Life Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Cutting Dates In Primary Growth, Water Soluble Carbohydrate Content And Nitrogen Fertilization On Regrowth Of Perennial Ryegrass, W Pohlmann, U Simon

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In a field experiment, an early• and a late-maturing cultivar of perennial ryegrass were cut during the primary growth in 6-weekly intervals starting when the early cultivar (Lolium perenne L.) reached stage of growth 31 (Simon & Park 1983, Proceedings XIV IGC), at 2 levels of nitrogen fertilisation. Dry mailer yield (DMY) in the regrowth was determined 4 weeks after defoliation in the primary growth. DMY in the regrowth decreased with delayed cutting in the primary growth. No significant correlation existed between the content of water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) in 1he stubble at the time of defoliation in the …

Effect Of Row Spacing And Sowing Rate On Establishment Of Lucerne Cv. Grasslands Oranga, M Askarian, J G. Hampton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Studies on the effects of various row spacings and sowing rates on the establishment of autumn-sown lucerne (Medicago saliva L) cv. Grasslands Oranga were carried out in a split-plot experiment at Massey University Palmerston North, New Zealand. Seed was sown on 15 March 1991 at 1, 3, 6 and 12 kwha at row spacings of 15, 30, 45 and 60 cm. Seedling establishment increased as sowing rate and row spacing increased, but numbers of seedlings were not directly proportional to the number of seeds sown. The percentage establishment 6 months after sowing was significantly higher atthe lowest sowing rate. …

Enhancing Sustainable Cultivation Of Organic Bell Pepper Through Fulvic Acid (Fa) Application: Impact On Phytochemicals And Antioxidant Capacity Under Open-Field Conditions, Pinkky Kanabar, Ying Wu, Dilip Nandwani

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Fulvic acid (FA) is an eco-friendly solution for reducing the reliance on agrochemicals and enhancing crop quality. The study aimed to investigate the impact of soil and foliar application of FA on the phytochemical content and antioxidant properties of organically grown bell peppers at both the green and red stages. Bell pepper cv. Revolution was grown under open-field conditions at the certified organic farm at Tennessee State University, Nashville, with nine treatments and three replications. FA was applied as a soil drench and foliar spray at four different rates (0, 2.3, 5.5, 7.8, 10.9 mL L−1). The fruits were harvested …

Conservation Decision Making And Agricultural Land Leasing - An Experimental Investigation Of The Role Of Gender, Diya Ganguly, Simanti Banerjee, Christopher Gustafson

Cornhusker Economics

This research investigated the impact of landowner gender and of the different types of contract leases offered by them to a male tenant, on the conservation (or non-conservation) choice made by the tenant. Specifically, we investigate if a) female and male landowners offer different rental contracts and b) whether tenants choose different actions based on the landowner’s gender. For this purpose, we implemented a controlled, gender-context-loaded economic experiment with university students, in which we tested contract and land use choice under different treatments for three types of rental contracts – fixed rent, fixed rent with penalty, and fixed rent with …

The Effects Of Simulated Predation And Nursery Structure On Post-Outplant Survival And Growth Of Sexual Juveniles Of Six Caribbean Coral Species, Jarrod Little

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Over the past few decades, increasing frequency and severity of direct and indirect anthropogenic stressors have resulted in reef degradation and decreased coral cover and diversity. In South Florida, coral propagation ex situ has gained popularity as a means to restore coral cover. Outplanting sexually propagated corals on the reef is particularly important as it contributes to greater genetic diversity and potentially overall reef resilience. However, these corals typically experience high levels of predation following outplanting, significantly reducing coral survival, and thus constitute a major bottleneck to the success of restoration efforts. This study assessed if simulated predation events on …

Laying Framework For A Novel In Vitro Eukaryotic System To Measure Rate Of Transcription Elongation, John Lucas Ramirez

Theses and Dissertations

Within each cell, genetic material is stored in the form of DNA. This DNA is compacted around proteins to form higher order structures called chromatin. The basic unit of chromatin is a histone protein octamer bound with DNA called a nucleosome. A nucleosome consists of eight core proteins, four pairs of histone proteins H2A, H2B, H3, and H4, wrapped by DNA. The DNA wraps around the histone protein roughly 1.7 times, helping facilitate the compaction of DNA within the nucleus of the cell. The location of nucleosomes makes genetic material that encodes various elements, such as promoters or enhancers, accessible …

Connecting Hiv-1 Viral Protein R Polymorphisms To Changes In Inflammatory Signals And Efficacy Testing Of Essential Oils As Disinfectants Against Sars-Cov-2, J. Brandon Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) is the causative agent for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Different strains of HIV-1 have been linked to a long term non-progressor (LTNP) or rapid progressor (RP) form of disease depending on rate of AIDS progression. Viral protein R (Vpr) is a viral protein that has been linked to varying rates of AIDS progression depending on the sequence. In this work, the effects of two polymorphisms, a LTNP and a RP, on different cells are studied. The LTNP virus was linked to lower release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF and IL-6, and an increase in apoptotic …

Molecular Mechanisms Behind Methionine-Derived Glucosinolate Diversity In Brassica Plants, Vivian Kitainda

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

In Brassica plants, glucosinolates are a diverse class of natural products that serve as plant defense molecules. Their structural diversity comes from the use of amino acids as precursors and elongation of side chains by up to nine carbons, as well as further chemical modifications. Aliphatic methionine-derived glucosinolates are the most abundant form of these compounds. Although both elongation and chemical modification of amino acid sidechains are important for methionine-glucosinolate diversity, its elongation process has not been well described. The chain elongation enzyme methylthioalkylmalate synthase (MAMS) functions as the glucosinolate pathway gatekeeper through its substrate specificity. The x-ray crystal structure …

Developing Computational And Experimental Tools For Investigating Intrinsically Disordered Proteins And Biomolecular Condensates, Daniel Griffith

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Intrinsically disordered proteins and protein regions (IDPs) compose a significant portion of eukaryotic proteomes yet remain relatively understudied. Unlike folded domains, IDPs lack a single fixed three-dimensional structure and instead are defined by a dynamic conformational ensemble. Despite this structural heterogeneity, IDPs carry out vital roles within the cell. IDPs are particularly important in cellular signaling and regulation, owing to their ability to mediate molecular interactions with a variety of affinities and specificities. Additionally, some IDPs drive the formation of higher-order non-stoichiometric assemblies called biomolecular condensates. This dissertation focuses on the development of a variety of computational and experimental tools …

Cellular And Molecular Basis Of Cd4+ T Cell Help At The Effector Phase During Immunotherapy Of Mhc-Ii Negative Tumors, Samuel Oche Ameh

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Immune checkpoint therapies (ICT) have shown promise in treating solid tumors, providing cures and durable protection in some cases. However, only a subset of patients benefits from ICT, indicating a need for a deeper understanding of the requirements for successful therapy. In both mice and humans, αβ T cells are key mediators of spontaneous and ICT-induced anti-tumor responses. While the anti-tumor roles of CD8+ T cells are well-studied, the role of CD4+ T cells, particularly in ICT for MHC-II negative tumors, is less understood. New insights into how CD4+ T cells modulate CD8+ T cells during ICT may lead to …

Stem-Loop And Circle-Loop Tads Generated By Directional Pairing Of Boundary Elements Have Distinct Physical And Regulatory Properties, Wenfan Ke, Miki Fujioka, Paul Schedl, James Jaynes

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

The chromosomes in multicellular eukaryotes are organized into a series of topologically independent loops called TADs. In flies, TADs are formed by physical interactions between neighboring boundaries. Fly boundaries exhibit distinct partner preferences, and pairing interactions between boundaries are typically orientation-dependent. Pairing can be head-to-tail or head-to-head. The former generates a stem-loop TAD, while the latter gives a circle-loop TAD. The TAD that encompasses the Drosophila even skipped (eve) gene is formed by the head-to-tail pairing of the nhomie and homie boundaries. To explore the relationship between loop topology and the physical and regulatory landscape, we flanked the nhomie boundary …

Video And Phone Visit Use Differed By Language Preference Among Us Latino And Chinese Adults During The First 9 Months Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Electronic Health Record Study, Nancy P Gordon, Teresa Y Lin, Antonia Torreblanca, Mary E Reed

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: During the first nine months of the COVID-19 emergency, patients were encouraged to use virtual versus clinic visits if in-person care was not deemed necessary by clinical staff. This study examined the association of spoken language preference and ethnicity with use of video versus phone virtual visits by US Latino and Chinese adult patients who got care in the same healthcare system.

METHODS: We analyzed electronic health record data for four groups of adults aged 26-85y who had ≥ 1 primary or specialty care outpatient clinician visits during April-December 2020: 80,869 Latino adults preferring Spanish (LEP Latino); 214,765 Latino …

Modern Building Structures Are A Landscape-Level Driver Of Bat–Human Exposure Risk In Kenya, Tamika Lunn, Reilly T. Jackson, Paul W. Webala, Joseph G. Ogola, Kristian M. Forbes

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Identifying the locations and drivers of high-risk interfaces between humans and wildlife is crucial for managing zoonotic disease risk. We suggest that continent-wide improvements to residential housing in Africa are inadvertently creating artificial roosting habitat for synanthropic free-tailed bats (family Molossidae), and that improved buildings are a rapidly accelerating exposure interface that needs urgent research attention and investment. Along a residential gradient in rural southern Kenya, we mapped building use by free-tailed bats in 1109 buildings. We show that bats often roost in human-occupied buildings, with almost one-in-ten buildings exhibiting evidence of bat occupation (9.2%) and one-in-13 found to contain …

Towards Building A Reliable Human-Machine Partnership: A Visual Analytics Approach, Sunwoo Jennifer Ha

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has sparked what has been coined by mass media as a global AI race. At the heart of this race lies the increasing integration of AI technology into our daily lives as well as in analytical workflows and high-risk decision-making processes. In visual analytics, the goal is to unify the strengths of both the human and the machine through an interactive visual interface to solve complex and overwhelming tasks together. To formulate a fruitful collaboration, researchers in the visual analytics community have proposed various intelligent methods to better understand …

Cefiderocol Heteroresistance Associated With Mutations In Tonb-Dependent Receptor Genes In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Of Clinical Origin, Stephanie L Egge, Samie A Rizvi, Shelby R Simar, Manuel Alcalde, Jose R W Martinez, Blake M Hanson, An Q Dinh, Rodrigo P Baptista, Truc T Tran, Samuel A Shelburne, Jose M Munita, Cesar A Arias, Morgan Hakki, William R Miller

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The siderophore-cephalosporin cefiderocol (FDC) presents a promising treatment option for carbapenem-resistant (CR) P. aeruginosa (PA). FDC circumvents traditional porin and efflux-mediated resistance by utilizing TonB-dependent receptors (TBDRs) to access the periplasmic space. Emerging FDC resistance has been associated with loss of function mutations within TBDR genes or the regulatory genes controlling TBDR expression. Further, difficulties with antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) and unexpected negative clinical treatment outcomes have prompted concerns for heteroresistance, where a single lineage isolate contains resistant subpopulations not detectable by standard AST. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of TBDR mutations among clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa …

Discovering And Characterizing Conserved Anthelmintic Targets In The Early Parasitic Stages Of Gastrointestinal Nematodes, Hyeim Jung

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) collectively infect 1.5 billion people, leading to mortality and various forms of morbidity in humans and hindering normal development in children. GINs also diminish the productivity of food animals, which are crucial for economic and nutritional well-being, particularly in developing countries. Currently, the world still primarily relies on only a few drug classes for global de-worming of GINs in humans and animals. However, the high rate of reinfection, disappointing treatment success rates, and increasing drug resistance make GINs one of the most important contributors to promoting and maintaining global poverty. This highlights the urgent need for more …

Seroprevalence And Associated Risk Factors Of Toxoplasma Gondii Infections In Dogs In Egypt, Abdelfattah Selim, Mohamed Marzok, Hattan S. Gattan, Omar A. Aljabr, Mohammed H. Alruhaili, Mohamed Salem

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that is found all over the world and has significant importance in veterinary medicine and public health. Dogs are considered as a final host for the parasite and play an important role in spreading of infection via contamination of environment by oocysts. The study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii and analysis risk factors associated with the infections in dogs. A total of 430 blood samples were collected from dogs from three governorates situated at northern Egypt and analyzed using commercial ELISA kit. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii in dogs was 24% …

The Cadet Athlete Physical Training Intervention (Capti): A 16-Week Periodized Program To Remediate Underdeveloped Tactical Athletes At A Senior Military College, Margaret T. Thornton, Amy S. Welch, Scott Caulfield, Rachele M. Pojednic

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(4): 1083-1091, 2024. Approximately half of military recruits fail the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), and 70% of all injuries in the US military are musculoskeletal in nature. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether underdeveloped musculoskeletal and cardiovascular fitness levels and subsequent APFT scores of senior military college cadets could be improved by a novel, evidence-based Cadet Athlete Physical Training Intervention (CAPTI) compared to the current Remedial Physical Training program (RPT). Cadets failing the APFT (total score < 180, or < 60 in scored sit-ups, pushups or run time, respectively) participated in a 16-week remedial training program including either CAPTI (periodized full body calisthenic and varied-technique cardiovascular training, along with mobility training and mental health and wellbeing sessions), or a traditional, event-specific remedial training program (RPT). CAPTI was randomly assigned to one of three battalions, while the others received RPT. One hundred and thirty-eight cadets (n = 70 CAPTI, n = 68 RPT) participated in the study. After training, 82.9% …

Science Of Hemp: Production And Pest Management Meeting Proceedings (2023)

Science of Hemp Annual Meeting

The fourth meeting of the Science of Hemp: Production and Pest Management Conference was held on November 13-15, 2023 at Auburn University in Auburn, AL. Agricultural scientists from 13 different universities across the United States attended a series of scientific presentations. Topics included agronomy, entomology, plant pathology, weed science, and controlled environment production. The abstracts for presentations and posters are included within this publication.

Living Dead Forests: Assessing Detrital Services In Puget Sound Pseudotsuga Menziesii Ecosystems, Forrest Becker

Capstone Collection

Coarse woody debris (CWD), the detrital result of down wood recruitment, contributes to wildlife habitat, nutrient cycling, morphological processes like soil formation, and each forest’s sense of place but if undermanaged can fuel wildfires or obstruct stakeholder use. Despite its ubiquity in Puget Sound Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests in Washington, USA, few studies quantify the exact ecosystem services which down wood provides. This study seeks to understand how forest managers can estimate the ecosystem services of down wood and how human communities perceive down wood management between community, public, and private Douglas fir (P. menziesii) …

Smokejumper Obituary: Heckman, John Howard (Missoula 1949), National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper Obituaries

No abstract provided.

Immunological Feedback Loops Generate Parasite Persistence Thresholds That Explain Variation In Infection Duration, Clayton E. Cressler, Daniel C.G. Metz, David A. Chang Van Oordt, Andrea L. Graham

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Infection duration affects individual host fitness and between-host transmission. Whether an infection is cleared or becomes chronic depends on the complex interaction between host immune responses and parasite growth. Empirical and theoretical studies have suggested that there are critical thresholds of parasite dose that can determine clearance versus chronicity, driven by the ability of the parasite to manipulate host immunity. However, the mammalian immune response is characterized by strong positive and negative feedback loops that could generate duration thresholds even in the absence of direct immunomodulation. Here, we derive and analyse a simple model for the interaction between T-cell subpopulations …

Integration Of Machine Learning And Quantum Mechanical Calculations For De Novo Drug Design, Ayesh Madushanka Mahamada Kalapuwage

Chemistry Theses and Dissertations

The drug designing process is an intricate and resource-intensive endeavor, spanning approximately 12 years to transform a lead compound into a functional drug. Computer-aided drug design (CADD) plays a fundamental role in this process, mitigating the risk of failures in the later stage and saving valuable time and money. In the last decade, Artificial intelligence (AI) has provided remarkable alternatives for practical challenges, including drug design. Simultaneously, advanced QM calculations have achieved near-experimental accuracy in simulating drug-target interactions. However, introducing QM and AI-based techniques into drug discovery presents considerable challenges. AI techniques require high- quality data and often struggle with …

Balancing Ecology And Practicality To Rank Waterbodies For Preventative Invasive Species Management, Caleb P. Roberts, William E. Grant, Matthew L. Horton, Lindsey A.P. Labrie, Miranda R. Peterson, Jane S. Rogosh, Hsiao-Hsuan Wang

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

• ‘Early detection and rapid response’ (EDRR) is the most successful framework for preventative invasive species management, but prioritizing localized EDRR actions with limited resources is challenging. An approach that ranks individual locations, such as waterbodies, for EDRR by combining an invasive species' establishment risk with the practicality of managing it could help set reasonable priorities.
• Here, we worked with regional practitioners in Arkansas, USA, and the broader Southeastern USA to co-produce a workflow for preventative aquatic invasive species management that (1) estimates establishment risk under current and future climates with a species distribution model, (2) scores waterbodies according to difficulty …

Using Phylogenomics And Herbarium Specimens To Evaluate Relationships In The Plant Genus Aneilema, Family Commelinaceae., Allan Sampao Loinyio

Masters Theses

The genus Aneilema, with approximately 65 species in seven sections, is one of the largest genera in the Commelinaceae. It is mostly distributed across Australia, Madagascar, and Africa, but one species occurs in South America. Early molecular phylogenetic analyses based on a few chloroplast genes and a small number of species have supported the monophyly of the genus with the inclusion of Rhopalephora, which was nested within Aneilema. This study used the Angiosperms353 gene set to investigate the evolutionary and taxonomic relationships within the genus and its close relatives. Through molecular phylogenetic analyses of 35 Aneilema species …

Stanniocalcin 2 Governs Cancer Cell Adaptation To Nutrient Insufficiency Through Alleviation Of Oxidative Stress, Shuo Qie, Haijuan Xiong, Yaqi Liu, Chenhui Yan, Yalei Wang, Lifeng Tian, Chenguang Wang, Nianli Sang

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Solid tumours often endure nutrient insufficiency during progression. How tumour cells adapt to temporal and spatial nutrient insufficiency remains unclear. We previously identified STC2 as one of the most upregulated genes in cells exposed to nutrient insufficiency by transcriptome screening, indicating the potential of STC2 in cellular adaptation to nutrient insufficiency. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying STC2 induction by nutrient insufficiency and subsequent adaptation remain elusive. Here, we report that STC2 protein is dramatically increased and secreted into the culture media by Gln-/Glc- deprivation. STC2 promoter contains cis-elements that are activated by ATF4 and p65/RelA, two transcription factors activated by …

Investigation Of The Prevalence Of Fentanyl Analogs In A Drug Testing Population Using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (Lc-Ms-Ms), Ivan Cordova

Student Theses

This study serves to determine the prevalence of novel fentanyl analogs that are present within a drug testing population in New York State. Samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to qualitatively determine the presence of various possible fentanyl analogs. The sample preparation of this assay consisted of a simple dilute and shoot. This method of sample preparation can be quicker, eliminating sample preparation times as well as being less financially strenuous to clinical laboratories as it eliminates the need for various solvents and solid/liquid phase cartridges. The assay was aimed to see if analytes can be …

Evaluating The Effect Of Plantlet Age And Trichoderma Spp. Application On Acclimatization Of Boehmeria Nivea L. Gaud, Eva Aprilia, Anne Nuraini, Muhamad Kadapi

Jurnal Kultivasi

One of the crucial stages in the ramie plant (Boehmeria nivea L. Gaud) tissue culture is the acclimatization phase, which transitions between the in vitro and ex-vitro environments. Determining the appropriate age of plantlets and providing nutrients in the substrate play significant roles in the success of acclimatization. This research is conducted to determine the most suitable age of plantlets for acclimatization and assess the impact of providing nutrients through Trichoderma spp. application on the growth of ramie seedlings during the acclimatization phase. The experiment was conducted between January and March 2023 at the Screenhouse Bale Tatanen, Faculty of Agriculture, …

Vulnerability And Risk Analysis Of Climate Change Impacts On Rice Production (Oryza Sativa L.) In Majalengka Regency, Ruminta, Linda Puspa Solihah, Fiky Yulianto Wicaksono

Jurnal Kultivasi

Climate change, especially temperature and rainfall shifting can be a threat to the agricultural sector, i.e., the decrease in rice yields in Majalengka Regency as the West Java rice production center. As an anticipatory measure to deal with that problem, a study is needed regarding the level of hazard, vulnerability and risk of climate change impacts in Majalengka Regency. This research aims to identify climate change and examine the level of hazzard, vulnerability and risk of the impact of climate change on rice production in each sub-district in Majalengka Regency. The method used in this research is descriptive quantitative. The …

A ‘Nuclear Bomb’ Or Just ‘A Joke’? Groundwater Models May Help Communicate Nuanced Risks To The Great Salt Lake, Matthew D. Laplante, Piyush Dahal, Shih-Yu Simon Wang, Kirsti Hakala, Avik Mukherjee

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

The Great Salt Lake entered the zeitgeist of environmental concern in 2022 when a coalition of scientists and activists warned in a highly publicized report that the lake might be just five years away from complete desiccation, a possibility one state official warned was tantamount to an “environmental nuclear bomb”. Shortly thereafter, an unpredicted and unprecedented pluvial winter resulted in an increase in inflow, temporarily halting the lake’s decline and prompting Utah’s governor to mock the dire prediction as “a joke”, an outcome that speaks to the tension between agenda-setting and trust-building that researchers face when sharing worst-case warnings, particularly …