Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating The Efficacy Of Methoxyfenozide On Louisiana, Texas And The Mid-Southern Soybean Looper Populations, Sebe Anthony Brown

LSU Master's Theses

The soybean looper, Chrysodeixis includens (Walker), is a defoliating insect pest of soybean in the Mid-South and Texas. In 2008, Louisiana producers reported unsatisfactory control of soybean loopers in soybean with methoxyfenozide. In 2009 and 2010, field collections from Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi and Texas were exposed to discriminating concentrations (0.020 to 5.000 ai ìg/ml) of methoxyfenozide in diet incorporation bioassays. All field colonies were compared to a reference strain LC50 of 0.007 ìg/ml for 2009 and 0.008 ìg/ml for 2010. Louisiana populations exhibited LC50’s of 0.079 ìg/ml and 0.122 ìg/ml for 2009 and 2010, respectively, which were the highest values …

The Moderating Effects Of Perceived Intentionality: Exploring The Relationships Between Ideas Of Reference, Paranoia, And Social Anxiety In Schizotypy, Sean Cameron Morrison

LSU Master's Theses

Ideas of reference (IOR), paranoia, and social anxiety are three common symptoms of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, which appear to be conceptually related. However, the precise nature of these relationships is unclear. A new measure that assesses perceived intentionality (PI), a social-cognitive bias for perceiving the actions of others during unpleasant social situations as being directed at oneself in an intentionally malicious manner, has provided preliminary evidence for a link between PI and paranoia. The primary aim of this study was to examine the moderating role of PI on the relationships between IOR and paranoia, and between IOR and social anxiety amongst …

A Survey Of Ballistosporic Phylloplane Yeasts In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Sebastian Albu

LSU Master's Theses

A study documenting basidiomycete yeast biodiversity was conducted in Baton Rouge, Louisiana during 2010 and 2011. Using the spore-fall method, the leaf surfaces of seven ferns were sampled at biweekly intervals. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit (LSU) of nuclear ribosomal DNA were used to identify 463 isolates representing 81 species spanning 12 orders within six classes in Basidiomycota. Nearly 30 of these isolates appear to be species new to science. Data indicate fern leaf developmental stage has an effect on the number of yeasts present. A …

Extending Job Embeddedness Theory To The Family Domain: Development Of A Construct And Measure For Family Embeddedness And Integration Through A Work-Family Balance Perspective, Tatiana H. Toumbeva

LSU Master's Theses

The goal of this study was to extend theory and research on job embeddedness by conceptualizing a parallel phenomenon that also exists in the family domain, referred to here as family embeddedness. Work-family balance perspective was utilized to argue that job and family embeddedness facilitate successful role functioning by guiding the resource allocation process in both the work and family domains. There were two parts to this study. In Phase 1, a measure was developed and a nomological network was established for family embeddedness. In Phase 2, a model was tested to understand the process through which two types of …

Biodegradation And Distribution Of Crude Oil Sampled At Fourchon Beach, Kendall Ray Lemelle

LSU Master's Theses

This study was developed to determine the distribution and fate of crude oil spilled from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig starting on April 24, 2010. Crude oil from this spill contaminated portions of Fourchon Beach, Louisiana which was the study site for this thesis. Understanding the fate processes that affect crude oil once it’s released is important because the compounds that comprise oil can be hazardous to humans and wildlife. Composite and small surface residual ball (SSRB) samples were collected from the supratidal zone of Fourchon Beach and analyzed for PAHs and alkanes. Alkane concentrations decreased significantly over time, while …

Identification Of Algal Strains By Pcr Amplification And Evaluation Of Their Fatty Acid Profiles For Biodiesel Production, Reynaldo Moreno

LSU Master's Theses

Four microalgae, obtained from different brackish and fresh water sources within the state of Louisiana’s Southeast region, were evaluated for their potential use in the production of biodiesel. The microorganisms were isolated and identified using genomic DNA, and 16S rRNA or 18S rRNA gene amplification followed by sequencing. The resultant sequences were compared with those available on the NCBI website database through the BLAST bioinformatic tool. The results showed high correlation with known nucleotide sequence identities at 99 % with Synechococcus sp., 98 % with Sellaphora pupula, 99 % with Chlorella sorokiniana, 99 % with Scenedesmus abundans, and 99 % …

The Use Of Ionic Liquid For The Pretreatment Of Energy Cane Bagasse, Zenghui Qiu

LSU Master's Theses

Lignocellulosic biomass appears to be a prospective renewable resource that can be used for the generation of biofuels and bioproducts. The major concern in lignocellulose conversion is overcoming biomass recalcitrance through pretreatment while still maintaining a green, energy efficient and cost-effective process. Energy cane is a promising energy crop with high fiber content, cold tolerance, and less fertilizer and water input requirements as compared to conventional sugarcane. Ionic liquids (ILs) are promising solvents for the pretreatment of lignocellulose as they are thermally stable, environmentally friendly, recyclable, and have low volatility. This study assessed the use of ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate …

Identification Of Blood Protein In Louisiana Clay Sediment: Subtitle, Michelle D. Whipp

LSU Master's Theses

In modern forensics, soil from crime scenes is not tested for the presence of blood proteins. This is due to the belief that proteins degrade too quickly for detection. The purpose of this paper is to report on the research performed in an effort to counter that belief and in so doing, suggests changes in the current procedures. Using pig blood as an analog for human blood, blood was deposited outside, at two separate locations roughly a half mile apart, at a southern Louisiana cattle farm. Over 18 months, samples were taken from cores at the deposition sites and these …

Evaluating The Differential Effects Of Parental Involvement On Check In/Check Out In Children With Externalizing Behavior Problems, Aaron Jason Fischer

LSU Master's Theses

School-based interventions are typically implemented based on a Response to Intervention model, i.e., a 3-tiered support system. Tier 1 provides universal support for all students; Tier 2 targets children who are at risk for developing problems; Tier 3 focuses on remediation for children with severe problems. The interventions in Tier 2 are important because they provide an opportunity to access children before their problems become critically dysfunctional. Check in/Check out (CICO) is a Tier 2 intervention that has been evaluated for children with externalizing behavior problems. In the current CICO literature, parent involvement during CICO integrates school and home life, …

"Condoms And Candy": Pro-Choice Students On Campus, Jordan Rebecca Kea

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis seeks to understand the dynamics of a feminist student organization within the context of a college campus in southern Louisiana. Through a methodology of participant observation, interviews, spot observations and archival research I examine how this pro-choice organization navigates campus public space. This project focuses on aspects of collaboration or collective action within a network of organizations, the participation of members, and the discursive processes of storytelling and audience effects. This collaborative ethnography also investigates how cross-sex interactions mediate topics of motherhood, abortion, and sexuality.  

Spatial Ability And Achievement In High School Physics, Michael Shawn Liner

LSU Master's Theses

This study investigates the relationship between a student’s spatial abilities and their success in high school physics. First, I investigate whether the success of students in high school physics class correlates with their spatial abilities before taking the class. Second, I investigate whether taking high school physics has an effect on student’s spatial abilities. No direct intervention was given to any of the students. Three instruments were administered to determine the student’s spatial abilities, The Perspective Taking/Spatial Orientation Test (Hegarty & Waller, 2004), The Mental Rotation Test (Peters & Laeng, 1995), and The Paper Folding Test (Ekstrom, French, Harmon, & …

The Effect Of Frozen Storage On The Survival Of Probiotic Microorganisms Found In Traditional And Commercial Kefir, Keely Virginia O'Brien

LSU Master's Theses

Kefir is a fermented milk traditionally made from a unique starter culture, which consists of numerous bacteria and yeast species bound together in an exopolysaccharide matrix produced by certain lactic acid bacteria. Many health benefits are associated with traditionally produced kefir; however, bulging and leaking packaging, caused by secondary yeast fermentation during storage, has limited large scale manufacture traditionally produced kefir. Commercial kefir products have been designed to reduce these effects by using a pure starter culture consisting of a mixture of bacteria and yeast species that give a flavor similar to traditional kefir, but some health benefits may be …

Nitrogen Biogeochemistry In A Restored Mississippi River Delta: A Modeling Approach, Benjamin Lee Branoff

LSU Master's Theses

There is evidence that significant reductions (about 50%) in surface water nitrate concentrations within coastal deltaic wetlands receiving diverted Mississippi River water can be contributed to denitrification. Yet there is also contrasting evidence that other processes could be responsible for this nitrate reduction. As Louisiana plans the implementation of major Mississippi River sediment diversions, a thorough understanding of nitrogen dynamics is necessary to reduce risks of coastal eutrophication and offshore hypoxia. A mechanistic numerical computer model has been developed to simulate nitrogen biogeochemistry within the wetlands of the prograding Wax Lake Delta. This model is calibrated to observed fluxes within …

Oyster Reef Restoration In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico: Effect Of Substrate And Age On Ecosystem Services, Laura Alicia Brown

LSU Master's Theses

Oyster reefs provide estuaries with ecosystem services including carbon sequestration, shoreline stabilization, refugia for invertebrate biodiversity, and fisheries enhancement, but have been disappearing over the past century due to increasing overharvesting, disease, and eutrophication. The northern Gulf of Mexico has over 400 artificial oyster reefs constructed of various materials created through efforts to restore ecosystem services lost with declining oyster populations. The purpose of this study was to determine how two common artificial reef construction materials (rock vs. oyster shell) at various ages affect ecosystem services, specifically blue crab abundance, the commensal community, and oyster recruitment, as well as to …

An Extensible And Scalable Pilot-Mapreduce Framework For Data Intensive Applications On Distributed Cyberinfrastructure, Pradeep Kumar Mantha

LSU Master's Theses

The volume and complexity of data that must be analyzed in scientific applications is increasing exponentially. Often, this data is distributed; thus, the ability to analyze data by localizing it will yield limited returns. Therefore, an efficient processing of large distributed datasets is required, whilst ideally not introducing fundamentally new programming models or methods. For example, extending MapReduce - a proven effective programming model for processing large datasets, to work more effectively on distributed data and on different infrastructure (such as non-Hadoop, general-purpose clusters) is desirable. We posit that this can be achieved with an effective and efficient runtime environment …

Lentiviral Transduction Of Epigenetically Modified Bovine Adult Stem Cells, Meredith Kathleen Addison

LSU Master's Theses

Bovine adipose-derived stem cells (ADS), a form of adult stem cells, are somatic cells that have similar characteristics of embryonic stem (ES) cells. Bovine ADS cells possess multipotent capabilities and have been found to express pluripotency genes associated with ES cells. The unique properties of ADS cells make them a desirable source for reprogramming experiments. The goal of reprogramming experiments is to transform somatic cells from a differentiated state to a pluripotent state. When somatic cells reprogram, there are certain epigenetic changes or modifications that must occur in order to successfully reprogram the nucleus. Epigenetic modifications will change the chromatin …

Towards The Development Of Biotin Carboxylase Driven Robotic Nanoswimmers, Rachel Yates

LSU Master's Theses

The objective of this research is to take the first step towards demonstrating the use of the enzyme biotin carboxylase (BC) as a biomolecular motor. BC is a homodimeric protein involved in fatty biosynthesis in all organisms. The conjecture is that BC can convert chemical energy into useful mechanical work via its conformation change, which acts as a fin or flexible oar producing nonreciprocal motion. To this end, we fabricate a proof-of-concept biomolecular machine driven by BC molecules, viz., a robotic nanoswimmer. This machine consists of a Janus-type nanosize silica particle, where one hemisphere is coated with an intermediate layer …

Juvenile Justice In Louisiana: An Exploratory Study Of Trends Surrounding Juvenile Incarceration, Sabrina Michelle Whitney

LSU Master's Theses

In the State of Louisiana, one of the major problems surrounding youth is juvenile delinquency. Several studies have been conducted regarding juvenile delinquency, however, actual research pertaining to recidivism among youth offenders who were later incarcerated as an adult vs. those who were not incarcerated as an adult are limited. For this study, chi-square analyses were conducted to analyze the association between six variables and recidivism. The age of first OJJ contact was the only variable that was not statistically significant. Such knowledge is crucial for research and policy formation at the local, state, and national levels for positive progression …

Morphology Controlled Coating Of Catalytically Active Gold Structures Within Flow-Focused Millifluidic Reactor, Chelliah V. Navin

LSU Master's Theses

Synthesis of micro/nanomaterials within confined flow-based systems such as microfluidics has always been a promising research. However, the inability to scale up reagent volumes due to geometric constraints and pressure development within the channels at higher flow rates has limited their usage. In recent times, millifluidics has emerged as a useful technique where, apart from the synthesis, the in situ characterization of materials becomes easier. In this study, formation of morphology-controlled gold structures at different time intervals (viz. 1, 5, and 9 h) within a millifluidic chip reactor was investigated using gold chloride and dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) as precursor reagents …

Oysters And Catfish: Resource Exploitation At Rollins Shell Ring, Ft. George Island, Florida, Julie Ann Doucet

LSU Master's Theses

Detailed faunal analyses were conducted on two major subsistence resources, oysters and marine catfish, at Rollins Shell Ring, a Late Archaic (5000 – 3000 B.P.) site on the northeast coast of Florida. The focus of this investigation was on resource exploitation, and, specifically, whether there was evidence that oysters from this site were over-exploited. Three units from previous excavations at the site were selected for analysis, and represent the span of occupation recorded for this site. Measurements were obtained from oysters to determine habitat, and, along with shell height, were compared across time for any changes in the pattern of …

Programming And Healing Temperature Effects On The Efficiency Of Confined Self-Healing Polymers, Yves Quentin Yougoubare

LSU Master's Theses

Shape memory polymers are smart materials capable of fixing a temporary shape and returning to their initial shape in response to an external stimulus. Since the discovery and acknowledgment of their importance in 1960s, shape memory polymers have been the subject of tremendous and continuous attention. In a previous study conducted on a biomimetic shape memory polymer (SMP), the ability of a self-healing composite to heal, and to repair and restore structural-length scale damage using a close-then-heal (CTH) self-healing mechanism was examined and validated. The present study is purposed with investigation of the effects on healing efficiencies of the variation …

Characterization Of Pleiotrophin And Receptor Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Beta/Zeta In Odontoblast And Osteoblast Cell Lines, Amena Tamkenath

All ETDs from UAB

Pleiotrophin (PTN) is an extracellular matrix-associated growth factor and chemokine expressed in mesodermal and ectodermal cells. It plays an important role in osteoblast recruitment and differentiation. PTN has two well-known physiological receptors, protein tyrosine phosphatase beta/zeta (RPTPRZ1), and N-syndecan. Protein tyrosine phosphatases are a group of enzymes that remove phosphate groups from phosphorylated tyrosine residues on proteins. Protein tyrosine phosphorylation is a common post-translation modification that can create novel recognition motifs for protein interactions and cellular localization, affect protein stability and regulate enzyme activity. Osteoblasts have recently been found to express the short transmembrane isoform of RPTP beta/zeta but nothing …

A Case Study Of Second-Grade Teachers' Comprehension Instruction, Rebecca Burdette Mckay

All ETDs from UAB

A CASE STUDY OF SECOND-GRADE TEACHERS' COMPREHENSION INSTRUCTION REBECCA BURDETTE MCKAY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ABSTRACT The dilemma of reconciling developmentally appropriate, constructivist reading instruction with mandated high-stakes tests was confronted by four second-grade teachers through their selection of two active professional development methods. To continue and deepen their use of an interactive model of reading focused on comprehension, the teachers worked as a professional community to renegotiate and reconstruct their professional knowledge and adapt their pedagogy to the school context. The goal of this research was to investigate how the teachers described their comprehension instruction as well as how they …

Eagle Executive Magazine, Georgia Southern University

College of Business: News & Publications

• Thank You, Dean Shiffler
• Lockwood State’s Outstanding Accounting Educator
• A Message from Dean Shiffler
• Price Becomes ABET’s Computing Accreditation Commission Chair
• COBAns Attend National Advising Conference
• Hickman Is Beta Gamma Sigma Honoree
• Groom Inaugural Carter Lecturer
• 22nd Annual Accounting Day Celebrated
• Spotlight on Graduate Studies
• Alumni in the Spotlight
• 2012 Awards of Excellence
• Thank you to our many supporters
• Dean’s Citations for Student Engagement
• Alumniville
• In Memoriam — Ardian Greca
• The PKF Consulting Visit
• Center for Excellence in Financial Services
• Belk Partnership
• “Why Good People Make Bad Decisions”

Biochemical Links Between Hormonal Mediators Of Psychological Stress And The Expression Of Muc1 In Prostate Cancer Cells, Kristina Andrijauskaite

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

A growing body of scientific evidence has demonstrated that chronic psychological stress can not only increase the growth and metastasis of tumors through a number of mechanisms, such as by an increase of VEGF and Bcl-2, but also can decrease the survival of cancer patients. However, no studies have reported the effect of psychological stress with respect to the tumor marker MUC1. Therefore, building upon previous research, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of the stress hormones cortisol and norepinephrine on the tumor marker MUC1, which is highly associated with tumor cell metastasis and is …

Learning For Cambodian Women: Exploration Through Narrative Identity And Imagination, Alvina Marie Sheeley

Doctoral Dissertations

Research Topic

This study explains different ways of thinking about education that may improve the quality of life for women in Cambodia. The present inquiry portrays the personal histories, narratives and hopes of selected women to uncover possible ways in which government and non-government agencies may transform the lives of Cambodian women through education programs.

Theory and Protocol

This research is grounded in critical hermeneutic theory formulated by Paul Ricoeur (1992) and follows an interpretive approach to field research and data analysis (Herda 1999). This orientation places the researcher and participants in a collaborative relationship that exemplifies the power of …

Supporting Teachers As Transformative Intellectuals: Participatory Action Research In Human Rights Education, Page Hersey

Doctoral Dissertations

Human rights education (HRE) holds the potential for educators to begin an honest dialogue with students and to connect local issues with international struggles for human rights. However, HRE and other teaching approaches that build understanding of systems of power and oppression that lead to human rights violations are not widely embraced in U.S. schools. In this participatory action research (PAR) study, a group of five educators in the San Francisco Bay Area examined the development and implementation of HRE and social justice education.

Broad research questions guided the group process, asking how educators engaged with youth about human rights …

Injection Of Amphetamines, Heterosexual Sex Risk And Syringe Exchange In Central And Eastern Europe, Catherine Zadoretzky

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Death- Associated Protein Kinase (Dapk); A Possible Modulator Of Neurodegeneration In A Caenorhabditis Elegans Model Of Excittotoxicity, John Smith Del Rosario

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Individual Differences In Masculine Gender Socialization As Predictive Of Men's Psychophysiological Responses To Negative Affect, Jonathan D. Green, Michael E. Addis

Psychology

We investigated a long-theorized relationship between individual differences in masculine gender socialization and avoidance of vulnerable negative affect. Participants were thirty-six men (faculty, staff, and students, M age = 21.40, age range 18-30, SD = 3.00, 3% Hispanic, 11% Asian, 86% Caucasian) recruited from a small university in the Northeastern United States. Adherence to masculine norms was positively associated with participants' physiological fear/avoidant responses to a video of a man violating masculine gender norms by expressing vulnerable negative affect (crying, asking for help, showing affection for another man). Results suggest that masculine gender socialization may cause some men to be …