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Racial Disparities, Birth Outcomes, And Changing Demographics Of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, Misty D. Richard

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Racial and socioeconomic disparities persist throughout the country regardless of which specific disparity is studied; however, some geographic regions experience more significant racial disparities. East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana has a large racial disparity among birth outcomes. Many factors impact the degree of racial disparities, some of which include racial segregation, isolation, or centralization, access to and quality of medical care, and factors of the neighborhood environment. EBRP has undergone dramatic shifts in the demographics of its residents. The purpose of this dissertation was to study the demographic changes in the population; as well as to study the disparities among …

Sva Elements: Hominid Specific Retrotransposons, Hui Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

SVA is a composite repetitive element named after its main components, SINE, VNTR and Alu. There are ~3000 SVA elements in the human genome. A genomic distribution analysis indicates that SVA elements are enriched in G+C-rich regions but have no preferences for inter- or intra-genic regions. A phylogenetic analysis of these elements resulted in the recovery of six subfamilies that were named SVA_A to SVA_F. The composition, age and genomic distribution of the different subfamilies have been examined. Subfamily age estimates indicate that the expansion of four SVA subfamilies (SVA_A, SVA_B, SVA_C and SVA_D) began before the divergence of human, …

Spaced-Retrieval Effects On Memory For Scenes In Older Adults With Probable Alzheimer's Disease, Emily Olinde

LSU Master's Theses

Previous studies have found the spaced-retrieval memory intervention technique to be successful in training people with probable Alzheimer’s disease (AD) to learn new, simple associations. In the present study, we expanded on these previous findings by training eight participants with probable AD to learn the names and pictures of countries via spaced retrieval. We demonstrated the flexibility of the technique, gave insight as to the effects of distracters on the spaced-retrieval training performance, and demonstrated the memorial effects of adding pictorial support to the text.

From The Top Down And The Bottom Up: The Contemporary Practice And Choice Of Midwifery In Louisiana, Michelle M. Wydra

LSU Master's Theses

This research examines the contemporary practice of midwifery in Louisiana, a state that very early on had progressive legislation, yet remains a tough place for a midwife to practice. What, then, are the social forces that affect the ability to practice midwifery in Louisiana? I try to answer that question by examining the narratives of midwives and their clients, and evaluating the options these women have access to in this state. The narratives provide opportunities to observe the authoritarian knowledge of biomedicine in our society, and apply Foucault’s theory of power/knowledge. I describe that although Louisiana’s regulation of the practice …

Application Of Polymeric Microfluidic Devices For Separation Of Single-Stranded Dna, Shawn Llopis

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Microsystems targeted for DNA sequencing, especially those focused on electrophoretic separations, are rapidly proving their viability to genomic research, mimicking the progress made when capillary electrophoresis developed from miniaturizing slab gel electrophoresis techniques. Being the more recent electrophoretic separation platform, the commercial availability of microchip electrophoresis devices remains relatively limited. To this extent, high-aspect ratio microstructures formed in thermo plastics have been developed using rapid fabrication methods from molding tools designed for mass replication of high-aspect ratio microfeatures. In this work, the choice and compatibility of poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) – the primary substrate for DNA separations in this work – was …

Interactions Between Formosan Subterranean Termites, Brown Rot Fungus (Gloeophyllum Trabeum) And Some Of The Fungi Present On The Termite Integument And Gut, Poornima Jayasimha

LSU Master's Theses

Although the brown rot fungus, Gloeophyllum trabeum (Pers.:Fr.) Murrill, has been shown to be attractive and beneficial to subterranean termites, including Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, to date no research has been conducted to determine if the association is mutualistic. We first set out to determine if the fungus could be spread by termites. This would represent an obvious benefit to the fungus. We found that C. formosanus does not spread G. trabeum. Unexpectedly, Formosan subterranean termites were found to suppress the growth of G. trabeum. To further investigate this finding, Formosan subterranean termite workers were released into Petri dishes with wood …

The Abc's Of Hiv: When "Just Say No" Is Not Enough-Queer Critique Of Aids Policy, Lisa Laura Ladwig

LSU Master's Theses

This paper will critique the United States' AIDS policy, both domestic and international. I demonstrate how queer theorists have used Jacques Lacan's concepts of "jouissance" and the "unconscious desire" to suggests ways in which the current policy has dangerous implications for real people, for public health, and human rights. I reveal how the problem of rising HIV infection is not due to the lack of availability of safer-sex information, but rather it is a problem of execution: the Religious Right's ideology inscribed in our public health policy. Finally, I wish to expose how people in this country and others are …

Impacts Of Red Imported Fire Ants (Solenopsis Invicta Buren) On Native Faunal Communities In Two Pine-Dominated Forests, Lee A. Womack

LSU Master's Theses

Impacts red imported fire ants (RIFA) exert on native faunal communities were monitored in two pine-dominated ecosystems in Louisiana. After suppression of established RIFA populations with Amdro®, cotton mice (Peromyscus gossypinus), herpetofaunal, ground-dwelling invertebrate, Lycosidae, and non-target ant communities were compared between untreated-control and treated plots with respect to possible ecological impacts of RIFA on these communities. Efficacy of Amdro® (A. I. 0.7% hydramethylnon) was tested at Alexander State Forest and Sandy Hollow WMA, and was found to be effective at both sites for 99-42.3% and 97-48%, respectively, suppression of RIFA on treated plots, for three to seven months, with …

How African-American And Hispanics Perceive Their Racial Equality In American Advertising, Denise Michele Pallais

LSU Master's Theses

This study focuses on how African-Americans and Hispanics perceive their racial equality in American advertising. A survey was conducted to find out the African-American and the Hispanic perceptions about how these ethnic groups saw themselves depicted, and the way they are stereotyped by the U.S. media. Overall, the study found that there was no difference between race and the level of perception between these two ethnic groups. However, age appears to be the only demographic variable that affects the African-American and Hispanic perception of discrimination. In addition, the study also exposed that African-Americans are mostly portrayed in the athletic advertising …

Mcd And Magnetization Studies On Nifb/Nifz Minus Molybdenum Iron Protein From Azotobacter Vinelandii, Marcia S. Cotton

LSU Master's Theses

This study reports a characterization of the iron-sulfur clusters of the MoFe protein expressed by the nifBnifZ deletion strain of A. vinelandii. VT-MCD spectroscopic and magnetization analysis of as-isolated ΔnifBΔnifZ MoFe protein were undertaken. VT-MCD spectra of as-isolated ΔnifBΔnifZ MoFe protein contains bands remarkably similar to those seen in as-isolated ΔnifH MoFe protein, assigned to arise from an [4Fe-4S]⁺ cluster. The low-temperature magnetization curve of as-isolated ΔnifBΔnifZ MoFe protein reveals the MCD spectra bands stem from an S = ½ spin system with diamagnetic contributions of some other species. As-isolated ΔnifBΔnifZ MoFe protein is compared with as-isolated ΔnifH MoFe …

Breeding Waterbird Use Of Rice Fields In Southwestern Louisiana, Sergio Pierluissi

LSU Master's Theses

Rice fields are agricultural wetlands concentrated in several areas in the U.S., including southwestern Louisiana. Rice fields are flooded for much of the year and support thick emergent vegetation, potentially providing high-quality habitat for several species of breeding waterbirds. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine relative nest density, nest success, and habitat associations of breeding waterbirds in southwestern Louisiana rice fields and (2) determine the effectiveness of callback surveys as a monitoring tool. In the summers of 2004 and 2005, marsh bird surveys and nest searches were conducted in Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Vermilion, and Acadia Parishes in …

Effects Of Insectivorous Birds On Tree Growth In The Maurepas Swamp, David M. Fox

LSU Master's Theses

Coastal forests in Louisiana are in decline due to natural and human caused changes in the hydrology of the region. Baldcypress and water tupelo trees have been further stressed by caterpillar herbivory in recent decades. Regeneration of water tupelo is crucial for cavity creation for nesting habitat for secondary cavity nesting bird populations. Insectivorous birds have been shown to decrease insect-caused leaf damage on trees in other ecosystems. Two experiments examining effects of insectivorous birds on tree growth were conducted in degraded areas of the Maurepas Swamp in southeastern Louisiana. In the first experiment, nest boxes were added to study …

A Comparison Of Dominance And Affiliation Ratings Based On Emotional State, Sex, And Status, Jennifer Bernardi

LSU Master's Theses

Perceptions of interpersonal dominance and affiliation have been extensively examined throughout past research. In the current study, the purpose was to fill in the some of the gaps of existing research well, specifically the gap created by current confusion in the literature regarding the effects of sex, status, and emotional display on ratings of dominance and affiliation. Also, interactions between the primary variables of interest (sex, status, and emotional display) were observed. Results revealed significant relationships within several of the dimensions addressed, specifically between emotional display and ratings of dominance and affiliation such that individuals displaying anger were viewed as …

Escape To Utopia: Mental Illness, Veterans, And Gowanda State Hospital (1946-1952), Ursula Irene Anna Goldsmith

LSU Master's Theses

This study will cover the history from 1946 to 1952 of a state hospital located in Helmuth, New York, known as Gowanda State Homeopathic Hospital (GSH). It describes the community, physical campus and the surrounding area where it is located. The experience of treating military personnel suffering from combat-related mental illness during the 1940s led many psychiatrists to emphasize the social dimensions of mental disorder and to hypothesize that mentally ill civilians and veterans may best be treated outside of traditional mental institutions in their hometowns. This theory was implemented with the discovery of psychotropic drugs in the mid 1950s. …

Kids Will Be, Thomas E. Moran

LSU Master's Theses

This is the pilot episode of a television series, which explores a young girl’s descent into suburban drug culture. In this episode, the main character, Ally, follows her disaffected love interest, Marco, to the squat, an abandoned building inhabited by runaways and addicts.

Rice Processing: Milling And Value-Added Effects, Rebecca C. Schramm

LSU Master's Theses

The ultimate goal of this research is to characterize data from the laboratory, pilot, and industrial scale rice mills. Pilot and laboratory scale data are presented in this research. Two long grain rice cultivars were milled with two different scale mills. Cheniere and Cypress were milled with a McGill No. 2 mill and a pilot scale mill (Satake). Both material streams, rice kernels and bran, were collected and weighed. Measurements of Degree of milling, transparency, and whiteness were made with a milling meter (Satake). Yield and bran fraction were calculated. Samples of the bran were heat stabilized and prepared for …

River, Tidal And Wind Interactions In A Deltaic Estuarine System, Gregg Snedden

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The balance between river and marine influences is important in governing landscape sustainability in river deltas. River- and atmospherically driven sea level variability, sediment loading, and estuary-ocean exchange in the Mississippi River delta are examined in this study. Subtidal estuarine sea level variability in the Breton Sound estuary was driven by a combination of remote atmospheric forcing outside the estuary over the continental shelf and controlled river inputs through a gated diversion structure at the estuary head. The highly-frictional deltaic landscape acted as a low-pass filter to coastal fluctuations near the estuary mouth. When substantial quantities river water were discharged …

Retention And Transport Of Arsenic In Soils, Hua Zhang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Arsenic transport in soils and aquifers is highly dependent on the adsorption-desorption reactions in the solid phase. Results from our kinetic batch experiments indicated that adsorption of arsenate [As(V)] was highly nonlinear and strongly kinetic. Desorption of As(V) were hysteretic in nature and a significant amount of As(V) was irreversibly adsorbed on all soils. Results from column experiments indicated strong As(V) retardation followed by slow release or extensive tailing of the breakthrough curves (BTCs). Sharp decrease in As(V) concentration during flow interruption verified the extensive non-equilibrium condition which was likely due to the dominance of kinetic retention processes. We evaluated …

Synthesis, Characterization And Properties Of Cooper(Ii) Beta-Diketonate Macrocycles, Sylvester Burton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation deals with the synthesis and properties of multidentate β-diketone ligands and their transition-metal complexes. (1) We prepared two bis(β-diketones), C₁BAH₂ and p-XBAH₂ (see sketch below), determined their crystal structures, and studied their reactions with copper(II). We envisioned that they would form macrocyclic complexes with 3-6 metal atoms. In both cases, although the initial products are soluble, as expected for the desired molecular products, we were unable to isolate well-behaved molecular solids. In the case of C₁BAH₂, this may be because the cyclic product requires an unusual combination of conformations of …

Antimicrobial Activity Of Cpc And Asc Against Foodborne Pathogens And The Physiological Effect On Fresh-Cut Cantaloupe Cubes At Refrigerator Temperatures, Allison Marie Dumas

LSU Master's Theses

In the last few decades, fresh-cut fruit products have gained popularity with consumers. They require little to no further processing prior to consumption. Fresh-cut products also make fruits and vegetables more conveniently available to consumers year-round. There are limitations, however, to fresh-cut fruit and vegetables in the marketplace. These products are very perishable and could become contaminated with foodborne pathogens. Most fresh-cut fruits and vegetables will only last a short period of time at refrigerator temperatures. There are many possible routes of bacterial contamination in the fresh-cut produce industry. There is a need for antimicrobial compounds that can be applied …

Genetic Effects Influencing Salinity And Cold Tolerance In Tilapia, Alvaro M. Armas-Rosales

LSU Master's Theses

Genetic effects influencing salinity tolerance (ST) and cold tolerance (CT) were evaluated in two full diallel mating designs using six tilapia varieties: Oreochromis aureus (BL), O. mossambicus (MO), O. niloticus (NI), O. niloticus crossbreds (RE), Mississippi commercial strain (MC) and Florida red tilapia (FL). Statistical analyses provided estimates of direct heterosis (h_i), cross heterosis (h_ij), maternal effects (m_i), line effects (l_i), reciprocal and specific reciprocal effects (r_ij and r**_ij), and general and specific combining abilities (GCA and S_ij). Analysis of genetic effects for ST indicated that FL …

Gamete And Cell Technologies For Use In Biological Resource Banking, Liesl Nel-Themaat

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Biological resource banking is becoming important for endangered species conservation. A series of experiments were conducted to address issues concerning collection and utilization of biomaterials from Gulf Coast Native (GCN) sheep (model species) (Ovis aries) and Eland antelope (Taurotragus oryx). In the first experiment, two ejaculates were collected 10 minutes apart from each of five rams three times a week for three weeks to maximize output and minimize handling time. Semen volume, concentration and total number of spermatozoa were significantly greater in first ejaculates, whereas pre-cooled, cooled and post-thaw motility, as well as sperm survival, were greater in second ejaculates. …

Determinants Of Local Calcium Signaling In Retinal Amacrine Cells, Madhumita Sen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Amacrine cells mediate complex lateral signaling in the inner plexiform layer of the vertebrate retina. Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter that shapes the retinal circuitry by activating ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs)and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). One step in understanding the signaling in the inner retina is to understand the role and expression patterns of these glutamate receptors. The expression of iGluRs in amacrine cells is well documented in the literature. This study addresses the localization of Group I mGluRs in the retina. Pre-embedding immunocytochemistry combined with electron microscopy was used to study the expression of Group I mGluRs in …

Using The Rod: Education, Punishment, And The New Woman In Fin De Siã¨Cle British Literature, Kristin C. Ross

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between female education and punishment in the British novel of the fin de siécle. It considers the “New Woman” (the emancipated, intellectualized, and unmarried prototypical feminist appearing in late nineteenth-century culture) in light of how female education affects fictional characterizations of her. Female education in the “New Woman” and her fictional counterparts worked to destabilize class and gender hierarchies for Victorian Society, producing anxiety in its culture and texts. To defuse this anxiety, authors frequently demonstrated the consequences of espousing the feminism driving the “New Woman” and the education producing her. The education she desired/received …

Annual Review Of The World Pheasant Association 2005/2006, World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Reports and Other Materials

Chairman of Trustees' report, G. R. (Dick) Potts

Treasurer's report for the year ended April 30, 2006, J. A. Sampson

Responding to UK Government consultations affecting captive stocks, Dick Potts and Simon Mayes

Specialist Groups: Global networks of technical excellence

WPA around the world: highlights from the chapters

Does the Blyth's tragopan have a future in captivity? Michel Saint Jalme and Sophie Chavanne

Cheer pheasant conservation summit in Kathmandu, Peter J. Garson and Hem S. Baral

Making forests more sustainable in Palas Valley, District Kohistan, Pakistan, Rab Nawaz

Key findings from the 2005 annual species surveys in UK and Germany, …

Nanoparticles: Actual Knowledge About Occupational Health And Safety Risks And Prevention Measures, Claude Ostiguy, Gilles Lapointe, Luc Ménard, Yves Cloutier, Mylène Trottier, Michel Boutin, Monty Antoun, Christian Normand

États de la question, rapports d’expertise et revues de littérature

New materials with unique properties

A new industrial revolution based on nanotechnologies is underway. The enthusiasm for these technologies is sweeping the planet, generating several billions of dollars of investment annually in research and development (R&D). Using current technologies, we can handle materials and synthesize products at the atomic level; nanoparticles demonstrate properties that are completely different from products with the same composition but larger dimensions. The era of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies promises to be one of major scientific developments and breakthroughs that in the not too distant future will permanently affect our everyday lives. Several of these products are …

The Virtual Dialectic: Rethinking The Matrix And Its Significance, David J. Gunkel

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Contextualizing The Losses Of Allotment Through Literature, Kristen A. Carpenter

Publications

In this article, the Author undertakes a law and literature approach to a major Indian law problem: understanding the losses of allotment. Allotment was a mid 19th - early 20th century federal legislative program to take large tracts of land owned by Indian tribes, allocate smaller parcels to individual Indians, and sell off the rest to non-Indians. The idea was that Indians would abandon traditional patterns of subsistence to become American-style farmers, and great tracts of land would be freed up for the advance of white settlement. A key component of the federal government's larger project of assimilating Indians into …

Rethinking The Great Lakes Compact, Mark Squillace

Publications

On December 13, 2005, the Governors and Premiers of the Great Lakes states and provinces signed a Compact and Agreement that commits the parties to a rigorous program to regulate individual water uses, with citizen suits to enforce the requirements. While the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact and companion Agreement are commendable in many respects, this Article argues that people who care about the future of the Great Lakes should urge policymakers to reject the current proposals and rethink the entire approach. The proposed compact is fundamentally flawed and will not achieve the ultimate stated goal of …

Comparative Toxicosis Of Sodium Selenite And Selenomethionine In Lambs, A. K. Tiwary, B. L. Stegelmeier, K. E. Panter, L. F. James, Jeffery O. Hall

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Excess consumption of selenium (Se) accumulator plants can result in selenium intoxication. The objective of the study reported here was to compare the acute toxicosis caused by organic selenium (selenomethionine) found in plants with that caused by the supplemental, inorganic form of selenium (sodium selenite). Lambs were orally administered a single dose of selenium as either sodium selenite or selenomethionine and were monitored for 7 days, after which they were euthanized and necropsied. Twelve randomly assigned treatment groups consisted of animals given 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 mg of Se/kg of body weight as sodium selenite, or 0, 1, …