The curious death of Constantine Samuel Rafinesque (1783-1840): the case for the maidenhair fern.

Constantine Rafinesque, a French émigré to America in the early 19th century, was a forerunner of Charles Darwin and a zealous field naturalist who identified thousands of new species of plants and animals. His career was controversial in part because of his unfocused ambition to gain scientific recognition. In his later years he published in many areas apart from biology.

Timing of the availability and administration of influenza vaccine through the vaccines for children program.

Background: influenza vaccine must be distributed and administered each year during a limited time interval. To our knowledge, no previous studies have simultaneously evaluated the delivery and administration of privately purchased vaccines and influenza vaccines acquired through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program.

Methods: a prospective, observational study was conducted in US outpatient pediatric offices, tracking all influenza vaccinations during the season by age group, first or second vaccination, the child's need for 1 or 2 doses, type of vaccine, and VFC status.

A prospective observational study of US in-office pediatric influenza vaccination during the 2007 to 2009 influenza seasons: use and factors associated with increased vaccination rates.

In the United States, annual influenza vaccine is now recommended for all children 6 months through 18 years of age. This 2-year observational study of US outpatient pediatricians' offices captured office demographics and characteristics, recorded all influenza vaccinations administered and vaccination-related activities during the influenza season, and correlated office characteristics and activities associated with increased vaccine uptake. Offices generally offered the influenza vaccine from September through February and March; however, approximately 80% of vaccinations occurred in October through December.

Genetic sequence analysis of influenza viruses and illness severity in ill children previously vaccinated with live attenuated or inactivated influenza vaccine.

In a large comparative study in 2004-2005, children aged 6-59 months vaccinated with live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) experienced 55% fewer cases of culture-confirmed influenza illness compared with trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) recipients. To better understand the characteristics of the breakthrough influenza illnesses, we analyzed the HA1 genetic sequence for all available samples and examined disease severity by strain and treatment group. All 48 A/H1N1 viruses were well-matched to the vaccine, whereas all 276 A/H3N2 viruses and 349 (96%) influenza B viruses were mismatched to the vaccine.

The efficacy of live attenuated and inactivated influenza vaccines in children as a function of time postvaccination.

Background: In the United States, more children are being vaccinated against influenza in August and September, months before peak influenza activity. Sustained vaccine efficacy through 12 months postvaccination has been demonstrated in children for live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) but not trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV). Three large, randomized studies compared LAIV and TIV efficacy in children, providing the opportunity to examine the impact of time on the relative efficacy of the 2 vaccines.

Efficacy of live attenuated influenza vaccine in children 6 months to 17 years of age.

Background: It has been suggested that live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) may be less effective in older individuals because of prior wild-type influenza infections. LAIV is currently approved in the United States, South Korea and Hong Kong for individuals 2-49 years of age.

Objective: To examine data from previously published pediatric studies to determine the efficacy of LAIV in various age groups.

Evolution of repeated sequences in the ribosomal DNA intergenic spacer of 32 arthropod species.

The evolution of a multigene family (MGF) is affected by the structure and function of its regulatory elements, specifically by the link between recombination and DNA transcription and/or replication. The ribosomal DNA (rDNA) MGF is often hierarchically repetitive, combining function with repetition in a single genic system. Its tandemly repeated operons contain the transcription unit of the 45S ribosomal RNA precursor alternating with an intergenic spacer (IGS) that commonly includes repeated transcription regulatory elements.

A whole genome transcriptional analysis of the early immune response induced by live attenuated and inactivated influenza vaccines in young children.

The protective mechanisms of influenza vaccines in young children are not completely understood. A phase 2 clinical study was conducted in 85 children 12-35 months of age to describe and compare the immune responses to live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) with trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV). To better understand the biology of vaccine effects, oligonucleotide microarrays were employed to measure the genome-wide changes in transcript profiles in whole blood at approximately 7 days after 1 dose of LAIV or TIV.

Efficacy of live attenuated influenza vaccine in children against influenza B viruses by lineage and antigenic similarity.

Seasonal influenza vaccines, including live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), contain three vaccine strains (two type A and one type B). Ideally, the hemagglutinin antigens of the recommended vaccine strains are antigenically similar to epidemic wild-type strains; in actuality, the antigenic match between circulating and vaccine strains each year can vary significantly owing to intermittent genetic reassortment and continuous antigenic drift. For influenza B, antigenic relatedness is further complicated by the existence of two distinct lineages.

Efficacy of a single dose of live attenuated influenza vaccine in previously unvaccinated children: a post hoc analysis of three studies of children aged 2 to 6 years.

Background: Although 2 doses of influenza vaccine are recommended for children aged <9 years who have not been previously vaccinated, children may receive only 1 dose because of suboptimal adherence to national influenza vaccination recommendations.

Objective: This study evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of a single dose of the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) in previously unvaccinated children aged > or = 2 years, the population for which LAIV is approved.

Methods: This study was a post hoc subgroup analysis of previously published studies.

Transition to adult services among behaviorally infected adolescents with HIV--a qualitative study.

Objectives: The present study aimed to describe the experiences of youth with behaviorally acquired HIV who transitioned to adult care, to identify difficulties encountered, and to explore areas for improvement.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 young adults ranging from 24 to 29 years old. Themes were derived from coding participant interviews.

Current status of live attenuated influenza vaccine in the United States for seasonal and pandemic influenza.

A live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) is currently approved in the United States for the prevention of influenza in individuals 2-49 years of age. This article summarizes the available data describing the safety and efficacy of LAIV for the prevention of influenza in both children and adults. LAIV is administered as an intranasal spray and has been shown to provide high levels of efficacy against influenza illness caused by both matched and mismatched strains in children and adults.

A survey of pediatricians' attitudes regarding influenza immunization in children.

Background: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices advocates that influenza immunization is the most effective method for prevention of illness due to influenza. Recommendations for vaccination of children against influenza have been revised several times since 2002, and as of 2008 include all children 6 months to 18 years of age. Nevertheless, influenza immunization rates have remained low.

Phenotypic and genotypic analyses of clinical Fusobacterium nucleatum and Fusobacterium periodonticum isolates from the human gut.

Fusobacterium nucleatum is a Gram-negative anaerobic rod that is part of the normal human microflora, and has also been associated with various infections. Bacterial strains belonging to the species are typically heterogeneous in both phenotype and genotype, which can hinder their identification in a clinical setting. The majority of F.

Efficacy of live attenuated influenza vaccine in children: A meta-analysis of nine randomized clinical trials.

Nine randomized clinical trials, including approximately 25,000 children aged 6-71 months and 2000 children aged 6-17 years, have evaluated the efficacy of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) against culture-confirmed influenza as compared to placebo or trivalent inactivated vaccine (TIV). We conducted meta-analyses, based on Mantel-Haenszel relative risks from fixed effect models, to provide an estimate of vaccine efficacy (VE). Relative to placebo, year 1 VE for two doses in vaccine-naïve young children was 77% (95% CI: 72%, 80%; P<0.

Shedding and immunogenicity of live attenuated influenza vaccine virus in subjects 5-49 years of age.

Background: Live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) is indicated for influenza prevention in persons 2-49 years of age. This study describes the incidence and duration of vaccine virus shedding and serum immune responses after receipt of LAIV.

Methods: A single open-label dose of trivalent LAIV was administered intranasally to 344 subjects in 3 age cohorts: 5-8, 9-17, and 18-49 years of age.

Safety and efficacy of live attenuated influenza vaccine in children 2-7 years of age.

Three pivotal trials supported the licensure of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) for children > or =2 years of age: 2 placebo-controlled studies each conducted over 2 seasons, and a 1-year trial comparing LAIV with trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV). Analyses were conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of LAIV in the subgroup of children > or =2 years of age from these trials. Efficacy was demonstrated compared with placebo in children aged 2-7 years in seasons with matched strains (69.

Duration of protection provided by live attenuated influenza vaccine in children.

Background: Reliable availability of influenza vaccine before October could enable the vaccination of many children who might not otherwise be vaccinated.

Methods: Available data for children were analyzed to describe protection provided by live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) for greater than 5 months postvaccination.

Results: Four studies conducted in children aged 6 months to 18 years were identified.

Description of a novel pediatric emergency department-based HIV screening program for adolescents.

Several emergency department (ED)-based HIV screening programs have been described. However, the majority of these programs have been aimed at adults and older adolescents, and few have taken place in a dedicated pediatric ED. Given that many adolescents seek care in hospital EDs, and that the ED may be an adolescent's only contact with the health care system, we decided to implement an HIV-counseling and testing program in the ED of an urban children's hospital.