Digital Commons Network^™

Microfluidics For The Analysis Of Integral Membrane Proteins: A Top-Down Approach, Katrina Nychole Battle

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The development of fully automated and high-throughput systems for proteomics is now in demand because of the need to generate new protein-based disease biomarkers. Unfortunately, it is difficult to identify protein biomarkers that are low abundant when in the presence of highly abundant proteins, especially in complex biological samples like serum, cell lysates, and other biological fluids. Membrane proteins, which are in many cases of low abundance compared to cytosolic proteins, have various functions and can provide insight into the state of disease and serve as targets for new drugs making them attractive biomarker candidates. Traditionally, proteins are identified through …

Ethanol Diverts Early Neuronal Differentiation Trajectory Of Embryonic Stem Cells By Disrupting The Balance Of Lineage Specifiers., Rosa Sánchez-Alvarez, Saurabh Gayen, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, Helen Anni

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Ethanol is a toxin responsible for the neurodevelopmental deficits of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Recent evidence suggests that ethanol modulates the protein expression of lineage specifier transcription factors Oct4 (Pou5f1) and Sox2 in early stages of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation. We hypothesized that ethanol induced an imbalance in the expression of Oct4 and Sox2 in early differentiation, that dysregulated the expression of associated and target genes and signaling molecules and diverted cells from neuroectodermal (NE) formation.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We showed modulation by ethanol of 33 genes during ES cell differentiation, using high throughput microfluidic dynamic array …

Cis And Trans Regulatory Mechanisms Control Ap2-Mediated B Cell Receptor Endocytosis Via Select Tyrosine-Based Motifs., Kathleen Busman-Sahay, Lisa Drake, Anand Sitaram, Michael Marks, James R Drake

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Following antigen recognition, B cell receptor (BCR)-mediated endocytosis is the first step of antigen processing and presentation to CD4+ T cells, a crucial component of the initiation and control of the humoral immune response. Despite this, the molecular mechanism of BCR internalization is poorly understood. Recently, studies of activated B cell-like diffuse large B cell lymphoma (ABC DLBCL) have shown that mutations within the BCR subunit CD79b leads to increased BCR surface expression, suggesting that CD79b may control BCR internalization. Adaptor protein 2 (AP2) is the major mediator of receptor endocytosis via clathrin-coated pits. The BCR contains five putative AP2-binding …

The Contributions Of Hif-Target Genes To Tumor Growth In Rcc., Ting Zhang, Xiaohua Niu, Lili Liao, Eun-Ah Cho, Haifeng Yang

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Somatic mutations or loss of expression of tumor suppressor VHL happen in the vast majority of clear cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, and it's causal for kidney cancer development. Without VHL, constitutively active transcription factor HIF is strongly oncogenic and is essential for tumor growth. However, the contribution of individual HIF-responsive genes to tumor growth is not well understood. In this study we examined the contribution of important HIF-responsive genes such as VEGF, CCND1, ANGPTL4, EGLN3, ENO2, GLUT1 and IGFBP3 to tumor growth in a xenograft model using immune-compromised nude mice. We found that the suppression of VEGF or CCND1 impaired …

The Evolution Of Social Media In Equipment Finance, James M. Johnson, Suzanne E. Henry

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Luminescence Studies : Part I. Lanthanide Nanogumbos Part Ii. Near Infrared Photothermal Nanogumbos, Jonathan Carver Dumke

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Group of Uniform Materials Based on Organic Salts (GUMBOS) are a class of molten salts that have been focused to be specifically tailored towards applications. Primitively, from Davy to Walden molten salts were desirable for organic synthesis due to the properties. GUMBOS have been synthesized into nanoparticles (nanoGUMBOS) by various methods to be used for lanthanide luminescence and hyperthermal cancer therapeutics. Lanthanide photochemistry has been frequently studied for its high luminescence intensity, narrow emission band, and stable luminescent lifetime decay. Aerosol-derived europium nanoGUMBOS were characterized using electron microscopy (39.5 ± 8.4 nm), XPS, and spectroscopic techniques. Spectroscopic measurements indicated intense …

The Intersection Of Motherhood And Academia As Conceptualized By Female Doctoral Students, Shaina A. Riser

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the attitudes of current female doctoral candidates who express an interest in pursuing a career in the professoriate, as well as express a desire to have children. The participants will explain how they conceptualize the intersection of academia and motherhood, by detailing how they negotiate and navigate their current status in as a graduate student and their future career and family goals. A limited amount of literature has been published that specifically explores the intersection of academia and motherhood as conceptualized specifically by female graduate students. Therefore, the intent of the …

Alexis De Tocqueville’S Political Science Of Revolutions; Theory And Application, Michal Maciej Kuz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines the theory of revolutions presented in the main writing of Alexis de Tocqueville and its importance in the field of political theory as well as its possible application in the field of comparative politics. Scholars specializing in the study of the writings of Alexis de Tocqueville have for many years debated on whether the works of this author offer a comprehensive political theory of regimes and political change. This work supports the idea that in all his major writings de Tocqueville works within the same theoretical framework and develops his own typology of modern regimes. At the …

Placed Residue, Thomas Lapann

LSU Master's Theses

“Placed Residue” is a series of eight works that highlight nature and its transformative quality. The video, photos, and sculptural objects, contained in the show, call attention to different materials and how they undergo growth and decay. Using various resources ranging from Kinect to video projection I incorporate the unnatural in order to depict a natural narrative involving the viewer. In order to emulate these natural processes, a cause and effect system had been developed where nature completes the final object. These systems activate the material providing for behaviors to be visible through their tactile qualities and allowing for their …

A Feasibility Study Of Multi-Functional Wells For Water Coning Control And Disposal, Lu Jin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Although water coning is well understood, it is difficult to control in field operations resulting in low recovery and large volumes of waste produced water. A solution - proposed here - is a multi-functional well with the in-situ bottom water drainage and injection installations - Downhole Water Loop (DWL). Theoretically, DWL greatly improves well performance (for example, a two-fold increase of DWL well’s water drainage rate would increase the critical (water-free) oil rate by 80%). However, DWL has practical limitations that must be quantified for actual well design. The objective of this work is to: (1) find maximum water drainage …

Geodatabase-Assisted Storm Surge Modeling, Sait Ahmet Binselam

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Tropical cyclone-generated storm surge frequently causes catastrophic damage in communities along the Gulf of Mexico. The prediction of landfalling or hypothetical storm surge magnitudes in U.S. Gulf Coast regions remains problematic, in part, because of the dearth of historic event parameter data, including accurate records of storm surge magnitude (elevation) at locations along the coast from hurricanes. While detailed historical records exist that describe hurricane tracks, these data have rarely been correlated with the resulting storm surge, limiting our ability to make statistical inferences, which are needed to fully understand the vulnerability of the U.S. Gulf Coast to hurricane-induced storm …

Controversy Trend Detection In Social Media, Rajshekhar Vishwanath Chimmalgi

LSU Master's Theses

In this research, we focus on the early prediction of whether topics are likely to generate significant controversy (in the form of social media such as comments, blogs, etc.). Controversy trend detection is important to companies, governments, national security agencies, and marketing groups because it can be used to identify which issues the public is having problems with and develop strategies to remedy them. For example, companies can monitor their press release to find out how the public is reacting and to decide if any additional public relations action is required, social media moderators can moderate discussions if the discussions …

Study On The Performance Of Tcp Over 10gbps High Speed Networks, Cheng Cui

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Internet traffic is expected to grow phenomenally over the next five to ten years. To cope with such large traffic volumes, high-speed networks are expected to scale to capacities of terabits-per-second and beyond. Increasing the role of optics for packet forwarding and transmission inside the high-speed networks seems to be the most promising way to accomplish this capacity scaling. Unfortunately, unlike electronic memory, it remains a formidable challenge to build even a few dozen packets of integrated all-optical buffers. On the other hand, many high-speed networks depend on the TCP/IP protocol for reliability which is typically implemented in software and …

Modeling Foam Delivery Mechanisms In Deep Vadose-Zone Remediation Using Method Of Characteristics (Moc), Alireza Roostapour

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigates foam delivery mechanisms in vadose-zone remediation by using Method of Characteristics (MoC). In such applications, dry foams are introduced into a porous medium which is initially at low saturation of water (Sw) containing pollutants such as metals and radionuclides. For vadose-zone remediation processes to be successful, the injected aqueous phase should carry chemicals to react with pollutants and precipitate them for immobilization and stabilization purposes. Typical remediation techniques such as water and surfactant injections are not applicable, because of the concerns about downward migration. As a result, understanding foam flow mechanism in-situ is key to the optimal …

The Tyrants Within Us And The Thread Of History : The Creation Of "Sic Semper Tyrannis," A One-Person Play, Benjamin Todd Koucherik

LSU Master's Theses

The assigned task was to create and perform a 20-40 minute long one-person play, with no other guidelines or restrictions offered. Having never performed in or written a full one-person play, my challenge was two-fold: create a cohesive and coherent script, and craft the production and performance of that script. From several inspirational sources, I was spurred on to explore the dynamics of revolutionaries, fanatics, and vigilantes through the lens of presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth. Through the combination of Booth’s infamy and the modern day realities of fame-seeking, political divisiveness, and tragically pervasive “spectacle killing” events, I was ultimately …

March Madness For Men, Gabrielle P. Jones

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the manner in which the media covers men’s and women’s athletics and how it may affect the public’s perception of women’s athletics. The study also seeks to examine how the hegemonic devices and primes that the sports media use can affect viewers’ enjoyment of women’s athletic coverage as well as the effect that sports fandom plays on viewers perceptions. Using an experiment exposing participants to heavy men’s college and women’s college basketball coverage, the results showed that sports media coverage did not elicit negative perceptions toward women’s athletics.

Sport Team Fandom, Arousal, And Communication : A Multimethod Comparison Of Sport Team Identification With Psychological, Cognitive, Behavioral, Affective, And Physiological Measures, Shaughan Alan Keaton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The study of sport fandom is undertaken in a variety of disciplines, including but not limited to communication, psychology, sociology, economics, marketing and business. These investigations are significant because of the ubiquitous presence of sport fandom in world culture and its interdisciplinary adaptability in academia. To date however, there has not been a consistent conceptual or operational definition of sport fandom and related factors such as spectatorship, involvement and identification. Consequently, this lack of cohesiveness has serious ramifications, including lack of comparability in results and an inability to generate consistent evidence of the validity and reliability of the various self-report …

Detection Of Microorganisms Using Maldi And Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry, Juaneka Monet Hayes

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Matrix-assisted laser ablation desorption ionization MALDI and ion mobility (IM) MALDI mass spectrometry (MS) were used for the detection and identification of microorganisms. MALDI MS is an analytical tool that separates ions by their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) and is routinely used for bioanalysis because of its sensitivity, selectivity, general applicability, and tolerance to impurities. Ion mobility is a gas phase technique that separates ions based on their charge and collision cross-section. In this research, MALDI-TOF MS and MALDI-IM-TOF MS analysis were conducted in parallel to assess the effectiveness of MALDI-IM-TOF MS for microorganism identification. Whole cell bacteria Escherichia coli strain …

Dynamic Modeling Of Channel Formation During Fluid Injection Into Unconsolidated Sands, Sayamik Ameen

LSU Master's Theses

Water injection is widely used for sweeping hydrocarbons in waterflooding operations, and also for maintaining reservoir pressure or disposing waste water. Injection at a high rate is required to maintain the economy of waterflooding projects; however, loss of injectivity is a quite common problem in unconsolidated sand formations like deep water Gulf of Mexico. Well intervention operations, hurricanes, and other issues require frequent shut-downs during the life of offshore wells; in order to minimize deteriorating effect of these shutdowns on wellbore injectivity more accurate modeling of the injection process is needed. Injection of water into a saturated, granular, porous medium …

When Your Good Friends Wear Prada : A Study Of Parasocial Relationships, Attractiveness, And Life Satisfaction, Kristen Marie Higdon

LSU Master's Theses

This study focuses on how viewers’ relationships with their favorite media characters can impact their outlook on their own lives. Through the examination of parasocial relationships (PSRs), attractiveness, and the traits of materialism and envy, this study looks at the consequences of such traits on one’s life satisfaction. Overall, the theoretical model presented argues to make the connection from one’s PSR to his or her life satisfaction. Using a sample of undergraduate students, participants were asked to complete a survey that examined individuals' relationships with their favorite fictional media character through the study of various characteristics, habits, and media uses. …

Polygamy Is Creepy, Wrong, And Sick! (However, I Find It Fascinating) : Parasocial Comparison, Parasocial Processing, Parasocial Contact Hypothesis, And Polygamy, Thomas Phillip Madison

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examined tolerance of polygamists as a result of exposure to television programming. Specifically, it looked at how audiences form attitudes toward the practice of polygamy and its participants in light of viewing its portrayals in popular television entertainment. Using historical research, semi-structured interviews, surveys of viewers and students, and an experiment, I explored the issue of tolerance among different types of Americans. The findings in these studies demonstrate that Americans never cared for polygamy and continue to find little appeal for its practice. Yet, we are captivated by television shows that focus on polygamy. Part of our habit …

Networked Learning : Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Distance Education In Comparison To Traditional Education, Tireka Patrice Cobb

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative course delivery methods, which can ultimately help higher education stakeholders make informed decisions for present and future educational endeavors. Emerging systems of educational technology, such as ‘networked learning’ and the increasing development of online courses have created many questions concerning the effectiveness of online learning relative to face-to-face learning. More research supporting online as an effective alternative to traditional education is needed as an evaluative tool to potentially mitigate the budgetary constraints, which pose a threat to the institution’s ability to fulfill their mission of providing a quality …

Bioremediation Of Chlorinated Ethanes And Ethenes In Vertical Flow Engineered Wetland Systems, Christopher Akudo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sustainable treatment of chlorinated ethanes and ethenes contaminated groundwater using vertical flow engineered wetland systems were investigated in microcosm and column studies. Experiments on environmental and biogeochemical factors that affect system performance were conducted, and a numerical model involving advection, sorption, and sequential biodegradation was developed to describe the fate and transport of the contaminants of concern in the treatment wetland bed. 1,1-dichloroethane (1,1-DCA) and cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-1,2-DCE) were used as the chemicals of interest. The presence of cis-1,2-DCE inhibited dechlorination of 1,1-DCA but cis-1,2-DCE dechlorination was not affected by the presence of 1,1-DCA. Simulation runs showed that the treatment bed …

Segmentation In Hispanic-Targeted Marketing, Silvia Irene Medrano

LSU Master's Theses

Hispanic-oriented advertising is a growing area in the advertising industry. Findings reported in this research examined agency strategies for advertising in Hispanic-oriented advertising. Interviews with agency practitioners involved in the planning, creation and media selection provided insight into agency best practices in Hispanic-oriented advertising. In-depth interviews at two Hispanic-oriented agencies revealed that a focus on cultural understanding, client relationships, and opposition of common stereotypes and segmentation practices were key in creating successful advertising that connected to Hispanic mindsets. Research results suggest that growth in the U.S. Hispanic population will not only affect the advertising industry, but will also create changes …

Perception, Practice, And Theory : A Case Study Of Leadership In An Urban Middle School, Marcia Lynette Speed

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Explaining the complex nature of how leadership works within the school has proven difficult; consequently, many studies have shown little or no effects of leadership on student outcomes and school performance (Leithwood & Jantzi, 1999; Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2004). Furthermore, researchers acknowledge that a gap exists in the literature between explaining models of leadership and describing the effective actions of leadership (Grissom & Loeb, 2011; Kruger et al, 2007; Robinson, 2006; Robinson et al 2008; Waters, Marzano, & McNulty, 2004). Of the research that does link leadership practices to student outcomes and school performance, the assumed indicators of …

Design, Synthesis, And Characterization Of Porphyrin Derivatives For Biological Applications, Raja Gabadage Waruna Eranga Jinadasa

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Chapter 1 of this Dissertation presents a brief introduction to the basic properties of porphyrins and their derivatives (hydroporphyrins), their abundance and functions in the nature, and their applications in photodynamic therapy. Chapter 2 reports the synthesis, characterization, conformational analysis and cellular studies of novel mono conjugated regioisomers of chlorin e₆ derivatives that are promising photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy. All three regioisomers were synthesized from pheophytin a, which was extracted from the alga Spirulina pacifica. In vitro investigations using human carcinoma HEp2 cells show that the 15²-lysyl regioisomers accumulate the most within cells, and the most phototoxic …

Corporate Use Of Social Media, Viktorya Mirzoyan

LSU Master's Theses

Despite significant and constantly increasing volume of social media use by both individuals and corporate entities, scarce scholastic attention has been paid to practices undertaken by companies and organizations in creating presence on social media, managing social media accounts and communicating with constituents on social media. New social media platforms appear regularly, attracting millions of daily visitors, however, this new type of communication media still lacks in-depth analysis, which would provide guidelines to be used by corporate entities to make their presence on social media most effective. This study makes the first step to analyze possible relationships between companies’ practices …

A Stylistic Analysis Of Libyan Short Stories : The Connotation Of Adjectives, Safa M. Elnaili

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT Between 1969 and 2011, Libya experienced an oppressive dictatorship that paralyzed the country`s political, economical, and social growth. Libya`s literary identity was oppressed due to the policy of censorship and authors were unable to express their opinions freely. In fear of punishment, most Libyan writers criticized the regime and discussed their struggles in the society only implicitly. Censorship has led Libyan writers to adopt different literary styles to reflect on society. In this paper, I will shed light on one of the writers` techniques by examining six Libyan short stories using a stylistics analysis approach. I analyze the lexical …

The Creation Of "Voices In My Head," A One-Man Show, Anthony Michael Mcmurray

LSU Master's Theses

The thesis assignment began with one simple question, “Can we conceptualize, compose, and create a one-man show, where we hold an audience’s attention, for no less than 30 minutes?” We were encouraged to find a piece that we could live with over the course of the next 9-12 months. Not wanting to carry around some heavy emotional weight, and knowing that I can’t take anything seriously for more than a month at a time without making fun of it, I went in the opposite direction of drama and dove head first towards the land of comedy. From the moment that …

American-Indian Media: The Past, The Present, And The Promise Of Digital, Victoria Leigh Lapoe

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores how digital media are changing the rich cultural act of storytelling within Native communities. The norms and routines of the non-Native press often leave consumers with a stereotypical view of American-Indians. The researcher interviewed key Native journalists identified through the Native American Journalists Association. She also observed journalists at a primarily Native newspaper and Native radio station. The study conducted interviews with more than 40 Native journalists around the country to understand how digital media possibly advances the distribution of storytelling within the American-Indian community.