Digital Commons Network^™

Risk Assessment And Risk Management Of Nano-Material Toxicity, Farah Bigdeli

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Increasing applications of nano materials in medicine, construction, textiles, computers, and other consumer goods have lead to increasing concerns of their effect on human health and ecology during synthesis, manufacturing, use, and disposal of nano-materials. Though much scientific progress has been made in nano material synthesis, manufacturing, and application in consumer goods and other sectors such as medicine, textiles and more, not much progress has been made in understanding the adverse effects of nano materials on human health and the environment. Physical, chemical, toxicological characteristics of these nano materials and their fate in the environment are important in understanding their …

Primary Systems And Voter Turnout: Measuring The Institutional Effect Of Primary Type On Voter Turnout, Leslie Lott

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Using the 1990, 1994 and 1998 Congressional mid-term elections, this study looks at whether the type of primary system in a person's state has an effect on whether or not that person will vote in the general election. The five types of primary systems (closed, semi-closed, semiopen, open and blanket) are explained as well as traditional factors for likelihood of voting. It is hypothesized that the more closed the primary system, the less likely a person is to vote. Data analysis shows that when significant, living in an open primary state does significantly increase the likelihood that a person will …

Redefining Responsibility: Welfare Reform, Low-Income African American Mothers, And Children With Disabilities, Michelle Magee Balot

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Mothers of children with disabilities face a variety of problems compared to other mothers, but their experiences are not universal. This thesis provides a critical analysis of caregiving and disability by examining the experiences of a group of low-income African American mothers with children with disabilities. It explores the impacts of race, class, gender, and disability on mothers' experiences in the context of conflicting employment and caregiving demands for poor women. Drawing on in-depth qualitative interviews with ten low-income African American mothers of children with disabilities, I illustrate how the struggles of raising a child with a disability are amplified …

Board Of Trustees Minutes, May 15, 2009, Eastern Washington University

Board of Trustees Minutes

No abstract provided.

The Echo: May 15, 2009, Taylor University

2008-2009 (Volume 96)

Closing chapters, opening doors – In Brief – TUFW transition making progress – “Almost Famous” is almost here – Envision Film Festival – Taylor to-do list includes bandwidth, phones – The Bubble – Summer of service brings classroom to life – World Voices – Killer croc inspires fear and legends – Around the World in 30 Seconds – 2008-2009 A Year in Review – Talkin’ ‘bout Ch-Ch-Changes! – Blake’s Summer Playlist – Don’t Bomb Your Spring Finals – Dr. Ricke: The music, the man – Movies Features – Film vision 2016 – Pop Culture – r3views – WTUR: Closure in …

Augustus And The Architecture Of Masculinity, Katie Thompson

Honors Theses

Many previous studies have been completed on ancient Rome, including studies on Augustus, gender issues, and the Roman games, which have helped create a timeline of Augustus's rise to power, an architectural layout of the Circus Maximus and a social hierarchy based on gender. The purpose of this study is to illustrate the relationship between these three areas of research. The thesis will address the political agenda of the Emperor Augustus and will argue that the perceived notions of masculinity that were prevalent in Roman public life largely impacted his actions. In addition, the thesis will demonstrate how politics and …

Volume Cxxvi, Number 23, May 15, 2009, Lawrence University

The Lawrentian

No abstract provided.

Stigma, Surgery And Social Identity: Attitudes Towards Cosmetic And Sexual Reassignment Surgeries, Cheryl Mayeux

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses a combination of vignettes and interviews to explore social approval of cosmetic and sexual reassignment surgeries as a means of studying sex and gender in contemporary society. It draws from poststructuralist, queer, symbolic interactionist and intersectionality theories. This study found that social approval was higher for normative surgeries than for non-normative surgeries. The main themes that emerged in regard to social approval were respondents‘ religious beliefs, their social distance from a person undergoing surgery, their concerns with possible risks or complications, and their views on an individual‘s right to control their own body. Underlying the vast majority …

Enhanced Blue Crab Predation On Rangia Clams After Exposure To Hypoxia, Ann C. Howard

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Hypoxia or dissolved oxygen concentrations < 2 mg/L is a problem in estuaries worldwide. In Lake Pontchartrain, a 250 km2 de-faunated zone exists as a result of salinity stratification and episodic hypoxia. Mature common rangia clams (Rangia cuneata) are not found within this zone. Blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) are important estuarine predators and may move in and out of the hypoxic zone to feed on hypoxia-stressed rangia clams. To test the effects of hypoxia on predation, rangia clams were exposed experimentally to severe hypoxic conditions (< 0.75 mg/l) for 72-hours and then presented to blue crabs. One hypoxic and one normoxic clam were added to each aquarium containing a blue crab for each trial, and crab feeding choices were observed and recorded. I found prey choice varied among crabs, but in general, the experimental data demonstrates that crabs chose to feed on hypoxia-stressed clams over clams kept under normoxic conditions.

Determination Of Mueller Matrix Elements In The Presence Of Imperfections In Optical Components, Shibalik Chakraborty

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The Polarizer-Sample-Analyzer (PSA) arrangement with the optical components P and A rotating with a fixed speed ratio (3:1) was originally introduced to determine nine Mueller matrix elements from Fourier analysis of the output signal of a photodetector. The arrangement is modified to the P'PSAA' arrangement where P' and A' represent fixed polarizers that are added at both ends with the speed ratio of the rotating components (P and A) remaining the same as before. After determination of the partial Mueller matrix in the ideal case, azimuthal offsets and imperfection parameters are introduced in the straight-through configuration and the imperfection parameters …

Exploring Bilingual Arab-American Students' Performance In Solving Mathematics Word Problems In Arabic And English, Samar El-Rifai Sarmini

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study aims at answering questions pertaining to the performance of bilingual Arab-American students on solving word problems written in their home and school languages: (1) Does the language in which a word problem is stated have an effect on the performance of the bilingual Arab-American students?; (2) Do Arab-American students with higher levels of Arabic proficiency perform better in either or both versions of the word problems?; and (3) What are some common differences and similarities in the problem solving processes of Arab-American students as they solve problems in English or Arabic? The study used both quantitative and qualitative …

Maintaining Physical And Mental Stamina In Creating The Role Of Miss Margarida In Miss Margarida's Way, Joyce Deal

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis serves as documentation of my personal, intellectual, and physical process as an actor in creating the role of Miss Margarida in Miss Margarida's Way by Roberto Athayde. This document includes research, script analysis, character analysis, rehearsal journal, and an assessment of my performance. The University of New Orleans Department of Film, Theatre and Communications Arts in New Orleans, Louisiana produced Miss Margarida's Way during the Fall 2008 season. Miss Margarida's Way was performed in the Lab Theater of the Performing Arts Center at 7:30 pm December 3 at 6 with a matinee at 2:30pm on Sunday December 7th …

Effects Of Air Temperature And Lake Ice On Snowfall On The South Shore Of Lake Superior, Angela Pelkie Maki

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Lake Superior is a forcing factor for local weather systems, causing substantial amounts of lake effect snow in the winter (particularly on the south shore). This study assesses decreasing ice cover of Lake Superior and its effects upon synoptic weather factors. Data were collected from eleven National Weather Service (NWS) stations located on the south shore of the lake. Rainfall and snowfall amounts from December to May were regressed on percent ice coverage and average monthly temperatures from 1972-2002. Ice coverage and average monthly temperature had a negative relationship with snowfall and rainfall.

The Effect Of A Phytoplankton Maximum On The Trophic Food Chain Of The Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus) In North Inlet, South Carolina., Lindsay Michael Stang

Honors Theses

Jones Creek, part of North Inlet-Winyah Bay, South Carolina, is known to have a chlorophyll a maximum that exists during low tide. The goal of this study was to determine if an increase in phytoplankton, demonstrated by chlorophyll a levels, would lead to an increase in zooplankton, fish, and bottlenose dolphins in the area. Sampling for chlorophyll a concentrations, zooplankton and dolphin densities occurred in fall of 2008. Based on the samples obtained, as chlorophyll a concentrations increased at low tide, zooplankton densities decreased. Dolphin density plots showed an increased density in Jones Creek during low tide for spring, summer, …

Dpr Acts As A Molecular Switch, Inhibiting Wnt Signaling When Unphosphorylated, But Promoting Wnt Signaling When Phosphorylated By Casein Kinase Iδ/Ε, Evelyn Teran, Aron D. Branscomb, Joni M. Seeling

Publications and Research

The Wnt pathway is a key regulator of development and tumorigenesis. Dpr (Dact/Frodo) influences Wnt signaling in part through the interaction of its PDZ-B domain with Dsh's PDZ domain. Studies have shown that XDpr1a and its close relative, Frodo, are involved in multiple steps of the Wnt pathway in either inhibitory or activating roles. We found that XDpr1a is phosphorylated by casein kinase Iδ/ε (CKIδ/ε), an activator of Wnt signaling, in the presence of XDsh. Abrogating XDpr1a's ability to bind XDsh through mutation of XDpr1a's PDZ-B domain blocks CK1δ/ε's phosphorylation of XDpr1a. Conversely, XDsh possessing a mutation in its PDZ …

Device Considerations For Development Of Conductance-Based Biosensors, Kangho Lee, Pradeep R. Nair, Adina Scott, Muhammad A. Alam, David B. Janes

Birck and NCN Publications

Design and fabrication of electronic biosensors based on field-effect-transistor (FET) devices require understanding of interactions between semiconductor surfaces and organic biomolecules. From this perspective, we review practical considerations for electronic biosensors with emphasis on molecular passivation effects on FET device characteristics upon immobilization of organic molecules and an electrostatic model for FET-based biosensors.

Fiber Inline Core-Cladding-Mode Mach-Zehnder Interferometer Fabricated By Two-Point Co2 Laser Irradiations, Tao Wei, Xinwei Lan, Hai Xiao

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We report a fiber inline Mach-Zehnder-type core-cladding-mode interferometer fabricated by two-point CO2 laser irradiations on a single-mode fiber. the laser irradiations caused efficient light coupling from the core mode to the lower order cladding modes and vice versa. High-quality interference spectra with a fringe visibility of about 20 dB were observed for four different interferometer lengths (5, 10, 20, and 40 mm). the temperature sensitivity of the device with a length of 5 mm was measured to be 0.0817 nm/°C. the sensitivity for refractive index measurement of the device was comparable with a long-period fiber grating of LP04 cladding mode. …

Isotopic Signatures And Concentration Profiles Of Nitrous Oxide In A Rice-Based Ecosystem During The Drained Crop-Growing Season, Z. Q. Xiong, M. A. K. Khalil, G. Xing, Martha J. Shearer, Christopher Lee Butenhoff

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

The stable isotopic composition of nitrous oxide (N₂O) in agricultural soils can improve our understanding of the relative contributions of the main microbial processes (nitrification and denitrification) responsible for N₂O formation in soils, and can provide constraints for the atmospheric N2O budget. Here, we present soil profiles featuring N₂O concentrations and δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O values in N₂O over time, which permit the in situ identification of processes and sites of N₂O production in a rice-based ecosystem seeded with winter wheat. Our δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O soil profile values support the conclusion that denitrification is the dominant process behind N₂O production during …

Towards An Ecosystem Approach For Non-Target Reef Fishes: Habitat Uses And Population Dynamics Of South Floridaparrotfishes (Perciformes: Scaridae), Helena Molina-Ureña

Open Access Dissertations

The goal of this research was to develop statistically robust ecosystem-based approaches, while optimizing data acquisition on relatively unexploited fish species in South Florida reefs, i.e., parrotfishes, Family Scaridae, in Biscayne Bay (with seasonal roller frame beam trawl surveys, 1996-2000) and Florida Keys (with annual Reef Fish Visual Censuses, 1997-2001), by following these steps: (I) analysis of information gaps for the stocks, including systematics, biogeography, population dynamics, reproductive ecology, trophodynamics, habitat use, and fisheries dynamics of Western Atlantic parrotfishes; (II) determination of primary research objectives from prioritization in Step I; (III) determination of essential fish habitats, ontogenetic shifts, migrations, and …

Identification And Characterization Of Replication Initiation Defective (Rid) Mutants In Schizosaccharomyces Pombe, Alexandra Monica Locovei

Open Access Dissertations

Two checkpoint pathways have been described in fission yeast: the intra-S phase checkpoint that is triggered by stalled replication forks and requires the Cds1 protein as the main effector kinase, and the G2/M checkpoint that is activated by DNA damage and requires the Chk1 kinase. Both pathways prevent untimely entry into mitosis, delaying cell cycle progression until DNA damage is repaired. Previously, our laboratory showed that a mutant defective in polymerase ε (Cdc20) requires Chk1, but not Cds1, to maintain cell viability. I set out to test whether other replication mutants are sensitive to the loss of Chk1 or Cds1, …

Research News: 2009, No. 1, University Of Mississippi. School Of Pharmacy

Research News: Grants and Publications (2000-2014)

Grants, publications, technology transfer, special announcements

Washington University Record, May 14, 2009

Washington University Record

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Policies And Conservation Techniques To Reduce The Accidental Deaths Of Sea Turtle Hatchlings Due To Light Pollution In Broward County, Fl., Megan Wilson

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Light pollution is any excessive or obtrusive man made light source which disrupts the natural environment. Hatchling marine turtles are adversely affected by light pollution and therefore unlit nesting beaches are essential habitats for all marine turtle species. In Broward County, the most significant conservation issue facing nesting and hatchling marine turtles is the amount of light pollution present on urban sea turtle nesting beaches. The reduction of hatchling mortality from light pollution is an ongoing conservation goal of the State of Florida, Broward County, and the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Project (BCSTCP). Conservation techniques and policies intended to …

How Do Elementary School Boys Characterize Their Reading Favorites And Behaviors?, Brenda J. Koonce

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a boy crisis in our schools. It also looked at what the boys are interested in and what are they reading. The study investigated the latest research on young boys struggling to read, and their comparison to young girls.

The study provided evidence of their favorite books and authors. It furnished information on the boys' computer and television time. The study showed how the boys selected books and where they located new books. Percentages were presented about their personal libraries.

Overall, the study investigated how to make classrooms and …

Heritage Braided, Akiko B. Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

The awareness of marginality, oppression, and hierarchy at an early age directly influences the creation of work specific to my identity as a woman of color. Born and raised on an island in the Pacific Ocean, I was aware of my sense of location and space relative to the world. The vast ocean separating me from the ‘mainland’ created a specific understanding of marginality, of what is “main” and what is “minor,” and how these categorical placements continued from my youth to ongoing perpetuation. The work I create has a subtle and persistent investigation into my identity as a socio-economic …

Using Scientific Diving To Investigate The Long-Term Effects Of Ocean Acidification At Co2 Vents, Jm Hall-Spencer, R Rodolfo-Metalpa

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Tobacco Mosaic Virus Templated Synthesis Of One Dimensional Inorganic-Polymer Hybrid Fibres, Jianhua Rong, Fiona Oberbeck, Xinnan Wang, Xiaodong Li, Jerry Oxsher, Zhongwei Niu, Qian Wang

Faculty Publications

Inorganic–polymer hybrid nanofibres were prepared by using a rod-like tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) as a template. With tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as a precursor, long silica-coated TMVfibres were formed via a head-to-tail assembly, which showed a substantial increase of the elastic modulus. Furthermore, homogenous titania–TMV hybrid fibres could be prepared using polyaniline-coated TMV fibres as a template, which were used to form a composite film that was able to sense liquefied petroleum gases.

Scientific Divers Quantify First Known Outbreaks Of Cold-Water Coral Disease, J Hall-Spencer, C Munn, K Hiscock

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Coral diseases are widely reported in the tropics but the first incidence of cold-water coral disease was not noted until 2002 when divers recorded an outbreak at 10-28 m depth off Lundy in a NE Atlantic marine protected area. The seafan Eunicella verrucosa exhibited coenchyme necrosis and subsequent diving surveys of >600 colonies at 13 sites since revealed that disease outbreaks were widespread in SW England to depths of 50 m from 2003-2008, possibly caused by infection by Vibrio bacteria at high temperatures.

Spartan Daily, May 13, 2009, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 132, Issue 55

Women And Happiness: A Personal Growth Retreat, Laura Marquette

Theses and Graduate Projects

This research examined the impact of using a servant-leader approach to facilitate a happiness retreat for women. Several self-report assessments were used in an attempt to measure three different aspects of the women’s lives. This research sampled four women, ranging in age from 29 to 30, that are all associates of the chief investigator, interested in attending a retreat. The full-day retreat took place during an annually scheduled trip to Dallas, Texas. The evidence to support the original hypothesis that the designed retreat will have a measurable impact on the levels of happiness of those who attended is inconclusive. While …