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Wolbachia Infections That Reduce Immature Insect Survival: Predicted Impacts On Population Replacement, Philip R. Crain, James W. Mains, Eunho Suh, Yunxin Huang, Philip H. Crowley, Stephen L. Dobson

Entomology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The evolutionary success of Wolbachia bacteria, infections of which are widespread in invertebrates, is largely attributed to an ability to manipulate host reproduction without imposing substantial fitness costs. Here, we describe a stage-structured model with deterministic immature lifestages and a stochastic adult female lifestage. Simulations were conducted to better understand Wolbachia invasions into uninfected host populations. The model includes conventional Wolbachia parameters (the level of cytoplasmic incompatibility, maternal inheritance, the relative fecundity of infected females, and the initial Wolbachia infection frequency) and a new parameter termed relative larval viability (RLV), which is the survival of infected larvae relative to …

Voices Raised, Issue 33, University Of Dayton. Women's Center

Women’s Center Newsletter

Included in this issue: UD’s new Coordinator of Sexual Violence Prevention Education; Nancy Mairs: Walking with God Literature; A Woman Calling to Catholic Faith; W.O.R.D. Women of Remarkable Distinction; Eating Disorder Awareness; Modern-day Slavery and What You Can Do About It; October Optimism.

The Effect Of Intermittent Umbilical Cord Occlusion On Elastin Composition In The Ovine Fetus., Jennifer A Thompson, Sarah A Gimbel, Bryan S Richardson, Robert Gagnon, Timothy Regnault

Paediatrics Publications

This study aimed to determine the effect of varying degrees of intermittent umbilical cord occlusion (UCO) on arterial elastin composition. Over 4 days, chronically catheterized late gestation fetal sheep received 5 total UCO per day lasting 1 min/h (mild group: n = 6), 2 min/h (moderate group: n = 4), 3 min/h (severe group; n = 6); or no occlusion (control group: n = 7). Each group was evaluated for elastin content of the carotid and superior mesenteric artery (SMA), the arterial pressure response to UCO, and plasma cortisol concentration. Elastin content of the carotid artery was significantly increased by …

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Quantification Of Bronchodilator Effects By Using Hyperpolarized ³He Mr Imaging, Miranda Kirby, Lindsay Mathew, Mohammadreza Heydarian, Roya Etemad-Rezai, David G Mccormack, Grace Parraga

Medical Biophysics Publications

PURPOSE: To evaluate short-acting bronchodilator effects in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by using hyperpolarized helium 3 (³He) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, spirometry, and plethysmography.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen ex-smokers with COPD provided written informed consent to a local ethics board-approved and Health Insurance and Portability Accountability Act-compliant protocol and underwent hyperpolarized ³He and hydrogen 1 MR imaging, spirometry, and plethysmography before and a mean of 25 minutes ± 2 (standard deviation) after administration of 400 μg salbutamol. Distribution of ³He gas was evaluated by using semiautomated segmentation of ³He voxel intensities, where cluster 1 represented regions of signal void …

Endurance And Resistance Training Lowers C-Reactive Protein In Young, Healthy Females, Laura A. Daray, Tara M. Henagan, Michael Zanovec, Conrad P. Earnest, Lisa G. Johnson, Jason Winchester, Georgianna Tuuri, Laura K. Stewart

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine whether endurance (E) or endurance + resistance (ER) training affects C-reactive protein (CRP) and if these changes are related to alterations in fitness and (or) body composition in young females. Thirty-eight females (aged 18-24 years) were assigned to 1 of 3 groups: (1) E, (2) ER or (3) active control (AC). The E and ER groups completed 15 weeks of marathon training. The ER group performed additional resistance training and the AC group maintained their usual exercise routine. Primary outcomes were measured pre- and post-training and included anthropometric indices, dual-energy x-ray absorption …

Food Insecurity And Sexual Risk In An Hiv Endemic Community In Uganda, Cari L. Miller, David R. Bangsberg, David M. Tuller, Jude Senkungu, Annet Kawuma, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Sheri D. Weiser

Faculty Publications

Food insecurity has been linked to high-risk sexual behavior in sub-Saharan Africa, but there are limited data on these links among people living with HIV/AIDS, and on the mechanisms for how food insecurity predisposes individuals to risky sexual practices. We undertook a series of in-depth open-ended interviews with 41 individuals living with HIV/AIDS to understand the impact of food insecurity on sexual-risk behaviors. Participants were recruited from the Immune Suppression Clinic at the Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Mbarara, Uganda. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated, and coded following the strategy of grounded theory. Four major themes emerged …

Myths, Emily Zeller

Theses

In this thesis I address a personal relationship with nature, femininity, and coming-of-age in a patriarchal family through videos that rely on a synthesized definition of myth to create multi-layered meaning with roots in the greater feminine discourse. I create my own unique interpretation of myth by combining elements of traditional Greek mythology, semiotic mythology, and the art and poems centered around the myth of the female experience. Imbuing my videos with this mythic quality allows the objects and actions depicted to transcend their signifiers, birthing multi-layered meaning and encouraging a closer examination and personal connection with the viewer. My …

A Tool To Measure The Attributes Of Receiving Iv Therapy In A Home Versus Hospital Setting: The Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Management Scale (Msrms)., Afsane Riazi, Bernadette Porter, Jeremy Chataway, Alan J. Thompson, Jeremy C. Hobart

Peninsula Medical School

BACKGROUND: Intravenous steroids are routinely used to treat disabling relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS). Theoretically, the infusion could take place at home, rather than in hospital. Findings from other patient populations suggest that patients may find the experiences of home relapse management more desirable. However, formal comparison of these two settings, from the patients' point of view, was prevented by the lack of a clinical scale. We report the development of a rating scale to measure patient's experiences of relapse management that allowed this question to be answered confidently. METHODS: Scale development had three stages. First, in-depth interviews of 21 …

Rna Oxidation Adducts 8-Ohg And 8-Oha Change With Aβ42 Levels In Late-Stage Alzheimer's Disease, Adam M. Weidner, Melissa A. Bradley, Tina L. Beckett, Dana M. Niedowicz, Amy L.S. Dowling, Sergey V. Matveev, Harry Levine, Mark A. Lovell, M. Paul Murphy

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

While research supports amyloid-β (Aβ) as the etiologic agent of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the mechanism of action remains unclear. Evidence indicates that adducts of RNA caused by oxidation also represent an early phenomenon in AD. It is currently unknown what type of influence these two observations have on each other, if any. We quantified five RNA adducts by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy across five brain regions from AD cases and age-matched controls. We then used a reductive directed analysis to compare the RNA adducts to common indices of AD neuropathology and various pools of Aβ. Using data from four disease-affected brain …

Highly Variable Recessive Lthal Or Nearly Lethal Mutation Rates During Germ-Line Development Of Male Drosophila Melanogaster, Jian-Jun Gao, Xue-Rong Pan, Jing Hu, Li Ma, Jian-Min Wu, Ye-Lin Shao, Sara A Barton, Ronny C Woodruff, Ya-Ping Zhang, Yun-Xin Fu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Each cell of higher organism adults is derived from a fertilized egg through a series of divisions, during which mutations can occur. Both the rate and timing of mutations can have profound impacts on both the individual and the population, because mutations that occur at early cell divisions will affect more tissues and are more likely to be transferred to the next generation. Using large-scale multigeneration screening experiments for recessive lethal or nearly lethal mutations of Drosophila melanogaster and recently developed statistical analysis, we show for male D. melanogaster that (i) mutation rates (for recessive lethal or nearly lethal) are …

Despotism And Risk Of Infanticide Influence Grizzly Bear Den-Site Selection, Nathan S. Libal, Jerrold L. Belant, Bruce D. Leopold, Guiming Wang, Patricia A. Owen

CFR Publications

Given documented social dominance and intraspecific predation in bear populations, the ideal despotic distribution model and sex hypothesis of sexual segregation predict adult female grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) will avoid areas occupied by adult males to reduce risk of infanticide. Under ideal despotic distribution, juveniles should similarly avoid adult males to reduce predation risk. Den-site selection and use is an important component of grizzly bear ecology and may be influenced by multiple factors, including risk from conspecifics. To test the role of predation risk and the sex hypothesis of sexual segregation, we compared adult female (n = 142), adult male …

In Vivo Microdialysis Reveals Age-Dependent Decrease Of Brain Interstitial Fluid Tau Levels In P301s Human Tau Transgenic Mice, Kaoru Yamada, John R. Cirrito, Floy R. Stewart, Hong Jiang, Mary Beth Finn, Brandon B. Holmes, Lester I. Binder, Eva-Maria Mandelkow, Marc I. Diamond, Virginia M.-Y. Lee, David M. Holtzman

Open Access Publications

Although tau is a cytoplasmic protein, it is also found in brain extracellular fluids, e.g., CSF. Recent findings suggest that aggregated tau can be transferred between cells and extracellular tau aggregates might mediate spread of tau pathology. Despite these data, details of whether tau is normally released into the brain interstitial fluid (ISF), its concentration in ISF in relation to CSF, and whether ISF tau is influenced by its aggregation are unknown. To address these issues, we developed a microdialysis technique to analyze monomeric ISF tau levels within the hippocampus of awake, freely moving mice. We detected tau in ISF …

Sequential Alterations In Catabolic And Anabolic Gene Expression Parallel Pathological Changes During Progression Of Monoiodoacetate-Induced Arthritis, Jin Nam, Priyangi Perera, Jie Liu, Bjoern Rath, James Deschner, Robert Gassner, Timothy A. Butterfield, Sudha Agarwal

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Chronic inflammation is one of the major causes of cartilage destruction in osteoarthritis. Here, we systematically analyzed the changes in gene expression associated with the progression of cartilage destruction in monoiodoacetate-induced arthritis (MIA) of the rat knee. Sprague Dawley female rats were given intra-articular injection of monoiodoacetate in the knee. The progression of MIA was monitored macroscopically, microscopically and by micro-computed tomography. Grade 1 damage was observed by day 5 post-monoiodoacetate injection, progressively increasing to Grade 2 by day 9, and to Grade 3-3.5 by day 21. Affymetrix GeneChip was utilized to analyze the transcriptome-wide changes in gene expression, and …

Toxoplasma Gondii Rhoptry Kinase Rop16 Activates Stat3 And Stat6 Resulting In Cytokine Inhibition And Arginase-1-Dependent Growth Control, Barbara A. Butcher, Barbara A. Fox, Leah M. Rommereim, Sung Guk Kim, Kirk J. Maurer, Felix Yarovinsky, De'broski R. Herbert, David J. Bzik, Eric Y. Denkers

Dartmouth Scholarship

The ROP16 kinase of Toxoplasma gondii is injected into the host cell cytosol where it activates signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3 and STAT6. Here, we generated a ROP16 deletion mutant on a Type I parasite strain background, as well as a control complementation mutant with restored ROP16 expression. We investigated the biological role of the ROP16 molecule during T. gondii infection. Infection of mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages with rop16-deleted (ΔROP16) parasites resulted in increased amounts of IL-12p40 production relative to the ROP16-positive RH parental strain. High level IL-12p40 production in ΔROP16 infection was dependent on the host …

The Meaning Of Breast Cancer Risk For African American Women., Janice Phillips, Marlene Z. Cohen

Journal Articles: College of Nursing

PURPOSE: To describe African American women's experience of being at high risk for breast cancer.

DESIGN: A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to guide in-depth interviews and analysis. Methods to ensure trustworthiness and rigor were included.

METHODS: Open interviews were conducted with 20 African American women who were at high risk for breast cancer (family history, personal history, genetic mutation). They were recruited from a cancer risk clinic and community-based settings. Data were transcribed verbatim, and themes were labeled among and between all interviews.

FINDINGS: Five themes were identified: (a) life-changing experience; (b) relationships: fears, support, and concerns; (c) the …

Scleroderma Renal Crisis-Like Acute Renal Failure Associated With Mucopolysaccharide Accumulation In Renal Vessels In A Patient With Scleromyxedema., Young H Lee, Joya Sahu, Marie S O'Brien, Vivette D D'Agati, Sergio A. Jimenez

Scleroderma Center Faculty Papers

Scleromyxedema is a systemic disease characterized by lichenoid papules, nodules, and plaques on the skin and often diffuse skin induration resembling the cutaneous involvement of systemic sclerosis. The systemic involvement affects the musculoskeletal, pulmonary, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems, and the disorder is commonly associated with a paraproteinemia. Involvement of the kidney is rare and not considered a feature of the disease. Here, we describe an unusual case of scleromyxedema complicated by the development of scleroderma renal crisis-like acute renal failure with a marked intimal deposition of mucin, mucopolysaccharides, and hyaluronic acid in the intrarenal vessels.

Saying Goodbye To Sports : A Study On The Experiences Of Female College Students Who Have Disengaged From Athletics, Lee Ostberg Welch

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of female college students who have disengaged from athletics. The study sought to identify factors that influence a young, female college student's transition out of athletics and better understand the ways that these individuals experience and perceive their transition. Through interviews of twelve undergraduate, female, disengaged athletes, this qualitative study explored some of the unique and shared experiences that make up these individual's stories as former athletes. Study participants were asked a series of open-ended questions related to their personal athletic history, decision to disengage from athletics, and life after …

Relationship Of Adipokines With Insulin Sensitivity In African Americans., Maria P Martinez Cantarin, Scott W Keith, Stephanie Deloach, Yonghong Huan, Bonita Falkner

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Cytokines produced by adipose tissue, including adiponectin, have been associated with metabolic abnormalities. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of insulin sensitivity measured by euglycemic hyperinsulinemic insulin clamp with plasma adiponectin and other adipokines in young adult African Americans.

METHODS: Participants were healthy African Americans. Anthropometric measures, blood pressure, an oral glucose tolerance test and an euglycemic hyperinsulinemic insulin clamp were performed. Insulin sensitivity measurements were adjusted for percentage of fat mass. Plasma concentrations of adiponectin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were assayed on plasma from fasting blood samples. Pearson correlation coefficients and …

Effectiveness Of Neuromuscular Conditioning To Prevent Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries In Female Athletes: A Critical Synthesis Of Literature, Shiren G. Assaly, Todd E. Davenport, Katrin Mattern-Baxter

School of Pharmacy Faculty Articles

Background and Purpose: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are common among female athletes. The purpose of this literature review was to assess the effectiveness of neuromuscular conditioning to modify biomechanical risk factors for ACL injury.

METHOD: A structured literature search was conducted to identify primary research articles. Articles were graded according to their strength of evidence and a qualitative literature review was completed.

RESULTS: Seven primary research studies were available for analysis that documented the effects of neuromuscular conditioning (range of evidence grades: 1B to 3B). Lower limb kinematics, lower limb kinetics, and incidence of tears were the primary outcomes …

Perceptions Of Beauty Among Female Chinese Students In The United States And China, Carly R. Staley, Ginny Qin Zhan

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

This pilot study compared the perceptions of beauty among Chinese women who were exchange students in the United States with Chinese women who were students in their homeland. We interviewed 19 women in China and 19 women in the United States to determine differences in responses. In accordance with the sociocultural approach and the social comparison approach, we expected Chinese women in the United States to have a be more acculturate, more frequently conclude that American women were more beautiful than Chinese women, be more likely than those studying in China to report body dissatisfaction, be more likely to dislike …

Metastasis Of Tumor Cells Is Enhanced Bydownregulation Of Bit1, Priya Prakash Karmali, Chris Brunquell, Shubha Kale Ireland, Erkki Ruostlahti, Hau Tram, Hector Biliran

Faculty and Staff Publications

Abstract Background: Resistance to anoikis, which is defined as apoptosis induced by loss of integrin-mediated cell attachment to the extracellular matrix, is a determinant of tumor progression and metastasis. We have previously identified the mitochondrial Bit1 (Bcl-2 inhibitor of transcription) protein as a novel anoikis effector whose apoptotic function is independent from caspases and is uniquely controlled by integrins. In this report, we examined the possibility that Bit1 is suppressed during tumor progression and that Bit1 downregulation may play a role in tumor metastasis. Methodology/Principal Findings: Using a human breast tumor tissue array, we found that Bit1 expression is suppressed …

Alpha-Defensins 1-3 Release By Dendritic Cells Is Reduced By Estrogen, Maria M. Escribese, Marta Rodríguez-García, Rhoda Sperling, Stephanie M. Engel

Dartmouth Scholarship

During pregnancy the immune system of the mother must protect any activation that may negatively affect the fetus. Changes in susceptibility to infection as well as resolution of some autoimmune disorders represent empirical evidence for pregnancy related alterations in immunity. Sex hormones reach extremely high levels during pregnancy and have been shown to have direct effects on many immune functions including the antiviral response of dendritic cells. Among the immunologically active proteins secreted by monocyte derived DCs (MDDC) are the alpha-defensins 1-3. This family of cationic antimicrobial peptides has a broad spectrum of microbicidal activity and has also been shown …

No Evidence Of Association Between Hiv-1 And Malaria In Populations With Low Hiv-1 Prevalence, Diego F. Cuadros, Adam J. Branscum, Gisela García-Ramos

Biology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The geographic overlap between HIV-1 and malaria has generated much interest in their potential interactions. A variety of studies have evidenced a complex HIV-malaria interaction within individuals and populations that may have dramatic effects, but the causes and implications of this co-infection at the population level are still unclear. In a previous publication, we showed that the prevalence of malaria caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum is associated with HIV infection in eastern sub-Saharan Africa. To complement our knowledge of the HIV-malaria co-infection, the objective of this work was to assess the relationship between malaria and HIV prevalence in …

Effect Of Variable Transmission Rate On The Dynamics Of Hiv In Sub-Saharan Africa, Diego F. Cuadros, Phillip H. Crowley, Ben Augustine, Sarah L. Stewart, Gisela García-Ramos

Biology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The cause of the high HIV prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa is incompletely understood, with heterosexual penile-vaginal transmission proposed as the main mechanism. Heterosexual HIV transmission has been estimated to have a very low probability; but effects of cofactors that vary in space and time may substantially alter this pattern.

METHODS: To test the effect of individual variation in the HIV infectiousness generated by co-infection, we developed and analyzed a mathematical sexual network model that simulates the behavioral components of a population from Malawi, as well as the dynamics of HIV and the co-infection effect caused by other infectious diseases, …

Male Mating Competitiveness Of A Wolbachia-Introgressed Aedes Polynesiensis Strain Under Semi-Field Conditions, Eric W. Chambers, Limb Hapairai, Bethany A. Peel, Hervé Bossin, Stephen L. Dobson

Entomology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Lymphatic filariasis (LF), a global public health problem affecting approximately 120 million people worldwide, is a leading cause of disability in the developing world including the South Pacific. Despite decades of ongoing mass drug administration (MDA) in the region, some island nations have not yet achieved the threshold levels of microfilaremia established by the World Health Organization for eliminating transmission. Previously, the generation of a novel Aedes polynesiensis strain (CP) infected with an exogenous type of Wolbachia has been described. The CP mosquito is cytoplasmically incompatible (i.e., effectively sterile) when mated with wildtype mosquitoes, and a strategy was proposed …

Cross-Racial/Cross-Gender Mentoring Of School Administrators, Zella M. Williams

Dissertations

Abstract The purpose of this study is to determine the perceived effectiveness of the professional mentoring which female African American school administrators and other school administrators have received from their school district, examining the cross-racial and cross-gender pairings of mentors and mentees. After an extensive review of the literature, a cross-sectional, self-reporting attitudinal survey was designed. The survey began with a section of closed-ended questions to gather demographic information. The second section gathered information about the mentoring experience using a Likert scale. The final section consisted of one open-ended question about mentoring effectiveness. The survey was distributed to all certified …

The Incidence Of Deep Vein Thrombosis Detected By Routine Surveillance Ultrasound In Neurosurgery Patients Receiving Dual Modality Prophylaxis., Patricia C Henwood, Thomas M Kennedy, Lynda Thomson, Taki Galanis, George L Tzanis, Geno J Merli, Walter K. Kraft

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

The optimal method of thromboprophylaxis and the value of screening ultrasonography for detection of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in neurosurgery patients remains unclear. The goal of this study was to determine the incidence of DVT in neurosurgical patients who, by hospital protocol, receive surveillance ultrasonography of the lower extremities twice weekly, in addition to prophylaxis with unfractionated heparin and external pneumatic compression sleeves. A retrospective review of 7,298 ultrasound studies carried out on 2,593 patients over 4 years at a university neurosurgical hospital was conducted. There was a 7.4% incidence of proximal lower extremity DVT and a 9.7% total incidence …

Preferential Quadriceps Activation In Female Athletes With Incremental Increases In Landing Intensity, Kevin R. Ford, Gregory D. Myer, Laura C. Schmitt, Timothy L. Uhl, Timothy E. Hewett

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to identify alterations in preparatory muscle activation patterns across different drop heights in female athletes. Sixteen female high school volleyball players performed the drop vertical jump from three different drop heights. Surface electromyography of the quadriceps and hamstrings were collected during the movement trials. As the drop height increased, muscle activation of the quadriceps during preparatory phase also increased (p < .05). However, the hamstrings activation showed no similar increases relative to drop height. Female athletes appear to preferentially rely on increased quadriceps activation, without an increase in hamstrings activation, with increased plyometric intensity. The resultant decreased activation ratio of the hamstrings relative to quadriceps before landing may represent altered dynamic knee stability and may contribute to the increased risk of ACL injury in female athletes.

Appropriate Medication Prescribing In Elderly Patients: How Knowledgeable Are Primary Care Physicians? A Survey Study In Parma, Italy., Vittorio Maio, Pharmd, Ms, Mph, Eric Jutkowitz, Ba, Karina Herrera Ba, Ms, Safiya Abouzaid Pharmd, Giavanna Negri, Pharmd, Stefano Del Canale, Md, Phd

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

What is known and Objective:  Increasing attention is being paid to inappropriate medication prescribing for the elderly. A growing body of studies have detected a prevalence of inappropriate prescribing ranging from 12% to 40% worldwide, including Regione Emilia-Romagna, Italy. To improve quality of prescribing, a multi-phase pilot project in the Local Health Unit (LHU) of Parma, Regione Emilia-Romagna, was established. This phase aimed to assess primary care physicians' knowledge of appropriate prescribing in elderly patients. Methods:  In total, 155 primary care physicians (51% of the total), convened by the LHU of Parma for an educational session, were asked to complete …

Breeding Fidelity And Landscape Effects On Distribution Of Mallards And Duck Broods In The Nebraska Sandhills, Zachary J. Cunningham

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

I investigated aspects of mallard (Anas platyrhnchos) breeding ecology in the Nebraska Sandhills during 2007-2008. Previous work in this region suggests that nest success is low for a large area of intact grassland such as the Sandhills. My goal was to conduct a local-scale examination of age distribution and return rates of mallards, and a large-scale examination of brood distribution in the Sandhills region as a whole. This information will help explain factors contributing to the low nest success previously observed, determine relationships between landscape composition and spatial distribution of waterfowl in the Sandhills, and predict productivity and …