Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Oryzanol On Bone Mineral Density In Ovariectomized, Retired Breeder Rats, Heather Compton Colona

LSU Master's Theses

The accelerated rate of bone loss that occurs after menopause may be reduced by consuming rice bran oil (RBO), which contains natural oryzanol. Three different forms of oryzanol (natural oryzanol, NO; crystalline oryzanol, CO; and solubilized oryzanol, SO) were evaluated in a rat model of postmenopausal women. Retired Sprague-Dawley breeder rats were stratified by weight and assigned randomly to one of five groups for a thirteen week study. Rats were either variectomized (O, n=37) or sham-operated (ShC, n=10) and assigned to control (C) diets (OC, n=10 or ShC, n=10) or one of three forms of oryzanol (NO, n=9; CO, n=9; …

Refrigerated Storage And Cryopreservation Of Sperm For The Production Of Red Snapper And Snapper Hybrids, Kenneth Lee Pickrell Riley

LSU Master's Theses

The red snapper Lutjanus campechanus is an economically valuable sport and commercial fishery, and because of its high market value and limited commercial harvest, red snapper have received considerable attention as a candidate for marine aquaculture and stock enhancement programs. The goal of this thesis was to improve hatchery techniques for artificial spawning of red snapper Lutjanus campechanus. The objectives were to: 1) refine protocols for collecting, handling, transport, and holding of mature red snapper broodstock for induced spawning; 2) establish methods for strip-spawning of red snapper to optimize egg quality; 3) develop procedures for the collection, storage, and use …

Screening And Characterization Of Pathogenic Fungi For Possible Control Of Coptotermes Formosanus, Jianzhong Sun

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Coptotermes formosanus was used as “bait” to isolate pathogenic fungi from soil. Fifteen pathogenic fungal isolates were obtained, all either Metarhizium anisopliae (six isolates) or Beauveria bassiana (nine isolates). There were no differences in numbers of fungal isolates from the three sampling locations. However, significantly more isolates were found in woodlands (eleven) than in pastures (four). Median lethal doses (LD50s) of these fungal species to C. formosanus were interspersed, indicating that fungal isolates rather than species had the greatest effect on virulence. In vitro growth characteristics were significantly correlated with virulence against termites, suggesting that fungal virulence might be predicted …

Uncharted Terrain: The Intersection Of Privatization And Welfare, Rebecca L. Scharf, Henry Freedman, Mary R. Mannix, Marc Cohan

Scholarly Works

Welfare, a mainstay of legal services practice, is cutting edge again. Clients need help negotiating a system that devolution, discretion, and privatization have changed radically. Public officials need help in this new environment to "get it right," so that programs achieve the laudable goals ascribed to them.

Privatization creates special challenges for welfare advocates. New players, ranging from neighborhood nonprofit organizations to churches to multinational corporations, are making decisions that affect clients' vital interests. New legal issues, ranging from state action to public contracting compliance, can arise. Accountability and transparency, difficult to achieve in the governance of traditional welfare programs, …

“Owing To The Extreme Youth Of The Accused”: The Changing Legal Response To Juvenile Homicide, David S. Tanenhaus, Steven A. Drizin

Scholarly Works

In this essay, the authors seek to dispel the myth that the juvenile court was never intended to deal with serious and violent offenders; a myth that has largely been unchallenged, especially in the mainstream media, and one that critics of the juvenile court have used to undermine its legitimacy. The discovery of homicide data from the Chicago police department from the early twentieth century, the era in which modern juvenile justice came of age, provides us with new historical date with which to put this dangerous myth to rest, by showing that the nation’s model juvenile court—the Cook County …

A Screening Assessment Of Dissolved Air Flotation For Control Of Nonindigenous Invasive Species Transported In Shipping Ballast Water, Eng Chong Voon

LSU Master's Theses

Uncontrolled discharge of ballast water by vessels has been considered one of the main mechanisms for the introduction of aquatic nuisance species (ANS). The typical size of species found ranges from 0.02 to 10,000 micrometer. This wide range of sizes consists of microorganism (protozoa, dinoflagellates, and cholera), planktonic species, plants, insects, other arthropods, worms, mollusks, and vertebrates. These species either remain suspended in ballast water or settle in ballast tank sediments. Providing treatment for ballast water is a challenging task due to space availability of ships and significant magnitude of flow rates and volumes of ballast water. Currently, open ocean …

Factors Affecting The Selection Of Business Arrangements By Hog Producers In The United States, Christopher Gazzara Davis

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The structure of the U.S. hog industry is changing rapidly. U.S. hog farms have become smaller in number, larger in size and more specialized. This study examines the factors that influence the hog producer's choice among business arrangements offered in the U.S. hog industry. A national survey was mailed to 4,986 hog producers to determine these factors. The survey consisted of questions covering topics such as: production characteristics, autonomy, transaction costs, risk, social relationships, and demographics. A response rate of 21% was received from the mailed surveys. Four alternative business arrangements were used: independent production, cooperative farming, flat-fee contract, and …

Fecal Coliform Decay And Regrowth Kinetics In An Anaerobic Dairy Wastewater Environment, Shufang Liu

LSU Master's Theses

The kinetics of fecal coliforms (FC) decay and regrowth were analyzed under laboratory conditions using filtered dairy wastewater under anaerobic conditions. The mean specific growth rates during the regrowth phase, µr , in the batch study were 1.79, 1.46, and 1.27d-1 for initial organic carbon concentrations of 478, 235 and 127 mg/L COD, respectively. The substrate concentrations had a significant impact on the FC regrowth. A maximum specific growth rate (mmax) of 1.92 d-1, and half-saturated coefficient (ks) of 60.92mg/L were determined from these data. The mean dark FC decay rate coefficients, kd , at 35oC in the batch study …

Perception Of And Reactions To The Presence Of Url's In Print Advertising Of A Non-Technology Brand, Neil Melancon

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis, through an experiment of 108 subjects, studies the relationship between the presence of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL or web address) in newspaper advertisements and perception of the product advertised as well as the likelihood to act on the advertisement. The findings reveal URLs do in fact have an effect on perception, although, as it is suggested in the theoretical framework, it does not necessarily induce the subjects to act on the ad. This study also finds there is a stronger inclination for perception change to take place versus the likelihood for consumers to either seek more information …

Pleasure Principles: The Social Construction Of Gambling And Sex Addiction Treatment, M. Kelly James

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The transformation of behavior into deviance requires many players, individuals, and institutions invested in the social construction process and its outcomes. Although considered private recreational matters by some, gambling and having sex are gaining spotlight in the addiction arena. With the growing availability of casino entertainment, lotteries, OTB venues, prostitution, internet pornography, and 900 numbers, gambling and sex are interpreted, labeled, and treated by addiction recovery specialists. Using ethnographic methods and face-to-face interviews, I explore a southern community’s institutions and practitioners providing services to gambling and sex addicts. I examine the community’s discourse and its methods for defining and controlling …

New Voices At Work: Race And Gender Identity Caucuses In The U.S. Labor Movement, Ruben J. Garcia

Scholarly Works

Recently, labor law scholars have examined the emergence of "identity caucuses," in unions and in nonunion workplaces. Some scholars have pointed to identity caucuses as a source of division in unions, while others have pointed to them as alternatives to traditional unions. The author argues that race and gender caucuses in unions are not a source of division in the labor movement today, nor are they a viable alternative to traditional unions. In spite of the National Labor Relations Act's subordination of minority rights to majority rule, the author determines that women and people of color in union-based identity caucuses …

In-Vitro Gene Disruption Using Tn7-Based Transposition: Evaluation Of Its Utility And Efficiency In Generating A Brucella Virb1 Knockout, Jeffrey W. Mercante

LSU Master's Theses

A Tn7-based transposition system carrying a kanamycin resistance gene has been used to disrupt a known virulence gene of Brucella melitensis 16M and Brucella abortus 2308 in-vitro. The suicide plasmid pBAvirB1::kan-29 was created, in part, by cloning the B. abortus virB1 gene into a vector that is not stably maintained in Brucella spp. The cloned virB1 gene was then mutagenized by in-vitro transposition of a Tn7-based transposon. This construct was used in-vivo to insert a disrupted virB1 gene in place of the wild type virB1 found in B. abortus 2308 and B. melitensis 16M by homologous recombination. The resulting virB1 …

Treatment Acceptability For The Prevention Of Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Effects Of Ethnicity, Weight, And Genetic Predisposition, Jean Marie Thaw

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Childhood obesity and its associated health consequences, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, have dramatically increased over the past 30 years, with the greatest rise in African-American female children and adolescents. Although current prevention efforts show promising results, recent genetic findings may soon expand treatment strategies to include new medications and gene therapies specifically designed to prevent the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes in children. However, little is known about the acceptability of these interventions. The primary aim of this study was to examine the hypothetical impact of genetic knowledge on treatment acceptability in the prevention of childhood …

Constructing Womanhood In Public: Progressive White Women In A New South, Mary Jane Smith

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

During the Progressive Era, southern white women were aggressively recruited by the leadership of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, the General Federation of Women's Clubs and the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Each believed the inclusion of southern white women vital to its success as a national association of American women; consequently, by the beginning of the twentieth century, southern white women had achieved positions of leadership in each organization. This dissertation analyzes, primarily through the public statements of the leaders of these groups, how these women defined themselves as women, as white, and as southern vis a vis their …

An Evaluation Of Storage, Hydration And Reporting Protocols For Biomechanical Testing Of The Rat Femoral Neck, Michael Wayne Reeves

LSU Master's Theses

The current study evaluated the effect of frozen storage and hydration under vacuum on density and breaking strength of the rat femoral neck. Femurs were frozen in saline for periods of 15, 34, 122, or 831 days. No significant effect on bone density was detected for freezing periods of 15, 34, and 122 days, indicating that frozen storage of specimens in saline is moisture-preserving for periods up to four months. Freezing periods of 34 and 122 days were used to examine the effect of frozen storage on bone biomechanical bahavior. Plastic strain increased for the 34-day storage period (p=0.0453) and …

Evaluation Of Feeding Chlamydospores Of Duddingtonia Flagrans To Ewe/Lamb Pairs And Weaned Lambs To Biologically Control Levels Of Haemonchus On Pasture, Natalee Peart

LSU Master's Theses

Gastroenteritis caused by the nematode parasite Haemonchus contortus is a serious concern for small ruminants in the tropics and subtropics. Control is traditionally by anthelmintics and pasture management, however this specific nematode parasite has become resistant to many anthelmintics and research is now focused on novel control methods including biological control using the nematode-trapping fungus, Duddingtonia flagrans. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of feeding chlamydospores of the fungus at a dosage of 5 x 105 spores/kg of BW to ewe/lamb pairs (Trial 1) and weaned lambs (Trial 2) for a total of 17 and 8 …

Movement Along The Baton Rouge Fault, Araya Eshetu Kebede

LSU Master's Theses

The Baton Rouge fault is one of two faults (the other being Denham Spring-Scotlandville fault) that traverse the city of Baton Rouge and has long been thought to be active. Structural damages to buildings, streets and sidewalks near the fault have previously been attributed to movement of the fault. Although the presence of the fault has been known for nearly 60 years, previous investigations have failed to determine its rate of movement. This study was aimed at determining the rate of modern movement along the Baton Rouge fault. Using a precise geodetic leveling technique, the current elevations of NGS (National …

Aspects Of Jazz And Classical Music In David N. Baker's Ethnic Variations On A Theme Of Paganini, Heather Koren Pinson

LSU Master's Theses

David Baker's Ethnic Variations on a Theme of Paganini (1976) for violin and piano bring together stylistic elements of jazz and classical music, a synthesis for which Gunther Schuller in 1957 coined the term "third stream." In regard to classical aspects, Baker's work is modeled on Nicolo Paganini's Twenty-fourth Caprice for Solo Violin, itself a theme and variations. From Paganini,it borrows aspects of melody, harmony, and articulation, not only of the theme but also the variations. In regard to jazz, Baker transforms most variations (including the theme, which in comparison to Paganini's is already a variation) into distinct styles related …

Misguided By Experience: A Defense Of Custer's Actions At The Little Bighorn, Harold Douglas Baker

LSU Master's Theses

At midday on June 25, 1876, Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer split his Seventh Cavalry Regiment into three elements and attacked an enormous village of hostile Indians situated along the Little Bighorn River in modern-day Montana. Custer and his immediate command of five troops, a total of 225 men, did not survive the fight. Immediately following the battle, officers-Reno, Benteen, Brisbin, Terry, Gibbon-began to recreate the history of the campaign's recent events in an effort to explain the disaster and clear themselves of responsibility. Their self-serving omission of facts and their convenient "remembrance" of things that had not happened fully …

Of Orphans And Vouchers: Nevada's "Little Blaine Amendment" And The Future Of Religious Participation In Public Programs, Jay S. Bybee

Scholarly Works

In December 1875, President Ulysses S. Grant delivered his last annual message to Congress. He warned of “the dangers threatening us” and the “importance that all [men] should be possessed of education and intelligence,” lest “ignorant men . . . sink into acquiescence to the will of intelligence, whether directed by the demagogue or by priestcraft.” He recommended as “the primary step” a constitutional amendment “making it the duty of each of the several States to establish and forever maintain free public schools adequate to the education of all of the children” and “prohibiting the granting of any school funds, …

Retention And Movement Of Reactive Chemicals In Soils, Hongxia Zhu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Adsorption-desorption and transport behavior of pesticides are important processes that influence the amount retained by the soil and that which is susceptible to runoff or movement within the soil profile. Kinetic batch experiments were used to study the adsorption-desorption behavior of metolachlor (a non-ionic herbicide) and deltamethrin (a pyrethroid insectcide) in soils, and atrazine (a triazine) in sugarcane mulch residue. Miscible displacement experiments under steady flow conditions were carried out to examine the mobility of these pesticides in soils. Metolachlor adsorption and desorption by Sharkey clay soil(Very-fine, smectitic, thermic Chromic Epiaquerts) and Commerce silty loam soil (Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, nonacid, …

Creating An Online Tutorial And Pathfinder, Peter A. Hook

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Mr Hook explores the educational potential of Web-based tutorials and pathfinders. He discusses how the multimedia environment can effectively reach a broad range of learner types, explaining how the disciplines of infor- mation architecture and information visualization can contribute to designing a successful tutorial and pathfinder.

Perceptions Of Active Graduate Faculty At A Research Extensive University Regarding Electronic Submission Of Theses And Dissertations (Etds), Ursula Irene Anna Goldsmith

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigates and explores faculty perceptions toward Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) during the implementation of ETDs at a university located in the southern portion the United States. Louisiana State University and Agriculture and Mechanical College (LSU) is the flagship university for the state of Louisiana and one of only 25 universities nationwide holding both land-grant and sea-grant status. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classified LSU as Doctoral/Research Universities-Extensive. Chapter 1 provides the rationale for this study, the importance of higher education, the importance and role of the faculty advisor in graduate education as influencing the …

Analysis Of Consumer Perceptions Toward Biotechnology And Their Preferences For Biotech Food Labels, St. Everald A. Mclennon

LSU Master's Theses

Using a sample from the seven largest metropolitan areas in the United States, (Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New Orleans, New York, and Houston), consumer attitudes concerning agricultural biotechnology is examined. Conjoint analysis is used to examine consumer preferences for the labeling of biotech foods. The study examines the relationship between the consumer’s knowledge and attitudes regarding biotech foods and their preferences for food labels. Consumers’ attitudes regarding a healthy diet, and their risk perceptions regarding biotech foods were found to have a significant effect on the general use of food labels and preferences for labeling of biotech foods. The …

Geostatistical Shale Models For A Deltaic Reservoir Analog: From 3d Gpr Data To 3d Flow Modeling, Hongmei Li

LSU Master's Theses

The effects of shales on fluid flow in marine-influenced lower delta-plain distributary channel deposits are investigated using a three-dimensional ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data volume from the Cretaceous-age Ferron sandstone at Corbula Gulch in central Utah, USA. Using interpreted GPR data, we formulate a geostatistical model of the dimensions, orientations, and geometries of the internal structure from the subaerial exposure surface down to about 12 m depth. The correlation function between GPR instantaneous amplitude and shale index is built after statistical calibration of the GPR attributes (amplitude) with well data (gamma ray logs). Shale statistics are computed from this correlation function. …

Broad Are Nebraska's Rolling Plains: The Early Writings Of George Bird Grinnell, Richard Vaughan

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Profiles the life of writer George Bird Grinnell (1849-1938) and the influence his first trip to Nebraska had in shaping his early writings about the American West. Among the works he published were several groundbreaking books about the Plains Indians of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Not only did this 1870 trip to Nebraska, as a member of O. C. Marsh’s first Yale Paleontological Expedition, influence Grinnell's scholarly endeavors, but his deep interest in the state also influenced his lifelong devotion to environmental preservation and established him as an important advocate for the protection and welfare of Native …

Building Community: An Environmental Approach To Crime Prevention, Gustavo A. Barreto

LSU Master's Theses

Crime cannot be understood as a single-solution problem. Participation of the community is important to complement and make more efficient any program of crime control by police authorities or any other law enforcement agency. This thesis is intended to create consciousness among designers of the urban environment of their social role. Cities must include places to promote community interaction and formation of social bonds. As social bonds among residents increase, and bonds with the place begin building a sense of territoriality in the community, the residents become active defenders of the place against crime. A theory summary presents different and …

Narrative Patterns Of Racism And Resistance In The Work Of William Faulkner, Janet Elizabeth Barnwell

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Keeping in mind the complicated nature of race relations in the South during the segregation era, as well as the economic volatility of the time, and recognizing Faulkner's position as a white southern writer, this dissertation poses and attempts to answer a few specific questions regarding Faulkner's work. First, beginning with New Orleans Sketches and ending with Go Down, Moses, what texts seem most devoted to examining issues of race difference? Second, where in these texts does Faulkner most strikingly incorporate and then challenge racial stereotypes and cliches about the South? Third, working chronologically, how did Faulkner reconcile his position …

The Insurance Aftermath Of September 11: Myriad Claims, Multiple Lines, Arguments Over Ocurrence Counting, War Risk Exclusions, The Future Of Terrorism Coverage, And New Issues Of Government Role, Jeffrey W. Stempel

Scholarly Works

September 11, 2001, is an unforgettable date for many reasons. In addition to its political, social, and historical importance, it may mark a watershed of insurance history as well. The value of the insurance losses due to the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers is estimated to total at least $35 billion and perhaps $75 billion. In addition, most of the people killed by terrorism were covered by life insurance. Many business operations were affected, invoking possible business interruption coverage. The airplanes that became weapons of destruction carried passengers whose estates are likely to press claims against the …

Timeless And Ahead Of Its Time: Lach's V. Fidelity & Casualty Of New York, Jeffrey W. Stempel

Scholarly Works

The publication of Judge Keeton's important article “inventing” the reasonable expectations doctrine in 1971 is notable for infusing a good deal of intellectual energy into the study of insurance law, particularly judicial decisions about insurance coverage. Keeton's article, which deduced from cases the principle that courts tended to interpret policies to vindicate the objectively reasonable expectations of the insured, has rightly been viewed as a milestone. It clarified an area of law long seen as inconsistent or result-oriented. It spurred additional important scholarship in the area and elevated insurance caselaw from something of a backwater to at least a respectable …