Digital Commons Network^™

Drivers Of Liking And Effects Of Corn Hybrics On Quality Of Corn Tortilla, Jose Andres Herrera Corredor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Corn tortilla, an ancient staple food of Mexico and Central America, is still the base food in those countries and has also become more popular in other countries with high Hispanic population. However, mechanization of corn tortilla production has modified the original sensory attributes to new standards that meet manufacturer’s requirements. The first part of this study attempted to determine the sensory attributes that drive consumer’s decision on the acceptability and purchase intent of the corn tortilla available in the Mexican market. The findings may help manufacturers to improve the processing of tortilla and develop products with ethnic authenticity. Overall …

The Effect Of Food Deprivation On Cigarette Smoking In Females, Darla E. Kendzor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Studies have shown that food deprivation is associated with increases in the self-administration of nicotine and other substances in laboratory animals. However, little is known about the effects of food deprivation on substance use in humans. The purpose of the present study was to compare smoking rates, expired carbon monoxide levels, and smoking topography in 15 female participants during a state of acute food deprivation and in a non-deprived state. A within-subjects design was utilized to test the primary hypotheses that smoking rate and expired carbon monoxide levels would be greater among the participants in the food-deprived condition than in …

Narratives In Music: Schelmo, Hebraic Rhapsody For Cello And Orchestra, Asu Perihan Karadut

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Born in July 1880, in Geneva, Switzerland, Ernest Bloch became one of the leading composers of the 20th century. He wrote series of works, which he called “The Jewish Cycle.” They represented a new, distinctive musical language, in which Bloch combined eastern and western music traits. Schelomo, Hebraic Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra (1915-16) was the last composition from the cycle. It showed mastery of a style Bloch had been developing since his earlier compositions. This project will show Schelomo’s place in “The Jewish Cycle” and its importance on Bloch’s departure from the popular trends of the early 20th century. …

Effects Of Capping On Biodegradation Of Organic Contaminants In Sediments, Eun Ju Lee

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sediment capping remains an effective remediation technique for contaminated sediments due to its capability to contain contaminants and provide a sound habitat for indigenous biota. This research investigated the effect of capping on biodegradation of organic contaminants in Anacostia River sediments using both experimental and modeling techniques. 14C–Phenanthrene mineralization was monitored under various redox conditions in Anacostia River sediments. Mineralization of 14C–phenanthrene was strongly linked to sulfate reduction, which was the more energetic process than any other anaerobic condition in Anacostia sediments. Sulfate is a more promising terminal electron acceptor for intrinsic degradation in Anacostia River and other PAH contaminated …

Depletion Of 32-Kbp Circular Plasmids From Borrelia Burgdorferi, Amanda Paige Derouen Polito

LSU Master's Theses

The Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi has a very unusual genome composed of one linear chromosome and up to 21 linear and circular plasmids. Several plasmids are known to be important either for mammalian infection or tick colonization. A single spirochete harbors up to 7 different cp32 plasmids; however, nothing is known about their role in mammalian infection. The plasmids in this family are well maintained during in vitro cultivation, making it difficult to study their functions. To effectively deplete the plasmids, an 8kbp fragment containing essential elements for replication and partitioning in B. burgdorferi was amplified from one of …

The Agriculturalists Of The Poole-Rose Ossuary: A Study Of The Femora And Tibiae, Melissa L. Moreno

LSU Master's Theses

Dr. Heather McKillop of Louisiana State University was asked by the Alderville First Nation of Ontario in 1990 to excavate the Poole-Rose ossuary in 1990. This mass burial consisted of hundreds of mixed disarticulated and de-fleshed individuals as well as three articulated individuals laid in flexed positions. No artifacts were discovered with the bodies. Due to the absence of stratified soil layers from different periods, McKillop estimated the ossuary occurred during one burial event- “The Feast of the Dead.” Radiocarbon dating found the ossuary to be from A.D. 1550 ± 50 years (McKillop and Jackson 1991). I estimated sex according …

The Disciples Of Light: A Way Of Seeing And The Educational Transfer Of Ideas Linking Spirituality And Art Among Southern Painters In The Hensche-Hawthorne Tradition, Barbara Naron Faulkner

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the role of artistic education in shaping artistic beliefs and personal philosophy. Its central focus is the origins of a common belief among artists that artmaking or aesthetic response to art can be a form of spiritual activity or experience leading to spiritual insight. The primary data for this study is a series of in-depth oral history interviews with seven painters who studied with Henry Hensche at The Cape School of Art in Provincetown, MA, a school of American plein air painting that is linked with Impressionism. Charles W. Hawthorne, a painter who was a protégé of …

P-Glycoprotein And Membrane Permeability As Determinants Of Xenobiotic Bioavailability And Bioaccumulation, Xiaobing Tan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The ABC transporter P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and membrane permeability are determinant factors for absorption and disposition of xenobiotics. These studies investigated the effects of potential modulators of Pgp and/or membrane function on the disposition, bioavailability and bioaccumulation of environmentally relevant pharmaceuticals, tetracycline and ivermectin, and the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene in catfish. The pesticide dieldrin and surfactant linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) were selected as mixture components thought to have potential interactions with these determinants of disposition. Initial in situ experiments demonstrated dieldrin and tetracycline both significantly inhibited biliary excretion of Pgp prototypic substrate Rhodamine-123 in isolated perfused livers. Further, dieldrin (20µM) reduced movement …

Rna:Dna As An Indicator Of Nutritional Condition And Growth In Larval Naked Goby, Gobiosoma Bosc, Michelle C. Satterwhite

LSU Master's Theses

Developing organism-based metrics for assessing habitat quality is an important tool in conservation and restoration of aquatic habitats. The use of the RNA:DNA ratio as an early indicator of habitat effects on growth of nekton species has been suggested, but requires species-specific laboratory assessment prior to field application. We used food availability in laboratory treatments to simulate differences in habitat quality. Wild Gobiosoma bosc eggs were collected using nest-traps constructed of PVC pipe. Eggs from several different nests collected in the field were hatched in the lab, yielding larvae that were randomly assigned to three feeding treatments in two replicate …

Metabolism And Gene Expression During Diapause In Athropods, Julie Annette Reynolds

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Arthropods may enter diapause to escape environmental insult. Diapause is an endogenously controlled dormant state defined by developmental arrest and species-specific physiological changes (e.g., metabolic depression and upregulation of compounds that protect cell structure and function). Although physiological changes have been documented for a number of species in diapause, biochemical and molecular regulation of diapause remains largely unexplained. Aerobic metabolism in diapause, Artemia franciscana, embryos is reduced up to 92 % compared with post-diapause embryos. Differences in isolated mitochondria are insufficient to account for respiratory depression because mitochondria in diapause embryos are structurally similar to mitochondria in post-diapause embryos. Respiratory …

Responses Of Respiratory System Cells In Vitro And In Vivo To Petrochemical Combustion-Derived Ultrafine Particles, Gleeson Murphy, Jr.

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Environmental contamination with airborne particles has been a human health concern for many years. Epidemiologic studies in urban communities have linked ambient particle exposure to various health effects, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and several cardiovascular disease conditions. The pathogenesis of these conditions with respect to ambient particle exposure is complex because ambient particles are complex in composition. The particles vary greatly in origin, size, surface area, and elemental composition; and a given particle type, such as those generated by petrochemical (gasoline, diesel, industrial substrate) combustion, may be coated with many other compounds, including polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). …

Engineering A Photo-Control Mechanism For Rna Interference, Richard Andrew Blidner

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

RNA interference (RNAi) is a phenomenon in which RNA molecules elicit potent and sequence-specific post-transcriptional gene silencing. Nucleic acid chemical modifications have been incorporated to improve their pharmacological properties. Despite numerous developments in chemical modifications for increased stability, safety, and efficiency of these therapeutic agents, they still face challenges of spatial and temporal targeting. One potential targeting strategy uses photocaging techniques, which involves the covalent attachment of photolabile compounds to the effector NA species that blocks bioactivity until exposed to near UV-light. This work demonstrates that fully-2’-fluorinated nucleic acids (FNAs) can elicit RNAi and that these effectors are resistant to …

Relationship Between Problem Behaviors, Function, And Adaptive Skills In Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities, Noha Farrah Minshawi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The problem behaviors of self-injury, aggression, and stereotypies are among the most troubling and difficult to treat behaviors in individuals with intellectual disability (ID). One factor that has been implicated in the etiology and maintenance of problem behaviors in individuals with ID is adaptive skills deficits. However, the nature of the relationship between problem behaviors and adaptive skills deficits is not well understood. This relationship was assessed in two experiments. In Experiment 1, the researcher found an inverse, curvilinear relationship between problem behaviors (as identified by the Behavior Problems Inventory; BPI), and adaptive skills (as measured by the Vineland Adaptive …

Equine Obesity-Related Hyperleptinemia, Nan Killen Huff

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Plasma leptin concentrations in obese adult horses have been shown to vary widely, and horses tend to fit into two groups: low leptin (<10 ng/mL) and hyperleptinemic (10 to 50 ng/mL). Observations over time revealed that the hyperleptinemic condition was consistent, possibly indicating a relatively permanent underlying cause. Based on these observations, three experimental approaches were used to further study equine obesity-related hyperleptinemia. The first experiment determined the prevalence of hyperleptinemia among postpartum, lactating mares, evaluated its consequence on their re-breeding success, and investigated correlations between leptin levels in lactating and non-lactating mares. Postpartum mares (n = 198) and non-foaling mares (n = 31) were categorized based on their leptin status: normoleptinemic or hyperleptinemic. Leptin in the lactating mares averaged 4.8 ng/mL, and 11 of the 198 (13%) displayed hyperleptinemia. Leptin in the non-lactating mares averaged 7.5 ng/mL, with 9 mares (29%) displaying hyperleptinemia. Of the 198 lactating mares bred, 81% became pregnant; there was no effect of leptin status on re-breeding success. To study one possible cause for hyperleptinemia in well-fed horses, a second experiment explored polymorphism(s) within exon 2 of the equine leptin gene. The DNA from five hyperleptinemic and five normal mares of high body condition was used to analyze exon 2 of the leptin gene for polymorphisms. Based on the 10 mares tested, there was no polymorphism in exon 2 of the equine leptin gene; therefore, polymorphism is not a likely explanation for the high vs. low leptin difference. The third experiment explored the possible effects of hyperleptinemia on the endocrine and immune systems. Endotoxin was given to mares and geldings to investigate the role and/or regulation of leptin in the pro-inflammatory cytokine response. Of the endpoints measured, only platelet count differed between normal and hyperleptinemic horses. Endotoxin infusion caused the expected pro-inflammatory cytokine and endocrine responses, but leptin status was not a significant factor for any endpoint. It is concluded that hyperleptinemia in mares is not associated with polymorphism in exon 2 of the leptin gene, does not affect re-breeding rates of foaling mares, and does not alter the endotoxin-induced responses of the endocrine and immune systems.

Sturctural Studies Of Lipoxygenases: Cloning, Expression And Purification Of Lipoxygenases From Anabaena And Fusarium, Pratik Dhar

LSU Master's Theses

Lipoxygenases (LOX) are non-heme, non-sulfur, iron containing enzymes that catalyze the dioxygenation of unsaturated fatty acids. LOX enzyme is found in higher plants, some multicellular animals and some bacteria. In plants, the substrates for lipoxygenase enzymes are 18 carbon unsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic acids) while in animals, the substrate for this family of enzymes is the 20 carbon unsaturated fatty acid (arachidonic acid). The LOX enzyme from the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC7120, which produces the smallest known LOX, and the fungus Fusarium verticillioides, which produces a LOX with dual specificity and remarkably high activity, were overexpressed using …

Sensory Characteristics And Optimization Of A Low-Sodium Salt Formulation And Its Food Application, Armen Khachatryan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Excessive consumption of sodium is associated with high blood pressure in people. Reduction of sodium intake and replacement of salt with salt substitutes are an essential component of the primary prevention of hypertension. Potassium chloride is the most widely used salt substitute. However, when used in large amounts, it imparts bitterness and metallic aftertaste. Therefore, bitterness masking agents need to be used in salt substitute formulations. L-Arginine has been reported to have bitterness masking properties. No research has yet been conducted to investigate the effects of KCl and L-Arginine on the perception of saltiness and bitterness in the mixture of …

Towards A Diagnostic Framework For Understanding Complex Situations, José J. Padilla, Andres Sousa-Poza, Arturo Tejada, Samuel Kovacic

VMASC Publications

This paper presents a theoretical framework for the concept of understanding and how it can be used for assessing complex situations. Understanding is presented as a cognitive process on how an individual perceives and represents a complex domain based on his/her own predispositions, and how he/she selects knowledge or what may not be knowledge based on the same predispositions towards finding a set of solutions for the situation. Predispositions, in this case, are based on his/her epistemological, ontological and teleological biases while the domain is represented by irreducible and transient conditions. The final outcome is the match or mismatch of …

Copyright In An Era Of Information Overload: Toward The Privileging Of Categorizers, Frank Pasquale

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease And Fundoplication In Infants And Children, Shawn D. St Peter, G W. Holcomb Iii

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can be one of the most distressing conditions developing at different ages in infants and children. The disease itself is a complex process along with ongoing dynamic anatomic and physiologic changes occurring during normal development. Therefore among referring physicians, considerations regarding the role of surgery for GERD in children varies widely depending on individual experiences in managing these patients. These varied opinions result in discrepancies in the operative experience with fundoplication among pediatric surgeons. It is unclear how much of the current opinions stem from published evidence, particularly with regard to the safety and efficacy of …

The Beginnings Of A Peace Church: Eschatology, Ethics, And Expedience In Seventh-Day Adventist Responses To The Civil War, Douglas Morgan

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

No abstract provided.

Why Electricity Matters, Developing Nations Matter, And Asia Matters Most Of All, Steven Ferrey

Suffolk University Law School Faculty Works

There are several common conceptions about global warming that deserve greater scrutiny than they have received. First, is it true that we must resolve the legal and policy responses regarding global warming? Second, does the U.S. matter most of all to affect global warming? Third, are developing nations really bit players in the global warming equation? Finally, is there no blueprint for turning back global warming with renewable power in developing nations? Despite common wisdom, the answer to each is negative. Electricity matters, and it matters most of all in international venues.

In Part II of this article, I explain …

Chromosomal Stability And Epigenetic Modifications Of Fibroblast Cells Used For Nuclear Transfer, Angelica Maria Giraldo Gomez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Investigations into the importance of the nuclear integrity of the donor cell prior to nuclear transfer (NT) are limited. In Experiment 1, the proliferative characteristics, chromosomal stability and level of histone phosphorylation in cell lines established by explants and enzymatic dissociation at different population doublings (PDs) were investigated. The cells divided at a constant rate and cell cycle length increased only at the end of the proliferative stage. The level of aneuploidies was high and remained elevated throughout the study independent of the technique used to establish the primary culture. High levels of multinucleated cells and abnormal spindle configurations were …

Intracellular Lipids In Bos Indicus And Box Taurus Oocytes, Casey Bryant Ballard

LSU Master's Theses

It has been proposed that Bos indicus when compared with Bos taurus embryos are more sensitive to cryopreservation procedures due to higher intracellular lipid content of the embryos. With cyropreservation of Bos indicus embryos increasing for export, it is essential to improve the viability of these cryopreserved embryos. In Experiment I, M-II oocytes from mice, pigs and cows were subjected to two different procedures to evaluate lipid content. The lipid content present in pig oocytes was significantly (P<0.05) higher when compared with mouse and cow oocytes. Pig oocytes had a lower settling point in the sucrose buoyant density gradient and higher Nile Red units, which indicated higher lipids present in the oocytes. In Experiment II, it was determined that M-II oocytes aspirated from superstimulated Brahman donors were significantly higher (P<0.05) in lipid content compared with English breed donors. The lipid content present in Brahman oocytes was higher when compared with English breeds when tested with a sucrose buoyant density gradient and Nile Red staining. In addition, donor females with higher body condition scores were significantly (P<0.05) higher in oocyte lipid content when compared with donor females of lower body condition scores. Furthermore, animal body condition scores, cholesterol and triglyceride levels prior to oocyte aspiration may be indicators of intracellular lipids in the oocytes and embryos. To our knowledge, this is the first report that evaluated intracellular lipid content of M-II oocytes of different beef breed types using a sucrose buoyant density gradient and Nile Red staining.

Visualizing The Menstrual Cycle: Effects Of A Redesigned Cycle Diagram On Community College Biology Students' Learning, Francesca Maria Mellieon-Williams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This mixed methods, exploratory study investigated the importance of the menstrual cycle diagram for understanding human reproduction. Several theories were used to support this study including Visual Design Theory (Tufte, 1990, 1997, 2001), and Human Constructivist Theory (Mintzes, Wandersee, Novak 1998). The two sexuality education programs used by society, abstinence-only programs and comprehensive sex education programs were compared to illustrate how this study applies to the current state of sexuality education in the United States. Community college students from two institutions in the southern region of the United States, registered in five introductory biological science courses, participated in a unit …

Effects Of Amino Acids On The Properties Of White-Fleshed And Orange-Fleshed Beauregard Sweet Potato Starch, Stephanie Helen Lockwood

LSU Master's Theses

This study assessed the effects of amino acid additives, aspartic acid, leucine, lysine, and methionine, on the pasting and thermal characteristics of white-fleshed and orange-fleshed Beauregard sweet potato starches. Also, the white-fleshed and the orange-fleshed sweet potato starches were compared for any differences in their resistant starch and crystalline properties. This study was performed using Differential Scanning Calorimetery (DSC), Rapid Visco Analysis (RVA), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Resistant Starch Determination. The orange-fleshed starch granules began to gelatinize at a lower temperature (56.8°C) than the white-fleshed starch (70.1°C), but the two starches needed the same amount of energy to gelatinize. Lysine …

Understanding The New York Rabies Epizootic 1985-2005, David Dorrell

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Surveillance data are an important part of medical geography. These data are used to produce much of the analyses that define the subdiscipline. It is understood that surveillance data may contain biases, but there have only been limited studies devoted to determining in what ways the data are not representative of actual disease prevalence. New York was selected for this research for several reasons. First, it has a strong rabies data set. Second, it has a centralized system of licensing animal and dog control officers. Third, it is well-represented in terms of local media. This dissertation attempts to better understand …

Nueva Orleans: Hispanics In New Orleans, The Catholic Church, And Imagining The New Hispanic Community, Katie Judith Berchak

LSU Master's Theses

New Orleans, Louisiana, is a city with a rich Hispanic history which is often overlooked. Likewise, the role the Catholic Church has played in assisting the immigrant groups that have settled in New Orleans in the building of their communities has also often been ignored. The first part of this work will seek to trace the different Hispanic groups that have come to the city, their often unacknowledged legacies, and examine what role the Catholic Church played in their communities and history. During Spanish rule of colonial Louisiana from 1762 to 1803, Spanish colonists and recruits from the Canary Islands …

La "Guerra Sucia" Argentina: Nombrar Lo Innombrable Y Hablar Del Horror Para No Olvidar Ni Repetir, John Edmund Baron

LSU Master's Theses

The last Argentine dictatorship, officially known as the Process of National Reorganization (PNR), lasted nearly eight years (1976-1983) but the change that it produced in the subjectivity of the citizenry did not disappear when the military dictatorship left power. The fear of being denounced by friends, neighbors, or even family members resulted in apathy and ultimately, in "ignorance" of the events and in the taboo of speaking of them in private settings. The novelists and filmmakers that have begun to name the unnamable of that horror have done more for the comprehension and "healing" of that citizenry than all of …

The Relative Impact Of Nicotine Dependence Versus Other Substance Dependence On Decision-Making, Michael S. Businelle

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Research has indicated that individuals who are dependent on substances may have decision-making deficits that contribute to their continued substance use. Previous studies have shown that substance-dependent individuals focus more on the immediate rather than the delayed consequences of their actions, and more rapidly discount rewards that are available after a delay than individuals without a history of substance dependence. The present study compared the performance of four groups of individuals on the Gambling Task and the Delayed Discounting Task. The groups were (a) heavy smokers with comorbid substance dependence, (b) heavy smokers with no history of substance dependence, (c) …

Copper(Ii) Oxide Mediated Formation And Stabilization Of Combustion Generated Persistent Free Radicals, Hieu Truong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Biologically damaging semiquinone-type radicals have been reported in cigarette smoke, their likely origin being hydroquinone (HQ) and catechol (CT) molecular precursors contained by the tobacco. Since other biomass contains HQ and CT-type species, it is likely that combustion of other biomass will also form semiquinone-type radicals. All hydrocarbon fuels will form phenol and substituted phenol that can form substituted phenoxyl radicals. Because each of these radicals has the potential to be environmentally persistent and biologically active, their formation and stabilization from various molecular precursors was studied with the focus on surface-bound radicals formed in association with combustion-generated fly-ash particles. Comprehensive …