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Cardiolipin Profiling in Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells
Get PDFSix human breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, LM, BoM, T47D, MCF7, and MCF7-BoM) were treated with three differentially targeted phospholipase inhibitors (bromoenol lactone, tricyclodecan-9-yl-xanthogenate, and halopemide) as well as various dietary oils (canola oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil, sesame oil, and soybean oil). Cell viability assays were performed to examine the effects of each inhibitor and oil in varying concentrations on the proliferation of each breast cancer cell line. The goal was to detect changes in cardiolipin concentration within each cell line after exposure to a series of various phospholipase inhibitors and oils. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was performed on a cardiolipin standard as well as lipid extract samples from each cell line in order to detect changes in cardiolipin composition before and after the addition of test compounds. Because the MS results for the cell lines did not display a peak for the cardiolipin standard, we could not use these results as a valid means for determining the changes in cardiolipin composition between the samples. However, BEL, halopemide, D609, canola oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, and olive oil did prove to cause a statistically significant difference in the cell viability of various breast cancer cell lines
A Quantitative Evaluation of the HTC Vive for Virtual Reality Research
Get PDFThe equipment typically used in virtual reality (VR) research, including head-mounted displays (HMDs) and motion capture systems, has traditionally been prohibitively expensive. The recent increase in the availability of consumer-grade VR equipment has greatly lowered the barrier to entry for VR research. The equipment typically used for research can cost upwards of tens of thousands of dollars, but the consumer-grade HTC Vive system offers an HMD with room-scale tracking for less than $500. In order for scientific studies to be properly conducted using the Vive, its tracking must be well understood. This study measures the accuracy and drift in the Vive’s tracking and compares it to the research-grade PhaseSpace motion capture system. The methods in this study are based on those in Niehorster et al. [1] with modifications to allow more precise measurements and a reduced possibility for human error
The Fundamentals of Accounting: A Series of Case Reports
Get PDFThe Patterson School of Accountancy encourages students to participate in an internship before graduating. These internships occur in the spring of senior year which conflicts with the traditional schedule for completing a thesis. The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College allows accounting students to enroll in this alternative thesis track led by Dr. Vicki Dickinson. Dr. D is the most passionate professor I have encountered in the accounting school and her class was the single most enriching course in all of my major studies. She led a comprehensive study of technical accounting using this set of cases while also setting us up to network with our future employers. The following body of work required a complete knowledge of accounting and the theories and laws behind it. I can now properly account for a transaction and then follow it all the way to the final financial statements. In addition, I can research and explain our accounting regulation. These are both demonstrated on many occasions in this thesis. The following collection of cases represents my growth from a curious student into the employed accounting major that I am today
Child Sexploitation: A Study of Machismo and the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Latin America
Get PDFThis thesis attempts to explore how the inextricable relationship between machismo and poverty connects to the commercial sexual exploitation of children in Latin America through predatory behaviors in order to provide insight to anti-trafficking campaigns. The overt Latin American culture of machismo contributes to the discrimination of women and children, enhancing their inherent dependency on men for economic survival. The inevitable pattern of dependency on patriarchal figures out of vulnerability to societal constructions is evident in economic, political and social structures. The pervasiveness of dependency is seen through patterns of violence against women, patterns of child abuse, and patterns of commercial sexual exploitation of children in three Latin American countries: Mexico, Guatemala, and Colombia. Machismo and poverty are so inextricably connected in their contribution to the commercial sexual exploitation of children that they cannot be overlooked when determining responses and designing schemes for anti-trafficking campaigns
Examining the Impact of University Sports Success on Freshman ACT Scores: An Empirical Analysis
Get PDFMy study presents a model in which incoming freshman ACT scores are a function of football, basketball, and baseball regular season and postseason success, using academic variables as controls. I contribute to the existing literature by including baseball in the analysis in addition to football and basketball, using ACT scores instead of SAT scores, using a unique and expanded set of variables to measure sports success, and more recent data. For the time period 2006-2014, I find weak evidence that supports the hypothesis that athletic success positively influences ACT scores
The New Mafia: Vladimir Putin's Inner Circle and Russian Organized Crime
Get PDFThe purpose of this project was to show the relationship between organized crime and members of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and the impact of the crossover of organized crime tactics and behavior to officials of the Russian government. To show this, this thesis looks at the ways in which four specific members of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, Igor Sechin, Sergei Glazyev, Viktor Zolotov, and Nikolai Patrushev, are involved in illegal activity that resembles the kind of actions that are perpetrated by organized crime groups and how their behavior is similar to that of the leaders of these groups. This thesis aims to reveal the extent of the “mafia state” and show the depth of corruption
Ca2+/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II Activity and Expression in the Aged Mouse Hippocampus
Get PDFCaM Kinase II (Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II) is a serine/threonine-specific protein kinase enzyme that acts as a critical regulator of learning and memory. It has previously been shown that the inability of CaMKII to maintain activation is connected to memory deficits within the aging brain. While the connection between CaMKII dysfunction and learning and memory impairments is well established, little is known about the changes that cause CaMKII dysfunction. Our research set out to investigate if CaMKII is altered during the process of aging. Specifically, we looked at activity, regulation, and stability by conducting experiments to quantify CaMKII levels of activity and protein expression in both young and aged mouse hippocampi. We hypothesized that when compared to young mouse hippocampi, aged mouse hippocampi would have lower levels of total CaMKII activity, lower levels of phosphorylated CaMKII expression, and increased levels of CaMKII inhibitor expression. The impact of our research lies in the illumination of the mechanisms causing CaMKII dysfunction. By casting light on the process of CaMKII dysfunction, we will help future researchers to establish a possible therapeutic target in the fight against learning and memory impairments
Risk Perceptions for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Among College Students
Get PDFWith the number of cases of Type 2 diabetes mellitus on the rise among the world’s adolescent population, there is an increasing need for more information concerning the adolescent perceptions of risk to acquire diabetes. While there is an abundance of available data on adult risk perceptions for developing this disease, the research on younger individuals’ risk perceptions is scarce. Therefore, this study examines data of risk perceptions of students between the ages of 18 and 25 that are undergraduate students at the University of Mississippi. The specific goal of the survey is to examine which groups of individuals feel most at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, and also to discern any variables or underlying causes that may cause them to answer in such a manner. By doing so, the data will help to contribute to the continuing conversation that is needed between health professionals and laypeople in order to lead to more favorable health-related outcomes
Post-Translational Modification of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor Proteins by O-Linked -N-Acetylglucosamine in Breast Cancer Cells
Get PDFOne of the hallmarks of cancer is its ability to adapt its metabolism to survive and thrive despite needing to overcome significant energy barriers and low oxygen settings in order to do so. The hypoxia-inducible factor proteins (HIFs) play important roles in the processes in which cancer fulfills these requirements. The O-linked -N-acetylglucoseamine (O-GlcNAc) can be attached to cellular proteins through O-glycosylation, and is thus considered a potential target for anticancer mechanisms. HIFs are composed of (HIF-1 and HIF-2, respectively) and subunits. This research found that O-GlcNAc is able to attach to and modify the HIF proteins. This was accomplished through the use of immunoprecipitation followed by western blot, examining nuclear extract samples prepared from human breast cancer T47D cells. The O-GlcNAc was found to attach to both HIF-1 and HIF-2, and was most prominently expressed in the presence of O-(2-Acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranosylidenamino) N-phenylcarbamate (PUGNAc), which enhances O-GlcNAcylation by inhibiting the enzyme OGA
Dilemmas in the Accounting World: A Case-by-Case Solution Series
Get PDFThis paper is a collection of case studies performed with different real-world numbers from various companies whose names have been changed for confidentiality reasons. The different cases examine financial statements from these companies, and each case has a different topic of accounting to examine and answer questions about. The only outside source I used to answer these questions came from the FASB Codification. While most of the answers are correct, some may be just opinionated based on the research I did with the Codification and outside knowledge from the classroom. I am thankful for the opportunity I had to work with Dr. Dickinson on these case studies, and I feel as though this work enhanced my experience and knowledge earned with the Patterson School of Accountancy