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2009

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Poly (D, L-Lactide-Co-Glycolide) And Chitosan Particles For Oral Delivery Of Model Lipophilic Vitamin, Abitha Murugeshu Jan 2009

Poly (D, L-Lactide-Co-Glycolide) And Chitosan Particles For Oral Delivery Of Model Lipophilic Vitamin, Abitha Murugeshu

LSU Master's Theses

Improved oral delivery of vitamins and antioxidants via food, beverages or supplements can be achieved by encapsulation of the bioactive component in biodegradable and biocompatible colloidal and nanoparticle systems. Mucoadhesive chitosan/Poly (D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) particles were investigated as a means to control the release of bioactive compounds such as vitamin E in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Chitosan/PLGA particles with entrapped alpha-tocopherol at different initial loadings were synthesized by emulsion evaporation method, compared against PLGA particles in terms of their physical properties, stability, and gastrointestinal release profiles. Chi/PLGA particles of 250 ± 8.9 nm with a zeta potential of 61 ± 3.1 …

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An Evaluation Of Endurance And Combined Endurance And Resistance Training On Fitness And C-Reactive Protein, Laura A. Daray Jan 2009

An Evaluation Of Endurance And Combined Endurance And Resistance Training On Fitness And C-Reactive Protein, Laura A. Daray

LSU Master's Theses

PURPOSE: This study was designed to determine whether endurance or endurance + resistance training would influence circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and if these changes are related to alterations in aerobic fitness and/or body composition. METHODS: Fifty eight healthy young adults aged 18-24 yrs (78% female) were assigned to one of three groups: 1) endurance training (E) (n=18), 2) endurance + resistance training (ER) (n=11), or 3) active control (AC) (n=29). The E group completed 15 weeks of endurance training for either a half marathon (n=6) or full marathon (n=12). The ER group performed 15 weeks of periodized resistance training …

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A Humanistic View Of Satan: The Role Of Satan In Stephen Adly Guirgis' The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot, Yohance Myles Jan 2009

A Humanistic View Of Satan: The Role Of Satan In Stephen Adly Guirgis' The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot, Yohance Myles

LSU Master's Theses

The role of Satan, in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, was selected as the topic of this thesis in acting to be submitted to the Graduate School of Louisiana State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation with the Master of Fine Arts degree in Theater. The thesis includes an introduction; discussions of acting methods: the Art of Being, logical thinking, rhythmic sounds, the rehearsal process, journal notes, photos, research, and a conclusion. It details my role/character from a theatrical and humanistic point of view. I will highlight points that will reveal my daily discoveries of this …

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Influence Of Tick Transmission On The Host Response To Rickettsial Infection, Soma Chowdhury Jan 2009

Influence Of Tick Transmission On The Host Response To Rickettsial Infection, Soma Chowdhury

LSU Master's Theses

Several members of the spotted fever group (SFG) of Rickettsia are transmitted to the host through infected ixodid (hard) ticks, which can serve as both vectors and reservoirs. Multiple studies have demonstrated that ticks secrete proteins into the bite site of the host that suppress innate and adaptive immune responses. While this suppression of immune responses is beneficial to the tick, it may also be beneficial to the transmitted Rickettsia. We hypothesize that Rickettsia utilize the tick’s ability to alter the host immune response at the tick feeding site to successfully establish infection. In the current study, we analyzed how …

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Seasonal Variability In Absorption And Fluorescence Properties Of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter In The Barataria Basin, Louisiana, Usa, Shatrughan Singh Jan 2009

Seasonal Variability In Absorption And Fluorescence Properties Of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter In The Barataria Basin, Louisiana, Usa, Shatrughan Singh

LSU Master's Theses

Absorption and fluorescence measurements of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were examined along a transect containing 36 sampling stations in the Barataria Basin during high and low conditions to observe seasonal variation in these optical properties. The objectives of this study were (i) to observe CDOM variability in Barataria Basin in variable flow (high and low) conditions, and to characterize the CDOM, (ii) to identify the constituents of CDOM and to model CDOM compositional variability in the Barataria Basin using parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). CDOM–salinity relationships were non-conservative in lower and upper part of the transect; however a conservative inverse …

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Phosphorus Dynamics In The Marshland Upwelling System, Dhaval Shirish Shah Jan 2009

Phosphorus Dynamics In The Marshland Upwelling System, Dhaval Shirish Shah

LSU Master's Theses

The Marshland Upwelling System (MUS) is an alternative onsite wastewater treatment technology designed to utilize the natural ecology of saltwater marshes to remove human-borne contaminants. Previous research has assessed the ability of MUS to remove both total and orthophosphate. Studies have also indicated a clear zone of phosphorus (P) saturation occurring in MUS soils. Laboratory column study was performed to accomplish the objectives of this study which were to: 1) determine the fate and fractionation of phosphorus in the soil matrix, 2) understand sorption kinetics and determine phosphorus sorption potential of wetland soils in retaining phosphorus in the MUS, 3) …

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Preparation Of The Chinese Sweet Leaf Tea Extract And Its Anti-Obesity Effect In Rodents, Gar Yee Koh Jan 2009

Preparation Of The Chinese Sweet Leaf Tea Extract And Its Anti-Obesity Effect In Rodents, Gar Yee Koh

LSU Master's Theses

The aqueous leaf extract of Rubus suavissimus (Chinese sweet leaf tea) was active in inhibiting angiogenesis, which could be used to suppress adipogenesis and cause weight loss. Following this revelation and approach, the anti-obesity effect was thoroughly investigated in normal and obese rat models. The investigations began with the preparation of quality-controlled extract. First, the crude extraction methods were examined leading to the characterization of the chemical composition. Second, the impure components were removed by alcohol precipitation and column chromatography, resulting in a standardized sweet leaf tea extract (RUS). Third, three bioavailable compounds identified from the urine analyses were re-constituted …

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Population Characteristics Of A White-Tailed Deer Herd In A Bottomland Hardwood Forest Of South-Central Louisiana, Justin W. Thayer Jan 2009

Population Characteristics Of A White-Tailed Deer Herd In A Bottomland Hardwood Forest Of South-Central Louisiana, Justin W. Thayer

LSU Master's Theses

White-tailed deer are an important economic and recreational resource in Louisiana. A basic understanding of population dynamics is essential to ensure sound management, but baseline information in Louisiana is lacking. Likewise, the notion of Quality Deer Management (QDM) continues to gain momentum in Louisiana. Our objectives were to evaluate space use, survival, and mortality for a deer herd managed under a QDM regime in south Louisiana. We captured 65 deer in West Baton Rouge and Iberville Parishes during 2007 and 2008, radio-marked 37 males and 11 females, and ear-marked an additional 10 males and 7 females. Home ranges (95%) for …

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Fine- To Basin-Scale Distributions Of Calanus Finmarchicus And Its Predators In Three Deep Basins Of The Gulf Of Maine During December 1998 And 1999 From Video Plankton Recorder (Vpr) Data, Christian Briseño-Avena Jan 2009

Fine- To Basin-Scale Distributions Of Calanus Finmarchicus And Its Predators In Three Deep Basins Of The Gulf Of Maine During December 1998 And 1999 From Video Plankton Recorder (Vpr) Data, Christian Briseño-Avena

LSU Master's Theses

The calanoid copepod Calanus finmarchicus is broadly distributed in the North Atlantic, where it dominates the spring zooplankton biomass of shelf ecosystems. Calanus finmarchicus diapauses in the deep basins of the Gulf of Maine (GOM) during late-summer through early-winter. During diapause, predators that co-occur in regions of high copepod abundance may reduce survivorship through predation. Consequently it is important to measure the distribution patterns of C. finmarchicus and its predators. Two cruises were carried out during December of 1998 and 1999 in the GOM. Video Plankton Recorder (VPR) data collected in Wilkinson, Jordan and Georges Basins were used to describe …

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Effects Of Warming End Of Lay Broiler Breeder Eggs During The Storage Period On Hatchability, Jennifer Michelle Dowden Jan 2009

Effects Of Warming End Of Lay Broiler Breeder Eggs During The Storage Period On Hatchability, Jennifer Michelle Dowden

LSU Master's Theses

Due to necessary storage of hatching eggs in commercial hatcheries, the embryo is being regressed. End of lay broiler breeder eggs have the poorest hatchability and are most affected by pre incubation storage. Warming these eggs is the only way the embryo can develop. The objective of this study was to study the effects of daily warming of end of lay broiler breeder hatching eggs during the storage period on embryo mortality and hatchability. Six trials were conducted, three trials warmed for three of the four day storage period and three trials warmed for five of the six days storage …

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Two-Dimensional Microscanners With T-Shaped Hinges And Piezoelectric Actuators, Wenyu Song Jan 2009

Two-Dimensional Microscanners With T-Shaped Hinges And Piezoelectric Actuators, Wenyu Song

LSU Master's Theses

For a wide range of application areas such as medical instruments, defense, communication networks, industrial equipment, and consumer electronics, microscanners have been a vibrant research topic. Among various fabrication methodologies, MEMS (microelectromechanical system) stands out for its small size and fast response characteristics. In this thesis, piezoelectric actuation mechanism is selected because of its low voltage and low current properties compared with other mechanisms, which are especially important for the target application of biomedical imaging. Although 1- and 2-dimensional microscanners with piezoelectric actuators have been studied by several other groups, this thesis introduces innovative improvements in design of the piezoelectric …

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Altering Sweet Potato Starch Functionality By Amino Acids And Ph Treatments, Jonathan Futch Jan 2009

Altering Sweet Potato Starch Functionality By Amino Acids And Ph Treatments, Jonathan Futch

LSU Master's Theses

The sweet potato is a vegetable containing high levels of different vitamins and minerals, needed to protect the body against disease. This study focused on starch found in the Beauregard and Evangeline sweet potatoes and observed the effect of pH and amino acid additives altering the functionality of starch. These modifications of the Beauregard and Evangeline sweet potato starches will also be done to determine if an increase in resistant starch and slowly digestible starch is found. Beauregard and Evangeline starches had similar gelatinization temperature and the two starches required the same amount of energy to gelatinize. In Freeze-dried Beauregard …

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The Role Of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 On Food Intake, Glucokinase Expression And Fatty Acid Metabolism, Hanjie Zhang Jan 2009

The Role Of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 On Food Intake, Glucokinase Expression And Fatty Acid Metabolism, Hanjie Zhang

LSU Master's Theses

The increase in blood levels of GLP-1 with dietary resistant starch is thought to be associated with the activities of hypothalamic NPY/AgRP neurons and the gene expression of glucokinase in the ARC of the hypothalamus. Exendin-4 has been shown to be associated with fatty acid synthesis and oxidation. In this project, it was proposed that 1) food intake will be decreased in GLP-1R KO mice, the glucokinase (GK) mRNA expression in the liver and in the hypothalamus, the hypothalamic NPY mRNA expression will be up-regulated by exendin-4 treatment; and 2) exendin-4 will decrease fatty acid synthesis and increase fatty acid …

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Toxicological Monitoring And Protocol Development For Abandoned Pipeline Removal In Louisiana, Forest Christopher Wootten Jan 2009

Toxicological Monitoring And Protocol Development For Abandoned Pipeline Removal In Louisiana, Forest Christopher Wootten

LSU Master's Theses

Oil/Gas extraction have left Louisiana with a legacy of abandoned infrastructure across the State. Presently, the State has developed guidelines for the removal of abandoned vessels and abandoned on shore facilities. No such guidelines exist, however, for the network of abandoned pipelines present throughout the coastal zone of Louisiana. A pipeline removal was simulated in Lake Calcasieu, LA. The site was chosen because of the presence of many abandoned pipelines and previous work done on sight to remove the on shore infrastructure. In addition, the Calcasieu is an industrial water body, with potentially hazardous pollutants sequestered in the sediments of …

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Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (Qpcr) Assay As A Molecular Tool To Assess Rickettsial Replications In Tick Hosts, Andrea S. Zanetti Jan 2009

Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (Qpcr) Assay As A Molecular Tool To Assess Rickettsial Replications In Tick Hosts, Andrea S. Zanetti

LSU Master's Theses

During the past century, many species of the Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia (SFGR)have been described, especially, through the introduction of a variety of molecular techniques applied to detect rickettsiae inside of their host. In this study we developed a quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay (1) to characterize the growth and the distribution of a SFGR of unrecognized pathogenicity in naturally infected Amblyomma americanum ticks during physiological events; and (2) to terminate the influence of the host cell specificity in the replication patterns of recognized and unrecognized SFGR during a reciprocal rickettsiae challenge in both mammalian and tick cell …

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Ternary To Binary Converter Design In Cmos Using Multiple Input Floating Gate Mosfets, Josephine Ratna Sathiaraj Jan 2009

Ternary To Binary Converter Design In Cmos Using Multiple Input Floating Gate Mosfets, Josephine Ratna Sathiaraj

LSU Master's Theses

In this work, a ternary to binary converter circuit is designed in 0.5μm n-well CMOS technology. The circuit takes two inputs corresponding to the ternary bits and gives four outputs, which are the binary equivalent bits of the ternary inputs. The ternary inputs range from (-1,-1)3 to (1,1) 3 which are decimal -4 to 4 and the four binary output bits are the sign bit (SB), most significant bit (MSB), second significant bit (SSB) and the least significant bit (LSB). The ternary inputs (-1, 0 and 1) are represented in terms of voltages of -3V, 0V and 3V. Multiple …

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Historic Sediment Accretion Rates In A Louisiana Coastal Marsh And Implications For Sustainability, Rebekah Perkins Smith Jan 2009

Historic Sediment Accretion Rates In A Louisiana Coastal Marsh And Implications For Sustainability, Rebekah Perkins Smith

LSU Master's Theses

Deltaic marshes of the Mississippi River in Louisiana disappeared at a rate of 88 km2 annually from 1956 to 2000 (Barras et al. 2003) as marshes become inundated by sea water. Marsh surface elevation varies spatially and temporally due to fluvial sediment deposition, resuspension, erosion, compaction, sea level rise, and organic matter accumulation and decomposition. If net accretion from sediment deposition and/or peat production is insufficient, marshes respond to sea level rise by migrating landward. Since human development prevents landward migration of marsh in Breton Sound Basin, Louisiana, marsh sustainability can only be achieved if vertical accretion keeps pace with …

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Atomistic Simulations Of Lipid Bilayers In The Presence Of Dimethylsulfoxide, Raghava Alapati Jan 2009

Atomistic Simulations Of Lipid Bilayers In The Presence Of Dimethylsulfoxide, Raghava Alapati

LSU Master's Theses

In a typical cryopreservation protocol, the system to be preserved is first equilibrated with chemicals known as cryoprotective agents (CPAs). CPAs have been shown to alleviate cell damage from either the solute effects or the formation of intracellular ice during the subsequent freezing process. Thus, an extensive body of literature reporting the effects of CPAs on cellular systems has been accumulated over the last 50 years; detailing largely experimental interactions between cell systems and chemicals. Recent advances in computational methodology now offer an additional dimension in our ability to understand the molecular interactions between cell membranes, idealized as lipid bilayers …

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Biocompatible/ Bioresorbable Polymer Based Silver Nanaomaterial Coatng For Chronic Indwelling Medical Devices And Bioscaffolds For Tissue Regrowth, Ammar T. Qureshi Jan 2009

Biocompatible/ Bioresorbable Polymer Based Silver Nanaomaterial Coatng For Chronic Indwelling Medical Devices And Bioscaffolds For Tissue Regrowth, Ammar T. Qureshi

LSU Master's Theses

The objective of this study is to synthesize and characterize antimicrobial, bio-polymer based silver nanomaterials composite coatings, for use in chronic indwelling medical devices, and bioscaffolds. The coatings and bioscaffolds are comprised of novel biomass mediated silver nano particles (SNP) that are biocompatible, highly concentrated, highly pure, cost-effective, polydispersed and compatible with a range of polymer systems applicable for use with existing chronic indwelling medical devices. This thesis is divided into three main chapters. In Chapter 1, detailed review on the need for antimicrobial nanocomposite coatings for chronic indwelling medical devices along with different SNP synthesis and characterization methods is …

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Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Content Of Breast Milk From Women With And Without Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Julissa Marisel Salguero Jan 2009

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Content Of Breast Milk From Women With And Without Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Julissa Marisel Salguero

LSU Master's Theses

Reduced insulin sensitivity and abnormal nutrient metabolism in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) may compromise polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content of breast milk. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate and compare PUFA milk composition of women with and without GDM. Breast milk collections were performed in GDM (n=6) and controls (n=12) at weeks 2, 6, 10 and 12 postpartum using a hospital grade breast pump. Estimated dietary intake of PUFA and use of prenatal supplements containing DHA (PS/DHA) was determined by 24-hour dietary recalls conducted after each milk collection. Based on these preliminary data, milk docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; …

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Estimating Age At Death By Examining The Crystallite Size Of Hydroxylapatite In Human Teeth, Teresa Veronica Wilson Jan 2009

Estimating Age At Death By Examining The Crystallite Size Of Hydroxylapatite In Human Teeth, Teresa Veronica Wilson

LSU Master's Theses

Estimation of age is an important component of the biological profile that forensic anthropologists construct in order to attain a positive identification of a deceased individual. This research is a proof of concept study for the use of X-ray diffraction (XRD) on a tooth sample to estimate age. Previous research (Meneghini et al. 2003; Hanschin and Stern 1992) has concluded that the crystallite size of bone will increase with increased age. The feasibility of the use of teeth in XRD analysis was first tested using pig teeth (samples P1, P2, and P3). Another set of pig teeth (PC1, PC2, and …

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Assessing The Silicon Status Of Rice (Oryza Sativa), Joseph Eugene Kraska Jan 2009

Assessing The Silicon Status Of Rice (Oryza Sativa), Joseph Eugene Kraska

LSU Master's Theses

Low silicon (Si) content in rice, sugarcane and other Si-accumulating crops can adversely affect crop performance due to reduced tolerance to both abiotic and biotic stresses. This research had two specific objectives relative to Si in Louisiana rice: develop a digestion procedure for Si tissue analysis that is robust, accurate, precise, and requires equipment commonly found in most agricultural laboratories; and survey the Si status of rice plants at mid-tiller (Y-leaf) and after harvest (straw) throughout the rice-growing regions of Louisiana. Assessing the Si status of a crop typically depends upon accurately measuring Si accumulation in plant tissue. While wet-digestion …

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Comparisons Of Boosted Regression Tree, Glm And Gam Performance In The Standardization Of Yellowfin Tuna Catch-Rate Data From The Gulf Of Mexico Lonline [Sic] Fishery, Shane Abeare Jan 2009

Comparisons Of Boosted Regression Tree, Glm And Gam Performance In The Standardization Of Yellowfin Tuna Catch-Rate Data From The Gulf Of Mexico Lonline [Sic] Fishery, Shane Abeare

LSU Master's Theses

Recent advances in statistical understanding have focused fisheries research attention on addressing the theoretical and statistical issues encountered in standardizing catch-rate data. Similarly, the present study evaluates the performance of boosted regression trees (BRT), the product of recent progress in machine learning technology, as a potential tool for catch-rate standardization. The BRT method provides a number of advantages over the traditional GLM and GAM approaches including, but not limited to: robust parameter estimates as a result of the integrated stochastic gradient boosting algorithm; model structure learned from data and not determined a priori, thereby avoiding assumptions required for model specification; …

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Efficiency Of Cellulase Enzyme Immobilized On Magnetic Nanoparticles, Jason Jordan Jan 2009

Efficiency Of Cellulase Enzyme Immobilized On Magnetic Nanoparticles, Jason Jordan

LSU Master's Theses

Advances in enzymatic hydrolysis have developed new methods for conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars for various applications, mainly ethanol production. The present study involves immobilization of a cellulase enzyme complex on a solid support which can be recovered for subsequent use in multiple reactions. The supports of interest include Fe3O4 nanoparticles (~13 nm) and polystyrene-coated particles containing a Fe3O4 core (1-2 µm). Each support contains amine functional groups based on the surface that allow covalent attachment of enzymes via carbodiimide activation. The nanoparticles were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and immobilization was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared …

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Using Demographic Models To Manage Chinese Privet (Ligustrum Sinense Lour.), Metha Martine Klock Jan 2009

Using Demographic Models To Manage Chinese Privet (Ligustrum Sinense Lour.), Metha Martine Klock

LSU Master's Theses

Colonization of natural areas by Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense Lour.) threatens biodiversity and preservation of native habitat in the southeastern United States. High rates of seed production and dispersal, coupled with clonal growth, result in a competitive advantage when introduced to novel areas. Land managers have attempted to control L. sinense through prolonged flooding, prescribed fire, and herbicide application with little success. I determined presence of L. sinense invasion in four sites in Louisiana and assessed key reproductive, growth, and survivorship characteristics defining its life course. I used vegetation surveys, germination trials, dendrochronology, and demographic models to elucidate stages in …

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Integrated Technology: Does It Affect Learner Outcomes?, Adam Ross Barrett Jan 2009

Integrated Technology: Does It Affect Learner Outcomes?, Adam Ross Barrett

LSU Master's Theses

Because technology has become prevalent in classrooms, this study was undertaken to test whether the use of integrated technology, specifically computers and online activities, affects learner outcomes in a classroom setting. The outcomes from classes taught using integrated technology were compared to classes taught with traditional teaching strategies. Students in a 7th grade life-science class were given pre-tests and post-tests to determine their learning gains on the topics of genetics and photosynthesis. Each class was assigned different activities based on the subject. Each unit was covered in four 90 minute periods. When one set of classes was using integrated technology …

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Dance Dance Attribution: Exploring The Relationship Between Dance And Attractiveness In Intial Perceptions, Kellie St.Cyr Jan 2009

Dance Dance Attribution: Exploring The Relationship Between Dance And Attractiveness In Intial Perceptions, Kellie St.Cyr

LSU Master's Theses

The current study examines the relationship between attractiveness and dance. By viewing dance as a form of social competence and self-presentation, the study attempts to place dance, a previously understudied area within, the context of communication research. Through the lens of implicit personality theory and the attractiveness stereotype, the paper examines the effects of physical attractiveness on perceived dance ability as well as the effects of dance ability on physical, social, and task attractiveness.

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The Development Of A Pore Pressure And Fracture Gradient Prediction Model For The Ewing Banks 910 Area In The Gulf Of Mexico, Jeffrey Steven Fooshee Jan 2009

The Development Of A Pore Pressure And Fracture Gradient Prediction Model For The Ewing Banks 910 Area In The Gulf Of Mexico, Jeffrey Steven Fooshee

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this project is to develop a pore pressure and fracture gradient prediction strategy for the Ewing Banks 910 (EW 910) area. Petrophysical and measured pressure data for eight wells previously drilled in the EW 910 area will be examined and reviewed. This strategy will help design future drilling and completion operations in the aforementioned area. Two pore pressure prediction strategies and one fracture gradient prediction strategy will be reviewed and applied to the available data. The first pore pressure prediction strategy reviewed was developed by W. R. Matthews. This strategy utilizes a geologic age specific overlay which …

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A Systematic Investigation Into Relationships Within Mexican Pocket Gophers, Thomomys Umbrinus (Rodentia Geomyidae), Amber Gates Jan 2009

A Systematic Investigation Into Relationships Within Mexican Pocket Gophers, Thomomys Umbrinus (Rodentia Geomyidae), Amber Gates

LSU Master's Theses

In the genus Thomomys, external phenotypic differences account for much of the variation among currently named species. Allozyme and mitochondrial studies of the Mexican species, T. umbrinus, have shown strong discordance between genetically defined clades and current species taxonomy. In this study, I analyzed mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences, chomosomes, and morphological characters, and used ecological niche modeling to investigate the phylogenetic status of a phenotypically divergent subspecies of T. umbrinus, T. u. atrovarius. Although quantitative morphometrics provided little discrimination among groups within T. umbrinus, the molecular data indicated that there are three allopatric clades. The Pacific coastal clade (T. …

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Hydrodynamic Response To Cold Fronts Along The Louisiana Coast, Zhixuan Feng Jan 2009

Hydrodynamic Response To Cold Fronts Along The Louisiana Coast, Zhixuan Feng

LSU Master's Theses

Cold fronts play important roles in flushing water out of the Louisiana estuaries. This study is aimed at examining the impact of cold front passages on the hydrodynamics in autumn-winter-spring of 2006-2007, and tries to determine the geographic difference, correlation and relative importance of winds, tides, and river discharge on water level variability and flow field. The amplitude spectra of water level reveal that diurnal tides dominate most stations. Areas west of 91°W have relatively high semidiurnal tides. The subtidal fluctuations are mainly wind-driven. Only the station in the Atchafalaya River shows obvious response to the spring flood of the …

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