Life Sciences Commons^™

Molecular Evidence For A Functional Ecdysone Signaling System In Brugia Malayi, George Tzertzinis, Ana L. Egaña, Subba Reddy Palli, Marc Robinson-Rechavi, Chris R. Gissendanner, Canhui Liu, Thomas R. Unnasch, Claude V. Maina

Entomology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Filarial nematodes, including Brugia malayi, the causative agent of lymphatic filariasis, undergo molting in both arthropod and mammalian hosts to complete their life cycles. An understanding of how these parasites cross developmental checkpoints may reveal potential targets for intervention. Pharmacological evidence suggests that ecdysteroids play a role in parasitic nematode molting and fertility although their specific function remains unknown. In insects, ecdysone triggers molting through the activation of the ecdysone receptor: a heterodimer of EcR (ecdysone receptor) and USP (Ultraspiracle).

METHODS AND FINDINGS: We report the cloning and characterization of a B. malayi EcR homologue (Bma-EcR). Bma-EcR dimerizes with …

Terrestrial Ecological Systems And Natural Communities Of Nebraska, Steven B. Rolfsmeier, Gerry Steinauer

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission -- White Papers, Conference Presentations, & Manuscripts

Over two decades ago, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and state natural heritage programs developed the “coarse filter/fine filter” approach to preserving biological diversity (Grossman et al. 1994). This approach involves identification and protection of natural communities (coarse filter) as well as rare species (fine filter). Identifying and protecting representative examples of natural communities ensures conservation of most species, biotic interactions and ecological processes. Those species that “fall through” the community filters are generally the rare species. Identification and protection of viable occurrences of rare species serves as the fine filter for preserving biological diversity. Using communities as a coarse filter …

Limnological Assistance For The Lake Mead National Recreation Area In Meeting The Challenge Of The Water 2025 Initiative: Executive Summary And Concise Statement Of Accomplishments, Limnological Assistance For Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Limnological Studies

Limnological Assistance for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Meeting the Challenge of the Water 2025 Initiative was a Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA)-funded project. It was implemented by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Public Lands Institute (PLI) cooperatively with the UNLV Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and the UNLV Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies on behalf of and in cooperation with the National Park Service, Lake Mead National Recreation Area (Lake Mead NRA).

Magnesium Excretion In C. Elegans Requires The Activity Of The Gtl-2 Trpm Channel, Takayuki Teramoto, Laura A. Sternick, Eriko Kage-Nakadai, Shirine Sajjadi, Jakub Siembida, Shohei Mitani, Kouichi Iwasaki, Eric J. Lambie

Dartmouth Scholarship

Systemic magnesium homeostasis in mammals is primarily governed by the activities of the TRPM6 and TRPM7 cation channels, which mediate both uptake by the intestinal epithelial cells and reabsorption by the distal convoluted tubule cells in the kidney. In the nematode, C. elegans, intestinal magnesium uptake is dependent on the activities of the TRPM channel proteins, GON-2 and GTL-1. In this paper we provide evidence that another member of the TRPM protein family, GTL-2, acts within the C. elegans excretory cell to mediate the excretion of excess magnesium. Thus, the activity of GTL-2 balances the activities of the paralogous …

Distinct Evolutionary Histories Of The Dna-A And Dna-B Components Of Bipartite Begomoviruses, Rob W. Briddon, Basavaprabhu L. Patil, Basavaraj Bagewadi, Muhammad Shah Nawaz-Ul-Rehman, Claude M. Fauquet

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Viruses of the genus Begomovirus (family Geminiviridae) have genomes consisting of either one or two genomic components. The component of bipartite begomoviruses known as DNA-A is homologous to the genomes of all geminiviruses and encodes proteins required for replication, control of gene expression, overcoming host defenses, encapsidation and insect transmission. The second component, referred to as DNA-B, encodes two proteins with functions in intra- and intercellular movement in host plants. The origin of the DNA-B component remains unclear. The study described here was initiated to investigate the relationship between the DNA-A and DNA-B components of bipartite begomoviruses with a …

Prodigal: Prokaryotic Gene Recognition And Translation Initiation Site Identification, Doug Hyatt, Gwo-Liang Chen, Philip F. Locascio, Miriam L. Land, Frank W. Larimer, Loren J. Hauser

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- General Biology

Abstract

Background

The quality of automated gene prediction in microbial organisms has improved steadily over the past decade, but there is still room for improvement. Increasing the number of correct identifications, both of genes and of the translation initiation sites for each gene, and reducing the overall number of false positives, are all desirable goals.

Results

With our years of experience in manually curating genomes for the Joint Genome Institute, we developed a new gene prediction algorithm called Prodigal (PROkaryotic DYnamic programming Gene-finding ALgorithm). With Prodigal, we focused specifically on the three goals of improved gene structure prediction, improved translation …

Historic Fire Regimes On Eastern Great Basin (Usa) Mountains Reconstructed From Tree Rings, Stanley G. Kitchen

Theses and Dissertations

Management of natural landscapes requires knowledge of key disturbance processes and their effects. Fire and forest histories provide valuable insight into how fire and vegetation varied and interacted in the past. I constructed multi-century fire chronologies for 10 sites on six mountain ranges representative of the eastern Great Basin (USA), a region in which historic fire information was lacking. I also constructed tree recruitment chronologies for two sites. I use these chronologies to address three research foci. First, using fire-scar data from four heterogeneous sites, I assert that mean fire interval (MFI) values calculated from composite chronologies provide suitable estimates …

A Comparison Of The Traditional, Swing, And Chicken Wing Arm Movements On Volleyball Blocking In Ncaa Division 1 Female Athletes, Taubi J. Neves

Theses and Dissertations

Blocking is highly correlated with team success. The identification of specific techniques that produce a more successful block would be helpful knowledge for coaches and players. This study compared the traditional, swing, and chicken wing arm swings in combination with the running step footwork pattern in order to determine which arm swing enabled athletes to perform a more effective block. The time it took the athletes to get off the ground and get their hands above (vertically) the net was calculated. The distance the hand reached over the net or hand penetration (displacement between the net and finger in the …

A Rapid, Flow Cytometry-Based Assay For The Determination Of Natural Killer Cell Activity In Isolated Periphery Blood Mononuclear Cells, Emily C.P. Lavoy, Brian K. Mcfarlin

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Natural killer cell activity (NKCA) is an important assessment of innate immunity in humans. Natural killer (NK) cells are known to be affected by exercise; therefore it is of interest to have an efficient method for measuring NKCA in pre- and post-exercise blood samples. Assays for NKCA include incubating human NK cells (effector cells) with stained target cells. The target cells are typically from the human leukemia cell line K562. The number of K562 target cells killed can be determined using a dead cell dye. Control target cells incubated alone provide a measure of spontaneous cell death. PURPOSE: The purpose …

Corticosterone Levels In Sedentary, Wheel, And Treadmill Acclimated Mice Following A Bout Of Forced Treadmill Running, Nadia H. Agha, Joesph Potucek, Kelley Strohacker, Whitney L. Breslin, Brian K. Mcfarlin

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Murine models have been used to study the immune response to exercise under various diet and training interventions .Our laboratory has previously studied the effect of forced exercise versus voluntary exercise on fasting blood glucose measurements. However, forced exercise may result in increased corticosterone levels. This may affect glucose levels and subsequent weight gain. Male, wild-type CD-1 mice were randomly divided into the following groups: forced exercise, wheel running, and sedentary. After a 8- weeks of the intervention, all mice were placed on a treadmill and forced to run for 30 minutes. Blood was collected from the mice prior to …

No Impact Of Cmv Or Ebv Seropositivity On The Frequency Of Highly Differentiated T-Cells In Mexican-American Adolescents, Guillaume Spielmann, Craig A. Johnston, Richard J. Simpson, Brian K. Mcfarlin, John P. Foreyt

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Recurring activations of the prevalent latent herpes viruses Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) induces immune cell division leading to the premature terminal differentiation of T-cells. Terminally differentiated T-cells are known to accumulate with age causing a reduction in the naïve T-cell repertoire, which compromises the ability of the adaptive immune system to respond to novel pathogens. Although CMV and EBV seropositivity are hallmarks of the “immune risk profile” and are known to influence the frequency of terminally differentiated T-cells and increase infection risk in adults, it is not known if CMV or EBV impacts on the frequency of these …

The Effects Of Exercise And A Low-Fat Diet On Monocyte Tlr Expression And Disease Risk In Mice, Katie C. Carpenter, Kelley Strohacker, Whitney Breslin, Nadia Agha, Thomas W. Lowder, Richard J. Simpson, Brian K. Mcfarlin

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Excess adiposity increases systemic inflammation, which is implicated in various diseases. Physical activity is a common treatment to reverse weight gain and increased disease risk; however, little evidence is available to determine if forced or voluntary exercise is more effective in mice. Such information has implications for the refinement of human exercise interventions. PURPOSE: To determine if 8-weeks of exercise combined with low-fat feeding reverses changes in disease risk, monocyte concentration and monocyte TLR2/TLR4 expression. METHODS: For 12-months, 24 CD-1 mice underwent pre-treatment, consuming either a low-fat (10% kcal from fat, N=6) or high-fat (60% kcal from fat, N=18) diet …

Cell-Surface Receptor Expression On Monocytes Of Young And Old Mice, Kelley Strohacker, Whitney L. Breslin, Brian K. Mcfarlin

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Background. Monocyte assessment is used in aging research. In humans, reduced expression of toll-like receptors, T-lymphocyte priming receptors and increases in intracellular adhesion molecules on monocytes have been associated with functional decrements, resulting in increased disease risk. While use of mouse models is extensive in aging research, mouse monocyte assessment is rare. We aimed to evaluate differences in cell-surface protein expression in classic (CD115+/Gr-1high) and non-classic (CD115+/Gr-1low) monocyte subsets of old and young mice. Methods. Venous blood was drawn from 18 old (80-wks) and 18 young CD-1 mice (15-20-wks). Flow cytometry was used to assess subpopulations of CD115+ monocytes for …

Exercise As A Prevention And Countermeasure To Diet-Induced Weight Gain, Whitney L. Breslin, Kelley Strohacker, Nadia Agha, Katie C. Carpenter, Thomas W. Lowder, Brian K. Mcfarlin

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of treadmill running at attenuating weight gain and immune dysfunction prior to or during a period of high-fat feeding in outbred CD-1 male mice. Mice were divided into four groups (N=10 mice/group): 4-weeks of treadmill running followed by 4-weeks sedentary (EX-SED), 4-weeks sedentary followed by 4 weeks of treadmill running (SEDEX), 8 weeks of treadmill running (EX), and 8 weeks sedentary (SED). After the first four weeks of the study, all groups began consumption of a high-fat diet to elicit a weight gain response. In order to track immune dysfunction, …

Activation Of P44/42 Mapk Plays A Role In The Tbt-Induced Loss Of Human Natural Killer (Nk) Cell Function, Fred D. Dudimah, Denisha Griffey, Xiaofei Wang, Margaret M. Whalen

Chemistry Faculty Research

Natural killer (NK) cells destroy (lyse) tumor cells, virally infected cells, and antibody-coated cells. Previous studies indicated that exposure to the environmental contaminant tributyltin (TBT) decreases the lytic function of NK cells and activates mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), including p44/42 (Aluoch and Whalen Toxicology 209:263–277, 2005). If activation of p44/42 is required for TBT-induced decreases of lytic function, then activation of p44/42 to similar extents by pharmacological agents such as phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) should mimic to some extent changes induced in NK cells with TBT exposures. NK cells were exposed to PMA concentrations between 0.25 and 10 nM for …

Research Progress And Developing Trends On Micro-Organisms Of Xinjiang Specific Environments, Huixia Pan, Zhengming Cheng, Yuanming Zhang, Shuyong Mu

Journal of Arid Land

Microorganisms and its metabolic types are diverse in Xinjiang because of those extreme/special environments of drought, high or low temperature, saline and alkaline, oligotrophy. This article re-viewed the research progress and achievements of various microbial resources (bacteria, fungi and actinomycete) in the special environments from the point of its ecology, development and application. Meanwhile, the development trend, protection and sustainable utilization of the microorganism re-sources were discussed.

Spatial Difference Features And Organization Optimi-Zation Of Cities And Towns In Tarim River Basin, Changlong Sun, Xiaolei Zhang, Nuo Jin, Hongru Du

Journal of Arid Land

This paper analyzes the urban spatial structure of Tarim River Basin from the perspectives of urban-ization, urban density, grading scales and spatial evolution patterns, using geographical theories and methods, such as fractal theory, principle component analysis, urbanization imbalance index, urban scale imbalance indicator, and urban spatial interaction. The results show that the urban spatial structure displays balanced distribution in the overall pattern, while an imbalanced distribution in each region. The development of town pattern tends to be gathering to the central towns in the oasis of Tarim River Basin and a development axis has begun to form along the southern …

Fine-Scale Genetic Structure Of Eremosparton Son-Goricum And Implication For Conservation, Yan Liu, Daoyuan Zhang, Honglan Yang, Meiying Liu

Journal of Arid Land

Eremosparton songoricum (Litv.) Vass. is a clonal shrub that reproduces both asexually by un-der-ground rhizomes and sexually by seeds. It is now a rare species with a narrow distribution in fragmented habitat patches in the Gurbantunggut Desert of Xinjiang, China. The objective of this study was to determine the spatial pattern or structure of genetic variation within population. The with-in-populations genetic structure of E. songoricum in a plot (10 m×10 m) was analyzed using inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers. Correlograms of Moran’s I showed significant positive value was about 7 m, but changed into a negative correlation with the …

Spatial Organization Of Multiple Plant Species In Arid Ecosystems: Linking Patterns And Processes, Amit Chakraborty, Guiquan Sun, B. Larry Li

Journal of Arid Land

Spatial organization of multiple plant species that appears as a non-random distribution of vegetative patches is one of the mostly observed spatial patterns in arid ecosystems. Yet understanding of ecological processes allowing this spatial pattern to emerge through interspecific interactions is still lacking. With a proposed conceptual model involving interspecific trade-offs between species competitive ability and colonization ability, we have argued that within patch abundance dynamics regulated by the mechanisms of competition are strongly influenced by the between patches coloni-zation dynamics that are maintained via this trade-offs and it holds a positive, intraspecific occu-pancy-abundance relationship, in which increased patch occupancy …

The Oyster River Culvert Analysis Project, L. Stack, M. H, Simpson, T. Crosslin, Robert Roseen, D. Sowers, C. Lawson

PREP Reports & Publications

Studies have already detected intensification of precipitation events consistent with climate change projections. Communities may have a window of opportunity to prepare, but information sufficiently quantified and localized to support adaptation programs is sparse: published literature is typically characterized by general resilience building or regional vulnerability studies. The Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC observed that adaptation can no longer be postponed pending the effective elimination of uncertainty. Methods must be developed that manage residual uncertainty, providing community leaders with decision-support information sufficient for implementing infrastructure adaptation programs. This study developed a local-scale and actionable protocol for maintaining historical risk …