Life Sciences Commons^™

Skeletal Anatomy Of The Pectoral Fin In Mudskipper Species From Terrestrial And Aquatic Habitats, Haodong Zhou, Cassandra M. Donatelli, Odette Laneuville, Emily M. Standen

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Mudskippers are a group of amphibious fishes in the family Oxudercidae, whose species inhabit a range of habitats from mostly aquatic to mostly terrestrial. Most of our understanding about habitat preference comes from natural history observations, particularly where they are collected (i.e., low intertidal vs. high intertidal regions). Mudskippers have undergone several morphological changes to accommodate a terrestrial life, including major changes to the pectoral and pelvic girdles. These changes result in a novel crutching gait, which mudskippers use to move over land. Though the appendicular morphology and crutching gait of mudskippers have been described in some species, few …

Invited Review: Adrenocortical Function In Avian And Non-Avian Reptiles: Insights From Dispersed Adrenocortical Cells., Rocco V. Carsia, Patrick J. Mcilroy, Henry B John-Alder

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Herein we review our work involving dispersed adrenocortical cells from several lizard species: the Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus), Yarrow's Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus jarrovii), Striped Plateau Lizard (Sceloporus virgatus) and the Yucatán Banded Gecko (Coleonyx elegans). Early work demonstrated changes in steroidogenic function of adrenocortical cells derived from adult S. undulatus associated with seasonal interactions with sex. However, new information suggests that both sexes operate within the same steroidogenic budget over season. The observed sex effect was further explored in orchiectomized and ovariectomized lizards, some supported with exogenous testosterone. Overall, a suppressive effect of testosterone was evident, especially in cells …

Center For Grassland Studies, July 2023

Center for Grassland Studies: Newsletters

Center for Grassland Studies newsletter (July 2023)

Contents

23rd Annual Nebraska Grazing Conference August 8-9, 2023 by Daren Redfearn

Center for Grassland Studies Policy Advisory Committee

Director’s Column by Jerry Volesky

New Barta Brothers Ranch Manager

Congratulations 2023 Graduates!

Grassland Ecology and Management Major – Jay Cleveland, Kyle Griger, and Cole Laible

Grassland Ecology and Management Minor – Benjamin Janssen

Grazing Livestock Systems Major – Boone Svoboda

Grazing Livestock Systems Minor – Caitlin Buck and Kelsey Swantek

Other Range Club Members – Erik Henry (Environmental Science, Fisheries, and Wildlife) and Lydia Regier (Plant Biology)

Bison Conservation in a Changing Climate …

Improving Decision Support Systems With Machine Learning: Identifying Barriers To Adoption, Skye Brugler, Maaz Gardezi, Ali Dadkhah, Donna M. Rizzo, Asim Zia, Sharon A. Clay

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Precision agriculture (PA) has been defined as a “management strategy that gathers, processes and analyzes temporal, spatial and individual data and combines it with other information to support management decisions according to estimated variability for improved resource use efficiency, productivity, quality, profitability and sustainability of agricultural production.” This definition suggests that because PA should simultaneously increase food production and reduce the environmental footprint, the barriers to adoption of PA should be explored. These barriers include: 1) the financial constraints associated with adopting DSS, 2) the hesitancy of farmers to change from their trusted advisor to a computer program often behaves …

Protecting Wa Crops Issue 31 - July 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Protecting WA Crops

Protecting WA Crops Issue 31 - July 2023 contents:

• New project to reduce Rhizoctonia impact in low and medium rainfall zones
• Meet Crop Protection team member – Dr Ahmed Saad

The Art Of A Slugslayer: An Exploration Of The Process Of Extracting Radulae From Lehmannia Valentiana For The Purpose Of Viewing In The Scanning Electron Microscope, Elizabeth Gannon

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

A radula is an anatomical structure found exclusively in mollusks that acts as both tongue and teeth in feeding. Its structure has been studied for more than a century, yet published methods for identifying, dissecting, and cleaning radulae for microscopy are almost unintelligible to anyone not already familiar with molluscan anatomy. The purpose of this project was to identify the best method of garden slug radula isolation and present it in a manner that anyone could understand and successfully use.

After identifying the location of the radula in the slug, the easiest means of removal proved to be simply regurgitating …

2023 Summer Newsletter, Plaster Creek Stewards

Newsletters

Highlights:

A Summer of Growth

Plaster Creek Has Mussels

Growing with the Green Team

Come See the Plaster Creek Mural

Lot 16: Calvin's New Bioswale

Welcome, Matt!

Student Research

Summer Reflections

Native Seed Scoop, 2023 Summer Edition, University Of Northern Iowa. Tallgrass Prairie Center.

Native Seed Scoop

Contents:

--- Seed production plots are in bloom at the TPC
--- Upcoming Events
--- What's Your Scoop?
--- Recent National Meetings
--- Exploring Collaborative Marketing Effort for Native Seed
--- TPC Scoop
--- Natural Enemies Can Control Black Bean Aphid
--- In Other News

The Casnr L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter: Learning Innovation Network For K-12 Schools, Volume 2, Edition 6, July 2023, Bailey Feit, Tammy Mittelstet

CASNR L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter

Contents

K-12 Curriculum & Resources & Upcoming Events

Career Exploration pathways for students who like Technology

Teacher & Student Opportunities

Upcoming Events 2023 & 2024

East Campus Discovery Days and Farmers Market

Entrepreneurial Designers Careers Spotlight

PGA Management Program

Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program

UNL-CASNR-BSE Department Ag Systems Technology $2,500 Scholarship Opportunity

The Influence Of Grip Positioning On Muscle Activation Patterns In Tennis Forehand: A Preliminary Investigation, Magdalena Stepnik, Stephanie L. Jones

Exercise and Sport Studies: Faculty Publications

This study compared muscle activation patterns during the forehand stroke among thirteen nonprofessional tennis players across three grip positions [Eastern(4), Semi Western(6), Western(3)]. Surface electromyography was used to assess fourteen trunk and dominant upper arm muscles, while hitting forehand crosscourt shots using their preferred grip. Individuals using Semi Western grip demonstrated higher activation of proximal musculature responsible for horizontal flexion/internal rotation at the shoulder (Pectoralis), whereas those using Eastern grip had higher activation in distal musculature (FCU, ECR), acting primarily to control flexion/extension. These differences suggest the Eastern grip requires less axial rotation of the arm but more contribution of …

Development, Analysis, And Sensory Evaluation Of Improved Bread Fortified With A Plant-Based Fermented Food Product, Miriam Cabello-Olmo, Padmanaban G. Krishnan, Miriam Arana, Maria Oneca, Jesus V. Diaz, Miguel Barajas, Maristela Rovai

Dairy Science and Food Science Faculty Publications: 2022 to Present

In response to the demand for healthier foods in the current market, this study aimed to develop a new bread product using a fermented food product (FFP), a plant-based product composed of soya flour, alfalfa meal, barley sprouts, and viable microorganisms that showed beneficial effects in previous studies. White bread products prepared with three different substitution levels (5, 10, and 15%) of FFP were evaluated for physical characteristics (loaf peak height, length, width), color indices (lightness, redness/greenness, yellowness/blueness), quality properties (loaf mass, volume, specific volume), protein content, crumb digital image analysis, and sensory characteristics. The results revealed that FFP significantly …

Mitochondrial Transfer From Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Increases Migration In Aggressive Breast Cancer, Kevin F. Gwolas, Sarah Libring, Emily Berestesky, Shayan Gholizadeh, Samantha C. Schwager, Andra R. Frost, Thomas R. Gaborski, Jian Zhang, Cynthia A. Reinhart-King

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have distinct roles within the tumor microenvironment, which can impact the mode and efficacy of tumor cell migration. CAFs are known to increase invasion of less-aggressive breast cancer cells through matrix remodeling and leader–follower dynamics. Here, we demonstrate that CAFs communicate with breast cancer cells through the formation of contact-dependent tunneling nanotubes (TNTs), which allow for the exchange of cargo between cell types. CAF mitochondria are an integral cargo component and are sufficient to increase the 3D migration of cancer cells. This cargo transfer results in an increase in mitochondrial ATP production in cancer cells, whereas it …

Long-Term Monitoring Of Clodronate In Equine Hair Using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Heather K. Knych, D. S. Mckemie, S. Yim, S. D. Stanley, R. M. Arthur

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Given the potential for long-term inhibition of bone remodeling/healing and detrimental effects to horses in training, bisphosphonates are tightly regulated in horseracing. Hair has proven to be an effective matrix for detection of drug administration to horses and has been particularly effective in detecting drugs for a long period of time post administration. Thus, hair may prove to be a useful matrix for detection of administration of this class of drugs. The objective of the current study was to develop an assay and assess the usefulness of hair as a matrix for long-term detection of clodronate to horses. Seven horses …

Sheep Worms – Sustainable Summer-Autumn Worm Control, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

A summer drenching program for sheep worm control is now recognised as a key cause of drench resistance in Western Australia. However, some small changes can increase the sustainability of pre-emptive control programs. Drenches in summer should always be given to younger, growing sheep (current and previous year’s age groups), whereas adult sheep should be drenched in autumn, or if drenched in summer, some should be left untreated (if drenching at all). Research shows that this reduces the chance of developing drench resistance but still provides effective worm control.

Pestfacts Wa Issue 09 - July 2023, Alan Lord, Christiaan Valentine, Kithsiri W. Jayasena, Andrea Hills, Geoff J. Thomas, Ciara Beard, Cindy L. Webster

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 9 - July 2023 contents:

• Native budworm are active early
• Powdery mildew
• Slime mould

Timekeeper's Dilemma: How Photo-Thermal Cues Alter Flowering Duration, Kyle W. Swentowsky, Janlo M. Robil

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Forage News [2023-07], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

No abstract provided.

2021 Oyster Coverage Gis Layer For Mosquito Lagoon, Fl, Linda Walters, Melinda Donnelly, Gabriel Benson, Paul E. Sacks

CEELAB Research Data

Intertidal reefs of Crassostrea virginica (eastern oyster) provide ecologically valuable habitat in estuaries along the Atlantic coast of North America. In Mosquito Lagoon, a shallow-water estuary on the east coast of central Florida, USA, historical aerial imagery was used to document a 24% decline in the live C. virginica reef area between 1943 and 2009. Using 2021 imagery, every living and dead reef in the same region was manually digitized to identify changes during the intervening 12 years. Positive impacts of C. virginica reef restoration that took place between 2007 and 2021 were also digitized to quantify long-term restoration impact. …

Wpa News 121 (2023), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Summer 2023), number 121

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Differentiating Between Us & Them: Reduced In-Group Bias As A Novel Mechanism Linking Childhood Violence Exposure With Internalizing Psychopathology, Steven W. Kasparek, Maya L. Rosen, Lucy A. Lurie, Mina Cikara, Kelly Sambrook, Dario Cvencek, Andrew N. Meltzoff, Katie A. Mclaughlin

Neuroscience: Faculty Publications

Strong in-group bonds, facilitated by implicit favoritism for in-group members (i.e., in-group bias), promote mental health across development. Yet, we know little about how the development of in-group bias is shaped by early-life experiences. Childhood violence exposure is known to alter social information processing biases. Violence exposure may also influence social categorization processes, including in-group biases, in ways that influence risk for psychopathology. We examined associations of childhood violence exposure with psychopathology and behavioral and neural indices of implicit and explicit bias for novel groups in children followed longitudinally across three time points from age 5 to 10 years old …

Skeleton Weed In Western Australia: Control Program 2023–2024, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity bulletins

Skeleton weed can reduce crop yields by competing for moisture and nutrients (mainly nitrogen). This guide helps you manage and eradicate skeleton weed infestations on your property, and helps to stop the spread across WA. Without the coordinated program aimed at controlling the spread, skeleton weed would now be much more abundant and widely established throughout cereal growing areas.

A Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals Region Associated With Seed Protein Content In Cowpea, Yilin Chen, Haizheng Xiong, Waltram Ravelombola, Gehendra Bhattarai, Casey Barickman, Ibtisam Alatawi, Theresa Makawa Phiri, Kenani Chiwina, Beiquan Mou, Shyam Tallury, Ainong Shi

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp., 2n = 2x = 22) is a protein-rich crop that complements staple cereals for humans and serves as fodder for livestock. It is widely grown in Africa and other developing countries as the primary source of protein in the diet; therefore, it is necessary to identify the protein-related loci to improve cowpea breeding. In the current study, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 161 cowpea accessions (151 USDA germplasm plus 10 Arkansas breeding lines) with a wide range of seed protein contents (21.8~28.9%) with 110,155 high-quality whole-genome single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to identify …

Likelihood-Based Tests Of Species Tree Hypotheses, Richard Adams, Michael Degiorgio

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Likelihood-based tests of phylogenetic trees are a foundation of modern systematics. Over the past decade, an enormous wealth and diversity of model-based approaches have been developed for phylogenetic inference of both gene trees and species trees. However, while many techniques exist for conducting formal likelihood-based tests of gene trees, such frameworks are comparatively underdeveloped and underutilized for testing species tree hypotheses. To date, widely used tests of tree topology are designed to assess the fit of classical models of molecular sequence data and individual gene trees and thus are not readily applicable to the problem of species tree inference. To …

Editorial: Pre-Workout Nutrition, Chad Kerksick, Jamie N. Pugh

Faculty Scholarship

Unavailable.

Genomic Analysis Of Clostridioides Difficile Recovered From Horses In Western Australia, Natasza M. R. Hain-Saunders, Daniel R. Knight, Mieghan Bruce, David Byrne, Thomas V. Riley

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Clostridioides difficile poses an ongoing threat as a cause of gastrointestinal disease in humans and animals. Traditionally considered a human healthcare-related disease, increases in community-associated C. difficile infection (CDI) and growing evidence of inter-species transmission suggest a wider perspective is required for CDI control. In horses, C. difficile is a major cause of diarrhoea and life-threatening colitis. This study aimed to better understand the epidemiology of CDI in Australian horses and provide insights into the relationships between horse, human and environmental strains. A total of 752 faecal samples from 387 Western Australian horses were collected. C. difficile was isolated from …

Horizontal Transfer Of Probable Chicken-Pathogenicity Chromosomal Islands Between Staphylococcus Aureus And Staphylococcus Agnetis, Douglas D. Rhoads, Jeff Pummil, Nnamdi S. Ekesi, Adnan A.K. Alrubaye

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Staphylococcus agnetis is an emerging pathogen in chickens but has been most commonly isolated from sub-clinical mastitis in bovines. Previous whole-genome analyses for known virulence genes failed to identify determinants for the switch from mild ductal infections in cattle to severe infections in poultry. We now report identification of a family of 15 kbp, 17–19 gene mobile genetic elements (MGEs) specific to chicken osteomyelitis and dermatitis isolates of S. agnetis. These MGEs can be present in multiple copies per genome. The MGE has been vectored on a Staphylococcus phage that separately lysogenized two S. agnetis osteomyelitis strains. …

Louisiana Agriculture Magazine, Summer 2023

Louisiana Agriculture

Rice, alligators and sugarcane are quintessential Louisiana products, and LSU AgCenter researchers and extension agents devote themselves to helping the producers who grow them. Economists are finding ways to improve the market for alligators while specialists focus on innovation in the sugar industry and creating new varieties of rice.

AgCenter researchers also have an eye on the natural world. They are protecting the roseau cane that thrives on the coast and the ironwood trees of Guam. All these efforts are detailed in this issue of Louisiana Agriculture magazine.

Isolation And Identification Of Phage-Host Protein Interactions As Possible Mediators Of Mycobacteriophage Phayonce Gene Host Cytotoxicity, Matthew Defreitas

Honors Theses

Bacteriophages are ubiquitous viruses containing extremely diverse genomes. Many phage genomes have been bioinformatically annotated; however, many genes lack wet-bench functional characterization. Elucidating individual phage gene function via the isolation of phage-host protein interactions allows for the exploration of novel antibacterial therapies within the context of phage-host biology. Mycobacteriophage Phayonce, infecting the host Mycobacterium smegmatis, encodes two cytotoxic gene, 41 and 64, which lack an annotated function. Using a bacterial two-hybrid screen along with the construction of fusion-protein expression vectors, multiple punitive phage-host protein interactions were isolated for both genes. Once these interactions were verified and sequenced, multiple host …

Extended Sentinel Monitoring Of Helicoverpa Zea Resistance To Cry And Vip3aa Toxins In Bt Sweet Corn: Assessing Changes In Phenotypic And Allele Frequencies Of Resistance, Galen P. Dively, Tom P. Kuhar, Sally V. Taylor, Helene Doughty, Kristian Holmstrom, Daniel O. Gilrein, Brian A. Nault, Joseph Ingerson-Mahar, Anders Huseth, Dominic Reisig, Shelby Fleischer, David Owens, Kelley Tilmon, Francis Reay-Jones, Pat Porter, Jocelyn Smith, Julien Saguez, Jason Wells, Caitlin Congdon, Holly Byker, Bryan Jensen, Chris Difonzo, William D. Hutchison, Eric Burkness, Robert J. Wright, Michael Crossley, Heather Darby, Tom Bilbo, Nicholas Seiter, Christian Krupke, Craig Abel, Brad S. Coates, Bradley Mcmanus, Billy Fuller, Jeffrey Bradshaw, Julie A. Peterson, David Buntin, Silvana L. Vieira De Paula Moraes, Katelyn Kesheimer, Whitney Crow

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Transgenic corn and cotton that produce Cry and Vip3Aa toxins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are widely planted in the United States to control lepidopteran pests. The sustainability of these Bt crops is threatened because the corn earworm/bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), is evolving a resistance to these toxins. Using Bt sweet corn as a sentinel plant to monitor the evolution of resistance, collaborators established 146 trials in twenty-five states and five Canadian provinces during 2020–2022. The study evaluated overall changes in the phenotypic frequency of resistance (the ratio of larval densities in Bt ears relative to densities in non-Bt ears) …

An Evolutionary Comparative Study Of Congenital Stationary Night Blindness-Associated Trpm1 Genetic Variants Of Uncertain Significance In Horses And Humans Utilizing Caenorhabditis Elegans, Gabrielle Davis

Theses

Congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) is a heterogeneous collection of genetic diseases affecting the eyes and vision in horses and humans. Current research has implicated several genetic mutations impacting different genes involved in phototransduction and signal transmission, including TRPM1. In horses, genetic mutations in TRPM1 also result in a leopard spotting pattern or leopard complex. The goal of this study is to examine the potential impact of CSNB associated TRPM1 missense variants of uncertain significance (VUS). Previous research in Caenorhabditis elegans have revealed an orthologous TRPM1 gene known as gon-2 that allows for comparative studies. The evolutionary relationship of …