Digital Commons Network^™

Orientia Tsutsugamushi Ankyrin Repeat-Containing Protein Family Members Are Type 1 Secretion System Substrates That Traffic To The Host Cell Endoplasmic Reticulum, Lauren Viebrock, Sean M. Evans, Andrea R. Beyer, Charles L. Larson, Paul A. Beare, Hong Ge, Smita Singh, Kyle G. Rodino, Robert A. Heinzen, Allen L. Richards, Jason A. Carlyon

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Scrub typhus is an understudied, potentially fatal infection that threatens one billion persons in the Asia-Pacific region. How the causative obligate intracellular bacterium, Orientia tsutsugamushi, facilitates its intracellular survival and pathogenesis is poorly understood. Many intracellular bacterial pathogens utilize the Type 1 (T1SS) or Type 4 secretion system (T4SS) to translocate ankyrin repeat-containing proteins (Anks) that traffic to distinct subcellular locations and modulate host cell processes. The O. tsutsugamushi genome encodes one of the largest known bacterial Ank repertoires plus T1SS and T4SS components. Whether these potential virulence factors are expressed during infection, how the Anks are potentially secreted, and …

Esat-6 Targeting To Dec205+ Antigen Presenting Cells Induces Specific-T Cell Responses Against Esat-6 And Reduces Pulmonary Infection With Virulent Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Aarón Silva-Sánchez, Selene Meza-Pérez, Adriana Flores-Langarica

Publications

Airways infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is contained mostly by T cell responses, however, Mtb has developed evasion mechanisms which affect antigen presenting cell (APC) maturation/recruitment delaying the onset of Ag-specific T cell responses. Hypothetically, bypassing the natural infection routes by delivering antigens directly to APCs may overcome the pathogen's naturally evolved evasion mechanisms, thus facilitating the induction of protective immune responses. We generated a murine monoclonal fusion antibody (α-DEC-ESAT) to deliver Early Secretory Antigen Target (ESAT)-6 directly to DEC205⁺ APCs and to assess its in vivo effects on protection associated responses (IFN-γ production, in vivo CTL killing, and …

University Of South Alabama College Of Medicine Annual Report For 2015-2016, College Of Medicine

COM Annual Reports

This Annual Report of the College of Medicine catalogues recent accomplishments of our faculty, students, residents, fellows and staff in teaching, research, patient care, scholarly and community service activities during the 2015-16 academic year.

Media Narratives And Drug Prohibition: A Content Analysis Of Themes And Strategies Promoted In Network News Coverage, 2000-2013, Maria M. Orsini

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Illicit drugs and drug users have been criminalized and stigmatized in social life and in mass media for more than a century in the United States. Researchers have reasoned that media accounts have contributed to the social construction of drug use as deviant behavior. Depictions of drugs and drug users which utilize alarmist rhetoric have been prevalent in media discourse and have targeted allegedly disreputable populations. The ideology which underpins drug prohibition, punitive public attitudes, and media sensationalism has contributed to the tendency of American society to disallow alternative approaches. This study examines the contribution of televised news broadcasts in …

Qualitative Theory Of Functional Differential And Integral Equations, Muhammad Islam, Cemil Tunc, Mouffak Benchohra, Bingwen Lui, Samir H. Saker

Mathematics Faculty Publications

Functional differential equations arise in many areas of science and technology: whenever a deterministic relationship involving some varying quantities and their rates of change in space and/or time (expressed as derivatives or differences) is known or postulated. This is illustrated in classical mechanics, where the motion of a body is described by its position and velocity as the time varies. In some cases, this differential equation (called an equation of motion) may be solved explicitly. In fact, differential equations play an important role in modelling virtually every physical, technical, biological, ecological, and epidemiological process, from celestial motion, to bridge design, …

Intake Of Erythrocytes Required For Reproductive Development Of Female Schistosoma Japonicum., Jipeng Wang, Shuqi Wang, Xiufeng Liu, Bin Xu, Riyi Chai, Pan Zhou, Chuan Ju, Jun Sun, Paul J. Brindley, Wei Hu

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

The reproductive development and maturation of female schistosomes are crucial since their released eggs are responsible for the host immunopathology and transmission of schistosomiasis. However, little is known about the nutrients required by female Schistosoma japonicum during its sexual maturation. We evaluated the promoting effect of several nutrients (calf serum, red blood cells (RBCs), ATP and hypoxanthine) on the reproductive development of pre-adult females at 18 days post infection (dpi) from mixed infections and at 50 dpi from unisexual infections of laboratory mice in basic medium RPMI-1640. We found RBCs, rather than other nutrients, promoted the female sexual maturation and …

An Improved Method For Generating Axenic Entomopathogenic Nematodes., Shruti Yadav, Upasana Shokal, Steven Forst, Ioannis Eleftherianos

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Steinernema carpocapsae are parasitic nematodes that invade and kill insects. The nematodes are mutualistically associated with the bacteria Xenorhabdus nematophila and together form an excellent model to study pathogen infection processes and host anti-nematode/antibacterial immune responses. To determine the contribution of S. carpocapsae and their associated X. nematophila to the successful infection of insects as well as to investigate the interaction of each mutualistic partner with the insect immune system, it is important to develop and establish robust methods for generating nematodes devoid of their bacteria.

FINDINGS: To produce S. carpocapsae nematodes without their associated X. nematophila bacteria, we …

Of Monkeys And Men: Immunomic Profiling Of Sera From Humans And Non-Human Primates Resistant To Schistosomiasis Reveals Novel Potential Vaccine Candidates., Mark S Pearson, Luke Becker, Patrick Driguez, Neil D Young, Soraya Gaze, Jeffrey M. Bethony, +12 Additional Authors

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Schistosoma haematobium affects more than 100 million people throughout Africa and is the causative agent of urogenital schistosomiasis. The parasite is strongly associated with urothelial cancer in infected individuals and as such is designated a group I carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Using a protein microarray containing schistosome proteins, we sought to identify antigens that were the targets of protective IgG1 immune responses in S. haematobium-exposed individuals that acquire drug-induced resistance (DIR) to schistosomiasis after praziquantel treatment. Numerous antigens with known vaccine potential were identified, including calpain (Smp80), tetraspanins, glutathione-S-transferases, and glucose transporters (SGTP1), as well …

Emergency Department Ultrasound Probe Infection Control: Challenges And Solutions, Hamid A. Shokoohi, Paige Armstrong, Ryan Tansek

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

Point-of-care ultrasound (US) has become a cornerstone in the diagnosis and treatment of patients in the emergency department (ED). Despite the beneficial impact on patient care, concern exists over repeat use of probes and the role as a vector for pathogen transmission. US probes are used for various applications, with the level of infection risk, based on the Spaulding Classification, ranging from noncritical with common practice to semicritical with endocavitary probes. To date, the most closely studied organisms are Staphylococcus aureus and human papilloma virus. Current evidence does confirm probe colonization but has not established a causative role in human …

Evaluation Of Social Media Utilization By Latino Adolescents: Implications For Mobile Health Interventions, Megan Landry, Amita Vyas, Monique Turner, Sara Nelson Glick, Susan Wood

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

Background: Trends in social media use, including sending/receiving short message service (SMS) and social networking, are constantly changing, yet little is known about adolescent’s utilization and behaviors. This longitudinal study examines social media utilization among Latino youths, and differences by sex and acculturation.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine Latino adolescents’ social media utilization and behavior over a 16-month period, and to assess whether changes in use differed by sex and acculturation.

Methods: This study included 555 Latino youths aged 13-19 who completed baseline and 16-month follow-up surveys. Prevalence of social media utilization and frequency, by sex …

Mapping Of Networks To Detect Priority Zoonoses In Jordan, Erin M. Sorrell, Mohammad El Azhari, Nezar Maswdeh, Sarah Kornblet, Claire J. Standley, Rebecca L. Katz, Ibrahim Ablan, Julie E. Fischer

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

Early detection of emerging disease events is a priority focus area for cooperative bioengagement programs. Communication and coordination among national disease surveillance and response networks are essential for timely detection and control of a public health event. Although systematic information sharing between the human and animal health sectors can help stakeholders detect and respond to zoonotic diseases rapidly, resource constraints and other barriers often prevent efficient cross-sector reporting. The purpose of this research project was to map the laboratory and surveillance networks currently in place for detecting and reporting priority zoonotic diseases in Jordan in order to identify the nodes …

Improving Newborn Care Practices Through Home Visits: Lessons From Malawi, Nepal, Bangladesh, And Uganda., Deborah Sitrin, Tanya Guenther, Peter Waiswa, Sarah Namutamba, Gertrude Namazzi, Srijana Sharma, K. C. Ashish, Sayed Rubayet, Subrata Bhadra, Reuben Ligowe, Emmanuel Chimbalanga, Elizabeth Sewell, Kate Kerber, Allisyn Moran

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Background: Nearly all newborn deaths occur in low- or middle-income countries. Many of these deaths could be prevented through promotion and provision of newborn care practices such as thermal care, early and exclusive breastfeeding, and hygienic cord care. Home visit programmes promoting these practices were piloted in Malawi, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Uganda.

Objective: This study assessed changes in selected newborn care practices over time in pilot programme areas in four countries and evaluated whether women who received home visits during pregnancy were more likely to report use of three key practices.

Design: Using data from cross-sectional surveys …

The Oral Bacterial Communities Of Children With Well-Controlled Hiv Infection And Without Hiv Infection., Brittany E. Goldberg, Emmanuel F. Mongodin, Cheron E. Jones, Michelle Chung, Claire M. Fraser, Anupama R. Tate, Steven L. Zeichner

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The oral microbial community (microbiota) plays a critical role in human health and disease. Alterations in the oral microbiota may be associated with disorders such as gingivitis, periodontitis, childhood caries, alveolar osteitis, oral candidiasis and endodontic infections. In the immunosuppressed population, the spectrum of potential oral disease is even broader, encompassing candidiasis, necrotizing gingivitis, parotid gland enlargement, Kaposi's sarcoma, oral warts and other diseases. Here, we used 454 pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes to examine the oral microbiome of saliva, mucosal and tooth samples from HIV-positive and negative children. Patient demographics and clinical characteristics were collected from a cross-section …

Bordered Silver Foam Dressings For Colorectal Surgical Patients, Jessica Maynard

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Although a surgical site infection (SSI) is a risk of an operative procedure, most are preventable (Health Protection Agency, 2009). The Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goal 7 stipulates the implementation of evidence-based practice for SSI prevention in acute care facilities. The purpose of this pilot project was to implement a bordered silver foam dressing protocol for post-operative colorectal surgical patients. Using a pre- and post-comparison design, the new dressing protocol was implemented for a two-month pilot for colorectal surgical patients meeting the specified criteria at Cabell Huntington Hospital. SSI rate following the protocol was compared to the SSI rate …

Per-Oral Immunization With Antigen-Conjugated Nanoparticles Followed By Sub-Cutaneous Boosting Immunization Induces Long-Lasting Mucosal And Systemic Antibody Responses In Mice., Savannah E Howe, Vjollca Konjufca

Publications

Food or water-borne enteric pathogens invade their hosts via intestinal mucosal surfaces, thus developing effective oral vaccines would greatly reduce the burden of infectious diseases. The nature of the antigen, as well as the mode of its internalization in the intestinal mucosa affects the ensuing immune response. We show that model protein antigen ovalbumin (Ova) given per-orally (p.o.) induces oral tolerance (OT), characterized by systemic IgG1-dominated antibody response, which cannot be boosted by sub-cutaneous (s.c.) immunization with Ova in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Intestinal IgA generated in response to Ova feeding diminished over time and was abrogated by s.c. immunization …

Antiretroviral Drug Use In A Cohort Of Hiv-Uninfected Women In The United States: Hiv Prevention Trials Network 064, Iris Chen, William Clarke, San-San Ou, Mark A. Marzinke, Autumn Breaud, Lynda M. Emel, Jing Wang, James P. Hughes, Paul Richardson, Danielle F. Haley, Jonathan Lucas, Anne Rompalo, Jessica E. Justman, Sally L. Hodder, Susan H. Eshleman

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Antiretroviral (ARV) drug use was analyzed in HIV-uninfected women in an observational cohort study conducted in 10 urban and periurban communities in the United States with high rates of poverty and HIV infection. Plasma samples collected in 2009–2010 were tested for the presence of 16 ARV drugs. ARV drugs were detected in samples from 39 (2%) of 1,806 participants: 27/181 (15%) in Baltimore, MD and 12/179 (7%) in Bronx, NY. The ARV drugs detected included different combinations of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and protease inhibitors (1–4 drugs/sample). These data were analyzed in the context of self-reported data on ARV drug …

Satellite Based Assessment Of Hydroclimatic Conditions Related To Cholera In Zimbabwe, Antarpreet Jutia, Haidar Aldaach, Hannah Billian, Ali Akanda, Anwar Huq, Rita Colwell

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Introduction

Cholera, an infectious diarrheal disease, has been shown to be associated with large scale hydroclimatic processes. The sudden and sporadic occurrence of epidemic cholera is linked with high mortality rates, in part, due to uncertainty in timing and location of outbreaks. Improved understanding of the relationship between pathogenic abundance and climatic processes allows prediction of disease outbreak to be an achievable goal. In this study, we show association of large scale hydroclimatic processes with the cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe reported to have begun in Chitungwiza, a city in Mashonaland East province, in August, 2008.

Principal Findings

Climatic factors in …

A Unique Set Of The Burkholderia Collagen-Like Proteins Provides Insight Into Pathogenesis, Genome Evolution And Niche Adaptation, And Infection Detection, Beth A. Bachert, Soo J. Choi, Anna K. Snyder, Rita V M Rio, Brandon C. Durney, Lisa A. Holland, Kei Amemiya, Susan L. Welkos, Joel A. Bozue, Christopher K. Cote, Rita Berisio, Slawomir Lukomski

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei, classified as category B priority pathogens, are significant human and animal pathogens that are highly infectious and broad-spectrum antibiotic resistant. Currently, the pathogenicity mechanisms utilized by Burkholderia are not fully understood, and correct diagnosis of B. pseudomallei and B. mallei infection remains a challenge due to limited detection methods. Here, we provide a comprehensive analysis of a set of 13 novel Burkholderia collagen-like proteins (Bucl) that were identified among B. pseudomallei and B. mallei select agents. We infer that several Bucl proteins participate in pathogenesis based on their noncollagenous domains that are associated with the …

Clinical Spectrum And Radiographic Features Of The Syndrome Of The Trephined, Cara L. Sedney, William Dillen, Terrence Julien

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Object: Craniectomy is a common neurosurgical procedure. Syndrome of the trephined (ST) occurring after craniectomy results in neurologic symptoms that are reversible with cranioplasty. While well-documented, previous literature consisted of case reports, symptom spectrum and risk factors have not been well characterized. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of 29 consecutive cases who underwent decompressive craniectomy within a 30-month period was performed. Patients were considered affected by ST if a previously stable neurological deficit improved within 3 weeks after cranioplasty. Prevalence of ST was measured and association with demographic information, clinical symptoms patterns, indication for and size of craniectomy, as …

Whole-Body Transcriptome Of Selectively Bred, Resistant-, Control-, And Susceptible-Line Rainbow Trout Following Experimental Challenge With Flavobacterium Psychrophilum, David Marancik, Guangtu Gao, Bam Paneru, Hao Ma, Alvaro G. Hernandez, Mohamed Salem, Jianbo Yao, Yniv Palti, Gregory D. Wiens

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Genetic improvement for enhanced disease resistance in fish is an increasingly utilized approach to mitigate endemic infectious disease in aquaculture. In domesticated salmonid populations, large phenotypic variation in disease resistance has been identified but the genetic basis for altered responsiveness remains unclear. We previously reported three generations of selection and phenotypic validation of a bacterial cold water disease (BCWD) resistant line of rainbow trout, designated ARS-Fp-R. This line has higher survival after infection by either standardized laboratory challenge or natural challenge as compared to two reference lines, designated ARS-Fp-C (control) and ARS-Fp-S (susceptible). In this study, we utilized 1.1 g …

Selection Of Single-Stranded Dna Molecular Recognition Elements Against Exotoxin A Using A Novel Decoy-Selex Method And Sensitive Detection Of Exotoxin A In Human Serum, Ka L. Hong, Kailey Yancey, Luisa Battistella, Ryan M. Williams, Katherine M. Hickey, Chris D. Bostick, Peter M. Gannett, Letha J. Sooter

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Exotoxin A is one of the virulence factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that can cause infections resulting in adverse health outcomes and increased burden to health care systems. Current methods of diagnosing P. aeruginosa infections are time consuming and can require significant preparation of patient samples. This study utilized a novel variation of the Systematic Evolution of Ligand by Exponential Enrichment, Decoy-SELEX, to identify an Exotoxin A specific single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecular recognition element (MRE). Its emphasis is on increasing stringency in directing binding toward free target of interest and at the same time decreasing binding toward negative targets. …

Seedling Performance Associated With Live Or Herbicide Treated Tall Fescue, Jonathan J. Halvorson, David P. Belesky, Harry W. Godwin

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Tall fescue is an important forage grass which can host systemic fungal endophytes. The association of host grass and endophyte is known to influence herbivore behavior and host plant competition for resources. Establishing legumes into existing tall fescue sods is a desirable means to acquire nitrogen and enhance the nutritive value of forage for livestock production. Competition from existing tall fescue typically must be controlled to ensure interseeding success. We used a soil-on-agar method to determine if soil from intact, living (L), or an herbicide killed (K) tall fescue sward influenced germination and seedling growth of three cultivars of tall …

In Vitro Selection Of A Single-Stranded Dna Molecular Recognition Element Against Clostridium Difficile Toxin B And Sensitive Detection In Human Fecal Matter, Ka L. Hong, Eamonn Maher, Ryan M. Williams, Letha J. Sooter

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Toxin B is one of the major virulence factors of Clostridium difficile, a bacterium that is responsible for a significant number of diarrhea cases in acute care settings. Due to the prevalence of C. difficile induced diarrhea, rapid and correct diagnosis is crucial in the disease management. In this study, we have employed a stringent in vitro selection method to identify single-stranded DNA molecular recognition elements (MRE) specific for toxin B. At the end of the 12-round selection, one MRE with high affinity  nM) for toxin B was identified. The selected MRE demonstrated low cross binding activities on negative targets: …

Diagnostic Approach For Monitoring Hydroclimatic Conditions Related To Emergence Of West Nile Virus In West Virginia, Antarpreet Jutla, Anwar Huq, Rita R. Colwell

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

West Nile virus (WNV), mosquito-borne and water-based disease, is increasingly a global threat to public health. Since its appearance in the northeastern United States in 1999, WNV has since been reported in several states in the continental United States. The objective of this study is to highlight role of hydroclimatic processes estimated through satellite sensors in capturing conditions for emergence of the vectors in historically disease free regions. We tested the hypothesis that an increase in surface temperature, in combination with intensification of vegetation, and enhanced precipitation, lead to conditions favorable for vector (mosquito) growth. Analysis of land surface temperature …

Speciesism: What Is It? What Should We Do About It?, Bianka Takaoka

Honors Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

Wellesley Magazine Winter 2015, Wellesley College Alumnae Association

Wellesley Magazine (Alumnae Association)

Featured in this issue:

Flight to the Arctic / by Deborah Cramer ’73

In Varsity Veritas / by Rebecca Binder

Portrait of an Activist as a Young Woman / by Catherine O'Neill Grace

The Evidence Does Not Speak For Itself: The Role Of Research Evidence In Shaping Policy Change For The Implementation Of Publicly Funded Syringe Exchange Programs In Three Us Cities, Sean T. Allen, Monica S. Ruiz, Allison O'Rourke

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND:

A breadth of literature exists that explores the utilization of research evidence in policy change processes. From this work, a number of studies suggest research evidence is applied to change processes by policy change stakeholders primarily through instrumental, conceptual, and/or symbolic applications, or is not used at all. Despite the expansiveness of research on policy change processes, a deficit exists in understanding the role of research evidence during change processes related to the implementation of structural interventions for HIV prevention among injection drug users (IDU). This study examined the role of research evidence in policy change processes for the …

A Case Of Phaeohyphomycosis Caused By Exophiala Oligosperma In A Renal Transplant Patient Successfully Treated With Posaconazole, A. C. Levy, S Rehman, D.A. Sutton, K.I. Burris, D.A. Hirschwerk, N.P. Wiederhold, J. Lindner, M. Bhaskaran, H.L. Rilo, E.P. Molmenti, +3 Additional Authors

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Hmgb1 Mediates Anemia Of Inflammation In Murine Sepsis Survivors, S. I. Valdes-Ferrer, J. Papoin, M. E. Dancho, L. P. S. Olofsson, J. Li, J. M. Lipton, P. Avancena, H. Yang, Y. R. Zou, S. S. Chavan, B. T. Volpe, S. Rivella, B. Diamond, B. M. Steinberg, L. Blanc, K. J. Tracey, +2 Additional Authors

Journal Articles

Patients surviving sepsis develop anemia but the molecular mechanism is unknown. Here we observed that mice surviving polymicrobial Gram-negative sepsis develop hypochromic, microcytic anemia with reticulocytosis. The bone marrow of sepsis survivors accumulates polychromatophilic and orthochromatic erythroblasts. Compensatory extramedullary erythropoiesis in the spleen is defective during terminal differentiation. Circulating TNF and IL-6 are elevated for five days after the onset of sepsis, and serum HMGB1 levels are increased from day seven until at least day 28. Administration of recombinant HMGB1 to healthy mice mediates anemia with extramedullary erythropoiesis and significantly elevated reticulocyte counts. Moreover, administration of anti-HMGB1 monoclonal antibodies after …

Effectiveness Of Fecal-Derived Microbiota Transfer Using Orally Administered Capsules For Recurrent Clostridium Difficile Infection, B. E. Hirsch, N. Saraiya, K. Poeth, R. M. Schwartz, M. E. Epstein, G. Honig

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), a complication of antibiotic-induced injury to the gut microbiome, is a prevalent and dangerous cause of infectious diarrhea. Antimicrobial therapy for CDI is typically effective for acute symptoms, but up to one third of patients later experience recurrent CDI. Fecal-derived microbiota transplantation (FMT) can ameliorate the underlying dysbiosis and is highly effective for recurrent CDI. Traditional methods of FMT are limited by patient discomfort, risk and inefficient procedures. Many individuals with recurrent CDI have extensive comorbidities and advanced age. Widespread use of FMT requires strategies that are non-invasive, scalable and applicable across healthcare settings. METHODS: …