Life Sciences Commons^™

Expanding Functionalities Of Immune Receptors Through Simultaneous Transfer Of Sensor And Helper Nlrs, Dongjiao Wang, Qibin Wu, Daowen Wang, Youxiong Que, Zheng Qing Fu

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Multilevel Selection In The Margins: A Review Of Its Representation In Undergraduate Biology Textbooks, C. A. Greene, S. J. Mcpeek, L. Mitchem, A. B. Clark, Vincent A. Formica

Biology Faculty Works

Multilevel selection (MLS) is a foundational framework that expands the concept of natural selection beyond the traditional focus on individuals or genes to larger units, like groups. Despite strong empirical support and applications in a broad range of biological fields, MLS, often referred to as group selection, has a controversial history, which has impeded its wide use and led to incorrect inferences on the sources and strength of selection. Here, we explore how MLS is currently presented to undergraduate biology students by analyzing the content of nine commonly used Evolutionary Biology and Animal Behavior textbooks. We ask whether and how …

Ai Recipe Blog Is Evaluated Similarly To A Recipe Blog Created By Nutrition And Dietetic Students, Katie N. Kraus, Stacy L. Bevan, Sarah Moore Smith, Maeci H. Armstrong, Brooke Campbell Jeppesen, Catherine Fish, Heidi J. Wengreen

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

With the growing use of AI, it is important to know target audiences’ perceptions of its use. A convenience sample of students were invited to take an online survey in which they were randomly assigned to Group 1 (evaluated a student-generated blog; n = 456) or Group 2 (evaluated an AI-generated blog; n = 492). The results of independent t-tests and chi-squared tests indicated no group differences in ratings of ease of recipe preparation, time to prepare the recipe, utilization of common ingredients, and frequency of intended use of the blog. The student-generated blog was rated higher on budget …

Developing Hydrophobic-Hydrophilic Protein Structures By 3d Food Printing Of Sorghum And Soy Protein Gels, Sorour Barekat, Ali Ubeyitogullari

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The goal of this study was to introduce the simultaneous use of hydrophobic-hydrophilic proteins bioinks for 3D food printing. Sorghum protein gel (SPG) at 25 % w/w and soy protein isolate gel (SPIG) at 11 % w/w were loaded into separate extruders. The effects of the first printed layer (SPG or SPIG), printing speed (10, 20 mm/s), and nozzle size (0.52, 0.64, 0.72 mm) on printability were evaluated. The textural properties, rheological characteristics, microstructure, crystallinities, and functional groups of the proteins were analyzed. Printing sorghum and soy proteins together helped balance essential amino acids, where lysine (94.7 %) and histidine …

Effects Of Neurocognitive Multitask Activities On A Novel Lower Extremity Functional Performance Test, Sidney M. Stoddard, Logan Hill, Bryan L. Riemann, George J. Davies

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Objective: To examine the effects of incorporating (1) a neurocognitive reactive component and (2) a neurocognitive multitask component on performance degradation of a single-limb hop functional performance test.

Design: Randomized within-subject design of 32 healthy young adults.

Methods: Participants performed 3 randomly assigned variations of the single-limb T-Drill Hop Test (TDHT). The time to complete each test was recorded. The reactive TDHT (R-TDHT) consisted of the TDHT with a flashing light, indicating the "T" intersection hop direction. The neurocognitive reactive-recall TDHT (RR-TDHT) incorporated the R-TDHT and required participants to observe 5 flashing light colors. Participants then recalled the colors in …

Substituted Piperidines As (Alpha4)3(Beta2)2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Positive Allosteric Modulators: In Vitro Pharmacology, Nataly Sanchez, Josue Gaona, Wilder Felix, Nathalia Menegasso, Brisa Cea, Ganesh Thakur, Ayman K. Hamouda

School of Medicine Student Publications and Presentations

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinsonʼs disease (PD). In PD, degeneration of dopaminergic and cholinergic neurons impairs neurotransmitter release, leading to cognitive and motor dysfunction. Current treatments provide only symptomatic relief, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic strategies. The (α4)₃(β2)₂ subtype of nAChRs is expressed on affected neurons, making it a promising druggable target for enhancing neurotransmitter release and providing neuroprotection. To explore the therapeutic potential of positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of (α4)₃(β2)₂ nAChRs, we evaluated chemical derivatives of CMPI [3-(2-chlorophenyl)-5-(5-methyl-1-(piperidin-4-yl)-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)isoxazole]. We used two-electrode voltage-clamp recordings from Xenopus laevis …

Dairy And Food Science News, Nov 2025, Department Of Dairy And Food Science

Dairy & Food Science News

Message from the Department Head
Holiday Cheese Boxes
We are Hiring
Dairy and Food Science Department in the Media
Education abroad program to India - Food and Agriculture Processing: India SDSU Fall 2026
Faculty Updates
Surveys and Studies
Recruitment Updates and Opportunities
SDSU Company Student Recruitment
Student Updates
Alumni Spotlight
Events and Calendar

Distribution Of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes In Missouri And Arkansas, Usa, Vineyards, Andrew L. Thomas, Robert T. Robbins, R. Andrew Allen, Terry Kirkpatrick, Elijah A. Bergmeier

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

A nematode survey was conducted from 30 vineyards in Missouri and Arkansas (USA) comprising 107 samples among 21 grape cultivars (Vitis aestivalis, Vitis labruscana, Vitis vinifera, Vitis hybrids, and Muscadinia rotundifolia). All the samples tested positive for nematode presence. Eleven different nematode taxa were isolated and identified, five of which have economic importance to grapevines: Xiphinema americanum, Meloidogyne spp., Pratylenchus spp., Criconemoides spp., and Tylenchulus spp. Xiphinema americanum was detected at all but two sites, with 58% of sites having populations at or above levels with expected biological and economic impact. This is primarily a concern because of the ability …

Basal Cell Carcinoma Risk Prediction In Survivors Of Childhood Cancer, Cindy Im, Christina Boull, Zhe Lu, Kenneth Liao, Hasibul Hasan, Linwan Xu, Yadav Sapkota, Rebecca M Howell, Michael A Arnold, Miriam R Conces, Ashley J Housten, Judith Gebauer, Thorsten Langer, Jop C Teepen, Leontien C M Kremer, Louis S Constine, Yutaka Yasui, Melissa M Hudson, Kirsten K Ness, Gregory T Armstrong, Joseph P Neglia, Yan Yuan, Lucie M Turcotte

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Survivors of childhood cancer face excess risk of developing basal cell carcinoma. Age-specific basal cell carcinoma risk prediction models for survivors may support targeted screening recommendations.

Methods: We developed models predicting basal cell carcinoma risk by ages 40 and 50 years featuring detailed cancer treatment predictors, utilizing statistical and machine-learning algorithms and data from 23 166 five-year survivors in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, a multi-institutional retrospective cohort study. Selected models were externally validated in 5314 survivors in the St Jude Lifetime Cohort. Model discrimination and precision were evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) …

Data-Driven Abdominal Phenotypes Of Type 2 Diabetes In Lean, Overweight, And Obese Cohorts From Computed Tomography, Lucas W Remedios, Chloe Cho, Trent M Schwartz, Dingjie Su, Gaurav Rudravaram, Chenyu Gao, Aravind R Krishnan, Adam M Saunders, Michael E Kim, Shunxing Bao, Alvin C Powers, Bennett A Landman, John Virostko

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Although elevated body mass index (BMI) is a well-known risk factor for type 2 diabetes, the disease's presence in some lean adults and absence in others with obesity suggests that more detailed measurements of body composition may uncover abdominal phenotypes of type 2 diabetes. With artificial intelligence (AI) and computed tomography (CT), we can now leverage robust image segmentation to extract detailed measurements of size, shape, and tissue composition from abdominal organs, abdominal muscle, and abdominal fat depots in 3D clinical imaging at scale. This creates an opportunity to empirically define body composition signatures linked to type 2 diabetes …

Acute Kidney Injury Is Associated With Elevated Urinary Endotrophin, Amanda J Clark, Brenda Mendoza Flores, Marie Christelle Saade, Kyle Q Vu, Isaac J Pence, Ningyan Zhang, Zhiqiang An, Dawei Bu, Philipp E Scherer, Samir M Parikh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is prevalent among hospitalized patients. Novel biomarkers are needed to diagnose AKI and target therapies. Endotrophin (ETP) is a molecule released during collagen type VI formation that may promote injury and fibrosis. Although serum ETP elevation has been associated with adverse outcomes in AKI, urinary ETP has not been assessed in AKI, nor has ETP been evaluated in a pediatric population. Urine samples were collected from a tertiary children's hospital. Medical records were reviewed, and patients who met criteria were sorted into three categories:

Microbial Signals In Primary And Metastatic Brain Tumors, Golnaz Morad, Ashish V Damania, Brenda Melendez, Bharat B Singh, Fabiana J Veguilla, Rebecca A Soto, Yasmine M Hoballah, Pranoti V Sahasrabhojane, Matthew C Wong, Mona M Ahmed, Rene N Rico, Kaitlyn N Lewis, Khalida Wani, Diana D Shamsutdinova, Rossana N Lazcano Segura, Davis R Ingram, Eric A Goethe, Abderrahman Day, Ivonne I Flores, Lauren K Mcdaniel, Manoj Chelvanambi, Sarah B Johnson, Florentia Dimitriou, Pravesh Gupta, Shivangi Oberai, M Anna Zal, Phoebe Doss, Mohamed A Jamal, Eiko Hayase, Chetna Wathoo, Lisa M Norberg, Stephanie L Jenkins, Sara Nass, Joy Gumin, Lihong Long, Jing Yang, Gina R Bradley, Mahesh Prasad Bekal, Antonio G Dono, Pavel S Pichardo-Rojas, Samuel W Andrewes, Leomar Y Ballester, Jillian S Losh, Jiyong Liang, Longfei Huo, Douglas C Nielsen, Brittany C Parker Kerrigan, Priscilla K Brastianos, Natalie Wall Fowlkes, Chia-Chi Chang, Robert R Jenq, Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, Jason T Huse, Michael A Davies, Alexander J Lazar, Krishna P Bhat, Nitin Tandon, Yoshua Esquenazi, Christine B Peterson, Vinay K Puduvalli, Frederick F Lang, Christopher D Johnston, Susan Bullman, Nadim J Ajami, Sherise D Ferguson, Jennifer A Wargo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Gliomas and brain metastases are associated with poor prognosis, necessitating a deeper understanding of brain tumor biology and the development of effective therapeutic strategies. Although our group and others have demonstrated microbial presence in various tumors, recent controversies regarding cancer-type-specific intratumoral microbiota emphasize the importance of rigorous, orthogonal validation. This prospective, multi-institutional study included a total of 243 samples from 221 patients, comprising 168 glioma and brain metastases samples and 75 non-cancerous or tumor-adjacent tissues. Using stringent fluorescence in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry and high-resolution spatial imaging, we detected intracellular bacterial 16S rRNA and lipopolysaccharides in both glioma and brain metastases …

Diffuse Cutaneous Alk-Immunoreactive Histiocytosis With Mef2c::Flt3 Fusion, Sanjana Likki, Kevin Lee, Fiorinda Muhaj, Wei Wang, Pei Lin, Woo Cheal Cho, Doina Ivan, Carlos A Torres-Cabala, Luis Fayad, Jonathan L Curry

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Perceived Prejudice Or Discrimination In Medical Care Among Us Adults, Inimfon Jackson, Robert Yu, Joël Fokom Domgue, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Spatio-Temporal Dynamics Of Malaria Vector Niche Overlaps In Africa, Eric Ali Ibrahim, John Odindi, Mark Wamalwa, Henri E.Z. Tonnang

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Malaria remains a significant public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, with transmission heightened by the dynamics of primary and secondary mosquitoes infected with Plasmodium parasites. Regions where both vector types co-exist face heightened likelihood of intensified malaria transmission. Hence, understanding vectors' ecological interactions, especially their niche overlaps in geographic or environmental space, is crucial for targeted malaria control and elimination strategies. We employed a dynamic cellular automata (CA) model to map niche overlaps among primary (Anopheles gambiae complex, An. funestus group) and secondary (An. pharoensis, An. coustani) malaria vectors across African, using open-access environmental and vector occurrence datasets sourced from …

Isolation And Characterization Of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria From Soils In The Uae And Their Effect On Plant Salt Tolerance, Layla Zayed Almazrouei

Theses

Plants are constantly challenged by environmental stresses that restrict their growth and productivity. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), soil salinity is a critical barrier to agriculture, particularly for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), which is highly sensitive to moderate salinity levels (>2.5 dS m⁻¹). This study explored the potential of plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), especially actinobacteria, to enhance salt tolerance in tomato. The objective was to evaluate the effects of rhizosphere-competent (RC) and non-rhizosphere-competent (NRC) PGPR on plant physiology and yield in saline sandy soils. Actinobacterial strains were isolated from the tomato rhizosphere and screened to produce 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic …

Genomic And Metabolic Network Characterization Of Fusarium Species, Hend Hussain Mueenuddin

Theses

Fusarium covers the wide genus of fungi with over 400 species that are key in agricultural and medical practice. The purpose of the current study was to perform a comprehensive genomic profiling of the 19 Fusarium species that were captured in the National Centre of Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database. The study was made to make a comparison of the data, based on the descriptive statistics of every species, with graphical representation images enabling clear demonstration of the numbers. The study indicated that the chromosomal numbers were in the range of 0-15, the gene count was roughly 11000 -19000, while that …

Screening For Potential Plant Growth‐Promoting Rhizobacteria (Pgpr)-Assisted Phytoremediation To Mitigate Lead Toxicity In Uae Soils, Zeinab Mohamed Abdalla

Theses

This study investigates the potential of lead (Pb)-tolerant actinobacteria that possess 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACCD) activity and plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits to serve as a biological tool for enhancing the growth of corn (Zea mays L.) under Pb stress. The primary objective of this research was to isolate and characterize novel, Pb-tolerant, rhizosphere-competent actinobacteria and to evaluate their efficacy in mitigating Pb toxicity, reducing its uptake, and promoting biomass accumulation in corn grown in contaminated soil. A total of 43 actinobacterial isolates were obtained from Pb-contaminated rhizosphere soil and screened for Pb tolerance, rhizosphere competence, ACCD activity, and PGP traits. …

Continuous Androgen Deprivation Therapy With Or Without Metastasis-Directed Therapy For Oligometastatic Prostate Cancer: The Multicenter Phase 2 Randomized Extend Trial, Alexander D Sherry, Bilal A Siddiqui, Cara Haymaker, Bryan M Fellman, Marina N Medina-Rosales, Tharakeswara K Bathala, Shuqi Wang, Suyu Liu, Aaron Seo, Kieko Hara, Hsinyi Lu, Patricia Troncoso, Stephen G Chun, Chul S Ha, Lauren L Mayo, Henry Mok, Ryan J Park, Brian F Chapin, Ryan M Phillips, Matthew P Deek, Craig A Kovitz, Ana Aparicio, Amado J Zurita, Patrick G Pilie, Lorenzo Cohen, Seungtaek L Choi, Alexandre Reuben, Phuoc T Tran, Paul G Corn, Sumit K Subudhi, Chad Tang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and objective: Oligometastatic prostate cancer (omPC) is characterized by limited metastases. We hypothesized that metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) to all sites of omPC combined with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) would improve clinical outcomes.

Methods: In the multicenter phase 2 EXTEND trial, patients with omPC were randomized 1:1 to ADT versus MDT + ADT in two independently powered and randomized baskets, one using intermittent ADT and one using continuous ADT. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints included radiologic PFS (rPFS) and castration resistance-free survival (CRFS). Here, the primary results of the continuous ADT basket, the combined analysis …

Rank-Based Learning: A Novel High-Throughput Algorithm Resilient To Missing Data And Effective For Datasets With Small Sample Size, Lulu Song, Hamid Khoshfekr Rudsari, Johannes F Fahrmann, Jody Vykoukal, Sam Hanash, James P Long, Kim-Anh Do, Ehsan Irajizad

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

High-throughput omics data present challenges for binary classification due to platform variability, batch effects, missing values, and high dimensionality. This study presents a novel Rank-Based Learning (RBL) method that leverages relative feature rankings to improve robustness and generalizability. We evaluated RBL against established methods like Logistic Regression (LR) and Random Forest (RF) using simulated data and two real-world plasma proteomics datasets: early-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and duodenopancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (dpNET) in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 1 (MEN1). In simulation experiments, RBL outperformed LR under conditions involving batch effects, missing data, and varying numbers of true differential …

Phase 2 Study Of Monotherapy With Pembrolizumab For Advanced Adrenocortical Carcinoma, Brenda Chahla, Bettzy Stephen, Juhee Song, Vania Balderrama-Brondani, Feyza Yaylaci, Matthew T Campbell, Aung Naing, Mouhammed Amir Habra

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare cancer with suboptimal response to chemotherapy. The role of immunotherapy in ACC management is evolving.

Methods: An investigator-initiated, open-label, phase 2 clinical trial was performed to ascertain the activity and safety of monotherapy with pembrolizumab (a humanized monoclonal anti-programmed cell death protein 1 antibody) in patients with advanced ACC. This study was part of a basket clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02721732). Study participants were enrolled from August 15, 2016, until December 7, 2020. Pembrolizumab (200 mg) was administered intravenously every 3 weeks. All other lines of therapy, including mitotane, were stopped before …

Replication-Competent, Tumor-Specific Immuno-Gene Vectors Allow For Exchange Of Transgenes And Lead To Viral Persistence Following Iv Administration, Lee S Rosen, Christian Ottensmeier, Maria Hawkins, Aung Naing, Guru Sonpavde, Brian A Van Tine, Eileen E Parkes, Sean M O'Cathail, Rui-Ru Ji, Matthew Thomas, Andrea Stacey, Maria Stella Sasso, Oliver Rosen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Enadenotucirev (EnAd) and successor transgene-armed Tumor-Specific Immuno-Gene (T-SIGn) vectors are replication-competent, blood-stable viral vectors that traffic to tumor sites following intravenous (IV) administration. Following initial proof of mechanism for this immunotherapy modality, there is a need to identify a safe dosing approach, understand whether transgenes affect tolerability, and determine how to measure exposure and pharmacodynamic effects.

Methods: Safety data from multiple phase 1 trials were aggregated to assess various dosing regimens and toxicities, including those that may be associated with transgene arming. Viral delivery to tumors, peripheral viral persistence, transgene expression, and cytokine responses were also assessed and compared …

Corrigendum To "Single-Cell Proteomic Analysis Reveals Multiple Myeloma Heterogeneity And The Dynamics Of The Tumor Immune Microenvironment In Precursor And Advanced States" [Neoplasia 66 (2025) 1101189], Mohamed Kamal, Stephanie N Shishido, Jeremy Mason, Krina Patel, Elisabet E Manasanch, Robert Z Orlowski, Peter Kuhn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Emerging Policies On Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Governance, Jessie Neta Jeffrey

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Plastic Pollution In The Arctic Region And International Rules : Applicability And Limitations, Zhanfeng Lang

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Preparedness And Response To Oil And Biofuel Spills : A Case Study Of The Western Indian Ocean, Soifoine Abdillah

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Extension Services On Aquaculture Development In Ashanti Region, Ghana, Bismark Essel

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Assessing Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Industrial Bottom Trawlers Using Vessel Monitoring System Data : A Case Study Of Ghana, Emmanuel Agbeko

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Marine Spatial Planning (Msp) In Managing Conflicts Between Marine Resource Users In Tanzania, Ramadhani Juma Shausi

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Meeting Report From The 2024 Symposium On Irak4 In Cancer: Highlights And Clinical Updates, Eric S Winer, Marina Konopleva, Han W Tun, Kian-Huat Lim, Bently Doonan, Klaus H Metzeler, Lakshmi Nayak, Andrés J M Ferreri, Christina Von Roemeling, Grzegorz S Nowakowski, Guillermo Garcia-Manero

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) is a serine/threonine kinase that mediates interleukin-1 and Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling. IRAK4 drives the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), which promotes cell survival, inflammation, and proliferation. Aberrant activation of IRAK4 and TLR signaling has been implicated in multiple malignancies. At the 3rd Annual IRAK4 in Cancer Symposium, experts discussed the role of IRAK4 in cancer biology, the potential for synergism between IRAK4 inhibition and other treatments to overcome resistance, and how IRAK4 inhibition may improve clinical outcomes. Preclinical data were presented demonstrating the activity of IRAK4 inhibition alone or in combination with …