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Ambiguity In Statistical Analysis Methods And Nonconformity With Prespecified Commitment To Data Sharing In A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial, Yasaman Jamshidi-Naeini, Lilian Golzarri-Arroyo, Deependra K Thapa, Andrew W Brown, Daniel E Kpormegbey, David B Allison

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Dihydroceramide Desaturase Governs Endoplasmic Reticulum And Lipid Droplet Homeostasis To Promote Glial Function In The Nervous System, Yuqing Zhu

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Dihydroceramide desaturase converts dihydroceramides to ceramides in the final step of de novo ceramide biosynthesis. Reduction of dihydroceramide desaturase DEGS1 function in humans leads to hypomyelinating leukodystrophy-18, but the etiology of this disease remains unclear. Using mutants from a forward genetic screen, we discovered that infertile crescent (ifc), the sole Drosophila dihydroceramide desaturase, governs central nervous system development and morphology. ifc is primarily expressed in glia and acts cell-autonomously in glia to control glial morphology and function during nervous system development. Loss of ifc leads to severe glial defects, particularly in cortex glia, including endoplasmic reticulum expansion, glial swelling, compromised …

Fruit And Vegetable Intake, Food Security, Barriers To Healthy Eating, And Empowerment Among Dietetic Interns And Physician Assistant Interns: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study, Alison Campbell, Maren Stirling, Natalie Keele, Alisse Larkin, Rachel Crandall, Aubree N. Wilcox, Meghan Adair, Cloie Malan, Jaidyn Thomson, Alexis Bennett, Heather Jensen, Hadyn Flygare, Lacie Peterson, Holly Hopkins, Nikki Kendrick, Maria Givler, Rebecca Charlton, Katie N. Kraus

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Students are required to complete supervised practice hours prior to becoming Registered Dietitians and Physician Assistants. Research suggests that environmental and social factors affect dietetic interns’ diets during their internship, although these factors have not been studied among physician assistant interns. This cross-sectional study utilized an online survey to compare dietetic interns’ (n = 81) and physician assistant interns’ (n = 79) fruit and vegetable intake, food security, barriers to healthy eating, and empowerment for making healthy dietary choices during an internship. Differences were assessed via independent t-tests and chi-square distributions. The significance was set at p …

Alterations In Serum Thiol-Disulfide Homeostasis And Ischemia-Modified Albumin Concentrations In Clinical Canine Parvoviral Enteritis, Yasi̇n Şenel, Osman Safa Terzi̇, Erdal Kara, Özcan Erel, Sali̇m Neşeli̇oğlu, Ebubeki̇r Ceylan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Monitoring biomarkers related to inflammation and oxidative stress is critical in dogs because parvovirus causes both inflammatory and antioxidant alterations. The aim of this study was to investigate inflammatory and antioxidant changes caused by canine parvoviral enteritis to better understand the oxidative stress process related to this disease. Thus, the total thiol, native thiol, disulfide, and ischemia-modified albumin levels of Canine parvovirus infected symptomatic puppies and healthy puppies were examined. Using the results of complete blood counts, the blood serum thiol-disulfide homeostasis and ischemia modified albumin levels of the puppies with Canine parvoviral enteritis (n = 65) and the healthy …

Impact Of Fads Genotype On Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Content In Human Milk Extracellular Vesicles: A Genetic Association Study, John J. Miklavcic, Natalie Paterson, Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook, Laura M. Glynn

Food Science Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Extracellular vesicles in human milk are critical in supporting newborn growth and development. Bioavailability of dietary extracellular vesicles may depend on the composition of membrane lipids. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the fatty acid desaturase gene cluster impact the content of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in human milk phospholipids. This study investigated the relation between variation in FADS1 and FADS2 with the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in extracellular vesicles from human milk.

Methods

Milk was obtained from a cohort of mothers (N = 70) at 2–4 weeks of lactation. SNPs in the FADS gene locus were determined using …

Bull Production: Breeding Soundness Exam And Expected Progeny Differences, Ethan Gilliam

All Current Publications

This fact sheet defines a breeding soundness exam (BSE) for a breeding bull and reviews the meaning of expected progeny differences (EPDs). Acronyms used and depended on by livestock producers are reviewed. Understanding the meaning of livestock acronyms is commonly overlooked. Highlights include how a producer makes financial decisions throughout the year in relation to their livestock.

Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography Is A Valid Imaging Technique For Tracking Changes In Skeletal Muscle Cross-Sectional Area, Bradley A. Ruple, Christopher G. Vann, Casey L. Sexton, Shelby C. Osburn, Morgan A. Smith, Joshua S. Godwin, Petey W. Mumford, Matt S. Stock, Michael D. Roberts, Kaelin C. Young

Faculty Scholarship

Peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) has recently expanded to quantifying skeletal muscle, however its validity to determine muscle cross‐sectional area (mCSA) compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is unknown. Eleven male participants (age: 22 ± 3 y) underwent pQCT and MRI dual‐leg mid‐thigh imaging before (PRE) and after (POST) 6 weeks of resistance training for quantification of mid‐thigh mCSA and change in mCSA. mCSA agreement at both time points and absolute change in mCSA across time was assessed using Bland‐ Altman plots for mean bias and 95% limits of agreement (LOA), as well as Lin's concordance correlation coefficients (CCC). Both …

Hedgehog Signaling And Congenital Disorders; The Case Of Anencephaly And Polydactyly, Joshua Towery

First-Year Research Immersion (FRI) Scholarship

The Hedgehog pathway is a fundamental signaling pathway in the human body; involved in carcinogenesis, stem cell maintenance, as well as limb patterning in embryonic development. Originally discovered in drosophila, their initial discovery, and subsequent analysis revealed many novel pieces of information about the mechanisms inside the human body, as many core components of the signaling pathway are carried over from fruit flies to humans. Because of the key roles hedgehog signaling plays in human development, dysfunction and mutations in the pathway can be detrimental. This review will focus on two congenital birth defects thought to be caused by hedgehog …

White-Fronted Capuchins (Cebus Albifrons Aequatorialis) In La Hesperia Cloud Forest Reserve: A Study Of Aggressive Behaviors In Response To Human Presence, Marin Lynch

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Ecuadorian white-fronted capuchin, Cebus albifrons aequatorialis, is a critically endangered primate species native to Ecuador and northern Peru. Their population consists of only a handful of surviving troops spread out across this region. One surviving population exists in La Hesperia Cloud Forest Reserve in Ecuador. This reserve serves as an education and volunteer site for dozens of international travelers every year. I studied the effect of the presence of humans and the lodging they have constructed. Specifically, I investigated the effect on behavior of the proximity of the troops alpha male to manmade structures in the reserve. I …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 65 Number 1, Spring 2024, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

14 - A CAMPUS ON THE RISE Six new buildings on campus aren’t the only changes brought by a successful $1 billion fundraising campaign. Lauren Loftus & Leslie Griffy

20 - HUMAN AT HEART How Santa Clara University is distinguishing itself as a leader in human-focused health care innovation. Lauren Loftus

26 - SHEPHERDING INNOVATION How wonder, and God, can make us better scientists. Brother Guy Consolmagno, S.J.

30 - THE CO-OP Santa Clara University has long been a bastion of interdisciplinary learning. A new fund is taking cross-collaboration to new heights. SCM Staff

34 - MAKE AI THE BEST …

Impacts Of Altitude On Plant Green Leaf, Fresh Litter, And Soil Stoichiometry In Subtropical Forests, Dehuang Zhu, Yan Zhou, Suhong Peng, Weiping Hua, Bin Luo, Dafeng Hui

Biology Faculty Research

BackgroundEcological stoichiometric characteristics of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) serve as crucial indicators of nutrient cycling and limitation in terrestrial ecosystems. However, our current understanding of stoichiometric characteristics in subtropical forests and their response to different climate conditions is still limited.MethodsWe selected six altitudes ranging from 700 m to 1,200 m to simulate different climate conditions of an evergreen broadleaf forest in Wuyi Mountain, Fujian Province, China. We investigated C, N, P, and K stoichiometry and homeostasis in the green leaves, newly senesced leaf litter (fresh litter), and soil of this forest.ResultsLeaf P and K levels …

Investigation Of The Growth Of Listeria In Plant-Based Beverages, Klaudia Bartula, Sambou Biagui, Máire Begley, Michael Callanan

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether the content of sugar, protein, fat, or fibre in commercially available and specially formulated plant-based beverages (oat, soya and pea) influences the growth rates of Listeria. Beverages were inoculated with a strain cocktail of Listeria (approximately 1 × 103 CFU/mL), and the data demonstrated that Listeria could proliferate in all tested beverages. Moreover, varying concentrations of naturally occurring or added sugar (0–3.3%), protein (3.3–5%), fat (1.1–3.5%) and added fibre (0–1.5%) did not have a statistically significant (p > 0.05) impact on the growth rates of Listeria in the tested …

Nhm 728: Advanced Survey Data Analysis, Yunhee Chang

GMAS Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Novel Biology Laboratory Course For Incarcerated Students, Elsa H.K. Spencer, Joanna R. Vondrasek

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

Federal second chance Pell grants were recently made widely available to incarcerated students in the United States to fund undergraduate education. Piedmont Virginia Community College was a pilot site for this expansion and began full scale implementation of transfer-oriented associate degrees at three correctional centers in its service area. The college did not have a biology laboratory curriculum that would meet general education requirements and be feasible in a correctional center, where students do not have internet access or even reliable computer (word processing or spreadsheet) access and where materials are restricted for entry. This paper will serve to introduce …

Study On Heavy Metal Content Calculation And Agricultural Potential Based On Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Image Processing, Xiangyu Shan, Fei Dou, Shuangquan Gao, Chuanping Liu, Cangbai Li

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Soil is the main influencing factor for plant growth, reproduction, and distribution. With the acceleration of industrialization and the intensification of human activities, the problem of heavy metal pollution in agricultural soil is becoming increasingly prominent. Heavy metals in soil are toxic and easily absorbed by plants, and consuming contaminated crops poses a great threat to human health. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the content of heavy metals (HMs for short here) in soil. Hyperspectral Remote Sensing (HRS for short here) has great application prospects in obtaining quantitative information of soil organic matter, minerals and other components due to …

Enhancing Grain Yield, Oil Content, Fatty Acid Composition And Changes In Antioxidant Properties Of Camelina Using Wi-Fi Radiation, Maryam Khashayarfard, Sedigheh Arbabian, Danial Kahrizi, Fariba Sharifnia

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Exposure to electromagnetic radiation (ER) with radio frequency is one of the environment's most common and fastest-growing human factors. Therefore, due to the increasing global growth of telecommunication towers and Wi-Fi waves, the possibility of positive or negative effects of Wi-Fi electromagnetic waves (WEW) is essential for the quality and quantity parameters of plants. An experiment was was carried out during the years 2020-2021 at the Research Farm of Tarbiat Modares University to investigate the effect of WEW on the grain yield, fatty acid composition (FA), oil content and antioxidant properties of camelina. Seeds were exposed to Wi-Fi electromagnetic radiation …

Genetic Analysis Of Seed Yield And Some Traits In Cowpea Using Diallel Analysis, Christelle Jou-Nteufa, Ercan Ceyhan

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Cowpea is an essential economic crop in underdeveloped and developing countries mainly grown by small farmers. In terms of seed yield and some agricultural characteristics, this study was carried out to determine the genetic structures and the general and specific adaptability of the genotypes. The trial, which included F1 hybrids and parents, was established under Konya ecological conditions with 3 replications in 2020 in the “Random Blocks Trial” design. Based on the results of the preliminary analysis of variance, it was determined that there was sufficient variation in the hybrid populations formed in terms of all traits examined. Nonadditive and …

Forage News [2024-04], University Of Kentucky

Forage News

No abstract provided.

Joint Environmental And Social Benefits From Diversified Agriculture, Laura Vang Rasmussen, Ingo Grass

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

Agricultural simplification continues to expand at the expense of more diverse forms of agriculture. This simplification, for example, in the form of intensively managed monocultures, poses a risk to keeping the world within safe and just Earth system boundaries. Here, we estimated how agricultural diversification simultaneously affects social and environmental outcomes. Drawing from 24 studies in 11 countries across 2655 farms, we show how five diversification strategies focusing on livestock, crops, soils, noncrop plantings, and water conservation benefit social (e.g., human well-being, yields, and food security) and environmental (e.g., biodiversity, ecosystem services, and reduced environmental externalities) outcomes. We found that …

Exploring The Potential Pathogenicity Of A Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Associated Insr Missense Variant Of Uncertain Significance Through Daf-2 In The Caenorhabditis Elegans Model, Brittany White

Theses

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is hallmarked by insulin resistance, with the INSR gene identified as a key player in this condition in humans. This gene is known to harbor genetic variants with a wide range of clinical significance from pathogenic to variants of uncertain significance (VUS) to benign. This project investigates a VUS associated with T2DM identified through ClinVar. A gene mutational analysis, predictive amino acid substitution analysis, and protein modeling predict INSR c.1628C>T (p. Thr543Met) to be likely pathogenic or damaging. PolyPhen-2 predicts this variant to be probably damaging (HumDiv score of 1.000).

Evolutionary conservation of the …

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2024 Little International Agricultural Exposition Catalog, Little International Agricultural Exposition South Dakota State University

Little International "Little I" Agricultural Exposition Catalogs

This is the catalog for the 101st Little International 'Little I' Agricultural  Exposition, held on April 5th & 6th, 2024.

What Soil Is Worth: A Cost-Benefit Framework Analysis Of Syntropic Farming, Aubrey Kettley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Syntropic farming, a type of regenerative agriculture, models its farming system after a forest. This type of farming prioritizes soil health while also providing a varied yield of crops. Because it is a fairly new system globally, little research has been done on the economic impacts of syntropic farming, and therefore the feasibility of scaling up regenerative systems like this. This study aims to analyze the economic feasibility of this system through a literature review and a cost-benefit analysis framework. The results highlight the applicability, environmental advantage and economic feasibility of the system. Based on the presented framework, the short …

Nutri-Score, Warning Signs, And Facts Up Front – In Theory And In Practice A Comparative Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of Front-Of-Package Labeling Systems, Muskaan Makkar

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Suboptimal diets contribute significantly to poor health and chronic diseases, with excessive sodium intake and low consumption of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables being major risk factors. To address this global nutrition burden, various countries have implemented front-of-package labeling (FOPL) systems such as the Nutri-Score, Warning Signs, and Facts Up Front.

This paper aims to analyze the effectiveness of these systems – which vary in development, design, content, and implementation – in both theory and practice. The methodology involves a comparative analysis of three FOPL systems, assessing their theoretical effectiveness with international guidelines and practical effectiveness through expert interviews and …

The Role Of Geomorphological Context In Vegetative Succession Within The Breiðamerkurjökull Glacial Foreland, Lucas Nerbonne

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As glaciers retreat worldwide at an accelerating pace, understanding primary succession in these newly exposed landscapes becomes increasingly critical. This study examines the initial vegetative colonization patterns in glacial forelands, focusing on the influence of geomorphological formations of resulting plant communities. By analyzing vegetative communities in glaciofluvial and push moraine deposits, this study highlights how the more varied, channelized morphologies of fluvial deposits create potential microclimates better conducive to heterogenous plant colonization than the homogenous terrain of the nearby push moraine. Vegetative coverage, sediment size, and species abundance was collected at 480 sites across 6 different historical glacial extents across …

A Deeper Dive Into Literature Published About Pinnipeds And Cetaceans Using The Five Domain Model, Aqsa Khan, Pedro Beltran

Posters - 2024

Research was conducted on cetaceans (whales and dolphins) (Figure 1) and pinnipeds (seals and sea lions) (Figure 2), focusing on five domains: nutrition, environment, health, behavior, and mental state. The goal was to identify the most discussed domain in existing literature. Specifically examining researchers' opinions on assessing the well-being of these marine mammals. After analyzing articles, hypotheses were formed suggesting that environmental factors are prominent for cetaceans, while behavior is the prominent domain for pinnipeds. To test these hypotheses, peer-reviewed articles were coded, providing both qualitative insights and quantitative representations of each domain's prevalence. The research uncovered the focal domains …

Unraveling The Impact Of Seed Fatty Acid Profiles On Spinach Seed Germination Under Temperature Stress, Mustafa Kaşka, Haluk Çağlar Kaymak

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Limited knowledge exists regarding the fatty acid profiles of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) seeds and their correlation with germination. This study aims to address this gap by thoroughly investigating these profiles and their relationship with seed germination. Therefore, the objectives include assessing how different temperatures influence seed germination in spinach cultivars, identifying tolerant cultivar(s) to temperature stress during germination, and exploring the relationship between fatty acid profiles and seed germination under varying temperature conditions. Nine spinach cultivars (‘Matador-1, 2, and 3’, ‘Ranchero F1’, ‘Aras F1’, ‘El Tajin’, ‘El Real’, ‘Catrina F1’ and ‘Poyraz F1’) were used as seed material. The …

Effect And Mechanisms Of Conifer And Broadleaf Mixtures On The Soil Characteristics In Limestone Mountains, Xueping Zhang, Yuhua Ma, Songling Fu, Jingjing Qian, Qi Zhu, Chun Feng, Zihao Li, Wenhao Zhu, Han Chen

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

In the restoration process of limestone mountain ecosystem, the interaction mechanism, between vegetation and soil are the core scientific issues for a better understanding of ecological restoration and ecosystem stability. Based on this, four types of 30 year old artificial forest communities with different coniferous and broad-leaved mixed ratios (0-20 %, 20 - 50 %, 50 – 80 %, 80 – 100 %) in typical limestone mountainous areas of the northern subtropical region are used as research objects to measure understory vegetation diversity, litter, and fine root characteristics. The impact of different mixing ratios on understory vegetation restoration and soil …

Exploring The Intestinal Microbial Community Of Lantang Pigs Through Metagenome-Assembled Genomes And Carbohydrate Degradation Genes, Jianbo Yang, Ying Fan, Rui Jin, Yunjuan Peng, Jianmin Chai, Xiaoyuan Wei, Yunxiang Zhao, Feilong Deng, Jiangchao Zhao, Ying Li

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

High-fiber, low-cost agricultural byproducts offer a sustainable alternative for mitigating the competition for crops between humans and livestock. Pigs predominantly utilize dietary fibers through the process of microbial fermentation within the gut. This study explored the gut microbiota and the capacity for carbohydrate degradation in 30 individual Lantang pigs, a breed indigenous to China. Through metagenomic analysis, a total of 671 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) were assembled and assigned into 14 bacterial and 1 archaeal phylum, including 97 species from uncultured microbes. The phylum with the highest abundance were identified as Bacillota_A, Bacteroidota, and Bacillota. Remarkably, the investigation revealed nearly 10,000 …

The Effect Of Sample Grinding On Color-Based Predictions Of Soil Organic Carbon, Mason Rutgers

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Measurements of soil color are widely accessible and can be used as indirect measures of soil organic carbon (SOC). Sensor-based soil color measurements, frequently used in quantitative studies to predict SOC, often use ground and sieved soil samples for color analysis. However, it is unknown whether the extra steps of drying, crushing, and sieving a sample improve the quantitative relationship between color and SOC. This study was conducted to evaluate color-based predictions of SOC using intact, sieved (<2 mm), and fine-ground soil samples from northwest Oklahoma. Moist soil color was measured using Munsell color charts (MCCs) and a Nix Mini 3™ portable color sensor (PCS). The color of the soil samples was measured before processing, after crushing to pass through a 2-mm sieve, and after mechanical grinding to less than 0.25-mm. Using Munsell value (from the MCC) and CIEL* (from the PCS) as predictor variables, regression analyses were conducted to develop SOC predictive functions for each physical state. The resulting coefficients of determination (R2) and root mean squared errors (RMSE) were used to assess model fits for predicting SOC. Model contrasts were calculated to evaluate significant differences between each predictive model. All models exhibited strong relationships (0.56 < R2 < 0.70, 0.20 < RMSE < 0.25) between soil lightness and predicted SOC. Models built using aggregated samples measured with both MCCs (R2= 0.70, RMSE= 0.20) and the PCS (R2= 0.69, RMSE= 0.21) produced the best results. Models built using intact samples measured using the PCS did perform significantly better on samples dark in color (CIEL* < 30). These results suggest that grinding soil samples does not improve color-based predictions of SOC using MCCs and the PCS.