Digital Commons Network^™

Studies Of Hydrophobic Organic Pollutant Interactions With Cyclodextrin: Implication For Groundwater Remediation, Heng Gao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Henry’s Law constants of several common, subsurface hydrophobic organic pollutants (HOPs) including trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE) and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and o-xylene (BTEX), were measured over a range of temperatures (35, 45, 55 and 65°C) and cyclodextrin (CD) concentrations (0, 10, 20, 50 and 100 g L-1). In aqueous CD solutions, Henry’s constant values decrease by a power law relationship with increasing CD concentration due to an apparent solubility enhancement caused by HOP partitioning to the hydrophobic cavity of CD molecules. The temperature dependence of air-water partitioning under the influence of CD was well described by the van’t Hoff equation …

Jennifer Higdon's Oboe Concerto: The Composition, Transformation, And A Performer's Analysis, Janice Elizabeth Crews

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This monograph presents a formal examination of Jennifer Higdon’s Oboe Concerto in its various forms. Jennifer Higdon has garnered international success, yet few in-depth studies of her music exist. In this document, personal accounts from commissioners illustrate the unusual commission of Oboe Concerto. Likewise, the composer, a conductor, and soloists for premiere performances highlight unique aspects of the concerto, particularly its unusual form, multiple versions, and the potential challenges in preparing the work. Higdon’s concerto showcases the lyrical capabilities of the oboe, with an emphasis on melody and sustained tone. The transformation of the concerto illustrates Higdon’s skills of self-promotion, …

Physiological, Biochemical And Molecular Characteristics Associated With Virulence Of Burkholderia Glumae: The Major Causative Agent Of Bacterial Panicle Blight Of Rice, Hari Sharan Karki

LSU Master's Theses

Burkholderia glumae is the bacterial pathogen causing bacterial panicle blight disease of rice (BPB). The pathogen, whose growth and pathogenicity is favored by high temperatures, has become a serious threat to rice production around the world possibly due to the current global climate changes. In this study, previously reported avirulent B. glumae strains were characterized in respect to the production of known virulence factors, toxoflavin, lipase and motility, and potential virulence factors, including polygalacturnase and type III secretion system (hypersensitive response). Considerable phenotypic variation was observed among the strains tested. Virulence of the B. glumae strains was closely related to …

Communication Deficits In Babies With Autism And Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (Pdd-Nos), Max Horovitz

LSU Master's Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are characterized by pervasive impairments in communication, socialization, and repetitive behaviors or interests. While there is a growing interest in early ASDs, very few studies have looked at the nature of these impairments before age 3. In order to better strengthen early assessment and intervention for ASDs, more knowledge is needed in this area. The current studies aimed to determine if, and in what ways, communication impairments are present in infants and toddlers (17-37 months) diagnosed with autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). In the first study, infants with autism and PDD-NOS …

Public Perception Of Wildfire Risk And Prescribed Burning In The Wildland/Urban Interface Of The Louisiana Florida Parishes, Charlotte Ann Gerald

LSU Master's Theses

Wildfire has been suppressed in the nation’s forests for over a hundred years. The accumulation of forest fuels over time has created an urgent need to reduce fuel loads to prevent catastrophic wildfires from occurring, not only in our wildlands, but also in our Wildland/Urban Interfaces (WUI’s). The residents who live within the WUI are particularly vulnerable to extreme wildfire events. As cities become more densely populated, increasing numbers of people are moving beyond the suburbs into the WUI. A complex matrix of structures and forested land, developing communities, and impinging forests exists within the WUI. This study utilized a …

Genetic And Cytological Investigation Of Nucleostemin-1 In Drosophila Melanogaster, Raphyel Ojomo Rosby

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Mammalian nucleostemin (NS) is a nucleolar GTP-binding protein implicated in cell cycle progression, stem cell proliferation, and ribosome assembly. Drosophila melanogaster contains a four-member nucleostemin family (NS1-4). Nucleostemin 1 (NS1) is the closest orthologue to human NS; it shares 33% identity and 67% similarity with human NS. We show that NS1 has intrinsic GTPase and ATPase activity, and that it is present within nucleoli of most larval and adult cells. Endogenous NS1 and lightly expressed GFP-NS1 enrich within the nucleolar granular regions as expected, while over-expressed GFP-NS1 localizes throughout the nucleolus and nucleoplasm, and to several transcriptionally active inter-bands of …

Thermocrinis Minervae Sp. Nov., A Hydrogen And Sulfur-Oxidizing, Thermophilic Member Of The Aquificales From A Costa Rican Terrestrial Hot Spring, Sara L. Caldwell, Yitai Liu, Isabel Ferrera, Terry Beveridge, Anna-Louise Reysenbach

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

A thermophilic bacterium, designated strain CR11T , was isolated from a filamentous sample collected from a terrestrial hot spring on the south-western foothills of the Rincón volcano in Costa Rica. The Gram-negative cells are approximately 2.4–3.9 mm long and 0.5–0.6 mm wide and are motile rods with polar flagella. Strain CR11T grows between 65 and 85 6C (optimum 75 6C, doubling time 4.5 h) and between pH 4.8 and 7.8 (optimum pH 5.9–6.5). The isolate grows chemolithotrophically with S0 , S2O2{ 3 or H2 as the electron donor and with O2 (up to 16 %, v/v) as the sole electron …

Antioxidant Nanoparticles As Delivery Systems, Carlos Ernesto Astete R.

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of the study was to develop antioxidant polymeric nanoparticles as a new delivery system for food and pharmaceutical applications. Natural antioxidants like alpha-tocopherol, vitamin C, and carnosine, are responsible to protect biological systems against free radicals attack. The conjugation of vitamin C-vitamin E (EC) and alpha-tocopherol-carnosine (VECAR) were performed to obtain antioxidant surfactants which were used for polymeric nanoparticle synthesis. The surfactant made of á-tocopherol (vitamin E) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) of antioxidant properties dubbed as EC was used to make poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles. Self-assembled EC nanostructures and PLGA-EC nanoparticles were made by nanoprecipitation, and the …

Application Of Anti-H Monoclonal Antibodies To Develop Rapid Immunoassay For Vibrio Vulnificus, Ravirajsinh Jadeja

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the US there are about 76 million foodborne illness cases reported every year, in spite of initiatives by federal agencies. This emphasizes the need for the development of novel detection techniques which are sensitive, specific and rapid. A detection technique should be rapid enough to give results same day, allowing companies to release food lots without delay and decreasing storage costs. This kind of screening would also allow immediate measures, if needed, before releasing the lots. In the case of Vibrio vulnificus (V. vulnificus), conventional methods are available to identify and enumerate this pathogen in oysters, but they are …

An Overview Of The Choral Music Of Michael Mcglynn With A Conductor's Preparatory Guide To His Celtic Mass, Karen Marrolli

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Michael McGlynn, Irish composer and director of the choral group Anúna, is a fresh and engaging voice in the world of choral music. This paper delves into the sacred and secular works of Michael McGlynn to yield a clearer understanding of the style of this unique composer and the performance issues inherent in McGlynn’s Celtic Mass, an extended work for chorus, strings, harp, and percussion. Correspondence with the composer and examination of a representative cross section of his works revealed a number of influences, from Medieval music to the traditional music of McGlynn’s Irish homeland. McGlynn’s compositions range from chant …

The Transnational Networks Of Cultural Commodities: Peruvian Food In San Francisco, Kelsey Ann Brain

Dissertations and Theses

In a setting of increased movement, communication, and flows across space, commodity chain networks bring valued cultural commodities to transnational communities. This research examines the networks bringing foreign cuisine ingredients to Peruvian transnational communities in San Francisco, California. It seeks to answer three inter-related questions: 1) What are the origins and transportation networks bringing Peruvian food items to San Francisco; 2) Who controls and benefits from the movement of this food and resulting capital; and 3) How do networks vary for different classes of end consumers?

Chefs of ten Peruvian restaurants and ten Peruvian migrants in the San Francisco area …

The Effect Of Athletic Participation On Academic Achievement For High School Seniors In Eastern Tennessee, David Andrew Gorman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This causal-comparative study with a narrative component investigated the effect athletic participation on the academic achievement of senior student-athletes and non-athletes who attended three public high schools in Eastern Tennessee. The impetus for the study was the conflicting research as it relates to the impact athletics participation had on academic success at the college and high school levels. Through student athlete and non-athlete comparisons of ACT scores and GPAs, the researcher found athletic participation did not affect academic achievement for high school seniors who graduated in 2009 from the three target high schools when compared to non-athletes. However, statistically significant …

Reputation In A Networked World: Revisiting The Social Foundations Of Defamation Law, David S. Ardia

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Free Speech Savior Or Shield For Scoundrels: An Empirical Study Of Intermediary Immunity Under Section 230 Of The Communications Decency Act,, David S. Ardia

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Medical Research Regulation After More Than Twenty-Five Years: Old Problems, New Challenges, And Regulatory Imbalance, Richard S. Saver

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Moral Politics Of Social Control: Political Culture And Ordinary Crime In Cuba, Deborah M. Weissman, Marsha Weissman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Investigation And Modeling Of Viscoelastic Moduli For Multilayered Polymeric Systems Using High Frequency Ultrasonic Waves, Todd Mathew Fernandez

Theses

Mechanical characterization of both the bulk and individual layer properties of layered polymer stacks provides important information for their use in novel applications. A single technique to measure both the bulk and layer properties is atempted. Ultrasonic testing provides an opportunity to determine the mechanical characteristics for layered samples in the form of the complex mechanical moduli. These moduli express the viscoelastic properties of the materials. Using ultrasound, this can be done for the bulk and the layers in a single test. With ultrasound, the ability to determine the complex moduli in single layers has been demonstrated. The moduli were …

It's The Principal Of The Thing: Guiding A Rural School Has Its Own Trials, Susan Wilson, Tim France

Metroscape

The difficulties of K-12 education have become familiar to citizens of the metroscape, but they are usually viewed through the lens of urban and suburban schools, with their problems of multi-ethnic populations, crowded classrooms, strained budgets, and the like. Metroscape® was curious about the struggles and triumphs of the schools in the rural areas of the region, so we sent our interviewer, Susan Wilson, a Portland freelance writer, to Willamina to talk to a small town education leader in hopes of glimpsing the realities of schooling kids in that often overlooked setting.

A small-town principal is a versatile member of …

American Belly Dance And The Invention Of The New Exotic: Orientalism, Feminism, And Popular Culture, Jennifer Lynn Haynes-Clark

Dissertations and Theses

Belly dance classes have become increasingly popular in recent decades in the United States. Many of the predominantly white, middle-class American women who belly dance proclaim that it is a source of feminist identity and empowerment that brings deeper meaning to their lives. American practitioners of this art form commonly explain that it originated from ritual-based dances of ancient Middle Eastern cultures and regard their participation as a link in a continuous lineage of female dancers. In contrast to the stigmatization and marginalization of public dance performers in the Middle East today, the favorable meaning that American dancers attribute to …

Use Of Media Technologies By Native American Teens And Young Adults: Evaluating Their Utility For Designing Culturally-Appropriate Sexual Health Interventions Targeting Native Youth In The Pacific Northwest, Stephanie Nicole Craig Rushing

Dissertations and Theses

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth are disproportionally burdened by high rates of sexually transmitted infections and teen pregnancy, heightening their need for sexual health interventions that are aligned to their unique culture and social context. Media technologies, including the Internet, cell phones, and video games, offer new avenues for reaching adolescents on a wide range of sensitive health topics. While several studies have informed the development of technology-based interventions targeting mainstream youth, no such data have been reported for AI/AN youth. To fill this gap, I: a) quantified media technology use in a select group of AI/AN teens …

Law In The Shadow Of Bargaining: The Feedback Effect Of Civil Settlements, Ben Depoorter

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Reviving Lenity And Honest Belief At The Boundaries Of Criminal Law, John L. Diamond

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Role Of The Subconscious In Intellectual Property Law, Robin Feldman

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Crimes Without Punishment: Violence Against Women In Guatemala, Karen Musalo, Elisabeth Pellegrin, S. Shawn Roberts

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Coal To Oil In China: Scientific Development Or Crossing The River By Feeling The Stones?, Joseph John Narus

Dissertations and Theses

Since the start of the 21st century, energy security concerns and rising international energy costs have led China to pursue the development of a coal to oil industry, whereby converting a portion of the nation's abundant coal reserves into gasoline, diesel, or jet fuel, China might be able to increase its domestic oil production and generate profits. But a large-scale coal to oil industry exerts added pressure on China's domestic coal reserves and water resources, and generates significant greenhouse gas emissions. The tension between the potential benefits of coal to oil development and its associated negative externalities present a challenge …

Hydrologic Data Assimilation: State Estimation And Model Calibration, Caleb Matthew Dechant

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is a combination of two separate studies which examine hydrologic data assimilation techniques: 1) to determine the applicability of assimilation of remotely sensed data in operational models and 2) to compare the effectiveness of assimilation and other calibration techniques. The first study examines the ability of Data Assimilation of remotely sensed microwave radiance data to improve snow water equivalent prediction, and ultimately operational streamflow forecasts. Operational streamflow forecasts in the National Weather Service River Forecast Center are produced with a coupled SNOW17 (snow model) and SACramento Soil Moisture Accounting (SAC-SMA) model. A comparison of two assimilation techniques, the …

Beyond The "Stalled Revolution": Stay-At-Home Fathers, Gender Identity And The Division Of Household Labor, Aundrea Janae Snitker

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore how stay-at-home fathers view their role as the primary caregiver, and how they encounter opposing masculinity issues. This is explored through discussion about daily life, the decision to stay home, and household labor, a particularly interesting reflection of gender roles and equality. The two research questions used to explore this included: How do stay-at-home fathers understand their masculinity and social role? How does talk about the negotiation of household labor in stay-at-home father/career mother families illustrate masculinity issues? Through an analysis of interviews of eight present or past stay-at-home fathers, I capture …

Modeling Terahertz Diffuse Scattering From Granular Media Using Radiative Transfer Theory, Kyung Moon Nam

Dissertations and Theses

Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy can potentially be used to probe and characterize inhomogeneous materials, however spectroscopic identification of such materials from spectral features of diffuse returns is a relatively underdeveloped area of study. In this thesis, diffuse THz scattering from granular media is modeled by applying radiative transfer (RT) theory for the first time in THz sensing. Both classical RT theory and dense media radiative transfer (DMRT) theory based on the quasi-crystalline approximation (QCA) are used to calculate diffuse scattered intensity. The numerical solutions of the vector radiative transfer equations (VRTE) were coded and calculated in MATLAB. The diffuse scattered field …

Negotiating Meaning With Educational Practice: Alignment Of Preservice Teachers' Mission, Identity, And Beliefs With The Practice Of Collaborative Action Research, Jan Marie Carpenter

Dissertations and Theses

The case study examined how three preservice teachers within a Master of Arts in Teaching program at a small, private university negotiated meaning around an educational practice--collaborative action research. Preservice teachers must negotiate multiple, and often competing, internal and external discourses as they sort out what educational practices, policies, organizational structures to accept or reject as presented in the teacher education program. This negotiation is a dynamic, contextual, unique meaning-making process that extends, redirects, dismisses, reinterprets, modifies, or confirms prior beliefs (Wenger, 1998).

Korthagen's (2004) model for facilitating understanding and reflection was used to explore the process of negotiating meaning. …

Radiative Transfer Theory Applied To Ocean Bottom Modeling, Jorge Quijano

Dissertations and Theses

Research on the propagation of acoustic waves in ocean bottom sediment is of interest for active sonar applications such as target detection and remote sensing. Currently, all seabed scattering models available in the literature are based on the full solution of the wave equation, which sometimes leads to mathematically intractable problems. In the electromagnetics community, an alternative formulation that overcomes some of this complexity is radiative transfer theory, which has established itself as an important technique for remote sensing. In this work, radiative transfer (RT) theory is proposed for the first time as a tool for the study of seabed …