Life Sciences Commons^™

Deinbollia Mosaic Virus: A Novel Begomovirus Infecting The Sapindaceous Weed Deinbollia Borbonica In Kenya And Tanzania, Martina Kyallo, Peter Sseruwagi, Robert A. Skilton, Mildred Ochwo-Ssemakula, Peter Wasswa, Joseph Ndunguru

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Four isolates of a bipartite begomovirus from naturally infected Deinbollia borbonica plants exhibiting yellow mosaic symptoms in Kenya and Tanzania were molecularly characterised. The DNA-A was most closely related to that of tomato leaf curl Mayotte virus (AM701764; 82%), while the DNA-B shared the highest nucleotide sequence identity with that of East African cassava mosaic virus (AJ704953) at 65%. Based on the current ICTV species demarcation criterion for the genus Begomovirus (≥91% sequence identity for the complete DNA-A), we report the full-length genome sequence of this novel bipartite begomovirus. The results reveal additional diversity and reservoir hosts of begomoviruses in …

Borrelia Burgdorferi-Specific Iga In Lyme Disease, Christina D'Arco, Raymond Dattwyler, Paul Arnaboldi

NYMC Faculty Publications

The laboratory diagnosis of Lyme disease is currently dependent on the detection of IgM and IgG antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of the disease. The significance of serum IgA against B. burgdorferi remains unclear. The production of intrathecal IgA has been noted in patients with the late Lyme disease manifestation, neuroborreliosis, but production of antigen-specific IgA during early disease has not been evaluated. In the current study, we assessed serum IgA binding to the B. burgdorferi peptide antigens, C6, the target of the FDA-cleared C6 EIA, and FlaB(211-223)-modVlsE(275-291), a peptide containing a Borrelia flagellin epitope linked to a …

Biochar For Forest Restoration In Western States, Kent G. Apostol, Darren Mcavoy, Patrick Rappold, Michael R. Kuhns

All Current Publications

This factsheet introduces biochar, bio-oil, synthesis gas, pyrolysis, and torrified wood products to the reader. We describe biochar production methods and applications for forest restoration projects in the Intermountain West.

Making Media Work For Your Marriage, Elizabeth Davis, Naomi Brower

All Current Publications

This fact sheet gives tips for strengthening relationships through technology and for safeguarding those relationships.

Community Supported Agriculture: Crop Planning, Kenna Mcmurray, Kelsey Hall, Roslynn Brain

All Current Publications

A key component to a community supported agriculture (CSA) operation is successful crop planning. Crop planning can greatly improve CSA performance by taking into account seasonality, planting schedules, appropriate crops, etc. This fact sheet will help you learn more about the components of an effective crop plan and how to use one in your CSA operation.

Community Supported Agriculture: Starting And Managing Your Operation, Kenna Mcmurray, Kelsey Hall, Roslynn Brain

All Current Publications

This fact sheet gives tips for starting a community supported agriculture operation, including finding land in Utah, determining share size and season, distributing shares, packaging shares, record keeping, and finding financing.

Farm Food Safety Laws: Fsma Vs. Gap, Shawn Olsen, Karin Allen

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes the differences in the farm food safety laws, FSMA and GAP. The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) includes a Produce Safety Rule that became final in November, 2015 (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2015). The rule establishes minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of fruits and vegetables grown for human consumption. All covered growers will need to comply with FSMA as it is a federal law. GAP is a voluntary audit program designed to verify that produce is grown, packed, handled, and stored as safely as possible.

Spider Mites In Raspberry, Diane Alston

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes spider mites in raspberry and includes a description of the mite, plant injury, monitoring, and cultural, biological and chemical control management options.

Utah Master Naturalist Desert Explorations Manual, Mark Larese-Casanova

All Current Publications

The Utah Master Naturalist Desert Explorations Manual provides a comprehensive view of desert ecosystems in Utah, from the geology and climate that create deserts, to the plant and animal communities and their unique adaptations for survival. The Manual explores the human perspective from historic peoples to current management.

Which State Park Systems Are Most Cost Efficient At Providing Outdoor Recreation Opportunities?, Lael Gilbert, Jordan W. Smith, Yu-Fai Leung

All Current Publications

This fact sheet reviews which U.S. state park systems have been most, and least, cost efficient in producing outdoor recreation opportunities within their state between 1984 and 2014.

The Technical Efficiency Of State Park Systems: Results From 31 Years Of Data, Lael Gilbert, Jordan W. Smith, Yu-Fai Leung

All Current Publications

Using budgets efficiently allows managers to offer outdoor recreation opportunities to more visitors at a higher quality of service while keeping costs as low as possible. This research identified which state park systems have been most, and least, cost efficient in producing outdoor recreation opportunities within their state between 1984 and 2014.

The Transcriptional Regulation Of The Human Angiotensinogen Gene After High-Fat Diet Is Haplotype-Dependent: Novel Insights Into The Gene-Regulatory Networks And Implications For Human Hypertension, A Rana, S Jain, N Puri, M Kaw, N Sirianni, D Eren, Brahma Mopidevi, Anand Kumar

NYMC Faculty Publications

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human angiotensinogen (hAGT) gene may modulate its transcription and affect the regulation of blood pressure via activation of the renin-angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS). In this regard, we have identified polymorphisms in the 2.5 Kb promoter of the hAGT gene that form two haplotype (Hap) blocks: -6A/G (-1670A/G, -1562C/T, -1561T/C) and -217A/G (-532T/C, -793A/G, -1074T/C & -1178G/A). hAGT gene with Hap -6A/-217A (Hap I) is associated with increased blood pressure whereas, Hap -6G/-217G (Hap II) is associated with normal blood pressure in human subjects. Since RAAS over activity contributes to hypertension in obesity, we have …

Annual Wormwood Leaf Inhibits The Adipogenesis Of 3t3-L1 And Obesity In High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Rats, Y Song, S Lee, S Jang, T Kim, Hong-Duck Kim, S Kim, C Won, J Cho

NYMC Faculty Publications

Annual wormwood (AW) (Artemisia annua L.) has anti-malarial, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-tumour, and anti-inflammatory activities. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of annual wormwood leaves (AWL) on adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats. 3T3-L1 adipocytes and HFD-induced obese rats were treated with AWL, and its effect on gene expression was analyzed using RT-PCR and Western blotting experiments. Treatment with AWL effectively prevented triglyceride accumulation during adipogenesis in a dose-dependent manner. Consistently, AWL suppressed the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes into adipocytes through the downregulation of dexamethasone, 3-isobutyl-1- methylxanthine, and insulin (DMI)-induced serine/threonine kinase protein kinase …

Comparative Evaluation Of The Antibacterial, Anti-Biofilm And Anti-Spore Effects Of Theaflavins And Palmitoyl-Egcg, Gabriella M. Appice

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Tea, one of the most common beverages, originates from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Two major groups of tea are fermented black tea and unfermented green tea. Theaflavins (TFs) are the major polyphenols present in black tea, while mono-palmitoyl-epigallocatechin-gallate (pEGCG) is a modified green tea polyphenol. In this study, the antibacterial effects of TF and pEGCG were evaluated against six selected bacteria, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus mutans, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus vulgaris, using an antibacterial assay. A viability assay using SYTOX® staining and flow cytometry was also used to determine the effect of these compounds …

Adaptive Strategies In A Slow-Motion Apocalypse, Allana Ross

Graduate School of Art Theses

Nature is a construct inherited from Enlightenment thought. Our culture of nature—the way we construct, teach, communicate and perpetuate our concept of nature—has furthered the false dichotomy of an untamed nature versus a resource-consuming culture. This dualistic thinking has facilitated the current environmental crisis. We thus need a new culture of nature and a system of re-education that enables a symbiotic relationship between ourselves and our environment. A re-negotiation of this relationship is imperative to our continued survival on this planet; thus a reformation of the culture of nature can be viewed as an adaptive strategy. Systems-focused ecological art practice …

Predicting Stem Borer Density In Maize Using Rapideye Data And Generalized Linear Models, Elfatih M. Abdel-Rahman, Tobias Landmann, Richard Kyalo, George Ong'amo, Sizah Mwalusepo, Saad Sulieman, Bruno Le Ru

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Average maize yield in eastern Africa is 2.03 t ha−1 as compared to global average of 6.06 t ha−1 due to biotic and abiotic constraints. Amongst the biotic production constraints in Africa, stem borers are the most injurious. In eastern Africa, maize yield losses due to stem borers are currently estimated between 12% and 21% of the total production. The objective of the present study was to explore the possibility of RapidEye spectral data to assess stem borer larva densities in maize fields in two study sites in Kenya. RapidEye images were acquired for the Bomet (western Kenya) test site …

Effect Of Organic And Conventional Farming Systems On Nitrogen Use Efficiency Of Potato, Maize And Vegetables In The Central Highlands Of Kenya, Martha W. Musyoka, Noah Adamtey, Anne W. Muriuki, Georg Cadisch

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Increased per capita food production in the tropics is closely tied to soil organic matter and water management, timely nitrogen (N) supply and crop N use efficiency (NUE) which are influenced by farming systems. However, there is lack of data on the effect of organic farming systems on NUE and how this compares to conventional farming systems under tropical conditions. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the effect of conventional and organic farming systems at low and high management intensities on N uptake and N use efficiency of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), maize (Zea mays L.), cabbage …

Ontogenetic Shift In Plant-Related Cognitive Specialization By A Mosquito-Eating Predator, Georgina E. Carvell, Robert R. Jackson, Fiona R. Cross

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Evarcha culicivora, an East African salticid spider, is a mosquito specialist and it is also a plant specialist, with juveniles visiting plants primarily for acquiring nectar meals and adults visiting plants primarily as mating sites. The hypothesis we consider here is that there are ontogenetic shifts in cognition-related responses by E. culicivora to plant odour. Our experiments pertain to cross-modality priming effects in three specific contexts: executing behaviour that we call the ‘visual inspection of plants’ (Experiment 1), adopting selective visual attention to specific visual targets (Experiment 2) and becoming prepared to respond rapidly to specific visual targets (Experiment 3). …

Effects Of Rapid Weight Loss And Dehydration On Performance In Female Collegiate Wrestlers, Brittany David

Theses

BACKGROUND: Limited information is available on the physiological responses of female collegiate wrestlers to weight cutting practices and their impact on performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of rapid weight loss (R WL) and dehydration on the performance of female collegiate wrestlers one hour post RWL, and 12-hours postRWL.

METHODS: Five female collegiate wrestlers (age= 20.0 ± l .2 yrs, 62.9±2.2 in., 152.9±32.5 fbs., 27.24±3.33% body fat) underwent a pre-competition style period ofRWL where they voluntary cut 5.3 ± 0.2% of their initial body mass in four days. Performance tests were performed prior to …

Effects On Muscular Strength And Muscular Power While Using Weighted-Chains During A 4-Week Bench Press Resistance-Training Program, Richard Stecker

Theses

This study investigates the effects of weighted chains on muscular strength and power during a four-week bench press resistance-training program in recreationally trained college-aged men. The research addresses a gap in the literature regarding the effectiveness of chain-loaded resistance as a method to enhance upper body performance, particularly in the bench press. Thirty healthy males aged 18–40 with a minimum of two years of training experience were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a weighted-chains group (60% 1RM: 40% bar weight, 20% chain), a top-weight-matched group (60% 1RM with no chains), and a bottom-weight-matched group (40% 1RM with no …

Effect Of Long-Term Beta-Alanine Supplementation On Performance In Male Collegiate Rugby Athletes, Charles Smith

Theses

This study investigated the effects of six weeks of beta-alanine (BA) supplementation on the anaerobic performance of collegiate male rugby players. Beta-alanine is a precursor to carnosine, an intramuscular buffer that helps maintain pH during high-intensity exercise. Rugby is a sport characterized by repeated bouts of high-intensity efforts, making it a prime candidate to benefit from improved buffering capacity.

Twenty-one male rugby players were recruited for the double-blind, placebo-controlled study, with 16 completing the post-testing. Participants were randomly assigned to either a beta-alanine group (6.4 g/day) or a placebo group (6.4 g/day of maltodextrin). Both groups continued their normal team …

Determinants Of Ball-Exit Velocity In Collegiate Baseball Players, Ross Hasegawa

Theses

Unavailable.

The Relationship Between Lower Extremity Strength, Mobility, Movement Quality, And Pain In Collegiate Synchronized Swimmers, Paul Borges Costa

Theses

Synchronized swimming is a physically demanding sport that exposes the lower extremity to unusual forces. Currently, limited information exists that outlines the modifiable factors associated with knee pain experienced by synchronized swimmers.

PURPOSE: This study's aim was to identify the relationship between strength, mobility, movement quality, and pain in collegiate synchronized swimmers.

METHODS: Sixteen collegiate synchronized swimmers (mean ± SD, 20.5 ± l.8y; 165.8 ± 5.1cm; 63.8 ± 5.8kg) were tested. Hip musculature isometric strength was measured using an external force transducer. Hip mobility and Q-angle was assessed using a goniometer. Movement quality was deternined using the Functional Movement Screen …

The Aerodynamic Effects On Flight Patterns And The Evolutionary Changes In Pterosaurs, Johnathan D. Talik

Maseeh Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

Early pterosaurs were the first vertebrates to achieve powered flight, and remained small-to-medium sized from the Triassic Period to the end of the Jurassic Period. During that interval, lasting from 210 million years ago to 66 million years ago, pterosaurs underwent a notable changes at the end of the Jurassic Period and through the Cretaceous Period. They were abruptly replaced by much larger forms, characterized by great size and peculiar head ornamentation, among other unique and notable morphological features. While many different explanations theorize why and how the features of the pterosaurs changed over the Cretaceous Period, the aerodynamic influences …

Influence Of Prescribed Burning On Upland Soil Properties In Mark Twain National Forest, Southeast Missouri Ozarks, Megan Lynn Hente

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In the Mark Twain National forest there is a collaborative effort to restore parts of the forest to its original shortleaf pine-oak woodland areas by using a combination of silviculture and prescribed fire. The purpose of this project is to assess the effects of prescribed burning on upland forest and soil physical properties that influence erosion processes across a gradient of burned sites of different ages and unburned sites. A combination of geospatial, field, laboratory, statistical (one-way ANOVA) and modeling (USLE) methods were used to assess the effects of prescribed burns on forest and soil characteristics in Big Barren Creek …

The Effects Of Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation On Voles From The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Justin Sindoni

Senior Theses

Much is known about the effects of high doses of ionizing radiation exposure, but little is known about the effects of low doses of ionizing radiation over extended periods of time. Nuclear power plant disasters, in particular the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, have led to long-term radioactive contamination of their surrounding areas, and more research is needed to learn about the effects of the contamination. In order to better understand the impacts of low-dose ionizing radiation on animal populations, bank voles (Myodes glareolus) from the Chernobyl exclusion zone were studied. Voles were captured from 64 sites throughout the exclusion zone, and …

Climate Change As A Contributor To Terrorism: A Case Study In Nigeria And Pakistan, Natalie Lytle

Senior Theses

This thesis explores the relationship between climate change and terrorism. It seeks to identify climate change as a contributing factor to terrorism. The motivation for this research is the increasing threat from both global issues. The threat of climate change and terrorism were heavily debated topics in the United States 2016 election, and remain contentious topics for world leaders today. The years 2014 and 2015 were the top two deadliest years for global terrorism, and out of the 17 hottest years on record, 16 of them have occurred since 2000. The world has already begun to see the repercussions of …

Fungi Isolated From House Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) On Penned Cattle In South Texas, Cherity A. Ysquierdo, Pia U. Olafson, Donald B. Thomas

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Musca domestica L. were collected from cattle diagnosed with bovine ringworm to evaluate the potential of the house fly to disseminate Trichophyton verrucosum E. Bodin, a fungal dermatophyte that is the causative agent for ringworm in cattle. Fungal isolates were cultured from 45 individual flies on supplemented Sabouraud dextrose agar, and isolates were identified using morphological and microscopic approaches. Each isolate was identified further by PCR amplification of the ribosomal DNA locus with fungal-specific primers and subsequent amplicon sequencing. Trichophyton verrucosum was not identified using these approaches. However, 35 different fungal species representing 17 genera were cultured from collected flies, …

From Disaster To Sustainability: The Story Of The Pacific Groundfish, Matthew Richards

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This paper reviews the circumstances that led to the collapse of the Pacific groundfish fishery and the steps that fishery managers took to curb over-harvesting and bring the fishery back to sustainability. Fishery managers utilized various management tools such as a vessel buyback program, regulatory mechanisms, and market strategies to improve the available data on the fishery, improve safety for fishermen, and reduce harvest rates and overcapitalization. By employing a diverse range of measures, managers developed a system by with they successfully balanced conservation objectives and minimized adverse impacts to fishing communities. Overcapitalization and overharvest continue to degrade the health …

Replicability And Reproducibility In Comparative Psychology, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Psychology faces a replication crisis. The Reproducibility Project: Psychology sought to replicate the effects of 100 psychology studies. Though 97% of the original studies produced statistically significant results, only 36% of the replication studies did so (Open Science Collaboration, 2015). This inability to replicate previously published results, however, is not limited to psychology (Ioannidis, 2005). Replication projects in medicine (Prinz et al., 2011) and behavioral economics (Camerer et al., 2016) resulted in replication rates of 25 and 61%, respectively, and analyses in genetics (Munafò, 2009) and neuroscience (Button et al., 2013) question the validity of studies in those fields. Science, …