Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Study Of Two Human Myotubularin Homologs (Atmtm1 And Atmtm2) In Arabidopsis, Yang Zhao

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

Phosphatidylinositol 5 phosphate is appearing to play an important role in signal transduction as lipid second messenger. The synthesis of this lipid signal is mainly conducted by a group of phosphatase called myotubularins (MTM) which can dephosphorylate on the 3’s position of Phosphatidylinositol (3, 5) bi-phosphate. Mutations in active myotubularins lead to severe diseases in human. However, this essential family has been scarcely studied in plants. Recently, two myotubularins (AtMTM1 and AtMTM2) have been identified as the homologs of human MTM Related protein 2 (MTMR2) in Arabidopsis. While some evidence has been provided to suggest the function of AtMTM1, …

Mycotoxins In Grains – Causes, Prevention And Control, Hester F. Vismer

INTSORMIL Presentations

Discusses mycotoxins, their effect on grain, mitigation considerations, and resulting human toxicology.

Lateral Blood Flow Velocity Estimation Based On Ultrasound Speckle Size Change With Scan Velocity, Tiantian Xu, Gregory R. Bashford

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

Conventional (Doppler-based) blood flow velocity measurement methods using ultrasound are capable of resolving the axial component (i.e., that aligned with the ultrasound propagation direction) of the blood flow velocity vector. However, these methods are incapable of detecting blood flow in the direction normal to the ultrasound beam. In addition, these methods require repeated pulse-echo interrogation at the same spatial location. A new method has been introduced which estimates the lateral component of blood flow within a single image frame using the observation that the speckle pattern corresponding to blood reflectors (typically red blood cells) stretches (i.e., is smeared) if the …

Staphylococcus Aureus Virulence Factors Synthesis Is Controlled By Central Metabolism, Yefei Zhu

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile pathogen that can survive in diverse host environments. This versatility depends on its ability to sense nutrients and respond by modulating gene expression, including the synthesis of virulence determinants. In addition to its ability to synthesize virulence factors, the capacity of S. aureus to form biofilms is an important mediator of virulence in certain infections. Biofilms are a complex aggregation of bacteria commonly encapsulated by an adhesive exopolysaccharide matrix (polysaccharide intercellular adhesin; PIA). To study S. aureus biofilm formation, we assessed the metabolic requirements of S. aureus growing in a biofilm and found the bacteria …

Qualitative Study To Determine Quality Of Life Factors Based On Reported Efnep Sucess Stories, Megan L. Hlavacek

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of how adult participants describe quality of life during or after participation in the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) at sites across the United States. The study analyzed success stories submitted by EFNEP staff and participants from sites in nine states from the years 2004 to 2010. A total of 1,057 success stories were analyzed.

The success stories were descriptions of the participants’ experiences with EFNEP. The stories were analyzed by highlighting words, phrases, and/or sentences, and creating a short one to three word codes that would best …

A Pilot Study Of The Relationship Of Calcium Intake And Frequency Of Injuries In High School Athletes, Jeffrey K. Ebert

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Little information is available related to adolescent calcium intake and relationships with injuries they might suffer from sport participation. To determine calcium intake of high school athletes, to assess their self reported injury rates, and to examine the relationship between the two over a 12 month period of time. Participants received a questionnaire at their school and completed it anywhere they found convenient. Adolescent athletes in the Lincoln Public School system (n=43) that participated in at least one sport in the past year. Four age groups participated in the study with sixteen year olds having a significantly higher calcium intake …

Regulation Of Atp Binding Cassette Transporter A1 And G1 Expression By Fatty Acids, Chai Siah Ku

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

High density lipoprotein (HDL) is an atheroprotective element which is critical in the reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) pathway to eliminate excess cholesterol from the periphery of the body. A low plasma HDL cholesterol levels indicate a higher risk of getting cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Formation and metabolism of HDL largely rely on ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) and G1 (ABCG1) that are transporters to facilitate the efflux of cellular cholesterol to outside of cells. ABCA1 in the liver and small intestine is the major contributing factor for HDL formation. On the other hand, ABCA1 and ABCG1 present in macrophages contribute …

The Glycoproteins Of Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus And Their Role In Infection And Immunity, Phani B. Das

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is an economically important pathogen of swine and is known to cause abortion and infertility in pregnant sows and respiratory distress in piglets. PRRSV contains a major glycoprotein (GP5) and three minor glycoproteins (GP2a, GP3, and GP4) on the virion envelope, all of which are required for infectious virus production. To study their interactions amongst each other and with a cellular receptor for PRRSV, CD163, I cloned each of the viral glycoproteins and CD163 in various expression vectors. My studies have shown that while the GP2a, GP3, and GP4 are co-translationally glycosylated, …

A Parasitological Paradox: Why Is Ascarid Infection So Rare In The Prehistoric Americas?, Daniela Leles, Karl Reinhard, Martín Horacio Fugassa, Luis Fernando Ferreira, Alena M. Iñiguez, Adauto Araujo

Karl Reinhard Publications

Ascaris lumbricoides (giant roundworm) and Trichuris trichiura (whipworm) are the most common intestinal parasites found in humans worldwide today and they almost always co-occur. However, we find two distinct patterns in archae­ological material. In historical North American and Old World contexts, the association of A. lumbricoides and T. trich­iura is similar to the modern epidemiological picture. In contrast, the co-occurrence of A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura eggs in prehistoric South America is rare. For prehistoric contexts, T. trichiura is the most common parasite found in ar­chaeological material. Recently molecular biology techniques pointed to a subdiagnosis of roundworm infection in pre- …

Holocarboxylase Synthetase-Dependent Biotinylation Of Histone H4, Luisa F. Rios Avila

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Holocarboxylase synthetase (HCS) catalyzes the binding of biotin to lysine (K) residues in histones H3 and H4. Histone biotinylation marks play important roles in the repression of genes and retrotransposons. Preliminary studies suggested that K16 in histone H4 is a target for biotinylation by HCS. Here we demonstrated that H4K16bio is overrepresented in repeat regions {pericentromeric alpha satellite repeats; long terminal repeats (LTR)} compared with euchromatin promoters. H4K16bio was also enriched in the repressed interleukin-2 gene promoter. The enrichment at LTR22 and promoter 1 of the sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT) depended on biotin supply; and was significantly lower in fibroblasts …

Food Handling Practices, Knowledge And Beliefs Of Families With Young Children Based On The Health Belief Model, Adeline Lum

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Objective: To determine current food handling practices, knowledge and beliefs of primary food handlers with children 10 years old and the relationship between these components.

Design: Surveys were developed based on FightBac!™ concepts and the Health Belief Model (HBM) construct.

Participants: The majority of participants (n= 503) were females (67%), Caucasians (80%), aged between 30 to 49 years old (83%), had one or two children (83%), prepared meals all or most of the time (76%) and consumed meals away from home three times or less per week (66%).

Analysis: Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (rho) …

A Functional Calcium-Transporting Atpase Encoded By Chlorella Viruses, Maria Cristina Bonza, Holger Martin, Ming Kang, Gentry L. Lewis, Timo Greiner, Sonia Giacometti, James L. Van Etten, Maria Ida De Michelis, Gerhard Thiel, Anna Moroni

James Van Etten Publications

Calcium-transporting ATPases (Ca²⁺ pumps) are major players in maintaining calcium homeostasis in the cell and have been detected in all cellular organisms. Here, we report the identification of two putative Ca²⁺ pumps, M535L and C785L, encoded by chlorella viruses MT325 and AR158, respectively, and the functional characterization of M535L. Phylogenetic and sequence analyses place the viral proteins in group IIB of P-type ATPases even though they lack a typical feature of this class, a calmodulin-binding domain. A Ca²⁺ pump gene is present in 45 of 47 viruses tested and is transcribed during virus infection. Complementation analysis of …

Identification Of An L-Rhamnose Synthetic Pathway In Two Nucleocytoplasmic Large Dna Viruses, Madhu Parakkottil Chothi, Garry A. Duncan, Andrea Armirotti, Chantal Abergel, James R. Gurnon, James L. Van Etten, Cinzia Bernardi, Gianluca Damonte, Michela Tonetti

James Van Etten Publications

Nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDVs) are characterized by large genomes that often encode proteins not commonly found in viruses. Two species in this group are Acanthocystis turfacea chlorella virus 1 (ATCV-1) (family Phycodnaviridae, genus Chlorovirus) and Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus (family Mimiviridae), commonly known as mimivirus. ATCV-1 and other chlorovirus members encode enzymes involved in the synthesis and glycosylation of their structural proteins. In this study, we identified and characterized three enzymes responsible for the synthesis of the sugar L-rhamnose: two UDP-D-glucose 4,6-dehydratases (UGDs) encoded by ATCV-1 and mimivirus and a bifunctional UDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-D-glucose epimerase/reductase (UGER) from mimivirus. Phylogenetic …

Evaluating Microfossil Content Of Dental Calculus From Brazilian Sambaquis, Verônica Wesolowski, Sheila Maria Ferraz Mendonça De Souza, Karl Reinhard, Gregório Ceccantini

Karl Reinhard Publications

To date, limited numbers of dental calculus samples have been analyzed by researchers in diverse parts of the world. The combined analyses of these have provided some general guidelines for the analysis of calculus that is non-destructive to archaeological teeth. There is still a need for a quantitative study of large numbers of calculus samples to establish protocols, assess the level of contamination, evaluate the quantity of microfossils in dental calculus, and to compare analysis results with the literature concerning the biology of calculus formation. We analyzed dental calculus from 53 teeth from four Brazilian sambaquis. Sambaquis are the shellmounds …

Assessing Dietary Intake, Eating And Exercise Attitudes And Fitness Levels In College-Aged Students, Katie J. James

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

BACKGROUND The transition from high school to college can be a stressful lifestyle change for young adults. During this transition students develop a variety of health attitudes and behaviors that may have a negative impact on their overall wellbeing. OBJECTIVE To determine the correlation of BMI to dietary intake, fitness level and eating and exercise attitudes of college students. SETTING Participants completed an eating and exercise attitude survey, 2-day diet recall, and preformed three fitness tests at a Midwestern University through their Campus Recreational Center. PARTICIPANTS 772 students between the ages of 18-25 from a Midwestern University between the years …

Modulation Of Lipid Metabolism By Phytosterol Stearates And Black Raspberry Seed Oils, Mark Mckinley Ash

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Naturally occurring compounds and lifestyle modifications as combination and mono-therapy are increasingly used for dyslipidemia. Specficially, phytosterols and fatty acids have demonstrated an ability to modulate cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism in different fashions. In two separate studies, the lipid-lowering effects of black raspberry seed oil and three different phytosterol stearates were examined in order to elucidate the effects of these dietary components and the factors influencing their therapeutic actions.

The first study examined high cholesterol diets supplemented with crude and refined black raspberry seed oils, coconut oil or soybean oil. The crude and refined raspberry seed oil (RSO) treatments significantly …

Role Of All Of The Prrsv Glycoproteins In Protective Immune Response, Asit K. Pattnaik

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) contains the major glycoprotein, GP5, as well as three other minor glycoproteins, namely, GP2a, GP3, and GP4, on the virion envelope, all of which are required for generation of infectious virions. To study their interactions amongst each other and with the cellular receptor for PRRSV, we have cloned each of the viral glycoproteins and CD163 receptor in expression vectors and examined their expression and interaction with each other in transfected cells by co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) assay using monospecific antibodies. Our results show that strong interaction exists between GP4 and GP5 proteins, although weak interactions …

Cell-Type Specific Distribution Of Chloride Transporters In The Rat Suprachiasmatic Nucleus, Michael A. Belenky, Patricia J. Sollars, David B. Mount, Seth L. Alper, Yosef Yarom, Gary E. Pickard

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is a circadian oscillator and biological clock. Cell-to-cell communication is important for synchronization among SCN neuronal oscillators and the great majority of SCN neurons use γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as a neurotransmitter, the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter in the adult central nervous system. Acting via the ionotropic GABAA receptor, a chloride ion channel, GABA typically evokes inhibitory responses in neurons via Cl− influx. Within the SCN GABA evokes both inhibitory and excitatory responses although the mechanism underlying GABA-evoked excitation in the SCN is unknown. GABA-evoked depolarization in immature neurons in several regions of the brain is a function …

Charge Switch Nucleotides, John G. K. Williams, Gregory R. Bashford, Jiyan Chen, Dan Draney, Nara Narayanan, Bambi L. Reynolds, Pamela Sheaff

Biomedical Imaging and Biosignal Analysis Laboratory

The present invention provides compounds, methods and systems for sequencing nucleic acid using single molecule detection. Using labeled NPs that exhibit charge-switching behavior, single-molecule DNA sequencing in a microchannel sorting system is realized. In operation, sequencing products are detected enabling real-time sequencing as successive detectable moieties flow through a detection channel. By electrically sorting charged molecules, the cleaved product molecules are detected in isolation Without interference from unincorporated NPs and Without illuminating the polymerase-DNA complex.

Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus Nonstructural Protein 1Β Modulates Host Innate Immune Response By Antagonizing Irf3 Activation, Lalit Beura, Saumendra Sarkar, Byungjoon Kwon, Sakthivel Subramaniam, Clinton J. Jones, Asit K. Pattnaik, Fernando A. Osorio

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection of swine leads to a serious disease characterized by a delayed and defective adaptive immune response. It is hypothesized that a suboptimal innate immune response is responsible for the disease pathogenesis. In the study presented here we tested this hypothesis and identified several nonstructural proteins (NSPs) with innate immune evasion properties encoded by the PRRS viral genome. Four of the total ten PRRSV NSPs tested were found to have strong to moderate inhibitory effects on beta interferon (IFN-β) promoter activation. The strongest inhibitory effect was exhibited by NSP1 followed by, NSP2, NSP11, …

The Minor Envelope Glycoproteins Gp2a And Gp4 Of Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus Interact With The Receptor Cd163, Phani B. Das, Phat X. Dinh, Israrul H. Ansari, Marcelo De Lima, Fernando A. Osorio, Asit K. Pattnaik

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) contains the major glycoprotein, GP5, as well as three other minor glycoproteins, namely, GP2a, GP3, and GP4, on the virion envelope, all of which are required for generation of infectious virions. To study their interactions with each other and with the cellular receptor for PRRSV, we have cloned each of the viral glycoproteins and CD163 receptor in expression vectors and examined their expression and interaction with each other in transfected cells by coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP) assay using monospecific antibodies. Our results show that a strong interaction exists between the GP4 and GP5 proteins, although …

Cytotoxicity Of Bacterial-Derived Toxins To Immortal Lung Epithelial And Macrophage Cells, Dianne E. Peterson, Jayne M. Collier, Matthew E. Katterman, Rachel A. Turner, Mark R. Riley

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Health risks associated with inhalation and deposition of biological materials have been a topic of great concern due to highly publicized cases of inhalation anthrax, of new regulations on the release of particulate matter, and to increased concerns on the hazards of indoor air pollution. Here, we present an evaluation of the sensitivity of two immortal cell lines (A549, human lung carcinoma epithelia) and NR8383 (rat alveolar macrophages) to a variety of bacterial-derived inhalation hazards and simulants including etoposide, gliotoxin, streptolysin O, and warfarin. The cell response is evaluated through quantification of changes in mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase activity, release of …

An Epitope From Acanthamoeba Castellanii That Cross-React With Proteolipid Protein 139-151-Reactive T Cells Induces Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis In Sjl Mice, Chandirasegaran Massilamany, David Steffan, Jay Reddy

Jay Reddy Publications

We report here that an epitope (aa, 83-95) derived from Acanthamoeba castellanii (ACA) induces clinical signs of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in SJL/J mice reminiscent of the disease induced with myelin proteolipid protein (PLP) 139-151. By using IA^s/tetramers, we demonstrate that both ACA 83-95 and PLP 139-151 generate antigen-specific cross-reactive CD4 T cells and the T cells secrete identical patterns of cytokines and induce EAE with a similar severity. These results may provide insights into the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and ACA-induced granulomatous encephalitis.

Crystal Structure Of A Virus-Encoded Putative Glycosyltransferase, Yi Xiang, Ulrich Baxa, Ying Zhang, Alasdair C. Steven, Gentry L. Lewis, James L. Van Etten, Michael G. Rossmann

James Van Etten Publications

The chloroviruses (family Phycodnaviridae), unlike most viruses, encode some, if not most, of the enzymes involved in the glycosylation of their structural proteins. Annotation of the gene product B736L from chlorovirus NY-2A suggests that it is a glycosyltransferase. The structure of the recombinantly expressed B736L protein was determined by X-ray crystallography to 2.3-Å resolution, and the protein was shown to have two nucleotide-binding folds like other glycosyltransferase type B enzymes. This is the second structure of a chlorovirus-encoded glycosyltransferase and the first structure of a chlorovirus type B enzyme to be determined. B736L is a retaining enzyme and belongs …

Microarray Analysis Of Paramecium Bursaria Chlorella Virus 1 Transcription, Giane M. Yanai-Balser, Garry A. Duncan, James D. Eudy, Dong Wang, Xiao Li, Irina V. Agarkova, David D. Dunigan, James L. Van Etten

James Van Etten Publications

Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus 1 (PBCV-1), a member of the family Phycodnaviridae, is a large doublestranded DNA, plaque-forming virus that infects the unicellular green alga Chlorella sp. strain NC64A. The 330-kb PBCV-1 genome is predicted to encode 365 proteins and 11 tRNAs. To monitor global transcription during PBCV-1 replication, a microarray containing 50-mer probes to the PBCV-1 365 protein-encoding genes (CDSs) was constructed. Competitive hybridization experiments were conducted by using cDNAs from poly(A)- containing RNAs obtained from cells at seven time points after virus infection. The results led to the following conclusions: (i) the PBCV-1 replication cycle is temporally …

Method For Identification Of Virulence Determinants, Raul G. Barletta, Beth Harris

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Disclosed are methods for the determination of virulence determinants in bacteria and in particular bacteria of the genus Mycobacterium. Also disclosed are compositions and methods for stimulating an immune response in an animal using bacteria and virulence determinants identified by the methods of the present invention.

Dairy Animal Care: Quality Assurance

Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance Program

Dairy producers are encouraged to participate in the voluntary Dairy Animal Care and Quality Assurance (DACQA) Certification program. The purpose of this program is to enhance and demonstrate quality animal care practices, which assure food safety, quality and value as well as enhance consumer confidence in the milk and beef products that are harvested from cattle on America’s dairy farms.

Sorghum: An Ancient, Healthy And Nutritious Old World Cereal, United Sorghum Checkoff Program, John Lindsay

INTSORMIL Scientific Publications

Sorghum is Africa’s contribution to the small number of elite grains that supply about 85% of the world’s food energy. Only four other foods rice, wheat, maize, and potatoes are consumed in greater amounts by the human race. Sorghum is the dietary staple of more than 500 million people in more than 30 countries of the semi arid tropics, thus being one of the most familiar foods in the world (Board on Science and Technology for International Development, 1996). Sorghum is a truly ancient grain. Dahlberg and Wasylikowa (1996) reported on sorghum remains found in the Nabta Playa archaeological site …

Purification Of Parvalbumin From Carp: A Protocol That Avoids Heat Treatment, Stef J. Koppelman, Roland A. Romijn, Harmen H. J. De Jongh, Julie A. Nordlee, Sander Piersma, Martin Hessing, Steve L. Taylor

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Parvalbumin from carp, a major allergen,was purified to homogeneity using ion exchange chromatography and size exclusion chromatography (estimated purity > 95% to 98% based on SDS-PAGE and native PAGE) with a yield of 318 mg, and a number of basic biochemical characteristics were determined. The identity was confirmed by peptide-mass fingerprinting, and IgE-binding was demonstrated. The UV/Vis absorbance spectra were explained using the previously published amino acid sequences. Far UV-CD spectroscopy was used to confirm the folding character of parvalbumin. We conclude that parvalbumin from carp can be purified on a comparatively large (hundreds of milligrams) scale using a purification protocol …

Building The Genomic Base-Layer Of The Oral “Omic” World, The Forsyth Metagenomic Support Consortium, Jacques Izard

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

With the shift of molecular technologies directed toward the understanding of greater biological complexity of the oral cavity, a knowledge gap was created by the lack of genomic data from the diverse oral microorganisms. To facilitate and enable the interpretation of metagenomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data generated or soon to be generated from oral biofilms, we are providing reference genomic information from phylogenetically diverse oral bacterial isolates. This work, initiated by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research as an isolated effort, is now part of the Human Microbiome Project. The goal of this effort is the public release …