Characterizing the rheological properties of wax emulsions used as carriers for biopesticides in agricultural pest management

The purpose of this research was to characterize the rheological properties of various wax emulsions developed as carriers for biopesticides used for agricultural pest management. Wax emulsions have been developed as carriers for the controlled release of non-toxic materials such as insect pheromones and essential oils used in crop protection as part of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs. However, the rheological properties of these wax emulsion carriers had not been evaluated and reported in the literature. Therefore, to obtain a more thorough evaluation of these wax emulsions, the rheological properties were characterized.The data collected can be used to determine the best rheological properties for different field application methods. In this research, wax emulsions were prepared using different formulations, such as different waxes, emulsfiers, and biopesticides, and different concentrations of each. These emulsions were tested using an Anton Paar® Physica MCR 101 rheometer. The goal was to characterize the rheological properties to understand how the various components affect the overall behavior and application of these emulsions. The biopesiticides explored were insect pheromones used for mating disruption in IPM and essential oils that are used as deer feeding deterrents for crops and landscaping plants. Geranyl propionate was used as a substitute for insect pheromones because it is structurally similar to many insect sex pheromones and is less expensive. The insect pheromone emulsions had a high viscosity allowing the emulsions to be applied in thick masses with a low surface area to achieve long term release of the volatile pheromones. Wax emulsions were also prepared with a small concentration of spearmint oil, which has been shown to be an effective feeding deterrent for white-tailed deer. The emulsions containing spearmint oil were prepared with a lower viscosity compared to the insect pheromone emulsions. This was done so that the emulsions could be effectively sprayed onto plant surfaces. It was found that both paran wax and soy wax were effective for the insect pheromone emulsions. However, when investigating the deer feeding deterrent emulsions, the soy wax emulsions displayed rheological properties more suited for spraying

Senior Recital: Alexander Sifuentes, oboe

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Bachelor of Music in Performance. Mr. Sifuentes studies oboe with Elizabeth Koch Tiscione.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/1529/thumbnail.jp

The Ebola Virus matrix protein, VP40, requires phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) for extensive oligomerization at the plasma membrane and viral egress

VP40 is one of eight proteins encoded by the Ebola Virus (EBOV) and serves as the primary matrix protein, forming virus like particles (VLPs) from mammalian cells without the need for other EBOV proteins. While VP40 is required for viral assembly and budding from host cells during infection, the mechanisms that target VP40 to the plasma membrane are not well understood. Phosphatidylserine is required for VP40 plasma membrane binding, VP40 hexamer formation, and VLP egress, However, PS also becomes exposed on the outer membrane leaflet at sites of VP40 budding, raising the question of how VP40 maintains an interaction with the plasma membrane inner leaflet when PS is flipped to the opposite side. To address this question, cellular and in vitro assays were employed to determine if phosphoinositides are important for efficient VP40 localization to the plasma membrane. Cellular studies demonstrated that PI(4,5)P2 was an important component of VP40 assembly at the plasma membrane and subsequent virus like particle formation. Additionally, PI(4,5)P2 was required for formation of extensive oligomers of VP40, suggesting PS and PI(4,5)P2 have different roles in VP40 assembly where PS regulates formation of hexamers from VP40 dimers and PI(4,5)P2 stabilizes and/or induces extensive VP40 oligomerization at the plasma membrane

Activity map of the tammar X chromosome shows that marsupial X inactivation is incomplete and escape is stochastic

Background: X chromosome inactivation is a spectacular example of epigenetic silencing. In order to deduce how this complex system evolved, we examined X inactivation in a model marsupial, the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii). In marsupials, X inactivation is known to be paternal, incomplete and tissue-specific, and occurs in the absence of an XIST orthologue.Results: We examined expression of X-borne genes using quantitative PCR, revealing a range of dosage compensation for different loci. To assess the frequency of 1X- or 2X-active fibroblasts, we investigated expression of 32 X-borne genes at the cellular level using RNA-FISH. In female fibroblasts, two-color RNA-FISH showed that genes were coordinately expressed from the same X (active X) in nuclei in which both loci were inactivated. However, loci on the other X escape inactivation independently, with each locus showing a characteristic frequency of 1X-active and 2X-active nuclei, equivalent to stochastic escape. We constructed an activity map of the tammar wallaby inactive X chromosome, which identified no relationship between gene location and extent of inactivation, nor any correlation with the presence or absence of a Y-borne paralog.Conclusions: In the tammar wallaby, one X (presumed to be maternal) is expressed in all cells, but genes on the other (paternal) X escape inactivation independently and at characteristic frequencies. The paternal and incomplete X chromosome inactivation in marsupials, with stochastic escape, appears to be quite distinct from the X chromosome inactivation process in eutherians. We find no evidence for a polar spread of inactivation from an X inactivation center. © 2010 Nadaf et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

KSTAR: An algorithm to predict patient-specific kinase activities from phosphoproteomic data

Kinase inhibitors as targeted therapies have played an important role in improving cancer outcomes. However, there are still considerable challenges, such as resistance, non-response, patient stratification, polypharmacology, and identifying combination therapy where understanding a tumor kinase activity profile could be transformative. Here, we develop a graph- and statistics-based algorithm, called KSTAR, to convert phosphoproteomic measurements of cells and tissues into a kinase activity score that is generalizable and useful for clinical pipelines, requiring no quantification of the phosphorylation sites. In this work, we demonstrate that KSTAR reliably captures expected kinase activity differences across different tissues and stimulation contexts, allows for the direct comparison of samples from independent experiments, and is robust across a wide range of dataset sizes. Finally, we apply KSTAR to clinical breast cancer phosphoproteomic data and find that there is potential for kinase activity inference from KSTAR to complement the current clinical diagnosis of HER2 status in breast cancer patients

An Evaluation of Fitspiration Viewing and Exercise Behavior in College Students

Social media is widely used by college students, and is used for retrieving health information. “Fitspiration” (fitness and inspiration) pages are common on many popular social networking sites. Fitspiration pages have been previously associated with short term motivation for exercise and decreased body satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to explore ways in which viewing fitspiration pages may influence exercise behaviors for college students. Additionally, this study sought to explore if particular types of fitspiration pages can encourage increased exercise. This study utilized a cross-sectional survey approach and was distributed to college students at a large Midwestern university. About half of the students viewed fitspiration pages, and students who viewed fitness pages reported exercising more than those who did not. Students who viewed fitspiration pages also reported exercising for muscle-gain, enjoyment, fitness, reduced stress, and feeling better. CrossFit pages and professional fitness organization pages were associated with increased exercise. Students did not report feeling motivated by fitspiration. Additional research is needed to explore the relationships between fitspiration page viewing and fitness goals, and identify additional reasoning for viewing these pages