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Characterization Of Composite Piezoelectric Materials For Smart Joint Applications, Hari Prasad Konka

LSU Master's Theses

Piezoelectric materials have the ability to provide desired transformation from mechanical to electrical energy and vice versa. When a mechanical force is applied to the piezoelectric material an electrical voltage is generated and when an electrical voltage is applied to the piezoelectric material it gets strained or deformed. Owing to these characteristics piezoelectric materials can be used as a sensor, an actuator, as well as a power generation unit. The high brittleness property of the original piezoelectric material is one of the major constraints in using them in the engineering applications. In order to overcome this disadvantage the composite piezoelectric …

Branding The Bear, Veni Harlan

LSU Master's Theses

Harlan, Veni S, B.F.A., Louisiana State University, 1981 Master of Fine Arts, Fall Commencement, 2010 Major: Graphic Design Branding the Bear Dissertation directed by Professor Rod Parker Pages in dissertation, 64. Words in abstract, 350. ABSTRACT Currently due to successful restoration efforts, the Louisiana Black Bear sub-species is rebounding. Correspondingly this increase in numbers accompanies the rise of human-bear conflict. Fiction, misinformation, resentment, and devaluation of the bear as a valuable asset stand to undermine the tremendous strides made by multiple public and private agencies over the course of twenty years. Discovery revealed a lack of knowledge by the public …

Functional Characterization Of A Non-Cytoplasmically Localized Dps Protein From Deinococcus Radiodurans, Brian Reon

LSU Master's Theses

The gram-positive eubacterium Deinococcus radiodurans is widely recognized for its extreme resistance to various DNA-damaging conditions, such as desiccation and ionizing and ultraviolet radiation. D. radiodurans is one of only a few bacteria which encode two Dps (DNA protection during starvation) proteins. Here I report the cloning and purification of a more soluble Dps2, Ntrunc. Also, the initial characterization of a truncated Dps2, which lacks the C-terminal metal binding loop, shows that this region is important for proper oligomerization. Furthermore, Dps2 expression was found to be moderately induced when stressed with exogenous H2O2, and expression levels were not altered by …

Age Related Productivity And Consistency Of Nest Initiation Timing Of Wild Mallards In Eastern North Dakota, Timothy Charles Kimmel

LSU Master's Theses

Mallards Anas platyrhnchos are arguably the most researched waterfowl species in North America. They exhibit great flexibility in certain breeding metrics such as timing of nest initiation and clutch size. A study on captive female Mallards (Batt and Prince 1979) fed ad libitum, held in identical breeding compartments, and paired with the same mate in each year of the study exhibited substantial variation in the timing of nest initiation within a given year, yet some individual females demonstrated consistency in initiation date among years. My objective was to examine breeding metrics such as timing of nest initiation and clutch size …

Laser-Assisted Zona Pellucida Hatching Of Frozen-Thawed In Vivo-Produced Bovine Embryos, Mindy Kaye Chiasson

LSU Master's Theses

Incomplete zona hatching or failure of the zona to rupture compromises post-transfer embryo viability and conceptus development. Assisted hatching prior to the transfer of frozen-thawed bovine embryos has been proposed as a means to increase recipient pregnancy rates. The objective of this study was to determine if laser-assisted hatching would improve in vivo-produced frozen-thawed bovine embryo hatching and pregnancy rates. In Experiment I,II and III frozen direct-transfer embryos received either two a or three symmetrical rents at either 40% or 80% through the outer zona surface using the Hamilton Thorne XYClone® (Hamilton Thorne Biosciences) diode laser at 90% power with …

Investigating The Effectiveness Of Informal Science Education Through Quantitative And Qualitative Analysis: Ocean Commotion, Catherine Angela Sutera

LSU Master's Theses

Informal science education serves as an important source for science education for both individuals and school groups. However, the effectiveness of school visits to informal science education events outside of either museums or science centers has received little investigation. This study explores the short-term effects of a hands-on learning experience on students’ attitude and content knowledge. Specifically, it investigates the impact of Ocean Commotion, a one-day event where exhibitors present information and hands-on demonstrations about marine environments and products, especially those important to Louisiana. Pre-tests were utilized to document students’ initial knowledge of and attitude toward wetlands and the ocean, …

A High Fat Diet Attenuates The Fermentation Effects Of Resistant Starches And Fructans, Felicia Robin Goldsmith

LSU Master's Theses

In our previous studies, ingestion of prebiotics in low fat diets resulted in decreased cecal pH from 8 to about 6 and increases in short chain fatty acids indicating robust fermentation. However, in some preliminary studies this effect on fermentation was not seen when rodents were obese and/or fed a high-fat diet. This comprehensive high-fat diet study was conducted to determine which sources and combinations of prebiotics would enhance fermentation despite a high dietary fat content. The effects of prebiotics in a high-fat diet (44% energy) on pH, cecal weights, abdominal fat, and body weight were studied in mature male …

Altruism And Alcohol Dependence: Is There A Relationship Between Helping Others And Recovery?, Alan Nicholson

LSU Master's Theses

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and the Twelve Steps have been instrumental in the recovery of numerous persons who are alcohol dependent. Altruism has been found to have a positive effect on physical and psychological functioning in diverse populations. A key component of AA is altruistic helping and service to others to recover from alcohol dependency. The current study explores the relationship between altruism and recovery from alcohol dependency. Self-report survey data focusing on altruism, AA altruistic activities, and recovery from alcohol dependence was collected from 92 AA members and analyzed to assess for correlations between altruism and recovery. No statistically significant …

Stochastic Trends In Crop Yield Density Estimation, David I. Maradiaga

LSU Master's Theses

The search for improved methods of estimating crop yield density functions has been a theme of recurrent research interest in agricultural economics. Crop yield density functions are the statistical instrument that generates probability estimates of yield risk, and risk is an important decision variable in production agriculture. Recent research in crop yield density estimation suggests that yield probability estimates can be sensitive to the way yield data are filtered, and if true, then the search for an “adequate filter” is warranted. Such a quest is pursued in this study. It is proposed that unit-root tests can be used to identify …

The Model System C. Elegans Demonstrates The Health Benefits Of Legumes And The Potential Benefits Of Legume Consumption, Carla Michele Sandlin

LSU Master's Theses

Legumes are high in protein and are a good source of fiber and folate. They contain beneficial oligosaccharides, plant sterols and phenolics. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the health benefits of legumes using the model system Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Nine legumes (black beans, cranberry beans, dark red beans, great northern beans, large lima beans, lentils, light red kidney beans, navy beans and white kidney beans) were tested in the C. elegans model system. The various legume samples were ground using a centrifugal mill to 0.75mm, suspended in water (1% w/v) solution and autoclaved. C. elegans were …

Patterns Of Habitat Suitability And Abundance Trends Of Current And Candidate Coastal Fish Species Of Concern In Louisiana, Elin Rose Sandy

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana’s estuaries and coastal waters play an important role in providing habitat for several estuarine-dependent species and also serve as a nursery for the juveniles of several other species. The current rate of land loss in Louisiana and the decline of estuarine-dependent species force us to improve our understanding of the recruitment of these species into Louisiana’s estuaries. Habitat suitabilities were developed for several fish species of concern (SOC) and other estuarine-dependent species across three environmental gradients, abundance patterns were developed for seasons, five-year intervals, and coastal study areas (CSAs). Chi-square analyses and ANOVAs were then used to test for …

Misconceptions On Force And Gravity Among High School Students, Jane Ragasa Pablico

LSU Master's Theses

The goal of this study is to determine prevalent or dominant misconceptions on force and gravity among high school students. A survey instrument consisting of 12 qualitative questions requiring both answers and written explanations was used to gather students’ ideas and beliefs in situations involving force and gravity. Furthermore, it examined whether the proportion of students having misconceptions per question are correlated with gender and the type of school Physics background. The results show that the respondents have misconceptions that are similar to the misconceptions found in previous research. The number of misconceptions and the proportion of students having misconceptions …

Assessing The Suitability Of Coagulation Pretreatment On Poultry Processing Wastewater For Optimized Dissolved Air Flotation, Adam James Dassey

LSU Master's Theses

Eleven metal coagulants and one polyelectrolyte were assessed on their suitability for assisting a dissolved air flotation (DAF) system in treating poultry processing wastewater. The DAF unit was designed to maximize the microbubble production by varying the pressure, temperature, hydraulic retention time, and air flow parameters. The maximum microbubble flow from the designed system produced 30 mL of air per L of water. This value was considered low compared to other systems, but attempts to increase the microbubble volume in the current system beyond this value resulted in the coalescing of microbubbles due to turbulent conditions. Jar tests were used …

Effects Of Varying Levels Of Cottonseed Hulls On Growth And Metabolic Indications Of Rumen Development Of Dairy Calves, Ryan Doescher

LSU Master's Theses

A study was conducted to determine the effects of varying levels of cottonseed hulls on growth and metabolic indications of rumen development of dairy calves. Sixty-four Holstein calves (Heifers, n=40; Bulls, n=24) were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments which included calf starters containing no cottonseed hulls (control; C), 10% cottonseed hulls (10% CSH), 15% cottonseed hulls (15% CSH), or 20% cottonseed hulls (20% CSH). Calves were fed their respective treatments beginning on day 6 until day 56 of age. Body weights were measured at birth and biweekly thereafter until day 56 of age. Wither and hip heights …

Play It Loud: Hip Hop In The Language Arts Classroom, B Cord Mckeithen

LSU Master's Theses

Hip-hop music and its place in education has been thoroughly researched over the last two decades by many scholars and educators from all over the world. This research paper discusses hip-hop’s merit in the classroom, building upon prior research from books and journal articles, along with my own research that I conducted with students at a southern Louisiana high school. Educators in the field of language arts must find new methods when it comes to teaching our youth and leave behind many of the traditional ways that previous generations were accustomed to. The idea of hip-hop in education, in this …

In Sickness And In Health: Experiencing Medical Spaces In Mbarara (Uganda), Kara E. Miller

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis is a contribution to cross-cultural studies on health and medicine explored through the material and symbolic facets of health care in a region of Southwest Uganda. Research conducted in the healing spaces of Mbarara reflects traditions in the anthropology of the body and brings a lived perspective to conditions of sickness and wellness. By tracing the biographies of treatment spaces, the medical landscape is evaluated in terms of participants’ perceptions, convictions, and knowledge sets. Phenomenological methodology is employed in this exploration of ill states and curative places, which braids concepts and academic work in the areas of medicine, …

Taphonomy And Sedimentology Of Two Miocene Vertebrate Fossil Sites On Fort Polk, Louisiana, Julie Lynn Hill

LSU Master's Theses

The discovery of a terrestrial mammalian fauna in the Miocene deposits on Fort Polk, Louisiana, fills a geographic gap in the Gulf Coast paleontological framework, but the provenance of the fossils, nature of the depositional environments, and relationships between the sites is still debated. This is especially true for the TVOR site cluster. TVOR SE has a mixture of marine and terrestrial vertebrates in association with a partly dissolved, in situ bed of articulated oyster shells, which stands in contrast to the fully terrestrial and freshwater assemblage at TVOR, and the indeterminate site TVOR S. Although limited outcrop may bias …

A Study Of Passalid Beetle Prokaryote And Yeast Gut Symbionts, Stephanie Rachelle Gross

LSU Master's Theses

Scheffersomyces stipitis (=Pichia stipitis) is a xylose-fermenting and assimilating yeast (Ascomycota: Saccharomycotina) consistently isolated from the gut of Odontotaenius disjunctus (Coleoptera: Passalidae). This filamentous yeast is often attached to the wall of the posterior hindgut of the beetle by a holdfast. Gallery walls of white-rotted wood inhabited by the beetle are lined with macerated wood and frass that includes the yeast and other microbes. Previous studies have mentioned the relationship between the passalid and this yeast; however, passalid beetles also harbor a community of prokaryotes in their guts that have not been characterized. Experiments using culturing and cloning techniques and …

Dopaminergic Input To The Equine Pituitary: Seasonal And Estradiol Effects, Sarah Case Clavier

LSU Master's Theses

Two experiments were conducted to study the effects of season and estradiol administration on dopaminergic input to the equine adenohypophysis. Experiment 1 began in the spring with 8 mares and 8 stallions and was repeated again in the summer, fall, and winter. Horses were given sulpiride injections of eight incremental doses (0.25 to 32 µg/kg BW). Within each group of 8 horses, half received the sulpiride in an increasing manner, the other half in a decreasing manner. Prolactin concentrations peaked in the first 15 to 30 min in all horses in all seasons. Prolactin areas under the curve increased (P < 0.001) with increasing doses of sulpiride, and were highest (P < 0.05) in March for stallions, but in June for mares. The calculated half-maximum values, which should be proportional to the dopaminergic input to the pituitary, were lowest (P < 0.05) in June and greatest in September. The variation in half-maximum values with season indicated a change in dopaminergic input to the pituitary, with lowest input occurring in June in both sexes. Experiment 2 was designed to determine if the degree of dopaminergic input to the adenohypophysis is altered by estradiol administration. Twelve geldings were used. On day 0, geldings received an i.m. injection of either estradiol cypionate (ECP; n = 6) or vegetable oil (n = 6) at one of two dose volumes (2 vs. 10 mL). On day 6, all geldings received an injection of sulpiride at 0.082 µg/kg BW in saline. Sulpiride injections were repeated every other day with the dose increasing each day, from 0.164 to 100 µg/kg BW. Estradiol pretreatment increased (P < 0.05) the prolactin response to sulpiride at the 2.56 µg/kg dose and higher. However, the half-maximum values for ECP-treated and control geldings did not differ, indicating that the amount of sulpiride needed to counterbalance the amount of dopamine reaching the pituitary was unaltered by estradiol treatment. It was concluded that estradiol likely stimulates prolactin production and secretion after sulpiride directly at the lactotrope level, rather than by decreasing hypothalamic dopamine input to the lactotropes.

Acute Responses Of Freshwater And Marine Species To Ethinyl Estradiol And Fluoxetine, Julia Kaye Daigle

LSU Master's Theses

Damaging and often irreversible effects occurring in aquatic ecosystems have recently been linked to the presence of pharmaceuticals in water bodies. Because this crisis has only recently been identified, existing reports on the consequences of this contamination are scarce. In EPA standard acute effluent toxicity tests, Ceriodaphnia dubia, Daphnia pulex, Pimephales promelas, Mysidopsis bahia, and Menidia beryllina were subjected to two of the most widely distributed pharmaceuticals in the U.S., ethinyl estradiol (EE2), a synthetic form of estrogen, and fluoxetine HCl (FLX), the active ingredient in Prozac®, for 96 hours to assess and evaluate toxic responses. After test termination, mortality …

Emotion Recognition In Schizotypy, Laura Brown

LSU Master's Theses

Deficits in social cognition are repeatedly found in individuals with schizophrenia. Facial emotion recognition is a major aspect of social cognition in which individuals with schizophrenia show consistent deficits. However, many questions about these deficits remain unanswered including whether they occur in individuals with schizotypy—those at high risk for the disorder that do not manifest full pathology. Examining emotion recognition in schizotypy eliminates many of the confounds associated with schizophrenia research such as medication effects, chronic institutionalization, and generalized cognitive deficits, and allows for the examination of whether emotion recognition deficits reflect vulnerability to schizophrenia. Prior research in this population …

Reproduction In Female Diploid And Triploid Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea Virginica): Comparison Of Gonadal Changes Correlated With Prostaglandin E2, Esther Faith Young

LSU Master's Theses

The sale of eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) is a multi-million dollar industry in the United States. Triploid production of oysters helps to alleviate the decline in sales during summer months that normally results from the loss of flavor and texture when diploid oysters are spawning. Research to improve the ease of triploid production is critical for the expansion of oyster hatcheries producing triploids. The goals of this research were to determine the period of time when triploid oysters are most fertile and to determine if prostaglandin E2 (PGE) plays a role in oocyte maturation of C. virginica. The results of …

Prepartum Maternal Cortisol Concentrations On Postnatal Cortisol Concentration And Immunoglobulin Absorption In Neonatal Dairy Calves, Dana Nadine Wooley

LSU Master's Theses

The role of glucocorticoids on intestinal closure in neonates has recently become an area of interest but a definitive mechanism remains to be identified. It is known that glucocorticoids enhance immunoglobulin absorption in dairy calves, but the role of maternal glucocorticoids at parturition is not clear. In the present experiment, we obtained plasma and milk samples from primiparous and multiparous Holstein cows (n=24) to measure cortisol at 72, 48 and 24 hours before and 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after spontaneous parturition. After parturition, calves (n=24) were immediately removed from their dams and a blood sample was taken …

Sediment Phosphorus Flux In Beaver Lake In Northwest Arkansas, Taraf Abu Hamdan, Thad Scott, Duane Wolf, Brian E. Haggard

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Internal phosphorus (P) loading may influence primary production in lakes, but the influence of sediment-derived P has not been well studied in Beaver Lake of Northwest Arkansas. Soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), dissolved organic P (DOP), and total dissolved P (TDP) sediment-water fluxes were determined using intact sediment cores collected from deepwater environments in the riverine, transition zone, and lacustrine zones of Beaver Lake. The SRP, DOP, and TDP fluxes were also estimated from cores collected from shallow locations in the transition zone. There was a net positive SRP (0.001 – 0.005 µg P cm-2 h-1), DOP (0.005 – 0.01 µg …

Gender And Mathematics Education In Pakistan: A Situation Analysis, Anjum Halai

The Mathematics Enthusiast

This paper reports from a situation analysis of gender issues in mathematics education in Pakistan. It was undertaken at the initiation of a large scale project which aimed to understand how curriculum change in mathematics and science education may be implemented in ways that contribute to poverty alleviation and promote gender equity in disadvantaged rural settings. The paper posits that issues of access, achievement and quality of mathematics education are integrally linked with questions of equity, in this case gender equity. It identifies several questions and arenas for further research and makes recommendations for policy and practice in mathematics education.

Proteomic Analysis Of Plasma Exosomes Reveals That Kappa:Lambda Ratio Predicts Severe Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease, Joseph Alge

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Background: Acute Graft-Versus-Host disease (acute GVH D) is an often fatal, inflammatory multi-organ disease driven by T cell alloreactivity directed toward host tissues. One of the chief obstacles to improving outcomes of acute GVHD patients is timely diagnosis. Currently, acute GVHD is diagnosed clinically, once the symptoms are fully manifested. However, it is clear that important immunologic events occur prior to the occurrence of symptoms. A biomarker that could predict disease during the asymptomatic period could improve patient outcomes by allowing for earlier intensification of immunosuppressant therapy. Exosomes are an attractive target for acute GVHD biomarker discovery. They contain a …

A Polymorphism Near Igf1 Is Associated With Body Composition And Muscle Function In Women From The Health, Aging, And Body Composition Study, Matthew C. Kostek, Joseph M. Devaney, Heather Gordish-Dressman, Tamara B. Harris, Paul D. Thompson, Priscilla M. Clarkson, Theodore J. Angelopoulos, Paul M. Gordon, Niall M. Moyna, Linda S. Pescatello, Paul S. Visich, Robert F. Zoeller, Richard L. Seip, Melissa Garcia, Rongling Li, Joseph M. Zmuda, Matthew J. Delmonico, Alka Kanaya, Eric P. Hoffman

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Previous studies have reported associations of polymorphisms in the IGF1 gene with phenotypes of body composition (BC). The purpose of this study was to identify phenotypes of BC and physical function that were associated with the IGF1 promoter polymorphism (rs35767, −C1245T). Subjects from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study, white males and females (n = 925/836) and black males and females (533/705) aged 70–79 years were genotyped for the polymorphism. Phenotypes of muscle size and function, bone mineral density, and BC were analyzed for associations with this polymorphism. To validate and compare these findings, a cohort of young …

Mapping The Issues: Public Health, Law And Ethics, Lawrence O. Gostin

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The field of public health is typically regarded as a positivistic pursuit and, undoubtedly, our understanding of the etiology and response to disease is heavily influenced by scientific inquiry. Public health policies, however, are shaped not only by science but also by ethical values, legal norms, and political oversight. Public Health Law and Ethics: A Reader (expanded and updated 2nd ed., 2010) probes and seeks to illuminate this complex interplay, through a careful selection of government reports, scholarly articles, and court cases together with discussion and analysis of critical problems at the interface of law, ethics, and public health. The …

Adaptation To The Health Consequences Of Climate Change As A Potential Influence On Public Health Law And Policy: From Preparedness To Resilience, Lindsay F. Wiley

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Because the health effects of climate change are likely to be significant and far-reaching, a key component of climate change adaptation will be our public health infrastructure. Perhaps counter-intuitively, recent emphasis in public health law on preparedness for extraordinary events may be to the detriment of our ability to cope with the health impacts of climate change. While existing emergency preparedness law will necessarily be an important backdrop for health-focused climate change adaptation efforts (especially with regard to natural disasters and infectious disease outbreaks), the focus on emergency preparedness in recent years does not necessarily situate us well for handling …

Cns Connections, Winter 2010-11, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Natural Sciences.

CNS Connections

Inside this issue:

-- Message from the Dean
-- Wind-solar hybrid power station in operation
-- Carver grants strengthen Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry
--Google-funded workshop for teachers held at UNI
-- Applause
-- Transitions
-- CNS News in Short
-- CNS Students in the News
-- Conversation with a UNI graduate
-- Faculty Research
-- Three CNS grads awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowships
-- North American Prairie Conference hosted by Tallgrass Prairie Center
-- Physics Department partners with Ankeny High School
-- From one generation to another...
-- Alumni News
-- Clifford McCollum, first CNS Dean, dies
-- CNS Advisory …