Digital Commons Network^™

Emerging Biotechnologies Demand Defeat Of Proposed Legislation That Attempts To Ban Gene Patents, Gregory C. Ellis

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

In October 2006, Andrew Fire and Craig Mello won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering a process known as RNA interference in the soil nematode Caenorhaditis elegans. More commonly known as RNAi, this process has great therapeutic significance for humans because of its ability to specifically and efficiently regulate gene expression. The capacity to easily regulate gene expression will tremendously impact our ability to combat a wide variety of disorders ranging from cancer to infectious diseases. While the mechanism of RNAi was first published within the last decade, three RNAi-based human therapies are already in clinical trails.

A Bioarchaeological Perspective On Egyptian Colonialism In Nubia During The New Kingdom, Michele Buzon

Department of Anthropology Faculty Publications

During the New Kingdom, Egypt began a military campaign to regain command over Nubia. Extremely successful, their control extended to the fourth cataract by the time of Thutmose III. The circumstances of this power, however, are not well known. It is unclear whether Egyptian colonists or locals administered Nubia during this time. Using a bioarchaeological approach via the study of human skeletal remains and archaeological data from the New Kingdom site of Tombos in Nubia and comparative Egyptian and Nubian skeletal samples, this paper addresses these long-standing questions. Analysesuggest that the Tombos individuals were an ethnically and biologically mixed group. …

Skunk Rabies In California (1992–2003)—Implications For Oral Rabies Vaccination, Ray T. Sterner, Ben Sun, Jean B. Bourassa, Robert L. Hale, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Michele T. Jay, Dennis Slate

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Skunk-variant rabies is endemic in California (United States), and the development of oral vaccines and baits to vaccinate skunks is in progress. In 2003, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) began to quantify the impacts of skunk-variant rabies and to assess the feasibility of using oral rabies vaccination (ORV) as a containment measure. The CDPH rabies case data for skunks were spatially depicted and analyzed using a geographic information system. Statewide, rabid skunks (1992–2003) primarily occurred in seven physiographic regions: Central Coast, North Coast, North Sierra, Sacramento Valley, San Francisco Bay and Delta, San Joaquin Valley, and South Sierra. …

Fine Scale Patterns In Microbial Extracellular Enzyme Activity During Leaf-Litter Decomposition In A Stream And Its Floodplain / By Kurt Smart, Kurt Smart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Small-Ruminant Lentivirus Enhances PrpSc Accumulation In Cultured Sheep Microglial Cells, James B. Stanton, Donald P. Knowles, Katherine I. O'Rourke, Lynn M. Herrmann-Hoesing, Bruce A. Mathison, Timothy V. Baszler

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Sheep scrapie is the prototypical transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (prion disease), which has a fundamental pathogenesis involving conversion of normal cellular prion protein (PrP^C [C superscript stands for cellular]) to disease-associated prion protein (PrP^Sc [Sc superscript stands for sheep scrapie]). Sheep microglial cell cultures, derived from a prnp 136VV/171QQ near-term fetal brain, were developed to study sheep scrapie in the natural host and to investigate potential cofactors in the prion conversion process. Two culture systems, a primary cell culture and a cell line transformed with the large T antigen of simian virus 40, were developed, and both were identified …

Acute Cellular Uptake Of Abnormal Prion Protein Is Cell Type And Scrapie Strain Independent, Christopher Scott Greil

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal neurodegenerative diseases that include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy and sheep scrapie. TSE disease pathology and mechanisms within the central nervous system (CNS) of an infected host largely remains unclear. At the cellular level, the uptake of protease resistant prion protein (PrP-res), which strongly correlates with infectivity and is a valid marker for TSE infection, is one of the earliest events that must occur during TSE infection. Given the difficulty of clearly distinguishing input PrP-res from either PrP-res or protease-sensitive PrP (PrP-sen) made by the cell, the uptake of PrP-res from an infectious inoculum …

The Foundation, Education, And Practice Of Osteopathic Medicine, Anthony P. Salvador

Honors Theses

Osteopathic medicine has quickly grown into a successful and respectable branch of medical practice. It was created out of a necessity for change in the late 1800s, and continues to be a credible form of alternative medicine. After reviewing literary material, journal articles, and numerous osteopathic college sources it was seen that osteopathic medicine can be practiced in numerous settings and will become integral in the near future due to the shortage of physicians in the United States. Today, osteopaths work closely with all types of medical personal including medical doctors.

Do You Want To Bet Your Children's Health On Post-Market Harm Principles - An Argument For A Trespass Or Permission Model For Regulating Toxicants, Carl F. Cranor

Villanova Environmental Law Journal (1991 - )

No abstract provided.

Expedited Partner Therapies For Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Legal And Policy Approaches, Lindsay Wiley, James G. Hodge Jr., Erin Fuse Brown, Dhrubajyoti Bhattacharya

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

Information-Seeking Behaviors And Attitudes Of Physicians Toward Drug Information Centers In Saudi Arabia, Hisham S. Abou-Auda

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To assess the drug information-seeking behavior of physicians in Saudi Arabia and the information resources they were using to obtain information about new drugs. The physicians9 awareness of the existence of drug information centers (DICs) and their attitudes toward these centers were also investigated. Physicians were also surveyed concerning their future information needs. METHODS: The study was conducted between September 2002 and June 2003. A questionnaire was sent to 2000 registered physicians. Data were collected on demographics, drug information resources currently used by physicians, attitudes towards DICs and future information needs. RESULTS: Response rate was 65.9%. Only 70% of …

The Common Law And The Environment, Steven J. Eagle

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

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

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

From Swamp Drainage To Wetlands Regulation To Ecological Nuisances To Environmental Ethics, John Copeland Nagle

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Response Of Vascular Dermal Enodethial Cells To House Dust Mite Extracts, Aaron Mathew Newman

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

House dust mites are microscopic arthropods that can trigger moderate allergic symptoms such as sneezing, watery eyes, itching, and wheezing in sensitized individuals. People with more serious allergies to house dust mites can develop allergic diseases like atopic dermatitis and asthma. The effects of house dust mites on allergy sufferers make house dust mites and the study of their effects on the human body of great medical and economic importance. A majority of the research that has been done on house dust mite's effects on humans has dealt with the lungs and relevant disease like asthma. Little work has been …

Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Productively Infects Mature Terminally Differentiated Eosinophils In Hiv/Aids Patients, Jude N. Atem

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Eosinophils express membrane CD4 protein and can bind HIV-1 glycoprotein (gp) 120. Therefore, eosinophils could serve as host cells for HIV-1 infection in vivo, especially in the late phase of the infection. In culture, HIV-1 infects eosinophil precursors and primary eosinophils. Additionally HIV-1 proviral DNA sequences have been detected in the eosinophils of some HIV-1 positive patients. Since elevated levels of eosinophils occur during HIV-1 infection and parasitic infections, it implies that co-infection of parasites and HIV-1 could cause a much greater increase in the level of potential HIV-1 susceptible eosinophils. Therefore HIV-1 infection of eosinophils could partly explain the …

The Role Of Phospholipase D (Pld) And Grb2 In Chemotaxis, Katie J. Knapek

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Phospholipase D (PLD) is an enzyme that hydrolyzes phosphatidylcholine yielding choline and phosphatidic acid. PLD is activated by mitogens (lead to cell division) and motogens (leading to cell migration). PLD is known to contribute to cellular proliferation and deregulated expression of PLD has been implicated in several human cancers. PLD has been found to play a role in leukocyte chemotaxis and adhesion as studied through the formation of chemokine gradients. We have established a model of cell migration comprising three cell lines: macrophages RAW 264.7 and LR-5 (for innate defense), and fibroblast COS-7 cells (for wound healing). COS-7 cells respond …

The "Public Health" Of The Conventional International Patent Régime And The Ethics Of "Ethicals:" Access To Patented Medicines, Amir H. Khoury

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Parental Perceptions Of Nutritional Status Of Children With Autism, Rachel Corliss Holt

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Literature shows that nutritional deficiency and feeding behaviors in neurodevelopmentally disabled children is secondary to an underdeveloped gastrointestinal tract. Fifty (50) parents with children with autism responded to a Nutritional Perception Assessment that they believe their children are at adequate nutritional status. They reported confidence in their nutritional knowledge, yet admitted to concern about the nutritional status of their children. The survey revealed that parents are not seeing a registered dietitian for their nutritional advice, leading to the question of soundness in nutritional information received. A marginal correlation was found between belief in adequate nutritional status of children and the …

Geographic Differences In Accessibility To Renal Treatment Among Black And White Populations Within Network 6 Of The End Stage Renal Disease Networks, Shenee J. Reid

All ETDs from UAB

Objective: This study examined relationships between racial composition of zip codes and the geographic accessibility to dialysis centers of Network 6 of the End Stage Renal Disease Networks. Study Design: Geographic accessibility to renal care (hemodialysis) was defined as the average distance between the centers of zip codes where dialysis patients reside and the dialysis centers that fall within a 30 mile buffer radius. Data Sources: This research studies the distribution of 33,536 patients, 1,798 zip codes, and 546 dialysis centers in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina as of December 31, 2007. Information and data concerning the dialysis centers …

Canine Vector-Borne Diseases In Brazil [Review], Filipe Dantas-Torres

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) are highly prevalent in Brazil and represent a challenge to veterinarians and public health workers, since some diseases are of great zoonotic potential. Dogs are affected by many protozoa (e.g. Babesia vogeli, Leishmania infantum, and Trypanosoma cruzi), bacteria (e.g. Anaplasma platys and Ehrlichia canis), and helminths (e.g. Dirofilaria immitis and Dipylidium caninum) that are transmitted by a diverse range of arthropod vectors, including ticks, fleas, lice, triatomines, mosquitoes, tabanids, and phlebotomine sand flies. This article focuses on several aspects (etiology, transmission, distribution, prevalence, risk factors, diagnosis, control, prevention, and public health …

Early Childhood Infection By Human Herpesvirus 8 In Zambia And The Role Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Coinfection In A Highly Endemic Area, Veenu Minhas, Kay L. Crabtree, Ann Chao, Tendai J. M'Sola, Chipepo Kankasa, Marc Bulterys, Charles D. Mitchell, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Kaposi’s sarcoma occurs at high incidence among Zambian adults and children, but there is a paucity of data on human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) incidence and routes of infection, especially in children. Between 1998 and 2004, the authors conducted a prospective study of viral transmission in a cohort of 684 children in Lusaka, Zambia, to estimate the annual incidence of HHV-8 from birth through 48 months of age. Maternal and pediatric human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection status was also determined. The results, based on 1,532 child-years of follow-up, showed that HHV-8 seroconversion occurs early in life. The incidence rate …

Modified Kigali Combined Staging Predicts Risk Of Mortality In Hiv-Infected Adults In Lusaka, Zambia, Philip J. Peters, Isaac Zulu, Nzali G. Kancheya, Shabir Lakhi, Elwyn Chomba, Cheswa Vwalika, Dhong-Jin Kim, Ilene Brill, Jareen Meinzen-Derr, Amanda Tichacek, Susan A. Allen

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

We assessed the utility of the modified Kigali combined (MKC) staging system for predicting survival in HIV-infected Zambian adults in a prospective, longitudinal, open cohort. From 1995 to 2004, HIV-discordant couples (one HIV-infected partner and one HIV-negative partner) were recruited from couples’ voluntary counseling and testing centers in Lusaka, Zambia and followed at 3-month intervals. MKC stage, which incorporates clinical stage with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), hematocrit, and body mass index (BMI), was determined at enrollment. Kaplan–Meier survival and Cox proportional hazard methods were used to calculate median survival and relative hazards. We enrolled 1479 HIV-discordant couples with a combined …

Development Of An Immunofluorescence Assay Using Recombinant Proteins Expressed In Insect Cells To Screen And Confirm Presence Of Human Herpesvirus 8-Specific Antibodies, Veenu Minhas, Lynsey N. Crosby, Kay L. Crabtree, Saul Phiri, Tendai J. M'Soka, Chipepo Kankasa, William J. Harrington, Charles D. Mitchell, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), or Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS)-associated herpesvirus, has been linked to all forms of KS. The results of most current serological assays for the detection of HHV-8-specific antibodies have low levels of concordance among themselves. To establish a sensitive and specific testing strategy that can be used to screen for HHV-8-specific antibodies, three HHV-8 proteins, ORF65, ORF73, and K8.1A, were expressed by using baculoviral vectors in insect cells and incorporated into a monoclonal antibodyenhanced immunofluorescence assay (mIFA) termed the Sf9 three-antigen mIFA. The results obtained by this mIFA were compared to those obtained by a standard mIFA with …

Small-Molecule Cd4 Mimics Interact With A Highly Conserved Pocket On Hiv-1 Gp120, Navid Madani, Arne Schön, Amy M. Princiotto, Judith M. Lalonde, Joel R. Cpurter, Takahiro Soeta, Danny Ng, Liping Wang, Evan T. Brower, Shi-Hua Xiang, Young Do Kwon, Chih-Chin Huang, Richard Wyatt, Peter D. Kwong, Ernesto Freire, Amos B. Smith Iii, Joseph Sodroski

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) interaction with the primary receptor, CD4, induces conformational changes in the viral envelope glycoproteins that allow binding to the CCR5 second receptor and virus entry into the host cell. The small molecule NBD-556 mimics CD4 by binding the gp120 exterior envelope glycoprotein, moderately inhibiting virus entry into CD4-expressing target cells, and enhancing CCR5 binding and virus entry into CCR5-expressing cells lacking CD4. Studies of NBD-556 analogues and gp120 mutants suggest that: 1) NBD-556 binds within the Phe 43 cavity, a highly conserved, functionally important pocket formed as gp120 assumes the CD4- bound conformation; 2) the NBD-556 …

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Envelope Confers Higher Rates Of Replicative Fitness To Perinatally Transmitted Viruses Than To Nontransmitted Viruses, Xiaohong Kong, John T. West, Hong Zhang, Danielle M. Shea, Tendai J. M’Soka, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Selection of a minor viral genotype during perinatal transmission of human Immunodeficiency virus type 1

(HIV-1) has been observed, but there is a lack of information on the correlation of the restrictive transmission

with biological properties of the virus, such as replicative fitness. Recombinant viruses expressing the enhanced

green fluorescent protein or the Discosoma sp. red fluorescent (DsRed2) protein carrying the V1 to V5

regions of env from seven mother-infant pairs (MIPs) infected by subtype C HIV-1 were constructed, and

competition assays were carried out to compare the fitness between the transmitted and nontransmitted

viruses. Flow cytometry was used to …

Varying Efficiency Of Long-Term Replication Of Papillomaviruses In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Adam J. Rogers, Malte Loggen, Karen Lee, Peter C. Angeletti

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) replicate in mitotically active basal keratinocytes. Two virally encoded proteins, E1, a helicase, and E2, a transcription factor, are important players in replication and maintenance of HPV episomes. We previously showed that HPV16 could replicate stably in Saccharomyces cerevisiae [Angeletti, P.C., Kim, K., Fernandes, F.J., and Lambert, P.F. (2002)] and we identified cis-elements that mediate replication and maintenance [J. Virol. 76(7), 3350-3358.; Kim, K., Angeletti, P.C., Hassebroek, E.C., and Lambert, P.F. (2005)]. Here, we demonstrate that although multiple HPV genomes replicate stably in yeast, they do so with differing long-term efficiency; HPV6-Ura3 is replicated at the …

Effects Of Shielding Adenoviral Vectors With Polyethylene Glycol On Vector-Specific And Vaccine-Mediated Immune Responses, Eric A. Weaver, Michael A. Barry

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Many individuals have been previously exposed to human adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5). This prior immunity has long been known to hinder its use for gene therapy and as a gene-based vaccine. Given these immunogenicity problems, we have tested whether polyethylene glycol (PEG) can blunt immune effects against Ad5 during systemic and mucosal vaccination. Ad5 vectors were covalently modified with 5-, 20-, and 35-kDa linear PEG polymers and evaluated for their ability to produce immune responses against transgene antigen prod- ucts and the vector itself. We show that shielding Ad5 with different-sized PEGs generally reduces transduction and primary antibody responses by …

Impact Of West Nile Virus And Other Mortality Factors On American White Pelicans At Breeding Colonies In The Northern Plains Of North America, Marsha A. Sovada, Pamela J. Pietz, Kathryn A. Converse, D. Tommy King, Erik K. Hofmeister, Paulette Scherr, Hon S. Ip

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

American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) are colonial-nesting birds and their breeding sites are concentrated in a few small areas, making this species especially vulnerable to factors that can influence productivity, such as disease, disturbance, predation, weather events and loss of nesting habitat. Nearly half of the American white pelican population breeds at four colonies in the northern plains: Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in North Dakota, Bitter Lake (Waubay NWR) in South Dakota, Medicine Lake NWR in Montana, and Marsh Lake in Minnesota. Thus, sustained productivity at these colonies is crucial to the health of the entire …

Bovine Herpesvirus Type 1 Induces Cell Death By A Cell Type Dependent Fashion, Vicki Geiser, Suzanne Rose, Clinton J. Jones

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1), a member of the alpha-herpesvirinae subfamily, causes significant losses to the cattle industry. BHV-1 establishes latency in trigeminal ganglionic sensory neurons, but periodically reactivates from latency. Previous studies suggested that infection with BHV-1 induced novel morphological changes in rabbit skin cells (RS) versus bovine kidney cells (MDBK). Consequently, we hypothesized that viral infection led to a novel form of cell death in RS cells compared to MDBK cells. To test this hypothesis, we examined the levels of apoptosis in these cell types following infection with BHV-1. Infection of RS, but not MDBK, cells leads to high …

Nicarbazin Bait Reduces Reproduction By Pigeons (Columba Livia), Michael L. Avery, Kandy L. Keacher, Eric A. Tillman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Development of effective methods for reducing populations of overabundant nuisance bird species continues to challenge wildlife biologists. Reproductive inhibition, although conceptually pleasing, has been difficult to implement because of the lack of a safe, approved avian contraceptive. Recently, however, nicarbazin received regulatory approval in the United States for use as a bait to decrease hatchability of resident Canada goose (Branta canadensis) and feral pigeon (Columba livia) eggs. In anticipation of the feral pigeon registration, we evaluated efficacy by exposing captive pairs of nesting pigeons to nicarbazin bait for 4 h daily. Egg production was unaffected, but …