Life Sciences Commons^™

On Head Lice And Social Interaction In Archaic Andean Coastal Populations, Bernardo Arriaza, Vivien Standen, Karl Reinhard, Aduto Araújo, Jörg Heukelbach, Katharina Dittmar

Karl Reinhard Publications

Archaic mummies from northern Chile were examined for the presence of Pediculus humanus capitis. The excellent preservation of mummies and louse nits/eggs permitted a study of the degree of head lice infestation. We studied 63 Chinchorro mummies (ca. 5000–3000 years B.P.) from the Arica-Camarones coast. An area of 2 cm × 2 cm on each mummy’s head was systematically inspected for louse nits/eggs. Hairs with nits/eggs and lice were collected and analyzed using optic and scanning electronic microscopy. About 79% (50/63) of the mummies resulted positive for pediculosis, with an average of 2.1 nits/ eggs/cm2 per positive individual. Microscopic …

Prenatal Development: Annotated Bibliography, Victoria J. Molfese, Amanda Prokasky, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill, Ibrahim H. Acar, Xiaoqing Tu, Kate Sirota, Brian Keiser

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

For decades, researchers have investigated how events in the prenatal period impact women and their infants. These studies, particularly by researchers in the medical, neuroscience, and behavioral science fields, led to discoveries of important information regarding the prenatal events that were strongly associated with mortality (or death) and morbidity (or incidences of injury, pathology and abnormalities/anomalies, and neurobehavioral sequelae) in the neonatal and infancy periods. Among the many common findings from early research studies, two are particularly noteworthy. First, maternal and fetal risk conditions arising in the prenatal period do not do so in isolation. Sameroff and Chandler characterized this …

The Biology And Taxonomy Of Head And Body Lice: Implications For Louse-Borne Disease Prevention, Denise L. Bonilla, Lance A. Durden, Marina E. Eremeeva, Gregory A. Dasch

Harold W. Manter Laboratory: Library Materials

Sucking lice (Phthiraptera: Anoplura) are obligate blood-feeding ectoparasites of placental mammals including humans. Worldwide, more than 550 species have been described and many are specific to a particular host species of mammal. Three taxa uniquely parasitize humans: the head louse, body louse, and crab (pubic) louse. The body louse, in particular, has epidemiological importance because it is a vector of the causative agents of three important human diseases: epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever. Since the advent of antibiotics and more effective body louse control measures in the 1940s, these diseases have markedly diminished in incidence. However, due …

Sex Differences In White Matter Development During Adolescence: A Dti Study, Yingying Wang, Chris Adamson, Weihong Yuan, Mekibib Altaye, Anna W. Byars, Scott K. Holland

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty and Staff Publications

Adolescence is a complex transitional period in human development, composing physical maturation, cognitive and social behavioral changes. The objective of this study is to investigate sex differences in white matter development and the associations between intelligence and white matter microstructure in the adolescent brain using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). In a cohort of 16 typically-developing adolescents aged 13 to 17 years, longitudinal DTI data were recorded from each subject at two time points that were one year apart. We used TBSS to analyze the diffusion indices including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity …

Small Molecule Antagonists Of Melanopsin-Mediated Phototransduction, Kenneth A. Jones, Megumi Hatori, Ludovic S. Mure, Jayne R. Bramley, Roman Artymyshyn, Sang-Phyo Hong, Mohammad Marzabadi, Huailing Zhong, Jeffrey Sprouse, Quansheng Zhu, Andrew T. E. Hartwick, Patricia J. Sollars, Gary E. Pickard, Satchidananda Panda

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Melanopsin, expressed in a subset of retinal ganglion cells, mediates behavioral adaptation to ambient light and other non-image forming photic responses. This has raised the possibility that pharmacological manipulation of melanopsin can modulate several CNS responses including photophobia, sleep, circadian rhythms and neuroendocrine function. Here we describe the identification of a potent synthetic melanopsin antagonist with in vivo activity. Novel sulfonamide compounds inhibiting melanopsin (opsinamides) compete with retinal binding to melanopsin and inhibit its function without affecting rod/cone mediated responses. In vivo administration of opsinamides to mice specifically and reversibly modified melanopsin-dependent light responses including the pupillary light reflex and …

Combined Erp/Fmri Evidence For Early Word Recognition Effects In The Posterior Inferior Temporal Gyrus, Joseph Dien, Eric S. Brian, Dennis L. Molfese, Brian T. Gold

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty and Staff Publications

Two brain regions with established roles in reading are the posterior middle temporal gyrus and the posterior fusiform gyrus. Lesion studies have also suggested that the region located between them, the posterior inferior temporal gyrus (pITG), plays a central role in word recognition. However, these lesion results could reflect disconnection effects since neuroimaging studies have not reported consistent lexicality effects in pITG. Here we tested whether these reported pITG lesion effects are due to disconnection effects or not using parallel ERP/fMRI studies. We predicted that the Recognition Potential (RP), a left-lateralized ERP negativity that peaks at about 200–250 ms, might …

Osmotic Stress, Not Aldose Reductase Activity, Directly Induces Growth Factors And Mapk Signaling Changes During Sugar Cataract Formation, Peng Zhang, Kuiyi Xing, James Randazzo, Karen Blessing, Marjorie F. Lou, Peter Kador

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

In sugar cataract formation in rats, aldose reductase (AR) actitvity is not only linked to lenticular sorbitol (diabetic) or galactitol (galactosemic) formation but also to signal transduction changes, cytotoxic signals and activation of apoptosis. Using both in vitro and in vivo techniques, the interrelationship between AR activity, polyol (sorbitol and galactitol) formation, osmotic stress, growth factor induction, and cell signaling changes have been investigated. For in vitro studies, lenses from Sprague Dawley rats were cultured for up to 48 hrs in TC-199-bicarbonate media containing either 30 mM fructose (control), or 30 mM glucose or galctose with/without the aldose reductase inhibitors …

Expert–Novice Differences In Mental Models Of Viruses, Vaccines, And The Causes Of Infectious Disease, Benjamin D. Jee, David H. Uttal, Amy N. Spiegel, Judy Diamond

World of Viruses

Humans are exposed to viruses everywhere they live, play, and work. Yet people’s beliefs about viruses may be confused or inaccurate, potentially impairing their understanding of scientific information. This study used semi-structured interviews to examine people’s beliefs about viruses, vaccines, and the causes of infectious disease. We compared people at different levels of science expertise: middle school students, teachers, and professional virologists. The virologists described more entities involved in microbiological processes, how these entities behaved, and why. Quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed distinctions in the cognitive organization of several concepts, including infection and vaccination. For example, some students and teachers …

The Epidemiology Of Human Herpesvirus-8: Transmission Of Infection To Children In Zambian Households, Kay L. Crabtree

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Human Herpes virus-8 (HHV-8) is the known etiologic agent for several malignant pathologies, including Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), the most common tumor in children in sub-Saharan Africa. Saliva is implicated as the culprit of transmission; however there is a paucity of information regarding transmission to young children. In this study, we investigated the hypothesis that household behaviors exposing the susceptible child to saliva increase the risk of transmission of HHV-8 to that child.

To test our hypothesis a large prospective cohort study in Lusaka, Zambia, enrolling 464 young children and their households, was followed for 48 months. Socio-demographics, health histories, feeding …

Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein K Supports Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Replication By Regulating Cell Survival And Cellular Gene Expression, Phat X. Dinh, Anshuman Das, Rodrigo Franco, Asit K. Pattnaik

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP K) is a member of the family of hnRNPs and was recently shown in a genome-wide small interfering RNA (siRNA) screen to support vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) growth. To decipher the role of hnRNP K in VSV infection, we conducted studies which suggest that the protein is required for VSV spreading. Virus binding to cells, entry, and nucleocapsid uncoating steps were not adversely affected in the absence of hnRNP K, whereas viral genome transcription and replication were reduced slightly. These results indicate that hnRNP K is likely involved in virus assembly and/or release from …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Nutrition And Physical Activity Self-Assessment For Child Care (Nap Sacc) For Changes In Physical Activity Behavior, Policy, And Environment In Nebraska Family Child Care Homes, Katie K. Bolte

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nebraska is the first state to utilize NAP SACC and to modify the evidence-based program for family child care homes (FCCHs). The purpose of this study was to conduct a secondary data analysis to assess the effectiveness of a modified version of the NAP SACC approach in achieving changes in physical activity behavior, policy, and environment in Nebraska FCCHs caring for children ages 2-5 years. Results from this study will be used to improve the NAP SACC physical activity components for FCCHs and will help to inform trainers and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Nutrition and Activity …

Review Of Ourselves Unborn: A History Of The Fetus In Modern America, By Sara Dubow, Rose Holz

Women's and Gender Studies Program: Faculty Publications

With the publication of the Bancroft Prize-winning Ourselves Unborn, Sara Dubow offers a long overdue analysis and historicization of what has become a central feature in battles over reproductive rights: the fetus. Drawing upon legal and legislative records as well as educational tracts, museum exhibits, medical textbooks and journals, personal memoirs, and the popular press, Dubow traces what she calls “fetal stories” (4) in America from the late nineteenth century through the early twenty-first. In so doing, she persuasively reminds her readers the following: First, that our understanding of the fetus is not simply a product of biology or theology. …

Diseases At The Livestock–Wildlife Interface: Status, Challenges, And Opportunities In The United States, Ryan S. Miller, Mathew L. Farnsworth, Jennifer L. Malmberg

Other Publications in Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease

In the last half century, significant attention has been given to animal diseases; however, our understanding of disease processes and how to manage them at the livestock–wildlife interface remains limited. In this study, we conduct a systematic review of the scientific literature to evaluate the status of diseases at the livestock–wildlife interface in the United States. Specifically, the goals of the literature review were three fold: first to evaluate domestic animal diseases currently found in the United States where wildlife may play a role; second to identify critical issues faced in managing these diseases at the livestock–wildlife interface; and third …

Mycobacterium Bovis (Bovine Tuberculosis) Infection In North American Wildlife: Current Status And Opportunities For Mitigation Of Risks Of Further Infection In Wildlife Populations, Ryan S. Miller, Steven J. Sweeney

Other Publications in Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease

Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis, has been identified in nine geographically distinct wildlife populations in North America and Hawaii and is endemic in at least three populations, including members of the Bovidae, Cervidae, and Suidae families. The emergence of M. bovis in North American wildlife poses a serious and growing risk for livestock and human health and for the recreational hunting industry. Experience in many countries, including the USA and Canada, has shown that while M. bovis can be controlled when restricted to livestock species, it is almost impossible to eradicate …

Assessment Of Introduction Pathway For Novel Avian Influenza Virus Into North America By Wild Birds From Eurasia, Ryan S. Miller, Steven J. Sweeney, Judy E. Akkina, Emi K. Saito

Other Publications in Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease

A critical question surrounding emergence of novel strains of avian influenza viruses (AIV) is the ability for wild migratory birds to translocate a complete (unreassorted whole genome) AIV intercontinentally. Virus translocation via migratory birds is suspected in outbreaks of highly pathogenic strain A(H5N1) in Asia, Africa, and Europe. As a result, the potential intercontinental translocation of newly emerging AIV (e.g. A(H7N9) from Eurasia to North America via migratory movements of birds) remains a concern. An estimated 1.48 to 2.91 million aquatic birds, principally Anseriformes (ducks, geese, and swans) and Charadriiformes (gulls, terns, and shorebirds) move annually between Eurasia and North …

Maternal Obesity Alters Fetal Development Due To Impaired Placental Function And Has Lasting Effects On Adult Offspring, Kristin Ann Norwood

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Obesity is an epidemic in many developed nations and maternal obesity can result in developmental alterations in offspring that have long-lasting effects. Two experiments were conducted to determine the impact of maternal obesity on placental development and early embryonic growth and muscle development. Experiment one utilized obese Lethal Yellow (LY) and normal weight C57BL/6 (B6) dams to assess how maternal obesity alters skeletal muscle development in mid-gestational embryos. Embryos from LY dams exhibited decreased embryo and placental weights as well as an increase in the myogenic marker desmin. Furthermore, the adipogenic marker PPARG expression was predominately localized to the neural …

Evolution Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Clade C Envelope V1-V5 Region During Disease Progression In Non-Human Primate Model, For Yue Tso

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) clade C strain is the fastest spreading HIV-1 strain globally, especially in Africa. It has been decades since the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic first started. However, an effective anti-HIV-1 vaccine is not yet available, which is partly due to the highly variable nature of HIV-1 envelope gene and the absence of a suitable animal model. Strengthening of the understanding of envelope evolution during disease progression will contribute significantly towards future anti-HIV-1 treatment and preventions.
Non-human primates have been an essential animal model for many biomedical research areas. Using simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) …

Test-Retest Reliability For Voluntary And Evoked Measures Of Peak Torque, Electromechanical Delay, And Rate Of Torque Development In Older Men., Nathaniel D.M. Jenkins

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to examine the test-retest reliability for peak torque (PT), rates of torque development (RTD), and electromechanical delay (EMD) calculated during voluntary and evoked muscle actions in men ages 65 and older. Fifteen older men (mean ± standard deviation (SD) age = 72.3 ± 7.3 years) completed 3 evoked and 3 voluntary isometric muscle actions of the leg extensors during two visits separated by 48 to 72 h. PT and EMD were calculated during voluntary and evoked muscle actions. RTD was quantified as the peak RTD, overall RTD, RTD in time intervals of 0-30 (RTD30), …

Concordance Of Meg And Fmri Patterns In Adolescents During Verb Generation, Yingying Wang, Scott K. Holland, Jennifer Vannest

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty and Staff Publications

In this study we focused on direct comparison between the spatial distributions of activation detected by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and localization of sources detected by magnetoencephalography (MEG) during identical language tasks. We examined the spatial concordance between MEG and fMRI results in 16 adolescents performing a three-phase verb generation task that involves repeating the auditorily presented concrete noun and generating verbs either overtly or covertly in response to the auditorily presented noun. MEG analysis was completed using a synthetic aperture magnetometry (SAM) technique, while the fMRI data were analyzed using the general linear model approach with random-effects. To …

The Herpesvirus Vp1/2 Protein Is An Effector Of Dynein-Mediated Capsid Transport And Neuroinvasion, Sofia V. Zaichick, Kevin P. Bohannon, Ami Hughes, Patricia J. Sollars, Gary E. Pickard, Gregory A. Smith

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Microtubule transport of herpesvirus capsids from the cell periphery to the nucleus is imperative for viral replication and, in the case of many alphaherpesviruses, transmission into the nervous system. Using the neuroinvasive herpesvirus, pseudorabies virus (PRV), we show that the viral protein 1/2 (VP1/2) tegument protein associates with the dynein/dynactin microtubule motor complex and promotes retrograde microtubule transport of PRV capsids. Functional activation of VP1/2 requires binding to the capsid protein pUL25 or removal of the capsid-binding domain. A proline-rich sequence within VP1/2 is required for the efficient interaction with the dynein/ dynactin microtubule motor complex as well as for …

Threshold Dose For Shrimp: A Risk Characterization Based On Objective Reactions In Clinical Studies, Julie A. Nordlee, Benjamin C. Remington, Barbara K. Ballmer-Weber, Samuel B. Lehrer, Joe L. Baumert, Steve L. Taylor

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

A DBPCFC [double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge] of shrimp-allergic adults was conducted to obtain individual threshold doses. Results of this study and published research were combined and a population threshold for shrimp was determined from dose-distribution modeling. The shrimp-allergic population seems to have a higher threshold compared to other populations for other food allergens. Additional shrimp challenges should be done to confirm these initial results.

Challenges In Testing Genetically Modified Crops For Potential Increases In Endogenous Allergen Expression For Safety, Rakhi Panda, H. Ariyarathna, Plaimein Amnuaycheewa, Afua O. Tetteh, S. N. Pramod, Steve Taylor, B. K. Ballmer-Weber, Richard E. Goodman

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Premarket, genetically modified (GM) plants are assessed for potential risks of food allergy. The major risk would be transfer of a gene encoding an allergen or protein nearly identical to an allergen into a different food source, which can be assessed by specific serum testing. The potential that a newly expressed protein might become an allergen is evaluated based on resistance to digestion in pepsin and abundance in food fractions. If the modified plant is a common allergenic source (e.g. soybean), regulatory guidelines suggest testing for increases in the expression of endogenous allergens. Some regulators request evaluating endogenous allergens for …

The Voltage-Sensing Domain Of A Phosphatase Gates The Pore Of A Potassium Channel, Cristina Arrigoni, Indra Schroeder, Giulia Romani, James L. Van Etten, Gerhard Thiel, Anna Moroni

James Van Etten Publications

The modular architecture of voltage-gated K⁺ (Kv) channels suggests that they resulted from the fusion of a voltage-sensing domain (VSD) to a pore module. Here, we show that the VSD of Ciona intestinalis phosphatase (Ci-VSP) fused to the viral channel Kcv creates Kv_Synth1, a functional voltage-gated, outwardly rectifying K⁺ channel. Kv_Synth1 displays the summed features of its individual components: pore properties of Kcv (selectivity and filter gating) and voltage dependence of Ci-VSP (V1/2 = +56 mV; z of approx. 1), including the depolarizationinduced mode shift. The degree of outward rectification of the channel is critically …

Pathology In Practice, Timothy L. Cushing, David J. Steffen, Gerald E. Duhamel

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

A 1.5-year-old second-parity Large Black X Tamworth cross sow from a well-managed 20-sow, unvaccinated, pasture-raised herd of pigs in upstate New York aborted a litter of 7 variably mummified near-term fetuses and stillborn piglets. This sow had no signs of ill health other than abortion; it was housed in a group with 4 other sows and a 2-year-old Gloucestershire Old Spot boar. One of the stillborn piglets from this litter was submitted to the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center for necropsy; no placental tissue was submitted with the piglet. A second sow from this group had aborted a …

Severe Reactions To A Soy Containing Beverage In Peanut Allergic Individuals Not Avoiding Soy, Benjamin Remington, Julie A. Nordlee, John R. Bacon, Marc E. Dyer, Steve L. Taylor, Joe L. Baumert

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Rationale: Three peanut-allergic individuals experienced severe reactions to a nationally distributed high-protein beverage in the same month. The major protein sources in the beverage were soy-based ingredients and cows’ milk. These individuals did not avoid soy in their diet and previously consumed various soy products without adverse reactions. Peanut contamination of the beverage was not detected by specific ELISA, so attention shifted to the soy ingredients. The research objective was to elucidate differences between the soy milk and soy protein isolate used in the beverage and other forms of soy safely consumed by these individuals.

Methods: Specific IgE levels from …

A Virus-Encoded Potassium Ion Channel Is A Structural Protein In The Chlorovirus Paramecium Bursaria Chlorella Virus 1 Virion, Giulia Romani, Adrianna Piotrowski, Stefan Hillmer, James Gurnon, James L. Van Etten, Anna Morani, Gerhard Thiel, Brigitte Hertel

James Van Etten Publications

Most chloroviruses encode small K+ channels, which are functional in electrophysiological assays. The experimental finding that initial steps in viral infection exhibit the same sensitivity to channel inhibitors as the viral K+ channels has led to the hypothesis that the channels are structural proteins located in the internal membrane of the virus particles. This hypothesis was questioned recently because proteomic studies failed to detect the channel protein in virions of the prototype chlorovirus Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus 1 (PBCV-1). Here, we used a mAb raised against the functional K+ channel from chlorovirus MA-1D to search for the viral K+ channel …

Potassium Ion Channels: Could They Have Evolved From Viruses?1[W], Gerhard Thiel, Anna Moroni, Guillaume Blanc, James L. Van Etten

James Van Etten Publications

Cells communicate among themselves by electrical activity. Sophisticated membrane-embedded proteins, called ion channels, catalyze rapid, selective, and regulated ion fluxes across membranes (Hille, 2001). The resulting membrane currents are responsible for neuronal activity and the systemic propagation of electrical signals in animals. The activity of some channels is important for muscle movement in animals or growth in plants; other channels sense the concentration of physiological signals and modulate key processes in all kinds of eukaryotic cells. Among the many diverse ion channels in higher organisms, K+ channels are among the most important. One feature of K+ channels is that they …

A Virus-Encoded Potassium Ion Channel Is A Structural Protein In The Chlorovirus Paramecium Bursaria Chlorella Virus 1 Virion, Giulia Romani, Adrianna Piotrowski, Stefan Hillmer, James Gurnon, James L. Van Etten, Anna Moroni, Gerhard Thiel, Brigitte Hertel

James Van Etten Publications

Most chloroviruses encode small K+ channels, which are functional in electrophysiological assays. The experimental finding that initial steps in viral infection exhibit the same sensitivity to channel inhibitors as the viral K+ channels has led to the hypothesis that the channels are structural proteins located in the internal membrane of the virus particles. This hypothesis was questioned recently because proteomic studies failed to detect the channel protein in virions of the prototype chlorovirus Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus 1 (PBCV-1). Here, we used a mAb raised against the functional K+ channel from chlorovirus MA-1D to search for the viral K+ channel …

Plantas Medicinales De Omitlán, Hidalgo, México, I. Fuentes-Cervantes, Miguel Ángel Villavicencio-Nieto, Blanca Estela Pérez-Escandón

Estudios científicos en el estado de Hidalgo y zonas aledañas

Se seleccionó la cabecera municipal de Omitlán, Hidalgo, con el objetivo de evaluar el uso de plantas medicinales, documentar la importancia de dichas especies y estimar el estado actual del conocimiento tradicional en la comunidad. Por medio de entrevistas se detectaron las especies de plantas de uso medicinal, las cuales fueron recolectadas e identificadas, y se llevó a cabo el análisis de datos. Se registraron 134 etnoespecies de plantas, se identificaron 102 especies, las cuales están distribuidas en 53 familias y 89 géneros. La familia y género mejor representados son Asteraceae y Sedum. En el promedio de menciones por …

Development And Evaluation Of A Replicon Particle Vaccine Expressing The E2 Glycoprotein Of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (Bvdv) In Cattle, John Dustin Loy, Jill Gander, Mark Mogler, Ryan Vander Veen, Julia Ridpath, Delbert Hank Harris, Kurt Kamrud

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Bovine viral diarrhea virus is one of the most significant and costly viral pathogens of cattle worldwide. Alphavirus-derived replicon particles have been shown to be safe and highly effective vaccine vectors against a variety of human and veterinary pathogens. Replicon particles are non-propagating, DIVA compatible, and can induce both humoral and cell mediated immune responses. This is the first experiment to demonstrate that Alphavirus-based replicon particles can be utilized in a standard prime/boost vaccination strategy in calves against a commercially significant bovine pathogen.

Findings: Replicon particles that express bovine viral diarrhea virus sub-genotype 1b E2 glycoprotein were …