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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Heteroaggregation Of Lignin-Zein Nanoparticles: Effects Of Relative Size And Concentration, Yada Chulakham Jan 2022

Heteroaggregation Of Lignin-Zein Nanoparticles: Effects Of Relative Size And Concentration, Yada Chulakham

LSU Master's Theses

Nanotechnology has become an advanced tool for manufacturing materials of the future. As the size of a material is reduced to a nanoscale, its surface area to volume ratio increases drastically, and its surface property becomes size dependent. This allows scientists to make use of unique properties that nanomaterials have to offer to create novel materials that otherwise could not have been achieved in meter-scale materials. As more industrial companies have planned to incorporate different types of nanomaterials into their products, it is undeniable that some of these nanomaterials will be released to the environment. Such possibility has led to …


An Exploration Of Plasmonics For Nanoparticle-Based Gene Delivery, Corey Raymond Landry Jan 2015

An Exploration Of Plasmonics For Nanoparticle-Based Gene Delivery, Corey Raymond Landry

LSU Master's Theses

The spatiotemporal control of biological processes, especially cell growth and differentiation, remains one of the most compelling challenges in basic and clinical biomedical research. Fields as diverse as cancer therapy and regenerative medicine rely on spatial and temporal control of biochemical cues to achieve desired biological objectives. MicroRNA are attractive for highly-localized delivery applications because their instability in the cell restricts their biological effect to a small target area. These short, non-coding strands can be easily synthesized and modified for attachment and release from nanoparticle delivery vehicles. The research interest around microRNA therapies has produced a wide array of pathways …


Antioxidant Activity Of Lutein Entrapped In Poly (Dl-Lactide Co-Glycolide) Acid And Plga/Chitosan Nanoparticles, Toni Borel Lousteau Jan 2015

Antioxidant Activity Of Lutein Entrapped In Poly (Dl-Lactide Co-Glycolide) Acid And Plga/Chitosan Nanoparticles, Toni Borel Lousteau

LSU Master's Theses

Polymeric nanocarriers improve cellular uptake, stability, solubility, and functionality of entrapped drugs and nutraceuticals. The hypothesis of this study was that entrapping lutein, a hydrophobic antioxidant, in different polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) will improve its stability and antioxidant activity. The following objectives were proposed: 1. Synthesize and characterize polymeric nanoparticles of poly lactic co-glycolic acid (PLGA) and PLGA NPs covered with a layer of chitosan (PLGA/Chi) from a physicochemical perspective, and 2. Assess functionality of the entrapped lutein as a function of type of polymer in which entrapped. Nanoparticles were synthesized by emulsion evaporation method. Characterization included size, zeta potential, and …


Bioavailability Of Alpha-Tocopherol Entrapped In Poly (Lactide-Co-Glycolide) (Plga) And Plga-Chitosan Nanoparticles, Lacey Caroline Simon Jan 2014

Bioavailability Of Alpha-Tocopherol Entrapped In Poly (Lactide-Co-Glycolide) (Plga) And Plga-Chitosan Nanoparticles, Lacey Caroline Simon

LSU Master's Theses

Alpha-tocopherol (áT) is a hydrophobic, antioxidant molecule shown to prevent or retard the effects of free radicals associated with diseases. It is hypothesized that the bioavailability of áT can be improved when entrapped in PLGA (Poly lactide-co-glycolide) and PLGA-Chi (PLGA-Chitosan) nanoparticles and that the mucoadhesive properties of chitosan may enhance absorption more than PLGA alone. PLGA and PLGA-Chi NPs synthesized with PVA as surfactant were characterized by measuring entrapment efficiency, size, PDI, and zeta potential when suspended in DI water. Nanoparticle physical stability was evaluated via NP exposure to environmental pH ranging from 2.5-9. Chemical stability of entrapped áT was …


Physical Stability Of Poly (Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid) And Plga/Chitosan Nanoparticles And Chemical Stability Of Entrapped Alpha-Tocopherol And Lutein, Meocha Whaley Jan 2014

Physical Stability Of Poly (Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid) And Plga/Chitosan Nanoparticles And Chemical Stability Of Entrapped Alpha-Tocopherol And Lutein, Meocha Whaley

LSU Master's Theses

The published benefits of polymeric nanoparticles as a system for antioxidant delivery have encompassed topics of improved oral delivery, bioavailability, and modified release to name a few. Generally accepted as safe polymers Poly(lactic-coglycolic acid) and the mucoadhesive chitosan were selected to entrap alpha-tocopherol and lutein. This study proposed to assess the physical stability of PLGA and Chi/PLGA nanoparticles with entrapped bioactives in varying biological suspension medias ( water, pbs, hbss and cell media). Also, to assess the chemical stability of the entrapped antioxidants lutein and alpha-tocopherol within the same media as deemed relevant for in-vitro and and in-vivo studies. Of …


Chronic Toxicity Of Nano Metallics On Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus Clarkii) In Laboratory And Mesocosm Studies, Jake Andrew Farlow Jan 2014

Chronic Toxicity Of Nano Metallics On Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus Clarkii) In Laboratory And Mesocosm Studies, Jake Andrew Farlow

LSU Master's Theses

Nanotechnology has become integrated in commercial, industrial and medical products, and its use has grown exponentially in the past several years. Although potential applications of nanoparticles (NPs) are numerous, concerns about their water quality, environmental, and human health impacts remain unclear. Crayfish are ubiquitous to streams and wetland habitats, are used as a food source, and inhabit areas that could be impacted by water quality issues. Numerous studies have been conducted on the toxicity of various classes of agricultural pesticides and oils to crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) as a non-target organism. However, there is little evidence published on chronic toxicity of …


Selective Nanoparticles For Antimicrobial Therapies And Mri Diagnostics, Mark Andrew Hoppens Jun 2013

Selective Nanoparticles For Antimicrobial Therapies And Mri Diagnostics, Mark Andrew Hoppens

LSU Master's Theses

Early diagnosis and treatment of an infection and the selectivity of the treatment method are three parameters, which if optimized will greatly enhance a patient’s prognosis. Thus these three components have been, and continue to be extensively studied. Advances in biosynthesis and nanofabriciation have provided researchers with new tools with which to improve diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. Of these, inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) have shown great promise. Metallic nanoparticles have been demonstrated to successfully serve as antimicrobials, platforms for the transportation of therapeutic molecules, CT and MRI contrast agents, and thermal ablation. The recent paradigm of theranostics proposes substances that serve …


Towards The Development Of Biotin Carboxylase Driven Robotic Nanoswimmers, Rachel Yates Jan 2012

Towards The Development Of Biotin Carboxylase Driven Robotic Nanoswimmers, Rachel Yates

LSU Master's Theses

The objective of this research is to take the first step towards demonstrating the use of the enzyme biotin carboxylase (BC) as a biomolecular motor. BC is a homodimeric protein involved in fatty biosynthesis in all organisms. The conjecture is that BC can convert chemical energy into useful mechanical work via its conformation change, which acts as a fin or flexible oar producing nonreciprocal motion. To this end, we fabricate a proof-of-concept biomolecular machine driven by BC molecules, viz., a robotic nanoswimmer. This machine consists of a Janus-type nanosize silica particle, where one hemisphere is coated with an intermediate layer …


Surface-Modified Plga Nanoparticles For Targeted Drug Delivery To Neurons, Jingyan Li Jan 2012

Surface-Modified Plga Nanoparticles For Targeted Drug Delivery To Neurons, Jingyan Li

LSU Master's Theses

The blood-brain barrier (BBB), which protects the central nervous system (CNS) from unnecessary substances, is a challenging obstacle in the treatment of CNS disease such as Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Many therapeutic agents such as hydrophilic and macromolecular drugs cannot overcome the BBB. One promising solution is the employment of polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) such as poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) NPs as drug carrier. Over the past few years, significant breakthroughs have been made in developing suitable poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly (lactic acid) (PLA) nanoparticles for drug delivery across the BBB. Recent advances on PLGA/PLA NPs enhanced neural delivery of …


Pool Boiling Enhancement Via Micro Ratchets, Lance Austin Brumfield Jan 2011

Pool Boiling Enhancement Via Micro Ratchets, Lance Austin Brumfield

LSU Master's Theses

Nucleate boiling is an attractive method for achieving high heat flux at low superheat temperatures. It is frequently used for industrial applications such as heat exchangers and is being considered to cool advanced central processing units (CPU) which produce heat fluxes on the order of 1 MW/m2 and are becoming increasing less efficient to cool via forced conduction of air. The issues with implementing nucleate boiling as a cooling mechanism lies in the difficulty of quantifying the complex and numerous mechanisms which control the process. A comprehensive nucleate boiling model has yet to be formulated and will required in order …


Boron And Rare Earth Oxide Composite Nanoparticles For Enhancement Of Combustion, Jacob Hanberry Jan 2011

Boron And Rare Earth Oxide Composite Nanoparticles For Enhancement Of Combustion, Jacob Hanberry

LSU Master's Theses

Metallic fuels are of interest as additives in bio-fuel combustion because of their high heating values, and this thesis deals with the experimental investigation of boron nanoparticles and their effect on ethanol combustion. Two grades of boron nanoparticles were commercially purchased and modified to obtain different physical characteristics, by ball milling and sintering. Also, a mixture of rare-earth oxide (CeO2, La2O3, and Gd2O3) nanoparticles was synthesized and added to the boron nanoparticles in varying amounts to form composite mixtures. The effects of rare-earth oxides on boron combustion were investigated using these composites. Particle characterizations were carried out by X-ray diffraction, …


Antisense Silver Nanoparticles For Photo-Activated Gene Silencing, Paige Kathleen Brown Jan 2010

Antisense Silver Nanoparticles For Photo-Activated Gene Silencing, Paige Kathleen Brown

LSU Master's Theses

The unique properties of noble metal nanoparticles, which include tunable electronic and photonic characteristics, contribute to their potential as novel delivery vectors with enhanced drug stability, cell uptake, and photo-activated functionalities. Silver, as one of best surface-enhancing substrates available for bulk nanostructure synthesis, is a prime choice for investigations of metal nanohybrids as antisense therapy vehicles with special surface plasmon resonance (SPR) enabled functional attributes. The singular photonic properties of silver nanoparticles (SNPs) may contribute to ease of delivery confirmation and in situ photo-activation of protected cargo packed on particle surfaces. Here we show the synthesis and characterization of 40-80nm …


Itraconazole Loaded Poly (Lactic-Co-Glycolic) Acid Nanoparticles For Improved Antifungal Activity, Nipur Rajan Patel Jan 2010

Itraconazole Loaded Poly (Lactic-Co-Glycolic) Acid Nanoparticles For Improved Antifungal Activity, Nipur Rajan Patel

LSU Master's Theses

PLGA (polylactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles containing the hydrophobic antifungal Itraconazole (ITZ) were developed to address the need for more efficient means of treating fungal infections. PLGA-ITZ nanoparticles were synthesized using an oil-in-water emulsion evaporation method. The nanoparticles morphology (TEM), size and size distribution, zeta potential (DLS), encapsulation efficiency (UV-VIS), release profile, and antifungal activity were characterized. The blank NPs and loaded PLGA-ITZ NPs were spherical with diameters of 201±5 nm, 232±1 nm and 223±36 nm at 0%, 12.5% and 25% loadings, respectively. All synthesized particles measured a negative zeta potential ranging from -28 to -33 mV. The maximum encapsulation efficiency of …


Functionalization Of Gold And Glass Surfaces With Magnetic Nanoparticles Using Biomolecular Interactions, Bala Sesha Giri Rao Nidumolu Jan 2005

Functionalization Of Gold And Glass Surfaces With Magnetic Nanoparticles Using Biomolecular Interactions, Bala Sesha Giri Rao Nidumolu

LSU Master's Theses

Advances in nanotechnology have enabled the production and characterization of magnetic particles with nanometer-sized features that can be functionalized with biological recognition elements for clinical and biosensing applications. In the present study the synthesis and interactions between self assembled monolayers (SAMs) and functionalized nanoparticles have been characterized. Size and shape of magnetic nanoparticles synthesized wet chemically starting from ferrous and ferric salts were verified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These nanoparticles were then conjugated with FITC-labeled streptavidin through carbodiimide (EDC) chemistry. SAMs of thiol-capped biotins were synthesized on gold surfaces for capture of the conjugated nanoparticles. Characterization of nanoparticle functionalization …