Digital Commons Network^™

From Mechanisms To Management: Implications Of Biogeochemical Controllers And Land Management For Soil Carbon Cycling And Storage, Savannah R. Adkins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Climate change and its cascading effects are driven by increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂). Many climate solutions exists to remove this excess carbon (C) from the atmosphere, and soils, in particular, represent one of the few win-win solutions. Soils play a vital role in the global C cycle because they store more C than plants and the atmosphere combined, however, they also release more CO₂ annually than fossil fuel combustion (a major contributor to accelerating climate change). Therefore, preventing CO₂ loss from soil could help slow the progression of climate change, and increasing overall soil …

Impacts Of Including Sprouted Barley In The Diet Of Beef Cattle On Production, Ruminal Health, And Meat Quality, Zachary C. Crump

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Beef producers in the United States are working to meet rising global demand for animal protein while facing major challenges such as drought, climate uncertainty, and rapid urbanization. These issues make it difficult to produce consistent and dependable feed, pushing producers to explore new ways to grow feed using fewer natural resources. Vertical farming systems are one option that can grow sprouted cereal grains indoors throughout the year while using decreased land and water than traditional agriculture. Sprouted barley grows within six to seven days and may serve as a nutrient dense alternative feed source for cattle at several stages …

The Effects Of Lactoferrin And Iron-Enriched Whey On Iron Status Of Collegiate Females, Connor Kemp

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Iron deficiency has remained a global issue even in developed countries despite food fortification and increased nutritional literacy, biological women of child baring age are at particular risk due to menstruation and reduced dietary intake of iron containing foods compared to men. This issue is of particular concern in athletics due to the critical role of iron in oxygen transport and energy metabolism. With nearly half of female athletes presenting low iron status iron supplementation is often necessary. With iron supplementation often resulting in gastrointestinal symptoms that could negatively impact sport performance itself there is a need to explore other …

Understanding Impact Of Starter Culture Blends On The Ph Variation In Cheddar Cheese During Early Aging, Samuel J. Clarke

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Consumer expectations govern what is acceptable when it comes to the flavor, texture, and color of the cheese. These quality attributes of cheese are all influenced by the pH of the cheese which is in turn controlled by the acid production of the starter lactic acid bacteria (SLAB) used to make cheese. Whatever the final pH of the cheese is, is what determines the quality of the cheese. Unfortunately, there are some Cheddar cheese manufacturers that have observed pH variation during the early aging of their cheeses. We hypothesize that the addition of thermophilic, fast-acid producing bacteria, like Streptococcus thermophilus …

Sleep-Disordered Breathing Subtypes And Future Diet Quality In The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis, Kaitlin S Potts, Cecilia Castro-Diehl, Tianyi Huang, Alexis C Wood, Jerome I Rotter, Stephen S Rich, Tamar Sofer, Susan Redline, Heming Wang

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Objectives: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and diet quality impact cardiometabolic disease, but few studies have examined if SDB influences diet quality. This study estimated the association between SDB subtypes (with and without sleepiness) and future diet quality in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Methods: Probable SDB was characterized by self-reported physician-diagnosed sleep apnea (PDSA) or habitual snoring and subtyped by presence or absence of sleepiness. A food frequency questionnaire measured diet 1.6 years before, and 7.8 years after SDB assessment. Diet quality was measured with the Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI). Mean differences in AHEI at follow-up by SDB subtypes were …

Hyperspectral Indicators And Characterization Of Glyphosate-Induced Stress In Common Lambsquarters (Chenopodium Album L.), Mario Andrés Soto Valencia

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hyperspectral sensing enables detection of herbicide stress in weeds, but practical use requires strategies for redundancy control, rating variability management, and evaluator bias mitigation. This thesis evaluates common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) under glyphosate exposure, aiming to identify key wavelengths, construct vegetation indices, and improve injury modeling. Greenhouse experiments used dimensionality reduction methods (principal component analysis, Relief F, Bayesian discriminant analysis) to isolate 34 unique wavelengths from about 3,200 bands. Calibration data were collected 14 days after treatment (DAT) to support wavelength selection and model development, while data from 27 DAT were used for independent validation. Class comparisons across six statistically …

Transcriptomic And Contractile Adaptations In Skeletal Muscle In A Rodent Model Of Anorexia Nervosa, Oscar Armando Vicen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric disorder marked by severe chronic caloric restriction and is primarily diagnosed through psychological and behavioral symptoms. AN has the highest mortality of any psychiatric disorder with an increased risk of all-cause mortality. Many individuals with a history of AN experience incomplete recovery despite intervention treatment. Skeletal muscle molecular mechanisms under chronic energy deprivation remain poorly understood. PURPOSE: To investigate transcriptomic profiles of the gastrocnemius muscle following one month of a rodent model of AN. This study analyzed whether the molecular changes correlate with collected muscular force data to provide a comprehensive understanding of …

Ecological Elemental Homeostasis And Stoichiometric Shifts: Biotic Responses To Ionic And Viral Stress, Samuel Anthony Tooru Dias

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic activities are reshaping the elemental composition of freshwater ecosystems, often creating stoichiometric imbalances that influence the growth, physiology and interactions of aquatic organisms. Ecological stoichiometric theory (EST) provides a framework for examining these changes by linking organismal elemental regulation to broader ecosystem processes. While traditionally focused on elements, such as carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), emerging stressors highlight the need to expand this framework to be more elementally inclusive for the examination of novel interactions. My dissertation integrates abiotic (salinization) and biotic stressors (viral infection) into an EST framework to evaluate how these factors alter elemental regulation …

Broiler Responsiveness To Dietary Amino Acid Density In A Commercial Setting, Virginia Slick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The majority of research assessing the amino acid responsiveness in broilers has been conducted in experimental designs utilizing pens that contain 12 to 25 birds with high replication. While this trial design is beneficial as a way to perform high replications with multiple treatments in a way that is both economically and spatially feasible, it may not accurately translate to a rearing environment more similar to that of commercial open floor housing. This research was conducted to determine if the effects of lysine driven amino acid density diets that have been found in the traditional floor pen setting correlate to …

The Use Of Alcohol-Free And Low-Alcohol Drinks In Pregnancy In The Uk, Kate Maslin, Heather Hopper, Jill Shawe

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Alcohol-free drinks [beers, ciders, wines, and spirits containing <0.05% alcohol by volume (ABV)], and lowalcohol drinks (between 0.05% and 1.2% ABV) are increasingly available and may be used as a harm reduction measure. However, it is not known what pregnant women think and feel about these drinks and how regularly they are consumed before and during pregnancy. A cross-sectional online survey was developed and piloted. Women ≥18 years in the UK who were pregnant, or recently pregnant, were recruited via targeted social media advertising. Of the 2092 respondents, 47.8% (n ¼ 1001) were currently pregnant; 55.7% (n ¼ 1167) were between 25 and 34 years, 90.0% were White (n ¼ 1881); 6.1% (n ¼ 128) were drinking alcohol at “increasing risk” levels (>14 units/week) before pregnancy. During pregnancy, 13.5% (n ¼ 282) consumed alcohol, which was more common in the increasing risk category (P < .01). Alcohol-free or low-alcohol drinks were consumed by 71.3% (n ¼ 1491) of respondents during pregnancy; 91.4% of the increasing risk category versus 69.9% of the lower risk category (P < .01). The most common reasons for consuming alcohol-free or low-alcohol drinks were “to choose a safer alternative” (71.9%, n ¼ 1073) and “to feel included in social events involving alcohol” (68.8%, n ¼ 1026). More than half of respondents (56.7%) thought there was insufficient information available about consuming alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks during pregnancy, with internet searching the primary source of information. Although alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks are commonly consumed during pregnancy, there are some safety concerns. Their role as a harm reduction measure in those who are drinking alcohol at increasing risk levels prepregnancy needs further investigation.

Educational Experiences And Educational Attainment Of Elementary Students From Low Socioeconomic Status Backgrounds: Sequential Mixed Methods Evidence From Texas, Morgann L. Hawkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds face significant challenges in their educational experiences and educational attainment, and this is due to barriers related to their identity and background, inadequate support systems, and a lack of understanding of the traumas they experience. This sequential mixed methods study contains the perceptions of teachers, teacher leaders, counselors, and campus leaders in four high-poverty elementary schools in one Texas school district about the educational experiences and educational attainment of students from low SES backgrounds. The informal literature review focused on six spaces: 1) child, family, and community; 2) students from low SES backgrounds; …

Seasonal And Diurnal Variation In Forage Nutritive Value Of Cool-Season Grasses As Predicted By Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (Nirs), Ann Marie C. Riley, Isabelle A. Kagan, Brittany E. Davis, Laurie M. Lawrence, Chris D. Teutsch, S. Ray Smith

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

A better understanding of seasonal and diurnal variation in forage nutritive value may help to maximize protein intake and digestibility for grazing livestock. Forage nutritive value was evaluated in four cool-season grasses common to Kentucky pastures: orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.; OG), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. ssp. perenne; PRG), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.; KBG), and tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort.; TF]. In 2015 and 2017, 10 cool-season grass cultivars representing four species, planted in quadruplicate (40 plots) in central Kentucky, were maintained vegetatively with 2–4 week mowing and sampled in the morning and the afternoon at the same …

Integrating Innovative Sensing And Ground Measurements For Forage Mass Estimation In Rye Pasture, Pedro Henrique Jota Fernandes

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The United States beef industry relies on forages to provide up to 80% of total lifetime dry matter intake, making accurate forage mass estimation essential for determining stocking rates, improving grazing efficiency, and supporting economic sustainability. Traditional methods to quantify forage mass, however, are time-consuming and labor-intensive. This thesis presents research efforts to achieve accurate forage mass estimation in cereal rye pasture by integrating novel sensing technologies.

Chapter 1 reviews the importance and evolution of forage mass estimation methods, from destructive clipping to indirect approaches based on canopy measurements. It then introduces remote sensing, from proximal tools to drone- and …

Investigation Of Changes In Exotic Bird Serum Vitamin D Levels Between Indoor And Outdoor Housing, Alexander J. Marley

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is directly related to sunlight and is involved in multiple physiological processes including calcium metabolism, feather quality, and chick development. Most vertebrate species are capable of both absorption of exogenous vitamin D and internal synthesis of vitamin D, with vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), being more accessible and bioactive in bird species. In exotic bird species, dietary requirements for vitamin D3 are largely unknown, and the ability to maintain adequate serum concentrations of vitamin D3 metabolites without direct sunlight exposure also requires evaluation. Concerns arise in situations where individuals may be housed indoors for extended …

Does Reducing Videofluoroscopy Frame Rate Affect Dige/St Grades In Modified Barium Swallow Studies?, Shitong Mao, Carla L Warneke, Sheila N Buoy, Ariana J Sahli, Brinda Rao Korivi, Carly E A Barbon, Kristy K Brock, Katherine A Hutcheson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Understanding the effects of reduced frame rates on the reliability of Modified Barium Swallow (MBS) ratings for swallowing safety and efficiency is essential for clinical practice. While previous research has examined frame rate (simulated pulse rates) implications concerning penetration, aspiration, and residue ratings, the impact on summary grading systems like the Dynamic Imaging Grade of Swallowing Toxicity (DIGEST) remains unclear. This study analyzed a total of 315 full MBS videos collected from 278 patients, and 76.25% of patients were diagnosed with head and neck cancer (mean age 62.51 years, SD 8.53; 12.23% female). We performed pairwise comparisons of DIGEST grades …

Comparison Of In-Hospital Complication Rates After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement In Patients With Bicuspid Versus Tricuspid Aortic Valves: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Tingxi Zhu, Jiawei Luo, Xuan Huang, Lulu Liu, Kehan Li, Wei He, Xiaobo Zhou, Yingqiang Guo, Xiaoyan Yang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become a popular alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) for patients with valvular heart disease (VHD), particularly for those with aortic anomalies.

Aims: The study aimed to compare the risks of post-TAVR complications between patients with bicuspid and tricuspid aortic valves and to identify associated risk factors.

Methods: The association between complications and valve type (bicuspid or tricuspid) was assessed. The study also explored various combinations of factors to understand their impact on complications. Separate analyses were conducted to identify specific risk factors for each complication.

Results: Out of the 1154 eligible …

A Person-Centered Approach To Digital Health Technologies For Cancer Prevention: Qualitative Findings On Use Of Technology-Based Interventions In Houston, Texas, Preena Loomba, Scherezade Mama, Thuan Le, Stacy Mitchell, Elizabeth Dominguez, Karen Basen-Engquist, Larkin L Strong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and obesity are significant, yet preventable contributors to morbidity and mortality among adults. This qualitative study examined internet access and technology use, and barriers and facilitators to engaging in digital cancer prevention programs.

Methods: We conducted 30-60-min semi-structured interviews of Hispanic adults (n = 12) and cancer survivors (n = 10) from two lifestyle intervention trials (September 2021-April 2022) in Houston, Texas, who transitioned from in-person to virtual delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews examined in-person versus virtual experiences and were thematically analyzed.

Results: Participants (95 % women, mean age for Hispanic adults …

Utility Of Serum Matrix Metalloproteinase-7 As A Biomarker In Cholestatic Infants With Congenital Heart Disease, Sindhu Pandurangi, Michael E Kim, Nicolas Noriega, Bradley Conant, Jangdong Seo, Reena Mourya, Pranavkumar Shivakumar, Anna L Peters, Andrew Misfeldt, Meghan Chlebowski

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP-7) is a novel biomarker for diagnosis of biliary atresia (BA), the most common cholestatic liver disease in infancy. There is a pressing need to determine the utility of MMP-7 levels in infants with congenital heart disease (CHD) to avoid unnecessary invasive diagnostic procedures in this high-risk population. We investigated the utility of MMP-7 in discriminating BA from non-BA cholestasis in infants with CHD and whether MMP-7 elevation was present in infants requiring treatment for clinically significant PH.

Methods: This is a single-center cross-sectional study including infants < 180 days of age with cholestasis and serum MMP-7 levels collected from 2019 to 2023. Demographic data and descriptive statistics were summarized with medians with interquartile ranges and frequencies with percentages. Median MMP-7 levels were assessed via Wilcoxon rank-sum test.

Results: A total of 149 patients were included. Patients …

Chemotherapy Alone For Stage Ii-Iva Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A 20-Year Follow-Up, Mateus Trinconi Cunha, Matheus Sewastjanow-Silva, F Christopher Holsinger, Adam S Garden, Adel K El-Naggar, Jeffrey N Myers, Jan Lewin, Ann M Gillenwater, J Jack Lee, Fadlo R Khuri, Eduardo M Diaz, Renata Ferrarotto

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Current treatment options for nonmetastatic laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma include radiotherapy, chemoradiotherapy, and surgery, which can result in significant morbidity. This study reports the 20-year outcomes of a single-modality chemotherapy as a larynx preservation strategy in patients with stage II-IVa laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC).

Methods: In this single-institution, single-arm, prospective clinical trial, 31 patients with stage II-IVa LSCC received three or four cycles of paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and a platinum agent (TIP). Patients with a pathologic complete response (pCR) by biopsy assessment received three additional cycles without local therapy. Patients with a partial response underwent conservation laryngeal surgery (CLS). …

Challenges And Opportunities In Multidisciplinary Supportive Care During Radiotherapy For Head And Neck Cancer, Jeffrey C Shogan, Anna Lee, Yvonne M Mowery

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Pancreatic Cancer-Related Diabetes And Type 2 Diabetes Differ In Multiple Aspects Of Glucose Homeostasis, Frederico G S Toledo, Yisheng Li, Fuchenchu Wang, Melena D Bellin, Randall Brand, Kenneth Cusi, William Fisher, Yogish C Kudva, Walter G Park, Zeb I Saeed, Dhiraj Yadav, Robert V Considine, Sarah C Graham, Dana K Andersen, Jose Serrano, Mark O Goodarzi, Phil A Hart

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Aims/hypothesis: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma-related diabetes mellitus (PDAC-DM) is a paraneoplastic syndrome with a poorly understood pathophysiology. PDAC-DM is often clinically confused with type 2 diabetes, resulting in delayed cancer detection and poorly individualised hyperglycaemia treatment. We investigated whether these forms of diabetes can be distinguished at the metabolic level.

Methods: Adults with either cancer treatment-naive PDAC-DM (n=28) or type 2 diabetes (n=97), and with diabetes onset within 3 years, underwent mixed-meal tolerance tests to investigate glucose metabolism. Outcomes included insulin sensitivity (Matsuda index), insulin secretion (insulinogenic index), beta cell function (oral disposition index), insulin clearance, and postprandial glucagon, glucagon-like peptide-1 …

The Role Of Neutrophils In Vasospasm And Delayed Cerebral Ischemia After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Is It Time For A Sah Clinical Trial Targeting Neutrophils?, William W Wroe, Hussein A Zeineddine, Spiros L Blackburn, Jaroslaw Aronowski, Devin W Mcbride

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a devastating neurological disease, and one of the primary drivers of morbidity after aneurysm rupture is the phenomenon of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI). Significant knowledge has been gained over the past two decades of the impact of neuroinflammation in DCI; and neutrophils are now believed to play a major role. There is significant human subject data showing the rise of neutrophil related inflammatory markers and neutrophil's association with poor outcome after aSAH, but as of yet no trials involving human subjects have been done specifically targeting neutrophils. There is however a growing body of evidence …

Fusobacterium Sphaericum Sp Nov, Isolated From A Human Colon Tumor Adheres To Colonic Epithelial Cells And Induces Il-8 Secretion, Martha A Zepeda-Rivera, Yannick Eisele, Alexander Baryiames, Hanrui Wu, Claudia Mengoni, Gianmarco Piccinno, Elsa F Mcmahon, Kaitlyn D Lacourse, Dakota S Jones, Hans Hauner, Samuel S Minot, Nicola Segata, Floyd E Dewhirst, Christopher D Johnston, Susan Bullman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cancerous tissue is a largely unexplored microbial niche that provides a unique environment for the colonization and growth of specific bacterial communities, and with it, the opportunity to identify novel bacterial species. Here, we report distinct features of a novel Fusobacterium species, F. sphaericum sp. nov. (Fs), isolated from primary colon adenocarcinoma tissue. We acquire the complete closed genome and associated methylome of this organism and phylogenetically confirm its classification into the Fusobacterium genus, with F. perfoetens as its closest neighbor. Fs is phenotypically and genetically distinct, with morphological analysis revealing its coccoid shape, that while similar to …

Over-Reliance On Aesthetics? The Appearance-Reveals-Character Lay Theory Increases Consumers’ Devaluation Of Unattractive Produce, Shilpa Madan, Krishna Savani, Gita Venkataramani Johar

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Approximately 40% of all produce is rejected because it appears unattractive, contributing significantly to food waste. Whereas previous research attributes this devaluation to the ugly-is-bad effect, this research identifies an important moderator of consumers’ reliance on this heuristic: the lay theory that a person’s outer appearance reveals their inner character. Specifically, consumers who believe that people’s appearances reveal their character are less willing to accept unattractive (vs. attractive) produce because they generalize their lay theory to produce and are, thus, more likely to infer that unattractive produce is of lower quality. Consumers who do not hold the lay theory do …

Fungicidal Management Of Spring Dead Spot Using Improved Modeling And Application Strategies, Michael Vincent Battaglia

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Spring dead spot (SDS) is a destructive disease of bermudagrass (Cynodon Rich. spp.) in parts of the world that experience winter dormancy. Fungicides are often necessary to properly manage SDS, and significant research has been conducted to improve fungicidal effectiveness. Several studies were conducted with the objectives of improving fungicide application timing, method of fungicide application, and long-term fungicidal efficiency. In the fungicide application study, a cooling degree-day (CDD) model based on soil temperatures was developed. The CDD model showed that isofetamid was highly effective against SDS during a wide application window in autumn, while tebuconazole was inconsistently effective and …

Impact Of Peripheral Circadian Misalignment And Alcohol On The Resiliency Of Intestinal Barrier And Microbiota, Laura Tran, Maliha Shaikh, Phillip A Engen, Ankur Naqib, Dulce M Frausto, Vivian Ramirez, Malia Gasteier, Zlata Bogin, Kristi Lawrence, Lijuan Zhang, Shiwen Song, Stefan J Green, Faraz Bishehsari, Christopher B Forsyth, Ali Keshavarzian, Garth R Swanson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Circadian organization is involved in many gastrointestinal tract (GIT) functions such as the maintenance of intestinal barrier integrity. There is compelling evidence that perturbation of the circadian clock decreases intestinal epithelial cells' resiliency to alcohol-induced injury. One of the most common causes of circadian misalignment is wrong-time eating (largest meal at dinner) in modern societies. Yet, few studies have examined the importance of peripheral circadian rhythms of the GIT to alcohol consumption. Eating patterns during physiologic rest time, defined as wrong-time eating (WTE), misalign the peripheral circadian clock of the GIT and the body's central clock. This study aims to …

Knowledge Mapping And Visualized Analysis Of Research Progress In Onconephrology: A Bibliometric Analysis, Yiwei Wang, Shuling Fan, Wei Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Onconephrology is an expanding subspecialty focused on the management of cancer patients with renal injury. This study used a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to emphasize the need for cooperation between oncologists and nephrologists, exploring current trends and future research areas in onconephrology.

Methods: Relevant literature on onconephrology published between 1 January 2000 and 27 April 2024 was retrieved from the Science Citation Index Expanded of the Web of Science Core Collection, followed by manual screening. Bibliometric analyses were performed using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix software.

Results: A total of 1,853 publications, including 1,647 articles and 206 reviews, by 11,606 authors …

Emotion Regulation Flexibility And Well-Being In College Athletes In Aesthetic Sports, Kaitlyn D. Chamberlain

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined emotion regulation flexibility and well-being (including psychological well-being, physical well-being, perceived sport performance and worth of sport participation) in athletes in aesthetic sports. This population experiences high environmental demands and constraints and thus low control over their environment. Collegiate athletes within aesthetic sports and female athletes experience specific social factors and demands that threaten their well-being, compared to those experienced by male athletes and athletes within non-aesthetic sports. Consistent with the transactional theory of stress and coping, individuals with less power to regulate their environment will require greater ability to regulate themselves in accordance with their changing …

Exploring Glycosomes As Therapeutic Targets For Trypanosoma Brucei, Sabrina Sutton Pizarro

All Dissertations

Trypanosoma brucei is a protozoan parasite which causes human African trypanosomiasis and the livestock wasting disease, nagana. These parasites have highly specialized peroxisomes, called glycosomes, which house a variety of essential metabolic pathways, including glycolysis. Glycolysis is the sole means of energy production in the infective life stage of T. brucei making glycosomes and the glycolytic pathway promising targets for therapeutic strategies. In this work, we have studied the glycosome as a therapeutic target from multiple perspectives. The first portion of this work addresses drug trafficking. The efficacy of small-molecule inhibitors of glycosomal enzymes is restricted by the rate of …

National Priorty Industry Linkage Fund (Npilf) Roundtable Report To Government, Faith Valencia-Forrester, Caroline Rueckert, Nicola Fish, Elizabeth J. Cook

Other Reports

The National Priorities and Industry Linkage Fund (NPILF), introduced in 2021 and piloted from 2022 to 2024 with an extension year in 2025, significantly expanded and diversified Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) across Australian higher education. The fund aimed to increase WIL opportunities for students, grow the pipeline of STEM-skilled graduates and improve their employment outcomes, and support universities to develop and strengthen partnerships with industry. To reflect on NPILF’s impact and identify priorities for sustaining WIL quality, equity and industry engagement in the years ahead, WIL Australia convened a national roundtable in October 2025. The event brought together 126 participants from …