Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Tourmalinities In Neoproterzoic Metaevaporitic Deposit Of Duruchas Formation, Damar Belt, Central Namibia, Haiting Sun

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Tourmalinites from a well-developed meta-evaporite sequence in the Neoproterozoic Duruchaus Formation of central Namibia contain tourmalines with chemical and textural features that are excellent recorders of their environment of formation. Unlike most other meta-evaporitic deposits, this tourmalinite locality exhibits only minor deformation. The tourmalinites form as finely laminated units ca. 1 m thick within a sequence of quartzites, mica schists, dolomitic marbles, and carbonate breccias. Well-preserved pseudomorphs are considered to replace a variety of evaporitic minerals. The meta-sedimentary rocks of the Duruchaus Formation have been interpreted as representing lacustrine, playa lake, fluvial, and non-marine evaporite deposition in an intracontinental rift …

Exploring The Binding Of Amine And Sulfonamide Ligands In Rhenium(I) Tricarbonyl And Platinum(Ii) Complexes, Anna Maria Christoforou

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Platinum is the metal present in various classes of inorganic medicinal agents directed at important diseases such as cancer or viral infections. Several new Pt(II) complexes of polyamine ligands bearing a dansyl moiety linked by a sulfonamide group were prepared; in some cases the sulfonamide nitrogen formed a bond to Pt. The sulfonamido group donates strongly to Pt and places the dansyl group close to a vacant coordination position, allowing it to stack with bound guanine base (G) when G binds. The emission of the fluorophore decreases with decreasing distance to Pt. Metal nuclide radiopharmaceuticals contain a metal core and …

Probing The Association Behavior Of Hydrophobic Organic Compounds With Dissolved Humic Materials, Hadi M. Marwani

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The association mechanism between hydrophobic organic compounds (HOC) and dissolved humic materials (DHM) has continued to be one of the interesting areas in environmental applications. The goal of the research reported in this dissertation is to investigate the association behavior of HOC with DHM. The first part of this research involves steady-state fluorescence measurements of these multi-component systems to study the effect of DHM content on the association mechanism of HOC, in particular using pyrene as a model. Results showed that steady-state fluorescence alone may not provide enough information about the quenching mechanism of pyrene with DHM. Lifetime based fluorescence …

Mass Transfer And Evolution Of Compact Binary Stars, Vayujeet Gokhale

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

We present a study of key aspects of the evolution of binary stars with emphasis on binaries consisting of two white dwarf stars. The evolution of such systems is driven by the loss of angular momentum by gravitational wave radiation. Effects like mass transfer and other modes of angular momentum loss and redistribution influence the evolutionary fate of the binary, and can lead to a merger, the tidal disruption of one of the components or its survival as a long-lived AM Canum Venaticorum (AM CVn) type system. Our study takes into account some of these effects; like mass loss, tides, …

Synthesis And Properties Of Isoporphyrins And Related Derivatives For Application In Photodynamic Therapy, Sandra Celinah Mwakwari

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Isoporphyrins are tautomers of porphyrins with an interrupted macrocyclic conjugation owing to the presence of a sp3 hybridized meso-carbon. Due to their absorption at long wavelengths (~800nm), isoporphyrins are potential candidates as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy (PDT), a ternary modality of cancer treatment. They are also of biological interest due to their unique redox properties among porphyrin derivatives and could be a new class of near-IR dyes. Isoporphyrins are known to be unstable with respect to transformation back to the fully conjugated porphyrin chromophore except when the meso-carbon is geminally substituted and for this reason a detailed study of this …

Design, Synthesis, And Conformational Studies Of Peptides Containing α,α-Disubstituted Amino Acids, Jia Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

C^α,α-disubstituted amino acids (ααAAs) are widely utilized to conformationally constrain peptides. Several pentapeptides containing dipropylglycine (Dpg) at alternating positions and their α-amino acid counterpart L-norvaline (Nva) analogues were synthesized to fully investigate the impact of Dpg on peptide backbone structure in aqueous solution. CD, VCD and NMR spectral analysis suggest that Dpg containing peptides adopt more ordered structures relative to their Nva containing analogues. The central residues (Ala, Thr, Tyr, Val) and the charged side-chains of Glu and Lys play important roles in the degree of peptide folding. Hydrophobic and branched residues (Val, Tyr) at the …

Copper(Ii) Oxide Mediated Formation And Stabilization Of Combustion Generated Persistent Free Radicals, Hieu Truong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Biologically damaging semiquinone-type radicals have been reported in cigarette smoke, their likely origin being hydroquinone (HQ) and catechol (CT) molecular precursors contained by the tobacco. Since other biomass contains HQ and CT-type species, it is likely that combustion of other biomass will also form semiquinone-type radicals. All hydrocarbon fuels will form phenol and substituted phenol that can form substituted phenoxyl radicals. Because each of these radicals has the potential to be environmentally persistent and biologically active, their formation and stabilization from various molecular precursors was studied with the focus on surface-bound radicals formed in association with combustion-generated fly-ash particles. Comprehensive …

The Effects Of Trawling And Habitat Use On Red Snapper And The Associated Community, Robert Joseph David Wells

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary impediment to the recovery of Gulf of Mexico (GOM) red snapper is believed to be high levels of bycatch of age 0 and age 1 individuals in shrimp trawls. Thus, conservation of GOM red snapper involves evaluating both habitat-specific function and effects of shrimp trawls on red snapper and the associated benthic ecosystem. The two goals of this study were to evaluate the effects commercial shrimp trawls have on juvenile red snapper life history parameters, on associated fish and invertebrate communities and their habitat, and to identify essential fish habitat (EFH) for red snapper by applying all four …

N-(4-Methylphenyl) Benzenepropanamide - The First Isolated Amide From The Genus Paederia, Debasish Bandyopadhyay, Anupam Nayak, Bidyut Basak, Avijit Banerji, Julie Banerji, Asima Chatterjee, Thierry Prang, Alain Neuman

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

Investigation of the stem of Paederia foetida (Rubiaceae) resulted in the isolation and characterization of N-(4-methylphenyl)-benzopropanamide, which was hitherto unknown as a natural product This is the first report of an amide for the genus Paederia.

Good Things Come In Small Packages: Tiny Plankton Producing Oxygen Near Dead Zone, Abbie Basile

Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

(First paragraph) For many, the words “Lake Erie” bring to mind large things: big sport fish, sprawling waterfront homes, and an enormous body of water bordering four states and two countries. Similarly, much of the Lake Erie research of which the public is aware deals with larger biological organisms—larger algae and zooplankton, the small fish that eat the zooplankton, and the large fish that feed on those smaller fish. Over the years, the smaller lake life have been somewhat overlooked.

Magneto-Aerotaxis, Richard B. Frankel, Timothy J. Williams, Dennis A. Bazylinski

Physics

Magnetotactic bacteria orient and migrate along geomagnetic field lines. Magneto-aerotaxis increases the efficiency of respiring cells to efficiently find and maintain position at a preferred microaerobic oxygen concentration. Magneto-aerotaxis could also facilitate access to regions of higher nutrient and electron acceptor concentration via periodic excursions above and below the preferred oxygen concentration level.

Chemical Differences Of Atherosclerotic Plaques In Native And Bypass Human Coronary Arteries And Diseased And Non-Diseased Human Aortas, Samuel Jean Washington

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT Cardiovascular disease, primarily atherosclerosis involves a number of distinct processes that are associated with plaque development. The use of differential gel electrophoresis to determine differences between proteins produced in native and bypass coronary arteries from the same heart has been studied. The analytical techniques presented in this study to characterize plaque samples include two dimensional gel electrophoresis, sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, differential gel electrophoresis, and high performance liquid chromatography. An overview of the stages involved in atherosclerosis and the theories implicated in the manifestation of atherosclerosis was presented. A design study using the Box Behnken method …

Using Power Spectra To Look For Anisotropies In Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Ray Distributions, Megan Alicia Mcewen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The origins and compositions of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECR) remains a mystery to this day. The Pierre Auger Observatory (PAO) is being constructed now in the hopes that it will help solve this mystery by detecting more UHECR than any previous experiment. In this dissertation, I will discuss this experiment, and analyze the data collected so far by comparing it with simulated data from possible source distributions. In these simulations, I will track antiprotons, along with other possible cosmic ray primaries, through various models of galactic and extragalactic magnetic fields. Once they reach a certain distance, I will record …

Wood Liquefaction In The Presence Of Phenol With A Weak Acid Catalyst And Its Potential For Novolac Type Wood Adhesives, Hui Pan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Wood liquefaction was conducted using phenol as a reagent solvent with oxalic acid as a catalyst. A series of studies were done on liquefied wood, liquefied wood residues, novolac-type liquefied wood resins, and bio-composites fabricated from liquefied wood resin. The results of the liquefied wood residue characterization revealed that the liquefaction reactions conducted in different reaction vessels underwent different liquefaction mechanisms. The crystallinity indexes of the liquefied wood residues were higher than that of the original wood, indicating that the amorphous lignin was the most susceptible component in wood to the liquefaction reaction. Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions were found to …

A Comparison Of Individual-Based And Matrix Projection Models To Applied To Fish Population And Community Dynamics, Shaye Ellen Sable

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Matrix projection models and individual-based models (IBM) are commonly used for the analysis and management of fish populations. Matrix models break down the population into age or stage classes, while IBMs track individuals. I perform a series of quantitative comparisons between the predictions of the two modeling approaches using the IBM as the standard of comparison to demonstrate when individual variation, species interactions, and spatial heterogeneity adversely affect matrix model performance. I first evaluate the matrix approach for predicting yellow perch population responses when perch are involved in size-specific predator-prey interactions with walleye. I created density-dependent and stochastic age-structured and …

Sign Ambiguities Of Gaussian Sums, Heon Kim

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In 1934, two kinds of multiplicative relations, extit{norm and Davenport-Hasse} relations, between Gaussian sums, were known. In 1964, H. Hasse conjectured that the norm and Davenport-Hasse relations are the only multiplicative relations connecting the Gaussian sums over $mathbb F_p$. However, in 1966, K. Yamamoto provided a simple counterexample disproving the conjecture when Gaussian sums are considered as numbers. This counterexample was a new type of multiplicative relation, called a {it sign ambiguity} (see Definition ef{defi:of_sign_ambi}), involving a $pm$ sign not connected to elementary properties of Gauss sums. In Chapter $5$, we provide an explicit product formula giving an infinite class …

Application-Specific Reliable Data Transfer In Wireless Sensor Networks, Damayanti Datta

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A wireless sensor network (WSN) is a collection of sensor nodes and base stations connected via wireless medium. It sends data collected from the nodes to the base stations for generating information. The size and low cost of the sensor nodes as well as the WSN's ability to connect without wired links are its key advantages which enable it to be deployed in hostile or inaccessible environments at low cost. However, WSNs suffer from high data loss due to the inherent weaknesses in a wireless transmission medium, transmission problems in hostile environments due to human interference, etc. and node failures …

A New Approach To The Toxicity Testing Of Carbon-Based Nanomaterials: The Clonogenic Assay, Eva Herzog, Alan Casey, Fiona Lyng, Gordon Chambers, Hugh Byrne, Maria Davoren

Articles

The cellular toxicity of three types of carbon nanoparticles, namely HiPco® single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), arc dischargeSWCNTand Printex 90 carbon black nanoparticles,was studied on three different cell models including the human alveolar carcinoma epithelial cell line (A549), the normal human bronchial epithelial cell line (BEAS-2B) and the human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) using the clonogenic assay. Carbon nanomaterials are known to interact with colorimetric indicator dyes frequently used in cytotoxicity assays. By employing the clonogenic assay, any such interactions could be avoided, allowing a more reliable method for the in vitro toxicity assessment of carbon-based nanoparticles. It could be shown …

Book Review: The Beast In The Garden: A Modern Parable Of Man And Nature, Nicole Mccoy

Human–Wildlife Interactions

When I first read The Beast in the Garden shortly aft er the release of the hardback edition in 2004, I was reminded of the exchange quoted above in the movie, “The Matrix.” Neo (Mr. Anderson) survived. Scott Lancaster, a teenage athlete running in the hills outside of his Colorado high school, died. He probably never heard the mountain lion that stalked and killed him, but after reading David Baron’s book, I believe we should have. Had our ears been attuned to the proper frequency, the mountain lion’s approach would have been as loud as the subway train that spelled …

Appreciating Feral Hogs: Extension Education For Diverse Stakeholders In Texas, Dale Rollins, Billy J. Higginbotham, Kenneth A. Cearly, R. Neal Wilkins

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Texas harbors the largest population of feral hogs (Sus scrofa) in the United States, with populations estimated at >2 million. Depending on one’s perspective, feral hogs are either a pariah (from the farmer’s standpoint) or a popular sporting animal (from a hunter’s standpoint). As feral hogs increase in range and density, conflicts among stakeholders are sure to increase. Texas Cooperative Extension (TCE) initiated educational programs in 1991 to address concerns regarding the presence and management of feral hogs. Since that time, we have developed various workshops, symposia, and educational materials (e.g., print, videotape, and website) as means of …

Evolution Of The Field Of Wildlife Damage Management In The United States And Future Challenges, James E. Miller

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Through the early twentieth century, people in rural areas of North America either dealt with problems caused by wildlife by killing the problem species, eliminating its habitat, changing crops or husbandry practices, tolerating the damage, or moving to a new area devoid of such problem animals. However, many of these solutions are impractical today with the increase in human populations, the increased expansion of development into previously rural landscapes, the increased fragmentation of land ownership, and the increasing movement of people into metropolitan areas. Because of current local, state, and federal ordinances and regulations, along with the impacts of animal …

Adaptive And Economic Management Methods For Feral Hog Control In Florida, Richard M. Engeman, Bernice U. Constantin, Stephanie A. Schwiff, Henry T. Smith, John Woolard, John Allen, John Dunlap

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Feral hogs (Sus scrofa) negatively impact the environment in most places around the world where they have been introduced into the wild. In many places, hog removal is essential to protect special habitats, in particular, wetlands. This paper describes techniques developed for use in adaptive management approaches to enhance hog removal efforts in Florida, as well as methods to evaluate the economic impacts from hog management. A valuable adaptive management tool that can be an easily applied index to monitor feral hog activity is track plots. This method has been effective for monitoring hog distribution and relative abundance, …

Berryman Institute Addresses Feral Hog Problems, Bruce D. Leopold

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Congratulations to Dr. Conover for such a great inaugural issue of our journal!! I have received nothing but very positive accolades about the quality of our first issue. Mike and our managing editor, Phil Parisi, have done a fantastic job!!! This second issue is equally as radical as the first. This issue deals with a subject that is growing in importance throughout the southeastern United States: feral hogs. Being in Mississippi, I am all too familiar with the importance (and negative impact) of this invasive species. Berryman East has consistently funded numerous research projects on this subject. We also have …

Are Coyotes Right- Or Left-Handed, And Who Cares?, Michael J. Bodenchuk

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The sheep killer left the pasture with his belly completely full of lambs. He’d killed and consumed 2 this night, obviously more than he needed for himself. But back at the den 8 hungry pups demanded more and more meat, and this was not his first foray into the pasture.

Comparison Of Sampling Strategies To Estimate Abundance Of Double-Crested Cormorants In Western Mississippi, Aaron T. Pearse, Brian S. Dorr, Stephen J. Dinsmore, Richard M. Kaminski

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We compared 2 sampling strategies designed to estimate abundance of double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus, hereafter cormorants) on aquaculture ponds in western Mississippi. Cormorants are a major predator of cultured channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) in this region; thus, estimating cormorant abundance is needed to better determine their economic impact. We independently designed a species-specific survey (i.e., cluster sampling) and a general survey (i.e., transect sampling) based on robust probability sampling theory to estimate abundance of this target population. During winters 2002–2003 and 2003–2004, we conducted 8 pairs of surveys and compared estimates of cormorant abundance and associated …

Expanding Bear Populations Bring New Challenges To State Wildlife Agencies, Robert Southwick

Human–Wildlife Interactions

In the 1800s, bears were almost eliminated from the United States because they were seen as a threat to humans and livestock and were labeled pests. Now, bear populations are growing and becoming more widely dispersed. Their numbers are increasing and continually extending into new territories, including suburban areas. Suburban developments also are expanding into already established bear territory. This helps to explain that while state wildlife agencies estimate bear populations have increased 12% nationally during the past 5 years, bear complaints have increased 19%, personnel hours to resolve complaints have increased 22%, and state agency expenditures to control bear …

Sound Spectral Analysis Of Uni Carillon Bells, Kimberly Cordray

Honors Program Theses

The campanile located in the center of the University of Northern Iowa campus has been a symbol of the university since its completion in 1926. This 100 foot tall structure was the chosen memorial celebrating the 50th anniversary of the university and dedicated to the founders and builders. But this towering structure is more than just a popular gathering point and icon, it houses 4 7 bells and a carillon instrument which plays these bells.

Bells are a unique and complex instrument. It is not hard to comprehend when you think about what a bell is. A carillon bell is …

Quartz Grain Surface Textures As Indicators Of Infilling Processes And Depositional Environments Associated With Ice-Wedge Casts In Northeast Iowa, Michael Loux

Honors Program Theses

Ice-wedge casts and polygonal patterned ground are common features of the Iowan Surface of Northeast Iowa. Paleoenvironmental studies in Iowa and adjacent states indicate that tundra conditions existed in Northeast Iowa between 21,000 and 16,500 years BP, the coldest part of late \\'.'isconsinan time. Degradation of permafrost and formation of ice-wedge casts must have occurred near the end of this cold climate episode, which also promoted extreme erosion of the landscape in Northeast Iowa. The sediment-filled wedges in Northeast Iowa occur in pre-Illinoian till with the infilling material consisting mostly of sand. The details of the infilling history of the …

Crippling America, Health Care Fraud Incentives, Colby Goetsch

Honors Program Theses

Clearly an imbalance is occurring in the system as health care fraud claims reach new bounds. There are many types of health care fraud, but the most general analysis involves the submission of claims that never occurred for reimbursement. This thesis will analyze the incentives acting upon different groups affected by the specific act of health care fraud of submitting fraudulent claims, and also possible solutions to change these incentives into the public's best interest. An analysis of the incentives given to the key players in this game will hopefully show where legislators can focus to improve the current state …

Gis-Based Integration Of Swat And Remm For Estimating Water Quality Benefits Of Riparian Buffers In Agricultural Watersheds, Y. Liu, Wanhong Yang, Xixi Wang

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a process-based, watershed-scale model with a hydrologic response unit (HRU) as the basic computation element, which makes it difficult to accurately represent riparian buffers using their physical parameters (e.g., vegetation structure). On the other hand, the field-scale Riparian Ecosystem Management Model (REMM) provides the opportunity to consider details of hydrologic processes within a riparian buffer zone. However, the runoff and its associated constituents from the upland area that is hydraulically connected to the riparian buffer zone must be provided as inputs into REMM. The rationale proposed here is that the integration of …