Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Two Digestive Enzymes And Ph On The Dsrna Of Endornaviruses Of Bell Pepper And Melon Under In Vitro Conditions, Adair Mccanless, Allison Hultgren, Cesar Escalante, Alyssa Ardt, Rodrigo A. Valverde

Faculty Publications

Purpose: The objective of this investigation was to determine the in vitro effect of two common digestive enzymes, amylase and pepsin, and pH on the integrity of the RI dsRNA of bell pepper endornavirus (BPEV) and Cucumis melo endornavirus (CmEV) evaluated by gel electrophoresis and reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR). Methods: We conducted experiments on the in vitro effect of two common digestive enzymes, amylase and pepsin, and pH on the structural integrity of the replicative intermediate (RI) dsRNA of bell pepper endornavirus (BPEV) and Cucumis melo endornavirus (CmEV), evaluated by gel electrophoresis and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Result: The effect of …

Development Of Milk Powder Containing Lactobacillus Plantarum Ncimb 8826 Immobilized With Prebiotic Hi-Maize Starch And Survival Under Simulated Gastric And Intestinal Conditions, Ronamae Bradford, Vondel Reyes, Franklin Bonilla, Federico Bueno, Bennett Dzandu, Chen Liu, Alexander Chouljenko, Subramaniam Sathivel

Faculty Publications

Abstract: The objectives of this study were to develop a probiotic milk powder containing Lactobacillus plantarum NCIMB 8826 immobilized with prebiotic Hi-maize starch and to analyze cell viability after spray drying and exposure to simulated gastric and intestinal conditions. Milk powders containing free L. plantarum and cells immobilized with Hi-maize starch were assessed. Powders were evaluated during storage at 4 °C for 15 days. After spray drying, at 0 and 15 days of storage both treatments had over 8 log CFU/g of viable cells and there were higher viable counts found for immobilized cells compared to free cells after 120 …

Removal Of Acid Dyes From Textile Wastewaters Using Fish Scales By Absorption Process, S. M.Fijul Kabir, Rafael Cueto, Sreelatha Balamurugan, Laurel D. Romeo, Jenna T. Kuttruff, Brian D. Marx, Ioan I. Negulescu

Faculty Publications

Fish scales (FS), a byproduct of the fish processing industry, are often discarded carelessly. In this present study, FS were used as a promising bio-sorbent for the removal of anionic acid dyes (acid red 1 (AR1), acid blue 45 (AB45) and acid yellow 127 (AY127)) from the wastewaters of textile coloration. Here, physiochemical characterizations of the FS were investigated by SEM-EDS, TGA and FI-IR analyses, and dye absorption and removal efficiency were evaluated and optimized considering different process parameters such as concentration of initial dye solution, amount of FS used, contact time, FS size, process temperature, additives, stirring and vacuum. …

Removal Of Acid Dyes From Textile Wastewaters Using Fish Scales By Absorption Process, S. M.Fijul Kabir, Rafael Cueto, Sreelatha Balamurugan, Laurel D. Romeo, Jenna T. Kuttruff, Brian D. Marx, Ioan I. Negulescu

Faculty Publications

Fish scales (FS), a byproduct of the fish processing industry, are often discarded carelessly. In this present study, FS were used as a promising bio-sorbent for the removal of anionic acid dyes (acid red 1 (AR1), acid blue 45 (AB45) and acid yellow 127 (AY127)) from the wastewaters of textile coloration. Here, physiochemical characterizations of the FS were investigated by SEM-EDS, TGA and FI-IR analyses, and dye absorption and removal efficiency were evaluated and optimized considering different process parameters such as concentration of initial dye solution, amount of FS used, contact time, FS size, process temperature, additives, stirring and vacuum. …

Alu Insertion Polymorphisms Shared By Papio Baboons And Theropithecus Gelada Reveal An Intertwined Common Ancestry, Jerilyn A. Walker, Vallmer E. Jordan, Jessica M. Storer, Cody J. Steely, Paulina Gonzalez-Quiroga, Thomas O. Beckstrom, Lydia C. Rewerts, Corey P. St. Romain, Catherine E. Rockwell, Jeffrey Rogers, Clifford J. Jolly, Miriam K. Konkel, Mark A. Batzer, R. Alan Harris, Muthuswamy Raveendran, Yue Liu, Shwetha Murali, Tauras P. Vilgalys, Gregg W.C. Thomas, Kymberleigh A. Pagel, Vikas Pejaver, Claudia R. Catacchio, Nicoletta Archidiacono, Mario Ventura, Alessia Marra-Campanale, Antonio Palazzo, Oronzo Capozzi, Archana Raja, John Huddleston, Veronica Searles Quick, Anis Karimpour-Fard, Dominik Schrempf, Marc De Manuel Montero, Konstantinos Billis

Faculty Publications

© 2019 The Author(s). Background: Baboons (genus Papio) and geladas (Theropithecus gelada) are now generally recognized as close phylogenetic relatives, though morphologically quite distinct and generally classified in separate genera. Primate specific Alu retrotransposons are well-established genomic markers for the study of phylogenetic and population genetic relationships. We previously reported a computational reconstruction of Papio phylogeny using large-scale whole genome sequence (WGS) analysis of Alu insertion polymorphisms. Recently, high coverage WGS was generated for Theropithecus gelada. The objective of this study was to apply the high-Throughput "poly-Detect" method to computationally determine the number of Alu insertion polymorphisms shared by T. …

Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly Of Coil-Comb-Shaped Polypeptoid Block Copolymers: Solution Morphology And Self-Assembly Pathways, Naisheng Jiang, Tianyi Yu, Omead A. Darvish, Shuo Qian, Igor Kevin Mkam Tsengam, Vijay John, Donghui Zhang

Faculty Publications

Copyright © 2019 American Chemical Society. Crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) of amphiphilic polymers into well-defined nanoscopic structures with different morphologies and functionalities has attracted increasing attention. Here, we investigate the CDSA of coil-comb-shaped diblock copolypeptoids, namely, poly(N-methyl glycine)-b-poly(N-decyl glycine) (PNMG-b-PNDG), in dilute methanol solution using X-ray/neutron solution scattering in conjunction with cryogenic transmission electron microscopy techniques. A series of PNMG-b-PNDGs were synthesized by sequential benzyl amine-initiated ring-opening polymerizations of the corresponding N-substituted N-carboxyanhydrides, in which the degree of polymerization and the length of the blocks were varied. The PNMG-b-PNDG polymers with a lower volume fraction of the crystalline PNDG blocks (fPNDG …

Content Release And Fusion Of Quinone-Based Liposomes: Lipid Distribution And Cleavage Symmetry Of The Quinone Headgroup At The Bilayer, Huy Huu Nguyen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Delivery of most conventional nanomedicines for tumor treatment is through exploiting the enhanced permeability and retention effect with limited targeting potency. Furthermore, the inability of some nanocarriers to enter the cells via endocytosis, or their limited endocytic escape restrict their applications for intracellular delivery. Liposomal carrier systems offer a solution as they are capable of precisely spatiotemporal releasing the payloads upon sensing specifically targeted environments.

In 2008, the McCarley group demonstrated an example of redox-responsive triggered release of the liposomes, named Q₃DOPE, which can potentially take advantage of elevated quinone reductase activities of hNOQ₁ in several cancers. …

The Future Of Reef Ecosystems In The Gulf Of Mexico: Insights From Coupled Climate Model Simulations And Ancient Hot-House Reefs, Kristine L. Delong

Faculty Publications

emperatures (SST), salinity, carbonate chemistry, and acidity. Over the last half-century, some reef communities have been disappearing at an alarming pace. This study focuses on the Gulf of Mexico, where the majority of shallow coral reefs are reported to be in poor or fair condition. We analyze the RCP8.5 ensemble of the Community Earth System Model v1.2 to identify monthly-to-decadal trends in Gulf of Mexico SST. Secondly, we examine projected changes in ocean pH, carbonate saturation state, and salinity in the same coupled model simulations. We find that the joint impacts of predicted higher temperatures and changes in ocean acidification …

The Societal Collapse Of The Southern Lowland Maya Civilization: Don’T Miss The Forest For The Trees, Dwayne Hinton

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Modeling And Simulations Of Peptoids, Pu Du

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Polypeptoids, or poly-N-substituted glycines, are a class of sequence defined polymers that are structural mimics of polypeptides. Polypeptoids currently have received a growing interest due to their improved thermal stability, larger chemical diversity, and easier synthetic pathways as compared to peptides. Their lack of backbone hydrogen bonding and stereochemistry coupled with their easily tunability make them an ideal prototypical model system to study the effect of secondary/non-covalent interactions on self-assembly in solution. In order to develop a molecular level understanding of the effect of secondary interactions on polypeptoid self-assembly, systematic studies were carried out using molecular dynamics simulations on several …

Breaking Coastal Hypoxia: Destratification Of Gulf Of Mexico Deadzone To Encourage Oxygen Transport Downwards To Maintain Marine Fauna, Veda Thipparthi

LSU Master's Theses

As a consequence of seasonal eutrophication and human input, a vast hypoxic area termed The Dead Zone develops every year in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) during summer along the Louisiana coastline characterized by vertical seawater density-stratification with oxygen concentrations less than 2 mg.l^-1 at the seafloor. It poses a threat to bottom-dwelling faunae and their environment which has negative ecological and economic consequences. This project aims to mitigate hypoxia by employing mechanical impellers placed at strategic water depths and locations in the Gulf. Enhanced transport of oxygen results by mixing oxygen-enriched seawater at the surface, downward into the …

Race, Geography, And News Coverage Of The Opioid Epidemic, Nicholas B. Robert

LSU Master's Theses

The opioid epidemic is the deadliest drug epidemic in United States history. During the early stages of the epidemic, the focus was on white victims in rural and suburban areas. Using the geo-ethnic framework developed from immigration research, this study examines if geography and race impacted the framing of the opioid epidemic in newspapers. The study finds there to be a low level of geo-ethnic influenced framing in news coverage of the opioid epidemic from 2016-2018.

Indocyanine-Green-Assisted Near-Infrared Dental Fluorescence Imaging To Detect Common Dental Diseases, As Compared With Dental X-Ray, Yoshita Viraj Holamoge

LSU Master's Theses

Oral health is indicative of a person’s overall health. Even with advances in medical science, dental diseases are very much prevalent in our society. Dental imaging techniques help in the early detection of these dental diseases and eventually avoids the risk of poor oral health as well as medical expenses. Current dental imaging techniques rely mostly on X-ray imaging whose ionizing property is a concern amongst the population. Near-infrared spectrum is known to have tissue penetration property and they belong to the non-ionizing part of the electromagnetic spectrum. This study utilized a contrast agent assisted near-infrared imaging for common dental …

The Effects Of Forced Migration On The Houma Of Louisiana, Jessica R. Parfait

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis seeks to understand the effects of multiple forced migrations on the Indigenous Houma of southern Louisiana. The causes of these migrations have taken many forms such as the dispossession of land and relocating for access to resources. Through ethnographic interviews and historic research, I seek to critically engage the past to understand how it has molded the present and the lives of tribal citizens. I evaluate the power dynamics enacted upon the Houma who have recorded contact with Europeans dating to 1686 but have never been recognized as a sovereign entity by the United States.

Molecular Dynamics Simulations Of Interaction Of Dna Nucleotides And Lignin Oligomers With Small Molecules And Interfaces, Xinjie Tong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of interaction of DNA nucleotides with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) provide valuable information that is critical to the development of a new DNA sequencing technique. We investigated the interactions and transport characteristics of mononucleotides moving through nanoslits with SAMs-covered surfaces. Our simulations focused on nanoslits in which the walls were composed of three different types of SAMs: methylformyl terminated, methyl terminated, and phenoxy terminated. The results demonstrated that the phenoxy terminated surfaces have the shortest required nanoslits length for nucleotides separation.

Using MD simulations, we also investigated the interaction of mono-lignin and oligo-lignols with lipid bilayers and …

Simultaneous Enhancement Of Near-Infrared Emission And Dye Photodegradation In A Racemic Aspartic Acid Compound Via Metal-Ion Modification, Frank R. Fronczek, Jian Xu

Faculty Publications

Changing functionalities of materials using simple methods is an active area of research, as it is "green" and lowers the developing cost of new products for the enterprises. A new small molecule racemic N,N-dimethyl aspartic acid has been prepared. Its structure is determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. It is characterized by FTIR, XPS, 1 H NMR, and mass spectroscopy. Its near-infrared luminescence can be enhanced by the combination of metal ions, including Dy3+, Gd3+, Nd3+, Er3+, Sr3+, Y3+, Zn2+, Zr4+, Ho3+, Yb3+, La3+, Pr6+/Pr3+, and Sm3+ ions. An optical chemistry mechanism upon interaction between the sensitizer and activator is proposed. …

Dynamical Modeling In Cell Biology With Ordinary Differential Equations, Renee Marie Dale

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Dynamical systems have been of interest to biologists and mathematicians alike. Many processes in biology lend themselves to dynamical study. Movement, change, and response to stimuli are dynamical characteristics that define what is 'alive'. A scientific relationship between these two fields is therefore natural. In this thesis, I describe how my PhD research variously related to biological, mathematical, and computational problems in cell biology. In chapter 1 I introduce some of the current problems in the field. In chapter 2, my mathematical model of firefly luciferase in vivo shows the importance of dynamical models to understand systems. Data originally collected …

Hierarchical Conjugated Polymer Systems Prepared By Controlled Chain-Growth Polymerization, Chunwa Peter Kei

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

π-Conjugated polymer materials may have a significant economic impact on society by providing means for designing affordable, flexible, and portable organic electronic devices. Their successful commercialization will depend on major scientific advancements, which will challenge human society to seek out ever more detailed and fundamental processes to command. Controlled polymerization affords such a power; allowing for the design of meticulous and precisely defined systems granting detailed insight into structure-property relationships in the polymer materials and bettering understanding of novel physical phenomena.

This dissertation primarily focuses on development and preparation of well-defined hierarchically organized macromolecular systems. The novel chain-growth polymerization methodologies …

Evaluation Of Soil Type And Seeding Rate On Winter Cover Crop Species In A Soybean Production System, Donna S. Morgan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The integration of winter annual cover crops into a cropping system can potentially improve soil health and crop production, however, the impact of variables such as seeding rates, across two very different soil types, has not been well documented. A two-year study was conducted at the Dean Lee Research Station and Extension Center in Alexandria, Louisiana to evaluate the effects of cover crop seeding rate and soil type on cover crop biomass, weed suppression, soil fertility, and soybean (Glycine max L) growth and yield. Analysis of potential economic impacts was also performed to estimate financial net returns for three …

Testing The Validity And Reliability Of Electromyography Acquisition Capabilities Of A Wearable Emg Device, Sense3, By Strive, Stanley Smith

LSU Master's Theses

There is a growing demand in the sports world for wearable technology, particularly those with electromyography acquisition capabilities. Electromyography (EMG) is technique for measuring the electrical activity that occurs during muscle contraction and relaxation. Basic practical applications of EMG use in sports include, but are not limited to: measuring activation timing of a muscle, measuring levels of activation, and detecting fatigue. The sports performance company Strive has designed an EMG wearable, called Sense3, that targets the following muscles of the lower limb: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, and Glutes. Sense3 must pass reliability assays to determine the validity of the EMG system in …

Bio-Mechanical Characterization Of Adherent Cell Layers With A Pdms Cantilever, Merrel Truly Holley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the last few decades, the mechanical characteristics of human cells has been linked to many physiological processes and pathological conditions, illustrating the importance as effective biomarkers. Mounting research has shown the mechanical force between cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a vital role in cellular processes such as tissue homeostasis, wound healing, cancer metastasis, and the progression of various diseases. This mechanical force, or the force that a cell produces on its surroundings, is termed as the cellular traction force (CTF). Precise characterization of the CTF can expand our knowledge of these important cellular processes as well as …

Transgenic Control Of Aflatoxin Contamination In Maize Through Host-Induced Gene Silencing Targeting Aspergillus Flavus Genes Encoding Polygalacturonase (P2c) And Versicolorin Dehydrogenase (Aflm), Yenjit Raruang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Maize (Zea mays L.) is susceptible to Aspergillus flavus infection and subsequent contamination with aflatoxins, the most potent naturally produced carcinogenic secondary metabolites. Here, the A. flavus gene aflM encoding the versicolorin dehydrogenase in aflatoxin biosynthesis and the p2c gene encoding the polygalacturonase that is involved in infection were selected as targets for suppression through host induced gene silencing (HIGS). A HIGS vector targeting these genes was constructed and introduced into immature B104 maize embryos. Thirteen out of fifteen p2c transformation events and six out of seven aflM events were confirmed positive by PCR. Kernels containing the p2c gene …

Electrification Ionization: Fundamentals And Applications, Bijay Kumar Banstola

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Electrification ionization is a method to produce ions from solid samples by charge separation. This separation of charge can be enhanced by organic molecules known as matrix compounds to produce highly charged molecules. In this research, new methods were developed for the application of electrification ionization for surface analysis and the ionization mechanism was investigated. First, an electrification ionization matrix was used for tissue imaging using laser ablation. A two-component matrix of 2-nitrophloroglucinol and silica nanoparticles was found to increase the number of multiply charged ions from the tissue. Images of mouse brain with multiply charged ions were obtained. In …

Characterisation Of Ashes From Waste Biomass Power Plants And Phosphorus Recovery, Lijian Leng, Anna A. Bogush, Amitava Roy, Julia A. Stegemann

Faculty Publications

Biowastes, such as meat and bone meal (MBM), and poultry litter (PL), are used as energy sources for industrial combustion in the UK. However, the biomass ashes remaining after combustion, which contain nutrients such as phosphorus, are landfilled rather than utilised. To promote their utilisation, biomass ashes from industries were characterised in terms of their elemental and mineral compositions, phosphorus extractability, and pH-dependent leachability. These ashes were highly alkaline (pH as high as 13), and rich in calcium and phosphorus. The P bio-availabilities in the ash evaluated by Olsen's extraction were low. Hydroxyapatite and potassium sodium calcium phosphate were identified …

Characterisation Of Ashes From Waste Biomass Power Plants And Phosphorus Recovery, Lijian Leng, Anna A. Bogush, Amitava Roy, Julia A. Stegemann

Faculty Publications

Biowastes, such as meat and bone meal (MBM), and poultry litter (PL), are used as energy sources for industrial combustion in the UK. However, the biomass ashes remaining after combustion, which contain nutrients such as phosphorus, are landfilled rather than utilised. To promote their utilisation, biomass ashes from industries were characterised in terms of their elemental and mineral compositions, phosphorus extractability, and pH-dependent leachability. These ashes were highly alkaline (pH as high as 13), and rich in calcium and phosphorus. The P bio-availabilities in the ash evaluated by Olsen's extraction were low. Hydroxyapatite and potassium sodium calcium phosphate were identified …

Effect Of Storage Temperature On The Survival Or Growth Of Listeria Monocytogenes On Whole And Fresh-Cut Produce, Juan F. Moreira Calix

LSU Master's Theses

Whole and fresh-cut produce are minimally processed and, therefore susceptible to microbial contamination. This study examined the survival or growth of Listeria monocytogenes on whole, and fresh-cut produce at different storage temperatures. Fresh fruits (cantaloupes, pears, pineapples, papayas, and watermelon) and vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, kale, and green bell peppers) were cut into 25 g pieces and were spot inoculated with 0.5 mL (8 Log CFU/mL) of Listeria monocytogenes. Inoculated fresh-cut samples were stored at 4°C or 13°C for 6 days. To represent the outer surface of the produce, cantaloupes and green bell pepper disks (20 cm2) were cut with …

Habitat Associations And Reproduction Of Fishes On The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico Shelf Edge, Elizabeth Marie Keller

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Several of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) shelf-edge banks provide critical hard bottom habitat for coral and fish communities, supporting a wide diversity of ecologically and economically important species. These sites may be fish aggregation and spawning sites and provide important habitat for fish growth and reproduction. Already designated as habitat areas of particular concern, many of these banks are also under consideration for inclusion in the expansion of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. This project aimed to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the communities and fish species on shelf-edge banks by way of gonad histology, …

Effect Of Biosurfactant And Biochar On Ecosystem Functions And Oil Remediation In Crude Oil Contaminated Wetland Soils, Zhuo Wei

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Decontamination of oil spill from coastal wetland soils requires a delicate approach. Remediation strategies using biochar, biosurfactant, and nutrient additions have been proposed. However, there is little information on application of these with combination for treatment of crude oil-contaminated wetland soil. Therefore, incubation studies were carried out to investigate the impact of biochar and rhamnolipid (RL) biosurfactant along with nitrogen (N) application on petroleum hydrocarbon degradation in a Louisiana coastal saline marsh and their impacts on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. Additionally, the toxicity of crude oil as well as remediation materials on coastal wetland ecosystem were assessed at three levels: …

Evaluation Of Metsulfuron-Methyl For Giant Salvinia (Salvinia Molesta) Control And Non-Target Species Sensitivity, William Prevost

LSU Master's Theses

The invasive aquatic fern giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitchell) has been invading waterbodies across Louisiana and Texas since 1998. Recently, the non-aquatic herbicide metsulfuron-methyl was found to be highly efficacious against giant salvinia, but limited information is available on application techniques, use rates and concentrations, as well as its impact on non-target species. Therefore, a series of mesocosm experiments were conducted to further evaluate foliar and subsurface applications of metsulfuron against giant salvinia, as well as foliar applications of metsulfuron in combination with aquatic herbicides commonly used for giant salvinia control. When applied to the foliage of giant …

Rice Response To Nitrogen Fertilization And Comparison Of Unmanned Aerial Systems And Active Crop Canopy Sensors Vegetative Index To Estimate Rice Yield Potential, Anna Coker

LSU Master's Theses

Nitrogen (N) fertilization is a key component in producing profitable, maximized rice grain yields because yield is directly affected by N fertilizer applications. Economical optimum N rate (EONR) is used to estimate where the N fertilization rate impacts rice grain yield but is still economically efficient. Three common response models, linear-plateau, quadratic-plateau, and quadratic models were used to determine the response of rice to N fertilizer to determine the optimum N fertilization rate. The objective of the first part of this study was to evaluate the models by assessing the coefficients of determination (R²), maximum rice grain yields …