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2007

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Photo-Control Of Antisense Activity In Cell Culture Using Caged Oligodeoxynucleotides, Mindi Huguet Faubion Jan 2007

Photo-Control Of Antisense Activity In Cell Culture Using Caged Oligodeoxynucleotides, Mindi Huguet Faubion

LSU Master's Theses

Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (AS ODNs) are short single-stranded pieces of DNA that are designed to hybridize with messenger RNA and thus offer a powerful technique for controlling gene expression. Phosphorothioate AS ODNs are a well-established modification of the traditional phosphodiester structure that increase the in vitro half-life of AS ODN activity. In this work, we describe a method for controlling the hybridization activity of PS ODNs in cell culture with a photo-reversible mechanism. The influence of a photocaging compound, 1-(4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrophenyl)diazoethane (DMNPE) on hybridization of ISIS 2302, a 20-mer PS ODN, was modeled using a molecular beacon assay. Based on this model, …


The Agriculturalists Of The Poole-Rose Ossuary: A Study Of The Femora And Tibiae, Melissa L. Moreno Jan 2007

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 …


Rna:Dna As An Indicator Of Nutritional Condition And Growth In Larval Naked Goby, Gobiosoma Bosc, Michelle C. Satterwhite Jan 2007

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 …


Effects Of The Menstrual Cycle On The Vibratory Characteristics Of The Vocal Folds, Aimee Michelle Bonnette Jan 2007

Effects Of The Menstrual Cycle On The Vibratory Characteristics Of The Vocal Folds, Aimee Michelle Bonnette

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to obtain preliminary data on several factors that may influence the vibratory patterns of the vocal folds in addition to the hormonal fluctuations present during the menstrual cycle. These factors included patient reports of severity of reflux symptoms, severity of premenstrual symptoms, and severity of negative vocal hygiene behaviors prior to each evaluation. Ten subjects who did not experience complaints of their voice participated in the study. Data from four subjects who were not on birth control and four on birth control were analyzed for the first cycle, which included self-perception, acoustic analysis, and …


The Education Of Princess Mary Tudor, Katherine Lee Pierret Perkins Jan 2007

The Education Of Princess Mary Tudor, Katherine Lee Pierret Perkins

LSU Master's Theses

Mary Tudor, the first officially crowned queen regnant of England, received a humanist education. A curriculum was recommended for her in multiple writings by Spanish humanist Juan Luis Vives. This thesis attempts to synthesize and examine information the nature of this plan for a princess's education and the extent to which it was implemented.


Disturbance Effects On Nekton Communities Of Seagrasses And Bare Substrates In Biloxi Marsh, Louisiana, Jamie Lynn Maiaro Jan 2007

Disturbance Effects On Nekton Communities Of Seagrasses And Bare Substrates In Biloxi Marsh, Louisiana, Jamie Lynn Maiaro

LSU Master's Theses

With marshes deteriorating rapidly across the Louisiana coast, the role of seagrasses in sustaining fisheries has come into question. Seagrasses are known to shelter small fish from larger predators. Seagrasses also act as a foraging ground for commercially important species, including spotted seatrout. Thirty samples, fifteen from seagrass habitats and fifteen from bare substrate habitats, were collected inside Biloxi Marsh using a drop sampler in May 2005. After the passage of Hurricanes Cindy and Katrina on July 6, 2005 and August 29, 2005, respectively, the seagrasses in Biloxi Marsh were either uprooted, buried, or both. The May 2005 sites were …


The Anatomy Of A Coastal Bay/Lake System, Michelle Greene Jan 2007

The Anatomy Of A Coastal Bay/Lake System, Michelle Greene

LSU Master's Theses

A comprehensive and integrated approach involving sedimentology, shallow surface geophysics and radio-chemistry was used to understand lakebed sediment dynamics in Little Lake. This methodology attempted to (1) define the morphology and origin of the lake, (2) understand the variability in lake-bottom sediments, (3) assess short-term and long-term sediment accumulation rates, and (4) image lakebed features. Subbottom chirp, single beam echo sounder, and side scan sonar data were collected to define hydrographic depths, lateral variability in seabed sediment type, lakebed features, and shallow subsurface structure. Sediment samples were taken at representative locations throughout the lake and particle size distributions were determined. …


Detection Of Vibrio Vulnificus By Direct Colony Immunoblot, Reshani Nisansala Senevirathne Jan 2007

Detection Of Vibrio Vulnificus By Direct Colony Immunoblot, Reshani Nisansala Senevirathne

LSU Master's Theses

Vibrio vulnificus (Vv) is a natural occurring bacterium of world wide estuarine environments, which concentrate on filter feeding shellfish. Under cooked seafood contaminated with this pathogen is a leading cause of 95% of seafood-related, foodborne deaths. The development of a rapid, reliable and user-friendly method for Vv enumeration would help to reduce mortality rate. A direct colony immunoblot (DCI) method was developed and used as a rapid enumeration with high sensitivity and the specificity. This method was optimized using Vv agar plates incubated for 16 h at 35 °C. Colonies were transferred from incubated plates to polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes …


Fabrication Of Perforated Polymer Membranes Using Imprinting Technology, Anish Roychowdhury Jan 2007

Fabrication Of Perforated Polymer Membranes Using Imprinting Technology, Anish Roychowdhury

LSU Master's Theses

The goal of the present study was to fabricate perforated membrane structures in polymers with the pore diameter ranging from 10 ìm down to the sub ìm scale. The perforated membrane structure plays an important role in many biological systems. Thus the ability to reproduce such architecture will help with the study of biological systems by mimicking biological cell membrane-like structures and open new vistas in the study of transport behavior in cell biology and the separation of biological vesicles. Such structures also have potential uses as components in polymer optics and modular micro/nanofluidic devices. Use of polymer substrates is …


Development Of Fluorescent Chemosensors Based On Energy Transfer In End-Capped Pi-Conjugated Systems, Huating Zhang Jan 2007

Development Of Fluorescent Chemosensors Based On Energy Transfer In End-Capped Pi-Conjugated Systems, Huating Zhang

LSU Master's Theses

A novel sensory platform based on conjugated polymer was developed, that consists of a monodispersed oligo(phenylene ethynylene) backbone, end-capped with a terminal alkene for further attachment to a solid surface at one terminus, and an anthracene based receptor group at the other terminus. Energy transfer from backbone to end-cap was observed by absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. Other ongoing projects described herein include the synthesis of longer-chain analogues of the above platform, the synthesis of silica microspheres based conjugated polymer sensory platform and the synthesis of long wavelength (NIR) dye for in vivo amyloid screening studies.


A Microbial Infected In Vitro Wound Model Treated Through Microdialysis, Gina T. Giannini Jan 2007

A Microbial Infected In Vitro Wound Model Treated Through Microdialysis, Gina T. Giannini

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.


Racial Differences In Health Care Utilization Between Older African American And Caucasian Medicare Beneficiaries, Olivio J. Clay Jan 2007

Racial Differences In Health Care Utilization Between Older African American And Caucasian Medicare Beneficiaries, Olivio J. Clay

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.


Admissions Brochure 2007-2008, William & Mary Law School Jan 2007

Admissions Brochure 2007-2008, William & Mary Law School

Admissions Brochures

No abstract provided.


The Black Death And Its Effect On Fourteenth- And Fifteenth-Century Art, Anna Louise Desormeaux Jan 2007

The Black Death And Its Effect On Fourteenth- And Fifteenth-Century Art, Anna Louise Desormeaux

LSU Master's Theses

In early October of 1347, ships from Caffa docked at the port of Messina in Sicily. The traders brought with them a fierce plague that swept through Europe from 1348 to 1352. This pandemic, which killed approximately half of Europe's population, came to be known as the Black Death. The fear propagated by the spread of the plague and its cyclical recurrence greatly affected the art created in Europe over the next 150 years. Accounts of victims of the plague and other contemporary documents, such as medical treatises, give modern readers a glimpse into the psyche of medieval people. These …


Chemical Analysis Of Extracts From Port-Orford Cedar Wood And Bark, Heng Gao Jan 2007

Chemical Analysis Of Extracts From Port-Orford Cedar Wood And Bark, Heng Gao

LSU Master's Theses

This study investigated a Soxhlet extract procedure to separate chemical components in the wood and bark of Port-Orford cedar (POC) (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana). The bio-activities, antioxidant properties, and decay resistance were evaluated. The heartwood extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Three vitro assays including (1) 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH• ) radical scavenging assay, (2) 2,2-azinobis ( 3-ethylbenzothiszoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) radical cation scavenging ability assay, and (3) metal chelating activity assay were carried out to evaluate the antioxidant activity. The total phenol content of the extracts was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method and expressed as Gallic Acid Equivalent …


Spatial And Temporal Distribution Of Solar Radiation In Louisiana, Michael Ulric Kemp Jan 2007

Spatial And Temporal Distribution Of Solar Radiation In Louisiana, Michael Ulric Kemp

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine temporal and spatial trends in surface global horizontal solar radiation in Louisiana using a 30-year dataset (1961-1990) of the four stations in Louisiana from the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRD) and a 6-year dataset (2001-2006) of the 25 stations in the Louisiana Agriclimatic Information System (LAIS). Three of the four NSRD stations exhibit a downward linear trend in surface solar radiation over the 30-year period of record, similar to the global trends uncovered in previous studies. Only one station exhibits a slightly upward trend. Surface solar radiation exhibits a positive correlation with …


Population Change And Social Vulnerability In The Wake Of Disaster: The Case Of Hurricanes Katrina And Rita, Candice A. Myers Jan 2007

Population Change And Social Vulnerability In The Wake Of Disaster: The Case Of Hurricanes Katrina And Rita, Candice A. Myers

LSU Master's Theses

Previous sociological research on natural disasters has highlighted how various dimensions of social vulnerability influence the impact of, and recovery from, such disasters. This research contributes to the literature by examining population change in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, with an explicit focus on how social vulnerability moderates this relationship. Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, I construct a macro-level Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI) for the impacted region and then use regression analysis to explore how various dimensions of social vulnerability are related to population change in the six months following the storms. The results reveal a …


In Vivo Facial Tissue Depth Study Of Chinese-Americans In New York City, Wing Nam Joyce Chan Jan 2007

In Vivo Facial Tissue Depth Study Of Chinese-Americans In New York City, Wing Nam Joyce Chan

LSU Master's Theses

Facial tissue depth measurements are used to create forensic facial reconstructions to aid in human remains identification. Collection of such measurements began in the late nineteenth century with anatomists His, Kollman, and Welcker. Their results were used to bring the rich and famous back to life. In the 1970s, the technique of facial reconstruction was revitalized and incorporated into the forensic science field to aid in human identification. However, certain populations are extremely under-represented. This study collected facial tissue depth information from the adult Chinese-American population in New York City. The study sample included 101 adult Chinese-Americans of varying weights …


Prevalence Of Family History Of Speech-Language Impairment In An African American Sample, Tricia Mccully Rodrigue Jan 2007

Prevalence Of Family History Of Speech-Language Impairment In An African American Sample, Tricia Mccully Rodrigue

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of a positive family history of speech and/or language impairments in an African American sample. The first phase of the study used questionnaires from the primary caregivers of 161 children. The questionnaires allowed for an examination of family history as a function of a child’s socioeconomic level (+/- high school level of maternal education), educational placement (+/- receipt of services by a speech language clinician), and clinical status (+/- profile consistent with a diagnosis of SLI). The second phase of the study included interviews that were collected from 17 families …


The Role Of The Merchant In Bertolt Brecht's The Exception And The Rule: A Production Thesis In Acting, Mark Jaynes Jan 2007

The Role Of The Merchant In Bertolt Brecht's The Exception And The Rule: A Production Thesis In Acting, Mark Jaynes

LSU Master's Theses

The role of the Merchant in Bertolt Brecht’s The Exception and the Rule was selected as the topic of this production thesis in acting to be submitted unto the Graduate School of Louisiana State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation with the Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre. The thesis includes an introduction, a chapter on preparation for the role, a chapter on implementation of the role, a physical score and a conclusion. It details the author’s approach to the role of the Merchant in performance, as well as to the performance theories of Bertolt Brecht …


Intracellular Lipids In Bos Indicus And Box Taurus Oocytes, Casey Bryant Ballard Jan 2007

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.


Level Basin Approaches To Improve Water Management In Surface Irrigation For Northeast Louisiana, Luis R. Ocampo Briceno Jan 2007

Level Basin Approaches To Improve Water Management In Surface Irrigation For Northeast Louisiana, Luis R. Ocampo Briceno

LSU Master's Theses

In the state of Louisiana surface irrigation is widely used due to the low start-up cost, typically high rainfall, and soil conditions. Irrigation scheduling is an important practice to achieve water use efficiency in agriculture. The objectives of this study were to compare three different methods to determine crop evapotranspiration (ETc) for soybeans in addition to, evaluate a computer based irrigation scheduling program using real scale fields. Weather variables, soil moisture and irrigation water use collected during the summer months of 2005 and 2006 at a production agriculture farm in northeast Louisiana were studied. The ETc estimates obtained using atmometers …


Genotypic Variability And Inheritance Of Iron And Zinc In Sweetpotato, Michael William Courtney Jan 2007

Genotypic Variability And Inheritance Of Iron And Zinc In Sweetpotato, Michael William Courtney

LSU Master's Theses

Sweetpotato [Ipomœa batatas (L.) Lam.] is a major subsistence crop in Sub-Saharan Africa, where iron and zinc deficiency in humans is an important health problem. A sweetpotato cultivar suited for subsistence farming, with high iron and zinc concentration, would be important in alleviating these deficiencies. The main objective of this research was to identify the extent of genetic variability of iron and zinc concentration in sweetpotato germplasm. An important subcomponent of this research was to determine the heritability of iron and zinc in sweetpotato. Protocol development studies were also conducted to aid in determining proper sampling technique. The results of …


A Comparison Of Social Skills Profiles In Intellectually Disabled Adults With And Without Asd, Jonathan Wilkins Jan 2007

A Comparison Of Social Skills Profiles In Intellectually Disabled Adults With And Without Asd, Jonathan Wilkins

LSU Master's Theses

Although there has been a recent increase in research directed toward autism spectrum disorders (ASD), the study of intellectually disabled adults with ASD has gone relatively neglected as efforts have focused largely on young children. Current diagnostic and assessment procedures were created for and validated on this latter group. Many intellectually disabled adults with ASD have not been diagnosed due to the novelty of such instruments and the overlap between symptoms of ASD and severe intellectual disability (ID). A new assessment instrument, the Autism Spectrum Disorders-Diagnostic Scale for Intellectually Disabled Adults (ASD-DA) has been shown to make this fine distinction. …


The Effects Of Recq, Uvrd, And Recd Mutants Of Deinococcus Radiodurans On Resistance To Dna Damaging Agents, Stephannie Gauthier Ruiz Jan 2007

The Effects Of Recq, Uvrd, And Recd Mutants Of Deinococcus Radiodurans On Resistance To Dna Damaging Agents, Stephannie Gauthier Ruiz

LSU Master's Theses

The genes encoding the putative nuclease RecD and the helicase RecQ were deleted from Deinococcus radiodurans R1 and replaced with constructs conferring hygromycin or spectinomycin resistance. The ÄrecD and ÄrecQ strains were found to be similar to wild type R1 strain in resistance to gamma irradiation. In contrast to the single mutant strains, the ÄuvrD, ÄrecQ double mutant was found to be extremely radiation sensitive, indicating that these proteins share a complementary activity needed for radioresistance. ÄrecD mutants have higher transformation efficiencies than the wild type R1 strains, suggesting an association of RecD with nucleases that degrade single stranded DNA. …


Reevaluating Age In Subadult Remains In Response To Secular Changes In Skeletal Growth, Katherine Ann Blackwelder Jan 2007

Reevaluating Age In Subadult Remains In Response To Secular Changes In Skeletal Growth, Katherine Ann Blackwelder

LSU Master's Theses

The goal of forensic anthropology is the analysis and identification of human skeletal remains in a medicolegal context (Byers 2005:1-2). A forensic anthropologist can determine the age of subadult remains by various means, including dentition, centers of ossification, cranial suture closure, and epiphyseal union. Epiphyseal union is when all bones have completed their growth and fused, which happens for all bones by early adulthood. In this way, a forensic anthropologist can analyze the extent of epiphyseal union to determine the age of a deceased individual. This is done by comparing the skeletal remains to age-specific x-ray images of bones featured …


Effects Of Predator Activity On The Nesting Of American Black Ducks And Other Birds On Barrier Islands In The Mid-Atlantic Coast, Brian Joseph Arquilla Jan 2007

Effects Of Predator Activity On The Nesting Of American Black Ducks And Other Birds On Barrier Islands In The Mid-Atlantic Coast, Brian Joseph Arquilla

LSU Master's Theses

Landscape change throughout North America has resulted in heightened nest predator population and declining avian productivity. Essential to establishing effective management design is an understanding of differential predation pressure among avian groups as group specific responses to predation impact may exist. The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of predator trapping on the nest success and density of ground nesting avifauna in 2004-2005 in the Virginia Coast Reserve, specifically dabbling ducks, Canada Goose and Willet. Second, we determine the impact of predation on ground nesting birds by relating indices of predator abundance to nest density and nest …


The Effects Of Nitrogen On Sugarcane Sucker Production And Sugar Yield, John Eriton Richard Jan 2007

The Effects Of Nitrogen On Sugarcane Sucker Production And Sugar Yield, John Eriton Richard

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT Sugarcane suckers, otherwise known as bullshoots or water sprouts have been reported in south Louisiana. Suckers are physiologically immature shoots and tend to accumulate less sucrose compared to mature stalks. Suckers may affect productivity by increasing biomass while contributing little to sucrose content. An understanding of the environmental and cultural factors responsible for sugarcane sucker production in Louisiana may provide answers that could be useful in minimizing its negative effect on production. The study objective was to investigate the effects of nitrogen (N) treatments on sugarcane and sugarcane sucker production in variety HoCP 85-845 under Louisiana growing conditions. This …


Direct White Sugar Production: Optimization And Chemical Regeneration Of Fixed-Bed Activated Carbon Adsorbers, Raul Alejandro Cortes Jan 2007

Direct White Sugar Production: Optimization And Chemical Regeneration Of Fixed-Bed Activated Carbon Adsorbers, Raul Alejandro Cortes

LSU Master's Theses

A system for the direct production of white sugar from clarified sugar cane juice in a raw sugar factory has been developed at the Audubon Sugar Institute. This Direct White Sugar Production (DWiSP) system employs a series of columns packed with adsorbent media. Activated carbon is used in the first column(s) as a filter and bulk decolorizer. Ion exchange resins are then used to remove ash and remaining color. Batch testing was performed in order to determine equilibrium parameters. An analytical model was utilized in conjunction with column loading tests to determine dynamic characteristics of the carbon adsorber for use …


Fabrication Of Single Walled Carbon Nanotube (Sw-Cnt) Cantilevers For Chemical Sensing, Jui-Ching Hsu Jan 2007

Fabrication Of Single Walled Carbon Nanotube (Sw-Cnt) Cantilevers For Chemical Sensing, Jui-Ching Hsu

LSU Master's Theses

With the discovery of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), many applications have been implemented based on their unique electronic, mechanical, chemical and optoelectronic properties. One area of applications is in gas sensors for detecting, oxygen, flammable and toxic gases. In our work, the focus is on the fabrication of carbon nanotube (CNT) cantilever sensors for integration with CMOS readout chip which offer increased sensitivity. The higher surface-to-bulk ratio enhances the property and performance of the gas sensor by nanocantilevers. In this work, we present the detection method based on the change in capacitance of the single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) cantilever. Carbon …