Microbiology Commons^™

Was Kaposi’S Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Introduced Into China Via The Ancient Silk Road? An Evolutionary Perspective, Zhenqiu Liu, Qiwen Fang, Jialu Zuo, Veenu Minhas, Charles Wood, Na He, Tiejun Zhang

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) has become widely dispersed worldwide since it was first reported in 1994, but the seroprevalence of KSHV varies geographically. KSHV is relatively ubiquitous in Mediterranean areas and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. The origin of KSHV has long been puzzling. In the present study, we collected and analysed 154 KSHV ORF-K1 sequences obtained from samples originating from Xinjiang, Italy, Greece, Iran and southern Siberia using Bayesian evolutionary analysis in BEAST to test the hypothesis that KSHV was introduced into Xinjiang via the ancient Silk Road. According to the phylogenetic analysis, 72 sequences were subtype A …

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (Sars-Cov-2) Testing And Detection During Peripartum Hospitalizations Among A Multicenter Cohort Of Pregnant Persons: March 2020-February 2021, Miranda J Delahoy, Flor Munoz, De-Kun Li, Carmen Sofia Arriola, Nanette Lee Bond, Michael Daugherty, Jeannette Ferber, Nickolas Ferguson, Louise Hadden, Jillian T Henderson, Stephanie A Irving, Mary Juergens, Venkatesh Kancharla, Mara Greenberg, Roxana Odouli, Gabriella Newes-Adeyi, Erin G Nicholson, Lawrence Reichle, Momodou Sanyang, Margaret Snead, Fatimah S Dawood, Allison L Naleway

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Identifying severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections during peripartum hospitalizations is important to guide care, implement prevention measures, and understand infection burden.

METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis used electronic health record data from hospitalizations during which pregnancies ended (peripartum hospitalizations) among a cohort of pregnant persons at 3 US integrated healthcare networks (sites 1-3). Maternal demographic, medical encounter, SARS-CoV-2 testing, and pregnancy and neonatal outcome information was extracted for persons with estimated delivery and pregnancy end dates during March 2020-February 2021 and ≥1 antenatal care record. Site-stratified multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with testing …

Acute High-Fat Diet Impairs Macrophage-Supported Intestinal Damage Resolution, Andrea A Hill, Myunghoo Kim, Daniel F Zegarra-Ruiz, Lin-Chun Chang, Kendra Norwood, Adrien Assié, Wan-Jung H Wu, Michael C Renfroe, Hyo Wong Song, Angela M Major, Buck S Samuel, Joseph M Hyser, Randy S Longman, Gretchen E Diehl

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Chronic exposure to high-fat diets (HFD) worsens intestinal disease pathology, but acute effects of HFD in tissue damage remain unclear. Here, we used short-term HFD feeding in a model of intestinal injury and found sustained damage with increased cecal dead neutrophil accumulation, along with dietary lipid accumulation. Neutrophil depletion rescued enhanced pathology. Macrophages from HFD-treated mice showed reduced capacity to engulf dead neutrophils. Macrophage clearance of dead neutrophils activates critical barrier repair and antiinflammatory pathways, including IL-10, which was lost after acute HFD feeding and intestinal injury. IL-10 overexpression restored intestinal repair after HFD feeding and intestinal injury. Macrophage exposure …

Ifn-Γ Production By Brain-Resident Cells Activates Cerebral Mrna Expression Of A Wide Spectrum Of Molecules Critical For Both Innate And T Cell-Mediated Protective Immunity To Control Reactivation Of Chronic Infection With Toxoplasma Gondii, Yasuhiro Suzuki, Jenny Lutshumba, Kuey Chu Chen, Mohamed H. Abdelaziz, Qila Sa, Eri Ochiai

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

We previously demonstrated that brain-resident cells produce IFN-g in response to reactivation of cerebral infection with Toxoplasma gondii. To obtain an overall landscape view of the effects of IFN-g from brain-resident cells on the cerebral protective immunity, in the present study we employed NanoString nCounter assay and quantified mRNA levels for 734 genes in myeloid immunity in the brains of T and B cell-deficient, bone marrow chimeric mice with and without IFN-g production by brain-resident cells in response to reactivation of cerebral T. gondii infection. Our study revealed that IFN-g produced by brain-resident cells amplified mRNA expression for the molecules …

The Nlrp3 Inflammasome Fires Up Heme-Induced Inflammation In Hemolytic Conditions, Suruchi Salgar, Beatriz E Bolívar, Jonathan M Flanagan, Shaniqua J Anum, Lisa Bouchier-Hayes

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Overactive inflammatory responses are central to the pathophysiology of many hemolytic conditions including sickle cell disease. Excessive hemolysis leads to elevated serum levels of heme due to saturation of heme scavenging mechanisms. Extracellular heme has been shown to activate the NLRP3 inflammasome, leading to activation of caspase-1 and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18. Heme also activates the non-canonical inflammasome pathway, which may contribute to NLRP3 inflammasome formation and leads to pyroptosis, a type of inflammatory cell death. Some clinical studies indicate there is a benefit to blocking the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in patients with sickle cell disease and …

Sumoylation Regulates Functional Properties Of The Oocyte Transcription Factors Sohlh1 And Nobox, Bethany K Patton, Surabhi Madadi, Shawn M Briley, Avery A Ahmed, Stephanie A Pangas

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

SOHLH1 and NOBOX are oocyte-expressed transcription factors with critical roles in ovary development and fertility. In mice, Sohlh1 and Nobox are essential for fertility through their regulation of the oocyte transcriptional network and cross-talk to somatic cells. Sumoylation is a posttranslational modification that regulates transcription factor function, and we previously showed that mouse oocytes deficient for sumoylation had an altered transcriptional landscape that included significant changes in NOBOX target genes. Here, we show that mouse SOHLH1 is modified by SUMO2/3 at lysine 345 and mutation of this residue alters SOHLH1 nuclear to cytoplasmic localization. In NOBOX, we identify a non-consensus …

Broad Protective Vaccination Against Systemic Escherichia Coli With Autotransporter Antigens, Yikun Xing, Justin R Clark, James D Chang, Dylan M Chirman, Sabrina Green, Jacob J Zulk, Joseph Jelinski, Kathryn A Patras, Anthony W Maresso

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) is the leading cause of adult life-threatening sepsis and urinary tract infections (UTI). The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) ExPEC strains result in a considerable amount of treatment failure and hospitalization costs, and contribute to the spread of drug resistance amongst the human microbiome. Thus, an effective vaccine against ExPEC would reduce morbidity and mortality and possibly decrease carriage in healthy or diseased populations. A comparative genomic analysis demonstrated a gene encoding an invasin-like protein, termed sinH, annotated as an autotransporter protein, shows high prevalence in various invasive ExPEC phylogroups, especially those associated with …

Displaying And Delivering Viral Membrane Antigens Via Ww Domain–Activated Extracellular Vesicles, Sengjin Choi, Zhiping Yang, Qiyu Wang, Zhi Qiao, Maoyun Sun, Joshua Wiggins, Shi-Hua Xiang, Quan Lu

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Membrane proteins expressed on the surface of enveloped viruses are conformational antigens readily recognized by B cells of the immune system. An effective vaccine would require the synthesis and delivery of these native conformational antigens in lipid membranes that preserve specific epitope structures. We have created an extracellular vesicle–based technology that allows viral membrane antigens to be selectively recruited onto the surface of WW domain–activated extracellular vesicles (WAEVs). Budding of WAEVs requires secretory carrier-associated membrane protein 3, which through its proline-proline-alanine-tyrosine motif interacts with WW domains to recruit fused viral membrane antigens onto WAEVs. Immunization with influenza and HIV viral …

Displaying And Delivering Viral Membrane Antigens Via Ww Domain–Activated Extracellular Vesicles, Sengjin Choi, Zhiping Yang, Qiyu Wang, Zhi Qiao, Maoyun Sun, Joshua Wiggins, Shi-Hua Xiang, Quan Lu

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Membrane proteins expressed on the surface of enveloped viruses are conformational antigens readily recognized by B cells of the immune system. An effective vaccine would require the synthesis and delivery of these native conformational antigens in lipid membranes that preserve specific epitope structures. We have created an extracellular vesicle–based technology that allows viral membrane antigens to be selectively recruited onto the surface of WW domain–activated extracellular vesicles (WAEVs). Budding of WAEVs requires secretory carrier-associated membrane protein 3, which through its proline-proline-alanine-tyrosine motif interacts with WW domains to recruit fused viral membrane antigens onto WAEVs. Immunization with influenza and HIV viral …

Baloxavir Safety And Clinical And Virologic Outcomes In Influenza Virus-Infected Pediatric Patients By Age Group: Age-Based Pooled Analysis Of Two Pediatric Studies Conducted In Japan, Nobuo Hirotsu, Hiroki Sakaguchi, Keita Fukao, Satoshi Kojima, Pedro A Piedra, Kenji Tsuchiya, Takeki Uehara

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Anti-influenza treatment is important for children and is recommended in many countries. This study assessed safety, clinical, and virologic outcomes of baloxavir marboxil (baloxavir) treatment in children based on age and influenza virus type/subtype.

METHODS: This was a post hoc pooled analysis of two open-label non-controlled studies of a single weight-based oral dose of baloxavir (day 1) in influenza virus-infected Japanese patients aged < 6 years (n = 56) and ≥ 6 to < 12 years (n = 81). Safety, time to illness alleviation (TTIA), time to resolution of fever (TTRF), recurrence of influenza illness symptoms and fever (after day 4), virus titer, and outcomes by polymerase acidic protein variants at position I38 (PA/I38X) were evaluated.

RESULTS: Adverse events were reported in 39.0 and 39.5% of patients < 6 years and ≥ 6 to < 12 years, respectively. Median (95% confidence interval) TTIA was 43.2 (36.3-68.4) and 45.4 (38.9-61.0) hours, and TTRF was 32.2 (26.8-37.8) and 20.7 (19.2-23.8) hours, for patients < 6 years and ≥ 6 to < 12 years, respectively. Symptom and fever recurrence was more common in patients < 6 years with influenza B (54.5 and 50.0%, respectively) compared with older patients (0 and 25.0%, respectively). Virus titers declined (day 2) for both age groups. Transient virus titer increase and PA/I38X-variants were more common for patients < 6 years.

CONCLUSIONS: The safety and effectiveness of single-dose baloxavir were observed in children across all age groups and influenza virus types. Higher rates of fever recurrence …

Generation Of A Tree Shrew Breast Cancer Model Using Lentivirus Expressing Pik3ca-H1047r, Li Zeng, Hong-Yan Zhang, Chuan-Yu Yang, Zhuo Cheng, Qiu-Yun Jiang, Yao Luo, Yi Li, Fu-Bing Li, Ce-Shi Chen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Outcomes Of Patients Treated For Hepatoblastoma With Low Alpha-Fetoprotein And/Or Small Cell Undifferentiated Histology: A Report From The Children's Hepatic Tumors International Collaboration (Chic), Angela D Trobaugh-Lotrario, Rudolf Maibach, Daniel C Aronson, Arun Rangaswami, Beate Häberle, Allison F O'Neill, Irene Schmid, Marc Ansari, Tomoro Hishiki, Sarangarajan Ranganathan, Rita Alaggio, Ronald R De Krijger, Yukichi Tanaka, Soo-Jin Cho, Christian Vokuhl, Rebecca Maxwell, Mark Krailo, Eiso Hiyama, Piotr Czauderna, Milton Finegold, James H Feusner, Marcio H Malogolowkin, Rebecka L Meyers, Dolores Lopez-Terrada

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Small cell undifferentiated (SCU) histology and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels below 100 ng/mL have been reported as poor prognostic factors in hepatoblastoma (HB); subsequent studies reported SMARCB1 mutations in some SCU HBs confirming the diagnosis of rhabdoid tumor. The Children's Hepatic tumors International Collaboration (CHIC) database was queried for patients with HB who had AFP levels less than 100 ng/mL at diagnosis or were historically diagnosed as SCU HBs. Seventy-three of 1605 patients in the CHIC database were originally identified as SCU HB, HB with SCU component, or HB with low AFP levels. Upon retrospective review, they were re-classified as rhabdoid …

Differential Co-Expression Networks Of The Gut Microbiota Are Associated With Depression And Anxiety Treatment Resistance Among Psychiatric Inpatients, Dominique S Thompson, Chenlian Fu, Tanmay Gandhi, J Christopher Fowler, B Christopher Frueh, Benjamin L Weinstein, Joseph Petrosino, Julia K Hadden, Marianne Carlson, Cristian Coarfa, Alok Madan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Comorbid anxiety and depression are common and are associated with greater disease burden than either alone. Our recent efforts have identified an association between gut microbiota dysfunction and severity of anxiety and depression. In this follow-up, we applied Differential Co-Expression Analysis (DiffCoEx) to identify potential gut microbiota biomarker(s) candidates of treatment resistance among psychiatric inpatients.

METHODS: In a sample of convenience, 100 psychiatric inpatients provided clinical data at admission and discharge; fecal samples were collected early during the hospitalization. Whole genome shotgun sequencing methods were used to process samples. DiffCoEx was used to identify clusters of microbial features significantly …

Identification Of Novel Biosynthetic Gene Clusters Encoding For Polyketide/Nrps-Producing Chemotherapeutic Compounds From Marine-Derived Streptomyces Hygroscopicus From A Marine Sanctuary, Hannah Ruth Flaherty

Honors Theses and Capstones

Nearly one out of six deaths in 2020, around ten million people, were caused by cancer, making it a leading cause of death worldwide (WHO, 2022). This major public health issue, in addition to the rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, provides a high demand for the discovery of new pharmaceutical drugs to be used clinically to treat these conditions. The Streptomyces genus accounts to produce 39% of all microbial metabolites currently approved for human health, indicating its potential as an important species to study for antimicrobial and anticancer agents. The long linear genome of Streptomyces contains specialized sequences known as …

Early-Phase Drive To The Precursor Pool: Chloroviruses Dive Into The Deep End Of Nucleotide Metabolism, David Dunigan, Irina Agarkova, Ahmed Esmael, Sophie Alvarez, James L. Van Etten

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Viruses face many challenges on their road to successful replication, and they meet those challenges by reprogramming the intracellular environment. Two major issues challenging Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus 1 (PBCV-1, genus Chlorovirus, family Phycodnaviridae) at the level of DNA replication are (i) the host cell has a DNA G+C content of 66%, while the virus is 40%; and (ii) the initial quantity of DNA in the haploid host cell is approximately 50 fg, yet the virus will make approximately 350 fg of DNA within hours of infection to produce approximately 1000 virions per cell. Thus, the quality and quantity of …

The Persistence And Stabilization Of Auxiliary Genes In The Human Skin Virome, Ema H. Graham, Wesley A. Tom, Alison C. Neujahr, Michael Adamowicz, Jennifer Clarke, Joshua R. Herr, Samodha C. Fernando

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Background The human skin contains a diverse microbiome that provides protective functions against environmental pathogens. Studies have demonstrated that bacteriophages modulate bacterial community composition and facilitate the transfer of host-specific genes, potentially influencing host cellular functions. However, little is known about the human skin virome and its role in human health. Especially, how viral-host relationships influence skin microbiome structure and function is poorly understood.

Results Population dynamics and genetic diversity of bacteriophage communities in viral metagenomic data collected from three anatomical skin locations from 60 subjects at five different time points revealed that cutaneous bacteriophage populations are mainly composed of …

Proposing An Rna Interference (Rnai)-Based Treatment For Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Hiv) By Analyzing The Post-Transcriptional Gene Targeting Of Sars-Cov-2, Hepatitis C Virus, And A549 Lung Cancer Cells, Arjun Jagdeesh

Undergraduate Research Posters

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that infects CD4+ T cell lymphocytes in humans, leading to the development of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) if left untreated. While current treatment methods, including antiretroviral combination treatments, effectively limit HIV replication, HIV can evade these treatments due to its high mutation rate. Long-term antiretroviral treatment can also be toxic to patients, meaning patients would benefit from a new mechanism of HIV treatment. RNA interference (RNAi) is an antiviral pathway found in mammals, plants, and insects that involves a small-interfering RNA that is incorporated into a protein complex called the RNA-induced Silencing Complex …

Versican Provides The Provisional Matrix For Uterine Spiral Artery Dilation And Fetal Growth, Yusuke Sagae, Akihito Horie, Akihiro Yanai, Tsutomu Ohara, Baku Nakakita, Yoshimi Kitawaki, Asuka Okunomiya, Hirohiko Tani, Ken Yamaguchi, Junzo Hamanishi, John P Lydon, Takiko Daikoku, Hideto Watanabe, Masaki Mandai

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The extracellular matrix (ECM) in the endometrium plays a crucial role in mammalian pregnancy. We have shown that versican secreted from the endometrial epithelium promotes embryo implantation. Versican is a proteoglycan, a major player in the provisional matrix, and versikine, its N-terminal fragment cleaved by ADAMTS proteinases, serves as a bioactive molecule. Here, since versican expression in the placenta was dynamically altered in humans and mice, we investigated the role of versican in pregnancy using uterine-specific Vcan deletion mice (uKO mice) and ADAMTS-resistant versican expressing mice (V1R mice). uKO mice exhibited insufficient spiral artery dilation, followed by fetal growth restriction …

Assessment Of The Cytolytic Potential Of A Multivirus-Targeted T Cell Therapy Using A Vital Dye-Based, Flow Cytometric Assay, Kiriakos Koukoulias, Penelope G Papayanni, Julia Jones, Manik Kuvalekar, Ayumi Watanabe, Yovana Velazquez, Sarah Gilmore, Anastasia Papadopoulou, Ann M Leen, Spyridoula Vasileiou

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Reliable and sensitive characterization assays are important determinants of the successful clinical translation of immunotherapies. For the assessment of cytolytic potential, the chromium 51 (51Cr) release assay has long been considered the gold standard for testing effector cells. However, attaining the approvals to access and use radioactive isotopes is becoming increasingly complex, while technical aspects [i.e. sensitivity, short (4-6 hours) assay duration] may lead to suboptimal performance. This has been the case with our ex vivo expanded, polyclonal (CD4+ and CD8+) multivirus-specific T cell (multiVST) lines, which recognize 5 difficult-to-treat viruses [Adenovirus (AdV), BK virus (BKV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein Barr …

Editorial: Health Effects And Pathophysiological Mechanisms Of One-Carbon Metabolism Nutrients Intake Throughout The Life Cycle, Jufen Liu, Yunping Lei, Lei Wang, Chao Guo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

The Rsv F P27 Peptide: Current Knowledge, Important Questions, Wanderson Rezende, Hadley E Neal, Rebecca E Dutch, Pedro A Piedra

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains a leading cause of hospitalizations and death for young children and adults over 65. The worldwide impact of RSV has prioritized the search for an RSV vaccine, with most targeting the critical fusion (F) protein. However, questions remain about the mechanism of RSV entry and RSV F triggering and fusion promotion. This review highlights these questions, specifically those surrounding a cleaved 27 amino acids long peptide within F, p27.

Diversity And Evolution Of Computationally Predicted T Cell Epitopes Against Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Jiani Chen, Swan Tan, Vasanthi Avadhanula, Leonard Moise, Pedro A Piedra, Anne S De Groot, Justin Bahl

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of lower respiratory infection. Despite more than 60 years of research, there is no licensed vaccine. While B cell response is a major focus for vaccine design, the T cell epitope profile of RSV is also important for vaccine development. Here, we computationally predicted putative T cell epitopes in the Fusion protein (F) and Glycoprotein (G) of RSV wild circulating strains by predicting Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class I and class II binding affinity. We limited our inferences to conserved epitopes in both F and G proteins that have been experimentally …

Comparing The Microbiomes Of Dental Plaques In 19th Century Ancestral Remains, Ananya Udyaver

Undergraduate Research Posters

During the construction of VCU’s Hermes A. Kontos Medical Sciences Building in April 1994, nineteenth century ancestral remains were found in an abandoned well on the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) campus. This well, now known as the East Marshall Street Well (EMSW), is thought to have been used as a disposal location for cadaver dissection for surgical and other medical waste in the past. VCU is now seeking to use DNA sequencing technology to match and assemble bones from each individual for a proper burial, uncover the cultural and historical context in which these people lived, and bring a …

The Small Intestinal Microbiome: Vibing With Intestinal Stem Cells, Victoria Poplaski, Faith Sawyer, Sarah E Blutt

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The epithelial lining of the small intestine mediates its absorptive and secretory function and thus is a critical component of human health. Regeneration and renewal of the epithelium is the result of proliferation of intestinal stem cells (ISCs). Many cell types and molecular factors are known to regulate the ability of ISCs to proliferate, including adjacent neighboring epithelial cells and the underlying, supportive stromal cells. The microbiome resides in the lumen of the small intestine and is in close contact with the epithelium. Due to its proximity to ISCs, it has been hypothesized that species within the microbiome have the …

Gene-Environment Interactions Underlying The Etiology Of Neural Tube Defects, Carlo Donato Caiaffa, Cristiane Sá Roriz Fonteles, Lei Yunping, Richard H Finnell

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Neural tube defects (NTDs) consist of severe structural malformations of the brain and spinal cord and are the second most common structural birth defect in humans, accounting for approximately 2700 affected pregnancies every year in the United States. These numbers are highly significant, considering that birth defects remain a leading cause of infant mortality in the United States, affecting approximately 120,000 babies born annually. Survivors of these congenital malformations face long-term disability and lifelong challenges imposed by severe physical burdens compromising the afflicted individual's overall quality of life. Clearly, birth defects, and especially NTDs remain a global public health challenge, …

Toward More Rigorous And Informative Nutritional Epidemiology: The Rational Space Between Dismissal And Defense Of The Status Quo, Andrew W Brown, Stella Aslibekyan, Dennis Bier, Rafael Ferreira Da Silva, Adam Hoover, David M Klurfeld, Eric Loken, Evan Mayo-Wilson, Nir Menachemi, Greg Pavela, Patrick D Quinn, Dale Schoeller, Carmen Tekwe, Danny Valdez, Colby J Vorland, Leah D Whigham, David B Allison

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

To date, nutritional epidemiology has relied heavily on relatively weak methods including simple observational designs and substandard measurements. Despite low internal validity and other sources of bias, claims of causality are made commonly in this literature. Nutritional epidemiology investigations can be improved through greater scientific rigor and adherence to scientific reporting commensurate with research methods used. Some commentators advocate jettisoning nutritional epidemiology entirely, perhaps believing improvements are impossible. Still others support only normative refinements. But neither abolition nor minor tweaks are appropriate. Nutritional epidemiology, in its present state, offers utility, yet also needs marked, reformational renovation. Changing the status quo …

A Monovalent Mt10-Cvb3 Vaccine Prevents Cvb4-Accelerated Type 1 Diabetes In Nod Mice, Mahima T. Rasquinha, Ninaad Lasrado, Meghna Sur, Kiruthiga Mone, Haowen Qiu, Jean-Jack Riethoven, Raymond A. Sobel, Jay Reddy

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Enteroviruses, which include Coxsackieviruses, are a common cause of virus infections in humans, and multiple serotypes of the group B Coxsackievirus (CVB) can induce similar diseases. No vaccines are currently available to prevent CVB infections because developing serotype-specific vaccines is not practical. Thus, developing a vaccine that induces protective immune responses for multiple serotypes is desired. In that direction, we created a live-attenuated CVB3 vaccine virus, designated mutant (Mt)10, that offers protection against myocarditis and pancreatitis induced by CVB3 and CVB4 in disease-susceptible A/J mice. Here, we report that the Mt10 vaccine protected against CVB4-triggered type 1 diabetes (T1D) in …

Surveillance Of Antimicrobial Resistance In Veterinary Medicine In The United States: Current E, Juliana M. Ruzante, Beth Harris, Paul Plummer, Raissa R. Raineri, John Dustin Loy, Megan Jacob, Orhan Sahin, Amanda J. Kreuder

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global problem facing human, animal, plant, and environmental health by threatening our ability to effectively treat bacterial infections with antimicrobials. In the United States, robust surveillance efforts exist to collect, analyze, and disseminate AMR data in human health care settings. These tools enable the development of effective infection control methods, the detection of trends, and provide the evidence needed to guide stewardship efforts to reduce the potential for emergence and further spread of AMR. However, in veterinary medicine, there are currently no known equivalent tools. This paper reviews efforts to reduce the potential for emergence …

Super-Enhanced Marco Variant Drives Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Progression, Weei-Chin Lin, Fang-Tsyr Lin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Place Cells Dynamically Refine Grid Cell Activities To Reduce Error Accumulation During Path Integration In A Continuous Attractor Model, Jose A Fernandez-Leon, Ahmet Kerim Uysal, Daoyun Ji

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Navigation is one of the most fundamental skills of animals. During spatial navigation, grid cells in the medial entorhinal cortex process speed and direction of the animal to map the environment. Hippocampal place cells, in turn, encode place using sensory signals and reduce the accumulated error of grid cells for path integration. Although both cell types are part of the path integration system, the dynamic relationship between place and grid cells and the error reduction mechanism is yet to be understood. We implemented a realistic model of grid cells based on a continuous attractor model. The grid cell model was …