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Assessing Altruistic Behavior, Burnout, And Wellness Outcomes Of Entry Level, Live-In And Live On Residence Life Professionals, Erin Coquese Vaughn

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The current study investigated the relationship between burnout, wellness, and altruistic motivation of entry level, live in and live on residence life staff. The literature review consists of empirical research for each construct presented (burnout, wellness, and altruism). The study sampled utilized were live-in and live on full time, entry level residence life personnel employed at predominately white public and private institutions in the southeastern part of the United States. Multiple regression analysis was used answer specific research questions. Results confirmed that there was no relationship existed between constructs; however findings do suggest burnout of residence life staff. Results are …

The Development Of Gluten-Free Milk-Free French Bread, Annette Camnetar Bentley

LSU Master's Theses

Approximately 6% of children and approximately 4% of adults in the western countries including the United States (US) have food allergies. Milk allergy is reported to be one of the most common food allergies affecting as high as 7% in the US. Celiac disease affects approximately 1% of the US population. Such individuals are required to maintain diets restricting milk and gluten. Autism is estimated to affect over 673,000 in the US. A milk-free gluten-free diet is recommended for autism. The gluten grains identified are wheat, oats, barley and rye and any by-products or cross-bred grains of these products. Foods …

Investigation Of Best Practices For Maintenance Of Concrete Bridge Railings, Angel Luis Lence

LSU Master's Theses

Biodeterioration on concrete surfaces of vertical elements of bridges represents a serious challenge to the highway infrastructure in Louisiana. This investigation aims to document the causes of biodeterioration of concrete surfaces and to document current conventional and state-of-the-art practices implemented to prevent and clean biofilm. A comprehensive literature review of previous research has been carried out in order to determine the cause and mechanisms of the biodeterioration as well as to identify current methods that state DOTs have implemented in order to maintain their bridges and allow them to function in optimal structural and performance conditions. A survey was developed …

Vibrio Parahaemolyticus Interactions With Chitin In Response To Environmental Factors, Vanessa Molina

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a naturally occurring chitinoclastic human pathogen that adsorbs to substrates, including chitinous copepods and oysters, as part of its ecology, a phenomenon that is important in its responses to changes in environmental factors such as temperature and salinity. Little is known about acute responses of V. parahaemolyticus when subjected to abrupt environmental changes such as those encountered during postharvest oyster treatments such as icing, exposure to mammalian host conditions, and transport via ballast water. The following in vitro studies investigated V. parahaemolyticus adsorption and gene expression as a function of substrate, temperature, and salinity as a model …

Characterization Of Epibenthic And Demersal Megafauan At Mississippi Canyon 252 Following The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Marla Maxine Valentine

LSU Master's Theses

Increased demand for new sources of oil and gas has resulted in an expansion of drilling into deeper waters. With this exploratory drilling come increased risks, which were realized on April 20, 2010 when the blow out preventer on the Macondo Well failed, resulting in the release of a large quantity of oil and gas into the Northern Gulf of Mexico from a bathypelagic source. This unprecedented environmental disaster was coined the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill by the popular news media. In the months that followed the spill, the lack of knowledge about the pre-spill condition of deep-sea communities in …

Vitrification Of Equine Expanded Blastocysts, Fabian Andres Diaz

LSU Master's Theses

The cryopreservation of equine expanded blastocysts (>300 um) has been largely unsuccessful primarily due to the low permeability to cryoprotectants and the large size of the equine embryo. Mechanical alternatives may provide means to overcome the capsule barrier and the relative large embryo size. In this regard, multiple experiments were performed in this study to evaluate different approaches of capsule puncture and blastocoele fluid extraction with the objective to develop a cryopreservation protocol for Day 8 equine expanded blastocysts. In the first experiment, twenty-four Day 8 expanded blastocysts were exposed to standard equine embryo vitrification solutions following one- or …

Development Of Production Practices And Populations For Coastal And Urban Use Of Sea Oats (Uniola Paniculata L.), Kaitlin Barrios

LSU Master's Theses

Sea oats (Uniola paniculata L.) is a perennial grass commonly used to help build and stabilize dunes in coastal restoration projects along the northern Gulf of Mexico. In Louisiana most sea oats plants transplanted to the beach as part of these projects are genetically identical. This lack of diversity can be extremely detrimental to the success of these large-scale sea oats communities because the susceptibility of one plant to a stressor is shared by all sea oats plants of the same genotype. Two main methods to reverse this lack of diversity are via plant breeding and the production of vegetative …

Snap Use Among Older Adults, Jennifer R. Geiger

LSU Master's Theses

Older adults participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at much lower rates than the general population. Possible explanations for this disparity include stigma, lack of information, and lack of transportation. However, past research focusing on SNAP use among older adults is limited and utilizes age cohorts in their analyses that may not accurately reflect actual age differences in SNAP participation. This study explored four different models of age categorizations as they relate to SNAP participation rates among older adults over 55. Using a sample of 10,116 from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the research used …

Effects Of Assorted Coating Materials And Room Temperature Storage On Internal Quality And Oxidative Stability Of Shell Eggs, Jinjuta Jirawatjunya

LSU Master's Theses

Surface coating is an effective/inexpensive method to preserve internal quality and minimize weight loss of shell eggs during storage without refrigeration. No research has been done to evaluate effects of coating on oxidative stability of cooked eggs. In the first study, soybean oil (SO) as a coating material was evaluated for its effects on internal quality and flavor volatile compounds of eggs throughout 5-weeks of storage at 25¢XC. Haugh unit (HU) and yolk index (YI) values decreased whereas weight loss increased during storage. After 5-weeks, SO-coated eggs had consistently higher HU (67.72 vs. 48.45) and YI (0.29 vs. 0.40) than …

Factors Influencing Glycogen Branching Enzyme Activity In Mouse Liver, Scott Fuller

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Glycogen is the storage polysaccharide in a spectrum of organisms ranging from yeast to humans. Glycogen has a highly branched structure somewhat resembling a tree or shrub, with the branch points formed by glucose molecules being joined by α 1,6-glycosidic linkages. These linkages are formed by the action of branching enzyme. Branching of glycogen is critical to health, with a lack of branching causing glycogen storage disease type IV, which is fatal in humans by age 2. While glycogen branching enzyme has been studied in clinical medicine, modulation of the enzyme has received comparatively little attention. This dissertation undertook three …

Reduced Sodium Delivery Through Submicronization Of Sodium Chloride, Its Use In The Manufacture Of Surface Salted Cheese Crackers And The Evaluation Of Physico-Chemical, Microbiological And Sensory Characteristics Of Cheese Crackers, Marvin L. Moncada-Reyes

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Reducing the particle size of sodium chloride crystal would increase its dissolution rate leading to a more efficient transfer of the ions to the taste buds and hence perhaps a saltier perception of foods. The objective of this study was to develop submicrosalt by using a nanospray drying method, its use in surface salted cheese crackers and evaluating their physico-chemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics. The cheese cracker treatments consisted of 3 different salt sizes (regular, microsalt and submicrosalt) and 3 different concentrations (2, 1.5 and 1%). The 9 (3 sizes x 3 concentrations) different cheese cracker treatments were tested for …

What's Love Got To Do With It? The Role Of Brand Love In Brand Community Experience, Phillip M. Hartley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The work presented here explores and conceptually documents the consumer’s experience of brand communities—groups of people brought together by their mutual appreciation of a commercial brand. The relationships between individuals’ motives for joining, their participation, and the social and brand-related outcomes associated with such groups are tested. In addition, the role of Brand Love in the individual’s experience is assessed. The results of the research indicate that Participation may reduce the influence of a person’s original reasons for joining the community on the ultimate outcomes of membership. Further, a person’s degree of love for the underlying brand influences the likelihood …

(Un)Writing The Academic Other : Theorizing The "At Risk" Body, Jessica Lynn Exkano

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A dominant Western historical reproductive narrative has constructed our knowledge of the “at risk” student body. Sustained through a metaphor of family, historical representations construct at risk as a matter of familial inheritance, through genetics, culture, or socioeconomic status. While at risk labels have changed over time, historical memory of at risk remains centered on a deficit-view of the family, while absolving social responsibility. This linear conception of “at risk” discourse disallows an interrogation of other systemic factors that can challenge or sustain the historical construction of the “at risk” body. This dissertation draws upon poststructural, narrative, and curriculum theories …

Tops Tech Utilization: Systemic Barriers And Facilitators In Louisiana, Melissa Clare Ledoux

LSU Master's Theses

TOPS Tech is a social welfare program in Louisiana that provides students with financial support to obtain the specific training that they need to get the jobs that are available in Louisiana. Since 1998, 42,918 students were eligible for the award, yet only 5,515 (12.85%) students enrolled full-time and utilized it (Louisiana Board of Regents, 2012). In order for educational leaders in Louisiana to improve participation in the TOPS Tech Program, they must first understand the barriers faced by students who want to utilize it. This study explored the potential factors contributing to the utilization (or underutilization) of TOPS Tech. …

Sensitivity And Resistance Of Cercospora Kikuchii, Causal Agent Of Cercospora Leaf Blight And Purple Seed Stain Of Soybean, To Selected Fungicides, Paul Patrick Price, Iii

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT Isolates of Cercospora kikuchii, the causal agent of Cercospora leaf blight (CLB) and purple seed stain (PSS), were used to determine baseline sensitivities to selected quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) and demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicides by conducting radial growth assays on fungicide-amended media. The effective concentration to inhibit 50% radial growth (EC50) for each isolate was calculated by linear interpolation of the dose-response relationship. All baseline distributions were non-normal with outliers towards the less sensitive ends of the spectra, and median EC50 values for azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, trifloxystrobin, flutriafol, propiconazole, and tetraconazole were 0.081, 0.013, 0.012, 0.273, 0.143, 1.47 µg/ml, respectively. …

Engineering Of Hydroponic Systems To Enhance Biomass Of Sea Oats (Uniola Paniculata), Stefanie Renee Gilliam

LSU Master's Theses

Restoration projects use native plants such as sea oats (Uniola paniculata) to help stabilize the coast. Sea oats are a native grass that can collect blowing sand to build dunes. Sea oats used in the restoration projects can be produced using sexual or asexual techniques. An ideal seedling would be genetically distinct, have increased seed production and germination, and have superior vegetative biomass. Finding ways to produce, propagate, and grow coastal plants such as sea oats effectively is critical to efforts to reduce erosion. In this study, production of sea oats via greenhouse based hydroponic systems was studied. This was …

An Analysis Of Consumer Preferences For Grass-Fed Versus Grain-Fed Beef, Bo Lin

LSU Master's Theses

As a consequence of the growing concerns about human health and the environment, consumers are becoming more interested in grass-fed beef than conventional grain-fed beef. Therefore, the study of consumers’ preference towards grass-fed versus grain-fed beef steak is the focus of research. In this paper, 2,000 respondents who indicate they have eaten grass fed beef in the past years and 2,000 respondents that complete a nationally representative sample is the general population. Conjoint analysis is utilized to analyze the preference of consumers. Participants are presented ten hypothetical beef steaks to rate. All steaks are identical excluding their product type, source …

Development Of Soluble Dietary Fiber Based Nanofiber Delivery System For Alpha-Tocopherol, Juan Li

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The bioactive compound vitamin E is essential for human health. It has been reported to reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and aging. One of the main concerns about the availability of vitamin E is the stability, or lack thereof, associated with the processing and storage of it. Degradation could occur when vitamin E is exposed to light, temperature or oxygen, which results in the loss of efficacy. Also, the application of vitamin E is limited because of its poor solubility in aqueous media. Among the tocopherols contained in the vitamin E family, α-tocopherol (α -TOC) has the …

Monitoring The Survival Of Hatchery-Produced Spat And Larvae On Louisiana Public Oyster Reefs, Erin R. Leonhardt

LSU Master's Theses

Alternative or supplemental management activities may be necessary to restore and enhance oyster production on Louisiana public oyster reefs. The production of wild oysters is variable due to anthropogenic and environmental factors that affect recruitment, growth and survival. The availability and structure of cultch material for larval recruitment and survival is particularly important to maintain oyster production. Beginning in 2011, the Sea Grant Oyster Hatchery on Grand Isle, LA and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) collaborated to test the survival of hatchery-produced spat and hatchery-produced larvae deployed on public oyster grounds and cultch plant sites. In 2011, …

Adolescent Athletes With Type 1 Diabetes: Experiences With Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion, Regina Tow

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent athletes with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) face unique challenges when compared to peers with and without diabetes. Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) provides a method of insulin delivery that can enhance flexibility in insulin regimens and lifestyle that may be especially appealing to the adolescent athlete. No studies have explored the impact of athletics in this population. This descriptive qualitative study explored and described the experiences of adolescent athletes using CSII as their primary insulin delivery method, with a focus on athletic participation and performance.

The purposeful sample consisted of four adolescent athletes, ages 13 to 15 years with …

Knockdown Of Vitellogenin By Rnai Increases Survivorship But Exhibits Similar Physiological Responses To Ovariectomy In Grasshoppers, Alicia G. Linquist

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Reduced reproduction has been shown to increase lifespan in many animals, yet the mechanisms behind this trade-off are mostly unknown. A previous study has shown that in the lubber grasshopper, Romalea microptera, ovariectomized (OVX) individuals have a 30% increase in lifespan relative to controls (Sham). In a separate study, an increase in fat body mass and a halting of ovarian growth were seen upon reduction of vitellogenin transcript via RNAi (VgRNAi). These data suggest that VgRNAi increases lifespan through the trade-off between reproduction and longevity and animals with combined ovariectomy and VgRNAi, might show additive physiological responses. In this …

Characterization, Prevalence, And Risk Factors Of Spontaneous And Experimental Atherosclerosis And Vascular Imaging In Psittaciformes, Hugues Beaufrère

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Atherosclerosis is a degenerative and inflammatory vascular disease characterized by the accumulation of inflammatory cells, lipids, calcium, and formation of large fibrofatty lesions within the intima of arteries resulting in the disorganization of the arterial wall and stenosis of the lumen. Despite the importance of atherosclerosis in psittacine cardiology, there are few pathologic, clinical, and experimental investigations in psittaciformes. In order to expand the knowledge on psittacine atherosclerosis and provide fundamental observational information for future research, a series of studies was conducted on psittaciformes: 1) psittacine atherosclerotic lesions were characterized and categorized based on histopathology, histochemistry, transmission (TEM), and scanning …

Sustainable Architecture : Addressing The Conditions Of Poverty And Homelessness, Taylor C. Alphonso

LSU Master's Theses

Any large city faces the challenge of addressing homelessness and poverty. The most common action taken to address such conditions is providing temporary shelter accompanied by assistance through welfare programs; these are not permanent solutions. They do not assist the impoverished in establishing themselves in the community as the shelters are temporary, and ignore the fact that many lack the required education along with job and life skills to ultimately establish independence. Many cities do not offer affordable educational opportunities to this demographic, and they tend to overlook the importance the actual facility may have on the encouraging and promoting …

Concentration And Detection Of Hepatitis A Virus And Its Indicator From Seawater, Jiemin Cormier

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is the leading worldwide cause of acute viral hepatitis, and its outbreaks often occur from fecal contaminated shellfish. HAV is extremely stable in the environment and can survive 3~10 months in water. In addition, HAV can be bio-concentrated by shellfish by as much as 100 fold from fecal contaminated waters. Bacteriophage MS2 is used widely as a surrogate for HAV, and its presence has been proven to be a reliable indication of the presence of HAV. A rapid detection of viral contamination in water environments can prevent economic loss and can identify the source of …

Influence Of Various Health Beneficial Spices On Some Characteristics Of Yogurt Culture Bacteria Lactobacillus Acidophilus, And Sensor Acceptability Of Spicy Probiotic Yogurt, Margie Michelle Sanchez-Vega

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

There is a pronounced public awareness about herbal remedies. Garlic and ginger have antibacterial properties and prevent cardiovascular diseases. Onion and turmeric decrease the risk of diabetes and like garlic, they have anticancer properties. Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Lactobacillus acidophilus are lactic acid bacteria that produce lactase and reduce the symptoms of malabsorption. Earlier work has shown the influence of spice extracts but the influence of pure spice juice on yogurt culture bacteria is not known. Characteristics of yogurt culture bacteria were measured by suspending freshly thawed cultures in 0.1% peptone water (growth), acidified MRS broth (acid tolerance), MRS-Thio …

Determination Of Copper Speciation, Bioavailability And Toxicity In Saltwater Environments, Tara N. Tait

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The speciation of copper plays a strong role in determining bioavailability and toxicity upon copper exposure in marine environments. Specifically, natural organic matter (NOM) can complex with copper, influencing speciation and decreasing bioavailability. The aim of this research was to determine accurate copper speciation values using literature and new techniques and applying the techniques that reflect the most accurate speciation values to investigate the influence of NOM quantity and quality on copper speciation and toxicity. The results from this study will have implications on the development of a marine Biotic Ligand Model (BLM). Free copper was measured using a flow-through …

Agency Or Agencies? Catalysts Of Resilience In Drop-In Participants, Andy D. Bayer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In this thesis, the factors that contribute to resilience are explored in a sample of participants who attend a food bank/clothing bank drop-in program in North Hamilton, Ontario. Resilience is defined as obtaining positive outcomes despite a level of risk to development. This thesis expands on the literature clarifying the concept of resilience. This thesis also contributes importantly to the smaller amount of literature on resilience in adults and older adults. Purposive sampling was used to obtain participants from the drop-in program at which the researcher volunteers. Phenomenology was utilized for this research, semi-structured interviews were used for data collection, …

Effects Of Amino Acids And Fatty Acids On Rice Starch Properties: Thermal, Pasting, Resistant Starch And Structural Characterization, Yu Jiang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, the effects of fatty acids and amino acids on rice starch were determined in aspects of pasting properties, thermal characteristic, starch digestibility and crystallinity structure. Results from viscosity analysis showed significantly low peak viscosity when rice starch was combined with 1.0% stearic acid and 6% lysine without any pH adjustment; within 0.6%-1.0% of stearic acid and 6% of lysine addition, there was a linear regression relationship between peak viscosity and the level of stearic acid. Similar pasting curves were found in rice starch with 1.0% stearic acid and 6% glutamine, or 6% cysteine, or 6% glycine in …

Mathematical And Computer-Based Models For Optimizing Microwave Heating Processes Of Frozen Oysters, Jie Zhang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Consumers with full-time jobs prefer microwavable-frozen-meals for convenience when lack time to cook. Microwaves do not require a medium for heat transfer and provide quick heating even in low thermal conductivity foods, which does not occur in conventional heating. The main problem in utilizing microwave-heating for cooking is the non-uniform temperature distribution in foods which may result in insufficient lethality of microorganisms in some part. This non-uniformity can be due to a number of factors including composition and geometry of food. The objectives of this study were to develop a mathematical-model based on Maxwell¡¯s equations for predicting the temperature distribution …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Skilled Dementia Care: Improving Quality Of Life, Kelly Bainbridge, April Benoit

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The occurrence of dementia has been increasing over the years. It is estimated that the number of people with dementia will increase to more than 45 million within the next 20 years (Ferri et al., 2005). This increase will lead to an increased demand for occupational therapists to work with individuals with dementia within skilled care units to meet the vast needs of this population and promote quality of life. Occupational therapists are skilled in working with people with dementia; yet, most occupational therapists do not feel confident in their role with skilled dementia care. This has been found to …