Life Sciences Commons^™

Cd81/Cd9 Tetraspanins Aid Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells In Recognition Of Hcv-Infected Cells And Induction Of Ifnα, Shuye Zhang, Karen Kodys, Gyongyi Szabo

Gyongyi Szabo

Recognition of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected hepatocyes and interferon (IFN) induction are critical in antiviral immune response. We hypothesized that cell-cell contact between pDCs and HCV-infected cells was required for IFNα induction via involvement of cell surface molecules. Co-culture of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with genotype 1a full length HCV genomic replicon cells (FL) or genotype 2a JFH-1 virus infected hepatoma cells (JFH-1), not with uninfected hepatoma cells (Huh7.5), induced IFNα production. Depletion of pDCs from PBMCs attenuated IFNα release and purified pDCs produced high levels of IFNα after co-culture with FL replicons or JFH-1 infected cells. IFNα …

Inhibition Of Tlr8- And Tlr4-Induced Type I Ifn Induction By Alcohol Is Different From Its Effects On Inflammatory Cytokine Production In Monocytes, Maoyin Pang, Shashi Bala, Karen Kodys, Donna Catalano, Gyongyi Szabo

Gyongyi Szabo

BACKGROUND: Prolonged alcohol consumption is a significant co-factor in the progression of chronic viral infections including hepatitis C and HIV, which are both single-stranded RNA viruses. Toll like receptor 8 (TLR8), a pattern recognition receptor expressed in monocytes, senses viral single stranded RNA as a danger signal and leads to the induction of Type I interferon (IFN) as well as the pro-inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a Toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) ligand, was shown to affect inflammatory cell activation after alcohol consumption and in HIV and HCV infections. Here we hypothesized that alcohol exposure …

Myxoma Virus Induces Type I Interferon Production In Murine Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Via A Tlr9/Myd88-, Irf5/Irf7-, And Ifnar-Dependent Pathway, Peihong Dai, Hua Cao, Taha Merghoub, Francesca Avogadri, Weiyi Wang, Tanvi Parikh, Chee-Mun Fang, Paula M. Pitha, Katherine A. Fitzgerald, Masmudur M. Rahman, Grant Mcfadden, Xiaoyu Hu, Alan N. Houghton, Stewart Shuman, Liang Deng

Katherine A. Fitzgerald

Poxviruses are large DNA viruses that replicate in the cytoplasm of infected cells. Myxoma virus is a rabbit poxvirus that belongs to the Leporipoxvirus genus. It causes a lethal disease called myxomatosis in European rabbits but cannot sustain any detectable infection in nonlagomorphs. Vaccinia virus is a prototypal orthopoxvirus that was used as a vaccine to eradicate smallpox. Myxoma virus is nonpathogenic in mice, whereas systemic infection with vaccinia virus can be lethal even in immunocompetent mice. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are potent type I interferon (IFN)-producing cells that play important roles in antiviral innate immunity. How poxviruses are sensed …

A Novel Role For The Nlrc4 Inflammasome In Mucosal Defenses Against The Fungal Pathogen Candida Albicans, Jeffrey Tomalka, Sandhya Ganesan, Elaheh Azodi, Krupen Patel, Parth Majmudar, Brian A. Hall, Katherine A. Fitzgerald, Amy G. Hise

Katherine A. Fitzgerald

Candida sp. are opportunistic fungal pathogens that colonize the skin and oral cavity and, when overgrown under permissive conditions, cause inflammation and disease. Previously, we identified a central role for the NLRP3 inflammasome in regulating IL-1beta production and resistance to dissemination from oral infection with Candida albicans. Here we show that mucosal expression of NLRP3 and NLRC4 is induced by Candida infection, and up-regulation of these molecules is impaired in NLRP3 and NLRC4 deficient mice. Additionally, we reveal a role for the NLRC4 inflammasome in anti-fungal defenses. NLRC4 is important for control of mucosal Candida infection and impacts inflammatory cell …

Pattern Recognition Receptors And The Innate Immune Response To Viral Infection, Mikayla R. Thompson, John J. Kaminski Iii, Evelyn A. Kurt-Jones, Katherine A. Fitzgerald

Katherine A. Fitzgerald

The innate immune response to viral pathogens is critical in order to mobilize protective immunity. Cells of the innate immune system detect viral infection largely through germline-encoded pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) present either on the cell surface or within distinct intracellular compartments. These include the Toll-like receptors (TLRs), the retinoic acid-inducble gene I-like receptors (RLRs), the nucleotide oligomerization domain-like receptors (NLRs, also called NACHT, LRR and PYD domain proteins) and cytosolic DNA sensors. While in certain cases viral proteins are the trigger of these receptors, the predominant viral activators are nucleic acids. The presence of viral sensing PRRs in multiple …

A Cluster-Based Approach For Biological Hypothesis Testing And Its Application, Ahmed Mustafa

Ahmed Mustafa Dr.

No abstract provided.

Hepatitis C Screening And Testing: A Call For A National Response., Donna M. Zucker Rn, Phd, Faan

Donna M. Zucker

The purpose of this brief is to convey the immediate need to coordinate and integrate hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening and testing for HIV co-infected and HCV infected clients, into primary care. In 2000, 1.25 million persons were estimated to be chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV), and 2.7 million are chronically infected with HCV. Furthermore, 55% to 85% of new HCV infections become chronic. Of the 1.0 million people chronically infected with HIV, 250,000 also have HBV, and ~50,000 also have HCV, the leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma. Liver disease is now the leading cause of death in …

Eimeria Species (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) From Arctic Ground Squirrels (Spermophilus Parryii ) And Red Squirrels (Tamiasciurus Hudsonicus) In Alaska And In Siberia, Russia, Robert S. Seville, Clint E. Oliver, Andrew J. Lynch, Michelle C. Bryant, Donald W. Duszynski

Robert S. Seville

Fecal samples from arctic ground squirrels (Spermophilus parryii) collected in Alaska (n = 90) and Russia (n = 46) and from red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) in Alaska (n = 35) were examined for the presence of Eimeria spp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae). Four species were recovered from arctic ground squirrels, including Eimeria callospermophili (prevalence = 18%), Eimeria cynomysis (23.5%), Eimeria lateralis (19%), and Eimeria morainensis (77%). A single species, Eimeria tamiasciuri (91%), was recovered from red squirrels. Eimerians recovered from arctic ground squirrels represent new host records, and the single species from red squirrels is a new geographic record. Alaskan arctic ground …

Dynamics Of Land Use/Land Cover Changes And Its Implication On Food Security In Anyigba, North Central, Nigeria, Tokula E. Arome, Sunday P. Ejaro (Phd)

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

This study assessed land use/land cover changes and its effect on Agricultural land in Anyigba. The objectives were to identify and delineate different land use / land cover categories, assess the rate of change that occurred and examine the impact of land use/land cover change on food security using satellite remote sensing data collected at three different years (1987 Land sat TM, 2001 Land Sat TM and 2011 Land Sat ETM). The study utilized GIS software such as Idrisi Andes academic and ArcGIS 9.3. The study area covers approximately 31.8km2, and four major land use/cover classes were utilized (built up, …

Chlamydia Pneumoniae-Specific Ige Is Prevalent In Asthma And Is Associated With Disease Severity, David L. Hahn, Allison Schure, Katir K. Patel, Tawanna S. Childs, Eduard Drizik, Wilmore C. Webley

Wilmore C Webley

Background: Several Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cp) biomarkers have been associated with asthma but Cp-specific IgE (Cp IgE) has not been investigated extensively. Our objective was to investigate Cp IgE in community adult asthma patients.

Methods: (1) Prevalence of Cp IgE (measured by immunoblotting) and Cp DNA (by polymerase chain reaction) in peripheral blood, and biomarker associations with asthma severity. (2) Case-control studies of Cp IgE association with asthma using healthy blood donor (study 1) and non-asthmatic clinic patient (study 2) controls.

Results: Of 66 asthma subjects (mean age 40.9 years, range 5–75, 59% male, 45% ever-smokers) 33 (50%) were Cp IgE …

The Prevalence And Identity Of Chlamydia-Specific Ige In Children With Asthma And Other Chronic Respiratory Symptoms, Katir K. Patel, Erica A. Anderson, Paul S. Salva, Wilmore C. Webley

Wilmore C Webley

Background Recent studies have confirmed the presence of viable Chlamydia in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of pediatric patients with airway hyperresponsiveness. While specific IgG and IgM responses to C. pneumoniae are well described, the response and potential contribution of Ag-specific IgE are not known. The current study sought to determine if infection with Chlamydia triggers the production of pathogen-specific IgE in children with chronic respiratory diseases which might contribute to inflammation and pathology.

Methods We obtained BAL fluid and serum from pediatric respiratory disease patients who were generally unresponsive to corticosteroid treatment as well as sera from age-matched control …

The Cooperative Breast Cancer Tissue Resource: Archival Tissue For The Investigation Of Tumor Markers, Helen Donis-Keller, Andrew Glass, Carolyn Mies, Jose Russo, Barbara Zehnbauer, Sheila Taube, Roger Aamodt

Helen Donis-Keller

Investigators continue to search for reliable markers of prognosis of breast cancer. For many analyses, laboratory techniques permit the use of archival paraffin-embedded tissue collected years previously and readily linked to clinical and follow-up information. Laboratory investigators have often expressed the need for such a tissue resource. We have developed a publicly availableresource of archival breast cancer specimens. The pathological material has been collected and reviewed by investigators at four institutions and currently includes breast cancer specimens from more than 9300 cases. Institutional pathologists reviewed slides and blocks using a common protocol and coding scheme. Clinical information and details of …

Flatbed Scanner Report - Optical Density Dynamic Range, George Mcnamara

George McNamara

George McNamara (now at University of Miami) report for Hua Yu and Richard Jove, City of Hope National Medical Center, on optical density dynamic range of several flatbed scanners.

Modulation Of Exaggerated-Ige Allergic Responses By Gene Transfer-Mediated Antagonism Of Il-13 And Il-17e., Christian Mueller, Allison Keeler, Sofia Braag, Timothy Menz, Qiushi Tang, Terence Flotte

Christian Mueller

Asthma and allergic rhinitis are almost invariable accompanied by elevated levels of immunoglobin E (IgE), and more importantly a genetic link between IgE levels and airway hyper-responsiveness has been established. We hypothesized that expression of soluble receptors directed against interleukin (IL)-13 and IL-17e would prevent the cytokines from engaging the cell-bound receptors and therefore help to attenuate allergic responses in a Cftr(-/-)-dependent mouse model of exaggerated-IgE responses. Cftr(-/-) mice were injected with recombinant adeno-associated virus 1 (rAAV1) intramuscularly expressing soluble receptors to IL-17e (IL-17Rh1fc) or IL-13 (IL-13Ralpha2Fc). Total IgE levels, in mice receiving the IL-17Rh1fc and IL-13Ralpha2Fc therapy, were lower …

Mama What Is Celiac, Suad Fahad Alferaih

Dr. Suad Fahad AlFuraih

قصة ماما ماهو السلياك

Introduction To Nanoscopy Nano-Talk, George Mcnamara

George McNamara

T7-1 is the designation for the LMRG Nanoscopy session at ABRF in Orlando, FL, on March 20, 2012. The PDF file here is a draft of my presentation.

May not be very helpful since (1) would probably help to know what is in my head and each slide will [hopefully] prompt me to say, and (2) 10 minute talk so I am going to push the "next slide" button after saying very little.

__________________

Publisher statement:

The T7-1 Introduction to Nanoscopy Nano Talk is copyrighted (c) George McNamara, 2012. Except for (1) screenshots from research articles (which are copyrighted by …

Pubspectra - Open Data Access Fluorescence Spectra, George Mcnamara

George McNamara

The Internet is enabling greater access to spectral imaging publications, spectral graphs, and data than that was available a generation ago. The spectral imaging systems discussed in this issue of Cytometry work because reagent and hardware spectra are reproducible, reusable, and provide input to spectral unmixing and spectral components recognition algorithms. These spectra need to be readily available in order to determine what to purchase, how to use it, and what the output means. We refer to several commercially sponsored and academic spectral web sites and discuss our spectral graphing and data sites. Sites include fluorescent dye graph servers from …

Mcnamara 2011 Feature Extraction (Image Analysis), George Mcnamara

George McNamara

Feature Extraction presentation and movies in a ZIP file from a presentation I gave at ISAC 2011 in Baltomore, Md.

Feature extraction is one phrase for image analysis.

Rogers Pmn Movie - Background Information, George Mcnamara

George McNamara

Please see

http://mdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/18689/~/metamatters-newsletters

for my series of MetaMorph MetaMatters articles in volume 2, numbers 3 through 6, on the Rogers PMN Panorama data set.

http://mdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/18689/~/metamatters-newsletters

Brief summary (for more, see the Word doc)

Epidemiological And Genetic Data Supporting The Transmission Of Ancylostoma Ceylanicum Among Human And Domestic Animals, Rohela Mahmud

Rohela Mahmud

Background: Currently, information on species-specific hookworm infection is unavailable in Malaysia and is restricted worldwide due to limited application of molecular diagnostic tools. Given the importance of accurate identification of hookworms, this study was conducted as part of an ongoing molecular epidemiological investigation aimed at providing the first documented data on species-specific hookworm infection, associated risk factors and the role of domestic animals as reservoirs for hookworm infections in endemic communities of Malaysia. Methods/Findings: A total of 634 human and 105 domestic canine and feline fecal samples were randomly collected. The overall prevalence of hookworm in humans and animals determined …

Socio-Economic Effects Of Demolishing Squatter Settlements And Illegal Structures In Abuja Metropolis, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, Ishaku Iy Mallo Phd, Victor G. Obasanya

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

Abuja the Federal Capital Territory and study area is located between latitudes 8o25’ and 9o25’ North of the Equator and longitudes 6o45’ and 7o45’ East of the Greenwich Meridian. The study was carried out in Abuja Phase 1, and it is aimed at highlighting various socioeconomic effects of demolition of illegal structures and informal or squatter settlements on the people within the study area. Data was collected through reconnaissance survey, personal interviews with respondents, and a well laid out questionnaire. The results indicate that the demolition exercise embarked upon by the authorities in the Federal Capital Territory was a response …

Rainfall Variability And Crop Zones Classification For The Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, Shaibu M. Hassan Phd

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

This study aims at analyzing agro-climatological parameters and establishing a link between some selected agro-climatological indices and sustainability of agricultural production in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Two sets of data, climatic and crop yield data were collected and subjected to various agro-climatological analyses. Agro-climatological analyses include the derivation of Onset, Cessation and Length of Rainy Season (LRS), Seasonality Index, Drought Index and Precipitation Periodicity Index. The statistical analyses include monthly and annual means, deviation from the mean, trend line. The result of moisture index in line with crops optimum moisture requirement was used to classify the Territory into agro-climatic …

Hslic Fall 2012 Scholarship Committee Report, Ann Jordan

Ann Jordan

No abstract provided.

Pneumocystis Carinii (Jirovecii) Pneumonia (Pcp): The Most Common Opportunistic Infection Observed In Hiv/Aids Cases At The University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Jamaiah Ibrahim

Jamaiah Ibrahim

This retrospective study was conducted among 59 HIV/AIDS patients with opportunistic infections admitted to the University Malaya Medical Centre between 2000 and 2009. Fifty-five point nine percent of cases were Chinese, 25.4% were Malays, 11.9% were Indians and 6.8% were of unknown ethnic origin. The male:female ratio was 2.9:1 (44 males and 15 females). The highest prevalence (38.9%) occurred in the 30-39 year old age group. Men comprised 47.7% and women 53.3%; the majority of both were married. The majority of cases were Malaysians (89.8%) and the rest (10.2%) were immigrants. Most of the patients (18.6%) were non-laborers, followed by …

1 '- Acetoxychavicol Acetate Inhibits Growth Of Human Oral Carcinoma Xenograft In Mice And Potentiates Cisplatin Effect Via Proinflammatory Microenvironment Alterations, Noor Hasima Nagoor

Noor Hasima Nagoor

Background: Oral cancers although preventable, possess a low five-year survival rate which has remained unchanged over the past three decades. In an attempt to find a more safe, affordable and effective treatment option, we describe here the use of 1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA), a component of Malaysian ginger traditionally used for various medicinal purposes. Methods: Whether ACA can inhibit the growth of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells alone or in combination with cisplatin (CDDP), was explored both in vitro using MTT assays and in vivo using Nu/Nu mice. Occurrence of apoptosis was assessed using PARP and DNA fragmentation assays, while …

Predominance Of Blastocystis Sp Subtype 4 In Rural Communities, Nepal, Tan Tian Chye

Tan Tian Chye

Blastocystis sp. is a common intestinal parasite. To date, there have been sporadic and scanty studies on Blastocystis sp. carried out in rural communities in Nepal. We surveyed the prevalence of Blastocystis sp. and its possible associated risk factors, and reported the predominant Blastocystis sp. subtype in two rural communities, Bolde Phediche and Bahunipati, in Nepal. Human faecal samples were collected from 241 participants, cultured using in vitro cultivation and examined for Blastocystis sp. The presence of Blastocystis sp. in faecal samples was further confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and subsequently genotyped using subtype-specific sequence tagged site (STS) primers. …

Effects Of Capsaicin Supplemented Feed On The Growth And Immune Response Of Coho Salmon, Oncorhynchus Kisutch., Ahmed Mustafa, Paul Mccain, Devin Carr

Ahmed Mustafa Dr.

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Vitamin C On Expression Of Stress Genes In Tilapia, Oreochromis Niloticus., Ahmed Mustafa, Sharif Hayat, Jessica Eash

Ahmed Mustafa Dr.

No abstract provided.

Survey Of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria In Fish Gut Collected From Selected Sites., Ahmed Mustafa, Hasina Karki, Arlis Lamaster, Bob Gillespie, Shree Dhawale

Ahmed Mustafa Dr.

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Capsaicin Supplemented Feed On The Growth And Immune Response Of Tilapia, Oreochromis Niloticus, Ahmed Mustafa, Paul Mccain, Devin Carr

Ahmed Mustafa Dr.

No abstract provided.