Digital Commons Network^™

Enhanced Protective Efficacy Of A Chimeric Form Of The Schistosomiasis Vaccine Antigen Sm-Tsp-2, Mark S. Pearson, Darren A. Pickering, Henry J. Mcsorley, Jeffrey M. Bethony, Leon Tribolet, Annette M. Dougall, Peter J. Hotez, Alex Loukas

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

The large extracellular loop of the Schistosoma mansoni tetraspanin, Sm-TSP-2, when fused to a thioredoxin partner and formulated with Freund's adjuvants, has been shown to be an efficacious vaccine against murine schistosomiasis. Moreover, Sm-TSP-2 is uniquely recognised by IgG1 and IgG3 from putatively resistant individuals resident in S. mansoniendemic areas in Brazil. In the present study, we expressed Sm-TSP-2 at high yield and in soluble form in E. coli without the need for a solubility enhancing fusion partner. We also expressed in E. coli a chimera called Sm-TSP-2/5B, which consisted of Sm-TSP-2 fused to …

Treating Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus With The Drug Vancomycin In A Home Infusion Therapy Setting, Joshua L. Webb, Alberto Coustasse, Dennis Emmett

Management Faculty Research

The basic purpose of this paper is to examine the effects the home infusion therapy has on the cost, duration of, and effectiveness of treatment between those individuals under 60 and those 60 and over. The results show that those 60 and over had a slightly higher cost/day. The older age group had slightly smaller treatment duration, then the younger group. The number of adverse effects was small. The results suggest that home infusion therapy appears to be a viable alternative to hospitalization.

Potential For False Positive Hiv Test Results With The Serial Rapid Hiv Testing Algorithm, Steven Baveewo, Moses R. Kamya, Harriet Mayanja-Kizza, Robin Fatch, David Bangsberg, Thomas J. Coates, Judith A. Hahn, Rhoda K. Wanyenze

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Rapid HIV tests provide same-day results and are widely used in HIV testing programs in areas with limited personnel and laboratory infrastructure. The Uganda Ministry of Health currently recommends the serial rapid testing algorithm with Determine, STAT-PAK, and Uni-Gold for diagnosis of HIV infection. Using this algorithm, individuals who test positive on Determine, negative to STAT-PAK and positive to Uni-Gold are reported as HIV positive. We conducted further testing on this subgroup of samples using qualitative DNA PCR to assess the potential for false positive tests in this situation.

Results: Of the 3388 individuals who were tested, 984 were …

Characterising The Mucosal And Systemic Immune Responses To Experimental Human Hookworm Infection., Soraya Gaze, Henry J. Mcsorley, James Daveson, Di Jones, Jeffrey M. Bethony, Luciana M. Oliveira, Richard Speare, James S. Mccarthy, Christian R. Engwerda, John Croese, Alex Loukas

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

The mucosal cytokine response of healthy humans to parasitic helminths has never been reported. We investigated the systemic and mucosal cytokine responses to hookworm infection in experimentally infected, previously hookworm naive individuals from non-endemic areas. We collected both peripheral blood and duodenal biopsies to assess the systemic immune response, as well as the response at the site of adult worm establishment. Our results show that experimental hookworm infection leads to a strong systemic and mucosal Th2 (IL-4, IL-5, IL-9 and IL-13) and regulatory (IL-10 and TGF-β) response, with some evidence of a Th1 (IFN-γ and IL-2) response. Despite upregulation after …

Puerperal Fever From Hippocrates To Pasteur, Hunter A. Hammill

Houston History of Medicine Lectures (2006-2012)

The death of a mother in childbirth leaving a newborn deserted is a sort of a desecration. This was a frequent event for early physicians. It was felt to be caused by miasmas or punishment from the gods. DaVinci felt the cause was milk stasis, Hippocrates - lochia, Virchow - weather. Then came Semmelweis, Pasteur and Lister. They started a battle with ignorance, hospital administration, budget and academic politics. Ending with the murder of Semmelweis!

Hiv And Aids Education: The Tanzanian Case, Katherine Ellison

Social Sciences

This project takes a look at the cultural, religious, and socio-economic roles that affect the spread of education regarding HIV/AIDS in Tanzania. A personal experience in Zanzibar, Tanzania was the incentive to spark interest in teaching. HIV/AIDS is a powerful epidemic that has taken the lives away from millions. This article takes a deeper look at the transmission, stigmas, and pathways for change.

Hiv/Aids Stigmatization Among Oromo Immigrant Congregations In The Twin Cities : A Call For Biblical And Theological Response, Fikru Andea Eticha

Master of Arts Theses

No abstract provided.

Redefining Chronic Toxoplasmosis: A T Cell Exhaustion Perspective, Rajarshi Bhadra, Imtiaz A. Khan

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Shaping The Operations Research Agenda For Antiretroviral-Based Prevention Products For Women: Gels And Rings, Martha Brady, C. Elizabeth Mcgrory

HIV and AIDS

This report summarizes discussions from a two-day international experts consultation meeting in 2012 on preparing for the successful introduction of women-centered antiretroviral-based HIV prevention methods. It examines the limits and expectations of operations research in antiretroviral health technologies.

Nitric Oxide Metabolites As Biomarkers For Influenza-Like Acute Respiratory Infections Presenting To The Emergency Room, Asad Mian, Federico R Laham, Andrea T Cruz, Harsha Garg, Charles G Macias, A. Chantal Caviness, Pedro A Piedra

Department of Emergency Medicine

Aims: Nitric oxide (NO) is increased in the respiratory tract in pulmonary infections. The aim was to determine whether nasal wash NO metabolites could serve as biomarkers of viral pathogen and disease severity in children with influenza-like illness (ILI) presenting to the emergency department (ED) during the 2009 influenza A H1N1 pandemic.
Methods: Children ≤18 years old presenting to the ED with ILI were eligible. Nasal wash specimens were tested for NO metabolites, nitrate and nitrite, by HPLC and for respiratory viruses by real-time PCR.
Results: Eighty-nine patients with ILI were prospectively enrolled during Oct-Dec, 2009. In the …

Siv Infection Induces Accumulation Of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells In The Gut Mucosa, R. Keith Reeves, Tristan I. Evans, Jacqueline Gillis, Fay E. Wong, Guobin Kang, Qingsheng Li, R. Paul Johnson

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Multiple studies suggest that plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are depleted and dysfunctional during human immunodeficiency virus/simian immunodeficiency virus (HIV/SIV) infection, but little is known about pDCs in the gut—the primary site of virus replication. Here, we show that during SIV infection, pDCs were reduced 3-fold in the circulation and significantly upregulated the gut-homing marker α4β7, but were increased 4-fold in rectal biopsies of infected compared to naive macaques. These data revise the understanding of pDC immunobiology during SIV infection, indicating that pDCs are not necessarily depleted, but instead may traffic to and accumulate in the gut mucosa.

N-Myristoylglutamic Acid Derivative Of 3′-Fluoro-3′- Deoxythymidine As An Organogel, Bhupender S. Chhikara, Rakesh Tiwari, Keykavous Parang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Designing microbicidal gels of anti-HIV drugs for local application to prevent HIV infection is a subject of major interest. 3′-Fluoro-3′-deoxythymidine (FLT), a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), was conjugated with a N-myristoylglutamate scaffold. The conjugate showed gelation at 1% (w/w) in different organic solvents, such as toluene, dichloromethane, and chloroform. The gels were opaque and stable at room temperature. The results indicate that myristoyl glutamate derivative of FLT can form an organogel. The gel could have potential application as a topical anti-HIV microbicidal agent.

Study Guide For United In Anger: A History Of Act Up, Matt Brim

Open Educational Resources

The United in Anger Study Guide facilitates classroom and activist engagement with Jim Hubbard’s 2012 documentary, United in Anger: A History of ACT UP. The Study Guide contains discussion sections, projects and exercises, and resources for further research about the activism of the New York chapter of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). The Study Guide is a free, interactive, multimedia resource for understanding the legacy of ACT UP, the film’s role in preserving that legacy, and its meaning for viewers' lives.

Coxsackievirus B3 Infection Leads To The Generation Of Cardiac Myosin Heavy Chain-Α-Reactive Cd4 T Cells In A/J Mice, Arunakumar Gangaplara, Chandirasegaran Massilamany, Deborah M. Brown, Gustavo A. Delhon, Asit K. Pattnaik, Nora Chapman, Noel Rose, David J. Steffen, Jay Reddy

Jay Reddy Publications

Enteroviruses like coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) are common suspects in myocarditis/dilated cardiomyopathy patients. Autoimmunity has been proposed as an underlying mechanism, but direct evidence of its role is lacking. To delineate autoimmune response in CVB3 myocarditis, we used IA^k dextramers for cardiac myosin heavy chain (Myhc)-α 334–352. We have demonstrated that myocarditis-susceptible A/J mice infected with CVB3 generate Myhc-α-reactive CD4 T cells and such a repertoire was absent in naïve mice as measured by proliferative response to Myhc-α 334–352 and IA^k dextramer staining. We also detected Myhc-α 334–352 dextramer⁺ cells in the hearts of CVB3-infected mice. The autoreactive …

Retrospective Epidemiologic Analysis Of Influenza Pandemics In Arkansas, A, A. J. Gray, D. Nguyen, B. M. Rowley

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

This study compares influenza mortality in Arkansas during the pandemics of: 1918 (aka Spanish flu), 1957, 1968, and 2009 (H1N1, aka Swine flu). Death certificate and U.S. census data were gathered and analyzed for statistical differences in mortalities based on sex, age, and geographic regions of Arkansas for each pandemic. The geographic regions were defined by the five Public Health Units classified by the Arkansas Department of Health. Regional mortalities were also analyzed across all pandemics to investigate how the different pandemics affected each individual region. Chi-square analyses for each pandemic showed only the 1918 pandemic had statistical differences between …

Is Ceftobiprole A Safe And Effective Treatment For Skin And Skin Structure Infections?, Laura Thompson

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not ceftobiprole is a safe and effective treatment for complicated skin and skin structure infections

STUDY DESIGN: Review of all English language primary randomized controlled trials from 1996-2010

DATA SOURCES: Three randomized controlled trials were found using Pubmed and Cochrane databases

OUTCOMES MEASURES: Skin or skin-structure infection cure with ceftobiprole intervention and adverse effects of this new pharmaceutical. Cure or failure to cure skin infection was determined based on both clinical and microbiological assessment. Adverse events were measured based on patient reports, clinician reports, labs, and vital sign …

Infectious Intracranial Aneurysms: Collaboration For Treatment Success, Erin M. Conahan Rn, Bsn, Cnrn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Human Risk Of Infection With Borrelia Burgdorferi, The Lyme Disease Agent, In Eastern United States, Maria A. Diuk-Wasser, Anne Gatewood Hoen, Paul Cislo, Robert Brinkerhoff, Sarah A. Hamer, Michelle Rowland, Roberto Cortinas, Gwenaël Vourc’H, Forrest S. Melton, Graham J. Hickling, Jean I. Tsao, Jonas Bunikis, Alan G. Barbour, Uriel Kitron, Joseph Piesman, Durland Fish

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The geographic pattern of human risk for infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, the tick-borne pathogen that causes Lyme disease, was mapped for the eastern United States. The map is based on standardized field sampling in 304 sites of the density of Ixodes scapularis host-seeking nymphs infected with B. burgdorferi, which is closely associated with human infection risk. Risk factors for the presence and density of infected nymphs were used to model a continuous 8 km × 8 km resolution predictive surface of human risk, including confidence intervals for each pixel. Discontinuous Lyme disease risk foci were identified in …

Zoonotic And Human Parasites Of Inhabitants Of Cueva De Los Muertos Chiquitos, Rio Zape Valley, Durango, Mexico, F. Agustín Jiménez-Ruiz, Scott Lyell Gardner, Adauto Araújo, Martín Horacio Fugassa, Richard H. Brooks, Elizabeth Racz, Karl J. Reinhard

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

We present the first reconstruction of the parasitoses among the people of the Loma San Gabriel culture, as represented by 36 coprolites excavated from the Cueva de los Muertos Chiquitos in Durango, Mexico. The coprolites date to approximately 1,400-yr ago. Species identified based on eggs recovered include the trematode Echinostoma sp., the tapeworms Hymenolepis sp. and Dipylidium caninum, and the nematodes Ancylostoma duodenale, Enterobius vermicularis, and Trichuris trichiura. After rehydration and screening, 2 methods were used to recover eggs from these samples including spontaneous sedimentation and flotation. Samples were analyzed by 3 different laboratories for independent …

Disease Prevalence And Behavioral Risk In Nevada, Shannon M. Monnat

Social Health of Nevada Reports

Throughout the last several years, people living in the United States have engaged in intense debates about health care reform, costs, and mandates. What is often missing from these debates is arguably the key issue in American health: What is making us sick in the first place?

Efficacies Of Fenbendazole And Albendazole In The Treatment Of Commercial Turkeys Artificially Infected With Ascaridia Dissimilis, Jessica Perkins, Tom Yazwinski, Chris Tucker

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The goal of this research was to determine the extent of resistance that turkey roundworms, Ascaridia dissimilis, have developed to anti-parasitic chemicals used in commercial poultry operations. Roundworm infections in turkeys have resulted in monetary losses for the poultry industry for years, generally due to poor feed conversion. The infection itself is subclinical and many turkeys have a light to moderate worm burden. Since parasitisms are light, this leads to the infections being noticed only during processing. Ascaridia dissimilis infections consist of adult worms and developing larvae with the latter comprising most of the worm burden and causing the most …

Prevalence And Factors Associated With Hepatitis B Immunization And Infection Among Men Who Have Sex With Men In Beijing, China, Chao Wang, You Xin Wang, Xiao Jie Huang, Xia Li, Tong Zhang, Manshu Song, Li Juan Wu, Juan Du, Xiao Qin Lu, Shuang Shao, Fei Fei Zhao, Michele Ball, Hao Wu, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2012

Background: Among the Chinese population of 1.3 billion, there are an estimated 93 million carriers of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at increased risk for HBV infection; however, the prevalence of HBV immunization and infection among Chinese MSM remains undetermined. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 1,114 eligible participants was conducted in Beijing, China. Multiple methods were used to recruit study participants. Demographic information and potential correlated factors were collected by questionnaire. Additionally, blood specimens were collected and tested for sexually transmitted infections and serologic markers of hepatitis B immunization and infection. Results: Laboratory …

Simultaneous Detection Of Six Diarrhea-Causing Bacterial Pathogens With An In-House Pcr-Luminex Assay, Jie Liu, Jean Gratz, Athanasia Maro, Happy Kumburu, Gibson Kibiki, Mami Taniuchi, Arif Mahmud Howlader, Shihab U. Sobuz, Rashidul Haque, Kaisar A. Talukder, Shahida Qureshi, Anita K. M. Zaidi, Doris M. Haverstick, Eric R. Houpta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Diarrhea can be caused by a range of pathogens, including several bacteria. Conventional diagnostic methods, such as culture, biochemical tests, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), are laborious. We developed a 7-plex PCR-Luminex assay to simultaneously screen for several of the major diarrhea-causing bacteria directly in fecal specimens, including pathogenic Aeromonas, Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, Salmonella, Shigella, enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC), Vibrio, and Yersinia. We included an extrinsic control to verify extraction and amplification. The assay was first validated with reference strains or isolates and exhibited a limit of detection of 10(3) to 10(5) CFU/g of stool for each pathogen as …

Factors Associated With Loss To Follow-Up Among Hiv-Infected Patients At An Urban, Hospital-Based Outpatient Hiv Clinic, Timothy J. Friel Md, Anthony Nerino, Lynn Nagel, J D'Aversa, Anthony Strobel, Dorothy Faulkner Phd

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Hypoplastic Right-Heart Syndrome Presenting As Multiple Miscarriages, Chadi Dib, Philip A Araoz, Norman P Davies, Joseph A Dearani, Naser M Ammash

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Reversible causes of miscarriage are many, but they affect only 1% of women who are trying to conceive. Herein, we describe the case of a 23-year-old woman who presented for evaluation of repeated miscarriages and was found to have hypoxemia and erythrocytosis. Further evaluation revealed hypoplastic right-heart syndrome with an intracardiac shunt. She underwent hybrid repair with pulmonary valve balloon valvuloplasty, followed by surgery to perform atrial septal defect closure and a Glenn anastomosis. The erythrocytosis and hypoxemia resolved, and she was able to conceive and deliver a healthy baby at term 2 years later.

This is a unique case …

Evaluation Of The Pilot Program, Pediatric Early Warning Sentinel Surveillance Program (Pewss), And Its Efficacy In Monitoring Pediatric Illness In Clark County, Nevada, Michelle Lee Lutman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The influenza outbreak that occurred during 2009 stimulated the formation of several surveillance programs throughout the country. The majority monitor only influenza; however, there are several other circulating respiratory pathogens, especially within the pediatric community. These other respiratory pathogens cause a variety of illnesses, such as bronchitis, pneumonia, croup, etc. Prior research has provided the medical community with valuable information about respiratory illnesses, especially those which afflict pediatric patients. Areas of knowledge including seasonality, demographics, signs and symptoms, prevention measures, and pathogenicity, have been greatly expanded over the years. This information has been of tremendous help to the medical community …

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Loci Influencing Concentrations Of Liver Enzymes In Plasma, John C. Chambers, Weihua Zhang, Joban Sehmi, Xinzhong Li, Mark N. Wass, Pim Van Der Harst, Hilma Holm, Serena Sanna, Maryam Kavousi, Chun Xu

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Concentrations of liver enzymes in plasma are widely used as indicators of liver disease. We carried out a genome-wide association study in 61,089 individuals, identifying 42 loci associated with concentrations of liver enzymes in plasma, of which 32 are new associations (P = 10−8 to P = 10−190). We used functional genomic approaches including metabonomic profiling and gene expression analyses to identify probable candidate genes at these regions. We identified 69 candidate genes, including genes involved in biliary transport (ATP8B1 and ABCB11), glucose, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism (FADS1, FADS2, GCKR, JMJD1C, HNF1A …

Comparative Immunogenicity Of Na-Gst-1 Human Hookworm Vaccine With Synthetic Glucopyranosyl Lipid Adjuvant (Gla) In Balb/C Mice, Amar R. Jariwala, Brian Keegan, Jordan L. Plieskatt, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Peter J. Hotez, Jeffrey M. Bethony

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Posters and Presentations

More than 740 million people worldwide are infected with Hookworm. Hookworm infection is most prevalent in the poorest of the poor populations of the world, and has serious health effects. Hookworm infection causes blood loss leading to iron deficiency anemia and protein energy malnutrition, which results in a compromised immune response. Consequently, the target human population suffers from an increased susceptibility to infectious diseases including hookworm infection. We have developed recombinant adult hookworm vaccines against hookworm infection to break this vicious cycle. Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 agonist are known to boost immune response in healthy and immunocompromised individuals. We believe …

Transgenic C. Elegans Dauer Larvae Expressing Hookworm Phospho Null Daf-16/Foxo Exit Dauer, Verena Gelmedin, Thomas Brodigan, Xin Gao, Michael Krause, Zhu Wang, John M. Hawdon

Research Center for Neglected Diseases of Poverty

Parasitic hookworms and the free-living model nematode Caenorhabtidis elegans share a developmental arrested stage, called the dauer stage in C. elegans and the infective third-stage larva (L3) in hookworms. One of the key transcription factors that regulate entrance to and exit from developmental arrest is the forkhead transcription factor DAF-16/FoxO. During the dauer stage, DAF-16 is activated and localized in the nucleus. DAF-16 is negatively regulated by phosphorylation by the upstream kinase AKT, which causes DAF-16 to localize out of the nucleus and the worm to exit from dauer. DAF-16 is conserved in hookworms, and hypothesized to control recovery from …

Executive Summary: The Management Of Community-Acquired Pneumonia In Infants And Children Older Than 3 Months Of Age: Clinical Practice Guidelines By The Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society And The Infectious Diseases Society Of America., John S. Bradley, Carrie L. Byington, Samir S. Shah, Brian Alverson, Edward R. Carter, Christopher Harrison, Sheldon L. Kaplan, Sharon E. Mace, George H. Mccracken, Matthew R. Moore, Shawn D. St Peter, Jana A. Stockwell, Jack T. Swanson, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society And The Infectious Diseases Society Of America

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Evidenced-based guidelines for management of infants and children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) were prepared by an expert panel comprising clinicians and investigators representing community pediatrics, public health, and the pediatric specialties of critical care, emergency medicine, hospital medicine, infectious diseases, pulmonology, and surgery. These guidelines are intended for use by primary care and subspecialty providers responsible for the management of otherwise healthy infants and children with CAP in both outpatient and inpatient settings. Site-of-care management, diagnosis, antimicrobial and adjunctive surgical therapy, and prevention are discussed. Areas that warrant future investigations are also highlighted.