S19RS SGB No. 8 (Election Code Amendment)

A Bill To amend the Student Government Bylaw

S19RS SGB No. 4 (Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities)

A BILL To Establish the Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities in tandem with the LSU Faculty Senat

F17RS SGR No. 19 (Feminine Product Disposal Bin)

A Resolution To urge and request the Office of Facility Services to add feminine product disposal bins in all appropriate bathroom stalls on campus, specifically in older building

Understanding Loan Use and Debt Burden Among Low-income and Minority Students at a Large Urban Community College

This study examined a sample of community college students from a diverse, large urban community college system in Texas. To gain a deeper understanding about the effects of background characteristics on student borrowing behaviors and enrollment outcomes, the study employed descriptive statistics and regression techniques to examine two separate samples of students consisting of 1) loan recipients and 2) non-loan recipients. Chen’s heterogeneous research model served as the conceptual framework in the selection of predictors of interest and outcome variables. This study primarily focused on the relationship between borrowing and enrollment outcomes of low-income and racially/ethnically diverse students. Results show that students taking on debt at Metropolitan Community College (a pseudonym) are primarily female, Black, over the age of 20, low-income, and not academically prepared. While race/ethnicity did not significantly influence cumulative debt amount, race/ethnicity did account for significant differences in the likelihood of completion or transfer for both loan recipients and non-loan recipients

Financial Aid Packaging at Community Colleges: Which types of awards packages increase student persistence?

Increasing college costs, coupled with decreasing financial aid has raised public concerns over the affordability of higher education. For the past four decades, the nation has seen the cost of tuition rise at levels that exceed inflation, and financial assistance rates that have not kept pace with that growth. Studies suggest that these financial resources play a role in influencing college attendance decisions and persistence for low-income students. This study examines the characteristics of zero-EFC students as compared to non-zero EFC students and determines the extent to which a gift-aid only, and gift-aid plus loans awards package affects the likelihood of persistence. Also, it explores the relationship between the ratio of loans-to-gift-aid, and the likelihood of persistence across income levels. By employing logistic regression, this study aims to determine if there are differential effects among financial aid award packages, and if the ratio of a loans-to-gift-aid package affects persistence by income status. Results demonstrated that a gift-aid only package, and a gift-aid plus loans package negatively influenced the enrollment outcomes of zero-EFC students and positively influenced the enrollment outcomes of high-income students. Additionally, when examining the ratio of loans-to-gift-aid for students with a gift-aid and loans package, results showed that the higher the ratio of loans to gift-aid, the higher the likelihood of persistence for all income levels. In an era where the rising costs of a college education are becoming more difficult to cover with present levels of financial aid, earning a higher education credential is possible if students are willing to take on educational debt. A comprehensive higher education plan that acknowledges financial barriers as fundamental obstacles to the college success of its lowest income students is necessary to preserving equal opportunity to upward social mobility

Understanding Loan Use and Debt Burden Among Low-income and Minority Students at a Large Urban Community College

This study examined a sample of community college students from a diverse, large urban community college system in Texas. To gain a deeper understanding about the effects of background characteristics on student borrowing behaviors and enrollment outcomes, the study employed descriptive statistics and regression techniques to examine two separate samples of students consisting of 1) loan recipients and 2) non-loan recipients. Chen’s heterogeneous research model served as the conceptual framework in the selection of predictors of interest and outcome variables. This study primarily focused on the relationship between borrowing and enrollment outcomes of low-income and racially/ethnically diverse students. Results show that students taking on debt at Metropolitan Community College (a pseudonym) are primarily female, Black, over the age of 20, low-income, and not academically prepared. While race/ethnicity did not significantly influence cumulative debt amount, race/ethnicity did account for significant differences in the likelihood of completion or transfer for both loan recipients and non-loan recipients

Next-generation multiparameter flow cytometry assay improves the assessment of oxidative stress in probiotics

peer-reviewedStability of probiotic products’ potency throughout shelf life is essential to ensure systematic delivery of the dosages required to provide clinically-proven health benefits. Due to the oxygen sensitivity of gut-derived microorganisms, methods for the rapid and accurate monitoring of oxidative stress in probiotics are greatly needed as they can be instrumental to both bioprocess optimization and quality control. This study introduces a next-generation flow cytometry method multiplexing the CellROX® Green and Propidium Iodide probes for the simultaneous measurement of free total reactive oxygen species (ROS) and membrane integrity, respectively. The multiparameter method was compared to the single-parameter assays, measuring either ROS or membrane integrity, for the ability to evaluate the fitness of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) after freeze drying, spray drying and H2O2-mediated oxidative stress. Each stand-alone assay detected only three cell populations, showing either differential membrane integrity (Syto 24+/PI-, Syto 24+/PI+, Syto 24-/PI+) or ROS levels (ROS-, low-ROS, high-ROS), and no correlation could be drawn between these groups. Conversely, the multiparameter method detected up to five physiologically distinct cell populations and allowed the integrated assessment of their membrane integrity and oxidative stress. It also revealed a much larger fitness heterogeneity in LGG as each group of low-ROS and high-ROS cells was found to be formed by a healthier population with an intact membrane (L-ROS/PI-, H-ROS/PI-) and a population with damaged membrane (L-ROS/PI+, H-ROS/PI+). As the CRG probe only detects free unreacted ROS, these populations are suggested to reflect the dynamic lifecycle of ROS formation, accumulation and reactive depletion leading to oxidative damage of macromolecules and consequent cell death. With the stand-alone CRG assay being unable to detect ROS lifecycle, the multiparameter method here presented delivers a superior profiling of the heterogeneity generated by oxidative stress in bacteria and enables a more correct interpretation of CRG fluorescence data. We provide recent examples from literature where the use of a single-parameter fluorescence approach may have led to misinterpret oxidative stress data and eventually draw erroneous conclusions

Constraining Jet/Disk Geometry and Radiative Processes in Stellar Black Holes XTE J1118+480 and GX 339-4

We present results from modeling of quasi-simultaneous broad band (radio through X-ray) observations of the galactic stellar black hole (BH) transient X-ray binary (XRB) systems XTE J1118+480 and GX 339-4 using an irradiated disc + compact jet model. In addition to quantifying the physical properties of the jet, we have developed a new irradiated disc model which also constrains the geometry and temperature of the outer accretion disc by assuming a disc heated by viscous energy release and X-ray irradiation from the inner regions. For the source XTE J1118+480, which has better spectral coverage of the two in optical and near-IR (OIR) wavelengths, we show that the entire broad band continuum can be well described by an outflow-dominated model + an irradiated disc. The best-fit radius of the outer edge of the disc is consistent with the Roche lobe geometry of the system, and the temperature of the outer edge of the accretion disc is similar to those found for other XRBs. Irradiation of the disc by the jet is found to be negligible for this source. For GX 339-4, the entire continuum is well described by the jet-dominated model only, with no disc component required. For the two XRBs, which have very different physical and orbital parameters and were in different accretion states during the observations, the sizes of the jet base are similar and both seem to prefer a high fraction of non-thermal electrons in the acceleration/shock region and a magnetically dominated plasma in the jet. These results, along with recent similar results from modeling other galactic XRBs and AGNs, may suggest an inherent unity in diversity in the geometric and radiative properties of compact jets from accreting black holes.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. Uses mn2e.cls. 17 pages, 4 figures, 3 table