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Protection With Recombinant Clostridium Botulinum C1 And D Binding Domain Subunit (Hc) Vaccines Against C And D Neurotoxins, Robert P. Webb, Theresa J. Smith, Patrick M. Wright, Vicki A. Montgomery, Michael M. Meagher, Leonard A. Smith

Michael Meagher Publications

Recombinant botulinum Hc (rBoNT Hc) vaccines for serotypes C1 and D were produced in the yeast Pichia pastoris and used to determine protection against four distinct BoNT C and D toxin subtypes. Mice were vaccinated with rBoNT/C1 Hc, rBoNT/D Hc, or with a combination of both vaccines and challenged with BoNT C1, D, C/D, or D/C toxin. Mice receiving monovalent vaccinations were partially or completely protected against homologous toxin and not protected against heterologous toxin. Bivalent vaccine candidates completely survived challenges from all toxins except D/C toxin. These results indicate the recombinant C1 and D Hc vaccines are not only …

Comparative Demography And Dietary Resource Partitioning Of Two Wild Ranging Asiatic Equid Populations, Ellen Schulz, Thomas Kaiser, Annegret Stubbe, Michael Stubbe, Ravčigijn Samjaa, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Joachim Wussow

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Tooth wear signatures allow inference on the dietary traits of herbivorous ungulates. Comparing dietary regimes of taxonomically closely related populations further allows inference on habitat structure and food availability. The mesowear method of tooth wear evaluation has opened up a pathway to reconstruct subtle differences in dietary behavior and resource partitioning based on skeletal material as the only source of information. Eighty cheek dentitions of Asian wild asses (Equus hemionus) from the Southern Gobi (Mongolia) and 61 dentitions of African free ranging donkeys (Equus asinus) from the Emirate Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) were investigated for their …

Aids-Associated Viral Oncogenesis: Overview, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

It has been 25 years since the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was first described and over 23 years since the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) associated with the disease was first discovered. In spite of the tremendous progress that was made in understanding both the disease and the virus, there are still millions of people infected, died, or living with the disease. As for the year 2005 alone, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (http://www.UNAIDS.org) estimates that there are about 40 million people living with HIV/AIDS globally, and approximately 3 million people died from AIDS in the year. Globally, it …

Modulation Of Retroviral Restriction And Proteasome Inhibitor-Resistant Turnover By Changes In The Trim5Α B-Box 2 Domain, Felipe Diaz-Griffero, Alak Kar, Michel Perron, Shi-Hua Xiang, Hassan Javanbakht, Xing Li, Joseph Sodroski

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

An intact B-box 2 domain is essential for the antiretroviral activity of TRIM5α. We modeled the structure of the B-box 2 domain of TRIM5α based on the existing three-dimensional structure of the B-box 2 domain of human TRIM29. Using this model, we altered the residues predicted to be exposed on the surface of this globular structure. Most of the alanine substitutions in these residues exerted little effect on the antiretroviral activity of human TRIM5αhu or rhesus monkey TRIM5α_rh. However, alteration of arginine 119 of TRIM5α_hu or the corresponding arginine 121 of TRIM5α_rh diminished the abilities of …

Viral Diseases Of The Fetus, Clayton L. Kelling

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is one of the most commonly encountered and economically important pathogens of cattle in North America. Since the mid-20th century, BVDV has been recognized as a significant cause of disease of the gastrointestinal system. The impact of BVDV on reproduction was not perceived for another 30 years, when the occurrence of persistent infection in imunotolerant cattle was described.

BVDV infections may occur in cattle as acute illness- that is, bovine viral diarrhea (BVD)-or as a generally chronic condition-mucosal disease. When susceptible regnant cattle are infected with BVDV, transplacental infections usually occur. Transplacental infections may lead …

2007 Trafficking In Persons Report, U.S. Department Of State

Human Trafficking: Data and Documents

The Department of State is required by law to submit a Report each year to the U.S. Congress on foreign governments’ efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking in persons. This Report is the seventh annual TIP Report. It is intended to raise global awareness, to highlight efforts of the international community, and to encourage foreign governments to take effective actions to counter all forms of trafficking in persons.

The U.S. law that guides anti-human trafficking efforts, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, as amended (TVPA), states that the purpose of combating human trafficking is to punish traffickers, to …

Traditional Practices And Exposure To Bodily Fluids In Lusaka, Zambia, Janet M. Wojcicki, Chipepo Kankasa, Charles Mitchell, Charles Wood

Papers in Virology

Objectives To ascertain if there are specific sociocultural and behavioral practices associated with the exposure to saliva, semen and vaginal fluids, particularly through child-rearing practices and the use of traditional medicine in Lusaka, Zambia. Methods We conducted 11 focus group discussions with men and women from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds (n = 105) in Lusaka, Zambia in March 2004. We also conducted a brief sociodemographic survey of all focus group participants. Results Discussions indicated that saliva was used while engaging in home health care practices associated with childcare and the use of traditional medicine. Additionally, semen and vaginal …

American Society Of Parasitologists Newsletter, V. 29, No. 4, Winter 2007, 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.

Training And Implementation Guide For Pathway Definition, Risk Analysis And Risk Prioritization

National Invasive Species Council

The purpose of pathway risk analysis is to provide scientific analyses and policy recommendations in support of U.S. National Invasive Species Council’s Management Plan. These analyses and recommendations must comply with the Plan’s mandates to:

• ensure Federal efforts are coordinated and effective

• promote action and partnership at local, State, tribal and ecosystem levels

• identify recommendations for international cooperation; and,

• facilitate networks to document, monitor and prioritize invasive species pathways

Though many definitions for invasive species and pathways may exist, we are defining these terms as they relate to Federal regulatory functions. Definitions are recounted, below:

Invasive …

Risk Factors Associated With The Prevalence Of Tuberculosis-Like Lesions In Fenced Wild Boar And Red Deer In South Central Spain, Joaquin Vicente, Ursula Hofle, Joseba M. Garrido, Isabel G. Fernandez-De-Mera, Pelayo Acevedo, Ramon Juste, Marta Barral, Christian Gortazar

Michigan Bovine Tuberculosis Bibliography and Database

In recent decades the management of large game mammals has become increasingly intensive in south central Spain (SCS), resulting in complex epidemiological scenarios for disease maintenance, and has probably impeded schemes to eradicate tuberculosis (TB) in domestic livestock. We conducted an analysis of risk factors which investigated associations between the pattern of tuberculosis-like lesions (TBL) in wild boar (Sus scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) across 19 hunting estates from SCS and an extensive set of variables related to game management, land use and habitat structure. The aggregation of wild boar at artificial watering sites was …

Effects Of A Hurricane On Fish Parasites, Robin M. Overstreet

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Hurricanes, also called tropical cyclones, can dramatically affect life along their paths, including a temporary losing or reducing in number of parasites of fishes. Hurricane Katrina in the northern Gulf of Mexico in August 2005 provides many examples involving humans and both terrestrial and aquatic animals and plants. Fishes do not provide much of an indicator of hurricane activity because most species quickly repopulate the area. Fish parasites, however, serve as a good indicator of the overall biodiversity and environmental health. The reasons for the noted absence or reduction of parasites in fishes are many, and specific parasites provide indications …

Space–Time Zero-Inflated Count Models Of Harbor Seals, Jay M. Ver Hoef, John K. Jansen

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Environmental data are spatial, temporal, and often come with many zeros. In this paper, we included space–time random effects in zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) and ‘hurdle’ models to investigate haulout patterns of harbor seals on glacial ice. The data consisted of counts, for 18 dates on a lattice grid of samples, of harbor seals hauled out on glacial ice in Disenchantment Bay, near Yakutat, Alaska. A hurdle model is similar to a ZIP model except it does not mix zeros from the binary and count processes. Both models can be used for zero-inflated data, and we compared space–time ZIP and hurdle …

Neglect Of Plasmodium Vivax Malaria, J. Kevin Baird

United States Navy: Publications

Plasmodium vivax infects 130–435 million of the 2.6 billion people living at risk of infection. Recent studies suggest that vivax malaria can become lethal in a similar way to severe falciparum malaria. First-line therapies remain unchanged after 50 years. Despite evidence of failing chloroquine efficacy, little work has assessed the problem or explored alternative therapies. Primaquine treatment, the only therapeutic option against relapse, might also be failing. No licensed primary chemoprophylactic agent protects travelers from relapse. Misdiagnosis of species now affects clinical decisions resulting in inadequate therapy for P. falciparum and P. vivax. All of these factors demonstrate the …

Genetically Attenuated Plasmodium Berghei Liver Stages Induce Sterile Protracted Protection That Is Mediated By Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I–Dependent Interferon-Y–Producing Cd8+ T Cells, Ousman Jobe, Joanne Lumsden, Ann-Kristin Mueller, Jackie Williams, Hilda Silva-Rivera, Stefan H. I. Kappe, Robert J. Schwenk, Kai Matuschewski, Urszula Krzych

United States Army: Publications

At present, radiation-attenuated plasmodia sporozoites (y-spz) is the only vaccine that induces sterile and lasting protection in malaria-naive humans and laboratory rodents. However, g-spz are not without risks. For example, the heterogeneity of the y-spz could explain occasional breakthrough infections. To avoid this possibility, we constructed a double-knockout P. berghei parasite by removing 2 genes, UIS3 and UIS4, that are up-regulated in infective spz.We evaluated the double-knockout Pbuis3(-)/4(-) parasites for protective efficacy and the contribution of CD8+ T cells to protection. Pbuis3(-)/4(-) spz induced sterile and protracted protection in C57BL/6 mice. Protection was linked to CD8+ …

Factors Influencing Movement Probabilities Of Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus Fuscus) In Buildings, Laura E. Ellison, Thomas J. O’Shea, Daniel J. Neubaum, Richard Bowen

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

We investigated movements of female big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) roosting in maternity colonies in buildings in Fort Collins, Colorado (USA), during the summers of 2002, 2003, and 2005. This behavior can be of public health concern where bats that may carry diseases (e.g., rabies) move among buildings occupied by people. We used passive integrated transponders (PIT tags) to mark individual bats and hoop PIT readers at emergence points to passively monitor the use of building roosts by marked adult females on a daily basis during the lactation phase of reproduction. Multi-strata models were used to examine movements …

A Review Of Shiga Toxin Escherichia Coli And Salmonella Enterica In Cattle And Free-Ranging Birds: Potential Association And Epidemiological Links, Kerri Pedersen, Larry Clark

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Cattle are the main reservoir for human infection by pathogenic Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica. To prevent entry of these food-borne pathogens into the human food chain, management factors at the farm level must be identified and controlled. External sources of contamination, such as birds, should be considered as potential sources of transmission over long distances. In this review, we focus on the epidemiology of infection by E. coli and S. enterica and the consequences of birds acting as disseminators of these pathogens at dairy farms in terms of cattle health and the subsequent effects on human health.

Distribution And Disease Prevalence Of Feral Hogs In Missouri, R. Edwin Hartin, Mark R. Ryan, Tyler A. Campbell

Human–Wildlife Interactions

No attempts have been made to document the distribution of feral hogs (Sus scrofa) in Missouri. Also, antibody prevalence for pseudorabies virus and swine brucellosis have not been reported from Missouri. Our objectives were to characterize the current distribution of feral hogs in Missouri and to determine prevalence and distribution of feral hogs with antibodies against selected important diseases. We collected feral hog sighting data both from the public and Missouri Wildlife Services and Missouri Department of Conservation wildlife biologists. We determined prevalence of antibodies against pseudorabies virus, swine brucellosis, tularemia, and classical swine fever. From 2000 to …

Overcoming The United States' Policy On The Exclusion Of Hivpositive Noncitizens: How Asylum Cases Are Beginning To Open Previously Locked Doors, Amy Vaughn

Nebraska Anthropologist

In 1987, the United States Congress enacted a policy that prohibited HIV-positive noncitizens from entering the United States for both temporary visits and immigration. Nearly two decades later, the policy still stands, making the United States one of only a handful of countries that still enforces such an exclusionary policy. Several international health organizations, including the World Health Organization, have condemned the HIV ban as "irrational and without public health justification" (Goldberg 1998). In 1993, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services attempted to remove HIV from the exclusion list based on the fact that it is not transmitted …

Overview Of The First Use Of Gps 1991/Gis 1992 During A Wyoming Skunk Rabies Epizootic, Craig A. Ramey, Kenneth H. Mills, Marshall Robin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are one of the most important reservoirs of wildlife rabies on the Great Plains of North America. During a skunk rabies epizootic in a previously rabies-free area of northwestern Wyoming, we studied the spread of rabies from the index case occurring in 1988 until the Shoshone River epizootic ended in 1993. All specimens were sent to the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory for Fluorescent Antibody Testing for rabies. The goal of federal, state, county, and local agencies was to address the public's fear about the health and safety of humans and animals. Following several rabid …

Differential Engagement Of Tim-1 During Activation Can Positively Or Negatively Costimulate T Cell Expansion And Effector Function, Vijay K. Kuchroo, Sheng Xiao, Nader Najafian, Jay Reddy, Monica Albin, Chen Zhu, Eric Jensen, Jaimie Imitola, Thomas Korn, Ana C. Anderson, Zheng Zhang, Cristina Gutierrez, Thomas Moll, Raymond A. Sobel, Dale T. Umetsu, Hideo Yagita, Hisaya Akiba, Terry Strom, Mohamed H. Sayegh, Rosemarie H. Dekruyff, Samia J. Khoury

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

It has been suggested that T cell immunoglobulin mucin (Tim)-1 expressed on T cells serves to positively costimulate T cell responses. However, crosslinking of Tim-1 by its ligand Tim-4 resulted in either activation or inhibition of T cell responses, thus raising the issue of whether Tim-1 can have a dual function as a costimulator. To resolve this issue, we tested a series of monoclonal antibodies specifi c for Tim-1 and identifi ed two antibodies that showed opposite functional effects. One anti–Tim-1 antibody increased the frequency of antigen-specifi c T cells, the production of the proinfl ammatory cytokines IFN-γ and IL-17, …

Genetic Microheterogeneity And Phenotypic Variation Of Helicobacter Pylori Arginase In Clinical Isolates, Justin Hovey, Emily Watson, Melanie Langford, Ellen Hildebrandt, Sangeetha Bathala, Jeffrey Bolland, Domenico Spadafora, George Mendz, David Mcgee

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Clinical isolates of the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori display a high level of genetic macro- and microheterogeneity, featuring a panmictic, rather than clonal structure. The ability of H. pylori to survive the stomach acid is due, in part, to the arginase-urease enzyme system. Arginase (RocF) hydrolyzes L-arginine to L-ornithine and urea, and urease hydrolyzes urea to carbon dioxide and ammonium, which can neutralize acid.

Results: The degree of variation in arginase was explored at the DNA sequence, enzyme activity and protein expression levels. To this end, arginase activity was measured from 73 minimally-passaged clinical isolates and six laboratory-adapted strains …

Asymmetric Localizations Of Lin-17/Fz And Mig-5/Dsh Are Involved In The Asymmetric B Cell Division In C. Elegans, Mingfu Wu, Michael A. Herman

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

LIN-44/Wnt and LIN-17/Frizzled (Fz) function in a planar cell polarity (PCP)-like pathway to regulate the asymmetric B cell division in Caenorhabditis elegans. We observed asymmetric localization of LIN-17/Frizzled (Fz) and MIG-5/Disheveled (Dsh) during the B cell division. LIN-17∷GFP was asymmetrically localized within the B cell prior to and after the B cell division and correlated with B cell polarity. Asymmetric localization of LIN-17∷GFP was dependent upon LIN-44/Wnt and MIG-5/Dsh function. The LIN-17 transmembrane domain and a portion of the cysteine-rich domain (CRD) were required for LIN-17 function and asymmetric distribution to the B cell daughters, while the conserved KTXXXW …

First Record Of Alcataenia Larina Larina (Cestoda: Dilepididae) In Atlantic Puffins (Aves, Alcidae, Fratercula Arctica) From Newfoundland, Canada, Sabir B. Muzaffar, Eric P. Hoberg, Ian L. Jones

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

The tapeworm Alcataenia larina (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea: Dilepididae) is a parasite of gulls (Laridae) with a Holarctic distribution in oceanic and littoral habitats. Two subspecies Alcataenia larina pacifica and Alcataenia larina larina are recognized with the former occurring in the North Pacific basin and the latter in the North Atlantic. Alcids serve as incidental hosts for both species and infections are generally rare, usually involving few specimens. We report A. l. larina in Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) collected from the Bay of Exploits, Newfoundland. The 14 strobilate and early gravid specimens were clearly distinguishable from the closely related Alcataenia …

A New Species Of Subulura (Nematoda: Subuluroidea) From Ground Squirrels, Spermophilus Spilosoma Bennett, 1833, In New Mexico, John E. Ubelaker, Roxanne Easter-Taylor, April Marshall, Donald W. Duszynski

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

A description is presented of a new species of Subulura Molin, 1860, Subulura novomexicanus, collected from the spotted ground squirrel, Spermophilus spilosoma Bennett, 1833, in New Mexico. The males are 24 to 29 mm long, precloacal sucker 1.7–2.0 mm from posterior end, spicules subequal 0.83–1.0 long, and gubernaculum Y-shaped 0.21–0.39 mm long. Females are 34–39 mm long, vulva near middle of body 14.06–22.00 mm from anterior end, and eggs 0.04–0.05 mm long by 0.03–0.04 mm wide. The new species is distinguished from Subulura ungulatus Erickson, 1938 in being longer and having spicules that are distinctively different in size and …

Paranoplocephala Sciuri (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae), A Parasite Of The Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys Sabrinus), With A Discussion Of Its Systematic Status, Robert L. Rausch, Voitto Haukisalmi

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

This study redescribes Andrya sciuri Rausch, 1947 (Anoplocephalidae) from the northern flying squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus (Shaw), in North America, to redefine the morphology and generic position of this poorly known cestode. Andrya sciuri is shown to belong unambiguously to the genus Paranoplocephala Lühe, 1910 sensu Haukisalmi and Wickström (2005). Paranoplocephala sciuri is compared with four species that resemble it morphologically, and features that can be used in its identification are presented. It is suggested that P. sciuri has speciated through a shift from arvicoline rodents (voles and lemmings) to G. sabrinus.

Genomic Deletion Marking An Emerging Subclone Of Francisella Tularensis Subsp. Holarctica In France And The Iberian Peninsula, M. P. Dempsey, M. Dobson, C. Zhang, M. Zhang, C. Lion, C. B. Gutiérrez-Martín, P. C. Iwen, P. D. Fey, M. E. Olson, D. Niemeyer, S. Francesconi, R. Crawford, M. Stanley, J. Rhodes, D. M. Wagner, A. J. Vogler, D. Birdsell, P. Keim, A. Johansson, S. H. Hinrichs, A. K. Benson

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica is widely disseminated in North America and the boreal and temperate regions of the Eurasian continent. Comparative genomic analyses identified a 1.59-kb genomic deletion specific to F. tularensis subsp. holarctica isolates from Spain and France. Phylogenetic analysis of strains carrying this deletion by multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis showed that the strains comprise a highly related set of genotypes, implying that these strains were recently introduced or recently emerged by clonal expansion in France and the Iberian Peninsula.

Parasitic Nematodes—From Genomes To Control, Makedonka Mitreva, Dante S. Zarlenga, James P. Mccarter, Douglas P. Jasmer

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The diseases caused by parasitic nematodes in domestic and companion animals are major factors that decrease production and quality of the agricultural products. Methods available for the control of the parasitic nematode infections are mainly based on chemical treatment, non-chemical management practices, immune modulation and biological control. However, even with integrated pest management that frequently combines these approaches, the effective and long-lasting control strategies are hampered by the persistent exposure of host animals to environmental stages of parasites, the incomplete protective response of the host and acquisition of anthelmintic resistance by an increasing number of parasitic nematodes. Therefore, the challenges …

Isolation Of Salmonella Enterica And Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia Coli O157 From Feces Of Animals In Public Contact Areas Of United States Zoological Parks, James E. Keen, Lisa M. Durso, Thomas P. Meehan

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The fecal prevalence of subclinical Salmonella enterica and Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli O157 among animals in human-animal contact exhibits at institutions in the United States accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums was estimated to assess public health risk. The prevalence was less than 0.6% for both zoonotic pathogens among 997 animals sampled at 36 exhibits.

Survey Of Selected Pathogens And Blood Parameters Of Northern Yellowstone Elk: Wolf Sanitation Effect Implications, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer, P. J. White, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

The restoration or conservation of predators could reduce seroprevalences of certain diseases in prey if predation selectively removes animals exhibiting clinical signs. We assessed disease seroprevalences and blood parameters of 115 adult female elk (Cervus elaphus) wintering on the northern range of Yellowstone National Park [YNP] during 2000– 2005 and compared them to data collected prior to wolf (Canis lupus) restoration (WR) in 1995 and to two other herds in Montana to assess this prediction. Blood parameters were generally within two standard deviations of the means observed in other Montana herds (Gravelly-Snowcrest [GS] and Garnet Mountain …

Functional Interplay Between The B-Box 2 And The B30.2(Spry) Domains Of Trim5Α, Xi Ling, Byeongwoon Song, Shi-Hua Xiang, Joseph Sodroski

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The retroviral restriction factors, TRIM5α and TRIMCyp, consist of RING and B-box 2 domains separated by a coiled coil from carboxy-terminal domains. These carboxy-terminal domains (the B30.2(SPRY) domain in TRIM5α and the cyclophilin A domain in TRIMCyp) recognize the retroviral capsid. Here we show that some B-box 2 changes in TRIM5α, but not in TRIMCyp, resulted in decreased human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) capsid binding. The phenotypic effects of these B-box 2 changes on the restriction of retroviral infection depended on the potency of restriction and the affinity of the TRIM5α interaction with the viral capsid, two properties specified by the …