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Louisiana Agriculture Magazine, Fall 2024

Louisiana Agriculture

Questions drive the science behind the LSU AgCenter. Researcher Erin Oberhaus wanted to find data to help educate Louisiana horse owners about the use of an important medication, and a water quality specialist wondered if noneconomic bodies of water, which include agricultural ponds, might help people generate electricity. The research projects that grew from their questions are detailed in this issue of Louisiana Agriculture.

Also in this issue, scientists share the results from important soybean studies, and the AgCenter farm to school team shares success stories from school gardens across the state.

Research is at the core of the LSU …

Fall 2024 Catalog, Lsu Press

LSU Press Seasonal Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Machine Learning For Automated Classification Of Lung Collagen In A Urethane-Induced Lung Injury Mouse Model, Khalid Hamad Alnafisah, Amit Ranjan, Sushant P. Sahu, Jianhua Chen, Sarah Mohammad Alhejji, Alexandra Noël, Manas Ranjan Gartia, Supratik Mukhopadhyay

Faculty Publications

Dysregulation of lung tissue collagen level plays a vital role in understanding how lung diseases progress. However, traditional scoring methods rely on manual histopathological examination introducing subjectivity and inconsistency into the assessment process. These methods are further hampered by inter-observer variability, lack of quantification, and their time-consuming nature. To mitigate these drawbacks, we propose a machine learning-driven framework for automated scoring of lung collagen content. Our study begins with the collection of a lung slide image dataset from adult female mice using second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy. In our proposed approach, first, we manually extracted features based on the 46 …

Prevailing Issues And Actions In Urban Best Practices Across Latin America And The Caribbean, Fabio Capra-Ribeiro

Faculty Publications

This research examines urban best practices (BPs) across Latin America and the Caribbean to illuminate the prevalent issues and actions associated with these locally implemented initiatives. An analysis of 45 BPs from the UN-Habitat repository was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods, organized into three phases. The first phase focused on collecting data such as BP sources, countries of origin, and years of implementation. The second phase identified common problems and actions within the BPs. The third phase involved a cross-sectional analysis to identify significant patterns and trends. The study found that many BPs originated from the Dubai International …

Far From Their Origins: A Transcriptomic Investigation On How 2,4-Di-Tert-Butyl-6-(5-Chloro-2h-Benzotriazol-2-Yl) Phenol Affects Rainbow Trout Alevins, Andreas N.M. Eriksson, Justin Dubiel, Alper James Alcaraz, Jon A. Doering, Steve Wiseman

Faculty Publications

Benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizers (BUVSs) are a group of widely used chemicals added to a variety of consumer (e.g., plastics) and industrial (e.g., metal coating) goods. Although detected globally as an environmentally persistent pollutant, BUVSs have received relatively little toxicological attention and only recently have been acknowledged to affect development and the endocrine system in vivo. In our previous study, altered behavior, indicative of potential neurotoxicity, was observed among rainbow trout alevins (day 14 posthatching) that were microinjected as embryos with a single environmentally relevant dose of 2,4-di-tert-butyl–6-(5-chloro-2H-benzotriazol-2-yl) phenol (UV-327). In the present follow-up study, we performed whole-transcriptome profiling (RNA sequencing) …

Discarded Vehicle Tires And Their Association With Mosquito Vector Abundance Across Socioenvironmental Gradients In New Orleans, La, Rebeca De Jesús Crespo, Alexandros Pavlakis, Jennifer Breaux, Claudia Riegel

Faculty Publications

Discarded vehicle tires serve as habitat for mosquito vectors. In New Orleans, Louisiana, discarded tires are an increasingly important public concern, especially considering that the city is home to many medically important mosquito species. Discarded tires are known to be associated with mosquito abundance, but how their presence interacts with other socioenvironmental gradients to influence mosquito ecology is poorly understood. Here, we ask whether discarded tire distribution could be explained by social factors, particularly median income, home vacancy and human population density, and whether these factors interact with urban heat islands (UHI) to drive mosquito vector assemblages. We surveyed tire …

On The Injectivity Of The Shifted Funk–Radon Transform And Related Harmonic Analysis, Boris Rubin

Faculty Publications

Necessary and sufficient conditions are obtained for injectivity of the shifted Funk–Radon transform associated with k-dimensional totally geodesic submanifolds of the unit sphere Sⁿ in ℝⁿ⁺¹. This result generalizes the well known statement for the spherical means on Sⁿ and is formulated in terms of zeros of Jacobi polynomials. The relevant harmonic analysis is developed, including a new concept of induced Stiefel (or Grassmannian) harmonics, the Funk–Hecke type theorems, addition formula, and multipliers. Some perspectives and conjectures are discussed.

Toward A Comparative Framework For Studies Of Altitudinal Migration, David Vander Pluym, Nicholas A. Mason

Faculty Publications

The study and importance of altitudinal migration has attracted increasing interest among zoologists. Altitudinal migrants are taxonomically widespread and move across altitudinal gradients as partial or complete migrants, subjecting them to a wide array of environments and ecological interactions. Here, we present a brief synthesis of recent developments in the field and suggest future directions toward a more taxonomically inclusive comparative framework for the study of altitudinal migration. Our framework centers on a working definition of altitudinal migration that hinges on its biological relevance, which is scale-dependent and related to fitness outcomes. We discuss linguistic nuances of altitudinal movements and …

Analysis Of Traffic Operation And Safety At Cloverleaf And Diamond Interchanges With And Without Connected And Autonomous Vehicles, Nischal Khadka

LSU Master's Theses

Even though diamond and cloverleaf interchanges are commonly used in road networks, comparative studies on their operational safety and efficiency remain limited. Also, previous studies have explored the impact of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) at diamond interchanges, but the effects on cloverleaf interchanges are not yet thoroughly investigated. This study addresses these gaps by evaluating the traffic operation and safety performance of cloverleaf interchanges compared to diamond interchanges. It also assesses the influence of various Market Penetration Rates (MPRs) of CAVs on travel time, queue lengths, and conflict points at cloverleaf interchanges, considering different weaving lengths.

Data on peak-hour …

International Consensus On Fasting Terminology, Daniela A. Koppold, Carolin Breinlinger, Etienne Hanslian, Christian Kessler, Holger Cramer, Anika Rajput Khokhar, Courtney M. Peterson, Grant Tinsley, Claudio Vernieri, Richard J. Bloomer, Michael Boschmann, Nicola L. Bragazzi, Sebastian Brandhorst, Kelsey Gabel, Alan C. Goldhamer, Martin M. Grajower, Michelle Harvie, Leonie Heilbronn, Benjamin D. Horne, Spyridon N. Karras, Jost Langhorst, Eva Lischka, Frank Madeo, Sarah J. Mitchell, Ioannis Eleemon Papagiannopoulos-Vatopaidinos, Maria Papagiannopoulou, Hanno Pijl, Eric Ravussin, Martha Ritzmann-Widderich, Krista Varady, Lilian Adamidou, Melika Chihaoui, Rafael De Cabo, Mohamed Hassanein

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Although fasting is increasingly applied for disease prevention and treatment, consensus on terminology is lacking. Using Delphi methodology, an international, multidisciplinary panel of researchers and clinicians standardized definitions of various fasting approaches in humans. Five online surveys and a live online conference were conducted with 38 experts, 25 of whom completed all 5 surveys. Consensus was achieved for the following terms: “fasting” (voluntary abstinence from some or all foods or foods and beverages), “modified fasting” (restriction of energy intake to max. 25% of energy needs), “fluid-only fasting,” “alternate-day fasting,” “short-term fasting” (lasting 2–3 days), “prolonged fasting” (≥4 consecutive days), and …

Why Are There So Many Definitions Of Eutrophication?, Alexandrine Pannard, Philippe Souchu, Christian Chauvin, Monique Delabuis, Chantal Gascuel-Odoux, Erik Jeppesen, Morgane Le Moal, Alain Ménesguen, Gilles Pinay, Nancy N. Rabalais, Yves Souchon, Elisabeth M. Gross

Faculty Publications

Because of the first observations in the 1900s of the oligotrophic and eutrophic states of lakes, researchers have been interested in the process that makes lakes become turbid because of high phytoplankton biomass. Definitions of eutrophication have multiplied and diversified since the mid-20th century, more than for any other ecological process. Reasons for the high number of definitions might be that the former ones did not sufficiently describe their causes and/or consequences. Global change is bringing eutrophication more into the spotlight than ever, highlighting the need to find consensus on a common definition, or at least to explain and clarify …

Key Uncertainties And Modeling Needs For Managing Living Marine Resources In The Future Arctic Ocean, Julia G. Mason, Andrea Bryndum-Buchholz, Juliano Palacios-Abrantes, Renuka Badhe, Isabella Morgante, Daniele Bianchi, Julia L. Blanchard, Jason D. Everett, Cheryl S. Harrison, Ryan F. Heneghan, Camilla Novaglio, Colleen M. Petrik

Faculty Publications

Emerging fishing activity due to melting ice and poleward species distribution shifts in the rapidly-warming Arctic Ocean challenges transboundary management and requires proactive governance. A 2021 moratorium on commercial fishing in the Arctic high seas provides a 16-year runway for improved scientific understanding. Given substantial knowledge gaps, characterizing areas of highest uncertainty is a key first step. Marine ecosystem model ensembles that project future fish distributions could inform management of future Arctic fisheries, but Arctic-specific variation has not yet been examined for global ensembles. We use the Fisheries and Marine Ecosystem Intercomparison Project ensemble driven by two Earth System Models …

State Of The Science On Brain Insulin Resistance And Cognitive Decline Due To Alzheimer's Disease, Elizabeth M. Rhea, Manon Leclerc, Hussein N. Yassine, Ana W. Capuano, Han Tong, Vladislav A. Petyuk, Shannon L. Macauley, Xavier Fioramonti, Owen Carmichael, Frederic Calon, Zoe Arvanitakis

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is common and increasing in prevalence worldwide, with devastating public health consequences. While peripheral insulin resistance is a key feature of most forms of T2DM and has been investigated for over a century, research on brain insulin resistance (BIR) has more recently been developed, including in the context of T2DM and non-diabetes states. Recent data support the presence of BIR in the aging brain, even in non-diabetes states, and found that BIR may be a feature in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and contributes to cognitive impairment. Further, therapies used to treat T2DM are now being investigated …

The Bioenergetic Landscape Of Cancer, Elizabeth R.M. Zunica, Christopher L. Axelrod, L. Anne Gilmore, Erich Gnaiger, John P. Kirwan

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Background: Bioenergetic remodeling of core energy metabolism is essential to the initiation, survival, and progression of cancer cells through exergonic supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and metabolic intermediates, as well as control of redox homeostasis. Mitochondria are evolutionarily conserved organelles that mediate cell survival by conferring energetic plasticity and adaptive potential. Mitochondrial ATP synthesis is coupled to the oxidation of a variety of substrates generated through diverse metabolic pathways. As such, inhibition of the mitochondrial bioenergetic system by restricting metabolite availability, direct inhibition of the respiratory Complexes, altering organelle structure, or coupling efficiency may restrict carcinogenic potential and cancer progression. …

Effects Of Exercise Or Metformin On Myokine Concentrations In Patients With Breast And Colorectal Cancer: A Phase Ii Multi-Centre Factorial Randomized Trial, Justin C. Brown, Guillaume Spielmann, Shengping Yang, Stephanie L.E. Compton, Lee W. Jones, Melinda L. Irwin, Jennifer A. Ligibel, Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt

Faculty Publications

Background: Physical activity and metformin pharmacotherapy are associated with improved clinical outcomes in breast and colorectal cancer survivors. Myokines are cytokines secreted from skeletal muscle that may mediate these associations. Methods: This hypothesis-generating analysis used biospecimens collected from a multi-centre 2 × 2 factorial randomized design of 116 patients with stage I–III breast and colorectal cancer who were randomized to 12 weeks of (1) aerobic exercise (moderate intensity titrated to 220 min/week); (2) metformin (850 mg daily for 2 weeks and then titrated to 850 mg twice per day); (3) aerobic exercise and metformin; or (4) control. Fourteen myokines were …

Storm Surge Modeling In The Ai Era: Using Lstm-Based Machine Learning For Enhancing Forecasting Accuracy, Stefanos Giaremis, Noujoud Nader, Clint Dawson, Carola Kaiser, Efstratios Nikidis, Hartmut Kaiser

Faculty Publications

Physics simulation results of natural processes usually do not fully capture the real world. This is caused for instance by limits in what physical processes are simulated and to what accuracy. In this work we propose and analyze the use of an LSTM-based deep learning network machine learning (ML) architecture for capturing and predicting the behavior of the systemic error for storm tide forecast models with respect to real-world water elevation observations from gauge stations during hurricane events. The overall goal of this work is to predict the systemic error of the physics model and use it to improve the …

Development Of Satellite-Assisted Forecasting System For Vibrio Vulnificus Prevalence In Coastal Waters, Saber Aradpour

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Vibrio vulnificus is a halophilic gamma proteobacterium that is autochthonous to coastal waters and is responsible for 50% of seafood-related deaths in the United States. This study presents a series of nowcasting and forecasting models for predicting vibrio vulnificus abundance in oysters by identifying the long-range dependence of vibrio vulnificus abundance on antecedent environmental conditions and detecting the environmental conditions using satellite remote sensing technology. It was discovered that vibrio vulnificus abundance exhibits a long-range dependence on antecedent environmental conditions which can be characterized by seven independent environmental predictors (stressors) including sea surface temperature (SST), water level (WL), sea surface …

Susceptibility Of Spodoptera Frugiperda And Helicoverpa Zea Populations In The Southern Region Of The United States To Common Chemical Insecticides, Bhavana Patla

LSU Master's Theses

Abstract

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda and corn earworm/bollworm, Helicoverpa zea, are two polyphagous pests prevalent in the U.S. In recent years, there were increased infestations of the two pests in the U.S., especially in its southern region. Information on the susceptibility/resistance status of the two pests in the region to chemical insecticides, especially to some new chemistries, is very limited or has not been updated for many years. In this study, susceptibility of 17 S. frugiperda and six H. zea field collected populations from the southern U.S. during 2021-23 to common insecticides was investigated in the laboratory. Dose-responses with …

Limit Theorems For Increments Of Branching Particle Systems With Linear Rates And Poisson Initial Condition, Alexander Kreinin, Vladimir V. Vinogradov

Journal of Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

Asymptotic Formula For Scattering Problems Related To Thin Metasurfaces, Zachary Jermain

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this work is to develop an asymptotic formula for the behavior of a scattered electromagnetic field in the presence of a thin metamaterial known as a metasurface. By using a carefully chosen Green’s function and the single and double layer potentials we analyze the perturbed scattering problem in the presence of the metamaterial and a background scattering problem. By using Lippman-Schwinger type representation formulas for the two fields we develop the asymptotic formula for the perturbed field. From here we prove the asymptotic formula holds up to a specific error term based on the size of the …

Investigation Of Solvation Structures And Dynamics Of Li-Ion Battery Electrolytes And Amides In Water: An Infrared Spectroscopy, Electrochemical And Computational Study, Ernest O. Nachaki

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The investigation of solvation structures and dynamics in lithium-ion battery electrolytes and amides in water has significant implications for both fundamental science and practical applications. Understanding the solvation dynamics of lithium electrolytes can lead to the development of safer and more efficient LIBs. The study of hydrogen bond dynamics of N-alkyl substituted amides has important implications for the development of thermos-responsive polymers used in biomedical applications. By understanding how N-alkyl substitutions affect the hydration structure and dynamics of amides, this research can inform the design of polymers with tailored properties for drug delivery, tissue engineering, and other medical applications. This …

Quiet No More: An Analysis Of Women's Protest Music, Jillian Vogel

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores the multifaceted role of music in women’s protests, emphasizing how it serves as a unifying and rallying tool in the fight against inequality. By delving into the interdisciplinary realms of music theory, sound studies, and women’s and gender studies, this work highlights how women’s protest composers utilize musical texts and content to turn their music into a tool to inspire change. This dissertation investigates the musical structures and harmonic innovations in suffrage movement music, examining how suffragettes with varying musical knowledge engaged with music to further their cause. The suffragette music analyses combine text analysis, harmonic analysis, …

The Moderating Effect Of Leadership Style On The Relationship Between Perceptions Of Organizational Justice And The Performance Appraisal Satisfaction Of Sport Employees, Jeffrey S. White

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is an examination of how leadership style influences the relationship between sport employee perceptions of organizational justice and their satisfaction with performance appraisals. Sport employees are integral to the sport ecosystem, contributing to the physical, mental, and professional development of athletes, the operational success.

Focusing on these crucial constructs, the purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of leadership style on the relationship between organizational justice and performance appraisal satisfaction among sport employees. This quantitative empirical research utilizes PLS-SEM and multiple regression analysis with an aim to confirm the relationship between organizational justice and PAS …

The Role Of Sexual Network Core Groups In Disease Epidemics, Jason Janeaux

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain an economic and social burden, non-discriminately affecting sexually active individuals worldwide. The unique transmission of STIs is dependent upon host and pathogen life histories, as well as the underlying network structure of the host population. Within a population there is a group of individuals, the core group, that maintains STI presence and helps sustain ongoing transmission both within the core group and in the surrounding population. While the presence of these core groups is well documented, the criteria for inclusion into a sexual core group is not. In this dissertation, I explore common factors that …

The Impact Of Xenophobia On Agricultural Trade In South Africa, Maxwell Peprah Amponsem

LSU Master's Theses

The growing number of farm attacks and xenophobia is one of the most serious crime issues facing the South African government. This study examines the impact of xenophobia on agricultural trade, using port-level trade data and xenophobia incident records from 2010 to 2023. Utilizing fixed effects Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) specifications, I find a significant negative impact of xenophobia on agricultural exports, while non-agricultural trade remains unaffected. These findings highlight the need for targeted policy interventions to combat xenophobic violence and stabilize the agricultural sector, ensuring the continuity of South Africa's trade and economic growth.

Hydrogen Adsorption On Ordered And Disordered Pt-Fe And Pt-Co Alloys, Andrew Okafor, William A. Shelton, Ye Xu

Faculty Publications

The bulk properties and surface chemical reactivity of compositionally disordered Pt-Fe and Pt-Co alloys in the fcc A1 phase have been investigated theoretically in comparison to the ordered alloys of the same compositions. The results are analyzed together with our previously reported findings for Pt-Ni. Nonlinear variation is observed in lattice constant, d band center, magnetic moment, and hydrogen adsorption energy across the composition range (0-100 atomic % of Pt, xPt). The Pt 5d states are strongly perturbed by the 3d states of the base metals, leading to notable density of states above the Fermi level and residual magnetic moments …

Development And Operationalizing Of The Learning Experience Design Process To Create Integrated Stem Interventions, Vanessa Begat

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Globally, the demand for people prepared to enter Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers is increasing. To help fill this demand, many formal and informal STEM educational interventions have been implemented in the K-12 domain. However, due to the lack of a clearly defined framework for documenting the nature and scope of the intervention (National Research Council, 2014), the interventions vary greatly in their success, sustainability, and replicability. This research is grounded in Educational Design Research and uses the principle of Learning Experience Design (LXD) to develop a framework for thoughtfully designing and documenting a STEM intervention. This framework …

Design Of Long-Distance Entanglement Distribution Protocols For Quantum Networks, Stav Haldar

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Future quantum technologies such as quantum communication, quantum sensing, and distributed quantum computation, will rely on networks of shared entanglement between spatially separated nodes. Distributing entanglement between these nodes, especially over long distances, currently remains a challenge, due to limitations resulting from the fragility of quantum systems, such as photon losses, non-ideal measurements, and quantum memories with short coherence times. In the absence of full-scale fault-tolerant quantum error correction, which can in principle overcome these limitations, we should understand the extent to which we can circumvent these limitations. In this work, we provide improved protocols and policies for entanglement distribution …

High-Resolution Groundwater Modeling For Understanding Sparta-Memphis Aquifer Condition, Rafin Hasan

LSU Master's Theses

The Sparta-Memphis aquifer is one of the major sources of domestic and industrial water supplies in the Mississippi Embayment region. However, besides altering the natural direction of flow, several serious complications such as elevated chloride concentration, significant water level decline, large cones of depression, and land subsidence have arisen from excessive groundwater consumption. To better understand the Sparta-Memphis aquifer condition, a high-resolution groundwater flow model for the Sparta-Memphis aquifer was developed in this study to assess groundwater availability and analyze aquifer responses to future groundwater withdrawal scenarios. For the development of the groundwater flow model, firstly about 3,700 electrical log …

Optimizing Associative Memory In Autistic And Non-Autistic Adults: Retrieval Practice, Post-Retrieval Feedback, And Gesture, Brianna E. Cairney

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Associative memory—or the ability to form a memory representation linking two previously unrelated concepts—is a critical aspect of learning. This work provides insight into strategies that can be used to support associative memory, their underlying mechanisms, and their effectiveness in autistic and non-autistic learners. Chapter 1 demonstrates that iconic gestures can be used as a tool to enhance associative memory by increasing word concreteness and imageability. This effect was eliminated when the iconic gestures were interspersed with ambiguous nonsense gestures, suggesting a boundary on these benefits that depends on listener expectations regarding gesture clarity. However, it remains unknown whether gestures …