Digital Commons Network^™

The Prediction Of Biological Nitrogen Fixation, C. F. E. Topp, C. A. Watson, R. M. Rees, I. Sanders

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In organic farming systems, biological nitrogen (N) fixation is crucial for short-term productivity and long-term sustainability. However, the estimation of biological N fixation is fraught with difficulties, and many equations attempt to estimate the process. As part of an organic research programme, biological N fixation was measured by the ¹⁵N dilution technique in the ley phases of 2 experimental organic ley-arable rotations at 2 sites, between 1997 and 2000. Hence, N fixation has been determined on N partitioned to above-ground biomass. The measured values have been compared with N fixation estimates calculated from the equations proposed by Korsaeth & …

Using Landsat Imagery To Analyse Land Cover Change In The Njoro Watershed, Kenya, T. J. Baldyga, S. N. Miller, K. L. Driese, C. Maina-Gichaba

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In developing nations where resources are scarce and increased population pressures create stress on available resources, methods are needed to examine effects of human migration and resultant changes in land cover. Widespread availability and low cost of remotely sensed imagery and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are making such methods a reality to develop quantitative resource mapping and land cover change detection in developing nations (Sheng et al., 1997). However, difficulties arise in tropical regions when trying to analyse traditional vegetation bands (Bands 3 and 4), or indices such as NDVI because saturated pixels limit spectral distinction.

Pasture Condition Scoring, James B. Cropper

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A pasture condition score sheet has been developed for use in the United States. It has rating criteria for key indicators that are used to ascertain if some areas of pasture management could be improved. It can also help evaluate what is causing less than desirable pasture conditions. Pasture condition scoring involves the visual and tactual evaluation of ten indicators that rate a pasture's overall condition. The ten indicators are: percent desirable plants, plant cover, plant diversity, plant residue, plant vigor, percent legume, uniformity of use, livestock concentration areas, soil compaction, and erosion (sheet and rill, gully, streambank and shoreline, …

N-Mineralisation And Phosphorous: Important Elements In Decision Support For Grassland Systems, A. Lisbeth Nielsen, C. C. Hoffmann

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Leaching of N and P from extensively managed grasslands on organic soils varies considerably. In environmentally sensitive areas it is important to diminish leaching by appropriate agricultural management. In Denmark low grazing intensity and management without fertilisation have been given a high priority. The type of soil has not been equally in focus, and it seems that the effect of cutting, compared to grazing, resulting in a higher removal of nutrients (e.g. Benke et al., 1992) can be used more strategically. The objective of this case study was to combine data from management strategies with data from leaching examinations …

Artturi Assists Finnish Advisers And Farmers To Succeed In Grass-Based Dairy Production, Marketta Rinne, Pekka Huhtanen, Kaisa Kuoppala, H. Nikander, J. Nousiainen, M. Hellämäki, L. Nyholm, J. Helminen, K. Lampinen, M. Maisi, M. Korhonen

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Artturi is a collective name for a wide range of services. It is a common tool for different bodies who share an interest in strengthening grass-based dairy production in Finland: research, advisory service and industries. The Service is named after A. I. (Artturi Ilmari) Virtanen, the Finnish scientist who was awarded the Nobel prize in 1945, partly based on his work in developing the ensiling process of grass. The Artturi web site is available in Internet at: http://www.agronet.fi/artturi. Access to Artturi Services is free and no registration is required. The language used is Finnish. During summer 2003, 15,000 visits were …

Management Of Pasture Quality For Sheep On New Zealand Hill Country, D. I. Gray, J. I. Reid, P. D. Kemp, I. M. Brookes, D. Horne, Paul R. Kenyon, C. Matthew, S. T. Morris, I. Valentine

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The control of pasture quality over spring is central to the achievement of high levels of sheep performance on hill country. Despite this, with the exception of the work of Lambert et al. (2000), little is known about how farmers actually manage pasture quality. The purpose of this research was to describe how a high performing hill country farmer manages pasture quality on their sheep area over spring and from this develop a framework that will assist other farmers improve their pasture management.

Activation Of The Renin–Angiotensin–Aldosterone System Is Attenuated In Hypertensive Compared With Normotensive Pregnancy, Robin C. Shoemaker, Marko Poglitsch, Hong Huang, Katherine Vignes, Aarthi Srinivasan, Cynthia Cockerham-Morris, Aric Schadler, John Anthony Bauer, John O'Brien

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Hypertension during pregnancy increases the risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, but the mechanisms of pregnancy hypertension are not precisely understood. Elevated plasma renin activity and aldosterone concentrations play an important role in the normal physiologic adaptation to pregnancy. These effectors are reduced in patients with pregnancy hypertension, creating an opportunity to define the features of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) that are characteristic of this disorder. In the current study, we used a novel LC-MS/MS-based methodology to develop comprehensive profiles of RAAS peptides and effectors over gestation in a cohort of 74 pregnant women followed prospectively for the development …

Fear Of Sin And Fear Of God: Scrupulosity Predicts Women's Daily Experiences Of Mental Contamination Following Sexual Trauma, Alyssa C. Jones, Jordyn M. Tipsword, C. Alex Brake, Emily E. Fenlon, Thomas G. Adams Jr., Jesse P. Mccann, Christal L. Badour

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Mental contamination refers to feelings of dirtiness in response to thoughts, images, or memories. Mental contamination is frequently reported after sexual trauma and is associated with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Differences in individuals’ views about morality and purity may influence the severity of mental contamination, though this has been studied primarily outside of samples assessed for trauma and/or PTSD. The present study addressed this gap by investigating scrupulosity as a prospective predictor of daily sexual trauma–related mental contamination and PTSD symptoms. Participants included 40 adult women with a history of sexual trauma and current sexual trauma–related mental contamination …

Friction And Texture Equipment Correlation Study, David Hacker, Kean H. Ashurst Jr., Clark Graves

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) foremost goal is building and maintaining a safe road network. To accomplish this goal, KYTC needs reliable pavement friction and macrotexture data, both of which influence road performance and safety. KYTC currently measures fiction using a lock-wheel skid tester (AASHTO T 242), however, the agency has not been able to collect data at the network level due to equipment and personnel limitations. In 2020 the Cabinet commissioned a study to collect friction and macrotexture data. Investigators used a sideway-force coefficient routine investigation machine (SCRIM) (AASHTO TP 143) to measure friction. To understand the performance of …

Evaluating The Use Of A Near-Miss Reporting Program To Enhance Employee Safety Performance, Gabriel Dadi, Farshid Taherpour, Seth Atkins, Ashtarout Ammar, Jon Wilcoxson

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Using safety incidents and crashes to improve safety performance is an outdated and reactive practice in safety and health programs. One component of a modern approach to safety is a near-miss reporting program. This type of program tracks close calls or near misses that do not result in an incident or crash, but which often can be an early indicator that one may happen. While most construction companies have implemented some methods for reporting near-miss events, many agencies, such as the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), struggle getting employees to report near misses. To fill this gap, potential factors that result …

Functional Exploration Of Conserved Sequences In The Distal Face Of Angiotensinogen - Brief Report, Naofumi Amioka, Chia-Hua Wu, Hisashi Sawada, Sohei Ito, Alex C. Pettey, Congqing Wu, Jessica J. Moorleghen, Deborah A. Howatt, Gregory A. Graf, Craig W. Vander Kooi, Alan Daugherty, Hong S. Lu

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Angiotensinogen (AGT) is an essential component in the renin-angiotensin system. AGT has highly conserved sequences in the loop and β-sheet regions among species; however, their functions have not been studied.

METHODS: Adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) serotype 2/8 encoding mouse AGT with mutations of conserved sequences in the loop (AAV.loop-Mut), β-sheet (AAV.βsheet-Mut), or both regions (AAV.loop/βsheet-Mut) was injected into male hepatocyte-specific AGT-deficient (hepAGT−/− ) mice in an LDL (low-density lipoprotein) receptor–deficient background. AAV containing mouse wild-type AGT (AAV.mAGT) or a null vector (AAV.null) were used as controls. Two weeks after AAV administration, all mice were fed a western diet for …

Chemokine Receptor Cxcr7 Activates Aurora Kinase A And Promotes Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer Growth, Galina Gritsina, Ka-Wing Fong, Xiaodong Lu, Zhuoyuan Lin, Wanqing Xie, Shivani Agarwal, Dong Lin, Gary E. Schiltz, Himisha Beltran, Eva Corey, Colm Morrissey, Yuzhuo Wang, Jonathan C. Zhao, Maha Hussain, Jindan Yu

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

CXCR7 is an atypical chemokine receptor that recruits β-arrestin (ARRB2) and internalizes into clathrin-coated intracellular vesicles where the complex acts as a scaffold for cytoplasmic kinase assembly and signal transduction. Here, we report that CXCR7 was elevated in the majority of prostate cancer (PCa) cases with neuroendocrine features (NEPC). CXCR7 markedly induced mitotic spindle and cell cycle gene expression. Mechanistically, we identified Aurora Kinase A (AURKA), a key regulator of mitosis, as a novel target that was bound and activated by the CXCR7-ARRB2 complex. CXCR7 interacted with proteins associated with microtubules and golgi, and, as such, the CXCR7-ARRB2-containing vesicles trafficked …

Impact Of A Cancer Education Curriculum On Appalachian Kentucky Middle And High School Students, Lauren Hudson‑Rose, L. Todd Weiss, Nathan L. Vanderford

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Appalachian Kentucky is disproportionately affected by elevated cancer incidence and mortality rates. This disparity is driven by inequities in health behaviors and social determinants of health including decreased education attainment levels that cause lower health literacy. To increase cancer literacy in the region, a three-part cancer education curriculum was designed for Appalachian Kentucky middle and high school students. This study was designed to evaluate the effect the curriculum had on students’ cancer literacy. The curriculum lessons were disseminated to Appalachian Kentucky middle and high school teachers who engaged 223 students with the material. For each lesson, students filled out a …

Portable Optical Spectroscopic Assay For Non-Destructive Measurement Of Key Metabolic Parameters On In Vitro Cancer Cells And Organotypic Fresh Tumor Slices, Jing Yan, Carlos Frederico Lima Goncalves, Madison O. Korfhage, Zahid Hasan, Teresa Whei-Mei Fan, Xiaoqin Wang, Caigang Zhu

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

To enable non-destructive metabolic characterizations on in vitro cancer cells and organotypic tumor models for therapeutic studies in an easy-to-access way, we report a highly portable optical spectroscopic assay for simultaneous measurement of glucose uptake and mitochondrial function on various cancer models with high sensitivity. Well-established breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) were used to validate the optical spectroscopic assay for metabolic characterizations, while fresh tumor samples harvested from both animals and human cancer patients were used to test the feasibility of our optical metabolic assay for non-destructive measurement of key metabolic parameters on organotypic tumor slices. Our optical …

Structures Of The Insecticidal Toxin Complex Subunit Xpta2 Highlight Roles For Flexible Domains, Cole L. Martin, David W. Chester, Christopher D. Radka, Lurong Pan, Zhengrong Yang, Rachel C. Hart, Elad M. Binshtein, Zhao Wang, Lisa Nagy, Lawrence J. Delucas, Stephen G. Aller

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

The Toxin Complex (Tc) superfamily consists of toxin translocases that contribute to the targeting, delivery, and cytotoxicity of certain pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. Membrane receptor targeting is driven by the A-subunit (TcA), which comprises IgG-like receptor binding domains (RBDs) at the surface. To better understand XptA2, an insect specific TcA secreted by the symbiont X. nematophilus from the intestine of entomopathogenic nematodes, we determined structures by X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM. Contrary to a previous report, XptA2 is pentameric. RBD-B exhibits an indentation from crystal packing that indicates loose association with the shell and a hotspot for possible receptor binding or a …

On Being Seen, On Being Legible, On Being: A Black, Agender Perspective On A Career In Libraries, Adrian Williams

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

This ethnographic essay explores the author’s journey in understanding, contending with, and building a career in academic libraries that is affirming to their Black and agender identity. The essay discusses the hypervisibility of the author’s race in libraries, in contrast to the invisibility of their transness, and how that contrast has affected how they navigate their work as a pre-tenure librarian.

New Chemical Dopant And Counterion Mechanism For Organic Electrochemical Transistors And Organic Mixed Ionic–Electronic Conductors, Vianna N. Le, Joel H. Bombile, Gehan S. Rupasinghe, Kyle N. Baustert, Ruipeng Li, Iuliana P. Maria, Maryam Shahi, Paula Alacon Espejo, Iain Mcculloch, Kenneth R. Graham, Chad Risko, Alexandra F. Paterson

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Organic mixed ionic–electronic conductors (OMIECs) have varied performance requirements across a diverse application space. Chemically doping the OMIEC can be a simple, low-cost approach for adapting performance metrics. However, complex challenges, such as identifying new dopant materials and elucidating design rules, inhibit its realization. Here, these challenges are approached by introducing a new n-dopant, tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBA-OH), and identifying a new design consideration underpinning its success. TBA-OH behaves as both a chemical n-dopant and morphology additive in donor acceptor co-polymer naphthodithiophene diimide-based polymer, which serves as an electron transporting material in organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs). The combined effects enhance OECT …

Maternal Occupational Exposure To Selected Organic And Chlorinated Solvents And Delivery Of Small-For-Gestational Age Or Preterm Infants, Kristen W. Van Buren, Carissa M. Rocheleau, I‐Chen Chen, Tania A. Desrosiers, Wayne T. Sanderson, Maria D. Politis, Elizabeth C. Ailes, The National Birth Defects Prevention Study

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Background: Potential reproductive effects of organic solvent exposure during pregnancy remain unclear. We investigated the association between maternal occupational exposure during pregnancy to six chlorinated solvents, three aromatic solvents, and Stoddard solvent, and delivery of preterm infants or those born small‐ for‐gestational age (SGA).

Methods: In this case–control study of SGA and preterm birth (PTB) nested within the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS) from 1997 to 2011, we analyzed data from 7504 singleton live births without major birth defects and their mothers. Self‐reported information on jobs held in the periconceptional period was assessed for solvent exposure. Unconditional logistic regression …

Lung And Colorectal Cancer Disparities In Appalachian Kentucky: Spatial Analysis On The Influence Of Education And Literacy, Nicole Robertson Mph, Todd Burus, Lauren Hudson, Pamela C. Hull, Lee Park, Nathan L. Vanderford

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Low educational attainment and high cancer incidence and mortality rates have long been a challenge in Appalachian Kentucky. Prior studies have reported disparities in cancer incidence and mortality between Appalachian and non-Appalachian populations, but the influence of education on this disparity has not been extensively studied. Herein, all cancers and two cancer sites with available screenings (colorectal and lung) were joined with education indicators (educational attainment and literacy) and one geographic indicator across all 120 Kentucky counties. This dataset was used to build choropleth maps and perform simple linear and spatial regression to assess statistical significance and to measure the …

Messes: Software For Transforming Messy Research Datasets Into Clean Submissions To Metabolomics Workbench For Public Sharing, P. Travis Thompson, Hunter N. B. Moseley

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

In recent years, the FAIR guiding principles and the broader concept of open science has grown in importance in academic research, especially as funding entities have aggressively promoted public sharing of research products. Key to public research sharing is deposition of datasets into online data repositories, but it can be a chore to transform messy unstructured data into the forms required by these repositories. To help generate Metabolomics Workbench depositions, we have developed the MESSES (Metadata from Experimental SpreadSheets Extraction System) software package, implemented in the Python 3 programming language and supported on Linux, Windows, and Mac operating systems. MESSES …

Heart Failure Knowledge, Symptom Perception, And Symptom Management In Patients With Heart Failure, Jia-Rong Wu, Chin-Yen Lin, Muna Hassan Hammash, Debra K. Moser

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Background: Prevention of heart failure (HF) exacerbations requires that patients carefully self-manage their condition. Symptom perception is a key component in self-care for patients with HF that involves monitoring for HF symptoms and recognizing symptom changes. Heart failure knowledge is a prerequisite for better symptom perception and symptom management. However, the relationships among HF knowledge, symptom perception, and symptom management remain unclear.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the inter-relationships among HF knowledge, symptom monitoring, symptom recognition, and symptom response in patients with HF.

Method: We included 185 patients with HF in this study. Heart failure knowledge …

Health Professionals’ Breastfeeding Practices And Associated Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study, Maria Estela Diniz Machado, Marialda Moreira Christoffel, Luis Guillermo Coca Velarde, Ana Maria Linares, Ana Luiza Dorneles Da Silveira, Ana Leticia Monteiro Gomes, Luciana Rodrigues Da Silva

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Objective: To analyze primary care health professionals’ breastfeeding practices and associated factors.

Method: A cross-sectional and analytical study was carried out with all health professionals working in breastfeeding support in five primary healthcare units, through a self-administered questionnaire. The chi-square test was used with a significance level of 5% to analyze the association of categorical variables with professional practice.

Results: Thirty-eight professionals participated. There was a statistically significant association (p=0.04597) between the variable update on breastfeeding in the last five years and the practice of implementing breastfeeding through support groups. Clinical management, guidance on maternal rights, and support for resolving …

Intake By Lactating Goats Browsing On Mediterranean Shrubland, M. Decandia, G. Pinna, A. Cabiddu, G. Molle

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Mediterranean regions goat feeding systems are mainly based on shrubland that contain a wide variety of species. There are only a few equations for predicting feed intake of stall-fed goats (Luo et al., 2004). The objective of this study was to develop a model for predicting the intake of lactating goats browsing on Mediterranean shrubland.

Diet Selection In A Pasture Of Panicum Maximum Cv. Mombaça With Different Sward Heights, Teresa C. M. Genro, Ê. R. Prates, F. F. Cardoso, L. R. L. San'thiago

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The n-alkane method allows to measure dry matter (DM) intake and to determine the proportion of grass and legume ingested by ruminants grazing mixed pastures. Dove & Mayes (1996) pointed out that using this method, beyond estimating intake of individual plant species, it may also be possible to determine intake of anatomical components of the plant. The aim of this work was to use the non-negative least squares procedure to estimate diet selection based on plant alkanes and animal faeces.

Using The N-Alkane Technique To Estimate The Herbage Intake And Diet Composition Of Cattle Grazing A Miscanthus Sinensis Grassland, Y. J. Zhang, Y. Togamura, K. Otsuki

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Plant wax alkanes are now widely used as marker substances (Dove & Mayes 1991) for the estimation of forage intake and diet composition of grazing herbivores. The objective of this study was to evaluate this method with cattle grazing a M. sinensis grassland in Japan.

Development Of A 2-Dimensional Video-Acoustic Tool For Monitoring Bite Placement, Wendy Griffiths, V. Alchanatis, R. Nitzan, V. Ostrovsky, E. Ben-Moshe, R. Yonatan, S. Brenner, H. Baram, E. D. Ungar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Studies of grazing behaviour conducted at the spatial scale of a feeding station demonstrate that intake rate declines with increasing depletion, a response attributed to an increase in bite overlap (Ginnett et al., 1999; Ungar et al., 2001). In order to understand the rules that govern bite placement, a methodology is required that can map the sequential placement of bites on the sward surface. We developed a video-acoustic tool to achieve this and report the findings of using the tool on small uniform patches of herbage.

The Effect Of Harvesting Strategy Of Grass Silage On Milk Production, K. Kuoppala, M. Rinne, J. Nousiainen, P. Huhtanen

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Timing of harvest in primary growth of grass is a major factor affecting D-value (digestible organic matter, g/kg DM) of silage and dry matter (DM) consumption and milk production of dairy cows (Rinne, 2000). The objective of this research was to investigate whether there is a similar pattern in regrowths of grass.

The Effect Of Harvesting Strategy Of Grass Silage On Milk Production, K. Kuoppala, M. Rinne, J. Nousiainen, P. Huhtanen

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Timing of harvest in primary growth of grass is a major factor affecting D-value (digestible organic matter, g/kg DM) of silage and dry matter (DM) consumption and milk production of dairy cows (Rinne, 2000). The objective of this research was to investigate whether there is a similar pattern in regrowths of grass.

A New System For The Evaluation Of The Fermentation Quality Of Silages, E. Kaiser, K. Weiß

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Depending on the content of nitrate in green forage, the pattern of fermentation products in silages differ significantly (Weiß & Kaiser, 2001). The systems, which are now common in practice for evaluating the quality of silage fermentation, characterise fermentation quality incorrectly because the evaluation is influenced by the chemical composition of green forage. The aim of this work was to derive an evaluation system for fermentation quality, which is independent from the chemical composition of green forage.

Repeated Strip-Seeding Of A Legume-Grass Mixture Into Permanent Grassland In The Czech Republic, A. Kohoutek, P. Komárek, V. Odstrčilová, P. Nerušil

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Although ruminants do not belong to the main consumers of protein supplements, there is a possibility to decrease the use of feed grain by increasing the protein content in the forage from permanent grassland. This paper describes strip-sowing of a legume-grass mixture. Saved protein supplements can then be used for feeding pigs and poultry.