Digital Commons Network^™

Nadh-Bound Aif Activates The Mitochondrial Chchd4/Mia40 Chaperone By A Substrate-Mimicry Mechanism, Chris A Brosey, Runze Shen, John A Tainer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mitochondrial metabolism requires the chaperoned import of disulfide-stabilized proteins via CHCHD4/MIA40 and its enigmatic interaction with oxidoreductase Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF). By crystallizing human CHCHD4's AIF-interaction domain with an activated AIF dimer, we uncover how NADH allosterically configures AIF to anchor CHCHD4's β-hairpin and histidine-helix motifs to the inner mitochondrial membrane. The structure further reveals a similarity between the AIF-interaction domain and recognition sequences of CHCHD4 substrates. NMR and X-ray scattering (SAXS) solution measurements, mutational analyses, and biochemistry show that the substrate-mimicking AIF-interaction domain shields CHCHD4's redox-sensitive active site. Disrupting this shield critically activates CHCHD4 substrate affinity and chaperone activity. Regulatory-domain …

Human Hypofunctional Ncf1 Variants Promote Pulmonary Fibrosis In The Bleomycin-Induced Mouse Model And Patients With Systemic Sclerosis Via Expansion Of Spphuman Hypofunctional Ncf1 Variants Promote Pulmonary Fibrosis In The Bleomycin-Induced Mouse Model And Systemic Sclerosis Patients Via Expansion Of Spp1+ Monocytes-Derived Macrophages, Xinran Yuan, Xiaodong Qin, Kenji Takemoto, Jian Zhao, Matthew Sanderson, Xue Xu, Yu Zhang, Kristi L Helke, Bethany Jacobs Wolf, Joel M Guthridge, Judith A James, Xiaodong Zhou, Shervin Assassi, Carol Feghali-Bostwick, Dandan Wang, Lingyun Sun, Betty P Tsao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: We assessed the role of a systemic lupus erythematosus causal hypofunctional variant, neutrophil cytosolic factor 1 (NCF1)-p.Arg90His (p.R90H) substitution, in systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods: Association of NCF1-H90 with SSc was performed in case-control cohorts, bleomycin (BLM)-treated Ncf1-R90 C57BL/6 wildtype and Ncf1-H90 knock-in (KI) littermates. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) subsets were analysed by cytometry by time-of-flight.

Results: The NCF1-H90 allele is associated with risk for diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) in Chinese and European Americans, and lung fibrosis in Chinese patients with SSc (OR=2.09, p=7.96E-10). Low copy number of NCF1 associated with lung fibrosis in European Americans (OR=4.33, p=2.60E-2). BLM-treated …

On The Acceptance, Commissioning, And Quality Assurance Of Electron Flash Units, Allison Palmiero, Kevin Liu, Julie Colnot, Nitish Chopra, Denae Neill, Luke Connell, Brett Velasquez, Albert C Koong, Steven H Lin, Peter Balter, Ramesh Tailor, Charlotte Robert, Jean-François Germond, Patrik Gonçalves Jorge, Reiner Geyer, Sam Beddar, Raphael Moeckli, Emil Schüler

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and purpose: FLASH or ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) radiation therapy (RT) has gained attention in recent years for its ability to spare normal tissues relative to conventional dose rate (CDR) RT in various preclinical trials. However, clinical implementation of this promising treatment option has been limited because of the lack of availability of accelerators capable of delivering UHDR RT. Commercial options are finally reaching the market that produce electron beams with average dose rates of up to 1000 Gy/s. We established a framework for the acceptance, commissioning, and periodic quality assurance (QA) of electron FLASH units and present an …

Open-Chest Cardiac Ultrasound-Mediated Imaging With A Vacuum Coupler, Nilesh Mathuria, Krithik Vishwanath, Giorgio Brero, Blake C Fallon, Antonio Martino, Richard C Willson, Carly S Filgueira, Richard R Bouchard

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: A fundamental obstacle for the preclinical development of ultrasound-(US) mediated cardiac imaging remains cardiac motion, which limits interframe correlation during extended acquisition periods.

PURPOSE: To address this need, we present the design and implementation of a 3D-printed vacuum coupler that stabilizes a US transducer on the epicardial surface of the heart for feasibility assessment and development of advanced, cardiac, US-mediated imaging approaches.

METHODS: The vacuum coupler was 3D printed with biocompatible resins and secured with a standard intraoperative suction aspirator. US-mediated imaging (i.e., B-mode and photoacoustic [PA] imaging) was performed in an open-chest porcine model with and without the …

Performance Comparison Of 10 State-Of-The-Art Machine Learning Algorithms For Outcome Prediction Modeling Of Radiation-Induced Toxicity, Ramon M Salazar, Saurabh S Nair, Alexandra O Leone, Ting Xu, Raymond P Mumme, Jack D Duryea, Brian De, Kelsey L Corrigan, Michael K Rooney, Matthew S Ning, Prajnan Das, Emma B Holliday, Zhongxing Liao, Laurence E Court, Joshua S Niedzielski

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of prominent machine learning algorithms in predicting normal tissue complication probability using clinical data obtained from 2 distinct disease sites and to create a software tool that facilitates the automatic determination of the optimal algorithm to model any given labeled data set.

Methods and materials: We obtained 3 sets of radiation toxicity data (478 patients) from our clinic: gastrointestinal toxicity, radiation pneumonitis, and radiation esophagitis. These data comprised clinicopathological and dosimetric information for patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer and anal squamous cell carcinoma. Each data set was modeled using 11 commonly employed machine …

The Mc4r Agonist, Setmelanotide, Is Associated With An Improvement In Hypercapnic Chemosensitivity And Weight Loss In Male Mice, Sarah N. Framnes-Deboer, Deanna M. Arble, Athena Rivera

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Obesity increases the risk of respiratory diseases that reduce respiratory chemosensitivity, such as Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome and sleep apnea. Recent evidence suggests that obesity-related changes in the brain, including alterations in melanocortin signaling via the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R), may underly altered chemosensitivity. Setmelanotide, an MC4R agonist, causes weight loss in both humans and animal models. However, it is unknown the extent to which setmelanotide affects respiratory chemosensitivity independent of body weight loss. The present study uses diet-induced obese, male C57bl/6 J mice to determine the extent to which acute setmelanotide treatment affects the hypercapnic ventilatory response (HCVR). We find that …

Calliandra Calothyrsus - A Potential New Shrub Legume For Tropical Animal Production?, B Palmer, R A. Bray, T M. Ibrahim

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Calliandra calothyrsus outyielded leucaena in cutting experiments at 2 sites in northern Australia and I in Indonesia. Drying significantly depressed the voluntary intake and digestibility of leaf, possibly due to the presence of tannin. Calliandra has the potential as a supplement for the low quality grass common to the tropics both ln grazing and cut-and-carry systems.

Advances In Research And Development With Sylosanthes And Other Tropical Pasture Legumes, D F. Cameron, C P. Miller, L A. Edye, J W. Miles

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The last 20 years have seen major advances in research and development wilh tropical legumes. Research advances have been closely associated with substantial increases in the number and diversity of genetic resource collections, Release of a wide range of new cultivars has been based on selection for plant adaptation, persistence and productivity, screening for resistance to pest's and diseases, and the development of efficient seed production. Determination of fertiliser requirements and grazing management practices has resulted in sustainable animal production from legume-based pasture systems. Extensive pasture development has now occurred in both high and low input systems. Options vary from …

Integration Of Wildlife And Cattle On Communal Lands In Kangwane, South Africa, M Stalmans, A Van Wyk, M T. Mentis

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The feasibility of integrating wildlife with the current livestock husbandry on communal lands in KaNgwane was investigated. Present stocking rates were 3 times the recommended figure for production farming. This fitted predictions based on the Jones-Sandland model for populations where the major consideration is maximum number of animals rather than high productivity. The integration of game was seen as a means to increase economic output, while spreading benefits from the use of natural resources to the community at large and establishing a form of ecologically sustainable land use. The active involvement of the community in the planning process and their …

Game Production On Private Land In South Africa, J C. Pauw, M J.S Peel

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The game industry on private land in South Africa has grown considerably in the last 30 years, resulting in a greatly increased biodiversity on private rangeland. However, animals are not domesticated and management is difficult. Management becomes even more complex because commercial game production normally involves a number of species, including domestic stock, in the same production system. Mixed livestock-game ranching holds certain advantages for management and is generally perceived to be more profitable than either alone. Because of human preferences, a lack of clearly defined management objectives and lack of practical management recommendations, veld is generally heavily utilised and …

Overcoming Limitations On The Productivity Of Browsing Ungulates In Africa, Norman Owen-Smith

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In African savannas primary production by woody plants may match that by the grass layer. However, maximum population levels attained by browsing ruminants are only one tenth of those reached by similar sized grazers, The productivity of browsers is limited because (I) much foliage is out of reach, and dispersed by wind when shed; (2) most palatable trees are deciduous, leading to a food bottleneck during the late dry season; (3) leaves of many woody species are rendered unpalatable, indigestible or toxic by plant secondary metabolites. Management actions to overcome these limitations include (I) lopping trees to restrict their height; …

Economic And Ecological Features Of Livestock And Wildlife Utilization In Africa, J I. Barnes

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This paper looks at livestock and wildlife utilisation in Africa within the framework of total economic value (TEV), which includes both utilisation and biodiversity values. In Africa, traditional use of wildlife involves open access systems on public land, Here, free ranging, public wildlife resources are used to produce subsistence or marketed meat and skins at smaII scale. Traditional livestock systems involve open access use of rangelands. Here, livestock are kept at small ·scale to produce draft power, milk, meat and as a store of .value. Commercial use of wildlife involves restricted access systems on both public and private lands. Here, …

Conservation Of Biodiveristy In Managed Rangelands, With Special Emphasis On The Ecological Effects Of Large Grazing Ungulates, Domestic And Wild, Patrick Duncan, Peter J. Jarman

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Biodiversily with its different components (genes, species and ecosystems) is defined in relation to rangelands, whose Importance in its conservation is described. At the fine scale grasslands are much more diverse than tropical rain forest, and are comparably diverse at a regional scale, at least in Africa. Rangelands are crucially important world wide for 1he conservation of plants, and also for birds and large mammalian herbivores. Large ungulates (and other large herbivores) ace "keystone" species in these·ecosystems, playing a crucial role in the maintenance of diverse communities of plants, birds and invertebrates associated with such grasslands. Modification of the natural …

Productivity Of Silvipastoral Areas And Management Needs In Arid Regions Of India, N C. Jain

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In an extremely arid state of India (Rajasthan) having high livestock concentration and vast degraded lands, the State Forest Department has developed community and forest lands into silvipastoral areas by sowing grass (mainly Cenchus ciliaris and C. setigerus) in association with trees. Surveys have revealed high variability in pasture establishment and productivity in different regions. Cenchrus established well in most regions, except the extreme south, if proper sowing methods with closer spacing were followed and soil conservation measures undertaken. Closure from animals helped in favourable grass succession. Establishment of Dichanthium annulatum and Stylosanthes hamata was relatively poor, Analysis of …

Sheep And Forage Productivity In Rubber Plantations, I Tajuddin, D T. Chong, K F. Ng, W W. Stur, H M. Shelton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The concept of integration of sheep with rubber plantations for weed control and meal production is rapidly gaining recognition in Malaysia. A series of experiments were set up with ACIAR support to determine the level of forage and animal production achievable in rubber plantations and to introduce and evaluate new forage germplasm for sheep grazing under rubber. These experiments showed that (i) the productivity of the currently used cover crops and naturally occurring further as rubber trees matured, (ii) the proportion of the unpalatable cover crop Caloponuim caeruleum increased rapidly with sheep grazing in immature rubber, (iii) reasonable sheep live-weight …

Pastures As The Secondary Components In Tree-Pasture Systems, Chin Peng Chen

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The multi-stata canopy structure of rain forest allows only I% sunlight penetration, too little for the survival of forage beneath it. However, man-made forest plantation (rubber, oil palm and coconut) allows more light for forage species. Initially, 60-70 forage species were recorded under these modified forest canopies but only one third of them survived heavy shading. Forage dry matter yields declined from 2.8-4.8 I/ha DM at immature phase of plantations, to 0.1-1.0 I/Im at mautre phase. Nutrients. available to grazing animals from forages under plantations were guile high (18.4 kg Nit DM and 5609 MJ MEit DM) from native forages, …

Grazing Potential Of Desiccation-Tolerant Tropical And Subtropical Grasses, Y A. Sutaryono, D F. Gaff

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Some desiccation-tolerant grasses possess the potential for use as a grazing source for animals. Some species compared favourably in nutrient content and digestibility with other tropical animal fodder grasses. The Sporobolus species, S. aff, fimbriatus, S. lampranthus, S. pellucidus, together with Eragrostis invalida and Eragrostiella nardoides showed the most promising combination of desirable characteristics. Resurrection grasses contained potentially toxic substances, but, it appears, in amounts harmless to animals, Animal feed trials are needed to test their real feed value, palatability and non-toxicity to animals.

Mixed-Species Grazing In The Highland Sourveld Of South Africa: An Evaluation Of Animal Production Potential, M B. Hardy, N M. Tainton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The effects of mixed-species grazing, at 5 cattle to sheep ratios all at the same stocking rale, on individual animal mass change/ ha mass change/ Ila were monitored for 2 grazing seasons, The ratios were balanced in terms of animal units which equate the expected intake of cattle and sheep. The study was conducted on a humid grasslands in which the herbage characteristically loses quality as Jt mature1. Mass gains of individual cattle were higher when the cattle grazed 10ge1her with the sheep than when they grazed alone. This was ascribed to increasing herbage availability as the ratio of cattle …

Prediction Of Live-Weight Gain Of Cattle Grazing Pastures On Brigalow Soil, M Hirata, C K. Mcdonald, R M. Jones

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A model for predicting the live-weight gain-(LWD) of cattle from climatic conditions and pasture and cattle attributes was developed. The model was calibrated and validated against the data from a long-term grazing experiment on brigalow soil, sown with green panic pastures. When validated, the model tended to overestimate LWG as the proportion of green panic (Panicum maximum var. trichoglume) in the pasture decreased, because the model was calibrated, without considering species composition, to data from years when green panic was dominant. This study emphasises the limitations of empirical models of grazing systems. The study also implies that there …

Animal Feed Research In Eastern And Southern Africa: Historical And Actual Priorities, Samuel C. Jutzi, J C. Tothhill

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A review of animal feed research reports from 7 countries of eastern and southern Africa is used to assess historical and actual research emphases. Priority was on feed supply and evaluation for cattle production with strong rangelands improvement programmes. Most research focused on ecologically favoured regions and larger-scale livestock commodity production. Strong efforts for the exploitation of grasses for improved feed supply were supported by legume work for feed quality improvement. There was a strong emphasis on feed agronomy work, one third of all that work involving animals. Component research results were reported with little discussion of target systems implications, …

Animal Production And Dynamics Of Pangola Grass, Ryegrass, And White Clover As Influenced By Grazing Pressure, A De Moraes, G E. Maraschin

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A grazing experiment was conducted at the Estacao Experimental Agronomica - UFRGS, Eldorado do Sul, RS, from June 1989 to March 1990, to evaluate a mixed pasture of pangola grass (Digitaria eriantha), ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and white clover (Trifolium repens) under 4 levels of grazing pressure (GP), namely: 3.S, 7 ,0, 10.5 and 14.0 kg DM of forage on offer /100 kg live weight (LW), with 2 field replications. Average live-weight gain (LWG) decreased as grazing pressure increased. Maximum LWG was obtained at grazing pressures of approximately 12%, which was associated with DM residues …

Cultivated Pasture, Forage On Offer And Animal Responseg, G E. Maraschin, A De Moraes, L.F. A. Da Silva, J Riboldi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Animal gains on pasture are influenced by the forage dry mailer on offer (DMO). To ascertain this relationship a pangola grass (Digitaria eriantha) pasture was evaluated under forage DMO levels of 3.5%, 7.0%, 10.5% and 14.0% of live weight (LW)/head/day. Two steers were assigned to each treatment as tester animals plus a number of put-and­take steers to maintain the desired levels of forage DMO, at the Estacao Experimental Agronomica • UFRGS • 30°S, from November 1989 to March 1990 (period I) and from October 1990 to May 1991 (period II). Pasture DM production and crude protein were not …

Mineral Supplementation And Phosphorus Fertilizer Application On Native Pastures In North-East Argentina, R M. Pizzio, O Royo Pallares

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Extensive cattle production systems in north-east Argentina are based on the use of native pastures. One of the most important limiting factors to improve production is the acute phosphorus deficiency of soils and pastures. A large experiment was set up to study the effect of phosphorus fertiliser and mineral supplementation on the live­weight gain of steers of 2 ages grazing native pastures. Supplementation with a mixture of bone meal and salt, residual effect of P fertilisation, and both treatments applied together increased the annual animal live-weight gain by 60, 66 and 106%, respectively. The response of younger steers to fertiliser …

Under The Bay: Analysis Of Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia Mydas) Dive Behavior In The Urban San Diego Bay, Emily Carter

Theses

Sea turtles are air-breathing marine reptiles that spend their lives performing dives to travel, forage, and rest. Several dive types have been previously recorded for sea turtles, each type being associated with a different set of behaviors. U-dives, or Type 1 dives are widely characterized by extensive benthic periods preceded by and concluding with abrupt descent and ascent phases respectively (Minamikawa et al. 1997; Houghton et al. 2002; Seminoff et al. 2006). These dives are widely affiliated with turtle resting behavior though can be indicative of additional activities including benthic travel and foraging. Previous research of green turtle dive behavior …

Determining The Physiological And Behavioral Tolerance To Hypoxia In Two Species Of Rockfish (Sebastes Spp.), Makenna Chan

Theses

In the eastern North Pacific, the oxygen minimum zone naturally shoals seasonally and impacts demersal fish habitat along the continental margins and on offshore seamounts. This hypoxic layer has been shoaling in recent decades, likely affecting the habitat and distribution of commercially-important fish species such as rockfishes (genus Sebastes). Respirometry and shuttle box behavioral experiments were used to determine the hypoxia sensitivities of two rockfish species with contrasting movement patterns and habitat use: cowcod (Sebastes levis) and bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis). Although both species inhabit similar deep-water, rocky-reef habitat, they have different lifestyles, in which cowcod …

Climate Change Aggravates Bird Mortality In Pristine Tropical Forests, Jared Wolfe, David A. Luther, Vitek Jirinec, Jeremy Collings, Erik I. Johnson, Robert O. Bierregaard, Philip C. Stouffer

Michigan Tech Publications

Stable understory microclimates within undisturbed rainforests are often considered refugia against climate change. However, this assumption contrasts with emerging evidence of Neotropical bird population declines in intact rainforests. We assessed the vulnerability of resident rainforest birds to climatic variability, focusing on dry season severity characterized by hotter temperatures and reduced rainfall. Analyzing 4264 individual bird captures over 27 years, we found that harsher Amazonian dry seasons significantly reduced apparent survival for 24 of 29 species, with longer-lived species being more strongly affected. Our model predicted that a 1°C increase in average dry season temperature would reduce the mean apparent survival …

Crosstalk Between Nnos/No And Cox-2 Enhances Interferon-Gamma-Stimulated Melanoma Progression, Anika Patel, Shirley Tong, Moom R. Roosan, Basir Syed, Amardeep Awasthi, Richard B. Silverman, Sun Yang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background/Objectives: Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) in the melanoma tumor microenvironment plays opposing roles, orchestrating both pro-tumorigenic activity and anticancer immune responses. Our previous studies demonstrated the role of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in IFN-γ-stimulated melanoma progression. However, the underlying mechanism has not been well defined. This study determined whether the nNOS/NO and COX-2/PGE2 signaling pathways crosstalk and augment the pro-tumorigenic effects of IFN-γ in melanoma. Methods: Bioinformatic analysis of patient and cellular proteomic data was conducted to identify proteins of interest associated with IFN-γ treatment in melanoma. Changes in protein expression were determined using various analytical techniques including …

Evaluating The Performance Of Broccoli (Brassica Oleracea Var. Italica) In The Sandponics System Using Brackish Water With Biochar And Compost, Gabriel Oyebode

Theses and Dissertations

Some of the most pronounced effects of climate change on agricultural output include the depletion of freshwater resources and heightened salinization of arable land, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, adversely affecting crop yields. Many economic vegetable crops including members of the brassica family are sensitive to salt-stress. The use of organic soil amendments such as biochar and compost as complimentary nutrient sources in the sandponics system can improve the performance of crops. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of organic amendment on the growth performance and yield of broccoli and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) under brackish …

The Zooarchaeological Assemblage From The French School On Yefet Street, Yafo (Jaffa) (Pp. 513–527), Nimrod Marom

'Atiqot

A small assemblage of 158 identified animal bones was retrieved from Crusader- and late Ottoman-period contexts at the French School. The bone samples from both periods consisted mainly of cattle and caprines, as well as some pig, donkey, horse and chicken bones. The relative frequency of pig bones in the Ottoman period might point to a religious tolerance toward the consumption of equid and wild boar. This may attest to a poverty-stricken Muslim population, or to the presence of immigrants from the Maghrebi Islam.

The Animal Bones From Ben Gamli’El Street, Yafo (Jaffa) (Pp. 461–464), Nimrod Marom

'Atiqot

The excavation on Ben Gamli’el Street yielded a small assemblage of 40 animal bones retrieved from the ashy fill of a large Hellenistic-period ash pit (Stratum III). The bones represent farm animals, mostly goats, cattle and pigs, possibly indicating the economy of the rural hinterland that supported the urban settlement of Yafo. The presence of the dog burial and the high occurrence of pig bones probably attests to a non-Jewish community.