Digital Commons Network^™

An Hsus Report: Human Health Implications Of U.S. Live Bird Markets In The Spread Of Avian Influenza, The Humane Society Of The United States

Impact of Animal Agriculture

After millions of years of existing as a harmless infection of aquatic birds, some strains of avian flu have developed the ability to mutate into highly pathogenic forms that may not only be deadly for birds, but potentially more dangerous for humans as well. Experts from the World Health Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have joined leading scientists in implicating industrialized poultry production for providing fertile ground for the transformation of benign bird flu into highly pathogenic strains.

Live bird markets can be the conduit by which waterfowl …

Their Bugs Are Worse Than Their Bite: Emerging Infectious Disease And The Human-Animal Interface, Michael Greger

State of the Animals 2007

In the twenty-five years since that announcement, what we now know as AIDS has killed 20 million people (National AIDS Trust 2005). Where did the AIDS virus— and other emerging diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Ebola, mad cow— come from?

The Human/Animal Interface: Emergence And Resurgence Of Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Michael Greger

Transgenesis Collection

Emerging infectious diseases, most of which are considered zoonotic in origin, continue to exact a significant toll on society. The origins of major human infectious diseases are reviewed and the factors underlying disease emergence explored. Anthropogenic changes, largely in land use and agriculture, are implicated in the apparent increased frequency of emergence and reemergence of zoonoses in recent decades. Special emphasis is placed on the pathogen with likely the greatest zoonotic potential, influenzavirus A.

The Poor Contribution Of Chimpanzee Experiments To Biomedical Progress, Andrew Knight

Experimentation Collection

Biomedical research on captive chimpanzees incurs substantial nonhuman animal welfare, ethical, and financial costs that advocates claim result in substantial advancements in biomedical knowledge. However, demonstrating minimal contribution toward the advancement of biomedical knowledge generally, subsequent papers did not cite 49.5% (47/95), of 95 experiments randomly selected from a population of 749 published worldwide between 1995 and 2004. Only 14.7% (14/95) were cited by 27 papers that abstracts indicated described well-developed methods for combating human diseases. However, detailed examination of these medical papers revealed that in vitro studies, human clinical and epidemiological studies, molecular assays and methods, and genomic studies …

Chimpanzee Research: An Examination Of Its Contribution To Biomedical Knowledge And Efficacy In Combating Human Diseases, Jarrod Bailey, Jonathan Balcombe, Theodora Capaldo

Experimentation Collection

Research on captive chimpanzees incurs considerable animal welfare, ethical and financial costs. Advocates of such research claim these costs are outweighed by substantial advancements in biomedical knowledge, and that the genetic similarity of chimpanzees to humans enables the former to make critical contributions to preventing, diagnosing and combating human diseases. To assess these claims, we examined the disciplines investigated in 749 studies of captive chimpanzees published from 1995-2004 inclusive, and subjected 95 randomly selected papers to a detailed citation analysis:

49.5% (47/95) of papers had not been cited at the time of this study; 38.5% (34/95) were cited by 116 …

Cpa Expert 2006 Fall, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants

Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Hantavirus And Arenavirus Antibodies In Persons With Occupational Rodent Exposure, North America, Charles F. Fulhorst, Mary Louise Milazzo, Lori R. Armstrong, James E. Childs, Pierre E. Rollin, Rima Khabbaz, C.J. Peters, Thomas G G. Ksiazek

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Rodents are the principal hosts of Sin Nombre virus, 4 other hantaviruses known to cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in North America, and the 3 North American arenaviruses. Serum samples from 757 persons who had worked with rodents in North America and handled neotomine or sigmodontine rodents were tested for antibodies against Sin Nombre virus, Whitewater Arroyo virus, Guanarito virus, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. Antibodies against Sin Nombre virus were found in 4 persons, against Whitewater Arroyo virus or Guanarito virus in 2 persons, and against lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus in none. These results suggest that risk for infection with hantaviruses or …

Development Of An Assay To Determine Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms In The Prion Gene For The Genetic Diagnosis Of Relative Susceptibility To Classical Scrapie In Sheep, Mary Lynn Johnson, Jessica M. Evoniuk, Charles L. Stoltenow, Katherine I. O'Rourke, Dale A. Redmer

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

The objective of this study was to develop a reliable Taqman® 5' Nuclease Assay for genotyping sheep for scrapie susceptibility. The sheep prion gene contains 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that may mediate resistance to classical scrapie, one at codon 136, alanine (A) or valine (V), and another at codon 171, arginine (R) or glutamine (Q). The R allele appears to confer resistance to classical scrapie, with the AA₁₃₆ RR₁₇₁ genotype the most resistant to scrapie and QR₁₇₁ only rarely infected in the US sheep population. The Assays by Design^SM protocol was used for development of …

Perspective On: Fireflies, Dioxetanes And Medical Diagnostics An Interview With A. Paul Schaap, A. Paul Schaap, Spectrum Editors

The Spectrum

No abstract provided.

Routes Of Exposure For Leptospirosis, Catherine C. Schmidt

International Journal of Global Health and Health Disparities

Leptospirosis was once a common zoonotic disease affecting most mammalian species. While it was once a very prevalent disease, it had tailored off only affecting humans with certain occupational hazards in developed countries. Recently, there has been an increase in the incidence of leptospirosis associated with recreational exposures and travel to tropical climates. Humans become infected with the disease through either direct or indirect contact with infected animal urine. Since leptospirosis has a longer survival period in wet, humid and warm conditions it is more prevalent in tropical and temperate climates and exposure peaks in the summer. There are a …

The Brook Spring 2007, V. 7, N. 02, Stony Brook University Office Of Communications.

The Brook

v.: ill. ; 30 cm (original analog pub.),Brook

Uab Magazine - Winter/Spring 2007, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

UAB Magazine

No abstract provided.

College Of Allied Health And Nursing Student Handbook 2007-2008, Nova Southeastern University

Health Professions Divisions Course Catalogs and Course Descriptions

No abstract provided.

Hiv Dna And Dementia In Treatment-Naïve Hiv-1-Infected Individuals In Bangkok, Thailand, Robert Paul, Bruce Shiramizu, Silvia Ratto-Kim, Pasiri Sithinamsuwan, Samart Nidhinandana, Sataporn Thitivichianlert, George Watt, Mark Desouza, Thippawan Chuenchitra, Suchitra Sukwit, Suwicha Chitpatima, Kevin Robertson, Cecilia Shikuma, Victor Valcour

Psychology Faculty Works

High HIV-1 DNA (HIV DNA) levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) correlate with HIV-1-associated dementia (HAD) in patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). If this relationship also exists among HAART-naïve patients, then HIV DNA may be implicated in the pathogenesis of HAD. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between HIV DNA and cognition in subjects naïve to HAART in a neuro AIDS cohort in Bangkok, Thailand. Subjects with and without HAD were recruited and matched for age, gender, education, and CD4 cell count. PBMC and cellular subsets were analyzed for HIV DNA using real-time PCR. The median …

Self-Medication And Homeostatic Behaviour In Herbivores: Learning About The Benefits Of Nature’S Pharmacy, Juan J. Villalba, Frederick D. Provenza

Behavioral Education for Human, Animal, Vegetation, and Ecosystem Management (BEHAVE)

Traditional production systems have viewed animals as homogeneous ‘machines’ whose nutritional and medicinal needs must be provided in a prescribed manner. This view arose from the lack of belief in the wisdom of the body to meet its physiological needs. Is it possible for herbivores to select diets that meet their needs for nutrients and to write their own prescriptions? Our research suggests it is. Herbivores adapt to the variability of the external environment and to their changing internal needs not only by generating homeostatic physiological responses, but also by operating in the external environment. Under this view, food selection …

What’S Good For The Goose…The Israeli Supreme Court, Foie Gras And The Future Of Farmed Animals In The United States, Mariann Sullivan, David J. Wolfson

Law and Contemporary Problems

Of particular interest in the issue of cruelty to farmed animals is the 2003 decision by the Supreme Court of Israel, sitting as the High Court of Justice, annulling, on animal cruelty grounds, regulations regarding the force-feeding of geese for the production of foie gras, and, ultimately, prohibiting the practice and thereby eradicating the industry.

Cost-Effectiveness Of Hepatitis A And Hepatitis B Vaccination For Jail Inmates, Aditya Sharma

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Despite evidence that viral hepatitis poses a significant risk to public health, universal vaccination has not yet been implemented. The risk for viral hepatitis infection is particularly high among injection drug users and other individuals who do not attend regular health care visits. Jails provide a structural opportunity to vaccinate these high risk individuals. HAV and HBV vaccines administered on an accelerated three week schedule could dramatically decrease the lifetime risk for contracting viral hepatitis among jail detainees. Assuming that 75% of detainees would accept vaccination, 33% have previous exposure to HAV, 25% have previous exposure to HBV, and independent …

A Meta-Baci Approach Forevaluating Management Intervention On Chronic Wasting Disease In Mule Deer, Mary M. Conner, Michael W. Miller, Michael Ryan Ebinger, Kenneth P. Burnham

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Advances in acquiring and analyzing the spatial attributes of data have greatlyenhanced the potential utility of wildlife disease surveillance data for addressing problems ofecological or economic importance. We present an approach for using wildlife diseasesurveillance data to identify areas for (or of ) intervention, to spatially delineate pairedtreatment and control areas, and then to analyze these nonrandomly selected sites in a meta-analysis framework via before–after–control–impact (BACI) estimates of effect size. We applythese methods to evaluate the effectiveness of attempts to reduce chronic wasting disease(CWD) prevalence through intensive localized culling of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)innorth-central Colorado, USA. Areas where surveillance data …

Momentum, December 2007, Population Council

Momentum

No abstract provided.

Role Of Mhc Antigens And Immunoregulation In Graft Survival In Autoimmunity, Bhagirath Singh

Microbiology & Immunology Publications

Using a syngeneic islet transplantation model system we have showed that in autoimmune type 1 diabetes transplanted islets are destroyed by the host immune system unless the transplanted islets lack class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. Alternatively, immunomodulation of the host by induction of regulatory T cells prevented the destruction of autologous islet graft. We conclude that these approaches will allow successful transplantation of autologous islets derived from the host by stem cell or other technology without immunosuppression to reverse autoimmune type 1 diabetes.

A Critical Appraisal Of Molecular Xenomonitoring As A Tool For Assessing Progress Toward Elimination Of Lymphatic Filariasis, Hoda A. Farid, Zakariya S. Morsy, Hanan Helmy, Reda M.R. Ramzy, Maged El Setouhy, Gary J. Weil

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Improved Formulation Of A Recombinant Ricin A-Chain Vaccine Iincreases Its Stability And Effective Antigenicity, John H. Carra, Robert W. Wannemacher, Ralph F. Tammariello, Changhong Y. Lindsey, Richard E. Dinterman, Rowena D. Schokman, Leonard A. Smith

United States Army: Publications

Ricin is a potent toxin associated with bioterrorism for which no vaccine or specific countermeasures are currently available. A stable, non-toxic and immunogenic recombinant ricin A-chain vaccine (RTA 1-33/44-198) has been developed by protein engineering. We identified optimal formulation conditions for this vaccine under which it remained stable and potent in storage for up to 18 months, and resisted multiple rounds of freeze–thawing without stabilizing co-solvents. Reformulation from phosphate buffer to succinate buffer increased adherence of the protein to aluminum hydroxide adjuvant from 15 to 91%, with a concomitant increase of nearly threefold in effective antigenicity in a mouse model. …

A Refined Pharmacophore Identifies Potent 4-Amino-7-Chloroquinoline-Based Inhibitors Of The Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype A Metalloprotease, James C. Burnett, Dejan Opsenica, Kamaraj Sriraghavan, Rekha G. Panchal, Gordon Ruthel, Ann R. Hermone, Tam L. Nguyen, Tara A. Kenny, Douglas J. Lane, Connor F. Mcgrath, James J. Schmidt, Jonathan L. Vennerstrom, Rick Gussio, Bogdan A. Solaja, Sina Bavari

United States Army: Publications

We previously identified structurally diverse small molecule (non-peptidic) inhibitors (SMNPIs) of the botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT/A) light chain (LC). Of these, several (including antimalarial drugs) contained a 4-amino-7-chloroquinoline (ACQ) substructure and a separate positive ionizable amine component. The same antimalarials have also been found to interfere with BoNT/A translocation into neurons, via pH elevation of the toxin-mediated endosome. Thus, this structural class of small molecules may serve as dual-function BoNT/A inhibitors. In this study, we used a refined pharmacophore for BoNT/A LC inhibition to identify four new, potent inhibitors of this structural class (IC50’s ranged from 3.2 to 17 …

Impact Of Phlebotomine Sand Flies On U.S. Military Operations At Tallil Air Base, Iraq: 3. Evaluation Of Surveillance Devices For The Collection Of Adult Sand Flies, Douglas A. Burkett, Ronald Knight, James A. Dennett, Van Sherwood, Edgar Rowton, Russell E. Coleman

United States Air Force: Publications

We evaluated the effectiveness of commercially available light traps and sticky traps baited with chemical light sticks for the collection of phlebotomine sand flies. Evaluations were conducted at Tallil Air Base, Iraq, in 2003. In an initial study, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-style trap with UV bulb collected significantly more sand flies than did an up-draft CDC trap, a standard down-draft CDC trap (STD-CDC), or a sticky strap with a green chemical light stick. In a subsequent study, we found that the addition of chemical light sticks to sticky traps resulted in a significant increase in the …

No. 3: A Migration Audit Of Poverty Reduction Strategies In Southern Africa, Benjamin Roberts

Southern African Migration Programme

Southern Africa is characterized by long-established patterns of intra-regional migration, with countries sending and receiving labour migrants especially for employment in mines and on commercial farms and plantations since the late nineteenth century. However, these pat­terns and processes have undergone notable change in recent decades, the outcome being a progressive intensification of mobility in the region. The underlying determinants of this trend include increased and new opportunities for internal and cross-border movement follow­ing the end of apartheid, the region’s increasing engagement with the global economy, persistently high and worsening levels of poverty and unemployment, the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, …

Women At Risk For Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Correlates Of Intercourse Without Barrier Contraception, Jeffrey F. Peipert, Kate L. Lapane, Jennifer E. Allsworth, Colleen A. Redding, Jeffrey L. Blume, Faye Lozowski, Michael D. Stein

Cancer Prevention Research Center Faculty Publications

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlates of vaginal intercourse without barrier contraception (unprotected intercourse).

Study Design: Baseline data from a randomized trial were analyzed to evaluate factors that are associated with intercourse without barrier method use among women <35 years old. Logistic regression models provided estimates of the association of demographic, reproductive, and sexual history variables with unprotected intercourse.

Results: Intercourse without barrier contraception was common; 65% of participants had ≥2 episodes of intercourse without barrier contraception use in the past month. Factors that were associated with increased odds of unprotected intercourse included the number of coital episodes, a male partner’s unwillingness to use condoms (adjusted odds ratio, 4.1; 95% CI, 2.3-6.9), and, among women <20 years old, low condom use self-efficacy score (adjusted odds ratio, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.0-2.9).

Conclusion: …

Montana Gray Wolf Conservation And Management 2006 Annual Report, Carolyn A. Sime, V. Asher, L. Bradley, K. Laudon, M. Ross, J. Trapp, M. Atkinson, L. Handegard, J. Steuber

Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery: Annual Reports

MONTANA EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Wolf recovery in Montana began in the early 1980’s. Gray wolves increased in number and expanded their distribution in Montana because of natural emigration from Canada and a successful federal effort that reintroduced wolves into Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and the wilderness areas of central Idaho. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) approved the Montana Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Plan in early 2004, but delisting in the northern Rockies (NRM) was delayed. When federal funding became available later in 2004, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (MFWP) began managing wolves in northwestern Montana under a cooperative …

Evolutionary Responses By Native Species To Major Anthropogenic Changes To Their Ecosystems: Pacific Salmon In The Columbia River Hydropower System, Robin Waples, Richard W. Zabel, Mark D. Scheuerell, Beth L. Sanderson

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

The human footprint is now large in all the Earth’s ecosystems, and construction of large dams in major river basins is among the anthropogenic changes that have had the most profound ecological consequences, particularly for migratory fishes. In the Columbia River basin of the western USA, considerable effort has been directed toward evaluating demographic effects of dams, yet little attention has been paid to evolutionary responses of migratory salmon to altered selective regimes. Here we make a first attempt to address this information gap. Transformation of the free-flowing Columbia River into a series of slackwater reservoirs has relaxed selection for …

Building A Better Virus Trap, Clara Davis Long, Katie Turner-Shelef, David A. Relman

United States Department of Veterans Affairs: Publications

The concept of ecological ‘traps’ is based in theory from ecology and conservation biology that has now found application to infectious diseases with a study from Paul Turner’s group. This study is important because it offers a mathematical model of ecological traps, applies this model to viruses, and tests the model in a bacteria– phage system. Although there will be technical hurdles to overcome, this concept might lead to benefits for both health and industry.

Ecological traps

An ecological trap is defined as a habitat that is suboptimal for growth or for reproduction of a population, but that is preferred …

Amphibians And Disease: Implications For Conservation In The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Paul Stephen Corn

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The decline of amphibian populations is a worldwide phenomenon that has received increasing attention since about 1990. In 2004, the World Conservation Union’s global amphibian assessment concluded that 48% of the world’s 5,743 described amphibian species were in decline, with 32% considered threatened (Stuart et al. 2004). Amphibian declines are a significant issue in the western United States, where all native species of frogs in the genus Rana and many toads in the genus Bufo are at risk, particularly those that inhabit mountainous areas (Corn 2003a,b; Bradford 2005). As is true for most of the cold and dry Rocky Mountains, …