Clinical and Diagnostic Features of West Nile Virus Neuroinvasive Disease in New York City.

West Nile virus (WNV) neuroinvasive disease (WNND) occurs in approximately 1 percent of WNV-infected patients and typically presents as encephalitis, meningitis, or acute flaccid paralysis (AFP). WNND remains a difficult inpatient diagnosis, creating significant challenges for prognostication and therapy selection. We characterized the clinical and diagnostic features of WNND cases at two major academic medical centers in New York City in routine clinical practice.

The Role of the Mind-Body Connection in Children with Food Reactions and Identified Adversity: Implications for Integrating Stress Management and Resilience Strategies in Clinical Practice.

Child adversity is often associated with poor quality of life in pediatric gastrointestinal disorders, including non-allergic food reactions (food intolerances), which may be improved using mind-body interventions. We conducted an observational study to (1) describe child adversity (stressors) and resilience factors in children with food intolerances, and (2) explore the association between stressors and self-reported use of integrative modalities. A retrospective chart review of children ≥4-years-old presenting to a pediatric food intolerances clinic from 2017 to 2020 was performed (n = 130).

A fatal case report of antibody-dependent enhancement of dengue virus type 1 following remote Zika virus infection.

Background: Dengue virus (DENV) is endemic in many parts of the world. Antibody dependent enhancement (ADE) in DENV infections occurs when a person with primary immunity is infected by a second, different DENV strain. Antibodies to Zika virus (ZIKV), which emerged in the Western Hemisphere in 2015, are cross reactive with DENV and theoretically could provoke ADE in a DENV naïve individual.

One-step pentaplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for detection of zika, dengue, chikungunya, West nile viruses and a human housekeeping gene.

Background: Recent emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV), and the global spread of dengue (DENV), chikungunya (CHIKV) and West Nile viruses (WNV) raised urgent need of accurate and affordable molecular diagnosis of these clinically indistinguishable arboviral infections.

Objectives: We established a pentaplex real-time reverse transcription PCR (rRT-PCR) assay (CII-ArboViroPlex rRT-PCR) for specific and sensitive detection of the African and American genotypes of ZIKV, all four serotypes of DENV, CHIKV, WNV and a housekeeping gene as internal control in single reaction.

Study Design: Specific primers and probe sets were designed for ZIKV, DENV, CHIKV, WNV and RNase P (housekeeping gene) and tested for in-vitro transcribed RNA standards, virus cultures, clinical samples positive for ZIKV, DENV, CHIKV and WNV and limit of detection (LOD) were determined for each.

Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome Food Challenges: Experience from a Large Referral Center.

Background: Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) is a non-IgE-mediated food allergy that is diagnosed based on clinical findings, but can be confirmed with oral food challenge (OFC). OFC is more often performed to assess the development of tolerance. Most studies describing OFCs in FPIES are limited in size.

Development of Zika Virus Serological Testing Strategies in New York State.

The recent outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV) in the Americas has challenged diagnostic laboratory testing strategies. At the Wadsworth Center, ZIKV serological testing was performed for over 10,000 specimens, using a combination of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for IgM antibodies (Abs) to ZIKV, a polyvalent microsphere immunoassay (MIA) to detect Abs broadly reactive with flaviviruses, and a plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) for further testing. Overall, 42% of patients showed serological evidence of flavivirus infection (primarily past dengue virus [DENV] infection), while 7% possessed IgM Abs to ZIKV and/or DENV.

Zika Virus Testing Considerations: Lessons Learned from the First 80 Real-Time Reverse Transcription-PCR-Positive Cases Diagnosed in New York State.

The performance and interpretation of laboratory tests for Zika virus (ZKV) continue to be evaluated. Serology is cross-reactive, laborious, and frequently difficult to interpret, and serum was initially solely recommended for molecular diagnosis. ZKV testing was initiated in January 2016 in New York State for symptomatic patients, pregnant women, their infants, and patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome who had traveled to areas with ZKV transmission.

EUROPAEM EMF Guideline 2016 for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of EMF-related health problems and illnesses.

Chronic diseases and illnesses associated with non-specific symptoms are on the rise. In addition to chronic stress in social and work environments, physical and chemical exposures at home, at work, and during leisure activities are causal or contributing environmental stressors that deserve attention by the general practitioner as well as by all other members of the health care community. It seems necessary now to take "new exposures" like electromagnetic fields (EMF) into account.

Integrative Nutrition for Pediatrics.

Food is essential for life. Yet, poor food choices may cause poor health. Dietary manipulation is frequently integrated into the management of common chronic pediatric conditions.

EUROPAEM EMF Guideline 2015 for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of EMF-related health problems and illnesses.

Chronic diseases and illnesses associated with unspecific symptoms are on the rise. In addition to chronic stress in social and work environments, physical and chemical exposures at home, at work, and during leisure activities are causal or contributing environmental stressors that deserve attention by the general practitioner as well as by all other members of the health care community. It seems certainly necessary now to take "new exposures" like electromagnetic field (EMF) into account.

Molecular method development and establishment of a database for clinical and epidemiological herpes simplex virus 1 strain comparisons.

Previous methods of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) genotype analysis have lacked sufficient discriminatory power for strain analysis within genotypes. The hypervariable reiterative repeat regions in the US1 and US12 introns, known as ReIV, were targeted for strain comparison. PCR methods for these extremely GC-rich target regions were optimized to give reproducible amplicons that were visualized by capillary electrophoresis relative to size standards.

Stakeholder focus groups to inform a technology-based strategy of preceptor support.

While preceptors are a vital link in student nurse practice education, ongoing support beyond an initial orientation is often lacking. It has been reported in the literature that preceptors experience stress related to difficulties in handling preceptee situations. They are frustrated by negative experiences centered on preceptor-identified hallmarks of unsafe practice including the inability to demonstrate knowledge and skills; attitude problems; unprofessional behavior; and poor communication skills.

It starts with a conversation: a community approach to creating healthy work environments.

A healthy work environment is needed to retain nurses. Among the factors that contribute to a healthy work environment are collaboration and communication. Through the leadership of the Palm Healthcare Foundation, Inc.

Accessory protein 5a is a major antagonist of the antiviral action of interferon against murine coronavirus.

The type I interferon (IFN) response plays an essential role in the control of in vivo infection by the coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV). However, in vitro, most strains of MHV are largely resistant to the action of this cytokine, suggesting that MHV encodes one or more functions that antagonize or evade the IFN system. A particular strain of MHV, MHV-S, exhibited orders-of-magnitude higher sensitivity to IFN than prototype strain MHV-A59.

Global surveillance of emerging Influenza virus genotypes by mass spectrometry.

Background: Effective influenza surveillance requires new methods capable of rapid and inexpensive genomic analysis of evolving viral species for pandemic preparedness, to understand the evolution of circulating viral species, and for vaccine strain selection. We have developed one such approach based on previously described broad-range reverse transcription PCR/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (RT-PCR/ESI-MS) technology.

Methods And Principal Findings: Analysis of base compositions of RT-PCR amplicons from influenza core gene segments (PB1, PB2, PA, M, NS, NP) are used to provide sub-species identification and infer influenza virus H and N subtypes.

MassTag polymerase-chain-reaction detection of respiratory pathogens, including a new rhinovirus genotype, that caused influenza-like illness in New York State during 2004-2005.

In New York State during winter 2004, there was a high incidence of influenza-like illness that tested negative both for influenza virus, by molecular methods, and for other respiratory viruses, by virus culture. Concern that a novel pathogen might be implicated led us to implement a new multiplex diagnostic tool. MassTag polymerase chain reaction resolved 26 of 79 previously negative samples, revealing the presence of rhinoviruses in a large proportion of samples, half of which belonged to a previously uncharacterized genetic clade.

Zinc finger as distance determinant in the flexible linker of intron endonuclease I-TevI.

I-TevI, the phage T4 td intron-encoded endonuclease, recognizes a lengthy DNA target and initiates intron mobility by introducing a double-strand break in the homing site. The enzyme uses both sequence and distance determinants to cleave the DNA 23-25 bp upstream of the intron insertion site. I-TevI consists of an N-terminal catalytic domain and a C-terminal DNA-binding domain separated by a long, flexible linker.