Digital Commons Network^™

Safety And Tolerability Of Whole Soybean Products: A Dose-Escalating Clinical Trial In Older Adults With Obesity, Candida J. Rebello, Stephen Boué, Ronald J. Levy, Renée Puyau, Robbie A. Beyl, Frank L. Greenway, Mark L. Heiman, Jeffrey N. Keller, Charles F. Reynolds, John P. Kirwan

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Soybean products have nutrients, dietary fiber, and phytoalexins beneficial for cardiovascular and overall health. Despite their high consumption in Asian populations, their safety in Western diets is debated. We conducted a dose-escalating clinical trial of the safety and tolerability of soybean products in eight older adults (70–85 years) with obesity. Whole green soybean pods grown under controlled conditions were processed to flour (WGS) at the United States Department of Agriculture using common cooking techniques such as slicing and heat treatment. WGS incorporated into food products was consumed at 10 g, 20 g, and 30 g/day for one week at each …

A Review Of Methods Of Assessing Preference For Social Stimuli, Samuel L. Morris, Madison L. Gallagher, Alva E. Allen

Faculty Publications

Research on preference and reinforcer assessments has historically focused on the evaluation of edible and leisure reinforcers, but the identification and use of individualized social reinforcers may be beneficial for several reasons. Recently, many studies have evaluated methods of assessing preference for social stimuli. The procedures and outcomes across these studies have varied greatly, and the current state of evidence for methods of assessing preference for social stimuli remains unclear. Thus, we conducted a review to synthesize all previous research in this area, evaluate the evidence for the utility of this general methodology, and identify factors that may influence its …

The Impact Of Covid-19, Mental Health Distress, And School-Based Sociocultural Protective Factors Among Elementary-Aged Children And Their Caregivers, Aijah K.B. Goodwin, Anthony J. Roberson, Ar’Reon Watson, Grace L. Chen, Anna C.J. Long

Faculty Publications

Given the individual and systemic stress endured by children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic, research examining culturally responsive school experiences and supports to enhance resilience is critical. This study examined the relationship between caregivers’ perceptions of COVID-19 impact, mental health distress among children and caregivers, and school-based sociocultural protective factors, including culturally responsive practices in schools and the relationships between teachers and caregivers, concurrently and longitudinally. Data were collected from caregivers of elementary-aged children at two-time points from March to April 2020 (N = 174) and one year later in 2021 (N = 114). Regression analyses revealed that COVID-19 …

Environmental Attitudes And Fertility Desires Among Us Adolescents From 2005–2019, Heather M. Rackin, Alison Gemmill, Caroline Sten Hartnett

Faculty Publications

Objective: This brief report examines links between environmental attitudes and fertility desires over time in the United States. Background: To understand fertility decision making, it is important to identify factors that influence fertility desires. Concerns about environmental problems may be associated with lower desired fertility, especially in recent cohorts transitioning to adulthood. Youth may feel that having one less child can reduce their “carbon footprint” or may be unwilling to bring children into an uncertain and difficult future due to climate change. Method: Data are from 12th graders in the Monitoring the Future study (2005–2019; N = 34,104). Regression is …

Total Daily Energy Expenditure Has Declined Over The Past Three Decades Due To Declining Basal Expenditure, Not Reduced Activity Expenditure, John R. Speakman, Jasper M.A. De Jong, Srishti Sinha, Klaas R. Westerterp, Yosuke Yamada, Hiroyuki Sagayama, Philip N. Ainslie, Liam J. Anderson, Lenore Arab, Kweku Bedu-Addo, Stephane Blanc, Alberto G. Bonomi, Pascal Bovet, Soren Brage, Maciej S. Buchowski, Nancy F. Butte, Stefan G.J.A. Camps, Jamie A. Cooper, Richard Cooper, Sai Krupa Das, Peter S.W. Davies, Lara R. Dugas, Ulf Ekelund, Sonja Entringer, Terrence Forrester, Barry W. Fudge, Melanie Gillingham, Santu Ghosh, Annelies H. Goris, Michael Gurven, Lewis G. Halsey, Catherine Hambly, Hinke H. Haisma

Faculty Publications

Obesity is caused by a prolonged positive energy balance1,2. Whether reduced energy expenditure stemming from reduced activity levels contributes is debated3,4. Here we show that in both sexes, total energy expenditure (TEE) adjusted for body composition and age declined since the late 1980s, while adjusted activity energy expenditure increased over time. We use the International Atomic Energy Agency Doubly Labelled Water database on energy expenditure of adults in the United States and Europe (n = 4,799) to explore patterns in total (TEE: n = 4,799), basal (BEE: n = 1,432) and physical activity energy expenditure (n = 1,432) over time. …

Consumers’ Acceptance, Emotions, And Responsiveness To Informational Cues For Air-Fried Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus) Skin Chips, Silvia Murillo, Ryan Ardoin, Witoon Prinyawiwatkul

Faculty Publications

Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) skins, as filleting byproduct, were developed into a crispy snack food via air-frying. Consumers rated catfish skin chips (CSC) across sensory modalities (9-point hedonic scales, a just-about-right scale, and “yes/no” for purchase intent, PI) for Plain-, Lemon & Pepper-, and Barbecue-flavored samples during two consumer studies (N = 115 each). Paprika- flavored CSC were excluded from Study 2 due to inferior acceptance and emotional ratings. CSC-elicited emotions were evaluated using a 25-term lexicon with CATA (Check-All-That-Apply) scaling (Study 1) and refined with an abbreviated lexicon containing food-evoked sensation-seeking emotions (5-point intensity scale). The two consumer studies differed …

Stable Isotope Tracing Reveals An Altered Fate Of Glucose In N-Acetyltransferase 1 Knockout Breast Cancer Cells, James T.F. Wise, Xinmin Yin, Xipeng Ma, Xiang Zhang, David W. Hein

Faculty Publications

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death. Recent studies found that arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) is frequently upregulated in breast cancer, further suggesting NAT1 could be a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer. Previous publications have established that NAT1 knockout (KO) in breast cancer cell lines leads to growth reduction both in vitro and in vivo and metabolic changes. These reports suggest that NAT1 contributes to the energy metabolism of breast cancer cells. Proteomic analysis and non-targeted metabolomics suggested that NAT1 KO may change the fate of glucose as it relates to the TCA/KREB cycle of …

Measurement Of The Neutron Cross Section On Argon Between 95 And 720 Mev, S. Martynenko, B. Bhandari, J. Bian, K. Bilton, C. Callahan, J. Chaves, H. Chen, D. Cline, R. L. Cooper, D. L. Danielson, J. Danielson, N. Dokania, S. Elliott, S. Fernandes, S. Gardiner, G. Garvey, V. Gehman, F. Giuliani, S. Glavin, M. Gold, C. Grant, E. Guardincerri, T. Haines, A. Higuera, J. Y. Ji, R. Kadel, N. Kamp, A. Karlin, W. Ketchum, L. W. Koerner, D. Lee, K. Lee, Q. Liu

Faculty Publications

We report an extended measurement of the neutron cross section on argon in the energy range of 95-720 MeV. The measurement was obtained with a 4.3-hour exposure of the Mini-CAPTAIN detector to the WNR/LANSCE beam at LANL. Compared to an earlier analysis of the same data, this extended analysis includes a reassessment of systematic uncertainties, in particular related to unused wires in the upstream part of the detector. Using this information we doubled the fiducial volume in the experiment and increased the statistics by a factor of 2.4. We also shifted the analysis from energy bins to time-of-flight bins. This …

Evaluation Of Alternative Colony Hybridization Methods For Pathogenic Vibrios, Andrew M. Schwartz, Haley A. Marcotte, Crystal N. Johnson

Faculty Publications

Vibrios, such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus, are naturally occurring halophilic bacteria that are a major cause of foodborne illness. Because of their autochthonous nature, managing vibrio levels in marine and estuarine environments is impossible. Instead, it is crucial to reliably enumerate their abundance to minimize human exposure. One method of achieving this is the direct plating/colony hybridization (DP/CH) method, which has been used to efficiently quantify pathogenic vibrios in oysters and other seafood products. Although successful, the method relies on proprietary resources. We examined alternative approaches, assessed the influence of the reagent suppliers’ source on enumeration accuracy, and made experimental adjustments …

The Fermi-Lat Lightcurve Repository, S. Abdollahi, M. Ajello, L. Baldini, J. Ballet, D. Bastieri, J. Becerra Gonzalez, R. Bellazzini, A. Berretta, E. Bissaldi, R. Bonino, A. Brill, P. Bruel, E. Burns, S. Buson, R. A. Cameron, R. Caputo, P. A. Caraveo, N. Cibrario, S. Ciprini, P. Cristarella Orestano, M. Crnogorcevic, S. Cutini, F. D’Ammando, S. De Gaetano, S. W. Digel, N. Di Lalla, L. Di Venere, A. Domínguez, V. Fallah Ramazani, S. J. Fegan, E. C. Ferrara, A. Fiori, H. Fleischhack

Faculty Publications

The Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) lightcurve repository (LCR) is a publicly available, continually updated library of gamma-ray lightcurves of variable Fermi-LAT sources generated over multiple timescales. The Fermi-LAT LCR aims to provide publication-quality lightcurves binned on timescales of 3, 7, and 30 days for 1525 sources deemed variable in the source catalog of the first 10 yr of Fermi-LAT observations. The repository consists of lightcurves generated through full likelihood analyses that model the sources and the surrounding region, providing fluxes and photon indices for each time bin. The LCR is intended as a resource for the time-domain and multimessenger …

Ecophysiology And Genomics Of The Brackish Water Adapted Sar11 Subclade Iiia, V. Celeste Lanclos, Anna N. Rasmussen, Conner Y. Kojima, Chuankai Cheng, Michael W. Henson, Brant C. Faircloth, Christopher A. Francis, J. Cameron Thrash

Faculty Publications

The Order Pelagibacterales (SAR11) is the most abundant group of heterotrophic bacterioplankton in global oceans and comprises multiple subclades with unique spatiotemporal distributions. Subclade IIIa is the primary SAR11 group in brackish waters and shares a common ancestor with the dominant freshwater IIIb (LD12) subclade. Despite its dominance in brackish environments, subclade IIIa lacks systematic genomic or ecological studies. Here, we combine closed genomes from new IIIa isolates, new IIIa MAGS from San Francisco Bay (SFB), and 460 highly complete publicly available SAR11 genomes for the most comprehensive pangenomic study of subclade IIIa to date. Subclade IIIa represents a taxonomic …

Mapping And Identification Of Molecular Markers For The Pc96 Gene Conferring Resistance To Crown Rust In Oat, Sidrat Abdullah, Gordon Tyler, Belayneh Admassu Yimer, Edyta Paczos-Grzęda, Stephen A. Harrison, James G. Menzies, Kathy Esvelt Klos

Faculty Publications

Oat crown rust caused by Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae P. Syd. & Syd (Pca) is a major constraint to oat (Avena sativa L.) production in many parts of the globe. The objectives of this study were to locate Pc96 on the oat consensus map and to develop SNP markers linked to Pc96 for use in marker-assisted selection. SNP loci linked to the crown rust resistance gene Pc96 were identified by linkage analysis and PACE assays were developed for marker-assisted selection in breeding programs. Pc96 is a race-specific crown rust resistance gene originating from cultivated oat that has been deployed …

Genome-Wide Association Analysis Of Hyperspectral Reflectance Data To Dissect The Genetic Architecture Of Growth-Related Traits In Maize Under Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria Inoculation, Rafael Massahiro Yassue, Giovanni Galli, Chun Peng James Chen, Roberto Fritsche-Neto, Gota Morota

Faculty Publications

Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) may be of use for increasing crop yield and plant resilience to biotic and abiotic stressors. Using hyperspectral reflectance data to assess growth-related traits may shed light on the underlying genetics as such data can help assess biochemical and physiological traits. This study aimed to integrate hyperspectral reflectance data with genome-wide association analyses to examine maize growth-related traits under PGPB inoculation. A total of 360 inbred maize lines with 13,826 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were evaluated with and without PGPB inoculation; 150 hyperspectral wavelength reflectances at 386–1021 nm and 131 hyperspectral indices were used in the …

Amino Acid Derivatives Of Chlorin-E6—A Review, Maria Da Graça H. Vicente, Kevin M. Smith

Faculty Publications

Details of the structural elucidation of the clinically useful photodynamic therapy sensitizer NPe6 (15) are presented. NPe6, also designated as Laserphyrin, Talaporfin, and LS-11, is a second-generation photosensitizer derived from chlorophyll-a, currently used in Japan for the treatment of human lung, esophageal, and brain cancers. After the initial misidentification of the structure of this chlorin-e6 aspartic acid conjugate as (13), NMR and other synthetic procedures described herein arrived at the correct structure (15), confirmed using single crystal X-ray crystallography. Interesting new features of chlorin-e6 chemistry (including the intramolecular formation of an anhydride (24)) are reported, allowing chemists to regioselectively conjugate …

Effect Of Stimulator Of Interferon Genes (Sting) Signaling On Radiation-Induced Chemokine Expression In Human Osteosarcoma Cells, Sita S. Withers, Cambri E. Moeller, Cally N. Quick, Chin Chi Liu, Shelby M. Baham, Jayme S. Looper, Ramesh Subramanian, Konstantin G. Kousoulas

Faculty Publications

Cancer cell-intrinsic mechanisms affecting radiation immunomodulation could be exploited to optimize systemic effects of localized radiation. Radiation-induced DNA damage is sensed by cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), which ultimately activates stimulator of interferon (IFN) genes (STING). Resultant expression of soluble mediators such as CCL5 and CXCL10 can facilitate recruitment of dendritic cells and immune effector cells into the tumor. The primary objectives of this study were to determine the baseline expression levels of cGAS and STING in OSA cells and evaluate the dependence of OSA cells on STING signaling for eliciting radiation-induced expression of CCL5 and CXCL10. cGAS and STING expression, …

North Flinders Reef (Coral Sea, Australia) Porites Sp. Corals As A Candidate Global Boundary Stratotype Section And Point For The Anthropocene Series, Jens Zinke, Neal E. Cantin, Kristine L. Delong, Kylie Palmer, Arnoud Boom, Irka Hajdas, Nicolas Duprey, Alfredo Martínez-García, Neil L. Rose, Sarah L. Roberts, Handong Yang, Lucy R. Roberts, Andrew B. Cundy, Pawel Gaca, James Andy Milton, Grace Frank, Adam Cox, Sue Sampson, Genevieve Tyrrell, Molly Agg, Simon D. Turner

Faculty Publications

Corals are unique in the suite of proposed Anthropocene Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) archives, as living organisms that produce aragonite exoskeletons preserved in the geological record that contain highly accurate and precise (<±1 year) internal chronologies. The GSSP candidate site North Flinders Reef in the Coral Sea (Australia) is an offshore oceanic reef, and therefore less vulnerable to local human influences than those closer to the coast. Here, we present geochemical records from two Porites sp. corals sampled at an annual to pluri-annual (i.e. 3–5 years) resolution that shows clear global and regional human impacts. Atmospheric nuclear bomb testing by-products (14C,239+240Pu) show a clear increase in the Flinders Reef corals coincident with well-dated nuclear testing operations. By contrast, the radionuclides 241Am and 137Cs are present at low or undetectable levels, as are spheroidal carbonaceous fly-ash particles. Coral δ13C shows centennial variability likely influenced by growth effects in the 18th century and with a progression to lower values starting in 1880 CE and accelerating post-1970 CE. The latter may be related to the Suess effect resulting from 13C-depleted fossil fuel burning. Coral δ15N decreased between 1710 and 1954 CE with a reversal post-1954 CE. Coral temperature proxies indicate prominent centennial variability with equally warm conditions in the 18th and end of 20th century. However, the exact mechanisms responsible for the mid-20th century changes in these parameters need to be scrutinised in further detail. Plain Language summary: This work proposes a candidate natural archive for the official marker of the Anthropocene that geologists will use to mark this important interval in time. Our candidate is a live coral from North Flinders Reef in the Coral Sea (Australia), located 150 km east of the Great Barrier Reef, a location that is remote from direct local human influences. Corals are a unique archive of tropical ocean change because they incorporate the geochemical signature from seawater into their limestone skeleton during their long life-spans. Here we investigated a number of geochemical markers in yearly growth layers of the corals to define several markers for the Anthropocene based on changes in temperature, water chemistry, chemicals from pollution and fertilisers, radioactive products from nuclear bomb testing, and by-products from burning fossil fuels. We have detected clear human influences in several of these markers.

Research On The Total Channel Capacities Pertaining To Two Coverage Layouts For Three-Dimensional, Uav-Assisted Ad Hoc Networks, Xiao Yan, Shenglong Zhu, Qian Wang, Hsiao Chun Wu

Faculty Publications

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) employed as airborne base stations (BSs) are considered the essential components in future sixth-generation wireless networks due to their mobility and line-of-sight communication links. For a UAV-assisted ad hoc network, its total channel capacity is greatly influenced by the deployment of UAV-BSs and the corresponding coverage layouts, where square and hexagonal cells are partitioned to divide the zones individual UAVs should serve. In this paper, the total channel capacities of these two kinds of coverage layouts are evaluated using our proposed novel computationally efficient channel capacity estimation scheme. The mean distance (MD) between a UAV-BS in …

The Rise Of Machine Learning In Polymer Discovery, Cheng Yan, Guoqiang Li

Faculty Publications

In the recent decades, with rapid development in computing power and algorithms, machine learning (ML) has exhibited its enormous potential in new polymer discovery. Herein, the history of ML is described and the basic process of ML accelerated polymer discovery is summarized. Next, the four steps in this process are reviewed, that is, dataset selection, fingerprinting, ML framework, and new polymer generation. Finally, a couple of main challenges for ML accelerated polymer discovery is presented and the outlooks in this field are prospected. It is expected that this review can service as a useful tool for the people who just …

Unstructured-Grid Approach To Develop High-Fidelity Groundwater Model To Understand Groundwater Flow And Storage Responses To Excessive Groundwater Withdrawals In The Southern Hills Aquifer System In Southeastern Louisiana (Usa), Ye Hong Chen, Hamid Vahdat-Aboueshagh, Frank T.C. Tsai, Alyssa Dausman, Michael C. Runge

Faculty Publications

Study region: The Southern Hills aquifer system (SHAS) in the Louisiana Capital Area Groundwater Conservation District (CAGCD), USA. Study focus: The SHAS provides abundant groundwater for public and industrial supplies in the CAGCD. Groundwater depletion, saltwater intrusion, and land subsidence are potential concerns due to prolonged excessive groundwater withdrawals. This study develops a high-fidelity groundwater flow model utilizing a complex unstructured grid to investigate groundwater flow and storage responses to excessive groundwater withdrawals for the SHAS in the CAGCD. The groundwater model incorporates the Mississippi River alluvial aquifer down to the Miocene sands extending to depths around 1 km. New …

Predicting Grocery Store Visits During The Early Outbreak Of Covid-19 With Machine Learning, Ruijie Bian, Pamela Murray-Tuite, Brian Wolshon

Faculty Publications

While non-essential travel was canceled during the coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) pandemic, grocery shopping was essential. The objectives of this study were to: 1) examine how grocery store visits changed during the early outbreak of COVID-19, and 2) estimate a model to predict the change of grocery store visits in the future, within the same phase of the pandemic. The study period (February 15–May 31, 2020) covered the outbreak and phase-one re-opening. Six counties/states in the United States were examined. Grocery store visits (in-store or curbside pickup) increased over 20% when the national emergency was declared on March 13 and …

Rise Of The Metaverse's Immersive Virtual Reality Malware And The Man-In-The-Room Attack & Defenses, Martin Vondráček, Ibrahim Baggili, Peter Casey, Mehdi Mekni

Faculty Publications

The allure of the metaverse along with Virtual Reality (VR) technologies and speed at which they are deployed may shift focus away from security and privacy fundamentals. In this work we employ classic exploitation techniques against cutting edge devices to obtain equally novel results. The unique features of the Virtual Reality landscape set the stage for our primary account of a new attack, the Man-in-the-Room (MitR). This attack, realized from a vulnerable social networking application led to both worming and botnet capabilities being adapted for VR with potential critical impacts affecting millions of users. Our work improves the state-of-the-art in …

The Interaction Of Salt Stress And Flooding Stress With Nutrient Availability In The Growth Of Avicennia Germinans (L.) L., Jackson Martingayle

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Victorian Aestheticisms: Art And Ethics In Swinburne, Wilde, Morris, And Pater, Evan Leonhard

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Sitting Advancement And Object Management Proficiency In Infants, Macy Laurent

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Prison Labor As Seen Through The United States, Louisiana, And A Specific Case Study On Louisiana State University’S Campus, Tatum Comeaux

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Election Security Best Practices And Alternative Voting Systems, George Buras

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Maternal Ghrelin Levels On Infant Adiposity, Lacey Budd

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Gas Hydrates Reserve Characterization Using Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Numerical Simulation: A Case Study Of Green Canyon 955, Gulf Of Mexico, Sulav Dhakal, Ipsita Gupta

Faculty Publications

The Gulf of Mexico is a widely explored and producing region for offshore oil and gas resources, with significant submarine methane hydrates. Estimates of hydrate saturation and distribution rely on drilling expeditions and seismic surveys that tend to provide either large-scale estimates or highly localized well data. In this study, hydrate reserve characterization is done using numerical simulation at Green Canyon block 955 (GC955). In addition, coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) simulation results show that hydrate saturation and geobody distribution are determined by the thermodynamic conditions as well as reservoir structures, stratigraphic differences, and permeability differences. Hydrate formation due to upflow of …

Corticosterone Measurement In A Cryptosporidium-Positive Population Of Louisiana Pine Snakes (Pituophis Ruthveni), Corinne Mayer

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana pine snakes (Pituophis ruthveni) are one of the rarest snake species in North America, and federally classified as “threatened” (United States Fish and Wildlife, 2018). Recent establishment of sustainable captive breeding populations combined with decades of field research by conservation biologists has led to several advancements in our knowledge of this species; however, further investigations into health parameters and the physiology of this species are needed to optimize management of captive populations.

One recent investigation highlighted the difficulties in reliably differentiating the sexes in P. ruthveni using traditional tail probing techniques (Katz et al., 2020). Prior to …

Accurately Valuing Blue Carbon Sequestration And Storage To Foster Coastal Conservation Via Evidence-Based Policymaking And Model Environmental Services Statute Methodologies, John Shelton Penton Jr

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Blue carbon ecosystems, especially mangrove forests, provide one of nature’s most effective means for sequestering carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in subsurface soils. The six nearshore coastal morphologies found in tropical and subtropical regions each possess a conspicuous environmental signature that can be employed to accurately estimate and predict mangrove forests’ carbon storage in above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass, and the soils by system type. The consistent geomorphology and geophysical processes within each of these coastal environmental settings, that is, the wave and tidal forcings, the rate of coastal sediment accretions, nutrient load and limitations (e.g., nitrogen-to-phosphorus …