Life Sciences Commons^™

Transcriptome And Metabolome Analyses Of Glucosinolates In Two Broccoli Cultivars Following Jasmonate Treatment For The Induction Of Glucosinolate Defense To Trichoplusia Ni (Hübner), Kang-Mo Ku, Talon M. Becker, John A. Juvik

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Lepidopteran larvae growth is influenced by host plant glucosinolate (GS) concentrations, which are, in turn, influenced by the phytohormone jasmonate (JA). In order to elucidate insect resistance biomarkers to lepidopteran pests, transcriptome and metabolome analyses following JA treatments were conducted with two broccoli cultivars, Green Magic and VI-158, which have differentially induced indole GSs, neoglucobrassicin and glucobrassicin, respectively. To test these two inducible GSs on growth of cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni), eight neonate cabbage looper larvae were placed onto each of three plants per JA treatments (0, 100, 200, 400 µM) three days after treatment. After five days of feeding, …

Orchid Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini) Of Cusuco National Park, State Of Cortés, Honduras, Kenneth W. Mccravy, Joseph Van Dyke, Thomas J. Creedy, David W. Roubik

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Orchid bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini) are abundant and important pollinators of Neotropical forests, but orchid bee diversity is still poorly known in much of Mesoamerica, particularly in cloud forests. This paper presents results of a 2012 to 2013 survey of orchid bee diversity in Cusuco National Park, a cloud forest environment in northwest Honduras. Orchid bees were collected using insect nets at bait stations with chemical attractants. Bait stations were located at 68 sample sites throughout the park. We collected 4,293 orchid bees representing 24 species and 4 genera. One species, Euglossa imperialis Cockerell, accounted for 67.6% of the total …

Soil Respiration And Its Environmental Response Varies By Day/Night And By Growing/Dormant Season In A Subalpine Forest, Zongda Hu, Shirong Liu, Xingliang Liu, Liyong Fu, Jingxin Wang, Kuan Liu, Xueman Huang, Yuandong Zhang, Fei He

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Comparisons of soil respiration (RS) and its components of heterotrophic (RH) and rhizospheric (RR) respiration during daytime and nighttime, growing (GS) and dormant season (DS), have not being well studied and documented. In this study, we compared RS, RH, RR, and their responses to soil temperature (T5) and moisture (θ5) in daytime vs. nighttime and GS vs. DS in a subalpine forest in 2011. In GS, nighttime RS and RH rates were 30.5 ± 4.4% (mean ± SE) and …

Genome-Wide Association Study For Identifying Loci That Affect Fillet Yield, Carcass, And Body Weight Traits In Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss), Dianelys Gonzalez-Pena, Guangtu Gao, Matthew Baranski, Thomas Moen, Beth M. Cleveland, P. Brett Kenney, Roger L. Vallejo, Yniv Palti, Timothy D. Leeds

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Fillet yield (FY, %) is an economically-important trait in rainbow trout aquaculture that affects production efficiency. Despite that, FY has received little attention in breeding programs because it is difficult to measure on a large number of fish and cannot be directly measured on breeding candidates. The recent development of a high-density SNP array for rainbow trout has provided the needed tool for studying the underlying genetic architecture of this trait. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted for FY, body weight at 10 (BW10) and 13 (BW13) months post-hatching, head-off carcass weight (CAR), and fillet weight (FW) in a …

Quantifying The Missing Link Between Forest Albedo And Productivity In The Boreal Zone, Aarne Hovi, Jingjing Liang, Lauri Korhonen, Hideki Kobayashi, Miina Rautiainen

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Albedo and fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR) determine the shortwave radiation balance and productivity of forests. Currently, the physical link between forest albedo and productivity is poorly understood, yet it is crucial for designing optimal forest management strategies for mitigating climate change. We investigated the relationships between boreal forest structure, albedo and FAPAR using a radiative transfer model called Forest Reflectance and Transmittance model FRT and extensive forest inventory data sets ranging from southern boreal forests to the northern tree line in Finland and Alaska (N  =  1086 plots). The forests in the study areas vary widely …

Effects Of Temperature On Development And Voltinism Of Chaetodactylus Krombeini (Acari: Chaetodactylidae): Implications For Climate Change Impacts, Jeong Joon Ahn, Youngsoo Son, Yaqian He, Eungul Lee, Yong-Lak Park

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Temperature plays an important role in the growth and development of arthropods, and thus the current trend of climate change will alter their biology and species distribution. We used Chaetodactylus krombeini (Acari: Chaetodactylidae), a cleptoparasitic mite associated with Osmia bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), as a model organism to investigate how temperature affects the development and voltinism of C. krombeini in the eastern United States. The effects of temperature on the stage-specific development of C. krombeini were determined at seven constant temperatures (16.1, 20.2, 24.1, 27.5, 30.0, 32.4 and 37.8°C). Parameters for stage-specific development, such as threshold temperatures and thermal constant, were …

Chromosome-End Knockoff Strategy To Reshape Alkaloid Profiles Of A Fungal Endophyte, Simona Florea, Timothy D. Phillips, Daniel G. Panaccione, Mark L. Farman, Christopher L. Schardl

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Molecular genetic techniques to precisely eliminate genes in asexual filamentous fungi require the introduction of a marker gene into the target genome. We developed a novel strategy to eliminate genes or gene clusters located in subterminal regions of chromosomes, and then eliminate the marker gene and vector backbone used in the transformation procedure. Because many toxin gene clusters are subterminal, this method is particularly suited to generating nontoxic fungal strains. We tested this technique on Epichloë coenophiala, a seed-transmissible symbiotic fungus (endophyte) of the important forage grass, tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum). The endophyte is necessary for maximal productivity and sustainability …

Spatiotemporal Characteristics Of Particulate Matter And Dry Deposition Flux In The Cuihu Wetland Of Beijing, Lijuan Zhu, Jiakai Liu, Ling Cong, Wenmei Ma, Wu Ma, Zhenming Zhang

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

In recent years, the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization has caused serious environmental pollution, especially particulate pollution. As the “Earth’s kidneys,” wetland plays a significant role in improving the environmental quality and adjusting the climate. To study how wetlands work in this aspect, from the early autumn of 2014 to 2015, we implemented a study to measure the PM concentration and chemical composition at three heights (1.5, 6, and 10 m) during different periods (dry, normal water, and wet periods) in the Cuihu wetland park in Beijing for analyzing the dry deposition flux and the effect of meteorological factors …

The Conserved Mapk Site In E(Spl)-M8, An Effector Of Drosophila Notch Signaling, Controls Repressor Activity During Eye Development, Mohna Bandyopadhyay, Clifton P. Bishop, Ashok P. Bidwai

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The specification of patterned R8 photoreceptors at the onset of eye development depends on timely inhibition of Atonal (Ato) by the Enhancer of split (E(spl) repressors. Repression of Ato by E(spl)-M8 requires the kinase CK2 and is inhibited by the phosphatase PP2A. The region targeted by CK2 harbors additional conserved Ser residues, raising the prospect of regulation via multi-site phosphorylation. Here we investigate one such motif that meets the consensus for modification by MAPK, a well-known effector of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) signaling. Our studies reveal an important role for the predicted MAPK site of M8 during R8 birth. …

Ecosystem Carbon Stock Loss After Land Use Change In Subtropical Forests In China, Shaohui Fan, Fengying Guan, Xingliang Xu, David I. Forrester, Wu Ma, Xiaolu Tang

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Converting secondary natural forests (SFs) to Chinese fir plantations (CFPs) represents one of the most important (8.9 million ha) land use changes in subtropical China. This study estimated both biomass and soil C stocks in a SF and a CFP that was converted from a SF, to quantify the effects of land use change on ecosystem C stock. After the forest conversion, biomass C in the CFP (73 Mg¨ ha´1 ) was significantly lower than that of the SF (114 Mg¨ ha´1 ). Soil organic C content and stock decreased with increasing soil depth, and the soil C stock in …

Spatial Heterogeneity Of Climate Change Effects On Dominant Height Of Larch Plantations In Northern And Northeastern China, Hao Zang, Xiangdong Lei, Wu Ma, Weisheng Zeng

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Determining the response of dominant height growth to climate change is important for understanding adaption strategies. Based on 550 permanent plots from a national forest inventory and climate data across seven provinces and three climate zones, we developed a climate-sensitive dominant height growth model under a mixed-effects model framework. The mean temperature of the wettest quarter and precipitation of the wettest month were found to be statistically significant explanatory variables that markedly improved model performance. Generally, future climate change had a positive effect on stand dominant height in northern and northeastern China, but the effect showed high spatial variability linked …

Differential Effects Of Conifer And Broadleaf Litter Inputs On Soil Organic Carbon Chemical Composition Through Altered Soil Microbial Community Composition, Hui Wang, Shi-Rong Liu, Jing-Xin Wang, Zuo-Min Shi, Jia Xu, Pi-Zheng Hong, An-Gang Ming, Hao-Long Yu, Lin Chen, Li-Hua Lu, Dao-Xiong Cai

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

A strategic selection of tree species will shift the type and quality of litter input, and subsequently magnitude and composition of the soil organic carbon (SOC) through soil microbial community. We conducted a manipulative experiment in randomized block design with leaf litter inputs of four native subtropical tree species in a Pinus massoniana plantation in southern China and found that the chemical composition of SOC did not differ significantly among treatments until after 28 months of the experiment. Contrasting leaf litter inputs had significant impacts on the amounts of total microbial, Gram-positive bacterial, and actinomycic PLFAs, but not on the …

Data Supporting The Nuclear Phylogenomics Of The Palm Subfamily Arecoideae (Arecaceae), Jason R. Comer, Wendy B. Zomlefer, Craig F. Barrett, Dennis Wm. Stevenson, Karolina Heyduk, James H. Leebens-Mack

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This data article provides data and supplemental materials refer-enced in“Nuclear phylogenomics of the palm subfamily Arecoi-deae (Arecaceae)”(Comer et al., 2016)[1]. Raw sequence readsgenerated for this study are available through the Sequence ReadArchive (SRA Study Accession: SRP061467). An aligned super-matrix of 168 nuclear genes for 35 taxa (34 palms and one out-group taxon) is provided. Also provided are individual maximumlikelihood gene trees used for the coalescent based analyses, out-put from the maximum parsimony analyses, and twofigures.

Twenty‐Five‐Year Response Of The Herbaceous Layer Of A Temperate Hardwood Forest To Elevated Nitrogen Deposition, Frank S. Gilliam, Nicole Turrill Welch, Anne Hockenberry Phillips, Jake H. Billmyer, William T. Peterjohn, Zachariah K. Fowler, Christopher A. Walter, Mark B. Burnham, Jeffrey D. May, Mary Beth Adams

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Increasing rates of atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (N) present a novel threat to the biodiversity of terrestrial ecosystems. Many forests are particularly susceptible to excess N given their proximity to sources of anthropogenic N emissions. This study summarizes results of a 25-yr treatment of an entire central Appalachian hardwood forest watershed via aerial applications of N with a focus on effects of added N on the cover, species richness, and composition of the herbaceous layer. Research was carried out on two watersheds of the Fernow Experimental Forest (FEF), West Virginia. The long-term reference watershed at FEF (WS4) was used as …

A Flight Sensory-Motor To Olfactory Processing Circuit In The Moth Manduca Sexta, Samual P. Bradley, Phillip D. Chapman, Kristyn M. Lizbinski, Kevin C. Daly, Andrew M. Dacks

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Neural circuits projecting information from motor to sensory pathways are common across sensory domains. These circuits typically modify sensory function as a result of motor pattern activation; this is particularly so in cases where the resultant behavior affects the sensory experience or its processing. However, such circuits have not been observed projecting to an olfactory pathway in any species despite well characterized active sampling behaviors that produce reafferent mechanical stimuli, such as sniffing in mammals and wing beating in the moth Manduca sexta. In this study we characterize a circuit that connects a flight sensory-motor center to an olfactory center …

Estimation Of Forest Structural Diversity Using The Spectral And Textural Information Derived From Spot-5 Satellite Images, Jinghui Meng, Shiming Li, Wei Wang, Qingwang Liu, Shiqin Xie, Wu Ma

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Uneven-aged forest management has received increasing attention in the past few years. Compared with even-aged plantations, the complex structure of uneven-aged forests complicates the formulation of management strategies. Forest structural diversity is expected to provide considerable significant information for uneven-aged forest management planning. In the present study, we investigated the potential of using SPOT-5 satellite images for extracting forest structural diversity. Forest stand variables were calculated from the field plots, whereas spectral and textural measures were derived from the corresponding satellite images. We firstly employed Pearson’s correlation analysis to examine the relationship between the forest stand variables and the image-derived …

Genomic Insights Into The Ixodes Scapularis Tick Vector Of Lyme Disease, Monika Gulia-Nuss, Andrew B. Nuss, Jason M. Meyer, Daniel E. Sonenshine, R. Michael Roe, Robert M. Waterhouse, David B. Sattelle, Jose De La Fuente, Jose M. Ribeiro, Karine Megy, Jyothi Thimmapuram, Jason R. Miller, Brian P. Walenz, Sergey Koren, Jessica B. Hostetler, Mathangi Thiagarajan, Vinita S. Joardar, Linda I. Hannick, Shelby Bidwell, Martin P. Hammond, Sarah Young, Qiandong Zeng, Jenica L. Abrudan, Francisca C. Almeida, Nieves Ayllon, Ketaki Bhide, Brooke W. Bissinger, Elena Bonzon-Kulichenko, Steven D. Buckingham, Daniel R. Caffrey, Melissa J. Caimano, Vincent Croset, Timothy Driscoll, Don Gilbert, Joseph J. Gillespie, Gloria I. Giraldo-Calderon, Jeffrey M. Grabowski, David Jiang, Sayed M. S. Khalil, Donghun Kim, Katherine M. Kocan, Juraj Koci, Richard J. Kuhn, Timothy J. Kurtti, Kristin Lees, Emma G. Lang, Ryan C. Kennedy, Hyeogsun Kwon, Rushika Perera, Yumin Qi, Justin D. Radolf, Joyce M. Sakamoto, Alejandro Sanchez-Gracia, Maiara S. Severo, Neal Silverman, Ladislav Simo, Marta Tojo, Cristian Tornador, Janice P. Van Zee, Jesus Vazquez, Filipe G. Vieira, Margarita Villar, Adam R. Wespiser, Yunlong Yang, Jiwei Zhu, Peter Arensburger, Patricia V. Pietrantonio, Stephen C. Barker, Renfu Shao, Evgeny M. Zdobnov, Frank Hauser, Cornelis J. P. Grimmelikhuijzen, Yoonseong Park, Julio Rozas, Richard Benton, Joao H. F. Pedra, David R. Nelson, Maria F. Unger, Jose M. C. Tubio, Zhijian Tu, Hugh M. Robertson, Martin Shumway, Granger Sutton, Jennifer R. Wortman, Daniel Lawson, Stephen K. Wikel, Vishvanath M. Nene, Claire M. Fraser, Frank H. Collins, Bruce Birren, Karen E. Nelson, Elisabet Caler, Catherine A. Hill

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Ticks transmit more pathogens to humans and animals than any other arthropod. We describe the 2.1 Gbp nuclear genome of the tick, Ixodes scapularis (Say), which vectors pathogens that cause Lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, babesiosis and other diseases. The large genome reflects accumulation of repetitive DNA, new lineages of retrotransposons, and gene architecture patterns resembling ancient metazoans rather than pancrustaceans. Annotation of scaffolds representing B57% of the genome, reveals 20,486 protein-coding genes and expansions of gene families associated with tick–host interactions. We report insights from genome analyses into parasitic processes unique to ticks, including host ‘questing’, prolonged feeding, cuticle …

Population Genomic Analysis Reveals Differential Evolutionary Histories And Patterns Of Diversity Across Subgenomes And Subpopulations Of Brassica Napus L., Elodie Gazave, Erica E. Tassone, Daniel C. Ilut, Megan Wingerson, Erwin Datema, Hanneke M. A. Witsenboer, James B. Davis, David Grant, John M. Dyer, Matthew A. Jenks, Jack Brown, Michael A. Gore

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The allotetraploid species Brassica napus L. is a global crop of major economic importance, providing canola oil (seed) and vegetables for human consumption and fodder and meal for livestock feed. Characterizing the genetic diversity present in the extant germplasm pool of B. napus is fundamental to better conserve, manage and utilize the genetic resources of this species. We used sequence-based genotyping to identify and genotype 30,881 SNPs in a diversity panel of 782 B. napus accessions, representing samples of winter and spring growth habits originating from 33 countries across Europe, Asia, and America. We detected strong population structure broadly concordant …

Space Takes Time: Concentration Dependent Output Codes From Primary Olfactory Networks Rapidly Provide Additional Information At Defined Discrimination Thresholds, Kevin C. Daly, Samual Bradley, Phillip D. Chapman, Erich M. Staudacher, Regina Tiede, Joachim Schachtner

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

As odor concentration increases, primary olfactory network representations expand in spatial distribution, temporal complexity and duration. However, the direct relationship between concentration dependent odor representations and the psychophysical thresholds of detection and discrimination is poorly understood. This relationship is absolutely critical as thresholds signify transition points whereby representations become meaningful to the organism. Here, we matched stimulus protocols for psychophysical assays and intracellular recordings of antennal lobe (AL) projection neurons (PNs) in the moth Manduca sexta to directly compare psychophysical thresholds and the output representations they elicit. We first behaviorally identified odor detection and discrimination thresholds across an odor dilution …

Shp2 Acts Both Upstream And Downstream Of Multiple Receptor Tyrosine Kinases To Promote Basal-Like And Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Fatimah Matalkah, Elisha Martin, Hua Zhao, Yehenew M. Agazie

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Introduction: Dysregulated receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling is a common occurrence in basal-like and triple-negative breast cancer (BTBC). As a result, RTK-targeting therapies have been initiated but proved difficult, mainly owing to the multiplicity of dysregulated RTKs. Hence, targeting master regulators of RTK signaling might alleviate this obstacle. Before that, however, defining the mechanism of such molecules is required. In this report, we show that the Src homology phosphotyrosyl phosphatase 2 (SHP2) is a master regulator of RTK expression and signaling in BTBC.

Methods: Xenograft tumor growth studies were used to determine the effect of SHP2 inhibition on tumorigenesis and/or …

Northern Long-Eared Bat Day-Roosting And Prescribed Fire In The Central Appalachians, Usa, W. Mark Ford, Alexander Silvis, Joshua B. Johnson, John W. Edwards, Milu Karp

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis Trovessart) is a cavity-roosting species that forages in cluttered upland and riparian forests throughout the oak-dominated Appalachian and Central Hardwoods regions. Common prior to white-nose syndrome, the population of this bat species has declined to functional extirpation in some regions in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, including portions of the central Appalachians. Our long-term research in the central Appalachians has shown that maternity colonies of this species form non-random assorting networks in patches of suitable trees that result from longand short-term forest disturbance processes, and that roost loss can occur with these disturbances. Following two …

Establishing Waist-To-Height Ratio Standards From Criterion-Referenced Bmi Using Roc Curves In Low-Income Children, Ryan D. Burns, Timothy A. Brusseau, Yi Fang, You Fu, James C. Hannon

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The purpose of this study was to establish health-related waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) cut-points associating with FITNESSGRAM’s body mass index (BMI) criterion-referenced standards in low-income children. A secondary aim was to examine the classification agreement between the derived WHtR cut-points and various cardiometabolic blood markers using current recommendations. Participants were 219 children from low-income schools (mean age = 10.5 ± 0.6 years). Waist circumference, height, weight, and cardiometabolic blood markers were collected in a fasting state before school hours. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine WHtR cut-points that associated with a child meeting FITNESSGRAM’s age- and sex-specific criterionreferenced …

The Association Of Physical Activity During Weekdays And Weekend With Body Composition In Young Adults, Clemens Drenowatz, Nicole Gribben, Michael D. Wirth, Gregory A. Hand, Robin P. Shook, Stephanie Burgess, Steven N. Blair

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Physical activity (PA) is a key contributor in long-term weight management but there remains limited research on the association between weekly PA patterns and weight change. The purpose of the present study was to examine the prospective association between weekly PA patterns and weight change in generally healthy young adults. Anthropometric measurements, including dual X-ray absorptiometry, were obtained every 3 months over a period of one year in 338 adults (53% male). At each measurement time, participants wore a multisensor device for a minimum of 10 days to determine total daily energy expenditure and time spent sleeping, sedentary, in light …

Transition In Tuber Quality Attributes Of Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.) Under Different Packaging Systems During Storage, Kashif Sarfraz Abbasi, Tariq Masud, Abdul Qayyum, Sami Ullah Khan, Asif Ahmad, Ayaz Mehmood, Abid Farid, Matthew A. Jenks

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The suitability of different packaging materials i.e. jute, nylon, polypropylene, cotton, low density polyethylene, medium density polyethylene, and high density polyethylene were studied for tubers of the premium potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) variety “Lady Rosetta”. After harvest, potato tubers were washed, sorted, graded, cured, and subsequently stored in different packaging materials at ambient temperature (25±2 °C). Changes in quality attributes of potato tubers under different packaging materials were studied on the basis of their physico-chemical and functional parameters. Overall results revealed that packaging materials had a significant (p ≤ 0.05) effect on many important quality attributes. Generally, weight loss, glucose …

Transcriptome Analysis Of Bovine Ovarian Follicles At Predeviation And Onset Of Deviation Stages Of A Follicular Wave, Pengfei Li, Jinzhu Meng, Wenzhong Liu, George W. Smith, Jianbo Yao, Lihua Lyu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

For two libraries (PDF1 and ODF1) using Illumina sequencing 44,082,301 and 43,708,132 clean reads were obtained, respectively. After being mapped to the bovine RefSeq database, 15,533 genes were identified to be expressed in both types of follicles (cut-off RPKM > 0.5), of which 719 were highly expressed in bovine follicles (cut-off RPKM > 100). Furthermore, 83 genes were identified as being differentially expressed in ODF1 versus PDF1, where 42 genes were upregulated and 41 genes were downregulated. KEGG pathway analysis revealed two upregulated genes in ODF1 versus PDF1, CYP11A1, and CYP19A1, which are important genes in the steroid hormone biosynthesis pathway. This …

Functional Olfactory Sensory Neurons Housed In Olfactory Sensilla On The Ovipositor Of The Hawkmoth Manduca Sexta, Christian F. Klinner, Christopher Konig, Christine Missbach, Achim Werckenthin, Kevin C. Daly, Sonja Bisch-Knaden, Monika Stengl, Bill S. Hansson, Ewald Grosse-Wilde

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Olfactory systems evolved to detect and identify volatile chemical cues, in many cases across great distances. However, the precision of copulatory and oviposition behaviors suggest that they may be guided by olfactory cues detected by sensory systems located on or near the ovipositor. Here we present evidence of a small number of functional olfactory sensilla on the ovipositor of the hawkmoth Manduca sexta. Gene expression analysis of isolated ovipositor tissue indicated active transcription of gustatory and both classes of olfactory receptor genes. Expression of the olfactory co-receptor ORCo and the antennal ionotropic co-receptors IR8a and IR25a suggests that functional olfactory …

Feasibility For Measuring Transverse Area Ratios And Asymmetry Of Lumbosacral Region Paraspinal Muscles In Working Dogs Using Computed Tomography, Bethany Cain, Jeryl C. Jones, Ida Holaskova, Larry Freeman, Bess Pierce

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objectives: Describe computed tomographic (CT) anatomy of canine lumbosacral (LS) paraspinal muscles, a method for measuring paraspinal muscle transverse area ratios and asymmetry using CT, and application of this method in a small sample of working dogs with versus without LS pain.

Methods: Published anatomy references and atlases were reviewed and discrepancies were resolved by examination of anatomic specimens and multiplanar reformatted images to describe transverse CT anatomy of LS region paraspinal muscles. Sixteen Belgian malinois military working dogs were retrospectively recruited and assigned to LS pain positive versus negative groups based on medical record entries. A single observer unaware …

Nitrogen Removal In A Horizontal Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetland Estimated Using The First-Order Kinetic Model, Lijuan Cui, Wei Li, Yaqiong Zhang, Jiaming Wei, Yinru Lei, Manyin Zhang, Xu Pan, Xinsheng Zhao, Kai Li, Wu Ma

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

We monitored the water quality and hydrological conditions of a horizontal subsurface constructed wetland (HSSF-CW) in Beijing, China, for two years. We simulated the area-based constant and the temperature coefficient with the first-order kinetic model. We examined the relationships between the nitrogen (N) removal rate, N load, seasonal variations in the N removal rate, and environmental factors—such as the area-based constant, temperature, and dissolved oxygen (DO). The effluent ammonia (NH4 + -N) and nitrate (NO3 −-N) concentrations were significantly lower than the influent concentrations (p < 0.01, n = 38). The NO3 −-N load was significantly correlated with the removal rate (R 2 = 0.96, p < 0.01), but the NH4 + -N load was not correlated with the removal rate (R 2 = 0.02, p > 0.01). The area-based constants of NO3 −-N and NH4 + -N at 20 ◦C were …

Microbial Potential For Ecosystem N Loss Is Increased By Experimental N Deposition, Zachary B. Freedman, Rima A. Upchurch, Donald R. Zak

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Fossil fuel combustion and fertilizer use has increased the amount of biologically available N entering terrestrial ecosystems. Nonetheless, our understanding of how anthropogenic N may alter the physiological mechanisms by which soil microorganisms cycle N in soil is still developing. Here, we applied shotgun metagenomics to a replicated long-term field experiment to determine how two decades of experimental N deposition, at a rate expected by mid-century, has affected the genetic potential of the soil microbial community to cycle N in soils. Experimental N deposition lead to a significant and persistent increase in functional assemblages mediating N cycle transformations associated with …

Bovine Lhx8, A Germ Cell-Specificnuclear Factor, Interacts With Figla, Liyuan Fu, Mingxiang Zhang, Kristen Mastrantoni, Mark Perfetto, Shuo Wei, Jianbo Yao

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

LIM homeobox 8 (Lhx8) is a germ cell-specific transcription factor essential for the development of oocytes during early oogenesis. In mice, Lhx8 deficiency causes postnatal oocyte loss and affects the expression of many oocyte-specific genes. The aims of this study were to characterize the bovine Lhx8 gene, determine its mRNA expression during oocyte development and early embryogenesis, and evaluate its interactions with other oocyte-specific transcription factors. The bovine Lhx8 gene encodes a protein of 377 amino acids. A splice variant of Lhx8 (Lhx8_v1) was also identified. The predicted bovine Lhx8 protein contains two LIM domains and one homeobox domain. However, …