Digital Commons Network^™

Antioxidant Potential Of Sutherlandia Frutescens And Its Protective Effects Against Oxidative Stress In Various Cell Cultures, Shakila Tobwala, Weili Fan, Connor J. Hines, William Robert Folk, Nuran Ercal

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Sutherlandia frutescens (L.) R.Br. (SF) is a South African plant that is widely used to treat stress, infections, cancer, and chronic diseases, many of which involve oxidative stress. The aim of the study was to quantitatively assess the antioxidant potential of SF extracts in cell-free system as well as in cell lines. Dried SF vegetative parts were extracted using six different solvents, and the extracts were assessed for total phenolic and flavonoid contents, total reducing power, iron chelating capacity, and free radical scavenging power, including, scavenging of hydroxyl radicals, superoxide anions, nitric oxide, and hydrogen peroxide. We further investigated the …

Positive Correlation Between The Expression Of Heag1 And Hif-1Α In Breast Cancers: An Observational Study, Qingxuan Lai, Ting Wang, Qingqing Guo, Yuxiang Zhang, Youxin Wang, Li Yuan, Rui Ling, Yan He, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objectives: To explore the expression patterns of Eag1 (ether á go-go 1) and HIF-1α (hypoxia-inducible factor 1α) in a cohort of patients with breast cancer. Setting: Department of general surgery in an upper first-class hospital in Xi'an, China. Participants: A total of 112 female Han Chinese patients with a diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma were included. Patients with main internal diseases, such as cardiovascular, endocrine, gastroenterological, haematological, infectious diseases, etc, were excluded. Primary and secondary outcome measures: Expression profiles of Eag1 and HIF-1α. Results: Eag1 and HIF-1α were overexpressed in the tumour tissues compared with the pair-matched control tissues, p=0.002 …

Risk Factors For Cerebrovascular Disease Mortality Among The Elderly In Beijing: A Competing Risk Analysis, Zhe Tang, Tao Zhou, Yanxia Luo, Changchun Xie, Da Huo, Lixin Tao, Lei Pan, Fei Sun, Huiping Zhu, Xinghua Yang, Wei Wang, Aoshuang Yan, Xia Li, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: To examine the associations of combined lifestyle factors and physical conditions with cerebrovascular diseases (CBVD) mortality, after accounting for competing risk events, including death from cardiovascular diseases, cancers and other diseases. Methods: Data on 2010 subjects aged over 55 years were finally analyzed using competing risk models. All the subjects were interviewed by the Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), in China, between 1 January 1992 and 30 August 2009. Results: Elderly females were at a lower risk of death from CBVD than elderly males (HR = 0.639, 95% CI = 0.457-0.895). Increasing age (HR = 1.543, 95% CI …

Identification Of Plasma Lipid Biomarkers In Alzheimer's Disease, Rhona Creegan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the commonest form of dementia, is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disease which manifests clinically as a slow global decline in cognitive function, including deterioration of memory, reasoning, abstraction, language and emotional stability, culminating in a patient with end-stage disease, totally dependent on custodial care. With an ageing population, there is predicted to be a marked increase in the number of people diagnosed with AD in the coming decades, making this a significant challenge to socio-economic policy and aged care. Currently there is no cure for AD and while current therapies may temporarily ameliorate symptoms, death usually occurs …

Factors Associated With Risky Sexual Behavior Among Unmarried Most-At-Risk Young People In Cambodia, Siyan Yi, Sovannary Tuot, Kunthearith Yung, Sanh Kim, Chhorvann Chhea, Vonthanak Saphonn

Background: Recent surveys suggest that adolescents and young adults in Southeast Asian nations are at great risks of sexual reproductive health issues. This study explored factors associated with risky sexual behavior (RSB) among unmarried most-at-risk young people in Cambodia. Methods: A two-stage cluster sampling method was used to select 1,204 boys and 1,166 girls aged 10-24 from 252 hotspots in the capital city and seven provinces. A five-item scale was constructed to measure RSB. All variables were entered simultaneously in multivariate logistic regression models if they were significantly associated with RSB in bivariate analyses. Results: Of total, …

Obesity Among Young American Indian Adults In North Dakota, Abby Omahen

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Obesity among American Indian young adults is a significant health problem. There is an increase in the prevalence rate of diseases associated with obesity which tend to have high medical costs and high mortality rates. Fruit and vegetable consumption, exercise, gender andEducation are factors which could affect obesity among American Indians. Therefore, the primary purpose of the current study was to determine if there was an association between certain factors (fruit and vegetable consumption, exercise, gender andEducation level) and obesity among young American Indian adults in North Dakota. The secondary purpose was to determine if there was a statistically significant …

The Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Vitamin D And Exercise, Laura Ann Forney

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Elevated inflammation is associated with several chronic diseases, including obesity. Exercise is an established effective treatment of this condition by decreasing adiposity and independently regulating inflammatory pathways. The potential for vitamin D to confer anti-inflammatory benefits has been explored in cell culture studies, but few have explored its action at the whole body level. PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between inflammatory markers in trained and untrained individuals with vitamin D levels either above or below a suggested optimal concentration. METHODS: College-aged females (N = 63), both trained and untrained, reported to the lab four times: to assess body size and …

Gumbos- And Ionic Liquid-Coated Quartz Crystal Microbalance Sensors For Detection And Molecular Weight Determination Of Organic Vapors, Bishnu Prasad Regmi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

There has been an ever-increasing demand for the development of high-performance sensing devices for detection and discrimination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in different environments. Among a number of sensing devices currently available, sorption-based sensors are particularly attractive because they are simple and inexpensive, require low power, and are appropriate for fabrication of multisensor arrays. A sorption-based sensor is comprised of a chemically active coating immobilized on the surface of a physical transducer. The chemically active film interacts with analytes, and the transducer converts the binding event into an electrical signal. This dissertation is focused on a sorption-based sensor …

Outer Surface Lipoprotein Layer Homeostasis And Gene Regulation In Borrelia Burgdorferi, Poonam Dadhwal

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The outer surface lipoprotein (osp) layer forms an interface between the internal and the external environment of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi. The homeostatic maintenance of the osp layer effectuates adaptation of B. burgdorferi as it gets transmitted from the tick vector to a mammalian host and vice-versa. However, the regulation of the outer surface lipoproteins (osps) is still a conundrum for borrelia scientists. Part of this dissertation inquires about the homeostatic maintenance of the osp layer. We found that the deletion of the dominantly expressed tick phase osp, OspA, induces expression of two other osps. OspD, and BBJ41. …

Prevalence Of Campylobacter Jejuni In Small-Scale Broiler Operations And The Effects Of Sulfadimethoxine Administered To Control C. Jejuni Infection In Broilers, Wannee Tangkham

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Campylobacter spp. particularly C. jejuni has been recognized as one of the most prevalent causes of foodborne bacterial illnesses in humans. Most previous studies have focused on the transmission routes of C. jejuni from commercial flock farms to the final retail product. To date, no in vivo studies have addressed the efficacy of sulfadimethoxine in the control of C. jejuni in poultry. This dissertation research proceeds along two lines of investigation. The objectives of the first line of investigation are to determine the enumeration of Campylobacter spp. and the prevalence on both Campylobacter spp. and C. jejuni on live egg …

Teaching Climate Literacy Using Geospatial Tools, Steven L. Babcock

LSU Master's Theses

Antarctica is the world’s coldest, driest and windiest continent. It is a harsh environment that few people will ever see but it is a very important part of our Earth system. Over the past 34 million years the climate in Antarctica has deteriorated from one that supported lush vegetation to the conditions observed today. By studying this trend and the associated changes to ice and vegetation we can gain critical insight into climate changes taking place today. This thesis presents three pieces of curricula that will help students and the general public understand some of the research currently underway in …

Design, Synthesis, And Antibacterial Properties Of Dual-Ligand Inhibitors Of Acetyl-Coa Carboxylase And Mechanism Of Action For The Antibacterial Agent Moiramide B, Molly Anne Silvers

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

An urgent demand for the development of new antibiotics has been created by the increase in clinical cases involving drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria. A novel target for antibacterial development is acetyl-CoA carboxylase, a multifunctional enzyme that catalyzes the first committed step in fatty acid synthesis. The bacterial form of the enzyme consists of three proteins: biotin carboxylase, biotin carboxyl carrier protein, and carboxyltransferase. The research presented in this dissertation describes dual-ligand inhibitors incorporating selective inhibitors against biotin carboxylase and carboxyltransferase that were synthesized by covalently attaching them with saturated hydrocarbon linkers containing 7 and 15 carbon atoms. The ability to inhibit …

Importance Of Bacillithiol In The Oxidative Stress Response Of Staphylococcus Aureus, Ana C. Posada, Stacey L. Kolar, Renata G. Dusi, Patrica Francois

Dartmouth Scholarship

In Staphylococcus aureus, the low-molecular-weight thiol called bacillithiol (BSH), together with cognate S-transferases, is believed to be the counterpart to the glutathione system of other organisms. To explore the physiological role of BSH in S. aureus, we constructed mutants with the deletion of bshA (sa1291), which encodes the glycosyltransferase that catalyzes the first step of BSH biosynthesis, and fosB (sa2124), which encodes a BSH-S-transferase that confers fosfomycin resistance, in several S. aureus strains, including clinical isolates. Mutation of fosB or bshA caused a 16- to 60-fold reduction in fosfomycin resistance in these S. aureus strains. High-pressure liquid chromatography analysis, which …

Health Policy And The Syrian Chemical Weapons Crisis, David P. Fidler

Articles by Maurer Faculty

For health policy, armed conflicts constitute one of the most severe emergency contexts in which health, well-being, and determinants of health are threatened. The Syrian civil war has proved no different, as health experts re­peatedly lament the humanitarian debacle the Syrian conflict has become. The main distinguishing feature of the Syrian civil war has been the large-scale use of chemical weapons in August 2013. This essay analyzes the chemical weapons crisis and its diplomatic resolution from a health policy perspective, with particular attention on whether the handling of this crisis created positive health policy “spillover” opportunities for more effectively addressing …

Similarities Between Corticosteroids, M. Einhorn

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Corticosteroids are a class of potent drugs with important physiological effects on the body. Regular use is linked with common and serious side effects. This paper uses studies to analyze the similarities between various corticosteroids. All drugs in this class are molecules that contain the same steroid backbone and are therefore associated with the same cellular receptor. This results in a comparable mechanism and parallel overall effect in the body. Side effects of corticosteroids are analogous as well. Using the knowledge of physiological changes in the body due to corticosteroids will allow healthcare providers to determine the most effective corticosteroid …

The Efficacy And Safety Of The Human Papillomavirus Vaccine, Gail Tessler

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The HPV virus is said to be the cause of many infections, warts, and cancers. In addition to the fact that the treatment for HPV is not always successful, not every individual knows that s/he is infected and is very likely to infect his or her partner, too. This is one factor that explains why 14 million people each year in America alone contract HPV and makes cervical cancer so threatening to many people worldwide. In light of this and the known dangers of cervical, anal, vaginal and penile cancers, the HPV vaccine was created to prevent an infection of …

Theories On Varicella Zoster Virus Reactivation Based On Shingles Patterns, Ralph Nussbaum

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Herpes zoster, a disease also known as shingles or as zoster, infects the sensory nerve ganglion and the peripheral nerve and its branches, resulting in pain to the affected dermatomes. Infection results from reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus which causes varicella, or chickenpox. The varicella-zoster virus usually causes chickenpox to its host at an early age and then withdraws to the dorsal root ganglia where it enters a latency stage. The virus may reemerge at any time and infect its host with shingles. As shingles is most common in ages 50 and above, it is assumed that …

Thou Shalt Not Take The Name Of The Lord Thy God In Vain Use And Abuse Of Religious Exemptions From School Immunization Requirements, Dorit Rubinstein Reiss

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Compensating The Victims Of Failure To Vaccinate What Are The Options?, Dorit Rubinstein Reiss

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Dietary Supplementation Of Flaxseed And Metabolizable Protein On Reproduction In Mares And Ewes, Tara Swanson

Animal Sciences

Two experiments evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation on maternal reproductive parameters. In Experiment 1, 16 mares were assigned to dietary treatments: control, flaxseed, or linseed meal for 16 wk. Blood samples were analyzed for progesterone (P4), serum chemistry panel values, and fatty acids. Flaxseed supplementation increased (P < 0.01) alphalinolenic acid concentration, but treatment had no other effects. In Experiment 2, 45 multiparous ewes were allotted to dietary levels of metabolizable protein (MP): 60% (MP60), 80% (MP80), or 100% (MP100) from d 100 to d 130 of gestation. At d 130 ewes were slaughtered and tissues harvested. There was a day x fetal number interaction for P4, estradiol 17β, and thyroxine (T4) along with a treatment x fetal number interaction for T4. There was a day effect for cortisol and triiodothryonine. Results indicate dietary supplementation alters maternal parameters including hormones and fatty acids.

Body Weight And Adiposity Changes Of Obese Gilts Provided Ad Libitum Ground Beef Versus High Carbohydrate Diets, Krista R. Wellnitz

Animal Sciences

This study investigated the impact of providing a red meat (GB; cooked ground beef; 63% lean) or high-carbohydrate diet (CON) on growth performance and body composition of obese gilts as a biomedical model for humans. Treatment differences were observed for total intake (kg consumed/d; P = 0.05), average caloric intake (calculated kcals/d; P = 0.003), BW change (P = 0.012), and a treatment by harvest day interaction (P = 0.001) for pancreas weight. Subcutaneous backfat measured adjacent the 10th thoracic vertebra expressed as a percentage change from d0 tended (P = 0.09) to be less in GB gilts. There was …

The Impact Of Management Decisions And Their Effect On Reproductive Performance Of Beef Cattle, Mellissa Renee Schook

Animal Sciences

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate two management decisions made by beef cattle producers and their impacts on reproduction. In experiment 1, growth, attainment of puberty, and pregnancy rates were evaluated in crossbred heifers originating from two different breeding systems: 1) cows only exposed to natural service herd bulls (NS), or 2) cows exposed to ovulation synchronization and fixed-time AI followed by natural-service bulls (TAI, fixed-time artificial insemination). Artificial insemination did not influence growth rate during the development phase, attainment of puberty, or pregnancy rates in heifer progeny. In experiment 2, pregnancy attainment and calving distribution of beef females administered …

Space-Time Statistical Analysis Of Malaria Morbidity Incidence Cases In Ghana: A Geostatistical Modelling Approach, Simon K. Appiah

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Malaria is one of the most prevalent and devastating health problems worldwide. It is a highly endemic disease in Ghana, which poses a major challenge to both the public health and socio-economic development of the country. Major factors accounting for this situation include variability in environmental conditions and lack of prevention services coupled with host of other socio-economic factors. Ghana’s National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) risk assessment measures have been largely based on household surveys which provided inadequate data for accurate prediction of new incidence cases coupled with frequent incomplete monthly case reports. These raise concerns about annual estimates on …

Fatherhood In Brazil, Bangladesh, Russia, Japan, And Australia, David W. Shwalb, Barbara J. Shwalb

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

This article illustrates that the roles of fathers are highly variable and context-dependent. Research data from five diverse societies (Brazil, Bangladesh, Russia, Japan, and Australia) show that fathers, fathering, and fatherhood differ within societies according to eight types of contextual influence. Examples are provided of each contextual factor: (1) geographical location (e.g., dispersion of fathers across huge land masses in Russia and Australia; impact of dense populations in Japan and Bangladesh); (2) long-term historical legacies (centuries of patriarchy in Brazil) and short-term historical events (fall of communism in Russia); (3) family characteristics (joint, extended families of Bangladesh; small Japanese families); …