Digital Commons Network^™

Fam222a Encodes A Protein Which Accumulates In Plaques In Alzheimer’S Disease, Tingxiang Yan, Jingjing Liang, Ju Gao, Luwen Wang, Hisashi Fujioka, Michael W. Weiner, Norbert Schuff, Howard J. Rosen, Bruce L. Miller, David Perry, Paul Aisen, Paul Aisen, Arthur W. Toga, Gustavo Jimenez, Michael Donohue, Devon Gessert, Kelly Harless, Jennifer Salazar, Yuliana Cabrera, Sarah Walter, Lindsey Hergesheimer, Karen Crawford, Scott Neu, Lon S. Schneider, Sonia Pawluczyk, Mauricio Becerra, Liberty Teodoro, Bryan M. Spann, Ronald Petersen, Clifford R. Jack, Matthew Bernstein, Bret Borowski, Jeff Gunter, Matt Senjem

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by amyloid plaques and progressive cerebral atrophy. Here, we report FAM222A as a putative brain atrophy susceptibility gene. Our cross-phenotype association analysis of imaging genetics indicates a potential link between FAM222A and AD-related regional brain atrophy. The protein encoded by FAM222A is predominantly expressed in the CNS and is increased in brains of patients with AD and in an AD mouse model. It accumulates within amyloid deposits, physically interacts with amyloid-β (Aβ) via its N-terminal Aβ binding domain, and facilitates Aβ aggregation. Intracerebroventricular infusion or forced expression of this protein exacerbates neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunction …

Influence Of Energy Removal Rate On The Quality Of Minced Meat From Undersized Crawfish During Frozen Storage, Franklin Bonilla, Vondel Reyes, Alexander Chouljenko, Bennett Dzandu, Subramaniam Sathivel

Faculty Publications

Abstract: Undersized crawfish have little economic value and are often discarded. Producing crawfish minced meat (CMM) from undersized crawfish and using an appropriate freezing technique may enable an economically viable market. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of the energy removal rate using two techniques, cryogenic freezing (CF) and air blast freezing (BF), on CMM’s quality during frozen storage. CMM was separated into two batches; one batch was cryogenically frozen with liquid nitrogen and the other batch was frozen with an air blast freezer. CMM batches were frozen and stored at − 18 °C. They were …

Characterization Of Haplotype Diversity In The Badh2 Aroma Gene And Development Of A Kasp Snp Assay For Predicting Aroma In U.S. Rice, Christopher K. Addison, Brijesh Angira, Manoch Kongchum, Dustin L. Harrell, Niranjan Baisakh, Steven D. Linscombe, Adam N. Famoso

Faculty Publications

Background: Aroma is an important grain quality trait in rice, controlled by mutations within the BADH2 gene. The trait is simply inherited, and its importance in variety development makes it a practical target for marker-assisted selection in applied breeding programs. The predominant functional mutation within BADH2, an 8-bp indel, can be reliably detected using a PCR-based assay, but the available assays and associated genotyping platforms are insufficient for large-scale applied molecular breeding applications and are not compatible with outsourcing genotyping services. Results: We first characterized SNP diversity across the BADH2 gene in a collection of 2932 rice varieties to determine …

Self-Generating Lower Bounds And Continuation For The Boltzmann Equation, Christopher Henderson, Stanley Snelson, Andrei Tarfulea

Faculty Publications

For the spatially inhomogeneous, non-cutoff Boltzmann equation posed in the whole space Rx3, we establish pointwise lower bounds that appear instantaneously even if the initial data contains vacuum regions. Our lower bounds depend only on the initial data and upper bounds for the mass and energy densities of the solution. As an application, we improve the weakest known continuation criterion for large-data solutions, by removing the assumptions of mass bounded below and entropy bounded above.

On Two Families Of Funk-Type Transforms, M. Agranovsky, B. Rubin

Faculty Publications

We consider two families of Funk-type transforms that assign to a function on the unit sphere the integrals of that function over spherical sections by planes of fixed dimension. Transforms of the first kind are generated by planes passing through a fixed center outside the sphere. Similar transforms with interior center and with center on the sphere itself we studied in previous publications. Transforms of the second kind, or the parallel slice transforms, correspond to planes that are parallel to a fixed direction. We show that the Funk-type transforms with exterior center express through the parallel slice transforms and the …

Relationship Between The 24-Hour Movement Guidelines And Fundamental Motor Skills In Preschoolers, Chelsea L. Kracht, E. Kipling Webster, Amanda E. Staiano

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Objectives: To examine the association among 24-Hour Movement Guidelines and fundamental motor skills (FMS) in preschoolers. Design: Prospective cohort study with one-year follow-up. Methods: Parents of 3−4-year-old children reported child age, sex, race, and time spent viewing screens (hours/day). Accelerometers measured preschooler physical activity (PA) and sleep. The 24-Hour Movement Guidelines were examined (≥3 h/day total PA including ≥1 h/day of moderate-to-vigorous [MVPA], 10−13 h/day of sleep, and ≤1 h/day of screen-time). Trained researchers administered the Test of Gross Motor Development-Third Edition (TGMD-3) to assess FMS. Linear regression was used to assess guidelines met and raw locomotor, ball skills, and …

Effects Of Landscape, Soils, And Weather On Yields, Nitrogen Use, And Profitability With Sensor-Based Variable Rate Nitrogen Management In Cotton, James A. Larson, Melissa Stefanini, Xinhua Yin, Christopher N. Boyer, Dayton M. Lambert, Xia Vivian Zhou, Brenda S. Tubaña, Peter Scharf, Jac J. Varco, David J. Dunn, Hubert J. Savoy, Michael J. Buschermohle

Faculty Publications

Farmers may be reluctant to adopt variable rate nitrogen (VRN) management because of uncertain profits. This study assessed field landscape, soil, and weather effects on optical sensing (OS)-based VRN on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) N rates, yields, and net returns (NRs). Field data were collected from 21 locations in Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee, USA, between 2011 and 2014. Data included yields, N rates, and NRs for the farmer practice (FP), OS-based VRN, and OS-based VRN supplemented with other information. Production data were augmented with landscape, soils, and weather data, and ANOVA and logistic regressions were used to identify field …

Muscadine Or Amla Extracts Standardized To Ellagic Acid Content Ameliorate Glucolipotoxicity Associated Β-Cell Dysfunction Via Inhibition Of Il-1Β And Improved Insulin Secretion, Srikanth Earpina, Karen Mcdonough, Millicent Yeboah-Awudzi, Kristina J. Cook, Sita Aggarwal, Jack N. Losso

Faculty Publications

Glucolipotocixity induces IL-1 β secretion which impairs pancreatic β-cell insulin secretion. Ellagic acid and urolithin A have strong anti-inflammatory effect on cells. Muscadine and amla are very good sources of ellagic acid. The present study examined the effect of ellagic acid, ellagic acid-rich muscadine or amla extract, or urolothin A on inflammation in β cells under glucolipotoxic conditions. Rat NIT-1 β cells were incubated in glucolipotoxic conditions (33.3 mM glucose, 250 μM palmitic acid or 33.3 mM glucose + 250 μM palmitic acid with or without ellagic acid, ellagic acid-rich muscadine or amla extracts standardized to its ellagic acid content, …

Evaluating The Implementation Of The Switch® School Wellness Intervention And Capacity-Building Process Through Multiple Methods, Gabriella M. Mcloughlin, Priscila Candal, Spyridoula Vazou, Joey A. Lee, David A. Dzewaltowski, Richard R. Rosenkranz, Lorraine Lanningham-Foster, Douglas A. Gentile, Laura Liechty, Senlin Chen, Gregory J. Welk

Faculty Publications

Background: School wellness programming is important for promoting healthy lifestyles and academic achievement in youth; however, research is needed on methods that can help schools implement and sustain such programs on their own. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors within and outside the school environment that influenced school capacity for implementation and potential sustainability of wellness programming. Methods: As part of the School Wellness Integration Targeting Child Health (SWITCH®) intervention, elementary school wellness teams (N = 30) were guided through a capacity-building process focused on promoting the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors in students. Data on implementation …

On Subdiagonal Rational Pade Approximations And The Brenner-Thomee Approximation Theorem For Operator Semigroups, Frank Neubrander, Koray Ozer, Lee Windsperger

Faculty Publications

The computational powers of Mathematica are used to prove polynomial identities that are essential to obtain growth estimates for subdiagonal rational Pade approximations of the exponential function and to obtain new estimates of the constants of the Brenner-Thomee Approximation Theorem of Semigroup Theory.

Fitting Partially Linear Functional-Coefficient Panel-Data Models With Stata, Kerui Du, Yonghui Zhang, Qiankun Zhou

Faculty Publications

In this article, we describe the implementation of fitting partially linear functional-coefficient panel models with fixed effects proposed by An, Hsiao, and Li [2016, Semiparametric estimation of partially linear varying coefficient panel data models in Essays in Honor of Aman Ullah (Advances in Econometrics, Volume 36)] and Zhang and Zhou (Forthcoming, Econometric Reviews). Three new commands xtplfc, ivxtplfc, and xtdplfc are introduced and illustrated through Monte Carlo simulations to exemplify the effectiveness of these estimators.

Using Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports To Address Suspension Concerns, Joseph B. Ryan, Paul Mooney

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Author Correction: Past Continental Shelf Evolution Increased Antarctic Ice Sheet Sensitivity To Climatic Conditions (Scientific Reports, (2018), 8, 1, (11323), 10.1038/S41598-018-29718-7), Florence Colleoni, Laura De Santis, Enea Montoli, Elisabetta Olivo, Christopher C. Sorlien, Philip J. Bart, Edward G.W. Gasson, Andrea Bergamasco, Chiara Sauli, Nigel Wardell, Stefano Prato

Faculty Publications

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Evidence Of Metasomatism In The Interior Of Vesta, Ai Cheng Zhang, Noriyuki Kawasaki, Huiming Bao, Jia Liu, Liping Qin, Minami Kuroda, Jian Feng Gao, Li Hui Chen, Ye He, Naoya Sakamoto, Hisayoshi Yurimoto

Faculty Publications

© 2020, The Author(s). Diogenites are a group of meteorites that are derived from the interior of the largest protoplanet Vesta. They provide a unique opportunity to understanding together the internal structure and dynamic evolution of this protoplanet. Northwest Africa (NWA) 8321 was suggested to be an unbrecciated noritic diogenite meteorite, which is confirmed by our oxygen and chromium isotopic data. Here, we find that olivine in this sample has been partly replaced by orthopyroxene, troilite, and minor metal. The replacement texture of olivine is unambiguous evidence of sulfur-involved metasomatism in the interior of Vesta. The presence of such replacement …

First-Principles Computation Of Diffusional Mg Isotope Fractionation In Silicate Melts, Haiyang Luo, Bijaya B. Karki, Dipta B. Ghosh, Huiming Bao

Faculty Publications

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd Diffusional isotope fractionation occurs in geochemical processes (such as magma mixing, bubble growth, and crystal growth), even at magmatic temperatures. Isotopic mass dependence of diffusion is commonly expressed as [Formula presented], where Di and Dj are diffusion coefficients of two isotopes whose masses are mi and mj. How the dimensionless empirical parameter β depends on temperature, pressure, and composition remains poorly constrained. Here, we conducted a series of first-principles molecular dynamics simulations to evaluate the β factor of Mg isotopes in MgSiO3 and Mg2SiO4 melts using pseudo-isotope method. In particular, we considered interactions between Mg isotopes …

Evidence Of Metasomatism In The Interior Of Vesta, Ai Cheng Zhang, Noriyuki Kawasaki, Huiming Bao, Jia Liu, Liping Qin, Minami Kuroda, Jian Feng Gao, Li Hui Chen, Ye He, Naoya Sakamoto, Hisayoshi Yurimoto

Faculty Publications

© 2020, The Author(s). Diogenites are a group of meteorites that are derived from the interior of the largest protoplanet Vesta. They provide a unique opportunity to understanding together the internal structure and dynamic evolution of this protoplanet. Northwest Africa (NWA) 8321 was suggested to be an unbrecciated noritic diogenite meteorite, which is confirmed by our oxygen and chromium isotopic data. Here, we find that olivine in this sample has been partly replaced by orthopyroxene, troilite, and minor metal. The replacement texture of olivine is unambiguous evidence of sulfur-involved metasomatism in the interior of Vesta. The presence of such replacement …

Exceptional Sulfur And Iron Isotope Enrichment In Millimetre-Sized, Early Palaeozoic Animal Burrows, Dario Harazim, Joonas J. Virtasalo, Kathryn C. Denommee, Nicolas Thiemeyer, Yann Lahaye, Martin J. Whitehouse

Faculty Publications

© 2020, The Author(s). Pyrite-δ34S and -δ56Fe isotopes represent highly sensitive diagnostic paleoenvironmental proxies that express high variability at the bed (< 10 mm) scale that has so far defied explanation by a single formative process. This study reveals for the first time the paleoenvironmental context of exceptionally enriched pyrite-δ34S and -δ56Fe in bioturbated, storm-reworked mudstones of an early Ordovician storm-dominated delta (Tremadocian Beach Formation, Bell Island Group, Newfoundland). Very few studies provide insight into the low-temperature sulfur and iron cycling from bioturbated muddy settings for time periods prior to the evolution of deep soil horizons on land. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) analyses performed on Beach Formation muddy storm event beds reveal spatially distinct δ34S and δ56Fe values in: (a) tubular biogenic structures and trails (δ34S ~ +40‰; δ56Fe ~ −0.5‰), (b) silt-filled Planolites burrows (δ34S ~ +40‰; δ56Fe ~ +0.5 to + 2.1‰), and (c) non-bioturbated mudstone (δ34S ~ +35‰; δ56Fe ~ +0.5‰). δ34S values of well above + 40.0‰ indicate at least some pyrite precipitation in the presence of a 34S-depleted pore water sulfide reservoir, via closed system (Raleigh-type) fractionation. The preferential enrichment of 56Fe in Planolites burrows is best explained via microbially-driven liberation of Fe(II) from solid iron parent phases and precipitation from a depleted 54Fe dissolved Fe(II) reservoir. Rigorous sedimentological analysis represents a gateway to critically test the paleoenvironmental models describing the formation of a wide range of mudstones and elucidates the origins of variability in the global stable S and Fe isotope record.

Understanding Impacts Of Groundwater Dynamics On Flooding And Levees In Greater New Orleans, Shuo Yang, Frank T.C. Tsai

Faculty Publications

Study region: The Greater New Orleans in southeastern Louisiana, USA. Study focus: Flooding is a major threat to New Orleans due to its geographic location and geologic condition. However, potential groundwater flooding is seldom studied and poorly understood. This study investigated potential groundwater flooding and seepage-induced hazards to levees in New Orleans. High-fidelity stratigraphy and groundwater models were developed to investigate groundwater dynamics and identify areas prone to groundwater flooding and low levee factor of safety. New hydrological insights for the region: The stratigraphy model showed that 74 % of shallow sediments in New Orleans are fine grains and noticeable …

Pressure Falloff Testing To Characterize Co2 Plume And Dry-Out Zone During Co2 Injection In Saline Aquifers, Mohamed Abdelaal, Mehdi Zeidouni

Faculty Publications

The fluid mobilities and the lateral extent of the CO2 plume and the dry-out zone are among important unknowns required to effectively manage CO2 storage in saline aquifers projects. These unknowns can be derived from pressure falloff testing which has been widely used to characterize the subsurface. This work provides a three-region analytical solution for falloff pressure during the infinite-acting period of CO2 injection in saline aquifers. The solution is derived using Laplace transformation technique of the governing diffusivity equations and the accompanying initial and boundary conditions. The exact solution is validated against numerical results obtained from a black-oil reservoir …

Development Of A Self-Powered Weigh-In-Motion System, Athanassios Papagiannakis, Sarah Ahmed, Samer Dessouky, Reza Khalili, Gopal Vishwakarma

Publications

This report describes the development of a novel weigh-in-motion (WIM) system that utilizes piezoelectric elements for sensing load and powering an ultra-low power microcontroller unit (MCU) that serves as its data acquisition system. A system of 4 piezoelectric (PZT) stacks serves as the energy harvester, while load sensing is done via a set of 4 PZT elements connected in parallel. Two alternative MCUs were considered, with various data handling capabilities and power consumption requirements. These MCUs have very short “wake-up” times allowing vehicle sensing without the need for inductive loops commonly used in conventional WIM systems. Special electric circuits were …

Variedades: Intermediate/Advanced Spanish Conversation, Carmela V. Mattza

Faculty Publications

VARIEDADES is a Spanish conversation book for the student at the intermediate / advanced intermediate level (DELE nivel B2). Through audiovisual activities, the student is expected to put their previous knowledge into practice and continue to develop their ability to understand, write, listen and speak in Spanish.

VARIEDADES offers communicative activities that can be easily adapted into courses of different levels. In addition, it offers an appendix of activities with films and a Spanish grammar section that by subject directs the student to electronic databases that are freely accessible or are part of the Open Access platform

Covariant Quantum White Noise From Light-Like Quantum Fields, Radhakrishnan Balu

Journal of Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

Resonant Propagation Of X Rays From The Linear To The Nonlinear Regime, Kai Li, Marie Labeye, Phay J. Ho, Mette B. Gaarde, Linda Young

Faculty Publications

We present a theoretical study of temporal, spectral, and spatial reshaping of intense, ultrafast x-ray pulses propagating through a resonant medium. Our calculations are based on the solution of a three-dimensional time-dependent Schrödinger-Maxwell equation, with the incident x-ray photon energy on resonance with the core-level 1s-3p transition in neon. We study the evolution of the combined incident and medium-generated field, including the effects of stimulated emission, absorption, ionization, and Auger decay, as a function of the input pulse energy and duration. We find that stimulated Raman scattering between core-excited states 1s-13p and 2p-13p occurs at high x-ray intensity, and that …

Contact-Type Endoscope Sers Probe, And Related Methods, Martin Feldman, Dooyoung Hah

College of Engineering Patents

A contact-type endoscope surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) probe includes a gradient-index (GRIN) lens, a transparent substrate adhered to the GRIN lens, and a rough metallic layer adhered to an opposite side of the transparent substrate from the GRIN lens. The GRIN lens focuses light from a Raman spectrometer onto the rough metallic layer, and the rough metallic layer is positioned at the distal end of the contact-type endoscope SERS probe.

Differential Lead Accumulation In Brassica Juncea, Brassica Rapa, And Lactuca Sativa And Evaluation Of Ground Level Barriers To Prevent Lead Contamination Of Produce Grown In Raised Beds, Celine Vera Richard

LSU Master's Theses

High lead (Pb) contamination of soils is a threat to human health. Urban area soils are frequently contaminated with lead from settling of gasoline exhaust, brake dust, and lead paint on homes, old playground equipment, etc. Exposure to soil-lead occurs by ingestion or inhalation and poses an elevated risk for young children. Indirect ingestion can occur through the food chain through activities such as growing certain vegetables with an ability to tolerate and accumulate lead in edible tissues. Many university extension systems recommend growing vegetables in raised beds as a reasonable reduced risk option for avoiding lead accumulation in garden …

Conservation Easement Landowners’ Willingness To Thin The Forest: A Contingent Valuation Approach, Ana Lucia Gutierrez Castillo

LSU Master's Theses

After being subject to several decades of degradation, the bottomland hardwood (BLH) forests within the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV) have undergone landscape-scale restoration regimes through conservation easement programs, such as the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) and now the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program-Wetland Reserve Easement (ACEP-WRE). Reforested easements now require landowners' adoption of forest management practices to fulfill the program's long-term conservation goals and ecosystem services thresholds. Using a contingent valuation (CV) approach, we examine easement landowners' willingness to accept (WTA) to thin their forested easement to enhance forest health and wildlife habitat quality. Results from an interval regression model …

Experiences Of Transgender Men Who Joined National Pan-Hellenic Council Sororities Pre-Transition, Sydney Epps

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) - affectionately known as The Divine Nine - are places of support and leadership development for students. However, these groups espouse traditional gender role themes that align with sexual orientation and gender rigidity. This paper explores how four NPHC members negotiate their identity as both nonbinary or transgender, and Greek. Using the narrative inquiry approach, the researcher will explore how sorority members who no longer identify as cisgender women are treated post-gender transition by other sorority members.

Fluid-Driven Fracture Initiation From Oil And Gas Wells Considering Lifetime Stresses, Andreas Michael

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Fluid-driven fracture initiation from oil and gas wells is examined in detail. The dissertation covers three subtopics: drilling, completion (stimulations), and post-blowout capping-induced fracture initiation.

Drilling-induced tensile fractures (DITFs) are located in an azimuth orthogonal to wellbore breakouts and are observed from image logs obtained during drilling operations. Fully analytical criteria for the orientation of DITFs initiating from wells in porous, permeable media are derived considering fluid infiltration from a pressurized wellbore. DITF orientation (longitudinal or transverse-to-the-wellbore) is used to constrain the magnitude of the local maximum horizontal principal stress. The range of the possible stress states is indicated on …

A Decade Review Of Triphosgene And Its Applications In Organic Reactions, Moshood O. Ganiu, Binod Nepal, Joshua P. Van Houten, Rendy Kartika

Faculty Publications

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd This review article highlights selected advances in triphosgene-enabled organic synthetic reactions that were reported in the decade of 2010–2019. Triphosgene is a versatile reagent in organic synthesis. It serves as a convenient substitute for the toxic phosgene gas. Despite its first known preparation in the late 19th century, the upward surge in the development of organic reactions using triphosgene interestingly began only three decades ago. Despite the relatively short history, triphosgene has been proven to be very useful in facilitating the preparation of a vast scope of value-added compounds, such as organohalides, acid chlorides, isocyanates, carbonyl …

Exuberant Fibroblast Activity Compromises Lung Function Via Adamts4, David F. Boyd, E. Kaitlynn Allen, Adrienne G. Randolph, Xi Zhi J. Guo, Yunceng Weng, Catherine J. Sanders, Resha Bajracharya, Natalie K. Lee, Clifford S. Guy, Peter Vogel, Wenda Guan, Yimin Li, Xiaoqing Liu, Tanya Novak, Margaret M. Newhams, Thomas P. Fabrizio, Nicholas Wohlgemuth, Peter M. Mourani, Michele Kong, Ronald C. Sanders, Katherine Irby, Katri Typpo, Barry Markovitz, Natalie Cvijanovich, Heidi Flori, Adam Schwarz, Nick Anas, Peter Mourani, Angela Czaja, Gwenn Mclaughlin, Matthew Paden, Keiko Tarquinio, Bria M. Coates, Neethi Pinto

Faculty Publications

© 2020, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited. Severe respiratory infections can result in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)1. There are no effective pharmacological therapies that have been shown to improve outcomes for patients with ARDS. Although the host inflammatory response limits spread of and eventually clears the pathogen, immunopathology is a major contributor to tissue damage and ARDS1,2. Here we demonstrate that respiratory viral infection induces distinct fibroblast activation states, which we term extracellular matrix (ECM)-synthesizing, damage-responsive and interferon-responsive states. We provide evidence that excess activity of damage-responsive lung fibroblasts drives lethal immunopathology during severe influenza …