Digital Commons Network^™

Coastal Sedimentary Records Of Extreme Events And Human Activity: Examples From Hurricanes And Microplastics, Nicholas T. Culligan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Coastal regions are uniquely vulnerable to a myriad of natural and anthropogenically caused stresses such as hurricane strikes and chronic microplastic pollution. Both hurricanes and microplastics have major negative effects on global coastlines and are forecast to become more damaging in the future. However, current model trends are based on limited modern data and may not provide an accurate or comprehensive view of the future. Therefore, this dissertation investigates coastal stratigraphic records to determine long-term past trends of these presses and pulses so that researchers, stakeholders, and policy makers can use them to enact strategies to mitigate damages from worsening …

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 …

Trends In Hot Carrier Distribution For Disordered Noble-Transition Metal Alloys, Eklavya Thareja, Kevin M. Mcpeak, Phillip T. Sprunger, Ilya Vekhter, William A. Shelton

Faculty Publications

We developed and tested an approach for predicting trends for efficient hot carrier generation among disordered metal alloys. We provide a simple argument for the importance of indirect transitions in the presence of disorder, thus justifying the use of joint density of states (JDOS)-like quantities for exploring these trends. We introduce a new JDOS-like quantity, JDOSK , which heuristically accounts for longer lifetimes of quasiparticles close to the Fermi energy. To demonstrate the efficacy of this new quantity, we apply it to the study of Cu50X50 where X = Ag, Au, Pd and Y50Pd50 where Y = Au, Ni. We …

A Tribute To Gregory A. Voth, Jaehyeok Jin, William G. Noid, Jianing Li, Revati Kumar, Jianshu Cao, Seogjoo Jang, Francesco Paesani, David Reichman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Building A Simplistic Automatic Extruder: Instrument Development Opportunities For The Laboratory, Stefanie Klisch, Dylan Gilbert, Emma Breaux, Aliyah Dalier, Sudipta Gupta, Bruno Jakobi, Gerald J. Schneider

Faculty Publications

This work presents an automatic extruder as a research experience for undergraduate students. The system offers a user-friendly approach to preparing vesicles, such as liposomes or polymersomes, with a defined size and polydispersity─properties crucial for research in biology and macromolecules. It comprises two syringe pumps connected by a membrane filter. The setup is controlled by software. Compared to manual extrusion, this automated system provides advantages, such as precisely controlled variables. The project describes a tool to enhance undergraduate learning in science and engineering laboratories. Building an automatic extruder serves as a simplified model of a complex industrial process. It offers …

Bernoulli Convolution Of The Depth Of Nodes In Recursive Trees With General Affinities, Toshio Nakata, Hosam Mahmoud

Journal of Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

Maternal Serum Branched-Chain Amino Acids In Early Pregnancy And Offspring Growth Patterns From 1 Year To 8 Years Of Age, Ninghua Li, Junhong Leng, Rui Zhang, Hui Wang, Weiqin Li, Shuang Zhang, Yijuan Qiao, Jing Li, Zhijie Yu, Gang Hu, Zhongze Fang, Xilin Yang

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

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 …

Review Of Dear Dickhead, Michael F. Russo

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Solubilization Of Paclitaxel With Natural Compound Rubusoside Toward Improving Oral Bioavailability In A Rodent Model, Jian Zhang, Jicheng Shu, Rhett W. Stout, Paul S. Russo, Zhijun Liu

Faculty Publications

Paclitaxel, which features low water solubility and permeability, is an efflux pump substrate. The current paclitaxel drugs are given intravenously after resolving the solubility issue. Yet, oral delivery to achieve therapeutic bioavailability is not effective due to low absorption. This study evaluated a natural compound, rubusoside, to improve oral bioavailability in an animal model. Free paclitaxel molecules were processed into nano-micelles formed in water with rubusoside. The particle size of the nano-micelles in water was determined using dynamic light scattering. The oral bioavailability of paclitaxel in nano-micelles was determined against Cremophor/alcohol-solubilized Taxol after oral and intravenous administration to pre-cannulated Sprague …

The Evolution Of Science And Regulation Of Dietary Supplements: Past, Present, And Future, Paul M. Coates, Regan L. Bailey, Jeffrey B. Blumberg, Ahmed El-Sohemy, Elizabeth Floyd, Joshua Z. Goldenberg, Aimée Gould Shunney, Hannah D. Holscher, Yasmeen Nkrumah-Elie, Deshanie Rai, Barry W. Ritz, Wendy J. Weber

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Dietary supplement use in the United States is widespread and increasing, especially among certain population groups, such as older Americans. The science surrounding dietary supplements has evolved substantially over the last few decades since their formal regulation in 1994. Much has been learned about the mechanisms of action of many dietary supplement ingredients, but the evidence on their health effects is still building. As is true of much nutrition research, there are many studies that point to health effects, but not all are at the level of scientific evidence (e.g., randomized controlled interventions), rigor, or quality needed for definitive statements …

Effects Of E-Cigarettes On The Lung And Systemic Metabolome In People With Hiv, Aline Zaparte, Courtney J. Christopher, Connie Arnold, Lauren Richey, Adairre Castille, Kyle Mistretta, Christopher M. Taylor, Huiyi Lin, Steve Nelson, John P. Kirwan, John W. Apolzan, Shawn R. Campagna, David A. Welsh

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

The popularity of e-cigarettes (vaping) has soared, creating a public health crisis among teens and young adults. Chronic vaping can induce gut inflammation and reduce intestinal barrier function through the production of the proinflammatory molecule hydrogen sulfide (H2S). This is particularly concerning for people with HIV (PWH) as they already face impaired immune function and are at a higher risk for metabolic dysregulation, diabetes, and chronic liver disease. Furthermore, PWH experience unhealthy behaviors, making it crucial to understand the systemic metabolic dysregulation and pathophysiological mechanisms associated with vaping in this population. Here, we employed liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics to …

Youth's Political Identity And Fertility Desires, Heather M. Rackin, Christina M. Gibson-Davis

Faculty Publications

Objective: This study examines the association between political identity and young adults' fertility desires from 1989 to 2019. Background: Understanding the factors that shape fertility preferences is important because these preferences are the critical bridge between social forces and fertility. Identity is a theorized, but understudied, predictor of fertility desires. The increasing salience of political identity suggests that the association between political identity and fertility desires has strengthened over time. Method: Data come from the 1989–2019 waves of Monitoring the Future, a nationally representative study of 12th graders (N = 67,557). Regression models examined how political identity (measured by Republican …

Activity And Selectivity In The Electrochemical Reduction Of Co2 At Cusnx Electrocatalysts Using A Zero-Gap Membrane Electrode Assembly, Monsuru Dauda, John Hendershot, Mustapha Bello, Junghyun Park, Alvaro Loaiza Orduz, Orhan Kizilkaya, Phillip Sprunger, Anthony Engler, Koffi Yao, Craig Plaisance, John Flake

Faculty Publications

In this study Cu, Sn, and bimetallic CuSnx nanoparticles were synthesized and evaluated as electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction using zero gap membrane electrode assemblies. Results show bimetallic electrocatalysts with Sn contents above 10% yield formate as a primary product with Faradaic Efficiencies near 70% at 350 mA cm−2. Cu-Snx electrocatalysts with less than 10% Sn yield CO at current densities below 350 mA cm−2 and relatively lower cell potentials. When the low-Sn content bimetallic electrocatalysts were evaluated in alkaline anolytes at 350 mA cm−2, ethanol was recorded as the primary product (FE = 48.5% at Ecell ≥ 3.0 V). We …

Response Of A Terrestrial Polar Ecosystem To The March 2022 Antarctic Weather Anomaly, J. E. Barrett, Byron J. Adams, Peter T. Doran, Hilary A. Dugan, Krista F. Myers, Mark R. Salvatore, Sarah N. Power, Meredith D. Snyder, Anna T. Wright, Michael N. Gooseff

Faculty Publications

Record high temperatures were documented in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, on 18 March 2022, exceeding average temperatures for that day by nearly 30°C. Satellite imagery and stream gage measurements indicate that surface wetting coincided with this warming more than 2 months after peak summer thaw and likely exceeded thresholds for rehydration and activation of resident organisms that typically survive the cold and dry conditions of the polar fall in a freeze-dried state. This weather event is notable in both the timing and magnitude of the warming and wetting when temperatures exceeded 0°C at a time when biological communities and …

Hydrologic Connectivity And Dynamics Of Solute Transport In A Mountain Stream: Insights From A Long-Term Tracer Test And Multiscale Transport Modeling Informed By Machine Learning, Phong V.V. Le, Saubhagya S. Rathore, Ethan T. Coon, Adam Ward, Roy Haggerty, Scott L. Painter

Faculty Publications

The movement of solutes in a watershed is a complex process with multiple interactions and feedbacks across spatial and temporal scales. Modeling the dynamics of solute transport along diverse hydrologic pathways within watersheds – from hillslopes to stream channels and in and out of the hyporheic zones – is challenging but critically important, as these processes integrate and contribute to the biogeochemical functioning of the river corridor up to the river network scale. Here we use results from a long-term network-scale tracer test at the H.J. Andrews experimental forest in western Cascade Mountains, Oregon, USA to inform a multiscale framework …

New Procedure For Evaluation Of U(3) Coupling And Recoupling Coefficients, Phong Dang, Jerry P. Draayer, Feng Pan, Kevin S. Becker

Faculty Publications

A simple method to calculate Wigner coupling coefficients and Racah recoupling coefficients for U(3) in two group–subgroup chains is presented. While the canonical U(3)⊃U(2)⊃U(1) coupling and recoupling coefficients are applicable to any system that respects U(3) symmetry, the U(3)⊃SO(3) coupling coefficients are more specific to nuclear structure studies. This new procedure precludes the use of binomial coefficients and alternating sums which were used in the 1973 formulation of Draayer and Akiyama, and in so doing provides a faster and more accurate determination of any and all required results. The resolution of the outer multiplicity is based on the null space …

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 …

Prevalence And Correlates Of Adherence To The Global Total Physical Activity Guideline Based On Step Counting Among 3- To 4-Year-Olds: Evidence From Sunrise Pilot Studies From 17 Countries, Tawonga W. Mwase-Vuma, Xanne Janssen, Kar Hau Chong, Anthony D. Okely, Mark S. Tremblay, Catherine E. Draper, E. Kipling Webster, Alex Antonio Florindo, Amanda E. Staiano, Bang Nguyen Pham, Chiaki Tanaka, Denise Koh, Hongyan Guan, Hong K. Tang, Marie Löf, Mohammad Sorowar Hossain, Nyaradzai E. Munambah, Penny Cross, P. W.Prasad Chathurangana, John J. Reilly

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Background: There is limited evidence from globally diverse samples on the prevalence and correlates of meeting the global guideline of 180 minutes per day of total physical activity (TPA) among 3- to 4-year-olds. Methods: Cross-sectional study involving 797 (49.2% girls) 3- to 4-year-olds from 17 middle- and high-income countries who participated in the pilot phases 1 and 2 of the SUNRISE International Study of Movement Behaviours in the Early Years. Daily step count was measured using thigh-worn activPAL accelerometers. Children wore the accelerometers for at least one 24-hour period. Children were categorized as meeting the TPA guideline based on achieving …

An Adaptive Nonlinear Least-Squares Finite Element Method For A Pucci Equation In Two Dimensions, Susanne C. Brenner, Li Yeng Sung, Zhiyu Tan

Faculty Publications

We present an adaptive nonlinear least-squares finite element method for a two dimensional Pucci equation. The efficiency of the method is demonstrated by a numerical experiment.

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy Of Cancer: Where Do We Stand Now?, Rolf F. Barth, Gong Wu, Maria Da Graca H. Vicente, John C. Grecula, Nilendu Gupta

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Anderson Localization For The Unitary Almost Mathieu Operator, Fan Yang

Faculty Publications

We prove Anderson localization for all Diophantine frequencies and all non-resonant phases for a model that arises from a 2D quantum walk model subject to an external magnetic field, also known as the unitary almost Mathieu operator. Our work provides the first localization results for all Diophantine frequencies in quasi-periodic quantum walk and CMV matrix setting. We also obtain sharp asymptotics of the localized eigenfunctions.

Acute Pancreatitis In Individuals With Sickle Cell Disease: A Systematic Review, Chinenye R. Dike, Adefunke Dadematthews, Oluwagbemiga Dadematthews, Maisam Abu-El-Haija, Jeffrey Lebensburger, Abigail Smith, Aamer Imdad

Faculty Publications

Background/Objectives: Sickle cell disease (SCD) impacts about 100,000 people in the US. SCD increases the risk of cholelithiasis and microvascular ischemia, which could increase the risk of acute pancreatitis (AP). Abdominal pain is a common presenting symptom of AP and sickle cell vaso-occlusive crisis. The purpose of our systematic review is to estimate the prevalence and determine the severity of AP in individuals with SCD compared to the general population. Methods: Multiple electronic databases were searched. We included studies that included children and adults (population) and addressed the association of SCD (exposure) with AP (outcome) compared to the same population …

The Risk Management Of Covid-19: Lessons From Financial Economics And Financial Risk Management, Don M. Chance

Faculty Publications

The United States had one of the worst outcomes in the management of COVID-19 risk, with a death rate in the 94th percentile of all countries. Setting aside the obvious politicized nature of COVID-19 public health recommendations and mandates, we argue that best practices in financial risk management provide parallels that could have served as valuable guidance. We demonstrate here that considerable signals were missed that would have required very little effort and would have been consistent with sound risk management. We also identify examples of misleading information such as that COVID-19 was particularly hard on the elderly. The data …

Editorial Introduction: Unveiling New Dimensions In Policy Process Theory Research, Geoboo Song, Saba Siddiki, Melissa K. Merry, Davor Mondom, Ben Galloway, Gwen Arnold, Aaron Smith-Walter, Holly L. Peterson, Creed Tumlison, Briana Huett, Heasun Choi, Nataliia Borozdina

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Promoting Evidence-Based Academic And Behavioral Interventions, Joseph B. Ryan, Paul Mooney

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Lipids To The Rescue In Pulmonary Fibrosis: Biosynthesis, Bioenergetics, Or Epigenetics?, Manas Ranjan Gartia, Victor J. Thannickal

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Metabolomics, And Artificial Intelligence To Interrogate The Metabolic Evolution Of Glioblastoma, Kang Lin Hsieh, Qing Chen, Travis C. Salzillo, Jian Zhang, Xiaoqian Jiang, Pratip K. Bhattacharya, Shyan Shams

Faculty Publications

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a malignant Grade VI cancer type with a median survival duration of only 8–16 months. Earlier detection of GBM could enable more effective treatment. Hyperpolarized magnetic resonance spectroscopy (HPMRS) could detect GBM earlier than conventional anatomical MRI in glioblastoma murine models. We further investigated whether artificial intelligence (A.I.) could detect GBM earlier than HPMRS. We developed a deep learning model that combines multiple modalities of cancer data to predict tumor progression, assess treatment effects, and to reconstruct in vivo metabolomic information from ex vivo data. Our model can detect GBM progression two weeks earlier than conventional MRIs …

The Impact Of Lutein-Loaded Poly(Lactic-Coglycolic Acid) Nanoparticles Following Topical Application: An In Vitro And In Vivo Study, Renee T. Carter, Sean Swetledge, Sara Navarro, Chin C. Liu, Nikole Ineck, Andrew C. Lewin, Fabrizio Donnarumma, Ede Bodoki, Rhett W. Stout, Carlos Astete, Jangwook P. Jung, Cristina M. Sabliov

Faculty Publications

Antioxidant therapies are of interest in the prevention and management of ocular disorders such as cataracts. Although an active area of interest, topical therapy with antioxidants for the treatment of cataracts is complicated by multiple ocular anatomical barriers, product stability, and solubility. Entrapment and delivery of antioxidants with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles is a possible solution to these challenges, however, little is known regarding their effects in vitro or in vivo. Our first aim was to investigate the impact of blank and lutein loaded PLGA nanoparticles on viability and development of reactive oxygen species in lens epithelial cells in vitro. Photo-oxidative …