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Phosphatase And Pseudo-Phosphatase Functions Of Phosphatase Of Regenerating Liver 3 (Prl-3) Are Insensitive To Divalent Metals In Vitro, Jeffery T. Jolly, Ty C. Cheatham, Jessica S. Blackburn

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Phosphatase of regenerating liver 3 (PRL-3) is associated with cancer metastasis and has been shown to interact with the cyclin and CBS domain divalent metal cation transport mediator (CNNM) family of proteins to regulate the intracellular concentration of magnesium and other divalent metals. Despite PRL-3’s importance in cancer, factors that regulate PRL-3’s phosphatase activity and its interactions with CNNM proteins remain unknown. Here, we show that divalent metal ions, including magnesium, calcium, and manganese, have no impact on PRL-3’s structure, stability, phosphatase activity, or CNNM binding capacity, indicating that PRL-3 does not act as a metal sensor, despite its interaction …

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 …

Using Artificial Intelligence To Identify Tumor Microenvironment Heterogeneity In Non–Small Cell Lung Cancers, Tanner Ducote, Kassandra J. Naughton, Erika M. Skaggs, Therese J. Bocklage, Derek B. Allison, Christine Fillmore Brainson

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Lung cancer heterogeneity is a major barrier to effective treatments and encompasses not only the malignant epithelial cell phenotypes and genetics but also the diverse tumor-associated cell types. Current techniques used to investigate the tumor microenvironment can be time-consuming, expensive, complicated to interpret, and often involves destruction of the sample. Here we use standard hematoxylin and eosinestained tumor sections and the HALO AI nuclear phenotyping software to characterize 6 distinct cell types (epithelial, mesenchymal, macrophage, neutrophil, lymphocyte, and plasma cells) in both murine lung cancer models and human lung cancer samples. CD3 immunohistochemistry and lymph node sections were used to …

The Role Of Vaccination Route With An Adenovirus-Vectored Vaccine In Protection, Viral Control, And Transmission In The Sars-Cov-2/K18-Hace2 Mouse Infection Model, Alexandria Dickson, Elizabeth Geerling, E. Taylor Stone, Mariah Hassert, Tara L. Steffen, Taneesh Makkena, Madeleine Smither, Katherine E. Schwetye, Jianfeng Zhang, Bertrand Georges, M. Scot Roberts, John J. Suschak, Amelia K. Pinto, James D. Brien

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Introduction: Vaccination is the most effective mechanism to prevent severe COVID-19. However, breakthrough infections and subsequent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 remain a significant problem. Intranasal vaccination has the potential to be more effective in preventing disease and limiting transmission between individuals as it induces potent responses at mucosal sites.

Methods: Utilizing a replication-deficient adenovirus serotype 5-vectored vaccine expressing the SARS-CoV-2 RBD (AdCOVID) in homozygous and heterozygous transgenic K18-hACE2, we investigated the impact of the route of administration on vaccine immunogenicity, SARS-CoV-2 transmission, and survival.

Results: Mice vaccinated with AdCOVID via the intramuscular or intranasal route and subsequently challenged with SARS-CoV-2 showed …

The S1p Receptor 1 Antagonist Ponesimod Reduces Tlr4-Induced Neuroinflammation And Increases Aβ Clearance In 5xfad Mice, Zhihui Zhu, Liping Zhang, Ahmed Elsherbini, Simone M. Crivelli, Priyanka Tripathi, Carmen Harper, Zainuddin Quadri, Stefka D. Spassieva, Erhard Bieberich

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Background Previously, we showed that the sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) transporter spinster 2 (Spns2) mediates activation of microglia in response to amyloid β peptide (Aβ). Here, we investigated if Ponesimod, a functional S1P receptor 1 (S1PR1) antagonist, prevents Aβ-induced activation of glial cells and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology.

Methods We used primary cultures of glial cells and the 5XFAD mouse model to determine the effect of Aβ and Ponesimod on glial activation, Aβ phagocytosis, cytokine levels and pro-inflammatory signaling pathways, AD pathology, and cognitive performance.

Findings Aβ42 increased the levels of TLR4 and S1PR1, leading to their complex formation. Ponesimod prevented the …

Weighted Mean Difference Statistics For Paired Data In The Presence Of Missing Values, Yuntong Li, Brent J. Shelton, William St Clair, Heidi L. Weiss, John L. Villano, Arnold Stromberg, Chi Wang, Li Chen

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Missing data is a common issue in many biomedical studies. Under a paired design, some subjects may have missing values in either one or both of the conditions due to loss of follow-up, insufficient biological samples, etc. Such partially paired data complicate statistical comparison of the distribution of the variable of interest between the two conditions. In this article, we propose a general class of test statistics based on the difference in weighted sample means without imposing any distributional or model assumption. An optimal weight is derived from this class of tests. Simulation studies show that our proposed test with …

Towards A Comprehensive Data Infrastructure For Redox-Active Organic Molecules Targeting Nonaqueous Redox Flow Batteries, Rebekah Duke, Vinayak Bhat, Parker Sornberger, Susan A. Odom, Chad Risko

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The shift of energy production towards renewable, yet at times inconsistent, resources like solar and wind have increased the need for better energy storage solutions. An emerging energy storage technology that is highly scalable and cost-effective is the redox flow battery comprised of redox-active organic materials. Designing optimum materials for redox flow batteries involves balancing key properties such as the redox potential, stability, and solubility of the redox-active molecules. Here, we present the data-enabled discovery and design to transform liquid-based energy storage (D³TaLES) database, a curated data collection of more than 43 000 redox-active organic molecules that are …

Portuguese Society Of Pastures And Forages, J. Potes, E. V. Lourenço, T. Carita

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Portuguese Society of Pastures and Forages (SPPF) was born from a course on pastures and forages held in the National Plant Breeding Station of Elvas (where the headquarters of SPPF are located) in 1979. It was organised by the head of the Pastures and Forages Department, David Gomes Crespo, who was the first and founder member. According to Abreu et al. (1999), the structure established was that of a Scientific Society and was considered by the Government as a Service of Public Interest. It gathered inspiration from the British Grassland Society, the Association Francaise pour la Production Fourragére, …

The Activities And Aspirations Of The Estonian Grassland Society, A. Selge, R. Viiralt, Tiina Köster

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The aim of the Estonian Grassland Society (EGS) is to develop the flow of grassland-based knowledge between different stakeholders and multidisciplinary research and to create international contacts. The EGS is a non-profit organisation and more than 100 interdisciplinary researchers, plant breeders, advisors and farmers are actively involved in the work of the society. The interdisciplinary activities are becoming more and more attractive and important and bring together different target groups. At present seminars, which are focused on the adaptation producers to the EU rules and support system for farmers are attractive. Nowadays the essential goal for the EGS is to …

The Role Of The New Zealand Grassland Association In Technology Interaction And Policy Evolution, M. W. Calder

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The New Zealand Grassland Association (NZGA) aims for a two-way communication between grassland researchers and pastoral farmers on research findings and farming trends and opportunities. Annual conferences, special symposia, print and electronic publications as well as the web site are used to further these aims. Policy evolution is indirect, using the relationship with agribusiness sponsors and members to promote research objectives.

Slovenian Grassland Society: Science, Profession And Practice, Branko Kramberger, Matej Vidrih, T. Vidrih, J. Čop

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Slovenian Grassland Society (SGS) was established in 1993. It has around 120 members. A half of members are active farmers, around 10% are scientists, the rest are employed in extension services or other agricultural enterprises (seed companies, administration bodies, etc.)

Role Of Hellenic Range And Pasture Society In Technology Interaction And Policy Evolution, T. G. Papachristou, P. D. Platis, V. Papanastasis, A. Ainalis

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Hellenic Range and Pasture Society (HRPS) was founded in 1992 and is a non-profit scientific association. It is composed of 74 members with a common interest in the study, management, and rational use of rangelands and related ecosystems (e.g. pasturelands). The objectives for which the corporation was established are: a) to develop an understanding of rangeland ecosystems and of the principles applicable to the management of rangeland resources (soil, plants, water, and animals), b) to assist all who work with rangelands and pasturelands to keep abreast of new findings and techniques in the science and art of rangeland and …

Technology Interaction And Policy Evolution; Grassland Society Of Southern Australia Inc, L. L. Bennison

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Grassland Society of Southern Australia was formed in 1959 to provide a forum for the transfer of information, ideas and experiences in relation to all aspects of grassland establishment, maintenance, utilisation, persistence and research. The membership of over 2,000 is composed primarily of primary producers (80%) with extension and research scientists comprising 10%, agribusiness 8% and academia 2%. The major interests of members are wool, lamb and beef production, dairying and cropping. The society produces bimonthly newsletters, holds an annual conference with attendances between 400 and 600 annually and has a branch structure that hosts local events. The society …

Role Of The Grassland Society Of Bosnia And Herzegovina In Grassland Agriculture, S. Alibegovic-Gbic, M. Bezdrob

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The biggest part of Bosnia and Herzegovina is covered with hilly and mountainous terrain, which, from the agricultural perspective, determines the manner of soil usage. Of all agricultural areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 55.49% are covered by grassland with that figure increasing to 79.14% in mountainous regions. Therefore, grassland agriculture and its cousin livestock production are the most significant part of the Bosnian economy. In the current situation natural grasslands are largely neglected and give a low yield of forage of low quality. Many areas are completely abandoned and have been gradually overgrown with weeds and bushes. Yet a special …

Institutions, Structures And Topics Of Grassland Research In Germany - From Science To Practice, Johannes Isselstein, H. Hochberg

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Germany, grassland covers some 30% of the agriculturally used land. It forms the basis of forage production in dairy and beef cattle husbandry as well as sheep and horse feeding. The intensification of grassland farming during the last fifty years was made possible through extended basic and applied research in all fields of grassland management. This included the improvement of forage species and varieties by plant breeding, the adaptation of botanical knowledge for the control of the botanical composition of permanent grass swards, the application of regular fertilisation, the improvement of the grazing management, the increased frequency of utilisation …

The Spanish Society For The Study Of Pastures: 45 Years Promoting Better Pasture Knowledge And Management, A. San Miguel

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Spanish Society for the Study of Pastures (SEEP) (http://www.seepastos.es) was founded in 1960 through the initiative of Prof. G. González with the intention of combining efforts and initiatives on pasture studies from many points of view. The Society has the objective of promoting the knowledge and improvement of Spanish pastures, regarding every issue related with pastoral science: typology; ecology and functions of pastoral ecosystems; plant production; feeding value; animal production; economics; sociology and agricultural policy, etc. The term 'Pasture' is considered in a broad sense to include every plant part, individual or community capable of being used for livestock …

Activity Of Japanese Society Of Grassland Science, K. Sugawara, S. Saiga, K. Tateno, Y. Cai, N. Yoshida, T. Takamizo, M. Goto

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Japanese Society of Grassland Science (JSGS) was founded in 1954 for the purposes of progressing grassland and forage crop sciences and fostering grassland agriculture and better management of grassland for animal production in Japan. From the first, the members of JSGS have included interdisciplinary scientists from forage crop science, forestry, animal science, agribusiness and many related fields. In the 50 years since its foundation, JSGS has made large contributions to the progress of both science and industry in Japan. The number of JSGS members is now declining slightly, but there are still about 950 including 800 individual members and …

The Tropical Grassland Society Of Australia Incorporated, David M. Orr, M. H. Shelton, C. A. Hall

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Tropical Grassland Society of Australia was formed in 1962 and became incorporated in 1987 and has the following aims:

• To publicise information of interest to primary producers and scientists
• To improve the relevance of research and adoption of technology through the flow of ideas between scientists and producers
• To publicise the findings of Australian pasture research and development to overseas workers, and to draw on their experience for application in Australia

Comments On The Present Activity Of Czech Specialists In Grassland Cultivation, B. Cagaš

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Unlike some other countries, there is no officially established forage crop or grassland society in the Czech Republic. This, however, does not mean that activity in this field is lacking. Several institutions are involved in the development of grassland research. These are predominantly: Grassland Commission of the Section of Plant Production of the Czech Academy of Agricultural Science, Forage Crop Commission of the Bohemian-Moravian Union of Plant Breeders, Bohemian-Moravian Association of Plant Breeding and Seed Production and Association of Grass and Clover Seed Growers. Members of these institutions are researchers and breeders of grasses and legumes, university lecturers from departments …

American Forage And Grassland Council Technology Interaction And Policy Development, E. K. Twidwell, W. A. Tucker

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The American Forage and Grassland Council (AFGC) is a national organisation which has been in existence since 1968. Membership of AFGC is about 2,500. The membership of AFGC is divided into three main sectors: private, public and industry. The private sector has the largest membership (60%), and private members are usually producers that are engaged in some type of agricultural enterprise involving the use of forages. The public sector members (30%) are educators and other government agency personnel that work with the general public. The industry sector (10%) involves various companies that deal with the forage industry. The AFGC Board …

The Ulster Grassland Society, J. Morrison

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Northern Ireland is a grass-growing region. Grassland accounts for 92% of the area farmed (excluding hill land). So the great majority of farm businesses in the Province are, at least partly, dependent on grass as a source of ruminant feed and grassland farming makes a major impact on the environment and landscape of the Province.

The Ulster Grassland Society was formed in response to a realisation that grass should be treated as a crop in its own right with potential to produce high output in higher rainfall areas which include Northern Ireland. Although there had been informal meetings held since …

The Role Of Grassland Societies In The West Of Scotland, G. E. D. Tiley

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Local grassland societies were first established in the United Kingdom in the 1950s, under the guiding hand of the national, British Grassland Society, itself founded in 1946. In the west of Scotland two local societies were formed: 1) the South West Scotland Grassland Society in 1962, covering the former counties of Ayrshire, Dumfries, Kirkcudbright and Wigtown; and 2) the Central Scotland Grassland Society for Lanark, Stirling, Renfrew, Dumbarton and Clackmannan. The declared aim of these two societies was to promote good grassland farming in all its aspects amongst members and to identify opportunities for improved grassland management, all to the …

The Leucaena Network: A Grazier Advocacy Organisation Ensuring The Future Of A Valuable Forage Resource For Northern Australia, K. Mclaughlin, B. F. Mullen, H. M. Shelton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Leucaena leucocephala is a productive and sustainable forage tree legume for beef cattle production in northern Australia. Following a protracted period of research and development to overcome agronomic and social constraints, substantial adoption by graziers is now occurring (Mullen, these proceedings). However, a recent challenge has threatened future development, viz. the perception by some environmentalists that leucaena is an environmental weed. In addition, production-oriented support from public research and development organisations has diminished significantly over the past 20 years. The Leucaena Network (TLN) was formed in July 2000, primarily to counter the anti-leucaena movement, but has since developed as an …

The Lotus Newsletter: An Electronic Lotus Research Community, Mónica Rebuffo

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Lotus Newsletter (LN) was created by Dr. W.F. Grant (former editor) in 1971, integrating scientists working on diverse aspects of research on Lotus spp. The LN received further impetus under the editorship of Dr. P.R. Beuselinck, who shaped the electronic version (http://www.psu.missouri.edu/lnl/). The newsletter aims to provide a vehicle for the exchange of information where opinions, in addition to established facts, can be presented. One of the strengths of the LN has been the lead article for each issue and the extensive bibliographic listing published every year, which facilitates access to recent literature. As a …

Grassland Technology Interaction And Policy Evolution In Canada, Duane H. Mccartney, P. Jefferson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Canada is the world's second largest country covering approximately 10 million km² (McCartney & Horton, 1997). About 90% of Canada is uninhabited with 90 percent of Canadians living within 500 km of the American border. The forage resources used by livestock grazing and the production of forage crops covers over 36 million ha of Canada's land base (3.6%) and is divided into 72% native range (26 million ha), 11% cultivated pastures (4 million ha) and 17% forage crops (6 million ha) There are 25 million ha in grain and oilseed crops (McCartney & Horton, 1997).

The Great Mission Of The Chinese Grassland Society: Grassland Strategic Research, F. Hong

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Chinese Grassland Society (CGS) was founded in 1979 in Beijing. Since 1991, it has become a national science society authorised by the State Ministry of Civil Affairs. The basic task of CGS is to unite the national grassland scientists and technicians for academic exchanges at home and abroad, to popularise grassland science, to train qualified personnel for the further development of grassland science and to accelerate the development of grassland science. The Society is affiliated with ten professional committees and sponsors the academic journals: Acta Agrestia Sinica, Acta Prataculturae Sinica and China Grassland.

Change In Grassland Science: Implications For Training, Research And Grassland Societies, G. Lemaire, R. J. Wilkins, J. Hodgson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In most of the world the priority for production-oriented research has been succeeded by the need for grassland research to focus on systems which satisfy requirements relating to the stability and protection of land, water and atmospheric resources and to biodiversity, in addition to production efficiency. This dictates not only a new approach to research, but also new approaches for the organisation of research, the training and development of research scientists and the activities of Grassland Societies and associated organisations.

Citizen Scientists: Efforts By The Tri-Societies To Inject Science Into Us Policymaking, E. Bergfeld, K. Glasener

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Tri-Societies (American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America), the largest life science professional societies in the United States (US) dedicated to the agronomic, crop and soil sciences, encompass approximately 18,000 members globally and include approximately 14,000 certified professionals who are a direct conduit to the farming communities across the US. The Tri-Societies' US-based federal science policy programmes have been active for decades. There is a Washington, DC-based Director of Science Policy, Congressional Science Fellows (CSF) and Science Policy Interns.

Uk Libraries' "Wildcat Histories:" Preserving Student Activist Social Media Content, Ruth E. Bryan, Taylor C. Leigh, Emily B. Collier

Library Presentations

In this presentation, we describe the current web archiving program at the University of Kentucky Libraries; provide an overview of the "Wildcat Histories" activist student organization social media preservation project, funded by Project STAND; discuss the technical aspects of the "Wildcat Histories" project; and the project's current status and lessons learned.