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Ceci N’Est Pas Qu’Une Banane: French Underdevelopment And Green Imperialism In The “Island Of Beautiful Waters”, Kelsie Guzik

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Determining The Effects Of Exogenous Human Chorionic Gonadotropin And Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotropin On Plasma Testosterone, Testicular Volume, And Semen Production In Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis Macularius), Alexandra Mason

LSU Master's Theses

Planet earth has now entered into its sixth mass extinction as a result of expanding human populations, posing an unprecedented threat to biologic diversity. Climate change, habitat fragmentation, wildlife trade, pollution, and biological invasions are just a few consequences of human activities that have directly contributed to unprecedented species extinctions. While widespread amphibian declines have gained more recent attention, it has been proposed that reptiles may be in even greater danger of extinction worldwide. Unfortunately, many reptiles are destined to go extinct before many of their basic biologic traits, including reproductive methods, have even been determined.

In order to mitigate …

The Bioarchaeology Of The Lake St. Agnes Mound (16av26) Site: Exploring Diet From Fragmentary Remains, Kenneth Tremblay

LSU Master's Theses

The Lake St. Agnes Mound (16AV26) site, located in central Louisiana, is composed of two, temporally distinct burial components; one, a Coles Creek period component, at the base of the mound (~780-880 CE), and the other, a Plaquemine subperiod component, at its apex (~1400 CE). These burials, though heavily fragmented, commingled, and representing small sample sizes, are valuable for studying the transition to agriculture in the Lower Mississippi River Valley. It is now clear that for the Coles Creek period, maize was likely only a ceremonial crop rather than a staple food source (Kidder, 1993; Listi, 2011). The reliance on …

Effect Of Contact Time And Attachment Level Of Bacterial Pathogens On Efficacy Of Chlorine Treatment In Fresh Produce, Jyoti Aryal

LSU Master's Theses

Bacterial attachment or biofilm formation on produce surfaces may result in limited penetration ability of sanitizers. This study examined the wet and dry contact time (WCT or DCT) of produce during washing with sanitizer and evaluated the effect of attachment level of Listeria monocytogenes during storage on the efficacy of chlorine treatment. Spinach and bell peppers were inoculated with Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica. The produce was then washed by dipping into a 100 ppm of chlorine solution for 1 min and an additional 1, 3, or 5 minutes (WCT) or removed from the chlorine solution and held for 1, …

The Arena Players, Inc.: The Oldest Continuously Operating African American Community Theatre In The United States, Alexis Michelle Skinner

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Hay (1994) gave the Arena Players the moniker, “the oldest continuously operating African American community theatre company” in the U.S. But, if Black Theatre is increasingly found in mainstream venues in regional theatre and Broadway while Black Drama is relegated to syllabi, where is the living practice of African American, or black, community theatre? And what guarantees its survival? Craig (1980) and Fraden (1994) give voice to black critics, like Locke (1925), in co-creating objectives for black theatre during the FTP which took stage as the Negro Little Theatre continued. Hill & Hatch (2003) solidify the geographical and ideological connections …

Hume's Objects After Deleuze, Michael P. Harter

LSU Master's Theses

The skeptical challenge of David Hume in the 18th Century presented a shock to existing dogmatic thinking in philosophy. In challenging long-held and fundamental beliefs about the nature of causation and the external world, Hume would be categorized as a radical skeptic and anti-realist by his contemporaries and Immanuel Kant later on. However, renewed debate over these historical interpretations of Hume has emerged, and those under the New Hume banner argue that Hume held a realist position. However, all of these interpretations are not without their issues. In this thesis, I show that the historical readings of Hume misjudge the …

Stream Power Analysis Of The Mid-Barataria Conveyance Channel Model, Jack Graham

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana’s coast is disappearing at an alarming rate. Erosion, subsidence, sea level rise, and the devastating impacts from hurricanes have contributed to the loss of thousands of square miles of land that was once a thriving ecosystem. The Louisiana government is taking action to help protect and restore these coastal habitats, which are a home to some two million people and numerous species of animals, birds, and fish. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is a new type of project to help create land in Barataria Basin. Conceptually, the diversion is designed to use the available sediment and stream power provided by …

Use Of A Zebrafish Model To Identify Anticonvulsant Properties Of Cannabinoid And Terpenoid Extracts And Mixtures, Courtney Murr

LSU Master's Theses

Epilepsy is a complex group of neurological disorders affecting approximately 65 million people worldwide. Animal models reveal the activation of cannabinoid receptor 1 and cannabinoid receptor 2 reduces the severity of seizures associated with epilepsy. Trials of phytocannabinoids in mammals demonstrate their efficacy of reducing the severity of epileptic seizures. Numerous terpenoid compounds are present in Cannabis plants but most have yet to be clinically investigated. The goal of this research was to use zebrafish (Danio rerio) to identify the potential anticonvulsive properties of phytocannabinoid and terpenoid compounds. During acute cannabinoid exposures, 7-days-post-fertilization (7 dpf) zebrafish larvae were …

The Effect Of Fallow Season Cover Crops On Nutrient Cycling And Soil Health In Row Crop Production In The Mid-South, Kritsanee Iamjud

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The reliance on conventional cropping has profoundly impacted agricultural sustainability and resulted in soil degradation. Winter cover crops can preserve the soil surface, recycle soil nutrients, and improve soil health. Hence, the role of cover crops in Louisiana row-crop production was examined in small-scale plots and large-scale on-farm studies at three sites in Northeast Louisiana from 2017 to 2020. Additionally, mixed cover crops degradation and nutrient release were evaluated at Macon Ridge and Dean Lee sites to determine the optimum time of nutrient availability after cover crop termination. The small-scale results showed that integrating cover crops for corn (Zea …

Antioxidant Properties Of Pecan Shell Bioactive Components Of Different Cultivars And Extraction Methods, Cameron Cason, Veerachandra K. Yemmireddy, Juan Moreira, Achyut Adhikari

Faculty Publications

Pecan shells are a rich source of various bioactive compounds with potential antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. This study investigated the effect of pecan variety and method extraction on the antioxidant property of shell extracts. Twenty different varieties of pecan shells were subjected to either aqueous or ethanolic extraction and were examined for total phenolics and antiradical activity. The phenolic content and antiradical activity of shell extracts were significantly (p < 0.05) varied with different pecan cultivars. The total phenolic content of ethanol extracts ranged from 304.2 (Caddo) to 153.54 (Cherokee) mg GAE/g of dry extract and was significantly greater (p < 0.05) than those obtained by aqueous extraction. The antiradical activity of ethanol extracts ranged from 840.6 (Maramec) to 526.74 (Caper Fear) mg TEg-1, while aqueous extracts ranged from 934.9 (Curtis) to 468.3 (Elliot) mg TEg-1. Chemical profiling of the crude and acid hydrolyzed extracts was performed by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography and flow injection electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Lignin degradation products such as lignols, dilignols, trilignols, and oligolignols were found to be the major components of tested extracts. Phenolic content and antiradical activity of pecan shell extracts are significantly varied with cultivars and methods of extraction.

Exercise And Bone: Older Adults, Type Ii Diabetes, And Ketogenic Diets, Matthew Casey Scott

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Exercise is a well-appreciated modulator of bone and has other positive implications for overall fitness and health. The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the effects of exercise on bone in conjunction with other known modifiers: old age, type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and ketogenic diets. The three studies discussed in this dissertation utilized multiple methods of measuring bone to examine the effect of exercise on bone in individuals with type II diabetes, rodents consuming a ketogenic diet, and older adults participating in a novel resistance training intervention. The first study examined the effects of a 9-month resistance, aerobic, …

Food Processing, Dysbiosis, Gastrointestinal Inflammatory Diseases, And Antiangiogenic Functional Foods Or Beverages, Jack N. Losso

Faculty Publications

Foods and beverages provide nutrients and alter the gut microbiota, resulting in eubiosis or dysbiosis. Chronic consumption of a diet that is high in saturated or trans fats, meat proteins, reducing sugars, and salt and low in fiber induces dysbiosis. Dysbiosis, loss of redox homeostasis, mast cells, hypoxia, angiogenesis, the kynurenine pathway, transglutaminase 2, and/or the Janus kinase pathway are implicated in the pathogenesis and development of inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and gastrointestinal malignancy. This review discusses the effects of oxidative, carbonyl, or glycative stress-inducing dietary ingredients or food processing-derived compounds on gut microbiota and gastrointestinal epithelial and mast …

Changes In Wetland Soil Processes And Ecosystem Functions Six Years After Marsh Creation In Barataria Bay, Louisiana, Erol R. Knaus

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana contains about 40% of the conterminous United States coastal and estuarine wetlands but also has the highest rates of wetland loss at around 80% of the total. Approximately 4,900 km² of coastal land in Louisiana has been lost since 1930. Our study location, Barataria Bay, has one of the highest coastal wetland erosion rates in the nation, at ∼41 km² per year; and therefore, is a high priority for wetland restoration activities. In 2014, sandy sediment dredged from the bed of the Mississippi River was placed in Barataria Bay as part of a restoration effort. Samples were …

A Comparison Of Intertidal Metazoan Biodiversity Between Previously Oiled Sheared And Intact Marsh Margins And Between Multiple Salinity Zones In The Coastal Marshes Of Louisiana, Patrick M. Rayle

LSU Master's Theses

Marshes in Louisiana are under threat from numerous natural and anthropogenic sources. A consequence of these threats are sheared marsh margins, which result from the impact of storm surge on previously oiled, weakened marsh. These conditions occurred in Louisiana marshes after Hurricane Isaac in 2012 followed the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, particularly in the shorelines surrounding Bay Jimmy. The second and third chapters of this thesis focus on the differences in biodiversity between the sheared and intact marsh margins in impacted sites in Bay Jimmy. Metabarcoding methods were used to determine community composition of the sediment within marsh …

Emulsion Templating Application For Synthesis Of A Porous Zein Biocompatible Oil Adsorbent, Nathan Holley

LSU Master's Theses

The recovery of spilled oil from water sources using hydrophobic porous absorbent has gained significant interest due to the ease of implementation, large-scale adaptability, and robust nature of the technique. However, the lack of biodegradability of these synthetic adsorbents has caused concern of further contaminating the environment from the generation of microplastic waste that is known to persist and accumulate in the marine food chain and other ecosystems. To mitigate this potential hazard, a new biocompatible alternative is needed to replace the non-degradable synthetic materials currently used. This thesis presents ZEin-based Low Density porous Absorbent (ZELDA), synthesized using a particle …

Characterization Of Memory T-Lymphocyte Subsets In Dogs, Annie Beth Bauman

LSU Master's Theses

A more complete understanding of canine T-cell immunity is necessary for improving diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to canine diseases, developing cell-based canine immunotherapeutics, and evaluating dogs as large mammal models for comparative immunology research. Canine immunological studies are limited by the lack of established phenotypic markers identifying diverse differentiation states in canine T-cells. Differential expression of CD45RA (indicating antigen experience) and CD62L (indicating lymph node homing capability), shows promise as a tool to delineate canine naïve (TN), central memory (TCM), effector memory (TEM), and terminal effector memory (TEMRA) T-cells. The aim of this study was to characterize canine memory T-cell …

Using The Seventh Rib Length And Depth Measurements As A Method To Estimate Ancestry And Sex In Adults, Alexandria M. Amaki

LSU Master's Theses

This study tested the correlation of dimensions of the left seventh rib (L7) to ancestry and sex in adult humans. The first hypothesis, based on Bergmann’s theory, is that Black (African-American) individuals will have smaller L7 dimensions than White individuals (Americans of primarily European descent). The second hypothesis is that males, due to sexual dimorphism, will have larger ribs than females. 299 individuals from the Hamann-Todd Skeletal Collection were used in the study, approximately evenly distributed among sex and ancestry groups. Five variables were examined, including three measurements (length, width, and width point), and two calculations (area and ratio). A …

Anxiety And Depression's Incremental Effect On Executive Functioning Deficits In Children And Adolescents, Paige Picou

LSU Master's Theses

Children and adolescents experiencing anxiety and/or depression experience impairment in a myriad of domains and often engage in maladaptive strategies that then exacerbate or prolong their current symptomology. However, there is still a paucity of research examining anxiety and depression’s impact on executive functioning in children and adolescents, and existing research is muddled with problems in how researchers both define and choose to measure executive functioning. This study aims to clarify some of the conflicting research on anxiety and depression’s impact on executive functioning by using Barkley’s hybrid theory of executive functioning to determine whether anxiety and depressive symptomology add …

Jake Runestad, An American Triptych: A Conductor's Guide, Neviton Barros

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Jake Runestad is a fresh voice within the new wave of successful twenty-first century American choral composers. Among the growing number of very popular works within his expanding opus, Runestad has compiled three of his independently conceived compositions into a cycle he titles, American Triptych. The determination to group these works together in a cycle, Reflections (2016), The Piece of Wild Things (2013), and Come to the Woods (2015), was largely based on a common textual thread since all three authors are naturalist writers – Henry David Thoreau, Wendell Berry, and John Muir.

All three are written for SATB chorus …

Critical Role Of The Baf Chromatin Remodeling Complex During Murine Neural Crest Development, Kathleen Wung Bi-Lin, Pratap Veerabrahma Seshachalam, Tran Tuoc, Anastassia Stoykova, Sujoy Ghosh, Manvendra K. Singh

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

The BAF complex plays an important role in the development of a wide range of tissues by modulating gene expression programs at the chromatin level. However, its role in neural crest development has remained unclear. To determine the role of the BAF complex, we deleted BAF155/BAF170, the core subunits required for the assembly, stability, and functions of the BAF complex in neural crest cells (NCCs). Neural crest-specific deletion of BAF155/BAF170 leads to embryonic lethality due to a wide range of developmental defects including craniofacial, pharyngeal arch artery, and OFT defects. RNAseq and transcription factor enrichment analysis revealed that the BAF …

Micro- And Macroevolution Of Drab Plumage Color In Birds, Rafael Marcondes

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

I address the evolution of drab bird colors at micro- and macroevolutionary scales. I use as a study system the Furnariida, a clade of >600 Neotropical passerine species that, despite tremendous ecological and morphological diversity, are colored almost exclusively in shades of brown and grey produced by melanin pigments.

In chapters two and three, I took a macroevolutionary approach and showed that (1) plumage colors in the Furnariida evolve at similar rates in a monochromatic clade, males of a dichromatic clade, and females of a dichromatic clade; (2) ventral plumage color evolves faster than dorsal; (3) bird species that occupy …

Quijano As Quijote: Decoding Madness Through Psychological Theory, Cristian Rivera

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis approaches Alonso’s Quijano’s conversion into Don Quijote from the point of view of a psychologist. The aim of this thesis is to explain the cognitive and psychological experiences that move Alonso Quijano to become Don Quijote and its impact in the development of our current studies of the mind. Thus, one specific question will direct my project although this question will be addressed using a multidisciplinary psychologist approach. The research question is “How can Alonso Quijano’s psychological experiences and interpretations of the real world be explained today?” This question will be addressed by referencing five episodes in the …

Sound Glove: A Development In Collaboration, Emma E. Arends

LSU Master's Theses

Through design and technical work, the collaboration between the areas of Sound and Costume Design have been minimal. When these areas interact, it is usually for the small notes, like the shoes are too loud, or the jewelry is too much. However, in the following chapters I will propose a way to deepen the collaborative relationship between Sound and Costume through a prototype named the Sound Glove.The Sound Glove has been developed through researching previous products, researching for materials, constructing a budget, developing applications of the Sound glove and then creating a prototype. With these steps, the following chapters will …

Effects Of Microtubule Stabilizing And Recovery Agents On Vitrified Bovine Oocytes, Emily Dzekunskas

LSU Master's Theses

Oocyte vitrification, while beneficial for research and species conservation, has limited success due to cryoinjury to the meiotic spindle. This study aimed to evaluate treatments to improve meiotic spindle recovery after vitrification by treating bovine oocytes with either a microtubule stabilizing agent, or a microtubule recovery agent. In the first two experiments, Taxol and epothilone B were used to treat bovine oocytes before vitrification. Both compounds have microtubule stabilizing properties and are known antimitotic compounds commonly used in cancer treatment. Oocytes were incubated with one of the microtubule stabilizing agents for 15 minutes before vitrification at one of three concentrations …

Investigations Of The Structure And Protein-Protein Interactions Of Chlamydia Trachomatis Scc4, Thilini Oshadhi Senarath Ukwaththage

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is the most common, sexually transmitted bacterial disease (STD) in the world. In the developmental cycle of CT, specific chlamydia chaperone 4 (Scc4) is a unique protein with essential and multiple roles. Hence, Scc4 is significant as a virulence target for therapeutic approaches to treat chlamydial infections. A novel approach was discovered to purify tag free Scc4 by utilizing a 6X-histidine-tag on Scc1 in the co-expressed Scc4:Scc1 complex by capturing the complex on nickel-charged immobilized metal affinity chromatography resin, followed by dissociation of Scc4 with sarkosyl. Using triple resonance NMR experiments, backbone and sidechain resonances …

The Dna Cloud: Is It Alive?, Theodoros Bargiotas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this analysis, I will firstly be presenting the current knowledge concerning the materiality of the internet based Cloud, which I will henceforth be referring to as simply the Cloud. For organisation purposes I have created two umbrella categories under which I place the ongoing research in the field. Scholars have been addressing the issue of Cloud materiality through broadly two prisms: sociological materiality and geopolitical materiality. The literature of course deals with the intricacies of the Cloud based on its present ferromagnetic storage functionality. However, developments in synthetic biology have caused private tech companies and University spin-offs to flirt …

Silicate-Solubilizing Bacteria In Louisiana Soils: Identification, Profiling, And Functions In Crop Production, Jayvee A. Cruz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Studies were conducted to determine the potential of silicate-solubilizing bacteria (SSB) as biostimulant in Louisiana rice (Oryza sativa L.) production systems. Isolation and profiling of SSB in Louisiana soils; evaluation on its effects on the silicon (Si) uptake and productivity of rice using various carriers derived from slag, rice hull, and sugarcane (Officinarum spp.) bagasse; and development of a feasible approach of incorporating SSB to the rice production system were conducted. Results showed that numerous bacteria isolated from Louisiana soils can solubilize silicate and produce multiple plant growth-promoting compounds. These potential SSBs were identified into four genera: Aeromonas, …

Effect Of A Once In 100-Year Flood On A Subtropical Coastal Phytoplankton Community, Lesley A. Clementson, Anthony J. Richardson, Wayne A. Rochester, Kadija Oubelkheir, Bingqing Liu, Eurico J. D'Sa, Luiz Felipe Mendes Gusmão, Penelope Ajani, Thomas Schroeder, Phillip W. Ford, Michele A. Burford, Emily Saeck, Andrew D. L. Steven

Faculty Publications

Subtropical systems experience occasional severe floods, dramatically altering the phytoplankton community structure, in response to changes in salinity, nutrients, and light. This study examined the effects of a 1:100 year summer flood on the phytoplankton community in an Australian subtropical bay – Moreton Bay – over 48 weeks, from January to December 2011. Immediately after maximum flood levels were reached on the rivers flowing into the bay, the lowest salinity, and highest turbidity values, in more than a decade, were measured in the Bay and the areal extent of the flood-related parameters was also far greater than previous flood events. …

The Epigenetics Of Gametes And Early Embryos And Potential Long-Range Consequences In Livestock Species—Filling In The Picture With Epigenomic Analyses, Linkai Zhu, Sadie L. Marjani, Zongliang Jiang

Faculty Publications

The epigenome is dynamic and forged by epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNA species. Increasing lines of evidence support the concept that certain acquired traits are derived from environmental exposure during early embryonic and fetal development, i.e., fetal programming, and can even be “memorized” in the germline as epigenetic information and transmitted to future generations. Advances in technology are now driving the global profiling and precise editing of germline and embryonic epigenomes, thereby improving our understanding of epigenetic regulation and inheritance. These achievements open new avenues for the development of technologies or potential …

Marine Phytoplankton Responses To Oil And Dispersant Exposures: Knowledge Gained Since The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Antonietta Quigg, Michael Parsons, Sibel Bargu, Koray Ozhan, Kendra L. Daly, Sumit Chakraborty, Manoj Kamalanathan, Deana Erdner, Sarah Cosgrove, Edward J. Buskey

Faculty Publications

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 brought the ecology and health of the Gulf of Mexico to the forefront of the public's and scientific community's attention. Not only did we need a better understanding of how this oil spill impacted the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem, but we also needed to apply this knowledge to help assess impacts from perturbations in the region and guide future response actions. Phytoplankton represent the base of the food web in oceanic systems. As such, alterations of the phytoplankton community propagate to upper trophic levels. This review brings together new insights into the influence …