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All-Cause And Cause-Specific Mortality In Gambling Disorder: Evidence From A Nation-Wide Matched And Sibling Cohort Study In Taiwan, Yang-Chieh Brian Chen, Chih-Wei Hsu, Liang-Jen Wang, Mu-Hong Chen, Yao-Hsu Yang, Chih-Sung Liang, Edward Chia-Cheng Lai

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background and aims: Gambling disorder (GD) has been linked to suicidal ideation and suicide deaths; however, evidence on all-cause and cause-specific mortality-particularly in Asian populations-remains limited. Using a retrospective cohort study based on nationwide matched and sibling cohort, we investigated all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk in patients with GD.

Design, setting and participants: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using 2000-2022 data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. A cohort of 961 individuals diagnosed with GD was identified. An age- and sex-matched control cohort (n = 3,844) and an unaffected sibling cohort (n = 675) were constructed. Cumulative survival …

Regional Forecasting Of Southern Pine Beetle Outbreaks In The Southeastern Usa Using Spbom1 With Artificial Intelligence-Based Modeling, Ebere L. Anozie

All Dissertations

Southern pine beetle (SPB; Dendroctonus frontalis) outbreaks are among the most damaging biological disturbances affecting pine forests of the southeastern United States, capable of causing extensive tree mortality, economic losses, and reduced ecosystem resilience. This dissertation evaluated and advanced predictive approaches for SPB outbreak forecasting by integrating systematic review, geospatial modeling, comparative model evaluation, and artificial intelligence-based prediction. First, a systematic review of SPB predictive tools from 1978 to 2024 showed that modeling has evolved from statistical, climatic, and mechanistic approaches to remote sensing, GIS, machine learning, hybrid modeling, and decision-support systems, although many tools remain limited by scale …

Aegic Blogposts - Grain Pricing, Ross Kingwell, Peter Elliott, Chris Carter

Grain and other field crops published reports

The Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) was an independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2012 by the Western Australian Government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). Its core mission was to increase the value and international competitiveness of Australia’s multibillion-dollar export grains industry. AEGIC ceased operation at the end of 2025.

Early in its history between 20 to 30 staff from the former Western Australian Department of Agriculture were seconded to AEGIC. Following the formation of DPIRD, AEGIC continued to receive substantial annual funding support from DPIRD.

This publication is a legacy document containing collated AEGIC blog posts …

Aegic Blogposts - Grain Demand In Key Regions And Countries, Ross Kingwell, Sean Cowman, Peter Elliott, Chris Carter

Grain and other field crops published reports

The Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) was an independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2012 by the Western Australian Government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). Its core mission was to increase the value and international competitiveness of Australia’s multibillion-dollar export grains industry. AEGIC ceased operation at the end of 2025.

Early in its history between 20 to 30 staff from the former Western Australian Department of Agriculture were seconded to AEGIC. Following the formation of DPIRD, AEGIC continued to receive substantial annual funding support from DPIRD.

This publication is a legacy document containing collated AEGIC blog posts …

Aegic Blogposts - Grain Demand Overview, Ross Kingwell, Paul Meibusch, Jorge E. Mayer, Richard Williams, Peter Elliott, Chris Carter

Grain and other field crops published reports

The Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) was an independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2012 by the Western Australian Government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). Its core mission was to increase the value and international competitiveness of Australia’s multibillion-dollar export grains industry. AEGIC ceased operation at the end of 2025.

Early in its history between 20 to 30 staff from the former Western Australian Department of Agriculture were seconded to AEGIC. Following the formation of DPIRD, AEGIC continued to receive substantial annual funding support from DPIRD.

This publication is a legacy document containing collated AEGIC blog posts …

Aegic Blogposts - Grain Demand: Health And Environmental Issues, Ross Kingwell, Nicholas Thorsager, Chris Carter

Grain and other field crops published reports

The Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) was an independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2012 by the Western Australian Government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). Its core mission was to increase the value and international competitiveness of Australia’s multibillion-dollar export grains industry. AEGIC ceased operation at the end of 2025.

Early in its history between 20 to 30 staff from the former Western Australian Department of Agriculture were seconded to AEGIC. Following the formation of DPIRD, AEGIC continued to receive substantial annual funding support from DPIRD.

This publication is a legacy document containing collated AEGIC blog posts …

Quaking Aspen On Cedar Mountain, Utah: Status And Update, Jaycee Cappaert, Larissa L. Yocom, Paul C. Rogers, Darren J. Mcavoy, R. Justin Derose

Wildland Resources Student Research

Quaking aspen forests are important communities in the western United States where they provide preferential food and habitat for animals, limit wildfires from spreading, and have favorable aesthetics, among other things. Their putative decline is an issue for ecology and management. We remeasured the aspen population on Cedar Mountain, Utah, to assess changes to its condition since it was originally measured in 2008 and laid the groundwork for continued aspen monitoring on Cedar Mountain. Our objectives were to compare current metrics of stand structure and composition, mortality, crown dieback, bole damage, regeneration, and recruitment, to those of the original inventory. …

Transcriptional Regulation In The Uterine Luminal Epithelium, Evelyn A. Carrion

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Transcriptional Regulation in the Uterine Luminal Epithelium

Evelyn A. Carrion

Advisor: Richard R. Behringer, PhD

Abstract

The uterus is an organ comprised of multiple tissues that are essential for women’s health and reproduction. The uterus is composed of multiple tissue layers, including the perimetrium, myometrium, and the endometrium. The endometrium is the inner lining of the uterus, and contains the luminal epithelium, glandular epithelium, and stroma. The luminal epithelium is a simple columnar layer of cells that is necessary for embryo implantation. The uterus is derived in part from the embryonic precursor tissue called the Müllerian duct. There are no …

Defining The Role Of Spxa1 And Spxa2 In Group A Streptococcus (Gas), Gretchen Anne Morrison

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a human-restricted pathogen whose global incidence has surged in the post-COVID era. The ability of GAS to shift from a colonizing to invasive phenotype depends on coordinated virulence gene regulation in response to host-imposed stressors. The paralogous global transcriptional regulators, SpxA1 and SpxA2, have emerged as central mediators of these adaptive responses; however, the mechanisms by which these regulators influence both global gene regulation in direct response to external stresses and the host response as a result of regulatory changes remain incompletely understood. Using an integrated multi-omic approach, we define the distinct yet interconnected regulatory …

Visual Cues Attract Adult Tunga Penetrans (Siphonaptera: Tungidae), Ayako Hyuga, Paul Ouma, Lynne Elson, Kazuchiyo Miyamichi, Satoshi Kaneko, Kensuke Goto, Tullu Bukhari, Jürgen Krücken, Ulrike Fillinger

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tunga penetrans (Linnaeus, 1758) (Siphonaptera: Tungidae) is an ectoparasitic flea whose adult females cause tungiasis by embedding into the host’s skin. Environmental, social and financial challenges in tungiasis endemic areas have left this disease neglected and lacking locally available control measures. One possible approach for controlling T. penetrans targets its off-host stages; however, surveillance tools for adult fleas are still lacking. Moreover, host-seeking cues and behaviour of adult T. penetrans remain largely unknown. In this study, we show that visual cues are attractive to adult T. penetrans. Newly emerged T.penetrans responded to light stimuli across a broad spectrum, ranging from …

The Effect Of Specialty Malt On Dry-Hopping, Alexander Kivela

Master's Theses

Dry-Hopping is a modern and ever-increasing method to add hoppy flavors to beer. This is typically seen in pale ales and India Pale Ales (IPA’s). Most research has investigated the effect of dry-hopping only using pale malt, whereas most breweries used specialty malts to create a malty backbone to their beer.

The objectives of this research were to analyze the impact of specialty malts and their concentration on the efficacy of hop flavor and extraction, determined via gas chromatography and sensory analysis. Gas chromatography analysis was modeled after the ASBC Method Beer-48. Sensory analysis was performed via the 15cm line …

From Genes To Streams: Mitochondrial Approaches To Population Monitoring Of The Santa Ana Sucker Catostomus Santaanae, Mariana Antonio

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study was developed to use aquatic environmental DNA (eDNA) as a tool to detect the presence of the Santa Ana sucker (Catostomus santaanae), a federally threatened fish species, across the Santa Ana River in Southern California. Environmental DNA is any genetic material that an organism sheds into the environment. We can get an idea of what aquatic species are present when sampling water at a given site. We sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the Santa Ana sucker and designed custom DNA primers to improve eDNA detection accuracy. These primers were selected based on high genetic …

The Influence Of Habitat And Individual Specialization On Mountain Lion (Puma Concolor) Hunting Strategy In A Multi-Prey System, Hannah B. Klugman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

There is a growing recognition that animal species considered generalists (having a broad and varied diet), are actually specialists, a collection of individuals with different preferences and strategies known as specializations. The diet of a specialist depends on the variety and quantity of available food options, and their own ability to take what they need. Mountain lions (Puma concolor) are known for their ability and tendency to hunt large prey, such as elk (Cervus canadensis) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), but despite the fact they overlap with other potential large prey, like feral horses …

Advancing Management Strategies For Two Promising Mason Bee Species (Osmia Ribifloris And Osmia Bruneri) For Berry Pollination, Miranda L. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Bee management can broadly refer to human manipulation of one or multiple parts of a bee’s lifecycle. Managing honey bees, commonly referred to as beekeeping, is responsible for providing most pollination for global food crops. However, using more than one bee species for crop pollination can have many benefits. Benefits include better crop pollination and insurance in case one bee species underperforms or its population collapses. Some bees within the genus Osmia are already widely managed for crop pollination because their developmental lifecycle allows bee managers to readily deploy pollinating bees in sync with varying crop blooms, and for certain …

The Effect Of Addition Of Formic Acid, With Or Without Formalin, On The Conservation Quality, Digestibility, Nutritive Value, And Nitrogen Balance Of Direct-Cut Silage, C Demarquilly, Elisabeth Grenet, J P. Dulphy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

From 34 standing crops of grasses or legumes, 93 direct-cut silages were prepared: 33 without additive, 37 with formic acid (3.5 or 5 1/t), 10 with formic acid and 1.5 1/t formalin, 15 with formic acid and 3.5 to 5 1/t formalin. The conservation quality of the silages was improved by the addition of formic acid and even further by the mixture of formic acid and formalin. Silage digestibility is similar to that of the corresponding green forage, but the addi­tion of formalin considerably reduces protein digestibility (by 2 to 8 points). The voluntary intake of silage is lower than …

The Effects Of Mixtures Of Formalin And Acid On Silage Fermentation, Robert F. Wilson, Roger J. Wilkins

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Three experiments are described in which herbages were ensiled in test-tube silos without additive or after the addition of mixtures containing formalin with formic, sulphuric or phosphoric acid in order to restrict fermen­tation in the silo. Silages containing less than 5 % of the dry matter as fermentation acids and with low contents of ammonia were pro­duced with mixtures containing either 0.1 % of the fresh crop weight as formaldehyde with 10 meq of formic or sulphuric acid/ 100 g of crop or with 0.2 % of formaldehyde with 5 meq of either acid. Phosphoric acid was less effective than …

Effect Of Zinc, Copper, Molybdenum And Cobalt On Develop­ Ment, Yield And Hay Quality Of Lucerne, B Miskovic, P Eric, M Pantovic

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The effect of zinc, copper, molybdenum and cobalt exerted on the development, yield and quality of various cultivated plants is favourable in many ways. Our studies of their application in the nutrition of luceme in a pot experiment and field trials on chernozem soil were carried out to determine the effect of the above micro­elements on the yield, development and quality of lucerne hay, when applied togeµier with NPK fertilizers. The results of our experiments have shown that the application of these microelements, especially of zinc and copper, together with NPK fertilizers resulted in considerable increase of lucerne hay yields …

Influence Of Mineral Fertilization On The Quality Of Meadow Grasses, A Klesnil, F Turek

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The effect of different rates of nitrogen fertili­zation combined with PK on the quality of 6 important meadow grasses (Dactylis glomerata, Poa pratensis, Holcus lanatus, Trisetum jla­vescens, Alopecurus pratensis, and Deschampsia caespitosa) was studied from 1973 to 1975. Complete NPK nutrition at rates of I 00 and 100 + 50 kg N/ha distinctly increased the di­gestible crude protein content in the tested grasses, especially in the first cut (in Dactylis glomerata by 44-56 %, in Poa pratensis by 54 %, and in Trisetum jlavescens by 35 %). Application of 50 kg N/ha after the first cut produced maximum increase of …

Experiments About The Nutrition Of Grassland Ecosystems With Respect To Different Times Of Npk Application, Eduard Halva, Josef Lesak

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Experiments carried out during the years 1971 to 1973 have shown that a uniform system of the nutrition of grassland associations cannot be introduced into all production areas and all types of forage crops represented in Czechoslo­vakia. In relation to the complexity of the studied problems and to the diversity of soil and climatic conditions in the production areas, it is necessary to propose the adequate systems of nutrition after several series of experiments or to base them on empirical experience drawn from the studied production area. The testing of different times of application of identical nutrient rates (150 kg …

Problems Of Nitrogen Nutrition Of Medicago Sativa L. With Respect To Rhizobia, Eduard Halva, Josef Lesak

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The effect of increasing rates of nitrogen (80, 140, 200, 260, and 320 kg/ha) on the yields of above-ground biomass and nutrients in alfalfa was studied in 1974 and 1975. Applica­tion of nitrogen increased dry matter and crude protein production in relation to the unfertilized control, but the yield increase was statistically insignificant. Further it was shown that increasing rates of nitrogen had a negative effect on the number and weight of rhizobia. A close negative cor­relation of high significance ( estimated by the t-test) was found between the rates of nitrogen and the number of rhizobia. The experiments conducted …

Some Remarks Concerning The Theory Of Nutrition And Biology Of Grass Stands, A Korab

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The growth rate and yielding capacity of grasses, expressed as kg crude protein/ha per unit of time, are dependent upon the plants' capacity to take up and utilize nitrogen. This character is specific in individual grass species and has been found to be more or less heredi­tarily determined and relatively coincident in different sites. These assumptions and inter­relations have been utilized for determining the yield indices to express not only the rela­tive yielding capacity of major cultivated grasses but also their requirements in terms of effective nitrogen nutrition. The principle of determining effective doses of nitrogen using the index method …

The Intensification Of Grass Production Through Nitrogen Fertilization, And The Nitrate Problem, Klau Ebert, Henrich Koriath, Gunter Rinno

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Two-year pot and five-year field tests with increasing nitrogen doses revealed an increase in the nitrate content of forage grasses. In the pot tests the content of 0.25 % N03-N in the dry matter, which is safe in animal nutrition, had by far been exceeded. In the field tests the· nitrate content increased more slowly for the average of the tests and did not reach this limit when giving 140 to 240 kg N/ha. In single cases this value had, however, already been reached when giving 100 kg N/ha. By selecting grass species with a lesser tendency to nitrate accumulation, …

Yield And Nutritive Value Of Forage Plants As Influenced By Stage Of Plant Development At Harvest, Khindrek Older, Ants Linnutaya, Yulo Oll

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Field experiments were conducted for the pur­pose of studying yield formation in six single­crop sown grass species and two clover/grass mixtures, as well as the. chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of the forage as in­fluenced by the stage of plant development at the time of harvest. Highest dry matter yields were obtained from two-cut use with harvesting in flower. Highest digestible dry matter levels were obtained from three-cut use in the stage of shooting. Highest protein levels were recorded in the context of four-cut use in the heading stage. Digestible nutrients were high in the tillering and shoot­ing stages. …

Forage-Animal Systems For Economic Calf Production, R E. Blaser, R C. Hammes Jr, J P. Fontenot, H T. Bryant

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Nine forage-cow-calf systems with constant ,stocking but variable grazing pressures to pro­vide for changing nutritional needs of beef cows, and continuous high calf nutrition with creep grazing gave similar high weaning weights of autumn and winter calves for all-year grazing vs. hay feeding and for 2 stocking rates. The all-fescue systems lowered calf weights. Nine forage-cow-calf systems with constant ,stocking but variable grazing pressures to pro­vide for changing nutritional needs of beef cows, and continuous high calf nutrition with creep grazing gave similar high weaning weights of autumn and winter calves for all-year grazing vs. hay feeding and for 2 …

Forage And Feedstuff Analysis With Infrared Reflectance Spectro/Computer System1, J S. Shenk, K H. Norris, R F. Barnes, G W. Fissel

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

An infrared reflectance spectro/computer sys­tem (IRSCS) has been established at The Pennsylvania State University to evaluate the nutritional quality of forage and feedstuffs. Studies with alfalfa forage clearly show that the reflectance spectral curve of the forage is a composite curve consisting of various chemical constituents in the forage such as water, protein and cellulose. Chemical constituents are not measured directly by IRSCS but calibration prediction equations are developed from sam­ples with known chemical constituents and animal response data. After this is completed, forage samples can be analyzed for multiple chemical constituents and animal responses in less than 2 minutes. …

Phytochemical Analysis And Safety Assessment Of Watercress Nasturtium Officinale: Antioxidant Capacity, Heavy Metal Profiling, And Toxicity Using Brine Shrimp Model, Qurrota A’Yunin, Chamini Kasun Hemachandra, Muhaimin Rifa’I, Yoga Dwi Jatmiko, Maftuch Maftuch, Rizky Fadilla Agustin Rangkuti, Cucun Herlina, Zulfa Mahdiatur Rasyida, Moh Dliyauddin

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Medicinal plants have attracted growing attention as sources of natural bioactive compounds for sustainable aquaculture and health. This study evaluated the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, heavy metal profile, and acute toxicity of watercress (Nasturtium officinale W.T. Aiton) methanol extract using maceration, qualitative and quantitative (TPC, TFC, antioxidant DPPH) phytochemical assay, XRF, and BSLA. Phytochemical screening of plant extracts showed the existence of flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, tannins, triterpenoids, and saponins, but not steroidal. The TPC and TFC were 20.6 mg GAE/g and 10.8 mg QE/g, respectively. The extract displayed significant antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 64.78 µg/mL in DPPH assay). …

Soybean Fermentation Broth Alleviates Indomethacin-Induced Gastric Mucosal Injury, Hsiao-Chi Wang, Yue-Jhu Chen, Hui-Yun Tsai, Jue-Liang Hsu, Yu-Kuo Chen

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Dietary strategies and plant-based fermented foods have attracted increasing interest for supporting gastrointestinal health, particularly under conditions of drug-induced mucosal stress. Soybean fermentation broth (SFB), a fermented soybean-derived product, may possess enhanced nutritional and functional properties through fermentation-associated generation of bioactive peptides and antioxidant metabolites. This study evaluated the gastroprotective effects of SFB in an indomethacin-induced gastric injury model in rats and investigated the underlying mechanisms. Indomethacin markedly induced gastric ulcer formation (16.61 ± 1.38 mm²), whereas SFB pretreatment significantly attenuated ulcer development in a dose-dependent manner, reducing ulcer area to 6.66 ± 0.98, 3.89 ± 0.63, and …

Garambullo (Myrtillocactus Geometrizans) Reduces Cell Viability Via Apoptosis And Inhibits Colony Formation In Ht-29 And Sw480 Colon Cancer Cell Lines., López-Alvarez Guadalupe Soledad, Gutierrez-Silerio Gloria Yareli, García-Solís Pablo, Morales-Bárcenas Rocio, Sánchez-Pérez Yesennia, Hernández-Puga Ana Gabriela, Vergara-Castañeda Haydé Azeneth

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Garambullo (Myrtillocactus geometrizans) is a Mexican fruit rich in bioactive phytochemicals. Its fermented extract (FEG), obtained after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and fermentation, was evaluated in HT-29 and SW480 colorectal cancer cells. FEG reduced cell viability (IC50: 2985 and 3200 μg/mL, respectively) and induced apoptosis and necrosis. In 3D assays, FEG inhibited colony formation, with complete suppression in HT-29 cells. Molecular docking further suggested that butyric acid identified in FEG interacts with Caspase-3 and RIPK1. These findings support the antiproliferative and pro-death effects of FEG in colorectal cancer models.

Gut Microbiota-Mediated Modulation Of Circadian Rhythms: Physiological And Molecular Impacts Of Dietary Composition And Feeding Time, Yen-Chun Koh, Chun-Che Chang, Min-Hsiung Pan

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Circadian rhythms regulate fundamental aspects of physiology and behavior. The disruption of circadian rhythms has been associated with metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and impaired immune function. Feeding behavior and gut microbiota represent two essential nodes within this regulatory network, as both are highly responsive to environmental cues such as diet composition and sleep-wake cycles. Research has shown that high-fat diets, excessive fructose, and chronic alcohol consumption perturb peripheral circadian rhythms and impair metabolic pathways, contributing to obesity and insulin resistance. Conversely, dietary interventions such as time-restricted feeding and macronutrient-specific entrainment can restore rhythmic gene expression and prevent metabolic pathologies. …

Benefits And Risks Of Consuming Cannabis Sativa L. In Food, Ewa Matyjaszczyk, Maria Śmiechowska

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Cannabis sativa L. or hemp is a cosmopolitan, multi-purpose plant and area of its cultivation has been growing in recent years. Its public perception is influenced by potential to produce narcotic substances. However, hemp seed can be a valuable source of nutrients for humans and may be of particular interest in more sustainable food consumption patterns, including vegetarian and flexitarian diets.

The paper presents benefits and risks of hemp seeds in case of their consumption in food. Low cannabinoids varieties are considered only. The biological activity of cannabinoids and related effects are considered out of scope of the study.

Nutritional …