Digital Commons Network^™

Advancement Of Detection And Treatment For Triple-Negative Breast Cancer And Infectious Disease, Austin Smothers

All Dissertations

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) continues to be one of the leading causes of death in women, making up 7% of all cancer deaths. Tumor-treating electric fields (TTFields) are low-energy, low-frequency oscillating electric fields (OEF) that have been shown to induce an anti-proliferative effect on mitotic cells in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and ovarian cancer. Currently, tumor-treating field (TTField) therapy utilizes “optimal” frequencies of electric fields to achieve maximal cell death by cell line. However, because of differences in cell size, shape, and ploidy during mitosis, optimal electric field characteristics for maximal cell death may not exist. …

Investigating And Addressing Tiger Conservation In The Himalayas, Pramod Kumar Yadav

All Dissertations

In 2010, tiger conservation received global attention following a dangerously low estimation of 3,200 tigers in the wild. In response, leaders from the 13 tiger range countries committed to doubling the wild tiger population by 2022. In recent years, tiger numbers have increased considerably in the Himalayan region as the species is venturing into higher-altitude landscapes. As the tiger and human populations increase in the region, the probability of the two species interacting also increases. Therefore, this dissertation, comprised of three independent studies, aimed to identify, and address tiger conservation issues in the Himalayan region from a social science perspective. …

Drivers Of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Behavior, Survival, And Population Growth In The Piedmont Of South Carolina, Michael Muthersbaugh

All Dissertations

Prey species adjust behaviors in response to various stimuli, responding to both top-down and bottom-up pressures. Large herbivores must attempt to avoid predation either through adjusting behaviors or seeking spatial or temporal refugia, which can scale up to influence individual fitness and ultimately population dynamics. Specifically, predation risk has a great potential to influence ungulate populations by impacting behaviors and survival. Our objective was to quantify ungulate behavioral and population response to a regionally important predator through a case study – white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) responses to coyotes (Canis latrans) on private lands in the Piedmont …

Understanding The Persuasive Attributes Of Twitch Advertisements: A Study On The Effects Of Current Advertisements And Sponsorships, Colleen Sharkey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The research in this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of Twitch’s current advertising option, which includes mid-roll, pre-roll, and sponsored streams. It will focus on usefulness of content, brand credibility, purchase intent, and streamer credibility. Twitch has seen a surge in growth and attention in recent years, with an average of 31 million daily visitors and 1.3 trillion minutes watched globally in 2021 alone (Twitch Sales, 2022). However, despite Twitch’s growing popularity as an entertainment and entrepreneurship platform, little research has been conducted on the impact of its advertising options on brand perception. This study seeks to address this …

Wild Sea Cucumber Trade In Rural Madagascar : Consequences For Conservation And Human Welfare, Emily L. Rothamel

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Overexploitation of fisheries is a challenge to both marine conservation and human welfare. The trade of sea cucumbers is a multi-billion-dollar market, spanning over 70 countries. Global concern over unsustainable sea cucumber trade led to the inclusion of three species in CITES Appendix II, two of which are found in Madagascar (Holothuria fuscogilva and H. nobilis). I used 792 structured interviews (2015–2020) to study the intensity of sea cucumber collection and exportation in rural northeastern Madagascar, where 30% of all (terrestrial and aquatic) native species are threatened with extinction. Wild sea cucumber collection was common and increased tenfold during the …

Exploring The Intersectionality Between Homelessness And Addiction: A Review, Antonia Miranda

Honors Projects

The homelessness crisis and drug epidemic have been, and continue to, ravage the nation in a manner that is both detrimental to society and humanity. The correlation between substance abuse and homelessness is enormous, though not necessarily causal. The conditions of being homeless coupled with the prevalence of mental illness drastically increases the susceptibility to substance abuse and addiction. On the other hand, addiction and substance abuse can contribute to someone entering homelessness. The intersectionality between the two is frequently ignored, yet critical to address. Informed by research regarding both conditions, the implications for public policy and reform are huge. …

The Opportunities And Challenges Of Automation: Insights From An Internship Experience At Ultrasource Llc, Olivia Madden

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis provides insight into Olivia Madden's time as an intern at UltraSource LLC. UltraSource LLC is a Kansas City company that produces meat manufacturing equipment and operational supplies. Olivia worked as a finance intern, where she was tasked with automating processes for the accounts receivable and payable teams and also did ad hoc projects for the finance department as a whole. These insights are recorded through weekly journal entries describing what was done and what was learned every week.

These insights are translated into research on the opportunities and challenges of automation, and the impact automation has on worker …

Rats Lacking Ucp1 Present A Novel Translational Tool For The Investigation Of Thermogenic Adaptation During Cold Challenge, Jaycob D. Warfel, Carrie M. Elks, David S. Bayless, Bolormaa Vandanmagsar, Allison C. Stone, Samuel E. Velasquez, Paola Olivares-Nazar, Robert C. Noland, Sujoy Ghosh, Jingying Zhang, Randall L. Mynatt

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Aim: Valuable studies have tested the role of UCP1 on body temperature maintenance in mice, and we sought to knockout Ucp1 in rats (Ucp1−/−) to provide insight into thermogenic mechanisms in larger mammals. Methods: We used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to create Ucp1−/− rats. Body weight and adiposity were measured, and rats were subjected to indirect calorimetry. Rats were maintained at room temperature or exposed to 4°C for either 24 h or 14 days. Analyses of brown and white adipose tissue and skeletal muscle were conducted via histology, western blot comparison of oxidative phosphorylation proteins, and qPCR to compare mitochondrial DNA levels …

Phylogeny And Taxonomy Of Himerometroidea (Echinodermata: Crinoidea), Kristian H. Taylor, Gregory W. Rouse, Charles G. Messing

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Himerometroidea is a clade of chiefly shallow-water, tropical, feather-star crinoids that is currently divided, based on morphology, into four families comprising 119 extant species in 31 genera. Our molecular phylogenetic results, based on three mitochondrial (CO1, 16S, CytB) and two nuclear (ITS and 28S) markers for 55 accepted species in 23 of the extant genera, allow for six clades within Himerometroidea to be given family ranks. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference analyses recovered largely congruent topologies with varying nodal support. A new classification revises generic placements among five families: Himerometridae, Colobometridae, and Mariametridae, all retained, and Pontiometridae and …

Mathematics Library News, Aaron Lercher

Faculty Publications

Mathematics Library News is an LSU Libraries newsletter for members of the Mathematics and Experimental Statistics Departments, published roughly once each semester.

Niche Specialization And Community Niche Space Increase With Species Richness In Filter-Feeder Assemblages, Irene Sánchez González, Garrett W. Hopper, Jamie R. Bucholz, Megan E. Kubala, Jeffrey D. Lozier, Carla L. Atkinson

Faculty Publications

Ecological theory posits that higher species richness should be associated with greater exploitation of resources and niche packing resulting from either increasing species niche overlap or specialization of species' niches. Research evaluating niche theory in animals tends to focus on organisms among functional feeding guilds, while resource partitioning might be more critical within functional groups. Freshwater mussels (Family: Unionidae) are a diverse and imperiled group of animals that are ideal models to test niche occupancy due to their functional similarity as filter-feeders and their occurrence in spatially and temporally stable multispecies aggregations. We evaluated the relationship between species richness and …

Handling And Restraint Induce A Significant Increase In Plasma Corticosterone In Hispaniolan Amazon Parrots (Amazona Ventralis), Shelby N. Parks, Thomas N. Tully, Aspen L. Settle, Christine R. Lattin

Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: To measure baseline plasma corticosterone levels in Hispaniolan Amazon parrots (Amazona ventralis) and assess the effects of handling and restraint on corticosterone levels over 1 hour, reflective of what parrots might experience during veterinary care. ANIMALS: 10 male and 12 female Hispaniolan Amazon parrots. PROCEDURES: Each parrot was removed from its cage and wrapped in a towel for restraint similar to that performed in a clinical setting. An initial baseline blood sample was collected in < 3 minutes upon entrance into the parrot room, after which blood samples were taken every 15 minutes for 1 hour (a total of 5 blood samples). An enzyme-linked immunoassay was validated for Hispaniolan Amazon parrots and used to determine concentrations of plasma corticosterone. RESULTS: On average, parrots showed a significant increase in corticosterone between baseline samples and all subsequent postrestraint time points (average baseline corticosterone ± SD: 0.51 ± 0.65 ng/mL). Females, on average, displayed significantly higher corticosterone levels than males after 30, 45, and 60 minutes of restraint (P = .016, P = .0099, and P = .015, respectively). Birds with feather-destructive behavior did not have significantly higher corticosterone levels than birds without the condition (P = .38). CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Understanding the physiological stress response in companion psittacine birds during routine handling will allow clinicians to better evaluate how this may affect the patient's condition and diagnostic test results. Assessing how corticosterone correlates to behavioral conditions such as feather-destructive behavior will provide clinicians with the potential to develop treatment options.

‘Flla09015-U1’: A Broadly Adapted Dual-Purpose Oat Cultivar For Southern Usa, Md Ali Babar, Stephen A. Harrison, Ann Blount, Ronald D. Barnett, Jerry Johnson, Mohamed Mergoum, Daniel J. Mailhot, J. Paul Murphy, Richard E. Mason, Amir Ibrahim, Russell Sutton, Bryan Simoneaux, Richard Boyles, Brad Stancil, David Marshall, Myron Fountain, Kathy Esvelt Klos, Naeem Khan, Marcelo Wallau, Henry G. Jordan

Faculty Publications

‘FLLA09015-U1’ (Reg. no. CV-387, PI 699117) is a new facultative oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivar that was co-developed by the University of Florida and Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and was released in 2019. This line was derived from a single cross of FL0210-J1/MN06203. FLLA09015-U1 has considerable potential for grain and forage yield and for conservation tillage purposes in the southern United States. Exclusive marketing rights for FLLA09015-U1 has been granted to JoMar Seeds and is currently commercialized under the name of Juggernaut. FLLA09015-U1 was developed using selected bulk breeding method and was selected as an F5:6 head row. The …

‘Flla11019-8’: A New Dual-Purpose Facultative Oat Cultivar For Grain And Forage Production In The Southern United States, Md Ali Babar, Stephen A. Harrison, Ann Blount, Ronald D. Barnett, Jerry Johnson, Mohamed Mergoum, Daniel J. Mailhot, J. Paul Murphy, Richard E. Mason, Amir Ibrahim, Russell Sutton, Bryan Simoneaux, Richard Boyles, Brad Stancil, David Marshall, Myron Fountain, Kathy Esvelt Klos, Naeem Khan, Marcelo Wallau, Henry G. Jordan, Xuefeng Ma, Juan Arbelaez

Faculty Publications

‘FLLA11019-8’ (Reg. no. CV-386, PI 700040) is new facultative oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivar for the southern United States for forage, grain, cover, and wildlife food crop uses. It was co-developed by the University of Florida and Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and was released in 2020 under the SunGrains, a cooperative small grain breeding program among seven Southern Universities. This line was derived from a single cross between two advanced breeding lines, FL0564-Ab13 and LA06071SBSB-S1. Exclusive marketing rights were granted to Ragan & Massey, Inc., and the line is currently commercializing under the names of RAM Forage Oats and …

Aphasia-Friendly Reading Comprehension Training To Enhance Nutritional Literacy, Alexandra Elliott Schell

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This study aimed to establish the impact of exposure to controlled, aphasia-friendly articles about dietary mindfulness on the nutritional literacy of people with aphasia. The student researcher evaluated five participants from the Butler Aphasia Community to determine their level of reading impairment, the severity of their aphasia, and baseline nutritional knowledge. Participants attended two pretest sessions, two reading sessions, and one post-test session. They were exposed to eight nutritional articles, four in an aphasia-friendly format and four in a traditional format, and evaluated on reading speed and comprehension. During their final session, the student researcher re-administered the assessment of nutritional …

Double-Stranded Rna Binding Motifs And Recognition Of Rna-Editing Substrates, Amol Singh Kular

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

RNA editing, the changing of a nucleotide sequence from that encoded by the gene, can both diversify and re code the genome. Adenosine deaminases that act on RNA (ADARs) are one class of enzymes that edit RNA by causing adenosine to inosine (functionally similar to guanine) mutations in RNA that is largely double stranded. These mutations are essential to neural receptor activity, and have been linked to clinical depression, schizophrenia, epileptic seizures, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The ADAR enzyme consists of a catalytic domain, whose structure has been previously determined, as well as one or more double stranded RNA binding …

What We Have To Offer: Making A Case For Gender Non-Conforming Space In The Church Through An Analysis Of Its History, Delaney Marie Beh

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

In recent years, discussions about sexuality and gender identity have become a focal point for most Christian churches. Many have come to support and affirm the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community, citing a commitment to Jesus’ teachings of love, peace, and justice. However, a sizable proportion still stands largely opposed to this acceptance. In the midst of a current fixation on the role of gender nonconforming individuals in American society, certain Christians are rushing to the forefront in defense of what they perceive to be ‘biblical’ manhood and womanhood. Although many are adamant that both scripture and …

Dilemmas Of Difference And Nonhuman Animals: Applying Insights From Feminist Philosophy To Animal Rights Law, Ethan Charles Shopmeyer

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Martha Minow’s concept of dilemmas of difference, widely influential in feminist philosophy of law, exposes how hidden patriarchal norms are reified in legal institutions and harmfully categorize oppressed groups. Though Minow primarily focuses on how such dilemmas impact interpersonal relationships, I argue that her work can be applied to the relationship between nonhuman animals, human beings, and our legal institutions. Just as certain patriarchal norms establish categories that mask the true roots of difference and thus make it more difficult for non-dominant groups to obtain justice, so too do implicit anthropocentric norms mark out nonhuman animals as different from human …

Applying Various Industry Best Practices To Prevent Occupational Exposure To Hazardous Drugs In Healthcare, Joseph Darby Kirkpatrick

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Hazardous drugs (HDs) have many therapeutic applications in healthcare, but with their benefits come drawbacks. Much has been documented over the past several decades about the adverse effects of HDs, particularly for those with indirect, occupational exposure. This exposure comes primarily from inadvertent dermal contact with drug material and residue, and is observed in individuals who handle HDs directly, including pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who compound and prepare the drugs. However, individuals have the potential for exposure when interacting with HDs at all stages of the drug’s “life cycle,” including preparation, administration, transport, and waste management. Among various regulatory measures …

Hermione, Karrington Tabor

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Euripides' infamous anti-Spartan play, "Andromache", is led by the ominous threat of the villainous Hermione of Sparta, daughter to Helen of Troy and King Menelaus. Withstanding the political climate, a fascination began with Hermione as the archetype of a princess, but, her character's ferocity led to further research into the psychological effects of long-term isolation, coupled with further insights into ancient Greek cultural phenomena, such as the Eleusinian Mysteries and the rituals of ancient wedding celebrations. This thesis seeks to not just provide further understanding of the complex world of ancient Greece, but also expand on the socio-cultural significance of …

Feminism's Forgotten Frontier: Why Menstrual Liberation Is Necessary For Addressing Western Society’S Somatophobia, Madeline Eileen Eary

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This honors thesis proposes a solution to the shame and stigmatization of menstruation in Western Society. I begin this conversation by describing the social position of the menstruating body in society, through the lens of somatophobia, described by Elizabeth Spelman’s article “Woman as Body: Ancient and Contemporary Views”. In response to the article, I propose two theoretical frameworks to address somoatophobic discourse. The first framework, embodied subjectivity, proposes a new way of viewing the body in society based on Hortense Spillers’ “Mama’s Baby, Papa’s Maybe: An American Grammar Book” definitions of subjecthood. My second framework, menstrual liberation, rests upon the …

Seasonal Plasticity And Correlations Among Butterfly Wing Color Patterns: Insights Into Modularity, Rachel Lynn Urban

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Dealing with the wide ranges of temperatures throughout the year can be a challenge for ectothermic animals like insects. Phenotypic plasticity, the development of different phenotypes depending on the environment, is one way that animals can combat this problem. However, traits are often integrated and share developmental or genetic mechanisms which can limit the adaptive response of an individual trait. Modules, groups of traits that vary together but are independent of other traits, often share developmental mechanisms and therefore can facilitate the evolution of these adaptive traits. The seasonally variable melanistic wing patterns elements of the Colias butterfly are an …

The G Protein-Coupled Receptor (Gpcr) Fshr-1 And The Sphk-1 Lipid Kinase Regulate C. Elegans Life- And Healthspans Via A Common Pathway, Ryan Dennis Adkins

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Later years of life are often characterized by reduced cognitive function and mobility. One contributor is the cellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), but our understanding of how cells respond to ROS to promote health and survival is incomplete. Follicle stimulating hormone receptor-1 (FSHR-1) and sphingosine kinase-1 (SPHK-1) mediate responses to oxidative stress and regulate life history traits in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. The genes encoding both proteins are conserved in humans where they are implicated in stress responses, cell survival and neuronal function. fshr-1 and sphk-1 work together to mediate responses to intestinal oxidative stress in C. elegans. …

Sand Escarpments As A Potential Barrier To The Nesting Distribution Of Sea Turtles, Dakota Ronco

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

Sea turtles are a part of both the marine and terrestrial ecosystems as primary and secondary consumers. By laying nests on the beaches and migrating across the ocean, sea turtles are significant in maintaining the nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) flux between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Nests bring nutrients into the sand by decomposing unhatched eggs and egg remains. The distribution of their nests is significant in getting insights into the population density of sea turtles and what drives the nesting location, which ultimately regulates nutrient flux. The location of their nests is driven by sandy beach ecosystem structures, especially active …

Inhibitors Of Human Eno2 Are Potent Anti-Trypanosomal Agents, Danielle Lavigne

Honors College Theses

Kinetoplastid parasite infections remain a global health burden. Here, we have characterized inhibitors of an essential Trypanosoma brucei glycolytic enzyme, enolase (TbENO). We anticipate TbENO inhibitors will be potent anti-trypanosomals, as T. brucei relies on glycolysis for ATP production in the blood of infected mammals. Additionally, the phosphonate enolase inhibitors being considered are well-tolerated in mammals, suggesting their potential in developing novel therapeutics for kinetoplastid infections. TbENO was cloned into the bacterial expression vector, pQE-30, and the heterologously-expressed protein was purified by nickel affinity and assayed in a coupled enzyme assay. Enzyme activity paralleled the abundance …

Nutrient Dynamics In Restored And Unrestored Urban Streams: A Study In The Southern Piedmont Ecoregion Of South Carolina, Emily Jordan

All Theses

The United States invests billions of dollars annually to perform stream restoration projects, yet few studies have investigated the effects ecological manipulation has on nutrient cycling and associated water quality. Water quality improvement remains a substantial motivation for mitigating catchment scale disturbances, especially in urban streams. Various land use practices impact the transfer and transport of nutrients such as ammonium (NH₄-N), nitrate plus nitrite (NO₃-N + NO₂-N) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) from land into the flowing waters of a watershed. The uptake length (S_w), or the distance (m) a dissolved nutrient …

Disinfectant Efficacy Against Sars-Cov-2 Surrogates, Bovine Coronavirus And Human Coronavirus Oc43, On Hard And Soft Non-Porous Surfaces, Breanna Kimbrell

All Theses

The novel human coronavirus (HCoV), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged from Wuhan, China in the latter part of 2019. The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 amid the most recent COVID-19 pandemic forced countless foodservice establishments (FSEs) across the United States to close, taking a tremendous toll on the foodservice industry. Although primarily transmitted person-to-person, previous studies indicate that the duration of SARS-CoV-2 survival on different environmental surfaces provides adequate time for secondary transmission to occur. To prevent the further spread of SARS-CoV-2, effective disinfection of surfaces in FSEs is necessary. While disinfectants approved for use against SARS-CoV-2 are …

Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers Provide Evidence For Kidney-Brain Axis Involvement In Cerebral Malaria Pathogenesis, Andrea L. Conroy, Dibyadyuti Datta, Robert Opoka, Anthony Batte, Paul Bangirana, Adnan Gopinadhan, Kagan A. Mellencamp, Ayse Akcan-Arikan, Richard Idro, Chandy C. John

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Introduction: Cerebral malaria is one of the most severe manifestations of malaria and is a leading cause of acquired neurodisability in African children. Recent studies suggest acute kidney injury (AKI) is a risk factor for brain injury in cerebral malaria. The present study evaluates potential mechanisms of brain injury in cerebral malaria by evaluating changes in cerebrospinal fluid measures of brain injury with respect to severe malaria complications. Specifically, we attempt to delineate mechanisms of injury focusing on blood-brain-barrier integrity and acute metabolic changes that may underlie kidney-brain crosstalk in severe malaria.

Methods: We evaluated 30 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers …

Andrews University Summer Camps, Andrews University

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Black History Month At The Art Institute Of Atlanta Library, Michael W. Wilson

Georgia Library Quarterly

The 2023 Black History Month program at The Art Institute of Atlanta is described. The program entailed the use of LibGuides to assist students in identifying figures in African American history, specifically individuals who were pioneers in the students' fields of study. Students were provided access to a large paper banner to create tributes to the figures they discovered using the LibGuide.