Life Sciences Commons^™

Interindividual Differences And Their Consistency In Grazing Cattle Behavior Across Seasons, H. Anzai, M. Shitajikkoku, K. Hani, N. Yamada, M. Hirata

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Interindividual differences and their consistency in behavior were investigated for cattle (Bos taurus) grazing a bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) and centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) dominated pasture as a herd of about 30 breeding cows with their calves. Behavior of the cows was monitored directly by observers and also using GPS and accelerometer data loggers attached to focal cows for a period of 1–5 days every month during the grazing seasons (from May to October) in 2018 and 2019. The data were converted into behavioral variables (e.g. time spent grazing, ruminating and resting, time spent in particular …

Biodiversity Assessment And Conservation Of Threatened Plant Species Belonging To The Unique Steppe With Trees In Tunisian Drylands, Jamila Msadek, Mohamed Tarhouni

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Biodiversity conservation from heavy grazing impacts, through the creation of national parks, is usually considered to sustain higher ecosystem resilience and to protect the natural plant cover as well as the threatened species. The study was carried out in Bou Hedma national park, a biosphere reserve containing the unique Acacia tortilis (Forssk.) Hayne subsp. raddiana (Savi) Brenan steppe with trees in Tunisia. Several functional traits of seven (7) rare and threatened plant species are used to highlight their adaptive strategies in order to understand the evolution of plant communities and the overall ecosystems functioning inside the park. Such results may …

Vegetation Response To Grazing Pressure In The Puna Flat, Nw Argentina, M. Quiroga Mendiola, A. Tálamo

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Puna grasslands are located at a high‐altitude flat plateau in the Northwest of Argentina. It is an arid territory (100 to 300 mm rainfall/year) at 3,000 to 4,000 m a.s.l. The vegetation is scarce, where Andean pastoralist communities produce meat and wool, specialized in llama (Lama glama) and sheep‐breeding, although they do breed multi‐species herds that may also include goats and cattle. There are erosion processes in the Puna, where shepherds and their animals could be synergetic factors with natural very hard climatic conditions. In this work we assess the effect of ovine and lama grazing on the …

Grass Species Density And Biomass Of South African Communal Property Association Farms Differing In Soil Properties, K. E. Ravhuhali, B. Moyo

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Attempts to monitor and mitigate rangeland deterioration in Communal Property Associations projects require some understanding of the knowledge of species composition and distribution. The study was conducted to compare the herbaceous in three selected CPAs projects (Mashung Matlala - Sandy loam, Mawela - clay loam, and Bela-Bela - clay) in South Africa. Mawela and Mashung Matlala CPAs were overgrazed. For species density, basal strike, and biomass, three transects (500m), which served as replicates, were established at two camps of each of the selected CPAs. Variation in herbaceous vegetation parameters was explored through SAS software. Clay soil type had better (P …

Therapeutic Treatment With The Anti-Inflammatory Drug Candidate Mw151 May Partially Reduce Memory Impairment And Normalizes Hippocampal Metabolic Markers In A Mouse Model Of Comorbid Amyloid And Vascular Pathology, David J. Braun, David K. Powell, Christopher J. Mclouth, Saktimayee M. Roy, D. Martin Watterson, Linda J. Van Eldik

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly, but therapeutic options are lacking. Despite long being able to effectively treat the ill-effects of pathology present in various rodent models of AD, translation of these strategies to the clinic has so far been disappointing. One potential contributor to this situation is the fact that the vast majority of AD patients have other dementia-contributing comorbid pathologies, the most common of which are vascular in nature. This situation is modeled relatively infrequently in basic AD research, and almost never in preclinical studies. As part of our efforts to develop …

The Impacts Of Social Activism And Corporate Social Responsibility On Food Fraud, Anubrata Deka, Emie Yiannaka, Konstantinos Giannakas

Cornhusker Economics

A recent report finds that 86% of Americans expect for-profit companies to be active in addressing social and environmental issues (Porter Novelli/Cone 2019). In addition to benefiting society, engagement in prosocial behavior, known as corporate social responsibility (CSR), can improve a firm’s competitiveness and economic performance. Engagement in proactive CSR can enhance a firm’s relationship with the public by building its reputation of being a trustworthy, credible and responsible citizen. Studies have argued that the reputation firms develop through CSR activities can provide ‘insurance-like’ protection from future negative publicity and attacks on the firm (Godfrey et al. 2009; Gardberg and …

Effects Of On-Arrival Application Of A Modified-Live Respiratory And Clostridia Vaccination On Health, Growth Performance, And Antibody Titers Of Newly-Weaned Calves, Erin Gubbels, Santana Hanson, Tommy Norman, Thiago Ribeiro, Thomas G. Hamilton, Forest Francis, Jason Griffin, Warren Rusche, Zachary K. F. Smith

SDSU Beef Day 2022 Summary Publication

Study Description:

Single-sourced, newly weaned steers (n=70; initial body weight (BW)=560±12.9lb) were allotted to 10 pens (n=5 pens/treatment with 7 steers/pen). Steers were blocked by BW in a randomized complete block design of VAC [vaccinated for IBR, BVD 1 and 2, PI3, and BRSV (Bovi-Shield Gold 5, Zoetis, Parsippany, NJ) and clostridial (Ultrabec 7/Somubac, Zoetis) upon arrival] or NOVAC (not vaccinated for IBR, BVD 1 and 2, PI3, and BRSV or clostridial species upon arrival). Steers were individually weighed on d 0 (arrival), 1, 21, and 42 for growth performance measures. Whole blood samples (10 mL) were collected (n=3 steers/pen …

Gut Microbiome And Metabolome Variations In Self-Identified Muscle Builders Who Report Using Protein Supplements, Lauri O. Byerley, Karyn M. Gallivan, Courtney J. Christopher, Christopher M. Taylor, Meng Luo, Scot E. Dowd, Gregory M. Davis, Hector F. Castro, Shawn R. Campagna, Kristin S. Ondrak

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Muscle builders frequently consume protein supplements, but little is known about their effect on the gut microbiota. This study compared the gut microbiome and metabolome of selfidentified muscle builders who did or did not report consuming a protein supplement. Twenty-two participants (14 males and 8 females) consumed a protein supplement (PS), and seventeen participants (12 males and 5 females) did not (No PS). Participants provided a fecal sample and completed a 24-h food recall (ASA24). The PS group consumed significantly more protein (118 ± 12 g No PS vs. 169 ± 18 g PS, p = 0.02). Fecal metabolome and …

Emotion Recognition With Audio, Video, Eeg, And Emg: A Dataset And Baseline Approaches, Jin Chen, Tony Ro, Zhigang Zhu

Publications and Research

This paper describes a new posed multimodal emotional dataset and compares human emotion classification based on four different modalities - audio, video, electromyography (EMG), and electroencephalography (EEG). The results are reported with several baseline approaches using various feature extraction techniques and machine-learning algorithms. First, we collected a dataset from 11 human subjects expressing six basic emotions and one neutral emotion. We then extracted features from each modality using principal component analysis, autoencoder, convolution network, and mel-frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC), some unique to individual modalities. A number of baseline models have been applied to compare the classification performance in emotion recognition, …

Characterizing The Impact Of Postharvest Temperature Stress On Polyphenol Profiles Of Red And White-Fruited Strawberry Cultivars, Alyssa N. Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

All living organisms have developed mechanisms that help them prevent internal stress and survive under harsh conditions. For fruits, specifically strawberries, stress is fought against primarily by increasing the synthesis of polyphenols, which are secondary plant metabolites with bioactive activity. Characterizing these bioactive compounds and the differences between strawberry cultivars can be vital for strawberry breeders. Furthermore, understanding the mechanisms that trigger the synthesis of polyphenols and their levels within different strawberry cultivars will provide breeders with tools to successfully identify cultivars with higher resistance to pre- and postharvest stressors. To gain that understanding, this study aimed to characterize the …

Transcribed Ultraconserved Regions Are Associated With Clinicopathological Features In Breast Cancer, Erika Pereira Zambalde, Douglas Adamoski, Daniela Fiori Gradia, Iris Rabinovich, Ana Carolina Rodrigues, Enilze M S F Ribeiro, Jaqueline Carvalho De Oliveira

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Ultraconserved regions (UCRs) are 481 genome segments, with length longer than 200 bp, that are 100% conserved among humans, mice, and rats. The majority of UCRs are transcriptionally active (T-UCRs) as many of them produce non-coding RNAs. In a previous study, we evaluated the expression level of T-UCRs in breast cancer (BC) patients and found that 63% of transcripts correlated with some clinical and/or molecular parameter of BC. In this study, we delved into the expression levels of 12 T-UCRs and correlated them with clinicopathological parameters, immunohistochemical markers, and overall survival in two breast cancer cohorts: TCGA and Brazilian patients. …

Examination Of The Prevalence Of Female Athlete Triad Components Among Competitive Cheerleaders, Allison B. Smith, Jennifer L. Gay, Shawn M. Arent Phd, Cscs*D, Fissn, Facsm, Fnak, Mark A. Sarzynski Ph.D., Faha, Facsm, Dawn M. Emerson, Toni Torres-Mcgehee Phd, Lat, Atc

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine individual and combined Female Athlete Triad components within collegiate cheerleaders, an at-risk group. Cheerleaders ( = 19; age: 20.3 ± 1.2 years) completed anthropometric measurements, health history questionnaires, resting metabolic rate, the eating disorder inventory-3 and symptom checklist, blood sample, and DXA scan. Participants completed dietary and exercise logs for 7 days and used heart rate monitors to track daily and exercise energy expenditure. Proportions were calculated for low energy availability (LEA) risk, disordered eating risk, and pathogenic behaviors. Chi-square analysis was used to determine the difference between cheerleaders who experience low …

Assessment Of Bacterial Inoculant Delivery Methods For Cereal Crops, Yen Ning Chai, Stephanie Futrell, Daniel P. Schachtman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Despite growing evidence that plant growth-promoting bacteria can be used to improve crop vigor, a comparison of the different methods of delivery to determine which is optimal has not been published. An optimal inoculation method ensures that the inoculant colonizes the host plant so that its potential for plant growth-promotion is fully evaluated. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of three seed coating methods, seedling priming, and soil drench for delivering three bacterial inoculants to the sorghum rhizosphere and root endosphere. The methods were compared across multiple time points under axenic conditions and colonization efficiency was …

The Type And Quantity Of Plant Litter Influences The Plant Functional Group Growth In An Alpine Meadow, Zhouwen Ma, Fujiang Hou

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Plant functional group (PFG) diversity in a grassland is an important measure of productivity and health. Litter is known to be major driving factors of soil-grass feedbacks in natural grassland. The shift in PFG composition is a significant change that can result many ecological consequences such as litter composition and dynamics (Dong et al., 2019). Decomposition of litter can affect the nutrient and allelochemicals cycling of soil, which affects seed germination and establishment of seedlings (Yuan et al., 2015). Furthermore, PFG characteristics can vary via inputs of the quality or quantity of litter (Galvánek & Lepš, 2012). These compositional changes …

The Functional Importance Of Forbs In Grassland Ecosystems, F. Siebert, C. Morris, S. Chamane, N. Ntuli, S. J. Siebert

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Herbaceous vegetation in grassland ecosystems is characterised by grass dominance in a species-rich forb-grass mixture. Forbs (i.e. the non-graminoid herbaceous component) represent the largest proportion of total species- and functional richness, which secure important ecosystem functions. Although grasses remain the most important forage source, certain forb species provide nutritious food sources for herbivores. Moreover, forbs provide food- and habitat sources to enhance invertebrate diversity and hence, agricultural food security through the maintenance of healthy pollinator communities. Important food and medicinal sources for human livelihoods in developing countries are also largely contributed by forbs. However, the dynamics and ecology of forb …

The Effects Of Chemical And Mechanical Control Of Woody Plants On Resprouting And Seedling Production In Communal Rangelands, P. Monegi, N. R. Mkhize, T. J. Tjelele, D. Ward, Z. Tsvuura

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In many African countries, communal rangelands are threatened by woody plant encroachment. We sought to explore potential solutions for communal ranchers that would be cost-effective. We conducted two field experiments to determine (1) the effects of various tree removal treatments (10%, 20%, 50%, 75% and 100%), and herbicide application on resprouting ability and vigour of several woody plant species; and (2) the effectiveness of Tree Poppers® (a weed wrench) as a low-cost mechanical control tool to physically uproot seedlings and saplings of woody species. In the first experiment, we examined 12 plant species from 20 plots (30 m x 30 …

‘Cachena’, A Bovine Rustic Portuguese Extensively Reared Autochthonous Breed: Meat Texture Analysis, M. E. Potes, S. Ricardo-Rodrigues, M. Laranjo, A. C. Agulheiro-Santos, M. Elias

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

‘Cachena’ is one of the world’s smallest bovine breeds. Extremely rustic and wild, they are extensively reared, and fed with natural pastures. Meat valorisation is essential to preserve this breed, with a limited livestock.

‘Cachena’’s meat is tender, juicy, low-fat, and highly appreciated due to the association of animal, terroir and producer, balanced by the ecosystem’s sustainability.

The aim of this study was to increase the weight of Longissimus dorsi (LD) and Psoas major (PM) muscles, without depreciating their sensory quality.

Two groups of 16 animals were slaughtered: (A) 9-17 months old animals with 140-225 kg slaughter live weight (SLW); …

Assessing Feed Gaps On Smallholder Livestock Farms In Limpopo: Production System And Coping Strategies, S. A. Lamega, M. Komainda, M. P. Hoffmann, J. J. Odhiambo, K. K. Ayisi, J. Isselstein

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Smallholder farms in southern Africa are predominantly mixed crop-livestock systems and often characterized by low productivity. Therefore, providing sufficient forage becomes a challenge that results first in feed gaps, i.e. the difference between the demand for and supply of forage, and secondly, in nutrient mining of the soil due to the overuse of the resources. However, the availability of forage follows potentially seasonal patterns. Hence, a key entry point for any intervention strategies for improvement is an assessment of forage quantity and quality throughout the year. Against this background, we investigated six locations, smallholders’ cattle production systems and their adaptation …

Relationships Between Physiological And Self-Reported Assessment Of Cancer-Related Fatigue, Trista Olson, Kevin D. Dames, Jeremy D. Smith, Reid Hayward

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 15(3): 177-190, 2022. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationships between subjective, self-reported cancer related fatigue (CRF) and objective measures of muscular strength and fatigability in cancer survivors. A total of 155 cancer survivors (60 ± 13 years of age) completed a questionnaire for the assessment of CRF, along with assessments of handgrip strength, quadriceps strength and fatigability (reduced force/torque). Fatigability was measured by completing 15 maximal isokinetic contractions of the knee extensors (QFI). Spearman’s rho correlation coefficients were calculated as pairwise combinations of the numerical and categorical dependent measures. Categorical variables …

Evaluating The Effect Of Shoes With Varying Mass On Vertical Ground Reaction Force Parameters In Short-Term Running, Bahador Keshvari, Steven Alevras, Juergen Mitternacht, Veit Senner

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 15(1): 191-205, 2022. Past investigations have revealed that running shoes affect ground reaction force parameters. However, these studies are unclear as to whether these changes, which occur while running in different shoe types of differing masses, are the result of the structural design or the mass of the shoe. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of shoe mass on vertical ground reaction force parameters: active peak and impulse. Methods. 21 male runners (24.52 years old (± 3.09) and 77.13kg (± 7.9)) participated in the experiment. A baseline shoe (BS) …

Principles Of Holistic Resource Management: Investing In Self-Education, Pete Bauman

SDSU Beef Day 2022 Summary Publication

Study Description:

First developed as a concept for approaching grazing resources management by Alan Savory in the 1970’s as a means of combating poor grazing practices, the concept of Holistic Management has evolved in the modern era to Holistic Resource Management, or in some cases “Wholistic” Resource Management, suggesting a more inclusive approach to overall planning and assessment beyond developing a sustainable grazing plan.

In simplified terms, a complete Holistic Resource Management plan for an agricultural businesses ultimately embraces a core concept that centers on the original ‘Triple Bottom Line’ accounting philosophy where the three “P’s” of profit, people, and …

A Need For More Molecular Profiling In Brain Metastases., Erica Shen, Amanda E D Van Swearingen, Meghan J Price, Ketan Bulsara, Roel G W Verhaak, César Baëta, Brice D Painter, Zachary J Reitman, April K S Salama, Jeffrey M Clarke, Carey K Anders, Peter E Fecci, C Rory Goodwin, Kyle M Walsh

Faculty Research 2022

As local disease control improves, the public health impact of brain metastases (BrM) continues to grow. Molecular features are frequently different between primary and metastatic tumors as a result of clonal evolution during neoplasm migration, selective pressures imposed by systemic treatments, and differences in the local microenvironment. However, biomarker information in BrM is not routinely obtained despite emerging evidence of its clinical value. We review evidence of discordance in clinically actionable biomarkers between primary tumors, extracranial metastases, and BrM. Although BrM biopsy/resection imposes clinical risks, these risks must be weighed against the potential benefits of assessing biomarkers in BrM. First, …

Cold Shock Induces A Terminal Investment Reproductive Response In C. Elegans, Leah Gulyas, Jennifer R. Powell

Biology Faculty Publications

Challenges from environmental stressors have a profound impact on many life-history traits of an organism, including reproductive strategy. Examples across multiple taxa have demonstrated that maternal reproductive investment resulting from stress can improve offspring survival; a form of matricidal provisioning when death appears imminent is known as terminal investment. Here we report a reproductive response in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans upon exposure to acute cold shock at 2 °C, whereby vitellogenic lipid movement from the soma to the germline appears to be massively upregulated at the expense of parental survival. This response is dependent on functional TAX-2; TAX-4 cGMP-gated channels …

Adaptalight: An Inexpensive Par Sensor System For Daylight Harvesting In A Micro Indoor Smart Hydroponic System, Joseph D. Stevens, David Murray, Dean A. Diepeveen, Danny Toohey

Horticulture Research Articles

Environmental changes and the reduction in arable land have led to food security concerns around the world, particularly in urban settings. Hydroponic soilless growing methods deliver plant nutrients using water, conserving resources and can be constructed nearly anywhere. Hydroponic systems have several complex attributes that need to be managed, and this can be daunting for the layperson. Micro Indoor Smart Hydroponics (MISH) leverage Internet of Things (IoT) technology to manage the complexities of hydroponic techniques, for growing food at home for everyday citizens. Two prohibitive costs in the advancement of MISH systems are power consumption and equipment expense. Reducing cost …

How Capuchin Monkeys Use Their Semi-Prehensile Tails, Madhur Mangalam, Callum F. Ross, Patricia Izar, Elisabetta Visalberghi, Dorothy M. Fragaszy

Journal Articles

Among primates, prehensile/semi-prehensile tails have evolved independently in the families Atelidae and Cebidae of the infraorder Platyrrhini (Neotropical monkeys). They facilitate maintaining stability during locomotion on thin, flexible branches and while reaching for food on challenging substrates. How a prehensile/semi-prehensile tail is coordinated with the hind limbs to facilitate controlled, flexible adoption of postures remains unknown. In an experimental set-up in the wild, we induced capuchin monkeys to adopt a tail-assisted, head-down tripodal posture to reach for food, documenting from slow-motion video recordings (120 fps) both qualitative changes in the monkeys’ positional behaviour – the relative orientation of their limbs …

Fine-Scale Mapping Of Natural Ecological Communities Using Machine Learning Approaches, Parth Bhatt, Ann Maclean, Yvette Dickinson, Chandan Kumar

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Remote sensing technology has been used widely in mapping forest and wetland communities, primarily with moderate spatial resolution imagery and traditional classification techniques. The success of these mapping efforts varies widely. The natural communities of the Laurentian Mixed Forest are an important component of Upper Great Lakes ecosystems. Mapping and monitoring these communities using high spatial resolution imagery benefits resource management, conservation and restoration efforts. This study developed a robust classification approach to delineate natural habitat communities utilizing multispectral high-resolution (60 cm) National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery data. For accurate training set delineation, NAIP imagery, soils data and spectral …

Renewal Of Archival Legacy Soil Data: A Case Study Of The Busia Area, Kenya, Joshua O. Minai, Darrell G. Schulze, Zamir Libohova

Purdue University Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund

Much older soils information, collectively known as legacy soils data lies idle in libraries or in the personal collections of retired soil scientists. The probability is very high for this legacy data to be lost or destroyed. We demonstrate the stepwise process of bringing legacy soils data “back to life” using the Reconnaissance Soil Survey of the Busia Area (quarter degree sheet No. 101) in western Kenya as an example. The first step, site identification, involves meeting and deliberating with key institutions to identify a setting for the study. The second step, data archeology, involves locating and cataloging legacy soil …

Machine Learning For Predicting Risk Of Early Dropout In A Recovery Program For Opioid Use Disorder, Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: An increase in opioid use has led to an opioid crisis during the last decade, leading to declarations of a public health emergency. In response to this call, the Houston Emergency Opioid Engagement System (HEROES) was established and created an emergency access pathway into long-term recovery for individuals with an opioid use disorder. A major contributor to the success of the program is retention of the enrolled individuals in the program.

METHODS: We have identified an increase in dropout from the program after 90 and 120 days. Based on more than 700 program participants, we developed a machine learning …

Evaluation Of Bioactive Properties Of Lipophilic Fractions Of Edible And Non-Edible Parts Of Nasturtium Officinale (Watercress) In A Model Of Human Malignant Melanoma Cells, Sotiris Kyriakou, Venetia Tragkola, Heba Alghol, Ioannis Anestopoulos, Tom Amery, Kyle Stewart, Paul G. Winyard, Dimitrios T. Trafalis, Rodrigo Franco, Aglaia Pappa, Mihalis I. Panayiotidis

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Watercress is an enriched source of phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), among other phytochemicals, with an antioxidant capacity. The aim of this study was to (i) chemically characterize and (ii) biologically evaluate the profile of the main health-promoting compounds contained in edible (i.e., mixture of leaves and lateral buds) and non-edible (i.e., stems) parts of watercress in an in vitro model of malignant melanoma consisting of human malignant melanoma (A375), non-melanoma (A431) and keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells. The extraction of the main constituents of watercress was performed by subjecting the freeze-dried edible and non-edible samples through different extraction protocols, whereas their concentration was …

The Emergence Of Covid-19 Associated Mucormycosis: A Review Of Cases From 18 Countries, Martin Hoenigl, Danila Seidel, Agostinho Carvalho, Shivaprakash M. Rudramurthy, Amir Arastehfar, Jean-Pierre Gangneux, Nosheen Nasir, Alexandro Bonifaz, Javier Araiza, Nikolai Klimko

Department of Medicine

Reports of COVID-19-associated mucormycosis have been increasing in frequency since early 2021, particularly among patients with uncontrolled diabetes. Patients with diabetes and hyperglycaemia often have an inflammatory state that could be potentiated by the activation of antiviral immunity to SARS-CoV2, which might favour secondary infections. In this Review, we analysed 80 published and unpublished cases of COVID-19-associated mucormycosis. Uncontrolled diabetes, as well as systemic corticosteroid treatment, were present in most patients with COVID-19-associated mucormycosis, and rhino-orbital cerebral mucormycosis was the most frequent disease. Mortality was high at 49%, which was particularly due to patients with pulmonary or disseminated mucormycosis or …