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Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - June 3, 2012, Lindsey Lyle

Watercooler Newsletter

This is the June 3, 2012 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine's newsletter - Watercooler.

Contents Include:

• USA College of Medicine Scientists Receive Historic $9 Million Research NIH Grant
• Community Leaders, Residents Meet at USA Medical Center to Discuss Crichton Beautification Initiative
• Snapshots: 1st Lung Bowl Competition
• Mark Your Calendars: AOA Visiting Professorship Lectures

Semester Courses And Course Equivalents: Graduate Courses Summary

Undergraduate Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee Wright State University Quarter to Semester Transition

A list comprised of summaries of all graduate courses and course equivalents at Wright State University.

Survey Study On Cholera Disease In South Baghdad, Mohammed J. L. Al-Obaidi

Baghdad Science Journal

The study includes collection of data about cholera disease from six health centers from nine locations with 2500km2 and a population of 750000individual. The average of infection for six centers during the 2000-2003 was recorded. There were 3007 cases of diarrhea diagnosed as cholera caused by Vibrio cholerae. The percentage of male infection was 14. 7% while for female were 13. 2%. The percentage of infection for children (less than one year) was 6.1%, it while for the age (1-5 years) was 6.9%and for the ages more than 5 years was 14.5%.The total percentage of the patients stayed in hospital …

Prescribed Reading: June 2012, Centracare Clinic

Prescribed Reading

• Health Care Matters: Taking ownership
• Help us learn more about the patient experience
• Patient Satisfaction Scorecard
• Welcome to these new providers
• Connecting with our Somali families
• Rieke making a difference in the community
• Kudos to ....
• Recognition for years of service
• Welcome to these new employees
• Expense reimbursement process unchanged
• Kidney program offers nocturnal dialysis

Using High Throughput Sequencing To Explore The Biodiversity In Oral Bacterial Communities, Patricia I. Diaz, A. K. Dupuy, L. Abusleme, B. Reese, C. Obergfell, Linda E. Choquette, Anna Dongari-Bagtzoglou, Douglas E. Peterson, Linda D. Strausbaugh

UCHC Articles - Research

High throughput sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicons is a cost-effective method for characterization of oral bacterial communities. However, before undertaking large-scale studies, it is necessary to understand the technique-associated limitations and intrinsic variability of the oral ecosystem. In this work we evaluated bias in species representation using an in vitro-assembled mock community of oral bacteria. We then characterized the bacterial communities in saliva and buccal mucosa of five healthy subjects to investigate the power of high throughput sequencing in revealing their diversity and biogeography patterns. Mock community analysis showed primer and DNA isolation biases and an overestimation …

Modeling The Effect Of Environmental Factors On The Spread Of Bacterial Disease In An Economically Structured Population, Ram Naresh, Surabhi Pandey

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

We have proposed and analyzed a nonlinear mathematical model for the spread of bacterial disease in an economically structured population (rich and poor) including the role of vaccination. It is assumed that rich susceptible get infected through direct contact with infectives in the same class and with infectives from the poor class who work as service providers in the houses of rich people, living in much cleaner environment. The susceptible in the poor class are assumed to become infected through direct contact with infectives in the same class as well as by bacteria present in their own environment, degraded due …

Progress Notes, Lehigh Valley Health Network

Progress Notes

No abstract provided.

Math Department Newsletter, 2012, University Of Dayton. Department Of Mathematics

Department of Mathematics Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Vasa-Like Dead-Box Rna Helicases Of Schistosoma Mansoni, Danielle E. Skinner, Gabriel Rinaldi, Sutas Suttiprapa, Victoria H. Mann, Pablo Smircich, Alexis A. Cogswell, David L. Williams, Paul J. Brindley

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Genome sequences are available for the human blood flukes, Schistosoma japonicum, S. mansoni and S. haematobium. Functional genomic approaches could aid in identifying the role and importance of these newly described schistosome genes. Transgenesis is established for functional genomics in model species, which can lead to gain- or loss-of-functions, facilitate vector-based RNA interference, and represents an effective forward genetics tool for insertional mutagenesis screens. Progress toward routine transgenesis in schistosomes might be expedited if germ cells could be reliably localized in cultured schistosomes. Vasa, a member of the ATP-dependent DEAD-box RNA helicase family, is a prototypic marker of …

A Mathematical Study On The Dynamics Of An Eco-Epidemiological Model In The Presence Of Delay, T. K. Kar, Prasanta K. Mondal

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In the present work a mathematical model of the prey-predator system with disease in the prey is proposed. The basic model is then modified by the introduction of time delay. The stability of the boundary and endemic equilibria are discussed. The stability and bifurcation analysis of the resulting delay differential equation model is studied and ranges of the delay inducing stability as well as the instability for the system are found. Using the normal form theory and center manifold argument, we derive the methodical formulae for determining the bifurcation direction and the stability of the bifurcating periodic solution. Some numerical …

Modeling And Analysis Of The Spread Of An Infectious Disease Cholera With Environmental Fluctuations, Manju Agarwal, Vinay Verma

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

A nonlinear delayed mathematical model with immigration for the spread of an infectious disease cholera with carriers in the environment is proposed and analyzed. It is assumed that all susceptible are affected by carrier population density. The carrier population density is assumed to follow the logistic model and grows due to conducive human population density related factors. The model is analyzed by stability theory of differential equations and computer simulation. Both the disease-free (DFE), (CFE) and endemic equilibria are found and their stability investigated. Bifurcation analyses about endemic equilibrium are also carried out analytically using the theory of differential equations. …

Aetc-Nmc E-News Issue 5, Aetc Staff

AETC-NMC e-News

No abstract provided.

South Dakota Animal Disease Research & Diagnostic Laboratory User's Guide, Animal Disease Research And Diagnostic Laboratory, South Dakota State University

South Dakota Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (ADRDL)

The ADRDL is an accredited AAVLD laboratory and a member of the USDA National Animal Health Network. This document is user's guide for the services provided by the Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory.

To What Degree Can Potable Water Foster International Economic Development And Sustainability? What Role Does Health Play?, Bruce Clemens, Thomas J. Douglas

Organization Management Journal

Governments, international organizations, and practitioners have long proclaimed that investments in potable water supply and sanitation and improvements in public health lead to economic development in the developing world. Unfortunately, scholars have not been able to quantify these relationships for a plethora of reasons. This study found significant, positive relationships between investments in integrated projects of potable water supply combined with sanitation and public health and economic development. The study also moderately supported the hypothesis that the relationship between investments in such projects and economic development is stronger in the presence of better health. The article concludes with hopes that …

Predictors Of Parent–Child Communication Among A Nationally Representative Sample In Nigeria, Christina J. Sun, Kristina Berg, Stella Babalola

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study explores what constructs are associated with parent–adolescent communication about AIDS/sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and sexual relationships in Nigeria. The analyses use data from the 2007 National HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health Survey on 2593 men and women who had at least one child over the age of 12 years. The respondents were classified as low, medium, or high communicators. Low communicators were parents who did not talk to their child about either AIDS/STIs or sexual relationships. Medium communicators were parents who discussed only one topic with at least one child. High communicators were parents who discussed both topics with …

The Design And Fabrication Of A Silicon Membrane For Electrostatic Actuation, Elizabeth L. Brooks

Materials Engineering

An electrostatically actuated silicon membrane was designed and fabricated utilizing a siliconon- insulator wafer. The SOI wafer contains three layers- a 400μm thick “handle” layer of silicon followed by a 2μm thick oxide layer topped with a 20μm thick “device” layer of silicon. The embedded oxide layer acts as an etch-stop during silicon etching, leaving a thin membrane of consistent thickness on the device side. The device dimensions were chosen to provide acceptable membrane deflection predicted by calculations and Finite Element Analysis. A microfabrication process plan was designed to produce thin membranes appropriate for electrostatic actuation. A 700nm layer of …

Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram: Development Of A Dna Microarray To Identify Markers Of Disease In Pearl Oysters (Pinctada Maxima) And To Assess Overall Oyster Health: Final Frdc Report – Project 2008/030, David Raftos, Sham Nair, Melanie Croxford, Brian J. Jones

Fisheries Research Reports

Objectives: 1. To construct a cDNA library using healthy and stressed oysters. 2. To design and print DNA microarray slides for the analysis of diseased states in pearl oysters (P. maxima). 3. To use the DNA microarray to identify molecular markers that differentiate between pearl oysters that are stressed from those that appear to be healthy. To use the DNA microarray to test for markers of adverse health in pearl oysters that appear to be affected by environmental stressors other than OOD.

Foodborne Illness Outbreak Response: A Snapshot Of Ohio, Calen Wherry

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Biosurveillance is one of the primary roles of local Public health offices. As the all-hazards (biological, chemical, and radiation emergencies) approach adds to the responsibilities already performed in foodborne illness outbreak response, it is crucial to assess the capabilities and robustness of the local public health Foodborne Illness (FBI) response. By surveying the most populated counties in Ohio with a checklist based on the 2009 Council for Improvement of Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR) guidelines, it was possible to obtain a snapshot of the current outbreak response capabilities. Though only one county reported 100% compliance with the checklist, the overall average …

Synthetic Biology: Does Re-Writing Nature Require Re-Writing Regulation?, Jordan Paradise, Ethan Fitzpatrick

Dickinson Law Review (1908-2003)

Technological advancements in the life sciences are continually pressing forward despite frequent and vocal resistance. Examples of such advancements include reproductive technologies, genetics, stem cell research, nanotechnology, and now synthetic biology. In May 2010, the J. Craig Venter Institute, a multidisciplinary scientific organization led by one of the first scientists to sequence the human genome, announced in the journal Science the creation of the first synthetic cell-a manmade, single-celled organism with the ability to self-replicate. While hailed as a monumental step forward for science, the response from opponents was swift: stop the science from going forward, keep the products off …

Dissection Of The Role Of The Stable Signal Peptide Of The Arenavirus Envelope Glycoprotein In Membrane Fusion, Emily L. Messina, Joanne York, Jack H. Nunberg

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The arenavirus envelope glycoprotein (GPC) retains a stable signal peptide (SSP) as an essential subunit in the mature complex. The 58-amino-acid residue SSP comprises two membrane-spanning hydrophobic regions separated by a short ectodomain loop that interacts with the G2 fusion subunit to promote pH-dependent membrane fusion. Small-molecule compounds that target this unique SSP-G2 interaction prevent arenavirus entry and infection. The interaction between SSP and G2 is sensitive to the phylogenetic distance between New World (Junin) and Old World (Lassa) arenaviruses. For example, heterotypic GPC complexes are unable to support virion entry. In this report, we demonstrate that the hybrid GPC …

Exposure To Host Ligands Correlates With Colocalization Of Gal/Galnac Lectin Subunits In Lipid Rafts And Phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-Bisphosphate Signaling In Entamoeba Histolytica, Amanda M. Goldston, Rhonda R. Powell, Amrita B. Koushik, Lesly A. Temesvari

Publications

Entamoeba histolytica is an intestinal parasite that causes dysentery and liver abscess. Parasite cell surface receptors, such as the Gal/GalNAc lectin, facilitate attachment to host cells and extracellular matrix. The Gal/GalNAc lectin binds to galactose or N-acetylgalactosamine residues on host components and is composed of heavy (Hgl), intermediate (Igl), and light (Lgl) subunits. Although Igl is constitutively localized to lipid rafts (cholesterol-rich membrane domains), Hgl and Lgl transiently associate with this compartment in a cholesterol-dependent fashion. In this study, trophozoites were exposed to biologically relevant ligands to determine if ligand binding influences the submembrane distribution of the subunits. Exposure …

In Vitro Coagulation Effects Of Ophthalmic Doses Of Bevacizumab, Kerry L. Laplante, Li, Paul B. Greenberg, Victoria Tseng, Suzanne B. Woodmansee, Aisling R. Caffrey, Wen-Chih Wu, Peter D. Friedmann

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Purpose: In vitro coagulation effects of bevacizumab, a drug with potential risks for severe hemorrhagic and arterial thromboembolic events (ATEs), are unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of bevacizumab, including the common ophthalmic dose of 1.25 mg, on the coagulation cascade.

Methods: Bevacizumab doses of 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 1.25, 2.0, 2.5, and 4.0 mg were incubated at 37 C in the presence of pooled normal plasma (PNP) to determine its biological activity via activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and prothrombin time (PT) at 30 min, 1 h, and 2 h. The control consisted …

Changing Epidemiology Of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus In The Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, 2002–2009, Aisling R. Caffrey, L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Purpose. The epidemiology of infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is changing. Temporal trends and differences between healthcare settings must be described in order to better predict future risk factors associated with this dangerous bacterial infection.

Methods. A national MRSA-infected cohort was identified from 2002 to 2009 in the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System of the United States: hospital (HOS), long-term care (LTC), and outpatient (OPT). We analyzed within-setting time trends using generalized linear mixed models and between-setting differences with χ² and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests.

Results. The incidence of S. aureus, methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA), …

Foreign Investment And Indigenous Peoples: Options For Promoting Equilibrium Between Economic Development And Indigenous Rights, George K. Foster

Michigan Journal of International Law

The quotations above refer to distinct conflicts that are widely separated by time and geography but remarkably similar in other respects. The first describes events leading to the Black Hills War of 1876, in which the U.S. Army forced the Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne onto reservations to make way for gold mining by non-Indians. The second describes a violent episode in a conflict between native groups and the Peruvian government, which began in 2009 when the government took steps to expand mining and oil operations by multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the Peruvian Amazon. In both cases, outside commercial interests …

Benchmarks 2012, June 22, The Rockefeller University

BenchMarks 2012

BenchMarks. Friday, June 22, 2012

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

Harvesting Murine Alveolar Macrophages And Evaluating Cellular Activation Induced By Polyanhydride Nanoparticles, Ana V. Chavez-Santoscoy, Lucas M. Huntlimer, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait, Michael J. Wannemeuhler, Balaji Narasimhan

Amanda Ramer-Tait Publications

Biodegradable nanoparticles have emerged as a versatile platform for the design and implementation of new intranasal vaccines against respiratory infectious diseases. Specifically, polyanhydride nanoparticles composed of the aliphatic sebacic acid (SA), the aromatic 1,6-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy)hexane (CPH), or the amphiphilic 1,8-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy)-3,6-dioxaoctane (CPTEG) display unique bulk and surface erosion kinetics and can be exploited to slowly release functional biomolecules (e.g. protein antigens, immunoglobulins, etc.) in vivo. These nanoparticles also possess intrinsic adjuvant activity, making them an excellent choice for a vaccine delivery platform.

In order to elucidate the mechanisms governing the activation of innate immunity following intranasal mucosal …

The Emerging Hiv Epidemic On The Mexico-U.S. Border: An International Case Study Characterizing The Role Of Epidemiology In Surveillance And Response, Steffaine Strathdee, Carlos Magis-Rodriguez, Richard Jimenez

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Purpose

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome surveillance data are critical for monitoring epidemic trends, but they can mask dynamic subepidemics, especially in vulnerable populations that underuse HIV testing. In this case study, we describe community-based epidemiologic data among injection drug users (IDUs) and female sex workers (FSWs) in two northern Mexico-U.S. border states that identified an emerging HIV epidemic and generated a policy response.

Methods

We draw from quantitative and qualitative cross-sectional and prospective epidemiologic studies and behavioral intervention studies among IDUs and FSWs in Tijuana, Baja California, and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua.

Results

The recognition that the HIV epidemic …

Comparing Anti-Vegf Antibodies And Aptamers On Paper Microfluidic-Based Platforms, Katherine Noel Clayton

Master's Theses

The field of microfluidics is expanding into what is known as paper microfluidics. This uses a paper platform rather than materials (i.e. PDMS, PMMA) that are commonly used in microfluidics research. Current devices require an expensive manufacturing process and external sources to power the device. Such devices are not practical in low resource environments. As a consequence, it is the goal of this Thesis to develop a three-dimensional, multiplexed assay chip using nitrocellulose membranes. This device comprises of multiple layers of nitrocellulose membranes with defined fluidic channels. The multiple layers are bound together using double backed tape, and imbedded between …

Flu Pandemics: Homeopathic Prophylaxis And Definition Of The Epidemic Genius, Renan Marino

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Recent studies on viral genetics establish swine-H1N1 - responsible for the ongoing pandemics - as a remainder or continuation of the agent causing the flu epidemics of 1918. This study aimed at analyzing whether this common etiology also result in significant correlations of clinical manifestations. To do so, data were collected to compare the clinical evolution of cases in the 1918 and 2009 epidemics. This historical revision was the ground for evaluating the response to treatment including homeopathy in the former epidemics. It is discussed the convenience of including homeopathic prophylaxis grounded on the diagnosis of the epidemic genius among …

Periprosthetic Joint Infection: Are Patients With Multiple Prosthetic Joints At Risk?, S Mehdi Jafari, David S Casper, Camilo Restrepo, Benjamin Zmistowski, Javad Parvizi, Peter F Sharkey

Rothman Institute Papers

Patients who present with a periprosthetic joint infection in a single joint may have multiple prosthetic joints. The risk of these patients developing a subsequent infection in another prosthetic joint is unknown. Our purposes were (1) to identify the risk of developing a subsequent infection in another prosthetic joint and (2) to describe the time span and organism profile to the second prosthetic infection. We retrospectively identified 55 patients with periprosthetic joint infection who had another prosthetic joint in place at the time of presentation. Of the 55 patients, 11 (20%) developed a periprosthetic joint infection in a second joint. …