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Knockdown Of The Chromatin Remodeling Gene Brahma By Rna Interference Reduces Reproductive Fitness And Lifespan In Common Bed Bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), Sanjay Basnet, Shripat T. Kamble

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) is a nuisance household pest causing significant medical and economic impacts. RNA interference (RNAi) of genes that are involved in vital physiological processes can serve as potential RNAi targets for insect control. Brahma is an ATPase subunit of a chromatin-remodeling complex involved in transcription of several genes for cellular processes, most importantly the homeotic genes. In this study, we used a microinjection technique to deliver double stranded RNA into female bed bugs. Delivery of 0.05 and 0.5 μg/insect of brahma dsRNA directly into hemocele resulted substantial reduction in oviposition. Eggs laid …

Rna Interference Of The Muscle Actin Gene In Bed Bugs: Exploring Injection Versus Topical Application For Dsrna Delivery, Sanjay Basnet, Shripat T. Kamble

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Bed bugs are one the most troublesome household pests that feed primarily on human blood. RNA interference (RNAi) is currently being pursued as a potential tool for insect population management and has shown efficacy against some phytophagous insects. We evaluated the different techniques to deliver dsRNA specific to bed bug muscle actin (dsactin) into bed bugs. Initially, stability of dsRNA in human blood was studied to evaluate the feasibility of feeding method. Adult bed bugs were injected with dsRNA between last thoracic segment and first abdominal segment on the ventral side, with a dose of 0.2 μg dsactin …

Clinical And Genomic Characterization Of Recurrent Enterococcal Bloodstream Infection In Patients With Acute Leukemia, Julia A. Messina, Rohita Sinha, Kimberly Starr, Mehreen Arshad, Barbara D. Alexander, Nelson J. Chao, Anthony D. Sung

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background. Rates and risk factors for recurrent enterococcal bloodstream infection (R-EBSI) and whether the same genetic lineage causes index EBSI and R-EBSI are unknown in patients with acute leukemia (AL) receiving chemotherapy.

Methods. Ninety-two AL patients with EBSI from 2010 to 2015 were included. Enterococcal bloodstream infection was defined by 31 positive blood cultures for Enterococcus faecium or Enterococcus faecalis and fever, hypotension, or chills. Clearance was defined by 31 negative cultures 324 hours after last positive culture and defervescence. Recurrent enterococcal bloodstream infection was defined by a positive blood culture for Enterococcus 324 hours after clearance. Categorical variables were …

Probiotic Bifidobacterium Strains And Galactooligosaccharides Improve Intestinal Barrier Function In Obese Adults But Show No Synergism When Used Together As Synbiotics, Janina A. Krumbeck, Heather E. Rasmussen, Robert W. Hutkins, Jennifer L. Clarke, Krista Shawron, Ali Keshavarzian, Jens Walter

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background: One way to improve both the ecological performance and functionality of probiotic bacteria is by combining them with a prebiotic in the form of a synbiotic. However, the degree to which such synbiotic formulations improve probiotic strain functionality in humans has not been tested systematically. Our goal was to use a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm clinical trial in obese humans to compare the ecological and physiological impact of the prebiotic galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and the probiotic strains Bifidobacterium adolescentis IVS-1 (autochthonous and selected via in vivo selection) and Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 (commercial probiotic allochthonous to the human gut) when used …

Use Of Uv Treated Milk Powder To Increase Vaccine Efficacy In The Elderly, Sara Schaefer, Kasper Arthur Hettinga, James Cullor, J. Bruce German, Bethany M. Henrick

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Aging populations experience a decline in adaptive immune system function also known as immunosenesence. Protein nutrition has been shown to stimulate and strengthen the immune system, and such approaches are needed for this growing segment of the population. A controlled, randomized, double blind pilot study was conducted to compare two different protein sources (soy and dairy) as nutritional supplementation to enhance vaccine response. Our objective was to examine the immune stimulating effects of dairy protein subjected to ultraviolet radiation (UV-C) radiation treatment process instead of pasteurization. Participants were 21 healthy individuals over 60 years of age who consumed 6 g …

Brain Is A Potential Sanctuary For Subtype C Hiv-1 Irrespective Of Art Treatment Outcome, For Yue Tso, Guobin Kang, Eun Hee Kwon, Peter Julius, Qingsheng Li, John T. West, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Subtype C HIV-1 is responsible for the largest proportion of people living with HIV-1 infection. However, there is limited information about the roles of the brain and its cell types as a potential sanctuary for this subtype and how the sanctuary may be affected by the administration of anti-retroviral therapy (ART). To address this issue, we collected postmortem brain tissues from ART treated HIV-1 infected Zambian individuals who experienced complete viral suppression and those who did not. Tissues from various brain compartments were collected from each individual as frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin embedded brain specimens, for detection and quantification of …

Brain Is A Potential Sanctuary For Subtype C Hiv-1 Irrespective Of Art Treatment Outcome, For Yue Tso, Guobin Kang, Peter Julius, Qingsheng Li, John T. West, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Subtype C HIV-1 is responsible for the largest proportion of people living with HIV-1 infection. However, there is limited information about the roles of the brain and its cell types as a potential sanctuary for this subtype and how the sanctuary may be affected by the administration of anti-retroviral therapy (ART). To address this issue, we collected postmortem brain tissues from ART treated HIV-1 infected Zambian individuals who experienced complete viral suppression and those who did not. Tissues from various brain compartments were collected from each individual as frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin embedded brain specimens, for detection and quantification of …

Contribution Of The Gp120 V3 Loop To Envelope Glycoprotein Trimer Stability In Primate Immunodeficiency Viruses, Dane Bowder, Haley Hollingsead, Kate Durst, Duoyi Hu, Wenzhong Wei, Joshua Wiggins, Halima Medjahed, Andrés Finzi, Joseph Sodroski, Shi-Hua Xiang

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The V3 loop of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gp120 exterior envelope glycoprotein (Env) becomes exposed after CD4 binding and contacts the coreceptor to mediate viral entry. Prior to CD4 engagement, a hydrophobic patch located at the tip of the V3 loop stabilizes the non-covalent association of gp120 with the Env trimer of HIV-1 subtype B strains. Here, we show that this conserved hydrophobic patch (amino acid residues 307, 309 and 317) contributes to gp120-trimer association in HIV-1 subtype C, HIV-2 and SIV. Changes that reduced the hydrophobicity of these V3 residues resulted in increased gp120 shedding and …

Ultrastructure Of Meelsvirus: A Nuclear Virus Of Arrow Worms (Phylum Chaetognatha) Producing Giant "Tailed" Virions, George L. Shinn, Brianna L. Bullard

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Most known giant viruses, i.e., viruses producing giant virions, parasitize amoebae and other unicellular eukaryotes. Although they vary in the level of dependence on host nuclear functions, their virions self-assemble in the host cell's cytoplasm. Here we report the discovery of a new prototype of giant virus infecting epidermal cells of the marine arrow worm Adhesisagitta hispida. Its 1.25 μm-long virions self-assemble and accumulate in the host cell's nucleus. Conventional transmission electron microscopy reveals that the virions have a unique bipartite structure. An ovoid nucleocapsid, situated in a broad "head" end of the virion is surrounded by a thin …

Development Of Septic Polysynovitis And Uveitis In Foals Experimentally Infected With Rhodococcus Equi, Laura Huber, Steeve Giguère, Londa J. Berghaus, Amanda Hanafi, Sarah Vitosh-Sillman, Sarah L. Czerwinski

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Rhodococcus equi is one of the most important causes of disease in foals. Infection is typically characterized by pyogranulomatous pneumonia although extrapulmonary infections occur occasionally. Uveitis and polysynovitis have been reported in foals naturally infected with R. equi and are thought to be the result of an immune-mediated process. However, the pathogenesis of these conditions is poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to document the occurrence of uveitis and polysynovitis after experimental infection with R. equi and to determine if these disorders are the direct result of infection at these sites. Foals between 3 and 4 weeks of …

Alkaline Stabilization Of Manure Slurry Inactivates Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus, Erin E. Stevens, Daniel N. Miller, Bethany A. Brittenham, Sarah J. Vitosh-Sillman, Bruce W. Brodersen, Virginia L. Jin, John D. Loy, Amy M. Schmidt

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Hydrated lime manure treatment was evaluated to determine porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) susceptibility to alkaline stabilization. At pH 10, PEDV decreased (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) and lost infectivity (swine bioassay). Although ammonium decreased above pH 9 (up to 25%), alkaline stabilization managed to control potential infection from manure sources.

Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Identification Of Moraxella Bovoculi And Moraxella Bovis Isolates From Cattle, Kara Robbins, Aaron M. Dickey, Michael L. Clawson, John Dustin Loy

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) is an economically significant disease caused by Moraxella bovis. Moraxella bovoculi, although not reported to cause IBK, has been isolated from the eyes of cattle diagnosed with IBK. Identification of M. bovis and M. bovoculi can be performed using biochemical or DNA-based approaches, both of which may be time consuming and inconsistent between laboratories. We conducted a comparative evaluation of M. bovoculi and M. bovis identification using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) with a database provided by Bruker Daltonics (termed the BDAL database), the BDAL database supplemented with spectra generated in …

Circadian Behavioral Responses To Light And Optic Chiasm-Evoked Glutamatergic Epscs In The Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Of Iprgc Conditional Vglut2 Knock-Out Mice, Michael G. Moldavan, Patricia J. Sollars, Michael R. Lasarev, Charles N. Allen, Gary E. Pickard

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) innervate the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), a circadian oscillator that functions as a biological clock. ipRGCs use vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (vGlut2) to package glutamate into synaptic vesicles and light-evoked resetting of the SCN circadian clock is widely attributed to ipRGC glutamatergic neurotransmission. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is also packaged into vesicles in ipRGCs and PACAP may be coreleased with glutamate in the SCN. vGlut2 has been conditionally deleted in ipRGCs in mice [conditional knock-outs (cKOs)] and their aberrant photoentrainment and residual attenuated light responses have been ascribed to ipRGC PACAP release. However, …

Development Of A Multiplex Real-Time Pcr Assay Using Two Thermocycling Platforms For Detection Of Major Bacterial Pathogens Associated With Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex From Clinical Samples, John Dustin Loy, Laura Leger, Aspen M. Workman, Michael L. Clawson, Ece Bulut, Bing Wang

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) is one of the most significant diseases of cattle. Bacterial pathogens involved in BRDC include Mannheimia haemolytica, Mycoplasma bovis, Histophilus somni, and Pasteurella multocida. We developed and evaluated a multiplexed real-time hydrolysis probe (rtPCR) assay using block-based Peltier and rotary-based thermocycling on lung tissue, nasal swabs, and deep nasopharyngeal swabs. The rtPCR results were compared to culture or a gel-based M. bovis PCR using statistical analysis to determine optimum quantification cycle (Cq) cutoffs to maximize agreement. The limits of detection were 1.2–12 CFU/reaction for each pathogen. M. haemolytica was the most prevalent organism detected …

Coordinated Regulation Of Transcription By Ccpa And The Staphylococcus Aureus Twocomponent System Hptrs, Joseph M. Reed, Sean Olson, Danielle F. Brees, Caitlin E. Griffin, Ryan A. Grove, Paul J. Davis, Stephen D. Kachman, Jiri Adamec, Greg A. Somerville

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The success of Staphylococcus aureus as a pathogen is due in part to its ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions using signal transduction pathways, such as metaboliteresponsive regulators and two-component systems. S. aureus has a two-component system encoded by the gene pair sav0224 (hptS) and sav0223 (hptR) that regulate the hexose phosphate transport (uhpT) system in response to extracellular glucose-6-phosphate. Glycolytic intermediates such as glucose-6-phosphate are important carbon sources that also modulate the activity of the global metabolite-responsive transcriptional regulator CcpA. Because uhpT has a putative CcpA binding site in its promoter and …

Novel Docosahexaenoic Acid Ester Of Phloridzin Inhibits Proliferation And Triggers Apoptosis In An In Vitro Model Of Skin Cancer, Theodora Mantso, Dimitrios T. Trafalis, Sotiris Botaitis, Rodrigo Franco, Aglaia Pappa, H. P. Vasantha Rupasinghe, Mihalis I. Panayiotidis

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Skin cancer is among the most common cancer types accompanied by rapidly increasing incidence rates, thus making the development of more efficient therapeutic approaches a necessity. Recent studies have revealed the potential role of decosahexaenoic acid ester of phloridzin (PZDHA) in suppressing proliferation of liver, breast, and blood cancer cell lines. In the present study, we investigated the cytotoxic potential of PZDHA in an in vitro model of skin cancer consisting of melanoma (A375), epidermoid carcinoma (A431), and non-tumorigenic (HaCaT) cell lines. Decosahexaenoic acid ester of phloridzin led to increased cytotoxicity in all cell lines as revealed by cell viability …

Whole Genome Sequencing Of Moraxella Bovoculi Reveals High Genetic Diversity And Evidence For Interspecies Recombination At Multiple Loci, Aaron M. Dickey, Gennie Schuller, John D. Loy, Michael L. Clawson

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Moraxella bovoculi is frequently cultured from the ocular secretions and conjunctiva of cattle with Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis (IBK). Previous work has shown that single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) diversity in this species is quite high with 81,284 SNPs identified in eight genomes representing two distinct genotypes isolated from IBK affected eyes (genotype 1) and the nasopharynx of cattle without clinical IBK signs (genotype 2), respectively. The goals of this study were to identify SNPs from a collection of geographically diverse and epidemiologically unlinked M. bovoculi strains from the eyes of IBK positive cattle (n = 183) and another from the eyes …

Differential Modulation Of Human Gabac‑Ρ1 Receptor By Sulfur‑Containing Compounds Structurally Related To Taurine, Lenin David Ochoa‑De La Paz, Martin González‑Andrade, Herminia Pasantes‑Morales, Rodrigo Franco, Rubén Zamora‑Alvarado, Edgar Zenteno, Hugo Quiroz‑Mercado, Roberto Gonzales‑Salinas, Rosario Gulias‑Cañizo

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: The amino acid taurine (2-Aminoethanesulfonic acid) modulates inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors. This study aimed to determine if the dual action of taurine on GABAC- ρ1R relates to its structure. To address this, we tested the ability of the structurally related compounds homotaurine, hypotaurine, and isethionic acid to modulate GABAC- ρ1R.

Results: In Xenopus laevis oocytes, hypotaurine and homotaurine partially activate heterologously expressed GABAC- ρ1R, showing an increment in its deactivation time with no changes in channel permeability, whereas isethionic acid showed no effect. Competitive assays suggest that hypotaurine and homotaurine compete for the GABA-binding site. In addition, their effects were …

Using Art And Story To Explore How Primary School Students In Rural Tanzania Understand Planetary Health: A Qualitative Analysis, Elizabeth Vanwormer, Jesca Mlawa, Elizabeth Komba, Christopher Gustafson, Hilda Mrema, Jenny M. Dauer

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background The global planetary health community increasingly recognises the need to prepare students to investigate and address connections between environmental change and human health. As we strive to support education on planetary health themes for students of all ages, understanding students’ concepts of linkages between the health of people and animals, and their shared environments might advance educational approaches. Children living in villages bordering Ruaha National Park in Iringa Region, Tanzania, have direct experience of these connections as they share a water-stressed but biodiverse environment with domestic animals and wildlife. Livelihoods in these villages depend predominantly on crop and livestock …

Tellurite Resistance In Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia Coli , Gentry L. Lewis, Quentin R. Jorgensen, John Dustin Loy, Rodney A. Moxley

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Potassium tellurite ( K₂TeO₃) is an effective selective agent for O157:H7 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), whereas tellurite resistance in non-O157 STEC is variable with information on O45 minimal. High-level K₂TeO₃ resistance in STEC is attributable to the ter gene cluster with terD an indicator of the cluster’s presence. Polymerase chain reactions for terD and K₂TeO₃ minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determinations in broth cultures were conducted on 70 STEC and 40 non-STEC control organisms. Sixty-six STEC strains (94.3%) were terD+ compared to 28 control organisms (70.0%; P < 0.001). The prevalence of terD in …

Epitope Mapping Of Serca2a Identifies An Antigenic Determinant That Induces Mainly Atrial Myocarditis In A/J Mice, Bharathi Krishnan, Chandirasegara Massilamany, Rakesh H. Basavalingappa, Arunakumar Gangaplara, Rajkumar Rajasekaran, Muhammad Z. Afzal, Vahid Khalilzad-Sharghi, You Zhou, Jean-Jack Riethoven, Shyam S. Nandi, Paras K. Mishra, Raymond A. Sobel, Jennifer L. Strande, David Steffen, Jay Reddy

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ adenosine triphosphatase (SERCA)2a, a critical regulator of calcium homeostasis, is known to be decreased in heart failure. Patients with myocarditis or dilated cardiomyopathy develop autoantibodies to SERCA2a suggesting that they may have pathogenetic significance. In this report, we describe epitope mapping analysis of SERCA2a in A/J mice that leads us to make five observations: 1) SERCA2a contains multiple T cell epitopes that induce varying degrees of myocarditis. One epitope, SERCA2a 971–990, induces widespread atrial inflammation without affecting noncardiac tissues; the cardiac abnormalities could be noninvasively captured by echocardiography, electrocardiography, and magnetic resonance microscopy imaging. 2) SERCA2a …

Integration Of Biology, Ecology And Engineering For Sustainable Algal‑Based Biofuel And Bioproduct Biorefinery, James Allen, Serpil Unlu, Yaşar Demirel, Paul N. Black, Wayne R. Riekhof

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Despite years of concerted research efforts, an industrial-scale technology has yet to emerge for production and conversion of algal biomass into biofuels and bioproducts. The objective of this review is to explore the ways of possible integration of biology, ecology and engineering for sustainable large algal cultivation and biofuel production systems. Beside the costs of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous, and fresh water, upstream technologies which are not ready for commercialization both impede economic feasibility and conflict with the ecological benefits in the sector. Focusing mainly on the engineering side of chemical conversion of algae to biodiesel has also …

The Development And Application Of Bioinformatics Core Competencies To Improve Bioinformatics Training And Education, Nicola Mulder, Russell Schwartz, Michelle D. Brazas, Cath Brooksbank, Bruno Gaeta, Sarah L. Morgan, Mark A. Pauley, Anne Rosenwald, Gabriella Rustici, Michael Sierk, Tandy Warnow, Lonnie Welch

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Bioinformatics is recognized as part of the essential knowledge base of numerous career paths in biomedical research and healthcare. However, there is little agreement in the field over what that knowledge entails or how best to provide it. These disagreements are compounded by the wide range of populations in need of bioinformatics training, with divergent prior backgrounds and intended application areas. The Curriculum Task Force of the International Society of Computational Biology (ISCB) Education Committee has sought to provide a framework for training needs and curricula in terms of a set of bioinformatics core competencies that cut across many user …

Impact Of Vegetative Treatment Systems On Multiple Measures Of Antibiotic Resistance In Agricultural Wastewater, Lisa M. Durso, Daniel N. Miller, Christopher G. Henry

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Wastewater is an important vector of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARB/G). While there is broad agreement that ARB/G from agricultural (ag) wastewaters can be transported through the environment and may contribute to untreatable infectious disease in humans and animals, there remain large knowledge gaps surrounding applied details on the types and amounts of ARB/G associated with different agricultural wastewater treatment options and different ag production systems. This study evaluates a vegetative treatment system (VTS) built to treat the wastewater from a beef cattle feedlot. Samples were collected for three years, and plated on multiple media types to …

Neonchocotyle Violantei N. Sp. (Monogenea, Hexabothriidae) From Pseudobatos Lentiginosus (Rhinopristiformes, Rhinobatidae) Of Yucatán, Gulf Of Mexico = Neonchocotyle Violantei N. Sp. (Monogenea, Hexabothriidae) Do Pseudobatos Lentiginosus (Rhinopristiformes, Rhinobatidae) De Yucatán, Golfo Do México, Guadalupe Quiterio-Rendon, Scott Monks, Griselda Pulido-Flores

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Abstract

Neonchocotyle violantei n. sp. (Monogenea: Hexabothriidae) infects the gill of the Atlantic guitarfish, Pseudobatos lentiginosus (Rhinopristiformes, Rhinobatidae) from littoral waters of Celestún, Yucatán, Mexico. It is assigned to Neonchocotyle because it has, among other features, an asymmetrical haptor, a seminal receptacle, a smooth oötype, and an egg with two elongate filaments. It differs from Neonchocotyle pastinacae, the only congener, by having a small body (821 long by 315 wide, length to width = 2.6:1), two pairs of microhooks between the haptoral appendix suckers, extracaecal (submarginal) vaginal pores, and 5-9 testes. This is the first record of a species …

A New Species Of Acanthobothrium (Eucestoda: Onchobothriidae) In Aetobatus Cf. Narinari (Myliobatidae) From Campeche, México = Uma Nova Espécie De Acanthobothrium (Eucestoda: Onchobothriidae) Em Aetobatus Cf. Narinari (Myliobatidae) De Campeche, México, Erick Rodríguez-Ibarra, Griselda Pulido-Flores, Juan Violante-González, Scott Monks

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Abstract

The helminthological examination of nine individuals of Aetobatus cf. narinari (spotted eagle ray; raya pinta; arraia pintada) revealed the presence of an undescribed species of cestode of the genus Acanthobothrium. The stingrays were collected from four locations in México: Laguna Términos, south of Isla del Carmen and the marine waters north of Isla del Carmen and Champotón, in the State of Campeche, and Isla Holbox, State of Quintana Roo. The new species, nominated Acanthobothrium marquesi, is a category 3 species (i.e, the strobila is long, has more than 50 proglottids, the numerous testicles greater than 80, and has …

Diversity And Phylogenetic Relationships Of European Species Of Crepidostomum Braun, 1900 (Trematoda: Allocreadiidae) Based On Rdna, With Special Reference To Crepidostomum Oschmarini Zhokhov & Pugacheva, 1998, Romualda Petkevičiūtė, Virmantas Stunžėnas, Alexander E. Zhokhov, Larisa G. Poddubnaya, Gražina Stanevičiūtė

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Background

Within the genus Crepidostomum Braun, 1900, identification of species and taxonomic decisions made only on the basis of adult morphology have resulted in great problems associated with evaluating actual diversity and validity of species. Life cycle data, while equal in importance to adult characters, are scarce, controversial or incomplete for most Crepidostomum spp. In this study, rDNA sequences generated from adult and larval Crepidostomum spp. and some other allocreadiid species were analyzed to reveal the diversity and phylogenetic relationships of the species and their host range. Detailed morphological description based on light microscopy, SEM tegumental surface topography and genetic …

The National Wildlife Strike Database: A Scientific Foundation To Enhance Aviation Safety, Richard A. Dolbeer, Michael J. Begier, John R. Weller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) National Wildlife Strike Database (NWSD) documents reports of civil aircraft collisions with wildlife in USA. The NWSD has been managed by the Wildlife Services Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture through an interagency agreement since its inception. Although the NWSD includes about 170,000 reports of civil aircraft collisions with wildlife (97% birds) from 1990-2015 (14,000 in 2015), the overriding focus has been the quality control of data entered for over 90 variables ranging from species and numbers of wildlife struck, location and time of day, phase and height of flight, aircraft type, components …

To Live And Fly In La: Using Bird Strike And Management Program Information To Improve Safety At Airports In The Los Angeles Basin, Todd J. Pitlik, Elizabeth Hermann, Eric Peralta, Brian E. Washburn

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife-aircraft collisions (wildlife strikes) pose a serious safety risk to aircraft. Wildlife strikes can be evaluated at different levels, include efforts to examine these problems at the national, regional, or state level, or for an individual airport. Similarly, wildlife strikes involving individual wildlife species or guilds can be examined at varying scales. Although wildlife strike analyses at the national, regional, or species/guild level are valuable, airport-specific analyses are essential for the effective implementation and evaluation of integrated wildlife damage management programs as these actions are conducted at the airport level. The species that present hazards to safe aircraft operations varies …

Synbiotics For Improved Human Health: Recent Developments, Challenges, And Opportunities, Janina A. Krumbeck, Jens Walter, Robert W. Hutkins

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Research on combining pro- and prebiotics as synbiotics to enhance human and animal health has accelerated in the past 10 years, including many clinical trials that have assessed a diverse range of synbiotic formulations. In this review, we summarize these studies as well as the commercial applications of synbiotics that are available. In particular, we critically assess the claimed health benefits of synbiotic applications and the ecological and therapeutic factors to consider when designing synbiotics and discuss the implications of these concepts for future research in this field.