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What Do Tin-Enameled Ceramics Tell Us?: Explorations Of Socio-Economic Status Through The Archaeological Record In Eighteenth-Century Louisiana: 1700-1790, Jason A. Emery

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis examines the presence and distribution of tin-enameled earthenwares in what was colonial Louisiana at nine archaeological sites: Madame John's Legacy (16OR51), the ca. 1730s French Colonial Barracks (16OR136), the Lower Pontalba Building (16OR209), Galveztown (16AN39), French Site I (16PC80), the Bicentennial Gardens (22AD999), Los Adaes (16NA16), the American Cemetery (16NA67), and the Chamard House site (16NA100). To examine the ceramic diversity, a comprehensive classificatory system is proposed, with discussion and classification of vessel forms. Ceramic diversity was anticipated to be patterned following geographic and economic lines; however, this was not substantiated through the analysis of the general body …

Color, Texture And Rehydration Characteristics Of Ohmically Treated Sweet Potatoes, Sireesha Bhattiprolu

LSU Master's Theses

Ohmic heating has been shown to affect the drying rate and texture of foods. This research was designed to determine the effect of ohmic heating on rehydration, color and texture properties of sweet potatoes. Three combinations: 60Hz, 40V, 60Hz, 60V and 1Hz, 40V were applied to ohmically heat sweet potato cubes. The ohmic treated cubes and untreated cubes or controls were stored for six days in four different %relative humidities of 11.15%, 32.73%, 57.70% and 75.32%. Results showed that there was no significant difference in the rehydration properties of ohmic treated samples and control samples. The % moisture gain varied …

Quality Evaluation Of Cheddar Cheese Containing Gamma-Oryzanol, Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez

LSU Master's Theses

Health benefits from consuming rice bran oil (RBO) have been extensively studied in humans. RBO has been shown to decrease cholesterol absorption by inhibiting the oxidation of the LDL-cholesterol. Gamma-Oryzanol is one of the RBO components that possess antioxidative properties; it is a polyphenolic compound resembling tocopherol (vitamin E), which is another component of RBO. There are evidences that oryzanol has potential applications for enhancing shelf-life of foods containing fats processed at a high temperature, decreasing the total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels in plasma lipids, and healing ulcers. In order to take advantage of the health benefits of oryzanol, …

Analysis And Evaluation Of A Bioengineered Submerged Breakwater, Matthew Dwain Campbell

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana's coastline has received national attention due to rapid erosion rates estimated from approximately 60 to 100 square kilometers per year. The disappearance of coastal areas jeopardizes public and private infrastructure, property values, aquatic ecosystems, and standards of living. In order to resolve the erosion problem, innovative solutions have been explored that may improve effectiveness and cost efficiency. This research involves a technology, termed an "oysterbreak," which is a bioengineered submerged breakwater. This structure promotes oysters to form a dense structure that dissipates wave energy. Since the structure is biologically dominated, initial material use is modest. The oysterbreak was evaluated …

Temperature Effects On Spawning And Fingerling Production Of Channel Catfish Ictalurus Punctatus, Patrice Arnold Pawiroredjo

LSU Master's Theses

The goal of this study was to develop several techniques that utilize the use of geothermal water that can contribute to increased profitability for commercial catfish producers. The primary objectives of this study were to: 1) determine the heating requirement using degree-days of channel catfish spawning 2) improve the efficiency of artificial spawning and, 3) evaluate the effectiveness of stocking outdoor ponds and pools with channel catfish fry. The heating requirement for channel catfish spawning was determined to be between 99 and 129 degree days at the peak of spawning. There was no difference in degree-day values between spawns collected …

Bees Associated With Louisiana Longleaf Pine Savannas, Chanda Sara Bartholomew

LSU Master's Theses

Longleaf pine savannas are perhaps the most threatened ecosystems in North America. Despite a well documented and highly diverse flora, little has been published on insects in general and, in particular, on bees that provide the valuable service of plant pollination. Thus, the aims of this study were to: 1) survey bees found in two savanna types in southeastern Louisiana; and 2) contrast the diversity and species composition of these two savanna types. An ancillary goal was to contrast two collecting protocols for bees in the savanna habitat. Overall, a total of 3,407 bees were collected representing 125 species. Of …

Numerical And Experimental Investigation Of Transport Processes In Biological Systems, Yimeng He

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis focuses on optimization techniques for transport process during the cryopreservation of biological systems. In the first part of this thesis, a well established shape independent Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) technique was used to measure the dehydration response during freezing of Pacific oyster sperm cells. Volumetric shrinkage during freezing of diploid and tetraploid pacific oyster sperm cell suspensions was obtained at cooling rates of 5 and 20 ˚C/min in the presence of extracellular ice and CPAs. By fitting a model of water transport to the experimentally obtained volumetric shrinkage data the best fit membrane permeability parameters (L_pg and …

Biological Treatment Of Industrial Wastewater Containing High Concentrations Of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (Las), Luis Alberto Espinoza

LSU Master's Theses

Lauryl Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (LAS) is the major anionic surfactant used worldwide in detergent and household cleaning product formulations. Its biodegradation and removal has been extensively studied in wastewater treatment facilities and laboratory-scale tests at low concentrations (<10 mg/L) typical of those encountered in municipal wastewater treatment plants. Less effort, however, has been expended investigating degradation of higher concentrations of LAS representative of those expected in wastewater generated at LAS manufacturing operations. The research described in this thesis was conducted to study biological processes for treating wastewaters containing high concentrations (e.g., 400 mg/L) of LAS. Initial experiments were carried out using a respirometry technique, and subsequently, three different laboratory-scale bioreactor systems. The three systems studied were a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR), a Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactor (SBBR), and an Intermittent Cycle Extension Aeration System (ICEAS). The SBR and ICEAS were operated on a five-day cycle basis with a hydraulic retention time of four days. The SBBR was operated mainly in a two-day cycle having a hydraulic retention time of ten days as well, and polyurethane foam cubes were used as a support medium for attached biomass growth. The three systems were compared on their ability to remove LAS measured in terms of total organic carbon (TOC) and methylene blue active substances (MBAS). The reactors were also compared on the basis of foam production. The ICEAS showed the best performance in terms of controllable foam production while exhibiting a capacity for effectively dealing with transient periods of elevated loading. When a short Fill period was used, the SBR and SBBR had the disadvantage of producing excessive foaming, and an intermittent aeration strategy was required avoid overflow.

Activity-Based Anorexia: The Effects Of Resistant Starch, Holly M. Nguyen

LSU Master's Theses

Anorexia nervosa is the third most common illness among adolescent females. Approximately one half the cases of anorexia nervosa have been suggested to be activity-induced. Various animal studies have been used to study human anorexia, particularly the activity-based anorexia model (ABA). The ABA paradigm consists of diet restriction and liberal access to activity, which ultimately results in a rapid decrease in both body weight and food intake paradoxical to the significant increase in activity. Because resistant starch (RS) has been shown to initiate a lower rise and a steady level of post-prandial blood glucose, it was hypothesized that a diet …

Line Drive: L1 Element Orthologous Loci, Huei Jin Ho

LSU Master's Theses

The L1Hs preTa subfamily is one of the youngest L1 families. It originated after the divergence of human and chimpanzee about 2.34 mya, and therefore is only found in the human genome. Some elements were inserted so recently that they are not fixed in the population. Thirty three of the 254 L1Hs preTa elements are polymorphic for the absence/presence of the insertion, making them useful markers for studying phylogenetics and human population genetics. However, the problem of homoplasy can diminish the value of using L1 elements as phylogenetic and population genetic markers. Examination of the L1Hs preTa orthologous insertion sites …

The Impact Of Brief Intervention On Adherence To Medication Regimen Of Low-Income Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Kathleen E. Kendra

LSU Master's Theses

Patient nonadherence with medication regimen is a common problem facing health care providers treating adult patients with Type 2 diabetes. Poor glycemic control, diabetes related complications, and increased utilization and health care costs are among the outcomes of poor compliance with medical regimen. Prior research indicates moderate success with several techniques to improve medication adherence when used alone. However, the literature suggests a need for an intervention providing a multi-component technique, implementing self-motivating skills and follow-up prompts. Using a 15- minute single exposure intervention, the current study attempted to combine these two procedures (brief intervention including motivational interviewing with follow-up …

Properties Of Borate-Treated Strandboard Bonded With Pmdi Resin, Yiqiang Zhou

LSU Master's Theses

Random strandboards from mixed southern wood species were manufactured using calcium borate (CB) and zinc borate (ZB) as chemical additives and polymeric methylene diphenylmethane disocyanate (pMDI) as resin. There were four target levels of borate loading and two levels of resin content. Panel properties, including modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), internal bond (IB) strength, linear expansion (LE), thickness swelling (TS), leachability, and swelling and strength retention properties under cyclic relative humidity, were measured. The influence of borate content, borate type, and resin content on various properties was analyzed. It was found that the addition of borate negatively …

Effects Of Dietary Protein Level And Fish Meal On Growth And Hormonal Status Of Weaned Dairy Calves, Patricia Terrell Richardel

LSU Master's Theses

Eight weaned Holstein steers approximately 4 mo of age (mean BW = 119.47 ± 2.65 kg) were used in a replicated 4 x 4 Latin square designed experiment to study the effects of protein source and level on performance and anabolic hormonal status of weaned dairy calves. Treatments consisted of two diets containing either 16 or 20 % crude protein (CP) with or without fish meal (FM). Experimental diets were corn silage based with soybean meal (SBM) as the source of ruminal degradable protein and FM as the source of ruminal undegradable protein. The animals were fed their respective diets …

Numerical Solution Of Fractional Advection-Dispersion Equation, Zhi Qiang Deng, Vijay P. Singh, Lars Bengtsson

Faculty Publications

Numerical schemes and stability criteria are developed for solution of the one-dimensional fractional advection-dispersion equation (FRADE) derived by revising Fick's first law. Employing 74 sets of dye test data measured on natural streams, it is found that the fractional order F of the partial differential operator acting on the dispersion term varies around the most frequently occurring value of F=1.65 in the range of 1.4 to 2.0. Two series expansions are proposed for approximation of the limit definitions of fractional derivatives. On this ground, two three-term finite-difference schemes - "1.3 Backward Scheme"having the first-order accuracy and "F.3 Central Scheme"possessing the …

Fecal Steroid Excretion Of Rats Fed Rice Bran Oil And Oryzanol, Zhaoli Dai

LSU Master's Theses

Rice bran oil (RBO) has been considered healthy cooking oil with potent effects to reduce the risks of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. The relatively high level of unsaponifiable components contributes to the healthy benefits of RBO. This study investigated the possibility that the cholesterol-lowering effects of oryzanol are through increased fecal steroid excretion. The objective was to compare fecal cholesterol and bile acid excretion as well as bioavailability among different forms of oryzanol. The correlation between bioactivity and bioavailability of oryzanol was investigated as well. Forty-seven female breeder rats were used as animal models. Oryzanol was added to an …

The Atchafalaya Basin Proposal For Nomination To The World Heritage Site List, Mitchell W. Coffman

LSU Master's Theses

The Atchafalaya Basin in the Southern United States is a cultural, environmental, historical and natural land region of such universal importance, designation as a World Heritage Site is appropriate. This thesis provides a justification for this designation through compliance with cultural and natural criteria detailed in the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage of 1972. The treaty, also known as the World Heritage Convention (WHC) promotes natural and cultural landscape preservation on an international level. This thesis lists the cultural and natural arguments for nominating the Atchafalaya Basin to the World Heritage Site list.

National, …

I-Tal Foodways: Nourishing Rastafarian Bodies, Mandy Garner Dickerson

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis takes a close look at the lived world of Jamaican Rastafarians through the lens of food-related practices and preferences, working to define the group's characteristic strategies for maintaining wellness and illuminating their tastes and sensibilities. It strives to evoke a sensorial and discursive awareness of the activities through which Rastafarians nourish and heal their physical and social bodies, by focusing on ways in which they produce and use I-tal food-medicines. Rastafarian taste for I-tal has developed alongside collective engagement with the valorization and revitalization of traditional knowledge about health and land use. In addition to providing sites for …

Does Eutrophication Enhance Cd Bioavailability By Trophic Transfer To The Marine Amphipod Leptocheirus Plumulosus From Microalgae?, Riqing Yu

LSU Master's Theses

Bioavailability and nutrient effects on the trophic transfer of Cadmium (Cd) associated with microalgae to the marine amphipod, Leptocheirus plumulosus, were investigated. Cd assimilation efficiencies (AE) were measured by a pulse-chase technique using a radiotracer. Cd AE in L. plumulosus significantly varied among algal species tested, and was highest (38.8 %) for the benthic diatom Nitzschia punctata, lowest (5.9%) for the planktonic diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii, and intermediate (15.6%) for the planktonic dinoflagellate Isochrysis galbana. Instantaneous egestion rates of Cd displayed a typical biphasic pattern over 96 h of depuration. Depuration in seawater-only of L. plumulosus yielded the highest Cd AE …

Isolation Of Aflatoxin-Free Lutein From Aflatoxin-Contaminated Corn, Evdokia Menelaou

LSU Master's Theses

Lutein (3,3’-dihydroxy-alpha-carotene) has been identified by the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) of the National Institute of Health (NIH) as a dietary compound with the ability to delay the onset and/or progression of age-related and/or diabetes-related vision loss. Lutein can also be useful in the prevention of other angiogenic diseases such as breast and colon cancer. Although marigold (Tagetes erecta) flowers are an excellent source of lutein, corn (Zea mays) has been identified as a very economical source of lutein because more value-added products, such as lutein, oil, and zein (known for its anti-microbial and anti-hypertensive activities) can be isolated …

Investigation Of Accuracy In Quantitation Of 18f-Fdg Concentration Of Pet/Ct, Yuri Ishihara

LSU Master's Theses

The PET/CT scanner has been recognized as a powerful diagnostic imaging modality in oncology and radiation treatment planning. Traditionally, PET has been used for quantitative analysis, and diagnostic interpretations of PET images greatly relied on a nuclear medicine physician’s experience and knowledge. The PET data set represents a positron emitter’s activity concentration as a gray scale in each pixel. The assurance of the quantitative accuracy of the PET data is critical for diagnosis and staging of disease and evaluation of treatment. The standard uptake value (SUV) is a widely employed parameter in clinical settings to distinguish malignant lesions from others. …

Estimating The Population Of Greater And Lesser Scaup During Winter In Off-Shore Louisiana, Sean David Kinney

LSU Master's Theses

I analyzed data from an experimental aerial transect survey, using stratified random sampling, to estimate wintering populations of greater scaup (Aythya marila) and lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) (hereafter scaup) in off-shore waters along the coast of Louisiana during winters 2000-2002. My objectives were to evaluate anecdotal reports of large numbers of scaup in off-shore waters of Louisiana during winter, and to develop estimates and confidence intervals for numbers of scaup in this area. My analysis yielded estimates of 815,700, 420,600, and 791,000 scaup in off-shore Louisiana for years 2000-2002, respectively. Confidence intervals were 1,087,000 to 545,000, 594,300 to 247,000, and …

Capacity Of Freshwater Marsh To Process Nutrients In Diverted Mississippi River Water, Craig Bonya' Johnson

LSU Master's Theses

The loss of Louisiana's coastal wetlands has mandated the construction of diversion structures for reintroduction of a portion of the Mississippi River into Louisiana's coastal region for slowing or reversing marsh deterioration. The Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion Structure allows for a section of the Mississippi River water to be reintroduced into Louisiana's Barataria Basin. The reintroduced Mississippi River water contains elevated levels of nitrate and other nutrients from agricultural runoff primarily from the upper reaches of the Mississippi River drainage basin. These elevated nitrate levels have raised questions of possible eutrophication effects on Louisiana estuaries. The purpose of this study …

A Site Design In A Hurricane Prone Coastal Environment: Grand Isle, Louisiana Case Study, Naniek Kohdrata

LSU Master's Theses

The property owns by Grand Idle Port of Commission with its unique combination of coastal and wetland landscape, the richness of environment and the susceptibility to hurricanes give opportunities as well as limitations in developing the site. A respond to this fragile but rich environment is a sustainable planning and design that balances the site programs and environment sensitivity. An ecologically, socially, economically, and aesthetically sound will provides an opportunity to achieve the optimal uses of the natural resources while maintaining the environment sustainability. The master plan of Port of Grand Isle addresses the client’s programs expectation and enhances the …

Kinetic Analysis Of Kluyveromyces Marxianus Yeast Strain, Erika Guimaraes Madeira Reeves

LSU Master's Theses

This research investigated the growth kinetic parameters (Ks and µmax) of the Kluyveromyces marxianus yeast strain for a batch process under aerobic and anaerobic conditions at 45oC using the Two-Liter Bioflo® 2000 Fermentors and the Orbital Shaker Bed with 250mL flasks (New Brunswick Scientific). This yeast strain was grown in twelve different glucose media concentrations (Anderson et al. 1986), ranging from 200 mg/L to 80,000 mg/L. Several analytical techniques were used, such as COD measurement to determine soluble and total substrate concentrations, TSS and OD measurements to determine biomass formation, HPLC measurements to determine carbohydrate concentrations, and GC measurements to …

Bollworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Production From Alternate Host Crops And Their Contribution To A Non-Bollgard Cotton Refuge, Edward Ashley Peters

LSU Master's Theses

The bollworm’s, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), inherent tolerance to the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin expressed in Bollgard® cotton and its ability to exploit numerous hosts has caused the Environmental Protection Agency to re-evalute the refuge component of the resistance management strategy. The goal of this project was to evaluate selected alternate host crops as supplemental non-cotton refuges for bollworm. The relative density, temporal occurrence, and life stage synchrony for bollworm larvae and adults was studied in Bollgard® cotton, Bollgard® cotton non-Bollgard® cotton, field corn, grain sorghum, and soybean. Native populations of bollworm larvae were monitored June to September during 2002 and 2003 …

The Myth Of Eternal Preservation: Patterns Of Damage In Egyptian Mummies, Ellen Salter-Pedersen

LSU Master's Theses

Mummification can preserve a body for several millennia, but it is a popular misconception that these bodies are in pristine condition. The activities of tomb robbers, archaeological excavation and transportation, and the embalming process itself may damage the body. This thesis examines published reports on Egyptian mummies from museums in the United States, Europe, and Egypt for the presence of osteological fractures, dislocations and other related damage. These reports include biographical information and the results of investigations made by one or more of the following techniques: unwrapping, autopsying, x-raying, and CT-scanning. Data on 275 Egyptian mummies were collected and examined …

A Comparison Of A High-Resolution Survey And A Three-Dimensional Seismic Survey In A Feature-Rich Region Of The Green Canyon Area, Gulf Of Mexico, Bruce Miles Samuel

LSU Master's Theses

Recent advances in Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) technology have revolutionized the positioning and accuracy of high-resolution deep sea mapping tools. Geologic hazard and engineering surveys by AUV’s are producing high-resolution data sets of a quality that has never before been seen. Three-dimensional (3D) seismic data, though traditionally used for only deep subsurface mapping of large areas, is now being reprocessed at a higher resolution and utilized in well site investigations and geologic hazard assessments. This study makes a comparison between a 3D seismic survey and an AUV high-resolution survey in order to determine the strengths and weaknesses of both of …

Development Of A Neural Network Approach For The Assessment Of The Performance Of Traffic Sign Retroreflectivity, Nagajyothi Swargam

LSU Master's Theses

The goal of the research was to develop a new predictive tool for assessing the performance of traffic sign retroreflectivity and to compare the developed tool with the existing linear regression models. Retroreflectivity decreases as sign sheeting ages. Currently Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) replace signs with low reflectivity based on driver complaints. This practice might have resulted in premature sign replacement (removal of signs with several years of in-service life still remaining) or in non-replacement of signs that are not in compliance with LADOTD minimum reflectivity standards. In this study, both neural network models and regression models …

Zooplankton Visualization System: Design And Real-Time Lossless Image Compression, Dattatreya Reddy Tetala Satya Surya

LSU Master's Theses

In this thesis, I present a design of a small, self-contained, underwater plankton imaging system. I base the imaging system’s design on an embedded PC architecture based on PC/104-Plus standards to meet the compact size and low power requirements. I developed a simple graphical user interface to run on a real-time operating system to control the imaging system. I also address how a real-time image compression scheme implemented on an FPGA chip speeds up image transfer speeds of the imaging system. Since lossless compression of the image is required in order to retain all image details, I began with an …

Phylogenetic Influence Of Complex, Evolutionary Models: A Bayesian Approach, Neeraja M. Krishnan

LSU Master's Theses

Molecular evolution recovers the history of living species by comparing genetic information, exploring genome structure and function from an evolutionary perspective. Here we infer substitution rates and ancestral reconstructions, to better understand mutation responses to some known biochemical phenomena. Mutation processes are commonly inferred using parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian. Parsimony is not explicitly model-based, and is statistically biased due to unrealistic assumptions. The model-based maximum likelihood approaches become computationally inefficient while analyzing large or high-dimensional datasets, leaving little opportunities to incorporate complex evolutionary models. We implemented a posterior probability (Bayesian) approach that evaluates evolutionary models, applying it to primate …