Medical Sciences Commons^™

Equine Polyclonal Antibodies Prevent Acute Chikungunya Virus Infection In Mice, Douglas Barker, Xiaobing Han, Eryu Wang, Ashley Dagley, Deborah M. Anderson, Aruni Jha, Scott C. Weaver, Justin Julander, Cory Nykiforuk, Shantha Kodihalli

Office of Research Faculty and Staff Publications

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-transmitted pathogen that causes chikungunya disease (CHIK); the disease is characterized by fever, muscle ache, rash, and arthralgia. This arthralgia can be debilitating and long-lasting, seriously impacting quality of life for years. Currently, there is no specific therapy available for CHIKV infection. We have developed a despeciated equine polyclonal antibody (CHIKV-EIG) treatment against CHIKV and evaluated its protective efficacy in mouse models of CHIKV infection. In immunocompromised (IFNAR^−/−) mice infected with CHIKV, daily treatment for five consecutive days with CHIKV-EIG administered at 100 mg/kg starting on the day of infection prevented mortality, reduced …

Fertility Control Options For Management Of Free-Roaming Horse Populations, Ursula S. Bechert, John W. Turner Jr., Dan L. Baker, Douglas C. Eckery, Jason E. Bruemmer, Candace C. Lyman, Tulio M. Prado, Sarah R. B. King, Mark A. Fraker

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The management of free-roaming horses (Equus ferus) and burros (E. asinus) in the United States has been referred to as a “wicked problem” because, although there are population control options, societal values will ultimately determine what is acceptable and what is not. In the United States, free-roaming equids are managed by different types of organizations and agencies, and the landscapes that these animals inhabit vary widely in terms of access, size, topography, climate, natural resources, flora, and fauna. This landscape diversity, coupled with contemporary socioeconomic and political environments, means that adaptive management practices are needed to …

Comparative Metabolism Of Aflatoxin B1 In Two Quail Genera Coturnix Japonica And Callipepla Californica, Sean Moody

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Avian species are highly susceptible to the hepatotoxic mycotoxin aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁). Domesticated turkeys are exquisitely sensitive, due to a combination of highly-efficient hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated bioactivation, and to dysfunctional alpha-class glutathione S-transferases (GSTAs) which typically detoxify the bioactivated electrophilic metabolite exo-AFB₁-8,9-epoxide (AFBO). Wild turkeys are relatively resistant to AFB₁ in large part due to expression of functional GSTAs. Quail, a related Galliforme, are slightly less sensitive in vivo to AFB₁, but whether this is related to the hepatic metabolic profiles of these two critical enzymes has not been rigorously evaluated. …

A Reinforcement Learning Based Control Approach For Propofol-Induced Burst Suppression, Jason C. Huang, Scott C. Tadler, Brian J. Mickey, Keith Jones

Utah Space Grant Consortium

High-dose propofol is being investigated for its potential antidepressant effect. Propofol is titrated to induce burst suppression, a specific EEG pattern. However, propofol is difficult to dose due to uncertainty in each patient’s pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD), and the lack of a commercially available monitor of propofol concentration. Clinicians currently infer the proper drug dose after observing the EEG response to the given dose. In this report we share our development of an automated controller to optimally administer propofol-induced burst suppression. We designed a deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) algorithm, which includes two deep neural networks and relates a …

Data From: Docosahexaenoic Acid Consumption Impedes Early Interferon- And Chemokine-Related Gene Expression While Suppressing Silica-Triggered Flaring Of Murine Lupus, Abby D. Benninghoff, James Pestka

Browse all Datasets

The dataset contains five files of tabular data with an accompanying README file.

Supplementary file 1: Customized probe annotation file for the Nanostring nCounter Mouse PanCancer Immune Profiling Panel (catalog # 115000142). This file is provided as supporting material for a journal article.

Supplementary file 2: Microsoft Excel document with output from nSolver for differential expression analyses for pairwise comparisons noted by each named sheet. This data set is supporting material for a journal article.

Supplementary file 3: Microsoft Excel document with output from nSolver for global and directed significance scores for immune pathways. This data set is supporting material …

Data From: Mapping Of Dynamic Transcriptome Changes Associated With Silica-Triggered Autoimmune Pathogenesis In The Lupus-Prone Nzbwf1 Mouse, James Pestka, Abby D. Benninghoff

Browse all Datasets

The dataset contains six files of tabular data with an accompanying README file.

Supplementary file 1: Customized probe annotation file for the Nanostring nCounter Mouse PanCancer Immune Profiling Panel (catalog # 115000142). This file is provided as supporting material for a journal article. Codes for columns are in file.

Supplementary file 2: Microsoft Excel document with output from nSolver for differential expression analyses for pairwise comparisons noted by each named sheet. This data set is supporting material for a journal article. Codes for columns are listed in README.

Supplementary File 3: Microsoft Excel document with output from nSolver for global …

Evaluating The Potential Of Repurposing Commercially Available Drugs For The Treatment Of Viral Infections, Brennan Connor Mcewan

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Viral infections that are often overlooked as common seasonal illnesses such as influenza can rapidly become a public threat. They threaten society as new, more dangerous strains of these common viruses emerge and as strains develop resistance to current vaccines and antiviral treatments (Kochanek, Murphy, Xu, & Tejada-Vera, 2014). To combat this, the development of antiviral treatments with novel mechanisms of action is essential. Repurposing drugs instead of developing new drugs can save years of development time and hundreds of millions of dollars (DiMasi, Hansen, & Grabowski, 2003). To support the effort to discover drugs with unique mechanisms of action, …

Alpha-Amino-Beta-Carboxy-Muconate-Semialdehyde Decarboxylase Controls Dietary Niacin Requirements For Nad+ Synthesis, Laura Palzer, Jessica J. Bader, Frances Angel, Megan Witzel, Sydney Blaser, Alexis Mcneil, Miles K. Wandersee, N. Adrian Leu, Christopher J. Lengner, Clara E. Cho, Kevin D. Welch, James B. Kirkland, Ralph G. Meyer, Mirella L. Meyer-Ficca

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

NAD⁺ is essential for redox reactions in energy metabolism and necessary for DNA repair and epigenetic modification. Humans require sufficient amounts of dietary niacin (nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, and nicotinamide riboside) for adequate NAD⁺ synthesis. In contrast, mice easily generate sufficient NAD⁺ solely from tryptophan through the kynurenine pathway. We show that transgenic mice with inducible expression of human alpha-amino-beta-carboxy-muconate-semialdehyde decarboxylase (ACMSD) become niacin dependent similar to humans when ACMSD expression is high. On niacin-free diets, these acquired niacin dependency (ANDY) mice developed reversible, mild-to-severe NAD⁺ deficiency, depending on the nutrient composition of the diet. NAD deficiency …

Strength-Based Physiological Profiles Of Ncaa Division I Womens Basketball And Gymnastics Athletes: Implications For Injury Risk Assessment, Curtis Cazier

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive strength-based physiological profile of women’s collegiate basketball and gymnastic athletes; and to make sport-specific comparisons for various isokinetic and maximal and rapid isometric strength characteristics of the knee flexor and extensor muscles. A focus on antagonist muscle balance (hamstrings to quadriceps ratios, H:Q) will help elucidate particular vulnerabilities in these at-risk female athletes. Fourteen Division I collegiate level women’s basketball and 13 women’s gymnastics athletes performed isokinetic and isometric strength testing of the knee extensors and flexors. Outcome measures included absolute and body mass normalized (relative) isokinetic and isometric peak …

A Deeper Look Into The Vastus Medialis: A Stabilizer For The Knee, Connie Nicole Barnes

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Anterior cruciate ligament tears are one of the most common injuries that occur, especially in female athletes. It requires surgery and months of physical therapy to get these athletes back in playing condition. The angle of women’s hips and lack of strength of inner quadriceps muscles enhances the risk of injuries to the knees. One specific muscle that is known for being a stabilizer of the knee and may help in preventing ACL tears is the vastus medialis. By understanding what exercises activate this muscle the most, conditioning plans and preventative workouts need to be created to help female athletes …

The Effects Of Previous Concussions On The Physiological Complexity Of Motor Output During A Continuous Isometric Visual-Motor Tracking Task, Adam C. Raikes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The long-term ramifications of single and multiple concussions are unclear, though they exist in the forefront of present social and scientific inquiry. While suicides linked to concussion histories by prominent current and former athletes sensationalize the issue, questions abound as to the safe and timely return to work, sport, and active military duty following a concussive event in addition to the link between concussion history and neurological disorders. As such, identifying lingering or persistent alterations in function following concussion is essential.

Nonlinear characteristics of visual-motor task performance, including the complexity of the performance, provide an avenue for quantifying visual processing, …

Concurrent Neurological And Behavioral Assessment Of Number Line Estimation Performance In Children And Adults, Joseph Michael Baker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Understanding the brain’s response to common math-learning activities may help improve math education. For example, by imaging the brains of typically developing children and adults throughout a number line estimation task, it is possible to establish a baseline of what “typical” brains do in such situations. Thus, comparisons may be made to determine the degree to which brain functioning differs between typical and atypical math learners. Moreover, by identifying methods that may increase the brain’s response to real-world math activities, it may be possible to improve the math learning process for typical and atypical learners alike.

Brain imaging devices such …

Fat Taste Transduction In Mouse Taste Cells: The Role Of Transient Receptor Potential Channel Type M5, Pin Liu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A number of studies have demonstrated the ability of free fatty acids to activate taste cells and elicit behavioral responses consistent with there being a taste of fat. Here I show for the first time that long chain unsaturated free fatty acid, linoleic acid, depolarizes taste cells and elicits a robust intracellular calcium rise via the activation of transient receptor potential channel type M5. The linoleic acid-induced responses depend on G protein-phospholipase C pathway indicative of the involvement of G protein-coupled receptors in the transduction of fatty acids. Mice lacking transient receptor potential channel type M5 exhibit no preference for …

Dietary Folate, Other B-Vitamins And Incident Alzheimer's Disease: The Cache County Memory, Health, And Aging Study, Chailyn Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study involves data from the Cache County Study, which began in 1994 with joined efforts by Duke University, Utah State University, and Johns Hopkins University. It consisted of 5,092 participants from Cache County, Utah, located in the northern part of the state. Characteristics of the population include high participation rates (~ 90%), a majority of participants are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, longer life expectancy than the general US population, a greater than 80% rate of at least a high school education, and low rates of migration.

Subjects cognitive status was screened using the …

Dna-Protein Cross-Linking By Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids, Gail L. Drew

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are natural plant compounds found in hundreds of plant species worldwide and are reported to have cytotoxic, carcinogenic, antimitotic, and genotoxic activity. PAs are metabolized by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system to the pyrrole or the N-oxide form. The pyrroles are bifunctional electrophilic alkylators that bind cellular nucleophiles such as DNA and proteins and sirupt normal cell processes, including DNA replication and gene transcription and can cause megalocytosis. The pyrroles dehydrosenecionine (DHSN) and dehydromonocrotaline (DHMO) are among the most potent PA cross-linkers and inducers of megalocytosis. DHSN and DHMO-induced cross-links in cultured normal (MDBK) and neoplastic (MCF7) …

Aflatoxin B1 Metabolism In Mammalian Pulmonary Tissue, J. Michael Eichelberger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) is a potent dietary hepatocarcinogen and may be a lung carcinogen when inhaled. To study the relative ability of lung and liver to metabolize AFB₁, a susceptible (Swiss-Webster rat) and resistant species (Syrian golden hamster) were pretreated with inducing agents in order to identify specific AFB₁ metabolizing enzymes in each tissue.

Analysis of AFB₁-exo-epoxide (AFBO) formation, O-dealkynation assays, and protein immunoblots demonstrated that cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A proteins were overexpressed in both the lung and liver of hamsters pretreated with 3-methylchyolanthrene (3-MC). Only CYP1A1 was expressed in the lung …

The Role Of Homeostatic Imbalance In The Reported Immunomodulation Of T-2 Toxin, Michael Jay Taylor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

T-2 toxin (T-2), produced by the genus Fusarium, is a cytotoxic trichothecene mycotoxin, a feed contaminant, and has been shown to be immunomodulatory. It is suspected that T-2-associated immunomodulation is mediated partly through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The presence of endotoxin, a bacterial product capable of activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis as well as the levels of several hormones, also associated with activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, were determined in both vehicle- and toxin-treated animals. Endotoxemia was evident twenty-four hours after a single oral exposure to T-2. Blood levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone, parameters of the stress response, also increased …

Dietary Factors And Induction Of Hepatic Microsomal Hydroxylative Enzymes By Organochlorine Pesticides, D. Jesse Wagstaff

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Induction of hepatic microsomal hydroxylative enzymes is an important aspect of detoxication of fat-soluble toxicants. The magnitude of induction depends on numerous factors, such as the nature and dose of toxicant as well as dietary factors. Research was conducted on (1) endrin tolerance in rats, (2) preliminary comparisons of inductive effects of various organochlorine pesticides in rats to select compounds for further study in guinea pigs, (3) general effects of various dietary factors on induction, and (4) effects of ascorbic acid deficiency on induction of hepatic microsomal hydroxylative enzymes by organochlorine pesticides in guinea pigs. Measurements were made of body …