Digital Commons Network^™

Island Area And Species Diversity In The Southwest Pacific Ocean: Is The Lizard Fauna Of Vanuatu Depauperate?, Alison M. Hamilton, Joseph H. Hartman, Christopher C. Austin

Faculty Publications

One island group suggested to be an exception to the species-area Relationship is the Vanuatu Archipelago, a group of 13 large and 80 small islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean. To test the hypothesis that the lizard fauna of the Vanuatu Archipelago does not meet the predictions of the species-area relationship, and thus is depauperate, we compare diversity among several island groups in the southwest Pacific: Fiji, the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu. We found that the lizard diversity of Vanuatu meets the pattern of diversity predicted by the species-area relationship. The Solomon Islands, …

Effects On Hatchability Due To Pre-Incubation Warming Of End Of Lay Broiler Breeder Eggs, William Andrew Greenwald

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

A Genome Wide Survey Of Snp Variation Reveals The Genetic Structure Of Sheep Breeds, James W. Kijas, David Townley, Brian P. Dalrymple, Michael P. Heaton, Jillian F. Maddox, Annette Mcgrath, Peter Wilson, Roxann G. Ingersoll, Russell Mcculloch, Sean Mcwilliam, Dave Tang, John Mcewan, Noelle Cockett, V. Hutton Oddy, Frank W. Nicholas, Herman Raadsma, Wes Barris, Steve C. Bishop, David Coltman, Allan Crawford, André Eggen, Georg Erhardt, Robert Forage, Olivier Hanotte, Peter Hunt, Han Jianlin, Kui Li, Paolo Ajmone Marsan, James E. Miller, Josephine Pemberton, Laurent Schibler

Faculty Publications

The genetic structure of sheep reflects their domestication and subsequent formation into discrete breeds. Understanding genetic structure is essential for achieving genetic improvement through genome-wide association studies, genomic selection and the dissection of quantitative traits. After identifying the first genome-wide set of SNP for sheep, we report on levels of genetic variability both within and between a diverse sample of ovine populations. Then, using cluster analysis and the partitioning of genetic variation, we demonstrate sheep are characterised by weak phylogeographic structure, overlapping genetic similarity and generally low differentiation which is consistent with their short evolutionary history. The degree of population …

Growth-Regulated Expression Of A Bacteriocin, Produced By The Sweet Potato Pathogen Streptomyces Ipomoeae, That Exhibits Interstrain Inhibition, Jing Wang, Kevin L. Schultyp, Gregg S. Pettis

Faculty Publications

Certain strains of the bacterial sweet potato pathogen Streptomyces ipomoeae produce the bacteriocin ipomicin, which inhibits other sensitive strains of the same species. Within the signal-sequence-encoding portion of the ipomicin structural gene ipoA exists a single rare TTA codon, which is recognized in Streptomyces bacteria by the temporally accumulating bldA leucyl tRNA. In this study, ipomicin was shown to stably accumulate in culture supernatants of 5. ipomoeae in a growth-regulated manner that did not coincide with the pattern of ipoA expression. Similar growth-regulated production of ipomicin in Streptomyces coelicolor containing the cloned ipoA gene was found to be directly dependent …

Salivary Gland Thrombostasin Isoforms Differentially Regulate Blood Uptake Of Horn Flies Fed On New Zealand White Rabbits, Mary S. Cupp, Eddie W. Cupp, Dunhua Zhang, Xin Yue, Latora Todd, Victor Panangala, Christine Navarre, Elizabeth Whitley

Faculty Publications

Thrombostasin (TS) is a previously characterized anticlotting protein with multiple isoforms found in the saliva of horn flies. In this report, the effect of TS isoforms on blood feeding was assessed using individual flies that carried corresponding ts allelles. Laboratory studies of horn fly blood feeding were conducted using colony-reared flies fed on New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. After timed 20-min feeding periods, each fly was characterized for gender, blood volume uptake, and ts genotype. The results showed that mean blood volumes obtained by individual flies were not related to fly gender but were correlated to the ts genotype(s) carried …

Salivary Gland Thrombostasin Isoforms Differentially Regulate Blood Uptake Of Horn Flies Fed On New Zealand White Rabbits, Mary S. Cupp, Eddie W. Cupp, Dunhua Zhang, Xin Yue, Latora Todd, Victor Panangala, Christine Navarre, Elizabeth Whitley

Faculty Publications

Thrombostasin (TS) is a previously characterized anticlotting protein with multiple isoforms found in the saliva of horn flies. In this report, the effect of TS isoforms on blood feeding was assessed using individual flies that carried corresponding ts allelles. Laboratory studies of horn fly blood feeding were conducted using colony-reared flies fed on New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. After timed 20-min feeding periods, each fly was characterized for gender, blood volume uptake, and ts genotype. The results showed that mean blood volumes obtained by individual flies were not related to fly gender but were correlated to the ts genotype(s) carried …

Microarray Analysis Of Femaleand Larval-Specific Gene Expression In The Horn Fly (Diptera: Muscidae), Felix D. Guerrero, Scot E. Dowd, Yan Sun, Leonel Saldivar, Graham B. Wiley, Simone L. Macmil, Fares Najar, Bruce A. Roe, Lane D. Foil

Faculty Publications

The horn My, Haematobia irritans L., is an obligate blood-feeding parasite of cattle, and control of this pest is a continuing problem because the fly is becoming resistant to pesticides. Dominant conditional lethal gene systems are being studied as population control technologies against agricultural pests. One of the components of these systems is a female-specific gene promoter that drives expression of a lethality-inducing gene. To identify candidate genes to supply this promoter, microarrays were designed from a horn fly expressed sequence tag (EST) database and probed to identify female-specific and larval-specific gene expression. Analysis of dye swap experiments found 432 …

Reduced Adipose Tissue Oxygenation In Human Obesity Evidence For Rarefaction, Macrophage Chemotaxis, And Inflammation Without An Angiogenic Response, Magdalena Pasarica, Olga R. Sereda, Leanne M. Redman, Diana C. Albarado, David T. Hymel, Laura E. Roan, Jennifer C. Rood, David H. Burk, Steven R. Smith

Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE-Based on rodent studies, we examined the hypothesis that increased adipose tissue (AT) mass in obesity without an adequate support of vascularization might lead to hypoxia, macrophage infiltration, and inflammation. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-Oxygen partial pressure (AT pO 2) and AT temperature in abdominal AT (9 lean and 12 overweight/obese men and women) was measured by direct insertion of a polarographic Clark electrode. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and insulin sensitivity was measured by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. Abdominal subcutaneous tissue was used for staining, quantitative RT-PCR, and chemokine secretion assay. RESULTS-AT pO 2 was lower in overweight/obese subjects …

Food Entrainment Of Circadian Gene Expression Altered In Pparα-/- Brown Fat And Heart, Brian Chun Kim Goh

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Breeding And Non-Breeding Survival Of Lesser Prairie-Chickens Tympanuchus Pallidicinctus In Texas, Usa, Eddie K. Lyons, Bret A. Collier, Nova J. Silvy, Roel R. Lopez, Benjamin E. Toole, Ryan S. Jones, Stephen J. Demaso

Faculty Publications

Lesser prairie-chickens Tympanuchus pallidicinctus have declined throughout their range because of loss or fragmen-tation of habitat from conversion of native prairie to agricultural cropland, exacerbated by overgrazing and drought. We used data from radio-marked lesser prairie-chickens to determine whether differences in survival ex-isted between populations occurring in two areas dominated by different vegetation types (sand sagebrush Artemisia filifolia vs shinnery oak Quercus havardii) in the Texas Panhandle from 2001 through 2005. We used a model-selec-tion approach to evaluate potential generalities in lesser prairie-chicken survival. Our results indicated that survival of lesser prairie-chickens differed between breeding and non-breeding periods, and between …

Biosynthesis Of The Caenorhabditis Elegans Dauer Pheromone, Rebecca A. Butcher, Justin R. Ragains, Weiqing Li, Gary Ruvkun, Jon Clardy, Yi Mak Ho

Faculty Publications

To sense its population density and to trigger entry into the stress-resistant dauer larval stage, Caenorhabditis elegans uses the dauer pheromone, which consists of ascaroside derivatives with short, fatty acid-like side chains. Although the dauer pheromone has been studied for 25 years, its biosynthesis is completely uncharacterized. The daf-22 mutant is the only known mutant defective in dauer pheromone production. Here, we show that daf-22 encodes a homolog of human sterol carrier protein SCPx, which catalyzes the final step in peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation. We also show that dhs-28, which encodes a homolog of the human D-bifunctional protein that acts …

Recombinant Vesicular Stomatitis Virus-Based West Nile Vaccine Elicits Strong Humoral And Cellular Immune Responses And Protects Mice Against Lethal Challenge With The Virulent West Nile Virus Strain Lsu-Ar01, Arun V. Iyer, Bapi Pahar, Marc J. Boudreaux, Nobuko Wakamatsu, Alma F. Roy, Vladimir N. Chouljenko, Abolghasem Baghian, Cristian Apetrei, Preston A. Marx, Konstantin G. Kousoulas

Faculty Publications

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) has been extensively utilized as a viral vector system for the induction of protective immune responses against a variety of pathogens. We constructed recombinant VSVs specifying either the Indiana or Chandipura virus G glycoprotein and expressing the West Nile virus (WNV) envelope (E) glycoprotein. Mice were intranasally vaccinated using a prime (Indiana)-boost (Chandipura) immunization approach and challenged with the virulent WNV-LSU-AR01. Ninety-percent (9 of 10) of the vaccinated mice survived as compared to 10% of the mock-vaccinated mice after WNV lethal challenge. Histopathological examination of brain tissues revealed neuronal necrosis in mock-vaccinated mice but not in …

An Rig-I-Like Rna Helicase Mediates Antiviral Rnai Downstream Of Viral Sirna Biogenesis In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Rui Lu, Erbay Yigit, Wan Xiang Li, Shou Wei Ding

Faculty Publications

Dicer ribonucleases of plants and invertebrate animals including Caenorhabditis elegans recognize and process a viral RNA trigger into virus-derived small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to guide specific viral immunity by Argonaute-dependent RNA interference (RNAi). C. elegans also encodes three Dicer-related helicase (drh) genes closely related to the RIG-I-like RNA helicase receptors which initiate broad-spectrum innate immunity against RNA viruses in mammals. Here we developed a transgenic C. elegans strain that expressed intense green fluorescence from a chromosomally integrated flock house virus replicon only after knockdown or knockout of a gene required for antiviral RNAi. Use of the reporter nematode strain in …

Response Of Melittia Oedipus (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) To Visual Cues Is Increased By The Presence Of Food Source, G. V.P. Reddy, Z. T. Cruz, N. Braganza, R. Muniappan

Faculty Publications

Visual and olfactory cues were shown to mediate short-distance orientation to different colors in the presence and in the absence of food in Melittia oedipus Oberthür (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae), a biological control agent of Coccinia grandis (L.) Voigt (Violales: Cucurbitaceae). Yellow was the color most preferred by M. oedipus, and adults landed significantly more on yellow paper moistened with honey-water. The next preferred colors were gray and white with the identical food source. Colors such as red, blue, green, brown, and black were least preferred by M. oedipus and attracted the adults on par with each other. The M. oedipus landings …

Biophysics Of Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Sperm, M. Hagedorn, J. Ricker, M. Mccarthy, S. A. Meyers, T. R. Tiersch, Z. M. Varga, F. W. Kleinhans

Faculty Publications

In the past two decades, laboratories around the world have produced thousands of mutant, transgenic, and wild-type zebrafish lines for biomedical research. Although slow-freezing cryopreservation of zebrafish sperm has been available for 30 years, current protocols lack standardization and yield inconsistent post-thaw fertilization rates. Cell cryopreservation cannot be improved without basic physiological knowledge, which was lacking for zebrafish sperm. The first goal was to define basic cryobiological values for wild-type zebrafish sperm and to evaluate how modern physiological methods could aid in developing improved cryopreservation protocols. Coulter counting methods measured an osmotically inactive water fraction (Vb) of 0.37 ± 0.02 …

Self-Reported Physical Activity Improves Prediction Of Body Fatness In Young Adults, M. Zanovec, Lisa G. Johnson, Brian D. Marx, Michael J. Keenan, G. Tuuri

Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: To examine self-reported physical activity levels from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) as an independent predictor of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-measured percent body fat (%BF) from body mass index (BMI), gender, and race. METHODS: Two hundred and seventy-eight students, aged 18-24 yr, volunteered to participate. There were 133 males (85 white and 48 black) and 145 females (77 white and 68 black). Total activity levels were quantified in MET hours per week (MET-h•wk -1) using the IPAQ short form. Height and weight were measured, and BMI values were calculated (kg•m -2). %BF was assessed using DXA. Linear regression …

Dietary Resistant Starch Increases Hypothalamic Pomc Expression In Rats, Li Shen, Michael J. Keenan, Roy J. Martin, Richard T. Tulley, Anne M. Raggio, Kathleen L. Mccutcheon, Jun Zhou

Faculty Publications

Resistant starch (RS) is fermentable dietary fiber. Inclusion of RS in the diet causes decreased body fat accumulation and altered gut hormone profile. This study investigates the effect of feeding RS on the neuropeptide messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the hypothalamus and whether vagal afferent nerves are involved. The rats were injected intraperitoneally with capsaicin to destroy unmyelinated small vagal afferent nerve fibers. The cholecystokinin (CCK) food suppression test was performed to validate the effectiveness of the capsaicin treatment. Then, capsaicin-treated rats and vehicle-treated rats were subdivided into a control diet or a RS diet …

Flow Cytometric And Immunohistochemical Detection Of In Vivo Brdu-Labeled Cells In Mouse Fat Depots, Jaroslaw Staszkiewicz, Jeffrey Gimble, Courtney Cain, Marilyn Dietrich, David Burk, Heather Kirk-Ballard, Barbara Gawronska-Kozak

Faculty Publications

This study has determined the natural frequency and localization of progenitor/stem cells within fat depots in situ based on their ability to retain DNA nucleotide label (BrdU). Neonate and mature male C57BL6/J mice were injected intraperitoneally with BrdU- and label-retaining cells (LRC) were quantified in fat depots by immunohistochemical, immunofluorescent, and flow cytometric methods. In neonates, LRC constituted 27% of the cells in inguinal fat (iWAT) and 65% in interscapular brown fat (BAT) after Day 10 and 26% of the cells in epididymal fat (eWAT) after Day 28. After 52 days, the LRC accounted for 0.72% of iWAT, 0.53% of …

Global Change And Eutrophication Of Coastal Waters, N N. Rabalais, R. Eugene Turner, R J. Diaz, D Justic, N N. Rabalais

Faculty Publications

The cumulative effects of global change, including climate change, increased population, and more intense industrialization and agri-business, will likely continue and intensify the course of eutrophication in estuarine and coastal waters. As a result, the symptoms of eutrophication, such as noxious and harmful algal blooms, reduced water quality, loss of habitat and natural resources, and severity of hypoxia (oxygen depletion) and its extent in estuaries and coastal waters will increase. Global climate changes will likely result in higher water temperatures, stronger stratification, and increased inflows of freshwater and nutrients to coastal waters in many areas of the globe. Both past …

Effects Of Natural And Human-Induced Hypoxia On Coastal Benthos, L.A. Levin, W. Ekau, A.J. Gooday, F. Jorissen, J.J. Middelburg, S.W.A. Naqvi, C. Neira, N.N. Rabalais, J. Zhang

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Hypoxia-Related Processes In The Baltic Sea, D.J. Conley, S. Bj̈Orck, E. Bonsdorff, J. Carstensen, G. Destouni, B.G. Gustafsson, S. Hietanen, M. Kortekaas, H. Kuosa, H.E.M. Meier, B. Müller-Karulis, K. Nordberg, A. Norkko, G. Nürnberg, H. Pitkänen, N.N. Rabalais, R. Rosenberg, O.P. Savchuk, C.P. Slomp, M. Voss, F. Wulff, L. Zillén

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Historical Records Of Coastal Eutrophication-Induced Hypoxia, A.J. Gooday, F. Jorissen, L.A. Levin, J.J. Middelburg, S.W.A. Naqvi, N.N. Rabalais, M. Scranton, J. Zhang

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Gumbo Yearbook, Class Of 2009, Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College

Gumbo Yearbook

The Gumbo yearbook chronicles the entire academic year at LSU. In words and especially photos, the Gumbo shows the people, places, and events that make each year unique. In addition to formal portraits of schools and departments, the book contains hundreds of snapshots of students with their friends and dozens of pages showcasing organizations.

The Role Of Black Barbudans In The Establishment Of Open-Range Cattle Herding In The Colonial Caribbean And South Carolina, Andrew Sluyter

Faculty Publications

Some significant problems remain in understanding the establishment of open-range cattle herding in the Caribbean and North America, especially regarding the role of blacks in that process. Research to date has identified the Greater Antilles, especially Spanish Cuba and British Jamaica, as the sole Caribbean sources of settlers who established the herding systems of, respectively, Mexico and South Carolina. Yet an open-range cattle herding system also occurred in the British Lesser Antilles, which provided many of the settlers for the South Carolina colony. Archival and field research in Antigua and Barbuda provide the basis for comprehensive reconstruction of that system’s …

Oral Vaccination With Microencapsuled Strain 19 Vaccine Confers Enhanced Protection Against Brucella Abortus Strain 2308 Challenge In Red Deer (Cervus Elaphus Elaphus), Angela M. Arenas-Gamboa, Thomas A. Ficht, Donald S. Davis, Philip H. Elzer, Melissa Kahl-Mcdonagh, Alfredo Wong-Gonzalez, Allison C. Rice-Ficht

Faculty Publications

Bison (Bison bison) and elk (Cervus elaphus nekoni) in the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA), USA, are infected with Brucella abortus, the causative agent of bovine brucellosis, and they serve as a wildlife reservoir for the disease. Bovine brucellosis recently has been transmitted from infected elk to cattle in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho and has resulted in their loss of brucellosisfree status. An efficacious Brucella vaccine with a delivery system suitable for wildlife would be a valuable tool in a disease prevention and control program. We evaluated Strain 19 (S19) in a sustained release vehicle consisting of alginate microspheres containing live …

Enhanced Immune Response Of Red Deer (Cervus Elaphus) To Live Rb51 Vaccine Strain Using Composite Microspheres, Angela M. Arenas-Gamboa, Thomas A. Ficht, Donald S. Davis, Philip H. Elzer, Alfredo Wong-Gonzalez, Allison C. Rice-Ficht

Faculty Publications

Brucellosis is an important zoonotic disease of nearly worldwide distribution. The occurrence of the infection in humans is largely dependent on the prevalence of brucellosis in animal reservoirs, including wildlife. The current vaccine used for cattle Brucella abortus strain RB51, has proven ineffective in protecting bison (Bison bison) and elk (Cervus nelsoni) from infection and abortion. To test possible improvements in vaccine efficacy, a novel approach of immunization was examined from April 2004 to November 2006 using alginate composite microspheres containing a nonimmunogenic, eggshell-precursor protein of the parasite Fasciola hepatica (Vitelline protein B, VpB) to deliver live vaccine strain RB51. …

Influence Of Calcium And Phosphorus Feeding On Markers Of Bone Metabolism In Transition Cows, V. R. Moreira, L. K. Zeringue, C. C. Williams, C. Leonardi, M. E. Mccormick

Faculty Publications

A study was carried out to verify the effect of Ca and P levels on production, digestibility, and serum bone metabolism biomarkers in dairy cows. Fifty-two nonlactating multiparous cows (≥3 lactations) were confined in a free-stall barn approximately 20 d before calving. A standard close-up diet was fed to cows once daily until d 2 postpartum. Cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial approach averaging 0.64% Ca for high Ca (HCa), 0.46% Ca for low Ca (LCa), 0.47% P for high P (HP), and 0.38% P for low P (LP) …

Diverse Elevational Diversity Gradients In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U.S.A., Nathan J. Sanders, Robert R. Dunn, Matthew C. Fitzpatrick, Christopher E. Carlton, Michael R. Pogue, Charles R. Parker, Theodore R. Simons

Faculty Publications

© 2010 by Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. Less well studied, however, are the factors that shape elevational diversity gradients. Because many climatic factors vary systematically along elevational gradients, as they might along latitudinal gradients, elevational diversity gradients were thought to be miniature versions of latitudinal gradients (Körner, 2000). For example, Brown (1988) wrote, “Just as change of physical conditions with altitude resembles in many respects the variation with latitude, so the decreasing diversity of most organisms with increasing elevation mirrors in most respects the latitudinal gradient of species richness.” Stevens (1992) noted that, “Biologists have long recognized that elevational …

Louisiana Agriculture Winter, 2009

Louisiana Agriculture

No abstract provided.

2009 Louisiana Summary: Agriculture And Natural Resources, Lsu Agcenter

Louisiana Summary: Agriculture and Natural Resources

This publication tabulates the value of Louisiana agriculture in 2009. Agents and specialists of the LSU AgCenter’s Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, as well as those in other agencies – both private and public – compiled the data. Their analysis focuses on the animal, forestry, fisheries, plant and wildlife commodities that comprise our vital agricultural industry. The agricultural industry continues to contribute significantly to the state’s economy and has the potential for increased benefits through value-added processing.

The 2009 production year was another challenging one for many in the state’s food and fiber sector. As a consequence of the downturn in …