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Usgs Energy And Water Programs: Overview And Student Opportunities, Jo Leslie Eimers, Kristin O. Dennen

Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Channel Catfish Stocking Rate On Yield And Water Quality In An Intensive, Mixed Suspended-Growth Production System, Bartholomew W. Green

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

This study was conducted to determine the effect of stocking rate on yield of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus and water quality in a mixed suspended-growth (biofloc) production system with zero water exchange. Channel catfish (National Warmwater Aquaculture Center 103 strain; average fish weight -- 13 g) were stocked into nine 35-m² tanks (28 m³/tank) at a rate of 2.9, 5.7, or 8.5 fish/m² for a 238-d grow-out period. One 1.865-kW blower for every three tanks supplied air continuously through a diffuser grid (constructed of 2.5-cm-diameter polyvinyl chloride pipe) on the bottom of each tank. Well water …

Solid State And Solution Dynamics Of Pyridine Based Tetraaza- Macrocyclic Lanthanide Chelates Possessing Phosphonate Ligating Functionality (Ln-Pctmb): Effect On Relaxometry And Optical Properties, Garry Kiefer, Mark Woods

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

The macrocyclic ligand 3,6,9-tris(methylenebutyl phosphonic acid)-3,6,9−15-tetraazabicyclo [9.3.1]pentadeca-1(15),11,13-triene (PCTMB) was synthesized and complexes of Eu³⁺, Tb³⁺, and Gd³⁺ studied by X-ray crystallography, luminescence, and relaxometry. In the crystal these complexes are dimeric and possess 8-coordinate Ln³⁺ centers that are linked by bridging phosphonates. The rigidity introduced by the pyridyl nucleus forces the EuPCTMB and TbPCTMB to adopt a twisted snub disphenoid (TSD) coordination geometry. Examination of the ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₀ luminescent transition of EuPCTMB in the solid state confirmed the existence of a single distinct Eu³⁺ coordination environment, whereas two …

Thermal And Mechanical Multistate Folding Of Rnase H, Thomas A. Knotts, Terry J. Schmitt, Jonathan E. Clark

Faculty Publications

Two different classes of experimental techniques exist by which protein folding mechanisms are ascertained. The first class, of which circular dichroism is an example, probes thermally-induced folding. The second class, which includes atomic force microscopy and optical tweezers, measures mechanically-induced folding. In this article, we investigate if proteins fold/unfold via the same mechanisms both thermally and mechanically. We do so using Ribonuclease H, a protein that has been shown to fold through a three-state mechanism using both types of experimental techniques. A detailed, molecular-level description of the states involved in thermal and mechanical folding shows that mechanisms for both types …

Ecotourism As An Alternative To Fishing In Yucatan, Mexico, Abigail E. Bennett

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

Small-scale fisheries account for a vast majority of fisheries globally. Their overexploitation threatens coastal environments, including the people living there, throughout the world (Basurto, 2008). Finding productive alternatives to unsustainable levels of fishing is a necessary part of curbing this probl em. Ecotourism has offered such an alternative to coastal communities, and there are already some successful examples of community-managed ecotourism groups in Mexico. Beyond providing a source of income for community members, these programs also facilitate environmental education, thus fostering local community involvement in conservation goals. This study focuses on ecotourism programs that have been started in three towns …

The Rise And Fall Of The Louisiana Muskrat, 1890-1960: An Environmental And Social History, Jared Boscareno

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

As the nineteenth century drew to a close, people living in coastal Louisiana noticed that local rodents called muskrats were rapidly increasing and quickly becoming pests by digging up crops and into levees. Property owners soon demanded their elimination, but to the ire of many, Louisiana officials chose to develop a market for muskrat fur and protect its supply through management laws. The state sought the cooperation of trappers in order to maintain global demand, but when nutria were released alongside the muskrat, the ecological balance of the marsh was permanently altered. Muskrats shrank back into obscurity, and trappers struggled …

Henry Louis Rey, Spiritualism, And Creoles Of Color In Nineteenth-Century New Orleans, Melissa Daggett

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a biography of Henry Louis Rey (1831-1894), a member of one of New Orleans' most prominent Creole of Color families. During the Civil War, Rey was a captain in both the Confederate and Union Native Guards. In postbellum years, he served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representative and in appointed city offices. Rey became heavily involved with spiritualism in the 1850s and established séance circles in New Orleans during the early 1870s. The voluminous transcripts of these séance circles have survived into the twenty-first century; however, scholarly use of these sources has been limited …

Understanding The Holocaust: Ernest Becker And The "Heroic Nazi", Stephen Martin

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the power and limitations of historical analysis in regards to explaining the Holocaust and in particular the widespread consent to the Nazi program. One of the primary limitations that emerges is an inability of historians to fully engage other social sciences to offer a more comprehensive explanation as to why so many Germans engaged in what we would consider an “evil” enterprise. In that regard, I offer the work of Ernest Becker, a social anthropologist, whose work provides a framework for understanding history as a succession of attempts by man to create societies that generate meaning through …

Hope Vi: A Racial Project For A Colorblind Society, Erin Patton

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Being a low-income person of color trying to survive in a society that subscribes to a colorblind ideology can be more than difficult, it can be impossible. This thesis seeks to examine the racial implications of the racial project of HOPE VI. To demonstrate that impact, I perform a Critical Discourse Analysis on the "The Final Report of the National Commission on Severely Distressed Public Housing: A Report to the Congress and the Secretary of housing and Urban Development" and the United States Housing Act of 1937 as it was amended by the "Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of …

Effects Of A Putative Reb1 Protein Binding Site On Ime4 Sense And Antisense Transcription And Sporulation In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Milele Ramsay

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Genome transcription is much more widespread than has been traditionally thought because our view of a "gene" or "transcription unit" has changed dramatically over the past 4 to 5 years with the identification of many different non-coding ribonucleic acids. In the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, meiosis and sporulation are an important part of the life cycle and IME4 gene expression is required for these processes. IME4 sense transcript levels of expression are influenced by the level of its complementary non-coding antisense strand by mechanisms that are currently unknown. The a1-alpha2 heterodimer binding in the downstream 3' region of IME4 is one …

Environmental Analysis Of The Habitat (Biotic And Abiotic Factors) Associated With Broadleaf Barbara's Buttons (Marshallia Trinervia), Jennifer L. Blanchard

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In June 2009 I conducted a study of the habitat associated with Broadleaf Barbara's Buttons (Marshallia trinervia) along Bird's Creek in Vernon Parish, LA. Twenty two plots were sampled for all vascular plants. Of these, 17 samples were from the area where M. trinervia was present and 5 samples were from the area where M. trinervia was absent. From each sampling plot a soil sample was collected and analyzed. There were significant differences in the species richness of all plant groups (p=0.0075), herbaceous plants (p=0.056), and woody vines (p=0.083) between the two locations. The soil texture was also significantly different …

Sources Of Nest Failure In Mississippi Sandhill Cranes, Grus Canadensis Pulla: Nest Survival Modeling And Predator Occupancy, Rose Butler

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Low recruitment is the largest challenge facing the recovery of the critically endangered Mississippi Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis pulla). Lack of information on sources of nest failure hinders effective management to increase recruitment. I examined sources of nest failure for 54 nests at the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, 2008-2009. Nest cameras identified predation as the primary source of failure, followed by flooding, abandonment, and egg inviability. Mean daily survival rate (DSR) was 0.72. The best approximating models included covariates for season date, temperature and nest age. DSR decreased with increasing season date, increasing nest age, and decreasing temperature. …

The Influence Of Conflicting Role Obligations On Nontraditional Student Baccalaureate Degree Attainment, Rosaria Guastella

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the phenomenon of the conflicting roles, such as parent, spouse, employee, caregiver, and community member/volunteer, associated with the lives of nontraditional college students and to reveal how these conflicting role obligations influence these students' persistence toward the attainment of an undergraduate degree. This study provides a brief history of adult education in the United States as well as the study context, a continuing studies division of a privately endowed research institution located in the southern United States. The participants in this study were nontraditional students who were also recent graduates of …

Evaluation Of The Genetic Management Of The Endangered Mississippi Sandhill Crane (Grus Canadensis Pulla), Jessica Renee Henkel

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The genetic status of the critically endangered Mississippi sandhill crane (Grus canadensis pulla) was analyzed using 2009 studbook data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service managed captive breeding and release program. Microsatellite DNA data provided information on shared founder genotypes, allowing for refined analysis of genetic variation in the population, and informed breeding recommendations. The genetic variation observed in the Mississippi sandhill crane was contrasted with variation observed in the Florida sandhill crane (Grus canadensis pratensis). Results show far less variation in the Mississippi population. Results also suggest that while gene flow no longer occurs between the two populations, …

Experiences Of Black Women Who Persist To Graduation At Predominantly White Schools Of Nursing, Francine Simms Thomas

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to explore the experiences of Black women who attended predominantly White nursing schools. A phenomenological design was used to investigate eight nurses who persisted through to graduation from their nursing programs in the 21st century. The study examined persistence through the lens of academic involvement, alienation, loneliness and isolation, culture, identity and fit, self-concept, and institutional climate and racism. In-depth interviews were conducted to answer the following questions: (1) What does it mean to be Black in a PWI? What are Black nurses' perceptions of the nursing school experience, (2) How did the Black culture fit …

Empire Of Dirt, Tawni Auxier

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Electro-Disinfection Of Ballast Water, Elizabeth Kathleen Mccraven

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This research validates electro-disinfection as a potential secondary ballast water treatment technology. Electricity applied to bacteria laden water produced bactericidal effects, reactive oxygen species and chlorine generation which annihilated bacteria. Evaluation of electro-disinfection experiments showed titanium electrodes had the maximum kill efficacy while disinfection with aluminum and stainless steel electrodes had lesser kill efficacy. A continuous flow electro-disinfection reactor was evaluated utilizing artificial brackish and fresh ballast water. Brackish water had a 100% bacteria kill efficiency utilizing titanium electrodes at a current density of 10 mA/cm2. Fresh water was augmented with the addition of salt to increase its electrical conductivity …

Monitoring And Inverse Dispersion Modeling To Quantify Vocs From Msw Landfill, Sarit Kumar Das

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In USA, the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfills accumulate about 130 million tons of solid waste every year. A significant amount of biodegradable solid waste is converted to landfill gas due to anaerobic stabilization by bacteria. These biochemical reactions produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like methane and others. Due to heterogeneity in refuse composition, unpredictable distribution of favorable environmental conditions for bacterial actions and highly uncertain pathway of gases, estimation of landfill gas emission for a particular landfill is complex. However, it is important to quantify landfill gases for health risk assessment and energy recovery purposes. This research is based …

Synthesis Of Amphibian Alkaloids And Synthesis And Affinity Of Novel Cannabinoid Receptor Ligands, April R. Noble

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Amphibian alkaloids are attractive targets for synthesis due to their biological activity. An important class of amphibian alkaloids is the 2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidine-based family of compounds. There are many synthetic approaches for the preparation of the trans-2,5- disubstituted pyrrolidines, but methods for the construction of the cis-2,5-pyrrolidines are limited. Therefore, it was desired to develop an enantioselective approach for the preparation of cis-2,5-disubsituted pyrrolidines. (+)-Tropin-2-one derived from cocaine was used as starting material to exploit the inherent stereochemistry for construction of the cis-pyrrolidine ring. This permitted the unequivocal assignment of the absolute configuration of the target pyrrolidine. The structurally simple pyrrolidine …

Design And Synthesis Of Cb1 Receptor Ligands And Synthesis Of Amphibian Alkaloids, Hong Shu

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Our project was aimed at the development of novel CB1 cannabinoid receptor antagonists that may have clinical applications for the treatment of cannabinoid and psychostimulant addiction. In this study, we designed, synthesized, and established the CB1 affinity for the 1,5-diaryl-1,2,3- triazole esters, a series of 4,5-diaryl-1-substituted-1,2,3-triazole analogues and a series of 4,5- diaryl-2-substituted-1,2,3-triazoles. Our research group has been interested in the synthesis of amphibian alkaloids due to their interesting biological activities. We have recently developed a general synthetic strategy which can rapidly prepare a few amphibian alkaloids simply from the abundant natural product (-)- cocaine This strategy was first successfully …

Defining The Role Of Syndecan-4 In Mechanotransduction Using Surfacemodification Approaches, Robert M. Bellin, James D. Kubicek, Matthew J. Frigault, Andrew J. Kamien, Robert L. Steward, Hillary M. Barnes, Michael B. Digiacomo, Luke J. Duncan, Christina K. Edgerly, Elizabeth M. Morse, Chan Young Park, Jeffrey J. Fredberg, Chao Min Cheng, Philip R. Leduc

Biology Department Faculty Scholarship

The ability of cells to respond to external mechanical stimulation is a complex and robust process involving a diversity of molecular interactions. Although mechanotransduction has been heavily studied, many questions remain regarding the link between physical stimulation and biochemical response. Of significant interest has been the contribution of the transmembrane proteins involved, and integrins in particular, because of their connectivity to both the extracellular matrix and the cytoskeleton. Here, we demonstrate the existence of a mechanically based initiation molecule, syndecan-4. We first demonstrate the ability of syndecan-4 molecules to support cell attachment and spreading without the direct extracellular binding of …

Fall Commencement [Program], December 19, 2009, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Commencement Programs

The program of the commencement ceremonies, including a list of institutional leadership, a list of the departments by college, awards given at the ceremonies, and a list of undergraduate and graduate degree candidates.

160th Commencement, Winter

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

2009 Fall Commencement, Harding University

Commencement Programs

Program for the Commencement on December 19.

Commencement Speaker: Jim Hannah

Homeplace Of Hands: Fractal Performativity Of Vulnerable Resistance, Diana L. Tigerlily

Dissertations

Homeplace of Hands: Fractal Performativity of Vulnerable Resistance is a feminist autoethnography of possibility that puts on display two new concepts I’ve named fractal performativity and vulnerable resistance. Fractal performativity as a way of seeing is an integrative performance methodology that utilizes fractal geometry and performative autoethnography and brings together performance studies, feminist theory, multiethnic literature, personal story and poetry to communicate vulnerable resistance as a strategy for social transformation and selfhood. Vulnerable resistance as a way of being embodies a praxis of homeplace enacted through five modes I’ve identified as nurturance, sustenance, maintenance, performance, and alliance, expressed through the …

Commencement Convocation Exercises - December 2009, Prairie View A&M University

Commencement and Convocation Exercises

No abstract provided.

Screening Of Five Common Beta Thalassemia Mutations In The Pakistani Population : A Basis For Prenatal Diagnosis, Muhammad Usman, Moinuddin Moinuddin, Rubina Usman, Sadia

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: Thalassemia is one of the most common autosomal single-gene disorder worldwide. The highest prevalence of the disease is in the “thalassemia belt” which includes the Mediterranean region, parts of the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, the southern parts of the Far East, Pakistan and South-East Asia. This study aimed to detect the common molecular abnormalities of the beta thalassemia syndrome in Pakistan. Methods:The study was conducted at the Institute of Hematology, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan from August 2004 to November 2007. Blood samples of patients with beta thalassemia major (n = 400) were collected from hospital transfusion centres …

Cardiac Markers In The Early Diagnosis And Management Of Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome, Hafidh A. Al-Hadi, Keith A. Fox

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Chest pain is a non-specific complaint and is the most frequent reason for patients seeking urgent medical attention. A small group of these patients will have acute coronary syndromes (ACS). The current diagnostic and triage systems based on clinical history and electrocardiograms are insufficient. They may result in some of these patients being misdiagnosed and being admitted to the wrong units or receiving inappropriate care, treatment and investigations. In some patients, the diagnosis is delayed resulting in the late administration (or no administration) of essential early treatment. A few patients with ACS may be inadvertently discharged from the emergency department …

Challenges Of Childhood Uveitis, Reem Abdwani

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Chronic uveitis is a rare, but potentially sight-threatening disease. The most common cause of chronic non-infectious uveitis is “idiopathic uveitis”. However, some systemic diseases are associated with chronic uveitis in children and are discussed. Chronic uveitis merits special consideration in children. The unique differences in children are highlighted with special consideration for the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges encountered in their management. While corticosteroids remain the mainstay of initial therapy, a wide range of immunosuppressive agents have been used with variable success. The role of immonomodulatory agents such as methotrexate, cyclosproin and some of the new biologic agents such as etanecept, …

Dopamine D2 Receptor Priming Enhances Dopaminergic Response To Amphetamine In The Nucleus Accumbens: Role Of The D1 And D2 Receptors., Kimberly Norris Huggins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In past work, we have shown neonatal quinpirole (dopamine D₂/D₃ agonist) treatment produces a significant increase in dopamine D₂ receptor sensitivity, a phenomenon known as D₂ receptor priming. Dopamine D₂ receptor priming is common in psychosis. Male and female rats were administered quinpirole (1mg/kg) or saline from postnatal days 1-11 and raised to adulthood (P60). As adults, rats were administered d-amphetamine sulfate (1mg/kg) or saline every other day for 14 days. Approximately 10 min before each amphetamine or saline injection, animals were administered the D1 antagonist SCH 23390 (0.1 mg/kg), the D2 antagonist eticlopride …