Digital Commons Network^™

Fisheries Occasional Publication No. 150 - Response To 2024 External Review Of Integrated Stock Assessments For Key Wa Demersal Indicator Stocks, Rubie Evans-Powell, S. A. Hesp, Ainslie Denham, Emily A. Fisher, Rachel Marks, Fabian I. Trinnie, Brett Crisafulli

Fisheries Occasional Publications

In Western Australia (WA), stock assessments for key demersal species, including snapper and red emperor, have traditionally used bespoke integrated models developed in-house by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). In line with other Australian jurisdictions, DPIRD is transitioning to Stock Synthesis (SS) as its primary platform for integrated stock assessments of WA finfish. To support this transition, DPIRD commissioned an independent expert review of recent integrated models applied to three demersal stocks. This publication responds to recommendations from Professor André Punt (University of Washington and CSIRO) in his 2024 review, which examined assessments for Pilbara red …

Carotenoid Profiles Of Momordica Cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng. Aril And Leaves As Potential Dietary Caroteniod Sources [Research Note], Francis A. Aguilar, Antonio C. Laurena, Nerrisa K. Torreta, Vida Faith R. Galvez, Evelyn B. Rodriguez, Lourdes B. Cardenas

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng. or sweet gourd is a perennial, dioecious vine known to possess remarkable carotenogenic capacity. To explore its potential as a dietary carotenoid source, this study evaluated the carotenoids of aril from ripe fruits and of leaves of an accession from Laoag, Ilocos Norte, Philippines, through open-column chromatography. Data reveal that the optimal fruit ripeness for aril carotenoid quantification, determined by fruit skin redness (CIELAB a* value), was achieved 6 to 7 wk after pollination, at which time the aril was found to contain lycopene at 1,260.64 ± 56.17 μg g⁻¹ fresh weight (FW) and β-carotene …

Characterization Of Syntaxin 18 In Peregrinus Maidis And In Vitro Dsrna Synthesis For Potential Rnai-Mediated Control Of Maize Mosaic Alphanucleorhabdovirus (Mmv) Transmission, Hannah Corinne T. Cantaros, Charlene Niebres, Ruth Alessandra Banasihan, Argel L. Arenas, Karen B. Alviar

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

The plant virus known as Maize mosaic alphanucleorhabdovirus (MMV) is a persistent, propagative pathogen transmitted by the corn planthopper Peregrinus maidis Ashmead (Hemiptera: Delphacidae). It is the causal agent for a mosaic disease that can cause significant loss in corn yield. Currently, disease management is focused on controlling its insect vector population. The molecular mechanisms of virus transmission by the insect vector are not yet fully understood. Previously, P. maidis syntaxin 18 (PmSTX18) was identified as a receptor for MMV. PmSTX18 interacts with the viral glycoprotein and potentially facilitates MMV recognition and entry into the vector, enabling virus …

Improvement Of Forage Productivity By Intercropping Pakchong 1 And Napier Grass With Mungbean And Soybean In Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, Paul Joshua C. Marquez, Eureka Teresa M. Ocampo, Menandro M. Loresco, Lourdes S. Edano Ma, Agapita J. Salces

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Forage demand is rising in the Philippines, and to sustainably boost agronomic performance, the beneficial impact of intercropping was investigated. This study characterized the performance of high-yielding forages, namely Napier grass (NG) and Pakchong 1 (PK), when intercropped with soybean (SB) and mungbean (MB) under rain-fed conditions in Los Banos, Laguna. The experiment was conducted in a repeated-measures RCBD replicated 3 times with grass species and cropping system as main factors, resulting in the following treatment combinations: Sole NG, Sole PK, NGSB, NGMB, PKSB, and PKMB. Grasses were ratooned, legumes were harvested, and legume seeds were re-sown every 45 to …

Characterization Of Syntaxin 18 In Peregrinus Maidis And In Vitro Dsrna Synthesis For Potential Rnai-Mediated Control Of Maize Mosaic Alphanucleorhabdovirus (Mmv) Transmission, Hannah Corinne T. Cantaros, Charlene Niebres, Ruth Alessandra Banasihan, Argel L. Arenas, Karen B. Alviar

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

The plant virus known as Maize mosaic alphanucleorhabdovirus (MMV) is a persistent, propagative pathogen transmitted by the corn planthopper Peregrinus maidis Ashmead (Hemiptera: Delphacidae). It is the causal agent for a mosaic disease that can cause significant loss in corn yield. Currently, disease management is focused on controlling its insect vector population. The molecular mechanisms of virus transmission by the insect vector are not yet fully understood. Previously, P. maidis syntaxin 18 (PmSTX18) was identified as a receptor for MMV. PmSTX18 interacts with the viral glycoprotein and potentially facilitates MMV recognition and entry into the vector, enabling virus …

Beta-Casomorphin7 Detection In Milk From Dairy Species And Beta-Casein Protein Characterization In Cattle From Selected Provinces In The Philippines, Angelo M. Tapia, Maria Cynthia R. Oliveros, Queennie Hope D. Umipon, Hazel Marie E. Nicolas, Naoya Ogawa, Yasuyuki Kitaura

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

This study was conducted to detect β-casomorphin7 (BCM7) in dairy animals and to characterize the β-casein (CSN2) genotype among dairy cattle breeds in the Philippines. A total of 59 dairy animals, composed of 35 cattle (12 Holstein Sahiwal [HS16 Jersey × Holstein Friesian [JHF], and 7 Siquijor Native Cattle [SNC]), 15 buffaloes (Bulgarian Murrah and Brazilian Murrah), and 9 goats (Saanen and Anglo-Nubian) were collected with milk samples. Milk protein was extracted and subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) analysis after stimulated gastrointestinal digestion. BCM7 was detected in cattle with an average concentration of 0.322 + 0.080, whereas …

Improvement Of Forage Productivity By Intercropping Pakchong 1 And Napier Grass With Mungbean And Soybean In Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, Paul Joshua C. Marquez, Eureka Teresa M. Ocampo, Menandro M. Loresco, Ma Lourdes S. Edano, Agapita J. Salces

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Forage demand is rising in the Philippines, and to sustainably boost agronomic performance, the beneficial impact of intercropping was investigated. This study characterized the performance of high-yielding forages, namely Napier grass (NG) and Pakchong 1 (PK), when intercropped with soybean (SB) and mungbean (MB) under rain-fed conditions in Los Banos, Laguna. The experiment was conducted in a repeated-measures RCBD replicated 3 times with grass species and cropping system as main factors, resulting in the following treatment combinations: Sole NG, Sole PK, NGSB, NGMB, PKSB, and PKMB. Grasses were ratooned, legumes were harvested, and legume seeds were re-sown every 45 to …

Carotenoid Profiles Of Momordica Cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng. Aril And Leaves As Potential Dietary Caroteniod Sources [Research Note], Francis A. Aguilar, Antonio C. Laurena, Nerrisa K. Torreta, Vida Faith R. Galvez, Evelyn B. Rodriguez, Lourdes B. Cardenas

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng. or sweet gourd is a perennial, dioecious vine known to possess remarkable carotenogenic capacity. To explore its potential as a dietary carotenoid source, this study evaluated the carotenoids of aril from ripe fruits and of leaves of an accession from Laoag, Ilocos Norte, Philippines, through open-column chromatography. Data reveal that the optimal fruit ripeness for aril carotenoid quantification, determined by fruit skin redness (CIELAB a* value), was achieved 6 to 7 wk after pollination, at which time the aril was found to contain lycopene at 1,260.64 ± 56.17 μg g⁻¹ fresh weight (FW) and β-carotene …

Beta-Casomorphin7 Detection In Milk From Dairy Species And Beta-Casein Protein Characterization In Cattle From Selected Provinces In The Philippines, Angelo M. Tapia, Cynthia R. Oliveros Maria, Queennie Hope D. Umipon, Hazel Marie E. Nicolas, Naoya Ogawa, Yasuyuki Kitaura

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

This study was conducted to detect β-casomorphin7 (BCM7) in dairy animals and to characterize the β-casein (CSN2) genotype among dairy cattle breeds in the Philippines. A total of 59 dairy animals, composed of 35 cattle (12 Holstein Sahiwal [HS16 Jersey × Holstein Friesian [JHF], and 7 Siquijor Native Cattle [SNC]), 15 buffaloes (Bulgarian Murrah and Brazilian Murrah), and 9 goats (Saanen and Anglo-Nubian) were collected with milk samples. Milk protein was extracted and subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) analysis after stimulated gastrointestinal digestion. BCM7 was detected in cattle with an average concentration of 0.322 + 0.080, whereas …

Signatures Of The Anthropocene: Population Genomic Structure Detected In Pennsylvania Coyotes, Craig A. Marshall, Julia Halo, Kyle Van Why, Yeraldi Loera, Stavi R. Tennenbaum, Casey Burton, Ariana Di Landro, Dominic Dominguez, Daniel Duncan, Madison Machado, Catalina Posada, Stephen J. Gaughran, Madison Lichak, Kristin Brzeski, Elizabeth Heppenheimer, Bridgett Vonholdt

Michigan Tech Publications

Coyotes (Canis latrans) expanded across eastern North America in the last century and are ecological generalists capable of thriving across diverse habitats. Broad genetic surveillance has reported little spatial genetic patterning for this highly dispersive species. Here, we explore the genome-wide signatures of spatial patterns found in a 10-year study of 1199 coyotes from northeastern United States, with a temporal analysis of Pennsylvania coyotes. Despite their broad dispersal capability, we detected subtle but significant population structure, with two genetic clusters that have a weak clinal transition zone. This partitioning aligned qualitatively with patterns of human population density and activity. We …

Resurgence Of Visceral And Cutaneous Leishmaniasis In Kajiado County, Kenya: A Coordinated Response And Entomological Survey, Damaris Matoke-Muhia, Barrack O. Owino, Steve Kiplagat, Hannah N. Mwangi, Johnstone M. Ingonga, Daniel Njenga, Benny B. Septer, Mwatela Kitondo, Daniel Mwiti, Charles Magiri, Hellen Nyakundi, Juliet Onditi, Sarah Weihl, Catherine Wenger, Abhay Satoskar, Jandouwe Villinger, Shaden Kamhawi, Joseph Ndungu, Richard Wamai, Daniel K. Masiga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated emergence of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in 2021, in Kajiado County in Kenya, representing a newly recognized region of endemic transmission. METHODS: The investigation involved community sensitization, medical camps, and entomological surveys across eight villages. We screened 100 individuals with indicative symptoms of leishmaniasis, and also carried out an entomological survey. RESULTS: We found 10 patients of VL, predominantly in children under 15. Of 22 suspected cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) cases, eight were confirmed with Leishmania tropica. Entomological surveys identified 4781 sandflies, with Sergentomyia species being most abundant. DNA of Leishmania donovani was detected in multiple Sergentomyia species …

Evolutionary Conservation Of Midline Axon Guidance Activity Between Drosophila And Tribolium Frazzled, Piyasi Ghosh, Benjamin C. Wadsworth, Logan Terry, Timothy A. Evans

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The regulation of midline crossing of axons is of fundamental importance for the proper development of nervous system connectivity in bilaterian animals. A number of conserved axon guidance signaling pathways coordinate to attract or repel axons at the nervous system midline to ensure the proper regulation of midline crossing. The attractive Netrin-Frazzled/DCC (Net-Fra) signaling pathway is widely conserved among bilaterians, but it is not clear whether the mechanisms by which Net and Fra promote midline crossing are also conserved. In Drosophila, Fra can promote midline crossing via Netrin-dependent and Netrin-independent mechanisms, by acting as a canonical midline attractive receptor and …

Ferroptosis As A Pathological Driver In Niemann-Pick Disease Type C, Kayla Linda Sanchez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Niemann–Pick Disease Type C (NPC) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disease characterized by selective cell vulnerability, particularly affecting cerebellar anterior Purkinje neurons. These neurons exhibit a distinctive pattern of degeneration due to the loss of NPC1 and/or NPC2 protein function, progressively extending towards posterior cerebellar regions. Historically, research has described NPC as a disorder of intracellular cholesterol handling; however, cholesterol-lowering therapies have not effectively prevented neurological deterioration, and the mechanisms underlying selective neuronal vulnerability remain unclear. Ferroptosis, previously referred to as oxytosis, is a regulated form of cell death driver by iron-induced lipid peroxidation. It has been implicated in several neurodegenerative …

The Modern Sisyphus Blows Leaves: Attitudes And Impacts Regarding Leaf Litter Removal On A Suburban Campus, A. C. Nony, M. R. Mcclung, M. L. Reid

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Leaf litter habitat disruption in suburban spaces stems from the prevalence of “lawn culture,” that is, the accepted societal norm that land immediately surrounding humans or meant for human recreational use should be clean, tidy, controlled, and aesthetically pleasing, above other considerations. When leaf litter on residential and recreational lawns is cleared, it removes vital habitat for organisms of several taxa, especially species that rely on litter as a moisture and temperature-controlled substrate for overwintering. We administered an opinion survey to students, staff, and faculty at Hendrix College, a highly residential and suburban campus in Conway, Arkansas, to assess views …

Situation Mouse All Floxed Up: Exploring Phenotypic Abnormalities In Bdnf Floxed Mice, Marissa A. Burkman

All NMU Master's Theses

Animal research is a contentious topic in both the scientific and general communities.  It is essential that our animal models accurately and predictably depict intended phenotypes, necessitating careful colony monitoring and maintenance.  Volunteer animal staff in the Ottem Laboratory became concerned when mice with LoxP sites flanking the BDNF gene depicted anxiety-like behaviors such as aggression, difficulty handling, and increased agitation.  Though many studies have noted behavioral and phenotypic abnormalities related to large gene inserts, few have noted abnormalities with small gene inserts such as the 34 bp LoxP site.  Brandt (2018) performed a three-stage behavioral protocol on these mice …

Widespread Decline In The Abundance Of Sea Cucumber Assemblages In Atolls Of The Protected Rowley Shoals, Northwestern Australia, Inês Leal, Claire L. Ross, Simone Strydom, Richard D. Evans, Thomas H. Holmes, Graham J. Edgar, John K. Keesing

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Rowley Shoals, off northwestern Australia, are renowned as a biodiversity hotspot. This remote system comprises three atolls, Clerke, Imperieuse and Mermaid, which in recent years have been increasingly targeted by illegal fishing, a pressure rising across the Indo-Pacific. The objective of this study was to quantify recent changes in sea cucumber assemblages across the Rowley Shoals. We surveyed nine sea cucumber species at monitoring sites in 2018 and 2023 to assess changes in their abundance. Total assemblage densities declined significantly across all atolls and habitats. Documented seizures of illegally harvested holothurians by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority over this …

Demography And Dispersal Influence The Relationship Between Habitat Suitability And Population Density, Cleber Ten Caten, Tad Dallas

Faculty Publications

A central goal of ecology is to understand spatial patterns of species densities. Habitat suitability estimates from species distribution models (SDMs) could be used to represent species density and overcome the scarcity of density data. However, there is mixed evidence that habitat suitability is a reliable descriptor of density, and it is suggested that local dynamics affect the relationship between habitat suitability and density. We simulated population dynamics for 200 virtual species considering different combinations of factors (demographic stochasticity, dispersal, and intraspecific competition) that affect population sizes and SDMs were trained using different sets of environmental predictors to evaluate when …

Molecular Techniques: A Project-Based Undergraduate Laboratory, Ming-Mei Chang

Milne Open Textbooks

This book can be read online at: milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/molecular-techniques

Molecular biology, examining the structures and functions of nucleic acids and proteins, is crucial to advancing biological science and improving human life, particularly in agriculture and medicine. Advances in the field can transform a crop to resist disease or uncover clues to fight illness by manipulating DNA. Techniques for molecular biology research and applications have advanced rapidly over the past decades, and undergraduates need hands-on experiences in this vital field of science. This text provides a structured approach to learning and practicing those techniques, covering DNA, RNA, and protein across five modules …

The Role Of Top-Down Appetite Self-Regulation In The Development Of Healthy Eating Behaviors Among Children: A Narrative Review And Socialization Framework, David J Bridgett, Sheryl O Hughes, Matthew Broussard, Daniela Mccourt, Christina M Croce, Jennifer O Fisher

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Appetite self-regulation (ASR) among children is thought to have a fundamental role in shaping the development of healthy eating behaviors, dietary intake, and growth during childhood. Parallel to developmental frameworks for understanding "general" self-regulation among children, ASR has been described as involving children's use of "top-down" cognitive processes to moderate "bottom-up" biological drives around food approach and avoidance in the interest of achieving desired eating behaviors or outcomes. Whereas bottom-up ASR processes during early childhood are well characterized, particularly in the context of dysregulation and obesity risk, the role of top-down ASR processes in the development of healthy eating behaviors …

Pre- And Postnatal Exposure To Pm2.5 And No2 And Blood Pressure In Children: Results From The Echo Cohort, Yu Ni, Andrew Law, Xingyu Gao, Adam A Szpiro, Christine T Loftus, Miranda Jones, Logan C Dearborn, Marnie F Hazlehurst, Allison R Sherris, Sindana Ilango, Kaja Z Lewinn, Nicole R Bush, Qi Zhao, Leonardo Trasande, Joseph T Flynn, Daniel A Enquobahrie, Ruby H N Nguyen, Tom O'Connor, Arpita K Vyas, Mingyu Zhang, Hooman Mirzakhani, Alison Hipwell, Anne Starling, Alicia K Peterson, Akhgar Ghassabian, Assiamira Ferrara, Judy Aschner, Scott Collingwood, Margaret R Karagas, Michelle Katzow, Annemarie Stroustrup, Mehtap Haktnair, Tina V Hartert, Brittney M Snyder, Sophia Jan, Anne Marie Singh, Dana Dabelea, Angela M Malek, Jennifer K Straughen, Carlos A Camargo, Miatta A Buxton, Rosalind Wright, Kecia Carroll, Keia Sanderson, Daphne Koinis Mitchell, Viren D'Sa, Christine Hockett, Anne L Dunlop, Shohreh F Farzen, Sunni L Mumford, Akram N Alshawabkeh, Hudson P Santos, Xueying Zhang, Zhongzheng Niu, Nan Ji, Carrie Breton, Donghai Liang, Catherine J Karr, Echo Cohort Consortium

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: There is growing interest in understanding the link between early life exposures to ambient air pollution and childhood blood pressure; however, existing findings, largely from single site/cohort studies, are inconclusive.

Methods: We examined the association between exposures to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and blood pressure measured at age 5-12 years in 4863 U.S. children from 20 pregnancy cohorts of the NIH ECHO cohort. Point-based residential exposures were derived from spatiotemporal models with a biweekly resolution and averaged over each trimester, the whole pregnancy, and child age 0-2 years. We converted systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood …

The Application, Construction, And Validation Of Hidden Markov Model Profiles For Carbonic Anhydrase Enzymes, Samuel F. Kaplan

Master's Theses

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) catalyze the reversible hydration of CO2 and have evolved independently at least eight times, resulting in structurally distinct enzyme families (α, β, γ, δ, ζ, η, θ, ι). Traditional sequence alignment methods struggle to classify these convergently evolved proteins because their sequential similarity does not reliably indicate functional or evolutionary relationships. Many CA sequences in public databases are annotated generically without family assignments, and prior computational approaches have focused predominantly on the three well characterized families (α, β, γ), leaving the five recently discovered classes without robust classification tools. Family level assignment is often a prerequisite for …

Measurement And Control Of The Oxidation-Reduction Potential And Its Chemical And Sensory Consequences In Wines, William Jordan Wright

Master's Theses

The oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) is a measurement thought to reflect the overall ability of a solution to oxidize or reduce substances within that solution. In wine, there is no absolute agreement as to which substances control or dominate the ORP; however, oxygen, ethanol, iron-tartrate and copper-tartrate complexes, and glutathione are suspected to play key roles, while sulfur dioxide and phenolics may act as buffers. Anecdotally, some varieties of Vitis vinifera are prone to oxidation while others are prone to reduction, though the chemical basis of this remains unclear. The following works aim to further elucidate the influence of specific chemical …

Associations Between Nutrition-Related Chronic Disease And Food Insecurity: Data From The California State University, Elizabeth Ochoa

Master's Theses

Food insecurity is a growing public health concern consistently associated with elevated rates of nutrition-related chronic disease (NRCD) across the general population. Despite young adulthood being a critical window for dietary pattern formation, this relationship remains minimally explored among college students. This thesis examined associations between food insecurity and NRCD diagnosis, including hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular disease, among undergraduate students across the California State University (CSU) system. Cross-sectional data were drawn from the Spring 2021 CSU National College Health Assessment, administered across all 23 campuses. After exclusions, the analytical sample comprised 13,762 students. Bivariate analyses assessed relationships between key …

Trophic Structure And Mercury Bioaccumulation In Walleye And Yellow Perch In The Upper And Lower Red Lake Basins, Marissa Pribyl

Biology Graduate Theses

Mercury is a persistent global contaminant that biomagnifies through aquatic food webs, with dietary and environmental factors serving as the primary drivers of accumulation in fishes. Trophic structure and methylmercury dynamics in Walleye (ogaa; Sander vitreus) and Yellow Perch (asaawens; Perca flavescens) were investigated in the Upper and Lower Red Lake basins in Red Lake, Minnesota, during 2024-2025. Diets of Walleye and Yellow Perch were assessed through stomach dissections, and tissue samples from both species were analyzed for total mercury concentrations. Additional analyses included shiners (gigoozens; Notropis spp., Hudsonius spp.) along with a variety of freshwater fish and …

Pharmacokinetic Modeling Strategies For Dynamic Hyperpolarized Urea Imaging, Keith A Michel, Collin J Harlan, Christopher M Walker, Matthew E Merritt, Yunyun Chen, Stephen Y Lai, James A Bankson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To evaluate pharmacokinetic modeling methods for quantification of tissue perfusion/permeability with hyperpolarized 13C urea.

Methods: Three models for quantitative analysis of dynamic HP urea imaging data were proposed and evaluated in numerical simulations and a thyroid cancer mouse model. A multicompartment model resembling the extended Tofts model for DCE-MRI (Model I) and two simplified models were used. The simplified models each eliminate a volume parameter representing vascular (Model II) or impermeable cellular space (Model III). Signal curves were generated from Model I, and models were fit to these synthetic data to quantify the effects of acquisition settings, bias in …

Alpha 7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Contributes To Long-Term Cognitive Recovery Following Ischemic Stroke, Dustin T Nguyen, Kate Mendoza, Cassandra Hall, Chunfeng Tan, Anjali Chauhan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Stroke is associated with autonomic dysfunction and reduced acetylcholine (ACh), a neurotransmitter critical for cognition. ACh signals in part through the alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR), a ligand-gated ion channel involved in synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory. Impaired α7nAChR signaling has been linked to heightened neuroinflammation and poor acute stroke recovery. Here, we investigated whether α7nAChR contributes to post-stroke cognitive recovery in young male mice. Wild-type (WT) and α7nAChR knockout (α7n0KO) mice underwent 60-min middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). In a pharmacology cohort, the α7nAChR agonist GTS-21 was administered immediately after reperfusion and then daily for 20 days. Cognitive performance …

Clemastine Ameliorates Cognitive Deficits In An Experimental Rat Model Of Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion, Xuemei Zong, Zhihai Huang, Fanfei Kong, Yu Feng, Yulan Zhang, Peibin Zou, Hung Wen Lin, David C Hess, Quanguang Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) profoundly affects patient well-being and has been proposed as a risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia. However, due to the limited understanding of the pathophysiology of CCH, there are currently no effective preventive or therapeutic approaches for CCH-associated cognitive impairment. Therefore, identifying new targets for CCH is essential to bridge this knowledge gap. In this study, we sought to determine whether enhanced myelination could prevent cognitive impairment associated with CCH. Experimental CCH was induced via bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) in rats, and clemastine, a well-established pro-myelinating agent, was administered to boost myelin renewal. …

Beyond Short Microhomologies: Mismatch-Compatible Pol Θ-Mediated Dna Damage Repair, Yuzhen Li, Richard D Wood

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

DNA polymerase θ (Pol θ)-mediated end-joining (TMEJ), one of several pathways for repairing DNA double-strand breaks, is traditionally thought to initiate via anchoring at short, consecutive, and perfectly matched microhomologies (MHs). Emerging evidence indicates that Pol θ can utilize MHs containing mismatches both in vitro and in vivo. This revised definition of MH provides a mechanistic explanation for a broader spectrum of Pol θ-dependent repair outcomes. Here, we summarize recent findings on the revised definition of MHs utilized by Pol θ, assess the applicability of this concept across species, and compare TMEJ with other (micro)hom(e)ology-mediated repair pathways. We explore how …

Selective Deletion Of Fgfr1 In Agrp Neurons Impairs Energy Homeostasis Under High-Fat Diet In Mice, Daniel Shookster, Shea O'Connell, Patel Darshan, Taylor Landry, Wyatt Bunner, Zhiying Jiang, Qingchun Tong, Hu Huang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The global obesity crisis and the limited success of current treatments underscore the need to identify novel regulatory pathways. While central administration of α-Klotho exerts anti-obesity effects in rodents through AgRP neurons, the intracellular signaling mechanisms that mediate this process remain undefined.

Methods: To define the role of FGFR1 within the α-Klotho signaling pathway in AgRP neurons, we performed a targeted deletion of the receptor in adult mice using an AAV-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 system alongside transgenic models.

Results: Deletion of FGFR1 in AgRP neurons disrupted energy homeostasis, promoting weight gain induced by a high-fat diet. Electrophysiological recordings revealed that FGFR1 …

Cd44v9 As A Therapeutic Target For Antibody-Drug Conjugate In Advanced Breast Cancer, Dileep R Reddy, Mckenna E Flynn, Yasuaki Anami, Zhaoxuan Yang, Jayden Aleman, Minji Seo, Kyoji Tsuchikama, Jennifer A Maynard, Naoto T Ueno, Jangsoon Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have revolutionized breast cancer therapy. HER2 is the only validated biomarker guiding ADC therapy in breast cancer. However, their clinical benefit remains confined to HER2- and TROP2-targeted therapies. Tumor heterogeneity and acquired resistance often limit durable responses, underscoring the need for novel, tumor-specific ADC targets. CD44 variant isoform 9 (CD44v9), a splice variant of the CD44 family, is largely absent in normal tissues but enriched in aggressive breast cancers, where it contributes to stemness, redox regulation, and therapy resistance. In this study, we developed a chimeric monoclonal antibody against CD44v9 (clone SUM24.1, IgG1) and conjugated it to …