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2020

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Articles 31 - 60 of 72

Full-Text Articles in Medical Pathology

Gut Pathophysiology In Mouse Models Of Social Behavior Deficits, Kyla Scott May 2020

Gut Pathophysiology In Mouse Models Of Social Behavior Deficits, Kyla Scott

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) encompass neurodevelopment disorders characterized by atypical patterns of development that impact multiple areas of functioning beginning in early childhood. The etiology of ASD is unknown and there are currently no preventative treatment options. Gastrointestinal symptoms are commonly associated comorbidities. The microbiota-gut-brain axis is a multidirectional communication chain that connects the central and enteric nervous system that relates brain function to peripheral intestinal functions. Changes within this axis have been postulated in ASD. For example, the “leaky gut theory” proposes that chronic inflammation is linked to alterations in the bacterial profiles of the gut microbiome and subsequent …


Photoactivatable Cre Recombinase 3.0 For In Vivo Mouse Applications, Kumi Morikawa, Kazuhiro Furuhashi, Carmen De Sena-Tomas, Alvaro L. Garcia-Garcia, Ramsey Bekdash, Alison D. Klein, Nicholas Gallerani, Hannah E. Yamamoto, Seon Hye E. Park, Grant S. Collins, Fuun Kawano, Moritoshi Sato, Chyuan Sheng Lin, Kimara L. Targoff, Edmund Au, Michael C. Salling, Masayuki Yazawa May 2020

Photoactivatable Cre Recombinase 3.0 For In Vivo Mouse Applications, Kumi Morikawa, Kazuhiro Furuhashi, Carmen De Sena-Tomas, Alvaro L. Garcia-Garcia, Ramsey Bekdash, Alison D. Klein, Nicholas Gallerani, Hannah E. Yamamoto, Seon Hye E. Park, Grant S. Collins, Fuun Kawano, Moritoshi Sato, Chyuan Sheng Lin, Kimara L. Targoff, Edmund Au, Michael C. Salling, Masayuki Yazawa

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Optogenetic genome engineering tools enable spatiotemporal control of gene expression and provide new insight into biological function. Here, we report the new version of genetically encoded photoactivatable (PA) Cre recombinase, PA-Cre 3.0. To improve PA-Cre technology, we compare light-dimerization tools and optimize for mammalian expression using a CAG promoter, Magnets, and 2A self-cleaving peptide. To prevent background recombination caused by the high sequence similarity in the dimerization domains, we modify the codons for mouse gene targeting and viral production. Overall, these modifications significantly reduce dark leak activity and improve blue-light induction developing our new version, PA-Cre 3.0. As a resource, …


Investigating Medical Examiners' Practices: Genetic Evaluation For Fatal Acute Aortic Dissection, Bradley Power May 2020

Investigating Medical Examiners' Practices: Genetic Evaluation For Fatal Acute Aortic Dissection, Bradley Power

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Acute thoracic aortic dissection (TAD) is a life-threatening event with a hereditary component. Currently, pathogenic variants in 11 genes associated with aortic aneurysm and dissection predispose to a heritable form of disease thereby conferring an increased risk for TAD. Genetic testing plays a pivotal role not only in diagnosis, but also in risk stratification for relatives and medical management to prevent premature death from dissection. Due to its high fatality rate, medical examiners and coroners (ME/Cs) may be the first to identify TAD cases and initiate genetic testing for the decedent and at-risk relatives. ME/Cs were surveyed using three clinical …


Bispecific Human Il2-Ccr4 Immunotoxin Targets Human Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma, Haoyu Wang, Zhaohui Wang, Huiping Zhang, Zeng Qi, Ariel C Johnson, David Mathes, Elizabeth A Pomfret, Erin Rubin, Christene A Huang, Zhirui Wang May 2020

Bispecific Human Il2-Ccr4 Immunotoxin Targets Human Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma, Haoyu Wang, Zhaohui Wang, Huiping Zhang, Zeng Qi, Ariel C Johnson, David Mathes, Elizabeth A Pomfret, Erin Rubin, Christene A Huang, Zhirui Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The majority of clinically diagnosed cutaneous T‐cell lymphomas (CTCL) highly express the cell‐surface markers CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) and/or CD25. Recently, we have developed diphtheria toxin‐based recombinant Ontak®‐like human IL2 fusion toxin (IL2 fusion toxin) and anti‐human CCR4 immunotoxin (CCR4 IT). In this study, we first compared the efficacy of the CCR4 IT vs IL2 fusion toxin for targeting human CD25+CCR4+ CTCL. We demonstrated that CCR4 IT was more effective than IL2 fusion toxin. We further constructed an IL2‐CCR4 bispecific IT. The bispecific IT was significantly more effective than either IL2 fusion toxin or CCR4 IT alone. The bispecific …


Targeting Natural Killer Cells For Improved Immunity And Control Of The Adaptive Immune Response., Stephen Pierce, Eric S. Geanes, Todd Bradley May 2020

Targeting Natural Killer Cells For Improved Immunity And Control Of The Adaptive Immune Response., Stephen Pierce, Eric S. Geanes, Todd Bradley

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Natural killer (NK) cells are critical for targeting and killing tumor, virus-infected and stressed cells as a member of the innate immune system. Recently, NK cells have also emerged as key regulators of adaptive immunity and have become a prominent therapeutic target for cancer immunotherapy and infection control. NK cells display a diverse array of phenotypes and function. Determining how NK cells develop and are regulated is critical for understanding their role in both innate and adaptive immunity. In this review we discuss current research approaches into NK cell adaptive immunity and how these cells are being harnessed for improving …


Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis, Ashan Hatharasinghe, Hossein Akhondi, Don Pepito Apr 2020

Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis, Ashan Hatharasinghe, Hossein Akhondi, Don Pepito

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Introduction: Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is a rare autoimmune demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system. Clinical manifestations include encephalopathy, motor deficits, ataxia, and meningeal signs. In most cases, ADEM is preceded by either vaccination or viral illness. Here, we present a case with neither of the two predisposing elements.

Discussion: A 28-year-old Hispanic female presenting with substance use and suicidal ideation was placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold, started on olanzapine and scheduled for a psychiatric facility transfer. The following day, she was noted to have neurological deficits when ambulating. Computed tomography of the brain showed a right frontal …


Anxiety In Alzheimer's Disease, Zachary Cooper Apr 2020

Anxiety In Alzheimer's Disease, Zachary Cooper

Senior Honors Theses

Researchers familiar with Alzheimer’s disease have often noted the presence of comorbid anxiety symptomatology. Likewise, the occurrence of anxiety before the development of Alzheimer’s disease has been prevalent enough to warrant attention. This review seeks to elaborate on the pathophysiology behind these two conditions, and to accentuate overlapping aspects that promote a causal relationship between these two pathologies on the macroscopic and cellular levels. Subsequent evidence will show that these pathologies are not independent of each other, and that cellular mechanisms of pathology hint at their interrelatedness. Areas requiring further research that would clarify the relationship between Clinical Anxiety and …


A Validated Composite Organ And Hematologic Response Model For Early Assessment Of Treatment Outcomes In Light Chain Amyloidosis, Surbhi Sidana, Paolo Milani, Moritz Binder, Marco Basset, Nidhi Tandon, Andrea Foli, Angela Dispenzieri, Morie A Gertz, Suzanne R Hayman, Francis K Buadi, Martha Q Lacy, Prashant Kapoor, Nelson Leung, S Vincent Rajkumar, Giampaolo Merlini, Giovanni Palladini, Shaji K Kumar Apr 2020

A Validated Composite Organ And Hematologic Response Model For Early Assessment Of Treatment Outcomes In Light Chain Amyloidosis, Surbhi Sidana, Paolo Milani, Moritz Binder, Marco Basset, Nidhi Tandon, Andrea Foli, Angela Dispenzieri, Morie A Gertz, Suzanne R Hayman, Francis K Buadi, Martha Q Lacy, Prashant Kapoor, Nelson Leung, S Vincent Rajkumar, Giampaolo Merlini, Giovanni Palladini, Shaji K Kumar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis patients were evaluated to develop a model for early assessment of treatment benefit at 6 months, integrating both hematologic (HR) and organ response (OR) assessment (testing cohort, Mayo: n = 473; validation cohort, Pavia: n = 575). Multiple OR were assessed as follows: All OR (AOR): response in all organs, mixed OR (MOR): response in some organs, no OR (NOR)]. AOR rates at 6 months improved with deepening HR; complete response (CR; 38%, 35%), very good partial response (VGPR; 30%, 26%), and partial response (PR; 16%, 21%), respectively. A composite HR/OR (CHOR) model was developed using …


Elucidating The Regulon Of A Fur-Like Protein In Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis (Map), Fernanda Miyagaki Shoyama, Taveesak Janetanakit, John P. Bannantine, Raul G. Barletta, Srinand Sreevatsan Apr 2020

Elucidating The Regulon Of A Fur-Like Protein In Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis (Map), Fernanda Miyagaki Shoyama, Taveesak Janetanakit, John P. Bannantine, Raul G. Barletta, Srinand Sreevatsan

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Intracellular iron concentration is tightly regulated to maintain cell viability. Iron plays important roles in electron transport, nucleic acid synthesis, and oxidative stress. A Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP)-specific genomic island carries a putative metal transport operon that includes MAP3773c, which encodes a Fur-like protein. Although well characterized as a global regulator of iron homeostasis in multiple bacteria, the function of Fur (ferric uptake regulator) in MAP is unknown as this organism also carries IdeR (iron dependent regulator), a native iron regulatory protein specific to mycobacteria. Computational analysis using PRODORIC identified 23 different pathways involved in respiration, metabolism, and virulence …


Artificial Intelligence And Digital Microscopy Applications In Diagnostic Hematopathology, Hanadi El Achi, Joseph D Khoury Mar 2020

Artificial Intelligence And Digital Microscopy Applications In Diagnostic Hematopathology, Hanadi El Achi, Joseph D Khoury

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Digital Pathology is the process of converting histology glass slides to digital images using sophisticated computerized technology to facilitate acquisition, evaluation, storage, and portability of histologic information. By its nature, digitization of analog histology data renders it amenable to analysis using deep learning/artificial intelligence (DL/AI) techniques. The application of DL/AI to digital pathology data holds promise, even if the scope of use cases and regulatory framework for deploying such applications in the clinical environment remains in the early stages. Recent studies using whole-slide images and DL/AI to detect histologic abnormalities in general and cancer in particular have shown encouraging results. …


Characterization Of A Species E Adenovirus Vector As A Zika Virus Vaccine, Brianna L. Bullard, Brigette N. Corder, David N. Gordon, Theodore C. Pierson, Eric A. Weaver Feb 2020

Characterization Of A Species E Adenovirus Vector As A Zika Virus Vaccine, Brianna L. Bullard, Brigette N. Corder, David N. Gordon, Theodore C. Pierson, Eric A. Weaver

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The development of a safe and efficacious Zika virus (ZIKV) vaccine remains a global health priority. In our previous work, we developed an Adenovirus vectored ZIKV vaccine using a low-seroprevalent human Adenovirus type 4 (Ad4-prM-E) and compared it to an Ad5 vector (Ad5-prM-E). We found that vaccination with Ad4-prM-E leads to the development of a strong anti-ZIKV T-cell response without eliciting significant anti-ZIKV antibodies, while vaccination with Ad5-prM-E leads to the development of both anti-ZIKV antibody and T-cell responses in C57BL/6 mice. However, both vectors conferred protection against ZIKV infection in a lethal challenge model. Here we continued to characterize …


Perivascular Macrophages In The Neonatal Macaque Brain Undergo Massive Necroptosis After Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection, Diana G. Bohannon, Yueying Wang, Colin H. Reinhart, Julian B. Hattler, Jiangtao Luo, Hamid R. Okhravi, Jianshui Zhang, Qingsheng Li, Marcelo J. Kuroda, Woong-Ki Kim Jan 2020

Perivascular Macrophages In The Neonatal Macaque Brain Undergo Massive Necroptosis After Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection, Diana G. Bohannon, Yueying Wang, Colin H. Reinhart, Julian B. Hattler, Jiangtao Luo, Hamid R. Okhravi, Jianshui Zhang, Qingsheng Li, Marcelo J. Kuroda, Woong-Ki Kim

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

We previously showed that rhesus macaques neonatally infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) do not develop SIV encephalitis (SIVE) and maintain low brain viral loads despite having similar plasma viral loads compared to SIV-infected adults. We hypothesize that differences in myeloid cell populations that are the known target of SIV and HIV in the brain contribute to the lack of neonatal susceptibility to lentivirus-induced encephalitis. Using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence microscopy, we examined the frontal cortices from uninfected and SIV-infected infant and adult macaques (n = 8/ea) as well as adults with SIVE (n = 4) to determine differences in myeloid …


Characterization Of A Speciese Adenovirus Vector As A Zika Virus Vaccine, Brianna L. Bullard, Brigette N. Corder, David N. Gordon, Theodore C. Pierson, Eric A. Weaver Jan 2020

Characterization Of A Speciese Adenovirus Vector As A Zika Virus Vaccine, Brianna L. Bullard, Brigette N. Corder, David N. Gordon, Theodore C. Pierson, Eric A. Weaver

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The development of a safe and efficacious Zika virus (ZIKV) vaccine remains a global health priority. In our previous work, we developed an Adenovirus vectored ZIKV vaccine using a low-seroprevalent human Adenovirus type 4 (Ad4-prM-E) and compared it to an Ad5 vector (Ad5-prM-E). We found that vaccination with Ad4-prM-E leads to the development of a strong anti-ZIKV T-cell response without eliciting significant anti-ZIKV antibodies, while vaccination with Ad5-prM-E leads to the development of both anti-ZIKV antibody and T-cell responses in C57BL/6 mice. However, both vectors conferred protection against ZIKV infection in a lethal challenge model. Here we continued to characterize …


Evaluation Of Antibody Response Directed Against Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus Structural Proteins, Hung Q. Luong, Huong T.L. Lai, Hiep L.X. Vu Jan 2020

Evaluation Of Antibody Response Directed Against Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus Structural Proteins, Hung Q. Luong, Huong T.L. Lai, Hiep L.X. Vu

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Luciferase-immunoprecipitation system (LIPS), a liquid phase immunoassay, was used to evaluate antibody responses directed against the structural proteins of PRRSV in pigs that were experimentally infected with virulent PRRSV strains. First, the viral N protein was used as a model antigen to validate the assay. The LIPS results were highly comparable to that of the commercial IDEXX PRRS X3 ELISA. Subsequently, the assay was applied to simultaneously measure antibody reactivity against all eight structural proteins of PRRSV. The highest immunoreactivities were detected against GP3, M, and N proteins while the lowest reactivity was detected against ORF5a protein. Comparative analysis of …


Analysis Of Student Perceptions Of Just-In-Time Teaching Pedagogy In Pharmd Microbiology And Immunology Courses, Charitha Madiraju, Eglis Tellez-Corrales, Henry Hua, Jozef Stec, Andromeda M. Nauli, Deborah M. Brown Jan 2020

Analysis Of Student Perceptions Of Just-In-Time Teaching Pedagogy In Pharmd Microbiology And Immunology Courses, Charitha Madiraju, Eglis Tellez-Corrales, Henry Hua, Jozef Stec, Andromeda M. Nauli, Deborah M. Brown

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Just-In-Time Teaching (JiTT) active learning pedagogy is utilized by various disciplines, but its value in a professional pharmacy curriculum has not yet been demonstrated. The purpose of our research study is to implement and evaluate JiTT in a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. The impetus in implementing JiTT into a PharmD curriculum was to provide students with an out-of-classroom learning opportunity to enhance knowledge-based skills. The current study summarizes the implementation of JiTT in four distinct instances: two iterations of the required courses “Integrated Microbiology and Virology” (Fall 2016 and Fall 2017) and “Integrated Immunology” (Winter 2016–2017 and Winter 2017–2018). …


Lack Of Cd8+ T-Cell Co-Localization With Kaposi’S Sarcoma- Associated Herpesvirus Infected Cells In Kaposi’S Sarcoma Tumors, Salum J. Lidenge, For Yue Tso, Owen Ngalamika, Jaydeep Kolape, John R. Ngowi, Julius Mwaiselage, Charles Wood, John T. West Jan 2020

Lack Of Cd8+ T-Cell Co-Localization With Kaposi’S Sarcoma- Associated Herpesvirus Infected Cells In Kaposi’S Sarcoma Tumors, Salum J. Lidenge, For Yue Tso, Owen Ngalamika, Jaydeep Kolape, John R. Ngowi, Julius Mwaiselage, Charles Wood, John T. West

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Despite the close association between Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) and immune dysfunction, it remains unclear whether tumor infiltrating immune cells (TIIC), by their absence, presence, or dysfunction, are mechanistically correlated with KS pathogenesis. Therefore, their potential capacity to serve as prognostic biomarkers of KS disease progression or control is unclear. Because epidemic-KS (EpKS) occurs with HIV-1 co-infection, it is particularly important to compare TIIC between EpKS and HIV-negative African endemic-KS (EnKS) to dissect the roles of HIV-1 and Kaposi Sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) in KS pathogenesis. This cross-sectional study of 13 advanced KS (4 EnKS, 9 EpKS) patients and 3 healthy controls …


Prevalence Of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus And Transfusion-Transmissible Infections In Tanzanian Blood Donors, Salum J. Lidenge, Tara Tran, For Yue Tso, John R. Ngowi, Danielle M. Shea, Julius Mwaiselage, Charles Wood, John T. West Jan 2020

Prevalence Of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus And Transfusion-Transmissible Infections In Tanzanian Blood Donors, Salum J. Lidenge, Tara Tran, For Yue Tso, John R. Ngowi, Danielle M. Shea, Julius Mwaiselage, Charles Wood, John T. West

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the causative agent for Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), one of the most common cancers in Tanzania. We have investigated KSHV prevalence and factors associated with KSHV infection in Tanzania.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of voluntary blood-donors from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Plasma was screened for KSHV, HIV-1, HBV, HCV and Treponema pallidum (syphilis). Associations between KSHV sero-status and risk factors were analyzed. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) are reported to evaluate risk factors of KSHV infection. All tests were 2-tailed, and P-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results: The overall KSHV seroprevalence was 56.9%. Significantly …


Incidence Of The Covid-19 In Iraq – Implications For Travellers, Maysaa Kadhim Al-Malkey, Maitham Ahmed Al-Sammak Jan 2020

Incidence Of The Covid-19 In Iraq – Implications For Travellers, Maysaa Kadhim Al-Malkey, Maitham Ahmed Al-Sammak

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The first emerged Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China at the end of 2019, then spread to the rest of China [1], followed by the spread of the COVID-19 epidemics into the world caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) [2]. Many epidemiological assessments in different countries from Asia, Europe, and North America have been published [3]. Nevertheless, there are countries in the Middle East like Iraq, with a rapid increase in cases and a high number of deaths, with a lack of studies. It is worth noting that the Iraqi Foreign Ministry was …


Cervico-Vaginal Inflammatory Cytokine And Chemokine Responses To Two Different Siv Immunogens, Nikki P.L. Toledo, Hongzhao Li, Robert W. Omange, Tamara G. Dacoba, Jose Crecente-Campo, Dane Schalk, Mohammad A. Kashem, Eva Rakasz, Nancy Schultz-Darken, Qingsheng Li, James B. Whitney, Maria J. Alonso, Francis A. Plummer, Ma Luo Jan 2020

Cervico-Vaginal Inflammatory Cytokine And Chemokine Responses To Two Different Siv Immunogens, Nikki P.L. Toledo, Hongzhao Li, Robert W. Omange, Tamara G. Dacoba, Jose Crecente-Campo, Dane Schalk, Mohammad A. Kashem, Eva Rakasz, Nancy Schultz-Darken, Qingsheng Li, James B. Whitney, Maria J. Alonso, Francis A. Plummer, Ma Luo

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Studies have shown that vaccine vectors and route of immunization can differentially activate different arms of the immune system. However, the effects of different HIV vaccine immunogens on mucosal inflammation have not yet been studied. Because mucosal sites are the primary route of HIV infection, we evaluated the cervico-vaginal inflammatory cytokine and chemokine levels of Mauritian cynomolgus macaques following immunization and boost using two different SIV vaccine immunogens. The PCS vaccine delivers 12 20-amino acid peptides overlapping the 12 protease cleavage sites, and the Gag/Env vaccine delivers the full Gag and full Env proteins of simian immunodeficiency virus. We showed …


Genetic Diversity Of Potassium Ion Channel Proteins Encoded By Chloroviruses That Infect Chlorella Heliozoae, Carter Murry, Irina V. Agarkova, Jayadri S. Ghosh, Fiona C. Fitzgerald, Roger M. Carlson, Brigitte Hertel, Kerri Kukovetz, Oliver Rauh, Gerhard Thiel, James L. Van Etten Jan 2020

Genetic Diversity Of Potassium Ion Channel Proteins Encoded By Chloroviruses That Infect Chlorella Heliozoae, Carter Murry, Irina V. Agarkova, Jayadri S. Ghosh, Fiona C. Fitzgerald, Roger M. Carlson, Brigitte Hertel, Kerri Kukovetz, Oliver Rauh, Gerhard Thiel, James L. Van Etten

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Chloroviruses are large, plaque-forming, dsDNA viruses that infect chlorella-like green algae that live in a symbiotic relationship with protists. Chloroviruses have genomes from 290 to 370 kb, and they encode as many as 400 proteins. One interesting feature of chloroviruses is that they encode a potassium ion (K+) channel protein named Kcv. The Kcv protein encoded by SAG chlorovirus ATCV-1 is one of the smallest known functional K+ channel proteins consisting of 82 amino acids. The KcvATCV-1 protein has similarities to the family of two transmembrane domain K+ channel proteins; it consists of two transmembrane -helixes with a pore region …


Viral And Immunological Analytes Are Poor Predictors Of The Clinical Treatment Response In Kaposi’S Sarcoma Patients, Salum J. Lidenge, For Yue Tso, Yasaman Mortazavi, John R. Ngowi, Danielle M. Shea, Julius Mwaiselage, Charles Wood, John T. West Jan 2020

Viral And Immunological Analytes Are Poor Predictors Of The Clinical Treatment Response In Kaposi’S Sarcoma Patients, Salum J. Lidenge, For Yue Tso, Yasaman Mortazavi, John R. Ngowi, Danielle M. Shea, Julius Mwaiselage, Charles Wood, John T. West

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV) is the etiologic agent for Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS). The prognostic utility of KSHV and HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus) viremia as well as immunological parameters in clinical management of participants with KS is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate viral and immunological parameters as predictors of KS treatment responses in participants with KS from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Plasma KSHV-DNA, HIV-1 viral load, total anti-KSHV antibody, KSHV-neutralizing antibody (nAb), cytokine/chemokine levels, and T-cell differentiation subsets were quantified before and after KS treatment in 13 participants with KS and in 13 KSHV-infected asymptomatic control individuals. …


Non-Naturally Occurring Porcine Reproduction And Respiratory Syndrome Virus (Prrsv) And Methods Of Using, Hiep Lai Xuan Vu, Fernando Osorio, William W. Laegreid, Asit K. Pattnaik, Fangrui Ma Jan 2020

Non-Naturally Occurring Porcine Reproduction And Respiratory Syndrome Virus (Prrsv) And Methods Of Using, Hiep Lai Xuan Vu, Fernando Osorio, William W. Laegreid, Asit K. Pattnaik, Fangrui Ma

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

A non-naturally occuring porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is provided herein, and methods of making and using the non-naturally occurring PRRSV also are provided.


Diversity Of Trna Clusters In The Chloroviruses, Garry A. Duncan, David D. Dunigan Ph. D., James L. Van Etten Jan 2020

Diversity Of Trna Clusters In The Chloroviruses, Garry A. Duncan, David D. Dunigan Ph. D., James L. Van Etten

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Viruses rely on their host’s translation machinery for the synthesis of their own proteins. Problems belie viral translation when the host has a codon usage bias (CUB) that is different from an infecting virus due to differences in the GC content between the host and virus genomes. Here, we examine the hypothesis that chloroviruses adapted to host CUB by acquisition and selection of tRNAs that at least partially favor their own CUB. The genomes of 41 chloroviruses comprising three clades, each infecting a different algal host, have been sequenced, assembled and annotated. All 41 viruses not only encode tRNAs, but …


Host Transcriptional Response To Persistent Infection With A Live-Attenuated Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus Strain, Jayeshbhai Chaudhari, Chia-Sin Liew, Aspen M. Workman, Jean-Jack Riethoven, David J. Steffen, Sarah Vitosh-Sillman, Hiep Vu Jan 2020

Host Transcriptional Response To Persistent Infection With A Live-Attenuated Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus Strain, Jayeshbhai Chaudhari, Chia-Sin Liew, Aspen M. Workman, Jean-Jack Riethoven, David J. Steffen, Sarah Vitosh-Sillman, Hiep Vu

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Both virulent and live-attenuated porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) strains can establish persistent infection in lymphoid tissues of pigs. To investigate the mechanisms of PRRSV persistence, we performed a transcriptional analysis of inguinal lymphoid tissue collected from pigs experimentally infected with an attenuated PRRSV strain at 46 days post infection. A total of 6404 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected of which 3960 DEGs were upregulated and 2444 DEGs were downregulated. Specifically, genes involved in innate immune responses and chemokines and receptors associated with T-cell homing to lymphoid tissues were down regulated. As a result, homing of virus-specific …


Tick-Borne Infections In New Hampshire: An Evaluation Of The Diagnostic Process In A Local Patient Population, Katherine Anderson Jan 2020

Tick-Borne Infections In New Hampshire: An Evaluation Of The Diagnostic Process In A Local Patient Population, Katherine Anderson

Honors Theses and Capstones

Overall, approximately 95 percent of reported cases of vector-borne disease were associated with ticks, making these the most medically important group of arthropods in the United States.1 Despite the prevalence of tick-borne infections, the process for the diagnosis of this condition is not well studied. This study aims to analyze data from a pool of 100 patients who underwent testing for tick-borne disease in the same institution in Dover, New Hampshire during the most recent peak tick season of 2019. Information utilized in this study included: patient age, sex, location of testing (inpatient versus outpatient), diagnostic testing methods used …


Functional Impact Of Angiotensinogen Specific Domains On Angiotensin Ii-Mediated Functions, Chia-Hua Wu Jan 2020

Functional Impact Of Angiotensinogen Specific Domains On Angiotensin Ii-Mediated Functions, Chia-Hua Wu

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Angiotensinogen (AGT) is the only substrate for all angiotensin peptides in the renin angiotensin system (RAS). Cleavage of AGT by renin is a rate-limiting step of angiotensin peptides productions in the RAS and regulates angiotensin peptides-associated pathophysiological functions. Only ten N-terminal residues are cleaved by renin and the functions of remaining part of AGT protein, which is called des(angiotensin I)AGT, remain unclear. Despite of pivotal roles of AGT in the RAS, studies related to how AGT is metabolized and how des(angiotensin I)AGT regulates AGT functions or AngII-mediated functions are limited.

Renin cleavage of AGT shows species specificity. It has been …


Manipulation Of Ar-V7 In Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer, Sean Simpson Jan 2020

Manipulation Of Ar-V7 In Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer, Sean Simpson

Capstone Showcase

Abstract

Introduction: Prostate cancer is the leading cancer affecting men of all races in the United States, and the second leading cause of cancer death in men. If caught early, many have had success in combating the disease, but if the cancer metastasizes, the 5-year survival rate drops to only 30%. Current treatment options heavily involve hormone therapy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery. While these treatments can be effective for early stage prostate cancer, they can fall short in preventing the spread of the cancer to other parts of the body. This review analyzes a new potential way of preventing …


Oral Contraceptives As Possible Acl Injury Prevention Method, Haley Schweizer Jan 2020

Oral Contraceptives As Possible Acl Injury Prevention Method, Haley Schweizer

Capstone Showcase

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are an upsetting setback for many athletes that require a long and costly recovery process. The injury rates are four times greater in women than men. Preventative measures that help to prevent ACL injuries are limited to stretching and strengthening. Therefore, this review aims to investigate if oral contraceptive [I] usage provides a possible new avenue for prevention of ACL injury [O] in young female athletes (ages 18-30) [P] compared to those that do not take oral contraceptives [C].

Methods: A literature review was performed though PubMed, Google Scholar, SCOPUS Database, and ClinicalKey …


Analyzing The Effects Of Opioids On Cortical Pore Networks In Rabbit Tibiae And Femora, Kassidy Wilson Jan 2020

Analyzing The Effects Of Opioids On Cortical Pore Networks In Rabbit Tibiae And Femora, Kassidy Wilson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The following project was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) (Protocol number #18-11-12 ARC). This study was completed as a subset of Dr. Andronowski's overarching lab project. Femora and tibiae were procured from New Zealand White rabbits to study the prolonged effects of opioid use in bone remodeling. This specific project analyzed the effects of opioids on the pore networks and the pore orientation.


Mucosa-Associated Microbiota In Barrett’S Esophagus, Dysplasia, And Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Differ Similarly Compared With Healthy Controls, Shajan Peter, Amanda Pendergraft,, William Vanderpol, Mel Wilcox, Kondal R. Kyanam Kabir Baig, Casey Morrow, Jacques Izard, Peter J. Mannon Jan 2020

Mucosa-Associated Microbiota In Barrett’S Esophagus, Dysplasia, And Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Differ Similarly Compared With Healthy Controls, Shajan Peter, Amanda Pendergraft,, William Vanderpol, Mel Wilcox, Kondal R. Kyanam Kabir Baig, Casey Morrow, Jacques Izard, Peter J. Mannon

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Introduction: Alterations in the composition of the human gut microbiome and its metabolites have been linked to gut epithelial neoplasia. We hypothesized that differences in mucosa-adherent Barrett’s microbiota could link to risk factors, providing risk of progression to neoplasia.

Methods: Paired biopsies from both diseased and nonaffected esophagus (as well as gastric cardia and gastric juice for comparison) from patients with intestinal metaplasia (n = 10), low grade dysplasia (n = 10), high grade dysplasia (n = 10), esophageal adenocarcinoma (n = 12), and controls (n = 10) were processed for mucosa-associated bacteria …