Digital Commons Network^™

Unavoidable Induced Subgraphs Of Large 2-Connected Graphs, Sarah Allred, Guoli Ding, Bogdan Oporowski

Faculty Publications

Ramsey_ proved that for every positive integer n, every sufficiently large graph contains an induced Kn or Kn. Among the many extensions of Ramsey's theorem, there is an analogue for connected graphs: For every positive integer n, every sufficiently large connected graph contains an induced Kn, K1,n, or Pn. In this paper, we establish an analogue for 2-connected graphs. In particular, we prove that for every integer exceeding two, every sufficiently large 2-connected graph contains one of the following as an induced subgraph: Kn, a subdivision of K2,n, a subdivision of K2,n with an edge between the two vertices of …

On Gupta's Codensity Conjecture, Yan Cao, Guantao Chen, Guoli Ding, Guangming Jing, Wenan Zang

Faculty Publications

Let G = (V, E) be a multigraph. The cover index ξ (G) of G is the greatest integer k for which there is a coloring of E with k colors such that each vertex of G is incident with at least one edge of each color. Let δ (G) be the minimum degree of G, and let Φ (G) be the codensity of G, defined by Φ (G) = min (equation presented) {^2|E+(U)||U|+1 : U ⊆ V, | U| ≥ 3 and odd }, where E⁺(U) is the set of all edges of G with …

Special Issue In Honor Of Dr. Alfred L. Gardner, Jacob A. Esselstyn, Giovani Hernández-Canchola

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Editorial: Innovative Approaches To Coral Reef Science By Early Career Researchers, David A. Paz-García, Eric J. Armstrong, Iva Popovic, Raúl A. González-Pech, Michael E. Hellberg

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Microbiome Environmental Shifts Differ Between Two Co-Occurring Octocoral Hosts, Alicia M. Reigel, Michael E. Hellberg

Faculty Publications

Corals harbor a complex suite of beneficial microbial symbionts. Shuffling the composition of these symbionts could, in theory, help the host withstand rapidly emerging or geographically varying stressors without requiring genetic change to the coral itself. The relative impact of host qualities on microbiome (bacteria) composition should provide insight into the extent that shifting microbial symbionts can play in resilience to environmental disturbance on reefs. We sought to assess the differences in microbiome composition across a large spatial scale (between Puerto Rico and Bonaire; >700 km apart) and in response to localized anthropogenic impacts in 2 co-occurring Caribbean soft corals …

Effect Of Estradiol And Predator Cues On Behavior And Brain Responses Of Captive Female House Sparrows (Passer Domesticus), Melanie G. Kimball, Courtney T. Harding, Kaitlin E. Couvillion, Keegan R. Stansberry, Tosha R. Kelly, Christine R. Lattin

Faculty Publications

The presence of predators can cause major changes in animal behavior, but how this interacts with hormonal state and brain activity is poorly understood. We gave female house sparrows (Passer domesticus) in post-molt condition an estradiol (n = 17) or empty implant (n = 16) for 1 week. Four weeks after implant removal, a time when female sparrows show large differences in neuronal activity to conspecific vs. heterospecific song, we exposed birds to either 30 min of conspecific song or predator calls, and video recorded their behavior. Females were then euthanized, and we examined neuronal activity using the expression of …

The Use Of Single-Cell Sequencing To Reveal Stem/Progenitor Cells In Animal Organ Regeneration, Suxiang Lu, Igor Schneider, Honghui Zeng, Shunping He

Faculty Publications

Advances in single-cell sequencing technologies have made it possible to reveal the cellular basis of complex organ regeneration processes. In this review, we briefly introduce commonly used high-throughput single-cell sequencing platforms and their characteristics. We discuss in depth how single-cell sequencing techniques can be used in the study of regeneration to reveal stem/progenitor cell types and their developmental trajectories. From the perspective of stem cells, we review animal models of regenerative biology and organ models involved in regenerative medicine, with a focus on limb/fin/digit-tip regeneration. Finally, we discuss previous prospective work on improving systematic approaches to explore the origin and …

Genotypic Variation Of Adaptive And Yield Component Traits Of Introduced Grain Oats (Avena Sativa L.) Grown In Bangladesh, Md Nashir Uddin, Md Ali Babar, Stephen A. Harrison, Ummea Khairun Fatema, S. M.Mostafa Kamal Khan

Faculty Publications

Oat (Avena sativa L.) is considered a nutritious cereal. Its demand has surged across the globe steadily for half a decade, including in Bangladesh. Because there is no local variety, the current supply in Bangladesh solely relies on imports. This study aimed to introduce grain oats from the United States of America (U.S.A.) to Bangladesh and determine the extent of their adaptability and yield in this new environment. One hundred oat accessions were introduced in collaboration between North South University, Bangladesh and the University of Florida, U.S.A. They were evaluated in field conditions from November 2019 to April 2020 in …

Germplasm The Key Factor For Development Of Oat Cultivars Urs Olada And Urs Poente, Marcelo Teixeira Pacheco, Stephen Harrison, Luiz Carlos Federizzi

Faculty Publications

Cultivars URS OLADA and URS POENTE, with superior agronomic performance were bred by the Oat Breeding Program of UFRGS. These cultivars were developed using germplasm from the Quaker Oat International Nursery, a long-term collaborative program of open exchange of oats superior germplasm among breeders in a global scale.

Leaky Gut And The Ingredients That Help Treat It: A Review, Ricardo Santos Aleman, Marvin Moncada, Kayanush J. Aryana

Faculty Publications

The human body is in daily contact with potentially toxic and infectious substances in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The GIT has the most significant load of antigens. The GIT can protect the intestinal integrity by allowing the passage of beneficial agents and blocking the path of harmful substances. Under normal conditions, a healthy intestinal barrier prevents toxic elements from entering the blood stream. However, factors such as stress, an unhealthy diet, excessive alcohol, antibiotics, and drug consumption can compromise the composition of the intestinal microbiota and the homeostasis of the intestinal barrier function of the intestine, leading to increased intestinal …

Classification Of Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria Inoculation Status And Prediction Of Growth-Related Traits In Tropical Maize Using Hyperspectral Image And Genomic Data, Rafael Massahiro Yassue, Giovanni Galli, Roberto Fritsche-Neto, Gota Morota

Faculty Publications

Recent technological advances in high-throughput phenotyping have created new opportunities for the prediction of complex traits. In particular, phenomic prediction using hyperspectral reflectance could capture various signals that affect phenotypes genomic prediction might not explain. A total of 360 inbred maize (Zea mays L.) lines with or without plant growth-promoting bacterial inoculation management under nitrogen stress were evaluated using 150 spectral wavelengths ranging from 386 to 1,021 nm and 13,826 single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Six prediction models were explored to assess the predictive ability of hyperspectral and genomic data for inoculation status and plant growth-related traits. The best models for hyperspectral prediction …

On The Usefulness Of Mock Genomes To Define Heterotic Pools, Testers, And Hybrid Predictions In Orphan Crops, Ingrid Pinheiro Machado, Júlio César Dovale, Felipe Sabadin, Roberto Fritsche-Neto

Faculty Publications

The advances in genomics in recent years have increased the accuracy and efficiency of breeding programs for many crops. Nevertheless, the adoption of genomic enhancement for several other crops essential in developing countries is still limited, especially for those that do not have a reference genome. These crops are more often called orphans. This is the first report to show how the results provided by different platforms, including the use of a simulated genome, called the mock genome, can generate in population structure and genetic diversity studies, especially when the intention is to use this information to support the formation …

Key Parameters Linking Cyber-Physical Trust Anchors With Embedded Internet Of Things Systems, Michele Maasberg, Leslie G. Butler, Ian Taylor

Faculty Publications

Integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the automotive industry has brought benefits as well as security challenges. Significant benefits include enhanced passenger safety and more comprehensive vehicle performance diagnostics. However, current onboard and remote vehicle diagnostics do not include the ability to detect counterfeit parts. A method is needed to verify authentic parts along the automotive supply chain from manufacture through installation and to coordinate part authentication with a secure database. In this study, we develop an architecture for anti-counterfeiting in automotive supply chains. The core of the architecture consists of a cyber-physical trust anchor and authentication mechanisms …

Maternal Restricted- And Over- Feeding During Gestation Perturb Offspring Sperm Epigenome In Sheep, Linkai Zhu, Nicole Tillquist, Giovanna Scatolin, Rachael Gately, Mia Kawaida, Amanda Reiter, Sarah Reed, Steven Zinn, Kristen Govoni, Zongliang Jiang

Faculty Publications

In brief: Inadequate maternal nutrition during gestation can have immediate and lifelong effects on offspring. This study shows that maternal restricted - and over- nutrition during gestation do not affect semen characteristics in F1 male offspring but alters offspring sperm sncRNA profiles and DNA methylome in sheep. Abstract: There is a growing body of evidence that inadequate maternal nutrition during gestation can have immediate and lifelong effects on offspring. However, little is known about the effects of maternal nutrition during gestation on male offspring reproduction. Here, using a sheep model of maternal restricted - and over - nutrition (60 or …

The Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 (Hsv-1) Vaccine Strain Vc2 Causes Intratumor Infiltration Of Functionally Active T Cells And Inhibition Of Tumor Metastasis And Pro-Tumor Genes Vegf And Pdl1 Expression In The 4t1/Balb/C Mouse Model Of Stage Four Breast Cancer, Rafiq Nabi, Farhana Musarrat, Jose Cesar Jose, Ingeborg M. Langohr, Vladimir N. Chouljenko, Konstantin G. Kousoulas

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Oncolytic viruses (OVs) provide new modalities for cancer therapy either alone or in combination with synergistic immunotherapies and/or chemotherapeutics. Engineered Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 (HSV-1) has shown strong promise for the treatment of various cancers in experimental animal models as well as in human patients, with some virus strains licensed to treat human melanoma and gliomas. In the present study we evaluated the efficacy of mutant HSV-1 (VC2) in a late stage, highly metastatic 4T1 murine syngeneic. Method: VC2 was constructed VC2 using double red recombination technology. For in-vivo efficacy we utilized a late stage 4T1 syngeneic and immunocompetent …

Energetic Budget Of Diploid And Triploid Eastern Oysters During A Summer Die-Off, Sarah Bodenstein, Sandra M. Casas, Terrence R. Tiersch, Jerome F. La Peyre

Faculty Publications

Triploid oysters are widely used in off-bottom aquaculture of eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica. However, farmers of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and Atlantic coast estuaries have observed unresolved, late-spring die-offs of triploid oysters, threatening the sustainability of triploid aquaculture. To investigate this, the physiological processes underlying oyster growth (e.g., feeding, respiration) and mortality of one-year-old diploid and triploid oysters were compared in early summer following an uptick in mortality. It was predicted that higher triploid mortality was the result of energetic imbalances (increased metabolic demands and decreased feeding behavior). Oyster clearance rates, percentage of time valves were open, absorption efficiency, …

Sodium Propionate Or Sodium Butyrate Promotes Fatty Acid Oxidation In Hepg2 Cells Under Oxidative Stress, Kristina J. Cook, Ann Coulter, Michael Keenan, Frank Greenway, Jack N. Losso

Faculty Publications

The beneficial effects of sodium butyrate (NaB) and sodium propionate (NaP) on fatty acid oxidation (FAO) genes and production of proinflammatory cytokines related to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were evaluated using HepG2 human liver hepatocellular carcinoma cells exposed to palmitate/oleate or lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) as a model. The results showed that NaP or NaB was able to promote FAO, regulate lipolysis, and reduce reactive oxygen species production by significantly increasing the mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 alpha (CPT1α), fibroblast growth factor 21 …

Novel Liquor-Based Hot Sauce: Physicochemical Attributes, Volatile Compounds, Sensory Evaluation, Consumer Perception, Emotions, And Purchase Intent, Ricardo S. Aleman, Jhunior A. Marcía, Ismael Montero-Fernández, Joan King, Shirin Kazemzadeh Pournaki, Roberta Targino Hoskin, Marvin Moncada

Faculty Publications

Hot sauces are popular peppery condiments used to add flavor and sensory excitement to gastronomical preparations. While hot sauce occupies a retail category well over a century old, a novel production method using liquor as the base preservative rather than traditional vinegar is now commercially available, and its uniqueness begs study. Hot sauces produced with tequila, rum, vodka, and bourbon were compared to traditional vinegar-based hot sauces concerning physicochemical properties, volatile compounds, microbiological quality, sensory scores, emotions, and purchase intent (PI). Under accelerated conditions, pH, titratable acidity (TA), water activity (Aw), viscosity, and color were analyzed weekly for 20 weeks, …

Louisiana Survey 2023, Lsu Reilly Center For Media & Public Affairs

Reilly Center Louisiana Surveys

The 2023 Louisiana Survey is the twenty-first in an annual series of statewide surveys beginning in 2003 and sponsored by the Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs at Louisiana State University’s Manship School of Mass Communication.

Reflecting the continuing evolution of survey research, we used two approaches for this year’s survey. First, we used our traditional probability-sampling approach to draw landline and cell phone numbers for a live-interview telephone survey. Second, in partnership with the research firm YouGov, we administered an online survey to a nonprobability sample of Louisiana residents who participate in the YouGov panel. We use statistical …

Serum Mannan-Binding Lectin-Associated Serine Proteases In Early Pregnancy For Gestational Diabetes In Chinese Pregnant Women, Ming Gao, Jing Li, Rui Zhang, Ninghua Li, Weiqin Li, Shuang Zhang, Peng Wang, Hui Wang, Zhongze Fang, Zhijie Yu, Gang Hu, Junhong Leng, Xilin Yang

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Aims: This study aimed to explore associations of mannan-binding lectin-associated serine protease (MASP) levels in early pregnancy with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We also examined interactions of MASPs and deoxycholic acid (DCA)/glycoursodeoxycholic acid (GUDCA) for the GDM risk and whether the interactive effects if any on the GDM risk were mediated via lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) 18:0. Materials and methods: A 1:1 case-control study (n = 414) nested in a prospective cohort of pregnant women was conducted in Tianjin, China. Binary conditional logistic regressions were performed to examine associations of MASPs with the GDM risk. Additive interaction measures were used to examine …

Editorial: Exercise, Diabetes And Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease, Yang Sun, Chao Sun, Gang Hu, Yun Shen

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Part I — Introduction: Social Physics And The Vespace Project, Jeffrey M. Leichman, Ben Samuel

Faculty Publications

This article introduces the VESPACE project, an international, multi-disciplinary digital humanities initiative to build a computer-mediated playable simulation—a video game—of the eighteenth-century Paris Fair theatre. As part of this project, a weeklong postgraduate workshop was convened by the authors in May 2020 to develop protocols and procedures for coding literary and historical data for the Ensemble social physics engine that will govern behaviour of non-player characters (NPCs) in the interactive model. This article lays out the history and theory of social physics, the potential impacts of this project on historiographic practice, and the methodology and outcomes of the workshop week. …

The Rise Of Native Lordships At Pashash, A.D. 200–600, North Highlands Of Ancash, Peru, George F. Lau, Milton Luján Dávila, Jacob L. Bongers, David Chicoine

Faculty Publications

This article examines the rise of native, segmentary lordships in the highlands of north-central Peru. It reports on new excavations and mapping at the seat of a prehispanic polity, Pashash (Recuay culture), a large hilltop center that developed after the collapse of Chavín civilization. Fieldwork revealed monumental constructions and two special activity contexts radiocarbon-dated to ca. a.d. 200–400: an offering area in a large palatial compound and a room-complex with chambers closed off and sealed with feasting refuse. Multiple lines of evidence help reconstruct a regional picture for the establishment of wealthy local elites. Cultural innovations explicitly link new leaders …

Briquetage And Brine: Living And Working At The Classic Maya Salt Works Of Ek Way Nal, Belize, Heather Mckillop, E. Cory Sills

Faculty Publications

Systematic flotation survey and spatial analysis of artifacts at the submerged salt work of Ek Way Nal reveal evidence of a residence, salt kitchens, and additional activities. Ek Way Nal is one of 110 salt works associated with a Late to Terminal Classic (A.D. 600-900) salt industry known as the Paynes Creek Salt Works. Wooden posts that form the walls of 10 buildings are remarkably preserved in a peat bog below the sea floor providing an opportunity to examine surface artifacts in relation to buildings. Numerous salt kitchens have been located at the Paynes Creek Salt Works by evidence of …

Disparities In Spatial Accessibility Of Primary Care In Louisiana: From Physical To Virtual Accessibility, Fahui Wang, Yutian Zeng, Lingbo Liu, Tracy Onega

Faculty Publications

Telehealth has been widely employed and has transformed how healthcare is delivered in the United States as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. While telehealth is utilized and encouraged to reduce the cost and travel burden for access to healthcare, there are debates on whether telehealth can promote equity in healthcare services by narrowing the gap among diverse groups. Using the Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (2SFCA) and Two-Step Virtual Catchment Area (2SVCA) methods, this study compares the disparities of physical and virtual access to primary care physicians (PCPs) in Louisiana. Both physical and virtual access to PCPs exhibit similar spatial patterns …

A Cyclically Adjusted Spatio-Temporal Kernel Density Estimation Method For Predictive Crime Hotspot Analysis, Ya Han, Yujie Hu, Haojie Zhu, Fahui Wang

Faculty Publications

This paper presents a new method for predictive crime hotspot analysis that further improves the kernel density estimation (KDE) method and the spatio-temporal kernel density estimation (STKDE) method by accounting for temporal crime cycles and is therefore termed the ‘cyclically adjusted STKDE (cSTKDE) method’. The case study on robbery incidents in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, shows a temporal cycle with a 6-month period of statistical significance from January 2010 to May 2018. This identified period is incorporated into the temporal kernel function of the new cSTKDE method. For validation, the Forecast Accuracy Index (FAI) and Forecast Precision Index (FPI) are used …

Exploring The Spatial Autocorrelation In Soil Moisture Networks: Analysis Of The Bias From Upscaling The Texas Soil Observation Network (Txson), Yaping Xu, Cuiling Liu, Lei Wang, Lei Zou

Faculty Publications

Microwave remote sensing such as soil moisture active passive (SMAP) can provide soil moisture data for agricultural and hydrological studies. However, the scales between station-measured and satellite-measured products are quite different, as stations measure on a point scale while satellites have a much larger footprint (e.g., 9 km). Consequently, the validation for soil moisture products, especially inter-comparison between these two types of observations, is quite a challenge. Spatial autocorrelation among the stations could be a contribution of bias, which impacts the dense soil moisture networks when compared with satellite soil moisture products. To examine the effects of spatial autocorrelation to …

Reconsidering The Good Of Improving Accountability, Roy L. Heidelberg

Faculty Publications

Among the rhetorical pleas that follow most instances of public dissatisfaction is the call for more or better accountability. Accountability is a lauded notion, a “golden concept” that is considered widely as critical to the success of democratic government. Such pleas, I will argue, are misplaced. Rather than starting from the premise of accountability as an idea that no one can be against, I consider the possibility that accountability undermines the very notion it ostensibly promotes: self-government. The concept of accountability in modern political theory is tied more closely to the emergence of an impersonal administrative state than it is …

Between Black Mothers And Daughters: A Critical Intergenerational Duoethnography On The Silence Of Health Disparities And Hope Of Loud Healing, Asha S. Winfield, Hope Hickerson, Deshara C. Doub, Ann R. Winfield, Brigitte Mcphatter

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Black American women's health outcomes have been altered by a number of factors. Those factors include social determinants of health, lack of culturally competent healthcare providers, and generations of medical racism leading to prolonged pain, delayed care, and sometimes, untimely deaths. Methods: This original research article centers Southern Black women's lived experiences through family storytelling. We explored generations of health narratives in regard to age, region, and at times, their own acts of silence. Building from theorizing on loud healing, two Black daughters turned the mic on for their mothers by engaging in a critical intergenerational double duoethnography to …

Prep On Tiktok: Benefits, Barriers, And Possibilities, Joseph Schwartz, Josh Grimm, Cameron Jamison

Faculty Publications

HIV remains a serious problem in the U.S. particularly for men who have sex with men. PrEP is an intervention that can dramatically decrease the risk of HIV infection. Because rates of PrEP adoption have been lower than anticipated, researchers have called for new tactics for promoting PrEP. For this reason, we analyzed PrEP messaging on TikTok. In an analysis guided by the Health Belief Model, we found that discussions of PrEP benefits and barriers were most common on TikTok. Severity and susceptibility were least common. We distilled these findings into suggestions for promoting PrEP adoption.