Digital Commons Network^™

Cover Crop Effects On Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Global Warming Potential In Furrow-Irrigated Corn In The Lower Mississippi River Valley, Diego Della Lunga, Kristofor Brye, Michael J. Mulvaney, Mike Daniels, Tabata De Oliveira, Beth Baker, Timothy Bradford Jr, Chandler M. Arel

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Corn (Zea mays) production systems are described as high risk for emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) due to large fertilizer inputs. Conservation practices, such as cover crop (CC), can limit the effects of agricultural activities on GHGs while increasing carbon and nitrogen storage. The objective of the study was to assess the effects of cover crops, i.e., with CC and no-CC, on GHG (i.e., CO2, CH4, and N2O) emissions and global warming potential (GWP) in furrow-irrigated corn in the Lower Mississippi River Valley. Gas sampling was conducted with an automated system that measured GHGs four times daily during the 2024 …

Investigating Genetic Regulators Of Crystal Cell Development In Drosophila Melanogaster, Andrea Feria, Nyla Walbrook, Anisa Turaeva, Rebecca Spokony

Publications and Research

Crystal cells, a subset of Drosophila melanogaster hemocytes, are important for melanization, a crucial immune response. While the genetic regulation of crystal cell develop remains incompletely understood, this study investigates the functions of five candidate genes: ACXB, ACXA, Gp210, CG4390, and Cyp4s3; identidied through previous genome-wide association studies. Using the Gal4/UAS system along with RNA interference (RNAi), we exclusively knocked down each gene in third instar larvae and quantified crystal cell populations following heat shock-induced melanization. Our results imply that the knockdown of ACXB and ACXA significantly increased crystal cell counts in both sexes, suggesting these genes either act as …

Adverse Cognitions: The Impact Of Childhood Trauma On Brain Development, Faith Salamone

2025 Student Academic Showcase

The effect of adverse experiences in childhood have been known to create lasting difficulties, even in adulthood. While it can be hard to determine the effects of childhood trauma on the brain, many studies have identified areas that appear to be negatively impacted by these adverse childhood experiences. This paper is a meta-analysis of eight articles that have attempted to investigate the effects of childhood trauma on the developing brain. These articles are specifically investigating the effects of childhood physical and/or sexual abuse. The areas that will be discussed in this paper are the prefrontal cortex, corpus callosum, the limbic …

High-Grade Astrocytoma With Piloid Features: A Single-Institution Case Series And Literature Review, Eric A Goethe, Subhiksha Srinivasan, Swaminathan Kumar, Sujit S Prabhu, Maria A Gubbiotti, Sherise D Ferguson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

High-grade astrocytoma with piloid features (HGAP) is a recently described primary brain tumor and the first requiring a specific methylation pattern for diagnosis, as its histologic features are often compatible with other tumors such as glioblastoma (GBM). Characterized by molecular alterations in CDKN2A/B, NF1, BRAF, FGFR1, and ATRX, they may be located anywhere in the CNS but show a predilection for the posterior fossa. Reports are limited to retrospective case series, and the standard of care is not yet established. We performed a retrospective review of electronic medical records of all patients with HGAP at our institution. Records were queried …

Idh Status Dictates Ohsv Mediated Metabolic Reprogramming Affecting Anti-Tumor Immunity, Upasana Sahu, Matthew P Mullarkey, Sara A Murphy, Joshua C Anderson, Vasanta Putluri, Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, Jun Hyoung Park, Tae Jin Lee, Alexander L Ling, Benny A Kaipparettu, Ashok Sharma, Nagireddy Putluri, Pamela L Wenzel, Christopher D Willey, E Antonio Chiocca, James M Markert, Balveen Kaur

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Identification of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations has uncovered the crucial role of metabolism in gliomagenesis. Oncolytic herpes virus (oHSV) initiates direct tumor debulking by tumor lysis and activates anti-tumor immunity, however, little is known about the role of glioma metabolism in determining oHSV efficacy. Here we identify that oHSV rewires central carbon metabolism increasing glucose utilization towards oxidative phosphorylation and shuttling glutamine towards reductive carboxylation in IDH wildtype glioma. The switch in metabolism results in increased lipid synthesis and cellular ROS. PKC induces ACSL4 in oHSV treated cells leading to lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis. Ferroptosis is critical to launch an …

Survey And Analysis Of Rumen Microbiota In Yaks At Different Growth Stages, Shengwei Jin, Xinyue Liu, Yin-Cang Han, Yong-Gang Sun, Wei-Qin Ding, Ya-Qian Liu, Fa-Jie Gou, Jian-Yu Chen

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

This study investigated changes in the richness and composition of the rumen microbiome in yaks at various developmental stages. Eighteen healthy male yaks at the ages of 5 months (M5), 12 months (M12), and 24 months (M24) had samples of their rumen digesta taken for 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The 11087 amplicon sequence variations (ASVs) in total were found; the M5, M12, and M24 groups had 3585, 1146 and 5545 distinct ASVs, respectively. Alpha diversity indices Chao, Shannon, Sobs, and ace indicated significant differences among the groups. The principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) indicated significant changes in microbial community composition across …

2025 Acssc Program, Acssc Planning Committee

Annual Celebration for Student Scholarship and Creativity

No abstract provided.

Args & Chronic Disease: How Antibiotic Resistance Genes Impact The Progression Of Type Ii Diabetes, Paige Imperato

Thinking Matters Symposium

Antibiotics are typically offered to patients with no warning of long-term consequences, though increasing evidence suggests this may not be entirely true. When antibiotics enter the body, they kill both good and bad bacterial populations in the gut - collectively known as the human microbiome. Repeated use of these drugs encourages mutations in this bacterial population [2]. This leads to the creation of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) in antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB). The causal relationship between antibiotic use and bacterial resistance is well established. However, recent research suggests a newly discovered relationship between the presence of specific ARGs in the microbiome …

Water Conservation For The Great Salt Lake: Measuring Success And Uncertainty In Utah's Efforts, Sarah E. Witney

Theses and Dissertations

The Great Salt Lake in Utah, United States is one of many saline lakes worldwide that is currently in decline. The shrinkage and collapse of global saline lakes is primarily caused by irrigated agriculture and other human consumptive uses, with secondary contributions from global climate change. Great Salt Lake's area has decreased by more than 50% relative to its long-term natural level. The decline of these lakes triggers serious and long-lasting socioeconomic consequences, including destruction of habitat, degradation of air quality, and damage to the economy. The Utah state government has instituted a variety of programs to conserve water to …

Shelving Stigma: A Grocery Store Client Choice Pantry Model - A Solution To Food Insecurity In Young Adults Of Marginalized Communities While Eradicating The Stigmatization Of Food Pantry Services, Anna C. Buckley

Honors Theses

An increasing number of young adults, age 18 to 35, are becoming food insecure across America, but disproportionately in urban and people of color communities. However, food pantries have remained a social stigma causing food insecure persons to avoid using a food pantry for hunger relief. Research has shown that the grocery store model for food pantries is most beneficial for staff, while also minimizing the stigma and increasing accessibility for pantry clientele. The purpose of this program proposal is to highlight the feasibility of implementation of a client choice grocery store pantry model at the NY Common Pantry (NYCP) …

Volume 16, Maggie Duncan, Madeline Little, Alicia Hoffman, Megan Livesay, Gabrielle Quaresma, Serenity Allen, Laina Pfountz, Ainslie Allred, Sabrina Robles, Nicholas J. Duellman, Trinity L. Deguzman, Melissa H. Savage, Margaret Dudley, Jocelyn Escobar, Olivia Hildreth, Olivia Hopkins, Benjamin Gettier, Lee Kassay, Jade Riddle, Ashley Seiders

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction Dr. Amorette Barber, Director, Office of Student Research

From the Editor Dr. Hannah Dudley-Shotwell

Artist’s Statement Maggie Duncan

On Mentoring Dr. Lee Millar Bidwell

The Hujum Campaign in Uzbekistan and its Consequences by Madeline Little

Wet Cupping Compared to Dry Needling for Treatment of Patients with Low Back Pain: A Critically Appraised Topic by Alicia Hoffman and Megan Livesay

Optimization of eDNA Air Sampling Via 3D Printed Fan by Gabrielle Quaresma

Beyond the Classroom: A Qualitative Study of Teacher Attrition and Retention by Serenity Allen and Laina Pfountz

The Treatment of Subacromial Impingement Syndrome with Platelet-Rich plasma Injections Verses …

Environmental Racism In Ri: The Presence Of Toxic Waste Sites In Low Income And Minority Communities (19), Julienne Walsh

Biology Student Scholarship

Environmental racism refers to the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on communities of color and low-income populations. Across the U.S., studies have shown that polluting facilities are more likely to be in or around communities with higher percentages of non-white residents or lower socioeconomic status. Scholarship regarding these patterns in small states like Rhode Island is relatively limited. By analyzing how these sites are spatially distributed in relation to racial and economic demographics, this research aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of local environmental inequities. I hypothesize that if you live in a low-income or more diverse town, national …

Assessing Innovations In Wildlife Monitoring: Estimating Abundance And Inferring Parturition Of Ungulates With Technology, Elicia Cotcher

Theses and Dissertations

Enhancements in technology are creating opportunities for novel methods of wildlife monitoring. Traditional methods of wildlife monitoring are often costly or time-consuming, and new technological advancements such as remote cameras and GPS collars are creating opportunities for exploration as these technologies become more accessible and reliable. We sought to assess the efficacy of two novel methods of ungulate monitoring. The first is an abundance estimation method using remote cameras termed Instantaneous Sampling (IS). IS seeks to estimate abundance using time lapsed remote cameras on a population of unmarked individuals. Our goal was to compare IS estimations against the true observed …

Campus As A Living Lab At Ur: What’S Working & What’S Next, Jack Dupuy

Osmosis Magazine

Living labs—real-world experimental environments where diverse stakeholders ranging from local communities and businesses to universities and governments can collaboratively develop, test, and refine solutions—have become an increasingly popular method for tackling complex societal challenges in areas such as energy, urban planning, and environmental sustainability. Unlike controlled laboratory settings, living labs leverage real-world conditions to test innovations in authentic contexts, fostering systemic change by aligning research with local needs.

The Neurobiology Of Schizophrenia: Reduced Brain Volume And Its Implications, Erlinda Sali

Osmosis Magazine

Schizophrenia is a neurological disorder that is highly complex and often misunderstood. Characterized by hallucinations and delusions, disorders of thought and speech, behavior, and emotions, schizophrenia is more complex than how the media portrays it.

Does Adhd Make You Smoke? Exploring Emerging Theories, Sam Chanenson

Osmosis Magazine

Here’s a troubling statistic: children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are 2.5 times more likely than their non-ADHD peers to develop substance use disorder (SUD) and nicotine dependency. What’s more, people with ADHD are generally more likely to start smoking earlier in life, smoke more per day, and experience more significant withdrawal symptoms.

Osmosis Magazine - Science Magazine

Osmosis Magazine

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Developing An Unfolding-Incorporated Coarse-Grained Polymer Model For Fibrinogen To Study The Mechanical Behaviour, Vivek Sharma, Poulomi Sadhukhan

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Fibrinogen is a protein found in blood that forms Fibrin polymer network to build a clot during wound healing process when there is a cut in the blood vessel. The fibrin fiber is highly stretchable and shows a complex mechanical properties. The fibrin monomer, Fibrinogen, has a very complex structure which is responsible for its unusual elastic behaviour. In this work, we focus on mechanism of unfolding of D-domain of Fibrinogen, and study its effect in the mechanical behaviour. We develop a coarse-grained (CG) bead-spring model for Fibrinogen which captures the unfolding of folded D-domains along with other necessary structural …

Methamphetamine Effects On The Striatal Neuroimmune System, Hillary Adelaide Wadsworth

Theses and Dissertations

Dopamine is thought of as the reward molecule of the brain, and while it does deal with reward, it is also associated with motivation and crucial for controlled movement. There are two main dopaminergic systems in the brain, the nigrostriatal system, which originates in the substantia nigra compacta and projects dopamine into the dorsal striatum; and the mesolimbic system, which originates in the ventral tegmental area and projects dopamine into the nucleus accumbens. While the mesolimbic dopamine system deals with motivation and reward, the nigrostriatal pathway underlies movement. Microglia are the immune cells of the brain and are incredibly dynamic. …

Can The Discovery Of High-Impact Diagnostics Be Improved By Matching The Sampling Rate Of Clinical Diagnostics To The Frequency Domain Of Diagnostic Information?, Steven W Millward, Peng Wei, David Piwnica-Worms, Seth T Gammon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Over the past 30 years, academic and industrial research investigators have developed molecular reporters to visualize cell death in complex biological systems. In parallel, clinical researchers, chemists, biochemists, and molecular biologists have endeavored to translate these molecular tools into clinical imaging agents. Despite these efforts, there are no clinically approved imaging methodologies with which to image cell death consistently and quantitatively. One reason may reside in the intrinsic mismatch between the sampling frequency of translational molecular imaging and the biochemical kinetics that define cell death. Beyond cell death imaging, many active research programs are now attempting to create translational diagnostic …

Impacts Of Climate Change On Cannibalism And Disease Transmission In The Fall Armyworm, Kale Rougeau

LSU Master's Theses

Climate change may alter host-pathogen dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems due to rising global temperatures and carbon dioxide levels. Here, we examined cannibalism and disease transmission using the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), an invasive agricultural pest, and its species-specific lethal baculovirus, Spodoptera frugiperda multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SfMNPV), under various potential challenges of climate change. We used three temperature treatments (cooler, optimal, warmer) based on the fall armyworm’s thermal performance curve to simulate a changing climate and four artificial diets with various protein-to-carbohydrate ratios (low, equal, high, standard) to manipulate resource quality from altered carbon dioxide levels. We found that higher …

Building Climate Resilience Through Food Recovery, San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative, Alexander Pourfard, Aranza Ruvalcaba

San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative

In an effort to combat GHG emissions from food waste, California passed Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383) into law in 2016. The bill contains key provisions aimed at increasing edible food recovery. By rescuing food that would otherwise go to the landfill, California entities have been able to help save precious food and advance sustainable solutions to address climate change in their local communities. Since the food recovery requirements took effect in January of 2022, over 217,000 tons of unsold food have been recovered annually, providing more than 700 million meals to food-insecure Californians.

Lack Of Patient-Centered Care Relative To Evidence-Based Practice In Clinical Diagnosis And Treatment Of Endometriosis In The U.S.: A Review, Piper E. Scoskie

Honors Theses

This scoping review examines the impact of combining Patient-Centered Care (PCC) and Evidence-Based Care (EBC) on clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction in the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis in the United States. In particular, the review aims to (1) examine the body of research from the United States to learn more about the connection between PCC and EBC and their collective impact on patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes in the treatment of endometriosis; (2) identify the gaps in existing research and practice, specifically regarding PCC procedures, varying patient populations, and longitudinal investigations; and (3) provide recommendation for future research and …

Digital Image Processing In Determining The Degree Of Turnip Yellows Virus Infection In Oilseed Rape, Alina-Ștefania Stanciu, Teodor Rusu, Alin Cristian Teușdea, Olimpia Smaranda Mintaș, Mihai Marcel Cărbunar, Cristian Oneț

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

In agricultural crops, leaves play crucial roles in plant physiology, providing information on both the quantity and quality of future production. They also serve as indicators for diagnosing foliar diseases. Detecting plant diseases through image reading and computer vision in a specific format allows for both quantitative and qualitative studies, which is a key step in diagnosing diseases using images of leaves exhibiting symptoms specific to a pathogen. In this study, we present an approach that integrates digital image processing to assess the extent of turnip yellows virus (genus Polerovirus, family Solemoviridae) infection in oilseed rape. This study focuses on …

Adapting To Climate Change In Semiarid Regions Via Conservation Measures: Climate-Smart Crop Rotations Of Food Legumes In Cool Seasons, Velibor Spalevic, Mohsen Janmohammadi, Naser Sabaghnia, Shuraik Kader

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

The high potential of evapotranspiration, unsuitable soil conditions, irregular distribution of rainfall, and ineffective techniques of soil moisture conservation are among the limitations of semiarid regions of Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA), and they have intensified during recent decades with climate change. CWANA’s agroecosystems are fragile and highly vulnerable to the consequences of global warming and aggravation of water scarcity, and need to redefine agroclimatic zoning. Winter cereals are the predominant crops in the region of CWANA. The highest amount of cultivation is allocated to societies with dominant rainfed agriculture, which is often not economically profitable. The …

A Yolov7-Based Robotic Harvesting System For Agaricus Bisporus Using A Depth Camera, Fengwu Zhu, Weijian Zhang, Zhida Li, Tianshi Gao, Qinglai Zhao

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

To achieve accurate detection of button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus), a harvesting method based on the Robot Operating System (ROS) is proposed. This method combines a convolutional neural network named YOLO (You Only Look Once), a depth camera, and a robotic arm working in coordination. The system integrates advanced image recognition capabilities with the robotic arm to improve harvesting efficiency and accuracy. To enhance the model’s detection accuracy while considering the lightweight requirements for mobile deployment, several modules were incorporated into the You Only Look Once (YOLO)v7 network. Experimental results showed that the improved YOLOv7 network increased the average detection accuracy …

Allelic Diversity Of Azerbaijani Bread Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) By Ssr Markers, Javi̇d Ojaghi, Sevi̇nj Nuriyeva, Sami̇ra Salayeva, Mahammad Eldarov, Zeynal Akparov, Jamala Eldarova Mursalova

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

The objectives of this research entailed studying genetic variation in 50 Azerbaijani wheat accessions from 6 different botanical varieties using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. On the basis of the seven SSR primers used in this work, 42 different alleles were observed among the wheat accessions studied with an average of six alleles per locus. Polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged from 0.428 to 0.772, revealing the existence of rich genetic diversity in Azerbaijani wheat accessions. The highest PIC values were calculated with the Xgwm190, Xgwm337, and Xgwm261 SSR primers with a mean value of 0.561. Cluster analysis representing the Nei …

Roles Of Cpsa And Slamf1 In The Innate Immune Response To Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Steven Grigsby

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), possesses an arsenal of virulence factors to evade host immunity. Not only is Mtb able to evade innate immunity, but adaptive immunity also often fails to adequately control Mtb infection. A mechanistic understanding of how Mtb establishes infection and evades immunity is critical to the development of a protective vaccine and novel therapeutics. The Mtb protein CpsA protects Mtb against the host NADPH oxidase and LC3-asociated phagocytosis of the innate immune system. Consequently, a ΔcpsA mutant is initially attenuated in vivo but eventually reaches the same bacterial burden in the lungs …

Neuronal Cftr: A Study Of Subcellular Localization And Interactions With Implications For A Role In Synaptic Transmission, Brandon J. Leviskas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Protein-protein interactions vary among cell types and the localization of these interactions help to define protein function. The function of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is well established in the context of epithelial tissue due to the debilitating effects of its mutations that cause the disease cystic fibrosis. While in neurons a role has been established in our lab for CFTR in the regulation of cytosolic Cl- in retinal amacrine cells (ACs). This research sets out to learn if CFTR has a synaptic role. Exploring this potential role, localization of CFTR was examined using fluorescent and immunogold labeled transmission …

Enriched Pathways In Gut Microbiome Predict Response To Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment Across Demographic Regions And Various Cancer Types, Xunhui Cai, Jennifer Y Cho, Lijun Chen, Yufeng Liu, Fenghu Ji, Katia Salgado, Siyi Ge, Dehua Yang, Hui Yu, Jianbo Shao, P Andrew Futreal, Boris Sepesi, Don Gibbons, Yaobing Chen, Guoping Wang, Chao Cheng, Meng Wu, Jianjun Zhang, Ansel Hsiao, Tian Xia

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Understanding the effect of gut microbiota function on immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) responses is urgently needed. Here, we integrated 821 fecal metagenomes from 12 datasets to identify differentially abundant genes and construct random forest models to predict ICI response. Gene markers demonstrated excellent predictive performance, with an average area under the curve (AUC) of 0.810. Pathway analyses revealed that quorum sensing (QS), ABC transporters, flagellar assembly, and amino acid biosynthesis pathways were enriched between responders (R) and non-responders (NRs) across 12 datasets. Furthermore,