Life Sciences Commons^™

An Interdisciplinary Discussion On Climate Change, Aamira Shah, Jaley F. Adkins, Kelsey Littrell, Priyadarshini Chandrashekhar

The Cardinal Edge

No abstract provided.

Application Of Enzyme And Enzyme Technology In Deep Processing Of Tea, Fei Fan, Liu Chang-Wei, Niu Li, Liu Zhong-Hua

Food and Machinery

Enzymes can efficiently and specifically accelerate biochemical reactions in biological processes. In the field of tea deep processing, the application of exogenous enzymes can be greener and more efficient in the extraction, separation, preparation, or biosynthesis of tea functional components to realize the high value utilization of tea resources. In the present review, the application of enzymes and enzyme engineering technology in tea deep processing were discussed from the following four aspects, i.e., enzyme-assisted extraction, enzyme-assisted synthesis, bioenzyme-modified tea extracts and immobilized enzyme technology. Moreover, the problems and outlooks the research directions of enzymes and the technology in the field …

Subspecific Designation For The Central Appalachian Mountains Population Of Argynnis (Speyeria) Atlantis (W. H. Edwards), Harry Pavulaan

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

The population of Argynnis atlantis of the central Appalachian Mountains, primarily on the Allegheny Plateau of West Virginia, has long been recognized by entomologists in the eastern United States as distinct from nominotypical populations of A. atlantis in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. Larger size is often cited, but actual comparison of wing markings has not been done to date. This study applies RGB color analysis on a series of adults from both regions and looks at potential differences in wing markings which may distinguish them.

Cytogenetic And Genomic Characterization Of A Novel Tall Wheatgrass‑Derived Fhb7 Allele Integrated Into Wheat B Genome, Wei Zhang, Tatiana Danilova, Mingyi Zhang, Shuangfeng Ren, Xianwen Zhu, Qijun Zhang, Shaobin Zhong, Linda Dykes, Jason Fiedler, Steven Xu, Katherine Frels, Stephen Wegulo, Jeffrey Boehm Jr., Xiwen Cai

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

A novel tall wheatgrass-derived (Thinopyrum elongatum, genome EE) Fhb7 allele, designated Fhb7^The2, was identified and integrated into the wheat B genome through a small 7B–7E translocation (7BS·7BL–7EL) involving the terminal regions of the long arms. Fhb7^The2 conditions significant Type II resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat. Integration of Fhb7^The2 into the wheat B genome makes this wild species-derived FHB resistance gene usable for breeding in both common and durum wheat. By contrast, other Fhb7 introgression lines involving wheat chromosome 7D can be utilized only in common wheat breeding programs, not in durum …

Optimization On Processing Technology Of Peppermint Essential Oil Wet-Capsule By Ultrasonic-Assisted Ionic Crosslinking, Sun Wei-Wei, Duan Li-Ping, Cai Cao, Chen Hao, Chen Jian, Miao Li-Kun, Chen Sheng

Food and Machinery

Objective:The effect of ultrasonic-assisted ionic crosslinking method on the peppermint capsule roundness was studied. Methods:The optimal treatment process was obtained through response surface optimization method, and the quality indicators of peppermint capsule was analyzed. Results: The results showed that, the optimum conditions of ionic crosslinking method were calcium ion mass fraction of 0.4%, soaking time of 20 min, solid/liquid ratio of 1.3∶1.0 (mL/g). Under the conditions, the strength of wet-capsule was 11.5 N, and the roundness of capsule was 0.033 mm. The optimum conditions of ultrasonic-assisted ionic crosslinking method were: ultrasonic time of10 min, ultrasonic power of 105 …

Pollutants Corrupt Resilience Pathways Of Aging In The Nematode C. Elegans, Andrea Scharf, Annette Limke, Karl Heinz Guehrs, Anna Von Mikecz

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Delaying aging while prolonging health and lifespan is a major goal in aging research. One promising strategy is to focus on reducing negative interventions such as pollution and their accelerating effect on age-related degeneration and disease. Here, we used the short-lived model organism C. elegans to analyze whether two candidate pollutants corrupt general aging pathways. We show that the emergent pollutant silica nanoparticles (NPs) and the classic xenobiotic inorganic mercury reduce lifespan and cause a premature protein aggregation phenotype. Comparative mass spectrometry revealed that increased insolubility of proteins with important functions in proteostasis is a shared phenotype of intrinsic- and …

Erratum To Leblanc (2022): The Dacine Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacini) Of Oceania, Luc Leblanc

Insecta Mundi

After publication of Leblanc (2022), it was noticed that the wrong graph was used for the mean (±SE) daily captures of Dacus perpusillus (Drew) in cue-lure traps (Fig. 135). The author and the Insecta Mundi editorial staff apologize for this error. The intended version of Figure 135 is reproduced here. Insecta Mundi has also released a revised version of the Leblanc (2022) manuscript, with this error corrected. However, the revised version is not an official peer-reviewed article, and anyone wishing to reference the findings of Leblanc (2022) should cite the original manuscript or this erratum.

Effects Of The Ratio Of Refined White Rice And Brown Rice On The Quality Of Compounded Rice Flour, Liu Ying, Xu Chen-Ran, Zhang Chu-Jia, Zhang Na, Dou Bo-Xin

Food and Machinery

Objective:This study aimed to optimize the compounding ratio of compounded brown rice flour. Methods:The effects of different ratios on the quality of compounded brown rice flour were analyzed by mixing refined white rice and brown rice (10∶0, 8∶2, 6∶4, 4∶6, 2∶8, 0∶10), and the optimal ratios were obtained by using the flushing properties, gelatinization characteristics, rheological properties, thermal properties, and in vitro digestibility as indicators. Results:With the increase of brown rice content, the peak viscosity, valley viscosity and final viscosity of compounded brown rice flour gradually decreased, and the initial gelatinization temperature, peak temperature and end gelatinization …

How Digital Is Agriculture In A Subset Of Countries From South America? Adoption And Limitations, Laila A. Puntel, É. L. Bolfe, R. J. M. Melchiori, R. Ortega, G. Tiscornia, A. Roel, F. Scaramuzza, S. Best, A. G. Berger, D. S. S. Hansel, D. Palacios Durán, G. R. Balboa

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Digital agriculture (DA) can contribute solutions to meet an increase in healthy, nutritious, and affordable food demands in an efficient and sustainable way. South America (SA) is one of the main grain and protein producers in the world but the status of DA in the region is unknown. A systematic review and case studies from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile were conducted to address the following objectives: (1) quantify adoption of existing DA technologies, (2) identify limitations for DA adoption; and (3) summarise existing metrics to benchmark DA benefits. Level of DA adoption was led by Brazil and Argentina followed …

Muscular Strength And Carotid Intima-Media Thickness In Physically Fit Young Adults: The Chief Atherosclerosis Study, Gen-Min Lin, Kun-Zhe Tsai, Yun-Chen Chang, Wei-Chun Huang, Xuemei Sui M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., Carl J. Lavie

Faculty Publications

Background: Greater muscular strength (MusS) has been found to have an inverse association with subclinical atherosclerosis in children, as well as with mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in middle-aged and elderly individuals. However, the association of the degree of MusS with atherosclerosis may differ by sex and has not been clarified in young adults. Methods and Results: A total of 1021 Taiwanese military personnel, aged 18–40 years, participated in annual health examinations in 2018–2020. MusS was separately assessed by 2-min push-up and 2-min sit-up numbers. Subclinical atherosclerosis was measured by the left carotid bulb intima–media thickness (cIMT) using high-resolution ultrasonography. …

Mild And Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Longitudinally Profiled Using High-Resolution Metabolomics, Ali Yilmaz, Sigal Liraz Zaltsman, Esther Shohami, Juozas Gordevicius, Jack E. Sherman, Ray Bahado-Singh, Stewart F. Graham

Conference Presentation Abstracts

No abstract provided.

An Epi-Metabolomics Approach For Studying Epigenetic And Metabolic Changes In Alzheimer’S Disease Brain, Nadia Ashrafi, Sangeetha Vishweswaraiah, Ali Yilmaz, Sumeyya Akyol, Juozas Gordevicius, Stewart Graham

Conference Presentation Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Association Between Abnormal Lipid Profile And Inflammation And Progression Of Myelodysplastic Syndrome To Acute Leukemia, Wei Qiao, Elliana Young, Chun Feng, Suyu Liu, Jeff Jin, Cristhiam M Rojas Hernandez, Olga Gorlova, Vahid Afshar-Kharghan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is associated with a small risk of developing hematologic malignancies and a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). We asked whether the reverse correlation exists and cardiometabolic risk factors have an impact on the progression of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We investigated the association between abnormal lipid profiles and inflammation in MDS, which shares many genetic mutations with CHIP, and the risk of developing acute leukemia. We examined the medical records of 11071 MDS patients. Among them, 5422 had at least one lipid profile or C-reactive protein (CRP) measurement. In …

Association Between Abnormal Lipid Profile And Inflammation And Progression Of Myelodysplastic Syndrome To Acute Leukemia, Wei Qiao, Elliana Young, Chun Feng, Suyu Liu, Jeff Jin, Cristhiam M Rojas Hernandez, Olga Gorlova, Vahid Afshar-Kharghan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is associated with a small risk of developing hematologic malignancies and a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). We asked whether the reverse correlation exists and cardiometabolic risk factors have an impact on the progression of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We investigated the association between abnormal lipid profiles and inflammation in MDS, which shares many genetic mutations with CHIP, and the risk of developing acute leukemia. We examined the medical records of 11071 MDS patients. Among them, 5422 had at least one lipid profile or C-reactive protein (CRP) measurement. In …

A Small Molecule Antagonist Of Smn Disrupts The Interaction Between Smn And Rnap Ii, Yanli Liu, Aman Iqbal, Weiguo Li, Zuyao Ni, Yalong Wang, Karan Joshua Abraham, Dorothy Yanling Zhao, Su Qin, Peter Loppnau, Honglv Jiang, Xinghua Guo, Peter J Brown, Xuechu Zhen, Guoqiang Xu, Karim Mekhail, Xingyue Ji, Mark T Bedford, Jack F Greenblatt, Jinrong Min

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Survival of motor neuron (SMN) functions in diverse biological pathways via recognition of symmetric dimethylarginine (Rme2s) on proteins by its Tudor domain, and deficiency of SMN leads to spinal muscular atrophy. Here we report a potent and selective antagonist with a 4-iminopyridine scaffold targeting the Tudor domain of SMN. Our structural and mutagenesis studies indicate that both the aromatic ring and imino groups of compound 1 contribute to its selective binding to SMN. Various on-target engagement assays support that compound 1 specifically recognizes SMN in a cellular context and prevents the interaction of SMN with the R1810me2s of RNA polymerase …

Protocol For Establishing A Protein-Protein Interaction Network Using Tandem Affinity Purification Followed By Mass Spectrometry In Mammalian Cells, Weixiang Bian, Hua Jiang, Shan Feng, Junjie Chen, Wenqi Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Identification of protein interactors is fundamental to understanding their functions. Here, we describe a modified protocol for tandem affinity purification coupled with mass spectrometry (TAP/MS), which includes two-step purification. We detail the S-, 2×FLAG-, and Streptavidin-Binding Peptide (SBP)- tandem tags (SFB-tag) system for protein purification. This protocol can be used to identify protein interactors and establish a high-confidence protein-protein interaction network based on computational models. This is particularly useful for identifying

Targeting Ras Mutant Colorectal Cancer With Dual Inhibition Of Mek And Cdk4/6, Alexey V Sorokin, Preeti Kanikarla Marie, Lea Bitner, Muddassir Syed, Melanie Woods, Lawrence N Kwong, Van K Morris, Philip Jones, David G Menter, Michael S Lee, Scott Kopetz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

UNLABELLED: KRAS and NRAS mutations occur in 45% of colorectal cancers, with combined MAPK pathway and CDK4/6 inhibition identified as a potential therapeutic strategy. In the current study, this combinatorial treatment approach was evaluated in a co-clinical trial in patient-derived xenografts (PDX), and safety was established in a clinical trial of binimetinib and palbociclib in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with RAS mutations. Across 18 PDX models undergoing dual inhibition of MEK and CDK4/6, 60% of tumors regressed, meeting the co-clinical trial primary endpoint. Prolonged duration of response occurred predominantly in TP53 wild-type models. Clinical evaluation of binimetinib and palbociclib …

Mri-Based Digital Models Forecast Patient-Specific Treatment Responses To Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Chengyue Wu, Angela M Jarrett, Zijian Zhou, Nabil Elshafeey, Beatriz E Adrada, Rania M M Mohamed, Lei Huo, Jason B White, Debu Tripathy, Vicente Valero, Jennifer K Litton, Clinton Yam, Jong Bum Son, Jingfei Ma, Gaiane M Rauch, Thomas E Yankeelov

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is persistently refractory to therapy, and methods to improve targeting and evaluation of responses to therapy in this disease are needed. Here, we integrate quantitative MRI data with biologically based mathematical modeling to accurately predict the response of TNBC to neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAST) on an individual basis. Specifically, 56 patients with TNBC enrolled in the ARTEMIS trial (NCT02276443) underwent standard-of-care doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide (A/C) and then paclitaxel for NAST, where dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and diffusion-weighted MRI were acquired before treatment and after two and four cycles of A/C. A biologically based model was established to …

Serologic Versus Molecular Testing For Screening For Hepatitis C Virus Infection In Patients With Hematologic Malignancies, Harrys A Torres, Georgios Angelidakis, Ying Jiang, Minas Economides, Khalis Mustafayev, Robert Orlowski, Srdan Verstovsek, Issam Raad

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Testing for antibody against hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) is a low-cost diagnostic method worldwide; however, an optimal screening test for HCV in patients with cancer has not been established. We sought to identify an appropriate screening test for HCV infection in patients with hematologic malignancies and/or hematopoietic cell transplants (HCT). Patients in our center were simultaneously screened using serological (anti-HCV) and molecular (HCV RNA) assays (February 2019-November 2019). In total, 214 patients were enrolled in this study. Three patients (1.4%) were positive for anti-HCV, and 2 (0.9%) were positive for HCV RNA. The overall percentage agreement was 99.5% (95% CI: …

Exploring Predictive Ability Of Fitness Test Data Relative To Fire Academy Graduation In Trainees: Practical Applications For Physical Training, Robert G. Lockie, Robin (Rob) Marc Orr, Fernando Montes, Tomas Ruvalcaba, J. Jay Dawes

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 15(4): 1274-1294, 2022. This study investigated the predictive abilities of fitness tests relative to academy graduation in firefighter trainees. Archival fitness test data from 305 trainees were analyzed, including: Illinois agility test (IAT); push-ups; pull-ups; leg tucks; multistage fitness test; 4.54-kg backwards overhead medicine ball throw (BOMBT); 10-repetition maximum deadlift; and a 91.44-m farmers carry with 18-kg kettlebells. Within the department, trainees were allocated points for each test. Trainees were split into graduated (245 males, 16 females) or released (29 males, 15 females) groups. Independent samples t-tests and effect sizes calculated between-group fitness test differences …

Associations Between Cannabis, Psychosis, And Schizophrenia In Adolescents, Lauren Moment

Academic Leadership Journal in Student Research

The effects of cannabis use on the brain, mind, and body have been studied for decades. The developing brain, particularly the adolescent and young adult brain, undergoes critical development that makes it especially susceptible to the effects of cannabis use. Among the adverse effects of cannabis use in adolescence and young adulthood, psychosis and psychotic disorders (e.g., schizophrenia) have been examined. The association of cannabis use with schizophrenia was first elucidated in a Swedish study of army conscripts. Specifically, conscripts reported their cannabis use exposure and were followed longitudinally to assess the emergence of schizophrenia. The authors found that those …

Disfrutar Excursiones Por Nuestra Bella Colombia, Gonzalo Escobar Reyes, Elizabeth Ann Escobar Cazal, María Cristina Velásquez Ardila

Ciencias Administrativas, Económicas y Contables

Caminatas, excursiones, senderismo, son actividades recreativas que rompen rutinas de trabajo, compromisos diarios, e inundan de alegría y ánimo a quienes participan en ellas, permitiendo de paso conocer y disfrutar paisajes, tener contacto con el verde de la naturaleza, respirar aire limpio , y compartir la integración en familia, con amigos y vecinos. Por ser estas de baja exigencia física, tienen un favor que no es necesario contar con entrenamiento de súper atletas, recomendándose, eso sí, estar en buen estado de salud. Por lo que son incluidos niños y adultos mayores.

Modulation Of Hepatic Amyloid Precursor Protein And Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein 1 By Chronic Alcohol Intake: Potential Link Between Liver Steatosis And Amyloid-Β, Jerome Garcia, Rudy Chang, Ross A. Steinberg, Aldo Arce, Joshua Yang, Peter Van Der Eb, Tamara Abdullah, Devaraj V. Chandrashekar, Syndey M. Eck, Pablo Meza, Zhang-Xu Liu, Enrique Cadenas, David H. Cribbs, Neil Kaplowitz, Rachita K. Sumbria, Derick Han

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Heavy alcohol consumption is a known risk factor for various forms of dementia and the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In this work, we investigated how intragastric alcohol feeding may alter the liver-to-brain axis to induce and/or promote AD pathology. Four weeks of intragastric alcohol feeding to mice, which causes significant fatty liver (steatosis) and liver injury, caused no changes in AD pathology markers in the brain [amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin], except for a decrease in microglial cell number in the cortex of the brain. Interestingly, the decline in microglial numbers correlated with serum alanine transaminase (ALT) levels, suggesting …

Functional Components Of Citrus Peel And Its Processing And Application Status, Tang Qing-Miao, Wang Lu-Feng

Food and Machinery

By overviewing the characteristic functional components of the citrus peel and its physiological activities such as antioxidant, anti-bacteria and anti-inflammation, hypoglycemia and lipid-lowering, the current domestic and international situation of citrus peel processing and its applications, summarized in this review, and the technical solutions to comprehensive processing and applications in a stepwise manner, were also discussed. Finally, the future directions on the researches and applications of the citrus peel were prospected.

Fast And Furious: Energetic Tradeoffs And Scaling Of High-Speed Foraging In Rorqual Whales, William T. Gough, David E. Cade, Max F. Czapanskiy, Jean Potvin, Frank E. Fish, Shirel R. Kahane-Rapport, Matthew S. Savoca, K. C. Bierlich, David W. Johnston, Ari S. Friedlaender, Andy Szabo, Lars Bejder, Jeremy A. Goldbogen

Biology Faculty Publications

Although gigantic body size and obligate filter feeding mechanisms have evolved in multiple vertebrate lineages (mammals and fishes), intermittent ram (lunge) filter feeding is unique to a specific family of baleen whales: rorquals. Lunge feeding is a high cost, high benefit feeding mechanism that requires the integration of unsteady locomotion (i.e., accelerations and maneuvers); the impact of scale on the biomechanics and energetics of this foraging mode continues to be the subject of intense study. The goal of our investigation was to use a combination of multi-sensor tags paired with UAS footage to determine the impact of morphometrics such as …

Mochi: A Comprehensive Cross-Platform Tool For Amplicon-Based Microbiota Analysis, Jun-Jie Zheng, Po-Wen Wang, Tzu-Wen Huang, Yao-Jong Yang, Hua-Sheng Chiu, Pavel Sumazin, Ting-Wen Chen

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Motivation: Microbiota analyses have important implications for health and science. These analyses make use of 16S/18S rRNA gene sequencing to identify taxa and predict species diversity. However, most available tools for analyzing microbiota data require adept programming skills and in-depth statistical knowledge for proper implementation. While long-read amplicon sequencing can lead to more accurate taxa predictions and is quickly becoming more common, practitioners have no easily accessible tools with which to perform their analyses.

Results: We present MOCHI, a GUI tool for microbiota amplicon sequencing analysis. MOCHI preprocesses sequences, assigns taxonomy, identifies different abundant species and predicts species diversity and …

Difference In Seasonal Peak Timing Of Soybean Far-Red Sif And Gpp Explained By Canopy Structure And Chlorophyll Content, Genghong Wu, Chongya Jiang, Hyungsuk Kimm, Sheng Wang, Carl Bernacchi, Caitlin E. Moore, Andy Suyker, Xi Yang, Troy Magney, Christian Frankenberg, Youngryel Ryu, Benjamin Dechant, Kaiyu Guan

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Recent advances in remotely sensed solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) have provided an exciting and promising opportunity for estimating gross primary production (GPP). Previous studies mainly focused on the linear correlation between SIF and GPP and the slope of the SIF-GPP relationship, both of which lack rigorous consideration of the seasonal trajectories of SIF and GPP. Here, we investigated the timing of seasonal peaks of far-red SIF and GPP in soybean fields by integrating tower data, satellite data, and process-based Soil Canopy Observation of Photosynthesis and Energy (SCOPE, v2.0) model simulations. We found inconsistency between the seasonal peak timing of far-red …

Species Distribution Models And Climatic Niche Comparisons Provide Clues On The Geographic Origin Of A Spider Invasion In The Americas, Laura Segura‑Hernandez, Gilbert Barrantes, Eduardo Chacon‑Madrigal, Adrián Garcia‑Rodriguez

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Identifying the source population of alien species is important to assess the distribution and potential effects in the invaded area. The araneid spider Cyrtophora citricola is widely distributed in Europe, Asia, and Africa; however, in the last 26 years, it has been reported in several countries across the Americas. To date, the geographic origin of the populations established in the Americas remains unclear, but considering the successful colonization after its recent arrival, assessing climatic similarities between the invaded and native geographic ranges could be useful to address this question. In this study, we used a combination of Species Distribution Models …

Quantitative Assay For Farnesol And The Aromatic Fusel Alcohols From The Fungus Candida Albicans, Cory H. T. Boone, Daniel Gutzmann, Jaxon J. Kramer, Audrey L. Atkin, Kenneth Nickerson

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The dimorphic fungus Candida albicans is a commensal and opportunistic fungal pathogen of humans. It secretes at least four small lipophilic molecules, farnesol and three aromatic fusel alcohols. Farnesol has been identified as both a quorum sensing molecule (QSM) and a virulence factor. Our gas chromatography (GC)-based assay for these molecules exhibits high throughput, prevention of analyte loss by avoiding filtration and rotary evaporation, simultaneous cell lysis and analyte extraction by ethyl acetate, and the ability to compare whole cultures with their cell pellets and supernatants. Farnesol synthesis and secretion were separable phenomena and pellet:supernatant ratios for farnesol were high, …

Proximate And Ultimate Perspectives On Romantic Love

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

Romantic love is a phenomenon of immense interest to the general public as well as to scholars in several disciplines. It is known to be present in almost all human societies and has been studied from a number of perspectives. In this integrative review, we bring together what is known about romantic love using Tinbergen’s “four questions” framework originating from evolutionary biology. Under the first question, related to mechanisms, we show that it is caused by social, psychological mate choice, genetic, neural, and endocrine mechanisms. The mechanisms regulating psychopathology, cognitive biases, and animal models provide further insights into the mechanisms …