Digital Commons Network^™

Varicella Seroepidemiology In United States Air Force Recruits: A Retrospective Cohort Study Comparing Immunogenicity Of Varicella Vaccination And Natural Infection, Joshua R. Duncan, Catherine T. Witkop, Bryant J. Webber, Amy A. Costello

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Background/Objectives: Infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV) produces lifelong immunity, but duration of post-vaccination immunity has not been established. The purpose of this study is to determine if a difference exists in the long-term seropositivity of anti-VZV antibodies in a cohort of young adults who were vaccinated against varicella as compared to a similar cohort with a history of chickenpox disease, and to determine which variables best predict waning seropositivity following varicella vaccination.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study captures immunization and serology data from approximately 10,000 recruits who entered basic military training between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2015, …

Hypothesis: Exosomal Micrornas As Potential Biomarkers For Schizophrenia, Vijaya Raghavan, Manish Bhomia, Isabel Torres, Sanjeev Jain, Kevin K. Wang

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder with lifelong morbidity and increased mortality. Currently, the diagnosis of the disorder is based on patient history and clinical examination, but it has a low inter-rater reliability and validity. Various biological variables, such as event related potentials, hormonal levels, brain ventricular volume and hippocampal size, have been put forth as objective markers to diagnose schizophrenia, but none with the desired sensitivity and specificity. It has been shown that microRNAs play a vital role in gene regulation in schizophrenia and have been proposed as possible biomarkers for the disease. When compared to the free microRNAs …

Cross-Species Transmission Potential Between Wild Pigs, Livestock, Poultry, Wildlife, And Humans: Implications For Disease Risk Management In North America, Ryan S. Miller, Steven J. Sweeney, Chris Slootmaker, Daniel A. Grear, Paul A. Di Salvo, Deborah Kiser, Stephanie A. Shwiff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Cross-species disease transmission between wildlife, domestic animals and humans is an increasing threat to public and veterinary health. Wild pigs are increasingly a potential veterinary and public health threat. Here we investigate 84 pathogens and the host species most at risk for transmission with wild pigs using a network approach. We assess the risk to agricultural and human health by evaluating the status of these pathogens and the co-occurrence of wild pigs, agriculture and humans. We identified 34 (87%) OIE listed swine pathogens that cause clinical disease in livestock, poultry, wildlife, and humans. On average 73% of bacterial, 39% of …

The Effects Of Demographic, Social, And Environmental Characteristics On Pathogen Prevalence In Wild Felids Across A Gradient Of Urbanization, Jesse S. Lewis, Kenneth A. Logan, Mat W. Alldredge, Scott Carver, Sarah N. Bevins, Michael Lappin, Sue Vandewoude, Kevin R. Crooks

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Transmission of pathogens among animals is influenced by demographic, social, and environmental factors. Anthropogenic alteration of landscapes can impact patterns of disease dynamics in wildlife populations, increasing the potential for spillover and spread of emerging infectious diseases in wildlife, human, and domestic animal populations. We evaluated the effects of multiple ecological mechanisms on patterns of pathogen exposure in animal populations. Specifically, we evaluated how ecological factors affected the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii (Toxoplasma), Bartonella spp. (Bartonella), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and feline calicivirus (FCV) in bobcat and puma populations across wildlandurban interface (WUI), low-density exurban development, and wildland habitat …

Effects Of Socs1 And Socs3 Peptide Mimetics On Macrophage Phagocytosis Of Malignant Cells, Colt Dylan Capan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Macrophages play a key role in both the innate and adaptive immune system responses to foreign materials. Suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins are known as regulators of the immune response through various JAK/STAT pathways. This study examined the roles of SOCS1 and SOCS3 peptide mimetics on the phagocytosis of fluorescently labeled malignant target cell by RAW264.7 murine macrophages. The malignant cells used were Neuro-2a cells, a murine neuroblastoma cell line. A prominent “eat me” signal found in neuroblastoma cells is calreticulin (CRT), which permits macrophages to recognize and then phagocytize the malignant cells. When M1 (pro-inflammatory) polarized macrophages were …

Dengue Virus Ns1 Protein As A Diagnostic Marker: Commercially Available Elisa And Comparison To Qrt-Pcr And Serological Diagnostic Assays Currently Used By The State Of Florida, J.H. Ambrose, S.D. Sekaran, A. Azizan

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Background. The proper management of patients infected with dengue virus requires early detection. Here, real-time molecular assays have proven useful but have limitations, whereas ELISAs that detect antibodies are still favored but results are obtained too late to be of clinical value. The production of DENV NS1 peaks early during infection and its detection can combine the advantages of both diagnostic approaches. Methods. This study compared assays currently used for detecting DENV infection at the Florida Department of Health including anti-DENV IgM and IgG ELISAs as well as qRT-PCR, against a commercially available DENV NS1 ELISA. These comparisons were made …

Confidence In Government And Attitudes Toward Bribery: A Country-Cluster Analysis Of Demographic And Religiosity Perspectives, Serkan Benk, Bahad?R Yüzba??, Robert W. Mcgee

College of Business and Economics

In this study, we try to classify the countries by the levels of confidence in government and attitudes toward accepting bribery by using the data of the sixth wave (2010-2014) of theWorld Values Survey (WVS). We are also interested in which demographic, attitudinal, and religiosity variables affect each class of countries. For these purposes cluster analysis, linear regression analysis, and ordered logistic regression analysis were used. The study found that countries could be grouped into two clusters which had varying levels of opposition to bribe taking and confidence in government. Another finding was that certain demographic, attitudinal, and religiosity variables …

Law In The Time Of Cholera, Rhett B. Larson

Notre Dame Law Review

Thousands die each day from infections related to water, as evidenced in the ongoing crises of cholera in Haiti, Zika in the Western Hemisphere, and Legionnaires’ Disease in Flint, Michigan. Yet water law focuses primarily on two agendas. First, the “Blue Agenda” aims to provide an equitable allocation of water to individuals and communities while encouraging sustainable water management. Second, the “Green Agenda” aims to efficiently protect water in the natural environment from pollution. These two agendas often ignore, and can be inconsistent with, the “Red Agenda.” The Red Agenda addresses prevention of waterborne infections, like cholera, and the habitat …

Sustained Nitric Oxide-Releasing Nanoparticles Interfere With Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Adhesion And Biofilm Formation In A Rat Central Venous Catheter Model., Mircea Radu Mihu, Vitor Cabral, Rodney Pattabhi, Moses T Tar, Kelvin P Davies, Adam J Friedman, Luis R Martinez, Joshua D Nosanchuk

Dermatology Faculty Publications

Staphylococcus aureus is frequently isolated in the setting of infections of indwelling medical devices, which are mediated by the microbe's ability to form biofilms on a variety of surfaces. Biofilm-embedded bacteria are more resistant to antimicrobial agents than their planktonic counterparts and often cause chronic infections and sepsis, particularly in patients with prolonged hospitalizations. In this study, we demonstrate that sustained nitric oxide-releasing nanoparticles (NO-np) interfere with S. aureus adhesion and prevent biofilm formation on a rat central venous catheter (CVC) model of infection. Confocal and scanning electron microscopy showed that NO-np-treated staphylococcal biofilms displayed considerably reduced thicknesses and bacterial …

Ptpro Represses Erbb2-Driven Breast Oncogenesis By Dephosphorylation And Endosomal Internalization Of Erbb2., H Dong, L Ma, J Gan, W Lin, Rakesh Kumar, +9 Additional Authors

Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

The plasma membrane-associated tyrosine phosphatase PTPRO is frequently transcriptionally repressed in cancers and signifies poor prognosis of breast cancer patients. In this study, deletion of Ptpro inMMTV-Erbb2 transgenic mice dramatically shortened the mammary tumor latency and accelerated tumor growth due to loss of Ptpro within the breast cancer cells but not in surrounding tissue as confirmed by hetero-transplantation studies. Both in vitro and in vivo data demonstrated that the phosphatase activity was required for the inactivation of ERBB2 and its downstream signaling. PTPRO regulated the phosphorylation status of ERBB2 at Y1248. Co-immunoprecipitation and proximity ligation assay (Duolink) indicated that …

Healthy Zoning, Matthew J. Parlow

Fordham Urban Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Stimulated Hyposalivary Flow Rates In Healthcare Students In An Interprofessional Awareness Educational Program Curriculum, R Constance Wiener

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Purpose. Hyposalivation influences quality of life and medication compliance. However, oral health knowledge (in general) and knowledge about hyposalivation (in particular) are often lacking in nondental healthcare professional’s curricula. Additionally, hyposalivation has not been adequately studied in young adults. The purpose for this study is twofold: to use an interprofessional educational curriculum to increase nondental healthcare students’ knowledge about oral health and salivary testing and determine whether hyposalivation is different between sexes in young adults. Method. First-year medical and pharmacy students () learned the process of saliva collection and provided samples in an interprofessional program. Results. There were 14.4% of …

A Fashi Lymphoproliferative Phenotype Reveals Non-Apoptotic Fas Signalling In Htlv-1-Associated Neuroinflammation., Soraya Maria Menezes, Fabio E Leal, Tim Dierckx, Ricardo Khouri, Daniele Decanine, Gilvaneia Silva-Santos, +Several Additional Authors

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV)-1 was the first human retrovirus to be associated to cancer, namely Adult T-cell Leukemia (ATL), but its pathogenesis remains enigmatic, since only a minority of infected individuals develops either ATL or the neuroinflammatory disorder HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). A functional FAS -670 polymorphism in an interferon (IFN)-regulated STAT1-binding site has been associated to both ATL and HAM/TSP susceptibility. Fashi T stem cell memory (Tscm) cells have been identified as the hierarchical apex of ATL, but have not been investigated in HAM/TSP. In addition, both FAS and STAT1 have been identified in an IFN-inducible HAM/TSP …

Nasopharyngeal Microbiome Diversity Changes Over Time In Children With Asthma, Marcos Pérez-Losada, Lamia Alamri, Keith Crandall, Robert J. Freishtat

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Background

The nasopharynx is a reservoir for pathogens associated with respiratory illnesses such as asthma. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been used to characterize the nasopharyngeal microbiome of infants and adults during health and disease; less is known, however, about the composition and temporal dynamics (i.e., longitudinal variation) of microbiotas from children and adolescents. Here we use NGS technology to characterize the nasopharyngeal microbiomes of asthmatic children and adolescents (6 to 18 years) and determine their stability over time.

Methods

Two nasopharyngeal washes collected 5.5 to 6.5 months apart were taken from 40 children and adolescents with asthma living in the …

Perspectives On Model Forecasts Of The 2014–2015 Ebola Epidemic In West Africa: Lessons And The Way Forward, Gerardo Chowell, Cecile Viboud, Lone Simonsen, Stefano Merler, Alessandro Vespignani

Global Health Faculty Publications

The unprecedented impact and modeling efforts associated with the 2014–2015 Ebola epidemic in West Africa provides a unique opportunity to document the performances and caveats of forecasting approaches used in near-real time for generating evidence and to guide policy. A number of international academic groups have developed and parameterized mathematical models of disease spread to forecast the trajectory of the outbreak. These modeling efforts often relied on limited epidemiological data to derive key transmission and severity parameters, which are needed to calibrate mechanistic models. Here, we provide a perspective on some of the challenges and lessons drawn from these efforts, …

Interrelationship Between Climatic, Ecologic, Social, And Cultural Determinants Affecting Dengue Emergence And Transmission In Puerto Rico And Their Implications For Zika Response., Angela Matysiak, Amira Roess

Global Health Faculty Publications

Objective

The global resurgence of dengue has been attributed to rapid population growth, urban expansion, increased air travel, globalization, and climate change. Dengue is now endemic in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is at risk for Zika, another emerging arbovirus. The interrelationship between climatic, ecological, social, and cultural factors that affect dengue and other arboviruses' transmission is understudied.

Design

The objective of this systematic review is to examine the interrelationship between climatic, ecological, social, and cultural factors on dengue transmission in Puerto Rico and to draw lessons for Zika response.

Results

A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed journal articles was performed, producing …

Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae In Barbados: Driving Change In Practice At The National Level., Corey Forde, Bryan Stierman, Pilar Ramon-Pardo, Thais Dos Santos, Nalini Singh

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) is of growing concern globally. The risk for transmission of antimicrobial resistant organisms across several continents to the Caribbean is a real one given its tourism industry. After a cluster of cases of CRKP were detected, several studies detailed in this report were initiated to better characterize the problem.

Methods

A hospital-wide point prevalence study and active surveillance were performed at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in Barbados in 2013 to assess the prevalence of CRKP infection/colonization. Following this, a 1-year longitudinal study measured the prevalence of CRKP isolates in the hospital and across all healthcare …

Part 5: The Scourge Of Opioids, Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

The number of opioid-induced deaths has skyrocketed in Hampton Roads. Approximately three-quarters of opioid addicts began their fall from grace with a legitimate prescription from a knowledgeable physician. We estimate the costs.

Species Translocations For Recovery: Transporting Populations, Conservation Implications, And Future Viability Under Climate Change, Danielle Husband

Theses & ETDs

Conserving biodiversity presents challenges in today’s highly modified and fragmented environment. In this study, I analyzed six imperiled western U.S. species, three avian species; California condor (Gymnogyps californianus), Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus), and Western bluebird (Sialia Mexicana) and three butterfly species; Palos Verdes blue butterfly (Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis), Taylor’s Checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha taylori), and Oregon Silverspot butterfly (Speyeria zerene hippolyta). I compiled recovery methods, biology and threats pertaining to each species’ translocation program. Within recovery plans, habitat restoration and captive breeding work to support wild population persistence in future years. Translocation is a management technique that encompasses …

The Manipulation Of Nature And Human Nature In Aldous Huxley’S Brave New World And Frank Herbert’S Dune, Taylor Allyn

Theses & ETDs

This thesis is an ecological reading of two works of fiction—Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Frank Herbert’s Dune. The thesis focuses on the ecological aspects of the two novels and the impacts and consequences of human manipulation as seen in the texts. The first chapter will delve into the manipulation of the natural world and the second will center on the manipulation of human nature. I will take into account ideas of power, awareness, control, and perception.

Terror And Territory: A Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of Isil, Robert Riley Strider

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), alternatively the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), is one of many non-state organizations that resulted from the extensive foreign intervention in the Middle East leading up to current conflicts there. Like the wider network that it used to be part of, ISIL is considered to be a great threat to modern first world countries. Using data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD), this paper analyzed the relationship between the amount of territory ISIL held from June 2014 to December 2015 and the attacks it carried out in that time, …

Immune Evasion By Division Of Labor: The Trophic Life Cycle Stage Of Pneumocystis Murina Suppresses Innate Immunity To This Opportunistic, Fungal Pathogen, Heather M. Evans

Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics

Pneumocystis species are opportunistic fungal pathogens that cause severe pneumonia in immunocompromised hosts, including AIDS patients. Pneumocystis species have a biphasic life cycle consisting of single-nucleated trophic forms and ascus-like cysts. Both stages live within the host, and, thus, must contend with threats from the host immune system. The cyst cell wall β-glucans have been shown to stimulate immune responses in lung epithelial cells, dendritic cells and alveolar macrophages. Little is known about how the trophic life forms, which do not have a fungal cell wall, interact with immune cells. In this study, the immune response to the life cycle …

National And State-Specific Shingles Vaccination Among Adults Aged >60 Years, Peng-Jun Lu, Alissa O'Halloran, Walter W. Williams, Rafael Harpaz

United States Public Health Resources

Introduction: Shingles (herpes zoster) causes substantial morbidity, especially among older adults. The shingles vaccine has been recommended for people aged >60 years since 2006. This study assessed recent shingles vaccination at national and state levels among adults aged >60 years.

Methods: The 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data were analyzed in 2015 to assess shingles vaccination coverage among adults aged >60 years at national and state levels. Multivariable logistic regression and predictive marginal models identified factors independently associated with vaccination.

Results: Shingles vaccination coverage among adults aged >60 years was 31.8% (95% CI=31.4%, 32.2%). Among states, shingles vaccination coverage …

Antibiotic Resistance And Diagnostic Tests: What You Need To Know, Antibiotic Resistance Action Center (Arac)

Antibiotic Resistance Action Center (ARAC)

No abstract provided.

Clinical And Mucosal Immune Correlates Of Hiv-1 Semen Levels In Antiretroviral-Naive Men., Brendan J W Osborne, Angie K Marsh, Sanja Huibner, Kamnoosh Shahabi, Cindy Liu, Tania Contente, Nico J D Nagelkerke, Colin Kovacs, Erika Benko, Lance Price, Kelly S Macdonald, Rupert Kaul

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background.

This study was done to characterize parameters associated with semen human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 ribonucleic acid (RNA) viral load (VL) variability in HIV-infected, therapy-naive men. Methods.

Paired blood and semen samples were collected from 30 HIV-infected, therapy-naive men who have sex with men, and 13 participants were observed longitudinally for up to 1 year. Human immunodeficiency virus RNA, bacterial load by 16S RNA, herpesvirus (Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus [CMV]) shedding, and semen cytokines/chemokines were quantified, and semen T-cell subsets were assessed by multiparameter flow cytometry. Results.

Semen HIV RNA was detected at 93% of visits, with >50% of men …

The Impact Of Collaborative Groups And Student Choice On Classroom Engagement: The Perspectives Of Students., Robert O. Johnson

Theses and Graduate Projects

Collaborative learning has been a well-researched topic that has consistently shown to increase student engagement, develop high level thinking, build self- esteem, and promotes a positive attitude toward the subject. These benefits are just the tip of the iceberg when dealing with both collaborative and cooperative leaming. With the overwhelming research that supports collaborative leaming, teachers are transitioning to effectively establish this style of teaching and learning in the classroom. Unfortunately, many collaborative and cooperative learning groups fall short of actually being considered these groups for a number of reasons (group arrangement, establishing norrns and positive interdependence). Teachers need to …

Squamous Epitheliotropism Of Enterovirus A71 In Human Epidermis And Oral Mucosa, W.K. Phyu, Kien Chai Ong, C.K. Kong, A.A. Khalil, T.M. Ramanujam, Kum Thong Wong

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a self-limiting paediatric infectious disease commonly caused by Enterovirus A71 (Genus: Enterovirus, Family: Picornaviridae). Typical lesions in and around the hands, feet, oral cavity and other places may rarely be complicated by acute flaccid paralysis and acute encephalomyelitis. Although virus is readily cultured from skin vesicles and oral secretions, the cellular target/s of Enterovirus A71 in human skin and oral mucosa are unknown. In Enterovirus A71-infected human skin and oral mucosa organotypic cultures derived from the prepuce and lip biopsies, focal viral antigens and viral RNA were localized to cytoplasm of epidermal and mucosal squamous cells as …

Systemic Sclerosis: Clinical Manifestations, Anesthetic And Orthopedic Considerations In A Patient, Obada Hasan, Muneeba Jessar, Muhammad Ashar, Shahryar Noordin, Tashfeen Ahmad

Section of Orthopaedic Surgery

Introduction: Systemic sclerosis is a rare and progressive multisystem autoimmune disorder that is characterized pathologically by vascular abnormalities, connective tissue sclerosis and atrophy of skin and various internal organs (e.g., alimentary tract, lungs, heart, kidney, CNS), and autoantibodies. With an unknown etiology, Scleroderma is a complex polygenetic disease. A recent Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) confirmed a strong association with the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) and autoimmunity. We provide a case scenario along with a review of the systems involved and challenges physicians can face in dealing with this rare disease.
Case Presentation: Our patient, a known case of systemic …

Sting Expression And Response To Treatment With Sting Ligands In Premalignant And Malignant Disease., Jason R Baird, Zipei Feng, Hong D Xiao, David Friedman, Ben Cottam, Bernard A Fox, Gwen Kramer, Rom S Leidner, Richard Bryan Bell, Kristina H Young, Marka R Crittenden, Michael J Gough

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Human papilloma virus positive (HPV+) tumors represent a large proportion of anal, vulvar, vaginal, cervical and head and neck squamous carcinomas (HNSCC) and late stage invasive disease is thought to originate from a premalignant state. Cyclic dinucleotides that activate STimulator of INterferon Genes (STING) have been shown to cause rapid regression of a range of advanced tumors. We aimed to investigate STING ligands as a novel treatment for papilloma. We tested therapies in a spontaneous mouse model of papilloma of the face and anogenital region that histologically resembles human HPV-associated papilloma. We demonstrate that STING ligands cause rapid regression of …

Milestone@Um, Volume 5, Number 1, 2017, Institute Of Research Management & Monitoring University Of Malaya

Archival Material (2010s)

No abstract provided.