2009 Proceedings - University of Colorado Denver

Undergraduate Students
Varicella Zoster Virus DNA Persist
in Saliva after Herpes Zoster and
Post-Herpetic Neuralgia
Igor Traktinksiy, Biology, DC - College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Aimee Bernard, DC - College
of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Activity Type: Undergraduate Research
Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) is a human neurotropic
herpesvirus that typically causes childhood varicella
(chickenpox), goes latent in neurons of multiple
cranial, sensory and autonomic ganglia. Decades
later, the virus can reactivate to cause zoster
(shingles), a painful skin rash involving 1-3
dermatomes innervated by ganglia that had harbored
latent virus. VZV reactivation is associated with
impaired cellular immunity especially in the elderly
(age >60 yrs.), but can also be seen in individuals
experiencing trauma, severe stress, or depression.
Approximately 40% of elderly individuals with zoster
will proceed to post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) defined
as pain of zoster continuing >3 months following
resolution of zoster rash. Our hypothesis is that PHN
is associated with persistent VZV replication in the
ganglia. To test this hypothesis we searched for VZV
DNA in saliva via qPCR. Control subjects included
elderly individuals with zoster and no PHN along with
elderly individuals without zoster. Our results indicate
that all elderly subjects who had zoster shed VZV
DNA independent of PHN. Thus, we conclude that
zoster, as well as PHN, is associated with persistent
VZV replication in the ganglia.
Daily-Round of Activity in Western
Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex
occidentalis) Colonies
Jason Truong, Biology, DC - College of Liberal Arts
and Sciences
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Michael Greene, DC - College
of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Activity Type: Undergraduate Research
We conducted an observational experiment to
quantify the daily round of worker activity in Western
Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex occidentalis)
colonies. The daily round is the pattern of worker ant
activity over time of day. Our aim was to measure
relationships between different tasks performed on
colony nest mounds. We measured the following
tasks: patrolling, nest maintenance, midden work,
foraging, and convening. The study was performed at
8 colonies at a field site in central Denver, Colorado.
We counted numbers of ants performing tasks at 30
minute time intervals beginning about when colony
activity began outside of the nest entrance. We
counted ants using cell counters from the same
observation point, about 1 meter from the nest
entrance, at each colony. We also periodically
measured nest mound surface temperature using an
infrared temperature gun. We show here that the
daily round of P. occidentalis is similar to the daily
round of its congener P. barbatus and that patrolling
precedes foraging in the daily round.
32 2009 Research and Creative Activities Symposium