Digital Commons Network^™

Structural Variant-Based Pangenome Construction Has Low Sensitivity To Variability Of Haplotype-Resolved Bovine Assemblies, Alexander S. Leonard, Danang Crysnanto, Zih-Hua Fang, Michael P. Heaton, Brian L. Vander Ley, Carolina Herrera, Heinrich Bollwein, Derek M. Bickhart, Benjamin D. Rosen, Hubert Pausch

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Advantages of pangenomes over linear reference assemblies for genome research have recently been established. However, potential effects of sequence platform and assembly approach, or of combining assemblies created by different approaches, on pangenome construction have not been investigated. Here we generate haplotype-resolved assemblies from the offspring of three bovine trios representing increasing levels of heterozygosity that each demonstrate a substantial improvement in contiguity, completeness, and accuracy over the current Bos taurus reference genome. Diploid coverage as low as 20x for HiFi or 60x for ONT is sufficient to produce two haplotype-resolved assemblies meeting standards set by the Vertebrate Genomes Project. …

Does Swab Type Matter? Comparing Methods For Mannheimia Haemolytica Recovery And Upper Respiratory Microbiome Characterization In Feedlot Cattle, William B. Crosby, Lee Pinnell, John T. Richeson, Cory Wolfe, Jake Castle, John Dustin Loy, Sheryl P. Gow, Keun Seok Seo, Sarah F. Capik, Amelia R. Woolums, Paul S. Morley

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is caused by interactions among host, environment, and pathogens. One standard method for antemortem pathogen identification in cattle with BRD is deep-guarded nasopharyngeal swabbing, which is challenging, costly, and waste generating. The objective was to compare the ability to recover Mannheimia haemolytica and compare microbial community structure using 29.5 inch (74.9 cm) deep-guarded nasopharyngeal swabs, 16 inch (40.6 cm) unguarded proctology swabs, or 6 inch (15.2 cm) unguarded nasal swabs when characterized using culture, real time-qPCR, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Samples for aerobic culture, qPCR, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing were collected from the …

Rna Nanovaccine Protects Against White Spot Syndrome Virus In Shrimp, Yashdeep Phanse, Supraja Puttamreddy, Duan Loy, Julia Vela Ramirez, Kathleen A. Ross, Ignacio Alvarez-Castro, Mark Mogler, Scott Broderick, Krishna Rajan, Balaji Narasimhan, Lyric C. Bartholomay

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

In the last 15 years, crustacean fisheries have experienced billions of dollars in economic losses, primarily due to viral diseases caused by such pathogens as white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei and Asian tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon. To date, no effective measures are available to prevent or control disease outbreaks in these animals, despite their economic importance. Recently, double-stranded RNA-based vaccines have been shown to provide specific and robust protection against WSSV infection in cultured shrimp. However, the limited stability of double-stranded RNA is the most significant hurdle for the field application of these …

Creating A Pre-Illness Covid-19 Action Plan: A Web-Based Public Education Initiative, Brian S. Hustad

DNP Research Projects

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm in the beginning stages of 2020. Public health agencies were overwhelmed, undermanned, and therefore slow to respond. Information began to flow at an unprecedented rate. Yet, very limited resources were put into place to present this information or to instruct the public on evidence-based prevention, treatment, or care at home during active infection.

Intervention: A project website was created and accessed through a QR code on the project flyer or by entering the URL into any browser. Participants were able to access three evidence- based video modules, which introduced the …

Diversity And Phylogenetic Relationships Of ‘Tetraphyllidean’ Clade 3 (Cestoda) Based On New Material From Orectolobiform Sharks In Australia And Taiwan, Janine N. Caira, Kirsten Jensen

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

In an effort to expand knowledge of Clade 3—one of the ten clades that compose the non-monophyletic order ‘Tetraphyllidea’ all current members of which parasitise orectolobiform sharks—we targeted species of orectolobiform sharks that had not previously been examined for ‘tetraphyllidean’ cestodes. That work led to the discovery of three new species off Australia and Taiwan. Ambitalveolus gen. n. was erected to accommodate these species. Ambitalveolus costelloae gen. n. et sp. n., Ambitalveolus kempi sp. n., and Ambitalveolus penghuensis sp. n. differ from one another in scolex size, genital pore position, and number of marginal loculi, proglottids, and testes. Among ‘tetraphyllideans’, …

Genomic Approaches To Uncovering The Coevolutionary History Of Parasitic Lice [Review], Kevin P. Johnson

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Next-generation sequencing technologies are revolutionizing the fields of genomics, phylogenetics, and population genetics. These new genomic approaches have been extensively applied to a major group of parasites, the lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) of birds and mammals. Two louse genomes have been assembled and annotated to date, and these have opened up new resources for the study of louse biology. Whole genome sequencing has been used to assemble large phylogenomic datasets for lice, incorporating sequences of thousands of genes. These datasets have provided highly supported trees at all taxonomic levels, ranging from relationships among the major groups of lice to those among …

Methodology To Estimate Natural- And Vaccine-Induced Antibodies To Sars-Cov-2 In A Large Geographic Region, Stacia M Desantis, Luis G León-Novelo, Michael D Swartz, Ashraf S Yaseen, Melissa A Valerio-Shewmaker, Yashar Talebi, Frances A Brito, Jessica A Ross, Harold W Kohl, Sarah E Messiah, Steve H Kelder, Leqing Wu, Shiming Zhang, Kimberly A Aguillard, Michael O Gonzalez, Onyinye S Omega-Njemnob, David Lakey, Jennifer A Shuford, Stephen Pont, Eric Boerwinkle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Accurate estimates of natural and/or vaccine-induced antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 are difficult to obtain. Although model-based estimates of seroprevalence have been proposed, they require inputting unknown parameters including viral reproduction number, longevity of immune response, and other dynamic factors. In contrast to a model-based approach, the current study presents a data-driven detailed statistical procedure for estimating total seroprevalence (defined as antibodies from natural infection or from full vaccination) in a region using prospectively collected serological data and state-level vaccination data. Specifically, we conducted a longitudinal statewide serological survey with 88,605 participants 5 years or older with 3 prospective blood draws beginning …

Antibiotic Permeation In Gram-Negative Bacteria And Contribution Of Inflammasome Activation And Pyroptosis In Pathogenesis Of Salmonella Systemic Infection, Ankit Pandeya

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Antibiotic resistance is one of the major global issues in the field of public health and medicine. Good antibiotic candidates need to be selectively toxic, inhibit cellular target, and effectively penetrate and accumulate in bacterial cells. The last factor is a formidable barrier in the development of antimicrobials effective in Gram-negative bacteria, due to the presence of two layers of cell envelope. The first half of my thesis focuses on understanding the permeation of small molecules through this formidable cell envelope, distribution inside the cell of Gram-negative bacteria, and design of novel methods to make small molecules effectively cross the …

Cell-Engineered Vesicles For Therapeutic Delivery And Immunomodulatory Applications, Khaga Neupane

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Development of a new kind of drug delivery system (DDS) that could efficiently deliver therapeutics to the cell of interest would allow us to accomplish cell-specific drug delivery while eliminating systemic toxicity. Although nanocarriers including endogenously released extracellular vesicles (EEVs), liposomes, and small molecules seem to be promising drug delivery systems, biological challenges persist for their use in clinical applications. Here, we demonstrate nanovesicles engineered by fragmenting cellular membranes can be exploited as versatile DDSs for therapeutics delivery as well as immunomodulatory functions. Cell-engineered vesicles were produced by cavitating cells using nitrogen gas at high pressure followed by serial centrifugation. …

Combinatorial Administration Of Synthetic Tlr4 Agonist Ini-2002 And Novel Mincle Agonist Um-1098 Delivered Via A-Snps Results In Synergistic Il-1Β Production In Human Primary Cells And Enhances Th1 And Th17 Responses In Vivo, Grace D. Jones, Asia Marie Stephanie Riel, Alexander Riffey, Cassandra Buhl

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Tuberculosis (TB) kills more people each year than any infectious disease worldwide with recent exception of SARS-CoV-2. Though the Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine confers protection against severe extrapulmonary forms of TB, there is no licensed vaccine for the prevention of pulmonary tuberculosis. The strongest correlate of protection against pulmonary tuberculosis is Th1/Th17 biased cell mediated immunity. Several candidates for TB vaccine adjuvants have shown Th1/Th17 polarizing capacity in clinical trials including Mincle agonist trehalose dibehenate (TDB) and TLR4 agonist monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL). Furthermore, combinatorial administration of MPL and TDB formulated in dimethyldioctadecylammonium (DDA) liposomes has been previously reported …

Determining Effective Treatment Regimens For Breast Cancer Using Combined Immunotherapy And Chemotherapy In Vivo, Akhila R. Kunuthuru, Laura Graham, Harry D. Bear Md, Phd

UROP Posters

Breast cancer has the highest incidence rate of all cancers globally in women, and those of African descent, especially West African females, face higher rates of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a more aggressive form of breast cancer. Immunotherapy for breast cancer is a relatively new treatment option, and research is ongoing to identify the best combination treatments for increasing survival of those diagnosed with TNBC. Eganelisib (IPI-549: a PI3K-gamma inhibitor that works to shift M2 macrophages to M1 to augment T cell function) with other combinatory treatments has shown promising results in reducing tumor growth and increasing survival in mice. …

B Cells In The Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue (Galt), Ameera Bukhari

Dissertations

The gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) is the largest mass of lymphoid tissue in the body, and it is a unique line of defense where immune cells are in constant contact with gut commensals and pathogens. B lymphocytes constitute most of the lymphatic tissues of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and they play a critical role in protecting from infections, promoting tolerance, and shaping microbiota in the gut through the production of immunoglobulins (Ig). Previous studies on GALT B cells in human showed that large B cell clones in the body partition into two broad networks: one includes the blood, bone marrow, …

The Role Of Ly49 Receptors In Maintaining Healthy Murine Pregnancy, Michelle Belmont

Master's Theses

Natural Killer (NK) cells are abundant in pregnancy and contribute to the health of the fetus. Uterine NK (uNK) cells provide less cytotoxic function than their conventional NK (cNK) cell counterparts. Various combinations of Killer Immunoglobulin Receptor (KIR)- Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) on maternal NK and fetally derived cells, respectively, can have different effects on the health of pregnancy in humans. Murine NK cells contain Ly49 receptors, an equivalent to KIRs. Therefore, Ly49 receptor interactions with fetally-derived MHC-I molecules can be a valuable model for studying the role of NK cells in pregnancy. The process of spiral artery remodeling can …

Phenotypic Analysis Of Murine Gut Associated Lymphocytes, Madison Flood

Master's Theses

γδ T cells are important in the role of immune homeostasis, especially in relation to the gut. It has been shown that there is a higher proportion of γδ T cells in the intestines than in circulation. With this knowledge, our lab focused on understanding the mechanisms of these cells, specifically regarding immune tolerance. In our preliminary research, we identified a subset of γδ T cells that express Foxp3, a transcription factor essential for the functioning of regulatory T cells, in the neonatal (5 day old) intestine. We hypothesized that these Foxp3+ γδ T cells have immunosuppressive functions upon exposure …

Identification Of A Rickettsial Endosymbiont In A Soft Tick Ornithodoros Turicata Americanus, Lichao Liu, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Hameeda Sultana, Girish Neelakanta

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Bacterial endosymbionts are abundantly found in both hard and soft ticks. Occidentia massiliensis, a rickettsial endosymbiont, was first identified in the soft tick Ornithodoros sonrai collected from Senegal and later was identified in a hard tick Africaniella transversale. In this study, we noted the presence of Occidentia species, designated as Occidentia-like species, in a soft tick O. turicata americanus. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of the two genetic markers, 16S rRNA and groEL confirmed the presence of Occidentia-like species in O. turicata americanus ticks. The Occidentia-like species was noted to be present in all developmental stages …

การพัฒนาชุดตรวจออกซิไดซ์ไลโพโปรตีนชนิดความหนาแน่นสูง ด้วยเทคนิค Paper-Based Immunogold-Silver Enhancement Assay, ปิยวดี ประดิษฐ์นวกุล

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ไลโพโปรตีนชนิดความหนาแน่นสูง (High-density lipoprotein; HDL) มีบทบาทสำคัญในการป้องกันการเกิดโรคหัวใจขาดเลือด ต้านการอักเสบของหลอดเลือด และยับยั้งการเกิด LDL-oxidation แต่การทำงานของ HDL จะสูญเสียไปเมื่อ HDL ถูกทำลายด้วยอนุมูลอิสระ กลายเป็น oxidized HDL (oxHDL) การวัดระดับ HDL-cholesterol เป็นการประเมินด้านปริมาณแต่ไม่สามารถบอกการทำงานของ HDL ได้ หากสามารถวัดระดับ oxHDL ควบคู่ไปกับระดับ HDL-cholesterol ทำให้การพยากรณ์การเกิดโรคหัวใจขาดเลือดได้แม่นยำขึ้น แต่การวิเคราะห์ระดับ oxHDL ต้องใช้เครื่องมือจำเพาะและน้ำยามีราคาสูง งานวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อพัฒนาชุดตรวจวิเคราะห์ oxHDL ด้วยหลักการ Paper-based Immunogold silver-enhanced assay โดยออกแบบฐานกระดาษมีลักษณะเดียวกับ microtiter plate ตรึงแอนติบอดีต่อ 4-Hydroxynonenal (anti-HNE) ซึ่งเป็นผลผลิตจากกรดไขมันที่ถูกออกซิไดซ์ oxHDL ในตัวอย่างจับกับ anti-HNE บนกระดาษ ใช้ anti-APO AI ที่มีความจำเพาะต่อ HDL ที่ติดฉลากกับอนุภาคของทองคำและขยายสัญญาณด้วย silver ion อ่านผลด้วยเครื่องสแกนและวิเคราะห์ความเข้มสีด้วยโปรแกรม Photoshop CS64 ผลการวิเคราะห์ความเป็นเส้นตรงระหว่าง oxHDL กับ ความเข้มสี พบว่า มีความสัมพันธ์เป็นเส้นตรงที่ความเข้มข้นตั้งแต่ 0-300 ng/mL ( r2 = 0.946) ผลการทดสอบความถูกต้องของชุดทดสอบ ใช้ซีรัมจำนวน 32 ราย วิเคราะห์ปริมาณ oxHDL ด้วยวิธีที่พัฒนาขึ้นและวิธี Sandwich ELISA หาความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างปริมาณ oxHDL ที่วิเคราะห์ได้จากทั้งสองวิธีด้วย Pearson correlation coefficient พบว่า ค่า correlation coefficient (r) = 0.527 และมีค่า p-value =0.002 แสดงให้เห็นว่าทั้งสองวิธีมีความสัมพันธ์มีความสัมพันธ์กันในระดับกลางอย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติ อุปกรณ์ตรวจวิเคราะห์ออกซิไดซ์ไลโพโปรตีนชนิดความหนาแน่นสูงฐานกระดาษเป็นต้นแบบที่สามารถนำไปต่อยอดและพัฒนา เพื่อประยุกต์ใช้ในการตรวจปริมาณ oxHDL …

ผลของ Lactobacillus Rhamnosus Gg ร่วมกับสารเคอคิวมินต่อการยับยั้งการมีชีวิตและกระตุ้นการตายแบบอะพอพโตซิสของเซลล์มะเร็งช่องปากชนิดสความัสเซลล์คาร์ซิโนมา, ชัชพันธุ์ อุดมพัฒนากร

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

มะเร็งช่องปากชนิดสความัสเซลล์คาร์ซิโนมา (Oral squamous cell carcinoma, OSCC) จัดเป็นมะเร็งที่พบได้บ่อยที่สุดของ มะเร็งศรีษะและลำคอ เคอคิวมินเป็นสารออกฤทธิ์หลักซึ่งพบได้ในขมิ้นชันและถูกใช้เป็นสมุนไพรสำหรับการรักษาโรคต่าง ๆ หลายชนิด รวมทั้ง ได้รับการพิสูจน์ในห้องปฏิบัติการแล้วว่ามีคุณสมบัติในการยับยั้งเซลล์มะเร็งได้หลากหลายประเภท ในขณะที่โพรไบโอติกแบคทีเรีย Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) ได้รับการพิสูจน์ในห้องปฏิบัติการถึงคุณสมบัติในการยับยั้งเซลล์มะเร็งได้หลากหลายชนิดเช่นกัน และ มีรายงานถึงการนำ LGG ไปใช้ร่วมกับสารผลิตภัณฑ์ธรรมชาติชนิดอื่น ๆ เพื่อเพิ่มประสิทธิภาพของสารธรรมชาตินั้นอีกด้วย ดังนั้นวัตถุประสงค์ ของการศึกษาในครั้งนี้คือ เพื่อศึกษาผลของการใช้เคอคิวมินร่วมกับน้ำเลี้ยงส่วนใสของแบคทีเรีย LGG (LGG cell-free supernatant, LGG CFS) ในการยับยั้งการมีชีวิตและกระตุ้นให้เซลล์มะเร็งช่องปากชนิด OSCC (SCC-9 cells) เกิดการตายแบบอะพอพโตซิส ผลการศึกษาพบว่า เคอคิวมินและ LGG CFS มีคุณสมบัติในการยับยั้งการมีชีวิตของเซลล์มะเร็งช่องปาก SCC-9 cells โดยขึ้นอยู่กับความเข้มข้นที่ใช้ การใช้เคอคิว มินและ LGG CFS ที่ความเข้มข้นสูง (Curcumin 40 µg/ml และ 25% (volume/volume) LGG CFS ที่ความเข้มข้น 108 CFU/ml หรือความ เข้มเข้นเริ่มต้น (undiluted condition)) ในรูปแบบการใช้สารเดี่ยวหรือสารผสมร่วมกัน ส่งผลยับยั้งการมีชีวิตของทั้งเซลล์มะเร็งช่องปาก SCC9 cells และเซลล์เนื้อเยื่อเหงือก (human gingival fibroblast, HGF cells) เมื่อเปรียบเทียบกับสภาวะควบคุม (p<0.0001 สำหรับการใช้สาร เดี่ยวในเซลล์มะเร็งช่องปาก SCC-9 และการใช้สารเดี ่ยวและสารผสมในเซลล์เนื ้อเยื ่อเหงือก HGF และ p=0.02 สำหรับการใช้สารผสมใน เซลล์มะเร็งช่องปาก SCC-9) ในขณะที ่การใช้เคอคิวมินและ LGG CFS ในรูปแบบของสารผสมร่วมกันที ่ระดับความเข้มข้นต่ำ (Curcumin 5 µg/ml และ 25% (v/v) LGG CFS ความเข้มข้น 1:100 เท่าจากระดับความเข้มข้นเริ ่มต้น) สามารถยับยั ้งการมีชีวิตของเซลล์มะเร็งช่องปาก SCC-9 ได้อย่างมีประสิทธิภาพเมื่อเปรียบเทียบกับสภาวะการใช้สารเดี่ยวของเคอคิวมินและ LGG CFS ที่ระดับความเข้มข้นต่ำ และสภาวะควบคุม (p<0.0001, p=0.002 และ p=0.02 ตามลำดับ) และไม่ส่งผลต่อการมีชีวิตของเซลล์เนื้อเยื่อเหงือก HGF เมื่อเทียบกับกลุ่มควบคุม (p=0.14) ผลการวิเคราะห์ Flow analysis พบว่าสภาวะการใช้เคอคิวมินและ LGG CFS ร่วมกันที่ระดับความเข้มข้นต่ำ สามารถเหนี่ยวนำให้ เซลล์มะเร็ง SCC-9 เกิดการตายแบบอะพอพโตซิสได้มากขึ้นอย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติเมื่อเปรียบเทียบกับการใช้สารเดี่ยวและสภาวะควบคุม (p<0.0001 ในทุกสภาวะ) นอกจากนั้นสภาวะการใช้เคอคิวมินและ LGG CFS ร่วมกันที่ระดับความเข้มข้นต่ำ สามารถเหนี่ยวนำให้เซลล์มะเร็ง SCC-9 มีระดับการแสดงออกของ Bax/Bcl-2 ratio ที่สูงขึ้น ซึ่งมีผลให้ให้เซลล์มะเร็งเกิดการตายแบบอะพอพโตซิสต่อไป อย่างไรก็ตามสภาวะ เคอคิวมินและ LGG CFS ร่วมกันที่ระดับความเข้มข้นต่ำ ส่งผลต่อระดับการแสดงออกของโปรตีน caspase-3 ที ่สูงขึ้นอย่างไม่มีนัยสำคัญ (p=0.12) แต่ไม่มีผลต่อระอัตราส่วนการแสดงออกของโปรตีน Bcl-xL/Bak และโปรตีน Mcl-1/Bak เมื่อเทียบกับกลุ่มควบคุม (p=0.53 และ p=0.34 ตามลำดับ) การวิเคราะห์ LGG CFS ที่ความเข้มข้น 1:100 เท่าจากระดับความเข้มข้นเริ่มต้น ด้วยเทคนิค LC-MS/MS พบสารประเภท โปรตีนทั้งหมด 30 ชนิด ได้แก่ metabolic enzyme and protein จำนวน 26 ชนิด และ surface layer protein จำนวน 4 ชนิด การใช้สาร เคอคิวมินและ LGG CFS ร่วมกันที่ระดับความเข้มข้นต่ำ น่าจะมีผลในการยับยั้งเซลล์มะเร็งช่องปากชนิด SCC-9 แต่ไม่มีผลกระทบต่อเซลล์ เหงือก HGF ผลการศึกษาในครั้งนี้อาจนำไปสู่การพัฒนาวิธีป้องกันหรือรักษามะเร็งช่องปากชนิด OSCC รูปแบบใหม่ได้ในอนาคต

A Post-Pneumonia Epizootic Evaluation Of The Rapid City, South Dakota Bighorn Sheep Herd, Amanda N. Ensrud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pneumonia is a major factor affecting populations of free-ranging bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) across western North America. Pneumonia can occur in large-scale epizootics, during which greater than half of the population typically dies. After these epizootics, surviving ewes continue to conceive and bear lambs. However, lamb recruitment may remain low due to periodic or annual pneumonia outbreaks causing high lamb mortality rates, sometimes greater than 90%. Our study focused on the Rapid City, South Dakota bighorn sheep (BHS) herd that has recorded pneumonia-induced population decline since 2009. The first objective was to improve lamb health and survival by identifying and …

Amblyomma Quadricavum (Schulze, 1941) (Acari:Ixodidae): First Description Of The Nymphal Stage And Phylogenetic Assessment Of Its Taxonomic Status, Ashleigh V. Riggs

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The hard tick (Acari: Ixodidae) Amblyomma quadricavum (Schulze, 1941) is a parasite of snakes and is endemic to the Caribbean region. Morphological characters of this species, namely its rudimentary eye structures, have led to debate about its taxonomic status. The species was originally assigned to the genus Aponomma. However, with revisions of the genus Aponomma, and the recent creation of new genera created for some basal former-Aponomma, it has been suggested that perhaps Amblyomma quadricavum might be a close relative of Robertsicus elaphensis, the Trans-Pecos rat snake tick of the southwest United States and New Mexico, another eyeless former-Aponomma species …

Profiling Durable Anti-Tumor Memory T Cell Responses In Long-Term Melanoma Survivors, Jichang Han

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

While T-cell responses to cancer immunotherapy have been avidly studied,

long-lived memory has been poorly characterized. Of melanoma patients who

receive immunotherapy, long-term survivors are frequently found to develop

melanoma-associated vitiligo. Our prior work showed in a preclinical model that

vitiligo skin sustained a long-lived CD8+ resident memory T cell (TRM) population,

playing key roles in perpetuating anti-tumor immunity. However, the characteristics

and longevity of these memory T cells in melanoma survivors have not been defined.

In the present studies, we probed both the CD8+ and CD4+ T cell responses,

focusing on memory T cell responses in a cohort of …

Escherichia Coli And Salmonella Sp. In Domestic Cattle And Wild Roosevelt Elk: Fecal Pathogens At The Wildlife-Domestic Interface, Emily A. Buck

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Direct or indirect contact between domestic populations of animals and wildlife carries an inherent risk for transmission of pathogens that cause infectious disease. In Humboldt and Del Norte counties of northern California, ongoing conflict between ranchers and Roosevelt elk groups results from elk use of ranching pastures and pastures on private land. Fecal samples from elk in association with cattle, cattle, and from elk not in known association with cattle were assessed for the presence of bacteria Salmonella enterica and pathogenic Escherichia coli to assess whether association with cattle increases risk of infection for elk. Group identity (one of the …

Tetramerization Of Stat5 Has Opposing Roles In Governing Autoimmune Pathogenesis, Kelly Lynn Monaghan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Signal transducers and activators of transcription 5 (STAT5A and STAT5B) are members of the STAT protein family. STAT5 plays a critical role in mediating cellular responses following cytokine stimulation. Critical STAT5 signaling is achieved following functional dimerization, which occurs via SH2 domain interactions. The binding of two STAT5 dimers to tandemly linked TTCN₃GAA γ-interferon-activated sequence (GAS) motifs and N-terminal domain interactions, facilitates functional tetramerization. The biological role of STAT5 tetramers has been investigated using the Stat5a-Stat5b N-domain double knock-in (DKI) mouse strain, in which STAT5 tetramers cannot be formed due to substitutions in critical amino acid …

Utilizing The K18-Hace2 Mouse Model To Develop Protective Covid-19 Vaccines, Ting Y. Wong

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by the respiratory virus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Similar to other respiratory viruses, SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted through inhalation of respiratory droplets and aerosols from infected individuals. Once inhaled, SARS-CoV-2 utilizes the receptor binding domain (RBD) on the spike protein to bind to human Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (hACE2) receptor to gain entrance into host cells to begin viral replication. SARS-CoV-2 infection can result in mild to severe cases of COVID-19 ranging from asymptomatic infections, cold or flu like symptoms to respiratory failure. The onset of the pandemic in …

Investigating The Interplay Of The Immune System, Skin Barrier, And Microbiome Following Dermal Exposure To Triclosan, Rachel Baur

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Triclosan is an antimicrobial chemical used in healthcare products that are applied to the skin. However, exposure to triclosan has been positively associated with food allergy, aeroallergy, and asthma severity in humans. In mice, dermal triclosan exposure, although not directly sensitizing, has been shown to augment the allergic response in a model of asthma. Furthermore, exposure to triclosan on mouse skin has been demonstrated to be immunomodulatory through the activity of thymic stromal lymphopoietin and S100 calcium-binding protein A8. The skin barrier and microbiome are known to interact with the immune system and disruptions in barrier integrity and the microbiome …

Crispr/Cas9-Mediated Genome Editing Reveals 12 Testis-Enriched Genes Dispensable For Male Fertility In Mice, Yuki Oyama, Haruhiko Miyata, Keisuke Shimada, Yoshitaka Fujihara, Keizo Tokuhiro, Thomas X Garcia, Martin M Matzuk, Masahito Ikawa

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Gene expression analyses suggest that more than 1000-2000 genes are expressed predominantly in mouse and human testes. Although functional analyses of hundreds of these genes have been performed, there are still many testis-enriched genes whose functions remain unexplored. Analyzing gene function using knockout (KO) mice is a powerful tool to discern if the gene of interest is essential for sperm formation, function, and male fertility in vivo. In this study, we generated KO mice for 12 testis-enriched genes, 1700057G04Rik, 4921539E11Rik, 4930558C23Rik, Cby2, Ldhal6b, Rasef, Slc25a2, Slc25a41, Smim8, Smim9, Tmem210, and Tomm20l, using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats /CRISPR-associated …

Sarscov-2 Serostatus Amongst Vaccinated Employees At A Pediatric Hospital System, Sridevi Devaraj, Izmarie Poventud-Fuentes, Matthew Girotto, Jermaine Monroe, Julie Boom, George Delclos, James Versalovic

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

To gain insights on the heterogeneity of immune responses to vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 and to identify factors that could make individuals vulnerable to infection due to lack of response to vaccination, our hospital started offering free voluntary post-antibody testing against the spike protein IgG for all fully vaccinated employees.

Post-vaccination response against SARS-CoV-2 was assessed using the FDA-EUA approved VITROS anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG immunometric assay specific to the spike protein.

Out of a total of 3266 antibody tests performed in fully vaccinated Texas Children’s, 99.4% had a positive antibody response to the spike protein. From the 21 employees (0.6%) that had …

Associations Between Eight Earth Observation-Derived Climate Variables And Enteropathogen Infection: An Independent Participant Data Meta-Analysis Of Surveillance Studies With Broad Spectrum Nucleic Acid Diagnostics, Josh M. Colston, Benjamin F. Zaithcik, Hamada S. Badr, Eleanor Burnett, Syed Asad Ali, Ajit Rayamajhi, Syed M. Satter, Daniel Eibach, Ralf Krumkamp, M Imran Nisar, Anita K. M. Zaidi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Diarrheal disease, still a major cause of childhood illness, is caused by numerous, diverse infectious microorganisms, which are differentially sensitive to environmental conditions. Enteropathogen‐specific impacts of climate remain underexplored. Results from 15 studies that diagnosed enteropathogens in 64,788 stool samples from 20,760 children in 19 countries were combined. Infection status for 10 common enteropathogens—adenovirus, astrovirus, norovirus, rotavirus, sapovirus, Campylobacter, ETEC, Shigella, Cryptosporidium and Giardia—was matched by date with hydrometeorological variables from a global Earth observation dataset—precipitation and runoff volume, humidity, soil moisture, solar radiation, air pressure, temperature, and wind speed. Models were fitted for each pathogen, accounting …

Metabolic Targeting, Immunotherapy And Radiation In Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Where Do We Go From Here?, Annika Dhawan, Phillip M Pifer, Vlad C Sandulache, Heath D Skinner

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In the US, there are ~250,000 new lung cancer diagnoses and ~130,000 deaths per year, and worldwide there are an estimated 1.6 million deaths per year from this deadly disease. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death worldwide, and it accounts for roughly a quarter of all cancer deaths in the US. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents 80-85% of these cases. Due to an enormous tobacco cessation effort, NSCLC rates in the US are decreasing, and the implementation of lung cancer screening guidelines and other programs have resulted in a higher percentage of patients presenting with …

Reduced Pro-Inflammatory Dendritic Cell Phenotypes Are A Potential Indicator Of Successful Peanut Oral Immunotherapy, Sara Anvari, Levi B Watkin, Charles G Minard, Kimberly Schuster, Oluwatomi Hassan, Aikaterini Anagnostou, Jordan S Orange, David B Corry, Carla M Davis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Dendritic cells are important mediators in the early presentation of antigen and regulation of the differentiation of T cells. Peanut oral immunotherapy (POIT) results in desensitization in most peanut allergic individuals (responders), but not in others due to allergic reactions (non-responders). Delineation of early immunologic changes contributing to desensitization would help clarify the POIT mechanism of action. We analyzed dendritic cells in 15 pediatric subjects (5-12 years) undergoing a phase 1 single-center POIT study. We examined dendritic cells at baseline, 6-, 12-, 18- and 24-weeks after initiation of POIT and responders of therapy were compared to non-responders and healthy controls. …

Urine Alcam, Pf4 And Vcam-1 Surpass Conventional Metrics In Identifying Nephritis Disease Activity In Childhood-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Samar A Soliman, Anam Haque, Kamala Vanarsa, Ting Zhang, Faten Ismail, Kyung Hyun Lee, Claudia Pedroza, Larry A Greenbaum, Sherene Mason, M John Hicks, Scott E Wenderfer, Chandra Mohan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: Serial kidney biopsy for repeat evaluation and monitoring of lupus nephritis (LN) in childhood-onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (cSLE) remains challenging, thus non-invasive biomarkers are needed. Here, we evaluate the performance of ten urine protein markers of diverse nature including cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules in distinguishing disease activity in cSLE.

METHODS: Eighty-four pediatric patients meeting ≥4 ACR criteria for SLE were prospectively enrolled for urine assay of 10 protein markers normalized to urine creatinine, namely ALCAM, cystatin-C, hemopexin, KIM-1, MCP-1, NGAL, PF-4, Timp-1, TWEAK, and VCAM-1 by ELISA. Samples from active renal (LN) and active non-renal SLE patients were …