Digital Commons Network^™

Characterization Of Porcine Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells, Kellie J. Williams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Nuclear transfer (NT) results in low success rates and research has reported problems with the welfare of cloned animals produced. Evidence suggests the use of a less differentiated donor cell, such as a stem cell, may lead to an increase in the efficiency of the NT procedure. Stem cell characteristics must be clearly defined in order to isolate, identify and optimally culture potential donor cells. Stem cell characteristics such as self-renewal and differentiation have not been identified in stem cells from porcine adipose tissue, an easily attainable tissue resource. The phenotypic profile of cell surface proteins and chromosomal stability of …

Biogenesis Of Iron-Sulfur Clusters And Intracellular Iron Metabolism, Jacob Philip Bitoun

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Iron-sulfur ([Fe-S]) clusters represent one of natures most diverse and ubiquitous protein prosthetic groups. [Fe-S] proteins are integral for diverse biological processes. Reconstitution of apo-proteins can occur by exogenously adding excess iron and sulfide. However, due to the toxicity of iron and sulfide, it is most likely that proteins coordinate [Fe-S] cluster assembly in cells. The first part of this dissertation addressed the iron donor for [Fe-S] cluster assembly. Recently, it has been shown that IscA is capable of binding iron with an association constant of 3.0 x 10¹⁹M^-1. In addition, iron-loaded IscA is capable of …

Physical And Chemical Factors Controlling Carbon Gas Emissions And Organic Matter Transformation In Coastal Wetlands, Syam Kumar Dodla

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Wetlands are important sinks for the atmospheric carbon (C) and play a major role in the global carbon cycle. However, factors impacting wetland soil C transformations and C gas production are not yet well understood. Elucidating these influences is especially important to Louisiana as wetlands are being impacted by salt water intrusion, subsidence and Mississippi river water diversion activities. This study evaluates, the effects of salinity, ions in river and sea water (K+, Ca2+) , clays and electron acceptors (NO3-, SO42-) on soil C transformations as well as C gas production from Louisiana coastal wetlands. Wetland soils were collected from …

The Effects Of Geomorphology And Primary Productivity On Neotropical Leaf Litter Herpetofauna: Implications For Amazonian Rainforest Conservation, Jessica L. Deichmann

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Amazon rainforest encompasses over one billion acres of South America and sustains remarkable biodiversity. Despite the large body of research stemming from this region, little is known about the effects of geomorphology and primary productivity on the fauna of Amazonia, and on reptiles and amphibians in particular. In my dissertation, I examine differences in the abundance, biomass and species richness of secondary consumers in the leaf litter herpetofauna communities on young and ancient soils. Herein, I develop methods to utilize existing data sets and museum collections in new studies involving community biomass. I found that, although the process of …

Insights Into The Streptomycete Conjugation Mechanism And Interstrain Inhibitor Production By The Sweet Potato Pathogen Streptomyces Ipomoeae, Jing Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Conjugation in Streptomyces invokes a unique mechanism involving few plasmid-encoded loci. Transfer of circular plasmid pIJ101 requires only a tra gene, and a cis-acting locus clt. Here, I investigated whether the transfer genes of pIJ101 could promote transfer of a linear plasmid. While pIJ101 Tra could transfer circularized versions of the linear plasmid containing clt, the linear plasmid itself could not be transferred efficiently by Tra. All plasmids isolated from transconjugants appeared to be circular regardless of the configuration of the plasmid in the initial donor cells. However the linear plasmid could be transferred in linear form from JW1, which …

Alchoholism And Intimate Partner Violence: Effects On Children's Psychosocial Adjustment, Keith Klostermann, Michelle L. Kelley

Psychology Faculty Publications

It is widely recognized that alcoholism and relationship violence often have serious consequences for adults; however, children living with alcoholic parents are susceptible to the deleterious familial environments these caregivers frequently create. Given the prevalence of IPV among patients entering substance abuse treatment, coupled with the negative familial consequences associated with these types of behavior, this review explores what have been, to this point, two divergent lines of research: (a) the effects of parental alcoholism on children, and (b) the effects of children's exposure to intimate partner violence. In this article, the interrelationship between alcoholism and IPV is examined, with …

Evolutionary Theory And The Origin Of Property Rights, James E. Krier

Articles

For legal scholars, the evolution of property rights has been a topic in search of a theory. My aim here is to draw together various accounts (some of them largely neglected in the legal literature), from dated to modern, and suggest a way they can be melded into a plausible explanation of property's genesis and early development. What results hardly amounts to a theory, but it does suggest an outline for one. Moreover, it provides a primer on the subject, a reasonably solid foundation for thinking and talking about the evolution of property rights.

Mitochondrial Mislocalization Underlies Abeta42-Induced Neuronal Dysfunction In A Drosophila Model Of Alzheimer's Disease., Kanae Iijima-Ando, Stephen A Hearn, Christopher Shenton, Anthony Gatt, Lijuan Zhao, Koichi Iijima

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

The amyloid-beta 42 (Abeta42) is thought to play a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the molecular mechanisms by which Abeta42 induces neuronal dysfunction and degeneration remain elusive. Mitochondrial dysfunctions are implicated in AD brains. Whether mitochondrial dysfunctions are merely a consequence of AD pathology, or are early seminal events in AD pathogenesis remains to be determined. Here, we show that Abeta42 induces mitochondrial mislocalization, which contributes to Abeta42-induced neuronal dysfunction in a transgenic Drosophila model. In the Abeta42 fly brain, mitochondria were reduced in axons and dendrites, and accumulated in the somata without severe mitochondrial …

Identity Development In Pre-Service Teachers Who Are Explainers In A Science Center: Dialectically Developing Theory And Praxis, Preeti Gupta

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation investigates how teaching in a hands-on science center contributes to re/shaping one's teaching identity. Situated at the New York Hall of Science (NYHS) in Queens, New York, my research approach is to conduct a critical ethnography where the focus is on improving the teaching and learning of science for all involved. In particular, Explainers, floor staff at NYHS, who are studying to be science teachers, are invited to become co-researchers with me.

Written as a manuscript style, this dissertation consists of six chapters. Each chapter foregrounds certain events and phenomena, and theory and method are woven in to …

Evolution And Diagnostic Potential Of Major Surface Proteases From Trypanosoma Vivax, T.Brucei Brucei And T.Congolense, Eunice M. Machuka

All Master’s Theses

Tsetse-transmitted trypanosomiasis is a disease unique to Africa, affecting both humans and animals. This disease occurs in about 10 million km2 in 37 sub-Saharan countries corresponding approximately to one-third of Africa's total land area, and threatens an estimated 50 million people and 48 million cattle. The estimated annual losses in cattle production alone are in the range of 1.0-1.2 billion dollars. The diagnosis of trypanosomiasis is notoriously difficult as there are no specific clinical signs and the intermittent and usually low parasitaemia make detection of the difficult. The trypanosomes are infamous for their ability to evade the immune responses by …

The Social Construction Of Racial And Ethnic Identity Among Women Of Color From Mixed Ancestry: Psychological Freedoms And Sociological Constraints, Laura Quiros

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In the context of the 21st century, when an increasing number of people cannot be classified by an archaic system based on race, an awareness of the complexities of ethnic and racial identity is more important than ever. This study assists in the development of a critical understanding of the complexity of racial and ethnic identity by exploring the construction of racial and ethnic identity among women of color from mixed ancestry. These women are the offspring of parents from multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds. As a result, their identities—both internally and externally constructed—belie traditional racial and ethnic categories. This …

Enrichment, Isolation And Characterization Of Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (Ddt) Microbial Degraders From Soils In Kenya, Julius Kinuthia Mwangi

All Master’s Theses

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) has been in use as an agricultural insecticide and as a disease vector control since 1939. Due to its persistence in the environment, its use has been surrounded by controversies regarding its safety to humans and the environment. There has been no reliable and replicable scientific evidence proving its harmful effects to humans though DDT was banned in many developed nations by 1970s. The DDT ban has seen to the reemergence of malaria and other insect borne diseases in the tropics. There being no better alternatives to DDT, its use to control malaria vector has been recommended by …

Identification And Characterization Of Variant Surface Glycoprotein (Vsg) Genes With Diagnostic Potential For Trypanosoma Brucei Rhodesiense, Lucia Akinyi

All Master’s Theses

Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) is present in 36 sub-Saharan African countries. The disease is easier to treat in early stage than late stage when treatment with melarsoprol is responsible for significant fatality. Therefore there is need to develop a diagnostic test for early detection before progression of the disease into the late stage. Currently available tests have poor sensitivity. Thus highly sensitive methods are needed for the detection of the parasite in human blood. The surface coat of bloodstream trypanosomes including the flagellum is composed predominantly of Variant Surface Glycoprotein (VSG). African trypanosomes have evolved a complex mechanism for sequentially …

Analysis Of Chemical Composition Of Cowpea Floral Volatiles And Nectar, Consolata Atieno Ager

All Master’s Theses

Cowpea is one of the 14 species of grain legumes. It rewards insects by producing nectar and it advertises to the pollinators by producing floral volatiles. The volatiles act as cues that guide insect pollinators in terms of pollen and nectar. Floral volatile quality also influences the efficiency of pollination. Genetic manipulations involving selection of varieties with high quality floral volatiles and nectar can therefore increase pollination efficiency and hence cowpea yields. It is believed that efficiency of insect pollination in several food crops is dependent on the quality of floral volatiles. Several molecules, including allozyme, co-dominant and isozyme DNA …

Efficacy Of Metarhizium Anisopliae Icipe 78 And Acaricides In The Management Of The Two-Spotted Spider Mite, Tetranychus Urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae), On French Beans, (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.), Ottilie T. Shivolo

All Master’s Theses

French bean, (Phaseolus vulgaris) L. is key commodity for export in Kenya. The value of export increased from 4,466.7 Kenya Shillings in 2002 to 4,466.7 Kenya Shillings in 2006. Production of French beans is constrained by many factors including pests, lack of capital and credit facilities, fluctuation in demand, and difficult accessibility to the market, and improper grading. The major arthropod insect pests of French beans include bean stem maggots, flower thrips, pollen beetles, foliage beetles, and Tetranychid mites, Tetranychus urticae Koch, in particular. Emphasis has been put in breeding lines for resistance and developing IPM for the major insect …

Analysis Of Tsetse Fly (Diptera: Glossinidae) Blood Meals Using Mitochondrial Cytochrome Genes For Vertebrate Host Identification, Catherine Ngambi Nyawira

All Master’s Theses

Information on the vertebrate hosts of blood feeding vectors forms a useful decision-making tool in the planning of tsetse fly control and eradication operations. The objective of this study was to investigate the utility of mitochondrial Cytochrome c oxidase I and Cytochrome b gene sequences in the identification of tsetse fly blood meals in order to provide a basis for more rational control of trypanosomosis in East Africa. Blood fed Glossina swynnertoni were sampled from the Serengeti (Tanzania) and G. pallidipes were from Nguruman and Busia in Kenya.Tsetse blood meal analysis was carried out by amplification and sequencing, to score …

Translating Unocal: The Expanding Web Of Liability For Business Entities Implicated In International Crimes, Anita Ramasastry, Robert C. Thompson, Mark B. Taylor

Articles

The Ninth Circuit ruled that a corporation could be held liable under the federal Alien Tort Claims Act for its complicity in a violation of international criminal law occurring outside the U.S. (Doe I v. Unocal Corp., 395 F.3d 932 (9th Cir. 2002)). Since then, litigants have filed increasing numbers of such cases. These cases raise two questions: (1) Is the United States the only country that provides judicial accountability for business entities involved in international crimes abroad? and (2) How are other countries "translating" the basic kinds of accountability that Unocal recognized into their own legal systems? This Article …

A Local Government By Any Other Name, In Proceedings Of The Washington State Association Of Municipal Attorneys, Hugh D. Spitzer

Articles

This paper reviews the categories that Washington legislators and the Washington State Supreme Court have used to classify and describe local government units. It then describes how the large array of classifications—and the lack of consistent interpretation and use of those labels—leads to confusion and unnecessary litigation. After presenting several case studies of the effects of confusing definitions, the paper suggests that legislation reducing the number of terms classifying local governments would benefit lawyers, judges, local government and the general public. It specifically recommends that "municipal corporation" become the standard category for almost all local governments, and that "governmental body" …

A Precautionary Tale: Assessing Ecological Damages After The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Sanne Knudsen

Articles

To address the shortcomings of our existing damages paradigm--exemplified by the response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound--this article suggests that we invoke the burden-shifting attributes of the precautionary principle to transfer the risk of long-term, unknown ecological harm to those who have caused the injury. Through such a risk transfer, this article posits that true costs of ecological injury would more properly be borne by actors capable of altering their behavior to avoid such injury in the first place. In addition, this article suggests offering defendants two options for incurring damages for ecological injuries--either accepting …

Proposing A Place For Politics In Arbitrary And Capricious Review, Kathryn A. Watts

Articles

Current conceptions of “arbitrary and capricious” review focus on whether agencies have adequately explained their decisions in statutory, factual, scientific, or otherwise technocratic terms. Courts, agencies, and scholars alike, accordingly, generally have accepted the notion that influences from political actors, including the President and Congress, cannot properly help to explain administrative action for purposes of arbitrary and capricious review. This means that agencies today tend to sweep political influences under the rug even when such influences offer the most rational explanation for the action.

This Article argues that this picture should change. Specifically, this Article argues for expanding current conceptions …

A Working Conference On Students With Disabilities In Stem Coursework And Careers, Audrey C. Rule, Greg P. Stefanich, Charlotte W. Haselhuhn, Belinda Peiffer

Faculty Publications

Background: Few teachers and special education specialists are aware of the materials and resources available to support science; technology; engineering; and mathematics instruction for the scattered and isolated 3000 students with sensory and motor disabilities in Iowa's K-12 schools. Additionally; faculty at many community colleges and regent institutions are not aware of possible accommodations for their students with disabilities who have interests in pursuing STEM careers. Unfortunately; this often leads to discouragement and lack of success for students with motor or sensory disabilities. This conference brings together experts and conference attendees involved in instruction; support; or transitions for these students …

Factors Associated With Inclusion Of Spirituality In Secular Social Work Education, Leslie Grace Wuest

Dissertations and Theses

In a diverse society, social work practitioners must be able to work with and respect people from a wide variety of cultures and ethnicities and with different value systems and ideological perspectives, including spiritual or religious beliefs. Accordingly, social work education has begun to incorporate the topic of spirituality. This study builds upon previous studies by Dudley and Helfgott (1990) and Sheridan et al. (1994) which focused on views of faculty members regarding spirituality in social work education and support for a course on spirituality in the social work curriculum. This study goes on to examine inclusion of spirituality in …

Contributions Of Family Leisure To Family Functioning Among Families That Include Children With Developmental Disabilities, Dorthy C. H. Dodd, Ramon Zabriskie, Mark A. Widmer, Dennis Eggett

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between family leisure involvement and family functioning among families that include children with developmental disabilities. The sample consisted of 144 families (144 parents and 60 youth). Data were analyzed from the parent, youth, and family perspective. The Family Leisure Activity Profile (FLAP) was used to measure family leisure involvement. FACES II was used to measure family functioning. A scale based upon the definition, classification, and systems of support manual of the American Association on Mental Retardation adapted by Dyches was used to measure the level of support needed by the …

The Taxonomic Designation Of Eriogonum Corymbosum Var. Nilesii (Polygonaceae) Is Supported By Aflp And Cpdna Analyses, M. W. Ellis, J. M. Roper, R. Gainer, J. P. Der, Paul G. Wolf

Biology Faculty Publications

We examined populations of perennial, shrubby buckwheats in the Eriogonum corymbosum complex and related Eriogonum species in the subgenus Eucycla, to assess genetic affiliations of the recently named E. corymbosum var. nilesii. The known populations of this varietyare all located in Clark County, Nevada, U. S. A. We compared AFLP profiles and chloroplast DNA sequences of plants sampled from populations of E. corymbosum var. nilesii with those of plants representing other E. corymbosum varieties and related Eriogonum species from Colorado,Utah, northern Arizona, and northern New Mexico. We found evidence of genetic cohesion among the Clark County populations as well astheir …

Global Chloroplast Phylogeny And Biogeography Of Bracken (Pteridium: Dennstaedtiaceae), J. P. Der, J. A. Thomson, J. K. Stratford, Paul G. Wolf

Biology Faculty Publications

Bracken ferns (genus Pteridium) represent an ancient species complex with a natural worldwide distribution. Pteridium has historically been treated as comprising a single species, but recent treatments have recognized several related species. Phenotypic plasticity, geographically structured morphological variation, and geographically biased sampling have all contributed to taxonomic confusion in the genus. We sampled bracken specimens worldwide and used variable regions of the chloroplast genome to investigate phylogeography and reticulate evolution within the genus. Our results distinguish two major clades within Pteridium, a primarily northern hemisphere Laurasian/African clade, which includes all taxa currently assigned to P. aquilinum, and a primarily southern …

Conservation Of Selection On Matk Following An Ancient Loss Of Its Flanking Intron, A. M. Duffy, S. A. Kelchner, Paul G. Wolf

Biology Faculty Publications

The chloroplast gene trnK and its associated group II intron appear to be absent in a large and ancient clade that includes nearly 90% of fern species. However, the maturase protein encoded within the intron (matK) is still present and located on the boundary of a large-scale inversion. We surveyed the chloroplast genome sequence of clade-member Adiantum capillus-veneris for evidence of a still present but fragmented trnK intron. Lack of signature structural domains and sequence motifs in the genome indicate loss of the trnK intron through degradation in an ancestor of the clade. In plants, matK preferentially catalyzes splicing of …

Functionally Similar Species Confer Greater Resistance To Invasion: Implications For Grassland Restoration, Stephen L. Young, Jacob N. Barney, Guy B. Kyser, Tracy S. Jones, Joseph M. Ditomaso

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Plant community functional composition can be manipulated in restored ecosystems to reduce the establishment potential of invading species. This study was designed to compare invasion resistance among communities with species functionally similar or dissimilar to yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis), a late-season annual. A field experiment was conducted in the Central Valley of California with six experimental plant communities that included (1) six early-season native annual forbs (AF); (2) five late-season native perennials and one summer annual forb (NP); (3) a combination of three early-season native annual forbs and three late-season native perennials (FP); (4) six early-season non-native annual …

Differences In Nitrate Uptakeamong Benthic Algal Assemblages In A Mountain Stream, Michelle A. Baker, G. De Guzman

Biology Faculty Publications

We evaluated how benthic algal assemblages that vary in composition, richness, and other diversity metrics remove NO 3 -N from the water column of a mountain stream. Ecological theory and empirical studies suggest that ecosystem process rates should increase as richness increases because of niche separation or activity of dominant taxa. Accordingly, we predicted that algal assemblages with highest richness would show the highest rates of NO 3 -N uptake. To test this prediction, we transplanted 225 rocks representing 3 patch types (green, yellow, and brown) that differed macroscopically in algal composition from a lake outflow stream to a lake …

Heritability And Variance Component Estimates Of Meat Quality In Japanese Quail (Coturnix Coturnix Japonica), Yakut Gevrekçi̇, İsmai̇l Oğuz, Mustafa Akşi̇t, Alper Önenç, Demi̇r Özdemi̇r, Özge Altan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

A comparison of 3 methods for variance component estimation to compute the heritability of meat quality characteristics (body weight, breast meat weight, breast yield, l, a, b, c, h, and ph) was performed using the methods of maximum likelihood (ML), restricted maximum likelihood (REML), and minimum variance quadratic unbiased estimator (MIVQUE). The parent population was set up at random from a closed population of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). Selection was not applied for any productive characteristics and no special care was taken to avoid inbreeding. After 12-h feed withdrawal, the birds were weighed and slaughtered at 35 days of …

Concentration Of Products Of Nitric Oxide Oxidation And Some Vitamins In Sheep With Naturally Acquired Babesiosis, Handan Mert, İbrahi̇m Yörük, Yeter Değer, Ni̇hat Mert, Semi̇ha Dede, Fatmagül Yur

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of the present study was to determine serum concentrations of the products of nitric oxide oxidation (nitrate and nitrite) and some vitamins (retinol acetate, \alpha- and \delta-tocopherol, and vitamin D_3) in sheep naturally infected with Babesia ovis. The investigation included 30 infected and 10 control sheep. Serum \alpha -tocopherol levels were significantly lower (P < 0.05), and nitrate and nitrite concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in infected animals than in controls. It is thought that the elevated nitrate and nitrite levels of the sheep infected with babesiosis were due to the result of damage caused by Babesia. On the other hand, a significant decrease was observed in \alpha -tocopherol levels in sheep with babesiosis because of damage and pathophysiological changes to erythrocytes.