Digital Commons Network^™

A Nature Adventure Chapter Book For Early Readers And How It Can Influence Children's Interest In And Desire To Explore The Natural World, Keith Marshall

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

With the increase in screen-time, children are spending less and less time outside in nature. Many studies are finding significant negative impacts upon their mental, physical and emotional well-being. The author attempted to develop an age-appropriate fictional story based upon accurate and appropriate nature and science lessons. The book, The Adventurers…Journey to the Crooked Forest was created to test if children would be more interested in going outside in nature as well as if the book could increase children’s knowledge of nature and science topics through storytelling. The effectiveness of the book was tested on fifty 1st -3 rd grade …

Benefits Provided To American Indian Youth Through Gidaakiimanaaniwigamig Stem Camps, Kyra Jo Paitrick

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

American Indian youth face many adversities. Suicide rates are among the highest in the country. High school graduation rates are the lowest in the country. Many American Indian youth grow up in foster care and some find themselves in juvenile detention centers or gangs. Furthermore, tribal communities are experiencing a shortage of American Indians in the workforce who are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to fill essential positions that sustain the natural resources that are important to the tribe. There are many efforts in Indian Country to be proactive with American Indian youth, providing them with supports …

An Alternate Trawling Method: Reduced Bycatch And Benthic Disturbance Achieved With The Wing Trawling System, Geoffrey Udoff

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The Wing Trawling System (WTS) was tested as an alternative to traditional shrimp capture methods in the Gulf. Compared to an otter trawl, this trawl was conceived to reduce bycatch, retain shrimp catch, and minimize seafloor disturbance. Through seventy-one paired tows, the WTS was assessed against a standard otter trawl. The WTS was found to reduce bycatch by 63-65% and reduce shrimp catch by 30-35%. Additionally, I measured the depth of the scars produced by both trawls and quantified the turbidity of the plumes behind them. The scars left by the WTS and the otter trawl were between 9.9 …

Purification And Characterization Of Antibodies Against Killifish Hif-1Α, Janet Gonzalez-Rosario

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Many fish face low oxygen concentrations (hypoxia) in their natural environments, and they respond to hypoxia through a variety of behavioral, physiological, and cellular mechanisms. Some of these responses involve changes in gene expression. In mammals, the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) family of transcription factors are the “master regulators” of gene expression during hypoxia, but the study of HIF in fish has been hampered by the lack of reagents to detect this protein in non-mammalian vertebrates. The goals of this thesis are to affinity purify antibodies against HIF from the killifish Fundulus heteroclitus and use them to recover and quantify …

Happy Trails, Elizabeth A. Derby

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

My work uses hair as both a subject depicted in drawings, paintings, and prints; as well as a medium for sculpture, installation, and video created with synthetic hair pieces and wigs. I am interested in deconstructing gendered codes of appearance, and visions of the ideal woman and man as objects. I remove all identifiable traits from my characters, apart from their hair which appears to be consuming or erasing them. In doing so, I force the people viewing my work to rely on cultural stereotypes associated with hair to identify my characters. My work is heavily influenced by Drag culture …

The Origin And Expansion Of The Eastern Red Fox, Adrienne Egge Kasprowicz

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

When new populations are first identified in a region there are multiple potential sources: introduction of a non-native species, extra-range expansion of a nearby population, or demographic growth of a previously unnoticed species. Red foxes were absent or rare in the mid-eastern portion United States until the late 1800s. Their origins potentially include natural population increase/expansion, translocations from Europe, and, eventually, 20th century fur farming. In this study I attempt to identify the relative impact of native expansion versus human mediated introductions of both colonial era European foxes and early 20^th century fur-farm foxes on the establishment of red …

Odor Monitoring At The New Orleans East Bank Wastewater Treatment Plant, Felicia R. Figinsky

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Hydrogen Sulfide is a corrosive, odorous, and hazardous gas that can cause issues for wastewater collection systems and treatment plants. When evaluating hydrogen sulfide concentrations it is important to consider the source, odor causing mechanism, and its level of toxicity. In this study, continuous hydrogen sulfide monitoring was performed for 8 locations within the New Orleans East Bank Wastewater Treatment Plant for a span of 5 months. Hot spots within the plant are located and data analysis is performed based on daily and hourly averages of hydrogen sulfide concentrations. The data was configured to show peak hydrogen sulfide concentrations at …

Rerouting The School To Prison Pipeline: A Phenomenological Study Of The Educational Experiences Of African American Males Who Have Been Expelled From Public Schools, Jennifer Grace

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The present study consisted of a phenomenological investigation of African American males who have been expelled from traditional educational settings in New Orleans, LA in order to provide educators with information geared towards increasing academic achievement in African American males. It has been noted that one of the reasons that Black males graduation rates are so low is because in addition to other factors that lead to non-completion, black males are more likely to be expelled from school. In this study, I used a Critical Race theoretical framework to explore gain experiential knowledge of these excluded young men, what they …

It's Never Perfect, Caroline Goetze

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The First Year Transition And Resilience Of Precollege Outreach Program Alumni, Dale-Ellen M. O'Neill

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

While traditionally underrepresented groups are attaining degrees at a higher rate than ever before, these students still receive bachelor’s degrees at significantly lower rates than other groups of students (Avery & Kane, 2004; Wilds, 2000). As a result of the educational attainment gap in the United States, precollege outreach programs have been established to provide resources for underrepresented youth to aid them in completing a post-secondary degree. Current research focuses on these participants’ college enrollment and, as a result, minimal information is available to describe these programs and their outcomes concerning students’ first year experience and college success (Hooker & …

The Effects Of Forest Age And Management On Bee Communities Of Production Forests In The Southern United States, Robinson Sudan

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Processes structuring bee communities in agricultural landscapes are well-documented compared to those in other anthropogenic landscapes, like production forests. Forests across the temperate zone have historically been under-sampled, in part due to the perception that they provide little habitat to support diverse bee communities. While research suggests that early successional habitats support high levels of bee species richness and abundance, little empirical evidence exists to support the notion that forests, in turn, do not. To understand the relationship between forest successional age and major elements of the bee community, I sampled bees in a southern production pine forest in Hancock …

A Family Of One's Own: Reconstructing Queer Families Of Color In Film, David F. Stephens

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

I will focus on the resistance to white heteronormative depictions of the American family occurring within two contemporary films directed by gay black men—The Skinny, directed by Patrik-Ian Polk, and The Happy Sad, directed by Rodney Evans. These movies complicate understandings of black gay male relationships by humanizing the characters and providing clarity about the motivations behind the decisions these characters make. As opposed to simply associating their queerness and immorality, the directors of these films explore what brings people to the various social positions they occupy. In this way, these directors resist the tendency to pathologize …

Working Memory Impairments In Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: The Roles Of Anxiety And Stress Physiology, Ashley F. P. Sanders

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Stress and anxiety negatively impact the working memory system by competing for executive resources. Broad memory deficits have been reported in individuals with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS). We investigated anxiety and physiological stress reactivity in relation to visuospatial working memory impairments in 20 children with 22q11.2DS and 32 typically developing children (M = 11.10 years, SD = 2.95). Results indicate reduced post-stress RSA recovery and overall increased levels of cortisol in children with 22q11.2DS. Additionally, anxiety mediated the relationship between 22q11.2DS and visuospatial working memory impairment. However, there was no indication that stress response physiology mediated this association. …

Hormonal Correlates Of P50 Suppression In Socially Anxious Young Adults, Andrea M. Tountas

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Ten to 15% of the population is temperamentally shy and have elevated physiological stress responses to novel social situations. Yet, the neural mechanisms underlying this personality trait are not fully understood (Beaton et al., 2009; Schmidt et al., 1997). Efficiently attending to, acting on, and remembering relevant stimuli and filtering out less important information is critical given the sheer volume of sensory and perceptual stimuli the brain is exposed to.

Relevant stimuli that garner attention are remembered and consolidated with existing memories. Stimuli that do not warrant extended attention are ignored or habituated to in a process underpinned by cortical …

Kinky Criticism: Bdsm Principles Applied To Literature, Maria J. Dominguez

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis proposes a new school of literary analysis: Kinky Criticism. This critical theory will examine the presence in literature of themes related to BDSM, an acronym referring to bondage/discipline, domination/submission, and sadism/masochism. My purpose in examining this power exchange and sadomasochism in literature is threefold. Firstly, I aim to reveal the presence of kinky themes in not only a range of literary works, but also leave the reader aware of kink present in everyday human interactions. Secondly, through this application to literature, Kinky Criticism sheds new light on the techniques of characterization and adds complexity to the dynamics between …

Determining The Pollination Mechanism Of A Problematic Invasive Species In The Gulf South: Triadica Sebifera, Jennifer Wester Clark

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the ecology of invasive species is vital to curb the homogenizing of ecosystems, yet the pollination mechanisms of the Chinese tallow tree (Triadica sebifera) in its introduced habitat remain ambiguous. This study examines self-pollination, wind pollination, and flower-visiting insects of tallow in a bottomland hardwood forest and Longleaf pine savannah in the U.S. Gulf South. These data suggest that self-pollination and airborne pollination are possible, but likely rare occurrences, although the possibility of apoxisis was not investigated. Seed production in exclusion experiments was significantly less than in open-pollinated flowers, and wind dispersal of tallow pollen dropped to …

Sequencing And Analysis Of A Miraculin Homolog From Two Ragweed Species, Kyj R. Mandzy

Undergraduate Theses

Our lab has previously isolated the gene for miraculin, a taste-modifying protein, from the pollen of Ambrosia trifida. This weedy plant, commonly known as Giant Ragweed, is a major producer of pollen that causes hay fever. The cDNA sequence of this gene was used to design PCR primers for the amplification and sequencing of genomic DNA from this species, as well as a related species, common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia). These genomic sequences were analyzed in terms of intron structure, phylogenetics, and protein structure and function. These gene sequences provide novel insights into the possible roles of proteases …

Herbaceous 2016, Julia I. Chapman, Keith E. Gilland, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Drew Woods Permanent Plots

Herbaceous vegetation data collected in 2016 at Drew Woods State Nature Preserve in Darke County, OH. Data key is provided in a supplemental file.

Passing With Care: When And How Transmen Disclose Their Gender Identity, Tristen V. Kade

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the conditions under which self-identified trans* men disclose of their transgender identity or past gender history. Drawing upon theories of identity formation, passing and disclosing of stigmatic identities is used to understand when and how disclosure processes happen for trans*men. Drawing on interviews I examine the circumstances surrounding when disclosure or pressure to disclose becomes salient for individuals. I also consider how individuals use and negotiate systems of gender, along other inequalities such as class, race, education, and health care access.

Undergraduate Research Conference Award Winners Announced, Kassidy Taylor

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Diffuse Traumatic Brain Injury Induces Prolonged Immune Sysregulation And Potentiates Hyperalgesia Following A Peripheral Immune Challenge, Rachel K. Rowe, Gavin I. Ellis, Jordan L. Harrison, Adam D. Bachstetter, Gregory F. Corder, Linda J. Van Eldik, Bradley K. Taylor, Francesc Marti, Jonathan Lifshitz

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Background: Nociceptive and neuropathic pain occurs as part of the disease process after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in humans. Central and peripheral inflammation, a major secondary injury process initiated by the traumatic brain injury event, has been implicated in the potentiation of peripheral nociceptive pain. We hypothesized that the inflammatory response to diffuse traumatic brain injury potentiates persistent pain through prolonged immune dysregulation.

Results: To test this, adult, male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to midline fluid percussion brain injury or to sham procedure. One cohort of mice was analyzed for inflammation-related cytokine levels in cortical biopsies and serum along an …

An Analysis Of The Physical And Cultural Landscape Of Grand Isle, Louisiana, Alexis Thomas

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The town of Grand Isle, Louisiana, and its rich geographic history, can offer insight into the early history of the State of Louisiana and the establishment of the United States as a country, as well as the study of the formation of barrier islands and methods of land use with such areas. The following thesis presents a geographic, as well as a historical, analysis of Grand Isle’s history. It attempts to answer the following questions: What is the shape, form, and origin of the physical landscape of Grand Isle? How have humans interacted with the land and surrounding areas of …

‘Our Responsibility And Privilege To Fight Freedom’S Fight’: Neoconservatism, The Project For The New American Century, And The Making Of The Invasion Of Iraq In 2003, Daniel D. Mccoy

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The Project for the New American Century (PNAC) was a neoconservative Washington, D.C. foreign policy think tank, comprised of seasoned foreign policy stalwarts who had served multiple presidential administrations as well as outside-the-beltway defense contractors, that was founded in 1997 by William Kristol, editor of the conservative political magazine The Weekly Standard, and Robert Kagan, a foreign policy analyst and political commentator currently at the Brookings Institution. The PNAC would shut down its operations in 2006. Using The Weekly Standard as its mouthpiece, the PNAC helped foment support for the removal of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein beginning in 1998, …

Rapid Lateral Extraction Of Otoliths That Maintains The Integrity Of Fish Product To Improve Access To Catches And Reduce Potential Sampling Biases, Corey B. Wakefield, Dion K. Boddington, Stephen J. Davies

Fisheries Research Articles

The capacity to sample otoliths of fish from commercial, recreational, artisanal or subsistence catches can be constrained if the dissection process results in alterations to their external appearance and thus reduces its value and/or shelf life. There can also be significant biases incorporated into the collection of otolith samples if access is only granted relative to the size of the fish (i.e. if smaller fish are sold whole). To reduce such limitations, we herein describe a rapid and simple method of lateral otolith extraction that maintains the integrity of the fish product, and thus reduces potential biases in sample …

Commencement Convocation Exercises - May 2016, Prairie View A&M University

Commencement and Convocation Exercises

No abstract provided.

Successful Enrichment And Recovery Of Whole Mitochondrial Genomes From Ancient Human Dental Calculus, Andrew T. Ozga, Maria A. Nieves-Colon, Tanvi P. Honap, Krithivasan Sankaranarayanan, Courtney A. Hofman, George R. Milner, Cecil M. Lewis Jr., Anne C. Stone, Christina Warinner

Biology Faculty Articles

Objectives

Archaeological dental calculus is a rich source of host‐associated biomolecules. Importantly, however, dental calculus is more accurately described as a calcified microbial biofilm than a host tissue. As such, concerns regarding destructive analysis of human remains may not apply as strongly to dental calculus, opening the possibility of obtaining human health and ancestry information from dental calculus in cases where destructive analysis of conventional skeletal remains is not permitted. Here we investigate the preservation of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in archaeological dental calculus and its potential for full mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) reconstruction in maternal lineage ancestry analysis.

Materials and …

Um Museum To Host Educational Summer Camps For Children, Christina Steube

University of Mississippi News

No abstract provided.

How An Experience In Nature Affects Ecoliteracy Of High School Students, Megan Johanna Schimek

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Ecological literacy, also termed ecoliteracy, is the understanding of the principles of organization that sustain life. It takes into account not only the knowledge that a person has about the environment, but also the person’s attitudes and behaviors towards the environment. Ecoliterate individuals have an understanding of ecological topics and a desire to solve problems that have been inflicted on the planet. The purpose of this study was to investigate how an experience at a residential environmental learning center in northern Minnesota affects the ecoliteracy of high school students. High school students (n = 28) from a small, southeastern Minnesota …

Depth Profiles Of Persistent Organic Pollutants In The North And Tropical Atlantic Ocean, Caoxin Sun, Thomas Soltwedel, Eduard Bauerfeind, Dave A. Adelman, Rainer Lohmann

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Little is known of the distribution of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the deep ocean. Polyethylene passive samplers were used to detect the vertical distribution of truly dissolved POPs at two sites in the Atlantic Ocean. Samplers were deployed at five depths covering 26–2535 m in the northern Atlantic and Tropical Atlantic, in approximately one year deployments. Samplers of different thickness were used to determine the state of equilibrium POPs reached in the passive samplers. Concentrations of POPs detected in the North Atlantic near the surface (e.g., sum of 14 polychlorinated biphenyls, PCBs: 0.84 pg L^–1) were similar …

An Exploration Of Adolescent Obesity Determinants, Anastasia King Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 2010, approximately two-thirds of adults and one-fifth of the adolescent population in the United States were considered either overweight or obese, resulting in the United States having the highest per capita obesity rate among all OECD countries. A considerable body of literature regarding health behavior, health outcomes, and public policy exists on what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers an obesity epidemic. In response to the growing problem of childhood obesity, the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 (CNRA), which required that schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program have …