Publications by authors named "Jillian Murray"

-Substitution reactions on CF rings of Lewis acids have been exploited to achieve triply substituted derivatives. The reaction of B(CF) with P(SiMe) ultimately affords the Lewis acid B(CFP(SiMe))1. This species binds Lewis bases affording the adducts LB(CFP(SiMe)) (L = MeCN 2, OPEt3, PMe4, PBu5) and reacts with LiMe to give the salt [Li][MeB(CFP(SiMe))]·3THF 6.

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Article Synopsis
  • Bacteriophages, which infect bacteria in various environments, play a key role in the evolution of bacterial communities, but their host ranges are not well understood.
  • Through computational analysis of 40 cluster P mycobacteriophages from six subclusters, researchers found that subcluster P1 phages are restricted to Mycobacterium, while subclusters P2-P6 can infect other genera, some linked to human diseases.
  • The study also revealed that most cluster P mycobacteriophages possess a conserved immunity system, suggesting a genetic mechanism that influences their life cycle, which could limit their effectiveness in antibacterial treatments.
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We characterized the complete genome of the cluster P mycobacteriophage Phegasus. Its 47.5-kb genome contains 81 protein-coding genes, 36 of which could be assigned a putative function.

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Aims: A protein termed 2Duf greatly increases wet heat resistance of Bacillus subtilis spores. The current work examines the effects of 2Duf on spore resistance to other sporicides, including chemicals that act on or must cross spores' inner membrane (IM), where 2Duf is likely present. The overall aim was to gain a deeper understanding of how 2Duf affects spore resistance, and of spore resistance itself.

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Background: Use of electronic data collection, management and analysis tools to support outbreak response is limited, especially in low income countries. This can hamper timely decision-making during outbreak response. Identifying available tools and assessing their functions in the context of outbreak response would support appropriate selection and use, and likely more timely data-driven decision-making during outbreaks.

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Background: In Ontario, Canada, little is currently known about the extent to which un-immunized children may cluster geographically. Our objectives were to: describe the geographic distribution of fully un-immunized children; identify geographic clusters (hotspots) of un-immunized children; and to characterize the contribution of spatial effects and covariates on hotspots, where found.

Methods: Our analytic cohort consisted of Ontario students aged 7-17 years in the 2016-2017 school year.

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Background: Cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMVR) is an opportunistic infection in HIV-infected people. Intraocular or intravenous ganciclovir was gold standard for treatment; however, oral valganciclovir replaced this in high-income countries. Low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) frequently use intraocular injection of ganciclovir (IOG) alone because of cost.

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Background: Epidemics of infectious disease occur frequently in low-income and humanitarian settings and pose a serious threat to populations. However, relatively little is known about responses to these epidemics. Robust evaluations can generate evidence on response efforts and inform future improvements.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The study found that many ALHIV were severely underweight (59%) and presented with advanced HIV disease, yet most had achieved viral suppression (93%).
  • * Qualitative insights revealed obstacles to treatment adherence, highlighting the critical support role of HIV counselors and the need for social support and routine viral load testing to enhance care for these adolescents.
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After introduction of rotavirus vaccine, other pathogens might become leading causes of hospitalizations for severe diarrhea among children <5 years of age. Our study in 33 hospitals in 7 countries found acute gastroenteritis accounted for most (84%) reported hospitalizations of children with diarrhea. Bloody and persistent diarrhea each accounted for <1%.

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A retrospective review of diagnosis of cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMVR) before and after introduction of routine immediate eye examination among AIDS patients in Myanmar with an absolute CD4 T-cell count <100 cells/μL demonstrated an increased detection of CMVR from 1.1% (14/1233) to 10.7% (65/608), an improvement of ~10-fold.

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Background: Rotavirus vaccine use in national immunisation programmes has led to declines in hospital admissions for rotavirus gastroenteritis among children; however, the global impact of rotavirus vaccine introduction has not been described using primary data. We describe the impact of rotavirus vaccine introduction on admissions for acute rotavirus gastroenteritis in primarily low-income and middle-income countries, using 9 years of data from the WHO-coordinated Global Rotavirus Surveillance Network (GRSN).

Methods: Between Jan 1, 2008, and Dec 31, 2016, children younger than 5 years of age who were admitted to hospital with acute gastroenteritis were prospectively enrolled in GRSN sites.

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Background: Our objectives were: (1) to quantify and describe un-immunized students in Ontario, Canada and assess the extent to which these students have exemptions; and (2) to quantify and describe students with non-medical exemptions (NMEs), including what proportion have up-to-date immunizations.

Methods: We examined Ontario students 7 to 17 years-of-age in the 2016-2017 school year using information within a centralized immunization repository. We identified and described students with different immunization/exemption classifications by age, sex, school type, geography and area-level material deprivation using descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses.

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In 2000, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), with MDG4 being a two-thirds reduction in child mortality by 2015, and with measles vaccination coverage being one of the three indicators of progress toward this goal.* In 2010, the World Health Assembly established three milestones for measles control by 2015: 1) increase routine coverage with the first dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) for children aged 1 year to ≥90% nationally and ≥80% in every district; 2) reduce global annual measles incidence to fewer than five cases per million population; and 3) reduce global measles mortality by 95% from the 2000 estimate (1).† In 2012, the World Health Assembly endorsed the Global Vaccine Action Plan§ with the objective to eliminate measles in four World Health Organization (WHO) regions by 2015.

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Local disease burden data are necessary to set national influenza vaccination policy. In 2010 the population of South Africa was 50 million and the HIV prevalence was 11%. We used a previously developed methodology to determine severe influenza burden in South Africa.

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Article Synopsis
  • Meningitis infections have high mortality rates and significantly impact healthcare costs, especially in low- and middle-income countries where resources are limited.
  • The study systematically reviews existing literature on meningitis treatment costs in these regions and seeks to predict costs in countries lacking reliable data through a regression analysis.
  • Understanding treatment costs for meningitis is vital for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of potential interventions and vaccines in low- and middle-income countries.
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Meningitis and pneumonia are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in children globally infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae causing a large proportion of disease. Vaccines are available to prevent many of the common types of these infections. S.

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DF2 (DRNFLRFamide), a FMRFamide-like peptide, has been shown to increase the amount of transmitter released at crayfish neuromuscular junctions. Here, we examined a possible role for the cyclic nucleotide monophosphates, cAMP and cGMP, in DF2's effects on synaptic transmission. The effects of DF2 on synaptic transmission were monitored by recording excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in the deep abdominal extensor muscles of the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii.

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Bacterially expressed nucleocapsid (N) protein, from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), was used to investigate RNA binding in a modified North-Western blotting protocol. The recombinant protein demonstrated no sequence specificity in binding RNA representing either the antigenomic leader sequence or the nonspecific sequence derived from a plasmid vector. When recombinant N was purified on CsCl gradients, two types of structure, both with densities indicating that they contained RNA, could be visualised by negative-stain electron microscopy.

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The interaction of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) Matrix (M) protein with the plasma membrane was investigated using polyclonal and monoclonal antisera raised against recombinant M expressed in bacteria. M bound mainly to the plasma membrane, although a significant proportion bound to internal membranes. However, no localisation of M with the Golgi was observed, suggesting that transport of M to the plasma membrane was independent of the transport mechanism for the viral glycoproteins.

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