Digital Commons Network^™

Recovery Of Phosphate And Dissolved Organic Matter From Aqueous Solution Using A Novel Cao-Mgo Hybrid Carbon Composite And Its Feasibility In Phosphorus Recycling, Ronghua Li, Jim J. Wang, Zengqiang Zhang, Mukesh Kumar Awasthi, Dan Du, Pengfei Dang, Qian Huang, Yichen Zhang, Lu Wang

Faculty Publications

Metal oxide-Carbon composites have been developed tailoring towards specific functionalities for removing pollutants from contaminated environmental systems. In this study, we synthesized a novel CaO-MgO hybrid carbon composite for removal of phosphate and humate by co-pyrolysis of dolomite and sawdust at various temperatures. Increasing of pyrolysis temperature to 900 °C generated a composite rich in carbon, CaO and MgO particles. Phosphate and humate can be removed efficiently by the synthesized composite with the initial solution in the range of pH 3.0–11.0. The phosphate adsorption was best fitted by pseudo-second-order kinetic model, while the humate adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order and the …

Rats Fed Dietary Bioactive Components (Resistant Starch, Whole Grains, And Fat) Undergo Altered Biometrics And Gene Expression As A Result Of Gut Fermentation, Justin Lamont Guice

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The whole grain and fat content of the diet have been previously shown to affect intestinal fermentation and phenotype conferred by high–amylose maize resistant starch (HAMRS), a form of fermentable dietary fiber. The current studies were designed to compare rodent gut health following consumption of whole grain and non–whole grain prebiotics on moderate fat (MF) and high fat (HF) diets, and to optimize health effect based on dosage of whole grain resistant starch prebiotics.

Study 1: Diets were prepared to contain the following factors RS (Present/Absent), WG (Present/Absent), and Fat (HF/MF). A three–way ANOVA was performed with statistical slice …

Speciation And Hybridization In Jamaican-Endemic Streamertail Hummingbirds (Trochilus Polytmus And T. Scitulus), Caroline D. Judy

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Streamertails hummingbirds (Trochilus polytmus and T. scitulus) are recently diverged sister taxa that appear to have speciated in situ on the island of Jamaica. They are distinguished by male bill color, a secondary sexual trait that is coral red in T. polytmus and jet black in T. scitulus. They hybridize in a narrow zone where their ranges meet in eastern Jamaica. In Chapter 2, I performed a formal population survey of T. scitulus to determine the size of the population, which was unknown. I determined that the total population contains well over 100,000 individuals despite its limited …

I Am Complicated, And So Is My Blackness: A Trifecta Exploration Of Educational Spaces And Identity Development, Kala Burrell-Craft

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Myriads of research studies have been written over the past 20 years highlighting the racial gap and disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes between Black and White students, but as revealed in a review of the literature, more studies need to be conducted that examine the intersection of race, space/place, and racial identity development. Using critical race theory as a framework, this study comprised of three separate, but related essays that explore the function of educational spaces in which Black Americans navigate, grow, and develop as it intersects with race, space/place, and identity development. Essay one is a critical narrative …

A Systematic Investigation Of Condensation Heat Transfer Using Asymmetric Micro-Scale Surfaces, Emily Brown

LSU Master's Theses

Asymmetric surfaces been shown to inducing unidirectional motion in the Leidenfrost regime; however, very minimal research has been conducted to investigate whether these surface can enhance condensation through the same means. The investigation of heat transfer of ratchets in condensation is a relatively untapped area of study, specifically ratchets with superhydrophobic properties. Anticipated difficulty lies in creating surfaces features or coatings that retain the ratchets and can adequately sustain optimal wetting state of Cassie-Baxter required to improve heat transfer performance during condensation. This study serves to investigate whether ratchets are a feasible surface feature to enhance condensation heat transfer. First, …

Transforming Lives In Coastal Communities Through Economic Development: Breeding Crassostrea Virginica For Alternative Oyster Culture, Brian Randall Callam

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation helped address the commercialization of triploid Crassostrea virginica production and develop tetraploid C. virginica broodstock in Louisiana by addressing triploid commercialization and tetraploid broodstock development. This was done by: 1) developing regional breeding plans for diploid and tetraploid C. virginica targeted at the Gulf Coastal Region, 2) assessing the effect of chromosome set manipulation on gonadal development in diploid, triploid, and tetraploid C. virginica, 3) quantifying the variation of commercially important hatchery traits in triploid C. virginica larvae from different tetraploid parents, 4) developing an up-to-date remote setting manual for the Gulf Coastal Region for industry use, …

Carbon Fixation: Closing The Circle, Marylou C. Machingura, James V. Moroney

Faculty Publications

© Machingura and Moroney. In Chlamydomonas the different stages of the Calvin-Benson cycle take place in separate locations within the chloroplast.

Loss Of Dbc1 (Ccar2) Affects Tnfα-Induced Lipolysis And Glut4 Gene Expression In Murine Adipocytes, Ashley A. Able, Allison J. Richard, Jacqueline M. Stephens

Faculty Publications

© 2018 Society for Endocrinology Published by Bioscientifica Ltd. STAT5A (signal transducer and activator of transcription 5A) is a transcription factor that plays a role in adipocyte development and function. In this study, we report DBC1 (deleted in breast cancer 1 - also known as CCAR2) as a novel STAT5A-interacting protein. DBC1 has been primarily studied in tumor cells, but there is evidence that loss of this protein may promote metabolic health in mice. Currently, the functions of DBC1 in mature adipocytes are largely unknown. Using immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting techniques, we confirmed that there is an association between endogenous STAT5A …

Dna Methylomes Of Bovine Gametes And In Vivo Produced Preimplantation Embryos, Zongliang Jiang, Jianan Lin, Hong Dong, Xinbao Zheng, Sadie L. Marjani, Jingyue Duan, Zhengqing Ouyang, Jingbo Chen, Xiuchun Tian

Faculty Publications

© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Society for the Study of Reproduction. DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification that undergoes dynamic changes in mammalian embryogenesis, during which both parental genomes are reprogrammed. Despite the many immunostaining studies that have assessed global methylation, the gene-specific DNA methylation patterns in bovine preimplantation embryos are unknown. Using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing, we determined genome-scale DNA methylation of bovine sperm and individual in vivo developed oocytes and preimplantation embryos. We show that (1) the major wave of genome-wide demethylation was completed by the 8-cell stage; (2) promoter …

An Ethanolic Extract Of Artemisia Scoparia Inhibits Lipolysis In Vivo And Has Antilipolytic Effects On Murine Adipocytes In Vitro, Anik Boudreau, Allison J. Richard, Jasmine A. Burrell, William T. King, Ruth Dunn, Jean Marc Schwarz, David M. Ribnicky, Jennifer Rood, J. Michael Salbaum, Jacqueline M. Stephens

Faculty Publications

© 2018, American Physiological Society. All rights reserved. An ethanolic extract of Artemisia scoparia (SCO) has metabolically favorable effects on adipocyte development and function in vitro and in vivo. In diet-induced obese mice, SCO supplementation significantly reduced fasting glucose and insulin levels. Given the importance of adipocyte lipolysis in metabolic health, we hypothesized that SCO modulates lipolysis in vitro and in vivo. Free fatty acids and glycerol were measured in the sera of mice fed a high-fat diet with or without SCO supplementation. In cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes, the effects of SCO on lipolysis were assessed by measuring glycerol and free …

Maternal Encouragement Of Modest Behavior, Temperamental Shyness, And Anxious Withdrawal Linkages To Chinese American Children's Social Adjustment: A Moderated Mediation Analysis, Merve Balkaya, Charissa S.L. Cheah, Jing Yu, Craig H. Hart, Shuyan Sun

Faculty Publications

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Past studies have revealed potential differences in the functional meaning and social evaluation of children's temperamental shyness between Chinese interdependence-oriented and North American independence-oriented cultural contexts. However, very little is known about shy Chinese American children's adjustment in Western school contexts and potential pathways underlying their adjustment. To address this gap in the literature, we examined the associations between Chinese American children's temperamental shyness and their social adjustment outcomes, including peer exclusion, prosocial behavior, and assertiveness/leadership skills. In addition, the mediating role of children's display of anxious-withdrawn behavior and the moderating role of …

Enhancer-Driven Alternative Promoters Of Imprinted Genes, Joomyeong Kim, Bambarendage P.U. Perera, Subash Ghimire

Faculty Publications

© 2018 Kim et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. In the current study, we characterized the expression and histone modification profiles of the alternative promoters found within imprinted Igf2r, Mest, Zac1, Peg3, Snrpn and non-imprinted Myc loci. In terms of expression pattern, the alternative promoters are highly tissue-specific, which is in a stark contrast to the ubiquitous expression of the corresponding main promoters. The alternative promoters are associated with the …

Performance Of Bt-Susceptible And -Heterozygous Genotypes Of Spodoptera Frugiperda (J.E. Smith) Possessing Single- Or Dual-Gene Resistance Alleles In Sequential Feedings Of Non-Bt And Cry1a.105/Cry2ab2 Maize Leaf Tissues, Yiwan Zhou, Ying Niu, Graham P. Head, Paula A. Price, Fangneng Huang

Faculty Publications

We simulated larval feeding behavior in seed blends of non-Bt and Bt maize to determine if seed blends create more favorable conditions for heterozygous-resistant insects over their Bt-susceptible counterparts. Survival, growth, development, and progeny production of four genotypes of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, Bt-susceptible (aabb), Cry1A.105 heterozygous resistant (Aabb), Cry2Ab2 heterozygous resistant (aaBb), and Cry1A.105/Cry2Ab2 heterozygous resistant (AaBb), were evaluated in eight feeding sequences (Seq 1–8) of non-Bt and MON 89034 Bt maize leaf tissue expressing the Cry1A.105 and Cry2Ab2 proteins. We report variation in the performance of the four genotypes across the feeding sequences and biological parameters measured. …

Stress Fluctuation, Crack Renucleation And Toughening In Layered Materials, C. J. Hsueh, L. Avellar, B. Bourdin, G. Ravichandran, K. Bhattacharya

Faculty Publications

It has been established that contrast in the elastic properties can lead to enhancement of fracture toughness in heterogeneous materials. Focussing on layered materials as a model system, we show that this enhancement is a result of two distinct phenomena – first, fluctuations in stress leading to regions where the stress intensity at the crack is considerably smaller than that of the macroscopically applied value; and second, the lack of stress intensity when a crack is at a compliant to stiff interface thereby requiring renucleation. Using theoretical, computational and experimental methods, we study two geometries – a layered material and …

Anticyclonic Eddy Edge Effects On Phytoplankton Communities And Particle Export In The Northern South China Sea, Lei Wang, Bangqin Huang, Edward A. Laws, Kuanbo Zhou, Xin Liu, Yuyuan Xie, Minhan Dai

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Anticyclonic Eddy Edge Effects On Phytoplankton Communities And Particle Export In The Northern South China Sea, Lei Wang, Bangqin Huang, Edward A. Laws, Kuanbo Zhou, Xin Liu, Yuyuan Xie, Minhan Dai

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Return To The Repressive: Re-Thinking Nature- Culture In Contemporary Feminist Theory, Deborah Goldgaber

Faculty Publications

In "History of Sexuality"(Vol I.) Foucault argued that repression is the wrong model of power, understanding it in exclusively negative terms, as external to the body it constrains and inhibits. Power may also be positive, productive, and constitutive of the body and its possibilities. Thus, an adequate account of the relation between cultural forces and the body, Foucault argues, must challenge the "repressive hypothesis"(RH). Contemporary feminist accounts of the body are structured by this same oppositional view of power Foucault assumed: to call on Rosi Braidotti's distinction, discursive (cultural) forces are either negative or repressive (potestas) or positive and empowering …

Biological Effects On Uranium Isotope Fractionation (238U/235U) In Primary Biogenic Carbonates, Xinming Chen, Stephen J. Romaniello, Achim D. Herrmann, Elias Samankassou, Ariel D. Anbar

Faculty Publications

© 2018 Elsevier Ltd Determining whether U isotopes are fractionated during incorporation into biogenic carbonates could help to refine the application of 238U/235U in CaCO3 as a robust paleoredox proxy. Recent laboratory experiments have demonstrated that heavy uranium (U) isotopes were preferentially incorporated into abiotic aragonite, with an isotope fractionation of ∼0.10‰ (238U/235U). In contrast, no detectable U isotope fractionation has been observed in most natural primary biogenic carbonates, but the typical measurement precision of these studies was ±0.10‰ and so could not resolve a fractionation of the magnitude observed in the laboratory. To resolve this issue, we have developed …

Physiological And Genomic Characterization Of Novel Isolate From Om252 Clade Of The Gammaproteobacteria, Emily Nall

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Single Cell Analysis Of Fluid Shear Stress Induced Breast Cancer Cell Phenotypic Changes In A Microfluidic Device, Grant Landwehr

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Intestinal Microbiome Composition Of An Acute In Vivo Alzheimer’S Disease Rat Model, Jimmy Saravia

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Sustainability-Based Long-Term Management Of Bridges Under Multi-Hazard Exposure, Mohamed Soliman

Publications

Bridges are under deterioration due to various mechanical and environmental stressors. Hydraulic-related hazards (e.g., flood and scour), aggressive environmental conditions, and seismic events (e.g., earthquake) are recognized as the most significant threats to the safety of bridges. In traditional risk assessment methods for structures susceptible to damage due to floods and other natural hazards (e.g., corrosion and seismic events), future hazard predictions are conducted using historic return periods and climate records. However, recent increase in flood intensity in central-southern states indicate that future hazard occurrence rate may not necessarily follow past trends. Accordingly, current design, assessment, and management methodologies should …

Molecular Level Interactions And Transformations Of Natural Organic Matter Within The Environment, Benjamin J. Haywood

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This work was done in order to deepen the understanding of interactions occurring during sorption of anthropogenic organic compounds and dissolved organic matter (DOM) onto soil. As well as the transformation DOM undergoes during the sorption process and the overall transformation OM undergoes in the environment. This was achieved through the use of a “bottom-up” synthetic investigation, “top-down” natural system study, and a combination of these approaches.

The “bottom-up” approach, discussed in Chapter 2, involved the synthesis of a modular multi-tiered engineered soil surrogate (ESS) designed to mimic OM and general trends identified in the literature that impacts sorption behavior. …

Design And Application Of Task-Specific Gumbos And Nanogumbos For Sensing And Separation, Mingyan Cong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The work presented in this dissertation employs task-specific materials for sensing and protein separation applications. These materials were derived from a group of uniform materials based on organic salts (GUMBOS). GUMBOS are organic salts similar to ionic liquids, but have melting points ranging from 25 to 250 °C. As with ionic liquids, the properties of GUMBOS can be easily tuned by changing the counter-ion. Thus, task-specific GUMBOS can be designed and prepared with properties that are beneficial for applications in sensing or protein separation. In this dissertation, the selective responsive behavior of a series of GUMBOS and nanomaterials derived from …

From The River To The Gulf: An Investigation Of Biogeochemical Cycling In Wetland Soils And Coastal Shelf Sediments, Katie Bowes

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana is home to 40% of the coastal wetlands in the lower 48 states, yet accounts for 80% of the coastal wetland loss in this region. This loss is attributed to decreased sediment supply, levee alteration, sea level rise, channelization, and subsidence. The levee system in Louisiana disconnected coastal wetlands from the main stem of the Mississippi River (MSR), reducing the amount of land-building sediment that reaches coastal wetlands. This disconnection also allows a greater percentage of river discharge, including agricultural contaminants and runoff, to flow into the northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM).

The 2012 Coastal Master Plan proposed eight …

Calculation Guided Rational Design And Synthesis Of Novel Cationic Fluorescent Meso–Pyridinium Bodipys For Bio-Imaging, Daniel J. Lamaster

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Chapter 1 contains a brief overview of the history, synthesis, and properties of BODIPY dyes as well as that of the biomedical applications of bio-imaging and photodynamic therapy. Additionally, an overview of the theoretical framework of density functional theory and its time-dependent variant are provided. In Chapter 2, the effects of structural modification on the electronic structure and electron dynamics of cationic meso-(4-pyridyl)-BODIPYs were investigated. A library of 2,6-difunctionalized meso-(4-pyridyl)-BODIPYs bearing various electron-withdrawing substituents was designed and DFT calculations were used to model the redox properties, while TDDFT was used to determine the effects of functionalization on the excited …

Hyperspectral Imaging For Characterizing Single Plasmonic Nanostructure And Single-Cell Analysis, Nishir Sanatkumar Mehta

LSU Master's Theses

Orientation of plasmonic nanostructures is an important feature in many nanoscale applications such as photovoltaics, catalyst, biosensors DNA interactions, protein detections, hotspot of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and fluorescence resonant energy transfer (FRET) experiments. Silver nanocubes with significant spectral signatures between 400-700 nm are observed in this experimental research. Whereas study of single cells will enable the analysis of cell-to-cell variations within a heterogeneous population. These variations are important for further analysis and understanding of disease propagation, drug development, stem cell differentiation, embryos development, and how cells respond to each other and their environment. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells possess the …

Economic Impacts Of Groundwater Salinity In Louisiana, Rajan Dhakal

LSU Master's Theses

In the United States, nearly 60 million acres of land is affected by water and soil salinity problems that pose a serious threat to the long-term economic and environmental viability of the agricultural sector. Understanding the economic impacts of soil salinity in agricultural lands is essential for planning farming practices in several salinity affected regions. This study presents a two-stage approach to assess the damage from salinity in two major aquifers in Louisiana. In the first stage, looking at the trend of rise in salt content within these aquifers, I predict the future level of salinity by assuming three different …

Longitudinal Study Of The Attitudes And Behaviors Of Environmental Education Program Participants., Kasie R. Dugas

LSU Master's Theses

The goal of this longitudinal study was to measure the attitudes and behaviors of participants of the Marsh Maneuvers program over the course of the last 25 years. The goal of the Marsh Maneuvers program is to educate students into becoming environmentally literate adults. Environmental literacy is considered herein to be people possessing knowledge about and positive attitudes and behaviors towards the environment. Although students learn basic science and environmental knowledge in the classroom, true environmental literacy is believed to require more hands-on understanding of the material. To evaluate the effectiveness of the program, the following three objectives were completed. …

Course Design…Online: Helping Students Perform In The Digital Age, Joseph W. Harris

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The current study sought to test the relationship between course design, as described by the rubric produced by Quality Matters, and online university student performance. Due to the link between student motivation and active learning behaviors, and thus performance, it was predicted that the better-designed courses would facilitate student motivation. It was also predicted that goal orientation would moderate this relationship. While a significant relationship was observed between student motivation and course performance, no relationship was observed between course quality, as measured by the QM Rubric, and motivation, or performance. Only slight evidence was found for a moderating effect of …