responses To Habitat Disturbance In Coastal Plain Headwaters Of Southwestern Louisiana, Catherine Elizabeth Murphy Jan 2016

Temporal Dynamics Of Benthic Responses To Habitat Disturbance In Coastal Plain Headwaters Of Southwestern Louisiana, Catherine Elizabeth Murphy

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Weak biotic responses to habitat gradients within Northern Gulf of Mexico streams have been attributed to spatial and temporal variability. Landscape and in-stream habitat descriptions are presented for watersheds within Pleistocene terraces of the Coastal Plains geomorphic province of Louisiana, USA. Geologic influences on stream habitat were inferred by comparing multivariate ordinations on physicochemical measurements between terraces. Seasonal variability was assessed during a drought year (2011) and a typical water year (2013). Within coastal plains of Louisiana, stream condition was more similar within terraces than within river basins. Permutational MANOVA models indicated significantly different stream habitat between Uplands and Prairie, …

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Understanding Chemical Reactions In Novel Materials: From Metal Organic Frameworks To Oxyallyl Cations, Kiara Taylor-Edinbyrd Jan 2016

Understanding Chemical Reactions In Novel Materials: From Metal Organic Frameworks To Oxyallyl Cations, Kiara Taylor-Edinbyrd

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The work of this dissertation investigates the chemical processes of novel materials through quantum mechanical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. The first section of this work focuses on probing copper based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) for their ability to catalytically release nitric oxide from s-nitrosothiol (RSNO) precursors in a slow, controlled and sustained manner and compares these findings to a free copper ion/ethanol solution. Through the use of electronic structure calculations and molecular dynamics simulations, studies are carried out to better understand how the barriers of RSNOs approach to the catalytic copper center changes with modifications to the R-group (of …

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Gotta Catch 'Em All, Jennifer Lynn Lombardi Jan 2016

Gotta Catch 'Em All, Jennifer Lynn Lombardi

LSU Master's Theses

The ability to imagine is essential to shaping who we are, and is an important part of our humanity. Children have the ability to use aspects of their environment as their playthings, becoming the characters in their world through their sense of imagination. We lose this ability as we grow, leaving us with only memories and sentimentality. I have come to realize that my art is an expression of the longing and search to regain that ability to become fused with my imagination and my environment. I allow myself to become lost in a world of fantasy once more, and …

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Combining Forage And Cover Crop Benefits From Cool-Season Annuals In The Southeastern United States, Dustin John Smith Jan 2016

Combining Forage And Cover Crop Benefits From Cool-Season Annuals In The Southeastern United States, Dustin John Smith

LSU Master's Theses

Cow-calf operations in the southeastern United States (U.S.) are based on warm-season perennial grass pastures. Stored forage feeding during the non-grazing season constitutes more than half of a cattle operation’s annual expenses. Cool-season annuals can extend the grazing season, thereby reducing stored forage feeding. A two-year field trial was conducted to determine the forage potential of a variety of crops commonly used as winter cover crops in the southeastern U.S. The ten cover crop treatments included seven monocultures (annual ryegrass [Lolium multiflorum], rye [Secale cereal], oats [Avena sativa], triticale [Triticale hexaploide], tillage radish [Raphanus sativus], hairy vetch [Vicia villosa], crimson …

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Pesticide Partitioning In Louisiana Wetland Aand Ricefield Sediment, Brendan Michael Marsh Jan 2016

Pesticide Partitioning In Louisiana Wetland Aand Ricefield Sediment, Brendan Michael Marsh

LSU Master's Theses

Pesticides are used globally and are often found within bodies of water. The EPA investigates the potential environmental impact through computer modeling in order to help mitigate some of the regulatory burden of pesticide fate investigation. Currently when pesticides enter a water body, the Exposure Analysis Modeling System (EXAMS) estimates partitioning depth as 5 cm and assumes equal distribution. This assumption was tested with a wide variety of pesticides with varying Koc ranges and water solubilities. Savillex 150 ml Teflon tubes were filled with wetland and ricefield sediments with fresh and seawater as the aqueous phase. The seven pesticides tested …

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Effects Of Glyphosate On Soybean Nutrition, Endophytic Colonization By Cercospora Cf. Flagellaris And Development Of Cercospora Leaf Blight, Teddy Garcia Aroca Jan 2016

Effects Of Glyphosate On Soybean Nutrition, Endophytic Colonization By Cercospora Cf. Flagellaris And Development Of Cercospora Leaf Blight, Teddy Garcia Aroca

LSU Master's Theses

Glyphosate (Roundup®, Monsanto, Inc., St. Louis, MO) is the most widely used herbicide in the world because of its broad spectrum and its efficacy in controlling annual broadleaf weeds and undesired grasses. The effect of glyphosate on mineral nutrition and plant diseases has been an important topic during the past decade, because of its controversial effects on plant mineral nutrition. In order to test the hypothesis that glyphosate affects soybean mineral nutrition, and therefore predisposes soybean to Cercospora leaf blight, six glyphosate-resistant (GR) soybean varieties were either not treated or treated with glyphosate in field experiments. Plants were then evaluated …

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Eastern Oyster Physiological Responses To Acute And Chronic Exposure To Suspended Sediments, Stephanie Bernasconi Jan 2016

Eastern Oyster Physiological Responses To Acute And Chronic Exposure To Suspended Sediments, Stephanie Bernasconi

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana estuaries provide habitat for some of the most productive population of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica in the Gulf of Mexico. Coastal alterations, including changes in river flow of the Mississippi River, sediment diversions, and climate change, are likely to impact areas supporting oyster production. Although oysters in Louisiana already experience periods of high total suspended sediment, these coastal alterations may increase duration, frequency, and concentration of high suspended sediment concentrations over oyster grounds, which could have significantly impact oyster physiology and production by affecting basic physiological functions of oysters. In this study, we measured effects of acute (1 …

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The Impact Of A Transdiagnostic Risk Factor On Willingness To Seek Treatment Among Black Students, Kimberlye Elise Dean Jan 2016

The Impact Of A Transdiagnostic Risk Factor On Willingness To Seek Treatment Among Black Students, Kimberlye Elise Dean

LSU Master's Theses

Anxiety and depressive disorders are among the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorders, yet they remain under-treated in the U.S. Further, Black adults are significantly less likely that non-Hispanic White adults to seek or receive mental health services. Intolerance of uncertainty (IU), a risk factor for developing and maintaining anxiety and depressive symptoms, may be negatively related to the decision to seek treatment and sociocultural variables related to treatment-seeking behaviors may impact this relation. The decision to seek treatment is composed of several subcomponents, including readiness to change (RTC) and willingness to seek treatment. Thus, the current study examined the relations …

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Successful Aging In Oldest-Old Adults: Role Of Physical And Social Factors, Katie Elizabeth Stanko Jan 2016

Successful Aging In Oldest-Old Adults: Role Of Physical And Social Factors, Katie Elizabeth Stanko

LSU Master's Theses

Successful aging, increasing in chronological age while maintaining health, is related to a multitude of factors including social and physical behaviors. Older adults may report that they are aging successfully while biomedical outcomes suggest otherwise. In the present study, sociodemographic characteristics, social engagement, physical activity in relation to frailty and health-related quality of life (HR QoL) were examined using a lifespan sample of adults (N = 732) from the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study (LHAS). Four age groups were compared: younger (21-44 years), middle-aged (45-64 years), older (65-84 years), and oldest-old adults (85 to 101 years). A main effect of age …

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Effects Of Truck Based Ultra-Low Volume Mosquito Adulticides On Honey Bees (Apis Mellifera) In A Real World Scenario, Vivek Pokhrel Jan 2016

Effects Of Truck Based Ultra-Low Volume Mosquito Adulticides On Honey Bees (Apis Mellifera) In A Real World Scenario, Vivek Pokhrel

LSU Master's Theses

Honey bees are crucial pollinators for many economically important fruit crops. The recent honey bee colony decline in the United States and other regions of the world has caused concern among commercial beekeepers, research groups, the government, and the general public. The role of pesticides in recent honey bee declines has not been fully determined. In Louisiana, it is a common practice to spray truck based ultra-low volume mosquito adulticides in Integrated Mosquito Management Programs to control mosquitoes and minimize the risk of vector borne viruses such as West Nile, chikungunya, and Zika. This study measured the effects of truck …

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Characterization Of Thermoplastic Fusion Bonding Of Microchannels Using Pressure Assisted Boiling Point Control System, Kavya Dathathreya Jan 2016

Characterization Of Thermoplastic Fusion Bonding Of Microchannels Using Pressure Assisted Boiling Point Control System, Kavya Dathathreya

LSU Master's Theses

An innovative method of thermoplastic fusion bonding using a pressure assisted boiling point control (PABP) system was characterized to determine the optimum parameters for bonding polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) components containing microchannels and thin, 250 µm cover sheets. The PABP system enables precise control of the temperature boundary condition and the applied pressure by immersing the components being bonded in boiling water and varying the vapor pressure. Test structure geometries containing microchannels of two depths and four different aspect ratios were designed: 1:10 (Depth: 10µm, Width: 100 µm and Depth: 5µm, Width: 50 µm), 1:50 (Depth: 10µm, Width: 500µm and Depth: …

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3-D Printed Conveyor For Continuous-Mode Cryopreservation Of Individual Samples, Melissa Kaye Eskridge Jan 2016

3-D Printed Conveyor For Continuous-Mode Cryopreservation Of Individual Samples, Melissa Kaye Eskridge

LSU Master's Theses

Lack of standardization of terminology and protocols, combined with limited access to freezing equipment due to cost constraints and lack of portability, has created a need for inexpensive cryopreservation devices. Distribution of standardized methods of freezing cells would enable the development and adoption of standards on materials and protocols. Some cryopreservation methods are limited by the amount of cells available and the toxicity of certain cryopreservation agents. These studies would benefit from the ability to cool individual samples. All commercially available and proposed cooling devices operate by cooling batches of samples at the same time. The cryopreservation conveyor was designed …

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Arsenic Speciation And Phytoremediation Modeling For Environmental Management, Sidney Joseph Marlborough Jan 2016

Arsenic Speciation And Phytoremediation Modeling For Environmental Management, Sidney Joseph Marlborough

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Arsenic has been used throughout recorded history but during the industrial revolution widespread use led to global environmental impact. The two forms that should be considered in environment management are arsenate and arsenite. The calculations of environmental risk for arsenic exposure relies the toxicity of arsenite however, in well aeriated surface soils arsenate may be the predominate form. Ecological risk assessments based on arsenite studies will lead to restrictive remediation requirements that do not adequately reflect the level of risk. Arsenate resembles phosphate and as such has a greater affinity for phytoremediation. Phytoremediation is one of the most viable and …

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In Vitro Investigation On Therapeutic Potential Of Juglone, A Naphthoquinone From Walnuts Against Pancreatic Cancer, Namrata Karki Jan 2016

In Vitro Investigation On Therapeutic Potential Of Juglone, A Naphthoquinone From Walnuts Against Pancreatic Cancer, Namrata Karki

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Juglone, a naphthoquinone found in Juglandaceae family, which includes black walnut, European walnut, and butter nut possess various biological activities. The anti-cancer properties of juglone has been reported; however, the effect of juglone in pancreatic cancer (PC) has not been elucidated yet. PC is an aggressive lethal, highly metastatic disease associated with poor prognosis and high mortality rate. PC is usually diagnosed in advanced stage and chemotherapy is provided as a first line of treatment. The de novo chemoresistance that develops with chemotherapeutic treatment creates a critical need for identification of novel therapeutic agents for effectively targeting the disease. The …

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Integrated Methods For Controlling Gastrointestinal Nematode Infections In Ewes And Lambs, Sarah Tammy Nicole Keeton Jan 2016

Integrated Methods For Controlling Gastrointestinal Nematode Infections In Ewes And Lambs, Sarah Tammy Nicole Keeton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) parasites cause extensive damage to small ruminants, and Haemonchus contortus is a major concern to production worldwide. With the development of GIN resistance to anthelmintics, alternative strategies for control are needed. The major component of this study compared two strategies for effect on animal health and changes in GIN population. One flock of ewes and lambs (Strategy 1, S1) employed targeted selective treatment (TST) with an anthelmintic based on FAMACHA score, and one flock (Strategy 2, S2) employed sericea lespedeza (SL) supplement feeding and TST with copper oxide wire particles (COWP) based on FAMACHA score. S1 ewes/lambs …

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Are We Really Bowling Alone? Family Changes And Social Capital In American Society, Ya-Feng Lin Jan 2016

Are We Really Bowling Alone? Family Changes And Social Capital In American Society, Ya-Feng Lin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

I explore the relationship between family changes and social capital in American society. Since the mid-20th century, new types of and additions to the family structure have emerged, including cohabitation family, single-parent family, employed women, and NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, and Training). Although new types of families symbolize a more flexible definition of family, some problems have emerged which are worthy of studying. In fact, these families have recently become a primary focus of study in academia, but their social lives are rarely mentioned. I argue in my dissertation that these new types of arrangements not only changed how …

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Ecological Assembly Of Leaf-Litter Anuran Communities Across A Neotropical Land-Bridge Archipelago, Sandra Patricia Galeano Munoz Jan 2016

Ecological Assembly Of Leaf-Litter Anuran Communities Across A Neotropical Land-Bridge Archipelago, Sandra Patricia Galeano Munoz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The conspicuous variation in time and space of richness and composition of biological communities has intrigued ecologists for decades. In this dissertation, I explore the patterns and ecological mechanisms that underlie the community assembly of leaf-litter anurans on a Neotropical archipelago. I combined experimental and observational approaches to: first, identify patterns of body size variation in leaf-litter anurans; second, assess how coloration and body size variation in a territorial and common species, Oophaga pumilio, associates with aggressiveness and dominance, and how this association influences the outcome of species interactions; and third, examine species co-occurrence and body size overlap patterns, assessing …

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Quantitative Oil Source-Fingerprinting Techniques And Their Application To Differentiating Crude Oil In Coastal Marsh Sediments, Buffy Marie Meyer Jan 2016

Quantitative Oil Source-Fingerprinting Techniques And Their Application To Differentiating Crude Oil In Coastal Marsh Sediments, Buffy Marie Meyer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Oil source-fingerprinting is an environmental forensics technique that uses analytical chemistry to determine the origin of oil residues in environmental samples by comparison to a known or suspected source oil. Currently, the only standardized method for oil source fingerprinting is a qualitative approach that is very effective in almost every oil spill response situation. However, the need for quantitative oil source-fingerprinting methods to complement the qualitative determinations is extremely desired. The research herein aims to utilize data generated by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) methodologies to test two different quantitative techniques: diagnostic biomarker ratio analysis and chemometrics. The most common crude …

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Human Norovirus In Artificial And Environmental Marine Water: Development Of Antibody Based Rapid Methods, Morgan Maite Jan 2016

Human Norovirus In Artificial And Environmental Marine Water: Development Of Antibody Based Rapid Methods, Morgan Maite

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Norovirus (NoV) is the principal cause of viral gastroenteritis in the United States. It has been linked to filter-feeding molluscan shellfish, that bioaccumulate the virus from contaminated surrounding waters. The consumption of raw or undercooked contaminated oysters may result in acute gastroenteritis. We investigated the occurrence of NoV GI and GII and microbial indicators of fecal contamination in oysters and harvesting water from areas along the Louisiana Gulf Coast. We developed a filtration and concentration method for the detection of NoV from oyster harvesting waters. Lastly, this body of work compares commonly used molecular techniques (RT-PCR) and a commercial enzyme …

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Ecological-Hydrological Feedback In Forested Wetlands, Scott Thomas Allen Jan 2016

Ecological-Hydrological Feedback In Forested Wetlands, Scott Thomas Allen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In forested wetlands, the biotic and abiotic consequences of water level variability is not well understood. The effects of flooding on carbon and water exchanges are important knowledge gaps where progress could benefit management of natural resources and predicting of changes in surface geophysical cycles. Two specific needs are a better understanding of (1) wetland tree responses to hydrologic variations, and (2) the effects of the forest and associated tree stressors on surface energy and water fluxes. Objectives were to determine effects of flooding on evaporation rates and energy dynamics, tree water use and growth responses to river-floodplain connectivity and …

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Facts Are Stubborn Things: The Foundation Of Alfred Russel Wallace's Theories, 1823-1848, Sabrina Rae Cervantez Jan 2016

Facts Are Stubborn Things: The Foundation Of Alfred Russel Wallace's Theories, 1823-1848, Sabrina Rae Cervantez

LSU Master's Theses

Alfred Russel Wallace, a Victorian naturalist, firmly believed that based on his own extensive research there were theories that could effectively provide a means of studying the natural world and improving society. Although he became a respected naturalist his interests in mesmerism, socialism, and spiritualism disconnected him from the mainstream scientific community. Following the tradition of early nineteenth-century naturalists, Wallace was self-trained and self-educated, traits that allowed him to study multiple fields of interests and conduct personal experimentations. In these formative years, he was influenced by British popular culture, interactions with the working class and the latest trends of intellectual …

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Dispositions In Evolutionary Biology: A Metaphysically Realist Account, Daniel Glyn Swaim Jan 2016

Dispositions In Evolutionary Biology: A Metaphysically Realist Account, Daniel Glyn Swaim

LSU Master's Theses

In the last several decades, philosophers of biology have published countless books and articles on the causal mechanisms underlying evolutionary change. There has been scant effort devoted, however, to detailed analysis of what these mechanisms mean for the relationship between our best interpretations of evolutionary change and our metaphysical picture of the world. This thesis addresses some key aspects of that metaphysical picture. I argue for a metaphysically realist interpretation of dispositions as causally active in evolutionary biology. I address fitness and evolvability in particular, as they present two of the best possible case studies for a metaphysically realist interpretation …

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