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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
A Cross-Ecoregion Evaluation Of Nitrogen Fixation And Denitrification In Streams And Rivers Of The United States Of America, Amy Marcarelli, Erin K. Eberhard, Michelle Kelly, Kevin Nevorski
A Cross-Ecoregion Evaluation Of Nitrogen Fixation And Denitrification In Streams And Rivers Of The United States Of America, Amy Marcarelli, Erin K. Eberhard, Michelle Kelly, Kevin Nevorski
Michigan Tech Publications
It is typically assumed that dinitrogen (N2) fixation and denitrification are mutually exclusive processes in riverine ecosystems because N2 fixation is favored in high light, low nitrogen (N) environments but denitrification is favored under anoxic, high N conditions. Yet recent work in marine and lake ecosystems has demonstrated that N2 fixation can happen under high N conditions and in sediments, challenging this assumption. We conducted a cross-ecoregion study to test the hypothesis that N2 fixation and denitrification would co-occur in streams and rivers across a range of reactive N concentrations. Between 2017 and 2019, we sampled 30 streams in 13 …
Β-Hydroxy-Β-Methylbutyrate Supplementation Promotes Antitumor Immunity In An Obesity Responsive Mouse Model Of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Michael F. Coleman, Kristyn A. Liu, Alexander J. Pfeil, Suhas K. Etigunta, Xiaohu Tang, Salvador Fabela, Et. Al.
Β-Hydroxy-Β-Methylbutyrate Supplementation Promotes Antitumor Immunity In An Obesity Responsive Mouse Model Of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Michael F. Coleman, Kristyn A. Liu, Alexander J. Pfeil, Suhas K. Etigunta, Xiaohu Tang, Salvador Fabela, Et. Al.
Michigan Tech Publications
Pancreatic cancer (PDAC) is a deadly disease, exacerbated by obesity, which lacks effective therapeutic interventions. Most PDAC has a limited response to immune- and chemotherapy. Treating PDAC is made additionally challenging by the rapid emergence of muscle wasting and cachexia, which predict poor response to several therapies. We have found that dietary supplementation with β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate promotes immunosurveillance in PDAC tumors and protects muscle. This dietary supplement has the potential to be an important adjuvant in PDAC therapy, opening the doors to immunotherapy response.
Adsorption Of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (Pfoa) And Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (Pfos) By Aluminum-Based Drinking Water Treatment Residuals, Zhiming Zhang, Dibyendu Sarkar, Rupali Datta, Yang Deng
Adsorption Of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (Pfoa) And Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (Pfos) By Aluminum-Based Drinking Water Treatment Residuals, Zhiming Zhang, Dibyendu Sarkar, Rupali Datta, Yang Deng
Michigan Tech Publications
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) represent a family of emerging persistent organic pollutants. Cost-effective remediation of PFAS contamination via chemical or biochemical degradation is challenging due to their extremely high stability. This study reports the removal of two representative PFAS species, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), from water by adsorption using aluminum-based water treatment residuals (Al-WTR), a non-hazardous waste generated during the process of drinking water treatment by alum salts. Rapid adsorption of PFOA and PFOS onto Al-WTR followed a pseudo 2nd order kinetic pattern. Lower pH facilitated the adsorption process with a faster adsorption rate and greater …
Activation Of Orexin System Stimulates Camkii Expression, Yuanyuan Fan, Enshe Jiang, Huanjia Gao, Jeremy Bigalke, Bojun Chen, Chunxiu Yu, Qinghui Chen, Zhiying Shan
Activation Of Orexin System Stimulates Camkii Expression, Yuanyuan Fan, Enshe Jiang, Huanjia Gao, Jeremy Bigalke, Bojun Chen, Chunxiu Yu, Qinghui Chen, Zhiying Shan
Michigan Tech Publications
Hyperactivity of the orexin system within the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) has been shown to contribute to increased sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) and blood pressure (BP) in rodent animals. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we test the hypothesis that orexin system activation stimulates calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) expression and activation, and stimulation of CaMKII expressing PVN neurons increases SNA and BP. Real-time PCR and/or western blot were carried out to test the effect of orexin-A administration on CaMKII expression in the PVN of normal Sprague Dawley (SD) rats and orexin receptor 1 (OX1R) expressing PC12 cells. Immunostaining was …
Nutrient Limitation Of Algae And Macrophytes In Streams: Integrating Laboratory Bioassays, Field Experiments, And Field Data, Christopher A. Mebane, Andrew M. Ray, Amy Marcarelli
Nutrient Limitation Of Algae And Macrophytes In Streams: Integrating Laboratory Bioassays, Field Experiments, And Field Data, Christopher A. Mebane, Andrew M. Ray, Amy Marcarelli
Michigan Tech Publications
Successful eutrophication control strategies need to address the limiting nutrient. We conducted a battery of laboratory and in situ nutrient-limitation tests with waters collected from 9 streams in an agricultural region of the upper Snake River basin, Idaho, USA. Laboratory tests used the green alga Raphidocelis subcapitata, the macrophyte Lemna minor (duckweed) with native epiphytes, and in situ nutrient-limitation tests of periphyton were conducted with nutrient-diffusing substrates (NDS). In the duckweed/epiphyte test, P saturation occurred when concentrations reached about 100 μg/L. Chlorophyll a in epiphytic periphyton was stimulated at low P additions and by about 100 μg/L P, epiphytic periphyton …
Scientific Access Into Mercer Subglacial Lake: Scientific Objectives, Drilling Operations And Initial Observations, John C. Priscu, Jonas Kalin, John Winans, Timothy Campbell, Matthew R. Siegfried, Mark Skidmore, Trista J. Vick‐Majors, Et. Al.
Scientific Access Into Mercer Subglacial Lake: Scientific Objectives, Drilling Operations And Initial Observations, John C. Priscu, Jonas Kalin, John Winans, Timothy Campbell, Matthew R. Siegfried, Mark Skidmore, Trista J. Vick‐Majors, Et. Al.
Michigan Tech Publications
The Subglacial Antarctic Lakes Scientific Access (SALSA) Project accessed Mercer Subglacial Lake using environmentally clean hot-water drilling to examine interactions among ice, water, sediment, rock, microbes and carbon reservoirs within the lake water column and underlying sediments. A ∼0.4 m diameter borehole was melted through 1087 m of ice and maintained over ∼10 days, allowing observation of ice properties and collection of water and sediment with various tools. Over this period, SALSA collected: 60 L of lake water and 10 L of deep borehole water; microbes >0.2 μm in diameter from in situ filtration of ∼100 L of lake water; …
Hdac6 Inhibitors Sensitize Non-Mesenchymal Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells To Cysteine Deprivation, Tahiyat Alothaim, Morgan Charbonneau, Xiaohu Tang
Hdac6 Inhibitors Sensitize Non-Mesenchymal Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells To Cysteine Deprivation, Tahiyat Alothaim, Morgan Charbonneau, Xiaohu Tang
Michigan Tech Publications
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly malignant type of breast cancer and lacks effective therapy. Targeting cysteine-dependence is an emerging strategy to treat the mesenchymal TNBC. However, many TNBC cells are non-mesenchymal and unresponsive to cysteine deprivation. To overcome such resistance, three selective HDAC6 inhibitors (Tubacin, CAY10603, and Tubastatin A), identified by epigenetic compound library screening, can synergize with cysteine deprivation to induce cell death in the non-mesenchymal TNBC. Despite the efficacy of HDAC6 inhibitor, knockout of HDAC6 did not mimic the synthetic lethality induced by its inhibitors, indicating that HDAC6 is not the actual target of HDAC6 inhibitor …
Open Source Vacuum Oven Design For Low-Temperature Drying: Performance Evaluation For Recycled Pet And Biomass, Benjamin R. Hubbard, Lindsay I. Putman, Stephen Techtmann, Joshua M. Pearce
Open Source Vacuum Oven Design For Low-Temperature Drying: Performance Evaluation For Recycled Pet And Biomass, Benjamin R. Hubbard, Lindsay I. Putman, Stephen Techtmann, Joshua M. Pearce
Michigan Tech Publications
Vacuum drying can dehydrate materials further than dry heat methods, while protecting sensitive materials from thermal degradation. Many industries have shifted to vacuum drying as cost-or time-saving measures. Small-scale vacuum drying, however, has been limited by the high costs of specialty scientific tools. To make vacuum drying more accessible, this study provides design and performance information for a small-scale open source vacuum oven, which can be fabricated from off-the-shelf and 3-D printed components. The oven is tested for drying speed and effectiveness on both waste plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and a consortium of bacteria developed for bioprocessing of terephthalate wastes …
Co-Occurrence Of In-Stream Nitrogen Fixation And Denitrification Across A Nitrogen Gradient In A Western U.S. Watershed, 2015 - 2016, Erin K. Eberhard, Amy Marcarelli, Colden V. Baxter
Co-Occurrence Of In-Stream Nitrogen Fixation And Denitrification Across A Nitrogen Gradient In A Western U.S. Watershed, 2015 - 2016, Erin K. Eberhard, Amy Marcarelli, Colden V. Baxter
Michigan Tech Publications
This data was collected as part of the NSF CAREER Grant DEB 14-51919 to Amy Marcarelli to evaluate if nitrogen fixation and denitrification co-occur in streams across a gradient of nitrate concentrations. This data was collected during summer 2015 and 2016 in the Portneuf River watershed near Pocatello, ID. In summer 2015, rates of nitrogen fixation were only measured on rock substrate and denitrification only on sediment substrate. In summer 2016, both process rates were measured on both rock and sediment substrate to more accurately capture variation in rates.
Removal Of Antibiotics And Nutrients By Vetiver Grass (Chrysopogon Zizanioides) From A Plug Flow Reactor Based Constructed Wetland Model, Saumik Panja, Dibyendu Sarkar, Zhiming Zhang, Rupali Datta
Removal Of Antibiotics And Nutrients By Vetiver Grass (Chrysopogon Zizanioides) From A Plug Flow Reactor Based Constructed Wetland Model, Saumik Panja, Dibyendu Sarkar, Zhiming Zhang, Rupali Datta
Michigan Tech Publications
Overuse of antibiotics has resulted in widespread contamination of the environment and triggered antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. Conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are not equipped to remove antibiotics. Effluents from WWTPs are usually the primary source of antibiotics in aquatic environments. There is an urgent need for cost-effective, environment-friendly technologies to address this issue. Along with antibiotics, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) are also present in conventional WWTP effluents at high concentrations, causing environmental problems like eutrophication. In this study, we tested vetiver grass in a plug flow reactor-based constructed wetland model in a greenhouse setup for removing antibiotics ciprofloxacin …
Drosophyla: Genomic Resources For Drosophilid Phylogeny And Systematics, Cédric Finet, Victoria A. Kassner, Antonio B. Carvalho, Henry Chung, Komal K. B. Raja, Thomas Werner, Et. Al.
Drosophyla: Genomic Resources For Drosophilid Phylogeny And Systematics, Cédric Finet, Victoria A. Kassner, Antonio B. Carvalho, Henry Chung, Komal K. B. Raja, Thomas Werner, Et. Al.
Michigan Tech Publications
The vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster is a pivotal model for invertebrate development, genetics, physiology, neuroscience, and disease. The whole family Drosophilidae, which contains over 4000 species, offers a plethora of cases for comparative and evolutionary studies. Despite a long history of phylogenetic inference, many relationships remain unresolved among the groups and genera in the Drosophilidae. To clarify these relationships, we first developed a set of new genomic markers and assembled a multilocus data set of 17 genes from 704 species of Drosophilidae. We then inferred well-supported group and species trees for this family. Additionally, we were able to determine the …
Rna In Situ Hybridization For Detecting Gene Expression Patterns In The Abdomens And Wings Of Drosophila Species, Mujeeb Olushola Shittu, Tessa Steenwinkel, William Dion, Nathan Ostlund, Komal Raja, Thomas Werner
Rna In Situ Hybridization For Detecting Gene Expression Patterns In The Abdomens And Wings Of Drosophila Species, Mujeeb Olushola Shittu, Tessa Steenwinkel, William Dion, Nathan Ostlund, Komal Raja, Thomas Werner
Michigan Tech Publications
RNA in situ hybridization (ISH) is used to visualize spatio-temporal gene expression patterns with broad applications in biology and biomedicine. Here we provide a protocol for mRNA ISH in developing pupal wings and abdomens for model and non-model Drosophila species. We describe best practices in pupal staging, tissue preparation, probe design and synthesis, imaging of gene expression patterns, and image-editing techniques. This protocol has been successfully used to investigate the roles of genes underlying the evolution of novel color patterns in non-model Drosophila species.
Rebuild The Academy: Supporting Academic Mothers During Covid-19 And Beyond, Robinson W. Fulweiler, Sarah W. Davies, Jennifer F. Biddle, Amy J. Burgin, Emily H.G. Cooperdock, Torrance C. Hanley, Carly D. Kenkel, Amy Marcarelli, Catherine M. Matassa, Talea L. Mayo, Lory Z. Santiago-Vàzquez, Nikki Traylor-Knowles, Maren Ziegler
Rebuild The Academy: Supporting Academic Mothers During Covid-19 And Beyond, Robinson W. Fulweiler, Sarah W. Davies, Jennifer F. Biddle, Amy J. Burgin, Emily H.G. Cooperdock, Torrance C. Hanley, Carly D. Kenkel, Amy Marcarelli, Catherine M. Matassa, Talea L. Mayo, Lory Z. Santiago-Vàzquez, Nikki Traylor-Knowles, Maren Ziegler
Michigan Tech Publications
The issues facing academic mothers have been discussed for decades. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is further exposing these inequalities as womxn scientists who are parenting while also engaging in a combination of academic related duties are falling behind. These inequities can be solved by investing strategically in solutions. Here we describe strategies that would ensure a more equitable academy for working mothers now and in the future. While the data are clear that mothers are being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, many groups could benefit from these strategies. Rather than rebuilding what we once knew, let us be the architects of …
Butterfly Eyespots Evolved Via Co-Option Of The Antennal Gene-Regulatory Network, Suriya Narayanan Murugesan, Heidi Connahs, Yuji Matsuoka, Mainak Das Gupta, Manizah Huq, Thomas Werner, Et. Al.
Butterfly Eyespots Evolved Via Co-Option Of The Antennal Gene-Regulatory Network, Suriya Narayanan Murugesan, Heidi Connahs, Yuji Matsuoka, Mainak Das Gupta, Manizah Huq, Thomas Werner, Et. Al.
Michigan Tech Publications
Butterfly eyespots are beautiful novel traits with an unknown developmental origin. Here we show that eyespots likely originated via co-option of the antennal gene-regulatory network (GRN) to novel locations on the wing. Using comparative transcriptome analysis, we show that eyespots cluster with antennae relative to multiple other tissues. Furthermore, three genes essential for eyespot development (Distal-less (Dll), spalt (sal), and Antennapedia (Antp)) share similar regulatory connections as those observed in the antennal GRN. CRISPR knockout of cis-regulatory elements (CREs) for Dll and sal led to the loss of eyespots and antennae, and …
Nitrogen Fixation: A Poorly Understood Process Along The Freshwater-Marine Continuum, Amy M. Marcarelli, Robinson W. Fulweiler, J. Thad Scott
Nitrogen Fixation: A Poorly Understood Process Along The Freshwater-Marine Continuum, Amy M. Marcarelli, Robinson W. Fulweiler, J. Thad Scott
Michigan Tech Publications
N2 fixation is a major component of the global N cycle and has been extensively studied in open-ocean and terrestrial ecosystems. Yet rates and ecological dynamics remain virtually unknown for the inland and coastal aquatic ecosystems (lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams, and estuaries) that connect terrestrial and marine biomes. This is due to the diversity of these habitats as well as the traditional paradigm that N2 fixation rates were low to nonexistent, and therefore not important, in these ecosystems. We identify three major research themes to advance understanding of aquatic N2 fixation: (1) the biological diversity of diazotrophs and variability of …
Anticancer Activities Of Plant Secondary Metabolites: Rice Callus Suspension Culture As A New Paradigm, Wusirika Ramakrishna, Anuradha Kumari, Nafeesa Rahman, Pallavi Mandave
Anticancer Activities Of Plant Secondary Metabolites: Rice Callus Suspension Culture As A New Paradigm, Wusirika Ramakrishna, Anuradha Kumari, Nafeesa Rahman, Pallavi Mandave
Michigan Tech Publications
Plant natural products including alkaloids, polyphenols, terpenoids and flavonoids have been reported to exert anticancer activity by targeting various metabolic pathways. The biological pathways regulated by plant products can serve as novel drug targets. Plant natural compounds or their derivatives used for cancer treatment and some novel plant-based compounds which are used in clinical trials were discussed. Callus suspension culture with secondary metabolites can provide a continuous source of plant pharmaceuticals without time and space limitations. Previous research has shown that rice callus suspension culture can kill >95% cancer cells with no significant effect on the growth of normal cells. …
Machine Learning Applications In Microbial Ecology, Human Microbiome Studies, And Environmental Monitoring, Ryan B. Ghannam, Stephen Techtmann
Machine Learning Applications In Microbial Ecology, Human Microbiome Studies, And Environmental Monitoring, Ryan B. Ghannam, Stephen Techtmann
Michigan Tech Publications
Advances in nucleic acid sequencing technology have enabled expansion of our ability to profile microbial diversity. These large datasets of taxonomic and functional diversity are key to better understanding microbial ecology. Machine learning has proven to be a useful approach for analyzing microbial community data and making predictions about outcomes including human and environmental health. Machine learning applied to microbial community profiles has been used to predict disease states in human health, environmental quality and presence of contamination in the environment, and as trace evidence in forensics. Machine learning has appeal as a powerful tool that can provide deep insights …
Functional Characterization Of Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus Matrix Protein In Host Cellular Responses, Jeffery Ringiesn
Functional Characterization Of Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus Matrix Protein In Host Cellular Responses, Jeffery Ringiesn
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Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is a deadly fish pathogen that poses a global threat to aquatic ecosystems and the aquaculture industry. For decades, research has focused on developing vaccine therapeutics utilizing a variety of techniques and strategies. While these studies have met with some success in identifying potential vaccine targets that provided protective immunity, a commercially viable IHNV vaccine is currently unavailable. Here we explore the relationship between the structure and function of the IHNV matrix (M) protein through the introduction of mutations that reduce anti-host effects, with the goal of developing a novel recombinant IHNV with reduced pathogenicity …
Characterizing The Effects Of 14-3-3 Isoforms On Alpha-Synuclein Toxicity In A Yeast Model, Angela Marie Braunschweiger
Characterizing The Effects Of 14-3-3 Isoforms On Alpha-Synuclein Toxicity In A Yeast Model, Angela Marie Braunschweiger
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The presynaptic protein alpha-synuclein encoded by SNCA is the primary component of Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites which are the histopathological hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease. While the etiology of Parkinson’s remains unclear, SNCA mutations and copy number variations are one of several genes linked to Parkinson’s. The family of highly conserved chaperone proteins 14-3-3 have been shown to co-aggregate and share regions of 40% homology with alpha-synuclein. Mitochondrial dysfunction also plays a role in Parkinson’s disease with abnormalities in mitochondrial respiration due to interference of complex I in the electron transport chain being found in Parkinson’s patients. Alpha-synuclein increases fragmentation …