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An Examination Of The Chinese Immigrant Social Movements During The Chinese Exclusion Era, Alexander Lu Jan 2007

An Examination Of The Chinese Immigrant Social Movements During The Chinese Exclusion Era, Alexander Lu

LSU Master's Theses

This paper further develops a law-centered “political process” model of social movements by analyzing historical changes in American immigration law and the collective behavior of Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans during the Chinese Exclusion Era. I present an interactive political process framework that considers not only how the broader political environment enables and constrains a movement, but also how challengers respond by actively reshaping the environment. I revisit the political process model’s core concept of “political opportunity structure” by examining legal rules and institutions, generally, and the indeterminacy of law, specifically. I apply this framework to the Chinese community’s initial …


Determinants Of The Onset Of Disability In Old Age, Kayla Fontenot Jan 2007

Determinants Of The Onset Of Disability In Old Age, Kayla Fontenot

LSU Master's Theses

With a rapidly aging population, maximizing independent living among the elderly is a growing concern. The inability to perform normal basic care activities interferes with an older individual's ability to live independently. In this study, I examine the onset of disability among elderly Americans using the 2002 and 2004 waves of the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS). In examining the explanatory power of both the life course perspective and the medical model, I find that the medical model is better able to explain onset of disability for males while the life course perspective prevails when explaining onset of disability among …


Brucella Melitensis: The Evaluation Of A Putative Hemagglutinin Gene's Effect On Virulence In The Caprine Model, Quinesha Laticia Perry Jan 2007

Brucella Melitensis: The Evaluation Of A Putative Hemagglutinin Gene's Effect On Virulence In The Caprine Model, Quinesha Laticia Perry

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Brucella melitensis is a facultative intracellular bacterial pathogen that causes abortions in goats and sheep and Malta fever in humans. The zoonotic disease brucellosis causes severe economic losses in the Mediterranean region and parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. With the completion of the genomic sequences of B. abortus 2308 and B. melitensis 16M, no classical virulence factors were found; and the chromosomes were virtually identical. However, in B. melitensis, a putative hemagglutinin gene was identified which is absent in B. abortus. The possibility of the hemagglutinin gene being a potential virulence factor was evaluated via gene replacement/deletion in …


Chagas In Culture And Place: A Mixed Methods Approach To A New Medical Geography Of Chagas Disease In Los Tuxtlas, Mexico, Frances Heyward Currin Mujica Jan 2007

Chagas In Culture And Place: A Mixed Methods Approach To A New Medical Geography Of Chagas Disease In Los Tuxtlas, Mexico, Frances Heyward Currin Mujica

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This project is concerned with a new medical geography approach to investigating Chagas disease in Los Tuxtlas, Mexico which focuses on the intersection of disease risk and place. More specifically this work will describe the domestic cycle of Chagas disease and the cultural factors that perpetuate its transmission in six communities in the Los Tuxtlas region, Municipio San Andres, Veracruz State, Mexico. Using several collection techniques, such as interviews and house type surveys, as well as identifying and collecting the vector Triatoma dimidiata (including testing them for the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi), this dissertation describes the characteristics of the Chagas landscape …


Understanding The New York Rabies Epizootic 1985-2005, David Dorrell Jan 2007

Understanding The New York Rabies Epizootic 1985-2005, David Dorrell

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Surveillance data are an important part of medical geography. These data are used to produce much of the analyses that define the subdiscipline. It is understood that surveillance data may contain biases, but there have only been limited studies devoted to determining in what ways the data are not representative of actual disease prevalence. New York was selected for this research for several reasons. First, it has a strong rabies data set. Second, it has a centralized system of licensing animal and dog control officers. Third, it is well-represented in terms of local media. This dissertation attempts to better understand …


The Role Of Networks In Labor Markets, Nongnuch Soonthornchawakan Jan 2007

The Role Of Networks In Labor Markets, Nongnuch Soonthornchawakan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Networks of relationships play an important role in the social and economic operation of the labor market. Social connections have been shown to be crucial in influencing the transition and efficiency in the labor market because they can quickly spread information over large segments of society. In particular in “small world” networks everyone can connect to others through very few intermediaries and information can spread far and fast over such a small-world network. The first chapter of this dissertation starts with the formal elements of social network analysis and graph theory. It then provides an overview of the emerging literature …


Detection Of The Bloodmeal Origin Of Mosquitoes Collected At Alligator Farms, And West Nile Virus Activity In Mosquitoes Collected From Alligator Farms, Sentinel Chicken Surveillance Sites, And Larval Habitats, Isik Unlu Jan 2007

Detection Of The Bloodmeal Origin Of Mosquitoes Collected At Alligator Farms, And West Nile Virus Activity In Mosquitoes Collected From Alligator Farms, Sentinel Chicken Surveillance Sites, And Larval Habitats, Isik Unlu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A three year study was conducted to determine if testing mosquitoes collected in modified sentinel chicken boxes for West Nile Virus (WNV) or testing sentinel chickens for WNV antibody would detect WNV activity prior to reports of human cases in East Baton Rouge (EBR) Parish, Louisiana. In one year we also compared the effectiveness of CDC light traps, gravid traps, and sentinel chicken box traps for collecting WNV positive mosquitoes. In all three years, we detected WNV activity in mosquito collections from sentinel chicken box traps prior to the onset of human cases, while there were no seroconversions in the …


Protocol Development For Pro-Active Emergency Responses By Veterinary Clinics And Hospitals, Laura Marie Basirico Jan 2007

Protocol Development For Pro-Active Emergency Responses By Veterinary Clinics And Hospitals, Laura Marie Basirico

LSU Master's Theses

The Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005 necessitated the development of a guidance document concerning emergency preparedness and response for veterinary clinics and hospitals. The aftermaths of the largest natural disasters in United States' history, namely Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, brought to light the need for a protocol designed specifically for veterinarians and veterinary practitioners. Disaster management information was synthesized and modified to be subject-specific for the veterinary community. This synthesis resulted in the creation of the Veterinary Emergency Preparedness and Response (VEPR) manual and website. Two types of data were collected to develop the emergency protocol; interviews with veterinarians and …


The Experiences Of Refugee Youth From The Conflicts In The Sudan: A Collective Case Study, Michele Kelly Jan 2007

The Experiences Of Refugee Youth From The Conflicts In The Sudan: A Collective Case Study, Michele Kelly

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the role of familial protective factors in moderating the relationship between risk and resilience in Sudanese refugee youth exposed to political violence. Interviews, direct observations, and physical artifacts were the sources of data. Eight “Lost Boys” participated in the study, providing narratives of their experiences of the Sudanese civil wars. They also answered questions posed about the role of familial protective factors in moderating the relationship between risk and resilience. The interviews were recorded on audiotape and then transcribed. Data consisted of the transcripts and field notes of processes and observations. …


Purification And Preconcentration Of Genomic Dna From Whole Cell Lysates Using Photoactivated Polycarbonate (Ppc) Microfluidic Chips, Małgorzata A. Witek, Shawn D. Llopis, Abigail Wheatley, Robin L. Mccarley, Steven A. Soper Oct 2006

Purification And Preconcentration Of Genomic Dna From Whole Cell Lysates Using Photoactivated Polycarbonate (Ppc) Microfluidic Chips, Małgorzata A. Witek, Shawn D. Llopis, Abigail Wheatley, Robin L. Mccarley, Steven A. Soper

Faculty Publications

We discuss the use of a photoactivated polycarbonate (PPC) microfluidic chip for the solid-phase, reversible immobilization (SPRI) and purification of genomic DNA (gDNA) from whole cell lysates. The surface of polycarbonate was activated by UV radiation resulting in a photo-oxidation reaction, which produced a channel surface containing carboxylate groups. The gDNA was selectively captured on this photoactivated surface in an immobilization buffer, which consisted of 3% polyethylene glycol, 0.4 M NaCl and 70% ethanol. The methodology reported herein is similar to conventional SPRI in that surface-confined carboxylate groups are used for the selective immobilization of DNA; however, no magnetic beads …


Uncertainty In Predictions Of Disease Spread And Public Health Responses To Bioterrorism And Emerging Diseases, Bret D. Elderd, Vanja M. Dukic, Greg Dwyer Oct 2006

Uncertainty In Predictions Of Disease Spread And Public Health Responses To Bioterrorism And Emerging Diseases, Bret D. Elderd, Vanja M. Dukic, Greg Dwyer

Faculty Publications

Concerns over bioterrorism and emerging diseases have led to the widespread use of epidemic models for evaluating public health strategies. Partly because epidemic models often capture the dynamics of prior epidemics remarkably well, little attention has been paid to how uncertainty in parameter estimates might affect model predictions. To understand such effects, we used Bayesian statistics to rigorously estimate the uncertainty in the parameters of an epidemic model, focusing on smallpox bioterrorism. We then used a vaccination model to translate the uncertainty in the model parameters into uncertainty in which of two vaccination strategies would provide a better response to …


Spatial Confidentiality And Gis: Re-Engineering Mortality Locations From Published Maps About Hurricane Katrina, Andrew J. Curtis, Jacqueline W. Mills, Michael Leitner Oct 2006

Spatial Confidentiality And Gis: Re-Engineering Mortality Locations From Published Maps About Hurricane Katrina, Andrew J. Curtis, Jacqueline W. Mills, Michael Leitner

Faculty Publications

Background: Geographic Information System (GIS) can provide valuable insight into patterns of human activity. Online spatial display applications, such as Google Earth, can democratise this information by disseminating it to the general public. Although this is a generally positive advance for society, there is a legitimate concern involving the disclosure of confidential information through spatial display. Although guidelines exist for aggregated data, little has been written concerning the display of point level information. The concern is that a map containing points representing cases of cancer or an infectious disease, could be re-engineered back to identify an actual residence. This is …


Hiv-1 Dna/Mva Vaccination Reduces The Per Exposure Probability Of Infection During Repeated Mucosal Shiv Challenges, Dennis Ellenberger, Ronald A. Otten, Bin Li, Michael Aidoo, I. Vanessa Rodriguez, Carlos A. Sariol, Melween Martinez, Michael Monsour, Linda Wyatt, Michael G. Hudgens, Edmundo Kraiselburd, Bernard Moss, Harriet Robinson, Thomas Folks, Salvatore Butera Aug 2006

Hiv-1 Dna/Mva Vaccination Reduces The Per Exposure Probability Of Infection During Repeated Mucosal Shiv Challenges, Dennis Ellenberger, Ronald A. Otten, Bin Li, Michael Aidoo, I. Vanessa Rodriguez, Carlos A. Sariol, Melween Martinez, Michael Monsour, Linda Wyatt, Michael G. Hudgens, Edmundo Kraiselburd, Bernard Moss, Harriet Robinson, Thomas Folks, Salvatore Butera

Faculty Publications

Historically, HIV vaccines specifically designed to raise cellular immunity resulted in protection from disease progression but not infection when tested in monkeys challenged with a single high virus exposure. An alternative approach, more analogous to human sexual exposures, is to repetitively challenge immunized monkeys with a much lower dose of virus until systemic infection is documented. Using these conditions to mimic human sexual transmission, we found that a multi-protein DNA/MVA HIV-1 vaccine is indeed capable of protecting rhesus monkeys against systemic infection when repeatedly challenged with a highly heterologous immunodeficiency virus (SHIV). Furthermore, this repetitive challenge approach allowed us to …


Rickettsia Felis From Cat Fleas: Isolation And Culture In A Tick-Derived Cell Line, Walairat Pornwiroon, Susan S. Pourciau, Lane D. Foil, Kevin R. Macaluso Aug 2006

Rickettsia Felis From Cat Fleas: Isolation And Culture In A Tick-Derived Cell Line, Walairat Pornwiroon, Susan S. Pourciau, Lane D. Foil, Kevin R. Macaluso

Faculty Publications

Rickettsia felis, the etiologic agent of spotted fever, is maintained in cat fleas by vertical transmission and resembles other tick-borne spotted fever group rickettsiae. In the present study, we utilized an Ixodes scapularis-derived tick cell line, ISE6, to achieve isolation and propagation of R. felis. A cytopathic effect of increased vacuolization was commonly observed in R. felis-infected cells, while lysis of host cells was not evident despite large numbers of rickettsiae. Electron microscopy identified rickettsia-like organisms in ISE6 cells, and sequence analyses of portions of the citrate synthase (gltA), 16S rRNA, Rickettsia genus-specific 17-kDa antigen, and spotted fever group-specific outer …


Health In Cuba, Richard S. Cooper, Joan F. Kennelly, Pedro Orduñez-Garcia Aug 2006

Health In Cuba, Richard S. Cooper, Joan F. Kennelly, Pedro Orduñez-Garcia

Faculty Publications

The poorer countries of the world continue to struggle with an enormous health burden from diseases that we have long had the capacity to eliminate. Similarly, the health systems of some countries, rich and poor alike, are fragmented and inefficient, leaving many population groups underserved and often without health care access entirely. Cuba represents an important alternative example where modest infrastructure investments combined with a well-developed public health strategy have generated health status measures comparable with those of industrialized countries. Areas of success include control of infectious diseases, reduction in infant mortality, establishment of a research and biotechnology industry, and …


Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of Manzamine Analogues, Jeffrey D. Winkler, Allyn T. Londregan, Justin R. Ragains, Mark T. Hamann Jul 2006

Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of Manzamine Analogues, Jeffrey D. Winkler, Allyn T. Londregan, Justin R. Ragains, Mark T. Hamann

Faculty Publications

The synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of analogues of manzamine A, representing partial structures of the pentacyclic ABCDE diamine core, is described. All new compounds were screened against Plasmodium falciparum and demonstrated attenuated antimalarial activity relative to that of manzamine A. © 2006 American Chemical Society.


Cardiovascular Disease And Associated Risk Factors In Cuba: Prospects For Prevention And Control, Richard S. Cooper, Pedro Orduñez, Marcos D.Iraola Ferrer, Jose Luis Bernal Munoz, Alfredo Espinosa-Brito Jan 2006

Cardiovascular Disease And Associated Risk Factors In Cuba: Prospects For Prevention And Control, Richard S. Cooper, Pedro Orduñez, Marcos D.Iraola Ferrer, Jose Luis Bernal Munoz, Alfredo Espinosa-Brito

Faculty Publications

Objectives. An adequate description of the trends in cardiovascular disease (CVD) is not available for most of the developing world. Cuba provides an important exception, and we sought to use available data to offer insights into the changing patterns of CVD there. Methods. We reviewed Cuban public health statistics, surveys, and reports of health services. Results. CVD has been the leading cause of death since 1970. A 45% reduction in heart disease deaths was observed from 1970 to 2002; the decline in stroke was more limited. There are moderate prevalences of all major risk factors. Conclusions. The Cuban medical care …


Avian Influenza (H5n1) And The Evolutionary And Social Ecology Of Infectious Disease Emergence, Durrell D. Kapan, Shannon N. Bennett, Brett N. Ellis, Jefferson Fox, Nancy D. Lewis, James H. Spencer, Sumeet Saksena, Bruce A. Wilcox Jan 2006

Avian Influenza (H5n1) And The Evolutionary And Social Ecology Of Infectious Disease Emergence, Durrell D. Kapan, Shannon N. Bennett, Brett N. Ellis, Jefferson Fox, Nancy D. Lewis, James H. Spencer, Sumeet Saksena, Bruce A. Wilcox

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Case Study: Cholera, Edward Laws Jan 2006

Case Study: Cholera, Edward Laws

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Strain To Strain Differences In The Growth, Survival And Adaptation Of Vibrio Vulnificus And Vibrio Parahaemolyticus In Broth, Veronica Elaine Burnham Jan 2006

Strain To Strain Differences In The Growth, Survival And Adaptation Of Vibrio Vulnificus And Vibrio Parahaemolyticus In Broth, Veronica Elaine Burnham

LSU Master's Theses

Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus are natural inhabitants of estuarine environments of the Gulf of Mexico. V. vulnificus is the leading cause of death, while V. parahaemolyticus is a leading cause of foodborne gastroenteritis from the consumption of seafood in the United States. Refrigeration is commonly used as a preservation method to control the growth of microorganisms in food. The ability of some microorganisms to adapt, as a survival response when exposed to a downshift in temperature, could compromised efforts to use low temperature storage to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. Limited research is available on the growth characteristics …


Characterizing Salmonella Fecal Shedding Among Racehorses In Louisiana, Anna Marie Chapman Jan 2006

Characterizing Salmonella Fecal Shedding Among Racehorses In Louisiana, Anna Marie Chapman

LSU Master's Theses

Salmonella is an important intestinal pathogen in horses capable of infecting populations without demonstrating clinical illness. This study was performed to determine the prevalence of Salmonella fecal shedding among racehorses in Louisiana. Three serial fecal samples were collected from 429 Thoroughbred horses housed at four racetracks. Feces were tested for Salmonella by microbiologic culture with selective primary enrichment and delayed secondary enrichment (DSE). Samples were also evaluated for the presence of Salmonella by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using genus-specific oligonucleotide primers. A total of 7 (1.6%) horses were positive for Salmonella by either primary bacterial culture or DSE and an …


Use Of Polyhydroxyalkanoates For Denitrification In Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, Maria Teresa Gutierrez-Wing Jan 2006

Use Of Polyhydroxyalkanoates For Denitrification In Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, Maria Teresa Gutierrez-Wing

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Increasing demand of aquacultural products is driving the industry toward more intensive culture practices. Aquacultural operations are constrained by limitations on the availability high quality waters and regulatory pressures on the discharges. Recirculating systems can address these issues by reducing the amount of water required in the operation. Closed systems are especially suited where biosecurity is important. In closed systems, nitrate accumulates, limiting the time the water can be reused. In marine inland systems, water reuse reduces the cost of salt for make up water. To increase the water reuse time, some form of nitrate removal process must be incorporated …


The Body Politic: Splitting Gender Medically In Eighteenth-Century Philadelphia, Sarah Sally Carraher Jan 2006

The Body Politic: Splitting Gender Medically In Eighteenth-Century Philadelphia, Sarah Sally Carraher

LSU Master's Theses

Before the rise of clinical medicine, Western medicine was undergoing several prerequisite shifts in epistemology and methodology - moving from an eighteenth-century practice of spaces and classes, wherein the symptom is synonymous with the disease, toward a nineteenth-century science of signs and cases, in which symptoms are symbols, or products, of a deeper disease (Foucault 1973). During the former age of classes, about mid-century, a particular shift in the medical perception of sex differences appears in the literature, without any great advances or revisions in human anatomical knowledge or treatment methods. This thesis looks at hospitalization of in-patients at Pennsylvania …


Assessment Of Interactions Amoung Viruses Infecting Sweetpotato, Charalambos D. Kokkinos Jan 2006

Assessment Of Interactions Amoung Viruses Infecting Sweetpotato, Charalambos D. Kokkinos

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Viral diseases, especially those caused by mixed infections, are among the economically most important diseases of sweetpotato. Real-time PCR assays were developed for the detection and quantification of the potyviruses Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV), Sweet potato virus G (SPVG), Ipomoea vein mosaic virus (IVMV); the crinivirus Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV), and the begomovirus Sweet potato leaf curl virus (SPLCV) directly from infected sweetpotato plants. Titers of SPFMV, IVMV, and SPVG were lower in singly-infected sweetpotato plants compared to singly-infected plants of the standard indicator host Brazilian morning-glory (Ipomoea setosa) and the standard propagation host I. nil …


The Epidemiology Of West Nile Virus In Louisiana, Karen Ruth Gruszynski Jan 2006

The Epidemiology Of West Nile Virus In Louisiana, Karen Ruth Gruszynski

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

West Nile virus (WNV), a member of the genus Flavivirus transmitted by mosquitoes, first appeared in the New York in 1999. Within five years WNV was detected throughout the contiguous 48 states causing disease in reservoirs and accidental hosts alike. In Louisiana, WNV was first detected in 2001 with one human case, ten equine cases, and six dead birds reported. The introduction of WNV into Louisiana presented an unique opportunity to observe an emerging disease unfold, so a study was launched to gain insight into the epidemiology of WNV in Louisiana. The first component, an environmental predictive model for West …


Power Analysis For A Mixed Effects Logistic Regression Model, Yinmei Li Jan 2006

Power Analysis For A Mixed Effects Logistic Regression Model, Yinmei Li

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In herd health studies, the mixed effects logistic regression model with random herd effects are commonly used for modeling clustered binary data. These models are well developed and widely used in the literature, among which is the logistic-normal regression model. In contrast to the rich literature in modeling methods, the sample size/power analysis methods for such mixed effects models are sparse. The sample size/power analysis method for the logistic-normal regression model is not readily available. This study is to develop a power analysis/sample size estimation method for the logistic-normal regression model. Extended from the sample size method for the likelihood …


Green Theatre: Proto-Environmental Drama And The Performance Of Ecological Values In Contemporary Western Theatre, Kurt Gerard Heinlein Jan 2006

Green Theatre: Proto-Environmental Drama And The Performance Of Ecological Values In Contemporary Western Theatre, Kurt Gerard Heinlein

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The aim of this study is to illustrate the purpose and potential of theatre that promotes a proto-environmental agenda, or Green Theatre, in re-orienting Western behavior and mores in a direction that creates positive socio-environmental change. In correlation, this dissertation will examine the objectives and performance modes of several educational and professional theatre entities that house a distinctly unique Green agenda. The primary performances featured will include Peter Schumann’s Bread and Puppet Theatre, Blue Man Group’s Tubes, performances by Koko the signing lowland gorilla, and Playmakers of Baton Rouge’s production of Habitat Cats.


Detection And Survival Of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 In Cattle Water Troughs And The Effects Of Cetylpyridinium Chloride Against Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Biofilms On The Surface Of Stainless Steel, Sajida Begum Plauche Jan 2006

Detection And Survival Of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 In Cattle Water Troughs And The Effects Of Cetylpyridinium Chloride Against Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Biofilms On The Surface Of Stainless Steel, Sajida Begum Plauche

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an emerging food pathogen that was first identified as a cause of illness in 1982. According to CDC (The Center for Disease Control and Prevention) estimates, E. coli O157:H7 is responsible for about 73,000 illnesses, 2,000 hospitalizations and 60 deaths in the United States each year. Cattle are the principal reservoir of E. coli O157:H7. Contamination of feed and drinking water with cattle feces is an importance factor in the prevalence of infection in cattle which, in turn, results in contamination of food and the environment. Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a very persistent pathogen and has …


Factors Influencing The Importance Of Incorporating Competencies Regarding Mass Casualty Incidents Into Baccalaureate-Degree Nursing Programs As Perceived By Currently Employed Faculty, Kristin Whitty Jan 2006

Factors Influencing The Importance Of Incorporating Competencies Regarding Mass Casualty Incidents Into Baccalaureate-Degree Nursing Programs As Perceived By Currently Employed Faculty, Kristin Whitty

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Whether they are naturally occurring, caused by environmental forces, or generated by humans, disasters have placed extraordinary stresses on society. Following September 11, 2001, the Department of Homeland Security was created to protect the nation and coordinate responses to future emergencies at the federal, state, and local levels. However, Governmental agencies can’t handle all aspects of mass casualty events. Healthcare professionals, such as nurses, who are knowledgeable and trained in mass casualty incidents (MCIs) are needed to provide competent care to the victims. Although others expect a knowledgeable nursing response, the majority of nurse educators have not received mass casualty …


Socioeconomic Characteristics Of Cancer Mortality In The United States Of America: A Spatial Data Mining Approach, Srinivas Kumar Vinnakota Jan 2006

Socioeconomic Characteristics Of Cancer Mortality In The United States Of America: A Spatial Data Mining Approach, Srinivas Kumar Vinnakota

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States of America. Though it is generally known that cancer is influenced by environment, its relation to socioeconomic conditions is still widely debated. This research analyzed the spatial distribution of cancer mortalities of breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate, and their associated socioeconomic characteristics using association rule mining technique. The mortality patterns were analyzed at the county and health service area levels that corresponded to the years between 1999 – 2002 and 1988 – 1992, respectively. Distinct socioeconomic characteristics of cancer mortality were revealed by the association rule mining technique. …