Digital Commons Network^™

Advances In The Discovery Of Active Natural Products By Large Fragment Cloning, Dandan Zeng, Jiayu Chen, Tianlu Mo

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

Active natural products have diverse structures and activities and can be a major source of small molecule drugs.Given the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria and superbacteria,there is an urgent need to develop new active natural products.Large fragment cloning has been an important tool for the discovery of active natural products in recent years,and it has demonstrated obvious advantages in obtaining the biosynthetic gene clusters of active natural products.This approach,combined with efficient cluster-targeted screening methods,has significantly accelerated the discovery of active natural products.This review summarizes a wide variety of active natural products.Furthermore,this paper elaborates on the principles and applications of several …

Fabrication And Antioxidant Property Characterization Of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester-Loaded Nanoparticles, Yaqiong Chen, Yumeng Li, Hui Wu, Hongdong Song, Xiao Guan

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] This study aims to improve the dispersion and utilization of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE ) in aqueous solutions.[Method ] CAPE-loaded hordein (CAPE-HD ) nanoparticles were constructed via an anti-solvent precipitation method.The physicochemical properties of the nanoparticles were characterized,and the antioxidant properties of the nanoparticles within Caco- 2 cells were investigated.[Result ] The components within the CAPE-HD nanoparticles interacted through non-covalent bonds,such as hydrogen bonding,resulting in an altered state of CAPE upon nanoparticle formation.The CAPE-HD nanoparticles exhibited near-spherical morphology with an average particle size of 193.93 nm,an average polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.26,and average Zeta potential of 14.50 …

Antimicrobial Resistance And Transmission Risk Of Foodborne Escherichia Coli In Wet Markets, Sisi Li, Wei Zhou, Zhijin Zhou, Bin Wang, Chengjun Qiu, Zhangsheng Zhang, Qi Zhang, Yun Sun, Xu Xu, Tao Shen, Jianzhong Han, Daofeng Qu

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] To evaluate the antimicrobial resistance and transmission risk of foodborne Escherichia coli in wet markets,this study isolated E.coli from pork,aquatic products,vegetables,and wastewater collected from three wet markets in Hangzhou,Zhejiang.[Method ] The isolates were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing,and their antimicrobial resistance phenotypes were determined via the disk diffusion method.PCR was employed to detect antimicrobial resistance genes and integrons in the isolates.The antimicrobial resistance characteristics of E.coli were analyzed,and conjugation experiments were performed to assess the potential for horizontal transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes.Co-occurrence network analysis was conducted to evaluate the transmission risk of antimicrobial resistance among the isolates.[Result …

Establishment Of A Molecularly Imprinted Electrochemical Sensor Nh 2-Mwcnts@ 4-Fpba For The Detection Of Epidermal Growth Factor In Dairy Products, Ruyue Zhang, Yiwei Wang, Hongxiu Zeng, Bini Wang, Fuxin Zhang, Zhenquan Huo, Yufang Liu

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] This study aims to develop a rapid and accurate method for detecting epidermal growth factor (EGF ).[Method ] 4-Formylphenylboronic acid (4-FPBA ) was covalently anchored to the surface of aminocarbon nanotubes (NH 2-MWCNTs ) to synthesize nanocomposites (NH 2-MWCNTs@ 4-FPBA ),and NH 2-MWCNTs@ 4-FPBA was modified on a glassy carbon electrode.When EGF was present,4-FPBA captured the EGF template through benzaldehyde,and then the electrode was immersed in pyrrole solution to electropolymerize to form a pyrrole molecularly imprinted layer.Finally,after dissociation and removal of the EGF template in an acidic solution,a three-dimensional cavity complementary to the EGF template was formed.[Result ] …

Immunomodulatory Effects And Marker Components Of Alcohol Extract From Acanthopanax Senticosus (Rupr . Et Maxim .) Harms- Ganoderma Applanatum (Pers.) Pat., Lihong Wang, Kairui Sheng, Ming Lu, Jin Su, Yang Ping, Yu Zhang, Ji Zhao, Yixia Gong

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] The aim of this study was to analyze the compositional changes of the alcohol extracts of Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr.et Maxim.) Harms (APS )-Ganoderma applanatum (Pers.) Pat.(GA) before and after compounding at a mass ratio of 5∶1 (mAPS∶mGA=5∶1) and to investigate the immunomodulatory effects and marker components of the extracts.[Method ] The mouse models of compromised immunity and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH ) were established with cytoxan (CTX ) and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB ),respectively,to investigate the effects of the alcohol extracts on the immune system.Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS ) was used to analyze the changes of the active ingredients …

Effects And Differences Of (+)-Catechin And (-)-Epicatechin On Antioxidant Activity Of Hek 293t Cells, Chang Sun, Ning Xia, Chao Wang, Fengxian Qin, Chengyu Lyu, Jian Liu, Tiezhu Li

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] This study aims to investigate the effects and differences of the natural antioxidant (+)-catechin and its isomer (-)-epicatechin on the antioxidant activity of HEK 293T cells based on the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-antioxidant response element (ARE ) pathway.[Method ] The effects of (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin on the viability of HEK 293T cells were investigated via the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT ) assay.Reporter genes were employed to investigate the regulatory effects on the activation of ARE.The effects of (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin on the mRNA and proteins levels of the downstream factors [glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit (GCLM …

Effects Of Α-Amylase Addition On The Characteristics Of Infant Rice Flour, Huihui Liu, Zhiyong Dai, Mengyi Li, Jiao Peng, Xing Meng, Luyan Liao, Rongbin Zhang

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] This study aims to investigate the effects of α-amylase addition on the characteristics of infant rice flour.[Method ] Infant rice flour samples with different α-amylase addition were prepared.The basic composition,relative molecular mass of starch,gelatinization properties,hydration properties,texture properties,in vitro digestion characteristics,and microstructure of infant rice flour were determined.Furthermore,the correlations between the physicochemical characteristics and quality characteristics of infant rice flour were analyzed.[Result ] The weight-averaged molecular weight and the number-averaged molecular weight of starch in infant rice flour decreased with the increase in α-amylase addition.The gelatinization curve of infant rice flour with α-amylase addition was relatively gentle,and the gelatinization …

Effects Of Shaping And Baking Processes On The Antioxidant Activity Of Round Roasted Green Tea, Jun Liu, Gong Feng, Rong Tan, Weihong Huang

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] This study investigated the effects of shaping and baking processes on the antioxidant activity of round roasted green tea,aiming to provide theoretical support and practical reference for improving the quality and optimizing the processing techniques of green tea.[Method ] The influences of different processing stages and key procedures such as shaping and baking on the antioxidant activity of round roasted green tea were studied.A zebrafish model (in vivo ) and multiple indexes including DPPH radical scavenging rate,ABTS ⁺ radical scavenging rate,and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP ) were employed for comprehensive evaluation of the antioxidant activity.[Result ] …

Effects And Mechanisms Of Phytosterol-Oil Bodies Emulsion On Lipid Metabolism Of Caenorhabditis Elegans, Jie Sun, Mengyuan Yuan, Yifei Liu, Fuyao Zhang, Zhuofan Yang, Guoyou Yin

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] This study aims to explore the lipid-lowering effects of the phytosterol-oil bodies emulsion (POE ).[Method ] Caenorhabditis elegans was taken as a model to evaluate the effects of POE on lipid metabolism,physiological indexes,and expression of genes associated with oxidative stress and fat metabolism.[Result ] Compared with the control group,different mass concentrations of POE reduced the mass fraction of fat (P<0.01) and the relative content of triglycerides (P<0.05),without toxicity to the growth and development of C.elegans (P<0.01).At the same time,it significantly reduced the level of reactive oxygen species and increased the levels of antioxidant enzymes.In addition,POE affected the expression levels of genes related to fat metabolism.qPCR results showed that POE up-regulated the mRNA level of sbp-1,while down-regulating the mRNA levels of fat-2,nhr-80,and fat-5 (P<0.05).[Conclusion ] POE may improve lipid metabolism by slowing fat deposition,regulating the fat peroxidation pathway,and alleviating oxidative stress in C.elegans.

Alirocumab In Dexamethasone-Induced Metabolic Syndrome: Therapeutic Benefits And Potential Hepatic Risks Through Rxr-Α / P-Akt Modulation, Miad A. Aljuhani, Mohamed S. Abdel-Bakky

Saudi Toxicology Journal

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) elevates the risk of developing cardi-ovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes., driven by insulin resistance (IR), inflammation, and metabolic dysregulation. The PI3K/AKT pathway shows a key part in glucose and lipid metabolism. Alirocumab, a PCSK9 inhibitor, lowers LDL-C and improves IR but may cause hepatotoxicity. Aims: This study examines ali-rocumab’s effects on dexamethasone-induced MetS in rats, focusing on its metabolic benefits and potential liver toxicity. Methods: Over 30 days, 40 male Albino rats were distributed into control, Alirocumab, Dexamethasone, and Dexa-methasone+Alirocumab groups, with the latter receiving Dexamethasone to induce metabolic syndrome followed by Alirocumab administration. Results: …

Turfgrass Weed Control For Professionals, 2024, Aaron J. Patton, Matthew T. Elmore

Purdue University Press Books

Turfgrass is used on everything from athletic fields, golf courses, and parks, to lawns, sod farms, and roadsides. Unfortunately, information on weed management for professionals maintaining these areas has often been inaccurate or out of date, and applicators are frequently unaware of the most effective methods for controlling weeds in turf. Written by experts in the field and featuring insights from contributors from sixteen states across the US, the 2024 edition of Turfgrass Weed Control for Professionals was developed to provide science-based information for those working in the field. It contains information about turfgrass management, weed biology and management, more …

Applied Research In Field Crop Pathology For Indiana, 2024, Darcy E. P. Telenko, Sujoung Shim

Purdue University Press Books

Applied Research in Field Crop Pathology for Indiana, 2024 serves as a summary of the applied field crop pathology research trials conducted in 2024 under the direction of the Purdue Field Crop Pathology program in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Purdue University. In Indiana, there are more than 57,600 farms, 16,000 crop producers, and 900 certified crop advisers, Extension educators, and crop-protection industry representatives who manage more than 11.4 million crop-production acres with a total value of $6.3 billion annually. There are more than twenty diseases affecting corn, soybeans, and wheat that may decrease crop production and …

Imaging Features Of High-Grade Astrocytoma With Piloid Features: A Single Center Case Series, Heba Al Qudah, Jackson D Hamilton, Maria A Gubbiotti, Ahmed Msherghi, Hamza A Salim, Sahar Alizada, Ho-Ling Liu, Vinodh A Kumar, Max Wintermark, Rami W Eldaya

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

High-grade astrocytoma with piloid features (HGAP) is a recently described IDH-wildtype tumor with limited literature describing its imaging features. We present our institution's experience and the largest imaging-focused cohort of HGAP reported to date, offering a comprehensive analysis of MRI features of seventeen intracranial and one spinal HGAP, while introducing novel imaging features that have not been previously described. These include focal areas of diffusion restriction, surrounding spiculated, finger-like enhancement and increased perfusion metrics. Additionally, we highlight imaging features of HGAP arising in patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1, such as intraventricular tumor spread, unusual temporal lobe location and multifocal presentation.

Late Morbidity And Mortality In Survivors Of Childhood Ependymoma: A Report From The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (Ccss), Katharine R Lange, Peter De Blank, Mengqi Xing, Sedigheh Mirzaei, Deo Kumar Srivastava, Kevin Oeffinger, Joseph Neglia, Kevin Krull, Paul C Nathan, Rebecca Howell, Kirsten K Ness, Lucie M Turcotte, Wendy Leisenring, Gregory T Armstrong, Tara Brinkman, Daniel C Bowers, Mehmet Fatih Okcu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/objectives: Treatment of childhood ependymoma evolved from 1970 to 1999 by reducing radiation volumes and incorporating chemotherapy. The impact of these changes on long-term health outcomes remains unknown. In this report, we evaluated temporal changes in all-cause and cause-specific late mortality, chronic health conditions (CHCs), and subsequent neoplasms (SNs) in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) cohort of adult survivors of pediatric ependymoma, diagnosed between 1970 and 1999.

Methods: A total of 404 five-year survivors of ependymoma (47.5% female, 80.7% non-Hispanic White, median 6 (range 0-20) years at diagnosis, 22 (5-49) years from diagnosis) diagnosed between 1970 and 1999 and …

How Can Smart Resilience Cities Provide Sdgs? An Integrative Framework Regarding Climate Change Mitigation, Asmaa M. Hassan, Manar A. Kotb

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Urbanization and climate change influence public health and wellbeing, which presents challenges facing architects and urban planners towards providing sustainable and resilient cities. In this context, smart city concept has been adopted to contribute to mitigating such influence. This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis within the previous scope. Then an integrative framework for climate change mitigation towards resilient smart cities based on SDGs is accomplished. The results indicate that further efforts are needed to develop “smart tools”, “urban economy”, and “carbon footprint. In addition, the proposed framework provides a significant paradigm shift towards mitigation of climate change impacts, …

Mmp-7 Expression And Rs11225307 Polymorphism In Breast Cancer And Fibroadenoma: A Molecular Study In Basrah, Iraq, Heba Jassam, Wijdan Nazar Ibraheim, Mazin Hawwaz Abdulridha, Rafid Adil Abood, Karam B. Nanjem

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

Breast cancer (BC) progression relies heavily on extracellular matrix degradation, mediated in part by matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7). While overexpression of MMP-7 has been implicated in multiple cancers, data from Middle Eastern populations remain limited.

This study examined MMP-7 gene expression and polymorphism patterns, with emphasis on rs11225307, in breast cancer versus benign fibroadenoma (FA) tissues among women in Basrah, Iraq. Thirty-seven BC and twenty-three FA patients were enrolled. MMP-7 mRNA expression was quantified using qRT-PCR and normalized to β-actin, while polymorphisms were analyzed through Sanger sequencing of eight SNPs and allele-specific PCR for rs11225307. Statistical significance was set at …

Population Structure Analysis Of Four Basal Higher-Attines Using Bioinformatic Approaches, Gabriel Mcdanield

Biology Theses

Metapopulations within the family Formicidae are unique among other animals due to the large colonies they build, and the mating strategies required to fertilize a specialized reproductive caste that will often produce young for the life of the colony. One group of ants, the fungus-gardeners (tribe Attini). The population structure of North American non-leafcutting, fungus-gardening ants has been understudied, especially in the southwest of the United States. Additionally, not much is known about their dispersal biology, so the dynamics of dispersal of these species and how they affect population structure is likewise not well known. To shed light on the …

Effect Of Freezing And Freeze-Thaw Cycles On Equine Serum Insulin Concentration: A Pilot Study, Molly Wallace, Shea Porr, Lydia O'Sullivan

Honors College Theses

Insulin dysregulation is a key component of Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), and is often a predisposing factor to conditions such as laminitis and hepatic lipidosis. Diagnosis of EMS is most often reached through a combination of glucose and insulin measurements in equine serum. Achieving an accurate result of insulin concentration is vital for diagnosis, making proper sample handling essential. The aim of this project was to evaluate the effect of repetitive freeze-thaw cycles on equine serum insulin concentrations. Serum was collected from 10 university-owned horses and split into four treatment groups: Unfrozen, Once Frozen, Twice Frozen, and Thrice Frozen. Unfrozen …

First-Line Met Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Versus Immunotherapy ± Chemotherapy For Patients With Met Exon 14 Skipping Mutant Metastatic Nsclc, Federica Pecci, Hui Li, Alessandro Di Federico, Jia Wu, Hong Chen, Eleonora Gariazzo, Francesco Mantuano, Edoardo Garbo, Mihaela Aldea, Valentina Santo, Don Gibbons, Hai Tran, Francesco Paoloni, Guilherme Rossato De Almeida, Giulio Metro, Andrea De Giglio, Francesco Gelsomino, Xinan Wang, Marcello Tiseo, Julia Rotow, Andrea Ardizzoni, J Jack Lee, Mark M Awad, Alfredo Addeo, Lingzhi Hong, Marcelo V Negrao, Pasi A Jänne, John V Heymach, Jianjun Zhang, Biagio Ricciuti, Xiuning Le

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: First-line treatment options for MET exon 14 skipping-mutant metastatic non-small cell lung cancer vary because of differences in drug approvals and clinical experience. This study investigates factors influencing outcomes with first-line MET tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) versus immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) ± chemotherapy.

Experimental design: Clinicopathologic data were collected from patients with metastatic MET exon 14 skipping-mutant non-small cell lung cancer treated with first-line MET TKI or ICI ± chemotherapy at five centers. Primary endpoints were real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS) and overall survival (OS) to first-line MET TKI versus ICI ± chemotherapy. Subgroup analyses by clinical and tumor characteristics …

Oligomeric Cystatin C Supports The Immunosuppressive Activity Of Myeloid Cells Through Interaction With Inhibitory Receptors, Chengcheng Zhang, Yubo He, Xiaoye Liu, Jingjing Xie, Meng Fang, Xing Yang, Ryan Huang, Qi Lou, Bufan Li, Ankit Gupta, Cheryl Lewis, Marc I Diamond, Ningyan Zhang, Zhiqiang An, Cheng Cheng Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Amyloid proteins are linked to various diseases; however, their functional roles in immunity and cancer remain unclear. Here, we establish a direct link between oligomeric cystatin C-a cysteine cathepsin inhibitor and a well-characterized amyloidogenic protein-within the tumor microenvironment and the immune inhibitory receptors LILRB2 and LILRB5 on myeloid cells. We demonstrated that human LILRB2 and LILRB5, along with their murine counterpart PIRB, serve as functional receptors for cystatin C oligomers. Engagement of these inhibitory receptors by oligomeric cystatin C enhances the immunosuppressive activity of myeloid cells, leading to T-cell suppression and tumor progression. Deletion of the CST3 gene, which encodes …

Chronosort: Revealing Hidden Dynamics In Alphafold3 Structure Predictions, Matthew J. Argyle, William P. Heaps, Corbyn Kubalek, Spencer Gardiner, Bradley C. Bundy, Dennis Della Corte

Faculty Publications

Protein function emerges from dynamic conformational changes, yet structure prediction methods provide only static snapshots. While AlphaFold3 (AF3) predicts protein structures, the potential for extracting dynamic information from its ensemble predictions has remained underexplored. Here, we demonstrate that AF3 structural ensembles contain substantial dynamic information that correlates remarkably well with molecular dynamics simulations (MD). We developed ChronoSort, a novel algorithm that organizes static structure predictions into temporally coherent trajectories by minimizing structural differences between neighboring frames. Through systematic analysis of four diverse protein targets, we show that root-mean-square fluctuations derived from AF3 ensembles can correlate strongly with those from MD …

Vitamin D Is Glucoprotective In Aging Males But Not Females, Olivia Z B Ginnard, Maria Morales, Ji Youn Youn, Yong Xu, Stephanie R Sisley

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Vitamin D supplementation is linked to many beneficial health outcomes in the geriatric population, such as decreased mortality, epigenetic aging, and fracture risk. Conversely, type 2 diabetes is strongly linked to vitamin D deficiency in older adults. However, there is a discrepancy between clinical trials in adults on the efficacy of vitamin D treatment in prediabetes and diabetes. In addition, human data indicates there may be sexual dimorphism in the effect of vitamin D deficiency on dysglycemia that is more pronounced in men. These incongruities may be due to our limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms of vitamin D in …

Rabies Virus-Vectored Lyme Disease Vaccine Provides Long-Term Protection Against Tick-Transmitted Borrelia Burgdorferi, Shantel Rios, Bibek Bhattachan, Christoph Wirblich, Anisha Chandwani, Kruthi Vavilikolanu, Jacob F. Myers, Chrysoula Kitsou, Utpal Pal, Matthias J. Schnell

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

Lyme disease (LD) cases have doubled globally. LD is a tick-borne illness caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bb). If untreated, Bb can disseminate to distal organs, causing carditis, arthritis, and meningitis. Currently, no FDA-approved human LD vaccine exists on the market. This study used two approaches to incorporate OspA into the rabies virus (RABV) vaccine vector. We used the RABV-glycoprotein tail (RVG tail) and the Hendra virus (HeV) glycoprotein tail (HVG tail) to incorporate OspA, creating BNSP333-OspA-RVG and BNSP333-OspA-HVG, respectively. Both vaccines produced type-1 biased anti-OspA antibodies, but only BNSP333-OspA-HVG induced neutralizing antibodies and protected against Bb infection. …

Developing A General Ai Model For Integrating Diverse Genomic Modalities And Comprehensive Genomic Knowledge, Zhenhao Zhang, Xinyu Bao, Linghua Jiang, Xin Luo, Zheyu Zhang, Jing Yin, Meiqi Zhao, Yichun Wang, Annelise Comai, Joerg Waldhaus, Anders S Hansen, Wenbo Li, Jie Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Advances in next-generation sequencing technologies have vastly expanded the availability of diverse genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic data, presenting the opportunity to develop a general AI model that integrates comprehensive genomic knowledge into a unified model. Unlike previous predictive models, which are typically specialized to certain tasks, our general AI model unifies a wide range of genomic modalities, such as nascent RNA and ultra-high-resolution chromatin organization, within a multi-task architecture. Using ATAC-seq and DNA sequences as inputs, we incorporated diverse genomic modalities as output, and the model exhibits strong generalizability across different cell types and tissues in all tasks we trained. …

The Unfolded Protein Response-Novel Mechanisms, Challenges, And Key Considerations For Therapeutic Intervention, P M Quan Mai, Tam-Anh Truong, Sai Kumar Samala, Bhoomika Muruvekere Lakshmisha, Prapannajeet Biswal, Khadijeh Koushki, Prudhvi Chand Mallepaddi, Geraldine Vijay, Sunil Krishnan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The unfolded protein response (UPR) is an evolutionarily conserved, synchronized, and orchestrated process triggered by eukaryotic cells in response to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. UPR restores the ER's capacity to handle large protein loads within it, and still fold and process these proteins accurately. Many recent studies have documented the non-canonical roles of the UPR, outside of protein quality control, in the context of lipid metabolism and the immune system in cancer. Cancer cells have been known to hijack the UPR to promote survival and evade immune surveillance. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.

Objectives: Here, we critically …

Primary Intramedullary Spinal Melanocytomas: Case Report And Review Of Clinical Features, Diagnosis, And Management, Gil Kimchi, Samantha Varela, Juan Pablo Zuluaga-Garcia, Francisco Call-Orellana, Esteban Ramirez Ferrer, Romulo Augusto Andrade De Almeida, Maria A Gubbiotti, Isabella C Glitza, Andrew J Bishop, Jonathan D Grant, Robert Y North, Christopher A Alvarez-Breckenridge, Laurence D Rhines, Claudio E Tatsui

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Intramedullary melanocytomas are extremely rare spinal cord tumors with distinct histopathological and imaging characteristics. This report reviews the literature on this pathology and presents a representative case study, highlighting aspects of diagnosis and management.

Methods: A scoping review of PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases was conducted to identify reports on intramedullary melanocytomas, focusing on clinical presentation, imaging features, histopathology, treatment, and outcomes. Case reports and case series were included due to the rarity of these tumors.

Results: Twelve manuscripts met the inclusion criteria, including 15 patients. In the majority of patients, intramedullary melanocytomas present with progressive myelopathy …

Countermovement Jump Force Plate Metrics As Neuromuscular Indicators For Seasonal Micro-Adaptations And Hitting Performance Variability In Professional Baseball, Brandon Russell Pentheny

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation explored the use of countermovement jump (CMJ) force plate metrics as indicators of neuromuscular status and their relationship to hitting performance variability across a competitive season in professional baseball. Although there is an increase in the integration of sports science and performance analytics in professional sports, a significant gap remains in longitudinal, in-season monitoring models that connect neuromuscular adaptations to hitting-specific outputs, such as bat velocity and ball exit velocity (BEV). This study examined lower-body force production as measured by uniaxial bilateral force plates and how they interact with hitting output task demands over time. Using a longitudinal …

Comparing Machine Learning, Deep Learning, And Reinforcement Learning Performance In Culex Pipiens Predictive Modeling, Wei Yin, Sanad H. Ragab, Michael G. Tyshenko, Teresa Patricia Feria-Arroyo, Tamer Oraby

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Several machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) methods have been used to predict the presence of species in classification problems. Another set of methods, called reinforcement learning (RL), has been used in training agents to perform various tasks, but not in predicting species distribution. Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae), commonly known as the common house mosquito, is a globally distributed species prevalent in temperate and subtropical regions. They serve as a primary vector for West Nile Virus (WNV), a mosquito-borne pathogen that affects humans and other animals. The study objective is to compare the performance of logistic regression, random forest …

Effect Of Chronic Heat Stress On Duodenal Epithelial Barrier Integrity In Low- And High-Water-Efficient Broiler Chickens, Lulu Liu, Elizabeth S. Greene, Brooklee Roach, Sara Orlowski, Sami Dridi

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Heat stress (HS) has long posed a significant challenge to the poultry industry due to its adverse effects, such as depressed feed intake, decreased growth performance, and increased water consumption. Water efficiency (WE, conversion of water intake into body weight gain), although often neglected, is a key economic and production trait that is significantly affected by HS. Recently, we selected two broiler lines for high WE (HWE) and low WE (LWE) and showed a differential hypothalamic expression of genes involved in water homeostasis regulation. As the gut also plays a significant role in water absorption, the present study aimed to …

Culture-Independent Meta-Pangenomics Enabled By Long-Read Metagenomics Reveals Associations With Pediatric Undernutrition, Jeremiah J Minich, Nicholas Allsing, M Omar Din, Michael J Tisza, Kenneth Maleta, Daniel Mcdonald, Nolan Hartwick, Allen Mamerto, Caitriona Brennan, Lauren Hansen, Justin Shaffer, Emily R Murray, Tiffany Duong, Rob Knight, Kevin Stephenson, Mark J Manary, Todd P Michael

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The human gut microbiome is linked to child malnutrition, yet traditional microbiome approaches lack resolution. We hypothesized that complete metagenome-assembled genomes (cMAGs), recovered through long-read (LR) DNA sequencing, would enable pangenome and microbial genome-wide association study (GWAS) analyses to identify microbial genetic associations with child linear growth. LR methods produced 44-64× more cMAGs per gigabase pair (Gbp) than short-read methods, with PacBio (PB) yielding the most accurate and cost-effective assemblies. In a Malawian longitudinal pediatric cohort, we generated 986 cMAGs (839 circular) from 47 samples and applied this database to an expanded set of 210 samples. Machine learning identified species …