Digital Commons Network^™

An Assessment Of The Potential Success Of Translocation As A Conservation Strategy For Western Toads (Anaxyrus Boreas) At The Robert J. Bernard Biological Field Station, Maya Higgins

Scripps Senior Theses

In response to imminent habitat destruction at the Robert J. Bernard Biological Field Station (BFS), translocation was assessed as a conservation strategy for a population of Western toads (Anaxyrus boreas). Currently, the BFS is home to a relatively unstudied population of Western toads, which rely on the existence of a seasonal breeding pond in open land owned by Harvey Mudd College on the west side of the field station. Unfortunately, there are plans to develop this plot of land within the next few years and so the breeding pond will be destroyed. In an effort to protect the …

Increase In Isolation Of Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase Producing Multidrug Resistant Non Typhoidal Salmonellae In Pakistan., Kauser Jabeen, Afia Zafar, Seema Irfan, Erum Khan, Vikram Mehraj, Rumina Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background:Increasing resistance to quinolones and ceftriaxone in non typhoidal Salmonellae is a global concern. Resistance to quinolone and 3rd generation cephalosporin amongst non typhoidal Salmonellae (NTS) from Pakistan has been reported in this study.

Methods:

Retrospective analysis of laboratory data was conducted (1990-2006). NTS were isolated and identified from clinical samples using standard microbiological techniques. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by Kirby Bauer. Extended spectrum beta lactamase production (ESBL) was detected using combined disc method. Ciprofloxacin sensitivity was detected by nalidixic acid screening method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ciprofloxacin was determined by agar dilution method. Statistical analysis was …

Nonparametric And Semiparametric Analysis Of Current Status Data Subject To Outcome Misclassification, Victor G. Sal Y Rosas, James P. Hughes

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

In this article, we present nonparametric and semiparametric methods to analyze current status data subject to outcome misclassification. Our methods use nonparametric maximum likelihood estimation (NPMLE) to estimate the distribution function of the failure time when sensitivity and specificity may vary among subgroups. A nonparametric test is proposed for the two sample hypothesis testing. In regression analysis, we apply the Cox proportional hazard model and likelihood ratio based confidence intervals for the regression coefficients are proposed. Our methods are motivated and demonstrated by data collected from an infectious disease study in Seattle, WA.

Fractured Minds, Fractured Bodies: A Study On Gulf War Illness And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder In Gulf War Veterans, Kuwaiti Citizens, And Military Personnel, Caitlin Lea Dillon

Political Science Student Works

No abstract provided.

Volume 47, Number 35: April 21, 2010, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Uab's Whitley Asserts Urgent Need For New Antibiotics In Cdc Health-Care Blog, Staff

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Species Of Coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) Infecting Pikas From Alaska, U.S.A. And Northeastern Siberia, Russia, A. J. Lynch, Donald W. Duszynski, Joseph A. Cook

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Eighty-eight fecal samples from 2 species of pika, Ochotona collaris and Ochotona hyperborea, collected in Alaska (N = 53) and Russia (N = 35), respectively, were examined for the presence of coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae). Five oocyst morphotypes were observed. In O. collaris, we found Eimeria calentinei, Eimeria cryptobarretti, and Eimeria klondikensis, whereas in O. hyperborea, we found Eimeria banffensis, E. calentinei, E. cryptobarretti, E. klondikensis, and Isospora marquardti. This study represents new geographic records for all 5 coccidia and new host records for E. cryptobarretti and I. …

April 19, 2010 Reporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Role Of Dendritic Cells In Spontaneous Polychondritis: Pathogenesis And Prevention, Maninder Sidhu

Theses and Dissertations

Spontaneous polyarthritis (SA) is an autoimmune disease that develops spontaneously at 4 months of age in the HLA-DQ6αβ8αβ double transgenic (tg) mice. The disease is characterized by lymphocyte infiltration in joints leading to chronic polyarthritis in the extremities similar to human rheumatoid arthritis. Immature dendritic cells (iDCs) have a tolerogenic potential due to low expression of important costimulatory cell surface molecules required for antigen presentation and induction of an effective immune response. In this study it has been shown that injection of iDCs pulsed with chick type II collagen (CII) significantly delayed the onset and suppressed the severity of SA …

Cultural Significance Of The 14(H) (1) Historic Sites Of Southeast Alaska, Gail Marie Debaluz

Rural Development

The study provides a literary review of first person accounts regarding section 14 (h) (1) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). This subsection is the legal mechanism for Alaska Native Corporations (ANC's) to obtain title to historic sites. Historic sites include villages, seasonal camps and cemeteries. The 14 (h) (1) collection is a nationally unique library and invaluable resource for tribal members to enhance the understanding of indigenous knowledge. It offers a profound appreciation of our ancestor's fortitude in challenging circumstances, instilling strength toward maintaining our identity as a dynamic, living, culture. The dissertation imparts the conceptual framework …

Incidence And Determinants Of Birth Defects And Enzyme Deficiencies Among Live Births In Oman : A Review Of The 2005 National Register, Rajiv Khandekar, Yasmin Jaffer

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: In 2003, the Omani Ministry of Health Child Health Care Program initiated a national Birth Defects (BD) Register. This paper reviews the magnitude and risk factors of birth defects in children born and registered in 2005 using data from the BD Register. Methods: Pediatricians and neonatologists examined children with BDs found either during screening at birth or when attending clinics in their first year of their life. Clinical examination, laboratory, sonographic and radiological investigations were carried out. A pre-tested form was used to note personal details, type of birth defect including International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) codes of BD …

Rabies Virus In Arctic Fox (Vulpes Lagopus): A Study Of Pantropic Distribution, Lori A. Gildehaus

Biological Sciences

Rabies is endemic in Arctic foxes, in Alaska and other Arctic regions and cold temperatures may preserve the virus in Arctic climates in infected animal carcasses. These frozen carcasses may provide a source of infection throughout winters and thereby propagate the rabies virus within animal populations in the Arctic. It was hypothesized that rabies virus antigen is present in the soft tissues of naturally infected Arctic foxes, Vulpes lagopus. Using a direct rapid immunohistochemistry test (DRIT) and a fluorescent antibody test (FAT), thirteen organ tissues from twelve naturally infected and three experimentally infected Arctic foxes were tested. All tissues, except …

Sentinels Of Arctic Ecosystem Health: Polar Bear And Arctic Fox, Cassandra M. Kirk

Biological Sciences

Climate change is impacting human, wildlife, and ecosystem health in the Arctic. Currently, we lack sufficient information to fully appreciate the ramifications of these changes and are thus ill equipped for predicting, mitigating or adapting to the outcome of such impacts. Warming in the Arctic has generated a need for baseline information on biodiversity and ecosystem health such that change over time may be assessed. Sentinel species can be used to monitor and therefore, intervene to prevent adverse health outcomes before they manifest at the population level. This dissertation examines the use of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and arctic foxes …

Biotic Pest Damage Of Green Alder (Alnus Fruticosa ): Susceptibility To A Stem Disease (Valsa Melanodiscus) And Functional Changes Following Insect Herbivory, Jennifer K. Rohrs-Richey

Biological Sciences

Since the late 1990s, researchers have been predicting that a warming climate will lead to higher levels of plant disease damage. This appears to be the current trend in the boreal region; however, the level of complexity inherent to plant-pest interactions makes it difficult to make predictions across plant-pest systems. This study focuses on a boreal shrub in Alaska, Alnus fruticosa, which is currently a host to several insect and fungal pest species that are either already at epidemic status or have recently achieved epidemic status on other Alnus species in Alaska. Against the backdrop of a warming boreal forest, …

Pharmacology And Therapeutics Principles To Practice, Ragini Vaishnav

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Today - April 16, 2010, Loma Linda University

TODAY

Inside this issue:

-- Behavior Health Institute hosts opening ceremonies
-- LLU students travel to the Amazon
-- LLU School of Pharmacy students provide blood pressure screening and medication consultation during National Patient Safety Week
-- School of Public Health alumnus provides holistic healing for torture survivors in San Diego
-- Visiting Japanese students learn about respiratory care
-- LLU students receive scholarships during the 26th BALL Scholarship Banquet
-- Pediatric Wholistic Medicine Clinic to hold open house in new location
-- Vaneta Condon: A 52-year journey dedicated to the success of students
-- Board of Trustees report
-- School …

A Dna-Binding Peroxiredoxin Of Coxiella Burnetii Is Involved In Countering Oxidative Stress During Exponential-Phase Growth, Linda D. Hicks, Rahul Raghavan, James M. Battisti, Michael F. Minnick

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Coxiella burnetii is a Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen that resides within the harsh, acidic confines of a lysosome-like compartment of the host cell that is termed a parasitophorous vacuole. In this study, we characterized a thiol-specific peroxidase of C. burnetii that belongs to the atypical 2-cysteine subfamily of peroxiredoxins, commonly referred to as bacterioferritin comigratory proteins (BCPs). Coxiella BCP was initially identified as a potential DNA-binding protein by two-dimensional Southwestern (SW) blots of the pathogen's proteome, probed with biotinylated C. burnetii genomic DNA. Confirmation of the identity of the DNA-binding protein as BCP (CBU_0963) was established by matrix-assisted laser …

Tyrannobdella Rex N. Gen. N. Sp. And The Evolutionary Origins Of Mucosal Leech Infestations, Anna J. Phillips, Renzo Arauco-Brown, Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa, Gloria P. Gomez, María Beltrán, Yi-Te Lai, Mark E. Siddall

Publications and Research

Background: Leeches have gained a fearsome reputation by feeding externally on blood, often from human hosts. Orificial hirudiniasis is a condition in which a leech enters a body orifice, most often the nasopharyngeal region, but there are many cases of leeches infesting the eyes, urethra, vagina, or rectum. Several leech species particularly in Africa and Asia are well known for their propensity to afflict humans. Because there has not previously been any data suggesting a close relationship for such geographically disparate species, this unnerving tendency to be invasive has been regarded only as a loathsome oddity and not a unifying …

Dna Testing Of Blood Sample Not Effective For Identifying Cmv In Newborns, Says Uab Research, Staff

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Prophylactic And Therapeutic Efficacy Of Avian Antibodies Against Influenza Virus H5n1 And H1n1 In Mice, Huan H. Nguyen, Terrence M. Tumpey, Hae-Jung Park, Young-Ho Byun, Linh D. Tran, Van D. Nguyen, Paul E. Kilgore, Cecil Czerkinsky, Jacqueline M. Katz, Baik Lin Seong, Jae Min Song, Young Bong Kim, Hoa T. Do, Tung Nguyen, Cam V. Nguyen

Department of Pharmacy Practice

Background: Pandemic influenza poses a serious threat to global health and the world economy. While vaccines are currently under development, passive immunization could offer an alternative strategy to prevent and treat influenza virus infection. Attempts to develop monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been made. However, passive immunization based on mAbs may require a cocktail of mAbs with broader specificity in order to provide full protection since mAbs are generally specific for single epitopes. Chicken immunoglobulins (IgY) found in egg yolk have been used mainly for treatment of infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Because the recent epidemic of highly pathogenic avian …

The Collegian (2010-04-12), Julianna Sosa

UTB/TSC Archives - The Collegian [Newspaper]

Vol. 62, No. 25

Factors Associated With Institutionalization For Treatment Of Active Tuberculosis: A Synopsis From In-Depth Patient Interviews, Robert J. Mcdermott, Carol A. Bryant, Jeannine Coreil, Aimee R. Eden, Lori K. Buhi

Florida Public Health Review

To increase the effectiveness of therapeutic regimens for tuberculosis (TB) and to reduce the societal risks for both infected and uninfected individuals, it is beneficial to be able to predict factors associated with non-adherence to treatment. The purpose of this study was to acquire detailed case histories of TB patients admitted to a hospital setting and to gain a better understanding of how patients explain the life events leading up to their admission for treatment. Twenty-one patients with active TB were interviewed concerning their knowledge of TB, diagnosis and treatment history, recent history prior to hospitalization, reactions to and life …

Robert Koch, Creation, And The Specificity Of Germs, Alan L. Gillen, Douglas Oliver, Frank Sherwin

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Microbiology is dominated by evolution today. Just look at any text, journal article, or the topics presented at professional scientific meetings. Darwin is dominant.

Microbiology is dominated by evolution today. Just look at any text, journal article, or the topics presented at professional scientific meetings. Darwin is dominant. Many argue that “nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution” (Dobzhansky 1973). But it was not always this way. In fact, a review of the major founders of microbiology has shown that they were creationists.1 We would argue that a better idea thanevolution and one of much …

Life In The Florida Everglades: Bioarchaeology Of The Miami One Site, Cristina Echazabal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The bioarchaeology of prehistoric south Florida has been an area of archaeological interest for the last century because of the interplay between ancient populations and the unique environment of the Everglades. The purpose of this study is to analyze the pathology, demography and mortuary practice of the ancient Southeast Florida aboriginal population at Miami One to assess the similarity of Miami One to other south Florida populations during the prehistoric period. The Miami One site (8DA11) is one of many related sites located along the shore of the Miami River. It was continuously occupied from the Late Archaic (ca.1000 B.C.) …

International Health Regulations, Andrew Weber, Nicole Lurie, Scott Dowell, Julie E. Fischer, Jennifer Kates, Stephen Morrison

Health Policy and Management Faculty Posters and Presentations

On Tuesday, April 6, 2010, the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (GW SPHHS) hosted the annual Southby Distinguished Lectureship in Comparative Health Policy on the "International Health Regulations." This lectureship gave an overview of the U.S. Government's approach to addressing the challenges, policies, and opportunities related to both domestic and international implementation of the IHR (2005).

Introductory remarks were given by GW School of Public Health faculty, including Josef Reum, Interim Dean; Professor Sara Rosenbaum, Chair of the Department of Health Policy & Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy; Richard Southby, Executive Dean Emeritus; …

Inhibition Of Ship To Enhance Stem Cell Harvest And Transplantation, Caroline Desponts, Joseph Wahle, John Ninos, William G. Kerr

USF Patents

The instant invention teaches the inhibition of SHIP expression, or function, for the increased efficacy of autologous stem cell transplants. In another embodiment, interference with SHIP function can be used to temporarily expand and mobilize the hematopoietic stem cell compartment to assist with leukapheresis, to promote hematopoietic recovery after myeloablation treatments, to deplete target stem cell clones (such a leukemic clones and other tumor stem cell types), and to deplete, or damage, the repopulating ability of the endogenous hematopoietic stem cell pool in order to allow transplanted hematopoietic stem cells to better home and engraft and to promote in vivo …

Multi-Host Model-Based Identification Of Armillifer Agkistrodontis (Pentastomida), A New Zoonotic Parasite From China, Shao-Hong Chen, Qin Liu, Yong-Nian Zhang, Jia-Xu Chen, Hao Li, Ying Chen, Peter Steinmann, Xiao-Nong Zhou

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Background: Pentastomiasis is a rare parasitic infection of humans. Pentastomids are dioecious obligate parasites requiring multiple hosts to complete their life cycle. Despite their worm-like appearance, they are commonly placed into a separate sub-class of the subphylum Crustacea, phylum Arthropoda. However, their systematic position is not uncontested and historically, they have been considered as a separate phylum.

Methodology/Principal Findings: An appraisal of Armillifer agkistrodontis was performed in terms of morphology and genetic identification after its lifecycle had been established in a multi-host model, that is, mice and rats as intermediate hosts, and snakes (Agkistrodon acutus and Python molurus) …

Information And Incentives: Improving The Health Of New York City's Low-Income Population, Kathryn Linehan, Lisa Sprague

National Health Policy Forum

The National Health Policy Forum sponsored a site visit to New York City (NYC) in April 2010 to explore health care delivery for Medicaid beneficiaries and the uninsured in New York City’s hospital-dominated market. New York offers real-time examples of government policy and provider initiatives in health information technology (IT) and quality improvement being played out on a large, complex, and dynamic stage with multiple stakeholders. Site visit participants heard from providers and others who discussed efforts to improve the quality of care for low-income New Yorkers through a variety of methods, such as the adoption and use of electronic …

The Collegian (2010-04-05), Julianna Sosa

UTB/TSC Archives - The Collegian [Newspaper]

Vol. 62, No. 24

Urbanization Of Seven Springs, New Mexico:An Evaluation Of Current And Projected Impacts On Ground- And Surface-Water Resources, William S. Mcdonald

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

The village of Seven Springs, New Mexico, lies north of Fenton Lake in the valley of the Rio Cebolla in the Jemez Mountains of northern New Mexico. The valley is funnel shaped -- narrowest downstream -- with homes most densely packed at the bottom of the funnel. It is typical of many small communities scattered throughout the state in that residents rely on private wells for drinking water and on individual septic systems for disposal of household waste. The current population in the village and the valley is light -- about 50 permanent residents swelling to about 100 during the …