Digital Commons Network^™

First Record Of Fungal Diversity In The Tropical And Warm-Temperate Middle Miocene Climate Optimum Forests Of Eurasia, Ingrid C. Romero, Noelia B. Nuñez Otaño, Martha E. Gibson, Tyler M. Spears, C. Jolene Fairchild, Laikin Tarlton, Savannah Jones, Harvey E. Belkin, Sophie Warny, Matthew J. Pound, Jennifer M.K. O’Keefe

Faculty Publications

The middle Miocene Climate Optimum (MMCO) was the warmest interval of the last 23 million years and is one of the best analogs for proposed future climate change scenarios. Fungi play a key role in the terrestrial carbon cycle as dominant decomposers of plant debris, and through their interactions with plants and other organisms as symbionts, parasites, and endobionts. Thus, their study in the fossil record, especially during the MMCO, is essential to better understand biodiversity changes and terrestrial carbon cycle dynamics in past analogous environments, as well as to model future ecological and climatic scenarios. The fossil record also …

Shark Side Of The Moon: Are Shark Attacks Related To Lunar Phase?, Lindsay A. French, Stephen R. Midway, David H. Evans, George H. Burgess

Faculty Publications

Animals across taxa have shown behaviors linked to moon phase (or the proxy of lunar illumination), and marine organisms are well-documented to calibrate certain activities with the moon. Few studies have looked at a possible connection between moon phase and shark attacks on humans, and the results have been preliminary or lacking relationships. We used nearly 50 years of shark attack data from across the globe to test for a relationship between shark attacks and moon phase. We examined factors of geography, shark species, and outcome of attack. From 12 relationships that we tested (totaling 120 comparisons), we found 12 …

The Dynamics Of Introgression Across An Avian Radiation, S Singhal, G E. Derryberry, G A. Bravo, E P. Derryberry, S Singhal, M G. Harvey

Faculty Publications

Hybridization and resulting introgression can play both a destructive and a creative role in the evolution of diversity. Thus, characterizing when and where introgression is most likely to occur can help us understand the causes of diversification dynamics. Here, we examine the prevalence of and variation in introgression using phylogenomic data from a large (1300+ species), geographically widespread avian group, the suboscine birds. We first examine patterns of gene tree discordance across the geographic distribution of the entire clade. We then evaluate the signal of introgression in a subset of 206 species triads using Patterson's D-statistic and test for associations …

Determining Water Allocation Scheme To Attain Nutrient Management Objective For A Large Lake Receiving Irrigation Discharge, Xuemei Liu, Guangxin Zhang, Y. Jun Xu, Jingjie Zhang, Yao Wu, Hanyu Ju

Faculty Publications

Irrigation discharge is a relevant water resource for lake ecosystems in arid and semi-arid regions. However, high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in the irrigation discharge raise concerns over potential lake eutrophication in these regions. A Delft3D hydrodynamic-water quality model was used to explore the effects of multiple water sources on water quality of a large shollow lake in the semi-arid west of Northeast China, which is surrounded by irrigated rice paddies. Eighteen scenarios in a combination of different precipitation rates, irrigation discharge operations, and flow conditions were simulated to analyze time and water allocation required in order to achieve …

Biological And Environmental Influences On Motor Coordination In Peruvian Children And Adolescents, Sara Pereira, Alcibíades Bustamante, Carla Santos, Donald Hedeker, Go Tani, Rui Garganta, Olga Vasconcelos, Adam Baxter-Jones, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, José Maia

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

This study investigated the associations between biological and environmental factors and gross-motor coordination (GMC) in Peruvian children and adolescents. The sample comprised 7401 boys and girls, aged 6–14 years, recruited from three geographical regions: sea-level, Amazon and high-altitude. Biological variables included age, sex, height, BMI, physical fitness, stunting, and maturational status. Environmental influences included geographical region and school characteristics. Gross-motor coordination was tested with the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder and the data analyzed by multilevel logistic regression. Results showed a high prevalence of below normal GMC scores. Sex, age, geographical area, biological maturation, BMI (normal versus overweight/obesity), and stunting were all …

Fourteen New, Endemic Species Of Shrew (Genus Crocidura) From Sulawesi Reveal A Spectacular Island Radiation, Jacob A. Esselstyn, Anang S. Achmadi, Heru Handika, Mark T. Swanson, Thomas C. Giarla, Kevin C. Rowe

Faculty Publications

After nearly a decade of field inventories in which we preserved voucher specimens of the small terrestrial mammals of Sulawesi, we combined qualitative and quantitative analyses of morphological traits with molecular phylogenetics to better understand the diversity of shrews (Soricidae: Crocidura) on the island. We examined the morphology of 1368 specimens and obtained extensive molecular data from many of them, including mitochondrial DNA sequences from 851 specimens, up to five nuclear exons from 657 specimens, and thousands of ultraconserved elements from 90 specimens. By iteratively testing species limits using distinct character datasets and appropriate taxon sampling, we found clear, mostly …

Impact Of Metropolization On The Crime Structure (Case Study Of Provincial Capitals In Poland), Natalia Sypion-Dutkowska, Michael Leitner, Marek Dutkowski

Faculty Publications

The aim of this study is to verify the hypothesis that the rapid metropolization process that has been taking place in large Polish cities since the beginning of the second phase of post-communist transition in 2000 leads to their socio-economic diversity, which is manifested, among others, in the differentiation of the level and structure of crime. Introduced into the discourse of this paper are subsequent stages of metropolization, which are called potential, initiating, advanced, and mature and which the examined cities have achieved so far. These stages have led to various economic and social effects, which resulted in changes in …

Experimental Investigation Of The Aerodynamics Of A Large Industrial Building With Parapet, Aly Mousaad Aly, Matthew Thomas, Hamzeh Gol-Zaroudi

Faculty Publications

The aerodynamic performance of a roof depends significantly on its shape and size, among other factors. For instance, large roofs of industrial low-rise buildings may behave differently compared to those of residential homes. The main objective of this study is to experimentally investigate how perimeter solid parapets can alter the flow pattern around a low-rise building with a large aspect ratio of width/height of about 7.6, the case of industrial buildings/shopping centers. Solid parapets of varied sizes are added to the roof and tested in an open-jet simulator in a comparative study to understand their impact on roof pressure coefficients. …

Exploring Rural Engineering Students’ College Choice Process At Two Land-Grant Universities, Rachel E. Worsham, Ashley B. Clayton, Joy Gaston Gayles

Faculty Publications

This qualitative case study examines the college choice decisions of rural students enrolled in engineering majors to understand what conditions and experiences led rural students to pursue engineering at their institution. We found four themes that help illuminate rural engineering students’ college choice journeys (1) The Inextricable Nature of College, Major, and Career Choice (2) “The Smart Person Thing to Do:” The Power of Prestige, (3) “Are You Sure You Don’t Want to Change your Major?” Dissonance Between Aspirations and Expectations, and (4) School and Community as Crucial Resources in College and Major Exploration. These findings have implications for those …

Examining The Effectiveness Of “Turn Around Don’T Drown”, Chance D. Bryant

LSU Master's Theses

Extreme heat is the deadliest weather hazard in the U.S. Flooding is the second worst, and flash flooding is the deadliest form of flooding. The nature of these flood deaths contains a human element that deserves greater study. Since 2004, the National Weather Service has attempted to educate the public with its slogan, ``Turn Around Don’t Drown". Vehicle related mortality rates in Texas since 1996 were examined to answer the question of whether ``Turn Around Don’t Drown" has been effective. The slogan has a large footprint on the social media platform Twitter, with most of the Tweets coming from private …

The Rural Road: A Phenomenological Study Exploring Advanced Placement Coursework And College Readiness In Louisiana, Willie Adelaide Louviere

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Rigorous coursework is one of the necessary staples in establishing college readiness. Rural districts are much less likely to offer advanced coursework opportunities to students. The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine the equitable access to advanced coursework opportunities (Advanced Placement) provided to rural students (in-person and distance learning) in public rural high schools in Louisiana. Access to advanced coursework (Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, etc.) serves as an indicator of college readiness; however, a substantial gap exists in providing the programs to underserved student populations. Rural students face significant barriers that can hinder their ability to thrive on …

Time And Tide: Sixteenth-Century Expressions Of Temporality In The Writings Of Richard Hakluyt, Jennifer Hope Tellman

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Richard Hakluyt the Younger (c. 1553-1616) was the most famous English promoter of overseas expansion of his age and in English history. His most renowned publication, Principal Navigations (1598-1600), a massive three-volume series, detailed English exploration, expansion, and trade history. With a focus on inciting the English to act in order to achieve their Providential Empire, Hakluyt’s works carry in them the expressions of time and temporality permeating the late-1500s. In a period of history where new learning, discoveries, and technologies began to transform life, time was called into question. Concerns about how the perception and acceleration of time and …

What The Shell? The Zooarchaeology Of Cerro San Isidro, Peru, Monica Fenton

LSU Master's Theses

Zooarchaeologists have documented the importance of marine resources in the ancient Andes, and the first field season at Cerro San Isidro (Ancash, Peru) proves no different. The multi- component hilltop archaeological complex lies in the agriculturally rich Moro Pocket of the middle Nepeña Valley, at least an eight-hour walk from the ocean on the north-central coast. Between June and August 2019, members of the Proyecto de Investigación Arqueológica Cerro San Isidro carried out the first scientific excavations at this important ancient human settlement. Block excavations focused on a hypothesized elite compound, documenting intermittent occupations from the Late Formative (c. 600 …

Casting A Critical Lens On Global Development: A Multimethod Investigation Of The Masculine Hegemonic Forces That Marginalize Women In Agriculture, Morgan Alyse Richardson Gilley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A critical link between gender equality and agricultural development has been established in the literature. However, disparities between genders have persisted in many areas of the developing world. One strategy that has been used to reduce gender inequalities has been educational outreach opportunities through agricultural extension, which has provided women a critical pathway to empowerment. Despite this, a lack of knowledge on the experiences of women in agriculture throughout Southeast Asia has served as a barrier to the advancement of such work. This investigation sought to better understand the issues facing this region’s fight to attain gender equality. To achieve …

Use Of Racial And Ethnic Categories In Medical Testing And Diagnosis: Primum Non Nocere, Jay S. Kaufman, Joanna Merckx, Richard S. Cooper

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Use of race and ethnicity is common in medical tests and procedures, even though these categories are defined by sociological, historical, and political processes, and vary considerably in their definitions over time and place. Because all societies organize themselves around these constructs in some way, they are undeniable facets of the human experience, with myriad health consequences. In the biomedical literature, they are also commonly interpreted as representing biological heterogeneity that is relevant for health and disease. CONTENT: We review the use of race and ethnicity in medical practice, especially in the USA, and provide 2 specific examples to …

Atmospheric Circulation Regimes For Prescribed Burns Along The U.S. Gulf Of Mexico Coast, Wenjia Cao, Robert V. Rohli, Fenglin Han, Anthony J. Vega, Nazla Bushra, John A. Nyman

Faculty Publications

The regional-to-synoptic-scale steering atmospheric circulation is important for advecting energy, mass, and momentum across space, with the near-surface wind being the local manifestation of this circulation. The local winds can affect phenomena of economic, ecological, and/or aesthetic values, such as bird migrations and prescribed burns to restore bird habitats. The purpose of this research is to classify the days from 1979 to 2018 based on circulation patterns near the surface (i.e., 1000-hPa) and at the highest level of airflow affecting bird migration (i.e., 700-hPa), across the Gulf Coast region of the United States. The resulting patterns, derived from Ward's clustering …

Community Versus Individual Risk Of Sarscov- 2 Infection In Two Municipalities Of Louisiana, Usa: An Assessment Of Area Deprivation Index (Adi) Paired With Seroprevalence Data Over Time, Amy K. Feehan, Kara D. Denstel, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Cruz Velasco, Jeffrey H. Burton, Eboni G. Price-Haywood, Leonardo Seoane

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Objective Determine whether an individual is at greater risk of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection because of their community or their individual risk factors. Study design and setting 4,752 records from two large prevalence studies in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana were used to assess whether zip code tabulation areas (ZCTA)-level area deprivation index (ADI) or individual factors accounted for risk of infection. Logistic regression models assessed associations of individual-level demographic and socioeconomic factors and the zip code-level ADI with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results In the unadjusted model, there were increased odds of infection among participants …

And The Heat Goes On: Police Repression And The Modalities Of Power, Howard Liu, Christopher M. Sullivan

Faculty Publications

Among security institutions, police occupy a unique position. In addition to specializing in the repression of dissent, police monitor society and enforce order. Yet within research studying state repression, how police institutions are used and deployed to control domestic threats remain under-explored, particularly as it relates to the dual functionality just described. In this study, we develop and test an explanation of police repression accounting for the bifurcation of Mann’s two modalities of state power: infrastructural power and despotic power. Infrastructural power allocates police resources to surveil dissidents and preemptively limit dissent’s emergence or escalation. Police deploy despotic power through …

Shape-Based Classification Of Partially Observed Curves, With Applications To Anthropology, Gregory J. Matthews, Karthik Bharath, Sebastian Kurtek, Juliet K. Brophy, George K. Thiruvathukal, Ofer Harel

Faculty Publications

We consider the problem of classifying curves when they are observed only partially on their parameter domains. We propose computational methods for (i) completion of partially observed curves; (ii) assessment of completion variability through a nonparametric multiple imputation procedure; (iii) development of nearest neighbor classifiers compatible with the completion techniques. Our contributions are founded on exploiting the geometric notion of shape of a curve, defined as those aspects of a curve that remain unchanged under translations, rotations and reparameterizations. Explicit incorporation of shape information into the computational methods plays the dual role of limiting the set of all possible completions …

Centering The Margins In Digital Project Planning, Dorothy Berry

Journal of Critical Digital Librarianship

This paper uses the example of the development of a digital collections program at Harvard University’s Houghton Library to provide an introduction to building programmatic and equitable collections online. Focusing on why, how, and what goes into programmatic digital collections through examples of ongoing project workflows and special projects workflows, the paper introduces methods for digital project planning that center diverse histories.

Big Bird Plots: Benchmarking Neotropical Bird Communities To Address Questions In Ecology And Conservation In An Era Of Rapid Change, W. Douglas Robinson, Dan Errichetti, Henry S. Pollock, Ari Martinez, Philip C. Stouffer, Fang Yu Shen, John G. Blake

Faculty Publications

Extensive networks of large plots have the potential to transform knowledge of avian community dynamics through time and across geographical space. In the Neotropics, the global hotspot of avian diversity, only six 100-ha plots, all located in lowland forests of Amazonia, the Guianan shield and Panama, have been inventoried sufficiently. We review the most important lessons learned about Neotropical forest bird communities from those big bird plots and explore opportunities for creating a more extensive network of additional plots to address questions in ecology and conservation, following the model of the existing ForestGEO network of tree plots. Scholarly impact of …

Anticipating And Adapting To The Future Impacts Of Climate Change On The Health, Security And Welfare Of Low Elevation Coastal Zone (Lecz) Communities In Southeastern Usa, Thomas Allen, Joshua Behr, Anamaria Bukvic, Ryan S.D. Calder, Kiki Caruson, Charles Connor, Christopher D’Elia, David Dismukes, Robin Ersing

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Lsu Research Fall 2021, Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College

Research Magazine

LSU Research is published annually by the Office of Research & Economic Development, Louisiana State University.

Fall 2021 Catalog, Lsu Press

LSU Press Seasonal Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Nest Survival Of Seaside Sparrows (Ammospiza Maritima) In The Wake Of The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Megan E. Hart, Anna Perez-Umphrey, Philip C. Stouffer, Christine Bergeon Burns, Andrea Bonisoli-Alquati, Sabrina S. Taylor, Stefan Woltmann

Faculty Publications

In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill released an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, damaging coastal ecosystems. Seaside Sparrows (Ammospiza maritima)—a year-round resident of Gulf Coast salt marshes—were exposed to oil, as shown by published isotopic and molecular analyses, but fitness consequences have not been clarified. We monitored nests around two bays in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, USA from 2012–2017 to assess possible impacts on the nesting biology of Seaside Sparrows. A majority of nests failed (76% of known-fate nests, N = 252 nests, 3521 exposure-days) during our study, and predation was the main cause …

Insights Into The Tectonostratigraphic Setting Of The Southern Appalachians During The Blountian Tectophase From An Integrated Geochemical Analysis Of Magmatic Phenocrysts In The Ordovician Deicke K-Bentonite, Achim D. Herrmann, John T. Haynes, Richard M. Robinet, Jürgen Konzett, Norlene R. Emerson

Faculty Publications

We evaluate competing hypotheses regarding tectonic models of the early Taconic Orogeny in the Southern Appalachians during the Blountian tectophase with new geochemical data obtained from analyses of apatite and zircon phenocrysts, and melt and mineral inclusions therein, from the Ordovician Deicke K-bentonite (453.35 ± 0.10 Ma). Apatite geochemistry confirms that samples from different locations represent the same eruptive event, and zircon geochemistry and U[sbnd]Pb geochronology (including several Grenville-age inherited detrital cores) confirm an evolved magma of continental-arc composition, with the trace-metal geochemistry of magmatic Taconic-age rims on Deicke zircons pointing to a provenance of continental crustal igneous rock melts, …

Bulk Scanning Method Of A Heavy Metal Concentration In Tailings Of A Gold Mine Using Swir Hyperspectral Imaging System, Yongsik Jeong, Jaehyung Yu, Lei Wang, Kwang Jae Lee

Faculty Publications

This work introduces a bulk data acquisition method using a hyperspectral imaging system (HIS) to measure chromium (Cr) concentration in the soil samples obtained from tailings of a gold mine considering of the spectral competition between heavy metal elements. The chemical, mineralogical, and spectroscopic analyses in a laboratory environment revealed that heavy metal elements' competitive geochemical behaviors were manifested as spectral competitions between heavy metal elements in tailings. The heavy metal elements can be classified into two groups based on their geochemical behaviors: chromium-nickel (Cr-Ni) and zinc-arsenic-cadmium-lead (Zn-As-Cd-Pb). We found an inverse relationship between the two groups in their spectral …

Consensus Revisited: Quantifying Scientific Agreement On Climate Change And Climate Expertise Among Earth Scientists 10 Years Later, Krista F. Myers, Peter T. Doran, John Cook, John E. Kotcher, Teresa A. Myers

Faculty Publications

The scientific consensus on human-caused global warming has been a topic of intense interest in recent decades. This is in part due to the important role of public perception of expert consensus, which has downstream impacts on public opinion and support for mitigation policies. Numerous studies, using diverse methodologies and measures of climate expertise, have quantified the scientific consensus, finding between 90% and 100% agreement on human-caused global warming with multiple studies converging on 97% agreement. This study revisits the consensus among geoscientists ten years after an initial survey of experts, while exploring different ways to define expertise and the …

Social Marketing Campaigns To Promote Healthy Eating In Low-Income Louisiana Environments: A Mixed Methods Formative Assessment, Linda Fergus

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A healthy diet consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) is associated with reduced risk of obesity and chronic disease. Many people do not consume a healthy diet, especially those with limited resources. The purpose of this research was to study social marketing campaigns and message design factors that promote healthy eating and improved physical activity (PA) behaviors to low-income populations in Louisiana (LA) and to describe the attitudes, beliefs, and barriers of the rural, low-income LA population regarding healthy eating.

In a scoping literature review, an evidence map of publications regarding social marketing campaigns that aim to promote …

Blue Carbon In South Florida's Mangroves: The Role Of Large Roots And Necromass, Zoë I. Shribman

LSU Master's Theses

Blue carbon sequestration and storage in mangroves largely result from belowground biomass allocation in response to flooded anaerobic soil conditions and nutrient availability. Biomass allocation to belowground roots is a major driver of mangrove soil formation and organic matter accumulation leading to blue carbon storage potential. Belowground biomass sampling in mangroves is labor intensive, limiting data availability on biomass stocks, particularly for large roots (>20 mm diameter) and necromass (dead roots). The mangrove nutrient model (NUMAN) uses mostly literature values to parameterize a soil cohort approach to simulate depth distribution of root mass and organic carbon concentration. We evaluated …