Digital Commons Network^™

Multi-Year Data Analysis And Genomic Selection To Improve The Efficiency Of A Rice Breeding Program, Tommaso Cerioli

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Plant breeding dramatically improved crops performances during human history and will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of agriculture. However, this activity requires large amount of time and resources. The availability of multi-year datasets and abundant DNA information enables new analyses and breeding approaches that can increase the productivity and efficiency of a breeding program. In recent years, the LSU Rice Breeding Program has implemented marker assisted selection (MAS) and genomic selection (GS) to predict performance of rice genotypes before field testing. The goal of this project was to conduct analyses and test molecular approaches to increase the …

The Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 (Hsv-1), Vc2 Live-Attenuated Vaccine Strain Induces Robust Antitumor Immune Responses And Ameliorates Intra-Tumor Immunosuppression In An Immunocompetent B16f10-Derived Murine Melanoma Model, Ifeanyi Kingsley Uche

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Current cancer immunotherapies include immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cellular therapy, and cancer vaccines. While some of these therapies have met with great clinical success, they are associated with several limitations. Oncolytic virotherapy (OVT) has emerged as a bonafide promising immunotherapy, that uses viral infection to liberate tumor antigens in an immunogenic context to promote the development of anti-tumor immune responses. At present, Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC; Imlygic™), a modified type 1 herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) is the only FDA approved OVT for human cancer treatment (melanoma). While T-VEC is associated with limited response rates, its modest efficacy supports the continued development …

Evaluation Of Hippocampal Allostatic Load-Associated Factors In Animal Models Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Relevance To Human Ptsd, Dennis Parker Kelley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with elevated allostatic load, nearly double the risk for metabolic syndrome, reduced hippocampal volume, and contextual memory processing deficits. Emerging evidence suggests that these stress effects may predispose individuals to the development of PTSD, and there is a known relationship between chronic stress and metabolic dysfunction. In this work, we utilized two rat models of PTSD to explore these connections. We used an acute predator odor stressor to investigate the relationship between PTSD-like behaviors and mitochondrial dysfunction in the hippocampus of rats, and we observed that conditioned place avoidance was associated with reduced mitochondrial …

Fatal Neurodissemination And Sars-Cov-2 Tropism In K18-Hace2 Mice Is Only Partially Dependent On Hace2 Expression, Mariano Carossino, Devin Kenney, Aoife K. O’Connell, Paige Montanaro, Anna E. Tseng, Hans P. Gertje, Kyle A. Grosz, Maria Ericsson, Bertrand R. Huber, Susanna A. Kurnick, Saravanan Subramaniam, Thomas Kirkland, Joel R. Walker, Kevin P. Francis, Alexander D. Klose, Neal Paragas, Markus Bosmann, Mohsan Saeed, Udeni Balasuriya, Florian Douam, Nicholas Crossland

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Supercooling Responses Of The Solitary Bee Osmia Excavata (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) Under The Biological Stress Of Its Brood Parasite, Sapyga Coma (Hymenoptera: Sapygidae), Zhuo Yan, Lina Wang, Gadi V.P. Reddy, Shimin Gu, Xingyuan Men, Yunli Xiao, Jianwei Su, Feng Ge, Fang Ouyang

Faculty Publications

(1) Background: Many insects have evolved different strategies to adapt to subzero temperatures and parasites, but the supercooling response of pollinator populations under the brood parasitism pressure has not been sufficiently investigated. (2) Methods: This study assessed the supercooling traits (supercooling points, fresh weight and fat content) of the solitary bee Osmia excavata Alfken and its brood parasite, Sapyga coma Yasumatsu & Sugihara. We measured 4035 samples (3025 O. excavata and 1010 S. coma, one individual as one sample) and discovered the super-cooling traits relations between solitary bee and brood parasite. (3) Results: Significant differences in the supercooling points were …

Identifying Potential Drivers Of Distribution Patterns Of Invasive Corbicula Fluminea Relative To Native Freshwater Mussels (Unionidae) Across Spatial Scales, Taylor E. Kelley, Garrett W. Hopper, Irene Sánchez González, Jamie R. Bucholz, Carla L. Atkinson

Faculty Publications

This study aimed to identify the importance of ecological factors to distribution patterns of the invasive Clam (Corbicula fluminea) relative to native mussels (family: Unionidae) across seven rivers within the Mobile and Tennessee basins, Southeast United States. We quantitatively surveyed dense, diverse native mussel aggregations across 20 river reaches and estimated mussel density, biomass, and species richness along with density of invasive C. fluminea (hereafter Corbicula). We measured substrate particle size, velocity, and depth in quadrats where animals were collected. Additionally, we characterized reach scale environmental parameters including seston quantity and quality (% Carbon, % Nitrogen, % Phosphorous), water chemistry …

Med12 Regulates Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Adipogenesis And Mediator Kinase Subunit Expression In Murine Adipose Depots, Sree Venigalla, Joseph Straub, Onyekachi Idigo, Caroline Rinderle, Jacqueline M. Stephens, Jamie J. Newman

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

The mediator kinase module plays a critical role in the regulation of transcription during metabolic processes. Here we demonstrate that in human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs), kinase module subunits have distinct mRNA and protein expression profiles during different stages of adipogenesis. In addition, siRNA-mediated loss of MED12 results in decreased adipogenesis as evident through decreased lipid accumulation and decreased expression of PPARγ, a master regulator of adipogenesis. Moreover, the decrease in adipogenesis and reduced PPARγexpression are observed only during the early stages of MED12 knockdown. At later stages, knockdown of MED12 did not have any significant effects on adipogenesis or …

The Counterbalancing Effects Of Energy Expenditure On Body Weight Regulation: Orexigenic Versus Energy-Consuming Mechanisms, Paolo Piaggi, Alessio Basolo, Corby K. Martin, Leanne M. Redman, Susanne B. Votruba, Jonathan Krakoff

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Objective: Weight change is a dynamic function of whole-body energy balance resulting from the interplay between energy intake and energy expenditure (EE). Recent reports have provided evidence for the existence of a causal effect of EE on energy intake, suggesting that increased EE may drive overeating, thereby promoting future weight gain. This study investigated the relationships between ad libitum energy intake and 24-hour EE (24-h EE) in sedentary conditions versus long-term, free-living weight change using a mediation analysis framework. Methods: Native American individuals (n = 61, body fat by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry: 39.7% [SD 9.5%]) were admitted to the clinical …

The H3.3 Chaperone Hira Complex Orchestrates Oocyte Developmental Competence, Rowena Smith, Andrej Susor, Hao Ming, Janet Tait, Marco Conti, Zongliang Jiang, Chih Jen Lin

Faculty Publications

Successful reproduction requires an oocyte competent to sustain early embryo development. By the end of oogenesis, the oocyte has entered a transcriptionally silenced state, the mechanisms and significance of which remain poorly understood. Histone H3.3, a histone H3 variant, has unique cell cycle-independent functions in chromatin structure and gene expression. Here, we have characterised the H3.3 chaperone Hira/Cabin1/Ubn1 complex, showing that loss of function of any of these subunits causes early embryogenesis failure in mouse. Transcriptome and nascent RNA analyses revealed that transcription is aberrantly silenced in mutant oocytes. Histone marks, including H3K4me3 and H3K9me3, are reduced and chromatin accessibility …

The Potential Of Dietary Bioactive Compounds Against Sars-Cov-2 And Covid-19-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction, Jack N. Losso

Faculty Publications

COVID-19 is an endothelial disease. All the major comorbidities that increase the risk for severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 including old age, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, respiratory disease, compromised immune system, coronary artery disease or heart failure are associated with dysfunctional endothelium. Genetics and environmental factors (epigenetics) are major risk factors for endothelial dysfunction. Individuals with metabolic syndrome are at increased risk for severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and poor COVID-19 outcomes and higher risk of mortality. Old age is a non-modifiable risk factor. All other risk factors are modifiable. This review also identifies dietary risk factors for endothelial dysfunction. Potential dietary …

90snet:, Seth Richard

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Glutamic-Oxaloacetic Transaminase 2 (Got2) Reverse Reaction Could Act As A Possible Relief Valve For Mitochondrial Substrate Overload Induced By Glucocorticoids, Humza Pirzadah

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Rnai-Based Screen To Identify Transcription Factors Regulating Small-Vcp Interacting Protein (Svip) Expression In Drosophila Melanogaster, Tiffany Dang

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Effect Of Hormetic Stress And Aging On Tubular Lysosome Induction In Caenorhabditis Elegans Nematodes, Sanaa Alam

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

“An Afternoon Of Songs And Stories: Kaley Pichon’S Senior Lecture Recital”, Kaley Pichon

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Three Essays On Behaviors In Crowdsourcing Communities, Ali Simaei Gargari

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Over the last decade, the interest in studying crowdsourcing platforms has dramatically increased among researchers in the information systems (IS) area. My dissertation includes three essays on crowdsourcing. The first essay provides an extensive literature review on crowdsourcing and shows several gaps in the literature. The second essay highlights the gaps in the literature on innovation contest platforms and draws on the organizational learning literature to fill the gaps. In this research, I draw on the organizational learning literature to study the undelying dynamics of specialization and variation in innovation contest platforms. Using data of nearly 35000 users' participation history …

Caloric Restriction In Humans Reveals Immunometabolic Regulators Of Health Span, O. Spadaro, Y. Youm, I. Shchukina, S. Ryu, S. Sidorov, A. Ravussin, K. Nguyen, E. Aladyeva, A. N. Predeus, S. R. Smith, E. Ravussin, C. Galban, M. N. Artyomov, V. D. Dixit

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

The extension of life span driven by 40% caloric restriction (CR) in rodents causes trade-offs in growth, reproduction, and immune defense that make it difficult to identify therapeutically relevant CR-mimetic targets. We report that about 14% CR for 2 years in healthy humans improved thymopoiesis and was correlated with mobilization of intrathymic ectopic lipid. CR-induced transcriptional reprogramming in adipose tissue implicated pathways regulating mitochondrial bioenergetics, anti-inflammatory responses, and longevity. Expression of the gene Pla2g7 encoding platelet activating factor acetyl hydrolase (PLA2G7) is inhibited in humans undergoing CR. Deletion of Pla2g7 in mice showed decreased thymic lipoatrophy, protection against age-related inflammation, …

Caregiver Treatment Consumption In An Experimental Treatment Marketplace, Delaney J. Darragh

LSU Master's Theses

Behavioral economics is an approach to understanding consumer behavior by integrating behavioral science with economic principles. Behavioral economics incorporates traditional economic principles with operant learning approaches. There is limited research examining how individuals consume psychological and behavioral treatments. This is especially the case for treatments designed for children. The current study used data from a previously collected sample to explore gender differences in an experimental treatment marketplace (ETM). Experimental treatment marketplaces are generally used to evaluate choices between goods and services (e.g., types of behavior interventions). An ETM was developed to evaluate treatment consumption when levels of evidence differed between …

Inhibition Of Biotin Carboxylase By Three Antibacterial Compounds, Matt Craft

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The rise of antibacterial resistant bacteria is a major problem in the United States of America and around the world. Millions of patients are infected with antimicrobial resistant bacteria each year. Novel antibacterial agents are needed to combat the growing and present crisis. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), the multi-subunit complex which catalyses the first committed step in fatty acid synthesis, is a validated target for antibacterial agents. However, there are at present, no commercially available antibiotics that target ACC. Ethyl 4-[[2-chloro-5-(phenylcarbamoyl)phenyl]sulfonylamino]benzoate (SABA1) is a compound that has been shown to have antibacterial properties against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. SABA1 inhibits …

Singing Strategies Are Linked To Perch Use On Foraging Territories In Heart-Nosed Bats, Grace C. Smarsh, Ashley M. Long, Michael Smotherman

Faculty Publications

Acoustic communication allows animals to coordinate and optimize resource utilization in space. Cardioderma cor, the heart-nosed bat, is one of the few species of bats known to sing during nighttime foraging. Previous research found that heart-nosed bats react aggressively to song playback, supporting the territorial defense hypothesis of singing in this species. We further investigated the territorial defense hypothesis from an ecological standpoint, which predicts that singing should be associated with exclusive areas containing a resource, by tracking 14 individuals nightly during the dry seasons in Tanzania. We quantified the singing behavior of individuals at all perches used throughout the …

Strict Lyapunov Functions And Feedback Controls For Sir Models With Quarantine And Vaccination, Hiroshi Ito, Michael Malisoff, Frederic Mazenc

Faculty Publications

We provide a new global strict Lyapunov function construction for a susceptible, infected, and recovered (or SIR) disease dynamics that includes quarantine of infected individuals and mass vaccination. We use the Lyapunov function to design feedback controls to asymptotically stabilize a desired endemic equilibrium, and to prove input-to-state stability for the dynamics with a suitable restriction on the disturbances. Our simulations illustrate the potential of our feedback controls to reduce peak levels of infected individuals.

Predator-Pest Dynamics Of Arthropods Residing In Louisiana Soybean Agroecosystems, Scott T. Lee, Chaoyang Li, Jeffrey A. Davis

Faculty Publications

Over the past two decades, management practices within Louisiana soybean production have shifted. Successful application of an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy requires an understanding of how these changes have affected predator-pest dynamics. Surveys monitoring foliage-foraging arthropod populations in soybean took place across six locations within Louisiana over six years (2012–2014 and 2015–2018). Temporal associations of pest groups, defoliating and piercing-sucking, and predator groups relating to soybean phenology were observed. Additionally, soybean maturity groups (III, IV, and V) were also evaluated to delineate potential differences. Results indicated higher abundances of piercing-sucking pests compared to defoliating pests across both datasets (2012–2014 …

Nudging Away From Plastic Bags With Charitable Donations, Jerrod Penn, Sapana Bastola, Wuyang Hu

Faculty Publications

To respond to the environmental problems posed by disposable plastic bags, several mechanisms exist, such as bag taxes and bans, but such policies are infeasible in several U.S. states and municipalities. This study uses a social quasi-experiment to examine the effect of a voluntary token-donation program, which reduces disposable plastic bag use by providing a small charitable donation incentive. We find that the token-donation program reduces the probability of disposable bag use by 11.4–12.9 percentage points, representing about 30%–34% decrease in bag use. Our results demonstrate effective mechanisms to reduce plastic bags exist without government-mandated policy.

Docking And Molecular Dynamic Of Microalgae Compounds As Potential Inhibitors Of Beta-Lactamase, Roberto Pestana-Nobles, Yani Aranguren-Diaz, Elwi Machado-Sierra, Juvenal Yosa, Nataly J. Galan-Freyle,, Laura X. Sepulveda-Montano, Daniel G. Kuroda, Leonardo C. Pacheco-Londono

Faculty Publications

Bacterial resistance is responsible for a wide variety of health problems, both in children and adults. The persistence of symptoms and infections are mainly treated with beta-lactam antibiotics. The increasing resistance to those antibiotics by bacterial pathogens generated the emergence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs), an actual public health problem. This is due to rapid mutations of bacteria when exposed to antibiotics. In this case, beta-lactamases are enzymes used by bacteria to hydrolyze the beta-lactam rings present in the antibiotics. Therefore, it was necessary to explore novel molecules as potential beta-lactamases inhibitors to find antibacterial compounds against infection caused by ESBLs. …

Is Catalase An Effective Additive To Alleviate Oxidative Stress During Cryopreservation Of Zebrafish Sperm At The Repository Level?, Huiping Yang, E. Hu, Jennifer L. Matthews, Zoltan M. Varga, Terrence R. Tiersch

Faculty Publications

The goal of this study was to investigate whether supplementation of cryoprotective medium with catalase (CAT), an antioxidation enzyme, is efficient for zebrafish sperm cryopreservation from the viewpoint of high-throughput genetic repository operations. Three cryoprotectants (10%, v/v), dimethylacetamide (DMA), dimethylformamide (DMF), and methanol were used. The objectives were to evaluate the effects of CAT on sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity, and concentration for: 1) fresh sperm at equilibration up to 60 min; 2) post-thaw sperm after cooling at 10, 20, and 40 °C/min), and 3) post-thaw fertilization and embryo survival rates. Catalase addition did not improve sperm motility, regardless of …

Misleading Or Factually Incorrect Statements In The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition Perspectives Article By Ludwig Et Al, Adam Drewnowski, Rudolph L. Leibel, Eric Ravussin, Leanne M. Redman, Michael W. Schwartz, Randy J. Seeley, Lori M. Zeltser

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Food-Based Intervention In A Military Dining Facility Improves Blood Fatty Acid Profile, Asma S. Bukhari, Laura J. Lutz, Tracey J. Smith, Adrienne Hatch-Mcchesney, Kristie L. O’Connor, Christopher T. Carrigan, Michael R. Hawes, Susan M. Mcgraw, Kathryn M. Taylor, Catherine M. Champagne, Scott J. Montain

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Enhancing dietary omega-3 high unsaturated fatty acids (n-3 HUFA) intake may confer neuroprotection, brain resiliency, improve wound healing and promote cardiovascular health. This study determined the efficacy of substituting a few common foods (chicken meat, chicken sausage, eggs, salad dressings, pasta sauces, cooking oil, mayonnaise, and peanut butter) lower in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6 PUFA) and higher in n-3 HUFA in a dining facility on blood fatty acid profile. An eight-week prospective, between-subjects (n = 77), repeated measures, parallel-arm trial was conducted. Participants self-selected foods consumed from conventionally produced foods (control), or those lower n-6 PUFA and higher n-3 …

Minerals Matter: Science, Technology, And Society, Barbara L. Dutrow

Faculty Publications

The expertise of earth scientists is crucial for solving some of today's most pressing challenges, including global warming and the climate crises, natural hazard reduction, water and soil quality, exploration for critical elements for our technological society, and many others.

Three Essays On Climate Smart Agriculture And Multidimensional Poverty In Uganda, Sarah Kagoya

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Agriculture is the backbone of the Ugandan economy. It contributes about 23.1% to the gross domestic product and employs approximately 72% of the total labor force (World Bank, 2021). However, Uganda suffers from low agricultural productivity resulting from pests and diseases, changing climate, deteriorating natural resources, and lack of modern factors of production. In addition, land deterioration and fluctuating weather patterns lead to reduced crop productivity and cause food insecurity in the country. Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) can help transform the agricultural system and ensure food security in the country.

The dissertation is written in a three-essay format. The first essay …

Drug Resistance In The Canine Filarial Parasite, Dirofilaria Immitis: Emergence And Clinical Epidemiology In The Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, Cassan Nicole Pulaski

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Strains of Dirofilaria immitis suspected of lack of efficacy (LOE) to macrocyclic lactone (ML) preventive drugs have been increasingly reported in dogs by practicing veterinarians since 2005 in the Lower Mississippi Delta region. If proven, and not controlled in the early stages, the emergence of ML drug resistance threatens to become a widespread problem in the US that may limit the effectiveness of current preventive drug treatment methods. To validate practice reports, a statewide survey of Louisiana veterinarians was done to define the extent of the problem and identify focal ‘hotspots’ of reported ML LOEs using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) …