Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Pathogenic Mechanisms Of Photobacterium Damselae Subspecies Piscicida In Hybrid Striped Bass, Ahmad A. Elkamel

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Photobacterium damselae subspecies piscicida, previously known as Pasteurella piscicida, is an important pathogen of hybrid striped bass and many fish species cultured in brackish water in the United States, Japan, Europe, and the Mediterranean. The purpose of this study is to investigate virulence mechanisms that contribute to the pathogenesis of this organism. The ability of P. damselae to survive/replicate within hybrid striped bass macrophages was evaluated with an in vitro killing assay. Results indicated that the numbers of bacteria recovered from macrophages at 3, 6, 12, and 18 hours of incubation increased significantly over time. In contrast, the numbers of …

Factors Influencing The Efficacy Of Delayed Auditory Feedback In Treating Dysarthria Associated With Parkinson's Disease, Paul Gerard Blanchet

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Parkinson's disease patients exhibit a high prevalence of speech deficits including excessive speech rate, reduced intelligibility, and disfluencies. The present study examined the effects of delayed auditory feedback (DAF) as a rate control intervention for dysarthric speakers with Parkinson's disease. Adverse reactions to relatively long delay intervals are commonly observed during clinical use of DAF, and seem to result from improper "matching" of the delayed signal. To facilitate optimal use of DAF, therefore, clinicians must provide instruction, modeling, and feedback. Clinician instruction is frequently used in speech-language therapy, but has not been evaluated during use of DAF-based interventions. Therefore, the …

Antipredator Conditioning In Mississippi Sandhill Cranes (Grus Canadensis Pulla), Jennifer Jill Heatley

LSU Master's Theses

The Mississippi Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis pulla), the most endangered North American crane, is considered critically endangered and is protected by Federal and State law. Substantial funding has established the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge in Southern Mississippi and an artificial insemination / breeding facility at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species in New Orleans, Louisiana to promote species recovery. In spite of extensive time, labor, and money invested in captive propagation, juvenile Mississippi Sandhill Cranes suffer substantial mortality due to predation by bobcats (Lynx rufus), coyotes (Canis latrans) and red tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) upon reintroduction …

Approaches To Measuring The Frequency Of Achondroplasia And Hypochondroplasia Causing Fgfr-3 Mutations In Human Sperm, Andrew Timothy Daters

LSU Master's Theses

Achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia are two forms of skeletal dysplasias caused predominantly by single base mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 gene (FGFR-3). The mutation for achondroplasia is a G1138A/C substitution and the mutation for hypochondroplasia (occurring about 50% of the time) is a C1620A/G substitution. Recent genetic studies have shown that spontaneous mutations for achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia occur exclusively on the paternally derived chromosome, suggesting that these mutations occur preferentially during spermatogenesis. For unknown reasons, the mutation rates at these FGFR-3 nucleotides appear to occur at a much higher frequency than nucleotide specific mutation rates observed in other …

Cognitive And Somatic Item Response Pattern Of Orofacial Pain Patients Compared To Fibromyalgia Patients And A Non-Pain Control Group, Morten Hadsel

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Previous work has suggested that chronic pain patients report psychological distress through higher endorsement of somatic rather than cognitive signs of anxiety and depression. The present study compared female Non-Pain (11=52), Orofacial Pain (n=3 17) and Fibromyalgia (n=50) groups. on SCL-90-R Somatization, Anxiety and Depression raw scores and cognitive-somatic symptom patterning of the Anxiety and Depression scales. Comparisons were also made amongst orofacial pain diagnostic subgroups and subgroups based on Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI) classification groups. The Somatization. Anxiety and Depression scores were higher in the OroFacial Pain and Fibromyalgia than Non-Pain group and higher in the Dysfunctional than Adaptive …

The Effect Of Experimental Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus On The Adenosine Triphosphate Content And Cellular Permeability Of The Canine Gastric And Jejunal Mucosa, Laura Elizabeth Peycke

LSU Master's Theses

This study was designed to characterize changes in the content of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and cellular permeability of gastric and jejunal mucosa during gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV). Our hypothesis stated that experimental GDV would result in a decrease in ATP content and cellular integrity of the gastric and intestinal mucosa that may improve after decompression and derotation of the stomach. Fifteen medium-to-large mixed-breed male dogs were randomly divided into three groups: GDV dogs, Ischemia dogs and Control dogs. All dogs were maintained on gas anesthesia for 210 minutes. The GDV dogs had a GDV for 120 minutes with a 90-minute period …

Comparative Study Of Analog And Digital Hearing Aids, Adam Benjamin Lopez

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of the present study was to determine if objective and/or subjective differences between analog and digital hearing aids exist when blinding is utilized in the protocol and circuitry is controlled. Ten normal hearing and seven hearing impaired subjects were monaurally fitted with analog and digital hearing aids. Probe microphone measures were obtained at the plane of the tympanic membrane at two output levels (40 dB SPL and 70 dB SPL). Listener performance in quiet was evaluated via word recognition testing, listener performance in noise was evaluated via the Hearing in Noise Test, and listener preference was evaluated via …

Misconceptions Surrounding The Safety Of Home Birth And Hospital Birth, Misty D. Richard

LSU Master's Theses

Much debate surrounds the topic of women choosing to deliver their infants at home with the services of a midwife. The outcomes of women beginning labor at home, ultimately delivering at home, and the infants born at home were studied in order to determine the safety of home birth among expectant women choosing to be attended by a midwife licensed to practice by the state of Louisiana. Trends associated with those choosing home birth and the frequency of home birth were also analyzed. The study was conducted using retrospective records of clients accepted during the study years 1986-2000. During the …

Prognostic Model For Terminally Ill Cancer Patients On Laboratory Data, Kenji Hira, Noriaki Aoki, Akitoshi Hayashi, Janez Demsar, Blaz Zupan, Kim Dunn, William Jack Schull, Tsuguya Fukui

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Plasmid-Mediated Expression Of Foreign Genes In Ehrlichia Canis, Langston Dolphus Hull

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Ehrlichia canis is the etiologic agent of “tropical canine pancytopenia”, or canine ehrlichiosis. The impetus for this research was to overcome the lack of any reliable means of elucidating the genetic profiles of these illusive and historically difficult to manipulate organisms. The use of a broad-host range plasmid greatly facilitated the determination of an electro-transformation protocol. The transforming plasmid possesses a chloramphenicol antibiotic resistance gene marker (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase [CAT] gene), and a visual reporter gene marker, the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) gene. With primer sets designed to specifically amplify these two plasmid encoded gene markers, thus verifying the presence of …

Biomarkers Of Bone Turnover In Vegetarians And Omnivores, Susan Kim Louie Lue

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A cross-sectional study on fasting serum and 24-hour urine samples were used to determine whether biochemical markers of bone turnover, resorption and formation, differed in a group of 50 healthy premenopausal Caucasian women eating vegan, lactoovovegetarian(LOV) and omnivorous diets.

The women, ages 20-42, had participated in a study of bone mineral density(BMD). The three groups were comparable in mean age, BMI, calorie intake, calories spent in exercise, kcal/kg body weight, protein/day, protein/kg body weight and urinary creatinine.

Biomarkers included those of bone resorption—pyridinoline, deoxypyridinoline, and N-telopeptides, and of bone turnover—serum and urinary osteocalcin(OC), skeletal alkaline phosphatase, and propeptide-type-I-carboxyterminal-procollagen(PICP). In all …

A Study Of The Cultural Appropriateness Of Service Delivery Models In The Australian Mental Health System, Mong L. Connell

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study is an attempt to examine the cultural appropriateness of the mental health system in relation to the Vietnamese refugee community in Australia. Culture and mental health, as widely acknowledged in the field of transcultural psychiatry, are closely linked. No aspect of the diagnosis or treatment methods can be justified without reference to the cultural traditions of the mental health system and the client. In a country like Australia, where multiculturalism is a dominant feature of the society, the need is even greater in incorporating culture into every aspect of the mental health system, if it desires to provide …

Risk Factors For Coronary Heart Disease And Mediation By Socio-Economic Status : An Analysis Of The 1995 National Health Survey, Natalie J. Sherriffs

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

As the leading cause of death and disease in Australia, Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) places a significant burden on society. There are many lifestyle factors that are known to increase the risk of CHD. This study looks at both risk factors and protective factors of CHD. Research also shows CHD prevalence to be predicted by socio-economic status (SES) variables. This study aims to identify the extent to which risk and protective factors predict CHD prevalence in an Australian National survey and whether the association between risk factors and CHD is confounded by SES variables. This study used data from the …

Genetic And Non-Genetic Factors Involved In Modifying The Clinical Severity Of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease, Tina Schiavello

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is one of the most common Mendelian disorders, affecting approximately 1 in 1000 individuals. The disease is recognised as a systemic disorder, which expresses a complex phenotype between and within families. Mutations in at least two genes (PKDI and PKDZ) result in ADPKD, however, additional genetic and non-genetic factors are expected to contribute to the observed phenotypic variance.

A Retrospective Cohort Study Of Workers' Compensation Indicators From An Occupational Safety And Health Perspective, Alan D. Verdonk

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Since 1984 the role of the government in Western Australia, has changed in relation to occupational safety and health. This study considers the effect of the occupational safety and health legislation using workers' compensation accident data. Academic and general staff accident data from a Western Australian University were researched. The time period is 20 years- 1979 through 1998 inclusive. 2,773 worker's compensation claims were analysed using Mann Whitney -U tests and cross-tabulations of safety prevention expenditure against the claims. The work environment provides the full spectrum of workplace activities ranging from domicile duties (student housing services) to heavy machinery work …

Peer Nutrition Education: A Model For Nutrition Education Among Spanish-Language Participants Of The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program For Women, Infants And Children (Wic), Maximino Alfredo Mejía

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Despite the steady improvement in the health status of Americans, Hispanics are a minority in the United States with greater prevalence of several infectious and chronic diseases and less health knowledge than the average citizen. Nearly half of the Hispanics living in this country die of preventable nutrition-related conditions, with heart disease and cancer being the leading causes. Since this minority has limited access to health care and preventive services, there is a need for an inexpensive, viable model of health education for this underserved segment of the population in order to lower the excess of preventable diseases. We trained …