Digital Commons Network^™

What's Happening: February 13, 2002, Maine Medical Center

What's Happening

No abstract provided.

Cd8+-T-Cell Immunity Against Toxoplasma Gondii Can Be Induced But Not Maintained In Mice Lacking Conventional Cd4+ T Cells, Lori Casciotti, Kenneth H. Ely, Martha E. Williams, Imtiaz A. Khan

Dartmouth Scholarship

T-cell immunity is critical for survival of hosts infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Among the cells in the T-cell population, CD8⁺ T cells are considered the major effector cells against this parasite. It is believed that CD4⁺ T cells may be crucial for induction of the CD8⁺-T-cell response against T. gondii. In the present study, CD4^−/− mice were used to evaluate the role of conventional CD4⁺ T cells in the immune response against T. gondii infection. CD4^−/− mice infected with T. gondii exhibited lower gamma interferon (IFN-γ) messages in the majority of their …

Osmosensitive Release Of Neurotransmitter Amino Acids: Relevance And Mechanisms, Herminia Pasantes-Morales, Rodrigo Franco, Lenin Ochoa, Benito Ordaz

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Hyposmolarity activates amino acid efflux as part of the corrective volume process in a variety of cells. This review discusses the mechanism of amino acid release in brain cells preparations. Results present evidence of substantial differences between the efflux of taurine and that of GABA and glu-tamate, which besides a possible role as osmolytes, have a main function as synaptic transmitters. The differences found concern the efflux time course, the sensitivity to Cl^– channel blockers, the modulation by tyrosine kinases, the influence of PKC and the effect of cytoskeleton disruptive agents. While taurine efflux features fit well with the …

Managed Care: As Good As It Gets? (Los Angeles), Lisa Sprague

National Health Policy Forum

This site visit was a return trip to southern California to examine the state of managed care. Between the Forum's last visit (in late 1998) and this one, the marketplace underwent considerable change, including significant movement away from global capitation, the collapse of physician practice management firms, and the development of new insurance products. Site visitors were briefed on managed care trends in the state, and panel discussions focused on issues related to physician group solvency, employer and consumer expectations, managed care regulation, and plan and provider strategies for surviving and prospering in the difficult southern California market. Site visitors …

Caduceus 2002, Stritch School Of Medicine

Stritch School of Medicine Yearbooks

No abstract provided.

Healthnet News V.17:No.4 Winter 2002, Judith S. Kronick, Alberta Richetelle

Articles - Patient Care

A newsletter for public librarians and others interested in consumer health information services.

Voriconazole Compared With Liposomal Amphotericin B For Empirical Antifungal Therapy In Patients With Neutropenia And Persistent Fever, Thomas J. Walsh, Peter Pappas, Drew J. Winston, Hillard M. Lazarus, Finn Petersen, John Raffalli, Saul Yanovich, Patric Stiff, Richard Greenberg, Gerald Donowitz, Jeanette Lee

VCU Health Publications

Background

Patients with neutropenia and persistent fever are often treated empirically with amphotericin B or liposomal amphotericin B to prevent invasive fungal infections. Antifungal triazoles offer a potentially safer and effective alternative.

Methods

In a randomized, international, multicenter trial, we compared voriconazole, a new second-generation triazole, with liposomal amphotericin B for empirical antifungal therapy.

Results

A total of 837 patients (415 assigned to voriconazole and 422 to liposomal amphotericin B) were evaluated for success of treatment. The overall success rates were 26.0 percent with voriconazole and 30.6 percent with liposomal amphotericin B (95 percent confidence interval for the difference, –10.6 …

Serratia Marcescens Bacteremia Traced To An Infused Narcotic, Belinda E. Ostrowsky , M.D., M.P.H., Cynthia Whitener , M.D., Helen K. Bredenberg , M.D., Loretta A. Carson , M.S., Stacey Holt , B.S., Lori Hutwagner , M.S., Matthew J. Arduino , Dr., Ph.D, William R. Jarvis , M.D.

Family Medicine and Population Health Publications

BACKGROUND

From June 30, 1998, through March 21, 1999, several patients in the surgical intensive care unit of a hospital acquired Serratia marcescens bacteremia. We investigated this outbreak.

METHODS

A case was defined as the occurrence of S. marcescens bacteremia in any patient in the surgical intensive care unit during the period of the epidemic. To identify risk factors, we compared patients with S. marcescens bacteremia with randomly selected controls. Isolates from patients and from medications were evaluated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The hair of one employee was tested for fentanyl.

RESULTS

Twenty-six patients with S. marcescens bacteremia were identified; …

Characterization Of Host-Bacteria Interactions Contributing To Group B Streptococcus Colonization, Jennifer Marie Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Group B streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of life-threatening bacterial infections during the first three months of life. GBS is also a frequent cause of maternal postpartum infections. Both types of infections stem from maternal vaginal and/or rectal colonization with GBS in the perinatal period. Limited information is available concerning how the colonization process occurs and what role the host immune system may play in the establishment of persistent colonization by GBS. The complex interactions between the immune system and GBS normally should end in clearance of the bacteria. However, since colonization by GBS occurs in a large number …

Information Interface - Volume 30, Issue 1 - January/February 2002, George Washington University, Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library

Information Interface (1976 - 2009)

News and information about Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library of interest to users.

College Of Pharmacy Overview In Ponce, Puerto Rico, Nova Southeastern University

Health Professions Divisions Course Catalogs and Course Descriptions

No abstract provided.

Spanish For School Nurses: A Specialized Program For Use In Teaching Basic Spanish To Nurses Who Work In A Multicultural Environment, William Earl Wood Jr.

MA TESOL Collection

During the past twenty years, there has been a great influx of Spanish speaking people into the United States, especially the state of North Carolina. This increase of Spanish speakers has had an impact on all areas of society: employment, housing, health care, transportation, and education. This project focuses on language training for a specialized group who has a daily need to communicate in this new environment: school nurses. It examines materials that are currently available to teach nurses the Spanish language. It discusses the language requirements that nurses use to function in a multicultural environment. It looks at some …

College Of Osteopathic Medicine Program Overview, Nova Southeastern University

Health Professions Divisions Course Catalogs and Course Descriptions

No abstract provided.

Characteristic Differences Between Parents/Guardians Who Keep Immunization Records And Those Who Do Not, Rebecca Bonilla Mangual

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Associations Between Water-Treatment Methods And Diarrhoea In Hiv-Positive Individuals, J. N. S. Eisenberg, T. J. Wade, A. Hubbard, D. I. Abrams, R. J. Leiser, S. Charles, M. Vu, S. Saha, C. C. Wright, Deborah A. Levy, P. Jensen, J. M. Colford

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

This manuscript extends our previously published work (based on data from one clinic) on the association between three drinking water-treatment modalities (boiling, filtering, and bottling) and diarrhoeal disease in HIV-positive persons by incorporating data from two additional clinics collected in the following year. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of drinking water patterns, medication usage, and episodes of diarrhoea among HIV-positive persons attending clinics associated with the San Francisco Community Consortium. We present combined results from our previously published work in one clinic (n = 226) with data from these two additional clinics (n = 458). In this combined analysis we …

Risk Factors In Hiv-Associated Diarrhoeal Disease: The Role Of Drinking Water, Medication And Immune Status, J. N. S. Eisenberg, T. J. Wade, S. Charles, M. Vu, A. Hubbard, C. C. Wright, Deborah A. Levy, P. Jensen, J. M. Colford

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

In a cross-sectional survey of 226 HIV-infected men, we examined the occurrence of diarrhoea and its relationship to drinking water consumption patterns, risk behaviours, immune status and medication use. Diarrhoea was reported by 47% of the respondents. Neither drinking boiled nor filtered water was significantly associated with diarrhoea (OR = 0.5 [0.2, 1.6], 1.2 [0.6, 2.5] respectively), whereas those that drank bottled water were at risk for diarrhoea (OR = 3.0 [1.1, 7.8]). Overall, 47% always or often used at least one water treatment. Of the 37% who were very concerned about drinking water, 62% had diarrhoea, 70% always or …

Hiv/Aids-Related Stigma And Discrimination: A Conceptual Framework And An Agenda For Action, Richard Parker, Peter Aggleton, Kathy Attawell, Julie Pulerwitz, Lisanne Brown

HIV and AIDS

In 1987, Jonathan Mann, then director of the WHO Global Programme on AIDS, identified three phases of the HIV/AIDS epidemic: the epidemic of HIV, the epidemic of AIDS, and the epidemic of stigma, discrimination, and denial. Despite international efforts to tackle HIV/AIDS since then, stigma and discrimination (S&D) remain among the most poorly understood aspects of the epidemic. This poor understanding is due in part to the complexity and diversity of S&D, but also to limitations in current thinking within the field and the inadequacy of available theoretical and methodological tools. This paper proposes a new conceptual framework to help …

Predicting The Spatial Dynamics Of Rabies Epidemics On Heterogeneous Landscapes, David L. Smith, Brendan Lucey, Lance A. Waller, James E. Childs, Leslie A. Real

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Often as an epidemic spreads, the leading front is irregular, reflecting spatial variation in local transmission rates. We developed a methodology for quantifying spatial variation in rates of disease spread across heterogeneous landscapes. Based on data for epidemic raccoon rabies in Connecticut, we developed a stochastic spatial model of rabies spread through the state’s 169 townships. We quantified spatial variation in transmission rates associated with human demography and key habitat features. We found that large rivers act as semipermeable barriers, leading to a 7-fold reduction in the local rates of propagation. By combining the spatial distribution of major rivers with …

The Federal Role In Regulating Alternative Livestock Operations, Jose R. Diez, Mike Gilsdorf, Robert Werge

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

This paper discusses one aspect of federal regulation for alternative livestock, namely that concerned with the health status of animal agriculture. Federal responsibility for animal health programs rests with Veterinary Services (VS), a unit of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The objective of this paper is to briefly describe three aspects ofVS' policy that have a potential to impact alternative livestock as well as free ranging wildlife. These are (1) using cooperative state-federal programs to eliminate diseases in alternative livestock, (2) collaborating on health issues with a …

Preclinical Diagnosis Of Chronic Wasting Disease In Captive Mule Deer (Odocoileus Hemionus) And White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Using Tonsillar Biopsy, Margaret A. Wild, Terry R. Spraker, Christina J. Sigurdson, Katherine I. O'Rourke, Michael W. Miller

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

The usefulness of tonsillar biopsy on live deer for preclinical diagnosis of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy chronic wasting disease (CWD) was evaluated. Disease was tracked in a CWD-endemic herd using serial tonsillar biopsies collected at 6 to 9 month intervals from 34 captive mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and five white-tailed deer (O. virginianus). Tonsillar biopsies were examined for accumulation of PrP^CWD, the protein marker for infection, using immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. 26/34 (76%) mule deer and 4/5 (80%) white-tailed deer had PrP^CWD accumulation in tonsillar biopsies; CWD was subsequently confirmed by post-mortem examination in …

Validation Of Monoclonal Antibody F99/97.6.1 For Immunohistochemical Staining Of Brain And Tonsil In Mule Deer (Odocoileus Hemionus) With Chronic Wasting Disease, T. R. Spraker, Katherine I. O'Rourke, A. Balachandran, R. R. Zink, B. A. Cummings, M. W. Miller, B. E. Powers

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

A new monoclonal antibody (MAb), F99/97.6.1, that has been used to demonstrate scrapieassociated prion protein PrP^Sc in brain and lymphoid tissues of domestic sheep with scrapie was used in an immunohistochemistry assay for diagnosis of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). The MAb F99/97.6.1 immunohistochemistry assay was evaluated in brain and tonsil tissue from 100 mule deer that had spongiform encephalopathy compatible with CWD and from 1,050 mule deer outside the CWD-endemic area. This MAb demonstrated abnormal protease-resistant prion protein (PrP^res) in brains of all of the 100 mule deer and in …

Pregnancy Status And Fetal Prion Genetics Determine PrpSc Accumulation In Placentomes Of Scrapieinfected Sheep, Wenbin Tuo, Katherine I. O'Rourke, Dongyue Zhuang, William P. Cheevers, Terry R. Spraker, Donald P. Knowles

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Ovine scrapie is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that may be transmitted through exposure to infected uterine and placental tissues. Susceptibility to scrapie is primarily controlled by polymorphisms in the prion protein (PrP) gene. Scrapie in the U.S. Suffolk breed and in many breeds in Europe occurs in sheep homozygous for glutamine (171QQ), but rarely in sheep heterozygous for glutamine and arginine (171QR) or homozygous for arginine (171RR) at codon 171 of the PrP gene. This study demonstrated that accumulation of PrP^Sc in uterine-placental epithelial cells in the placentome was determined by fetal PrP genotype and the pregnancy status of …

Invisible, Underserved, And Diverse: The Health Of Women In Prison, Janette Y. Taylor, Rachel Williams, M. J. Eliason

International Journal of Global Health

In the United States of America, women are the fastest growing segment of the criminal justice system. They are entering the system with far greater physical and mental health problems than men, but with fewer health services. Additionally, within this expanding population of incarcerated women, are disproportionately represented poor women of color with serious health needs. This article: a) uses an ecosocial model to examine and critique the health and healthcare of women in prison, b) examines social structures that influence incarceration and health status, and c) proposes reconsideration of current prison health services and education.

Active Surveillance For Scrapie By Third Eyelid Biopsy And Genetic Susceptibility Testing Of Flocks Of Sheep In Wyoming, Katherine I. O'Rourke, John V. Duncan, James R. Logan, Anne K. Anderson, Dianne K. Norden, Elizabeth S. Williams, Bret A. Combs, Robert H. Stobart, Gary E. Moss, Diane L. Sutton

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Control of scrapie, an ovine transmissible spongiform encephalopathy or prion disorder, has been hampered by the lack of conventional antemortem diagnostic tests. Currently, scrapie is diagnosed by postmortem examination of the brain and lymphoid tissues for PrP^Sc, the protein marker for this group of disorders. For live, asymptomatic sheep, diagnosis using tonsil or third-eyelid lymphoid tissue biopsy and PrP^Sc assay has been described. To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of third-eyelid testing for identification of infected flocks and individual infected sheep, 690 sheep from 22 flocks were sampled by third-eyelid lymphoid tissue biopsy and immunohistochemistry. Sheep were …

Comparison Of Histological Lesions And Immunohistochemical Staining Of Proteinase-Resistant Prion Protein In A Naturally Occurring Spongiform Encephalopathy Of Free-Ranging Mule Deer (Odocoileus Hemionus) With Those Of Chronic Wasting Disease Of Captive Mule Deer, T. R. Spraker, R. R. Zink, B. A. Cummings, M. A. Wild, M. W. Miller, Katherine I. O'Rourke

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

In this investigation, the nature and distribution of histologic lesions and immunohistochemical staining (IHC) of a proteinase-resistant prion protein were compared in free-ranging mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) dying of a naturally occurring spongiform encephalopathy (SE) and captive mule deer dying of chronic wasting disease (CWD). Sixteen free-ranging deer with SE, 12 free-ranging deer without SE, and 10 captive deer with CWD were examined at necropsy. Tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and duplicate sections were stained with a monoclonal antibody (F89/160.1.5). Histological lesions in the freeranging deer with SE and captive deer with CWD were found …

Department Of Veterinary And Biomedical Sciences: 2002 Annual Report

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Information and History

Foreword 2002
VBMS Faculty
VBMS Faculty and Staff, by Function and Unit
Honors. Awards and Recognitions. 2002
VBMS Committee Assignments. 2002
Faculty Profiles
VBMS Research Associates Profiles
VBMS Teaching Program
Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center (GPVEC)
VBMS Research Program
International Activities
Veterinary Extension Program
Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Systems (NVDLS)
VBMS Grants and Contracts Program
Patents by VBMS Faculty in 2002
Publications by VBMS Faculty
Presentations by VBMS Faculty
Articles Regarding the Department
Selected Committees. Editorial and Other Appointments
Departmental Budget Summaries
Nebraska Agricultural Statistics

Pathogenesis Of Human And Bovine Cryptosporidium Parvum In Gnotobiotic Pigs, Sonia J. Pereira, Norma E. Ramirez, Lihua Xiao, Lucy A. Ward

United States Public Health Resources

To compare the pathogenesis of human genotype 1 (HuGl) and bovine genotype 2 (BoG2) Cryptosporidium parvum, neonatal gnotobiotic pigs were given 1-10 HuGl or BoG2 oocysts. The prepatent and patent periods were significantly longer for HuGl than for BoG2 C. parvum (prepatent, 8.6 vs. 5.6 days; patent, 16.6 vs. 10.3 days). BoG2-infected pigs developed signif- icantly more severe disease than did HuGl-infected pigs. BoG2 parasites were seen micro- scopically throughout the intestines during the prepatent and patent periods. HuGl parasites were only detected during the patent period in the ileum and colon but colonized the mucosal surface in significantly …

A Preliminary Linkage Map Of The Tick, Ixodes Scapularis, Amy J. Ullmann, Joseph Piesman, M.C. Dolan, William C. Black, Iv

United States Public Health Resources

A linkage map of the Ixodes scapularis genome was constructed based upon segregation amongst 127 loci. These included 84 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers, 32 Sequence-Tagged RAPD (STAR) markers, 5 cDNAs, and 5 microsatellites in 232 F₁ intercross progeny from a single, field-collected P₁ female. A preliminary linkage map of 616 cM was generated across 14 linkage groups with one marker every 10.8 cM. Assuming a genome size of ∼10⁹ bp, the relationship of physical to genetic distance is ∼300 kb/cM in the I. scapularis genome.

Anopheles Gambiae Genome: Completing The Malaria Triad, Kathryn S. Aultman, Michael Gottlieb, Maria Y. Giovanni, Anthony S. Fauci

United States Public Health Resources

The genome sequence of Anopheles gambiae, the major mosquito vector of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, as well as analyses of its gene content and organization, are reported by several teams of investigators in this issue. In addition, the sequence of the P. falciparum genome appears in this week’s issue of Nature. The genomes of these two organisms, along with that of the human, provide a triad of critical genetic information relevant to all stages of the malaria transmission cycle and offer unprecedented opportunities to the scientific and public health communities engaged in the fight against malaria, …

The Utilization Of Services Of Health Care Providers Among Patients Presenting To Family Physicians At A Teaching Hospital In Karachi, Pakistan, Waris Qidwai, Iqbal Azam, S. S. Ali, S. Ayub

Department of Family Medicine

Objective: To study the utilization of services of Health care providers among patients presenting to Family Physicians in a teaching hospital in Karachi.
Methodology: It was a cross sectional study. A questionnaire was developed to collect patient’s utilization of services of health care providers. The investigators administered the questionnaire to 387 patients, after purpose of the study was explained, written consent was taken and confidentiality was assured.
Results: The study population included more females than males, with average age of 32.6 years. The majority were married, well educated, in private and government service, were students or housewives. …