Life Sciences Commons^™

Snowpack And Water Supply Outlook, Jordan Clayton

Spring Runoff Conference

>95% of the water we use in Northern Utah comes from snow. Therefore, it’s critically important to quantify how much water is stored in our snowpack.

New Drainage Records And Revised Ranges For Sympatric Pirate Perch Species In Alabama, Florida, And Georgia, Tyler Muller, Bryson Hilburn, Lily Hughes

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

We report updated ranges for four sympatric species of Pirate Perches following a recent taxonomic revision of Aphredoderus. Using observations from recent sampling by the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences and reidentifying cataloged specimens from the Georgia Museum of Natural History and Auburn University Museum collections, we were able to refine the distributions of four species throughout a complicated sympatric zone spanning coastal plain drainages in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. We find that A. gibbosus is present in low numbers in the Flint, Escambia, Choctawhatchee, and Chattahoochee basins. These additional records nearly link the previously reported disjunct …

Western Australia’S Marine Heatwave Update - 27 March 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia, Arani Chandrapavan

Marine Heatwave Notification Reports

No abstract provided.

Machine Learning Shows A Limit To Rain-Snow Partitioning Accuracy When Using Near-Surface Meteorology, Keith S. Jennings, Meghan Collins, Benjamin J. Hatchett, Anne Heggli, Nayoung Hur, Sonia Tonino, Anne W. Nolin, Guo Yu, Wei Zhang, Monica M. Arienzo

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Partitioning precipitation into rain and snow with near-surface meteorology is a well-known challenge. However, whether a limit exists to its potential performance remains unknown. Here, we evaluate this possibility by applying a set of benchmark precipitation phase partitioning methods plus three machine learning (ML) models (an artificial neural network, random forest, and XGBoost) to two independent datasets: 38.5 thousand crowdsourced observations and 17.8 million synoptic meteorology reports. The ML methods provide negligible improvements over the best benchmarks, increasing accuracy only by up to 0.6% and reducing rain and snow biases by up to -4.7%. ML methods fail to identify mixed …

Characterizing The Effects Of Rage Upregulation In Lung Development, Derek Michael Clarke

Theses and Dissertations

The Receptor for Advanced Glycation End-products (RAGE) is a transmembrane, multi-ligand cell surface receptor highly expressed in pulmonary tissue, where it plays a critical role in mediating inflammatory responses. Under chronic toxicant exposure, often associated with cigarette, e-cigarette, and diesel particulate, RAGE transitions from a protective to a deleterious state, contributing to pathological processes. In adult models, RAGE's role in the development of lung disease has been well studied, yet in the context of lung development RAGE has not been well studied with a small number of clinical papers finding increased levels of RAGE in bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD) and respiratory distress …

Grunting Increases Power Production And Vertical Jump Height In Experienced Martial Artists, Jason Sawyer, Paul Cacolice, Paul Higgins, Michael Pepin

Biological and Biomedical Sciences Department Faculty Journal Articles

Muscular power is a critical determinant of performance in athletic competitions and thus identifying methods to maximize this attribute is imperative. Grunting (GR) may be an effective way to increase power during high-velocity, explosive movements. The purpose of the current investigation was to determine the effects of GR on muscular power output. Twenty-four subjects were recruited from a local martial arts academy. Each subject had a minimum of 2 years of martial arts experience. The performance measures included five maximal cross punches (CR) and roundhouse kicks (RH) to determine peak power output and three countermovement vertical jumps (CMJ) and seated …

Canada Thistle (Cirsium Arvense) Identification And Control, Caitlin Henderson, Robert Nelson Schaeffer, Corey Ransom

All Current Publications

Cirsium arvense is an invasive perennial weed adaptable to a wide range of habitats. Since its arrival in North America in the 1600s, it has spread throughout much of the country. It has become prevalent in rangelands and disturbed areas in the Intermountain West, displacing native plant species, reducing crop yields, and affecting pasture quality. This fact sheet outlines how to identify Canada thistle, its life cycle, and how to manage it through cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical control.

Transgenerational Impacts Of Covid-19: Exploring The Epigenetic Impacts Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection On Parental Reproductive Health And Offspring Development, Isaac Mckay Stirland

Theses and Dissertations

The mechanisms and consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, including clinical manifestations, immune response, pathogenicity, long-term sequelae, etc., have been studied in detail following the 2019 pandemic however, very little has been done to explore the interplay between SARS-CoV-2 and host DNA methylation. Given the role of DNA methylation in genetic regulation, genomic imprinting, and induction of transgenerational effects, an understanding of viral interaction(s) with the host methylome is imperative in promoting reproductive and developmental health. Numerous reports describe infections with similar pathogenicity to SARS-CoV-2 and their correlation to altered host tissues at the epigenetic, physiologic, and macroscopic level. These reported epigenetic …

Impact Of Glufosinate On Sugarcane Yield And Yield Components When Applied Post-Directed And Its Efficacy In Controlling Emerged Itchgrass (Rottboellia Cochinchinensis), Warner R. Simon

LSU Master's Theses

Weed control is extremely important in the Louisiana sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) industry, as it is a perennial crop that grows back after each harvest. Fields are kept weed free using mechanical and chemical methods to prevent weed-crop competition and further establishment of weed populations. The weed itchgrass (Rottboellia cochinchinensis) has become problematic for Louisiana sugarcane producers. Sometimes, itchgrass can still emerge after farmers have made a pre-emergence (PRE) herbicide application. These weeds are usually controlled using the herbicide paraquat dichloride (paraquat) in post-emergence (POST) directed applications. In recent year, 2016-2024, the United States Environmental Protection Agency …

Morphological, Molecular, And Morphometric Analysis Of Aphelenchoides Besseyi On Organic Rice (Oryza Sativa) Seeds In The Beringin District, Deli Serdang Regency, Indonesia, Suswati Suswati, Azwana Azwana, Ifan Aulia Candra, Fitrianingrum Kuniawati, Khofifah Muhaimini Siregar, Asmaul Hasanah, Aldy Elvanandar Nasution

Makara Journal of Science

Aphelenchoides besseyi, a nematode, can infect rice resulting in the white shoot disease, which decreases the germina-tion rate and even causes seedling death. A. besseyi has recently been reported to mainly attack the organic rice varie-ties especially Pandanwangi and Ciherang in the Pasar Kawat, Beringin District, Deli Serdang, Indonesia. This research investigated A. besseyi via morphological, molecular, and morphometric approaches. The nematodes were observed in an area of 2000 m2, divided into five sample plots each with an area of 400 m2 on which Pandan Wangi and Ciherang rice were cultivated. Nematode morphology was observed using a stereo microscope at …

Developmental Differentiation Of Mouse Inner Ear Neuron Subpopulations Resolved With A Peripherin-Promoter Reporter Within The Grm8 Locus, Lily J Pearson, Jeremy L Pinyon, Jennie M E Cederholm, Georg Von Jonquieres, Florence Bartlett, Xabier Vázquez-Campos, Fabien Delerue, Lars M Ittner, Gary D Housley

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Molecular profiling of inner ear neurons has broadened the classification of the primary afferents that support neural coding for hearing and balance. To extend spatiotemporal characterization of auditory and vestibular neuron diversity, we established a transgenic reporter mouse model (Prphp-mCherry), where elements of the peripherin promoter (Prphp) drive expression of the mCherry fluorescent reporter. Type III intermediate filament protein peripherin expression is a marker for type II spiral ganglion neurons (SGN) that innervate the cochlear outer hair cells, and the small diameter 'bouton' vestibular ganglion neurons (VGN) innervating the type II vestibular hair cells. Using Nanopore genome sequencing, the integration …

Tundra Recovery Post-Fire In The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, Leah K. Clayton, Kevin Schaefer, Elizabeth E. Hoy, Clayton D. Elder, Nancy H. F. French, Gerald V. Frost, Et.Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

The extent of wildfires in tundra ecosystems has dramatically increased since the turn of the 21st century due to climate change and the resulting amplified Arctic warming. We simultaneously studied the recovery of vegetation, subsurface soil moisture, and active layer thickness (ALT) post-fire in the permafrost-underlain uplands of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in southwestern Alaska to understand the interaction between these factors and their potential implications. We used a space-for-time substitution methodology with 2017 Landsat 8 imagery and synthetic aperture radar products, along with 2016 field data, to analyze tundra recovery trajectories in areas burned from 1953 to 2017. We found …

The Tumor Microenvironment Is An Ecosystem Sustained By Metabolic Interactions, Emily Jane Kay, Sara Zanivan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and immune cells make up two major components of the tumor microenvironment (TME), contributing to an ecosystem that can either support or restrain cancer progression. Metabolism is a key regulator of the TME, providing a means for cells to communicate with and influence each other, modulating tumor progression and anti-tumor immunity. Cells of the TME can metabolically interact directly through metabolite secretion and consumption or by influencing other aspects of the TME that, in turn, stimulate metabolic rewiring in target cells. Recent advances in understanding the subtypes and plasticity of cells in the TME both open up …

Rapid Laser Ablation-Based Fabrication Of High-Density Polymer Microwell Arrays For High-Throughput Cellular Studies, Desh Deepak Dixit, Kavya L Singampalli, Amit S Niyogi, Amanda Montoya, Alexandre Reuben, Peter B Lillehoj

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Polymer-based microwell platforms have garnered much interest due to their usefulness in culturing and analyzing small quantities of biological cells and spheroids. Existing methods for fabricating polymer microwell arrays involve complex fabrication processes and/or are limited in their ability to create dense arrays of very small (< 50 μm in diameter) microwells. Here, we present a simple and rapid technique for fabricating high-density arrays of microwells ranging from 20 to 160 μm in diameter on a variety of polymer substrates. In this approach, a polymer surface is ablated using a CO2 laser that is rastered over a stainless steel mesh, which serves as a shadow mask. A theoretical laser-polymer interaction model was developed for predicting the microwell volume based on the substrate properties and laser settings. Microwell volumes predicted by the model were within 5.4% of fabricated microwell volumes determined experimentally. Cellulose acetate microwell arrays fabricated using this technique were used to culture Lewis lung carcinoma cells expressing ovalbumin (LLC-OVA), which were maintained for up to 72 h with a negligible (< 5%) loss in viability. As a second proof of principle demonstration, LLC-OVA cells grown in microwell arrays were co-cultured with OT-I T cells and measurements of interferon gamma (IFN-γ), a marker for T cell activation, were performed which revealed a positive correlation between LLC-OVA cell-T cell interaction time and T cell activation. These two in vitro demonstrations showcase the capability of this technique in generating polymer microwell arrays for high-throughput cellular studies, including cell growth dynamics studies and cell interaction studies. Furthermore, we envision that these platforms can be used with different cell types and for other biological applications, such as spheroid formation and single cell analysis, …

Clinical Use Of Measurable Residual Disease In Adult All: Recommendations From A Panel Of Us Experts, Nicholas J Short, Ibrahim Aldoss, Daniel J Deangelo, Marina Konopleva, Jessica Leonard, Aaron C Logan, Jae Park, Bijal Shah, Wendy Stock, Elias Jabbour

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Measurable residual disease (MRD) is a powerful predictor of clinical outcomes in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In addition to its clear prognostic importance, MRD information is increasingly used in clinical decision algorithms to guide therapeutic interventions. Although it is well established that achievement of MRD-negative remission is an important end point of ALL therapy, the prognostic and therapeutic implications of MRD in an individual patient are influenced by both disease-related factors (eg, cytomolecular risk) and assay-related factors (eg, sensitivity, specimen source, and timing of assessment), which add complexity to MRD-guided treatment decisions. In this review, we discuss the data supporting …

Two Unique Cases Of Ponderosa Pine Needle-Induced Abortions, Kevin D. Welch, Megan A. Dietz, Steven E. Edmonds, Dale R. Gardener, Daniel Cook

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) needles can induce abortions in cows when consumed during the last trimester of pregnancy. Traditionally pine needle-induced abortions occur in areas where cattle are forced into a stand of ponderosa pine trees to seek shelter and feed during a winter storm that is either very cold, has heavy snow or high winds. However, here we report two incidences of pine needle-induced abortions in cattle that were unique. In one case, there was no weather-related event that forced the cattle into the stand of pine trees, rather the cattle went into the pine trees seeking …

The Design, Construction, And Testing Of Mrna Vaccine Against Equine Herpes Virus, Bhawana Devkota

LSU Master's Theses

Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV 1) is a worldwide significant pathogen that causes respiratory illness, abortion, and neurological disorders in equine. Current vaccines, including live attenuated, inactivated, and subunit platforms, do not prevent viral latency, mucosal shedding, or cross-strain immunity, requiring alternative approaches. To address these gaps, this project explores the design, synthesis, and in vitro testing of an mRNA vaccine targeting immunogenic EHV 1 glycoprotein (gB, gC, gD, gG, and gM). Epitopes were computationally predicted using the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB), codon-optimized for Bos taurus, and cloned into pUCIDT vectors using SP6/T7 promoters. In vitro transcription (IVT) used nucleotide modifications …

Genomic-Transcriptomic Analysis Identifies The Syrian Hamster As A Superior Animal Model For Human Diseases, Chuchu Wang, Zhenguo Cheng, Jinxin Miao, Xia Xue, Yunshu Dong, Li Zhao, Haoran Guo, Jianyao Wang, Zhizhong Wang, Shuangshuang Lu, Guangming Fang, Ying Peng, Yafei Zhai, Zhongxian Zhang, Dongling Gao, Zhimin Wang, Pengju Wang, Lirong Zhang, Louisa S. Chard Dunmall, Jun Wang, Wenxue Tang, Xiaowei Li, Zhongren Ding, Xiaoyan Zhao, Ling Li, Nicholas R. Lemoine, Zhongde Wang, Daniel Tonge, Wenjie Tan, Jianzeng Dong, Yaohe Wang

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Background The Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) has shown promise as a human diseases model, recapitulating features of different human diseases including COVID-19. However, the landscape of its genome and transcriptome has not been systematically dissected, restricting its potential applications.

Results Here we provide a complete analysis of the genome and transcriptome of the Syrian hamster and found that its lineage diverged from that of the Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus) around 29.4 million years ago. 21,387 protein-coding genes were identified, with 90.03% of the 2.56G base pair sequence being anchored to 22 chromosomes. Further comparison of the …

Elevated Extinction Risk In Over One-Fifth Of Native North American Pollinators, Tara Cornelisse, David W. Inouye, Rebecca E. Irwin, Sarina Jepsen, Jonathan R. Mawdsley, Margaret Ormes, Jaret Daniels, Diane M. Debinski, Terry Griswold, John Klymko, Michael C. Orr, Leif Richardson, Nicole Sears, Dale Schweitzer, Bruce E. Young

Biology Faculty Publications

Pollinators are critical for food production and ecosystem function. Although native pollinators are thought to be declining, the evidence is limited. This first, taxonomically diverse assessment for mainland North America north of Mexico reveals that 22.6% (20.6 to 29.6%) of the 1,579 species in the best-studied vertebrate and insect pollinator groups have elevated risk of extinction. All three pollinating bat species are at risk and bees are the insect group most at risk (best estimate, 34.7% of 472 species assessed, range 30.3 to 43.0%). Substantial numbers of butterflies (19.5% of 632 species, range 19.1 to 21.0%) and moths (16.1% of …

Treatment Group-Specific Inferences In Phase Iii Randomized Oncology Trials, Alexander D Sherry, Adina H Passy, Joseph Abi Jaoude, Timothy A Lin, Ramez Kouzy, Pavlos Msaouel, Ethan B Ludmir

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Estimation of comparative treatment effects between randomized groups is well-supported in randomized trials. By contrast, treatment group-specific inferences are challenging, as patients are selectively chosen for enrollment, and such inferences are formally discouraged by the CONSORT guidelines. The present study is the first-large scale assessment of the proportion of phase III oncology trials that present treatment group-specific inferences.

Methods: Published phase III randomized oncology trials were screened from ClinicalTrials.gov. Treatment group-specific inferences were defined by the presence of 95% CI or standard error for treatment-specific outcomes.

Results: A total of 774 phase III trials enrolling 568,080 patients were included. …

Fossil Leaf Cuticle: Best Practices For Preparation And Paleo-Co2 Analysis, Xiaoqing Zhang, Dana L. Royer, Carina E. Colombi, Juan Martin Drovandi, Jennifer C. Mcelwain, Gaëtan Guignard, Qin Leng, Barry H. Lomax, Nathan D. Sheldon, Rebekah A. Stein, Garland R. Upchurch, Yongdong Wang, Hong Yang, Richard S. Barclay, Ying Cui, Wolfram Kürschner, Joseph N. Milligan, Isabel Montañez, Jon D. Richey, Tammo Reichgelt, Gongle Shi, Selena Y. Smith, Margret Steinthorsdottir

Biological and Biomedical Sciences Department Faculty Journal Articles

Leaf cuticle is the waxy envelope that protects leaves from desiccation, UV damage, and abrasion. The cuticle encodes information about a plant's chemistry and leaf epidermal and stomatal cell morphology. Fossil leaf cuticle has been used to determine taxonomic affinities for almost two centuries and recognized in recent decades for its value in reconstructing paleoenvironments and paleoclimates, especially atmospheric CO2. Fossil leaf cuticle preparation techniques are typically reported as single workflows tied to individual studies, starting with finding fossils in the field through the steps of preparing cuticle for chemical and morphological analysis, including decisions about type of microscopy and …

Variable Fire Behavior Causes Greater Bacterial And Fungal Richness, James A. Lutz, Joseph D. Birch

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Results of research in forest health and forest futures in Utah.

Key Results

1. Fire reduces microbial richness

Nine years after fire, burned soils had 19 - 31% lower richness, compared to unburned refugia.

2. Pathogens like it hot?

Pathogens made up a larger proportion of burned communities compared to unburned refugia.

3. Unburned refugia communities are tough

Refugia communities had greater resistance to disturbance than burned communities.

Effect Of Chronic Alcohol Feeding Using The Lieber-Decarli Diet On Alzheimer’S Disease Pathology In Tg2576 Mice, Devaraj V. Chandrashekar, Nataraj Jagadeesan, Tamara Abdullah, Rudy Chang, Ross A. Steinberg, Frankey Sanchez, Elias Khal, Joshua Yang, David H. Cribbs, Derick Han, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Chronic alcohol drinking is a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Most studies of alcohol feeding to AD mice have utilized young mice and delivered alcohol in drinking water without controlling nutritional intake.

Objective: To study the impact of Lieber-DeCarli (LDC) liquid alcohol diet, which balances nutritional intake, on AD pathology of aged Tg2576 and wild-type (WT) mice, which is unexplored.

Methods: 13-month-old male and female Tg2576 or WT mice were fed LDC diet (5% ethanol or control) for six weeks (n = 11-13/group). Exploration (open-field test) and spatial reference memory …

Antibiotic Resistance Profile Of Enterobacteriaceae Isolated From Healthy Pigs In The Republic Of Armenia, Yura Shirvanyan, Irma Artushyan, Lilit Hovsepyan, Ashkhen Shirvanyan, Elmira Ghazaryan, Tigran Markosyan

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The rising prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among Enterobacteriaceae in livestock presents a significant threat to both animal and human health. This study investigates the antibiotic resistance profiles of Enterobacteriaceae isolated from 160 samples collected from the lymph nodes of healthy pigs in Armenia. Fifty isolates were identified, including Escherichia coli (24), Klebsiella spp. (10), Salmonella spp. (6), Raoultella ornithinolytica (4), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4), and Proteus mirabilis (2). Resistance was evaluated using the disk diffusion method against 22 antibiotics from nine classes. Alarmingly, 94.5% of isolates were resistant to clarithromycin and 90.3% to erythromycin, while resistance to cephalothin and amoxicillin …

Development, Optimization, And Validation Of A High-Sensitivity Capillary Zone Electrophoresis System For Bioanalytical Applications, Aaron I. Mena

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) is a powerful analytical technique widely used for biomolecular separation due to its high resolution, efficiency, and sensitivity. This report presents the development and validation of a novel CZE system designed to improve modularity, reproducibility, and operational efficiency. The system integrates a laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection method with a 488 nm laser, enhanced fluid control through a negative pressure system, and a user-friendly GUI for automated operation and data acquisition. Performance verification included pressure stability tests, fluorescence accuracy assessments, and electrophoretic reproducibility studies. Comparative analysis with a previous CZE iteration confirmed improved baseline stability, peak resolution, …

Radial Glia Integrin Avb8 Regulates Cell Autonomous Microglial Tgfβ1 Signaling That Is Necessary For Microglial Identity, Gabriel Mckinsey, Nicolas Santander, Xiaoming Zhang, Kilian Kleemann, Lauren Tran, Aditya Katewa, Kaylynn Conant, Matthew Barraza, Kian Waddell, Carlos Lizama, Marie La Russa, Ji Hyun Koo, Hyunji Lee, Dibyanti Mukherjee, Helena Paidassi, E. S. Anton, Kamran Atabai, Dean Sheppard, Oleg Butovsky, Thomas Arnold

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Microglial diversity arises from the interplay between inherent genetic programs and external environmental signals. However, the mechanisms by which these processes develop and interact within the growing brain are not yet fully understood. Here, we show that radial glia-expressed integrin beta 8 (ITGB8) activates microglia-expressed TGFβ1 to drive microglial development. Domain-restricted deletion of Itgb8 in these progenitors results in regionally restricted and developmentally arrested microglia that persist into adulthood. In the absence of autocrine TGFβ1 signaling, microglia adopt a similar phenotype, leading to neuromotor symptoms almost identical to Itgb8 mutant mice. In contrast, microglia lacking the canonical TGFβ signal transducers …

Synthetic Protein Mimetic Based Therapies For Neurodegeneration, Nicholas H. Stillman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are crucial for the regulation of a majority of, if not every fundamental cellular process. Despite their role in regular biological processes, dysregulated and/or aberrant protein-protein interactions (aPPIs) are often related to the onset of disease including cancer, viral infection, and amyloid diseases. aPPIs have historically been deemed ‘undruggable’ due to their large surface area and lack of a binding cavity; however, today, more than 40 disease-related aPPIs have been targeted with small molecules and several of those have reached clinical trials.

A class of synthetic protein mimetics called oligopyridylamides (OPs) has been shown to inhibit disease-related …

Multi-Sensor Integration And Machine Learning For High-Resolution Classification Of Herbivore Foraging Behavior, Bashiri Iddy Muzzo, Kelvyn Bladen, Andres Perea, Shelemia Nyamuryekung’E, Juan J. Villalba

Wildland Resources Student Research

This study classified cows’ foraging behaviors using machine learning (ML) models evaluated through random test split (RTS) and cross-validation (CV) data partition methods. Models included Perceptron, Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machine, KNearest Neighbors, Random Forest (RF), and XGBoost (XGB). These models classified activity states (active vs. static), foraging behaviors (grazing (GR), resting (RE), walking (W), ruminating (RU)), posture states (standing up (SU) vs. lying down (LD)), and posture combinations with rumination and resting behaviors (RU_SU, RU_LD, RE_SU, and RE_LD). XGB achieved the highest accuracy for state classification (74.5% RTS, 74.2% CV) and foraging behavior (69.4% CV). RF outperformed XGB in …

Advancing Tka Biomechanics: From Joint Simulator To Boundary Condition Development, Yashar Ali Behnam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses four specific aims that collectively attempted to advance the experimental and computational analysis of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) components. The first study focused on the development of a novel whole knee joint simulator capable of simultaneous tibiofemoral and patellofemoral knee loading. This simulator employs custom fixturing to facilitate dynamic, unconstrained, muscle-driven PF articulation alongside controlled TF contact mechanics. Validation against experimental measurements showed strong agreement, demonstrating the simulator's potential as a valuable tool for future TKA design and surgical technique investigations.

The second study verified implant-specific physiological boundary conditions which accurately simulate activities of daily living using …

What Single-Cell Rna Sequencing Taught Us About Mgmt Expression In Glioblastoma, Iyad Alnahhas, Mehak Majid Khan, Wenyin Shi

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Background.

The promoter methylation status of O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMTp) is an important prognostic marker in GBM. Previous studies showed that the expression of MGMT based on immunohistochemistry did not correlate with survival. This is partly because nontumor cells express MGMT. Single-cell sequencing assesses gene expression in tumor cells specifically.

Methods.

We used publicly available data from 3 recent single-cell/nucleus sequencing GBM studies that included MGMTp methylation status data for patients to evaluate MGMT expression at the single-cell level.

Results.

In the CPTAC study, a median of 0.82% and 5.7% of tumor cells expressed MGMT in the …