Life Sciences Commons^™

Genetic Perturbations Of Disease Risk Genes In Mice Capture Transcriptomic Signatures Of Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease., Ravi S Pandey, Leah C. Graham, Asli Uyar, Christoph Preuss, Gareth R Howell, Gregory W. Carter

Faculty Research 2019

BACKGROUND: New genetic and genomic resources have identified multiple genetic risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) and characterized this common dementia at the molecular level. Experimental studies in model organisms can validate these associations and elucidate the links between specific genetic factors and transcriptomic signatures. Animal models based on LOAD-associated genes can potentially connect common genetic variation with LOAD transcriptomes, thereby providing novel insights into basic biological mechanisms underlying the disease.

METHODS: We performed RNA-Seq on whole brain samples from a panel of six-month-old female mice, each carrying one of the following mutations: homozygous deletions of Apoe and Clu; …

Xenopus Interferon Complex: Inscribing The Amphibiotic Adaption And Species-Specific Pathogenic Pressure In Vertebrate Evolution?, Yun Tian, Jordan Jennings, Yuanying Gong, Yongming Sang

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Several recent studies have revealed previously unknown complexity of the amphibian interferon (IFN) system. Being unique in vertebrate animals, amphibians not only conserve and multiply the fish-like intron-containing IFN genes, but also rapidly evolve amniote-like intronless IFN genes in each tested species. We postulate that the amphibian IFN system confers an essential model to study vertebrate immune evolution in molecular and functional diversity to cope with unprecedented pathophysiological requirement during terrestrial adaption. Studies so far have ascribed a potential role of these IFNs in immune regulation against intracellular pathogens, particularly viruses; however, many knowledge gaps remain elusive. Based on recent …

Cognitively Normal Women With Alzheimer’S Disease Proteinopathy Show Relative Preservation Of Memory But Not Of Hippocampal Volume, Jessica Z.K. Caldwell, Jeffrey L. Cummings, Sarah J. Banks, Sebastian Palmqvist, Oskar Hansson

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: We examined interactive effects of sex, diagnosis, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid beta/phosphorylated tau ratio (Aβ/P-tau) on verbal memory and hippocampal volumes. Methods: We assessed 682 participants (350 women) from BioFINDER (250 cognitively normal [CN]; and 432 symptomatic: 186 subjective cognitive decline [SCD], 246 mild cognitive impairment [MCI]). General linear models evaluated effects of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) proteinopathy (CSF Aß/p-tau ratio), diagnosis, and sex on verbal memory (ADAS-cog 10-word recall), semantic fluency (animal naming fluency), visuospatial skills (cube copy), processing speed/attention functions (Symbol Digit Modalities Test and Trail Making Part A), and hippocampal volumes. Results: Amyloid-positive (Aβ/P-tau+) CN women …

Grasses Endemic To The Conterminous United States, James P. Smith Jr

Botanical Studies

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Functional Traits To Identify Grasses And Fodder Shrubs For Domestication To Suit A Changing Climate, Meredith L. Mitchell, R. D. B. Whalley, Hayley C. Norman

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

There is uncertainty about future climatic predictions; however there is little doubt amongst experts that the future will be warmer. Climate change and the associated elevation in atmospheric CO₂ level and temperatures will provide novel challenges and potential opportunities for cultivated plant species. Plant breeding and domestication can contributed to improvements in both yield and quality of grasses and fodder shrubs. A range of key functional traits is required to cope with this changing climate. The main challenges that are discussed are new pests and pathogens; changes in the pattern of nutrient supply and forage quality; challenge associated with …

Development Of New, High Yielding Tropical Grass Varieties For Increasing Productivity Of Semi-Arid Grasslands In India, Ajoy K. Roy, D. R. Malaviya, P. Kaushal, Sunil Kumar, S. Ahmed

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Indian agriculture has traditionally been a mixed farming system since ancient times with integration of arable crops and livestock. It provides employment and livelihood to 70% of the rural population. Livestock are predominantly cattle and small ruminants that graze extensively on rangelands/pasturelands and common property resources (CPRs). CPRs occupy approximately 54 million ha area including permanent pastures in the alpine and temperate parts as well as seasonal grazing lands and wastelands. The productivity and carrying capacity of tropical degraded grasslands is very low, the average carrying capacity being 1.0, 0.7, 0.7 Adult Cattle Unit (ACU)/ha in semi-arid, arid and hill …

Genetic Diversity And Relationships In Cocksfoot By Molecular Markers, Bing Zeng, Fu-Yuan Zuo, Xinquan Zhang, Liang Huan

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) originated from the Northern Hemisphere, including Eurasia and North Africa. It is widely distributed in temperate climates and has been widely used in the world more than 100 years, especially in North America, Europe and Japan. Genetic variability of cocksfoot had been detected by RAPD (Kölliker et al. 1999), and the correlation between genome size of natural populations of cocksfoot and location altitude has been analyzed by AFLP (Reeves et al. 1999). To date, information on the genetic diversity of cocksfoot at the molecular level is still scarce, This study is the first to …

Methods Of Ryegrass Establishment (Lolium Multiflorum Lam.) Affecting Optimal Sward Height To Maximize The Intake Rate, Delma Fabíola Ferreira Da Silva, Lidiane Fonseca, Carolina Bremm, Anibal De Moraes, Alda L. G. Monteiro, Hélio Mayer, Thiago Marzarotto, Paulo C. De F. Carvalho

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In integrated systems it is common to use the no-tillage method. The adoption of this method improves the system's sustainability (Laurent et al. 2011). It is necessary to understand the effects of the integrated systems on sward structure and its consequences in the grazing process and in animal production. The intake rate of grazing animals is primarily responsible for the animal performance (Coleman 2006), which short-termdepends mainly on sward structure (Laca and Demment 2006). The sward height has great influence on the animal decision on where to take the next bite (Mcgilloway et al. 1999). The hypothesis of …

Timely Autumn Seeding Of Annual Ryegrass Is Essential For High Yield, Jennifer M. Johnson, Edzard Van Santen

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The use of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) as a winter cover crop and grazing option in the Southeast Unit-ed States has become a common practice. Recent research evaluating the effects of seeding time on seed yield in Canada determined autumn seeding produces the most desired results relative spring seeding, but indicated that varied autumn seeding rates would further their findings (Coulman et al. 2013). A University of Arkansas study utilized cool season annuals, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and annual ryegrass, to evaluate animal performance and seeding date effects. This research indicated that seeding cool-season annuals in …

Global Illumina Sequencing And The Development Of Est-Ssr Markers In Alfalfa, Zhipeng Liu, Yanrong Wang

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

RNA-Seq, a massively parallel sequencing method for transcriptome analysis, only analyzes transcribed portions of the genome. Recently, RNA-Seq has provided an opportunity to expand the identification of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) genes. Using Illumina sequencing, 124,025 unique sequences from MSGI 1.0 have been identified from the elongating stem and post-elongation stem internodes of two alfalfa genotypes (Yang et al. 2011). Using 454 sequencing, 54,216 unique sequences were obtained from the roots and shoots of two alfalfa genotypes (Han et al., 2011). In addition, Illumina sequencing of old and young stems of 27 alfalfa genotypes led to the …

Transferring Simple Sequence Repeat Molecular Markers From A Model To Cultivated Lotus Species: Genetic Diversity In An Association Mapping Population Of Lotus Tenuis, Luis Inostroza, Hernán Acuña

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Lotus tenuis is a diploid (2n=12), out-crossing, self-incompatible, perennial species originating from the Mediterranean basin, North Africa, and Asia. On the other hand, Lotus japonicus has been selected as a model species be-cause of its simple genetic conditions (diploid, self-crossing, and short ontogenetic cycle). Lotus japonicus is currently the focus of large multinational genome projects that periodically release outstanding products; these include sequencing of genomic DNA on a large scale, generating molecular markers, and constructing high-density linkage maps (Szczyglowski and Stougaard 2008). Furthermore, comparative genetic studies have demonstrated conserva-tion of genome structure among model and crop species; this suggests that …

New Herbaceous Perennial Legumes In Dryland Mediterranean Agroecosystems: Pasture Persistence And Productivity, Viviana Barahona, Carlos Ovalle, Alejandro Del Pozo, Soledad Espinoza, Fernando Squella, Fernando Fernandez, Macarena Gerding

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

One of the strategies to improve pasture and crop productivity in the Mediterranean zone of Chile has been the introduction and use of annual legumes (del Pozo and Ovalle 2009; Ovalle et al. 2010). The growth rate of annual legumes is low during autumn and winter, and the distribution of the biomass production is mainly concentrated in spring when temperatures are moderate and soil water is available. It is hypothesized that perennial deep-rooted legumes can play a key role in improving soil physicochemical characteristics as well as water-use efficiency (Cocks 2001; Dear et al. 2003; Ward 2006). In …

Relationship Between Genetic Origin And Characterization Of Varieties Of Lotus Corniculatus L. In Uruguay, María José Cuitiño, Mónica Rebuffo

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Changes in cropping systems have moved pastures into more restrictive environments, affecting the traditional seed crop harvest of Lotus corniculatus L. in Uruguay. This traditional harvest may have generated landraces (LR) with differences in dry matter and seed production and/or adaptation. The potential seed yield of L. corniculatus and that obtained by farmers is very different (Garcia et al, 1991). Several factors impact on achieving potential seed yield and it is possible that these constraints maybe overcome via breeding. The objective of this study was to identify LR’s with more seed production and/or persist-ence, compared with parental cultivars and …

Characterization Of Landraces Of Lotus Corniculatus L. In Uruguay, Mónica Rebuffo, María José Cuitiño

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Lotus corniculatus, the main cultivated forage legume in Uruguay since the sixties, is well adapted to soils with low P availability and pH where alfalfa has restricted growth. Local landraces are potential sources of valuable genes that could benefit the farming community. Traditionally farmers harvested their own seed through many generations in the southwest (Garcia et al. 1991), where sown pastures were rotated with cereals. These local landraces were conserved in situ in the past, but ley-farming systems have been substituted for continuous soybean cropping in recent years. INIA collected 110 samples for ex situ conservation with proper …

Selection For Improved Saccharification Efficiency In Alfalfa Stems Assessed By Enzyme-Released Glucose, Annick Bertrand, Yves Castonguay, Réal Michaud, Marc-Olivier Duceppe

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) has a high potential for sustainable bioethanol production, particularly because of its low reliance on N fertilizer (Samac et al. 2006). Genetic improvement for the accumulation of readily fermentable non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) and the saccharification of structural carbohydrate (SC) could significantly increase ethanol conversion rate. Genetic gains for these traits are tributary to the availability of screening techniques for the precise identification of superior genotypes with increased potential for the production of fermentable carbohydrates.

When assessing the genetic variability of parameters linked to cellulosic ethanol production (concentrations of NSC and SC), our results showed …

Three Dimensional (3d) Reconstruction Of Subterranean Clover, Helen G. Daily, Jianming Guo, Xavier R. R. Sirault

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Three dimensional (3D) plant reconstructions, extended to four dimensions with the use of time series and accompanied by visual modelling, is being used for a number of purposes including the estimation of biovolume and as the basis for functional structural plant modelling (FSPM). This has been successfully applied to crop species such as cotton (Paproki et al. 2012). Measuring the growth pattern and arrangement of a pasture sward is a difficult task but can be used as an indirect measure of other variables of interest, such as growth rate, light interception, nutritional quality, herbivore intake, etc. (Laca and …

Simulating Tall Fescue Pasture Growth In Argentina, Horacio Berger, Claudio F. Machado, Mónica G. Agnusdei, Brendan R. Cullen

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb) pastures have the potential to maintain high production rates under limiting climate conditions, especially in dry summers, improving the seasonal distribution of forage growth and year round production (Tharmaraj et al. 2008). The purpose of this work was to test the ability and flexibility of the DairyMod biophysical pasture-simulation model (Johnson et al. 2008), to predict herbage mass accumulation (HMA), of tall fescue pastures from Argentina under several environmental conditions that included different seasons, nitrogen fertilizer application levels and irrigation.

Physiological Characterization Of Cut-To-Cut Yield Variations Of Alfalfa Genotypes Under Controlled Greenhouse Conditions, Defeng Li, Baoluo Ma, Chengzhang Wang, Pufang Li

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In a temperate region, alfalfa (Medicago sativa) crops are usually harvested 3-6 times per annum. The biomass yields of first and second cuts in the spring are generally the high-est. However, in subsequent cuts the biomass yields decline, with the final 1 or 2 cuts producing the lowest yields (Wang et al. 2009). This seasonal reduction in alfalfa biomass yields could be associated with prevailing changes in environmental factors such as rainfall and heat stress or due to biological characteristics of alfalfa crop itself. In this study, alfalfa was grown under controlled greenhouse conditions with suitable temperature, …

Biomass Yield And Nutritive Quality Of Panicum Maximum In The Natural Pastures During The Dry Season In Abeokuta, Nigeria, Adetayo B. Adekeye, Olufemi S. Onifade, Jimoh A. Olanite, Olubukola A. Isah

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Panicum maximum Jacq. is among the prominent grass species in the grazing lands of the South-western part of Nigeria. An understanding of cutting management to find out the best agronomic practices that will improve the yield and nutritive value of these grass species, especially in the dry season formed the focus of this research work. The objective of the research is therefore to evaluate the effects of cutting height and interval on the dry matter yield (DMY), digestibility and chemical composition of P. maximum in the natural pasture during the dry season.

Pattern Of Hard Seed Breakdown In Some Annual Self-Reseeding Legumes Under Mediterranean Field Conditions, Claudio Porqueddu, Antonello Franca, Rita A. M. Melis, Leonardo Sulas, Giovanni A. Re

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In the last decade a new generation of annual pasture legumes was released and introduced in the seed market for the Australian ley systems. In Sardinia (Italy), despite good agronomic performances in the first year, several of these new varieties showed low autumn re-establishment, reducing their competitiveness against native species and depressing any attempt for a long term pasture improvement (Porqueddu et al. 2010). Hardseedness may influence legume persistence. A study on the pattern of hard seed breakdown on some self-reseeding annual pasture legumes was carried out.

Perennial Legume Swards For Organic Farming System In Lithuania, Jonas Šlepetys, Alvyra Slepetiene

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The economic and ecological benefits of forage legumes are well known. While perennial legumes can be useful in various aspects (Ledgard 2001), some legumes have short persistence in swards (Frame et al.1998; Vaiciulyte and Bacenas 2008) which is undesirable for organic farms where no mineral nitrogen is applied. Early flowering red clover (Trifolium pratense), which is the most common legume in Lithuania, has high yields only in the first – second years of use. In the third year, it often disappears completely.

In Lithuania, fodder galega (Galega orientalis) is the most long lived legume exhibiting …

Ryegrass Seeding Rate Alters Plant Morphology And Size--Possible Implications For Pasture Persistence, Julia M. Lee, Errol R. Thom, David F. Chapman, Kate T. Wynn, C. Deanne Waugh, Laura Rossi

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Poor persistence of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is a major dairy industry issue in New Zealand and Australia. New ryegrass seed is often drilled at 18-30 kg/ha, although previous research indicated that pastures drilled at 10-12 kg/ha can be just as productive (Frame and Boyd 1986; Praat et al. 1996). High seeding rates increase competition between developing seedlings for light, water and nutrients, reduce plant size (Harris 1990) and potentially survival.

The experiment reported here investigated the effect of plant density (created by differences in seeding rate) on plant morphology and survival. The hypothesis was that plants …

Trifolium Occidentale: A Valuable Genetic Resource For White Clover Improvement, Syed Wajid Hussain, Warren M. Williams

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Trifolium occidentale Coombe is a stoloniferous, diploid (2n=2x=16) perennial clover indigenous to Portugal, Spain, France, and the British Isles. It grows in relatively dry coastal habitats, in sand dunes and on shallow pocket of soil (Coombe 1961; Coombe and Morisset 1967). As the species grows naturally in saline, dry habitats, it is potentially a source of drought tolerance genes that could be used for the improvement of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) cultivars. Although T. occidentale is reported to be one of the progenitors of white clover (Williams et al. 2012), the 2x forms of T. occidentale cross …

Dry Matter Yield Of Perennial Ryegrass Cultivars Under Mechanical Cutting And Animal Grazing, Patrick A. Cashman, Trevor J. Gilliland, Michael O’Donovan, Marion Beecher, Mary Mcevoy

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Perennial ryegrass evaluation trials are essential to identifying and promoting the most productive cultivars for use at farm level to maximise sward productivity (Grogan and Gilliland 2011). Cultivar testing is predominantly conducted under simulated grazing trials to predict dry matter yield (DMY) performance under animal grazing. Previous studies have shown a high correlation in DMY between these two defoliation methods (Camlin and Stewart 1975; Creighton et al. 2010). In contrast, Binnie and Chestnutt (1991) demonstrated that swards grazed by animals had higher DMY performance than those exposed to simulated grazing managements. Animal pressures such as pulling, treading and nutrient …

The Intersection Of Deforestation And Economic Growth In The Brazilian Amazon, Victoria Oceguera

Student Theses 2015-Present

Abstract

As a result of capital gain, deforestation of the Amazon in Brazil continues. Brazilian government's insufficient efforts to mitigate and enforce the preservation of these precious forests has ledto the commodification of the Amazon. Chapter 1 uses historical and quantitative data to examine the negative impacts of deforestation on indigenous communities and climate change. Chapter2 employs economics to analyze the role of business as a crucial component of deforestation in Brazil. Chapter 3 engages politics in Brazil to discuss interactions between key actors involved in the perpetuation of deforestation. Chapter 3 examines the interactions between politics and corruption involved …

Smokejumper Obituary: Harns, John H. (Cave Junction 1950), National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper Obituaries

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Prebiotics On Intestinal Digestion Of Carbohydrates In Lead Intoxicated Rats, Lubov S. Kuchkarova, Irodakhon I. Karimova, Gulchekhra T. Kudeshova, Khasan Yu. Kayumov

Bulletin of National University of Uzbekistan: Mathematics and Natural Sciences

It has been shown the lead intoxication of growing rats result in increase the cavity and membrane carbohydrate hydrolysis and glucose absorption from small intestine which leads to hyperglicemiya. The oral treatment of intoxicated rats with inulin or lactulose results in decrease of carbohydrate assimilation in small intestine and content glucose level in blood. The correcting effect of lactulose on normalization of carbohydrate assimilation is more expressed in compare with inulin. So, inulin and/or lactulose take part in improving of adaptation of the carbohydrate assimilation system in the small intestine during intoxication with lead ions in growing rats. This suggests …

Fodder Yield And Quality Of Lucerne (Medicago Sativa) Grown As Pure Stands And In Mixture With Oats (Avena Sativa), Mustard (Brassica Campestris) And Ryegrass (Lolium Perenne) Under Different Cutting Managements, Balwinder Kumar, U. S. Tiwana, Ajaib Singh

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Legume-cereal mixtures are important protein and carbohydrate sources for livestock and provide a balanced chemical composition for livestock feeding along with higher green forage yields than the pure stands (Berdahl et al. 2001; Albayrak and Ekiz, 2005). Lucerne is the most important rabi legume crop of Punjab grown under limited irrigation conditions and provides succulent, palatable and nutritious fodder to dairy animals. The fodder yield of first cut of lucerne is very low so it is usually grown in mixture with oats and or mustard. The information on the mixtures of lucerne and suitable cutting times is scant. This …

Hybrid And Perennial Tetraploid Ryegrasses Are At Least As Productive And Persistent As Perennial Diploids In Dryland Conditions In Northern Tasmania, Pedro M. Evans, Eric J. Hall

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Perennial ryegrass Lolium perenne is the preferred grass for fertile conditions and high rainfall areas or those with irrigation. Persistence of ryegrass can become a problem in drier and warmer areas (Fraser 1994). Even in high rainfall areas of south eastern Australia receiving between 550 and 750 mm of annual rainfall, loss of perennial ryegrass within a few years from sowing is a common problem (Waller and Sale 2001).

This work aimed to examine the ability of a range of lines and cultivars of ryegrass to produce and persist under dryland conditions and rotational grazing by sheep in northern Tasmania, …

Tedera: From A Promising Novel Species To A Commercial Pasture Option For Mediterranean Southern Australia, Daniel Real, Chris Oldham, Matthew N. Nelson, Janine Croser, Marie-Claire Castello, Steve Gherardi, John Finlayson, Clinton K. Revell, Aneeta Pradhan, Graham O'Hara, Enrique Correal

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Tedera (Bituminaria bituminosa var. albomarginata and var. crassiuscula) is a traditional forage species used for centuries in the Canary Islands (Méndez and Fernández 1990), that has increasingly attracted interest from researchers in regions with Mediterranean-type climates from Spain, Italy, Israel, Greece, Portugal, Morocco, Turkey and Australia. In 2000, Australian pasture researchers started a large and systematic screening process that evaluated about 720 species of exotic and native legumes, grasses and herbs for adaptation and productivity in Mediterranean and temperate environments (Real et al. 2011). Tedera was one of the few novel perennial legumes to show potential for …