Klamath Community College

Abstract Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) was re‐legalized as an agricultural crop through the USDA 2018 Farm Bill, but cropping guidelines remain limited, especially for floral hemp grown for cannabinoid extraction. In this study, the response of direct‐seeded, field‐grown autoflower and full‐season hemp cultivars to varying rates of applied irrigation was compared over multiple years in a semi‐arid environment. Measurements included floral and total biomass, cannabinoid concentration, and cannabinoid yield. The primary flower size did not vary much regardless of irrigation amount, even for plants grown with no supplemental irrigation. As irrigation increased from very low levels up to 100% of the location's potential evapotranspiration (PEt) and beyond, leaf and stem biomass continued to increase as the plants also got taller. Secondary and tertiary flower biomass increased with irrigation, but only up to about 80% of PEt. Above that amount, floral biomass typically plateaued for both autoflower and full‐season types. Floral cannabinoid concentrations did not vary much regardless of irrigation amount. Irrigating at rates greater than about 80% of PEt does not generally increase cannabinoid yield. In contrast, under very dry conditions hemp can grow, reach maturity, and produce some flowers and associated cannabinoid yield even when receiving little or no rainfall or irrigation. Thus, growing hemp with low, moderate, or no irrigation in a semi‐arid climate may be economically feasible (despite the lower yield) in certain situations, depending on costs of irrigation water, other crop management decisions, and market valuation of end products.

ABSTRACT Nanoscale biological particles, such as lipoproteins (10–80 nm) or extracellular vesicles (30–200 nm), play pivotal roles in health and disease, including conditions like cardiovascular disorders and cancer. Their effective analysis is crucial for applications in diagnostics, quality control, and nanomedicine development. While elasto-inertial focusing offers a powerful method to manipulate particles without external fields, achieving consistent focusing of nanoparticles (<500 nm) has remained a challenge. In this study, we experimentally demonstrate elasto-inertial focusing of nanoparticles as small as 25 nm using straight high-aspect-ratio microchannels in a sheathless flow. Systematic investigations reveal the influence of channel width, particle size, viscoelastic concentration, and flow rate on focusing behavior. Additionally, through numerical simulations and experimental validation, we provide insights into particle migration dynamics and viscoelastic forces governing nanoparticle focusing. Finally, we successfully focus biological particles, including liposomes (90–140 nm), extracellular vesicles (100 nm), and lipoproteins (10–25 nm), under optimized conditions, showcasing potential applications in medical diagnostics and targeted drug delivery. These findings mark a significant advancement toward size-based high-resolution particle separation, with implications for biomedicine and environmental sciences.

Summary This study investigated the structural basis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) release and ion selectivity by Pannexin1 (Panx1). The microinjection of active SRC tyrosine kinase increased Panx1-mediated currents in Panx1-expressing oocytes. Furthermore, a mutation mimicking phosphorylation at Y308 turned Panx1 into a constitutively open ATP-releasing channel with broad ion permeability. Cryogenic electron microscopy showed that for most maps, the channel alternated between wide and narrow conformations. However, in the map of the phosphomimetic Y308E mutation, Panx1 remains in a wide ATP-releasing conformation. The pore-lining residues, W74 and R75, are flexible and create, in concert with the sequestered N-terminal helix, a path for ATP. The data point to phosphorylation as a reversible switch that activates ATP permeability by stabilizing Panx1 in the ATP-releasing conformation, which is crucial for developing modulators for diseases such as cancer and chronic pain.

Criteria used to assess recovery under the US Endangered Species Act (ESA) often fall short when considering social, group-living species. We use novel recent insights on sociality and genetics in gray wolves to illustrate why such definitional failures in implementing the ESA limit the efficacy of recovery efforts. Loss of conspecifics in social species has an enhanced impact on population viability that is not captured by estimates of population abundance. Reproductive skew in social species reduces effective population size and exacerbates threats to genetic health of populations. For group living species like wolves, it is critical that agencies and governing bodies consider species sociality and its genetic effects in recovery guidelines. Biological processes which include social behavior and group structure need to be more fully considered for the ESA to effectively meld with biological reality. Until our statutory legislation carries language that incorporates this, the species we try to protect will lose.

Spore-forming probiotic bacteria, including Bacillus coagulans, are resilient and produce a variety of beneficial metabolites. We evaluated the immune-modulating effects of the novel probiotic strain Bacillus coagulans JBI-YZ6.3, where the germinated spores, metabolite fraction, and cell wall fraction were tested in parallel using human peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures under both normal and lipopolysaccharide-induced inflamed culture conditions. The expression of CD25 and CD69 activation markers was evaluated via flow cytometry. Supernatants were tested for cytokines, interferons, chemokines, and growth factors using Luminex arrays. The germinated spores were highly immunogenic; both the cell wall and metabolite fractions contributed significantly. Under normal culture conditions, increased levels of immune activation were observed as increased expressions of CD25 and CD69 relative to natural killer cells, suggesting an increased ability to attack virus-infected target cells. On monocytes, a complex effect was observed, where the expression of CD25 increased under normal conditions but decreased under inflamed conditions. This, in combination with increased interleukin-10 (IL-10) and decreased monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) production under inflamed conditions, points to anti-inflammatory effects. The production of the stem cell-related growth factor granulocyte colony-stimulating Factor (G-CSF) was enhanced. Further research is warranted to characterize the composition of the postbiotic metabolite fraction and document the characteristics of immunomodulating agents secreted by this probiotic strain.

Microbial biofilms are resilient, immune-evasive, often antibiotic-resistant health challenges, and increasingly the target for research into novel therapeutic strategies. We evaluated the effects of a nutraceutical enzyme and botanical blend (NEBB) on established biofilm. Five microbial strains with known implications in chronic human illnesses were tested: Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus simulans (coagulase-negative, penicillin-resistant), Borrelia burgdorferi, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The strains were allowed to form biofilm in vitro. Biofilm cultures were treated with NEBB containing enzymes targeted at lipids, proteins, and sugars, also containing the mucolytic compound N-acetyl cysteine, along with antimicrobial extracts from cranberry, berberine, rosemary, and peppermint. The post-treatment biofilm mass was evaluated by crystal-violet staining, and metabolic activity was measured using the MTT assay. Average biofilm mass and metabolic activity for NEBB-treated biofilms were compared to the average of untreated control cultures. Treatment of established biofilm with NEBB resulted in biofilm-disruption, involving significant reductions in biofilm mass and metabolic activity for Candida and both Staphylococcus species. For B. burgdorferi, we observed reduced biofilm mass, but the remaining residual biofilm showed a mild increase in metabolic activity, suggesting a shift from metabolically quiescent, treatment-resistant persister forms of B. burgdorferi to a more active form, potentially more recognizable by the host immune system. For P. aeruginosa, low doses of NEBB significantly reduced biofilm mass and metabolic activity while higher doses of NEBB increased biofilm mass and metabolic activity. The results suggest that targeted nutraceutical support may help disrupt biofilm communities, offering new facets for integrative combinational treatment strategies.

population (6).The genetic base is thus extremely narrow, and genomic erosion has been confirmed (7, 8).The average level of inbreeding is similar to the level found in the offspring of two full siblings (6).Inbreeding in this population has been shown to reduce litter size (4).Also, high frequencies of anatomical defects (9) and male reproductive disorders (10) have been observed.To make this population viable, population size and immigration must increase.So far, the population has been too small, and limited immigration followed by inbreeding could lead to extinction, similar to the Isle Royale wolf population (11).The goal should be to recreate a well-connected metapopulation spanning Scandinavia and Finland with a genetically effective population size of over 500,