Life Sciences Commons^™

Forage News [2007-12], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Heart of America Grazing Conference to Be Held in Missouri
• Forage Producers to Be Featured at KCA
• SRM/AFGC in Louisville
• Panoramic 2SL Registered for Weed Control in Pastures
• Hay – 2007
• Energy Savings with New Light Bulbs
• Corn Stalks and a Protein Block…That All You Got?
• Reflections at My 80^th Birthday - Carl S. Hoveland, October 25, 2007
• Upcoming Events

Pre-Mrna Secondary Structures Influence Exon Recognition, Michael Hiller, Zhaiyi Zhang, Rolf Backofen, Stefan Stamm

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The secondary structure of a pre-mRNA influences a number of processing steps including alternative splicing. Since most splicing regulatory proteins bind to single-stranded RNA, the sequestration of RNA into double strands could prevent their binding. Here, we analyzed the secondary structure context of experimentally determined splicing enhancer and silencer motifs in their natural pre-mRNA context. We found that these splicing motifs are significantly more single-stranded than controls. These findings were validated by transfection experiments, where the effect of enhancer or silencer motifs on exon skipping was much more pronounced in single-stranded conformation. We also found that the structural context of …

Leptospira Interrogans Endostatin-Like Outer Membrane Proteins Bind Host Fibronectin, Laminin And Regulators Of Complement, Brian Stevenson, Henry A. Choy, Marija Pinne, Matthew L. Rotondi, M. Clarke Miller, Edward Demoll, Peter Kraiczy, Anne E. Cooley, Trevor P. Creamer, Marc A. Suchard, Catherine A. Brissette, Ashutosh Verma, David A. Haake

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

The pathogenic spirochete Leptospira interrogans disseminates throughout its hosts via the bloodstream, then invades and colonizes a variety of host tissues. Infectious leptospires are resistant to killing by their hosts' alternative pathway of complement-mediated killing, and interact with various host extracellular matrix (ECM) components. The LenA outer surface protein (formerly called LfhA and Lsa24) was previously shown to bind the host ECM component laminin and the complement regulators factor H and factor H-related protein-1. We now demonstrate that infectious L. interrogans contain five additional paralogs of lenA, which we designated lenB, lenC, lenD, lenE and lenF …

Forage News [2007-11], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Kentucky Grazing Conference
• Forage Spokesman Featured at Grazing Conference
• KFGC Presents Forage Awards
• Sources for Hay
• If You Procrastinate, It May Be Too Late
• Buffalo Trace Hay Auction
• Volunteer Corn
• Winter Feeding Will Be a Challenge
• State Summary Of 2007
• Environmental Effects of Increased Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
• Upcoming Events

A Non-Circadian Role For Clock-Genes In Sleep Homeostasis: A Strain Comparison, Paul Franken, Ryan Thomason, H. Craig Heller, Bruce F. O'Hara

Biology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: We have previously reported that the expression of circadian clock-genes increases in the cerebral cortex after sleep deprivation (SD) and that the sleep rebound following SD is attenuated in mice deficient for one or more clock-genes. We hypothesized that besides generating circadian rhythms, clock-genes also play a role in the homeostatic regulation of sleep. Here we follow the time course of the forebrain changes in the expression of the clock-genes period (per)-1, per2, and of the clock-controlled gene albumin D-binding protein (dbp) during a 6 h SD and subsequent recovery sleep in three inbred strains of mice for which …

Induction Of Insulin Secretion In Engineered Liver Cells By Nitric Oxide, Latha Muniappan, Sabire Özcan

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus results from an autoimmune destruction of the pancreatic beta cells, which produce insulin. The lack of insulin leads to chronic hyperglycemia and secondary complications, such as cardiovascular disease. The currently approved clinical treatments for diabetes mellitus often fail to achieve sustained and optimal glycemic control. Therefore, there is a great interest in the development of surrogate beta cells as a treatment for type 1 diabetes. Normally, pancreatic beta cells produce and secrete insulin only in response to increased blood glucose levels. However in many cases, insulin secretion from non-beta cells engineered to produce insulin occurs …

A Simple Array Platform For Microrna Analysis And Its Application In Mouse Tissues, Xiaoqing Tang, Jozsef Gal, Xun Zhuang, Wang-Xia Wang, Haining Zhu, Guiliang Tang

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a novel class of small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and play a critical role in many important biological processes. Most miRNAs are conserved between humans and mice, which makes it possible to analyze their expressions with a set of selected array probes. Here, we report a simple array platform that can detect 553 nonredundant miRNAs encompassing the entire set of miRNAs for humans and mice. The platform features carefully selected and designed probes with optimized hybridization parameters. Potential cross-reaction between mature miRNAs and their precursors was investigated. The array platform was …

Agricultural Situation And Outlook Fall 2007, Chuck Corby, Kenneth H. Burdine

Agricultural Situation and Outlook

No abstract provided.

Forage News [2007-10], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Kentucky Grazing Conference
• KY Grazing Conference Hosts Popular Forage Spokesperson Contest
• Grazing Corn Stalks
• Nutrient Losses from Harvested Hay or Crop Residue
• Forages - Louisville - January - Big Event
• Biotechnology in Forage Crops: Update for KY Farmers
• The Effects of Feeding Sericea Lespedeza Hay on Growth Rate of Goats Naturally Infected with Gastrointestinal Nematodes
• Southeastern Drought Drives Search for Hay
• Upcoming Events

Forage News [2007-09], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Forage Spokesman Nominations
• CRP – Forage Quality
• Wet Chemistry Results of Hay Baled from CRP Fields in Hopkins Co. - Aug. 2007
• KFGC Awards
• Stockpiling Tall Fescue
• Cost Per Day on Stockpiled Fescue/Fall Fertilization
• Cost Per Day on Soyhulls/Limit Hay
• Caution When Seeding into Drought Damaged Pastures
• NAFA Summit Promotes Alfalfa for Biofuel
• Consider Annual Ryegrass as a High Quality Forage Option
• Upcoming Events

Mutants And Assay System To Identify Usp/Rxr Ligands, Grace Jones, Davy Jones

Biology Faculty Patents

The invention relates to mutant nuclear hormone receptors that encode mutant nuclear hormone receptors, in which particular amino acid residues are substituted with respect to wild type, so as to be able to detect ligand binding to the mutant receptor by either a change in a physical property of the mutant receptor and/or an transcriptional induction of a nuclear hormone receptor construct. The invention also relates to a nuclear hormone receptor response element denoted by the formula YDRXZ comprising a direct repeat (DR) comprising two half sites separated by X nucleic acid bases; wherein Z indicates the presence of at …

Impacts Of T-Phylloplanin Gene Knockdown And Of Helianthus And Datura Phylloplanins On Peronospora Tabacina Spore Germination And Disease Potential, Antoaneta B. Kroumova, Ryan W. Shepherd, George J. Wagner

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

T-phylloplanin proteins secreted to aerial surfaces of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) by short procumbent trichomes inhibit spore germination and blue mold disease caused by the oomycete pathogen Peronospora tabacina. Many other plants were found to contain water-washed leaf surface proteins (phylloplanins), but the functions and properties of these are not known. Here we extend earlier evidence for the antifungal activity of T-phylloplanins using a reverse genetics approach. RNA interference of the T-phylloplanin gene in tobacco ‘T.I. 1068’ resulted in loss of T-phylloplanin mRNA and protein, loss of in vitro spore germination inhibition activity, and leaf infection …

Forage News [2007-08], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• UK All Commodity Field Day
• 8^th Kentucky Grazing Conference
• Hay Hotline Helps Farmers in Search of Forage
• Beware of Hay Payment Scam
• Judge Amends Roundup Ready Alfalfa Ruling
• Corn Acres Soar, Soy Acres Plunge
• Relative Feed Value (RFV) and Relative Forage Quality (RFQ)
• KFGC Awards
• Forage Spokesman Nominations
• Upcoming Events

Chronic Administration Of R-Flurbiprofen Attenuates Learning Impairments In Transgenic Amyloid Precursor Protein Mice, Thomas Kukar, Sonya Prescott, Jason L. Eriksen, Vallie Holloway, M. Paul Murphy, Edward H. Koo, Todd E. Golde, Michelle M. Nicolle

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is associated with a reduced incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We and others have shown that certain NSAIDs reduce secretion of Abeta42 in cell culture and animal models, and that the effect of NSAIDs on Abeta42 is independent of the inhibition of cyclooxygenase by these compounds. Since Abeta42 is hypothesized to be the initiating pathologic molecule in AD, the ability of these compounds to lower Abeta42 selectively may be associated with their protective effect. We have previously identified R-flurbiprofen (tarenflurbil) as a selective Abeta42 lowering agent with greatly reduced cyclooxygenase activity that …

Post Hoc Pattern Matching: Assigning Significance To Statistically Defined Expression Patterns In Single Channel Microarray Data, Randall Hulshizer, Eric M. Blalock

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Researchers using RNA expression microarrays in experimental designs with more than two treatment groups often identify statistically significant genes with ANOVA approaches. However, the ANOVA test does not discriminate which of the multiple treatment groups differ from one another. Thus, post hoc tests, such as linear contrasts, template correlations, and pairwise comparisons are used. Linear contrasts and template correlations work extremely well, especially when the researcher has a priori information pointing to a particular pattern/template among the different treatment groups. Further, all pairwise comparisons can be used to identify particular, treatment group-dependent patterns of gene expression. However, these approaches …

Forage News [2007-07], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Forages Losses Exceed $40 Million
• Forage & Beef Tours at UKREC Field Day
• Grazing Conference Date Change
• Forage Spokesman Nominations
• KFGC Awards
• AFGC Report from Pennsylvania
• Top 14 Invasive Species in Kentucky
• Switchgrass Incentives May Be in Farm Bill
• Double Whammy…
• Eastern Gamagrass Meeting & Tour
• KFGC Field Day
• Upcoming Events

Forage News [2007-06], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• KFGC Summer Grazing Tour
• UK Field Day Offers Something for Everyone
• KADB Approves $650,000 For Biomass Project
• USDA-ARS and Cooperative Extension Sponsors Eastern Gamagrass Field Day
• Roundup Ready Alfalfa Injunction is Permanent
• No Roundup Ready Harvest Restrictions Yet
• Effects of Forage on Steer Performance
• Effects of Forage on Stocker Profits
• Grazing Days – Fescue vs. Small Grains
• Forage Has Cellulosic Ethanol Potential
• Maintaining Forage Harvester for Fuel Efficiency
• Upcoming Events

Differential Neuromuscular Training Effects On Acl Injury Risk Factors In"High-Risk" Versus "Low-Risk" Athletes, Gregory D. Myer, Kevin R. Ford, Jensen L. Brent, Timothy E. Hewett

Kinesiology and Health Promotion Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Neuromuscular training may reduce risk factors that contribute to ACL injury incidence in female athletes. Multi-component, ACL injury prevention training programs can be time and labor intensive, which may ultimately limit training program utilization or compliance. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of neuromuscular training on those classified as "high-risk" compared to those classified as "low-risk." The hypothesis was that high-risk athletes would decrease knee abduction moments while low-risk and control athletes would not show measurable changes.

METHODS: Eighteen high school female athletes participated in neuromuscular training 3x/week over a 7-week period. Knee kinematics and …

Corn Stover Availability And Collection Efficiency Using Typical Hay Equipment, Robert M. Prewitt, Michael D. Montross, Scott A. Shearer, Timothy S. Stombaugh, Stephen F. Higgins, Samuel G. Mcneill, Shahab Sokhansanj

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Corn stover has been identified as a potential feedstock for the production of fermentable sugars and thermochemical processes. The availability and efficiency of typical hay equipment for collecting corn stover has not been well quantified. Corn stover was collected for two years on a central Kentucky farm near Louisville. Six different harvesting treatments, using traditional hay equipment, were used to harvest corn stover. A rotary mower, rotary scythe (flail-type mower with windrow-forming shields), parallel bar rake, and a round baler were utilized. The average stover moisture content prior to grain harvest was above 40%, and field drying was required before …

Forage News [2007-05], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Freeze and Forages
• Forage Field Day in Monroe County
• Grazing and Alfalfa Conferences
• Forage Tour Set for U.K. All Commodity Field Day
• Remember AFGC Annual Meeting - June 24-26, 2007
• Final Alfalfa Weevil Thoughts - Don’t Forget Regrowth Feeding
• Milk Production
• Barren County Continued as Cattle Capital of Kentucky
• Armyworm Counts on the Increase Again!
• Losses of Alfalfa During Harvest
• Upcoming Events

Soil Microbial Community Response To Hexavalent Chromium In Planted And Unplanted Soil, Ioannis Ipsilantis, Mark S. Coyne

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Theories suggest that rapid microbial growth rates lead to quicker development of metal resistance. We tested these theories by adding hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] to soil, sowing Indian mustard (Brassica juncea), and comparing rhizosphere and bulk soil microbial community responses. Four weeks after the initial Cr(VI) application we measured Cr concentration, microbial biomass by fumigation extraction and soil extract ATP, tolerance to Cr and growth rates with tritiated thymidine incorporation, and performed community substrate use analysis with BIOLOG GN plates. Exchangeable Cr(VI) levels were very low, and therefore we assumed the Cr(VI) impact was transient. Microbial biomass was reduced …

Gender-Specific Effects Of Hiv Protease Inhibitors On Body Mass In Mice, Melinda E. Wilson, Kimberly F. Allred, Elizabeth M. Kordik, Deana K. Jasper, Amanda N. Rosewell, Anthony J. Bisotti

Physiology Faculty Publications

Protease inhibitors, as part of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART), have significantly increased the lifespan of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients. Several deleterious side effects including dyslipidemia and lipodystrophy, however, have been observed with HAART. Women are at a higher risk of developing adipose tissue alterations and these alterations have different characteristics as compared to men. We have previously demonstrated that in mice the HIV protease inhibitor, ritonavir, caused a reduction in weight gain in females, but had no effect on male mice. In the present study, we examined the potential causes of this difference in weight gain. Low-density …

Expansion Of The Calcium Hypothesis Of Brain Aging And Alzheimer's Disease: Minding The Store, Olivier Thibault, John C. Gant, Philip W. Landfield

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Evidence accumulated over more than two decades has implicated Ca2+ dysregulation in brain aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD), giving rise to the Ca2+ hypothesis of brain aging and dementia. Electrophysiological, imaging, and behavioral studies in hippocampal or cortical neurons of rodents and rabbits have revealed aging-related increases in the slow afterhyperpolarization, Ca2+ spikes and currents, Ca2+transients, and L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channel (L-VGCC) activity. Several of these changes have been associated with age-related deficits in learning or memory. Consequently, one version of the Ca2+ hypothesis has been that increased L-VGCC activity drives many of the other Ca2+-related biomarkers of hippocampal aging. …

Functional Dissociation In Frontal And Striatal Areas For Processing Of Positive And Negative Reward Information, Xun Liu, David K. Powell, Hongbin Wang, Brian T. Gold, Christine R. Corbly, Jane E. Joseph

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

Reward-seeking behavior depends critically on processing of positive and negative information at various stages such as reward anticipation, outcome monitoring, and choice evaluation. Behavioral and neuropsychological evidence suggests that processing of positive (e.g., gain) and negative (e.g., loss) reward information may be dissociable and individually disrupted. However, it remains uncertain whether different stages of reward processing share certain neural circuitry in frontal and striatal areas, and whether distinct but interactive systems in these areas are recruited for positive and negative reward processing. To explore these issues, we used a monetary decision-making task to investigate the roles of frontal and striatal …

Forage News [2007-04], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Conference Proceedings on Web
• Growers Can Continue to Grow and Use Roundup Ready Alfalfa, but Monsanto Company Is Disappointed with Preliminary Injunction Affecting Purchase and Planting; Will Continue to Support Growers’ Right to Choose Roundup Ready Alfalfa for Their Forage Operations
• New Posters Featuring Forages Now Available/Southern Forages Book Now in Fourth Edition
• Teff
• Removal of Tall Fescue from Kentucky Bluegrass Pastures
• Phoenix Alfalfa has Substantial Resistance to Sclerotinia Crown and Stem Rot
• KFGC Summer Field Day
• Upcoming Events

Plant Cells And Plants Expressing Chemeric Isoprenoid Synthases, Joseph Chappell, Kyoungwhan Back

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Patents

The invention features plant cells and plants that include a nucleic acid molecule encoding a chimeric isoprenoid synthase polypeptide including an asymmetrically positioned homologous domain. The chimeric isoprenoid synthases of the invention catalyze the production of isoprenoid reaction products that are not produced when the asymmetrically positioned homologous domain is positioned at its naturally-occurring site in an isoprenoid synthase polypeptide.

Characterization Of Dairy Milk House Waste Water In Kentucky, Anshu Singh, Czarena L. Crofcheck, Gail M. Brion

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

This study focuses on characterization of milk house waste water from eight different farms in Kentucky. The farms were separated into three groups based on the number of cows: small (20-30), medium (30-60), and large (over 60 cows). Samples were collected once a month from four farms and twice a month from the remainder. Samples were analyzed for chemical, biochemical, and microbiological characteristics. Results indicated a large and significant variation in the chemical and microbiological characteristics between the farms. Farm size had a significant effect on the nutrient content of the waste water. Though samples exhibited seasonal variation, there was …

Forage News [2007-03], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Kentucky Alfalfa Awards
• 27^th Kentucky Alfalfa Conference
• Forages at KCA
• 2006 Hay Contest Winners
• Biotech Traits Can Improve Alfalfa
• Newly Updated: Grain and Forage Crop Guide For KY
• New Publication: Long Term Variety Test Summary
• AFGC Will Hold Its Annual Meeting This June in Pennsylvania
• Increase in Alfalfa Acreage & Yield
• Conversion from Corn to Grassland Provides Economic and Environmental Benefits to a Maryland Beef Farm
• Disc, Sickle Mowers Both Have Pluses
• Kentucky Farm Numbers
• Upcoming Events

Loline Alkaloid Gene Clusters Of The Fungal Endophyte Neotyphodium Uncinatum, Christopher L. Schardl, Heather H. Wilkinson, Martin J. Spiering

Plant Pathology Faculty Patents

Loline alkaloids (LA), which are 1-aminopyrrolizidines with an oxygen bridge, are produced by Epichloë (anamorph=Neotyphodium) species, endophytes of grasses. LA are insecticidal, thus helping protect host plants from insect herbivory. Suppression subtractive hybridization PCR was used to isolate transcripts up-regulated during loline alkaloid production in cultures of Neotyphodium uncinatum. Subtracted cDNAs were cloned, and a λ-phage cDNA library from an LA-expressing N. uncinatum culture was screened with subtracted cDNA. In BLAST searches, several cDNAs identified had sequence similarities to aspartate kinases, and another with O-acetylhomoserine-(thiol)lyase. Differential expression of these two genes in LA-producing cultures of N. uncinatum …

Forage News [2007-02], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• 27th Kentucky Alfalfa Conference
• Forages at KCA
• Heart of America Grazing Conference
• AFGC in Pennsylvania
• 1st National Grass-Fed Beef Conference
• AFGC Update
• 2007 Variety Trial Reports Available
• Top Ten Agricultural Counties (2005)
• Top Ten Counties (2005)
• Transporting Hay to be Subject to New Regulations
• FDA: Hay Farmers Clear Of Records Law
• Hay Sampling
• Use of Feedstuffs by Livestock in the United States
• Upcoming Events