Digital Commons Network^™

The Regulation Landscape Of Mapk Signaling Cascade For Thwarting Bacillus Thuringiensis Infection In An Insect Host, Zhaojiang Guo, Shi Kang, Qingjun Wu, Shaoli Wang, Neil Crickmore, Xuguo Zhou, Alejandra Bravo, Mario Soberón, Youjun Zhang

Entomology Faculty Publications

Host-pathogen interactions are central components of ecological networks where the MAPK signaling pathways act as central hubs of these complex interactions. We have previously shown that an insect hormone modulated MAPK signaling cascade participates as a general switch to trans-regulate differential expression of diverse midgut genes in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) to cope with the insecticidal action of Cry1Ac toxin, produced by the entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). The relationship between topology and functions of this four-tiered phosphorylation signaling cascade, however, is an uncharted territory. Here, we carried out a genome-wide characterization of all the MAPK orthologs …

Hiv Infection And The Risk Of World Health Organization-Defined Sudden Cardiac Death, Matthew S. Freiberg, Meredith S. Duncan, Charles Alcorn, Chung-Chou H. Chang, Suman Kundu, Asri Mumpuni, Emily K. Smith, Sarah Loch, Annie Bedigian, Eric Vittinghoff, Kaku So-Armah, Priscilla Y. Hsue, Amy C. Justice, Zian H. Tseng

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Background

People living with HIV have higher sudden cardiac death (SCD) rates compared with the general population. Whether HIV infection is an independent SCD risk factor is unclear.

Methods and Results

This study evaluated participants from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study, an observational, longitudinal cohort of veterans with and without HIV infection matched 1:2 on age, sex, race/ethnicity, and clinical site. Baseline for this study was a participant's first clinical visit on or after April 1, 2003. Participants were followed through December 31, 2014. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, we assessed whether HIV infection, CD4 cell counts, and/or HIV viral …

Towards Access For All: 1st Working Group Report For The Global Gene Therapy Initiative (Ggti), Mohamed Draz, Umut Gurkan, Olabimpe Olayiwola

Faculty Scholarship

The gene and cell therapy field saw its first approved treatments in Europe in 2012 and the United States in 2017 and is projected to be at least a $10B USD industry by 2025. Despite this success, a massive gap exists between the companies, clinics, and researchers developing these therapeutic approaches, and their availability to the patients who need them. The unacceptable reality is a geographic exclusion of low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) in gene therapy development and ultimately the provision of gene therapies to patients in LMIC. This is particularly relevant for gene therapies to treat human immunodeficiency virus infection …

Quantitative Proteomics And Phosphoproteomics Reveal Tnf-Α-Mediated Protein Functions In Hepatocytes, Rodrigo Mohallem, Uma K. Aryal

Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences Faculty Publications

Increased secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), is often associated with adipose tissue dysregulation, which often accompanies obesity. High levels of TNFα have been linked to the development of insulin resistance in several tissues and organs, including skeletal muscle and the liver. In this study, we examined the complex regulatory roles of TNFα in murine hepatocytes utilizing a combination of global proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses. Our results show that TNFα promotes extensive changes not only of protein levels, but also the dynamics of their downstream phosphorylation signaling. We provide evidence that TNFα induces DNA replication and …

Microcystis Sp. Co-Producing Microcystin And Saxitoxin From Songkhla Lake Basin, Thailand, Ampapan Naknaen, Waraporn Ratsameepakai, Oramas Suttinun, Yaowapa Sukpondma, Eakalak Khan, Rattanaruji Pomwised

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

The Songkhla Lake Basin (SLB) located in Southern Thailand, has been increasingly polluted by urban and industrial wastewater, while the lake water has been intensively used. Here, we aimed to investigate cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in the SLB. Ten cyanobacteria isolates were identified as Microcystis genus based on16S rDNA analysis. All isolates harbored microcystin genes, while five of them carried saxitoxin genes. On day 15 of culturing, the specific growth rate and Chl-a content were 0.2–0.3 per day and 4 µg/mL. The total extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) content was 0.37–0.49 µg/mL. The concentration of soluble EPS (sEPS) was 2 times higher …

Drugs That Protect Against Protein Aggregation In Neurodegenerative Diseases, Samuel Kakraba

Theses and Dissertations

Cytotoxic protein aggregation is characteristic of age-associated neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Huntington’s disease (HD), and Parkinson’s disease (PD). This thesis focused on identification of small molecules that are effective at reducing cytotoxic protein aggregation as potential drugs for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. SH-SY5Y-APPSw neuroblastoma cells were used as a model of amyloidopathy to identify lead candidates. The lead candidates were further characterized in Caenorhabditis elegans strains CL4176 (an AD model that accrues amyloid deposits and develops progressive paralysis with age), and AM141 (a model of HD-like aggregation, which displays fluorescent aggregates in muscle followed by progressive paralysis). …

Signaling Through Retinoic Acid Receptors Is Essential For Mammalian Uterine Receptivity And Decidualization, Yan Yin, Meade E. Haller, Sangappa B. Chadchan, Ramakrishna Kommagani, Liang Ma

Open Access Publications

Retinoic acid (RA) signaling has long been speculated to regulate embryo implantation, because many enzymes and proteins responsible for maintaining RA homeostasis and transducing RA signals are tightly regulated in the endometrium during this critical period. However, due to a lack of genetic data, it was unclear whether RA signaling is truly required for implantation and which specific RA signaling cascades are at play. Herein we utilize a genetic murine model that expresses a dominant-negative form of RA receptor (RAR) specifically in female reproductive organs to show that functional RA signaling is fundamental to female fertility, particularly implantation and decidualization. …

Role Of Ict In Promoting Adolescent Menstrual Health, Shazia Manzoor Dr, Shabana Khurshid Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Adolescent is an important phase in the life of both females and males. Menstruation is a critical phase in adolescent girl’s life which needs special care and attention. However, one of the important challenges for adolescent girls in this phase seems to be the lack of information and awareness concerning the menstruation. Since the last two decades, the embedment of ICT’s in our lives has been increasing including our health care. Adolescents are more attracted to the ICT’s and their applications in different forms. Thus, over the past many years, many attempts have been made by different stakeholders like government, …

Activity-Dependent Modulation Of Synapse-Regulating Genes In Astrocytes, Isabella Farhy-Tselnicker, Matthew M Boisvert, Hanqing Liu, Cari Dowling, Galina A Erikson, Elena Blanco-Suarez, Chen Farhy, Maxim N Shokhirev, Joseph R Ecker, Nicola J Allen

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Astrocytes regulate the formation and function of neuronal synapses via multiple signals, however, what controls regional and temporal expression of these signals during development is unknown. We determined the expression profile of astrocyte synapse-regulating genes in the developing mouse visual cortex, identifying astrocyte signals that show differential temporal and layer-enriched expression. These patterns are not intrinsic to astrocytes, but regulated by visually-evoked neuronal activity, as they are absent in mice lacking glutamate release from thalamocortical terminals. Consequently, synapses remain immature. Expression of synapse-regulating genes and synaptic development are also altered when astrocyte signaling is blunted by diminishing calcium release from …

A Collaborative Approach To Cultural Resource Risk Assessment, Preservation, And Prioritization: A Case Study From Sauvie Island, Oregon, Phillip James Daily

Dissertations and Theses

New and increasing threats to cultural heritage resources have pushed archaeologists, land managers, and Indigenous peoples to develop strategies to identify at-risk resources, determine condition, vulnerabilities, and value of said resources, and then provide mitigation and preservation prioritizations and recommendations for the future. One such strategy is the risk assessment approach. Typically, to guide ongoing and future management of vulnerable cultural resources, risk assessments consider preexisting archaeological data, alongside geomorphological and hydrological landform characteristics, to prioritize sites for preservation. While such assessments have been conducted around the globe, they have not been widely applied on the Lower Columbia of Oregon …

Heavy Metal And Contaminant Loading In The Oder River Floodplains And Consequences For Livestock Management, G. Schalitz, A. Behrendt

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The predominately pristine lower Oder floodplains have experienced sedimentation and enrichment of heavy metals and contaminants since the start of industrialization in the region. With the creation of the German-Polish National Park, which included the flooded grassland area, intensive milk production has been prohibited. The objective of this research was to estimate the impact of the floodplain heavy metal and contaminant levels on the lower Oder region. Soil and plant content were analyzed for three transects according to accepted DIN methods. High content in soil did not consistently result in high plant contents; however, higher content levels were often observed …

Extended Daylength To Increase Fall/Winter Yields Of Warm-Season Perennial Grasses, P. Mislevy, T. R. Sinclair, J. D. Ray

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Low forage production in fall/winter months is a severe limitation for dairy and beef cattle producers in the southeastern U.S. It was hypothesized that shrt daylengths during these months induce a physiological dormancy in grasses. Four grasses [Pensacola bahiagrass, Paspalum notatum Flugge; Tifton 85 and Florakirk bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L.); Florona stargrass, C. nlemfuensis Vanderyst var. nlemfuensis] were subjected to extended daylengths during the winter/fall months in a field test. Pensacola bahiagrass and Tifton 85 bermudagrass showed especially dramatic increases in forage yield during the fall/winter season under the extended daylength. Genetic elimination of daylength sensitivity in these grasses …

Final Selection Of Quality Protein Popcorn Hybrids, Leandra Parsons, Ying Ren, Abou Yobi, Ruthie Angelovici, Oscar Rodriguez, David R. Holding

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Quality Protein Popcorn (QPP) BC₂F₅ inbred lines were produced through an interpopulation breeding system between Quality Protein Maize dent (QPM) and elite popcorn germplasm. In 2019, five QPP F₁ hybrids were selected for further evaluation due to superior agronomics, endosperm protein quality, and popping quality traits. Though these BC₂F₅ QPP hybrids were phenotypically similar to their popcorn parents, the QPP cultivars conveyed slightly inferior popping characteristics when compared to the original popcorn germplasm. The objective of this study was twofold. First, BC₂F₅ inbred lines were crossed to their popcorn parents …

Blue Carbon In South Florida's Mangroves: The Role Of Large Roots And Necromass, Zoë I. Shribman

LSU Master's Theses

Blue carbon sequestration and storage in mangroves largely result from belowground biomass allocation in response to flooded anaerobic soil conditions and nutrient availability. Biomass allocation to belowground roots is a major driver of mangrove soil formation and organic matter accumulation leading to blue carbon storage potential. Belowground biomass sampling in mangroves is labor intensive, limiting data availability on biomass stocks, particularly for large roots (>20 mm diameter) and necromass (dead roots). The mangrove nutrient model (NUMAN) uses mostly literature values to parameterize a soil cohort approach to simulate depth distribution of root mass and organic carbon concentration. We evaluated …

Resistance Allele Frequencies To Cry1ab And Vip3aa20, And Performance Of Cry1a.105/Cry2ab2 Susceptible And Single/Dual-Gene Resistant Corn Earworm On Non-Bt And Low Concentrations Of Bt Diet, Shucong Lin

LSU Master's Theses

Corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), is an important agricultural pest and a target species of Bt corn and Bt cotton. Recently, this pest in the U.S. has developed resistance to Cry1/Cry2 corn and cotton. The objectives of this study were to 1) estimate the frequencies of resistance allele to Cry1Ab and Vip3Aa20 proteins in Louisiana populations of H. zea; 2) determine if Cry1A.105/Cry2Ab2 single/dual-gene resistance in H. zea is associated with fitness costs; and 3) investigate the effect of three low concentrations of mixed Cry1A.105/Cry2Ab2 proteins on the growth, development, and reproduction of two known Bt-susceptible strains and six …

Influence Of Planting Date, Maturity Group, Harvest Aids And Fungicide Application On Soybean (Glycine Max (L.) Seed Quality, Ana Priscila Campos

LSU Master's Theses

Field studies evaluated the influence of planting date, maturity group, and harvest timing on soybean yield and seed quality at the LSU AgCenter Northeast (NERS), Macon Ridge, and Dean Lee Research Stations in 2018-2020. In addition, the influence of harvest aid and fungicide application on seed quality impact from delayed harvest and environment was investigated at NERS in 2019 and 2020 in both field and environmentally controlled growth chambers. Soybean yield was maximized when maturity group IV and V soybean varieties were planted between Mid-April and Mid-May. Earlier and later planting dates did not result in maximized yield. Planting date …

Nitrogen Or Water Limitation To Grassland Growth During A Moderate Dry Season In The Humid Tropics, P. Cruz, M. Boval

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The aim of this work was to compare the effects of nitrogen and water shortage on grassland production during a moderate dry season in a tropical humid environment. The results of two experiments carried out in Guadeloupe (FWI) have shown that during dry spells, the reduction in growth of natural grasslands based on Angleton grass (Dichantium aristatum) is more easily corrected by nitrogen fertiliser application than by irrigation. This shows that it is not the availability of water, but that of nitrogen, which is limiting the primary production of Angleton grass, stands. This result is less clear for …

Screening Brachiaria Introductions For Resistance To Spittlebugs (Homoptera: Cercopidae), José R. Valério, Cacilda Borges Do Valle, A. P. De Souza, M. C. M. Oliveira

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Spittlebugs are the most evident and damaging pests of Signal grasses (Brachiaria) in tropical America. Damage caused by these insects can result in the complete loss of available forage, thereby reducing the carrying capacity of infested pastures. Host plant resistance is a low-cost method of controlling insects. High level of spittlebug resistance is found in the cultivar Marandu (B. brizantha), but it requires more fertile soils. Brachiaria germplasm provided by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) is available at National Beef Cattle Research Center of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa Beef Cattle) and it …

Effect Of Volatile Compounds Produced By Selected Bacterial Endophytes In Promoting Plant Growth, Asha Maheshwari, Margaret T. Mmbaga, Bandana Bhusal, Christine A. Ondzighi-Assoume

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Bacterial endophytes selected for their capability to suppress diverse fungal pathogens in vitro and in greenhouse studies have been shown to promote plant growth. The effect of volatile compounds emitted by selected bacteria on plant growth in Arabidopsis thaliana, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum), and cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) was evaluated on container-grown plants nested above bacterial cultures, with roots exposed to the volatiles without direct contact between bacterial cells and the plant roots. Significant increases in plant growth were observed in plant height, root length, leaf size, fresh weight, and chlorophyll content in all plants tested. Although diverse …

September 7, 2021, University Of Mississippi. Faculty Senate

Meeting Minutes

Minutes for the September 7, 2021 meeting of the University of Mississippi Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Subcommittees, 2021-2022, University Of Mississippi. Faculty Senate

Membership

A list of the University of Mississippi Faculty Senate subcommittees and their members for the 2022-2023 academic year.

Faculty Senate Membership, 2021-2022, University Of Mississippi. Faculty Senate

Membership

A list of officers, committee chairs, and senators of the University of Mississippi Faculty Senate for the 2021-2022 academic year.

September 7, 2021, University Of Mississippi. Faculty Senate

Meeting Minutes

Minutes for the September 7, 2021 meeting of the University of Mississippi Faculty Senate.

Benign Recurrent Intrahepatic Cholestasis In Pregnancy: Fetal Death At 36 Weeks Of Gestation, Mariam Ayyash, Nicolina Smith, Madhurima Keerthy, Ashina Singh, Majid Shaman

Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health Services Articles

Introduction: Benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis is a rare hepatologic disorder characterized by recurrent, self-limited episodes of severe pruritus, jaundice, and elevated bile acids. While there are guidelines for the management of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, the literature regarding benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis and pregnancy is limited.

Case: A 29-year-old G1P0 woman, with history of liver toxicity, had elevated total serum bile acid levels and liver enzymes documented at 8 weeks of gestation and throughout her pregnancy. She had a reactive nonstress test just 3 days prior to her induction. Fetal demise was noted when she presented at 36 weeks for …

Urban Bat Pups Take After Their Mothers And Are Bolder And Faster Learners Than Rural Pups., Lee Harten, Nesim Gonceer, Michal Handel, Orit Dash, H. Bobby Fokidis, Yossi Yovel

Faculty Publications

Background: Urbanization is rapidly changing our planet and animals that live in urban environments must quickly adjust their behavior. One of the most prevalent behavioral characteristics of urban dwelling animals is an increased level of risk-taking. Here, we aimed to reveal how urban fruitbats become risk-takers, and how they differ behaviorally from rural bats, studying both genetic and non-genetic factors that might play a role in the process. We assessed the personality of newborn pups from both rural and urban colonies before they acquired experience outdoors, examining risk-taking, exploration, and learning rates.

Results: Urban pups exhibited significantly higher risk-taking levels, …

Characterization Of Gut Microbiome And Metabolome In Helicobacter Pylori Patients In An Underprivileged Community In The United States, Brian White, John D Sterrett, Zoya Grigoryan, Lauren Lally, Jared D Heinze, Hyder Alikhan, Christopher A Lowry, Lark Perez, Joshua Desipio, Sangita Phadtare

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a bacterium that infects approximately half of the world's population, is associated with various gastrointestinal diseases, including peptic ulcers, non-ulcer dyspepsia, gastric adenocarcinoma, and gastric lymphoma. As the burden of antibiotic resistance increases, the need for new adjunct therapies designed to facilitate H. pylori eradication and reduce negative distal outcomes associated with infection has become more pressing. Characterization of the interactions between H. pylori, the fecal microbiome, and fecal fatty acid metabolism, as well as the mechanisms underlying these interactions, may offer new therapeutic approaches. Aim: To characterize the gut microbiome and metabolome in H. …

During Natural Viewing, Neural Processing Of Visual Targets Continues Throughout Saccades, Atanas D. Stankov, Jonathan Touryan, Stephen Gordon, Anthony J. Ries, Jason Ki, Lucas C. Parra

Publications and Research

Relatively little is known about visual processing during free-viewing visual search in realistic dynamic environments. Free-viewing is characterized by frequent saccades. During saccades, visual processing is thought to be suppressed, yet we know that the presaccadic visual content can modulate postsaccadic processing. To better understand these processes in a realistic setting, we study here saccades and neural responses elicited by the appearance of visual targets in a realistic virtual environment. While subjects were being driven through a 3D virtual town, they were asked to discriminate between targets that appear on the road. Using a system identification approach, we separated overlapping …

Why Patent Monopsonies Increase Consumer Welfare, Tod Duncan, Bernard Chao

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

Technical standards are an essential part of how the modern world operates. Standards enable different devices to communicate with each other, use the same power supply and even exchange data. These standards are created by groups of companies coming together through standard settings organizations (SSOs). Besides defining standards, SSOs set policies that affect how much member companies charge for their standard essential patents (SEPs). Unsurprisingly, many companies want to pay less for these patents. But as SSOs adopt policies that lower patent prices, their conduct begins to look like collusion subject to antitrust scrutiny. Indeed, classic economic theory suggests that …

2021-September-07-Esports Season Two, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY – (September 7, 2021) Two of East Tennessee State University’s Esports teams begin their fall competition seasons today.

“Last year was a year of firsts,” ETSU Head Coach Jeff Shell reported during today’s Media Day.  “Our first media day, our first recruitment season, our first games, our first jerseys, our first tournament, our first team captains…it was an incredible first year!” 

The school’s Overwatch® team begins its second season after finishing in the top 16 of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) playoffs.  This past spring, the Overwatch® varsity and junior varsity teams competed in the NECC …

A Call To Action Toward Optimizing The Electrical Dose Received By Neural Targets In Spinal Cord Stimulation Therapy For Neuropathic Pain, Krishnan Chakravarthy, Rajiv Reddy, Adnan Al-Kaisy, Thomas Yearwood, Jay S. Grider

Anesthesiology Faculty Publications

Spinal cord stimulation has seen unprecedented growth in new technology in the 50 years since the first subdural implant. As we continue to grow our understanding of spinal cord stimulation and relevant mechanisms of action, novel questions arise as to electrical dosing optimization. Programming adjustment — dose titration — is often a process of trial and error that can be time-consuming and frustrating for both patient and clinician. In this report, we review the current preclinical and clinical knowledge base in order to provide insights that may be helpful in developing more rational approaches to spinal cord stimulation dosing. We …