Digital Commons Network^™

Status Of The Western Australian Pastoral Rangelands 2025 - Total Vegetative Cover And Cover Risk, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources published reports

DPIRD monitors and reports on the vegetation condition of pastoral rangelands in Western Australia. Two levels of reporting are provided: every 5 years a full report details the state, trend and risk of decrease of vegetation condition in the pastoral rangelands using information derived from remotely sensed and on-ground data; in the intervening years, short reports are provided based on remotely sensed data (this report).

This report is based on remotely sensed vegetation cover data, rainfall data, livestock data and station-level rangeland condition assessment (RCA) data available in November 2025. Data is presented for 23 land conservation districts (LCDs) across …

Fireproof: Intricacies Of Microglial Biology, Wei Cao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Circulating Fatty Acid Binding Protein 4 (Fabp-4) Concentrations And Mortality In Individuals With Colorectal Cancer In The European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer And Nutrition Study, Thu Thi Pham, Katharina Nimptsch, Krasimira Aleksandrova, Mazda Jenab, Veronika Fedirko, Anja Olsen, Anne Tjønneland, Claire Cadeau, Gianluca Severi, Matthias B Schulze, Renée Turzanski Fortner, Verena Katzke, Claudia Agnoli, Carlotta Sacerdote, Rosario Tumino, Simona Signoriello, Camino Trobajo-Sanmartín, Jesús-Humberto Gómez, María-Dolores Chirlaque, Maria-Jose Sánchez, Marta Crous-Bou, Anne May, Alicia Heath, Dagfinn Aune, Elisabete Weiderpass, Tobias Pischon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Human fatty acid binding protein‐4 (FABP‐4), a protein elevated in obesity that promotes colon cancer cell invasiveness and metastasis, may be associated with higher mortality in individuals with colorectal cancer (CRC) and may serve as a mediator of the obesity–mortality association in these individuals. We used a causal diagram to inform covariate selection and applied Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for CRC‐specific, non‐CRC‐specific, and all‐cause mortality by FABP‐4 levels measured in baseline blood samples from 1371 incident CRC cases from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. Competing risk analyses were adapted for CRC …

Introducing A New Frontier In The Journal Of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine: An Interdisciplinary Approach Throughout The Lifespan: The Pediatric Brain Injury Section, Michael Green, Glendaliz Bosques, Kimberly Davis, Brenda Eagan-Johnson, Carty Husted

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

The Promise Of Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Stress-Reduction Strategy For Testicular Cancer Survivors' Health-Related Quality Of Life, Michael J. Rovito, Colin F. Mahony, Kamalie Thomas, Keith Brazendale, Ciaran Fairman Ph.D., Cscs, Cet

Faculty Publications

Background: Testicular cancer (TC) disproportionately affects younger men and carries unique psychosocial and physiological consequences that extend well beyond treatment. Despite favorable survival rates, TC survivors frequently report diminished health-related quality of life (HRQoL). These burdens are often compounded by masculinity-related identity disruptions, fear of recurrence, sexual dysfunction, and a lack of tailored psychosocial support. Existing interventions remain limited, with most programs focused on physical rehabilitation or early detection. Few address the multidimensional stressors that shape the TC survivorship experience.

Aims: This narrative review examines the literature on HRQoL among TC survivors and evaluates the potential of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) …

Cellstaar: Incorporating Single-Cell-Sequencing-Based Functional Data To Boost Power In Rare Variant Association Testing Of Noncoding Regions, Eric Van Buren, Yi Zhang, Xihao Li, Margaret Sunitha Selvaraj, Zilin Li, Nicholette D. Palmer, Donna K. Arnett, John Blangero, Eric Boerwinkle, Joanne E. Curran, Ravi Duggirala

School of Medicine Publications

Understanding how rare genetic variants influence complex traits remains a major challenge, particularly when these variants lie in noncoding regions of the genome. The effects of variants within candidate cis-regulatory elements (cCREs) often depend on the cell type, making interpretation difficult. Here we introduce cellSTAAR, which integrates whole-genome sequencing data with single-cell assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing data to capture variability in chromatin accessibility across cell types via the construction of cell-type-specific functional annotations and regulatory elements. To reflect the uncertainty in cCRE–gene linking, cellSTAAR uses a comprehensive strategy to link cCREs to their target genes. We applied …

Less Self, Less Fear: Manipulation Of The Self Using Virtual Out-Of-Body Experiences To Alter The Conscious And Unconscious Experience Of Emotion, Dillon Freed

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study investigated whether adopting an out-of-body perspective in virtual reality (VR) reduces subjective and physiological emotional responses to vicarious pain stimuli compared to inhabiting a first-person embodied avatar. Twenty-four participants experienced two counterbalanced VR conditions: (1) Avatar Embodiment (AV), in which they inhabited a photorealistic avatar from a first-person perspective, and (2) a Virtual Out-of-Body Experience (vOBE), in which they observed their avatar from a displaced third-person perspective. In both conditions, participants viewed a standardized series of vicarious pain images while electrodermal activity was recorded and self-report measures of embodiment (AV) and disembodiment (the vOBE state), emotional intensity (a …

Protein Allostery Probed By Ligands Across Sites, Virgil A. Woods

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Allostery is a pervasive regulatory principle throughout biology, yet the structural pathways by which distal inputs alter active‑site chemistry within protein structures remain incompletely defined and exploited. This dissertation uses protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) as a tractable model to map those pathways with complementary experimental and computational tools. I integrate high‑resolution hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS), room-temperature crystallography, NMR, steady-state kinetics, crystallographic pseudo-ensembles, and machine-learning-guided ligand discovery. The working premise is that regulation reflects redistribution within a conformational ensemble rather than a binary switch. That orthogonal perturbations by small molecules, mutations, and protein partners can be used to both …

Local Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (Ace2) Enzymatic Activity Modulates Cholinergic Interneuron Function In The Dorsolateral Striatum, Aria R. Walls

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The renin angiotensin system (RAS) is an ancestrally ancient peptidergic signaling pathway best known for its role regulating blood pressure in the periphery. However, its presence and importance in the central nervous system has more recently been identified and is less well understood. Previous work shows RAS is expressed in the nigrostriatal pathway of the basal ganglia and has been implicated in basal ganglia disorders including Parkinson’s disease (PD) and levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). Interestingly, the canonical and noncanonical arms of the RAS pathway produce opposite effects on PD disease vulnerability and progression. The shift from the neurodegenerative canonical RAS to …

Computational And Functional Characterization Of Terebrid Venom Peptides, Favour T. Achimba

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Venom peptides represent a natural repertoire of bioactive compounds that are potent modulators of ion channels. Teretoxins, venom peptides from terebrid snails, remain underexplored despite their structural and functional diversity. This thesis is the first to comprehensively explore the structure and function of teretoxins using a comparative computational sequence and structure model followed by experimental assays. The majority of the functional focus has been on identifying the ion channel molecular targets of uncharacterized teretoxins. Teretoxins, like other venom peptides, are hypothesized to manipulate the cellular function of a diversity of ion channels. Dysregulation of ion channels leads to several …

Humanity Is Evolving Its Consciousness: The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding Weeding Out And Alignment Process, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Humanity is evolving its consciousness at individual and collective levels.  Given these seemingly tumultuous times, as of this writing (January 2026), to make such a statement may sound like a strange thing to say.  However, I suggest that if you are alive today and if you are reading these words, these are the very times for which you were born—to assist Humanity as it evolves its consciousness with your unique gifts, whatever they may be.  That is, this period of our individual and collective human being-ness may be characterized as an unfolding period of weeding out and alignment with the …

An Impact Assessment Of The Effectiveness Of Utilizing Informal Health Communication Interventions To Spread Health Recommendations And Change Public Perception, Lina Mohamed Ezzat Ahmed Abdel Mawgoud

Theses and Dissertations

Brain health is an increasingly urgent but critically under-addressed public health priority in Egypt and the wider MENA region. Despite its centrality to aging, productivity, and overall quality of life, public understanding of brain health remains limited, and stigma continues to shape responses to dementia and cognitive decline. This study evaluates the effectiveness of informal, culturally adapted health communication as a tool to shift perception, increase awareness, and promote behavior change among non-medically trained adults in Egypt.

Grounded in global evidence on cognitive reserve, neuroplasticity, and the life-course approach to brain health, the intervention translated expert-informed brain health recommendations into …

Fighting The Black Snake: The Dapl And The Case For Indigenous Environmental Stewardship, Kenny Moll

Student Theses 2015-Present

This thesis analyzes the current scope of environmental injustice on Native lands in the U.S. Specifically it examines The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and its impacts on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North Dakota. Western colonialism and capitalism have dominated North American ecosystems since their forcible introduction hundreds of years ago, causing the commodification of natural resources and leading to injustices such as that of the “Black Snake.” However, the story of The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s resistance will be analyzed through the framework of Indigenous philosophy and environmental justice. Chapter 1 analyzes the implementation of the DAPL and …

A Simple And Affordable Protocol To Assess Censer Seed Dispersal: First Confirmation Of The Mechanism In The Genus Solanum, Abigail J. Motter, Christopher T. Martine, Melody P. Sain

Faculty Journal Articles

The censer seed dispersal mechanism, whereby mature fruits are retained on plants and seeds dispersed by mechanical shaking, is among the most specialized wind-aided seed dispersal strategies employed by the flowering plants. An efficient, affordable, and easily repeatable protocol for determining whether a species uses this unusual mechanism of seed dispersal is lacking. Our focal species, Solanum tudununggae, is one of just two Solanum species (in a fleshy-fruited genus of ca. 1200 species) hypothesized to use this dispersal mechanism as a means to move seeds farther from parent plants than would gravity alone.

Kernel Density Estimate (Kde) Surfaces Of Wintering Tidal Marsh Birds Along The Mississippi Gulf Coast, Carlos Ramirez-Reyes, Kristine O. Evans, Mark S. Woodrey, Rachel V. Anderson, Jared Feura, Landon R. Jones, Raymond B. Iglay

Research Data

This dataset accompanies the article Spatial patterns of habitat use of wintering tidal marsh birds along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and includes kernel density estimate (KDE) raster layers describing spatial patterns of bird abundance and community richness derived from winter bird surveys. The study examined landscape features associated with the occurrence and spatial distribution of eight tidal marsh bird species during the non-breeding season along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Using field observations collected along fixed transects, the analysis evaluated differences between occupied and unoccupied transects, associations between bird occurrence and landscape-level predictors at ecologically relevant spatial scales, and species co-occurrence …

The Innovative Food Choice Map As A Bottom-Up Mixed-Methods Approach To Studying Food Choice Motivations, Uyen Thuy Xuan Phan, Edgar Chambers Iv

Food Science Faculty Articles and Research

This study presents the innovative Food Choice Map (iFCM) as a methodological innovation for investigating food choice motivations using an integrated qualitative and quantitative approach. One hundred in-depth interviews were conducted with adults living in the United States, during which participants constructed individualized visual maps of their typical weekly diet. These maps documented specific foods and beverages, eating occasions, frequencies of consumption, and self-articulated motivations for each choice. Using a bottom-up framework grounded in real consumption events, qualitative data were inductively coded into fifteen motivation constructs, which were subsequently analyzed using Correspondence Analysis to demonstrate how motivational patterns can be …

Effects Of Hydro- And Nano-Priming Treatments On Seed Germination And Metabolism In Sugar Beet (Beta Vulgaris L.), Sarah Jorjani, Ömer Can Ünüvar, Songül Gürel, Ekrem Gürel

Turkish Journal of Botany

This study examined the effects of hydropriming and nanopriming on the germination and physiological parameters of sugar beet seeds. Seeds were treated with distilled water as a traditional method and with TiO2 nanoparticle solutions at concentrations of 5, 10, and 15 ppm as an advanced method. Seeds were soaked for 3, 6, and 9 h, followed by postpriming maintenance for 10 and 45 days. T he results indicated no statistically significant differences in germination rates between the control and primed groups. Both priming methods markedly increased alpha-amylase activity and chlorophyll content, indicating improved metabolic and photosynthetic potential. Notably, nanopriming for …

Modeling Global Ecological Niche Shifts Of Osyris Spp. Under Climate Change Scenarios: Conservation Priorities For A Threatened Genus, Meng Ting-Yao, Han Shun-Long, He Xiang-Tian, Wu Ya-Ni, Fengjuan Mou

Turkish Journal of Botany

The genus Osyris L. comprises ecologically and economically important evergreen shrubs or small trees, with particular African species currently threatened by unsustainable exploitation. This study projected potential ecological niche shifts for Osyris under four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) using digitized herbarium specimen localities and 20 environmental variables. The genus currently occupies a broad range between 41.32°N–34.85°S latitude and 9.27°W–109.03°E longitude, at elevations from 0 to 3900 m. High-suitability areas cluster primarily in the European-Mediterranean region, eastern/southern Africa, western South America, and Southeast Asia. Projections indicate a significant decline in high-suitability area under all SSP scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, SSP370, SSP585) compared …

A Novel Strategy Of Mycorrhizal Fungi Usage To Enhance Crop Resilience In Saline Environments: Biopriming With Serendipita Indica, Tuğba Özteki̇n, Meli̇sa Ayişiği, Lale Yildiz Aktaş

Turkish Journal of Botany

Soil salinization is a critical global challenge, threatening agricultural productivity by imposing osmotic stress, ionic toxicity, and oxidative imbalance in plants. This study investigated the potential of Serendipita indica biopriming to enhance salt stress tolerance in maize (Zea mays L. cv. Simon) seedlings through comprehensive physiological and biochemical analyses under controlled conditions. Maize seeds were bioprimed with different concentrations of mycorrhizal fungi S. indica spores and exposed to varying NaCl concentrations (0, 50, 100, and 200 mM). Nonprimed maize seedlings had a gradual reduction in seed vigor index, reaching about 93.56% in 200 mM NaCl treatment. Under nonsaline conditions, S. …

Taxonomic Significance Of Stem And Leaf Anatomy And Pollen And Seed Micromorphological Characters In The Papaver (Poppy) Sect. Rhoeadium From Türkiye, Esengül Özkaymakoğlu, Osman Tugay, Yavuz Bülent Köse, Deni̇z Ulukuş, Bayram Atasagun, Meti̇n Armağan, Ferhat Celep

Turkish Journal of Botany

The poppy (Papaver) has beautiful flowers that attract the attention of not only taxonomists but also the public. However, it also presents several taxonomic problems. This study examines 13 taxa of Papaver sect. Rhoeadium, including the following species native to Türkiye: P. purpureomarginatum, P. dubium subsp. dubium, P. dubium subsp. laevigatum, P. arachnoideum, P. arenarium, P. commutatum subsp. euxinum, P. guerlekense, P. rhopalothece, P. stylatum, P. clavatum, P. syriacum, P. rhoeas, and P. postii. Plant specimens were collected from natural populations, and anatomical investigations were carried out on stem and leaf cross-sections. Pollen and seed features were examined using both …

Complete Genome Characterization Of A New Alphapartitivirus Identified In The Ectomycorrhizal Fungus Lactarius Mediterraneensis, Aigul Kali̇yeva, Ergi̇n Şahi̇n, Gülce Edi̇ş, Ilgaz Akata

Turkish Journal of Botany

Viruses that naturally infect fungi capable of forming mycorrhizal symbioses remain poorly studied. In the present study, a new partitivirus associated with the basidiomycete mycorrhizal fungus Lactarius mediterraneensis was identified and characterized, and it was designated as Lactarius mediterraneensis partitivirus 1 (LmPV1). The complete genome of LmPV1 was determined through high throughput sequencing of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) extracts and confirmed by Sanger sequencing of RLM-RACE PCR amplicons. T he genome comprises two dsRNA segments, 1899 bp and 1957 bp, each containing a single open reading frame (ORF) a putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and a capsid protein (CP). Comparative analysis …

Hormetic Doses Of Lead Metal Ion Stimulated Photosynthetic Attributes In Brassica Juncea  During Various Stages Of Growth, Shalini Dhiman, Arun Dev Singh, Nitika Kapoor, Renu Bhardwaj

Turkish Journal of Botany

Low doses of lead (Pb) ions were used in the present study to investigate their effects on photosynthetic efficiency in Brassica juncea. Plants of B. juncea grown for 30, 45, and 60 days were analysed for root and shoot length, pigment content, gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, primary and secondary metabolites, and nonenzymatic antioxidant responses under exposure to hormetic doses of Pb2+. The findings show that low levels of Pb2+ (especially 18- and 36-µM Pb treatments) improve gas exchange metrics, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, root and shoot growth, and increased amounts of chlorophyll, carotenoid, xanthophyll and low amounts of pheophytin as compared …

Updating Misev: When, What, How, And Why?, Naveed Akbar, Dylan Burger, Benedetta Bussolati, Edit Buzás, Randy Carney, Young-Eun Cho, Tom Driedonks, Juan Manuel Falcon-Perez, Yu Fujita, Deborah Goberdhan, An Hendrix, Yiyao Huang, Suresh Mathivanan, Mỹ Mahoney, Sujata Mohanty, Andreas Möller, Nicole Noren Hooten, Stefano Pluchino, Carlos Salomon, Ana Claudia Torrecilhas, Sara Veiga, Kenneth Witwer

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Mycorrhiza-Mediated Physiological Responses Of Shallot Against Twisted Disease And Drought Stress, Krisnanda Surya Dharma, Ani Widiastuti, Suryanti Suryanti

Turkish Journal of Botany

Shallot, a strategic horticultural commodity in Indonesia, is susceptible to biotic stress (e.g., twisted disease) and abiotic stress (e.g., drought). Mycorrhizal fungi offer an environmentally friendly solution to enhance plant resilience. This study evaluated the effects of mycorrhizal application on shallot plants against twisted disease (Fusarium acutatum) and drought stress. Using a randomized complete block design, we assessed growth, disease resistance, and physiological responses. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s honestly significant difference test at a 95% confidence level. Results indicated that mycorrhizal application reduced both the severity and rate of twisted disease development in shallots. …

The Origin Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Depends On Metabolic Zonation, Jason Guo, Roger Liang, Andrew Chung, Zhijie Li, Boyuan Li, Eric Chen, Lin Li, Jingjing Wang, Meng-Hsiung Hsieh, Ivy Xiangyi Fang, Benjamin Kroger, Yunguan Wang, Min Zhu, Xiongzhao Ren, Greg Mannino, Yuemeng Jia, Yonglong Wei, Stephen Moore, Daniel J Siegwart, Stephen S Chung, Zixi Wang, Tripti Sharma, Suman Komjeti, Yi Han, Purva Gopal, Guanghua Xiao, Tao Wang, Hao Zhu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The origin of cancer is poorly understood because premalignant cells are rarely followed in their native environments. Although the spatial compartmentalization of metabolic functions is critical for proper liver function, it is unknown whether cancers arise from some zones but not others and whether there are metabolic determinants of cancer risk. Zone-specific, mosaic introduction of Ctnnb1 (catenin beta 1) and Arid2 (AT-rich interaction domain 2) mutations, commonly co-mutated genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), in mouse models showed that position and metabolic context determine clone fates. Ctnnb1/Arid2-driven cancers were much more likely to arise in zone 3. The …

Downregulation Of Slc40a1 Leads To Iron Accumulation In Fibrotic Lung Fibroblasts, Quanjin Dang, Chaoqun Huang, Yurong Liang, Akshaya Surendran, Dharanya Muthiah, Kishore Vaddadi, Sankha Hewawasam, Tingting W Mills, Lin Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Iron is an essential nutrient for almost all organisms. However, excess iron generates reactive oxygen species and causes tissue injuries. Iron is implicated in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). In this study, we examined iron accumulation in fibrotic lung fibroblasts and the underlying mechanisms. We hypothesize that the downregulation of Solute Carrier Family 40 Member 1 (SLC40A1) results in iron accumulation in lung fibroblasts of IPF patients. Using a Prussian Blue iron staining, we found that iron accumulated in the fibrotic region of the lungs from IPF patients and bleomycin- and asbestos-induced lung fibrosis mice. Iron was partially co-localized with the …

An Application-Based Ontological Knowledge Base Of Medications To Support Health Literacy And Adherence For The Consumer Population: An Aging Population Use Case, Clifford Chen, Muhammad Amith, Kirk Roberts, Rebecca Mauldin, Renata Komalasari, Cui Tao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Interseeding Cover Crops Into Corn In The Intermountain West, Matt Yost, Jenae Dean, Michael Pace, Tony Richards, Andrew Wallace, Jacob Hadfield, Steven Hines, Cody Zesiger, Jody Gale, Rhonda Miller, Earl Creech, Matt Palmer

All Current Publications

Interseeding cover crops into corn may provide many benefits, such as weed suppression, nitrogen fixation from legume covers, and, most importantly, soil cover and forage for livestock after corn harvest. It also has the potential to negatively impact corn production if competition with covers for water and nutrients is too high. The purpose of this guide is to discuss recent research and experience with interseeding cover crops in the Intermountain West.

Drought × Herbivory Induce Leaf Trichomes In Soybean With Differential Impact On Its Major Herbivore Soybean Looper Chrysodeixis Includens, Manish Gautam, Karen Alanis, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Trichomes have been well studied as a physical defense against stress. With climate change, stressors like drought and/or herbivory can have exacerbated effects on crop morpho-physiology. However, the interactive effects of such stressors on physical defenses like trichomes and their effects on herbivores is poorly understood. To examine this, soybean plants were exposed to a major herbivore, soybean looper (SBL) (Chrysodeixis includens Walker), under simulated drought conditions to examine the interactive effects of drought and herbivory (D × H) on leaf trichomes. Additionally, SBL growth traits were monitored under different leaf diet concentrations (10% and 20%) and trichome enriched diets …

The Cortico-Cortical And Subcortical Circuits Of The Human Brain Language Centers Including The Dual Limbic And Language Functioning Fiber Tracts, Arash Kamali, Nithya P Narayana, Anastasia Loiko, Anusha Gandhi, Paul E Schulz, Nitin Tandon, Manish N Shah, Vinodh A Kumar, Larry A Kramer, Jay-Jiguang Zhu, Haris Sair, Roy F Riascos, Khader M Hasan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/Objectives: In recent years, MRI-based diffusion-weighted tractography techniques have uncovered additional white matter pathways that have significant roles in language processing and production. In this review, we aim to outline the major language centers of the brain and major language pathways along with association tracts that serve dual roles in both the language and limbic systems. According to the current dual-stream model of language processing, the brain's language network is organized into a dorsal stream, responsible for mapping sound to articulation, and a ventral stream, which maps sound to meaning.

Materials and Methods: The literature cited in this …