Digital Commons Network^™

Washington University Record, December 3, 2009

Washington University Record

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2009-12-03 [Front Page Has 2009-11-30]

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors And Innate Immunity In Septic Shock, Joseph Bertsche

Theses and Dissertations

Innate immunity depends on pattern recognition receptors, which recognize pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPS), such as Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), which detects the gram-negative bacterial toxin, lipopolysaccharide. Engagement of TLR4 by LPS sets off a cascade ending in the activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and interferon-β (IFN-β) which alerts the host to the infection. However, these responses can be mal-adaptive, especially in the context of bacterial sepsis, where a "cytokine storm" results in death of the host. Pharmacological modulation of these responses may therefore be a promising treatment modality. Inhibition of classic pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and TNF-α has been …

Examining The Effects Of Penning On Juvenile Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene Carolina Carolina), Nicolas Frederick

Theses and Dissertations

Box turtle (Terrapene carolina) populations have been declining over the last several decades, and one major cause is increasing urbanization. As a result of habitat fragmentation, wildlife managers are frequently turning to new and alternative management strategies. Traditional box turtle management has included relocation, which has been met with limited success. This study aims to combine these strategies with another less-studied one: forcing turtles to overwinter on site by penning them in an outdoor enclosure. Two sets of juvenile box turtles were released at the Virginia Commonwealth University Rice Center: one penned on site in a pen for one year, …

Reproductive Diseases Of Dairy Cattle, Christina Suzanne Tortosa

Dairy Science

The efficiency of today’s dairy has increased due to the growing number of cows per herd and the production of pounds of milk per cow. Increased milk production however has resulted in a reduction of conception rates causing a loss of income for the dairy producer since the dairy industry relies heavily on milk production, which is caused by good conception rates. Many reproductive disorders like dystocia, metritis, endometritis, and retained placenta affect conception rates, and can lead to metabolic diseases like rumen acidosis, milk fever, and displaced abomasums. Recurrent metabolic diseases can eventually lead to culling of the herd. …

Lameness And Locomotion Scoring Of Dairy Cows, Haley Lynne Aquino

Dairy Science

No abstract provided.

Daily Announcements December 2009, Wofford College. Office Of Marketing And Communications

Communications Office Daily Announcements

No abstract provided.

Tc17 Cd8 T Cells: Functional Plasticity And Subset Diversity, Adam J. Adler

UCHC Articles - Research

L-17-secreting CD8 T cells (Tc17) have been described in several settings, but little is known regarding their functional characteristics. While Tc1 cells produced IFN-γ and efficiently killed targets, Tc17 cells lacked lytic function in vitro. Interestingly, the small numbers of IFN-γ-positive or IL-17/IFN-γ-double-positive cells generated under Tc17 conditions also lacked lytic activity and expressed a similar pattern of cell surface proteins to IL-17-producing cells. As is the case for Th17 (CD4) cells, STAT3 is important for Tc17 polarization, both in vitro and in vivo. Adoptive transfer of highly purified, Ag-specific IL-17-secreting Tc17 cells into Ag-bearing hosts resulted in near complete …

Effect Of Hcv Rna Suppression During Peginterferon Alfa-2a Maintenance Therapy On Clinical Outcomes In The Halt-C Trial, Herbert L. Bonkovsky

UCHC Articles - Research

Background and Aims

The HALT-C trial demonstrated that low-dose peginterferon maintenance therapy was ineffective in preventing clinical outcomes in patients with chronic hepatitis C, advanced fibrosis and failure to achieve a sustained virologic response during lead-in phase treatment with standard dose peginterferon/ribavirin. This analysis was performed to determine if suppressing HCV RNA during the trial was associated with a reduction in clinical outcomes.

Methods

764 patients treated during the lead-in phase of HALT-C were randomized to either peginterferon alfa-2a (90 mcg/week) maintenance therapy or no treatment (control) for 3.5 years. Clinical outcomes included an increase in Child-Turcotte-Pugh score, ascites, spontaneous …

Progress Notes, Lehigh Valley Health Network

Progress Notes

No abstract provided.

Pharmacy & Therapeutics Update: Drug Information For Health Care Professionals, November/December 2009, Medical University Of South Carolina, Heather Kokko, Kelli Garrison, Jason Cooper, Chris Wisniewski, James New

Pharmacy & Therapeutics Update: Drug Information for Health Care Professionals

No abstract provided.

Experimental Population Dynamics Of Amyloodiniumocellatum In The Spotted Seatrout, Cynoscion Nebulosus, And The Red Snapper, Lutjanus Campechanus, Ignacio Masson

Dissertations

Amyloodinium ocellatum is a parasitic dinoflagellate that infects warm water marine bony fishes and causes high mortalities in aquaculture settings. It has three life history stages: the feeding trophont, the reproductive tomont, and the infective dinospore. This dissertation describes the characteristics of A. ocellatum infections in juvenile spotted seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus, and red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, studies the survival and fecundities of the stages in the life cycle of the parasite and presents a population model for A. ocellatum.

At 25°C and 33 ppt, the peak of trophont detachment occurred on day 2 postinfection in spotted seatrout and day 3 …

The Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia Burgdorferi, In Tick Species Collected From Raccoons (Procyon Lotor) And Opossums (Didelphis Virginiana) Trapped In The Warren And Barren Counties Of South Central Kentucky, Kristina Tackett

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The incidence of tick-borne zoonoses such as Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Lyme disease has steadily increased in the southeastern United States in recent years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the southeastern states accounted for 1,200 of the 27,000 total cases of Lyme disease reported in the U.S. in 2007. Although Ixodes scapularis is the most commonly recognized vector for the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, Dermacentor variabilis (a common vector for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever) also has been shown to be a viable host for this pathogen. The purpose of the present …

Comparing Perceptions Of The Nursing Profession Among Associate And Baccalaureate Nursing Students And Registered Nurses, Sherry R. Lovan

Nursing Faculty Publications

The inconsistencies between the perception of the profession of nursing and the reality of practice can lead to problems in student attrition or result in disillusionment with a career in nursing after a new graduate enters practice. With the nursing shortage reaching critical levels, it is important to examine possible discrepancies that exist and address strategies to reduce them.

For this study, a quantitative design was selected to explore how the perception of the nursing profession compared among first-semester associate degree nursing students, first-semester baccalaureate nursing students, and registered nurses. A convenience sample N = 238 included 69 ADN students, …

Improving Udder Health And Milk Quality, Michelle Flatt

Dairy Science

The objective of this study was to improve udder health and milk quality through the use of an on farm culture based treatment program. Milk samples were collected from mastitis cows, fresh cows, and high somatic cell count cows (cows with greater than 400,000 cells/mL in the last two DHIA tests) and cultured on bi plates; each side consisting of a selective medium for either gram positive bacteria and gram negative bacteria. The plates were then incubated for 24 hours and examined for growth. When growth was present, the infected quarter(s) were treated with cephapirin sodium for two consecutive milkings. …

Social Service Needs And Perceptions Of Low-Income Latinos In Metro Denver, Marissa M. Kaesemeyer

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

The Latino population has the highest uninsured rates among all racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Latinos are likely to be poor, and have difficulties accessing social services. The purpose of this study is to understand what social services Latinos need, as well as Latino perceptions regarding access to social services. In order to provide better social services and ultimately maintain good health, it is important for social service organizations to understand their clients' needs and perceptions. The research question is "What are the social service needs of low-income Latinos and how do they perceive access to these …

Benchmarks 2009, December 18, The Rockefeller University

BenchMarks 2009

BenchMarks. Friday, December 18, 2009

The community newsletter of The Rockefeller University

BenchMarks is published monthly and is distributed on the campus of The Rockefeller University. It produced by the Office of Communications and Public Affairs

0592 Health Care Task Force, Colorado Legislative Council

All Publications (Colorado Legislative Council)

No abstract provided.

The Arbitrator As Agent: Why Deferential Review Is Not Always Pro-Arbitration, Tom Ginsburg

Coase-Sandor Institute for Law & Economics Research Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Anticipatory Grief In The Context Of Dementia Caregiving., Caitlin Holley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigated the nature of anticipatory grief in a sample of dementia caregivers, and examined the relationship between anticipatory grief and caregiver burden. Anticipatory grief can be described as one's reaction to the impending death of a loved one, in addition to responses to other previously endured, ongoing, and anticipated losses. Interest in anticipatory grief has been inconsistent, and has typically focused on terminal diseases such as cancer. However, the issues involved in anticipatory grief are unique in the context of dementia due to the progressive deterioration of both cognitive and physical abilities. A total of 80 informal …

Global Genomic Analysis Reveals Rapid Control Of A Robust Innate Response In Siv-Infected Sooty Mangabeys, Steven E. Bosinger, Qingsheng Li, Shari N. Gordon, Nichole R. Klatt, Lijie Duan, Luoling Xu, Nicholas Francella, Abubaker Sidahmed, Anthony J. Smith, Elizabeth M. Cramer, Ming Zeng, David Masopust, John V. Carlis, Longsi Ran, Thomas H. Vanderford, Mirko Paiardini, R. Benjamin Isett, Don A. Baldwin, James G. Else, Silvija I. Staprans, Guido Silvestri, Ashley T. Hasse, David J. Kelvin

Qingsheng Li Publications

Natural SIV infection of sooty mangabeys (SMs) is nonprogressive despite chronic virus replication. Strikingly, it is characterized by low levels of immune activation, while pathogenic SIV infection of rhesus macaques (RMs) is associated with chronic immune activation. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying this intriguing phenotype, we used high-density oligonucleotide microarrays to longitudinally assess host gene expression in SIV-infected SMs and RMs. We found that acute SIV infection of SMs was consistently associated with a robust innate immune response, including widespread upregulation of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) in blood and lymph nodes. While SMs exhibited a rapid resolution of ISG expression and …

The Amino Terminus Of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Glycoprotein K (Gk) Modulates Gb-Mediated Virus-Induced Cell Fusion And Virion Egress, Vladimir N. Chouljenko, Arun V. Iyer, Sona Chowdhury, Dmitry V. Chouljenko, Konstantin G. Kousoulas

Faculty Publications

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)-induced cell fusion is mediated by viral glycoproteins and other membrane proteins expressed on infected cell surfaces. Certain mutations in the carboxyl terminus of HSV-1 glycoprotein B (gB) and in the amino terminus of gK cause extensive virus-induced cell fusion. Although gB is known to be a fusogenic glycoprotein, the mechanism by which gK is involved in virus-induced cell fusion remains elusive. To delineate the amino-terminal domains of gK involved in virus-induced cell fusion, the recombinant viruses gKΔ31-47, gKΔ31-68, and gKΔ31-117, expressing gK carrying in-frame deletions spanning the amino terminus of gK immediately after the …

Checkup, Lehigh Valley Health Network

Checkup

No abstract provided.

Longitudinal Analysis Of The Vaginal Microflora In Pregnancy Suggests That L. Crispatus Promotes The Stability Of The Normal Vaginal Microflora And That L. Gasseri And/Or L. Iners Are More Conducive To The Occurrence Of Abnormal Vaginal Microflora, Hans Verstraelen, Rita Verhelst, Geert Claeys, Ellen De Backer, Marleen Temmerman, Mario Vaneechoutte

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Despite their antimicrobial potential, vaginal lactobacilli often fail to retain dominance, resulting in overgrowth of the vagina by other bacteria, as observed with bacterial vaginosis. It remains elusive however to what extent interindividual differences in vaginal Lactobacillus community composition determine the stability of this microflora. In a prospective cohort of pregnant women we studied the stability of the normal vaginal microflora (assessed on Gram stain) as a function of the presence of the vaginal Lactobacillus index species (determined through culture and molecular analysis with tRFLP).

Results:From 100 consecutive Caucasian women vaginal swabs were obtained at mean gestational ages …

Identification And Genotyping Of Bacteria From Paired Vaginal And Rectal Samples From Pregnant Women Indicates Similarity Between Vaginal And Rectal Microflora, Nabil Abdullah El Aila, Inge Tency, Geert Claeys, Hans Verstraelen, Bart Saerens, Guido Lopes Dos Santos Santiago, Ellen De Backer, Piet Cools, Marleen Temmerman, Rita Verhelst

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: The vaginal microflora is important for maintaining vaginal health and preventing infections of the reproductive tract. The rectum has been suggested as the major source for the colonisation of the vaginal econiche.

Methods: To establish whether the rectum can serve as a possible bacterial reservoir for colonisation of the vaginal econiche, we cultured vaginal and rectal specimens from pregnant women at 35-37 weeks of gestation, identified the isolates to the species level with tRNA intergenic length polymorphism analysis (tDNA-PCR) and genotyped the isolates for those subjects from which the same species was isolated simultaneously vaginally and rectally, by RAPD-analysis. …

Environmental Implications Of Francisella Tularensis Biofilms, Jeffrey J. Margolis '00

Doctoral Dissertations

Francisella tularensis survives in one of the widest environmental ranges of any pathogen. Numerous mammals and arthropod vectors are infected by this highly virulent organism. How this zoonotic pathogen persists outside of its many hosts remains unexplored. We aimed to examine how F. tularensis interacts with environmental surfaces, and hypothesized that biofilm formation may enable survival of this organism in nature. By understanding the role these surface-attached bacterial communities play in F. tularensis ecology, we hope to gain insight into the mechanisms of environmental persistence and transmission of this pathogen.

We identify chitin as a potential non-host niche for F. …

The Role Of Multiple Ccaat-Binding Factors In Candida Albicans Gene Expression, Lashall Lynn Bates

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The CCAAT-binding factor is a heterooligomeric transcription factor that is evolutionarily conserved in eukaryotes. In yeast, the DNA-binding component that interacts with the CCAAT consensus sequence in promoters consists of the subunits termed Hap2p, Hap3p and Hap5p. In yeast and fungi, a fourth subunit, Hap4p, is required for regulating gene expression. The goal of this research is to understand the function of the Candida albicans CCAAT-binding factor and how it relates to virulence and pathogenicity. C. albicans is a human opportunistic pathogen responsible for a variety of mucosal and systemic infections that result in significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in …

Star–Tides And Starfish Networks: Supporting Stressed Populations With Distributed Talent, Linton Wells Ii, Walker Hardy, Vinay Gupta, Daniel Noon

Defense Horizons

The Department of Defense increasingly is involved in postwar stabilization and reconstruction, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions, capacity-building of partner nations at home and abroad, and other such complex operations. To provide sustainable support to stressed populations in these environments, an international, networked, knowledge-sharing research project called Sustainable Technologies, Accelerated Research–Transformative Innovation for Development and Emergency Support (STAR–TIDES)¹ encourages innovative approaches to public-private collaboration, whole-of-government solutions, and transnational engagement. It leverages a distributed network of people and organizations to conduct research, support real world contingencies, and bridge gaps among disparate communities.

Point-Of-Use Water Treatment Device For Disaster Relief, Patricia Marie Compas

Master's Theses

A point-of-use water treatment device and an optimal method for its use were developed. The specially-designed vessel is to be used with flocculation and disinfection agents, while also providing for clean water storage. Possible applications would be disaster relief, emergency preparedness, and outdoor recreation.

H1n1 Influenza A. Preliminary Evaluation In Hospitalized Patients In A Secondary Care Facility In Saudi Arabia., Tarig S. Al-Khuwaitir, Adnan S. Al-Abdulkarim, Abdullah A. Abba, Amin M. Yousef, Mustafa A. El-Din, Kazi T. Rahman, Mohammed A. Ali, Mohamed E. Mohamed, Nidal E. Arnous

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVES: To assess the epidemiologic and clinical manifestations of the first wave of H1N1 influenza A patients. METHODS: This study is a retrospective chart review of all patients admitted in King Saud Medical Complex, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from 22nd May to 31st August 2009, with a proven diagnosis of H1N1 influenza A. Only patients with a positive nasopharyngeal swab were included, and excluded when the swab was negative. Charts were then analyzed for epidemiological and clinical data. RESULTS: A total of 153 patients with proven H1N1 infection were admitted, with a predominance of male patients (108 [71%]). Most …