Digital Commons Network^™

Zoonotic Parasites Of Bobcats Around Human Landscapes, Scott Carver, Andrea V. Scorza, Sarah N. Bevins, Seth P. D. Riley, Kevin R. Crooks, Sue Vandewoude, Michael R. Lappin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We analyzed Lynx rufus fecal parasites from California and Colorado, hypothesizing that bobcats shed zoonotic parasites around human landscapes. Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium, Ancylostoma, Uncinaria, and Toxocara cati were shed. Toxoplasma gondii serology demonstrated exposure. Giardia and Cryptosporidium shedding increased near large human populations. Genotyped Giardia may indicate indirect transmission with humans.

Gene Expression In Intestinal Mucosal Biopsy Specimens Obtained From Dogs With Chronic Enteropathy, Vicki L. Wilke, Dan Nettleton, Meghan J. Wymore, Jack M. Gallup, Cumhur Yusuf Demirkale, Mark R. Ackermann, Chris K. Tuggle, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait, Michael J. Wannemeuhler, Albert E. Jergens

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Objective—To characterize mucosal gene expression in dogs with chronic enteropathy (CE). Animals—18 dogs with CE and 6 healthy control dogs.

Procedures—Small intestinal mucosal biopsy specimens were endoscopically obtained from dogs. Disease severity in dogs with CE was determined via inflammatory bowel index scores and histologic grading of biopsy specimens. Total RNA was extracted from biopsy specimens and microchip array analysis (approx 43,000 probe sets) and quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR assays were performed.

Results—1,875 genes were differentially expressed between dogs with CE and healthy control dogs; 1,582 (85%) genes were downregulated in dogs with CE, including neurotensin, fatty …

Understanding The Pathoecological Relationship Between Ancient Diet And Modern Diabetes Through Coprolite Analysis: A Case Example From Antelope Cave, Mojave County, Arizona, Karl J. Reinhard, Keith L. Johnson, Sara Leroy-Toren, Kyle Wieseman, Isabel Teixeira-Santos, Mônica Vieira

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The elevated prevalence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in Native Americans of the Southwest has been explained by several authors in terms of a dietary change from preindustrial traditional foods to modern foods. Physiology adapted to traditional foods became deleterious during the process of modernization. Although several versions of this hypothesis exist, they all relate to the rise in modern NIDDM with change from prehistoric subsistence practices to modern dietary practices. This is especially true for the Southwestern desert tribes of Arizona and New Mexico. Coprolite analysts have been recovering the sort of data needed by diabetes researchers to explore …

13C Nmr Reveals No Evidence Of N–Π* Interactions In Proteins, Bradley Worley, Georgia Richard, Gerard S. Harbison, Robert Powers

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

An n ‒ Π* interaction between neighboring carbonyl groups has been postulated to stabilize protein structures. Such an interaction would affect the ¹³C chemical shielding of the carbonyl groups, whose paramagnetic component is dominated by n ‒ Π* and Π ‒ Π* excitations. Model compound calculations indicate that both the interaction energetics and the chemical shielding of the carbonyl group are instead dominated by a classical dipole-dipole interaction. A set of high resolution protein structures with associated carbonyl ¹³C chemical shift assignments verifies this correlation and provides no evidence for an inter-carbonyl n ‒ Π* interaction.

Melanopsin Mediates Retrograde Visual Signaling In The Retina, Dao-Qi Zhang, Michael A. Belenky, Patricia J. Sollars, Gary E. Pickard, Douglas G. Mcmahon

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The canonical flow of visual signals proceeds from outer to inner retina (photoreceptors→bipolar cells→ganglion cells). However, melanopsin-expressing ganglion cells are photosensitive and functional sustained light signaling to retinal dopaminergic interneurons persists in the absence of rods and cones. Here we show that the sustained-type light response of retinal dopamine neurons requires melanopsin and that the response is mediated by AMPA-type glutamate receptors, defining a retrograde retinal visual signaling pathway that fully reverses the usual flow of light signals in retinal circuits.

Association Of Environmental Traits With The Geographic Ranges Of Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) Of Medical And Veterinary Importance In The Western Palearctic. A Digital Data Set, A. Estrada-Peña, Robert Farkas, Thomas G.T. Jaenson, Frank Koenen, Maxime Madder, Ilaria Pascucci, Mo Salman, Jordi Tarrés-Call, Frans Jongejan

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

We compiled information on the distribution of ticks in the western Palearctic (11^oW, 45^oE; 29^oN, 71^oN), published during 1970–2010. The literature search was filtered by the tick’s species name and an unambiguous reference to the point of capture. Records from some curated collections were included. We focused on tick species of importance to human and animal health, in particular: Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor marginatus, D. reticulatus, Haemaphysalis punctata, H. sulcata, Hyalomma marginatum, Hy. lusitanicum, Rhipicephalus annulatus, R. bursa, and the R. sanguineus group. A few records of other species (I. canisuga, I. …

Influenza Exposure In United States Feral Swine Populations, Jeffrey S. Hall, Richard B. Minnis, Tyler A. Campbell, Scott Barras, Randy W. Deyoung, Kristy Pabilonia, Michael L. Avery, Heather Sullivan, Larry Clark, Robert G. Mclean

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Swine play an important role in the disease ecology of influenza. Having cellular receptors in common with birds and humans, swine provide opportunities for mixed infections and potential for genetic re-assortment between avian, human, and porcine influenza. Feral swine populations are rapidly expanding in both numbers and range and are increasingly coming into contact with waterfowl, humans, and agricultural operations. In this study, over 875 feral swine were sampled from six states across the United States for serologic evidence of exposure to influenza. In Oklahoma, Florida, and Missouri, USA, no seropositive feral swine were detected. Seropositive swine were detected in …

Scwds Briefs: Volume 28, Number 2 (July 2012), Jeanenne Brewton, Michael J. Yabsley

Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study: Publications

CWD News, July 2012

Does Heat + Drought = HD?

Cats on Candid Camera

Gray Bats and WNS

California or Bust

Recent SCWDS Publications Available

Gut Immune Maturation Depends On Colonization With A Host-Specific Microbiota, Hachung Chung, Sünje J. Pamp, Jonathan A. Hill, Neeraj K. Surana, Sanna M. Edelman, Erin B. Troy, Nicola C. Reading, Eduardo J. Villablanca, Sen Wang, Jorge R. Mora, Yoshinori Umesaki, Diane Mathis, Christophe Benoist, David A. Relman, Dennis L. Kasper

United States Department of Veterans Affairs: Publications

Gut microbial induction of host immune maturation exemplifies host-microbe mutualism. We colonized germ-free (GF) mice with mouse microbiota (MMb) or human microbiota (HMb) to determine whether small intestinal immune maturation depends on a coevolved host-specific microbiota. Gut bacterial numbers and phylum abundance were similar in MMb and HMb mice, but bacterial species differed, especially the Firmicutes. HMb mouse intestines had low levels of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells, few proliferating T cells, few dendritic cells, and low antimicrobial peptide expression—all characteristics of GF mice. Rat microbiota also failed to fully expand intestinal T cell numbers in mice. Colonizing …

Structure, Function And Diversity Of The Healthy Human Microbiome, Curtis Huttenhower, Jacques Izard

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Studies of the human microbiome have revealed that even healthy individuals differ remarkably in the microbes that occupy habitats such as the gut, skin and vagina. Much of this diversity remains unexplained, although diet, environment, host genetics and early microbial exposure have all been implicated. Accordingly, to characterize the ecology of human-associated microbial communities, the Human Microbiome Project has analysed the largest cohort and set of distinct, clinically relevant body habitats so far. We found the diversity and abundance of each habitat’s signature microbes to vary widely even among healthy subjects, with strong niche specialization both within and among individuals. …

A Framework For Human Microbiome Research, Barbara A. Methe, Jacques Izard

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

A variety of microbial communities and their genes (the microbiome) exist throughout the human body, with fundamental roles in human health and disease. The National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Human Microbiome Project Consortium has established a population-scale framework to develop metagenomic protocols, resulting in a broad range of quality-controlled resources and data including standardized methods for creating, processing and interpreting distinct types of high-throughput metagenomic data available to the scientific community. Here we present resources from a population of 242 healthy adults sampled at 15 or 18 body sites up to three times, which have generated 5,177 microbial taxonomic profiles …

Harvesting Murine Alveolar Macrophages And Evaluating Cellular Activation Induced By Polyanhydride Nanoparticles, Ana V. Chavez-Santoscoy, Lucas M. Huntimer, Amanda Ramer-Tait, Michael Wannemueler, Balaji Narasimhan

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Biodegradable nanoparticles have emerged as a versatile platform for the design and implementation of new intranasal vaccines against respiratory infectious diseases. Specifically, polyanhydride nanoparticles composed of the aliphatic sebacic acid (SA), the aromatic 1,6-bis(p -carboxyphenoxy)hexane (CPH), or the amphiphilic 1,8-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy)-3,6-dioxaoctane (CPTEG) display unique bulk and surface erosion kinetics^1,2 and can be exploited to slowly release functional biomolecules (e.g., protein antigens, immunoglobulins, etc.) in vivo^3,4,5. These nanoparticles also possess intrinsic adjuvant activity, making them an excellent choice for a vaccine delivery platform^6,7,8.

In order to elucidate the mechanisms governing the activation of innate …

Analyzing Cellular Internalization Of Nanoparticles And Bacteria By Multi-Spectral Imaging Flow Cytometry, Yashdeep Phanse, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait, Sherree L. Friend, Brenda Carrillo-Conde, Paul Lueth, Carrie J. Oster, Gregory J. Phillips, Balaji Narasimhan, Michael J. Wannemuehler, Bryan H. Bellaire

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Nanoparticulate systems have emerged as valuable tools in vaccine delivery through their ability to efficiently deliver cargo, including proteins, to antigen presenting cells^1-5. Internalization of nanoparticles (NP) by antigen presenting cells is a critical step in generating an effective immune response to the encapsulated antigen. To determine how changes in nanoparticle formulation impact function, we sought to develop a high throughput, quantitative experimental protocol that was compatible with detecting internalized nanoparticles as well as bacteria. To date, two independent techniques, microscopy and flow cytometry, have been the methods used to study the phagocytosis of nanoparticles. The high throughput …

All-Cause Gastroenteritis And Rotavirus-Coded Hospitalizations Among Us Children, 2000–2009, Rishi Desai, Aaron T. Curns, Claudia A. Steiner, Jacqueline E. Tate, Manish M. Patel, Umesh D. Parashar

United States Public Health Resources

Background. Rotavirus vaccine was recommended for US infants in 2006. We estimated baseline prevaccine burden and monitored postvaccine trends in gastroenteritis-coded and rotavirus-coded hospitalizations among US children.

Methods. We analyzed data from the State Inpatient Databases (SID) for 29–44 US states over a 10-year period (2000–2009) to calculate gastroenteritis and rotavirus-coded hospitalization rates by age group, sex, and region, among children <5 years of age. By extrapolating observed pre- and postvaccine gastroenteritis hospitalization rates to the US population <5 years and based on the 2009 cost of a diarrhea hospitalization, we estimated national reductions in diarrhea hospitalizations and associated treatment costs.

Results. The prevaccine (2000–2006) annual average gastroenteritis-coded hospitalization rate among children <5 years of age was 74 per 10 000 (annual range, 71–82 per 10 000), and declined to 51 and 50 per 10 000 in 2008 and 2009, respectively (P < .001). The prevaccine (2000–2006) annual average rotavirus-coded hospitalization rate among children <5 years of age was 15 per 10 000 (annual range, 13–18 per 10 000), and declined to 5 and 6 per 10 000 in 2008 and 2009, respectively (P < .001). The decreases in rotavirus-coded hospitalization rates in 2008 and 2009 compared with rates in prevaccine years were observed among all age groups and US regions. Nationally, during 2008 and 2009 combined, we estimated a reduction of approximately 77 000 diarrhea hospitalizations and approximately $242 million in hospital costs.

Conclusions. Since implementation of the US rota-virus vaccination program, a marked reduction in diarrhea hospitalizations and related hospital charges has occurred among US children.

Harvesting Murine Alveolar Macrophages And Evaluating Cellular Activation Induced By Polyanhydride Nanoparticles, Ana V. Chavez-Santoscoy, Lucas M. Huntlimer, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait, Michael J. Wannemeuhler, Balaji Narasimhan

Amanda Ramer-Tait Publications

Biodegradable nanoparticles have emerged as a versatile platform for the design and implementation of new intranasal vaccines against respiratory infectious diseases. Specifically, polyanhydride nanoparticles composed of the aliphatic sebacic acid (SA), the aromatic 1,6-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy)hexane (CPH), or the amphiphilic 1,8-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy)-3,6-dioxaoctane (CPTEG) display unique bulk and surface erosion kinetics and can be exploited to slowly release functional biomolecules (e.g. protein antigens, immunoglobulins, etc.) in vivo. These nanoparticles also possess intrinsic adjuvant activity, making them an excellent choice for a vaccine delivery platform.

In order to elucidate the mechanisms governing the activation of innate immunity following intranasal mucosal …

Detection Of European Strain Of Echinococcus Multilocularis In North America, Emily J. Jenkins, Andrew S. Peregrine, Janet E. Hill, Christopher Somers, Karen Gesy, Brian Barnes, Bruno Gottstein, Lydden Polley

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

To the Editor: In 2009, an alveolar hydatid cyst, the intermediate stage of the cestode Echinococcus multilocularis, was detected in the liver of a dog from Quesnel, British Columbia (BC), Canada, 600 km west of the nearest known record of this parasite in central North America. Alveolar hydatid cysts normally occur in rodent intermediate hosts. However, humans can serve as aberrant intermediate hosts; cysts generally originate in the liver and, in about one third of cases, metastasize throughout the body. Detection of the larval stage of this pathogen in an unusual host in a new geographic region required application …

Spatial Ecology Of Urban Raccoons In Northeastern Ohio: Implications For Oral Rabies Vaccination, Are R. Berentsen, Mike R. Dunbar, Chadd E. Fitzpatrick, W. David Walter

The Prairie Naturalist

In 1977, rabies was detected in a raccoon (Procyon lotor) in West Virginia, and since the mid-1980s raccoon variant rabies has spread throughout the eastern United States and moved west as far as the eastern edge of Cleveland, Ohio. The primary tool to combat this spread is the distribution of oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits. A thorough knowledge of raccoon space use is critical in determining bait placement, particularly in urban areas. We monitored nine raccoons in urban areas of Cleveland, Ohio, calculated home range sizes, monitored raccoon movement with respect to potential movement barriers, and used resource selection functions …

Agricultural Research Magazine May-June 2012

Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural Research

150 Years of Making History

USDA's 150th Anniversary- May 15, 2012

Forum: Alternative Strategies For Keeping Animals Healthy, Cyril G. Gay

Agricultural Research Magazine

The general public needs to know more about the importance of preventing and controlling livestock diseases and the financial impact they would have on our lives and food supply if left unchecked. Part of our mission at the USDA Agricultural Research Service is to conduct research to protect the safety of our nation’s agriculture and food supply through improved disease detection, prevention, and control.

Antibiotics are recognized as one of the most important biomedical discoveries for treating infectious diseases of animals and humans. The use of antibiotics has had a major impact on increases in food-animal production and has resulted …

Evaluation Of Pneumonia Virus Of Mice As A Possible Human Pathogen, Linda G. Brock, Ruth A. Karron, Christine D. Krempl, Peter L. Collins, Ursula J. Buchholz

United States Public Health Resources

Pneumonia virus of mice (PVM), a relative of human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), causes respiratory disease in mice. There is serologic evidence suggesting widespread exposure of humans to PVM. To investigate replication in primates, African green monkeys (AGM) and rhesus macaques (n=4) were inoculated with PVM by the respiratory route. Virus was shed intermittently at low levels by a subset of animals, suggesting poor permissiveness. PVM efficiently replicated in cultured human cells and inhibited the type I interferon (IFN) response in these cells. This suggests that poor replication in nonhuman primates was not due to a general nonpermissiveness …

Technological Aspects Of Molecular Diagnosis Of Bacterial Infectious Diseases, Christine S. Booth

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is continually growing in its application, particularly in the field of molecular diagnosis of disease from clinical specimens. The main focus has been in the detection and identification of pathogens. However, quantitative PCR is increasingly utilized to determine initial pathogen load. A well-designed PCR protocol is required in all of these instances. Just as importantly, in the context of disease diagnosis; is the design of the sample processing methodology. The ideal method should concentrate the DNA and effectively isolate a high-quality DNA product, free of PCR inhibitors, while also being simple, reproducible and safe.

The …

Cell-Mediated Immunity In Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus, Rajeshwari Parida

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus is a significant swine pathogen which exhibits considerable sequence diversity. In an attempt to identify highly conserved T-cell epitopes contained in proteins of this virus, we examined heptadecamer peptides spanning the sequence of the PRRSV nonstructural proteins 9, 10 and 11, all of them are highly conserved, for their ability to elicit a recall proliferative and interferon-gamma response in peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from pigs immunized against the type-II PRRSV strain FL-12. These studies led to the identification of seven peptides, two from each NSP 9 and NSP 10 and, three from NSP …

Ultra-Soft 100 Nm Thick Zero Poisson’S Ratio Film With 60% Reversible Compressibility, Chieu Nguyen, Vivek Maheshwari, Ravi Saraf

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

About a 100 nm thick multilayer film of nanoparticle monolayers and polymer layers is shown to behave like cellular-foam with a modulus below 100 KPa. The 1.25 cm radius film adhered to a rigid surface can be compressed reversibly to 60% strain. The more than four orders of magnitude lower modulus compared to its constituents is explained by considering local bending in the (nano)cellular structure, similar to cork and wings of beetles. As the rigidity of the polymer backbone is increased in just four monolayers the modulus of the composite increases by over 70%. Electro-optical map of the strain distribution …

The Nurse In The School Health Office: Exploring Health Care In A Public School, Pamela A. Rademacher

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

To provide a high-quality education for all its students, schools must address a variety of needs that are related to physical, social and/or emotional health. School nurses are positioned to do that in the schools that they serve. Exploring how the school nurse intervenes to help children and their families to maintain a high level of health may contribute to an understanding of health care and academic achievement in the educational community. The purpose of this qualitative study is to gain an understanding of what a nurse does on a regular basis to provide health care to all children in …

Amphiphilic Polyanhydride Nanoparticles Stabilize Bacillus Anthracis Protective Antigen, L. K. Petersen, Y. Phanse, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait, M. J. Wannemueler, B. Narasimhan

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Advancements towards an improved vaccine against Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, have focused on formulations composed of the protective antigen (PA) adsorbed to aluminum hydroxide. However, due to the labile nature of PA, antigen stability is a primary concern for vaccine development. Thus, there is a need for a delivery system capable of preserving the immunogenicity of PA through all the steps of vaccine fabrication, storage, and administration. In this work, we demonstrate that biodegradable amphiphilic polyanhydride nanoparticles, which have previously been shown to provide controlled antigen delivery, antigen stability, immune modulation, and protection in a single …

American Society Of Parasitologists Newsletter, V. 34, No. 1, Spring 2012, Scott Lyell Gardner

American Society of Parasitologists: Newsletter

An issue of the American Society of Parasitologists' quarterly newsletter, also called the Journal of Parasitology Newsletter.

A Conceptual Model To Facilitate Amphibian Conservation In The Northern Great Plains, David M. Mushet, Ned H. Euliss Jr., Craig A. Stockwell

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

As pressures on agricultural landscapes to meet worldwide resource needs increase, amphibian populations face numerous threats including habitat destruction, chemical contaminants, disease outbreaks, wetland sedimentation, and synergistic effects of these perturbations. To facilitate conservation planning, we developed a conceptual model depicting elements critical for amphibian conservation in the northern Great Plains. First, we linked upland, wetland, and landscape features to specific ecological attributes. Ecological attributes included adult survival; reproduction and survival to metamorphosis; and successful dispersal and recolonization. Second, we linked ecosystem drivers, ecosystem stressors, and ecological effects of the region to each ecological attribute. Lastly, we summarized information on …

Using Radio-Telemetry To Assess The Risk European Starlings Pose In Pathogen Transmission Among Feedlots, Shannon M. Gaukler, H. Jeffrey Homan, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We monitored site-use and movements of 102 radio-tagged European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) during the winter months at 2 concentrated animal feeding operations (feedlots) in central Kansas. Our research investigated the spatial ecology of wintering starlings as part of a broad epidemiological study on the possible role of starlings in pathogen transmission at feedlots. Site fidelity was 0.677 and 0.552 (days at capture-site per total days tagged) for feedlots A and B, respectively. Minimal exchange (9%) occurred between feedlots A and B and was often followed by a roost-site change. Starlings rarely abandoned the feedlot where they were captured, …

Apparent Prevalence Of Swine Brucellosis In Feral Swine In The United States, Kerri Pedersen, Sarah N. Bevins, Brandon S. Schmit, Mark W. Lutman, Michael P. Milleson, Clint T. Turnage, Troy T. Bigelow, Thomas J. Deliberto

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Samples were collected in 35 states as part of a national monitoring system to detect multiple diseases in feral swine (Sus scrofa). During March 2009 through December 2010, we collected serum samples from 4,479 feral swine from 13 states, and 159 animals tested were seropositive for brucellosis. No difference in likelihood of infection was found between males and females, but adults were more likely than sub-adults or juveniles to be exposed to brucellosis. Feral swine sampled during winter months also were more likely to be seropositive than animals sampled during other seasons. Apparent prevalence varied among states, and …

Characterization Of Species C Human Adenovirus Serotype 6 (Ad6), Eric A. Weaver, Reeti Khare, Mathew L. Hillestad, Donna Palmer, Philip Ng, Michael A. Barry

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Adenovirus serotype (Ad5) is the most studied Ad. Ad1, 2, and 6 are also members of species C Ad and are presumed to have biologies similar to Ad5. In this work, we have compared the ability of Ad1, 2, 5, and 6 to infect liver and muscle after intravenous and intramuscular injection. We found that Ad6 was surprisingly the most potent at liver gene delivery and that Ad1 and Ad2 were markedly weaker than Ad5 and 6. To understand these differences, we sequenced the Ad6 genome. This revealed that the Ad6 fiber protein is surprisingly three shaft repeats shorter than …