Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Three Different Crop Rotations On Seed Productivity And Soil Properties In Organic Tomato Seed Production: A Comprehensive 13-Year Field Study With Three Cycles, Gülay Beşi̇rli̇, İbrahi̇m Sönmez, Bariş Albayrak, Mehmet Şi̇mşek, Zühtü Polat, Nesri̇n Uzunoğullari, Nesri̇n Tunali̇, Gürsel Çeti̇n, Razi̇ye Kul

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of three different crop rotation practices and three cycle periods on tomato seed yield and quality and some soil characteristics in organic farming conditions. The crop rotations included tomato as the primary crop along two intercrops (CR-1: tomato-leek-okra crop rotation, CR-2: tomato-head cabbage-lettuce crop rotation, CR-3: tomato-watermelon-onion crop rotation). At the end of the study, seed yield and quality of other vegetable species (leek, okra, head cabbage, lettuce, watermelon, and onion) included in the trial along with tomato, seed-borne pathogens, and some soil properties of the trial area were determined. The …

Determinants Of Job Performance In Forestry Organizations: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach On Technical Staff In The Mediterranean Region, Mehmet Pak, Ari̇f Okumuş

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

This study aimed to explore the individual, institutional, and job-related factors influencing the job performance of technical staff in the Regional Forestry Directorates located in the Mediterranean Region of Türkiye. Data were collected through a mixed-method approach, including mostly face-to-face interviews, complemented by partially online questionnaires. Data were obtained from 650 technical staff, including regional directors, enterprise managers, section chiefs, and forest engineers. Structural equation modeling was applied, and variables were validated using confirmatory factor analysis. Model fit indices were within acceptable limits (e.g., RMSEA = 0.069, CFI = 0.838, GFI = 0.809). The results indicate that institutional factors had …

Nitrogen Management In Enhancing Raspberry (Rubus Idaeus L.) Productivity And Sustainable Development In Fruit Cultivation, Aleksandar Leposavić, Žaklina Karaklajić-Stajić, Sezai̇ Erci̇şli̇, Darko Jevremović, Ivana S. Glišić, Branko Popović, Olga Mitrović

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

This study investigated the effect of reduced nitrogen (N) fertilizer dosage on the vegetative and generative potential, physical and chemical characteristics, and fruit yield of raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.). Two raspberry cultivars (Willamette and Meeker) were treated with low and high doses of calcium ammonium nitrate and urea over 3 consecutive years (2021–2023) in Western Serbia. Basic floricane traits and fruit quality parameters were analyzed using widely accepted methodologies. The results showed significant variations in primocane growth, floricane traits, and berry quality in response to different N fertilizer doses, whereas soluble solid content (SSC) was more stable. Lower N fertilizer …

Pharmacological Profiling In Cll Patients During Pirtobrutinib Therapy And Disease Progression, Shady I Tantawy, Burcu Aslan, Ganiraju Manyam, Lakesla R Iles, Natalia Timofeeva, Neetu Singh, Nitin Jain, Alessandra Ferrajoli, Philip A Thompson, Keyur P Patel, Sai Prasad Desikan, William G Wierda, Varsha Gandhi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Pediatric Vs Adult Invasive Aspergillosis In Cancer And Hematopoietic Transplant Patients: Insights From A Matched Cohort At A Tertiary Cancer Center, Saliba Wehbe, Ramia Zakhour, Ray Hachem, Ying Jiang, Hiba Dagher, Roseen Salman, Anne-Marie Chaftari, Issam I Raad

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a life-threatening infection in immunocompromised patients, including those with hematologic malignancies and hematopoietic stem cell transplants. While adult IA has been well characterized, data on pediatric populations remain limited, and potential age-related differences are often overlooked in current management guidelines.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective matched cohort study at a tertiary cancer center, evaluating IA cases diagnosed over a 31-year period. Pediatric patients (≤18 years) with proven or probable IA were matched 1:3 with adult IA cases based on year of diagnosis, underlying disease, and history of hematopoietic cell transplantation. We compared demographics, clinical presentation, …

Fluridone Use In Furrow-Irrigated Rice: Palmer Amaranth Control And Crop Response, Maria Carolina Souza, Jason K. Norsworthy, Pamela Carvalho-Moore, Amar S. Godar, Samuel B. Fernandes, Trenton L. Roberts, Thomas R. Butts

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Rice cultivated under furrow irrigation faces weed management challenges due to the aerobic conditions that favor the emergence of terrestrial weeds such as Palmer amaranth. Fluridone was recently registered for use in rice production, offering an alternative site of action for Palmer amaranth control. Four site-years of field experiments were conducted in 2022 and 2023 in furrow-irrigated rice to assess Palmer amaranth control and crop tolerance to fluridone applied preemergence alone or with various postemergence treatments. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement and four replications. The whole-plot factor was the postemergence treatment, while the …

Thrombi From Stroke Due To Cardioembolic Etiology Have Higher Cd11b-Positive Cells Compared To Large Artery Atherosclerosis, Carson Finger, Gomana Emara, Gabriel S Chiu, Kelly Li, Sunil Sheth, Chunfeng Tan, Maria Parekh, Mehmet Enes Inam, Deepa Dongarwar, Bharti Manwani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Identifying the underlying etiology of ischemic stroke is crucial for implementing effective stroke prevention measures. In the era of thrombectomy, ischemic stroke thrombus composition has gained considerable interest in the recent years. However, only a limited studies have analyzed the inflammatory milieu of the thrombus in association with stroke etiology. Atrial Fibrillation (AF), a common etiology of large strokes, is difficult to detect, but is known to be an inflammatory disease with a dominance of CD11b cell types (characterizes bone marrow derived myeloid cells such as monocytes, neutrophils, macrophages, and natural killer cells) in the atria. We hypothesized that thrombi …

14th International Conference On Business, Technology And Innovation 2025, University For Business And Technology - Ubt

UBT International Conference

Welcome to IC – UBT 2025

UBT Annual International Conference is the 14th international interdisciplinary peer reviewed conference which publishes works of the scientists as well as practitioners in the area where UBT is active in Education, Research and Development. The UBT aims to implement an integrated strategy to establish itself as an internationally competitive, research-intensive university, committed to the transfer of knowledge and the provision of a world-class education to the most talented students from all background. The main perspective of the conference is to connect the scientists and practitioners from different disciplines in the same place and make …

Understanding Rice Production Stagnation In The Philippines: Regional Evidence And Development Implications, Henry Bartelet, Alenn Jhulia D. Prodigalidad, Janelle S. Dy, Jan Gabriel N. Manzano

Quantitative Methods and Information Technology Faculty Publications

Despite decades of investment in agricultural research and rice development, the Philippines continues to face stagnation in domestic rice production. This persistent trend, occurring despite a sizable arable land base and large rural workforce, has contributed to the country’s growing reliance on rice imports to meet national food needs. In response, the government has implemented a tariff-based import system designed to fund domestic productivity improvements. While previous studies have explored the technical and environmental constraints affecting rice production, such as irrigation shortfalls, land degradation, and climate variability, few have examined recent national trends using regionally disaggregated data alongside qualitative insights. …

Setdb1 Is Critically Required For Uveal Melanoma Growth And Represents A Promising Therapeutic Target, Imène Krossa, Céline Pisibon, Yann Cheli, Karine Bille, Mélanie Dalmasso, Sabah Hamadat, Chrystel Husser, Marie Irondelle, Julien Cherfils-Vicini, Frédéric Soysouvanh, Sacha Nahon-Esteve, Arnaud Martel, Sandra Lassalle, Jean-Pierre Caujolle, Célia Maschi, Stéphanie Baillif, Dan Hasson, Saul Carcamo, Andrerw E. Aplin, Irwin Davidson, Emily Bernstein, Valeria Naim, Robert Ballotti, Corine Bertolotto, Thomas Strub

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Metastatic uveal melanomas are highly resistant to all existing treatments. To identify actionable vulnerabilities, we conducted a CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screen using a library composed of chromatin regulators. We revealed that the lysine methyltransferase, SETDB1, plays a critical role in metastatic uveal melanoma cell proliferation and survival. Functionally, SETDB1 deficiency induces a DNA damage response, senescence-like state and growth arrest. Knockdown of SETDB1 is associated with a decreased expression of genes related to replication and cell cycle. Moreover, deficiency in CDC6, an essential regulator of DNA replication, phenocopies SETDB1 inhibition. Using a pre-clinical model, we further demonstrated that anti-SETDB1 therapy impairs …

Transdiagnostic Alterations In White Matter Microstructure Associated With Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviours In The Enigma Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviours Consortium, Laura S Van Velzen, Lejla Colic, Zuriel Ceja, Maria R Dauvermann, Luca M Villa, Hannah S Savage, Yara J Toenders, Niousha Dehestani, Alyssa H Zhu, Adrian I Campos, Lauren E Salminen, Martin Alda, Ingrid Agartz, Nina Alexander, Rosa Ayesa-Arriola, Elizabeth D Ballard, Nerisa Banaj, Carlotta Barkhau, Zeynep Başgöze, Jochen Bauer, Francesco Benedetti, Klaus Berger, Bianca Besteher, Katharina Brosch, Manuel Canal-Rivero, Simon Cervenka, Romain Colle, Colm G Connolly, Emmanuelle Corruble, Philippe Courtet, Baptiste Couvy-Duchesne, Benedicto Crespo-Facorro, Kathryn R Cullen, Udo Dannlowski, Jeremy Deverdun, Ana M Diaz-Zuluaga, Lorielle M F Dietze, Jennifer W Evans, Negar Fani, Kira Flinkenflügel, Naomi P Friedman, Ian H Gotlib, Nynke A Groenewold, Dominik Grotegerd, Tomas Hajek, Alexander S Hatoum, Marco Hermesdorf, Ian B Hickie, Yoshiyuki Hirano, Tiffany C Ho, Yuki Ikemizu, Frank Iorfino, Jonathan C Ipser, Yuko Isobe, Andrea P Jackowski, Fabrice Jollant, Tilo Kircher, Melissa Klug, Sheri-Michelle Koopowitz, Anna Kraus, Axel Krug, Emmanuelle Le Bars, Elisabeth J Leehr, Meng Li, Elizabeth T C Lippard, Carlos Lopez-Jaramillo, Ivan I Maximov, Andrew M Mcintosh, Katie A Mclaughlin, Sean R Mcwhinney, Susanne Meinert, Elisa Melloni, Philip B Mitchell, Benson Mwangi, Igor Nenadić, Stener Nerland, Emilie Olie, Victor Ortiz-García De La Foz, Pedro M Pan, Fabricio Pereira, Fabrizio Piras, Federica Piras, Sara Poletti, Andrew E Reineberg, Gloria Roberts, Rafael Romero-García, Matthew D Sacchet, Giovanni A Salum, Anca-Larisa Sandu, Carl M Sellgren, Eiji Shimizu, Harry R Smolker, Jair C Soares, J Douglas Steele, Frederike Stein, Dan J Stein, Benjamin Straube, Lea Teutenberg, Florian Thomas-Odenthal, Paula Usemann, Romain Valabregue, Johanna Valencia-Echeverry, Gerd Wagner, Gordon Waiter, Martin Walter, Heather C Whalley, Mon-Ju Wu, Tony T Yang, Carlos A Zarate, Andre Zugman, Giovana B Zunta-Soares, Kees Van Heeringen, Sanne J H Van Rooij, Nic Van Der Wee, Steven Van Der Werff, Paul M Thompson, Hilary P Blumberg, Anne-Laura Van Harmelen, Miguel E Rentería, Neda Jahanshad, Enigma Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviours Consortium, Lianne Schmaal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Previous studies have suggested that alterations in white matter (WM) microstructure are implicated in suicidal thoughts and behaviours (STBs). However, findings of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies have been inconsistent. In this large-scale mega-analysis conducted by the ENIGMA Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviours (ENIGMA-STB) consortium, we examined WM alterations associated with STBs. Data processing was standardised across sites, and resulting WM microstructure measures (fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity) for 24 WM tracts and one global measure were pooled across 40 cohorts. We compared these measures among individuals with a psychiatric diagnosis and lifetime history of …

Distinct Spatiotemporal Patterns Of White Matter Hyperintensity Progression, Jinyong Chung, Gilsoon Park, Wi-Sun Ryu, Dawid Schellingerhout, Hang-Rai Kim, Dong-Seok Gwak, Elizabeth Haddad, Neda Jahanshad, Beom Joon Kim, Keun-Sik Hong, Hyerin Oh, Sang-Wuk Jeong, Joon-Tae Kim, Man Seok Park, Kang-Ho Choi, Kyungbok Lee, Tai Hwan Park, Sang-Soon Park, Jong-Moo Park, Kyusik Kang, Kyung-Ho Yu, Mi Sun Oh, Soo Joo Lee, Jae Guk Kim, Jae-Kwan Cha, Dae-Hyun Kim, Jun Lee, Moon-Ku Han, Yong-Jin Cho, Byung-Chul Lee, Philip M Bath, Joanna M Wardlaw, Hee-Joon Bae, Hosung Kim, Dong-Eog Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

White matter hyperintensity, a key imaging biomarker for brain health, has prognostic implications for stroke. Using a multicenter MRI dataset of 9179 stroke patients plus the UK Biobank (n = 36,210 low/high risk controls), we employ Subtype and Stage Inference modeling and identify three distinct white matter hyperintensity progression subtypes: fronto-parietal, radial, and temporo-occipital. Longitudinal validation confirms classification stability. The fronto-parietal subtype shows delayed onset and more hypertension, while the temporo-occipital subtype has more atrial fibrillation and coronary heart disease. The fronto-parietal and radial subtypes are linked to small vessel stroke, while the temporo-occipital subtype is linked to cardioembolism. The …

Leptin As A Key Driver For Organ Fibrogenesis, Xue-Nan Sun, Shiuhwei Chen, Shangang Zhao, Jan-Bernd Funcke, Megan Virostek, Line Pedersen, Chao Li, Chanmin Joung, Qian Lin, Yan Li, Ayanna Cobb, May-Yun Wang, Kyounghee Min, Lisandro Maya-Ramos, Giovanna Degasperi, Junquan Liu, Ningyan Zhang, Zhiqiang An, Diana R Tomchick, R Max Wynn, Da Young Oh, Philipp E Scherer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Leptin, a hormone primarily secreted by adipocytes, regulates energy balance and systemic metabolism through its interaction with the leptin receptor (LEPR). Beyond these functions, leptin signaling has been implicated in the pathogenesis of tissue fibrosis. Here, we report the x-ray crystal structures of a leptin-neutralizing antibody (hLep3) in the unbound and leptin-bound states. The interaction of this antibody with leptin mimics the interaction of the LEPR with leptin, providing direct insights into the mechanism by which the antibody disrupts leptin signaling. We furthermore evaluate the therapeutic potential of neutralizing leptin with this antibody across distinct mouse models of fibrosis affecting …

Visible Image-Based Machine Learning For Identifying Abiotic Stress In Sugar Beet Crops, Seyed Reza Haddadi, Masoumeh Hashemi, Richard C. Peralta, Masoud Soltani

Plants, Soils and Climate Student Research

Previous researches have proved that the synchronized use of inexpensive RGB images, image processing, and machine learning (ML) can accurately identify crop stress. Four Machine Learning Image Modules (MLIMs) were developed to enable the rapid and cost-effective identification of sugar beet stresses caused by water and/or nitrogen deficiencies. RGB images representing stressed and non-stressed crops were used in the analysis. To improve robustness, data augmentation was applied, generating six variations on each image and expanding the dataset from 150 to 900 images for training and testing. Each MLIM was trained and tested using 54 combinations derived from nine canopy and …

Radiomics For Dynamic Lung Cancer Risk Prediction In Uspstf-Ineligible Patients, Morteza Salehjahromi, Hui Li, Eman Showkatian, Maliazurina B Saad, Mohamed Qayati, Sherif M Ismail, Sheeba J Sujit, Amgad Muneer, Muhammad Aminu, Lingzhi Hong, Xiaoyu Han, Simon Heeke, Tina Cascone, Xiuning Le, Natalie Vokes, Don L Gibbons, Iakovos Toumazis, Edwin J Ostrin, Mara B Antonoff, Ara A Vaporciyan, David Jaffray, Fernando U Kay, Brett W Carter, Carol C Wu, Myrna C B Godoy, J Jack Lee, David E Gerber, John V Heymach, Jianjun Zhang, Jia Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Non-smokers and individuals with minimal smoking history represent a significant proportion of lung cancer cases but are often overlooked in current risk assessment models. Pulmonary nodules are commonly detected incidentally-appearing in approximately 24-31% of all chest CT scans regardless of smoking status. However, most established risk models, such as the Brock model, were developed using cohorts heavily enriched with individuals who have substantial smoking histories. This limits their generalizability to non-smoking and light-smoking populations, highlighting the need for more inclusive and tailored risk prediction strategies. Purpose: We aimed to develop a longitudinal radiomics-based approach for lung cancer …

A New Low-Rate Stable Hydrogel Cathode For Aqueous Zn-Ion Batteries, Roya Rajabi, Shichen Sun, Jamil A. Khan, Morgan Stefik, Kevin Huang

Faculty Publications

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) are attractive candidates for large-scale energy storage owing to the abundance, low cost, and intrinsic safety of Zn metal. However, their practical application is hindered by poor cycle stability, especially at low current densities, due to cathode dissolution and limited electrochemically active sites (EAS). Herein, a hydrogel-based cathode comprising ammonium vanadate, carbon black, and a Zn-ion-conducting carboxymethyl chitosan–acrylamide hydrogel matrix doped with Zn(ClO4)2 is reported. This design establishes a continuous Zn-ion-conducting network, thereby maximizing EAS density throughout the electrode volume. The ZIB with the hydrogel cathode exhibits outstanding cycling stability, with 77% capacity retention after 2000 …

Using An Old Assay In New Ways: Differential Scanning Calorimetry Characterization, Quantification, And Interaction Analysis Of Whey Proteins, Charity Conlin Jennings

Theses and Dissertations

Whey proteins including β-Lactoglobulin, α-Lactalbumin, Immunoglobulin-G, Serum Albumin, Lactoferrin, and Lactoperoxidase each have unique biological properties spanning anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral activities as well as deliver essential nutrients to the human body. In the past decade, there has been a large focus on extracting these individual proteins for their use in foods and supplements. In order to best extract these proteins and prepare them properly in foods and supplements, an understanding of how they behave and denature in different environments is necessary. However, there is insufficient knowledge of their thermodynamic properties and potential interactions in varying conditions. Additionally, there are …

Relationship Between Smoking And Psychiatric And Somatic Comorbidities In Older Age Bipolar Disorder: Lien Entre Le Tabagisme Et Les Affections Psychiatriques Et Somatiques Concomitantes Chez Les Personnes Âgées Atteintes De Trouble Bipolaire, Molly Howland, Arushi Mahajan, Peijun Chen, Osvaldo Almeida, Kürşat Altınbaş, Hilary Blumberg, Annemiek Dols, Nicole Fiorelli, Orestes Forlenza, Beny Lafer, Andrew Olagunju, Melis Orhan, Soham Rej, Martha Sajatovic, Matthew Schurr, Christian Simhandl, Jair Soares, Ashley Sutherland, Shang-Ying Tsai, Sara Weisenbach, Joy Yala, Farren Briggs

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective

Smoking has been associated with psychiatric and somatic comorbidities in bipolar disorder (BD) populations. However, studies in older age BD (OABD) populations are sparse. We hypothesized that among individuals with OABD, current and former smokers would have worse psychiatric and somatic comorbidities parameters compared to never smokers.

Method

Our study used baseline cross-sectional data from 27 international studies reporting data on adults 50 years old and older (N = 984). Smoking status was categorized into current smokers, former smokers, and never smokers. The distribution of demographic and clinical variables was assessed. The associations between smoking status and the …

Relationship Between Parent Demographics And Attitudes About Their Child’S Diabetes In Nigerian Parents Who Live In The United States, Vivian Obioma Nwankwo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Relationship Between Parent Demographics and Attitudes About Their Child’s Diabetes in Nigerian Parents who Live in the United States by Vivian Obioma Eluwa Nwankwo MA, Walden University, 2018 BA, University of Nigeria, 1992 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Human and Social Services Walden University August 2025

Cdk4/6 Inhibitors In Breast Cancer-Who Should Receive Them?, Anran Chen, Ze-Yi Zheng, Meenakshi Anurag, Ahmed Elkhanany, Natalie C Chen, Eric C Chang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

More than 70% of breast cancers are estrogen receptor-positive (ER+). Endocrine therapy that blocks estrogen signaling remains the cornerstone of treatment, yet relapses continue to affect many patients. Cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) regulate the G1-S phase transition in the cell cycle, and pharmacological inhibition of this pathway has been successfully leveraged to reduce recurrence. CDK4/6 inhibitors combined with endocrine therapy are now the standard of care, although determining the optimal patient population for treatment remains a key challenge. A newly published study provides important insight, showing that loss of the NF1/neurofibromin tumor suppressor confers greater sensitivity to CDK4/6 …

2025 Celebration Of Scholarship, Creativity, And Engagement, Todd Bruns, Jaime Pedigo, Jennifer Smith, Patty Watson, Heather Wohltman, Amanda Wolf

Programs

Each year, Eastern Illinois University proudly recognizes the outstanding achievements of our faculty in research, creativity, and engagement. This collection of accomplishments reflects the dedication of an engaged faculty committed to excellence and the continual pursuit of knowledge. Many of these successes were made possible through meaningful collaboration with our students, who contribute as co-authors, research assistants, and partners in bringing ideas to life. Some of these professional milestones represent years of effort, demonstrating remarkable persistence and determination. We offer our heartfelt congratulations on this wide range of achievements, which bring distinction to our departments, colleges, and the University as …

Perspectives Of Cannabis Farmers On Intersection Of Water Access And Cannabis Frontier Constraints In Southern Oregon, Tapiwa Malvin Chabikwa

Dissertations and Theses

Cannabis farming and use are being legalized at unprecedented levels by many states in the United States. Oregon was one of the pioneer states to legalize cannabis in 2016. Although it is legalized at the state level (in Oregon), cannabis remains illegal at the federal level. Due to the quasi-legalization of cannabis, an agricultural frontier for marijuana is unfolding. Cannabis farming in Oregon has grown as there is a market and ideal weather climate for the cannabis industry to flourish. This study seeks to understand the challenges cannabis farmers face in accessing water and the socio-economic and political constraints that …

Oxygen Supply Capacity Of The Atlantic Horseshoe Crab,, Marty Sims

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, inhabits shallow bays and estuaries where it encounters variable oxygen levels. Moreover, each year, the biomedical industry harvests hemolymph from hundreds of thousands of horseshoe crabs to use in bacterial contamination testing, yet the effects of bloodletting on their physiology are relatively unknown. This study aims to determine the oxygen supply capacity of Limulus polyphemus in relation to environmental hypoxia and biomedical bloodletting. Study animals were collected from the intertidal waters of Tampa Bay, Florida. Experiments included a control group that did not undergo substantial blood-volume reduction and a treatment group from which 10% of …

Vaccination Against Onchocerca Volvulus Induces Igg-Mediated Protective Immunity Dependent On Neutrophils And Complement, Nathan M. Ryan, Jessica A. Hess, Mohini Nakhale, Annabel A. Ferguson, William Stump, Sara Belko, Rachel Monane, Robert S. Pugliese, Nikolai Petrovsky, Benjamin L. Makepeace, Sean A. Gray, Darrick Carter, Sara Lustigman, David Abraham

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

Onchocerciasis remains a significant cause of morbidity and economic loss in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the existence of effective therapeutics, a prophylactic vaccine targeting the etiologic agent, Onchocerca volvulus, is needed to control ongoing disease and transmission. Mice were vaccinated against O. volvulus with a fusion of the recombinant antigens Ov-103 and Ov-RAL-2 (Ov-FUS-1) with Advax-CpG adjuvant. Immunized mice developed protective immunity with the killing of third-stage larvae (L3) within 36 h of challenge infection. IgG from immunized mice passively transferred protective immunity to naïve mice, indicating that antigen-specific IgG mediated parasite elimination. Neutrophils were the most abundant subset of immune …

Mir147 Promotes Mucosal Integrity And Healing In Intestinal Inflammation, Agnieszka K Czopik, Arash Dabiri, Chia-Hao Tung, Victoria Vaughn, Xiangsheng Huang, Jinlian Wang, Hui Li, Nicolas F Moreno, Natalia V Piwko, Katherine Figarella, Hongfang Liu, Zhongming Zhao, Xiaoyi Yuan, Holger K Eltzschig

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The intestinal mucosal epithelium forms a barrier between luminal contents and the body. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate mucosal homeostasis by controlling inflammatory responses and structural integrity. Here, we discovered a protective role for miR147 in intestinal inflammation using a miR147tdTomato reporter mouse. miR147 was enriched in the intestines, with the highest expression in the colonic epithelial cells at the luminal surface, with prominent expression in differentiated enterocytes. Mice with general or intestinal epithelial deletion of miR147 showed increased intestinal inflammation and diminished mucosal healing during colitis. RNA sequencing of miR147-deficient cells showed dysregulated immune signaling, with upregulated proinflammatory cytokine pathways and …

Lifestyle Data-Based Multiclass Obesity Prediction With Interpretable Ensemble Models Incorporating Shap And Lime Analysis, Shahid Mohammad Ganie, Pijush Kanti Dutta Pramanik, Zhongming Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Obesity is a major public health concern. Predicting obesity risk from lifestyle data can guide targeted interventions, but current models remain limited. This study first evaluates ensemble learning methods and then combines approaches to improve prediction accuracy and generalizability. Four ensemble techniques-boosting, bagging, stacking, and voting-were tested. Five boosting and five bagging models were constructed alongside voting and stacking models. Hyperparameter tuning optimized performance, and feature importance analysis guided potential feature elemination. In phase two, hybrid stacking and voting models integrated the best-performing boosting and bagging models to enhance predictive capability. Model robustness was ensured through k-fold cross-validation and statistical …

Influence Of Social Identity And Industry Role On Implicit Biases In Fitness Professionals, Shayna J. Guerra, Katie Mcpherrin, Kellie A. Walters, Leilani Madrigal, Alison Ede, Amber Johnson

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(4): 1228-1251, 2025. https://doi.org/10.70252/SQUH3795 Implicit biases are unconscious, internally held beliefs shaped by cultural norms, societal structures, and personal experiences and are often related to societal constructs such as race, gender, age, body shape, and ability. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between social identity, industry role, and implicit biases in fitness professionals. Participants (n=296) were randomly assigned two implicit association tests (IATs): disability, weight, gender, skin-tone, or age. IATs measured implicit bias through word and pictorial associations and timed response to word/picture stimuli. Interviews (n=25) were conducted to further examine …

An Example Analysis For A Gender-Inclusive Approach In Sport And Exercise Science Research Using Fitbit Outcomes From The All Of Us Research Program Dataset, James W. Navalta, Dustin W. Davis, Jafra D. Thomas, Whitley J. Stone

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(1): 1133-1141, 2025. https://doi.org/10.70252/HRNQ4501 Prevalence studies with wearable devices are used to understand disparities in health-related physical activity behaviors and whether interventions are efficacious. However, studies have been limited to a binary definition of sex. This example analysis aimed to demonstrate how researchers can investigate differences in data beyond the sex-gender binary. Using a cross-sectional analysis of the All of Us Research Program dataset, participants' self-identified gender was categorized into Cisgender Female (n = 10,401), Additional Options (n = 27), Non-binary (n = 84), Transgender (n = 17), and Cisgender Male …

Exploring The Behaviors Of Women Who Are Mentally Thriving With Autoimmune Disease: A Mixed Methods Approach, Emilie Ann Ellenberg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Autoimmune diseases encompass a variety of conditions that impact millions of Americans, with a higher prevalence among women than men. These diseases involve immune system dysregulation, leading to tissue damage and dysfunction. Despite progress in understanding their underlying mechanisms, important aspects remain inadequately understood, such as the relationships among immune dysregulation, medical outcomes, and psychiatric comorbidities. Preliminary qualitative research indicates that perceived diagnostic invalidation leads to the mental health needs among women with autoimmune diseases often being unmet, and behavioral health help-seeking behaviors being reduced. Although perceived diagnostic invalidation can lead to increased mental health symptomology and decreased help-seeking behaviors, …

Marigold-Silver Nanoparticles (Agnps) Complex: Characterization, Therapeutic Potential, And Future Approaches For Lung Injury Via Antioxidant And Anti-Inflammatory Effects, Navdeep Kaur

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) and other lung conditions are a key cause of the problems facing global health, as they greatly increase morbidity, death, and the financial burden. In order to achieve the third Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations, which is to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable illnesses by one-third by 2030, updated epidemiological statistics are crucial for directing prevention, control, and treatment measures. One of the major reasons of illness and death globally is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Lung damage and the emergence of CRDs, such as asthma, emphysema, COPD, and other respiratory disorders, are largely …