Digital Commons Network^™

Framework Of Internal Damage Identification In Inhomogeneous Medium Interweaving Wave Scattering Model And Deep Learning, Suyun Ham, Stefan Romanoschi, Yin Chao Wu, Dafnik Saril Kumar David

Data

The primary objective of this project is to investigate the framework of internal damage identification in inhomogeneous media (IHM) using deep learning techniques and wave scattering. The study focuses on two main steps: 1) analyzing the wave response pattern in homogeneous media (HM) and 2) characterizing the wave response variation (WRV) in IHM with different aggregate sizes and random distributions. The WRV patterns are then classified and used to predict internal damage using a convolutional neural network (CNN). The accuracy of the finite element (FE) model is verified using laboratory tests with artificial internal crack models of varying depths. The …

Exploring Older Adults’ Mobility Challenges And Preferences Before And After Experiencing Covid-19 Pandemic, Hany Hassan, Bernard Boakye

Publications

The US Census Bureau reports that the number of seniors (65+ years old) in the US is predicted to increase from 16.5% in 2019 to 22% by 2050. However, seniors have reduced mobility as they age due to their declining health and the limited travel options available. Therefore, it is crucial to solve their transportation needs during pandemics like COVID-19 when they are most disadvantaged. This study involved an online national survey that collected 1507 responses from seniors in all the 50 US states to examine their travel behavior and challenges and their willingness to adopt Autonomous Vehicles before and …

Energy Expenditure, Metabolic Adaptation, Physical Activity And Energy Intake Following Weight Loss: Comparison Between Bariatric Surgery And Low-Calorie Diet, Kaja Falkenhain, Corby K. Martin, Eric Ravussin, Leanne M. Redman

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Objective: Bariatric surgery remains the most effective treatment to achieve substantial weight loss; however, total daily energy expenditure and physical activity changes in response to such interventions have been seldom explored. Methods: In this prospective observational study, total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) using doubly labeled water and physical activity (SenseWear armband) was assessed in 17 females (mean ± SD: 48.6 ± 9.7 kg/m2, 43 ± 12 years) at baseline and 8 and 52 weeks following either bariatric surgery (BSG, N = 9) or a low-calorie diet (LCD, N = 8). Energy intake was assessed using the intake-balance method. Results: After …

Local Social Capital, Disaster Housing Damage, And Mental Health: Insights From Hurricane Harvey, Ethan J. Raker, Kevin T. Smiley

Faculty Publications

Community-level social capital has been theorized to shape mental health, particularly in disaster contexts, but methodological complexities hamper prior studies. Pairing zip-code-level data on social capital from Opportunity Insights with repeated cross-sectional health survey data before and after Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas, we examine how local social capital moderated the mental health consequences of disaster housing damage. We first document null associations between local social capital and residents’ mental health before the disaster. Next, we fit models predicting psychological distress and poor mental health days, revealing that local levels of economic connectedness and rates of volunteering offset adverse mental …

Impact Of Reduced Rates Of Tiafenacil At Vegetative Growth Stages On Rice Growth And Yield, Donnie K. Miller, Jason A. Bond, Thomas R. Butts, L. Connor Webster, Koffi Badou Jeremie Kouame

Faculty Publications

Tiafenacil is a new non-selective protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase (PPO)-inhibiting herbicide with both grass and broadleaf activity labeled for preplant application to corn, cotton, soybean, and wheat. Early season rice emergence and growth often coincide in the mid-southern U.S. with preplant herbicide application in cotton and soybean, thereby increasing the opportunity for off-target herbicide movement from adjacent fields. Field studies were conducted to identify any deleterious impacts of reduced rates of tiafenacil (12.5 to 0.4% of the lowest labeled application rate of 24.64 g ai ha-1) applied to 1- or 3-leaf (lf) rice. Visual injury 1 week after treatment (WAT) for …

Impact Report, 2023-2024, Lsu Libraries

Libraries Impact Reports

No abstract provided.

Pause For Reflection: Musings From The Editorial Team, Rajashi Ghosh, Stefanos Nachmias, David Mcguire, Ague Mae Manongsong, Alene Montgomery

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Smart Device Ownership And Use Of Social Media, Wearable Trackers, And Health Apps Among Black Women With Hypertension In The United States: National Survey Study, Jolaade Kalinowski, Sandesh Bhusal, Sherry L. Pagoto, Robert Newton, Molly E. Waring

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

The majority of Black women with hypertension in the United States have smartphones or tablets and use social media, and many use wearable activity trackers and health or wellness apps, digital tools that can be used to support lifestyle changes and medication adherence.

Isolation Of Murine Adipose-Derived Stromal/Stem Cells For Adipogenic And Osteogenic Differentiation Or Flow Cytometry-Based Analysis, Matthew C. Scott, Chul Hong Park, Marilyn Dietrich, Xiying Wu, Jeffrey M. Gimble, Carrie M. Elks, Ji Suk Chang, Z. Elizabeth Floyd

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Murine models of obesity or reduced adiposity are a valuable resource for understanding the role of adipocyte dysfunction in metabolic disorders. Adipose tissue stromal vascular cells or primary adipocytes derived from murine adipose tissue and grown in culture are essential tools for studying the mechanisms underlying adipocyte development and function. Herein, we describe methods for the isolation, expansion, and long-term storage of murine adipose-derived stromal/stem cells, along with protocols for inducing adipogenesis to white or beige adipocytes in this cell population and osteogenic differentiation. Isolation of the adipose stromal vascular fraction cells for flow cytometric analysis is also described.

Updates In Air Pollution: Current Research And Future Challenges, Dwan Vilcins, Rebecca C. Christofferson, Jin Ho Yoon, Siti Nurshahida Nazli, Peter D. Sly, Stephania A. Cormier, Guofeng Shen

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Background: The United Nations has declared that humans have a right to clean air. Despite this, many deaths and disability-adjusted life years are attributed to air pollution exposure each year. We face both challenges to air quality and opportunities to improve, but several areas need to be addressed with urgency. Objective: This paper summarises the recent research presented at the Pacific Basin Consortium for Environment and Health Symposium and focuses on three key areas of air pollution that are important to human health and require more research. Findings and conclusion: Indoor spaces are commonly places of exposure to poor air …

2023 Ecei Annual Report, Lsu Early Childhood Education Institute

Early Childhood Education Institute Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Controlling Foodborne Pathogens In Irrigation Water: The Effectiveness Of Zeolite Modified With Cetrimonium Bromide, Jose L.Brandao Delgado, Jose Fuentes, Katheryn Parraga, Kathryn Fontenot, Achyut Adhikari, Marlene E. Janes

Faculty Publications

Recurring foodborne outbreaks, attributed to Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella sp., and Listeria monocytogenes, have identified irrigation water as a potential source of contamination, and creating the necessity for safe irrigation water in produce cultivation, as emphasized by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). In response to this imperative, this study explored the efficacy of surfactant-modified zeolite (SMZ) enhanced with Cetrimonium bromide (CTAB) as a sustainable water purification solution for surface water. The SMZ was assessed to have the capacity to filter contaminated water with high loads of foodborne pathogens. A laboratory study was conducted using a 100 g SMZ column. …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Aeration And Chlorination During Washing To Reduce E. Coli O157:H7, Salmonella Enterica, And L. Innocua On Cucumbers And Bell Peppers, Julysa A. Benitez, Jyoti Aryal, Ivannova Lituma, Juan Moreira, Achyut Adhikari

Faculty Publications

The attachment strength of bacteria to surfaces can affect the efficacy of sanitizers during washing. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of chlorination and aeration in the removal of pathogens from the surface of produce. Cucumbers and bell peppers were inoculated with Listeria innocua, Escherichia coli O157:H7, or Salmonella enterica; afterwards, the produce was washed with or without chlorinated water (100 ppm) for 3 min in combination with or without aeration. Cucumbers washed with chlorinated water, with or without aeration, presented significant reductions of L. innocua (3.65 log CFU/cm2 and 1.13 log CFU/cm2, respectively) (p < 0.05). Similarly, bell peppers washed in chlorinated water with aeration (1.91 log CFU/g) and without aeration (2.49 log CFU/g) presented significant reductions of L. innocua. A significant reduction of L. innocua was observed on bell peppers washed with non-chlorinated water with aeration (2.49 log CFU/g) (p < 0.05). Non-chlorinated water was also effective in significantly reducing the level of Salmonella enterica (p < 0.05) on cucumbers and bell peppers. Washing with chlorinated water with aeration reduced Salmonella enterica levels from 4.45 log CFU/cm2 on cucumbers to below the detectable limit (0.16 log CFU/cm2). The highest reduction of Salmonella enterica from bell peppers occurred after washing with chlorinated water with aeration (2.48 log CFU/g). E. coli O157:H7, L. innocua, and Salmonella enterica levels present in non-chlorinated water after washing contaminated produce with or without aeration were significantly greater than those in chlorinated water (p < 0.05). After treatment, the population levels of all pathogens in chlorinated water with or without aeration were below the detectable limit for bell peppers (<1.10 log CFU/mL) and cucumbers (<1.20 log CFU/mL). Using chlorine in combination with forced aeration during washing minimizes cross-contamination of bacterial pathogens.

Mapping Literature In The Age Of Ai, Virginia Ramos

Comparative Woman

"Mapping literature in the age of AI" discusses the concept of "mapping", from its historical meaning to its technological meaning in the field of literature and AI tools developed in recent years and designed to "map literature". The article addresses ethics, biases, and the issue of human capacities vis a vis machine capacities, in support of the critical and crucial value of the humanities and their unavoidable relationship with GenAI.

Characterization Of Rhizosphere Microbial Diversity And Selection Of Plant-Growth-Promoting Bacteria At The Flowering And Fruiting Stages Of Rapeseed, Mengjiao Wang, Haiyan Sun, Zhimin Xu

Faculty Publications

Plant rhizosphere microorganisms play an important role in modulating plant growth and productivity. This study aimed to elucidate the diversity of rhizosphere microorganisms at the flowering and fruiting stages of rapeseed (Brassica napus). Microbial communities in rhizosphere soils were analyzed via high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA for bacteria and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) DNA regions for fungi. A total of 401 species of bacteria and 49 species of fungi in the rhizosphere soil samples were found in three different samples. The composition and diversity of rhizosphere microbial communities were significantly different at different stages of rapeseed growth. Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) …

Challenges And Opportunities In Sustainability Reporting: A Focus On Small And Medium Enterprises (Smes), Santi Setyaningsih, Rosita Widjojo, Peter Kelle

Faculty Publications

The purpose of the study was to observe how Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) struggle to develop the sustainability reports that are today important and required by consumers. The rationale is that the sustainability report is influenced by governance practices, social responsibility, and environmental impact. The research successfully summarizes the barriers from 37 influential sustainability report papers by employing a thorough systematic literature review. It was based on 6 well-known databases with the limitation of exclusion criteria such as 11 years of research (2012–2023), used English, and more than 4 pages articles. According to the findings of this literature review …

Promoting Equity And Addressing Concerns In Teaching And Learning With Artificial Intelligence, Jennifer Garcia Ramos, Zakiya Wilson-Kennedy

Faculty Publications

This perspective article focuses on the exploration and advocacy of approaches to be considered in designing equitable learning experiences for students’ use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and technology through the Universal Design for Learning Framework (UDL) exemplifying chemistry examples that can be applied to any course in STEM. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are causing disruptions within learning in higher education and is also casting a spotlight on systemic inequities particularly affecting minoritized groups broadly and in STEM fields. Particularly, the emergence of AI has focused on inequities toward minoritized students in academic and professional …

The Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer 2.5 Years Later, Paolo Soffitta, Luca Baldini, Wayne Baumgartner, Ronaldo Bellazzini, Stephen D. Bongiorno, Niccolò Bucciantini, Enrico Costa, Michal Dovčiak, Steven Ehlert, Philip E. Kaaret, Jeffery J. Kolodziejczak, Luca Latronico, Frédréic Marin, Alan P. Marscher, Herman L. Marshall, Giorgio Matt, Fabio Muleri, Stephen L. O'Dell, Juri Poutanen, Brian Ramsey, Roger W. Romani, Patrick Slane, Allyn F. Tennant, Roberto Turolla, Martin C. Weisskopf, Iván Agudo, Lucio Angelo Antonelli, Matteo Bachetti, Stefano Bianchi, Raffaella Bonino, Alessandro Brez, Fiamma Capitanio, Simone Castellano

Faculty Publications

We have, at last, an observatory dedicated to X-ray polarimetry that has been operational since December 9^th, 2021. The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) is a NASA SMEX mission, in partnership with ASI, based on three X-ray telescopes, each equipped with a polarization-sensitive detector in the focus. An extending boom was deployed in orbit, positioning the detectors at the optimal distance from the optics, which have a 4-meter focal length. The spacecraft is three-axis stabilized, providing power, attitude determination and control, transmission, and commanding capabilities. After two and a half years of observation, IXPE has detected positive polarization …

Oxphos Capacity Is Diminished And The Phosphorylation System Inhibited During Diapause In An Extremophile, Embryos Of Artemia Franciscana, Yuvraj N. Patil, Erich Gnaiger, Alexander P. Landry, Zachary J. Leno, Steven C. Hand

Faculty Publications

Diapause exhibited by embryos of Artemia franciscana is accompanied by severe arrest of respiration. A large fraction of this depression is attributable to downregulation of trehalose catabolism that ultimately restricts fuel to mitochondria. This study now extends knowledge on the mechanism by revealing metabolic depression is heightened by inhibitions within mitochondria. Compared with that in embryo lysates during post-diapause, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) capacity P is depressed during diapause when either NADH-linked substrates (pyruvate and malate) for electron transfer (electron transfer capacity, E) through respiratory Complex I or the Complex II substrate succinate are used. When pyruvate, malate and succinate were …

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Gene Pa4880 Encodes A Dps-Like Protein With A Dps Fold, Bacterioferritin-Type Ferroxidase Centers, And Endonuclease Activity, Nimesha Rajapaksha, Huili Yao, Aisha Cook, Steve Seibold, Lijun Liu, Kevin P. Battaile, Leo Fontenot, Fabrizio Donnarumma, Scott Lovell, Mario Rivera

Faculty Publications

We report the biochemical, structural, and functional characterization of the protein coded by gene PA4880 in the P. aeruginosa PAO1 genome. The PA4880 gene had been annotated as coding a probable bacterioferritin. Our structural work shows that the product of gene PA4880 is a protein that adopts the Dps subunit fold, which oligomerizes into a 12-mer quaternary structure. Unlike Dps, however, the ferroxidase di-iron centers and iron coordinating ligands are buried within each subunit, in a manner identical to that observed in the ferroxidase center of P. aeruginosa bacterioferritin. Since these structural characteristics correspond to Dps-like proteins, we term the …

Lsu General Catalog 2024-2025, Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College

LSU General Catalog

The LSU General Catalog describes all undergraduate and graduate departments and programs with degree requirements and courses offered for each one. The LSU General Catalog includes information on registration and financial aid as well as academic services offered to all students.

Th2 And Th17-Associated Immunopathology Following Sars-Cov-2 Breakthrough Infection In Spike-Vaccinated Ace2-Humanized Mice, Tianyi Zhang, Nicholas Magazine, Michael C. Mcgee, Mariano Carossino, Gianluca Veggiani, Konstantin G. Kousoulas, Avery August, Weishan Huang

Faculty Publications

Vaccines have demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in protecting against COVID-19; however, concerns regarding vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory diseases (VAERD) following breakthrough infections have emerged. Spike protein subunit vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 induce VAERD in hamsters, where aluminum adjuvants promote a Th2-biased immune response, leading to increased type 2 pulmonary inflammation in animals with breakthrough infections. To gain a deeper understanding of the potential risks and the underlying mechanisms of VAERD, we immunized ACE2-humanized mice with SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein adjuvanted with aluminum and CpG-ODN. Subsequently, we exposed them to increasing doses of SARS-CoV-2 to establish a breakthrough infection. The vaccine elicited robust neutralizing antibody …

Louisiana Survey 2024, Lsu Reilly Center For Media & Public Affairs

Reilly Center Louisiana Surveys

The 2024 Louisiana Survey is the latest in an annual series of statewide surveys from the Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs at Louisiana State University’s Manship School of Mass Communication.

Reflecting the continuing evolution of survey research, we used two approaches for this year’s survey. First, we used our traditional probability-sampling approach to draw landline and cell phone numbers for a live-interview telephone survey. Second, in partnership with the research firm YouGov, we administered an online survey to a nonprobability sample of Louisiana residents who participate in the YouGov panel. We use statistical weights in the analysis …

Afbnet: A Lightweight Adaptive Feature Fusion Module For Super-Resolution Algorithms, Lirong Yin, Lei Wang, Siyu Lu, Ruiyang Wang, Haitao Ren, Ahmed Alsanad, Salman A. Alqahtani, Zhengtong Yin, Xiaolu Li, Wenfeng Zheng

Faculty Publications

At present, super-resolution algorithms are employed to tackle the challenge of low image resolution, but it is difficult to extract differentiated feature details based on various inputs, resulting in poor generalization ability. Given this situation, this study first analyzes the features of some feature extraction modules of the current super-resolution algorithm and then proposes an adaptive feature fusion block (AFB) for feature extraction. This module mainly comprises dynamic convolution, attention mechanism, and pixel-based gating mechanism. Combined with dynamic convolution with scale information, the network can extract more differentiated feature information. The introduction of a channel spatial attention mechanism combined with …

The Aftermath Of The 2019 Pulwama Terror Attack–Religion, Nationalism And Exclusion In Online News Comment Sections, Nihar Sreepada, Ioana Coman

Faculty Publications

This study analyses the Indian and Pakistani publics reactions of the extensive coverage of the Pulwama terror attack, through an analysis of the online comments appearing at the end of the news stories covering the attack from the two leading English newspapers: Times of India (TOI) (India), and Dawn (D) (Pakistan). A qualitative content analysis is performed to compare and examine this dialogue emerging in the news comments sections. Findings are explored and discussed through conceptualizations of religion, nationalism, and a social psychological perspective towards exclusion of out-groups.

Subject Pronoun Expression In Andean Colombian Spanish: The Preseea-Cali Corpus, Rafael Orozco, Margareth Marmolejo Caicedo, Róbinson Grajales

Faculty Publications

This preliminary investigation explores subject pronoun expression in the PRESEEA-Cali corpus. We explore the effects of five predictor variables (2 social 3 linguistic) on 4425 tokens. Findings reveal the highest pronominal rate (29.7%) found in a continental Latin American speech community. The linguistic conditioning uncovers that grammatical person and number of the subject exerts the strongest conditioning force among all the predictor variables explored. Specifically, uno constitutes the pronoun that most strongly favors overt subjects. The social conditioning reveals that women promote overt subjects, as occurs in the Caribbean region, but contrary to findings in Medellín. Moreover, the effects of …

The Economics Of Privacy And Utility: Investment Strategies, Chandra Sharma, George Amariucai, Shuangqing Wei

Faculty Publications

The inevitable leakage of privacy as a result of unrestrained disclosure of personal information has motivated extensive research on robust privacy-preserving mechanisms. However, existing research is mostly limited to solving the problem in a static setting with disregard for the privacy leakage over time. Unfortunately, this treatment of privacy is insufficient in practical settings where users continuously disclose their personal information over time resulting in an accumulated leakage of the users' sensitive information. In this paper, we consider privacy leakage over a finite time horizon and investigate optimal strategies to maximize the utility of the disclosed data while limiting the …

Performance Optimization Of Software-Defined Industrial Internet-Of-Things (Sd-Iiot), Jehad Ali, Celestine Iwendi, Gaoyang Shan, Hsiao Chun Wu, Mohammed J.F. Alenazi, Zaid Bin Faheem, Cresantus N. Biamba

Faculty Publications

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) offers a centralized network management approach that can effectively address the complex and varied traffic demands characteristic of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) environments by decoupling the control plane from the data plane. The centralized control architecture of SDN necessitates the performance optimization of controllers to manage diverse traffic efficiently within IIoT applications. This paper explores the criteria for selecting controllers in SDN-enabled IIoT (SD-IIoT) environments, utilizing the Less Complex Analytic Network Process (LC-ANP) to establish their prioritization. A ranking system for SD-IIoT controllers is formulated using LC-ANP, and experimental validation of this method underscores its effectiveness …

Conning The Crypto Conman: End-To-End Analysis Of Cryptocurrency-Based Technical Support Scams, Bhupendra Acharya, Muhammad Saad, Antonio Emanuele Cinà, Lea Schönherr, Hoang Dai Nguyen, Adam Oest, Phani Vadrevu, Thorsten Holz

Faculty Publications

The mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies has led to a surge in wallet-related issues reported by ordinary users on social media platforms. In parallel, there is an increase in an emerging fraud trend called cryptocurrency-based technical support scam, in which fraudsters offer fake wallet recovery services and target users experiencing wallet-related issues.In this paper, we perform a comprehensive study of cryptocurrency-based technical support scams. We present an analysis apparatus called HoneyTweet to analyze this kind of scam. Through HoneyTweet, we lure over 9K scammers by posting 25K fake wallet support tweets (so-called honey tweets). We then deploy automated systems to interact …

Single-Component Hydrophilic Terpolymer Thin Film Systems For Imparting Surface Chemical Versatility On Various Substrates, Yun Hee Ko, Hai Ha Tran Nguyen, Christopher R. Branstetter, Soeun Park, Jin Kyun Lee, Jaesung Yang, Jangwook P. Jung, Myungwoong Kim

Faculty Publications

We demonstrate a single-component hydrophilic photocrosslinkable copolymer system that incorporates all critical functionalities into one chain. This design allows for the creation of uniform functional organic coatings on a variety of substrates. The copolymers were composed of a poly(ethylene oxide)-containing monomer, a monomer that can release a primary amine upon UV light, and a monomer with reactive epoxide or cyclic dithiocarbonate with a primary amine. These copolymers are easily incorporated into the solution-casting process using polar solvents. Furthermore, the resulting coating can be readily stabilized through UV light-induced crosslinking, providing an advantage for controlling the surface properties of various substrates. …