Life Sciences Commons^™

Use Of A Direct, Rapid Immunohistochemical Test For Diagnosis Of Rabies Virus In Bats, Charles E. Rupprecht, Lolita Van Pelt, April D. Davis, Richard B. Chipman, David L. Bergman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rabies, a zoonotic encephalitis due to transmission of a lyssavirus, such as rabies virus (RABV), has the highest case fatality of any infectious disease. A global program for the elimination of human rabies caused by dogs is proposed for realization by 2030. Sensitive, specific, and inexpensive diagnostic tests are necessary for enhanced surveillance to detect infection, inform public health and veterinary professionals during risk assessments of exposure, and support overall programmatic goals. Multiple laboratory techniques are used to confirm a suspect case of rabies. One method for the detection of lyssavirus antigens within the brain is the direct rapid immunohistochemical …

An Exploration Of Trex1 Variants Of Uncertain Significance And Their Potential Impact On Autoimmunity In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus And Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome, Jordan Peters

JSU Student Symposium 2022

TREX1 is a gene responsible for encoding a 3'-to-5' DNA exonuclease in human cells. Under normal conditions TREX1 removes bases from the free 3' end to enhance DNA damage and prevent DNA end reannealing and rapid repair. Mutations in TREX1, which result in the absence of the 3'-to-5' DNA exonuclease and the intracellular accumulation of unneeded DNA and RNA, have been shown to trigger immune dysfunction leading to diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome (AGS). The goal of this study is to determine the potential impact of a TREX1 missense mutation with uncertain clinical significance (VUS). …

Reactive Oxygen Species In Plant Interactions With Aphids, Fiona L. Goggins, Hilary D. Fischer

Entomology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide and superoxide are produced in plants in response to many biotic and abiotic stressors, and they can enhance stress adaptation in certain circumstances or mediate symptom development in others. The roles of ROS in plant-pathogen interactions have been extensively studied, but far less is known about their involvement in plant-insect interactions. A growing body of evidence, however, indicates that ROS accumulate in response to aphids, an economically damaging group of phloem-feeding insects. This review will cover the current state of knowledge about when, where, and how ROS accumulate in response to aphids, …

Deficiency Of Ataxia Telangiectasia-Mutated Kinase (Atm) Preserves Heart Function By Affecting Cardiac Remodeling In Response To Western-Type Diet (Wd) In Female Mice, Paulina Ramirez

Tennessee Posters at the Capitol [2022]

WD and deficiency of ATM protein independently associates with heart disease. Previous work demonstrated that WD in male ATM deficient mice induces accelerated body weight gain and heart dysfunction (Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2021;320:H2324-H2338). Conversely, WD in female ATM deficient mice attenuates weight gain and preserves heart function (unpublished). Here, we investigated the mechanism by which ATM deficiency preserves heart function in female mice. Female wild-type (WT) and ATM heterozygous knockout (hKO) mice, aged 6 weeks, were fed with normal chow (NC) or WD for 14 weeks. Heart sections were stained with Masson’s trichrome to quantify fibrosis, TUNEL-stained …

Long Term Estrogen Loss Worsens Heart Function In Aged Female Mice, Pamela Avendaño-Rubí

Tennessee Posters at the Capitol [2022]

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and according to the American Heart Association, the risk of HD in aging menopausal women doubles compared to men of the same age. Excessive contractility of blood vessels is a common feature in heart disease. Clinical and animal studies further support that estrogen loss worsen the contractility in the heart but the details remain unclear. Thus, the overall goal of this work was to examine how the timing and duration of estrogen loss affects heart failure. Our hypothesis is that long-term estrogen loss following heart failure worsens cardiac function of the …

Effects Of Specific Blocking Buffers On Histone H2b Antibodies, Noha Al-Saadi, Grace Mix, Mardasia Thompson, Elin Zaman

JSU Student Symposium 2022

Mammalian histones have been known to be one of the most highly alkaline proteins found in the nuclei. Their main function is to organize DNA into chromosomes and regulate transcription. An example of a histone would be Histone H2B, which this project focuses heavily on. Histone H2B has been seen to bind poorly to antibodies and result in a weak signal. The goal of this project is to test a multitude of blocking buffers, in triplicate, in order to find a blocking buffer that can obtain the strongest signal from the antibodies being tested. Through the use of protein gel …

Antioxidant Content In Plant-Based Diets Versus Meat-Based Diets, Lia Meadows, Peeper Walker, Reveca Tomas

JSU Student Symposium 2022

The result of naturally occurring free radicals in the body are oxidative-stress-related damages to cells, tissues, and biomolecules. Oxidative stress occurs when the balance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) outnumbers antioxidants, producing negative effects. Antioxidants exist as a natural defense mechanism utilized by the body. This defense exists in two distinct forms: enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. Non-enzymatic antioxidants consist of vitamins and bioactive compounds, such as phenols. In previous studies, plant-based diets showed promising results in reducing damage caused by oxidative-stress. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which antioxidant concentration differs between meat-based diet and …

Genetic Assessment Of Congenital Stationary Night Blindness-Associated Trpm1 Variants Of Uncertain Significance In C. Elegans, Sara Morris

JSU Student Symposium 2022

Congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) is a disorder of the eye that impacts the ability to see in low to no light conditions. It occurs in horses and humans. TRPM1 encodes for a member of the transient receptor potential melastatin subfamily of transient receptor potential ion channels. Mutations in TRPM1 have been identified by previous researchers in horses with leopard complex pattern (LCP) suffering also from CSNB. Phenotypic changes in these horses are a loss of spotted coat pattern. An attempt was made to locate variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in TRPM1 that had been previously identified in horses with …

Agroecological Endeavor In Contexts: Complexity In Agroecological Education, Research, And Application, Bradley S. Crookston

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Allosteric Determinants Of The Sars-Cov-2 Spike Protein Binding With Nanobodies: Examining Mechanisms Of Mutational Escape And Sensitivity Of The Omicron Variant, Gennady M. Verkhivker

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Structural and biochemical studies have recently revealed a range of rationally engineered nanobodies with efficient neutralizing capacity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus and resilience against mutational escape. In this study, we performed a comprehensive computational analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer complexes with single nanobodies Nb6, VHH E, and complex with VHH E/VHH V nanobody combination. We combined coarse-grained and all-atom molecular simulations and collective dynamics analysis with binding free energy scanning, perturbation-response scanning, and network centrality analysis to examine mechanisms of nanobody-induced allosteric modulation and cooperativity in the SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer complexes with these nanobodies. By quantifying energetic and allosteric …

A Review Of Coronaviruses Associated With Kawasaki Disease: Possible Implications For Pathogenesis Of The Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Associated With Covid-19, Fatima Farrukh Shahbaz, Russell Seth Martins, Abdullah Umair, Ronika Devi Ukrani, Kauser Jabeen, M Rizwan Sohail, Erum Khan

Medical College Documents

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), representing a new entity in the spectrum of manifestations of COVID-19, bears symptomatic resemblance with Kawasaki Disease (KD). This review explores the possible associations between KD and the human coronaviruses and discusses the pathophysiological similarities between KD and MIS-C and proposes implications for the pathogenesis of MIS-C in COVID-19. Since 2005, when a case-control study demonstrated the association of a strain of human coronavirus with KD, several studies have provided evidence regarding the association of different strains of the human coronaviruses with KD. Thus, the emergence of the KD-like disease MIS-C in COVID-19 may …

Phylogenomic Discordance Suggests Polytomies Along The Backbone Of The Large Genus Solanum, Edeline Gagnon, Rebeccca Hilgenhof, Andrés Orejuela, Angela J. Mcdonnell, Gaurav Sablok, Xavier Aubriot, Leandro Giacomin, Yuri Gouvêa, Thamyris Bragionis, João Renato Stehmann, Lynn Bohs, Steven Dodsworth, Christopher T. Martine, Péter Poczai, Sandra Knapp, Tiina Särkinen

Faculty Journal Articles

Premise of the study

Evolutionary studies require solid phylogenetic frameworks, but increased volumes of phylogenomic data have revealed incongruent topologies among gene trees in many organisms both between and within genomes. Some of these incongruences indicate polytomies that may remain impossible to resolve. Here we investigate the degree of gene-tree discordance in Solanum, one of the largest flowering plant genera that includes the cultivated potato, tomato, and eggplant, as well as 24 minor crop plants.

Methods

A densely sampled species-level phylogeny of Solanum is built using unpublished and publicly available Sanger sequences comprising 60% of all accepted species (742 spp.) …

Pharmacological Modulation Of Kv13 Potassium Channel Selectively Triggers Pathological B Lymphocyte Apoptosis In Vivo In A Genetic Cll Model, Filippo Severin, Andrea Urbani, Tatiana Varanita, Magdalena Bachmann, Michele Azzolini, Veronica Martini, Marco Pizzi, Angelo Paolo Dei Tos, Federica Frezzato, Andrea Mattarei, Paolo Ghia, Maria Teresa Sabrina Bertilaccio, Erich Gulbins, Cristina Paradisi, Mario Zoratti, Gianpietro Carlo Semenzato, Luigi Leanza, Livio Trentin, Ildiko Szabò

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Ion channels are emerging as promising oncological targets. The potassium channels Kv1.3 and IKCa are highly expressed in the plasma membrane and mitochondria of human chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells, compared to healthy lymphocytes. In vitro, inhibition of mitoKv1.3 by PAPTP was shown to kill ex vivo primary human CLL cells, while targeting IKCa with TRAM-34 decreased CLL cell proliferation.

Methods: Here we evaluated the effect of the above drugs in CLL cells from ibrutinib-resistant patients and in combination with Venetoclax, two drugs used in the clinical practice. The effects of the drugs were tested also in the Eμ-TCL1 …

Spatial Transcriptomics Of Dorsal Root Ganglia Identifies Molecular Signatures Of Human Nociceptors, Diana Tavares-Ferreira, Stephanie Shiers, Pradipta R Ray, Andi Wangzhou, Vivekanand Jeevakumar, Ishwarya Sankaranarayanan, Anna M Cervantes, Jeffrey C Reese, Alexander Chamessian, Bryan A Copits, Patrick M Dougherty, Robert W Gereau, Michael D Burton, Gregory Dussor, Theodore J Price

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Nociceptors are specialized sensory neurons that detect damaging or potentially damaging stimuli and are found in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and trigeminal ganglia. These neurons are critical for the generation of neuronal signals that ultimately create the perception of pain. Nociceptors are also primary targets for treating acute and chronic pain. Single-cell transcriptomics on mouse nociceptors has transformed our understanding of pain mechanisms. We sought to generate equivalent information for human nociceptors with the goal of identifying transcriptomic signatures of nociceptors, identifying species differences and potential drug targets. We used spatial transcriptomics to molecularly characterize transcriptomes of single DRG …

Feasibility Of Administering Human Pancreatic Cancer Chemotherapy In A Spontaneous Pancreatic Cancer Mouse Model, Abagail M Delahoussaye, Joseph Abi Jaoude, Morgan Green, Tara N Fujimoto, Jessica Molkentine, Carolina J Garcia Garcia, Jason P Gay, Ningping Feng, Joseph Marszalek, Natalie Fowlkes, Cullen M Taniguchi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Both modified FOLFIRINOX (mFFX) and gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel chemotherapy regimens have been shown to improve clinical outcomes in patients with pancreatic cancer, and are often used interchangeably as the standard of care. Preclinical studies often do not use these regimens, since administering these multiagent approaches can be difficult. In this study, we assessed the feasibility of administering these two chemotherapy regimens in spontaneous pancreatic tumors using KPC mice with the ultimate goal of advancing preclinical studies.

Methods: KPC mice were created by breeding KrasLSL-G12D/+ to Trp53fl/fl;Ptf1αCre/+, resulting in KrasLSL-G12D/+;p53fl/+;Ptf1αCre/+ mice. At 14 weeks of age, mice were palpated for spontaneous tumor …

Expanding Cooperatives In Nebraska, Charlotte Narjes, Cythia Houlden

Cornhusker Economics

Nebraska has a history of cooperatives in agriculture. The most common types are agricultural marketing and supply cooperatives. The Nebraska Cooperative Council map highlights that there are over 400 cooperative locations in Nebraska. In addition to agricultural cooperatives, such as Ag Processing, Inc. and Producers Livestock Marketing Association, there are also cooperative credit unions and the Nebraska Rural Radio Association.

Evaluation Of Herbage Intake Estimation Methods For Dairy Cattle Grazing On Semi-Extensive Pastures, S. Perdana-Decker, E. Velasco, J. Werner, U. Dickhoefer

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Available empirical and mechanistic models to estimate total dry matter intake (DMI) and pasture dry matter intake (PDMI) of grazing lactating dairy cows have mainly been developed under intensive grazing conditions. The objective was to evaluate the adequacy of such existent models for use under semi-extensive grazing conditions, characterised by semi-natural grassland and less intensive resource use. Feed intake of lactating cows was measured on three commercial organic dairy farms in South Germany during one or two 6-d-periods/farm in 2019. Each period, DMI was determined in 10 or 20 cows per farm from their daily faecal output measured using titanium …

Tracing The Path Of Technology Diffusion: The Case Of Nturumenti, Narok, Kenya, Paul N. Katiku, R. Kimitei, S. Amboga, G. A. Keya, B. Korir, J. Nginyi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

An array of technologies; growing improved wheat varieties, bulking and collective marketing of wheat grains, sheep breed improvement, ram sharing, feedlot sheep fattening for market, strategic sheep deworming, pasture establishment and conservation practices; were introduced to members of a community based organization (CBO) in Nturumenti, anti-female genital mutilation and anti-poverty organization (AFAPO) in 2014. The CBO members, composed of youthful 19 men and 7 females, were intensively exposed and involved in the new skills both theoretically and practically in the farmers’ field school model. Even though the 8 farming technology options were suitable for the study environment, their adoption and …

The Use Of Sunn Hemp As Forage In Florida, João M. B. Vendramini, J. E. Garzon Alfonso, H. M. Da Silva, Maria L. Silveira, J. C. B. Dubeux Jr., M. Kaneko

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) is a warm-season annual legume that has been widely used as cover crop; however, there is potential to use sunn hemp as forage in subtropical regions. The objective of this study was to evaluate management practices to improve the efficiency of using sunn hemp as a forage crop. The study was conducted in Ona, Florida, USA from 2016 to 2018 and tested the factorial arrangement of five sunn hemp genotypes (Crescent Sunn, Ubon, Blue Leaf, and AU Golden) and two harvest times (60 d after seeding or flowering) with four replicates. There was a …

The Optimum Seeding And Harvesting Dates Of Sorghum-Sudangrass Hybrid (Sorghum Bicolor L.) Via Optimum Moving Response Surface Methodology, M. Kim, J. Y. Kim, M. H. Jo, C. H. Kim, K. Sung

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This study aimed to detect the optimum seeding and harvesting dates, and to verify the variation of dry matter yield (DMY) for sorghum-sudangrass hybrid (SSH) via optimum moving RSM proposed to optimize the RSM in metadata. For detecting the optimum point, a response surface methodology (RSM) has been known well in agricultural science. The SSH metadata (n = 856) consists of individual experiments that could be performed to check the optimum seeding and harvesting dates by classic RSM. However, the SSH metadata failed to produce an effective single equation which can be detected the optimum seeding and harvesting dates due …

The Importance Of Soil Seed Bank Dynamics As Potential Indicators Of Desertification Tipping Point, N. Hamunyela, W. C. Nesongano, K. Tielbörger

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Soil seed banks play a major role in the vegetation dynamics of drylands, where annual rainfall is unpredictable and plants depend on a persistent stage (seeds) to survive over the dry season. The purpose of the study is to understand the behaviour of the rangeland system in terms of soil seed bank dynamics before, during and after crossing the “so called” DTP and to determine whether different management systems plays a role in accelerating the desertification process. Through the use of the Space for Time Substitution Approach the study analysed spatial grazing gradients (gradients radiating from water points) to predict …

The Influence Of Legume Species On The Productivity And Quality Of Multi-Species Swards In Four Production Years, A. Adamovics, I. Gutmane

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Latvia’s farms, the use of multicomponent grass–legume mixtures is a traditional practice, because swards can secure good persistence and stable productivity. Red clover Trifolium pratense (Tp) and lucerne Medicago sativa (Ms) are traditional forage crops, but fodder galega Galega orientalis (Go) is grown for a relatively short period. Field trials were carried out with the aim to investigate forage yield and quality during four production years of sown legume–grass swards. Mixtures were composed of 50% legumes and 50% grasses (G). Swards were cut three times during the vegetation season. Significant differences in dry matter (DM) yield were found between …

Angular Momentum In Skilled Kicking Pullover Performed By Elementary School Children, Yutaka Shimizu, Saburo Nishimura, Shoichi Matsushita

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 3: Issue 1, Article 2, 2022. This study aimed to clarify the differences in body positions and the role of the swing leg, support leg, and head-arm-trunk segment in generating and maintaining angular momentum of the whole body about a horizontal bar as well as how to improve the skill level of successful kicking pullover attempts. Two-dimensional kinematic parameters of successful kicking pullover attempts and body composition indices of 26 fifth-grade elementary school children were collected. Their techniques were classified into excellent and good groups based on the subjective evaluation of three evaluators. …

Velocity-Based Training: Current Concepts And Future Directions, Toby Brooks, Wil Fleming, Larry Munger, Katie Munger

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology 3(1): Article 1, 2022. Velocity-based training (VBT) is a current approach to resistance training that relies on measured bar, implement, and/or athlete speed to formulate and adjust training for both long-term programming and daily training sessions. Relying on a number of available tools of varying levels of accuracy, VBT can help the strength and conditioning specialist and/or the rehabilitation professional to not only better predict strength and power over time, but also to adjust training loads in order to maximize training response in a given session. While the appeal and price points of available …

Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized By Nd: Yag Laser Ablation Technique: Characterization And Antibacterial Activity, Sahar Naji Rashid Msc., Kadhim A. Aadim Ph.D., Awatif Sabir Jasim Ph.D.

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) technique can produce high purity nanoparticles, it is a top-down physical method based on the principle of dividing metal ion bulk precursors into metal atoms, this method was used in this work to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgPNs) by using Nd: YAG laser with two wavelengths (355 nm) and (532 nm) at energies (500 mJ) and (600 mJ) respectively, with the number of pulses (500, 600, 700, 800, and 900 pulses) for each wavelength. The properties of the prepared nanoparticles were investigated by UV-Vis, XRD, SEM with EDX, AFM, and FTIR analysis and then …

Simulation And Improvement Of The Efficiency Of The Cfts Solar Cell Using Scaps-1d, Hardan T. Ghanem Dr., Ayed N. Saleh, Muaamer A. Kamil

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

A simulation of the AZO/i-ZnO/CdS/CFTS solar cell was carried out using SCAPS software. The results were obtained (Voc=0.55 V, Jsc=6.2 mA/cm², FF=39 %, ɳ=1.35 %). Simulation results were compared with experimental research and we got convergence in the results (Voc=0.56 V, Jsc=6.5 mA/cm², FF=37 %, ɳ=1.37 %). The simulated solar cell is improved by increasing the doping concentration and thickness of the buffer and absorption layers. The efficiency of the solar cell was improved to ɳ=4.29%, fill factor FF=52.92%, open circuit voltage Voc=0.74 V and short circuit current Jsc=10.8 mA/cm²

Molecular Characterization Of Wild Pleurotus Ostreatus (Mw457626) And Evaluation Of Β-Glucans Polysaccharide Activities, Ghazwan Q. Hasan Ph.D., Shimal Y. Abdulhadi Ph.D.

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Pleurotus ostreatus is a common cultivated edible mushroom worldwide. The fruiting bodies of P. ostreatus is a rich source of a β-glucans polysaccharide. The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of β-glucans as a natural polysaccharide produced by P. ostreatus as an antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer. The molecular identification of P. ostreatus isolate was confirmed by Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequence. The sequence alignment and phylogenetic evolutionary relationship of studied ITS sequence were performed against some deposited sequences in GenBank. The analysis of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as well as the result of fourier transform infrared spectroscopy …

Promoting Rangeland Restoration And Climate Resilience Through Grazing Case Studies, T. D. Hudson, S. A. Hall, G. G. Yorgey, S. Neibergs, M. R. Reeves, S. Jensen

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Cow-calf beef operations are the primary users of the 8.75 million hectares of rangelands in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and will have to adapt to ongoing and future climate change. Management directed toward current rangeland stressors which may be amplified under a changing climate—including fire risk, invasive plants, and droughts—is likely to improve future resilience. And although climate change discussions have become highly politicized, our experience suggests that Pacific Northwest ranchers support "no-regrets” strategies that provide ecological and economic benefits under a variety of future conditions. Our goal is to foster adoption of these strategies by sharing individual success stories. …

The Effects Of Microbial Inoculation On Short-To-Long Fermentation And Aerobic Stability Of Grass-Legume Silage Ensiled In Big Bales, J. Jatkauskas, V. Vrotniakiene, K. L. Witt, G. Copani, I. Eisner

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Wilted (35.9 % DM and 2.6% WSC) moderately difficult to ensile grass-legume mixture (red clover, alfalfa and timothy 50:20:30) was ensiled in cylindrical big bales (1.2 m hight and 1.2 m diameter) with a weight about 700 kg. The crop was ensiled for 8, 32 and 120 days with or without a microbial inoculation (SiloSolve^® FC containing Lactococcus lactis DSM 11037/1k2081 and Lactobacillus buchneri DSM 22501/1k20738 applied at 1.5×10⁵ CFU g^-1 forage). Ten bales per treatment were prepared for each fermentation period. After each period of ensiling the big bales were opened, sampled, and tested for fermentation …

Strategies To Decrease Management Inputs And Improve Quality Of Tripsacum For Fodder Production And Ecosystem Services, Jesse Ira Morrison

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Species and biotypes of the genus Tripsacum include: eastern gamagrass (T. dactyloides) in North and Central America; Guatemala grass (T. fasciculatum syn. T. andersonii) in Latin America and the West Indies; and wide-leaf gamagrass (T. latifolium) throughout Mesoamerica. Of these, Guatemala grass has become widely popular throughout the tropics as a fodder plant and for its benefits related to environmental and ecosystem services. Guatemala grass is a hearty, long-lived perennial warm-season bunchgrass. Mature plants are somewhat shallow rooted, with short rhizomes, and produce robust foliage with leaf blades 10cm wide and 120cm long. The …