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2005

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Semantic Classification Of Rural And Urban Images Using Learning Vector Quantization, Prakash Thulasiraman Jan 2005

Semantic Classification Of Rural And Urban Images Using Learning Vector Quantization, Prakash Thulasiraman

LSU Master's Theses

One of the major hurdles in semantic image classification is that only low-level features can be reliably extracted from images as opposed to higher level features (objects present in the scene and their inter-relationships). The main challenge lies in grouping images into semantically meaningful categories based on the available low-level visual features of the images. It is important that we have a classification method that will handle a complex image dataset with not so well defined boundaries between clusters. Learning Vector Quantization (LVQ) neural networks offer a great deal of robustness in clustering complex datasets. This study presents a semantic …

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Effects Of Magnetic Field On Micro Flames, Sumathi Swaminathan Jan 2005

Effects Of Magnetic Field On Micro Flames, Sumathi Swaminathan

LSU Master's Theses

The effect of a gradient magnetic field on a diffusion micro flame i.e. C3H8/air flame has been systematically studied to comprehend their interaction. A non-uniform magnetic field was produced in the air gap of an electromagnet and the C3H8/air flame corresponding to various flow velocities was subjected to the non-uniform field. The influence of the operating conditions on the fundamental characteristics of the diffusion flame, such as the flame structure, temperature distribution and the morphology of the soot produced in these flames have been thoroughly investigated. The flame structure and its luminosity were found to be influenced and the flame …

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Environmental Benefits Realized From Eradication Of The Non-Indigenous Insect Anthonomus Grandis Boheman, The Cotton Boll Weevil, Marc Stephen Bordelon Jan 2005

Environmental Benefits Realized From Eradication Of The Non-Indigenous Insect Anthonomus Grandis Boheman, The Cotton Boll Weevil, Marc Stephen Bordelon

LSU Master's Theses

At least one third of the insecticide used in agriculture has been used to control the boll weevil in cotton. Historically, these insecticides have been toxic to humans and harsh on the environment. In addition, the intensive use of chemical insecticides to control the boll weevil results in the disruption of naturally occurring biological control factors that regulate other insect pest populations causing a chain reaction of secondary pest populations that require treatment followed by resurgence and repeat treatment. This situation has resulted in the development of resistance to insecticides, high control costs and unacceptable levels of chemical insecticide contamination …

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Influences On The Establishment Of County Wildfire Risk Mitigation: The Case Of California's Fire Safe Councils, Timothy Richard Soileau Jan 2005

Influences On The Establishment Of County Wildfire Risk Mitigation: The Case Of California's Fire Safe Councils, Timothy Richard Soileau

LSU Master's Theses

In response to increased annual wildfire destruction and insufficient wildfire mitigation approaches from the federal government, the state of California adopted Public Resources Code Sections 4290 and 4291 in the year 1991. These laws force the removal of fire-causing agents from public and private areas, and establish what is known as defensible space. Defensible space is defined in Section 4291 as the area within the perimeter of a parcel, development, neighborhood, or community where basic wildland fire protection practices and measures are implemented, providing the key point of defense from an approaching wildfire or escaping structure fire. One method to …

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Purification And Structural Characterization Of Caged Dna Oligonucleotides, Brendan Michael Mcadams Jan 2005

Purification And Structural Characterization Of Caged Dna Oligonucleotides, Brendan Michael Mcadams

LSU Master's Theses

“Cage” molecules reversibly block the bioactivity of a target substrate molecule by a photolyzable covalent bond formed at a functional site of the target molecule. The attachment of cage molecules to DNA oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) to transiently block bioactivity, and site-specific restoration of bioactivity using targeted light exposure, would enable a new method of control for use in gene therapy, molecular/DNA computing, molecular biology, and drug delivery. The reaction of the cage molecule 1-(4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrophenyl)diazoethane (DMNPE) with DNA ODNs in an batch reaction yields a mixture of products with varying degrees of caging. Purification and verification of the hypothesized site of DMNPE …

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Visualization Based On Interactive Clipping: Application To Confocal Data, Gaurav Khanduja Jan 2005

Visualization Based On Interactive Clipping: Application To Confocal Data, Gaurav Khanduja

LSU Master's Theses

We have explored how clipping can be exploited in an interactive manner to visualize massive three-dimensional datasets. In essence, the proposed interactive clipping approach involves the dynamic adjustment of the clipping plane to expose any cross-section of the volume data and subsequent adjustment of the clipped surface to the best view position using a combination of rotation and translation. The thesis describes the design, implementation and application of our interactive-clipping-based visualization system. The implementation is done with OpenGL and C++, thus resulting in a highly portable and flexible system. For illustration, two types of scientific datasets, confocal data of a …

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Quiet Revolutions: Neighborhood Urban Forestry Programs, Ann Mccoy Allen Jan 2005

Quiet Revolutions: Neighborhood Urban Forestry Programs, Ann Mccoy Allen

LSU Master's Theses

This study seeks to identify the key components that would enable neighborhoods to become responsible for the trees under which they dwell-their urban forest. Guidelines will be established for neighborhoods to use to compose a plan that allows them to create and sustain the tree population specific to their needs and desires. To develop these guidelines, this study is divided into two parts. The first section examines urban forestry. This review revealed several issues pertinent to urban forestry: (1) The urban forest is crucial to the health and beauty of the city and is directly linked to the well-being of …

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Photobiological And Thermal Effects Of Uva Light On Cell Culture, Julianne Forman Jan 2005

Photobiological And Thermal Effects Of Uva Light On Cell Culture, Julianne Forman

LSU Master's Theses

The objective of this study is to characterize the photobiological and thermal effects of UVA light on cell cultures. While near-ultraviolet light has been widely used to photoactivate fluorophores and caged compounds in cells, little is known of the long-term biological effects of this light. UVA (320-400nm) photoactivating light has been used for studying fast kinetic processes and is now being employed in higher doses to target longer duration phenomena (e.g. gene expression and silencing). Photoexposure experiments using 365nm light will examine how longer duration and increased UV doses affect photoactivation cell studies. Apoptotic and cellular injury assays have been …

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The Chemistry Of My Affections, David Scott Smith Jan 2005

The Chemistry Of My Affections, David Scott Smith

LSU Master's Theses

Although I have always been interested in the origins of my thought processes and the methods and compulsions that motivate my work, in past work I have avoided self portraiture, or blatant explorations into my own sense of self. With my thesis project I wanted to conduct an express exploration into the psychology of my motivations. My initial goal was to create an environment, a sense of place, where both the viewer and myself are drawn into the work, and confronted with a unique experience of personal expression. The focal point is a bath enclosed within a grotto, which symbolizes …

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Food Security Status, Nutrient Intake At The Beginning And End Of The Monthly Resource Cycle, And Body Mass Index In Female Food Stamp Recipients, Caroline C. Burke Jan 2005

Food Security Status, Nutrient Intake At The Beginning And End Of The Monthly Resource Cycle, And Body Mass Index In Female Food Stamp Recipients, Caroline C. Burke

LSU Master's Theses

Diets are typically poorer and risk of chronic disease (e.g. obesity) is greatest in low-income populations. Food security status, nutrient intake, and Body Mass Index were assessed in 64 female food stamp recipients in Southeast Louisiana. One 24-hour dietary recall was collected at the beginning of the month (Day 1) and one at the end of the month (Day 2). Food security status was: 29 food secure (FS), 26 food insecure (FIS), and nine food insecure with hunger (FISH). Sixty-two % (n=39) of our study participants were obese. Mean % energy from protein (p=0.03); total fat (p=0.029), % saturated fatty …

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Sediment Tmdl Calculations For Amite River, Pradeep Kumar Mishra Jan 2005

Sediment Tmdl Calculations For Amite River, Pradeep Kumar Mishra

LSU Master's Theses

The Amite River is recognized as one of the 15 water bodies impaired by sediments in Louisiana. A sediment TMDL calculation for the Amite River is required by the EPA. Based on EPA’s Protocol sediment TMDL calculations for the Upper Amite River are conducted in this thesis. The sediment TMDL calculations are composed of four parts: (1) Development of a new sediment transport and dispersion model for the Amite River, (2) Estimation of sediment loads (sources) produced by watershed erosion, (3) Flow computation, and (4) Determination of sediment TMDL for the Amite River. Using the mass conservation principle and Reynolds …

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Detection And Evaluation Of Temperature Effects On Cell Proliferation In Somatic Tissues Of The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, By Flow Cytometry, Fernando Jimenez Jan 2005

Detection And Evaluation Of Temperature Effects On Cell Proliferation In Somatic Tissues Of The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, By Flow Cytometry, Fernando Jimenez

LSU Master's Theses

The goal of this thesis was to evaluate temperature effects on cell proliferation of eastern oyster somatic tissues for the development of an oyster cell line. Understanding the in vivo cell proliferation of an organism is essential for the development of cell culture. Cell proliferation can be measured by identifying nuclear cellular proteins involved in growth regulation and cellular transformation. The primary objectives of this study were to: 1) develop an assay to evaluate cell proliferation, 2) develop an assay to analyze nuclear RNA content, and 3) evaluate temperature effects on cell proliferation in somatic tissues. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen …

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The Yes Men And Activism In The Information Age, Lani Boyd Jan 2005

The Yes Men And Activism In The Information Age, Lani Boyd

LSU Master's Theses

Western history is filled with pranks and trickery intent on enlightening audiences by blending fiction with reality. The Yes Men, an Internet-based activist group, did just that, forging new ground and establishing themselves as political pranksters in a media-dominant global society. With an arsenal of parody, satire, interventions, and tactical obfuscation, the Yes Men attack those who they feel abuse their positions of power. They have impersonated public persons and infamous entities, including President George W. Bush, the World Trade Organization, and Dow Chemical. Their mimicry is so convincing that the audience cannot decipher between satire and the real thing. …

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Full Circle, Elizabeth Cowhig Jan 2005

Full Circle, Elizabeth Cowhig

LSU Master's Theses

My paintings are a result of a mainly intuitive process that evolves out of the combination of shape, color, and texture and originates from personal ideologies involving health phobias and religious beliefs. The imagery in the paintings is of biological origin, cells that fill up with matter, dense spheres that recall cancerous build up, the compositions and colors are inspired by Italian Renaissance paintings. The tangible is inserted into the realm of the ethereal.

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Adoption In New Orleans: What Agencies Are Doing To Promote It, Emily Barbara Rivers Jan 2005

Adoption In New Orleans: What Agencies Are Doing To Promote It, Emily Barbara Rivers

LSU Master's Theses

Unplanned and unwanted pregnancies are a national concern in the United States. In addition, many people exist who would like to become parents, but cannot or do not reproduce biologically. While adoption could offer a solution to this problem, the actual number of adoptions that take place is very small. This study examined what adoption agencies in the New Orleans area are doing to promote themselves to women with unwanted pregnancies. In-depth interviews were conducted with five adoption agencies. Three of the five agencies reported using various methods of targeting women with unwanted pregnancies. These methods included public posters, flyers …

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Energy Aware Topology Control Protocols For Wireless Sensor Networks, Shilpa Dhar Jan 2005

Energy Aware Topology Control Protocols For Wireless Sensor Networks, Shilpa Dhar

LSU Master's Theses

Wireless Sensor Network has emerged as an important technology of the future due to its potential for application across a wide array of domains. The collaborative power of numerous autonomousremote sensing nodes self configured into a multi hop network permits in-depth accurate observation of any physical phenomenon. A stringent set of computational and resource constraints make the design and implementation of sensor networks an arduous task. The issue of optimizing the limited and often non-renewable energy of sensor nodes due to its direct impact on network lifetime dominates every aspect of wireless sensor networks. Existing techniques for optimizing energy consumption …

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The 17 Kda Protein In Photosystem Ii, Purification And Interaction With The Photosystem, Glen Meades Jan 2005

The 17 Kda Protein In Photosystem Ii, Purification And Interaction With The Photosystem, Glen Meades

LSU Master's Theses

The structural association of the spinach 17 kDa protein of photosystem II with other extrinsic and membrane-bound components of the photosystem was investigated by labeling the 17 kDa protein with the amino group-specific reagent N-hydrosuccinimidobiotin both on intact photosystem II membranes and free in solution. Following isolation of the biotinylated molecules, the modified 17 kDa protein was allowed to rebind at various molar ratios to photosystem II membranes lacking the 17 kDa protein. Differential binding of the biotinylated proteins compared to unmodified 17 kDa protein indicates steric or ionic interference due to added biotin moieties, impeding physical contact or shielding …

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Evaluation Of Beauveria Bassiana And Host Plant Resistance For The Management Of Rice Stink Bug In Rice Agro-Ecosystem, Dilipkumar Thakorbhai Patel Jan 2005

Evaluation Of Beauveria Bassiana And Host Plant Resistance For The Management Of Rice Stink Bug In Rice Agro-Ecosystem, Dilipkumar Thakorbhai Patel

LSU Master's Theses

Isolates of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin were tested for biological control of rice stink bug, Oebalus pugnax (Fab.), in the laboratory, in small-plot field experiments compared with conventional insecticides, and in a large-plot experiment to determine the spread and persistence of the fungus. The soil-derived isolate LRC28 was more virulent to O. pugnax adults than the rice stink bug-derived isolate RSB in a laboratory experiment. The fungal isolates did not differ from one another in reducing insect numbers or in infecting rice stink bugs in the small-plot experiments. A single application of B. bassiana reduced rice stink bug nymphs on …

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Experimental And Numerical Study Of Feeding Channel In Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell, Abul Bashar Mahmud Hasan Jan 2005

Experimental And Numerical Study Of Feeding Channel In Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell, Abul Bashar Mahmud Hasan

LSU Master's Theses

The performance of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) using different feeding configurations has been studied, with a focus on the water flooding due to electrochemical reaction. Feeding channel or Bipolar plate in Proton Exchange Fuel Cell is a dominating part. As feeding channel keeps direct contact with the gas diffusion layer, it helps efficiently supplying fuel and air into the gas diffusion layer for efficient production of electricity. Experimental data have been taken at hydrogen flow rates of 20,40,60,80,100 sccm for various bipolar plate arrangements. Three bipolar plates, namely serpentine, straight channel and interdigitated designs, were arranged in …

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Spatial Heterogeneity In Forested Landscapes: An Examination Of Forest Fragmentation And Suburban Sprawl In The Florida Parishes Of Louisiana, Brady Randall Couvillion Jan 2005

Spatial Heterogeneity In Forested Landscapes: An Examination Of Forest Fragmentation And Suburban Sprawl In The Florida Parishes Of Louisiana, Brady Randall Couvillion

LSU Master's Theses

Forest fragmentation refers to the spatial distribution of forests in a landscape. Forest fragmentation drastically alters forest composition, habitat quality, genetic flow and many other ecological processes associated with forested ecosystems. This research examined spatial patterns and rates of forest fragmentation during the 1991-2001 period for a region in southeast Louisiana known as the "Florida Parishes." Following classification of 1991 and 2001 Landsat data into forest and non-forest classes, spatial patterns were examined using Fragstats 3.3 spatial analysis software. Spatial statistics such as patch density, perimeter to area ratios, core area indices, edge density, and various landscape continuity indices were …

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Effect Of Estradiol-17b On The Gonadal Developemnt Of Diploid And Triploid Female Eastern Oysters, Roberto Quintana Jan 2005

Effect Of Estradiol-17b On The Gonadal Developemnt Of Diploid And Triploid Female Eastern Oysters, Roberto Quintana

LSU Master's Theses

Declines in annual oyster landings and problems associated with seasonal reduction of oyster meat yields have increased interest for development of techniques to produce oysters with enhanced growth characteristics. Research interest has been focused on developing improved lines by induction of polyploidy. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the enhancement of gonadal development of triploid oysters, by the use of the hormone estradiol 17-â (E2) to produce viable eggs for the development of tetraploid broodstocks. Previous studies with the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, have shown: (1) the need to use the larger eggs of triploid females to …

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Thermal Management Of The Lsu Micro Gas Chromatograph, Praveen K. Pasupuleti Jan 2005

Thermal Management Of The Lsu Micro Gas Chromatograph, Praveen K. Pasupuleti

LSU Master's Theses

Gas chromatography is a technique widely used for the separation and analysis of gas samples. Gas chromatographs are used for environmental maintenance, monitoring sophisticated biological analyses, and to separate components from a mixture of gases for mass spectrometer analysis. There has been a tremendous interest in miniaturization of gas chromatograph systems because of the potential for portability, faster response time, lower dead volume, lower power consumption, and lower cost of operation. Conventional gas chromatography keeps the column at a constant temperature during separation, which is called isothermal analysis. Temperature programming is a mode of gas chromatography in which the column …

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Development Of Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert Containing Soy Protein And Coconut Milk, Luciana Soler Jan 2005

Development Of Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert Containing Soy Protein And Coconut Milk, Luciana Soler

LSU Master's Theses

As consumers have pursued healthier lifestyles in recent years, consumption of soy foods has risen steadily, encouraged by scientific studies showing health benefits from these products. There is a large market for ice cream in the United States. However, since ice cream contains dairy ingredients, a number of Americans are not able to consume it because of dietary habits due to religious beliefs, lactose intolerance, vegetarianism or other related ideologies. For years, these groups of consumers have been able to substitute ice cream with frozen desserts containing soy protein as a substitute for milk protein, but never in the United …

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A Bioeconomic Supply Model For Louisiana Nutria And Impacts On Wetlands Conservation Associated With Economic Incentives, Cheikhna Ould Dedah Jan 2005

A Bioeconomic Supply Model For Louisiana Nutria And Impacts On Wetlands Conservation Associated With Economic Incentives, Cheikhna Ould Dedah

LSU Master's Theses

Nutria (Mayocastor) were first introduced to Louisiana in 1938. With few natural predators and high prolific productivity, they became well established in the surrounding coastal marsh within a few years. Prior to 1980’s, as a result of high demand for nutria products from European countries, harvest pressure was sufficient to keep the population in ‘check’ with their wetlands capacity. By the mid-1980’s, however, prices had fallen sharply, culminating in declining annual harvests and an increasing population. Because of their feeding habits, the increased nutria population has resulted in a substantial amount of wetland degradation. In this thesis, a long-run bioeconomic …

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Functionalization Of Gold And Glass Surfaces With Magnetic Nanoparticles Using Biomolecular Interactions, Bala Sesha Giri Rao Nidumolu Jan 2005

Functionalization Of Gold And Glass Surfaces With Magnetic Nanoparticles Using Biomolecular Interactions, Bala Sesha Giri Rao Nidumolu

LSU Master's Theses

Advances in nanotechnology have enabled the production and characterization of magnetic particles with nanometer-sized features that can be functionalized with biological recognition elements for clinical and biosensing applications. In the present study the synthesis and interactions between self assembled monolayers (SAMs) and functionalized nanoparticles have been characterized. Size and shape of magnetic nanoparticles synthesized wet chemically starting from ferrous and ferric salts were verified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These nanoparticles were then conjugated with FITC-labeled streptavidin through carbodiimide (EDC) chemistry. SAMs of thiol-capped biotins were synthesized on gold surfaces for capture of the conjugated nanoparticles. Characterization of nanoparticle functionalization …

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Ecology Of Disjunct Cloud Forest Sugar Maple Populations (Acer Saccharum Subsp. Skutchii) In North And Central America, Yalma Luisa Vargas-Rodriguez Jan 2005

Ecology Of Disjunct Cloud Forest Sugar Maple Populations (Acer Saccharum Subsp. Skutchii) In North And Central America, Yalma Luisa Vargas-Rodriguez

LSU Master's Theses

The cloud forest sugar maple, Acer saccharum subsp. skutchii, occurs as five disjunct populations, four in Mexico and one in Guatemala. I assessed the current status, distribution, and environmental relations of forests containing these populations, and I compared the species composition of these forests with other temperate and cloud forests in North and Central America. I gave special emphasis to a recently discovered population in Talpa de Allende, Jalisco, Mexico, by assessing its tree richness and generic composition in a continental context. In the five studied cloud forest sugar maple populations, basal area of all trees ¡Ý1 cm DBH varied …

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Modeling The Fate And Transport Of Chlorinated Benzenes In Baton Rouge Bayou, Sudheer Nimmagadda Jan 2005

Modeling The Fate And Transport Of Chlorinated Benzenes In Baton Rouge Bayou, Sudheer Nimmagadda

LSU Master's Theses

Knowledge of the fate and transport of chlorinated benzenes is necessary at certain sites for effective remediation of contaminated soils using plants. Current research is examining the capability of wetland plants to catalyze degradation or attenuate migration, but again requires knowledge of the uptake of contaminants from an aqueous environment. A two stage model was used to estimate the rate of uptake of contaminants from sediments. The first stage of the model predicts pollutant leaching rates from sediments to the overlying water, which would then be fed into the plant or bioreactor model systems. In this study the flux from …

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Assimilation And Removal Of Phosphorus Within The Marshland Upwelling System, Derek A. Evans Jan 2005

Assimilation And Removal Of Phosphorus Within The Marshland Upwelling System, Derek A. Evans

LSU Master's Theses

The marshland upwelling system (MUS) is an alternative onsite wastewater system that was developed to treat domestic wastewater derived from coastal communities. Previous studies have researched the systems ability to treat fecal coliforms and nitrogen. The objectives of this research were to (1) assess the treatment efficiency of the MUS for removing both total phosphorus and orthophosphate, (2) provide preliminary design and operational guidelines for phosphorus removal, and (3) develop a parameter to project longevity of the MUS for treating phosphorus. Performance efficiency was compared for a system which operated for 23 months located in Bayou Segnette State Park and …

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Hemodynamic And Ocular Responses To Caloric Stimulation And Age-Related Disparities, Melissa J. Deveer Jan 2005

Hemodynamic And Ocular Responses To Caloric Stimulation And Age-Related Disparities, Melissa J. Deveer

LSU Master's Theses

Age-related declines in vestibular function affect balance and coordination in older adults. Of perhaps equal importance, but less understood, are the potential implications of vestibular degeneration on cardiovascular homeostasis. Recent evidence suggests that the semi-circular canals, a section of the vestibular system, may be involved in the vestibulosympathetic reflex (VSR), but the extent to which the aging of the semi-circular canals interferes with cardiovascular homeostasis is unknown. Activation of the intact VSR results in increases in tonometric blood pressure (TBP) and heart rate (HR) as well as decreases in cardiac output (Q) and pre-ejection period (PEP). The purpose of this …

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A Radiographic Study Of The Impact Of Race And Sex On 1st And 2nd Molar Development, Suzanne Price Jan 2005

A Radiographic Study Of The Impact Of Race And Sex On 1st And 2nd Molar Development, Suzanne Price

LSU Master's Theses

The assessment of child development requires standards in order to compare an apparent physiologic age to an actual chronological age. In assessing chronological age of an individual, the use of multiple indicators is ideal and important in determining age at death. For individuals under the age of about 21 years, dental development is the most reliable indicator of age. Research aimed at understanding the variation in tooth formation due to race and sex will help to more accurately determine the age at death of remains of subadult individuals. This project examined the impact of race, sex, and time period on …

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