Digital Commons Network^™

Mapping Quantitative Trait Loci Controlling The Early Height Growth Of Longleaf Pine And Slash Pine., Changren Weng

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The delay in early height growth (EHG) known as the "grass stage" has been one important factor that limits the artificial regeneration of longleaf pine (Pinus palstris Mill.). Genetic improvement of the "grass stage" by interspecific hybridization between longleaf pine and slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm) followed by recurrent backcrosses aiming at the introgression of genes controlling the EHG from slash pine into longleaf pine may be a solution. Developing markers tightly linked to these genes and using them in backcross breeding programs may speed the process of the introgression. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were employed to map …

Ecology Of Seagrass Fishes And Macroinvertebrates On Guatemala's Atlantic Coast., Alejandro Arrivillaga

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The ecology of fishes and macroinvertebrates inhabiting shallow seagrass beds was studied at Bahia La Graciosa, located in Amatique Bay in the Caribbean coast of Guatemala. The study area included extensive turtle grass, Thalassia testudinum, meadows over muddy substrate, whereas a more exposed shoreline also supported turtle grass meadows over sandy substrates outside the bay. A total of 166 samples were collected across two seasons and habitat types in three sampling trips to the area with a cylindrical drop sampler. Diversity and abundance of fishes and macroinvertebrates inhabiting seagrass and adjacent bare-sand sites were described to assess the relative importance …

Interaction Of Antimicrobial Peptides With Model Cell Membranes., Lucille Dionne Smith Wright

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This research was part of a multidisciplinary effort aimed at the elucidation of the mechanism of membrane lysis by model peptides. The focus of the dissertation was to characterize the average size dimensions of model cell membranes before and after being treated by model peptides. Experiments with neutral dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) vesicles and negatively charged dioleoylphosphabdylcholine/dioleoylphosphabdylglycerol (DOPC/DOPG) vesicles were conducted using the model peptides (KLAKKLA) 3 and (KLGKKLG)3. A melittin study was conducted alongside for comparison. Changes in membrane integrity were studied as a function of lipid-to-peptide (L:P) ratio using three techniques: kinetic light scattering (KLS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and …

Evaluation Of Insecticide Resistance In Louisiana Adult Mosquitoes And The Efficacies Of Selected Larvicides., Stacy Lee Bearden

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Pesticide resistance in Louisiana mosquitoes has never been examined on a state-wide basis. In 1996, first component of this monitoring program examined selected pesticide efficacies and documented current pesticide resistance. Ground ULV-applied FyfanonRTM (96.8% malathion and Pyrocide RTM (96.8% + 1% natural pyrethrum) were applied to caged Culex quinquefasciatus adults (Denham Springs [Livingston Parish] and Lake Charles [Calcasieu Parish]) and Aedes sollicitans (Vermilion Parish). FyfanonRTM caused significantly different (p < 0.05) mortalities among each species and strain within 24hrs (95% Aedes, 48% Denham Springs, and 14% Lake Charles). Pyrocide RTM also produced significantly different mortalities (99%, 70%, and 38%, respectively). Malathion and permethrin were topically applied to 3--5 day old adult mosquitoes from 14 parishes. St. Martin parish Cx. quinquefasciatus was most susceptible to malathion (2.58 mug/mul), and the Vermilion strain was most resistant (417.05 mug/mul). Resistance is based on a ≥5-fold resistance ratio. Calcasieu parish strain was least resistant to permethrin (1.93 mug/mul), and the St. Tammany parish strain was most resistant (40.86 mug/mul). Detecting pesticide resistance by bottle bioassay technique was compared to topical bioassay. Both techniques were effective in detecting resistance for selected Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex species in Louisiana. Ground ULV 97% malathion was applied to caged Cx. quinquefasciatus adults from a mosquito abatement district, agrichemical farmland, and a susceptible colony. No significance (p > 0.05) existed in mosquito mortality between the agrichemical area and the abatement district. Bacillus thuringiensis var. israeliensis (VectoBacRTM WDG and VectoBacRTM 12AS) and Bacillus sphaericus (VectoLexRTM WDG and VectoLexRTM CG) were …

Systematics Of The Polymorphic North American Rat Snake (Elaphe Obsoleta)., Frank Thomas Burbrink

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The North American rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta) complex is composed of seven uniquely colored subspecies of E. obsoleta and the sister species E. bairdi. Maximum parsimony (MP) and maximum likelihood (ML) analysis of two mitochondrial DNA genes from 73 E. obsoleta and E. bairdi, produced well-supported trees that do not conform to the currently accepted subspecies. Both ML and MP trees were significantly shorter than the trees in which each subspecies was constrained to be monophyletic. The subspecies of E. obsoleta do not represent genetic lineages. Instead, molecular evidence revealed the existence of four well-supported mtDNA clades confined to particular …

Comparative Biology And Ecology Of The Formosan Subterranean Termite, Coptotermes Formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) In Louisiana., Huixin Fei

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A laboratory study was conducted to investigate the effects of sibship patterns and different origins of colonies on mate mortality and growth of incipient colonies in the subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki. Primary reproductives from New Orleans in nonsibling pairs had significantly higher mortality than sibling pairs. The average egg production for sibling and nonsibling pairs showed no overall significance in the first oviposition period, however, the average number of larvae was consistently higher in nonsibling than in sibling-founded colonies from New Orleans. After two years, the average number of eggs or larvae present in nonsibling-founded colonies was significantly higher …

Activation And Metabolism Of P-Nitrosophenoland 2,2'-Thiobis-Ethanol By Horse Liver And Human Alcohol Dehydrogenase: Toxicological Implications., Billy Fred Dudley Jr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

C-nitroso compounds are reactive intermediates in the toxic sequelae of nitroarene metabolism. Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) contributes significantly to NADH-dependent C-nitroso reduction by cytosol relative to NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase (NQOR). NADPH-dependent pNSP reduction by liver cytosol of ADH+ animals is mostly dicumarol-sensitive which implicates NQOR as the major NADPH-dependent activity. Although, extensive structural homology between horse and different isozymes of human ADH exist, significant differences occur within the active site, which account for great variability among substrate specificities, kinetic constants, and response to inhibitors. We have studied the metabolic activity of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (HLADH), purified class I alphaalpha, beta …

Comparison Of Biogeochemical Functions Between Restored And Natural Bottomland Hardwood Wetlands., Rachael Grimsley Hunter

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this research was to compare biogeochemical functions of restored and natural bottomland hardwood (BLH) wetlands to determine if re-establishment of hydrology and vegetation is equivalent to restoration of ecosystem function. Three wetland types were studied: natural BLH (NAT), restored with hydrology re-established (RWH), and restored without hydrology re-established (RWOH). Denitrification potential (DEA), soluble organic carbon (SOC), soil moisture, readily mineralizable carbon (RMC), and heterotrophic microbial activity were measured seasonally from 1997--99. Leaf litter mass, total carbon and nitrogen concentrations, moisture, and microbial activity were also measured at three soil depths in study wetlands. The effect of organic …

Isolation And Characterization Of Newly Emerging Coronaviruses In Acute Respiratory Tract Diseases Of Cattle., Xiaoqing Lin

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A total of 411 G clone cell-dependent virus strains recently were isolated from nasal, trachea and lung samples in etiological investigations of acute respiratory tract diseases of vaccinated cattle, including shipping fever pneumonia. The virus infectivity titers reached up to 1.2 x 10 7 plaque forming units per gram of lung tissues of fatal cases. These viral agents were isolated in the 1st G clone cell passage without trypsin enhancement, and induced cell fusion. They have a restricted hemagglutination pattern, agglutinating only rat and mouse erythrocytes. Majority of them has receptor-destroying enzyme activities. They are round and enveloped with a …

Rights Of Passage: A Cross -Cultural Study Of Maroon Novels By Black Women., Randi Gray Kristensen

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study investigates the use and implications of the trope of marronage, the African-American practice of self-emancipation to forge alternative New World communities, in selected novels by Black women writers of North America and the Anglophone and Francophone Caribbean. It draws on theories of liminality to posit a theory of liberatory practice that deconstructs hegemonic narratives, both personal and historical. Postmodern approaches are deferred in favor of locating these texts and their concerns as deriving from the epistemological consequences of modernity. Cross-cultural Black women's texts were chosen to illuminate the recognition of shared subjugations across national and linguistic borders, as …

Molecular Systematics Of The Green Algal Order Trentepohliales (Chlorophyta)., Juan Manuel Lopez-Bautista

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Molecular, karyological, and nuclear genome quantification data from representatives of the order Trentepohliales (Chlorophyta) were used to infer evolutionary relationships with other green algal classes and orders. Phylogenetic analyses of the nuclear-encoded small subunit ribosomal DNA (18S rDNA) sequences from taxa representing all of the major lineages of green algae consistently indicated that the subaerial Trentepohliales are closely related to Ulvophycean marine green algae, particularly to the siphonous and hemisiphonous orders. The phylogenetic distribution of continuous and discontinuous types of mitochondrial large subunit ribosomal RNAs (mtLSU rRNA) in green algae has been shown to be consistent with phylogenetic relationships previously …

Bioanalytical Applications In The Near -Infrared Region Using Fluorescent Covalent And Non-Covalent Probes With Near-Infrared Fluorescence Detection., Clyde Vernon Owens Jr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The research presented in this dissertation entails the preparation, characterization, and analytical application of a series of novel tricarbocyanine, phthalocyanine, and napthalocyanine dyes which can be used as fluorescent probes for bioanalytical assays. The first part of this research focuses on the synthesis of a nuclear staining tricarbocyanine dye used for low-level detection of DNA restriction fragments separated via capillary electrophoresis. The second part focuses on the synthetic, purification, and applications of several tricarbocyanine, phthalocyanine, and naphthalocyanine dyes. The tricarbocyanine dyes were synthesized to contain a heavy atom-modification to enhance k isc through spin-orbit coupling and a reactive functional group …

Suspended Sediment And Nutrient Flux Dynamics In Fourleague Bay, Louisiana: The Role Of Winter Cold Fronts And Atchafalaya River Discharge., Brian Christopher Perez

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Material concentrations and fluxes in Oyster Bayou, a tidal channel connecting Fourleague Bay, Louisiana and the northern Gulf of Mexico, were sampled every three hours for 3-months, to examine the importance of atmospheric cold fronts and riverine forcing on the functioning of this estuarine system. The Atchafalaya River was the primary source of nitrate+nitrite (NO2+NO3), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) to the estuary with greater influence associated with northerly post-frontal winds. Riverine influence coupled with wind-forced resuspension events led to the greatest concentrations of total suspended sediment (TSS) and particulate organic carbon (POC). Ammonium (NH4) concentrations were highly …

Half -Cycle Pulse Ionization Of Diamagnetic Zeeman States In Rydberg Atoms., Chitra Rangan

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

We study the dynamics of highly excited (Rydberg) atoms in laboratory-scale magnetic fields via their ionization by THz half-cycle pulses (HCPs). A half-cycle pulse is a unipolar electromagnetic pulse that can probe an atomic electron at all points along its orbit around the atomic core. The dynamical evolution of diamagnetic Zeeman states subjected to an ultrashort (picosecond) HCP is calculated for both hydrogen and sodium atoms. Diamagnetic Zeeman states are localized parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field. We use a grid-based pseudo-potential method to determine these eigenstates of the combined Coulomb-diamagnetic potential. We study states with principal quantum number …

A Method To Discriminate Species From Hydroacoustic Fish Sampling Systems., Rui De Paula E Silva

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Samples of species and size composition obtained by trawling were matched with the corresponding echo-distributions from two hydroacoustic and trawl surveys in the western Indian Ocean, off Mozambique, and in two surveys in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In the Mozambique surveys, a Simrad EY-M echosounder was used and the data was analyzed by applying the Craig & Forbes algorithm. In the Gulf of Mexico surveys, a BioSonics Dual-beam System (Model 102 echosounder, ESP echo-integrator, and ESP dual-beam processor) was used. The results obtained show that, provided that a particular hydroacoustic and trawl sample yielded a stable size-distribution of the …

Ice -Core Pollen Studies From The Dunde And Guliya Ice Caps, Qinghai -Tibetan Plateau, China., Zuju Yao

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This research provides the first systematic and high-resolution ice-core pollen records from two ice caps in the northern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. To facilitate the climatic interpretation of the pollen data from the ice cores, a 30-year pollen record from the Dunde ice core is used to establish the quantitative relationship between pollen and modern climatic parameters. A 2000-year pollen record from the Dunde ice core reveals decadal and century time scale climatic changes. Three dry periods (i.e. A.D. 280--640, 1200--1370, and 1926--1986) and three wet periods are identifiable at Dunde. These results are compatible with other proxy data such as historical …

Effects Of Dietary L -Carnitine On Female Retired Breeder Rats Fed High Protein And High Fat., Erika Maria Zablah-Bendeck

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Carnitine supplementation has been shown to protect animals from ammonia toxicity following an ammonium acetate infusion and to alter body composition (i.e. increase lean mass and decrease body fat) in younger animals. The aims of this study were to address the questions of whether: (1) carnitine lowers blood ammonia levels of rats fed high protein; (2) carnitine decreases the weight gain and body fat of older animals fed high fat; (3) carnitine decreases glucose-induced insulin secretion; and (4) consumption of a high fat diet increases total serum carnitine content. Sprague Dawley retired female breeder rats (n = 64) were stratified …

The Impact Of Human Resource Expenditures And The Minimum Foundation Program's Level 3 Subsidy On Academic Productivity In Louisiana., John Paul Beaudoin

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated the impact of instructional salaries with and without a state-sponsored, supply-side subsidy on the academic productivity of schools in Louisiana. The subsidy under investigation was the Level 3 allocation for instructional salaries outlined in Louisiana's Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) that provides fiscal support for educational costs to local school boards. An educational production function model within the general systems framework outlined by Rossmiller and Geske (1977) was used in this study. All selected variables were aggregated to the school-level, which served as the unit of analysis for the study. The study's final sample (n = 296) approximated …

Effects Of Cobalt-60 Gamma Irradiation On The Malaysian Prawn Macrobrachium Rosenbergii., Nyanti Lee

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A major obstacle in culture of the Malaysian prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, is the complex social structure whereby a few large males dominate the population and reduce production. The goal of this work was to induce reproductive sterility by use of gamma radiation as a means to increase production. Of the 62 publications related to the use of gamma radiation in aquatic species published between 1938 and 1996, 66% did not indicate performance of dosimetry (dosage verification). Samples were not rotated during irradiation in 98% of these studies, which introduces considerable variation in dose. A dosimetric study in this dissertation found …

Evaluation Of Heterologous Promoter Function In The Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica)., Ta Philip Chih Cheng

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The goal of this work was to evaluate the feasibility of using antimicrobial peptide gene transfer to enhance oyster immunity. The specific objectives were to: (1) compare the efficiency of collagenase, pronase, and trypsin to dissociate atrium, ventricle and mantle into individual cells for the initiation of primary cell culture; (2) develop cryopreservation conditions to preserve the dissociated cells; (3) establish a serum-free transfection system; (4) evaluate inducible promoter function using the established serum-free transfection system; (5) evaluate the effects of the transfer of antimicrobial peptide genes on oyster immunity. Pronase was found to be the most effective enzyme for …

Ecological Models For Assessing Functions Of Hard Claypan Vernal Pool Wetlands In The Central Valley Of California Using The Hydrogeomorphic (Hgm) Approach For Wetland Assessment., Ellis Joseph Clairain Jr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Seven vernal pool complexes consisting of numerous shallow wetland depressions were sampled in Sacramento County, California, during the spring and early summer of 1998. Data were obtained to characterize ecological conditions within each complex and to develop models for assessing wetland disturbance and functions. Degree of disturbance, topographic features, soil profiles, and plant species composition and percent cover were examined. Pool area, volume, perimeter, maximum depth, distance from pool to pool, and percent of sample area were computed for 265 vernal pools. Additional detailed topographic and vegetative data were obtained at 68 vernal pools and soil profiles characterized at 64 …

Effects Of Microstructure And Crystallographic Texture On Yield Behavior Of Aluminum-Copper-Lithium 2195 Plate., Karen Elizabeth Crosby

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The focus of this research is to study the effects of deformation and aging on the yield behavior of precipitation-hardened Al-Cu-Li alloys, specifically AI-Cu-Li 2195 plate. Al-Cu-Li 2195 is a relatively new and exceptionally strong, yet lightweight aluminum alloy. Experimental methods applicable to mechanical/structural engineering and materials science problems provide the means for understanding the interrelation of deformation, microstructure, and crystal orientation (texture) as they affect the mechanical properties of crystalline materials. Yield strength is a vital mechanical property in that it defines the boundary of stress that may be applied to a part before a permanent, in some cases, …

The Effects Of Equine Somatotropin (Est) On Reproductive Function In The Domestic Mare., Richard Anthony Cochran

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The effects of somatotropin on ovarian reproductive function has become a keen research area in mammalian species over the past decade. However, to date, very little information is available as to the effects of somatotropin administration on reproduction in the domestic mare. Therefore, the purpose of these experiments was (1) to determine the potential effects (if any) of administration of exogenous equine somatotropin on ovarian follicular development and plasma and follicular fluid hormone concentrations in cyclic and noncyclic mares, (2) to determine the mechanism(s) of action of somatotropin treatment on these parameters in the mare, (3) to develop an efficient …

The Most Creative Moments In The History Of Environmental Law: "The Whats", William H. Rodgers, Jr.

Articles

In preparation for this symposium piece, Professor Rodgers asked a number of his colleagues active in the field of environmental law to identify what they considered to be the most creative moments in the history of environmental law. He gave no specific instructions with his request other than providing a definition of what he considered to be a creative moment: "A legal initiative that advances environmental law with a new level of analysis, new structure, or new institutional bridge. "

This article is a compilation of the numerous responses the author received. The responses formulate a detailed and informative description …

Financing Clinical Research And Experimental Therapies: Payment Due, But From Whom?, Patricia C. Kuszler

Articles

This article will explore the realm of clinical research and the question of who should finance such research. The first part will define the various types and levels of clinical research in terms of the regulatory controls and oversight applied to such research. Then the article will summarize how the costs of clinical research and experimental therapies have been covered in the past. Finally, the article will evaluate the risks and benefits derived by the various stakeholders and propose a financing rationale for therapies that places the burden of cost squarely on the stakeholders most likely to benefit.

Miscarriage Of Justice During Closing Arguments By An Overzealous Prosecutor And A Timid Supreme Court In State V. Smith, Tara J. Tobin

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of The Child Directed Speech Of Traditional Dads With That Of Stay-At-Home Dads, Judith Nancarrow Barr

Dissertations and Theses

The speech that mothers use when addressing adults has consistently been shown to exhibit modifications when the conversation partner is their language-learning child. Fathers adopt similar changes in the structural linguistic aspects of their Child Directed Speech (CDS), but their patterns of discourse remain more of a challenge for the child. This contrast in parental language is thought to be beneficial to the language-learning child: a mother's language focuses on the child as a conversation partner, whilst a father's more demanding language is considered a "Bridge" between the mother's and that of adults in the outside world. With family roles …

The Long-Term Viability Of A Zero-Valent Iron Permeable Reactive Barrier, Stuart Cowburn

Dissertations and Theses

Zero-valent iron permeable reactive barriers (PRB's) hold significant potential as a tool for groundwater remediation. Uncertainties remain, however, as to the effective lifetime of Fe⁰ barrier technology under full-scale operational conditions. Potential limits on barrier lifetime include reductions in permeability due to clogging by precipitates and oxidation of all Fe⁰ prior to the exhaustion of the contaminant source.

A 46 m long, 0.6 m wide, and 7.3 m deep Fe⁰ PRB was installed at the US Coast Guard Support Center, Elizabeth City, NC, in June 1996. The barrier was designed to remediate groundwater principally contaminated with Cr(VI) …

Cognitive Approaches To The Explanation Of Gambling Behaviour: An Evaluation, Antony Dyson Laurie

School of Psychology Theses

This thesis investigates three hypotheses in relation to the cognitive explanation of normal and problematic gambling behaviour. The "strong cognitive hypothesis" takes the view that if cognitive processes alone account for different levels of play, then the order of the events experienced during a task may be a good predictor of the levels of play. Four large scale experiments are presented focusing on the Illusion of Control, particularly the order effects originally observed by Langer and Roth (1975). Drawing on Hogarth and Einhom's (1992) belief adjustment model an adjusted methodology is employed making the paradigm resemble the real gambling decision …

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

No abstract provided.