Digital Commons Network^™

Vegetation Dieback In The Mississippi River Delta Triggered By Acute Drought And Chronic Relative Sea-Level Rise, Tracy Elsey-Quirk, Austin Lynn, Michael Derek Jacobs, Rodrigo Diaz, James T. Cronin, Lixia Wang, Haosheng Huang, Dubravko Justic

Faculty Publications

Coastal wetlands are vulnerable to sea-level rise. Here, the authors use 16 years of data to correlate vegetation dieback in the Mississippi River Delta to drought-induced salt water intrusion in the summer of 2012.

Resilient, Environment Tolerant And Biocompatible Electroluminescent Devices With Enhanced Luminance Based On Compliant And Self-Adhesive Electrodes, Ya Lu, Yuanyuan Chen, Haoyu Sun, Fang Deng, Changtong Mei, Xinwu Xu, Qinglin Wu, Huining Xiao, Yiying Yue, Jingquan Han

Faculty Publications

Electroluminescent (EL) devices are of great significance for expanding the application range of optoelectronics. However, the realization of EL devices with environment-tolerance, stretchability, mechanical cycling stability, self-adhesion, biocompatibility, and high dielectric constant still remains a challenge. Herein, a type of EL device with enhanced comprehensive performances composing of a chlorinated barium titanate/phosphor/polydimethylsiloxane (Cl-BT/phosphor/PDMS) luminescent layer sandwiched between two silver nanowire-cellulose nanocrystal with II crystalline allomorph/Triton X-100 modified polydimethylsiloxane (AgNW-CNC II/TX-PDMS) electrodes fabricated through a full solution-processing strategy is proposed. Environmentally-friendly CNC II with high transmittance acts as an antioxidant, dispersant and film-former for AgNWs. The hydrophilic modification of TX to …

Estrogen Signaling In The Dorsal Raphe Regulates Binge-Like Drinking In Mice, Valeria C. Torres Irizarry, Bing Feng, Xiaohua Yang, Nirali Patel, Sarah Schaul, Lucas Ibrahimi, Hui Ye, Pei Luo, Leslie Carrillo-Sáenz, Penghua Lai, Maya Kota, Devin Dixit, Chunmei Wang, Amy W. Lasek, Yanlin He, Pingwen Xu

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Estrogens promote binge alcohol drinking and contribute to sex differences in alcohol use disorder. However, the mechanisms are largely unknown. This study aims to test if estrogens act on 5-hydroxytryptamine neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (5-HTDRN) to promote binge drinking. We found that female mice drank more alcohol than male mice in chronic drinking in the dark (DID) tests. This sex difference was associated with distinct alterations in mRNA expression of estrogen receptor α (ERα) and 5-HT-related genes in the DRN, suggesting a potential role of estrogen/ERs/5-HT signaling. In supporting this view, 5-HTDRN neurons from naïve male mice had …

Sex Differences In Interacting Genetic And Functional Connectivity Biomarkers In Alzheimer’S Disease, Jordan N. Williamson, Shirley A. James, Sean P. Mullen, Bradley P. Sutton, Tracey Wszalek, Beni Mulyana, Peter Mukli, Andriy Yabluchanskiy, Balebail Ashok Raj, Kristin Fargher, Amanda Smith, Lisa Raudin, Gloria Chaing, Norman Relkin, Karen Elizabeth Smith, Hyungsub Shim, Laura L.Boles Ponto, Susan K. Schultz, Antero Sarrael, Raymundo Hernando, Nunzio Pomara, Dick Drost, Andrew Kertesz, John Rogers, Irina Rachinsky, Stephen Pasternak, Elizabether Finger, David Bachman, Kenneth Spicer, Jacobo Mintzer, Bruce L. Miller, Howard J. Rosen, Stephen Correia, Paul Malloy

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

As of 2023, it is estimated that 6.7 million individuals in the United States live with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Prior research indicates that AD disproportionality affects females; females have a greater incidence rate, perform worse on a variety of neuropsychological tasks, and have greater total brain atrophy. Recent research shows that hippocampal functional connectivity differs by sex and may be related to the observed sex differences in AD, and apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 carriers have reduced hippocampal functional connectivity. The purpose of this study was to determine if the ApoE genotype plays a role in the observed sex differences in …

Blood And Mri Biomarkers Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury In Non-Concussed Collegiate Football Players, Eunhan Cho, Joshua Granger, Bailey Theall, Nathan Lemoine, Derek Calvert, Jack Marucci, Shelly Mullenix, Hollis O’Neal, Tomas Jacome, Brian A. Irving, Neil M. Johannsen, Owen Carmichael, Guillaume Spielmann

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Football has one of the highest incidence rates of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) among contact sports; however, the effects of repeated sub-concussive head impacts on brain structure and function remain under-studied. We assessed the association between biomarkers of mTBI and structural and functional MRI scans over an entire season among non-concussed NCAA Division I linemen and non-linemen. Concentrations of S100B, GFAP, BDNF, NFL, and NSE were assessed in 48 collegiate football players (32 linemen; 16 non-linemen) before the start of pre-season training (pre-camp), at the end of pre-season training (pre-season), and at the end of the competitive season (post-season). …

Many-Body Enhancement Of High-Harmonic Generation In Monolayer Mos2, Victor Chang Lee, Lun Yue, Mette B. Gaarde, Yang Hao Chan, Diana Y. Qiu

Faculty Publications

Many-body effects play an important role in enhancing and modifying optical absorption and other excited-state properties of solids in the perturbative regime, but their role in high harmonic generation (HHG) and other nonlinear response beyond the perturbative regime is not well-understood. We develop here an ab initio many-body method to study nonperturbative HHG based on the real-time propagation of the non-equilibrium Green’s function with the GW self energy. We calculate the HHG of monolayer MoS2 and obtain good agreement with experiment, including the reproduction of characteristic patterns of monotonic and nonmonotonic harmonic yield in the parallel and perpendicular responses, respectively. …

Epitaxial Films And Devices Of Transparent Conducting Oxides: La:Basno3, Prosper Ngabonziza, Arnaud P. Nono Tchiomo

Faculty Publications

This paper reviews recent developments in materials science and device physics of high-quality epitaxial films of the transparent perovskite La-doped barium stannate, La:BaSnO3. It presents current efforts in the synthesis science of epitaxial La:BaSnO3 films for achieving reduced defect densities and high electron mobility at room temperature. We discuss the scattering mechanisms and the route toward engineering defect-free epitaxial La:BaSnO3 heterostructures. By combining chemical surface characterization and electronic transport studies, special emphasis is laid on the proper correlation between the transport properties and the electronic band structure of La:BaSnO3 films and heterostructures. For application purposes, interesting optical properties of La:BaSnO3 …

Systematic Improvements In Transmon Qubit Coherence Enabled By Niobium Surface Encapsulation, Mustafa Bal, Akshay A. Murthy, Shaojiang Zhu, Francesco Crisa, Xinyuan You, Ziwen Huang, Tanay Roy, Jaeyel Lee, David Van Zanten, Roman Pilipenko, Ivan Nekrashevich, Andrei Lunin, Daniel Bafia, Yulia Krasnikova, Cameron J. Kopas, Ella O. Lachman, Duncan Miller, Josh Y. Mutus, Matthew J. Reagor, Hilal Cansizoglu, Jayss Marshall, David P. Pappas, Kim Vu, Kameshwar Yadavalli, Jin Su Oh, Lin Zhou, Matthew J. Kramer, Florent Lecocq, Dominic P. Goronzy, Carlos G. Torres-Castanedo, P. Graham Pritchard, Vinayak P. Dravid, James M. Rondinelli

Faculty Publications

We present a transmon qubit fabrication technique that yields systematic improvements in T1 relaxation times. We encapsulate the surface of niobium and prevent the formation of its lossy surface oxide. By maintaining the same superconducting metal and only varying the surface, this comparative investigation examining different capping materials, such as tantalum, aluminum, titanium nitride, and gold, as well as substrates across different qubit foundries demonstrates the detrimental impact that niobium oxides have on coherence times of superconducting qubits, compared to native oxides of tantalum, aluminum or titanium nitride. Our surface-encapsulated niobium qubit devices exhibit T1 relaxation times 2–5 times longer …

Metabarcoding The Arctic Ocean Helps Reveal Its Hidden Microbial Community Composition, Rafet Çağrı Öztürk, Yahya Terzi, Sheila Rodríguez-Machado, Ersan Başar, Ali Muzaffer Feyzioğlu, Dilek Ustaoğlu, Ertuğrul Ağırbaş, Prosanta Chakrabarty

Faculty Publications

The Arctic Ocean supports a unique and dynamic microbial community, yet its composition, structure, and response to environmental shifts remain incompletely understood. In this study, 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding (targeting the V3-V4 and V4-V5 hypervariable regions) was used to assess surface water microbial diversity across 20 stations in the Barents Sea, focusing on latitudinal variations within two contrasting current systems: the West Spitsbergen Current (WSC) and the East Spitsbergen Current (ESC). Our results showed that the microbial community is dominated by three primary families—Pseudoalteromonadaceae, Moraxellaceae, and Flavobacteriaceae (14.20%). Comparative analysis of the V3-V4 and V4-V5 regions reveals that each region …

Cop5/Hkr1 Changes Ciliary Beat Pattern And Biases Cell Steering During Chemotaxis In Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, Alexis Strain, Nathan Kratzberg, Dan Vu, Emmaline Miller, Ken Ichi Wakabayashi, Adam Melvin, Naohiro Kato

Faculty Publications

This study investigates the control of ciliary beat patterns during ammonium chemotaxis in the model ciliate microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Screening the chemotaxis response of mutant strains with ciliary defects revealed that a strain lacking CAV2, the alpha subunit of the voltage-gated calcium channel, is deficient in ammonium chemotaxis. CAV2 regulates the switching of the ciliary beat pattern from the asymmetric to the symmetric waveform. Strains lacking COP5/HKR1 (chlamyopsin 5/histidine kinase rhodopsin 1) are also deficient in ammonium chemotaxis. Conversely, strains defective in phototaxis perform ammonium chemotaxis normally. Cell motility analysis revealed wild-type cells reduce the incidences of switching the ciliary …

Creating A Bio-Based Circular Economy From Louisiana Sugarcane Byproducts, G. Aita, D. Bhatnagar, G. O. Bruni, M. Deliberto, G. Eggleston, A. Finger, K. Gravois, M. Isied, W. Judice, K. T. Klasson, I. M. Lima, J. L. Purswell, M. Souliman, E. Terrell, B. S. Tubaña, H. L. Waguespack, J. J. Wang, P. M. White

Faculty Publications

Abstract: Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is Louisiana's number one row crop. Growing and processing sugarcane produces significant amounts of byproducts, including bagasse, crop residue, molasses, filter-press mud, and boiler fly ash. These products represent an important opportunity to generate value-added and specialty products and enhance sugarcane's sustainability by facilitating a circular economy, where agricultural by-products are reused instead of disposing them (linear economy), in order to reduce resource use and energy demand. Examples of value-added products range from biochar, construction materials, animal feed, biofuels, nanoparticles, and fertilizer. Paramount to the success of the bio-based circular economy is creating useful products that …

Substituent Effects On The Photophysical Properties Of A Series Of 8(Meso)-Pyridyl-Bodipys: A Computational Analysis Of The Experimental Data †, Petia Bobadova-Parvanova, Dylan Goliber, Elijuah Hernandez, Daniel Lamaster, Maria Da Graça H. Vicente

Faculty Publications

Recently, a series of 8(meso)-pyridyl-BODIPYs (2-pyridyl, 3-pyridyl, and 4-pyridyl) and their 2,6-substituted derivatives were synthesized and their structure and photophysical properties were studied both experimentally and computationally. One of the main observed trends was that the 2-pyridyl-BODIPYs were consistently less fluorescent than their 3-pyridyl and 4-pyridyl analogs, regardless of the 2,6-substituents. Herein, we extend our previous computational studies and model not only the ground but also the excited states of the entire series of previously synthesized meso-pyridyl-BODIPYs with the aim of explaining the observed differences in the emission quantum yields. To better understand the trends and the effect of 2- …

Cgbi_Yolo: Lightweight Land Target Detection Network, Ruiyang Wang, Siyu Lu, Jiawei Tian, Lirong Yin, Lei Wang, Xiaobing Chen, Wenfeng Zheng

Faculty Publications

Object detection algorithms for optical remote sensing images often face challenges in computational efficiency, particularly when detecting small and densely packed targets. This paper introduces CGBi_YOLO, a novel lightweight land target detection network designed to optimize computational resource utilization while maintaining detection capabilities for small-scale targets. Our approach incorporates an innovative lightweight optimization strategy featuring a new lightweight backbone feature extraction network: CSPGhostNet. This model significantly enhances the detection ability of small objects within optical remote sensing images without increasing computational demands. The efficacy of the proposed model is validated through rigorous experimentation on the DOTA dataset. Compared to the …

Research Overview On Urban Heat Islands Driven By Computational Intelligence, Chao Liu, Siyu Lu, Jiawei Tian, Lirong Yin, Lei Wang, Wenfeng Zheng

Faculty Publications

In recent years, the intensification of the urban heat island (UHI) effect has become a significant concern as urbanization accelerates. This survey comprehensively explores the current status of surface UHI research, emphasizing the role of land use and land cover changes (LULC) in urban environments. We conducted a systematic review of 8260 journal articles from the Web of Science database, employing bibliometric analysis and keyword co-occurrence analysis using CiteSpace to identify research hotspots and trends. Our investigation reveals that vegetation cover and land use types are the two most critical factors influencing UHI intensity. We analyze various computational intelligence techniques, …

Current Situation And Prospect Of Geospatial Ai In Air Pollution Prediction, Chunlai Wu, Siyu Lu, Jiawei Tian, Lirong Yin, Lei Wang, Wenfeng Zheng

Faculty Publications

Faced with increasingly serious environmental problems, scientists have conducted extensive research, among which the importance of air quality prediction is becoming increasingly prominent. This article briefly reviews the utilization of geographic artificial intelligence (AI) in air pollution. Firstly, this paper conducts a literature metrology analysis on the research of geographical AI used in air pollution. That is, 607 documents are retrieved from the Web of Science (WOS) using appropriate keywords, and literature metrology analysis is conducted using Citespace to summarize research hotspots and frontier countries in this field. Among them, China plays a constructive role in the fields of geographic …

Weathering Influences The Ice Nucleation Activity Of Microplastics, Philip Brahana, Mingyi Zhang, Elias Nakouzi, Bhuvnesh Bharti

Faculty Publications

Microplastics are being increasingly detected in the atmosphere at altitudes relevant to mixed-phase cloud formation. However, the extent to which microplastics, along with their dynamic surface properties resulting from environmental weathering, could influence atmospheric microphysical processes remains largely unexplored. Here, through a series of ice nucleation experiments and droplet freezing assays, we highlight the capability of model polyethylene microplastics to induce heterogeneous ice nucleation via immersion freezing under atmospherically relevant conditions. We find that sunlight-induced weathering of the microplastic surface influences the structure of surface-bound water molecules and dictates the ice nucleation activity of the microplastics. Using polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, …

Theoretical And Experimental Analysis Of The Modulated Phase Grating X-Ray Interferometer, Hunter Meyer, Joyoni Dey, Sydney Carr, Kyungmin Ham, Leslie G. Butler, Kerry M. Dooley, Ivan Hidrovo, Markus Bleuel, Tamas Varga, Joachim Schulz, Thomas Beckenbach, Konradin Kaiser

Faculty Publications

X-ray grating interferometry allows for the simultaneous acquisition of attenuation, differential-phase contrast, and dark-field images, resulting from X-ray attenuation, refraction, and small-angle scattering, respectively. The modulated phase grating (MPG) interferometer is a recently developed grating interferometry system capable of generating a directly resolvable interference pattern using a relatively large period grating envelope function that is sampled at a pitch that is small enough that X-ray spatial coherence can be achieved by using a microfocus X-ray source or G0 grating. We present the theory of the MPG interferometry system for a 2-dimensional staggered grating, derived using Fourier optics, and we compare …

Assessment Of Nucleic Acid Extraction Protocols For Antibiotic Resistance Genes (Args) Quantification In Aircraft Wastewater, Wendy J.M. Smith, Yawen Liu, Stuart L. Simpson, Aaron Bivins, Warish Ahmed

Faculty Publications

This study evaluated ten nucleic acid extraction protocols (EP1 to EP10) for measuring five endogenous antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in four aircraft wastewater samples (AWW1 to AWW4). The targeted ARGs, including blaCTX-M, blaNDM-1, ermB, qnrS, and tetA, encompassed highly and minimally abundant ARGs. TetA and ermB were consistently detected across four aircraft wastewater samples using the DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit and the AllPrep PowerViral DNA/RNA kit. QnrS displayed high detection rates with specific extraction protocols and aliquot volumes. Concentrations of ARGs varied across aircraft wastewater samples, with differing extraction protocols influencing quantitative results. The concentrations of tetA, ermB, and …

On The Damping And Fatigue Characterization Of Additively Manufactured Ti-6al-4v, Peyton J. Wilson, Elaheh Azizian-Farsani, Mikyle Paul, Michael M. Khonsari, Shuai Shao, Nima Shamsaei

Faculty Publications

With the recent implementation of additively manufactured parts into industrial applications, there is a dire need for nondestructive evaluation methods to qualify if these components are fit for service due to their sensitivity to processing conditions. The Impulse Excitation Technique (IET) is applied to additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V bending specimens to determine natural frequencies and damping properties in order to predict fatigue performance relative to specimens fabricated with different processing parameters. From the damping and natural frequency results, it was found that the specimens, fabricated with intentional underheating to induce lack of fusion defects, had the lowest damping value in the …

Detecting N-Phenyl-2-Naphthylamine, L-Arabinose, D-Mannose, L-Phenylalanine, L-Methionine, And D-Trehalose Via Photocurrent Measurement, Feng Li, Ruoxi Yang, Jian Xu, Guohai Xu, Ye Wu

Faculty Publications

The concentration of small molecules reflects the normality of physiological processes in the human body, making the development of simple and efficient detection equipment essential. In this work, inspired by a facile strategy in point-of-care detection, two devices were fabricated to detect small molecules via photocurrent measurement. A linear response of the photocurrent against the concentration of the small molecules was found. In the first device, metal ions were introduced into gel substrates made by xanthan gum to enhance photocurrent response. N-phenyl-2-naphthylamine was measured when iron or manganese ions were used. L-Phenylalanine was measured when the gel was modified by …

Employing Raman Spectroscopy And Machine Learning For The Identification Of Breast Cancer, Ya Zhang, Zheng Li, Zhongqiang Li, Huaizhi Wang, Dinkar Regmi, Jian Zhang, Jiming Feng, Shaomian Yao, Jian Xu

Faculty Publications

Background: Breast cancer poses a significant health risk to women worldwide, with approximately 30% being diagnosed annually in the United States. The identification of cancerous mammary tissues from non-cancerous ones during surgery is crucial for the complete removal of tumors. Results: Our study innovatively utilized machine learning techniques (Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)) alongside Raman spectroscopy to streamline and hasten the differentiation of normal and late-stage cancerous mammary tissues in mice. The classification accuracy rates achieved by these models were 94.47% for RF, 96.76% for SVM, and 97.58% for CNN, respectively. To our …

Insights Into Core-Mantle Differentiation From Bulk Earth Melt Simulations, Abin Shakya, Dipta B. Ghosh, Colin Jackson, Gabriele Morra, Bijaya B. Karki

Faculty Publications

The earth is thought to have gone through complex physicochemical changes during the accretion and magma ocean stages. To better understand this evolution process at the fundamental level, we investigate the behavior of a bulk earth melt system by simulating the composition Fe35.7Mg19.0Si15.2O30.2 (in wt%) at high pressure. A deep neural network potential trained by first-principles data can enable accurate molecular dynamics simulation of large supercells that greatly enhances sampling for reliable evaluation of elemental partitioning. Our simulated system undergoes a phase separation in which the four elements clump together to different extents into two major domains. Based on the …

Avocado Seed Extract Encapsulated In Zein Nanoparticles As A Functional Ingredient, Thanida Chuacharoen, Chantana Polprasert, Cristina M. Sabliov

Faculty Publications

Nano-delivery of natural compounds has gained increasing attention in the food and pharmaceutical ingredients industry. Avocado seed was extracted by a total lipid extraction and the presence of two acetogenin compounds was confirmed by the high-performance liquid chromatography (LC-MS) technique. Then, the avocado seed extract (Avo) was encapsulated into zein nanoparticles by liquid-liquid dispersion and the formation of zein nanoparticles loaded with avocado seed extract (Avo-ZNPs) was confirmed by FTIR analysis. The Avo-ZNPs with various Avo contents showed an average size ranging from 166.9 ± 14.1 to 305.2 ± 16.2 nm with 0.19–0.26 of polydispersity index (PDI), and a surface …

Cryo-Em Structure Of A Photosystem I Variant Containing An Unusual Plastoquinone Derivative In Its Electron Transfer Chain, Christopher J. Gisriel, Vasily Kurashov, David F. Iwig, Brandon P. Russell, David J. Vinyard, Gary W. Brudvig, John H. Golbeck, K. V. Lakshmi

Faculty Publications

Photosystem I (PS I) is a light-driven oxidoreductase responsible for converting photons into chemical bond energy. Its application for renewable energy was revolutionized by the creation of the MenB deletion (ΔmenB) variant in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, in which phylloquinone is replaced by plastoquinone-9 with a low binding affinity. This permits its exchange with exogenous quinones covalently coupled to dihydrogen catalysts that bind with high affinity, thereby converting PS I into a stable solar fuel catalyst. Here, we reveal the 2.03-Å-resolution cryo-EM structure of a recent MenB variant of PS I. The quinones and their binding environment are …

Safeguarding Ecological Knowledge From The Effects Of Climate Change: An Archival Approach, Daena Jean Carrillo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Creating resources that facilitate the preservation of community-based archives and ecological knowledge in the Louisiana coastal region is integral to its survival amongst the effects of climate change. Research and records created and stored within the Louisiana coastal region have a higher predisposition to the drastic and pervasive effects of climate change and natural disasters. Modern archivists can insert themselves into the work of climate change action through their advocacy of safeguarding collections that have been created by communities and individuals through raw scientific and observational data and unpublished research. Just as archivists continue to frame their professional work around …

Integrated Sustainability Analysis Of A Shared Micro-Mobility System In University Campus: Life-Cycle Assessment And User Impact Study Of Electric Scooters, Md Afif Rahman Chowdhury

LSU Master's Theses

The objective of this study is to evaluate the environmental, economic, and social impacts of implementing e-scooter technology on the LSU campus. The study is structured into three main parts: (1) an environmental life-cycle assessment of e-scooters, (2) a comparative environmental and economic impact assessment of e-scooters, cars, and campus shuttle buses, and (3) a comprehensive survey of e-scooter users to assess their characteristics, satisfaction levels, and comfort while using e-scooters on the LSU campus.

To achieve the objectives of the study, a life-cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to assess the environmental sustainability of e-scooters, encompassing all stages from raw …

Next Generation Permeable Pavement For Enhanced Durability And Functionality, S M Tanvir

LSU Master's Theses

Porous Asphalt Concrete (PAC), also known as Open-Graded Friction Course (OGFC), is known for its high permeability, which provides benefits such as enhanced rainwater drainage, improved skid resistance, and reduced hydroplaning risks. These characteristics are due to its high air void content, allowing water to flow through the pavement and reducing splash, spray, and noise compared to conventional asphalt mixes. However, this high air void content also contributes to durability concerns, such as raveling, stripping, and clogging, which can reduce service life and increase costs, making OGFC more expensive than conventional asphalt mixtures.

This research focuses on identifying the failure …

Vision-Language Integration For Enhanced Locomotion Mode Prediction, Ehsan Ahmadi

LSU Master's Theses

Wearable exoskeletons offer significant potential in enhancing human mobility in industrial environments. However, their adaptability to dynamic, task-intensive settings presents challenges, especially in accurately predicting locomotion modes such as ladder climbing, stair navigation, low-space movement, and obstacle navigation. This research proposes a multimodal framework that integrates visual data and speech commands to improve locomotion mode prediction in unpredictable environments. Multimodal data was collected using smart glasses, capturing both the user’s perspective (field-of-view, FOV) and voice during locomotion tasks. State-of-the-art models—CLIP, ImageBind, and GPT-4o—process these visual and linguistic inputs to predict locomotion activities. The models were evaluated in zero-shot and fine-tuned …

Development And Comparative Assessment Of Rt-Qpcr And Duplex Rt-Lamp Assays For The Monitoring Of Aichi Virus A (Aiv-A) In Untreated Wastewater Samples, Mariah C.A. Do Nascimento, Wendy J.M. Smith, Yawen Liu, Stuart L. Simpson, Aaron Bivins, Paula Rahal, Warish Ahmed

Faculty Publications

Diverse enteric pathogens, transmitted through human and animal feces, can cause gastroenteritis. Enteric viruses, such as human Aichi virus, specifically genotype A (AiV-A), are emerging pathogens that cause illnesses even at low doses and are spreading globally. This research developed a reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay targeting the 3CD junction and a reverse transcription colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-cLAMP) duplex assay targeting junctions 2BC and 3CD of the AiV-A genome for rapid and sensitive detection of this virus in metropolitan and regional wastewater samples in Queensland, Australia. The performance of these assays was evaluated using control materials …

Forensicllm: A Local Large Language Model For Digital Forensics, Binaya Sharma

LSU Master's Theses

Large Language Models (LLMs) excel in diverse natural language tasks but often lack specialization in fields like digital forensics. Their reliance on cloud-based APIs or high-performance computers restricts their use in resource-limited environments, and response hallucinations could compromise their applicability in forensic contexts. We introduce ForensicLLM, a 4-bit quantized LLaMA-3.1-8B model fine-tuned using Retrieval Augmented Fine-tuning (RAFT) on 6,739 Q&A samples extracted from 1,082 digital forensic research articles and curated digital artifacts. Evaluation on 2,244 Q&A samples showed that ForensicLLM outperformed the base LLaMA-3.1-8B model by 4.06%, 5.43%, and 15.79% on BERTScore F1, BGE-M3 cosine similarity, and G-Eval, respectively. Compared …