Life Sciences Commons^™

Are Pheromones Necessary To Survive?, Galayna Baur

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Caenorhabditis elegans (C.elegans) is a species of nematodes widely found on rotting plant material due to the presence of their primary food source, bacteria. These animals utilize pheromones for communication to signal larval stages to enter the dauer phase-a survival strategy enabling them to withstand periods of minimal to no food availability, thereby regulating their population size. This study investigates the role of pheromone signaling in population dynamics and survival strategies of C. elegans using a population dynamics experiment. We employ two strains: N2, a laboratory strain with intact pheromone signaling, and a mutant strain lacking the ability to signal …

Resource Allocation Of Ecosystem Services Of Cross Timbers Forests, Iryna Mcdonald

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Abstract

Forested ecosystems offer numerous goods and services, many of which are challenging to quantify directly. The productive potential of the Cross-Timber Forest region requires significant policy attention resulting from the economic contributions these services offer the locality – extending from southern Kansas to central Oklahoma and into Texas, including the metropolitan areas like Tulsa (Oklahoma), Oklahoma City (Oklahoma), and Dallas (Texas), providing ecosystem services to millions of residents along the Midwest-South continuum. Stand variety, in this transitional ecoregion, is largely comprised of post oak (Quercus stellata) and blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) woodlands with varying tree densities interspersed with patches …

Ordinal-Level Biomass Of Insects Collected On And Off Prairie Dog Colonies, Colby Cook, Chad Zerr, Lorelei E. Patrick

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Ordinal-level Biomass of Insects Collected On and Off Prairie Dog Colonies

Colby Cook, Chad Zerr, and Lorelei Patrick

Recent work has shown that bats in Colorado and Kansas are more active over prairie dog colonies. It is hypothesized that the reason for this is increased abundance and richness of insects found on colonies versus off colonies. Sampling from 2022 indicated that insect biomass was not different between location types, but suggested that the relative abundance of insect orders may differ. Additional insect sampling was conducted in 2023. Light traps were deployed on the same nights, one on a prairie dog …

Killing Cancer: Manipulating Hydrophobic Vanadium Complexes To Improve Anti-Cancer Activity, Levi Ausherman, Debbie C. Crans, Peter A. Lay, Maggi Braasch-Turi

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Hydrophobic vanadium complexes have recently shown improved anti-cancer activities compared to cisplatin. The hydrophobicity and anti-proliferative activity of [VO(Hshed)(dtb)] ([Hshed= N-(salicylideneaminato)-N’-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1,2-ethanediamine and dtb= 3,5-di(tert-butyl)catechol)]) have inspired the development of a library of hydrophobic vanadium complexes. Increasing the steric bulk of the catechol ligand has been shown to have a direct impact on hydrophobicity and anti-proliferative activities. Currently at Fort Hays State University, the Braasch-Turi group is synthesizing VO(HSHED)(dtb) to build up material to support the chemical analysis and biological assay performed by our collaborators at Colorado State University and the University of Sydney, Australia, respectively. In the future, we plan …

Adaptive Sports And Fitness Night, Kendra Clary, Drew Gannon

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

In Health and Human Performance, an overarching objective is to address the obstacles that restrict physical activity in daily lifestyles. At Fort Hays, we are dedicated to expanding community inclusion and reaching diverse populations, promoting our commitment to diversity and inclusion excellence.

Mission Statement:

Empowering Community Through Inclusive Movement

Vision Statement:

Our adaptive sports and fitness night cultivates community engagement, builds relationships, fosters motor and skill development, and promotes health and well-being for individuals of all abilities.

A recent systematic review found that only 9% of adults with ID meet the minimum requirement of 150 min of moderate to vigorous …

Response Of Tomato Seed Germination To Several Extraction Techniques And Magnetic Field Exposure Treatments, Visira Deva Shakina, Anne Nuraini, Anne Nurbaity

Jurnal Kultivasi

The superior seeds are indicated by clean, good germination rate, pest and disease-free. One of the problems in providing superior tomato seeds is the presence of pulp attached to the tomato seeds, leading to less clean of seed. To remove the muscus on tomato seeds, the seeds have to be extracted. Other than seeds extraction, seeds exposure also could optimize seeds growth by increasing the metabolism of the tomato. The aim of this research is to determine the best extraction technique and magnetic field exposure for obtaining high tomato seeds germination. The complete random design used in this research consist …

In Vitro Multiplication Of Strawberry In Various Types And Concentrations Of Cytokinins And Auxins, Erni Suminar, Vira Rahmawati, Sumadi, Anne Nuraini

Jurnal Kultivasi

Growth regulator is one of the important factors in the success of plant propagation by tissue culture. 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) is one of the most widely used cytokinin because it is more stable, less expensive and more effective. Thidiazuron (TDZ) can increase the action of other cytokinins, either exogenous cytokinin or endogenous cytokinin. 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) belongs to the more stable auxin group, because it is not easily decomposed and oxidized by enzymes released by plants. This study aimed to obtain the best types and concentrations of BAP, TDZ, and NAA for the in vitro multiplication of strawberry explant. The experiment …

Response Of Growth, Yield, And Seeds Quality Of G0 Potato On Different Potassium Fertilizer Doses And Retardant Concentrations In Jatinangor Medium Land, Selika Fitrian Ramadhani, Yukta Alvira Donita, Anne Nuraini, Muhamad Kadapi

Jurnal Kultivasi

This study aims to determine the best interaction of potassium (K) fertilizer dose and retardant concentration on the growth, yield, and seed quality of G0 potato grown in the medium land of Jantinangor. The experiment was conducted at Screen House Station Ciparanje, Jatinangor, Faculty of Agriculture Universitas Padjadjaran from November 2022 until January 2023 at an elevation of ± 685 meters above sea level. The experimental design used was the Factorial Randomized Block Design (RBD). The first factor was the K fertilizer dose including 50%, 100%, and 150%. The second was the retardant concentration including without retardant, 100 ppm paclobutrazol, …

Foraging Culture In Iceland: Understanding The Transfer Of Plant Knowledge And Personal Views On Foraging, Ella Jane Maurer

Whittier Scholars Program

Foraging is a broad topic, practiced in different locations throughout history. This study looks into the specific practices, values, and views of foraging in Iceland. There is little previous research that has been done, working with Icelanders, and hearing their stories. Through conducting several interviews of local Icelanders with different backgrounds and a brief six-question survey via the Inaturalist application, this study looks into exactly that. By compiling stories from the interview and survey data, themes were highlighted collecting similar and contrasting statements on ways plants are foraged, opinions on Icelandic foraging culture as a whole, and ways knowledge is …

Community And Regional Economic Analysis: Unveiling Economic Dynamics With The Location Quotient Method And Beyond, Daniela M. Mattos

Cornhusker Economics

In addition to the Location Quotient analysis, several other economic development analytical tools can contribute valuable insights to investment decisions, such as population-employment ratios and shift-share analysis. The use concomitant of these tools boosts the information provided by the Location Quotient analysis, offering a more holistic perspective. Recognizing that each analytical tool provides only a partial view, it is essential not to rely solely on one method when making investment decisions. Comprehensive decision-making necessitates leveraging multiple tools to gain a more nuanced and accurate understanding of local economies.

Development Of Real-Time Pcr Assay For Quantitative Detection Of Clostridium Septicum, Bishnu Adhikari, Guillermo Tellez-Isaias, Tieshan Jiang, Brian Wooming, Young Min Kwon

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cellulitis is an important disease in commercial turkey farms associated with significant economic loss. Although the etiology of cellulitis is not fully elucidated, Clostridium septicum (C. septicum) is one of the main causes of this infectious disease. In this study, we report the development of a quantitative real-time PCR (qRT PCR) assay targeting the alpha-toxin gene (csa), which involves a prior 15-cyle PCR using a nested pair of primers to increase the detection sensitivity. Additionally, the TaqMan probe was employed to increase the target-specificity of the assay. The performance of our nested qRT-PCR assay …

Genomic Population Structure Of Great Hammerhead Sharks (Sphyrna Mokarran) Across The Indo-Pacific, Naomi L. Brunjes, Samuel M. Williams, Alexis L. Levengood, Matt K. Broadhurst, Vincent Raoult, Alastair V. Harry, Matias Braccini, Madeline E. Green, Julia L. Y. Spaet, Michael J. Travers, Bonnie J. Holmes

Fisheries Research Articles

Context

Currently, little information exists describing the population structure of great hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna mokarran) in Australian waters. Aims

This study used single nucleotide polymorphisms to investigate fine-scale population structure in S. mokarran across the Indo-Pacific. Methods

DNA was extracted from 235 individuals across six Australian locations and a Red Sea outgroup. Population parameters were calculated and visualised to test structuring across locations. Key results

No fine-scale population structuring was observed for S. mokarran across the Indo-Pacific. However, population structuring occurred for all Australian locations when compared to the Red Sea outgroup. Conclusions

Findings suggest a single stock …

Revitalizing Soil Health For Climate Resilience In Africa: The Need For High Rates Of Carbon Inputs, Idowu A. Atoloye

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Enhancing soil health is critical to improve crop productivity, fertilizer use efficiency, and resilience to climate change impacts for smallholder farmers in Africa. Increasing the use of mineral fertilizers is critical for achieving higher crop yield and residue return. However, it is crucial to consider the simultaneous use of carbon (C)-rich organic materials alongside mineral fertilizers to support soil health and enhance fertilizer use efficiency. It is proposed that increasing mineral fertilizer use without a concurrent increase in C-rich organic materials may not enhance soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil health in the long term. When the labile pool of …

Response Of Growth And Tuber Seed Production Of G0 Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.) Cv Medians In Medium Lands Of Jatinangor To Biochar Composition And Retardant Type, Tessa Prima Dewi, Jajang Sauman Hamdani, Syariful Mubarok

Jurnal Kultivasi

Potatoes are the third most consumed food in Indonesia. The availability of high-quality potato tuber seeds is still low which affects potato production. Potato planting in the highlands is limited, so it needs to be expanded into medium lands. The modification that can increase the production of G0 potato tuber seeds on medium lands is the use of biochar and retardant. The purpose of this research was to determine the composition of biochar and the type of retardant to increase the G0 tuber seed yield of potato cv Medians in the medium lands of Jatinangor. The research was conducted from …

Synovial Fibroblast Gene Expression Is Associated With Sensory Nerve Growth And Pain In Rheumatoid Arthritis, Zilong Bai, Nicholas Bartelo, Maryam Aslam, Elisabeth A Murphy, Caryn R Hale, Salina Parveen, Edward Dicarlo, Ellen M Gravallese, Melanie H Smith, Accelerating Medicines Partnership Ra/Sle Network, Mayu O Frank, Caroline S Jiang, Haotan Zhang, Christina Pyrgaki, Myles J Lewis, Shafaq Sikandar, Costantino Pitzalis, Joseph B Lesnak, Khadijah Mazhar, Theodore J Price, Anne-Marie Malfait, Rachel E Miller, Fan Zhang, Susan Goodman, Robert B Darnell, Fei Wang, Dana E Orange

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

It has been presumed that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) joint pain is related to inflammation in the synovium; however, recent studies reveal that pain scores in patients do not correlate with synovial inflammation. We developed a machine-learning approach (graph-based gene expression module identification or GbGMI) to identify an 815-gene expression module associated with pain in synovial biopsy samples from patients with established RA who had limited synovial inflammation at arthroplasty. We then validated this finding in an independent cohort of synovial biopsy samples from patients who had early untreated RA with little inflammation. Single-cell RNA sequencing analyses indicated that most of …

A Revamped Rat Reference Genome Improves The Discovery Of Genetic Diversity In Laboratory Rats, Tristan V De Jong, Yanchao Pan, Pasi Rastas, Daniel Munro, Monika Tutaj, Chris Benner, Apurva S Chitre, William Chow, Vincenza Colonna, Clifton L Dalgard, Wendy M Demos, Peter A Doris, Erik Garrison, Aron M Geurts, Hakan M Gunturkun, Victor Guryev, Thibaut Hourlier, Kerstin Howe, Jun Huang, Ted Kalbfleisch, Panjun Kim, Ling Li, Spencer Mahaffey, Fergal J Martin, Pejman Mohammadi, Ayse Bilge Ozel, Oksana Polesskaya, Michal Pravenec, Pjotr Prins, Jonathan Sebat, Jennifer R Smith, Leah C Solberg Woods, Boris Tabakoff, Alan Tracey, Marcela Uliano-Silva, Flavia Villani, Hongyang Wang, Burt M Sharp, Francesca Telese, Zhihua Jiang, Laura Saba, Xusheng Wang, Terence D Murphy, Abraham A Palmer, Anne E Kwitek, Melinda R Dwinell, Robert W Williams, Jun Z Li, Hao Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The seventh iteration of the reference genome assembly for Rattus norvegicus-mRatBN7.2-corrects numerous misplaced segments and reduces base-level errors by approximately 9-fold and increases contiguity by 290-fold compared with its predecessor. Gene annotations are now more complete, improving the mapping precision of genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomics datasets. We jointly analyzed 163 short-read whole-genome sequencing datasets representing 120 laboratory rat strains and substrains using mRatBN7.2. We defined ∼20.0 million sequence variations, of which 18,700 are predicted to potentially impact the function of 6,677 genes. We also generated a new rat genetic map from 1,893 heterogeneous stock rats and annotated transcription start sites …

A Novel Lentiviral Vector-Based Approach To Generate Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Targeting, Pappanaicken R Kumaresan, Sebastian Wurster, Karishma Bavisi, Thiago Aparecido Da Silva, Paul Hauser, Nathaniel D Albert, Sattva Neelapu, Dimitrios P Kontoyiannis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a common and deadly mold infection in immunocompromised patients. As morbidity and mortality of IA are primarily driven by poor immune defense, adjunct immunotherapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, are direly needed. Here, we propose a novel approach to generate Aspergillus fumigatus (AF)-CAR T cells using the single-chain variable fragment domain of monoclonal antibody AF-269-5 and a lentiviral vector system. These cells successfully targeted mature hyphal filaments of representative clinical and reference AF isolates and elicited a potent release of cytotoxic effectors and type 1 T cell cytokines. Furthermore, AF-CAR T cells generated …

Immunomodulatory Zymosan/Ι-Carrageenan/ Agarose Hydrogel For Targeting M2 To M1 Macrophages (Antitumoral), Manavalan Arulmani, Vimal Kumar Dewangan, Mukesh Doble, Zhongming Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Several studies have been performed on the immunomodulatory effects of yeast β-(1,3) glucan, but there is no proper evaluation of the thermal and immunomodulating properties of zymosan (ZM). Thermogravimetry analysis indicated a 54% weight loss of ZM at 270 °C. Circular dichroism showed absorption peaks in the region of 250 to 400 nm, suggesting a helical coil β-sheet configuration. XRD showed a broad peak at 2θ of 20.38°, indicating the crystalline nature, and the size was found to be 23 nm. ZM is biocompatible and showed no toxicity against L929 and RAW 264.7 cell lines (cell viability > 90%). Immunomodulatory …

Fusobacterium Nucleatum Subsp Animalis Comes To The Spotlight In Oral Diseases, Bibek G C, Peng Zhou, Chenggang Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Krieger et al.'s study in this issue of Cell Host & Microbe reveals that Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. animalis strains, previously underestimated, are significant in disease-affected oral areas. This challenges the long-held notion of the dominance of Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. nucleatum, reshaping our understanding of Fusobacterium distribution in the oral microbiome.

Fusobacterium Nucleatum Subsp Animalis Comes To The Spotlight In Oral Diseases, Bibek G C, Peng Zhou, Chenggang Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Krieger et al.'s study in this issue of Cell Host & Microbe reveals that Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. animalis strains, previously underestimated, are significant in disease-affected oral areas. This challenges the long-held notion of the dominance of Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. nucleatum, reshaping our understanding of Fusobacterium distribution in the oral microbiome.

Diet Considerations To Promote Bone Health, Prevent Chronic Disease, And Optimize Healing After Orthopedic Surgery, Amanda Albright

Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Pet Diet Changes While Taking An Animal Nutrition Course, Joanna Ramirez

Undergraduate Research Conference

This study investigates the impact of an animal nutrition course on pet owners during the Fall of 2023. The primary objective is to determine how a pet owner's perception of their pet's diet changes and to identify any corresponding alterations made to the pet's diet before and while taking an animal nutrition course. Two surveys were conducted to collect responses: the pre-survey received 18 responses from animal nutrition students regarding their pets' diets before taking the course, and the post-survey received 18 responses from animal nutrition students regarding any changes in their pets' diets while taking the course.

Utilization Of The Hunt Trap Method To Investigate A Small Mammal Community In An Upland Pine Stand, Leo Montano

Undergraduate Research Conference

Small mammals are strong and informative biological indicators of forest ecosystems. Populations are responsible for shaping successional patterns through their diets, behaviors, and contributions to other ecological communities.

Knowledge of community metrics within southern yellow pine forests under varying production and disturbance regimes can be valuable in understanding pine production impacts on biodiversity.

The objective of this study was to investigate species richness, time to detection, and activity patterns of the small mammal community in an upland pine stand utilizing the Hunt Trap Method.

Microbial Diversity Analysis Of Utah Native Plant Curl-Leaf Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus Iedifolius), Satwinder Pal Gill

Student Research Symposium

• Climate-induced Environmental stressors such as drought and salinity are the main threat to crop production and food security.
• Continuous use of chemical fertilizers deteriorates soil health. 
• New strategies to mitigate the effect of stress in plants and alternatives for chemical fertilizers are needed.
• The Intermountain West region of the US is rich in native plants adapted to arid and semi-arid climates, which are recommended for low-water-use landscaping.
• Curl-leaf Mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifoius Nutt.) is a native plants of IW and abundant in Utah. It is widely distributed nutrient-deficient soils, drought, and pathogen resistance actinorhizal plants that can fix atmospheric …

Survival And Growth Of Early Stages Of Solanum Spp. After Insect Herbivory, Aj Hammond

Student Research Symposium

• Early survival and performance are key life-history traits that account for the variation in individual fitness and shapes population dynamics (Fig 1).
• The early stages of a plant’s life cycle (Fig 2a) are usually the most critical, being vulnerable to pressures such as herbivores and parasites more than later stages.
• Questions: How do natural enemies impact early survival and regrowth of plants?

Variability In Indoor Free Play Physical Activity Over One Week In Preschool-Aged Children, Benjamin B. Johnson

Student Research Symposium

• Indoor free play during preschool or childcare provides children with an opportunity to engage in total (light-to-vigorous) physical activity (TPA).
• Researchers may collect indoor free play TPA during a single indoor free play period, multiple indoor free play periods over a single day, or over multiple days.
• Little is known about the variability in TPA over indoor free play periods or if a single indoor free play period is representative of weekly indoor free play TPA.

Purpose: To assess within- and between-day variability in indoor free play TPA in young children.

Snac Patrons' Typical Use And Overall Evaluation Of Services, Joy Bruneel, Melody Loutzenhiser

Student Research Symposium

Food insecurity among students in higher education programs is a relatively new area of research with the first study being published only 14 years ago.¹ Over the years, the costs associated with higher education have steadily increased leading to more financial burdens for students than ever before. According to the 2019-20 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, over 4 million students nationwide struggle with food insecurity.²

While the incidence of food insecurity among students is increasing, many students are not taking advantage of community and university resources aimed at targeting this issue on college campuses.³ In a study …

Exploring Nitrogen Uptake Dynamics Of Wetland Plants In Floating Treatment Wetlands, Saroj Burlakoti

Student Research Symposium

• Nitrogen (N) is major plant nutrient that limit plant growth and are often over used aiming to improve plant growth and quality.
• Generally, only 2-10% of applied N is taken up by crops. Excess N can move into water and air impacting biodiversity, human health, air, and water quality (Fields, 2004; Sengupta et al., 2015).
• U.S. EPA has imposed regulations limiting the discharge of water containing nitrate-nitrogen concentrations exceeding 10 mg/L or 45 mg/L when expressed as (NO₃-) (U.S.EPA, 1986).
• Increasing demand for fertilizers – high cost
• Excess use – effect on ground and surface water quality
• Leachate …

Assessing The Influence Of ”Small Town Feel” On Wellbeing In Utah, Madison Fjeldsted Thompson

Student Research Symposium

Background

- Utah Wellbeing Project involvement

- Emergence of “small town feel”

• ”Please tell us what you value most about living in [city]?
• ”Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about wellbeing in [city]?

- Term and idea relatively sparce in existing literature

The Effect Of Medical Interpreters On Patient Outcomes Through Overcoming Linguistic Barriers, Klaire Dilworth, Annie Heaton, Allison Orton

Student Research Symposium

Many patients feel overwhelmed by the excess of information and emotional stress of the health problems they are experiencing. This can be especially stressful in situations where there is a language barrier. This can cause a substantial discrepancy in the healthcare that different ethnic populations receive. It can be difficult for patients to communicate what they are feeling, understand what the providers are telling them. It can also be a disadvantage to medical providers, as they might be unable to understand the experiences and needs of the patient. Medical interpreters hold the responsibility to help patients navigate these stressful times, …