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2009

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Impact Of Endorser And Message Appeal On The Success Of An Online Aids Psa, Arti Kulkarni Jan 2009

Impact Of Endorser And Message Appeal On The Success Of An Online Aids Psa, Arti Kulkarni

LSU Master's Theses

This exploratory study investigated the impact of endorser type and message appeal on the success of an online AIDS public service announcement (PSA). The research sought to determine the main effects and interaction effects of endorser and message appeal on the measures of PSAs effectiveness (recall, recognition, attitudinal and behavioral). In order to achieve this goal, the research conducted a 3 X 2 factorial design experiment that manipulated three types of endorsers (celebrity, expert, and typical person) and two types of message appeals (emotional and rational) in the PSA. The researcher expected the expert endorser would be more effective than …

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Characterization Of The Common Eland (Taurotragus Oryx) Estrous Cycle, Parker M. Pennington Jan 2009

Characterization Of The Common Eland (Taurotragus Oryx) Estrous Cycle, Parker M. Pennington

LSU Master's Theses

Three oryx species and nine of eighteen antelope species across three tribes are considered endangered by the IUCN. Though the common eland (Taurotragus oryx) is not endangered, it lends itself well to the adaption of domestic assisted reproductive techniques due to its large size and calm temperament (Hansen et al., 1985). For these techniques to be used efficiently however, the details of the estrous cycle need to be defined within this and other species. Previously, Nowak (1999) proposed the eland estrous cycle to be ~21 days. In addition to cycle length, specifics of the estrous cycle have yet to be …

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A Modular Approach To High Throughput Microsystems, Pin-Chuan Chen Jan 2009

A Modular Approach To High Throughput Microsystems, Pin-Chuan Chen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A modular high throughput microsystem was developed using microfabrication technology and nucleic acid analysis. The purpose of developing this microsystem is to identify acute infectious disease and prevent contagious outbreak in a matter of time. This microsystem included three major components, a reagent distribution device, a 96 CFPCR array, and a multi-zone thermal system, to efficiently amplify specific DNA fragments to determine the disease status or precisely pinpoint a disease from multiple patients. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the key component in the nucleic acid analysis for disease because it can be used to amplify interested DNA fragments by repeatedly …

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Effects Of Network Capital And Social Support On Mental Health By Race And Class, Claire Norris Jan 2009

Effects Of Network Capital And Social Support On Mental Health By Race And Class, Claire Norris

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigates race and class differences in the stress-support-distress process. Incorporating the social support strand of network analysis in the stress-support-distress model allows social support theorists to understand better what network sectors enhance/restrict access to such resources as social support and, in turn, affect such outcomes as mental health. I used data collected in a 2003 study of residents in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, to construct measures used in my analyses. Using independent samples t-test and ordinary least squares regressions, I addressed five general research questions: (1) whether and how there are variations in network capital forms – the structure …

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Dynamical Investigation Of A Manned Capsule/Tether Re-Entry System, Jeffrey Alan Kornuta Jan 2009

Dynamical Investigation Of A Manned Capsule/Tether Re-Entry System, Jeffrey Alan Kornuta

LSU Master's Theses

The use of tethers in space has an exciting promise in future astronautical applications, with the possibility of providing more sophisticated functionality to satellites and spacecraft. Some of these applications include adjoining satellites, creating microgravity environments, generating power, and transferring momentum between spacecraft. The focus of this project is to investigate the possible reduction in convective heat flux and temperatures on a manned capsule as a result of re-entry with an attached momentum exchange tether, including how various tether parameters affect these results. Using a “bottom-up” approach by modeling the system as a series of lumped masses and rigid rods …

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Computational Studies Of The Properties Of Copper Oxide Clusters And The Reactions Of Phenol And Chlorinated Phenols With Copper Oxide Clusters, Gyun-Tack Bae Jan 2009

Computational Studies Of The Properties Of Copper Oxide Clusters And The Reactions Of Phenol And Chlorinated Phenols With Copper Oxide Clusters, Gyun-Tack Bae

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

We used ab initio simulations and calculations to study the structures and stabilities of copper oxide clusters, CunOn (n=1-8) and CuOn (n=1-6). The lowest energy structures of neutral and charged copper oxide clusters were determined using primarily the B3LYP/LANL2DZ model chemistry. In CunOn clusters with n=1-8, a transition from planar to nonplanar geometries occurs at n=4. In CuOn clusters with n=1-6, all geometries of neutral, positively, and negatively charged clusters are planar or near planar structures. Selected electronic properties, including binding energies, ionization energies, and electronic affinities, were calculated and examined as a function of n. Stabilities were examined by …

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Resiliency Of New Orleans Following Hurricane Katrina: A Study Of Communities Three Years After The Storm, Lauren Marie Defrank Jan 2009

Resiliency Of New Orleans Following Hurricane Katrina: A Study Of Communities Three Years After The Storm, Lauren Marie Defrank

LSU Master's Theses

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina and subsequent levee failures produced widespread flooding in New Orleans, Louisiana and forced the evacuation of most of the local population. This event allowed for the study of the community’s resilience, or the ability of a system to absorb changes or perturbations and still function. Statistical analysis and case studies were used to study resilience and answer the following questions. Can natural community recovery models be used when evaluating the population recovery of a human community following a disturbance? Given that there are variations in population recovery patterns, what factors account for this difference in recovery? …

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Enhancing Reductive Dechlorination Of Chlorinated Ethenes And Ethanes In A Natural Treatment System, Caroline Burda Jan 2009

Enhancing Reductive Dechlorination Of Chlorinated Ethenes And Ethanes In A Natural Treatment System, Caroline Burda

LSU Master's Theses

Chlorinated solvent contamination continues to plague sites around the world. In many cases, lower chlorinated daughter products build up and remain in ground waters and soils. A Bio-Filter/Phytobed (BFP) system has been developed to replace a traditional pump and treat technology currently operating at the ReSolve Superfund site in North Dartmouth, MA. Pilot scale testing at the facility displayed a significant acclimation period prior to microbial dechlorination, as well as delayed degradation of chlorinated ethanes. Microcosm studies suggest that acidic conditions, possibly created by the peat mixture used to construct the bio-filter, inhibited bacterial growth. The neutralization of trench pH …

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Benthic Microalgae On The Louisiana Inner Continental Shelf: Biomass, Distribution, And Contribution To Benthic Food-Webs, Mark Alan Grippo Jan 2009

Benthic Microalgae On The Louisiana Inner Continental Shelf: Biomass, Distribution, And Contribution To Benthic Food-Webs, Mark Alan Grippo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Phytoplankton and benthic microalgae (BMA) may both contribute to the sediment organic matter pool available to benthic consumers. Recent studies have highlighted the presence and ecological roles of benthic microalgae (BMA) on the continental shelf but studies from the north-central Gulf of Mexico are limited. Here we use photosynthetic pigment analysis and microscopic examination of sediment microalgae to investigate how the biomass, composition, and degradation state of sediment-associated microalgae varies along the Louisiana inner shelf across a continuum of water column and sediment conditions. The contribution of microalgae to higher trophic levels was also examined. Three sandy shoals and surrounding …

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The Desegregation Of New Orleans Public And Roman Catholic Schools In New Orleans, 1950-1962, Kristina D. Mckenzie Jan 2009

The Desegregation Of New Orleans Public And Roman Catholic Schools In New Orleans, 1950-1962, Kristina D. Mckenzie

LSU Master's Theses

New Orleans has recently been called a “chocolate city” by its mayor. It is a curious choice of words, but resonates with anyone who knows anything about New Orleans, a city heavily populated by African Americans. The city is crime ridden and poor; consequently, New Orleans is ranked near the bottom in terms of education. Why does the city’s population remain uneducated? It would be presumptuous to suggest that there is only one reason; there are several. However, one of the most obvious reasons is the utter failure of desegregation in the city. New Orleans has always experienced atypical race …

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The Agricultural Industry As Percieved By Members Of The General Public Of Louisiana, Julie Baker Richard Jan 2009

The Agricultural Industry As Percieved By Members Of The General Public Of Louisiana, Julie Baker Richard

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge and perceptions of the animal, plant, environmental, and food sciences by the adult residents of Louisiana. This study was conducted using a survey research design. This survey utilized random telephone dialing techniques in order to survey 547 residents of Louisiana. The survey instrument consisted of fifty-five questions divided into three sections: demographic characteristics, agriculture knowledge, and perception of agriculture. The overall mean agriculture knowledge score of adult residents of Louisiana for the twenty items included in the survey instrument equaled 13.60 (SD = 2.743) or 68%. Perceptions of agriculture results …

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Psychopathology In Person With And Without Co-Morbid Autism, Martin Nicholas Ancona Jan 2009

Psychopathology In Person With And Without Co-Morbid Autism, Martin Nicholas Ancona

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Autism and intellectual disability are frequently co-occurring. In addition, a diagnosis of mild, moderate, severe, or profound intellectual disability increases the risk for co-occurring Axis I psychiatric disorders. This study utilized multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) to determine whether mean differences exist across three diagnostic groups: ID only, ID and autism, and ID and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) on the linear combination of subscales present on the Diagnostic Assessment of the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II), a psychometrically sound measure that assesses psychopathology in those with ID. The results of this study supported an association between the presence of …

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Religiosity And Chinese Immigrants' Marriage, Yaxin Lu Jan 2009

Religiosity And Chinese Immigrants' Marriage, Yaxin Lu

LSU Master's Theses

The existing literature on religion and family indicates that religious beliefs and practices are correlated with various aspects of marriage and family life. Chinese immigrants are an important part of the U.S. population. However, very little is known about the relationship between religion and marriage for Chinese immigrants. The purpose of the study is to examine the relationship between Christianity and marriage in Chinese immigrant families based on in-depth qualitative interviews. Sixteen highly religious Chinese Christian couples were interviewed to examine how religious faith influenced their perceptions of marriage and family life. Most of the participants in this study held …

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Mathematics Grade 8 Leap Scores: A Predictor Of Student Success In Dimensional Analysis?, Martha Lauren Baggett Jan 2009

Mathematics Grade 8 Leap Scores: A Predictor Of Student Success In Dimensional Analysis?, Martha Lauren Baggett

LSU Master's Theses

This study investigates whether the Mathematics Grade 8 LEAP score can be used to predict student success in a key concept of chemistry, dimensional analysis. Mathematics Grade 8 LEAP scores of 106 ninth grade students enrolled in physical science during the 2008-09 school year were tested for correlations with student performance on a pre-test of dimensional analysis, a post-test of dimensional analysis, and student learning gain. Significant, positive correlations were observed between the Mathematics Grade 8 LEAP scores and the pre-test scores of dimensional analysis scores, the post-test scores of dimensional analysis scores, and the dimensional analysis student learning gain. …

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The Efficacy Of Positive Peer Reporting Procedures For Use With Neglected-Status Students In General Education Classrooms, Lisa Libster Jan 2009

The Efficacy Of Positive Peer Reporting Procedures For Use With Neglected-Status Students In General Education Classrooms, Lisa Libster

LSU Master's Theses

Children who are neglected or rejected by their peers may require social skill interventions in order to develop the social competencies needed to establish satisfactory interpersonal relationships. One promising social skill intervention is Positive Peer Reporting, which has been shown to produce increases in positive social interaction and peer acceptance for these groups of children. As most previous investigations were conducted in residential or special education settings, further research is needed to support the use of this intervention in general education settings. Therefore, the present study examined the efficacy of Positive Peer Reporting with two neglected-status children in general education …

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A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Two Alternative Instructional Strategies For Teaching Basic Construction Surveying Concepts, Gabriel N. Trahan Jr. Jan 2009

A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Two Alternative Instructional Strategies For Teaching Basic Construction Surveying Concepts, Gabriel N. Trahan Jr.

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this experiment was to compare the effectiveness of two alternative instructional strategies for teaching basic construction surveying concepts. The basic concepts of construction surveying, office, field, angles, distance and elevation must be thoroughly understood before complex construction surveying applications can be performed. Instruction in applied science courses such as construction surveying is constantly being impacted by advances in technology. Technological developments require an evolving pedagogy incorporating change while maintaining the integral basics. The dynamics of change require an instructor to maintain basic construction surveying concepts consideration while developing authentic experiences which can be incorporated into the new …

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Particle-Chemical Interactions And Environmental Chemodynamics Of Fine And Ultrafine Particles In A Natural Disaster Scenario, Nicholas A. Ashley Jan 2009

Particle-Chemical Interactions And Environmental Chemodynamics Of Fine And Ultrafine Particles In A Natural Disaster Scenario, Nicholas A. Ashley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The interactions of fine and ultrafine particles with chemicals play a dominant role in determining the mobility and availability of pollutants in the environment. Fine particles in sediments can sequester chemicals from the water column, and release volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds to the gas phase upon exposure to air. Ultrafine particles which are photoreactive can degrade these vapor-phase contaminants, and may transform the molecules into species which are more toxic or hazardous than the parent. As the widespread, commercial use of ultrafine particles becomes more common, understanding the chemodynamics of these particles and their interactions with chemicals in the …

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Prioritization Of Safety Countermeasures For The State Of Louisiana Using Fuzzy Inference Systems, Meisam Akbarzadeh Jan 2009

Prioritization Of Safety Countermeasures For The State Of Louisiana Using Fuzzy Inference Systems, Meisam Akbarzadeh

LSU Master's Theses

In this study a fuzzy inference system is proposed for prioritization of countermeasures aimed at improving safety in the state of Louisiana. Countermeasures are prioritized based on their collective performance on cost, expected crash reduction and the severity of the problem they address. These three decision parameters can have six permutations in terms of their relative importance in decision making. In order to make the prioritization procedure handier for decision makers, the inference system is capable of being run under all six possible cases. Current safety standards influence the importance attached to crash reduction performance and severity of the problem …

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Examining The Influence Of Popular Music And Poetry Therapy On The Development Of Therapeutic Factors In Groups With At-Risk Adolsecents, Leah Olson-Mcbride Jan 2009

Examining The Influence Of Popular Music And Poetry Therapy On The Development Of Therapeutic Factors In Groups With At-Risk Adolsecents, Leah Olson-Mcbride

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, music and poetry were combined to form a client-centered therapeutic approach to group psychotherapy with at-risk youth that encourages connection, communication, and self-expression. This specialized poetry therapy intervention utilizes popular music and creative writing activities to facilitate group discussion about feelings, life experiences, goals, and values. The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of such an intervention on group formation and development, with a specific focus on the development of factors, such as self-disclosure, which contribute to therapeutic change over the course of the intervention. A multiple embedded case study approach was utilized to …

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Nutrient And Sediment Losses From Surface Runoff During Bermudagrass (Cynodon Dactylon L.) Establishment On A Levee Embankment, Robert Wilson Burwell, Jr. Jan 2009

Nutrient And Sediment Losses From Surface Runoff During Bermudagrass (Cynodon Dactylon L.) Establishment On A Levee Embankment, Robert Wilson Burwell, Jr.

LSU Master's Theses

Fertilizer applications to newly constructed levee embankments during soft armor establishment may pose an increased threat to water quality. Potential nutrient and sediment loading can impact human and aquatic organisms that rely on water resources. The objectives of this study were to 1) determine the effect of grass coverage on surface runoff 2) evaluate bermudagrass establishment between water-soluble and insoluble N sources and 3) quantify nutrient and sediment losses from surface runoff during grass establishment. In 2008, fertilizer treatments consisted of sulfur-coated urea (SCU) or urea applied at 50 kg ha-1 to runoff collection trays installed on a 30% sloped …

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Task Scheduling And Placement For Reconfigurable Devices, Mostafa Elbidweihy Jan 2009

Task Scheduling And Placement For Reconfigurable Devices, Mostafa Elbidweihy

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Partially reconfigurable devices allow the execution of different tasks at the same time, removing tasks when they finish and inserting new tasks when they arrive. This dissertation investigates scheduling and placing real-time tasks (tasks with deadline) on reconfigurable devices. One basic scheduler is the First-Fit scheduler. By allowing the First-Fit scheduler to retry tasks while they can satisfy their deadlines, we found that its performance can be enhanced to be better than other schedulers. We also proposed a placement idea based on partitioning the reconfigurable area into regions of various widths, assigning a task to a region based on its …

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The Fate And Transport Of Light Petroleum Hydrocarbons In The Lower Mississippi River Delta, Samantha Nicole Danchuk Jan 2009

The Fate And Transport Of Light Petroleum Hydrocarbons In The Lower Mississippi River Delta, Samantha Nicole Danchuk

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Important processes governing the fate and transport of light petroleum hydrocarbons in the Lower Mississippi River and other river delta systems are not adequately represented in existing oil spill models. In response, three methods were introduced to include the effects of dynamic annual discharges and variation of shoreline type on shoreline retention and re-floatation and the potential of oil- mineral aggregate formation based contributing environmental factors. Parcel tracking was used, in conjunction with detailed shoreline types correlated to flow rate, to evaluate the benefits of using multiple shoreline re-floatation half lives correlated to shoreline type instead of a single half …

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Children Of Men: The American Jeremiad In Twentieth And Twenty-First Century Science Fiction And Film, Joseph Franklin Brown Jr. Jan 2009

Children Of Men: The American Jeremiad In Twentieth And Twenty-First Century Science Fiction And Film, Joseph Franklin Brown Jr.

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation considers the dynamic and resilient influence of the jeremiad, an early American religious and literary mode, on contemporary American literature and culture. It argues that the polemical, dystopian, and apocalyptic narratives so abundant in twentieth-century literature and film participate in an ingrained literary tradition that accounts for society's misfortunes as penalty for its social and moral evils while, at the same time, emphasizing an American exceptionalism born out of a belief in the society's election through its covenant with God. The project makes connections between early-American texts and related works of twentieth and twenty-first century American literature and …

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Effects Of Clenbuterol On Skeletal And Cardiac Muscle In Horses, Jessica Thompson Jan 2009

Effects Of Clenbuterol On Skeletal And Cardiac Muscle In Horses, Jessica Thompson

LSU Master's Theses

Clenbuterol is a commonly prescribed β2-adrenergic agonist approved for veterinary use as a bronchodilator in horses with reactive and obstructive airway disease. Potential for abuse of this drug in the horse industry is substantial, due to the perceptions that clenbuterol increases performance and lean muscle mass. Although anabolic effects have been confirmed in multiple species, recent studies into the effects of clenbuterol in exercising horses suggest that clenbuterol doses within therapeutic ranges negatively impact aerobic capacity and cardiac function. Results of studies in murine models demonstrate that clenbuterol directly induces skeletal and cardiac muscle cell death at high doses. Three …

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The Effects Of Performance Feedback Plus Graphing On The Treatment Integrity Of A Parent Implemented Reading Intervention Program, Lacey Leblanc Jan 2009

The Effects Of Performance Feedback Plus Graphing On The Treatment Integrity Of A Parent Implemented Reading Intervention Program, Lacey Leblanc

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Repeated reading is an effective intervention that has been demonstrated to remediate reading problems in children. The parent tutoring literature has shown that this intervention is effective in the home environment as well as the school environment. One primary difference between home-based and school-based interventions is that a consultant is often available to work with teachers, whereas parents are not always offered this resource. However, research has demonstrated that behavioral consultation in the home environment, in which a parent serves the role of the consultee, is an effective method for addressing academic concerns. In order to make sound conclusions regarding …

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Proxy Records Of Paleohurricanes For The Western And Southern Caribbean, Terrence Allen Mccloskey Jan 2009

Proxy Records Of Paleohurricanes For The Western And Southern Caribbean, Terrence Allen Mccloskey

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation evaluates the hypothesis that hurricane activity levels in the North Atlantic during the late Holocene have been driven by latitudinal movements of the North Atlantic circulation system. Multi-millennial sedimentary proxy records, based on the occurrence of overwash clastic layers, provide clear evidence of abruptly alternating periods of hurricane landfall frequency for Nicaragua and Belize. Three Belizean transects exhibit an Active period (hyperactivity) occurring from ~2000-6000 cal yr BP, although dating is inconsistent across the transects. An Active period covering the last 500 years is found at one location. The Nicaraguan record, derived from three transects covering >90 km …

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Neck Muscles Activity And Upper Body Extremity Angles In Dynamic Overhead Lifting, Mohamed Wassim Mokrani Jan 2009

Neck Muscles Activity And Upper Body Extremity Angles In Dynamic Overhead Lifting, Mohamed Wassim Mokrani

LSU Master's Theses

Injuries of the neck and shoulders are common among workers who perform overhead tasks. In order to develop an injury-free working environment with regards to occupational musculoskeletal stress, it is pivotal to understand the pathophysiology of mechanical stress on the musculoskeletal system. The objective of this research was to study the effect of overhead lifting on the sternocleidomastoid and upper Trapezius muscles. Upper body joint angles were also analyzed using APAS during the overhead lifting. This study was conducted using two devices. The set of equipment incorporates an electromyography device, and the APAS. Two electrodes were placed at the muscle …

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Three Essays On Environmental Issues Associated With Broiler Production In Louisiana, Nirmala Adhikari Devkota Jan 2009

Three Essays On Environmental Issues Associated With Broiler Production In Louisiana, Nirmala Adhikari Devkota

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The increasing trends of integrated and concentrated broiler production results in a serious threat to environment through excessive litter production and lack of its proper disposal. Production concentration in limited area is a major source of surface as well as ground water pollution. Nonpoint source pollution from broiler litter applied on land remains a major concern in Louisiana and elsewhere in Southeastern USA. This study examines alternative approaches to reduce pollution originating from broiler production. First, I evaluate why some producers adopt BMP faster than others and what kind of factors affect the time to adoption decision. The duration model …

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Chondrocyte Death In Canine Osteochondral Explants Exposed To 0.5 Percent Bupivacaine, Geoffrey Stuart Hennig Jan 2009

Chondrocyte Death In Canine Osteochondral Explants Exposed To 0.5 Percent Bupivacaine, Geoffrey Stuart Hennig

LSU Master's Theses

Objective: Our in vitro study evaluated chondrocyte death in canine articular cartilage exposed to 0.5% bupivacaine without (B) and with methylparaben (BP) and compared the viability with intact (SI) and mechanically debrided surfaces (SR). We hypothesized that B or BP would cause chondrocyte death in vitro in a time dependent manner and that chondrocyte death would be increased in SI osteochondral cores compared to SR. Materials and Methods: Intact cartilage cores with underlying subchondral bone were collected aseptically from both humeral heads of 16 fresh canine cadavers. Joints from each dog were randomly assigned to SI or SR. Ten osteochondral …

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Comorbid Psychopathology In Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders And Intellectual Disabilities, Santino Vincent Lovullo Jan 2009

Comorbid Psychopathology In Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders And Intellectual Disabilities, Santino Vincent Lovullo

LSU Master's Theses

While there has been an abundance of research investigating Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in children, very little emphasis has been placed on ASD in adults, especially in regards to comorbid psychopathology. This is of great concern considering that ASD often co-occurs with intellectual disability (ID), and that both may serve as risk factors for additional psychopathology. While instruments exist that measure comorbid psychopathology in adults with ID, these scales are not targeted to the unique expression of comorbidity in adults with ID and ASD. The Autism Spectrum Disorders-Comorbidity for Adults (ASD-CA) was devised for this reason. This paper begins with …

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