Digital Commons Network^™

Immune Activation During Paenibacillus Brain Infection In African Infants With Frequent Cytomegalovirus Co-Infection, Albert M Isaacs, Qiang Zhang, Diego M Morales, R Reid Townsend, David D Limbrick Jr, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Inflammation during neonatal brain infections leads to significant secondary sequelae such as hydrocephalus, which often follows neonatal sepsis in the developing world. In 100 African hydrocephalic infants we identified the biological pathways that account for this response. The dominant bacterial pathogen was a

A Microbiota-Directed Food Intervention For Undernourished Children, Robert Y Chen, Matthew C Hibberd, Arjun S Raman, Daniel Webber, Cyrus Zhou, Vinaik Sundaresan, Kazi Ahsan, Martin F Meier, Michael J Barratt, Jeffrey I Gordon, Et Al

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: More than 30 million children worldwide have moderate acute malnutrition. Current treatments have limited effectiveness, and much remains unknown about the pathogenesis of this condition. Children with moderate acute malnutrition have perturbed development of their gut microbiota.

METHODS: In this study, we provided a microbiota-directed complementary food prototype (MDCF-2) or a ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) to 123 slum-dwelling Bangladeshi children with moderate acute malnutrition between the ages of 12 months and 18 months. The supplementation was given twice daily for 3 months, followed by 1 month of monitoring. We obtained weight-for-length, weight-for-age, and length-for-age z scores and mid-upper-arm circumference …

Evolution Of Genetic Networks For Human Creativity, I Zwir, C Del-Val, C R Cloninger, Et Al

Open Access Publications

The genetic basis for the emergence of creativity in modern humans remains a mystery despite sequencing the genomes of chimpanzees and Neanderthals, our closest hominid relatives. Data-driven methods allowed us to uncover networks of genes distinguishing the three major systems of modern human personality and adaptability: emotional reactivity, self-control, and self-awareness. Now we have identified which of these genes are present in chimpanzees and Neanderthals. We replicated our findings in separate analyses of three high-coverage genomes of Neanderthals. We found that Neanderthals had nearly the same genes for emotional reactivity as chimpanzees, and they were intermediate between modern humans and …

Optimized Polyepitope Neoantigen Dna Vaccines Elicit Neoantigen-Specific Immune Responses In Preclinical Models And In Clinical Translation, Lijin Li, Xiuli Zhang, Xiaoli Wang, Samuel W Kim, John M Herndon, Michelle K Becker-Hapak, Beatriz M Carreno, Nancy B Myers, Mark A Sturmoski, Michael D Mclellan, Christopher A Miller, Tanner M Johanns, Benjamin R Tan, Gavin P Dunn, Timothy P Fleming, Ted H Hansen, S Peter Goedegebuure, William E Gillanders

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Preclinical studies and early clinical trials have shown that targeting cancer neoantigens is a promising approach towards the development of personalized cancer immunotherapies. DNA vaccines can be rapidly and efficiently manufactured and can integrate multiple neoantigens simultaneously. We therefore sought to optimize the design of polyepitope DNA vaccines and test optimized polyepitope neoantigen DNA vaccines in preclinical models and in clinical translation.

METHODS: We developed and optimized a DNA vaccine platform to target multiple neoantigens. The polyepitope DNA vaccine platform was first optimized using model antigens in vitro and in vivo. We then identified neoantigens in preclinical breast cancer …

Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex Encodes The Integrated Incentive Motivational Value Of Cognitive Task Performance, Debbie M Yee, Jennifer L Crawford, Bidhan Lamichhane, Todd S Braver

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Humans can seamlessly combine value signals from diverse motivational incentives, yet it is not well understood how these signals are "bundled" in the brain to modulate cognitive control. The dorsal ACC (dACC) is theorized to integrate motivational value dimensions in the service of goal-directed action, although this hypothesis has yet to receive rigorous confirmation. In the present study, we examined the role of human dACC in motivational incentive integration. Healthy young adult men and women were scanned with fMRI while engaged in an experimental paradigm that quantifies the combined effects of liquid (e.g., juice, neutral, saltwater) and monetary incentives on …

A Risk Assessment Tool For Resumption Of Research Activities During The Covid-19 Pandemic For Field Trials In Low Resource Settings, Suzanne M Simkovich, Victor G Davila-Roman, Lisa De Las Fuentes, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

RATIONALE: The spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 has suspended many non-COVID-19 related research activities. Where restarting research activities is permitted, investigators need to evaluate the risks and benefits of resuming data collection and adapt procedures to minimize risk.

OBJECTIVES: In the context of the multicountry Household Air Pollution Intervention (HAPIN) trial conducted in rural, low-resource settings, we developed a framework to assess the risk of each trial activity and to guide protective measures. Our goal is to maximize the integrity of reseach aims while minimizing infection risk based on the latest scientific understanding of the virus.

METHODS: We …

Pfmfr3: A Multidrug-Resistant Modulator In Plasmodium Falciparum, Frances Rocamora, Purva Gupta, Eva S Istvan, Madeline R Luth, Emma F Carpenter, Krittikorn Kümpornsin, Erika Sasaki, Jaeson Calla, Nimisha Mittal, Krypton Carolino, Edward Owen, Manuel Llinás, Sabine Ottilie, Daniel E Goldberg, Marcus C S Lee, Elizabeth A Winzeler

2020-Current year OA Pubs

In malaria, chemical genetics is a powerful method for assigning function to uncharacterized genes. MMV085203 and GNF-Pf-3600 are two structurally related napthoquinone phenotypic screening hits that kill both blood- and sexual-stage

Membrane Transporter Dimerization Driven By Differential Lipid Solvation Energetics Of Dissociated And Associated States, Rahul Chadda, Nathan Bernhardt, Elizabeth G. Kelley, Susana C.M. Teixeira, Kacie Griffith, Alejandro Gil-Ley, Tuğba N. Öztürk, Lauren E. Hughes, Ana Forsythe, Venkatramanan Krishnamani, José D. Faraldo-Gómez, Janice L. Robertson

Open Access Publications

Over two-thirds of integral membrane proteins of known structure assemble into oligomers. Yet, the forces that drive the association of these proteins remain to be delineated, as the lipid bilayer is a solvent environment that is both structurally and chemically complex. In this study, we reveal how the lipid solvent defines the dimerization equilibrium of the CLC-ec1 Cl

The Structure, Function And Evolution Of A Complete Human Chromosome 8, Glennis A Logsdon, Milinn Kremitzki, Tina A Graves-Lindsay, Et Al

Open Access Publications

The complete assembly of each human chromosome is essential for understanding human biology and evolution

Adversity Is Linked With Decreased Parent-Child Behavioral And Neural Synchrony, Caroline P Hoyniak, Laura E Quiñones-Camacho, M Catalina Camacho, Jenna H Chin, Elizabeth M Williams, Lauren S Wakschlag, Susan B Perlman

Open Access Publications

Parent-child synchrony-parent-child interaction patterns characterized by contingent social responding, mutual responsivity, and co-regulation-has been robustly associated with adaptive child outcomes. Synchrony has been investigated in both behavioral and biological frameworks. While it has been demonstrated that adversity can influence behavioral parent-child synchrony, the neural mechanisms by which this disruption occurs are understudied. The current study examined the association between adversity, parent-child behavioral synchrony, and parent-child neural synchrony across lateral prefrontal cortical regions using functional near-infrared spectroscopy hyperscanning during a parent-child interaction task that included a mild stress induction followed by a recovery period. Participants included 115 children (ages 4-5) and …

Non-Canonical Metabolic Pathways In The Malaria Parasite Detected By Isotope-Tracing Metabolomics, Simon A Cobbold, Madel V Tutor, Philip Frasse, Emma Mchugh, Markus Karnthaler, Darren J Creek, Audrey Odom John, Leann Tilley, Stuart A Ralph, Malcolm J Mcconville

Open Access Publications

The malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, proliferates rapidly in human erythrocytes by actively scavenging multiple carbon sources and essential nutrients from its host cell. However, a global overview of the metabolic capacity of intraerythrocytic stages is missing. Using multiplex

Ambient Fine Particulate Matter Air Pollution And Risk Of Weight Gain And Obesity In United States Veterans: An Observational Cohort Study, Benjamin Bowe, Andrew K. Gibson, Yan Xie, Yan Yan, Aaron Van Donkelaar, Randall V. Martin, Ziyad Al-Aly

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Experimental evidence and studies of children and adolescents suggest that ambient fine particulate matter [particulate matter

OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to characterize the association between

METHODS: We followed 3,902,440 U.S. Veterans from 2010 to 2018 (median 8.1 y, interquartile range: 7.3-8.4) and assigned time-updated

RESULTS: A

DISCUSSION:

Multimodal Examination Of Emotion Processing Systems Associated With Negative Affectivity Across Early Childhood, M Catalina Camacho, Elizabeth M Williams, Keya Ding, Susan B Perlman

Open Access Publications

High Temperamental Negative Affectivity in early childhood has been found to predict later emotion dysregulation. While much work has been conducted to separately probe bio-behavioral systems associated with Negative Affectivity, very little work has examined the relations among multiple systems across age. In this study, we use multi-modal methods to index neurobiological systems associated with Negative Affectivity in 53 4-7-year-old children. Prefrontal activation during emotion regulation was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy over the lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) while children played a game designed to elicit frustration in Social (Happy and Angry faces) and Nonsocial contexts. Gaze behaviors while free-viewing …

A Clinician’S Guide For Navigating The World Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Medications, Gregory W. Mattingly, Joel Young

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Endogenous And Combination Retinoids Are Active In Myelomonocytic Leukemias, Orsola Di Martino, Haixia Niu, Gayla Hadwiger, Heikki Kuusanmaki, Margaret A. Ferris, Anh Vu, Jeremy Beales, Carl Wagner, María P. Menéndez-Gutiérrez, Mercedes Ricote, Caroline Heckman, John S. Welch

Open Access Publications

Retinoid therapy transformed response and survival outcomes in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), but has demonstrated only modest activity in non-APL forms of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The presence of natural retinoids in vivo could influence the efficacy of pharmacologic agonists and antagonists. We found that natural RXRA ligands, but not RARA ligands, were present in murine MLL-AF9-derived myelomonocytic leukemias in vivo and that the concurrent presence of receptors and ligands acted as tumor suppressors. Pharmacologic retinoid responses could be optimized by concurrent targeting RXR ligands (e.g. bexarotene) and RARA ligands (e.g. all-trans retinoic acid, ATRA), which induced either leukemic maturation …

The Epidemiology And Biology Of Pulmonary Metastases, William D Gerull, Varun Puri, Benjamin D Kozower

Open Access Publications

Our goal in this chapter is to explore the complex processes of metastasis and why there is a predisposition for this to occur in the lung. In addition, we aim to describe the incidence of pulmonary metastases in various contexts and based on the origin of the primary tumor. There are unique characteristics of the pulmonary system that make metastases more likely to occur in the lung than anywhere else in the body. Some of these characteristics include receiving the entire cardiac output every minute, having the densest capillary bed in the body, and being the first reservoir of most …

Thrombotic Microangiopathy Following Onasemnogene Abeparvovec For Spinal Muscular Atrophy: A Case Series, Deepa H Chand, Craig Zaidman, Kapil Arya, Rachel Millner, Michelle A Farrar, Fiona E Mackie, Natalie L Goedeker, Vikas R Dharnidharka, Raja Dandamudi, Sandra P Reyna

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Spinal muscular atrophy is treated with onasemnogene abeparvovec, which replaces the missing survival motor neuron 1 gene via an adeno-associated virus vector. As of July 1, 2020, we had identified 3 infants who developed thrombotic microangiopathy following onasemnogene abeparvovec. Early recognition and treatment of drug-induced thrombotic microangiopathy may lessen mortality and morbidity.

Uterine Contractions In Rodent Models And Humans, Manasi Malik, Michelle Roh, Sarah K England

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Aberrant uterine contractions can lead to preterm birth and other labour complications and are a significant cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. To investigate the mechanisms underlying dysfunctional uterine contractions, researchers have used experimentally tractable small animal models. However, biological differences between humans and rodents change how researchers select their animal model and interpret their results. Here, we provide a general review of studies of uterine excitation and contractions in mice, rats, guinea pigs, and humans, in an effort to introduce new researchers to the field and help in the design and interpretation of experiments in rodent models.

Quantitative Endophenotypes As An Alternative Approach To Understanding Genetic Risk In Neurodegenerative Diseases, Fabiana H G Farias, Bruno A Benitez, Carlos Cruchaga

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Endophenotypes, as measurable intermediate features of human diseases, reflect underlying molecular mechanisms. The use of quantitative endophenotypes in genetic studies has improved our understanding of pathophysiological changes associated with diseases. The main advantage of the quantitative endophenotypes approach to study human diseases over a classic case-control study design is the inferred biological context that can enable the development of effective disease-modifying treatments. Here, we summarize recent progress on biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases, including cerebrospinal fluid and blood-based, neuroimaging, neuropathological, and clinical studies. This review focuses on how endophenotypic studies have successfully linked genetic modifiers to disease risk, disease onset, or …

An Open-Source Device For Measuring Food Intake And Operant Behavior In Rodent Home-Cages, Bridget A. Matikainen-Ankney, Thomas Earnest, Eric Casey, Justin G. Wang, Alex A. Legaria, Kia M. Barclay, Makenzie R. Norris, Yu-Hsuan Chang, Eric Lin, Sineadh M. Conway, Ream Al-Hasani, Jordan G. Mccall, Meaghan C. Creed, Alexxai V. Kravitz, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Feeding is critical for survival, and disruption in the mechanisms that govern food intake underlies disorders such as obesity and anorexia nervosa. It is important to understand both food intake and food motivation to reveal mechanisms underlying feeding disorders. Operant behavioral testing can be used to measure the motivational component to feeding, but most food intake monitoring systems do not measure operant behavior. Here, we present a new solution for monitoring both food intake and motivation in rodent home-cages: the Feeding Experimentation Device version 3 (FED3). FED3 measures food intake and operant behavior in rodent home-cages, enabling longitudinal studies of …

Functional Connectivity Within Glioblastoma Impacts Overall Survival, Andy G S Daniel, Ki Yun Park, Jarod L Roland, Donna Dierker, James Gross, Joseph B Humphries, Carl D Hacker, Abraham Z Snyder, Joshua S Shimony, Eric C Leuthardt

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma (GBM; World Health Organization grade IV) assumes a variable appearance on MRI owing to heterogeneous proliferation and infiltration of its cells. As a result, the neurovascular units responsible for functional connectivity (FC) may exist within gross tumor boundaries, albeit with altered magnitude. Therefore, we hypothesize that the strength of FC within GBMs is predictive of overall survival.

METHODS: We used predefined FC regions of interest (ROIs) in de novo GBM patients to characterize the presence of within-tumor FC observable via resting-state functional MRI and its relationship to survival outcomes.

RESULTS: Fifty-seven GBM patients (mean age, 57.8 ± 13.9 …

Beyond Somatosensation: Mrgprs In Mucosal Tissues, Juan M Inclan-Rico, Brian S Kim, Ishmail Abdus-Saboor

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Mas-related G coupled receptors (Mrgprs) are a superfamily of receptors expressed in sensory neurons that are known to transmit somatic sensations from the skin to the central nervous system. Interestingly, Mrgprs have recently been implicated in sensory and motor functions of mucosal-associated neuronal circuits. The gastrointestinal and pulmonary tracts are constantly exposed to noxious stimuli. Therefore, it is likely that neuronal Mrgpr signaling pathways in mucosal tissues, akin to their family members expressed in the skin, might relay messages that alert the host when mucosal tissues are affected by damaging signals. Further, Mrgprs have been proposed to mediate the cross-talk …

Crosstalk Between Nonclassical Monocytes And Alveolar Macrophages Mediates Transplant Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Through Classical Monocyte Recruitment, Chitaru Kurihara, Wenjun Li, Daniel Kreisel, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) is the predominant cause of early graft loss following lung transplantation. We recently demonstrated that donor pulmonary intravascular nonclassical monocytes (NCM) initiate neutrophil recruitment. Simultaneously, host-origin classical monocytes (CM) permeabilize the vascular endothelium to allow neutrophil extravasation necessary for PGD. Here, we show that a CCL2-CCR2 axis is necessary for CM recruitment. Surprisingly, although intravital imaging and multichannel flow cytometry revealed that depletion of donor NCM abrogated CM recruitment, single cell RNA sequencing identified donor alveolar macrophages (AM) as predominant CCL2 secretors. Unbiased transcriptomic analysis of murine tissues combined with murine KOs and chimeras indicated that …

Laminin Β2 Variants Associated With Isolated Nephropathy That Impact Matrix Regulation, Yamato Kikkawa, Helen Liapis, Jeffrey H. Miner, Et Al.

Open Access Publications

Mutations in LAMB2, encoding laminin β2, cause Pierson syndrome and occasionally milder nephropathy without extrarenal abnormalities. The most deleterious missense mutations that have been identified affect primarily the N-terminus of laminin β2. On the other hand, those associated with isolated nephropathy are distributed across the entire molecule, and variants in the β2 LEa-LF-LEb domains are exclusively found in cases with isolated nephropathy. Here we report the clinical features of mild isolated nephropathy associated with 3 LAMB2 variants in the LEa-LF-LEb domains (p.R469Q, p.G699R, and p.R1078C) and their biochemical characterization. Although Pierson syndrome missense mutations often inhibit laminin β2 secretion, the …

Postoperative Complications Are Associated With Long-Term Changes In The Gut Microbiota Following Colorectal Cancer Surgery, Felix C F Schmitt, Martin Schneider, William Mathejczyk, Markus A Weigand, Jane C Figueiredo, Christopher I Li, David Shibata, Erin M Siegel, Adetunji T Toriola, Cornelia M Ulrich, Alexis B Ulrich, Sébastien Boutin, Biljana Gigic

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Changes in the gut microbiome have already been associated with postoperative complications in major abdominal surgery. However, it is still unclear whether these changes are transient or a long-lasting effect. Therefore, the aim of this prospective clinical pilot study was to examine long-term changes in the gut microbiota and to correlate these changes with the clinical course of the patient. Methods: In total, stool samples of 62 newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients undergoing primary tumor resection were analyzed by 16S-rDNA next-generation sequencing. Stool samples were collected preoperatively in order to determine the gut microbiome at baseline as well as at …

Severity Of Parkinsonism Associated With Environmental Manganese Exposure, Brad A Racette, Gill Nelson, Wendy W Dlamini, Pradeep Prathibha, Jay R Turner, Mwiza Ushe, Harvey Checkoway, Lianne Sheppard, Susan Searles Nielsen

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Exposure to occupational manganese (Mn) is associated with neurotoxic brain injury, manifesting primarily as parkinsonism. The association between environmental Mn exposure and parkinsonism is unclear. To characterize the association between environmental Mn exposure and parkinsonism, we performed population-based sampling of residents older than 40 in Meyerton, South Africa (N = 621) in residential settlements adjacent to a large Mn smelter and in a comparable non-exposed settlement in Ethembalethu, South Africa (N = 95) in 2016-2020.

METHODS: A movement disorders specialist examined all participants using the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale motor subsection part 3 (UPDRS3). Participants also completed an …

Cryo-Em Structure Of The Rous Sarcoma Virus Octameric Cleaved Synaptic Complex Intasome, Krishan K Pandey, Sibes Bera, Ke Shi, Michael J Rau, Amarachi V Oleru, James A J Fitzpatrick, Alan N Engelman, Hideki Aihara, Duane P Grandgenett

Open Access Publications

Despite conserved catalytic integration mechanisms, retroviral intasomes composed of integrase (IN) and viral DNA possess diverse structures with variable numbers of IN subunits. To investigate intasome assembly mechanisms, we employed the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) IN dimer that assembles a precursor tetrameric structure in transit to the mature octameric intasome. We determined the structure of RSV octameric intasome stabilized by a HIV-1 IN strand transfer inhibitor using single particle cryo-electron microscopy. The structure revealed significant flexibility of the two non-catalytic distal IN dimers along with previously unrecognized movement of the conserved intasome core, suggesting ordered conformational transitions between intermediates that …

Insulinase-Like Protease 1 Contributes To Macrogamont Formation In Cryptosporidium Parvum, Rui Xu, Yaoyu Feng, Lihua Xiao, L David Sibley

Open Access Publications

The apicomplexan parasite

The Transcription Factor Pdr802 Regulates Titan Cell Formation And Pathogenicity Of Cryptococcus Neoformans, Julia C V Reuwsaat, Daniel P Agustinho, Heryk Motta, Andrew L Chang, Holly Brown, Michael R Brent, Livia Kmetzsch, Tamara L Doering

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Microbiota Functional Activity Biosensors For Characterizing Nutrient Metabolism In Vivo, Darryl A. Wesener, Zachary W. Beller, Samantha L. Peters, Amir Rajabi, Gianluca Dimartino, Richard J. Giannone, Robert L. Hettich, Jeffrey I. Gordon

Open Access Publications

Methods for measuring gut microbiota biochemical activities in vivo are needed to characterize its functional states in health and disease. To illustrate one approach, an arabinan-containing polysaccharide was isolated from pea fiber, its structure defined, and forward genetic and proteomic analyses used to compare its effects, versus unfractionated pea fiber and sugar beet arabinan, on a human gut bacterial strain consortium in gnotobiotic mice. We produced 'Microbiota Functional Activity Biosensors' (MFABs) consisting of glycans covalently linked to the surface of fluorescent paramagnetic microscopic glass beads. Three MFABs, each containing a unique glycan/fluorophore combination, were simultaneously orally gavaged into gnotobiotic mice, …