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Sympathetic Innervation Of White Adipose Tissue: To Beige Or Not To Beige?, Heike Münzberg, Elizabeth Floyd, Ji Suk Chang

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Obesity research progresses in understanding neuronal circuits and adipocyte biology to regulate metabolism. However, the interface of neuro-adipocyte interaction is less studied. We summarize the current knowledge of adipose tissue innervation and interaction with adipocytes and emphasize adipocyte transitions from white to brown adipocytes and vice versa. We further highlight emerging concepts for the differential neuronal regulation of brown/beige versus white adipocyte and the interdependence of both for metabolic regulation.

The Ubiquitin Ligase Siah2 Negatively Regulates Glucocorticoid Receptor Activity And Abundance, Susan J. Burke, Jessica L. Taylor, Heidi M. Batdorf, Robert C. Noland, David H. Burk, Yongmei Yu, Z. Elizabeth Floyd, J. Jason Collier

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Glucocorticoids are clinically essential drugs used routinely to control inflammation. However, a host of metabolic side effects manifests upon usage beyond a few days. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that seven-in-absentia mammalian homolog-2 (SIAH2), a ubiquitin ligase that regulates adipogenesis, is important for controlling adipocyte size, inflammation, and the ability of adipose tissue to expand in response to a glucocorticoid challenge. Using mice with global deletion of SIAH2 exposed or not to corticosterone, we found that adipocytes are larger in response to glucocorticoids in the absence of SIAH2. In addition, SIAH2 regulates glucocorticoid receptor (GR) transcriptional activity …

Bioenergetics Of Islet Preparations In A Pilot Clinical Trial Of Peri-Transplant Hydroxychloroquine For Autologous Islet Transplantation, Ruth E. Mcdowell, Khawla F. Ali, Saloni Lad, Vicente T. San Martin, Rita Bottino, Matthew Walsh, Tyler Stevens, William Wilke, John P. Kirwan, Betul Hatipoglu

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

The inflammatory response is an obstacle to success in both allogeneic and autologous islet transplantation. In autologous islet transplantation (AIT), however, the recipient is also the donor, permitting pretreatment of donor/recipient for a controlled duration prior to transplantation. We sought to exploit this feature of (AIT) by pretreating donor/recipients with chronic pancreatitis undergoing total pancreatectomy and autologous islet transplantation (TPAIT) to test the hypothesis that peri-transplant treatment with the FDA-approved anti-inflammatory hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) improves graft function. In this randomized placebo-controlled pilot clinical study, patients (n = 6) were treated with oral HCQ for 30 days prior to and 90 days …

Beyond Weight Loss: Current Perspectives On The Impact Of Calorie Restriction On Healthspan And Lifespan, Maryam Kebbe, Joshua R. Sparks, Emily W. Flanagan, Leanne M. Redman

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Introduction: Changes to mental, physical, and physiological functions drive the complex processes underlying the variable progression of human aging. Nutritional interventions are one of the most promising non-pharmacological therapeutics to attenuate aging in humans. This narrative review aims to describe the implications of moderate and prolonged calorie restriction (CR) in healthy adults without obesity that occur beyond weight loss. Areas covered: Findings from CR studies, such as the CALERIE (Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy) trials, the most rigorous trials to date examining a prolonged 25% CR, are described. The main areas covered include; changes to …

Combustion By-Products And Their Health Effects: Summary Of The 16th International Congress, Angela Violi, Stephania Cormier, Brian Gullett, Stina Jansson, Slawo Lomnicki, Chloe Luyet, Andreas Mayer, Ralf Zimmermann

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

The 16th International Congress on Combustion By-Products and their Health Effects (PIC2019) was held in Ann Arbor, Michigan, from July 10 to 12, 2019. For the last 28 years, this conference has served as an interdisciplinary platform for the discussion of the formation, environmental fate, health effects, policy, and remediation of combustion by-products. The technical areas for PIC2019 included mobile and stationary sources in urban environments, open fires, in- door air pollution, and halogenated pollutants. The congress was sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the U.S. EPA, the School of Public Health at the University of …

Constrained Learning Of Task-Related And Spatially-Coherent Dictionaries From Task Fmri Data, Sreekrishna Ramakrishnapillai, Harris R. Lieberman, Jennifer C. Rood, Stefan M. Pasiakos, Kori Murray, Preetham Shankapal, Owen T. Carmichael

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Dictionary learning and sparse coding techniques overcome limitations of traditional voxel-level analyses of task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data by identifying broader temporal and spatial patterns of brain activity. However, prior applications of these methods to task-related fMRI data are not simultaneously optimized to find temporal patterns of activity that change in concert with changes in task conditions and spatial patterns that leverage existing neuroscience knowledge. In this study we present a new sparse dictionary learning method that uses prior knowledge of the temporal pattern of task conditions and the locations of brain regions hypothesized to be involved in …

Estrogen, Brain Structure, And Cognition In Postmenopausal Women, Christina P. Boyle, Cyrus A. Raji, Kirk I. Erickson, Oscar L. Lopez, James T. Becker, H. Michael Gach, Lewis H. Kuller, William Longstreth, Owen T. Carmichael, Brandalyn C. Riedel, Paul M. Thompson

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Declining estrogen levels before, during, and after menopause can affect memory and risk for Alzheimer's disease. Undesirable side effects of hormone variations emphasize a role for hormone therapy (HT) where possible benefits include a delay in the onset of dementia—yet findings are inconsistent. Effects of HT may be mediated by estrogen receptors found throughout the brain. Effects may also depend on lifestyle factors, timing of use, and genetic risk. We studied the impact of self-reported HT use on brain volume in 562 elderly women (71–94 years) with mixed cognitive status while adjusting for aforementioned factors. Covariate-adjusted voxelwise linear regression analyses …

Eat Clean And Safe Food: A Food-Based Dietary Guideline For The Elderly In South Africa, Makenzie Miller, Wilna Oldewage-Theron, Carin Napier

Faculty Publications

As the population of elderly individuals in South Africa (SA) grows, there is a need to promote the continued health of these persons as they progress through the life cycle. Food Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) for the SA elderly were developed to address this need. These thirteen guidelines for the elderly collectively offer a basis of health practices that the elderly can follow to ensure that they are taking the right steps toward maintaining their health. While the guideline ‘Eat clean and safe food’ is not included in the current SA FBDGs, this recommendation is of particular importance to the …

Food And Beverages Promoting Elderly Health: Six Food-Based Dietary Guidelines To Plan Good Mixed Meals For Elderly South Africans, Sanjoy Saha, Upasana Mukherjee, Makenzie Miller, Li Ling Peng, Carin Napier, Heleen Grobbelaar, Wilna Oldewage-Theron

Faculty Publications

Studies have shown that the elderly are at a higher risk of developing malnutrition due to physiological and pathological changes. Several studies have confirmed that older South Africans have insufficient dietary diversity, resulting in nutritional deficiencies. Furthermore, poor and uninformed dietary choices are associated with the development of several diseases and increased mortality. Following the Elderly Food Based Dietary Guidelines (EFBDGs) related to promoting elderly health could ensure that the elderly have an adequate intake of nutritious foods. This paper provides an overview of six FBDGs relating to promoting health and is based on the South African Food Based Dietary …

Effects Of Immersion In Fermented Tea Liquid And Steam Treatments On Physicochemical Properties And Ginsenoside Profiles Of Korean Ginseng, Peerarat Doungtip, Kyung Tack Kim, Hee Do Hong, Shin Eun Ju, Jae Woong Choi, Thanyaporn Siriwoharn, Witoon Prinyawiwatkul, Sujinda Sriwattana

Faculty Publications

The study was performed to investigate some changes in physicochemical characteristics and ginsenoside profiles of Korean ginseng after being subjected to immersion in fermented tea liquid (FTL) [at a ratio of ginseng powder: FTL; 1:4, 1:6, and 1:8, w/w] and steam treatments (with and/or without steam). The ratio at 1:4 w/w showed the highest yield of bioactive components and was, therefore, selected to evaluate the effects of steam conditions [temperatures (60, 80, and 100°C) and times (1, 2, and 3 hr)]. The sample treated with FTL, regardless of the steam treatment, had darker color and higher antioxidant activity (IC50 for …

Feedback Stabilization With Discrete Measurements Using Bounds On Fundamental Matrices, Frederic Mazenc, Michael Malisoff

Faculty Publications

We prove a new robust stabilization theorem for systems with time-varying disturbances and sampled measurements, using novel bounds on fundamental matrices for systems with disturbances. Our main tools use properties of positive systems and Metzler matrices. Our numerical example illustrates an advantage of using our method instead of previous methods.

Mitochondrial Dna Indicates Paraphyletic Relationships Of Disjunct Populations In The Neotoma Mexicana Species Group, Giovani Hernández-Canchola, Livia León-Paniagua, Jacob A. Esselstyn

Faculty Publications

Woodrats (genus Neotoma) comprise 24 species found primarily in the United States and México. The Neotoma mexicana species group reaches its southernmost distribution in the highlands of southern México and Central America. Previous research suggested that N. mexi-cana has a discontinuous distribution, whereas N. ferruginea and N. picta have allopatric distributions around the lowlands of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. However, these hypotheses were suggested with incomplete subspecific sampling near the isthmus. We used samples of N. m. parvidens from the Sierra Sur de Oaxaca and N. m. tropicalis from the Sierra Norte de Oaxaca to assess their taxonomic affinity. Our …

Effect Of Hydrological Fluctuation On Nutrient Stoichiometry And Trade-Offs Of Carex Schmidtii, Dongjie Zhang, Qing Qi, Shouzheng Tong, Jim Wang, Mingye Zhang, Guanglei Zhu, Xianguo Lu

Faculty Publications

Nutrient stoichiometry and trade-offs focusing on the mass balance of multiple nutrient elements play important roles in the response mechanism of plants to environmental stresses in wetlands. Nonetheless, little is known about the response dynamics and trade-offs of nutrient elements of wetland plants, especially potassium (K), under hydrological fluctuation conditions. Greenhouse experiments have been undertaken to assess the effects of initial water level (DW), water-level amplitude (AW), lasted time and their interactions on the response processes of nutrient stoichiometry of Carex schmidtii. Plant nutrient trade-offs and limitation were investigated under multiple hydrological fluctuation conditions. Results showed that plant nitrogen (N), …

Current Pest Status And Management Practices For Systena Frontalis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) In Ornamental Plants In The Eastern United States: An Online Survey, Shimat V. Joseph, Juang Horng Chong, Benjamin Campbell, Brian Kunkel, Danny Lauderdale, Stacey Jones, Stanton Gill, Yan Chen, Peter Schultz, David Held, Frank Hale, Adam Dale, Erfan Vafaie, Will Hudson, Dan Gilrein, Alejandro Del Pozo-Valdivia

Faculty Publications

Systena frontalis (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is an important pest in ornamental plant nurseries in the United States. Information on current pest status and management practices employed by nurseries, garden centers, and landscape care operations are crucial to developing an effective research and extension program for ornamental crops. An online survey was developed and administered by the research team in 2020 to gather data on pest status and current pest management practices. The questionnaire included three focus areas: 1) participant (location, industry type, or operating area); 2) pest status indicators (incidence, affected crops, and estimated loss); and 3) common pest management …

Nonlinear Kernels, Dominance, And Envirotyping Data Increase The Accuracy Of Genome-Based Prediction In Multi-Environment Trials, Germano Costa-Neto, Roberto Fritsche-Neto, José Crossa

Faculty Publications

Modern whole-genome prediction (WGP) frameworks that focus on multi-environment trials (MET) integrate large-scale genomics, phenomics, and envirotyping data. However, the more complex the statistical model, the longer the computational processing times, which do not always result in accuracy gains. We investigated the use of new kernel methods and modeling structures involving genomics and nongenomic sources of variation in two MET maize data sets. Five WGP models were considered, advancing in complexity from a main-effect additive model (A) to more complex structures, including dominance deviations (D), genotype × environment interaction (AE and DE), and the reaction-norm model using environmental covariables (W) …

Identification Of Changes In Sleep Across Pregnancy And The Impact On Cardiometabolic Health And Energy Intake In Women With Obesity, Emily W. Flanagan, Jasper Most, Nicholas T. Broskey, Abby D. Altazan, Robbie A. Beyl, Sarah K. Keadle, Kimberly L. Drews, Prachi Singh, Leanne M. Redman

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

This prospective, observational study investigated changes in sleep and the effect on energy intake, gestational weight gain, and cardiometabolic health across pregnancy in 52 healthy pregnant women with obesity. Habitual sleep was assessed by wrist-worn actigraphy (time spent in bed; TIB, total sleep time; TST, and sleep efficiency) in early (130–156 weeks) and late (350-366) pregnancy. A change to habitual sleep was defined as change of one-half of the standard deviation of TIB and TST across six consecutive nights from early pregnancy. Energy intake and changes in weight, fasting glucose, insulin, and lipids across pregnancy were compared between women who …

The Magnitude And Climate Sensitivity Of Isotopic Fractionation From Ablation Of Antarctic Dry Valley Lakes, A. W. Bellagamba, M. Berkelhammer, L. Winslow, P. T. Doran, K. F. Myers, S. Devlin, I. Hawes

Faculty Publications

There has been extensive research on the effects of evaporation on the isotopic ratio of lacustrine and marine water bodies; however, there are limited data on how ablation or sublimation from lake or sea ice influences the isotopic ratio of the residual water body. This is a challenging problem because there remains uncertainty on the magnitude of fractionation during sublimation and because ablation can involve mixed-phase processes associated with simultaneous sublimation, melting, evaporation, and refreezing. This uncertainty limits the ability to draw quantitative inferences on changing hydrological budgets from stable isotope records in arctic, Antarctic, and alpine lakes. Here, we …

Marine Vehicles Localization Using Grid Cells For Path Integration, Ignacio Carlucho, Manuel F. Bailey, Mariano De Paula, Corina Barbalata

Faculty Publications

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are platforms used for research and exploration of marine environments. However, these types of vehicles face many challenges that hinder their widespread use in the industry. One of the main limitations is obtaining accurate position estimation, due to the lack of GPS signal underwater. This estimation is usually done with Kalman filters. However, new developments in the neuroscience field have shed light on the mechanisms by which mammals are able to obtain a reliable estimation of their current position based on external and internal motion cues. A new type of neuron, called Grid cells, has been …

Event-Triggered Control For Systems With State Delays Using A Positive Systems Approach, Frederic Mazenc, Michael Malisoff, Corina Barbalata, Zhong Ping Jiang

Faculty Publications

We provide a new positive system approach to event-triggered feedback control of linear systems with state delays. We use an interval observer method and linear Lyapunov functions to prove global exponential stability of the closed loop systems. Our two examples illustrate the usefulness of our method for counteracting the effects of potentially destabilizing state delays.

Lsu General Catalog 2021-2022, 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.

Distributed Load Testing By Modeling And Simulating User Behavior, Chester Ira Parrott

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Modern human-machine systems such as microservices rely upon agile engineering practices which require changes to be tested and released more frequently than classically engineered systems. A critical step in the testing of such systems is the generation of realistic workloads or load testing. Generated workload emulates the expected behaviors of users and machines within a system under test in order to find potentially unknown failure states. Typical testing tools rely on static testing artifacts to generate realistic workload conditions. Such artifacts can be cumbersome and costly to maintain; however, even model-based alternatives can prevent adaptation to changes in a system …

Bottom-Up Approach To Assess The Molecular Structure Of Aqueous Poly(N‑Isopropylacrylamide) At Room Temperature Via Infrared Spectroscopy, Habtom B. Gobeze, Jianbo Ma, Fedra M. Leonik, Daniel G. Kuroda

Faculty Publications

© 2020 American Chemical Society The structure of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) in solution is still an unresolved topic. Here, the PNIPAM structure in water was investigated using a bottom-up approach, involving the monomer, dimer, and trimer, and a combination of infrared (IR) spectroscopies as well as molecular dynamics simulations. The experiments show that the monomer and oligomers exhibit a broad and asymmetric amide I band with two underlying transitions, while PNIPAM presents the same major transitions and a minor one. Analysis of the 2D IR spectra and theoretical modeling of the amide I band indicates that the two transitions of the …

Efficient Low-Cost Procedure For Microextraction Of Estrogen From Environmental Water Using Magnetic Ionic Liquids, Paula Berton, Noureen Siraj, Susmita Das, Sergio De Rooy, Rodolfo G. Wuilloud, Isiah M. Warner

Faculty Publications

In this study, three magnetic ionic liquids (MILs) were investigated for extraction of four estrogens, i.e., estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), and ethinylestradiol (EE2), from environmental water. The cation trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium ([P66614]+), selected to confer hydrophobicity to the resulting MIL, was combined with tetrachloroferrate(III), ferricyanide, and dysprosium thiocyanate to yield ([P66614][FeCl4]), ([P66614]3[Fe(CN)6]), and ([P66614]5[Dy(SCN)8]), respectively. After evaluation of various strategies to develop a liquid-liquid microextraction technique based on synthesized MILs, we placed the MILs onto a magnetic stir bar and used them as extracting solvents. After extraction, the MIL-enriched phase was dissolved in methanol and injected into an HPLC-UV for …

Association Of Baseline And Longitudinal Changes In Body Composition Measures With Risk Of Heart Failure And Myocardial Infarction In Type 2 Diabetes: Findings From The Look Ahead Trial, Kershaw V. Patel, Judy L. Bahnson, Sarah A. Gaussoin, Karen C. Johnson, Xavier Pi-Sunyer, Ursula White, Kayloni L. Olson, Alain G. Bertoni, Dalane W. Kitzman, Jarett D. Berry, Ambarish Pandey

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Background: Intentional weight loss is associated with lower risk of heart failure (HF) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease among patients with type 2 diabetes. However, the contribution of baseline measures and longitudinal changes in fat mass (FM), lean mass (LM), and waist circumference (WC) to the risk of HF and myocardial infarction (MI) in type 2 diabetes is not well established. Methods: Adults from the Look AHEAD trial (Action for Health in Diabetes) without prevalent HF were included. FM and LM were predicted using validated equations and compared with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry measurements in a subgroup. Adjusted Cox models were used …

Identification Of Blda As A Major Regulator Of Virulence In The Sweetpotato Soil Rot Pathogen Streptomyces Ipomoeae And Characterization Of Distinct Clostridium Sweetpotato Soft Rot Isolates, Kuei-Ting Yang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Streptomyces ipomoeae is the causative agent of Streptomyces soil rot on sweetpotato, a disease characterized by extensive necrosis of both adventitious and storage roots. While Streptomyces potato scab pathogens produce a phytotoxin (thaxtomin A), which is induced in the presence of cellobiose and suberin, S. ipomoeae produces a less-modified, phytotoxin (thaxtomin C), whose inducer has not been identified. To investigate transcriptional regulation of thaxtomin C production, we inserted a promoter involved in thaxtomin C synthesis upstream of the gusA reporter in an S. ipomoeae strain. Reporter gene expression was significantly upregulated in the presence of size-fractionated sweetpotato extract (SPE). The …

Bilite: A Bayesian Randomized Phase Ii Design For Immunotherapy By Jointly Modeling The Longitudinal Immune Response And Time-To-Event Efficacy, Beibei Guo, Yong Zang

Faculty Publications

Immunotherapy—treatments that target a patient's immune system—has attracted considerable attention in cancer research. Its recent success has led to generation of novel immunotherapeutic agents that need to be evaluated in clinical trials. Two unique features of immunotherapy are the immune response and the fact that some patients may achieve long-term durable response. In this article, we propose a two-arm Bayesian adaptive randomized phase II clinical trial design for immunotherapy that jointly models the longitudinal immune response and time-to-event efficacy (BILITE), with a fraction of patients assumed to be cured by the treatment. The longitudinal immune response is modeled using hierarchical …

Interface Engineering Of Materials For Energy And Biological Applications, Ardalan Chaichi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Interface interactions are generally classified into solid-liquid, solid-gas, solid-vacuum, liquid-gas, light-matter and electron-matter categories. Surface morphological studies as well as surface chemical reactions can be studied in various types of complex systems thanks to technological advances in materials characterization methods. By employing interface engineering in different applications, it is possible to control electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical and biological properties of materials. Accordingly, we have applied interface engineering in three different areas of energy materials, biomaterials and surface imaging. As a result, firstly, we have introduced a high intensity light flash-based method on engineered substrates for delamination of reduced graphene oxide …

Sex Differences In Renal Mitochondrial Function: A Hormone-Gous Opportunity For Research, Regina F. Sultanova, Ryan Schibalski, Irina A. Yankelevich, Krisztian Stadler, Daria V. Ilatovskaya

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Sex differences (biological distinctions between males and females) present a complex interplay of genetic, developmental, biological, and environmental factors. More and more studies are shedding light on the importance of sex differences in normal physiology and susceptibility to cancer, cardiovascular and renal conditions, and neurodegenerative diseases. This mini-review is devoted to the role of sex dimorphisms in renal function, with a focus on the distinctions between male and female mitochondria. Here, we cover the aspects of renal mitochondrial bioenergetics where sex differences have been reported to date, for instance, biogenesis, reactive oxygen species production, and oxidative stress. Special attention is …

The Evolution Of A Tropical Biodiversity Hotspot, M G. Harvey, G A. Bravo, S Claramunt, A M. Cuervo, M G. Harvey, J Battilana, G F. Seeholzer, J S. Mckay, B C. O'Meara, B C. Faircloth, S V. Edwards, J Perez-Eman, R G. Moyle, F H. Sheldon, A Aleixo, B T. Smith, R T. Chesser, L F. Silveira, J Cracraft, R T. Brumfield, E P. Derryberry

Faculty Publications

The tropics are the source of most biodiversity yet inadequate sampling obscures answers to fundamental questions about how this diversity evolves. We leveraged samples assembled over decades of fieldwork to study diversification of the largest tropical bird radiation, the suboscine passerines. Our phylogeny, estimated using data from 2389 genomic regions in 1940 individuals of 1287 species, reveals that peak suboscine species diversity in the Neotropics is not associated with high recent speciation rates but rather with the gradual accumulation of species over time. Paradoxically, the highest speciation rates are in lineages from regions with low species diversity, which are generally …

Synthesis Of Structurally Diverse Molecular Scaffolds Enabled By Protected Oxyallyl Cations, Joshua Andrew Malone

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the synthesis of diverse molecular scaffolds through the use of protected oxyallyl cation intermediates. Chapter One provides background on the generation and applications of oxyallyl and silyloxyallyl cations, while focusing on the direct nucleophilic capture of theses intermediates to generate functionalized ketones and silylenolates. Chapter Two depicts our approach to generate six-membered silyloxyallyl cations through the use of mild Brønsted acid activation. Regioselective nucleophilic capture of these intermediates successfully produced diverse a,a’-substituted silylenol ethers enabled by polar solvent and residual water.

Chapter three details strategies to generate 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds, focusing on the capture of cationic intermediates …