Browsing by Author "Boyer, Renee"
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- Exploring Genetic Influences on Food Allergies and Auto-Immune Diseases: Understanding Individual VariationsAnderson, Rashonda (Virginia Tech, 2024-04-23)Food allergies pose a significant health risk, affecting millions of Americans, with symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to life-threatening anaphylaxis. Likewise, autoimmune diseases, where the immune system attacks healthy tissues, encompass a wide range of conditions, each with distinct symptoms and impacts on various organs. Through an analysis of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs), this research explores associations between specific genetic markers and phenotypic outcomes related to allergies and autoimmune diseases. Utilizing data from the genetic testing service 23andMe, this study investigated how genetic makeup may be related to individual responses to food, shedding light on underlying molecular mechanisms. Results demonstrate significant associations between certain SNPs and disease outcomes, highlighting the potential for personalized interventions in managing allergies and autoimmune disorders. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of personalized nutrition and may pave the way for novel approaches to disease prevention and management.
- Food Safety for Small Vegetable Farmers, Publications Contributing to the Success of Virginia Small Vegetable Farmers through the Lens of Food Safety PracticesLong, Frank (Virginia Tech, 2024-04-29)Limited educational food safety publications are available for small vegetable farmers and extension personnel seeking information on the exemptions from FSMA regulations and the Produce Safety Rule, along with voluntary practices and food safety practices. Research was conducted to construct three educational publications focused on the Best Management Practices and Good Agricultural Practices, vegetable washing stations, handwashing stations, and sanitizing practices. These educational publications are for distribution within the Virginia Cooperative Extension System and for use by Cooperative Extension Agents, Specialists, and growers who need to educate themselves or others on the basics of on-farm food safety needs and practices. This report serves (1) small and beginning vegetable farmers in the realm of food safety, (2) provide Virginia ANR Extension agents with publications to help them explain the intricacies of vegetable food safety on the farm, and (3) help with educating Virginia stakeholders to the intricacies of on-farm vegetable food safety practices.
- Spatial Versus Nonspatial Variance in Fecal Indicator Bacteria Differs Within and Between PondsMurphy, Claire M.; Weller, Daniel L.; Ovissipour, Reza; Boyer, Renee; Strawn, Laura K. (Elsevier, 2023-03)Surface water environments are inherently heterogenous, and little is known about variation in microbial water quality between locations. This study sought to understand how microbial water quality differs within and between Virginia ponds. Grab samples were collected twice per week from 30 sampling sites across nine Virginia ponds (n = 600). Samples (100 mL) were enumerated for total coliform (TC) and Escherichia coli (EC) levels, and physicochemical, weather, and environmental data were collected. Bayesian models of coregionalization were used to quantify the variance in TC and EC levels attributable to spatial (e.g., site, pond) versus nonspatial (e.g., date, pH) sources. Mixed-effects Bayesian regressions and conditional inference trees were used to characterize relationships between data and TC or EC levels. Analyses were performed separately for each pond with ≥3 sampling sites (5 intrapond) while one interpond model was developed using data from all sampling sites and all ponds. More variance in TC levels were attributable to spatial opposed to nonspatial sources for the interpond model (variance ratio [VR] = 1.55) while intrapond models were pond dependent (VR: 0.65–18.89). For EC levels, more variance was attributable to spatial sources in the interpond model (VR = 1.62), compared to all intrapond models (VR < 1.0) suggesting that more variance is attributable to nonspatial factors within individual ponds and spatial factors when multiple ponds are considered. Within each pond, TC and EC levels were spatially independent for sites 56–87 m apart, indicating that different sites within the same pond represent different water quality for risk management. Rainfall was positively and pH negatively associated with TC and EC levels in both inter- and intrapond models. For all other factors, the direction and strength of associations varied. Factors driving microbial dynamics in ponds appear to be pond-specific and differ depending on the spatial scale considered.