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Colombia in Bloom: Insights from a Week in the World’s Cut Flower Powerhouse
No full textIntroduction: Colombia is a global powerhouse in the cut flower industry, ranking as the world’s second-largest exporter of fresh-cut flowers. With its ideal climate, high-elevation farms, and robust infrastructure, the country supplies billions of stems annually to markets across North America, Europe, and beyond. In April 2025, a class of students from Cornell University had the unique opportunity to travel to Bogotá, Colombia and explore this thriving sector firsthand. Over the course of one week, we visited leading companies across the floral supply chain, from breeding and propagation specialists to vertically integrated post-harvest facilities with cold rooms and bouquet assembly lines. This paper highlights key insights from our journey and reflects on Colombia’s strengths, innovations, and challenges as a global floral leader
Cannabis sativa seed germination, callus generation, and indirect organogenesis in vitro
No full textIntroduction: Tissue culture is a vital tool in plant biotechnology, enabling the rapid propagation, genetic modification, and breeding of valuable crop species. In Cannabis sativa L., understanding and developing effective tissue culture protocols is important due to the plant's high demand, the need for pathogen free propagation, the potential to speed up breeding programs, and the race to understand the plant’s biology. This project focused on establishing protocols and analysis of seedling germination of a wide range of cultivars of C. sativa in vitro, callus culture from cotyledons, hypocotyls, and other organs, and indirect organogenesis from callus. Data were analyzed to make recommendations for future researchers looking for cultivars that perform well in aseptic conditions. A total of 37 accessions were introduced to tissue culture as seeds. Of those, 34 were also germinated in greenhouse conditions. Thirty varieties successfully germinated in vitro, and explants were transferred to callus induction media. Of those, 21 had data collected on callus development. All varieties produced callus, including green callus. Callus from each were transferred to shoot induction media, but data were not collected on shoot induction because shoots did not develop from hypocotyl or cotyledon explants
Orthostatic symptoms in women treated with low-dose oral minoxidil in the absence of overt hypotension: Implications for clinical practice.
No full text2026-06-2
CHASING VARIANTS: MAKING THE MATCH BETWEEN THE SARS-COV-2 S1/S2 CLEAVAGE SITE AND HOST CELL PROTEASES
No full text196 pagesSARS-CoV-2 has spread rapidly throughout the human population since its discovery, and as it has spread it has acquired a variety of mutations. While many of these mutations have a role in immune evasion, some have impacted the role of the S protein in fusion and host cell entry. Among these are those mutations around the S1/S2 site, which is thought to be mainly cleaved by furin during virion formation. The 681st amino acid S position in particular has been the site nonynomymous substitutions several times, and interestingly has toggled between arginine (R) and histidine (H) ever since leaving the original proline (P) behind. In this work we investigate the impact of these mutations on the cleavability and function of the spike protein and also investigate the epidemiological context in which these mutations occurred and rapidly reached population dominance.2027-06-1
UNCOVERING NOVEL ROLES FOR THE GUT MICROBIOTA IN MODULATING DIET-DERIVED FAT
No full text178 pagesGut microbes take up and metabolize nutrients consumed in human diets, thereby modulating the effects of diet on host physiology. Past studies reveal roles for gut bacteria in processing dietary fats, but knowledge of how commensal bacteria influence the processing of dietary long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) and dietary choline is still limited. Omega-3 LCPUFA consumption reduces inflammation, and LCPUFA consumption in infancy is important for cognitive development. Although eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is a prominent anti-inflammatory omega-3 LCPUFA in infant and adult diets, the role of EPA consumption in infant health requires further investigation, and little is known about the ability of gut bacteria to take up and metabolize EPA. Understanding how gut bacteria influence dietary EPA processing would clarify whether microbiome composition should be taken into account when predicting health outcomes and maximizing health benefits associated with EPA consumption. Similarly, information on how gut bacteria modulate dietary choline processing is limited, with many studies focusing on bacterial production of trimethylamine from choline. Elucidating how gut microbes influence the production of other dietary choline-derived metabolites would indicate whether the microbiota contributes to physiological effects of choline consumption. This dissertation provides new information on how gut bacteria interact with LCPUFAs and choline. This information was uncovered using an experimental workflow titled Bioorthogonal Labeling-Sort-Sequence-Spectrometry, which utilizes bioorthogonal labeling to identify bacterial species capable of taking up specific nutrients and metabolites bacteria produce from those nutrients. Investigations into microbe-LCPUFA interactions reveal the identity of gut bacteria that take up EPA and reveal novel metabolites produced by gut bacteria from EPA. Bacterial EPA metabolites, along with a previously characterized bacterial LA metabolite, were detected in stool from human infants, indicating gut bacterial LCPUFA metabolism is relevant to infants. Investigations into microbe-choline interactions reveal gut bacterium Limosilactobacillus reuteri modulates phosphatidylcholine metabolites derived from dietary choline in mice. Novel metabolites produced by L. reuteri from choline are also reported. In addition to expanding knowledge of gut microbe interactions with LCPUFAs and choline, this research shares experimental and analytical approaches that can be repurposed to investigate other microbe-nutrient interactions.2027-06-1
The Entropic Age and 21st Century Regional Science: Renewed Relevance Through the Study of Hybrid Warfare Dynamics
No full text62 pagesThe 21st century is marked by increasing systemic entropy, characterized by rapid technological shifts, environmental crises, and geopolitical instability. Regional science, originally born as an interdisciplinary field capable of addressing complex, abstract socio-spatial phenomena, has drifted toward applied, hyper-specific methods, leaving its theoretical core underdeveloped and the concept of the region poorly defined. This paper argues for a revitalization of regional science through a return to its general systems roots. By re-engaging with early theoretical frameworks, regional science can better analyze contemporary challenges, particularly hybrid warfare dynamics. Hybrid warfare’s reliance on disinformation, economic coercion, attacks on critical infrastructure, and weaponization of migration presents uniquely socio-spatial and systems-oriented problems. This paper proposes a dual approach: strengthening the theoretical branch of regional science to delineate warfare dynamics conceptually, while supporting applied scholars in operationalizing these insights. Rebuilding the theoretical foundation could reposition regional science as a distinct and essential discipline in the entropic age
The development of quality control and modular analysis tools that support reproducible genomics
No full text127 pagesStandards for reproducible science build a foundation of trust in the body of literature that informs the next experimental studies researchers conduct. However, the increasing complexity and scale of data and discoveries across scientific fields including genomics has exacerbated the burden of maintaining reproducibility standards. With the advent of next generation sequencing, many innovations in assay development have especially contributed to the complexity and scale within this subfield. This has created an increased demand for tools that perform quality checks and flexible analysis of genomics data that are compatible with a variety of genomic assays. To perform post-sequencing quality controls of genetic backgrounds, we developed the Genotype validation Pipeline (GenoPipe) to detect insertion and deletion modifications along with variant-based strain backgrounds. We identify samples from publicly available data to demonstrate the value of performing this quality control step on genomic data. Subsequent analysis workflows can be built using ScriptManager, a flexible tool that performs modular operations on genomic data to build customized workflows during tracked interactive sessions using an accessible graphical interface. When it comes time to publish, researchers can model their submissions off our recommended file template to intuitively organize their work for readers. This template describes the files structure and incorporates the use of both GenoPipe and ScriptManager into its ordinal execution to enhance the scalability, reproducibility, and flexibility of workflows. To date, the template has been applied and customized for multiple publications to enhance the comparability of future results. Together, these tools support the start to finish analysis of a reproducible research project.2027-06-1
POLITICAL CONNECTION, REPORTING TRANSPARENCY, AND RISK DISCLOSURE
No full text89 pagesI examine the effect of losing political connections on corporate reportingtransparency and risk disclosure. Political cost literature suggests that firms receiving political attention are more likely to use accounting choices to reduce reported profits, likely resulting in less transparent disclosure. One of China’s anti-corruption policies, Rule 18, took effect in October 2013 and mandated independent board directors above certain civil ranks to resign from firms, constituting increasing political costs to firms. My empirical analysis employs this policy shock and a difference-in-difference research design. Using composite textual measures of reporting transparency and risk disclosure, I find that losing political connection does not affect reporting transparency or risk disclosure significantly, providing no support to the hypothesis. More nuanced analysis reveals that firms with high R&D intensity reduce their reporting transparency after Rule 18 more saliently, aligning with the increasing proprietary cost concerns leading to a less transparent information environment after firms lose their political connection. Finally, I provide the explanations for the insignificant effect of Rule 18 on reporting transparency and risk disclosure: firms don’t consider the textual transparency a counterpart of financial reporting quality in Hope et al. (2020) and this is partly due to investors’ disinterest. Risk disclosure also lacks the information content and the regulation does not significantly affect several underlying risks. Overall, my findings provide mixed evidence related to the effect of political connections on Chinese firms’ information environment and illustrate the difference in investors’ reaction to the linguistic disclosure information between China and the US
Consumer’s Valuation of Active Packaging Technologies: A Discrete Choice Experiment on Milk, Ranch Dressing and Almond Milk
No full text43 pagesThe food sector faces growing challenges that necessitate the adoption of novel technologies, such as active packaging, to enhance food security and sustainability. This study employs discrete choice experiments to evaluate U.S. consumer preferences and willingness to pay for various active packaging solutions in fat-containing food products like milk, ranch dressing, and almond milk. The experiments were conducted in collaboration with a team developing new active packaging applications, focusing on realistic product depictions and packaging designs. Our findings indicate that amber-colored active packaging is generally less preferred, while preferences for opaque packaging, which conceals the technology, vary by product type. Notably, when extended shelf life is considered, U.S. consumers are willing to pay a premium for white opaque active packaging across all three food products. Two separate sociodemographic comparisons agree that individuals with lower income and education levels are more likely to resist novel food technologies like active packaging. Furthermore, technology-adverse consumers exhibit significantly lower willingness to pay for these innovations. These insights underscore the importance of addressing consumer concerns and tailoring communication strategies to improve acceptance and facilitate the market adoption of active packaging technologies
COLLOIDAL SYNTHESIS OF SPINEL OXIDE NANOCRYSTALS FOR ALKALINE ELECTROCATALYSIS
No full text297 pagesEnergy storage technologies are necessary to overcome the intermittency of renewable energy source and achieve the transition away from fossil fuels. Hydrogen as an energy storage platform can break the scaling relations that restricts batteries from being a viable grid-level energy storage method. Hydrogen electrolyzers and fuel cell devices are the framework in which hydrogen can be used as a more efficient and CO2-free method of energy storage. Lowering materials cost, improving stability, and increasing efficiency are major feats that must be achieved for energy storage and utilization devices like electrolyzers and fuel cells to be cost competitive with current battery technologies. One major impediment to high energy efficiency in electrolyzer and fuel cell devices are the slow kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), respectively. The reactions are typically catalyzed using platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts, which are high cost and limited in natural abundance on earth. Working in alkaline media allows for the use of non-platinum group metal electrocatalysts, such as first row transition metal (TM) oxides, thus significantly reducing costs. Unlike PGM catalysts, colloidal synthetic methods towards nanocrystalline first-row TM oxides, specifically spinel oxides, are less well developed. In this work, I developed novel colloidal synthesis routes to a host of ternary, multi-metal, high entropy, and/or heterostructured spinel oxide nanocrystals and demonstrate their activity towards alkaline ORR and OER. I developed novel insight into the compositional control of spinel oxide formation identifying precursor decomposition kinetics as the dominant parameter. Furthermore, I propose the growth of multi-metal spinel oxide phases is enthalpically favorable within a certain range of ionic radii and entropy may not be the dominant driving force for multi-component phase formation, despite the system being nominally high entropy. Utilizing synthetic methodologies optimized during my PhD, I was able to achieve the synthesis of monodisperse core@shell spinel oxide nanostructures with controlled shell thickness and composition for alkaline ORR, achieving one of the highest half-wave potentials for the reaction for a non-PGM catalyst. I characterized these various spinel oxide nanocrystals and electrochemical composites using physical characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and electrochemical techniques like cyclic voltammetry (CV) and rotating disk electrode (RDE) voltammetry.2027-06-1