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Infectious Diseases Concomitant With Urinary Tract Infections In Children, Ayşe Balat, L. Leighton Hill

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Urinary-tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infectious diseases in children; however, the significance of combined infection in the pathogenesis of UTI remains uncertain. Of 48,382 patients discharged from Texas Children's Hospital from July 1, 1991, to June 30, 1994, 1,221 (2.5%) were discharged with a diagnosis of UTI. We retrospectively reviewed the files of these 1,221 patients to assess for concomitant infections and causative microorganisms in patients with first-time UTI, no urologic abnormalities, and no other major diagnoses. Of the 1,221 patients, 511 (42%) had first-time UTI with no urological abnormalities or other major diagnoses, of which …

Decreasing Selenium Levels Andglutathione Peroxidase Activity In Patientswith Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, Abdurrahi̇m Koçyi̇ği̇t, Özcan Erel, Mehmet Sali̇h Gürel, Adnan Seyrek, Necmeddi̇n Aktepe, Selahatti̇n Gür, Senel Avci

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

For most infectious diseases, increased formation of reactive oxygen species is secondary to the primary disease process. Some microorganisms are highly susceptible to exogenous reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide. Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) remove H 2 O 2 , and selenium is requird for the activity of GSH-Px. Therefore, to assess the status of GSH-Px and selenium in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), we determined serum selenium concentration and blood GSH-Px activity in 52 patients with CL and in 38 healthy controls. Selenium concentrations and GSH-Px activities were found to be lower in the patient group than in the controls (p

The Atomic Force Microscope In The Elucidation Of Leukocyte Abnormality, Derbrenn O'Connor

Theses

The aim of this project was to investigate the novel use of the atomic force microscope (AFM) as a technique in the elucidation of leukocyte abnormality. To this end, comparative AFM imaging and elasticity studies were performed on normal and myeloid leukaemic leukocytes.

Initially, an evaluation of techniques for the isolation of specific leukocyte (e.g. lymphocytes, granulocytes, etc.) populations from whole blood or leukocyte concentrates, was carried out. It was found that a silanised glass surface failed to select and immobilise a leukocyte population. However, centrifugation of whole blood in an Isopaque-ficoll gradient solution yielded a viable mixed leukocyte population …

To Immunize Or Not To Immunize, That Is The Question! An Investigation Into The Reasons Behind Parents' Decisions In Immunizing Their Children Against Whooping Cough In Western Australia, Eliena Kirov

Theses : Honours

Demographic data on the immunization status of Australia indicates that Western Australia has relatively low immunization coverage for whooping cough. Australian quantitative studies have been carried out on parental attitudes in Australia towards immunization, but there has been no analysis of parents' reasons for their decisions. This study identified the key issues that influenced the decisions made by the target group of parents and explored their decision-making in more depth. The data from this study could also be used to supplement the information currently available to health workers. Eight participants with children between the ages of 2 months and 6 …

Tuberculosis And The Genetic Basis Of Antibiotic Resistance In Mycobacterium, Marla Dewitt

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

In a recent study of tuberculosis cases in Texas it was found that while the incidence of tuberculosis is fairly low (compared to developing countries), of the cases reported, almost 10% were resistant to at least one of the four first line drugs (Taylor, 1999). When tuberculosis is diagnosed in a patient, especially one who may have contracted an antibiotic resistant strain, discovery of the type and extent of the resistance is imperative to a successful treatment regimen. For years, BACTEC (a broth dilution method, where a microbe is incubated in serial dilutions of an antibiotic to see what is …

Does The Method Of Treating Bacterial Vaginosis In Early Pregnancy Affect The Re-Occurrence Rate Near Term?, Karen Taylor

Masters Theses

There is no significant difference in the relationship between oral or vaginal metronidazole and oral clindamycin in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis (BV) in early pregnancy and the re-occurrence rate of BV at 35 to 37 weeks gestation. Treatment of BV in pregnancy has been shown to decrease the preterm delivery rate saving millions of dollars and improving the health of infants. This was a descriptive, correlational study using a retrospective chart review. A constructed checklist was used for collecting data from 186 charts.

Age, parity, and insurance were comparable in each of the three drug groups. The re-occurrence rate …

Plasmd Bearing A Cdna Copy Of The Genome Of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus, Chimeric Derivatives Thereof, And Method Of Producing An Infectious Bovine Wral Darrheavirus Using Sad Plasmid, Ruben O. Donis, Ventzislav B. Vassilev

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

A plasmid bearing a cDNA copy of the genome of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), chimeric derivatives of the plasmid and a method of producing an infectious bovine viral diarrhea virus using the plasmid are disclosed. The invention relates to a plasmid DNA molecule that replicates easily in E. coli and contains a sufficient portion of the genome of BVDV, cloned as cDNA, to be a suitable template to produce RNA in vitro which, upon transfection into bovine cells, gives rise to infectious BVDV. The BVDV created by the process of the invention can be engineered for use as a …

In Situ Hybridization For The Detection And Localization Of Swine Chlamydia Trachomatis, C. Chae, D.-S. Cheon, D. Kwon, O. Kim, B. Kim, J. Suh, D. G. Rogers, K. D. E. Everett, A. A. Anderson

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Gnotobiotic piglets were inoculated intralaryngeally with swine Chlamydia trachomatis strain R33 or orally with swine C. trachmatis strain R27. Archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from piglets euthanatized 4–7 days postinoculation were examined by in situ hybridization for C. trachomatis nucleic acid using a nonradioactive digoxigenin-labeled DNA probes that targeted specific ribosomal RNA or omp1 mRNA molecules of the swine C. trachomatis strains. Positive hybridization signals were detected in bronchial epithelial cells, bronchiolar epithelial cells, pneumocytes, alveolar and interstitial macrophages, and jejunal and ileal enterocytes. Chlamydia-infected cells had a strong signal that was confined to the intracytoplasmic inclusions. Positive hybridization signals were …

Resurgence Of Sleeping Sickness In Tambura County, Sudan, Anne Moore, Michaleen Richer, Mario Enrile, Edward Losio, Jacquelin Roberts, Deborah A. Levy

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Endemic foci of human African trypanosomiasis are present in southern Sudan. In 1996 and 1997, trypanosomiasis increased sharply in Tambura County. To define the magnitude and geographic distribution of the outbreak, we conducted a prevalence survey using population-based cluster sampling in 16 villages: 1,358 participants answered questions about routine activities and tsetse fly contact and received serologic testing. Seroprevalence in the surveyed area was 19.4% (95% confidence interval = 16.9%, 21.8%). We confirmed infection in 66% of seropositive persons who received one parasitologic examination and in 95% of those who had serial examinations of lymph node fluid and blood. Activities …

The Guillain-Barre Syndrome And The 1992-1993 And 1993-1994 Influenza Vaccines, Tamar Lasky, Gina J. Terracciano, Laurence Magder, Carol Lee Koski, Michael Ballesteros, Denis Nash, Shelley Clarke, Penina Haber, Paul D. Stolley, Lawrence B. Schonberger, Robert T. Chen

Publications and Research

Background
The number of reports of influenza-vaccine-associated Guillain-Barré syndrome to the national Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System increased from 37 in 1992-1993 to 74 in 1993-1994, arousing concern about a possible increase in vaccine-associated risk.

Methods
Patients given a diagnosis of the Guillain-Barré syndrome in the 1992-1993 and 1993-1994 influenza-vaccination seasons were identified in the hospital-discharge data bases of four states. Vaccination histories were obtained by telephone interviews during 1995-1996 and were confirmed by the vaccine providers. Disease with an onset within six weeks after vaccination was defined as vaccine-associated. Vaccine coverage in the population was measured through a random-digit-dialing …

In The Affirmative, Vol.5, [No.11] (Mid-December 1998/Mid-January 1999), Mike Martin, The Aids Project

In the affirmative (1993-1999)

No abstract provided.

How Pigs' Blood Could Save Lives: Canadian Study Could End Need For Human Donations, Allison Hanes, Randy Boswell

Data and Test Instruments

Dr. [Vivian McAlister] agrees that the risk of inter-species infection remains a key obstacle to producing safe pigblood products for people: "The most important thing is that the safety of this sort of thing has to be thoroughly assessed before any implementation. We're dealing more with the immunological barriers, not the infectious disease," he says of his research. "However, if the infectious risks were overcome, or they were understood, an animal source for blood donation" could revolutionize blood-supply services around the world, he says. Currently mired in a depressed pork market that is threatening to put many producers out of …

A Serological Survey Of Equine Infectious Diseases In Thailand, Urasri Tantaswasdi, Ruenrudee Punyahotra, Surapong Wongkasemjit, Patchima Indrakamhang

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

During 1997-1998, a serological survey of equine infectious diseases in Thailand was undertaken. Blood, sera and blood smears were taken from 400 horses, donkeys and mules out of an equine population of 8,600. Tests were carried out at the National Institute of Animal Health, Bangkok, Thailand, and at the USDA laboratories, USA, for 10 diseases. There was no evidence of the presence of African Horse Sickness, Glanders, Dourine, Surra and Equine Viral Arteritis. There was one reactor to Babesia caballi and 62 to Babesia equi. Fourteen reactors to equine influenza virus subtype 1 (Praque) and 24 to subtype 2 (Newmarket …

Exoy, An Adenylate Cyclase Secreted By The Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Type Iii System, Timothy L. Yahr, Amy J. Vallis, Michael Hancock, Joseph T. Barbieri, Dara W. Frank

Dartmouth Scholarship

The exoenzyme S regulon is a set of coordinately regulated virulence genes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Proteins encoded by the regulon include a type III secretion and translocation apparatus, regulators of gene expression, and effector proteins. The effector proteins include two enzymes with ADP-ribosyltransferase activity (ExoS and ExoT) and an acute cytotoxin (ExoU). In this study, we identified ExoY as a fourth effector protein of the regulon. ExoY is homologous to the extracellular adenylate cyclases of Bordetella pertussis (CyaA) and Bacillus anthracis (EF). The homology among the three adenylate cyclases is limited to two short regions, one of which possesses an …

Primary Cutaneous Actinomycosis, Anjum Kanjee, Zamaz Wahid, Shahid Pervez

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

No abstract provided.

What's Happening: October 29, 1998, Maine Medical Center

What's Happening

No abstract provided.

What's Happening: October 15, 1998, Maine Medical Center

What's Happening

No abstract provided.

In The Affirmative, Vol.5, No.9 (Mid-October/ Mid-November 1998), Mike Martin, The Aids Project

In the affirmative (1993-1999)

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Accuracy Of A New Diagnostic Test When A Gold Standard Does Not Exist, Todd A. Alonzo, Margaret S. Pepe

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Often the accuracy of a new diagnostic test must be assessed when a perfect gold standard does not exist. Use of an imperfect test biases the accuracy estimates of the new test. This paper reviews existing approaches to this problem including discrepant resolution and latent class analysis. Deficiencies with these approaches are identified. A new approach is proposed that combines the results of several imperfect reference tests to define a better reference standard. We call this the composite reference standard (CRS). Using the CRS, accuracy can be assessed using multistage sampling designs. Maximum likelihood estimates of accuracy and expressions for …

Assessment Of Side Effects Induced By Injection Of Different Adjuvant/Antigen Combinations In Rabbits And Mice, P.P.A.M. Leenaars, M. A. Koedam, P. W. Wester, V. Baumans, E. Claassen, C. F.M. Hendriksen

Biomedicine and Animal Models in Research Collection

We evaluated the side effects induced by injection of Freund's adjuvant (FA)and alternative adjuvants combined with different antigens. Rabbits and mice were injected subcutaneously, intramuscularly (rabbits) and intraperitoneally (mice)with different adjuvants (FA, Specol, RIBI,TiterMax, Montanide ISA50)in combination with several types of antigens (synthetic peptides, autoantigen, glycolipid, protein, mycoplasma or viruses). The effects of treatment on the animals' well-being were assessed by clinical and behavioural changes (POTand LABORASassays) and gross and histopathological changes. In rabbits, treatment did not appear to induce acute or prolonged pain and distress. Mice showed behavioural changes immediately after (predominantly secondary) immunization. Injection of several adjuvant/antigen mixtures …

Animal Organs In Humans: Uncalculated Risks And Unanswered Questions, Gillian R. Langley, Joyce D'Silva

Biomedicine and Animal Models in Research Collection

This report, produced jointly by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection and Compassion in World Farming, fills a number of significant gaps in the current debate about xenotransplantation.

In this report we also summarise the ethical and welfare issues concerning experiments on animals for xenotransplant research and their possible use as source animals for organs. Both these aspects are responsible for much pain and distress caused to many animals. We prefer the term “source animals” to “donor animals”, because animals do not choose to donate their organs for xenotransplantation.

Chironian Fall/Winter 1998, New York Medical College

The Chironian

No abstract provided.

Prediction Of Health Patterns From General Appraisal, Attributions, Coping, And Trait Anxiety, Scott Hemenover, Richard A. Dienstbier

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

We examined the relationships among general appraisal style, attributional style, trait anxiety, coping styles, and health status (i.e., depression, hostility, and flu-like symptoms) in a study for which we also examined the validity of a trait measure of general appraisal. Participants completed personality measures at the beginning of an academic semester, and health assessments at regular intervals throughout the semester. Consistent with our predictions, after removing the influence of neuroticism and attributional style, general appraisal style led to more negative, and less positive affect 2 weeks later, and to more stressful and threatening appraisals of a life event occurring 3 …

Bacterial Isolates From Neutropenic Febrile Pediatric Patients And Their Sensitivity Patterns To Antibiotics, F N. Bhatti, I A. Burney, M I. Moid, T Siddiqui

Section of Internal Medicine

Patients on cytotoxic therapy often develop neutropenia and fever. Our interest was to identify the common pathogens isolated from such patients and to study the sensitivity patterns of these organisms to the antibiotics used in their treatment. Thus, guidelines can be established by hospitals to identify which antibiotics can be used in the treatment of these patients when the results of cultures and sensitivities are not available. We conducted a retrospective study of neutropenic pediatrics presenting to AKUH from July, 1990 to June, 1996. A total of 153 isolates in 35 different patients were studied. Samples for culture were taken …

Expression Of Toxoplasma Gondii-Specific Heat Shock Protein 70 During In Vivo Conversion Of Bradyzoites To Tachyzoites, Neide M. Silva, Ricardo T. Gazzinelli, Deise A. O. Silva, Eloisa A. V. Ferro, Lloyd H. Kasper, Jose R. Mineo

Dartmouth Scholarship

Stage conversion between bradyzoites and tachyzoites was investigated in C57BL/6 mice chronically infected with the ME-49 strain of Toxoplasma gondii. In order to promote bradyzoite-tachyzoite conversion, mice were treated in vivo with neutralizing doses of anti-gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) or anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) antibodies. Expression of parasite-specific antigens SAG-1, SAG-2, and heat shock protein 70 (Hsp-70) was visualized in the central nervous system by immunocytochemistry and measured by photometric assay. The immunosuppressive effect of anti-IFN-gamma or anti-TNF-alpha treatment was immediate, leading to parasite stage conversion as indicated by the increased expression of tachyzoite-specific antigens (SAG-1 and SAG-2) and by …

In The Affirmative, Vol.5, No.7 (Mid-July/ Mid-September 1998), Mike Martin, The Aids Project

In the affirmative (1993-1999)

No abstract provided.

Delivery Of An Anti-Hiv-1 Ribozyme Into Hiv-Infected Cells Via Cationic Liposomes, Krystyna Konopka, John J. Rossi, Piotr Swiderski, Vladimir A. Slepushkin, Nejat Düzgüneş

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Cationic liposome-mediated intracellular delivery of a fluorescein-labeled chimeric DNA-RNA ribozyme targeted to the HIV-1 5' LTR was investigated, using THP-1, THP-1/HIV-1(IIIB) or HeLa/LAV cells. Different fluorescence patterns were observed when the cells were exposed to Lipofectamine, Lipofectin or DMRIE:DOPE (1:1) complexed to the ribozyme. With Lipofectamine intense cell-associated fluorescence was found. Incubation with Lipofectin resulted in less intense diffuse fluorescence, while with DMRIE an intense but sporadic fluorescence was observed. Differentiated THP-1/HIV-1(IIIB) cells were more susceptible to killing by liposome-ribozyme complexes than THP-1 cells. Under non-cytotoxic conditions (a 4-h treatment) complexes of 5, 10 or 15 μM Lipofectin or DOTAP:DOPE …

An Evaluation Of Root End Filling Materials Using Endotoxin, Hong-Ming Tang

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Mineral Trioxide Aggregates (MTA) was recently developed at Loma Linda University. It has been shown to possess good sealing ability when tested with dye, bacteria, and a fluid filtration technique.

Endotoxin is a component of the cell wall of Gram negative bacteria. It has been proposed that it may play a role in the pathogenesis of periradicular lesions. Previous studies have demonstrated that MTA can prevent the leakage of bacteria. However, the bacterial products were not tested during these studies.

This study used endotoxin to compare the sealing ability of SuperEBA, IRM, amalgam, and MTA.

The results showed that MTA …

An In Vitro Study Of Plaque Deposition And Its Comparative Effect On Bond Strength, Debra L. Finch Cook

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Treatment with fixed orthodontic appliances can change the environment in the oral cavity by creating stagnant areas that facilitate bacterial colonization and substance retention. The purpose of this study was to examine in vitro plaque formation associated with bonded orthodontic appliances and how this could affect bonding strengths.

Ortho Concise and Transbond XT were the composite resin materials used in this study. Mandibular incisor metal brackets were bonded to bovine mandibular anterior teeth. Each composite resin was studied in two groups: plaque growth and without plaque growth, and their bond strengths were compared at time intervals of 3,45, and 180 …

Causation In Occupational Disease: Balancing Epidemiology, Law And Manufacturer Conduct, Richard M. Lynch, Mary S. Henifin

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Drs. Lynch & Henefin examine evolution of disease causation theory and its impact on public health, as well as how these relate to the courtroom admissibility of expert opinion evidence.