Digital Commons Network^™

Communications, Decision-Making, And Interactions Of A Multi-Agent Autonomous Vehicle System, Daniel Davis Smith

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Autonomous vehicles are becoming ever more common and offer many attractive benefits to society. They can operate for long periods of time unattended, operate in environments that may be dangerous to humans, perform time consuming or repetitive tasks and all with greater efficiency and lower costs than humans. For these vehicles to be able to do these things, algorithms need to be designed and optimized that allow them to interact with the real-world environment in safe, effective, and efficient ways.

We designed and built a set of three homogeneous water-based autonomous surface vehicles equipped with appropriate sensors and communications ability …

Population Structure In Two Imperiled Sparrows With Differing Vagility, Amie Elizabeth Settlecowski

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Characterizing population structure and genetic differentiation can inform the management of imperiled species and the relative influences of ecological and evolutionary factors on species evolution. One trait that is expected to influence the amount of population structure a species exhibits is vagility, or the ability to move across the landscape. Species with higher vagility may be more likely to disperse, potentially facilitating gene flow among populations and limiting population structure. My dissertation focuses on characterizing population structure in 2 imperiled sparrows that are both largely nonmigratory with broad distributions in eastern North America: Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima) and Bachman’s Sparrow …

Racial And Socioeconomic Disparities Influencing Obesity Amongst Middle-Aged Women, Morgan Woods

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Many studies have examined the effects of racial and socioeconomic differences on health-related disparities involving obesity but, few have examined the mental and physical well-being intersection. Obesity is a disease that affects many Americans and has become an epidemic affecting the American population. Obesity, especially morbid obesity, is a risk factor for many other obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and more. Using the 2018 Healthcare Avoidance Study, differences were found between two racial groups, Caucasian and African-American women. Race was found as a significant factor for both level of physical activity and ideal body image perception

Green Synthesized Honokiol Transfersomes Relieve The Immunosuppressive And Stem-Like Cell Characteristics Of The Aggressive B16f10 Melanoma, Shady Swidan, Yasmeen Ezzeldeen, Aya Sebak, Aliaa N. Elmeshad

Pharmacy

Background

Honokiol (HK) is a natural bioactive compound with proven antineoplastic properties against melanoma. However, it shows very low bioavailability when administered orally. Alternatively, topical administration may offer a promising route. The objective of the current study was to fabricate HK transfersomes (HKTs) for topical treatment of melanoma. As an ultradeformable carrier system, transfersomes can overcome the physiological barriers to topical treatment of melanoma: the stratum corneum and the anomalous tumor microenvironment. Moreover, the immunomodulatory and stemness-regulation roles of HKTs were the main interest of this study.

Methods

TFs were prepared using the modified scalable heating method. A three-factor, three-level …

Molecular-Level Understanding Of The Influence Of Ions And Water On Hmgb1 Adsorption Induced By Surface Hydroxylation Of Titanium Implants, Dineli T. S. Ranathunga, Alexandra Arteaga, Cláudia Cristina Biguetti, Danieli C. Rodrigues, Steven O. Nielsen

School of Podiatric Medicine Publications

Due to its excellent chemical and mechanical properties, titanium has become the material of choice for orthopedic and dental implants to promote rehabilitation via bone anchorage and osseointegration. Titanium osseointegration is partially related to its capability to form a TiO2 surface layer and its ability to interact with key endogenous proteins immediately upon implantation, establishing the first bone–biomaterial interface. Surgical trauma caused by implantation results in the release of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein, which is a prototypic DAMP (damage-associated molecular pattern) with multiple roles in inflammation and tissue healing. To develop different surface strategies that improve the clinical …

Evidence-Based Diagnostic Process For Autism Spectrum Disorder In The Patient-Centered Medical Home, Amy E. Stofer

DNP and Student Works

Children with concerning features for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) benefit from early intervention services when diagnosis is procured at a younger age and in a shorter timeframe from first concern. A pilot project evaluated the benefit of an interprofessional practice model within a patient-centered medical home to diagnose ASD, rather than traditional practice whereby families are referred to a regional healthcare center. Utilizing the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), nine children were evaluated over a four-month period. Outcome measures included age at diagnosis, time from first concern to diagnosis, time from referral to diagnosis, billing code generated, and interview time. Data …

Suicide Attempts In Us Veterans With Chronic Headache Disorders: A 10-Year Retrospective Cohort Study, X. Michelle Androulakis, Siyuan Guo, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Jason Sico, Peter Warren, Alec Giakas, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., B Lee Peterlin, Roy Mathew, Deborah Reyes

Faculty Publications

Objectives: A large-scale retrospective analysis of veterans with chronic pain was con-ducted to examine (1) the annual incidence of suicide attempts (SA) in veterans with chronic headache and other chronic pain conditions, and (2) the risk of SA in men and women with chronic headache and chronic headache concurrent with traumatic brain injury (TBI) as compared to non-headache chronic pain.

Methods: This retrospective study (N=3,247,621) analyzed National Veterans Affair Health Administrative data of patients diagnosed with chronic head, neck, back and other chronic pain from 2000 to 2010. Multivariable Poisson regression was used to explore the relative risks of SA …

Impact Of Nitrogen Rate In Conventional And Organic Production Systems On Yield And Bread Baking Quality Of Soft Red Winter Wheat, Ammar Al-Zubade, Timothy D. Phillips, Mark A. Williams, Krista L. Jacobsen, David Van Sanford

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Soft red winter wheat (SRW) is characterized by high yield and relatively low protein content. In Kentucky, there is growing demand from local artisan bread bakers for regionally produced flour, requiring production of grain with increased protein content and/or strength. The objective of this two-year field experiment was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen (N) management on five cultivars of winter wheat on yield and bread baking quality traits of modern and landrace SRW cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.). All five cultivars were evaluated using two N application rates in conventional and organic production systems. All traits measured were significantly …

Disturbance Triggers Non-Linear Microbe–Environment Feedbacks, Aditi Sengupta, Sarah J. Fansler, Rosalie K. Chu, Robert E. Danczak, Vanessa A. Garayburu-Caruso, Lupita Renteria, Hyun-Seob Song, Jason Toyoda, Jacqueline Wells, James C. Stegen

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Conceptual frameworks linking microbial community membership, properties, and processes with the environment and emergent function have been proposed but remain untested. Here we refine and test a recent conceptual framework using hyporheic zone sediments exposed to wetting–drying transitions. Our refined framework includes relationships between cumulative properties of a microbial community (e.g., microbial membership, community assembly properties, and biogeochemical rates), environmental features (e.g., organic matter thermodynamics), and emergent ecosystem function. Our primary aim was to evaluate the hypothesized relationships that comprise the conceptual framework and contrast outcomes from the whole and putatively active bacterial and archaeal communities. Throughout the system we …

Wild Boar In Flanders, Belgium: (Dis)Agreements Between Key Stakeholders On Wild Boar Management Objectives, Actions, And Legal Provisions, Caroline Geeraerts, Anneleen Rutten, Emma Cartuyvels, Pieter Verschelde, Sander Devisscher, Francis Turkelboom, Paul Quataert, Jim Casaer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) reappeared in Flanders, Belgium in 2006 after more than half a century of absence. Besides being a native and highly valued game species in Europe, wild boar are also known to be responsible for car collisions, crop damage, disease transmission, and ecological damage at high densities. The management of wild boar therefore seeks to balance these positive and negative impacts. Given the highly fragmented landscape in Flanders and its multifunctional use, coexistence with wild boar is only possible through integrated management involving relevant stakeholder groups. However, to be successful, this requires that the management …

Effects Of Shoreline And Watershed Development On Eastern Lake Michigan Drowned River Mouth Ecology, Megan M. Mader, Carl R. Ruetz Iii

Masters Theses

Lake Michigan’s drowned river mouths (DRM) are hydrologically unique systems with riverine and large-lake influences that create biologically diverse ecosystems. Serving as focal points for human development due to the ecosystem services they provide, DRMs have experienced a history of industrialization, urbanization, and are now moving towards an era of rehabilitation. Today, DRM shorelines have been hardened, their riparian zones have been severely altered, and their watersheds exist on a latitudinal gradient of less to greater anthropogenic stress (agriculture and development). The main goal of this study was to understand the current ecological state of DRMs related to anthropogenic development …

Strengthening Sisters: How Latter-Day Saint Missionary Service Prepares Women For Leadership, Sara Mcphee Lafkas, Wendy Fox-Kirk, Susan R. Madsen, Robbyn T. Scribner

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Women, especially those from highly religious societies, are underrepresented in professional and civic leadership positions. Considering how women's life experiences, especially from religious volunteer opportunities, can be reframed as training for broader leadership roles could help address this disparity. The potential for women to learn leadership skills from volunteer religious service is an overlooked, but possibly important, means of transferability to larger leadership roles. The current article describes a qualitative study of women's perceptions of leadership skills gained while serving as full-time volunteer missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during young adulthood. Respondents described perceptions of …

The Prospector, August 24, 2021, Utep Student Publications

The Prospector

Headline: Miners Start Season on the Road

Cohort Profile: The Alliance For Maternal And Newborn Health Improvement (Amanhi) Biobanking Study, Fahad Aftab, Salahuddin Ahmed, Aneeta Hotwani, Muhammad Ilyas, Mohammad Javaid, Fyezah Jehan, Farah Khalid, Usma Mehmood, Muhammad Imran Nisar, Muhammad Sajid

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Rucksack Military Accessory On Gait Dynamic Stability, Seong H. Moon, Christopher W. Frames, Rahul Soangra, Thurmon Lockhart

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Various factors are responsible for injuries that occur in the U.S. Army soldiers. In particular, rucksack load carriage equipment influences the stability of the lower extremities and possibly affects gait balance. The objective of this investigation was to assess the gait and local dynamic stability of the lower extremity of five subjects as they performed a simulated rucksack march on a treadmill. The Motek Gait Real-time Interactive Laboratory (GRAIL) was utilized to replicate the environment of the rucksack march. The first walking trial was without a rucksack and the second set was executed with the All-Purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment …

Final 2021 Residential Metals Abatement Program (Rmap) West Elementary School Soil Remedial Action Work Plan (Rawp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Balanced Polymorphism Fuels Rapid Selection In An Invasive Crab Despite High Gene Flow And Low Genetic Diversity., C K. Tepolt, E D. Grosholz, Catherine E. De Rivera, G M. Ruiz

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Adaptation across environmental gradients has been demonstrated in numerous systems with extensive dispersal, despite high gene flow and consequently low genetic structure. The speed and mechanisms by which such adaptation occurs remain poorly resolved, but are critical to understanding species spread and persistence in a changing world. Here, we investigate these mechanisms in the European green crab Carcinus maenas, a globally distributed invader. We focus on a northwestern Pacific population that spread across >12 degrees of latitude in 10 years from a single source, following its introduction 1,500 km, we examine genetic structure using 9,376 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs). We …

Tropical Legumes To Augment Forage Yield In The Eastern Caribbean, E. Valencia, M. B. Adjei

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Little information is available on the contribution of tropical legumes to forage yield in the eastern Caribbean. This study assessed the effects of three grazing cycles (GC; 5, 10 and 15-wk) on seasonal dry matter (DM) yield of binary mixtures of the tropical legumes glycine (Neonotonia wightii) and desmanthus (Desmanthus virgatus) with “Bambatsi” (Panicum coloratum) and “Mottgrass” (Pennisetum purpureum Shum.). Plant responses were assessed by mob-grazing with sheep (12-24 hrs; to average stubble height of 15-cm) for each GC. Grazing cycles affected yield of both the legume and grass component (P< 0.05). At GC of 5-weeks, forage DM ranged from 1.5-2.0 Mg ha^-1 in …

Yield And Forage Quality In Alfalfa-Weeping Lovegrass Mixtures, H. Laborde, R. E. Brevedan, M. A. Varillas, M. N. Fioretti

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Little is known about the relative performance of weeping lovegrass in mixtures with alfalfa. Our objective was to compare the productivity and forage quality of monocultures and binary mixtures of the species. Mixtures always gave higher yields than any of the monocultures and the highest was obtained in the mixture with the largest proportion of alfalfa. In the second year weeping lovegrass N concentration in the mixtures were higher than in monoculture. Weeping lovegrass did not affect the alfalfa N concentration. There was not differences in the NDF, for between these species.

Forage Quality Of Mixtures Of Bromus Wildenowii And B. Parodii Influenced By Nitrogen Fertilization Or Alfalfa Interseeding, S. Abarza, R. E. Brevedan, H. Laborde

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Under good soil fertility conditions, Bromus wildenowii Kunth and Bromus parodii Covas et Itria are two high producing forage grasses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen fertilization or the association with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L) on yield and forage quality of mixtures of both grasses during the establishment year. Nitrogen fertilizer (300 kg ha^-1) was broadcasted in three 100 kg N dosis. Nitrogen fertilization or alfalfa intercropping did not increase dry matter yield. Tiller density and crude protein content of grass forage were increased by nitrogen application. Intercropped alfalfa increased N …

Intake And Yield Of Cynodon Nlemfuensis Alone And Associated With Leucaena Leucocephala Grazed By Sheep, J. G. Escobedo-Mex, Luis Ramírez-Avilés, Juan C. Ku-Vera

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The objective of the present study was to determine dry matter intake (DMI) and the forage yield of green dry matter (GDM) of star grass (Cynodon nlemfuensis) alone and associated with Leucaena leucocephala cv. Perú grazed by sheep. The experimental treatments were: Systems T1) Star grass alone, and T2) Star grass + L. leucocephala. These treatments were evaluated during three seasons (i.e. Late-rainy, Dry and Rainy seasons). The availability of forage was lower (P < 0.0001) in T1, 2543 kg GDM/ha, than with T2, 3092 kg GDM/ha. Green dry matter in the rainy season was greater (P < 0.0001), with 3910 kg GDM/ha, than in the late-rainy and dry seasons, 2492 and 2052 kg GDM/ha, respectively. DMI was 5.9 and 7.6 g DM/kg of LW ^0.75/hour for the T1 and T2, respectively (P < 0.0001). DMI during the rainy season was lower (P < 0.01) than that of the dry and late-rainy seasons, 6.2, 6.4 and 7.5 g DM/kg LW^0.75/hour, respectively. The association C. nlemfuensis-L. leucocephala increased the availability of …

Biology Is Important, But Does Not Necessarily Always Constitute A "Family": A Brief Survey Of The Uniform Adoption Act, Carrie L. Wambaugh

Akron Law Review

The Uniform Adoption Act [hereinafter "UAA"] recognizes that adoptive families are the "legal equivalent" to biological families. While recognizing biology is very important, the UAA contends that this biological fact alone will not be enough to trump the rights of adoptive parents and the child by ensuring stability and finality in adoptions. The child is the one with the most at stake and deserves protection from "transfer trauma" in contested adoptions. This Comment addresses the problems that adoptive families have confronted and explores certain provisions of the Uniform Adoption Act.

Internal Entrapment And Fearlessness About Death As Precipitants Of Suicidal Thoughts And Planning In The Context Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd), D Nicolas Oakey-Frost

LSU Master's Theses

The post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) relationship has been extensively studied but potential explanatory mechanisms remain inconclusive. Entrapment is one variable that evinces a theoretical and empirical mechanistic relationship with PTSD and STB. Further, entrapment and fearlessness about death (FAD) have not been linked but are hypothesized to interact in a way that facilitates vulnerability for intense suicidal thinking and potentially suicidal behavior. The current study examined the indirect effect PTSD symptoms have on suicidal ideation, planning, and likelihood of future suicide attempt through both internal (IE) and external entrapment (EE), moderated by levels of …

The Emergence Of The Legitimacy Of Religious Healing Knowledge In Taiwan, Wei-Cheng Chiu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation investigates how religious healing knowledge has been defined and used by scholars, physicians, and New Agers and how religious healing knowledge emerged as a legitimate area of knowledge in Taiwan. The key position of religious healing knowledge within the entanglement between religion and spirituality is also examined. After the martial law was lifted in 1987, Taiwan’s society had rapidly diversified, and its religions were at the transition point between the old and the new. Meanwhile, the new spirituality culture was introduced into Taiwan in the 1980s and got popular in the 1990s, and it inherited the trend of …

A Collaborative Autoethnography On Challenging Sociohistorical Constructions Of Gender In Teacher Education, Marie-Helene Brunet, Mark Currie

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

In early 2019, we developed a workshop that examines changing representations of masculinities and femininities through advertisements from today and from 30 years ago. We employ a pedagogy of discomfort (Boler, 1999) and challenge participants—whether students, teacher candidates, or seasoned educators—to historicize and critique how they co-construct sociohistorical representations and performativity of gender (Butler, 1990). Our hopes are that participants begin deconstructing how and which understandings of gender became normalized to them, as well as how they perpetuate or disrupt “masculinities” and “femininities”. Through regular debriefing, we realized that we do not merely facilitate but also actively participate in each …

Improving Recycling In Jordan: Using Surveys And Case Studies To Predict The Success Of Project Tadweer, Blake Dixon

Capstone Collection

Globally, the mismanagement of municipal solid waste continues to be an environmental, human health, and economic hazard, especially in developing countries. In Jordan, solid waste production is rapidly increasing as their population continue to grow. Unfortunately, only 6 to 10% of this waste is recycled with most of it landing in landfills or open dumpsites. Because of this, project TADWEER (“recycle” in Arabic) was launched by the Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan’s (JREDS’) Eco-School program and will attempt to achieve zero waste in 10 selected schools in Al-Zarqaa and Irbid for the 2021-2022 school year. The project also plans …

Ancient Physical And Spiritual Reinforcements Of Male Andocentric Opinions, Allison Cartmell

Ephemeris

No abstract provided.

Summer To Autumn Population Of Wild Eumaeus Atala On The Ft. Lauderdale Campus Of Nova Southeastern University, Alexandra M. Lens

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Eumaeus atala is an endangered tropical butterfly native to the Caribbean and some parts of Florida, USA. Following population reductions primarily due to habitat loss, E. atala populations are now increasing due to conservation efforts of its cycad host plants, especially Zamia integrifolia (coontie). The purpose of this study was to observe, document, and measure the population of wild E. atala on the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida campus of Nova Southeastern University where landscaping use of host plants supports a natural population of E. atala. Forty-four host plants located in two different sites were observed for 14 weeks. One site …

Development Of The Medical Services Market Through The Telemedic Medicine Plant In The Development Of The Digital Economy, Sadokat Rakhimova

Central Asian Problems of Modern Science and Education

This article examines in depth the issues of achieving socio economic efficiency as a result of the introduction of telemedicine services in the market of medical services of Uzbekistan, the prevention of excessive costs of modern forms of medical services in health care. In addition, the author analyzes the directions of introduction of telemedicine services, ways to meet the demand of the population for medical services through new innovative technologies, various definitions of telemedicine.

Methodological Approaches To The Definition Of Indicators For Assessing The Competitiveness Of Regions, Taking Into Account The Ecologic And Economic Aspects, Miyassar Raximova

Central Asian Problems of Modern Science and Education

The article discusses methodological approaches to the definition of indicators for assessing the competitiveness of regions, taking into account ecologi c and economic aspects, a model of regional competitiveness is developed.