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Gender And Nation-Building: Family Law As Legal Architecture Symposium - Nation Building: A Legal Architecture: Articles And Essays, Tracy E. Higgins, Rachel P. Fink

Faculty Scholarship

Although the discipline of family law in the western legal tradition transcends the public/private law boundary in many ways, it is the argument of this Essay that family law, in the private law sense of defining the rights and obligations of members of a family, forms an important part of the legal architecture of nation-building in at least three ways. First, access to the resources of the nation-state devolves through biologically and culturally gendered national boundaries, both reflecting and reinforcing the differential status of men and women in the sphere of the family. Second, the social institution of the family …

Language Of Sex: Moral Socialization And Reproductive Education In Public Schools, Melyn Heckelman

Honors Theses

This thesis is the product of my five weeks of ethnography in three classrooms in Waterville, Maine and the surrounding area, in addition to individual and group interviews with both students and the educators themselves. It seeks to understand why, in a culture so saturated with images of sexuality and naked bodies, the teachers I observed were largely unwilling or unable to discuss human sexuality in public schools as anything more than a public health issue. Since the 1960s sex educators have been fighting to teach about contraceptives. Recent longitudinal studies have confirmed what proponents of comprehensive education have been …

Chemical Analysis Of Polymer Blends Via Synchrotron X-Ray Tomography, Heath Alan Barnett

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Material properties of industrial polymer blends are of great importance. X-ray tomography has been used to obtain spatial chemical information about various polymer blends. The spatial images are acquired with synchrotron X-ray tomography because of its rapidity, good spatial resolution, large field-of-view, and elemental sensitivity. The spatial absorption data acquired from X-ray tomography experiments is converted to spatial chemical information via a linear least squares fit of multi-spectral X-ray absorption data. A fiberglass-reinforced polymer blend with a new-generation flame retardant is studied with multi-energy synchrotron X-ray tomography to assess the blend homogeneity. Relative to other composite materials, this sample is …

Electrochemical Fabrication Of Auco Nanostructures, Maoshi Guan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Electrodeposited Au/CoAu multilayered nanowires are materials with alternating layers of Au and CoAu in a wire where the layer thickness and wire diameter are nanometer size. They can be used for different applications. For example, the wires may exhibit giant magnetoresistance (GMR), a change in the materials resistance with a magnetic field, having applications as a sensor material for microdevices. If Co is etched from CoAu nanowires, rough, porous gold nanostructures will be left behind, which could be used as novel catalysts. In this study, the electrodeposition of Au/CoAu multilayered nanowires and nanotubes in nanoporous templates was explored from a …

Proper Cellular Reorganization During Drosophila Spermatid Individualization Depends On Actin Structures Composed Of Two Domains, Bundles And Meshwork, That Are Differentially Regulated And Have Different Functions, Tatsuhiko Noguchi, Marta Lenartowska, Aaron D. Rogat, Deborah J. Frank, Kathryn G. Miller

Biology Faculty Research

During spermatid individualization in Drosophila, actin structures (cones) mediate cellular remodeling that separates the syncytial spermatids into individual cells. These actin cones are composed of two structural domains, a front meshwork and a rear region of parallel bundles. We show here that the two domains form separately in time, are regulated by different sets of actin-associated proteins, can be formed independently, and have different roles. Newly forming cones were composed only of bundles, whereas the meshwork formed later, coincident with the onset of cone movement. Polarized distributions of myosin VI, Arp2/3 complex, and the actin-bundling proteins, singed (fascin) and quail …

Replication Of Viruses Responsible For Sweet Potato Virus Disease In Resistant And Susceptible Sweepotato Genotypes And Identification Of Molecular Markers Linked To Resistance, Douglas Watuku Miano

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Virus diseases are a major constraint to sweetpotato production in East Africa. The most important is the Sweet potato virus disease (SPVD), a result of co-infection of Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV) and Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV). Studies were done on different aspects of resistance to SPVD, and to determine the presence of Sweet potato virus G (SPVG), Sweet potato virus 2 (SPV2), and Sweet potato leaf curl virus (SPLCV), viruses that have not been reported infecting sweetpotato in Kenya. None of the samples reacted to antisera for either SPVG or SPV-2. SPLCV was detected infecting sweetpotato …

Enzymatic Production And Biological Activities Of Cellobio-Oligosaccharides From Lignocellulose, Misook Kim

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer in nature and is the major component of lignocellulosic biomass. It has potential to produce not only glucose but value¨Cadded products such as cellobiose and oligosaccharides. Typically, enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose produces glucose and a small amount of cellobiose. Modification of cellulase solutions altered ratio of glucose to cellobiose produced. The addition of glucose oxidase, gluconolactone, or gluconic acid significantly increased the amount of cellobiose remaining at the end of cellulose hydrolysis. Addition of glucose oxidase resulted in cellobiose being 23.7% of the product sugars from pure cellulose and 14.1% from ligonocellulose (sugarcane bagasse). …

The Sacred Emergence Of Nature, Ursula Goodenough, Terrence W. Deacon

Biology Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Corpulent Counter-Publics: Radical Cheerleading And Resignification Of The Fat Body, Emily Dianne Cram

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This thesis investigates the power of language, discourse, and symbols in the dominant construction of corpulence, and how it simultaneously constricts subjectivity and offers avenues of resistance and revolt. I focus my analysis on the public protest actions of San Francisco's radical cheerleading troupe The Bod Squad. I argue that The Bod Squad's protest constitutes a counter-public sphere in its rhetorical functions of positive self-representation and public confrontation. Through their protest actions, The Bod Squad stretches dominant ideologies of corpulence to create discursive space for alternative articulations of identities, interests, and needs. This thesis challenges traditional counter-public sphere theory and …

Incorporation Of Cα,Α-Disubstituted Amino Acids Into Model Peptide Systems: Conformational Analysis And Possible Applications As Therapeutic Agents, Marcus A. Etienne

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A diverse set of human diseases is associated with the misfolding of proteins into insoluble fibrillar structures that have predominantly β-sheet secondary structure. Thus it is imperative to elucidate the structural elements that contribute to β-sheet formation and stability. Peptides that autonomously form β-sheets are ideal models to study principles of protein folding and design. Gellman and coworkers first introduced an automonously folded β-hairpin (H-Arg-Tyr-Val-Glu-Val-Yyy-Xxx-Orn-Lys-Ile-Leu-Gln-NH2) that remained monomeric up to ~1 mM. Circular dichroism (CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses revealed that incorporation of non-stereogenic Aib-Xxx dipeptidyl sequences into i+1 and i+2 positions of a model peptide nucleates a …

Genetic And Mechanistic Analysis Of Heterochromatin Spreading In The Yeast S.Cerevisiae, Nithya Jambunathan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

RNA Polymerase III transcribed tRNA genes are implicated in a wide variety of chromosome organizational functions that includes the ability to act as a boundary to heterochromatic silencing. A tRNA gene has been shown to be a major component of the barrier that prevents spreading of silencing from the HMR locus to the downstream GIT1 gene on chromosome III in S.cerevisiae. Our results suggest that additional proteins are involved in maintaining the boundary function of this tRNA gene. Mutations or deletions of the genes coding for these additional proteins have been shown to either weaken the boundary or enhance silencing. …

Redutive Dehalogenation Of Chlorinated Alkanes By Novel Bacteria At The Petroprocessor Of Louisiana Inc. Superfund Site, Jun Yan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A reductively dehalogenating enrichment culture was established using chloroalkane-contaminated groundwater from the PetroProcessors of Louisiana, Inc. (PPI) Superfund site. Two novel, strictly anaerobic bacterial strains, designated as BL-DC-8 and BL-DC-9, were isolated from the enrichment culture. These strains represent the first bacteria known to anaerobically dehalogenate 1,2,3-trichloropropane, the degradation pathway of which was determined. Both strains could be cultured in completely defined basal medium and were also able to dehalogenate a variety of other vicinally chlorinated alkanes including 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, 1,1,2-trichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, and 1,2-dichloropropane via dichloroelimination reactions. Chlorinated alkanes containing only a single chlorine substituent (1-chloropropane, 2-chloropropane), chlorinated alkenes (tetrachloroethene, trichloroethene, …

Three Papers On The Behavior Modeling Of The Shrimp Fishermen In The Gulf Of Mexico, Tao Ran

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The overall goal of this research is to empirically analyze shrimp fishermen behavior to help improve the management of the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fleet. Given that optimal management requires consideration of more than the net benefits derived from shrimp harvesting, this research also seeks to provide an empirical framework that would allow future investigators to measure benefits lost through bycatch-related management actions. This paper expands on previous fishing behavior literature by focusing on two of the most important short-run decisions confronting Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishermen (where to fish and how long to fish). A better understanding of these …

Site-Specific Effects Of Pecam-1 On Atherosclerosis In Ldl Receptor-Deficient Mice, Shikha Arora, Brian Boylan, Reema Goel, Benjamin R. Schrank, Barbara Fleming, Rose Ann Fleming, Hiroto Mirura, Peter J. Newman, Robert C. Molthen, Debra K. Newman

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Objective—Atherosclerosis is a vascular disease that involves lesion formation at sites of disturbed flow under the influence of genetic and environmental factors. Endothelial expression of adhesion molecules that enable infiltration of immune cells is important for lesion development. Platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1; CD31) is an adhesion and signaling receptor expressed by many cells involved in atherosclerotic lesion development. PECAM-1 transduces signals required for proinflammatory adhesion molecule expression at atherosusceptible sites; thus, it is predicted to be proatherosclerotic. PECAM-1 also inhibits inflammatory responses, on which basis it is predicted to be atheroprotective.

Methods and Results—We evaluated herein the effect of …

Stressor- And Corticotropin Releasing Factor-Induced Reinstatement And Active Stress-Related Behavioral Responses Are Augmented Following Long-Access Cocaine Self-Administration By Rats, John R. Mantsch, David A. Baker, David M. Francis, Eric S. Katz, Michael A. Hoks, Joseph P. Serge

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Rationale Stressful events during periods of drug abstinence likely contribute to relapse in cocaine-dependent individuals. Excessive cocaine use may increase susceptibility to stressor-induced relapse through alterations in brain corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) responsiveness.

Objectives This study examined stressor- and CRF-induced cocaine seeking and other stress-related behaviors in rats with different histories of cocaine self-administration (SA).

Materials and methods Rats self-administered cocaine under short-access (ShA; 2 h daily) or long-access (LgA; 6 h daily) conditions for 14 days or were provided access to saline and were tested for reinstatement by a stressor (electric footshock), cocaine or an icv injection of CRF and …

Retro Models Of The Cisplatin-Dna Cross-Link With Carrier Ligands Having Sp2 N-Donor Triazine Rings, Vidhi Maheshwari

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Rapid rotation of guanine base derivatives about Pt–N7 bonds results in fluxional behavior of models of the key DNA intrastrand G–G cross-link leading to anticancer activity of Pt(II) drugs (G = deoxyguanosine). This behavior impedes the characterization of LPtG2 models (L = one bidentate or two cis-unidentate carrier ligands; G = guanine derivative). The objective of this study is to understand the types of conformers formed as L is systematically varied. This work, relevant to Pt(II) anticancer drugs, has evolved from published studies with sp3 N-ligands (e.g., 2,2'-bipiperidine), to C2 symmetrical or unsymmetrical sp2 N-ligands having pyridine and/or triazine rings. …

Native Spiritualities As Resistance: Disrupting Colonialism In The Americas, Kirstin Lea Squint

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This project analyzes eight novels which represent revolt or resistance by varied Native peoples against the European and Euro-American colonization of the Americas. I take a comparative approach to literatures of the Americas because of the dearth of research examining the literatures of both continents side by side, particularly literatures by and about Indigenous Americans. Chapter One introduces the theoretical bases for the project, including colonial and postcolonial theories, Native American literary theories, and aesthetic concerns specific to American Indian literatures. The second chapter is a comparative analysis of Miguel Angel Asturias’s Men of Maize and Leslie Marmon Silko’s Almanac …

Disciplinary Differences In Preferred Research Methods: A Comparison Of Groups In The Biglan Classification Scheme, Mark A. Alise

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Biglan system of classifying disciplines in groups based on similarities and differences in their subject matter has been validated in numerous empirical studies. The present study sought to expand that validation by comparing two Biglan groups that include disciplines representing the social and behavioral sciences. As a unique point of comparison, preferred research methods were contrasted between Psychology and Sociology forming one group of pure disciplines and Education and Nursing forming another group of applied disciplines. A code sheet was developed to categorize the various components of published research, distinguishing at the most basic level quantitative, qualitative, and mixed …

Isolation And Characterization Of Two Siamese Phenotypic Modifiers And Their Role In Endoreplication And Trichome Development, Remmy Wekesa Kasili

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Recessive mutations in the ENS1 gene of Arabidopsis thaliana result in reduced trichome branching without altering the ploidy level of trichomes. This implies that ENS1 regulates trichome branching in an endoreplication-independent manner. Mutations in ENS1 also enhance the multicellularity of sim mutant trichomes indicating that ENS1 plays a role in the regulation of the cell cycle during trichome cell differentiation. We have shown that ENS1 is required by the negative regulators of trichome branching for the trichomes to achieve their supernumerary branching. The interaction between ens1-1 and try-JC suggests that ENS1 is involved in both primary and secondary branching events …

Gas-Phase Formation Of Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals From Thermal Degradation Of Catechol, Hydroquinone, Phenols And Tobacco, Julien Gnonlonfoun Adounkpe

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Catechol, hydroquinone and Phenol are major constituents of the mainstream tobacco smoke. The toxicity of tobacco has been attributed to the ability of catechol and hydroquinone to undergo endogenous or exogenous redox cycling to form semiquinone type radicals responsible of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) formation. ROS such as hydroxyl radicals can cause severe oxidative stress on biological tissues and can provoke severe signaling pathways leading to cardiovascular and pulmonary dysfunctions and carcinogenesis. Given that semiquinone type radicals are organic radicals, characterized by their high instability and reactivity; it is somewhat surprising that they can live long enough mostly when associated …

Designing Surface Chemistries For In Situ Afm Investigations Of Biomolecular Reactions With Proteins At The Nanoscale, Johnpeter Ndiangui Ngunjiri

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) characterizations and lithography can be applied to investigate the orientation, reactivity and stability of protein molecules adsorbed on nanostructures of self-assembled monolayers at near-physiological conditions. Automated nanografting was used to fabricate regular arrays of nanopatterns of ù-functionalized n-alkanethiols with designated terminal chemistries. After writing nanopatterns, protein binding occurs selectively on carboxylate-terminated nanopatterns via covalent bonds that are formed using N-ethyl-N'(dimethylaminoporpyl)-carbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide activation. The amine groups of lysine residues of proteins bond covalently to nanopatterns of carboxylate-terminated alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers, to form a robust surface attachment for sustained contact-mode AFM imaging during biochemical reactions. …

Evolutionary History And Hybridization In Passerina Buntings, Matthew D. Carling

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding the genetic basis of speciation is of fundamental importance to evolutionary biology and hybrid zones offer unique natural laboratories in which to investigate the ecological and evolutionary processes important in creating and maintaining biological diversity. By comparing introgression patterns of different loci, researchers can begin to identify genetic regions that contribute to reproductive isolation between hybridizing taxa. In taxa, like birds, with heterogametic females, Haldane’s rule predicts that mtDNA and z-linked loci will introgress less than autosomal loci. I tested this prediction using the hybrid zone between Passerina cyanea (Indigo Bunting) and Passerina amoena (Lazuli Bunting), two species that …

Software And Hardware Acceleration Of The Genomic Motif Finding Tool Phylonet, Justin Brown

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

No abstract provided.

Reliable Data Collection From Mobile Users For Real-Time Clinical Monitoring, Octav Chipara, Christopher Brooks, Sangeeta Bhattacharya, Chenyang Lu

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

Real-time patient monitoring is critical to early detection of clinical patient deterioration in general hospital wards. A key challenge in such applications is to reliably deliver sensor data from mobile patients. We present an empirical analysis on the reliability of data collection from wireless pulse oximeters attached to users. We observe that most packet loss occur from mobile users to their first-hop relays. Based on this insight we developed the Dynamic Relay Association Protocol (DRAP), a simple and effective mechanism for dynamically discovering the right relays for wireless sensors attached to mobile users. DRAP enables highly reliable data collection from …

Using Microhistological Techniques To Predict Botanical Composition Of Horse Diets On Cool-Season Grass Pasture, Jesse Ira Morrison

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Microhistological analysis is a highly effective microscopic technique of determining botanical composition of animal diets by visual recognition of fecal plant fragments, and has been widely used in range studies. The objective of this study was to use microhistological techniques to predict the botanical composition of domesticated horse diets when grazing mixed cool-season pasture. Samples of tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) S.J. Darbyshire], Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) and orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) were evaluated for microscopically unique characteristics. Cool season pasture grazing studies were conducted in October 2006 and May 2007 in Lexington, KY. Eight thoroughbred mares were placed …

Hypothalamic Mediation Of Acute Increases In Arterial Blood Pressure And Renal Sympathetic Nerve Activity During Electrical Stimulation Of The Lamina Temrinalis, Samuel Paterson Carmichael Ii

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Discrete electrical stimulation of the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT) produces sympathetically-mediated increases in peripheral resistance and arterial blood pressure (ABP). Since efferent fibers from the lamina terminalis innervate the kidney through polysynaptic connections, the present study determined whether electrical stimulation of the OVLT increased sympathetic outflow to the kidney. In anesthetized male, Sprague-Dawley rats (n=5) electrical stimulation of OVLT neurons produced frequency and current intensity dependent increases in renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) and ABP that were abolished by ganglionic blockade with the nicotinic antagonist chlorisondamine (5mg/kg,i.v.). Since neurons from the OVLT terminate within the hypothalamic paraventricular …

Effects Of Fescue Herbicides Plateau® And Cimarron® On Pregnancy Maintenance In Broodmares And On Alkaloid Concentrations In Endophyte Infected Tall Fescue, Kathleen Scarlett Black

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Ingestion of endophyte infected (E+) fescue by pregnant mares can cause significant reproductive problems. Plateau® and Cimarron® herbicides suppress fescue while leaving desired forages unharmed. To determine if these herbicides are harmful to pregnant mares, they were allowed to graze pastures treated with Plateau®, Cimarron®, or vehicle carrier. Pregnancies were monitored via ultrasonography, blood chemistry, and hematology. Of the components measured only creatinine differed among treatments over time (P=0.0003) and that increase was only significant in one of four studies.

Two additional experiments were conducted to determine the effect of the herbicides on alkaloids within E+ fescue. A greenhouse experiment …

Quantifying Cellulase In High-Solids Environments, Alicia Renée Abadie

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

In recent years, fungal and bacterial cellulases have gained popularity for the conversion of lignocellulosic material to biofuels and biochemicals. This study investigated properties of fungal (Trichoderma. reesei) and bacterial (Clostridium thermocellum) cellulases. Enzymatic hydrolysis was carried out with T. reesei using nine enzyme concentration and substrate combinations. Initial rates and extents of hydrolysis were determined from the progress curve of each combination. Inhibition occurred at the higher enzyme concentrations and higher solids concentrations. Mechanisms to explain the observed inhibition are discussed. Samples of C. thermocellum purified free cellulase after 98% hydrolysis were assayed to determine …

Standardized Ileal Digestible Tryptophan To Lysine Ratios In Growing Pigs Fed U.S. Type And Non U.S. Type Feedstuffs, Anthony David Quant

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The objective of these studies was to determine the optimum standardized ileal digestible tryptophan to lysine (SID Trp:Lys) ratio for growing pigs fed both U.S.–type (corn–soybean meal) and non–U.S.–type (wheat–barley) diets.

When feeding U.S.–type diets, average daily gain (ADG) and plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) concentrations improved as SID Trp:Lys ratios increased, yielding optimum ratios of 15.32% (P<0.001) and 15.25% (P<0.001), respectively. Averaging these resulted in an optimum SID Trp:Lys ratio of 15.29%. In non–U.S.–type diets, feeding increasing SID Trp:Lys ratios improved ADG and PUN, displaying optima of 15.99% (P=0.048) and 15.29% (P=0.054), respectively. This produced an average optimum SID Trp:Lys ratio of 15.64%. The final study included the other dietary essential amino acids (EAA) at a higher level, and ADG and PUN improved as SID Trp:Lys …

Using Forward-Looking Infrared Radiography To Estimate Elk Density And Distribution In Eastern Kentucky, Lauren M. Dahl

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Elk (Cervus elaphus) in eastern Kentucky appear to have increased in number since reintroduction in 1997, but rugged landscapes and cryptic elk behavior have precluded use of typical population survey methods to accurately estimate population size. In December 2006, I used forward-looking infrared radiography (FLIR) to survey the elk population in eastern Kentucky. Elk locations identified by FLIR were used to create a landscape based model to estimate the density distribution of elk within a 7,088 km2 core area of the elk restoration zone. FLIR detected 76% of elk groups of < 10 individuals and 100% of elk groups of ≥ 10 individuals. The density of elk was positively associated with the amount of herbaceous area, herbaceous edge, herbaceous area weighted mean patch fractal dimensions, proximity to release sites, the number of elk released at each site and urban core area index, and negatively associated with road density. My model estimated the elk population at 7,001 (SE = 772, 95% CI = 5,488- 8,514) individuals within the core area, 53% of which were < 10 km from release sites. The predicted elk distribution pattern and abundance estimate derived from this model will be important for wildlife managers in successfully managing the Kentucky elk population.