Digital Commons Network^™

Herbivore Movement And Spatial Population Dynamics In A Heterogeneous Landscape, Kyle Jonathan Haynes

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

To date, few metapopulation studies have isolated the effects of the intervening matrix from other attributes of landscape structure (e.g., patch geography or quality) that might influence dispersal among patches. Furthermore, there has been little exploration of the mechanisms underlying effects of the matrix on the spatial ecology of species. In this dissertation, I examine how the movement and distribution of the planthopper Prokelisia crocea within and among host-plant patches (prairie cordgrass, Spartina pectinata) is affected by the composition of the matrix (the invasive grass smooth brome [Bromus inermis], native non-host grasses, or mudflat). First, using a mark-recapture study in …

Biology And Host Finding Of Predaceous Hister Beetles (Coleoptera: Histeridae) Associated With Ips Spp. (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) In Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda L.), William Pinson Shepherd

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The most common predaceous Histeridae (Coleoptera) found associated with Ips engraver beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in Louisiana were Platysoma attenuata LeConte, Pla. cylindrica (Paykull), Pla. parallelum (Say), and Plegaderus transversus (Say). Seasonal abundance of histerids in flight traps coincided with Ips spp. activity in the area. Histerid adults arrived at loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) logs one wk after Ips attacks had begun. As a group, histerids exhibited a bimodal emergence pattern with the first peak occurring during Ips emergence and a second four wks later, indicating that they fed on bark beetles and associated organisms arriving later in the colonization …

Interactions Of Insect Herbivory And Multiple Abiotic Stress Agents On Two Wetland Tree Species In Southeast Louisiana Swamps, Rebecca Faye Souther-Effler

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Forested wetlands in Louisiana are hydrologically isolated from the Mississippi River, impounded by manmade structures, impacted by saltwater intrusion, and are sinking, resulting in more frequent flooding for longer periods. Additionally, defoliation of the two dominant trees, baldcypress (Taxodium distichum L. Rich) and water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica L.), occur frequently during spring. In Louisiana, the baldcypress leafroller, BCLR, (Archips goyerana Kruse) and the forest tent caterpillar, FTC, (Malacosoma disstria Hubner) defoliate up to 120,000ha of baldcypress-tupelo swamps. Restoration plans call for reintroducing Mississippi River water (diversions) to increase sediment elevation, promote natural regeneration, and enhance primary and secondary productivity. In …

Pan African Narratives: Sites Of Resistance In The Black Diaspora, Anita Louise Harris

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Africa as a point of reference for Africans dispersed from her shores and their descendants in the Diaspora has perpetuated discourse of longing and ambivalence. For centuries these various sentiments have emerged in Black literary expressions. The quest of this study is to advance Black narrative tradition by proposing a theoretical framework informed by these constructs and predicaments to establish a genre of literature referred to here as Pan African narratives. This work looks at Black response to the dilemma of dispersal and dislocation in the Diaspora from the nineteenth to the twentieth century. More specifically, it examines the emergence …

Transfer Functions Of Streptomyces Plasmid Pij101: Insights Into A Novel Bacterial Conjugation System, Matthew John Ducote

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

For Streptomyces plasmid pIJ101 to mediate DNA transfer, only the clt locus and the Tra protein are required, though three non-essential spread functions increase the radial distance of plasmid dissemination among recipients after the initial lateral transfer event. clt is a contiguous 54-bp sequence within an intrinsically curved plasmid region that contains inverted and direct repeats; biochemical and genetic methods described here indicate that single-stranded cleavage reminiscent of most conjugative plasmids does not occur at clt. clt therefore likely promotes plasmid transfer by interacting with the pIJ101 Tra protein or host-encoded factors in a transient, novel DNA-processing event or by …

New Insights Into The Binding Site Formation And The Performance Of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers, Hyunjung Kim

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are finding important applications in the field of separation science, catalysis, sensor, and immunoassays. To optimize the performance of the MIPs, it is essential to understand the underlying mechanism of the process. This research focuses on understanding binding site formation and performance, and improvement of the MIPs. Chapter 1 introduces the concept of the MIPs, and binding isotherm and affinity distribution of heterogeneous binding sites in the MIPs. Chapter 2 describes fundamental studies conducted to understand the binding site formation of the MIPs. The number of binding sites (N) and the number average association constant (Kn) …

The Influence Of Ethnic Embeddedness On The Gender Role Attitudes And Division Of Household Labor Of Married Hispanic Women, Susana Guerra

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this study I examine the effects of both network structure and network function on the gender role attitudes and division of household labor among Hispanic women. Using a representative sub-sample drawn from the first wave of the National Study of Families and Households, I determine to what extent network processes help explain the gender role attitudes and behaviors of Hispanic women. Specifically, I focus on how embeddedness within a Hispanic community, as well as a woman’s level of social support exchange with kin and non-kin help explain her current gender role attitudes and household labor allocation. I found that …

Assessment Of Instructional Methodologies And Student Information Processing Styles In A Terrorism Preparedness Course, William James Mccarthy

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The focus of the research was the evaluation of two instructional methodologies for teaching terrorism preparedness at several universities in Louisiana. Participants were taught a curriculum for an audience who may work at a potential terrorist target. The purpose of the research was to determine if processing styles based instruction improved learning. The objectives of the study were to: 1) Describe participant demographics: a) age, b) gender, c) credit hours, d) field of study; and e) preferred Strategic Information Processing Style (SIPS); 2) Determine if changes occur in knowledge of terrorism preparedness as measured by the Terrorism Awareness test; 3) …

Being Otherworldly In The World: Michael Oakeshott On Religion, Aesthetics And Politics, Elizabeth Campbell Corey

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is a study of the thought of Michael Oakeshott with particular emphasis on his writings about the character of religion and aesthetics. The dissertation as a whole makes the case that a certain moral vision-one informed by religious and aesthetic considerations-lies at the center of Oakeshott's thought and informs his political philosophy. The dissertation begins as an examination of Oakeshott's debts to St. Augustine and to British Idealist thinkers such as F. H. Bradley, and moves to a study of Oakeshott's own views on religion and aesthetics. It turns next to a consideration of Oakeshott's two essays entitled …

Tissue Culture And Transformation Of Introducing Genes Useful For Pest Management In Rice, Shuli Zhang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sheath blight (SB), caused by Rhizoctonia solani K¨¹hn, is a major rice disease internationally and in the southern rice area of the Unites States, including Louisiana. Breeders have incorporated partial resistance into commercial rice varieties to control the disease, but a higher level of resistance is needed. It has been demonstrated that the pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins ¦Â-1, 3-glucanase and chitinase are components of effective defense mechanisms for protecting plants against fungal pathogens. This research was conducted to co-transform the ¦Â-1, 3-glucanase, chitinase and bar genes into the rice variety Taipei 309 using the hpt gene for resistance to hygromycin B …

Analytical Separations Using Packed And Open-Tubular Capillary Electrochromatography, Constantina P. Kapnissi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of the research reported in this dissertation is to develop packed and open-tubular capillary electrochromatographic methods for improved achiral and chiral separations of various classes of analytes. The first part of this research involves the separation of seven benzodiazepines by the use of the packed mode of capillary electrochromatography (CEC) and a 40 cm packed bed of Reliasil 3 μm C₁₈ stationary phase. Optimal conditions were established by varying the mobile phase, the amount of organic modifier, the buffer concentration, the applied voltage, and the column temperature. The second part of this research focuses on the open-tubular …

Somatic Cell Interspecies Nuclear Transfer, Marina Julia Sansinena

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The low efficiency of the nuclear transfer (NT) procedure requires large number of oocytes to produce embryos and live offspring. A series of experiments were conducted to evaluate the ability of the bovine cytoplast to reprogram nuclei from horses and llamas. In a preliminary study, equine oocytes from small (<20mm diameter) follicles were either pretreated with roscovitine or placed in maturation (IVM only) prior to NT. Roscovitine pretreatment did not improve nuclear maturation rates (roscovitine pretreatment 57% vs. IVM only 66%) and no fusion was obtained from roscovitine-pretreated oocytes after NT. Another preliminary study was conducted with the objective to produce llama NT embryos and to compare their development in two in vitro culture conditions (G1.2® vs. CR1aa). No difference was found in the number of embryos cleaved after 2 d of culture. This resulted in the first scientific report of somatic cell NT, in vitro culture and transfer of NT embryos in the llama. In the next experiment, adult horse and llama fibroblasts were injected into enucleated cow oocytes. The results showed the cow cytoplasm is capable of partially reprogramming nuclei from other species and support mitotic divisions. However, this study also showed a consistent embryonic developmental arrest at the 8- to 16- cell stage when horse or llama donor cells were used as donor nuclei. When a more closely related species of donor cell (banteng) and recipient oocyte (domestic cattle) were used for NT, no embryonic developmental arrest was found. Embryos progressed to achieve high blastocyst rates (banteng male cell line 28% vs. banteng female cell line 15%). Two banteng interspecies NT pregnancies were established and subsequently lost from the banteng male cell line. In the final study, the effect of a mixed mitochondrial population (heteroplasmy) on early embryonic development was investigated. Ooplasmic transfer performed in combination with NT procedure indicated presence of foreign mitochondria clustered in a small portion of the cytoplasm in early stages of embryo development. When goat ooplasm was transferred into interspecies (cow oocyte-goat donor cell) NT embryos, fusion and cleave rates were reduced suggesting an increased level of heteroplasmy or nuclear-ooplasmic incompatibilities.

Geography, Coloration And Speciation In A Genus Of Neotropical Reef Fishes (Gobiidae: Elacatinus), Michael S. Taylor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Studies of speciation in the marine environment have historically compared broad-scale distributions and presumed larval dispersal to infer the geographic barriers responsible for allopatric speciation. However, many marine clades show high species diversity in geographically restricted areas where barriers are not obvious and larval dispersal should bring sister taxa into contact. Genetic differentiation at spatial scales <1000 km could facilitate speciation by mechanisms other than the gradual accumulation of reproductive isolation during extended allopatry, such as ecological adaptation to local environmental conditions or the rapid evolution of genes tied to mate recognition. The role of each of these possibilities has not been simultaneously explored for any species-rich marine taxon. The most species-rich genus of Neotropical reef fishes is Elacatinus (Gobiidae), with 27 species. I examine potential mechanisms underlying this richness through analyses of three genetic markers to investigate genetic and ecological differentiation between closely related taxa and among island populations. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that sister taxa of Elacatinus occur within the same oceans but occupy geographically separate ranges. Sister taxa usually differ by coloration, and distantly related sympatric species frequently differ by habitat. These differences suggest that some combination of coloration and ecological differences may facilitate assortative mating in sympatry or at range boundaries. The ranges of several Elacatinus taxa adjoin at Mona Passage and in the central Bahamas, both in the Caribbean Sea. These boundaries separate island populations by as few as 23 km, yet these populations are genetically distinct. Populations not separated by these breaks also show strong genetic structuring. Coalescent analyses suggest these populations have been demographically closed for up to 800,000 years. Such strong genetic structuring suggests that pelagic larvae are retained at natal populations, despite a three week larval duration (determined from otolith growth rings). My results suggest that local retention of pelagic larvae, coupled with biogeographic breaks, has generated or maintained strong genetic population structure which may facilitate adaptation to local ecological conditions. Such adaptations may explain observed divergence along ecological and coloration gradients. Repeated radiations among allopatrically distributed sister taxa may explain much of the high diversity in Elacatinus.

Behavior Analysis In Child Welfare: A Preliminary Program Evaluation, Carole Marie Van Camp

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Behavior Analysis Services Program provides behavioral services, in the form of parenting classes and individualized assessments and treatments, to children and caregivers receiving child welfare services throughout the state of Florida. The program has many goals, including decreasing placement disruptions and increasing parenting skills. This study was a preliminary evaluation of the program that is now in its fourth year. First, characteristics of both foster children and foster parents that were associated with differential levels of placement disruptions were identified. Results identified several characteristics (i.e., being of a certain age, or having been in care for a certain amount …

Modeling The Effects Of Rainfall Intensity And Deep Chiseling On Infiltration And Runoff Within Drainmod For Alluvial Soils, Daniel Nyabiba Moriasi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Accurate hydrologic models are needed to aid engineers and researchers design, install and evaluate efficient and cost-effective agricultural water management systems to reduce risks associated with food production, and to reduce soil erosion and water pollution. One model used for the alluvial soils of Louisiana is DRAINMOD. This model does not accurately predict infiltration and runoff for the crusting-prone alluvial soils of Louisiana. The main goal of this study was to modify the current DRAINMOD model to incorporate the effects of rainfall intensity and deep chiseling to improve its estimation of infiltration and surface runoff. The second goal was to …

Against Biopoetics: On The Use And Misuse Of The Concept Of Evolution In Contemporary Literary Theory, Bradley Bankston

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is a critical assessment of "biopoetics:" a new literary theory that attempts to import ideas from evolutionary science to the study of literature. Borrowing from the field of evolutionary psychology, the biopoeticists argue that some literary forms and themes are particularly valuable because they result from our innate and evolved cognitive structure; they also attempt to create a normative aesthetic from the idea that evolution is progressive. In its first half, this study examines the claims of evolutionary psychology and their application by the biopoeticists; in the second half, it examines the idea that evolution is progressive, and …

Fun With Dick And Jane And Lawrence: A Primer On Education Privacy As Constitutional Liberty, Susan P. Stuart

Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

In Search Of Themis: Toward The Meaning Of The Ideal Legislator--Senator Edmund S. Muskie And The Early Development Of Modern American Environmental Law, 1965-1968, Robert F. Blomquist

Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Computational Protein Biomarker Prediction: A Case Study For Prostate Cancer, Michael Wagner, Dayanand N. Naik, Alex Pothen, Srinivas Kasukurti, Raghu Ram Devineni, Bao-Ling Adam, O. John Semmes, George L. Wright Jr.

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Background: Recent technological advances in mass spectrometry pose challenges in computational mathematics and statistics to process the mass spectral data into predictive models with clinical and biological significance. We discuss several classification-based approaches to finding protein biomarker candidates using protein profiles obtained via mass spectrometry, and we assess their statistical significance. Our overall goal is to implicate peaks that have a high likelihood of being biologically linked to a given disease state, and thus to narrow the search for biomarker candidates.

Results: Thorough cross-validation studies and randomization tests are performed on a prostate cancer dataset with over 300 patients, obtained …

Phytoplankton Composition Within The Tidal Freshwater-Oligohaline Regions Of The Rappahannock And Pamunkey Rivers In Virginia, Harold G. Marshall, Lubomira Burchardt

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The Rappahannock River is a major river system across north central Virginia prior to entering the Chesapeake Bay. In contrast, the Pamunkey River is smaller in size and joins the Mattoponi River to form the York River, which flows parallel to the Rappahannock before it also flows into Chesapeake Bay. A unique mixing area for both flora and environmental conditions exists in the tidal freshwater-oligohaline region of both rivers. This is a dynamic mixing section where freshwater and estuarine species are subject to the interaction of river flow and daily tidal rhythms. The phytoplankton composition in this region of the …

Virulence Factors Of The Group A Streptococci And Genes That Regulate Their Expression, Wayne Hines

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Group A streptococci produce a wide variety of extracellular (cell-associated and released) virulence factors. The function of these factors varies and includes roles in adhesion, spreading, tissue destruction, immune system evasion, and cell toxicity. How these factors are regulated with regard to one another is important for this organism's ability to bring about the variety of diseases this microbe is capable of causing. Therefore, along with the multitude of virulence factors, there are a number of regulatory systems that regulate, either directly or indirectly, the production of these factors and therefore influence the pathogenesis of group A streptococcal infections.

"Two Guns, A Girl And A Playstation™": Gender In The Tomb Raider Series, Marc A. Ouellette

English Faculty Publications

This article considers the combination of game play and narrative which combine to produce cross-gender identifications in video games, a previously underexamined potential for the production of alternate genders, one which calls into question the stability of gender, particularly masculinity, as a construct.

Dissecting The Loci Of Low-Level Quinine Resistance In Malaria Parasites, Michael T. Ferdig, Roland A. Cooper, Jianbing Mu, Bingbing Deng, Deirdre A. Joy, Xin-Zhuan Su, Thomas E. Wellems

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Quinine (QN) remains effective against Plasmodium falciparum, but its decreasing efficacy is documented from different continents. Multiple genes are likely to contribute to the evolution of QN resistance. To locate genes contributing to QN response variation, we have searched a P. falciparum genetic cross for quantitative trait loci (QTL). Results identify additive QTL in segments of chromosomes (Chrs) 13, 7 and 5, and pairwise effects from two additional loci of Chrs 9 and 6 that interact, respectively, with the QTL of Chrs 13 and 7. The mapped segments of Chrs 7 and 5 contain pfcrt, the determinant of …

Perception About Family Physicians: Results Of A Survey Of Patients Visiting Specialist Clinics For Treatment, S. A. Huda, Z. A. A. Samani, Waris Qidwai

Department of Family Medicine

Objective: To study the perceptions about Family Medicine among patients visiting Specialist Physicians for treatment.
Methods: A questionnaire based survey was conducted at the Specialist Clinic, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, in June 2004. Trained volunteers administered the questionnaire among patients visiting Specialist Physicians for treatment. Confidentiality was ensured to all patients and written informed consent was taken as part of the ethical requirements for the conduct of the study. SPSS computer software and Microsoft Excel were used for data management.
Results: A total of 100 patients visiting the Specialist Clinic were interviewed, of which fifty four …

Studies On The History Of Botany In Turkey, K. Hüsnü Can Başer

Turkish Journal of Botany

No abstract provided.

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Botany

No abstract provided.

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Botany

No abstract provided.

Formative Study Of Aggression Prevention And Reduction In Junior Primary School: Final Report Presented To The Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation: Book 1 Of 2, Donna Cross, Greg Hamilton, Clare Roberts, Margaret Hall

Research outputs pre 2011

This one year formative study aimed to conduct a feasibility trial of current evidencebased practice to reduce and prevent aggression among junior primary school age children. The project comprised three stages: assessing the types of direct and indirect aggression among junior primary school students and the current practices of teachers and schools to address this behaviour and linking successful current practices to evidence-based research to inform the development of a classroom teaching and behaviour management intervention.

Aggression is broadly defined as negative acts which are used intentionally to harm others, and may be classified as proactive, reactive or instrumental aggression. …

Environmental Issues In Western Australia, Harry Recher (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Sawtooths To Selkirks| Connecting The Wild In Idaho, Montana, And British Columbia, Joshua W. Burnim

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.