Digital Commons Network^™

Acute Responses Of Freshwater And Marine Species To Ethinyl Estradiol And Fluoxetine, Julia Kaye Daigle

LSU Master's Theses

Damaging and often irreversible effects occurring in aquatic ecosystems have recently been linked to the presence of pharmaceuticals in water bodies. Because this crisis has only recently been identified, existing reports on the consequences of this contamination are scarce. In EPA standard acute effluent toxicity tests, Ceriodaphnia dubia, Daphnia pulex, Pimephales promelas, Mysidopsis bahia, and Menidia beryllina were subjected to two of the most widely distributed pharmaceuticals in the U.S., ethinyl estradiol (EE2), a synthetic form of estrogen, and fluoxetine HCl (FLX), the active ingredient in Prozac®, for 96 hours to assess and evaluate toxic responses. After test termination, mortality …

Emotion Recognition In Schizotypy, Laura Brown

LSU Master's Theses

Deficits in social cognition are repeatedly found in individuals with schizophrenia. Facial emotion recognition is a major aspect of social cognition in which individuals with schizophrenia show consistent deficits. However, many questions about these deficits remain unanswered including whether they occur in individuals with schizotypy—those at high risk for the disorder that do not manifest full pathology. Examining emotion recognition in schizotypy eliminates many of the confounds associated with schizophrenia research such as medication effects, chronic institutionalization, and generalized cognitive deficits, and allows for the examination of whether emotion recognition deficits reflect vulnerability to schizophrenia. Prior research in this population …

Reproduction In Female Diploid And Triploid Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea Virginica): Comparison Of Gonadal Changes Correlated With Prostaglandin E2, Esther Faith Young

LSU Master's Theses

The sale of eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) is a multi-million dollar industry in the United States. Triploid production of oysters helps to alleviate the decline in sales during summer months that normally results from the loss of flavor and texture when diploid oysters are spawning. Research to improve the ease of triploid production is critical for the expansion of oyster hatcheries producing triploids. The goals of this research were to determine the period of time when triploid oysters are most fertile and to determine if prostaglandin E2 (PGE) plays a role in oocyte maturation of C. virginica. The results of …

Prepartum Maternal Cortisol Concentrations On Postnatal Cortisol Concentration And Immunoglobulin Absorption In Neonatal Dairy Calves, Dana Nadine Wooley

LSU Master's Theses

The role of glucocorticoids on intestinal closure in neonates has recently become an area of interest but a definitive mechanism remains to be identified. It is known that glucocorticoids enhance immunoglobulin absorption in dairy calves, but the role of maternal glucocorticoids at parturition is not clear. In the present experiment, we obtained plasma and milk samples from primiparous and multiparous Holstein cows (n=24) to measure cortisol at 72, 48 and 24 hours before and 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after spontaneous parturition. After parturition, calves (n=24) were immediately removed from their dams and a blood sample was taken …

Experimental And Numerical Analysis Of Fuel Cells, Abul Bashar Mahmud Hasan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Fuel Cells are attractive power source for use in electronic applications. Physical phenomena (water generation, saturation effect in fuel cell, poisoning, and thermal stress) are studied that governs the operation of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) and Solid Oxide Fuel cell (SOFC). Additionally, experimental studies and numerical simulations on PEMFC gas flow channel, the determination of the impact of the single channel fuel cell are presented. Furthermore, preliminary study is done for the application of APS (Air Plasma Spray) to SOFC and adhesion of anode and cathode with electrolytes for the determination of parameters involved in manufacturing the …

Connections Between Individual Dispersal Behavior And The Multi-Scale Distribution Of A Saproxylic Beetle, Heather Bird Jackson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Species incidence results from a complex interaction among species traits (e.g., mobility and behavior), intra- and inter-specific interactions, quality and configuration of the landscape, and historical events. Determining which factors are most important to incidence is difficult because the multiple processes affecting incidence operate at different temporal and spatial scales. I conducted an empirically-based study relating individual behavior (dispersal, habitat selection, and intra-specific interactions) with hierarchically-organized environmental filters to predict the incidence of Odontotaenius disjunctus (Passalidae), a saproxylic (=decayed wood dependent) beetle common to eastern North American forests, at multiple spatial scales. In dispersal experiments, O. disjunctus movement was faster …

Ecological Assembly Of High-Diversity Plant Communities: Dispersal, Competition, And Environmental Filtering In Longleaf Pine Savannas, Jonathan Andrew Myers

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Ecological mechanisms proposed to explain community assembly and the maintenance of biodiversity are hypothesized to fall along a theoretical continuum bounded at one extreme by deterministic processes (“niche assembly”) and at the other extreme by stochastic processes (“dispersal assembly”). In this dissertation, I explore the idea that the position of ecological communities along the niche-dispersal assembly continuum is dynamic in space and time. Using field experiments in a high-diversity longleaf pine savanna, I test the general hypothesis that “ecological filters” (competition, disturbance, and resource availability) contribute to niche assembly through their effects on established plant species and recruitment from the …

Antioxidant Nanoparticles As Delivery Systems, Carlos Ernesto Astete R.

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of the study was to develop antioxidant polymeric nanoparticles as a new delivery system for food and pharmaceutical applications. Natural antioxidants like alpha-tocopherol, vitamin C, and carnosine, are responsible to protect biological systems against free radicals attack. The conjugation of vitamin C-vitamin E (EC) and alpha-tocopherol-carnosine (VECAR) were performed to obtain antioxidant surfactants which were used for polymeric nanoparticle synthesis. The surfactant made of á-tocopherol (vitamin E) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) of antioxidant properties dubbed as EC was used to make poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles. Self-assembled EC nanostructures and PLGA-EC nanoparticles were made by nanoprecipitation, and the …

Monstrous Bodies: Femininity And Agency In Young Adult Horror Fiction, June Pulliam

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Young Adult horror fiction with female protagonists presents sympathetically the untenable situation of adolescent girls within society whereby they are increasingly pressured to embody a doll-like feminine ideal that deprives them of voice and agency. In Young Adult horror fiction, the monstrous Other problematizes what is presented to girls as “normal” and “natural” feminine behavior. As a double with a difference, the monstrous Other is an iteration of femininity whose similarity to the original implies the possibility of resisting restrictive gender roles. Because in Young Adult horror fiction the monstrous Other is nearly always a sympathetic character, it is fairly …

Demography, Health Status, And Mortuary Rituals Of The Late Woodland Poole-Rose Ossuary, Ontario, Canada: A Study Of The Clavicles, Nicole Elizabeth Smith

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis is an analysis of the clavicles from a pre-contact (1550 A.D. ±50 years) native ossuary burial from Ontario, Canada. The Poole-Rose ossuary clavicles were analyzed for demography, pathological processes, trauma, and cultural modifications. Demographic markers on the clavicles are derived from the minimum number of individuals (MNI) estimation, medial epiphyseal age, and sex. Pathological processes are indicated by the presence of degenerative joint disease (DJD), periosteal reactions, and lytic lesions. Trauma includes healed fractures and cuts from defleshing of the clavicles. The presence of pre-burial cut marks is an indication of cultural modifications that were likely part of …

Point-Of-Care Immunoassay System Using Carbon Nanotube Labels, Adeyabeba Abera

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this research was to develop enhanced signal detection mechanisms for immunosensing using carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The utilization of CNT labels for direct electrical measurement was implemented on lateral flow system and microfluidic integrated interdigitated array microelectrodes. These sensing mechanisms in simple and miniaturized system provided higher sensitivity and autonomous flow control for rapid detection aimed at point-of-care diagnostics. Specific functionalization protocols were carried out to chemically modify the surface of the CNTs for uniform dispersion and antibody conjugation in aqueous solution. Surfactant assisted dispersion of the CNTs was studied using PVP and PEG. Covalent conjugation of antibodies …

Application Of Anti-H Monoclonal Antibodies To Develop Rapid Immunoassay For Vibrio Vulnificus, Ravirajsinh Jadeja

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the US there are about 76 million foodborne illness cases reported every year, in spite of initiatives by federal agencies. This emphasizes the need for the development of novel detection techniques which are sensitive, specific and rapid. A detection technique should be rapid enough to give results same day, allowing companies to release food lots without delay and decreasing storage costs. This kind of screening would also allow immediate measures, if needed, before releasing the lots. In the case of Vibrio vulnificus (V. vulnificus), conventional methods are available to identify and enumerate this pathogen in oysters, but they are …

Cross-Talk-Free Dual-Color Fluorescence Cross-Correlation Spectroscopy For High-Throughtput Screening, Wonbae Lee

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

High throughput processing of chemical/biochemical information is critical in many areas, such as genome sequencing, drug discovery and clinical diagnostics. Integral to collecting information at high rates with the necessary throughput is the development of systems that can not only monitor the results with high precision and accuracy, but also prepare and process samples prior to the analytical measurement. To achieve the required throughput, we have conducted work directed toward developing a system that provides detection sensitivity at the single-molecule detection (SMD) level. The research was first focused on the development of a sensitive strategy for the detection of proteins …

Analysis And Modeling Of Hurricane Impacts On A Coastal Louisiana Lake Bottom, Angelina Freeman

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Tropical cyclone impacts on wetland, terrestrial, and shelf systems have been previously studied and reasonably delineated, but little is known about the response of coastal lakes to storm events. For the first time, tropical cyclone impacts on a shallow coastal lake in the Louisiana coastal plain have been studied using direct lines of evidence and numerical modeling. Using side-scan sonar, CHIRP subbottom and echo sounder bathymetric profiles, the lake bottom and shallow subsurface of Sister Lake was imaged pre- and post-Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to provide a geologic framework for assessing the effects of these storms. Box cores were collected …

A Four-Cysteine Zinc Finger In Carboxyltransferase Structurally Links The Functions Of Enzymatic Activity And Negative Feedback Regulation Of Translation, Glen D. Meades

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase is the first and committed step of de novo fatty acid synthesis in all organisms. In Escherichia coli, the enzyme is expressed as separate proteins for the three functional components: a biotin carboxylase, a biotin carboxyl carrier protein, and a carboxyltransferase. The carboxyltransferase enzyme has an α2β2 heterotetrameric quaternary arrangement. The crystal structure of the β subunit revealed a zinc-binding domain, a feature common among nucleic acid-binding proteins. Carboxyltransferase preferentially binds mRNA coding for its two subunits over other nucleic acids, suggesting a means by which the enzyme can regulate its own expression. In the first study, the …

Optimization And Toxocologic Effects Of Cancer Immuno-Electrogene Therapy Using A Tumor-Targeted Interleukin-12 Gene Construct, Scott Douglas Reed

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation includes a comprehensive current review of reversible electroporation (EP) and other related physical gene transfection techniques; an overview of results of electrochemogene therapy (ECGT) used to treat naturally occurring spontaneous neoplasms in dogs; and the results of comprehensive, pre-clinical toxicology testing of electrogene therapy (EGT) of a tumor-targeted version of interleukin-12 (IL-12) in mice. Intralesional bleomycin (BLM) and feline interleukin-12 (fIL-12) DNA injection combined with trans-lesional EP resulted in complete cure of two recurrent oral squamous cell carcinomas and an acanthomatous ameloblastoma in a series of six cases of spontaneous neoplasia in pet dogs. The three remaining dogs, …

Pregnancy Rates In Beef Cattle Artifically Inseminated With Frozen-Thawed Aged Beef Semen, David Barry Carwell

LSU Master's Theses

The duration of frozen semen storage had no effect on pregnancy rates (60%, 61% and 61%, respectively) in Angus females inseminated with semen from 25 Angus bulls from Time Frames 1 (1960-1975), 2 (1976-1991) and 3 (1992-2006). Pregnancy rates were not different for beef females inseminated with semen from Time Frames 1, 2 and 3 (55%, 62% and 55%, respectively). There were no differences for total and progressive sperm motility across Time Frames 1 (42% and 29%), Time Frame 2 (51% and 38%) and Time Frame 3 (55% and 41%) and percentage of normal and abnormal sperm from bulls in …

Communication Deficits In Babies With Autism And Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (Pdd-Nos), Max Horovitz

LSU Master's Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are characterized by pervasive impairments in communication, socialization, and repetitive behaviors or interests. While there is a growing interest in early ASDs, very few studies have looked at the nature of these impairments before age 3. In order to better strengthen early assessment and intervention for ASDs, more knowledge is needed in this area. The current studies aimed to determine if, and in what ways, communication impairments are present in infants and toddlers (17-37 months) diagnosed with autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). In the first study, infants with autism and PDD-NOS …

The Influence Of Self-Esteem And Selected Demographic Characteristics On The Academic Achievement Of Freshman Students In The College Of Agriculture At A Research-Extensive University, Mae Blanchard Gaspard

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between self-esteem and academic achievement among students at the freshman level in the College of Agriculture at a Research-Extensive University in the Southern Region of the United States. The sample of the study was all students at one selected Research-Extensive University enrolled in the Introduction to Agriculture course which was a requirement for agriculture students at the freshman level. Three instruments were used for data collection. The Adult Form of the Coopersmith Inventory was administered at two data collection points at the beginning and end of the …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Christian, Native American Families, Mandy Lynn Swanson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Research on Native American families is limited and emphasizes the deficits of families and overlooks those Native American families that are thriving. This study seeks to illuminate the strengths of highly religious, Christian, Native American, married couples. The study employs a strengths-based perspective to examine how and why religious coping is meaningful and influential for these Native American couples’ enduring marriages and in their efforts to be responsive parents. From interviews of fifteen heterosexual, Native American, married couples (n=30), five themes emerged from the coding and analysis: 1) Faith and Culture: “They go hand in hand”, 2) Influence of Faith …

Genetic And Cytological Investigation Of Nucleostemin-1 In Drosophila Melanogaster, Raphyel Ojomo Rosby

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Mammalian nucleostemin (NS) is a nucleolar GTP-binding protein implicated in cell cycle progression, stem cell proliferation, and ribosome assembly. Drosophila melanogaster contains a four-member nucleostemin family (NS1-4). Nucleostemin 1 (NS1) is the closest orthologue to human NS; it shares 33% identity and 67% similarity with human NS. We show that NS1 has intrinsic GTPase and ATPase activity, and that it is present within nucleoli of most larval and adult cells. Endogenous NS1 and lightly expressed GFP-NS1 enrich within the nucleolar granular regions as expected, while over-expressed GFP-NS1 localizes throughout the nucleolus and nucleoplasm, and to several transcriptionally active inter-bands of …

The Evolution Of Freeze Tolerance In A Historically Tropical Snail, Alice B. Dennis

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Geographic range differences among species may result from differences in their physiological tolerances. In the intertidal zone, marine and terrestrial environments intersect to create a unique habitat, across which physiological tolerance strongly influences range. The snail Melampus bidentatus occurs in coastal salt marshes in the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. I have used sequence data from one mitochondrial (CO1) and two nuclear markers (histone H3 and a mitochondrial carrier protein, MCP) to identify three cryptic species within Melampus bidentatus, and to infer their relationships to other Melampus. To identify microhabitat differences between two cryptic species, I modeled their distributions …

Exercise-Induced Alterations In Melanocortin Receptor Expression And Inflammation, Tara Michelle Henagan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Inflammatory cytokines play a significant role in the pathogenesis of obesity-related diseases and have been implicated as integral factors in both early and late phases of atherosclerosis. Lifestyle modifications such as increasing physical activity and making dietary changes to induce weight loss are part of the primary prescription for the treatment of metabolic syndrome. Additionally, physical activity has been implicated as a potentially effective regimen for the control of inflammation, yet little is known about the anti-inflammatory mechanistic alterations induced by physical activity.

Exercise training causes acute changes in inflammation immediately post exercise, evidenced by upregulation of inflammatory cytokines and …

The Effects Of Salinity On Nitrogen Cycling In Wetland Soils And Sediments Of The Breton Sound Estuary, La, Brett Whitfield Marks

LSU Master's Theses

Wetlands in the coastal zone are slowly becoming more saline under rising sea level over the long-term. However, there are a number of events in the coastal environment which lead to quick and temporary changes in the salinity of coastal marshes. Seawater driven inland from storm surge can significantly increase salinity in oligohaline wetlands over the short-term (weeks). Recent large-scale efforts to restore coastal wetlands in Louisiana have utilized Mississippi River surface water diversions to re-introduce freshwater into coastal marshes, decreasing the salinity of coastal marshes. We examined the effect of salinity changes on two important nitrogen cycling processes, potential …

Quantum Light For Quantum Technologies, William Nicholas Plick

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this thesis we will theoretically investigate three potentially useful physical systems, after first developing the theoretical framework necessary for studying them. First, we will study the multiphoton absorption properties of maximally path entangled number (N00N) states. This is directly relevant to quantum lithography, and beating the Rayleigh diffraction limit. Next, we will develop a new scheme for quantum interferometry: dubbed coherent-light boosted super-sensitive quantum interferometry, which has the potential to reach below the shot noise limit for high photon fluxes, and requires no esoteric detection protocol, or technological elements that have yet to be developed. Finally we propose a …

Carbohydrate Sources And Maximizing The Use Of Supplemental Amino Acids In Diets For Weanling Pigs, Victor D. Naranjo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The objectives of this research were 1) to determine the effect of replacing dried whey (DW) with milk chocolate product (MCP), dried whey permeate (DWP) with candy oats (CO), and spray-dried plasma protein (SDPP) with a novel swine nutritional supplement (SNS) on growth performance of weanling pigs, and 2) to determine the maximum level of supplemental L-Lys, along with DL-Met, L-Thr, and L-Trp that can be added in diets for 6- to 12 and 13- to 23-kg pigs. Three experiments were conducted to compare the feeding value of MCP (20% lactose and 60% sugars) and DW (70% lactose). Results from …

Value Of Clearfield Rice: An Agronomic And Economic Approach, Tyler Paul Carlson

LSU Master's Theses

Field studies were conducted in Crowley, Louisiana and Stoneville, Mississippi in drill seeded rice to evaluate weed control, yield, and economical returns with imazethapyr programs. Red rice (Oryza sativa) and barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli) was evaluated with imazethapyr applied alone at various rates and application timings. Imazethapyr, averaged across rate, controlled red rice 89% and barnyardgrass 90% when the initial application of imazethapyr was applied at emergence followed by (fb) a second application of imazethapyr two weeks after the initial application. While imazethapyr, averaged across timing, showed no differences for red rice and barnyardgrass control. Yield and economical returns were maximized …

Computer Simulation Of Ion-Induced Nucleation In The Presence Of Single Ions And Ion Pairs, Samuel Keasler

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Atmospheric aerosol particles play an important role in climate and human health. Despite their importance, the mechanisms of their formation are still poorly understood. Ion-induced nucleation may play a role in the process, but details are lacking about how the nucleation rate depends on the size, charge, and number of ions in the cluster. In order to better understand the role that ions might play in new particle formation, we have performed a series of AVUS-HR simulations of the water nucleation in the presence of both single ions and ion pairs. These simulations have shown that the location of the …

Cross-Race Advising Relationships: The Role Of Race In Advising Relationships Between Black Doctoral Student Protégés And Their White Faculty Advisors, Marco Javon Barker

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the role of race in cross-race advising relationships between White faculty advisors and their Black doctoral student protégés. I examined the racial context of doctoral education experiences and relationships between doctoral students and faculty. Blacks with doctoral degrees comprise only 0.3% of those 18 years and older and only 3.5% of those with doctoral degrees (U.S. Census, 2000). Although there has been an increase in the number of Blacks enrolling in doctoral programs (Cook & Cordova, 2006), Nettles and Millett (2006) found that Blacks and Latin Americans have higher attrition rates …

Three Essays On The Role Of Amenities As An Economic Development Strategy, Junpyo Hong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

It is well known that an amenity is a key driving engine to regional economic growth. However, the site-specific nature of an amenity can characterize them as public goods. Due to this characteristic, local governments have difficulty optimally supplying amenities. This dissertation tries to find relationships between an amenity and economic growth. Three empirical papers comprise the original research in this dissertation. The findings of the meta-analysis in the first essay suggest little methodological diversity exists among researchers linking amenities to economic growth., I do find that employment growth is more likely related to man-made amenities even in research on …