Digital Commons Network^™

Molecular Xenomonitoring Using Mosquitoes To Map Lymphatic Filariasis After Mass Drug Administration In American Samoa, Mark A. Schmaedick, Amanda L. Koppel, Nils Pilotte, Melissa Torres, Steven A. Williams, Stephen L. Dobson, Patrick J. Lammie, Kimberly Y. Won

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Mass drug administration (MDA) programs have dramatically reduced lymphatic filariasis (LF) incidence in many areas around the globe, including American Samoa. As infection rates decline and MDA programs end, efficient and sensitive methods for detecting infections are needed to monitor for recrudescence. Molecular methods, collectively termed ‘molecular xenomonitoring,’ can identify parasite DNA or RNA in human blood-feeding mosquitoes. We tested mosquitoes trapped throughout the inhabited islands of American Samoa to identify areas of possible continuing LF transmission after completion of MDA.

Methodology/Principle Findings: Mosquitoes were collected using BG Sentinel traps from most of the villages on American Samoa’s largest …

G9a Is Required For Normal Cerebral Cortical Development, Saranya Santhosh Kumar

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Molecular Xenomonitoring Using Mosquitoes To Map Lymphatic Filariasis After Mass Drug Administration In American Samoa, Mark A. Schmaedick, Amanda L. Koppel, Nils Pilotte, Melissa Torres, Steven A. Williams, Stephen L. Dobson, Patrick J. Lammie, Kimberly Y. Won

Entomology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Mass drug administration (MDA) programs have dramatically reduced lymphatic filariasis (LF) incidence in many areas around the globe, including American Samoa. As infection rates decline and MDA programs end, efficient and sensitive methods for detecting infections are needed to monitor for recrudescence. Molecular methods, collectively termed 'molecular xenomonitoring,' can identify parasite DNA or RNA in human blood-feeding mosquitoes. We tested mosquitoes trapped throughout the inhabited islands of American Samoa to identify areas of possible continuing LF transmission after completion of MDA.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: Mosquitoes were collected using BG Sentinel traps from most of the villages on American Samoa's largest …

Bacterial Symbioses And The Innate Immune Response Of The Model Host: Euprymna Scolopes, Andrew J. Collins

Doctoral Dissertations

All animals enter into beneficial relationships with bacteria. The light organ of the Hawaiian Bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, is a unique model for studying the establishment and maintenance of a symbiosis between a host and a single bacterial species, Vibrio fischeri. This bacterium inhabits a specialized structure known as the light organ and provides counter-illumination to mask the silhouette of the predator as it hunts for food during the night. Hemocytes, the primary innate immune cells, preferentially bind and phagocytose non-symbiotic at higher rates than their symbiont, but this can change with the colonization state of the animal. …

Investigation Of The Assembly, Activity, And Lipid Dependence Of Mitochondrial Respiratory Complex Ii Via Model Membrane Systems, Christine T. Schwall

Doctoral Dissertations

Mitochondrial respiratory Complex II, also referred to as succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and succinate: ubiquinone oxidoreductase (SQR), is a critical control point central to cellular energy metabolism as it links the Tricarboxylic Acid (TCA) Cycle and the electron transport chain (ETC). Complex II oxidizes succinate to fumarate as part of the TCA Cycle and passes these electrons through a series of redox centers to a membrane-bound ubiquinone molecule as part of the OXPHOS system to generate cellular energy. It is composed of four subunits, two of which form a soluble catalytic dimer (SdhA/SdhB) and two of which compose a membrane-anchoring dimer …

Group 3 Late Embryogenesis Abundant Proteins From Embryos Of Artemia Franciscana : Structural Properties And Protective Abilities During Desiccation., Leaf C. Boswell, Michael A. Menze, Steven C. Hand

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Group 3 late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are highly hydrophilic, and their expression is associated with desiccation tolerance in both plants and animals. Here we show that two LEA proteins from embryos of Artemia franciscana, AfrLEA2 and AfrLEA3m, are intrinsically disordered in solution but upon desiccation gain secondary structure, as measured by circular dichroism. Trifluoroethanol and sodium dodecyl sulfate are both shown to induce a-helical structure in AfrLEA2 and AfrLEA3m. Bioinformatic predictions of secondary-structure content for both proteins correspond most closely to conformations measured in the dry state. Because some LEA proteins afford protection to desiccation-sensitive proteins during drying and …

Nist Greenhouse Gas And Climate Science Measurements Program Overview, James R. Whetstone

The Characterization and Radiometric Calibration for Remote Sensing Annual Meeting (CALCON)

NIST has increased its emphasis on measurements and standards research for greenhouse gas and climate science measurements over the last three years by establishing its Greenhouse Gas and Climate Science Measurements Program. This research effort seeks to develop or extend the measurement science underpinning internationally-recognized measurement standards, methodologies, and technologies that can enhance science-based greenhouse gas measurement capabilities and emissions data. This research utilizes expertise found both in the NIST laboratories and in the research capabilities of external partner institutions. NIST research activities include advancing standards capabilities for greenhouse gas composition in the atmosphere, development of high accuracy measurement techniques …

Back Matter

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Manganese-Induced Parkinsonism: Relationship To Manganese Accumulation In Bone, Alexander Jones

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Chemical Restoration Of Damaged Hard Drives, Brian Curnett, Talin Darian, Kevin Wojcik, Sean Mccarthy

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Elisa Evaluation Of K2-Spice Control Samples, Suzette Miller

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

A New Strategy Of Drug Delivery: Electric Field Distribution In Brain Tumor Due To Electroporation, Junxing Shi

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

As the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children under 20, and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in males aged 20–39, there is a need to seek an effective treatment for brain tumors. While there may be various drugs for brain tumors, the problem is the lack of effective methods of delivery through cell membranes at a very specified and confined region. In order to tackle this specific problem of drug delivery, electroporation is introduced. Electroporation, the local application of electrical pulses, renders the cell membranes permeable to otherwise impermeable or poorly permeable anticancer drugs, thereby facilitating …

An Epigenetic Look At Atrazine Toxicity: An Analysis Of Microrna-126 Expression In Developing Zebrafish Exposed To The Herbicide Atrazine, Kelly E. Schlotman

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Atrazine is a commonly used herbicide in the United States that is reported to contaminate drinking water sources. Studies indicate atrazine adversely impacts the neuroendocrine and reproductive systems, and that it may be a potential carcinogen. The current maximum contaminant level in drinking water is 3 parts per billion (ppb); however, levels higher than 3 ppb are often reported. Ongoing studies in our laboratory are investigating the immediate and latent adverse health outcomes associated with a developmental atrazine exposure and identifying the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of toxicity using the zebrafish model system. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are epigenetic regulators that posttranscriptionally …

Skeletal Analysis: Investigating Senescence In Ancient Nubia, Katelyn Reavis

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

The understanding of older adult life experiences is deficient when compared to younger adults and children in the archaeological record. Research has been devoted toward aging techniques and studies of osteoarthritis, but there are few discussions describing senescence, the cumulative process of aging, in the past. Most research includes the oldest cohort (45 years and above) within the broad category of adults, but it is useful to look at this demographic separately. Skeletal remains were analyzed from the site of Tombos (ancient Nubia) dated to the New Kingdom and the Napatan Periods (~1400‒650 BC). The focus of the analysis was …

Tendon Cell Behavior And Regeneration: Effects Of Extracellular Matrix And Substrate Stiffness, Anusorn Mudla

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Tendon injuries have been a challenge for regenerative medicine as current treatments rely mainly on artificial polymers and/or extracellular matrix (ECM), which only mimic the architecture of mature tissue but do not promote regeneration. Moreover, due to the limitation in the number of tendons available in our body, transplantation is restricted. As a result, growing tendons from patients in vitro and transplantation is an appropriate option. Several studies have shown that ECM composition dramatically changes during tissue development, repair, and regeneration. However, the mechanism of ECM action on proliferation and inducing assembly of a tendon is unknown. This study focuses …

Determining The Role Of Dnttip1: Piecing Together The Callipyge Sheep Muscle Hypertrophy Pathway, Kimberly Lutz

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Callipyge sheep have muscle hypertrophy in their loin and pelvic limbs due to a mutation in the DLK1-DIO3 imprinted gene cluster, which results in a 30–40% increase in muscle mass without altering live weight. There is also a change in the myosin gene expression causing an increase in fast twitch glycolytic fibers. Previous gene expression studies have shown that DNTTIP1 (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase interacting protein 1) is up-regulated in the callipyge muscle. DNTTIP1 is a transcription factor, meaning it binds to a specific DNA sequence to control the amount of mRNA produced. DNTTIP1 may regulate other genes, ultimately leading to …

Infants' Speech Segmentation: The Impact Of Mother-Infant Facial Synchrony, Allison Kish, Katie Courtaney, Adi Dilger, Tori Gallo, Lauren King, Amy Jarvis, Ambry Roberson, Meredith Smith, Serina Thottichira

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Various measures of infant responsiveness have been shown to predict child outcomes. Despite this extensive research, there is no work examining links between infant responsiveness during caregiver-infant interactions with infants' ability to perform basic linguistic tasks. One key task in early linguistic development is word segmentation, an achievement that allows infants to build their mental dictionaries. We hypothesized that infants' responsiveness to caregiver facial expressions might be related to their word segmentation ability.

In order to test this hypothesis, mothers came into the lab and were videotaped reading books containing target words to their 5-month-old children. After the infants were …

The Regulation Of Mammary Cell Growth: Determining The Role Of Clock, Emily C. Erickson

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Changes in modern lifestyle such as lack of sleep, stress, and light exposure late at night are associated with increased rates of breast cancer. Most physiological processes, including growth, development, and metabolism, are controlled by circadian clocks. Circadian clocks respond to environmental cues to synchronize internal physiological processes, and thus, the disruption of this system may be responsible for this connection. The master clock in the brain coordinates peripheral circadian clocks located in every tissue of the body, including the mammary gland, and the core circadian component CLOCK regulates circadian oscillation of gene expression. Currently, the physiological function of the …

Pharmaceuticals In Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent Waters, Nicole Deziel

Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal

Pharmaceuticals in Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent Waters.

Applying Genetic Programming To Bytecode And Assembly, Eric Collom

Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal

Traditional genetic programming (GP) is typically not used to perform unrestricted evolution on entire programs at the source code level. Instead, only small sections within programs are usually evolved. Not being able to evolve whole programs is an issue since it limits the flexibility of what can be evolved. Evolving programs in either bytecode or assembly language is a method that has been used to perform unrestricted evolution. This paper provides an overview of applying genetic programming to Java bytecode and x86 assembly. Two examples of how this method has been implemented will be explored. We will also discuss experimental …

Biofilm Formation By Escherichia Coli Csga And Fima Mutants, Nicole Snyder, Sean Willaert

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Biofilms are a structured community of bacterial cells enclosed in a self-produced polymeric matrix and adherent to an inert or living surface. These structures and the organisms that cause them can pose a very serious problem if they colonize on medical devices. This is because biofilms have the ability to communicate within the colony and with other organisms that might attach to the surface, acting like a community working together. Biofilms allow the organism to be resistant to harsh and unfavorable conditions allowing them to survive longer and spread. Several genes in Escherichia coli (E. coli) have been associated …

Sexual Education And Attitudes Toward Masturbation, Jannine Ray, Shelby Afflerbach

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The long-standing social stigma surrounding masturbation has led to its prohibition from being included in public school curriculum as a healthy sexual practice. Furthermore, not only is masturbation a healthy sexual practice for the individual, research has demonstrated masturbation to be helpful in treating sexual dysfunctions for couples. Therefore, if the topic of masturbation is included in comprehensive sexual education as a healthy sexual practice, it may promote sexual health among individuals both intra- and interpersonally. The present study recruited from a convenient sample from a medium sized state university in the upper Midwest. Participants completed two surveys, administered through …

A Critical Analysis Of Media Images Depicting The New Athletic Body Ideal And One Woman's Experience With Them, Kelsey Mischke

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The ideal body type for women in the United States is morphing into one that not only requires a thin physique, but visible muscle definition and fitness. The athletic body type must still possesses feminine qualities such as large breasts, a smaller buttocks, and soft curves. Advertisements, fitness magazines, and internet memes have created a new level of perfection. However, this new ideal body type is still computer generated, created from parts of multiple women, and largely unobtainable. Since its emergence, little research has critically assessed these images and their effects of women’s self-evaluations. A feminist perspective was used to …

Effect Of Sweeteners On The Renin-Angiotensin System In Rats, Jacob Ball

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Normal abundant dietary sugars such as fructose and sucrose can contribute to hypertension and other health issues. To avoid these health complications, many individuals use artificial sweeteners. An equivalent intake of some artificial sweeteners also can lead to hypertension. However, Stevia, a sweetener that is isolated from a Paraguayan plant, was shown in relevant literature to decrease blood pressure in both rat specimens and humans. The general purpose of this research project was to study the effect of Stevia, saccharin, and sucrose on the expression of two key components of the renin-angiotensin- aldosterone system (RAAS): prorenin receptor (PRR) and angiotensin …

Gdp Alternatives And Their Correlations, Cecilia Szigeti, Gergely Tóth, Anita Borzán, Szilveszter Farkas

Journal of Environmental Sustainability

In our study we wanted to find an answer to the question whether we can find sustainable countries if we compare the values of different composite indicators? The target of our study is to examine the possibilities as well as the limits of the application alternative composite indicators. Our study focuses on what kind of relations the indicators are in and to what extent they can substitute the GDP and what kind of morals can be indicated forHungary. The basic question of our research is how possible is to group countries clearly based on the values of alternative indicators. In …

Directing The Development Of Posterior Neural Fates: The Role Of Fgf, Cdx, And Hox Genes, Albert G. Hayward Ii

Open Access Dissertations

Understanding how the anatomical complexity of the nervous system arises is key to understanding the function of the nervous system. Neural development is a complex process consisting of multiple discrete steps regulated and coordinated by signaling events. Surprisingly, a rather small number of signals are implicated in regulating these vastly different neural developmental processes. A striking example is the case of the signaling molecule Fibroblast Growth Factor, or FGF, which regulates the induction of neural tissues from prospective ectoderm cells, regionalizes the neural tissue into forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain, and spinal cord, and provides discrete anterior-posterior (A-P) identity to hindbrain and …

2014 Fall Convocation Program, Office Of Communications & Marketing, Morehead State University.

Communications and Marketing Publications Archive

Fall convocation program held on August 13, 2014.

Simultaneous Measurement Of Smoothened Entry Into And Exit From The Primary Cilium, Jynho Kim, Elaine Y.C. Hsia, James Kim, Navdar Sever, Philip A. Beachy, Xiaoyan Zheng

Anatomy and Regenerative Biology Faculty Publications

Ciliary accumulation of signaling proteins must result from a rate of ciliary entry that exceeds ciliary exit, but approaches for distinguishing ciliary entry vs. exit are lacking. Using a photoconvertible fluorescent protein tag, we establish an assay that allows a separate but simultaneous examination of ciliary entry and exit of the Hedgehog signaling protein Smoothened in individual cells. We show that KAAD-cyclopamine selectively blocks entry, whereas ciliobrevin interferes initially with exit and eventually with both entry and exit of ciliary Smoothened. Our study provides an approach to understanding regulation of ciliary entry vs. exit of Hedgehog signaling components as well …

Weekly News Digest 08/13/2014, Jenna Ray

Weekly Bulletin Archive

In this issue:

● Morris Faculty, Staff, and Students Retur

● Morris Value Recognized by Forbes Magazine

● Alayna Johnson ’15 Spends Summer at Harvard Forest

● Morris Sun Tribune Reports on Campus Effectiveness Ratings

Mph Principles Of Public Health: Fall 2014 Syllabus, Nina Wallerstein, Robert Rhyne, Jonathan Eldredge

Principles of Public Health 2010-2017

No abstract provided.