Digital Commons Network^™

Aku-Nama : Winter 2008, Volume 1, Issue 2, Aga Khan University Alumni Association

The Aga Khan University Newsletter and Magazine for Alumni (AKU-NAMA)

No abstract provided.

Regulating Pregnancy Behaviors: How The Constitutional Rights Of Minority Women Are Disproportionately Compromised, Joanne E. Brosh, Monica K. Miller

American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law

No abstract provided.

Cell Surface Expression Of The Vaccinia Virus Complement Control Protein Is Mediated By Interaction With The Viral A56 Protein And Protects Infected Cells From Complement Attack, N. M. Girgis, Brian Dehaven

Biology Faculty Scholarship

The vaccinia virus (VACV) complement control protein (VCP) is the major protein secreted from VACV-infected cells. It has been reported that VCP binds to the surfaces of uninfected cells by interacting with heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). In this study, we show that VCP is also expressed on the surfaces of infected cells and demonstrate that surface localization occurs independently of HSPGs. Since VCP does not contain a transmembrane domain, we hypothesized that VCP interacts with a membrane protein that localizes to the infected-cell surface. We show that the VACV A56 membrane protein is necessary for the cell surface expression of …

Large Scale Variation In Enterococcus Faecalis Illustrated By The Genome Analysis Of Strain Og1rf, Agathe Bourgogne, Danielle A Garsin, Xiang Qin, Kavindra V Singh, Jouko Sillanpaa, Shailaja Yerrapragada, Yan Ding, Shannon Dugan-Rocha, Christian Buhay, Hua Shen, Guan Chen, Gabrielle Williams, Donna Muzny, Arash Maadani, Kristina A Fox, Jason Gioia, Lei Chen, Yue Shang, Cesar A Arias, Sreedhar R Nallapareddy, Meng Zhao, Vittal P Prakash, Shahreen Chowdhury, Huaiyang Jiang, Richard A Gibbs, Barbara E Murray, Sarah K Highlander, George M Weinstock

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Enterococcus faecalis has emerged as a major hospital pathogen. To explore its diversity, we sequenced E. faecalis strain OG1RF, which is commonly used for molecular manipulation and virulence studies.

RESULTS: The 2,739,625 base pair chromosome of OG1RF was found to contain approximately 232 kilobases unique to this strain compared to V583, the only publicly available sequenced strain. Almost no mobile genetic elements were found in OG1RF. The 64 areas of divergence were classified into three categories. First, OG1RF carries 39 unique regions, including 2 CRISPR loci and a new WxL locus. Second, we found nine replacements where a sequence …

Health, Climate Change And Energy Vulnerability: A Retrospective Assessment Of Strategic Health Authority Policy And Practice In England., J Richardson, F Kagawa, A Nichols

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

The Efficacy Of Low Vision Devices For Students In Specialized Schools For Students Who Are Blind In Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, Mahesh R. Joshi, Yoshitaka Yamagata, Junsuke Akura, Suraj Shakya

School of Health Professions

In Nepal, children with low vision attend specialized schools for students who are totally blind and are treated as if they were totally blind. This study identified children with low vision and provided low vision devices to them. Of the 22% of the students in the school who had low vision, 78.5% benefited from the devices. Proper devices and counseling improved the quality of life of a significant number of these students.

Pilot Study Of 8 Smes In Pakistan, Ejaz Mian

Business Review

These (eight) cases study small firms (with 1-50 employees) in Pakistan to determine marketing factors that lead to success. Information is gathered through in-depth interviews with owner-managers on their premises. Convenience sampling is used within the city of Karachi. Firms included relate to production, and services (including retail). It was found that most of the firms are not marketing oriented and they do not understand marketing. Thus they will benefit from some kind of marketing training conducted by the government or through their own resources.

Evaluation Of A Novel Autonomous Detector For Microbial Water Quality Monitoring, Heather L. Saffert

Open Access Dissertations

Rapid testing methods are needed for monitoring waters for fecal contamination to identify associated health hazards. Today, standard methods quantify the amount of indicator bacteria, E. coli and enterococci, using culture-based techniques that require incubation periods from 18 to 48 hours. For recreational waters, this time lag delays the closure of waters when a potential health hazard exists and prolongs closures after contamination has dissipated. A remotely deployable, autonomous sampler capable of rapid automated data analysis and reporting of fecal contamination would provide a more effective warning system for both managers and the public. An in situ instrument may also …

To Treat Or Not To Treat: The Role Of Antibiotics In The Management Of Community-Acquired Respiratory Tract Infections In An Ambulatory Setting, Julie Ann Deangelis

Open Access Dissertations

Background. Inappropriate antibiotic use for the management of community-acquired respiratory tract infections (RTIs) continues to be of great concern due to increasing bacterial resistance, the potential risk of adverse events, and the unnecessary wasting of economic resources. Although publications have suggested a decline in unnecessary antibiotic use for the treatment of RTIs since the early 1990s, antimicrobial treatment post 2000 in the outpatient setting is not well understood. Objective. The purpose of our research was to determine the antibiotic prescribing trends since 1995 in adults with a diagnosis of bronchitis, CAP or sinusitis. We also evaluated the prevalence of antibiotic …

A Concurrent Validation Of The Violence Sensitivity Scale, Jonathan Corey

Open Access Dissertations

A correlational concurrent validity study of the Violence Sensitivity Scale (VSS) was conducted in which respondents (N=169) also completed the Nonviolence Test (NVT), the Attitudes Toward Violence Scale (ATVS) and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSD). The VSS was significantly positively correlated with the NVT and MCSD, and significantly negatively correlated with a transformed ATVS distribution. Principal Factors Analysis limited to four, factors assigned 23 of 38 VSS behaviors to the same factors as in a previous study. Multiple regression tests found the NVT and MCSD to be significant predictors of VSS and VSS subscale scores. Demographic variables were examined …

Chemistry Of Antibiotics From Atlantic Actinomycete And Bacillus Bacteria, Aaron Martin Socha

Open Access Dissertations

The emergence of drug-resistant pathogens requires the use of innovative therapeutic agents. Hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections represent major health and economic burdens for patients and health care professionals. In the United States over 1 million nosocomial infections are caused by drug-resistant bacteria anually, with associated expenditures ranging from $4 to $30 billion. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) commonly shows reduced susceptibility to β-lactam, peptide, macrolide, aminoglycoside, tetracycline, and lincosamide classes of antibiotics. The emergence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) is even more alarming since glycopeptide antibiotics were once considered the drugs of last resort. Moreover, community-acquired MRSA infections are spreading out of the …

Assessing Laws And Legal Authorities For Public Health Emergency Legal Preparedness, David Fidler, Brian Kamoie, Robert M. Pestronk, Peter Baldridge, Leah Devlin, George A. Mensah, Michael Doney

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2008, Tennessee. Department Of Correction

Annual Reports

This document is the annual report for the Tennessee Department of Correction during the fiscal year.

Synthesis And Antimicrobial Activity Of Some 3(2h)-Pyridazinone And 1(2h)-Phthalazinone Derivatives, Deni̇z S. Doğruer, Ti̇jen Önkol, Semi̇ha Özkan, Selda Özgen, M. Fethi̇ Şahi̇n

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

Some 3(2H)-pyridazinone and 1(2H)-phthalazinone derivatives were synthesized. The structures of these new compounds were confirmed by IR, ^1H-NMR, mass spectrum, and elemental analysis. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial activity against various gram-positive and gram-negative strains of bacteria and their clinical isolates and for their antimycobacterial activity against M. tuberculosis H37Rv. The results showed that the synthesized compounds were generally active against B. subtilis and its clinical isolate. Among the target compounds, compound 14c exhibited the best antibacterial activity, with a MIC value of 15.62 \mu g/mL against B. subtilis. Compound 15e had the highest antimycobacterial activity.

Georgia Southern Magazine, Georgia Southern University

Georgia Southern Magazine

• Campus News
• Mapping a Response
• An Olympic Moment
• Down by the Riverside
• Foundation News
• Sports Scene
• Chronicles

Transcriptional Response Of Mexican Axolotls To Ambystoma Tigrinum Virus (Atv) Infection, J. D. Cotter, A. Storfer, Robert B. Page, C. K. Beachy, S. R. Voss

Biology Faculty Publications (Archived)

Background: Very little is known about the immunological responses of amphibians to pathogens that are causing global population declines. We used a custom microarray gene chip to characterize gene expression responses of axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) to an emerging viral pathogen, Ambystoma tigrinum virus (ATV). Result: At 0, 24, 72, and 144 hours post-infection, spleen and lung samples were removed for estimation of host mRNA abundance and viral load. A total of 158 up-regulated and 105 down-regulated genes were identified across all time points using statistical and fold level criteria. The presumptive functions of these genes suggest a robust innate immune …

Public Health Law For A Brave New World; Book Review: Lawrence O. Gostin, Public Health Law: Power, Duty, Restraint, Elizabeth Weeks Leonard

Scholarly Works

This is book review of Lawrence O. Gostin's new edition of Public Health Law: Power, Duty, Restraint (University of California Press, Berkeley, California, 2d ed., 2008). A review of a second edition of a book may be somewhat unusual as subsequent editions of already published works typically do not break new ground. But this book is different. Gostin's first edition, published in 2000, established and defined the modern field of public health law. The revised and expanded second edition emerges in the post-9/11, post-Katrina, post-Bush world. Gostin now seeks to apply public health paradigms to social problems beyond the field's …

An Investigation Of The Quantity And Type Of Female Veterans' Responses To Hepatitis C Treatment Screening And Acceptance, Sue L. Currie

Doctoral Dissertations

unavailable

Market-Based Licensing For Hpv Vaccines In Developing Countries, Kevin Outterson, Aaron S. Kesselheim

Faculty Scholarship

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines hold great promise for preventing cervical cancer, but 93 percent of mortality worldwide occurs in low- and middle-income countries, where high vaccine costs can restrict dissemination. Current models for promoting international access to health care innovations include differential pricing, advance market commitments, and voluntary and compulsory licensing. Some of these mechanisms have been effective, but much room for improvement remains. We discuss the usefulness of a new type of license that uses market forces to lower prices through generic competition in low- and middle-income countries while ensuring that pharmaceutical companies are appropriately reimbursed for their research …

Laboratory Diagnosis Of Clostridium Difficile In The Republic Of Ireland: A Survey Of Irish Microbiology Laboratories., Denise Drudy, F. Fitzpatrick, A. Oza, A. Gilleece, A. M. O’Byrne

Articles

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) established a group to produce national guidelines for Clostridium difficile in Ireland in 2006. A laboratory questionnaire was distributed to determine current C. difficile diagnostic practices. Twenty-nine out of 44 laboratories providing C. difficile diagnostic services to 34 hospitals responded. Twenty-five out of 29 (86%) laboratories processed specimens for C. difficile and four (13.8%) forwarded specimens to another laboratory. Sixteen laboratories (64%) processed specimens for other healthcare facilities. None routinely examined stool for C. difficile, seven (28%) examined specimens only when requested to do so and 18 (72%) used specific selection criteria, including testing …

The Use Of Cellomics To Study Enterocyte Cytoskeletal Proteins In Coeliac Disease Patients, Bashir M. Mohamed, Conleth Feighery, Yvonne Williams, Anthony Davies, Dermot Kelleher, Yuri Volkov, Jacinta Kelly, Mohamed Abuzakouk

Articles

Coeliac disease is characterised by inflammation of small intestinal mucosa accompanied by abnormal villous architecture. It is now accepted that some patients with positive coeliac serology tests may have minor mucosal lesions that may not be apparent on routine histopathological analysis. The aim of the study was to perform detailed examination of enterocyte morphology and cytoskeletal structures using a high content analysis technology. Duodenal biopsies from 14 untreated and 10 treated coeliac patients and from 20 non-coeliac controls were examined. Tissue sections from six patients (study group subjects) before and after the development of gluten-sensitive enteropathy were also investigated. Immunohistochemical …

Update Of Clostridium Difficile Infection Due To Pcr Ribotype 027 In Europe, 2008, Denise Drudy, E. J. Kuijper, F. Barbut, J. S. Brazier

Articles

Since the emergence of a new virulent strain of Clostridium difficile characterised as toxinotype III, North American pulsedfield type 1 (NAP1), restriction-endonuclease analysis group type BI and PCR-ribotype 027 (Type 027), multiple outbreaks have been reported in North America and Europe [1-9]. The increased virulence of C. difficile Type 027 is thought to be associated with a 1 base pair deletion at position 117 of the tcdC gene which leads to an increased or prolonged production of toxins A and B, and possibly the production of a binary toxin [1-3]. However, these virulence factors are not unique for Type 027 …

Clindamycin Resistant Clone Of C. Difficile Pcr Ribotype 027 In Europe, Denise Drudy, B. Goorhuis, Dennis Bakker, Lorraine Kyne, Renate Van Der Berg, Lynda Fenelon, Seamus Fanning

Articles

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Special Educators' Knowledge And Understanding Of Hiv/Aids, Mary Anne Prater, Nancy M. Sileo, Thomas W. Sileo

Faculty Publications

HIV/AIDS continues to spread among children, youth, and young adults across all racial, ethnic, and cultural populations, including those with disabilities. This article considers information on HIV/AIDS such as individuals' health-risk behaviors, environmental circumstances, and perceptions that may contribute to HIV-infection; how disability characteristics, and cultural traits and values impact school-based HIV/AIDS prevention programs; and, culturally competent instructional considerations that acknowledge these variables.

Cuban Claims: Embargoed Identities And The Cuban-American Oedipal Conflict (El Grito De La Yuma), Jose M. Gabilondo

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Allergies In University Of Northern Iowa College Students, Lisa Krausman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Allergies diseases, comprising of asthma and allergies, in some direct or indirect way affect most American families as more than 40 to 60 million or one in four Americans suffer from allergic diseases. Allergic diseases are a widespread problem that has a great monetary cost to society and a negative impact on the quality of life for those afflicted. This research was based on an analytical cross-sectional study design with a convenience sample of young adults in a college population. The paper based survey consisted of 55 questions asking various questions throughout various periods of life including the topics of …

Environmentalism: Material Or Post-Material Need?, Amanda Weier '08

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Environmentalism in Latin America has become of increasing concern throughout the world from the poor conditions in urban areas that affect the health of the population to the vast destruction of precious areas such as the Amazon. This paper seeks to discover what causes Latin American governments to take environmental actions. Are factors such as economic stability, environmental knowledge and education, or poor health conditions important in influencing the government to join environmental intergovernmental organizations?

Motivation And The Placebo Response : Predicting Non-Specific Therapeutic Benefits From The Concordance Of Therapeutic Rituals With High-Level Goals, Ben Whalley

School of Psychology Theses

Predicting individual differences in placebo responding has proved hard. Predictions from dispositional or personality variables are unreliable for two reasons: first, because dispositional predictions fail to account for situational variability, and second, because the dimensions identified in popular dispositional models are inter-individual variables, and may not map on to intra-individual structures and processes involved in placebo effects. This thesis describes a new psychological mechanism of placebo responding—motivational concordance—which links placebos with established research on human values and goal-striving. Progress towards goals, particularly goals which are self-actualising, is associated with positive emotional states. Findings presented here support the view that when …

Optimisation Of Steamer Jet-Injection To Extend The Shelf Life Of Fresh-Cut Lettuce, Daniel Rico, Ana Belen Martin-Diana, Catherine Barry-Ryan, Gary Henehan, J. Barat, Jesus Maria Frias

Articles

Optimisation of short time blanching (steaming) was investigated using response surface methodology by analysing quality and microbial and nutritional markers over the shelflife of packaged fresh-cut lettuce. Steamer treatment time (5–10 s) and storage (1–10 days) were used as independent factors in order to optimise the process. Longer treatments (>10 s) were not feasible because of extensive damage caused to lettuce tissue. Significantly (p < 0.05) higher values of luminosity (L*), greenness (−a*) and sensory panel scores (fresh appearance, general acceptability and absence of browning) were obtained with samples treated for longer times with the steamer. Activity of browning-related enzymes present in photosynthetic tissue decreased in all the cases, however, longer treatment time (7.5–10 s) was needed with vascular tissues to reduce to similar activity values. These differences could be explained by the variation in tissue thickness. The longest steam treatment (10 s) reduced and maintained significantly (p < 0.05) lower mesophilic load than shorter treatments (5–8.5 s). However, significant (p < 0.05) decreases in vitamin C and carotenoids were observed in samples treated with longer treatments. Steamer treatment of 10 s could be considered the optimum time for maintaining the shelflife (mainly texture and browning) of fresh-cut lettuce for 7–10 days in optimum conditions.

Use Of Neutral Electrolysed Water (Ew) For Quality Maintenance And Shelf-Life Extension Of Minimally Processed Lettuce, Daniel Rico, Ana Belen Martin-Diana, Catherine Barry-Ryan, Jesus Maria Frias, Gary Henehan, José Barat

Articles

Experiments were conducted to determine the effectiveness of different treatments based on the use of neutral electrolysed water (EW) on fresh-cut lettuce. EW was diluted to obtain different free chlorine concentrations (120, 60 and 12 ppm) and compared with standard washing treatment of 120 ppm chlorine solution. Shelf-life quality and safety markers were studied at the beginning and at the end of the 7-day storage at 4 ºC. The use of EW decreased the respiration rate of the samples which might be related with the observed reduction in microbial spoilage. The use of EW also increased the activity of a …