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Antiviral Chemotherapeutic Agents Against Equine Herpesvirus Type 1: The Mechanism Of Antiviral Effects Of Porphyrin Derivatives, Galena V. Rybachuk

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is an important ubiquitous enzootic equine pathogen, causing significant economic losses to the horse industry. Despite extensive vaccination protocols, EHV-1 continues to be a major cause of epidemic abortion, perinatal mortality, respiratory disease and neurologic disease. EHV-1 infections are usually dealt with by using management practices that limit spread of the disease and secondary complications, providing symptomatic relief to infected horses, but no specific treatment is available. New therapeutic or virucidal agents could have great utility in slowing both the progression and spread of the disease in an epidemic situation. A number of porphyrins and their derivatives …

The Effects Of Geomorphology And Primary Productivity On Neotropical Leaf Litter Herpetofauna: Implications For Amazonian Rainforest Conservation, Jessica L. Deichmann

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Amazon rainforest encompasses over one billion acres of South America and sustains remarkable biodiversity. Despite the large body of research stemming from this region, little is known about the effects of geomorphology and primary productivity on the fauna of Amazonia, and on reptiles and amphibians in particular. In my dissertation, I examine differences in the abundance, biomass and species richness of secondary consumers in the leaf litter herpetofauna communities on young and ancient soils. Herein, I develop methods to utilize existing data sets and museum collections in new studies involving community biomass. I found that, although the process of …

A Modular Approach To Lung Nodule Detection From Computed Tomography Images Using Artificial Neural Networks And Content Based Image Representation, Omer Muhammet Soysal

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Lung cancer is one of the most lethal cancer types. Research in computer aided detection (CAD) and diagnosis for lung cancer aims at providing effective tools to assist physicians in cancer diagnosis and treatment to save lives. In this dissertation, we focus on developing a CAD framework for automated lung cancer nodule detection from 3D lung computed tomography (CT) images. Nodule detection is a challenging task that no machine intelligence can surpass human capability to date. In contrast, human recognition power is limited by vision capacity and may suffer from work overload and fatigue, whereas automated nodule detection systems can …

A Critical Examination Into Motivation And Gender In Youth Physical Fitness Testing, Elizabeth A. Domangue

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Fitness testing in physical education classes has emerged as an important component in efforts to assess and address health concerns related to children’s physical inactivity. To date, motivational aspects of fitness testing, especially in regard to students’ future intention to participate in fitness-related activities, have not been closely examined. Fitness testing practices have been identified as a dominant discourse in physical education that continue to separate girls’ and boys’ physicalities along gendered lines. This lack of understanding about the motivational implications of fitness testing programs, coupled with concerns related to the gendered nature of fitness testing, emphasize the significance of …

Investigations Of Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii Ergosterol Biosynthesis, Kristy Marie Brumfield

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Ergosterol is the major sterol found in the membranes of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. While past studies have identified some ergosterol mutants in C. reinhardtii, very little is known about sterol biosynthesis pathways in this species. With the elucidation of the Chlamydomonas genome, bioinformatics analysis has allowed us to determine potential genes involved in ergosterol biosynthesis. With this knowledge, a working model of the pathway was designed for future analysis. Several of the ergosterol biosynthetic genes were analyzed in respect to their role and involvement in flagellar regeneration. These genes were upregulated during the regrowth of the flagella. Also Chlamydomonas strains lacking …

Phytochemical Analyses Of Bioactive Compounds In The Roots Of Cassia Alata Linn And The Anti-Angiogenic Evaluation Of Rhein As A Therapeutic Agent Against Breast Cancer Cells, Vivian Esther Fernand

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The research presented in this dissertation includes the novel phytochemical analysis of root extracts of Cassia alata L. and the anti-angiogenic evaluation of rhein in the treatment of breast cancer. To conduct these studies a combination of analytical techniques were employed, namely, chromatographic, spectroscopic, and bioanalytical. The first part of this research is focused on the phytochemical analysis of C. alata root extracts. A high performance liquid chromatography method was developed and validated for the determination of six phenolic compounds in the root extracts. The investigated compounds were identified by their ultraviolet spectra. Additionally, the presence of these phenolics was …

The Assessment Of And Differences Among Intellectually Disabled Adults With Comorbid Autism Spectrum Disorders And Epilepsy, Kimberly Robin Michelle Smith

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this study was to systematically examine group differences among those with intellectual disabilities (ID) and comorbid Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and epilepsy in an adult population through a detailed exploration of the characteristics that these disorders present in the areas of psychopathology, behavior problems, and impaired social behavior. Previous studies indicating that individuals with ID have comorbid ASD and neurological conditions tend to stop short of addressing these disorders’ impact on the full range of psychosocial issues, particularly in adult samples. Assessments of psychopathology, behavior problems, and impaired social behavior were made with the ASD-Comorbidity-Adult Version and …

Apolipoprotein Status And Cognitive Functioning In Adulthood: Role Of Physical Health And Social Network Characteristics, Jennifer Lee Silva

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the relationships among cognitive function, physical health, social network characteristics, and apolipoprotein (APOE) genotype in participants from the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study. Prior literature has shown that the ε4 allele of APOE is associated with cognitive deficits (Wisdom, Callahan, & Hawkins, 2009). This study failed to find any relation between APOE genotype (ε4 carrier vs. non-carrier) and cognitive ability after controlling for age and education level. Tests for physical health mediation and social network moderation did not alter the ε4/cognition null results. This finding conflicts with prior research suggesting that physical activity and health modify the association …

Testicular Toxicity And The Potential For 1, 2 -Ethlyene Dichloride (Edc) To Initiate Epigenetic Disruption Of The Paternal Genome, Harold J. Daigle

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Our genetic inheritance begins with one genome copy from each parent. The presence of one or more errors in either the maternal or the paternal genome can lead to genetic disease or disruption of the embryonic program and potential loss of the offspring. Numerous chemical and physical toxicants are known to produce germ line mutagenesis based on their ability to produce DNA sequence mutations. Exposures to these cytotoxic and mutagenic agents pose a risk for human offspring. However, very little is known regarding the sensitivity of the epigenetic patterns involved in reproductive functions to adverse effects of chemical agents. The …

Decisional Dignity: Teenage Abortion, Bypass Hearings, And The Misuse Of Law, Carol Sanger

Faculty Scholarship

How might we think about reforming abortion regulation in a world in which the basic legality of abortion may, as a matter of constitutional law, at last be relatively secure? I have in mind the era just upon us in which the overturn of Roe v. Wadeno longer looms so threateningly over the reproductive rights community in the United States and is no longer necessarily its central concern. There is now a general and seemingly well-founded optimism that under the Obama administration, those who support and rely on reproductive rights will not have to pray nightly for the health …

Determinants Of Increased Safety Belt Use By High School Students In Motor Vehicles: The Influence Of Parents And Peers And Implications For Virginia's Graduated Driver Licensing Laws, Georjeane Linley Blumling

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of injuries and fatalities for persons 15-19 years of age in the United States. The higher fatality rate is caused in part from the lack of driving experience and the increased risk taking behaviors of adolescent drivers. Graduated driver licensing laws have been enacted in most states to address the risks associated with inexperience by adding restrictions on nighttime driving and limiting the number of teen passengers in the vehicle for novice drivers.

Inconsistent use or non-use of a safety belt when riding in a motor vehicle is a prevalent risk taking …

Fundamentals Of Biology 1 Lab, Todd Schraw

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Biology I Lab, Todd Schraw

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Essentials Of Anatomy & Physiology, Steelman Library, B Mcconchie Dr.

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

In Vitro Evaluation Of Bioactive Glass Scaffolds And Modified Bioactive Glasses With An Osteogenic Cell Line, Vernon C. Modglin

Masters Theses

"This investigation consisted of two parts focused on bioactive glasses and scaffolds for in vitro growth of bone cells for tissue engineering and bone repair. The first part involved evaluation of the ability of two new types of porous 13-93 bioactive glass scaffolds to support the growth and differentiation of mouse MLO-AS cells, an established osteogenic cell line used as a model of developing bone tissue. The two scaffold types tested included 13-93 glass fiber and trabecular-like scaffolds seeded with MLO-AS cells and cultured for intervals of 2 to 12 days. Collectively, in vitro results indicate that the 13-93 glass …

An Evolutionary Algorithm Approach To Actuated Signal Timing Optimization Under Lane-By-Lane Detection Condition, Eric G. Strack

Masters Theses

"Motivated by the need to reduce congestion on the nation's roadway network, this research seeks to determine when a new detection scheme at actuated signalized intersections may help. This new detection scheme is called lane-by-lane detection. It "looks" at traffic in all lanes individually to determine the traffic volume on the roadway. Specifically, the problems addressed are investigating alternate signal timings and investigating the traffic volume's effect on performance of the detection scheme. For the alternate signal timings, an Evolutionary Algorithm (EA) was employed to identify the optimal signal timing. This algorithm creates signal timings and tests them in the …

Curriculum Studies The Creative Student: A Winnicottian Literary Analysis, Stephanie Leigh Perry

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Generalizations are made regarding the importance of creativity because creativity is considered to be the hallmark that sets humans apart from other animals. Creativity is a highly coveted gift that allows people the outlet by which to achieve greater joy, fulfillment, and meaning in their lives. However, relatively little is known about the origins of creativity and how to achieve greater creativity. Hoping to improve the quality of life of individuals and society, this dissertation examines the creativity that first springs up between a child and parent. In researching the relationship between children and parents, I draw heavily from the …

Flea And Louse Infestations Of Cotton Rats (Sigmodon Hispidus) In The Southeastern United States, Alena E. Aviles

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Ectoparasites were collected from cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) in 20 sites in the Southeastern United States (FL, GA, MS, NC and SC). Prevalence and mean intensity of parasitism by sucking lice (Anoplura) and fleas (Siphonaptera) of cotton rats were recorded at all sites. The geographical distribution of S. hispidus and its main louse and flea ectoparasites range from the neotropical region to the southeastern USA. It was hypothesized that the abundance of the cotton rat associated louse (Hoplopleura hirsuta) and flea (Polygenis gwyni) would increase the further south and closer to the distribution centers of each of these ectoparasite species. …

Oxidative Stress, Calcium Homeostasis, And Altered Gene Expression In Human Lung Epithelial Cells Exposed To Zno Nanoparticles, Chuan-Chin Huang

Masters Theses

"The influence of 20 nm ZnO nanoparticles on oxidative stress, intracellular calcium homeostasis, and gene expression was studied in human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). ZnO caused a concentration- and time-dependent cytotoxicity while elevating oxidative stress and causing membrane damage (cellular LDH release). There was a remarkably steep relationship between concentration and toxicity at concentrations from 5 to 10 μg/ml. Exposure to ZnO increased intracellular calcium levels in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Treatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine prevented cell loss and diminished the increase in intracellular calcium concentration, suggesting oxidative stress mediated cytotoxicity. Exposure to a sublethal concentration of ZnO …

The Feasibility Of Using Select Landscape Species For Phytoremediation Of Cumene And 4-Cumylphenol Contaminated Groundwater, Kathryn Karsh Fontenot

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Chemical manufactures are often associated with a negative publicity due to chemical spills that can cause human health problems and environmental pollution. Innovative methods such as phytoremediation in lieu of traditional remediation methods are being researched to determine environmentally friendly options for remediation. Phytoremediation was studied as an alternative remediation method for removal of chemicals in a contaminated groundwater plume in Louisiana. The main constituents of concern in the plume were cumene and 4-cumylphenol. Two pilot phytotoxicity studies were funded to determine an optimum tree species for removal and control of the constituents of concern. A greenhouse and hydroponic system …

Detection Of Stress Biomarkers In Sperm, Embryonic, And Early Larval States Of Aquatic Invertebrates Following Pesticide Exposure, Karen Perry Favret

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Current regulatory testing provides the basis for determining acceptable levels of pollutants in the environment, yet these acceptable levels of contaminants have resulted in undesirable consequences to organisms. The purpose of this dissertation was to test the hypothesis that biomarkers of cellular stress could be detected from sub-lethal exposure to pesticides in sperm and early life stages of broadcast spawning invertebrates. Exposures were conducted on oyster (Crassostrea virginica), mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis and Dreissena polymorpha), and sea urchin (Lytechinus variegatus) embryos and larvae for 4 and 24 h to Bayluscide® and Roundup®. DNA fragmentation, a characteristic of apoptotic cells, was detected …

Essays On Environmental Issues Associated With The Diary Production Region In Louisiana, Larry Michael Hall

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Louisiana dairy production region (LDPR) is located in southeast Louisiana and includes five parishes (Tangipahoa, Washington, Livingston, St. Helena, and St. Tammany). It is home to approximately 90% of the state’s dairy industry and is a major contributor to nonpoint source pollution (NPS) in the area’s watershed through nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment effluents. While point source (PS) effluents are easily identified and subject to federal and state regulations, NPS mitigation efforts must address uncertainties such as location of the NPS as well as stochastic parameters such as rainfall and its effect on nutrient and sediment flow. This dissertation presents …

Function Of Isca In Biogenesis Of Iron-Sulfur Clusters And Repair Of No-Modified Iron-Sulfur Proteins, Juanjuan Yang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are ubiquitous prosthetic groups that function in diverse fundamental life processes. However, the biogenesis of iron-sulfur clusters in vivo is not a spontaneous process. Previous studies indicated that Fe-S clusters maybe synthesized by three major systems: the Nif, the ISC, and the SUF systems. Among these three systems, IscU, NifU are the scaffold proteins for the Fe-S clusters assembly. IscA and its paralog, SufA are proposed as an alternative iron-sulfur cluster assembly scaffold proteins. The cysteine desulfurases: IscS, NifS and SufS catalyze desulfurization of the L-cysteine and provide sulfide for Fe-S clusters assembly. However, the iron donor …

Pore-Scale Analysis Of Dnapl Dissolution And Biomass Distribution, Keegan L. Roberts

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A comparison of equilibrium and non-equilibrium dissolution of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) was conducted to ascertain how PCE saturation, individual blob properties (volume, surface area, sphericity), and PCE occupied pores are affected by two distinct dissolution regimes. One-dimensional columns were imaged at various dissolution stages using high resolution (~10 um) synchrotron x-ray tomography (XT) and image subvolumes were analyzed using a series of grain, pore network structure, and blob analysis algorithms. An analysis of algorithm-generated data was conducted to determine grain and pore statistics, PCE saturation and individual blob properties, and correlations between PCE blobs and pore network structure. Grain and pore …

Computational Studies On R67 Dihydrofolate Reductase: An Investigation Into Its Unique Binding Patterns, Chuanyin Shi

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

R67 dihydrofolate reductase (R67 DHFR) is a plasmid encoded enzyme which catalyzes the reduction of dihydrofolate (DHF) to tetrahydrofolate (THF) using NADPH as a cofactor. R67 DHFR is a homo-tetramer and D2 symmetric. It contains only one active site, which spans the central channel of the enzyme. The active site can bind either two reactants (DHF), two cofactors (NADPH) or one of each (NADPH/DHF), which is the productive ternary complex (i.e. the complex which yields product). In order to favor formation of the productive complex, this enzyme exhibits binding cooperativity. Unlike other allosteric enzymes which achieve binding cooperativity through conformational …

Wisc-Iv And Iva+Plus Pattern Analysis: Assessment Of Attention-Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder, Kevin K. Tsang

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a challenging practice with no definitive diagnostic test. This study sought to evaluate the use of a pattern of performance method of inference in ADHD assessment that examines an individual's general intellectual ability in comparison to his or her own attention skills. WISC-IV scores, IVA+Plus quotients, and basic demographic information were collected from patient files of children previously evaluated by the Eastern Virginia Medical School Neuropsychology Clinic. Children with and without ADHD were compared by analyzing the following difference or delta score discrepancies: (a) WISC-IV General Ability Index (GAI) minus WISC-IV Working Memory Index, …

Transformation Paradox: A Framework For The Analysis Of Politics In Enterprise Transformations, Cindy S. Miller

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to develop a theoretical framework for the analysis of politics in enterprise transformations using a dialectical analysis approach (Hegel, 1989; Heraclitus, 1979; Pinkard, 1988; Skinner, 1978a, 1978b) and conduct an evaluation of the framework validity. The framework is constructed using a dialectical analysis of concepts stemming from the work of Alford and Friedland (1992) and considers four theoretical perspectives: autocratic, bureaucratic, pluralistic, and cognitive. The framework is then validated by means of qualitative metrics and adherence to critical ideology.

This research addresses the problem that there is no holistic theoretical framework for the analysis …

Export Of Terrestrial Dissolved Organic Matter Along A River To Ocean Transect Of The Lower Chesapeake Bay Investigated By Advanced Analytical Techniques, Rachel Leigh Sleighter

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Ultrahigh resolution electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FTICR-MS) has proved essential for the complete separation of the thousands of peaks present in natural organic matter (NOM), a complex assemblage of organic molecules present in water, soils, and sediments. An improved understanding of its composition is crucial to understand how pollutants interact with NOM and how NOM cycles through global carbon cycles.

Optimizing the acquisition and handling of the FTICR mass spectra is the first step to obtaining high quality data. A simple method to internally calibrate the peaks in the complex spectra, using naturally present fatty …

Biogenic Tracers Through The Holocene On The Alaskan Shelf, Carie A. Curry

OES Theses and Dissertations

Dramatic environmental changes in the Arctic Ocean have been observed for the last two decades including changing the amount of sea ice thickness and extent, and increased river discharge. In order to put these and other current day observations into historical context and perhaps reveal mechanisms controlling them, a suite of paleo-proxies were used to analyze two high resolution cores collected on the 2005 HOTRAX expedition. The goals of this research were: (1) develop an analytical method for determining biogenic calcite, (2) identify the major sources of biogenic matter into the system over the Holocene, and (3) assemble the history …

Molecular Dynamics Study Of Single Stranded Peptide Nucleic Acids, Anna K. Manukyan

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

A PNA molecule is a DNA strand where the sugar-phosphate backbone has been replaced by a structurally homomorphous pseudopeptide chain consisting of N(2-aminoethyl)-glycine units. PNA binds strongly to both DNA and RNA. However, an analysis of the X-ray and NMR data show that the dihedral angles of PNA/DNA or PNA/DNA complexes are very different from those of DNA:DNA or RNA:RNA complexes. In addition, the PNA strand is very flexible. One way to improve the binding affinity of PNA for DNA/RNA is to design a more pre-organized PNA structure. An effective way to rigidify the PNA strand is to introduce …