Life Sciences Commons^™

Enhanced Osseointegration Of Functionally Graded Co˗Cr˗Mo˗Ti/Ha Implants: In Vitro And In Vivo Study In A Rabbit Model, Afrah M. Al Hussainey, Randa Kamel Hussain, Aseel Mustafa Abdul Majeed

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

    The present investigation aims to evaluate the effects of acid and laser surface treatments on the surface characteristics, biocompatibility, and osseointegration of functionally graded implants fabricated from a Co–Cr–Mo–Ti/HA alloy. The implant surfaces were modified using either an Nd: YAG laser or hydrochloric acid (HCl), while untreated implants served as controls. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed that the acid-treated surface exhibited the highest mean surface roughness (Sa) of 58.10 ± 0.24 nm compared to the laser-treated surface (42.64 ± 0.83 nm) and the untreated surface (37.73 ± 0.89 nm). The MTT assay also demonstrated a favourable cellular response on the …

Outcome Evaluation Of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Vs Medical Therapy Alone In Patients With Chronic Coronary Syndrome, Hsien-Yuan Chang, Hsin-Yu Fang, Mu-Shiang Huang, You-Zhen Chen, Di-Yung Chen, Edward Chia-Cheng Lai, Jung-Der Wang, Yi-Heng Li, Li-Jung Elizabeth Ku

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

This study provides real-world evidence by comparing the long-term clinical outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus medical therapy alone in patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) diagnosed non-invasively, given the lack of evidence in this population. This retrospective cohort study (2013-2018) utilized data from a medical center’s Cardiovascular Disease Databank, which was linked to national mortality records in Taiwan. Propensity score matching (PSM) and stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) were applied to adjust for baseline differences between the PCI and medication-only groups. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including all-cause mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), and revascularization, were …

From Insect Cognition To Sentience: Exploring The Edge, Catherine Macri, Martin Giurfa

Animal Sentience

What does The Edge of Sentience tell us about insect sentience and consciousness? In this commentary, we reflect on Jonathan Birch’s framework for defining and scientifically investigating sentience in animals. We discuss the methodological challenges of studying subjective experience in evolutionary distant species, and consider trace conditioning, affective states, and neural architectures as potential windows into consciousness in insects. We argue that uncertainty, whether concerning definitions or methodology, should not prevent experimental investigation; rather it should motivate new approaches and experimental designs for exploring the diversity of conscious experience.

American Plum Borer In Utah Orchards (Euzophera Semifuneralis), Emilie Demard, Marion Murray, Claudia Nischwitz

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information on American plum borer in Utah orchards, also known as APB. This pest primarily damages fruit trees. APB moths were detected in traps in 2026, but to date, no tree damage has been found. This fact sheet discusses hosts, identification, and management methods.

Mitochondrial Trna-Derived Fragments As Candidate Metastasis-Modifying Rna, Katy L. Swancutt, R. Mckinnon Walsh, Sydney Quijano, Emily Schueddig, Devin C. Koestler, Adam D. Scheid, Tony Vanden Bush, Yi Jing, Isidore Rigoutsos, Danny R. Welch

Computational Medicine Center Faculty Papers

UNLABELLED: How mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms influence complex phenotypes remains poorly understood. Using mitochondrial-nuclear exchange mice, we previously showed that mtDNA single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) modify metastasis, cardiovascular disease, and epigenetic marks independently of metabolic differences. The only mtDNA SNP correlating with these phenotypes resides in the gene encoding mitochondrial transfer RNA (tRNA)-arginine [mt-tRNAArg (UCG), mt-TR], suggesting a role for non-protein-coding loci. In this study, we identify and preliminarily characterize previously undescribed tRNA-derived fragments (tRF) generated from mt-TRs. Northern blotting revealed distinct tRF that are differentially expressed among mtDNA SNPs, between lung and liver, and between sexes. Surprisingly, small RNA sequencing …

Bryophyte Community Composition In A Second-Order Tropical Stream At The Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico, Cecilia Sahnow, Jean P. González-Crespo, Amelia Merced

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Streams are important ecosystems that harbor a high diversity of plant species including bryophytes. Studies suggest streams can function as refugia and/or corridors that buffer against the effects of disturbances. In this study, we sampled five sites along a second-order tropical stream in the Luquillo Experimental Forest. We described the riparian bryophyte community composition in conjunction with the physical structure of the stream to understand what environmental factors influence bryophyte composition in the stream. We identified 56 bryophytes, 33 liverworts and 23 mosses; and we recorded cyanobacteria associated with over half of the species of bryophytes. Rocks were the most …

Visualizing 25 Years Of Change In The Glades Oak Savanna, Zoe Fieberg

Summer Research Showcase

Oak savannas represent one of the most threatened ecosystems in Minnesota due to changing land use management, particularly absence of fire (Davis, 2001). Frequent burns kill fire-sensitive mesophytic tree species, reducing the dominance of woody understory and allowing for restoration of the oak savanna environment. The GLADES (Grid for Landscape Analysis and Demographic Study) site was established in 1988 in East Bethel, Minnesota to study the effect of frequent burning on oak savanna restoration. Through the use of standardized methods of photography, we compared canopy differences across GLADES between 2001 and 2026. Preliminary observations revealed increased canopy density and reduced …

Utah Vegetable Production Guide (5th Edition), Nick Volesky, Marion Murray, Amelia Olds, Bridger Carey

All Current Publications

This guide, written by a collection of Utah State University (USU) Extension faculty and specialists, provides information on general Utah vegetable production, soil, nutrient, and water management, integrated pest management practices, and pesticides. The included chapters cover various vegetable crops, including brassicas, cucurbits, leafy greens, potatoes, legumes, onions, root crops, sweet corn, and solanaceous crops.

Assessing The Evolving The Culture Of Biology Program Through The Lens Of The Teacher-Centered Systemic Reform Model, Diyala S. Shihadih, Elizabeth Runkel Baez, Mitra Asgari, Justin Berl, Adam J. Chouinard, Stephanie J. Gutzler, Kaleb K. Heinrich, Eden Riordan, Star W. Lee, Erin E. Shortlidge

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

There are persistent national calls to advance evidence-based instructional practices to increase the number of students graduating with science degrees. Evolving the Culture of Biology is a program designed to improve undergraduate education by prioritizing graduate teaching assistant teaching professional development (TA-TPD). Guided by the Teacher-Centered Systemic Reform (TCSR) model, this study examined how TA TPD practitioners’ (participants) attitudes, personal factors, institutional contexts, and instructional practices shape TA-TPD reform outcomes. Using a pre-program survey and end-of-year semi-structured interviews, we gained insight into participants’ experiences as they developed and implemented reformed TA-TPD. We investigated how TCSR components differentially influenced participant progress, …

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Schweinitz's Cyperus (Cyperus Schweinitzii), Nora Dunkirk

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for Schweinitz's cyperus (Cyperus schweinitzii) using NatureServe methodology, 2026.

Trophic Ecology Of A South Carolina Estuarine Predator Guild, Shane John Molander

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Estuaries are among the world’s most productive ecosystems in the world and are characterized by the convergence of two distinct habitats, creating a mosaic of environmental conditions from inland rivers to the nearshore ocean. Many fishes occupy estuaries during various life stages for growth, reproduction, or foraging, and may reside in them seasonally. The co-occurrence of species, particularly upper-trophic level carnivores, can result in competitive interactions for prey resources within a shared environment. Identifying the degree of these interactions as well as understanding basal energy consumption can inform food web dynamics and how overlapping species use shared spaces. I used …

Insights Into Longevity And Virus-Driven Adaptation From Myotis Bat Genomes, Juan M. Vazquez, M. Elise Lauterbur, Saba Mottaghinia, Léa Gaucherand, Sarah Maesen, Michael Singer, Sarah Villa, Melanie Bucci, Devaughn Fraser, Genavieve Gray-Sandoval, Zeinab R. Haidar, Melissa Han, William Kohler, Tanya Lama, Et Al

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The genus Myotis is one of the largest clades of bats, and it exhibits some of the most extreme variation in lifespans among mammals, alongside unique adaptations to viral tolerance and immune defence^1–3. Here, to study the evolution of these phenotypes, we generated cell lines and near-complete genome assemblies for eight closely related Myotis species. Using genome-wide screens of positive selection, analyses of structural variation and functional experiments in primary cells, we identify patterns of adaptation contributing to longevity, cancer resistance and viral interactions. We demonstrate distinct modes of adaptation to DNA and RNA viruses compared with all …

Informing The In-Water Humpback Whale (Megaptera Novaeangliae) Interaction Management Program In The Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia, Julian A. Tyne, Holly Raudino, Lyn Irvine, Chandra Salgado Kent, Kelly Waples

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Whale and dolphin watching tourism continues to expand globally, generating substantial economic benefits for coastal communities. However, ensuring that tourism activities remain safe, sustainable, and do not adversely affect cetacean populations remains a significant management challenge. This study evaluated humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) distribution in relation to the intensity of commercial in-water interactions at the commencement of a tourism program off Ningaloo Marine Park (NMP), Western Australia.

Methods: Aerial surveys were conducted in 2016, 2017, and annually from 2022 to 2024 to assess humpback whale distribution and abundance, while vessel-based Electronic Monitoring System data were used to quantify commercial …

Nasa’S Ecostress Satellite Reveals Widespread Midday Depression In Ecosystem Evapotranspiration, Jingyi Bu, Jingfeng Xiao, Joshua B. Fisher, Yiqi Luo

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Plants often exhibit a midday depression in water use (i.e., transpiration), reflecting a constraint on their ability to sustain maximum water transport, which may occur at the cost of reduced photosynthesis. Eddy covariance observations and geostationary satellites cannot quantify this widespread phenomenon globally while resolving fine-scale spatial variability. Using evapotranspiration measurements from the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) and machine learning, we quantify the global distribution of midday depression in evapotranspiration. Midday depression primarily occurs during peak-growing seasons in temperate zones and dry periods in the tropics, with a morning shift of the peak evapotranspiration time …

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Koehler's Rockcress (Boechera Koehleri), Lindsey K. Wise, Gabriel Campbell

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for Koehler's rockcress (Boechera koehleri) using NatureServe methodology, 2026.

The Role Of Seed Mix Characteristics And Soil Amendments During Post-Agricultural Prairie Restoration, Valerie N. Thurston, Michaela J. Woods, Madelaine Gregory, Mary C. Lloyd, Ryan W. Mcewan

Biology Faculty Publications

Introduction: Prairie restoration on degraded lands may be influenced by seed mix characteristics, including species richness and legume establishment. Soil amendments may facilitate restoration; however, the practical usefulness of techniques such as applications of whole soil and leaf mulch remains relatively unclear.

Objectives: We assessed whether increasing species richness and legume content in seed mixes enhances prairie restoration success and examined how soil amendments interact with seed mix composition to influence cover, species richness, diversity, and legume establishment.

Methods: We conducted a field experiment on a 12-ha post-agricultural site in Ohio, U.S.A. Twenty 50 × 50 m plots received one …

Hydrogels For Local Drug Delivery In Biofilm-Associated Periprosthetic Joint Infection: Current Progress And Future Directions, Karolina Kraus, Pawel Mikziński, Bindu Subhadra, Emil Paluch

Faculty Publications - Biological Sciences

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains one of the most serious complications of arthroplasty, largely due to the formation of microbial biofilms on implant surfaces. Biofilm-associated infections exhibit increased tolerance to antimicrobial therapy and host immune responses, making eradication difficult and often requiring repeated surgical interventions. Consequently, there is a growing need for effective local therapeutic strategies capable of delivering high concentrations of antimicrobial agents directly to the site of infection while minimizing systemic toxicity. Hydrogels have emerged as promising drug delivery platforms for the management of biofilm-associated PJI. Their biocompatibility, injectability, high water content, and tunable physicochemical properties enable controlled …

Beyond Better Conditions: Seaweed Farming And The Number Of Sentient Animals In Aquaculture, Shrilaxmi Patil, Matthew Unerman, Wasseem Emam

Animal Sentience

Oldfield & Bonano (2024) (O&B) document how far  fish welfare research lags behind welfare research in other animals. We share O&B’s feelings-based concept of welfare and agree that aquaculture seeded this field; but research volume has not scaled with animal numbers: Welfare attention per farmed fish or decapod remains negligible. Along the lines of preceding commentaries (Maia 2024, Mather 2024), we treat farmed aquatic animals as individuals rather than tonnage. We then raise a point so far absent from the commentary on O&B so far: reducing the number of sentient animals entering intensive systems. Coastal seaweed farming, which cultivates non-sentient …

Three-Dimensional Cell And Nuclear Geometries Inform Tissue Level Fluid Mechanics During Epithelial Remodeling, Liam Joseph Russell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During epithelial remodeling, mechanical and molecular programs must coordinate to drive the cell shape changes that enable new tissue topologies. Dynamic morphogenesis requires epithelia to preferentially exhibit solid- or fluidlike properties depending on developmental and biophysical constraints. Convergent extension in the Drosophila germband epithelium is one such remodeling event, during which the lateral ectoderm lengthens by two-fold along the primary body axis while concomitantly shortening orthogonally. This process is an incredibly dynamic and attractable system for studying tissue morphogenesis mechanics in vivo.

Germband extension is driven by oriented cell intercalation through T1 transitions, where cells directionally interdigitate with one another …

Investigating Caveolar Systems: Spatiotemporal Quantification Of Caveolin-1 And The Mechanotransducive Function Of Ehd2, Jasper Stanae Farrington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Caveolae are 50-100nm cholesterol rich flask shaped invaginations found in many differentiated cells. Namely, these structures have been seen to be abundant in endothelial cells where they are involved in many signaling contexts. However, under mechanical stress, the characteristics of caveolae alter, flattening to increase membrane compliance, while displaced proteins can shift from structural roles to mechanosensitive signaling functions. Caveolin-1 (Cav1) is the principal protein required for Caveolar formation while Eps15 Homology Domain Containing Protein 2 (EHD2) is a membrane ATPase that acts to stabilize caveolae at the surface. Despite their emerging importance, understanding the organization and dynamic regulation of …

Exploring Foundations Of Animal Host-Microbe Interactions In A Freshwater Sponge, Jacob S. Pawley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The most ancient eukaryotic immune defense mechanisms evolved in unicellular species. Multicellular eukaryotes, however, expanded these mechanisms to meet challenges unique to multicellular life, including barrier formation, long-distance cell signaling, and coordinated responses that eliminate microbial threats while minimizing damage to the host. As such, animal immune signaling pathways are exceptionally intricate and diverse. Though, most of what is understood about animal host–microbe interactions stems from a small handful of model systems. Here, I evaluate host–microbe interactions and innate immunity in sponges using the highly tractable freshwater sponge, Ephydatia muelleri. I report the discovery of an external host-derived matrix …

Identification And Characterization Of Novel Immune Modulating Genes In Parkinson's Disease, Kathleen Chaundy Paul Murphy

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by both motor and non-motor symptoms. The poorly understood prodromal period, decades-long progression, and disease-phenotype heterogeneity continue to impede the development of preventive and curative therapies. A growing appreciation of immune system changes during the progression of PD suggests that evaluating peripheral immune cells may help identify signatures relevant to disease etiology. We aimed to expand our understanding of the peripheral immune compartment in PD via two lines of investigation: (1) by employing single-cell RNA sequencing to profile the transcriptomes of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a cohort of …

Determining The Feasibility Of A Habituation Assessment In Managed Red Wolves, Emily C. Lynch, Joseph W. Hinton, Jennifer B. Nagashima, Curtis Malott, Natalie J. Johnson, Emily Haering, Robin Petersen, Allison Johnson, Julie K. Young

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

For species extirpated from the wild, ex situ breeding programs are essential for providing the individuals necessary for re-establishing wild populations through reintroductions. However, repeated exposure to humans under managed care may reduce wariness and alter behavioral responses in ways that are maladaptive after release. Although some pre-release behaviors reflect natural responses essential for survival and reproduction, others may result from habituation to humans and increase the risk of conflict, recapture, or mortality following translocation. These risks underscore the need for behavioral assessments to help identify appropriate candidates for release. However, because the assessments themselves require some exposure to humans, …

Sporicidal Activity Mechanism Of Lactic Acid And Peracetic Acid On Bovine Pathogenic Bacillus Cereus Spores, Xin Zhang, Yunjiao Chen, Jingjing Zhao, Haiying Zheng, Lanlan Liu, Wei Liu, Mingshan Fu, Weijuan Jia, Zelin Jia, Jiayu Cui, Yuhang Zhang, Huisheng Xiong, Yujie Ma, Xueli Wang, Haifeng Wang

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

In recent years, the pathogenicity of Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) has increased significantly, its host adaptability has continued to expand, and the infection spectrum has also expanded. At the same time, food contamination by B. cereus is also common. Therefore, it is of practical significance to select green, safe and effective inhibitors. Lactic acid (LA) and peroxyacetic acid (PAA) possess good antibacterial properties, making them environmentally friendly, safe, and non-toxic. The purpose of this experiment was to preliminarily explore the inhibition mechanism of LA and PAA on B. cereus spores. The effects of LA and PAA on B. …

Effects Of Intensive Exercise On The Blood Chemistry Of Fighting Bulls In Southern Thailand, Siriwat Wasiksiri, Pratthana Yongsakulchai, Wichaya Thongtako, Paradorn Muangnil, Teepakorn Adulkasem

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Bullfighting is a cultural activity in southern Thailand. Bulls walk and undergo intensive exercise before competition. In the arena, winners are determined by their opponents' surrender, so bulls do not die after fighting. However, there are very few studies on organ injuries in living bulls during these activities. This study compared the effects of walking and intensive exercise on complete blood count (CBC) and blood chemistry. Blood parameters of 14 Thai fighting bulls aged over 6 years, regularly trained for walking and intensive exercise, were measured and analyzed using a paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Eosinophils decreased significantly after …

The Posture Of Recovery; A Quantitative Analysis Of Post-Exercise Heart Rate Restorateion In College Athletes, Matthew Scott Ferriter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Heart rate recovery (HRR) has been frequently used as a noninvasive indicator of autonomic reactivity following high-intensity exercise. However, limited research has explored the effects of post-exercise body posture (PEBP) on HRR following acute bouts of high-intensity exercise in collegiate athletes. The purpose of this quantitative repeated-measures experimental study was to investigate if recovery posture (supine [SUP]; tripod [TRI]; standing upright [SU]) affected HRR during the first five minutes following a standardized high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session. Thirty-seven collegiate athletes completed three total testing sessions. Participants completed all three recovery posture conditions in a randomized order. Heart rate (HR) was …

Cells And Networks In Flux: Rethinking Ontogenesis And Pathogenesis, Mark L. Tykocinski

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Organ and tissue functions emerge from the coordinated activity of cell networks. Therapeutics that act on pathogenic cell networks, modulating their cellular interplay, follow naturally. Over several decades, our laboratory has developed a series of approaches for rewiring cell networks, culminating in a class of cell surface-directed signal converter proteins (SCPs) that do so by modulating juxtacrine and autocrine signaling in and among their nodal cells. A first such SCP has now produced encouraging clinical data for cancer immunotherapy. Yet, these early network-directed fusion proteins rest on a deliberately simplified picture: discrete end-cell types plugged into graphically tractable networks. That …

Evaluation Of Tactile Cueing Embedded In An Aviation Headset On Pilot Altitude Control, Nicholas D. Wilson, Jessica Van Bree, Matthew Cleveland, Sunny Charakuru, Thomas Petros, Richard Ferraro, Kouhyar Tavakolian

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

This study evaluated the effectiveness of tactile cueing integrated into a pilot’s headset on pilot altitude control during simulated instrument conditions. Pilots typically rely on visual and auditory inputs to maintain situational awareness, but in high-workload or instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), these channels can become overloaded. One underutilized alternative for alerting is a tactile cueing apparatus. Using an X-Plane simulation of a Piper Archer equipped with a G-1000 avionics suite, 39 FAA-certified pilots flew two precision approaches. The experimental group (n = 20) received haptic cues via ear seal-embedded tactors when deviating from assigned altitude or glideslope. The control group …

Relationships Between Lower Body Anthropometrics And Vertical Force-Velocity Profiles In Collegiate American Football Players, Nicholus Adam Despot

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The study examined the relationships between lower-body anthropometric characteristics and vertical force-velocity profiles in collegiate American football players. Although the use of force-velocity profiling has increased significantly in recent years, there has been limited research on the association between structural features and key mechanical outputs. A sample of 16 NAIA football players was used to examine how skeletal breadths, girths, and derived ratios relate to key force-velocity metrics. Anthropometric variables were collected using ISAK standards, while force-velocity profiles were obtained through a series of loaded squat jumps on a force platform. Mean propulsive force, velocity and power were used to …

Pathways For Coordinating High-Quality Exploitation Of Marine Resources And High-Level Protection Of Marine Ecosystems, Jianping Yin, Peimin Duan, Si Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The ocean serves as a vital strategic space and a reservoir of resources essential for human survival and development, offering robust support for socioeconomic progress. Simultaneously, as a critical component of the Earth’s ecological environment, the ocean plays a pivotal role in regulating climate change, conserving biodiversity, and maintaining ecological balance. In recent years, China has continuously intensified the exploitation and utilization of marine resources, with the growth of the marine economy injecting blue momentum into the nation’s development. Nevertheless, the long-term, high-intensity exploitation of offshore resources, coupled with the ongoing advancement into deep-sea resource development, has led to frequent …