Exosome- And Microrna-Based Therapeutic Approach For Tendinopathy, Angela Wang Ilaltdinov

Dissertations and Theses

Tendinopathy, characterized by degeneration and chronic inflammation, is a significant clinical burden. Current treatments focus on symptom management but do not sufficiently address its underlying pathology; however, stem cell-based approaches aimed at repairing diseased tissues may overcome this limitation. Therapeutic effects of stem cells may be due in part to paracrine actions, including some mediated by exosomes – extracellular vesicles secreted by cells that play a role in cell communication. MicroRNA (miRNA), small non-coding RNA carried by exosomes, are likely responsible for many exosome effects. Exosomes and miRNA therapies show promise in treating diseases such as cancer and arthritis, but …

Healthy Western Lands: A Proposal For Healthy Rangelands, Wildlife, And Free-Roaming Horses And Burros, James S. Sedinger, Rebekah Stetson

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The Coalition for Healthy Nevada Lands, Wildlife and Free-roaming Horses (CHNL) is dedicated to proper management of free-roaming horses (Equus caballus) and burros (E. asinus) so rangelands are healthy, which benefits wildlife and the horses and burros themselves. The CHNL proposes the rapid reduction of horses and burros on designated public lands to achieve appropriate management levels (AML). After these reductions, the use of fertility control, supplemented with some gathers and adoption of gathered horses, should allow the Bureau of Land Management to economically maintain horse and burro populations at AML. The CHNL believes this approach …

Mitigating Bighorn Sheep–Vehicle Collisions And Habitat Fragmentation With Overpasses And Adaptive Mitigation, Jeffrey W. Gagnon, Chad D. Loberger, Kari S. Ogren, Scott C. Sprague, Susan R. Boe, Raymond E. Schweinsburg

Human–Wildlife Interactions

As transportation infrastructure expands to accommodate increasing human population growth, wildlife–vehicle conflicts (WVCs) are a growing concern for motorist safety and wildlife populations. In the case of large ungulates, minimal information exists on successful mitigation of WVCs involving bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) and habitat fragmentation. Too address this void, we evaluated the effectiveness of 3 new wildlife overpasses, 3 culverts, 2 bridges, and ungulate exclusionary fencing as potential desert bighorn sheep (O. c. nelsoni; sheep) crossing opportunities along US Highway 93 in Arizona, USA. We evaluated sheep movements using global positioning system (GPS) radio-transmitter collars and …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Aviation-Wildlife Strikes Across Europe, Isabel C. Metz, Marta Giordano, Dionysios Ntampakis, Marianna Moira, Anneke Hamann, Rosanne Blijleven, Jürgen J. Ebert, Alessandro Montemaggiori

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Collisions between aircraft and wildlife (i.e., wildlife strikes) pose a serious threat toward the safety of aircraft, its crew, and passengers. The effects of COVID-19 related travel restrictions on wildlife strikes are unknown. With this study, we aim to address this information gap by assessing the changes of wildlife hazard management performance across European airports during the lockdown period (e.g., period of reduced operations and borders closure in spring 2020). We also sought to raise awareness of the importance of wildlife strike prevention in times of reduced operations. The objective of our study was to compare wildlife strike data before …

A Call For Ethical And Responsible Treatment Of Invasive Species By Recreational Anglers, Kevin A. Adeli

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Invasive species pose a prominent threat to global biodiversity, with aquatic ecosystems being particularly susceptible. In an effort to limit the spread of aquatic invasive species, numerous public awareness programs have been launched, and several regions have enacted “must-kill” angling regulations, which prohibit the live release of invasive fish species when captured. Many education programs, however, demonize invasive species and lack any instruction for humane euthanasia. This unbalanced approach has translated into widespread mistreatment of invasive species among recreational anglers. This piece addresses these concerns by discussing their significance and providing recommendations for how education programs can adopt a more …

Skeleton Weed Program 2021/22 : Annual Report To Grain Growers, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Agriculture reports

No abstract provided.

Cover, Editorial Staff, Journal Information

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This includes the cover, editorial staff, and journal information.

Without Change There Can Be No Progress: Implications For Human–Wildlife Interactions, Terry A. Messmer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This is the letter from the editor-in-chief of Volume 16, Issue 1.

Bat Mortality At Ontario Wind Farms Quantified And Compared Using Four Candidate Estimator Equations, Bethany G. Thurber, Catherine B. Jardine, J. Ryan Zimmerling

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wind farm development is expanding globally. While wind energy is a low-cost option for new electricity supply, the impacts to wildlife populations, including bats (Chiroptera), are of ecological concern. To quantify these impacts, scientists have developed estimator equations to estimate bat mortality, which vary in assumptions related to correction factors. We compared the results of 4 estimators applied to post-construction monitoring data from Ontario, Canada, wind farms to evaluate the effects of field methods and correction factors on estimator consistency. To conduct our study, we obtained data from 21 wind farms between 2011 and 2017 for a total of 26 …

European Starling Use Of Nest Boxes Relative To Human Disturbance, Bradley F. Blackwell, Bruce N. Buckingham, Morgan B. Pfeiffer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

European starling (Sturnus vulgaris; starling) nesting poses debris hazards within airport hangars and to engine and flight surfaces of moored aircraft. We questioned whether consistent removal of nest material would negatively affect use of a nest site, measured by a reduction in material accumulation. We conducted our study on a 2,200-ha site in Erie County, Ohio, USA (41° 22’ N, 82° 41’ W), from April 15 through June 2, 2020. We used 120 wooden nest boxes on utility poles, protected by an aluminum predator guard below the box. Our treatments included (1) twice weekly, repeated nest material removal …

In Memory: James E. “Jim” Miller, Scott R. Craven

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This "In Memory" article honors the life and contributions of James E. “Jim” Miller.

Cover, Editorial Staff, Journal Information

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This includes the cover, editorial staff, and journal information.

New Associate Editors, S. Nicole Frey

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Human-Wildlife Interactions journal announces its new associate editors.

Stakeholder Acceptance Of Wild Equid Fertility Control Mirrors Global Shifts In Attitudes To Wildlife Management, Giovanna Massei, Stephanie L. Boyles Griffin

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wild equid (horses [Equus ferus] and burros [E. asinus]) populations have increased on public lands in the United States since the passage of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. As of March 1, 2022, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) estimated that wild equid populations on designated herd management areas (HMAs) may exceed 82,000 animals. In 2020, the total population of wild equids in the United States was estimated to exceed 300,000 animals. The BLM sets an appropriate management level (AML) for wild horse and burro herds on each HMA and removes animals …

Nonnative Ungulate Impacts On Greater Sage-Grouse Late Brood-Rearing Habitat In The Great Basin, Usa, Mikiah R. Mcginn, Steven L. Petersen, Melissa S. Chelak, Randy T. Larsen, Loreen Allphin, Brock R. Mcmillan, Dennis L. Eggett, Terry A. Messmer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Domestic livestock grazing is the dominant land use on much of the current range inhabited by greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) in the western United States. Nonnative feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) also inhabit important sage-grouse seasonal habitats. Overabundant feral horse populations and improper grazing by domestic cattle (Bos taurus) can impact the health of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) and desert shrub rangeland communities and native wildlife. These impacts to sage-grouse can be exacerbated when they affect late brood-rearing habitat, which provide the forbs and arthropods required to fledge broods. Managers require better information …

Bedstraw Eradication Program 2021/22: Annual Report To Grain Growers, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Agriculture reports

Three-horned bedstraw is a competitive weed that can cause considerable yield loss in crops, and its seeds contaminate fodder and grain. To stop the weed becoming established in Western Australia and impacting production, WA grain/seed/hay growers (via the Grains, Seeds and Hay Industry Funding Scheme) fund the Bedstraw Eradication Program.

Native And Non-Native Plant Species Differentially Affect Arthropod Community Dynamics With Consequences For Crop Production In Lower Rio Grande Valley, Kaitlynn Lavallee, Pushpa G. Soti, Alexis Racelis, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

In agricultural ecosystems, arthropods play critical roles- including biocontrol, pollination services, and as herbivores. While herbivory negatively affects crop production, the recent decline in beneficial insect numbers have created a global concern, and consequently have led into multiple lines of conservation strategies. Agroecological practices that can provide sustenance, nesting, and refuge for beneficial organisms are considered as some of them, except we lack a better understanding of how seasonal and crop specific variation can affect their community dynamics. In this study, we examined this by investigating how native and non-native plants, when incorporated into a vegetable agroecosystem in Lower Rio …

Alternatively Spliced Csf3r In Human Health And Disease, Borwyn A. Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Elevated alternative colony stimulating factor 3 receptor (CSF3R) isoforms are observed in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and other myeloid neoplasms, but their role in driving disease progression has not been fully explained. In this study we report on the role of an MDS-associated splicing factor SRSF2 and its effects on the production of Class III and Class IV CSF3R isoforms and granulopoiesis. Class IV add-back in Csf3r-null mice showed impaired neutrophil differentiation with increased number of CFU-G, which largely consisted of metamyelocytes, while Class III showed greater dysgranulopoiesis accompanied by dysmorphic neutrophils. Alternative CSF3R isoforms were elevated in …

Coupled Structure-Function Responses To Disturbance: High Structural Complexity Resistance Supports Primary Production Resistance, Kerstin M. Niedermaier

Theses and Dissertations

The capacity of forests to resist structural change and retain material legacies–the biotic and abiotic resources that persist through disturbance–is crucial to sustaining ecosystem functioning after disturbance. However, the role of forest structure as both a material legacy and feature supporting carbon (C) cycling stability following disturbance has not been widely investigated. We used a large-scale disturbance manipulation to ask whether LiDAR-derived canopy structures as material legacies drive 3-year responses of NPP to a range of disturbance severity levels. As part of the Forest Resilience Threshold Experiment (FoRTE) in northern Michigan, USA we simulated phloem-disrupting disturbances at a range of …

Changes In Physical Activity And Relationships To Submaximal Exercise Capacity And Cardiac Function During Breast Cancer Therapy, Moriah P. Bellissimo

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Breast cancer (BC) survivors are at high risk for heart failure due to curative cancer therapies. In non-cancer populations, physical activity is a first line treatment for preventing cardiovascular disease. This study examined whether more physical activity was associated with better submaximal exercise capacity and cardiac function during the first three months of cancer therapy.

Methods: Participants included 223 women with stage I-III BC before therapy and after three months of undergoing treatment and 126 controls. Leisure time physical activity was reported using the Godin Sheppard leisure time exercise questionnaire. Cardiac function was assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance, and …

Advancing Forest Structure-Function Relationships: Linking Above- And Belowground Structure To Soil Respiration, Laura J. Hickey

Theses and Dissertations

Variation in the soil-to-atmosphere C flux, or soil respiration (Rs), is influenced by a suite of biotic and abiotic factors, including soil temperature, soil moisture, and root biomass. However, whether canopy structure is tied to soil respiration through its simultaneous influence over these drivers is not known. We assessed relationships between measures of above- and belowground vegetation density and complexity, and evaluated whether Rs is linked to remotely sensed canopy structure through pathways mediated by established biotic and abiotic mechanisms. Our results revealed that, at stand-scale, canopy rugosity–a measure of complexity–and vegetation area index were coupled to soil respiration through …

Estimating Weighted Panel Sizes For Primary Care Providers: An Assessment Of Clustering And Novel Methods Of Panel Size Estimation On Electronic Medical Records, Martin A. Lavallee

Theses and Dissertations

Primary Care is on the frontlines of healthcare, thus they see the most diverse set of patients. In order to achieve high functioning primary care, a practice must establish empanelment, the pairing of patients to providers. Enumeration of empanelment, or estimating panel sizes, helps ensure that the demands of the patients demand the supply of providers and optimize the balance of primary care resources to improve quality of care. Further we can adjust panel sizes by using patient-level data on healthcare utilization and complexity extracted from the electronic medial record to determine the amount of care or burden of work …

Therapeutic Injectable Iron-Chelating Hydrogels, Debbie Campbell-Rance

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Therapeutic Injectable Iron-Chelating Hydrogels for Improved Central Nervous System Regeneration

By

Debbie S. Campbell-Rance

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University 2021.

Director: Xuejun Wen, M.D., Ph.D., AIMBE Fellow, Alice T. and William H. Goodwin Jr. Endowed Chair Professor in Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Engineering and Medicine, Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering

Severe traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries are major global public health and socioeconomic problems in terms of mortality and morbidity. Currently there are two main lines of treatment under development for …

The Injury-Induced Neurogenic Response And The Role Of Notch1 In Regulating This Process, Nicole M. Weston

Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a prevalent problem with an estimated 5 million people suffering from chronic cognitive impairments long after the injury. Following TBI there is a series of pathophysiological changes in the brain including neurogenesis, an important response linking endogenous repair and regeneration. The dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus is a primary neurogenic region within the adult brain where neural stem and progenitor cells (NS/NPCs) reside. Studies using rodent models have shown that cognitive recovery after TBI is associated with new neurons generated from the DG. Thus far, in studies examining post-injury neurogenesis, the regulatory mechanisms, functional …

Modification Of Culture Medium And Identification Of Microbial Contaminants For Improved In Vitro Propagation Of Freshwater Mussels, Raquel M. Wetzell

Theses and Dissertations

In vitro propagation efforts play an essential role in conserving and restoring threatened freshwater mussel populations by circumventing the need for a fish host. Across a broad range of taxa, transformation is induced with an artificial M199 medium and rabbit serum. However, such formulation may not be sufficient in culturing critical species with more specific physiological requirements. In this study, multiple serum mixtures were tested to improve in vitro transformation of two freshwater mussel species: yellow lampmussel (Lampsilis cariosa) and tidewater mucket (Atlantaconcha ochracea). These species were selected because they parasitize similar fish host species but …

Quantifying Contributions Of Climate, Geography, And Gene Flow To Divergence: A Case Study For Three North American Pines, Constance E. Bolte

Theses and Dissertations

Long-lived species of trees, especially conifers, often display weak patterns of reproductive isolation, but clear patterns of local adaptation and phenotypic divergence. Discovering the evolutionary history of these patterns is paramount to a generalized understanding of speciation and the processes that confer population persistence versus those that compromise adaptive potential under rapidly changing environments. Forest trees have long generation times and low migratory potential making them especially vulnerable to population fragmentation and reductions of genetic diversity due to insufficient tracking of niche optima and adaptational lags. Within clades of the genus Pinus, evolutionary histories appear to be riddled with hybridization …

Structure-Based Drug Discovery And Development Of Protein Structure Prediction Tools Using An Empirical Force Field, Noah B. Herrington

Theses and Dissertations

Traditional drug discovery has rapidly accelerated thanks to development of computational molecular modeling. The crucial component that these computational studies hinge upon is having a well-defined, and energetically favorable structure. Structures of proteins and ligands that meet these criteria are important for accurately simulating models used to study drug binding. To demonstrate the role of accurate structure simulation in the study of these events, this thesis presents, first, a story examining the problem of accurate structure modeling of ionizable residues within protein structures, specifically aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and histidine. I present our method, which uses the HINT force field …

Investigation Of A Carbon Monoxide Dehydrogenase From An Uncultured Archaeon, Luke Moore

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The Nickel based Carbon Monoxide Dehydrogenase (CODH) is an anaerobic metalloenzyme responsible for the reversible conversion of CO and water into CO2 and 2 protons and 2 electrons. This enzyme has importance in the environment as one of Earth’s first carbon fixation pathways, and for human uses as a potential source of biofuels and other commodity chemicals. CODH enzymes are present in a wide array of taxa, many of which are uncultured. In this study we express and purify the catalytic subunit (CooS) of the anaerobic CODH from an uncultured Hydrothermarchaeota JdFR-17 co-expressed with the nickel insertion accessory protein (CooC) …

Mapping Quantitative Trait Loci And Developing First Molecular Marker For Race 5 Of Podosphera Xanthii Resistance In Melon (Cucumis Melo L.), Abdullah Ünlü, İlknur Polat, Aytül Yildirim, Ahmet Naci̇ Onus

Turkish Journal of Botany

Powdery mildew of melon caused by the Podosphaera xanthii factor is a disease that causes serious yield losses economically in all areas where melon is grown from Asia to Europe and America. The use of resistant varieties for the control of the disease is the most environmentally friendly method. However, traditional methods of melon breeding have made a noteworthy input to resistance varieties improvement, but they have been slow and incompetent in targeting complex powdery mildew disease resistance traits. To overcome these problems and to facilitate breeding programs, molecular markers closely linked to the Pm-R5 gene are needed for marker-assisted …

Molecular Analysis Of The Section Sphagnum (Sphagnaceae): First Study On Turkish Bryophytes Using Nucleotide Sequences Of The Trnl Intron Region, Mesut Kirmaci, Asli Semi̇z, Adi̇le Sari, Özden Özgün Acar, Uğur Çatak, Fulya Fi̇li̇z

Turkish Journal of Botany

The genus Sphagnum is one of the richest taxa among the Turkish bryophytes. Up to now, it has been represented by 27 taxa in six sections (Sphagnum, Acutifolia, Squarrosa, Subsecunda, Cuspidata, and Rigida). In this study, an identification key for the section Sphagnum was prepared, and the section was investigated using phylogenetic analyses, with a main focus on Turkish bryophytes. This study provides the first sequence data of the trnL intron region for five species of the section Sphagnum from Turkey (namely S. centrale, S. divinum, S. medium, S. palustre, and S. papillosum) to be used in future studies and …