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RUSTIN — James E. Wyche III, professor of Biomedical Engineering, and Dr. Mark DeCoster and his group in the Cellular Neuroscience Lab at Louisiana Tech are involved in several areas of research concerning the brain and nervous system, including the development of nanotechnology to understand how the brain works at the cellular level in both healthy and diseased states.
For the past four years, DeCoster and his group have been actively following Parkinson’s research trends and opportunities as Tech and the University’s Parkinson Research Center work to improve the lives of caregivers for and patients with Parkinson’s, a neurodegenerative disease that decreases a patient’s normal neurological function over time.
“This is due to the loss of dopaminergic pathways in the brain, meaning that some of the brain connections that use the signaling transmitter dopamine are lost,” DeCoster said. “In patients with Parkinson’s, this means motor symptoms such as rigidity, tremor, poverty of movement and loss of balance become present.
Patients with Parkinson’s also present symptoms — apathy, anxiety and depression — related to the loss of dopamine. What is going on in the central nervous system due to Parkinson’s disease is thus both motor-related, which expresses itself as abnormal movements (both too much and too little), and behavioral, such as the negative depressed symptoms.”
Dopamine replacement therapy is being used to slow or decrease the symptoms of the disease, as is deep brain stimulation. But for now, there is no cure.
Types of research going on to find a cure for Parkinson’s include “replacing failing cells in the brain with stem cells, which have the potential to replace the failing cells,” DeCoster said. “Also, gene therapy is a strategy where the genes’ coding for the production of dopamine might be controlled to help replace the dopamine being lost.
“Deep brain stimulation is a method whereby the cells of the brain are stimulated using devices created through biomedical engineering, and when stimulated, the brain cells release chemical factors that could improve brain function during the disease. Also, an appreciation of specific molecules that may be involved in inflammation are being considered as factors that can make Parkinson’s disease worse, or more likely; by identifying these molecules, diminishing them, or blocking them, that might point to a cure.”
Specifically to Parkinson’s disease and other brain functions, DeCoster and his group are currently trying to leverage potential applications for a nanomaterial called CuHARS, which stands for copper high-aspect ratio structures. The copper part of the CuHARS may help us develop a sensor for molecules found in the brain and important to Parkinson’s disease.
An example of such molecules would be those containing the protein alpha-synuclein, which appears in many of the abnormal cellular formations that grow in brain cells during the development of Parkinson’s disease. Alpha-synuclein clumping and buildup in the brain can be related to copper, because alpha-synuclein is known to bind to copper; too much copper in the brain seems to cause the alpha-synuclein clumping, which causes brain cell function to fail.
“We therefore predict that the copper in our CuHARS could help detect alpha-synuclein, and help us to visualize the process over time,” DeCoster said. “The CuHARS material is an interesting nanomaterial because it is incredibly stable in water once we make it, but once we put the material back with cells, it is completely biodegradable; that is, it completely breaks down. Since we know how to make the CuHARS and exactly what is in it, it could be used as a sensor to help detect the Parkinson’s disease process and to model how it progresses over time.”
In 2016, DeCoster’s group successfully published some findings concerning their research with the nanomaterials, and DeCoster started keeping up with research alerts and funding opportunities through sources such as the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. (The paper, titled “Self-Assembled Metal – Organic Biohybrids (MOBs) Using Copper and Silver for Cell Studies,” was published through the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.
“Because of some of our latest discoveries, we predict that CuHARS could help us detect a number of molecules in the brain, including some of those involved in Parkinson’s disease,” he said. “We will keep pushing forward to discover how these new materials might be used including what we believe could be useful for a more thorough understanding of Parkinson’s.”
Among other faculty leading groups conducting brain research include biomedical engineering associate professor Dr. Teresa “Terri” Murray, and Director of Tech’s Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Science Dr. Leon Iasemidis.

The parish government is once again taking measures against the possibility of flooding in lower St. Martin.

Effective Tuesday, the parish government has set up two self-service sandbag locations providing bags and sand:

—The corner of Stephensville Road and La. 70 at Doiron’s Landing behind the car wash.

—La. 70 on the levee side across from the Belle River Volunteer Fire Department.

“Should the threat of high water intensify, St. Martin Parish Government will implement more comprehensive measures,” officials said in a Facebook post Tuesday. “The situation is being constantly monitored by public works and the Office of Homeland Security Emergency
Preparedness.”

At 4 p.m. Tuesday, the Atchafalaya at Morgan City was at 6.34 feet, down slightly from Monday night. The minor flood stage is 6.0 feet, and moderate flooding begins at 7 feet.

The river is expected to reach to reach 6.6 feet Saturday and then drop while staying above 6.0.

Also at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Lake Palourde was at 4.5 feet, or 0.5 feet above the “action” level. The flood stage is 5.0 feet.

The threat of high water came early this year. The Mississippi rose to near flood stage in January. High water in the Mississippi makes the dominoes start to fall.

The Atchafalaya system gets 30% percent of the water coming down the Mississippi at the Old River Control Structure, putting Morgan City and Berwick at risk when the Big Muddy’s flow rises rapidly. And when the Atchafalaya is high, smaller tributaries can’t drain properly, leading to flooding on Bayou Chene in lower St. Martin and Lake Palourde in Morgan City.

Stephensville and surrounding areas got a reminder last year, when homes were threatened by back-flooding from about Mardi Gras well into the summer. For the third time since 2011, officials decided to sink a barge in Bayou Chene to protect St. Mary, St. Martin and surrounding parishes.

Since last year’s record flooding, much has taken place on the flood fight front. That includes at least $121 million in flood control work that's either planned or underway in St. Mary, including an $80 million permanent flood gate on Bayou Chene to eliminate the need to sink a barge.

The St. Mary Levee District is accepting bids for the flood wall portion of that work.

The district may end up spending another $30 million for a wave-break and levee between Lake Palourde and Lakeside Subdivision. The district staff hopes to present a plan to Lakeside residents and come back to the district board by mid-April. No firm funding source has been identified.

That work is part of a levee improvement program in Morgan City on which St. Mary Consolidated Drainage District No. 2 has already spent $18 million-$22 million.

The Levee District broke ground last month on the $11 million Bayou Teche Flood Control Structure, which is designed to keep storm surge from running up the Charenton Canal and flooding the Franklin, Garden City and Centerville areas.

The district’s board voted last week to support the restoration of the old Rabbit Island Reef Chain between Marsh Island and the Burns Point area. Restoring the oyster reef, from which shell has been harvested for road work, would reduce storm surge in East Cote Blanche
Bay and allow waterways to drain more rapidly. Proponents hope the project will be included in the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s 2023 master plan.

NEW IBERIA — The Books Along the Teche Literary Festival April 3 will feature a Cajun cocktail party featuring Food Network Stars Chefs Cody and Samantha Carroll and music by the Bunk Johnson Brazz Band.
The chefs will present a Cochon de Lait (pig roast) and local seafood from Delcambre Direct Seafood in the gardens of Shadows-on-the-Teche in New Iberia, a National Trust for Historic Preservation site. In the event of inclement weather the event will be held at the Sliman Theater, 129 E. Main St., according to the Iberia Parish Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The 6-8 p.m. event is $50 per person and tickets can be purchased at BonTempsTix.com
Born and raised in the small farmer’s town of Batchelor, Cody Carroll always made time for the kitchen. It was in his family’s hunting and fishing camps, preparing Louisiana game, waterfowl, and fish that his talent and passion for cooking flourished.
At the age of 18, he left his family’s farm to attend Louisiana State University, where he graduated with a degree in Business. He then enrolled at the Louisiana Culinary Institute to acquire his degree in Culinary Arts. It was here that he met Samantha, his future wife and business partner.
Samantha Carroll grew up in the community of Gonzales. Her love for the culinary arts stems from waking up on weekend mornings to the distinct scent of roux being prepared in her family’s kitchen for gumbo. To this day, she swears there is no better smell.
The chefs graduated from culinary school in January 2010 and just three months later transformed a former drive-through convenience store in New Roads into Hot Tails; a rustic, South Louisiana style restaurant. The establishment was intended to be an outlet for the crawfish being raised in their farm, but has evolved to include a full menu of their versions of Louisiana classic dishes and elevated comfort food. Their dishes have been referred to as “hardcore South Louisiana cuisine.”
Since opening the restaurant, they’ve traveled around the world to showcase Louisiana cooking traditions and ingredients, most notably winning the title of “King and Queen of Louisiana Seafood” in 2013.
In December 2017, the couple rose to fame as Food Network stars, showcasing their farm-to-table cuisine and unique style in the kitchen as a true dynamic-duo on their own show: Cajun Aces.
With a focus on Great Southern Writers, the festival highlights Iberia Parish authors and others who write about the unique culture of Louisiana. Events include cooking demonstrations, workshops on writing, book fair, academic symposiums, receptions, poetry, music, live oak walk, movie screenings, children’s activities, readers theater and more. Participants can learn Cajun dancing or how to play bouree, and tour the areas described in the Dave Robicheaux novels.
To purchase tickets, day passes and all-inclusive passes, visit BonTempsTix.com.
For festival information, e-mail techefest@gmail.com or call Shadows-0n-the-Teche at 337-369-6446.