Life Sciences Commons^™

Evaluation Of Cantaloupes For High Tunnels, Lewis Jett

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

Cantaloupes (Cucumis melo) have potential as a double crop for high tunnel in West Virginia Ten cantaloupe cultivars were evaluated in a high tunnel in 2024 at the WVU Organic Horticulture Farm in Morgantown, WV. The cultivars were established as transplants and planted on black plastic mulch on May 10, 2024. Each cultivar was replicated three times in a randomized complete block experimental design. Harvest commenced approximately 60 days after transplanting and fruit weight and quality attributes were measured. ‘Sugar Cube’ and ‘Savor’ were the highest yielding personal-size melons while ‘Athena’ and ‘Ambrosia’ were the highest yielding >1 …

02.17.2025 Ored Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

SOP Research Day

Change Detection Analysis Using Remote Sensing And Gis Approaches For Lake Manzala, Egypt, Mohamed Eraki, Rasha Abd El Ghany, Sameh El Kafrawy, Mostafa Rabah

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Manzala Lake, the largest natural freshwater body in Egypt, is situated in the northeastern part of the Nile Delta. It faces major environmental challenges, largely due to pollution from untreated industrial effluents, sewage, and agricultural runoff. As part of Egypt's national initiative to rehabilitate its lakes, a development project was launched in 2017 and concluded in June 2022. The project aimed to purify the lake by eliminating contaminants, clearing invasive vegetation, deepening the canals, the study focuses on assessing land cover changes using remote sensing and GIS, and offers some recommendations for sustainable lake use following the development efforts. The …

Profile Analysis Of Handwashing Behavior Among A Sample Of College Students In The Multi-Theory Model Framework, Miguel Antonio Fudolig, Robert E. Davis, Kavita Batra, Manoj Sharma

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

Maintaining proper hand hygiene is crucial in preventing the spread of infections and other communicable diseases. It is imperative to determine the factors that affect the likelihood of initiating and maintaining the recommended handwashing behavior, especially during a pandemic. This quantitative, secondary study employed a latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify the different attitudes toward behavior change based on the Multi-Theory Model (MTM) framework in the context of following the guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from 602 college students at a large university in the southern region …

Mitochondrial Dysfunction Is A Hallmark Of Woody Breast Myopathy In Broiler Chickens, Elizabeth S. Greene, Paula R. Chen, Carrie Walk, Mike Bedford, Sami Dridi

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The woody breast (WB) myopathy poses significant economic and welfare concerns to the poultry industry, however, there is no effective strategy to mitigate this pathology due to its unknown etiology. After showing previously that hypoxia is a key factor in WB progression, we used here various techniques demonstrating dysregulated mitochondria (morphology, biogenesis, tethering, function, and bioenergetics) in WB-affected muscles and in hypoxic myoblasts compared to healthy tissues and normoxic cells, respectively. The increased levels of calcium (Ca2+) in both WB-affected tissues and hypoxic myoblasts suggested that mitochondrial Ca2+ overload is likely a leading cause for mitochondrial dysfunction that merits further …

Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Msi Scoring Predicts Benefit In Mismatch Repair-Deficient Tumors Treated With Nivolumab: Follow-Up On Nci-Match Arm Z1d, Jonathan D Schoenfeld, Nilofer S Azad, Jacob Gross, Li Chen, Michael J Overman, Katrina Kao, Latifa Jackson, Donna Brunnquell, Xiangning Bu, Christina Coppola, Ping Guan, Jennifer Lee, David Sims, Rebecca Fuchs, Jason L Weirather, Kathleen L Pfaff, Lauren Gunasti, Srin Ranasinghe, Stanley R Hamilton, Victoria Wang, Peter J O'Dwyer, Catherine J Wu, Scott J Rodig, David R Patton, Lyndsay Harris

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) tumors have demonstrated favorable responses to immune checkpoint inhibition targeting PD-1. However, more in-depth identification of predictors of response could further refine patient selection for immunotherapy treatment.

Patients and methods: We undertook integrated evaluation performed on samples collected from 28 of 42 patients enrolled on the NCI-Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice arm Z1D trial that evaluated PD-1 inhibition treatment with nivolumab in patients with noncolorectal dMMR tumors. Genomic analyses were performed using next-generation sequencing (NGS), whole-exome sequencing, and RNA sequencing and supplemented by multiplex immunofluorescence performed on tissue samples.

Results: In this dMMR population, more extensive …

Unraveling The Influence Of Structural Complexity,Environmental, And Geographic Factors On Multi-Trophicbiodiversity In Forested Landscapes, Ayanna St Rose, Kusum Naithani

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Multi-trophic diversity is often overlooked in land management decisions due to the absence of cost- and time-effective assessment methods. Here, we introduce a new method to calculate a combined terrain and canopy structural complexity metric using LiDAR data, enabling the prediction of multi-trophic diversity-a combined diversity metric that integrates diversity across trophic levels. We selected 34 forested sites of the National Ecological Observatory Network to test the model by using observed data on plant presence, beetle pitfall trap, and bird count to calculate multi-trophic diversity. Our results show that multi-trophic diversity increases with increasing structural complexity, but this relationship differs …

Western Australia’S Marine Heatwave Update - 16 February 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Marine Heatwave Notification Reports

No abstract provided.

Freshwater Mussels Of Kansas: Register Of Taxa, Synonyms, And Assumed Misidentifications, Mark E. Eberle

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The literature on freshwater mussels (Mollusca: Margaritiferidae and Unionidae) of Kansas includes a collection of names of species and subspecies that makes it difficult for even experienced malacologists to decipher which taxa actually were collected. Compounding this problem is the absence of voucher specimens for some of the studies conducted in the state. This list was compiled to aid those who are conducting research and want to assess their results with reference to the earlier accounts. The alphabetical list of valid taxa, synonyms, and assumed misidentifications of freshwater mussels of Kansas is drawn from the literature and not an examination …

Found: Three Trashed Poems, Tanis Macdonald

The Goose

Three poems about garbage, what is leftover and found.

My Art Is Garbage, Beth Shepherd

The Goose

In “My Art is Garbage,” I describe three recent art projects where garbage is both a theme and an artistic medium used to critique the overuse of and inability to reuse or safely dispose of plastics we use every day. The first work, Untitled (Plastic Film Balls), uses non-recyclable single-use household plastic made to form an installation of shimmering balls and alludes to the environmental footprint of the artworld. Plastic Shores, a series of monotype prints, reminds us that plastics in the environment are deleterious to species that we see every day. Finally Plastic Pests, a series …

Lisa Rogers, Lisa Rogers, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Lisa Rogers is a native of of Tennessee. Lisa’s professional journey includes roles in advertising, library services, and recruitment prior to getting into child nutrition. Lisa joined the Institute of Child Nutrition as a Library Specialist, eventually becoming the Associate Director of the Training Division. Lisa retired on June 30, 2023.

Data Augmentation And Machine Learning Algorithms For Multi-Class Imbalanced Morphometrics Data Of Stingless Bees, Daisy Salifu, Lorna Chepkemoi, Eric Ali Ibrahim, Kiatoko Nkoba, Henri E.Z. Tonnang

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The study focusses on handling of multiclass imbalanced data on classification of stingless bee samples by employing data balancing techniques, namely Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) and Adaptive Synthetic (ADASYN) approach. These techniques are applied in combination with machine learning (ML) algorithms; specifically Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machine (SVM), to assess the models’ predictive performance to infer stingless bee samples identities. We studied ML classifier models: RF, RF + SMOTE, RF + ADASYN, SVM, SVM + SMOTE and SVM + ADASYN on the six-class imbalanced dataset of stingless bees morphometrics. Multi-class area under curve (AUC), F1-score, G-mean, balanced …

Increasing The Awareness Of Land Grant Extension Service To Ethnic Minority Students: Collaborative Programming Of Kansas State University College Of Agriculture And K-State Research And Extension Service, Raymond Thomas, Dr. Zelia Z. Wiley, Dr. Lonnie Hobbs Jr., Summer Santillana

Journal of Extension

An important pre-condition to diversifying the workforce of land-grant extension services is access to qualified ethnic minority individuals with an awareness and interest in pursuing extension careers. This paper highlights an example of collaboration between the K-State Research and Extension office and an educational research program at Kansas State University to expand the awareness and knowledge of the functions and career opportunities in extension to ethnic minority students. The result of this study indicates the collaboration increased the perceived knowledge of extension to the students, leading to an ethnic minority student attending graduate school with an emphasis on extension services.

The New American Farmer – Extension Engagement With Urban Agriculture And Food Systems, Margaux S. C. Robinson, Kc V. Cunningham, Jeffery A. Young, Nicole D. Breazeale, Kenneth R. Jones, Julie N. Zimmerman

Journal of Extension

Extension’s evolving role in urban food production will require intensive reflexivity and ongoing collaboration. Extension educators around the country have already made progress in engaging with both the social and horticultural sides of urban agriculture. Designed appropriately, urban food systems hold the potential for healthy food access, community and environmental resilience, and economic prosperity (Rangarajan & Riordan 2019). Moving forward, we offer recommendations for Extension staff to apply within their institutions and beyond. Specifically, we urge Extension to prioritize the following: 1) mediate the rural/urban dichotomy, 2) tackle structural and institutional power dynamics, and 3) intensify strategies for community resilience.

Postharvest Melatonin Application Attenuates Browning, Delays Softening, And Maintains The Antioxidant Potential Of Jackfruit Bulbs, Jashanpreet Kaur, Zora Singh, Muhammad Sohail Mazhar, Hafiz Muhammad Shoaib Shah, Eben Afrifa-Yamoah, Andrew Woodward

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Although the impact of postharvest melatonin (MLT) application in extending the storage life of horticultural produce has been widely studied, its effect in jackfruit remains unknown. This investigation evaluates the influence of MLT dip application (0, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 mM) on browning, softening and oxidative stress in cold-stored jackfruit bulbs over a period of 20d. All MLT treatments reduced browning index and oxidative stress, while activities of browning-related enzymes were comparatively lower in the 0.1 mM MLT treatment. Treatment with 0.2 mM MLT maintained elevated levels of antioxidants as compared to control. Higher bulb firmness, total pectin and cellulose …

Intra- And Inter-Plant Variability Of Quinolizidine Alkaloids In Narrow-Leaf Lupin Seeds, Grown Under Different Day/Night Cycles, Tawfeek Khedr, Ling Ling Gao, Lars G. Kamphuis, Angéla Juhász, Michelle L. Colgrave

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Inconsistent fluctuation of quinolizidine alkaloid (QA) content in lupin seeds is often observed, sometimes surpassing safe thresholds (>200 mg/kg) yet lacks a clear explanation. This study aimed to investigate the intra-plant variability of QA content in three narrow-leaf lupin genotypes: Tanjil, Quillinock, and P22660 using LC-MS/MS. QA levels in seeds from the same pods showed <30 % variation, while those from different pods in the same plant sometimes surpassed inter-plant variations (up to 94 %). The average measured QA concentrations under speed breeding conditions in Quillinock, Tanjil, and P22660 were 36, 103, and 27,000 mg/kg, respectively. The impact of longer daylight hours (16h day/8h night), a practice used in speed breeding, on QA content in the cultivar Tanjil was also studied. Longer daylight hours yielded elevated QA levels in Tanjil seeds (103 mg/kg) compared to those grown in a greenhouse (10–13h daylight, 32 mg/kg).

Offal Wildlife Watching: Connecting Hunters, Wildlife Researchers, And The Public Through Participatory Science, Ellen M. Candler, Grace Milanowski, Amy Rager, Joseph K. Bump

Journal of Extension

Offal Wildlife Watching is a participatory science project that engages deer hunters in wildlife research. The goal of the project is to better understand the ecology of scavenger species that visit deer gut piles across Minnesota. We asked hunters to deploy remote cameras at white-tailed deer gut piles that resulted from their freshly killed deer. Thus far 117 hunters have contributed images and recorded at least 49 different scavenger species. This project is a natural fit in Extension programs and can easily be adapted to other hunted species, biomes, and locations.

Workshop Wine Wednesdays: Change In Behavior Around Local Wines, Aude Watrelot, Sarah Francis, Sarah Al-Mazroa Smith

Journal of Extension

Wine workshops hosted at local wineries positively impacted the behavior of Iowa wine consumers. Many participants (75%) reported visiting an Iowa winery following the workshop. The percentage of participants consuming Iowa wines increased by 20.6% (p

Tailor-Designed Oxalic Acid-Crosslinked Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)/Chitosan Biodegradable Films For Active Food Packaging Applications, Reem Hazem Fathy Anwar Elaasar

Theses and Dissertations

Food packaging plastic waste is posing great threats to ecosystems, human health, and the planet's overall sustainability; therefore, research has been directed towards the fabrication of biodegradable food packaging materials. In this study, active and biodegradable oxalic acid (OA) crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/chitosan (CS) composite films of different weight ratios were synthesized via the solvent casting technique and their food packaging properties were investigated. Owing to its water resistance and antibacterial superiority, the composite film with the ratio of OA chemically crosslinked PVA/CS 80:20 was elected to be coated with green tea extract (GTE) to ameliorate its antibacterial and antioxidant …

Understanding The Accuracy And Best Use Of The Woodland Stick As A Tree Height And Diameter Measurement Tool: A Case Study In Oregon, Francisca Belart, Lauren Grand, Alicia Christiansen

Journal of Extension

We conducted a study to assess the accuracy of the Woodland Stick in determining tree diameter and height as compared to professional measurements and how bias can affect tree volume calculation. After comparing professional measurements with five non-professionals (NP’s) using the Woodland Stick, we found that three out of five NP’s had significant differences in mean dbh, and all of the NP’s had significant differences in mean total height. The overall bias for dbh across users was +0.5 inches and +5.1 ft for height. These deviations can result in volume differences between 0 and 30 bf on a single tree.

Leveraging Community Partnerships And Resources To Address Food Insecurity In A Rural County During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kristen Johnson, Amy Elizer, Karen L. Franck, Soghra Jarvandi

Journal of Extension

Extension professionals are skilled at connecting with community partners and community members to identify needs and address challenges. This paper outlines how Extension professionals quickly responded to address rising rates of food insecurity in a rural Tennessee County during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through an extensive network of state, regional, and local partners, Extension professionals and partners planned and implemented mobile food distributions through the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families program. These Extension-led efforts resulted in sustainable, community-driven initiatives to improve food insecurity. Lessons learned can help Extension professionals respond to emerging needs.

Promoting Equity: Embracing Food Justice In The Transformation Of The Food Systems For Bipoc Communities, Frank Yeboah Adusei

Journal of Extension

The food justice movement addresses systemic food inequities impacting BIPOC communities, rooted in civil rights and environmental justice movements. It advocates for fair access to culturally relevant food, combating food deserts, and promoting food sovereignty. Recognizing intersectionality, it emphasizes collaboration to dismantle systemic barriers. This study aims to understand BIPOC communities' challenges and effective strategies, stressing the importance of collaborative efforts for lasting systemic change. Extension professionals face challenges but can contribute through equity-focused strategies, community engagement, and partnerships, advancing food justice and fostering inclusive food systems.

Beer And Biology, A Perfect Pairing: Using Beer To Spread Awareness About Invasive Species, Samuel Nutile, Adam Simpson, Sara Stahlman, Lynne E. Beaty

Journal of Extension

Managing the spread of introduced invasive species relies on educating recreationists that currently or potentially harbor such species. By partnering with a local brewery, we developed the Lagers for Lakes Draft Series to facilitate outreach about aquatic invasive species in Erie, Pennsylvania. To date, Lagers for Lakes drafts and associated launch events have reached over 230 individuals and increased awareness of invasive species by 86%. With the materials provided here and the lessons learned from these events, we hope similar outreach efforts can be developed elsewhere to educate and minimize the spread of invasive species.

Reassessing Estrogen Receptor Expression Thresholds For Breast Cancer Prognosis In Her2-Negative Patients Using Shape Restricted Modeling, Wenli Dong, Takeo Fujii, Jing Ning, Toshiaki Iwase, Jing Qin, Naoto T Ueno, Yu Shen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We used a novel shape-restricted Cox model to determine the desirable ER expression cutoff to predict breast cancer prognoses. Our model treats ER as a continuous variable using a flexible monotone-shaped Cox regression to assess its association with survival outcomes holistically. The study included 3055 patients with stage II/III HER2-negative breast cancer. The primary outcomes were time to recurrence or death (TTR) and overall survival (OS). The shape-restricted Cox model identified 10% ER as the preferred cutoff to predict TTR. The finding was confirmed by the log-rank test and standard Cox model that patients with ER ≥ 10% had TTR …

Single-Cell Rna Sequencing Identifies Molecular Biomarkers Predicting Late Progression To Cdk4/6 Inhibition In Patients With Hr+/Her2- Metastatic Breast Cancer, Linjie Luo, Peng Yang, Sofia Mastoraki, Xiayu Rao, Yan Wang, Nicole M Kettner, Akshara Singareeka Raghavendra, Debasish Tripathy, Senthil Damodaran, Kelly K Hunt, Jing Wang, Ziyi Li, Khandan Keyomarsi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6is) in combination with endocrine therapy are the standard treatment for patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer (mBC). Despite the efficacy of CDK4/6is, intrinsic resistance occurs in approximately one-third of patients, highlighting the need for reliable predictive biomarkers.

Methods: Single-cell RNA sequencing analyzed metastatic tumors from HR+/HER2- mBC patients pre-CDK4/6i treatment at baseline (BL) and/or at disease progression. BL samples were from CDK4/6i responders (median progression-free survival [mPFS] = 25.5 months), while progressors were categorized as early-progressors (EP, mPFS = 3 months) and late-progressors (LP, mPFS = 11 months). Metastatic sites included liver, …

Field Observations Of Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) Activity At A Rare Double-Burrow, James Carroll, Rachel Carroll

Georgia Journal of Science

After a review of the journal, it does not appear that abstracts are included with Research Notes. Therefore, no abstract is provided. However, we certainly defer to the Editors on this requirement and will happily provide an abstract if needed.

Nutrient Limitation And Seasonality Associated With Phytoplankton Communities And Cyanotoxin Production In A Large, Hypereutrophic Lake, Gabriella M. Lawson, Jakob L. Young, Zachary T. Aanderud, Erin F. Jones, Samuel Bratsman, Jonathan Daniels, Madeleine P. Malmfeldt, Michelle A. Baker, Benjamin W. Abbott, Scott Daly, Hans W. Paerl, Greg Carling, Brian Brown, Raymond Lee, Rachel L. Wood

Biology Faculty Publications

Though freshwater harmful algal blooms have been described and studied for decades, several important dynamics remain uncertain, including the relationships among nutrient concentrations, phytoplankton growth, and cyanotoxin production. To identify when and where nutrients limit phytoplankton, cyanobacteria, and cyanotoxins, we conducted in situ bioassay studies. We added nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), or N + P across various seasons in water collected from three locations across Utah Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the western U.S. This shallow, hypereutrophic lake provides a powerful testbed for quantifying nutrient-growthtoxin interactions. We assessed a range of parameters over time, including photopigment concentrations, …

Pharmacokinetics Of Liposomal Levamisole After Oral, Intramuscular, And Subcutaneousadministration In Sheep, Hasan Susar, İzzet Karahan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study aimed to determine the pharmacokinetics of free and liposomal levamisole in sheep following single oral (O),intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SC) administrations at a dose of 7.5 mg/kg. The study developed a levamisole liposome andinvestigated relevant parameters: particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, encapsulation efficiency, pH, and morphology. TheBangham method, a thin-film hydration technique, was employed to prepare the liposomal levamisole. Blood samples were collectedby jugular venipuncture in heparinized tubes immediately before each free and liposomal levamisole treatment and at 2.5, 5, 10, 15,30, 60, 90, 120, 240, 360, and 480 min and 12, 16, and 24 h after …

Proxy Panels Enable Privacy-Aware Outsourcing Of Genotype Imputation, Degui Zhi, Xiaoqian Jiang, Arif Harmanci

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

One of the major challenges in genomic data sharing is protecting participants' privacy in collaborative studies and in cases when genomic data are outsourced to perform analysis tasks, for example, genotype imputation services and federated collaborations genomic analysis. Although numerous cryptographic methods have been developed, these methods may not yet be practical for population-scale tasks in terms of computational requirements, rely on high-level expertise in security, and require each algorithm to be implemented from scratch. In this study, we focus on outsourcing of genotype imputation, a fundamental task that utilizes population-level reference panels, and develop protocols that rely on using …