Digital Commons Network^™

Unsymmetric Aryl–Alkyl Disulfide Growth Inhibitors Of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus And Bacillus Anthracis, Edward Turos, Kevin D. Revell, Praveen Ramaraju, Danielle A. Gergeres, Kerriann Greenhalgh, Ashley Young, Nalini Sathyanarayan, Sonja Dickey, Daniel Lim, Mamoun M. Alhamadsheh, Kevin A. Reynolds

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study describes the antibacterial properties of synthetically-produced mixed aryl alkyl disulfide compounds as a means to control the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus anthracis. Some of these compounds exerted strong in vitro bioactivity. Our results indicate that among the twelve different aryl substituents examined, nitrophenyl derivatives provide the strongest antibiotic activities. This may be the result of electronic activation of the arylthio moiety as a leaving group for nucleophilic attack on the disulfide bond. Small alkyl residues on the other sulfur provide the best activity as well, which for different bacteria appears to be somewhat dependent on …

The Cis-Δ2,3-Double Bond Of Phoslactomycins Is Generated By A Post-Pks Tailoring Enzyme, Nadaraj Palaniappan, Mamoun M. Alhamadsheh, Kevin A. Reynolds

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

The antifungal phoslactomycins (PLM A-F), produced by Streptomyes sp HK803, are structurally unusual in that three of their four double bonds are in the cis form (Δ^12,13, Δ^14,15, Δ^2,3). The PLM polyketide synthase (PKS) has the predicted dehydratase catalytic domain in modules 1,2 and 5 required for establishing two of these cis double bonds (Δ^12,13Δ^14,15), as well as the only trans Δ^6,7double bond. By contrast, the formation of the cis Δ^2,3 in the unsaturated lactone moiety of PLMs has presented an enigma because the predicted dehydratase domain …

Freezing Processes In Cell Suspensions Evaluated Using Cryomicroscopy, Tathagata Acharya

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis aims at evaluating the freezing response of three different cell types, Pacific Oyster embryos, Jurkats and Helas, using the technique of cryomicroscopy. The choice of cells was primarily based on supporting ongoing research work at the Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. On a secondary basis, the cells were chosen based on their contrasting nature. While Pacific Oyster being a favorite food in USA calls for successful techniques of cryopreservation of their embryos in order to keep up with the growing demand, Jurkat and HeLa are undesired malignant human cells that …

In-Situ And Nondestructive Test Methods Applied To The Design And Construction Of Pile Foundation Projects In Coastal Louisiana, Jesse Gerard Rauser

LSU Master's Theses

Construction projects in coastal Louisiana often require pile foundations as a result of the soft soils present, which complicate cast‐in‐place foundation construction and provide minimal support to shallow foundations. During a driven pile project, the engineering phase will require soil characterization and pile capacity determination, while construction will require quality assurance. These three elements, soil characterization, capacity determination, and quality assurance, are commonly accomplished using in‐situ and nondestructive testing. In this thesis, the application of some of these in‐situ and nondestructive methodologies to a project in Coastal Louisiana are examined. The Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC) has released computer software …

Appealing To Heaven: The Significance Of Religion In John Locke's Advocacy Of Revolution, Glenn Andrew Moots

LSU Master's Theses

This research addresses the intersection of philosophy and theology in Locke’s philosophy, particularly his political philosophy. The justification for this inquiry is Locke’s use of the phrase “Appeal to Heaven” in the Second Treatise together with his advocacy of resistance in the Letter Concerning Toleration. The thesis begins with a brief survey of the relevant secondary literature and frames the intersection of theology and political philosophy. The thesis then seeks to justify the claim that Locke’s political ideas were motivated by religious concerns. This includes a close examination of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, The Reasonableness of Christianity and his …

Latino Representation In U.S. Legislatures: Interests, Behavior, And Influence, Stella M. Rouse

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Despite the growth of Latinos in the general population and in legislatures, their impact on the political process has received little scholarly attention. In this project, I present a theoretical framework of Latino legislative behavior that draws upon two important concepts of representation- descriptive and substantive- to better understand how ethnicity influences legislative activity and whether it is dependent on such factors as institutional context, legislative composition, and constituency characteristics. The project is unique in its comprehensive analysis of the legislative process and in its mixed methodological approach which includes both quantitative and qualitative elements. The analysis involves five parts: …

An Experimental Study On The Formation Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons During The Pyrolysis And Oxidation Of Catechol[Ortho-Dihydroxybenzene]-A Model Compound Representative Of Structural Units In Coal, Wood, And Biomass, Shiju Thomas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) formed during the pyrolysis and combustion of solid fuels like coal, wood, and biomass are widespread environmental pollutants. Since some PAH are known to exhibit carcinogenic and mutagenic activity, understanding the chemical reactions responsible for PAH formation is of utmost importance. To better understand the reactions leading to the formation of PAH from complex solid fuels, pyrolysis and oxidation experiments have been performed in an isothermal laminar-flow reactor, using the model fuel catechol (ortho-dihydroxybenzene), a phenol-type compound representative of structural entities in coal, wood, and biomass. Catechol pyrolysis experiments have also been performed in the presence …

The Effects Of Cross-Age Mentoring In An Online Collaborative Environment, Gail Lorraine Johnson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This mixed method research was designed to examine the effects of cross-age mentoring in an inter-institutional online learning community. The research questions focused on the impact of mentoring on high school students’ confidence in their information seeking skills, perceptions of their information seeking standards, and the application of these standards to an information seeking task. Also of interest was the dialogic interaction between the students at the two sites, the impact of the facilitator on the process, and the university students’ perceptions about their experience. The participants included 26 students (mentees) enrolled in an American history class at a rural …

Investigation Of Antimonide Structure Types And The Structural Studies Of Molybdates, Dixie Plaisance Gautreaux

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation highlights the investigation of ternary lanthanide antimonide structure types and their physical properties. In particular, these ternary phases allow for the systematic investigation of the structure in an effort to correlate structure and properties. The ternary antimonides are layered structures with two-dimensional square sheets or nets, which influence the properties of these materials. In an effort to determine how structural changes influence the physical properties, various single crystals of compounds relating to the orthorhombic CeNiSb3 structure have been grown and characterized. The layered CeNiSb3 structure consists of Sb sheets, NiSb6 distorted octahedra, and CeSb9 monocapped square anti-prisms. LnNi(Sn,Sb)3 …

Space-Time Multiresolution Approach To Atomistic Visualization, Dipesh Bhattarai

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Time-varying three-dimensional positional atomistic data are rich in spatial and temporal information. The problem is to understand them. This work offers multiple approaches that enable such understanding. An interactive atomistic visualization system is developed integrating complex analyses with visualization to present the data on space-time multiresolution basis facilitating the information extraction and generate understanding. This work also shows the usefulness of such an integrated approach. The information obtained from the analyses represents the system at multiple length and time scales. Radial distribution function (RDF) provides a complete average spatial map of the distribution of the atoms in the system which …

Ecological Genomics Of High Altitude Adaptation In Rufous-Collared Sparrows (Zonotrichia Capensis), Zachary A. Cheviron

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Adaptation is among the most prominent subjects in evolutionary biology. Despite its ubiquity in nature, many details of how adaptation occurs in natural populations remain poorly understood. Of particular interest are the genes and biochemical pathways that underlie adaptive phenotypes and how plasticity in these systems contributes to adaptive evolution. In this dissertation, I address these questions by investigating the molecular genetic basis of high-altitude adaptation in the Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis), a species with a broad altitudinal distribution in the Andes. First, I examined the role that variable selection pressures along elevational gradients play in the population genetic structure …

Increasing The Communicative Behaviors Of Children With Low Levels Of Communicative Initiations In An Inclusive Preschool Classroom, Susanna Melikyan

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of the study was to measure the current level of communicative initiations exhibited by children enrolled in the LSU preschool program. Child communication was categorized as specific, unclear, or negative. These descriptors referred to peers ability to interpret the target child’s communication. Additionally, peer responses were recorded as either positive or negative based on their reaction to the target child’s communication. Children identified with either low levels of communicative initiation or unclear/negative communications were targeted for the intervention. Single-subject research methods were used to record each child’s communicative behaviors. A least-to-most assistive prompting (Horner & Keilitz, 1975) intervention …

Legislative Participation In The American States: Determinants And Consequences, Mileah Kay Kromer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research seeks to analyze the variability in participation across legislators at the state level and to consider the potential consequences of participatory behavior. In this dissertation, I draw on theories of political participation, legislative goals, and state political institutions to explain participation in state legislative activities. To begin with, I examine legislative participation across the legislative process, considering the determinants of sponsorship and roll-call participation. Next, I examine the consequences that participation has for legislators focusing on challenger emergence in the general election. My research demonstrates that legislative participation varies systematically across individual, institutional, and state level variables. However, …

Modeling The Relationship Among Occupational Stress, Psychological/Physical Symptoms And Injuries In The Construction Industry, Omosefe Osarieme Abbe

LSU Master's Theses

The construction industry has one of the highest incidents of fatal and non-fatal accidents/injuries every year. As a high risk industry, there is a need to investigate factors that affect the occurrence of these accidents to be able to protect workers. Traditional approaches to workers’ safety in the construction industry have focused on the physical and biomechanical aspects of work by improving tools, equipment and task completion methods. However, the impact of psychosocial factors, specifically stress as experienced by construction workers is an area of growing research. Research in the area of occupational stress in the Construction Industry is yielding …

The Consensual Assessment Technique As A Measure Of Creativity In Children's Musical Compositions Motivated By Visual And Verbal Stimuli, Katie Elizabeth Toups

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT The purposes of this study were: 1) To compare the relationship between the degrees of creativity shown in musical compositions of third grade students (N=163) when they were exposed to either a visual or verbal stimulus, and 2) to examine inter-judge reliability for creativity ratings using the Consensual Assessment Technique (CAT) with instrumental group compositions. Throughout a nine-week teaching unit, all subjects participated in regular music classes where they learned compositional techniques and concepts. They worked in small cooperative learning groups of 3 to 6 students throughout the unit to compose several “mini” compositions and two large-scale compositions. For …

Adam, Martin And John: Iconography, Infrastructure, And America's Pathological Inconsistency About Medical Insurance, Jeffrey W. Stempel

Scholarly Works

Following the ongoing health care and insurance debate, which has once again moved toward center stage in American politics, one might understandably get the impression that the most important names in the area are politicians such as Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, John McCain, or Mitt Romney. Similarly, public intellectuals and pundits such as David Broder, David Brooks, Paul Krugman (or at least the New York Times and Wall Street Journal editorial pages) come to mind. Alternatively, health care scholars such as the instant Symposium participants or other health policy scholars such as Uwe Reinhardt, Troyen Brennan or Theodore …

One Rhizome, Two Unstoppable Blossoms: Environmental Communication And Ecological Rhetoric, Kevin James Ells

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation will contribute to the project of explaining what environmental communication studies may offer theoretically to an understanding of communication and rhetoric in general, investigate a complex problem in rhetoric from a variety of methodological approaches, offer examples of rhetorical criticism relevant to environmental communication researchers, and delve into certain salient aspects of ecological rhetoric (defined herein as rhetoric from an ecological perspective). The hypothesis of this doctoral thesis is twofold: 1) studying environmental communication can illuminate much about communication and rhetoric in general, and 2) ecological rhetoric has considerable persuasive potential in itself for reasons that can be …

No Law Respecting The Practice Of Religion, Leslie C. Griffin

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Pacifism And War: What Are The Ethical And Theological Limitations On The Use Of Violence?, John Tracy Thames

LSU Master's Theses

This project seeks to develop an understanding of the ethically permissible and theologically justifiable use of violence, especially as it manifests itself in war. The issue is approached through exegesis of the New Testament texts concerning violence in order to discern a biblical, ethical position. After secularizing the resulting position, it is set against two modern, secular versions of the just war theory; the prevailing contemporary conception of morality in war. Due to disparities that arise between the normative New Testament position and the best moral theorizing about war, the task shows itself to be a theoretical, theological endeavor to …

Fate And Transport Of Microorganisms In Coastal Subsurface-Experiment And Modeling, Haibo Cao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation was to investigate the fate and transport of microorganisms in coastal subsurface. Two topics were studied: (1) evaluation of the performance of the Marshland Upwelling System (MUS) in removing fecal bacteria and the background recovery after it is shut down; (2) Investigation of the effects of salinity and soluble organic matter (SOM) on sorption of MS-2 and development of a model to describe the sorption and transport process. The MUS showed effective performance in removing fecal bacteria during its 32 month operation period at Bayou Segnette Site. The removal efficiency was increased with its operation …

Detection Of Rare Tp53 And Kristen-Ras Mutational Frequencies In Human Sperm, Derek N. Cole

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

There is mounting evidence of impacts of single base substitutions in both somatic and inherited genetic diseases. However, the occurrence of single base mutations in the germline and gametes has previously only been by conjecture and assumption. There is a need for understanding the risk of offspring inheriting small intragenic mutations, the frequencies at which these mutations are present in germ cells, and the impact that these inherited mutations may have son the predisposition to somatic disease during one’s lifetime. The present study attempts to establish baselines of mutational frequencies in two well characterized genes in human tissues, and demonstrate …

Alcohol Use, Negative Consequences, And Readiness To Change In Mandated And Volunteer College Student Heavy Drinkers Before And After A Brief Alcohol Intervention, Meredith A. Terlecki

LSU Master's Theses

The current study tested the efficacy of a brief intervention designed to reduce alcohol use among high-risk college students who have been mandated to treatment for an alcohol policy violation relative to a brief wait-list control group and volunteer high-risk sample. Thirty-nine mandated students and forty high-risk student volunteers were randomly assigned to receive either a brief alcohol intervention or were assigned to a brief wait-list control (WLC) group. Participants were assessed at baseline and at a 4-week post-test on measures of alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and readiness to change. Of the participants who had completed follow-up (N = 39), …

Temporal And Functional Profile Of The Transcriptional Regulatory Network In The Early Regenerative Response To Partial Hepatectomy In The Rat., Egle Juskeviciute, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, Jan B Hoek

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The goal of these studies was to characterize the transcriptional network regulating changes in gene expression in the remnant liver of the rat after 70% partial hepatectomy (PHx) during the early phase response including the transition of hepatocytes from the quiescent (G0) state and the onset of the G1 phase of the cell cycle. RESULTS: The transcriptome of remnant livers was monitored at 1, 2, 4, and 6 hours after PHx using cDNA microarrays. Differentially regulated genes were grouped into six clusters according their temporal expression profiles. Promoter regions of genes in these clusters were examined for shared transcription …

Elucidating A Normal Function Of Huntingtin By Functional And Microarray Analysis Of Huntingtin-Null Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts., Hua Zhang, Sudipto Das, Quan-Zhen Li, Ioannis Dragatsis, Joyce Repa, Scott Zeitlin, György Hajnóczky, Ilya Bezprozvanny

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The polyglutamine expansion in huntingtin (Htt) protein is a cause of Huntington's disease (HD). Htt is an essential gene as deletion of the mouse Htt gene homolog (Hdh) is embryonic lethal in mice. Therefore, in addition to elucidating the mechanisms responsible for polyQ-mediated pathology, it is also important to understand the normal function of Htt protein for both basic biology and for HD. RESULTS: To systematically search for a mouse Htt function, we took advantage of the Hdh +/- and Hdh-floxed mice and generated four mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells lines which contain a single copy of the Hdh …

A Construct With Fluorescent Indicators For Conditional Expression Of Mirna., Linghua Qiu, Hongyan Wang, Xugang Xia, Hongxia Zhou, Zuoshang Xu

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Transgenic RNAi holds promise as a simple, low-cost, and fast method for reverse genetics in mammals. It may be particularly useful for producing animal models for hypomorphic gene function. Inducible RNAi that permits spatially and temporally controllable gene silencing in vivo will enhance the power of transgenic RNAi approach. Furthermore, because microRNA (miRNA) targeting specific genes can be expressed simultaneously with protein coding genes, incorporation of fluorescent marker proteins can simplify the screening and analysis of transgenic RNAi animals. RESULTS: We sought to optimally express a miRNA simultaneously with a fluorescent marker. We compared two construct designs. One expressed …

Prolonged Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Syndrome As An Initial Presentation Of Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Case Report., Kathryn Chan, Eric Behling, David S Strayer, William S Kocher, Scott K Dessain

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is an immune-mediated syndrome that typically has a rapidly progressive course that can result in pancytopenia, coagulopathy, multi-system organ failure and death. CASE PRESENTATION: A 57-year-old Caucasian woman was referred in fulminant hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, with fever, pancytopenia, splenomegaly, mental status changes and respiratory failure. She was found to have stage IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma, in addition to Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus viremia. Her presentation was preceded by a 3-year prodrome consisting of cytopenia and fever that were partially controlled by steroids and azathioprine. CONCLUSION: Fulminant hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis may follow a prodromal phase that possesses features suggestive of …

Transcriptional Regulatory Network Analysis During Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transformation Of Retinal Pigment Epithelium., Craig H Pratt, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, Praveen Chakravarthula, Gregory E Gonye, Nancy J Philp, Gerald B Grunwald

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: Phenotypic transformation of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells contributes to the onset and progression of ocular proliferative disorders such as proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). The formation of epiretinal membranes in PVR may involve an epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) of RPE cells as part of an aberrant wound healing response. While the underlying mechanism remains unclear, this likely involves changes in RPE cell gene expression under the control of specific transcription factors (TFs). Thus, the purpose of the present study was to identify TFs that may play a role in this process.

METHODS: Regulatory regions of genes that are differentially regulated during …

Ex Parte Domestic Violence Orders Of Protection: How Easing Access To Judicial Process Has Eased The Possibility For Abuse Of The Process, David H. Taylor

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

This article explores how state domestic violence statutory schemes that grant temporary ex parte orders have inadvertently lead to the abuse of orders of protection. Part I introduces how domestic violence statutes came to be, and describes how the typical statutory scheme works when it comes to granting ex parte orders. Part II examines the problems that occur when ex parte relief is easily obtained. Part III looks at the factors that contribute to the ability to misuse orders of protection. Part IV discusses due process and ex parte orders of protection. Part V is a survey of the state …

Exploring Effective Co-Teaching Models, Lien M. Nguyen

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, what is an effective co-teaching model between mainstream and special education teachers and the impact on the kindergarten classroom environment? It documents one teacher's exploration of the five models of co-teaching. The author documents the benefits of co-teaching and full inclusion. She documents details of the surveys, lesson plans, and outcomes of the three models of co-teaching that were used in two kindergarten classrooms. She concludes that: (1) it is important to gather background information from participating colleagues, (2) students with disabilities and at risk learners benefit most from co-teaching, and (3) …

Computer Simulation Of The Role Of Groundwater Seepage In Forming Martian Valley Networks, W. Luo, A.D. Howard

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

The role of groundwater in forming Martian valley networks is simulated in a computer model as seepage erosion by contributing to surface runoff and as seepage weathering by causing accelerated weathering of bedrock, which makes its subsequent erosion and removal easier. Simulation results show that seepage erosion cannot mobilize large grain size sediment and is marginally effective at generating integrated valley networks with realistic rates of aquifer recharge. On the other hand, seepage weathering may play a major role in forming Martian valley networks. Seepage weathering combined with fluvial runoff creates stubby deep canyons with abrupt headwalls that are similar …