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Roles Of Γδ T Cells In Influenza Infections And Methods For Tcr Expression And Characterization, Xizhi Guo

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

"Influenza virus is a significant pathogen in humans and animals with the ability to cause extensive morbidity and mortality. Exuberant immune responses associated with immune cell migration/activation and cytokine/chemokine release, can be induced after infections. Recent studies have painted a complex picture of viral clearance and tissue repair in adults. The immune responses in neonatal influenza infections and the potential methods to engineer antigen-specific T cells for immunotherapy against cancers and infections will be the focus of this dissertation." "Compared to adults, infants suffer higher rates of hospitalization, severe clinical complications, and mortality due to influenza infection. We found that …

Role Of Atm In T Cell Dysfunction During Chronic Viral Infections, Juan Zhao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection leads to a phenomenon of inflammaging, in which chronic infection or inflammation induces an immune aged phenotype with T cell dysfunction. Thus, HCV or HIV infection has been deemed as a model to study the mechanisms of T cell infammaging and viral persistence in humans. In this dissertation, T cell homeostasis, DNA damage and repair machineries were investigated in patients with chronic HCV or HIV infection at risk for inflammaging. We found a significant depletion in CD4 T cells, which was correlated with their apoptosis in chronically HCV/HIVinfected patients, compared …

Microbiota Signatures In Type-2 Diabetic Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease - A Pilot Study, Gratiela P. Gradisteanu, Roxana A. Stoica, Laura Petcu, Ariana Picu, Adrian P. Suceveanu, Teodor Salmen, Diana S. Stefan, Cristian Serafinceanu, Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc, Anca P. Stoian

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

The human microbiota is paramount for normal host physiology. Altered host-microbiome interactions are part of the pathogenesis of numerous common ailments. Currently, much emphasis is placed on the involvement of the microbiome in the pathogenesis of type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), impaired glucose tolerance, and other metabolic disorders (i.e. obesity). Several studies found highly significant correlations of specific intestinal bacteria with T2DM. A better understanding of the role of the microbiome in diabetes and its complications might provide new insights in the development of new therapeutic principles.

Our pilot study investigates the microbiota patterns in Romanian type-2 diabetic patients with diabetic …

Photodynamic Therapy As A New Therapeutic Approach Of Oral Lichen Planus, Sandra Milena Tocut, Madalina Irina Mitran, Cristina Iulia Mitran, Mircea Tampa, Maria Isabela Sarbu, Gabriela Loredana Popa, Simona Roxana Georgescu

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic, immunologically mediated disease, defined by periods of exacerbation and quiescence. The disease is associated with a low mortality risk, but in some instances, morbidity can be important, especially in extensive, erosive forms, with a significant impact on the quality of life. OLP is a chronic T-cell mediated inflammatory disease involving the oral cavity, the most common lesions being located on the oral mucosa, tongue and gums. Its etiology remains in part unknown, but several factors proved to be involved in the development of the disease (drugs, dental materials, infectious agents, psychological factors, autoimmunity …

Physical Exercise – The Friend Or The Enemy Of The Patient With Pulmonary Tuberculosis?, Victoria Maria Ruta, Teodora Gabriela Alexescu, Simina Tarmure, Vasile Negrean, Monica Carmen Pop, Nicoleta Motoc, Iulia Olimpia Pfingstgraf, Mirela Georgiana Perne, Lorena Ciumarnean, Simona Valeria Clichici, Adina Milena Man

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Introduction. Tuberculosis, a major cause of morbidity and mortality, is the second cause of death from an infectious disease, after HIV/AIDS. Each second, a new infection occurs around the globe. Pulmonary tuberculosis can equally affect a performance athlete as well as an aspiring athlete. Physical exercise must be individualized and customized. Pulmonary rehabilitation guides 3 recommend types of exercises for patients with obstructive pathology: stretching, cardiovascular exercise or aerobics. Exercises must be started under medical supervision and must be interrupted if: the ventricular altitude increases above the maximum estimated level for the age, oxygen saturation (SaO2). Aim. The current review …

Perioperative Antimicrobial Prophylaxis In Vascular Surgery: A Quality Assessment And Improvement Project, Brian Torres

Dissertations

Introduction: Prophylactic antimicrobial selection and administration for the prevention of surgical site infections in vascular surgery is a recommended best practice. Non-adherence to published guidelines on the selection and administration of antimicrobials has been observed and may lead to reduced efficacy of antimicrobial prophylaxis.

Methods: An observational, descriptive design was used to study clinician knowledge and behavior and included a retrospective patient record review and provider knowledge survey. A clinical education intervention targeting providers responsible for the selection and administration of antimicrobial prophylaxis was conducted. A repeat patient record review and knowledge survey was completed following the education intervention.

Results: …

Week Of April 22, 2019, New York Medical College

InTouch

• NYMed Talks Highlights Success Through Diversity
• Lectureship Honors the Late Gabor Kaley, Ph.D.

Rabies-Based Vaccine Induces Potent Immune Responses Against Nipah Virus., Rohan Keshwara, Thomas Shiels, Elena Postnikova, Drishya Kurup, Christoph Wirblich, Reed F. Johnson, Matthias J. Schnell

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

Nipah Virus (NiV) is a re-emerging zoonotic pathogen in the genus Henipavirus of the Paramyxoviridae family of viruses. NiV is endemic to Bangladesh and Malaysia and is highly fatal to both livestock and humans (human case fatality rate = 74.5%). Currently, there is no approved vaccine against NiV on the market. The goal of this study was to use a recombinant RABV vector expressing NiV glycoprotein (NiV G) to develop a bivalent candidate vaccine against NiV disease and rabies virus (RABV) disease, which is also a significant health burden in the regions where NiV is endemic. The rabies vector is …

The One Health Approach To Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, And Prevention Strategies, A. Alonso Aguirre, Travis Longcore, Michelle Barbieri, Haydee Dabritz, Dolores Hill, Patrice N. Klein, Christopher Lepczyk, Emily L. Lilly, Rima Mcleod, Judith Milcarsky, Caroline E. Murphy, Chunlei Su, Elizabeth Vanwormer, Robert Yolken, Grant C. Sizemore

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

One Health is a collaborative, interdisciplinary effort that seeks optimal health for people, animals, plants, and the environment. Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is an intracellular protozoan infection distributed worldwide, with a heteroxenous life cycle that practically affects all homeotherms and in which felines act as definitive reservoirs. Herein, we review the natural history of T. gondii, its transmission and impacts in humans, domestic animals, wildlife both terrestrial and aquatic, and ecosystems. The epidemiology, prevention, and control strategies are reviewed, with the objective of facilitating awareness of this disease and promoting transdisciplinary collaborations, integrative research, and capacity building among universities, …

Dean's Report - Spring 2019, Marina K. Holz

GSBMS Dean’s Report

No abstract provided.

Is Breastfeeding Truly Best? Evolutionary, Physiological, & Cultural Factors That Shape Breastfeeding Practices, Emily J. Green 19

Honor Scholar Theses

No abstract provided.

Transposon Mutagenesis In Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis, John P. Bannantine, Denise K. Zinniel, Raul G. Barletta

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

While transposon mutagenesis has been developed for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map), relatively few laboratories have adopted this important genetic tool to examine gene function and essentiality. Here we describe the construction of a Map transposon library using the Himar1 mariner transposon, but concepts can also be applied to the Tn5367 transposon, which has also been used by our group. Delivery of the transposon is by a temperature-sensitive phagemid, ϕMycoMarT7, and plating transductants requires patience and specialized media due to length of incubation required to observe colonies. Several transposon mutants obtained from these libraries have been tested in vaccine and …

Long-Term Use Of Antibiotics And Risk Of Colorectal Adenoma, Yin Cao, Kana Wu, Raaj Mehta, David A. Drew, Mingyang Song, Paul Lochhead, Long H. Nguyen, Jacques Izard, Charles S. Fuchs, Wendy S. Garrett, Curtis Huttenhower, Shuji Ogino, Edward L. Giovannucci, Andrew T. Chan

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Recent evidence suggests that antibiotic use, which alters the gut microbiome, is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. However, the association between antibiotic use and risk of colorectal adenoma, the precursor for the majority of colorectal cancers, has not been investigated.

Design: We prospectively evaluated the association between antibiotic use at age 20–39 and 40–59 (assessed in 2004) and recent antibiotic use (assessed in 2008) with risk of subsequent colorectal adenoma among 16,642 women aged ≥ 60 enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study who underwent at least one colonoscopy through 2010. We used multivariate logistic …

Week Of April 1, 2019, New York Medical College

InTouch

• New York Medical College's Days of Giving Raises More Than $420,000 to Support the Next Generation of Healthcare Leaders
• School of Medicine Welcomes Pamela A. Lucchesi, Ph.D., FAHA, as New Associate Dean of Faculty Development
• Maribel Giraldo, M.S., Joins the Purchasing Team as Assistant Director of Procurement Services

Week Of March 25, 2019, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Graduate Student Research Forum Displays a Broad Field of Research
• NYMC Hosts Fourth Annual HeLa Diversity and Inclusion Conference
• Center for Disaster Medicine Conducts Inaugural Tactical Emergency Casualty Course
• NYMC Welcomes AMSNY to Campus
• NYMC AMWA Chapter Hosts Annual Mentorship Dinner
• Alpha Omega Alpha Lecture Set for April 2

Environmental Transmission Of Toxoplasma Gondii: Oocysts In Water, Soil And Food, Karen Shapiro, Lillian Bahia-Oliveira, Brent Dixon, Aurélien Dumètre, Luz A. De Wit, Elizabeth Vanwormer, Isabelle Villena

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan parasite that can cause morbidity and mortality in humans, domestic animals, and terrestrial and aquatic wildlife. The environmentally robust oocyst stage of T. gondii is fundamentally critical to the parasite's success, both in terms of its worldwide distribution as well as the extensive range of infected intermediate hosts. Despite the limited definitive host species (domestic and wild felids), infections have been reported on every continent, and in terrestrial as well as aquatic environments. The remarkable resistance of the oocyst wall enables dissemination of T. gondii through watersheds and ecosystems, and long-term persistence in diverse …

The Myth Of "It's All In Your Head"

DePaul Magazine

Researchers at DePaul's Center for Community Research are mapping the brain to uncover the causes of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). Psychologist Leonard Jason has been carrying out community-based epidemiology prevalence studies that show that about one million Americans, many of them from ethnic minorities, are afflicted with the condition.

Can Assisted Reproductive Technologies Help Conserve 300 Million Years Of Evolution? A First Attempt At Developing These Technologies For Male Reptiles, Sean M. Perry

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Biodiversity loss is the most critical environmental problem threatening ecosystem, animal, and human health today. Increases in extinction rates have been observed over the past 50 years, with reptile losses occurring twelve times faster than traditional extinction rates. This demonstrated biodiversity loss is secondary to climate change, habitat destruction, infectious disease, invasive species, poaching, and unsustainable trade. Approximately 20% of all reptiles are threatened with extinction and population declines are approaching rates similar to the current amphibian extinction crisis. Preventing the extinction of reptiles will require humans to acknowledge these losses and develop plans to preserve these evolutionary sentinel species. …

A Human Papillomavirus-Independent Cervical Cancer Animal Model Reveals Unconventional Mechanisms Of Cervical Carcinogenesis, Chunbo He, Xiangmin Lv, Cong Huang, Peter C. Angeletti, Guohua Hua, Jixin Dong, Jin Zhou, Zhengfeng Wang, Bowen Ma, Xingcheng Chen, Paul F. Lambert, Bo R. Rueda, John S. Davis, Cheng Wang

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

HPV infections are common in healthy women and only rarely cause cervical cancer, suggesting that individual genetic susceptibility may play a critical role in the establishment of persistent HPV infection and the development of cervical cancer. Here, we provide convincing in vitro and in vivo evidence showing that differential expression and activation of YAP1 oncogene determine individual susceptibility to HPV infection and cervical carcinogenesis. We found that hyperactivation of YAP1 in mouse cervical epithelium was sufficient to induce invasive cervical cancer. Cervical epithelial cell-specific HPV16 E6/E7 and YAP1 double-knockin mouse model demonstrated that high-risk HPV synergized with hyperactivated YAP1 to …

Intestinal Parasite Burden And Pre-Departure Treatment Compliance In Kentucky Refugee Children: A Descriptive Study, Collin Russell, Annie H. Rominger

Journal of Refugee & Global Health

Objective: Children are 1/2 of the world’s refugees and often have intestinal parasites. This study seeks to determine the intestinal burden and pre-departure treatment of Kentucky pediatric refugees.

Methods: This is a chart review of Kentucky pediatric refugee health screening data from 2012-2017. Stool culture results from children arriving through refugee camps were compared to non-camp children. They were placed into 3 regional groups and analyzed based on CDC pre-departure treatment recommendations.

Results: Of the 3,199 records, 1,653 had stool testing. 354 (51%) refugee camp children tested positive compared to 326 (33.9%) non-camp children. Giardia and Blastocystis were most commonly …

Probable Donor-Derived Human Adenovirus Type 34 Infection In 2 Kidney Transplant Recipients From The Same Donor., Matthew A. Pettengill, Tara M. Babu, Paritosh Prasad, Sally Chuang, Michael G. Drage, Marilyn Menegus, Daryl M. Lamson, Xiaoyan Lu, Dean Erdman, Nicole Pecora

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Human adenovirus type 34 (HAdV-34) infection is a recognized cause of transplant-associated hemorrhagic cystitis and, in rare cases, tubulointerstitial nephritis. The source of such infections is often difficult to assess, that is, whether acquired as a primary infection, exposure to a pathogen in the transplanted organ, or reactivation of an endogenous latent infection. We present here 2 cases of likely transplant-acquired HAdV-34 infection from the same organ donor, manifesting as tubulointerstitial nephritis in 1.

Yap1-Lats2 Feedback Loop Dictates Senescent Or Malignant Cell Fate To Maintain Tissue Homeostasis, Chunbo He, Xiangmin Lv, Cong Huang, Guohua Hua, Bowen Ma, Xingcheng Chen, Peter C. Angeletti, Jixin Dong, Jin Zhou, Zhengfeng Wang, Bo R. Rueda, John S. Davis, Cheng Wang

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Dysfunction of the homeostasis-maintaining systems in specific cell types or tissues renders the organism susceptible to a range of diseases, including cancers. One of the emerging mechanisms for maintaining tissue homeostasis is cellular senescence. Here, we report that the Hippo pathway plays a critical role in controlling the fate of ovarian cells. Hyperactivation of Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1), the major effector of the Hippo pathway, induces senescence in cultured primary human ovarian surface epithelial cells (hOSEs). Large tumor suppressor 2 (LATS2), the primary upstream negative regulator of YAP1, is elevated in both YAP1-induced and natural replicative-triggered senescence. Deletion of LATS2 …

Severity Of Disease And Mortality For Hospitalized Patients With Community-Acquired Viral Pneumonia Compared To Patients With Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia, Richard Y. Kim, Thomas Chandler, Stephen P. Furmanek, Timothy Lee Wiemken, Rodrigo Cavallazzi

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background: There exists a large body of literature to help identify, diagnose, treat, and manage community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Despite this, there is little data that directly compares the clinical syndromes and complications of pure bacterial pneumonia to pure viral pneumonia. Our study compares the clinical presentation, morbidity and mortality of viral vs. bacterial etiologies of CAP.

Methods: This was a secondary data analysis of the Community-Acquired Pneumonia Organization (CAPO) international study database. Data was collected concerning patient demographics, physical examination findings, laboratory findings, radiological findings, severity of illness, and clinical outcomes and stratified according to the two study groups, CAVP …

Week Of January 14, 2019, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Salomon Amar, D.D.S., Ph.D., Is Appointed Vice President for Research
• Movie Highlights the Importance of Open Access

Tubular Cell And Keratinocyte Single-Cell Transcriptomics Applied To Lupus Nephritis Reveal Type I Ifn And Fibrosis Relevant Pathways, E. Der, H. Suryawanshi, P. Morozov, M. Kustagi, Goilav, Ranabathou, P. Izmirly, A. Davidson, R. Furie, F. Zhang, +57 Additional Authors

Journal Articles

© 2019, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc. The molecular and cellular processes that lead to renal damage and to the heterogeneity of lupus nephritis (LN) are not well understood. We applied single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to renal biopsies from patients with LN and evaluated skin biopsies as a potential source of diagnostic and prognostic markers of renal disease. Type I interferon (IFN)-response signatures in tubular cells and keratinocytes distinguished patients with LN from healthy control subjects. Moreover, a high IFN-response signature and fibrotic signature in tubular cells were each associated with failure to respond to …

Mus Musculus Deficient For Secretory Antibodies Show Delayed Growth With An Altered Urinary Metabolome, K. R. Simpfendorfer, N. Wang, D. L. Tull, D. P. De Souza, A. Nahid, A. Mu, D. M. Hocking, J. S. Pedersen, O. L. Wijburg, R. A. Strugnell, +1 Additional Author

Journal Articles

© 2019 The Author(s). Background: The polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) maintains the integrity of epithelial barriers by transporting polymeric antibodies and antigens through the epithelial mucosa into the lumen. In this study, we examined the role of pIgR in maintaining gut barrier integrity, which is important for the normal development in mice. Methods: Cohorts of pIgR -/- mice and their wildtype controls were housed under Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) conditions and monitored for weight gain as an indicator of development over time. The general physiology of the gastrointestinal tract was analysed using immunohistochemistry in young (8-12 weeks of age) and …

Focused Hla Analysis In Caucasians With Myositis Identifies Significant Associations With Autoantibody Subgroups., S. Rothwell, H. Chinoy, J. A. Lamb, F. W. Miller, L. G. Rider, L. R. Wedderburn, N. J. Mchugh, A. T. Lee, P. K. Gregersen, I. E. Lundberg, +23 Additional Authors

Journal Articles

OBJECTIVES: Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are a spectrum of rare autoimmune diseases characterised clinically by muscle weakness and heterogeneous systemic organ involvement. The strongest genetic risk is within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Since autoantibody presence defines specific clinical subgroups of IIM, we aimed to correlate serotype and genotype, to identify novel risk variants in the MHC region that co-occur with IIM autoantibodies.

METHODS: We collected available autoantibody data in our cohort of 2582 Caucasian patients with IIM. High resolution human leucocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and corresponding amino acid sequences were imputed using SNP2HLA from existing genotyping data and tested …

Role Of Cytochrome P450 2b6 Polymorphisms In Unexpected Methadone Death, Taha Ahmad

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Methadone is a synthetic, long-acting opioid prescribed as an analgesic for chronic pain. It has a single chiral center forming two enantiomers, (R)-methadone and (S)-methadone, each having specific pharmacological actions. Concentrations of (R)- and (S)-methadone above therapeutic levels have the ability to cause serious, life-threatening, and fatal side effects. Cardiotoxicity is caused by elevated (S)-methadone levels by prolonging the QT interval of the heart’s electrical cycle. In 2014, methadone accounted for only 1% of all opioids prescribed for pain, but was responsible for 3,400 of the 14,838 individuals (~23%) who died in the United States from overdoses due to prescription …

Fusion, 2019, George Washington University, William H. Beaumont Medical Research Honor Society

Fusion

No abstract provided.

Bordetella Pertussis Can Be Motile And Express Flagellum-Like Structures, Cassandra L. Hoffman, Laura A. Gonyar, Federico Zacca, Federico Sisti, Julieta Fernandez, Ting Wong, F. Heath Damron, Erik L. Hewlett

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

ABSTRACT Bordetella bronchiseptica encodes and expresses a flagellar apparatus. In contrast, Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough, has historically been described as a nonmotile and nonflagellated organism. The previous statements that B. pertussis was a nonmotile organism were consistent with a stop codon located in the flagellar biosynthesis gene, flhA, discovered when the B. pertussis Tohama I genome was sequenced and analyzed by Parkhill et al. in 2003 (J. Parkhill, M. Sebaihia, A. Preston, L. D. Murphy, et al., Nat Genet, 35:32– 40, 2003, https://doi.org/10 .1038/ng1227). The stop codon has subsequently been found in all annotated genomes. Parkhill …