Life Sciences Commons^™

Development Of Natural Horse Pastures In Finland In The 1900s, H Jansson, K H. Jansson, A Olin, T Talikka, J Pykala

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The purpose of the study was to assess the importance of natural pastures as a growing environment for horses and, at the same time, to evaluate the landscape value of such pastures. Another aim was to look at possible ways of conserving areas which have been in use as horse pastures for a long period of time as traditional biotopes belonging to the Finnish horse grazing culture, and to examine how their management and care could be improved.

Relationship Of Soil To Native Pasture In A Flooding Pampa Area (Argentine), S P. Debelis, A A. Bozzo, A Bujan, M B. Barrios

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The influence of the topography in soils found in the area surrounding the Chascomús lagoon is examined. The study of the profiles within the representative transect in each microenvironment reveals changes related to its traits. Its relationship with the vegetation present in each toposequence position was observed. The worsening of the natural drainage conditions, are related to reduction of organic matter, increase in the values of pH and PSI, greater intensity of hydromorphic traces and appearance of groups of characteristic species.

Extensification Of Sheep Grazing Systems: Effects On Soil Nutrients, Species Composition And Animal Production, C A. Marriott, I J. Gordon

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The effects of ceasing fertiliser inputs to perennial ryegrass/white clover swards, combined with patterns of seasonal grazing, on soil nutrient status, floristic composition and animal production (ewes and single lambs) were studied in a long-term experiment at three upland sites in Scotland. Four unfertilised treatments had a factorial combination of seasonal grazing in summer and autumn at two sward heights (4 and 8 cm). There was also an ungrazed, unfertilised control and a fertilised treatment (140 kg N/ha plus maintenance P and K), grazed at 4 cm sward height in both seasons. All treatments were imposed annually from 1990/91. By …

Grassland Management For Geese: Sustainable Use For Conservation And Agriculture, S M. Percival, R Lilley

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Increasing numbers of overwintering wild geese have caused considerable problems to agriculture but are often also of conservation concern as their populations are relatively small. Islay, Scotland, is one site where this problem is particularly acute. We studied the two goose species which use this site, the barnacle goose, Branta leucopsis, and the white-fronted goose, Anser albifrons flavirostris, and found that they preferred younger pastures located closer to their roost sites. These preferred areas could be important in developing a sustainable strategy for future goose management. Further non-sustainable population increases might be avoided by increasing disturbance in these areas.

Black Box Modeling Of Hvcb: A Comparative Approach, Raghdaa Elbahy, Ahmed Abdelbaset, Mahmoud Hammoda, Mansour H. Abdel-Rahman, Ebrahim A. Badran

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The extinction of an electric arc is a multifaceted process influenced by electric, magnetic, thermodynamic, and chemical phenomena. Black box models provide a mathematical depiction of the electrical characteristics of the arc. Although these models do not offer a complete explanation of the physical processes within a circuit breaker, they effectively describe its electric behavior. This study explores the modeling of electric arcs and the analysis of high-voltage circuit breakers using black box models such as Cassie, Mayr, and Schavemaker. To represent the circuit breaker model in ATPdraw, a customized MODELS block was employed. The paper presents a comparative evaluation …

Cytokine-Supplemented Maturation Medium Enhances Cytoplasmic And Nuclear Maturation In Bovine Oocytes, Renata Blocher, Ying Liu, Tayler Patrick, Irina A. Polejaeva

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Bovine in vitro oocyte maturation (IVM) is an easy way to obtain oocytes for subsequent assisted reproductive techniques but is inefficient compared to in vivo maturation. Supplementation of three cytokines, fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), or FLI, has increased oocyte maturation and embryo development in multiple species, but studies have not explored the oocyte differences caused by FLI IVM supplementation. This study aimed to assess important nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation events in high-quality oocytes. FLI-supplemented oocytes had a decreased GV (3.0% vs. 13.7%, p < 0.01) and increased telophase I incidence (34.6% vs. 17.6%, p < 0.05) after IVM, increased normal meiotic spindles (68.8% vs. 50.0%, p < 0.001), and an increased nuclear maturation rate (75.1% vs. 66.8%, p < 0.001). Moreover, in metaphase II oocytes, the percentage of FLI-treated oocytes with a diffuse mitochondrial distribution was higher (87.7% vs. 77.5%, p < 0.05) and with a cortical mitochondrial distribution was lower (11.6% vs. 17.4%, p < 0.05). Additionally, FLI-supplemented oocytes had more pattern I cortical granules (21.3% vs. 14.4%, p < 0.05). These data suggest that FLI supplementation in bovine in vitro maturation medium coordinates nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation to produce higher-quality oocytes.

Local And Distal Projections Of Vta Gaba Neurons, Trinity M. Pirrone

Neuroscience Honors Projects

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by the abuse of drugs, compulsive drug seeking, and addiction. Addiction is facilitated by social, environmental, genetic, and neurobiological mechanisms. The underlying neural circuitry of addiction encompasses several brain regions, circuits, and cell types contributing to the reward system both collectively and independently. Evidence has shown that the ventral tegmental area of the brain is a control center of reward, an important mechanism for drug-seeking in addiction. Previous research has described the ventral tegmental area as a highly heterogeneous region containing various cell types serving different roles. GABAergic neurons of the …

Advancing Clinical Microbiology: Applications And Future Of Next-Generation Sequencing, Rob E. Carpenter

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has reformed infectious disease management, including COVID-19. While real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is widely used for rapid pathogen detection, it requires predefined targets. NGS offers an unbiased approach, detecting multiple pathogens simultaneously without prior knowledge. Despite its potential, NGS implementation in clinical settings faces challenges like high costs and technical complexity. NGS platforms like Illumina, Ion Torrent, and Nanopore provide high-throughput sequencing, identifying pathogens and resistance markers. Applications include whole genome sequencing (WGS), metagenomic NGS (mNGS), and targeted NGS (tNGS). Integrating NGS with conventional methods could improve diagnostics, but current evidence is mixed for supporting its …

Neurogenomics Of Competition And Parental Care In A Socially Polyandrous Shorebird, Tessa Mathur Patton

Master's Theses

Despite sharing largely similar genomes, females and males of the same species exhibit morphological, physiological, and behavioral differences. Sex-role reversal stems from a unique case of sexual selection in which females compete for mates and males conduct the majority of parental duties. We examined the extent to which aggression and parenting may be mediated by different neurogenomic mechanisms by comparing females versus males in the northern jacana (Jacana spinosa), a sex-role reversed shorebird. We hypothesized that sex differences in neural transcriptomic profiles explain sexual dimorphism in behavior. We conducted RNA-Seq in two brain regions within the social behavior network: the …

Cattle Toxicity From Woolly Locoweed (Astragalus Mollissimus): A Case Study In Central New Mexico, Casey N. Spackman, Clint A. Stonecipher, Daniel Cook

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

Livestock toxicity resulting from poisonous plants poses a significant challenge for ranchers, particularly concerning locoweeds (Astragalus spp. or Oxytropis spp.). This study investigated a case of cattle poisoning in central New Mexico, where clinical signs were consistent with locoweed toxicity. Rangeland conditions were hot and dry following earlier spring rains, promoting advantageous environmental conditions for a locoweed outbreak. Analysis of Woolly locoweed (Astragalus mollissimus) and animal samples from the ranch confirmed the presence of swainsonine, a key toxin in locoweeds. It can be concluded that the likely cause of cattle losses was locoweed toxicity, highlighting the …

Oregon State Ranking Assessment For Lewis's Woodpecker (Melanerpes Lewis), Misty Nelson

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon State Ranking Assessment for Lewis's woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis) by the Oregon Biodiversity Information Center, following NatureServe 2024 methodology.

Biodiversity Conservation In Western China With Scientific And Technological Support: Current Status, Challenges, And Suggestions, Fuwen Wei, Hang Sun, Jiaojun Zhu, Baoguo Li, Gexia Qiao, Shilong Chen, Jiang Zhu, Xiaoge Ping

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As a megadiverse country, China has made significant progress in biodiversity conservation in recent years. The western region is a critical area for biodiversity conservation in China, boasting rich species resources and a high proportion of endemic species. However, its ecosystems are fragile and vulnerable to the impacts of multiple factors like climate change and human activities. Scientific and technological support has played a vital supporting role in biodiversity conservation, providing comprehensive support from monitoring and assessment to restoration and decision-making through biodiversity surveys, scientific research, and the establishment of monitoring networks. Nevertheless, challenges remain, including gaps in taxa and …

Innovate And Create Novel Mycoinsecticide System To Promote Green Development Of Agriculture, Ding Ding, Feng Jiang, Lili Cao, Le Kang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The long-term irrational use of chemical pesticides has led to severe ecological, environmental, and human safety concerns, although chemical pesticides play an important role in increasing crop yields. In response, China has issued a series of policies to reduce the use of chemical pesticides, aiming to ensure food and agricultural safety while promoting high-quality agricultural development. Reducing the usage of chemical pesticides must be complemented by the adoption of biological pesticides. Globally, biological pesticides currently account for approximately 40% of total pesticide usage in many countries. Mycoinsecticide, characterized by their environmental friendliness, sustainability, and low resistance development, represents an important …

Successful Management Of Chromoblastomycosis Utilizing Conventional Antifungal Agents And Imiquimod Therapy, Liyan Xi, Hongfang Liu, Yinghui Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Chromoblastomycosis (CBM), a chronic fungal infection affecting the skin and subcutaneous tissues, is predominantly caused by dematiaceous fungi in tropical and subtropical areas. Characteristically, CBM presents as plaques and nodules, often leading to scarring post-healing. Besides traditional diagnostic methods such as fungal microscopy, culture, and histopathology, dermatoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy can aid in diagnosis. The treatment of CBM is an extended and protracted process. Imiquimod, acting as an immune response modifier, boosts the host's immune response against CBM, and controls scar hyperplasia, thereby reducing the treatment duration. We present a case of CBM in Guangdong with characteristic reflectance confocal …

Perspectives On Modifiable Spatiotemporal Unit Problems In Remote Sensing Of Agriculture: Evaluating Rice Production In Vietnam And Tools For Analysis, Brad G. Peter, Joseph P. Messina, Victoria Breeze, Cadi Y. Fung, Abhinav Kapoor, Peilei Fan

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Measuring agricultural productivity is a multiscale spatiotemporal problem that requires multiscale solutions. In Vietnam, rice comprises a substantial portion of the cultivated area and is a major export crop that supplies much of the global food system. Understanding the when and where of rice productivity is vital to addressing changes to yields and food security, yet descriptive summarizations will vary depending on the spatial or temporal scale of analysis. This paper explores rice trends across Vietnam over a 19-year period, giving specific attention to modifiable spatiotemporal unit problems by evaluating productivity across multiple time periods and administrative levels. A generalizable …

Invertebrate Diversity From Deep Wells Of The Southern Boundary Of The Edwards Aquifer Of Southcentral Texas, Kathryn E. Perez, Valentin Cantu, Vanessa Saenz, J. Randy Gibson, Patricia Duncan, Benjamin T. Hutchins

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

This study examined the invertebrate fauna from three deep wells located at the Uvalde National Fish Hatchery in south-central Texas. These wells provide a water source from geological strata of the southern boundary of the Edwards Aquifer ranging in age from Lower Cretaceous to Recent. Forty-seven collections, sampled on a continuous basis from November 2020 to January 2022, produced a total of 738 specimens comprising 15 different species. These collections reveal a diverse crustacean assemblage along with dominant numbers of the stygobiotic snail Balconorbis uvaldensis. This study provides a preliminary survey for future investigations of unidentified crustacean species as …

Psychology And Neuroscience Interactions: Roles, Challenges, And Breakthroughs, Xiaolan Fu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Psychology and neuroscience are deeply cross-fertilized to reveal the neural mechanisms of psychological processes and to promote the precise diagnosis and treatment of mental diseases. Psychology and neuroscience need to further break down disciplinary boundaries in the future to jointly address the complex challenges of human mental and brain health. This study discusses the role of psychology in the interaction with neuroscience, analyzes the challenges facing the interaction between the two parties as well as the direction of future breakthroughs, and uses a community-based population-based cohort study of depression as an example to further illustrate the multiple challenges of such …

Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome-Based Symptom Management Versus Usual Care After Lung Cancer Surgery: Long-Term Results Of A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial, Wei Dai, Yaqin Wang, Jia Liao, Xing Wei, Zhen Dai, Yangjun Liu, Cecilia Pompili, Hongfan Yu, Yang Pu, Yuqian Zhao, Bangrong Cao, Qifeng Wang, Wenhong Feng, Yuanqiang Zhang, Fang Liu, Yuanle Deng, Jin Zhou, Juan Li, Shaohua Xie, Run Xiang, Xiang Wang, Bo Tian, Xiaozun Yang, Bin Hu, Xiaoqin Liu, Tianpeng Xie, Xiaojun Yang, Xiang Zhuang, Guibin Qiao, Qiang Li, Qiuling Shi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Clinical trials frequently include multiple end points that mature at different times. The initial report, typically based on the primary end point, may be published when key planned co-primary or secondary analyses are not yet available. Clinical Trial Updates provide an opportunity to disseminate additional results from studies, published in JCO or elsewhere, for which the primary end point has already been reported.We previously reported superior symptom control of electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO)-based symptom management after lung cancer surgery for up to 1 month postdischarge. Here, we present the long-term results (1-12 months) of this multicenter, randomized trial, where …

Elderly Mice With History Of Acetaminophen Intoxication Display Worsened Cognitive Impairment And Persistent Elevation Of Astrocyte And Microglia Burden, Celso S G Catumbela, Rodrigo Morales

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Acetaminophen (APAP) is a leading cause of acute liver failure. The effect of APAP metabolite's effects in the periphery are well characterized; however, associated consequences in the brain remain poorly understood. Animal studies on this subject are few and reveal that frequent APAP intake can trigger cerebral abnormalities that vary depending on the subject's age. Alarmingly, experimental efforts have yet to examine associated consequences in elderly hosts, who correspond to the highest risk of medication overload, impaired drug clearance, and cognitive deficits. Here, we interrogated the cerebral and peripheral pathology of elderly mice submitted to monthly episodes of APAP intoxication …

Erratum: Gut Microbiota Composition Is Associated With The Efficacy Of Delta-24-Rgdox In Malignant Gliomas, Natalie M Meléndez-Vázquez, Teresa T Nguyen, Xuejun Fan, Andrés R López-Rivas, Juan Fueyo, Filipa Godoy-Vitorino

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Glioblastoma, the most common primary brain tumor, has a 6.8% survival rate 5 years post diagnosis. Our team developed an oncolytic adenovirus with an OX-40L expression cassette named Delta-24-RGDOX. While studies have revealed the interaction between the gut microbiota and immunotherapy agents, there are no studies linking the gut microbiota with viroimmunotherapy efficacy. We hypothesize that gut bacterial signatures will be associated with oncolytic viral therapy efficacy. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the changes in gut microbiota in two mouse cohorts: (1) GSC-005 glioblastoma-bearing mice treated orally with indoximod, an immunotherapeutic agent, or with Delta-24-RGDOX by intratumoral injection and …

A Taxonomy For Advancing Systematic Error Analysis In Multi-Site Electronic Health Record-Based Clinical Concept Extraction, Nansu Zong, Anamika Kumari, Feifan Liu, Sicheng Zhou, Rui Zhang, Chenyu Li, Yanshan Wang, Jennifer St Sauver, Hongfang Liu, Sunghwan Sohn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Error analysis plays a crucial role in clinical concept extraction, a fundamental subtask within clinical natural language processing (NLP). The process typically involves a manual review of error types, such as contextual and linguistic factors contributing to their occurrence, and the identification of underlying causes to refine the NLP model and improve its performance. Conducting error analysis can be complex, requiring a combination of NLP expertise and domain-specific knowledge. Due to the high heterogeneity of electronic health record (EHR) settings across different institutions, challenges may arise when attempting to standardize and reproduce the error analysis process.

Objectives: This study …

Implementation Of A Health Information Technology Safety Classification System In The Veterans Health Administration’S Informatics Patient Safety Office

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Implement the 5-type health information technology (HIT) patient safety concern classification system for HIT patient safety issues reported to the Veterans Health Administration's Informatics Patient Safety Office.

Materials and methods: A team of informatics safety analysts retrospectively classified 1 year of HIT patient safety issues by type of HIT patient safety concern using consensus discussions. The processes established during retrospective classification were then applied to incoming HIT safety issues moving forward.

Results: Of 140 issues retrospectively reviewed, 124 met the classification criteria. The majority were HIT failures (eg, software defects) (33.1%) or configuration and implementation problems (29.8%). Unmet user …

Knockdown Of Microrna390 Enhances Maize Brace Root Growth, Juan Meng, Weiya Li, Feiyan Qi, Tianxiao Yang, Na Li, Jiong Wan, Xiaoqi Li, Yajuan Jiang, Chenhui Wang, Meilian Huang, Yuanyuan Zhang, Yongqiang Chen, Sachin Teotia, Guiliang Tang, Zhanhui Zhang, Jihua Tang

Michigan Tech Publications

Brace root architecture is a critical determinant of maize's stalk anchorage and nutrition uptake, influencing root lodging resistance, stress tolerance, and plant growth. To identify the key microRNAs (miRNAs) in control of maize brace root growth, we performed small RNA sequencing using brace root samples at emergence and growth stages. We focused on the genetic modulation of brace root development in maize through manipulation of miR390 and its downstream regulated (). In the present study, miR167, miR166, miR172, and miR390 were identified to be involved in maize brace root growth in inbred line B73. Utilizing short tandem target mimic (STTM) …

Investigating The Intersections Of Vulnerability Detection And Iomts In Healthcare, A Scoping Review Protocol For Remote Patient Monitoring, Kulsoom S. Bughio, David M. Cook, Syed Afaq Shah

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Due to the rapid and ubiquitous development and acceptance of IoT, healthcare providers have changed their locational settings from solely based in clinics to extend more broadly into the reach of patients’ domestic homes. This IoMT focus extends to various medical devices and applications within the healthcare domain, such as any form of smartphones, surveillance cameras, wearable sensors, and actuators, that hold the capability to access IoT technologies. The aim of this scoping review has two important objectives. The first is to understand the best approaches towards acquisition and refinement of data in favour of an optimised cyber security posture …

Creating Sustainable School And Home Gardens: Native Bee Homes, Daniel Findlay, Kaitlin Campbell, Rita Hagevik, Kathy Cabe Trundle

All Current Publications

This fact sheet is part of a series about creating sustainable school and home gardens. It provides information and resources on bee homes, including learning about bees and how to help them, how to obtain and install bee homes, fall cocoon care, fun facts, and resources.

Uncovering The Dynamic Nature Of Fire Refugia Across Landscapes In Oregon's Western Cascades, Alec Scott Dyer

Dissertations and Theses

With increased fire activity, the presence of fire refugia is critical to support forest resiliency and mitigate large-scale vegetation conversion, however, the persistence of fire refugia within burn perimeters over time is uncertain. This study examines the dynamic nature of fire refugia by mapping the decline in forest cover over time, identifying spatiotemporal patch- and landscape-scale patterns and the biophysical drivers of delayed mortality following the 2020 Labor Day Fires occurring in Oregon’s western Cascades. After three years post-fire, delayed mortality accounted for an additional 8.5% of forest loss (total of 24,147 hectares in all five burns) compared to pre-fire …

Motivation Matters: Understanding The Antidepressant Mechanism Of Physical Activity Among Young Adults, Jessica E. H. Ryan, Travis R. Menuz, Megan E. Ames

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(5): 861-873, 2024. A negative association between physical activity and depressive symptoms is consistently reported within scientific literature and physical self-concept has been suggested to mediate this pathway. However, for whom these associations are strongest remains poorly understood, and little is known about how other psychosocial factors might be implicated. Consequently, we examined how various exercise motivations, specifically appearance, physical health, and mental health, might moderate the indirect effect of physical activity on depressive symptoms through physical self-concept. Canadian young adults (N = 496, Mage = 20.36, SD = 1.87) completed an online questionnaire. …

South Carolina Master Naturalist Program Evaluation: A Mixed Methods Approach, Susan T. Guynn, James H. Blake, Nathan Nemire, Joe Bible

Journal of Extension

The South Carolina Master Naturalist Program provides nature-based education to citizen volunteers who will promote environmental stewardship and is offered at six host sites across the state. We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation (the integration of qualitative and quantitative data) of the South Carolina Master Naturalist Program. Overall, the South Carolina Master Naturalist Program is achieving its mission but there were some differences between host sites. We identified where there were differences and why those differences may exist. We make recommendations to help strengthen the program across all host sites in the areas of program fidelity, delivery, and administration.

Beefsd: An Integrated And Intensive Extension Curriculum For Beginning Beef Cattle Producers, Krista A. Ehlert, Amanda D. Blair, Stacy Hadrick, Ken Olson

Journal of Extension

There is a strong need to increase the opportunities for and success of the next generation of beef cattle producers. South Dakota State University Extension provides a 2-year educational program called “beefSD;” the purpose is to provide producers with a holistic view of the beef industry, an appreciation for utilizing adaptive management to respond to challenges and opportunities, and skills to assess and manage factors that influence overall operation sustainability. The curriculum has four major components: 1) in person workshops, case studies, interactive webinars, and homework 2) out-of-state learning experiences, 3) ranch to rail program, and 4) networking and mentoring.

Seasonal Activity Patterns And Home Range Sizes Of Wolves In The Human-Dominated Landscape Of Northeast Türkiye, J. David Blount, Austin M. Green, Mark Chynoweth, Kyle D. Kittelberger, Dário Hipólito, Katarzyna Bojarska, Emrah Çoban, Josip Kusak, Çağan H. Şekercioğlu

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Gray wolves Canis lupus comprise one of the most widely distributed carnivore species on the planet, but they face myriad environmental and anthropogenic pressures. Previous research suggests that wolves adjust their time- and space-use seasonally to mitigate risks from humans, conspecifics, and other predators while maximizing their hunting and reproductive success. With many populations of wolves resettling in areas with dense human populations, understanding how wolves may adjust their temporal and spatial patterns in these more human-dominated landscapes is of high conservation importance. Typically, human presence causes wolves to increase their nocturnality and home range size. Here, we look at …