Digital Commons Network^™

Herbivore Response To Soybean Under Differing Induction Methods, John L. Dryburgh

LSU Master's Theses

Plants are attacked by a variety of herbivore feeding guilds and respond with specific responses to specific attacks, which may be localized or systemic. How a plant defends against one feeding guild may alter the plant’s response against a different feeding guild. A better understanding of these interactions will allow for the development of refined pest management programs. One situation in which this may occur is in interactions between chewing and piercing/sucking herbivores, such as aphids. Aphids are important crop pests primarily due to their ability to transmit viruses, the efficacy of which can be affected by plant defenses. To …

Evaluating The Effects Of Vacuum Tumbling With Chitosan Nanoparticles And Water-Soluble Chitosan On The Shelf Life Of Cryogenically Frozen Shrimp, Alexander Chouljenko

LSU Master's Theses

Chitosan (CH) is a biopolymer obtained from the deacetylation of chitin, a polysaccharide present in the exoskeleton of crustaceans and cell walls of fungi. Application of CH may be limited by its water-insolubility. It can be dissolved in acids and forms relatively high viscosity solutions. CH solutions have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. CH penetration into shrimp may be facilitated by vacuum tumbling with low viscosity chitosan-sodium tripolyphosphate (CH-TPP) nanoparticle or water-soluble chitosan (WSC) solutions. It is expected that this would reduce lipid oxidation and microbial loads. In this study, CH-TPP and WSC solutions were developed and applied to shrimp, and …

Evaluation Of Whey-Protein-Isolate Edible Films Containing Oregano (Origanum Vulgare) Essential Oil To Improve Shelf Life Of Cheeses During Refrigerated Storage, Cristhiam Gurdian

LSU Master's Theses

Oregano essential oil (OEO) is recognized for antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Incorporation of OEO into an edible film prepared with whey protein isolate (WPI) may improve the shelf-life of queso blanco (cheese). The overall goal of the proposed study was to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of antimicrobial and antioxidant WPI edible films (WPIFs) with OEO to improve the shelf life of queso blanco wrapped in the WPIFs during one month of refrigerated storage. Production of potential antimicrobial and antioxidant WPIFs with OEO (WPIOF) was possible. Flaxseed oil (FO) was incorporated into cheese by homogenization (HFQ), which caused significant susceptibility …

Effectiveness Of An Artisanal Mcphail Trap For Mass Trapping Tephritid Fruit Flies In Haiti, Fractyl Mertilus

LSU Master's Theses

Three field experiments were conducted in a mango orchard in Croix-des-bouquets (Haïti) to develop an effective artisanal McPhail trap, less expensive than the commercial traps, for mass trapping Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart) and Anastrepha suspensa (Loew). A field trial conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of two newly made artisanal trap models (AT1 and AT2) with the commercial McPhail trap (MP) demonstrated that the artisanal traps yielded similar results in the average number of fruit flies caught (8.9±2.6, 13±2.9, and 16±4.1 respectively). Moreover, the cost-efficacy ratio was a lot higher in the artisanal trap models (AT1: 0.42 $ per flies caught, AT2: …

The Production Of Marketable Vegetable Transplants Using Sustainable Locally Sourced Soilless Media Amendments, Amber Dawn Parker

LSU Master's Theses

Public demand for sustainable local and organic food products has led these systems to become one of the fastest growing sectors in the agricultural food market. Consumers are willing to pay a premium for food produced using organic or sustainable practices. Local and small-scale farmers are striving to develop sustainable and in some cases USDA certified organic systems in production of vegetables and fruit. Warm season crops are commonly produced using transplants. Evaluation of nutrient availability is needed for the use of readily available local waste-streams byproducts, such as manures and composts, for amendments or fertilizers in order to manage …

Magnetic Resonance Elastography Of The Brain Using An Ergonomic Driver: Assessment Of Scan-Rescan Reproducibility, Hatim Chafi

LSU Master's Theses

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) allows the visualization of displacement patterns from induced harmonic mechanical waves propagating in tissue. Strain and mechanical properties can be computed from these displacement patterns. Mechanical properties of tissue are affected by various disease processes. MRE has shown brain tumor to differ in stiffness in comparison to normal tissue. MRE is currently being offered as an upgrade on most conventional MRI scanners. However, the actuator supplied by vendors is a drum driver designed primarily for hepatic MRE scan. The goals of the project was to design and build an ergonomic flexible driver for use in MRE …

Fish Biomass And Community Structure Around Standing And Toppled Oil And Gas Platforms In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Using Hydroacoustic And Video Surveys, Emily Marissa Reynolds

LSU Master's Theses

There has been relatively little study of the efficacy of decommissioned oil and gas platforms as artificial reef habitats for fish assemblages in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). A variety of fish species have been reported on these structures, but the species biomass distribution and community structure has not been studied thoroughly. Hydroacoustic and video surveys were conducted quarterly from June 2013 to June 2014 at three standing and two toppled oil and gas platforms located approximately 130 km off the coast of Louisiana at 90 m depth; to gain information about the spatial biomass distribution and community structure …

Influence Of Atrazine Formulation And Irrigation Incorporation Of Off-Site Transport In A Centipedegrass Home Lawn, Kimberly Joy Pope

LSU Master's Theses

Atrazine, one of the most widely used herbicides in the United States, is commonly applied to southern lawn grasses to reduce weed encroachment. According to the EPA, atrazine is also one of the most frequently identified herbicidal compounds in surface and ground waters. Given the increased management intensity of home lawns in Louisiana, coupled with urban sprawl and high rainfall has led to a higher potential for movement of atrazine into surface waters during runoff events. Experiments were conducted at the LSU AgCenter Burden Botanic Gardens on centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) at a 5% slope to evaluate the effect of atrazine …

Oil And Gas Platforms On Ship Shoal, Northern Gulf Of Mexico As Habitat For Reef-Associated Organisms, David Bradley Reeves

LSU Master's Theses

Nearshore Louisiana has experienced substantial changes within the last half-century, including the annual formation of the world’s second largest hypoxic zone and the construction of thousands of oil and gas platforms (rigs). Ship Shoal and its rigs may provide important substrate in nearshore Louisiana because rigs act as de facto artificial reefs and the shoal’s bottom waters were well oxygenated on 43% of days when surrounding areas were hypoxic. From July to September of 2014, fish assemblages and hydrography were compared at shoal rigs, rigs inshore of the shoal, and rigs offshore of the shoal, and stone crab populations were …

Effect Of Specific Feedback On Growth Mindset And Achievement, Erin Elizabeth Gauthreaux

LSU Master's Theses

Every student has a different mindset, or their own way of viewing challenges and setbacks. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a specific feedback intervention on student mindset and achievement in a middle school life science course. Several tests were used to compare the data at the beginning of the school year and at the end of the school year. These tests included mindset, competency in science, attitudes about learning science, and life science content knowledge. The control group was taught by the use of lecture, note-taking, and life science activities. The experimental group was …

Anthropogenic Impacts On Soil Microbial Processes In Coastal Wetlands: Nutrient Loading And Rising Co2 Levels, Havalend Ellen Steinmuller

LSU Master's Theses

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and global eutrophication are anthropogenic stressors impacting the environment of specific interest in wetland systems. Wetlands occupy a critical interface between terrestrial and aquatic environments. Fertilizer use for agriculture and treated wastewater disposal has increased nutrient loading to wetlands. Conflicting results on impacts of nitrogen loading to coastal wetland soils have been reported, though most studies have investigated short-term impacts of nutrient loading, not long-term integrated impacts. I investigated an 11-year period of nutrient loading on soils in an oligohaline coastal wetland. Nitrogen treatments of 0, 50, 200, and 1200 kg ha-1 yr-1 were paired …

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Tel1 & Tel2 Role In Dna Double-Strand Break Repairs, Tommy Nhan Trieu

LSU Master's Theses

Genomic DNA is constantly in danger of being damaged by endogenous cellular processes and exogenous agents. Eukaryotes have mechanisms, collectively termed the DNA damage response, that detect and repair DNA damage. After a double-stranded break occurs, protein complexes are recruited to the break site to promote resection. Two main protein kinases involved in DNA repair are the Tel1 and Mec1 proteins. Recent studies have found that the Tel2 protein binds to both the Tel1 and Mec1 proteins and a point mutation of TEL2 on the 129th amino acid disrupts this interaction. Since both of the Tel1 and Mec1 proteins are …

Comparison Of Occlusal Area And Postcanine Mesiodistal Length In Old World And New World Monkeys, Ashley Marie Franklin

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to discover the relationship between the number of teeth and the postcanine occlusal area and postcanine mesiodistal length in select OWM and NWM species. New World monkeys (NWM) have 12 premolars, whereas Old World monkeys (OWM) have 8. Four species are studied: Cercopithecus albogularis and Colobus guereza (OWM), and Cebus capucinus and Alouatta palliata (NWM). Two pairs of species are chosen because they are classified as having the same general folivorous and omnivorous diet: Co. guereza and A. palliata, and Cer. albogularis and Ceb. capucinus, respectively. Adult, wild caught, female specimens from the Smithsonian, …

Evaluation Of Enhanced Efficiency Nitrogen Fertilizers On Corn Production Systems In The Mid-South, Shanice M. Jones

LSU Master's Theses

Nitrogen (N) is often the most yield limiting nutrient, particularly in corn (Zea mays L.) production systems. In the Mid-South, high N application rates have the potential to lead to high N loss. To minimize this loss, proper N management should focus on improving N use efficiency (NUE) while optimizing productivity. The potential to achieve both tasks can be met using enhanced efficiency N fertilizer (EENF). However, limited research has directly compared the active chemicals in EENFs for corn production in the Mid-South. A study was conducted in 2013 and 2014 at two locations in Louisiana to determine the effectiveness …

The Accuracy Of A Clinician's Assessment Of Insertion Torque At Implant Placement, Britany Fabian Matin

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Primary implant stability contributes to the success of dental implant placement and affects long-term function. Factors that contribute to the primary stability and osseointegration of a dental implant include the quality and quantity of bone present at the site of placement as well as the shape and surface treatment of the implants. There are numerous methods that assist the clinician in determining implant stability during placement and to confirm osseointegration after a period of healing. Their reliability to predict implant success, however, has not been proven. Torque measurements acquired during implant placement have been used as a method for …

Natural Fiber Derived Activated Carbons For Industrial Emission Minimization And Capture, Melike Dizbay Onat

All ETDs from UAB

Natural fibers including hemp, sisal, flax and industrial natural fiber waste that are con-sidered as "green" alternative sources to prepare low cost, high quality activated carbon comprise this study. Natural fibers were carbonized and subjected to chemical activation to convert them to activated carbon materials. Adsorption isotherm plots, pore size char-acteristics and the Brunauer, Emmet and Teller (BET) surface areas of natural fiber de-rived activated carbons were determined to understand the physical adsorption proper-ties. Chemical structures were determined by ultimate and proximate analyses. Porosity was visualized through SEM images. FTIR analysis was used to indicate the main func-tional groups of …

Women In Hypermasculine Environments: An Analysis Of Gender Dynamics In The Heavy Metal Subculture, Anna Sheree Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes gender dynamics in the heavy metal subculture by means of interviews with fans of this musical genre. Based on research that shows that (male) homosocial environments, denoting non-romantic social bonds among people of the same (male) sex, lead to hegemonic masculinity and the possibility of violence against women, this study focused on the heavy metal subculture from the point of view of its members’ experiences related to gender. The theoretical framework of this thesis is based on feminist theories of gender difference and its relevance for the sociology of gender. Specifically, I rely on theories of othering, …

Childhood Experiences Of Introversion : An Exploration Of Navigating Social And Academic Spaces And Ways Of Coping, Leah S. Schwartz

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of introversion in childhood. This research seeks to understand how introverted children perceive themselves and how this impacts the way they interact with the world around them. The overarching research question is: how does the experience of being an introverted child impact one’s sense of self? Given the practical and ethical challenges of interviewing actual children, for this qualitative research I interviewed 12 adult self-identified introverts about their childhood experience of being introverted. The design for this research study is qualitative and exploratory. Findings included what being introverted meant to …

Latina Immigrant Mothers' Counterstories Of Education: Challenging Deficit Myths, Nancy Aileen Mcnee

Doctoral Dissertations

Despite major gains in working-class Latin@ immigrant graduation rates and college attendance in recent years, most educators and administrators still perceive Latin@ students with deficit mindsets. Majoritarian storytelling perpetuates deficit myths about working-class Latin@ immigrant students and their families not valuing education. This study joins a growing body of research that uses counterstories to challenge deficit mentalities in education toward working-class Latin@ immigrant students and their families.

This qualitative study involved individual, focus group, and member checking interviews with four Latin@ immigrant mothers in the San Francisco Bay Area. The goal of the study was to learn about the following …

Complexity Of Women's Liberation In The Era Of Westernization: Egyptian Islamic And Secular Feminists In Their Own Context, Assim Alkhawaja

Doctoral Dissertations

Informed by postcolonial/Islamic feminist theory, this qualitative study explores how Egyptian feminists navigate the political and social influence of the West. The following meta-questions guided this research: How do women in Egypt who self-identify as feminists define feminism? How do they use this definition in their activism? How is Westernization influencing Egyptian feminists and their participation in national and political conflicts?

Data sources were based on individual interviews. The findings indicate that although the phenomenon of Westernization in Egypt had both negative and positive influences on the Egyptian women’s liberation movement, it has caused major divisions between secular and Islamist …

Using Computer Simulations As A Pre-Training Activity In A Hands-On Lab To Help Community College Students Improve Their Understanding Of Physics, Blanca Pineda

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of using computer simulations as a pre-training activity to a hands-on lab to improve students’ understanding of induction topics in physics. The computer simulation activity was compared to an overview presentation. Conceptual understanding and spatial ability were measured. A two-group descriptive repeated measures design was implemented with a convenience sample of 35 community college physics students in the Bay Area. Participants were randomly assigned to a simulation group (n = 17) or a presentation group (n = 18). A 30-item spatial ability assessment was given to all participants one week …

Keeping Kids In School: A Slippery Slope For Miskitu Families Living In The Pearl Lagoon Basin Of Nicaragua, Patricia Ann Conway

Doctoral Dissertations

In 2014, Miskitu participants in the communities of Raitipura and Kahkabila and several of their children had dropped out of school. Earlier quantitative research revealed a problem of low matriculation in elementary and high schools in all of Nicaragua. This inquiry differed from others in that it was a qualitative study focusing on one group of people: the Miskitu community members living on Nicaragua’s Atlantic Coast. This investigation employed the participatory-action research methodology, allowing participants to tell their own stories about the events leading up to their dematriculation.

The six participants, male and female, are of Miskitu heritage, were at …

Morphology Of Brain Sulci Trabeculae And Its Effect On Brain During Impacts, Sharlin Anwar

Dissertations and Theses

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an intracranial injury caused by direct contact or non-contact head impacts to the brain. TBI is a major problem that accounts for high incidents of hospitalizations each year. Thus, it is important to understand and predict the occurrence of TBI in an impact. It has been shown that the subarachnoid space (SAS) trabeculae play an important role in damping the effect of an impact, thus reducing the injuries. However, the influence of sulci parameters and the sulci trabeculae in TBI due to impact is unexplored. Studies have shown that inclusion of sulci in brain models …

Health, Wellbeing, And Academic Achievement Among Urban College Students, Elise Tanzini

Dissertations and Theses

The post-secondary educational environment is full of demands—both academically and outside of the direct college setting—and as a result, stress is a prevailing concern for college students. Chronic, high levels of stress have been linked to a number of negative health outcomes, such as anxiety and depression, and academic outcomes, such as lower academic achievement. Using a diverse sample of undergraduate and masters students [n=84; mean (SD) age = 22.89 (5.99) years] from an urban, public college, the current study measured students’ experiences of stress (Perceived Stress Scale) and the adaptive and maladaptive strategies they utilized to cope with stress, …

Testing An Ecological Model Of Parent Involvement In Head Start: A Replication Study, Rebecca C. Horwitz

Theses and Dissertations

Parent involvement has been understood to elicit positive outcomes for school-age children, especially minority children and children from low socioeconomic families. Understanding the process by which parents engage in their child’s education may provide school staff with tools to develop interventions to increase parent involvement.

This investigation replicates a study that tested an ecological model of parent involvement in two Head Start programs (Waanders, 2002). Participants in the current study were 213 parents and/or caregivers of children who attended three Head Start programs in South Carolina. Two of the programs were located in a medium-sized city, while the third was …

Mind-Craft: Exploring The Relation Between "Digital" Visual Experience And Orientation In Visual Contour Perception, Daniel Hipp

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Visual perception depends fundamentally on statistical regularities in the environment to make sense of the world. One such regularity is the orientation anisotropy typical of natural scenes; most natural scenes contain slightly more horizontal and vertical information than oblique information. This property is likely a primary cause of the “oblique effect” in visual perception, in which subjects experience greater perceptual fluently with horizontally and vertically oriented content than oblique. However, recent changes in the visual environment, including the “carpentered” content in urban scenes and the framed, caricatured content in digital screen media presentations, may have altered the level of orientation …

"Good Enough" Nanny : Socioeconomic Disparity And Power In The Nanny-Employer Dyad, Carolyn M. Moody

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Because nannies are typically of lower socioeconomic status than their employers, unique power dynamics develop in the relationships between parents and secondary caregivers. This empirical study explored childcare providers' experiences of these dynamics by examining how similarity and difference in the nanny-employer dyad impacted the employer's management style. Sample. The quantitative, exploratory method utilized an anonymous online questionnaire to reach a broad sample of current and former nannies (N=167). Methods. Demographic data on participants' and employers' socioeconomic identities were collected and compared with management style indicators. Findings. The results suggested that similarity and difference in the dyad, both relational and …

Advice Giving In Online Eating Disorder Forums : What Clinical Social Workers Need To Know, Elizabeth C. Reali

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study expanded the limited existing research on online eating disorder forums by examining the thematic content of advice giving on three different types of online eating disorder forums: 1) professional-operated, pro-recovery forums; 2) peer-operated, pro-recovery forums; and 3) peer-operated, pro-eating disorder forums. Additionally, the study sought to elucidate the comparative relationships amongst different forums between advice content, aims, and accuracy and key forum characteristics, such as forums' missions and methods of moderation. Two publicly available websites for each forum type were studied. From these, a total of 60 advice messages consisting of 91 advice units were …

The Work Of André Green : An Introduction, Louis Scuderi

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

André Green was a French psychoanalyst whose work represents a unique contribution to the fields of theoretical, clinical, and applied psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic social work. Little has been written about him in English, however. In this study, Green's overarching theoretical project is reviewed, in addition to some of his major concepts and their clinical implications. Green's relationship to French psychoanalysis is outlined, as well as his relationship to his major influences: Winnicott, Bion, Lacan, and most importantly, Freud. Green's conceptions of the drives, narcissism, and the work of the negative are discussed in detail, and his work is situated in …

Social Work And Human Sexuality : An Examination Of The Country's Top 25-Cwse Ranked Msw Curricula, Hannah R. Wineburg

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Graduate students of social work seek education and training to increase their competency to practice in dynamic, multicultural environments that allow them to help diverse clients with a multitude of mental health and sociological related issues. Moreover, social work programs have long been known for teaching students to be agents of change, in particular preparing social workers to effectively and ethically enhance the wellbeing and productivity of an increasingly diverse client base. This often translates into confronting oppressive systems that uphold traditional policies and practices in areas such as race, class, gender identity, and human sexuality. How are social work …