Cognition And Inflammation In Youth With Perinatal Hiv, Megan Niehaus, Julie Mannarino, Jacob Bolzenius, Tori Frerichs, Robert Paul

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Background: Perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV) remains a major global health challenge. Approximately 90% of the global population of PHIV reside in low- or middle-income countries (LMICs) where access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) remains incomplete, particularly for PHIV. With PHIV, the brain is exposed to the virus during critical periods of brain development without the immunological benefits from ART. Unlike adults with horizontally acquired HIV whose nadir CD4+ Tcell count is a strong correlate of cognitive difficulties that persist after sustained use of ART, cognitive symptoms among PHIV youth are independent of traditional HIV disease metrics. Prior studies indicate that PHIV …

Root Lesion And Burrowing Nematodes And Their Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Nematodes are common soil pests that feed on the roots of a wide range of crops in all agricultural areas of Western Australia, resulting in significant crop yield loss. Root lesion nematode can be managed but not eradicated.

This factsheet summarises the biology of the root lesion nematode (RLN, Pratylenchus spp.) and burrowing nematode (Radopholus spp.) species that damage Western Australian (WA) crops, and their diagnosis and management.

Armyworms And Their Management In Cereal Crops, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Armyworms are pests of cereals crops. They are frequently found along the south coast of Western Australia and occasionally in other grainbelt locations.

When barley crops are maturing in spring, large armyworm caterpillars climb plants and can chew through the stems, causing the heads to fall to the ground. Damage to wheat and oat crops occurs less frequently and is usually minor compared to damage in barley. Armyworms are seldom a serious problem in pastures.

Aphid Feeding Damage And Its Management In Cereal Crops, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Adult and nymph aphids suck sap from cereal crops, with large populations, especially in winter and spring, limiting grain yield and size. This page relates to feeding damage from oat aphid (Rhopalosiphon padi) and corn aphid (Rhopalosiphon maidis) in the absence of virus, and Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia).

Characterization Of High-Risk-Other Human Papillomavirus Genotypes In Papanicolaou Tests, High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions, And Cervical Cancer, Caitlin E. Witt, Elizabeth F. Sutton, Ashley M. Stansbury, Ashley N. Winters, Luke C. Konur, Meng Luo, Jennifer E. Cameron, Beverly Ogden

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes of high-risk-other HPV Papanicolaou (Pap) tests and of biopsy tissues from patients with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HGSIL) or cervical cancer. High-risk-other HPV status was determined with the cobas HPV Test (Roche Diagnostics, North America) that identifies 12 high-risk, non-16/18 HPV genotypes. We hypothesized that we would find genotypes of HPV in our population that are not covered by the 9-valent HPV vaccine. Methods: For this retrospective cohort study, we randomly selected 50 high-risk-other HPV Pap test samples from 2018 from our pathology department registries for …

Understanding Primate Immunity To African Trypanosomes Through The Characterization Of Trypanosome Lytic Factor Formation And Function, Sara Fresard

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

African trypanosomes cause an annual loss of over 1 billion USD due to their economic and agricultural burden in Sub-Saharan Africa. These parasites are unicellular, extracellular parasites, that infect humans, cattle, and other livestock. Humans and some non-human primates are protected against most species of trypanosomes due to an innate immunity factor, Trypanosome Lytic Factor (TLF). This modified High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) contains two unique proteins, Haptoglobin Related Protein (HPR), a ligand to a trypanosome surface receptor, and Apolipoprotein-L1 (APOL1), the lytic component. Our overall goal is to use our understanding of primate immunity to create genetically modified cattle that …

Exploring Berberine As A Novel Therapeutic Agent Against Staphylococcus Aureus Infections: Targeting Inflammation And Antibiotic Resistance, Daniel Kopulos

NYMC Student Theses and Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile Gram-positive bacterium commonly found on human skin. While often harmless, it can cause various infections when the skin is compromised, ranging from minor issues to life-threatening conditions in immunocompromised individuals.

The bacterium’s ability to resist antibiotics, particularly methicillin, underscores its clinical challenge. Staphylococcus aureus can also acquire vancomycin resistance. It evades immune responses through multiple mechanisms, including capsule formation, interference with immune proteins like staphylococcal protein A, and secretion of toxins such as Panton-Valentine Leukocidin. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing effective strategies against Staphylococcus aureus infections.

The immune response to Staphylococcus aureus infections …

Combination Therapy Of Ido1 Inhibition And Anti-Pd1 Mediates Anti-Tumor Immunity By Promoting Memory Immunity Development And Cytotoxicity Of Γδ T And Nk Cells Via Il-2 Signaling And By Overcoming Pro-Tumor Effects Of Tgf-Β Signaling, Hyuk Jee

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Cutaneous melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer even though it takes only about 1% of all skin cancers. Even among all cutaneous melanomas, NRAS-mutant melanoma is more aggressive than any other, and about 10-25% of all cutaneous melanoma cases have mutations in NRAS. NRAS is a member of the RAS family of proto-oncogenic GTPase proteins, and it plays a key role in signal transduction pathways responsible for cellular survival, proliferation, and metabolism. Immunotherapy is the first line of defense against NRAS-mutant melanoma because, despite tremendous efforts made for decades, it has not been successful to develop small …

Testing Strategies To Develop A Mucosal T Cell Inducing Vaccine For Hiv-1, Reynolds Boone

Master's Theses

Despite numerous efforts, HIV vaccine is still not available. Because HIV Envelop protein varies among subtypes and isolates, it is impossible for one vaccine against HIV Env to induce neutralizing antibodies against all subtypes and isolates. Previous vaccine attempts inducing HIV-specific CD4+ T cells have even been shown to enhance the HIV infection because HIV preferentially infects activated CD4+ T cells. It is known that CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) play an important role in controlling HIV infections. We hypothesize that a vaccine inducing only CD8+ CTLs but not CD4+ T cells will be effective in preventing HIV infections. Thus, …

The Anti-Inflammatory Properties Of Exopolysaccharide From Bacillus Subtilis, Nikolay Todorov

Master's Theses

Commensal microorganisms can be used therapeutically to ameliorate a variety of diseases. The laboratory of Dr. Katherine L. Knight studies these therapeutic properties in the commensal microorganism known as Bacillus subtilis. Previously, the Knight lab has demonstrated that B. subtilis can protect against colitis caused by Citrobacter rodentium suggesting that B. subtilis possesses anti-inflammatory properties. These properties are specific to the polysaccharide capsule of the microorganism known as exopolysaccharide or EPS. EPS can be produced and purified for study. EPS has been demonstrated to be protective in a variety of diseases such as allergic eosinophilia, sepsis, Graft versus Host disease, …

Characterization Of Cd11c-Expressing Gut-Associated T Cells, Ana Cvetkovic

Master's Theses

Our immune system is a remarkable defense network that protects our bodies from a range of threats. Its’ intricate machinery comprises of messenger and effector cells that work together to coordinate an effective immune response. Traditionally, T lymphocytes have been considered effectors: they receive instructions from messengers, known as Antigen Presenting Cells (APCs), that alter T-cell activation state and behavior. In the gut, Dendritic Cells (DCs) are the APCs that most often instruct T cells. To accomplish their messenger role, DCs express CD11c at high levels, a surface marker involved in cell-to-cell signaling and phagocytosis. As such, CD11c expression has …

Alternative Approaches To Live Attenuated Oral Rotavirus Vaccines, Makoye Mhozya Kanyema, Junhong Wang, Gui-Lian Yang, Xin Cao, Chunfeng Wang

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Oral attenuated rotavirus vaccine is safe and effective in developed countries but, however, it is less effective in low income countries such as African and Asian countries. Low vaccine effectiveness in low-income countries is arising from a variety of sources such as maternal antibodies, chronic enteropathy and other enteric diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and parasitic diseases, as well as the microbiota. There is increasingly evidence related to the risk of intussusception for the oral vaccine. The development of effective and safer rotavirus vaccines, particularly, non-living candidates, is critical. The aim of this review therefore is to explore some of …

Sounding The Alarm: Local Cues That Drive Functional Specialization Of Brain Resident Memory T Cells, Shawn Christopher Musial Jr.

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Resident memory T cells are a unique subset of memory T cells that persist within tissues throughout the body, including the brain, optimally positioned to exert local immune activation. Broadly, T cells in the CNS are implicated in a range of neurologic disorders, can protect against reinfection, and even participate in normal CNS homeostasis. Despite this, there remain significant gaps in knowledge about how T cells, specifically resident memory T cells (T_RM), are regulated and function in the unique CNS environment. Here, we leverage a mouse model of acute viral infection to dissect the diversity of brain T …

Efficacy Of Probiotics In Decreasing Rates Of Necrotizing Enterocolitis And Sepsis In Preterm Neonates, Valisa K. Teekadharry

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: The incidence of preterm infants developing serious infections is a common finding in many neonatal intensive care units. Probiotics have been a supplement that has been used by numerous people to improve the microbiota of the intestine for prevention of infection.

Purpose: The purpose of this literature review is to explore the efficacy of using probiotics in preterm infants for prevention of serious infections such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and sepsis.

Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using Lindell Library, Pub Med, Science Direct and Google Scholar. Using the search terms probiotics, probiotics in premature infants, probiotics and …

Emotional Response In Working Memory Of Individuals With Latent Toxoplasmosis, Antonella Quimbayo

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Toxoplasma gondii is a prevalent parasite that infects about 30% of the world population. House cats and other felids serve as definitive hosts and acquire Toxoplasma by consuming infected prey, which are intermediate hosts. This includes rats and avians, but also large mammals such as wolves and deer. Toxoplasma gondii is known to manipulate prey behavior to enhance its transmission. For example, infected rodents demonstrates attraction to and curiosity around cat urine. Wolves infected with Toxoplasma were 11 times more likely to disperse from their pack and start a new pack. The manipulation of intermediate host behavior observed in rodents …

Inactivated Rabies-Based Lassa Fever Virus Vaccine Candidate Lassarab Protects Nonhuman Primates From Lethal Disease, Gabrielle Scher, Catherine Yankowski, Drishya Kurup, Nicole Josleyn, Eric Wilkinson, Jay Wells, Jesse Steffens, Ginger Lynn, Sean Vantongeren, Xiankun Zeng, Nancy Twenhafel, Kathleen Cashman, Matthias Schnell

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

Lassa fever virus (LASV), a member of the Arenavirus family, is the etiological agent of Lassa fever, a severe hemorrhagic disease that causes considerable morbidity and mortality in the endemic areas of West Africa. LASV is a rodent-borne CDC Tier One biological threat agent and is on the World Health Organization's (WHO) Priority Pathogen list. Currently, no FDA-licensed vaccines or specific therapeutics are available. Here, we describe the efficacy of a deactivated rabies virus (RABV)-based vaccine encoding the glycoprotein precursor (GPC) of LASV (LASSARAB). Nonhuman primates (NHPs) were administered a two-dose regimen of LASSARAB or an irrelevant RABV-based vaccine to …

Dying Right: Supporting Anti-Cancer Therapy Through Immunogenic Cell Death, Elizabeth Schmitz

Theses & Dissertations

The primary goal of most anti-cancer therapy is to eradicate neoplastic cells. Simultaneously, neoplastic cell death is the first step of the cancer-immunity cycle, which starts with the release of antigens from cancer cells and ends with T-cell directed killing of cancer cells, in addition to long-standing memory to tumor antigens encountered. Immunogenic damage-associated-molecular patterns (DAMPs) are endogenous cell molecules repurposed in times of insurmountable cell stress (e.g., CALR, ATP, HMGB1) to facilitate communication between dying cells and adaptive immune cells, acting as adjuvants for the cancer-immunity cycle, in a cellular fate termed immunogenic cell death (ICD). It …

Analyzing Hiv/Aids Trends And Disparities In The Bronx: A Comparative Study With Nyc Boroughs, Caleb Adjei

CUNY Mexican Studies Institute

This study analyzes changes in reported HIV/AIDS cases over time in the Bronx, identifying the racial/ethnic groups and neighborhoods most affected by the disease. The Bronx consistently exhibits the highest rate of new HIV diagnoses among New York City’s boroughs, with Latino/Hispanic and Black populations being disproportionately impacted. Key neighborhoods like High Bridge-Morrisania, Crotona-Tremont, and Fordham-Bronx Park have the highest case concentrations. Despite advancements in healthcare and treatments like antiretroviral therapy, disparities persist. The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to support the most affected communities and address the underlying social determinants contributing to the disparities in HIV/AIDS diagnoses.

The Role Of Southern Red-Backed Voles, Myodes Gapperi, And Peromyscus Mice In The Enzootic Maintenance Of Lyme Disease Spirochetes In North Dakota, Usa, Michael W. Dougherty, Nathan M. Russart, Robert A. Gaultney, Emily Marie Gisi, Haley M. Cooper, Lindsey R. Kallis, Catherine A. Brissette, Jefferson A. Vaughan

Biology Faculty Publications

Lyme disease has expanded into the Great Plains of the USA. To investigate local enzootic transmission, small mammals were trapped in two forested tracts in northeastern North Dakota during 2012 and 2013. Peromyscus mice and southern red-backed voles, Myodes gapperi, comprised over 90% of all mammals captured. One site was dominated by Peromyscus (79% of 100 mammals captured). At the other site, M. gapperi (59% of 107 mammals captured) was more abundant than Peromyscus (36%). Immature stages of two tick species parasitized small mammals: Dermacentor variabilis and Ixodes scapularis. Larval I. scapularis ectoparasitism was significantly higher on Peromyscus (81% …

Lactoferrin And Lysozyme To Promote Nutritional, Clinical And Enteric Recovery: A Protocol For A Factorial, Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Randomised Trial Among Children With Diarrhoea And Malnutrition (The Boresha Afya Trial), Ruchi Tiwari, Kirkby Tickell, Emily Yoshioka, Joyce Otieno, Adeel Shah, Barbra Richardson, Lucia Keter, Maureen Okello, Churchil Nyabinda, Indi Trehan

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Introduction: Children with moderate or severe wasting are at particularly high risk of recurrent or persistent diarrhoea, nutritional deterioration and death following a diarrhoeal episode. Lactoferrin and lysozyme are nutritional supplements that may reduce the risk of recurrent diarrhoeal episodes and accelerate nutritional recovery by treating or preventing underlying enteric infections and/or improving enteric function.

Methods and analysis: In this factorial, blinded, placebo-controlled randomised trial, we aim to determine the efficacy of lactoferrin and lysozyme supplementation in decreasing diarrhoea incidence and improving nutritional recovery in Kenyan children convalescing from comorbid diarrhoea and wasting. Six hundred children aged 6–24 months with …

Uncovering The Hidden Diversity Of Antibody Heavy Chains And Their Implications For Autoantibody Mediated Disease., Easton Earl Ford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the diversity of antibody (IG) molecules at the DNA and RNA level is imperative for understanding immunological processes and disease. Much of the work to uncover IG diversity has been focused on diversity in the variable region of the IG molecule which is crucial for antigen binding. However, the diversity of the constant region responsible for the functions of IG has largely been ignored in the field of immunogenetics. The work presented in this thesis challenges the dogma that the constant region is invariant in terms of genetic diversity. In this thesis we present the development of a long-read …

Molecular Mechanisms Of Exercise-Stimulated Resolution Of Inflammation And Its Dietary Dependence., Ernesto H. Pena Calderin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diet-induced obesity and adipose tissue (AT) inflammation that ensues sets the stage for systemic metabolic inflammation, disrupted insulin signaling, and eventual type 2 diabetes (T2D) development. At the center of this pathology lies a disruption in endogenous inflammation resolution pathways characterized by an imbalance in lipid mediator production (greater abundance of pro-inflammatory to pro-resolving lipids). Additionally, obese states are characterized by adrenergic deficiency, especially in response to physical activity. Inflammatory processes have been experimentally mitigated by either the pharmacological inhibition of pro-inflammatory signals (i.e., Leukotriene B₄ (LTB₄) and its receptor BLT1, which establishes a potent chemotactic stimulus …

Comprehensive Investigation Into The Molecular Mechanisms Driving The Emergence Of Emm4 Group A Streptococcus, Chioma Odo, Samuel A Shelburne, Anthony R. Flores, Steven J Norris, Anna Konovalova, Blake Hanson

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Abstract

Comprehensive Investigation into the Molecular Mechanisms Driving the Emergence of emm4 Group A Streptococcus

Chioma Modeline Odo, M.S.

Advisory Professor: Samuel A. Shelburne, MD, Ph.D.

The major gram-positive bacterium group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a model organism for studying microbial epidemics as it is well known to cause infections that occur in waves. GAS strains are grouped based on the composition of the N-terminal sequence of the M protein which is encoded by the emm gene. With the advent of large-scale whole genome sequencing, GAS clonal emergence events in emm1, emm3, and emm89 types have been identified …

Tsyn-Seq: A T Cell Synapse-Based Antigen Identification Platform, Yimei Jin

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Tools for genome-wide rapid identification of peptide–major histocompatibility complex targets of T-cell receptors (TCRs) are not yet universally available. We present a new antigen screening method, the T-synapse (Tsyn) reporter system, which includes antigen-presenting cells (APCs) with a Fas-inducible NF-κB reporter and T cells with a nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) reporter. To functionally screen for target antigens from a cDNA library, productively interacting T cell–APC aggregates were detected by dual reporter activity and enriched by flow sorting followed by antigen identification quantified by deep sequencing (Tsyn-seq). When applied to a previously characterized TCR specific for the E7 …

The Role Of An Ultraconserved Long Non-Coding Rna In B-Cell Lymphomagenesis, Swati Mohapatra

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Ultraconserved regions (UCRs) are genomic segments with perfect (100%) conservation between the orthologous regions of human, rat, and mouse genomes. UCRs can be transcribed into mono-exonic long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) known as transcribed ultraconserved regions (T-UCRs). These regions, despite lacking protein-coding potential, are increasingly recognized for their regulatory roles in gene expression, including the modulation of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) transcripts. NcRNAs play crucial roles in cellular processes, including oncogenic transformation, with emerging evidence revealing their ability to encode small peptides known as ncRNA-encoded peptides (ncPEPs). These peptides, originating from small open reading frames (smORFs), contribute to diverse cellular functions and …

Candida Albicans Farnesol Synthesis And Secretion, Daniel J. Gutzmann

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Candida albicans is a polymorphic fungus and opportunistic commensal found primarily in the gastrointestinal and skin of healthy individuals. Several barriers prevent C. albicans from causing disease including a healthy immune system and microbiome. When these barriers become comprised, C. albicans can transition to a pathogen and disseminate through the intestinal mucosa leading to life-threatening bloodstream and invasive infections with mortality rates of up to 64%. Morphogenic plasticity is key to this transition and impacts virulence, adaptation to different host environments, and evasion of host immune responses. One regulator of morphogenesis is farnesol. Farnesol is a secondary metabolite of …

Partial Immunity To Mycoplasma Gallisepticum After An Initial Infection Is Long-Lasting And Reduces Transmission In Flocks Of Canaries, Madeline Sudnick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pathology during a second infection can be influenced by immunity and an increase in resistance or tolerance of individuals. Population-level differences in the ability to maintain immunity can lead to contrasting survival outcomes between groups and determine how future outbreaks will spread. However, long term wildlife disease surveillance can be challenging due to lack of infrastructure and host-pathogen specific tests. Calculating disease transmission likelihood requires understanding individual-level heterogeneity in pathology and behavior, and there is limited knowledge in understanding how populations in different stages of an epidemic will transmit disease. In Chapter I, we aim to help fill a gap …

Adaptative Survival Of Aspergillus Fumigatus To Echinocandins Arises From Cell Wall Remodeling Beyond Β−1,3-Glucan Synthesis Inhibition, Malitha C. Dickwella Widanage, Isha Gautam, Daipayan Sarkar, Frederic Mentink-Vigier, Josh V. Vermaas, Shi You Ding, Andrew S. Lipton, Thierry Fontaine, Jean Paul Latgé, Ping Wang, Tuo Wang

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Antifungal echinocandins inhibit the biosynthesis of β−1,3-glucan, a major and essential polysaccharide component of the fungal cell wall. However, the efficacy of echinocandins against the pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus is limited. Here, we use solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) and other techniques to show that echinocandins induce dynamic changes in the assembly of mobile and rigid polymers within the A. fumigatus cell wall. The reduction of β−1,3-glucan induced by echinocandins is accompanied by a concurrent increase in levels of chitin, chitosan, and highly polymorphic α−1,3-glucans, whose physical association with chitin maintains cell wall integrity and modulates water permeability. The rearrangement of …

Adaptive Immune Profiling Of Sin Nombre Hantavirus And Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection, Tonilynn M. Baranowski

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Hantaviruses are causative agents of potentially fatal respiratory illness and/or organ failure in humans worldwide. In the United States, the predominant hantavirus species, Sin Nombre hantavirus (SNV), causes a severe disease pathology, called hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS). Infection with SNV and subsequent clinical manifestations of HCPS lends itself to case fatality rates approaching 40%, even under supportive care. This is partially due to the lack of FDA-approved vaccines and antivirals, in addition to a deficit in our knowledge regarding the human immune response to SNV. Further investigation of the adaptive immune response may reveal key targets to mediate disease outcome. …

Co-Localization Of Osteoclasts Differentiation Markers In An Implant Model In Diabetic Mice, Diego Adobbati, Deborah Rocha Seixas, Danieli Rodrigues, Claudia C. Biguetti

School of Podiatric Medicine - Student Research

Introduction and Hypothesis: Diabetes can impair implant osseointegration and impact implant functionality. While significant research has focused on osteogenesis during the osseointegration, little attention has been given to pre-osteoclast differentiation. We hypothesize that diabetes increases pre-osteoclast activity potentially leading to implant failure. This study aims to identify and localize osteoclast markers, specifically DC-STAMP (Dendritic Cell-Specific Transmembrane Protein) and NFATc2 (Nuclear Factor of Activated T-cells, cytoplasmic 2), in diabetic (D) and non-diabetic (ND) mice.

Methodology: Twenty-four 16-week-old male 129 Sv mice (12 diabetic and 12 non-diabetic) underwent implantation with a 0.5x1.5 mm commercially pure titanium screw in the right maxillary bone. …