Life Sciences Commons^™

Agronomic And Nutritional Evaluation Of Intraspecific Crosses In Brachiaria Decumbens, Simony A. Mendonça, Sanzio C. L. Barrios, Ulisses J. De Figueiredo, Geovani F. Alves, Cacilda B. Valle

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk is the single most important forage grass used for pastures in the tropics. This cultivar has exceptional adaptation to acid soils, vigorous growth, ease of establishment, and good forage value throughout the year, but these favourable characteristics are counteracted by its susceptibility to insect pests such as spittlebug. Breeding to produce improved cultivars within this species was impossible until 2009 due to the lack of compatible sexual ecotypes. With the success of somatic chromosome duplication of sexually reproducing diploid plants of B. decumbens (Simioni and Valle 2009), intraspecific crosses with natural apomictic tetraploid accessions were finally …

Reciprocal Recurrent Selection In The Breeding Of Brachiaria Decumbens, Sanzio C. L. Barrios, Cacilda B. Valle, Geovani F. Alves, Rosangela M. Simeão, Liana Jank

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Pastures of Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk radically changed the scenario of livestock production in central Brazil in the early 1970s and in fact, promoted the development of this vast region. However, despite the reasonable biomass yields and nutritional value when grown on these tropical acid soils, its susceptibility to grassland spittlebugs has limited its use. The breeding of B. decumbens in Brazil has been restricted to interspecific crosses using cv. Basilisk as a pollen donor due to the lack of compatible sexual ecotypes within this species. Recently, the successful chromosome duplication of a sexually reproducing diploid accession produced 3 successful …

ProgardesTm: A Legume For Tropical/Subtropical Semi-Arid Clay Soils, Christopher Gardiner, Nick Kempe, Iain Hannah, Jim Mcdonald

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The range of available sown pasture legumes for the vast heavy clay soil regions of northern Australia has long been regarded as being deficient (Burt 1993; Jones and Clem 1997; Pengelly and Conway 2000). Indeed immense areas of northern Australia’s semi-arid clay soil regions have no sown pasture legume with proven adaptation and persistence through the long annual dry seasons (Gardiner and Swan 2008). The genus Desmanthus is a Mimosaceae legume containing some 24 species which are native to the Americas and range from being herbaceous to suffruticose in habit (Luckow 1993). Desmanthus is one of the very few legumes …

Potential Of Panicum Maximum As A Source Of Energy, Liana Jank, Edson A. De Lima, Rosangela M. Simeão, Ronimar C. Andrade

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The use of plant biomass as a source of energy presents many advantages, mainly that it is a renewable, clean source of energy. Many tropical grasses have excellent po-tential as energy crops. The main one in Brazil is Pennisetum purpureum (elephant grass) owing to its very high yields. However, it is vegetatively propagated, thus more difficult to establish than seed propagated species. The use of Panicum maximum (guinea grass) is a possible alternative for use as a source of energy, due to its high yields as well as seed propagation. The objective of this research was to evaluate the potential …

Quality Seed Production Of Range Grasses--A Major Constraint In Revitalising Tropical Pastures, D. R. Malaviya, D. Vijay, Chandan Kumar Gupta, Ajoy K. Roy, P. Kaushal

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Only 4% of India’s geographical area of 326.82 M ha is under pastures. Socioeconomic and ecological consequ-ences of land degradation are affecting 85 M ha of rangelands/grasslands. To provide sufficient milk for the ever-growing population, current milk production of 128 M t must increase to 160 M t by 2020. To make this possible, an additional 825 M t of green fodder is required. Increasing the area producing green fodder is difficult because of severe competition from food crops. Revitalising the denuded grasslands is the most plausible means for improving the availability of green fodder. This needs mission mode programs …

Status Of Animal Feed Resources In Rwanda, M. Mutimura, A. B. Lussa, J. Mutabazi, C. B. Myambi, R. A. Cyamweshi, C. Ebong

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Animal feed resources remain a major constraint for livestock development in tropical Africa. In Rwanda, grazing lands are shrinking sharply because crop cultivation is progressively encroaching on grazing areas with increasing human pressure (Mutimura and Everson 2011). Therefore, over 60% of households cultivating less than 0.7 ha, and owning livestock, practise zero-grazing, where farmers cut-and-carry forage and crop residues to feed animals that are kept exclusively under sheds (MINAGRI 2009). In general, the main feed for dairy cattle under a zero-grazing system is Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum). For more than a decade, efforts to improve the feed resource …

Effect Of Cutting Interval On Yield And Quality Of Two Panicum Maximum Cultivars In Thailand, Michael D. Hare, Supaphan Phengphet, Theerachai Songsiri, Naddakorn Sutin, Eduardo Stern

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Tanzania guinea grass [Panicum maximum cv. Tanzania (cv. Purple in Thailand)] has been grown in Thailand for over 20 years and has proven to be a high quality forage (Phaikaew et al. 2007). Mombasa guinea grass (Panicum maximum cv. Mombasa) was introduced to Thailand in 2007 and commercial seed production commenced in 2008 because of a demand for seed in central and South America (Hare et al. 2013). It is a larger and taller cultivar than Tanzania. A series of studies have been undertaken at Ubon Ratchathani University, Thailand, to study the agronomic differences between these …

Effect Of Cutting Interval On Yield And Quality Of Three Brachiaria Hybrids In Thailand, Michael D. Hare, Supaphan Phengphet, Theerachai Songsiri, Naddakorn Sutin, Eduardo Stern

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In field trials in Thailand, Brachiaria hybrid cv. Mulato II produced significantly more green leaf, particularly during the dry season, than other brachiaria grasses (Hare et al. 2009). Cultivar Cayman produced more dry matter (DM) than Mulato II in one out of 3 wet seasons, and line BRO2/1794 produced similar DM yields to Mulato II (Pi-zarro et al. 2013).

The objective of this field study was to determine the effects of varying cutting intervals on growth and forage quality of hybrid brachiaria grasses in Thailand on infertile soils.

Brachiaria Hybrids: Potential, Forage Use And Seed Yield, Esteban A. Pizarro, Michael D. Hare, Mpenzi Mutimura, Changjun Bai

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A brachiaria breeding program initiated in 1988 at CIAT (Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical) combined desirable attributes found in accessions of Brachiaria brizantha and B. decumbens. Three apomictic hybrids have been released (cvs. Mulato, Mulato II and Cayman). Mulato showed agronomic potential but seed yields were low. Trials in Central America demonstrated the superiority of Mulato II, a vigorous grass with very deep and branched roots, giving it excellent drought resistance in the Brazilian Cerrado and Mexico. Mulato II has excellent nutritional value. Following trials in Mexico and Thailand, evaluating 155 new hybrids for 7 years, cv. Cayman was …

Molecular Genetic Variability, Population Structure And Mating System In Tropical Forages, Melissa Garcia, Bianca B. Z. Vigna, Adna C. B. Sousa, Letícia Jungmann, Fernanda W. Cidade, Guilherme Toledo-Silva, Patricia M. Francisco, Lucimara Chiari, Marcelo A. Carvalho, Claudio T. Karia, Fabio G. Faleiro, Rodolfo Godoy, M. Dall’Agnol, Sueli S. Pagliarini, Francisco H. D. Souza, Tatiana T. Souza-Chies, Liana Jank, Rosangela M. S. Resende, Cacilda B. Valle, Maria I. Zucchi, Anete P. Souza

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Microsatellite (SSR) markers were developed for the following tropical forage species, using accessions available from the plant genetic resources (PGR) collections held by EMBRAPA (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation): Brachiaria brizantha, B. humidicola, Panicum maximum, Paspalum spp., Stylosanthes capitata, S. guianensis, S. macrocephala, Calopogonium mucunoides and Centrosema spp. The markers were used to analyse population structure and genetic diversity, evolution and origin of the genetic variability in the centre of origin, mating systems and genetic resources in EMBRAPA’s germplasm bank. The results shed light on the amount of genetic variation within and between populations, revealed …

Leucaena Toxicity: A New Perspective On The Most Widely Used Forage Tree Legume, Michael J. Halliday, Jagadish Padmanabha, Chris S. Mcsweeney, Graham L. Kerven, H. Max Shelton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The tree legume Leucaena leucocephala (leucaena) is a high quality ruminant feed, vitally important for livestock production in the tropics despite the presence of mimosine in the leaves. This toxic non-protein amino acid has the potential to limit productivity and adversely affect the health of animals. The discovery and subsequent distribution in Australia of the ruminal bacterium Synergistes jonesii as an oral inoculum was shown in the 1980s to overcome these toxic effects. However, recent surveys of the status of toxicity worldwide; improved understanding of the chemistry and mode of action of the toxins; new techniques for molecular sequencing; and …

Long-Term Study Of Prescribed Fire Effects On Stand Dynamics And Oak Regeneration Potentials In Degraded Upland Oak-Hickory Stands In Northwestern Arkansas, Mason C. Danheim, Kathryn R. Kidd Dr, Hal O. Liechty Dr, Brian P. Oswald Dr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Upland oak-hickory forests in the Ozark Mountains of northwestern Arkansas and south central Missouri were impacted by oak decline during the early 2000s. This decline event was caused by predisposing (e.g., mature, dense stand conditions), inciting (i.e., drought), and contributing (e.g., red oak borer, E. rufulus H., outbreak) factors. Immediately following onset of the decline, substantial crown dieback and tree mortality, particularly for two red oak species (northern red oak, Quercus rubra Michx. and black oak, Q. velutina Lam.), were observed. In addition, densities of advanced oak regeneration were inadequate at this time, resulting in poor regeneration potentials for …

The Biomedical Application Of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy, Jessica Devenport

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Vintage Report 2019: North Willamette Valley, Gregory V. Jones

Linfield University Wine Studies Reports

This report describes the impacts of climate and phenology on vintage for the North Willamette Valley in Oregon in 2019. A relatively mild early winter in 2018 was followed by a cold and wet second half of winter in 2019 and then a wet, but warm, spring. The growing season saw a few mild frosts during late April, but started off warmer than average, moderating through mid-vintage with fewer than average heat spikes. Near-record precipitation amounts during late June and early July brought increased disease pressure to the region. The vintage will be remembered for the early rains in September …

Green And Animal Manure Use In Organic Field Crop Systems, Patrick M. Carr, Michel A. Cavigelli, Heather Darby, Kathleen Delate, Jed O. Eberly, Heather K. Fryer, Greta G. Gramig, Joseph R. Heckman, Ellen B. Mallory, Jennifer R. Reeve, Erin M. Silva, David H. Suchoff, Alex L. Woodley

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Dual‐use cover/green manure (CGM) crops and animal manure are used to supply nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to organically grown field crops. A comprehensive review of previous research was conducted to identify how CGM crops and animal manure have been used to meet N and P needs of organic field crops, and to identify knowledge gaps to direct future research efforts. Results indicate that: (a) CGM crops are used to provide N to subsequent cash crops in rotations; (b) CGM‐supplied N generally can meet field crop needs in warm, humid regions but is insufficient for organic grain crops grown in …

Docosahexaenoic Acid Consumption Impedes Early Interferon- And Chemokine-Related Gene Expression While Suppressing Silica-Triggered Flaring Of Murine Lupus, Abby D. Benninghoff, Melissa A. Bates, Preeti S. Chauhan, Kathryn A. Wierenga, Kristen N. Gilley, Andrij Holian, Jack R. Harkema, James J. Pestka

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Exposure of lupus-prone female NZBWF1 mice to respirable crystalline silica (cSiO₂), a known human autoimmune trigger, initiates loss of tolerance, rapid progression of autoimmunity, and early onset of glomerulonephritis. We have previously demonstrated that dietary supplementation with the ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) suppresses autoimmune pathogenesis and nephritis in this unique model of lupus flaring. In this report, we utilized tissues from prior studies to test the hypothesis that DHA consumption interferes with upregulation of critical genes associated with cSiO₂-triggered murine lupus. A NanoString nCounter platform targeting 770 immune-related genes was used to assess …

Not All Fuel-Reduction Treatments Degrade Biocrusts: Herbicides Cause Mostly Neutral To Positive Effects On Cover Of Biocrusts, Lea A. Condon, Margaret L. Gray

Ecology Center Publications

In response to increasing fire, fuel‐reduction treatments are being used to minimize large fire risk. Although biocrusts are associated with reduced cover of fire‐promoting, invasive grasses, the impact of fuel‐reduction treatments on biocrusts is poorly understood. We use data from a long‐term experiment, the Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project, testing the following fuel‐reduction treatments: mowing, prescribed fire, and the use of two herbicides: one commonly used to reduce shrub cover, tebuthiuron, and one commonly used to combat cheatgrass, imazapic. Looking at sites with high cover of biocrusts prior to treatments, we demonstrate positive effects of the herbicide, tebuthiuron on lichens …

What If The Key To Climate Change Is Hiding Under The Sea?, Shira Feder

Capstones

“We know more about outer space than we do the ocean,” says Vicki Ferrini, a research scientist at Columbia University with over 20 ocean expeditions under her belt. And as the woman leading Seabed 2030, the charge to map the world’s oceans—which are 85% unexplored—she knows how vital this is to combat climate change and exactly how she’s going to do it. Read it here: https://medium.com/@shira.feder/what-if-the-key-to-climate-change-is-hiding-under-the-sea-4503565c33a2

The Best Management Practices For Addressing Human-Caused Riparian And Wetland Degradation, Aldo Lopez

Master's Projects and Capstones

Riparian and wetland ecosystems accomplish a variety of significant ecological purposes, especially in the State of California where a majority of these ecosystems have been removed, degraded, or altered due to human interferences. A large portion of this interference comes from a strong agricultural presence throughout the state. In order to combat further ecological loss, private and public entities have begun strong restorative and managerial efforts. This project reviews the effects of agriculture in riparian and wetland areas, and what are the best management practices focusing on the Santa Clara River Watershed and the Elkhorn Slough found in Monterey Bay. …

Exposition Aux Bioaérosols Dans Les Centres De Traitement Des Eaux Usées : Application D’Approches Moléculaires Et Risque Viral, Caroline Duchaine, Marc Veillette, Vanessa Dion Dupont, Hamza Mbareche, Évelyne Brisebois, Jacques Lavoie, Yves Beaudet

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Le traitement des eaux usées comporte plusieurs étapes susceptibles de générer des bioaérosols auxquels des travailleurs peuvent être exposés. Bien que la littérature à ce sujet soit relativement abondante, les connaissances relatives au risque, à l’exposition et à la fréquence de certaines maladies chez cette population demeurent mal documentées. L’environnement des centres de traitement des eaux usées est complexe à plusieurs égards. En effet, les différents sites de traitement représentent des risques variables en ce qui a trait à la nature et à la concentration des bioaérosols, ainsi qu’au type de travail effectué. La majorité des études s’intéressant à cette …

Vaxinsight: An Artificial Intelligence System To Access Large-Scale Public Perceptions Of Vaccination From Social Media, Jingcheng Du

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Vaccination is considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. A high vaccination rate is required to reduce the prevalence and incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases. However, in the last two decades, there has been a significant and increasing number of people who refuse or delay getting vaccinated and who prohibit their children from receiving vaccinations. Importantly, under-vaccination is associated with infectious disease outbreaks. A good understanding of public perceptions regarding vaccinations is important if we are to develop effective vaccination promotion strategies. Traditional methods of research, such as surveys, suffer limitations that impede our understanding of …

Quantification Of Neuronal Specific Responses To Depletion Of The Nascent Polypeptide-Associated Complex In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Harrison Hall

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Cells experiencing misfolded protein stress can become debilitated and die, consistent with this stress being linked to numerous diseases. When misfolded proteins accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the unfolded protein response (UPR) initiates mechanisms that resolve this stress or trigger apoptosis, dependent on the severity and/or duration of the stress. The nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC) is a heterodimeric chaperone that mediates proper protein folding and localization during translation; depletion of the NAC promotes misfolded protein stress in the ER, resulting in the initiation of the UPR in affected cells. The relationship between the NAC and the UPR is not …

Visual Modulation Of Resting State Α Oscillations, Kelly Webster, Tony Ro

Publications and Research

Once thought to simply reflect passive cortical idling, recent studies have demonstrated that α oscillations play a causal role in cognition and perception. However, whether and how cognitive or sensory processes modulate various components of the α rhythm is poorly understood. Sensory input and resting states were manipulated in human subjects while electroencephalography (EEG) activity was recorded in three conditions: eyes-open fixating on a visual stimulus, eyes-open without visual input (darkness), and eyes-closed without visual input (darkness). We show that α power and peak frequency increase when visual input is reduced compared to the eyes open, fixating condition. These results …

A Novel And Green Nanoparticle Formation Approach To Forming Low-Crystallinity Curcumin Nanoparticles To Improve Curcumin’S Bioaccessibility, Ali Ubeyitogullari, Ozan Ciftci

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Health-promoting effects of curcumin are well-known; however, curcumin has a very low bioavailability due to its crystalline structure. The main objective of this study was to develop a novel green nanoparticle formation method to generate low-crystallinity curcumin nanoparticles to enhance the bioavailability of curcumin. Nanoporous starch aerogels (NSAs) (surface area of 60 m2/g, pore size of 20 nm, density of 0.11 g/cm3, and porosity of 93%) were employed as a mold to produce curcumin nanoparticles with the help of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2). The average particle size of the curcumin nanoparticles was 66 nm. Impregnation into NSAs decreased the crystallinity …

Postharvest Heat Treatments To Inhibit Penicillium Digitatum Growth And Maintain Quality Of Mandarin (Citrus Reticulata Blanco), Diana B. Queb-Gonzalez, Aurelio Lopez-Malo, María E. Sosa-Morales, Rossana Villa-Rojas

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Use of fungicides is a common practice as a postharvest treatment to control fruit decay. Nowadays, environment-friendly technologies, such as heat treatments, are viable replacements. This study evaluated the effects of post-harvest heat treatments (traditional and microwave-assisted) on mandarins intentionally inoculated with Penicillium digitatum. For the studied heat treatments, the target temperature was 50C, which was held for 2.5 min. After heating, mandarins were cooled and stored at 25C for 13 days. MW treatments effectively prevented mold growth during storage, while HW only delayed it. Control mandarins (without treatment) showed the highest significant weight loss. Neither thermal treatment nor storage …

Maternal Immunity: Preimplantation Preparation And Spatial Distribution Of Ccl19, Ashleigh Elbert

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Maternal Immunity: Preimplantation preparation and the role of CCL19

An Abstract of the thesis by

Ashleigh R. Elbert

The maternal uterus in mammals undergoes extensive remodeling in preparation for implantation of the semi-allogenic embryo. Activation of the T cell homing receptor, CCR7, regulates multiple aspects of adaptive immunity. Genetic deletion of CCR7 reduces T regulatory (T Reg) cell migration into mouse uteri and decreases embryo implantation. CCL19 and CCL21 are the sole ligands for CCR7. It is hypothesized that CCL19 expression could attract T reg cells into the pre-implantation uterus and provide local immune suppression prior to implantation. Sprague Dawley …

California Stream Condition Index (Csci) Score Analysis Of Streams Sampled From 1998 To 2017 In The San Francisco Bay Region, Jenna Rais

Master's Projects and Capstones

Human impacts to California’s streams have altered the state’s riparian and hydrological landscape. This is a critical issue with regard to natural resources, including ecosystem services such as water availability and water quality. Regulations have a limited amount of impact on the improvement of this landscape and can also become complicated by politics. Scientific advances have developed ways to quantify and describe the quality of streams, this includes the development of the California Stream Condition Index (CSCI) which is based on benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) population numbers and functions. This index allows scientists to not only score the quality of a …

Best Management Practices For The Conservation Of Western Pond Turtle Populations In California, Cristina Yarnal

Master's Projects and Capstones

This project provides insight into western pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata) population health at sites in three states on the western part of the United States. Washington, Oregon and California have identified the western pond turtle as endangered, a critical and a species of special concern in that respective order. Washington has implemented a recovery plan for western pond turtles and Oregon has established best management practices for the conservation of native turtles. California has yet to establish any guidelines for the conservation of western pond turtles. This species is endemic to the western United States and has been …

Ploidy And Clonal Membership In Populus Tremuloides From Radseq Data, James A. Walton, Benjamin Blonder, Karen E. Mock

Browse all Datasets

Ipyrad pipeline parameters files, raw sequence data, barcodes and supporting scripts for clonal and cytotype sample assignment of Populus tremuloides.

Investigating The Relationship Between Hormone Receptors Dax-1 And Estrogen Receptor Within Prostate Cancer Cell Lines, Meghana G. Vijayraghavan

Master's Theses

Prostate cancer (PCa) is estimated to be the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States in 2019. While most prostate tumors rely on androgens for growth signaling, there are subsets of tumors that become androgen-resistant, therefore resisting conventional androgen-depravation therapy. Consequently, research has focused on targeting different hormone receptors for novel therapeutics. One such receptor is Dosage-sensitive sex reversal, adrenal hypoplasia critical region, on chromosome X, gene 1 (DAX-1). DAX-1 is known to interact with other hormone receptors, such as androgen receptor (AR) and estrogen receptors (ERs) to suppress the proliferative effects …