Digital Commons Network^™

Gene Discovery And Molecular Dissection Of Lignin Biosynthesis In Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium Perenne), A. Lidgett, M. Emmerling, R. Heath, R. Mcinnes, D. Lynch, A. Bartkowski, K. Fulgueras, T. Sawbridge, E. K. Ong, K. F. Smith, A. Mouradov, G. C. Spangenberg

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Lignification of plant cell walls has been identified as a major factor limiting forage digestibility. It limits the amount of digestible energy available to livestock, resulting in an incomplete utilisation of cellulose and hemicellulose by ruminant animals. Modification of the lignin profile of ryegrasses (Lolium spp.) and fescues (Festuca spp.) is undertaken through modulating the expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of monolignols.

Identification Of Putative AtTt2 R2r3-Myb Transcription Factor Orthologues In Tanniferous Tissues Of L. Corniculatus Var. Japonicus Cv Gifu, D. N. Bryant, P. Bailey, P. Morris, Mark P. Robbins, C. Martin, T. Wang

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

R2R3-MYB plant transcription factors are sequence–specific DNA-binding proteins, which regulate the expression of specific gene(s) following the R2R3 DNA-binding domain interacting with the corresponding promoter sequence(s). The biosynthetic pathway leading to the production of anthocyanins has been demonstrated to be under MYB transcriptional regulatory control (Cone et al., 1986), while the accumulation of proanthocyanidins (PAs) in Arabidopsis seed coats is determined by the R2R3-MYB AtTT2 (Nesi et al., 2001). Using an informatics approach, partial sequences of putative AtTT2 orthologues have been identified and cloned from the forage legume Lotus corniculatus var. japonicus cv Gifu.

Southeastern Law Librarian Spring 2023, Seaall

Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Controlled Release Of Dna Binding Anticancer Drugs From Gold Nanoparticles With Near-Infrared Radiation, Gracie Fitzgerald, Daniel Low, Luc Morgan, Cole Hilt, Micai Benford, Caleb Akers, Skyler Hornback, J. Zach Hilt, Daniel Scott

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Traditional chemotherapies target rapidly developing cells in the human body resulting in harsh side effects including fatigue, immune system suppression, and nausea, among others. Delivery systems to focus the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to the diseased tissue can diminish the negative side effects while improving treatment outcomes. Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) offer many unique advantages as drug delivery vehicles, including being biologically inert, easily adaptable to various shapes and sizes, able to create a strong Au-thiol bond, and able to generate heat upon the absorption of near-infrared light. To this end, a AuNP delivery vehicle was engineered to load and release …

Effectiveness And Implementation Of Mpath™-Crc: A Mobile Health System For Colorectal Cancer Screening, Anna C. Snavely, Kristie Foley, Ajay Dharod, Mark Dignan, Holly Brower, Elena Wright, David P. Miller Jr.

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Background Screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) is widely recommended but underused, even though CRC is the third most diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the USA. The mPATH™ program is an iPad-based application designed to identify patients due for CRC screening, educate them on the commonly used screening tests, and help them select their best option, with the goal of increasing CRC screening rates.

Methods The mPATH™ program consists of questions asked of all adult patients at check-in (mPATH™-CheckIn), as well as a module specific for patients due for CRC screening (mPATH™-CRC). In this study, …

Factors Associated With Sun Protection Behaviors Among Childhood Cancer Survivors, Melissa Fluehr, Gary Kwok, Jerod L. Stapleton, Margaret Masterson, Katie A. Devine

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Background: Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at increased risk of developing skin cancer. Engaging in sun-protective behaviors may ameliorate that risk, but prior work shows that survivors engage in suboptimal levels of sun-protective behaviors. Guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM), this study evaluated factors associated with sun-protective behavior among CCS.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a survey study of 94 adult survivors of childhood cancer recruited from a long-term follow-up clinic. Participants reported their sun protection habits, skin type/ sensitivity, barriers to sun protection, and perceived severity and susceptibility of getting skin cancer. Descriptive statistics were used …

The Importance Of Translationally Evaluating Steroid Hormone Contributions To Substance Use, Erin E. Maher, Ashley Strzelecki, Jessica J. Weafer, Cassandra D. Gipson

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Clinically, women appear to be more susceptible to certain aspects of substance use disorders (SUDs). The steroid hormones 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (Pg) have been linked to women-specific drug behaviors. Here, we review clinical and preclinical studies investigating how cycling ovarian hormones affect nicotine-, cocaine-, and opioid-related behaviors. We also highlight gaps in the literature regarding how synthetic steroid hormone use may influence drug-related behaviors. In addition, we explore how E2 and Pg are known to interact in brain reward pathways and provide evidence of how these interactions may influence drug-related behaviors. The synthesis of this review demonstrates the critical …

Improving Wastewater-Based Epidemiology Performance Through Streamlined Automation, Mohammad Dehghan Banadaki, Soroosh Torabi, William Strike, Ann Noble, James W. Keck, Scott M. Berry

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has enabled us to describe Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in populations. However, implementation of wastewater monitoring of SARS- CoV-2 is limited due to the need for expert staff, expensive equipment, and prolonged processing times. As WBE increases in scope (beyond SARS-CoV-2) and scale (beyond developed regions), there is a need to make WBE processes simpler, cheaper, and faster. We developed an automated workflow based on a simplified method termed exclusion-based sample preparation (ESP). Our automated workflow takes 40 min from raw wastewater to purified RNA, which is several times faster than conventional WBE …

Inhibitory Effect Of Sulfur Dioxide Inhalation On Hering–Breuer Inflation Reflex In Mice: Role Of Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels, Nai-Ju Chan, Chun-Chun Hsu, You Shuei Lin, Ruei-Lung Lin, Lu-Yuan Lee

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Slowly adapting receptors (SARs), vagal mechanosensitive receptors located in the lung, play an important role in regulating the breathing pattern and Hering–Breuer inflation reflex (HBIR). Inhalation of high concentration of sulfur dioxide (SO 2), a common environmental and occupational air pollutant, has been shown to selectively block the SAR activity in rabbits, but the mechanism underlying this inhibitory effect remained a mystery. We carried out this study to determine if inhalation of SO 2 can inhibit the HBIR and change the eupneic breathing pattern, and to investigate further a possible involvement of voltage-gated K þ channels in the inhibitory effect …

Angiotensinogen In Sex And Hypertension: New Insights From The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis (Mesa), Alan Daugherty, Hong S. Lu, George L. Bakris

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Library Satisfaction Survey 2022, Julene L. Jones

Library Presentations

Briefly describes results from the University of Kentucky Libraries' Library Satisfaction Survey which ran Oct.-Nov. 2022. Presented in April 2023 UK Libraries Town Hall

Incorporating Variability In Kytc Planning And Project Development, Reginald Souleyrette, Teng Wang, Riana Tanzen, Arnold Stromberg

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Transportation planning and design decisions are typically made using point estimates of traffic and safety measures. This report addresses the uncertainty of data used to make these decisions. It focuses on two data elements — project safety ratings and volume estimates from traffic counts. For safety ratings, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Strategic Highway Investment Formula for Tomorrow (SHIFT) crash history score is used as a case study. Confidence intervals are developed for the Cabinet’s new safety metric, which incorporates estimates of future crashes by severity as well as excess expected crashes above safety goals. For traffic counts, the report develops …

Incorporating Crash Severity And Continuous Improvement Of Shift, Reginald Souleyrette, Riana Tanzen, Teng Wang

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Strategic Highway Investment Formula for Tomorrow (SHIFT) is the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's data-informed approach for comparing capital improvement projects and prioritizing limited transportation funds. SHIFT 2022 incorporates advancements in methods and flexibility. This project revises the SHIFT crash data safety metric. The crash data safety metric from the previous version of SHIFT was excess expected crashes (EECs). It is computed using the total number of crashes of all severities. Locations with a higher proportion of severe (fatal and injury) crashes received the same weight as locations with an equal number of property damage only crashes. This project redefines the …

Library Assessment Dashboard, Julene L. Jones

Library Presentations

Displays images and organization of Library Assessment Dashboard that went live January 2023 on the UK Library website at Organizational Effectiveness. Presented at April 2023 Town Hall.

Post-Intensive Care Syndrome And Pulmonary Fibrosis In Patients Surviving Ards-Pneumonia Of Covid-19 And Non-Covid-19 Etiologies, Jamie L. Sturgill, Kirby Mayer, Anna G. Kalema, Kinjal Dave, Stephanie Mora, Alborz Kalantar, David J. Carter, Ashley A. Montgomery-Yates, Peter E. Morris

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

The purpose was to examine patient‑centered outcomes and the occurrence of lung fibrotic changes on Chest computed tomography (CT) imaging following pneumonia‑related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We sought to investigate outpatient clinic chest CT imaging in survivors of COVID19‑related ARDS and non‑COVID‑related ARDS, to determine group differences and explore relationships between lung fibrotic changes and functional outcomes. A retrospective practice analysis of electronic health records at an ICU Recovery Clinic in a tertiary academic medical center was performed in adult patients surviving ARDS due to COVID‑19 and non‑COVID etiologies. Ninety‑four patients with mean age 53 ± 13 and 51% …

A Kinome-Wide Crispr Screen Identifies Ck1Α As A Target To Overcome Enzalutamide Resistance Of Prostate Cancer, Jinghui Liu, Yue Zhao, Daheng He, Katelyn M. Jones, Shan Tang, Derek B. Allison, Yanquan Zhang, Jing Chen, Qiongsi Zhang, Xinyi Wang, Chaohao Li, Chi Wang, Lang Li, Xiaoqi Liu

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Enzalutamide (ENZA), a second-generation androgen receptor antagonist, has significantly increased progression-free and overall survival of patients with metastatic prostate cancer (PCa). However, resistance remains a prominent obstacle in treatment. Utilizing a kinome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screen, we identified casein kinase 1a (CK1a) as a therapeutic target to overcome ENZA resistance. Depletion or pharmacologic inhibition of CK1a enhanced ENZA efficacy in ENZA-resistant cells and patient-derived xenografts. Mechanistically, CK1a phosphorylates the serine residue S1270 and modulates the protein abundance of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), a primary initiator of DNA double-strand break (DSB)-response signaling, which is compromised in ENZA-resistant cells and patients. Inhibition of …

Emt-Activated Secretory And Endocytic Vesicular Trafficking Programs Underlie A Vulnerability To Pi4k2a Antagonism In Lung Cancer, Xiaochao Tan, Guan-Yu Xiao, Shike Wang, Lei Shi, Yanbin Zhao, Xin Liu, Jiang Yu, William K. Russell, Chad J. Creighton, Jonathan M. Kurie

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Hypersecretory malignant cells underlie therapeutic resistance, metastasis, and poor clinical outcomes. However, the molecular basis for malignant hypersecretion remains obscure. Here, we showed that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) initiates exocytic and endocytic vesicular trafficking programs in lung cancer. The EMT-activating transcription factor zinc finger E-box–binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) executed a PI4KIIIβ-to-PI4KIIα (PI4K2A) dependency switch that drove PI4P synthesis in the Golgi and endosomes. EMT enhanced the vulnerability of lung cancer cells to PI4K2A small- molecule antagonists. PI4K2A formed a MYOIIA-containing protein complex that facilitated secretory vesicle biogenesis in the Golgi, thereby establishing a hypersecretory state involving osteopontin (SPP1) and other prometastatic …

Identification Of A Nacc1-Regulated Gene Signature Implicated In The Features Of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Chrispus Ngule, Hami Hemati, Xingcong Ren, Oluwafunminiyi Obaleye, Amos O. Akinyemi, Felix Oyelami, Xiaofang Xiong, Jianxun Song, Xia Liu, Jin-Ming Yang

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), characterized by a deficiency in estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor2 (HER2), is among the most lethal subtypes of breast cancer (BC). Nevertheless, the molecular determinants that contribute to its malignant phenotypes such as tumor heterogeneity and therapy resistance, remain elusive. In this study, we sought to identify the stemness-associated genes involved in TNBC progression. Using bioinformatics approaches, we found 55 up- and 9 downregulated genes in TNBC. Out of the 55 upregulated genes, a 5 gene-signature (CDK1, EZH2, CCNB1, CCNA2, and AURKA) involved in cell regeneration was positively correlated …

Leukocyte Tyrosine Kinase (Ltk) Is The Mendelian Determinant Of The Axolotl Melanoid Color Variant, Mirindi Kabangu, Raissa Cecil, Lloyd Strohl Ii, Nataliya Y. Timoshevskaya, Jeramiah James Smith, Stephen Randal Voss

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

The great diversity of color patterns observed among amphibians is largely explained by the differentiation of relatively few pigment cell types during development. Mexican axolotls present a variety of color phenotypes that span the continuum from leucistic to highly melanistic. The melanoid axolotl is a Mendelian variant characterized by large numbers of melanophores, proportionally fewer xanthophores, and no iridophores. Early studies of melanoid were influential in developing the single-origin hypothesis of pigment cell development, wherein it has been proposed that all three pigment cell types derive from a common progenitor cell, with pigment metabolites playing potential roles in directing the …

In Situ Microwave Fixation Provides An Instantaneous Snapshot Of The Brain Metabolome, Jelena A. Juras, Madison B. Webb, Lyndsay E. A. Young, Kia H. Markussen, Tara R. Hawkinson, Michael D. Buoncristiani, Kayli E. Bolton, Peyton T. Coburn, Meredith I. Williams, Lisa P. Y. Sun, William C. Sanders, Ronald C. Bruntz, Lindsey R. Conroy, Chi Wang, Matthew S. Gentry, Bret N. Smith, Ramon C. Sun

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Brain glucose metabolism is highly heterogeneous among brain regions and continues postmortem. In particular, we demonstrate exhaustion of glycogen and glucose and an increase in lactate production during conventional rapid brain resection and preservation by liquid nitrogen. In contrast, we show that these post- mortem changes are not observed with simultaneous animal sacrifice and in situ fixation with focused, high- power microwave. We further employ microwave fixation to define brain glucose metabolism in the mouse model of streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes. Using both total pool and isotope tracing analyses, we identified global glucose hypometabolism in multiple brain regions, evidenced by …

Targeting Lncrna Ddit4-As1 Sensitizes Triple Negative Breast Cancer To Chemotherapy Via Suppressing Of Autophagy, Ting Jiang, Jiaojiao Zhu, Shilong Jiang, Zonglin Chen, Ping Xu, Rong Gong, Changxin Zhong, Yueying Cheng, Xinyuan Sun, Wenjun Yi, Jinming Yang, Wenhu Zhou, Yan Cheng

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

In this study, it is found that the lncRNA, DNA damage inducible transcript 4 antisense RNA1 (DDIT4-AS1), is highly expressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines and tissues due to H3K27 acetylation in the promoter region, and promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of TNBC cells via activating autophagy. Mechanistically, it is shown that DDIT4-AS1 induces autophagy by stabilizing DDIT4 mRNA via recruiting the RNA binding protein AUF1 and promoting the interaction between DDIT4 mRNA and AUF1, thereby inhibiting mTOR signaling pathway. Furthermore, silencing of DDIT4-AS1 enhances the sensitivity of TNBC cells to chemotherapeutic agents such as paclitaxel both …

Foliar Expression Of Candidate Genes Involved In Condensed Tannin Biosynthesis In White Clover (Trifolium Repens), Stephen N. Panter, J. Simmonds, A. Winkworth, A. Mouradov, G. C. Spangenberg

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Bloat disease in cattle and sheep is caused by the rapid microbial degradation of protein-rich fodder in the rumen. This leads to the production of protein foams that trap gases, causing bloat, a condition that is often fatal to livestock and costly to farmers. Condensed tannins (CTs) are phenolic polymers produced by the phenylpropanoid pathway of plants (Figure 1). CTs bind to proteins under acidic to neutral conditions, such as those present in the rumen, slowing their breakdown. A diet with a CT content of between 2% and 4% by dry weight, which is provided by some pasture legumes (e.g. …

Discovery, Isolation And Characterisation Of Promoters In White Clover (Trifolium Repens), C. M. Labandera, Y. H. Lin, E. Ludlow, M. Emmerling, U. John, P. W. Sale, C. Pallaghy, G. C. Spangenberg

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The availability of a suite of promoters with a range of spatial, temporal and inducible expression patterns is of significant importance to control targeted expression of genes for molecular breeding in forage species. A range of resources and tools have been developed for promoter isolation and characterisation in white clover (Trifolium repens L.), including a comprehensive BAC library and a 15K unigene microarray.

Novel Genotypes Of The Subtropical Grass Eragrostis Curvula For The Analysis Of Apomixis (Diplospory), S. Cardone, P. Polci, J. P. Selva, M. Mecchia, S. C. Pessino, P. Voigt, G. C. Spangenberg, V. Echenique

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees is a variable grass native to Southern Africa. Its several forms, known as lovegrasses, were introduced to Australia, USA and Argentina as forage perennial grasses. Apomixis is a common trait in the genus Eragrostis, with diplospory being the most frequent type. Sexual reproduction also occurs in Eragrostis, although not frequently. Since most tetraploid Eragrostis lines are apomictic, the generation of a sexual tetraploid strain is a requirement for linkage analysis of the gene(s) governing the apomictic character. Furthermore, isogenic lines of the same ploidy, reproducing alternatively by sexuality or apomixes, represent an ideal system …

Isolation And Characterisation Of Genes Encoding Malate Synthesis And Transport Determinants In The Aluminum-Tolerant Australian Weeping-Grass (Microlaena Stipoides), R. M. Polotnianka, E. Ribarev, L. Mackin, K. A. Sivakumaran, G. D. Nugent, U. P. John, G. C. Spangenberg

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Acid soils cover some 40% of the Earth’s arable land where they represent a major limitation to plant production. Plant growth on acid soils is primarily limited due to aluminium (Al) solubilized by acidity into toxic Al³⁺ cations which will inhibit root growth resulting in poor uptake of water and nutrients. Many important pasture species lack sufficient Al tolerance within their germplasm to allow effective breeding for this character.

Development And Use Of A Tool For Automated Alignments Of Genes In The Rice Bac's Genbank Card Against Other Species, P. Barre, G. Darrieutort, J. Auzanneau, B. Julier

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In many cases, the analysis of the genetic bases of any trait requires molecular markers and if possible co-dominant PCR-based ones. In perennial fodder species, the number of publicly available markers (microsatellites and Sequence Tagged Site (STS)) is limited. Our goal is to use sequences from model grass species, i.e. rice, wheat, maize, barley, in L. perenne in order to develop STS markers in interesting regions such as under a QTL (Quantitative Trait Loci) or around a candidate gene,. As the genome sequence of rice is now available, the objective was to use the sequences of genes included in the …

Application Of Molecular Markers Derived From Medicago Truncatula In White Clover (Trifolium Repens L.), C. Jones, M. T. Abberton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

White clover is the major forage legume of temperate areas. Genome maps have been produced recently (Jones et al., 2003; Barrett et al., 2004) and the location of QTL for important agricultural traits reported (Abberton et al., 2004). White clover is closely related to the model legume Medicago truncatula and there is likely to be considerable benefit in applying genomic resources from model to crop. However, the extent of synteny between the species must be established. Here we present preliminary results detailing progress towards this goal.

Screening Of Perennial Grasses And A Mutant Maize Collection By Fourier-Transformed Infrared (Ftir) Spectroscopy For Improved Biofuel Traits, S. C. Thain, P. Morris, S. Hawkins, C. Morris, I. S. Donnison

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Currently the potential of biomass crops, including grasses, is limited because most species have not been bred for this purpose. However traits such as lignification, phenolic cross-linking and carbohydrate accessibility, which are also important for nutritive quality in forage grasses, can affect potential biofuel quality in applications such as combustion, fast-pyrolysis or fermentation. A collection of Lolium and Festuca species known to exhibit a range of lignin, cell wall phenolic and carbohydrate concentrations have been used to test optimum characteristics for biofuel processing. This collection formed a “calibration” set for subsequent high through-put FTIR chemical screening of additional plant lines: …

A Proposal For An International Transcriptome Initiative For Forage And Turf: Microarray Tools For Expression Profiling In Ryegrass, Clover And Grass Endophytes, T. Webster, N. Nguyen, C. Rhodes, S. A. Felitti, R. Chapman, D. Edwards, G. C. Spangenberg

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Knowledge of the expression pattern of genes provides a valuable insight into gene function and role in determining the observed heritable phenotype. High–density cDNA and oligonucleotide microarrays represent powerful tools for transcriptome analysis to gain an understanding of gene expression patterns for thousands of genes. Internationally coordinated efforts in transcriptome analyses and sharing of microarray resources will benefit the advancement of our understanding of gene function in forage and turf species.

Examining The Impact Of Teachers’ Attitudes On College Students’ Attitudes In A Mathematics Classroom, Isiaka Busari, Adeola F. Oladeji, Tolulope O. Sulaimon

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

This paper discusses the relationship between teachers' attitudes and students' attitudes toward mathematics in the classroom. Through a review of more than twenty relevant pieces of literature, the paper analyzes the impact of teachers' attitudes on students' achievement, performance, confidence, and motivation in mathematics. The study concludes that positive attitudes displayed by teachers can enhance students' positive feelings toward mathematics and increase their engagement in the subject. On the other hand, negative attitudes displayed by teachers can hinder students' motivation and engagement in mathematics. The paper suggests that teacher training programs should prioritize the development of positive attitudes toward mathematics …