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Development Of Novel Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Tandem Mass Spectrometry Approaches For The Structural Characterization Of Brevetoxins Including In Vitro Metabolites, Weiqun Wang

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Brevetoxins are natural neurotoxins that are produced by “red tide” algae. In this study, brevetoxin-1 and brevetoxin-2 were incubated with rat liver hepatocytes and rat liver microsomes, respectively. After clean-up steps, samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-ES-MS). Two metabolites were found for brevetoxin-1: brevetoxin-1-M1 (MW 900 Da), formed by converting one double bond in the E or F ring into a diol; and brevetoxin-1-M2 (MW 884 Da), a hydrolysis product of brevetoxin-1 involving opening of the lactone ring. The incubation study of brevetoxin-2 found two metabolites. Brevetoxin-2-M1 (MW 912 Da) was elucidated by negative mode LC-MS/MS to …

Natural History Of The Pichi (Zaedyus Pichiy) In Mendoza Province, Argentina, Mariella Superina

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The pichi Zaedyus pichiy (Xenarthra, Dasypodidae) is a poorly known, diurnal armadillo inhabiting arid and semi-arid regions of Argentina and Chile that has endured substantial population declines. My objective was to elucidate different aspects of the natural history of Z. pichiy as a first step towards establishing a conservation plan. Wild and captive pichis were studied. Body temperature of wild pichis averaged 35.2±1.2 °C and was highly variable (range 32.2 – 38.3 °C). Temperature measurements of semi-captive males showed that pichis can survive energetically challenging periods by entering hibernation or daily torpor. Stomach contents of poached animals revealed that pichis …

Scenic Design For An Original Script: Dinner With The Louminauts, Jessica Diane Cook

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the process for the scene design for the production of Dinner with the Louminauts by Jason Cutler. The University of New Orleans produced the show in the Fall of 2006. My graduate committee chose this project for me as partial fulfillment of my Masters of Fine Arts degree. This paper will serve as a record of the process, execution, and response of the scene design for this production. The text will be accompanied by all of my research, renderings, draftings, and other supporting materials that are applicable to the design process.

Language Dysfunction In Traumatic Brain Injury While Controlling For Effort, Matthew T. Heinly

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The present study included three traumatic brain injury (TBI) groups (good effort mild TBI, poor effort mild TBI, and good effort moderate/severe TBI) and two neurologic control groups (dementia and unilateral left hemisphere stroke). Language impairment was examined using the following measures: Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III Verbal Comprehension Index and the Vocabulary, Similarities, Information, and Comprehension subtests; the Boston Naming Test; the Phonemic and Semantic cue conditions of the Controlled Oral Word Association Test; the Auditory Comprehension subtest of the Cognistat; Wide Range Achievement Test-3 Reading subtest; and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. When effort was controlled, there was a …

Synthesis Of Novel Chiral Heterocyclic Compounds For Antibacterial Agents And Peptidomimetics, Jean-Rene Ella-Menye

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Small chiral molecules are very important building blocks in the synthesis of biologically active compounds. These building blocks include nitrogen and oxygen-containing heterocycles such as 2-oxazolidinones, 1,3-oxazinan-2-ones, 2-oxazolines, oxazines, morpholine and morpholinones. Because of their interesting properties, chiral heterocycles have stirred great interest in the synthetic chemist community to develop useful and efficient strategies to these molecules. In this dissertation, the design and syntheses of various heterocyclic building blocks are presented, as well as the testing of their biological activities as antibacterial. Another very interesting family of heterocycle-containing molecules are the Aeruginosins. They are a family of marine natural products …

Feminist Perspectives On Liberation And Exploitation: A Phenomenological Study Of Performance, Nicole D. Troxell

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This paper describes the experiences of exploitation and liberation for neo burlesque performers using feminist theory as the context for analysis. The project had the following goals: to identify using phenomenology, the essence of new burlesque participant experiences, to analyze those experiences using feminist theories of exploitation and liberation regarding sex work, to compare burlesque to stripping, and to compare new burlesque to classic burlesque for understanding how burlesque is different today. To obtain these goals, participant observations were done of neo burlesque shows and neo burlesque performers agreed to an interview in which questions were asked that highlight their …

Assessment Of Growth Response And Patterns Of Biomass Allocation By Panicum Hemitomon Schultes: Implications For Thick-Mat Floating Marsh Creation And Restoration, C. Ellery Mayence

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

I carried out several large, manipulative greenhouse and controlled-setting experiments to elucidate Panicum hemitomon growth response as influenced by environmental conditions associated with restoring thick-mat floating marsh. Initially, Panicum hemitomon growth response was assessed in conjunction with manipulated nutrient availability and hydrology. Next, I assessed Panicum hemitomon growth response in conjunction with a suite of substrate and mat or containment materials. Finally, I evaluated Panicum hemitomon growth response, as well as overall created floating marsh vegetated development, using both a multi-species planting approach and a suite of Panicum hemitomon establishment techniques. All partitions of Panicum hemitomon biomass (shoot, rhizome, and …

Short And Long-Term Changes In The Fish Assemblages Of Bayou Lacombe, Louisiana, Jeffrey M. Van Vrancken

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Over the past thirty-five years, anthropogenic disturbances around Bayou Lacombe have altered its fish assemblage. In 2005, the impact of Hurricane Katrina on southeast Louisiana presented me with a unique opportunity to explore the effects of a catastrophic storm on the Bayou. I explored the effects of natural and human disturbances on the Bayou's fish assemblage by electrofishing six historically sampled stations. My research goals were to determine: 1) which Bayou Lacombe fish assemblages were most resilient to the multiple effects of Hurricane Katrina, 2) if there were significant differences in the Bayou's fish assemblages over the past 35 years …

Characterization Of Enzymes Involved In Bilin Attachment To Allophycocyanin In The Cyanobacterium Synechococcus Sp. Pcc 7002, Shervonda Williams

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research is to identify and characterize enzymes involved in bilin attachment to the phycobiliprotein allophycocyanin in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002. Candidates for lyases responsible for attachment of phycocyanobilin to allophycocyanin are two cpeS-like genes termed cpcS and cpcU, and one cpeT-like gene termed cpcT. In vitro bilin attachment reactions were conducted in the presence of the recombinant substrate apo-allophycocyanin (HT-ApcAB). Size exclusion HPLC showed that CpcS and HT-CpcU form a 1:1 heterodimeric complex and that HT-ApcAB is present as a monomer (áâ). Absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy illustrated that both CpcS and HT-CpcU were required …

Climate Change And The Great Plague Pandemics Of History: Causal Link Between Global Climate Fluctuations And Yersinia Pestis Contagion?, Richard Christian Bilich

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The two great bubonic plague outbreaks of history, Justinian's Plague and the Black Death were responsible for the deaths of over one hundred million individuals across Eurasia and Africa. Both occurrences of the plague coincided with climatic shifts that are well documented by both literary and physical evidence. This thesis explores the possibility that both Justinian's Plague and the Black Death were precipitated by climatic shifts preceding their respective eras and that these changes also contributed to disappearance of each pandemic. A scientific analysis investigating the climatic changes including the anomalous weather of 535-536 A.D., the Medieval Warm Period, and …

Geomorphic History Of The Atchafalaya Backwater Area: Upper Deltaic Plain Development, Louis D. Britsch

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Earlier researchers have produced conceptual models of Mississippi River delta plain development which divide the deltaic plain into upper and lower reaches. The upper deltaic plain has been described as an area composed mainly of lacustrine, lacustrine delta, backswamp, and crevasse channels, with minimal distributary development. The lower deltaic plain is characterized by numerous distributaries forming distributary systems and lobes. Detailed geomorphic mapping and chronologic reconstruction within the Atchafalaya Backwater Area of the upper deltaic plain of the Mississippi River has led to the recognition of a complex network of distributary development related to three distinct distributary systems that formed …

Women And The Men Who Oppress Them: Ideologies And Protests Of Redstockings, New York Radical Feminists, And Cell 16., Meggin L. Schaaf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The American civil rights movement created a ready environment in which exploited people protested their social status and demanded change. Among the forefront, women contended against their male oppressors and demanded autonomy. Ultimately, however, women disagreed amongst themselves regarding the severity of their oppression and the ideal route to implement change. Thereafter, radical feminism became a strong force within the women's liberation movement. Group members denied that capitalism oppressed women, and countered that women's status as a sex-class remained the essential component in their subjugation. To obtain true freedom, women had to reject the deeply ingrained social expectations. As radical …

Evidence Of Ecological Speciation In Phacelia., Pamela Michele Glass

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phacelia purshii Buckley and P. fimbriata Micheaux are two species that are nearly morphologically indistinguishable. Seed germination experiments showed that the high elevation endemic, P. fimbriata requires lower temperatures to trigger germination. Following interspecific crosses, pollen tubes enter ovules and maternal tissue of the gynoecium matures but hybrid diploid and triploid organs fail to develop. DNA sequences from the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed region showed that P. fimbriata and P. purshii comprise a monophyletic clade but that P. fimbriata is more differentiated from related species. In contrast, P. purshii supported significantly higher levels of intraspecific polymorphism. Phacelia fimbriata and P. …

My Journey Home: A Study In Hand-Felted Wool., Ashleigh Robertson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is a supporting paper for a Master of Arts Graduate Exhibition entitled My Journey Home: A Study in Hand-Felted Wool, held at Slocumb Galleries October 30 through November 3, 2006. The work in the exhibition represents a concentrated study in the graduate program in Fiber Art at East Tennessee State University. My artwork is an expression of my feelings and emotions toward my family, particularly the women in my family.

The paper begins with an introduction detailing my artistic research and culminates with a reflection of the work shown in the exhibition. The cultural and historical influences that shaped …

I Think I Can: Identity And Social Experiences Of Adolescents With Physical Disabilities., Amy Sorensen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An online survey was completed by 40 adolescents and young adults (ages 12 to 22) with physical disabilities for the purpose of exploring their social experiences. The survey focuses on key variables associated with individual identity, group identity, social relationships and activities, and future aspirations. Positive outcome variables were explored including: self-esteem, self-efficacy, body satisfaction, cultural identity, relationship quality, activity participation, and future orientation. Independent variables included sex, population size, ability level, and proximity to disability. Ability level proved to be the most predictive of positive outcomes. Sex, population size, and proximity to disability exhibited small associations to some of …

The Isolation And Characterization Of The Microbial Flora In The Alimentary Canal Of Gromphadorhina Portentosa Based On Rdna Sequences., Amy Renee Robertson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Multicellular organisms are not single individuals but carry a complex natural microflora with them. This complex's diversity and function can be considered a distinct ecosystem. Traditional methods of isolation and identification miss >90% of the actual diversity. This study uses the gut microflora of the Madagascar hissing roach, Gromphadorhina portentosa, as a model to examine this ecosystem. Isolated cultured bacteria were used to establish methods for identifying members of the microflora based on ribosomal RNA sequences. Universal primers for Eubacterial, Archaeal, and Eukaryotic 16s/18s rRNA were then used for PCR amplification of total DNA isolated from gut contents. Sequences …

Antibiotics That Inhibit 30s Or 50s Ribosomal Subunit Formation: Hygromycin B, Quinupristin-Dalfopristin And Xrp 2868., Susan Mabe Mcgaha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Several antibiotics that prevent translation by binding to ribosomal subunits have been shown to also inhibit ribosomal subunit assembly (Champney and Tober 2003). The aminoglycoside hygromycin B was examined in Escherichia coli cells for inhibitory effects on translation and ribosomal subunit assembly. The streptogramin antibiotics quinupristin-dalfopristin and XRP 2868 (NXL 103) were examined for similar effects on these 2 cellular functions in antibiotic-resistant strains of Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Pulse chase experiments were performed which verified slower rates of ribosomal subunit formation in drug treated cells. Hygromycin B exhibited a concentration dependent inhibitory effect …

Stink Bugs On Grain Sorghum In Mississippi: Ecological Relationships With Host Plants And Crop Planting Dates And Crop Damage, Mario Ernesto Parada Jaco

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine infestation levels of southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.), and green stink bug, Acrosternum hilare (Say), on host plants including corn, cotton, soybean, sorghum, and non-crop vegetation in a multicrop ecosystem. Stink bug infestations responsible for crop damage on vegetative and panicle stages of grain sorghum planted on different dates were also investigated. Both N. viridula and A. hilare appeared to establish a first generation on non-crop grasses surrounding cultivated fields and then moved to soybean or cotton to begin a second generation. These stink bugs did not appear to be attracted to …

Fuzzy Logic Techniques Applied To A Switchgrass Ecological Site Suitability Model For The State Of Mississippi, Michele Louise Maxson

Theses and Dissertations

Fuzzy logic provides a natural way of dealing with models that require the modeler or user to interpret linguistic variables in order to make a decision. This study focuses on employing fuzzy logic methodologies in order to create an Alamo switchgrass ecological site suitability map for the state of Mississippi. The inputs in the model are available water content (AWC), slope, pH, drainage, color, and texture. All variables were examined through the fist six inches (15cm) of soil. These six variables were assigned fuzzy restrictions based on expert knowledge from plant and soil scientists, combined using the fuzzy additive weighting …

Effects Of Soil Region, Litter Size, And Gender On Morphometrics Of White-Tailed Deer Fawns, Amy Castle Blaylock

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research documented that white-tailed deer body mass and antler size varied across physiographic regions of Mississippi. Deer from regions with greater soil fertility had greater body mass and antler size; however, this information is known only for individuals 6 months of age and older. I monitored birth mass and skeletal size of fawns produced by bred, adult, female white-tailed deer transplanted from the Delta, Thin Loess (Loess), and Lower Coastal Plain (LCP) soil regions to fawn in the Mississippi State University Rusty Dawkins Memorial Deer Unit. I evaluated the effect of soil region of origin, litter size, and fawn …

Effects Of Time Specific F-Strain Mycoplasma Gallisepticum Inoculation Overlays On Pre-Lay Ts-11-Strain Mycoplasma Gallisepticum Inoculation On Performance, Egg, Blood, And Visceral Characteristics Of Commercial Egg Laying Hens, Elizabeth Anne Middleton Vance

Theses and Dissertations

Vaccination programs using live whole cell vaccines are presently being used to control outbreaks and to help protect flocks from field strains of Mycoplasma gallisepticum. The primary goal of the present study was to investigate the effects of a ts11-strain M. gallisepticum inoculation alone, and in conjunction with F-strain M. gallisepticum overlays at 22 or 45 weeks of age during lay. In this study, it was shown that a pre-lay ts11 vaccination had a broad range effect on the physiology of the commercial layer without affecting overall performance. The timing of an overlay vaccination using F-strain M. gallisepticum during lay …

Biomechanical And Molecular Characteristics Of 'Hyperelastosis Cutis' In Quarter Horses, Jesse Glennan Grady

Theses and Dissertations

The biomechanical and molecular characteristics of equine hyperelastosis cutis (HC) are not fully known. This study sought to better characterize HC by analysis of ultimate tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, toughness, and thickness of skin from 23 affected and unaffected horses. In addition total soluble collagen and glycosaminoglycan concentrations of skin were analyzed from 26 affected and unaffected horses. Affected horses' skin proved to be significantly weaker at five of seven sample locations (p<=0.05). The modulus of elasticity proved to be significantly different at three of seven sample locations and toughness at two of seven locations (p<=0.05). No significant difference was proven to exist between HC affected and unaffected horses for skin thickness or total soluble collagen and GAG concentrations. Collectively this data demonstrates that HC animals' reduced skin tensile strength is not due to a deficit of either collagen or GAG, but likely a result of altered collagen micro-architecture.

Birds And Small Mammals, Intensively Established Pine Plantations, And Landscape Metrics Of The Coastal Plain, Brice Bond Hanberry

Theses and Dissertations

I evaluated effects of 5 treatments for pine plantation establishment on breeding and wintering birds and small mammals during years one through 5 post-treatment in the Lower Coastal Plain of Mississippi. I modeled relationships between 8 vegetation variables and avian abundance to identify influential habitat components in pine plantations. At the landscape scale, I compared avian abundance of regionally important species with land class variables in the Coastal Plain of Georgia. In pine plantations, species richness, total abundance, and 2 conservation bird metrics generally decreased with increasing intensity of stand establishment. Thus, this study suggests that increasing standmestablishment intensity can …

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Infections Affect Professional Antigen Presentation In Bovine Monocytes, Sang-Ryul Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Monocytes are professional antigen presenting cells (APC). They serve as precursors of macrophages and dendritic cells (DC). We have used cytopathic (cp) and non-cytopathic (ncp) Bovine Viral Diarrhea Viruses (BVDV) to determine the genes and proteins expression levels in bovine monocytes. Four specific aims were accomplished in this study. The first aim was to assess the baseline expression of the proteins involved in professional antigen presentation in bovine monocytes. The results showed that the differential detergent fractionation (DDF) approach can provide interpretable and meaningful functional information in bovine monocytes. The second aim was to evaluate the role of in vitro …

Adjuvant Effects On Herbicide Absorption And Translocation, Darrin Matthew Dodds

Theses and Dissertations

Bispyribac-sodium is an acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibiting herbicide introduced for control of grasses, broadleaves, and sedges in rice and turf. However, Mississippi and Arkansas rice producers have reported inconsistent barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli Beauv.) control with bispyribac-sodium. Experiments were conducted to determine if inconsistent barnyardgrass control with bispyribac-sodium could be alleviated through adjuvant technology. Absorption of 14C-bispyribac-sodium was greatest with a proprietary blend of methylated seed oil/organosilicone (MSO/OSL) (0.37 L ha-1) plus urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) (2% v/v) and the proprietary blend of MSO/OSL/UAN (2% v/v) at 80 and 74% of applied 14C-bispyribac-sodium, respectively. The addition of 32% UAN to MSO/OSL …

Demonstration Of Scale-Down Dynamic Light Scattering And Determination Of Osmotic Second Virial Coefficients For Proteins, Arun Kumar Parupudi

Theses and Dissertations

Protein aggregation is a phenomenon that plays a major role in protein crystallization and in protein formulation. In protein crystallization, aggregation is the prerequisite step; however, in protein formulation it has to be suppressed to assure therapeutic efficiency of the product. Light scattering techniques are the most promising methods to study the hydrodynamic properties of macromolecular solutions, which directly measures protein aggregation. Unfortunately, the normal dynamic light scattering technique is regarded as expensive because of the amount of protein used for these experiments. In order to address this problem, a scale down dynamic light scattering device has been designed. The …

"W"- Men: Male Nurses' Negotiation Of Masculinity In A Predominantly Female Profession, Deborah Yoder (Deborah Jane Yoder) Miranda

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explores male nurses’ negotiation of masculine gender identities in the nontraditional work of registered nursing. Few registered nurses in the United States are men, and men leave the profession within the first four years after graduation at twice the rate of women. This study builds on previous work by seeking to understand why male nursing graduates of an institution formerly for women only, made the decision to become nurses, how they decided to attend a women’s college over a more gender balanced campus experience, and in what ways they negotiate gender identities in the configuration of nursing …

A Multi-Scale Approach To Evaluate The Effect Of The Invasive Aquatic Plant Hydrilla (Hydrilla Verticillata) On Littoral Zone Habitat Of Juvenile Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides), Alexander James Perret

Theses and Dissertations

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the hypothesis that exotic macrophytes alter littoral zone habitat and impact fish that inhabit these areas. The pond experiment was conducted to explore impacts of exotic invasive plants on growth and condition of juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). The second experiment was conducted at a smaller scale in aquaria to simulate an invasion of hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) and its influence on juvenile bass foraging. Fish experienced slower growth in the hydrilla treatment than in the diverse, and the ability of bass to capture prey fish was impeded in hydrilla. Juvenile bass growth decreased in …

Influence Of Habitat Associations And Distance From Low-Order Streams On Amphibian And Reptile Communities On Public Lands In East-Central Mississippi, Sarah Louise Gallagher

Theses and Dissertations

This project evaluated the influence of habitat parameters and distance from low-order streams on herpetofauna communities, in addition to evaluating the efficacy of 2 sampling methods. Amphibians were associated with mature hardwood forests with high density of large, highly decayed woody debris. Reptiles were associated with mixed pine-hardwood forests, woody debris, and vertical canopy structure. Overall, woody debris was an important habitat feature for amphibians and reptiles. Amphibians were detected in greater abundance and species richness near the stream. Reptiles were similar in abundance and species richness as distance increased from low-order streams. I recommend a SMZ width ¡Ý50 m …

Integrated Management Tactics For The Control Of Cogongrass [Imperata Cylindrica (L.) Beauv.], Matthew Thomas Myers

Theses and Dissertations

Cogongrass has become a major problem in many parts of the southern United States for several years. Hundreds of studies have been conducted upon this species with varying results. Management of cogongrass can be grouped into five major areas of control: preventive, cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical. Each of these methods provides a certain level of control, but an integrated management strategy is the key to success. Three field studies were conducted from 2004 to 2006 in southern Mississippi to evaluate the most effective integrated management programs for cogongrass control. Results indicated that foliage removal either by fire or mowing …