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Physical Activity And Sleep Duration During Pregnancy Have Interactive Effects On Caesarean Delivery: A Population-Based Cohort Study In Tianjin, China, Yingzi Yang, Weiqin Li, Wen Yang, Leishen Wang, Jinnan Liu, Junhong Leng, Wei Li, Shuo Wang, Jing Li, Gang Hu, Zhijie Yu, Xilin Yang

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Background: There were inconsistent findings in the literature regarding the associations of physical activity and sleep duration during pregnancy with caesarean delivery for different reasons. It was also unknown whether physical activity and sleep duration during pregnancy had interactive effects on the risks of different types of caesarean delivery. The study aimed to investigate the effects of physical activity, sleep duration and their interactions on the risk of caesarean delivery for medical reasons and non-medical reasons. Methods: From October 2010 to August 2012, a prospective population-based cohort of 13,015 pregnant women was established in six central urban districts of Tianjin, …

Meal Composition During An Ad Libitum Buffet Meal And Longitudinal Predictions Of Weight And Percent Body Fat Change: The Role Of Hyper-Palatable, Energy Dense, And Ultra-Processed Foods, Tera L. Fazzino, James L. Dorling, John W. Apolzan, Corby K. Martin

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Background: Foods that increase obesity risk are ubiquitous in the US food environment. Such foods may be the target of hedonic eating, which may facilitate weight gain and lead to obesity. The study tested whether meal composition during an ad libitum buffet meal was associated with 1-year weight and percent body fat changes among healthy younger adults without obesity. Hyper-palatable foods (HPF) were the study focus; comparisons were conducted with high energy dense (HED) and ultra-processed foods (UPF). Design: Younger adults without obesity (N = 82; 43% male; mean age 26.8) completed an ad libitum buffet meal and provided body …

Weight Loss In Primary Care: A Pooled Analysis Of Two Pragmatic Cluster-Randomized Trials, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, John W. Apolzan, Byron Gajewski, William D. Johnson, Corby K. Martin, Robert L. Newton, Michael G. Perri, Jeffrey J. Vanwormer, Christie A. Befort

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Objective: The aim of this study was to report the results of five weight-loss interventions in primary care settings in underserved patients and to compare the level of pragmatism across the interventions using the Pragmatic Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary (PRECIS-2) tool. Methods: Data from 54 primary care clinics (2,210 patients) were pooled from the Promoting Successful Weight Loss in Primary Care in Louisiana (PROPEL) and Rural Engagement in Primary Care for Optimizing Weight Reduction (REPOWER) cluster-randomized trials. Clinics were randomized to one of five comparators: PROPEL usual care, PROPEL combination of in-clinic and telephone visits, REPOWER in-clinic individual visits, REPOWER …

Ncs Assessments Of The Motor, Sensory, And Physical Health Domains, Jane E. Clark, Russell Pate, Rose Marie Rine, Jennifer Christy, Pamela Dalton, Diane L. Damiano, Stephen Daniels, Jonathan M. Holmes, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Susan Magasi, Ryan Mccreery, Kerry Mciver, Karl M. Newell, Terence Sanger, David Sugden, Elsie Taveras, Steven Hirschfeld

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

As part of the National Children's Study (NCS) comprehensive and longitudinal assessment of the health status of the whole child, scientific teams were convened to recommend assessment measures for the NCS. This manuscript documents the work of three scientific teams who focused on the motor, sensory, or the physical health aspects of this assessment. Each domain team offered a value proposition for the importance of their domain to the health outcomes of the developing infant and child. Constructs within each domain were identified and measures of these constructs proposed. Where available extant assessments were identified. Those constructs that were in …

Parallel Coordinates-Based Visualization Of Covid-19 Data, Puja Bhandari

LSU Master's Theses

The number of COVID-19 cases has been continuously increasing worldwide since the beginning of 2020. A lot of efforts have been made in identifying, predicting, and mitigating this deadly virus infection. This requires gaining insight into large collections of the related data, which are multivariate in nature involving many variables/attributes. Here we develop a parallel coordinates system to visualize the COVID-19 data in an interactive manner considering all variables, including location and time. The challenges with this approach include mapping many variables of different types (parallel axes) and occlusion associated with highly cluttered data lines. We adopt several functionalities to …

Evaluating Consumers’ Perception Of Gluten-Free/Clean-Label Muffins, Vanesa Chicaiza

LSU Master's Theses

The gluten-free-natural-ingredient (GF/NCL) product demand is globally increasing and driven by the growing prevalence of celiac-diseases. Nevertheless, the quality of GF product is often inferior compared to wheat-flour counterparts due to the removing of gluten, which, compromises the appearance, structure, and nutritional value. The addition of fiber into GF/NCL products has been considered to improve nutritional values while maintaining quality attributes. According to the US-FDA, a product containing ≥2.5 grams of fiber/serving can be claimed as a “good-source-of-fiber.” However, adding dietary fiber to baked products affects their qualities, and hence possibly lowering product acceptability.

The main objective of this research …

Hemp Microgreen Mineral Content, Cannabinoids, Total Phenolics, And Antioxidants, Cheston T. Schayot

LSU Master's Theses

Hemp (Cannabis sativa) L. microgreens were grown to 7 and 12 days with and without supplemental lighting and/or fertilizer. The principal macronutrient found in hemp microgreens was nitrogen (N), followed by potassium (K), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), and sulfur (S). The principal micronutrient found in hemp microgreens was iron (Fe), followed by manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), boron (B), and copper (Cu). Hemp microgreens were similar to other commonly grown microgreen species in minerals except for P and Mg, where they could potentially be an excellent source, and Zn, where they fell below previously reported amounts. The …

An Evaluation Of The Break Up With Salt Community-Based Hypertension Education Program, Helena L. Salgado

LSU Master's Theses

Introduction: Hypertension is a primary risk factor for heart disease and stroke, and contributes to renal disease, premature death, and disability. More recently, hypertension has also been identified as a risk factor for serious symptoms or as an underlying cause of death from Covid-19. Break up with salt (BUWS) is a 4-session, community-based nutrition education program of the LSU AgCenter, developed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, to help Louisiana’s adults prevent or mange hypertension. The BUWS curriculum focuses on the DASH diet, healthy food selection and preparation skills, and physical activity and stress management. BUWS was piloted in a …

Response Of Roseau Cane (Phragmites Australis) To Two Biotic Stresses: Hyalopterus Pruni And Bipolaris Yamadae, Heather E. Cizek

LSU Master's Theses

Roseau cane (Phragmites australis) is considered an invasive plant because of its ability to replace native plant species. However, in Louisiana it plays an important role protecting coastal infrastructure and being part of the marsh ecosystem in the lower Mississippi River Delta. In recent years, Roseau cane has been affected by a die-off, a problem that has also been reported in some European countries. Possible biotic and abiotic factors that have been associated with the die-off include scale insects, climate change, pollution, salinity levels, and pathogens.

In this research, the individual and combined effect of a foliar disease …

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 …

Apol1 Renal Risk Variants Are Associated With Obesity And Body Composition In African Ancestry Adults: An Observational Genotype-Phenotype Association Study, Girish N. Nadkarni, Kezhen Fei, Genevieve Galarneau, Yan Gao, James G. Wilson, Richard Cooper, Ebony B. Madden, Joshua C. Denny, Lynne D. Richardson, Martin Pollak, Ruth J.F. Loos, Carol R. Horowitz

Faculty Publications

While increased obesity prevalence among persons of African ancestry (AAs) compared to persons of European ancestry (EAs) is linked to social, environmental and behavioral factors, there are no gene variants that are common and significantly associated with obesity in AA populations. We sought to explore the association between ancestry specific renal risk variants in the apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) gene with obesity related traits in AAs. We conducted a genotype-phenotype association study from 3 electronic medical record linked cohorts (BioMe Biobank, BioVU, nuGENE); randomized controlled trials (genetic testing to understand and address renal disease disparities) and prospective cohort study (Jackson Heart …

Regional Expansion And Evaluation Of Potential Chemical Control For Invasive Apple Snails (Pomacea Maculata) In Southwest Louisiana, Julian M. Lucero

LSU Master's Theses

The integration of monitoring and chemical control is an efficient strategy for managing invasive apple snails, Pomacea maculata, in the rice (Oryza sativa L.) and crawfish systems of southwest Louisiana. However, their current distribution, expansion rates, and susceptibility to chemical control methods in this area are not well known. This study evaluated the expansion of P. maculata in southwest Louisiana and assessed potential chemical control for P. maculata among toxicity assays using various application rates. The effects of potential chemical control were also assessed on a non-target species, the red swamp crawfish (Procambarus clarkii). P. maculata …

Steady Agronomic And Genetic Interventions Are Essential For Sustaining Productivity In Intensive Rice Cropping, Jagdish K. Ladha, Ando M. Radanielson, Jessica Elaine Rutkoski, Roland J. Buresh, Achim Dobermann, Olivyn Angeles, Irish Lorraine B. Pabuayon, Christian Santos-Medellin, Roberto Fritsche-Neto, Pauline Chivenge, Ajay Kohli

Faculty Publications

Intensive systems with two or three rice (Oryza sativa L.) crops per year account for about 50% of the harvested area for irrigated rice in Asia. Any reduction in productivity or sustainability of these systems has serious implications for global food security. Rice yield trends in the world's longest-running long-term continuous cropping experiment (LTCCE) were evaluated to investigate consequences of intensive cropping and to draw lessons for sustaining production in Asia. Annual production was sustained at a steady level over the 50-y period in the LTCCE through continuous adjustment of management practices and regular cultivar replacement. Within each of the …

Fish Gelatin Coating As An Antimicrobial Agent On Wild-Caught Louisiana Shrimp, Hunter S. Songy

LSU Master's Theses

Seafood has a short shelf-life because of its unstable nature. Shrimp has a shelf-life of only eight days. Edible coatings, like those made from gelatin, have been used to apply antimicrobial agents to food product surfaces. Organic acids are naturally occurring, low-cost options that have been proven to effectively reduce bacterial loads on food products and extend their shelf-life. Gelatin can be extracted from catfish skin, helping to reduce product waste. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential effectiveness of fish skin gelatin as an antimicrobial coating alone and in combination with lactic acid, and then compare …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Aeration During Washing To Dislodge Microorganisms From Cucumbers And Bell Peppers, Julysa Benitez

LSU Master's Theses

Microorganisms may attach firmly to produce matrices and could affect the efficacy of disinfectants. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of aeration to reduce microbial risk during washing and sanitizing of fresh produce. Bell peppers and cucumbers were spot inoculated with Listeria innocua, E. coli O157:H7, and Salmonella; after drying in the biosafety cabinet for 1h, these were washed with water or sanitized with 100 ppm of chlorine for 3 min with or without aeration. Bell pepper and cucumber samples were placed in sterile bags with PBS after treatment. Bell peppers were processed in the stomacher …

Corn Nitrogen Management Under Different Tillage Systems, Akshara Athelly

LSU Master's Theses

Adoption of no-tillage (NT) and cover crops (CC) significantly effect soil physicochemical properties and nutrient cycling that necessitates modified nutrient management to maximize crop yields. Two field experiments were conducted to evaluate N-sources Urea Ammonium Nitrate (UAN), urea, and urea+ N-stabilizer (urea+ stab) and N-split applications 100%N at V2 (S1), 25%N at V2+75%N at V6 (S2), 25%N at V2+ 50%N at V6+ 25%N at VT (S3) in a sandy loam soil and three CC wheat (Triticum aestivum), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) , and radish (Raphanus sativus) and their combinations along with three N-rates ( …

Using Uav Technology Paired With Multispectral Cameras To Assess Crown Rust Epidemics In Oats, Turner A. Graham

LSU Master's Theses

Crown rust, caused by Puccinia cornonata f. sp. avenae, is a common disease of oats (Avena sativa) found virtually everywhere oats are cultivated. This disease has caused yield losses of 10 to 40% worldwide. Early detection is important for effective management. A more recently utilized technology in agriculture is unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). UAVs, or drones, equipped with cameras are now being used as a resource to take images of fields to identify pests and other issues that may be occurring. Normalized differentiated vegetative index (NDVI) is a numerical indicator used to determine the vegetative health of …

Evaluating Substrate Stratification Practices For Enhanced Water Resource Management In Nursery Production, Kristopher S. Criscione

LSU Master's Theses

The nursery and greenhouse industries have continued to increase in production and sales over the past two decades. This increase in horticultural production necessitates a greater demand for finite natural resources, specifically water. Sustainable water resource management will be critical to the success and continual growth of the nursery industry. Strategic irrigation scheduling and innovative substrate management practices can improve nursery resource efficiency. Soilless substrates were originally utilized by the industry to increase substrate air-filled porosity, to ensure adequately drained container systems. Thus, the implementation of these soilless substrates can lead to an inefficient use of water and fertilizer. Substrate …

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 …

Consumers' Perception Of Food Containing Insect Protein Affected By Serving Condition And Questionnaire Protocol, Yupeng Gao

LSU Master's Theses

Edible insects are a new sustainable protein source compared to meat. Western consumers show aversion to the prospect of insects as food due to unfamiliarity, food neophobia, and negative emotions. This dissertation research explored consumers’ emotional perception of insect-based food products presented under different testing conditions and examined the influence of other people’s emotional expressions towards consumers’ purchase decisions. To identify and rate emotion intensities, tests were conducted using three presenting formats including text, image, and an actual product; all of which were applied for both cookies containing insects and without insects. In addition to these presenting formats, news of …

Protein Appetite At The Interface Between Nutrient Sensing And Physiological Homeostasis, Md Shahjalal Khan, Redin A. Spann, Heike Münzberg, Sangho Yu, Vance L. Albaugh, Yanlin He, Hans Rudolf Berthoud, Christopher D. Morrison

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Feeding behavior is guided by multiple competing physiological needs, as animals must sense their internal nutritional state and then identify and consume foods that meet nutritional needs. Dietary protein intake is necessary to provide essential amino acids and represents a specific, distinct nutritional need. Consistent with this importance, there is a relatively strong body of literature indicating that protein intake is defended, such that animals sense the restriction of protein and adaptively alter feeding behavior to increase protein intake. Here, we argue that this matching of food consumption with physiological need requires at least two concurrent mechanisms: the first being …

Sustainable Gardening For School And Home Gardens: Radish, Johannah Frelier, Denyse Cummins, Carl Motsenbocker

Sustainable Gardening for School and Home Gardens

Radish is a root crop and member of the Brassicaceae family, also known as the cabbage family, which includes other cool-season crops like cabbage, kale, collards, broccoli and cauliflower. The name radish comes from the Latin word for “root” and a Greek expression that translates into “easily reared.” Western Asia (likely China) is considered the country of origin for the wild form, and it was first recorded around 2000 B.C. in Egypt. Radishes were especially popular and highly regarded with the Greeks. The original radish was probably larger and slow-growing, similar to Daikon radish.

Sustainable Gardening For School And Home Gardens: Lettuce, Johannah Frelier, Denyse Cummins, Carl Motsenbocker

Sustainable Gardening for School and Home Gardens

Lettuce is a member of the Asteraceae family, also known as the aster or sunflower family, which includes crops such as globe artichokes and endive, but also garden ornamentals like sunflowers, dahlias, marigolds and zinnias. Cultivated lettuce likely developed from wild lettuce from the Mediterranean area of the Middle East and was first recorded in ancient Egypt around 2500 B.C. in tomb paintings but may have been as early as 4500 B.C. This original lettuce had two main types: one with much thicker stems (like celery) and another that produced seeds used for cooking oil. The stem lettuces (similar to …

Sustainable Gardening For School And Home Gardens: Leafy Greens, Johannah Frelier, Denyse Cummins, Carl Motsenbocker

Sustainable Gardening for School and Home Gardens

Collards and kale are both members of the Brassicaceae family, also known as the cabbage family, which includes other cool-season cole crops like cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and radish. However, collards and kale are distinct from much of the cabbage family because they do not form heads; instead their leaves are harvested.

Sustainable Gardening For School And Home Gardens: Eggplant, Johannah Frelier, Denyse Cummins, Carl Motsenbocker

Sustainable Gardening for School and Home Gardens

The eggplant is a member of the Solanaceae family, also known as the Nightshade family, which includes crops such as the Irish potato, tomato, tomatillo and pepper. The eggplant is thought to have originated in Asia (mainly parts of India and Burma/Myanmar), and the first record of this vegetable was from a 5th century Chinese book. The original eggplant was a wild plant with orange, pea-sized, spiny fruit — very different than the present-day eggplant!

Sustainable Gardening For School And Home Gardens: Cucumber, Johannah Frelier, Denyse Cummins, Carl Motsenbocker

Sustainable Gardening for School and Home Gardens

Cucumbers are members of the Cucurbitaceae family, also known as the cucurbits or gourd family. The group includes crops such as winter and summer squash, watermelon, cantaloupe, pumpkins and gourds. It is believed that cucumbers originated in India over 3,000 years ago and then spread to China, Greece, Italy and North Africa (see Figure 2). By the 9th century, cucumbers were grown in France, likely transported by the Romans. They were not documented in England until the 14th century. Cucumbers were then transported to the Americas during colonization, led by Columbus around the mid-1500s, and were grown in early Virginia …

Sustainable Gardening For School And Home Gardens: Citrus, Johannah Frelier, Denyse Cummins, Carl Motsenbocker

Sustainable Gardening for School and Home Gardens

Citrus trees are members of the Rutaceae family, also known as the Rue family, which includes mostly flowering woody trees and shrubs. Trees in this family produce citrus fruits, including popular crops for Louisiana, such as satsumas, oranges and kumquats (see Figure 1). Citrus trees cannot survive in areas that regularly freeze, so production is concentrated along the Gulf Coast, particularly in southern areas of Louisiana and Florida.

Sustainable Gardening For School And Home Gardens: Cabbage, Johannah Frelier, Denyse Cummins, Carl Motsenbocker

Sustainable Gardening for School and Home Gardens

Cabbage and Chinese cabbage are members of the Brassicaceae family, also known as the cabbage, mustard or crucifer family, which includes other cole crops like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collards, kohlrabi and radishes. Both cabbage and Chinese cabbage are cool-season, frost-tolerant crops that are widely adapted to temperate and subtropical regions. The center of origin of cabbage is most often considered to be the coastal areas of the Mediterranean, the British Isles and Western Europe. Cabbage is thought to have been first grown by the Greeks for medicinal purposes over 3,000 years ago. Today’s cabbage varieties are likely derived from wild, …

Sustainable Gardening For School And Home Gardens: Sweet Pepper, Johannah Frelier, Denyse Cummins, Carl Motsenbocker

Sustainable Gardening for School and Home Gardens

Peppers are likely native to the Oaxaca region of Mexico, where they are referred to as chiles, with evidence dating back to 5000 B.C. Peppers were also widely produced in Guatemala, and evidence of this crop’s presence in Peru was documented in 1609. They were transported by Spanish and Portuguese explorers and adapted to many different climates. Columbus discovered pungent (hot) peppers in the West Indies and coined the name “pepper.” By the 16th century, peppers were introduced to Europe but were not commercially produced in the southern U.S. until 1925.

Sustainable Gardening For School And Home Gardens: Snap Beans, Bush And Pole, Johannah Frelier, Denyse Cummins, Carl Motsenbocker

Sustainable Gardening for School and Home Gardens

Snap beans are legumes and members of the Fabaceae family, also known as the Pea family, which includes other warm-season beans, peas, lentils and peanuts, along with many other plants, shrubs and trees. This crop is thought to have originated in the Latin American countries of southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica. Snap beans thrive in these sandy clay soils and have been grown in Mexico for over 7,000 years. However, there is evidence that snap beans may have been cultivated much earlier in Peru, as seeds were found with a mummified woman buried with pre-Incan artifacts.