Life Sciences Commons^™

Shifts In The Acute Stress Response In Red-Eared Sliders (Trachemys Scripta) During The Activity Season, Jennifer Lauren Terry

Student Theses and Dissertations

Tradeoffs may occur among biological processes if individuals are energetically challenged. Glucocorticoids (GC) promote essential daily processes and energy reprioritization during stressful or energy-demanding periods and provide insight to an individual’s energetic state. I captured 123 wild adult red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta) outside of Cherry Valley, Arkansas in the Arkansas Delta between May and October 2019 to assess energy tradeoffs between innate immunity and GC secretion. I collected blood samples at 0–3, 30, and 60 min and used plasma in bacterial killing assays and radioimmunoassays to assess innate immunity and corticosterone concentrations, respectively. Tradeoffs were not evident in this population …

Plant Based Biological Treatments For Both Bacterial And Fungal Pathogens In Heirloom Tomatoes, Kassandra Riley

Student Theses and Dissertations

Tomatoes face disease in many forms; bacterial, fungal, and viral. There are only a few options for small growers to prevent or treat these diseases. The use of naturally occurring plant essential oils has the potential to be both accessible and a marketing benefit. Twelve plant oils (orange, peppermint, eucalyptus, ginger, thyme, garlic, basil, tea tree, rosemary, oregano, cinnamon, and clove) were screened against two tomato fungal pathogens, Fusarium oxysporum and Phytophthora infestans, as well as the bacterial pathogen, Xanthamonas campestris v. vesicatoria. Thyme, garlic, oregano, and cinnamon all showed potential for inhibiting pathogen growth. After determination of minimum inhibition …

The Role Of Vitamin E In Slowing Down Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Narrative Review, Ram Lakhan, Manoj Sharma, Kavita Batra, Frazier B. Beatty

Social and Behavioral Health Faculty Research

With the aging population, dementia emerges as a public health concern. In 2012, the Health and Retirement Study found that 8.8% of adults over 65 years suffered from dementia. The etiopathogenesis and treatment of dementia are not well understood. Antioxidant properties of Vitamin E and its major elements tocopherols and tocotrienols have been reported to be effective in slowing down the progression of dementia from its initial stage of Mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Therefore, the current review aims to explore the role of vitamin E on MCI. A literature search using the key words “Vitamin E, tocopherols, tocotrienols, and mild …

Breeding And Feeding Habitat Selection By An Island Endemic Bird May Increase Its Vulnerability To Climate Change, Paul M. Radley, Eddie J. B. Van Etten, David Blake, Robert A. Davis

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Characterizing patterns of habitat use is an important first step for effective conservation planning. Species restricted to low-lying islands are at greatest risk from climate change-related sea level rise, and requirements for breeding and foraging habitat may determine their risk from tidal inundation. The endangered Micronesian Scrubfowl (Megapodius laperouse senex) is a model species for understanding these impacts. This species faces the cumulative challenges of tourist visitation, invasive species, and rising sea levels, yet little is understood about its habitat use in the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon Conservation Area (RISL) of Palau. We studied the habitat requirements of this mound-nesting …

Virtual Reality As A Context For Adaptation, Matthew Yarossi, Madhur Mangalam, Stephanie Naufel, Eugene Tunik

Journal Articles

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated interest in virtual reality (VR) for education, entertainment, telerehabilitation, and skills training. As the frequency and duration of VR engagement increases—the number of people in the United States using VR at least once per month is forecasted to exceed 95 million—it is critical to understand how VR engagement influences brain and behavior. Here, we evaluate neurophysiological effects of sensory conflicts induced by VR engagement and posit an intriguing hypothesis: the brain processes VR as a unique “context” leading to the formation and maintenance of independent sensorimotor representations. We discuss known VR-induced sensorimotor adaptations to illustrate …

The Use Of Rna Interference To Investigate The Role Of Zmpr10 In Salt Stress Response And Mtl/Nld/Zmpla1 In The Improvement Of Haploid Induction In Maize, Max Carl Miller

LSU Master's Theses

RNA interference (RNAi) is a useful tool in gene characterization and its use is expanding into more practical fields. Two RNAi techniques were used in this case. The studies conducted in the chapter two use transgenic maize lines containing an RNAi construct targeting ZmPR10 to characterize its potential role in growth and development in response to salinity stress. T₁ transgenic plants from events A44S1-35-3 and A44S1-3-4, which had significantly reduced ZmPR10 expression compared to the non-transgenic controls, showed no differences compared to the controls in heights after 30 and 60 days, nor did the T₂ transgenic from these …

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Adults In Rural Appalachia, Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Emily M. Dewitt, Kathryn M. Cardarelli, Rachel Gillespie, Stacey A. Slone, Alison A. Gustafson

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is decreasing nationally, yet intakes remain high in certain sub-populations as new varieties of SSBs are introduced. This study aims to expand on SSB intake patterns among adults living in Appalachia to develop policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) interventions to reduce consumption. Baseline cohort surveys were conducted to examine beverage consumption patterns of adults in one rural Appalachian county in Kentucky using a validated BEVQ-15 instrument. Ages were collapsed into three generational groups – Millennials (22–38 years), Generation X (39–54 years), and Boomers/Silents (≥55 years). Over half (n = 81; 54%) of the sample (n = …

Incentivizing Wellness Through Community Supported Agriculture: Reflections On Shareholder Impacts Of An Employer-Based Csa Voucher Program, Jairus J. Rossi, Timothy A. Woods

Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Community supported agriculture (CSA) programs are emerging as popular consumer options for pro­duce acquisition. While many researchers have dis­cussed the impacts of CSA on economies, commu­nities, and the environment, others are interested in documenting how produce-based CSA shapes health. In this paper, we evaluate whether and to what extent CSA incentive programs, funded by diverse employer groups in central Kentucky 2015–2018, impact shareholder wellness. To evaluate impact, we use two distinct types of data: we com­pare shareholders’ perceived frequency of food lifestyle behaviors from pre- and post-season sur­veys, and we examine anonymized medical claims from a subset of these participants …

The Concentration Of Brain Homogenates With The Amicon Ultra Centrifugal Filters, Joshua Yang, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Accurately measuring the brain concentration of a neurotherapeutic is critical in determining its pharmacokinetic profile in vivo. Biologics are potential therapeutics for neurologic diseases and biologics fused to an antibody targeting a transcytosis receptor at the Blood-Brain Barrier, designated as antibody-biologic fusion proteins, are Blood-Brain Barrier penetrating neurotherapeutics. The use of sandwich immunosorbent assays to measure concentrations of antibody-biologic fusion proteins in brain homogenates has become increasingly popular. The raw brain homogenate contains many proteins and other macromolecules that can cause a matrix effect, potentially interfering with the limit of detection of such assays and reduce the overall sample …

New Genus Of Rhyparini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) In Amber From The Dominican Republic, Paul E. Skelley

Insecta Mundi

Priscyparus quisqueyensis Skelley, new genus and new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Rhyparini), is described in amber from the Dominican Republic. An updated key to New World genera of Rhyparini is presented.

Priscyparus quisqueyensis Skelley, género nuevo y especie nueva (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Rhyparini), se describe de ámbar de la República Dominicana. La clave a los Rhyparini del Nuevo Mundo es enmendada para incluir el nuevo género.

There are only three fossil taxa of Rhyparini (Coleoptera: Scrabaeidae: Aphodiinae) preserved in copal or amber from the New World. There have been brief listings of a Termitodius Wasmann in Colombian copal (Penney and …

Nrf1 Association With Auts2-Polycomb Mediates Specific Gene Activation In The Brain, Sanxiong Liu, Kimberly A Aldinger, Chi Vicky Cheng, Takae Kiyama, Mitali Dave, Wukui Zhao, Nicolas Descostes, Pedro Lee, Stefano G Caraffi, Ivan Ivanovski, Edoardo Errichiello, Christiane Zweier, Orsetta Zuffardi, Michael Schneider, Antigone S Papavasiliou, M Scott Perry, Jennifer Humberson, Megan T Cho, Astrid Weber, Andrew Swale, Tudor C Badea, Chai-An Mao, Livia Garavelli, William B Dobyns, Danny Reinberg

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The heterogeneous family of complexes comprising Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) is instrumental for establishing facultative heterochromatin that is repressive to transcription. However, two PRC1 species, ncPRC1.3 and ncPRC1.5, are known to comprise novel components, AUTS2, P300, and CK2, that convert this repressive function to that of transcription activation. Here, we report that individuals harboring mutations in the HX repeat domain of AUTS2 exhibit defects in AUTS2 and P300 interaction as well as a developmental disorder reflective of Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, which is mainly associated with a heterozygous pathogenic variant in CREBBP/EP300. Moreover, the absence of AUTS2 or mutation in its …

Pelagic Tunicate Grazing On Marine Microbes Revealed By Integrative Approaches, Kelly R. Sutherland, Anne W. Thompson

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Marine microorganisms comprise a large fraction of ocean carbon and are central players in global biogeochemical cycling. Significant gaps remain, however, in our understanding of processes that determine the fate, distribution, and community structure of microbial communities. Protists and viruses are accepted as being part of the microbial loop and a source of microbial mortality. However, pelagic tunicates (salps, doliolods, pyrosomes, and appendicularians), which are abundant in oceanic and coastal environments and consume microorganisms with higher individual grazing rates than other common grazers, remain underappreciated in their role controlling microbial communities, distributions, and flux through ecosystems. In spite of sampling …

Quantitative Analysis Of Production ‎And Its Components For T.Durum ‎Wheat Varieties Under The ‎Conditions Of The Syrian Coast, Paul Khoury ‎, Salih Kebili

Jerash for Research and Studies Journal مجلة جرش للبحوث والدراسات

This study was carried during 1998-2000 to evaluated six varieties of American and Asian durum ‎wheat belonging to the international group of Vavilov Institute for plant breeding (VIR), and ‎four European varieties in traduced under the conditions of the coastal area of Syria. These ‎varieties were compared with two local varieties in terms of important economic and ‎agricultural traits. The best variety will be selected for subsequent use in breeding programs ‎‎(Selection or Hybridization). A statistical analysis was performs, which showed significant ‎differences among varieties and between varieties and the control. Correlation and regression ‎analysis in addition to several other …

Classification Of Phytoplankton ‎Species In Different Habitats From ‎The Coastal Parts Of The Sea Region ‎North Of Lattakia, Nadim Mahmoud, Sawsan Musa

Jerash for Research and Studies Journal مجلة جرش للبحوث والدراسات

Water samples were collected monthly during 1999, from four sites, of different habitats. The ‎study revealed the existence of a total of 120 phytoplankton species, composed of 76 ‎Bacillarophyte, 37 Dinoflagellate, 3 Cyanophyte and 4 Chliorophyte species. Moreover, the ‎study also revealed considerable physio - chemical variations in their water, as well as ‎considerable variations in chlorophyll a. The physio - chemical variations of water, in the four ‎stations most likely is responsible for the variations of the phytoplanktonic species found in ‎them and their population densities.

Thermodynamic Potassium In Iraqi ‎Soils, Ahmed Al-Zubaidi, Shatha Al-Rubaie

Jerash for Research and Studies Journal مجلة جرش للبحوث والدراسات

In order to characterize the status and behavior of potassium in Iraqi soils thermodynamically, ‎twenty eight surface soil samples were collected from different locations to represent the ‎most dominant soil groups in Itrg (put thin names) Chemical, physical and mineralogical ‎characteristics were determined. The potassium forms of soluble, exchangeable, non - ‎exchangeable, mineral and elemental were determined. Thermodynamic parameters related ‎to potassium such as ionic strength, activity coefficient of potassium, activity ratio (K⁺: Ca^{2 +} + ‎Mg^{2 +}) and the free energy of replacement (DF) of K⁺: Ca² + mg²⁺ were …

Isolation Of Proteins That Have The ‎Ability To Inhibit Potato Y Virus ‎‎(Pvy) Replication From Datura ‎Plants - Jimson Weed Datura ‎Strmonium, Raqeeb Al-Ani, Osama Al-Issawi, Shaalan Al-‎Mashaikhi

Jerash for Research and Studies Journal مجلة جرش للبحوث والدراسات

Two protein portions from Datura inhibiting the multiplication of PVY “were obtained by ‎filtration through sephadex G - 100. The first was maintained its activity at 60 с for 10 min; ‎whereas the other lost its activity at this temp. The SDS- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of ‎the heat resistant one revealed the presence of 8 polypeptides with molecular weights; 12000 ‎‎, 13000 , 22000 , 25000 , 29000 , 40000 and two other of smaller molecular weights . No ‎serological reaction was ovserced between these proteins and the antiserum of PVA, PVS, ‎PVM, PVX and PVY. No precipitate was observed …

Agricultural Credits In Jordan : ‎ A Field Survey For Irbid District, Fawzi Al-‎Khatib

Jerash for Research and Studies Journal مجلة جرش للبحوث والدراسات

This study examines problems and obstacles facing agricultural ‎credit in Jordan in general, and Irbid district in particular.‎A questionnaire was designed for this this purpose.‎The statistical results were analysed and the Five point Likert ‎Scale was applied, Using the well-known ( SPSSX).‎The study suggests the creation of a new agricultural credit institution ‎to replace the actual infective credit organizations.‎The study ends with recommendations and policy implications for ‎desistion maker in Jordan.4‎

Effect Of Concentrate Supplementation On Milk Yield Of Crossbred Holstein X Zebu Cows Grazing Elephantgrass, Fermino Deresz, Antonio Carlos Cóser, Rui Da Silva Verneque

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The study was carried out using 12 ha of Elephantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) pasture, fertilized with 660 kg/ha/year of 20.05.20 formula, during the rainy season of 1999. It was used eight cows per treatment/site in a completely randomized block design. Blocks were based on milk yield and date of calving. Pasture was managed with 30 days of resting period using a stocking rate of five cows/ha. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of feeding concentrate for the first 60 (T60) or 120 days (T120) post-partum on milk yield, in relation to the control-group (T0), fed …

Supplementation Of Dairy Cows Under Alfalfa Grazing Conditions With Ground Corn, A. R. Castillo, L. A. Romero, O. R. Quaino, E. A. Comeron, M. C. Gaggiotti

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Two trials were carried out during the Autumn of 1991 and 1992 to investigate the effects of corn supplementation on lactational performance of dairy cows under alfalfa grazing. Forty two multiparous Holstein cows with 30-60 days in milk were used in a randomized continuous design with covariance analysis. The treatments were 0.0, 3.5 and 7.0 kg.day^-1 of corn grain supplementation (T1, T2 and T3 respectively) in 1991 and 0.0, 3.0, 6.0 and 9.0 kg.day^-1 (T1, T2, T3 and T4 respectively) in 1992. Six cows per treatment were used divided in 3 cows per grazing paddock. Dry matter (DM) …

Animal Production From Tree-Pasture Association Systems In Brazil, João C. Saibro

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Agroforestry systems (AFS) in general and silvipastoral systems (SPS) in particular, have been studied intensively in Brazil since the 1980’s. The majority of the research work has been conducted in the wet tropical Amazon region, in the semi-arid conditions of the Northeast, and under subtropical soil and climatic conditions in the Southeast or in the South. Research emphasis has been placed on interactions between the main components of AFS: tree, pasture, soil and microclimatic elements. Evaluation of animal performance in SPS generally has not been the main objective of experiments. A recent survey of research on SPS using Eucalyptus spp …

The State Of Animal- Assisted Interventions In France: Is The Iahaio Model Relevant?, Alice Mignot, Gérard Leboucher, Véronique Servais, Karelle De Luca

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Animal- assisted interventions (AAI) became more generalized in health care settings and their development in Europe is increasing. In France, the practice has grown in the absence of official recognition and regulation. In this context, we aim to identify the main characteristics of the French practice of AAI that can influence the establishment of a local regulation. Second, we aim to question the relevance of the model proposed by the International Association of Human- Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO) distinguishing animal- assisted therapies (AAT) and (AAA) animal- assisted activities from the French practice of AAI. We interviewed 111 French handlers in …

Physiological Responses To Water Deficit By Sorghum Bicolor Genotypes Varying In Expression Of The Limited Transpiration Trait, Marylou C. Machingura

Georgia Journal of Science

The ability by land plants to partially close their stomata in response to high vapor pressure deficit, called the limited transpiration trait, is a rare phenomenon in crop plants. The characteristic has been demonstrated in several crop species including Sorghum bicolor. The molecular and physiological basis for the limited transpiration trait is however, not clear. This study was conducted to determine the physiological attributes associated with the limited transpiration trait in three sorghum genotypes SC1345, SC35 and Macia. Plants of these three sorghum genotypes were established in a greenhouse and subjected to water deficit stress. Chlorophyll fluorescence and relative …

Effect Of Estrogen Pretreatment On Glial-Like Cell Viability Following Stress Response Hormone Treatment, Bridget N. Smith, Kevin S. Burgess, Kathleen S. Hughes

Georgia Journal of Science

The role of steroid hormones is critical in cellular function. Previous studies have found a positive correlation between the endogenous estrogen 17β-estradiol and cellular protection. Conversely, exogenous conjugated equine estrogens provide less protective mechanisms than endogenous hormones, and little is known about the role of estrogens in cellular protection during a stress response. In the present study, we compare the effects of short-term estrogen pretreatments (alone and in combination) on cell viability when cells with glial cell morphology are exposed to either epinephrine or cortisol. Results showed that 1 µM 17β-estradiol resulted in decreased cell viability following the epinephrine treatment; …

Comparing Allelochemicals Of ​English Ivy And Native Georgia Plants​, Rebecca Senft

Symposium of Student Scholars

English Ivy (Hedera helix L.) is a common invasive plant causing biodiversity losses across the southeast and parts of the northwestern US. The mechanisms by which Ivy invades native ecosystems are not well understood but may include allelopathy, a process through which one species produces biochemicals that disrupt competitors. These biochemicals are often produced and exuded by roots into soil, making them difficult to isolate. This study used a soil-less hydroponic system and gas-chromatography mass spectroscopy to examine differences in the chemicals produced by roots of native Georgia plants and English Ivy. Our results suggest there are differences in the …

Snake Venom Peptides And Toxin Targeting The Main Protease Of Sars-Cov-2, Breauna Strawder, James Stewart, Mohammad A. Halim

Symposium of Student Scholars

The corona virus began to spread in Wuhan, China which caused it to spread worldwide creating a global pandemic in the beginning of 2020, infecting over 243 million and killing over 4.5 million people worldwide. Significant efforts were made to produce vaccines against the virus, which led the recognition of a few vaccines that has been approved by FDA. These vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, which all have efficacy against Covid-19. Despite having vaccines, COVID-19 is still present and infecting millions and killing thousands of people every day. Multiple therapeutic options would allow us to slow down or …

Binding Affinity And Interaction Of Sars-Cov-2 Epitopes With Major Histocompatibility Complex, Sareena Kandavalli, James Stewart, Mohammed A. Halim

Symposium of Student Scholars

SARS CoV-2 has been affecting the world since 2019. It caused 245 million cases of infection and around 5 million deaths worldwide. The most important strategies for the development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are inactivated or weakened virus, replicating or non-replicating viral vector-based approaches, DNA, RNA, virus particle like approaches and epitope-based approaches. The epitope-based approach is rapid, accurate, cost-effective, and reliable against pathogens. By presenting epitopes (antigen peptides) on antigen-presenting cells (APCs), the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), also recognized as the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system in humans, plays an essential role in triggering T-cell immune responses. The focus …

Cell Penetrating Peptide Inhibiting The Main Protease Of Sars-Cov-2, Adam Ashley, James Stewart, Mohammad Halim

Symposium of Student Scholars

As of October 2021, SARS-CoV-2 has infected over 244 million people and killed about 5 million people. The current FDA approved vaccines are effective; however, they lose their effectiveness after a few months of receiving both doses of the vaccine, and it is recommended to get a booster shot six months after receiving the second dose of the vaccine. Therefore, new highly effective, long lasting antiviral agents and strategies are needed to create an alternative treatment for SARS-CoV-2 and the different variants. Previous studies have shown that cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) have led to greater efficiency of intracellular delivery. However, …

Microbial And Chemical Profiles Of Sediments Isolated From Atlantis Ii And Discovery Deep Brine Pools In The Red Sea., Nardine G. Rasmy Marsis

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Twenty-Four-Month Longitudinal Study Suggests Little To No Horizontal Gene Transfer In Situ Between Third-Generation Cephalosporin-Resistant Salmonella And Third-Generation Cephalosporin-Resistant Escherichia Coli In A Beef Cattle Feedyard, John W. Schmidt, Sarah A. Murray, Aaron M. Dickey, Tommy L. Wheeler, Dayna M. Harhay, Terrance M. Arthur

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Third-generation cephalosporins (3GCs) are preferred treatments for serious human Salmonella enterica infections. Beef cattle are suspected to contribute to human 3GC-resistant Salmonella infections. Commensal 3GC-resistant Escherichia coli are thought to act as reservoirs of 3GC resistance because these strains are isolated more frequently than are 3GC-resistant Salmonella strains at beef cattle feedyards. During each of 24 consecutive months, four samples of pen surface material were obtained from five pens (N = 480) at a Nebraska feedyard to determine to the contribution of 3GC-resistant E. coli to the occurrence of 3GC-resistant Salmonella. Illumina whole genome sequencing was performed, and …

Spatial-Temporal Modeling Of Agricultural Water Surface Features In Northeastern Arkansas., Daniel Dewayne Shults

Student Theses and Dissertations

The Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer (MRVA) has been the primary source of irrigation water in Northeastern Arkansas since the early 1900s. Over time the MRVA water level has declined due to over-pumping of farm wells and water restrictive geology. The aquifer is expected to continue declining but with water conservation strategies in place, this vital resource could be preserved for future farmers. This thesis investigated using remotely sensed data to assess landforms associated with agricultural water conservation across Northeastern Arkansas. The remotely sensed data proved to be useful at creating temporal assessments of pre-existing irrigation reservoirs, identifying new irrigation …