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Internship Report Unep: The Effects Of Climate Change In Arctic Zones, Diana Cartaya-Acosta

Student Theses 2001-2013

Climate change or the significant alteration of major weather pattern distributions around the planet over long time periods, is one of the most significant phenomena currently affecting our planet.Arctic as one of the most sensitive zones in terms of damaged it is by climate change effects.The consequences of the many representations of climate change are distributed in a geographically unequal manner, therefore it is a global major concern to target and mitigate related issues that are already directly affecting several populations.

Even tough geographically distinct and distant populations are likely to face climate change related catastrophes at different rates, many …

Ozark Historical Review, 2012, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Department Of History

The Ozark Historical Review

No abstract provided.

Of Ticks, Mice And Men: Understanding The Dual-Host Lifestyle Of Lyme Disease Spirochaetes, Justin D. Radolf, Melissa J. Caimano

UCHC Articles - Research

In little more than 30 years, Lyme disease, which is caused by the spirochaete Borrelia burgdorferi, has risen from relative obscurity to become a global public health problem and a prototype of an emerging infection. During this period, there has been an extraordinary accumulation of knowledge on the phylogenetic diversity, molecular biology, genetics and host interactions of B. burgdorferi. In this Review, we integrate this large body of information into a cohesive picture of the molecular and cellular events that transpire as Lyme disease spirochaetes transit between their arthropod and vertebrate hosts during the enzootic cycle.

Exposure To Ozone Modulates Human Airway Protease/Antiprotease Balance Contributing To Increased Influenza A Infection, M. J. Kesic, M. Myer, R. Bauer, I. Jaspers

Physician Assistant Program

No abstract provided.

Utility Of Improvised Video-Camera Collars For Collecting Contact Data From White-Tailed Deer: Possibilities In Disease Transmission Studies, Michael J. Lavelle, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Aaron M. Hildreth, Tyler A. Campbell, David B. Long, David G. Hewitt, Jeff Beringer, K. C. Vercauteren

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Rapidly evolving electronic technology enables wildlife researchers to collect previously unobtainable data. To explore possibilities of using deer-borne cameras (DBCs) to collect behavioral data from an animal’s point of view, we constructed DBCs and deployed them on 26 adult male whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) within a closed population (405-ha fenced area) in southern Texas just prior to the breeding season during autumn 2010. Our DBCs consisted of global positioning system collars with attached motion-activated trail cameras. We obtained 21,474 video clips from 17 functional DBCs over a period of 14 days. Individual-based data are invaluable in disease and …

Spxa1 Involved In Hydrogen Peroxide Production, Stress Tolerance And Endocarditis Virulence In Streptococcus Sanguinis, Lei Chen, Xiuchun Ge, Xiaojing Wang, Jenishkumar R. Patel, Ping Xu

Philips Institute for Oral Health Research Publications

Streptococcus sanguinis is one of the most common agents of infective endocarditis. Spx proteins are a group of global regulators that negatively or positively control global transcription initiation. In this study, we characterized the spxA1 gene in S. sanguinis SK36. The spxA1 null mutant displayed opaque colony morphology, reduced hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production, and reduced antagonistic activity against Streptococcus mutans UA159 relative to the wild type strain. The ΔspxA1 mutant also demonstrated decreased tolerance to high temperature, acidic and oxidative stresses. Further analysis revealed that ΔspxA1 also exhibited a ~5-fold reduction in competitiveness in an animal model of …

Localization And Sub-Cellular Shuttling Of Htlv-1 Tax With The Mirna Machinery, Rachel Van Duyne, Irene Guendel, Zachary Klase, Aarthi Narayanan, William Coley, Elizabeth Jaworski, Jessica Roman, Anastas Popratiloff, Renaud Mahieux, Kylene Kehn-Hall, Fatah Kashanchi

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

The innate ability of the human cell to silence endogenous retroviruses through RNA sequences encoding microRNAs, suggests that the cellular RNAi machinery is a major means by which the host mounts a defense response against present day retroviruses. Indeed, cellular miRNAs target and hybridize to specific sequences of both HTLV-1 and HIV-1 viral transcripts. However, much like the variety of host immune responses to retroviral infection, the virus itself contains mechanisms that assist in the evasion of viral inhibition through control of the cellular RNAi pathway. Retroviruses can hijack both the enzymatic and catalytic components of the RNAi pathway, in …

Chapter 5, History, In Intimacy And Community In A Changing World: Sikaiana Life 1980-1993, William Donner

Sikaiana Ethnography

This chapter is a discussion of the legendary and the more recent recorded history of the Sikaiana people from the Solomon Islands.

A related website can be found at www.sikaianaarchives.com

Synapsis: Philadelphia Campus (2012), Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine

All Yearbooks

This yearbook includes American Medical Association (AMA), American Medical Student Association (AMSA), American Medical Women's Association (AMWA), Association of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP), Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA), Robert Berger, DO Pediatrics Society, Christian Medical Dental Association (CMDA), Kappa Sigma Phi, KSPh, (ΚΣΦ) Women's Osteopathic Society, Medical Students for Choice, Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (AMOPS), Muslim Student Medical Association, National Latino Health Organization (NLHO), Phi Sigma Gamma PSG, (ΦΣΓ) Fraternity, Physicians for Human Rights Club, Physicians for Social Responsibility Club, Sigma Sigma Phi SSPh, (ΣΣΦ) Honorary Osteopathic Service Fraternity, Student American Osteopathic Academy …

Relações Entre As Doenças Respiratórias E A Poluição Atmosférica E Variáveis Climáticas Na Cidade De Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil, Paulo R.B. Guimarães, Ricardo Berger, Fernando Lucambio Perez, Paulo Dt Dl Pires

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Neste estudo, foram observados níveis de concentrações de poluentes atmosféricos da cidade de Curitiba, no período de novembro de 2003 a junho de 2008, da estação automática de monitoramento da praça Ouvidor Pardinho. O objetivo foi desenvolver uma metodologia de modelagem estatística que explique o número de notificações de doenças respiratórias registradas em idosos (acima de 60 anos) e crianças (abaixo de 5 anos). Além das concentrações de poluentes, algumas variáveis climáticas foram analisadas. Após estudo de diversas metodologias estatísticas, considerou-se mais adequado o ajuste de Modelos Aditivos Generalizados para Locação, Escala e Forma. Os modelos ajustados apresentaram resultados satisfatórios …

Healthy You, Lehigh Valley Health Network

Healthy You

No abstract provided.

Triennial Report: 2009-2011, Geographical Information Science Center Of Excellence

GSCE Triennial Reports

Triennial Report Purpose [Page] 3

Geographical Information Science Center of Excellence [Page] 4

SDSU Faculty [Page] 6

EROS Faculty [Page] 13

Research Professors [Page] 18

Postdoctoral Fellows [Page] 21

GSE Ph.D Program [Page] 30

Ph.D. Students [Page] 31

Ph.D. Fellowships [Page] 44

Recent Ph.D. Graduates [Page] 45

Center Scholars Program and Masters Students [Page] 51

Research Staff [Page] 52

Administrative and Information Technology Staff [Page] 55

Computer Resources [Page] 58

Research Funding [Page] 60

Looking Forward [Page] 61

Appendix I Alumni Faculty and Staff

Appendix II Cool Faculty Research and Locations

Appendix III Non-Academic Fun Things To Do

Appendix IV …

Empiric Guideline-Recommended Weight-Based Vancomycin Dosing And Mortality In Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Ronald G. Hall Ii, Christopher A. Giuliano, Krystal K. Haase, Kathleen A. Hazlewood, Chistopher R. Frei, Nicolas A. Forcade, Sara D. Brouse, Todd Bell, Roger J. Bedimo, Carlos A. Alvarez

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

No studies have evaluated the effect of guideline-recommended weight-based dosing on in-hospital mortality of patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

Methods

This was a multicenter, retrospective, cohort study of patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia receiving at least 48 hours of empiric vancomycin therapy between 01/07/2002 and 30/06/2008. We compared in-hospital mortality for patients treated empirically with weight-based, guideline-recommended vancomycin doses (at least 15 mg/kg/dose) to those treated with less than 15 mg/kg/dose. We used a general linear mixed multivariable model analysis with variables identified a priori through a conceptual framework based on the literature.

Results

A total …

Increased Prevalence Of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Nasal Colonization In Household Contacts Of Children With Community Acquired Disease, Yaseen Rafee, Nahed Abdel-Haq, Basim Asmar, Tanaz Salimnia, Celine Pharm, Michael J. Rybak Pharm, Muhammad Amjad

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

To measure Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal colonization prevalence in household contacts of children with current community associated (CA)-MRSA infections (study group) in comparison with a group of household contacts of children without suspected Staphylococcus aureus infection (a control group).

Methods

This is a cross sectional study. Cultures of the anterior nares were taken. Relatedness of isolated strains was tested using pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).

Results

The prevalence of MRSA colonization in the study group was significantly higher than in the control group (18/77 (23%) vs 3/77 (3.9%); p ≤ 0.001). The prevalence of SA colonization was …

Long-Term Patterns Of An Estuarine Pathogen Along A Salinity Gradient, David Bushek, Susan E. Ford, Iris Burt

Journal of Marine Research

Parasitic, disease-causing pathogens can exert strong control over marine populations yet few long-term studies exist that describe these relationships. Understanding the connections to long-term large-scale processes relative to local short-term processes should facilitate better planning for disease impacts in the management of marine resources. We describe a 21-yr dataset of dermo disease (Perkinsus marinus) in eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) in Delaware Bay, USA. Analyses indicated (1) a strong positive association between disease and mortality that was non-linear and defined by thresholds, (2) a clear spatial gradient of increasing disease and mortality with increasing salinity, (3) an …

An Introduction To Ecology Of Infectious Diseases – Oysters And Estuaries, Eileen E. Hofmann, Susan E. Ford

Journal of Marine Research

Infectious diseases are recognized as an important factor regulating marine ecosystems (Harvell et al., 1999, 2002, 2004; Porter et al., 2001; McCallum et al., 2004; Ward and Lafferty, 2004; Stewart et al., 2008; Bienfang et al., 2011). Many of the organisms affected by marine diseases have important ecological roles in estuarine and coastal environments and some are also commercially important. Outbreaks of infectious diseases in these environments, referred to as epizootics, can produce significant population declines and extinctions, both of which threaten biodiversity, food web interactions, and ecosystem productivity (Harvell et al., 2002, 2004)...

Spatial And Temporal Variability Of Disease Refuges In An Estuary: Implications For The Development Of Resistance, Susan E. Ford, Emily Scarpa, David Bushek

Journal of Marine Research

Although the concept of genetic refuge has long been employed in ecological and paleoecological context, it has only rarely been used to identify regions where organisms are protected from diseases that affect the rest of a population. The refuges harbor individuals that have not been exposed to selective mortality and remain susceptible to the disease. They represent a reservoir of susceptibility alleles that can mix with those from resistant survivors of disease and can retard the development of resistance in the population as a whole. Two water-borne protistan parasites affect oysters along the east coast of the United States: Haplosporidium …

Manipulating Fate: Medical Innovations, Ethical Implications, Theatrical Illuminations, Karen H. Rothenberg, Lynn W. Bush

Faculty Scholarship

Transformative innovations in medicine and their ethical complexities create frequent confusion and misinterpretation that color the imagination. Placed in historical context, theatre provides a framework to reflect upon how the ethical, legal, and social implications of emerging technologies evolve over time and how attempts to control fate through medical science have shaped -- and been shaped by -- personal and professional relationships. The drama of these human interactions is powerful and has the potential to generate fear, create hope, transform identity, and inspire empathy -- a vivid source to observe the complex implications of translating research into clinical practice through …

Progress Notes, Lehigh Valley Health Network

Progress Notes

No abstract provided.

Annual Report (2012): At Your Best, Lehigh Valley Health Network

LVHN Annual & Statistical Reports

No abstract provided.

Annual Report (2012): Greater Hazleton Health Alliance; Community Service Report, Lehigh Valley Health Network

LVHN Annual & Statistical Reports

No abstract provided.

Division Of Research And Economic Development Annual Report For Fy2012, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

Annual report for the Division of Research and Economic Development of the University of Rhode Island for the year 2011-2012.

Includes statistics of project proposals, expenditures, URI Foundation Awards, previous annual report summaries and awards received by individual academic and administrative departments.

Effect Of Hla Dr Epitope De-Immunization Of Factor Viii In Vitro And In Vivo, Leonard Moise, Chang Song, William D. Martin, Ryan Tassone, Anne S. De Groot, David W. Scott

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

T cell-dependent development of anti-Factor VIII (FVIII) antibodies that neutralize FVIII activity is a major obstacle to replacement therapy in hemophilia A. To create a less immunogenic therapeutic protein, recombinant FVIII can be modified to reduce HLA binding of epitopes based on predicted anchoring residues. Here, we used immunoinformatic tools to identify C2 domain HLA DR epitopes and predict site-specific mutations that reduce immunogenicity. Epitope peptides corresponding to original and modified sequences were validated in HLA binding assays and in immunizations of hemophilic E16 mice, DR3 and DR4 mice and DR3 × E16 mice. Consistent with immunoinformatic predictions, original epitopes …

Toothbrush Contamination: A Review Of The Literature, Michelle R. Frazelle, Cindy L. Munro

School of Nursing Publications

Toothbrushes are commonly used in hospital settings and may harbor potentially harmful microorganisms. A peer-reviewed literature review was conducted to evaluate the cumulative state of knowledge related to toothbrush contamination and its possible role in disease transmission. A systematic review was conducted on adult human subjects through three distinct searches. The review resulted in seven experimental and three descriptive studies which identified multiple concepts related to toothbrush contamination to include contamination, methods for decontamination, storage, design, and environmental factors. The selected studies found that toothbrushes of healthy and oral diseased adults become contaminated with pathogenic bacteria from the dental plaque, …

A Program For Sustained Improvement In Preventing Ventilator Associated Pneumonia In An Intensive Care Setting, Raquel A. Caserta, Alexandre R. Marra, Marcelino S. Durão, Cláudia Vallone Silva, Oscar Fernando Pavao Dos Santos, Henrique Sutton De Sousa Neves, Michael B. Edmond, Karina Tavares Timenetsky

Internal Medicine Publications

Background Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common infection in the intensive care unit (ICU) and associated with a high mortality.

Methods A quasi-experimental study was conducted in a medical-surgical ICU. Multiple interventions to optimize VAP prevention were performed from October 2008 to December 2010. All of these processes, including the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) ventilator bundle plus oral decontamination with chlorhexidine and continuous aspiration of subglottic secretions (CASS), were adopted for patients undergoing mechanical ventilation.

Results We evaluated a total of 21,984 patient-days, and a total of 6,052 ventilator-days (ventilator utilization rate of 0.27). We found VAP rates of …

Inflammation, Coagulation And Cardiovascular Disease In Hiv-Infected Individuals, Daniel A. Duprez, Jacqueline Neuhaus, Lewis H. Kuller, Russell Tracy, Waldo Belloso, Stephane De Wit, Fraser Drummond, H. Clifford Lane, Bruno Ledergerber, Jens Lundgren, Daniel Nixon, Nicholas I. Paton, Ronald J. Prineas

Internal Medicine Publications

Background

The SMART study was a trial of intermittent use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) (drug conservation [DC]) versus continuous use of ART (viral suppression [VS]) as a strategy to reduce toxicities, including cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. We studied the predictive value of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and D-dimer with CVD morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected patients who were enrolled in SMART beyond other measured CVD risk factors.

Methods

A blood sample was available in 5098 participants who were enrolled in the SMART study for the measurement of IL-6, hsCRP and D-dimer. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% CI …

Catheter Related Bloodstream Infection (Cr-Bsi) In Icu Patients: Making The Decision To Remove Or Not To Remove The Central Venous Catheter, Rodrigo O. Deliberato, Alexandre R. Marra, Thiago D. Correa, Marines D. V. Martino, Luci Correa, Oscar Fernando Pavao Dos Santos, Michael B. Edmond

Internal Medicine Publications

Background

Approximately 150 million central venous catheters (CVC) are used each year in the United States. Catheter-related bloodstream infections (CR-BSI) are one of the most important complications of the central venous catheters (CVCs). Our objective was to compare the in-hospital mortality when the catheter is removed or not removed in patients with CR-BSI.

Methods

We reviewed all episodes of CR-BSI that occurred in our intensive care unit (ICU) from January 2000 to December 2008. The standard method was defined as a patient with a CVC and at least one positive blood culture obtained from a peripheral vein and a positive …

Developing Clinical Practice Guidelines: Target Audiences, Identifying Topics For Guidelines, Guideline Group Composition And Functioning And Conflicts Of Interest, Martin P. Eccles, Jeremy M. Grimshaw, Paul Shekelle, Holger J. Schünemann, Steven H. Woolf

Family Medicine and Population Health Publications

Clinical practice guidelines are one of the foundations of efforts to improve health care. In 1999, we authored a paper about methods to develop guidelines. Since it was published, the methods of guideline development have progressed both in terms of methods and necessary procedures and the context for guideline development has changed with the emergence of guideline clearing houses and large scale guideline production organisations (such as the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence). It therefore seems timely to, in a series of three articles, update and extend our earlier paper. In this first paper we discuss: the …

Treatment For Schistosoma Japonicum, Reduction Of Intestinal Parasite Load, And Cognitive Test Score Improvements In School-Aged Children, Amara E. Ezeamama, Stephen T. Mcgarvey, Joseph Hogan, Kate L. Lapane, David C. Bellinger, Luz P. Acosta, Tjalling Leenstra, Remigio M. Olveda, Jonathan D. Kurtis, Jennifer F. Friedman

Family Medicine and Population Health Publications

Background

To determine whether treatment of intestinal parasitic infections improves cognitive function in school-aged children, we examined changes in cognitive testscores over 18 months in relation to: (i) treatment-related Schistosoma japonicum intensity decline, (ii) spontaneous reduction of single soil-transmitted helminth (STH) species, and (iii) ≥2 STH infections among 253 S. japonicum-infected children.

Methodology

Helminth infections were assessed at baseline and quarterly by the Kato-Katz method. S. japonicum infection was treated at baseline using praziquantel. An intensity-based indicator of lower vs. no change/higher infection was defined separately for each helminth species and joint intensity declines of ≥2 STH species. In …

Identification And Characterization Of A Novel Calcium-Activated Apyrase Fromcryptosporidium Parasites And Its Potential Role In Pathogenesis, Patricio A. Manque, Ute Woehlbier, Ana M. Lara, Fernando Tenjo, João M. Alves, Gregory A. Buck

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Herein, we report the biochemical and functional characterization of a novel Ca2+-activated nucleoside diphosphatase (apyrase), CApy, of the intracellular gut pathogen Cryptosporidium. The purified recombinant CApy protein displayed activity, substrate specificity and calcium dependency strikingly similar to the previously described human apyrase, SCAN-1 (soluble calcium-activated nucleotidase 1). CApy was found to be expressed in both Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and sporozoites, and displayed a polar localization in the latter, suggesting a possible co-localization with the apical complex of the parasite. In vitro binding experiments revealed that CApy interacts with the host cell in a dose-dependent fashion, implying the presence of …