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The Frequency Of Influenza And Bacterial Co-Infection: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis., Eili Y. Klein, Bradley Monteforte, Alisha Gupta, Wendi Jiang, Larissa May, Yu-Hsiang Hsieh, Andrea Freyer Dugas May 2016

The Frequency Of Influenza And Bacterial Co-Infection: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis., Eili Y. Klein, Bradley Monteforte, Alisha Gupta, Wendi Jiang, Larissa May, Yu-Hsiang Hsieh, Andrea Freyer Dugas

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

AIM: Co-infecting bacterial pathogens are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in influenza. However, there remains a paucity of literature on the magnitude of co-infection in influenza patients.

METHOD: A systematic search of MeSH, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, SCOPUS, EMBASE, and PubMed was performed. Studies of humans in which all individuals had laboratory confirmed influenza, and all individuals were tested for an array of common bacterial species, met inclusion criteria.

RESULTS: Twenty-seven studies including 3,215 participants met all inclusion criteria. Common etiologies were defined from a subset of eight articles. There was high heterogeneity in the results (I(2) …


A Conserved Dna Repeat Promotes Selection Of A Diverse Repertoire Of Trypanosoma Brucei Surface Antigens From The Genomic Archive., Galadriel Hovel-Miner, Monica R. Mugnier, Benjamin Goldwater, George A. M. Cross, F. Nina Papavasiliou May 2016

A Conserved Dna Repeat Promotes Selection Of A Diverse Repertoire Of Trypanosoma Brucei Surface Antigens From The Genomic Archive., Galadriel Hovel-Miner, Monica R. Mugnier, Benjamin Goldwater, George A. M. Cross, F. Nina Papavasiliou

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

African trypanosomes are mammalian pathogens that must regularly change their protein coat to survive in the host bloodstream. Chronic trypanosome infections are potentiated by their ability to access a deep genomic repertoire of Variant Surface Glycoprotein (VSG) genes and switch from the expression of one VSG to another. Switching VSG expression is largely based in DNA recombination events that result in chromosome translocations between an acceptor site, which houses the actively transcribed VSG, and a donor gene, drawn from an archive of more than 2,000 silent VSGs. One element implicated in these duplicative gene conversion events is a DNA repeat …


A Conserved Dna Repeat Promotes Selection Of A Diverse Repertoire Of Trypanosoma Brucei Surface Antigens From The Genomic Archive., Galadriel Hovel-Miner, Monica R Mugnier, Benjamin Goldwater, George A M Cross, F Nina Papavasiliou May 2016

A Conserved Dna Repeat Promotes Selection Of A Diverse Repertoire Of Trypanosoma Brucei Surface Antigens From The Genomic Archive., Galadriel Hovel-Miner, Monica R Mugnier, Benjamin Goldwater, George A M Cross, F Nina Papavasiliou

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

African trypanosomes are mammalian pathogens that must regularly change their protein coat to survive in the host bloodstream. Chronic trypanosome infections are potentiated by their ability to access a deep genomic repertoire of Variant Surface Glycoprotein (VSG) genes and switch from the expression of one VSG to another. Switching VSG expression is largely based in DNA recombination events that result in chromosome translocations between an acceptor site, which houses the actively transcribed VSG, and a donor gene, drawn from an archive of more than 2,000 silent VSGs. One element implicated in these duplicative gene conversion events is a DNA repeat …


A Single Exercise Bout Enhances The Manufacture Of Viral-Specific T-Cells From Healthy Donors: Implications For Allogeneic Adoptive Transfer Immunotherapy, Guillaume Spielmann, Catherine Bollard, Hawley Kunz, Patrick J. Hanley, Richard J. Simpson May 2016

A Single Exercise Bout Enhances The Manufacture Of Viral-Specific T-Cells From Healthy Donors: Implications For Allogeneic Adoptive Transfer Immunotherapy, Guillaume Spielmann, Catherine Bollard, Hawley Kunz, Patrick J. Hanley, Richard J. Simpson

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The adoptive transfer of donor-derived viral-specific cytotoxic T-cells (VSTs) is an effective treatment for controlling CMV and EBV infections after HSCT; however, new practical methods are required to augment the ex vivo manufacture of multi-VSTs from healthy donors. This study investigated the effects of a single exercise bout on the ex vivo manufacture of multi-VSTs. PBMCs isolated from healthy CMV/EBV seropositive participants before (PRE) and immediately after (POST) 30-minutes of cycling exercise were stimulated with CMV (pp65 and …


Inadequate Sensitivity Of Laboratory Risk Indicator To Rule Out Necrotizing Fasciitis In The Emergency Department, Elizabeth Burner, Sean Henderson, Guenevere Burke, Jeffrey Nakashioya, Jerome R. Hoffman Apr 2016

Inadequate Sensitivity Of Laboratory Risk Indicator To Rule Out Necrotizing Fasciitis In The Emergency Department, Elizabeth Burner, Sean Henderson, Guenevere Burke, Jeffrey Nakashioya, Jerome R. Hoffman

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a life-threatening illness, particularly when surgical debridement is delayed. The Laboratory Risk Indicator for Necrotizing Fasciitis (LRINEC) score was developed to identify patients at higher risk for NF. Despite limited information in this regard, the LRINEC score is often used to "rule out" NF if negative. We describe the sensitivity of the LRINEC score in emergency department (ED) patients for the diagnosis of NF.

Methods: We conducted a chart review of ED patients in whom coding of hospital discharge diagnoses included NF. We employed standard methods to minimize bias. We used laboratory data to …


A Subset Of Latency-Reversing Agents Expose Hiv-Infected Resting Cd4+ T-Cells To Recognition By Cytotoxic T-Lymphocytes., R. Brad Jones, Stefanie Mueller, Rachel O'Connor, Katherine Rimpel, Derek D Sloan, Allison S. Thomas, Sara Karandish, Szu-Han Huang, +13 More Apr 2016

A Subset Of Latency-Reversing Agents Expose Hiv-Infected Resting Cd4+ T-Cells To Recognition By Cytotoxic T-Lymphocytes., R. Brad Jones, Stefanie Mueller, Rachel O'Connor, Katherine Rimpel, Derek D Sloan, Allison S. Thomas, Sara Karandish, Szu-Han Huang, +13 More

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Resting CD4+ T-cells harboring inducible HIV proviruses are a critical reservoir in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-treated subjects. These cells express little to no viral protein, and thus neither die by viral cytopathic effects, nor are efficiently cleared by immune effectors. Elimination of this reservoir is theoretically possible by combining latency-reversing agents (LRAs) with immune effectors, such as CD8+ T-cells. However, the relative efficacy of different LRAs in sensitizing latently-infected cells for recognition by HIV-specific CD8+ T-cells has not been determined. To address this, we developed an assay that utilizes HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell clones as biosensors for HIV antigen expression. By testing …


Cerebral Malaria: An Unusual Case Of Central Diabetes Insipidus, Resmi Premji, Nira Roopnarinesingh, Joshua Cohen, Sabyasachi Sen Apr 2016

Cerebral Malaria: An Unusual Case Of Central Diabetes Insipidus, Resmi Premji, Nira Roopnarinesingh, Joshua Cohen, Sabyasachi Sen

Medicine Faculty Publications

Central diabetes insipidus is an uncommon feature of malaria. A previously healthy 72-year-old man presented with fever, rigors, and altered mental status after a recent trip to Liberia, a country known for endemic falciparum malaria. Investigations confirmed plasmodium falciparum parasitemia. Within one week after admission, the serum sodium rose to 166 mEq/L and the urine output increased to 7 liters/day. Other labs were notable for a high serum osmolality, low urine osmolality, and low urine specific gravity. The hypernatremia did not respond to hypotonic fluids. Diabetes insipidus was suspected and parenteral desmopressin was started with a prompt decrease in urinary …


Medicine + Health Magazine, Spring 2016, George Washington University, School Of Medicine And Health Sciences, Office Of Communications And Marketing Apr 2016

Medicine + Health Magazine, Spring 2016, George Washington University, School Of Medicine And Health Sciences, Office Of Communications And Marketing

Medicine + Health Magazine

No abstract provided.


Micro-Rna And Mrna Profiles Associated With Ectopic Germinal Center Formation In Thymus Samples Of Patients With Autoimmune Myas, Manjistha Sengupta, Bi-Dar Wang, Norman H. Lee, Gary Cutter, Linda Louise Kusner, Henry J. Kaminski Mar 2016

Micro-Rna And Mrna Profiles Associated With Ectopic Germinal Center Formation In Thymus Samples Of Patients With Autoimmune Myas, Manjistha Sengupta, Bi-Dar Wang, Norman H. Lee, Gary Cutter, Linda Louise Kusner, Henry J. Kaminski

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder caused by antibodies directed against proteins present at the post-synaptic surface of neuromuscular junction (NMJ). A characteristic pathology of patients with early onset MG is thymic hyperplasia with ectopic germinal centers (GC). However, mechanisms that trigger and maintain thymic hyperplasia are poorly characterized. Micro-RNAs (miRNA) are small, non-coding RNAs that are increasingly appreciated to be involved in the pathology of several autoimmune diseases. In order to determine the central mechanisms involved in the pathology, thymus samples from MG patients were assessed by histology and grouped based on appearance of GC compared to …


Unintended Pregnancies In Brazil - A Challenge For The Recommendation To Delay Pregnancy Due To Zika, Cynthia Schuck-Paim, Daniel Lopez, Lone Simonsen, Wladimir Alonso Mar 2016

Unintended Pregnancies In Brazil - A Challenge For The Recommendation To Delay Pregnancy Due To Zika, Cynthia Schuck-Paim, Daniel Lopez, Lone Simonsen, Wladimir Alonso

Global Health Faculty Publications

Because of the potential link between the ongoing Zika virus outbreak and a surge in the number of cases of congenital microcephaly, officials in Latin America have recommended that women postpone pregnancy until this association is firmly established or the outbreak subsides. However, in all these countries a large proportion of babies are still born out of unplanned pregnancies. Teenage girls are particularly at high risk, as they often lack access to preventive contraception methods, or the knowledge to use them appropriately. To gauge the magnitude of the barriers preventing the implementation of such a recommendation in Brazil, the country …


Rnai-Mediated Gene Knockdown By Microinjection In The Model Entomopathogenic Nematode Heterorhabditis Bacteriophora., Ramesh Ratnappan, Jonathan Vadnal, Melissa Keaney, Ioannis Eleftherianos, Damien O'Halloran, John M. Hawdon Jan 2016

Rnai-Mediated Gene Knockdown By Microinjection In The Model Entomopathogenic Nematode Heterorhabditis Bacteriophora., Ramesh Ratnappan, Jonathan Vadnal, Melissa Keaney, Ioannis Eleftherianos, Damien O'Halloran, John M. Hawdon

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Parasitic nematodes threaten the health of humans and livestock and cause a major financial and socioeconomic burden to modern society. Given the widespread distribution of diseases caused by parasitic nematodes there is an urgent need to develop tools that will elucidate the genetic complexity of host-parasite interactions. Heterorhabditis bacteriophora is a parasitic nematode that allows simultaneous monitoring of nematode infection processes and host immune function, and offers potential as a tractable model for parasitic nematode infections. However, molecular tools to investigate these processes are required prior to its widespread acceptance as a robust model organism. In this paper we …


A Single Center Observational Study On Emergency Department Clinician Non-Adherence To Clinical Practice Guidelines For Treatment Of Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections, Catherine Zatorski, Mark Zocchi, Sara Cosgrove, Cynthia Rand, Gillian Brooks, Larissa May Jan 2016

A Single Center Observational Study On Emergency Department Clinician Non-Adherence To Clinical Practice Guidelines For Treatment Of Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections, Catherine Zatorski, Mark Zocchi, Sara Cosgrove, Cynthia Rand, Gillian Brooks, Larissa May

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

The Emergency Department (ED) is a frequent site of antibiotic use; poor adherence with evidence-based guidelines and broad-spectrum antibiotic overuse is common. Our objective was to determine rates and predictors of inappropriate antimicrobial use in patients with uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTI) compared to the 2010 International Clinical Practice Guidelines (ICPG).

Methods

A single center, prospective, observational study of patients with uncomplicated UTI presenting to an urban ED between September 2012 and February 2014 that examined ED physician adherence to ICPG when treating uncomplicated UTIs. Clinician-directed antibiotic treatment was compared to the ICPG using a standardized case definition for …


First Described Case Of Group B Streptococcus Pelvic Abscess In A Patient With No Medical Comorbidities, Paul Tyan, Elias Abi-Khalil, Karthik Dwarki, Gaby N. Moawad Jan 2016

First Described Case Of Group B Streptococcus Pelvic Abscess In A Patient With No Medical Comorbidities, Paul Tyan, Elias Abi-Khalil, Karthik Dwarki, Gaby N. Moawad

Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Publications

Background. Group B Streptococcus is an organism that commonly infects a wide range of hosts including infants in the first week of life, pregnant women, and older age adults as well as adults with underlying medical comorbidities.

Case. Large pelvic abscess in a nonpregnant patient found to be caused by Group B Streptococcuswas treated successfully with IR guided drainage and antibiotics.

Conclusion. Though rare, GBS can still be a cause of invasive infection even in individuals who are nonpregnant and have no underlying comorbidities. Empiric antibiotic coverage for this organism should be kept in mind when treating an abscess.


"When Should I Tell?": Perspectives On Disclosure To Their Children Among Parents With Perinatally Acquired Hiv., Cynthia D Fair, Hannah Allen, Constance Trexler, Janet Osherow, Lawrence D'Angelo Jan 2016

"When Should I Tell?": Perspectives On Disclosure To Their Children Among Parents With Perinatally Acquired Hiv., Cynthia D Fair, Hannah Allen, Constance Trexler, Janet Osherow, Lawrence D'Angelo

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV) engage in developmentally expected behaviors, such as establishing relationships and having children. Previous research has focused on pregnancy management/outcomes of AYA with PHIV. However, little research has focused on the parenting experiences of this emerging cohort and on their views of disclosure to their offspring. This article examines data from a pilot study of five AYA parents with PHIV on disclosure to their child(ren) (n = 7, 6 HIV-negative). Disclosure of their own HIV status to their children is on the minds of parents with PHIV. However, few currently have …


Detectable Viral Load In Late Pregnancy Among Women In The Rwanda Option B+ Pmtct Program: Enrollment Results From The Kabeho Study., Michelle M Gill, Heather J Hoffman, Emily A Bobrow, Placidie Mugwaneza, Dieudonne Ndatimana, Gilles F Ndayisaba, Cyprien Baribwira, Laura Guay, Anita Asiimwe Jan 2016

Detectable Viral Load In Late Pregnancy Among Women In The Rwanda Option B+ Pmtct Program: Enrollment Results From The Kabeho Study., Michelle M Gill, Heather J Hoffman, Emily A Bobrow, Placidie Mugwaneza, Dieudonne Ndatimana, Gilles F Ndayisaba, Cyprien Baribwira, Laura Guay, Anita Asiimwe

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

There are limited viral load (VL) data available from programs implementing "Option B+," lifelong antiretroviral treatment (ART) to all HIV-positive pregnant and postpartum women, in resource-limited settings. Extent of viral suppression from a prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV program in Rwanda was assessed among women enrolled in the Kigali Antiretroviral and Breastfeeding Assessment for the Elimination of HIV (Kabeho) Study. ARV drug resistance testing was conducted on women with VL>2000 copies/ml. In April 2013-January 2014, 608 pregnant or early postpartum HIV-positive women were enrolled in 14 facilities. Factors associated with detectable enrollment VL (>20 copies/ml) were examined …


Computerized Tailored Interventions To Enhance Prevention And Screening For Hepatitis C Virus Among People Who Inject Drugs: Protocol For A Randomized Pilot Study., Ryan P Westergaard, Shawnika J. Hull, Alana Merkow, Laura K Stephens, Karli R Hochstatter, Heidi K Olson-Streed, Lisa M Baker, Timothy M Hess Jan 2016

Computerized Tailored Interventions To Enhance Prevention And Screening For Hepatitis C Virus Among People Who Inject Drugs: Protocol For A Randomized Pilot Study., Ryan P Westergaard, Shawnika J. Hull, Alana Merkow, Laura K Stephens, Karli R Hochstatter, Heidi K Olson-Streed, Lisa M Baker, Timothy M Hess

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a growing problem among people who inject drugs. Strategies to reduce disease transmission (eg, syringe exchange programs) and facilitate HCV screening and linkage are available but are under-utilized in many communities affected by injection drug use. Novel approaches to increasing the use of these strategies are needed.

OBJECTIVE: The goals of this project are to (1) develop and pilot test a computerized tailored intervention for increasing HCV screening and decreasing risky drug use behavior among people who inject drugs and (2) determine the feasibility of disseminating such an intervention using peer-based referrals in …


Smallpox And Dracunculiasis: The Scientific Value Of Infectious Diseases That Have Been Eradicated Or Targeted For Eradication. Is Schistosomiasis Next?, Michael H. Hsieh, Margaret M. Mentink-Kane Jan 2016

Smallpox And Dracunculiasis: The Scientific Value Of Infectious Diseases That Have Been Eradicated Or Targeted For Eradication. Is Schistosomiasis Next?, Michael H. Hsieh, Margaret M. Mentink-Kane

Urology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


The Respiratory Protection Effectiveness Clinical Trial (Respect): A Cluster-Randomized Comparison Of Respirator And Medical Mask Effectiveness Against Respiratory Infections In Healthcare Personnel., Lewis J. Radonovich, Mary T. Bessesen, Derek A.T. Cummings, Aaron Eagan, Charlotte A. Gaydos, Cynthia Gibert, Geoffrey J. Gorse, +8 Additional Authors Jan 2016

The Respiratory Protection Effectiveness Clinical Trial (Respect): A Cluster-Randomized Comparison Of Respirator And Medical Mask Effectiveness Against Respiratory Infections In Healthcare Personnel., Lewis J. Radonovich, Mary T. Bessesen, Derek A.T. Cummings, Aaron Eagan, Charlotte A. Gaydos, Cynthia Gibert, Geoffrey J. Gorse, +8 Additional Authors

Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Although N95 filtering facepiece respirators and medical masks are commonly used for protection against respiratory infections in healthcare settings, more clinical evidence is needed to understand the optimal settings and exposure circumstances for healthcare personnel to use these devices. A lack of clinically germane research has led to equivocal, and occasionally conflicting, healthcare respiratory protection recommendations from public health organizations, professional societies, and experts.

METHODS: The Respiratory Protection Effectiveness Clinical Trial (ResPECT) is a prospective comparison of respiratory protective equipment to be conducted at multiple U.S. study sites. Healthcare personnel who work in outpatient settings will be cluster-randomized to …


Disseminated Cryptococcosis With Endobronchial Lesions, Kusha Davar, Arun Jose, Anne Cramer, Alexander Aldrich, Jillian S. Catalanotti Jan 2016

Disseminated Cryptococcosis With Endobronchial Lesions, Kusha Davar, Arun Jose, Anne Cramer, Alexander Aldrich, Jillian S. Catalanotti

Medicine Faculty Posters and Presentations

No abstract provided.


Metataxonomic And Metagenomic Approaches Vs. Culture-Based Techniques For Clinical Pathology., Sarah K. Hilton, Eduardo Castro-Nallar, Marcos Pérez-Losada, Ian Toma, Timothy A. Mccaffrey, Eric P. Hoffman, Marc O. Siegel, Gary L. Simon, W. Evan Johnson, Keith Crandall Jan 2016

Metataxonomic And Metagenomic Approaches Vs. Culture-Based Techniques For Clinical Pathology., Sarah K. Hilton, Eduardo Castro-Nallar, Marcos Pérez-Losada, Ian Toma, Timothy A. Mccaffrey, Eric P. Hoffman, Marc O. Siegel, Gary L. Simon, W. Evan Johnson, Keith Crandall

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

Diagnoses that are both timely and accurate are critically important for patients with life-threatening or drug resistant infections. Technological improvements in High-Throughput Sequencing (HTS) have led to its use in pathogen detection and its application in clinical diagnoses of infectious diseases. The present study compares two HTS methods, 16S rRNA marker gene sequencing (metataxonomics) and whole metagenomic shotgun sequencing (metagenomics), in their respective abilities to match the same diagnosis as traditional culture methods (culture inference) for patients with ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP). The metagenomic analysis was able to produce the same diagnosis as culture methods at the species-level for five …


Improving Hiv Surveillance Data For Public Health Action In Washington, Dc: A Novel Multiorganizational Data-Sharing Method, Joanne Ocampo, J. C. Smart, Adam Allston, Reshma Bhattacharjee, Sahithi Boggavarapu, Amanda D. Castel, +13 More Jan 2016

Improving Hiv Surveillance Data For Public Health Action In Washington, Dc: A Novel Multiorganizational Data-Sharing Method, Joanne Ocampo, J. C. Smart, Adam Allston, Reshma Bhattacharjee, Sahithi Boggavarapu, Amanda D. Castel, +13 More

GW Biostatistics Center

Background: The National HIV/AIDS Strategy calls for active surveillance programs for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to more accurately measure access to and retention in care across the HIV care continuum for persons living with HIV within their jurisdictions and to identify persons who may need public health services. However, traditional public health surveillance methods face substantial technological and privacy-related barriers to data sharing.

Objective: This study developed a novel data-sharing approach to improve the timeliness and quality of HIV surveillance data in three jurisdictions where persons may often travel across the borders of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. …


D-Dimer Levels Before Hiv Seroconversion Remain Elevated Even After Viral Suppression And Are Associated With An Increased Risk Of Non-Aids Events, Matthew S Freiberg, Ionut Bebu, Russell Tracy, Kaku So-Armah, Jason Okulicz, Anuradha Ganesan, Adam Armstrong, Thomas O'Bryan, David Rimland, Amy C Justice, Brian K Agan Jan 2016

D-Dimer Levels Before Hiv Seroconversion Remain Elevated Even After Viral Suppression And Are Associated With An Increased Risk Of Non-Aids Events, Matthew S Freiberg, Ionut Bebu, Russell Tracy, Kaku So-Armah, Jason Okulicz, Anuradha Ganesan, Adam Armstrong, Thomas O'Bryan, David Rimland, Amy C Justice, Brian K Agan

GW Biostatistics Center

The mechanism underlying the excess risk of non-AIDS diseases among HIV infected people is unclear. HIV associated inflammation/hypercoagulability likely plays a role. While antiretroviral therapy (ART) may return this process to pre-HIV levels, this has not been directly demonstrated. We analyzed data/specimens on 249 HIV+ participants from the US Military HIV Natural History Study, a prospective, multicenter observational cohort of >5600 active duty military personnel and beneficiaries living with HIV. We used stored blood specimens to measure D-dimer and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) at three time points: pre-HIV seroconversion, ≥6 months post-HIV seroconversion but prior to ART initiation, and ≥6 months post-ART …


Generalized Confidence Intervals And Fiducial Intervals For Some Epidemiological Measures., Ionut Bebu, G. Luta, T. Mathew, B. K. Agan Jan 2016

Generalized Confidence Intervals And Fiducial Intervals For Some Epidemiological Measures., Ionut Bebu, G. Luta, T. Mathew, B. K. Agan

GW Biostatistics Center

For binary outcome data from epidemiological studies, this article investigates the interval estimation of several measures of interest in the absence or presence of categorical covariates. When covariates are present, the logistic regression model as well as the log-binomial model are investigated. The measures considered include the common odds ratio (OR) from several studies, the number needed to treat (NNT), and the prevalence ratio. For each parameter, confidence intervals are constructed using the concepts of generalized pivotal quantities and fiducial quantities. Numerical results show that the confidence intervals so obtained exhibit satisfactory performance in terms of maintaining the coverage probabilities …


Interruptions Of Antiretroviral Therapy In Children And Adolescents With Hiv Infection In Clinical Practice: A Retrospective Cohort Study In The Usa., Natella Rakhmanina, Kam S Lam, Jaclyn Hern, Heather A. Young, Alex Walters, Amanda D. Castel Jan 2016

Interruptions Of Antiretroviral Therapy In Children And Adolescents With Hiv Infection In Clinical Practice: A Retrospective Cohort Study In The Usa., Natella Rakhmanina, Kam S Lam, Jaclyn Hern, Heather A. Young, Alex Walters, Amanda D. Castel

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Changes in combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) throughout childhood challenge the continuity of paediatric HIV treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of treatment interruption (TI), including lamivudine (3TC) monotherapy, and the relationship of TI to virologic and immunologic parameters in HIV-infected paediatric patients.

METHODS: Nested within a prospective observational study of a city-wide cohort of HIV-infected persons in the District of Columbia, this sub-study collected retrospective data on antiretroviral therapy, enrolment (endpoint) and historic (lifelong) CD4 counts and HIV RNA viral load (VL) of the paediatric cohort. TI was defined as interruption of cART ≥4 consecutive weeks. Data …


An Analysis Of Water Collection Labor Among Women And Children In 24 Sub-Saharan African Countries., Jay Graham, Mitsuaki Hirai, Seung-Sup Kim Jan 2016

An Analysis Of Water Collection Labor Among Women And Children In 24 Sub-Saharan African Countries., Jay Graham, Mitsuaki Hirai, Seung-Sup Kim

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: It is estimated that more than two-thirds of the population in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) must leave their home to collect water, putting them at risk for a variety of negative health outcomes. There is little research, however, quantifying who is most affected by long water collection times.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to a) describe gender differences in water collection labor among both adults and children (< 15 years of age) in the households (HHs) that report spending more than 30 minutes collecting water, disaggregated by urban and rural residence; and b) estimate the absolute number of adults and children affected by water collection times greater than 30 minutes in 24 SSA countries.

METHODS: We analyzed data from the Demographic Health Survey (DHS) and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) (2005-2012) to describe water collection labor in 24 SSA countries.

RESULTS: Among households spending more than …


Legal Space For Syringe Exchange Programs In Hot Spots Of Injection Drug Use-Related Crime., Sean T Allen, Monica S. Ruiz, Jeff Jones, Monique M Turner Jan 2016

Legal Space For Syringe Exchange Programs In Hot Spots Of Injection Drug Use-Related Crime., Sean T Allen, Monica S. Ruiz, Jeff Jones, Monique M Turner

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Copious evidence indicates that syringe exchange programs (SEPs) are effective structural interventions for HIV prevention among persons who inject drugs (PWID). The efficacy of SEPs in supporting the public health needs of PWID populations is partially dependent on their accessibility and consistent utilization among injectors. Research has shown that SEP access is an important predictor of PWID retention at SEPs, yet policies exist that may limit the geographic areas where SEP operations may legally occur. Since 2000 in the District of Columbia (DC), SEP operations have been subject to the 1000 Foot Rule (§48-1121), a policy that prohibits the …


Global Mortality Impact Of The 1957–1959 Influenza Pandemic, Cecile Viboud, Lone Simonsen, Rodrigo Fuentes, Jose Flores, Mark A. Miller, Gerardo Chowell Jan 2016

Global Mortality Impact Of The 1957–1959 Influenza Pandemic, Cecile Viboud, Lone Simonsen, Rodrigo Fuentes, Jose Flores, Mark A. Miller, Gerardo Chowell

Global Health Faculty Publications

Background. Quantitative estimates of the global burden of the 1957 influenza pandemic are lacking. Here we fill this gap by modeling historical mortality statistics.

Methods. We used annual rates of age- and cause-specific deaths to estimate pandemic-related mortality in excess of background levels in 39 countries in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Americas. We modeled the relationship between excess mortality and development indicators to extrapolate the global burden of the pandemic.

Results. The pandemic-associated excess respiratory mortality rate was 1.9/10 000 population (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2–2.6 cases/10 000 population) on average during 1957–1959. Excess mortality rates varied 70-fold …


Viability Of Developmental Stages Of Schistosoma Mansoni Quantified With Xcelligence Worm Real-Time Motility Assay (Xworm)., Gabriel Rinaldi, Alex Loukas, Paul J. Brindley, Jeff T. Irelan, Michael J. Smout Dec 2015

Viability Of Developmental Stages Of Schistosoma Mansoni Quantified With Xcelligence Worm Real-Time Motility Assay (Xworm)., Gabriel Rinaldi, Alex Loukas, Paul J. Brindley, Jeff T. Irelan, Michael J. Smout

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Infection with helminth parasites causes morbidity and mortality in billions of people and livestock worldwide. Where anthelmintic drugs are available, drug resistance is a major problem in livestock parasites, and a looming threat to public health. Monitoring the efficacy of these medicines and screening for new drugs has been hindered by the lack of objective, high-throughput approaches. Several cell monitoring technologies have been adapted for parasitic worms, including video-, fluorescence-, metabolism enzyme- and impedance-based tools that minimize the screening bottleneck. Using the xCELLigence impedance-based system we previously developed a motility-viability assay that is applicable for a range of helminth parasites. …


Functional Analysis Of The Unique Cytochrome P450 Of The Liver Fluke Opisthorchis Felineus., Mariya Y. Pakharukova, Valentin A. Vavilin, Banchob Sripa, Thewarach Laha, Paul J. Brindley, Viatcheslav A. Mordvinov Dec 2015

Functional Analysis Of The Unique Cytochrome P450 Of The Liver Fluke Opisthorchis Felineus., Mariya Y. Pakharukova, Valentin A. Vavilin, Banchob Sripa, Thewarach Laha, Paul J. Brindley, Viatcheslav A. Mordvinov

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

The basic metabolic cytochrome P450 (CYP) system is essential for biotransformation of sterols and xenobiotics including drugs, for synthesis and degradation of signaling molecules in all living organisms. Most eukaryotes including free-living flatworms have numerous paralogues of the CYP gene encoding heme monooxygenases with specific substrate range. Notably, by contrast, the parasitic flatworms have only one CYP gene. The role of this enzyme in the physiology and biochemistry of helminths is not known. The flukes and tapeworms are the etiologic agents of major neglected tropical diseases of humanity. Three helminth infections (Opisthorchis viverrini, Clonorchis sinensis and Schistosoma haematobium) are considered …


Carcinogenic Liver Fluke Secretes Extracellular Vesicles That Promote Cholangiocytes To Adopt A Tumorigenic Phenotype, Sujittra Chaidayet, Javier Sotillo, Michael Smout, Cinzia Cantacessi, Malcolm Jones, Paul J. Brindley, Jeffrey M. Bethony, +9 Additional Authors Nov 2015

Carcinogenic Liver Fluke Secretes Extracellular Vesicles That Promote Cholangiocytes To Adopt A Tumorigenic Phenotype, Sujittra Chaidayet, Javier Sotillo, Michael Smout, Cinzia Cantacessi, Malcolm Jones, Paul J. Brindley, Jeffrey M. Bethony, +9 Additional Authors

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Background. Throughout Asia there is an unprecedented link between cholangiocarcinoma and infection with the liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini. Multiple processes including chronic inflammation and secretion of parasite proteins into the biliary epithelium drive infection towards cancer. Until now, the mechanism and effects of parasite protein entry into cholangiocytes was unknown.

Methods. Various microscopy techniques were used to identify O. viverrini extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their internalization by human cholangiocytes. Using mass spectrometry we characterised the EV proteome and associated changes in cholangiocytes after EV uptake, and detected EV proteins in bile of infected hamsters and humans. Cholangiocyte proliferation and …