Digital Commons Network^™

Sustainability And Outcomes Of A Standardized Aminoglycoside Induced Ototoxicity Monitoring Algorithm, Claire Elson, Christopher M. Oermann, Michelle Weltman, Ellen Meier

Posters

No abstract provided.

Improving Hpv Immunization By Age 13 In Over 20 Kansas City Pediatric Practices, Luke A. Harris, Douglas Blowey

Posters

No abstract provided.

Human Rights Lawyers' Role In Rights Ngos In China: History And Future, Lu Jun

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Public Perception Of Invasive Amphibians: Using Citizen Science To Inform Management Of Invasive Non-Native Species, Nicola Morris

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Invasive non-native species (INNS) can cause problems - impacting the environment, economy and people's lives. Including the public in research through citizen science can engage communities and assist scientists in gaining access to sites for INNS management. Concerns have been raised regarding the validity of using citizen science data in research. This report aims to address those concerns to ensure that data of suitable quality is generated. A questionnaire conducted in an area known to have both invasive and native amphibians posed questions on participants connectedness to nature (using the NR-6 scale), their perception of INNS and opinions on INNS …

The Contributions Of Fc Gamma Receptors And Macropinocytosis To The Internalization, Sorting And Clearance Of Antibody Coated Nanovesicles In Macrophages, George Opoku-Kusi Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Macrophages are tissue-resident phagocytes that play critical roles in immune response and tissue homeostasis. They have a tremendous capacity to internalize objects of various sizes ranging from nanoscale viral particles to micron sized bacteria and tumor cells. This phenomenon, termed phagocytosis for the uptake of large particles, or endocytosis for the uptake of small particles, is integral to the immune response in multicellular organisms. Macrophages express FcγRs, which are tyrosine kinase receptors that bind IgG on an opsonized target. Binding of IgG Fc domain to the extracellular domain of an FcγR triggers signaling cascades that coordinate internalization of the opsonized …

Universal Swine Influenza Antigen And Vaccine, Zhao Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Swine influenza A viruses pose a serious concern for global health and worldwide swine industry considering their evasion from vaccine-induced immune responses. Formulation of effective influenza vaccines can be complicated by both antigenic shift to a different subtype of hemagglutinin (HAs) and antigenic drift within a particular HA subtype. To address these concerns, we employed a systematic approach to determine the antigenic determinants of swine influenza A viruses by focusing on H1 and H3 subtypes. In parallel, we used a cross-disciplinary approach including structural biology and modeling, virology, and immunology to identify swine influenza A virus-derived HA fusion intermediates broadly …

Serological Evidence For The Co-Circulation Of Two Lineages Of Influenza D Virus In Equine Populations Of The Midwest United States, Hunter Theodore Nedland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Influenza D virus (IDV) is a newly described lineage of the Orthomyxoviridae virus family that was first isolated from diseased swine in 2011 and has subsequently been detected in cattle around the world in 2014. In addition, serological evidence for IDV infection in humans has been recently established. Despite all the progress, the full range of susceptible hosts for this novel virus has yet to be determined, but includes swine, bovine, small ruminants and human. This study was designed to determine if equine is a possible host to this newly emerging influenza virus. 364 equine serum samples were collected in …

A Pcr/Sequencing Technique To Identify Species And Genotypes Of Haemonchus From Mixed Trichostrongyle Egg Dna Recovered From Livestock Fecal Samples, Pratiksha Khanal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Six primer pairs, each with a pair of genus-specific and universal second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) primers were evaluated to amplify and sequence the ITS2 region of nuclear ribosomal DNA to identify the species and genotypes of Haemonchus from livestock fecal samples containing mixtures of trichostrongyle nematode eggs. Based upon the use of universal ITS2 primers on Haemonchus adults, the ITS2 region has been shown to contain three fixed single-nucleotide differences between H. placei and H. contortus. It is clinically useful to identify the species and genotypes of Haemonchus infecting livestock, but it has not been possible in fecal …

Effects Of Enzymatically Hydrolyzed Yeast Supplementation And Supplementation Frequency On Immune Parameters, Performance, And Digestibility Among Periparturient Beef Cows And Calves, Janine Swartz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Effects of enzymatically hydrolyzed yeast (EHY) and supplementation frequency (FREQ) on immune parameters among beef cows and calves was evaluated. Eighty multiparous (parity = 4.2 ± 0.3) cows were fed a common brome hay-based diet (CP = 8.0 ± 0.17%). Cows were blocked by expected calving date and stratified by body condition score (BCS) before random assignment of treatment. Beginning 88 ± 5 d prior to parturition, cows were provided 1 kg daily or 3 kg every 3 d of a soybean hull-based supplement (CP = 34.0, % of DM) that contained 0 or 3 g/kg EHY. The daily supplement …

The Effects Of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus And Bovine Herpesvirus Type 1 On Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells, Jacob Sobraske

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1) are important pathogens that affect cattle. In this in vitro study, the main goal was determining the direct effects of BVDV and BHV-1 infections of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDC) on cytokine mRNA expression. For the BVDV infected MDDC experiments, Holstein Friesian and Brown Swiss calves were included with a breed comparison with cytokine expression. Surface marker expression was also measured in BHV-1-infected MDDCs. For both viruses, a high virulent strain (1373 for BVDV and Cooper for BHV-1) and lower virulent strains (20508 for BVDV and Los Angeles for BHV-1) …

Distribution, Ecology, Disease Risk, And Genetic Diversity Of Swift Fox (Vulpes Velox) In The Dakotas, Emily Louise Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The swift fox (Vulpes velox), a native species once abundant throughout the Northern Great Plains (NGP), has declined due to changes in land use, historic predator eradication programs, and predation by larger canid species. Currently, the species is estimated to occupy 44% of its historic range. In the NGP, the status of the swift fox varies by state, ranging from furbearer to endangered species. However, knowledge of the current status of swift foxes in the NGP is lacking due to an absence of systematic population monitoring. Improving the current state of knowledge concerning swift fox populations in the …

Evaluating Bighorn Sheep Herd Response After Selective Removal Of Mycoplasma Ovipneumoniae Chronic Shedders, Tyler J. Garwood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Infected individuals vary in their contribution to disease persistence, and chronically infected individuals may sustain disease in a population. One disease that might persist in a population through chronically infected individuals is pneumonia in wild sheep. Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (Mo), a pathogen of Caprinae commonly present in domestic sheep and goats, strongly correlates with pneumonia epizootics when it infects wild sheep populations. These epizootics can cause 40-100% herd mortality in an initial all-age dieoff, precipitate annual lamb mortality as high as 100% in following years, and sustain adult mortality long after initial all-age dieoffs. We conducted an experiment in the Black …

Identification Of Macropinocytosis Regulating Proteins And Signaling From Macropinosomes, Louise Monga

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding macrophage cell biology is important due to macrophages key roles in human health and diseases including proper immune function, wound healing, atherosclerosis, and cancer. Despite their importance, relatively little is understood about macrophage activation, growth factor signaling, and cytoskeletal regulation. This thesis presents data from investigations into mechanisms of macrophage growth factor signaling and actin polymerization for ruffling and macropinocytosis. Alt-R CRISPR-Cas9 method and dextran uptake assay were used to knock out individual genes (SHP-1, Lyn, Syk, BTK, Vav1) and determine their role in macropinocytosis and CSF-1R signaling. Dextran uptake was disrupted in SHP-1 and Lyn targeted knockout cells, …

Fosfomycin Utilization And Outcomes In A Large Va Medical Center Over A Decade, Natan Kraitman, Jaela Fredenrich, Brandon Delucca, John Toney

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infectious diagnoses and in 2007 accounted for 10.5 million primary care visits in the US Advancing age and comorbidities, such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetes, affect antimicrobial prescribing habits. Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (SMX-TMP), nitrofurantoin, and fosfomycin are first-line recommendations for uncomplicated cystitis. In an aging male population with potential allergies or contraindications to the above, fosfomycin is a potential option for treatment. Methods: A retrospective chart review of fosfomycin prescribing habits at a large VA academic medical center. Patients were selected based on fosfomycin prescription in both inpatient and …

Thinking Outside The Bowel: Clostridium Difficile Bacteremia Case Series, Adam Pettigrew, Ripal Jariwala, Kristen Zeitler, Jose Montero, Sandra Gompf, John Toney

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: While Clostridium difficile gastrointestinal infection (CDI) is the most common hospital-acquired infectious disease, C. difficile bacteremia (CDB) is exceedingly rare and its risk factors, mortality rate, and modalities of treatment are not well defined. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, IRB approved, chart review of adult patients with a diagnosis of CDB admitted to our institutions from 2011 through 2017. Variables catalogued included previous antibiotic and proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use, co-morbid conditions, prior history of CDI, diarrhea at the time of CDB, active malignancy, and gastrointestinal (GI) disruption (e.g., perforated viscous, GI bleeding, abdominal malignancy). Treatment courses and outcomes …

Improving Infectious Disease Electronic Medical Records Documentation: A Quality Improvement Study In An Academic Teaching Hospital, Seetha Lakshmi, Johonna Asquith, Sally Alrabaa, Mindy Sampson, Natan Kraitman, Garabet Akoghlanian, Maya Balakrishnan, Beata Casanas

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Improving efficiency of documentation and sign outs during transitions of care were identified as areas of interest by the University of South Florida Infectious Disease (ID) Division. Our aim is by May 2018, we will achieve >50% improvement in our ID EMR note efficiency score for any adult patient at Tampa General Hospital. Note efficiency score involves listing all of the following key elements with 1 point awarded for each: active problem in the subjective section, updated hospital course under assessment, active problem prioritized first under assessment and non-relevant problems removed from assessment. Methods: Institute of Healthcare Improvement’s model …

Changing Patterns Of Hiv-Tb Coinfection Among Patients In A Public Health Department Ambulatory Care Setting: A 5-Year Experience From A Us Metropolitan Area, Anteneh Addisu, Sadaf Aslam, Douglas Holt, Sally Alrabaa, Beata Casanas

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: HIV–TB coinfection leads to a complex set of synergistic interactions in the epidemiology, risk of acquisition, pathogenesis and prognosis of both infections. In the United States, the prevalence of HIV-TB coinfection has been around 6% for the past several years. We present here a 5-year experience at a public health department ambulatory care setting in Tampa, Florida, showing potentially changing patterns. Descriptive data and clinical aspect of coinfected patients is presented. Methods: A retrospective review of tuberculosis cases over the 5-year period ending December 2017 was performed. Those with HIV coinfection were included in the study. Clinical, microbiological and/or …

Secondary Prophylaxis For Clostridium Difficile Infection: A Physician Practice Assessment, Mindy Sampson, Kristen Zeitler, Jasmine R. Marcelin, Sadaf Aslam, John Sinnott, Seetha Lakshmi

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is associated with significant morbidity, mortality and healthcare related costs. Up to 30% of CDI cases recur, resulting in 83,000 cases of recurrent CDI per year. Although agents for primary and secondary prophylaxis for CDI including the use of probiotics, antibiotics, fecal microbiota transplantations, and newer therapies such as bezlotoxumab have been reported, there is no consensus guidelines regarding their use. The purpose of this study was to assess physician practices regarding secondary prophylaxis for CDI.

Methods: This cross-sectional study using Qualtrics electronic survey (24 questions) assessed physician practice preferences. The survey was distributed …

Treatment Of Enteropathogenic Escherichia Coli Diarrhea In Cancer Patients: A Series Of Three Cases, James D. Denham, Sowmya Nanjappa, John N. Greene

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a common cause of watery diarrhea in children in the developing world and an infrequent cause of significant diarrhea in adult patients. EPEC diarrhea, while not commonly seen in cancer patients, can cause significant distress to patients, and antimicrobial choice for this condition in this patient population is not clearly delineated in the literature. We report 3 cases of EPEC diarrhea in cancer patients and discuss the use of azithromycin for successful treatment of these patients. Positive outcomes were seen while using azithromycin in our first two patients and ciprofloxacin in our third patient.

Bacillus Cereus Typhlitis In A Patient With Acute Myelogenous Leukemia: A Case Report And Review Of The Literature, James D. Denham, Sowmya Nanjappa, John N. Greene

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Bacillus cereus is a Gram-positive rod that is now recognized as a rare cause of frank disease in the neutropenic hematologic malignancy patient. Because this pathogen is rarely isolated in clinical specimens, no large studies exist to guide the management of these acutely ill patients. Individual case reports and case series exist in the literature describing various clinical manifestations of B. cereus in the neutropenic patient including bacteremia/septicemia, pneumonia, meningitis/encephalitis, hepatic abscesses, and gastritis. In this report, we describe a case of typhlitis caused by B. cereus in a 74-year-old female with recently diagnosed acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), and we …

Moral Evils V Health And Safety Evils: The Case Of An Ovum “Obtained” From A “Donor” And Used By The “Donor” In Her Own Surrogate Pregnancy, Pamela M. White

Canadian Journal of Family Law

This paper critically examines the amendment made in 2012 to section 10(2)(c) of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act, 2004 mandating the screening and testing of “obtained” ovum “donated” by a “donor” and used in her own surrogate pregnancy. The amendment at section 10(1) of the Act cites the federal government’s obligation to reduce harm to human health and safety arising from use of sperm or ova for human reproduction, including the risk of disease transmission. This paper argues that the amendment mandating the screening and testing of surrogate ova when used by the surrogate in her own surrogate pregnancy creates …

Three Lost Ebola Facts And Public Health Legal Preparedness, Robert Gatter

Saint Louis University Journal of Health Law & Policy

Three key facts about Ebola Transmission should drive policy designed to control the risk of transmission during a crisis.

• Ebola—like HIV—is not easily transmissible human-to-human.
• Ebola has “dry” and “wet” symptoms, and only the wet symptoms threaten public health.
• A fever is Ebola’s canary in a coal mine; it provides timely warning of a coming threat.

Yet, during the U.S. Ebola scare in 2014, these three facts were lost. Unnecessary quarantine, stigma, and burden on those exposed to Ebola resulted, including especially for those who volunteered to fight the disease at its source abroad. Tragically, the law permitted these injustices …

Improving Public Health Readiness For Sea Level Rise: A New Initiative In Coastal Virginia, Steven M. Becker

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Sea level has been rising around the world, and in recent decades, the rate has been accelerating. Because rising seas have the potential to directly or indirectly affect the health of vast numbers of coastal communities and inhabitants, public health agencies and professionals—in conjunction with other fields—have a pivotal role to play in helping to protect populations, reduce and prevent health impacts, and foster resilience. This article discusses a novel effort that has been undertaken in Coastal Virginia to help prepare the next generation of public health professionals to grapple with sea level rise issues. The effort grew out of …

Antiviral Activity Of Hesperetin And Naringenin Against Chikungunya Virus Replication In Vitro / Azin Ahmadi, Ahmadi Azin

Student Works (2010-2019)

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an emerging arbovirus, which has recently become globally important. It poses a progressive major impact on humankind in recent years, with possibly life-threatening and incapacitating arthritis. CHIKV infects human through the bite of mosquito vectors. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) have classified CHIKV as Category C pathogen. It causes several clinical features similar to dengue virus infection, except that are associated with intense polyarthritis and tenosynovitis, where the similarities would usually cause misdiagnosis. Overall, millions of cases of CHIKV have been reported in over 50 countries. Currently, there is no available effective antiviral …

Efficacy Assessment Of Commercial Mosquito Coils And Associated Pyrethroid Resistance Mechanisms In Aedes Aegypti From Indonesia / Amelia Yap Zheng Hua, Zheng Hua Amelia Yap

Student Works (2010-2019)

Aedes aegypti Linnaeus is the main vector of several arthropod-borne viral infectious diseases globally. Relentless vector control efforts have been performed to curtail disease transmissions, with insecticides remain as the first line of defence in Indonesia. With a dearth of published information, this is the first related report on the efficacy of mosquito coils in Indonesian Aedes aegypti. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were sampled from nine regencies in Indonesia and tested against commercially available local pyrethroid-based mosquito coils containing d-allethrin, transfluthrin and metofluthrin to assess insecticide susceptibility profile. In accordance with the WHO resistance indicators, mosquito populations from Denpasar, Mataram, Kuningan, …

An Interdisciplinary Approach To The Target Elucidation Of Novel Antibiotic 31g12, Larissa A. Walker

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterial pathogen responsible for nosocomial and community-acquired infections that can quickly acquire antibiotic resistance. We have identified a novel triazole antimicrobial 31G12 based on the natural product core of nonactin isolated from the fermentation of Streptomyces griseus, that is active against many Gram-positive bacteria as well as antibiotic resistant methicillin-resistant S. aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus. The synthesis and characterization indicate that 31G12 exists as a mixture of two rotamers at room temperature and displays bacteriostatic activity against S. aureus with moderate mammalian cell toxicity. We have currently identified potential protein targets of 31G12 in …

Tumor Cell Death After Electrotransfer Of Plasmid Dna Is Associated With Cytosolic Dna Sensor Upregulation, Katarina Znidar, Masa Bosnjak, Nina Semenova, Olga N. Pakhomova, Loree Heller, Maja Cemazar

Bioelectrics Publications

Cytosolic DNA sensors are a subgroup of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and are activated by the abnormal presence of the DNA in the cytosol. Their activation leads to the upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines and can also induce cell death. The presence of cytosolic DNA sensors and inflammatory cytokines in TS/A murine mammary adenocarcinoma and WEHI 164 fibrosarcoma cells was demonstrated using real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). After electrotransfer of plasmid DNA (pDNA) using two pulse protocols, the upregulation of DNA-depended activator of interferon regulatory factor or Z-DNA binding …

Efficacy Of Oral Administration Of Sodium Iodide To Prevent Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex, B. M. Shoemake, B. L. Vander Ley, B. W. Newcomer, M. C. Heller

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: The prevention of bovine respiratory disease complex (BRD) in beef cattle is important to maintaining health and productivity of calves in feeding operations.

Objective: Determine whether BRD bacterial and viral pathogens are susceptible to the lactoperoxidase/hydrogen peroxide/ iodide (LPO/H₂O₂/I^-) system in vitro and to determine whether the oral administration of sodium iodide (NaI) could achieve sufficient concentrations of iodine (I) in the respiratory secretions of weaned beef calves to inactivate these pathogens in vivo.

Animals: Sixteen weaned, apparently healthy, commercial beef calves from the University of Missouri, College of Veterinary Medicine teaching herd. …

Ictv Virus Taxonomy Profile: Partitiviridae, Eeva J. Vainio, Sotaro Chiba, Said A. Ghabrial, Edgar Maiss, Marilyn Roossinck, Sead Sabanadzovic, Nobuhiro Suzuki, Jiatao Xie, Max Nibert, Ictv Report Consortium

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

The Partitiviridae is a family of small, isometric, non-enveloped viruses with bisegmented double-stranded (ds) RNA genomes of 3–4.8 kbp. The two genome segments are individually encapsidated. The family has five genera, with characteristic hosts for members of each genus: either plants or fungi for genera Alphapartitivirus and Betapartitivirus, fungi for genus Gammapartitivirus, plants for genus Deltapartitivirus and protozoa for genus Cryspovirus. Partitiviruses are transmitted intracellularly via seeds (plants), oocysts (protozoa) or hyphal anastomosis, cell division and sporogenesis (fungi); there are no known natural vectors. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) …

Cgas Drives Noncanonical-Inflammasome Activation In Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Nagaraj Kerur, Shinichi Fukuda, Daipayan Banerjee, Younghee Kim, Dongxu Fu, Ivana Apicella, Akhil Varshney, Reo Yasuma, Benjamin J. Fowler, Elmira Baghdasaryan, Kenneth M. Marion, Xiwen Huang, Tetsuhiro Yasuma, Yoshio Hirano, Vlad Serbulea, Meenakshi Ambati, Vidya L. Ambati, Yuji Kajiwara, Kameshwari Ambati, Shuichiro Hirahara, Ana Bastos-Carvalho, Yuichiro Ogura, Hiroko Terasaki, Tetsuro Oshika, Kyung Bo Kim, David R. Hinton, Norbert Leitinger, John C. Cambier, Joseph D. Buxbaum, M. Cristina Kenney, Bradley D. Gelfand, Jayakrishna Ambati

Ophthalmology and Visual Science Faculty Publications

Geographic atrophy is a blinding form of age-related macular degeneration characterized by retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) death; the RPE also exhibits DICER1 deficiency, resultant accumulation of endogenous Alu-retroelement RNA, and NLRP3-inflammasome activation. How the inflammasome is activated in this untreatable disease is largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that RPE degeneration in human-cell-culture and mouse models is driven by a noncanonical-inflammasome pathway that activates caspase-4 (caspase-11 in mice) and caspase-1, and requires cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-dependent interferon-β production and gasdermin D-dependent interleukin-18 secretion. Decreased DICER1 levels or Alu-RNA accumulation triggers cytosolic escape of mitochondrial DNA, which engages cGAS. Moreover, caspase-4, gasdermin …