Life Sciences Commons^™

Thinking Outside The Box Of Evaluation Platforms: Adapting Qualtrics For Virtual 4-H Judging Competitions, Maria Calvert, Ty Peckman

Journal of Extension

Competitive events represent a major component of 4-H programming. These events are typically held in person; however, unforeseen circumstances, like the COVID-19 pandemic, have required Extension professionals to adapt these programs to virtual settings. This paper outlines some unique features of Qualtrics, a web-based tool commonly used to build surveys, that led Missouri 4-H to use the platform to administer agriculture and natural resource science contests.

Water Conservation: Extension Agents’ Perceptions Of Issue Importance, Professional Abilities, And Landowner Needs, Audrey Mccrary, Leslie M. Burger, Laura Downey, Beth H. Baker

Journal of Extension

The Extension Service is one of many agencies charged with increasing awareness and knowledge of research-based agricultural conservation practices. A regional survey of Extension agents with agriculture and natural resources responsibilities was conducted to assess the need for in-service training on 11 water resource conservation topics. The highest priority training needs were for topics related to complex interactions and drivers of agricultural water pollution. This article highlights the implications of these results and offers broader perspective on bringing the Borich model of needs assessment into the agricultural and natural resources realm of subject matter expertise.

A Novel Proton-Integrating Radiography System Design Using A Monolithic Scintillator Detector: Experimental Studies, Chinmay D Darne, Daniel G Robertson, Fahed Alsanea, Charles-Antoine Collins-Fekete, Sam Beddar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Research on proton-based imaging systems aims to improve treatment planning, internal anatomy visualization, and patient alignment for proton radiotherapy. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate a new proton radiography system design consisting of a monolithic plastic scintillator volume and two optical cameras for use with scanning proton pencil beams. Unlike the thin scintillating plates currently used for proton radiography, the plastic scintillator volume (20 × 20 × 20 cm

Synergy Of Venetoclax And 8-Chloro-Adenosine In Aml: The Interplay Of Rrna Inhibition And Fatty Acid Metabolism, Dinh Hoa Hoang, Corey Morales, Ivan Rodriguez Rodriguez, Melissa Valerio, Jiamin Guo, Min-Hsuan Chen, Xiwei Wu, David Horne, Varsha Gandhi, Lisa S Chen, Bin Zhang, Vinod Pullarkat, Steven T Rosen, Guido Marcucci, Ralf Buettner, Le Xuan Truong Nguyen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

It is known that 8-chloro-adenosine (8-Cl-Ado) is a novel RNA-directed nucleoside analog that targets leukemic stem cells (LSCs). In a phase I clinical trial with 8-Cl-Ado in patients with refractory or relapsed (R/R) AML, we observed encouraging but short-lived clinical responses, likely due to intrinsic mechanisms of LSC resistance. LSC homeostasis depends on amino acid-driven and/or fatty acid oxidation (FAO)-driven oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) for survival. We recently reported that 8-Cl-Ado and the BCL-2-selective inhibitor venetoclax (VEN) synergistically inhibit FAO and OXPHOS in LSCs, thereby suppressing acute myeloid leukemia (AML) growth in vitro and in vivo. Herein, we report that 8-Cl-Ado …

A Revision Of The Genus Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950, With A Description Of 14 New Species (Scorpiones: Buthidae), František Kovařík, Victor Fet, Benjamin Gantenbein, Matthew R. Graham, Ersen A. Yağmur, František Šťáhlavský, Nikita M. Poverennyi, Nizami E. Novruzov

Euscorpius

The Asian genus Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950, s. str. (Buthidae) (also known as an informal ‘M. eupeus complex’), which includes the most common scorpion species found from Turkey to China, is revised based on new collections, mainly from Central Asia, Turkey, and Iran, using both morphological and mitochondrial DNA data. Available type specimens of all species were studied; neotypes and lectotypes were designated when necessary. The type species Mesobuthus eupeus (C. L. Koch, 1839), s. str., is restricted to the Caucasus Mts. Currently, the genus includes 29 valid species. Fifteen previously described taxa are recognized as species: Mesobuthus afghanus (Pocock, …

Examining Farm Financial Management: How Do Small Us Farms Meet Their Agricultural Expenses?, Omobolaji Omobitan, Aditya R. Khanal

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Small farms in the US have significant challenges in financial management. This study examines how small farmers undertake farm financial management to meet their agricultural and farm-related spending and expenses. Using primary survey data from Tennessee, the study investigates the factors influencing the extent of use of five financing sources to meet the spending and expenses: cash/fund directly generated from the sale of agricultural products, farmer’s past savings, farm household’s off-farm income, income/incentives from government payments, and external loans. Using negative binomial regression estimation of generalized linear models, findings suggest that the decision on the use of financing sources is …

Employment With The Northwest Territories Aquatics Program: A Significant Life Event?, Sebastien Denize, Audrey R. Giles

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

For over 60 years, the Northwest Territories Aquatics Program (NWTAP) has employed university students from southern Canada with little to no exposure to northern Canada to run seasonal swimming pools and waterfronts in isolated northern communities. In this article, we examine the impact that working for this program had on nine former employees’ lives and whether or not working for the NWTAP could be categorized as a significant life experience. We used thematic analysis of the data from retrospective semi-structured interviews and open-ended questionnaires and identified four themes: (1) employment by the NWTAP enhanced the employees’ self-confidence, independence, and self-efficacy; …

Content, Construct, And Criterion Validity, Reliability, And Objectivity For Aquatic Readiness Assessment For Brazilian Children, Nadia C. Valentini, Keila R G Pereira, Glauber C. Nobre

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

The Aquatic Readiness Assessment (ARA) is an assessment instrument for measuring children's aquatic readiness. The objective of the study was to translate the English version into Portuguese and to investigate the content, construct, and criterion validity as well as the reliability and rater objectivity of the ARA for Brazilian children. Twenty-three professionals and 464 children, newborn to 13 years-old participated in the study. We found strong content (94% to 100% of judges’ agreement) and criterion validity, internal consistency (α from .96 to .97), and inter-rater objectivity (ICC from .81 to .98), and test-retest reliability (ICC from .94 to .98). Appropriate …

Variants Within Genes Edil3 And Adgrb3 Are Associated With Divergent Fecal Egg Counts In Katahdin Sheep At Weaning, Gabrielle M. Becker, Joan M. Burke, Ronald M. Lewis, James E. Miller, James L.M. Morgan, Benjamin D. Rosen, Curtis P. Van Tassell, David R. Notter, Brenda M. Murdoch

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) pose a severe threat to sheep production worldwide. Anthelmintic drug resistance coupled with growing concern regarding potential environmental effects of drug use have demonstrated the necessity of implementing other methods of GIN control. The aim of this study was to test for genetic variants associated with resistance or susceptibility to GIN in Katahdin sheep to improve the current understanding of the genetic mechanisms responsible for host response to GIN. Linear regression and casecontrol genome-wide association studies were conducted with high-density genotype data and cube-root transformed weaning fecal egg counts (tFEC) of 583 Katahdin sheep. The casecontrol GWAS …

Ability Of Lifeguards To Detect Submerged Manikins In Public Swimming Pool Environments, Élie Vignac, Pascal Lebihain, Brice Guignard, Natacha Heutte, Loic Le Minor, Bastien Soulé

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

To prevent drownings in public swimming pools (PSP), French legislation requires constant surveillance by state-certified lifeguards. While previous research showed that surveillance was not always effective, this article focuses on efficiency of surveillance when it is effective. We evaluated the ability of 4 volunteer professional lifeguards to detect a submerged manikin under controlled conditions. One hundred and eight (108) tests were carried out in 2 PSP. Four variables were controlled (i.e., distance, depth, surveillance station, attendance). Our results showed that rapid drowning detection was not exclusively linked to the individual detection capabilities of a lifeguard, but rather it emerged from …

Towards Economic Growth And Development: The Role Of Development Finance Institutions In Fostering Foreign Direct Investment In Sub-Saharan Africa, Carmen Cagiza

Doctoral Projects

This dissertation contributes to the debate on economic development in developing countries through the analyses of four related strands of literature – the FDI and growth literature, the literature on finance and development, the DFI and growth literature, aid, institutions and economic development. The present research seeks to contribute to the debate on the effect of DFIs on FDI and consequently on economic development in developing economies to bridge the existing funding gap and thus ensure these economies achieve the global shared vision of sustainable development of the United Nations 2030 agenda. We acknowledge that development is triggered by economic …

Plants Used By Nyamwezi Traditional Health Practitioners To Remedy Sexually Transmitted Infections In Sikonge, Tanzania, David S. Kacholi, Halima Amir

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study aims to document medicinal plants used by Nyamwezi traditional health practitioners (NTHPs) in managing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Sikonge District. The data on medicinal plants were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. A total of 23 NTHPs were interviewed. The findings revealed that 28 medicinal plants, belonging to 16 families and 25 genera, are used for the management of STIs in Sikonge. Most species belonged to family Fabaceae (17.9%), Apocynaceae, Combretaceae and Euphorbiaceae (10.7% each), and Olacaceae and Rutaceae (7.1% each). Out of the recorded plants, 45.7% are used to manage gonorrhoea, 25.7% syphilis, 17.1% vaginal candidiasis, 8.6% …

Application Of Pheromone Is Potential Ecological Approach In Management Of Tuta Absoluta In Tomatoes: The Case Of Ruaha River Basin In Iringa, Tanzania, Theonest Kombe, Nicodemus D. Matojo, Fikira Kimbokota

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is currently considered to be one of the most destructive insect pests of tomatoes worldwide. The present study was conducted in three study sites along Ruaha River Basin, Iringa, Tanzania, to assess community awareness about T. absoluta infestation and its management. The study also evaluated the susceptibility of three tomato varieties against T. absoluta in a greenhouse setting, as well as the effect of colours of traps and doses of pheromone in attracting T. absoluta in a field environment. The field survey revealed that 97% of the respondents were aware of the …

Nonhistone Lysine Methylation As A Protein Degradation Signal, Nicholas A. Lehning, Brad E. Morrison

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Protein degradation is a fundamental feature of cellular life, and malfunction of this process is implicated in human disease. Ubiquitin tagging is the best characterized mechanism of targeting a protein for degradation; however, there are a growing number of distinct mechanisms which have also been identified that carry out this essential function. For example, covalent tagging of proteins with sequestosome-1 targets them for selective autophagy. Degradation signals are not exclusively polypeptides such as ubiquitin, NEDD8, and sequestosome-1. Phosphorylation, acetylation, and methylation are small covalent additions that can also direct protein degradation. The diversity of substrate sequences and overlap with other …

Developing Activities On Uncharismatic Animals Found At Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo And Aquarium, Justin Hultquist

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The Education Department at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium has a number of educational activities based on charismatic species found there. I wished to develop activities the department may use for less charismatic or misunderstood species at the zoo. I began by surveying the exhibits at the zoo and taking note of what species or groups didn’t receive as much visitor engagement, or what comments were made on species that were incorrect. I then began to brainstorm and narrow down potential species that I could develop an educational activity around. As I began to develop and create activities, a …

Role Of Bmi1 In Acute Lung Injury, María Helena Hernández-Cuervo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Acute Lung Injury (ALI) is a set of signs and symptoms that lead to acute hypoxemic respiratory failure characterized by bilateral pulmonary infiltrates not attributed to cardiogenic origin. It is caused by a massive innate immune response, with the migration of white blood cells (neutrophils and macrophages principally) and a cytokine storm, followed by alterations in mitochondrial function, increase in reactive oxygen species production, and oxidative stress that in turn induces more mitochondrial damage. Several studies have shown that mitochondrial alterations are key events in the mechanism of ALI and reducing mitochondrial dysfunction could be a possible target in the …

Cell-Free Dna Methylation Signatures In Cancer Detection And Classification, Jinyong Huang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Early detection of cancer is believed as one of the best solutions to improve the therapeutic outcomes and overall survival of cancer patients. Analysis of circulating nucleic acids in bodily fluids, referred to as “liquid biopsies”, is rapidly gaining prominence for this purpose. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) methylation has emerged as a promising biomarker for early cancer detection, tumor type classification, and treatment response monitoring. Currently, most cfDNA methylation profiling technologies are based on bisulfite conversion, while enrichment-based methods such as cfMeDIP-seq are beginning to show potential. To expand the use of enrichment-based methods in cfDNA methylation profiling, here, we report …

Determining Pairwise Interactions To Predict Species Interactions In A Complex Community Of Gut Bacteria., Makenzie Maroney

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The human gastrointestinal (GI) tract houses a diverse and expansive microbial community known as the microbiota. The relationship between the host and the microbiota is considered to be mutualistic, as trillions of bacteria that reside in the hospitable GI tract can assist in essential host functions, including contributing to metabolism and immunity against disease. An important subpopulation of the GI microbiota is the mucin-associated biofilm that is comprised of a dense layer of bacteria that forms on the GI mucin layer. The mucin layer provides an alternative niche to the GI lumen; the glycans of the mucin and the subsequent …

Genetic Variation Of The Mitochondrial Dna Control Region Across Plains Bison Herds In Usa And Canada, Gaimi Davies, Blake Mccann, Lee Jones, Stefano Liccioli, Maria Cecilia Penedo, Igor V. Ovtchinnikov

Biology Faculty Publications

Once numbering in the tens of millions, bison (Bison bison) have faced a broad range of challenges over the past century, including genetic impacts from the population bottleneck in the 1800s, and significant loss and fragmentation of habitat resulting in little opportunity for population growth on remaining small, geographically isolated reserves. To identify best practices for bison stewardship against this backdrop, managers must understand the genetic composition of existing conservation herds. This study characterized 14 plains bison (Bison bison bison) herds managed by the U.S. Department of Interior and Parks Canada Agency based on complete mtDNA …

Comparison Of Transcervical Insemination Versus Surgical Insemination Methods In Dogs At A Veterinary Clinic In Lincoln, Nebraska, Lauren Ahlers

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Artificial insemination paved the way for many advancements in reproductive technology. Two common artificial insemination methods recommended for use with frozen semen are transcervical insemination and surgical insemination. To better understand the conception rates of dogs for each method, data was collected from Hillcrest Animal Clinic. The data suggested that neither transcervical insemination nor surgical insemination was significantly better than the other. 50% of the dogs conceived when inseminated using the transcervical method, and 54.5% of the dogs conceived when inseminated using the surgical method. Based on the results, more data needs to be collected on both insemination procedures to …

Academic Information Seeking Behaviour Of Undergraduate Students Of History And International Studies In Nigerian Federal Universities, Chidi Amaechi Ph.D, Joseph Oluchukwu Wogu Ph.D

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study aims to understand the academic information-seeking behaviour of undergraduate students of history and international studies in Nigerian federal universities. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The study respondents were South-East federal universities undergraduate students of 100-400 levels in South-East, Nigeria's history and international studies department. The study was borne out of the numerous behavioural patterns exhibited by undergraduate students, history, and international studies undergraduate students inclusive for them to excel in their academic pursuits. 110 undergraduate students of history and international studies were sampled for the study. In determining the sample size, a random …

Measurable Residual Disease Response And Prognosis In Treatment-Naïve Acute Myeloid Leukemia With Venetoclax And Azacitidine, Keith W Pratz, Brian A Jonas, Vinod Pullarkat, Christian Recher, Andre C Schuh, Michael J Thirman, Jacqueline S Garcia, Courtney D Dinardo, Vladimir Vorobyev, Nicola S Fracchiolla, Su-Peng Yeh, Jun Ho Jang, Muhit Ozcan, Kazuhito Yamamoto, Arpad Illes, Ying Zhou, Monique Dail, Brenda Chyla, Jalaja Potluri, Hartmut Döhner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: There is limited evidence on the clinical utility of monitoring measurable residual disease (MRD) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia treated with lower-intensity therapy. Herein, we explored the outcomes of patients treated with venetoclax and azacitidine who achieved composite complete remission (CRc; complete remission + complete remission with incomplete hematologic recovery) and MRD < 10

METHODS: The patients included in this report were treated with venetoclax and azacitidine. Bone marrow aspirate samples for multiparametric flow cytometry assessments were collected for central analysis at baseline, end of cycle 1, and every three cycles thereafter. MRD-negative response was defined as < 1 residual blast per 1,000 leukocytes (< 10

RESULTS: One hundred …

Blood-Based Biomarker Panel For Personalized Lung Cancer Risk Assessment, Johannes F Fahrmann, Tracey Marsh, Ehsan Irajizad, Nikul Patel, Eunice Murage, Jody Vykoukal, Jennifer B Dennison, Kim-Anh Do, Edwin Ostrin, Margaret R Spitz, Stephen Lam, Sanjay Shete, Rafael Meza, Martin C Tammemägi, Ziding Feng, Samir M Hanash

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To investigate whether a panel of circulating protein biomarkers would improve risk assessment for lung cancer screening in combination with a risk model on the basis of participant characteristics.

Methods: A blinded validation study was performed using prostate lung colorectal ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial data and biospecimens to evaluate the performance of a four-marker protein panel (4MP) consisting of the precursor form of surfactant protein B, cancer antigen 125, carcinoembryonic antigen, and cytokeratin-19 fragment in combination with a lung cancer risk prediction model (PLCOm2012) compared with current US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) screening criteria. The 4MP was …

Understanding Common Perceptions Of The Drylands, C. Bedelian, D. Pertaub, F. Ngarachu, C. Hesse, S. Krätli, J. Obando, C. Shisanya, J. Maraigua

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Drylands occupy over 40% of the earth’s surface and are home to more than 2 billion people. Drylands are key to the food and nutritional security of the planet and vital to the economies and livelihoods of dryland inhabitants. Yet, drylands are commonly perceived as unproductive, economically inefficient and marginal lands where small-scale farmers and pastoralists practice environmentally degrading activities. Driven by inadequate understanding and misconceptions of the drylands, policy-makers devise inappropriate policies and interventions. The BRECcIA project developed an online Drylands Perceptions Survey to understand the perceptions of researchers, practitioners and policy makers working in the drylands of Kenya, …

Relationships Between Biodiversity And Production In Grasslands At Local And Regional Scales, A. Hector, M. Loreau

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Key points

1. Experimental manipulations of plant species diversity in unfertilised prairies and meadows has revealed that increasing diversity often leads to increased productivity (range of observed relationships varies from flat to log-linearly positive); driven by a combination of facilitation, niche-partitioning and sampling/selection effects.

2. The longer-term effects of diversity on ecosystem stability are not as clear and in need of further work.

3. Recent applied work, and a new review of the grassland literature, both show the potential for biodiversity to increase productivity under realistic field conditions.

4. The longer-term feedback of grazers on biodiversity gradients is unknown, and …

Methane And Nitrous Oxide Emissions From Grazed Grasslands, Harry Clark, C. Pinares-Patiño, C. De Klein

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Key points

1. Emissions of methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) from grasslands make a substantial contribution to total agricultural emissions of these two gases.

2. At present practical mitigation options that relate to grazing ruminants and grazed pastures are limited.

3. Research into agricultural greenhouse gas emissions is of low priority in most developed countries.

4. Direct manipulation of the rumen ecosystem provides the best opportunity for large reductions in CH₄ in the long term.

5. Reducing the amount of nitrogen (N) excreted by grazing animals is a priority in N₂O research, …

Mesobuthus Zarudnyi Sp. N. From Azerbaijan (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Nizami E. Novruzov, František Kovařík, Victor Fet

Euscorpius

A new species Mesobuthus zarudnyi sp. n. is described from Azerbaijan, fully illustrated with color photos. We compare the new species with two other species, M. eupeus (C. L. Koch, 1839) and M. persicus (Pocock, 1899), both found also in Azerbaijan.

Phenotypic Evaluation Of Energycane Varieties For Bioenergy, Wyatt Eason, D. M. Hollowell, Anna Hale, Jesse Ira Morrison, Brian Baldwin

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The need for renewable and carbon-neutral energy is growing as fossil fuel supplies decrease and concerns of climate change increase. C₄ grasses are among the most efficient carbon accumulators. Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is a renewable bioenergy crop with low inputs and high yields, but it is limited to tropical and sub-tropical climates. A close relative, Saccharum spontaneum, readily hybridizes with S. officinarum. S. spontaneum lends cold tolerance and higher yields to the hybrid progeny, called energycane. The Sugarcane Breeding Unit (USDA, Houma, Louisiana, USA) selected twenty-six genotypes for testing at Mississippi State University to determine production …

Effect Of Winter Canola Cultivar On Seed Yield, Oil, And Protein Content, Kyle D. Mcgeary, Jason P. De Koff, Bharat Pokharel, Richard Link, Priya Saini, Taqdeer Gill

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Winter canola (Brassica napus L.) production has increased in the United States over the past several decades; however, there is little research in the southeastern United States on its agronomic production and growth characteristics under different nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of N rates on winter mortality, yield, oil and protein content, and seedpod shatter resistance across cultivars. Canola was grown in a randomized split complete block design with four replicates under five different N rates (0, 56, 112, 168, and 224 kg N ha−1) with four different cultivars (Hekip, Inspiration, …

Smokejumper Obituary: Wiltzen, Harris Anthony (Missoula 1948), National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper Obituaries

No abstract provided.