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Toward A Construct Validation Of The Louisiana School Analysis Model Instructional Staff Questionnaire, Nikki Bray Clark Jan 2005

Toward A Construct Validation Of The Louisiana School Analysis Model Instructional Staff Questionnaire, Nikki Bray Clark

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study assessed the construct validity of the School Analysis Model (SAM) Instructional Staff Questionnaire. Construct validation was necessary for several reasons. First, it has not been possible to obtain evidence of the latent factor structure of this key component of the School Analysis Model (SAM). A factor analysis using data collected with the questionnaire was conducted to assess and identify the underlying factor structure of the instrument. Second, there is no evidence that the constructs measured by the SAM are associated with attributes of school performance further empirical analysis was done to determine if latent constructs contained within the …


Effect Of Phosphorus And Potassium Fertility On Fruit Quality And Growth Of Tabasco Pepper (Capsicum Frutescens) In Hydroponic Culture, Manuel Estuardo Aldana Jan 2005

Effect Of Phosphorus And Potassium Fertility On Fruit Quality And Growth Of Tabasco Pepper (Capsicum Frutescens) In Hydroponic Culture, Manuel Estuardo Aldana

LSU Master's Theses

Effects of P and K fertilization on Tabasco plant growth and fruit quality were evaluated in a preliminary experiment conducted in fall 2002; 4 levels of P (0.25, 1.0, 1.75, and 2.5 mM) and 4 levels of K (0.75, 1.75, 2.75, and 3.75 mM) in hydroponic culture with a factorial randomized design. The main growth experiment was conducted in spring/summer growing period of 2003. This experiment consisted of 8 treatments; 4 levels of P (P1 0.25, P2 1.25, P3 2.5, and P4 3.75 mM) and 4 levels of K (K1 0.25, K2 1.25, K3 2.5, and K4 3.75 mM). The …


La Grande Force Est Le D'Sir: Guillaume Apollinaire's Rewriting Of Merlin's Mother And The Dame Du Lac In L'Enchanteur Pourrissant, Allison Bateman Roark Jan 2005

La Grande Force Est Le D'Sir: Guillaume Apollinaire's Rewriting Of Merlin's Mother And The Dame Du Lac In L'Enchanteur Pourrissant, Allison Bateman Roark

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes Guillaume Apollinaire's rewriting of Merlin's mother and the Dame du Lac in L'Enchanteur pourrissant as a commentary on writing. I consider Merlin's state in the tomb as an effect of his desire for the Dame du Lac and relate this to the poet's relationship to writing, which is the result of his desire for a unity of expression -- to express what can be designated in the text, but not directly communicated in its totality through language. There is always something missing from any writing, but the very absence of meaning influences poetic production by encouraging attempts …


Using The Biodatamation Strategy To Learn Introductory College Biology: Value-Added Effects On Selected Students' Conceptual Understanding And Conceptual Integration Of The Processes Of Photosynthesis And Celluar Respiration, Jewel Jurovich Reuter Jan 2005

Using The Biodatamation Strategy To Learn Introductory College Biology: Value-Added Effects On Selected Students' Conceptual Understanding And Conceptual Integration Of The Processes Of Photosynthesis And Celluar Respiration, Jewel Jurovich Reuter

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory research was to study how students learn photosynthesis and cellular respiration and to determine the value added to the student's learning by each of the three technology-scaffolded learning strategy components (animated concept presentations and WebQuest-style activities, data collection, and student-constructed animations) of the BioDatamation™ (BDM) Program. BDM learning strategies utilized the Theory of Interacting Visual Fields™ (TIVF) (Reuter & Wandersee, 2002a, 2002b; 2003a, 2003b) which holds that meaningful knowledge is hierarchically constructed using the past, present, and future visual fields, with visual metacognitive components that are derived from the principles of Visual Behavior (Jones,1995), Human …


In Vitro And In Vivo Anti-Angiogenic Activities Of Milk Sphingolipids, Rishipal Rastrapal Bansode Jan 2005

In Vitro And In Vivo Anti-Angiogenic Activities Of Milk Sphingolipids, Rishipal Rastrapal Bansode

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Anti-angiogenic therapies aimed at halting new blood vessel formation are now being extensively studied as inhibitors of excessive angiogenesis. Conversely, compounds with ability to stimulate angiogenesis are being considered as a therapeutic approach for insufficient angiogenesis. Food-borne bioactive compounds such as genistein, resveratrol, curcumin, the Bowman-Birk inhibitor, and catechins are being potentially established as good candidates for angioprevention. The aim of our study was to determine the anti-or pro-angiogenic activity of milk-based glycosphingolipids such as C6-ceramide (Cer), Sphingomyelin (SPM) and Glucosylceramide (GluCer), in vitro, using breast cancer (MCF-7), colon cancer (Caco-2) and prostate cancer (DU-145) cell-lines, on angiogenic factors such …


Photobiological And Thermal Effects Of Uva Light On Cell Culture, Julianne Forman Jan 2005

Photobiological And Thermal Effects Of Uva Light On Cell Culture, Julianne Forman

LSU Master's Theses

The objective of this study is to characterize the photobiological and thermal effects of UVA light on cell cultures. While near-ultraviolet light has been widely used to photoactivate fluorophores and caged compounds in cells, little is known of the long-term biological effects of this light. UVA (320-400nm) photoactivating light has been used for studying fast kinetic processes and is now being employed in higher doses to target longer duration phenomena (e.g. gene expression and silencing). Photoexposure experiments using 365nm light will examine how longer duration and increased UV doses affect photoactivation cell studies. Apoptotic and cellular injury assays have been …


Comparative Studies Of Sperm Cryopreservation Of Diploid And Tetraploid Pacific Oysters, Qiaoxiang Dong Jan 2005

Comparative Studies Of Sperm Cryopreservation Of Diploid And Tetraploid Pacific Oysters, Qiaoxiang Dong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation addressed comparative studies of sperm cryopreservation of diploid and tetraploid Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas, with an emphasis on the development of standardized and optimized protocols. This includes comparative ultrastructural differences between sperm from diploid and tetraploid oysters, methods for the rapid estimation of sperm concentration, optimization of cryopreservation, and evaluation of the mechanisms for sperm agglutination (formation of clumps or elongated "noodles") in thawed samples. Currently, cryopreserved sperm has not been commercialized in any aquatic species, and standardization and optimization could greatly benefit the potential commercialization of its use. In oysters specifically, cryopreserved sperm from tetraploids would facilitate …


Nitrate Reduction And Methane Formation As Influenced By Iron-Centered Intermediate Redox Processes In Rice Soils, Bin Huang Jan 2005

Nitrate Reduction And Methane Formation As Influenced By Iron-Centered Intermediate Redox Processes In Rice Soils, Bin Huang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Rice fields are a major source of the greenhouse gases methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) and contribute to nitrate (NO3-) pollution in waters. Ferric iron (Fe3+) and manganic manganese (Mn4+) are two intermediate alternative electron acceptors (AEAs) capable of regeneration in freshwater soils. In this investigation, the influences of iron-centered intermediate redox processes on NO3- reduction and CH4 formation in rice soils were studied using soil slurries, soil columns, and potted rice. Reduction of Fe3+-centered intermediate AEAs was mainly mediated by obligate anaerobes …


Chorale And Canon In Alfred Schnittke's Fourth String Quartet, Aaminah Durrani Jan 2005

Chorale And Canon In Alfred Schnittke's Fourth String Quartet, Aaminah Durrani

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Alfred Schnittke's String Quartet No. 4 (1989) is a passionate essay, full of fervor and anguish expressed through an eloquent and highly refined style. Essential to this style are the counterpoised textures of chorale and canon. Not only does the coherence of the Quartet's expansive formal design rest largely on the effective deployment of chorale and canon, but these devices are the very engines that drive Schnittke's musical argument. Perhaps the most stunning event of the Fourth Quartet occurs in the finale. In the closing moments of this long work, Schnittke replaces the dissonant and dynamic fury of the fortissimo …


Feminist Hard-Boiled Detective Fiction As Political Protest In The Tradition Of Women Proletarian Writers Of The 1930s, Laura Ellen Ng Jan 2005

Feminist Hard-Boiled Detective Fiction As Political Protest In The Tradition Of Women Proletarian Writers Of The 1930s, Laura Ellen Ng

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Contemporary feminist hard-boiled detective fiction has been studied as an adaptation of the traditional masculine hard-boiled detective genre. Writers such as Sara Paretsky, Sue Grafton, and Marcia Muller create compelling feminist protagonists to fill the role of detective. The successes and failures of these feminist detectives have then been measured against the standards created in the classic genre by Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, and James M. Cain. The classic hard-boiled masculine genre came of age in the 1930s and 1940s at the same time as proletarian literature. The two genres share many characteristics including reliance upon first person narrative, the …


The Chemistry Of My Affections, David Scott Smith Jan 2005

The Chemistry Of My Affections, David Scott Smith

LSU Master's Theses

Although I have always been interested in the origins of my thought processes and the methods and compulsions that motivate my work, in past work I have avoided self portraiture, or blatant explorations into my own sense of self. With my thesis project I wanted to conduct an express exploration into the psychology of my motivations. My initial goal was to create an environment, a sense of place, where both the viewer and myself are drawn into the work, and confronted with a unique experience of personal expression. The focal point is a bath enclosed within a grotto, which symbolizes …


Integrating Horticulture Biology And Coastal Environmental Issues Into The Middle School Science Curriculum, Kathryn Lauren Karsh Jan 2005

Integrating Horticulture Biology And Coastal Environmental Issues Into The Middle School Science Curriculum, Kathryn Lauren Karsh

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana is losing nearly 34 square miles of coastal land each year. Scientists predict by 2050 one-third of Louisiana’s coast land will disappear (LaCoast, 2004). Many restoration projects have begun to counteract the severe land loss. Scientists use restoration methods such as vegetative plantings, sedimentary and freshwater diversions, and hydrologic projects to prevent land loss. Coastal Roots, a school-based nursery stewardship project for upper elementary to high school students coordinated by Louisiana Sea Grant College Program and LSU AgCenter, helps students understand the land loss crisis and gives them a constructive way to help restore the damaged coastal habitats by …


The Influence Of Transdermally Administered Fentanyl On Isoflurane Requirements In Normothermic And Hypothermic Dogs, Diane Wilson Jan 2005

The Influence Of Transdermally Administered Fentanyl On Isoflurane Requirements In Normothermic And Hypothermic Dogs, Diane Wilson

LSU Master's Theses

Intraoperative reductions in serum fentanyl levels in dogs with induced moderate hypothermia and transdermal fentanyl patches (TDF) in place has been documented. The impact of such reductions has not been evaluated nor has the anesthetic sparing effect of the TDF. Reductions in serum levels may be the result of either a decreased uptake of fentanyl from the dermal depot, or a biophase shift. The objective of this investigation was to determine whether the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of isoflurane was altered in the presence of TDF in normothermic and hypothermic dogs. Six mature, healthy, mixed breed dogs were anesthetized on …


Sediment Tmdl Calculations For Amite River, Pradeep Kumar Mishra Jan 2005

Sediment Tmdl Calculations For Amite River, Pradeep Kumar Mishra

LSU Master's Theses

The Amite River is recognized as one of the 15 water bodies impaired by sediments in Louisiana. A sediment TMDL calculation for the Amite River is required by the EPA. Based on EPA’s Protocol sediment TMDL calculations for the Upper Amite River are conducted in this thesis. The sediment TMDL calculations are composed of four parts: (1) Development of a new sediment transport and dispersion model for the Amite River, (2) Estimation of sediment loads (sources) produced by watershed erosion, (3) Flow computation, and (4) Determination of sediment TMDL for the Amite River. Using the mass conservation principle and Reynolds …


Stm And Arpes Studies Of Epitaxial Multilayer Ag On Cu(110) And Ni(110), Weichang Zhao Jan 2005

Stm And Arpes Studies Of Epitaxial Multilayer Ag On Cu(110) And Ni(110), Weichang Zhao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Ag nanostructures of multilayer coverages (< 30 monolayers) epitaxially self-assembled on Cu(110) and Ni(110) have been explored by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), angle-resolved photoelectron emission spectroscopy (ARPES), and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). We have studied varied nanostructure morphologies self-assembled depending on different deposition/annealing processes and coverages, their atomic structures, growth behaviors and mechanisms, and the electronic structures of nanowires. At nominal coverages of 1.2 ML < ¦È < ~10 ML, there are two epitaxial structures on Cu(110) and Ni(110). One is a Ag(110) multilayer film, which has a superstructure with lateral periodic units of eight and three/four substrate lattice constants along [¯110] and along [001] respectively. Another is that of Ag(110) nanowires surrounded by pseudohexagonal Ag(111) monolayer. The Ag(110) nanowires are triangular in cross section. The two side surfaces are faceted and the long axis is atomically straight along [¯110]. Typical lengths are within the range of 100 ~ 5000 Å, widths 70 ~ 300 Å, side slopes 10 ~ 30º, and heights 5 ~ 60 Å. The Ag nanowires present extraordinary anisotropy with observed aspect ratios (length:width) of up to 20:1. The Ag(110) nanowires are in-registry with the substrate along [001], but not along [¯110]. At coverages of ~ 10 ML < ¦È < ~25 ML, there also exist two different nanostructures, the nanowires and a Ag(110) atomically-flat film with some pits as deep as down to the substrate and a one-dimensional quasiperiodic superstructure along [001]. There are two basic separations of the superstructural stripes: one is three lattices wide (~11 Å) and the other is two lattices wide (~7 Å). Both of nanostructures are stable at temperature up to at least 200 ¡ãC and not inter-transformable. The growth of the nanowires is driven by the elastic strain mechanism, but the growth of the atomically-flat film is driven by electronic growth mechanism originated from the electron quantum confinement in the vertical direction of the film. The ARPES of the nanowires shows dispersion in the vertical and the [¯110] directions, but no dispersion in the [001] direction because of the limited width (~ 200 Å).


Pursuing Enlightenment In Vienna, 1781-1790, Heather Morrison Jan 2005

Pursuing Enlightenment In Vienna, 1781-1790, Heather Morrison

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Radical transformations came about in Vienna during the 1780s, as intellectuals in the city embraced the Enlightenment and explored ways in which the movement could be spread. In 1781, Joseph II and his state reformed censorship. In an instant, the Viennese had access to the great scholarly works of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe. In an instant, Vienna spawned a multitude of writers, publishing houses, reading rooms and all the accoutrements of a culture of print. The newly generated intellectual culture produced an amazing amount of pamphlets, an era termed the Broschürenflut in Austrian history. Public debate on the state, religion, …


Study Of The Effects Of Magnetic Field On The Properties Of Combustion Synthesized Iron Oxide Nanoparticles, Nagaraju Komuravelli Jan 2005

Study Of The Effects Of Magnetic Field On The Properties Of Combustion Synthesized Iron Oxide Nanoparticles, Nagaraju Komuravelli

LSU Master's Theses

Nanosized chain-like aggregates were developed in an iron pentacarbonyl-carbon monoxide (Fe(CO) 5 ¨C CO) air diffusion flame system. Magnetic field was applied around the diffusion flame using an electromagnet with an intensity of 0.4 Tesla. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis was performed to observe the behavior of the chains formed and to study the effect of magnetic field on these chains. These chain aggregates consist mainly of Fe2O3, which play a vital role in magnetic storage devices. Diffraction pattern analysis and X-ray Photon Spectroscopy (XPS) were carried out to confirm that the chain aggregates consist of mainly ¦Ã-Fe2O3. The effect …


Functionalization Of Gold And Glass Surfaces With Magnetic Nanoparticles Using Biomolecular Interactions, Bala Sesha Giri Rao Nidumolu Jan 2005

Functionalization Of Gold And Glass Surfaces With Magnetic Nanoparticles Using Biomolecular Interactions, Bala Sesha Giri Rao Nidumolu

LSU Master's Theses

Advances in nanotechnology have enabled the production and characterization of magnetic particles with nanometer-sized features that can be functionalized with biological recognition elements for clinical and biosensing applications. In the present study the synthesis and interactions between self assembled monolayers (SAMs) and functionalized nanoparticles have been characterized. Size and shape of magnetic nanoparticles synthesized wet chemically starting from ferrous and ferric salts were verified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These nanoparticles were then conjugated with FITC-labeled streptavidin through carbodiimide (EDC) chemistry. SAMs of thiol-capped biotins were synthesized on gold surfaces for capture of the conjugated nanoparticles. Characterization of nanoparticle functionalization …


Automatic Segmentation Of Magnetic Resonance Images Of The Brain, Kirk V. N. Spence Jan 2005

Automatic Segmentation Of Magnetic Resonance Images Of The Brain, Kirk V. N. Spence

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique used primarily in medical settings to produce high quality images of the human body’s internal anatomy. Each image is of a thin slice through the body, with the typical distance between slices being a few millimeters. Brain segmentation is the delineation of one or more anatomical structures within images of the brain. It promotes greater understanding of spatial relationships to aid in such tasks as surgical planning and clinical diagnoses, particularly when the segmented outlines from each image slice are displayed together as a surface in three-dimensions. A review of the literature indicates …


Fabrication Of High Aspect Ratio Vibrating Cylinder Microgyroscope Structures By Use Of The Liga Process, Yohannes Mamo Desta Jan 2005

Fabrication Of High Aspect Ratio Vibrating Cylinder Microgyroscope Structures By Use Of The Liga Process, Yohannes Mamo Desta

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Inertial grade microgyroscopes are of great importance to improve and augment inertial navigation systems based on GPS for industrial, automotive, and military applications. The efforts by various research groups worldwide to develop inertial grade microgyroscopes have not been successful to date. In 1994, the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana State University and SatCon Technology Corporation (Boston, Massachusetts) proposed a series of shock tolerant micromachined vibrating cylinder rate gyroscopes with aspect ratios of up to 250:1 to meet the needs of inertial navigation systems based on existing conventional vibrating cylinder gyroscopes. Each microgyroscope consisted of a tall thin shell metallic …


Relationships Among Performance On Simulated Tasks Of Decision-Making, Positive Outcome Expectancies For Mdma, And Age Of First Mdma Use, Scott Michael Patterson Jan 2005

Relationships Among Performance On Simulated Tasks Of Decision-Making, Positive Outcome Expectancies For Mdma, And Age Of First Mdma Use, Scott Michael Patterson

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among 3,4-methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) use patterns and beliefs, the Gambling Task, the delay discounting task, and the Adult Self-Report (ASR). Sixty-eight college students completed measures of substance use, social desirability, the MDMA Beliefs Questionnaire (MDMA-BQ), the Gambling Task, the delay discounting task, and the ASR. Contrary to predictions, participants who had used MDMA at least once did not vary from those who had never used MDMA on the Gambling Task, the delay discounting task, or the ASR. As predicted, MDMA users’ outcome expectancies for MDMA significantly differed from non-users. MDMA-BQ scales and …


Parallel Molecular Dynamics Simulations Of Pressure-Induced Structural Transformations In Cadmium Selenide Nanocrystals, Nicholas Jabari Ouma Lee Jan 2005

Parallel Molecular Dynamics Simulations Of Pressure-Induced Structural Transformations In Cadmium Selenide Nanocrystals, Nicholas Jabari Ouma Lee

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Parallel molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to investigate pressure-induced solid-to-solid structural phase transformations in cadmium selenide (CdSe) nanorods. The effects of the size and shape of nanorods on different aspects of structural phase transformations are studied. Simulations are based on interatomic potentials validated extensively by experiments. Simulations range from 105 to 106 atoms. These simulations are enabled by highly scalable algorithms executed on massively parallel Beowulf computing architectures. Pressure-induced structural transformations are studied using a hydrostatic pressure medium simulated by atoms interacting via Lennard-Jones potential. Four single-crystal CdSe nanorods, each 44Å in diameter but varying in length, in the …


Phylogenetic Revision Of The Genus Mesynodites Reichardt (Coleptera: Histeridae: Hetaeriinae), Alexey K. Tishechkin Jan 2005

Phylogenetic Revision Of The Genus Mesynodites Reichardt (Coleptera: Histeridae: Hetaeriinae), Alexey K. Tishechkin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Mesynodites is the largest genus within the exclusively inquilinous (social insect-associated) histerid beetle subfamily Hetaeriinae (Insecta: Coleoptera: Histeridae). The 44 described species are systematically revised, and new taxa are described based on newly discovered species and the results of a cladistic analysis. The work was based on available type specimens representing 42 species and approximately 2500 specimens of non-type material. Phylogenetic hypotheses were based on maximum parsimony analysis of 150 morphological characters derived from a selection of Mesynodites species and representatives of related genera. This analysis confirmed that, in its current concept, Mesynodites is not a monophyletic taxon. Species included …


Riding Out The Risks: An Ethnographic Study Of Risk Perceptions In A South Louisiana Bayou Community, Susan Camille Manning Jan 2005

Riding Out The Risks: An Ethnographic Study Of Risk Perceptions In A South Louisiana Bayou Community, Susan Camille Manning

LSU Master's Theses

This ethnographic study explores the risk perceptions of a small unincorporated coastal community in southeastern Louisiana. This community has experienced social and environmental change due to events including tropical storms and hurricanes, erosion, subsidence, oil and gas activities, development, and the impact of global seafood markets. Many global risk perception studies have focused on the perception of risk to human health and property connected with natural and technological disasters, but few have explored the issue of minorities and small at-risk communities. To explore this theoretical and methodological gap, this study uses a variety of qualitative ethnographic methods to examine a …


Stability, Transport And Applications Of Polyaphrons In Porous Media, Le Yan Jan 2005

Stability, Transport And Applications Of Polyaphrons In Porous Media, Le Yan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Polyaphrons are a kind of macroemulsion. The most distinctive feature of polyaphrons is their high stability. On the other hand, certain polyaphrons can be effectively destabilized by multivalent ions. In this dissertation, we devise a novel procedure that utilizes the fact that polyaphrons can be destabilized by certain ions to deliver light chemicals to lower the density of dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) contaminants in situ. We first investigate how the stability of diluted polyaphrons is affected by the properties of the continuous phase. We find that polyaphrons can be destabilized by a low concentration of Al3+ or Ca2+ in …


Speciation, Equilibria And Kinetics For Rainfall-Runoff Metals In Adsorptive-Filtration Unit Operations And Processes, Tianpeng Guo Jan 2005

Speciation, Equilibria And Kinetics For Rainfall-Runoff Metals In Adsorptive-Filtration Unit Operations And Processes, Tianpeng Guo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Populations transferred by rainfall runoff can have many adverse effects livings and people. Treatment of rainfall-runoff continues to pose unique challenges due to the unsteady nature of processes including mobilization, partitioning and transport of heavy metals as well as other constituent loads. BMPs that incorporate heavy metal removal are generating more attention as the nature of stormwater is better understood. This dissertation focused on metal partitioning and speciation in rainfall-runoff through the in-situ Partial Exfiltration Reactor (PER) and exposed to various redox circumstances, and metal removal by sorptive engineered manganese oxides coated media. Adsorption capacity of three manganese oxides coated …


The Genetics Of Speciation By Reinforcement, Daniel Ortiz-Barrientos Jan 2005

The Genetics Of Speciation By Reinforcement, Daniel Ortiz-Barrientos

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Reinforcement occurs when natural selection strengthens behavioral discrimination to prevent costly interpopulation matings, such as when matings produce sterile hybrids. This evolutionary process can complete speciation, thereby providing a direct link between Darwin’s theory of natural selection and the origin of new species. My dissertation presents the first study on the genetics of reinforcement. This study is framed in a conceptual body that explains how genomic architecture, selection and recombination, interact to facilitate divergence in the presence of gene flow. In addition, in my dissertation I produced a dense recombination map for D. pseudoobscura, which together with the genome sequence …


Effects Of Hurricanes And Fires On Southeastern Savanna-Forest Landscapes, Heather Alicia Passmore Jan 2005

Effects Of Hurricanes And Fires On Southeastern Savanna-Forest Landscapes, Heather Alicia Passmore

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sequential large-scale disturbances may produce interacting effects that differ from those predicted for each disturbance in isolation. These non-additive effects can strongly influence the composition and structure of plant communities. Hurricanes and natural lightning-season fires are large-scale, frequent disturbances in southeastern savanna-forest landscapes. Although interactive effects have been proposed, my research is the first to develop and experimentally test mechanistic hypotheses for hurricane-fire interactions. I develop a predictive conceptual model for interacting disturbances. I propose that hurricane-fire interactions depend on the relative timing of disturbances and the duration of effects. To predict the conditions under which hurricane-fire interactions are expected, …


Urokinase And Urokinase Receptor In The Urinary Tract Of The Dog, Trina Racquel Bailey Jan 2005

Urokinase And Urokinase Receptor In The Urinary Tract Of The Dog, Trina Racquel Bailey

LSU Master's Theses

Urokinase (uPA) and urokinase receptor (uPAR) are present in the urinary tract of people, mice, rats and cows. The presence of urokinase and urokinase receptor in the urinary tract of dogs has not been documented. Documenting the presence of uPA and uPAR in the urinary tract of healthy dogs will help determine the role these proteins play in pathology of the urinary tract in further research. Urine was collected from fifty-four healthy dogs. A fluorescence assay was developed using the fluorogenic substrate Z-Gly-Gly-Arg-AMC, HCl. This assay documented presence of active uPA-like protein in concentrated urine. A direct sandwich ELISA assay …


Capillary And Microchip Gel Electrophoresis Using Multiplexed Fluorescence Detection With Both Time-Resolved And Spectral-Discrimination Capabilities: Applications In Dna Sequencing Using Near-Infrared Fluorescence, Li Zhu Jan 2005

Capillary And Microchip Gel Electrophoresis Using Multiplexed Fluorescence Detection With Both Time-Resolved And Spectral-Discrimination Capabilities: Applications In Dna Sequencing Using Near-Infrared Fluorescence, Li Zhu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Increasing the information content obtainable from a single assay and system miniaturization has continued to be important research areas in analytical chemistry. The research presented in this dissertation involves the development of a two-color, time-resolved fluorescence microscope for the acquisition of both steady-state and time-resolved data during capillary and microchip electrophoresis. The utility of this hybrid fluorescence detector has been demonstrated by applying it to DNA sequencing applications. Coupling color discrimination with time-resolved fluorescence offers increased multiplexing capabilities because the lifetime data adds another layer of information. An optical fiber-based fluorescence microscope was constructed, which utilized fluorescence in near-IR region, …