Life Sciences Commons^™

Characterization Of A Pathological Tau Point Mutation, E342v, Implicated In Frontotemporal Dementia, Liam Clancy

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) is classified as a Tauopathy, a group of heterogenous neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the abnormal functioning of a microtubule associated protein (MAP), Tau. Microtubules, an integral cytoskeletal component in neurons, are thought to be stabilized by Tau. In disease states such as FTD, a reduction in binding affinity of Tau for the microtubule is believed to lead to intraneural Tau deposition and aggregation, which subsequently causes microtubule instability. Consequently, neuronal health is compromised and an array of brain functions decline creating the symptomology seen in FTD. However, it is now known that Tau has a myriad of …

Predicting Leucotaraxis Spp. Adult Emergence In The Pacific Northwest With Implications For Biological Control Of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid In The Eastern United States, Liam Farley

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) is a non-native, invasive pest of eastern hemlock (Tsugae canadensis) and Carolina hemlock (Tsugae caroliniana), both of which are considered important foundation species in forest ecosystems. Adelges tsugae has caused widespread decline and mortality of hemlock trees in eastern North America. Native hemlocks are particularly vulnerable because of the absence of co-evolved plant defenses and lack of natural enemies of A. tsugae. Managing A. tsugae through development of a biological control program has great potential at the regional level. Two species of silver fly from the Pacific northwest (PNW) Leucotaraxis argenticollis and Leucotaraxis piniperda are …

A Small Forest Owner's Engagement With A Carbon Sequestration Effort In Northeastern U.S., Frederick Pond

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

In 2023, a small forest landowner in central Vermont enrolled 140 acres in the Family Forest Carbon Program[FFCP], engaging his local forestland in combating global warming.

FFCP is a collaboration of The Nature Conservancy and American Forest Foundation, developed to offer small landowners the opportunity to engage their asset in carbon sequestration locally.

This poster presents the experience of a small forest owner's process in entering a twenty year contract to manage a small woodlot under the direction of FFCP while enrolled with the state UVA program, also known as Current Use.

Challenges to the process, advantages/downsides, future perspectives are …

2021 Northeast Maple Business Benchmark, Mark Cannella, Christopher Lindgren

UVM Extension Faculty Publications

The 2021 production season left many producers disappointed. While sap flow volume was reported as average to normal in many instances, pervasive low sap sugar content influenced the lower syrup production totals.

The 2021 Northeast Maple Business Benchmark report documents the ninth year of financial record analysis for commercial syrup producers. The project includes maple producers in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Tap counts for this year’s participant businesses ranged from 7,000 taps to 65,000 taps.

This report demonstrates key management and financial metrics including: yield statistics, land use, operating costs, investment requirements, total cost of production, marketing strategy …

Advancing Agroecological Agroforestry: A Vermont Participatory Storytelling And Story Mapping Project, Sydney Blume

Food Systems Master's Project Reports

Agroforestry is the intentional integration of trees into agricultural landscapes. Advancing agroforestry has the potential to support just food system transition, but it must take direction from traditional approaches (culturally-embedded, millennia-old agroforestry practices in forest ecosystems) and agroecology (the movement, science, and practice for just and sustainable food and agricultural systems). An agroecological approach to agroforestry is essential to avoid agroforestry replicating the logics and harms of industrial agriculture and to encourage learning from traditional agroforestry practices, and likewise, traditional approaches to agroforestry can support a transformative agroecological transition through redesign of agroecosystems and shifting perspectives and ethics. This paper …

Seed & Story Conservation: A Rooted Historical Documentation And Analysis Of Living Seed Stories In The Us Northeast, Celia Luanna Nesbitt

Food Systems Master's Project Reports

Often a neglected item in our current industrialized food system, seed is now typically seen as a commodity. Agrobiodiversity is in decline with diverse crop varieties being lost from cultivation and memory, further threatening levels of biodiversity. Research indicates that seed systems are crucial for the conservation of crop diversity and local adaption of cultivars. Globally, people are working to grow and share seeds that support seed production based around the premises of community-based production and (agro)biodiversity. This project and paper draw attention to the regional seed work in the US Northeast. Through a participatory approach, and an active participation …

The Gardens Nearby: A Narrative Podcast Exploring Soil Contamination And Community Gardening In Burlington, Vt, April Mcilwaine

Food Systems Master's Project Reports

The city of Burlington, Vermont (Burlington) is home to the Burlington Area Community Gardens (BACG), a program of the Burlington Parks and Recreation Department. This program has a 50-year legacy in the Burlington community and today comprises 14 garden sites that serve over 1,400 people. Within the framework of food sovereignty, community gardens are valuable, multi-functional spaces that positively benefit residents and neighborhoods alike. However, planting gardens in reclaimed urban spaces may come with food safety concerns. Like other cities that have an industrial heritage, some of Burlington’s urban areas may have soils with high levels of toxic heavy metals …

Home Food Production Before, During And Since Start Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In Northern New England, Ashleigh Angle, Ashley C. Mccarthy, Meredith T. Niles

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

This brief details the results from three separate surveys of Northern New Englanders in Maine and Vermont in summer 2020, spring 2021, and spring 2022. A survey was conducted in summer of 2020 to understand the initial and continued impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security, diet, and health outcomes. Two additional surveys were conducted using the same methods in spring 2021 and 2022 to continue to assess changes during the pandemic. All surveys were representative of the state populations on race and ethnicity and the data presented in this brief were weighted to be representative of income in …

Leveraging A Machine Learning Based Predictive Framework To Study Brain-Phenotype Relationships, Sage Hahn

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

An immense collective effort has been put towards the development of methods forquantifying brain activity and structure. In parallel, a similar effort has focused on collecting experimental data, resulting in ever-growing data banks of complex human in vivo neuroimaging data. Machine learning, a broad set of powerful and effective tools for identifying multivariate relationships in high-dimensional problem spaces, has proven to be a promising approach toward better understanding the relationships between the brain and different phenotypes of interest. However, applied machine learning within a predictive framework for the study of neuroimaging data introduces several domain-specific problems and considerations, leaving the …

Examining Gendered Aspects Of Land Tenure Security And Smallholder Food Security During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Uganda, Michelle B. Saunders

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Smallholder agriculture is an integral part of the global food system – indeed, over 80% of the world’s farms operate on less than two hectares of land. In Uganda, these smallholder farmers grow the majority (~85%) of food produced, and thus are critical to domestic food security. However, due to external threats such as economic hardship and climate change, smallholders are also vulnerable to food insecurity themselves. As we work towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger, it is crucial that we pay particular attention to this vital population. This thesis explores two key explanatory factors that …

Proceedings - U.S.A Agroecology Summit 2023, Deborah A. Neher, Colin R. Anderson, Andrea D. Basche, Christine Costello, Mary K. Hendrickson, Bruce D. Maxwell, Antonio M. Roman-Alcalá, Aubrey Streit Krug, William F. Tracy, Ernesto Méndez, Catherine Horner, Janica M. Anderzén

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

This docket is a memory of the meeting held in Kansas City from May 22-25 called the 2023 USA Agroecology Summit and contains all the documents generated before, during, and after the meeting.

Detecting Ranavirus Presence In Vermont Through Avian Species And Edna, Raymond Looney

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Amphibian populations are declining globally and are seriously threatened by emerging infectious diseases. Most local amphibian die-offs are caused by Ranavirus (Family: Iridoviridae), and these die-offs can contribute to the risk of local population extinction. Ranaviruses are not particularly well studied, specifically, not much is known about their transmission dynamics and the impact that different transmission routes may have on amphibian population dynamics. The primary pathways for Ranavirus transmission are direct contact, necrophagy (consumption of dead individuals), and transmission through contact with virions in the water. My work specifically focuses on transmission through water and through contact with bird feathers, …

Evaluation Of Forage Energetics And Implications To Pasture-Based Dairy Cattle In The Northeastern United States., Miriam Allison Snider

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The organic, grassfed (OGF) dairy sector has been growing for the past 10 yr with expansion rapidly outpacing other dairy sectors. Unique management approaches are needed for OGF systems, but research to support said approaches is lacking. The objectives of this dissertation were to 1) survey OGF dairy producers to better understand producer knowledge and practices, as well as identify areas of needed research to support this farmer population, 2) determine in vitro rumen performance of energetic supplements commonly utilized on OGF dairy farms in the Northeastern (NE) United States (U.S.), and 3) identify and evaluate forage combinations using in …

The Effect Of Tryptamine Producing Bacteria On Gut Motility In Mice, Emilia Sofia Norberg

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

It has become increasingly clear that there is bidirectional communication between the microbes that exist in the lumen of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the nervous system. Research within the last 20 years has revealed GI bacterial metabolites to have a significant effect on gut motility, and some of these actions involve influencing serotonin signaling in the epithelial layer of the intestines. Serotonin, abbreviated as 5- HT, has many functions within the gut including propulsive and segmentation motility, vasodilation, and epithelial cell secretion. There are several bacterial species that have been discovered to synthesize one of 5-HT’s precursory molecules, including …

Differing Short-Term Impacts Of Agricultural Tarping On Soil-Dwelling And Surface-Active Arthropods, Eva Kinnebrew, Victor Izzo, Deborah A. Neher, Taylor H. Ricketts, Kimberly F. Wallin, Gillian L. Galford

Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Agricultural tarping, the practice of placing impermeable plastic tarps over crop beds before planting to suppress weeds, is rising in popularity. However, the use of tarps has uncertain effects on soil arthropod communities. We studied the impact of silage (black plastic) tarps and clear plastic tarps on surface-active and soil-dwelling arthropods by tracking immediate impacts and arthropod recovery for 5 weeks after tarps were removed. We also assessed how well environmental and experimental variables explained arthropod diversity and composition. During tarp application, we found that both silage and clear plastic tarps had significant negative impacts on surface-active arthropod diversity, while …

Left- Vs Right-Sided Migraine: A Scoping Review, Adam S. Sprouse Blum, Nina Y. Riggins, Denise P. Hersey, Gary S. Atwood, Benjamin Littenberg

Larner College of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Migraine is a historically unilateral head pain condition, the cause of which is not currently known. A growing body of literature suggests individuals who experience migraine with left-sided headache (“left-sided migraine”) may be distinguished from those who experience migraine with right-sided headache (“right-sided migraine”).

Objective: In this scoping review, we explore migraine unilaterality by summarizing what is currently known about left- and right-sided migraine.

Methods: Two senior medical librarians worked with the lead authors to construct and refine a set of search terms to identify studies of subjects with left- or right-sided migraine published between 1988, which is the …

Encapsulation And Culture Of Plant Protoplasts In Hydrogel Microspheres Using Droplet Microfluidics, Matthew Grasso

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Plant morphogenesis requires the coordinated growth between cells and their neighbors. This coordination is regulated by internal and external signals that are both physical and chemical. It is understood that both mechanical and molecular signals are involved in the regulation of plant morphogenesis however, how mechanical signals induce molecular signals and vice versa is not. This is due to a lack of research tools for manipulating and measuring the mechanical environment of growing plant cells. Such tools would ideally provide individual plant cells with mechanically tunable physical microenvironments. This may allow changes in the cells physical environment to be linked …

Exploring Potential Domains Of Agroecological Transformation In The United States, Catherine Horner

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

There is now substantial evidence that agroecology constitutes a necessary pathway towards socially just and ecologically resilient agrifood systems. In the United States, however, agroecology remains relegated to the margins of research and policy spaces. This dissertation explores three potential domains of agroecological transformation in the US. Domains of transformation are sites of contestation in which agroecology interfaces with the industrial agrifood system; these material and conceptual spaces may point to important pathways for scaling agroecology. To explore this concept, I examine formal agroecology education (Chapter 1), extension services and statewide discourses around soil health (Chapter 2), and models of …

The Role Of Neurotrophin Signaling In Urinary Bladder Dysfunction With Cyclophosphamide-Induced Cystitis, Harrison Wood Hsiang

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a chronic inflammatory pelvic pain syndrome characterized by urinary frequency and urgency, bladder discomfort, decreased bladder capacity, and pelvic pain. A positive feedback loop of bladder inflammation and afferent hypersensitization is currently thought to underlie IC/BPS. Inflammation increases bladder afferent excitability, which in turn releases inflammatory neuropeptides, growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines throughout the micturition pathway, leading to altered bladder function and sensation. There currently exists no effective therapy for IC/BPS.

While its etiology remains unknown, a large body of evidence suggests a role for changes in neurotrophin signaling, particularly that of nerve growth …

Socio-Ecological Economic Impact Analysis Of Food Systems Initiatives Using Mixed Methods And Community-Based Research Approaches, Josiah J. Taylor

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Many NGO and government community development programs seek to alleviate complex problems related to food systems and agriculture. Yet, without integrated social, ecological, and economic impact analysis we cannot understand or communicate the value of such interventions. For this research, we partnered with food and agriculture organizations using participatory action research approaches to co-develop and test tools for holistic program analysis. We then used these tools to conduct and co-produce a holistic analysis and evaluation of program impacts. The first chapter provides background and context for the body of the dissertation. Chapter two details work with Hunger Free Vermont to …

Effects Of Late Gestation Episodic Heat Stress In The Northeastern United States On Holstein Dams And Their Calves, Emily Fread

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Heat stress negatively impacts dry dairy cows in subtropical climates, but impacts in moderate climates are unknown. The objective of this thesis was to determine if dry cows and their calves in Northern NY and VT are impacted by episodic heat stress and varying levels of heat exposure. Another aim of this study was to determine farmers' knowledge of heat stress, heat abatement use, and the need for future research.Chapter 2 describes a study conducted on a Northern NY farm, where dry cows were housed in moderate heat abatement, meaning fans over a bedded pack or free stalls. Surprisingly, cows …

Biomechanical Outcomes 1 Year After Acl Reconstruction And Meniscus Surgery, Sadegh Khodabandeloo

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a long-term outcome following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) surgery. PTOA is defined by pain limitations during movement and the degeneration of articular cartilage. This study aimed to investigate side-to-side differences in arthrokinematics and quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) in patients who underwent ACLR with meniscal surgery. Nine participants who had undergone ACLR surgery with meniscal repair and/or partial meniscectomy were included in this study. Arthrokinematic analysis was performed during walking and jogging activities. qMRI measurements, including T1ρ and T2* relaxation times, were assessed to evaluate cartilage composition. qMRI measurements were acquired with patients laying supine …

Development Of A Portable Device For Quantifying Internal-External Rotational Laxity Of The Knee In Vivo, Haley Kuralt

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the leading cause of mobility-related disability. Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a form of OA that occurs after an acute injury to the affected joint. In the case of the knee, rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most common acute injury. ACL injury occurs in sports that involve cutting and pivoting motions, such as soccer, football, and skiing. Many patients opt to undergo ACL reconstructive surgery (ACLR) so that they may return to their sport with restored knee stability and function. Unfortunately, ACLR does not completely restore the knee to its original state, resulting in …

Metagenomic Insights Into The Full-Scale Anaerobic Digestion Of Cow Manure And Pre-Treated Food Waste, Amy Camille Decola

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Anaerobic digestion provides many benefits, such as diverting organic waste from landfills, promoting nutrient recovery, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and producing renewable energy. A complex community of microorganisms is responsible for the anaerobic digestion process that converts organic matter into biogas, a renewable energy source. The start-up phase of an anaerobic digester is considered a crucial point in solidifying the core microbial community that will ensure a stable anaerobic digester. A full-scale anaerobic digester that co-digests cow manure and pre-treated food waste from a hydrolysis tank was studied from start-up through stable performance in order to better understand the dynamics …

The Role Of Slam-Sap Signaling In The Development Of Innate-Like Gamma Delta (Γδ) T Cells, Somen Kumar Mistri

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Gamma delta (γδ) T cells are unconventional T cells that are highly enriched in the mucosal tissues such as the lung, gut, and skin, where they play critical roles in host immune surveillance, autoimmunity, and anti-tumor immunity. γδ T cells are notable for their ability to rapidly produce large amounts of cytokines such as IL-17 (γδT17), IFN-γ (γδT1), and IL-4 (γδT2). Interestingly, unlike their well-studied conventional αβ T cell counterparts, most γδ T cells acquire their functional programming during specific developmental windows of thymic development using mechanisms that remain unclear. Here, we investigated the role of the SLAM-SAP signaling pathway …

Groundwater Governance And Agricultural Sustainability: Examining Farmer Interactions With California’S Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, Zachary Matthew Goldstein

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Climate change has exacerbated groundwater depletion globally, and policymakers have struggled to effectively manage groundwater resources. California enacted the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in 2014 to restore groundwater to sustainable levels.

The first paper of this thesis examines the drivers associated with uptake of groundwater conservation practices in agriculture. While a rich body of research has explored farmers’ conservation practice adoption, understanding of groundwater conservation practices is more limited. This study explores how information sources influence the actual and intended adoption of groundwater management practices in California. Using survey data from farmers (n = 553) in three largely agricultural …

Reorienting Local Housing Development Trends Via Land Value Taxation: A Bottom-Up And Top-Down Quantitative Analysis, Dakota B. Walker

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The region surrounding Burlington, Vermont is in the midst of sparse, decentralized growth which threatens the sense of place from which it has thrived. Many have argued that such development tendencies result from a disconnect between land use incentives at the individual level and the fruits of compact settlement, which materialize at larger scales. Two overarching problems are understood to contribute to this disconnect; the ability to privately appropriate the collectively-created value of land, and the inability to recognize ecological opportunity costs of natural land conversion in land use decisions. One proposed solution is the Land Value Tax (LVT). By …

The Effects Of Ericoid Inoculum Source And Nutrient Addition On Growth And Reproduction In Highbush Blueberry, Ilana Williams

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Ericoid mycorrhizal fungi (EMF) form symbiotic relationships with ericaceous plants such as Vaccinium corymbosum, or highbush blueberry and assist in nutrient acquisition. EMF help plants thrive in stressful environments by increasing the area in which roots can uptake water and nutrients. In plant-mycorrhizal symbioses, nutrient uptake may depend on the identity of the fungal partner. Therefore, differently sourced mycorrhizal fungi could show differences in nutrient uptake ability. Here, I hypothesized that inoculation of V. corymbosum with EMF would enhance plant growth and investment in reproduction, and that effect would be more pronounced for plants in low nutrient conditions. I also …

Forest Management In The Context Of Global Change: Impacts Of Disturbance, Adaptive Management, And Invasive Species On Northeastern Forests, Jennifer Santoro

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Climate change is predicted to have variable and uncertain effects on forested ecosystems globally. In the northeastern US, natural disturbances have historically been a central driver of forest successional dynamics, but as climate warming is projected to alter the frequency and severity of these events, post-disturbance management strategies to sustain biodiversity and ecosystem services must adaptively change to promote forest resilience. A suite of adaptive silvicultural actions has been proposed to promote forest resilience in the face of uncertainty, but due to the multi-decadal scale of forest management, initial field experiments are only beginning to show results. To address these …

“No Solamente Del Café Puede Vivir Uno...”: Participatory Action Research On Agricultural Diversification In Smallholder Coffee Systems Of Chiapas, Mexico, Janica Mia-Maaria Anderzén

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Diversity and diversification are foundational principles of agroecology. Growing scientific and experiential evidence from different parts of the world shows that diversified, agroecologically managed agricultural systems generate multiple ecological, social, and economic benefits, and can be more resilient to risks and stressors. However, while ecological benefits of these systems are well documented, less is known about socio-economic dimensions of agricultural diversification. This dissertation explores characteristics and outcomes of agricultural diversification in smallholder coffee systems in Chiapas, Mexico, with special emphasis on beekeeping. In this region, beekeeping is seen as an alternative with potential to build household resilience in the face …