Digital Commons Network^™

Growth-Regulated Expression Of A Bacteriocin, Produced By The Sweet Potato Pathogen Streptomyces Ipomoeae, That Exhibits Interstrain Inhibition, Jing Wang, Kevin L. Schultyp, Gregg S. Pettis

Faculty Publications

Certain strains of the bacterial sweet potato pathogen Streptomyces ipomoeae produce the bacteriocin ipomicin, which inhibits other sensitive strains of the same species. Within the signal-sequence-encoding portion of the ipomicin structural gene ipoA exists a single rare TTA codon, which is recognized in Streptomyces bacteria by the temporally accumulating bldA leucyl tRNA. In this study, ipomicin was shown to stably accumulate in culture supernatants of 5. ipomoeae in a growth-regulated manner that did not coincide with the pattern of ipoA expression. Similar growth-regulated production of ipomicin in Streptomyces coelicolor containing the cloned ipoA gene was found to be directly dependent …

Rules Limiting Athletic Performance Or Prohibiting Athletic Participation For Health Reasons: Legal And Ethical Considerations, Matthew J. Mitten

Faculty Publications

This article analyzes the paradox between: 1) intercollegiate sport's objectives of maximizing athletic performance and providing athletic participation opportunities to those possessing the requisite physical ability and skills to compete successfully; and 2) National Collegiate Athletic Association rules that limit athletic performance by all student-athletes, or university requirements that prohibit individual student-athletes from participating in intercollegiate sports, for health reasons. Some student-athletes seek to maximize athletic performance by taking performance-enhancing substances, even if doing so creates potential future adverse health effects. Others may want to participate in intercollegiate sports with a physical abnormality and are willing to assume an increased …

Finding A Cure: The Case For Regulation And Oversight Of Electronic Health Record Systems, Sharona Hoffman, Andy Podgurski

Faculty Publications

In the foreseeable future, it is likely that the familiar, paper-based patient medical files will become a thing of the past. On April 26, 24, President George W. Bush announced a plan to ensure that all Americans' health records are computerized within ten years and to establish a National Health Information Network. Many advocates are enthusiastically promoting the adoption of health information technology (HIT) and electronic health record (HER) systems as a means to improve U.S. health care.

HER systems often not only serve as record-keeping systems, but also have multiple capabilities, including drug ordering, decision support, alerts concerning patient …

Oral Vaccination With Microencapsuled Strain 19 Vaccine Confers Enhanced Protection Against Brucella Abortus Strain 2308 Challenge In Red Deer (Cervus Elaphus Elaphus), Angela M. Arenas-Gamboa, Thomas A. Ficht, Donald S. Davis, Philip H. Elzer, Melissa Kahl-Mcdonagh, Alfredo Wong-Gonzalez, Allison C. Rice-Ficht

Faculty Publications

Bison (Bison bison) and elk (Cervus elaphus nekoni) in the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA), USA, are infected with Brucella abortus, the causative agent of bovine brucellosis, and they serve as a wildlife reservoir for the disease. Bovine brucellosis recently has been transmitted from infected elk to cattle in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho and has resulted in their loss of brucellosisfree status. An efficacious Brucella vaccine with a delivery system suitable for wildlife would be a valuable tool in a disease prevention and control program. We evaluated Strain 19 (S19) in a sustained release vehicle consisting of alginate microspheres containing live …

Enhanced Immune Response Of Red Deer (Cervus Elaphus) To Live Rb51 Vaccine Strain Using Composite Microspheres, Angela M. Arenas-Gamboa, Thomas A. Ficht, Donald S. Davis, Philip H. Elzer, Alfredo Wong-Gonzalez, Allison C. Rice-Ficht

Faculty Publications

Brucellosis is an important zoonotic disease of nearly worldwide distribution. The occurrence of the infection in humans is largely dependent on the prevalence of brucellosis in animal reservoirs, including wildlife. The current vaccine used for cattle Brucella abortus strain RB51, has proven ineffective in protecting bison (Bison bison) and elk (Cervus nelsoni) from infection and abortion. To test possible improvements in vaccine efficacy, a novel approach of immunization was examined from April 2004 to November 2006 using alginate composite microspheres containing a nonimmunogenic, eggshell-precursor protein of the parasite Fasciola hepatica (Vitelline protein B, VpB) to deliver live vaccine strain RB51. …

Current Status Of Sperm Cryopreservation In Biomedical Research Fish Models: Zebrafish, Medaka, And Xiphophorus, Huiping Yang, Terrence R. Tiersch

Faculty Publications

Aquarium fishes are becoming increasingly important because of their value in biomedical research and the ornamental fish trade, and because many have become threatened or endangered in the wild. This review summarizes the current status of sperm cryopreservation in three fishes widely used in biomedical research: zebrafish, medaka, and live-bearing fishes of the genus Xiphophorus, and will focus on the needs and opportunities for future research and application of cryopreservation in aquarium fish. First, we summarize the basic biological characteristics regarding natural habitat, testis structure, spermatogenesis, sperm morphology, and sperm physiology. Second, we compare protocol development of sperm cryopreservation. Third, …

Information In Isolation: Gossip And Rumor During The Uk 2001 Foot And Mouth Crisis – Lessons Learned, Christine Hagar

Faculty Publications

The 2001 foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak con stituted the biggest crisis ever to affect the UK farming system; it was one of the worst epidemics of its kind in the world. Farmers and rural communities were disrupted and traumatized as FMD spread rapidly through the whole of the country. The crisis unfolded as a series of information and communication problems, primarily from government to farmers, with consequences for action in a time of crisis. Farmers needed information at the different stages of the crisis to inform them about the various processes and procedures that had to be carried …

Changing Patterns Of Family Care In Uganda: Father Absence And Patrilineal Neglect In The Face Of Hiv/Aids, Jini Roby, Stacey Shaw, Elinor Wanyama Chemonges, Cole D. Hooley

Faculty Publications

In this study, 162 HIV-positive mothers in Uganda were interviewed about the involvement of fathers and paternal kin, regarding current support they provide to children and as child placement options in the event of the mother’s death. More than half of the children had fathers who were already deceased. Another one third had fathers who were alive but did not live with the children. Only 16% of the children were living with and being supported by their fathers. Mothers indicated a strong preference for placement with maternal kin, in contrast to traditional expectations of paternal kin care. Patterns of change …

Structure Of A Complete Integrin Ectodomain In A Physiologic Resting State And Activation And Deactivation By Applied Forces, Jianghai Zhu, Bing Hao Luo, Tsan Xiao, Chengzhong Zhang, Noritaka Nishida, Timothy A. Springer

Faculty Publications

The complete ectodomain of integrin αIIbβ3 reveals a bent, closed, low-affinity conformation, the β knee, and a mechanism for linking cytoskeleton attachment to high affinity for ligand. Ca and Mg ions in the recognition site, including the synergistic metal ion binding site (SyMBS), are loaded prior to ligand binding. Electrophilicity of the ligand-binding Mg ion is increased in the open conformation. The β3 knee passes between the β3-PSI and αIIb-knob to bury the lower β leg in a cleft, from which it is released for extension. Different integrin molecules in crystals and EM reveal breathing that appears on pathway to …

The Role Of Msa In Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilm Formation, Karthik Sambanthamoorthy, Antony Schwartz, Vijayaraj Nagarajan, Mohamed O. Elasri

Faculty Publications

Background

Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen that forms biofilms. The global regulator sarA is essential for biofilm formation. Since the modulator of sarA (msa) is required for full expression of sarA and regulates several virulence factors, we examined the capacity of the msa mutant to form biofilm.

Results

We found that mutation of msa results in reduced expression of sarA in biofilm and that the msa mutant formed a weak and unstable biofilm. The msa mutant is able to adhere to surfaces and begins to form biofilm but fails to mature indicating that the defect of the …

Host-Pathogen Interactions, Insect Outbreaks, And Natural Selection For Disease Resistance, Bret D. Elderd, Jonathan Dushoff, Greg Dwyer

Faculty Publications

The theory of insect population dynamics has shown that heterogeneity in natural-enemy attack rates is strongly stabilizing. We tested the usefulness of this theory for outbreaking insects, many of which are attacked by infectious pathogens. We measured heterogeneity among gypsy moth larvae in their risk of infection with a nucleopolyhedrovirus, which is effectively heterogeneity in the pathogen's attack rate. Our data show that heterogeneity in infection risk in this insect is so high that it leads to a stable equilibrium in the models, which is inconsistent with the outbreaks seen in North American gypsy moth populations. Our data further suggest …

Biological Invasions And Biocultural Diversity: Linking Ecological And Cultural Systems, Jeanine Pfeiffer, Robert Voeks

Faculty Publications

Study of the ecological and economic effects of invasive species has paralleled their progressively pervasive influence worldwide, yet their cultural impacts remain largely unexamined and therefore unrecognized. Unlike biological systems, where the ecological consequences of biological invasions are primarily negative, from an ethnoscientific standpoint, invasive species' impacts on cultural systems span a range of effects. Biological invasions affect cultural groups in myriad, often unpredictable and at times contradictory ways. This review groups case studies into a conceptual matrix suggesting three categorically different cultural impacts of invasive species. Culturally impoverishing invasive species precipitate the loss or replacement of culturally important native …

Impacts Of Climate Variability And Future Climate Change On Harmful Algal Blooms And Human Health, Stephanie K. Moore, Vera L. Trainer, Nathan J. Mantua, Micaela S. Parker, Edward A. Laws, Lorraine C. Backer, Lora E. Fleming

Faculty Publications

Anthropogenically-derived increases in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations have been implicated in recent climate change, and are projected to substantially impact the climate on a global scale in the future. For marine and freshwater systems, increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases are expected to increase surface temperatures, lower pH, and cause changes to vertical mixing, upwelling, precipitation, and evaporation patterns. The potential consequences of these changes for harmful algal blooms (HABs) have received relatively little attention and are not well understood. Given the apparent increase in HABs around the world and the potential for greater problems as a result of climate change …

What Is Urban Health Policy And What's Law Got To Do With It?, Larry I. Palmer

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Energy Expenditure And Adiposity In Nigerian And African-American Women, Kara E. Ebersole, Lara R. Dugas, Ramon A. Durazo-Arvizu, Adebowale A. Adeyemo, Bamidele O. Tayo, Olayemi O. Omotade, William R. Brieger, Dale A. Schoeller, Richard S. Cooper, Amy H. Luke

Faculty Publications

Objective:Obesity is a prevalent condition in industrialized societies and is increasing around the world. We sought to assess the relative importance of resting energy expenditure (REE) and activity EE (AEE) in two populations with different rates of obesity.Methods and Procedures:Women of African descent between 18 and 59 years of age were recruited from rural Nigeria and from metropolitan Chicago. Total EE (TEE) was measured using the doubly labeled water (DLW) technique and REE by indirect calorimetry; AEE was calculated as the difference between TEE and the sum of REE plus a factor for the thermic effect of food. In the …

Gender Differences In The Risk Of Hiv Infection Among Persons Reporting Abstinence, Monogamy, And Multiple Sexual Partners In Northern Tanzania, Keren Z. Landman, Jan Ostermann, John A. Crump, Anna Mgonja, Meghan K. Mayhood, Dafrosa K. Itemba, Alison C. Tribble, Evaline M. Ndosi, Helen Y. Chu, John F. Shao, John A. Bartlett, Nathan M. Thielman

Faculty Publications

Background: Monogamy, together with abstinence, partner reduction, and condom use, is widely advocated as a key behavioral strategy to prevent HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa. We examined the association between the number of sexual partners and the risk of HIV seropositivity among men and women presenting for HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) in northern Tanzania.

Methodology/ Principal Findings: Clients presenting for HIV VCT at a community-based AIDS service organization in Moshi, Tanzania were surveyed between November 2003 and December 2007. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, reasons for testing, sexual behaviors, and symptoms were collected. Men and women were categorized by …

Prevalence And Infection Load Dynamics Of Rickettsia Felis In Actively Feeding Cat Fleas, Kathryn E. Reif, Rhett W. Stout, Gretchen C. Henry, Lane D. Foil, Kevin R. Macaluso

Faculty Publications

Background: Rickettsia felis is a flea-associated rickettsial pathogen recurrently identified in both colonized and wild-caught cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis. We hypothesized that within colonized fleas, the intimate relationship between R. felis and C. felis allows for the coordination of rickettsial replication and metabolically active periods during flea bloodmeal acquisition and oogenesis. Methodology/Principal Findings: a quantitative real-time PCR assay was developed to quantify R. felis in actively feeding R. felis-infected fleas. In three separate trials, fleas were allowed to feed on cats, and a mean of 3.9 × 106 R. felis 17-kDa gene copies was detected for each flea. A distinct …

Functional And Physical Interactions Of The Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Ul20 Membrane Protein With Glycoprotein K, Timothy P. Foster, Vladimir N. Chouljenko, K. G. Kousoulas

Faculty Publications

Herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoprotein K (gK) and the UL20 protein (UL20p) are coordinately transported to the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and cell surfaces and are required for cytoplasmic virion envelopment at the TGN. In addition, cell surface expression of gK and UL20p is required for virus-induced cell fusion. Previously, confocal microscopy colocalization and intracellular transport experiments strongly suggested direct protein-protein interactions between gK and UL20p. Direct protein-protein interactions between gK and UL20p were demonstrated through reciprocal coimmunoprecipitation experiments, as well as with glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down experiments. A fusion protein consisting of the amino-terminal 66 amino acids of UL20p …

The "Middle Ground" Perspective On The Expropriation Of Indian Lands, Eric Kades

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Identification Of Rickettsia Felis In The Salivary Glands Of Cat Fleas, Kevin R. Macaluso, Walairat Pornwiroon, Vsevolod L. Popov, Lane D. Foil

Faculty Publications

Rickettsia felis, a flea-associated rickettsial pathogen, has been identified in many tissues, including the digestive and reproductive tissues, within the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. We utilized transmission electron microscopy and polymerase chain reaction to identify R. felis in the salivary glands of fed fleas and further define the distribution of R. felis within the arthropod host. We identified Rickettsia-like organisms in salivary glands using electron microscopy. Sequence analysis of portions of the Rickettsia genus-specific 17-kDa antigen gene and R. felis plasmid confirmed the morphological identification of R. felis in cat flea salivary glands. This is the first report of R. …

The Changing Role Of Physicians In Disaster Management And Hospital Incident Command, F. Matthew Mihelic, M. David Stockton, Stephen A. Cole, Gregory H. Blake

Faculty Publications

Recent changes in governmental policy toward disaster medicine and hospital incident command foreshadow a significant change in the role that physicians will play in disaster preparedness and response. The distinct discipline of Disaster Medicine has received authoritative recognition and promotion in the recent Homeland Security Presidential Directive 21, and recently established guidelines for incident command within hospitals have included a new position designated as “Medical/Technical Specialist(s)” that will assist the Incident Commander in disaster-related decision-making. This is a multidisciplinary position, and its functions can be filled by one or more individuals. As physician training and competency in Disaster Medicine increases, …

The Innate Immune Database (Iidb), Martin Korb, G. R. Aistair, Vesteinn Thorsson, Christophe Battail, Bin Li, Daehee Hwang, Kathleen A. Kennedy, Jared C. Roach, Carrie M. Rosenberger, Mark Gilchrist, Daniel Zak, Carrie Johnson, Bruz Marzolf, Alan Aderem, Ilya Shmulevich, Hamid Bolouri

Faculty Publications

Background: As part of a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases funded collaborative project, we have performed over 150 microarray experiments measuring the response of C57/BL6 mouse bone marrow macrophages to toll-like receptor stimuli. These microarray expression profiles are available freely from our project web site http://www.innateImmunity-systemsbiology.org. Here, we report the development of a database of computationally predicted transcription factor binding sites and related genomic features for a set of over 2000 murine immune genes of interest. Our database, which includes microarray co-expression clusters and a host of web-based query, analysis and visualization facilities, is available freely via the …

Systems Biology Approaches Identify Atf3 As A Negative Regulator Of Toll-Like Receptor 4 (Nature (2006) 441, (173-178)), Mark Gilchrist, Vesteinn Thorsson, Bin Li, Alistair G. Rust, Martin Korb, Jared C. Roach, Kathleen Kennedy, Tsonwin Hai, Hamid Bolouri, Alan Aderem

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ozone Exposure In A Mouse Model Induces Airway Hyperreactivity That Requires The Presence Of Natural Killer T Cells And Il-17, Paul B. Savage, Muriel Pichavant, Sho Goya, Everett H. Meyer, Richard A. Johnston, Hye Y. Kim, Ponpan Matangkasombut, Ming Zhu, Yoichiro Iwakura, Rosemarie H. Dekruyff, Stephanie A. Shore, Dale T. Umetsu

Faculty Publications

Exposure to ozone, which is a major component of air pollution, induces a form of asthma that occurs in the absence of adaptive immunity. Although ozone-induced asthma is characterized by airway neutrophilia, and not eosinophilia, it is nevertheless associated with airway hyperreactivity (AHR), which is a cardinal feature of asthma. Because AHR induced by allergens requires the presence of natural killer T (NKT) cells, we asked whether ozone-induced AHR had similar requirements. We found that repeated exposure of wild-type (WT) mice to ozone induced severe AHR associated with an increase in airway NKT cells, neutrophils, and macrophages. Surprisingly, NKT cell-deficient …

Sepas, Climate Change, And Corporate Responsibility: The Contribution Of Local Government, Catherine J. Lacroix

Faculty Publications

Municipalities in the United States are increasingly active in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Data suggest that the physical layout of communities and the buildings they contain make significant contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and thus to climate change. One useful tool for municipalities could be the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), pioneered in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) at the federal level and subsequently adopted as a policymaking guide in the State Environmental Policy Acts (SEPAs) of many states. A SEPA requires state governments - and, in six states, local governments as well - to consider the …

Uncovering A Macrophage Transcriptional Program By Integrating Evidence From Motif Scanning And Expression Dynamics, Stephen A. Ramsey, Sandy L. Klemm, Daniel E. Zak, Kathleen A. Kennedy, Vesteinn Thorsson, Bin Li, Mark Gilchrist, Elizabeth S. Gold, Carrie D. Johnson, Vladimir Litvak, Garnet Navarro, Jared C. Roach, Carrie M. Rosenberger, Alistair G. Rust, Natalya Yudkovsky, Alan Aderem, Ilya Shmulevich

Faculty Publications

Macrophages are versatile immune cells that can detect a variety of pathogen-associated molecular patterns through their Toll-like receptors (TLRs). In response to microbial challenge, the TLR-stimulated macrophage undergoes an activation program controlled by a dynamically inducible transcriptional regulatory network. Mapping a complex mammalian transcriptional network poses significant challenges and requires the integration of multiple experimental data types. In this work, we inferred a transcriptional network underlying TLR-stimulated murine macrophage activation. Microarray-based expression profiling and transcription factor binding site motif scanning were used to infer a network of associations between transcription factor genes and clusters of co-expressed target genes. The time-lagged …

State Policies Matter: The Case Of Outpatient Drug Treatment Program Practices, Jamie Chriqui, Yvonne Terry-Mcelrath, Duane C. Mcbride, D Eidson

Faculty Publications

This study examined relationships between state policy requirements governing outpatient substance abuse treatment services and reported outpatient treatment program practices. State policies effective as of February 1, 2003, and February 1, 2004, were collected and analyzed via primary legal research; data were validated by state officials (88% response rate; > 90% validation rate). Treatment practice data were obtained from the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services for the years 2003 and 2004. Multivariate analyses clustered by state were conducted, controlling for state, program, and state-aggregated client admission characteristics. Results indicated that treatment programs located in states with requirements for comprehensive …

Enhancing Special Educators' Knowledge And Understanding Of Hiv/Aids, Mary Anne Prater, Nancy M. Sileo, Thomas W. Sileo

Faculty Publications

HIV/AIDS continues to spread among children, youth, and young adults across all racial, ethnic, and cultural populations, including those with disabilities. This article considers information on HIV/AIDS such as individuals' health-risk behaviors, environmental circumstances, and perceptions that may contribute to HIV-infection; how disability characteristics, and cultural traits and values impact school-based HIV/AIDS prevention programs; and, culturally competent instructional considerations that acknowledge these variables.

Cuban Claims: Embargoed Identities And The Cuban-American Oedipal Conflict (El Grito De La Yuma), Jose M. Gabilondo

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Herpes Simplex Virus Ul20 Protein Functions In Glycoprotein K (Gk) Intracellular Transport And Virus-Induced Cell Fusion Are Independent Of Ul20 Functions In Cytoplasmic Virion Envelopment, Jeffrey M. Melancon, Preston A. Fulmer, Konstantin G. Kousoulas

Faculty Publications

The HSV-1 UL20 protein (UL20p) and glycoprotein K (gK) are both important determinants of cytoplasmic virion morphogenesis and virus-induced cell fusion. In this manuscript, we examined the effect of UL20 mutations on the coordinate transport and Trans Golgi Network (TGN) localization of UL20p and gK, virus-induced cell fusion and infectious virus production. Deletion of 18 amino acids from the UL20p carboxyl terminus (UL20 mutant 204t) inhibited intracellular transport and cell-surface expression of both gK and UL20, resulting in accumulation of UL20p and gK in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in agreement with the inability of 204t to complement UL20-null virus replication …