Digital Commons Network^™

Toward Understanding Posttraumatic Stress And Depression Among Trauma-Affected Widows In Sri Lanka, Jessica E. Lambert, Alyssa Banford Witting, Spencer James, Lakmal Ponnamperuma, Thulitha Wickrama

Faculty Publications

Objective: In this study, we applied conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989) to explain high rates of depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among war- and disaster-affected Tamil widows in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. We hypothesized exposure to potentially traumatic events and severity of current contextual problems would influence PTSS and depressive symptoms directly and indirectly through loss of psychological (view of self), environmental (sense of community), and energy (physical health) resources. Method: Trained research assistants interviewed a convenience sample (N = 381) of women, using established measures of the constructs of interest. Data were analyzed using …

4,7-Diaminoisoindoline-1,3-Dione, Krishna Kumar Gnanasekaran, Mario Rivera, Richard A. Bunce

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Time Course Study Of Rotavirus-Infected Intestinal Cells Treated With Stilbenoids And The Regulation Of Apoptosis, Rebecca D. Parr, Caleb M. Witcher, Rebekah Napier-Jameson, Hannah L. Wilson, Stormey Wisdom, Macie N. Mattila, Essence B. Strange, Josephine Taylor, Beatrice Clack, Fabricio Medina-Bolivar, Judith M. Ball

Faculty Publications

This is a time course study of virus –host interactions that are modified with the addition of two small natural products. They appear to effect virus replication and the host response to the infection.

Association Between Toxoplasma Gondii Seropositivity And Memory Function In Non-Demented Older Adults, Cynthia Elizabeth Wyman, Shawn D. Gale, Ariana Hedges-Muncy, Lance D. Erickson, Eric Wilson, Dawson W. Hedges

Faculty Publications

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) seropositivity may be associated with decreased memory in older adults. To further investigate the association between T. gondii seropositivity and memory in nondemented older adults, we obtained serum samples from 114 non-demented older adults evaluated by the Alzheimer’s Disease and Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis Missouri, USA. We determined T. gondii seropositivity and anti-T. gondii IgG antibody titer and examined associations with memory function while controlling for socioeconomic status, education level, age, and apolipoprotein E4 status. There were few associations between T. gondii seropositivity or anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies and memory, although there …

A Plant-Produced Vaccine Protects Mice Against Lethal West Nile Virus Infection Without Enhancing Zika Or Dengue Virus Infectivity, Huafang Lai, Amber M. Paul, Haiyan Sun, Junyun He, Ming Yang, Fengwei Bai

Faculty Publications

West Nile virus (WNV) has caused multiple global outbreaks with increased frequency of neuroinvasive disease in recent years. Despite many years of research, there are no licensed therapeutics or vaccines available for human use. One of the major impediments of vaccine development against WNV is the potential enhancement of infection by related flaviviruses in vaccinated subjects through the mechanism of antibody-dependent enhancement of infection (ADE). For instance, the recent finding of enhancement of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection by pre-exposure to WNV further complicates the development of WNV vaccines. Epidemics of WNV and the potential risk of ADE by current vaccine …

Characterizing The Phylogenetic Specialism-Generalism Spectrum Of Mammal Parasites, A. W. Park, M. J. Farrell, J. P. Schmidt, S. Huang, T. A. Dallas, P. Pappalardo, J. M. Drake, P. R. Stephens, R. Poulin, C. L. Nunn, T. J. Davies

Faculty Publications

© 2018 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved. The distribution of parasites across mammalian hosts is complex and represents a differential ability or opportunity to infect different host species. Here, we take a macroecological approach to investigate factors influencing why some parasites show a tendency to infect species widely distributed in the host phylogeny (phylogenetic generalism) while others infect only closely related hosts. Using a database on over 1400 parasite species that have been documented to infect up to 69 terrestrialmammal host species,we characterize the phylogenetic generalism of parasites using standard effect sizes for three metrics: …

First Impressions—The Potential Of Altering Initial Host-Virus Interactions For Rational Design Of Herpesvirus Vaccine Vectors, Paul J.F. Rider, Farhana Musarrat, Rafiq Nabi, Shan Naidu, Konstantin G. Kousoulas

Faculty Publications

© 2018, Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature. Purpose of Review: The earliest host-virus interactions occur during virus attachment and entry into cells. These initial steps in the virus lifecycle influence the outcome of infection beyond delivery of the viral genome into the cell. Herpesviruses alter host signaling pathways and processes during attachment and entry to facilitate virus infection and modulate innate immune responses. We suggest in this review that understanding these early events may inform the rational design of therapeutic and prevention strategies for herpesvirus infection, as well as the engineering of viral vectors for immunotherapy purposes. …

The Amino Terminus Of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Glycoprotein K (Gk) Is Required For Gb Binding To Akt, Release Of Intracellular Calcium, And Fusion Of The Viral Envelope With Plasma Membranes, Farhana Musarrat, Nithya Jambunathan, Paul J.F. Rider, V. N. Chouljenko, K. G. Kousoulas

Faculty Publications

© 2018 American Society for Microbiology. Previously, we have shown that the amino terminus of glycoprotein K (gK) binds to the amino terminus of gB and that deletion of the aminoterminal 38 amino acids of gK prevents herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection of mouse trigeminal ganglia after ocular infection and virus entry into neuronal axons. Recently, it has been shown that gB binds to Akt during virus entry and induces Akt phosphorylation and intracellular calcium release. Proximity ligation and two-way immunoprecipitation assays using monoclonal antibodies against gB and Akt-1 phosphorylated at S473 [Akt-1(S473)] confirmed that HSV-1(McKrae) gB interacted with …

Integrating Nutrition Into Health Systems At Community Level:Impact Evaluation Of The Community‐Based Maternal Andneonatal Health And Nutrition Projects In Ethiopia, Kenya, And Senegal, Jacqueline K. Kung'u, Richard Pendame, Mame Bineta Ndiaye, Mulusew Gerbaba, Sophie Ochola, Adama Faye, Sulochana Basnet, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Sara Wuehler, Luz Maria De‐Regil

Faculty Publications

Maternal undernutrition and mortality remain high in several African countries. Key nutrition andhealth interventions improve maternal and birth outcomes. Evidence is scarce on how tostrengthen health systems to ensure pregnant women and newborns are reached with theseinterventions. We conducted three quasi‐experimental nonrandomized Community BasedMaternal and Neonatal Health and Nutrition projects in regions of Ethiopia, Senegal, and Kenyato demonstrate how proven nutrition interventions could be integrated into health programs toimprove knowledge and practices during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. We evaluated impacton knowledge and practices related to maternal and neonatal care using logistic regression andrepeated‐measures models with districts as a fixed variable …

Detection Of Antibiotic Resistance Toxigenic Clostridium Difficile In Processed Retail Lettuce, Yi Han, Joan King, Marlene E. Janes

Faculty Publications

Objectives: Clostridium difficile is the major cause of infectious diarrhoea in humans after antimicrobial treatment. Clostridium difficile has been isolated from food animals and meat. The main purpose of this study was to characterize C. difficile isolated from retail lettuce and determine the antibiotic resistance using five common clinical-selected antibiotics (metronidazole, vancomycin, clindamycin, erythromycin, and cefotaxime). Materials and Methods: Lettuce samples (grown in California, Arkansas, and Louisiana) were purchased from retail stores. Results: Toxigenic C. difficile was isolated from 13.8 per cent (41/297) of the lettuce samples. Among the toxigenic isolates, only 82.9 per cent (34/41) produced toxin B, 17.1 …

Institutionalizing Resilience In U.S. Universities: Prospects, Opportunities, And Models, Morris Foster, James O'Donnell, Mark Luckenbach, Elizabeth Andrews, Emily Steinhilber, John Wells, Mark Davis

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Physico-Chemical Characteristics Of Evaporating Respiratory Fluid Droplets, Eric P. Vejerano, Linsey C. Marr

Faculty Publications

The detailed physico-chemical characteristics of respiratory droplets in ambient air, where they are subject to evaporation, are poorly understood. Changes in the concentration and phase of major components in a droplet—salt (NaCl), protein (mucin) and surfactant (dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine)—may affect the viability of any pathogens contained within it and thus may affect the efficiency of transmission of infectious disease by droplets and aerosols. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of relative humidity (RH) on the physico-chemical characteristics of evaporating droplets of model respiratory fluids. We labelled these components in model respiratory fluids and observed evaporating droplets suspended on …

Diverse Exocytic Pathways For Mast Cell Mediators, Hao Xu, Na-Ryum Bin, Shuzo Sugita

Faculty Publications

Mast cells play pivotal roles in innate and adaptive immunities but are also culprits in allergy, autoimmunity and cardiovascular diseases. Mast cells respond environmental changes by initiating regulated exocytosis/secretion of various biologically active compounds called mediators (e.g., proteases, amines and cytokines). Many of these mediators are stored in granules/lysosomes and rely on an intricate degranulation process for release. Mast cell stabilizers (such as sodium cromoglicate) which prevent such degranulation process have therefore been clinically approved to treat asthma and allergic rhinitis. However, it has become increasingly clear that different mast cell diseases often involve multiple mediators, which seem to rely …

Sociocultural And Health System Factors Associated With Mortality Among Febrile Inpatients In Tanzania: A Prospective Social Biopsy Cohort Study, Michael E. Snavely, Michael J. Maze, Charles Muiruri, Lilian Ngowi, Flora Mboya, Julia Beamesderfer, Glory F. Makupa, Anthon G. Mwingwa, Bingileki F. Lwezaula, Blandina T. Mmbaga, Venance P. Maro, John A. Crump, Jan Ostermann, Matthew P. Rubach

Faculty Publications

Introduction Communicable diseases are the leading causes of death in Tanzania despite the existence of effective treatment tools. We aimed to assess the sociocultural and health system factors associated with mortality from febrile illness in northern Tanzania.

Methods We interviewed febrile inpatients to determine prevalence of barriers in seeking or receiving care and grouped these barriers using the Three Delays model (delays at home, in transport and at healthcare facilities). We assessed 6-week mortality and, after matching on age, gender and severity of illness, measured the association between delays and mortality using conditional logistic regression.

Results We enrolled 475 children, …

Recently Integrated Alu Insertions In The Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri) Lineage And Application For Population Analyses, Jasmine N. Baker, Jerilyn A. Walker, Michael W. Denham, Charles D. Loupe, Mark A. Batzer

Faculty Publications

© 2018 The Author(s). Background: The evolution of Alu elements has been ongoing in primate lineages and Alu insertion polymorphisms are widely used in phylogenetic and population genetics studies. Alu subfamilies in the squirrel monkey (Saimiri), a New World Monkey (NWM), were recently reported. Squirrel monkeys are commonly used in biomedical research and often require species identification. The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) Perform locus-specific PCR analyses on recently integrated Alu insertions in Saimiri to determine their amplification dynamics, and 2) Identify a subset of Alu insertion polymorphisms with species informative allele frequency distributions between the Saimiri sciureus …

Facilitators And Barriers For Hiv-Testing In Zambia: A Systematic Review Of Multi-Level Factors, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Yao Zhang, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., J. Anitha Menon

Faculty Publications

It was estimated that 1.2 million people live with HIV/AIDS in Zambia by 2015. Zambia has developed and implemented diverse programs to reduce the prevalence in the country. HIVtesting is a critical step in HIV treatment and prevention, especially among all the key populations. However, there is no systematic review so far to demonstrate the trend of HIV-testing studies in Zambia since 1990s or synthesis the key factors that associated with HIVtesting practices in the country. Therefore, this study conducted a systematic review to search all English literature published prior to November 2016 in six electronic databases and retrieved 32 …

Recently Integrated Alu Insertions In The Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri) Lineage And Application For Population Analyses, Mark Batzer, Jasmine N. Baker, Jerilyn A. Walker, Michael W. Denham, Charles D. Loupe

Faculty Publications

Background: The evolution of Alu elements has been ongoing in primate lineages and Alu insertion polymorphisms are widely used in phylogenetic and population genetics studies. Alu subfamilies in the squirrel monkey (Saimiri), a New World Monkey (NWM), were recently reported. Squirrel monkeys are commonly used in biomedical research and often require species identification. The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) Perform locus-specific PCR analyses on recently integrated Alu insertions in Saimiri to determine their amplification dynamics, and 2) Identify a subset of Alu insertion polymorphisms with species informative allele frequency distributions between the Saimiri sciureus and Saimiri boliviensis groups. …

Experimental Evidence Of A Pathogen Invasion Threshold, Tad A. Dallas, Martin Krkošek, John M. Drake

Faculty Publications

© 2018 The Authors. Host density thresholds to pathogen invasion separate regions of parameter space corresponding to endemic and diseasefree states. The host density threshold is a central concept in theoretical epidemiology and a common target of human and wildlife disease control programmes, but there is mixed evidence supporting the existence of thresholds, especially in wildlife populations or for pathogens with complex transmission modes (e.g. environmental transmission). Here, we demonstrate the existence of a host density threshold for an environmentally transmitted pathogen by combining an epidemiological model with a microcosm experiment. Experimental epidemics consisted of replicate populations of naive crustacean …

Experimental Evidence Of A Pathogen Invasion Threshold, Tad Dallas, Martin Krkošek, John M. Drake

Faculty Publications

Host density thresholds to pathogen invasion separate regions of parameter space corresponding to endemic and disease-free states. The host density threshold is a central concept in theoretical epidemiology and a common target of human and wildlife disease control programmes, but there is mixed evidence supporting the existence of thresholds, especially in wildlife populations or for pathogens with complex transmission modes (e.g. environmental transmission). Here, we demonstrate the existence of a host density threshold for an environmentally transmitted pathogen by combining an epidemiological model with a microcosm experiment. Experimental epidemics consisted of replicate populations of naive crustacean zooplankton (Daphnia dentifera …

Identifying Genome-Wide Immune Gene Variation Underlying Infectious Disease In Wildlife Populations - A Next Generation Sequencing Approach In The Gopher Tortoise, Jean P. Elbers, Mary B. Brown, Sabrina S. Taylor

Faculty Publications

Background: Infectious disease is the single greatest threat to taxa such as amphibians (chytrid fungus), bats (white nose syndrome), Tasmanian devils (devil facial tumor disease), and black-footed ferrets (canine distemper virus, plague). Although understanding the genetic basis to disease susceptibility is important for the long-term persistence of these groups, most research has been limited to major-histocompatibility and Toll-like receptor genes. To better understand the genetic basis of infectious disease susceptibility in a species of conservation concern, we sequenced all known/predicted immune response genes (i.e., the immunomes) in 16 Florida gopher tortoises, Gopherus polyphemus. All tortoises produced antibodies against Mycoplasma agassizii …

Independent Association Of Resting Energy Expenditure With Blood Pressure: Confirmation In Populations Of The African Diaspora, Chloe Creber, Richard S. Cooper, Jacob Plange-Rhule, Pascal Bovet, Estelle V. Lambert, Terrence E. Forrester, Dale Schoeller, Walter Riesen, Wolfgang Korte, Guichan Cao, Amy Luke, Lara R. Dugas

Faculty Publications

Background: Obesity is a major risk factor for hypertension, however, the physiologic mechanisms linking increased adiposity to elevations in blood pressure are not well described. An increase in resting energy expenditure (REE) is an obligatory consequence of obesity. Previous survey research has demonstrated that REE is an independent predictor of blood pressure, and eliminates the co-linear association of body mass index. This observation has received little attention and there have been no attempts to provide a causal explanation. Methods: At baseline in an international comparative study on obesity, 289 participants aged 25-44 were recruited from communities in the US, the …

Nextgen Voices: Research Resolutions, Felicia Olmeta-Schult, Lauren Massa Segal, Sam Tyner, Twila Alexandra Moon, Ryan Dz Wei Chow, Prosanta Chakrabarty, Martin Pacesa, Anna Igorevna Podgornaia, Jennifer Chen, Bipin Singh, Bo Cao, Rishi Raj Singh Sidhu, Bryce W.Q. Tan, Prashant Sood, Stuart Parker, Matthew A. Scult, Desiree Van Haute, Nikos Konstantinides, Beat A. Schwendimann, Sudhakar Srivastava, Raffaele Fiorenza, Ken Dutton-Regester, Rachel Hale, Emre Ozan Polat, Edward Lau, Audrey L. Mayer, Easton R. White

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Exosomes Serve As Novel Modes Of Tick-Borne Flavivirus Transmission From Arthropod To Human Cells And Facilitates Dissemination Of Viral Rna And Proteins To The Vertebrate Neuronal Cells, Wenshuo Zhou, Michael Woodson, Biswas Neupane, Fengwei Bai, Michael B. Sherman, Kyung H. Choi, Girish Neelakanta, Hameeda Sultana

Faculty Publications

Molecular determinants and mechanisms of arthropod-borne flavivirus transmission to the vertebrate host are poorly understood. In this study, we show for the first time that a cell line from medically important arthropods, such as ticks, secretes extracellular vesicles (EVs) including exosomes that mediate transmission of flavivirus RNA and proteins to the human cells. Our study shows that tick-borne Langat virus (LGTV), a model pathogen closely related to tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), profusely uses arthropod exosomes for transmission of viral RNA and proteins to the human- skin keratinocytes and blood endothelial cells. Cryo-electron microscopy showed the presence of purified arthropod/neuronal exosomes …

In Vivo Inhibition Of Tryptophan Catabolism Reorganizes The Tuberculoma And Augments Immune-Mediated Control Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Uma S. Gautam, Taylor W. Foreman, Allison N. Bucsan, Ashley V. Veatch, Xavier Alvarez, Toidi Adekambi, Nadia A. Golden, Kaylee M. Gentry, Lara A. Doyle-Meyers, Kasi E. Russell-Lodrigue, Peter J. Didier, James L. Blanchard, K. Gus Kousoulas, Andrew A. Lackner, Daniel Kalman, Jyothi Rengarajan, Shabaana A. Khader, Deepak Kaushal, Smriti Mehra

Faculty Publications

Mycobacterium tuberculosis continues to cause devastating levels of mortality due to tuberculosis (TB). The failure to control TB stems from an incomplete understanding of the highly specialized strategies that M. tuberculosis utilizes to modulate host immunity and thereby persist in host lungs. Here, we show that M. tuberculosis induced the expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), an enzyme involved in tryptophan catabolism, in macrophages and in the lungs of animals (mice and macaque) with active disease. In a macaque model of inhalation TB, suppression of IDO activity reduced bacterial burden, pathology, and clinical signs of TB disease, leading to increased host …

Hiv-Tb Coinfection Among 57 Million Pregnant Women, Obstetric Complications, Alcohol Use, Drug Abuse, And Depression, Dorian Fernandez, Imoleayo Salami, Janelle Davis, Florence Mbah, Aisha Kazeem, Abreah Ash, Justin Babino, Laquiesha Carter, Jason L. Salemi, Kiara K. Spooner, Omonike A. Olaleye, Hamisu M. Salihu

Faculty Publications

Objective. HIV and tuberculosis represent diseases of major public health importance worldwide. Very little is known about HIV-TB coinfection among pregnant women, especially from industrialized settings. In this study, we examined the association between TB, HIV, and HIV-TB coinfection among pregnant mothers and obstetric complications, alcohol use, drug abuse, and depression. Method. We examined inpatient hospital discharges in the United States from January 1, 2002, through December 31, 2014. We employed multivariable survey logistic regression to generate adjusted estimates for the association between infection status and study outcomes. Results. We analyzed approximately 57 million records of pregnant women and their …

Preparing For The Apocalypse: A Multi-Prong Proposal To Develop Countermeasures For Biological, Chemical, Radiological, And Nuclear Threats, Constance E. Bagley, Anat Alon-Beck

Faculty Publications

The false alarm of an Hawaiian nuclear attack in January 2018 is an example of the lack of U.S. preparedness for attacks using nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. To address such threats, this Article proposes the establishment of a nation-wide integrated defense of health countermeasures initiative (“DHCI”), which is a multi-prong program to create a defensive triad comprising government, private industry, and academia to develop countermeasures for health threats posed by biological, chemical, radiological, and nuclear (“BCRN”) attacks. Key elements of our multi-faceted proposal include the use of the government’s Other Transaction Authority to simplify procurement arrangements, the …

Modeling The Disappearance Of The Neanderthals Using Concepts Of Population Dynamics And Ecology, Michael F. Roberts, Stephen E. Bricher

Faculty Publications

Current hypotheses regarding the disappearance of Neanderthals (NEA) in Europe fall into two main categories: climate change, and competition. Here we review current research and existing mathematical models that deal with this question, and we propose an approach that incorporates and permits the investigation of the current hypotheses. We have developed a set of differential equations that model population dynamics of anatomically modern humans (AMH) and NEA, their ecological relations to prey species, and their mutual interactions. The model allows investigators to explore each of the two main categories or combinations of both, as well as various forms of competition …

Serving Up Allergy Labeling: Mitigating Food Allergen Risks In Restaurants, Marie C. Boyd

Faculty Publications

Allergens in restaurant food cause many allergic reactions and deaths. Yet no federal, state, or local law adequately protects people from these harms. Although federal law requires the labeling of “major food allergens” in packaged food, there are no allergen labeling requirements for restaurant-type food. In addition, existing food safety requirements for restaurants are inadequate to prevent allergen cross contact.

The existing legal scholarship on food allergens in restaurants is limited. Much of the legal scholarship on labeling in restaurants focuses on menu labeling — the provision of calorie and other nutrition information to combat obesity. The requirements of Section …

Nanotechnology Considerations For Poultry And Livestock Production Systems - A Review, Mohamed I. El Sabry, Kenneth W. Mcmillin, Cristina M. Sabliov

Faculty Publications

© 2018 by Mohamed I. El Sabry. The global animal productivity should proportionally increase to meet the food needs of a growing population. This article presents an overview of the current and promising nano-applications in poultry and livestock production systems that could offer opportunities for improved efficiencies and productivity. Some basic information on nanotechnology and the economics of nanotechnology is provided. Poultry and animal production systems, current situation and available tools and techniques are presented in parallel with animal health care, animal nutrition, animal shetter and food processing nano-applications and their advantages. These applications are directly or indirectly related to …

A Narrative Analysis Examining Influential Factors Of A Minority Research And Training Program, Gretchen S. Burton, Maria Da Graça H. Vicente

Faculty Publications

© The Author(s) 2018. The implementation of minority research and training programs at the postsecondary level has risen to close the educational achievement gap and generate a highly skilled and diverse science workforce. Numerous studies identify interventions influencing positive outcomes among minority research and training participants achieving graduate degrees. However, many of these studies utilize quantitative methods. To capture student voices and rich descriptive experiences, this study utilized a multiple case study featuring a narrative approach. Cross-case analysis identified four factors influencing matriculation into advanced degree programs: belonging and inclusion, peer mentoring, confidence as a scientist, and family influence. Findings …