Digital Commons Network^™

Riparian Management In Intensive Grazing Systems For Improved Biodiversity And Environmental Quality: Productive Grazing, Healthy Rivers, S. R. Aarons, M. Jones-Lennon, P. Papas, N. Ainsworth, F. Ede, J. Davies

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Within high rainfall intensive grazing systems of southern Victoria, riparian zones are often degraded due to vegetation clearing, stock access and inappropriate farm management. Streams in these landscapes often have poor water quality and reduced biodiversity due to degraded terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Improved management of riparian zones depends on developing tools and practices for integration into productive grazing systems. This paper describes the approaches used and the tools developed in the ‘Productive Grazing, Healthy Rivers: Improving riparian and in-stream biodiversity’ project.

Contributions Of The United States Department Of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service To Conserving Grasslands On Private Lands In The United States, L. Peter Heard

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The future of biodiversity in the USA is tied inseparably to activities taking place on private lands. Agriculture is by far the most important user of these lands, with about 50% or 900M acres managed as private cropland, grassland or rangeland. Decisions made by America’s farmers and ranchers directly affect grasslands and their impact on food supply, biodiversity, soil protection and water quality. Agricultural programs and policies in the USA have had a large influence on the choices available to farmers and ranchers in land management. Since the 1930s, USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) has been working with farmers, …

Effect On Sward Botanical Composition Of Mixed And Sequential Grazing By Cattle And Sheep Of Upland Permanent Pasture In The Uk, J. E. Vale, M. D. Fraser, J. G. Evans

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Previous work has shown benefits of sequential grazing by cattle and sheep, with superior liveweight gains being recorded for lambs grazing swards previously grazed by cattle. A preliminary study of the effects of mixed sheep and cattle grazing also suggested that more extensively grazed swards offer scope for complementary grazing between sheep and cattle. The aim of this experiment was to directly compare these two approaches of integrating the grazing of cattle and sheep.

Effect Of Mixed And Sequential Grazing By Cattle And Sheep Of Upland Permanent Pasture On Liveweight Gain, M. D. Fraser, J. E. Vale, J. G. Evans

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Previous work has shown benefits of sequential grazing by cattle and sheep, with superior liveweight gains being recorded for lambs grazing swards previously grazed by cattle. A preliminary study of the effects of mixed sheep and cattle grazing also suggested that more extensively grazed swards offer scope for complementary grazing between sheep and cattle. The aim of this experiment was to directly compare these two approaches of integrating the grazing of cattle and sheep.

Effects Of Breed And Stage Of Growing Season On The Metabolic Profile Of Sheep Grazing Moorland, V. J. Theobald, M. D. Fraser, J. M. Moorby

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Previous studies have shown that the diet of sheep grazing heather moorland is affected by season (Grant et al., 1987) and the proportion of Calluna vulgaris cover (Osoro et al., 2000). In order to investigate the impact of these factors on the associated nutrient supply of animals grazing heathland, blood samples were taken to monitor the metabolic status of different breeds of sheep at different stages of the growing season when grazing sites with different proportions of heather cover.

Characterising The Fermentation Capabilities Of Gut Microbial Populations From Different Breeds Of Cattle And Sheep Grazing Heathland, D. R. Davies, M. D. Fraser, V. J. Theobald, E. L. Bakewell

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Previous studies have demonstrated differences in the diet composition of sheep and cattle when grazing heather moorland, and such differences may in turn lead to differences in rumen fermentation characteristics and associated adaptation to diet. To investigate this further an in vitro gas production experiment was conducted using inocula from different breeds of cattle and sheep grazing heathland.

The Performance Of Cattle On Lowland Species-Rich Neutral Grassland At Three Contrasting Grazing Pressures, B. A. Griffith, J. R.B. Tallowin

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grazing is an essential management practice for maintaining the nature conservation value of lowland semi-natural neutral grassland to control succession and create different faunal habitats via structural heterogeneity within the pasture (Duffey et al., 1974). However, there is a paucity of information on what would constitute a sustainable grazing intensity that will deliver the wildlife objectives and what the consequences of this management would be on growth rate of livestock and overall pasture output. An experiment was designed to quantify the ecological and agronomic consequences of imposing different grazing intensities on species-rich neutral grassland. The results will provide sward-based …

Nutritional Value Of Pasture Forage For Sheep In Krkonoše National Park, P. Homolka

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This study describes the nutritional value of pastures in extreme mountain conditions in Krkonoše Mountains National Park. The Park performs important ecological and environmental functions. Extensive sheep grazing serves in the preservation of rare, protected and endangered species of plants (including endemics) and in the restoration of the biodiversity of meadows. The objective of this experiment was to estimate the production of plant biomass in these pastures and its digestibility by sheep.

Participant Engagement To Develop Report-Back Materials For Personal Air Monitoring, Patrick H. Ryan, Chris Wolfe, Allison Parsons, Cole Brokamp, Ashley Turner, Erin N. Haynes

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Studies that measure environmental exposures in biological samples frequently provide participants their results. In contrast, studies using personal air monitors do not typically provide participants their monitoring results. The objective of this study was to engage adolescents who completed personal air sampling and their caregivers to develop understandable and actionable report-back documents containing the results of their personal air sampling.

Methods: Adolescents and their caregivers who previously completed personal air sampling participated in focus groups to guide the development of report-back materials. We conducted thematic analyses of focus group data to guide the design of the report-back …

Measuring Ground Surface Elevation Changes In A Slow-Moving Colluvial Landslide Using Combinations Of Regional Airborne Lidar, Uav Lidar And Uav Photogrammetric Surveys, Sarah E. Johnson, William C. Haneberg, L. Sebastian Bryson, Matthew M. Crawford

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Slow-moving, chronically destructive landslides are projected to grow in number globally in response to precipitation increases from climate change, and land disturbances from wildfire, mining and construction. In the Cincinnati and northern Kentucky metropolitan area, USA, landslides develop in colluvium that covers the steep slopes along the Ohio River and its tributaries. Here we quantify elevation changes in a slow-moving colluvial landslide over 14 years using county- wide lidar, uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) structure-from-motion (SfM) surveys and a UAV lidar survey. Because the technology and quality differ between surveys, the challenge was to calculate a threshold of detectable change for …

A Single-Cell Gene Expression Atlas Of Human Follicular Aspirates: Identification Of Leukocyte Subpopulations And Their Paracrine Factors, Yohan Choi, Hayce Jeon, Mats Brännström, James W. Akin, Thomas E. Curry, Misung Jo

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Leukocytes are in situ regulators critical for ovarian function. However, little is known about leukocyte subpopulations and their interaction with follicular cells in ovulatory follicles, especially in humans. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA- seq) was performed using follicular aspirates obtained from four IVF patients and identified 13 cell groups: one granulosa cell group, one thecal cell group, 10 subsets of leukocytes, and one group of RBC/platelet. RNA velocity analyses on five granulosa cell populations predicted developmental dynamics denoting two projections of differentiation states. The cell type-specific transcriptomic profiling analyses revealed the presence of a diverse array of leukocyte-derived factors that can …

Effect Of Lifestyle-Based Lipid Lowering Interventions On The Relationship Between Circulating Levels Of Per-And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances And Serum Cholesterol, Stephanie Morgan, M. Abdul Mottaleb, Maria P. Kraemer, Debra K. Moser, Jessica Worley, Andrew J. Morris, Michael C. Petriello

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Exposure to certain per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been shown to be positively associated with total and/or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Examining this association in lipid lowering interventions may provide additional evidence linking PFAS to cardiovascular risk. We examined the relationship of 6 PFAS with cholesterol in a 6-month lifestyle-based intervention. We quantitated PFAS in 350 individuals at baseline and post intervention and examined associations of PFAS with cholesterol before and after intervention. Food frequency questionnaires and GIS analyses were used to investigate PFAS hotspots and possible exposure routes. Cholesterol significantly decreased following intervention and in parallel, PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, and …

Impact Of In Utero Drug Exposure On Neonates Requiring Ecmo: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Hallie Walther, Aric Schadler, Karen Garlitz, John Anthony Bauer, Lindsay Kohler, Erika Waldsmith, Hubert O. Ballard

UK CARES Faculty Publications

The incidence of in utero drug exposure (IUDE) and neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) utilization have both increased over the past decade. However, there are no studies to date that examine the impact that IUDE has on neonates requiring ECMO. In this retrospective cohort study, we compared the clinic course and outcomes of neonates who were placed on ECMO with IUDE vs. neonates without IUDE. Analysis included data extracted from medical records from all neonatal ECMO runs between January 2014 and January 2021 at the University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital. A total of 56 neonatal patients were placed on ECMO …

Hpv Vaccination And Cervical Cancer Screening Promotion Among Black Individuals: Social Ecological Perspectives From Key Informants Interviews, Adebola Adegboyega, Desmennu Adeyimika, Obielodan Omoadoni, Dignan Mark

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Objectives: Rates of HPV infection and HPV-related cancers are elevated in the Black population of the US. Efforts to promote HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening are important to reducing the cancer burden among Black populations. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study guided by social ecological model (SEM) was to describe from the perspective of key informants, the challenges and opportunities for HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening promotion among Black adults.

Design: Twenty-three key informants participated in individual interviews over zoom video conferencing. The sessions were audio- recorded, transcribed verbatim, and checked for accuracy prior to data analysis. …

Impact Of The Dimethyl Sulfoxide Reductase Superfamily On The Evolution Of Biogeochemical Cycles, Michael Wells, Minjae Kim, Denise M. Akob, Partha Basu, John F. Stolz

UK CARES Faculty Publications

The dimethyl sulfoxide reductase (or MopB) family is a diverse assemblage of enzymes found throughout Bacteria and Archaea. Many of these enzymes are believed to have been present in the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) of all cellular lineages. However, gaps in knowledge remain about how MopB enzymes evolved and how this diversification of functions impacted global biogeochemical cycles through geologic time. In this study, we perform maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses on manually curated comparative genomic and metagenomic data sets containing over 47,000 distinct MopB homologs. We demonstrate that these enzymes constitute a catalytically and mechanistically diverse superfamily defined not …

Magnetic Nanocomposites For The Remote Activation Of Sulfate Radicals For The Removal Of Rhodamine B, Pranto Paul, Marissa Nicholson, J. Zach Hilt

UK CARES Faculty Publications

The widespread presence of numerous organic contaminants in water poses a threat to the ecological environment and human health. Magnetic nanocomposites exposed to an alternating magnetic field (AMF) have a unique ability for magnetically mediated energy delivery (MagMED) resulting from the embedded magnetic nanoparticles; this localized energy delivery and associated chemical and thermal effects are a potential method for removing contaminants from water. This work developed a novel magnetic nanocomposite—a polyacrylamide-based hydrogel loaded with iron oxide nanoparticles. For this magnetic nanocomposite, persulfate activation and the contamination removal in water were investigated. Magnetic nanocomposites were exposed to AMF with a model …

Forage News [2023-03], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

No abstract provided.

Association Of Symptoms And Mode Of Transportation To Emergency Department In Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome, Leslie L. Davis, Thomas P. Mccoy, Barbara Riegel, Sharon Mckinley, Lynn V. Doering, Debra K. Moser

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Background: Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with symptoms matching their expectations of a heart attack are more likely to use emergency medical services (EMS) than not.

Objective: To determine whether presenting symptom clusters are associated with EMS use in ACS patients and if EMS use or symptom clusters are associated with prehospital delay.

Methods: This secondary analysis used data from the PROMOTION trial, a randomized clinical trial that enrolled 3522 subjects with a history of or at risk for ACS from 5 sites in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Subjects were randomized to usual care or an …

Body Mass Index Percentiles Versus Body Composition Assessments: Challenges For Disease Risk Classifications In Children, Jody L. Clasey, Elizabeth Ann Easley, Margaret O'Bryan Murphy, Stefan G. Kiessling, Arnold Stromberg, Aric Schadler, Hong Huang, John A. Bauer

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Background: Identifying at-risk children with optimal specificity and sensitivity to allow for the appropriate intervention strategies to be implemented is crucial to improving the health and well-being of children. We determined relationships of body mass indexes for age and sex percentile (BMI%) classifications to actual body composition using validated and convenient methodologies and compared fat and non-fat mass estimates to normative cut-off reference values to determine guideline reliability. We hypothesized that we would achieve an improved ability to identify at-risk children using simple, non-invasive body composition and index measures.

Methods: Cross-sectional study of a volunteer convenience sample of 1,064 (537 …

Incorporating Environmental Impacts Into Short-Term Mine Planning: A Literature Survey, Milad Rahnema, Bahar Amirmoeini, Ali Moradi Afrapoli

Mining Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper aims to address the significant financial, environmental, and social risks posed by climate change to the mining industry, which is responsible for approximately 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. With 70% of mining projects for the six largest mining companies located in water-stressed regions, the industry is facing increasing pressure to reduce its impact. Our study investigates the applicability of multi-objective optimization to integrate environmental impact considerations into short-term planning for mining operations. To achieve this, we have reviewed similar studies in various industries and developed an integrated planning framework that incorporates environmental considerations into production planning for …

Existing Transportation Infrastructure In The Central Appalachian Basin To Support Core-Cm, Bryan Gibson, Robin Baskette, Doug Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Stretching from Tennessee northeastward through southwestern Pennsylvania, the Central Appalachian Basin’s economic fortunes have long depended on coal production. However, as the U.S. has increasingly turned toward new forms of energy to generate electricity, the region’s economy has faced inexorable headwinds. Yet, what is clear is that the extractive industries are likely to play a key role in shaping the basin’s economy in the years to come. Taking this assumption as a starting point, this paper discusses how well current transportation infrastructure can support expanded us of the basin’s carbon ore, rare earth, and critical minerals (CORE-CM), other minerals, and …

Loss Of Peroxiredoxin Iv Protects Mice From Azoxymethane/Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colorectal Cancer Development, Pratik Thapa, Hong Jiang, Na Ding, Yanning Hao, Aziza Alshahrani, Eun Young Lee, Junichi Fujii, Qiou Wei

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Peroxiredoxin IV (Prx4), a typical two-cysteine-containing member of the peroxidase family, functions as an antioxidant to maintain cellular redox homeostasis through the reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via cycles of oxidation–reduction reactions. Under oxidative stress, all Prxs including Prx4 are inactivated as their catalytic cysteines undergo hyperoxidation, and hyperoxidized two-cysteine Prxs can be exclusively repaired and revitalized through the reduction cycle catalyzed by sulfiredoxin (Srx). Previously, we showed that Prx4 is a preferred substrate of Srx, and knockout of Srx in mice leads to resistance to azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium (AOM/DSS)-induced colon carcinogenesis. To further understand the significance of the …

Naltrexone-Bupropion Combinations Do Not Affect Cocaine Self-Administration In Humans, Sean D. Regnier, William W. Stoops, Joshua A. Lile, Joseph L. Alcorn Iii, B. Levi Bolin, Anna R. Reynolds, Lon R. Hays, Abner O. Rayapati, Craig R. Rush

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

The FDA has not yet approved a pharmacotherapy for cocaine use disorder despite nearly four decades of research. This study determined the initial efficacy, safety, and tolerability of naltrexone-bupropion combinations as a putative pharmacotherapy for cocaine use disorder.

Thirty-one (31) non-treatment seeking participants with cocaine use disorder completed a mixed-design human laboratory study. Participants were randomly assigned to the naltrexone conditions (i.e., 0, 50 mg/ day; between-subject factor) and maintained on escalating doses of bupropion (i.e., 0, 100, 200, 400 mg/day; within-subject factor) for at least four days prior to the conduct of experimental sessions. Cocaine self-administration (IN, 0, 40, …

Exposure To Pcb126 During The Nursing Period Reversibly Impacts Early-Life Glucose Tolerance, Brittany Breon Rice, Keegan W. Sammons, Sara Y. Ngo Tenlep, Madeline T. Weltzer, Leryn J. Reynolds, Cetewayo S. Rashid, Hollie I. Swanson, Kevin J. Pearson

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent environmental organic pollutants known to have detrimental health effects. Using a mouse model, we previously demonstrated that PCB126 exposure before and during pregnancy and throughout the perinatal period adversely affected offspring glucose tolerance and/or body composition profiles. The purpose of this study was to investigate the glucose tolerance and body composition of offspring born to dams exposed to PCB126 during the nursing period only. Female ICR mice were bred, and half of the dams were exposed to either vehicle (safflower oil) or 1 μmole PCB126 per kg of body weight via oral gavage on postnatal …

Latexin Regulates Sex Dimorphism In Hematopoiesis Via Gender-Specific Differential Expression Of Microrna 98-3p And Thrombospondin 1, Xiaojing Cui, Cuiping Zhang, Fang Wang, Xinghui Zhao, Shuxia Wang, Jinpeng Liu, Daheng He, Chi Wang, Feng-Chun Yang, Sheng Tong, Ying Liang

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have the ability to self-renew and differentiate to all blood cell types. HSCs and their differentiated progeny show sex/gender differences. The fundamental mechanisms remain largely unexplored. We previously reported that latexin (Lxn) deletion increased HSC survival and repopulation capacity in female mice. Here, we find no differences in HSC function and hematopoiesis in Lxn knockout (Lxn-/- male mice under physiologic and myelosuppressive conditions. We further find that Thbs1, a downstream target gene of Lxn in female HSCs, is repressed in male HSCs. Male-specific high expression of micro- RNA 98-3p (miR98-3p) contributes to Thbs1 suppression in male …

Chronic Environmental Circadian Disruption Increases Atherosclerosis And Dyslipidemia In Female, But Not Male, Apolipoproteine-Deficient Mice, Jeffrey M. Chalfant, Deborah A. Howatt, Victoria B. Johnson, Lisa R. Tannock, Alan Daugherty, Julie S. Pendergast

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

Shift work chronically disrupts circadian rhythms and increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. However, the mechanisms linking shift work and cardiovascular disease are largely unknown. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of chronically shifting the light-dark (LD) cycle, which models the disordered exposure to light that may occur during shift work, on atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the progressive accumulation of lipid-filled lesions within the artery wall and is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease. We studied ApolipoproteinE-deficient (ApoE−/−) mice that are a well-established model of atherosclerosis. Male and female ApoE−/− mice were housed in control 12L:12D …

Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Leads To Injury And Altered Metabolism In The Lungs, Emily E. Huffman, Brittany E. Dong, Harrison A. Clarke, Lyndsay E. A. Young, Matthew S. Gentry, Derek B. Allison, Ramon C. Sun, Christopher M. Waters, Warren J. Alilain

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

High-cervical spinal cord injury often disrupts respiratory motor pathways and disables breathing in the affected population. Moreover, cervically injured individuals are at risk for developing acute lung injury, which predicts substantial mortality rates. While the correlation between acute lung injury and spinal cord injury has been found in the clinical setting, the field lacks an animal model to interrogate the fundamental biology of this relationship. To begin to address this gap in knowledge, we performed an experimental cervical spinal cord injury (N = 18) alongside sham injury (N = 3) and naïve animals (N = 15) to assess lung injury …

Ferric Chloride-Induced Arterial Thrombosis And Sample Collection For 3d Electron Microscopy Analysis, Smita Joshi, Alexis N. Smith, Kanakanagavalli Shravani Prakhya, Hammodah Rawhi Hammodah Alfar, Joshua Lykins, Ming Zhang, Irina D. Pokrovskaya, Maria A. Aronova, Richard D. Leapman, Brian Storrie, Sidney W. Whiteheart

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Aberrant thrombosis is a common feature of systemic conditions like diabetes and obesity, and chronic inflammatory diseases like atherosclerosis, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. Upon vascular injury, usually the coagulation system, platelets, and endothelium act in an orchestrated manner to prevent bleeding by forming a clot at the site of the injury. Abnormalities in this process lead to either excessive bleeding or uncontrolled thrombosis/insufficient antithrombotic activity, which translates into vessel occlusion and its sequelae. The FeCl3-induced carotid injury model is a valuable tool in probing how thrombosis initiates and progresses …

An Improved Germline Genome Assembly For The Sea Lamprey Petromyzon Marinus Illuminates The Evolution Of Germline-Specific Chromosomes, Nataliya Timoshevskaya, Kaan İ. Eşkut, Vladimir A. Timoshevskiy, Sofia M.C. Robb, Carson Holt, Jon E. Hess, Hugo J. Parker, Cindy F. Baker, Allison K. Miller, Cody Saraceno, Mark Yandell, Robb Krumlauf, Shawn R. Narum, Ralph T. Lampman, Neil J. Gemmell, Jacquelyn Mountcastle, Bettina Haase, Jennifer R. Balacco, Giulio Formenti, Sarah Pelan, Ying Sims, Kerstin Howe, Olivier Fedrigo, Erich D. Jarvis, Jeramiah James Smith

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Programmed DNA loss is a gene silencing mechanism that is employed by several vertebrate and nonvertebrate lineages, including all living jawless vertebrates and songbirds. Reconstructing the evolution of somatically eliminated (germline-specific) sequences in these species has proven challenging due to a high content of repeats and gene duplications in eliminated sequences and a corresponding lack of highly accurate and contiguous assemblies for these regions. Here, we present an improved assembly of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) genome that was generated using recently standardized methods that increase the contiguity and accuracy of vertebrate genome assemblies. This assembly resolves highly contiguous, somatically …

Chalcone Derivative Cx258 Suppresses Colorectal Cancer Via Inhibiting The Top2a/Wnt/Β-Catenin Signaling, Xi Chen, Xiaocheng Lv, Lijie Gao, Jiawei Liu, Wei Wang, Lichao Guo, Mykhaylo S. Frasinyuk, Wen Zhang, David S. Watt, Chunming Liu, Xifu Liu

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

The deregulation in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is associated with many human cancers, particularly colorectal cancer (CRC) and, therefore, represents a promising target for drug development. We have screened over 300 semisynthetic and natural compounds using a Wnt reporter assay and identified a family of novel chalcone derivatives (CXs) that inhibited Wnt signaling and CRC cell proliferation. Among them, we selected CX258 for further in vitro and in vivo study to investigate the molecular mechanisms. We found that CX258 significantly inhibited β-catenin expression and nuclear translocation, inducing cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase in CRC cells. Additionally, CX258 reduced …