Master of Science / Department of Computing and Information Sciences / Daniel Andresen / The purpose of this project is to analyze the growth of plants under certain lighting conditions. In order to ensure ideal lighting for all plants under demanding conditions like lack of optimal light due to shadowing, side wall reflections, overlapping of plants, etc., pots are rotated manually in an irregular fashion. To keep track of the position of these plants from time to time, a marking system is used for each tray of 16 plants. These markers are unique for each tray High definition surveillance cameras placed above these plants capture the plant images periodically. These images undergo image processing. Image processing should be able to identify and recognize the plants from the identification markers that were placed within each tray and thereby draw the statistics about the growth of the plants. Hence the computing part of this project is all about extracting the identity of a plant through image processing. Image processing involves object and color recognition. Fiji, an image processing tool, is used for object recognition and the Python image module called “Image” is used for color recognition. Object recognition accurately locates the position of these circular objects and measures their size and shape. Color recognition identifies the pixel values of these circular objects. Finally the code corresponding to three-element groups of these circular units is fetched and stored. This code gives the identity of the tray and, therefore, each plant. The timestamp that is stored with each plant image along with the code fetched through image processing is used to track the location of a plant in the plant chamber through time.

Master of Science / Department of Animal Sciences and Industry / Terry Houser / A total of 45 top sirloin butts (IMPS 184) were procured from three commercial beef processing facilities to determine the effects of post-mortem aging time and blade tenderization on the quality of beef gluteus medius (GM) steaks. Top sirloin butts were randomly assigned to five post-mortem aging periods (5, 19, 33, 47, and 61 days). One-half of each beef GM was randomly assigned to either a blade tenderized treatment or a non-blade tenderized treatment that was not blade tenderized. Steaks were then evaluated for thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), metmyoglobin reducing activity (MRA), oxygen consumption rate (OCR), visual color panel, instrumental color, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) enumeration, pH, and sensory properties. Aging × blade tenderization interactions (P < 0.05) were found for display color panel, discoloration panel, WBSF, overall tenderness, myofibrillar tenderness, bloody/serumy, metallic, overall sweet, and bitter (P < 0.05). As steaks were aged longer and blade tenderized they became more discolored during display and more tender. In addition, there were aging × display time interactions (P < 0.05) observed for L*, a*, b*, display color panel, and discoloration panel. As steaks were aged longer, they had increased L*, a*, b*, and hue angle values and display color panel scores when initially put into a retail case, but L*, a* and b* decreased and discoloration scores increased as display time increased. Furthermore, there were blade tenderization × display time interactions (P < 0.05) found for display and discoloration panels. Blade tenderized steaks discolored faster in retail display than non-blade tenderized steaks. With increased aging time, there was an increase (P < 0.05) in TBARS, OCR, initial color panel, LAB enumeration, and warmed-over flavor, as well as a decrease in MRA. Also, as aging increased there was a decrease (P < 0.05) in MRA, initial color panel scores, and WBSF values. Blade tenderization significantly increased (P < 0.05) initial color panel scores, rancid flavor, and spoiled flavor. Increasing the aging time of the GM, produced steaks with decreased color stability, altered the flavor profile, and increased tenderness. Blade tenderization significantly increased tenderness, increased discoloration in a retail case, and produced more undesirable flavors.

Master of Science / Department of Animal Sciences and Industry / Elizabeth A. E. Boyle / Light emitting diode (LED) and fluorescent (FLS) lighting effects on enhanced pork loin chops, beef longissimus dorsi and semimembranosus steaks, ground beef, and ground turkey displayed in two retail display cases set up with similar operational temperatures were evaluated using visual and instrumental color, Enterobacteriaceae (EB) and aerobic plate counts (APC), internal product and case temperatures, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Visual discoloration of the five meat products increased (P<0.05) as display time increased. Beef longissimus dorsi steaks, ground beef, and the superficial portion of beef semimembranosus steaks had less (P<0.05) visual discoloration under LED lighting than FLS. Compared to FLS, pork loin chops under LED lighting had higher (P<0.05) L* values and a lower (P<0.05) a/b ratio. The deep portion semimembranosus steak under LED was redder (P<0.05) and the superficial portion had a lower (P<0.05) a/b ratio; LED deep and superficial portion semimembranosus steaks had higher (P<0.05) saturation index values at 5.18 and 4.47, respectively, on d 0 than FLS. Pork chops under LED lighting had lower (P<0.05) APC populations than FLS by the end of display. Enterobacteriaceae populations fluctuated throughout display on ground turkey under FLS lighting while populations remained stable under LED. APC populations increased as display time increased for pork loin chops, ground beef and ground turkey, but not beef longissimus dorsi steaks possibly due to initial case-ready postmortem age. As display time increased, EB populations increased (P<0.05) for pork loin chops, ground beef and ground turkey. The internal temperature of all products, except beef longissimus dorsi steaks, was lower (P<0.05) in the LED case. FLS case temperatures were higher (P<0.05) by 0.56 to 1.11°C than LED over the duration of the study. Pork loin chops, ground turkey, and beef semimembranosus steaks had higher (P<0.05) TBARS values by 0.06 to 0.24 mg malonaldehyde/kg under LED lighting, but lighting type did not affect (P>0.05) lipid oxidation of beef longissimus dorsi steaks or ground beef. LED lighting results in lower display case temperatures, lower internal product temperatures, and extended color life; however, lipid oxidation was increased in some cuts under LED lighting.

Master of Science / Department of Animal Sciences and Industry / Terry Houser / Crossbred yearling steers (n = 144 initial BW 367 ± 18.46 kg) were randomly allotted by BW to a randomized complete block design with a 2x3 factorial treatment arrangement to 1) assess the impact of supplementing dried distiller grain with solubles (DDGS) while grazing late season forage for 90 d and 2) the impact of a short feeding period on animal performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality traits. Treatments consisted of DDGS supplementation during grazing (0 or 1% of BW as DDGS; DM basis) and finishing days on feed (DOF;75, 100, 125). During grazing supplemented cattle had greater (P < 0.01) ADG than un-supplemented cattle but un-supplemented cattle had greater ADG than supplemented cattle during the finishing period. There were no differences between grazing treatments for DMI (P = 0.91) during the finishing period. Supplemented cattle had decreased (P = 0.02) G:F during the finishing period compared to un-supplemented cattle. Supplemented cattle had heavier (P < 0.01) HCW and larger (P = 0.02) LM area than un-supplemented cattle. Increasing DOF linearly increased (P ≤ 0.03) HCW, 12th rib fat thickness, LM area and USDA marbling score. No differences were observed for USDA yield grade. Increasing DOF decreased (Linear; P < 0.01) carcass protein %, moisture %, and increased (Linear; P < 0.05) carcass fat %. Increasing DOF increased (Quadratic; P = 0.01) L* values, while decreasing (Quadratic; P < 0.01) a* and b* values for external fat color. No differences were observed with respect to the percentages of any fatty acids for any treatment. Increased (P = 0.01) sensory off-flavors were present at 100 DOF when compared to 125 DOF. No other differences among treatments were observed for any sensory traits, instrumental tenderness, lean color or fatty acid profile for any treatment. In conclusion, supplementing cattle with 1 % DDGS during grazing altered grazing and feedlot performance as well as impacted carcass characteristics. In addition, utilizing a shortened feeding period had minimal effects on meat quality traits, but increasing DOF resulted in a greater amount of whiter external fat.

Master of Science / Department of Physics / Matthias Kling / This thesis consists of two major parts. The first part concerns studies of the orientation dependence of the ionization of diatomic molecules in intense, femtosecond two-color laser fields. The second part is about studies on the ionization mechanisms of the C[subscript]6[subscript]0 molecule in femtosecond near-infrared and ultraviolet laser fields. In the first part, experimental and theoretical results on the asymmetric ion emission of the heteronuclear molecules CO and NO in two-color laser fields are discussed. The two-color fields, which can be tailored by a relative phase, are used to ionize and dissociate CO and NO molecules, both of which are molecules with small polarizabilities. The resulting C[superscript]+, C[superscript]2[superscript]+, N[superscript]+ and O[superscript]+ ions are detected by a velocity map imaging (VMI) setup. The photoelectrons from above-threshold ionization (ATI) of Xe are studied under such a two-color field to assign the phase. For both CO and NO we find that enhanced ionization occurs when the molecule is oriented with the electric field pointing from the C or N atom toward the O atom. This is in agreement with the molecular orbital Ammosov-Delone-Krainov (MO-ADK) theory and the Stark-corrected strong-field-approximation (SFA) calculations. The second part is devoted to the investigation of the ionization mechanism of neutral C[subscript]6[subscript]0 molecules with 30 fs laser pulses at about 800 nm and with 50 fs pulses at about 400 nm. The angular distributions of photoelectrons are measured utilizing VMI. Measurements under different intensities are carried out for the two wavelengths. In our work, thermal electron emission is highly suppressed by the use of short pulses. For near-infrared excitation, photoelectron angular distributions (PADs) that contain six lobes are observed for low energy electrons. This behavior is different from studies for longer pulses of about 120 fs [1]. Further analysis indicates that the PADs might originate from single photon ionization of a super atomic molecular orbital (SAMO), however, a detailed assignment requires further theoretical work. The PADs for the ultraviolet excitation show very similar structures to earlier results [1]. For the near-infrared excitation, we have carried out studies as a function of the chirp of the pulses and find effects on photoelectron spectra and on PADs, which are tentatively explained by sequential multiphoton ionization via “doorway” states.

Louisiana's unique social and cultural history with its three-tiered racial system (rather than the biracial system that governed much of the United States) left the region and the history of its black inhabitants, outside of familiar narratives of United States black history. Marcus B. Christian, the self-trained intellectual, sought to research, and make public, the history of blacks in Louisiana. His career demonstrates the importance of training, economic status, and geographical focus in the production of African American history. Many of the stories he told, through writing and research, retrieved the largely forgotten history of Creoles of color. In fact, his own story was an extension of the black intellectual traditions of that Creole population. Even as his work revealed black Louisiana's unique culture, it also served as the foundation for Christian's own intellectual legacy, one with both material and intellectual dimensions.

Despite the popularity of free people of color in New Orleans as a research topic, the history of free people of color remains misunderstood. The prevailing view of free people of color is that of people who: engaged in plaçage, attended quadroon balls, were desperately dependent upon the dominant population, and were uninterested or afraid to garner rights for themselves. Contemporary historians have endeavored to amend this stereotypical perception; this study aims to be a part of the trend of revisionist history through an in-depth analysis of the co-plaintiffs in Boisdoré and Goulé, f.p.c., v. Citizens Bank and their case. Because Boisdoré and Goulé sue at critical time in New Orleans history, three decades after the Louisiana Purchase during the American transformation of New Orleans, their case epitomizes the era in which it occurs. In bringing suit, Boisdoré and Goulé attempted to thwart some of those forth coming changes.

This qualitative case study explores the post-Katrina experiences of African Americans in Houston and in New Orleans. When the levees failed, residents from New Orleans were scattered across the country. Houston housed the largest population of displaced low-income African Americans from New Orleans. As the rebuilding process began, housing, employment, education, and healthcare policies in New Orleans changed. These institutional changes employed urban revitalization and poverty removal strategies adapted to disaster recovery. This study differs from previous research by examining these changes with an intersectional approach. It explores how African Americans frame obstacles as they attempt to return to a city with reformed housing, employment, education, and healthcare policies. To do this, I analyze three different cases 1) those that returned to New Orleans, 2) those still displaced in Houston, and 3) those that relocated to Houston after returning to New Orleans for over a year.

Resumo: No presente trabalho, avaliou-se o efeito do processo de maturação na qualidade da carne do músculo Longissimus de 35 tourinhos da raça Nelore confinados por 96 dias e abatidos com peso de 532,17 ± 30,25kg e 24 meses de idade. Os animais foram alimentados com uma dieta controle sem a adição de óleo e outras quatro dietas contendo diferentes fontes de óleo (soja ou linhaça) protegido ou não da degradação ruminal. Após o abate e 24 horas de resfriamento foram retirados 3 bifes de 2,5cm de espessura entre a 12a e 13a costelas do músculo Longissimus, posteriormente embalados à vácuo e maturados em estufa B.O.D. à temperatura de 2oC durante 7, 14 e 21 dias. Em seguida, foram analisadas as seguintes características: força de cisalhamento, ph, cor, perdas na maturação e composição química da carne assada. Após liofilização, o extrato etéreo foi extraído, metilado e as leituras realizadas por cromatografia gasosa. O delineamento estatístico utilizado foi em blocos casualizados, sendo 5 tratamentos, em 7 blocos e utilizadas 4 medidas repetidas no tempo. As variáveis foram avaliadas por meio de análise de variância e teste t Student à 5% de probabilidade e para as características sensoriais da carne foi utilizado o teste não paramétrico de Kruskal-Wallis. Houve efeito significativo para as variáveis matéria seca, extrato etéreo e matéria mineral. A força de cisalhamento apresentou diferenças entre os grupos de bifes maturados, (5,97; 4,31; 3,25 e 2,96kgf/cm2, para 0, 7, 14 e 21 dias de maturação, respectivamente), sendo que o tempo 14 e 21 foram mais macios que o tempo 7, e este, mais macio que o tempo 0. O ph apresentou diferença entre a carne in natura e os períodos de maturação. Houve efeito significativo para a maturação das variáveis luminosidade, intensidade da cor vermelha e intensidade da cor amarela. As perdas por exsudação na maturação ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: In this study, we assess the effect of the ageing process in the meat quality of Longissimus muscles from 35 Nellore bulls young bulls confined for 96 days and slaughtered weighing 532.17 ± 30.25 kg and 24 months of age. The animals were fed with five different diets: the first one was a control diet, without oil and the other four diets containing different oil sources (soy or flaxseed) protected or not from ruminal degradation. After slaughter and 24 hours of cooling, 3 samples with 2.5 cm thickness were removed between the 12th and 13th ribs of Longissimus muscles and subsequently vacuum packaged and aged in an environmental chamber at a temperature of 2o C for 7, 14 and 21 days. We assess the characteristics: shear force, pH, color, ageing losses, chemical composition and fatty acids of meat. The fatty acids were assess by gas chromatography. Variables were evaluated by analysis of variance and Student t test at 5% probability and the sensory characteristics of meat was used nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test. Shear force differed between the ageing groups, (5.97; 4.31, 3.25 and 2.96 Kgf/cm2 to 0, 7, 14 and 21 days) the period 14 and 21 were softer than the period 7. The pH was different between the fresh beef and the other periods. There was a significant effect on the variable lightness, red color intensity and intensity of yellow color. The losses were larger as the period of ageing increased, and the period of 21 days showed 5.58% of losses. The sensory evaluation showed the difference to variable smoothness for the period of 7 days.. There was a significant effect on concentration of myristic acids (C14: 0), miristoleico \ (C14: 1), pentadecanoic (C15: 0), palmitic (C16: 0), palmitoleic (C16: 1) vacênico (C18: 1 n7) and oleic (C18: 1 n9). In contrast there was an increase in the levels of stearic (C18: 0), linoleic (C18: 2 n6) eicosenoic (C20: 1 n9), eicosadienoico (C20: 2) ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Orientador: Alexandre Amstalden Moraes Sampaio / Coorientador: Wignez Henrique / Banca: Hirasilva Borba / Banca: Alexandre Rodrigo Mendes Fernandes / Mestre

Ce doctorat a pour objectif de contribuer à une meilleure compréhension du lien, plusieurs fois démontré, entre odeurs et couleurs. Il s’organise en 4 parties correspondant à 4 grandes études réalisées dans différents pays, la France, le Liban et Taiwan, ainsi que dans différentes régions au sein d'un même pays (Liban urbain, Liban rural). La première étude effectuée dans les trois pays avait pour objectif de démontrer l’impact de la culture sur la construction du lien odeurs – couleurs. Les résultats obtenus ont mis en évidence un effet significatif du lieu de résidence des participants sur la construction du lien mais aussi du rôle prépondérant de la « fonction de l'odeur » (alimentaire, cosmétique, industrielle, …). La seconde étude interculturelle entre la France et le Liban s’est intéressée plus spécifiquement à la méthodologie employée pour réaliser les tests odeurs – couleurs. En effet, dans la littérature, deux types de procédures sont généralement employées soit la présentation de couleurs physiques que le participant peut regarder soit l’absence de présentation de couleurs physiques et l’utilisation de noms de teintes (bleu, vert, rouge, …). La comparaison de ces deux méthodes a mis en évidence un effet de la procédure tout aussi important que celui de la culture et de la fonction de l'odeur sur l'association odeur-couleur. Les données ont aussi mis en évidence un réel pouvoir d’évocation olfactive des couleurs. Pour mieux, comprendre ce phénomène, nous avons réalisé une étude en IRMf. Cette troisième étude utilisant l'IRMf a montré que le pouvoir d’évocation olfactive d’arrangements abstraits de couleurs était différent de celui obtenu à partir de représentations visuelles figuratives colorées. Les processus cognitifs mis en œuvre lors d’une évocation olfactive à partir de couleurs sont plus complexes et multimodaux impliquant des processus olfactifs, émotionnels, visio-spatial, du langage ainsi que la mémoire. La dernière partie de ce doctorat s’est intéressé à mieux comprendre comment les processus émotionnels mis en évidence par IRMf pouvaient interférer avec la construction du lien odeurs – couleurs. L’étude a été réalisée en France ainsi que dans deux régions, rurale et urbaine, du Liban. Les résultats ont montré que l'affect associé à une odeur influençait le lien odeurs-couleurs mais surtout, que le choix préférentiel de certains affects était lié à la situation socio-économique et culturel du participant. Cette thèse est donc une contribution à une meilleure compréhension du lien qui unit odeurs et couleurs. Elle en a démontré la complexité avec un effet avéré de la fonction de l’odeur dans le pays, de la méthodologie employée ainsi que du lieu de résidence et du niveau socio-culturel du participant. Elle souligne cependant la nécessité d’une approche multidisciplinaire pour en comprendre encore plus précisément l’ensemble des rouages / This doctorate aims to contribute to a better understanding of the link, several times demonstrated, between odors and colors. It is organized in 4 parts corresponding to 4 major studies carried out in different countries, France, Lebanon and Taiwan, as well as in different regions within the same country (urban Lebanon, rural Lebanon). The first study carried out in the three countries aimed at demonstrating the impact of culture on the construction of the odor-color link. The results obtained revealed a significant effect of the participants' place of residence on the construction of the link but also the predominant role of the "function of the odor" (food, cosmetics, industrial ...). The second intercultural study between France and Lebanon focused more specifically on the methodology used to carry out odor - color tests. Indeed, in the literature, two types of procedures are generally used: presentation of physical colors that the participant can see or absence of presentation of physical colors and the use of color names (blue, green, red, ...). The comparison of these two methods revealed an equally important effect between the procedure, the culture and the function of the odor on the odor-color association. The data also revealed that colors have the capacity of olfactory evocation. To better understand this phenomenon, we performed an fMRI study. This third study using fMRI showed that the olfactory evocation power of abstract color arrangements was different from that obtained from colored figurative visual representations. The cognitive processes involved in an olfactory evocation from colors arrangement, is more complex and multimodal involving olfactory, emotional, visio-spatial, language and memory processes. The final part of this Ph.D. examined how emotional evidenced by fMRI could interfere with the construction of the odor - color link. The study was carried out in France as well as in two rural and urban areas of Lebanon. The results showed that the affect associated with an odor influenced the odor-color link, but above all, that the preferential choice of certain affects was linked to the socioeconomic and cultural situation of the participant. This thesis is therefore a contribution to a better understanding of the link between odors and colors. It has demonstrated its complexity with a proven effect of the odor function in the country, the methodology used and the place of residence and socio-cultural level of the participant. However, it stresses the need for a multidisciplinary approach to understand even more precisely the whole workings