Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing Connections Between Young Children’S Affinity For Nature And Their Experiences In Natural Outdoor Settings In Preschools, Camilla S. Rice, Julia C. Torquati

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The purposes of this research were to: develop a reliable measure of children’s affinity for nature or “biophilia”; determine whether young children’s biophilia was related to the “green-ness” of the outdoor play area of the preschool they attend; examine whether demographic variables are associated with children’s biophilia; and determine whether demographic variables predict children’s enrollment in nature-oriented programs. We recruited children from ten early childhood education programs—six that had outdoor play spaces with many natural elements and four that had few or none of these elements. One hundred fourteen preschool-aged children completed an 11-item measure of biophilia that included preferences …

Beyond The Walls: Conceptualizing Natural Environments As “Third Educators”, Julia C. Torquati, Julie A. Ernst

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This research examined preservice early childhood educators’ perceptions of outdoor settings and their intentions to use outdoor settings in their teaching practice. Students enrolled in an early childhood education program (n = 110) at a university in the Great Lakes region completed surveys that assessed perceptions of natural settings, intentions to use natural settings in future teaching, knowledge of the benefits of nature for children, and personal nature relatedness. Participants reported relatively high intentions to use natural settings in future teaching, as well as knowledge of the benefits of nature for children, but moderate levels of personal nature relatedness. Participants …

Towards Improved Socio-Economic Assessments Of Ocean Acidification's Impacts, Nathalie Hilmi, Denis Allemand, Sam Dupont, Alain Safa, Gunnar Haraldsson, Paulo A.L.D. Nunes, Chris Moore, Caroline Hattam, Stéphanie Reynaud, Jason M. Hall-Spencer, Maoz Fine, Carol Turley, Ross Jeffree, James Orr, Philip L. Munday, Sarah R. Cooley

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Local And Landscape Processes On Animal Distribution And Abundance, Aaron David Flesch

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Investigations of processes that drive animal distribution and abundance are often approached at one of two different scales and therefore focus on different processes. At local scales, animals are thought to select home ranges or territory patches in an ideal manner by occupying them in order of their fitness potential, but a variety of processes can decouple choices from their fitness consequences and create non-ideal patterns of distribution. At landscape scales, the spatial arrangement of habitat patches and their size and isolation are thought to influence distribution patterns because extinction probability declines with increasing patch area and colonization probability declines …

Gamma Oscillatory Amplitude Encodes Stimulus Intensity In Primary Somatosensory Cortex, Holly E. Rossiter, Sian F. Worthen, Caroline Witton, Stephen D. Hall, Paul L. Furlong

School of Psychology

No abstract provided.

Opportunities And Constraints To Community Forest User Groups Participating In Redd+ Payment Programs In Nepal, Alexander Cuthbert Smith

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In response to global concern for the consequences of climate change, the United Nations’ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) program was developed to support greenhouse gas emission reduction and carbon sequestration in developing countries. While still being developed around the world, in Nepal a REDD+ pilot project is being conducted with the involvement of the Nepali government’s Department of Forestry (DoF) and its community forestry program. The pilot project is called “REDD+ in Community Managed Forests in Nepal” (RCMFN). The commitment of Nepal’s government to carry out this project makes it an ideal location to study carbon …

Ethanol Diverts Early Neuronal Differentiation Trajectory Of Embryonic Stem Cells By Disrupting The Balance Of Lineage Specifiers., Rosa Sánchez-Alvarez, Saurabh Gayen, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, Helen Anni

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Ethanol is a toxin responsible for the neurodevelopmental deficits of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Recent evidence suggests that ethanol modulates the protein expression of lineage specifier transcription factors Oct4 (Pou5f1) and Sox2 in early stages of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation. We hypothesized that ethanol induced an imbalance in the expression of Oct4 and Sox2 in early differentiation, that dysregulated the expression of associated and target genes and signaling molecules and diverted cells from neuroectodermal (NE) formation.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We showed modulation by ethanol of 33 genes during ES cell differentiation, using high throughput microfluidic dynamic array …

Cis And Trans Regulatory Mechanisms Control Ap2-Mediated B Cell Receptor Endocytosis Via Select Tyrosine-Based Motifs., Kathleen Busman-Sahay, Lisa Drake, Anand Sitaram, Michael Marks, James R Drake

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Following antigen recognition, B cell receptor (BCR)-mediated endocytosis is the first step of antigen processing and presentation to CD4+ T cells, a crucial component of the initiation and control of the humoral immune response. Despite this, the molecular mechanism of BCR internalization is poorly understood. Recently, studies of activated B cell-like diffuse large B cell lymphoma (ABC DLBCL) have shown that mutations within the BCR subunit CD79b leads to increased BCR surface expression, suggesting that CD79b may control BCR internalization. Adaptor protein 2 (AP2) is the major mediator of receptor endocytosis via clathrin-coated pits. The BCR contains five putative AP2-binding …

The Contributions Of Hif-Target Genes To Tumor Growth In Rcc., Ting Zhang, Xiaohua Niu, Lili Liao, Eun-Ah Cho, Haifeng Yang

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Somatic mutations or loss of expression of tumor suppressor VHL happen in the vast majority of clear cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, and it's causal for kidney cancer development. Without VHL, constitutively active transcription factor HIF is strongly oncogenic and is essential for tumor growth. However, the contribution of individual HIF-responsive genes to tumor growth is not well understood. In this study we examined the contribution of important HIF-responsive genes such as VEGF, CCND1, ANGPTL4, EGLN3, ENO2, GLUT1 and IGFBP3 to tumor growth in a xenograft model using immune-compromised nude mice. We found that the suppression of VEGF or CCND1 impaired …

Chronic Ethanol Feeding Alters Mirna Expression Dynamics During Liver Regeneration., Rachael P Dippold, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, Gregory E. Gonye, Biswanath Patra, Jan B. Hoek

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Adaptation to chronic ethanol (EtOH) treatment of rats results in a changed functional state of the liver and greatly inhibits its regenerative ability, which may contribute to the progression of alcoholic liver disease.

METHODS: In this study, we investigated the effect of chronic EtOH intake on hepatic microRNA (miRNA) expression in male Sprague-Dawley rats during the initial 24 hours of liver regeneration following 70% partial hepatectomy (PHx) using miRNA microarrays. miRNA expression during adaptation to EtOH was investigated using RT-qPCR. Nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) binding at target miRNA promoters was investigated with chromatin immunoprecipitation.

RESULTS: Unsupervised clustering of …

Factors Shaping The Ontogeny Of Vocal Signals In A Wild Parrot, Karl S. Berg, Steven R. Beissinger, Jack W. Bradbury

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Parrots rely heavily on vocal signals to maintain their social and mobile lifestyles. We studied vocal ontogeny in nests of wild green-rumped parrotlets (Forpus passerinus) in Venezuela. We identified three successive phases of vocal signaling that corresponded closely to three independently derived phases of physiological development. For each ontogenetic phase, we characterized the relative importance of anatomical constraints, motor skills necessary for responding to specific contexts of the immediate environment, and the learning of signals that are necessary for adult forms of communication. We observed shifts in the relative importance of these three factors as individuals progressed from …

Opportunistic Pathogenic Bacteria Colonize Thorns Of Native Rio Grande Valley Plants, Felicia A. Charles, Sergio Cepeda, J. Andrew Mcdonald, Kristine L. Lowe

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Thorns serve as mechanical defenses of plants against herbivory. However, plant thorns harbor microorganisms that are potentially pathogenic. These pathogens may be transferred to herbivores and other animals and provide an additional defense for the plants. Thorns from 5 plant species native to the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas were collected and used to isolate bacteria colonizing the thorn surface. Thorns, leaves and stems of plants were visualized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to observe any bacteria on the plant surface. Isolated bacteria were tested for their ability to grow in aerobic versus anaerobic environments, to produce hemolysis, carbon …

Mitigating Predatory Ants Promotes Establishment Of Biological Control Of Arundo By Arundo Scale In The Cattle Fever Tick Quarantine Zone, A. Velez-Bonner, W. L. A. Osbrink, D. W. Thomas, Kenneth R. Summy, A. T. Showler, A. Perez De Leon, John A. Goolsby

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Ant collection, identification, and control experiments were conducted to improve the establishment of the arundo scale, Rhizaspidiotus donacis, a biological control agent of Arundo donax, an invasive weed in the riparian habitats along the Rio Grande in Texas. Observational studies indicated R. donacis immatures are preyed upon by a variety of predator insects, especially ants. A survey of the principle ant species was made at sites along the Rio Grande with Arundo donax to help direct biological control strategies. We conclude that uses of ant baits can effectively control the common ant species found in these habitats and improve the …

The Evodevoci: A Concept Inventory For Gauging Students’ Understanding Of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, Kathryn E. Perez, Anna Hiatt, Gregory K. Davis, Caleb Trujillo, Donald P. French, Mark Terry, Rebecca M. Price

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The American Association for the Advancement of Science 2011 report Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education encourages the teaching of developmental biology as an important part of teaching evolution. Recently, however, we found that biology majors often lack the developmental knowledge needed to understand evolutionary developmental biology, or “evo-devo.” To assist in efforts to improve evo-devo instruction among undergraduate biology majors, we designed a concept inventory (CI) for evolutionary developmental biology, the EvoDevoCI. The CI measures student understanding of six core evo-devo concepts using four scenarios and 11 multiple-choice items, all inspired by authentic scientific examples. Distracters were designed …

Usability Analysis Of Homepage Of Websites Of National Libraries In Asia, Paramjeet K. Walia, Monika Gupta

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper aims to study the usability features of selected national libraries’ websites of Asia with regard to their general features of website, URL, window title, date and time, navigation, content, search and graphic and animation. A usability evaluation checklist was designed on the basis of guidelines given by Neilson and NIC (National Informative Centre) which was grouped into eight major criteria. After evaluating the homepage of selected websites under study it was found that the National Library of Japan is at rank number one among 23 national libraries of Asia and National Library of Maldives at the bottom rank. …

Probiotic Pediococcus Acidilactici Modulates Both Localised Intestinal- And Peripheral-Immunity In Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus)., B. T. Standen, M. D. Rawling, S. J. Davies, M. Castex, A. Foey, G. Gioacchini, O. Carnevali, D. L. Merrifield

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The application of probiotics in aquaculture has received concerted research efforts but the localised intestinal immunological response of fish to probiotic bacteria is poorly understood. Therefore, a study was conducted to evaluate the probiotic effect of Pediococcus acidilactici on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with specific emphasis on intestinal health and probiotic levels as well as system level responses such as growth performance, feed utilization and haemato-immunological parameters under non-challenged conditions. Fish (9.19 ± 0.04 g) were fed either a control diet or a P. acidilactici supplemented diet (at 2.81 × 10(6) CFU g(-)(1)) for six weeks. At the end of …

The Collaged Practice : (Un)Familiar, Raina Beth Wirta

LSU Master's Theses

My thesis exhibition is an installation of works including sculpture, video, paintings, a hand made book, sound, and drawings that emanated from a series of two-dimensional collages: self-contained forms that evoke the surreal, (un)familiar, and/or grotesque. Infused with a sort of mysterious being-hood and intended to inspire curiosity (at the least), they are unfamiliar in relation to a particular biological thing, but (mostly) recognizable in the autonomous bits and pieces. I seek to question where our physicality ends and the next form of biological life begins, and our responses to that physicality. With childlike inquisitiveness and wonder, and a healthy …

Documenting Postural Changes And Repetition Among Violin Players And Their Influence In The Development Of Musculoskeletal Disorders, Cristina Handal

LSU Master's Theses

The objective of this study was to document the changes in posture and the number of wrist and forearm repetitions among violin/viola players during an experiment session to attempt to understand the development of musculoskeletal disorders. Also, the perception of discomfort and pain felt by the violin/viola players in the past and the number that had been diagnosed with a disorder was documented. Finally, possible correlations were calculated between pain/discomfort with variables like the number of years playing the violin, hours of practice/day, frequency of pain, gender, and dominant hand and among different pain/discomfort variables (pain/discomfort before the experiment, after …

Effect Of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Conditions On Agricultural Spray Drift, William Tollefson

LSU Master's Theses

Drift of pesticides can be a significant health hazard, particularly in areas where agricultural land is adjacent to a school, retirement home, or other populated area. Off-target drift of pesticides depends on many atmospheric variables, both mechanical and thermal. While non-atmospheric variables, such as applicator nozzle size, height of application, and particle size, can be controlled by the applicator to reduce drift potential, understanding how atmospheric conditions set a framework for drift potential enables applicators to choose to spray when the weather conditions would minimize drift. Specifically, atmospheric stability plays an important role in the near-ground concentration of sprays downwind …

Metacognition And Its Effect On Learning High School Calculus, Bonnie Sue Bergstresser

LSU Master's Theses

The following paper discusses the effect of metacognitive training sessions on students’ calculus retention. Students in two high school classes participated. The students in both classes were then given lessons on a chapter without metacognitive training and lessons on a subsequent chapter with training in a set of metacognitive skills. After the latter chapter students scored higher on a post-test and expressed desire to incorporate the skills they learned into their other classes.

Oxidative Stress Based Response Of A Transcriptional Regulator, Ohrr, From Burkholderia Thailandensis, Anuja Pande

LSU Master's Theses

Being ubiquitous in nature, bacteria are often faced by environmental stresses. The predominant form of stress being the ‘oxidative’ one, prevalent during host invasion. As one of the host’s protective mechanisms, bacteria are bombarded by various kinds of organic and inorganic oxidants. Several bacterial antioxidant systems have been studied and characterized to be potent enough to scavenge such host-derived reactive oxygen species, aiding in bacterial survival within the host. Broadly, the antioxidant scavengers are categorized into those that are specific for inorganic or organic oxidants. Although a lot has been studied about the former, the latter still remains uncharacterized in …

Awakening The Slumbering Giant: How Horizontal Drilling Technology Brought The Endangered Species Act To Bear On Hydraulic Fracturing, Kalyani Robbins

Faculty Publications

Hydraulic fracturing (also known as “fracking”) is nothing new. It dates back to the 1940s and drew little environmental attention or concern for most of its existence. It is a form of natural gas extraction that involves pumping water, chemicals, and sand slurry into a well at extremely high pressure in order to fracture the surrounding rock formation and prop open passages. This frees up the trapped natural gas to flow from the resulting rock fractures to the production well for capture. Fracking operations have evolved from using a range of 20,000 to 80,000 gallons of water per well to …

Here For Life: A Chapter & Stories, Gil Filar

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Four short stories and a novel chapter.

Imagining Boundaries: (Post) Humanist Understandings And Ecological Ethics In The Fiction Of Margaret Atwood, Megan Kathleen Telligman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Atwood’s concern for the environment has spanned nearly the entirety of her career, informing her fears about the future and providing the grounding for her speculative fiction. In Atwood’s understanding, ecological ruin stems from human estrangement from the natural environment, an estrangement fortified by capitalism and consumerism in contemporary societies. Instead, she strives to situate the creative, imaginative human species within a larger natural order that inspires ethical treatment of the more-than-human world. Atwood attempts to provide us with a model of interconnection and respect for nature that we must imagine if we desire to avoid the apocalyptic future she …

Getting On Nicely In The Dark: The Perils And Rewards Of Annotating Ulysses, Barbara Nelson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The problem of how to provide useful contextual and extra-textual information to readers of Ulysses has vexed Joyceans for years. The debate has generated lively and opinionated discussions in print and at Joyce meetings, forums and listservs. On one side are scholars who argue for scaled-down annotations that present only basic information as simply as possible, minimizing the amount of interpretation involved. On the other side are the actual first-time readers, struggling to make sense of Joyce’s complex, highly allusive text, and willing to accept help wherever it may be found. The work of annotation is both complicated and enriched …

Liars Like Him, Samantha Lynne Duncan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This is a collection of short stories, which fall somewhere between the realist and absurdist genres of fiction. Most of them take place in or around Ohio. Birds and humans often appear side by side.

Performing At The Block: Scripting Early Modern Executions, Jennifer Lillian Lodine-Chaffey

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis explores the executions of noble men and women in Tudor and early Jacobean England and the theatrical representations of executions that mirrored real life spectacles of deadly punishment. Historical scaffold confessions followed a formulaic pattern and condemned traitors performed their final moments before a crowd of witnesses with the power to judge the quality of the actor’s deportment, costuming and words. As a public stage, the scaffold allowed the traitor a chance to assert and define his or her own individuality in the face of death and formulaic requirements, which I outline in the first chapter. Dramatic representations …

Narrative Reflection And Anatomical Introspection In Thomas Carlyle's Sartor Resartus And Herman Melville's Moby Dick, Torey Elizabeth Davie

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Thomas Carlyle’s Sartor Resartus (1831) and Herman Melville’s Moby Dick or, the Whale (1851) combine the novel and the anatomy, creating a plot as well as a reflection on the human condition. The result of this combination produces a narrator whose single-minded focus on an object both propels events forward while at the same time stalling the progress of a traditional plot. The aspects of the text that connect to the novel, such as character and plot, offer a reflection of the effect truth and society have on character. Aspects that connect to the anatomy, such as the exhaustive knowledge …

Queer Panic In Native American Literature, Theodore Cecil Decelles

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Indigenous American sexual minorities and alternatively gendered voices went underground due to Eurowestern sexual colonization from the time of the conquistador invasions of the early 16th century to the political campaigns of cultural homogenization of the mid-20th century. A cultural distortion still exists in the postcolonial era. In the past many North American indigenous nations had culturally specific sexualities and genders that reflected the cultural heterogeneity of the Americas. Today cultural assimilation negatively affects queer Native Americans, and culturally imported attitudes of homophobia are reflected in Native American literature. An interdisciplinary approach must be used to study the cultural distortion …

Touch-Screan Mss, Colin Post

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This is a poetry manuscript that examines the epic form, concrete poetic techniques, and science fiction concepts so as to posit a created world of surfaces.