Digital Commons Network^™

Isolation Of Three Strains Of Cordyceps Militaris And Determination Of Their Active Compounds And Antioxidant Effects, Yun Meng, Yifang Zhang, Jinduo Shi, Dun Wang

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] The strains with high-yield for active compounds such as cordycepin and cordycepic acid were screened from Cordyceps militaris (C.militaris ) collected in Shaanxi Hualongshan National Nature Reserve.[Method ] Three strains LH 3,LY1,and LY 9 of C.militaris were isolated and identified.The yields of the primary active compounds,hydroxyl radical scavenging activity,and cellular oxidative protection activity in the extracts of the mycelial and fermentation broth of each strain were determined.[Result ] The yields of cordycepic acid,crude polyphenols,and crude polysaccharides,which were the main active compounds of C.militaris,were the highest in the mycelia extract of strain LY 9,with values of 2.94,28.79,65.01 mg/g,respectively,while the …

Bifidobacterium Adolescentis Fhnfq 5m4 Modulates Gut Microbiota And Alleviates Colitis In Mice, Yi Wang, Liming Huang, Xihua Yu, Liuruolan Li, Wenwei Lu, Hongchao Wang, Zhijian Zhang

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] This study aims to verify and screen the Bifidobacterium adolescentis strains with vitamin A (VA) metabolic capacity,and investigate their effects on colitis symptoms and gut microbiota in mice.[Method ] The VA metabolic capacity of a panel of Bifidobacterium adolescentis strains was evaluated through in vitro fermentation,and the strain with the highest VA metabolic capacity was ultimately selected.This strain was administered orally to mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS )-induced colitis for 6 consecutive days.After the intervention,histopathological changes in the colonic tissue were assessed,and the levels of intestinal injury markers in the serum and cytokines,antioxidant enzymes,and retinoic acid (RA) …

Screening And Characterization Of Yeast Strains From Naturally Fermented Rosa Roxburghii Pomace, Yong Li, Fang Yuan, Yu Fu, Luo Peng

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] This study aimed to develop high-quality fermented Rosa roxburghii (R.roxburghii ) products by screening yeast strains suitable for R.roxburghii fermentation.[Method ] The naturally fermented R.roxburghi pomace was used as the material for preliminary screening through the TTC colorimetric method and secondary screening based on fermentation capacity.The tolerance of strains to SO 2,ethanol,low pH,and glucose was examined.The strains were identified via morphological characterization and molecular biological techniques.[Result ] Three high-performing strains (B17,B19,and B29) were obtained.These strains exhibited tolerance to 250 mg/L SO 2,mass fraction 60% glucose,volume fraction 8% ethanol,and pH 3.5 environment.B17 and B 29 were identified as Pichia …

Isolation , Identification , And Whole Genome Sequencing Of Lactic Acid Bacteria From Pit Mud Of Jiangxiangxing Baijiu, Heou Huang, Cheng Wu, Shaojuan Yang, Dan Xie, Wenyu Zhao, Junlin Yang, Jianfeng Hu, Feng Hu, Diqiang Wang

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] This study aims to develop functional microbial strain resources from the pit mud of Jiangxiangxing Baijiu and explore their potential in optimizing the fermentation process and improving Baijiu quality.[Method ] Lactic acid bacteria were screened from the pit mud of Jiangxiangxing Baijiu by the spread plate method and then identified by morphological and molecular biological methods.The metabolites of the strains were detected by high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography,and the whole genomes of the strains were sequenced via the Illumina sequencing technology.[Result ] Eleven strains of lactic acid bacteria were isolated and screened from the pit mud …

Co-Expression And Application Of Enzymes For Preparation Of Β-Nicotinamide Mononucleotide, Jiehu Liu, Lingqia Su, Huixian Fu, Jing Wu

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] This study aims to reduce the cost and simplify the production process of β-nicotinamide mononucleotide (β-NMN ) by the enzyme catalytic method.[Method ] On the basis of the previously established β-NMN synthesis system with six enzymes,the six enzyme genes were combined in pairs to construct double-enzyme co-expression recombinant strains.Each crude enzyme solution obtained by co-expression was used for multi-enzyme catalytic cascade reaction to synthesize β-NMN.[Result ] The yield of β-NMN was as high as 72.90% when the concentration of the substrate D-ribose was 10 mmol/L.The optimal temperature and IPTG induction concentration for inducing the enzyme expression of the …

Diverse Cell Types Establish A Pathogenic Immune Environment In Peripheral Neuropathy, Julie Choi

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Neuroinflammation plays a complex and context-dependent role in many neurodegenerative diseases. We identified a key pathogenic function of macrophages in a mouse model of a rare human congenital neuropathy in which SARM1, the central executioner of axon degeneration, is activated by hypomorphic mutations in the axon survival factor NMNAT2. Macrophage depletion blocked and reversed neuropathic phenotypes in this sarmopathy model, revealing SARM1-dependent neuroimmune mechanisms as key drivers of disease pathogenesis. In this study, we investigated the impact of chronic subacute SARM1 activation on the peripheral nerve milieu using single cell/nucleus RNA-sequencing (sc/snRNA-seq). Our analyses reveal an expansion of immune cells …

Structure And Function Of Type 1 Pilus Assembly Machinery In Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli, Ryan Bitter

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Gram-negative bacteria produce chaperone-usher pathway (CUP) pili, which are extracellular adhesive protein fibers critical for host-pathogen interactions. An outer-membrane usher protein, together with a periplasmic chaperone, assembles thousands of pilin subunits into a pilus fiber. Each pilus is tipped by an adhesin that mediates host and tissue tropisms by binding to receptors with stereochemical specificity. Type 1 pili expressed by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are essential virulence factors in urinary tract infections (UTIs) and facilitate attachment to mannosylated glycoproteins on bladder epithelial cells. Although type 1 pili have been extensively studied, critical gaps remain in our understanding of the molecular …

Nueva Metodología De Análisis Para Determinar El Delito Ambiental De Ecocidio Por Glifosato En Cultivos Permanentes De Coca En Colombia, Rosalina González Forero, Jerry H. Kavouras, Érika González Ruiz

Biology Department Faculty Articles

El crimen organizado transnacional ha sido nefasto para el territorio colombiano, en especial el asociado a la producción de coca en la última década, lo que ha generado impactos económicos y sociales debido al aumento del conflicto e inseguridad en las zonas de influencia del cultivo. Esto se debe a que en el 2023 se tenían 230 000 hectáreas sembradas, lo que representa el 20 % de la superficie del país, con un impacto ambiental no cuantificado en términos penales. Este requiere de acciones de entidades estatales, así como de cooperación internacional, para adaptar estrategias y poder judicializar estos delitos …

Rna’S Symphony: Harmonizing Splice Junctions And Exon Counts For A Novel Approach To Differential Splicing Analysis, Jelard Aquino

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Alternative Splicing (AS) plays a critical role in transcriptome complexity and cell-type-specific gene regulation, yet its analysis remains methodologically fragmented, especially in the context of noisy and sparse single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. This dissertation addresses key computational challenges in AS detection by evaluating existing tools, developing integrative frameworks, and proposing new strategies for improving analysis accuracy in both bulk and single-cell contexts. In chapter 1, I present a comprehensive literature review of computational tools designed for detecting and quantifying AS from bulk and scRNA-seq data. This review outlines major methodological paradigms, including exon-based and splice junction-based approaches, and evaluates …

Effects Of Body Armor On Respiratory Muscle Fatigue And Muscle Blood Flow During Progressive Treadmill Marching, Kathryn Bell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Torso-borne loads such as body armor are essential for modern military operations but impose mechanical and metabolic strain. These physiological stressors can trigger the inspiratory metaboreflex, which redirects blood flow from locomotor to respiratory muscles, further reducing muscle oxygen and endurance. While aerobic fitness has been shown to alleviate these effects, the interaction between sex, aerobic capacity, and oxygenation under load is not well understood. This study examined the physiological effects of torso-borne load carriage on respiratory muscle fatigue, skeletal muscle oxygenation, and exercise performance to volitional exhaustion and the degree to which sex and aerobic capacity influence these …

Hot Spring Associated Infectious Diseases In The Great Basin And Southwest, Matthew Bentz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Like all bodies of freshwater, natural hot springs can harbor pathogenic microorganisms that carry the threat of infectious disease. The unique chemistry, increased temperature, and popularity for bathing may alter the risk profile of hot springs compared to other natural bodies of water. Despite this risk, the role of hot springs as a reservoir for infectious diseases remains understudied, particularly within the context of regional public health. Nevada and the Great Basin/Southwest have increasingly promoted hot springs for the purposes of tourism, and they share a strong link to the cultural heritage of the region. The unknown risk profile and …

Morphological And Transcriptional Responses Of Mammalian Cells To Glucose Stress, Cassandra Burke

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Organismal cells encounter varying conditions, including daily and potentially seasonal fluctuations in available glucose. While some species tightly regulate circulating glucose levels, others tolerate extreme fluctuations, such as frugivorous bats experiencing post-prandial hyperglycemia and hibernating mammals maintaining stable glucose through torpor and hibernation. To investigate how these species-specific strategies influence cellular responses to glucose perturbation, primary dermal fibroblasts from nine mammals – humans, rats, Egyptian fruit bats, brown bear, 13-lined ground squirrel, little brown bat, gelada, honey badger, and Bactrian camel – were exposed to hypoglycemic (2.5mM), baseline (8mM), or hyperglycemic (30mM) treatment. Cell morphology was evaluated using Cell Painting, …

An Analysis Of The Influence Of Human Disease Pathogens On Core Behaviors Of The Black-Legged Tick, Emily F. Marinko

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Ixodes scapularis, the black-legged or deer tick, is a vector for several different disease-causing microbes, including the causative agent of Lyme disease. As such, it is a major health concern for people living within its range in the eastern half of the United States, a habitation area that is increasing due to climate change. Despite its medical relevance as a disease vector, there is still much to learn about the basic behavior of these arachnids in the wild. Thus, the major hypothesis of this thesis is that ticks that are infected with specific human disease-causing microbes behave differently than those …

Kinase Suppressor Of Ras 2 Regulates Energy Balance And Tumor Initiation, Dianna H. Huisman

Theses & Dissertations

Kinase Suppressor of Ras 2 (KSR2) is a scaffold that facilitates Raf-MEK-ERK signaling and is expressed in the brain, pituitary, and adrenal gland. Here, we demonstrate that KSR2 functions in the adult brain to maintain organismal energy balance and in small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) to promote self-renewal and clonogenicity. Disruption of KSR2 in adult mice results in hyperphagia, obesity, reduced metabolic rate, and altered activity. Using spatial transcriptomics, we identify regions of the brain associated with regulation of feeding and energy expenditure with altered gene expression following KSR2 disruption. These findings reveal regions of interest in which targeted KSR2 disruption …

Claudin-1-Mediated Signaling And Therapy Resistance In Colorectal Cancer: From Mechanism To Translation, Mark W. Primeaux

Theses & Dissertations

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, with metastatic cases showing poor response to chemotherapy due to both intrinsic and acquired therapy resistance. Claudin-1 (CLDN1), a tight junction protein, is overexpressed and mislocalized outside of tight junctions in CRC, where it contributes to an aggressive, metastatic phenotype. Although this causal relationship has been well established, the mechanisms by which CLDN1 promotes tumor progression were unclear due to its lack of intrinsic enzymatic activity. This dissertation investigates the molecular mechanisms through which CLDN1 drives oncogenic signaling, its role in therapy resistance, and its translational potential as both a …

Scientist Perspectives: A Correlation Analysis Of Translational Science Competencies Compared With Principles Of Engagement And Knowledge Integration, Rachel Wenzl

Theses & Dissertations

The competencies identified in the development of the “Fundamental Characteristics of the Translational Scientist” may not consider and fully integrate the concepts of knowledge integration and engagement, key components of the translational science spectrum. This gap may be widening and deepening the “valley of death” and exacerbating ongoing challenges in the field of translational science. This dissertation explored the association of knowledge integration, stakeholder engagement, and community engagement principles compared with translational science competencies.

Utilizing content review and a non-experimental, correlation study design, data were collected through a quantitative survey from adult research subjects all self-identified as a research investigator …

Role Of Stabilin-1 Expressing Macrophages In Colorectal Liver Metastasis, Jampa L. Gurung

Theses & Dissertations

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 2nd most common cause of cancer-related mortality, primarily due to its spread to distant organs. Colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) is the foremost form of CRC spread due to the anatomical link between the liver and intestine. Despite advancements in diagnostic tools and adjuvant therapies, the survival rate of CRLM remains low, indicating the significant need to identify targetable mechanisms. Stabilin-1 (STAB1), a scavenger receptor expressed on tumor-associated macrophages, has been linked to tumorigenesis and poor outcomes in various cancers. However, the role of STAB1 in CRLM is not known. Here, we investigated the role of …

Empowering Science With The World's First High Accuracy And High Throughput Functional Assay, Christopher Giacoletto

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Understanding the functional consequences of genetic mutations remains a central challenge in modern biology, with far-reaching implications for human health and disease. While early systematic methods like alanine scanning and phage display provided foundational insights into protein structure and function, the emergence of high-throughput approaches—such as Multiplexed Assays of Variant Effect (MAVEs)—and predictive tools powered by artificial intelligence have vastly expanded our ability to profile mutational landscapes. However, these methods are often constrained by trade-offs between accuracy, scalability, and biological relevance.This dissertation presents the development and application of the GigaAssay, the world’s first high-throughput functional assay capable of delivering both …

Sox2 Regulates Foregut Squamous Epithelial Homeostasis And Is Lost During Barrett’S Esophagus Development, Ramon U Jin, Yuanwei Xu, T Mamie Lih, Yang-Zhe Huang, Toni M Nittolo, Blake E Sells, Olivia M Dres, Jean S Wang, Qing K Li, Hui Zhang, Jason C Mills

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Esophageal adenocarcinoma is increasingly prevalent and is thought to arise from Barrett's esophagus (BE), a metaplastic condition in which chronic acid and bile reflux transforms the esophageal squamous epithelium into a gastric-intestinal glandular mucosa. The molecular determinants driving this metaplasia are poorly understood. We developed a human BE organoid biobank that recapitulates BE's molecular heterogeneity. Bulk and single-cell transcriptomics, supported by patient tissue analysis, revealed that BE differentiation reflects a balance between SOX2 (foregut/esophageal) and CDX2 (hindgut/intestinal) transcription factors. Using squamous-specific inducible Sox2-KO (Krt5CreER/+ Sox2Δ/Δ ROSA26tdTomato/+) mice, we observed increased basal proliferation, reduced squamous differentiation, and expanded metaplastic glands at …

The Association Of Walking Cadence With Sleep Quality In Adults 18-65, Almothana M. Matarneh

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Sleep quality is essential to physical and mental health, influencing physiological functions including muscle recovery, hormonal balance, immune response, and cognition. Poor sleep may impact physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB), potentially contributing to reduced overall well-being. Walking cadence, the number of steps per minute, is an accessible proxy for PA intensity, but its relationship with sleep quality remains unclear. Objective: This study examined the relationship between PA, SB, and sleep quality, as measured by step cadence, among adults aged 18–65 years. Methods: participants wore an ActiGraph GT3X accelerometer on the hip during waking hours and on …

Isolation And Divergence Of Greater Earless Lizards (Phrynosomatidae: Cophosaurus) In Western North America Support Multiple Diversification Processes And A Complex Demographic History, Christopher Robert Blair, Carlos Joaquín Pavón-Vázquez, Qaantah Rana, Keaka Farleigh, Erika Crispo, Thomas Panzera, Felipe De Medeiros Magalhães, Britt White, Uri Omar Garcia-Vazquez

Publications and Research

The Southwestern US and northern Mexico continue to serve as ideal regions to elucidate the suite of ecological and evolutionary processes influencing lineage diversification. The complex geological history of arid North America, coupled with paleoclimate change during the Pleistocene and diverse ecoregions makes a multipronged approach to hypothesis testing necessary. We combine thousands of loci from a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach along with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from the Greater Earless Lizard (Cophosaurus texanus) to examine diversity and test for cryptic population structure. We also apply recently developed coalescent approaches in a Bayesian framework to estimate migration rates. Population …

Outcomes Of Patients With Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia With Flt3-Tyrosine Kinase Domain Mutations: Prognostic Implications Of Npm1 Co-Mutation, Sankalp Arora, Wei-Ying Jen, Musa Yilmaz, Indraneel Deshmukh, Jayastu Senapati, Sanam Loghavi, Ghayas C Issa, Nicholas J Short, Tapan M Kadia, Courtney D Dinardo, Gautam Borthakur, Joseph Jabbour, Naveen Pemmaraju, Michael Andreeff, Koichi Takahashi, Kapil Bhalla, Uday Popat, Elizabeth J Shpall, Betul Oran, Hussein A Abbas, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Farhad Ravandi, Hagop Kantarjian, Naval Daver

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The prognostic impact of Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3)-tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) mutation in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is not well defined. The authors described outcomes of one of the largest cohorts of patients with FLT3-TKD mutated (FLT3-TKDmut) AML to date.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients with newly diagnosed AML who received frontline treatment at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from January 2012 to March 2024 divided into two cohorts: FLT3-TKDmut AML and nucleophosmin-mutated (NPM1mut)/FLT3-TKD wild-type (FLT3-TKDwt) AML. Patients with FLT3 internal tandem duplication mutations were excluded.

Results: In total, 2922 patients were …

Lipidomic And Proteomic Insights From Extracellular Vesicles In The Postmortem Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Reveal Substance Use Disorder-Induced Brain Changes, Chioma M Okeoma, Wasifa Naushad, Bryson C Okeoma, Carlos Gartner, Yulica Santos-Ortega, Calvin Vary, Savio Lima-Bastos, Victor Corasolla Carregari, Martin R Larsen, Alessio Noghero, Consuelo Walss-Bass, Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Substance use disorder (SUD) significantly increases the risk of neurotoxicity, inflammation, oxidative stress, and impaired neuroplasticity. The activation of inflammatory pathways by substances may lead to reactive astrogliosis and chronic neuroinflammation, potentially mediated by the release of extracellular particles (EPs), such as extracellular condensates (ECs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs). These particles, which reflect the physiological, pathophysiological, and metabolic states of their cells of origin, might carry molecular signatures indicative of SUD. In particular, our study investigated neuroinflammatory signatures in SUD patients by isolating EVs from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) Brodmann's area 9 (BA9) from postmortem subjects. We isolated BA9-derived …

Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Trial Of Oral Hymecromone In Adults With Pulmonary Hypertension, Kathryn Czepiel, Nadine Nagy, Tamera Panjalingam, Anissa Kalinowski, Adam R Frymoyer, Harry Karmouty-Quintana, Bo Gu, Haley Hedlin, Gernot Kaber, Sylvie Dobrota Lai, Joelle I Rosser, Paul L Bollyky, Vinicio De Jesus Perez, Roham T Zamanian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive cardiopulmonary condition associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The extracellular matrix component hyaluronan (HA) is linked to vascular remodelling and interstitial fibrosis in PH. We hypothesised that inhibition of HA synthesis with hymecromone could serve as a reverse-remodelling therapy in PH.

Methods: We performed a proof-of-concept phase IIa randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension and PH associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD). Patients were randomised to a 5:3 ratio and stratified by PH group to receive oral hymecromone or placebo two times per day over 24 weeks. The primary …

Mathematical Modeling And Association Analysis Decipher The Impact Of The Gut Microbiome On Cancer Immunotherapy, Andreas G Hadjigeorgiou, Constantinos Harkos, Aditya K Mishra, Golnaz Morad, Sarah B Johnson, Nadim J Ajami, Jennifer A Wargo, Lance L Munn, Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos, Rakesh K Jain

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The gut microbiome has emerged as a key regulator of response to cancer immunotherapy. However, a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which the microbiome influences immunotherapy is needed to identify strategies to optimize outcomes. To this end, we developed a mathematical model to obtain insights into the effect of the microbiome on the immune system and immunotherapy response. This model was based on (i) gut microbiome data derived from preclinical studies, (ii) mathematical modeling of the antitumor immune response, (iii) association analysis of microbiome profiles with model-predicted immune profiles, and (iv) statistical models that correlate model parameters with …

Clinical, Tumor, And Product Features Associated With Outcomes After Axicabtagene Ciloleucel Therapy In Follicular Lymphoma, Soumya Poddar, Jiali Yan, Gayatri Tiwari, Darawan Rinchai, Justin Budka, Wangshu Zhang, Weixin Peng, Shruti Salunkhe, Madison Davis, Qinghua Song, Sara Beygi, Harry Miao, Mike Mattie, Rhine S Shen, Caron A Jacobson, Davide Bedognetti, Simone Filosto, Sattva S Neelapu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel), anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, demonstrated remarkable efficacy with manageable toxicity in relapsed/refractory indolent B cell lymphomas in the ZUMA-5 trial.

Methods:Here, we report associations of product attributes, serum biomarkers, clinical features, and tumor characteristics with outcome in 124 patients with follicular lymphoma (FL).

Results: In univariate and multivariate analyses, pretreatment inflammatory markers, including TNF-α and IL-12p40, as well as total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV), associated with disease progression. Conversely, T-naive–like product phenotype associated with improved outcome, particularly in patients with high TMTV. These covariates improved risk stratification when combined with the …

Contemporary Outcomes Of Octa-Nonagenarians With Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Jayastu Senapati, Hagop M Kantarjian, Tapan M Kadia, Jeannot Kekedjian, Gautam Borthakur, Naval Daver, Courtney D Dinardo, Elias Jabbour, Prithviraj Bose, Nicholas J Short, Musa Yilmaz, Nitin Jain, Naveen Pemmaraju, Hussein A Abbas, Ghayas C Issa, Abhishek Maiti, Guillermo Montalban Bravo, Indraneel Deshmukh, Elizabeth Shpall, Partow Kebriaei, Uday Popat, Sanam Loghavi, Beenu Thakral, Guilin Tang, Fadi G Haddad, Yesid Alvarado, Guillermo Garcia Manero, Farhad Ravandi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Octa-nonagenarians with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represent a high-risk group due to frequently poor performance status, adverse genomics (e.g., TP53 mutations, complex karyotype), a high incidence of secondary AML, and inability to undergo an allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Evaluating their outcomes with modern treatment approaches is important.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed outcomes of patients ≥80 years old with newly diagnosed AML treated at our center from 2013-2023.

Results: A total of 289 patients (median age, 83 years; range, 80-95 years) were included. Venetoclax containing low-intensity therapy was administered to 107 patients (37.0%). AML subtypes included de novo (123, …

Biological Control Mitigates Spread Of Vector-Borne Plant Pathogens, Kris A.G. Wyckhuys, Yi Zou, David W. Crowder, Evie Adriani, Annabelle B. Albaytar, Marie Joy B. Beltran, Ibtissem Ben Fekih, Carolina Camargo-Gil, Filomena C. Filomena, Lizette Cicero, Yelitza C. Colmenarez, Claudia M. Cuellar-Palacios, Thomas Dubois, Sanford D. Eigenbrode, Frederic Francis, Alberto Fereres, Khalid Haddi, Fathiya M. Khamis, Cécile Le Lann, Anne Le Ralec, Lorena Lopez, Baoqian Lyu, James Montoya-Lerma, Karen Muñoz-Cardenas, Ihsan Nurkomar, Paola A. Palmeros-Suarez, Jermaine D. Perier, Ricardo Ramírez-Romero

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Diseases caused by vector-borne plant pathogens cause adverse impacts on yield resilience, food security, and farmer livelihoods, which are bound to aggravate under global change. Biological control is routinely discounted as a mitigation strategy for plant diseases, partially due to scarce and inconclusive empirical support. Here, using curated field survey data for 58 persistently or semi-persistently transmitted pathogens, we employ a multi-method approach to assess the role of resident (i.e., naturally occurring) biological control agents in these pathosystems. Our meta-analyses show how in planta pathogen incidence is strongly affected by vector abundance and infectivity. Meanwhile, biological control agent density negatively …

Role Of Immunosuppressive Jnk Pathway In The Tumor Microenvironment Among Tnbc Subtypes In Ibcsg Trial 22–00, Andrea Joaquin Garcia, Takashi Semba, Mattia Rediti, Daniel J Mcgrail, Xuemei Xie, Xiaoping Wang, Dileep R Rampa, David Venet, Laurence Buisseret, Samira Majjaj, Roswitha Kammler, Marco Colleoni, Sherene Loi, Giuseppe Viale, Meredith M Regan, Françoise Rothé, Christos Sotiriou, Naoto T Ueno

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Phosphorylation of the JNK (pJNK) protein promotes an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), enhancing aggressiveness in inflammatory triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This study evaluated the role of JNK signaling using a gene signature. RNA sequencing was performed on 347 TNBC tumors from the phase 3 International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG) 22-00 trial, which evaluated adjuvant low-dose cyclophosphamide and methotrexate (CM). Immune-related tumors were identified by TNBC subtype or tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Associations between JNK and outcomes were analyzed using Cox models. Low pJNK levels were associated with better disease-free survival (DFS) in immune-related tumors. These tumors also had lower Treg …

Phosphorylation Deficient Inducible Camp Early Repressor (Icer) Modulates Tumorigenesis And Survival In A Transgenic Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Model Of Melanoma, Justin Wheelan, Melissa Rose Spigelman, Angelo Cirinelli, James Reilly, Carlos A. Molina

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer, is commonly associated with mutations in the BRAF gene, particularly BRAF^V600E, which drives tumor proliferation via the ERK1/2 signaling cascade. While BRAF inhibitors initially demonstrate efficacy, therapeutic resistance remains a significant challenge. Emerging evidence implicates the cAMP signaling pathway, particularly the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and its repressor, inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER), in melanoma progression and drug resistance. ICER, a transcriptional repressor regulated via Ras/MAPK-mediated phosphorylation and ubiquitination, is degraded in melanoma, undermining its tumor-suppressive role. In a braf^V600E; p53 (loss of function) transgenic zebrafish ( …