Life Sciences Commons^™

Transfer Learning In Junction With A Light Use Efficiency Model For Estimating Grassland Gross Primary Production, Ruiyang Yu, Yunjun Yao, Qingxin Tang, Xueyi Zhang, Changliang Shao, Joshua B. Fisher, Jiquan Chen, Xiaotong Zhang, Yufu Li, Jia Xu, Lu Liu, Zijing Xie, Jing Ning, Jiahui Fan, Luna Zhang

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

It is significant to simulate grassland gross primary production (GPP) to understand the terrestrial carbon budget over Inner Mongolia (IMG), China. Nevertheless, there is not sufficient in situ GPP data over this region. In this study, we proposed a novel model-based transfer learning (MTL) approach with generative adversarial networks-long short-term memory (GAN-LSTM) and light use efficiency (LUE) models to derive grassland GPP over IMG, China. We first used 25 grassland eddy covariance sites over the conterminous United States to establish the GAN-LSTM model and then fine-tuned it with six sites over IMG to estimate water constraints that were embedded into …

Evaluating The Meditation Practices And Barriers To Adopting Mindful Medicine Among Physicians, Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer, Chelsea G Ratcliff, Christine Bakos-Block, Francine Vega, Marylou Cardenas-Turanzas, Aila Malik, Radha Korupolu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Chronic pain affects over 25% of U.S. adults and is a leading cause of disability. Mindfulness meditation (MM) is a nonpharmacologic approach to manage pain and improve well-being. Despite mounting evidence supporting its efficacy, MM remains underutilized in medical practice. Understanding physicians' engagement with MM and the barriers they face can inform strategies for integration into clinical care. This study assessed physicians' attitudes toward MM, including barriers to practice and their likelihood of recommending it to patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of U.S. physicians was conducted from April to July 2024. Participants provided information on demographics, health struggles, and …

Do Cheaters Prosper? Effect Of Externally Supplied Momentum During Resistance Training On Measures Of Upper Body Muscle Hypertrophy, Francesca Augustin, Jeff Nippard, Alec Pinero, Alysson Enes, Adam Mohan, Max Sapuppo, Max Coleman, Milo Wolf, Patroklos Androulakis Korakakis, Paul Swinton, Brad Schoenfeld

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(3): 329-342, 2025. Exercise technique, defined as the controlled execution of bodily movements to ensure an exercise effectively targets specific muscle groups while minimizing the risk of injury, is a resistance training (RT) variable frequently highlighted as critical to successful RT program outcomes, with proper technique suggested to play a role in maximizing muscle development. This study examined the effects of externally applied momentum on RT-induced muscular adaptations in the upper extremities. Thirty young adults were recruited to participate in a within-participant design, with one limb randomly allocated to perform biceps curls and triceps pushdowns …

Energy-Aware Clustering Using Intelligent Scheme For Heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Networks, Enaam A. Al-Hussain, Ghaida A. Al-Suhail

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) involve nodes with varying capabilities, such as different energy levels, sensing ranges, and computational abilities, which enable them to execute different tasks professionally. Clustering techniques play a crucial role in improving energy efficiency and reliability in WSNs. The evolution of cluster based WSNs from homogeneous into heterogeneous techniques allowed the deployment of smart devices capable of performing complex operations in in diverse environments. However, the heterogeneity of nodes necessitates more sophisticated and adaptive algorithms to fully exploit these capabilities. This paper proposes a new protocol, referred to as IT2F-HLEACH, which integrates Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Logic …

Comprehensive Review On The Application Of Bio-Immunoinformatics In The Development Of Highly Ef-Fective New Candidate Vaccines Against Tuberculosis, Ahyar Ahmad, Andriansjah Rukmana, Miski A. Khairinisa, Dian A. E. Pitaloka, Rosana Agus, Rusdina B. Ladju, Tarwadi Ahmad, Astutiati Nurhasanah, Carina C. D. Joe, Muhammad N. Massi, Harningsih Karim, Irda Handayani, Siti Roszilawati Binti Ramli

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health challenge worldwide. Currently, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is the only vaccine available for TB prophylaxis. However, the efficacy of the BCG vaccine against adult pulmonary TB is considered inconsistent. This condition encourages researchers to look for more effective options, such as subunit vaccines. This condition requires the development of a more effective subunit vaccine to protect active TB in productive and adult ages. There is an urgent need for more effective vaccines, as the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine currently available has inconsistent efficacy and is only partially effective in adults. Bio-immunoinformatics, an interdisciplinary field …

Prodrug Activation In Malaria Parasites Mediated By An Imported Erythrocyte Esterase, Acylpeptide Hydrolase (Apeh), Sesh A. Sundararaman, Justin J. Miller, Ellora C. Daley, Kelsey A. O'Brien, Paulina Kasak, Abigail M. Daniels, Rachel L. Edwards, Kenneth M. Heidel, Darean A. Bague, Madeleine A. Wilson, Andrew J. Koelper, Elexi C. Kourtoglou, Alex D. White, Sloan A. August, Georgia A. Apple, Regis W. Rouamba, Anthony J. Durand, John J. Esteb, Florian L. Muller, R. Jeremy Johnson, Geoffrey C. Hoops, Cynthia S. Dowd, Audrey R. Odom John

College of Health Professions Faculty Papers

The continued emergence of antimalarial drug resistance highlights the need to develop new antimalarial therapies. Unfortunately, new drug development is often hampered by undesirable drug-like properties of lead compounds. Prodrug approaches temporarily mask undesirable compound features, improving bioavailability and target penetration. We have found that lipophilic diester prodrugs of phosphonic acid antibiotics, such as fosmidomycin (Fsm), exhibit significantly higher antimalarial potency than their parent compounds [R.L. Edwards et al., Sci. Rep. 7, 8400 (2017)]. However, the activating enzymes for these prodrugs were unknown. Here, we show that an erythrocyte enzyme, acylpeptide hydrolase (APEH), is the major activating enzyme of multiple …

Transcriptional Profiles Reveal Physiological Mechanisms For Compensation During A Simulated Marine Heatwave In Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola Lalandi), Sharon E. Hook, Ryan J. Farr, Jenny Su, Alistair J. Hobday, Catherine Wingate, Lindsey Woolley, Luke Pilmer

Fisheries Research Articles

Background

Changing ocean temperatures are already causing declines in populations of marine organisms. Predicting the capacity of organisms to adjust to the pressures posed by climate change is a topic of much current research effort, particularly for species we farm or harvest. To explore one measure of phenotypic plasticity, the physiological compensations in response to heat stress as might be experienced in a marine heatwave, we exposed Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola lalandi) to sublethal heat stress, and used the transcriptome in gill and muscle, benchmarked against heat shock proteins and oxidative stress indicators, to characterise the acute heat stress …

Structural Basis For Intrinsic Strand Displacement Activity Of Mitochondrial Dna Polymerase, Ashok Nayak, Viktoriia Sokolova, Sirelin Sillamaa, Karl Herbine, Juhan Sedman, Dmitry Temiakov

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Members of the Pol A family of DNA polymerases, found across all domains of life, utilize various strategies for DNA strand separation during replication. In higher eukaryotes, mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ relies on the replicative helicase TWINKLE, whereas the yeast ortholog, Mip1, can unwind DNA independently. Using Mip1 as a model, we present a series of high-resolution cryo-EM structures that capture the process of DNA strand displacement. Our data reveal previously unidentified structural elements that facilitate the unwinding of the downstream DNA duplex. Yeast cells harboring Mip1 variants defective in strand displacement exhibit impaired oxidative phosphorylation and loss of mtDNA, …

Avasimibe Abolishes The Efficacy Of Fluvastatin For The Prevention Of Cancer In A Spontaneous Mouse Model Of Breast Cancer, Anjana Bhardwaj, Alexander Koh, Rhea Bhala, Janvi Sandhu, Zhenlin Ju, Leslie Faye Cando, Jing Wang, Isabelle Bedrosian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The cholesterol biosynthesis pathway is upregulated during breast cancer development and progression. Inhibition of the aberrantly upregulated cholesterol pathway by statins reduces breast tumor incidence and burden by 50% in SV40 C3(1) TAg mice, a mouse model of triple negative breast cancer. We hypothesized that fluvastatin's preventive efficacy could be further enhanced by co-targeting the statin-induced restorative feedback pathways that tightly control the cholesterol pathway and are involved in resistance to statins. Acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase (

Investigating The Behavior Of Green Covers And Stone Pavers In Historic Urban Spaces During Pandemics: Case Study Beit Al Qadi Square – Historic Cairo - Egypt, Doaa Salaheldin Ismail Elsayed

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Respiratory pandemics are becoming global phenomena demanding post-pandemic re-adaptation practices. In this context, the study questioned if selecting green covers or stone pavers would participate in containing or propagating bioaerosols. The research explored the correlation between pavements and viral aerosols' mass concentration and deposition values. It focused on two design alternatives adopting grass and red stone examined in an open space prone to urban regeneration projects. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The former involved literature survey, field investigations and onsite measurements, besides a multi-scalar satellite image analysis. The latter digitally introduced a coronavirus pollutant in the open …

Advancing Drug Development In Myelodysplastic Syndromes, Alain Mina, Kathy L Mcgraw, Lea Cunningham, Nina Kim, Emily Y Jen, Katherine R Calvo, Lori A Ehrlich, Peter D Aplan, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, James M Foran, Jacqueline S Garcia, Amer M Zeidan, Amy E Dezern, Rami Komrokji, Mikkael A Sekeres, Bart Scott, Rena Buckstein, Sara Tinsley-Vance, Amit Verma, Tanya Wroblewski, Steven Pavletic, Kelly Norsworthy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Myelodysplastic syndromes/neoplasms (MDSs) are heterogeneous stem cell malignancies characterized by poor prognosis and no curative therapies outside of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Despite some recent approvals by the US Food and Drug Administration, (eg, luspatercept, ivosidenib, decitabine/cedazuridine, and imetelstat), there has been little progress in the development of truly transformative therapies for the treatment of patients with MDS. Challenges to advancing drug development in MDS are multifold but may be grouped into specific categories, including criteria for risk stratification and eligibility, response definitions, time-to-event end points, transfusion end points, functional assessments, and biomarker development. Strategies to address these challenges …

Alpha-Frequency Stimulation Strengthens Coupling Between Temporal Fluctuations In Alpha Oscillation Power And Default Mode Network Connectivity, Yijia Ma, Joshua A Brown, Chaowen Chen, Mingzhou Ding, Wei Wu, Wen Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Alpha (8–12 Hz) oscillations and default mode network (DMN) activity dominate the brain's intrinsic activity in the temporal and spatial domains, respectively. They are thought to play crucial roles in the spatiotemporal organization of the complex brain system. Relatedly, both have been implicated, often concurrently, in diverse neuropsychiatric disorders, with accruing electroencephalogram (EEG)/magnetoencephalogram and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data linking these two neural activities both at rest and during key cognitive operations. Prominent theories and extant findings thus converge to suggest a mechanistic relationship between alpha oscillations and the DMN. Here, we leveraged simultaneous EEG–fMRI data acquired before and …

Confounding Factors Of Cervical Carcinogenesis And Cervical Cancer Health Disparity, Vivek Kumar Kashyap, Namita Sinha, Nadeem Zafar, Murali M. Yallapu, Santosh Kumar, Everardo Cobos, Subhash C. Chauhan

Research Symposium

Clinical studies show that cervical cancer is the most frequently detected cancer in women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which has been defined as an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Women living with HIV are 6 times more likely to develop cervical cancer compared to the general population, and an estimated 5% of all cervical cancer cases are attributable to HIV. Studies suggest that several genes are involved in different molecular pathways, which can influence the vulnerability, severity, or advancement of cervical cancer in the presence of HIV and human papillomavirus (HPV) co-infection. Clinical studies have also shown levels of …

Did You Know?

Osmosis Magazine

Fun Facts about the ‘Science’ of Christmas

An Interview With Dr. Kitchen, Paxton Mills

Osmosis Magazine

“Understanding geology can save lives.”

Cool Coatings For Cool People: What Sustainable Surfaces Can Do For You, Jack Dupuy

Osmosis Magazine

Climate change is forcing cities around the world to rethink their landscapes. Urban spaces, packed with concrete, asphalt, and rooftops, absorb more heat than rural areas, creating a phenomenon known as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. This temperature rise stresses energy grids, shortens the lifespan of infrastructure, and makes city life more uncomfortable, particularly during summer months. Fortunately, cool coatings— innovative surface treatments designed to reflect sunlight and reduce heat absorption—are emerging as a solution to help cities beat the heat while saving energy and improving outdoor comfort.

Tower Of “Vietnam”: A Broader Version Of “Tower Of Hanoi”, Tien Nguyenchu

Osmosis Magazine

The traditional problem, “Tower of Hanoi”, might seem familiar to you. The “game” is believed to have been invented in 1883 by the French mathematician Édouard Lucas, although this fact is still disputed. In Vietnam (or sometimes India), there is a legend of a very tall temple with so many floors, and the floor’s diameter gets smaller as the temple gets higher. Priests would then lift each floor up, and move from one peg to another, using another peg as an auxiliary, such that no lower floor is smaller than the upper one. The legend said that once the priests …

Understanding The Theory Of Relativity: Simplified Space-Time, Xander Shelton

Osmosis Magazine

We’ve all heard of Albert Einstein and I’m sure most of us have heard of his theory of relativity. It’s a very popular concept that’s often talked about and mentioned, but what really is the theory of relativity? Well to understand it, first we have to get the backbone of the idea set up. The theory is composed of mainly two parts: Special Relativity and General Relativity. These two concepts are ideas that shaped scientific understanding of space, time, and gravity and fundamentally changed thinking in areas like atomic and nuclear physics in the 20th Century.

Why Can’T We Keep Making Antibiotics?, Kien Bui

Osmosis Magazine

Globally, the annual number of deaths due to antibiotic resistance infections is estimated to be 700,000, which can climb significantly with new viral diseases. The acquisition of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a process related to the use of antibiotics to cure bacterial diseases. As bacteria replicate, mutations occur randomly, and there is a certain probability that this mutation introduces an antibiotic resistant gene. Upon exposure to antibiotics, all bacteria are cleared out, except for the ones that are antibiotic resistant. In other words, antibiotics significantly increase the gene frequency of the antibiotic resistant gene, allowing these bacteria to grow …

When Sense Start To Fade: Understanding Schizophrenia In The Blind And Deaf-Blind Communities, Bezawit Mulatu

Osmosis Magazine

Can Congenital Blindness Protect Against Schizophrenia While Gradual Loss of Sight and Hearing Heightens Vulnerability?

Exercise As A Drug: The Pharmacological Benefits Of Muscular Endurance Training For Type Ii Diabetes, Zack Ruighaver

Osmosis Magazine

In the United States, between 34 and 36 million people suffer from type II diabetes. That’s a little more than 1 in 10 Americans. Although type II diabetes typically develops in people 45 or older, cases are appearing more frequently in younger populations. But what if I told you that there was a drug that could help reverse this trend? No, I’m not talking about metformin or Ozempic. I’m talking about exercise – more specifically, muscular endurance training.

Would You Push The Fat Man? What Psychology Tells Us About Morality, Sam Chanenson

Osmosis Magazine

You’re on an out-of-control trolley hurtling towards five pedestrians trapped on the track ahead of you. While you can’t slow down, you notice just in time that if you flip a switch, you can jump to a parallel track. But oh no! On that track, another pedestrian is trapped. Quick! What do you do?

Mbti Results And Stereotypes: Should We Trust Them Or Not?, Sarah Su

Osmosis Magazine

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), is a popular personality test that’s been around for decades. With a huge test taking population, it is a personality test well known and generally accepted by the public (Delgado, 2023). It is almost everywhere, from day to day conversations to its presence in social media, to even workplaces, where managers are using it as a tool to simplify complex human interactions (Essig, 2014). This means a huge population is using it to determine individual personalities and seeking connections within the society.

A Scientist's Guide To The Laboratory, Eve Snyder

Osmosis Magazine

“’You’re a scientist for goodness sake! What do you mean you don’t want to know why?’”

Letter From The Editor, Andrew Watts

Osmosis Magazine

Dear Reader,

Thank you for opening Osmosis Magazine. We are excited to bring you more accessible, intriguing stories in science and technology spanning the disciplines of biology, chemistry, psychology, and mathematics as well as faculty interviews.

Our goal as a magazine is to share the joy of science with the UR community in an accessible and entertaining fashion. We hope that you enjoy reading this Fall edition of Osmosis Magazine.

Finally, this is the last edition where I will serve as Editor in Chief. It has been a pleasure to work on this project with so many talented writers and …

Osmosis Magazine - Fall 2024

Osmosis Magazine

Osmosis is a student read, led, and written publication from the University of Richmond, focusing on all aspects of healthcare and science.

Interview With Dr. Knouse, Paxton Mills

Osmosis Magazine

Dr. Laura Knouse, Professor of Psychology and Faculty Director of the Richmond Scholars Program, came to the University of Richmond from Carlisle, Pennsylvania as an undergraduate student. At UR, she obtained a B.S. in psychology and went on to receive her PhD in clinical psychology at UNC Greensboro. Her studies then took her to Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School for a clinical internship and her post-doc. After continuing her education up and down the east coast, Dr. Knouse gravitated back towards Richmond, where she now lives and works at the very university she attended.

Fostering Belief And Belonging: Catalysts For Success In Stem, Andrew Watts

Osmosis Magazine

As an aspiring scientist, have you ever found yourself consumed by the suffocating pressure to be perfect? Does the weight of failure loom ominously over your endeavors, threatening to derail your aspirations? And in the quiet moments of introspection, do whispers of self-doubt emerge, casting shadows of uncertainty over your path forward in STEM? I know I certainly have.

An Investigation Of Idaho Phragmites, Paxton Mills

Osmosis Magazine

In fall 2022, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture reached out to the lab of Dr. Carrie Wu, Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Richmond, for assistance in determining the genetic lineage of a suspected invasive stand of Phragmites australis, a wetland reed which has proved to be particularly troublesome throughout its introduced range. Like most invasive species, Phragmites wreaks havoc by outcompeting native plants, which disrupts normal ecosystem operations.

Unpacking The Unreliability Of Our Memory, Isabel Dilandro

Osmosis Magazine

Our memories are precious to us. They are a representation of individuality, unable to be separated from us. The only ones who can access them are ourselves, making them private, intimate, and personal. But what happens to our lives, or rather our understanding of our lives, when these memories are not as reliable as they seem? False memories are real, and we are much more susceptible to them than we may at first think possible.