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Buffalo, Bush Meat, And The Zoonotic Threat Of Brucellosis In Botswana, Kathleen Anne Alexander, Jason Kenna Blackburn, Mark Eric Vandewalle, Risa Pesapane, Eddie Kekgonne Baipoledi, Phil H. Elzer Mar 2012

Buffalo, Bush Meat, And The Zoonotic Threat Of Brucellosis In Botswana, Kathleen Anne Alexander, Jason Kenna Blackburn, Mark Eric Vandewalle, Risa Pesapane, Eddie Kekgonne Baipoledi, Phil H. Elzer

Faculty Publications

Background: Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease of global importance infecting humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Little is known about the epidemiology and persistence of brucellosis in wildlife in Southern Africa, particularly in Botswana. Methods: Archived wildlife samples from Botswana (1995-2000) were screened with the Rose Bengal Test (RBT) and fluorescence polarization assay (FPA) and included the African buffalo (247), bushbuck (1), eland (5), elephant (25), gemsbok (1), giraffe (9), hartebeest (12), impala (171), kudu (27), red lechwe (10), reedbuck (1), rhino (2), springbok (5), steenbok (2), warthog (24), waterbuck (1), wildebeest (33), honey badger (1), lion (43), and zebra (21). …

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Impact Of The Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis Invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), On Biological Control Of Salvinia Minima (Hydropteridales: Salviniaceae) By Cyrtobagous Salviniae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Katherine A. Parys, Seth J. Johnson Mar 2012

Impact Of The Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis Invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), On Biological Control Of Salvinia Minima (Hydropteridales: Salviniaceae) By Cyrtobagous Salviniae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Katherine A. Parys, Seth J. Johnson

Faculty Publications

A 2-yr study of the impacts of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, on the success of Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder & Sands as a biological control agent of common salvinia, Salvinia minima Baker, was undertaken in southern Louisiana. Floating moats were constructed around 8 release sites where C. salviniae was introduced as a biological control agent. These moats were used to restrict access to the release site by red imported fire ants in half the quadrats. Moating was successful in limiting the number of red imported fire ants in the release sites over the course of the study …

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Mystery Behind Hitchcock's Birds, Sibel Bargu, Mary W. Silver, Mark D. Ohman, Claudia R. Benitez-Nelson, David L. Garrison Jan 2012

Mystery Behind Hitchcock's Birds, Sibel Bargu, Mary W. Silver, Mark D. Ohman, Claudia R. Benitez-Nelson, David L. Garrison

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

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Faculty Senate Newsletter, January 2012, Louisiana State University And Agricultural & Mechanical College Jan 2012

Faculty Senate Newsletter, January 2012, Louisiana State University And Agricultural & Mechanical College

LSU Faculty Senate Publications

Message from President: Few would doubt that experience carries a value, yet few would be ready to accord to experience the irrationally high esteem granted it by the various units, agencies, and boards that govern and deliver higher education in Louisiana. In an educational establishment where “retire-rehire” could almost qualify as the refrain of a top-ten tune, where retreads and reassigned old hands move from juicy appointment to juicier portfolio while youngsters scramble for bread, where middle age is all but marginalized, where “double dipping” may sometimes lead to the ejection of a Commissioner but will usually create happy prosperity …

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Amino Acid Differences In Glycoproteins B (Gb), C (Gc), H (Gh) And L(Gl) Are Associated With Enhanced Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 (Mckrae) Entry Via The Paired Immunoglobulin-Like Type-2 Receptor Α, Sona Chowdhury, Misagh Naderi, Vladimir N. Chouljenko, Jason D. Walker, Konstantin G. Kousoulas Jan 2012

Amino Acid Differences In Glycoproteins B (Gb), C (Gc), H (Gh) And L(Gl) Are Associated With Enhanced Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 (Mckrae) Entry Via The Paired Immunoglobulin-Like Type-2 Receptor Α, Sona Chowdhury, Misagh Naderi, Vladimir N. Chouljenko, Jason D. Walker, Konstantin G. Kousoulas

Faculty Publications

© 2012 Chowdhury et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. Background: Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) enters into cells via membrane fusion of the viral envelope with plasma or endosomal membranes mediated by viral glycoproteins. HSV-1 virions attach to cell surfaces by binding of viral glycoproteins gC, gD and gB to specific cellular receptors. Here we show that the human ocular and highly neurovirulent HSV-1 strain McKrae enters substantially more efficiently into cells via the gB-specific human paired immunoglobulin-like type-2 receptor-a (hPILR-α). Comparison of the predicted amino acid sequences between HSV-1(F) and McKrae strains indicates that amino acid changes within gB, …

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A Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (Mckrae) Mutant Lacking The Glycoprotein K Gene Is Unable To Infect Via Neuronal Axons And Egress From Neuronal Cell Bodies, Andrew T. David, Ahmad Saied, Anu Charles, Ramesh Subramanian, Vladimir N. Chouljenko, Konstantin G. Kousoulas Jan 2012

A Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (Mckrae) Mutant Lacking The Glycoprotein K Gene Is Unable To Infect Via Neuronal Axons And Egress From Neuronal Cell Bodies, Andrew T. David, Ahmad Saied, Anu Charles, Ramesh Subramanian, Vladimir N. Chouljenko, Konstantin G. Kousoulas

Faculty Publications

We have shown that the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) gK gene is essential for efficient replication and spread in the corneal epithelium and trigeminal ganglion neuroinvasion in mice (A. T. David, A. Baghian, T. P. Foster, V. N. Chouljenko, and K. G. Kousoulas, Curr. Eye Res. 33:455-467, 2008). To further investigate the role of gK in neuronal infection, we utilized a microfluidic chamber system separating neuronal cell bodies and axonal termini. HSV-1 (McKrae) engineered virus constitutively expressing enhanced green fluorescence protein (GFP) was efficiently transmitted in both a retrograde and an anterograde manner. These results were corroborated by expression …

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Essential Role Of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 In Gram-Negative Bacterial Pneumonia, Gayathriy Balamayooran Jan 2012

Essential Role Of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 In Gram-Negative Bacterial Pneumonia, Gayathriy Balamayooran

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Acute gram-negative bacterial infections are a leading cause of mortality among the nosocomial infections. Increasing numbers of immunosuppressed individuals and growing numbers of antibiotic resistant strains make antibiotic treatment difficult. Neutrophils are the first cells recruited to the site of infection and are critical players in the host defense against gram-negative bacterial pneumonia. Therefore, identification of targets that boost neutrophil-associated host defense in the lung is essential in designing better therapies to control pulmonary infections. Production of chemokines is an important step for neutrophil recruitment. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is a chemokine that is important for monocyte and T-lymphocyte influx. …

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Koutango: Under Reported Arboviral Disease In West Africa, Jaime Matias De Araujo Lobo Jan 2012

Koutango: Under Reported Arboviral Disease In West Africa, Jaime Matias De Araujo Lobo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are among the most common agents of human febrile illnesses worldwide. As crucially important emerging pathogens, they have caused multiple, notable epidemics of human disease and unnoticed epizootics over recent decades. Despite the public health relevance, very little is known about the geographic distribution of the agents and vectors, relative impact, and risk factors associated to the arboviral infection in many regions of the world and in the tropics in particular. Presented in this dissertation is an experimental study that explores the serology screening of serum samples from 151 patients whom were diagnosed with undifferentiated febrile illness …

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Chemical And Biological Evaluation Of Antibiotic-Based Ionic Liquids And Gumbos Against Pathogenic Bacteria, Marsha Rae Cole Jan 2012

Chemical And Biological Evaluation Of Antibiotic-Based Ionic Liquids And Gumbos Against Pathogenic Bacteria, Marsha Rae Cole

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The research presented in this dissertation explores a novel pragmatic therapeutic approach for control, prevention, and treatment of infectious disease using Active-Pharmaceutical Ingredient-based Ionic Liquids (API-ILs) and Groups of Uniform Materials Based on Organic Salts (GUMBOS). Accordingly, several antiseptic- and antibiotic-based API-ILs and GUMBOS were synthesized and characterized using a combination of analytical and microbiological techniques. Overall, this research presents an advanced alternative to combination antibiotic therapy by using a novel group of ionic antimicrobial materials that have controlled pharmacokinetics, improved bioavailabilities, reduced toxicities, multi-modal properties, and potent antimicrobial spectrum of activity as a viable alternative to combating bacterial infections. …

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Investigating The Role Of Genetic Variation In Long Run Economic Outcomes, Charles Justin Cook Jan 2012

Investigating The Role Of Genetic Variation In Long Run Economic Outcomes, Charles Justin Cook

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation empirically tests whether adaptations resulting from the Neolithic Revolution, or the widespread adoption of sedentary agriculture for sustenance, have led to economic differences. The development of sedentary agriculture constituted an environmen- tal shift from the previous sustenance method of hunting and gathering. This environmental shift resulted in the natural selection of certain traits. I seek to exploit differences in these traits to measure differing economic outcomes. Two main adaptations are considered in this work: the ability to consume milk, or lactose tolerance, and resistance to infectious Eurasian diseases, which is the result of genetic variation. The first essay …

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Development And Characterization Of A Murine Model Of Rickettsia Parkeri Rickettsiosis, Britton Grasperge Jan 2012

Development And Characterization Of A Murine Model Of Rickettsia Parkeri Rickettsiosis, Britton Grasperge

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Rickettsia parkeri, a member of the spotted fever group of Rickettsia, is the agent of an emerging rickettsiosis in the southeastern United States and South America. Despite increased recognition of human cases, limited information is available regarding infection of invertebrate and vertebrate hosts for this emerging tick-borne disease. Towards development of a viable transmission model and to further characterize the pathology associated with R. parkeri infection, inbred mouse strains (A/J, Balb/C, C3H/HeJ, and C3H/HeN) were intravenously and intradermally inoculated with R. parkeri. The C3H/HeJ strain of mice were identified as the most susceptible to R. parkeri infection and were found …

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Developing A Geospatial Protocol For Coral Epizootiology, Jennifer Anne Lentz Jan 2012

Developing A Geospatial Protocol For Coral Epizootiology, Jennifer Anne Lentz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores how geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial statistics, specifically the techniques used to map, detect, and spatially analyze disease epidemics, could be used to advance our understanding of coral reef health. Given that different types of spatial analysis, as well as different parameter settings within each analysis, can produce noticeably different results, poor selection or improper use of a given technique would likely lead to inaccurate representations of the spatial distribution and false interpretations of the disease. For this reason, I performed a comprehensive review of the following types of exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA): mapping and …

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What Does The ¹⁴C Method For Estimating Photosynthetic Rates In The Ocean Really Measure?, Shaofeng Pei Jan 2012

What Does The ¹⁴C Method For Estimating Photosynthetic Rates In The Ocean Really Measure?, Shaofeng Pei

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The 14C method has been used extensively by both limnologists and oceanographers to measure photosynthetic rates in aquatic systems, and the large database of 14C measurements that now exists is the ground truth with which satellite algorithms for estimating marine photosynthetic rates on a basin and global scale have been calibrated. However, disconcerting uncertainties still remain with respect to whether and under what circumstances the 14C method provides an estimate of net or gross photosynthesis, or something in between. My study combined batch and continuous culture studies to clarify this ambiguous issue. The batch culture work with …

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Single-Molecule Detection Of Molecular Beacons Generated From Ldr On Thermoplastic Microfluidic Device For Bioanalysis, Zhiyong Peng Jan 2012

Single-Molecule Detection Of Molecular Beacons Generated From Ldr On Thermoplastic Microfluidic Device For Bioanalysis, Zhiyong Peng

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Current clinical techniques for nucleic acid detection and analysis often involve PCR, lacking adequate specificity or sensitivity to meet the stringent requirements in certain applications. This research aims to develop an innovative molecular assay and the associated hardware to rapidly signal the presence of certain targets using reporter sequence found in their genome without requiring PCR. This assay coupled the sensitivity of single-pair fluorescence resonance energy transfer (spFRET) with the specificity of ligase detection reaction (LDR) to provide near real-time readout of target biomarkers. Heightened concerns on potential bioterrorism threats, such as rapid dissemination of pathogenic bacteria or viruses into …

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Site-Specific Proteolytic Cleavage Of The Amino Terminus Of Herpes Simplex Virus Glycoprotein K On Virion Particles Inhibits Virus Entry, Nithya Jambunathan, Sona Chowdhury, Ramesh Subramanian, Vladimir N. Chouljenko, Jason D. Walker, Konstantin G. Kousoulas Dec 2011

Site-Specific Proteolytic Cleavage Of The Amino Terminus Of Herpes Simplex Virus Glycoprotein K On Virion Particles Inhibits Virus Entry, Nithya Jambunathan, Sona Chowdhury, Ramesh Subramanian, Vladimir N. Chouljenko, Jason D. Walker, Konstantin G. Kousoulas

Faculty Publications

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein K (gK) is expressed on virions and functions in entry, inasmuch as HSV-1(KOS) virions devoid of gK enter cells substantially slower than is the case for the parental KOS virus (T. P. Foster, G. V. Rybachuk, and K. G. Kousoulas, J. Virol. 75:12431-12438, 2001). Deletion of the amino-terminal 68-amino-acid (aa) portion of gK caused a reduction in efficiency and kinetics of virus entry similar to that of the gK-null virus in comparison to the HSV-1(F) parental virus. The UL20 membrane protein and gK were readily detected on double-gradient-purified virion preparations. Immuno-electron microscopy confirmed the …

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Horizontal Transmission Of Rickettsia Felis Between Cat Fleas, Ctenocephalides Felis, Supanee Hirunkanokpun, Chutima Thepparit, Lane D. Foil, Kevin R. Macaluso Nov 2011

Horizontal Transmission Of Rickettsia Felis Between Cat Fleas, Ctenocephalides Felis, Supanee Hirunkanokpun, Chutima Thepparit, Lane D. Foil, Kevin R. Macaluso

Faculty Publications

Rickettsia felis is a rickettsial pathogen primarily associated with the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. Although laboratory studies have confirmed that R. felis is maintained by transstadial and transovarial transmission in C. felis, distinct mechanisms of horizontal transmission of R. felis among cat fleas are undefined. Based on the inefficient vertical transmission of R. felis by cat fleas and the detection of R. felis in a variety of haematophagous arthropods, we hypothesize that R. felis is horizontally transmitted between cat fleas. Towards testing this hypothesis, flea transmission of R. felis via a bloodmeal was assessed weekly for 4 weeks. Rhodamine B …

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Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Loci Influencing Concentrations Of Liver Enzymes In Plasma, J. C. Chambers, W. Zhang, J. Sehmi, X. Li, M. N. Wass, P. Van Der Harst, H. Holm, S. Sanna, M. Kavousi, S. E. Baumeister, L. J. Coin, G. Deng, C. Gieger, N. L. Heard-Costa, J. J. Hottenga, B. Kühnel, V. Kumar, V. Lagou, L. Liang, J. Luan, P. M. Vidal, I. Mateo Leach, P. F. O'Reilly, J. F. Peden, N. Rahmioglu, P. Soininen, E. K. Speliotes, X. Yuan, G. Thorleifsson, B. Z. Alizadeh, L. D. Atwood, I. B. Borecki, M. J. Brown Nov 2011

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Loci Influencing Concentrations Of Liver Enzymes In Plasma, J. C. Chambers, W. Zhang, J. Sehmi, X. Li, M. N. Wass, P. Van Der Harst, H. Holm, S. Sanna, M. Kavousi, S. E. Baumeister, L. J. Coin, G. Deng, C. Gieger, N. L. Heard-Costa, J. J. Hottenga, B. Kühnel, V. Kumar, V. Lagou, L. Liang, J. Luan, P. M. Vidal, I. Mateo Leach, P. F. O'Reilly, J. F. Peden, N. Rahmioglu, P. Soininen, E. K. Speliotes, X. Yuan, G. Thorleifsson, B. Z. Alizadeh, L. D. Atwood, I. B. Borecki, M. J. Brown

Faculty Publications

Concentrations of liver enzymes in plasma are widely used as indicators of liver disease. We carried out a genome-wide association study in 61,089 individuals, identifying 42 loci associated with concentrations of liver enzymes in plasma, of which 32 are new associations (P = 10-8 to P = 10-190). We used functional genomic approaches including metabonomic profiling and gene expression analyses to identify probable candidate genes at these regions. We identified 69 candidate genes, including genes involved in biliary transport (ATP8B1 and ABCB11), glucose, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism (FADS1, FADS2, GCKR, JMJD1C, HNF1A, MLXIPL, PNPLA3, PPP1R3B, SLC2A2 and TRIB1), glycoprotein biosynthesis …

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The Remarkable Evolutionary History Of Endornaviruses, Marilyn J. Roossinck, Sead Sabanadzovic, Ryo Okada, Rodrigo A. Valverde Nov 2011

The Remarkable Evolutionary History Of Endornaviruses, Marilyn J. Roossinck, Sead Sabanadzovic, Ryo Okada, Rodrigo A. Valverde

Faculty Publications

The family Endornaviridae contains several members from diverse hosts, including plants, fungi and oomycetes. They are found as large dsRNA elements with a nick in the coding strand. All members encode a conserved RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, but no other domain that is conserved among all members. Based on the conserved domain database comparison the various domains have different origins, indicating a highly modular evolutionary history. In some cases, domains with similar putative functions are found that are derived from different protein families, indicating convergent evolution for a required function. © 2011 SGM.

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Viral Double-Strand Rna-Binding Proteins Can Enhance Innate Immune Signaling By Toll-Like Receptor 3, Yvonne Lai, Guanghui Yi, Alice Chen, Kanchan Bhardwaj, Brady J. Tragesser, Rodrigo A. Valverde, Adam Zlotnick, Suchetana Mukhopadhyay, C. T. Ranjith-Kumar, C. Cheng Kao Oct 2011

Viral Double-Strand Rna-Binding Proteins Can Enhance Innate Immune Signaling By Toll-Like Receptor 3, Yvonne Lai, Guanghui Yi, Alice Chen, Kanchan Bhardwaj, Brady J. Tragesser, Rodrigo A. Valverde, Adam Zlotnick, Suchetana Mukhopadhyay, C. T. Ranjith-Kumar, C. Cheng Kao

Faculty Publications

Toll-like Receptor 3 (TLR3) detects double-stranded (ds) RNAs to activate innate immune responses. While poly(I:C) is an excellent agonist for TLR3 in several cell lines and in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, viral dsRNAs tend to be poor agonists, leading to the hypothesis that additional factor(s) are likely required to allow TLR3 to respond to viral dsRNAs. TLR3 signaling was examined in a lung epithelial cell line by quantifying cytokine production and in human embryonic kidney cells by quantifying luciferase reporter levels. Recombinant 1b hepatitis C virus polymerase was found to enhance TLR3 signaling in the lung epithelial BEAS-2B cells …

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Rumi Functions As Both A Protein O-Glucosyltransferase And A Protein O-Xylosyltransferase, Hideyuki Takeuchi, Rodrigo C. Fernańdez-Valdivia, Devin S. Caswell, Aleksandra Nita-Lazar, Nadia A. Rana, Thomas P. Garner, Thomas K. Weldeghiorghis, Megan A. Macnaughtan, Hamed Jafar-Nejad, Robert S. Haltiwanger Oct 2011

Rumi Functions As Both A Protein O-Glucosyltransferase And A Protein O-Xylosyltransferase, Hideyuki Takeuchi, Rodrigo C. Fernańdez-Valdivia, Devin S. Caswell, Aleksandra Nita-Lazar, Nadia A. Rana, Thomas P. Garner, Thomas K. Weldeghiorghis, Megan A. Macnaughtan, Hamed Jafar-Nejad, Robert S. Haltiwanger

Faculty Publications

Mutations in rumi result in a temperature-sensitive loss of Notch signaling in Drosophila. Drosophila Rumi is a soluble, endoplasmic reticulum-retained protein with a CAP10 domain that functions as a protein O-glucosyltransferase. In human and mouse genomes, three potential Rumi homologues exist: one with a high degree of identity to Drosophila Rumi (52%), and two others with lower degrees of identity but including a CAP10 domain (KDELC1 and KDELC2). Here we show that both mouse and human Rumi, but not KDELC1 or KDELC2, catalyze transfer of glucose from UDPglucose to an EGF repeat from human factor VII. Similarly, human Rumi, but …

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Genome-Wide Comparison Of African-Ancestry Populations From Care And Other Cohorts Reveals Signals Of Natural Selection, Gaurav Bhatia, Nick Patterson, Bogdan Pasaniuc, Noah Zaitlen, Giulio Genovese, Samuela Pollack, Swapan Mallick, Simon Myers, Arti Tandon, Chris Spencer, Cameron D. Palmer, Adebowale A. Adeyemo, Ermeg L. Akylbekova, L. Adrienne Cupples, Jasmin Divers, Myriam Fornage, W. H.Linda Kao, Leslie Lange, Mingyao Li, Solomon Musani, Josyf C. Mychaleckyj, Adesola Ogunniyi, George Papanicolaou, Charles N. Rotimi, Jerome I. Rotter, Ingo Ruczinski, Babatunde Salako, David S. Siscovick, Bamidele O. Tayo, Qiong Yang, Steve Mccarroll, Pardis Sabeti, Guillaume Lettre Sep 2011

Genome-Wide Comparison Of African-Ancestry Populations From Care And Other Cohorts Reveals Signals Of Natural Selection, Gaurav Bhatia, Nick Patterson, Bogdan Pasaniuc, Noah Zaitlen, Giulio Genovese, Samuela Pollack, Swapan Mallick, Simon Myers, Arti Tandon, Chris Spencer, Cameron D. Palmer, Adebowale A. Adeyemo, Ermeg L. Akylbekova, L. Adrienne Cupples, Jasmin Divers, Myriam Fornage, W. H.Linda Kao, Leslie Lange, Mingyao Li, Solomon Musani, Josyf C. Mychaleckyj, Adesola Ogunniyi, George Papanicolaou, Charles N. Rotimi, Jerome I. Rotter, Ingo Ruczinski, Babatunde Salako, David S. Siscovick, Bamidele O. Tayo, Qiong Yang, Steve Mccarroll, Pardis Sabeti, Guillaume Lettre

Faculty Publications

The study of recent natural selection in human populations has important applications to human history and medicine. Positive natural selection drives the increase in beneficial alleles and plays a role in explaining diversity across human populations. By discovering traits subject to positive selection, we can better understand the population level response to environmental pressures including infectious disease. Our study examines unusual population differentiation between three large data sets to detect natural selection. The populations examined, African Americans, Nigerians, and Gambians, are genetically close to one another (F ST < 0.01 for all pairs), allowing us to detect selection even with moderate changes in allele frequency. We also develop a tree-based method to pinpoint the population in which selection occurred, incorporating information across populations. Our genome-wide significant results corroborate loci previously reported to be under selection in Africans including HBB and CD36. At the HLA locus on chromosome 6, results suggest the existence of multiple, independent targets of population-specific selective pressure. In addition, we report a genome-wide significant (p = 1.36 × 10 -11) signal of selection in the prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) gene. The most significantly differentiated marker in our analysis, rs2920283, is highly differentiated in both Africa and East Asia and has prior genome-wide significant associations to bladder and gastric cancers. © 2011 The American Society of Human Genetics.

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Acquisition Of Rickettsia Felis By Cat Fleas During Feeding, Kathryn E. Reif, Michael T. Kearney, Lane D. Foil, Kevin R. Macaluso Jul 2011

Acquisition Of Rickettsia Felis By Cat Fleas During Feeding, Kathryn E. Reif, Michael T. Kearney, Lane D. Foil, Kevin R. Macaluso

Faculty Publications

Evidence for horizontal routes of transmission for Rickettsia felis has come from detection of R. felis infection in vertebrates and multiple blood-feeding arthropods; however, infection of cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis, during blood feeding has not been demonstrated. In this study, the ability of cat fleas to acquire R. felis through an infectious blood meal with subsequent vertical transmission was examined. Utilizing an artificial feeding system, Rickettsia-naive fleas were exposed to R. felis-infected blood meals and monitored for subsequent infection at weekly intervals for 4 weeks. At 7 days postexposure (dpe) ∼52% of fleas successfully acquired rickettsiae and R. felis DNA; …

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Intracellular Targeting Specificity Of Novel Phthalocyanines Assessed In A Host-Parasite Model For Developing Potential Photodynamic Medicine, Sujoy Dutta, Benson G. Ongarora, Hairong Li, Maria Graca H. Da Vicente, Bala K. Kolli, Kwang Poo Chang Jun 2011

Intracellular Targeting Specificity Of Novel Phthalocyanines Assessed In A Host-Parasite Model For Developing Potential Photodynamic Medicine, Sujoy Dutta, Benson G. Ongarora, Hairong Li, Maria Graca H. Da Vicente, Bala K. Kolli, Kwang Poo Chang

Faculty Publications

Photodynamic therapy, unlikely to elicit drug-resistance, deserves attention as a strategy to counter this outstanding problem common to the chemotherapy of all diseases. Previously, we have broadened the applicability of this modality to photodynamic vaccination by exploiting the unusual properties of the trypanosomatid protozoa, Leishmania, i.e., their innate ability of homing to the phagolysosomes of the antigen-presenting cells and their selective photolysis therein, using transgenic mutants endogenously inducible for porphyrin accumulation. Here, we extended the utility of this host-parasite model for in vitro photodynamic therapy and vaccination by exploring exogenously supplied photosensitizers. Seventeen novel phthalocyanines (Pcs) were screened in vitro …

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B Cell-Deficient Mice Display Markedly Enhanced Resistance To The Intracellular Bacterium Brucella Abortus, Radhika Goenka, Michelle A. Parent, Philip H. Elzer, Cynthia L. Baldwin Apr 2011

B Cell-Deficient Mice Display Markedly Enhanced Resistance To The Intracellular Bacterium Brucella Abortus, Radhika Goenka, Michelle A. Parent, Philip H. Elzer, Cynthia L. Baldwin

Faculty Publications

Background. Brucella species are facultative intracellular bacteria that cause lifelong infections in humans and livestock. Methods. Here we evaluated the contribution of B cells in control of murine brucellosis in the more susceptible BALB/c and the more resistant C57BL/6 mice by infecting B cell-deficient mice. Results. Strikingly, in the absence of B cells in both C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, 99% and 99.5% of the infection found in wild type mice was cleared, respectively. This augmented clearance was not reversed in either strain by passive transfer of immune serum. In C57BL/6 mice, the clearance of infection coincided with an increase in …

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Isolation Of A Rickettsial Pathogen From A Non-Hematophagous Arthropod, Chutima Thepparit, Piyanate Sunyakumthorn, Mark L. Guillotte, Vsevolod L. Popov, Lane D. Foil, Kevin R. Macaluso Feb 2011

Isolation Of A Rickettsial Pathogen From A Non-Hematophagous Arthropod, Chutima Thepparit, Piyanate Sunyakumthorn, Mark L. Guillotte, Vsevolod L. Popov, Lane D. Foil, Kevin R. Macaluso

Faculty Publications

Rickettsial diversity is intriguing in that some species are transmissible to vertebrates, while others appear exclusive to invertebrate hosts. Of particular interest is Rickettsia felis, identifiable in both stored product insect pests and hematophagous disease vectors. To understand rickettsial survival tactics in, and probable movement between, both insect systems will explicate the determinants of rickettsial pathogenicity. Towards this objective, a population of Liposcelis bostrychophila, common booklice, was successfully used for rickettsial isolation in ISE6 (tick-derived cells). Rickettsiae were also observed in L. bostrychophila by electron microscopy and in paraffin sections of booklice by immunofluorescence assay using anti-R. felis polyclonal antibody. …

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The Nlrp3 Inflammasome Instigates Obesity-Induced Inflammation And Insulin Resistance, Bolormaa Vandanmagsar, Yun Hee Youm, Anthony Ravussin, Jose E. Galgani, Krisztian Stadler, Randall L. Mynatt, Eric Ravussin, Jacqueline M. Stephens, Vishwa Deep Dixit Feb 2011

The Nlrp3 Inflammasome Instigates Obesity-Induced Inflammation And Insulin Resistance, Bolormaa Vandanmagsar, Yun Hee Youm, Anthony Ravussin, Jose E. Galgani, Krisztian Stadler, Randall L. Mynatt, Eric Ravussin, Jacqueline M. Stephens, Vishwa Deep Dixit

Faculty Publications

The emergence of chronic inflammation during obesity in the absence of overt infection or well-defined autoimmune processes is a puzzling phenomenon. The Nod-like receptor (NLR) family of innate immune cell sensors, such as the nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, pyrin domain-containing-3 (Nlrp3, but also known as Nalp3 or cryopyrin) inflammasome are implicated in recognizing certain nonmicrobial originated 'danger signals' leading to caspase-1 activation and subsequent interleukin-1β 2 (IL-1β 2) and IL-18 secretion. We show that calorie restriction and exercise-mediated weight loss in obese individuals with type 2 diabetes is associated with a reduction in adipose tissue expression of Nlrp3 as well …

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A Multiple Additive Regression Tree Analysis Of Three Exposure Measures During Hurricane Katrina, Andrew Curtis, Bin Li, Brian D. Marx, Jacqueline W. Mills, John Pine Jan 2011

A Multiple Additive Regression Tree Analysis Of Three Exposure Measures During Hurricane Katrina, Andrew Curtis, Bin Li, Brian D. Marx, Jacqueline W. Mills, John Pine

Faculty Publications

This paper analyses structural and personal exposure to Hurricane Katrina. Structural exposure is measured by flood height and building damage; personal exposure is measured by the locations of 911 calls made during the response. Using these variables, this paper characterises the geography of exposure and also demonstrates the utility of a robust analytical approach in understanding health-related challenges to disadvantaged populations during recovery. Analysis is conducted using a contemporary statistical approach, a multiple additive regression tree (MART), which displays considerable improvement over traditional regression analysis. By using MART, the percentage of improvement in R-squares over standard multiple linear regression ranges …

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Sperm Quality Assessments For Endangered Razorback Suckers Xyrauchen Texanus, Jill A. Jenkins, Bruce E. Eilts, Amy M. Guitreau, Chester R. Figiel, Rassa O. Draugelis-Dale, Terrence R. Tiersch Jan 2011

Sperm Quality Assessments For Endangered Razorback Suckers Xyrauchen Texanus, Jill A. Jenkins, Bruce E. Eilts, Amy M. Guitreau, Chester R. Figiel, Rassa O. Draugelis-Dale, Terrence R. Tiersch

Faculty Publications

Flow cytometry (FCM) and computer-assisted sperm motion analysis (CASA) methods were developed and validated for use with endangered razorback suckers Xyrauchen texanus collected (nZ64) during the 2006 spawning season. Sperm motility could be activated within osmolality ranges noted during milt collections (here 167-343 mOsm/kg). We hypothesized that sperm quality of milt collected into isoosmotic (302 mOsm/kg) or hyperosmotic (500 mOsm/kg) Hanks' balanced salt solution would not differ. Pre-freeze viabilities were similar between osmolalities (79%G6 (S.E.M.) and 76%G7); however, post-thaw values were greater in hyperosmotic buffer (27%G3 and 12%G2; PZ0.0065), as was mitochondrial membrane potential (33%G4 and 13%G2; PZ0.0048). Visual estimates …

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Mapping And Modeling Of Neglected Tropical Diseases In Brazil And Bolivia, Paula Mischler Jan 2011

Mapping And Modeling Of Neglected Tropical Diseases In Brazil And Bolivia, Paula Mischler

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Accurately defining disease distributions and calculating disease risk is an important step in the control and prevention of diseases. This study used geographical information systems and remote sensing technologies within the MaxEnt ecological niche modeling program to create predictive risk maps for leprosy and Schistosomiasis in Brazil and Chagas disease in both Brazil and Bolivia. New disease cases were compiled for leprosy, Schistosomiasis, and Chagas disease from the Brazilian ministry of Health for 2001 to 2009 and the data was stratified to a 10,000 population for each municipality. Bolivian Chagas prevalence rates were calculated from 2007 to 2009 survey data. …

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Investigating Early Childhood Teachers' Stress And Social Supports: A Multi-Methods Approach, Ashley Diane Romero Jan 2011

Investigating Early Childhood Teachers' Stress And Social Supports: A Multi-Methods Approach, Ashley Diane Romero

LSU Master's Theses

Previous research has indicated that teaching is a high stress profession and that social supports may help to mediate teacher job stress. Ecological maps have been used in both research and other fields in order to study individuals’ social networks. Using a sample of ten Pre-K teachers, this study aims to answers two questions of inquiry: 1) Is the amount of reported social supports for Pre-K teachers negatively associated with reported stress?, and 2) What information does the eco-map interview give us about teacher’s social supports and stress? A multi-methods approach of both qualitative and quantitative techniques was used in …

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