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Solid State Synthesis And Characterization Of Apatite Based Ceramic Waste Form For The Immobilization Of Radioactive Iodine, Md Imdadul Islam

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The growing demand for nuclear power in the United States and worldwide is accountable for addressing the major concern of radioactive waste, involving the technical challenges of maintaining the nuclear fuel cycle and immobilizing high-level wastes for safe disposal in geological storage. The appropriate selection of waste forms for spent nuclear fuel such as fission products and radionuclides can be effective means for a feasible and sustainable nuclear fuel cycle. But highly volatile radionuclides such as iodine (129) are of specific concern due to its extraordinary long half-life (15.7 million years). Due to its poor solubility and high volatility at …

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 …

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 …

Identity Construction In The Yoruba Group Project Abroad: Discourse Analysis Of Language Use, Tawakalitu Odunayo Lasisi

LSU Master's Theses

This research examines the experiences of five Nigerian Americans who participated in the Yoruba Group Project Abroad in the year 2018. After taking classes on Yoruba language at the basic, intermediate and advanced levels in their various universities here in the US, the students traveled to Nigeria in the summer of 2018 to immerse themselves in the native speakers’ environment in Ibadan, Nigeria. While in Ibadan, they were paired with Nigerian host families (Yoruba speakers) in order to have an overarching immersive experience. These students constitute the population of this research. Using a qualitative research method and an in-depth online …

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 …

Resource And Energy Recovery From Wastewater Using Advanced Bioelectrochemical Systems, Sidan Lu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Water pollution and energy depletion are two critical issues in the world that limit the sustainable development of human society. In this study, several advanced (photo) bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) were proposed for effective energy (electricity and H₂) and nutrients (N and P) recovery from wastewater, solar energy, seawater, and river water. The first study demonstrated high effectiveness of a novel resource-recovery microbial fuel cell (RRMFC) for wastewater treatment and nutrient recovery from synthetic urine-containing wastewater. Over one cycle (∼3 days), 99% of urea, 97% of COD, 99% of histidine, 91% of creatinine, 99% of sodium acetate, 98% of …

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 …

Plant Community Response To The Combined Effects Of Elevation, And Simulated Nutrient And Sediment Loading In Sagittaria Lancifolia-Dominated Wetlands, Donnie Day

LSU Master's Theses

Coastal wetlands are experiencing threats to their long-term sustainability brought about by the combined effects of relative sea-level rise and human modifications to hydrology, sediment delivery and nutrient loading. Restoration and management strategies can include adding sediment to the surface of deteriorating marshes to facilitate positive feedbacks among elevation, plant productivity, sediment trapping, and accretion; however, if delivered using nitrate-enriched river waters, belowground biomass and soil organic matter pools may be negatively affected, resulting in the acceleration of wetland loss. Overall, there is limited information on the combined effects of nutrient loading, sedimentation, and flooding dynamics in regulating feedbacks among …

Mapping Louisiana's Missing: Spatiotemporal Profiling Of Louisiana's Missing Persons- An Experimental Application Of Geographic Information Systems And Forensic Anthropology, Liam J. Johnson

LSU Master's Theses

The growing number of unresolved unidentified and missing persons cases in the United States is this nation’s ‘silent mass disaster’ (Ritters, 2007). In addition to contextualizing biocultural traits of these cases, forensic anthropologists are uniquely qualified to address this underrecognized humanitarian crisis due to their proven ability to bridge conflicting stakeholders in often complex sociopolitical environments and to create improved opportunities for community collaboration. This project explores local and state demographic trends of missing persons cases and how this information can be used to assist investigative agencies with their missing population, analyzes gaps in identification data, and selects optimal locations …

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 …

Establishing And Validating Methods To Assess The Influence Of Exercise On Circulating Exosome Profiles In Sedentary Older Adults, Heather Quiriarte

LSU Master's Theses

Aging is associated with progressing cellular structural and functional changes, and sedentary behavior can exacerbate these hallmarks of aging. Routine exercise is known to have beneficial effects on physiological systems, but the exact molecular mechanisms behind the health benefits are unclear. Emerging evidence suggests extracellular vesicles called exosomes are involved in the intercommunication between cells and organs following exercise by delivering their cargo such as proteins and miRNAs. miRNA profiles in older adults following acute and chronic exercise need further exploration. Specifically, the effects of regular low-intensity physical activity (LPA) breaks in sedentary time on proteins and miRNA packaged in …

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 …

Novel Synthetic Transformations Targeting Δ-Valerolactone And Isocoumarin, Joshua Paul Van Houten

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to describe the efforts undertaken to develop synthetic methodology targeting δ-valerolactone and isocoumarin. At the onset, an introduction to the δ-valerolactone and isocoumarin is given. Relevant examples of δ-valerolactone being utilized in the production of materials of biological and industrial application are then discussed. Following, current methods for forming δ-valerolactone are presented. After, an introduction to isocoumarin is begun. Current methods for producing isocoumarin are then discussed.

The results and discussion section of this dissertation will focus on two methods that were explored with the goal of producing α-acyl-δ-valerolactone with two different substitution patterns. …

Photoluminescent Nanomaterials For Biosensing And Single Cell Analysis Applications, Khashayar Ramezani Bajgiran

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The bioanalytical industry is projected to generate $36 billion by 2025, with the United States currently holding 80.9% of the consumers’ market. Among the bioanalytical platforms, point-of-care (POC) and point-of-use diagnosis (POU) have gained a lot of attention due to their emphasis on decentralized testing and providing low-cost solutions in resource-limited regions. While Traditional bioanalytical tools such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry can sensitively detect biomolecules and screen single-cell response, they suffer from multiple drawbacks such as the high cost of antibodies and time-intensive procedures, which limit their ability to expand to POC/POU applications. Rapid developments in microtool …

Neurocognitive Interactions Between Anticipatory Anxiety And Memory Encoding, Felicia M. Chaisson

LSU Master's Theses

Although acute anxiety has been shown to improve encoding of threat-relevant information, its effects on threat-neutral information are less understood. Recent research suggests that anxiety can impair subsequent recall for neutral words, particularly following practice with the recall task. Here we use event-related potentials (ERPs) to test the notion that anxiety specifically disrupts the implementation of encoding strategies—such as elaborative encoding—that tend to develop with practice. ERPs were recorded as participants studied two sets of neutral words, one of which was presented in a stressful context using the threat-of-shock paradigm (threat block), and the other in a non-threatening context (safe …

Intimate Rhetorics Of Networked Motherhood, Katie Nelson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Fundamentally pregnant bodies are understood, similarly to women’s bodies, as necessitating discipline. However, new networked forums have emerged where pregnancy is understood as affirming and having the capacity to challenge a silenced subject position. Using three case studies, the #IHadAMiscarriage Instagram page, the #TakeBackPostpartum Instagram page, and mediatized discourses surrounding Kylie Jenner’s pregnancy, this dissertation writes intimate publicity into these mediatized transgressions of pregnancy and postpartum. I argue discourses about pregnancy and postpartum in these networked spaces constitute intimate publics through the cultivation of shared affected investments and divestments in embodied experiences. These investments in the embodied experiences are crafted …

The Age-Dependent Characterization Of The Er-Alpha Positive Breast Cancer Tumor Microenvironment, Katie Marie Hamel

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In disease states such as cancer, endocrine and paracrine signals from adipose tissue contribute to cancer progression and drug resistance. Young individuals diagnosed with estrogen receptor-alpha positive (ER-a+) breast cancer have an observed increase in resistance to endocrine therapies. This suggests that an alternative estrogen signaling pathway is active within these tumors. Despite this, the effects of stromal age on the endocrine response in breast cancer is not well known. Here, we review and highlight the involvement of the stromal age in both tumorigenesis and physiological wound healing. To identify specific differences between young and aged ER-a+ breast tumors, RNA …

Free-Floating Invasive Fern Affects Freshwater Marsh Ecosystem Structure: Changes To Water Quality And Chemistry, Aquatic Vegetation, Fish, And Invertebrates, Charles Wahl

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Aquatic invertebrates are important to the function freshwater marshes. They are vital to the transfer of energy from primary producers and organic matter to higher trophic levels. The structure of macroinvertebrate communities is directly associated with aquatic macrophyte diversity and abundance. Submerged macrophytes produce oxygen, are a food source, and provide physical habitat, which allows numerous aquatic organisms to exist. Introduction of the invasive free-floating aquatic fern giant salvinia, Salvinia molesta Mitchell, poses a risk to freshwater ecosystems through limited light penetration, decreased submerged macrophyte abundance, altered water quality and, changes in macroinvertebrate community structure and energy transfer. The objective …

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 …

Parental Mental Health Help Seeking: Variables Associated With Asian American Parent Help Seeking Intent, Grace L. Chen

LSU Master's Theses

There is a vast disparity between children who have mental health concerns and rates of service utilization. This disparity is even greater for children of ethnic minority populations. Understanding the factors contributing to parent help seeking behavior may help address the gap in service utilization. Asian Americans specifically have low rates of mental health service utilization among adults. However, there is limited research on parent help seeking in Asian American parents. In combination with low service utilization across children with mental health concerns, Asian American children are an at-risk population. The study aims to advance research by exploring variables relating …

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, …

Smart Quantum Technologies Using Photons, Narayan Bhusal

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The technologies utilizing quantum states of light have been in the spotlight for the last two decades. In this regard, quantum metrology, quantum imaging, quantum-optical communication are some of the important applications that exploit fascinating quantum properties like quantum superposition, quantum correlations, and nonclassical photon statistics. However, the state-of-art technologies operating at the single-photon level are not robust enough to truly realize a reliable quantum-photonic technology.

In Chapter 1, I present a historical account of photon-based technologies. Furthermore, I discuss recent efforts and encouraging developments in the field of quantum-photonic technologies, and major challenges for the experimental realization of reliable …

Thermal Decomposition Behavior Of 3d Printing Filaments Made Of Wood-Filled Polylactic Acid/Starch Blend, Yufeng Sun, Danbee Lee, Yapeng Wang, Suiliang Li, Jilai Ying, Xinping Liu, Guangyin Xu, Jaegyoung Gwon, Qinglin Wu

Faculty Publications

Dynamic thermogravimetric analysis under nitrogen environment was used to understand the thermal decomposition process of 3D printing filaments made of wood-filled polylactic acid (PLA)/starch blend. The characteristic temperatures and apparent activation energy (AAE) of the filaments with various starch contents were calculated with well-known kinetic models by Friedman, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa, Coats–Redfern, and Kissinger. With the increased starch content in the filament, the onset thermal decomposition temperatures of the filaments decreased gradually from 272.4 to 155.1°C. The thermal degradation degree became smaller, and the transitional temperature interval became larger with increased starch proportion. The AAE values of the three types of filaments …

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 …

A Review Of 50 Years Of Study Of Hydrology, Wetland Dynamics, Aquatic Metabolism, Water Quality And Trophic Status, And Nutrient Biogeochemistry In The Barataria Basin, Mississippi Delta-System Functioning, Human Impacts And Restoration Approaches, John W. Day, William H. Conner, Ronald D. Delaune, Charles S. Hopkinson, Rachael G. Hunter, Gary P. Shaffer, Demetra Kandalepas, Richard F. Keim, G. Paul Kemp, Robert R. Lane, Victor H. Rivera-Monroy, Charles E. Sasser, John R. White, Ivan A. Vargas-Lopez

Faculty Publications

Here we review an extensive series of studies of Barataria Basin, an economically and ecologically important coastal basin of the Mississippi Delta. Human activity has greatly altered the hydrology of the basin by decreasing riverine inflows from leveeing of the river and its distributaries, increasing runoff with high nutrient concentrations from agricultural fields, and channelization of wetlands of the basin interior that has altered flow paths to often bypass wetlands. This has resulted in degraded water quality in the upper basin and wetland loss in the lower basin. Trophic state analysis found the upper basin to be eutrophic and the …

Applying Cumulative Effects To Strategically Advance Large-Scale Ecosystem Restoration, Heida L. Diefenderfer, Gregory D. Steyer, Matthew C. Harwell, Andrew J. Loschiavo, Hilary A. Neckles, David M. Burdick, Gary E. Johnson, Kate E. Buenau, Elene Trujillo, John C. Callaway, Ronald M. Thom, Neil K. Ganju, Robert R. Twilley

Faculty Publications

International efforts to restore degraded ecosystems will continue to expand over the coming decades, yet the factors contributing to the effectiveness of long-term restoration across large areas remain largely unexplored. At large scales, outcomes are more complex and synergistic than the additive impacts of individual restoration projects. Here, we propose a cumulative-effects conceptual framework to inform restoration design and implementation and to comprehensively measure ecological outcomes. To evaluate and illustrate this approach, we reviewed long-term restoration in several large coastal and riverine areas across the US: the greater Florida Everglades; Gulf of Mexico coast; lower Columbia River and estuary; Puget …