Development and validation of a standardized human complement serum bactericidal activity assay to measure functional antibody responses to Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

The recent entry of multiple vaccines targeting Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) into the clinical development pathway has highlighted the need to establish methods of adequately assessing anti-gonococcal immune responses. Serum bactericidal activity (SBA) is utilized as a measurement of efficacy in licensure of meningococcal vaccines, but the importance of functional antibodies in preventing and/or clearing gonococcal infections remains largely unknown. In an effort to elucidate the utility of SBA as an immune correlate of protection, we sought to develop a standardized high-throughput human complement SBA (hSBA) assay for which any strain of interest could be tested under uniform conditions, with minimal screening of complement required.

The Determining Effective Testing in Emergency Departments and Care Coordination on Treatment Outcomes (DETECT) for Hepatitis C (Hep C) Linkage-to-Care Trial: rationale and design of an emergency department-based randomized clinical trial of linkage-to-care strategies for hepatitis C.

Background: Hepatitis C (HCV) poses a major public health problem in the USA. While early identification is a critical priority, subsequent linkage to a treatment specialist is a crucial step that bridges diagnosed patients to treatment, cure, and prevention of ongoing transmission. Emergency departments (EDs) serve as an important clinical setting for HCV screening, although optimal methods of linkage-to-care for HCV-diagnosed individuals remain unknown.

A mobile battery-powered brain perfusion ultrasound (BPU) device designed for prehospital stroke diagnosis: correlation to perfusion MRI in healthy volunteers.

Background: Early prehospital stroke identification is crucial for goal directed hospital admission especially in rural areas. However, clinical prehospital stroke scales are designed to identify any stroke but cannot sufficiently differentiate hemorrhagic from ischemic stroke, including large vessel occlusion (LVO) amenable to mechanical thrombectomy. We report on a novel small, portable and battery driven point-of-care ultrasound system (SONAS®) specifically developed for mobile non-invasive brain perfusion ultrasound (BPU) measurement after bolus injection of an echo-enhancing agent suitable for the use in prehospital stroke diagnosis filling a current, unmet and critical need for LVO identification.

Abdominal aortic endograft infection with .

Objectives: The increase in endovascular aortic aneurysm repair has led to increasing incidence of aortic endograft infections. Additionally, more atypical organisms are being identified as pathogens. We report on a rare aortic endograft infection to further characterize and understand these infections.

Development of a 2-step algorithm to identify emergency department patients for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Background: Expanded access to HIV PrEP is a central pillar of the "Ending the HIV Epidemic" initiative. Identification of PrEP eligible individuals in EDs remains understudied. Our goal was to estimate the accuracy of the Denver HIV Risk Score (DHRS), a quantitative HIV risk tool, for determining PrEP eligibility, and to incorporate it into a novel screening algorithm to optimize sensitivity and specificity.

Haploinsufficiency of Casitas B-Lineage Lymphoma Augments the Progression of Colon Cancer in the Background of Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Inactivation.

Casitas B-lineage lymphoma (c-Cbl) is a recently identified ubiquitin ligase of nuclear β-catenin and a suppressor of colorectal cancer (CRC) growth in cell culture and mouse tumor xenografts. We hypothesized that reduction in c-Cbl in colonic epithelium is likely to increase the levels of nuclear β-catenin in the intestinal crypt, augmenting CRC tumorigenesis in an adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) mouse model. Haploinsufficient c-Cbl mice (APC c-Cbl) displayed a significant (threefold) increase in atypical hyperplasia and adenocarcinomas in the small and large intestines; however, no differences were noted in the adenoma frequency.

c-Cbl targets PD-1 in immune cells for proteasomal degradation and modulates colorectal tumor growth.

Casitas B lymphoma (c-Cbl) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase and a negative regulator of colorectal cancer (CRC). Despite its high expression in immune cells, the effect of c-Cbl on the tumor microenvironment remains poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that c-Cbl alters the tumor microenvironment and suppresses Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) protein, an immune checkpoint receptor.

Metabolites in a mouse cancer model enhance venous thrombogenicity through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor-tissue factor axis.

Patients with malignancy are at 4- to 7-fold higher risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), a potentially fatal, yet preventable complication. Although general mechanisms of thrombosis are enhanced in these patients, malignancy-specific triggers and their therapeutic implication remain poorly understood. Here we examined a colon cancer-specific VTE model and probed a set of metabolites with prothrombotic propensity in the inferior vena cava (IVC) ligation model.

c-Cbl: An Important Regulator and a Target in Angiogenesis and Tumorigenesis.

Casitas B lineage lymphoma (c-Cbl) is a multifunctional protein with a ubiquitin E3 ligase activity capable of degrading diverse sets of proteins. Although previous work had focused mainly on c-Cbl mutations in humans with hematological malignancies, recent emerging evidence suggests a critical role of c-Cbl in angiogenesis and human solid organ tumors. The combination of its unique structure, modular function, and ability to channelize cues from a rich network of signaling cascades, empowers c-Cbl to assume a central role in these disease models.

Intrinsic coating morphology modulates acute drug transfer in drug-coated balloon therapy.

The hallmark of drug-coated balloon (DCB) therapy for the treatment of peripheral vascular disease is that it allows for reopening of the narrowed lumen and local drug delivery without the need for a permanent indwelling metal implant such as a stent. Current DCB designs rely on transferring drugs such as paclitaxel to the arterial vessel using a variety of biocompatible excipients coated on the balloons. Inherent procedural challenges, along with limited understanding of the interactions between the coating and the artery, interactions between the coating and the balloon as well as site-specific differences, have led to DCB designs with poor drug delivery efficiency.

c-Cbl Expression Correlates with Human Colorectal Cancer Survival and Its Wnt/β-Catenin Suppressor Function Is Regulated by Tyr371 Phosphorylation.

The proto-oncogene β-catenin drives colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis. Casitas B-lineage lymphoma (c-Cbl) inhibits CRC tumor growth through targeting nuclear β-catenin by a poorly understood mechanism. In addition, the role of c-Cbl in human CRC remains largely underexplored.

Transaortic gunshot wound through perivisceral segment successfully managed by placement of thoracic stent graft.

We describe a 36-year-old woman who presented to our facility after sustaining a gunshot wound to the epigastric region. The gunshot resulted in injury to the left lobe of the liver and the twelfth thoracic vertebral body as well as in a through-and-through injury to the abdominal aorta at the level of the celiac axis. The vascular injury was managed successfully by placement of a thoracic stent graft with coverage of the celiac axis.

Thoracic stent graft placement for repair of iatrogenic aortic injury secondary to sheath placement during pacemaker insertion.

We describe the inadvertent cannulation of the proximal descending thoracic aortic stent with a five French sheath during attempted pacemaker placement in an 88- year-old male. The injury was managed successfully by the percutaneous placement of a thoracic aortic stent graft with good outcome. Our case highlights the feasibility of managing this uncommon injury with this technique.

A comparison of the effects of a 4% modified fluid gelatin and a 6% hydroxyethyl starch on haemodilution, colloid osmotic pressure, haemostasis and renal parameters in healthy ponies.

Reasons For Performing Study: Adverse effects on renal health and haemostasis have been documented in human patients administered hydroxyethyl starches (HESs). Gelatins may represent useful substitutes should similar adverse effects be identified in horses.

Objectives: To compare the effects of a 4% modified fluid gelatin (MFG) with a 6% (130/0.

Soybean Salt Tolerance 1 (GmST1) Reduces ROS Production, Enhances ABA Sensitivity, and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Abiotic stresses, including high soil salinity, significantly reduce crop production worldwide. Salt tolerance in plants is a complex trait and is regulated by multiple mechanisms. Understanding the mechanisms and dissecting the components on their regulatory pathways will provide new insights, leading to novel strategies for the improvement of salt tolerance in agricultural and economic crops of importance.

Computational approaches for understanding the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease.

This study describes how the application of evolutionary algorithms (EAs) can be used to study motor function in humans with Parkinson's disease (PD) and in animal models of PD. Human data is obtained using commercially available sensors via a range of non-invasive procedures that follow conventional clinical practice. EAs can then be used to classify human data for a range of uses, including diagnosis and disease monitoring.

Pythium insidiosum: A Rare Necrotizing Orbital and Facial Infection.

Pythium insidiosum, also known as "swamp cancer," has been long known for its destructive effects on plants and animals. Infections with this fungus-like organism typically occur in temperate, tropical, and subtropical regions [ 1]. Human infection with P insidiosum, although exceedingly rare, is characterized by invasion of the cornea, cutaneous, subcutaneous, and orbital tissues with eosinophilic, tumor-like masses demonstrating arterial tropism [ 1, 2].

Comparison of two culture techniques used to detect environmental contamination with Salmonella enterica in a large-animal hospital.

Salmonellosis is a common healthcare-associated infection in large-animal hospitals, and surveillance for Salmonella is an integral part of comprehensive infection control programmes in populations at risk. The present study compares the effectiveness of two culture techniques for recovery of Salmonella from environmental samples obtained in a large-animal referral veterinary hospital during a Salmonella outbreak. Environmental samples were collected using household cleaning cloths that were incubated overnight in buffered peptone water (BPW).

Updates in pediatric venous thromboembolism.

Purpose Of Review: The occurrence of pediatric venous thromboembolism (VTE) and the associated sequelae are increasing. The purpose of this PubMed-based review was to summarize the evidence published between 1 August 2014 and 31 March 2015 regarding pediatric VTE epidemiology, risk factors and risk scores, as well as the results from clinical prevention and treatment studies in children. We also sought to provide an update regarding ongoing clinical trials in pediatric VTE prevention and treatment, based on a recent (31 March 2015) search of the clinicaltrials.

Microarray analysis on gene regulation by estrogen, progesterone and tamoxifen in human endometrial stromal cells.

Epithelial stromal cells represent a major cellular component of human uterine endometrium that is subject to tight hormonal regulation. Through cell-cell contacts and/or paracrine mechanisms, stromal cells play a significant role in the malignant transformation of epithelial cells. We isolated stromal cells from normal human endometrium and investigated the morphological and transcriptional changes induced by estrogen, progesterone and tamoxifen.

Dynamic upper respiratory abnormalities in Thoroughbred racehorses in South Africa.

Upper airway endoscopy at rest has been the diagnostic method of choice for equine upper respiratory tract (URT) conditions. Development of high-speed treadmill endoscopy improved the sensitivity of URT endoscopy by allowing observation of the horse's nasopharynx and larynx during exercise. However, treadmill exercise may not always accurately represent the horse's normal exercise as track surface, rider, tack and environmental variables are altered.