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Relationships Between Macroinvertebrate Communities And Environmental Characteristics Of Headwater Streams In Central Louisiana, Adrienne Viosca Jan 2007

Relationships Between Macroinvertebrate Communities And Environmental Characteristics Of Headwater Streams In Central Louisiana, Adrienne Viosca

LSU Master's Theses

Headwater streams are an integral part of any watershed system because they strongly influence the physical, chemical, and biological components of downstream reaches. Little information exists about macroinvertebrate community structure, spatiotemporal variation, or their relationships with environmental factors in low-gradient headwater streams of the subtropical coastal plain region in the Southern US. These headwater streams are typically slow moving, capable of accumulating large amounts of organic material, and often become intermittent during the dry season. Research is needed to understand the effects of these unique characteristics on stream health and ecology. This study aimed to determine aquatic macroinvertebrate community structure, …


A Comparison Of Individual-Based And Matrix Projection Models To Applied To Fish Population And Community Dynamics, Shaye Ellen Sable Jan 2007

A Comparison Of Individual-Based And Matrix Projection Models To Applied To Fish Population And Community Dynamics, Shaye Ellen Sable

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Matrix projection models and individual-based models (IBM) are commonly used for the analysis and management of fish populations. Matrix models break down the population into age or stage classes, while IBMs track individuals. I perform a series of quantitative comparisons between the predictions of the two modeling approaches using the IBM as the standard of comparison to demonstrate when individual variation, species interactions, and spatial heterogeneity adversely affect matrix model performance. I first evaluate the matrix approach for predicting yellow perch population responses when perch are involved in size-specific predator-prey interactions with walleye. I created density-dependent and stochastic age-structured and …


Using Time-Lapse And Stroboscopic Photography To Enhance Student Understanding Of Plant Growth, Structure, And Pollination: An Inquiry-Based Study, Louis John Schultz Jan 2007

Using Time-Lapse And Stroboscopic Photography To Enhance Student Understanding Of Plant Growth, Structure, And Pollination: An Inquiry-Based Study, Louis John Schultz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of allowing students to generate their own images in a science class as opposed to using pre-existing images. The participants in the study were 7th grade science students enrolled in a small, rural, Louisiana school. A mixed methods design was used so that call available data was collected and analyzed. The lessons used in the study were based on plant structure, growth, and propagation which fit into the mandated 7th grade science curriculum. The students were involved in the taking of still, time-lapse, and stroboscopic images throughout the study. Although an analysis …


The Importance Of The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service As Perceived By Local Governing Bodies In Louisiana, Peter Charles Cannizzaro Jan 2007

The Importance Of The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service As Perceived By Local Governing Bodies In Louisiana, Peter Charles Cannizzaro

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the importance of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service (CES) as perceived by members of local governing bodies in Louisiana. The fundamental objective of the CES is the development of people by means of educational programs. Local governing body members (defined as Police Jury/Council Members) throughout the state of Louisiana were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the importance of the Cooperative Extension Service regarding awareness, attendance of programs/events, use of information and if the needs of local residents were being met by the LCES programs and services. Results of the study …


Knowledge-Based Methods For Automatic Extraction Of Domain-Specific Ontologies, Janardhana R. Punuru Jan 2007

Knowledge-Based Methods For Automatic Extraction Of Domain-Specific Ontologies, Janardhana R. Punuru

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Semantic web technology aims at developing methodologies for representing large amount of knowledge in web accessible form. The semantics of knowledge should be easy to interpret and understand by computer programs, so that sharing and utilizing knowledge across the Web would be possible. Domain specific ontologies form the basis for knowledge representation in the semantic web. Research on automated development of ontologies from texts has become increasingly important because manual construction of ontologies is labor intensive and costly, and, at the same time, large amount of texts for individual domains is already available in electronic form. However, automatic extraction of …


Phylogenetic Systematics, Biogeography, And Evolutionary Ecology Of The True Crocodiles (Eusuchia: Crocodylidae: Crocodylus), Jamie Richard Oaks Jan 2007

Phylogenetic Systematics, Biogeography, And Evolutionary Ecology Of The True Crocodiles (Eusuchia: Crocodylidae: Crocodylus), Jamie Richard Oaks

LSU Master's Theses

Modern crocodylian systematics has been dominated by investigations of higher-level relationships aimed at resolving the disparity between morphological and molecular data, especially regarding the true gharial (Gavialis). Consequently, no studies to date have provided adequate resolution of the interspecific relationships within the most broadly distributed, ecologically diverse, and species-rich crocodylian genus, Crocodylus. In this study, Bayesian and ML partitioned phylogenetic analyses were performed on a DNA sequence dataset of 7,282 base pairs representing four mitochondrial regions, nine nuclear loci, and all 23 crocodylian species. The analyses were performed on a suite of partitioning strategies to investigate the modeling effects of …


Early Flotant Establishment And Growth Dynamics In A Nutrient Amended Wetland In The Lower Mississippi River Delta, Caleb W. Izdepski Jan 2007

Early Flotant Establishment And Growth Dynamics In A Nutrient Amended Wetland In The Lower Mississippi River Delta, Caleb W. Izdepski

LSU Master's Theses

Nutrient dynamics and seasonal marsh growth were examined in a newly formed Panicum virgatum floating marsh at Thibodaux LA. The floating marsh formed in a cleared area of forested wetland receiving secondarily treated effluent. Net Areal Primary Productivity (NAPP), total belowground biomass, NO3, and δ15N ratios varied significantly (P <0.05) along a 75m marsh transect while mean δ13C varied between plant species. The upland end of the transect had the highest NAPP (3876 g m-2y-1), total belowground biomass (4079.0 ± 298.5 g m-2), and mean NO3 (5.4 ± 2.9 mg l-1). The mean floating-marsh …


The Effects Of 3-Dimensional Cadd Modeling Software On The Development Of The Spatial Ability Of Ninth Grade Technology Discovery Students, K. Lynn Basham Jan 2007

The Effects Of 3-Dimensional Cadd Modeling Software On The Development Of The Spatial Ability Of Ninth Grade Technology Discovery Students, K. Lynn Basham

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a difference in the development of spatial abilities of ninth grade Technology Discovery students in Mississippi as measured by the Purdue Visualization of Rotations Test. Students experienced one of three differing instructional methods utilizing Pro/Desktop® 3-D CADD solid modeling software. Participants were students in Mississippi schools operating on a 4 x 4 block schedule during either fall or spring semesters during the 2005-2006 school year, and a control group of students whose schools did not offer CADD. Instructional material designed by the researcher was used for two instructional …


Application-Specific Reliable Data Transfer In Wireless Sensor Networks, Damayanti Datta Jan 2007

Application-Specific Reliable Data Transfer In Wireless Sensor Networks, Damayanti Datta

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A wireless sensor network (WSN) is a collection of sensor nodes and base stations connected via wireless medium. It sends data collected from the nodes to the base stations for generating information. The size and low cost of the sensor nodes as well as the WSN's ability to connect without wired links are its key advantages which enable it to be deployed in hostile or inaccessible environments at low cost. However, WSNs suffer from high data loss due to the inherent weaknesses in a wireless transmission medium, transmission problems in hostile environments due to human interference, etc. and node failures …


Drivers Of Liking And Effects Of Corn Hybrics On Quality Of Corn Tortilla, Jose Andres Herrera Corredor Jan 2007

Drivers Of Liking And Effects Of Corn Hybrics On Quality Of Corn Tortilla, Jose Andres Herrera Corredor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Corn tortilla, an ancient staple food of Mexico and Central America, is still the base food in those countries and has also become more popular in other countries with high Hispanic population. However, mechanization of corn tortilla production has modified the original sensory attributes to new standards that meet manufacturer’s requirements. The first part of this study attempted to determine the sensory attributes that drive consumer’s decision on the acceptability and purchase intent of the corn tortilla available in the Mexican market. The findings may help manufacturers to improve the processing of tortilla and develop products with ethnic authenticity. Overall …


Fabrication Of Dna Microarrays On Poly (Methylmethacrylate) Substrates For Biomolecular Reporting, Catherine N. Situma Jan 2007

Fabrication Of Dna Microarrays On Poly (Methylmethacrylate) Substrates For Biomolecular Reporting, Catherine N. Situma

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

DNA microarrays require the use of substrates with well-established surface modification / probe attachment chemistries. Glass/quartz have been widely adopted as typical support materials since their surface modification chemistries which involve the use of siloxane –based chemistries have been widely studied however; these chemistry is susceptible to hydrolytic cleavage especially at high or low pH values. Recently, polymers have been sought as alternative microarray support materials but their surface modification strategies are not well characterized compared to glass. This report will entail surface photo-modification of PMMA polymer substrates by UV irradiation which produces functional scaffolds of carboxylic groups that allow …


Predicting Water Quality Effects On Bay Anchovy (Anchoa Mitchilli) Growth And Production In Chesapeake Bay: Linking Water Quality And Individual-Based Fish Models, Aaron Thomas Adamack Jan 2007

Predicting Water Quality Effects On Bay Anchovy (Anchoa Mitchilli) Growth And Production In Chesapeake Bay: Linking Water Quality And Individual-Based Fish Models, Aaron Thomas Adamack

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent River has decreased since the 1950s due to an increase in nutrient loadings. Increased nutrient loads have caused an increase in the extent and duration of hypoxic conditions. Restoration via large-scale reductions in nutrient loadings is now underway. How reducing nutrient loadings will affect water quality is well predicted; however the effect on fish is generally unknown as most water quality models do not include trophic levels higher than zooplankton. I combined two water quality models with bay anchovy models (Anchoa mitchilli) to examine the effects of changes in nutrient loadings …


Effects Of Capping On Biodegradation Of Organic Contaminants In Sediments, Eun Ju Lee Jan 2007

Effects Of Capping On Biodegradation Of Organic Contaminants In Sediments, Eun Ju Lee

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sediment capping remains an effective remediation technique for contaminated sediments due to its capability to contain contaminants and provide a sound habitat for indigenous biota. This research investigated the effect of capping on biodegradation of organic contaminants in Anacostia River sediments using both experimental and modeling techniques. 14C–Phenanthrene mineralization was monitored under various redox conditions in Anacostia River sediments. Mineralization of 14C–phenanthrene was strongly linked to sulfate reduction, which was the more energetic process than any other anaerobic condition in Anacostia sediments. Sulfate is a more promising terminal electron acceptor for intrinsic degradation in Anacostia River and other PAH contaminated …


Brownsville Revisited, Ricardo Purnell Malbrew Jan 2007

Brownsville Revisited, Ricardo Purnell Malbrew

LSU Master's Theses

The case of the all-black 25th Infantry of the United States Army in the Brownsville Affair is perhaps one of the most egregious events in American history. On the night of August 13, 1906, a group of anonymous men went on a shooting rampage throughout the town of Brownsville, Texas, leaving one person dead and another wounded. Since there had been hostilities between black soldiers and white civilians prior to the shootings, it did not take long for local authorities to assume the collective guilt of black soldiers. Without an adequate investigation or a full hearing, President Roosevelt bowed to …


The Agriculturalists Of The Poole-Rose Ossuary: A Study Of The Femora And Tibiae, Melissa L. Moreno Jan 2007

The Agriculturalists Of The Poole-Rose Ossuary: A Study Of The Femora And Tibiae, Melissa L. Moreno

LSU Master's Theses

Dr. Heather McKillop of Louisiana State University was asked by the Alderville First Nation of Ontario in 1990 to excavate the Poole-Rose ossuary in 1990. This mass burial consisted of hundreds of mixed disarticulated and de-fleshed individuals as well as three articulated individuals laid in flexed positions. No artifacts were discovered with the bodies. Due to the absence of stratified soil layers from different periods, McKillop estimated the ossuary occurred during one burial event- “The Feast of the Dead.” Radiocarbon dating found the ossuary to be from A.D. 1550 ± 50 years (McKillop and Jackson 1991). I estimated sex according …


The Disciples Of Light: A Way Of Seeing And The Educational Transfer Of Ideas Linking Spirituality And Art Among Southern Painters In The Hensche-Hawthorne Tradition, Barbara Naron Faulkner Jan 2007

The Disciples Of Light: A Way Of Seeing And The Educational Transfer Of Ideas Linking Spirituality And Art Among Southern Painters In The Hensche-Hawthorne Tradition, Barbara Naron Faulkner

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the role of artistic education in shaping artistic beliefs and personal philosophy. Its central focus is the origins of a common belief among artists that artmaking or aesthetic response to art can be a form of spiritual activity or experience leading to spiritual insight. The primary data for this study is a series of in-depth oral history interviews with seven painters who studied with Henry Hensche at The Cape School of Art in Provincetown, MA, a school of American plein air painting that is linked with Impressionism. Charles W. Hawthorne, a painter who was a protégé of …


P-Glycoprotein And Membrane Permeability As Determinants Of Xenobiotic Bioavailability And Bioaccumulation, Xiaobing Tan Jan 2007

P-Glycoprotein And Membrane Permeability As Determinants Of Xenobiotic Bioavailability And Bioaccumulation, Xiaobing Tan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The ABC transporter P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and membrane permeability are determinant factors for absorption and disposition of xenobiotics. These studies investigated the effects of potential modulators of Pgp and/or membrane function on the disposition, bioavailability and bioaccumulation of environmentally relevant pharmaceuticals, tetracycline and ivermectin, and the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene in catfish. The pesticide dieldrin and surfactant linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) were selected as mixture components thought to have potential interactions with these determinants of disposition. Initial in situ experiments demonstrated dieldrin and tetracycline both significantly inhibited biliary excretion of Pgp prototypic substrate Rhodamine-123 in isolated perfused livers. Further, dieldrin (20µM) reduced movement …


Rna:Dna As An Indicator Of Nutritional Condition And Growth In Larval Naked Goby, Gobiosoma Bosc, Michelle C. Satterwhite Jan 2007

Rna:Dna As An Indicator Of Nutritional Condition And Growth In Larval Naked Goby, Gobiosoma Bosc, Michelle C. Satterwhite

LSU Master's Theses

Developing organism-based metrics for assessing habitat quality is an important tool in conservation and restoration of aquatic habitats. The use of the RNA:DNA ratio as an early indicator of habitat effects on growth of nekton species has been suggested, but requires species-specific laboratory assessment prior to field application. We used food availability in laboratory treatments to simulate differences in habitat quality. Wild Gobiosoma bosc eggs were collected using nest-traps constructed of PVC pipe. Eggs from several different nests collected in the field were hatched in the lab, yielding larvae that were randomly assigned to three feeding treatments in two replicate …


An Analysis Of Gender Differences In Property Crime Arrest Rates, Chanika Renee Jones Jan 2007

An Analysis Of Gender Differences In Property Crime Arrest Rates, Chanika Renee Jones

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examined the relationship between employment conditions and property-crime arrest rates of working-aged individuals, using gender-specific state-level data from 1979-2001, complied from raw arrest data of the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports and the Census Bureau's annual March Current Population Survey. These data were analyzed using Ordinary Least Squares Regression. The data was disaggregated by gender and underemployment indicators such as percent unemployed, percent subunemployed, percent low wages, and percent low hours, were utilized to test the unemployment-crime relationship. Controls for race, age, and region were also included in this analysis, as they may influence the U-C relationship. The analysis …


Metabolism And Gene Expression During Diapause In Athropods, Julie Annette Reynolds Jan 2007

Metabolism And Gene Expression During Diapause In Athropods, Julie Annette Reynolds

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Arthropods may enter diapause to escape environmental insult. Diapause is an endogenously controlled dormant state defined by developmental arrest and species-specific physiological changes (e.g., metabolic depression and upregulation of compounds that protect cell structure and function). Although physiological changes have been documented for a number of species in diapause, biochemical and molecular regulation of diapause remains largely unexplained. Aerobic metabolism in diapause, Artemia franciscana, embryos is reduced up to 92 % compared with post-diapause embryos. Differences in isolated mitochondria are insufficient to account for respiratory depression because mitochondria in diapause embryos are structurally similar to mitochondria in post-diapause embryos. Respiratory …


Effects Of The Menstrual Cycle On The Vibratory Characteristics Of The Vocal Folds, Aimee Michelle Bonnette Jan 2007

Effects Of The Menstrual Cycle On The Vibratory Characteristics Of The Vocal Folds, Aimee Michelle Bonnette

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to obtain preliminary data on several factors that may influence the vibratory patterns of the vocal folds in addition to the hormonal fluctuations present during the menstrual cycle. These factors included patient reports of severity of reflux symptoms, severity of premenstrual symptoms, and severity of negative vocal hygiene behaviors prior to each evaluation. Ten subjects who did not experience complaints of their voice participated in the study. Data from four subjects who were not on birth control and four on birth control were analyzed for the first cycle, which included self-perception, acoustic analysis, and …


Electrodeposition Of Multilayered Nanostructures For Giant Magnetoresistance And Thermoelectric Applications, Despina Davis Jan 2007

Electrodeposition Of Multilayered Nanostructures For Giant Magnetoresistance And Thermoelectric Applications, Despina Davis

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The electrodeposition of novel materials such as multilayer nanotubes for giant magneto resistance (GMR) applications and bismuth telluride nanotubes for thermoelectric applications are presented in this dissertation. The motivation for the multilayer electrodeposition is the investigation of giant magnetoresistance (GMR), a change in the material resistance in an applied magnetic field as a consequence of antiferromagnetic coupling. The nanowire high aspect ratio geometry allows the measurement of GMR with the current applied perpendicular to the plane (CPP) of the multilayers, which has been theoretically identified as being larger than the GMR in the (CIP) configuration (current in plane of multilayers). …


Responses Of Respiratory System Cells In Vitro And In Vivo To Petrochemical Combustion-Derived Ultrafine Particles, Gleeson Murphy, Jr. Jan 2007

Responses Of Respiratory System Cells In Vitro And In Vivo To Petrochemical Combustion-Derived Ultrafine Particles, Gleeson Murphy, Jr.

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Environmental contamination with airborne particles has been a human health concern for many years. Epidemiologic studies in urban communities have linked ambient particle exposure to various health effects, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and several cardiovascular disease conditions. The pathogenesis of these conditions with respect to ambient particle exposure is complex because ambient particles are complex in composition. The particles vary greatly in origin, size, surface area, and elemental composition; and a given particle type, such as those generated by petrochemical (gasoline, diesel, industrial substrate) combustion, may be coated with many other compounds, including polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). …


Synthesis And Functionalizations Of Tetrapyrrole Derivatives, Lijuan Jiao Jan 2007

Synthesis And Functionalizations Of Tetrapyrrole Derivatives, Lijuan Jiao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Chapter 1 of this Dissertation presents a brief overview of the history of tetrapyrrole derivatives and of their fundamental properties. Overviews of porphyrins, benzoporphyrins, chlorins and porphycenes are presented. Work presented in Chapter 2 through Chapter 4 mainly focuses on the syntheses and functionalization of chromophore-extended porphyrin derivatives. Several new synthetic routes for the syntheses and functionalizations of extended porphyrins either at the β-position or at the meso-position of porphyrin are developed. From these improved synthetic routes, the regio-selective syntheses of porphyrin derivatives are described. Chapter 2 mainly focuses on the syntheses of β,β'-fused methylenepropanoporphyrins and related porphyrin dimers. Chapter …


Detection Of Vibrio Vulnificus By Direct Colony Immunoblot, Reshani Nisansala Senevirathne Jan 2007

Detection Of Vibrio Vulnificus By Direct Colony Immunoblot, Reshani Nisansala Senevirathne

LSU Master's Theses

Vibrio vulnificus (Vv) is a natural occurring bacterium of world wide estuarine environments, which concentrate on filter feeding shellfish. Under cooked seafood contaminated with this pathogen is a leading cause of 95% of seafood-related, foodborne deaths. The development of a rapid, reliable and user-friendly method for Vv enumeration would help to reduce mortality rate. A direct colony immunoblot (DCI) method was developed and used as a rapid enumeration with high sensitivity and the specificity. This method was optimized using Vv agar plates incubated for 16 h at 35 °C. Colonies were transferred from incubated plates to polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes …


Engineering A Photo-Control Mechanism For Rna Interference, Richard Andrew Blidner Jan 2007

Engineering A Photo-Control Mechanism For Rna Interference, Richard Andrew Blidner

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

RNA interference (RNAi) is a phenomenon in which RNA molecules elicit potent and sequence-specific post-transcriptional gene silencing. Nucleic acid chemical modifications have been incorporated to improve their pharmacological properties. Despite numerous developments in chemical modifications for increased stability, safety, and efficiency of these therapeutic agents, they still face challenges of spatial and temporal targeting. One potential targeting strategy uses photocaging techniques, which involves the covalent attachment of photolabile compounds to the effector NA species that blocks bioactivity until exposed to near UV-light. This work demonstrates that fully-2’-fluorinated nucleic acids (FNAs) can elicit RNAi and that these effectors are resistant to …


Equine Obesity-Related Hyperleptinemia, Nan Killen Huff Jan 2007

Equine Obesity-Related Hyperleptinemia, Nan Killen Huff

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Plasma leptin concentrations in obese adult horses have been shown to vary widely, and horses tend to fit into two groups: low leptin (<10 ng/mL) and hyperleptinemic (10 to 50 ng/mL). Observations over time revealed that the hyperleptinemic condition was consistent, possibly indicating a relatively permanent underlying cause. Based on these observations, three experimental approaches were used to further study equine obesity-related hyperleptinemia. The first experiment determined the prevalence of hyperleptinemia among postpartum, lactating mares, evaluated its consequence on their re-breeding success, and investigated correlations between leptin levels in lactating and non-lactating mares. Postpartum mares (n = 198) and non-foaling mares (n = 31) were categorized based on their leptin status: normoleptinemic or hyperleptinemic. Leptin in the lactating mares averaged 4.8 ng/mL, and 11 of the 198 (13%) displayed hyperleptinemia. Leptin in the non-lactating mares averaged 7.5 ng/mL, with 9 mares (29%) displaying hyperleptinemia. Of the 198 lactating mares bred, 81% became pregnant; there was no effect of leptin status on re-breeding success. To study one possible cause for hyperleptinemia in well-fed horses, a second experiment explored polymorphism(s) within exon 2 of the equine leptin gene. The DNA from five hyperleptinemic and five normal mares of high body condition was used to analyze exon 2 of the leptin gene for polymorphisms. Based on the 10 mares tested, there was no polymorphism in exon 2 of the equine leptin gene; therefore, polymorphism is not a likely explanation for the high vs. low leptin difference. The third experiment explored the possible effects of hyperleptinemia on the endocrine and immune systems. Endotoxin was given to mares and geldings to investigate the role and/or regulation of leptin in the pro-inflammatory cytokine response. Of the endpoints measured, only platelet count differed between normal and hyperleptinemic horses. Endotoxin infusion caused the expected pro-inflammatory cytokine and endocrine responses, but leptin status was not a significant factor for any endpoint. It is concluded that hyperleptinemia in mares is not associated with polymorphism in exon 2 of the leptin gene, does not affect re-breeding rates of foaling mares, and does not alter the endotoxin-induced responses of the endocrine and immune systems.


The Spectral And Photophysical Characterization Of Water Solubilizing Metal Phthalocyanines For Highly Sensitive Detection In Biological Studies, Vera Tamisha Verdree Jan 2007

The Spectral And Photophysical Characterization Of Water Solubilizing Metal Phthalocyanines For Highly Sensitive Detection In Biological Studies, Vera Tamisha Verdree

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Efforts to improve the technology for DNA analyses stimulated the work presented here to develop a series of fluorescent probes that would aid in the increased multiplexing capabilities allowing the ability to detect multiple targets in a single measurement. Typically, spectral discrimination has been used to identify each DNA fragment in sequencing or diagnostic applications by means of unique emission properties from several labeling dyes. This has been accomplished with labels that fluoresce in the visible region. The limitations with these dyes is the broad emission profile making discrimination difficult, high intrinsic biological fluorescence and structural differences of the dyes …


Development Of Fluorescent Chemosensors Based On Energy Transfer In End-Capped Pi-Conjugated Systems, Huating Zhang Jan 2007

Development Of Fluorescent Chemosensors Based On Energy Transfer In End-Capped Pi-Conjugated Systems, Huating Zhang

LSU Master's Theses

A novel sensory platform based on conjugated polymer was developed, that consists of a monodispersed oligo(phenylene ethynylene) backbone, end-capped with a terminal alkene for further attachment to a solid surface at one terminus, and an anthracene based receptor group at the other terminus. Energy transfer from backbone to end-cap was observed by absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. Other ongoing projects described herein include the synthesis of longer-chain analogues of the above platform, the synthesis of silica microspheres based conjugated polymer sensory platform and the synthesis of long wavelength (NIR) dye for in vivo amyloid screening studies.


Sturctural Studies Of Lipoxygenases: Cloning, Expression And Purification Of Lipoxygenases From Anabaena And Fusarium, Pratik Dhar Jan 2007

Sturctural Studies Of Lipoxygenases: Cloning, Expression And Purification Of Lipoxygenases From Anabaena And Fusarium, Pratik Dhar

LSU Master's Theses

Lipoxygenases (LOX) are non-heme, non-sulfur, iron containing enzymes that catalyze the dioxygenation of unsaturated fatty acids. LOX enzyme is found in higher plants, some multicellular animals and some bacteria. In plants, the substrates for lipoxygenase enzymes are 18 carbon unsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic acids) while in animals, the substrate for this family of enzymes is the 20 carbon unsaturated fatty acid (arachidonic acid). The LOX enzyme from the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC7120, which produces the smallest known LOX, and the fungus Fusarium verticillioides, which produces a LOX with dual specificity and remarkably high activity, were overexpressed using …