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Publication Preventative medicine? Examining prophylactic effects of a sunflower pollen diet in Bombus impatiens ([Hymenoptera]: [Apidae])(University of Massachusetts, 2025) Lamphere, Cameron; McCormick, Elyse; Adler, LynnWidespread decline of pollinator populations is of concern for both natural and agricultural ecosystems. Pathogens have been identified as a major contributor to the decline of some bee species, making understanding host-pathogen dynamics a crucial area of research. Sunflower pollen (Helianthus annuus L.; Asterales: Asteraceae) dramatically and consistently reduces infection by a prevalent gut pathogen, Crithidia bombi Lipa & Triggiani 1988 (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae), in the common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens Cresson 1863), when consumed by bees post-infection, but we do not know if sunflower can confer protection when consumed before exposure. We asked whether feeding bumble bees sunflower pollen diets prior to pathogen exposure decreases Crithidia infection compared to buckwheat pollen (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench; Polygonales: Polygonaceae). Buckwheat pollen was used as a comparison since it has a similar protein concentration as sunflower pollen, but results in higher Crithidia counts more comparable to typical wildflower pollen when consumed post-infection. Bumble bees were fed sunflower or buckwheat pollen for seven days, inoculated with Crithidia, and then fed a wildflower pollen control diet for seven more days before assessing infection. We found that consuming a sunflower pollen diet before inoculation did not reduce Crithidia cell counts compared to buckwheat pollen. Further, bumble bee survival and consumption of sucrose solution and pollen did not differ between these diets. The results show no evidence of sunflower pollen providing prophylactic resistance against Crithidia bombi infection, indicating that the timing at which sunflower pollen is consumed relative to exposure has important consequences for infection.Publication Source Data for Architected Dual-Network Solvent-free Adhesives for Stretchable Fabrics(2025-01-06) Moreira Lana, Gabriela; Meissner, Cornelia; Iyer, Siddhant; Hu, Xin; Jhaveri, Perin; Tibbits, Skylar; Crosby, AlfredNatural systems, such as tendons and spider silk, demonstrate how the combination of strength and stretchability can be effectively achieved by integrating stiff and flexible network structures. Inspired by these systems, we developed a novel, solvent-free dual-network adhesive based on a self-assembling ABA triblock copolymer, poly(methyl methacrylate)-poly(n-butyl acrylate)-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA-b-PnBA-b-PMMA), designed for applications requiring both high strength and stretchability. The triblock copolymer forms a physically crosslinked network through microdomains of PMMA end-blocks that provide structural integrity, while the PnBA mid-block forms a soft, stretchable matrix. To further enhance mechanical performance, a second poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PnBA) network is polymerized in situ, locking the PMMA microdomains in place and creating a load-bearing system. By varying the crosslinking density of the secondary network, we tailor the adhesive’s mechanical properties (Young’s modulus: 0.17 – 1.18 MPa) to suit different substrates, creating a mechanically transparent seam. The resulting dual-network system combines different strategies to achieve high strength and stretchability, with adhesive performance comparable to industrial methods such as sewing, particularly in bonding neoprene fabric composites and sealing the joints. Our solvent-free approach also eliminates the need for lengthy solvent evaporation steps, offering an eco-friendly and more efficient alternative for flexible adhesive applications in fields such as soft robotics, flexible electronics, and sports apparel.Publication Databases of invasive plant geography in the conterminous United States(2024) Bradley, Bethany; Evans, Annette; Sofaer, HelenNon-native plants have the potential to harm ecosystems. Harm is classically related to their distribution and abundance, but this geographical information is often unknown. Here, we assess geographical commonness as a potential indicator of invasive status for non-native flora in the United States. Geographical commonness could inform invasion risk assessments across species and ecoregions. We compiled occurrence and abundance data from 14 spatial datasets and used this information to categorize non-native species as uncommon or common based on three dimensions of commonness: area of occupancy, habitat breadth, and local abundance. To assess consistency in invasive plant categorizations, we compared commonness to invasive status in the United States. We identified species with higher-than-expected abundance relative to their occupancy, habitat breadth, or residence time. We calculated non-native plant richness within United States ecoregions and estimated unreported species based on rarefaction/extrapolation curves.Publication Impact of Photogenerated Charge Carriers on the Stability of 2D/3D Perovskite Interface(American Chemical Society, 2025) Zhang, Zhaojie; Tsuji, Miu; Hu, Xin; MANI, TOMOYASU; Venkataraman, DhandapaniAn effective strategy to improve the performance and stability of perovskite solar cells is to deposit a 2D perovskite capping layer on the 3D perovskite. However, when exposed to light, small A-site cations in 3D perovskite exchange with the bulky cations in the 2D layer and degrades the 2D/3D interface. Therefore, to achieve long-term stability in perovskite solar cells, it is important to understand the nature of photogenerated charge carriers that cause cation migrations at the 2D/3D interface. In this work, we fabricated 2D/3D perovskite stacks on glass, ITO, ITO/PTAA, ITO/PTAA/CuI and ITO/SnO2. A combination of grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence studies reveals the link between the light-induced degradation and the photogenerated charge carrier dynamics. Upon illumination, the stability of the 2D layers follows this trend: ITO/PTAA/CuI≈ITO>ITO/PTAA>glass>ITO/SnO2 (from stable to unstable). This trend suggests that extracting holes efficiently from the 3D layer can improve the stability of the 2D layer. We also found that 2D/3D stacks degrade faster when illuminated from the 2D side instead of the 3D side. Our studies suggest that to achieve a stable 2D/3D interface, hole accumulation in the 3D layer should be avoided and the exciton density in the 2D layer should be reduced.Publication Circadian Effects of Melatonin Receptor-Targeting Molecules in vitro(University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2024-10) Chhe, Kaitlyn; Hegde, Maya; Taylor, Stephanie; Farkas, Michelle E.The dataset is first categorized into two folders (Bmal and Per2) based on the promoter reporter. The data is further separated by experiment date/treatment time of day (standard timing versus delayed timing, indicated as "standard" and "delayed," respectively). For the data labeled "standard" the cells were treated with small molecules immediately after synchronization. For data labeled "delayed" the cells were treated with molecules 12 h after synchronization. Each excel file will have the date the experiment started followed by the promoter gene, treatment time, and treatment type (MT = melatonin, NT = not treated, DMSO = vehicle, UCSF7447 = melatonin receptor-targeting molecule).Publication Interseeding cereal rye and triticale into cool-season perennial pastures - data(2024) Siller, Arthur; Hashemi, MasoudNo-till drilling cereal rye (Secale cereal L.) and triticale (x Triticosecale Wittm. ex A. Camus.) into existing perennial pastures may increase the early spring forage inventory while maintaining beneficial ecosystem services inherent in no-till pasture systems. This interseeding system has not been well documented with cereal rye and triticale in majority tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.) and orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) pastures. An equal mix of cereal rye and triticale was drilled into existing pastures in early fall of 2020 and 2021. Cereal rye and triticale were interseeded at 0, 67, and 135 kg ha–1 with either 0 or 45 kg nitrogen ha–1 at planting in a 2 × 3 factorial randomized complete block design with four replications. The forage was harvested the following spring at boot stage and analyzed for herbage accumulation and nutritive value. Herbage accumulation increased by 500 kg ha–1 after interseeding 135 kg ha–1 of rye and triticale. Adding 45 kg nitrogen ha–1 independently increased dry matter herbage accumulation by 474 kg ha–1. Although, interseeding rye and triticale moderately reduced nutritive value parameters compared to the pasture, the nutritive value in all treatments remained high (relative feed value 135 with 17% crude protein). Fall nitrogen fertilizer increased herbage accumulation but had no effect on nutritive value. This shows that interseeding rye and triticale into pastures can be an applicable strategy to boost spring herbage inventory in perennial cropping systems dominated by cool-season grasses while maintaining good nutritive value.Publication Synergistic Impact of Passivation and Efficient Hole Extraction on Phase Segregation in Mixed Halide Perovskites(Wiley, 2024) Zhang, Zhaojie; Gilchrist, Rebecca J.; Tsuji, Miu; Grimm, Ronald; MANI, TOMOYASU; Venkataraman, DhandapaniThe interface between the hole transport layer (HTL) and perovskite in p-i-n perovskite solar cells (PSCs) plays a vital role in the device performance and stability. However, the impact of this interface on the vertical phase segregation of mixed halide perovskite remains insufficiently understood. In this work, we systematically investigate the impact of chemical and electronic properties of HTL on vertical halide segregation of mixed-halide perovskites. We show that incorporating a PTAA/CuIxBr1-x bilayer as the HTL significantly suppresses light-induced vertical phase segregation in MAPb(I0.7Br0.3)3. We used grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) to capture the depth-resolved composition change of MAPb(I0.7Br0.3)3 at the interface and within the bulk under illumination. By changing the illumination direction and the electronic properties of HTL, we elucidated the roles of charge carrier extraction and interfacial defects on vertical phase segregation. The PTAA/CuIxBr1-x bilayer, with its synergistic passivation and efficient hole extraction ability, stabilizes the interface and bulk of the mixed halide perovskite layer and prevents phase segregation. This work underscores that synergetic passivation and efficient hole extraction pack a more powerful punch for arresting the vertical phase segregation in mixed-halide perovskite.Publication Supplementary code for "Helical close-packing of anisotropic tubes"(2024-05) Greenvall, Benjamin; Grason, GregoryPublication Transcripts of Focus Group Data: Preparing Receiving Regions for a Just and Sustainable Climate Migration, Systems and Scenarios for New England(University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2024-08) Kuru, Omur Damla; Shome, Paromita; Infield, Elisabeth M.; Renski, Henry; Hodos, EmilyPublication Bending-Driven Patterning of Objects in Lipid Membranes: Colloidal Assembly in Elastic1 2D Fluids(University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2024-07) Xin, Weiyue; Santore, Maria M.Publication Code and Sample Data for "Mesoscale Polymer Ribbon Arrays: High Aspect Ratio Surface Structures and their Digital Reconstruction"(2024-07-11) Moed, Demi E.; Dimitriyev, Michael S.; Greenvall, Benjamin R.; Grason, Gregory M.; Crosby, Alfred J.Mesoscale polymer ribbon arrays are high aspect ratio surface structures that exhibit unique three-dimensional morphologies in aqueous environments. To better correlate the impact of processing and aging on the morphology of these and similar high-aspect ratio surface structures, we have developed a MATLAB code capable of extracting quantitative morphological descriptors from 3D confocal microscopy data. This code was used to produce the results outlined in “Mesoscale Polymer Arrays: High Aspect Ratio Surface Structures and Their Digital Reconstruction.” In addition to this code, we have included instructions for data processing and four test datasets. This process first skeletonizes .tif stacks obtained via confocal microscopy. It then builds a model of individual ribbon positions in 3D space. Finally, it calculates key quantitative morphological descriptors such as the radius of curvature and end-to-end distance of these high aspect ratio structures.Publication Source Data for: Thermal preconditioning of membrane stress to control the shapes of ultrathin crystals.(University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2024) Wan, Hao; Jeon, Geunwoong; Grason, Gregory M.; Santore, Maria M.Publication Shape equilibria of vesicles with rigid planar inclusions: Data(University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2024-06-18) Jeon, Geunwoong; Fagnoni, Justin; Wan, Hoa; Santore, Maria; Grason, GregoryPublication Designing Sustainable Landscapes: Representative Species Model: Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor)(2018-04-20) DeLuca, William V.Prairie Warbler was selected as a representative species for the Designing Sustainable Landscapes project of the North Atlantic LCC (https://scholarworks.umass.edu/designing_sustainable_landscapes/). The habitat clusters (ecological systems) and associated wildlife species that it represents generally comprise of xeric early successional forests and shrublands. The Landscape Capability (LC) index integrates habitat capability, prevalence and climate suitability into a single index that reflects the relative capacity of a site to support the species.Publication Designing Sustainable Landscapes: Representative Species Model: Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)(2018-04-20) DeLuca, William V.Piping Plover was selected as a representative species for the Designing Sustainable Landscapes project of the North Atlantic LCC (https://scholarworks.umass.edu/designing_sustainable_landscapes/). Piping Plover was selected as an additional species to the originally selected 30 representative species as part of the Coastal Resiliency, Hurricane Sandy Project. The associated wildlife species that it represents are marine and estuarine beaches throughout the NA LCC. The Landscape Capability (LC) index integrates habitat capability and climate suitability into a single index that reflects the relative capacity of a site to support the species.Publication Designing Sustainable Landscapes: Representative Species Model: Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla)(2018-04-20) DeLuca, William V.Ovenbird was selected as a representative species for the Designing Sustainable Landscapes project of the North Atlantic LCC (https://scholarworks.umass.edu/designing_sustainable_landscapes/). The habitat clusters (ecological systems) and associated wildlife species that it represents generally comprise moist hardwood and mixed forests, including northern hardwood forests (both Laurentian-Acadian and Appalachian), pine-hemlock-hardwood forest, and piedmont mesic forest.. The Landscape Capability (LC) index integrates habitat capability and climate suitability into a single index that reflects the relative capacity of a site to support the species.Publication Designing Sustainable Landscapes: Representative Species Model: Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)(2018-04-20) DeLuca, William V.Northern Waterthrush was selected as a representative species for the Designing Sustainable Landscapes project of the North Atlantic LCC (https://scholarworks.umass.edu/designing_sustainable_landscapes/). The habitat clusters (ecological systems) and associated wildlife species that it represents generally comprise of northern forest wetlands. The Landscape Capability (LC) index integrates habitat capability and climate suitability into a single index that reflects the relative capacity of a site to support the species.Publication Designing Sustainable Landscapes: Representative Species Model: Moose (Alces alces)(2018-04-20) DeLuca, William V.Moose was selected as a representative species for the Designing Sustainable Landscapes project of the North Atlantic LCC (https://scholarworks.umass.edu/designing_sustainable_landscapes/). The habitat clusters (ecological systems) and associated wildlife species that it represents generally consist of early successional forests, coniferous forests and wetlands. The Landscape Capability (LC) index integrates habitat capability, prevalence and climate suitability into a single index that reflects the relative capacity of a site to support the species.