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The Dynastine Scarab Beetles Of Costa Rica And Panama (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae), Brett C. Ratcliffe

Bulletin of the University of Nebraska State Museum (1924–2023)

The 157 species of dynastine scarab beetles that occur in Costa Rica and Panama are comprehensively reviewed. Keys, descriptions, distributions, and notes on biology are provided for all species as well as illustrations and maps. The larvae of Enema endymion, Heterogomphus chevrolati, and Dynastes hercules are described for the first time. Also included are synopses of the higher-level taxa, a glossary, a gazetteer of place names, and a species checklist.

The following new species are described: Cyclocephala alazona, C. enigma, C. labidion, C. marylizae, C. mustacha, C. stockwelli, C. una mas (all Cyclocephalini); Irazua dilicra (Oryctini); Amblyoproctus centroamericanus, Hemiphileurus curoei, …

Biofiltration For Control Of H2s From Wastewater Treatment Plant Gases, Vivian Bermudez

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A low-cost and efficient methodology was used to test the performance of a biofilter removing gaseous hydrogen sulfide generated in the headworks and a primary clarifier of a local Wastewater Treatment Plant. The contaminated gas stream is distributed upward through 1,718 m3 of filter material. With a flow rate varying between 3,503.0 m3/h and 4,587.3 m3/h and hydrogen sulfide inlet concentrations between 0.8 and 146 ppm, hydrogen sulfide was efficiently eliminated by the wood bark biofilter. The removal efficiencies ranged from 97.5% to 99.9%. The mean water content of the filter material was determined to be 67.1%. The excess water …

A Global Conservation Assessment Of Temperate Forests: Status And Protection, Jennifer Gagnon

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Global biodiversity protection requires the development of protected areas that include representative samples of different ecosystems and their associated biodiversity (Dudley 1992, Scott et al. 2001a). I compared long-term decline and protection of forests in three major biomes; boreal, temperate and tropical. I found that forests in the temperate biome are less abundant and less protected than forests in the boreal and tropical biomes. I conducted regional analyses for five continents on the degree of protection of temperate forests across naturally occurring geographic and elevational ranges. My results indicate that protected temperate forests do not represent the full geographic and …

Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of Novel Epibatidine Analogues, Ying Liu

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In an effect to develop for more selective neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor analgesics that have less toxicity and adverse side effects relative to epibatidine, three new classes of epibatidine analogues were synthesized and evaluated in vitro as potential potent selective nAChR ligands. Specifically, three analogues of epibatidine were synthesized to explore the structure-activity relationships of epibatidine relative to neuromuscular blocking activity as well as nAChRs. Both quaternary epibatidine analogues 2 and bis-epibatidine derivative 3 exhibited high binding affinity relative to nicotine. In addition, a new series of 2-(hydroxyalkylpyridyl)-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane derivatives were synthesized and evaluated as potential ligands for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. …

Tests Of Adaptive Coloration Hypotheses For Madtom (Notorus) Catfishes (Siluriformes: Ictaluridae), Amanda Stokes

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Predators select for defensive adaptations, such as stings, toxins, and camouflage color patterns. Madtoms, Noturus, are diminutive catfishes with dorsal and pectoral stings. Thirteen of the 25 nominal species have serrated spines in the pectoral sting and a contrasting pigment pattern. Behavior of two saddled species, N. miurus and N. hildebrandi, and one uniformly colored species, N. leptacanthus, was investigated to test if the pigment pattern is camouflage. Saddle spacing and crypticity of the saddled species were measured against various substrates and were found to be unevenly spaced, which could be camouflage when viewed against gravel. Given substrate choices, madtoms …

Targeted Degradation Of Trinitrotoluene Using Iron (Ii)-Cyclodextrin-Peroxide Systems, Bo Wei

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Residues of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in soil and groundwater near former production and processing plants generate large environmental concerns. A cyclodextrin (CD) mediated Fenton remediation of TNT contaminated water and sand (soil analogy) is presented. Kinetic studies were performed to elucidate the role of cyclodextrin in Fenton remediation of TNT contaminated water. The rate and extent of TNT degraded by Fe2+- CD-H2O2 systems were significantly enhanced as compared to the classic Fenton method. Further, in water system with interfering substance - humic acid, which tends to associate with TNT, the addition of cyclodextrin helped to improve the efficiency of Fenton degradation. …

Dna Microarray Data Analysis And Mining: Affymetrix Software Package And In-House Complementary Packages, Lizhe Xu

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Data management and analysis represent a major challenge for microarray studies. In this study, Affymetrix software was used to analyze an HIV-infection data. The microarray analysis shows remarkably different results when using different parameters provided by the software. This highlights the fact that a standardized analysis tool, incorporating biological information about the genes is needed in order to better interpret the microarray study. To address the data management problem, in-house programs, including scripts and a database, were designed. The in-house programs were also used to overcome problems and inconveniences discovered during the data analysis, including management of the gene lists. …

Luminescent Semiconductor Quantum Dots (Qds) And Their Nanoassemblies As Bioprobes, Yongfen Chen

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Quantum dots (QDs) CdS and CdSe were synthesized in three different media including reverse micelles, aqueous solution, and trioctylphosphine oxide/trioctylphosphine (TOPO/TOP). Transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-VIS, fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy were used to characterize the QDs and their nanoassemblies. CdS QDs synthesized in reverse micelles showed broad emission spectra. CdSe-CdS QDs with core shell structure synthesized in aqueous solution showed more than 30% emission quantum yield. CdSe-CdS QDs of different emission colors were prepared. CdSe and CdSe-ZnS QDs were also synthesized in TOPO/TOP media. This synthesis route produced highly luminescent CdSe QDs with over 50% emission quantum …

Electrospray Fundamentals And Non-Covalent Peptide-Lipid Interactions As Studied By Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Reonance Mass Spectrometry, Yan Li

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A novel electrochemical probe has been designed, built, and used to characterize the distribution in solution potential within the metal capillary and Taylor cone of the electrospray (ES) device. Results show that the measured potential difference increases as the internal probe travels toward the ES capillary exit, with values rising sharply as the base of the Taylor cone is penetrated. Higher conductivity solutions exhibit potentials of higher magnitude at longer distances away from the counter electrode, but these same solutions show lower potentials near the ES capillary exit. Removal of easily oxidizable species from the solution causes the measured potential …

The Relationship Among Psychosocial And Environmental Determinants Of Physical Activity, Physical Activity Levels, And Body Mass Index In Adolescent African American Females, Flint Mitchell

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study examined personal, social, and demographic factors related to physical activity (PA) level and body mass index (BMI) in adolescent African American (AA) females. The participants were 211 AA females from selected parochial schools in a city in the southern U.S. Participants completed the Physical Activity Determinant Scale (PADS: Mitchell & Kontos, 2002), the Three Day Physical Activity Recall (3DPAR: Weston, Petosa & Pate, 1997), the Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ: Godin & Shepard, 1985), and demographic items. Height and weight measures were taken to assess BMI. Results from logistic regression indicated that the personal factor was a significant …

Inspector Discretion And Industry Compliance In The Street-Level Implementation Of Building Codes, William Mclean

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines inspector discretion and industry compliance in the street-level implementation of building codes. In particular, this study examines the effects that agency-level, individual-level, and environmental variables have on the choice of inspectors to exercise discretion. Unique to this study is the examination of policy congruence between building departments and street-level inspectors as a predictor of industry compliance with regulatory policy. In addition, the various effects of building department enforcement philosophies, departmental capacity for enforced compliance, and environmental variables are considered. The findings indicate that regulatory policy implementation and impact are complex phenomena. There is no single, best predictor …

Developmental Pathways For Children With Disruptive Behavior Disorders, Deborah Phillips

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to incorporate attachment theory and psychopathy into a transactional model to explain the development of disruptive behavior disorders in children. The model tested in this study proposed two broad pathways leading to the development of disruptive behavior disorders. Each pathway was characterized by an atrisk child temperament, negative reactivity and psychopathy, which when embedded in an at-risk environment, would result in conduct problems. Hyperactivity and negative life events were hypothesized to be broad band risk factors for both pathways. The first pathway, characterized by callous-unemotional traits (CU), was hypothesized to be positively associated with …

Vol.31 N.42 December 18th 2003, Brown Publishing Company

Black Voice News

No abstract provided.

Sexual Risk Taking In Adolescence: The Role Of Self-Regulation And Attraction To Risk, Marcela Raffaelli, Lisa J. Crockett

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Precursors of adolescent sexual risk taking were examined in a multiethnic sample consisting of 443 children (51% girls) of National Longitudinal Survey of Youth participants. Respondents were 12–13 years old in 1994 and 16–17 in 1998. Controlling for demographic and contextual factors, self-regulation—but not risk proneness—was significantly (modestly) associated with overall sexual risk taking 4 years later, Analyses of individual sexual behaviors indicated that self-regulation may affect choices made after becoming sexually active (e.g. number of partners) rather than the initiation of sexual activity. Measures of parent and peer influence had independent effects on sexual risk taking but did not …

Is There Anything Special To Do In Morris On New Year's Eve? The Answer Is A Resounding-- Yes!!, University Relations

Campus News Archive

No abstract provided.

Clemson Commencement Program, December 2003, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of The Inverse Probability Of Treatment Weighted (Iptw) Estimator With A Naïve Estimator In The Analysis Of Longitudinal Data With Time-Dependent Confounding: A Simulation Study, Thaddeus Haight, Romain Neugebauer, Ira B. Tager, Mark J. Van Der Laan

U.C. Berkeley Division of Biostatistics Working Paper Series

A simulation study was conducted to compare estimates from a naïve estimator, using standard conditional regression, and an IPTW (Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighted) estimator, to true causal parameters for a given MSM (Marginal Structural Model). The study was extracted from a larger epidemiological study (Longitudinal Study of Effects of Physical Activity and Body Composition on Functional Limitation in the Elderly, by Tager et. al [accepted, Epidemiology, September 2003]), which examined the causal effects of physical activity and body composition on functional limitation. The simulation emulated the larger study in terms of the exposure and outcome variables of interest-- physical …

Research News: 2003, No. 4, University Of Mississippi. School Of Pharmacy

Research News: Grants and Publications (2000-2014)

Grants, publications, technology transfer, special announcements

Mccurdy V. Dodd

2003 Decisions

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Seasonal Variation And Ecosystem Dependence Of Emission Factors For Selected Trace Gases And Pm2.5 For Southern African Savanna Fires, S. Korontzi, Darold E. Ward, Ronald A. Susott, Robert J. Yokelson, C. O. Justice, Peter V. Hobbs, E.A. H. Smithwick, Wei Min Hao

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

[1] In this paper we present the first early dry season (early June-early August) emission factor measurements for carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH₄), nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC), and particulates with a diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM_2.5) for southern African grassland and woodland fires. Seasonal emission factors for grassland fires correlate linearly with the proportion of green grass, used as a surrogate for the fuel moisture content, and are higher for products of incomplete combustion in the early part of the dry season compared with later in the dry season. Models of …

Comparison Of Blood Parameters Associated With Exercise And The Total Antioxidant Power In Sled Dogs Supplemented With Blueberries, Kriya L. Dunlap

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Oxidative damage from free radicals plays an important role in several diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and heart disease. Research indicates that exercise may contribute to oxidative stress. Fruits, such as blueberries, are good antioxidants because they contain phenolics that preferentially react with free radicals. Maintaining antioxidant levels by supplementing the diet with blueberries may prevent exercise-induced oxidative damage. Additionally, oxidative damage from exercise can temporarily suppress the immune system. The goal of our study was to compare antioxidant levels in sled dogs supplemented with blueberries. Total antioxidant power (TAP), haptoglobin, isoprostane and other blood parameters were measured in …

Camden City Environmental Center Site Based Curriculum And Teacher Activity Guide, Wanda D. Little

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this curriculum and teacher activity guide is to provide Camden City School District's Environmental Center Program with a curriculum for kindergarten through fourth grade students. The curriculum provides students with site-based lessons and activities that are aligned and correlated with New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Science, and the Excellence in Environmental Education Guidelines For Learning (K - 12). The Site-Based Curriculum and Teacher Activity Guide, upon approval by the Camden City School District Board of Education, will provide students with guided discovery experiences that introduce new ideas, dispel misconceptions and reinforce previous learning.

The scope …

Water Quality From Rainwater Catchments Throughout Alaska: Looking At Contaminants In Catchment Materials, Corianne Irene Hart

Engineering

A field study which focused on linking materials used in rainwater catchments to the quality of water they produce was conducted throughout Alaska in the summer of 2003. The importance of this project stems from the fact that many families throughout Alaska depend on rainwater catchment systems to provide water for washing, cleaning, cooking and/or drinking purposes. After a core group of participants were identified, samples were periodically collected from participants' water taps and were analyzed for a suite of contaminants that included metals (e.g., Pb and Zn), organics (e.g., volatile organic compounds) and bacteria. Based on variables, such as …

A Place For The Birds: The Legacy Of Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, Jessica A. Ryan

Arctic and Northern Studies

This thesis details the farming history and current importance of the Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge in Fairbanks, Alaska. More significantly, it is the story of a grassroots effort by the community of Fairbanks, working with a kindly old farmer, to preserve open land in the heart of a rapidly expanding city for the benefit of the thousands of migrating cranes, geese and ducks that rely upon the grain fields each spring and fall. Because of their vision, Creamer's Field has become a center for environmental education, outdoor recreation, and biological research while actively providing for the needs of wildlife.

Chemical And Mass Spectral Studies Of 2,2-Dialkylglycine Decarboxylase, Julie Ann La Rocca-Brigham

Chemistry and Biochemistry

2,2-Dialkylglycine Decarboxylase, DGD, is a decarboxylating transaminase that is dependent on a vitamin B6 cofactor, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP). DGD catalyzes the decomposition of 2-methylalanine in two steps. DGD was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and ion-exchange chromatography. The enzyme was reduced to form a covalent bond between the enzyme and the PLP. Also, [alpha]-(Trifluoromethyl) Alanine, a suicide mechanism based inhibitor was reacted with DGD until the enzyme was completely inactivated. The nonmodified DGD and these two modified forms of the enzyme were subjected to enzymatic digestion by trypsin. Finally, all three peptide mixtures were analyzed by LC/MS/MS. The mass spectra …

Timing Of Breeding And Reproductive Success In A Subarctic Population Of Yellow Warblers (Dendroica Petechia), Kristine Marie Sowl

Biological Sciences

Detailed knowledge of reproductive rates is necessary for understanding population dynamics, but this information is lacking for many populations of migratory songbirds. I examined breeding chronology and reproductive success of Yellow Warblers (Dendroica petechia) breeding in east central Alaska in 1997-2000. Yellow Warblers nested in both spruce forest and willow shrub habitats, but breeding density and nest success were greater in shrub habitat. Annual productivity was influenced by the number of breeding attempts per female, clutch size, success of individual eggs or nestlings, and nest success. Mean clutch size was larger than in lower latitude populations and decreased seasonally. The …

The Role Of Mammalian Herbivores In Primary Succession On The Tanana River Floodplain, Interior Alaska, Lemuel Gordon Butler

Biological Sciences

I compared willow (Salix) communities along the Tanana River exposed to varying levels of herbivory to examine how herbivory influences the landscape distribution of vegetation. Moose (Alces alces) and snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) herbivory decreased plant biomass and canopy height and increased the proportion of dead stems in willow communities. Herbivory also shifted the age distribution of plants in willow communities towards younger age classes, and also decreased the number of communities dominated by willow on the landscape. A frame-based simulation model was built to incorporate the effects of herbivory and river fluvial dynamics on plant succession. My results show …

Cultural Activity And Market Enterprise: A Circumpolar Comparison Of Reindeer Herding Communities At The End Of The 20th Century, Michael Stephen Koskey

Anthropology

Reindeer herding throughout the circumpolar North is in decline. Investigating this decline, this dissertation takes a comparative approach with a focus on four case studies: the Chukchi of Chukotskii Peninsula, the Iñupiat of the Seward Peninsula, the Saami of the Kola Peninsula, and the Saami of Finnmark. Because various rates and types of decline are occurring in these different cases, a comparative method leads to a systematic analysis of how patterns develop in the practice of contemporary reindeer herding, both locally and globally. Comparing and contrasting the trajectories of declines in reindeer herding identifies and explains the dimensions of specific …

Stock Structure And Environmental Effects On Year Class Formation And Population Trends Of Pacific Herring, Clupea Pallasi, In Prince William Sound, Alaska, Evelyn D. Brown

Fisheries

Fluctuating forage fish populations trigger large ecosystem responses in the North Pacific. A representative species, Pacific herring, Clupea pallasi, was chosen to model environmental effects on population fluctuations and recruitment with a case example in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska. A unique approach was used to 1) develop a spatially-explicit, life history-based conceptual stock model, 2) quantify population level effects of climatic trends, and 3) model key environmental factors affecting recruitment. Framed as a simulation model, the stock model was compartmentalized by life-history stages based on shared habitats and environmental forcing. Initial model conditions impacting year-class formation were adult size-at-age, …

Movement And Habitat Utilization By Golden King Crab Lithodes Aequispinus Benedict 1895 In Southeastern Alaska, Zachary N. Hoyt

Fisheries

Movements and habitat use of golden king crabs (GKC), Lithodes aequispinus, were investigated with a manned submersible and ultrasonic telemetry in Frederick Sound, Alaska. Crabs were collected with commercial crab pots and ultrasonic transmitters were attached to the carapaces of 26 crabs; movements and depth distribution of male and female crabs were monitored bi- monthly from May 11, 2000 to April 12, 2001. Crabs preferred steep, complex habitat with hard substrate; few were on flat, soft substrate. Male and female GKC were not segregated by depth in mid-May. Seventeen pairs of courting crabs were observed during dives; 14 of these …