Life Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Initiating A 24 Hour Fast With A Low Versus A High Carbohydrate Shake On Pancreatic Hormones In The Elderly: A Randomized Crossover Study, Mckay Knowlton, Bruce Bailey, Landon S. Deru, Benjamin T. Bikman, James Lecheminant

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

The aim of this study is to understand how the macronutrient composition of the fast initiating meal influences glucose glucose regulating hormones during and 24 hours after a 24 hour fast in older, sedentary, and abdominally obese adults. Understanding these outcomes will inform fasting protocols such as time restricted eating and alternate day fasting, which offer potential long term health benefits.

Employing Echogenicity As A Tool To Predict Injury To Achilles Tendon, Evan Armknecht, Joshua K. Sponbeck, Steven Allen, Shayla Bott, Chris Dillon, Camille Nguyen, Annie Allen, A. Wayne Johnson

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Dance is a common activity that many young women participate in around the world. While there are many beneficial aspects of participating in dance, physical activity in certain genres of dance experience high Achilles tendon loading force, which impact the risk of Achilles tendon injury.

Understanding early biomechanical predictors of tendon injury may prevent debilitating tendon injuries.

Ultrasound imaging allows for detailed analysis of tendon structure, including tendon density and water content (echogenicity).

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of pain due to Achilles tendon injury and one biomechanical property of a tendon, echogenicity.

Myzus Fataunae Shinji (Hemiptera: Aphididae), Pilea Aphid, New To North America, Susan E. Halbert, Jade S. Allen, Matthew R. Moore, Katherine E.O. Fairbanks, Masakazu Sano, Gary L. Miller

Insecta Mundi

Minute aphids belonging to the species Myzus fataunae Shinji (Hemiptera: Aphididae) were found at a nursery in Seminole County, Florida. Morphological and molecular data support this determination. The Florida population only colonized species of Pilea Lindl. in our host range experiments. It did not colonize Fatoua villosa. Nakai. Likewise, it did not colonize tested common Florida species of Urticaceae other than Pilea spp. Myzus fataunae is adventive, and it appears to be established in the United States.

Plantar Taping: Starting Off On The Right Foot, Tanner Krupp, Davis Waid, Jessica Stringer, Cody Messick, Dustin A. Bruening

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mechanical effects of different taping methods on foot mechanics during gait.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that material compliance would influence effectiveness, with longitudinal rigidity reducing arch motion.

Impact: Mechanical control of the arch may help recovery from plantar fasciitis.

Indoor/Outdoor Ozone In Evaporative Cooler Vs Central Air Homes In Utah County, Braedon Tarone, Seth Van Roosendaal, Darrell Sonntag Phd, James D. Johnston

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Research Question How do indoor and outdoor concentrations of ozone compare between homes which use central air conditioning and homes which use evaporative coolers?

Urban Ecology Of Birds In Mexico City, E. Elias Johnson, Byron J. Adams, Jerald B. Johnson, J. Jaime Zuniga-Vega

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

How organisms persist under extreme conditions has received a lot attention in ecology. Some extreme environments are natural and pristine (e.g., Antarctica or the Atacama Desert), while others are highly impacted by humans (e.g., large cities). Unfortunately, we know little about the ecology of species that live in urban environments relative to those in pristine environments.

Physician's Perceptions On The Role Of The Family In Alleviating The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Ella Cook, Melissa Hewitt, M. Lelinneth B. Novilla

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have relied on measures such as masking, social distancing, or hand hygiene to stop the COVID-19 viral spread. While these things are important, the preventative role of the family in healthcare has untapped positive potential. Research suggests that when the family is involved in the treatment process, (Tayo et al., 2022) it becomes a medical and social tool in the effort to ensure safe prevention of disease and accurate public health education to prevent unnecessary damage and death. (Prime et al., 2020)

The Making Of A Dichotomous Key: Challenges And Opportunities, Anna Pugmire, Raechel Hunsaker, Ashlyn Baker, April Hulet

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Dichotomous keys are tools that use paired statements to identify organisms. Botanical Dichotomous Keys focus on botanical structures within the paired statements and enable a user to identify a variety of plant species. Within the range management community, dichotomous keys are often used to identify plants while in the field. Identifying unknown plant species in the field is important for assessing potential fire fuel, and creating habitat or livestock management plans. In a survey of wildlife and wildland conservation students at BYU, students were asked to describe their opinion of dichotomous keys in 3-4 words. The most common responses were: …

Detecting And Characterizing Multisensory Integrating Optic Tectum Neurons In Zebrafish, Adeline Hamilton, Karianne Jex, Erika C. Marks., Suehelen A. Garcia, Jordan T. Yorgason, Tracianne B. Neilsen, Arminda Suli

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

The superior colliculus (SC) is a mammalian midbrain structure involved in multimodal sensory integration and is implicated to have a role in neurodevelopmental disorders. Although the presence of multisensory integrating neurons (MINs) in the SC has been well documented by electrophysiology techniques, little is known about their morphological or molecular characterization. To identify and study MINs, we utilized SC’s non-mammalian homologous structure–the optic tectum (OT)–in the genetically tractable model organism zebrafish. In this process, we generated transgenic lines that allowed for fluorescent detection of neuronal activity by expressing the genetically engineered calcium indicators: cytoRGECO and H2B-jRGECO1a, respectively in mechanosensory hair …

Smokejumper Obituary: Romness, Gary Palmer (Missoula 1962), National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper Obituaries

No abstract provided.

The Center For Agricultural Profitability Contributes To Collaborative Adaptive Management Project At The Barta Brothers Ranch, Jay Parsons, Mitchell B. Stephenson, Kyle Martens

Cornhusker Economics

In 2020, the University of Nebraska's Barta Brothers Ranch (BBR) launched a collaborative adaptive management (CAM) project to address risks and uncertainties related to grassland management in the Sandhills. The project brings together UNL faculty engaged in research, extension and teaching across multiple disciples, departments and geographic locations. All three Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) District Research, Extension, and Education Centers are involved the project (Eastern Nebraska, Panhandle, and West Central) along with three East Campus based centers: the Center for Grassland Studies, the Center for Resilience in Agricultural Working Landscapes, and the Center for Agricultural Profitability housed …

Leveraging Important Covariate Groups For Corn Yield Prediction, Britta L. Schumacher, Emily K. Burchfield, Brennan Bean, Matt A. Yost

Plants, Soils and Climate Student Research

Accurate yield information empowers farmers to adapt, their governments to adopt timely agricultural and food policy interventions, and the markets they supply to prepare for production shifts. Unfortunately, the most representative yield data in the US, provided by the US Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) Surveys, are spatiotemporally patchy and inconsistent. This paper builds a more complete data product by examining the spatiotemporal efficacy of random forests (RF) in predicting county-level yields of corn – the most widely cultivated crop in the US. To meet our objective, we compare RF cross-validated prediction accuracy using several combinations of …

Examining Mesopredator Detections In The Portland Metropolitan Area, Hunter Storm

University Honors Theses

Mesopredators--medium-sized predators such as coyote (Canis latrans), common raccoon (Procyon lotor), and Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana)--are well established in cities and live closely with humans. However, we still know relatively little about these animals' habitat selection and behavior as they navigate urban space.

In collaboration with the nationwide Urban Wildlife Information Network (UWIN), we established 27 monitoring sites spanning 50 km of the Portland metropolitan area. Using motion-triggered camera traps active during spring 2022 we collected presence and absence data for three non-domestic mesopredator species: coyote, raccoon, and opossum. Using 40 landscape and sociodemographic …

Srtsim: Spatial Pattern Preserving Simulations For Spatially Resolved Transcriptomics, Jiaqiang Zhu, Lulu Shang, Xiang Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Spatially resolved transcriptomics (SRT)-specific computational methods are often developed, tested, validated, and evaluated in silico using simulated data. Unfortunately, existing simulated SRT data are often poorly documented, hard to reproduce, or unrealistic. Single-cell simulators are not directly applicable for SRT simulation as they cannot incorporate spatial information. We present SRTsim, an SRT-specific simulator for scalable, reproducible, and realistic SRT simulations. SRTsim not only maintains various expression characteristics of SRT data but also preserves spatial patterns. We illustrate the benefits of SRTsim in benchmarking methods for spatial clustering, spatial expression pattern detection, and cell-cell communication identification.

Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation: Connecting Its Origin To Its Future, Gabriela Sanchez-Petitto, Katayoun Rezvani, May Daher, Hind Rafei, Partow Kebriaei, Elizabeth J Shpall, Amanda Olson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Transplantation of umbilical cord blood (UCB) is an attractive alternative source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). The unique properties of cord blood and its distinct immune tolerance and engraftment kinetics compared to bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood progenitor cells, permit a wider disparity in human leukocyte antigen levels between a cord blood donor and recipient after an unrelated umbilical cord blood transplant (UCBT). In addition, it is readily available and has a lowered risk of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), with similar long-term clinical outcomes, compared to BM transplants. However, the relatively low number of cells administered by UCB units, as …

Isomerization Of Galactose To Tagatose: Recent Advances In Non-Enzymatic Isomerization, Jikai Zhao, Zhuo Wang, Qing Jin, Danyi Feng, Juhee Lee

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The valorization of galactose derived from acid whey to low-calorie tagatose has gained increasing attention. Enzymatic isomerization is of great interest but faces several challenges, such as poor thermal stability of enzymes and a long processing time. In this work, non-enzymatic (supercritical fluids, triethylamine, arginine, boronate affinity, hydrotalcite, Sn-β zeolite, and calcium hydroxide) pathways for galactose to tagatose isomerization were critically discussed. Unfortunately, most of these chemicals showed poor tagatose yields (70%). The latter is able to form a tagatose–calcium hydroxide–water complex, which stimulates the equilibrium toward tagatose and prevents sugar degradation. Nevertheless, the excessive use of calcium hydroxide may …

Responsiveness Of Higher Education Programs To Policy And Recommendations In The Biopharmaceutical Sector, Maeve Scott

Other resources

This essay will review the business and government policies relevant to the biopharmaceutical sector which influence higher education programs. The mechanisms which enable higher education to adapt to policy will be summarised and the pace of the response estimated.

Higher education (HE) programs need to respond in a timely manner to dynamic industries to maximise opportunities for graduates and support the Irish economy. The author manages internships and teaches on pharmaceutical science programs and aims to ensure the program is current to maximise student success. This review intends to identify the most relevant policy sources that can inform the Pharmaceutical …

Maize/Peanut Intercropping Has Greater Synergistic Effects And Home-Field Advantages Than Maize/Soybean On Straw Decomposition, Surigaoge Surigaoge, Hao Yang, Ye Su, Yu-He Du, Su-Xian Ren, Dario Fornara, Peter Christie, Wei-Ping Zhang, Long Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: The decomposition of plant litter mass is responsible for substantial carbon fluxes and remains a key process regulating nutrient cycling in natural and managed ecosystems. Litter decomposition has been addressed in agricultural monoculture systems, but not in intercropping systems, which produce species-diverse litter mass mixtures. The aim here is to quantify how straw type, the soil environment and their combined effects may influence straw decomposition in widely practiced maize/legume intercropping systems.

METHODS: Three decomposition experiments were conducted over 341 days within a long-term intercropping field experiment which included two nitrogen (N) addition levels (i.e. no-N and N-addition) and five …

Description Of A New Species Of Crossidius Leconte (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Trachyderini) From Texas, Frederick W. Skillman Jr.

Insecta Mundi

Crossidius wappesi Skillman, new species (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is described from Presidio County, Texas, USA.

I discovered a new species of Crossidius LeConte (Cerambycinae) in the fall of 2018 while collecting with Jim Wappes in Presidio County, Texas. Additional specimens were collected at the same location in 2019 by Jim Wappes and Kenneth Kuckartz.

This large, predominately western trachyderine genus presently contains 17 species and 37 subspecies (Bezark 2022). It should be noted that in the study of the genus by Linsley and Chemsak (1961), numerous popu­lations, known from short series, were mentioned, given short descriptions and left nameless. It is …

A New Species Of Cymatodera Gray (Coleoptera: Cleridae) From Honduras, Jacques Rifkind

Insecta Mundi

Cymatodera batleth new species (Coleoptera: Cleridae) is described from Honduras. It appears to belong to a group of Central American congeners that share similar facies and coloration, deeply emarginate elytral apices and elaborately modified male pygidia.

Heretofore ten species of Cymatodera Gray have been recorded from Honduras: C. conflagrata (Klug), C. depau­perata Gorham, C. guatemalensis Schenkling, C. prolixa (Klug), C. sallei Thomson, C. sinuosa Burke, C. rileyi Rifkind, C. crassa Burke and Sole, C. nigrofasciata Burke and Sole, and C. parva Burke which have distributions extending into neighboring Central American countries (Burke 2013; Burke et al. 2017). The known Honduran …

Predicting The Impact Of Climate Change On The Distribution Of Rhipicephalus Sanguineus In The Americas, Marcos Sánchez Pérez, Teresa Patricia Feria-Arroyo, Crystian Sadiel Venegas Barrera, Carolina Sosa-Gutiérrez, Javier Torres, Katherine A. Brown, Guadalupe Gordillo Pérez

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Climate change may influence the incidence of infectious diseases including those transmitted by ticks. Rhipicephalus sanguineus complex has a worldwide distribution and transmits Rickettsial infections that could cause high mortality rates if untreated. We assessed the potential effects of climate change on the distribution of R. sanguineus in the Americas in 2050 and 2070 using the general circulation model CanESM5 and two shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs), SSP2-4.5 (moderate emissions) and SSP2-8.5 (high emissions). A total of 355 occurrence points of R. sanguineus and eight uncorrelated bioclimatic variables were entered into a maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt) to produce 50 replicates per …

Behavioural Defences Against Parasites Across Host Social Structures, Sebastian Stockmeier, Yuko Ulrich, Gregory F. Albery, Sylvia Cremer, Patricia C. Lopes

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

1. Animals exhibit a variety of behavioural defences against socially transmitted parasites. These defences evolved to increase host fitness by avoiding, resisting or tolerating infection.
2. Because they can occur in both infected individuals and their uninfected social partners, these defences often have important consequences for the social group.
3. Here, we discuss the evolution and ecology of anti-parasite behavioural defences across a taxonomically wide social spectrum, considering colonial groups, stable groups, transitional groups and solitary animals.
4. We discuss avoidance, resistance and tolerance behaviours across these social group structures, identifying how social complexity, group composition and interdependent social relationships may contribute to the …

Fish Farming Wastewater Treatment Using Algae-Cyanobacterial Inocula, Yolanys Aranda

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

Fish is one of the most important nutrient sources of the human diet, and its low-cost aquaculture production is advantageous. During processing, large quantities of organic and inorganic nutrients are produced. Discharging fish farming wastewater to the environment without proper treatment can support harmful algal growth. Therefore, aquaculture effluent must be treated prior to discharge to the receiving waters. In this study, six different cyanobacteria and algae species, including Chlorococcumminutum, Porphyridiumcruentum, Chlorella vulgaris, Microcystis aeruginosa, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, and Fischerellamuscicola were studiedto treatfish aquaculture wastewater, using mix-culture bacteria as the inoccolum. All samples were incubated for 21 days. Parameters such as …

Identifying Essential Genes For The Assembly And Function Of Tails In Novel Myoviridae Bacteriophages, Harry Ashbaugh, Kari Clase

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

A bacteriophage is a virus that infects bacterial hosts. They are typically composed of a head, a tail, and fibers on the tail that allow it to attach to the bacterial membrane. Myoviridae are a family of bacteriophage that are distinct for their short, contractile tails that undergo conformational changes when they attach to bacteria, which are essential to inject its genetic material into the cell. The purpose of this research is to utilize genetic sequencing and comparative genomics to identify the genes that allow for the tail structure, conformation change, and attachment in novel Myoviridae bacteriophages. In characterizing these …

Sea-Phages Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience For Creating A Biotechnology Workforce Development Pipeline, Daphne Fauber, Kari Clase, Carol Weaver

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

Purdue University has been a member of the SEA-PHAGES (Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science) program since 2011. This program, created in conjunction with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), facilitates undergraduate curriculum for the authentic discovery of novel bacteriophages within the classroom. Since joining the program, undergraduates at Purdue have harnessed wet lab and bioinformatics principles to contribute over 200 previously uncharacterized bacteriophages and 25 novel genomes to the wider scientific literature. The SEA-PHAGES classes at Purdue have resulted in tangible professional deliverables for students through conference presentations and publications. Student outcomes also include transferable skills …

Nucleic Acid Detection Of Live Pathogens On Contaminated Foods, Simerdeep Kaur, Mohit Verma

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

The goal is to develop a point-of-care biosensor for the detection of live pathogens contaminating beef products. Biosensing of live pathogens is based on isothermal amplification of nucleic acid on a paper-based device. A colorimetric dye is employed as an indicator of the amplification product for visual result. The assay incorporates a compound Propidium monoazide (PMA) that makes the DNA from dead cells inaccessible for amplification. This approach is especially applicable for pathogens that can enter a viable but non-culturable state (VBNC).

Identifying Non-Traditional Slippery Sequences Associated With Translational Frameshifts, Aaron J. Gin, Kari Lynn Clase

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

Genetic frameshifts are a mutation in which
a nucleotide skip leads to a shift in the
reading frame. In viruses, these frameshifts
can be programmed using a slippery
sequence to bypass the stop codon
associated with the initial protein. This
allows for variable control of protein
expression. In bacteriophages, translational
frameshifts have been identified but only a
few have been proven experimentally. Using
experimental data and comparative
genomics, non-traditional slippery
sequences can be identified as assisting in
controlling the protein coding throughout
viruses. Novel slippery sequences can aid in
the understanding of protein expression in
biological environments and further the …

Enzyme-Treated Yeast Fed To Coccidia-Challenged Broiler Chickens, Emmanuel O. Alagbe, Hagen Schulze, Olayiwola Adeola

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

There is a growing search for natural feed additives to alleviate the deleterious effects of coccidia infection in poultry. Research has shown that may serve as healthier alternatives to coccidiostats.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of enzyme-treated yeast (EY) on the performance, nutrient digestibility, intestinal morphology, and health of coccidia-challenged broiler chickens. 480 broiler chickens were allocated to 3 corn-soybean meal-based experimental diets with increasing concentrations of EY (0, 1, or 2 g/kg). Dietary EY enhanced nutrient utilization and augmented intestinal development in broiler chickens. However, dietary EY did not completely attenuate the adverse effects of a coccidia …

The Next-Gen Crop Nutrient Stress Identification With High-Precision Sensing Technology In Digital Agriculture, Zhihang Song, Ziling Chen, Xing Wei, Jian Jin

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

Crop yields are facing significant losses from nutrient deficiencies. Over-fertilizing also has negative economic and environmental impacts. It is challenging to optimize fertilizing without an accurate diagnosis. Recently, plant phenotyping has demonstrated outstanding capabilities in estimating crop traits. As one of the leading technologies, LeafSpec, provides high-quality crop image data for improving phenotyping quality. In this study, novel algorithms are developed for LeafSpec to identify crop nutrient deficiencies more accurately. Combined with UAV system, this technology will bring growers a robust solution for fertilizing diagnosis and scientific crop management.

The Pursuit Of Peak Athletic Performance, Trevor Short

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 4: Issue 1, Article 3, 2023. Achieving peak performance in sports is a multifactorial phenomenon that spans several scientific disciplines. The optimization of human performance requires a comprehensive and systematic assessment that identifies potential performance-inhibiting factors. The result of such analysis allows for more individualized and accurate evaluation, athlete monitoring, and training interventions. Thus, there is a need for a multidisciplinary model of peak performance to guide practitioners when conducting a comprehensive analysis. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a brief but practical vade mecum for practitioners to consider in the …