Digital Commons Network^™

Finland, Sweden, And Nato: From “Virtual” To Formal Allies?, Leo G. Michel

Strategic Forums

The “Open Door” policy of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has been an article of faith for Allies and aspirants alike for more than a decade. Its most recent formulation, approved at the November 2010 Lisbon Summit, states: “The door to NATO membership remains fully open to all European democracies which share the values of our Alliance, which are willing and able to assume the responsibilities and obligations of membership, and whose inclusion can contribute to common security and stability.”

Public Non-Commercial Use' Compulsory Licensing For Pharmaceutical Drugs In Government Health Care Programs, Pier Deroo

Michigan Journal of International Law

Suppose a relatively prosperous nation with universal public health coverage faces an HIV/AIDS crisis. It refuses to negotiate with the patent-holding manufacturers of the best antiretrovirals (ARVs) available, instead issuing compulsory licenses. Compulsory licenses permit the generic drug manufacturers designated in the compulsory licenses to make, use, import, and sell the patented ARVs without the permission of the patent owners, increasing competition and lowering prices. Realizing that drugs are much cheaper without patents, the nation decides to issue another round of compulsory licenses for an extensive list of patented drugs for its universal health care program. While improving public access …

Checkup, Lehigh Valley Health Network

Checkup

No abstract provided.

The Nlrp3 Inflammasome Instigates Obesity-Induced Inflammation And Insulin Resistance, Bolormaa Vandanmagsar, Yun Hee Youm, Anthony Ravussin, Jose E. Galgani, Krisztian Stadler, Randall L. Mynatt, Eric Ravussin, Jacqueline M. Stephens, Vishwa Deep Dixit

Faculty Publications

The emergence of chronic inflammation during obesity in the absence of overt infection or well-defined autoimmune processes is a puzzling phenomenon. The Nod-like receptor (NLR) family of innate immune cell sensors, such as the nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, pyrin domain-containing-3 (Nlrp3, but also known as Nalp3 or cryopyrin) inflammasome are implicated in recognizing certain nonmicrobial originated 'danger signals' leading to caspase-1 activation and subsequent interleukin-1β 2 (IL-1β 2) and IL-18 secretion. We show that calorie restriction and exercise-mediated weight loss in obese individuals with type 2 diabetes is associated with a reduction in adipose tissue expression of Nlrp3 as well …

The Effect Of Xylitol On The Growth Of Three Normal Oral Commensal Or Probiotic Bacteria, Laura Walters

Honors Theses

Xylitol is a pentitol often used as a sweetener in products such as chewing gum. It is recommended to prevent dental caries because of its inhibitory effect on the most common etiological agent of caries, Streptococcus mutans. Xylitol inhibits the growth of S. mutans by inhibiting its glycolysis, causing a futile cycle. It also inhibits the adhesion of S. mutans by reducing the expression of the gene gtfB, which causes the secretion of sticky substances. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of xylitol on normal oral bacteria, particularly commensal and probiotic strains. The strains tested were …

Barrier-Permeable Proxy Reporter Analysis, David Fries, Brian Gregson

USF Patents

Analysis of complex media (e.g.—blood and seawater) is difficult because the media are composed of particles of different sizes and chemical profiles. Disclosed is a method for the detection of a constituent in a medium that enhances the molecular selectivity of a detector by separating the detector from the medium by a membrane of specified permeability. Proxy reporters are employed to enhance particle specificity. The novel combination of the invention has application to chemical detection in a broad range of fields.

Is Wildlife Going To The Dogs? Impacts Of Feral And Free-Roaming Dogs On Wildlife Populations, Julie K. Young, Kirk A. Olson, Richard P. Reading, Sukh Amgalanbaatar, Joel Berger

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

In human-populated landscapes, dogs (Canis familiaris) are often the most abundant terrestrial carnivore. However, dogs can significantly disrupt or modify intact ecosystems well beyond the areas occupied by people. Few studies have directly quantified the environmental or economic effects of free-roaming and feral dogs. Here, we review wildlife-dog interactions and provide a case study that focuses on interactions documented from our research in Mongolia to underscore the need for studies designed to best determine how dogs affect native wildlife and especially imperiled populations. We suggest additional research, public awareness campaigns, and the exclusion of dogs from critical wildlife habitat. The …

An Intervention Study For Viral Hepatitis. Peer-Led Health Education Among High School Students, Hamit Acemoglu, Yilmaz Palanci, Turan Set, Serhat Vancelik, Memet Isik, Harun Polat

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To check the effectiveness of peer-led education in improving the knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of high school students regarding viral hepatitis (VH). METHODS: This study was conducted at 29 high schools in Erzurum city center, Turkey between February and May 2007. The study design is a prospective before-and-after intervention trial. In this study, 2930 students from 29 different schools were included. A total of 559 volunteer students were trained as peer educators. These students applied a standard education to their peers. RESULTS: The total knowledge scores of peer educators before was 7.99 ± 2.73, and 13.91 ± 3.85 after …

Development Of Prototype Gold Nanoparticle-Dased Immunoassays For The Detection Of Plasmodium Falciparum Hsp70, Bassem Samy Guirgis

Theses and Dissertations

Biomedical nanotechnology is providing revolutionary opportunities for the rapid and simple diagnosis of many infectious diseases. About half of the world's population are at risk of infection with malaria and diagnostic assays available either lack sensitivity and specificity or require expensive equipment, expertise or costly infrastructure; that are not usually available in countries where the disease is endemic. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive diagnostic tests for malaria for both high- and low-resource settings. In this study, we developed two prototype gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-based immunoassays for the detection of Plasmodium falciparum Heat Shock Protein …

Is Wildlife Going To The Dogs? Impacts Of Feral And Free-Roaming Dogs On Wildlife Populations, Julie K. Young, Kirk A. Olson, Richard P. Reading, Sukh Amgalanbaatar, Joel Berger

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

In human-populated landscapes, dogs (Canis familiaris) are often the most abundant terrestrial carnivore. However, dogs can significantly disrupt or modify intact ecosystems well beyond the areas occupied by people. Few studies have directly quantified the environmental or economic effects of free-roaming and feral dogs. Here, we review wildlife-dog interactions and provide a case study that focuses on interactions documented from our research in Mongolia to underscore the need for studies designed to best determine how dogs affect native wildlife and especially imperiled populations. We suggest additional research, public awareness campaigns, and the exclusion of dogs from critical wildlife habitat. The …

Salud Y Saludos: The E-News Of The College Of Health Sciences, College Of Health Sciences

College of Health Sciences

Electronic newsletter of the College of Health Sciences, February 2011

Integrative Approaches To Disease Control: The Value Of International Collaborations, Thomas J. Deliberto, Dale L. Nolte, William (Bill) H. Clay

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

One health and biodiversity issues are global and complex. As such, they require international collaboration if we hope to achieve the goal of minimizing disease impacts on humans and animals, while maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem integrity. This will require motivated teams to overcome barriers to collaboration, by focusing on the proven keys to success and developing networks of biological, physical and social scientists as well as decision-makers and stakeholders. These collaborations will require facilitation by governments and international organizations.

Finally, we must move towards a more holistic, transdisciplinary approach to international collaborations. New forms of knowledge, institutional structure and problem-solving …

Meningitis And Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Coverage Among Military Personnel In Central Saudi Arabia, Hesham I. Al-Khashan, Mohei A. Selim, Adel M. Mishriky, Abdulaziz A. Binsaeed

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To determine the meningitis and influenza vaccination coverage rates among Saudi military personnel in Riyadh (Central Military Region [CMR]), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, (KSA) and the socio-demographic factors that influence vaccination. METHODS: This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on a sample of 2286 military personnel from different army forces and different military ranks in CMR in KSA selected by a 2-stage stratified random sampling technique. A self-administered questionnaire designed for the National Military Health Survey was used with a section added for assessment of vaccination status. Data collection was carried out from May to August 2009. RESULTS: The …

Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis Caused By Naegleria Fowleri, Karachi, Pakistan., Sadia Shakoor, Mohammad Asim Beg,, Syed Faisal Mahmood, Rebecca Bandea, Rama Sriram, Fatima Noman, Farheen Ali,, Govinda S. Visvesvara, Afia Zafar

Department of Medicine

We report 13 cases of Naegleria fowleri primary amebic meningoencephalitis in persons in Karachi, Pakistan, who had no history of aquatic activities. Infection likely occurred through ablution with tap water. An increase in primary amebic meningoencephalitis cases may be attributed to rising temperatures, reduced levels of chlorine in potable water, or deteriorating water distribution systems.

Using Culture Independent Approaches To Gain Insights Into Human Urinary Tract Microbiome In Healthy Male And Female Individuals, Sarah Hussein El-Alawi

Theses and Dissertations

Here we present comprehensive insights into the diverse collection of bacterial communities that indigenously inhabit the urinary tract of healthy adult male and female individuals using cultivation independent techniques. Several studies address the importance of uncultured microbial flora that inhabits the human urinary tract in health and diseases. Thus, a deep and accurate understanding of the factors influencing this ecological niche and its microbiome is important to prevent possible infectious diseases. Genomic DNA was extracted from midstream urine samples collected from 4 adult, healthy and culture-negative male and female individuals at ages ranging from 18 to 40. Following PCR amplifications …

Size Or The Number Of Portal Tracts: Which Matters In A Liver Biopsy Core In Chronic Hepatitis C?, Om Parkash, Khalid Mumtaz, Zubair Ahmed, Saeed Hamid, Fatima Jafri, Wasim Jafri

Section of Gastroenterology

Liver biopsy has an important role in staging of fibrosis (SoF) and grading of inflammation (GoI) in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. The effect of size and number of portal tracts (NoP) on grading and staging of liver biopsy was evaluated. A total of 150 consecutive liver biopsy core (LBC) of patients with CHC were obtained. There were 98 (65.3%) males. Mean length of LBC was 1.45 ± 0.48 cm. Mean number of portal tracts (NoP) was 11±4.6. Mean length of LBC was greater (1.60±0.45 cm) in stage 4 (n=41; 27.3%) and lesser (1.28+0.39) in stage 1 (n=23; 15%, p=0.04). …

Comparative Gender Analysis Of The Efficacy And Safety Of Atazanavir/Ritonavir And Lopinavir/Ritonavir At 96 Weeks In The Castle Study., Kathleen E Squires, Margaret Johnson, Rong Yang, Jonathan Uy, Louise Sheppard, Judith Absalon, Donnie Mcgrath

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether the overall results of the CASTLE study pertain to both genders, we analysed the efficacy and safety of atazanavir/ritonavir and lopinavir/ritonavir in 277 female and 606 male patients in the open-label, multinational trial over 96 weeks. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00272779.

METHODS: Treatment-naive patients aged ≥ 18 years with HIV-1 RNA ≥ 5000 copies/mL were randomized to receive either atazanavir/ritonavir 300/100 mg once daily or lopinavir/ritonavir 400/100 mg twice daily, with fixed-dose tenofovir/emtricitabine 300/200 mg once daily.

RESULTS: At week 96, confirmed virological response rates (HIV RNA <50 copies>/mL; intent-to-treat analysis) were higher in …

Prevalence Of Resistance Associated Polymorphisms In Plasmodium Falciparum Field Isolates From Southern Pakistan, Najia Karim Ghanchi, Johan Ursing, Mohammad A. Beg, Maria I. Veiga, Sana Jafri, Andreas Martensson

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background:Scarce data are available on Plasmodium falciparum anti-malarial drug resistance in Pakistan. The aim of this study was, therefore, to determine the prevalence of P. falciparum resistance associated polymorphisms in field isolates from southern Pakistan.
Methods:
Blood samples from 244 Patients with blood-slide confirmed P. falciparum mono-infections were collected between 2005-2007. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (pfcrt K76T), multi drug resistance (pfmdr1 N86Y), dihydrofolate reductase (pfdhfr A16V, N51I, C59R, S108N, I164L) and dihydropteroate synthetase (pfdhps A436S, G437A and E540K) genes and pfmdr1 gene copy numbers were determined using PCR based methods.
Results:The prevalence …

A Retrospective Study Of Substance Use And Mental Health Disorders In A Sample Of Urban American Indian And Alaska Natives, Kathryn Aimee Fuller Phd

Dissertations

This retrospective study examined the prevalence of mental health disorders, co-occurring disorders (COD), and alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use (ATOD) among a sample of urban-dwelling adult American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) seeking behavioral health services from one metropolitan Indian clinic in Southwestern United States. A descriptive quantitative design employed retrospective data from AI/AN subjects (N = 123) verified as tribally enrolled and receiving outpatient behavioral health services. Chart abstraction included patient demographics, substance use and mental health diagnoses, and ATOD scores from the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Addiction Severity Index-NAV (ASI-NAV). The t-test compared gender differences …

Western News, Jan. 27, 2011, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Founding medical school dean announced; Carnegie Foundation lauds WMU's community engagement efforts; Service anniversaries for January; On Campus with Lisa Johnson.

Computer Simulations Of Heterologous Immunity: Highlights Of An Interdisciplinary Cooperation, Claudia Calcagno, Roberto Puzone, Yanthe E. Pearson, Yiming Cheng, Dario Ghersi, Liisa K. Selin, Raymond M. Welsh, Franco Celada

Interdisciplinary Informatics Faculty Publications

The relationship between biological research and mathematical modeling is complex, critical, and vital. In this review, we summarize the results of the collaboration between two laboratories, exploring the interaction between mathematical modeling and wet-lab immunology. During this collaboration several aspects of the immune defence against viral infections were investigated, focusing primarily on the subject of heterologous immunity. In this manuscript, we emphasize the topics where computational simulations were applied in conjunction with experiments, such as immune attrition, the growing and shrinking of cross-reactive T cell repertoires following repeated infections, the short and long-term effects of cross-reactive immunological memory, and the …

The Cord (January 19, 2011)

The Cord

No abstract provided.

Correcting Mortality For Loss To Follow-Up: A Nomogram Applied To Antiretroviral Treatment Programmes In Sub-Saharan Africa, Matthias Egger, Ben D. Spycher, John Sidle, Ralf Weigel, Elvin H. Geng, Matthew P. Fox, Patrick Macphail, Gilles Van Custem, Eugene Messou, Robin Wood, Denis Nash, Margaret Pascoe, Diana Dickinson

Publications and Research

Background

The World Health Organization estimates that in sub-Saharan Africa about 4 million HIV-infected patients had started antiretroviral therapy (ART) by the end of 2008. Loss of patients to follow-up and care is an important problem for treatment programmes in this region. As mortality is high in these patients compared to patients remaining in care, ART programmes with high rates of loss to follow-up may substantially underestimate mortality of all patients starting ART.

Methods and Findings

We developed a nomogram to correct mortality estimates for loss to follow-up, based on the fact that mortality of all patients starting ART in …

110 Years Of Avipoxvirus In The Galapagos Islands, Robert Ricklefs

Biology Department Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

110 Years Of Avipoxvirus In The Galapagos Islands, Patricia Parker, Elizabeth Buckles, Heather Farrington, Kenneth Petren, Noah Whiteman, Robert Ricklefs, Jennifer Bollmer, Gustavo Jiménez-Uzcátegui

Biology Department Faculty Works

The role of disease in regulating populations is controversial, partly owing to the absence of good disease records in historic wildlife populations. We examined birds collected in the Galapagos Islands between 1891 and 1906 that are currently held at the California Academy of Sciences and the Zoologisches Staatssammlung Muenchen, including 3973 specimens representing species from two well-studied families of endemic passerine birds: finches and mockingbirds. Beginning with samples collected in 1899, we observed cutaneous lesions consistent with Avipoxvirus on 226 (6.3%) specimens. Histopathology and viral genotyping of 59 candidate tissue samples from six islands showed that 21 (35.6%) were positive …

Child Work And Labour Among Orphaned And Abandoned Children In Five Low And Middle Income Countries, Rachel Whetten, Lynne Messer, Jan Ostermann, Kathryn Whetten, Brian Wells Pence, Megan Buckner, Nathan Thielman, Karen O’Donnell, The Positive Outcomes For Orphans (Pofo) Research Team

Faculty Publications

Background

The care and protection of the estimated 143,000,000 orphaned and abandoned children (OAC) worldwide is of great importance to global policy makers and child service providers in low and middle income countries (LMICs), yet little is known about rates of child labour among OAC, what child and caregiver characteristics predict child engagement in work and labour, or when such work infers with schooling. This study examines rates and correlates of child labour among OAC and associations of child labour with schooling in a cohort of OAC in 5 LMICs.

Methods

The Positive Outcomes for Orphans (POFO) study employed a …

Cytomegalovirus Antibodies In Dried Blood Spots: A Minimally Invasive Method For Assessing Stress, Immune Function, And Aging, Jennifer B. Dowd, Allison E. Aiello, Laura Chyu, Yuan-Yen Huang, Thomas W. Mcdade

Publications and Research

Background Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a prevalent herpesvirus with links to both stress and aging. This paper describes and validates a minimally invasive method for assessing antibodies against CMV in finger stick whole blood spot samples for use as an indirect marker of an aspect of cell-mediated immunity. Results Analysis of CMV in dried blood spot samples (DBS) was based on modifications of a commercially available protocol for quantifying CMV antibodies in serum or plasma. The method was evaluated through analysis of precision, reliability, linearity, and correlation between matched serum and DBS samples collected from 75 volunteers. Correlation between DBS and …

Complementary Feeding: A Global Network Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial, Nancy F. Krebs, K. Michael Hambidge, Manolo Mazariegos, Jamie Westcott, Norman Goco, Linda L. Wright, Marion Koso-Thomas, Antoinette Tshefu, Carl Bose, Omrana Pasha, Robert Goldenberg, Elwyn Chomba, Waldemar Carlo, Mark Kindem, Abhik Das, Ty Hartwell, Elizabeth Mcclure

Community Health Sciences

Background: Inadequate and inappropriate complementary feeding are major factors contributing to excess morbidity and mortality in young children in low resource settings. Animal source foods in particular are cited as essential to achieve micronutrient requirements. The efficacy of the recommendation for regular meat consumption, however, has not been systematically evaluated. Methods/Design: A cluster randomized efficacy trial was designed to test the hypothesis that 12 months of daily intake of beef added as a complementary food would result in greater linear growth velocity than a micronutrient fortified equi-caloric rice-soy cereal supplement. The study is being conducted in 4 sites of the …

Scientific Opinion Concerning The Welfare Of Animals During Transport, Efsa Panel On Animal Health And Welfare (Ahaw)

Transport of Farm Animals Collection

The Scientific Opinion on the welfare of animals during transport reviewed the most recent scientific information concerning the main farm species. New scientific evidence and consequent conclusions and recommendations were arranged following the structure of Annex I of EC Regulation 1/2005 . On fitness for transport, recommendations for cattle and poultry were focused on repeated humane handling and careful inspection prior to transport. On the means of transport, use of partitions in horse transport, compulsory fasting of pigs with provision of water at stops, and temperature limits for poultry were major recommendations. Maintaining stability of animal groups was recommended as …

January 12, 2011 Greenmail, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

GreenMail (student newsletter through 2024)

No abstract provided.