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Integrating Food Loss And Waste Reduction Policies With Global Dietary Shifts: An Economic Modelling Study, Alessandro Gatto, Maksym Chepeliev

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Background

Methods

Divergent Sensory Transcriptomic Profiles In Positive And Negative Learning In Bicyclus Anynana Butterflies, Yi Ting Ter, Erica L. Westerman

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mate preference learning, where individuals learn to prefer or avoid specific phenotypes during mate selection, is pervasive across animal taxa and influences reproductive isolation and trait evolution. Despite its significance, the genetic basis underlying the associated valence attribution (whether to prefer or avoid) remains largely unclear. Both in terms of what genes are associated with attributing valence, and whether valence attribution is associated with transcriptional changes in both sensory tissues and neural circuits in the brain, or is restricted to the brain. Here, we investigate the neurogenomic basis of positive and negative mate preference learning using Bicyclus anynana butterflies. We …

Bone Mineral Density Of Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus Lagopus) As A Potential Taphonomic Factor In Skeletal Part Attrition, Frank J. Dirrigl Jr., Samuel R. Buchanan

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Agents of taphonomy can bias skeletal parts and the frequency of bones in archaeological sites. An important factor to consider is the possible effect of bone density-mediated attrition on archaeornithological assemblages. We scanned willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) specimens using a Lunar iDXA and an enCcore small animal body add-on to develop a rank-order scheme based on the volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) of skeletal parts. Our results identified the tibiotarsus and femur to be the least dense bones, while carpometacarpus, 3rd digit, and coracoid were the densest. This novel scheme allowed us to evaluate a sample of 22 …

Cul3 Postnatal Homozygous Deletion In Forebrain Results In Behavioral Differences, Prathibha Sekar, Qiang‐Qiang Xia, Alex C. Stokes, Feiyu Quan, Jeffrey Singer, Craig M. Powell

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Large-scale human genetic studies implicate multiple genes that regulate protein ubiquitination in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). De novo loss-of-function mutations in the gene CULLIN3 (CUL3) are implicated in autism and intellectual disability (ID). CUL3 is an essential component of an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex required for ubiquitination of substrates, often a signal for proteasomal degradation. Homozygous deletion of Cul3 is embryonically lethal. Recent studies show heterozygous deletion of Cul3 results in phenotypes with some face validity for autism in constitutive and conditional Cul3 heterozygotes. To understand the function of Cul3 in late postnatal development and function in the brain, we …

Repeated Withdrawal Of A Glpr Agonist Induces Hyperleptinemia And Deteriorates Metabolic Health In Obese Aging Um-Het3 Mice, Nisi Jiang, Jiyuan Yin, Noah Lawrence, Jieyi Meng, Laurence T Maeyens, Ziying Xu, Xin Li, Mbolle Ekane, Ariana Chaudhary, Pengju Cao, Guannan Li, Carolina Solis-Herrera, Yi Zhu, Shangang Zhao

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

GLP-1-based therapy is highly effective in combating aging-associated metabolic diseases. However, the metabolic effects of frequent withdrawal from this therapy in aged, obese mice have not been previously studied. In this study, aged obese UM-HET3 mice were assigned to three groups: Group 1 received no liraglutide treatment (Lira OFF); Group 2 underwent 3 cycles of treatment followed by withdrawal (Lira ON/OFF); and Group 3 remained on continuous treatment (Lira ON). As expected, mice in Group 3 showed reduced body weight and food intake, along with improved metabolic health. In contrast, mice in Group 2 developed hyperleptinemia and visceral fat expansion, …

Dynamic Rewiring Of Microrna Networks In The Brainstem Autonomic Control Circuits During Hypertension Development In The Female Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat, Alison Moss, Ankita Srivastava, Lakshmi Kuttippurathu, James S. Schwaber, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

We describe global microRNA (miRNA) changes in the central autonomic control circuits during the development of neurogenic hypertension. Using the female spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) and the normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY), we analyzed the dynamic miRNA expression changes in three brainstem regions-the nucleus of the solitary tract, caudal ventrolateral medulla, and rostral ventrolateral medulla-as a time series beginning at 8 wk of age before hypertension onset through to extended chronic hypertension. Our analysis yielded nine miRNAs that were significantly differentially regulated in all three regions between SHR and WKY over time. We collated computationally predicted gene targets of these nine …

Preliminary Investigation Of Nitrogen Rate Influence On Irrigated Bermudagrass Forage Production, Bronc Finch, Lance Blythe

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) forage production recommendations are often developed in natural environments with available water limitations, often resulting in highly variable responses and lower average responses. As farmland ownership changes and agriculture and irrigation technologies become more affordable the amount of irrigated hay production has increased. While much of the agronomic management does not differ between rain-fed and irrigated environments, nutrient use and uptake dynamics may. This requires a reevaluation and potential adjustment of current recommendations to allow for increased yield potential of irrigated production systems without detrimental impacts on the system. The objective of this study was to identify …

Nrf2 Hyperactivation As A Driver Of Radiotherapy Resistance And Suppressed Antitumor Immunity In Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Rutulkumar Patel, Kalil Saab, Lixia Luo, Yan Ma, Rashid Abdullah Osman, Nerissa T Williams, Jeffrey Everitt, Maciej J Zelazowski, Patricia Castro, William K Decker, William H Hudson, Jeffrey N Myers, Vlad C Sandulache, Mitchell J Frederick, Yvonne M Mowery, David G Kirsch

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: Alterations in the KEAP1/NFE2L2 (NRF2)/CUL3 pathway occur in ∼20% of human head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) and are associated with resistance to standard-of-care therapy. However, this pathway's role in radiotherapy resistance in HNSCC has not been well studied.

Experimental design: We generated genetically engineered mouse models and developed primary murine cancer cell lines harboring mutations commonly observed in human HNSCC, including inducible activation of PIK3CA and deletion of Trp53, with or without Keap1 loss. Primary tumors were initiated via 4-hydroxytamoxifen injection ± the tobacco carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene (BAP) into the oral buccal mucosa. Tumors were analyzed by Western …

Exploring The Transformative Effects Of Calorie Restriction On The Lacrimal Gland In Adult Mice, Olivier Mauduit, Prashant Kumar, Kaitlin K Scholand, Emre Aksan, Laura Schaefer, Anmar Abu-Romman, Vanessa Delcroix, Zhiyuan Yu, Aude I Sindikubwabo, Ron Korstanje, Helen P Makarenkova, Cintia S De Paiva

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Advanced age is one of the most recognizable risk factors for dry eye. Dry eye disease affects millions worldwide and can result from age-related lacrimal gland dysfunction, which correlates with a decline in lacrimal gland secretory cell function and chronic inflammation. This study investigated the potential of calorie restriction to maintain lacrimal gland and ocular surface health. Adult female C57BL/6 J mice were subjected to a 40% calorie restriction for 4 months, starting at 6-7 months and continuing until 10-11 months. These mice were compared to controls fed ad libitum. Bulk RNA sequencing of lacrimal glands, conjunctiva, and cornea subjected …

Picalm Alzheimer’S Risk Allele Causes Aberrant Lipid Droplets In Microglia, Alena Kozlova, Siwei Zhang, Ari Sudwarts, Hanwen Zhang, Stanislau Smirnou, Seul Kee Byeon, Christina Thapa, Xiaotong Sun, Kimberley Stephenson, Xiaojie Zhao, Brendan Jamison, Moorthi Ponnusamy, Xin He, Julie A Schneider, Akhilesh Pandey, David A Bennett, Zhiping P Pang, Alan R Sanders, Hugo J Bellen, Gopal Thinakaran, Jubao Duan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Despite genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) having identified many genetic risk loci1–3, the underlying disease mechanisms remain largely unclear. Determining causal disease variants and their LOAD-relevant cellular phenotypes has been a challenge. Here, using our approach for identifying functional GWAS risk variants showing allele-specific open chromatin, we systematically identified putative causal LOAD-risk variants in human induced pluripotent stem (iPS)-cell-derived neurons, astrocytes and microglia, and linked a PICALM LOAD-risk allele to a microglial-specific role of PICALM in lipid droplet (LD) accumulation. Allele-specific open-chromatin mapping revealed functional risk variants for 26 LOAD-risk loci, mostly …

Antibiotic Resistance Trends In Coliform Bacteria Of Kittitas County Waters, Kaitlyn Holbrook, Bella Blasingim, Cruz Veronica Guillen Mejia, Holly Pinkart

Journal of the Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression

Project Mentor(s): Holly Pinkart, PhD

Since the mid-1900s, antibiotics have been developed to help fight against bacterial pathogens. However, bacteria can evolve rapidly and have evolved resistance to many types of antibiotics. Using coliform bacteria collected from waters around Kittitas County, BIOL 323 students at Central Washington University have identified a variety of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Kittitas County streams and canals. Antibiotic resistance was measured from 2014-2019 and compared to data collected in 2024. This study focuses on three antibiotics, ampicillin, kanamycin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. In the past (2014-2019) we saw no change in the trend of antibiotic resistance in collected …

Effect Of Coniferous Trees And Water Availability On Soil Acidification, Jessica A. Cheever

Journal of the Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression

Project Mentor(s): Mary Poulson, PhD

Water availability and coniferous tree species can cause acidification and a change in soil fertility. Previous research in European forests found that rainfall, soil acidity, and conifer prevalence influenced soil quality and biodiversity. However, not much is known about these effects in the Pacific Northwest’s forests. Three forests were chosen based on a gradient of annual precipitation. The Hoh Rain Forest, the Tiger Mountain State Forest, and the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest were used for wet, mesic, and dry conditions, respectively. Each location had a three-by-six grid spaced 50 meters between each plot. The location was …

Synthesis Of Nitrogen-Enriched 3d Graphene Foam For Electrochemical Sensing Of Hydrogen Peroxide (H₂O₂), Bhargavi Dronavalli, Madhava Rao Vallabhaneni, Jatla Murali Prakash, Deepti Kolli, Dandamudi Srilaxmi

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

In this work, A simple hydrothermal process was utilized to create 3D-foam-type Nitrogen-doped graphene (NDG). The synthesized material was characterized using a range of physicochemical characterization techniques. These techniques confirm that nitrogen is successfully incorporated into the carbon network, resulting in NDG. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) investigation demonstrated that NDG-modified glassy carbon electrode (NDG/GCE) displayed finite charge transfer properties against typical redox systems. NDG/GCE is identified as a simple, facile, and efficient electrocatalyst material for the estimation of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). From CV analysis, it is revealed that NDG/GCE can produce a signal for electrochemical quantification of …

Efficiency And Clinical Outcomes Of Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy On Canine Coxofemoral Osteoarthritis, Patama Arunrattanakul, Kumpanart Soontornvipart

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The purpose of this study was to find out the optimal technique to prepare plasma with the highest platelet concentration in platelet rich plasma (PRP), as well as determine the result of autologous PRP from the dogs with osteoarthritis (OA) condition. It was shown that the PRP could reduce inflammation, cell regeneration and enhance angiogenesis to support the injured tissue. This study was composed of two phases; the first phase aimed to find the best centrifugation speed and time that could be able to produce the plasma with the highest platelet concentration by conducting the experiment from a total of …

Contributing To Acari Knowledge: The First Report Of Trombidium Grandissimum From The Soils Of Cholistan Desert, Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan, Muhammad Adnan Bodlah, Alishbah Mohsin, Ayesha Younas, Aleena Kanwal, Imran Bodlah, Yasir Niaz, Shumaila Khan, Shabbir Hussain

Journal of Bioresource Management

Trombidium grandissimum is also known by names, red velvet mite, real velvet mite, giant red velvet mite and rain bug, belongs to the family Trombidiidae and subclass Acari. Red velvet mite has four life stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. Adult red velvet mites were collected from agricultural farm area of Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology. Important taxonomic features were revealed by morphological study, including a body length of around half of an inch, velvety, unridged skin with dense hairs, stalked eyes, and specialized organs on the anterior legs including sensilla and claws. Carotene-induced bright red coloring …

Seroprevalence, Risk Factors, And Diagnostic Accuracy Of Brucellosis In Upper Dir District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Sidra Sanam, Kamran Khan

Journal of Bioresource Management

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the gram-negative, intracellular bacterium Brucella. Although it is endemic in Pakistan, comprehensive data on its prevalence, risk factors, and diagnostic accuracy remain limited. Therefore, this study aimed to assess these parameters in local communities of District Dir Upper, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A total of 345 individuals suspected of brucellosis were investigated. Blood samples and structured questionnaires were collected to determine prevalence and identify associated risk factors. Additionally, 50 culture-confirmed positive cases and 50 negative controls were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Serum Plate Agglutination Test …

Trophic Niche Overlap Between Native And Alien Fish Species: A Challenge For The Aquatic Ecosystems, Rana Manzoor Ahmad, Abdul Majid Khan, Mariya Basharat, Muhammad Rizwan, Neelam Shahzadi, Muhammad Imran

Journal of Bioresource Management

The different physiological and biological challenges are introduced not only on land but also in aquatic ecosystems due to increasing climatic changes and human needs. One of these challenges is the introduction of invasive alien species to the native freshwater ichthyofauna. These species not only disturb the ecological balance of the native water bodies but can also be a vector for parasitic diseases. The current study is designed to disclose the trophic niche overlap among exotic (Cyprinus carpio and Oreochromis mozambicus) and indigenous fish species (Labeo calbasu and Cirrhinus mrigala) from Head Baloki (Ravi River), Punjab, …

Hawthorn (Crataegus Spp.): Unlocking Its Potential For Health And Environmental Sustainability – A Comprehensive Review, Abdelhak Maghchiche

Journal of Bioresource Management

Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.), traditionally regarded as an important medicinal plant and frequently cited in the literature, presents significant potential for sustainable development and medical biotechnology. This review looks at several areas of Hawthorn that can be explored in response to current healthcare and environmental sustainability issues. Bioactive compounds from hawthorn, including active compounds primarily comprised of flavonoids, procyanidins, and triterpenoids, are responsible for potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardio-protective, and antimicrobial activities, potentially providing a source of potent therapeutic alternatives. Moreover, hawthorn has a well-documented record as a source of cardiovascular benefits to address arterial hypertension, congestive heart failure, and arrhythmias. In …

Diversity Of Butterflies (Lepidoptera) In Kanju, District Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Said Miraj Ud Din, Khushbakht Asad, Hamid Ur Rahman, Attiya Iqbal

Journal of Bioresource Management

Butterflies are one of the most beautiful creatures on earth. They belong to the phylum Arthropoda, class Insecta, and order Lepidoptera. Butterflies play an important role in the ecosystem, contributing significantly to pollen transfer. They play an important role in pollination, and their foraging behavior enhances the genetic diversity. Additionally, they also play an important role in the food chain and serve as prey for birds, reptiles, and other insectivore organisms. The current study was conducted to find out the diversity and distribution of butterflies in Kanju district Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A total 203 specimens were collected from August …

Review On Exploring The Potential Of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia Illucens) As A Novel Feed Ingredient For Poultry, Muhammad Naeem Jan, Nasir Rajput, Muhammad Naeem, Sher Ali, Ghulam Shabir Barham, Tehseen Fatima Miano

Journal of Bioresource Management

Poultry provides both direct and indirect employment opportunities to individuals. Every farm owner desires a reduced investment with more earnings. Over 50 % of the overall cost of chicken rearing is allocated to feed stuff. Among all feed ingredients, protein sources are the most expensive, yet protein is essential for production and growth. This exorbitant price cannot be sustained by the small-scale farmers. Consequently, contemporary scientists are attempting to substitute the protein supply with black soldier fly in their formulations. This review study examines the advantageous effect of utilizing Black Soldier Fly powder, larvae or oil, as demonstrated in scientific …

A Review On The Ethnozoological Remedies With The Help Of Animal Body Parts And Its Impact On Their Conservation Status, Minahal Fatima, Bushra Nisar Khan, Mudasser Hasan, Amina Tufail, Farhat Batool, Majida Maqbool, Fakhra Nazir

Journal of Bioresource Management

The use of wildlife in biomedical science has had a long history as it has been used as experimental animals, Sources of unusual physiology, and of bioactive compounds on which life-saving medicines are based. Amphibians are a Source of antimicrobial peptides, analgesic alkaloids, and regeneration. Immune adaptations and venoms of reptiles have produced cardiovascular medications, anti-clotting solutions and diabetes treatment. Birds serve as models of zoonotic diseases and provide immunological tools e.g. IgY antibodies and support embryology and neurobiology. Advanced studies on human disease, vaccines, cancer resistance and hypoxia tolerance have been facilitated by mammals such as rodents, primates, bats, …

Public Perceptions Of Universities As Public Entities During The Covid-19 Pandemic Era, Jinho Jung, Laura Barrett, Nicole Olynk Widmar, Mario Ortez

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Higher education institutions are facing challenges in navigating social, cultural, and political issues. The online presence of higher education presents a new set of opportunities and challenges; knowledge, news, and continuing education are increasingly disseminated online. Additionally, the public, student bodies and stakeholders are increasingly looking at reviews or seeking opinions via online and social media to form opinions on institutions. This analysis uses online and social media to analyze and compare perceptions of two public universities in Indiana, namely Purdue University and Indiana University. These two Indiana institutions are located in the same state, allowing for comparisons of public …

Observational Activation Of Anterior Cingulate Cortical Neurons Coordinates Hippocampal Replay In Social Learning, Xiang Mou, Daoyun Ji

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Social learning enables a subject to make decisions by observing the actions of another. How neural circuits acquire relevant information during observation to guide subsequent behavior is unknown. Utilizing an observational spatial working memory task, we show that neurons in the rat anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) associated with spatial trajectories during self-running in a maze are reactivated when observing another rat running the same maze. The observation-induced ACC activities are reduced in error trials and are correlated with activities of hippocampal place cells representing the same trajectories. The ACC activities during observation also predict subsequent hippocampal place cell activities during …

Western Australian And South Australian Grain Enterprise Emission Intensities And Gross Margins: A Review, Christophe D'Abbadie, Ross Kingwell

Farm Systems and Economics research articles

Drawing on various datasets, crop enterprise emission intensities and gross margins are reported for the main broadacre crops grown in Western Australia and South Australia. Values are reported for various rainfall regions and across time, and for different farm performance groupings. As a generalisation, in each region, wheat and canola production display marked increases in emissions intensity across the study period whilst legume crops’ emission intensities increase far less. Wheat crops display upward emission intensity trajectories across time whilst displaying different rates of increase in emissions intensity according to regional rainfall. Canola demonstrates higher emissions intensities per tonne compared to …

Current States In Understanding Oligodendroglia-Mediated Neurological Issues In Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (Nf1), Benjamin E Aghoghovwia, Cheng-En Shen, Sabiha Bano, Nandini Shyamala, Alesandra Echeandia Marrero, Khushboo Irshad, Samer Sharafaldin, Nicole M Brossier, Yuan Pan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is among the most common neurogenetic disorders and is associated with an increased risk of developing tumors in the nervous system. Additionally, up to 80% of patients with NF1 experience neurological complications, including deficits in attention, memory, and executive function. Significant effort has been dedicated to studying how NF1 mutations autonomously dysregulate neuronal function. Increasing evidence indicates that NF1 mutations also dysregulate the oligodendroglial lineage that contributes to neurological issues in NF1. Here, we summarize our current understanding of how NF1 mutations impact the oligodendroglial lineage homeostasis and plasticity. We also discuss gaps in knowledge, potential …

Genome-Wide Association Study And Genome Prediction Of Tallness Trait In Spinach Phenotyping, Ibtisam Alatawi, Haizheng Xiong, Hanan Alkabkabi, Kenani Chiwina, Beiquan Mou, Qun Luo, Yuejun Qu, Renjie Du, Awais Riaz, Derrick J. Harrison

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Plant height is a critical agronomic trait in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), influencing both mechanical harvesting efficiency and overall yield. In this study, plant height variation was evaluated in 307 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) germplasm accessions, which were phenotyped and genotyped using 15,058 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) obtained from whole-genome resequencing. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using the General Linear Model (GLM), Mixed Linear Model (MLM), Multiple Loci Mixed Model (MLMM), Fixed and Random Model Circulating Probability Unification (FarmCPU), and Bayesian-information and Linkage-disequilibrium Iteratively Nested Keyway (BLINK) models implemented in the Genomic Association and Prediction Integrated Tool …

The Evaluation Of Variants Within Eight Collagen Genes Col1a1, Col1a2, Col3a1, Col5a1, Col11a1, Col15a1, Col22a1, And Col27a1 And A Risk Of Non-Contact Knee Ligament Rupture In Elite Handball Players: A Case-Control Study, Katarzyna Krawczak-Wójcik, Andrzej Mastalerz, Aleksandra Bojarczuk, Monika Johne, Alison V. September, Aleksandra Garbacz, Katarzyna Komar, Ewelina Maculewicz

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: Knee ligament ruptures are common injuries among athletes. While most previous studies examined single collagen gene polymorphisms, few have investigated haplotype-level associations across multiple genes, particularly in elite handball players. Materials and methods: This case-control study analyzed variants in eight collagen genes (COL1A1, COL1A2, COL3A1, COL5A1, COL11A1, COL15A1, COL22A1, and COL27A1) in 103 elite Polish handball players with non-contact knee ligament rupture and 226 matched controls. Results: The COL22A1 rs11784270 CC genotype was associated with an increased risk (OR = 2.88, p = 0.01), with the strongest effect in the …

Comparative Transcriptomics Reveals Novel And Differential Circular Rna Responses Underlying Interferon-Mediated Antiviral Regulation In Porcine Alveolar Macrophages, Jiuyi Li, Oluwaseun Adeyemi, Laura C. Miller, Yongming Sang

Food and Animal Sciences Faculty Research

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) causes significant economic losses in the swine industry. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a class of stable non-coding RNAs, are increasingly recognized as regulators in immune responses and host–virus interactions. This study investigated the genome-wide circRNA responses in porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs), key cell targets of PRRSV, following treatment with a modified live virus (MLV) vaccine or two interferon (IFN) subtypes (IFN-α1, IFN-ω5). Using RNA sequencing, we identified over 1000 differentially expressed circRNAs across treatment groups, revealing both conserved and distinct expression profiles. Gene Ontology and KEGG pathway analyses indicated that circRNA-associated genes are significantly enriched …

Early-Life Exposure To Organic Chemical Pollutants As Assessed In Primary Teeth And Cardiometabolic Risk In Mexican American Children: A Pilot Study, Vidya S. Farook, Feroz Akhtar, Rector Arya, Alice Yau, Srinivas Mummidi, Juan Lopez Alvarenga, Alvaro Diaz-Badillo, Roy G. Resendez, John Blangero

Human Genetics Publications

Early-life exposure to organic chemicals (OCs) may influence childhood obesity and associated cardiometabolic risk. These conditions have been shown to disproportionately affect minority populations such as Mexican Americans (MAs). However, information on the impact of organic chemicals on cardiometabolic risk in MA children is limited. Therefore, we conducted a pilot study to assess the extent to which exposure to organic chemicals influences cardiometabolic traits (CMTs) in MA children. We recalled 25 children from a previous study and collected 25 primary teeth from them. Chemical analyses of the teeth were performed using established protocols. Target analytes included acetaminophen (APAP); 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy), …

A Multifaceted Analysis Of The Genetic Origins, Growth, And Invasive Potential Of Introduced Floridian Sugarcane, Indy Hughes

Student Theses and Dissertations

Saccharum spontaneum L., wild sugarcane, is an aggressive invasive species, listed by the USDA as a Federal Noxious Weed (FNW). Despite this, S. spontaneum is used to create hardy, pest-resistant cultivars of domestic sugarcane. All cultivars have a small percentage of wild parentage, but the dosage is low to lessen the chance of inheriting undesirable traits. Saccharum spontaneum’s naturalized presence in Florida has been reported since 1993 and likely escaped from regulated sugarcane breeding facilities. The proximity of S. spontaneum populations to modern cultivars, grown intensively in the state, could potentially increase the risk of invasion. It is imperative to …