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Transformational Principles For Neon Sampling Of Mammalian Parasites And Pathogens: A Response To Springer And Colleagues, Joseph A. Cook, Stephen E. Greiman, Salvatore J. Agosta, Robert P. Anderson, Brian S. Arbogast, Robert J. Baker, Walter Boeger, Robert D. Bradley, Daniel R. Brooks, Rebecca Cole, John R. Demboski, Andrew P. Dobson, Jonathan L. Dunnum, Ralph P. Eckerlin, Jacob Esselstyn, Kurt E. Galbreath, John Hawdon, Hopi E. Hoekstra, Susan J. Kutz, Jessica E. Light, Link E. Olson, Bruce D. Patterson, James L. Patton, Anna J. Phillips, Eric Rickart, Duke S. Rogers, Mark E. Siddall, Vasyl V. Tkach, Eric P. Hoberg Nov 2016

Transformational Principles For Neon Sampling Of Mammalian Parasites And Pathogens: A Response To Springer And Colleagues, Joseph A. Cook, Stephen E. Greiman, Salvatore J. Agosta, Robert P. Anderson, Brian S. Arbogast, Robert J. Baker, Walter Boeger, Robert D. Bradley, Daniel R. Brooks, Rebecca Cole, John R. Demboski, Andrew P. Dobson, Jonathan L. Dunnum, Ralph P. Eckerlin, Jacob Esselstyn, Kurt E. Galbreath, John Hawdon, Hopi E. Hoekstra, Susan J. Kutz, Jessica E. Light, Link E. Olson, Bruce D. Patterson, James L. Patton, Anna J. Phillips, Eric Rickart, Duke S. Rogers, Mark E. Siddall, Vasyl V. Tkach, Eric P. Hoberg

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


The Negative Effects Of Pathogen-Infected Prey On Predators: A Meta-Analysis, Andrew J. Flick, Miguel A. Acevedo, Bret D. Elderd Nov 2016

The Negative Effects Of Pathogen-Infected Prey On Predators: A Meta-Analysis, Andrew J. Flick, Miguel A. Acevedo, Bret D. Elderd

Faculty Publications

© 2016 The Authors Intra-guild predation (IGP) – where a top predator (IGPred) consumes both a basal resource and a competitor for that resource (IGPrey) – has become a fundamental part of understanding species interactions and community dynamics. IGP communities composed of intraguild predators and prey have been well studied; however, we know less about IGP communities composed of predators, pathogens, and resources. Resource quality plays an important role in community dynamics and may influence IGP dynamics as well. We conducted a meta-analysis on predator–pathogen–resource communities to determine whether resource quality mediated by the pathogen affected predator life-history traits and …


Combining Intensive Counseling By Frontline Workers With A Nationwide Mass Media Campaign Has Large Differential Impacts On Complementary Feeding Practices But Not On Child Growth: Results Of A Cluster-Randomized Program Evaluation In Bangladesh, Purnima Menon, Phuong Hong Nguyen, Kuntal Kumar Saha, Adiba Khaled, Tina Sanghvi, Jean Baker, Kaosar Afsana, Raisul Haque, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Marie T. Ruel, Rahul Rawat Oct 2016

Combining Intensive Counseling By Frontline Workers With A Nationwide Mass Media Campaign Has Large Differential Impacts On Complementary Feeding Practices But Not On Child Growth: Results Of A Cluster-Randomized Program Evaluation In Bangladesh, Purnima Menon, Phuong Hong Nguyen, Kuntal Kumar Saha, Adiba Khaled, Tina Sanghvi, Jean Baker, Kaosar Afsana, Raisul Haque, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Marie T. Ruel, Rahul Rawat

Faculty Publications

Background: Complementary feeding (CF) contributes to child growth and development, but few CF programs are delivered at scale. Alive & Thrive addressed this in Bangladesh through intensified interpersonal counseling (IPC), mass media (MM), and community mobilization (CM).

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the impact of providing IPC + MM + CM (intensive) compared with standard nutrition counseling + less intensive MM + CM (nonintensive) on CF practices and anthropometric measurements.

Methods: We used a cluster-randomized, nonblinded evaluation with cross-sectional surveys [n = ∼600 and 1090 children 6-23.9 mo and 24-47.9 mo/group, respectively, at baseline (2010) and n = ∼500 …


Test Site Predicts Hiv Care Linkage And Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation: A Prospective 3.5 Year Cohort Study Of Hivpositive Testers In Northern Tanzania, Elizabeth A. Reddy, Chris Bernard Agala, Venance P. Maro, Jan Ostermann, Brian W. Pence, Dafrosa K. Itemba, Donna Safley, Jia Yao, Nathan M. Thielman, Kathryn Whetten Sep 2016

Test Site Predicts Hiv Care Linkage And Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation: A Prospective 3.5 Year Cohort Study Of Hivpositive Testers In Northern Tanzania, Elizabeth A. Reddy, Chris Bernard Agala, Venance P. Maro, Jan Ostermann, Brian W. Pence, Dafrosa K. Itemba, Donna Safley, Jia Yao, Nathan M. Thielman, Kathryn Whetten

Faculty Publications

Background: Linkage to HIV care is crucial to the success of antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs worldwide, loss to follow up at all stages of the care continuum is frequent, and long-term prospective studies of care linkage are currently lacking.

Methods: Consecutive clients who tested HIV-positive were enrolled from four HIV testing centers (1 health facility and 3 community-based centers) in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania as part of the larger Coping with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania (CHAT) prospective observational study. Biannual interviews were conducted over 3.5 years, assessing care linkage, retention, and mental health. Bivariable and multivariate logistic regression analyses were …


Survival Of High-Risk Pediatric Neuroblastoma Patients In A Developing Country, Joseph C. Easton, Sergio Gomez, Peter H. Asdahl, J. Michael Conner, Alcira B. Flynn, Claudia Ruiz, Rohit P. Ojha Sep 2016

Survival Of High-Risk Pediatric Neuroblastoma Patients In A Developing Country, Joseph C. Easton, Sergio Gomez, Peter H. Asdahl, J. Michael Conner, Alcira B. Flynn, Claudia Ruiz, Rohit P. Ojha

Faculty Publications

Little information is available about survival of high‐risk pediatric neuroblastoma patients in developing countries. We aimed to assess survival among high‐risk pediatric neuroblastoma patients in La Plata, Argentina. Individuals eligible for our cohort were aged4 yr at diagnosis, 54% were male, and 62% had adrenal neuroblastoma. We observed 18 deaths, and the median survival time of our study population was 1.7 yr. The five‐yr overall survival probability was 24% (95% CL: 10%, 41%). In contrast, five‐yr survival of high‐risk neuroblastoma patients ranges between 23% and 76% in developed countries. Survival among high‐risk neuroblastoma patients is generally poor regardless of geographic …


The Macroecology Of Infectious Diseases: A New Perspective On Global-Scale Drivers Of Pathogen Distributions And Impacts, Patrick R. Stephens, Sonia Altizer, Katherine F. Smith, A. Alonso Aguirre, James H. Brown, Sarah A. Budischak, James E. Byers, Tad A. Dallas, T. Jonathan Davies, John M. Drake, Vanessa O. Ezenwa, Maxwell J. Farrell, John L. Gittleman, Barbara A. Han, Shan Huang, Rebecca A. Hutchinson, Pieter Johnson, Charles L. Nunn, David Onstad, Andrew Park, Gonzalo M. Vazquez-Prokopec, John P. Schmidt, Robert Poulin Sep 2016

The Macroecology Of Infectious Diseases: A New Perspective On Global-Scale Drivers Of Pathogen Distributions And Impacts, Patrick R. Stephens, Sonia Altizer, Katherine F. Smith, A. Alonso Aguirre, James H. Brown, Sarah A. Budischak, James E. Byers, Tad A. Dallas, T. Jonathan Davies, John M. Drake, Vanessa O. Ezenwa, Maxwell J. Farrell, John L. Gittleman, Barbara A. Han, Shan Huang, Rebecca A. Hutchinson, Pieter Johnson, Charles L. Nunn, David Onstad, Andrew Park, Gonzalo M. Vazquez-Prokopec, John P. Schmidt, Robert Poulin

Faculty Publications

© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS. Identifying drivers of infectious disease patterns and impacts at the broadest scales of organisation is one of the most crucial challenges for modern science, yet answers to many fundamental questions remain elusive. These include what factors commonly facilitate transmission of pathogens to novel host species, what drives variation in immune investment among host species, and more generally what drives global patterns of parasite diversity and distribution? Here we consider how the perspectives and tools of macroecology, a field that investigates patterns and processes at broad spatial, temporal and taxonomic scales, are expanding scientific …


An Ultrasensitive Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence-Based Immunoassay For Specific Detection Of Zika Virus, Dhiraj Acharya, Pradip Bastola, Linda Le, Amber M. Paul, Estefania Fernandez, Michael S. Diamond, Wujian Miao, Fengwei Bai Aug 2016

An Ultrasensitive Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence-Based Immunoassay For Specific Detection Of Zika Virus, Dhiraj Acharya, Pradip Bastola, Linda Le, Amber M. Paul, Estefania Fernandez, Michael S. Diamond, Wujian Miao, Fengwei Bai

Faculty Publications

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a globally emerging mosquito-transmitted flavivirus that can cause severe fetal abnormalities, including microcephaly. As such, highly sensitive, specific, and cost-effective diagnostic methods are urgently needed. Here, we report a novel electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL)-based immunoassay for ultrasensitive and specific detection of ZIKV in human biological fluids. We loaded polystyrene beads (PSB) with a large number of ECL labels and conjugated them with anti-ZIKV monoclonal antibodies to generate anti-ZIKV-PSBs. These anti-ZIKV-PSBs efficiently captured ZIKV in solution forming ZIKV-anti-ZIKV-PSB complexes, which were subjected to measurement of ECL intensity after further magnetic beads separation. Our results show that the anti-ZIKV-PSBs …


Crystal Structure Of Carboxyltransferase From Staphylococcus Aureus Bound To The Antibacterial Agent Moiramide B, Molly A. Silvers, Svetlana Pakhomova, David B. Neau, William C. Silvers, Nicholas Anzalone, Carol M. Taylor, Grover L. Waldrop Aug 2016

Crystal Structure Of Carboxyltransferase From Staphylococcus Aureus Bound To The Antibacterial Agent Moiramide B, Molly A. Silvers, Svetlana Pakhomova, David B. Neau, William C. Silvers, Nicholas Anzalone, Carol M. Taylor, Grover L. Waldrop

Faculty Publications

© 2016 American Chemical Society. The dramatic increase in the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has necessitated a search for new antibacterial agents against novel targets. Moiramide B is a natural product, broad-spectrum antibiotic that inhibits the carboxyltransferase component of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, which catalyzes the first committed step in fatty acid synthesis. Herein, we report the 2.6 Å resolution crystal structure of moiramide B bound to carboxyltransferase. An unanticipated but significant finding was that moiramide B bound as the enol/enolate. Crystallographic studies demonstrate that the (4S)-methyl succinimide moiety interacts with the oxyanion holes of the enzyme, supporting the notion that an …


Vaccination Policies Of Utah Family Practice Clinics, Karlen Beth Luthy, Levi R. Kohler, Janelle L B Macintosh, Lacey M. Eden, Renea L. Beckstrand, Emily L. Wright, Katherine Edmonds Jul 2016

Vaccination Policies Of Utah Family Practice Clinics, Karlen Beth Luthy, Levi R. Kohler, Janelle L B Macintosh, Lacey M. Eden, Renea L. Beckstrand, Emily L. Wright, Katherine Edmonds

Faculty Publications

Background and Purpose: The purpose of this study was to collect information regarding healthcare worker (HCW) vaccination policies in Utah family practice clinics. Methods: The study was conducted in Utah family practice clinics in the most densely populated counties in the state and was a cross-sectional descriptive design. Data were collected from 155 family practice clinic managers. Analyses included frequencies and percentages for quantitative items and a content analysis for open-ended items. Conclusions: HCWs are employed in environments where infectious diseases can be easily spread from person to person, thus, vaccinations can be instrumental in protecting the health of HCWs …


Intersystem Implications Of The Developmental Origins Of Health And Disease: Advancing Health Promotion In The 21st Century, Michael D. Barnes, Thomas L. Heaton, Michael C. Goates, Justin M. Packer Jul 2016

Intersystem Implications Of The Developmental Origins Of Health And Disease: Advancing Health Promotion In The 21st Century, Michael D. Barnes, Thomas L. Heaton, Michael C. Goates, Justin M. Packer

Faculty Publications

The developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) theory and life course theory (LCT) are emerging fields of research that have significant implications for the public health and health promotion professions. Using a DOHaD/LCT perspective, social determinants of health (SDH) take on new critical meaning by which health promotion professionals can implement DOHaD/LCT guided interventions, including recommended policies. Through these interventions, public health could further address the sources of worldwide chronic disease epidemics and reduce such disease rates substantially if related policy, programs, and interdisciplinary and multi-sector collaboration are emphasized. Additional characteristics of the most effective interventions involve context-specific adaptation …


Calling In Sick: Impacts Of Fever On Intra-Urban Human Mobility, T. Alex Perkins, Valerie A. Paz-Soldan, Steven T. Stoddard, Amy C. Morrison, Brett M. Forshey, Kanya C. Long, Eric S. Halsey, Tadeusz J. Kochel, John P. Elder, Uriel Kitron, Thomas W. Scott, Gonzalo M. Vazquez-Prokopec Jul 2016

Calling In Sick: Impacts Of Fever On Intra-Urban Human Mobility, T. Alex Perkins, Valerie A. Paz-Soldan, Steven T. Stoddard, Amy C. Morrison, Brett M. Forshey, Kanya C. Long, Eric S. Halsey, Tadeusz J. Kochel, John P. Elder, Uriel Kitron, Thomas W. Scott, Gonzalo M. Vazquez-Prokopec

Faculty Publications

© 2016 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved. Pathogens inflict a wide variety of disease manifestations on their hosts, yet the impacts of disease on the behaviour of infected hosts are rarely studied empirically and are seldom accounted for in mathematical models of transmission dynamics. We explored the potential impacts of one of the most common disease manifestations, fever, on a key determinant of pathogen transmission, host mobility, in residents of the Amazonian city of Iquitos, Peru. We did so by comparing two groups of febrile individuals (dengue-positive and dengue-negative) with an afebrile control group. A …


High-Resolution Spatial Distribution And Estimation Of Access To Improved Sanitation In Kenya, Peng Jia, John D. Anderson, Michael Leitner, Richard Rheingans Jul 2016

High-Resolution Spatial Distribution And Estimation Of Access To Improved Sanitation In Kenya, Peng Jia, John D. Anderson, Michael Leitner, Richard Rheingans

Faculty Publications

Background: Access to sanitation facilities is imperative in reducing the risk of multiple adverse health outcomes. A distinct disparity in sanitation exists among different wealth levels in many low-income countries, which may hinder the progress across each of the Millennium Development Goals. Methods: The surveyed households in 397 clusters from 2008-2009 Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys were divided into five wealth quintiles based on their national asset scores. A series of spatial analysis methods including excess risk, local spatial autocorrelation, and spatial interpolation were applied to observe disparities in coverage of improved sanitation among different wealth categories. The total number …


Structural Characterization Of Tick Cement Cones Collected From In Vivo And Artifical Membrane Blood-Fed Lone Star Ticks (Ambylomma Americanum), Rebekah Bullard, Paige Allen, Chien-Chung Chao, Jessica Douglas, Pradipta K. Das, Sarah E. Morgan, Wei-Mei Ching, Shahid Karim Jul 2016

Structural Characterization Of Tick Cement Cones Collected From In Vivo And Artifical Membrane Blood-Fed Lone Star Ticks (Ambylomma Americanum), Rebekah Bullard, Paige Allen, Chien-Chung Chao, Jessica Douglas, Pradipta K. Das, Sarah E. Morgan, Wei-Mei Ching, Shahid Karim

Faculty Publications

The Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum, is endemic to the southeastern United States and capable of transmitting pathogenic diseases and causing non-pathogenic conditions. To remain firmly attached to the host, the tick secretes a proteinaceous matrix termed the cement cone which hardens around the tick’s mouthparts to assist in the attachment of the tick as well as to protect the mouthparts from the host immune system. Cement cones collected from ticks on a host are commonly contaminated with host skin and hair making analysis of the cone difficult. To reduce the contamination found in the cement cone, we have adapted …


Assessment Of Tick Antioxidant Responses To Exogenous Oxidative Stressors And Insight Into The Role Of Catalase In The Reproductive Fitness Of The Gulf Coast Tick, Amblyomma Maculatum, D. Kumar, K. Budachetri, V.C. Meyers, Shahid Karim Jun 2016

Assessment Of Tick Antioxidant Responses To Exogenous Oxidative Stressors And Insight Into The Role Of Catalase In The Reproductive Fitness Of The Gulf Coast Tick, Amblyomma Maculatum, D. Kumar, K. Budachetri, V.C. Meyers, Shahid Karim

Faculty Publications

As obligate blood‐sucking ectoparasites, to avoid tissue damage, ticks must neutralize the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated from uptake and digestion of a bloodmeal. Consequently, ticks utilize a battery of antioxidant molecules, including catalase (CAT), an enzyme that converts hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into water and oxygen. Here, we investigated the tick antioxidant machinery by exogenous injection of sublethal doses of H2O2 or paraquat. The relative transcript levels of selected Amblyomma maculatum antioxidant targets in tissues were determined by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR following treatment. The results showed 2–16‐fold increases in target antioxidant gene …


Promoting Adult Pertussis Vaccination In The Workplace, Karlen Beth Luthy, Jennifer L. Bainum, Renea L. Beckstrand, Janelle L B Macintosh, Lacey M. Eden, Brooke Saunders Jun 2016

Promoting Adult Pertussis Vaccination In The Workplace, Karlen Beth Luthy, Jennifer L. Bainum, Renea L. Beckstrand, Janelle L B Macintosh, Lacey M. Eden, Brooke Saunders

Faculty Publications

Vaccines are an important disease prevention strategy among individuals of all age groups. Despite the success of vaccinations in preventing communicable diseases, adults, in particular, often have sub-optimal vaccination rates. Consequently, some vaccine-preventable diseases, such as pertussis, are still on the rise in the United States despite the availability of the Tdap vaccine. As most adults can be found in the workplace, occupational and environmental health nurses are in a unique position to encourage employers to promote adequate Tdap vaccination among their employees. As specific resources regarding Tdap vaccination are lacking, the Pertussis Prevention Toolkit was developed to help occupational …


Vector Species Richness Increases Haemorrhagic Disease Prevalence Through Functional Diversity Modulating The Duration Of Seasonal Transmission, Andrew W. Park, Christopher A. Cleveland, Tad A. Dallas, Joseph L. Corn Jun 2016

Vector Species Richness Increases Haemorrhagic Disease Prevalence Through Functional Diversity Modulating The Duration Of Seasonal Transmission, Andrew W. Park, Christopher A. Cleveland, Tad A. Dallas, Joseph L. Corn

Faculty Publications

© Copyright Cambridge University Press 2015. SUMMARY Although many parasites are transmitted between hosts by a suite of arthropod vectors, the impact of vector biodiversity on parasite transmission is poorly understood. Positive relationships between host infection prevalence and vector species richness (SR) may operate through multiple mechanisms, including (i) increased vector abundance, (ii) a sampling effect in which species of high vectorial capacity are more likely to occur in species-rich communities, and (iii) functional diversity whereby communities comprised species with distinct phenologies may extend the duration of seasonal transmission. Teasing such mechanisms apart is impeded by a lack of appropriate …


Rickettsia Parkeri Colonization In Ambylomma Maculatum: The Role Of Superoxide Dismutases, Gary Crispell, Khemraj Budachetri, Shahid Karim May 2016

Rickettsia Parkeri Colonization In Ambylomma Maculatum: The Role Of Superoxide Dismutases, Gary Crispell, Khemraj Budachetri, Shahid Karim

Faculty Publications

Background

The Gulf Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum) is an arthropod vector of Rickettsia parkeri, the causative agent of American boutonneuse fever and an infectious agent of public health significance. In this study, we evaluated the biological significance of the superoxide dismutases (SODs) of A. maculatum in hematophagy and R. parkeri colonization within the tick host.

Methods

An RNA interference approach was used to measure the functional roles of tick SODs (Cu/Zn-SOD and Mn-SOD) in R. parkeri colonization of the tick vector. Total microbial load, R. parkeri infection rate, and compensatory mechanisms by tick genes were …


Modeling And Prediction Of Oyster Norovirus Outbreaks Along Gulf Of Mexico Coast, Jiao Wang, Zhiqiang Deng May 2016

Modeling And Prediction Of Oyster Norovirus Outbreaks Along Gulf Of Mexico Coast, Jiao Wang, Zhiqiang Deng

Faculty Publications

Background: Oyster norovirus outbreaks often pose high risks to human health. However, little is known about environmental factors controlling the outbreaks, and little can be done to prevent the outbreaks because they are generally considered to be unpredictable. oBjective: We sought to develop a mathematical model for predicting risks of oyster norovirus outbreaks using environmental predictors. Methods: We developed a novel probability-based Artificial Neural Network model, called NORF model, using 21 years of environmental and norovirus outbreak data collected from Louisiana oyster harvesting areas along the Gulf of Mexico coast, USA. The NORF model involves six input variables that were …


Helminthr: An R Interface To The London Natural History Museum's Host-Parasite Database, Tad Dallas Apr 2016

Helminthr: An R Interface To The London Natural History Museum's Host-Parasite Database, Tad Dallas

Faculty Publications

© 2016 Nordic Society Oikos. The understanding of the diversity and distribution of helminth parasites is currently constrained by the limited number of host-parasite interaction databases, and the difficulty in accessing existing data. The London Natural History Museum's Host-Parasite Database represents one such underutilized database, containing over a quarter million helminth parasite occurrence records, accessible through a web interface. To enable users to programmatically search and manipulate data from this database, I developed an R package called helminthR. Here, I introduce the core functions of the package, and detail how helminthR can be used to obtain host-parasite interaction records, citations …


Prediction Of Fluoroquinolone Resistance In Gram-Negative Bacteria Causing Bloodstream Infections, Seejil Dan, Ansal Shah, Julie Ann Justo, P Brandon Bookstaver, Joseph Kohn, Helmut Albrecht, Majdi N. Al-Hasan Apr 2016

Prediction Of Fluoroquinolone Resistance In Gram-Negative Bacteria Causing Bloodstream Infections, Seejil Dan, Ansal Shah, Julie Ann Justo, P Brandon Bookstaver, Joseph Kohn, Helmut Albrecht, Majdi N. Al-Hasan

Faculty Publications

Increasing rates of fluoroquinolone resistance (FQ-R) have limited empirical treatment options for Gram-negative infections, particularly in patients with severe beta-lactam allergy. This case-control study aims to develop a clinical risk score to predict the probability of FQ-R in Gram-negative bloodstream isolates. Adult patients with Gram-negative bloodstream infections (BSI) hospitalized at Palmetto Health System in Columbia, South Carolina, from 2010 to 2013 were identified. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for FQ-R. Point allocation in the fluoroquinolone resistance score (FQRS) was based on regression coefficients. Model discrimination was assessed by the area under receiver operating characteristic curve …


The Soil And Plant Biogeochemistry Sampling Design For The National Ecological Observatory Network, Eve-Lyn S. Hinckley, Gordon B. Bonan, Gabriel J. Bowen, Benjamin P. Colman, Paul A. Duffy, Christine L. Goodale, Benjamin Z. Houlton, Erika Marin-Spiotta, Kiona Ogle, Scott V. Ollinger, Eldor A. Paul, Peter M. Vitousek, Kathleen C. Weathers, David G. Williams Mar 2016

The Soil And Plant Biogeochemistry Sampling Design For The National Ecological Observatory Network, Eve-Lyn S. Hinckley, Gordon B. Bonan, Gabriel J. Bowen, Benjamin P. Colman, Paul A. Duffy, Christine L. Goodale, Benjamin Z. Houlton, Erika Marin-Spiotta, Kiona Ogle, Scott V. Ollinger, Eldor A. Paul, Peter M. Vitousek, Kathleen C. Weathers, David G. Williams

Faculty Publications

Human impacts on biogeochemical cycles are evident around the world, from changes to forest structure and function due to atmospheric deposition, to eutrophication of surface waters from agricultural effluent, and increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) will contribute to understanding human effects on biogeochemical cycles from local to continental scales. The broad NEON biogeochemistry measurement design focuses on measuring atmospheric deposition of reactive mineral compounds and CO2 fluxes, ecosystem carbon (C) and nutrient stocks, and surface water chemistry across 20 eco‐climatic domains within the United States for 30 yr. Herein, we …


Competition-Mediated Feedbacks In Experimental Multispecies Epizootics, Tad Dallas, Richard J. Hall, John M. Drake Mar 2016

Competition-Mediated Feedbacks In Experimental Multispecies Epizootics, Tad Dallas, Richard J. Hall, John M. Drake

Faculty Publications

© 2016 by the Ecological Society of America. Competition structures ecological communities and alters host-pathogen interactions. In environmentally transmitted pathogens, an infection-resistant competitor may influence infection dynamics in a susceptible species through the negative impacts of competition (e.g., by reducing host density or causing nutritional stress that increases susceptibility to infection) and/or the positive impacts of reducing transmission efficiency (e.g., by removing environmental pathogen stages). Thus, a non-susceptible competitor may enhance, reduce, or have no net effect on susceptible host density and infection prevalence. Here, we couple an epidemiological model with experimental epidemics to test how resource competition with a …


Costs Of Resistance And Infection By A Generalist Pathogen, Tad Dallas, Mathieu Holtackers, John M. Drake Mar 2016

Costs Of Resistance And Infection By A Generalist Pathogen, Tad Dallas, Mathieu Holtackers, John M. Drake

Faculty Publications

© 2016 Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Pathogen infection is typically costly to hosts, resulting in reduced fitness. However, pathogen exposure may also come at a cost even if the host does not become infected. These fitness reductions, referred to as "resistance costs", are inducible physiological costs expressed as a result of a trade-off between resistance to a pathogen and aspects of host fitness (e.g., reproduction). Here, we examine resistance and infection costs of a generalist fungal pathogen (Metschnikowia bicuspidata) capable of infecting a number of host species. Costs were quantified as reductions in host lifespan, total reproduction, …


Sialomes And Mialomes: A Systems-Biology View Of Tick Tissues And Tick-Host Interactions, Jindrich Chmelar, Jan Kotal, Shahid Karim, Petr Kopacek, Ivo M.B. Francischetti, Joao H.F. Pedra, Michail Kotsyfakis Mar 2016

Sialomes And Mialomes: A Systems-Biology View Of Tick Tissues And Tick-Host Interactions, Jindrich Chmelar, Jan Kotal, Shahid Karim, Petr Kopacek, Ivo M.B. Francischetti, Joao H.F. Pedra, Michail Kotsyfakis

Faculty Publications

Tick saliva facilitates tick feeding and infection of the host. Gene expression analysis of tick salivary glands and other tissues involved in host-pathogen interactions has revealed a wide range of bioactive tick proteins. Transcriptomic analysis has been a milestone in the field and has recently been enhanced by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Furthermore, the application of quantitative proteomics to ticks with unknown genomes has provided deeper insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying tick hematophagy, pathogen transmission, and tick-host-pathogen interactions. We review current knowledge on the transcriptomics and proteomics of tick tissues from a systems-biology perspective and discuss future challenges in the …


Costs Of Resistance And Infection By A Generalist Pathogen, Tad Dallas, Mathieu Holtackers, John M. Drake Feb 2016

Costs Of Resistance And Infection By A Generalist Pathogen, Tad Dallas, Mathieu Holtackers, John M. Drake

Faculty Publications

Pathogen infection is typically costly to hosts, resulting in reduced fitness. However, pathogen exposure may also come at a cost even if the host does not become infected. These fitness reductions, referred to as “resistance costs”, are inducible physiological costs expressed as a result of a trade-off between resistance to a pathogen and aspects of host fitness (e.g., reproduction). Here, we examine resistance and infection costs of a generalist fungal pathogen (Metschnikowia bicuspidata) capable of infecting a number of host species. Costs were quantified as reductions in host lifespan, total reproduction, and mean clutch size as a function …


Incomplete Protection Against Dengue Virus Type 2 Re-Infection In Peru, Brett M. Forshey, Robert C. Reiner, Sandra Olkowski, Amy C. Morrison, Angelica Espinoza, Kanya C. Long, Stalin Vilcarromero, Wilma Casanova, Helen J. Wearing, Eric S. Halsey, Tadeusz J. Kochel, Thomas W. Scott, Steven T. Stoddard Feb 2016

Incomplete Protection Against Dengue Virus Type 2 Re-Infection In Peru, Brett M. Forshey, Robert C. Reiner, Sandra Olkowski, Amy C. Morrison, Angelica Espinoza, Kanya C. Long, Stalin Vilcarromero, Wilma Casanova, Helen J. Wearing, Eric S. Halsey, Tadeusz J. Kochel, Thomas W. Scott, Steven T. Stoddard

Faculty Publications

© 2016 Public Library of Science. All Rights Reserved. Background: Nearly half of the world’s population is at risk for dengue, yet no licensed vaccine or anti-viral drug is currently available. Dengue is caused by any of four dengue virus serotypes (DENV-1 through DENV-4), and infection by a DENV serotype is assumed to provide life-long protection against re-infection by that serotype. We investigated the validity of this fundamental assumption during a large dengue epidemic caused by DENV-2 in Iquitos, Peru, in 2010–2011, 15 years after the first outbreak of DENV-2 in the region. Methodology/Principal Findings: We estimated the age-dependent prevalence …


Halobacteriovorax, An Underestimated Predator On Bacteria: Potential Impact Relative To Viruses On Bacterial Mortality, Henry N. Williams, Despoina S. Lymperopoulou, Rana Athar, Ashvini Chauhan, Tamar L. Dickerson, Huan Chen, Edward Laws, Timkhite Kulu Berhane, Adrienne R. Flowers, Nadine Bradley, Shanterial Young, Denene Blackwood, Jacqueline Murray, Oladipupo Mustapha, Cory Blackwell, Yahsuan Tung, Rachel T. Noble Feb 2016

Halobacteriovorax, An Underestimated Predator On Bacteria: Potential Impact Relative To Viruses On Bacterial Mortality, Henry N. Williams, Despoina S. Lymperopoulou, Rana Athar, Ashvini Chauhan, Tamar L. Dickerson, Huan Chen, Edward Laws, Timkhite Kulu Berhane, Adrienne R. Flowers, Nadine Bradley, Shanterial Young, Denene Blackwood, Jacqueline Murray, Oladipupo Mustapha, Cory Blackwell, Yahsuan Tung, Rachel T. Noble

Faculty Publications

Predation on bacteria and accompanying mortality are important mechanisms in controlling bacterial populations and recycling of nutrients through the microbial loop. The agents most investigated and seen as responsible for bacterial mortality are viruses and protists. However, a body of evidence suggests that predatory bacteria such as the Halobacteriovorax (formerly Bacteriovorax), a Bdellovibrio-like organism, contribute substantially to bacterial death. Until now, conclusive evidence has been lacking. The goal of this study was to better understand the contributors to bacterial mortality by addressing the poorly understood role of Halobacteriovorax and how their role compares with that of viruses. The results revealed …


Three Popular Medicinal Mushroom Supplements: A Review Of Human Clinical Trials, Megan Frost Jan 2016

Three Popular Medicinal Mushroom Supplements: A Review Of Human Clinical Trials, Megan Frost

Faculty Publications

There are many mushroom supplements on the market claiming a variety of health benefits, and it is difficult to discern which of these claims is backed by reliable research. Most of the existing research is conducted using either human cells or animal models rather than human participants. Without being tested directly on humans, this research has limited application. A review of the literature reveals a relatively small number of studies have been conducted using human patients and those that do exist vary widely in study design and quality. This article brings together all the existing studies that involve human participants …


Tears In Heaven: Religiously And Culturally Sensitive Laws For Preventing The Next Pandemic, Eloisa Rodriguez-Dod, Aileen M. Marty, Elena Marty-Nelson Jan 2016

Tears In Heaven: Religiously And Culturally Sensitive Laws For Preventing The Next Pandemic, Eloisa Rodriguez-Dod, Aileen M. Marty, Elena Marty-Nelson

Faculty Publications

In February 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a “public health emergency of international concern” due to the increased clusters of microcephaly, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, and other neurological disorders in areas affected by the Zika virus. That declaration came in the wake of the West Africa Ebola crisis. Back to back declarations by WHO of the highest threat level for an international public health emergency underscores how quickly pathogens can now spread and cause devastation across borders. It also highlights the need to implement lessons learned from each pandemic crisis without delay. These crises demonstrate that laws to curtail the …


Reforming Healthcare Reform, Jacqueline Fox Jan 2016

Reforming Healthcare Reform, Jacqueline Fox

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.