Digital Commons Network^™

Synthetic Aperture Radar Image Recognition Of Armored Vehicles, Christopher Szul, Torrey J. Wagner, Brent T. Langhals

Faculty Publications

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery is not affected by weather and allows for day-and-night observations, however it can be difficult to interpret. This work applies classical and neural network machine learning techniques to perform image classification of SAR imagery. The Moving and Stationary Target Acquisition and Recognition dataset from the Air Force Research Laboratory was used, which contained 2,987 total observations of the BMP-2, BTR-70, and T-72 vehicles. Using a 75%/25% train/test split, the classical model achieved an average multi-class image recognition accuracy of 70%, while a convolutional neural network was able to achieve a 97% accuracy with lower model …

Louisiana Digital Library Collections As Data Outro Survey: Selected Survey Results To Support Reports And Publications, Sl Ziegler, Leah Powell Duncan, Elizabeth Joan Kelly

Faculty Publications

Selected survey results pertaining to the effectiveness of the Louisiana Digital Library Collections as Data grant deliverables.

The Fram Robotic Telescope For Atmospheric Monitoring At The Pierre Auger Observatory, The Pierre Auger Collaboration, A. Aab, P. Abreu, M. Aglietta, J. M. Albury, I. Allekotte, A. Almela, J. Alvarez-Muniz, R. Alves Batista, G. A. Anastasi, L. Anchordoqui, B. Andrada, S. Andringa, C. Aramo, P. R. Araújo Ferreira, J. C. Arteaga Velázquez, H. Asorey, P. Assis, G. Avila, A. M. Badescu, A. Bakalova, A. Balaceanu, F. Barbato, R. J. Barreira Luz, K. H. Becker, J. A. Bellido, C. Berat, M. E. Bertaina, X. Bertou, P. L. Biermann, T. Bister, J. Biteau, J. Blazek

Faculty Publications

FRAM (F/Photometric Robotic Atmospheric Monitor) is a robotic telescope operated at the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina for the purposes of atmospheric monitoring using stellar photometry. As a passive system which does not produce any light that could interfere with the observations of the fluorescence telescopes of the observatory, it complements the active monitoring systems that use lasers. We discuss the applications of stellar photometry for atmospheric monitoring at optical observatories in general and the particular modes of operation employed by the Auger FRAM. We describe in detail the technical aspects of FRAM, the hardware and software requirements for a …

Using Tree-Ring Research To Introduce Students To Geoscience Fieldwork, Clay S. Tucker, Jill C. Trepanier, Pamela B. Blanchard, Ed Bush, James W. Jordan, Mark J. Schafer, John Andrew Nyman

Faculty Publications

Environmental education is key in solving environmental problems and for producing a future workforce capable of solving issues of climate change. Over the last two decades, the Coastal Roots Program at Louisiana State University (LSU) has reached more than 26,676 K-12 students in Louisiana to teach them environmental science and has brought them to restoration sites to plant 194,336 school-grown trees and grasses. The codirectors of Coastal Roots are continually searching for opportunities to enrich the experience of teachers and students in connecting school subjects, Coastal Roots, and stewardship. In school year 2018/19, students in five local schools entered a …

Latest Developments In Insect Sex Pheromone Research And Its Application In Agricultural Pest Management, Syed Arif Hussain Rizvi, Justin George, Gadi V.P. Reddy, Xinnian Zeng, Angel Guerrero

Faculty Publications

Since the first identification of the silkworm moth sex pheromone in 1959, significant research has been reported on identifying and unravelling the sex pheromone mechanisms of hundreds of insect species. In the past two decades, the number of research studies on new insect pheromones, pheromone biosynthesis, mode of action, peripheral olfactory and neural mechanisms, and their practical applications in Integrated Pest Management has increased dramatically. An interdisciplinary approach that uses the advances and new techniques in analytical chemistry, chemical ecology, neurophysiology, genetics, and evolutionary and molecular biology has helped us to better understand the pheromone perception mechanisms and its practical …

Effect Of Informed Conditions On Sensory Expectations And Actual Perceptions: A Case Of Chocolate Brownies Containing Edible-Cricket Protein, Cristhiam Gurdian, Damir Torrico, Bin Li, Georgianna Tuuri, Witoon Prinyawiwatkul

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Deep Learning Enhanced Novel Software Tool For Laryngeal Dynamics Analysis, Andreas M. Kist, Pablo Gómez, Denis Dubrovskiy, Patrick Schlegel, Melda Kunduk, Matthias Echternach, Rita Patel, Marion Semmler, Christopher Bohr, Stephan Dürr, Anne Schützenberger, Michael Döllinger

Faculty Publications

Purpose: High-speed videoendoscopy (HSV) is an emerging, but barely used, endoscopy technique in the clinic to assess and diagnose voice disorders because of the lack of dedicated software to analyze the data. HSV allows to quantify the vocal fold oscillations by segmenting the glottal area. This challenging task has been tackled by various studies; however, the proposed approaches are mostly limited and not suitable for daily clinical routine. Method: We developed a user-friendly software in C# that allows the editing, motion correction, segmentation, and quantitative analysis of HSV data. We further provide pretrained deep neural networks for fully automatic glottis …

Load Balancing For Distributed Nonlocal Models Within Asynchronous Many-Task Systems, Pranav Gadikar, Patrick Diehl, Prashant K. Jha

Faculty Publications

In this work, we consider the challenges of developing a distributed solver for models based on nonlocal interactions. In nonlocal models, in contrast to the local model, such as the wave and heat partial differential equations, the material interacts with neighboring points on a larger-length scale compared to the mesh discretization. In developing a fully distributed solver, the interaction over a length scale greater than mesh size introduces additional data dependencies among the compute nodes and communication bottleneck. In this work, we carefully look at these challenges in the context of nonlocal models; to keep the presentation specific to the …

Using A Global Food Environment Framework To Understand Relationships With Food Choice In Diverse Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Shilpa V. Constantinides, Christopher Turner, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Shiva Bhandari, Ligia I. Reyes, Christine E. Blake

Faculty Publications

This study aimed to determine if the Turner et al. (2018) framework allows researchers to identify and study relationships between food environments and individual food choice in diverse contexts and if updates to the framework are warranted. We mapped evidence from 15 drivers of food choice projects to the framework, using thematic analysis to identify common drivers within the food environment across countries and emergent characteristics not listed in the framework. The framework contained breadth and depth of content necessary to identify common drivers – prices and affordability, availability, and vendor and product properties. Insights regarding common drivers and emergent …

Spiritual Well-Being - A Proactive Resilience Component: Exploring Its Relationship With Practices, Themes, And Other Psychological Well-Being Factors During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Cism-Trained First Responders, Justine Jaeger, Harvey J. Burnett Jr., Kristen R. Witzel

Faculty Publications

Research suggests spiritual resilience may ameliorate the negative effects of exposure to traumatic events among disaster mental health first responders. Our study examined the relationship between spiritual wellness and associated resilience factors among four groups of first responders (law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical services and 911 dispatchers) trained in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) during a global pandemic. Utilizing a mixed methods-survey with transcendental phenomenological design, data was collected from 107 participants with membership in the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) or the Michigan Crisis Response Association (MCRA). Participants completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Spiritual Well-Being Scale-Shortened Version, …

Oocyte Specific Lncrna Variant Rose Influences Oocyte And Embryo Development, Rajan Iyyappan, Daria Aleshkina, Linkai Zhu, Zongliang Jiang, Veronika Kinterova, Andrej Susor

Faculty Publications

Fully grown mammalian oocytes store a large amount of RNA synthesized during the transcriptionally active growth stage. A large part of the stored RNA belongs to the long non-coding class which contain either transcriptional noise or important contributors to cellular physiology. Despite the expanding number of studies related to lncRNAs, their influence on oocyte physiology remains enigmatic. We found an oocyte specific antisense, long non-coding RNA, “Rose” (lncRNA in Oocyte Specifically Expressed) expressed in two variants containing two and three non-coding exons, respectively. Rose is localized in the nucleus of transcriptionally active oocyte and in embryo with polysomal occupancy in …

Creating A Work Environment Conducive To Organizational Learning, Bret Lyman, Marisa E. Biddulph, V Grace Hopper, Morgan K. Horton, Camille R. Mendon

Faculty Publications

Through organizational learning, health care teams can consistently provide excellent patient care in a complex and changing environment. Nurse managers, educators, and other leaders can facilitate organizational learning within their teams by promoting certain contextual factors in the clinical work environment. This article provides an overview of contextual factors associated with organizational learning, includes practice-based examples of these factors, and offers evidence-based recommendations for creating a learning-focused work environment.

Association Of Health Warning Labels And Motivation To Quit Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking Among University Students In The Eastern Mediterranean Region, Dina Farran, Grace Khawam, Rima Nakkash, Juhan Lee, Niveen Abu-Rmeileh, Muhammad W. Darawad, Aya Mostafa, Khalid A. Kheirallah, Mohamed Salama, Randah R. Hamadeh, Jim Thrasher Ph.D., Ma, Ms, Ramzi G. Salloum

Faculty Publications

Introduction:
This study aimed to determine associations between health warning label content and motivation to quit waterpipe smoking by gender and smoking location.

Methods:
Convenience samples of university students in three Eastern Mediterranean countries – Egypt (n=442), Jordan (n=535) and Palestine (n=487) – completed an online survey assessing health warning labels. Multinomial logit regression models were conducted to determine the association between different variables, particularly gender and smoking location, with motivation to quit.

Results:
In Palestine, female smokers were more motivated to quit waterpipe smoking when seeing textual warning labels related to children (T2) and pregnancy (T6) [T2: 1.8 (95% …

Advancing Knowledge About Stakeholder Engagement In Multisectoral Nutrition Research, Andrea M. Warren, Shilpa V. Constantinides, Christine E. Blake, Edward A. Frongillo Jr.

Faculty Publications

Strategies to engage stakeholders increase the relevance of multisectoral nutrition research but are challenging to embed within research programs. Drawing from fifteen food choice studies, the aim of this study was to understand the diversity of strategies that researchers used in engaging with stakeholders to synthesize lessons learned from their experiences. Researchers developed and implemented a wide range of strategies that varied in terms of extent of collaboration sought. Informational strategies were used to increase stakeholder buy-in and generate demand for results. Collaborative strategies were more integral to the production of knowledge and were used in framing research significance, interpreting …

Short-Term Impacts Of 2017 Western North American Wildfires On Meteorology, The Atmosphere's Energy Budget, And Premature Mortality, Diana N. Bernstein, Douglas S. Hamilton, Rosalie Krasnoff, Natalie M. Mahowald, David S. Connelly, Simone Tilmes, Peter G.M. Hess

Faculty Publications

Western North American fires have been increasing in magnitude and severity over the last few decades. The complex coupling of fires with the atmospheric energy budget and meteorology creates short-term feedbacks on regional weather altering the amount of pollution to which Americans are exposed. Using a combination of model simulations and observations, this study shows that the severe fires in the summer of 2017 increased atmospheric aerosol concentrations leading to a cooling of the air at the surface, reductions in sensible heat fluxes, and a lowering of the planetary boundary layer height over land. This combination of lower-boundary layer height …

Perceptions Of Endocrine Therapy In African-American Breast Cancer Survivors: Mixed Methods Study, Sara Donevant, Sue P. Heiney, Cassandra Wineglass, Benjamin Schooley, Akanksha Singh, Jingxi Sheng

Faculty Publications

Background: Although the incidence of breast cancer is lower in African-American women than in White women, African-American women have a decreased survival rate. The difference in survival rate may stem from poor endocrine therapy adherence, which increases breast cancer recurrence. Therefore, accessible and culturally sensitive interventions to increase endocrine therapy adherence are necessary. Objective: The purpose of this concurrent convergent mixed methods study was to provide further data to guide the development of the proposed culturally sensitive mHealth app, STORY+ for African-American women with breast cancer. Methods: We recruited 20 African-American women diagnosed with estrogen-positive breast cancer and currently prescribed …

Current Approaches To The Treatment Of Post-Stroke Aphasia, Julius Fridriksson Ph.D., Argye Elizabeth Hillis

Faculty Publications

Aphasia, impairment of language after stroke or other neurological insult, is a common and often devastating condition that affects nearly every social activity and interaction. Behavioral speech and language therapy is the mainstay of treatment, although other interventions have been introduced to augment the effects of the behavioral therapy. In this narrative review, we discuss advances in aphasia therapy in the last 5 years and focus primarily on properly powered, randomized, controlled trials of both behavioral therapies and interventions to augment therapy for post-stroke aphasia. These trials include evaluation of behavioral therapies and computer-delivered language therapies. We also discuss outcome …

Introduction To The Special Issue On Couples, Families, And Finance, Melissa A. Curran, Ashley B. Lebaron, Xiaomin Li, Casey J. Totenhagen

Faculty Publications

For the nine papers that appear in this special issue, we identified three main organizing themes: (1) Understudied aspects of family financial socialization, (2) Individuals or couples in different-sex romantic relationships, and (3) Finances and perceived parent–child relationships. In this introduction, we describe the main points of each of these papers within each theme. We also discuss what we have learned from these papers (e.g., finances assessed using eight different datasets; range of samples including adults repaying loans, newlywed couples, and a nationally representative sample of U.S. college students) as well as what future research questions remain (e.g., financial studies …

Year-Independent Prediction Of Food Insecurity Using Classical & Neural Network Machine Learning Methods, Caleb Christiansen, Torrey J. Wagner, Brent Langhals

Faculty Publications

Current food crisis predictions are developed by the Famine Early Warning System Network, but they fail to classify the majority of food crisis outbreaks with model metrics of recall (0.23), precision (0.42), and f1 (0.30). In this work, using a World Bank dataset, classical and neural network (NN) machine learning algorithms were developed to predict food crises in 21 countries. The best classical logistic regression algorithm achieved a high level of significance (p < 0.001) and precision (0.75) but was deficient in recall (0.20) and f1 (0.32). Of particular interest, the classical algorithm indicated that the vegetation index and the food price index were both positively correlated with food crises. A novel method for performing an iterative multidimensional hyperparameter search is presented, which resulted in significantly improved performance when applied to this dataset. Four iterations were conducted, which resulted in excellent 0.96 for metrics of precision, recall, and f1. Due to this strong performance, the food crisis year was removed from the dataset to prevent immediate extrapolation when used on future data, and the modeling process was repeated. The best “no year” model metrics remained strong, achieving ≥0.92 for recall, precision, and f1 while meeting a 10% f1 overfitting threshold on the test (0.84) and holdout (0.83) datasets. The year-agnostic neural network model represents a novel approach to classify food crises and outperforms current food crisis prediction efforts.

Ecosytem Services: Delivering Decision-Making For Salt Marshes, Philine S. E. Zu Ermgassen, Ronald Baker, Michael W. Beck, Kate Dodds, Sophus O. S. E. Zu Ermgassen, Debbrota Mallick, Matthew D. Taylor, R. Eugene Turner

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Light Coupling Structures And Switches For Plasmonic Coaxial Waveguides, Amirreza Mahigir, Georgios Veronis

Faculty Publications

We introduce wavelength-scale light coupling structures and switches for plasmonic coaxial waveguides. We first consider single-slit structures optimized for a wavelength of 1550 nm and find that, when the slit is on resonance, the coupling to the plasmonic coaxial waveguide is maximized. We also observe that for optimized double- and triple-slit structures, the coupling efficiency is enhanced compared to the single-slit structure by factors of ˜3.02 and ˜4.21, respectively. We find that, in the case of double- and triple-slit structures, the surface plasmons excited at the metal-air interface enhance light coupling to the plasmonic coaxial waveguide via the slits. In …

Host–Guest Interactions In A Metal–Organic Framework Isoreticular Series For Molecular Photocatalytic Co2 Reduction, Philip M. Stanley, Johanna Haimerl, Christopher Thomas, Alexander Urstoeger, Michael Schuster Prof. Dr., Natalia B. Shustova Prof. Dr., Angela Casini Prof. Dr., Bernhard Rieger Prof. Dr., Julien Warnan Dr., Roland A. Fischer Prof. Dr.

Faculty Publications

A strategy to improve homogeneous molecular catalyst stability, efficiency, and selectivity is the immobilization on supporting surfaces or within host matrices. Herein, we examine the co-immobilization of a CO2 reduction catalyst [ReBr(CO)3(4,4′-dcbpy)] and a photosensitizer [Ru(bpy)2(5,5′-dcbpy)]Cl2 using the isoreticular series of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) UiO-66, -67, and -68. Specific host pore size choice enables distinct catalyst and photosensitizer spatial location—either at the outer MOF particle surface or inside the MOF cavities—affecting catalyst stability, electronic communication between reaction center and photosensitizer, and consequently the apparent catalytic rates. These results allow for a rational understanding of an optimized supramolecular layout of catalyst, …

Publishing Metrics In Arl Libraries, Cory L. Nimer

Faculty Publications

This presentation examines the applicability of bibliometrics for assessing the scholarship of faculty librarians at American research universities. This review includes a comparison of publication rates in academic disciplines and librarianship, as well as between areas within librarianship. It concludes by suggesting the importance of understanding disciplinary norms when considering using publishing statistics in retention, tenure, and promotion decisions.

Presentation was originally made at the Utah Library Association annual meeting in 2021.

Spatiotemporal Patterns Of Human Mobility And Its Association With Land Use Types During Covid-19 In New York City, Yuqin Jiang, Xiao Huang, Zhenlong Li

Faculty Publications

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted every facet of society. One of the non-pharmacological measures to contain the COVID-19 infection is social distancing. Federal, state, and local governments have placed multiple executive orders for human mobility reduction to slow down the spread of COVID-19. This paper uses geotagged tweets data to reveal the spatiotemporal human mobility patterns during this COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. With New York City open data, human mobility pattern changes were detected by different categories of land use, including residential, parks, transportation facilities, and workplaces. This study further compares human mobility patterns by …

Development And Assessment Of Feasibility Of A Community-Based Peer Support Intervention To Mitigate Social Isolation And Stigma Of Adolescent Motherhood In Harare, Zimbabwe, Chiwoneso B. Tinago, Edward A. Frongillo Jr. Ph.D., Andrea M. Warren, Vivian Chitiyo, Ashley K. Cifarelli, Shannon Fyalkowski, Victoria Pauline

Faculty Publications

Background: Adolescent mothers in Zimbabwe often experience stigma, isolation, and lack coping skills and resources to successfully navigate motherhood. Social isolation and stigma are linked to poor mental health outcomes. No interventions currently address mental health of adolescent mothers in Zimbabwe. Peer support groups in other contexts have been effective at increasing social connectedness, self-esteem, and self-efficacy, providing coping mechanisms to manage stigma experiences, in addition to empowering and improving mental health of adolescents and adolescent mothers. To develop a community-based peer support intervention, we aimed to understand the unique needs of adolescent mothers, how peer support groups could …

Brief Overview Of Approaches And Challenges In New Antibiotic Development: A Focus On Drug Repurposing, Natalie K. Boyd, Chengwen Teng Pharm.D., Ph.D., Christopher R. Frei

Faculty Publications

Drug repurposing, or identifying new uses for existing drugs, has emerged as an alternative to traditional drug discovery processes involving de novo synthesis. Drugs that are currently approved or under development for non-antibiotic indications may possess antibiotic properties, and therefore may have repurposing potential, either alone or in combination with an antibiotic. They might also serve as “antibiotic adjuvants” to enhance the activity of certain antibiotics.

Community Support Model On Breastfeeding And Complementary Feeding Practices In Remote Areas In Vietnam: Implementation, Cost, And Effectiveness, Tuan T. Nguyen, Nemat Hajeebhoy, Jia Li, Chung T. Do, Roger Mathisen, Edward A. Frongillo Jr.

Faculty Publications

Background

Poor access to healthcare facilities and consequently nutrition counseling services hinders the uptake of recommended infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices. To address these barriers and improve IYCF practices, Alive & Thrive (A&T) initiated community support groups in remote villages across nine provinces in Vietnam.

Objective

This study examines the effectiveness of the support group model and related project costs for reaching underserved areas to improve IYCF practices.

Methods

To evaluate the model’s implementation and project costs, we reviewed implementation guidelines, expenditure and coverage reports, monitoring data, and budgets for the nine provinces. To evaluate the model’s effectiveness, …

Differences In ​The Proportion Of Children Meeting Behavior Guidelines ​Between Summer ​And School By Socioeconomic Status And Race, Ethan T. Hunt, Lauren Von Klinggraeff, Alexis Jones, Sarah Burkart, Roddrick Dugger, Bridget Armstrong Ph.D., Michael Beets Ph.D., Gabrielle Turner-Mcgrievy Ph.D., Rd, Marco Geraci, Robert Glenn Weaver Med, Phd

Faculty Publications

Objective

Children who fail to meet activity, sleep, and screen-time guidelines are at increased risk for obesity. Further, children who are Black are more likely to have obesity when compared to children who are White, and children from low-income households are at increased risk for obesity when compared to children from higher-income households. The objective of this study was to evaluate the proportion of days meeting obesogenic behavior guidelines during the school year compared to summer vacation by race and free/reduced priced lunch (FRPL) eligibility.

Methods

Mixed-effects linear and logistic regressions estimated the proportion of days participants met activity, sleep, …

Cognitive Empathy And Longitudinal Changes In Temporo-Parietal Junction Thickness In Schizophrenia, Derin J. Cobia, Tatiana Karpouzian-Rogers, Julie Petersen, Lei Wang, Vijay A. Mittal, John G. Csernansky, Matthew J. Smith

Faculty Publications

Objective: Deficits in cognitive empathy are well-documented in individuals with schizophrenia and are related to reduced community functioning. The temporoparietal junction (TPJ) is closely linked to cognitive empathy. We compared the relationship between baseline cognitive empathy and changes in TPJ thickness over 24 months between individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Methods: Individuals with schizophrenia (n = 29) and healthy controls (n = 26) completed a cognitive empathy task and underwent structural neuroimaging at baseline and approximately 24 months later. Symmetrized percent change scores were calculated for right and left TPJ, as well as whole-brain volume, and compared between groups. …

Chemical Transport Models Often Underestimate Aerosol Acidity In Remote Regions Of The Atmosphere, Benjamin A. Nault, Pedro Campuzano-Jost, Douglas A. Day, Duseong S. Jo, Jason C. Schroder, Hannah M. Allen, Roya Bahreini, Huisheng Bian, Donald R. Blake, Mian Chin, Simon L. Clegg, Peter R. Colarco, John D. Crounse, Michael J. Cubison, Peter F. Decarlo, Jack E. Dibb, Glenn S. Diskin, Alma Hodzic, Weiwei Hu, Joseph M. Katich, Michelle J. Kim, John K. Kodros, Agnieszka Kupc, Felipe D. Lopez-Hilfiker, Eloise A. Marais, Ann M. Middlebrook, J. Andrew Neuman, John B. Nowak, Brett B. Palm, Fabien Paulot, Jeffrey R. Pierce, Gregory P. Schill, Eric Scheuer, Joel A. Thornton, Kostas Tsigaridis, Paul O. Wennberg, Christina J. Williamson, Jose L. Jimenez

Faculty Publications

The inorganic fraction of fine particles affects numerous physicochemical processes in the atmosphere. However, there is large uncertainty in its burden and composition due to limited global measurements. Here, we present observations from eleven different aircraft campaigns from around the globe and investigate how aerosol pH and ammonium balance change from polluted to remote regions, such as over the oceans. Both parameters show increasing acidity with remoteness, at all altitudes, with pH decreasing from about 3 to about −1 and ammonium balance decreasing from almost 1 to nearly 0. We compare these observations against nine widely used chemical transport models …