Digital Commons Network^™

Identification Of Pp1 As The First Phosphatase For Irf7, Shunbin Ning, Ling Wang

ETSU Faculty Works

Excerpt: Interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 7 (IRF7) is phosphorylated and activated in response to pathogenic infections for production of type I IFNs

Assessing The Potential For Raw Meat To Influence Human Colonization With Staphylococcus Aureus, Margaret Carrel, Chang Zhao, Dipendra Thapaliya, Patrick Bitterman, Ashley E. Kates, Tara C. Smith

Geography Program: Faculty Publications

The role of household meat handling and consumption in the transfer of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) from livestock to consumers is not well understood. Examining the similarity of S. aureus colonizing humans and S. aureus in meat from the stores in which those individuals shop can provide insight into the role of meat in human S. aureus colonization. S. aureus isolates were collected from individuals in rural and urban communities in Iowa (n = 3347) and contemporaneously from meat products in stores where participants report purchasing meat (n = 913). The staphylococcal protein A (spa) gene was sequenced for all …

Empiric Antimicrobial Therapy In Patients With Healthcare-Associated, Hospital-Acquired, Or Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia In Septic Shock: Does Antimicrobial Reuse Influence Outcomes?, Nicole Stagge

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Appropriate empiric antimicrobial selection is crucial to the survival of septic shock patients. It is suspected that the use of inadequate empiric therapy occurs commonly in practice. The primary objective of this study was to determine if there is a difference in intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS) among septic shock patients with pneumonia who received adequate versus inadequate empiric antimicrobials. Adequate was defined as a lack of exposure to the same antimicrobial class and absence of previous cultures reporting resistance to the antimicrobial in the last 90 days. This was a retrospective cohort study of adult patients …

Mycobacterial Disease Overlooked In A Frail Diabetic Male Treated For Pneumonia, Aydin Tavakoli Md Msc, Glenn V. Dregansky Do

Research Day

Mycobacterial disease has been characterized to cause human illness since the 1950’s but practitioners whom address pulmonary disease can overlook its insidious presentation. This case report documents the presentation of a mycobacterial illness treated as a severe pneumonia. This is the case of a critically ill 43-year-old male, with poorly treated diabetes who presented with severe, long-standing respiratory distress in DKA. He had a history of weight loss, night sweats, decreased oral intake, and weakness for about a month. He was treated for euglycemia and his pulmonary disease was characterized as a bacterial pneumonia. Common pathogens were ruled out in …

Cryptococcal Empyema: A Rare Manifestation Of Disease, Mohamed Mortagy, Larry Lutwick, Stephen Breisach

Research Day

Introduction: Cryptococcus neoformans is a pathogenic yeast that is generally acquired by man from the environment via the respiratory route. Despite this route of acquisition, overt pulmonary infection is uncommonly diagnosed and the disease is usually manifest as a subacute meningitis which is mostly manifest in individuals who are celluarly immunoincompetent such as those on cancer chemotherapy, receiving anti-solid organ rejection medications and those with HIV/AIDS. Infection of the pleural space with C. neoformans is quite uncommon. We report a non-immunosuppressed man who was found to have infection of the pleural in the wake of bacterial empyema who was successfully …

Infection-Associated Mycobacterium Fortuitum Infection, Dennis T. Huang, Larry Lutwick

Research Day

Introduction: Mycobacterial species are unusual causes of skin and soft tissue infections and can be difficult to diagnose in the absence of consideration as they often require specific culture media and longer incubation times. We report a Mycobacterium fortuitum subcutaneous abscess in a diabetic related to medication injection that was initially diagnosed without specialized media or prolonged incubation times. Case Report: A 48 year old diabetic female developed a progressive subcutaneous swelling in the tissues of the right lower abdominal wall where she had been injecting liraglutide. Because of continued enlargement "to almost egg size" with pain, she was empirically …

2017 Ipm Annual Report—Women & Hiv Prevention: Expanding The Options, Empowering Women, International Partnership For Microbicides

International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM)

No abstract provided.

Parents In The Pipeline: Retaining Postdoctoral Researchers With Families, Jessica Lee, Joan C. Williams, Su Li

Center for WorkLife Law

No abstract provided.

Graduate Catalog 2017-2018, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Graduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Bis(N-Amidinohydrazones) And N-(Amidino)-N'-Aryl-Bishydrazones: New Classes Of Antibacterial/Antifungal Agents, Sanjib K. Shrestha, Liliia M. Kril, Keith D. Green, Stefan Kwiatkowski, Vitaliy M. Sviripa, Justin Robert Nickell, Linda Phyliss Dwoskin, David S. Watt, Sylvie Garneau-Tsodikova

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacterial and fungal strains poses a threat to human health that requires the design and synthesis of new classes of antimicr obial agents. We evaluated bis(N-amidinohydrazones) and N-(amidino)-N'-aryl-bishydrazones for their antibacterial and antifungal activities against panels of Gram-positive/Gram-negative bacteria as well as fungi. We investigated their potential to develop resistance against both bacteria and fungi by a multi-step, resistance-selection method, explored their potential to induce the production of reactive oxygen species, and assessed their toxicity. In summary, we found that these compounds exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal activities against most of …

Protocol For Surveying Bat Use Of Lava Tube Caves During Winter In Craters Of The Moon National Monument And Preserve, Version 1.0, Thomas J. Rodhouse, Kathleen Slocum, Todd Stefanic, Shawn Thomas, Meghan Lonneker, Gordon Dicus

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

The mission of the National Park Service (NPS) is “to conserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment of this and future generations” (NPS 1999). To uphold this goal, the Director of the NPS approved the Natural Resource Challenge to encourage national parks to focus on the preservation of the nation’s natural heritage through science, natural resource inventories, and expanded resource monitoring (NPS 1999). Through the Challenge, 270 parks in the national park system were organized into 32 inventory and monitoring (I&M) networks.

The Upper Columbia Basin Network Inventory …

Vital Signs, Winter 2017, Boonshoft School Of Medicine

Vital Signs

A forty eight page newsletter created by the Boonshoft School of Medicine to document the current affairs of the school. This issue includes a variety of feature articles, a research spotlight, alumni notes, and more.

Genomic Vs. Non-Genomic Role Of The Ahr In Human Immunoglobulin Expression, Nasser Alhamdan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The immunoglobulin heavy chain gene (Igh) in various animal models is regulated by numerous regulatory elements including the 3'Igh regulatory region (3'IghRR). Several transcription factors are involved in modulating the 3'R including the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The AhR is a ligand-activated transcription factor that mediates the transcription of genes involved in the metabolism of environmental toxicants such as TCDD. TCDD binds AhR and regulates immunoglobulin (Ig) expression in B cells. This modulation appears to be directly mediated by binding of the AhR to dioxin response elements (DRE) within the 3'IghRR. In human B cells, IgG secretion inhibited by TCDD …

A Guide To Common Skin Disorders While Pregnant, Debra Henline Sullivan, Virginia Sullivan

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

During pregnancy, mothers strive to maintain good health and to promote the health of their babies. Having a chronic or acute skin condition during pregnancy could cause fear that treating these conditions could cause harm to their unborn child (American Academy of Dermatology [AAD], 2016). Women will need and seek guidance before and during their pregnancies as well as during lactation, when skin disorders affect them. The childbirth educator would benefit from a basic knowledge base to answer questions that may arise regarding various skin problems during the childbirth experience. This article will define and discuss treatment for some of …

Impact Of Simultaneous Exposure To Arboviruses On Infection And Transmission By Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes, Claudia Rückert, James Weger-Lucarelli, Selene M. Garcia-Luna, Michael C. Young, Alex D. Byas, Reyes A. Murrieta, Joseph R. Fauver, Gregory D. Ebel

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The recent emergence of both chikungunya and Zika viruses in the Americas has significantly expanded their distribution and has thus increased the possibility that individuals may become infected by more than one Aedes aegypti-borne virus at a time. Recent clinical data support an increase in the frequency of coinfection in human patients, raising the likelihood that mosquitoes could be exposed to multiple arboviruses during one feeding episode. The impact of coinfection on the ability of relevant vector species to transmit any of these viruses (that is, their vector competence) has not been determined. Thus, we here expose Ae. aegypti mosquitoes …

A Guide To The California Immunization Registry And Its Use To Enhance The Delivery Of Immunization Services, Albert Bach, Jeffery A. Goad, Steven P. Nickell

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Pharmacists in California are assuming a greater role as independent providers of immunizations for children and adults under Senate Bill 493 (SB 493). One of the requirements for pharmacists as independent providers of immunizations in California is that they must report their administered doses to the California immunization registry system (CAIR). The National Vaccine Advisory Committee Standards for Immunization Practice also supports this practice by recommending that all immunizing providers report vaccinations to their local and state immunization information systems (IIS). This document presents background and specific features of CAIR; best practice recommendations for the use of IIS lookup, forecasting, …

Evaluating Adherence To The Sepsis Bundle And The Effectiveness Of Best Practice Alerts, Kate M. Burnett

DNP Projects

PURPOSE: To evaluate the adherence to the CMS sepsis recommendations and sepsis bundle used by the study health system before and after the implementation of Best Practice Alerts (BPAs) and assessing the effect of these alerts on patient outcomes.

METHODS: The study was a single-center, process evaluation through a retrospective chart review within a southwest healthcare system. The sample consisted of 73 patients for the pre-implementation period (May 1, 2016-September 7, 2016) and 75 patients for the post-implementation period (September 8, 2016-April 30, 2017).

RESULTS: No major differences were found between the two groups with regard to patient age, ethnicity, …

The Effect Of A Patient And Provider Education Program On Antibiotic Overuse In Respiratory Tract Infections In A Rural Primary Care Population, Erin Chiswell

DNP Projects

Objective: In the “walk-in” portion of the Jessamine Medical and Diagnostic Center (JMC) primary care (PC) practice in Jessamine County, Kentucky, a combination patient and provider education program was implemented to assess its effects on antibiotic prescribing in respiratory tract infections (RTIs). The goal was to conduct an evaluation of the patient and provider education program at JMC, by specifically examining changes in immediate antibiotic prescribing in RTI (i.e., prescription given during visit to start taking immediately) one-year after implementation of the education program (March 1, 2015- February 28, 2016).

Methods: Utilizing a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, a retrospective electronic medical …

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Of Leptospira Spp. Isolated From Environmental, Human And Animal Sources In Malaysia, D. Benacer, S.N. Mohd Zain, P.T. Ooi, Kwai Lin Thong

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis with worldwide distribution caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus Leptospira. The aim of this study was to evaluate the susceptibility of isolates obtained from different hosts. A total of 65 Leptospira isolates from humans (n = 1), zoonoses (rat, n = 60; dog, n = 1; swine, n = 1) and environment (n = 2) were tested against six antibiotics. All the isolates were resistant to trimethoprim and sulphamethoxazole and had high MIC toward chloramphenicol (MIC90: 6.25 μg/ml). All except one environment isolate were sensitive to ampicillin, doxycycline and penicillin G.

Assessment Of Food Safety Knowledge, Attitude, Self-Reported Practices, And Microbiological Hand Hygiene Of Food Handlers, H.K. Lee, H. Abdul Halim, Kwai Lin Thong, L.C. Chai

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Institutional foodborne illness outbreaks continue to hit the headlines in the country, indicating the failure of food handlers to adhere to safe practices during food preparation. Thus, this study aimed to compare the knowledge, attitude, and self-reported practices (KAP) of food safety assessment and microbiological assessment of food handlers’ hands as an indicator of hygiene practices in food premises. This study involved 85 food handlers working in a university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The food safety KAP among food handlers (n = 67) was assessed using a questionnaire; while the hand swabs (n = 85) were tested for the …

Comparison Of Nonsurgical Periodontal Therapy With Oral Hygiene Instruction Alone For Chronic Periodontitis, M. Asad, A.W.A. Aziz, R.P.C. Raman, W.H. Himratul-Aznita, T.B.T. Ali, K. Chinna, R.D. Vaithilingam

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

We evaluated changes in clinical variables and microbiological profiles of periodontopathogens among 56 patients with moderate to severe CP who were randomly assigned to oral hygiene instruction (OHI; n = 28) or nonsurgical periodontal treatment (NSPT; n = 28). Periodontal variables were assessed and subgingival plaque samples were obtained from deep pockets (>5 mm) at baseline and 3 months after treatment. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify Actinobacillus actinomycetemcornitans, Tannerella forsythia, Porphyrotnonas gingivalis, and Prevotella intermedia. All clinical variables significantly improved in both groups. Improvements in gingival bleeding index (GBI), probing pocket depth (PPD), and periodontal attachment …

Dental Patient Knowledge About The Effects Of Smoking And Attitudes About The Role Of Dentists In Smoking Cessation, Nurul Asyikin Yahya, Roslan Saub, Mariani Md Nor, Noriah Yusoff

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Dentists can offer their patients who smoke tobacco assistance with smoking cessation. We conducted this study to assess dental patient knowledge about the effects of smoking and perceptions and attitudes regarding the role of dentists in smoking cessation counselling. We conducted this study to inform tobacco cessation programs that could potentially include dentists. We conducted a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire among 375 patients. The mean age of subjects was 33.4 years; females comprised 51.5%. Participants were divided into 3 groups: those who never smoked (n = 263, 70.7%), smokers (n = 92, 24.7%), and ex-smokers (n = 17, …

Distinct Biological Potential Of Streptococcus Gordonii And Streptococcus Sanguinis Revealed By Comparative Genome Analysis, W. Zheng, M.F. Tan, L.A. Old, I.C. Paterson, N.S. Jakubovics, S.W. Choo

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus sanguinis are pioneer colonizers of dental plaque and important agents of bacterial infective endocarditis (IE). To gain a greater understanding of these two closely related species, we performed comparative analyses on 14 new S. gordonii and 5 S. sanguinis strains using various bioinformatics approaches. We revealed S. gordonii and S. sanguinis harbor open pan-genomes and share generally high sequence homology and number of core genes including virulence genes. However, we observed subtle differences in genomic islands and prophages between the species. Comparative pathogenomics analysis identified S. sanguinis strains have genes encoding IgA proteases, mitogenic factor deoxyribonucleases, …

Distinct Biological Potential Of Streptococcus Gordonii And Streptococcus Sanguinis Revealed By Comparative Genome Analysis, W. Zheng, M.F. Tan, L.A. Old, I.C. Paterson, N.S. Jakubovics, S.W. Choo

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus sanguinis are pioneer colonizers of dental plaque and important agents of bacterial infective endocarditis (IE). To gain a greater understanding of these two closely related species, we performed comparative analyses on 14 new S. gordonii and 5 S. sanguinis strains using various bioinformatics approaches. We revealed S. gordonii and S. sanguinis harbor open pan-genomes and share generally high sequence homology and number of core genes including virulence genes. However, we observed subtle differences in genomic islands and prophages between the species. Comparative pathogenomics analysis identified S. sanguinis strains have genes encoding IgA proteases, mitogenic factor deoxyribonucleases, …

Dystrophin Gene Expression And Intracellular Calcium Changes In The Giant Freshwater Prawn, Macrobrachium Rosenbergii , In Response To White Spot Symptom Disease Infection, A.F. Noor, T.C.C. Soo, F.M. Ghani, Z.H. Goh, L.T. Khoo, S. Bhassu

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Background Dystrophin, an essential protein functional in the maintenance of muscle structural integrity is known to be responsible for muscle deterioration during white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection among prawn species. Previous studies have shown the upregulation of dystrophin protein in Macrobrachium rosenbergii (the giant freshwater prawn) upon white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection. The literature has also suggested the important role of calcium ion alterations in causing such muscle diseases. Thus, the interest of this study lies within the linkage between dystrophin functioning, intracellular calcium and white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection condition. Methods In this study, the dystrophin …

Geographical Distribution Of Brucella Melitensis Inferred From Rpob Gene Variation, K.K. Tan, Y.C. Tan, L.Y. Chang, K.W. Lee, S.S. Nor'e, W.Y. Yee, C.C. Hoh, Sazaly Abubakar

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Introduction: Currently available tests have limitations for the identification of Brucella species and strains, and their genetic lineage. The genome sequence of the rpoB gene encoding the β-subunit of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase was investigated for its use in genotyping Brucella melitensis. Methodology: Complete rpoB gene sequences of globally distributed Brucella melitensis strains were analyzed. Single nucleotides polymorphisms (SNPs) of the rpoB gene sequences were identified and used to type Brucella melitensis strains. Results: Six DNA polymorphisms were identified, of which two (nucleotides 3201 and 558) were novel. Analysis of the geographical distribution of the strains revealed a spatial clustering pattern …

Hepatitis B And C Virus Infection And Diabetes Mellitus: A Cohort Study, Y.S. Hong, Y. Chang, S. Ryu, M. Cainzos-Achirica, M.J. Kwon, Y. Zhang, Y. Choi, J. Ahn, S. Rampal, D. Zhao, R. Pastor-Barriuso, M. Lazo, H. Shin, J. Cho, E. Guallar

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

The role of hepatitis virus infection in glucose homeostasis is uncertain. We examined the associations between hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and the development of diabetes in a cohort (N = 439,708) of asymptomatic participants in health screening examinations. In cross-sectional analyses, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio for prevalent diabetes comparing hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) (+) to HBsAg (−) participants was 1.17 (95% CI 1.06–1.31; P = 0.003). The corresponding odds ratio comparing hepatitis C antibodies (HCV Ab) (+) to HCV Ab (−) participants was 1.43 (95% CI 1.01–2.02, P = 0.043). In prospective analyses, …

Hepatoprotective Effects Of Chinese Medicine Herbs Decoction On Liver Cirrhosis In Rats, N.A. Mat-Rahim, T.-H. Lim, N.A. Nor-Amdan, Sazaly Abubakar

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Hepatoprotective and curative activities of aqueous extract of decoction containing 10 Chinese medicinal herbs (HPE-XA-08) were evaluated in Sprague–Dawley albino rats with liver damage induced by thioacetamide (TAA). These activities were assessed by investigating the liver enzymes level and also histopathology investigation. Increases in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels were observed in rats with cirrhotic liver. No significant alterations of the liver enzymes were observed following treatment with HPE-XA-08. Histopathology examination of rats treated with HPE-XA-08 at 250 mg/kg body weight, however, exhibited moderate liver protective effects. Reduced extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins within the hepatocytes were noted …

Host-Adaptation Of Burkholderia Pseudomallei Alters Metabolism And Virulence: A Global Proteome Analysis, V. Mariappan, K.M. Vellasamy, J. Vadivelu

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Little is known about the evolution, adaptation and pathogenesis of Burkholderia pseudomallei within host during acute melioidosis infection. Melioidosis is a potential life threatening disease contracted through inhalation, ingestion, inoculation or direct entry of the organism into the blood stream via wounds or skin abrasions from contaminated soil and water. Environmental B. pseudomallei strain (Bp MARAN ), isolated during a melioidosis outbreak in Pahang, Malaysia was injected intra-peritoneally into a mouse and passaged strain was recovered from spleen (Bpmouse-adapted). A gel-based comparative proteomics profiling approach was used, to map and identify differentially expressed proteins (fold-change ≥ 2; p-value ≤ 0.05) …

Issues On Halal Meat In Malaysian And Indonesian Markets, M.A. Ramli, A. Salahudin, M.I.A. Razak, M.A.H. Idris, M.I.S. Zulkepli

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

In recent years, interest in meat issues and research has increased. Many consumers are concerned about the meat they eat because it's a main source of protein in a daily consumption. However in issues pertaining with meat, halal and safety are a vital focus for Muslim consumer, especially in Southeast Asia region. Some of the related issues in halal and safety meat are criminal and terrorist activities, including meat fraudulent such as adulterant substances (adulteration), substitution, livestock stolen, grey market product, smuggling, misrepresentation or mislabelling etc. In parallel with meat fraudulent activities, perpetrator tends to use a harmful and unsafety …