Digital Commons Network^™

Photogrammetric Determination Of Movement Speed Of Invasive Indo-Pacific Lionfish In The Florida Keys, Neal Kolonay, Cassandra N. Glaspie

Faculty Publications

As a key determinant of how efficiently lionfish (Pterois sp.) locate and capture prey, swimming speed plays a crucial role in shaping the predator-prey interactions and broader ecological dynamics within the invaded ecosystems. Swimming speed on a small temporal and spatial scale is difficult to measure because of the need for precise measurements of both distance and duration of the behavior. Using photogrammetry by way of stereo-camera setups is ideal for analyzing the minutiae of lionfish behaviors because it can include the benefits of remote video traps coupled with precise measurements of movements in three-dimensional space and time. The primary …

Comparison Of Two Benthic Assemblage Sampling Gears For Use On Intertidal Oyster Reefs In Louisiana, Finella M. Campanino, Stephanie K. Archer, Jillian C. Tupitza, Cassandra N. Glaspie, Megan K. La Peyre

Faculty Publications

Background: Estuarine biodiversity plays a vital role in supporting ecosystem functions yet remains threatened by climate change and anthropogenic activity. Tracking and identifying estuarine biodiversity trends helps management ensure long-term provisions of human and environmental benefits by contributing to the estimation of habitat loss and the monitoring of restoration and conservation progress. However, results obtained using different sampling gears and different biodiversity metrics may lead researchers to reach different conclusions, which can lead to uncertainty in the actual state of the ecosystem-level biodiversity. Sampling benthic biodiversity in complex estuarine habitats, such as oyster reefs, is particularly challenging because no one …

History, Annotated Gazetteer, And Bibliography Of Ornithology In Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo, Frederick H. Sheldon, Mohammad Irham, Daisy G. S. Kho, Erik Meijaard, Subir B. Shakya, Dewi M. Prawiradilaga, Sebastianus (Bas) Van Balen

Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University

Kalimantan comprises nearly three quarters of the island of Borneo and is the place where scientific study of Bornean birds began. We describe the history of bird research in Kalimantan from its beginning, highlighting the ornithologists who explored the region and how their interests and methods changed over time, from a concentration on specimen collection, to examinations of community ecology, to conservation in the face of habitat change and species depletion, to the latest investigations using satellite, genetic, and digital technology. We also highlight some future directions for research, especially the need for more work on basic ecology and biogeography. …

Primary Processes Of Depolymerization Of Lignin Dispersed Into Gas Phase, Marwan Y. Rezk, Mohamad Barekati-Goudarzi, Divine Nde, Dorin Boldor, Slawomir Lomnicki, Stephania Cormier, Lavrent Khachatryan

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

The primary depolymerization processes of hydrolytic lignin (HL) are examined, focusing on the formation of intermediate oligomers and bulky environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs). Fragmentation of HL was conducted in a continuous atomization (CA) fast flow reactor, where HL, dissolved in a 9:1 acetone-to-water solution, was dispersed. Results indicated that HL fragmentation occurs significantly faster in the gas phase in comparison to the literature rate of formation of major biofuel-phenolic compounds. In other words, the formation of phenolic compounds occurs at much lower rate constants being the limiting stage for lignin depolymerization. The critical role of surface associated reactions for …

Complex Models Of Sequence Evolution Improve Fit, But Not Gene Tree Discordance, For Tetrapod Mitogenomes, Benjamin S. Toups, Robert C. Thomson, Jeremy M. Brown

Faculty Publications

Variation in gene tree estimates is widely observed in empirical phylogenomic data and is often assumed to be the result of biological processes. However, a recent study using tetrapod mitochondrial genomes to control for biological sources of variation due to their haploid, uniparentally inherited, and non-recombining nature found that levels of discordance among mitochondrial gene trees were comparable to those found in studies that assume only biological sources of variation. Additionally, they found that several of the models of sequence evolution chosen to infer gene trees were doing an inadequate job of fitting the sequence data. These results indicated that …

Louisiana Graduate Network In Applied Evolution (Lagniappe): 2024-2025 End-Year Report, Kristina G. Little, Samuel B. Robison, Bret Blackmon

Reports

The Louisiana Graduate Network in Applied Evolution (LAGNiAppE) is a post-baccalaureate program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and hosted by the LSU Department of Biological Sciences. In its second year, the program provides recent college graduates with a structured, immersive research experience designed to prepare them for graduate education and careers in STEM. This report presents findings from the 2024–2025 program year (cohort 2) and is based on comprehensive evaluation data collected from Scholars, mentors, and co-mentors. The 2024–2025 cohort engaged in a wide range of activities, including intensive bootcamp training, independent research projects, scientific presentations, weekly seminars, …

A Review Of Flood Mitigation Benefit-Cost Analyses’ Inclusiveness Of Environmental Watershed Effects And Environmental Vulnerability: Gaps In Progress Towards More Resilient Flood Hazard Decision-Making, Fahmida Akhter, Sapana Bastola, Jerrod Penn, Thomas Douthat

Faculty Publications

US and EU flood mitigation policy both incorporate considerations of costs and benefits, and in recent years have taken steps to encourage accounting for positive and negative effects on vulnerable populations, broader non-market environmental impacts, and downstream effects beyond the target area of projects of flood mitigation projects. This work highlights the extent to which previous academic flood mitigation Benefit-Cost Analyses (BCA) papers have comprehensively considered such project effects. We do so through a systematic, PRISMA-style, review of BCA literature in the broader field of flood hazard mitigation and resilience decision-making. Our results suggest 1) most projects focus on monetizing …

Coupling Between Bacterial Phylogenetic Diversity And Heterotrophic Productivity In A Coastal Ecosystem Affected By Estuarine Plumes, Yao Liu, Shujie Cai, Wenxin Fan, Wupeng Xiao, Xin Liu, Edward A. Laws, Bangqin Huang

Faculty Publications

Understanding the diversity-productivity relationship (DPR) is crucial for elucidating the ecological functions of marine bacterioplankton. However, studies have often focused on species diversity, neglecting phylogenetic diversity, which may offer deeper insights into the complex ecological processes shaping DPR in natural systems. This study addressed this gap by exploring the role of phylogenetic diversity in bacterioplankton productivity in the northern South China Sea, a coastal ecosystem influenced by estuarine plumes. We aimed to disentangle the mechanisms driving DPR and investigate how estuarine plumes modulate these processes. Our results show that the substantial enhancement of phytoplankton production by the Pearl River plume …

Bioagricorridors: Uban Ecosystem Networks To Enhance Biological Diversity, Ecosystem Services And Food Production In Barcelona, Spain, Fabio Capra-Ribeiro, Filippo Vegezzi

Faculty Publications

Urbanisation and environmental degradation pose significant challenges to biodiversity, ecosystem services, and food pro- duction. The Bioagricorridors strategy addresses this by inte- grating agroecology in the urban environment, emphasising the continuity principle to connect diverse ecosystems through green infrastructure. Employing a mapping strategy, bioagricorridors bridge theory and space, using maps as communication tools and deep mapping to explore multi-layered, digital cartographic representations. This approach aids in addressing pressing urban conditions, enhancing genetic diversity, and improving soil and water quality. The exploration uses Barcelona as a case study, a city marked by historical urban planning shifts and landscape fragmentation. Taking into …

A Systematic Review Of Environmentally Persistent Free Radical (Epfr) Formation, Characteristics, And Health Effects: Are There Sufficient Data For Risk Assessment?, Avinash Kumar, Divine Nde, Chuqi Guo, Rashmi Pathak, Fox Foley, Syed Ahmad, Prakash Dangal, Farhana Hasan, Myron Lard, Ankit Aryal, Martine E. Mathieu-Campbell, Jennifer Irving, Oluwafeyikemi Ogunmusi, Jennifer Richmond-Bryant, Slawomir Lomnicki, Lavrent Khachatryan, Stephania A. Cormier, Tammy R. Dugas

Faculty Publications

Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) are stable free radicals formed on particulate matter (PM) through processes such as combustion and pyrolysis. These free radicals are generated on transition metal oxide surfaces in the presence of aromatic precursors. Exposure to EPFRs occurs primarily via inhalation of PM deriving from combustion, traffic, industrial activities, and both indoor and outdoor burning. Other environmental factors that might generate EPFRs are radon, electronic and tobacco cigarettes. EPFRs exhibit unexpectedly long half-lives, ranging from several weeks to, in some cases, several years. EPFRs may be carbon-centered, oxygen-centered or mixed, identified by g-values exhibited in electron paramagnetic …

The Work Of An Hour: A Case Study Of Propaganda, Michael F. Russo

Faculty Publications

This research paper discusses the messaging of United States President George W. Bush and his administration regarding the U.S. led invasion of Iraq. Transcripts of presidential communications, national news programs, and public opinion polls from 2001-03 were analyzed to identify patterns in these communications. This review demonstrated techniques similar to those used in historical propaganda campaigns to sway public opinion. The introduction and repetition of key terminology from the government was followed by magnification by television news programs. These messages were broadcast despite lack of evidence of Iraq’s involvement with the 9/11 attacks or their possession of weapons of mass …

What ‘Unexplored’ Means: Mapping Regions With Digitized Natural History Records To Look For ‘Biodiversity Blindspots’, Laymon Ball, Sheila Rodríguez-Machado, Diego Paredes-Burneo, Samantha Rutledge, David A. Boyd, David Vander Pluym, Spenser Babb-Biernacki, Austin S. Chipps, Rafet Öztürk, Yahya Terzi, Prosanta Chakrabarty

Faculty Publications

We examined global records of accessible natural history voucher collections (with publicly available data and reliable locality data) for terrestrial and freshwater vascular plants, fungi, freshwater fishes, birds, mammals, and herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles) and highlight areas of the world that would be considered undersampled and sometimes called ‘unexplored’ (i.e., have relatively low, or no evidence of, past sampling efforts) under typical Western-scientific descriptions. We also question what ‘unexplored’ may mean in these contexts and explain how replacing the term in favor of more nuanced phrasing (e.g., ‘biodiversity blindspots,’ which emphasizes the lack of publicly available data about specimens) can …

Targeting Bacterial Transcription Factors For Infection Control: Opportunities And Challenges, Ahmed Al-Tohamy, Anne Grove

Faculty Publications

The rising threat of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria emphasizes the need for new therapeutic strategies. This review focuses on bacterial transcription factors (TFs), which play crucial roles in bacterial pathogenesis. We discuss the regulatory roles of these factors through examples, and we outline potential therapeutic strategies targeting bacterial TFs. Specifically, we discuss the use of small molecules to interfere with TF function and the development of transcription factor decoys, oligonucleotides that compete with promoters for TF binding. We also cover peptides that target the interaction between the bacterial TF and other factors, such as RNA polymerase, and the targeting …

Lsu General Catalog 2025-2026, 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.

Hope For Louisiana’S Coast: From Catastrophic Loss To Transient Gain, Richard Condrey, Brian D. Marx, Frank Saforo, Rudy Bartels

Faculty Publications

Louisiana’s fifty-billion-dollar coastal restoration plan relies on selected interpretations of a small dataset of coastwide land measurements. In the 1990’s, the plan’s founders used a mathematically impossible interpretation of an improbable manipulation of the initial (1932-1990) dataset to justify their misconceptions regarding natural conditions; delta-switching; and a failing, 60-year restoration goal. In 2017, the dataset was updated to 2016 and used to suggest that land loss had slowed to -28 km2/yr (-1 football field/100 min) since 2010. We find that the dataset does not support this suggestion. Rather, we find the dataset supports our hypothesis that increasing precipitation in the …

Mapping Glams: Creating A National Dataset Of Glams To Develop A Categorical Climate-Change Risk Assessment Scale, Edward Benoitiii, Jill Trepanier, Jennifer Vanos, Emily Fisher, Kaitlyn Bailey, Annie Waddell, Haley Moore, Mandy Hatman, Mary Sidwell, Symonne Russell, Virginia Seger, Paige Boutte, Amanda Latta, Zoe Mohammad, Kyriel Felton, Erin Deliman, Breanna Benson-Pearce, Wendy Johnson, Allyson Russell, Baillie Pretzer, Christopher Reeder, Melissa Mcconnell, Lisa Dahlke, Kaitlynn Melear, Lillian Bodi, Savannah T. Lyle, Zach Lannes, Gwen L. Wells, Benjamin A. Teincuff, Jason M. Straight, Tiffany Rockwell, Shane T. Manthei, Jennifer L. Benner

Faculty Publications

Introduction. The PROTECCT-GLAM project aims to assess and address climate risks for U.S. galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAMs). The project team began with creating a national dataset of GLAMs. Method. The project team used existing datasets that required different auditing and manipulation techniques to align its data. Following the data normalization, the master file included 77,960 entries. Analysis and Results. The project team used ArcGIS Pro to analyze a dataset of galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAMs) for risk from sea level rise, finding 16,877 GLAMs within 30 kilometres of the U.S. coast, with California, New York, Maryland, Florida, …

Vertebrate Fossils Of Louisiana, Suyin Ting, Lorene E. Smith, Connor D. White, Irene Martí Gil

Special Publications of the Museum of Natural Science

No abstract provided.

Statistical Investigation Of Gypsum Crystallization Kinetics, Azmain A. Akash

LSU Master's Theses

Gypsum, a naturally occurring mineral salt, is frequently encountered in industrial processes such as seawater desalination and power plant cooling. Over the years, significant effort has been devoted to controlling the crystallization of gypsum through various chemical approaches, including acidification, chelating agents, and antiscalant polymers. Nevertheless, the cost associated with chemical treatments may be reduced by incorporating physical operational strategies to complement chemical methods in regulating gypsum crystallization.

This study systematically examines the comparative roles of chemical and physical entropy in the gypsum crystallization process to elucidate their respective influences on gypsum growth kinetics. Chemical entropy is manipulated by adjusting …

A Network Analysis Of Social Determinants Of Health And Youth Suicidal Ideation And Suicide Attempts At The Neighborhood-Level In Houston, Tx, Tyler Hendley

LSU Master's Theses

Youth suicide is a complex, multi-faceted human phenomenon that has no singular cause but instead is theorized to be a result of an interplay of psychological, biological, and social risk and protective factors. To best identify youth suicide risk and possible avenues for intervention, a social-ecological model approach may prove beneficial. As community-level risk factors (i.e., social determinants of health (SDOH)) have shown to impact health outcomes, it is important to understand the association between community-level risk and youth suicide-related behaviors. Utilizing a network analytic approach, this study developed an estimated partial correlation network to understand the relationship between youth …

Physics-Informed Heterogeneous Spatiotemporal Graph Neural Network For Reservoir Simulation, Ahmed A.M.A. Abdullah

LSU Master's Theses

Reservoir simulation is the state-of-the-art method for predicting the flow of petroleum reservoir fluids in porous media. It provides an accurate and unbiased prediction of the performance of petroleum reservoirs under different operating conditions. Despite its advantages, reservoir simulation is computationally expensive; with typical full-field simulation models running for several hours. This limitation is worsened when simulating reservoirs with several equations for each cell, such as multiphysics or compositional reservoir simulation. The goal of this research is to provide a fast and accurate spatiotemporal machine-learning model that incorporates discretized governing mass balance equations for training. To achieve this, we propose …

Clocking In And Speaking Out: Navigating Workday Rhythms For Voice Behaviors, Katelyn M. Reeves

LSU Master's Theses

Employee voice behaviors help organizations identify problems, increase productivity, and enhance satisfaction. Most literature focuses on daily-level variations while neglecting potential within-day variations that may have a stronger impact on voice engagement. To investigate within-day variations, this thesis applies chronotype synchrony to explain resource depletion throughout the day, which will determine voice engagement. An experience sampling study with the day reconstruction method of 250 employees revealed that having a morning chronotype leads to a more promotive and prohibitive voice in the morning, with a decline throughout the day due to resource depletion increasing throughout the day. Further, individuals with evening …

Co2 In Flowing Freshwaters: Macro Scale Database Compilation, Addressing Ph Bias In Co2 Estimates, And Quantifying Cross-Scale Interactions, Timothy R. Toavs

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on carbon dioxide (CO₂) dynamics in flowing freshwaters, contributing to the growing body of knowledge about inland water carbon cycles. The research is structured into three main chapters, each progressing towards the objective of utilizing variability in flowing freshwaters to further understand carbon dynamics, anthropogenic land cover impacts, and potential impacts from a changing climate. Chapter one compiles a 30-year dataset of pCO₂ measurements from flowing freshwater systems across the contiguous United States. This dataset, referred to as CDFLOW, includes over 750,000 pCO₂ estimates from more than 35,000 locations. It serves …

Lignin Cationization For The Removal Of Phosphates And Nitrates From Effluents Of Wastewater Treatment Plants, Fannyuy V. Kewir

LSU Master's Theses

The removal of phosphates and nitrates from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents is important for preventing pollution of receiving waters. In this study, we chemically modified alkaline lignin (aLN) with quaternary ammonium groups to obtain biodegradable cationic lignin (cLN). We characterized the cLN and tested its efficacy for removing phosphates and nitrates in a lab setting and on field-collected WWTP samples. Adsorption isotherm and kinetic studies were performed in aqueous media, and the effects of several variables (contact time, pH, initial concentration, and adsorbent dose) were investigated. The Langmuir isotherm described phosphate and nitrate adsorption well, with R2 values of …

Biological Control Of Roseau Cane Scale With Parasitoid Wasps In Louisiana, Tanner C. Sparks

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Roseau cane scale, Nipponaclerda biwakoensis (Hemiptera: Aclerdidae) is an invasive species of scale insect negatively impacting Phragmites australis (Cyperales: Poaceae) stands within the Mississippi River Delta. The scales were first detected in 2017 from reports of Phragmites die-back within the MRD by landowners. Initial range surveys located RCS infested Phragmites stands were primarily limited to southeastern Louisiana with a single population near Port Arthur, Texas. Follow-up field surveys conducted annually from 2021 to 2023 monitoring further range expansion by the scale show the current range extends nearly 600 km between High Island, Texas and Bayou la Batre, Alabama. Climate matching …

Digital Screen Media Use, Movement Behaviors, And Child Health, Mark S. Tremblay, Nicholas Kuzik, Stuart J.H. Biddle, Valerie Carson, Mai J.M. Chinapaw, Dorothea Dumuid, Wendy Yajun Huang, Travis J. Saunders, Amanda E. Staiano, Russell R. Pate

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

This chapter summarizes the associations between children's digital screen media use (DSMU) and their health, within the 24-h movement behavior framework (physical activities, sedentary behaviors, sleep), provides recommendations for healthy DSMU, and highlights future research directions. Key concepts include behavior displacement, combined associations, and DSMU context and content. Displacement examples include more DSMU decreasing time for healthier behaviors (e.g., physical activity or sleep) or replacing reading books and magazines with DSMU alternatives (e.g., texting, social media). How DSMU affects the relationships between various combinations of movement behaviors and children's health is largely unknown. Total DSMU is most frequently studied, but …

Nanofabrication Of Tetraphenyl Porphyrin Surface Assemblies Linked With Tin Tetrachloride: A Scanning Probe Microscopy Investigation, Quynh Do

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) and colloidal lithography methods were used to study the covalent coupling of porphyrins to surfaces. In this dissertation, experimental methods for SPM operation, techniques, and applications are described. Measurement of tip-sample interactions between a sharp tip and surface is translated into digital image data maps with x-, y-, and z-data. Colloidal lithography can be used to fabricate test platforms for AFM studies. The periodicity and arrangement of the designed nanostructures is determined by the size of the colloidal particles used for surface masks. Data processing is required to obtain images and topography information from raw AFM …

Carbon Dioxide Fluxes And The Dominant Role Of Vegetation In Recently Created And Reference Gulf Coast Marshes, A. Muench, T. Elsey-Quirk, J. R. White, R. D. Delaune

Faculty Publications

Coastal wetlands are one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth with the capacity to sequester large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). Wetland loss due to anthropogenic and natural causes reduces the carbon (C) storage capacity and potentially releases previously fixed C in biomass and soil to the water column and atmosphere through decomposition. Coastal wetland restoration has the potential to mitigate some of the C losses depending on the balance of C fluxes. However, the role of vegetation and environmental conditions in governing rates of C accumulation in restoration sites is not well resolved. The purpose of this study …

Net Evaporation-Induced Mangrove Area Loss Across Low-Lying Caribbean Islands, Isamar M. Cortés, Jorge Lorenzo-Trueba, Andre S. Rovai, Robert R. Twilley, Mark Chopping, Temilola Fatoyinbo

Faculty Publications

Although mangroves provide many beneficial ecosystem services, such as blue carbon storage and coastal protection, they are currently under threat due to changes in climate conditions, such as prolonged drought exposure. Under drought conditions, evaporation exceeds precipitation and high soil salinities can lead to stunted growth and die-back. To quantify this interplay, we developed a database for low-lying and uninhabited mangrove islands in the Caribbean under various evaporation and precipitation regimes. We extracted physical and biological information from each island using remote sensing techniques and coupled it with a process-based model. We used this database to develop a model that …

A Temperature Tipping Point In Hypoxic Zone Size, R. Eugene Turner, Nancy N. Rabalais, Cassandra N. Glaspie

Faculty Publications

Temperature increases will have ubiquitous effects on aquatic food webs, from microbes to consumers, and affect the quality and quantity of carbon flows within and between water layers. A decline in the biological pump moving carbon from surface to lower layers is anticipated. We reviewed 37 years of data on hypoxic zone size and water quality in the northern Gulf of Mexico to determine if air and bottom water temperature increases (0.5°C decade⁻¹) are significantly related to variations in its areal size. There was no significant decline in important river water quality in the 24 years since the …

Detecting, Attributing, And Projecting Global Marine Ecosystem And Fisheries Change: Fishmip 2.0, Julia L. Blanchard, Camilla Novaglio, Olivier Maury, Cheryl S. Harrison, Colleen M. Petrik, Denisse Fierro-Arcos, Kelly Ortega-Cisneros, Andrea Bryndum-Buchholz, Tyler D. Eddy, Ryan Heneghan, Kelsey Roberts, Jacob Schewe, Daniele Bianchi, Jerome Guiet, P. Daniel Van Denderen, Juliano Palacios-Abrantes, Xiao Liu, Charles A. Stock, Yannick Rousseau, Matthias Büchner, Ezekiel O. Adekoya, Cathy Bulman, William Cheung, Villy Christensen, Marta Coll, Leonardo Capitani, Samik Datta, Elizabeth A. Fulton, Alba Fuster, Victoria Garza, Matthieu Lengaigne, Max Lindmark, Kieran Murphy

Faculty Publications

There is an urgent need for models that can robustly detect past and project future ecosystem changes and risks to the services that they provide to people. The Fisheries and Marine Ecosystem Model Intercomparison Project (FishMIP) was established to develop model ensembles for projecting long-term impacts of climate change on fisheries and marine ecosystems while informing policy at spatio-temporal scales relevant to the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP) framework. While contributing FishMIP models have improved over time, large uncertainties in projections remain, particularly in coastal and shelf seas where most of the world's fisheries occur. Furthermore, previous FishMIP climate …