Life Sciences Commons^™

Cbx5 Loss Drives Egfr Inhibitor Resistance And Results In Therapeutically Actionable Vulnerabilities In Lung Cancer, Suresh Bugide, Yvonne J K Edwards, Romi Gupta, Michael R Green, Narendra Wajapeyee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Although epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFRi) are approved for treating EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), emergence of acquired resistance limits their clinical benefits. Several mechanisms for acquired resistance to EGFRi in LUAD have been identified; however, the molecular basis for this resistance remains unknown in ~30% of LUAD. Chromatin and DNA modifiers and their regulators play important roles in determining response to anticancer therapies. Therefore, to identify nongenetic mechanisms of EGFRi resistance in LUAD, we performed an epigenome-wide shRNA screen targeting 363 human epigenetic regulator genes. This screen identified loss of the transcriptional repressor chromobox homolog 5 …

Interfering With Lipid Metabolism Through Targeting Ces1 Sensitizes Hepatocellular Carcinoma For Chemotherapy, Gang Li, Xin Li, Iqbal Mahmud, Jazmin Ysaguirre, Baharan Fekry, Bo Wei, Philip L Lorenzi, Richard Lehner, Kai Sun

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common lethal form of liver cancer. Apart from surgical removal and transplantation, other treatments have not yet been well established for patients with HCC. In this study, we found that carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) is expressed at various levels in HCC. We further revealed that blockage of CES1 by pharmacological and genetical approaches leads to altered lipid profiles that are directly linked to impaired mitochondrial function. Mechanistically, lipidomic analyses indicated that lipid signaling molecules, including polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which activate PPARα/γ, were dramatically reduced upon CES1 inhibition. As a result, the expression of SCD, …

A Novel Defined Tlr3 Agonist As An Effective Vaccine Adjuvant, Kwang Hyun Ko, Seung Bin Cha, Seung-Hwan Lee, Hyun Shik Bae, Chul Soo Ham, Dong-Ho Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Synthetic double-stranded RNA analogs recognized by Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) are an attractive adjuvant candidate for vaccines, especially against intracellular pathogens or tumors, because of their ability to enhance T cell and antibody responses. Although poly(I:C) is a representative dsRNA with potent adjuvanticity, its clinical application has been limited due to heterogeneous molecular size, inconsistent activity, poor stability, and toxicity. To overcome these limitations, we developed a novel dsRNA-based TLR3 agonist named NexaVant (NVT) by using PCR-coupled bidirectional in vitro transcription. Agarose gel electrophoresis and reverse phase-HPLC analysis demonstrated that NVT is a single 275-kDa homogeneous molecule. NVT appears to …

Methanocaldococcus Lauensis Sp. Nov., A Novel Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Hyperthermophilic Methanogen, Stéphane L'Haridon, Steven Goulaouic, Emily St John, Stephanie Fouteau, Anna-Louise Reysenbach

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Three hyperthermohphilic methanogens, designated strain SG7T, strain SG1 and strain SLH, were isolated from the ABE and Tu’i Malila deep-sea hydrothermal vent fields along the Eastern Lau Spreading Center. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strains SG7T, SG1 and SLH were affiliated with the genus Methanocaldococcus within the family Methanocaldococcaceae, order Methanococcales. They shared 95.5–99.48 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to other Methanocaldococcus species and were most closely related to Methanocaldococcus bathoardescens. Cells of strains SG7T, SG1 and SLH were cocci, with a diameter of 1.0–2.2 µm. The three strains grew between …

Investigating The Potential Role Of Termites As Pathogen Vectors In The Decline Of Ironwood Trees (Casuarina Equisetifolia) In Guam, Garima Setia

LSU Master's Theses

Termites have been found associated with the decline of Casuarina equisetifolia (ironwood), an important agro-forestry species in Guam. While the ironwood tree decline (IWTD) was first reported in 2002, its association with termites as well as with bacteria Ralstonia solanacearum and Klebsiella species (K. oxytoca and K. variicola) was determined in 2010 and 2012 respectively. In 2019, the termite species attacking the ironwood trees were identified as Nasutitermes takasagoensis, Coptotermes gestroi, and Microcerotermes crassus. However, the role of termites in IWTD is not known. Since termites are repositories of bacteria and consume wood, termite foragers might …

The Effects Of Acute Rauwolscine (Α-Yohimbine) Ingestion On Repeated Wingate Sprint Performance In Healthy Males, Megan E. Barnes, Tyler Williams, Camryn R. Cowan, Brenden A. Torres, W. Tanner Clark, Rebecca R. Rogers, Luke R. Harms, Christopher G. Ballmann

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 4: Issue 1, Article 1, 2023. Background: Rauwolscine (RW), also known as α-Yohimbine, is an α-2-adrenergic receptor antagonist which possesses sympathomimetic properties. RW is commercially sold in pre-workout and energy supplements. However, the ergogenic potential of RW has not been determined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of acute RW supplementation on repeated sprint performance. Methods: Healthy male participants (n=12) completed 3 × 15-second Wingate anaerobic tests (WAnT) separated by 2 minutes of active recovery. Blood lactate (La) was collected before exercise (Pre) and immediately following exercise …

Effects Of Acute Exercise On Affect In Females With Substance Use Disorder, Victoria A. Torok, Christi B. Brewer, Hayley N. Lake

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 16(5): 95-108, 2023. Negative mood states experienced during the withdrawal stage of substance dependence have been associated with relapse in persons suffering from substance use disorder (SUD). Exercise is gaining attention as an adjunct therapy for SUD due to its ability to alleviate negative mood states experienced during withdrawal. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of acute, controlled bouts of aerobic and resistance exercise versus sedentary control (quiet reading) on positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) in females undergoing SUD treatment at inpatient facilities. Females (n=11; 34 + 8 yrs) …

Improvements In Flexibility Depending On Stretching Duration, Konstantin Warneke, Klaus Wirth, Michael Keiner, Stephan Schiemann

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 16(4): 83-94, 2023. To improve flexibility, stretching is most commonly used and in training interventions duration-dependent effects are hypothesized. However, there are strong limitations in used stretching protocols in most studies, particularly regarding documentation of intensity and performed procedure. Thus, aim of this study was to compare different stretching durations on flexibility in the plantar flexors and to exclude potential biases. Eighty subjects were divided into four groups performing daily stretching training of 10min (IG10), 30min (IG30) and 1h (IG60) and one control group (CG). Flexibility was measured in bended and extended knee joint. Stretching …

The Relationship Between Health And Movement Screens And Field-Based Physical Fitness Tests In Reserve Officer Training Corps Students, Lukas Krumpl, Nickolai J. P. Martonick, Youngmin Chun, Ann F. Brown, Joshua P. Bailey

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 16(4): 42-52, 2023. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between scores achieved in physical fitness tests and outcomes of health and movement screens (HMS) in ROTC students. Twenty-eight students (20 males: 21.8 yrs [± 3.4] & 8 females: 20.7 yrs [± 1.8]) enrolled in an ROTC branch (Army, Air Force, Navy, or Marines) completed a series of screens, including body composition analysis via Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA), balance and functional movement tasks via a lower-quarter Y-Balance test, and knee and hip joint concentric strength testing on an isokinetic dynamometer. Official …

The Effects Of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids On Gene Expression In Skeletal Muscle: A Systematic Review, Luke M. Pelton, Stephen A. Maris, Joshua Loseke

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 16(3): 53-82, 2023. Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) act via androgen receptor (AR) interaction to induce muscle protein synthesis. This process is achieved via altered gene expression via the Notch, Wnt, and Numb pathways and their interactions at the AR, manifesting in key skeletal muscle (SM) phenotypes such as morphology, ion conductance, and functionality. This review aims to report on the effects of AAS administration on gene expression in SM. Peer-reviewed empirical studies evaluating AAS administration on SM phenotypes and gene expression were considered for inclusion. The following databases were searched using a data range of Jan …

The Impacts Of Immune Challenges On Fish Behavior And Physiology, Teisha King

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

For species living in dominance hierarchies, social rank dictates access to resources and often contributes to reproductive success. To ensure survival, individuals constantly evaluate trade- offs between crucial biological systems, like the reproductive and immune systems, depending on their social rank and physiological state. Little is known about how social species balance interactions between immune system function, fluctuations in social status and reproductive fitness, and the performance of behaviors necessary for maintaining social status when sick, particularly in fishes, the largest and most diverse group of vertebrates. My dissertation research uses a whole animal approach to examine how physiological profiles …

Mixcan: A Framework For Cell-Type-Aware Transcriptome-Wide Association Studies With An Application To Breast Cancer, Xiaoyu Song, Jiayi Ji, Joseph H Rothstein, Stacey E Alexeeff, Lori C Sakoda, Ninah Achacoso, Alice S Whittemore, Robert J Klein, Laurel A Habel, Pei Wang, Weiva Sieh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Human bulk tissue samples comprise multiple cell types with diverse roles in disease etiology. Conventional transcriptome-wide association study approaches predict genetically regulated gene expression at the tissue level, without considering cell-type heterogeneity, and test associations of predicted tissue-level expression with disease. Here we develop MiXcan, a cell-type-aware transcriptome-wide association study approach that predicts cell-type-level expression, identifies disease-associated genes via combination of cell-type-level association signals for multiple cell types, and provides insight into the disease-critical cell type. As a proof of concept, we conducted cell-type-aware analyses of breast cancer in 58,648 women and identified 12 transcriptome-wide significant genes using MiXcan compared …

The Nfib/Carm1 Partnership Is A Driver In Preclinical Models Of Small Cell Lung Cancer, Guozhen Gao, Simone Hausmann, Natasha M Flores, Ana Morales Benitez, Jianjun Shen, Maria D Person, Donghang Cheng, Yue Lu, Bin Liu, Pawel K Mazur, Mark T Bedford

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The coactivator associated arginine methyltransferase (CARM1) promotes transcription, as its name implies. It does so by modifying histones and chromatin bound proteins. We identified nuclear factor I B (NFIB) as a CARM1 substrate and show that this transcription factor utilizes CARM1 as a coactivator. Biochemical studies reveal that tripartite motif 29 (TRIM29) is an effector molecule for methylated NFIB. Importantly, NFIB harbors both oncogenic and metastatic activities, and is often overexpressed in small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Here, we explore the possibility that CARM1 methylation of NFIB is important for its transforming activity. Using a SCLC mouse model, we show …

Water Recommendations For Vegetables, Sheriden M. Hansen, Taun Beddes, Burdette Barker, Ashley Butler

All Current Publications

Traditionally, we irrigate using overhead sprinklers and/or flood irrigation. However, these methods can be wasteful, and so a way to conserve and still have a healthy garden is to use drip irrigation. It can reduce water use by up to about 50%. This fact sheet reviews water recommendations for growing vegetables.

Effect Od Different Sources And Application Rates Of Sulfur On Corn And Soybean Production Systems In Louisiana, Diego Mayorga Valladares

LSU Master's Theses

Sulfur (S) is a structural component of amino acids such as cysteine and methionine and is involved in important functions within the plant like photosynthesis, carbon and nitrogen metabolism, protein synthesis of oils, and detoxification mechanisms. Sulfur deficiency in crops has intensified around the world. Some of the reasons are improvement in controlling SO₂ emissions from industries, growing usage of high analysis S-free fertilizers and augmented cropping intensity. Sulfur fertilization has become an important factor in crop production systems and fertilization guidelines for S need to be up-to-date to improve use efficiency and compensate for rising prices of fertilizers. …

Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus Planipennis [Fairmaire]), Emily A. Parent, Lori R. Spears, Ryan S. Davis, Ricardo Ramirez

All Current Publications

Emerald ash borer (Order: Coleoptera: Family Buprestidae) (EAB) is an invasive wood-boring insect that infects the true ash species (Fraxinus spp.). EAB is native to parts of China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and small areas of Russia and Mongolia. EAB was first discovered in North America in June 2002 near Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and is thought to have arrived to North America via infested wood packing material. EAB is generally established in an area for several years before it is detected and can spread over large areas through active flight and human-mediated dispersal.

Refined Teaching Methods, Systems Thinking, And Experiential Approaches Enhanced Students Learning Through Covid-19, Osler Ortez, Alyssa Kuhn, Meghan Sindelar

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The Soil Nutrient Relationships course serves juniors and seniors with a major or minor in agronomy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Pre-pandemic enrollment averaged 65 students. In 2021 and 2022, course enrollment was 42 and 55, respectively. The course was adjusted to a flipped design in 2017. Moving into 2021, the Soil Nutrient Relationships course underwent a major overhaul by changing the content source materials and organization of lab activities while maintaining the flipped delivery format. While responding to the COVID-19 pandemic limitations, the redesign was intended to focus limited face-to-face meetings (in person or webconference) on problem-solving activities. This …

Jumble Judging: Cognitive And Affective Outcomes Of Intercollegiate Collaboration At A Soil Judging Competition, Rebecca A. Young, Judith Turk, Nicolas A. Jelinski, Amber D. Anderson, Kerry M. Clark, Ashlee L.D. Dere, Colby J. Moorberg, Kristopher Osterloh, Deann Presley

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Student–student interactions are influential parts of field experiences. While competitive judging events are a fun way to engage students in field-based learning, the focus on competition leads to an atmosphere that discourages collaboration between students. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cognitive and affective learning outcomes resulting from intercollegiate collaboration at a soil judging competition. Teams with students from two to three different universities were assigned and referred to as jumble judging teams. Jumble judging was held for the first time in the 2021 Region 5 Collegiate Soil Judging Contest. Learning outcomeswere assessed using a pre- and …

Epigenomic Charting And Functional Annotation Of Risk Loci In Renal Cell Carcinomaepigenomic Charting And Functional Annotation Of Risk Loci In Renal Cell Carcinoma, Amin H Nassar, Sarah Abou Alaiwi, Sylvan C Baca, Elio Adib, Rosario I Corona, Marcos A S Fonseca, Talal El Zarif, Viktoria Tisza, David A Braun, Heng Du, Monica He, Abdallah Flaifel, Michel Alchoueiry, Thomas Denize, Sayed G Matar, Andres Acosta, Sachet Shukla, Yue Hou, John Steinharter, Gabrielle Bouchard, Jacob E Berchuck, Edward O'Connor, Connor Bell, Pier Vitale Nuzzo, Gwo-Shu Mary Lee, Sabina Signoretti, Michelle S Hirsch, Mark Pomerantz, Elizabeth Henske, Alexander Gusev, Kate Lawrenson, Toni K Choueiri, David J Kwiatkowski, Matthew L Freedman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

While the mutational and transcriptional landscapes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are well-known, the epigenome is poorly understood. We characterize the epigenome of clear cell (ccRCC), papillary (pRCC), and chromophobe RCC (chRCC) by using ChIP-seq, ATAC-Seq, RNA-seq, and SNP arrays. We integrate 153 individual data sets from 42 patients and nominate 50 histology-specific master transcription factors (MTF) to define RCC histologic subtypes, including EPAS1 and ETS-1 in ccRCC, HNF1B in pRCC, and FOXI1 in chRCC. We confirm histology-specific MTFs via immunohistochemistry including a ccRCC-specific TF, BHLHE41. FOXI1 overexpression with knock-down of EPAS1 in the 786-O ccRCC cell line induces transcriptional …

Controls Of Physical Drivers On The Formation And Toxicity Of Harmful Cyanobacteria Blooms (Cyanohabs), Courtney N. Hammond

LSU Master's Theses

Estuaries within the Gulf of Mexico are exhibiting profound alterations due to climatic changes and the implementation of coastal restoration activities. These changes are attributed to the increasing frequency of harmful cyanobacteria blooms (cyanoHABs) within Lake Pontchartrain, an estuary located in southeastern Louisiana, USA. There is a better understanding into how the opening of the Bonnet Carré Spillway (BCS) impacts cyanoHAB formations compared to the effect of other physical drivers when the spillway doesn’t dominate the system. The goal of this study is to provide a greater understanding of the baseline conditions when the BCS is closed and determine what …

Improving The Quality Of Products From Grassland, Nigel D. Scollan, R. J. Dewhurst, A. P. Moloney, J. J. Murphy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

1. Consumers are increasingly aware of the links between diet and health, and place increasing emphasis on nutritional quality as a component of product quality.
2. Meat and milk products are rich sources of nutrients such as omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid, which offer health benefits to consumers.
3. Green plants are the primary source of n-3 fatty acids in the food chain.
4. Grassland production systems have the potential to enhance the content of beneficial fatty acids, improve stability (from higher antioxidant content) and alter sensory attributes of meat and milk.
5. Grassland offers considerable scope to help …

Grass And Forage Improvement: Temperate Forages, Chris J. Pollock, M. T. Abberton, M. O. Humphreys

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

1. Plant breeding has contributed significantly to the development of effective grassland production systems.
2. New technologies offer enhanced precision in breeding and access to wider genetic variation.
3. The requirement for more sustainable production systems will require genetic improvements in complex traits where the use of new technology will be vital.

Rising Demand For Meat And Milk In Developing Countries: Implications For Grasslands-Based Livestock Production2, C. L. Delgado

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

1. Meat and milk consumption in developing countries has grown three times as fast as in developed countries over the past 30 years.
2. By 2020, developing countries will consume 72 million metric tons (mmt) more meat and 152 mmt more milk compared to 2002/3, dwarfing developed-country increases of 9 mmt for meat and 18 mmt for milk.
3. Ruminant livestock will account for 27% of the increase in global meat consumption between 2003 and 2020, up from 23% over the previous two decades.
4. The inflation-adjusted prices of livestock and feed grains are expected to fall only marginally by 2020, compared to precipitous …

Grassland In Ireland And The Uk, Myles Rath, S. Peel

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

1. Grassland is the dominant land use option in Ireland and the UK, and is characterised by a long growing season.
2. Dynamic, interactive systems of grassland management have been developed which combine high grass dry matter intakes with good sward quality. In the better grassland areas milk yields in excess of 7000 kg/cow are attainable with low levels of concentrate supplementation. In the times to come, measures to protect the environment will constrain stocking rates, and fertiliser and manure use on intensive grassland enterprises.
3. A high proportion of beef and sheep farms participate in voluntary, EU-funded agri- environmental schemes that promote …

How Herbivores Optimise Diet Quality And Intake In Heterogeneous Pastures, And The Consequences For Vegetation Dynamics, R. Baumont, Cécile Ginane, F. Garcia, P. Carrère

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Understanding the interplay between foraging behaviour and vegetation dynamics in heterogeneous pasture is an essential requirement for evaluating the value of the resource for large herbivores and for managing that resource. The orientation of selective grazing behaviour between intake and diet quality depends on the spatial and temporal scales considered. In the short-term scale of a grazing sequence, there is evidence that large herbivores tend to optimise the intake rate of digestible materials by adaptation of their biting behaviour and by patch choice. On a day-to-day scale, there is evidence that large herbivores tend to prioritise the quality of the …

Land Use History And The Build-Up And Decline Of Species Richness In Scandinavian Semi-Natural Grasslands, O. Eriksson, S. A. O. Cousins, R. Lindborg

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Scandinavian semi-natural grasslands have an exceptionally high small-scale species richness. In the past, these grasslands covered extensive areas but they have declined drastically during the last century. How species richness of semi-natural grasslands was built up during history, and how species respond to land use change, are discussed. The agricultural expansion from the late Iron Age was associated with increasing grassland extent and spatial predictability, resulting in accumulation of species at small spatial scales. Although few species directly depend on management, the specific composition of these grasslands is a product of haymaking and grazing. Grassland fragmentation initially has small effects …

Recreating Pastoralist Futures, T. J. P. Lynam

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Research experience in southern Africa is used to reflect on key determinants of pastoral futures and how they might need to be addressed. The paper begins with a brief review of what we mean by marginality. A set of observations on key issues defining the option sets for pastoralism in the future is then presented. The first of these is that only a small number of structures or processes actually control the behaviour of social-ecological systems such as pastoralist systems. A second observation is that the future is so uncertain that there is a need to learn to design for …

Challenges And Opportunities For Sustainable Rangeland Pastoral Systems In The Edwards Plateau Of Texas, J. W. Walker, J. L. Johnson, C. A. Taylor Jr.

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This paper focuses on pastoral systems in an area of west-central Texas known as the Edwards Plateau. These rangelands have a combination of grass, forb and browse species and are used primarily for combinations of grazing by cattle, sheep, goats and wildlife. A major ecological challenge is woody plant encroachment. Stocking rate is the major factor affecting sustainability and historically this area was heavily grazed. Today the stocking rate is half or less of its historical peak. Species of livestock has shifted from predominantly small ruminant to cattle. About 70 % of pastoralists use some sort of rotational grazing system. …

Working Within Constraints: Managing African Savannas For Animal Production And Biodiversity, J. T. Du Toit

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The mean density of livestock biomass on African rangelands now greatly exceeds that of indigenous large herbivores, although livestock cannot fully substitute for wildlife with respect to co-evolved ecosystem processes involving herbivory. The dominance of livestock in semi-arid rangelands is largely due to water provision, which uncouples livestock population dynamics from the rainfall-driven trajectories followed by indigenous ungulate species in wildlife areas. Ecological sustainability cannot be achieved with a few exotic species maintained at unprecedented biomass densities in savanna ecosystems, which are evolutionarily adapted for species-rich communities of ungulates of a wise range of sizes. Integrating wildlife and livestock in …

Diversity And Variation In Nutritive Value Of Plants Growing On 2 Saline Sites In Southwestern Australia, H. C. Norman, R. A. Dynes, D. G. Masters

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In south-western Australia 10% or 1.8 million ha of the farmed area is affected by dryland salinity and a further 6 million ha are at risk of salinity (NLWRA, 2001). Animal production from saltbush (Atriplex spp.)-based pasture systems represents the most likely large-scale opportunity for productive use of saline land in the short to medium term. Feeding saltbush-based pastures as a maintenance feed during the prolonged autumn feed gap typical in Mediterranean-type climates maximises their economic value. The aim of this study was to explore the diversity and nutritive value of plants that typically persist in saltbush-based saltland pastures.