Digital Commons Network^™

Salt Marsh Elevation Limit Determined After Subsidence From Hydrologic Change And Hydrocarbon Extraction, R. Eugene Turner, Yu Mo

Faculty Publications

Levee construction aboveground and hydrocarbon removal from belowground in coastal wetlands can create hydrologic changes that increase plant stress through flooding. But the significance of the subsidence they cause individually or in combination is contested. This study untangled them to demonstrate elevational limits of salt marshes by studying dredged and natural waterways in two salt marshes in Louisiana, USA. The areas had a homogenous plant cover before drilling for oil and gas extraction peaked in the 1960s, and now are a mixed network of natural waterways and dredged canals used to drill wells with an average drill date of 1965.8 …

Bottom-Up Approach To Assess The Molecular Structure Of Aqueous Poly(N‑Isopropylacrylamide) At Room Temperature Via Infrared Spectroscopy, Habtom B. Gobeze, Jianbo Ma, Fedra M. Leonik, Daniel G. Kuroda

Faculty Publications

© 2020 American Chemical Society The structure of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) in solution is still an unresolved topic. Here, the PNIPAM structure in water was investigated using a bottom-up approach, involving the monomer, dimer, and trimer, and a combination of infrared (IR) spectroscopies as well as molecular dynamics simulations. The experiments show that the monomer and oligomers exhibit a broad and asymmetric amide I band with two underlying transitions, while PNIPAM presents the same major transitions and a minor one. Analysis of the 2D IR spectra and theoretical modeling of the amide I band indicates that the two transitions of the …

Efficient Low-Cost Procedure For Microextraction Of Estrogen From Environmental Water Using Magnetic Ionic Liquids, Paula Berton, Noureen Siraj, Susmita Das, Sergio De Rooy, Rodolfo G. Wuilloud, Isiah M. Warner

Faculty Publications

In this study, three magnetic ionic liquids (MILs) were investigated for extraction of four estrogens, i.e., estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), and ethinylestradiol (EE2), from environmental water. The cation trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium ([P66614]+), selected to confer hydrophobicity to the resulting MIL, was combined with tetrachloroferrate(III), ferricyanide, and dysprosium thiocyanate to yield ([P66614][FeCl4]), ([P66614]3[Fe(CN)6]), and ([P66614]5[Dy(SCN)8]), respectively. After evaluation of various strategies to develop a liquid-liquid microextraction technique based on synthesized MILs, we placed the MILs onto a magnetic stir bar and used them as extracting solvents. After extraction, the MIL-enriched phase was dissolved in methanol and injected into an HPLC-UV for …

High-Resolution Sampling Of A Broad Marine Life Size Spectrum Reveals Differing Size- And Composition-Based Associations With Physical Oceanographic Structure, Adam T. Greer, John C. Lehrter, Benjamin M. Binder, Aditya R. Nayak, Ranjoy Barua, Ana E. Rice, Jonathan H. Cohen, Malcolm N. Mcfarland, Alexis Hagemeyer, Nicole D. Stockley, Kevin M. Boswell, Igor Shulman, Sergio Derada, Bradley Penta

Faculty Publications

Observing multiple size classes of organisms, along with oceanographic properties and water mass origins, can improve our understanding of the drivers of aggregations, yet acquiring these measurements remains a fundamental challenge in biological oceanography. By deploying multiple biological sampling systems, from conventional bottle and net sampling to in situ imaging and acoustics, we describe the spatial patterns of different size classes of marine organisms (several microns to ∼10 cm) in relation to local and regional (m to km) physical oceanographic conditions on the Delaware continental shelf. The imaging and acoustic systems deployed included (in ascending order of target organism size) …

Perceived Vulnerability To Covid-19 Infection From Event Attendance: Results From Louisiana, Usa, Two Weeks Preceding The National Emergency Declaration, Ran Li, Bingcheng Yang, Jerrod Penn, Bailey Houghtaling, Juan Chen, Witoon Prinyawiwatkul, Brian E. Roe, Danyi Qi

Faculty Publications

Background: Individual perceptions of personal and national threats posed by COVID-19 shaped initial response to the pandemic. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in residents' awareness about COVID-19 and to characterize those who were more aware and responsive during the early stages of the pandemic in Louisiana.

Methods: In response to the mounting threat of COVID-19, we added questions to an ongoing food preference study held at Louisiana State University from March 3rd through March 12th, 2020. We asked how likely it was that the spread of the coronavirus will cause a national public health crisis …

Weaving Strands Of Knowledge: Leaning About Environmental Change In The Bhutan Himalayas, Sameer Honwad, Andrew D. Coppens, Greg Defrancis, Marcos Stafne Montshire, Shivaraj Bhattarai

Faculty Publications

Climate change is a complex phenomenon, so much so that even those with expert knowledge on the scientific data struggle to understand the impacts of climate change on their everyday lives. Contradictions across systems of knowledge make clear that climate change is not just a problem of scientific understanding but is also simultaneously a problem of global coordination as well as a sociopolitical problem of connecting domains of knowledge that are seldom valued equitably. The project described in this paper is a prototype effort to put knowledge from community members in two culturally distinct rural areas of the world at …

Spectral Absorption Coefficient Of Additive Manufacturing Materials, Nicholas J. Wallace, Matthew R. Jones, Nathan B. Crane

Faculty Publications

Active thermography techniques are of interest for quality assurance of additive manufacturing processes. However, accurate measurements of thermophysical properties of materials are required to successfully implement active thermography. In particular, the spectral absorption coefficient of materials commonly used in additive manufacturing must be known to accurately predict the spatial distribution of thermal energy generated from absorption of power emitted by a laser or pulsed flash lamp. Accurate measurements of these optical properties are also needed to develop greater understanding of additive manufacturing processes that rely on radiative heat transfer to fuse powders. This paper presents spectral absorption coefficient measurements and …

Juvenile Leaves Or Adult Leaves: Determinants For Vegetative Phase Change In Flowering Plants, Darren Manuela, Mingli Xu

Faculty Publications

Vegetative leaves in Arabidopsis are classified as either juvenile leaves or adult leaves based on their specific traits, such as leaf shape and the presence of abaxial trichomes. The timing of the juvenile-to-adult phase transition during vegetative development, called the vegetative phase change, is a critical decision for plants, as this transition is associated with crop yield, stress responses, and immune responses. Juvenile leaves are characterized by high levels of miR156/157, and adult leaves are characterized by high levels of miR156/157 targets, SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) transcription factors. The discovery of this miR156/157-SPL module provided a critical tool for …

Comparing Greedy Constructive Heuristic Subtour Elimination Methods For The Traveling Salesman Problem, Petar Jackovich, Bruce A. Cox, Raymond R. Hill

Faculty Publications

Purpose — This paper aims to define the class of fragment constructive heuristics used to compute feasible solutions for the traveling salesman problem (TSP) into edge-greedy and vertex-greedy subclasses. As these subclasses of heuristics can create subtours, two known methodologies for subtour elimination on symmetric instances are reviewed and are expanded to cover asymmetric problem instances. This paper introduces a third novel subtour elimination methodology, the greedy tracker (GT), and compares it to both known methodologies. Design/methodology/approach — Computational results for all three subtour elimination methodologies are generated across 17 symmetric instances ranging in size from 29 vertices to 5,934 …

Everyone, Everywhere, Every Time, Clayton A. Copeland Phd

Faculty Publications

The University of South Carolina’s Knowledge School has a commitment. The commitment: Everyone. Everywhere. Every time. The “Knowledge School” is about empowerment. It is about accessing abilities in everyone. It is about using abilities to ensure knowledge creation. And it is about using abilities to ensure equity. This chapter defines a philosophy rooted in tenets of universal access and design. It then highlights several initiatives in teaching, research, and service that put the philosophy into action.

Contractual Procurement Alternatives Of Air Force Contingency Pharmaceuticals: A Cost-Benefit Analysis, Adam J. Brubakken, John M. Dickens, Jason Andrerson, William A. Cunningham Iii

Faculty Publications

Purpose — This paper aims to explore effective supply chain principles, through the theory of transaction cost economics, as measures to improve current contingency pharmaceutical item shortfalls in the Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) Contingency Pharmaceutical Programme. Design/methodology/approach — In this research, AFMS contingency pharmaceutical data was collected from various databases, including the Joint Medical Asset Repository, Medical Contingency Requirements Workflow and the Medical Requirements List. Through the methodology of cost-benefit analysis, alternative sourcing and fulfilment practices are evaluated. Findings — The findings of this research indicate that the application of centralized purchasing principles, in an effort to leverage prime …

Modified C-17 Taxi Procedures: A Fuel Cost Savings Exploration, Michael Wells, Michael Krester, Benjamin Hazen, Jeffrey Weir

Faculty Publications

Purpose — This study aims to explore the viability of using C-17 reduced-engine taxi procedures from a cost savings and capability perspective. Design/methodology/approach — This study model expected engine fuel flow based on the number of operational engines, aircraft gross weight (GW) and average aircraft groundspeed. Using this model, the research executes a cost savings simulation estimating the expected annual savings produced by the proposed taxi methodology. Operational and safety risks are also considered. Findings — The results indicate that significant fuel and costs savings are available via the employment of reduced-engine taxi procedures. On an annual basis, the mobility …

Effective Early Treatment Of Microcystis Exponential Growth And Microcystin Production With Hydrogen Peroxide And Hydroxyapatite, Ian Struewing, Nathan Sienkiewicz, Chiqian Zhang, Nicholas Dugan, Jingrang Lu

Faculty Publications

: Mitigating cyanotoxin production is essential to protecting aquatic ecosystems and public health. However, current harmful cyanobacterial bloom (HCB) control strategies have significant shortcomings. Because predicting HCBs is difficult, current HCB control strategies are employed when heavy HCBs have already occurred. Our pilot study developed an effective HCB prediction approach that is employed before exponential cyanobacterial growth and massive cyanotoxin pro‐ duction can occur. We used a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay targeting the toxin‐encoding gene mcyA to signal the timing of treatment. When control measures were applied at an early growth stage or one week before the exponential …

Cultural Identity Formation: A Personal Narrative, Jose Carbajal

Faculty Publications

This paper provides an autoethnography of personal experiences and perceptions of being a minoritized individual. This is the story of a professional social worker learning to adapt to social norms and expectations of self. I discuss the struggles I experienced as an adolescent and as a young adult attending college. This narrative highlights the intersection of faith and social work at moments in my professional development. It is at this intersection that this social worker learns to live a holistic life without feeling discriminated against or ashamed of his identity. I begin to actualize a reality with imperfect beings who …

Agnew, Abc, And Richard Nixon's War On Television, Dale L. Cressman Phd

Faculty Publications

Less than a year into the presidency of Richard Nixon, Vice President Spiro Agnew launched a series of attacks on television journalists, accusing them of being biased and having too much power to determine what news millions of Americans watched on their televisions. Because the government licensed and regulated their stations, the networks considered Agnew's statements, and other White House criticisms, to be threats. As the smallest, most vulnerable network, ABC found itself at a confluence of relationships with the administration: It employed both Nixon's favorite and least favorite anchors, as well as a highly placed executive who lent sympathy …

Registration Of The Transition Radiation With Gaas Detector: Data/Mc Comparison, J. Alozy, N. Belyaev, B. L. Bergmann, T. R.V. Billoud, P. Broulim, P. Burian, M. Campbell, G. Chelkov, M. Cherry, F. Dachs, S. Doronin, K. Filippov, P. Fusco, F. Gargano, E. H.M. Heijne, S. Konovalov, X. Llopart Cudie, F. Loparco, M. N. Mazziotta, L. Meduna, H. Pernegger, D. Ponomarenko, S. Pospisil, D. Rastorguev, C. Rembser, A. Romaniouk, A. A. Savchenko, E. J. Schioppa, S. Smirnov, Y. Smirnov, P. Smolyanskiy, P. Spinelli, M. Strikhanov

Faculty Publications

New developments of pixel detectors based on GaAs sensors offer effective registration of the transition radiation (TR) X-rays and perform simultaneous measurements of their energies and emission angles. This unique feature opens new possibilities for particle identification on the basis of maximum available information about generated TR photons. Results of studies of TR energy-Angular distributions using a 500 |j.m thick GaAs sensor attached to a Timepix3 chip are presented. Measurements, analysis techniques and a comparison with Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are described and discussed.

A Concept Of The Transition Radiation Detector For A Hadron Separation In A Forward Direction Of The Lhc Experiments, N. Belyaev, M. L. Cherry, S. A. Doronin, K. Filippov, P. Fusco, F. Gargano, S. Konovalov, F. Loparco, M. N. Mazziotta, A. Mufazalova, S. Nechaeva, D. Ponomarenko, C. Rembser, A. Romaniouk, A. A. Savchenko, E. Shulga, S. Smirnov, Yu Smirnov, P. Spinelli, L. Sultanaliyeva, P. Teterin, V. Tikhomirov, K. Vorobev, K. Zhukov

Faculty Publications

Studying of hadron production in forward direction at the LHC energy has a great interest both for understanding of the fundamental QCD processes and also in applied areas such as the description of ultra-high energy cosmic particle interactions. The energies of secondary hadrons in such studies almost reach the maximum energy available at the LHC of ∼6 TeV, which corresponds to a Lorentz γ-factor up to 104 and above. The only effective technique able to identify particles in this range is based on the transition radiation detectors (TRD). Prototypes of such kind of detector were built and tested at the …

From Community Policing To Political Police In Nicaragua, Lucia Dammert, Mary Fran T. Malone

Faculty Publications

In a region plagued by high rates of violent crime and repressive policing practices, Nicaragua has earned a reputation as exceptional. Despite poverty, inequality, and a historical legacy of political violence and repression, Nicaragua has defied regional trends. It has registered low rates of violent crime while deploying policing practices that emphasized prevention over repression. April 2018 marked an end to this exceptionalism. Police attacked anti-government protestors, and launched a sustained campaign against dissidents that continues to the present day. While the Nicaraguan police had long cultivated a reputation as community-oriented and non-repressive, they appeared to quickly change into a …

A Survey On Subsurface Signal Propagation, Usman Raza, Abdul Salam

Faculty Publications

Wireless Underground Communication (WUC) is an emerging field that is being developed continuously. It provides secure mechanism of deploying nodes underground which shields them from any outside temperament or harsh weather conditions. This paper works towards introducing WUC and give a detail overview of WUC. It discusses system architecture of WUC along with the anatomy of the underground sensor motes deployed in WUC systems. It also compares Over-the-Air and Underground and highlights the major differences between the both type of channels. Since, UG communication is an evolving field, this paper also presents the evolution of the field along with the …

The Evolution Of A Tropical Biodiversity Hotspot, M G. Harvey, G A. Bravo, S Claramunt, A M. Cuervo, M G. Harvey, J Battilana, G F. Seeholzer, J S. Mckay, B C. O'Meara, B C. Faircloth, S V. Edwards, J Perez-Eman, R G. Moyle, F H. Sheldon, A Aleixo, B T. Smith, R T. Chesser, L F. Silveira, J Cracraft, R T. Brumfield, E P. Derryberry

Faculty Publications

The tropics are the source of most biodiversity yet inadequate sampling obscures answers to fundamental questions about how this diversity evolves. We leveraged samples assembled over decades of fieldwork to study diversification of the largest tropical bird radiation, the suboscine passerines. Our phylogeny, estimated using data from 2389 genomic regions in 1940 individuals of 1287 species, reveals that peak suboscine species diversity in the Neotropics is not associated with high recent speciation rates but rather with the gradual accumulation of species over time. Paradoxically, the highest speciation rates are in lineages from regions with low species diversity, which are generally …

Precision Measurement Of The Ratio Β(Y(3S) → Τ + Τ−) / Β( Y(3S)→ Μ+ Μ−, J. P. Lees, V. Poireau, V. Tisserand, E. Grauges, A. Palano, G. Eigen, D. N. Brown, Yu. G. Kolomensky, M. Fritsch, H. Koch, T. Schroeder, R. Cheaib, C. Hearty, T. S. Mattison, J. A. Mckenna, R. Y. So, V. E. Blinov, A. R. Buzykaev, V. P. Druzhinin, Milind Purohit, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

We report on a precision measurement of the ratio Rϒð3SÞ τμ ¼ Bðϒð3SÞ → τþτ−Þ=Bðϒð3SÞ → μþμ−Þ using data collected with the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II eþe− collider. The measurement is based on a 28 fb−1 data sample collected at a center-of-mass energy of 10.355 GeV corresponding to a sample of 122 million ϒð3SÞ mesons. The ratio is measured to be Rϒð3SÞ τμ ¼ 0.966 0.008stat 0.014syst and is in agreement with the standard model prediction of 0.9948 within 2 standard deviations. The uncertainty in Rϒð3SÞ τμ is almost an order of magnitude smaller than the only previous …

Evaluating A Technology-Mediated Hpv Vaccination Awareness Intervention: A Controlled, Quasi-Experimental, Mixed Methods Study, Heather M. Brandt, Beth Sundstrom, Courtney M. Monroe, Gabrielle Turner-Mcgrievy, Chelsea Larsen, Melissa Stansbury, Karen Magradey, Andrea Gibson, Delia Smith West

Faculty Publications

College-aged women and men are an important catch-up population for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination interventions. Limited research has explored technology-mediated HPV vaccination awareness interventions aimed at college students. The purpose was to evaluate a novel, technology-mediated, social media-based intervention to promote HPV vaccination among college students. A controlled, quasi-experimental, mixed methods study examined the feasibility of a technology-based intervention among two undergraduate classes ( = 58) at a public university in the southeastern United States of America. Classes were randomized to receive one of two cancer prevention programs (i.e., HPV vaccination (intervention) or healthy weight (control)). Both programs contained eight …

Entropic Signatures Of The Skyrmion Lattice Phase In Mnsi1-Xalx And Fe1-Ycoysi, C. Dhital, J. F. Ditusa

Faculty Publications

The entropic signatures of magnetic phase transitions in the skyrmion lattice host compounds MnSi0.962Al0.038 and Fe0.7Co0.3Si were investigated through low field magnetization and ac susceptibility measurements. These data indicate that the conical to skyrmion transition that occurs with the application of magnetic field in MnSi0.962Al0.038 is characterized by clear discontinuity in the magnetic entropy as expected for first order topological phase transition. These same magnetoentropic features are negligibly small in isostructural Fe0.7Co0.3Si due to the level of chemical substitution related disorder and differences in the spin dynamics (range and timescales). Despite the obvious similarities in the magnetic structures of these …

Does Inhibitory Control Training Reduce Weight And Caloric Intake In Adults With Overweight And Obesity? A Pre-Registered, Randomized Controlled Event-Related Potential (Erp) Study, Kaylie A. Carbine, Alexandra M. Muir, Whitney D. Allen, James D. Lecheminant, Scott A. Baldwin, Chad D. Jensen, C. Brock Kirwan, Michael Larson

Faculty Publications

A cognitive intervention that may reduce weight and caloric intake is inhibitory control training (ICT; having individuals repeatedly withhold dominant responses to unhealthy food images). We conducted a randomized controlled trial where 100 individuals with overweight or obesity were assigned to complete a generic (n = 48) or food-specific ICT (n = 52) training four times per week for four weeks. Weight and caloric intake were ob- tained at baseline, four-weeks, and 12-weeks. Participants also completed high-calorie and neutral go/no-go tasks while N2 event-related potential (ERP) data, a neural indicator of inhibitory control, was measured at all visits. Results from …

Interleukin-17-Induced Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Mediate Resistance To Checkpoint Blockade In Pancreatic Cancer, Yu Zhang, Vidhi Chandra, Erick Riquelme Sanchez, Prasanta Dutta, Pompeyo R. Quesada, Amanda Rakoski, Michelle Zoltan, Nivedita Arora, Seyda Baydogan, William Horne, Jared Burks, Hanwen Xu, Perwez Hussain, Huamin Wang, Sonal Gupta, Anirban Maitra, Jennifer M. Bailey, Seyed J. Moghaddam, Sulagna Banerjee, Ismet Sahin, Pratip Bhattacharya

Faculty Publications

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a lethal malignancy with an immunosuppressive microenvironment that is resistant to most therapies. IL17 is involved in pancreatic tumorigenesis, but its role in invasive PDAC is undetermined. We hypothesized that IL17 triggers and sustains PDAC immunosuppression. We inhibited IL17/IL17RA signaling using pharmacological and genetic strategies alongside mass cytometry and multiplex immunofluorescence techniques. We uncovered that IL17 recruits neutrophils, triggers neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), and excludes cytotoxic CD8 T cells from tumors. Additionally, IL17 blockade increases immune checkpoint blockade (PD-1, CTLA4) sensitivity. Inhibition of neutrophils or Padi4-dependent NETosis phenocopies IL17 neutralization. NMR spectroscopy revealed changes in …

The Acute Effects Of 5 Fluorouracil On Skeletal Muscle Resident And Infiltrating Immune Cells In Mice, Brandon N. Vanderveen, Alexander T. Sougiannis, Kandy T. Velazquez, James A. Carson, Daping Fan, E. Angela Murphy

Faculty Publications

5 fluorouracil (5FU) has been a first-choice chemotherapy drug for several cancer types (e.g., colon, breast, head, and neck); however, its efficacy is diminished by patient acquired resistance and pervasive side effects. Leukopenia is a hallmark of 5FU; however, the impact of 5FU-induced leukopenia on healthy tissue is only becoming unearthed. Recently, skeletal muscle has been shown to be impacted by 5FU in clinical and preclinical settings and weakness and fatigue remain among the most consistent complaints in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Monocytes, or more specifically macrophages, are the predominate immune cell in skeletal muscle which regulate turnover and homeostasis …

Reply To Letter To The Editor, Sarah Mccarty, Cindy Schmidt, Loes Nauta

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Computational Investigation Of The Interstitial Oxidation Thermodynamics Of A Mo-Nb-Ta-W High Entropy Alloy Beyond The Dilute Regime, Adib J. Samin

Faculty Publications

High entropy alloys (HEAs) are promising candidates for high-temperature structural material applications. Oxidation is a major factor that must be accounted for when designing such materials and it is thus important to study the oxidation behavior of HEAs to enable the optimum design of next generation materials. In this study, the thermodynamic behavior of interstitial oxygen in a Mo-Nb-Ta-W high entropy alloy was explored beyond the dilute limit. This was accomplished by sampling configurations of the HEA and HEA-oxygen systems from an isothermal–isobaric ensemble using a series of first-principle-based Monte Carlo simulations. It was found that the interstitial oxygen had …

New Record Of Bacopa Egensis (Plantaginaceae) For The Flora Of Mexico, Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske, Nicholas P. Tippery, Nelly Del Carmen Jiménez Pérez, Donald H. Les

Faculty Publications

Bacopa egensis is newly reported for the flora of Mexico and an updated key is provided for the Mexican Bacopa species

Repetition Of Computer Security Warnings Results In Differential Repetition Suppression Effects As Revealed With Functional Mri, C. Brock Kirwan, Daniel K. Bjornn, Bonnie Brinton Anderson, Anthony Vance, David Eargle, Jeffrey L. Jenkins

Faculty Publications

Computer users are often the last line of defense in computer security. However, with repeated exposures to system messages and computer security warnings, neural and behavioral responses show evidence of habituation. Habituation has been demonstrated at a neural level as repetition suppression where responses are attenuated with subsequent repetitions. In the brain, repetition suppression to visual stimuli has been demonstrated in multiple cortical areas, including the occipital lobe and medial temporal lobe. Prior research into the repetition suppression effect has generally focused on a single repetition and has not examined the pattern of signal suppression with repeated exposures. We used …