Research Office

06/19/2013 Thumbnail:  Promote to OSU home page:  Not Promote to the OSU home page Teaser: 

A new genetic understanding of cervical cancer suggests that some antiviral therapies could actually trigger the cancer they are trying to cure.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new understanding of the genetic process that can lead to cervical cancer may help improve diagnosis of potentially dangerous lesions for some women, and also raises a warning flag about the use of anti-viral therapies in certain cases – suggesting they could actually trigger the cancer they are trying to cure.

The analysis provides a clearer picture of the chromosomal and genetic changes that take place as the human papillomavirus sometimes leads to chronic infection and, in less than 1 percent of cases, to cervical cancer. It is the first to identify specific genes that are keys to this process.

Researchers say they want to emphasize, however, that the HPV vaccine commonly used by millions of women around the world is perfectly safe if done prior to infection with the virus. The concerns raised by this study relate only to viral therapies or possible use of a therapeutic vaccine after the virus has already been integrated into human cells.

“It’s been known for decades that only women with prior infection with HPV get cervical cancer,” said Andrey Morgun, an assistant professor and a leader of the study in the OSU College of Pharmacy. “In about 90 percent of cases it’s naturally eliminated, often without any symptoms. But in a small fraction of cases it can eventually lead to cancer, in ways that have not been fully understood.”

These findings were published recently in Nature Communications by researchers from Oregon State University and a number of other universities or agencies in the United States, Norway and Brazil. Collaborators at OSU included Natalia Shulzhenko, an assistant professor in the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine.

The study found that some pre-cancerous lesions can acquire a higher level of chromosomal imbalances in just a small number of cells. These new features appear to do two things at the same time – finally eliminate the lingering virus that may have been present for many years, and set the stage for the beginning of invasive cancer.

So long as the virus is not eliminated, it helps to keep under control viral oncogenes that have been integrated into the patient’s genome, researchers said.

“Some of what’s taking place here was surprising,” Morgun said. “But with continued work it should help us improve diagnosis and early monitoring, to tell which lesions may turn into cancer and which will not.”

The study also concludes it could be dangerous to use antiviral treatments or therapeutic vaccines with women whose lesions already show signs of HPV integration.

This may help explain why use of the antiviral drug interferon had inconclusive results in the past, in some studies of its value in treating cervical cancer. Patients with existing HPV lesions may wish to discuss findings of this study with their physicians before starting such treatments, researchers said.

Other researchers using a similar analytical approach also found key driver genes in melanoma, according to the report. This approach may have value in identifying genomic changes that are relevant to a range of malignant tumors, scientists said.

College of Pharmacy Media Contact:  David Stauth Source: 

Andrey Morgun, 541-737-3424

06/19/2013 Thumbnail:  Promote to OSU home page:  Not Promote to the OSU home page Teaser: 

A new genetic understanding of cervical cancer suggests that some antiviral therapies could actually trigger the cancer they are trying to cure.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new understanding of the genetic process that can lead to cervical cancer may help improve diagnosis of potentially dangerous lesions for some women, and also raises a warning flag about the use of anti-viral therapies in certain cases – suggesting they could actually trigger the cancer they are trying to cure.

The analysis provides a clearer picture of the chromosomal and genetic changes that take place as the human papillomavirus sometimes leads to chronic infection and, in less than 1 percent of cases, to cervical cancer. It is the first to identify specific genes that are keys to this process.

Researchers say they want to emphasize, however, that the HPV vaccine commonly used by millions of women around the world is perfectly safe if done prior to infection with the virus. The concerns raised by this study relate only to viral therapies or possible use of a therapeutic vaccine after the virus has already been integrated into human cells.

“It’s been known for decades that only women with prior infection with HPV get cervical cancer,” said Andrey Morgun, an assistant professor and a leader of the study in the OSU College of Pharmacy. “In about 90 percent of cases it’s naturally eliminated, often without any symptoms. But in a small fraction of cases it can eventually lead to cancer, in ways that have not been fully understood.”

These findings were published recently in Nature Communications by researchers from Oregon State University and a number of other universities or agencies in the United States, Norway and Brazil. Collaborators at OSU included Natalia Shulzhenko, an assistant professor in the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine.

The study found that some pre-cancerous lesions can acquire a higher level of chromosomal imbalances in just a small number of cells. These new features appear to do two things at the same time – finally eliminate the lingering virus that may have been present for many years, and set the stage for the beginning of invasive cancer.

So long as the virus is not eliminated, it helps to keep under control viral oncogenes that have been integrated into the patient’s genome, researchers said.

“Some of what’s taking place here was surprising,” Morgun said. “But with continued work it should help us improve diagnosis and early monitoring, to tell which lesions may turn into cancer and which will not.”

The study also concludes it could be dangerous to use antiviral treatments or therapeutic vaccines with women whose lesions already show signs of HPV integration.

This may help explain why use of the antiviral drug interferon had inconclusive results in the past, in some studies of its value in treating cervical cancer. Patients with existing HPV lesions may wish to discuss findings of this study with their physicians before starting such treatments, researchers said.

Other researchers using a similar analytical approach also found key driver genes in melanoma, according to the report. This approach may have value in identifying genomic changes that are relevant to a range of malignant tumors, scientists said.

College of Pharmacy Media Contact:  David Stauth Source: 

Andrey Morgun, 541-737-3424

06/18/2013 Thumbnail:  Promote to OSU home page:  Promote to the OSU home page Teaser: 

Efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions by building more small dams in China are causing ecosystem disruption and loss of biodiversity.

The study this story is based on is available online: http://bit.ly/14XWxBu

 

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers conclude in a new report that a global push for small hydropower projects, supported by various nations and also the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, may cause unanticipated and potentially significant losses of habitat and biodiversity.

An underlying assumption that small hydropower systems pose fewer ecological concerns than large dams is not universally valid, scientists said in the report. A five-year study, one of the first of its type, concluded that for certain environmental impacts the cumulative damage caused by small dams is worse than their larger counterparts.

The findings were reported by scientists from Oregon State University in the journal Water Resources Research, in work supported by the National Science Foundation.

The conclusions were based on studies of the Nu River system in China but are relevant to national energy policies in many nations or regions – India, Turkey, Latin America - that seek to expand hydroelectric power generation. Hydropower is generally favored over coal in many developing areas because it uses a renewable resource and does not contribute to global warming. Also, the social and environmental problems caused by large dam projects have resulted in a recent trend toward increased construction of small dams.

“The Kyoto Protocol, under Clean Development Mechanism, is funding the construction of some of these small hydroelectric projects, with the goal of creating renewable energy that’s not based on fossil fuels,” said Desiree Tullos, an associate professor in the OSU Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering.

“The energy may be renewable, but this research raises serious questions about whether or not the overall process is sustainable,” Tullos said.

“There is damage to streams, fisheries, wildlife, threatened species and communities,” she said. “Furthermore, the projects are often located in areas where poverty and illiteracy are high. The benefit to these local people is not always clear, as some of the small hydropower stations are connected to the national grid, indicating that the electricity is being sent outside of the local region.

“The result can be profound and unrecognized impacts.”

This study was one of the first of its type to look at the complete range of impacts caused by multiple, small hydroelectric projects, both in a biophysical, ecological and geopolitical basis, and compare them to large dam projects. It focused on the remote Nu River in China’s Yunnan Province, where many small dams producing 50 megawatts of power or less are built on tributaries that fall rapidly out of steep mountains. There are already 750,000 dams in China and about one new dam is being built every day, researchers say.

Among the findings of the report as it relates to this region of China:

• The cumulative amount of energy produced by small hydroelectric projects can be significant, but so can the ecological concerns they raise in this area known to be a “hotspot” of biological diversity.

• Per megawatt of energy produced, small tributary dams in some cases can have negative environmental impacts that are many times greater than large, main stem dams.

• Many dams in China are built as part of a state-mandated policy to “Send Western Energy East” toward the larger population and manufacturing centers.

• Small dams can have significant impacts on habitat loss when a river’s entire flow is diverted into channels or pipes, leaving large sections of a river with no water at all.

• Fish, wildlife, water quality and riparian zones are all affected by water diversion, and changes in nearby land use and habitat fragmentation can lead to further species loss.

• The cumulative effect on habitat diversity can be 100 times larger for small dams than large dams.

• Policies encouraging more construction of small dams are often developed at the national or international level, but construction and management of the projects happen at the local level.

• As a result, mitigation actions and governance structures that would limit social and environmental impacts of small hydropower stations are not adequately implemented.

“One of the things we found generally with small dams is that there was much less oversight and governance with the construction, operation and monitoring of small hydropower,” Tullos said. “On the large, main stem dams, people pay attention to what’s going on. On a small hydropower project, no one notices if minimum flows are being maintained. Or if a pump breaks, the hydropower station might sit idle for long periods of time.”

Researchers said the key finding of the research, contrary to prevailing but unvalidated belief, is that “biophysical impacts of small hydropower may exceed those of large hydropower, particular with regard to habitat and hydrologic change.”

Generic OSU Media Contact:  David Stauth Source: 

Desiree Tullos, 541-737-2038

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River with water




River below dam

06/18/2013 Thumbnail:  Promote to OSU home page:  Promote to the OSU home page Teaser: 

Efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions by building more small dams in China are causing ecosystem disruption and loss of biodiversity.

The study this story is based on is available online: http://bit.ly/14XWxBu

 

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers conclude in a new report that a global push for small hydropower projects, supported by various nations and also the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, may cause unanticipated and potentially significant losses of habitat and biodiversity.

An underlying assumption that small hydropower systems pose fewer ecological concerns than large dams is not universally valid, scientists said in the report. A five-year study, one of the first of its type, concluded that for certain environmental impacts the cumulative damage caused by small dams is worse than their larger counterparts.

The findings were reported by scientists from Oregon State University in the journal Water Resources Research, in work supported by the National Science Foundation.

The conclusions were based on studies of the Nu River system in China but are relevant to national energy policies in many nations or regions – India, Turkey, Latin America - that seek to expand hydroelectric power generation. Hydropower is generally favored over coal in many developing areas because it uses a renewable resource and does not contribute to global warming. Also, the social and environmental problems caused by large dam projects have resulted in a recent trend toward increased construction of small dams.

“The Kyoto Protocol, under Clean Development Mechanism, is funding the construction of some of these small hydroelectric projects, with the goal of creating renewable energy that’s not based on fossil fuels,” said Desiree Tullos, an associate professor in the OSU Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering.

“The energy may be renewable, but this research raises serious questions about whether or not the overall process is sustainable,” Tullos said.

“There is damage to streams, fisheries, wildlife, threatened species and communities,” she said. “Furthermore, the projects are often located in areas where poverty and illiteracy are high. The benefit to these local people is not always clear, as some of the small hydropower stations are connected to the national grid, indicating that the electricity is being sent outside of the local region.

“The result can be profound and unrecognized impacts.”

This study was one of the first of its type to look at the complete range of impacts caused by multiple, small hydroelectric projects, both in a biophysical, ecological and geopolitical basis, and compare them to large dam projects. It focused on the remote Nu River in China’s Yunnan Province, where many small dams producing 50 megawatts of power or less are built on tributaries that fall rapidly out of steep mountains. There are already 750,000 dams in China and about one new dam is being built every day, researchers say.

Among the findings of the report as it relates to this region of China:

• The cumulative amount of energy produced by small hydroelectric projects can be significant, but so can the ecological concerns they raise in this area known to be a “hotspot” of biological diversity.

• Per megawatt of energy produced, small tributary dams in some cases can have negative environmental impacts that are many times greater than large, main stem dams.

• Many dams in China are built as part of a state-mandated policy to “Send Western Energy East” toward the larger population and manufacturing centers.

• Small dams can have significant impacts on habitat loss when a river’s entire flow is diverted into channels or pipes, leaving large sections of a river with no water at all.

• Fish, wildlife, water quality and riparian zones are all affected by water diversion, and changes in nearby land use and habitat fragmentation can lead to further species loss.

• The cumulative effect on habitat diversity can be 100 times larger for small dams than large dams.

• Policies encouraging more construction of small dams are often developed at the national or international level, but construction and management of the projects happen at the local level.

• As a result, mitigation actions and governance structures that would limit social and environmental impacts of small hydropower stations are not adequately implemented.

“One of the things we found generally with small dams is that there was much less oversight and governance with the construction, operation and monitoring of small hydropower,” Tullos said. “On the large, main stem dams, people pay attention to what’s going on. On a small hydropower project, no one notices if minimum flows are being maintained. Or if a pump breaks, the hydropower station might sit idle for long periods of time.”

Researchers said the key finding of the research, contrary to prevailing but unvalidated belief, is that “biophysical impacts of small hydropower may exceed those of large hydropower, particular with regard to habitat and hydrologic change.”

Generic OSU Media Contact:  David Stauth Source: 

Desiree Tullos, 541-737-2038

Multimedia Downloads Multimedia: 

River with water




River below dam

06/17/2013 Thumbnail:  Promote to OSU home page:  Promote to the OSU home page Teaser: 

OSU researchers hope to tap into the state’s population of bird-watching enthusiasts to create a volunteer team of “citizen scientists” to gather data on Oregon birds.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University researchers are hoping to tap into the state’s growing population of bird-watching enthusiasts to create a volunteer team of “citizen scientists” to gather data on Oregon’s resident and visiting birds.

Their project, called Oregon 2020, is seeking to fill some of the large gaps in data about Oregon birds, organizers say. Information about the project is available online at: http://oregon2020.com/.

“Oregon has a few species of birds we know very well – like the spotted owl, the sage grouse and the meadowlark,” said W. Douglas Robinson, the Mace Professor of Watchable Wildlife at OSU and director of the Oregon 2020 project. “However, the state has more than 500 species of birds and we know very little about many of them – even where they live.

“One goal of Oregon 2020 is to establish a baseline for the abundance and distribution of these birds so that in the future we can evaluate the impacts on them from disease, wildfire, climate change, or whatever other issues emerge,” he added.

To help the OSU scientists, Robinson hopes to enlist a cadre of volunteers in each county to gather data on birds in their area. The project will offer online tutorials and guidance on how to collect and log the data, which will be part of the national eBird database run by Cornell University. The popular eBird site receives more than 1 million submissions each month – but few from Oregon.

As part of the project, Robinson and others will hold periodic “bird blitzes” in Oregon counties where they will go out with volunteers to canvas all types of terrain. The first of these blitzes will take place June 21-23 in Polk County.

“Polk County has the least amount of data in eBird for any county west of the Cascades,” pointed out Robinson, who is a professor in OSU’s Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. “Most of the data we do have comes from Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, which is a unique habitat that draws waterbirds, migratory birds and those birds that prefer an oak savannah. But we’d like to know what else the county has to offer in the way of species.”

The eBird database likewise has few listings for birds on most of the counties east of the Cascades, so getting volunteers there is critical, Robinson pointed out. Sometimes these surveys provide data that turns out to be surprising, he added.

“Some species that are thought to be rare turn out to be more common than we previously thought,” Robinson pointed out. “The Oregon vesper sparrow, for instance, has declined along with its oak savannah habitat and there was concern it might be listed as endangered. But we conducted a series of roadside surveys in Benton County and found plenty of them.

“As it turns out, they were considered rare because there weren’t enough watchers to explore the countryside,” Robinson added. “That’s what makes these surveys so important.”

Robinson is eBird’s official reviewer for Benton County, which means he looks over the submissions and analyzes them for their validity.

“Sometimes, a volunteer may log the sighting of a golden eagle, when it is far more likely to be an immature bald eagle,” Robinson said. “As a reviewer, I can correspond with the observer to make sure we get the correct identification. This gives us confidence that observations logged in eBird are valid.”

Persons interested in volunteering should log onto the Oregon 2020 website. In addition to county blitzes, participants will be offered workshops to learn better methods for counting birds, documenting species and using eBird. A GPS instrument is helpful, but not essential, Robinson said, since eBird has a mapping function.

“We’re hoping to do what we wish Lewis and Clark could have done more than 200 years ago,” Robinson said. “Imagine if they could have logged not just observations of species, but actual numbers and specific locations. That’s what we’d like to create. We want future generations to be able to go to exact locations in Oregon and compare species and numbers to what we observe today.”

College of Agricultural Sciences Media Contact:  Mark Floyd Source: 

 Doug Robinson, 541-737-9501; douglas.robinson@oregonstate.edu

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Killdeer

 

Steller Jay

 

Horned Grebe

06/17/2013 Thumbnail:  Promote to OSU home page:  Promote to the OSU home page Teaser: 

OSU researchers hope to tap into the state’s population of bird-watching enthusiasts to create a volunteer team of “citizen scientists” to gather data on Oregon birds.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University researchers are hoping to tap into the state’s growing population of bird-watching enthusiasts to create a volunteer team of “citizen scientists” to gather data on Oregon’s resident and visiting birds.

Their project, called Oregon 2020, is seeking to fill some of the large gaps in data about Oregon birds, organizers say. Information about the project is available online at: http://oregon2020.com/.

“Oregon has a few species of birds we know very well – like the spotted owl, the sage grouse and the meadowlark,” said W. Douglas Robinson, the Mace Professor of Watchable Wildlife at OSU and director of the Oregon 2020 project. “However, the state has more than 500 species of birds and we know very little about many of them – even where they live.

“One goal of Oregon 2020 is to establish a baseline for the abundance and distribution of these birds so that in the future we can evaluate the impacts on them from disease, wildfire, climate change, or whatever other issues emerge,” he added.

To help the OSU scientists, Robinson hopes to enlist a cadre of volunteers in each county to gather data on birds in their area. The project will offer online tutorials and guidance on how to collect and log the data, which will be part of the national eBird database run by Cornell University. The popular eBird site receives more than 1 million submissions each month – but few from Oregon.

As part of the project, Robinson and others will hold periodic “bird blitzes” in Oregon counties where they will go out with volunteers to canvas all types of terrain. The first of these blitzes will take place June 21-23 in Polk County.

“Polk County has the least amount of data in eBird for any county west of the Cascades,” pointed out Robinson, who is a professor in OSU’s Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. “Most of the data we do have comes from Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, which is a unique habitat that draws waterbirds, migratory birds and those birds that prefer an oak savannah. But we’d like to know what else the county has to offer in the way of species.”

The eBird database likewise has few listings for birds on most of the counties east of the Cascades, so getting volunteers there is critical, Robinson pointed out. Sometimes these surveys provide data that turns out to be surprising, he added.

“Some species that are thought to be rare turn out to be more common than we previously thought,” Robinson pointed out. “The Oregon vesper sparrow, for instance, has declined along with its oak savannah habitat and there was concern it might be listed as endangered. But we conducted a series of roadside surveys in Benton County and found plenty of them.

“As it turns out, they were considered rare because there weren’t enough watchers to explore the countryside,” Robinson added. “That’s what makes these surveys so important.”

Robinson is eBird’s official reviewer for Benton County, which means he looks over the submissions and analyzes them for their validity.

“Sometimes, a volunteer may log the sighting of a golden eagle, when it is far more likely to be an immature bald eagle,” Robinson said. “As a reviewer, I can correspond with the observer to make sure we get the correct identification. This gives us confidence that observations logged in eBird are valid.”

Persons interested in volunteering should log onto the Oregon 2020 website. In addition to county blitzes, participants will be offered workshops to learn better methods for counting birds, documenting species and using eBird. A GPS instrument is helpful, but not essential, Robinson said, since eBird has a mapping function.

“We’re hoping to do what we wish Lewis and Clark could have done more than 200 years ago,” Robinson said. “Imagine if they could have logged not just observations of species, but actual numbers and specific locations. That’s what we’d like to create. We want future generations to be able to go to exact locations in Oregon and compare species and numbers to what we observe today.”

College of Agricultural Sciences Media Contact:  Mark Floyd Source: 

 Doug Robinson, 541-737-9501; douglas.robinson@oregonstate.edu

Multimedia Downloads Multimedia: 

 

Killdeer

 

Steller Jay

 

Horned Grebe

06/17/2013 Thumbnail:  Promote to OSU home page:  Not Promote to the OSU home page Teaser: 

Bullfrogs can carry a fungus that is killing amphibian populations around the world, but they also can die from it.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Amphibian populations are declining worldwide and a major cause is a deadly fungus thought to be spread by bullfrogs, but a two-year study shows they can also die from this pathogen, contrary to suggestions that bullfrogs are a tolerant carrier host that just spreads the disease.

When researchers raised the frogs from eggs in controlled experimental conditions, they found at least one strain of this pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, also called Bd or a chytrid fungus, can be fatal to year-old juveniles. However, bullfrogs were resistant to one other strain that was tested.

The findings, made by researchers at Oregon State University and the University of Pittsburgh, show that bullfrogs are not the sole culprit in the spread of this deadly fungus, and add further complexity to the question of why amphibians are in such serious jeopardy.

About 40 percent of all amphibian species are declining or are already extinct, researchers say. Various causes are suspected, including this fungus, habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, invasive species, increased UV-B light exposure, and other forces.

“At least so far as the chytrid fungus is involved, bullfrogs may not be the villains they are currently made out to be,” said Stephanie Gervasi, a zoology researcher in the OSU College of Science. “The conventional wisdom is that bullfrogs, as a tolerant host, are what helped spread this fungus all over the world. But we’ve now shown they can die from it just like other amphibians.”

The research suggests that bullfrogs actually are not a very good host for the fungus, which first was identified as a novel disease of amphibians in 1998. So why the fungus has spread so fast, so far, and is causing such mortality rates is still not clear.

“One possibility for the fungal increase is climate change, which can also compromise the immune systems of amphibians,” said Andrew Blaustein, a distinguished professor of zoology at OSU and international leader in the study of amphibian declines. “There are a lot of possible ways the fungus can spread. People can even carry it on their shoes.”

The average infection load of the chytrid fungus in bullfrogs, regardless of the strain, is considerably lower than that of many other amphibian species, researchers have found. Some bullfrogs can reduce and even get rid of infection in their skin over time.

While adult bullfrogs may be carriers of some strains of Bd in some areas, the researchers concluded, different hosts may be as or more important in other locations. International trade of both amphibian and non-amphibian animal species may also drive global pathogen distribution, they said.

The findings of this study were published in EcoHealth, a professional journal.

College of Science Media Contact:  David Stauth Source: 

Andrew Blaustein, 541-737-3705

Multimedia Downloads Multimedia: 

Bullfrog

06/17/2013 Thumbnail:  Promote to OSU home page:  Not Promote to the OSU home page Teaser: 

Bullfrogs can carry a fungus that is killing amphibian populations around the world, but they also can die from it.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Amphibian populations are declining worldwide and a major cause is a deadly fungus thought to be spread by bullfrogs, but a two-year study shows they can also die from this pathogen, contrary to suggestions that bullfrogs are a tolerant carrier host that just spreads the disease.

When researchers raised the frogs from eggs in controlled experimental conditions, they found at least one strain of this pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, also called Bd or a chytrid fungus, can be fatal to year-old juveniles. However, bullfrogs were resistant to one other strain that was tested.

The findings, made by researchers at Oregon State University and the University of Pittsburgh, show that bullfrogs are not the sole culprit in the spread of this deadly fungus, and add further complexity to the question of why amphibians are in such serious jeopardy.

About 40 percent of all amphibian species are declining or are already extinct, researchers say. Various causes are suspected, including this fungus, habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, invasive species, increased UV-B light exposure, and other forces.

“At least so far as the chytrid fungus is involved, bullfrogs may not be the villains they are currently made out to be,” said Stephanie Gervasi, a zoology researcher in the OSU College of Science. “The conventional wisdom is that bullfrogs, as a tolerant host, are what helped spread this fungus all over the world. But we’ve now shown they can die from it just like other amphibians.”

The research suggests that bullfrogs actually are not a very good host for the fungus, which first was identified as a novel disease of amphibians in 1998. So why the fungus has spread so fast, so far, and is causing such mortality rates is still not clear.

“One possibility for the fungal increase is climate change, which can also compromise the immune systems of amphibians,” said Andrew Blaustein, a distinguished professor of zoology at OSU and international leader in the study of amphibian declines. “There are a lot of possible ways the fungus can spread. People can even carry it on their shoes.”

The average infection load of the chytrid fungus in bullfrogs, regardless of the strain, is considerably lower than that of many other amphibian species, researchers have found. Some bullfrogs can reduce and even get rid of infection in their skin over time.

While adult bullfrogs may be carriers of some strains of Bd in some areas, the researchers concluded, different hosts may be as or more important in other locations. International trade of both amphibian and non-amphibian animal species may also drive global pathogen distribution, they said.

The findings of this study were published in EcoHealth, a professional journal.

College of Science Media Contact:  David Stauth Source: 

Andrew Blaustein, 541-737-3705

Multimedia Downloads Multimedia: 

Bullfrog

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Bring a taste of South America, Europe or Asia to your garden this year by adding a diverse array of exotic vegetables.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Bring a taste of South America, Europe or Asia to your garden this year by adding a diverse array of exotic vegetables.

A varied collection of plants can also reduce the potential for pests and diseases in a garden, said Jim Myers, a vegetable breeder with the Oregon State University Extension Service.

"There's a lot of natural, biological control that goes on in a garden that we're not even aware of when we have biodiversity," Myers said.

When shopping for exotic plants, buy only seeds or starts from Pacific Northwest-based nurseries and suppliers, Myers advised. If you order online or while traveling, globetrotting plants can carry hitchhiking pests or diseases.

The following plants were tested at OSU fields and perform well with varying degrees of success in a Pacific Northwest climate, Myers said.

• Yacón: Smallanthus sonchifolius. The yacón is an Andean relative of the sunflower that grows 6-8 feet tall. It's tasty in a salad or as a snack but doesn't contain enough carbohydrates to become a diet staple, according to Myers. The perennial performs well in both eastern and western Oregon. While similar to the Jerusalem artichoke, yacón's tuberous roots grow to about the size of a sweet potato. Plant seed pieces in the spring for an October harvest. Yacón can overwinter in the ground where the soil does not freeze.

• Mashua: Tropaeolum tuberosum. Mashua is grown in the Andes for its edible tuberous roots. A relative of the nasturtium, mashua's showy red flowers emerge in late September. A vigorous perennial, it can climb 7-13 feet high. Mashua has a pungent flavor, similar to a radish. This hardy plant thrives even in poor soil. Cultivate it similar to how you would a potato; plant in spring for a fall harvest.

• Oca: Oxalis tuberosa. Oregon does not offer an optimum climate for oca, but it can be grown in select areas in the western part of the state. Tubers will grow small without tropical heat. It can't survive frost but tubers will overwinter in the ground as long as they do not freeze. Plant in spring for November harvest. Cultivate as you would a potato. The tuber is edible and the leaves and young shoots can be eaten as well. Its flavor is slightly tangy, caused by its oxalic acid content, which should not be consumed in large quantities. Some varieties have been bred for lower oxalic acid content.

• Cardoon: Cynara cardunculus. The cardoon is related to the artichoke. Both are perennial members of the thistle family and hail from southern Europe. It needs full sun. Good for the Willamette Valley and eastern Oregon. Its leaf stalks produce in a flush of springtime growth; in the summer there is little growth. Harvest the leaf stalks similar to the way you would celery. Stalks need to be cleaned and peeled before cooking. Plant transplants in spring.

• Asian greens: Any green in the Brassica rapa family. A good one to try is pakchoi cabbage, which has large white, fleshy stems. When eaten, it has a soft, creamy texture. "It has a little bite to it but it's pretty mild," Myers said. This cool-season crop goes well in salads or cooked. Plant it in early spring for an early summer harvest. Not tolerant of winter conditions. At OSU, pakchoi cabbage is planted in July for a fall harvest.

Extension Service Media Contact:  Denise Ruttan Source: 

Jim Myers, 541-737-3083

06/14/2013 Thumbnail:  Promote to OSU home page:  Not Promote to the OSU home page Teaser: 

Bring a taste of South America, Europe or Asia to your garden this year by adding a diverse array of exotic vegetables.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Bring a taste of South America, Europe or Asia to your garden this year by adding a diverse array of exotic vegetables.

A varied collection of plants can also reduce the potential for pests and diseases in a garden, said Jim Myers, a vegetable breeder with the Oregon State University Extension Service.

"There's a lot of natural, biological control that goes on in a garden that we're not even aware of when we have biodiversity," Myers said.

When shopping for exotic plants, buy only seeds or starts from Pacific Northwest-based nurseries and suppliers, Myers advised. If you order online or while traveling, globetrotting plants can carry hitchhiking pests or diseases.

The following plants were tested at OSU fields and perform well with varying degrees of success in a Pacific Northwest climate, Myers said.

• Yacón: Smallanthus sonchifolius. The yacón is an Andean relative of the sunflower that grows 6-8 feet tall. It's tasty in a salad or as a snack but doesn't contain enough carbohydrates to become a diet staple, according to Myers. The perennial performs well in both eastern and western Oregon. While similar to the Jerusalem artichoke, yacón's tuberous roots grow to about the size of a sweet potato. Plant seed pieces in the spring for an October harvest. Yacón can overwinter in the ground where the soil does not freeze.

• Mashua: Tropaeolum tuberosum. Mashua is grown in the Andes for its edible tuberous roots. A relative of the nasturtium, mashua's showy red flowers emerge in late September. A vigorous perennial, it can climb 7-13 feet high. Mashua has a pungent flavor, similar to a radish. This hardy plant thrives even in poor soil. Cultivate it similar to how you would a potato; plant in spring for a fall harvest.

• Oca: Oxalis tuberosa. Oregon does not offer an optimum climate for oca, but it can be grown in select areas in the western part of the state. Tubers will grow small without tropical heat. It can't survive frost but tubers will overwinter in the ground as long as they do not freeze. Plant in spring for November harvest. Cultivate as you would a potato. The tuber is edible and the leaves and young shoots can be eaten as well. Its flavor is slightly tangy, caused by its oxalic acid content, which should not be consumed in large quantities. Some varieties have been bred for lower oxalic acid content.

• Cardoon: Cynara cardunculus. The cardoon is related to the artichoke. Both are perennial members of the thistle family and hail from southern Europe. It needs full sun. Good for the Willamette Valley and eastern Oregon. Its leaf stalks produce in a flush of springtime growth; in the summer there is little growth. Harvest the leaf stalks similar to the way you would celery. Stalks need to be cleaned and peeled before cooking. Plant transplants in spring.

• Asian greens: Any green in the Brassica rapa family. A good one to try is pakchoi cabbage, which has large white, fleshy stems. When eaten, it has a soft, creamy texture. "It has a little bite to it but it's pretty mild," Myers said. This cool-season crop goes well in salads or cooked. Plant it in early spring for an early summer harvest. Not tolerant of winter conditions. At OSU, pakchoi cabbage is planted in July for a fall harvest.

Extension Service Media Contact:  Denise Ruttan Source: 

Jim Myers, 541-737-3083

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Oregon companies, both large and small, are taking advantage of the chance to work with OSU engineering students on projects ranging from applied research to product development.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – An increasing number of Oregon companies, both large and small, are taking advantage of the chance to work with Oregon State University engineering students on projects ranging from applied research to product development.

This year many small Oregon companies and startups have teamed up with students on topics such as optimizing solar panel performance or developing devices for the treatment of type-one diabetes. VAL Avionics of Salem, Ore., sponsored a project that resulted in a new navigational system for airplanes that is already on the market.

Such university-industry partnerships sometimes produce a marketable product, and sometimes just improve efficiency or add new capabilities. Inspired Light, a small startup in Corvallis, Ore., sponsored a project to store, monitor, and display output from solar panels that will help them more easily monitor the performance of their panels.

“We definitely have gained value that will help us start more quickly this summer on implementation of the final product, where their work will be utilized,” said Jim Dickie, research and development manager at Inspired Light.

Projects range in technical complexity and potential impact. Other examples include:

• A group of seniors from the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics is working on a heat removal analysis and design for NuScale Power, a Corvallis-based company that is developing small modular reactor designs. The goal is to determine if the NuScale design can withstand Fukushima-type accidents without core damage.
  

• Students are creating an “Oregon Ale Trail” Facebook and mobile apps. The goal is an online community that celebrates more than 170 breweries by sharing brewery experiences. As users visit breweries they create their very own ale trail, with a goal of visiting them all.

• Energy systems engineering students at OSU-Cascades designed a “purge system” to prevent embrittlement of the film in a fuel cell hydrogen generator during loss of power or controlled shutdown for maintenance, thereby significantly extending the life of the materials.

• Students redesigned a water distribution system to pump irrigation water from the Columbia River to 125-acre circles owned by Madison Farms in eastern Oregon. The computer model and optimized water distribution saved roughly 8 percent of energy use for a growing season, and may be applied for other farm irrigation systems.

• Students created an ergonomic assessment and scoring tool for truck cabs of the Oregon Department of Transportation to use in purchasing decisions. The tool has been licensed and will be used to justify buying $10 million worth of trucks for herbicide applications.

• One senior project is developing a membrane that will improve the performance of an integrated sensing catheter used in monitoring blood glucose levels and managing type-one diabetes.

“It’s a win-win model,” said John Parmigiani, assistant professor in the School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering at OSU.

“Students gain real-world engineering and project management experience in a classroom environment,” he said. “Sponsors receive a deliverable that would have otherwise been expensive and/or difficult to obtain. The outcome is a great educational opportunity for students and satisfied sponsors who return to Oregon State for additional projects.”

A new initiative at OSU, the Oregon State University Advantage, is also taking an organized approach to developing more partnerships between OSU business, industry, students and faculty, through such programs as the Venture Accelerator and the Industry Partnering Program.

College of Engineering Media Contact: 

Thuy Tran, 541-737-6020

Source: 

John Parmigiani, 541-737-7023

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Oregon companies, both large and small, are taking advantage of the chance to work with OSU engineering students on projects ranging from applied research to product development.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – An increasing number of Oregon companies, both large and small, are taking advantage of the chance to work with Oregon State University engineering students on projects ranging from applied research to product development.

This year many small Oregon companies and startups have teamed up with students on topics such as optimizing solar panel performance or developing devices for the treatment of type-one diabetes. VAL Avionics of Salem, Ore., sponsored a project that resulted in a new navigational system for airplanes that is already on the market.

Such university-industry partnerships sometimes produce a marketable product, and sometimes just improve efficiency or add new capabilities. Inspired Light, a small startup in Corvallis, Ore., sponsored a project to store, monitor, and display output from solar panels that will help them more easily monitor the performance of their panels.

“We definitely have gained value that will help us start more quickly this summer on implementation of the final product, where their work will be utilized,” said Jim Dickie, research and development manager at Inspired Light.

Projects range in technical complexity and potential impact. Other examples include:

• A group of seniors from the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics is working on a heat removal analysis and design for NuScale Power, a Corvallis-based company that is developing small modular reactor designs. The goal is to determine if the NuScale design can withstand Fukushima-type accidents without core damage.
  

• Students are creating an “Oregon Ale Trail” Facebook and mobile apps. The goal is an online community that celebrates more than 170 breweries by sharing brewery experiences. As users visit breweries they create their very own ale trail, with a goal of visiting them all.

• Energy systems engineering students at OSU-Cascades designed a “purge system” to prevent embrittlement of the film in a fuel cell hydrogen generator during loss of power or controlled shutdown for maintenance, thereby significantly extending the life of the materials.

• Students redesigned a water distribution system to pump irrigation water from the Columbia River to 125-acre circles owned by Madison Farms in eastern Oregon. The computer model and optimized water distribution saved roughly 8 percent of energy use for a growing season, and may be applied for other farm irrigation systems.

• Students created an ergonomic assessment and scoring tool for truck cabs of the Oregon Department of Transportation to use in purchasing decisions. The tool has been licensed and will be used to justify buying $10 million worth of trucks for herbicide applications.

• One senior project is developing a membrane that will improve the performance of an integrated sensing catheter used in monitoring blood glucose levels and managing type-one diabetes.

“It’s a win-win model,” said John Parmigiani, assistant professor in the School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering at OSU.

“Students gain real-world engineering and project management experience in a classroom environment,” he said. “Sponsors receive a deliverable that would have otherwise been expensive and/or difficult to obtain. The outcome is a great educational opportunity for students and satisfied sponsors who return to Oregon State for additional projects.”

A new initiative at OSU, the Oregon State University Advantage, is also taking an organized approach to developing more partnerships between OSU business, industry, students and faculty, through such programs as the Venture Accelerator and the Industry Partnering Program.

College of Engineering Media Contact: 

Thuy Tran, 541-737-6020

Source: 

John Parmigiani, 541-737-7023

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Marion Rossi, director of the School of Arts and Communication and associate professor of theater arts, has been appointed associate dean in Oregon State University’s College of Liberal Arts.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Marion Rossi, director of the School of Arts and Communication and associate professor of theater arts, has been appointed associate dean in Oregon State University’s College of Liberal Arts.

Rossi’s appointment comes on the heels of a $5 million gift dedicated to the arts that was given earlier this year by an anonymous donor – the largest for the arts Oregon State has ever received.

“Marion Rossi has a longstanding reputation as a leader in the arts community at Oregon State,” said Larry Rodgers, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. “As associate dean, he will not only continue to elevate the arts but will dedicate himself to enhancing every school in the college.”

As associate dean, Rossi will also focus on curricular innovations and alignment, as well as building the college’s connections and collaboration within the university.

“The arts, humanities and social sciences not only generate their own particularized knowledge, they shape our ways of understanding the human experience,” Rossi said. “I look forward to further engaging with colleagues around the university and creating new opportunities for our students.”

Rossi will replace associate dean Michael Oriard, who retires from Oregon State with 37 years of service on June 30.

College of Liberal Arts Media Contact:  Angela Yeager Source: 

Larry Rodgers, 541-737-4581

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Marion Rossi, director of the School of Arts and Communication and associate professor of theater arts, has been appointed associate dean in Oregon State University’s College of Liberal Arts.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Marion Rossi, director of the School of Arts and Communication and associate professor of theater arts, has been appointed associate dean in Oregon State University’s College of Liberal Arts.

Rossi’s appointment comes on the heels of a $5 million gift dedicated to the arts that was given earlier this year by an anonymous donor – the largest for the arts Oregon State has ever received.

“Marion Rossi has a longstanding reputation as a leader in the arts community at Oregon State,” said Larry Rodgers, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. “As associate dean, he will not only continue to elevate the arts but will dedicate himself to enhancing every school in the college.”

As associate dean, Rossi will also focus on curricular innovations and alignment, as well as building the college’s connections and collaboration within the university.

“The arts, humanities and social sciences not only generate their own particularized knowledge, they shape our ways of understanding the human experience,” Rossi said. “I look forward to further engaging with colleagues around the university and creating new opportunities for our students.”

Rossi will replace associate dean Michael Oriard, who retires from Oregon State with 37 years of service on June 30.

College of Liberal Arts Media Contact:  Angela Yeager Source: 

Larry Rodgers, 541-737-4581

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OSU will hold its 144th annual commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 15, at Reser Stadium. The processional of graduating students will begin entering the stadium at 10:30 a.m.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University is one of the few institutions of its size that hands out actual diplomas during commencement – a distinction that will become more difficult this year in light of a record class estimated at 5,221 graduates.

OSU will hold its 144th annual commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 15, at Reser Stadium. The processional of graduating students will begin entering the stadium at 10:30 a.m.

Commencement is free and open to the public and no tickets are required. It will also be broadcast live on Oregon Public Broadcasting through its OPB Plus network. More information on the OSU commencement is available online at: http://oregonstate.edu/events/commencement/.

Major General Julie A. Bentz, an Oregon State University alumna who advises President Obama on national security issues, will deliver the commencement address and receive an honorary doctorate.

Bentz, director of strategic capabilities policy on the National Security Staff, is a 1986 graduate of OSU, where she received an ROTC commission and earned a degree in radiological health. She is the first female officer from the Oregon Army National Guard to achieve the rank of general.

“Gen. Bentz has played an integral role in advising the United States about security matters – and especially nuclear defense strategies and implications – since Sept. 11, 2001,” said OSU President Edward J. Ray. “Her journey from a small town in Oregon, to Oregon State University, and on to national prominence will provide a compelling message for our graduates.”

OSU’s record class of 5,221 graduates includes 2,654 women and 2,567 men, who will earn a total of 5,483 degrees. This year’s grads come from 47 states, the nation’s capital, four U.S. territories or commonwealths, 18 U.S. islands, and 48 countries. Among the other highlights:

• The oldest 2013 graduate is 64 years old; the youngest is 19;
• Eight of this year’s graduates are receiving three separate degrees, while 247 students have earned two degrees apiece;
• More than 340 graduates earned their degrees in distance education in 23 different degree programs through ECampus. One of those degree programs – an online computer science professional degree – is graduating its first students this year.
• 164 members of this year’s graduating class are veterans.

Each of Oregon State’s 5,221 graduates has a compelling story.

Eder Mondragón Quiroz, the son of Mexican immigrants, is the first member of his family to attend college. He came to OSU as a shy freshman and enrolled in the College Assistance Migrant Program, where he blossomed under the tutelage of faculty. After earning degrees in Spanish and psychology two years ago, he decided to return to Oregon State and mentor younger students in the CAMP program while pursuing a graduate degree. Mondragón Quiroz will receive a master’s degree in Latino/a Studies this year – and his brother and cousin, inspired by his success, will also graduate this June.

Kyle Hatch served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2002 to 2008 and was deployed to Iraq as a medic twice. After his honorable discharge from the Marines, Hatch enrolled at Linn-Benton Community College and then transferred to OSU in 2011. He assumed a leadership role in the Associated Students of OSU Veterans Task Force, and became president of the Student Veterans Fraternity, Omega Delta Sigma. His work to advance awareness of veterans on campus has culminated in the debut this commencement of a special tassel – the Veteran and U.S. Military Recognition Cord.

Stephanie McGregor is graduating this June with a degree in bioengineering, after maintaining a 3.97 grade point average and participating in the University Honors College. The time commitment for anyone would be daunting, but what makes McGregor’s feat even more impressive is that she was an important performer on OSU’s nationally ranked gymnastics team.

“We don’t get very many athletes in our CBEE (Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering) program,” said her professor and mentor, Skip Rochefort. “To be the top student in one of the most challenging undergraduate majors and be a major contributor to a national class gymnastics team at OSU is truly an amazing accomplishment.”

Generic OSU Media Contact:  Mark Floyd Source: 

Rebecca Mathern, 541-737-4048; Rebecca.Mathern@oregonstate.edu

Multimedia Downloads Multimedia: 

2013 Commencement
Speaker Gen. Julie Bentz

06/11/2013 Thumbnail:  Promote to OSU home page:  Promote to the OSU home page Teaser: 

OSU will hold its 144th annual commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 15, at Reser Stadium. The processional of graduating students will begin entering the stadium at 10:30 a.m.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University is one of the few institutions of its size that hands out actual diplomas during commencement – a distinction that will become more difficult this year in light of a record class estimated at 5,221 graduates.

OSU will hold its 144th annual commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 15, at Reser Stadium. The processional of graduating students will begin entering the stadium at 10:30 a.m.

Commencement is free and open to the public and no tickets are required. It will also be broadcast live on Oregon Public Broadcasting through its OPB Plus network. More information on the OSU commencement is available online at: http://oregonstate.edu/events/commencement/.

Major General Julie A. Bentz, an Oregon State University alumna who advises President Obama on national security issues, will deliver the commencement address and receive an honorary doctorate.

Bentz, director of strategic capabilities policy on the National Security Staff, is a 1986 graduate of OSU, where she received an ROTC commission and earned a degree in radiological health. She is the first female officer from the Oregon Army National Guard to achieve the rank of general.

“Gen. Bentz has played an integral role in advising the United States about security matters – and especially nuclear defense strategies and implications – since Sept. 11, 2001,” said OSU President Edward J. Ray. “Her journey from a small town in Oregon, to Oregon State University, and on to national prominence will provide a compelling message for our graduates.”

OSU’s record class of 5,221 graduates includes 2,654 women and 2,567 men, who will earn a total of 5,483 degrees. This year’s grads come from 47 states, the nation’s capital, four U.S. territories or commonwealths, 18 U.S. islands, and 48 countries. Among the other highlights:

• The oldest 2013 graduate is 64 years old; the youngest is 19;
• Eight of this year’s graduates are receiving three separate degrees, while 247 students have earned two degrees apiece;
• More than 340 graduates earned their degrees in distance education in 23 different degree programs through ECampus. One of those degree programs – an online computer science professional degree – is graduating its first students this year.
• 164 members of this year’s graduating class are veterans.

Each of Oregon State’s 5,221 graduates has a compelling story.

Eder Mondragón Quiroz, the son of Mexican immigrants, is the first member of his family to attend college. He came to OSU as a shy freshman and enrolled in the College Assistance Migrant Program, where he blossomed under the tutelage of faculty. After earning degrees in Spanish and psychology two years ago, he decided to return to Oregon State and mentor younger students in the CAMP program while pursuing a graduate degree. Mondragón Quiroz will receive a master’s degree in Latino/a Studies this year – and his brother and cousin, inspired by his success, will also graduate this June.

Kyle Hatch served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2002 to 2008 and was deployed to Iraq as a medic twice. After his honorable discharge from the Marines, Hatch enrolled at Linn-Benton Community College and then transferred to OSU in 2011. He assumed a leadership role in the Associated Students of OSU Veterans Task Force, and became president of the Student Veterans Fraternity, Omega Delta Sigma. His work to advance awareness of veterans on campus has culminated in the debut this commencement of a special tassel – the Veteran and U.S. Military Recognition Cord.

Stephanie McGregor is graduating this June with a degree in bioengineering, after maintaining a 3.97 grade point average and participating in the University Honors College. The time commitment for anyone would be daunting, but what makes McGregor’s feat even more impressive is that she was an important performer on OSU’s nationally ranked gymnastics team.

“We don’t get very many athletes in our CBEE (Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering) program,” said her professor and mentor, Skip Rochefort. “To be the top student in one of the most challenging undergraduate majors and be a major contributor to a national class gymnastics team at OSU is truly an amazing accomplishment.”

Generic OSU Media Contact:  Mark Floyd Source: 

Rebecca Mathern, 541-737-4048; Rebecca.Mathern@oregonstate.edu

Multimedia Downloads Multimedia: 

2013 Commencement
Speaker Gen. Julie Bentz

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A new analysis suggests that more flu vaccines should be given to children and young adults to reduce transmission, which would decrease overall deaths.

The study this story is based on is available in ScholarsArchive@OSU: http://bit.ly/14ZuFi0

 

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The huge value of vaccinating more children and young adults for influenza is being seriously underestimated, experts say in a new report, while conventional wisdom and historic vaccine programs have concentrated on the elderly and those at higher risk of death and serious complications.

A computer modeling analysis was just published in the journal Vaccine, in work supported by the National Institutes of Health. The study suggests that children in school and young adults at work do the vast majority of flu transmission. Programs that effectively increase vaccination in those groups would have the best payoff, the research concluded.

The key point: If you don’t catch the flu, you can’t die from it. Breaking the cycle of transmission benefits everyone from infants to the elderly, the researchers said. And at stake are thousands of lives and billions of dollars a year.

“In most cases, the available flu vaccine could be used more effectively and save more lives by increasing the number of vaccinated children and young adults,” said Jan Medlock, a co-author of the study and researcher with the Department of Biomedical Sciences in Oregon State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

“That approach could really limit the cycle of transmission, preventing a great deal of illness while also reducing the number of deaths among high risk groups,” he said. “Approaches similar to this were used in Japan several decades ago, and they accomplished just that. Our new analysis suggests we should reconsider our priorities for vaccination.”

In a perfect world and in accord with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers agree that almost everyone over the age of six months should get the flu vaccine, unless they were allergic to the shot or had other reasons not to take it. But in the United States, only about one-third of the population actually gets a flu vaccine each year. Historic efforts have been focused on people at higher risk of death and severe disease – often the elderly, and those with chronic illness, weakened immune systems, health care workers or others.

With existing patterns of vaccine usage, the problem is enormous. Seasonal influenza in the U.S. results each year in an average of 36,000 deaths, more than 200,000 hospitalizations, an $87 billion economic burden, and millions of hours of lost time at school and work – not to mention feeling sick and miserable.

The flu vaccine up until 2000 was only recommended for people over 65, Medlock said, and other age groups were added in the past decade as it became clear they also were at high risk of death or complications – children from age six months to five years, and adults over 50. Just recently, age was taken completely out of the equation.

“Clearly we would want people at high medical risk to get a flu vaccine as long as it is abundant,” Medlock said. “But what we’re losing in our current approach is the understanding that most flu is transmitted by children and young adults. They don’t as often die from it, but they are the ones who spread it to everyone else.”

The population and disease transmission modeling done in the new study outlines this, and concluded that a 25-100 percent reduction in deaths from flu or its complications could be achieved if current flu vaccine usage were shifted to much more heavily include children and young adults, as well as those at high risk.

One obstacle, experts say, is the historic reluctance to add even more vaccines to those already received and often mandated for school-age children.

“A simple program we could consider in our K-12 schools would be to have the school nurse, or other local professional, give every child an annual flu shot, with the parents being informed about it in advance and having the option to decline,” Medlock said.

“Vaccinating children could prevent a great deal of illness and save many lives at all ages, not just the children,” he said. “More aggressive educational campaigns to reach young adults would also be helpful.”

Collaborators on this research included scientists from Yale University and the University of Texas. It was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

College of Veterinary Medicine Media Contact:  David Stauth Source: 

Jan Medlock, 541-737-6874

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A new analysis suggests that more flu vaccines should be given to children and young adults to reduce transmission, which would decrease overall deaths.

The study this story is based on is available in ScholarsArchive@OSU: http://bit.ly/14ZuFi0

 

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The huge value of vaccinating more children and young adults for influenza is being seriously underestimated, experts say in a new report, while conventional wisdom and historic vaccine programs have concentrated on the elderly and those at higher risk of death and serious complications.

A computer modeling analysis was just published in the journal Vaccine, in work supported by the National Institutes of Health. The study suggests that children in school and young adults at work do the vast majority of flu transmission. Programs that effectively increase vaccination in those groups would have the best payoff, the research concluded.

The key point: If you don’t catch the flu, you can’t die from it. Breaking the cycle of transmission benefits everyone from infants to the elderly, the researchers said. And at stake are thousands of lives and billions of dollars a year.

“In most cases, the available flu vaccine could be used more effectively and save more lives by increasing the number of vaccinated children and young adults,” said Jan Medlock, a co-author of the study and researcher with the Department of Biomedical Sciences in Oregon State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

“That approach could really limit the cycle of transmission, preventing a great deal of illness while also reducing the number of deaths among high risk groups,” he said. “Approaches similar to this were used in Japan several decades ago, and they accomplished just that. Our new analysis suggests we should reconsider our priorities for vaccination.”

In a perfect world and in accord with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers agree that almost everyone over the age of six months should get the flu vaccine, unless they were allergic to the shot or had other reasons not to take it. But in the United States, only about one-third of the population actually gets a flu vaccine each year. Historic efforts have been focused on people at higher risk of death and severe disease – often the elderly, and those with chronic illness, weakened immune systems, health care workers or others.

With existing patterns of vaccine usage, the problem is enormous. Seasonal influenza in the U.S. results each year in an average of 36,000 deaths, more than 200,000 hospitalizations, an $87 billion economic burden, and millions of hours of lost time at school and work – not to mention feeling sick and miserable.

The flu vaccine up until 2000 was only recommended for people over 65, Medlock said, and other age groups were added in the past decade as it became clear they also were at high risk of death or complications – children from age six months to five years, and adults over 50. Just recently, age was taken completely out of the equation.

“Clearly we would want people at high medical risk to get a flu vaccine as long as it is abundant,” Medlock said. “But what we’re losing in our current approach is the understanding that most flu is transmitted by children and young adults. They don’t as often die from it, but they are the ones who spread it to everyone else.”

The population and disease transmission modeling done in the new study outlines this, and concluded that a 25-100 percent reduction in deaths from flu or its complications could be achieved if current flu vaccine usage were shifted to much more heavily include children and young adults, as well as those at high risk.

One obstacle, experts say, is the historic reluctance to add even more vaccines to those already received and often mandated for school-age children.

“A simple program we could consider in our K-12 schools would be to have the school nurse, or other local professional, give every child an annual flu shot, with the parents being informed about it in advance and having the option to decline,” Medlock said.

“Vaccinating children could prevent a great deal of illness and save many lives at all ages, not just the children,” he said. “More aggressive educational campaigns to reach young adults would also be helpful.”

Collaborators on this research included scientists from Yale University and the University of Texas. It was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

College of Veterinary Medicine Media Contact:  David Stauth Source: 

Jan Medlock, 541-737-6874

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A new study by OSU researchers has found that ocean acidification affects larval oysters by inhibiting shell formation, not necessarily by dissolving their shells once formed.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – For the past several years, the Pacific Northwest oyster industry has struggled with significant losses due to ocean acidification as oyster larvae encountered mortality rates sufficient to make production non-economically feasible.

Now a new study led by researchers at Oregon State University has documented why oysters appear so sensitive to increasing acidity. It isn’t necessarily a case of acidic water dissolving their shells, researchers say. Rather it is a case of water high in carbon dioxide altering shell formation rates, energy usage and, ultimately, the growth and survival of the young oysters.

Results of the study have been published online in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

“From the time eggs are fertilized, Pacific oyster larvae will precipitate roughly 90 percent of their body weight as a calcium carbonate shell within 48 hours,” said George Waldbusser, an OSU marine ecologist and lead author on the study. “The young oysters rely solely on the energy they derive from the egg because they have not yet developed feeding organs.”

Under exposure to increasing carbon dioxide in acidified water, however, it becomes more energetically expensive for organisms to build shell. Adult oysters and other bivalves may grow slower when exposed to rising CO2 levels, other studies have shown. But larvae in the first two days of life do not have the luxury of delayed growth, the researchers say.

“They must build their first shell quickly on a limited amount of energy – and along with the shell comes the organ to capture external food more effectively,” said Waldbusser, who is in OSU’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. “It becomes a death race of sorts. Can the oyster build its shell quickly enough to allow its feeding mechanisms to develop before it runs out of energy from the egg?”

The study is important, scientists say, because it documents for the first time the links among shell formation rate, available energy, and sensitivity to acidification.

“The failure of oyster seed production in Northwest Pacific coastal waters is one of the most graphic examples of ocean acidification effects on important commercial shellfish,” said Dave Garrison, program director in the National Science Foundation’s Division of Ocean Sciences, which funded the study.  “This research is among the first to identify the links among organism physiology, ocean carbonate chemistry and oyster seed mortality.”

The authors say that the faster the rate of shell formation, the more energy is needed and oyster embryos building their first shell need “to make a lot of shell material on short order.”

“As the carbon dioxide in seawater increases, but before waters become corrosive, calcium carbonate precipitation requires significantly more energy to maintain the higher rates of shell formation found during this early stage,” Waldbusser said.

The OSU researchers worked with Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery in Netarts Bay, Ore., on the study.  Using stable isotopes, they found that on the second day of life, 100 percent of the larval tissue growth was from egg-derived carbon.

“The oyster larvae were still relying on egg-derived energy until they were 11 days old,” said Elizabeth Brunner, a graduate student working in Waldbusser’s laboratory and co-author on the study.

The earliest shell material in the larvae contained the greatest proportion of carbon from the surrounding waters, with increasing amounts of carbon from respiration incorporated into the shell after the first 48 hours, indicating ability to isolate and control shell surfaces where calcium carbonate is being deposited.

Waldbusser notes that adult bivalves are well-adapted to grow shell in conditions that are more acidified, and have evolved several mechanisms to do including use of organic molecules to organize and facilitate the formation of calcium carbonate; pumps that remove acid from the calcifying fluids; and outer shell coatings that protect the mineral to some degree from surrounding waters. These adaptations allow bivalves to generate calcium carbonate more rapidly than is possible without biological intervention.

The study notes that kinetics, or the rate of reaction, provides a physical constraint on the calcification process in seawater absent of life; for calcium carbonate the rate is proportional to the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) present, before water actually becomes corrosive to the mineral

Waldbusser said the study helps explain previous findings at Whiskey Creek Hatchery of larval sensitivity to waters that are elevated in CO2 but not corrosive to calcium carbonate. They also explain carryover effects later in larval life of exposure to elevated CO2, similar to neonatal nutrition.

The discovery may actually be good news, scientists say, because there are interventions that can be done at the hatcheries that may offset some of the effects of ocean acidification.

Some hatcheries have begun “buffering” water for larvae – essentially adding antacid to the incoming water – including the Whiskey Creek Hatchery and the Taylor Shellfish Farm in Washington. The OSU-led study provides a scientific foundation for the target level of buffering.

“Whiskey Creek Hatchery figured this out by trial and error in the last couple years arriving at an amount of buffering that was more than we initially thought would be needed,” Waldbusser said. “On the energy side, you can make sure that eggs have more energy before they enter the larval stage, so a well-balanced adult diet may help larval oysters cope better with the stress of acidified water.”

Breeding for specific traits is another strategy, researchers say. Chris Langton, a co-author on the study, who for years directed the Molluscan Broodstock Program at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Ore., is leading an effort to use selective breeding to isolate certain favorable traits in oysters.

College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences Media Contact:  Mark Floyd Source: 

George Waldbusser, 541-737-8964

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A new study by OSU researchers has found that ocean acidification affects larval oysters by inhibiting shell formation, not necessarily by dissolving their shells once formed.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – For the past several years, the Pacific Northwest oyster industry has struggled with significant losses due to ocean acidification as oyster larvae encountered mortality rates sufficient to make production non-economically feasible.

Now a new study led by researchers at Oregon State University has documented why oysters appear so sensitive to increasing acidity. It isn’t necessarily a case of acidic water dissolving their shells, researchers say. Rather it is a case of water high in carbon dioxide altering shell formation rates, energy usage and, ultimately, the growth and survival of the young oysters.

Results of the study have been published online in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

“From the time eggs are fertilized, Pacific oyster larvae will precipitate roughly 90 percent of their body weight as a calcium carbonate shell within 48 hours,” said George Waldbusser, an OSU marine ecologist and lead author on the study. “The young oysters rely solely on the energy they derive from the egg because they have not yet developed feeding organs.”

Under exposure to increasing carbon dioxide in acidified water, however, it becomes more energetically expensive for organisms to build shell. Adult oysters and other bivalves may grow slower when exposed to rising CO2 levels, other studies have shown. But larvae in the first two days of life do not have the luxury of delayed growth, the researchers say.

“They must build their first shell quickly on a limited amount of energy – and along with the shell comes the organ to capture external food more effectively,” said Waldbusser, who is in OSU’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. “It becomes a death race of sorts. Can the oyster build its shell quickly enough to allow its feeding mechanisms to develop before it runs out of energy from the egg?”

The study is important, scientists say, because it documents for the first time the links among shell formation rate, available energy, and sensitivity to acidification.

“The failure of oyster seed production in Northwest Pacific coastal waters is one of the most graphic examples of ocean acidification effects on important commercial shellfish,” said Dave Garrison, program director in the National Science Foundation’s Division of Ocean Sciences, which funded the study.  “This research is among the first to identify the links among organism physiology, ocean carbonate chemistry and oyster seed mortality.”

The authors say that the faster the rate of shell formation, the more energy is needed and oyster embryos building their first shell need “to make a lot of shell material on short order.”

“As the carbon dioxide in seawater increases, but before waters become corrosive, calcium carbonate precipitation requires significantly more energy to maintain the higher rates of shell formation found during this early stage,” Waldbusser said.

The OSU researchers worked with Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery in Netarts Bay, Ore., on the study.  Using stable isotopes, they found that on the second day of life, 100 percent of the larval tissue growth was from egg-derived carbon.

“The oyster larvae were still relying on egg-derived energy until they were 11 days old,” said Elizabeth Brunner, a graduate student working in Waldbusser’s laboratory and co-author on the study.

The earliest shell material in the larvae contained the greatest proportion of carbon from the surrounding waters, with increasing amounts of carbon from respiration incorporated into the shell after the first 48 hours, indicating ability to isolate and control shell surfaces where calcium carbonate is being deposited.

Waldbusser notes that adult bivalves are well-adapted to grow shell in conditions that are more acidified, and have evolved several mechanisms to do including use of organic molecules to organize and facilitate the formation of calcium carbonate; pumps that remove acid from the calcifying fluids; and outer shell coatings that protect the mineral to some degree from surrounding waters. These adaptations allow bivalves to generate calcium carbonate more rapidly than is possible without biological intervention.

The study notes that kinetics, or the rate of reaction, provides a physical constraint on the calcification process in seawater absent of life; for calcium carbonate the rate is proportional to the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) present, before water actually becomes corrosive to the mineral

Waldbusser said the study helps explain previous findings at Whiskey Creek Hatchery of larval sensitivity to waters that are elevated in CO2 but not corrosive to calcium carbonate. They also explain carryover effects later in larval life of exposure to elevated CO2, similar to neonatal nutrition.

The discovery may actually be good news, scientists say, because there are interventions that can be done at the hatcheries that may offset some of the effects of ocean acidification.

Some hatcheries have begun “buffering” water for larvae – essentially adding antacid to the incoming water – including the Whiskey Creek Hatchery and the Taylor Shellfish Farm in Washington. The OSU-led study provides a scientific foundation for the target level of buffering.

“Whiskey Creek Hatchery figured this out by trial and error in the last couple years arriving at an amount of buffering that was more than we initially thought would be needed,” Waldbusser said. “On the energy side, you can make sure that eggs have more energy before they enter the larval stage, so a well-balanced adult diet may help larval oysters cope better with the stress of acidified water.”

Breeding for specific traits is another strategy, researchers say. Chris Langton, a co-author on the study, who for years directed the Molluscan Broodstock Program at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Ore., is leading an effort to use selective breeding to isolate certain favorable traits in oysters.

College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences Media Contact:  Mark Floyd Source: 

George Waldbusser, 541-737-8964

Multimedia Downloads Multimedia: 

Oyster larvae

 

 

Whiskey Creek Hatchery

 

Effects of acidification