Biology subjects

Hanks, E.

Publications and source records attributed to Hanks, E..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

A microRNA-based Johne's disease diagnostic predictive system: preliminary results

BackgroundJohnes disease, caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), is a chronic enteritis impacting welfare and productivity in cattle. Screening and animal removal are common for disease management, but efforts are hindered by low diagnostic sensitivity. Expression levels of small non-coding RNA molecules involved in gene regulation (microRNAs) altered during mycobacterial infection may present an alternative diagnostic method. MethodsLevels of 24 microRNAs affected by mycobacterial infection were measured in sera from MAP-positive (n=66) and MAP-negative samples (n=65). They were used to train a collection of statistical and machine learning models to identify an optimal classifier for diagnosis. ResultsThe best-performing model provided 72% accuracy, 78% AUC, 73% sensitivity and 71% specificity on average. LimitationsAlthough control samples were collected from farms nominally MAP-free, low sensitivity in current diagnostics means animals may be misclassified. ConclusionMicroRNA profiling combined with advanced predictive modelling techniques accurately diagnosed Johnes disease in cattle.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2017

Reflected stochastic differential equation models for constrained animal movement

Movement for many animal species is constrained in space by barriers such as rivers, shore-lines, or impassable cliffs. We develop an approach for modeling animal movement constrained in space by considering a class of constrained stochastic processes, reflected stochastic differential equations. Our approach generalizes existing methods for modeling unconstrained animal movement. We present methods for simulation and inference based on augmenting the constrained movement path with a latent unconstrained path and illustrate this augmentation with a simulation example and an analysis of telemetry data from a Steller sea lion (Eumatopias jubatus) in southeast Alaska.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2017

Genomic And Transcriptomic Profiling Of Nematode Parasites Surviving After Vaccine Exposure

Some nematode species are economically important parasites of livestock, while others are important human pathogens causing some of the most important neglected tropical diseases. In both humans and animals, anthelmintic drug administration is the main control strategy, but the emergence of drug-resistant worms has stimulated the development of alternative control approaches. Among these, vaccination is considered to be a sustainable and cost effective strategy. Currently, Barbervax(R) for the ruminant strongylid Haemonchus contortus is the only registered subunit vaccine for a nematode parasite, although a vaccine for the human hookworm Necator americanus is undergoing clinical trials (HOOKVAC consortium). As both these vaccines comprise a limited number of proteins there is potential for selection of nematodes with altered sequence or expression of the vaccine antigens. Here we compared the transcriptome of H. contortus populations from sheep vaccinated with Barbervax(R) with worms from control animals. Barbervax(R) antigens are native integral membrane proteins isolated from the brush border of the intestinal cells of the adult parasite and many of them are proteases. Our findings provide no evidence for changes in expression of genes encoding Barbervax(R) antigens in the surviving parasite populations. However, surviving parasites from vaccinated animals showed increased expression of other proteases and regulators of lysosome trafficking, and displayed up-regulated lipid storage and defecation abilities that may have circumvented the vaccine effect. Implications for other potential vaccines for human and veterinary nematodes are discussed.

genomics↗