Digital Commons Network^™

A Simple Trail Camera Modification Reveals Red-Bellied Woodpeckers As Important Egg Predators Of Box-Nesting Wood Ducks, Dylan L. Bakner, Kevin M. Ringelman

Faculty Publications

Artificial nesting structures have been used to aid the recovery and maintenance of certain avian populations such as the wood duck (Aix sponsa). The success of nest boxes for wood ducks relies on excluding common nest predators such as raccoons (Procyon lotor) and rat snakes (Pantherophis spp.) via the use of predator guards; however, woodpeckers cannot be excluded. Red-bellied woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus) are foraging generalists and have been anecdotally observed preying on wood duck eggs where documenting predation events is difficult to accomplish through traditional nest box monitoring. Here, we used custom-modified trail cameras to document egg depredations and foraging …

Immune Genotypes, Immune Responses, And Survival In A Wild Bird Population, Martha J. Nelson-Flower, Leanne A. Grieves, Jane M. Reid, Ryan R. Germain, Savo Lazic, Sabrina S. Taylor, Elizabeth A. Macdougall-Shackleton, Peter Arcese

Faculty Publications

Individuals vary in their immune genotype, inbreeding coefficient f, immune responses, survival to adulthood, and adult longevity. However, whether immune genes predict survival or longevity, whether such relationships are mediated through immune responses, and how f affects immune genotype remain unclear. We use a wild song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) population in which survival to adulthood, adult longevity, and f were measured precisely, and in which immune responses have previously been assessed. We investigate four toll-like receptor (TLR) and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class IIB exon 2 genes. We test whether immune genes predict fitness (survival to adulthood or adult …

Equity And Behavioral Digital Health Interventions: Strategies To Improve Benefit And Reach, Sarah J. Miller, Jamilia R. Sly, Kassandra I. Alcaraz, Kimlin Ashing, Shannon M. Christy, Brian Gonzalez, Qian Lu, Robert L. Newton, Michelle Redmond, Megan Shen, Kamilah Thomas-Purcell, Jean Yi, Tiffany Veinot, Cathy D. Meade

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Background: Behavioral digital health interventions (e.g., mobile apps, websites, wearables) have been applied widely to improve health outcomes. However, many groups (e.g., people with low income levels, people who are geographically isolated, older adults) may face obstacles to technology access and use. In addition, research has found that biases and stereotypes can be embedded within digital health interventions. As such, behavioral digital health interventions that intend to improve overall population health may unintentionally widen health-related inequities. Purpose: This commentary offers guidance and strategies to mitigate these risks when using technology as a means for delivering a behavioral health intervention. Methods: …

Effects Of Yogurt With Carao (Cassia Grandis) On Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction, Α-Glycosidase Activity, Lipase Activity, Hypoglycemic Effect, And Antioxidant Activity, Ricardo S. Aleman, Jhunior Marcia, Ryan Page, Shirin Kazemzadeh Pournaki, Daniel Martín-Vertedor, Víctor Manrique-Fernández, Ismael Montero-Fernández, Kayanush Aryana

Faculty Publications

Cell inflammation disrupts intestinal barrier functions and may cause disorders related to a leaky gut, possibly leading to diabetes. The objective of this study was to determine if carao (Cassia grandis) incorporated into yogurt enhances in vitro intestinal barrier function. To achieve this goal, Caco-2 cells were used as a model of intestinal barrier permeability. Caco-2 cells were treated with cytokines (interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)) and yogurt with carao yogurt (CY) at different doses (1.3 g/L, 2.65 g/L, and 5.3 g/L). Real-time quantitative polymerase chain and immunofluorescence microscopy were applied to evaluate the expression and localization …

Computer-Aided Drug Design Of Bakuchiol-Inspired Lxrα Modulators Against Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Dillon P. Cao

LSU Master's Theses

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common type of cancer in children, accounting for approximately 25% of pediatric malignancies. Although glucocorticoids are commonly used to treat ALL, prolonged use can lead to steroid resistance, rendering the drug regimen ineffective. Therefore, alternative treatment avenues are needed for high- risk pediatric patients that do not respond well to traditional regimens.

Liver X Receptor α (LXRα) is presented as a potential alternative drug target for pediatric patients that exhibit suboptimal response to glucocorticoids. Limitations of the current LXRα modulators such as indiscriminate isoform selectivity between LXRα and LXRβ and consequent adverse effects …

Ecology Of Viruses In Marine And Coastal Oxygen-Depleted Waters, Sophie Jurgensen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Deoxygenation of marine and coastal waters, both caused and exacerbated by a suite of abiotic and biotic factors, has been documented for more than sixty years. The incidence and severity of low-oxygen areas is predicted to expand globally in the coming decades. Despite their colloquial moniker “dead zones,” low-oxygen areas contain thriving and diverse microorganisms that have significant impacts on global biogeochemical cycles including contributing to positive feedback loops that further expand low-oxygen areas. While the diversity and activity of these microorganisms is beginning to be elucidated, the ecology of their viruses is particularly understudied. In this dissertation, I present …

Remote Sensing And Artificial Intelligence-Based Modeling And Prediction Of Harmful Algal Blooms In Lake Pontchartrain, Ian Smith

LSU Master's Theses

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and particularly toxic cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) have become a growing threat to the environment, economy, communities, and human and animal health. This is particularly true for Lake Pontchartrain. Forecasting the occurrence of cyanobacterial HABs in Lake Pontchartrain is a process that currently does not exist, as nowcasting by the NCCOS Algal Bloom Monitoring System or the similar system implemented by the U.S. EPA is currently the only method to monitor HAB production in the Lake. This thesis made this process possible by identifying antecedent environmental conditions controlling CyanoHABs, describing the conditions using NASA satellite …

My Promise To Nature., Kathleen Mcvea

LSU Master's Theses

My Promise to Nature is a body of work created to emphasize the importance of conserving natural habitats in Louisiana’s Tunica Hills. The decision to do Land Art and select the Tunica Hills as the subject did not come to me right away. Nature and family have been woven throughout my work throughout my time in the M.F.A. program.

This was not out of reach, and I was already extremely passionate about the subject. It might be a pain due to location, but my family owned 400 acres of property in the Tunica Hills with a cabin that they had …

Androgynous Figures On Etruscan Cista Handles From Praeneste, Melanie Naples

LSU Master's Theses

Muscular women and effeminate men adorn the lids of Etruscan Cistae found in Praeneste (modern Palestrina, 23 miles southeast of Rome, Italy). Cistae (Latin plural of cista) are storage containers used by the Etruscans for women’s beauty items. This thesis focuses on the androgynous, mostly nude, figures that serve as handles and are often displayed in pairs. These pairs frequently depict a man and a woman together and androgynous qualities are usually emphasized on the female figures. Discussions of the androgynous body in the ancient world have centered around Greece and Rome. Only recently (Sandhoff 2007, 2009, 2011), scholarship has …

Evaluating Abiotic And Biotic Factors Affecting Plant Succession Processes At Malheur Lake, Beth Boos, Sammy L. King

LSU Master's Theses

Arid wetlands are diverse systems that provide habitat for a variety of flora and fauna, including stopover and breeding habitat for migratory birds. In the western United States, these wetlands support a network of stopover sites on the Pacific Flyway, and due primarily to wetland loss and alterations, these areas are becoming more isolated. Malheur Lake is a shallow endorheic lake in eastern Oregon that supported a robust emergent marsh throughout most of the 20^th century. However, following large scale flooding in the 1980s, emergent vegetation was extirpated and has only reestablished in small patches. Our objective was to …

Don't Forget Me: A Discussion On Social Memory And Commemoration, Anfernee Murray

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis examines the relationship between social memory and social identity development among groups who share contested interpretations of their shared social memory. With social memories being a collaborative process that requires consensus and compromise, there arises conflict when groups are divided in deciding on what event of their shared history is relevant to remember - for it is these memories that influence and shape how a group identifies itself.

For Black Americans, this contention arises in the conversations surrounding the difficult and traumatic histories of their enslaved ancestors by the ancestors of their white counterparts. This is further complicated …

Alcea, Autumn Johnson

LSU Master's Theses

This exhibition was created with the intent to investigate and celebrate gender fluidity in both nature and humanity by depicting one plant, the hollyhock, whose reproductive parts share a structure that changes from male to female as the plant matures. Alcea consists of prints, drawings, and installations that showcase the hollyhock in each stage of its transition.

Sucrose Demand And Essential Value In Mice With Early-Life Exposure To Risperidone, Megan Federoff

LSU Master's Theses

Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs), such as risperidone, are widely prescribed to children, but the long-term effects of SGA treatment are not well understood. This study investigated the impact of early-life risperidone treatment on sucrose demand in mice in adulthood. Mice were administered risperidone or vehicle from postnatal day (PND) 33 to 60 and trained in adulthood (>PND 120) to nose poke for a sucrose solution reinforcer. The fixed ratio (FR) value (the number of responses required to produce sucrose delivery; the “price” of sucrose) was varied from 1 to 45, and the resulting consumption versus FR value data were analyzed …

Bovine Blastocyst-Like Structures Derived From Stem Cell Cultures, Carlos A. Pinzón-Arteaga, Yinjuan Wang, Yulei Wei, Ana E. Ribeiro Orsi, Leijie Li, Giovanna Scatolin, Lizhong Liu, Masahiro Sakurai, Jianfeng Ye, Hao Ming, Leqian Yu, Bo Li, Zongliang Jiang, Jun Wu

Faculty Publications

Understanding the mechanisms of blastocyst formation and implantation is critical for improving farm animal reproduction but is hampered by a limited supply of embryos. Here, we developed an efficient method to generate bovine blastocyst-like structures (termed blastoids) via assembling bovine trophoblast stem cells and expanded potential stem cells. Bovine blastoids resemble blastocysts in morphology, cell composition, single-cell transcriptomes, in vitro growth, and the ability to elicit maternal recognition of pregnancy following transfer to recipient cows. Bovine blastoids represent an accessible in vitro model for studying embryogenesis and improving reproductive efficiency in livestock species.

Rats Lacking Ucp1 Present A Novel Translational Tool For The Investigation Of Thermogenic Adaptation During Cold Challenge, Jaycob D. Warfel, Carrie M. Elks, David S. Bayless, Bolormaa Vandanmagsar, Allison C. Stone, Samuel E. Velasquez, Paola Olivares-Nazar, Robert C. Noland, Sujoy Ghosh, Jingying Zhang, Randall L. Mynatt

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Aim: Valuable studies have tested the role of UCP1 on body temperature maintenance in mice, and we sought to knockout Ucp1 in rats (Ucp1−/−) to provide insight into thermogenic mechanisms in larger mammals. Methods: We used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to create Ucp1−/− rats. Body weight and adiposity were measured, and rats were subjected to indirect calorimetry. Rats were maintained at room temperature or exposed to 4°C for either 24 h or 14 days. Analyses of brown and white adipose tissue and skeletal muscle were conducted via histology, western blot comparison of oxidative phosphorylation proteins, and qPCR to compare mitochondrial DNA levels …

Mathematics Library News, Aaron Lercher

Faculty Publications

Mathematics Library News is an LSU Libraries newsletter for members of the Mathematics and Experimental Statistics Departments, published roughly once each semester.

Niche Specialization And Community Niche Space Increase With Species Richness In Filter-Feeder Assemblages, Irene Sánchez González, Garrett W. Hopper, Jamie R. Bucholz, Megan E. Kubala, Jeffrey D. Lozier, Carla L. Atkinson

Faculty Publications

Ecological theory posits that higher species richness should be associated with greater exploitation of resources and niche packing resulting from either increasing species niche overlap or specialization of species' niches. Research evaluating niche theory in animals tends to focus on organisms among functional feeding guilds, while resource partitioning might be more critical within functional groups. Freshwater mussels (Family: Unionidae) are a diverse and imperiled group of animals that are ideal models to test niche occupancy due to their functional similarity as filter-feeders and their occurrence in spatially and temporally stable multispecies aggregations. We evaluated the relationship between species richness and …

Handling And Restraint Induce A Significant Increase In Plasma Corticosterone In Hispaniolan Amazon Parrots (Amazona Ventralis), Shelby N. Parks, Thomas N. Tully, Aspen L. Settle, Christine R. Lattin

Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: To measure baseline plasma corticosterone levels in Hispaniolan Amazon parrots (Amazona ventralis) and assess the effects of handling and restraint on corticosterone levels over 1 hour, reflective of what parrots might experience during veterinary care. ANIMALS: 10 male and 12 female Hispaniolan Amazon parrots. PROCEDURES: Each parrot was removed from its cage and wrapped in a towel for restraint similar to that performed in a clinical setting. An initial baseline blood sample was collected in < 3 minutes upon entrance into the parrot room, after which blood samples were taken every 15 minutes for 1 hour (a total of 5 blood samples). An enzyme-linked immunoassay was validated for Hispaniolan Amazon parrots and used to determine concentrations of plasma corticosterone. RESULTS: On average, parrots showed a significant increase in corticosterone between baseline samples and all subsequent postrestraint time points (average baseline corticosterone ± SD: 0.51 ± 0.65 ng/mL). Females, on average, displayed significantly higher corticosterone levels than males after 30, 45, and 60 minutes of restraint (P = .016, P = .0099, and P = .015, respectively). Birds with feather-destructive behavior did not have significantly higher corticosterone levels than birds without the condition (P = .38). CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Understanding the physiological stress response in companion psittacine birds during routine handling will allow clinicians to better evaluate how this may affect the patient's condition and diagnostic test results. Assessing how corticosterone correlates to behavioral conditions such as feather-destructive behavior will provide clinicians with the potential to develop treatment options.

‘Flla09015-U1’: A Broadly Adapted Dual-Purpose Oat Cultivar For Southern Usa, Md Ali Babar, Stephen A. Harrison, Ann Blount, Ronald D. Barnett, Jerry Johnson, Mohamed Mergoum, Daniel J. Mailhot, J. Paul Murphy, Richard E. Mason, Amir Ibrahim, Russell Sutton, Bryan Simoneaux, Richard Boyles, Brad Stancil, David Marshall, Myron Fountain, Kathy Esvelt Klos, Naeem Khan, Marcelo Wallau, Henry G. Jordan

Faculty Publications

‘FLLA09015-U1’ (Reg. no. CV-387, PI 699117) is a new facultative oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivar that was co-developed by the University of Florida and Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and was released in 2019. This line was derived from a single cross of FL0210-J1/MN06203. FLLA09015-U1 has considerable potential for grain and forage yield and for conservation tillage purposes in the southern United States. Exclusive marketing rights for FLLA09015-U1 has been granted to JoMar Seeds and is currently commercialized under the name of Juggernaut. FLLA09015-U1 was developed using selected bulk breeding method and was selected as an F5:6 head row. The …

‘Flla11019-8’: A New Dual-Purpose Facultative Oat Cultivar For Grain And Forage Production In The Southern United States, Md Ali Babar, Stephen A. Harrison, Ann Blount, Ronald D. Barnett, Jerry Johnson, Mohamed Mergoum, Daniel J. Mailhot, J. Paul Murphy, Richard E. Mason, Amir Ibrahim, Russell Sutton, Bryan Simoneaux, Richard Boyles, Brad Stancil, David Marshall, Myron Fountain, Kathy Esvelt Klos, Naeem Khan, Marcelo Wallau, Henry G. Jordan, Xuefeng Ma, Juan Arbelaez

Faculty Publications

‘FLLA11019-8’ (Reg. no. CV-386, PI 700040) is new facultative oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivar for the southern United States for forage, grain, cover, and wildlife food crop uses. It was co-developed by the University of Florida and Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and was released in 2020 under the SunGrains, a cooperative small grain breeding program among seven Southern Universities. This line was derived from a single cross between two advanced breeding lines, FL0564-Ab13 and LA06071SBSB-S1. Exclusive marketing rights were granted to Ragan & Massey, Inc., and the line is currently commercializing under the names of RAM Forage Oats and …

Higher Glucose Fluctuation Is Associated With A Higher Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease: Insights From Pooled Results Among Patients With Diabetes, Feng Li, Lei Zhang, Yun Shen, Huan Huan Liu, Zhen Ye Zhang, Gang Hu, Ru Xing Wang

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Background: The relationship between glucose fluctuation and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with diabetes remains elusive. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) variability is a key parameter of glucose fluctuation. Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase were searched up to 1 July 2022. Studies reporting associations of HbA1c variability (HbA1c-SD), coefficient of variation of HbA1c (HbA1c-CV), and HbA1c variability score [HVS] with the risk of CVD among patients with diabetes were included. We used three different insights (a high-low value meta-analysis, a study-specific meta-analysis, and a non-linear dose–response meta-analysis) to explore the relationship between HbA1c variability and …

Gifts And Commodities: A Dialectical Thought Experiment For Sublation, Ruirui Zhang, Joseph D’Andrea, Chunmin Lang

Faculty Publications

The core motivation for this study is the realization that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) encounter temporary obstacles, conflicts, or inconsistencies that impede progress and generalization. According to the authors, sustainable development across social, environmental, and economic dimensions is unlikely to occur without redefining the meaning and recalibrating the metrics used to measure commodities. These meanings and metrics must align with values such as general reciprocity, morality, and the common good, going beyond mere calculations of means and ends and personal preferences. The research has three primary objectives: first, to compare and reassess the meanings and responsibilities assigned to “items” …

Characterization Of Leptin Receptor Expressing Cells In The Cortex And Hippocampus Of The Mouse Brain, Cade Canepa

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Evolution Of Pop Poetry: The Legacy Of Mina Loy, Sylvia Plath, And Anne Sexton's Contributions To Female-Centered Art And Expression, Madeline Ballentine

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Contemporary Environmental Art: The Multidimensional Relationship Between Black Communities And The American Landscape, Sophia S. Perkins

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Application Of Heat Map Technology In Microscopic Analysis Of Saw Marks On Bone, Ian Plunkett

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Regenerative Medicine For Tendon/Ligament Injuries: De Novo Equine Tendon/Ligament Neotissue Generation And Application, Takashi Taguchi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Tendon and ligament injuries are debilitating conditions across species. Poor regenerative capacities of these tissues limit restoration of original functions. The first study evaluated the effect of cellular administration on tendon/ligament injuries in horses using meta-analysis. The cellular administration was effective in restoring ultrasonographic echogenicity and increasing vascularity during early phase of healing. Additionally, it improved microstructural organization of healed tissue in terms of cellularity and fiber alignment. However, the study did not support its use for increasing rate of return to performance, expression/deposition of tendon-specific genes/proteins, or mechanical properties.

The findings led to the second study that engineered implantable …

Coded Ceramics: Computational Design Of Persian Ceramics, Nasrin Iravani

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research explores the use of computer-aided technology and robotics in the creation of digital art and crafts, while also considering the cultural history of digital design. It begins with an examination of the most recognizable styles of Persian ewers made between the years 1,000 and 1,400 AD in the Islamic era. After analyzing a hundred ewers from this period, I classified them based on distinctive features such as openings, necks, bodies, spouts, handles, and bases. Then I designed a series of 3D printed ceramic vessels – titled Coded Ceramics – that were inspired by elements of the historic ewers. …

Integrating Germplasm Repositories Into Oyster Aquaculture Systems At The Pathway, Center, And Network Levels, Sarah R. Bodenstein

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Germplasm repositories offer many potential benefits to commercial farm operations, including preserving genetic resources and increasing production capabilities. Aquaculture industries have yet to take advantage of repository storage despite decades of research evaluating cryopreservation protocols. Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), for example, are a useful research species when addressing this problem. Oysters are an economically important aquaculture species and a high-throughput cryopreservation method for oysters already exists. To address the gap between protocol research and commercial application a different approach is necessary that can analyze the requirements of repository development at multiple organizational levels. The goal of this dissertation was to …

Functional Domains Of The Hsv-1 Ul37 Protein In Virus Infectivity And Retrograde Transport In Neurons, Carolyn Clark

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Herpes simplex virus type 1 is large alphaherpesvirus with 20 envelope proteins and 23 tegument proteins. Virus entry is via fusion of the viral envelope with cellular membranes mediated by a complex of viral glycoproteins. Glycoprotein B (gB) is the only fusogenic glycoprotein, while other viral glycoproteins and membrane proteins including gD, gH, gL, gK and UL20 membrane protein modulate gB’s fusogenicity. Previously, Our laboratory developed the HSV-1 (VC2) vaccines strain with partial deletions in the amino termini of gK (ΔgK(31–68)) and the UL20 membrane protein (ΔUL20(4–22)). VC2 enters epithelial cells only via endocytosis followed by release of the capsid …