Life Sciences Commons^™

Anti-Tick Vaccine Candidate Subolesin Is Important For Blood Feeding And Innate Immune Gene Expression In Soft Ticks, Krittika Nandy, Comfort Tamakloe, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Hameeda Sultana, Girish Neelakanta

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Subolesin is a conserved molecule in both hard and soft ticks and is considered as an effective candidate molecule for the development of anti-tick vaccine. Previous studies have reported the role of subolesin in blood feeding, reproduction, development, and gene expression in hard ticks. However, studies addressing the role of subolesin in soft ticks are limited. In this study, we report that subolesin is not only important in soft tick Ornithodoros turicata americanus blood feeding but also in the regulation of innate immune gene expression in these ticks. We identified and characterized several putative innate immune genes including Toll, Lysozyme …

Effects Of Centrifugation And Washing Of Freeze-Thawed Blood On Isolated Dna Characteristics, Mevlüt Arslan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

DNA isolations from the whole blood are commonly performed to obtain DNA for molecular research and diagnostics. Generally, blood samples are taken into anticoagulant tubes and stored in deep freezers until DNA isolation. In fresh blood, pretreatments or leukocytes preparations can be performed and suggested for advanced DNA isolation. However, similar applications in freeze-thawed blood (FTB) have not been shown yet. In the study, centrifugation and washing of FTB were applied as pretreatment before DNA isolations, and their effects on isolated DNA characteristics including DNA integrity, quality, quantity, mitochondrial (mt), and nuclear (n) DNA levels were investigated. Microscopic and flow …

Identification Of A Rickettsial Endosymbiont In A Soft Tick Ornithodoros Turicata Americanus, Lichao Liu, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Hameeda Sultana, Girish Neelakanta

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Bacterial endosymbionts are abundantly found in both hard and soft ticks. Occidentia massiliensis, a rickettsial endosymbiont, was first identified in the soft tick Ornithodoros sonrai collected from Senegal and later was identified in a hard tick Africaniella transversale. In this study, we noted the presence of Occidentia species, designated as Occidentia-like species, in a soft tick O. turicata americanus. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of the two genetic markers, 16S rRNA and groEL confirmed the presence of Occidentia-like species in O. turicata americanus ticks. The Occidentia-like species was noted to be present in all developmental stages …

Breed, Age, And Sex-Related Variations In Hematological And Some Biochemicalparameters In The Tornjak Dog, Ivona Alilovic, Dunja Rukavina, Atifa Ajanovic, Cazim Crnkic, Husein Ohran, Amir Zahirovic

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

There is an increasing significance for the breed, age, and sex-related variations in hematological and biochemical parameters in veterinary medicine. The primary objective of this study was to identify possible breed-related differences and to determine the effect of age and sex on hematologic and serum biochemical parameters in the Bosnian and Herzegovinian - Croatian Shepherd dog Tornjak raised in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). Data from 19 hematological and 17 serum biochemical parameters were analyzed in the group of 100 dogs (47 females and 53 males), sexually intact and aged between one month and twelve years. Breed affected TP (total protein) …

A Comparative Study Of Blood And Milk Chemiluminescence In Healthy Cows And Withsubclinical And Clinical Mastitis, Radoslaw Skorzewski, Wieslaw Krumrych, Hanna Markiewicz, Elzbieta Sandurska

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of the study was to evaluate the luminol-dependent spontaneous and stimulated chemiluminescence (CL) of whole blood and milk in cows with subclinical and clinical mastitis. The research was carried out on 108 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows aged 3-5 years. Based on the assessment of somatic cell count (SCC) in quarter milk, the animals were divided into 3 groups: I - clinically healthy cows (n = 35), II - animals with subclinical mastitis (n = 30) and III - cows with clinical mastitis (n = 43). The material for the research was whole blood and quarter milk. The samples were …

Opioid Medication Use And Blood Dna Methylation: Epigenome-Wide Association Meta-Analysis, Mikyeong Lee, Roby Joehanes, Daniel L. Mccartney, Minjung Kho, Anke Hüls, Annah B. Wyss, Chunyu Liu, Rosie M. Walker, Sharon L.R. Kardia, Thomas S. Wingo, Adam Burkholder, Jiantao Ma, Archie Campbell, Aliza P. Wingo, Tianxiao Huan, Sinjini Sikdar, Amena Keshawarz, David A. Bennett, Jennifer A. Smith, Kathryn L. Evans, Daniel Levy, Stephanie J. London

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Aim: To identify differential methylation related to prescribed opioid use. Methods: This study examined whether blood DNA methylation, measured using Illumina arrays, differs by recent opioid medication use in four population-based cohorts. We meta-analyzed results (282 users; 10,560 nonusers) using inverse-variance weighting. Results: Differential methylation (false discovery rate <0.05) was observed at six CpGs annotated to the following genes: KIAA0226, CPLX2, TDRP, RNF38, TTC23 and GPR179. Integrative epigenomic analyses linked implicated loci to regulatory elements in blood and/or brain. Additionally, 74 CpGs were differentially methylated in males or females. Methylation at significant CpGs correlated with gene expression in blood and/or brain. Conclusion: This study identified DNA …

Analysis Of Some Heavy Metals (Cd And Pb) In The Şanlıurfa Province Using Feral Pigeonblood Samples, Özlem Ütme, Füsun Temamoğullari

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Birds serve as good biomonitors in determining environmental pollution. As for indicators of environmental pollution, we detected blood heavy metal levels in 32 female and 32 male local Feral pigeons in the central districts of Şanlıurfa, located in southeastern Turkey, in one month of each season. The samples were analyzed by coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Lead (Pb) levels were measured as 233.1 ± 25.7 μg/kg for Haliliye, 101.2 ± 29.7 μg/kg for Karaköprü, 81.3 ± 22.7 μg/kg for Eyyübiye, and 48.1 ± 27.1 μg/ kg for Suruç, whereas cadmium (Cd) levels were measured as 30.6 ± 12.6 μg/kg for Haliliye, 35.7 …

Long-Term Impact Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries On Multiple Functional Outcomes And Epigenetics: A Pilot Study With College Students, Hyunhwa Lee, Sungchul Lee, Ipuna Black, Laura Salado, Jonica Estrada, Katrina Isla

Nursing Faculty Publications

People who suffer a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) have heterogeneous symptoms and disease trajectories, which make it difficult to precisely assess long-term complications. This pilot study assessed and compared deficits in cognitive, psychosocial, visual functions, and balance performance between college students with and without histories of mTBI. Global DNA methylation ratio (5-mC%) in blood was also compared as a peripheral epigenetic marker. Twenty-five volunteers participated, including 14 healthy controls (64.3% females; mean age of 22.0) and 11 mTBI cases (27.3% females; mean age of 28.7 years) who self-reported mTBI history (63.6% multiple; 2.5 ± 1.29 injuries) with 7.1 years …

Reactive Glutamines And A Binding Site Region Contribute To Fxiii Substrate Specificity For Fibrinogen Αc, Mohammed Hindi

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

The reaction between transglutaminase factor XIII (FXIII) and fibrin is a key process in the final stages of blood coagulation. The αC region of fibrin contains three reactive glutamines (Q237, Q328, and Q366) which are crosslinked by FXIII, as well as a FXIII anchoring site (E396). Previous work has helped elucidate the FXIII-αC interaction, but much is still unknown about the key residues in the αC region.

Four crosslinking assays were carried out to characterize the contribution of the αC anchoring site and reactive glutamines in crosslinking by FXIII. The effects of individual E396A, Q366N, and Q328P (Fibrinogen Seoul II …

Serological Proteomic Screening And Evaluation Of A Recombinant Egg Antigen For The Diagnosis Of Low-Intensity Schistosoma Mansoni Infections In Endemic Area In Brazil, Vanessa Silva-Moraes, Lisa Marie Shollenberger, William Castro-Borges, Ana Lucia Teles Rabello, Donald A. Harn, Lia Carolina Soares Medeiros, Wander De Jesus Jeremias, Liliane Maria Vidal Siqueira, Caroline Stephane Salviano Pereira, Maria Luysa Camargos Pedrosa, Nathalie Bonatti Franco Almeida, Aureo Almeida, Jose Roberto Lambertucci, Nidia Francisca De Figueiredo Carneiro, Paulo Marcos Zech Coelho, Refaella Fortini Queiroz Grenfell

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Despite decades of use of control programs, schistosomiasis remains a global public health problem. To further reduce prevalence and intensity of infection, or to achieve the goal of elimination in low-endemic areas, there needs to be better diagnostic tools to detect low-intensity infections in low-endemic areas in Brazil. The rationale for development of new diagnostic tools is that the current standard test Kato-Katz (KK) is not sensitive enough to detect low-intensity infections in low-endemic areas. In order to develop new diagnostic tools, we employed a proteomics approach to identify biomarkers associated with schistosome-specific immune responses in hopes of developing …

Experience With The Quantitative Lyta Gene Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction For The Detection Of Streptococcus Pneumoniae From Pediatric Whole Blood In Pakistan, Furqan Kabir, Sahrish Muneer, Adil Kalam, Ana Sami, Shahida Qureshi, Aneeta Hotwani, Atif Riaz, Syed Mohiuddin, Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai, Sara Hussain, Syed Asad Ali, Sadia Shakoor

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: We present our experience with optimization and diagnostic use of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the lytA gene of Streptococcus pneumoniae for the detection of S. pneumoniae in whole blood of children ≥5 CFU/10 μl or 1 copy of DNA/2 μl of blood.
Methods: This assay was applied on 1912 whole blood specimens collected from children pneumonia, of which 35 specimens were lytA positive. The bacterial loads were determined through categorization of load into five different categories, i.e., very high load, high load, moderate load, low load, and very low load.
Results: Of the 35 lytA-positive …

Hematological Effects Of Etomidate And Tricaine In Common Carp, Malgorzata Witeska, Beata Teodorczuk, Katarzyna Lugowska

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Hematological effects of etomidate and tricaine at concentrations causing general anesthesia or sedation of carp juveniles were compared. Recovery of body balance took similar time in the case of both anesthetics, but fish treated with etomidate were depressed for several hours, while those subjected to tricaine immediately regained normal behavior. Immediately after exposure anesthetics caused minor hematological changes; the only statistically significant effects (decrease of hematocrit and plasma glucose) occurred after sedation with etomidate. One week after exposure a significant increase in mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration occurred in all groups of fish compared to the previous …

The Mysteries Of Your Blood, Alexandra J. Mauer

BU Well

Did you know that your blood type can be useful for determining disease susceptibility and even creating a diet that works best for your personal metabolism? The Mysteries of your Blood is an article that delves into the science behind the ABO blood types and explains why your body can handle certain foods, stress, and illness differently than someone with a different blood type. It proposes a new, perplexing way to determine how to avoid certain health problems while at the same time offering suggestions of what to eat or, rather, what to avoid eating.

The Effect Of Live Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Yeast In The Diet Of Rams On The Digestibility Of Nutrients, Nitrogen And Mineral Retention, And Blood Serum Biochemical Parameters, Barbara Kowalik, Jacek Skomial, Renata Miltko, Malgorzata Majewska

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The effect of live Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast added to the diet of rams on the digestibility of carbohydrates and protein in the total tract, retention of nitrogen and mineral elements, and concentration of biochemical parameters in blood serum was examined. The experiment was carried out on 12 Corriedale rams allocated to 2 groups of 6 animals each. The control group was fed meadow hay (45.4%), concentrate (53.2%), and a vitamin?mineral mixture (1.4%), while the second group was fed the same diet supplemented with 2 g day-1 live S. cerevisiae. Adaptation to feeding lasted 21 days; the sampling period lasted 7 …

Role Of The Dna Sensor Sting In Protection From Lethal Infection Following Corneal And Intracerebral Challenge With Herpes Simplex Virus 1, Zachary M. Parker, Aisling A. Murphy, David. A. Leib

Dartmouth Scholarship

STING is a protein in the cytosolic DNA and cyclic dinucleotide sensor pathway that is critical for the initiation of innate responses to infection by various pathogens. Consistent with this, herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) causes invariable and rapid lethality in STING-deficient (STING(-/-)) mice following intravenous (i.v.) infection. In this study, using real-time bioluminescence imaging and virological assays, as expected, we demonstrated that STING(-/-) mice support greater replication and spread in ocular tissues and the nervous system. In contrast, they did not succumb to challenge via the corneal route even with high titers of a virus that was routinely lethal …

Development Of A Molecular Gram-Stain Assay For The Diagnosis Of Blood Stream Infections Associated With Sepsis, Douglas Bryan Litwin

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Sepsis is a serious medical condition resulting from the severe dysregulation of the immune response that is generally triggered by infection. It affects more than 1.1 million Americans, has an average mortality rate of 30%, and is estimated to cost $24.3 billion annually. Currently, blood culture followed by Gram-stain analysis is the gold standard for diagnosing bacterial infections associated with sepsis. This method generates a high rate of false negative results and, in general, requires 20 to 48 hr to provide results. Both of these problems are related to the requirement that the bacterial pathogens grow under defined laboratory conditions. …

Much Work Still To Be Done To Prevent Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections, Kevin T. Kavanagh, Lindsay Calderon, Daniel Saman

Biological Sciences Faculty and Staff Research

Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI) are all too common and often fatal events. To estimate the number of preventable CLABSIs, the authors analyzed SIR (Standardized Infection Ratio) and the number of CLABSI data from Hospital Com-pare. Several studies have suggested that an SIR of 0.35 may be achievable. If all institutions were able to perform at this level, then almost 50% of CLABSI would be prevented.

A Food-Based Dietary Strategy Lowers Blood Pressure In A Low Socio-Economic Setting: A Randomised Study In South Africa, Karen E. Charlton, Naomi Levitt, Krisela Steyn, Deborah Jonathan, Nomonde Gwebushe, Nasheeta Peer, Katja Rossouw, Theresa Gogela, Carl J. Lombard

Karen E. Charlton

Objective To assess the impact of a food-based intervention on blood pressure (BP) in free-living South African men and women aged 50–75 years, with drug-treated mild-to-moderate hypertension. Methods A double-blind controlled trial was undertaken in eighty drug-treated mild-to-moderate hypertensive subjects randomised to an intervention (n 40) or control (n 40) arm. The intervention was 8-week provision of six food items with a modified cation content (salt replacement (SOLO™), bread, margarine, stock cubes, soup mix and a flavour enhancer) and 500 ml of maas (fermented milk)/d. The control diet provided the same quantities of the targeted foods but of standard commercial …

G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 4 Polymorphisms Predict Blood Pressure Response To Dietary Modification In Black Patients With Mild-To-Moderate Hypertension, B Rayner, R Ramesar, K Steyn, N Levitt, C Lombard, K Charlton

Karen E. Charlton

No abstract provided.

Blood Pressure Is Associated With Markers Of Endogenous Fat Metabolism, K Charlton, E Warensjo, Linda Tapsell, M Batterham, J O'Shea

Karen E. Charlton

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Alpha-Cyclodextrin On Acute Blood Lipid And Glycemic Responses To A Fat Containg Meal, Evan Neil Fletcher

Wayne State University Theses

Obesity and hyperlipidemia have become major concerns in the United States over the past 30 years. Alpha-Cyclodextrin (á-CD), a naturally occurring soluble dietary fiber, has been shown to reduce dietary fat absorption and improve blood lipid levels in an animal model (mouse and rat) and in human studies. In the current double blind study, 34 healthy male and female participants were recruited to test if á-CD had any acute effect on blood lipid and glycemic responses to a fat containing meal. The participants received the á-CD on one occasion and a placebo the other to determine if there was any …

Blood Chemistry, Thyroid Hormones, And Insulin Serum Content In Bulls Fed A Ration Limited In Energy, Adam Oler, Beata Glowinska

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of this study was to determine blood biochemical profile and selected hormone concentrations in bulls fed a diet limited in energy content. Bulls in the experimental group (I) over the 63 days prior to slaughter were provided with ration energy limited to 80% of the maintenance requirement. Animals in the control group (II) received a balanced ration. Blood samples from all of the animals were collected 3 times (A, B, C). The decrease in the ration energy level did not have a significant effect on the concentrations of glucose, total protein, total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins, triglycerides, and the …

Influence Of Blood Storage Time On Viral Rna Extraction For The Detection Of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus In Persistently Infected Cattle, Yingxia Liu, Jie Cao, Junjie Zhang, Kai Huang, Changming Qi

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study aimed to determine the maximum permissible storage times of blood and serum infected with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). Viral RNA was successfully extracted from blood and serum that were stored at room temperature (RT) for 7 days and was detected by 1-step RT-PCR. The results of this study demonstrate that BVDV-infected blood can be stored at RT for 7 days and that serum can be stored for 10 days without influencing the viral RNA extraction for the detection of BVDV.

Dna Methylation Arrays As Surrogate Measures Of Cell Mixture Distribution, Eugene Houseman, William P. Accomando, Devin C. Koestler, Brock C. Christensen, Carmen J. Marsit

Dartmouth Scholarship

There has been a long-standing need in biomedical research for a method that quantifies the normally mixed composition of leukocytes beyond what is possible by simple histological or flow cytometric assessments. The latter is restricted by the labile nature of protein epitopes, requirements for cell processing, and timely cell analysis. In a diverse array of diseases and following numerous immune-toxic exposures, leukocyte composition will critically inform the underlying immuno-biology to most chronic medical conditions. Emerging research demonstrates that DNA methylation is responsible for cellular differentiation, and when measured in whole peripheral blood, serves to distinguish cancer cases from controls.

The Effect Of Dairy Consumption On Blood Pressure In Mid-Childhood: Caps Cohort Study, A M. Rangan, V L. Flood, G Denyer, J G. Ayer, K L. Webb, G B. Marks, D S. Celermajer, Tim Gill

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background/objectives: It has been postulated that higher dairy consumption may affect blood pressure regulation. The aim of this study was to examine the association between dairy consumption and blood pressure in mid-childhood. Methods: Subjects (n=335) were participants of a birth cohort at high risk of asthma withinformation on diet at 18 months and blood pressure at 8 years. Multivariate analyses were used to assess the association of dairy consumption (serves) and micronutrient intakes (mg) at 18 m with blood pressure at 8 y. In a subgroup of children (n=201), dietary intake was measured at age 18 m and 9 y …

Influence Of High Glycemic Index And Glycemic Load Diets On Blood Pressure During Adolescence, Bamini Gopinath, Victoria M. Flood, Elena Rochtchina, Louise A. Baur, Wayne Smith, Paul Mitchell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

We aimed to prospectively examine the association between the glycemic index and glycemic load of foods consumed and the dietary intakes of carbohydrates, sugars, fiber, and principal carbohydrate-containing food groups (eg, breads, cereals, and sugary drinks) with changes in blood pressure during adolescence. A total of 858 students aged 12 years at baseline (422 girls and 436 boys) were examined from 2004-2005 to 2009-2011. Dietary data were assessed from validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires. Blood pressure was measured using a standard protocol. In girls, after adjusting for age, ethnicity, parental education, parental history of hypertension, baseline height, baseline blood pressure, …

Influence Of Dietary Modifications On The Blood Pressure Response To Antihypertensive Medication, Catherine E. Huggins, Claire Margerison, Anthony Worsley, Caryl A. Nowson

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Identifying dietary modifications that potentiate the blood pressure (BP)-lowering effects of antihypertensive medications and that are practical for free-living people may assist in achieving BP reduction goals. We assessed whether two dietary patterns were effective in lowering BP in persons on antihypertensive therapy and in those not on therapy. Ninety-four participants (38/56 females/males), aged 55·6 (SD 9·9) years, consumed two 4-week dietary regimens in random order (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)-type diet and low-Na high-K (LNAHK) diet) with a control diet before each phase. Seated home BP was measured daily for the last 2 weeks in each phase. Participants …

The Effects Of Ichthyophthiriasis On Some Haematological Parameters In Common Carp, Malgorzata Witeska, Elzbieta Kondera, Katarzyna Lugowska

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The present study examined the haematological effects of ichthyophthiriasis in common carp. Blood was collected from 4 groups of juvenile carp: 1. healthy; 2. with minor symptoms of ichthyophthiriasis; 3. with severe symptoms of ichthyophthiriasis (moribund); survivors of ichthyophthiriasis after a 3-week recovery period. Blood was subjected to a standard haematological procedure and the following parameters were evaluated: haematocrit (Ht), haemoglobin concentration (Hb), erythrocyte (RBC) and leukocyte (WBC) counts, mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH), and mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC). The differential leukocyte count and thrombocyte count were calculated using stained blood smears. No change in Ht …

Validation Of Fingertip Whole Blood Against Common Blood Biomarkers Of Omega-3 Status In A Dose-Response Intervention, C E. Sparkes, A J. Sinclair, R A. Gibson, P L. Else, B J. Meyer

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Sweating And Skin Blood Flow Changes During Progressive Dehydration, Christiano Machado-Moreira, Joanne Caldwell, Anne Van Den Heuvel, Pete Kerry, Gregory E. Peoples, Nigel A.S. Taylor

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Cutaneous vasodilatation is essential for the convective delivery of heat from the body core to the periphery, whilst the evaporation of sweat dissipates this heat from the skin surface. Both of these physiological mechanisms must continue to function optimally for effective body temperature regulation to be sustained when exercising in the heat.