Digital Commons Network^™

Intraspecific And Biogeographical Variation In Foliar Fungal Communities And Pathogen Damage Of Native And Invasive Phragmites Australis, Warwick J. Allen, Aaron E. Devries, Nicholas J. Bologna, Wesley A. Bickford, Kurt P. Kowalski, Laura A. Meyerson, James T. Cronin

Faculty Publications

© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Aim: Recent research has highlighted that the relationship between species interactions and latitude can differ between native and invasive plant taxa, generating biogeographical heterogeneity in community resistance to plant invasions. In the first study with foliar pathogens, we tested whether co-occurring native and invasive lineages of common reed (Phragmites australis) exhibit non-parallel latitudinal gradients in foliar fungal communities, pathogen susceptibility and damage, and whether these biogeographical patterns can influence the success of invasion. Location: North America. Time period: 2015–2017. Major taxa studied: Perennial grass P. australis. Methods: We surveyed 35 P. australis field …

Dynamic Glucose Disposal Is Driven By Reduced Endogenous Glucose Production In Response To Voluntary Wheel Running: A Stable Isotope Approach, Timothy D. Allerton, Greg M. Kowalski, Hardy Hang, Jacqueline Stephens

Faculty Publications

© 2020 the American Physiological Society. Dynamic glucose disposal is driven by reduced endogenous glucose production in response to voluntary wheel running: A stable isotope approach. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 319: E2-E10, 2020. First published April 28, 2020; doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00450.2019.-To resolve both the systems level and molecular mechanisms responsible for exerciseinduced improvements in glucose tolerance, we sought to test the effect of voluntary wheel running exercise on postprandial glucose dynamics. We utilized a stable isotope-labeled oral glucose tolerance test (SI-OGTT) incorporating complementary deuterium glucose tracers at a 1:1 ratio (2-2H-glucose and 6-6 2H-glucose; 2g/kg lean body mass) to distinguish between …

Louisiana Agriculture Summer, 2020, Lsu Agcenter

Louisiana Agriculture

No abstract provided.

Southeast- Summer 2020, Lsu Agcenter

Horticulture Hints

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Chemotherapeutic Activities Of Rhodamine-Based Gumbos And Nanogumbos, Nimisha Bhattarai, Mi Chen, Rocío L. Pérez, Sudhir Ravula, Robert M. Strongin, Karen Mcdonough, Isiah M. Warner

Faculty Publications

© 2020 by the authors. Rhodamine derivatives have been widely investigated for their mitochondrial targeting and chemotherapeutic properties that result from their lipophilic cationic structures. In previous research, we have found that conversion of Rhodamine 6G into nanoGUMBOS, i.e., nanomaterials derived from a group of uniform materials based on organic salts (GUMBOS), led to selective chemotherapeutic toxicity for cancer cells over normal cells. Herein, we investigate the chemotherapeutic activity of GUMBOS derived from four different rhodamine derivatives, two bearing an ester group, i.e., Rhodamine 123 (R123) and SNAFR-5, and two bearing a carboxylic acid group, i.e., rhodamine 110 (R110) and …

Sixty-First Supplement To The American Ornithological Society's Check-List Of North American Birds, R. Terry Chesser, Shawn M. Billerman, Kevin J. Burns, Carla Cicero, Jon L. Dunn, Andrew W. Kratter, Irby J. Lovette, Nicholas A. Mason, Pamela C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen, Douglas F. Stotz, Kevin Winker

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Frequent Fire Slows Microbial Decomposition Of Newly Deposited Fine Fuels In A Pyrophilic Ecosystem, Jacob R. Hopkins, Jean M. Huffman, William J. Platt, Benjamin A. Sikes

Faculty Publications

© 2020, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. Frequent fires maintain nearly 50% of terrestrial ecosystems, and drive ecosystem changes that govern future fires. Since fires are dependent on available plant or fine fuels, ecosystem processes that alter fine fuel loads like microbial decomposition are particularly important and could modify future fires. We hypothesized that variation in short-term fire history would influence fuel dynamics in such ecosystems. We predicted that frequent fires within a short-time period would slow microbial decomposition of new fine fuels. We expected that fire effects would differ based on dominant substrates and that fire history …

Mitochondrial Genomes And Thousands Of Ultraconserved Elements Resolve The Taxonomy And Historical Biogeography Of The Euphonia And Chlorophonia Finches (Passeriformes: Fringillidae), Tyler S. Imfeld, F. Keith Barker, Robb T. Brumfield

Faculty Publications

© 2020 American Ornithological Society. Relationships of the Neotropical finches in the genera Euphonia and Chlorophonia (Fringillidae: Euphoniinae) have been clarified by recent molecular studies, but species-level relationships within this group have not been thoroughly addressed. In this study, we sampled specimens representing every recognized species of these genera, in addition to 2 outgroup taxa, and used target enrichment to sequence thousands of ultraconserved element (UCE) loci, as well as mitochondrial DNA reconstructed from off-target reads, from each specimen to infer these relationships. We constructed both concatenation and coalescent-based estimates of phylogeny from this dataset using matrices of varying levels …

Effects Of Hurricane Harvey On The Trophic Status Of Juvenile Sport Fishes (Cynoscion Nebulosus, Sciaenops Ocellatus) In An Estuarine Nursery, Philip Matich, Kaya B. Moore, Jeffrey D. Plumlee

Faculty Publications

Understanding the implications of environmental disturbance is of growing importance as climate change and extreme weather events increasingly threaten estuaries and other coastal ecosystems. Among species at risk in estuarine habitats, sport fishes are of particular interest to conservation and management agencies, because of their ecological and economic value. Here, we evaluate the effects of Hurricane Harvey on the abundance, diet, and body condition of age-0 red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) and spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) in Powderhorn Lake, a nearshore estuary in Texas, USA. Catch data from seines indicated that the abundances of age-0 red drum and spotted seatrout were …

Intermittent Fasting And Metabolic Health: From Religious Fast To Time-Restricted Feeding, Kristin K. Hoddy, Kara L. Marlatt, Hatice Çetinkaya, Eric Ravussin

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Over the past 10 to 15 years, intermittent fasting has emerged as an unconventional approach to reduce body weight and improve metabolic health beyond simple calorie restriction. In this review, we summarize findings related to Ramadan and Sunnah fasting. We then discuss the role of caloric restriction not only as an intervention for weight control, but importantly, as a strategy for healthy aging and longevity. Finally, we review the four most common intermittent fasting (IF) strategies used to date for weight management and to improve cardiometabolic health. Weight loss is common after IF but does not appear to be different …

Breastfeeding And Childhood Obesity: A 12-Country Study, Jian Ma, Yijuan Qiao, Pei Zhao, Wei Li, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Jean Philippe Chaput, Mikael Fogelholm, Rebecca Kuriyan, Estelle V. Lambert, Carol Maher, Jose Maia, Victor Matsudo, Timothy Olds, Vincent Onywera, Olga L. Sarmiento, Martyn Standage, Mark S. Tremblay, Catrine Tudor-Locke, Gang Hu

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

This study aimed to examine the association between breastfeeding and childhood obesity. A multinational cross-sectional study of 4,740 children aged 9–11 years was conducted from 12 countries. Infant breastfeeding was recalled by parents or legal guardians. Height, weight, waist circumference, and body fat were obtained using standardized methods. The overall prevalence of obesity, central obesity, and high body fat were 12.3%, 9.9%, and 8.1%, respectively. After adjustment for maternal age at delivery, body mass index (BMI), highest maternal education, history of gestational diabetes, gestational age, and child's age, sex, birth weight, unhealthy diet pattern scores, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, sleeping, and …

Change And Stability In Sibling Physical Fitness: The Portuguese Sibling Study, Sara Pereira, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Donald Hedeker, José Maia

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Purpose This study aims to 1) describe mean changes in muscular and motor fitness components in sibships over 2 yr, 2) analyze individual tracking of fitness within sibships, 3) investigate sibling resemblance in fitness over time, and 4) examine the joint influence of biological, behavioral, and familial characteristics on fitness. Methods The sample comprises 166 Portuguese biological sibling pairs (brother-brother, sister-sister, brother-sister) age 9-17 yr assessed at baseline and 2 yr later. Physical fitness components were measured with standardized tests. Percentage body fat and biological maturation were assessed, and physical activity, diet, screen time, and familial characteristics were obtained by …

Rationale And Study Design For Lifestyle Intervention In Preparation For Pregnancy (Lipp): A Randomized Controlled Trial, M. L. Erickson, J. T. Mey, C. L. Axelrod, D. Paul, L. Gordesky, K. Russell, H. Barkoukis, P. O'Tierney-Ginn, R. A. Fielding, J. P. Kirwan, P. M. Catalano

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Introduction: Maternal obesity increases neonatal risk for obesity and metabolic syndrome later in life. Prior attempts to break this intergenerational obesity cycle by limiting excessive gestational weight gain have failed to reduce neonatal adiposity. Alternatively, pre-conception lifestyle interventions may improve the in utero metabolic milieu during early pregnancy leading to improved fetal outcomes. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) is evaluating whether a lifestyle intervention to reduce weight and improve maternal metabolism in preparation for pregnancy (LIPP) attenuates neonatal adiposity, compared to standard medical advice. Material and methods: Overweight/class 1 obese women after a previous pregnancy, ~12 weeks postpartum, preparing for …

Current Status Of The Multinational Arabidopsis Community, Geraint Parry, Geraint Parry, Nicholas J. Provart, Nicholas J. Provart, Siobhan M. Brady, Siobhan M. Brady, Baris Uzilday, Keith Adams, Wagner Araújo, Sébastien Aubourg, Sacha Baginsky, Erica Bakker, Katja Bärenfaller, Jacqui Batley, Mike Beale, Mark Beilstein, Youssef Belkhadir, Tanya Berardini, Joy Bergelson, Francisca Blanco-Herrera, Hans Peter Braun, Steve Briggs, Lynette Brownfield, Maura Cardarelli, Marcos Castellanos-Uribe, Gloria Coruzzi, Maheshi Dassanayake, Geert De Jaeger, Brian Dilkes, Colleen Doherty, Joe Ecker, Pat Edger, David Edwards

Faculty Publications

The multinational Arabidopsis research community is highly collaborative and over the past thirty years these activities have been documented by the Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee (MASC). Here, we (a) highlight recent research advances made with the reference plant Arabidopsis thaliana; (b) provide summaries from recent reports submitted by MASC subcommittees, projects and resources associated with MASC and from MASC country representatives; and (c) initiate a call for ideas and foci for the “fourth decadal roadmap,” which will advise and coordinate the global activities of the Arabidopsis research community.

Fully Automated Pipeline For Body Composition Estimation From 3d Optical Scans Using Principal Component Analysis: A Shape Up Study, Sima Sobhiyeh, Nathan Borel, Marcelline Dechenaud, Clinten A. Graham, Michael Wong, Peter Wolenski, John Shepherd, Steven B. Heymsfield

Faculty Publications

The increasing prevalence and adaptability of 3D optical scan (3DO) technology has invoked many recent studies which use 3DO scanning as a convenient and inexpensive means for predicting body composition and health risks. The Shape Up studies seek a device-agnostic solution for body composition estimation based on principal component analysis (PCA). This paper reports a progress made on Shape Up's previous work which served as a criterion analysis for PCA-based body composition and health risk prediction. This study presents proof-of-concept for a novel automated landmark detection step that allows for a fully automated PCA-based approach to body composition estimation that …

Visualization Of Brown Fat Using X-Ray Dark Field Imaging, Troy D. Jacobs

LSU Master's Theses

Introduction: Obesity has become a major societal issue. Many researchers are looking for ways to combat this growing epidemic. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) might be a way to help individuals overcome the challenges associated with weight loss and maintenance of weight loss, but a better understanding of BAT and how to control and utilize it is needed. BAT differs from white adipose tissue (WAT) in that BAT is rich with mitochondria and therefore is metabolically active. BAT is a source of non-shivering thermogenesis and can be activated both by cold exposure and pharmacologically. Current methods of assessing BAT activity are …

Assessing Breastfeeding Knowledge, Attitudes And Intention Among Adult Female Undergraduate And Graduate Students, Kritee Niroula

LSU Master's Theses

This study measured the breastfeeding knowledge, attitude and intention of adult female students of Louisiana State University. Participants (n=1039; mean age 20.12 ± 3.122 years) were recruited to complete the questionnaire. Racial/ethnic representation was White (76.1%), African American (14.3%), Asian (5.5%), American Indian/ Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander (0.8%) and Multi-racial (3.3%). The questionnaire was used to deliver a set of knowledge, attitude and intention items. Participants were evaluated based on their scores in each section. The questionnaire was pilot tested among five students for comprehensibility and understandability and necessary changes were made according to their suggestions. The …

Antimicrobial Strategies For Topical Applications, Kelsey Marie Lopez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Bacteria can thrive in diverse environments and are often harmless or beneficial. Bacteria in digestive tracts is one example of beneficial bacteria; however, bacteria can be harmful and when this type proliferates, it can cause infections within hosts. Bacterial infections are easily treated with antibiotics in most cases. However, bacteria are also capable of developing mutations which could cause them to become multi-drug resistant and eventually, “superbugs.” Therefore, the development of novel antimicrobial agents and materials capable of combating drug-resistant bacteria is necessary. Research presented in this dissertation focuses on different strategies for minimizing and preventing topical bacterial infections using …

Log File-Based Dose Reconstruction To Moving Targets During Lung Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy, Andrew S. Mcguffey

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: To perform film-based verification of 4D dose reconstruction to moving targets during lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

Introduction: Current patient-specific quality assurance measures to test deliverability of plans with dynamic intensity modulation involve delivering beams to static measurement device and comparing the planned dose to measurement. However, motion-induced dose errors are not detected with static measurement. Previous studies have investigated combining machine log data with respiratory tracking to determine moving-target dose. By combining machine log data with anatomic and density information at each breathing phase from 4D-CT, intrafraction anatomical deformation due to respiration may be accounted for. However, …

Molecular Transducers Of Physical Activity Consortium (Motrpac): Mapping The Dynamic Responses To Exercise, James A. Sanford, Christopher D. Nogiec, Malene E. Lindholm, Joshua N. Adkins, David Amar, Surendra Dasari, Jonelle K. Drugan, Facundo M. Fernández, Facundo M. Fernández, Shlomit Radom-Aizik, Simon Schenk, Michael P. Snyder, Russell P. Tracy, Patrick Vanderboom, Scott Trappe, Martin J. Walsh, Charles R. Evans, Yafeng Li, Lyl Tomlinson, D. Lee Alekel, Iddil Bekirov, Amanda T. Boyce, Josephine Boyington, Jerome L. Fleg, Lyndon J.O. Joseph, Maren R. Laughlin, Padma Maruvada, Stephanie A. Morris, Joan A. Mcgowan, Concepcion Nierras, Vinay Pai, Charlotte Peterson, Ed Ramos, Mary C. Roary

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

The Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium aims to create a comprehensive, integrative multi-omic map of the effects of exercise across tissues in rodents and healthy people.

Transcriptomic Analysis Of Extracellular Rna Governed By The Endocytic Adaptor Protein Cin1 Of Cryptococcus Deneoformans, Muxing Liu, Zhengguang Zhang, Chen Ding, Tuo Wang, Ben Kelly, Ping Wang

Faculty Publications

© Copyright © 2020 Liu, Zhang, Ding, Wang, Kelly and Wang. Membrane vesicles are considered virulence cargoes as they carry capsular and melanin components whose secretory transport is critical for the virulence of the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus species. However, other components of the vesicles and their function in the growth and virulence of the fungus remain unclear. We have previously found that the cryptococcal intersectin protein Cin1 governs a unique Cin1-Wsp1-Cdc42 endocytic pathway required for intracellular transport and virulence. Using RNA sequencing, we compared the profiles of extracellular RNA (exRNA), including microRNA (miRNA), small interference RNA (siRNA), long noncoding …

Reconsidering The Obstetrical Dilemma: Correlations Between Head And Pelvic Size, Kelsey Catrice Fox

LSU Master's Theses

The Obstetrical Dilemma (OD) theory has become canon in biological anthropology. The OD posits that i] dystocia results from bipedal mothers and encephalized infants, ii] contrasting selection for bipedality and obstetrics hinders locomotive efficiency, and iii] the contradicting requirement of the fetus being small enough to pass through the birth canal yet being cognitively advanced enough to cling to its mother after birth. Females, theoretically, exhibit deficient gait efficiency for the sake of successful childbirth. An obstetric advantage theory has been posited where taller individuals with a larger head size have larger pelves. If the distance between the acetabulae increases …

Mitochondrial Utilization Of Competing Fuels Is Altered In Insulin Resistant Skeletal Muscle Of Non-Obese Rats (Goto-Kakizaki), Nicola Lai, Ciarán E. Fealy, Chinna M. Kummitha, Silvia Cabras, John P. Kirwan, Charles L. Hoppel

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Aim: Insulin-resistant skeletal muscle is characterized by metabolic inflexibility with associated alterations in substrate selection, mediated by peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor δ (PPARδ). Although it is established that PPARδ contributes to the alteration of energy metabolism, it is not clear whether it plays a role in mitochondrial fuel competition. While nutrient overload may impair metabolic flexibility by fuel congestion within mitochondria, in absence of obesity defects at a mitochondrial level have not yet been excluded. We sought to determine whether reduced PPARδ content in insulin-resistant rat skeletal muscle of a non-obese rat model of T2DM (Goto-Kakizaki, GK) ameliorate the inhibitory effect …

Seasonal Transport Of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon And Total Alkalinity Across The Louisiana Shelf, Michelle M. Anderson

LSU Master's Theses

Rivers and wetlands are a major source of terrestrial derived carbon for coastal ocean margins. Unfortunately, Louisiana’s wetlands are threatened by ongoing high rates of erosion, deterioration, and unprecedented rates of river water discharge that changes seasonally, leading to a net loss of terrestrial carbon into the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM). There exists a current lack of understanding about the distribution of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and total alkalinity (TAlk) within the shallowest regions of the Louisiana shelf. Even less is known about how the transport of DIC alters seasonally with changes in river outflow and shelf currents. Quantifying …

Estimating The Onset And Extent Of Dieback Of Phragmites Australis Using The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index And Remotely Sensed Land Cover Classifications, Aimee M. Beaudette

LSU Master's Theses

Phragmites australis is cosmopolitan plant species with an invasive variety present throughout most of North America. In the Balize Delta, Louisiana, USA, P. australis plays an important role in combatting subsidence, maintaining navigation channels, and protecting interior fish and wildlife habitat from waves and storm surge. In 2016 a dieback of P. australis was reported by wetland managers, coinciding with the appearance of an invasive Asian scale insect (Nipponaclerda biwakoensis), though the specific cause is still unknown. Two previous efforts attempted to identify the onset of dieback conditions met with limited success. Using Landsat images from 1985 to …

Microplastics In Mississippi River Fishes: A Watershed Approach, Ahmed Gad

LSU Master's Theses

Microplastics are plastic particles less than 5mm that come from different sources, such as industrial products, cosmetics, and the breakdown of the macroplastics. Microplastics derive from terrestrial sources but concentrate in flowing freshwaters where they may enter aquatic food webs. The northern Gulf of Mexico has shown very high microplastic concentrations, which are assumed to be sourced from the Mississippi River and its watershed. This study seeks to study microplastics in fish in the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. Fish stomachs and intestines from fish underwent chemical digestion, filtration, and microplastics identification and enumeration through FT-IR spectrometry. Chapter …

Cooperative Policing Behaviour Regulates Reproductive Division Of Labour In A Termite, Qian Sun, Jordan D. Hampton, Austin Merchant, Kenneth F. Haynes, Xuguo Zhou

Faculty Publications

Reproductive conflicts are common in insect societies where helping castes retain reproductive potential. One of the mechanisms regulating these conflicts is policing, a coercive behaviour that reduces direct reproduction by other individuals. In eusocial Hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps), workers or the queen act aggressively towards fertile workers, or destroy their eggs. In many termite species (order Blattodea), upon the death of the primary queen and king, workers and nymphs can differentiate into neotenic reproductives and inherit the breeding position. During this process, competition among neotenics is inevitable, but how this conflict is resolved remains unclear. Here, we report a …

Cover Cropping In Soybean-Corn Rotation System: Economic, Agronomic, And Soil Fertility Impact, Jose Rodolfo Mite

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Planting winter-annual cover crops prevent soil erosion, reduces water runoff, and improves soil structure and soil quality. This research was conducted from 2017 to 2019 to evaluate the nutrient turnover of different species of cover crops in soils under different row crop production systems in Northeast and Central Louisiana. In Northeast Louisiana (Site 1, 2, and 3), treatments (cover crops and no cover crop) were arranged in a strip trial with three replications. At the Ben Hur Research Station, the treatments included three planting dates (September, October, and November) with [7 kg ha^-1 of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K)] …

Sediment Transport And Geomorphological Evolution In The Transgressive Ship Shoal, Louisiana: Insights From Geophysical Observation, Modeling, And Machine Learning Studies, Haoran Liu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Ship Shoal has been a high-priority target sand resource for dredging activities to restore the eroding barrier islands in Louisiana, USA. Many studies have been performed in Ship Shoal in recent decades, but our knowledge of temporal and spatial variations of sediment transport and post-dredge morphology is still limited. The objectives of this dissertation are to explore the sediment infilling process, the spatial and temporal evolution of the morphology of dredge pits near and on Ship Shoal by using multiple methods. Scientific methods used in this study include (a) geophysical observation using bathymetry, side-scan and subbottom technique, (b) sediment transport …

Designed And Developed Delivery Systems Containing Extracted Astaxanthin From Crawfish, Procambarus Clarkii, Using A Novel Combined Ethanol Flaxseed Oil Ultrasound Assisted Closed Extraction System And Its Anticancer Activity In Vitro, Ronson Renard Scott Sr

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Crustacean processing in Louisiana generates vast amounts of byproducts, including crawfish processing byproducts (CB), whose disposal can be problematic unless utilized alternatively. The objective of this investigation was to design and develop a delivery system (DS) containing extracted astaxanthin (AX) from CB using a novel combined ethanol flaxseed oil (FO) ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method and evaluate its quality characteristics. Additionally, anticancer effects of AX were evaluated. Investigations consisted of three studies.

Proximate composition, oxidative stability, and antioxidant capacity of AX from CB extracted both conventionally and by UAE was determined. AX concentration conventionally extracted from CB (FOCAX) was 0.0919 mg …