Digital Commons Network^™

Can Unconventional Immunomodulatory Agents Help Alleviate Covid-19 Symptoms And Severity?, Stephen W. Mamber, Steven Krakowka, Jeffrey L. Osborn, Lloyd Saberski, Ryan G. Rhodes, Albert E. Dahlberg, Sunthorn Pond-Tor, Kara Fitzgerald, Neal Wright, Sarah Beseme, John Mcmichael

Biology Faculty Publications

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of the respiratory infection known as COVID-19. From an immunopathological standpoint, coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2 induce increased levels of a variety of T-helper 1 (Th1) and inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, CCL2 protein, and CXCL10 protein. In the absence of proven antiviral agents or an effective vaccine, substances with immunomodulatory activity may be able to inhibit inflammatory and Th1 cytokines and/or yield an anti-inflammatory and/or Th2 immune response to counteract COVID-19 symptoms and severity. This report briefly describes the following four unconventional but …

Substance Use Prevention Services In Juvenile Justice And Behavioral Health: Results From A National Survey, Rodney Funk, Hannah K. Knudsen, Larkin S. Mcreynolds, John P. Bartkowski, Katherine S. Elkington, Ellen H. Steele, Jessica M. Sales, Christy K. Scott

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: This study examined the national availability of substance use prevention (SUP) within juvenile justice (JJ) and their primary behavioral health (BH) providers, and the relationships between the availability of SUP and agency-level measures of organizational structure, staffing, and youth characteristics. A three-stage national probability sampling process was used to select participants for a national survey that included, among other facets of community supervision (CS) and BH practices, questions on agency characteristics, youth characteristics, whether the agency/provider directly provided SUP services, and whether the agency/provider directly provided substance use and/or mental health treatment. This paper focuses on SUP services along …

Lipid Bilayer-Integrated Spp1 Connector Protein Nanopore And Spp1 Connector Protein Variants For Use As Lipid Bilayer-Integrated Nanopore, Peixuan Guo, Shaoying Wang

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Patents

A conductive channel-containing membrane includes a membrane layer, and a SPPl connector polypeptide variant that is incorporated into the membrane layer to form an aperture through which conductance can occur when an electrical potential is applied across the membrane. A method of sensing a molecule, such as a polypeptide or nucleic acid molecule, makes use of the conductive channel- containing membrane. A method of DNA sequence makes use of the conductive channel-containing membrane.

Applicant Selection To A Regional Medical Training Program: A Structural Analysis Of Interviewer Assessments, Terry D. Stratton, Paula K. Arnett, Anthony D. Weaver, J. Bodie Stevens, Carol L. Elam

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Introduction: For regional campuses with specific program foci, assessing applicant fit necessarily extends beyond academic and professional factors. Based on assessments of applicants to a regional Rural Physician Leadership Program (RPLP), this study explores the relationship of academic and socio-demographic factors with interviewers’ ratings of: (1) likelihood of eventually practicing in a rural area of the state; and (2) overall acceptability to medical school.

Methods: The study population consisted of 163 first-time RPLP applicants interviewed independently from 2009-2016 by two faculty members at both main and regional medical campuses. Path analysis was used to calculate direct, indirect, and total effects …

Using Case-Level Context To Classify Cancer Pathology Reports, Shang Gao, Mohammed Alawad, Noah Schaefferkoetter, Lynne Penberthy, Xiao-Cheng Wu, Eric B. Durbin, Linda Coyle, Arvind Ramanathan, Georgia Tourassi

Kentucky Cancer Registry Faculty Publications

Individual electronic health records (EHRs) and clinical reports are often part of a larger sequence-for example, a single patient may generate multiple reports over the trajectory of a disease. In applications such as cancer pathology reports, it is necessary not only to extract information from individual reports, but also to capture aggregate information regarding the entire cancer case based off case-level context from all reports in the sequence. In this paper, we introduce a simple modular add-on for capturing case-level context that is designed to be compatible with most existing deep learning architectures for text classification on individual reports. We …

Evaluating The Feasibility And Acceptability Of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Insomnia In Rural Women, Mairead Eastin Moloney, Madeline Dunfee, Matthew Rutledge, Nancy Schoenberg

Sociology Faculty Publications

Background: Insomnia, one of the most common sleep disorders among women in midlife, is associated with multiple negative health outcomes. Rural Appalachian women are disproportionately affected by insufficient sleep, but their barriers to care (e.g., health care shortages, cultural norms) may prevent intervention. This study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of Sleep Healthy Using the Internet (SHUTi) an Internet-based version of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in Appalachian women ages 45+ years.

Materials and Methods: We used mixed methods to assess feasibility (through summaries of recruitment and retention data) and acceptability (quantitatively through online survey scales and qualitatively …

In Vitro Plant Regeneration Via Callus Induction In A Rare Sexual Plant Of Buffelgrass (Cenchrus Ciliaris L.), Suresh Kumar, Neha Sahu, Archana Singh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.) is one of the most important perennial forage grasses of the world. It is a polyploid forage grass suited to pastures, range-lands, tropics and sub-tropics of Australia, South Africa, and India. It reproduces predominantly through apomixis which provides a means of clonal propagation through seeds. In many of the plants apomixis shows dominance over sexuality, hence occurrence of obligate sexual plant in natural population is rare and over the time apomictic individuals outnumber sexuals. Being protogynous in nature, cross pollination from neighbouring apomictic plants leads to the production of either facultative or obligate apomictic genotypes. …

Evaluation Of Tropical Herbaceous Legumes For Drought Resistance In Myanmar, Jue Jue, Nang Khan Hline, Khin San Mu, Moe Thida Htun, Lwin Naing Oo, Soe Min Thien, Dezin Soe Lwin, Jenny Hanks, Ganda Nakamanee, Werner Stür, Aung Aung

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Animal nutrition systems in the tropical and subtropical countries utilize a wide range of feedstuffs, mainly the crops and agricultural by-products, grasses, legumes, trees and shrubs. During the dry season, the crude protein concentration in the native grasses can drop below 3% crude protein (Atta-Krah and Reynolds, 1989). Fodder tree is not sufficient and is of low quality in Myanmar (Myo and Aye, 2007). Shrubs represent an enormous potential source of protein for ruminants in the tropics (Devendra, 1992). Browses are rich in nitrogen and minerals which are low in other conventional feeds of tropical regions. Herbaceous legume species play …

Brachiaria Hybrids With Larger Root Length Densities Show Greater Shoot Vigor Under Drought, Juan De La Cruz Jimenez, Idupulapati M. Rao, Juan A. Cardoso, Margaret Worthington, John W. Miles

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Brachiaria grasses are the most widely planted forages in Tropical America, and their demand is increasing across Africa and South-East Asia. One of the most limiting factors affecting productivity of Brachiaria forage grasses is seasonal drought. Genotypic variation for drought resistance has been found among Brachiaria forage grasses, making possible to genetically improve the productivity of Brachiaria forage grasses under water-limiting conditions (Rao, 2014). The ongoing Brachiaria breeding program at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) has been developing and testing Brachiaria hybrids that combine resistance to biotic constraints with adaptation to abiotic stresses such as drought.

Adaptation to …

Drought Effect On Yield Of Forages Grass Species, Michal Kvasnovský, Pavel Knot, Lucia Hodulíková, Iva Klusoňová

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Climate change (rising temperatures, lengthening of the growing season, increasing evaporation) significantly affects agricultural production in traditional production areas of Central Europe, as illustrated by example better results in growing of corn on its northern or upper height limit. Changes in the amounts and timing of rainfall events will probably affect ecosystem processes, including those that control carbon (C) cycling and storage. In relation to the ongoing global warming, it is desirable to test resistance of grass species to a lack of moisture. Seasonal variation in precipitation and temperature are important controls of soil and plant processes in grasslands. (Fiala …

Breeding Strategies For Improving Fodder Security In Semi-Arid Tropics (Sat), Vijay Kumar Yadav, P. Kaushal, P. K. Ghosh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Semi-Arid Tropic region extends in 55 countries of the world mostly developing nations which extend from Asia to Africa and provides home for 38 % of total poor of the world (Thornton et al., 2000). South Asia holds maximum areas under SAT which is followed by the countries from African continent and South America. The region is under tremendous change and facing acute problem of water, land degradation and soil health and loss of biodiversity. Demand for livestock product in the region is growing much more rapidly than the demand for food grains. Livestock numbers have increased significantly in all …

Chagas Disease In The New York City Metropolitan Area, Crystal Zheng, Orlando Quintero, Elizabeth K. Revere, Michael B. Oey, Fabiola Espinoza, Yoram A. Puius, Diana Ramirez-Baron, Carlos R. Salama, Luis F. Hidalgo, Fabiana S Machado, Omar Saeed, Jooyoung Shin, Snehal R. Patel, Christina M. Coyle, Herbert B. Tanowitz

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, once considered a disease confined to Mexico, Central America, and South America, is now an emerging global public health problem. An estimated 300 000 immigrants in the United States are chronically infected with T. cruzi. However, awareness of Chagas disease among the medical community in the United States is poor.

Methods

We review our experience managing 60 patients with Chagas disease in hospitals throughout the New York City metropolitan area and describe screening, clinical manifestations, EKG findings, imaging, and treatment.

Results

The most common country of origin of our patients …

Ccne1 Amplification As A Predictive Biomarker Of Chemotherapy Resistance In Epithelial Ovarian Cancer, Justin W. Gorski, Frederick R. Ueland, Jill M. Kolesar

Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Publications

Ovarian cancer is the most-deadly gynecologic malignancy, with greater than 14,000 women expected to succumb to the disease this year in the United States alone. In the front-line setting, patients are treated with a platinum and taxane doublet. Although 40-60% of patients achieve complete clinical response to first-line chemotherapy, 25% are inherently platinum-resistant or refractory with a median overall survival of about one year. More than 80% of women afflicted with ovarian cancer will recur. Many attempts have been made to understand the mechanism of platinum and taxane based chemotherapy resistance. However, despite decades of research, few predictive markers of …

Gut Microbiome-Modified Polyphenolic Compounds Inhibit Α-Synuclein Seeding And Spreading In Α-Synucleinopathies, Tritia R. Yamasaki, Kenjiro Ono, Lap Ho, Giulio M. Pasinetti

Neurology Faculty Publications

Misfolding, aggregation and deposition of α-synuclein (α-syn) are major pathologic characteristics of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and the related synucleinopathy, multiple system atrophy (MSA). The spread of α-syn pathology across brain regions is thought to play a key role in the onset and progression of clinical phenotypes. Thus, there is increasing interest in developing strategies that target and attenuate α-syn aggregation and spread. Recent studies of brain-penetrating polyphenolic acids, namely, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid (3-HBA), 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-diHBA), and 3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid (3-HPPA) that are derived from gut microbiota metabolism of dietary polyphenols, show in vitro ability to effectively modulate α-syn misfolding, oligomerization, and …

Role Of Panicum Turgidum Dominated Rangelands In Conservation Of Caralluma Edulis In Thar Desert, India, Kulloli Ravikiran Ningappa, Suresh Kumar, J. P. Singha

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Rangelands are colonized vast natural landscapes in the form of grasslands. These are mostly dominated by native grass species. Once a patch is colonized by a pioneer species, complex interactions may develop among plants of different species. The frequency of positive interactions has been shown to be high in harsh environments, particular in arid environments, where it has been identified as a driving mechanism of vegetation dynamics (Bruno et al., 2003). These processes commonly involve nurse plants (Niering et al., 1963) that facilitate the establishment of other plants species beneath their canopies (Franco and Nobel, 1988). Based on …

Genetic Resources For The Improvement Of Switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum L.) For Biomass And Forage, Gautam Sarath, Nathan A. Palmer, Aaron J. Saathoff, Robert B. Mitchell, Serge Edme, Erin D. Scully, Scott E. Sattler

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is an important forage and biomass species for many parts of the USA. Switchgrass can be of several ploidies. Octoploid cultivars are most often used in forage and conservation settings, while the tetraploid cultivars are mostly targeted for bioenergy end-uses, due to their higher biomass yields. Switchgrass populations also occur as upland and lowland ecotypes, and constitute different heterotic groups. Switchgrass is mostly an obligate outcrosser resulting in substantial genotypic and phenotypic variation within populations. In the last ~15 years, significant resources have been dedicated to both breeding and understanding the genomic makeup of this …

Morphological Variability Potential Of Cenchrus Ciliaris L. Ecotypes On Their Phytochemical Substances And Antibacterial Activities, Dorai Pandian Kannan, S. Bagam Priyal

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Ecotypes are population of same species with different races, which is adapted to local environment Different ecotypes of a particular species may differ in their edaphic, biotic or microclimatic requirements (Linhart and Grant, 1996; Eppela et al., 2013) and such adaptation either become irreversible or genetically fixed variations. Cenchrus ciliaris L. (Tam: kollukottaipul, Eng. buffel grass, Sans: anjan grass) is a grass belonging to the family Poaceae and ephemeral in nature. In this species, habitat plays a significant role in the formation of ecotypes and several ecotypes are found in Cenchrus ciliaris L. including with varying …

Amino Acid Requirements In Horses, Chan Hee Mok, Kristine L. Urschel

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Evaluating amino acid requirements, specifically threonine requirements, in horses will enable better feed formulation and result in economic production, improved animal health, and reduced environmental pollution. However, the current knowledge of protein and amino acid requirements in horses is still limited. Because horses have a unique digestive system and consume a variety of feed ingredients, their protein digestibility may be affected than other species by different feed composition, and thus amino acid requirements are susceptible to vary between situations. Therefore, a careful evaluation of amino acid require ments with a proper method is needed for various conditions. This review will …

Investigation Of Driver License Issuance Alternatives, Steven Andrew Martin, Abraham Najarzadeh, Jennifer R. Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This study develops an alternative model for issuing driver licenses and personal identifications in Kentucky. Under the current model, most licenses are distributed by circuit court clerks at 142 offices across the state while the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) provides central and regional support for specific license types. Given the cumbersome administrative structure and impending REAL ID requirements, both circuit clerks and KYTC administrators would like to explore an alternative distribution model. Researchers at the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) projected the costs of transitioning from the current issuance model to a centralized DMV model where licenses are distributed at 18 …

Effect Of Socioeconomic Factors On Crash Occurrence, Nikiforos Stamatiadis, Shraddha Sagar, Samantha Wright, Aaron Berry Cambron

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Road traffic crashes are a leading cause of death in the United States. In Kentucky, per capita crash rates and crash-related fatalities have outpaced the national average for over a decade. Wanting to explain why the U.S. Southeast sees higher crash rates than other regions, researchers have argued the region’s unique socioeconomic conditions provide a compelling explanation. Taking this observation as a starting point, this study examined the relationship between highway safety and socioeconomic characteristics using an extensive crash dataset from Kentucky. This research sought to identify at-risk drivers based on the socioeconomic and demographic attributes of the zip codes …

Stroke As The Initial Presentation Of Takayasu's Arteritis: A Case Report, Paran Davari, Paige Sutton, Kimberly S. Jones

Neurology Faculty Publications

In this study, we report the case of a pediatric neurology stroke patient who was ultimately diagnosed with Takayasu's Arteritis. Our case describes a 14-year-old Hispanic female with no significant past medical history who presented to an outside hospital for acute onset of confusion and right sided weakness. She was given tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) at the outside hospital and transferred as a stroke alert. Initial The NIH stroke scale (NIHSS) was 12 with primarily right sided symptoms. Physical exam was also significant for asymmetric pulses and blood pressures. Imaging was significant for multifocal stenosis. She was ultimately diagnosed with …

The Β3-Adrenergic Receptor Agonist Mirabegron Improves Glucose Homeostasis In Obese Humans, Brian S. Finlin, Hasiyet Memetimin, Beibei Zhu, Amy L. Confides, Hemendra J. Vekaria, Riham H. El Khouli, Zachary R. Johnson, Philip M. Westgate, Jianzhong Chen, Andrew J. Morris, Patrick G. Sullivan, Esther E. Dupont-Versteegden, Philip A. Kern

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND. Beige adipose tissue is associated with improved glucose homeostasis in mice. Adipose tissue contains β3-adrenergic receptors (β3-ARs), and this study was intended to determine whether the treatment of obese, insulin-resistant humans with the β3-AR agonist mirabegron, which stimulates beige adipose formation in subcutaneous white adipose tissue (SC WAT), would induce other beneficial changes in fat and muscle and improve metabolic homeostasis.

METHODS. Before and after β3-AR agonist treatment, oral glucose tolerance tests and euglycemic clamps were performed, and histochemical analysis and gene expression profiling were performed on fat and muscle biopsies. PET-CT scans quantified brown adipose tissue volume and …

Myeloid-Specific Deficiency Of Pregnane X Receptor Decreases Atherosclerosis In Ldl Receptor-Deficient Mice, Yipeng Sui, Zhaojie Meng, Se-Hyung Park, Wei-Wei Lu, Christopher Livelo, Qi Chen, Tong Zhou, Changcheng Zhou

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Abstract The pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a nuclear receptor that can be activated by numerous drugs and xenobiotic chemicals. PXR thereby functions as a xenobiotic sensor to coordinately regulate host responses to xenobiotics by transcriptionally regulating many genes involved in xenobiotic metabolism. We have previously reported that PXR has pro-atherogenic effects in animal models, but how PXR contributes to atherosclerosis development in different tissues or cell types remains elusive. In this study, we generated an LDL receptor-deficient mouse model with myeloid-specific PXR deficiency (PXR^ΔMyeLDLR^−/−) to elucidate the role of macrophage PXR signaling in atherogenesis. The …

Livestock And Local Development: Going To A New Human-Animal Relationship, Jean François Tourrand, Laurent Dobremez, Benoit Dedieu, Guillaume Duteurtre, Marie Gabrielle Piketty, Philippe Lescoat, Bernard Hubert

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Along the last ten years, the French National Agency for Research (ANR) has financed several projects regarding livestock at local and global scale. Five of these projects decided to gather their results in order to better understand the long-term livestock dynamics and the scenarios for the future. Research actions have been developed in fifteen sites in diverse biomes located in seven countries of Europe, Africa, America and Asia. Review of literature and preliminary data collected in the sites showed the high complexity of the livestock dynamics. For example, in some cases, intensification of the livestock farming systems regards land. In …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Undergraduate Clinical Education Programs, John W. Ragsdale, Andrea Berry, Jennifer W. Gibson, Christiane R. Herber-Valdez, Lauren J. Germain, Deborah L. Engle

Medical Student Education Faculty Publications

Medical schools should use a variety of measures to evaluate the effectiveness of their clinical curricula. Both outcome measures and process measures should be included, and these can be organized according to the four-level training evaluation model developed by Donald Kirkpatrick. Managing evaluation data requires the institution to employ deliberate strategies to monitor signals in real-time and aggregate data so that informed decisions can be made. Future steps in program evaluation includes increased emphasis on patient outcomes and multi-source feedback, as well as better integration of existing data sources.

Association Of Aβ With Ceramide-Enriched Astrosomes Mediates Aβ Neurotoxicity, Ahmed Elsherbini, Alexander S. Kirov, Michael B. Dinkins, Guanghu Wang, Haiyan Qin, Zhihui Zhu, Priyanka Tripathi, Simone M. Crivelli, Erhard Bieberich

Physiology Faculty Publications

Amyloid-β (Aβ) associates with extracellular vesicles termed exosomes. It is not clear whether and how exosomes modulate Aβ neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We show here that brain tissue and serum from the transgenic mouse model of familial AD (5xFAD) and serum from AD patients contains ceramide-enriched and astrocyte-derived exosomes (termed astrosomes) that are associated with Aβ. In Neuro-2a cells, primary cultured neurons, and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons, Aβ-associated astrosomes from 5xFAD mice and AD patient serum were specifically transported to mitochondria, induced mitochondrial clustering, and upregulated the fission protein Drp-1 at a concentration corresponding to 5 femtomoles …

Policy Perspective For Grassland Based Integrated Farming System: Innovation & Challenges In Indian Context, Kamal Kumar Datta, Soumitra Chowdhury, Madhu Mohini

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Indian agriculture is increasingly getting influenced more and more by economic factors. This needs not be surprising because irrigation expansion, infrastructure development, penetration of rural markets, development and spread of short duration and drought resistant crop technologies have all contributed to minimizing the role of non-economic factors in crop choice for even small farmers. Both at micro and macro level, the picture of livestock sector is very much disintegrated where growth is mainly from fishery and meat production and not from milk production. The common perception that animal rearing is not as remunerative as poultry or fishery seems to be …

Cultivating The Next Generation Of Pasture Scientists In Australia, Sarita Jane Bennett

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Current students coming through agricultural faculties in Australian universities have grown up in an era of low wool and meat prices, the introduction and acceptance of no-till farming as the norm and a general decrease in mixed farming landscapes in favour of continuous cropping. Since the collapse of the wool reserve price scheme in 1991, wool prices declined and income on wool producing farms followed suit. R & D during this period has also declined from 5-4% agricultural GDP in 1986 to only 3% in 2005 and has favoured research related to cropping rather than that related to pastures and …

Realising The Potential Of Youth In The Development Of Sustainable Grasslands, J. C. Bidogeza, Ralph Von Kaufmann

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The declining interest of youth worldwide to remain in rural areas and pursue careers in agriculture and grasslands is a threat to all human welfare. Ways and means must be found to redress the decreasing interest of youths in grassland development. Ironically there is a lot of untapped potential for rewarding careers but the youths do not have the skills needed to exploit it. This cannot be corrected by providing occasional and piecemeal training opportunities. The perilous consequences of allowing the rangelands to degenerate are sufficiently serious to warrant a comprehensive approach to developing the wide range of skills needed …

Incentive Sensitization For Exercise Reinforcement To Increase Exercise Behaviors, Kyle D. Flack, Harry M. Hays, Jack Moreland

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Individuals can be sensitized to the reinforcing effects of exercise, although it is unknown if this process increases habitual exercise behavior. Sedentary men and women (body mass index: 25–35 kg/m², N = 52) participated in a 12-week aerobic exercise intervention. Exercise reinforcement was determined by how much work was performed for exercise relative to a sedentary alternative in a progressive ratio schedule task. Habitual physical activity was assessed via accelerometry. Post-intervention increases in exercise reinforcement predicted increases in physical activity bouts among those who expended over 2000 kcal per week in exercise and who compensated for less than …