Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Five-Year Longitudinal Assessment Of The Downstream Impact On Schistosomiasis Transmission Following Closure Of The Three Gorges Dam., Darren J. Gray, Aaron P. Thrift, Gail M. Williams, Feng Zheng, Yue-Sheng Li, Jiagang Guo, Honggen Chen, Tianping Wang, Xin J. Xu, Rong Zhu, Hongqing Zhu, Chun Li Cao, Dan D. Lin, Zhen Y. Zhao, Robert S. Li, George M. Davis, Donald P. Mcmanus

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

Schistosoma japonicum is a major public health concern in the Peoples' Republic of China (PRC), with about 800,000 people infected and another 50 million living in areas at risk of infection. Based on ecological, environmental, population genetic and molecular factors, schistosomiasis transmission in PRC can be categorised into four discrete ecosystems or transmission modes. It is predicted that, long-term, the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) will impact upon the transmission of schistosomiasis in the PRC, with varying degree across the four transmission modes.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We undertook longitudinal surveillance from 2002 to 2006 in sentinel villages of the three transmission …

Resource Availability, Mortality And Fertility: A Path Analytic Approach To Global Life History Variation, Mark A. Caudell, Robert J. Quinlan

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

Humans exhibit considerable diversity in timing and rate of reproduction. Life history theory suggests that ecological cues of resource richness and survival probabilities shape human phenotypes across populations. Populations experiencing high extrinsic mortality due to uncertainty in resources should exhibit faster life histories. Here we use a path analytic approach informed by life history theory to model the multiple pathways between resources, mortality rates, and reproductive behavior in 191 countries. Resources that account for the most variance in population mortality rates are predicted to explain the most variance in total fertility rates. Results indicate that resources (e.g., calories, sanitation, education, …

Provision Of Pandemic Disease Information By Health Sciences Librarians: A Multisite Comparative Case Series., Robin Featherstone, Gabriel Boldt, Nazi Torabi, Shauna-Lee Konrad

Western Libraries Publications

Objective: The research provides an understanding of pandemic information needs and informs professional development initiatives for librarians in disaster medicine. Methods: Utilizing a multisite, comparative case series design, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews and examined supplementary materials in the form of organizational documents, correspondence, and websites to create a complete picture of each case. The rigor of the case series was ensured through data and investigator triangulation. Interview transcripts were coded using NVivo to identify common themes and points of comparison. Results: Comparison of the four cases revealed a distinct difference between “client-initiated” and “librarian-initiated” provision of pandemic information. Librarian-initiated …

Quantitative Pulmonary Imaging Using Computed Tomography And Magnetic Resonance Imaging, George R Washko, Grace Parraga, Harvey O Coxson

Medical Biophysics Publications

Measurements of lung function, including spirometry and body plethesmography, are easy to perform and are the current clinical standard for assessing disease severity. However, these lung functional techniques do not adequately explain the observed variability in clinical manifestations of disease and offer little insight into the relationship of lung structure and function. Lung imaging and the image-based assessment of lung disease has matured to the extent that it is common for clinical, epidemiologic and genetic investigation to have a component dedicated to image analysis. There are several exciting imaging modalities currently being used for the non-invasive study of lung anatomy …

Single-Chain Vαvβ T Cell Receptors Function Without Mispairing With Endogenous Tcr Chains1, David H. Aggen, Adam S. Chervin, Thomas M. Schmitt, Boris Engels, Jennifer D. Stone, Sarah A. Richman, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Brian M. Baker, Philip D. Greenberg, Hans Schreiber, David M. Kranz

Food for Health: Publications

Transduction of exogenous T cell receptor (TCR) genes into patients’ activated peripheral blood T cells is a potent strategy to generate large numbers of specific T cells for adoptive therapy of cancer and viral diseases. However, the remarkable clinical promise of this powerful approach is still being overshadowed by a serious potential consequence: mispairing of the exogenous TCR chains with endogenous TCR chains. These “mixed” heterodimers can generate new specificities that result in graft-versus-host reactions. Engineering TCR constant regions of the exogenous chains with a cysteine promotes proper pairing and reduces the mispairing, but, as we show here, does not …

Tailoring The Immune Response By Targeting C-Type Lectin Receptors On Alveolar Macrophages Using “Pathogen-Like” Amphiphilic Polyanhydride Nanoparticles, Ana V. Chavez-Santicoy, Rajarshi Roychoudhury, Nicola L.B. Pohl, Michael J. Wannemeuhler, Balaji Narasimhan, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait

Amanda Ramer-Tait Publications

C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) offer unique advantages for tailoring immune responses. Engagement of CLRs regulates antigen presenting cell (APC) activation and promotes delivery of antigens to specific intracellular compartments inside APCs for efficient processing and presentation. In these studies, we have designed an approach for targeted antigen delivery by decorating the surface of polyanhydride nanoparticles with specific carbohydrates to provide pathogen-like properties. Two conserved carbohydrate structures often found on the surface of respiratory pathogens, galactose and di-mannose, were used to functionalize the surface of polyanhydride nanoparticles and target CLRs on alveolar macrophages (AMϕ), a principle respiratory tract APC. Co-culture of …

Genome-Wide Patterns Of Arabidopsis Gene Expression In Nature, Christina L. Richards, Ulises Rosas, Joshua A. Banta, Naeha Bhambra, Michael D. Purugganan

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Organisms in the wild are subject to multiple, fluctuating environmental factors, and it is in complex natural environments that genetic regulatory networks actually function and evolve. We assessed genome-wide gene expression patterns in the wild in two natural accessions of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and examined the nature of transcriptional variation throughout its life cycle and gene expression correlations with natural environmental fluctuations. We grew plants in a natural field environment and measured genome-wide time-series gene expression from the plant shoot every three days, spanning the seedling to reproductive stages. We find that 15,352 genes were expressed in the …

Pharmacists And Pharmacogenomics: An Evaluation Of Knowledge, Beliefs, Attitudes And Practices, Laressa Bethishou, Angela Chen, Chrissie Chew, Richard Dang, Courtney Greenber, Rebecca Ashlee Klevens, Vlada Treynker, Andrew Warnock, Melissa Durham, Jeffery A. Goad, Edith Mirzaian

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

"Pharmacogenomics is the term used to describe the rapidly advancing study on how genetic makeup can impact drug therapy. In specialized clinical situations, such as the use of irinotecan in colon cancer or abacavir in HIV infections, it is now possible to identify specific genotypes that correlate strongly with a patient's therapeutic outcome, with implications on both efficacy and side effects. On a broader scale, a systematic review published by the Journal of the American Medical Association on the top 27 adverse reaction-causing drugs found that a majority of the adverse effects have a genetic component, suggesting that an analysis …

Essential Role Of Caveolin-3 In Adiponectin Signalsome Formation And Adiponectin Cardioprotection., Yajing Wang, Xiaoliang Wang, Jean-François Jasmin, Wayne Bond Lau, Rong Li, Yuexin Yuan, Wei Yi, Kurt Chuprun, Michael P. Lisanti, Walter J Koch, Erhe Gao, Xin-Liang Ma

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: Adiponectin (APN) system malfunction is causatively related to increased cardiovascular morbidity/mortality in diabetic patients. The aim of the current study was to investigate molecular mechanisms responsible for APN transmembrane signaling and cardioprotection.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Compared with wild-type mice, caveolin-3 knockout (Cav-3KO) mice exhibited modestly increased myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (increased infarct size, apoptosis, and poorer cardiac function recovery; P

CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these results demonstrated for the first time that Cav-3 plays an essential role in APN transmembrane signaling and APN anti-ischemic/cardioprotective actions.

Molecular Staging Individualizing Cancer Management, Alex Mejia, Stephanie Schulz, Terry Hyslop, David S. Weinberg, Scott A. Waldman

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

Although the most important prognostic and predictive marker in colorectal cancer is tumor cells in lymph nodes, ∼30% of patients who are node-negative die from occult metastases. Molecular staging employing specific markers and sensitive detection technologies has emerged as a powerful platform to assess prognosis in node-negative colon cancer. Integrating molecular staging into algorithms that individualize patient management will require validation and the definition of relationships between occult tumor cells, prognosis, and responses to chemotherapy. J. Surg. Oncol. 2012; 105:468-474. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Expression Of Stem Cell Marker Aldh1 In Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia, Ping Gong, Juan Palazzo, Md

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Conclusions:

Cervical dysplasia show positive staining for ALDH1 compared to normal cervical mucosa.

ALDH1 positive cells distribution parallels the dysplastic cells in cervical dysplasia.

CSC, as detected by ALDH1 expression, may play a role in the progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and carcinogenesis.

Aberrant Expression Of Cd56 On Granulocytes And Monocytes In Myeloproliferative Neoplasm And Myelodysplastic Syndrome, Ping Gong, Md, Fernanco Metrebian, Md, Alina Dulau-Florea, Md, Zi-Xuan Wang, Phd, Renu Bajaj, Phd, Stephen C Peiper, Jerald Z. Gong, Md

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Conclusions:

Aberrant CD56 expression on granulocytes is seen in all aubtypes MPN and high grade MDS. CD56 expression in MPN correlated with bone marrow morphology, BCR/ABL transcript, and bone marrow engraftment study following treatment. Identification of abnormal CD56+ granulocytes and monocytes is helpful in both the initial diagnosis and long-term follow up of patients with MPN and MDS.

Loss Of Retinoblastoma (Rb) Tumor Suppressor Expression In Breast Cancer Correlates With Better Response To Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy, Jeanne Mcfalls, Md, Jessica Kline, Ba, Gordon Schwartz, Md, Mba, Facs, Angieszka Witkiewicz, Md

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Conclusions:

Loss of RB tumor suppressor staining in pre-treatment breast cancer biopsies can be used prior to initiation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy to predict good tumor response. This association between RB loss and good neoadjuvant response holds regardless of ER status and across various chemotherapy regimens. Assessment of RB status in the pre-treatment biopsy could be useful clinical tool to define patients who are most likely to benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

P53 Expression In Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Increased In Hpv Positive Smokers, Madalina Tuluc, Voichita Bar-Ad, Zi-Xuan Wang, Joseph Curry

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Background and Objectives

High risk HPV is associated with oropharyngeal SCC (OSCC) and is responsible for the increasing incidence of this cancer type among younger patients.

Patients with HPV positive oropharyngeal SCC have a better prognosis when compared with HPV negative, tobacco induced SCC.

HPV E6 inactivates p53 leading to low expression of p53; tobacco induced oropharyngeal SCC is characterized by p53 overexpression, resistance to treatment and poor prognosis. However, in many cases of HPV OSCC, there is a history of current or remote smoking, making this disease a multifactorial process. We expect that smoking will influence the level of …

P16/Rb Correlations In Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (Oscc), Madalina Tuluc, Voichita Bar-Ad, David Cognetti

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

The objective of this study is to explore the patterns of Rb expression in p16 positive and negative OSCC, in relation to patient's smoking history.

The Metastasis Suppressor Kiss1 Lacks Antimetastatic Activity In The C8161.9 Xenograft Model Of Melanoma., Jean-Marc Navenot, Barry Evans, Shinya Oishi, Shohei Setsuda, Nobutaka Fujii, Stephen C Peiper

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

The objective of this study was to use the established xenograft model of human melanoma (C8161.9) to test a pharmacological approach to the effect of the metastasis suppressor KISS1. A KISS1 analog was used to inhibit the metastatic development of C8161.9 cells in nude mice. Further experiments were performed to test the validity of the C8161.9 model and test the connection between KISS1 expression and loss of metastatic potential. New clones of C8161.9 cells were obtained, with or without KISS1 expression, and were tested for metastasis formation. The absence of benefit in survival with the KISS1 analog compared with PBS …

Cosmetic Neurology: Enhancement Of The Mind And Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Medication Abuse Among College Students, Mary M. Huff

Senior Honors Theses

Cosmetic neurology is becoming increasingly popular, and it is not just sleep deprived, over worked college students who are interested. People are beginning to seek off-label prescriptions for medications that are typically used to treat disorders such as attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) or narcolepsy, while researchers are trying to create drugs used solely for mind enhancement purposes. Along with these drugs come many legal and ethical quandaries relating to the regulation of current use as well as the what ifs of future possibilities. A survey was conducted among college students regarding the diagnosis of ADHD, the abuse of ADHD …

Ventilator Associated Pneumonia Prevention In The Traumatically Injured Patient: Beyond The Bundle!, Cindy Umbrell Msn,Rn,Cns,Ccrn, Kenneth Miller Med, Rrt-Nps

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Gene Patents No More? Deciphering The Meaning Of Prometheus, Fazal Khan, Lindsay Kessler

Scholarly Works

When Congress enacted the United States Patent Act in 1952, it specified that patentable subject matter included anything “under the sun that is made by man.” Three decades ago the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued the first gene patent and ushered in a brave new gold rush. Some genes are associated with specific diseases, so being able to identify these sequences is an essential first step for developing genomic diagnostic tests and therapies. The problem with gene patents is that they allow modern-day prospectors to cordon off access to naturally occurring DNA sequences and exclude others from …

Targeting Apoptosis For Optical Imaging Of Infection, Mathew L Thakur, Kaijun Zhang, Bishnuhari Paudyal, Devadhas Devakumar, Maria Y Covarrubias, Changpo Cheng, Brian D Gray, Eric Wickstrom, Koon Y Pak

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: Infection is ubiquitous and a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The most reliable method for localizing infection requires radiolabeling autologous white blood cells ex vivo. A compound that can be injected directly into a patient and can selectively image infectious foci will eliminate the drawbacks. The resolution of infection is associated with neutrophil apoptosis and necrosis presenting phosphatidylserine (PS) on the neutrophil outer leaflet. Targeting PS with intravenous administration of a PS-specific, near-infrared (NIR) fluorophore will permit localization of infectious foci by optical imaging.

METHODS: Bacterial infection and sterile inflammation were induced in separate groups (n = 5) …

Sick With Fear: Popular Challenges To Scientific Authority In The Vaccine Controversies Of The 21st Century, Ellen Watkins

Annual Undergraduate Conference on Health and Society

In the 20th century, vaccines were heralded as one of the greatest medical inventions in history. In the late 1990’s, however, the myth of vaccine-caused autism caught fire. Despite mountains of evidence disproving the link, panicking Americans eschewed vaccines and turned against their physicians. Why did Americans turn their backs on doctors, scientists, and the health industry? This paper follows the vaccine controversy of the last thirty years, looking in particular at the relationship between science and the media. This paper analyzes the contrast between discussion of the hypothesized link in scientific circles and in popular news sources, seeking to …

Role Of Poly [Adp-Ribose] Polymerase 1 In Retroviral Infection, Vanessa E. Rodriguez ^, Manuel Llano *

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2012

No abstract provided.

Myelin Gene Expression: Implications For Alcohol Abuse And Dependence, Sean Farris

Theses and Dissertations

Acute behavioral responses to ethanol have predictive value for determining an individual's risk of long-term drinking behavior. Although the neurobiology of alcohol abuse is complex, prior studies from our laboratory demonstrated differential myelin-associated gene expression (MAGE) in medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) as one potential mechanism influencing acute ethanol behaviors between C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) mice. Our laboratory and others have also shown MAGE is reduced in PFC of alcoholics. Herein, I have extended these findings through expression profiling of PFC into chronic models of ethanol self-administration from non-human primates and mice. Together, these results suggest that regulation of MAGE …

Characterization Of Species C Human Adenovirus Serotype 6 (Ad6), Eric A. Weaver, Reeti Khare, Mathew L. Hillestad, Donna Palmer, Philip Ng, Michael A. Barry

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Adenovirus serotype (Ad5) is the most studied Ad. Ad1, 2, and 6 are also members of species C Ad and are presumed to have biologies similar to Ad5. In this work, we have compared the ability of Ad1, 2, 5, and 6 to infect liver and muscle after intravenous and intramuscular injection. We found that Ad6 was surprisingly the most potent at liver gene delivery and that Ad1 and Ad2 were markedly weaker than Ad5 and 6. To understand these differences, we sequenced the Ad6 genome. This revealed that the Ad6 fiber protein is surprisingly three shaft repeats shorter than …

Antinociceptive Effects Of Monoamine Reuptake Inhibitors In Assays Of Pain-Stimulated And Pain-Depressed Behaviors, Marisa Rosenberg

Theses and Dissertations

ANTINOCICEPTIVE EFFECTS OF MONOAMINE REUPTAKE INHIBITORS IN ASSAYS OF PAIN-STIMULATED AND PAIN-DEPRESSED BEHAVIOR By Marisa B. Rosenberg A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2012 Advisor: Sidney Stevens Negus, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Pharmacology/Toxicology Noxious stimuli can produce pain-related stimulation of some behaviors (e.g. withdrawal responses) and depression of other behaviors (e.g. feeding, locomotion, responding maintained by many types of positive reinforcement). Monoamine reuptake inhibitors are used clinically to treat depression and to manage some types of pain. This study examined the antinociceptive properties …

Antioxidant, Antimicrobial Properties And Phenolics Of Different Solvent Extracts From Bark, Leaves And Seeds Of Pongamia Pinnata (L.) Pierre, Zahid Iqbal Sajid, Farooq Anwar, Ghulam Shabir, Ghulam Rasul, Khalid M. Alkharfy, Anwarul Hassan Gilani

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

This study appraises the antioxidant and antimicrobial attributes of various solvent extracts (absolute methanol, aqueous methanol, absolute ethanol, aqueous ethanol, absolute acetone, aqueous acetone, and deionized water) from bark, leaves and seeds of Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre. Maximum extraction yield of antioxidant components from bark (16.31%), leaves (11.42%) and seeds (21.51%) of P. pinnata was obtained using aqueous methanol (20:80). Of the extracts tested, the bark extract, obtained with aqueous methanol, exhibited greater levels of total phenolics [6.94 g GAE/100 g dry weight (DW)], total flavonoids (3.44 g CE/100 g DW), inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation (69.23%) and DPPH radical …

Effects Of Restricted Fructose Access On Body Weight And Blood Pressure Circadian Rhythms, Danielle Senador, Swapnil Vijay Shewale, Maria Claudia Irigoyen, Khalid M. Elased, Mariana Morris

Pharmacology and Toxicology Faculty Publications

High-fructose diet is known to produce cardiovascular and metabolic pathologies. The objective was to determine whether the timing of high fructose (10% liquid solution) intake affect the metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes. Male C57BL mice with radiotelemetric probes were divided into four groups: (1) 24 h water (control); (2) 24 h fructose (F24); (3) 12 h fructose during the light phase (F12L); (4) 12 h fructose during the dark phase (F12D). All fructose groups had higher fluid intake. Body weight was increased in mice on restricted access with no difference in total caloric intake. Fasting glycemia was higher in groups with …

Identification Of Bovine Leukemia Virus Tax Function Associated With Host Cell Transcription, Signaling, Stress Response And Immune Response Pathway By Microarray-Based Gene Expression Analysis., Mariluz Araínga, Eri Takeda, Yoko Aida

Journal Articles: Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience

BACKGROUND: Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is associated with enzootic bovine leukosis and is closely related to human T-cell leukemia virus type I. The Tax protein of BLV is a transcriptional activator of viral replication and a key contributor to oncogenic potential. We previously identified interesting mutant forms of Tax with elevated (TaxD247G) or reduced (TaxS240P) transactivation effects on BLV replication and propagation. However, the effects of these mutations on functions other than transcriptional activation are unknown. In this study, to identify genes that play a role in the cascade of signal events regulated by wild-type and mutant Tax proteins, we …

Heme Oxygenase-1 Regulates The Immune Response To Influenza Virus Infection And Vaccination In Aged Mice, Nathan W. Cummins, Eric A. Weaver, Shannon M. May, Anthony J. Croatt, Oded Foreman, Richard B. Kennedy, Gregory A. Poland, Michael A. Barry, Karl A. Nath, Andrew D. Badley

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Underlying mechanisms of individual variation in severity of influenza infection and response to vaccination are poorly understood. We investigated the effect of reduced heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression on vaccine response and outcome of influenza infection. HO-1-deficient and wild-type (WT) mice (kingdom, Animalia; phylum, Chordata; genus/species, Mus musculus) were infected with influenza virus A/PR/8/34 with or without prior vaccination with an adenoviral-based influenza vaccine. A genome-wide association study evaluated the expression of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the HO-1 gene and the response to influenza vaccination in healthy humans. HO-1-deficient mice had decreased survival after influenza infection compared to WT mice (median …

Hyccin, The Molecule Mutated In The Leukodystrophy Hypomyelination And Congenital Cataract (Hcc), Is A Neuronal Protein., Elisabetta Gazzerro, Simona Baldassari, Caterina Giacomini, Veronica Musante, Floriana Fruscione, Veronica La Padula, Roberta Biancheri, Sonia Scarfì, Valeria Prada, Federica Sotgia, Ian D Duncan, Federico Zara, Hauke B Werner, Michael P Lisanti, Lucilla Nobbio, Anna Corradi, Carlo Minetti

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

"Hypomyelination and Congenital Cataract", HCC (MIM #610532), is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by congenital cataract and diffuse cerebral and peripheral hypomyelination. HCC is caused by deficiency of Hyccin, a protein whose biological role has not been clarified yet. Since the identification of the cell types expressing a protein of unknown function can contribute to define the physiological context in which the molecule is explicating its function, we analyzed the pattern of Hyccin expression in the central and peripheral nervous system (CNS and PNS). Using heterozygous mice expressing the b-galactosidase (LacZ) gene under control of the Hyccin gene regulatory elements, …