Digital Commons Network^™

Trial Sequential Analysis Comparing Bleeding And Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events In Patients With Atrial Fibrillation And Acute Coronary Syndrome On Dual Versus Triple Therapy, Muhamad B. Munir, Khansa Osman, Maryam Saleem, Kinjan Patel, Sudarshan Balla

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objective To assess efficacy and safety of dual therapy (DT) and triple therapy (TT) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with or without percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and evaluate the quality of evidence with respect to said outcomes based on contemporary randomized trials (RCTs). The efficacy outcome taken was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) while safety outcome was major bleeding events. Introduction Appropriate anti-thrombotic therapy is still controversial in patients with AF and concomitant ACS or PCI. We conducted a conventional meta-analysis pooling data from major RCTs to assess the efficacy and safety of DT …

Ros Promote Epigenetic Remodeling And Cardiac Dysfunction In Offspring Following Maternal Engineered Nanomaterial (Enm) Exposure, Amina Kunovac, Quincy A. Hathaway, Mark V. Pinti, William T. Goldsmith, Andrya J. Durr, Garret K. Fink, Timothy R. Nurkiewicz, John M. Hollander

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Nano-titanium dioxide (nano-TiO2) is amongst the most widely utilized engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). However, little is known regarding the consequences maternal ENM inhalation exposure has on growing progeny during gestation. ENM inhalation exposure has been reported to decrease mitochondrial bioenergetics and cardiac function, though the mechanisms responsible are poorly understood. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are increased as a result of ENM inhalation exposure, but it is unclear whether they impact fetal reprogramming. The purpose of this study was to determine whether maternal ENM inhalation exposure influences progeny cardiac development and epigenomic remodeling. Results: Pregnant FVB dams were exposed to nano-TiO2 …

Integrated Pest Management Of Longan (Sapindales: Sapindaceae) In Vietnam, Hanh Tran, Hoa Nguyen Van, Rangaswamy Muniappan, James Amrine, Rayapati Naidu, Robert Cilbertson, Jaspreet Sidhu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This paper describes the current state of pests and diseases of longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) and their management in Vietnam. Longan is the third most cultivated fruit crop and second major fruit crop exported from Vietnam. Brief descriptions of arthropod pests Eriophyes dimocarpi Kuang (Acari: Eriophyidae), Conogethes punctiferalis Guenée (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), Conopomorpha sinensis Bradley (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Conopomorpha litchiella Bradley (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Tessaratoma papillosa Drury (Hemiptera: Tessaratomidae), Eudocima phalonia L. comb. (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel (Diptera: Tephretidae), Planococcus lilacinus Cockerell (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), Drepanococcus chiton Green (Hemiptera: Coccidae), and Cornegenapsylla sinica Yang & Li (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) and fungal …

Differences In Sodium Channel Densities In The Apical Dendrites Of Pyramidal Cells Of The Electrosensory Lateral Line Lobe, Sree I. Motipally, Kathryne M. Allen, Daniel K. Williamson, Gary Marsat

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Heterogeneity of neural properties within a given neural class is ubiquitous in the nervous system and permits different sub-classes of neurons to specialize for specific purposes. This principle has been thoroughly investigated in the hindbrain of the weakly electric fish A. leptorhynchus in the primary electrosensory area, the Electrosensory Lateral Line lobe (ELL). The pyramidal cells (PCs) that receive inputs from tuberous electroreceptors are organized in three maps in distinct segments of the ELL. The properties of these cells vary greatly across maps due to differences in connectivity, receptor expression, and ion channel composition. These cells are a seminal example …

Molecular Mechanisms Of Cancer-Induced Sleep Disruption, William H. Walker, Jeremy C. Borniger

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Sleep is essential for health. Indeed, poor sleep is consistently linked to the development of systemic disease, including depression, metabolic syndrome, and cognitive impairments. Further evidence has accumulated suggesting the role of sleep in cancer initiation and progression (primarily breast cancer). Indeed, patients with cancer and cancer survivors frequently experience poor sleep, manifesting as insomnia, circadian misalignment, hypersomnia, somnolence syndrome, hot flushes, and nightmares. These problems are associated with a reduction in the patients’ quality of life and increased mortality. Due to the heterogeneity among cancers, treatment regimens, patient populations and lifestyle factors, the etiology of cancer-induced sleep disruption is …

Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube-Induced Gene Expression Biomarkers For Medical And Occupational Surveillance, Brandi N. Snyder-Talkington, Chunlin Dong, Salvi Singh, Rebecca Raese, Yong Qian, Dale W. Porter, Michael G. Wolfarth, Nancy L. Guo

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

As the demand for multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) incorporation into industrial and biomedical applications increases, so does the potential for unintentional pulmonary MWCNT exposure, particularly among workers during manufacturing. Pulmonary exposure to MWCNTs raises the potential for development of lung inflammation, fibrosis, and cancer among those exposed; however, there are currently no effective biomarkers for detecting lung fibrosis or predicting the risk of lung cancer resulting from MWCNT exposure. To uncover potential mRNAs and miRNAs that could be used as markers of exposure, this study compared in vivo mRNA and miRNA expression in lung tissue and blood of mice exposed …

Story Of An Unfortunate Fall: Cardiac Contusion Presenting With An Atrioventricular Block, Maryam Saleem, Fatima Ahmed, Kinjan Patel, Muhamad B. Munir, Mary Warden

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Blunt cardiac injury (BCI), also referred to in the literature as a cardiac contusion, is a known cause of myocardial injury. It is often challenging to diagnose this condition in the absence of clear diagnostic criteria. Furthermore, its clinical presentation is highly variable depending on the severity, type, and duration of the trauma, as well as the timing from the initial insult. The clinical manifestation of BCI ranges from none to fatal arrhythmias to cardiac wall rupture seen on post-mortem examination. Cardiac biomarkers and electrocardiograms (EKG) are usually helpful in identifying cardiac trauma but are not necessarily abnormal in all …

Meniscal Repair In Pediatric Populations: A Systematic Review Of Outcomes, Daniel J. Liechti, David S. Constantinescu, Taylor J. Ridley, Jorge Chahla, Justin J. Mitchell, Alexander R. Vap

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Loss of meniscal tissue in the pediatric population can have long-term consequences on joint health, highlighting the importance of meniscal preservation in this group. Purpose: To systematically review reported knee outcome measures and complication rates after repair of meniscal tears in children and adolescents. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A review of the literature regarding the existing evidence for pediatric meniscal tear outcomes was performed through use of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed (1980-present), and MEDLINE (1980-present). Included were articles in English that reported the outcomes …

Closed-Loop Cardiovascular Interactions And The Baroreflex Cardiac Arm: Modulations Over The 24 H And The Effect Of Hypertension, Gianfranco Parati, Paolo Castiglioni, Andrea Faini, Marco Di Rienzo, Giuseppe Mancia, Riccardo Barbieri, J. Philip Saul

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Closed-loop models of the interactions between blood pressure (BP) and heart rate variations allow for estimation of baroreflex sensitivity (feedback effects of BP changes on heart rate) while also considering the feedforward effects of heart rate on BP. Our study is aimed at comparing modulations of feedback and feedforward couplings over 24 h in normotensive and hypertensive subjects, by assessing closed-loop baroreflex models in ambulatory conditions. Continuous intra-arterial BP recordings were performed for 24 h in eight normotensive and eight hypertensive subjects. Systolic BP (SBP) and pulse interval (PI) beat-by-beat series were analyzed by an autoregressive moving average model over …

Correction To: Determinant Roles Of Dendritic Cell-Expressed Notch Delta-Like And Jagged Ligands On Anti-Tumor T-Cell Immunity, Elena E. Tchekneva, Mounika U.L. Goruganthu, Roman V. Uzhachenko, Portia L. Thomas, Anneliese Antonucci, Irina Chekneva, Michael Koenig, Longzhu Piao, Anwari Akhter, Maria Teresa P. De Aquino, Paravathi Ranganathan, Nicholas Long, Thomas Magliery, Anna Valujskikh, Jason V. Evans, Rajeswara R. Arasada, Pierre P. Massion, David P. Carbone, Anil Shanker, Mikhail M. Dikov

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Notch intercellular communication instructs tissue-specific T-cell development and function. In this study, we explored the roles of dendritic cell (DC)-expressed Notch ligands in the regulation of T-cell effector function. Methods: We generated mice with CD11c lineage-specific deletion of Notch Delta-like ligand (Dll)1 and Jagged (Jag)2. Using these genetically-ablated mice and engineered pharmacological Notch ligand constructs, the roles of various Delta-like and Jagged ligands in the regulation of T-cell-mediated immunity were investigated. We assessed tumor growth, mouse survival, cytokine production, immunophenotyping of myeloid and lymphoid populations infiltrating the tumors, expression of checkpoint molecules and T-cell function in the experimental settings …

Assessment Of Volume Status During Prone Spine Surgery Via A Novel Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Technique, Jeremy Hensley, Hong Wang

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background Operations performed with the patient in the prone position can pose a significant challenge to the anesthesiologist. Hypotension is a commonly encountered complication. Intravascular volume depletion and decreased cardiac output secondary to decreased preload are thought to be the most likely cause of hypotension in the prone position. Measurement of inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter via point-of-care ultrasound examination (POC_US) has been used to provide an estimate of intravascular volume status. However, this measurement is most often obtained with the patient in the supine position. Materials and methods In this study, we describe a technique for evaluating IVC diameter …

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Genomic Loci Affecting Filet Firmness And Protein Content In Rainbow Trout, Ali Ali, Rafet Al-Tobasei, Daniela Lourenco, Tim Leeds, Brett Kenney, Mohamed Saleem

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Filet quality traits determine consumer satisfaction and affect profitability of the aquaculture industry. Soft flesh is a criterion for fish filet downgrades, resulting in loss of value. Filet firmness is influenced by many factors, including rate of protein turnover. A 50K transcribed gene SNP chip was used to genotype 789 rainbow trout, from two consecutive generations, produced in the USDA/NCCCWA selective breeding program. Weighted single-step GBLUP (WssGBLUP) was used to perform genome-wide association (GWA) analyses to identify quantitative trait loci affecting filet firmness and protein content. Applying genomic sliding windows of 50 adjacent SNPs, 212 and 225 SNPs were associated …

Cooking Frequency Associated With Dietary Quality In Icook-4h Youth Participants At Baseline, Amber D. Ford, Sarah E. Colby, Marissa Mcelrone, Lisa Franzen-Castle, Melissa D. Olfert

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Increased intakes of ready-made and fast foods paralleled with decreased homemade food consumption have been associated with increased rates of obesity. Researchers have shown associations between cooking self-efficacy (SE) and cooking frequency (CF) with dietary quality and weight status. Some cooking interventions have shown positive associations with dietary outcomes, such as increased fruit and vegetable intake and decreased fast food consumption. There is still much unknown about SE and CF, especially among youth. Objective: Determine baseline SE and CF and the associations with dietary quality and body mass index (BMI) of youth enrolled in iCook 4H. Methods: Youth (n=228, …

Association Of Lowering Low‐Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol With Contemporary Lipid‐Lowering Therapies And Risk Of Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review And Meta‐Analysis, Safi U. Khan, Hammad Rahman, Victor Okunrintemi, Haris Riaz, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, Sudhakar Sattur, Edo Kaluski, A. Michael Lincoff, Seth S. Martin, Michael J. Blaha

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

The relationship between lowering LDL (low‐density lipoprotein) cholesterol with contemporary lipid‐lowering therapies and incident diabetes mellitus (DM) remains uncertain.

Methods and Results

Thirty‐three randomized controlled trials (21 of statins, 12 of PCSK9 [proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9] inhibitors, and 0 of ezetimibe) were selected using Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (inception through November 15, 2018). A total of 163 688 nondiabetic patients were randomly assigned to more intensive (83 123 patients) or less intensive (80 565 patients) lipid‐lowering therapy. More intensive lipid‐lowering therapy was defined as the more potent pharmacological strategy (PCSK9 inhibitors, higher …

Segmentation Of Nature-Based Tourists In A Rural Area (2008–2009): A Single-Item Approach, Jinyang Deng, Jian Li

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Although much research on nature-based tourism (NBT) has been conducted in natural areas, such as national parks and other protected areas, studies on NBT in rural areas have been limited. Moreover, few NBT studies, if any, have examined the impact of seasons and/or locations on visitors’ perceptions of NBT. This comes as little surprise, given that naturalness, the fundamental core of NBT, is likely to vary with seasons and locations. To this end, this study examines NBT in a rural area in the Appalachian Region, USA, with a focus on market segmentation, based on data collected from a four-season on-site …

The Identification Of Differentially Expressed Genes Between Extremes Of Placental Efficiency In Maternal Line Gilts On Day 95 Of Gestation, Shanice K. Krombeen, Vijay Shankar, Rooksana E. Noorai, Christopher A. Saski, Julia L. Sharp, Matthew E. Wilson, Tiffany A. Wilmoth

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Placental efficiency (PE) describes the relationship between placental and fetal weights (fetal wt/placental wt). Within litters, PE can vary drastically, resulting in similarly sized pigs associated with differently sized placentas, up to a 25% weight difference. However, the mechanisms enabling the smaller placenta to grow a comparable littermate are unknown. To elucidate potential mechanisms, morphological measurements and gene expression profiles in placental and associated endometrial tissues of high PE and low PE feto-placental units were compared. Tissue samples were obtained from eight maternal line gilts during gestational day 95 ovario-hysterectomies. RNA was extracted from tissues of feto-placental units with …

Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy For Rapid And Cost-Effective Determination Of Elemental Composition Of Ground Forage, Yadav Sapkota, Louis M. Mcdonald, Thomas C. Griggs, Thomas J. Basden, Brandon Lee Drake

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The recent development of portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometers (PXRF) has created new avenues for rapid plant elemental concentration determination at reduced cost while avoiding hazardous chemicals. A few studies have indicated the potential use of PXRF for homogenous plant tissue analysis. However, there is a lack of information for analysis of heterogeneous plant samples like livestock forage, which consists of a mixture of several species and plant parts, each varying in elemental concentration. Our objective was to evaluate PXRF for forage analysis, specifically the effect of forage particle size and scan time on important elements including P, K, Ca, and …

Micrornas And The Genetic Nexus Of Brain Aging, Neuroinflammation, Neurodegeneration, And Brain Trauma, Saumyendra N. Sarkar, Ashley E. Russell, Russell Elizabeth B. Engler-Chiurazzi, Keyana N. Porter, James W. Simpkins

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

ABSTRACT: Aging is a complex and integrated gradual deterioration of cellular activities in specific organs of the body, which is associated with increased mortality. This deterioration is the primary risk factor for major human pathologies, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, neurovascular disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. There are nine tentative hallmarks of aging. In addition, several of these hallmarks are increasingly being associated with acute brain injury conditions. In this review, we consider the genes and their functional pathways involved in brain aging as a means of developing new strategies for therapies targeted to the neuropathological processes themselves, but also as …

The Stem Cell Phenotype Of Aggressive Breast Cancer Cells, Naira V. Margaryan, Hannah Hazard-Jenkins, Mohamad A. Salkeni, Matthew B. Smolkin, James A. Coad, Sijin Wen, Elizabeth A. Seftor, Richard E B Seftor, Mary J C Hendrix

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Aggressive cancer cells are characterized by their capacity to proliferate indefinitely and to propagate a heterogeneous tumor comprised of subpopulations with varying degrees of metastatic propensity and drug resistance properties. Particularly daunting is the challenge we face in the field of oncology of effectively targeting heterogeneous tumor cells expressing a variety of markers, especially those associated with a stem cell phenotype. This dilemma is especially relevant in breast cancer, where therapy is based on traditional classification schemes, including histological criteria, differentiation status, and classical receptor markers. However, not all patients respond in a similar manner to standard-of-care therapy, thereby necessitating …

Analysis Of The In Vivo Transcriptome Of Bordetella Pertussis During Infection Of Mice, Ting Y. Wong, Jesse M. Hall, Evan S. Nowak, Dylan T. Boehm, Laura A. Gonyar, Erik L. Hewlwtt, Joshua C. Eby, Mariette Barbier, F H. Damron

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Bordetella pertussis causes the disease whooping cough through coordinated control of virulence factors by the Bordetella virulence gene system. Microarrays and, more recently, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) have been used to describe in vitro gene expression profiles of B. pertussis and other pathogens. In previous studies, we have analyzed the in vitro gene expression profiles of B. pertussis, and we hypothesize that the infection transcriptome profile in vivo is significantly different from that under laboratory growth conditions. To study the infection transcriptome of B. pertussis, we developed a simple filtration technique for isolation of bacteria from infected lungs. The work flow …

Nutrition Risk Is Associated With Leukocyte Telomere Length In Middle-Aged Men And Women With At Least One Risk Factor For Cardiovascular Disease, Melissa V. Marra, Margaret A. Drazba, Ida Holaskova, William L. Belden

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Poor diet quality has been associated with several age-related chronic conditions, but its relationship to telomere length, a biological marker of cellular aging, is unclear. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine whether overall diet quality was associated with relative leukocyte telomere length (rLTL) in a sample (n = 96) of nonsmoking middle-aged adults in Appalachia with at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015), the alternate Mediterranean diet score (aMed), and the Dietary Screening Tool (DST). Peripheral rLTL was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The …

“If My Family Is Happy, Then I Am Happy”: Quality-Of-Life Determinants Of Parents Of School-Age Children, Kaitlyn M. Eck, Colleen L. Delaney, Melissa D. Olfert, Karla P. Shelnutt, Carol Byrd-Bredbenner

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objective:

Obesity is a public health concern for children and adults and effective obesity prevention programming is needed urgently. The effectiveness of health-related messaging and interventions is influenced by the way content is framed. HomeStyles is an obesity prevention program, which aims to promote health through the frame of improved quality of life.

Methods:

Thus, focus groups were conducted with English- and Spanish-speaking parents of school-aged children (ages 6–11) to identify key quality-of-life determinants as described by parents.

Results:

Parents (n = 158) reported that their quality of life was influenced by family happiness and parent and child health (e.g. …

Sex Differences In Lifestyle Behaviors Among U.S. College Freshmen, Melissa D. Olfert, Makenzie L. Barr, Camille C. Charlier, Geoffrey W. Greene, Wenjun Zhou, Sarah E. Colby

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Within lifestyle behavior research, the sex of populations causes differences in behaviors and outcomes of studies. This cross-sectional study investigated lifestyle behavior patterns in college students, examining sex differences in four areas: Nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and stress. Data from over 1100 college freshmen across 8 United States universities were used for this cross-sectional analysis. Self-reported data assessed fruit and vegetable intake, fat percent intake, physical activity, perceived stress, and sleep quality. Statistical analysis included Pearson chi-squared and Mann–Whitney’s U tests for scores by sex. Likewise, healthy cut-offs were used to determine frequency of participants within range of the five …

Vegetal-Derived Biostimulant Enhances Adventitious Rooting In Cuttings Of Basil, Tomato, And Chrysanthemum Via Brassinosteroid-Mediated Processes, Hye-Ji Kim, Kang-Mo Ku, Seunghyun Choi, Mariateresa Cardarelli

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Plant-derived protein biostimulants exhibit hormone-like activities promoting plant growth and yield, yet detailed investigations on hormonal function have remained limited. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of vegetal-derived-biostimulant on morphological and metabolic changes in cuttings of three herbaceous species demonstrating different rooting ability, basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), and chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum indicum L.), in comparison to auxin. Unrooted cuttings were applied with or without biostimulant (100, 1000, 5000, and 10,000 mg L⁻¹) or auxin [1% indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) plus 0.5% 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA); 100, 200, 300, and 500 mg L⁻¹] as …

A Prospect Of Cell Immortalization Combined With Matrix Microenvironmental Optimization Strategy For Tissue Engineering And Regeneration, Yiming Wang, Song Chen, Zuoqin Yan, Ming Pei

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Cellular senescence is a major hurdle for primary cell-based tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Telomere erosion, oxidative stress, the expression of oncogenes and the loss of tumor suppressor genes all may account for the cellular senescence process with the involvement of various signaling pathways. To establish immortalized cell lines for research and clinical use, strategies have been applied including internal genomic or external matrix microenvironment modification. Considering the potential risks of malignant transformation and tumorigenesis of genetic manipulation, environmental modification methods, especially the decellularized cell-deposited extracellular matrix (dECM)-based preconditioning strategy, appear to be promising for tissue engineering-aimed cell immortalization. Due …

Differential Gene Regulation In Human Small Airway Epithelial Cells Grown In Monoculture Versus Coculture With Human Microvascular Endothelial Cells Following Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Exposure, Brandi N. Snyder-Talkington, Chunlin Dong, Vincent Castranova, Yong Qian, Nancy L. Guo

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Concurrent with rising production of carbon-based engineered nanomaterials is a potential increase in respiratory and cardiovascular diseases due to exposure to nanomaterials in the workplace atmosphere. While single-cell models of pulmonary exposure are often used to determine the potential toxicity of nanomaterials in vitro, previous studies have shown that coculture cell models better represent the cellular response and crosstalk that occurs in vivo. This study identified differential gene regulation in human small airway epithelial cells (SAECs) grown either in monoculture or in coculture with human microvascular endothelial cells following exposure of the SAECs to multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). SAEC genes …

Toxicity Screening Of Two Prevalent Metal Organic Frameworks For Therapeutic Use In Human Lung Epithelial Cells, Alixandra Wagner, Qian Liu, Olivia L. Rose, Anna Eden, Aishwarya Vijay, Yon Rojanasakul, Cerasela Z. Dinu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Introduction: The flexibility and tunability of metal organic frameworks (MOFs), crystal- line porous materials composed of a network of metal ions coordinated by organic ligands, confer their variety of applications as drug delivery systems or as sensing and imaging agents. However, such properties also add to the difficulty in ensuring their safe implementa- tion when interaction with biological systems is considered.

Methods: In the current study, we used real-time sensorial strategies and cellular-based approaches to allow for fast and effective screening of two MOFs of prevalent use, namely, MIL-160 representative of a hydrophilic and ZIF-8 representative of a hydrophobic frame- …

Epichloë (Formerly Neotyphodium) Fungal Endophytes Increase Adaptation Of Cool-Season Perennial Grasses To Environmental Stresses, Dariusz P. Malinowski, David P. Belesky

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Many cool-season grass species have evolved with asexual, nonsymptomatic fungal endophytes of the genus Epichloë (formerly Neotyphodium) of the family Clavicipitaceae. These associations range from parasitic to mutualistic and have dramatic effects on grass host chemistry, increasing resistance to abiotic (drought, soil mineral imbalance) and biotic (vertebrate and invertebrate herbivory, nematodes, plant pathogens, plant competition) stresses. Native endophyte strains produce a range of bioprotective alkaloid and other nonalkaloid secondary compounds, several of them known to have detrimental effects on grazing animals. In the past two decades, epichloid endophyte strains have been selected with marginal or no capacity of producing …

Chitosan Biopolymer Improves The Fruit Quality Of Litchi (Litchi Chinensis Sonn.), Shabab Mehebub, Nur U. Mahmud, Mosaddiqur Rahman, Musrat Z. Surovy, Dipali R. Gupta, Mirza Hasanuzzaman, Mahfuzur Rahman, M T. Islam

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Chitosan (CHT) is a natural compound that has been used to control postharvest pathogenic diseases due to its capability of eliciting natural defense responses in plants. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of foliar CHT application on yield and quality of the litchi fruit. Chitosan was applied by spraying on to fruit and foliage just after fruit set four times at 7-day intervals with four varying doses viz. 100, 250, 500, and 1,000 µg L⁻¹ and a control (0 µg L⁻¹). Although the application of CHT had no significant effect on the size …

Redesign, Field-Testing, And Validation Of The Physical Activity Campus Environmental Supports (Paces) Audit, Tanya M. Horacek, Elif D. Yildirim, Dean Seidman, Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Sarah Colby, Adrienne A. White, Karla P. Shelnutt, Melissa D. Olfert, Anne E. Matthews, Kristin Riggsbee, Lisa Frazen-Castle, Jesse S. Morrell, Kendra Kattelmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This paper describes the redesign, field-testing, and convergent validity of a practical tool—Physical Activity Campus Environmental Supports (PACES) audit. Methods. The audit includes two parts: (1) PACES-Programs, which is comprised of questions regarding populations served, fees, programs (recreation/fitness classes and intramurals), proximity, adequacy of facilities, and marketing, and (2) PACES-Facilities, which is comprised of questions regarding built environment (aesthetics, bike racks, stairs, and universal design), recreation equipment, staff, amenities, and access. Each item criterion is specifically scored using a five-point, semantic-differential scale ranging from limited to extensive environmental support. A few questions utilize select all that apply for a summed …