Digital Commons Network^™

Enhanced Structural Control Of Soft-Templated Mesoporous Inorganic Thin Films By Inert Processing Conditions, Maximilliano Jesus Jara Fornerod, Alberto Alvarez-Fernandez, Eric R. Williams, Miximillian W.A. Skoda, Beatriz Prieto-Simon, Nicolas H. Voelcker, Morgan Stefik, Marc-Oliver Coppens, Stefan Guldin

Faculty Publications

Mesoporous thin films are widely used for applications in need of high surface area and efficient mass and charge transport properties. A well-established fabrication process involves the supramolecular assembly of organic molecules (e.g., block copolymers and surfactants) with inorganic materials obtained by sol-gel chemistry. Typically, subsequent calcination in air removes the organic template and reveals the porous inorganic network. A significant challenge for such coatings is the anisotropic shrinkage due to the volume contraction related to solvent evaporation, inorganic condensation, and template removal, affecting the final porosity as well as pore shape, size, arrangement, and accessibility. Here, we show that …

The Hypertension Cascade Of Care In The Midst Of Conflict: The Case Of The Gaza Strip, Bassam A. Abu Hamad, Zeina Jamaluddine, Gloria Safadi, Marie Elizabeth Ragi, Raeda El Sayed Ahmad, Eszter P. Vamos, Sanjay Basu, John S. Yudkin, Mohammed Jawad, Christopher Millett, Hala Ghattas Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Although hypertension constitutes a substantial burden in conflict-affected areas, little is known about its prevalence, control, and management in Gaza. This study aims to estimate the prevalence and correlates of hypertension, its diagnosis and control among adults in Gaza. We conducted a representative, cross-sectional, anonymous, household survey of 4576 persons older than 40 years in Gaza in mid-2020. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, anthropometric, and blood pressure measurements. Hypertension was defined in anyone with an average systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg or average diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg from two consecutive readings or a hypertension diagnosis. The mean age …

Using Solar Radiation Data In Soil Moisture Diagnostic Equation For Estimating Root-Zone Soil Moisture, Olumide Omotere, Feifei Pan, Lei Wang

Faculty Publications

The soil moisture daily diagnostic equation (SMDE) evaluates the relationship between the loss function coefficient and the summation of the weighted average of precipitation. The loss function coefficient uses the day of the year (DOY) to approximate the seasonal changes in soil moisture loss for a given location. Solar radiation is the source of the energy that drives the complex and intricates of the earth-atmospheric processes and biogeochemical cycles in the environment. Previous research assumed DOY is the approximation of other environmental factors (e.g., temperature, wind speed, solar radiation). In this article, two solar radiation parameters were introduced, i.e., the …

Pre-Existing Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension And Kidneydisease As Risk Factors Of Pre-Eclampsia: A Disease Of Theories And Its Association With Genetic Polymorphism, Abdullah Salah Alanazi, Francis Victor, Kanwal Rehman, Yusra Habib Khan, Ismaeel Yunusa Ph.D., Abdulaziz Alzarea, Muhammad Sajid Hamid Akash, Tauqeer Hussain Mallhi

Faculty Publications

Pre-existing diabetes, hypertension and kidney disorders are prominent risk factors of pre-eclampsia (PE). It is a multifactorial pregnancy disorder associated with high blood pressure, proteinuria, and multiorgan failure, which develops after the 20th week of pregnancy. It is one of the most feared pregnancy disorders, as it consumes thousands of fetomaternal lives per annum. According to clinical and pathological studies, the placenta appears to be a key player in the pathogenesis of PE; however, the exact origin of this disorder is still under debate. Defective placentation and angiogenesis are the hallmarks of PE progression. This angiogenic imbalance, together with maternal …

Distinctive Sans Forgetica Font Does Not Benefit Memory Accuracy In The Drm Paradigm, Mark J. Huff, Nicholas P. Maxwell, Anie Mitchell

Faculty Publications

A common method used by memory scholars to enhance retention is to make materials more challenging to learn—a benefit termed desirable difficulties. Recently, researchers have investigated the efficacy of Sans Forgetica, a perceptually disfluent/distinctive font which may increase processing effort required at study and enhance memory as a result. We examined the effects of Sans Forgetica relative to a standard control font (Arial) on both correct memory and associative memory errors using the Deese/Roediger–McDermott (DRM) false memory paradigm, to evaluate Sans Forgetica effects on overall memory accuracy. Across four experiments, which included nearly 300 participants, Sans Forgetica was found to …

Effects Of A Behavioral Intervention On Physical Activity, Diet, And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Pregnant Women With Elevated Weight: Results Of The Hipp Randomized Controlled Trial, Sarah Wilcox Phd, Jihong Liu, Gabrielle Turner-Mcgrievy Ph.D., Rd, Alycia K. Boutte, Ellen Wingard Msph, Rd, Ld

Faculty Publications

Background

Physical activity (PA), diet, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are related to maternal and infant health, but interventions to improve these outcomes are needed in diverse pregnant women with elevated weight.

Methods

Health In Pregnancy and Postpartum (HIPP) was a randomized controlled trial. Women who were pregnant (N=219, 44% African American, 56% white) with overweight or obesity but otherwise healthy were randomized to a behavioral intervention grounded in Social Cognitive Theory (n=112) or to standard care (n=107). The intervention group received an in-depth counseling session, a private Facebook group, and 10 content-based …

Effects Of A Behavioral Intervention On Physical Activity, Diet, And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Pregnant Women With Elevated Weight: Results Of The Hipp Randomized Controlled Trial, Sara Wilcox Ph.D., Jihong Liu, Gabrielle Turner-Mcgrievy Ph.D., Rd, Alycia K. Boutté, Ellen Wingard

Faculty Publications

Background

Physical activity (PA), diet, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are related to maternal and infant health, but interventions to improve these outcomes are needed in diverse pregnant women with elevated weight.

Methods

Health In Pregnancy and Postpartum (HIPP) was a randomized controlled trial. Women who were pregnant (N=219, 44% African American, 56% white) with overweight or obesity but otherwise healthy were randomized to a behavioral intervention grounded in Social Cognitive Theory (n=112) or to standard care (n=107). The intervention group received an in-depth counseling session, a private Facebook group, and 10 content-based …

Holistic Community: The Key To Real-Life Discipleship, Petr Činčala

Faculty Publications

The word “discipleship” carries different meanings depending on the context in which it is used. Holistic community provides a natural environment in which people can learn cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally. In this way, discipling in the context of community (small groups) enhances and strengthens behaving and believing, as well as belonging. Additionally, a deeper understanding of the three-fold revelation of God (i.e., the Triune God, who is by nature a communal, relational God) helps us better understand how holistic small groups foster the growth and support of believers, encouraging them to bring others into God’s family. The way the members …

Coaches Supporting Teachers Reluctant To Implement Intervention Instruction: The Role Of Reflection, Elizabeth Cutrer, Erica E. Miller

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Genetic Variation Among Populations Of, And Evidence Of Deep Divergence Within, The Rio Grande Chirping Frog, Eleutherodactylus Campi (Anura: Eleutherodactylidae), Kebede Beshera, Avery A. Williams Mr., John A. Hamlin Dr., Peter J. Bergeaux Mr., Christian C. Morgan Dr., Aubrey N. Armstrong Ms.

Faculty Publications

Herein we report the first molecular assessment of intra-species genetic variation and interrelationships within the Rio Grande Chirping frog, Eleutherodactylus campi. We analyzed 548 base pairs of 16S rRNA gene for 71 ingroup individuals belonging to the genus Eleutherodactylus (including 42 E. campi sampled from 15 localities in the United States and Mexico) and four outgroup samples. By unveiling two highly divergent and geographically structured clades within E. campi this study provides a novel phylogenetic placement of E. campi populations north and south of the Rio Grande Valley as sister groups to each other. The observed level of genetic …

Resilience Monitoring For Multi-Filter All-Source Navigation Framework With Assurance, Jonathon S. Gipson, Robert C. Leishman

Faculty Publications

The Autonomous and Resilient Management of All-source Sensors (ARMAS) framework monitors residual-space test statistics across unique sensor-exclusion banks of filters (known as subfilters) to provide a resilient, fault-resistant all-source navigation architecture with assurance. A critical assumption of this architecture, demonstrated in this paper, is fully overlapping state observability across all subfilters. All-source sensors, particularly those that only provide partial state information (altimeters, TDoA, AOB, etc.), do not intrinsically meet this requirement. This paper presents a novel method to monitor real-time overlapping position state observability and introduces an observability bank within the ARMAS framework, known as stable observability monitoring (SOM). SOM …

Diversifying And Perennializing Plants In Agroecosystems Alters Retention Of New C And N From Crop Residues, Marshall D. Mcdaniel, Jeffrey A. Bird, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Erika Marin-Spiotta, Tom M. Schmidt, A. Stuart Grandy

Faculty Publications

Managing soils to retain new plant inputs is key to moving toward a sustainable and regenerative agriculture. Management practices, like diversifying and perennializing agroecosystems, may affect the decomposer organisms that regulate how new residue is converted to persistent soil organic matter. Here we tested whether 12 years of diversifying/perennializing plants in agroecosystems through extended rotations or grassland restoration would decrease losses of new plant residue inputs and, thus, increase retention of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in soil. We tracked dual-labeled (13C and 15N), isotopically enriched wheat (Triticum aestivum) residue in situ for 2 years as it decomposed in three …

Diet And Disturbance: Seaside Sparrow Resource Use Driven By Oiling And Hurricane Isaac, Allison M. Snider, Andrea Bonisoli-Alquati, Anna A. Pérez-Umphrey, Stefan Woltmann, Philip C. Stouffer, Sabrina S. Taylor

Faculty Publications

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster led to extensive oil deposition in Louisiana’s coastal wetlands, followed two years later by Hurricane Isaac. These disturbances led to changes in saltmarsh invertebrate communities, potentially affecting higher-level predators and the saltmarsh food web. Seaside Sparrows (Ammospiza maritima) are ubiquitous, year-round residents of the coastal saltmarsh affected by the DWH spill, where they consume diverse invertebrates and may be considered an indicator species for the ecosystem’s integrity. We used DNA metabarcoding to evaluate prey consumed by Seaside Sparrows to understand how sparrows responded to residual contamination from the DWH oil spill and ecosystem disturbance …

Switching Between Topological Edge States In Plasmonic Systems Using Phase-Change Materials, Yin Huang, Yuecheng Shen, Georgios Veronis

Faculty Publications

We introduce non-Hermitian plasmonic waveguide-cavity structures based on the Aubry-Andre-Harper model to realize switching between right and left topological edge states (TESs) using the phase-change material Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST). We show that switching between the crystalline and amorphous phases of GST leads to a shift of the dispersion relation of the optimized structure so that a right TES for the crystalline phase, and a left TES for the amorphous phase occur at the same frequency. Thus, we realize switching between right and left TESs at that frequency by switching between the crystalline and amorphous phases of GST. Our results could be …

Schoolhouse Rock! Rules: Orthodoxies And Unorthodoxies In Congressional Procedure, John Cannan

Faculty Publications

Is the Schoolhouse Rock! cartoon version of the conventional legislative process really dead? According to some legal academics, traditional Congressional procedures, documented in the cartoon I’m Just a Bill, have been replaced by unorthodox lawmaking—frequent and significant procedural legislative deviations. In actuality, the iconic cartoon and the traditional process are not ready for the grave just yet.

This paper documents the many nuances in orthodox and unorthodox lawmaking by reviewing over 1,500 laws passed between the 111th to116th Congresses and the information sources produced for each to evaluate how pervasive unorthodox law-making really is. The results show the true balance …

Photo-Crosslinkable And Ultrastable Poly(1,4-Butadiene) Based Organogel With Record-High Reversible Elongation Upon Cooling And Contraction Upon Heating, Xiaming Feng, Guoqiang Li

Faculty Publications

Two-way shape memory polymers with reversible elongation upon cooling (EUC) and contraction upon heating (CUH) have emerged as promising smart materials for use in soft actuators. However, it remains challenging to develop organogels with as high as possible actuation strain. Here, novel photo-crosslinkable poly(1,4-butadiene) (PBD) based organogels with exceptional stability and high reversible EUC and CUH have been developed for the first time. The conventional photo-initiator 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropiophenone and plasticizer bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate were utilized to achieve photo-crosslinking ability and to serve as the organic free phase, respectively. Owing to the stability of the plasticizer, the PBD based organogels are pretty stable …

Ministerial Decision On The Trips Agreement (Wto), Ana Santos Rutschman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Bioenergy Crops As A Promising Alternative To Fossil Fuels In Louisiana: A Geographic Information System (Gis) Perspective, Yaw A. Twumasi, Zhu H. Ning, John B. Namwamba, Abena B. Asare-Ansah, Edmund C. Merem, Harriet B. Yeboah, Judith Oppong, Matilda Anokye, Diana B. Frimpong, Priscilla M. Loh, Julia Atayi, Rechael N.D. Armah, Caroline Y. Apraku, Opeyemi I. Oladigbolu, Cynthia C. Ogbu, Leah W. Njeri, Joyce Mcclendon-Peralta

Faculty Publications

Rising greenhouse gas emissions are causing climate change, and the world’s focus has shifted to the need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. There has been a rise in the published literature on the utilization of crops for bioenergy production in Louisiana. However, very few scholarly documents have used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map the distribution of potential bioenergy crops in Louisiana. This study seeks to fill the void by evaluating the potential of bioenergy crops in Louisiana for energy production using GIS. Given this objective, the agricultural census data for 1999, 2009, 2019, and 2020 obtained from …

A Late-Holocene Palynological Record Of Coastal Ecological Change And Climate Variability From Apalachicola, Florida, U.S.A, Qiang Yao, Erika Rodrigues, Kam-Biu Liu, Caitlin Snyder, Nicholas Culligan

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ocean Acidification In The Gulf Of Mexico: Drivers, Impacts, And Unknowns, Emily Osborne, Xinping Hu, Emily R. Hall, Kimberly Yates, Jennifer Vreeland-Dawson, Katie Shamberger, Leticia Barbero, J. Martin Hernandez-Ayon, Fabian A. Gomez, Tacey Hicks, Yuan Yuan Xu, Melissa R. Mccutcheon, Michael Acquafredda, Cecilia Chapa-Balcorta, Orion Norzagaray, Denis Pierrot, Alain Munoz-Caravaca, Kerri L. Dobson, Nancy Williams, Nancy Rabalais, Padmanava Dash

Faculty Publications

Ocean acidification (OA) has resulted in global-scale changes in ocean chemistry, which can disturb marine organisms and ecosystems. Despite its extensively populated coastline, many marine-dependent communities, and valuable economies, the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) remains a relatively understudied region with respect to acidification. In general, the warm waters of the GOM are better buffered from acidification compared to higher latitude seas, yet long-term acidification has been documented in several GOM regions. OA within the GOM is recognized as spatially variable, particularly within the coastal zone where numerous physical and biogeochemical processes contribute to carbonate chemistry dynamics. The historical progression of …

Simulation Of Low Energy Waves During Fair-Weather Summer Conditions In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico: Effect Of Whitecapping Dissipation And The Forcing Accuracy, Nazanin Chaichitehrani, Mohammad Nabi Allahdadi, Chunyan Li

Faculty Publications

Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) on a structured grid over the Louisiana shelf in the northern Gulf of Mexico is used to evaluate the performance of three different classes of formulations for quantifying wind input and whitecapping dissipation. The formulations include Komen based on the mean spectral parameters, Westhuysen based on the saturation concept of the wave groups, and the most recent observation-based physics package ST6. The evaluation was implemented for two summer months (July and August 2015) to assess these formulations for a low wave energy period. The modeling area consists of the Louisiana inner shelf with the offshore open …

Tragedies Of The Cultural Commons, Etienne C. Toussaint

Faculty Publications

In the United States, Black cultural expressions of democratic life that operate within specific historical-local contexts, yet reflect a shared set of sociocultural mores, have been historically crowded out of the law and policymaking process. Instead of democratic cultural discourse occurring within an open and neutral marketplace of ideas, the discursive production and consumption of democratic culture in American politics has been rivalrous. Such rivalry too often enables dominant White supremacist cultural beliefs, values, and practices to exercise their hegemony upon law’s production and meaning. The result has been tragedy for politically disempowered and socioeconomically excluded communities.

This Article uses …

Covid-19 Mitigation Strategies: A Natural Experiment Highlighting The Importance Of Structure In The Prevention And Treatment Of Childhood Obesity, Keith Brazendale, Michael Beets, Robert Weaver Med, Phd, Bridget Armstrong, Ethan T. Hunt

Faculty Publications

Societal restrictions due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), such as the closure of schools, childcare centers, and community programs, were implemented to prevent the spread of the disease and to protect the health and well-being of the population. These mitigation efforts drastically interrupted the day-to-day environments of children and adolescents and influenced how they spent the majority of their waking hours. Evidence shows on days when children and adolescents are in “structured” settings, such as school or other extracurricular programs or day camps, their obesogenic behaviors (i.e., sleep, physical activity, diet, and screen/media time) are more favorable than on …

Learning By Doing: Student & Faculty Reflections On A Collaborative Model For Conducting And Publishing Mixed Methods Research In A Graduate Course, Gina R. Costello, Kimberly R. Davis, Oliver S. Crocco

Faculty Publications

Due to time constraints and faculty resources, one-semester research methods courses, especially mixed methods, often do not result in meaningful student-produced work that contributes to scholarly literature. As publishing increasingly becomes expected for graduate students, instructors may seek ways to incorporate publishing opportunities into course curriculum. This case study presents one instructor’s collaborative teaching and publishing model along with graduate student feedback and recommendations for reproducibility of the course model. The model described in the course-based research model vignette was designed to give students practical experience working with raw data, presenting preliminary findings, navigating the IRB process, drafting a manuscript, …

Association Mapping Reveals A Reciprocal Virulence/Avirulence Locus Within Diverse Us Pyrenophora Teres F. Maculata Isolates, Shaun J. Clare, Kasia M. Duellman, Jonathan K. Richards, Roshan Sharma Poudel, Lance F. Merrick, Timothy L. Friesen, Robert S. Brueggeman

Faculty Publications

Background: Spot form net blotch (SFNB) caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Pyrenophora teres f. maculata (Ptm) is an economically important disease of barley that also infects wheat. Using genetic analysis to characterize loci in Ptm genomes associated with virulence or avirulence is an important step to identify pathogen effectors that determine compatible (virulent) or incompatible (avirulent) interactions with cereal hosts. Association mapping (AM) is a powerful tool for detecting virulence loci utilizing phenotyping and genotyping data generated for natural populations of plant pathogenic fungi. Results: Restriction-site associated DNA genotyping-by-sequencing (RAD-GBS) was used to generate 4,836 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) …

Extensive Morphological And Behavioural Diversity Among Fourteen New And Seven Described Species In Phytophthora Clade 10 And Its Evolutionary Implications, T. Jung, I. Milenković, T. Corcobado, T. Májek, J. Janoušek, T. Kudláček, M. Tomšovský, Z. Nagy, A. Durán, M. Tarigan, E. Sanfuentes Von Stowasser, R. Singh, M. Ferreira, J. F. Webber, B. Scanu, N. M. Chi, P. Q. Thu, M. Junaid, A. Rosmana, B. Baharuddin, T. Kuswinanti, N. Nasri, K. Kageyama, A. Hieno, H. Masuya, S. Uematsu, J. Oliva, M. Redondo, C. Maia, I. Matsiakh, V. Kramarets, R. O’Hanlon, Tomić

Faculty Publications

During extensive surveys of global Phytophthora diversity 14 new species detected in natural ecosystems in Chile, Indonesia, USA (Louisiana), Sweden, Ukraine and Vietnam were assigned to Phytophthora major Clade 10 based on a multigene phylogeny of nine nuclear and three mitochondrial gene regions. Clade 10 now comprises three subclades. Subclades 10a and 10b contain species with nonpapillate sporangia, a range of breeding systems and a mainly soil-and waterborne lifestyle. These include the previously described P. afrocarpa, P. gallica and P. intercalaris and eight of the new species: P. ludoviciana, P. procera, P. pseudogallica, P. scandinavica, P. subarctica, P. tenuimura, P. …

Morphoanatomical And Biochemical Factors Associated With Rice Resistance To The South American Rice Water Weevil, Oryzophagus Oryzae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Juliano De Bastos Pazini, José Francisco Da Silva Martins, Keilor Da Rosa Dorneles, Rosane Lopes Crizel, Fernando Felisberto Da Silva, Fábio Clasen Chaves, Juliana Aparecida Fernando, Leandro José Dallagnol, Enio Júnior Seidel, Michael Joseph Stout, Anderson Dionei Grützmacher

Faculty Publications

The rice water weevil, Oryzophagus oryzae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is an economically important pest of flooded rice paddies throughout South America, and species with similar life histories are present in many rice-producing regions globally (collectively referred to here as RWWs). Plant resistance is a key strategy for management of RWWs; however, the mechanisms responsible for rice resistance to RWWs are poorly understood. We investigated morphoanatomical and biochemical plant traits potentially involved in rice resistance to O. oryzae. Resistance-associated traits were characterized in two cultivars, ‘Dawn’ (resistant) and ‘BRS Pampa CL’ (‘Pamp’ = susceptible), which were selected from among six cultivars on …

Assigning Culicoides Larvae To Species Using Dna Barcoding Of Adult Females And Phylogenetic Associations, Tao Jin, Claudia Husseneder, Lane Foil

Faculty Publications

Background: Orbivirus-induced hemorrhagic diseases cause high mortality in wild and captive white-tailed deer in North America. The role of different Culicoides species in Orbivirus transmission outside of areas of intensive animal production has not been established. At our study location, bluetongue virus (BTV) RNA-positive female Culicoides debilipalpis pools have been detected annually since 2012 when BTV transmission was noted in a captive deer herd. Identifying specific larval habitats of suspected vectors at active transmission sites is crucial both for identifying the source of the vectors and for subsequently planning intervention actions. Since C. debilipalpis larvae are known to develop in …

Laboratory Evaluation Of Sugar Alcohols For Control Of Mosquitoes And Other Medically Important Flies, Ilia Rochlin, Gregory White, Nadja Reissen, Dustin Swanson, Lee Cohnstaedt, Madeleine Chura, Kristen Healy, Ary Faraji

Faculty Publications

Insecticide application for vector control is the most controversial component of a public health program due to concerns about environmental and human health safety. One approach to overcome this challenge is the use of environmentally benign active ingredients. Among the most promising emerging strategies are attractive toxic sugar baits. Sugar alcohols—naturally occurring molecules safe for human consumption but potentially toxic to insects when ingested, have received increased attention for use with this approach. For this study, we screened the toxicity of four different sugar alcohols on several mosquito species, a biting midge, and a filth fly. Sugar alcohol mortalities exceeded …

Direct And Indirect Effects Of Planting Density, Nitrogenous Fertilizer And Host Plant Resistance On Rice Herbivores And Their Natural Enemies, Finbarr G. Horgan, Eduardo Crisol-Martínez, Alexander M. Stuart, James M. Villegas, Ainara Peñalver-Cruz, Enrique A. Mundaca, Marivic O. Perez, Carmencita C. Bernal, Maria Liberty P. Almazan, Angelee F. Ramal

Faculty Publications

In rice ecosystems, seeding densities can be adjusted to compensate for lower nitrogen levels that reduce GHG emissions, or to increase farm profitability. However, density-induced changes to plant anatomy could affect herbivore-rice interactions, and alter arthropod community dynamics. We conducted an experiment that varied transplanting density (low or high), nitrogenous fertilizer (0, 60 or 150 kg added ha−1) and rice variety (resistant or susceptible to phloem-feeding insects) over two rice-growing seasons. Yields per plot increased with added nitrogen, but were not affected by variety or transplanting density. Planthopper and leafhopper densities were lower on resistant rice and in high-density field …