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Use Of Structure-And Ligand-Based Drug Design Tools For The Discovery Of Small Molecule Inhibitors Of Cysteine Proteases For The Treatment Of Malaria And Sars Infection, Falgun Shah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A wide array of molecular modeling tools were utilized to design and develop inhibitors against cysteine protease of P. Falciparum Malaria and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). A number of potent inhibitors were developed against cysteine protease and hemoglobinase of P. falciparum , referred as Falcipains (FPs), by the structure-based virtual screening of the focused libraries enriched in soft-electrophiles containing compounds. Twenty one diverse, non-peptidic, low micromolar hits were identified. A combined data mining and combinatorial library synthesis approach was performed to discover analogs of virtual screening hits and establish the structure-activity relationships (SAR). However, the resulting SAR of the …

New Synthetic Methodologies For The Construction And Optimization Of Natural Products, Amir E. Wahba

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Toxicity associated with bioactive natural products is considered as a major obstacle in the process of drug discovery. Manzamine A (MA) is one such candidate that requires optimization to overcome the toxicity problem. The manzamine alkaloids represents a unique class of natural products that have shown a diverse range of bioactivities including antimicrobial, antiparasitic, cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory, pesticidial, and was shown to possess activity against HIV-1 and AIDS opportunistic infections. The greatest potential for the manzamine alkaloids appears to be against malaria and neuroinflammation. Experimental and modeling studies suggested that the planer ?-carboline moiety can act as DNA intercalator and hence …

Do Statins Improve Outcomes In Patients With Asthma On Inhaled Corticosteroid Therapy? A Retrospective Analysis Of The Mississippi Medicaid Database 2002-2004., Tasneem Taher Lokhandwala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Animal model studies and clinical trials have looked at the potential benefits of the anti-inflammatory properties of statins in asthma management with contradictory results. Therefore, the objective of this study is to determine if asthma patients on concurrent statin therapy are less likely to have asthma-related hospitalizations and emergency room (ER) visits. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using Medicaid data for 2002–2004. Asthma patients ?18 years old were identified using the ICD9 code 493.xx, from Jul 1, 2002 through Dec 31, 2003. The index date for an exposed subject was any date within the identification period, 180 days prior …

Population Biology Of A Coastal Dune-Dwelling Spider (Arctosa Sanctaerosae) Along The Hurricane Disturbed Northern Gulf Of Mexico Coast, Robert A. Hataway

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the continued increase in the number of tourists visiting the Northern Gulf coast in the last century and the resulting development of this coastline the habitat of Arctosa sanctaerosae has become fragmented; and the sprawl of large cities along the coast has further degraded available habitat. In addition to anthropogenic disturbance to this coastal region, hurricanes are an additional and natural perturbation to the ecosystem. This habitat has seen a number of major tropical storms over the last decade and I have sought to explore the impact of habitat destruction and storm-induced disturbance on a species of spider endemic …

Biopharmaceutical Approaches For Improved Drug Delivery Across Ocular Barriers, Ketan Hippalgaonkar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The eye is protected from the external environment by various physiological and anatomical barriers. These barriers through there protective actions drastically diminish the ocular bioavailability of drugs. The corneal epithelium acts as a major barrier towards the permeation of hydrophilic agents, whereas poor aqueous solubility presents a formulation challenge for lipophilic compounds. Additionally, P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expressed on the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE P-gp) limits the penetration of substrates, in therapeutically relevant concentrations, into the back-of-the-eye.

In the present research, use of penetration enhancers (chitosan, benzalkonium chloride (BAK) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)) and formulation approaches (cyclodextrins and solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs)) …

Novel Approaches To The Control Of Infectious Diseases, Damaris Agathe Meujo Foping

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As part of our ongoing efforts to find new drug leads against infectious diseases, several terrestrial and marine macro- and microorganisms were investigated. Several bioactive molecules, presented below, were isolated from these natural products. The mass-screening of dozens of marine Actinomycetes was completed and several Streptomyces with interesting biological activity profiles identified. A few examples are the Streptomyces code H747 and the Streptomyces code H668, a bacterium from which a new (5) and two known polyethers, the antimalarial agent K41-A (6) and its C-29 analog (7) were isolated. Five new six-membered ring cyclic peroxides: plakinastreloic acid A (8), methyl plakinastreloate …

Postglacial Sandy Hill: A Regional Manifestation Of The Gulf Of Maine Archaic Tradition, Benjamin Russell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over twenty years of archaeological excavations at Sandy Hill, in Mashantucket, CT, have provided an incredibly rich assemblage of artifacts. Yet some of the most basic questions about Sandy Hill's Early Archaic inhabitants remain unanswered. This thesis will synthesize the results of major excavations at Sandy Hill by analyzing site morphology, lithics, and hard tissue macrobotanical remains from several radiocarbon dated contexts. Macrobotanical artifacts recovered from Sandy Hill indicate a preference for hazelnut as well as wetland roots and tubers. The lithic assemblage is related to the Gulf of Maine Archaic Tradition and the predominance of quartz flakes technology and …

The Effects Of Chronic Prophylactic Naproxen Sodium On Skeletal Muscle Adaptation To Resistance Exercise In Recreationally-Trained College-Aged Males, Christi Brewer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Resistance exercise causes exercise-induced muscle injury (EIMI), triggering an acute local inflammatory response associated with delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS is characterized by a predictable discomfort and decreased level of muscle performance and is believed to be the product of both mechanical and inflammatory processes. From the latter perspective, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been investigated for their potential to alleviate DOMS-associated symptoms. Such analgesics exert their effects by blocking the formation of prostaglandins; however, prostaglandins, specifically prostaglandin F 2?, also play an important role in skeletal muscle regeneration. While some have advocated the use of NSAIDs for the relief …

Effect Of Uv-A Irradiance On Lipid Accumulation In Nannochloropsis Oculata, Rathy Srinivas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The marine microalgae Nannochloropsis spp. are of both ecological and economic importance as they contribute to the base of the food chain of marine systems, and can accumulate a considerable amount of lipids. Their lipids can be grouped into two categories, storage lipids, which are mainly triglycerides (TGs), and structural lipids, which are composed of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). PUFAs are essential nutrients for both aquatic animals and humans, while TGs can be transesterified to produce biodiesel. Lipid formation in microalgae depends on several environmental factors and Nannochloropsis spp. have been shown to accumulate excess storage lipids under stressful conditions. …

With Malice Towards None: Six Stories And A Novella, Burke Nixon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A fiction collection consisting of six short stories folloby a novella. The pieces attempt to be comic, but also--with debatable success--to be more than just comic. As the title suggests, one of the collection's thematic concerns is mercy and its absence. Most of the pieces are set in Texas; characters in the collection include a female student in an absurdly incompetent public high school, a parking cop, the best friend of a stand-up comedian, an Abilene man whose life goal is to be struck by lightning, and an unselfconscious grandfather character, who bookends the beginning and end of the collection. …

Epigenetic Effects Of Benzo(A)Pyrene In Fundulus Heteroclitus And Danio Rerio, Xiefan Fang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

DNA methylation is one of the epigenetic mechanisms that controls gene expression and is vulnerable to early life environmental toxicant exposures. Our goal was to use two fish models, Fundulus heteroclitus and Danio rerio (zebrafish), to study the benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) effects on DNA methylation status and whether the alterations could contribute to BaP-mediated reproductive and developmental toxicities. Initially, we used Fundulus to study BaP effects on glycine N-methyltransferase (GNMT) expression throughout development. Fundulus embryos were exposed to waterborne BaP at nominally 10 or 100 μg/L and both GNMT mRNA expression and enzyme activity were measured. Quantitative PCR and whole mount …

The American School Discipline Debate And The Persistence Of Corporal Punishment In Southern Public Schools, David M. Hargrove

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation examines the history of American school discipline and corporal punishment in southern public schools. Pedagogical literature, court reports, and popular fiction show that school discipline was a controversial topic throughout American history. The conflict over corporal punishment in schools led to a 1976 Supreme Court decision, Ingraham v. Wright, affirming the power of educators to use corporal punishment. When the school discipline debate peaked late in the twentieth century, most American schools no longer used corporal punishment but southern educators continued to paddle students, especially African American school children. By the twenty-first century, southern city schools adopted non-violent …

Historical Overview Of Children's Magazines, Elaine R. Abadie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In an effort to illuminate a neglected field of study, this thesis will examine children's magazines in the United States and the forces shaping them. Children's magazines reflect the country's history and attitudes about youth and yet limited research about these important periodicals exists. This look at the development and publication of children's magazines from the eighteenth to the twenty-first centuries explores selected periodicals from the printing press to the World Wide Web. Significant aspects of research to be assessed are: (1) the status and role of children's magazines (2) changes in publishing and marketing from early times to present, …

The Effects Of Seasonal Changes And Turbidity On Swimming Performance In White Crappie Pomoxis Annularis And Black Crappie Pomoxis Nigromaculatus., Caleb Joseph Gaston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Factors that affect swimming performance in fish can also affect fitness. I tested the effects of time of day, season and turbidity on swimming performance in black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus and white crappie Pomoxis annularis. These closely related fish co-occur and their relative abundance is thought to be governed by the levels of turbidity in the form of suspended sediments. Black crappie predominate in clear bodies of water and exhibited significantly greater critical swimming speeds in clear water than did white crappie during spring days and winter nights. A significant reduction in critical swimming speed was observed in black crappie …

Sacrificial Acts: Martyrdom And Nationhood In Seventeenth-Century Drama, Kelley Kay Hogue

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sacrificial Acts: Martyrdom and Nationhood in Seventeenth-Century Drama posits that the importance of sixteenth-century martyrologies in defining England's national identity extends to the seventeenth century through popular representations of martyrdom on the page and stage. I argue that drama functions as a gateway between religious and secular conceptions of martyrdom; thus, this dissertation charts the transformation of martyrological narratives from early modern editions of John Foxe's Acts and Monuments to the execution of the Royal Martyr, Charles I. Specifically, I contend that seventeenth-century plays shaped the secularization of martyrdom in profound ways by staging the sacrificial suffering and deaths of …

A Menu Analysis Of Sorority Meals At The University Of Mississippi, Jessica Lauren Moosa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students transitioning to university life face numerous challenges including the problem of making healthy dietary choices. Sorority members are uniquely suited to examining dietary habits because of their access to regular planned meals and because of the social stresses they experience in regards to body image. Menus are not required to follow nutrient specific guidelines and the nutrient content of sorority meals has not been evaluated at the University of Mississippi. The purpose of this study is to analyze nutrient content of sorority meals and determine if members are able to obtain adequate amounts of nutrients from the foods offered. …

John Cotton's Middle Way, Gary Albert Rowland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historians are divided concerning the ecclesiological thought of seventeenth-century minister John Cotton. Some argue that he supported a church structure based on suppression of lay rights in favor of the clergy, strengthening of synods above the authority of congregations, and increasingly narrow church membership requirements. By contrast, others arrive at virtually opposite conclusions. This thesis evaluates Cotton's correspondence and pamphlets through the lense of moderation to trace the evolution of Cotton's thought on these ecclesiological issues during his ministry in England and Massachusetts. Moderation is discussed in terms of compromise and the abatement of severity in the context of ecclesiastical …

Nose To Brain Delivery Of Therapeutic Agents, Siva Ram Kiran Vaka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The potential treatment approaches for various disorders associated with central nervous system are invasive and do not allow frequent administration. Brain targeting of drugs by intranasal route is a safe and noninvasive method of drug delivery which allows frequent administration and is certainly more patient compliant than the currently folloinvasive methods. In this study, the plausibility of delivering neurotrophins [nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)], neurotrophinogenic agents (ex: carnosic acid) and antibiotics (ex: cefotaxime) to brain via nose-brain pathway using chitosan as barrier modulating agent was investigated. In vitro permeation studies of fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FD40k) …

A Strange Union: Science And Politics In The Loyalty Of Cadwallader Colden, Katherine Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract: Cadwallader Colden remains one of the least-studied Crown officials. His reasons for remaining loyal to the Crown have not been investigated, nor has the interaction between his scientific interests and his politics. This thesis explores the relationship between Colden's loyalty and his science, primarily through study of Colden's published papers and letters, as well as the letters and papers of various other colonial officials and amateur scientists. Ultimately this thesis concludes that Colden formed his closest friendships with other amateur scientists, and that these relationships significantly affected his politics.

They Burn You They Bury You They Pull You From The Water, Travis Eugene Morris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ditch Row Ballot of Characters In Daviess County, Kentucky, the Ohio River's ancient bank separates the people living in Owensboro. Those drowning in the plasmatic shallows, in the flood plains of the city, are a vigilant, tribal array of religions and mysticism. The closer a community comes to the actual banks of the river, the more enflamed characters of families become. As most places in Kentucky associate themselves with distinct counties--never being from a city--the people inside Daviess County align on streets. They Burn You They Bury You They Pull You from the Water, is the phoenix of one family …

Conflicting Interests In The Swiss Alps: A Comparative Study Of International Environmental Governance, Shelley Clark

Honors Theses

I owe a great deal ofthanks to the people who helped with my thesis. First, my advisor Dr. John Sonnett helped shape and edit my thesis more than anyone else. My third-reader Dr. Ann Fisher-Wirth and my second-reader Dr. Kees Gispen should also be given credit for the completion ofmy thesis. Dr. Fisher-Wirth has been an inspiration to me since my first year at Ole Miss. She planted the seeds of environmentalism in my head and also fostered the exchange program with the University ofFribourg. Completing the thesis component for the Honors College and the Croft Institute has been an …

Bridge Over The River Kawaii: Examining The Consumption Of Anime And Manga In The United States, Luke Daniel Schwalm

Honors Theses

The sale of manga, Japanese comic books, and anime, its animated counterpart, in the United States has become a multi-million dollar enterprise and both mediums have gained an increasingly large fandom. Based on the framework of Said’s conception of orientalism and using information gathered from observing seven popular anime and manga internet forums and five semi-structured interviews this thesis seeks to understand how a segment of this fandom, namely those of its members who are active in online discussion, consume manga and anime and how this consumption affects their views of Japan. In conducting this research I found that the …

American Pornographic: A Collection Of Short Stories, Steven William Stringer

Honors Theses

This collection represents my best writing culled from four years of undergraduate study. Encouragingly, I wrote the vast majority of the collection within the past year, which points to the fact that I am still improving and evolving as a writer. These stories fill various American landscapes, but I believe the emotional landscapes share a common thread. The characters strive not to find a purpose in their lives, but to reject the idea of life having a purpose at all. Soldier On, Babies,” the oldest story in the collection and a major turning point in my writing, tells of a …

Harry Potter And The Religious Right: An In-Depth Look At The Christian Undertones In J.K. Rowling's Series, Cody Pharr Hall

Honors Theses

This thesis involves an investigation of the Christian elements in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter book series. Methods and procedures included researching right wing religious responses to the Harry Potter series through media outlets. Each book was read and analyzed in response to religious objections. The series was explicated and studied for religious themes and ideas. The claims of the witchcraft content in the series were researched and expounded upon. Supplementary readers were used, and commentators were relied upon for certain cited ideas. The findings of this thesis are that fringe religious groups who oppose the Potter series are misinformed in …

A Study Of Attendee's Motivations: Oxford Film Festival, Taylor Elizabeth Thomas

Honors Theses

The obesity rate among Americans has been growing at an alarming rate in recent years; because of this, there has been much inquiry into the possible causes, interventions, and prevention methods for this problem. One major trend that appears to have an impact on this obesity epidemic is the large proportion of meals eaten outside the home namely, at fast food or sit-down restaurants. This trend is especially prevalent among college students, whose lifestyle is generally marked by an abundance of stress coupled with a lack of time and money. Because of this lifestyle and a lack of food preparation …

Women Behaving Badly, Taylor Elyse Wood

Honors Theses

Women Behaving Badly is the title of a performance piece that showed in Meek Auditorium at the University of Mississippi at 6:30pm on March 10 and 11, 2011. It was compiled and performed to address the issue of the suppression of the female voice. The piece interwove dramatic literature from various genres and time periods. The meaning and relevancy of each individual piece is explored in these pages. The women in these scenes defy societal expectations willingly, and the benefits and drawbacks of their decisions were explored in the piece. All proceeds from the production benefited Oxford’s Domestic Violence Project.

Policies Addressing Obesity: A Comparison Of South Korea And The United States, Sarah Elizabeth Rogers

Honors Theses

The purpose of this project is to compare the actions taken by South Korea, one of the countries with the lowest obesity rate, and the United States, one of the countries with the highest obesity rate, and analyze the programs to draw lessons from which we can learn. Through this thesis project, I address the problem of the increasing prevalence of obesity in the United States, present information from available literature, compare the current programs and nutrition policies in South Korea and the United States, and justify ethical government intervention into nutrition. From the comparison between these countries and their …

Variation In Enzymatic Capabilities Of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi Along A Loblolly Pine Successional Gradient, Becky Anne Brasher

Honors Theses

Ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) are abundant symbionts of trees in many dominant terrestrial ecosystems. Moreover, ECM communities are speciose and vary in composition over time and space. However, we still understand surprisingly little about variation in function of different ECM species, and thus the consequences of variation in ECM community composition. I studied variation in ECM community composition and enzymatic activities on the roots of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) along a successional gradient from an old field to a second-growth mixed forest in northern Mississippi. I sought to determine not only whether ECM communities changed along the gradient, but also whether …

Investigations Of Bite Force In Northern Gulf Of Mexico Shark Species, With Emphasis On Blacknose And Sharpnose Sharks, Martha Frances Dalton

Honors Theses

Bite force was investigated for nine shark species common to the waters of the Northern Gulf of Mexico using a bite force meter developed for this study. The two primary species examined in this study were blacknose, {Corcharhinus acronotus) and sharpnose (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae) sharks. Other species examined included blacktip (Corcharhinus limbatus), spinner (Corcharhinus brevipinna), finetooth (Corcharhinus isodon), sandbar (Corcharhinus plumbeus), bull (Corcharhinus leucus), tiger (Galeocerdo cuvieri), and bonnethead (Sphyrna tiburo) sharks. Absolute bite force values ranged from 0.9 to 11.79 kg for blacknose, 0.05 to 5.44 kg for sharpnose, 1.36 to 11.34 for blacktip, 1.36 to 5.90 kg for spinner, …

Molecular Analysis Of Endophytic Bacteria Associated With Lettuce., Shelly Leigh Osborn

Honors Theses

Bacteria associated with lettuce and spinach have been linked to outbreaks of infectious diseases in humans. While studies have examined the culturable bacteria residing on lettuce surfaces, few have evaluated the non-culturable bacteria within the plant. This study used molecular techniques to examine the bacterial community present in five different salad greens (green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, and baby spinach). Both conventionally and organically grown samples of each salad type were examined, and samples were processed as purchased and following surface sterilization. DNA was extracted from homogenized samples and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used …