Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Pesticides And Ultraviolet Radiation On Coastal Invertebrates And The Need For More Research On Multiple Stressors And Predator-Prey Interactions, Chase Robinson

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

An Integrated Network Representation Of Multiple Cancer-Specific Data For Graph-Based Machine Learning, L M. Pu, M Singha, H C. Wu, C Busch, L M. Pu, M Brylinski

Faculty Publications

Genomic profiles of cancer cells provide valuable information on genetic alterations in cancer. Several recent studies employed these data to predict the response of cancer cell lines to drug treatment. Nonetheless, due to the multifactorial phenotypes and intricate mechanisms of cancer, the accurate prediction of the effect of pharmacotherapy on a specific cell line based on the genetic information alone is problematic. Emphasizing on the system-level complexity of cancer, we devised a procedure to integrate multiple heterogeneous data, including biological networks, genomics, inhibitor profiling, and gene-disease associations, into a unified graph structure. In order to construct compact, yet information-rich cancer-specific …

Light Dependent Feeding And Photogrammetric Determination Of Movement Speed Of Pterois Volitans And Pterois Miles In The Florida Keys, Neal Kolonay

LSU Master's Theses

Invasive species are known to cause economic and ecological damage worldwide, with many aquatic and terrestrial species extending outside their range. Invasive lionfish, Pterois volitans and Pterois miles, are currently some of the most destructive marine species, being released into non-native Atlantic waters, gaining a foothold, and expanding at explosive rates. While attempts have been made to cull their populations through various methods, primarily spearfishing, their populations continue to grow and their ranges expand showing a need for a deeper understanding of their ecology to more effectively model and target them. In this work, two avenues of lionfish ecology which …

Does Chronic Risperidone Administration Affect Food Reinforcement In Adulthood In Mice?, Francis Torres, Paul Soto

LSU Master's Theses

Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) increase weight gain and food consumption in humans and non-human animals. It has been speculated that SGAs increase the reinforcing effects of food, which increases food consumption and drives weight gain. The current study evaluated the effects of risperidone on sucrose reinforcement in male and female C57BL/6J mice using economic demand assessments. Demand for sucrose was measured by varying the fixed ratio (FR) value required to produce sucrose delivery across experimental sessions using five FR values: 1, 5, 15, 30, and 45. The effects of acute risperidone administration on demand for sucrose were first assessed by orally …

Musculoskeletal Markers: A Comparison Of The Influence Of Three Biological Factors On Robusticity, Megan Greene

LSU Master's Theses

Research suggests that musculoskeletal markers (MSMs) can provide information about the lives of deceased individuals. The majority of studies focus on single factors that influence the morphology of MSMs in pre-modern societies (i.e., medieval, hunter-gatherers, preindustrial, etc.). This study analyzes MSMs of modern skeletons of 72 females and 83 males from the United States whose ages at death range from 30 to 89 to understand the relationship between various biological factors and MSM morphology. Eight MSMs (attachments of pectoralis major, deltoid, brachialis, supinator, iliopsoas, gluteus maximus, quadriceps, and soleus) were analyzed and categorized as phases zero, one, two, or three …

Development And Characterization Of Physicochemical Properties And Consumer Perception Of Gluten-Free Oat-Based Snack Bars Containing Orange Peel, Andrea R. Muela Negrete

LSU Master's Theses

Orange peel (OP) is a major byproduct from orange juice production, and is a good source of fiber and flavonoids, particularly nobiletin. Nobiletin has been reported to exhibit pharmacological activities including anti-inflammation and antioxidation. Incorporating orange peel into food products would harness economic benefit of this industrial byproduct and support a sustainable food chain. This study was performed to evaluate consumer perception of gluten-free oat-based snack bars (GFOSBs) containing orange peel.

In the first study three GFOSBs were formulated to contain 17%, 20%, and 23% orange peel by weight. Consumers (N=103) evaluated GFOSBs for sensory liking (9-point hedonic scale) and …

Sedimentation Processes In A Dredge Pit And Surrounding Environment In Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Adam M. Gartelman

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority has been using dredged sand from onshore and offshore sites for barrier island restoration and beach nourishment projects. Caminada dredge pit (CDP) located on eastern Ship Shoal in inner Louisiana shelf underwent two increments in 2014 and 2016, with material used to restore Caminada Headland and nearby areas. Multiple pits in East Terrebonne borrow areas (ET) right next to CDP were then used for East Timbalier Island and other barrier islands near Terrebonne Bay. ET1, north of CDP, was dredged in 2020, and ET2, west of CDP, was dredged in 2020 and 2021 used …

Assessing The Effect Time And Burial Environment Have On The Use Of The Lamendin Dental Age Estimation Method In Two Archaeological Samples From Jordan, Sabrina L. Williamson

LSU Master's Theses

The Lamendin method is a dental age estimation method that can be used by biological anthropologists when the skeletal anatomy is not available. The Lamendin method utilizes an index derived from measurements of the tooth root height (RH), periodontal line height (PLH), and root transparency height (RTH) to estimate the age of an individual. Although this method is often used in forensic contexts, its presence in the bioarcheological literature is almost non-existent. Research that mentions the Lamendin method conflict about whether the method can be used in specimens with longer postmortem intervals (PMIs) and in various depositional environments. This study …

Efficient Low Dimensional Representation Of Vector Gaussian Distributions, Md Mahmudul Hasan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to find optimal graphical tree model for low dimensional representation of vector Gaussian distributions. For a special case we assumed that the population co-variance matrix $\Sigma_x$ has an additional latent graphical constraint, namely, a latent star topology. We have found the Constrained Minimum Determinant Factor Analysis (CMDFA) and Constrained Minimum Trace Factor Analysis (CMTFA) decompositions of this special $\Sigma_x$ in connection with the operational meanings of the respective solutions. Characterizing the CMDFA solution of special $\Sigma_x$, according to the second interpretation of Wyner's common information, is equivalent to solving the source coding problem of finding the minimum …

Recently Integrated Alu Elements In Capuchin Monkeys: A Resource For Cebus/Sapajus Genomics, J M. Storer, J A. Walker, C E. Rockwell, G Mores, J M. Storer, J D. Orkin, A D. Melin, K A. Phillips, C Roos, M A. Batzer

Faculty Publications

Capuchins are platyrrhines (monkeys found in the Americas) within the Cebidae family. For most of their taxonomic history, the two main morphological types of capuchins, gracile (untufted) and robust (tufted), were assigned to a single genus, Cebus. Further, all tufted capuchins were assigned to a single species, Cebus apella, despite broad geographic ranges spanning Central and northern South America. In 2012, tufted capuchins were assigned to their genus, Sapajus, with eight currently recognized species and five Cebus species, although these numbers are still under debate. Alu retrotransposons are a class of mobile element insertion (MEI) widely used to study primate …

Louisiana Certified Child Life Specialists’ Perspective On The Effects Of Covid-19 On Child Life Services, Abby Johnson

LSU Master's Theses

The medical field has faced challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, significantly changing the ways hospitals function and healthcare professionals serve patients and families. Healthcare professionals, specifically Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLSs), have continuously adapted their roles, programs, and services to ensure they adhere to the ever-changing infection control policies and mitigation efforts put in place by government officials and institutions. CCLSs provide pediatric patients and their families with interventions, hospital normalization, and opportunities to engage in play, contributing to pediatric patients’ healing environment during hospitalization. This study focuses on pediatric healthcare in the state of Louisiana, gaining insight from CCLSs’ …

Longitudinal Analysis Of Inflammation In Response To Perceived And Physiological Stress In Collegiate Female Athletes, Erin Gunther

LSU Master's Theses

The current study aimed to characterize the impact of psychological stress throughout the inaugural year of the COVID-19 pandemic on the biomarkers of stress (sIgA, cortisol, and DHEA/cortisol ratio) in (n=39) elite level collegiate female athletes. This study also looked at inflammatory and immune function effects of COVID-19 and how it relates to psychological health by use of blood plasma cytokines (IL-10, Il-1ra, TNF-a). Previous research has proven salivary biomarkers to be good indicators of psychological health, as well as blood plasma cytokines to relate to inflammatory/immune function. The data from this study was provided through salivary and blood plasma …

Skin Decision: Northern Fowl Mite Infection Alters Diversity Of The Skin Microbiome In European Starling Nestlings Differentially With Age, Kaitlin Couvillion

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

New Synthetic Reactions Enabled By Protected Oxyallyl And Amidoallyl Cations, Binod Nepal

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation entails design and development of two new synthetic methodologies made possible through the generation of cationic species, namely oxyallyl and amidoallyl cations. Chapter 1 involves literature survey on generation and trapping of oxyallyl cations. Mostly known for cycloaddition reactions with these elusive species, the most recent approach of direct nucleophilic capture of oxyallyl cations are discussed. Apt design of substrates and reaction conditions by Kartika Group to access a-electrophilic carbon towards the synthesis of a variety of value-added compounds, i.e., 1,4- and 1,6-dicarbonyls, carbazoles, densely substituted pyrroles and furans are elaborated.

Chapter 2 focuses on our discovery of …

Computer Science At Community Colleges: Attitudes And Trends, Trenton W. Dawson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study aimed to understand the identity and attitude of students enrolled in computer science (CS) or programming-related course at community colleges nationwide. This study quantitatively evaluation data for estimating the relationships between students’ identity and attitudes toward computer science with prior programming experience and other demographic factors. I distributed the survey to community college faculty of computer science programs nationwide. Questions for this study were adapted from the Computing Attitude Survey developed by Weibe, Williams, Yang, & Miller (2003). Using two robust quantitative statistical methodologies, I investigated the correlations and predictability of previous programming experience, gender, race, and age …

Age And Growth Of Blackfin Tuna (Thunnus Atlanticus) In The Gulf Of Mexico, Elsa M. Gutierrez

LSU Master's Theses

Tunas are highly migratory species that are ecologically and economically important components of oceanic ecosystems worldwide. Unfortunately, life history information for the smallest true tuna (genus: Thunnus), blackfin tuna Thunnus atlanticus, is scarce despite the fact that it is the most abundant tuna found throughout much of the western Atlantic. In this study an otolith-based aging approach was used to evaluate age and growth relationships, examine sexual dimorphism in growth, and derive mortality estimates for blackfin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico. Age and growth relationships were evaluated using two models commonly applied to age-at-length data for tunas: the …

Examining The Relationship Between Functionally Assessed Parental Behavior And Child Anxiety, Allison Smith

LSU Master's Theses

Etiological theories of child anxiety suggest an interaction of multiple factors that lead to the development and maintenance of child anxiety. Environmental influence, specifically that involving the family or parent, has been a target area of study for decades. Additionally, functional assessment of behavior indicates that certain behaviors may be maintained primarily by specific functions. Functional assessment has been successful at identifying functions of problematic behavior and planning treatment accordingly. However, in the realm of child internalizing disorders, research has not utilized functional assessment in this way. Acknowledging the impact of parental behavior on child anxiety as well as the …

Optimizing The Self-Healing Efficiency Of Hydrogel Encapsulated Bacteria In Concrete, Ricardo Hungria

LSU Master's Theses

Calcium carbonate precipitation through microbial means is a promising pathway for concrete self-healing technologies, mainly for its microcrack sealing attributes. The main goal of this project was to study and optimize the crack healing efficiency of hydrogel encapsulated bacteria in concrete. To achieve this purpose, Bacillus pseudiformus was implemented as the bacteria strain at a concentration of 10⁸ cells/ml. This bacterium strain along with yeast extract was combined along with three different mineral precursors corresponding to magnesium acetate, calcium lactate, and sodium lactate. All these three precursors were evaluated at two concentrations (67.76 mM/l and 75 mM/l). For each …

Assembly Of Nanostructures At Solid-Liquid And Liquid-Air Interfaces, Yingzhen Ma

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Molecular and nanoscale colloids such as surfactant, fatty acid and metallic nanoparticles are widely used in numerous applications such as detergents, biomedicine, and catalyst. The assemblies of these colloids show different morphological behavior in aqueous solution due to the wide range of intermolecular interactions such as hydrogen bonding, van der Waals, and electrostatics. The morphology of these assemblies can be changed by environmental factors including temperature, ionic strength, and salinity. However, the guidance to direct assembled state of colloidal assemblies at heterogenous interfaces under various external stimuli remains poorly understand. In this Ph.D. dissertation, we show the adsorption and reconfiguration …

Exploring Co-Planning Conversations As A Professional Development Activity For Mentors And Mentees At The Beginning Of A Yearlong Teacher Residency, Channing Parfait

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In order to prepare pre-service teachers for their roles in the classroom, it is important to examine the rigor and purpose of the mentoring experience. This study explored the aspects of co-planning conversations that helped experienced and novice teachers expand their expertise and develop a mutually beneficial mentoring relationship at the beginning of a yearlong teacher residency model. While research on co-planning during the student teaching/residency experience exists, this research illuminated the importance of mentoring conversations early on in the teacher residency experience. Using a single case study design, observations, one-on-one interviews, and artifacts from four mentor-mentee dyads, data were …

Our Stories Light The Way: A Phenomenological Study Exploring The Experiences Of Black Women Stem Graduates From Predominantly White Institutions, Raeshan Davis

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Grounded in a conceptual framework informed by Social Cognitive Career Theory, Intersectionality, and Community Cultural Wealth, this study explored the experiences of 17 Black women who graduated from STEM undergraduate programs at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Utilizing a qualitative study approach provided rich, detailed insights into the internal and external contributors at play in the lives of the Black women who successfully navigated their STEM undergraduate programs at PWIs. Through the exploration of their individual and collective experiences, this study illuminated four major themes: (1) asserting one’s sense of belonging in the pursuit of a STEM career, (2) the value …

Re-Evaluation Of Late Season Action Thresholds And The Effect Of Seed Treatments On Early Season Colonization Of Threecornered Alfalfa Hopper, Spissistilus Festinus (Say), In Louisiana Soybean, Glycine Max (L) Merr, Tyler Ray Tagle Musgrove

LSU Master's Theses

Soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr, is considered the most economically important oil and feed crop in the US and is grown on nearly 35,000,000 ha on an annual basis. Factors that limit yield include weed pressure, disease infection, and of particular interest to entomologists, insect herbivory. Soybean is targeted by a range of above and below ground pests which are primarily controlled by insecticides. Neonicotinoids are a recently popularized insecticide class that when applied as a seed treatment, can provide protection from early season pests. The most economically significant early season pest is threecornered alfalfa hopper, Spissistilus festinus (Say), whose …

Redox Transition Of Iron-Sulfur Clusters In Mitoneet, Homyra Tasnim

LSU Master's Theses

Iron-sulfur proteins are ubiquitous in nature, and they play a crucial role in multifarious biological processes such as electron transfer, enzymatic catalysis, and homeostatic regulation. MitoNEET is the first discovered iron-sulfur protein in the outer mitochondrial membrane. Previous studies have shown that the [2Fe-2S] clusters of mitoNEET can be reduced by FMNH₂ in the presence of NADH and Flavin reductase (Fre) under aerobic conditions suggesting that mitoNEET is novel redox enzyme catalyzing electron transfer from NADH via FMN to oxygen.

The molecular docking models suggest that mitoNEET has a specific binding site for FMN close to its [2Fe-2S] cluster …

Development Of Alternative Materials And Strategies For Enhancing Rice Health, Jobelle S. Bruno

LSU Master's Theses

Bacterial panicle blight (BPB) and sheath blight (ShB) are economically important diseases of rice (Oryza sativa) in Louisiana and other rice-growing regions around the world. However, there are challenges in the current disease management practices for these diseases. Thus, the main goal of this study is to identify new materials and their application methods that effectively suppress BPB and ShB. To achieve this goal, we evaluated the effect of various materials and application methods against the rice diseases. In 2020 and 2021, various materials, such as ascorbic acid (AA), N-acetylcysteine, chitosan, the avirulent strain of Burkholderia glumae 257sh-1 …

The Rise Of Rome, The Fall Of Spain: Classical Reception In Leopoldo Alas, Galdós, And José Díaz Fernández, Meghan E. Hodges

LSU Master's Theses

The turn of the century was a period of rapid change and modernization. Spain, unlike neighboring European nations, was collapsing as an imperial force. The ensuing crisis of national identity fueled existing political tensions from the early nineteenth century which would lead to the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). This thesis examines various national crises from 1890 and the decade preceding the loss of Spain’s final colonies to 1929 and the decade preceding the Civil War. Both of these periods saw substantial acceleration of modernization and incredible resistance to it. Despite the hyper-presence of modernity within contemporary literary movements, there is …

Interneuronal Network Model Of Theta-Nested Fast Oscillations Predicts Differential Effects Of Heterogeneity, Gap Junctions And Short Term Depression For Hyperpolarizing Versus Shunting Inhibition, Guillem Via, Fernando R. Fernandez, John A. White, Carmen C. Canavier

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Steam Conditioning On Pecan Safety And Quality And Utilization Of Pecan Shell Extract As An Antimicrobial Coating To Maintain The Quality And Safety Of Fresh Produce, Karuna Kharel

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Pre- and post-harvest practices can pose microbial risk on fresh produce thus, appropriate intervention strategies to inactivate foodborne pathogens without compromising quality is important. The first part of this study investigated the effect of steam conditioning on inactivating Enterococcus faecium, a surrogate for Salmonella enterica, on in-shell pecans; and second part determined the in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial efficacy of pullulan coating incorporated with pecan shell extract on produce. The treatments’ effect on quality of pecans and produce during storage were also evaluated. In-shell pecans inoculated with Enterococcus faecium (7.28±0.17logCFU/g) were treated with steam at 70°C, 80°C …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Photo-Reactivity Studies On Mo(Vi) Dioxo Complexes For C-H Activation And O-Atom Transfer, Saeed Fosshat

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Metal oxos are important intermediates in various chemical transformations that include electron transfer, proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) and and O-atom transfer. Various extent of π-bonding from the oxo ligands to the central metal causes changes in nucleophilicity and overall reactivity of these species. Several factors can influence the electronic structure of the M=O bonds such as central metal oxidation state, geometry, ancillary ligands and spin state of the metal. A general strategy to increase the reactivity of metal oxos is to use electron rich metal centers that are less oxophilic. As a result of this, extensive amount of research has …

Nutrient Transporter Gene Expression In The Early Conceptus—Implications From Two Mouse Models Of Diabetic Pregnancy, Claudia Kappen, Claudia Kruger, Sydney Jones, J. Michael Salbaum

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Maternal diabetes in early pregnancy increases the risk for birth defects in the offspring, particularly heart, and neural tube defects. While elevated glucose levels are characteristic for diabetic pregnancies, these are also accompanied by hyperlipidemia, indicating altered nutrient availability. We therefore investigated whether changes in the expression of nutrient transporters at the conception site or in the early post-implantation embryo could account for increased birth defect incidence at later developmental stages. Focusing on glucose and fatty acid transporters, we measured their expression by RT-PCR in the spontaneously diabetic non-obese mouse strain NOD, and in pregnant FVB/N mouse strain dams with …

Practical Considerations And Applications For Autonomous Robot Swarms, Rory Alan Hector

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In recent years, the study of autonomous entities such as unmanned vehicles has begun to revolutionize both military and civilian devices. One important research focus of autonomous entities has been coordination problems for autonomous robot swarms. Traditionally, robot models are used for algorithms that account for the minimum specifications needed to operate the swarm. However, these theoretical models also gloss over important practical details. Some of these details, such as time, have been considered before (as epochs of execution). In this dissertation, we examine these details in the context of several problems and introduce new performance measures to capture practical …