Life Sciences Commons^™

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 …

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 …

Pkd1 Mutant Clones Within Cirrhotic Livers Inhibit Steatohepatitis Without Promoting Cancer, Min Zhu, Yunguan Wang, Tianshi Lu, Jason Guo, Lin Li, Meng-Hsiung Hsieh, Purva Gopal, Yi Han, Naoto Fujiwara, Darren P Wallace, Alan S L Yu, Xiangyi Fang, Crystal Ransom, Sara Verschleisser, David Hsiehchen, Yujin Hoshida, Amit G Singal, Adam Yopp, Tao Wang, Hao Zhu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Somatic mutations in non-malignant tissues are selected for because they confer increased clonal fitness. However, it is uncertain whether these clones can benefit organ health. Here, ultra-deep targeted sequencing of 150 liver samples from 30 chronic liver disease patients revealed recurrent somatic mutations. PKD1 mutations were observed in 30% of patients, whereas they were only detected in 1.3% of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). To interrogate tumor suppressor functionality, we perturbed PKD1 in two HCC cell lines and six in vivo models, in some cases showing that PKD1 loss protected against HCC, but in most cases showing no impact. However, Pkd1 haploinsufficiency …

Influence Of Phosphate And Boron Addition To Mixed Liquid Fertilizer On The Growth And Yield Of Red Chili Cultivated In The Subsoil Layer, Stefina Liana Sari, Emma Trinurani Sofyan, Anni Yuniarti

Jurnal Kultivasi

This study assesses the impact of adding phosphate and boron in a mixed liquid fertilizer (MLF) on the growth and yield of red chili plants cultivated in a subsoil environment. The experiment was conducted to comprehend how these nutrients affect the performance of red chili plants, particularly when cultivated in less ideal conditions such as subsoil, a remnant of excavation for brick production. The research was carried out at the Ciparanje Garden of the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Padjadjaran. The research design employed a Randomized Completely Block Design with the following treatments: A = Control (degraded soil without fertilizer), B …

Enhancing Clinical Relevance Of Pretrained Language Models Through Integration Of External Knowledge: Case Study On Cardiovascular Diagnosis From Electronic Health Records, Qiuhao Lu, Andrew Wen, Thien Nguyen, Hongfang Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Despite their growing use in health care, pretrained language models (PLMs) often lack clinical relevance due to insufficient domain expertise and poor interpretability. A key strategy to overcome these challenges is integrating external knowledge into PLMs, enhancing their adaptability and clinical usefulness. Current biomedical knowledge graphs like UMLS (Unified Medical Language System), SNOMED CT (Systematized Medical Nomenclature for Medicine-Clinical Terminology), and HPO (Human Phenotype Ontology), while comprehensive, fail to effectively connect general biomedical knowledge with physician insights. There is an equally important need for a model that integrates diverse knowledge in a way that is both unified and compartmentalized. …

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 …

Stress Granule Formation Helps To Mitigate Neurodegeneration, M. Rebecca Glineburg, Evrim Yildirim, Nicolas Gomez, Genesis Rodriguez, Jaclyn Pak, Xingli Li, Christopher Altheim, Jacob Waksmacki, Gerald M. Mcinerney, Sami J. Barmada, Peter K. Todd

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Cellular stress pathways that inhibit translation initiation lead to transient formation of cytoplasmic RNA/protein complexes known as stress granules. Many of the proteins found within stress granules and the dynamics of stress granule formation and dissolution are implicated in neurodegenerative disease. Whether stress granule formation is protective or harmful in neurodegenerative conditions is not known. To address this, we took advantage of the alphavirus protein nsP3, which selectively binds dimers of the central stress granule nucleator protein G3BP and markedly reduces stress granule formation without directly impacting the protein translational inhibitory pathways that trigger stress granule formation. In Drosophila and …

Friend Social Network Size Moderates The Association Between Age And Physical Activity Across Adulthood, Ashley Kuzmik, Yin Liu, Yendelela Cuffee, Lan Kong, Christopher N. Sciamanna, Liza S. Rovniak

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(5): 1068-1082, 2024. Both physical activity and social network size decline as people age. However, limited research has examined if social network size and contact frequency differentially influence physical activity across the adult lifespan. This study aimed to assess if these social network characteristics moderated the relationship between age and physical activity level across adulthood. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the main-effect association between age, past-week physical activity, and past-year physical activity, as well as the moderating effect of social network characteristics (i.e., friend network size, friend contact frequency, relative network size, and …

Analyzing Hiv/Aids Trends And Disparities In The Bronx: A Comparative Study With Nyc Boroughs, Caleb Adjei

CUNY Mexican Studies Institute

This study analyzes changes in reported HIV/AIDS cases over time in the Bronx, identifying the racial/ethnic groups and neighborhoods most affected by the disease. The Bronx consistently exhibits the highest rate of new HIV diagnoses among New York City’s boroughs, with Latino/Hispanic and Black populations being disproportionately impacted. Key neighborhoods like High Bridge-Morrisania, Crotona-Tremont, and Fordham-Bronx Park have the highest case concentrations. Despite advancements in healthcare and treatments like antiretroviral therapy, disparities persist. The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to support the most affected communities and address the underlying social determinants contributing to the disparities in HIV/AIDS diagnoses.

Potential Contributions Of Xenobiotics To P-Glycoprotein Clearance Of Amyloid Β-Peptide From The Brain, Joseph Jr Asante

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an example of a neurodegenerative disease, mostly age related and characterized by cognitive decline. Currently there is no effective treatment that can prevent or slow progression of the disease. Roughly 95% of cases are sporadic, with unknown etiology. A distinguishing characteristic of the Alzheimer’s brain is the presence of amyloid plaques, with their constituent amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides implicated in causing synaptic dysfunction, memory impairment, and neurotoxicity. Although extensive research has explored the role of Aβ peptides in AD, understanding their metabolism in health versus disease remains insufficient. P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a member of the ATP-binding cassette transporter …

08.05.2024 Orsp Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

Dr. John C. Higginbotham, Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP), COPE (Clinic for Outreach and Personal Enrichment)

08.05.2024 Ored Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

Meet the new Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development, Dr. John C. Higginbotham.

FDP Meeting Summaries link

Collaborate with COPE

A Regional Analysis Of Climate Change Effects On Global Snow Crab Fishery, Jingjing Tao, Kwamena Quagrainie, Kenneth A. Foster, Nicole Olynk Widmar

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

The snow crab fishery faces increasing vulnerability to environmental factors, yet the literature on the relationship between climate change and snow crab harvest remains limited. This study estimates snow crab harvest functions using climate change indicators with unbalanced panel data of snow crab production from the eastern Bering Sea (Alaska), the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Canada), the Sea of Japan, and the Barents Sea (Norway-Russia). The relationship between snow crab biomass, stock, and catch is analyzed and the endogeneity of stock in the harvest function is also addressed using climate change indicators as instrumental variables (IVs). The results show …

The Oncolytic Adenovirus Delta-24-Rgd In Combination With Onc201 Induces A Potent Antitumor Response In Pediatric High-Grade And Diffuse Midline Glioma Models, Daniel De La Nava, Iker Ausejo-Mauleon, Virginia Laspidea, Marisol Gonzalez-Huarriz, Andrea Lacalle, Noelia Casares, Marta Zalacain, Lucía Marrodan, Marc García-Moure, Maria C Ochoa, Antonio Carlos Tallon-Cobos, Reyes Hernandez-Osuna, Javier Marco-Sanz, Laasya Dhandapani, Irati Hervás-Corpión, Oren J Becher, Javad Nazarian, Sabine Mueller, Timothy N Phoenix, Jasper Van Der Lugt, Mikel Hernaez, Elizabeth Guruceaga, Carl Koschmann, Sriram Venneti, Joshua E Allen, Matthew D Dun, Juan Fueyo, Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, Jaime Gallego Perez-Larraya, Ana Patiño-García, Sara Labiano, Marta M Alonso

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGGs), including diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs), are aggressive pediatric tumors with one of the poorest prognoses. Delta-24-RGD and ONC201 have shown promising efficacy as single agents for these tumors. However, the combination of both agents has not been evaluated.

METHODS: The production of functional viruses was assessed by immunoblotting and replication assays. The antitumor effect was evaluated in a panel of human and murine pHGG and DMG cell lines. RNAseq, the seahorse stress test, mitochondrial DNA content, and γH2A.X immunofluorescence were used to perform mechanistic studies. Mouse models of both diseases were used to assess the …

Disability In Cluster Headache Is More Than Attack Frequency – Results From And Validation Of The English Version Of The Cluster Headache Impact Questionnaire (Chiq), Katharina Kamm, Andreas Straube, Mark Burish, Ruth Ruscheweyh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Cluster headache (CH) is associated with high disability. The Cluster Headache Impact Questionnaire (CHIQ) is a short, disease-specific disability questionnaire first developed and validated in German. Here, we validated the English version of this questionnaire.

METHODS: The CHIQ was assessed together with nonspecific headache-related disability questionnaires in CH patients from a tertiary headache center and an American self-help group.

RESULTS: 155 active episodic and chronic CH patients were included. The CHIQ showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.91) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.93, n = 44). Factor analysis identified a single factor. Convergent validity was shown by …

Adjuvant External Beam Radiotherapy Combined With Brachytherapy For Intermediate-Risk Cervical Cancer, Nuria Agusti, David Viveros-Carreño, Alexander Melamed, Rene Pareja, Alexa Kanbergs, Chi-Fang Wu, Roni Nitecki, Lauren Colbert, Jose Alejandro Rauh-Hain

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Patients with intermediate-risk cervical cancer receive external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) as adjuvant treatment. It is commonly administered with brachytherapy without proven benefits. Therefore, we evaluated the frequency of brachytherapy use, the doses for EBRT administered alone or with brachytherapy, and the overall survival impact of brachytherapy in patients with intermediate-risk, early-stage cervical cancer.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was performed using data collected from the National Cancer Database. Patients diagnosed with cervical cancer from 2004 to 2019 who underwent a radical hysterectomy and lymph node staging and had disease limited to the cervix but with tumors larger than 4 …

Exploring The Interaction Between Klebsiella Pneumoniae And Clostridioides Difficile At The Mucosal Interface, Taylor D. Ticer

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

The gut microbiota plays a major role in human diseases. The impact of these microbes on human health comes not only from individual microbes but also from their interactions with each other. A prime example of this is Clostridioides difficile, an intestinal pathobiont that causes severe gastrointestinal illness. C. difficile works cooperatively with other gut bacteria, including Klebsiella pneumoniae. We hypothesized that K. pneumoniae would work synergistically with C. difficile and promote its pathogenesis. We screened over 40 K. pneumoniae strains to assess their interaction with the intestinal mucus layer, a key colonization site for C. difficile. …

Modelling Climate Effects On Site Productivity And Developing Site Index Conversion Equations For Jack Pine And Trembling Aspen Mixed Stands, Mahadev Sharma

Aspen Bibliography

Forest site productivity estimates are crucial for making informed forest resource management decisions.These estimates are valuable both for the tree species currently growing in the stands and for those being considered for future stands. Current models are generally designed for pure stands and do not account for the influence of climate on tree growth. Consequently, site index (SI) conversion equations were developed specifically for jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) trees grown in naturally originated mixed stands. This work involved sampling 186 trees (93 of each species) from 31 even-aged mixed stands (3 …

Tumour-Intrinsic Endomembrane Trafficking By Arf6 Shapes An Immunosuppressive Microenvironment That Drives Melanomagenesis And Response To Checkpoint Blockade Therapy, Yinshen Wee, Junhua Wang, Emily C Wilson, Coulson P Rich, Aaron Rogers, Zongzhong Tong, Evelyn Degroot, Y N Vashisht Gopal, Michael A Davies, H Atakan Ekiz, Joshua K H Tay, Chris Stubben, Kenneth M Boucher, Juan M Oviedo, Keke C Fairfax, Matthew A Williams, Sheri L Holmen, Roger K Wolff, Allie H Grossmann

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Tumour-host immune interactions lead to complex changes in the tumour microenvironment (TME), impacting progression, metastasis and response to therapy. While it is clear that cancer cells can have the capacity to alter immune landscapes, our understanding of this process is incomplete. Herein we show that endocytic trafficking at the plasma membrane, mediated by the small GTPase ARF6, enables melanoma cells to impose an immunosuppressive TME that accelerates tumour development. This ARF6-dependent TME is vulnerable to immune checkpoint blockade therapy (ICB) but in murine melanoma, loss of Arf6 causes resistance to ICB. Likewise, downregulation of ARF6 in patient tumours correlates with …

Acceptability Of Heart Rate-Based Remote Monitoring Of Smoking Status., Matthew Mitnick, Shelby Goodwin, Mikaela Bubna, Justin S White, Bethany Raiff

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

INTRODUCTION: Digital interventions present a scalable solution to overcome barriers to smoking cessation treatment, and changes in resting heart rate (HR) may offer a viable option for monitoring smoking status remotely. The goal of this study was to explore the acceptability of using smartphone cameras and activity trackers to measure heart rate for use in a smoking cessation intervention.

METHODS: Participants (N=410), most of whom identified as female (75.8 %) with mean age 38.3 years (SD 11.4), were recruited via the Smoke Free app. They rated the perceived comfort, convenience, and likelihood of using smartphone cameras and wrist-worn devices for …