Digital Commons Network^™

Structure-Activity Relationships Of Pai-1 Inhibitors, Karen Sanders

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The inhibition of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is anticipated to increase our understanding of various human ailments with which high levels of PAI-1 have been associated, including diabetes, stroke, and atherosclerosis. Previous accounts have reported the synthesis of inhibitors that bind to PAI-1 with a low affinity, inhibit the serpin plasma protein antithrombin III, and/or fail to inhibit PAI-1 when vitronectin, a cofactor of PAI-1 is present. The synthesis of small-molecule inhibitors of PAI-1 that improve upon these properties has been the main goal of this research. Research efforts focused on examining changes in inhibitor potency based on the manipulation …

Functional Characterization Of A Zinc Finger Protein Aebp2, Hana Kim

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

AEBP2 is a zinc finger protein that has been shown to interact with the mammalian Polycomb Repression Complex 2 (PRC2). I characterized this unknown protein and tested its potential targeting roles for the PRC2. AEBP2 is an evolutionarily well-conserved gene that is found in animals ranging from flying insects to mammals. The transcription of mammalian AEBP2 is driven by two alternative promoters and produces multiple transcripts that give rise to at least two isoforms of the protein. These isoforms show developmental stage-specific expression patterns: the larger adult-specific form (52 kDa) and the smaller embryo-specific form (31 kDa). The AEBP2 protein …

Effect Of Photobiomodulation On Vinblastine-Poisoned Murine Hers Cells, Brian D. Hodgson, B. Pyszka, Michele M. Henry, E. Buchmann, Harry T. Whelan

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of near-infrared (NIR) photobiomodulation on the proliferation and glutathione levels in murine Hertwig's epithelial root sheath (HERS) cells after poisoning with vinblastine. Background: Photobiomodulation has been shown to improve wound healing in a number of animal models. There have been no studies on the effect of photobiomodulation on cancer-related chemotherapy injury to the cells that initiate tooth root growth. Materials and Methods: Control groups consisted of murine HERS cells without vinblastine (VB−) and cells with vinblastine at 10, 20, and 30 ng/mL (VB10, VB20, and VB30). Experimental groups consisted …

Physical Activity Effects On Depressive Symptoms In Black Adults, Jessica D. Richardson, Sarah Grace Dalton, Elisa R. Torres, Carolyn M. Sampselle, Kimberlee A. Gretebeck, David L. Ronis, Harold W. Neighbors

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objectives

Randomized trials found physical activity (PA) effective in decreasing depressive symptoms. Few studies included Black participants. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to determine the effects of PA on depressive symptoms in Black adults.

Methods

Articles were abstracted by conducting a computer and hand search of eligible studies.

Results

Eight of 13 studies found a significant inverse relationship between PA and depressive symptoms in Black adults. Sources for the heterogeneity were explored.

Conclusion

Future studies should include representative samples of Black adults, incorporate a theory which considers multiple levels of influence, account for genetic factors in the …

Ospc In The Pathogenesis Of Borrelia Burgdorferi, Sunita V. Seemanapalli

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Lyme disease is a multisystem disorder caused by the tick vector Borrelia burgdorferi. During its life cycle between the tick vector and the mammalian host, Borrelia up- and down-regulates the expression of its surface lipoproteins. Of its many surface lipoproteins, the Outer surface protein C (OspC) is crucial for initial mammalian infection. OspC has a common role shared with other lipoproteins of protection against host innate defences and a unique function in facilitating the dissemination of B. burgdorferi in the murine host. The structure of OspC was solved in 2001 and the lipoprotein was found to be predominantly alpha-helical with …

Application Of Anti-H Monoclonal Antibodies To Develop Rapid Immunoassay For Vibrio Vulnificus, Ravirajsinh Jadeja

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the US there are about 76 million foodborne illness cases reported every year, in spite of initiatives by federal agencies. This emphasizes the need for the development of novel detection techniques which are sensitive, specific and rapid. A detection technique should be rapid enough to give results same day, allowing companies to release food lots without delay and decreasing storage costs. This kind of screening would also allow immediate measures, if needed, before releasing the lots. In the case of Vibrio vulnificus (V. vulnificus), conventional methods are available to identify and enumerate this pathogen in oysters, but they are …

Analysis And Modeling Of Hurricane Impacts On A Coastal Louisiana Lake Bottom, Angelina Freeman

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Tropical cyclone impacts on wetland, terrestrial, and shelf systems have been previously studied and reasonably delineated, but little is known about the response of coastal lakes to storm events. For the first time, tropical cyclone impacts on a shallow coastal lake in the Louisiana coastal plain have been studied using direct lines of evidence and numerical modeling. Using side-scan sonar, CHIRP subbottom and echo sounder bathymetric profiles, the lake bottom and shallow subsurface of Sister Lake was imaged pre- and post-Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to provide a geologic framework for assessing the effects of these storms. Box cores were collected …

A Four-Cysteine Zinc Finger In Carboxyltransferase Structurally Links The Functions Of Enzymatic Activity And Negative Feedback Regulation Of Translation, Glen D. Meades

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase is the first and committed step of de novo fatty acid synthesis in all organisms. In Escherichia coli, the enzyme is expressed as separate proteins for the three functional components: a biotin carboxylase, a biotin carboxyl carrier protein, and a carboxyltransferase. The carboxyltransferase enzyme has an α2β2 heterotetrameric quaternary arrangement. The crystal structure of the β subunit revealed a zinc-binding domain, a feature common among nucleic acid-binding proteins. Carboxyltransferase preferentially binds mRNA coding for its two subunits over other nucleic acids, suggesting a means by which the enzyme can regulate its own expression. In the first study, the …

Optimization And Toxocologic Effects Of Cancer Immuno-Electrogene Therapy Using A Tumor-Targeted Interleukin-12 Gene Construct, Scott Douglas Reed

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation includes a comprehensive current review of reversible electroporation (EP) and other related physical gene transfection techniques; an overview of results of electrochemogene therapy (ECGT) used to treat naturally occurring spontaneous neoplasms in dogs; and the results of comprehensive, pre-clinical toxicology testing of electrogene therapy (EGT) of a tumor-targeted version of interleukin-12 (IL-12) in mice. Intralesional bleomycin (BLM) and feline interleukin-12 (fIL-12) DNA injection combined with trans-lesional EP resulted in complete cure of two recurrent oral squamous cell carcinomas and an acanthomatous ameloblastoma in a series of six cases of spontaneous neoplasia in pet dogs. The three remaining dogs, …

"Blessed Be The Critics Of Newspapers": Journalistic Criticism Of Journalism 1865-1930, Yasmine Tarek Dabbous

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined journalistic press criticism between 1865 and 1930. It sought to understand how the first modern journalists conceived of their profession in a period of great transitions. As the study revealed, journalists writing about journalism between 1865 and 1930 discussed recurring themes such as commercialization, sensationalism, advertising, and ethics. They expressed ambivalence toward the rise of big business in their field and the consequences it could have on the quality of the work. In the process, journalists also defined journalism as a profession providing a public service or as a business aiming solely for circulation and profit. Definitions …

Improving Software Quality Using An Ontology-Based Approach, Yixin Luo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Ensuring quality in software development is a challenging process. The concepts of anti-pattern and bad code smells utilize the knowledge of reoccurring problems to improve the quality of current and future software development. Anti-patterns describe recurring bad design solutions while bad code smells describe source code that is error-free but difficult to understand and maintain. Code refactoring aims to remove bad code smells without changing a program’s functionality while improving program quality. There are metrics-based tools to detect a few bad code smells from source code; however, the knowledge and understanding of these indicators of low quality software are still …

The Achievement Of Business Education Students On High School Core Subjects, Mohd Khata Bin Jabor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The importance of academic courses taken during high school has been well documented. It could determine the students’ achievement in high school, affect the students’ ability to transition to postsecondary education and expand the students’ choice of postsecondary majors and degree options (Laird, Chen, & Levesque, 2006). This study examined whether enrollment in business education is related to achievements in high school core subjects. The rationale for the study is to determine if business education contributes to the academic achievement of high school students. This study used the data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) High School Transcript …

Modeling The Impacts Of Pulsed Riverine Inflows On Hydrodynamics And Water Quality In The Barataria Bay Estuary, Anindita Das

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Eutrophication and coastal wetland loss are the major environmental problems affecting estuaries around the world. In Louisiana, controlled diversions of the Mississippi River water back into coastal wetlands are thought to be an important engineering solution that could reverse coastal land loss. There are concerns, however, that freshwater diversions may increase nutrient inputs and create severe eutrophication problems in estuaries and wetlands adjacent to the diversion sites. My dissertation research concerns modeling the effects of the observed and hypothetical freshwater diversion discharges on the hydrodynamics, salinity and water quality in the Barataria estuary, a deltaic estuary in south Louisiana. This …

Antioxidant Nanoparticles As Delivery Systems, Carlos Ernesto Astete R.

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of the study was to develop antioxidant polymeric nanoparticles as a new delivery system for food and pharmaceutical applications. Natural antioxidants like alpha-tocopherol, vitamin C, and carnosine, are responsible to protect biological systems against free radicals attack. The conjugation of vitamin C-vitamin E (EC) and alpha-tocopherol-carnosine (VECAR) were performed to obtain antioxidant surfactants which were used for polymeric nanoparticle synthesis. The surfactant made of á-tocopherol (vitamin E) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) of antioxidant properties dubbed as EC was used to make poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles. Self-assembled EC nanostructures and PLGA-EC nanoparticles were made by nanoprecipitation, and the …

Monstrous Bodies: Femininity And Agency In Young Adult Horror Fiction, June Pulliam

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Young Adult horror fiction with female protagonists presents sympathetically the untenable situation of adolescent girls within society whereby they are increasingly pressured to embody a doll-like feminine ideal that deprives them of voice and agency. In Young Adult horror fiction, the monstrous Other problematizes what is presented to girls as “normal” and “natural” feminine behavior. As a double with a difference, the monstrous Other is an iteration of femininity whose similarity to the original implies the possibility of resisting restrictive gender roles. Because in Young Adult horror fiction the monstrous Other is nearly always a sympathetic character, it is fairly …

Artisanal Whaling In The Atlantic: A Comparative Study Of Culture, Conflict, And Conservation In St. Vincent And The Faroe Islands, Russell Fielding

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Whalers from the Caribbean island of St. Vincent and the North Atlantic archipelago of the Faroe Islands hunt pilot whales and a variety of other small cetaceans for food. Vincentian whalers use harpoons, thrown by hand or fired from a modified shotgun mounted on the boat. Faroese whalers, using several dozen boats, work cooperatively to drive an entire pod of whales ashore, where shore-based whalers are waiting to complete the kill with traditional whaling knives. Vincentian whaling traces its origins to the late nineteenth century. Records of Faroese whaling date to the late sixteenth century but the practice is thought …

Signaling Of Integrin Lower Leg And Transmembrane Domains, Wei Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Integrin conformational changes mediate integrin activation and signaling triggered by intracellular molecules or extracellular ligands. Even though it has been shown that TM and/or cytoplasmic α and β domains associate in the resting state and separation of these domains is required for integrin signaling, it is still not clear how this signal is transmitted from the transmembrane domain through two long extracellular legs to the ligand-binding headpiece. In addition, integrin TM homomeric association was also observed. But the role of this interaction remains elusive. In this work, the platelet integrin, αIIbβ3, has been used to elucidate the roles of integrin …

Jennifer Higdon's Oboe Concerto: The Composition, Transformation, And A Performer's Analysis, Janice Elizabeth Crews

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This monograph presents a formal examination of Jennifer Higdon’s Oboe Concerto in its various forms. Jennifer Higdon has garnered international success, yet few in-depth studies of her music exist. In this document, personal accounts from commissioners illustrate the unusual commission of Oboe Concerto. Likewise, the composer, a conductor, and soloists for premiere performances highlight unique aspects of the concerto, particularly its unusual form, multiple versions, and the potential challenges in preparing the work. Higdon’s concerto showcases the lyrical capabilities of the oboe, with an emphasis on melody and sustained tone. The transformation of the concerto illustrates Higdon’s skills of self-promotion, …

Embyronic Nicotine Exposure And Its Impact On Spinal Neuron Development In Zebrafish, Latoya Telameca Paul

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Nicotine, a drug of abuse, has been shown to have deleterious outcomes on nervous system development in vertebrates. Using zebrafish behavior as a diagnostic tool, we aimed to understand the effects of embryonic nicotine exposure on spinal neuron development. We initially quantified nicotine incorporation into zebrafish embryos. We found that only a fraction of the waterborne concentration of nicotine was incorporated into embryos. Also, when embryos were exposed to epibatidine and ABT 418, potent alpha 4/beta 2 nAChRs agonists, the embryos exhibited a robust swim-like behavioral response similar to that of nicotine. We then performed immunohistochemistry utilizing the mAB290 antibody …

Revealing The Role Of Receptor Wsx1: A Double-Edged Sword In Tumor Progession, Denada Dibra

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Tumor initiation and progression are dependent on both aberrant gene expression in tumor cells and the communication between tumor cells and its micro- and systemic microenvironment. Many tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes have been characterized to suppress or promote tumor growth, but fewer genes in tumors are well-characterized as interacting with immune cells in the host to promote or inhibit tumor growth. The interleukin (IL) 27 receptor WSX1 is expressed in immune cells and induces an IL27-dependent immune response. Opposing this conventional dogma, our initial results reveal a much higher level of WSX1 expression in multiple types of epithelial tumor …

New Binary Ti Vectors With Co-Directional Replicons For Agrobacterium Tumefaciens-Mediated Transformation Of Higher Plants, Seokhyun Lee

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Small, high-yielding binary Ti vectors of Agrobacterium tumefaciens were constructed. All four basic components of the vector, ColE1 replicon (715 bp) for Escherichia coli, VS1 replicon (2,659 bp) for A. tumefaciens, a bacterial kanamycin resistance gene (999 bp), and the T-DNA region (170 bp), were modified to reduce the vector size to 4,566 bp and to introduce a number of mutations to increase the copy number and other functionality. The transcriptional direction of VS1 replicon can be the same as that of ColE1 replicon (co-directional transcription), or opposite (head-on transcription) as in the case of widely used vectors (pPZP or …

Dietary Resistant Starch Improved Maternal Glycemic Control In Goto-Kakizaki Rat, Li Shen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Treatment for maternal hyperglycemia is limited on account of safety concerns for fetus. Our previous work has shown that inclusion of resistant starch in the diet decreases body fat accumulation in rodents, increases GLP-1 at both the gene expression level and plasma levels, and improves glucose tolerance in STZ-induced diabetic mice. However, studies concerning dietary resistant starch and maternal hyperglycemia are scarce. In this project, we examined the effects of dietary resistant starch in pregnant Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats to improve glycemic control. Animal experiments were conducted to test the hypotheses. In study 1, the female GK rats were randomly grouped …

Fractured Membership: Deconstructing Territoriality To Secure Rights And Remedies For The Undocumented Worker, D. Carolina Nuñez

Faculty Scholarship

Relied upon but unwelcome, among us but uninvited, undocumented workers in the United States – now numbering over 8 million – labor on the border of inclusion and exclusion, between a status-based conception of membership and a territorial approach to membership. Although mere presence in the U.S. secures undocumented workers many of the same labor protections afforded to authorized workers, undocumented status often forecloses certain remedies otherwise available for employer breaches of those protections. Many commentators have criticized this effective status-based denial of rights to undocumented workers as inimical to the goals underlying labor and immigration law. While this Article …

The Manifold Operations Of The Gothic Double, Brian Demars

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The gothic novel’s emergence as a dominant genre in the 19th century is illustrative of a shift in popular ideology taking place in Western Europe during this period. Competing viewpoints, particularly between opposing classes, directly reflect the uncertainties, anxieties, and aspirations of a continent undergoing a significant transition. Because the gothic draws upon the tension between contending attitudes—spiritualism and secularism, realism and romanticism, nationalism and imperialism, and aristocratic and bourgeois—it exposes how ideology embedded in these concepts either adds to or detracts from the greater good of the community.

The technique of doubling is utilized to locate divergent ideologies and …

The Examination Of The Implementation Of Blended Learning Instruction On The Teaching And Learning Environment In Two West Michigan School Districts, Richard Mark Vandermolen

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Blended learning instruction is emerging as one of the most promising instructional practices in educational settings. Blended learning instruction combines two learning environments: traditional face-to-face instruction and online instruction.

Most research concerning blended instruction has been conducted at the postsecondary level. This study was conducted at the high school level and examined the implementation of blended instruction in a high school setting. It explored and considered the perspective of teachers and students as they experienced the blended environment for the first time. The study was conducted at two comprehensive high schools in West Michigan. The study collected qualitative data by …

The King At Kaamelott, Ahmed S. Bashi

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

French TV‘s M6 aired a ground-breaking television advance, known as Kaamelott, from 2005 to 2009, derived from a long tradition of Arthurian narrative form and a long tradition of that form‘s modernization. Spanning the split, therefore, between the Modern and the Medieval, Alexandre Astier‘s experimental Adventure-Comedy, adapting no single model, this Frankenstein, brought to life through canny theatrical bricolage, provokes the following concrete question: how have the dimensions of the exemplary human life of the King been updated by this installment of an eight centuries (and more) old tradition? Using the frame-work of Berne‘s Games People Play, …

Distribution Of Eastern Hemlock, Tsuga Canadensis, In Eastern Kentucky And The Susceptibility To Invasion By The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, Adelges Tsugae, Joshua Taylor Clark

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive non-native insect, is threatening eastern hemlock in Kentucky. This study examined three techniques to map the distribution of eastern hemlock using decision trees, remote sensing, and species distribution modeling. Accuracy assessments showed that eastern hemlock was best modeled using a decision tree without incorporating satellite radiance. Using the distribution from the optimal model, risk maps for susceptibility to hemlock woolly adelgid infestation were created using two species distribution models. Environmental variables related to dispersal were used to build the models and their contributions to the models assessed. The models showed similar spatial distributions of …

Spheroid Detection In 2d Images Using Circular Hough Transform, Priyanka Chaudhary

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Three-dimensional endothelial cell sprouting assay (3D-ECSA) exhibits differentiation of endothelial cells into sprouting structures inside a 3D matrix of collagen I. It is a screening tool to study endothelial cell behavior and identification of angiogenesis inhibitors. The shape and size of an EC spheroid (aggregation of ~ 750 cells) is important with respect to its growth performance in presence of angiogenic stimulators. Apparently, tubules formed on malformed spheroids lack homogeneity in terms of density and length. This requires segregation of well formed spheroids from malformed ones to obtain better performance metrics. We aim to develop and validate an automated imaging …

Genetic Diversity, Structure, And Recolonization Patterns Of Kentucky Black Bears, John Tyler Hast

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

After nearly a century of absence, the black bear (Ursus americanus) reappeared in Kentucky during the late 20th century and has since increased in number. Recolonization of bears in the southeastern portion of the state was thought to have been caused by emigration of bears from adjacent states into the Commonwealth, while in the south-central area, bears originated, or natural recolonization may have been supplemented by the translocation of 14 individuals into the Big South Fork National River Recreation Area. To investigate the recolonization patterns of bears in Kentucky, I used 20 microsatellite loci to determine the genetic …

Drug Release And Pharmacokinetic Properties Of Liposomal Db-67, Yali Liang

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Sterically stabilized liposomes with saturated lipid as the major lipid component (DSPC:m-PEGDSPE were applied in DB-67 delivery. The drug retention in vitro and pharmacokinetic properties in vivo were investigated. Liposomal DB-67 was cleared faster from the circulation in the larger liposomes (~180 nm) than in the smaller ones (~120 nm), even though DB-67 was retained longer in smaller size liposomes in vitro. Liposomal DB-67 clearance was increased when cholesterol was present in the liposomal composition (40 mole %). It can be attributable to the faster drug release from cholesterol containing liposomes as compared to liposomes without cholesterol. Cholesterol free …