Digital Commons Network^™

When Does Nitrate Become A Risk For Humans?, David S. Powlson, Tom M. Addiscott, Nigel Benjamin, Kenneth G. Cassman, Theo M. De Kok, Hans Van Grinsven, Jean-Louis L'Hirondel, Alex A. Avery, Chris Van Kessel

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Is nitrate harmful to humans? Are the current limits for nitrate concentration in drinking water justified by science? There is substantial disagreement among scientists over the interpretation of evidence on the issue. There are two main health issues: the linkage between nitrate and (i) infant methaemoglobinaemia, also known as blue baby syndrome, and (ii) cancers of the digestive tract. The evidence for nitrate as a cause of these serious diseases remains controversial. On one hand there is evidence that shows there is no clear association between nitrate in drinking water and the two main health issues with which it has …

Simian Immunodeficiency Virus–Induced Intestinal Cell Apoptosis Is The Underlying Mechanism Of The Regenerative Enteropathy Of Early Infection, Qingsheng Li, Jacob D. Estes, Lijie Duan, Jose Jessurun, Stefan Pambuccian, Colleen Forster, Stephen Wietgrefe, Mary Zupancic, Timothy Schacker, Cavan Reilly, John V. Carlis, Ashley T. Haase

Qingsheng Li Publications

The enteropathic manifestations of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in late infection are usually due to infection by other microbes, but in early infection the viruses themselves cause an enteropathy by heretofore undetermined mechanisms. Here we report that SIV induces massive apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells lining the small and large bowel, thus identifying apoptosis as the driving force behind the regenerative pathology of early infection. We found that apoptosis of gut epithelium paralleled the previously documented apoptosis and massive depletion of CD4 T cells in gut lamina propria, triggered by established mechanisms of …

Presidential Address: Nothing Succeeds Like Excess, Steven A. Nadler

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

To the members of the American Society of Parasitologists, I offer my appreciation for the opportunity to serve as your president. When I was notified of my successful election as an officer, it brought to mind that famous remark by Adlai Stevenson who said, ‘‘In America, anybody can be president. That’s one of the risks you take.’’ So, what I initially perceived as somewhat of a risky venture, proved to be a more valuable and interesting experience than I anticipated. Let’s hope that my presidential address has a similar outcome.

Muscleworms, Parelaphostrongylus Andersoni (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae), Discovered In Columbia White-Tailed Deer From Oregon And Washington: Implications For Biogeography And Host Associations, Ingrid M. Asmundsson, Jack A. Mortenson, Eric P. Hoberg

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Parelaphostrongylus andersoni is considered a characteristic nematode infecting white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Host and geographic distribution for this parasite, however, remain poorly defined in the region of western North America. Fecal samples collected from Columbia white-tailed deer (O. v. leucurus) in a restricted range endemic to Oregon and Washington, USA, were examined for dorsal-spined larvae characteristic of many protostrongylid nematodes. Multilocus DNA sequence data (internal transcribed spacer 2 and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1) established the identity and a new record for P. andersoni in a subspecies of white-tailed deer previously unrecognized as hosts. Populations of …

A Macroevolutionary Mosaic: Episodic Host-Switching, Geographical Colonization And Diversification In Complex Host–Parasite Systems [Special Paper], Eric P. Hoberg, Daniel R. Brooks

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Aim: To integrate ecological fitting, the oscillation hypothesis and the taxon pulse hypothesis into a coherent null model for the evolution of complex host–parasite associations.

Location: Global.

Methods: This paper reviews and synthesizes literature that focuses on phylogenetic analyses and reciprocal mapping of a model system of hosts and their parasites to determine patterns of host–parasite associations and geographical distributions through time.

Results: Host-switching and geographical dispersal of parasites are common phenomena, occurring on many temporal and spatial scales. Diversification involving both co-evolution and colonization explains complex host–parasite associations. Across the expanse of Earth history, the major radiations in host– …

The Application Of Fast-Nmr For The Identification Of Novel Drug Discovery Targets, Robert Powers, Kelly A. Mercier, Jennifer C. Copeland

Robert Powers Publications

The continued success of genome sequencing projects has resulted in a wealth of information, but 40-50% of identified genes correspond to hypothetical proteins or proteins of unknown function. The Functional Annotation Screening Technology by NMR (FAST-NMR) screen was developed to assign a biological function for these unannotated proteins with a structure solved by the Protein Structure Initiative. FAST-NMR is based on the premise that a biological function can be described by a similarity in binding sites and ligand interactions with proteins of known function. The resulting co-structure and functional assignment may provide a starting point for …

Evidence That The Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome Protein, An Early Sensor Of Double-Strand Dna Breaks (Dsb), Is Involved In Hiv-1 Post-Integration Repair By Recruiting The Ataxia Telangiectasia-Mutated Kinase In A Process Similar To, But Distinct From, Cellular Dsb Repair., Johanna A Smith, Feng-Xiang Wang, Hui Zhang, Kou-Juey Wu, Kevin Jon Williams, René Daniel

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Retroviral transduction involves integrase-dependent linkage of viral and host DNA that leaves an intermediate that requires post-integration repair (PIR). We and others proposed that PIR hijacks the host cell double-strand DNA break (DSB) repair pathways. Nevertheless, the geometry of retroviral DNA integration differs considerably from that of DSB repair and so the precise role of host-cell mechanisms in PIR remains unclear. In the current study, we found that the Nijmegen breakage syndrome 1 protein (NBS1), an early sensor of DSBs, associates with HIV-1 DNA, recruits the ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) kinase, promotes stable retroviral transduction, mediates efficient integration of viral DNA …

Evaluating The Trace Elements In Preoperative And Postoperative Duration Of Hydatid Surgery, Gurhan Sakman, Cem K. Parsak, Ismail S. Koltas, Gulsah Seydaoglu, Husnu Sonmez, Ismail Hanta

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the preoperative and postoperative values of serum levels of zinc, magnesium, and copper in patients with cystic echinococcosis (CE). METHODS: This study was conducted on patients with CE between 2000-2005 at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Cukurova, Adana, Turkey. Serum levels of zinc, copper, and magnesium of 85 patients with CE were measured both before and one year after the operation. Patients with liver CE (85 patients, 48 males) and healthy adults (40 adults, 17 males) as the control group were enrolled in the study. RESULTS: When compared with the control group, the mean serum levels …

Factors Affecting Child Mortality In Saudi Arabia, Yagob Y. Al-Mazrou, Nasser A. Alhamdan, Abduelelah I. Alkotobi, Osman M. Nour, Mohamed A. Farag

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To estimate levels and trends, gender differentials, effect of modes of living, regional differentials, and the effect of parental educational on infant and child mortality. METHODS: A nationwide stratified random sample was used to estimate levels, trends and differentials of infant and child mortality in Saudi Arabia. The study was executed during the period February 2006 to June 2006 and covered all the 20 health regions of Saudi Arabia. The randomly selected sample was limited to ever married Saudi women in the reproductive age group (15-49 years). RESULTS: The findings show a continuous and considerable infant and child mortality …

Parasite Pathoecology Of Salmon Pueblo And Other Chacoan Great Houses: The Healthiest And Wormiest Ancestral Puebloans, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

Two fields of paleopathological investigation originated in the Southwest. Archaeoparasitology is the study of ancient parasite infection (Reinhard 1990, 1992b). It includes comparisons between time periods of single societies as well as comparisons of parasitism between different, contemporaneous cultures. For example, Fry (1980) compared Fremont and Anasazi parasitism, and also Archaic hunter-gatherer and ancestral Pueblo parasitism. All of these studies fall into the definition of archaeoparasitology.

By contrast, pathoecology is the reconstruction of relationships among behavior, environment, and disease organisms in the development of illness (Martinson et al. 2003; ReinhardandBuikstra2003; Reinhardet al. 2003; Santoro et al. 2003).1his field developed from …

Cranial Deformation As The Cause Of Death For A Child From The Chillon River Valley, Peru, Shelia M.F. Medoncade Souza, Karl J. Reinhard, Andrea Lessa

Karl Reinhard Publications

Two small mummy bundles, found in a tomb at the Chillon River Valley, Lima Plains, Peru exist in the collections of the Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They were donated to the collections at the beginning of the 20th century. A multidisciplinary team is now curating and studying them. CT scans confirmed both skeletons were of individuals less than one year old at death. One of the bundles is intact and will be preserved and displayed. The other one was partly decomposed and the authors received permission to unwrap it to analyze the bones in details. Mites and pollen …

A Child And His Fate: Tuberculosis, Perimortem Trauma And Mummification, Sheila M. M.De Souza, Karl J. Reinhard, Bernardo Tessarollo, Jose Fernando Cardona Zannier, Adauto Araujo

Karl Reinhard Publications

A male child, sitting, 7 years, circumferential deformation, skin marked by coiled fibers, nostril plugs, consistent with Aymara practices was CT scanned. Puppae in the skin suggest exposition of the body previous to the funeral. Dark brown color at the skin suggest blood perfusion. A broken area at the right frontal with the skin partially inside is suggestive of perimorten trauma. There were no bone debris inside the skull and the CT images show two confluent fractures defined by radiating lines extending beyond the missing bone surface. The right eyeball is projected out, the tongue is outside the mouth, the …

Pathoecology And The Future Of Coprolite Studies In Bioarchaeology, Karl J. Reinhard, Vaughn M. Bryant Jr.

Karl Reinhard Publications

Human coprolites currently provide an expanding array of information about the diet, health, and ecology of prehistoric people in the Southwest, but for many years coprolites were not recognized or preserved, or they were not considered important and thus were not saved (Bryant and Dean 2006). With the expansion of archaeological field work during the last half of the twentieth century archaeologists have increasingly explored the "complete" potentials of sites, including the collection and analysis of geomorphologic, botanical, and faunal data. In some ideal habitats (e.g., very dry or frozen) this includes exploring the scientific potential of human coprolite studies. …

Pathoecology Of Two Ancestral Pueblo Villages, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

Pathoecology is the study of the biotic, abiotic, and cultural environments of disease (Martinson et al. 2003). A parasitic infection is the result of the pathoecological interaction of host behavior, parasite life cycle, the environment in which both life forms live, the nutritional status of the host, and host physiological responses to all of these factors. Parasites contribute to anemia in many ways. Some, such as hookworm, actually consume blood and cause iron loss through their activities. For other parasites, symptoms such as profuse diarrhea reduce intestinal absorption of nutrients. Others, such as certain fish tapeworms, actually compete for absorption …

Paleoparasitology: Perspectives With New Techniques, Adauto Araújo, Karl Reinhard, Otilio M. Bastos, Ligia C. Costa, Claude Pirmez, Alena Iñighez, Ana Carolina Vicente, Carlos M. Morel, Luiz Fernando Ferreira

Karl Reinhard Publications

Paleoparasitology is the study of parasites found in archaeological material. The development of this field of research began with histological identification of helminth eggs in mummy tissues, analysis of coprolites, and recently through molecular biology. An approach to the history of paleoparasitology is reviewed in this paper, with special reference to the studies of ancient DNA identified in archaeological material.

Paleoparasitologia: perspectivas com novas técnicas
Paleoparasitologia é o estudo de parasitos encontrados em material arqueológico. O desenvolvimento deste campo da pesquisa teve início com a identificação de ovos de helmintos em tecidos mumificados, análise de coprólitos e, recentemente, através da …

Preface [To Identification Keys To Strongylid Nematode Parasites Of Equids], J. Ralph Lichtenfels

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Preface to a special issue of Veterinary Parasitology (v. 156, nos. 1-2, 2008), titled Identification Keys to Strongylid Nematode Parasites of Equids.

Illustrated Identification Keys To Strongylid Parasites Strongyllidae Nematoda Of Horses Zebras And Asses Equidae, J. Ralph Lichtenfels, Vitaliy A. Kharchenko, Grigory M. Dvojnos

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

The Equidae (the horse, Equus caballus, the ass, Equus asinus, zebras and their hybrids) are hosts to a great variety of nematode parasites, some of which can cause significant morbidity or mortality if individual hosts are untreated. Worldwide the nematode parasites of horses belong to 7 suborders, 12 families, 29 genera and 83 species. The great majority (19 of 29 genera and 64 of 83 species) are members of the family Strongylidae, which includes the most common and pathogenic nematode parasites of horses. Only the Strongylidae are included in this treatise.

The Strongylidae (common name strongylids) of horses …

Hamulonema Gen. Nov. For Teladorsagia Hamata And Ostertagia Kenyensis In The Ostertagiinae Fauna (Nematoda: Trichostrongyloidea) From African Ungulates, Eric P. Hoberg, Arthur Abrams

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Hamulonema gen. nov. is proposed for Teladorsagia hamata and Ostertagia kenyensis in the ostertagiine nematode fauna found in artiodactyl hosts from Africa. Monomorphic species representing this genus are characterized by a bilaterally symmetrical and parallel synlophe in males and females, a 2-2-1 bursal formula, an accessory bursal membrane that is strongly cuticularized and reduced, a strongly reduced dorsal lobe and ray, and robust spicules with a simple, weakly pointed, ventral process, and curved, hooklike dorsal process. Species referred to Hamulonema nov. gen. are immediately distinguished from those of Camelostrongylus, Longistrongylus, Marshallagia, Orloffia, Ostertagia, and Pseudomarshallagia …

An Exploration Of Diversity Among The Ostertagiinae (Nematoda: Trichostrongyloidea) In Ungulates From Sub-Saharan Africa With A Proposal For A New Genus, Eric P. Hoberg, Arthur Abrams, Vanessa O. Ezenwa

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Abomasal nematodes (Ostertagiine: Trichostrongyloidea) representing a previously unrecognized genus and species are reported in African buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer) from Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa. Africanastrongylus buceros gen. nov. et sp. nov. is characterized by a symmetrical tapering synlophe in the cervical region and a maximum of 60 ridges in males and females. Bursal structure is 2–2–1, with subequal Rays 4/5, massive Rays 8, and Rays 9/10, and a massive dorsal lobe that is reduced in length, laterally and dorsally inflated, and positioned ventral to externodorsal rays. Spicules are tripartite, and the gubernaculum is broadly alate in the …

Age Distribution And Seasonal Dynamics Of Abomasal Helminths In Wild Red Deer From Central Spain, Mónica Santín-Durán, José M. Alunda, Eric P. Hoberg, Concepción De La Fuente

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

A study on age distribution and seasonal dynamics of abomasal helminths in wild red deer was conducted in central Spain, by monthly samplings of fawns (<1 >yr), subadult (1–2 yr), and adult (>2 yr) animals. Both intensity and prevalence of abomasal parasitism were higher in older animals, particularly in males. A bimodal pattern for intensity of infection by gastrointestinal parasites was observed. Maximum values attained in winter and summer may be related to variation in climate and the shifting availability of forage resources. The pattern was largely due to the contribution of Spiculopteragia asymmetrica/Spiculopteragia quadrispiculata, whereas …

Oral Rabies Vaccination Of A Northern Ohio Raccoon Population: Relevance Of Population Density And Prebait Serology, Paul Ramey, Bradley F. Blackwell, Robert Gates, Richard Slemons

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Ohio’s oral rabies vaccination (ORV) program was established to prevent the westward spread of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) rabies virus (Lyssavirus, Rhabdoviridae) in Ohio, USA. The program, which targets raccoons, distributes vaccine-bait units (VBU) at a target density of 75 units/km2. Few studies have examined the relationship of VBU density and target population density to the prevalence of rabies virus-neutralizing antibodies (RVNA). We conducted experimental VBU distributions in August 2003 and August 2004, 150 km west of the ORV zone where there was no history of raccoon rabies. We measured change in RVNA titers in blood …

The Threat Of The Non-Native Neotropical Rust Puccinia Psidii To Hawaiian Biodiversity And Native Ecosystems: A Case Example Of The Need For Prevention, Lloyd Loope, Janice Uchida, Loyal Mehrhoff

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The threat of invasive species to natural areas presents enormous challenges, but there are opportunities for working toward solutions, often in conjunction with agricultural and forestry perspectives. There is a growing awareness of the danger to botanical biodiversity and conservation from “emerging infectious diseases” that have increased in incidence, geographical distribution, or host range/pathogenicity; have newly evolved characteristics; and/or have been newly discovered (Anderson et al. 2004). There is a heightened concern for forest health due to accelerating worldwide movement of plant pathogens (e.g., with ineffective quarantine measures) that negatively affect both biodiversity and commercial forestry (Wingfield 2003). An important …

Range-Wide Phylogeographic Analysis Of The Spotted Frog Complex (Rana Luteiventris And Rana Pretiosa) In Northwestern North America, W. Chris Funk, Christopher A. Pearl, Hope M. Draheim, Michael J. Adams, Thomas D. Mullins, Susan M. Haig

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The dynamic geological and climatic history of northwestern North America has made it a focal region for phylogeography. We conducted a range-wide phylogeographic analysis of the spotted frog complex (Rana luteiventris and Rana pretiosa) across its range in northwestern North America to understand its evolutionary history and the distribution of clades to inform conservation of R. pretiosa and Great Basin R. luteiventris, candidates for listing under the US Endangered Species Act. Mitochondrial DNA sequence data from a segment of the cytochrome b gene were obtained from 308 R. luteiventris and R. pretiosa from 96 sites. Phylogenetic analysis …

Helminths Of Small Mammals (Chiroptera, Insectivora, Lagomorpha) From Mongolia With A Description Of A New Species Of Schizorchis (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae), David S. Tinnin, Scott Lyell Gardner, Sumiya Ganzorig

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Fifty-eight individuals belonging to 10 species of bats, insectivores, and pikas were examined for helminths from 4 collection sites in Mongolia in 1999. Two species of bats (Vespertilio murinus and Eptesicus gobiensis) were infected with a single species of trematode (Plagiorchis vespertilionis), which represents a new record for the country. One individual of E. gobiensis also harbored 1 unidentified filaroid nematode. The acanthocephalan Moniliformis moniliformis was found in the hedgehog Hemiechinus auritus. Cestodes in the genus Catenotaenia and the herein described Schizorchis mongoliensis n. sp. were recovered from pikas belonging to the species Ochotona alpina …

Willingness And Ability To Pay For Artemisinin-Based Combination Therapy In Rural Tanzania, E.C. Saulo, B.C. Forsberg, Zul Premji, S.M. Montgomery, A. Bjorkman

Pathology, East Africa

Background: The aim of this study was to analyse willingness to pay (WTP) and ability to pay (ATP) for ACT for children below five years of age in a rural setting in Tanzania before the introduction of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) as first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria. Socio-economic factors associated with WTP and expectations on anti-malaria drugs, including ACT, were also explored.

Methods: Structured interviews and focus group discussions were held with mothers, household heads, health-care workers and village leaders in Ishozi, Gera and Ishunju wards in north-west Tanzania in 2004. Contingent valuation method (CVM) was used with "take-it-or-leave- it" …

Genome-Wide Compensatory Changes Accompany Drug-Selected Mutations In The Plasmodium Falciparum Crt Gene, Hongying Jiang, Jigar J. Patel, Ming Yi, Jianbing Mu, Jinhui Ding, Robert Stephens, Roland A. Cooper, Michael T. Ferdig, Xin-Zhuan Su

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Mutations in PfCRT (Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine-resistant transporter), particularly the substitution at amino acid position 76, confer chloroquine (CQ) resistance in P. falciparum. Point mutations in the homolog of the mammalian multidrug resistance gene (pfmdr1) can also modulate the levels of CQ response. Moreover, parasites with the same pfcrt and pfmdr1 alleles exhibit a wide range of drug sensitivity, suggesting that additional genes contribute to levels of CQ resistance (CQR). Reemergence of CQ sensitive parasites after cessation of CQ use indicates that changes in PfCRT are deleterious to the parasite. Some CQR parasites, however, persist in the …

Advancing Epidemiological Science Through Computational Modeling: A Review With Novel Examples, Scott M. Duke-Sylvester, Eli N. Perencevich, Jon P. Furuno, Leslie A. Real, Holly Gaff

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Computational models have been successfully applied to a wide variety of research areas including infectious disease epidemiology. Especially for questions that are difficult to examine in other ways, computational models have been used to extend the range of epidemiological issues that can be addressed, advance theoretical understanding of disease processes and help identify specific intervention strategies. We explore each of these contributions to epidemiology research through discussion and examples. We also describe in detail models for raccoon rabies and methicillin-resis-tant Staphylococcus aureus, drawn from our own research, to further illustrate the role of computation in epidemiological modeling.

Using Rna Interference To Determine The Role Of Varisin In The Innate Immune System Of The Hard Tick Dermacentor Variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae)., Wayne L. Hynes, Martha M. Stokes, Shannon M. Hensley, S. Michelle Todd, Daniel E. Sonenshine

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Defensins are an important component of the innate immune system of ticks. These small peptides are produced by various genera of ticks, and expressed in various tissues. In this study we used RNA interference to silence the expression of the defensin varisin produced by the hemocytes of the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis. Ticks were injected with double stranded varisin RNA prior to being placed on a rabbit. After feeding, the ticks were removed, bled, and the hemolymph plasma and hemocytes separated. Hemocytes were screened for the presence (or absence) of both varisin transcript and peptide. Varisin peptide was …

Historical Mammal Extinction On Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) Correlates With Introduced Infectious Disease, Kelly B. Wyatt, Paula F. Campos, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis, Wayne H. Hynes, Rob Desalle, Peter Daszak, Ross D.E. Macphee, Alex D. Greenwood

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

It is now widely accepted that novel infectious disease can be a leading cause of serious population decline and even outright extinction in some invertebrate and vertebrate groups (e. g., amphibians). In the case of mammals, however, there are still no well-corroborated instances of such diseases having caused or significantly contributed to the complete collapse of species. A case in point is the extinction of the endemic Christmas Island rat (Rattus macleari): although it has been argued that its disappearance ca. AD 1900 may have been partly or wholly caused by a pathogenic trypanosome carried by fleas hosted …

Enterobius Vermicularis Ancient Dna In Pre-Columbian Human Populations, Alena Mayo Iniguez, Karl J. Reinhard, Luiz Fernando Ferreira, Adauto Araujo, Ana Carolina, Paulo Vincente

Karl Reinhard Publications

In prehistoric populations the paleoparasitological findings show an Enterobius vennicularis homogeneous distribution among North American hunter-gatherers intensified with the advent of agriculture. The same occurred in the transition from nomad hunter-gatherers to sedentary farmers in South America, although E. vermicularis infection encompasses only the ancient Andean peoples. Since molecular techniques are sensitive in detecting ancient DNA (aDNA), in this work we have performed a molecular paleoparasitological study of E. vermicularis. aDNA was recovered from North and South American coprolites (4110 BC-AD 900). Human (cox 2 and HVR) and pinworm (5S rRNA spacer) sequences were determined. The sequence analysis confirmed E. …