Digital Commons Network^™

Managing Corpses From Different Castes In The Eastern Subterranean Termite, Jizhe Shi, Chi Zhang, Sirui Huang, Austin Merchant, Qian Sun, Chuan Zhou, Kenneth F. Haynes, Xuguo Zhou

Faculty Publications

Corpse management is essential for social animals to maintain colony health. In the eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes, workers carry out undertaking behaviors to mitigate the risks associated with the dead. In this study, we hypothesized that termites would respond differently to the corpses from different castes based on their postmortem chemical signatures. To test this hypothesis, we 1) documented the behavioral responses of the workers toward corpses from different castes, and 2) profile the chemical signatures of these corpses. Corpses from all castes were retrieved inside the nests and cannibalized when they were decomposed <64 >h, regardless of the presence …

Biology, Ecology, And Pest Management Of The Tarnished Plant Bug, Lygus Lineolaris (Palisot De Beauvois) In Southern Row Crops, Justin George, James P. Glover, Jeffrey Gore, Whitney D. Crow, Gadi V.P. Reddy

Faculty Publications

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), (Hemiptera: Miridae) is considered the most damaging pest of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in the mid-southern United States, although it is established throughout the United States, southern Canada, and northern Mexico. The introduction of transgenic crops for the control of moths in the Heliothine complex and eradication of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis, from much of the United States led to greatly reduced pesticide use in cotton fields, which allowed L. lineolaris to emerge as a new primary pest of cotton in the mid-southern United States. Since the publication of a …

Development Of A Method For Rearing Nezara Viridula (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) On A Semi-Solid Artificial Diet, Maribel Portilla, Gadi V.P. Reddy

Faculty Publications

A method for rearing the southern green stinkbug, (Nezara viridula L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), using a modified lygus semi-solid artificial diet was developed. First to second-instar nymph were reared in a density of 631.5 ± 125.05 eggs per Petri-dish (4 cm deep × 15 cm diam). Second instar to adult were reared in a density of 535.0 ± 112.46 s instar nymphs per rearing cage (43 × 28 × 9 cm). Mating and oviposition occurred in popup rearing cages (30 × 30 cm), each holding 60-90 mixed sex adults of similar age. Adults emerged 35.88 ± 2.13 d after oviposition and …

A Tale Of Two Representations: Energy And Time In Photoabsorption, A. R.P. Rau

Faculty Publications

This essay is based on a talk at Advances in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Sciences 2020 (AAMOS20) in a symposium honoring Prof. S. T. Manson's decades-long contribution to photoabsorption studies. Quantum physics introduced into physics pairs of conjugate quantities bearing a specific complementary relationship, energy and time being one such pair. This gives rise to two alternative representations, a time-dependent and a time-independent one, seemingly very different but both capable of embracing the same physics. They give complementary descriptions and insight, with technical questions, theoretical and experimental, determining which may be the more convenient and practicable at any juncture. Two …

A 3d Printed Vitrification Device For Storage In Cryopreservation Vials, Yue Liu, Andy Lin, Terrence R. Tiersch, William Todd Monroe

Faculty Publications

Sperm cryopreservation by vitrification is a promising approach for small-bodied animals such as zebrafish (Danio rerio). However, most vitrification tools adopted in aquatic research were initially designed for applications other than sperm (such as human embryo freezing) and, thus, pose challenges for adoption to sperm vitrification. Three-dimensional (3D) printing combined with open hardware sharing is an emerging strategy to address challenges in the development of cryo-preservation tools. The goal of this study was to develop a 3D printed Vitrification Device for Cryo-Vials (VDCV) that can be integrated with the existing vial storage systems. The VDCV combined the vitrification and handling …

Pioglitazone Reverses Markers Of Islet Beta-Cell De-Differentiation In Db/Db Mice While Modulating Expression Of Genes Controlling Inflammation And Browning In White Adipose Tissue From Insulin-Resistant Mice And Humans, J. Jason Collier, Heidi M. Batdorf, Kaelan L. Merrifield, Thomas M. Martin, Ursula White, Eric Ravussin, David H. Burk, Chris R. Cooley, Michael D. Karlstad, Susan J. Burke

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes contribute to increased morbidity and mortality in humans. The db/db mouse is an important mouse model that displays many key features of the human disease. Herein, we used the drug pioglitazone, a thiazolidinedione with insulin-sensitizing properties, to investigate blood glucose levels, indicators of islet β-cell health and maturity, and gene expression in adipose tissue. Oral administration of pioglitazone lowered blood glucose levels in db/db mice with a corresponding increase in respiratory quotient, which indicates improved whole-body carbohydrate utilization. In addition, white adipose tissue from db/db mice and from humans treated with pioglitazone showed …

Fgf21 Prevents Low-Protein Diet-Induced Renal Inflammation In Aged Mice, Han Fang, Sujoy Ghosh, Landon C. Sims, Kirsten P. Stone, Cristal M. Hill, Denisha Spires, Daria V. Ilatovskaya, Christopher D. Morrison, Thomas W. Gettys, Krisztian Stadler

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Low-protein (LP) diets extend lifespan through a comprehensive improvement in metabolic health across multiple tissues and organs. Many of these metabolic responses to protein restriction are secondary to transcriptional activation and release of FGF21 from the liver. However, the effects of an LP diet on the kidney in the context of aging has not been examined. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to investigate the impact of chronic consumption of an LP diet on the kidney in aging mice lacking FGF21. Wild-Type (WT; C57BL/6J) and FGF21 knockout (KO) mice were fed a normal protein diet (20% casein) or …

Population Structure, Gene Flow, And Sex-Biased Dispersal In The Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander (Ambystoma Bishopi): Implications For Translocations, Steven T. Williams, Jean P. Elbers, Sabrina S. Taylor

Faculty Publications

Understanding patterns of gene flow and population structure is vital for managing threatened and endangered species. The reticulated flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma bishopi) is an endangered species with a fragmented range; therefore, assessing connectivity and genetic population structure can inform future conservation. Samples collected from breeding sites (n = 5) were used to calculate structure and gene flow using three marker types: single nucleotide polymorphisms isolated from potential immune genes (SNPs), nuclear data from the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), and the mitochondrial control region. At a broad geographical scale, nuclear data (SNP and MHC) supported gene flow and little structure (FST …

Hydraulically-Vulnerable Trees Survive On Deep-Water Access During Droughts In A Tropical Forest, Rutuja Chitra-Tarak, Chonggang Xu, Salomón Aguilar, Kristina J. Anderson-Teixeira, Jeff Chambers, Matteo Detto, Boris Faybishenko, Rosie A. Fisher, Ryan G. Knox, Charles D. Koven, Lara M. Kueppers, Nobert Kunert, Stefan J. Kupers, Nate G. Mcdowell, Brent D. Newman, Steven R. Paton, Rolando Pérez, Laurent Ruiz, Lawren Sack, Jeffrey M. Warren, Brett T. Wolfe, Cynthia Wright, S. Joseph Wright, Joseph Zailaa, Sean M. Mcmahon

Faculty Publications

Deep-water access is arguably the most effective, but under-studied, mechanism that plants employ to survive during drought. Vulnerability to embolism and hydraulic safety margins can predict mortality risk at given levels of dehydration, but deep-water access may delay plant dehydration. Here, we tested the role of deep-water access in enabling survival within a diverse tropical forest community in Panama using a novel data-model approach. We inversely estimated the effective rooting depth (ERD, as the average depth of water extraction), for 29 canopy species by linking diameter growth dynamics (1990–2015) to vapor pressure deficit, water potentials in the whole-soil column, and …

Reliability Of Measurements Of Energy Expenditure And Substrate Oxidation Using Whole-Room Indirect Calorimetry, Timothy D. Allerton, Elvis A. Carnero, Christopher Bock, Karen D. Corbin, Pierre Philippe Luyet, Steven R. Smith, Eric Ravussin

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Objective: This analysis aimed to measure the intraparticipant reliability—the intraclass correlation coefficient—of all the components of daily energy expenditure (EE) (24-hour EE, sleep EE, resting EE, basal EE, and thermic effect of food) over a period of 3 consecutive days in 35 study participants. Methods: The components of daily EE and substrate use (respiratory exchange ratio) were measured over 3 consecutive days before and after a 3-week 1,000-kcal/d caloric restriction/weight-loss intervention. Results: There was a high degree of reliability for sleep EE (96.8%), 24-hour EE (97.8%), basal EE (90.6%), and resting EE (93.2%) during the run-in period. The intraclass correlation …

Effects Of Testosterone Undecanoate On Performance During Multi-Stressor Military Operations: A Trial Protocol For The Optimizing Performance For Soldiers Ii Study, Alyssa N. Varanoske, Melissa N. Harris, Callie Hebert, Emily E. Howard, Neil M. Johannsen, Steven B. Heymsfield, Frank L. Greenway, Lee M. Margolis, Harris R. Lieberman, David D. Church, Arny A. Ferrando, Jennifer C. Rood, Stefan M. Pasiakos

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Background: Previously, young males administered 200 mg/week of testosterone enanthate during 28 days of energy deficit (EDef) gained lean mass and lost less total mass than controls (Optimizing Performance for Soldiers I study, OPS I). Despite that benefit, physical performance deteriorated similarly in both groups. However, some experimental limitations may have precluded detection of performance benefits, as performance measures employed lacked military relevance, and the EDef employed did not elicit the magnitude of stress typically experienced by Soldiers conducting operations. Additionally, the testosterone administered required weekly injections, elicited supra-physiological concentrations, and marked suppression of endogenous testosterone upon cessation. Therefore, this …

Assessing Biodegradable Mulch Duration And Nutsedge Suppression During Late Summer Cucumber Production In Mississippi And Louisiana, Kathryn Fontenot, Heather Kirk-Ballard, Christine Elizabeth Harris Coker, Ronald Strahan, Isabel Bacas, Robert Michael Ely

Faculty Publications

Environmental concerns as well as labor costs associated with the use of polyethylene plastic mulch have turned producers’ focus to alternative mulch treatments. A preliminary study was conducted to evaluate nutsedge control, mulch degradation, and cucumber yields on biodegradable mulches at two locations (Louisiana and Mississippi). Mulch treatments included two paper-based mulch products, two biodegradable plastic mulches, the industry standard non-biodegradable black plastic mulch, and an unmulched control. The heavy weight paper-based mulch and light weight paper mulches in the Louisiana location were reduced to 50% or less coverage at the end of the study. Similarly, the paper-based mulches both …

Global Flash Drought Monitoring Using Surface Soil Moisture, Vinit Sehgal, Nandita Gaur, Binayak P. Mohanty

Faculty Publications

Abrupt onset and swift intensification characterize flash droughts. Global surface soil moisture (θRS) from NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite can facilitate a near-real-time assessment of emerging flash droughts at a 36-km footprint. However, a robust flash drought monitoring using θRS must account for the (a) short observation record of SMAP, (b) nonlinear geophysical controls over θRS dynamics, and (c) emergent meteorological drivers of flash droughts. We propose a new method for near-real-time characterization of droughts using Soil Moisture Stress (SMS, drought stress) and Relative Rate of Drydown (RRD, drought stress intensification rate)—developed using SMAP θRS (March 2015–May 2021), …

Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract Concomitantly Supplemented With Chemotherapy Worsens Tumor Progression In Mice With Triple Negative Breast Cancer And Obesity, Elizabeth R.M. Zunica, Shengping Yang, Ann Coulter, Christy White, John P. Kirwan, Linda A. Gilmore

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive and highly metastatic breast cancer subtype with limited treatment options. Obesity and insulin resistance are associated with a worse prognosis in those with TNBC. Moringa oleifera (moringa) is a tropical edible plant used for both food and medicinal purposes and found to have anti-obesity and anti-cancer effects in vitro and in preclinical models. The anti-cancer effects of moringa seed extract alone and in combination with chemotherapy were evaluated in immunocompromised female mice with diet-induced obesity bearing MDA-MB-231-derived xenograft tumors. Moringa supplementation protected against high-fat diet-and chemotherapy-induced increases in fasting glucose and improved …

Effects Of Experimental Sleep Restriction On Ambulatory And Sleep Blood Pressure In Healthy Young Adults: A Randomized Crossover Study, Naima Covassin, Jan Bukartyk, Prachi Singh, Andrew D. Calvin, Erik K. St Louis, Virend K. Somers

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Although insufficient sleep is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, evidence of a causal relationship is lacking. We investigated the effects of prolonged sleep restriction on 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and other cardiovascular measures in 20 healthy young participants (aged 23.4±4.8 years, 9 females), who underwent a randomized, controlled, crossover, 16-day inpatient study consisting of 4 days of acclimation, 9 days of sleep restriction (4 hours of sleep/night) or control sleep (9 hours), and 3 days of recovery. Subjects consumed a weight maintenance diet with controlled nutrient composition throughout. A 24-hour BP (primary outcome) and cardiovascular biomarkers were measured repeatedly. …

Particulate Matter Exposure Predicts Residence In High-Risk Areas For Community Acquired Pneumonia Among Hospitalized Children, Tonny J. Oyana, Jagila Minso, Tamekia L. Jones, Jonathan A. Mccullers, Sandra R. Arnold, Stephania A. Cormier

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Particulate matter exposure is a risk factor for lower respiratory tract infection in children. Here, we investigated the geospatial patterns of community-acquired pneumonia and the impact of PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm) on geospatial variability of pneumonia in children. We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected population-based surveillance study data of community-acquired pneumonia hospitalizations among children < 18 years residing in the Memphis metropolitan area, who were enrolled in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sponsored Etiology of Pneumonia in the Community (EPIC) study from January 2010 to June 2012. The outcome measure, residence in high- and low-risk areas for community-acquired pneumonia, was determined by calculating pneumonia incidence rates and performing cluster analysis to identify areas with higher/lower than expected rates of community-acquired pneumonia for the population at risk. High PM2.5 was defined as exposure to PM2.5 concentrations greater than the mean value (>10.75 μg/m3), and low PM2.5 is defined as exposure to PM2.5 concentrations less than or equal to the mean value (≤10.75 μg/m3). We also assessed the effects of age, sex, race/ethnicity, history of wheezing, insurance type, tobacco smoke exposure, …

Induced Polarization Effects In Airborne Transient Electromagnetic Data Collected In The Mcmurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, Denys Grombacher, Esben Auken, Nikolaj Foged, Thue Bording, Neil Foley, Peter T. Doran, Jill Mikucki, Hilary A. Dugan, Ricardo Garza-Giron, Krista Myers, Ross A. Virginia, Slawek Tulaczyk

Faculty Publications

Airborne electromagnetics (EM) is a geophysical tool well suited to mapping glacial and hydrogeological structures in polar environments. This non-invasive method offers significant spatial coverage without requiring access to the ground surface, enabling the mapping of geological units to hundreds of metres depth over highly varied terrain. This method shows great potential for large-scale surveys in polar environments, as common targets such as permafrost, ice and brine-rich groundwater systems in these settings can be easily differentiated because of their significant contrasts in electrical properties. This potential was highlighted in a 2011 airborne EM survey in the McMurdo Dry Valleys that …

Engineering The Surface Of Fe3o4 Nanoparticles For Catalytic And Magnetic Applications, Natalia Da Silva Moura

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

With the rapid depletion of the U.S. energy resources coupled with population growth, heat management technologies must be improved to sustain our quality of life. Precisely, in catalysis, it is estimated that only ~50% of the energy supplied to the reactor is used for product conversion due to dissipation losses. Among the emerging technologies with a promising reduction in heat losses is induction heating, offering targeted heat delivery with magnetic nanoparticles. Under alternating magnetic fields (AMF), these nanoparticles can absorb the energy from Radio-Frequency (RF) fields and dissipate it as heat on the nanoparticle surface. This in situ heat generation …

Understanding The Etiology Of Taproot Decline Of Soybean Caused By Xylaria Necrophora, José E. Ortiz Solórzano

LSU Master's Theses

Taproot decline (TRD) of soybean is caused by Xylaria necrophora. However, the mechanisms by which it infects soybean and produces symptoms are unknown. Symptoms of TRD include foliar interveinal chlorosis and necrosis and root necrosis, yet X. necrophora appears to be restricted to the roots. While Xylaria species are predominantly wood decomposers, a few are pathogens. More importantly, they produce secondary metabolites (SMs) with multiple bioactivities, including phytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity. Preliminary experiments suggested that X. necrophora was producing SMs responsible for TRD symptoms. We evaluated cell-free culture filtrates (CFs) for phytotoxicity on soybeans, testing for changes in chlorophyll …

Spin Reorientation In Antiferromagnetic Layered Fept5p, Xin Gui, Madalynn Marshall, Ranuri S. Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage, Ryan A. Klein, Qiang Chen, Qiang Zhang, William Shelton, Haidong Zhou, Craig M. Brown, Huibo Cao, Martha Greenblatt, Weiwei Xie

Faculty Publications

FePt5P, a substitutional variant of the anti-CeCoIn5 structure type in the space group P4/mmm, was synthesized by a high-temperature solid-state method and structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction. FePt5P contains layers of FePt12 clusters formed by magnetically active Fe and heavy Pt with strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC); the layers are separated by P atoms. The various Fe-Pt distances in FePt12 clusters generate complex magnetic orders in FePt5P. According to temperature-dependent magnetic and specific heat measurements, FePt5P shows a stripe-type antiferromagnetic order at TN ≈ 90 K, which is also confirmed by resistivity measurements. Moreover, a spin reorientation occurs at ∼74 and …

Communications, Decision-Making, And Interactions Of A Multi-Agent Autonomous Vehicle System, Daniel Davis Smith

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Autonomous vehicles are becoming ever more common and offer many attractive benefits to society. They can operate for long periods of time unattended, operate in environments that may be dangerous to humans, perform time consuming or repetitive tasks and all with greater efficiency and lower costs than humans. For these vehicles to be able to do these things, algorithms need to be designed and optimized that allow them to interact with the real-world environment in safe, effective, and efficient ways.

We designed and built a set of three homogeneous water-based autonomous surface vehicles equipped with appropriate sensors and communications ability …

Population Structure In Two Imperiled Sparrows With Differing Vagility, Amie Elizabeth Settlecowski

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Characterizing population structure and genetic differentiation can inform the management of imperiled species and the relative influences of ecological and evolutionary factors on species evolution. One trait that is expected to influence the amount of population structure a species exhibits is vagility, or the ability to move across the landscape. Species with higher vagility may be more likely to disperse, potentially facilitating gene flow among populations and limiting population structure. My dissertation focuses on characterizing population structure in 2 imperiled sparrows that are both largely nonmigratory with broad distributions in eastern North America: Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima) and Bachman’s Sparrow …

Internal Entrapment And Fearlessness About Death As Precipitants Of Suicidal Thoughts And Planning In The Context Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd), D Nicolas Oakey-Frost

LSU Master's Theses

The post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) relationship has been extensively studied but potential explanatory mechanisms remain inconclusive. Entrapment is one variable that evinces a theoretical and empirical mechanistic relationship with PTSD and STB. Further, entrapment and fearlessness about death (FAD) have not been linked but are hypothesized to interact in a way that facilitates vulnerability for intense suicidal thinking and potentially suicidal behavior. The current study examined the indirect effect PTSD symptoms have on suicidal ideation, planning, and likelihood of future suicide attempt through both internal (IE) and external entrapment (EE), moderated by levels of …

The Emergence Of The Legitimacy Of Religious Healing Knowledge In Taiwan, Wei-Cheng Chiu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation investigates how religious healing knowledge has been defined and used by scholars, physicians, and New Agers and how religious healing knowledge emerged as a legitimate area of knowledge in Taiwan. The key position of religious healing knowledge within the entanglement between religion and spirituality is also examined. After the martial law was lifted in 1987, Taiwan’s society had rapidly diversified, and its religions were at the transition point between the old and the new. Meanwhile, the new spirituality culture was introduced into Taiwan in the 1980s and got popular in the 1990s, and it inherited the trend of …

Sex-Specific Spatial Use Of The Winter Foraging Areas By Magellanic Penguins And Assessment Of Potential Conflicts With Fisheries During Winter Dispersal, Samanta Dodino, Vitor Hugo Rodrigues Paiva, Nicolás A. Lois, Luciana Riccialdelli, Michael J. Polito, Klemens Pütz, Andrea Raya Rey

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Gene (Co)Expression Networks And Alternate Transcripts Induced In Cotton In Response To Aspergillus Flavus Infection, Mohit Verma

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L) is an economically important crop that generates billions of dollars in annual revenue worldwide. However, contamination of cottonseed with a highly carcinogenic aflatoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus limits the use of cottonseed in the oil and animal feed industries. Much success has been achieved by the application of atoxigenic strains of A. flavus for controlling aflatoxin contamination in cotton, peanut, and maize. Understanding the gene (co)expression network in response to A. flavus infection with both toxigenic and atoxigenic strains of A. flavus pericarp and seed of cotton through genome-wide transcriptome profiling will not only unravel …

Covid-19 Influences On Us Recreational Angler Behavior, Stephen R. Midway, Fraser Andrew Januchowski-Hartley, Abigail J. Lynch, Brandon K. Peoples, Michael Dance, Rex Caffey

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Risks To Listed Species From The Use Of Atrazine In The Usa: A Perspective, Philip N. Smith, Kevin L. Armbrust, Richard A. Brain, Wenlin Chen, Nika Galic, Lula Ghebremichael, Jeffrey M. Giddings, Mark L. Hanson, Jonathan Maul, Glen Van Der Kraak, Keith R. Solomon

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Indicators Of Senescence And Their Relationship With The Antioxidant Response Element In Ovarian Cancer Cells—Toward A More Encompassing View Of Enzyme Activity Levels In Cells, Shaniqua Analycia Hayes

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Enzymes and other related proteins are promising targets as biomarkers for cancer diagnostics, and it is therefore important to be able to quantify intracellular enzyme activity levels, not just presence of enzyme. Thus, there is a great need for the development of methods that offer spatiotemporal quantification of intracellular enzyme activity levels in respiring 2- and 3-dimensional cultures or their sample-processed variants. Previous studies have demonstrated that ß-gal is upregulated in senescence and in select ovarian cancers, and its expression/activity is upregulated when cells are under oxidative stress conditions. To that end, the primary goal of this work was to …

Devices And Methods For Deep Uv Laser Ablation, Kermit K. Murray, Fabrizio Donnarumma, Oluwaremilekun Lawai

College of Science Patents

Laser ablation devices and methods including laser ablation are provided. The ablation devices can include a deep UV laser. Dual-laser ablation devices are also provided. Biomolecules can be ablated using a combination of deep UV laser and nanoelectrospray, resulting in protonated sample molecules.