Digital Commons Network^™

An Evaluation Of Hemp Cultivation Practices And Cannabinoid Analysis In South Louisiana, Kaylee M. Deynzer

LSU Master's Theses

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) cultivation research did not exist in Louisiana prior to 2020 (LSU AgCenter Therapeutic Cannabis Committee, 2020). Therefore, nine cultivars of essential oil-type hemp were evaluated in 2020 and 2021 to determine optimum planting dates, in-row plant spacings and THC compliancy for organic field production in south Louisiana. Until suitable genetics for Louisiana’s environment can be identified, an in-row spacing of three feet is recommended for field-grown hemp. Cultivars Berry Blossom, Queen Dream and Stormy Daniels produced sufficient biomass for commercial production. While Berry Blossom, Queen Dream, Oregon White and Putin’s Problem were high-yielding, Oregon White …

Engineering The Lanthanide And Actinide Dopants Effects On The Local Environment Of Luminescent Complex Metal Oxide, Yuming Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Rare earth (RE) based phosphor materials are widely used as luminescent probes in high-temperature optical thermometry where standard methods are unsuitable. The current generation of luminescent thermometers lacks stability and energy transport within the operating temperature ranges. The challenge is developing an oxide-based material with high luminescence intensity and thermal sensitivity/stability, suitable for an optical temperature sensor/thermal barrier coating. This work aims to develop a fundamental understanding of the local environment surrounding RE or actinide dopants in metal oxide hosts to engineer their luminescence property. To maximize the luminescence, the local symmetry, doping concentration, and radiative/non-radiative relaxation pathways must be …

Effects Of Hypoxia And High Temperature On Eastern Oysters: Investigating Differential Tolerance In Populations And Ploidies, Nicholas C. Coxe

LSU Master's Theses

Increasing prevalence of hypoxia in estuarine waters can pose a serious threat to eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica). While oysters are considered more tolerant to hypoxia than many other bivalves, their tolerance at temperatures of 28 °C and above, typical in northern Gulf of Mexico estuaries in the summer, is not well characterized. Moreover, it is unknown whether differences in hypoxia tolerance exist among oyster populations or between diploid and triploid oysters. To investigate population differences, wild oysters were collected from four estuaries in the northern and northwestern Gulf of Mexico and spawned. In a series of studies, the …

Readymades & Repertoires: Artifact-Mediated Improvisation In Tabletop Role-Playing Games, Philip Tchernavskij, Andrew M. Webb, Hayden Gemeinhardt, Wendy E. Mackay

Faculty Publications

Game masters (GMs) are creative practitioners who plan and orchestrate tabletop role-playing games. Through an interview study, we investigate how eight expert game masters adapt everyday technologies and materials as creativity support tools (CSTs) for improvisational and collaborative play. We integrate theories of improvisational and distributed creativity with the human-artifact model, which provides an activity-theoretical vocabulary for analyzing the mediating relationships between specialist practitioners and their tools. We show how GMs prepare and deploy readymade artifacts: analog and digital CSTs that flexibly mediate recurring creative tasks in their practice, such as improvising narrative elements, facilitating smooth play, and creating aesthetic …

Functional Coupling Of Trpm2 And Extrasynaptic Nmdars Exacerbates Excitotoxicity In Ischemic Brain Injury, Pengyu Zong, Jianlin Feng, Zhichao Yue, Yunfeng Li, Gongxiong Wu, Baonan Sun, Yanlin He, Barbara Miller, Albert S. Yu, Zhongping Su, Jia Xie, Yasuo Mori, Bing Hao, Lixia Yue

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Excitotoxicity induced by NMDA receptor (NMDAR) activation is a major cause of neuronal death in ischemic stroke. However, past efforts of directly targeting NMDARs have unfortunately failed in clinical trials. Here, we reveal an unexpected mechanism underlying NMDAR-mediated neurotoxicity, which leads to the identification of a novel target and development of an effective therapeutic peptide for ischemic stroke. We show that NMDAR-induced excitotoxicity is enhanced by physical and functional coupling of NMDAR to an ion channel TRPM2 upon ischemic insults. TRPM2-NMDAR association promotes the surface expression of extrasynaptic NMDARs, leading to enhanced NMDAR activity and increased neuronal death. We identified …

Hypothalamic Estrogen Signaling And Adipose Tissue Metabolism In Energy Homeostasis, Valeria C. Torres Irizarry, Yuwei Jiang, Yanlin He, Pingwen Xu

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Obesity has become a global epidemic, and it is a major risk factor for other metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and cardiometabolic disease. Accumulating evidence indicates that there is sex-specific metabolic protection and disease susceptibility. For instance, in both clinical and experimental studies, males are more likely to develop obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes. In line with this, males tend to have more visceral white adipose tissue (WAT) and less brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenic activity, both leading to an increased incidence of metabolic disorders. This female-specific fat distribution is partially mediated by sex hormone estrogens. Specifically, hypothalamic …

A Century-Long Trajectory Of Phosphorus Loading And Export From Mississippi River Basin To The Gulf Of Mexico: Contributions Of Multiple Environmental Changes, Zihao Bian, Shufen Pan, Zhuonan Wang, Yuanzhi Yao, Rongting Xu, Hao Shi, Latif Kalin, Christopher Anderson, Dubravko Justic, Steven Lohrenz, Hanqin Tian

Faculty Publications

Phosphorus (P) control is critical to mitigating eutrophication in aquatic ecosystems, but the effectiveness of controlling P export from soils has been limited by our poor understanding of P dynamics along the land-ocean aquatic continuum as well as the lack of well-developed process models that effectively couple terrestrial and aquatic biogeochemical P processes. Here, we coupled riverine P biogeochemical processes and water transport with terrestrial processes within the framework of the Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model to assess how multiple environmental changes, including fertilizer and manure P uses, land use, climate, and atmospheric CO2, have affected the long-term dynamics of P …

Governance Of Social Responsibility In International Infrastructure Megaprojects, Saixing Zeng, Hongquan Chen, Hanyang Ma, Jonathan Jingsheng Shi

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Phylogenetic Characterization And Genome Sequence Analysis Of Burkholderia Glumae Strains Isolated In Thailand As The Causal Agent Of Rice Bacterial Panicle Blight, Nootjarin Jungkhun, Antonio Roberto Gomes De Farias, Jutatape Watcharachaiyakup, Nuttima Kositcharoenkul, Jong Hyun Ham, Sujin Patarapuwadol

Faculty Publications

Burkholderia glumae is one of the most critical rice-pathogenic bacteria, and it causes bacterial panicle blight (BPB) in rice plants. In 2017, BPB symptoms were observed from rice fields in Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand. Sixty-one isolates obtained from the symptomatic panicles of rice were initially identified as B. glumae by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using species-specific primers. Among them, six selected strains isolated from the susceptible japonica rice cultivar DOA2 were characterized in terms of morpho-physiology, pathology, phylogenetics, and genomics. Our genome sequence analysis of the six selected strains revealed the presence of multiple prophages, which may reflect the high …

Sustainable Gardening For School And Home Gardens: Sweet Corn, Denyse Cummins, Carl Motsenbocker

Sustainable Gardening for School and Home Gardens

Corn is a member of the Poaceae family, also known as the grass or cereal family, which includes wheat, oats, barley, rye, sugarcane and rice, as well as bamboo and many ornamentals, such as the lawn grasses. There are many types of corn that can be grown and used for human food although there are two major types: corn that is harvested when mature as a dried grain (field corn) and corn that is harvested immature as a vegetable referred to as sweet corn. Grain corn types include: popcorn, ornamental corn, flint corn, flour corn, waxy corn and dent corn. …

Influence Of Weather On Gobbling Activity Of Male Wild Turkeys, Patrick H. Wightman, James A. Martin, John C. Kilgo, Emily Rushton, Bret A. Collier, Michael J. Chamberlain

Faculty Publications

Gobbling activity of Eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris; hereafter, turkeys) has been widely studied, focusing on drivers of daily variation. Weather variables are widely believed to influence gobbling activity, but results across studies are contradictory and often equivocal, leading to uncertainty in the relative contribution of weather variables to daily fluctuations in gobbling activity. Previous works relied on road-based auditory surveys to collect gobbling data, which limits data consistency, duration, and quantity due to logistical difficulties associated with human observers and restricted sampling frames. Development of new methods using autonomous recording units (ARUs) allows researchers to collect continuous data …

Recursive Movements Of Eastern Wild Turkey Broods In The Southeastern United States, Nicholas W. Bakner, Bradley S. Cohen, Bret A. Collier, Michael J. Chamberlain

Faculty Publications

Productivity of wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) populations throughout the southeastern United States has declined over the past several decades. Although population trajectory is driven primarily by annual reproduction, wild turkey managers have little information regarding the behavioral ecology of broods immediately post-hatch. Broods are known to revisit areas within their ranges, but revisitation behavior is poorly understood spatially and temporally. Thus, identifying patterns of visitation and revisitation can increase understanding of brood behavior. We monitored 94 brooding females until brood failure or 28 days after hatch to evaluate movements and to quantify landcover and vegetation density at revisited locations which …

The North American Freshwater Migratory Fish Database (Nafmfd): Characterizing The Migratory Life Histories Of Freshwater Fishes Of Canada, The United States And Mexico, Emily M. Dean, Arthur R. Cooper, Lizhu Wang, Wesley Daniel, Solomon David, Clayton Ernzen, Keith B. Gido, Edward Hale, Tim J. Haxton, William Kelso, Nancy Leonard, Chris Lido, Joseph Margraf, Michael Porter, Casey Pennock, David Propst, Jared Ross, Michelle D. Staudinger, Gary Whelan, Dana M. Infante

Faculty Publications

Aim: Migratory freshwater fishes are those that must access discrete habitats to complete their life cycles. Freshwater fish migrations occur around the world and provide numerous ecosystem services for humans and natural systems; however, many migratory species are in decline globally. A limiting factor to successfully conserve freshwater migratory fishes is that the migratory life histories of many species are unknown or only partially described. To provide researchers with critical and comprehensive information to conserve migratory fishes, we developed the North American Freshwater Migratory Fish Database (NAFMFD). Location: Canada, Mexico and the United States. Taxon: Freshwater fish. Methods: To develop …

Loss Of Function Of Renal Glut2 Reverses Hyperglycaemia And Normalises Body Weight In Mouse Models Of Diabetes And Obesity, Leticia Maria De Souza Cordeiro, Lauren Bainbridge, Nagavardhini Devisetty, David H. Mcdougal, Dorien J.M. Peters, Kavaljit H. Chhabra

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Aims/hypothesis: Renal GLUT2 is increased in diabetes, thereby enhancing glucose reabsorption and worsening hyperglycaemia. Here, we determined whether loss of Glut2 (also known as Slc2a2) specifically in the kidneys would reverse hyperglycaemia and normalise body weight in mouse models of diabetes and obesity. Methods: We used the tamoxifen-inducible CreERT2-Lox system in mice to knockout Glut2 specifically in the kidneys (Ks-Glut2 KO) to establish the contribution of renal GLUT2 to systemic glucose homeostasis in health and in insulin-dependent as well as non-insulin-dependent diabetes. We measured circulating glucose and insulin levels in response to OGTT or IVGTT under different experimental conditions in …

Interindividual Variation In Maximum Aerobic Metabolism Varies With Gill Morphology And Myocardial Bioenergetics In Gulf Killifish, Bernard B. Rees, Jessica E. Reemeyer, Brian A. Irving

Faculty Publications

This study asked whether interindividual variation in maximum and standard aerobic metabolic rates of the Gulf killifish, Fundulus grandis, correlates with gill morphology and cardiac mitochondrial bioenergetics, traits reflecting critical steps in the O2 transport cascade from the environment to the tissues. Maximum metabolic rate (MMR) was positively related to body mass, total gill filament length and myocardial oxygen consumption during maximum oxidative phosphorylation (multiple R2=0.836). Standard metabolic rate (SMR) was positively related to body mass, total gill filament length and myocardial oxygen consumption during maximum electron transport system activity (multiple R2=0.717). After controlling for body mass, individuals with longer …

Mitochondrial Uncoupling Attenuates Sarcopenic Obesity By Enhancing Skeletal Muscle Mitophagy And Quality Control, Wagner S. Dantas, Elizabeth R.M. Zunica, Elizabeth C. Heintz, Bolormaa Vandanmagsar, Z. Elizabeth Floyd, Yongmei Yu, Hisashi Fujioka, Charles L. Hoppel, Kathryn P. Belmont, Christopher L. Axelrod, John P. Kirwan

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Background: Sarcopenic obesity is a highly prevalent disease with poor survival and ineffective medical interventions. Mitochondrial dysfunction is purported to be central in the pathogenesis of sarcopenic obesity by impairing both organelle biogenesis and quality control. We have previously identified that a mitochondrial-targeted furazano[3,4-b]pyrazine named BAM15 is orally available and selectively lowers respiratory coupling efficiency and protects against diet-induced obesity in mice. Here, we tested the hypothesis that mitochondrial uncoupling simultaneously attenuates loss of muscle function and weight gain in a mouse model of sarcopenic obesity. Methods: Eighty-week-old male C57BL/6J mice with obesity were randomized to 10 weeks of high …

The Lsu Campus Mounds, With Construction Beginning At ~11,000 Bp, Are The Oldest Known Extant Man-Made Structures In The Americas, Brooks B. Ellwood, Sophie Warny, Rebecca A. Hackworth, Suzanne H. Ellwood, Jonathan H. Tomkin, Samuel J. Bentley, Dewitt H. Braud, Geoffrey C. Clayton

Faculty Publications

Radiocarbon dating of the two LSU Campus Mounds (16EBR6) indicates that the construction of one, Mound B, began at ~11,000 BP, making Mound B the oldest known and intact manmade structure in the Americas. The age analyses preesented here are based on thirty one 14C dates. The older (deeper) parts of both of the LSU Campus Mounds contain many thin, burned ash lenses, suggesting that the Mounds may have been used for ceremonial or cremation purposes. These ash layers are composed mainly of phytoliths, bio-silicate (SiO2) structural compounds in plants that remained after burning of these plants. Analysis of the …

Comparison Of Microstructure And Tensile Behavior Of Hydroxyapatite-Coated Peek Meshes And Cellulose-Based Fabrics And Mats, Armaghan Naderi, Genevieve Palardy

Faculty Publications

Polymeric biomaterials, such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and cellulose, have been explored as scaffolds for bone tissue engineering in the past decade. In this study, microstructure and mechanical behavior of uncoated and hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated polymeric meshes, fabrics, and mats were investigated. Commercially available monofilament PEEK meshes, and cellulose fabrics and mats were selected, then coated with a customized low temperature sol–gel method (≤ 150°C). Adhesive HA coating consisting of HA, β-TCP, and CaO with nanorod structure was derived. After HA coating, porosity of substrates (except filter-paper cellulose mats) decreased by up to 43%, indicating effective coating. Both uncoated and …

Effects Of Bromocriptine On Glucose And Insulin Dynamics In Normal And Insulin Dysregulated Horses, Caroline M.M. Loos, Kristine L. Urschel, Eric S. Vanzant, Erin L. Oberhaus, Adam D. Bohannan, James L. Klotz, Kyle R. Mcleod

Faculty Publications

The objectives of the study were to study the effects of the synthetic ergot alkaloid (EA), bromocriptine, on glucose and lipid metabolism in insulin dysregulated (ID, n = 7) and non-ID (n = 8) mares. Horses were individually housed and fed timothy grass hay and two daily concentrate meals so that the total diet provided 120% of daily DE requirements for maintenance. All horses were given intramuscular bromocriptine injections (0.1 mg/kg BW) every 3 days for 14 days. Before and after 14 days of treatment horses underwent a combined glucose-insulin tolerance test (CGIT) to assess insulin sensitivity and a feed …

Entities: A Field Of Imaginary Games, Thrasyvoulos Ioannis Kalaitzidis

LSU Master's Theses

With this body of work, I am looking for visual symbols that help communicate unuttered meanings through storytelling and stimulate an affectual response to the viewer. This exploration is presented in two different forms: a surreal sculptural installation and a board game. The installation consists of large-scale sculptures made from light and soft materials (polyurethane foam, plastic waste, paper) that are available to move inside the gallery, while the board game is presented as a set of 3D prints with instructions on how the participants can play it. The materials used in the installation suggest a way to transform waste …

Mrs. Florence Mante's Amazing Grace School, Daniel Keith Davis

LSU Master's Theses

Mrs. Florence Mante’s Amazing Grace School is the story of both Mama Florence and the children that she has dedicated her life to. Mrs. Florence Mante is the Ghanaian cofounder of the Amazing Grace Preparatory School. The West African school is committed to developing African leaders and ending the cycles of poverty in the village of Kodiekrom. My thesis focuses on using interview-driven artwork and collaborative storytelling to depict the unique challenges and triumphs of Mama Florence’s life in Ghana. Digital illustrations, a narration from Mama Florence, and music take the viewer on her deeply compelling journey, raising awareness for …

Creating Musical Scores Inspired By The Intersection Of Human Speech And Music Through Model-Based Cross Synthesis, William Alexander Thompson Iv

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research addresses the development of machine learning techniques used to create musical scores and performances that are inspired by the intersection of speech and music. Machine learning models are created from MIDI files that are transcribed from datasets of musical audio recordings and human speech audio recordings. Through the creation of succinct models, model based cross synthesis is possible. Models trained on musical MIDI data are asked to replicate MIDI data that approximate human speech. Alternatively, models that have been trained on MIDI data that approximate speech are asked to replicate musical MIDI data. The product of these developed …

A Walmart With No Televisions, Samuel A. Bickford

LSU Master's Theses

A Walmart with No Televisions is a deconstructed novel about the perils and heartbreak of adolescent drug addiction. What begins as a fad, a social affectation, quickly becomes a guiding light. The novel illustrates hope as a potentiality, and escape from oneself as something always in question. Happiness is uncertain, but the experience is not.

The Effects Of Paired Kinesthetic Movements And Embedded Pictures On Literacy Skills With Preschoolers, Erica Lozy

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Reading difficulties during childhood often continue during adulthood and result in adverse effects (e.g., unemployment, poverty). A common method to teach early literacy skills is via multisensory instructional programs, which use combinations of mnemonic devices, such as visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic movements. The current literature on the effects of pairing visual mnemonics and kinesthetic movements with literacy skills, either in isolation or in combination, is sparse. The purpose of Study 1 and Study 2 was to compare the efficacy, generalization, and maintenance of and preference for letter sound interventions with and without mnemonic devices. Study 1 evaluated a traditional …

Growthlines, Alexandra Saunders

LSU Master's Theses

The work in Growthlines is a collection of ceramic objects that are characterized by floral pattern and their potential for use. I make ceramic work that is functional and designed to be in the home. I think that the way something looks is an integral part of function and I seek to make objects that function well. The surface of my pottery is rich with images of flowers and I hope that the surface both draws in the user and highlights flowers and how important they are for the preservation of the natural world. My work functions as a surrogate …

Neural Stimulator, Jose A. Parodi Amaya, Edward F. Austin, Jin-Woo Choi

Pennington Biomedical Research Center Patents

Methods and apparatus are disclosed relating to the stimulating of tissue including nerve tissue based on combinations of capacitors and resistors. Application and removal of voltage to an electrical circuit is taught as part of a method of creating voltage waveforms for nerve and other tissue with such waveforms creating neural signals. The electrical apparatus taught may, include a first electrical node grounded through a first resistor; a second electrical node grounded through a second resistor; a first capacitor connected to both the first electrical node and the second electrical node; a second capacitor separating the second electrical node from …

Sodium Mediates Developmentally Plastic Responses In Plants And Herbivores, Luis Santiago-Rosario

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sodium plays a crucial role in organismal performance, trophic-level interactions, and eco-evolutionary dynamics. For plants, sodium impacts osmoregulation, growth, and water uptake. For animals, sodium is essential influencing osmoregulatory processes, muscle and neural development, and blood regulation. My dissertation aims to disentangle why sodium mismatch affects resource-consumer interactions and its influence on morphological and behavioral plasticity. First, I identified how sodium impacts plant performance and sodium accumulation strategies. I initially focused my research on understanding how increasing substrate sodium affects plant growth and tissue sodium accumulation strategies in controlled settings using a systematic review approach. I found that saltier plants …

Dosimetric Simulation Of A Talbot-Lau X-Ray Interferometry System For Medical Diagnostic Radiography, Charles A. Zimmerman

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: Lung cancer and other pulmonary disease is typically diagnosed by means of X-ray imaging, such as conventional radiography and computed tomography (CT). However, these modalities are not ideal for lung imaging due to their poor soft tissue contrast and the microscopic nature of early-stage disease. Diagnosis of lung disease could potentially be improved by an imaging modality which is as convenient and low-dose as current X-ray imaging, but provides better visualization of lung tissue.

Methods: We are developing chest radiography and CT systems for medical imaging which use a triple-grating Talbot-Lau X-ray interferometry (TLXI) design to extract dark-field and …

Measuring Agricultural Competitiveness: The Case Of U.S. Rice Exports, Estela Barahona

LSU Master's Theses

The United States is known for being one of the world’s largest rice exporters. Rice from the United States is exported to more than 130 nations and territories on all continents. The world rice market accounts for around 50 percent of the U.S. rice yearly sales volume. Even though the U.S. produces less than 2 percent of global rice, exports are significant to its rice industry. Given the various factors that determine trade (e.g., production, distance, income, and trade agreements), theory suggests that the impact of factors on the U.S. agricultural trade will vary according to commodity and country. There …

Branching Off: New Insight Into Lysosomes As Tubular Organelles, K A. Bohnert, A E. Johnson

Faculty Publications

Lysosomes are acidic, membrane-bound organelles that play essential roles in cellular quality control, metabolism, and signaling. The lysosomes of a cell are commonly depicted as vesicular organelles. Yet, lysosomes in fact show a high degree of ultrastructural heterogeneity. In some biological contexts, lysosome membranes naturally transform into tubular, non-vesicular morphologies. Though the purpose and regulation of tubular lysosomes has been historically understudied, emerging evidence suggests that tubular lysosomes may carry out unique activities, both degradative and non-degradative, that are critical to cell behavior, function, and viability. Here, we discuss recent advances in understanding the biological significance of tubular lysosomes in …