Digital Commons Network^™

Dominant Negative Atp5f1a Variants Disrupt Oxidative Phosphorylation Causing Neurological Disorders, Sara M Fielder, Marisa W Friederich, Daniella H Hock, Jessie R Zhang, Liana M Valin, Jill A Rosenfeld, Kevin T A Booth, Natasha J Brown, Rocio Rius, Tanavi Sharma, Liana N Semcesen, Kim C Worley, Lindsay C Burrage, Kayla Treat, Tara Samson, Sarah Govert, Sara Dacunha, Weimin Yuan, Jian Chen, Jacob Lesinski, Hieu Hoang, Stephanie A Morrison, Farah A Ladha, Roxanne A Van Hove, Cole R Michel, Richard Reisdorph, Eric Tycksen, Dustin Baldridge, Gary A Silverman, Claudia Soler-Alfonso, Erin Conboy, Francesco Vetrini, Lisa Emrick, William J Craigen, Undiagnosed Diseases Network, Stephen M Sykes, David A Stroud, Johan L K Van Hove, Tim Schedl, Stephen C Pak

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

ATP5F1A encodes the α-subunit of complex V of the respiratory chain, which is responsible for mitochondrial ATP synthesis. We describe 6 probands with heterozygous de novo missense ATP5F1A variants that presented with developmental delay, intellectual disability, and movement disorders. All variants were located at the contact points between the α- and β-subunits. Functional studies in C. elegans revealed that the variants were damaging via a dominant negative genetic mechanism. Biochemical and proteomics studies of proband-derived cells showed a marked reduction in complex V abundance and activity. Mitochondrial physiology studies revealed increased oxygen consumption, yet decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP …

Transcript Diversity In Aging: Cryptic Transcription And Splicing, Brenna S Mccauley, Nicholas Nikoloutsos, Weiwei Dang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Increased transcript diversity, which is caused in part by alternative splicing and cryptic transcription, is an underappreciated aspect of age-associated transcriptome remodeling. Recent work has revealed that structurally novel transcripts increase during aging in many tissues. Genes with cryptic and alternatively spliced transcripts with age are enriched for functional categories relevant to tissue function and aging, and have been implicated in cognitive decline, decreased muscle strength, reduced oocyte quality, immune aging, altered stem cell properties, and senescence. Indeed, there is emerging evidence that alternatively spliced transcripts and elevated cryptic transcription directly contribute to aging phenotypes in multiple tissues. The full …

Prostaglandin E2 As A Mechanistic Biomarker Of Chronic Pancreatitis, Jami L Saloman, Bahiyyah Jefferson, Samuel Han, William E Fisher, Evan L Fogel, Phil A Hart, Liang Li, Walter G Park, Santhi Swaroop Vege, Dhiraj Yadav, Mark D Topazian, Darwin L Conwell

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a disease associated with chronic inflammation, fibrosis, and pain. There is a lack of tools available that facilitate early diagnosis, when intervention could prevent irreversible damage. Pilot data suggested prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) as a candidate biomarker for early CP. PGE2 activates signaling pathways that promote inflammation, pain, and fibrosis.

Methods: We assessed PGE2, metabolites, and downstream targets in pancreatic fluid collected endoscopically 0-10 (n = 110) and 10-20 (n = 111) minutes after intravenous secretin administration. PGE2 and metabolites were measured in plasma (n = 75) and urine (n = 71) from the same subjects. …

Tigit Affects Car Nk-Cell Effector Function In The Solid Tumor Microenvironment By Modulating Immune Synapse Strength, Ishwar Navin, Matthew Dysthe, Prashant S Menon, Corrine Baumgartner, Tim Sauer, Navin Varadarajan, Robin Parihar

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Therapies using NK cells that express chimeric antigen receptors (CAR-NK) have been successfully employed against hematologic malignancies. However, solid tumors resist CAR-NKs partly by enriching tumor microenvironments with ligands for NK cell inhibitory receptors. Although the NK inhibitory receptor T-cell immunoreceptor with immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif domain (TIGIT) has been implicated in impaired antitumor activity of endogenous NK cells, the consequences of TIGIT expression on engineered CAR-NKs have not been explored. To address this gap, we compared TIGIT-expressing and TIGIT-deleted human CAR-NKs targeting the GD2 solid tumor antigen in tumor immune microenvironment co-cultures and in vivo tumor immune …

Normal Urinary Oxalate Excretion In 4-Hydroxy-2-Oxo-Glutarate Aldolase 1 (Hoga1) Deficient Mice With Agt Expression In Peroxisomes And Not In Mitochondria, Iolanda Boffa, Rosa Ferriero, Mariarosaria Cancelliere, Edoardo Nusco, Leonardo Gatticchi, Donna Palmer, Philip Ng, Pasquale Piccolo, Barbara Cellini, Kyle Wood, John Knight, Nicola Brunetti-Pierri

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Primary hyperoxaluria type 3 (PH3) is caused by mutations in Hoga1 gene. PH3 individuals develop nephrolithiasis, but the mechanism underlying hyperoxaluria is unclear and a mouse model recapitulating the human disease can provide insights into the pathogenesis of PH3. Hoga1−/− mice do not have increased urinary oxalate excretion, probably due to the murine mitochondrial alanine-glioxylate-aminotransferase (AGT) activity, which in humans is only expressed in peroxisomes. However, Hoga1−/−/Agxt−/− mice with AGT installed on peroxisome and not on mitochondria did not show increased urinary oxalate, suggesting that AGT expression in both cellular compartments is not an explanation for …

Smart Search Results For Growth And Economic Performance Comparison Of Twenty-Year-Old ... Refine Results For Arkansas Net Energy: A Productive Energy System Sensitive To Broiler Performance And Body Composition Arkansas Net Energy: A Productive Energy System Sensitive To Broiler Performance And Body Composition 21 Of 94 Arkansas Net Energy: A Productive Energy System Sensitive To Broiler Performance And Body Composition, Diego A. Martinez, Nawin Suesuttajit, Cole Umberson, Craig N. Coon

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study determined the sensitivity of productive energy (PE; Arkansas Net Energy) to performance and body composition and developed predictive models based on PE. Chicks (2,148 day-old ones) were placed in 96 pens and assigned to one of 12 dietary treatments, including varying concentrations of total digestible amino acids (TDAA), digestible CP (dCP), digestible fat (dFat), digestible starch, and non-starch polysaccharides (NSP). Eight replications per treatment, one per block, were used, being the block consecutive groups of birds weekly starting the seven-day experimental period. In each block, birds were control fed to meet similar ME intake, placed in calorimetry chambers …

Repeated Withdrawal Of A Glpr Agonist Induces Hyperleptinemia And Deteriorates Metabolic Health In Obese Aging Um-Het3 Mice, Nisi Jiang, Jiyuan Yin, Noah Lawrence, Jieyi Meng, Laurence T Maeyens, Ziying Xu, Xin Li, Mbolle Ekane, Ariana Chaudhary, Pengju Cao, Guannan Li, Carolina Solis-Herrera, Yi Zhu, Shangang Zhao

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

GLP-1-based therapy is highly effective in combating aging-associated metabolic diseases. However, the metabolic effects of frequent withdrawal from this therapy in aged, obese mice have not been previously studied. In this study, aged obese UM-HET3 mice were assigned to three groups: Group 1 received no liraglutide treatment (Lira OFF); Group 2 underwent 3 cycles of treatment followed by withdrawal (Lira ON/OFF); and Group 3 remained on continuous treatment (Lira ON). As expected, mice in Group 3 showed reduced body weight and food intake, along with improved metabolic health. In contrast, mice in Group 2 developed hyperleptinemia and visceral fat expansion, …

Enhanced Control Of Liposomal Drug Release By Drug-Aptamer Complexes, Xiangang Huang, Yang Li, Matthew Torre, Rachelle Shao, Wei Zhang, Zihan Wang, Daniel S Kohane, Christopher B Weldon

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Conventional diffusion-controlled drug delivery systems (DDS) can have undesirable initial burst release, leading to potential systemic toxicity, and the rate of basal release can deplete content, shortening the duration of effect. Here, it is hypothesized that conventional drug delivery systems-using liposomes as an example-can be enhanced by incorporation of an aptamer that binds specifically to the encapsulated drug. Affinity of the aptamer to the drug within liposomes (Lipo-Apt) would slow release. It is demonstrated that this approach works with a range of relatively small and hydrophilic molecules, including tetrodotoxin (TTX), serotonin (Ser), and kanamycin (Kan). The in vivo utility of …

Picalm Alzheimer’S Risk Allele Causes Aberrant Lipid Droplets In Microglia, Alena Kozlova, Siwei Zhang, Ari Sudwarts, Hanwen Zhang, Stanislau Smirnou, Seul Kee Byeon, Christina Thapa, Xiaotong Sun, Kimberley Stephenson, Xiaojie Zhao, Brendan Jamison, Moorthi Ponnusamy, Xin He, Julie A Schneider, Akhilesh Pandey, David A Bennett, Zhiping P Pang, Alan R Sanders, Hugo J Bellen, Gopal Thinakaran, Jubao Duan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Despite genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) having identified many genetic risk loci1–3, the underlying disease mechanisms remain largely unclear. Determining causal disease variants and their LOAD-relevant cellular phenotypes has been a challenge. Here, using our approach for identifying functional GWAS risk variants showing allele-specific open chromatin, we systematically identified putative causal LOAD-risk variants in human induced pluripotent stem (iPS)-cell-derived neurons, astrocytes and microglia, and linked a PICALM LOAD-risk allele to a microglial-specific role of PICALM in lipid droplet (LD) accumulation. Allele-specific open-chromatin mapping revealed functional risk variants for 26 LOAD-risk loci, mostly …

Wildfire Emergency Response And Evacuation Framework Using Drones: Phase I, Hovannes Kulhandjian

Mineta Transportation Institute

Wildfires are escalating in frequency and severity due to climate change, posing increasing threats to human life, infrastructure,and ecosystems. Traditional wildfire management systems struggle to respond effectively to rapidly evolving fire conditions. This research presents a novel, AI-powered Wildfire Emergency Response and Evacuation Framework that integrates autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, AKA “drones”), multi-sensor data fusion, and machine learning (ML) for real-time fire detection, evacuation planning, and search and rescue (SAR) operations. Central to the system is the Dynamic Wildfire Response Algorithm (DWRA), a hybrid decision-making framework combining AI-driven techniques including reinforcement learning (RL), genetic algorithms (GA), and deep learning …

Dominant Negative Atp5f1a Variants Disrupt Oxidative Phosphorylation Causing Neurological Disorders, Sara M Fielder, Jessie R Zhang, Liana M Valin, Tara Samson, Sarah Govert, Sara Dacunha, Weimin Yuan, Jian Chen, Jacob Lesinski, Hieu Hoang, Stephanie A Morrison, Eric Tycksen, Dustin Baldridge, Gary A Silverman, Lisa Emrick, William J Craigen, Stephen M Sykes, Tim Schedl, Stephen C Pak, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

ATP5F1A encodes the α-subunit of complex V of the respiratory chain, which is responsible for mitochondrial ATP synthesis. We describe 6 probands with heterozygous de novo missense ATP5F1A variants that presented with developmental delay, intellectual disability, and movement disorders. All variants were located at the contact points between the α- and β-subunits. Functional studies in C. elegans revealed that the variants were damaging via a dominant negative genetic mechanism. Biochemical and proteomics studies of proband-derived cells showed a marked reduction in complex V abundance and activity. Mitochondrial physiology studies revealed increased oxygen consumption, yet decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP …

Robust Hashing For Improved Cnn Performance In Image-Based Malware Detection, Sanket Shekhar Kulkarni, Fabio Di Troia

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This paper presents a comparative study on the impact of robust hashing in enhancing image-based malware classification. While Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have shown promise when working with image-based malware samples, their performance degrades significantly when obfuscation techniques are taken into consideration to hamper the malware classification or detection. To address this, we apply a robust hashing technique that generates invariant visual representations of malware samples, enabling improved generalization under obfuscation implemented as image salting. Using a custom obfuscation method to simulate polymorphic variants, we evaluate MobileNet, ResNet, and DenseNet architectures across five salting conditions (0% to 40%). The results …

Stroke2sketch: Harnessing Stroke Attributes For Training-Free Sketch Generation, Rui Yang, Huining Li, Yiyi Long, Xiaojun Wu, Shengfeng He

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Generating sketches guided by reference styles requires precise transfer of stroke attributes, such as line thickness, deformation, and texture sparsity, while preserving semantic structure and content fidelity. To this end, we propose Stroke2Sketch, a novel training-free framework that introduces cross-image stroke attention, a mechanism embedded within self-attention layers to establish fine-grained semantic correspondences and enable accurate stroke attribute transfer. This allows our method to adaptively integrate reference stroke characteristics into content images while maintaining structural integrity. Additionally, we develop adaptive contrast enhancement and semanticfocused attention to reinforce content preservation and foreground emphasis. Stroke2Sketch effectively synthesizes stylistically faithful sketches that closely …

Cross-Subject Mind Decoding From Inaccurate Representations, Yangyang Xu, Bangzhen Liu, Wenqi Shao, Yong Du, Shengfeng He, Tingting Zhu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Decoding stimulus images from fMRI signals has advanced with pre-trained generative models. However, existing methods struggle with cross-subject mappings due to cognitive variability and subject-specific differences. This challenge arises from sequential errors, where unidirectional mappings generate partially inaccurate representations that, when fed into diffusion models, accumulate errors and degrade reconstruction fidelity. To address this, we propose the Bidirectional Autoencoder Intertwining framework for accurate decoded representation prediction. Our approach unifies multiple subjects through a Subject Bias Modulation Module while leveraging bidirectional mapping to better capture data distributions for precise representation prediction. To further enhance fidelity when decoding representations into stimulus images, …

Tactile Data Comics: Combining Step-By-Step Presentation Of Tactile Graphics With Verbal Narration For The Blind And Visually Impaired, Yang Jiao, Ruoting Sun, Rong Luo, Xiwen Yao, Xinran She, Kotaro Hara, Yuewen Zhang, Xinyi Fu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Tactile graphics on a refreshable display have proven effective in enabling visually impaired people to comprehend pictorial content. To further evaluate the effectiveness of refreshable tactile displays in blind education, we designed tactile data comics, a method that combines step-by-step presentation of tactile graphics with verbal narration. We conducted a user study with sixteen visually impaired students to compare tactile data comics against verbal-only and static tactile graphics. Our findings show that tactile data comics significantly improve participants’ comprehension and engagement during the learning experience. These empirical results suggest that the integration of refreshable tactile displays and tactile data comics …

Analyzing Apoe Genotypic Variants And Expression Of Associated Genes And Mirnas In Alzheimer's Disease, Angelica Mendez

Theses (2016-Present)

One of the neurodegenerative diseases that affect the human brain is Alzheimer's disease (AD). It progressively destroys memory, thinking skills, and other critical mental functions of the brain. It is the most common cause of dementia due to the loss of cognitive functions. However, it differs from dementia, which includes other diseases resulting in cognitive deterioration and causing a person to lose independence and functionality. The apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene influences Alzheimer's risk. APOE protein transports cholesterol and other types of fat in the bloodstream. When the process fails, it contributes to the development of AD. Three genotypes of APOE …

Beyond The North Star: The Southward Flight Of Enslaved People To Mexico, Kayro Gonzalez

Theses (2016-Present)

When most people think of the Underground Railroad, they often picture brave individuals escaping the slave-owning South, seeking safety in the northern United States or Canada. However, it's essential to recognize that the fight for freedom went far beyond those regions. In 1830, Mexico abolished slavery, leading many escapees from enslaved areas across the United States. With freedom just a few miles away, hundreds of American slaves established several secretive and advanced routes into Mexico’s northern states, settling in newly founded free black colonies like San Lorenzo de los Negros and El Nacimiento de los Negros, among others. Using data …

Recapitulating The Immune Microenvironment In Pediatric Brain Cancer: Preclinical Modeling Strategies., Adip G. Bhargav, Joseph S. Domino, David Akhavan, Jo Ling Goh

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Primary brain and CNS tumors comprise the most common tumors in children and are the most common cause of cancer deaths in this population. Pediatric primary malignant brain tumors including high-grade glioma and medulloblastoma account for a significant proportion of these cancer deaths. Advances in the surgical management and adjuvant treatment paradigms have improved the prognosis of many patients with these tumors, but there remains a subset of treatment-resistant tumors or tumors with unique genetics aberrations and aggressive phenotypes that confer a poor prognosis. Immunotherapeutic strategies have demonstrated promise in pre-clinical studies and early clinical trials. However, high-fidelity evaluation of …

Assessment And Management Of Magnesium And Trace Element Status In Children With Ckd Stages 2-5, On Dialysis And Post-Transplantation: Clinical Practice Points From The Pediatric Renal Nutrition Taskforce., Jetta Tuokkola, Caroline E. Anderson, Sheridan Collins, Pearl Pugh, Molly R Wong Vega, Matthew Harmer, Lyndsay A. Harshman, Christina L. Nelms, Barry Toole, An Desloovere, Fabio Paglialonga, Nonnie Polderman, José Renken-Terhaerdt, Rukshana Shroff, Evelien Snauwaert, Stella Stabouli, Johan Vande Walle, Bradley A. Warady, Vanessa Shaw, Larry A. Greenbaum

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Children and young people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at risk for deficiency or excess of magnesium and trace elements. Kidney function, dialysis, medication, and dietary and supplemental intake can affect their biochemical status. There is much uncertainty about the requirements of magnesium and trace elements in CKD, which leads to variation in practice. The Pediatric Renal Nutrition Taskforce is an international team of pediatric kidney dietitians and pediatric nephrologists, formed to develop evidence-based clinical practice points to improve the nutritional care of children with CKD. PICO (patient, intervention, comparator, and outcomes) questions led the literature searches, which were …

When The Student Becomes The Teacher: Learning-By-Teaching As A Tool For Conservation Career Development, Ana Dixon

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Dixon, A. (2025). When the Student Becomes the Teacher: Learning-by-Teaching as a Tool for Conservation Career Development

This study explored the research question: How do teaching-centered conservation career development programs influence participants’ science identity and self-efficacy? The literature review includes context on STEM and conservation careers, social cognitive career theory, science identity and self-efficacy, and learning-by-teaching. Participants in the Zoological Society of Milwaukee’s High School Assistant (HSA) volunteer and conservation education internship programs were given the option to complete pre- and post-surveys surrounding their participation in their respective summer program. These surveys measured individuals’ science identity, science and environmental self-efficacy, …

Metabolic Acidosis And Cardiovascular Disease Risk In Children With Ckd., Denver D. Brown, Jennifer Roem, Kimberly Reidy, Susan Furth, Bradley A. Warady, Michal Melamed, Tammy Brady, Ckid Study Investigators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

KEY POINTS: Metabolic acidosis may be associated with adverse cardiovascular disease risk. Prospective studies of the benefit of alkali therapy on cardiovascular disease risk are needed.

BACKGROUND: The link between metabolic acidosis (MA) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes has been studied in adults but not in children with CKD where MA is a common and early finding. Using longitudinal BP and cardiac measurement data, we evaluated whether low serum bicarbonate (a surrogate for MA) is associated with adverse CVD risk.

METHODS: This study used data from children age 1 year and older with eGFRs between 30 and 90 ml/min per …

Life In The Kingdom: Reimagining Theological Education For A Post-Secular Global Age, Jose Philip

Great Commission Research Journal

Theological education faces a profound crisis, shaped by globalization, secularization, and an epistemological fracture that prioritizes intellectual mastery over spiritual formation. Many seminaries fail to cultivate graduates who are spiritually grounded and missionally engaged due to models rooted in Enlightenment rationalism and managerial pragmatism. This paper advocates for reimagining theological education as a Kingdom-centered vocation, emphasizing transformative participation in the life of God. The paper calls for a shift from content delivery to character formation, centering theological education on faithful, embodied witness to God's mission in a complex world.

Effects Of Heat Stress And Depressed Feed Intake On The Cecal And Ileal Microbiota Of Broiler Chickens, Philip M. Campos, Elizabeth S. Greene, Monika Proszkowiec-Weglarz, Sami Dridi

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Chronic heat stress (HS) is known to depress feed intake (FI) and growth in broiler chickens, and may alter the gut microbiota and health, however, the amplitude and duration of each (HS and depressed FI) effect on gut microbiota is still unclear. This study aimed to determine the effects of chronic and acute HS on the cecal and ileal microbiota profiles. Broilers were subjected to thermoneutral (TN, 23 degrees C) or chronic cyclic HS (CHS, 8 h/d, 35 degrees C) condition from d29-42, and one group to acute HS (AHS, 2 h, 35 degrees C) at d42. To distinguish between …

The Impact Of Long-Term Exposure To Lip Cosmetics On The Fertility Of Female Drosophila Melanogaster, Neeka Oghli

Holster Scholar Projects

Are products marketed as safe to use, truly safe to use? Inspired by an article exposing the dangers of Tampax tampons, this study examines potential reproductive risks from consumer lip products marketed as natural and safe18. Drosophila melanogaster, a model organism with genetic and reproductive similarities to humans, was utilized to test the impacts of Rhode and Avène lip cosmetics. Avène’s Cicalfate + Lips Repair Lip Balm is the closest alternative to Rhode’s unscented peptide lip treatment, which was mindfully chosen to test if affordability comes at the expense of safety. Various concentrations of these products will be exposed to …

Foundations For Multi-Bit-Per-Cell Phase Change Memory Modeling Gst Crossbar Arrays, Sashah Wilson-Thompson

Holster Scholar Projects

This project builds a simulation foundation for selective cell heating in a phase-change memory (PCM) crossbar using Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) as the active material. Using COMSOL Multiphysics® a 3D modeling software, couples Electric Currents, Electric Circuits, Heat Transfer in Solids, and Electromagnetic Heating for the simulation. A parameterized Tungsten (W)/GST-Amorphous/GST-Crystalline(phases) /W embedded in Silica Dioxide (SiO2) and surrounded in Silica Nitride (Si3N4) is validated at the single-cell level and scaled to small GST crossbars A terminal voltage (V_active/V_inactive, or 0 V if unselected) is applied through MOSFET and diode selector elements at the ends of each word line and bit line. …

Influence Of Maternal Chitosan Feeding During The Transition Period On Lactational Performance Of Jabal Akhdar Goats And Performance Of Respective Kids, Hani M. El-Zaiat, Malek Q. Alissai

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

The present study aimed to examine the effects of maternal CHI supplementation on biochemical metabolites profile, lactational performance of Jabal Akhdar goats and their kids’ growth performance during the transition period. Twelve Jabal Akhdar Omani pregnant does (with 13 ± 1.50 months and 32.0 ± 3 kg live BW) were allotted in one of three treatment groups (four does/treatment). Goats were offered an experimental diet composed of 650 g kg/head/day of concentrate mixture and free access to Rhodes grass hay. Goats were administered orally with 0.0, 0.2, and 0.4 g/kg DM of CHI for 60 days (i.e. four weeks before …

Effects Of Chitosan Supplement On In Vitro Ruminal Methane Production And Fermentation Profile Using Ruminant Conventional Diet, Hani M. El-Zaiat, Hamza Y. Al Hattali

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Chitosan is a nontoxic biopolymer with antimicrobial activities that can modify rumen fermentation patterns. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of increasing levels of chitosan on in vitro ruminal fermentation profile, methane (CH4) production, and nutrient degradability. A control total mixed ration (TMR) was formulated as a 50:50 concentrate to forage ratio. This study employed gas production (GP) system in a completely randomized design with four treatment levels and six replications. Chitosan levels were included at 0 (control), 100, 200, or 300 g/kg of diet dry matter. After 24 h of fermentation, ruminal net GP (P …

Assessing Population Dynamics And Stock Status Of Pomadasys Kaakan In The Northern Sea Of Oman, Sultanate Of Oman, Fatma Al Harbi, Khulood Al Bulushi, Sachinandan Dutta

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

This study aimed to assess the life history and population status of Pomadasys kaakan, Cuvier, 1830, known as ‘Nagroor’, in the Sea of Oman to determine an optimal sustainable yield and provide management recommendations for maintaining stock sustainability. Biological data, including length, weight, age, gonad weight, and maturity stages, were collected monthly in 2016 from the Dibba fish landing center in the Musandam region of the Sultanate of Oman. The Beverton-Holt model was used to determine fish stock status. The length-weight relationship for P. kaakan was described by W = 0.03L2.81, indicating negative allometric growth (t = 0.0318, P > 0.05). …

A Pilot Study Of Seaweed Cultivation In Oman, Khalid Khalifa Nasser Al Subhi, Mohamed Khalfan Al Wahaibi

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

The global seaweed farming industry is experiencing rapid growth, driven by its capacity to address critical challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and food security. This study assesses the feasibility of establishing a sustainable seaweed farming sector in Oman, where the industry is currently underdeveloped despite the country’s vast coastal resources. We identify optimal seaweed species for cultivation in Omani waters and evaluate advanced farming techniques using systems such as Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) and Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA). Our findings suggest that seaweed cultivation in Oman, using (RAS) and (IMTA), holds significant promise and demonstrates seaweed cultivation’s potential …

Consumption Of Plant-Based Meat As An Alternative To Animal Meat: Empirical Evidence On Behavioral Intentions, Deena Al Kalbani, Mohammed Al Rizeiqi, M. R. Razzak, Ismail Al-Bulushi, Adil S. Al-Busaidi, I. Khan, P. Pathare

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Empirical evidence indicates that rising consumption of animal meat negatively could contribute to climate change and public health. As a result, meat alternatives such as plant-based meat (PBM) have emerged as a potential solution. However, there seems to be a dearth of insights regarding significant drivers of people’s behavioral intentions (BI) towards PBM. This study leverages the theory of planned behavior to determine whether attitude, social norms, and perceived behavioral control influence BI towards PBM. Survey data was collected from 380 respondents in Oman to test the relationships between the constructs in the research framework. The results indicated that attitude …