Mathematical analysis of HIV/HTLV-I co-infection model with saturated incidence rate

Direct contact with specific contaminated body fluids is how both the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) are transmitted from one person to another. Therefore, the two viruses can co-infect same person. In the literature all the HIV/HTLV-I co-infection models assume that the infection rate is given by bilinear incidence. However, for high concentration of pathogens, the bilinear incidence is not suitable. Therefore, this study will focus on the dynamical behavior of an HIV/HTLV-I co-infection model with saturated incidence. The model includes the effect of Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) immune response. Through the non-negativity and boundedness of the solutions, we demonstrated that our proposed model is biologically acceptable. We calculate the threshold parameters which determine when the equibrium point exists and when it is globally asymptotically stable. Utilizing the Lyapunov function and Lyapunov-LaSalle asymptotic stability, we demonstrate the global asymptotic stability of all equilibrium. We performed numerical simulations to confirm the analytical solutions. The effect of saturation on The dynamics of HIV/HTLV-I co-infection are discussed

Health and disease status in a threatened marsupial, the quokka (Setonix brachyurus)

Between 1901 and 1931, there were at least six anecdotal records of disease outbreaks in mainland quokkas (Setonix brachyurus) that were associated with mass mortalities. This time period pre-dates the arrival of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Despite these outbreaks, little or no research has been carried out to establish health and disease baseline data of the fragmented and scattered, extant populations. Epidemiological data was determined for a range of potential pathogens, and established physiological reference intervals of apparently healthy, wild quokkas on Rottnest Island and mainland locations. There were significant differences between Rottnest Island and mainland quokkas. Rottnest Island animals had haemograms with mark evidence of oxidative injury and bone marrow response consistent with a regenerative normocytic hypochromic anaemia. Except alkaline phosphatase (ALP), all blood chemistry analytes where higher in mainland animals, with particular emphasis on creatine kinase (CK), alanine amino transferase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase (AST) and vitamin E. Some other key findings include a widespread presence of a novel herpesvirus (MaHV-6), the recovery of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii from quokkas in highly altered ecosystems on Rottnest Island, and new Salmonella spp. serovars in Rottnest Island quokkas. Atypical lymphocytes resembling those in proliferative disorders of the lymphoid and haematopoietic tissues in other species were observed in blood smears of animals on Rottnest Island but not on the mainland. The presence of potentially-pathogenic organisms is likely to increase synergistic effects of ongoing and future threats (e.g. habitat clearing, climate change), and could increase quokka extinction risk. Disease surveillance would make a valuable contribution to Recovery Plans for the quokka, enabling preparedness for a rapid response if clinical disease is to happen, and to manage populations in a more integrated way

Spumaretroviruses

Foamy viruses, currently referred to as spumaretroviruses, are the most ancient retroviruses as evidenced by traces of viral sequences dispersed in all vertebrate classes from fish to mammals. Additionally, infectious foamy viruses circulate in a variety of mammalian species including simian, bovine, equine, caprine, and feline. Foamy viruses have many unique features which led to the division of the retrovirus family into two subfamilies, the Orthoretrovirinae and Spumaretrovirinae. In vitro, foamy viruses have a broad host range and in vivo, human infections have been described due to cross-species transmission from infected nonhuman primates. Thus far, there are no reports of virus-induced disease in humans or in the natural host species. These unique properties of foamy viruses have led researchers to develop foamy viruses as gene therapy vectors to study virus–virus and virus–host interactions for identifying factors involved in virus replication, transmission, and immune regulation that could influence potential clinical outcomes in humans as well as for using endogenous foamy virus sequences in the analysis of host species evolution

Viral infections in 47 CVID patients in allergy and immunology department of Rasool E Akram hospital in Tehran

Background: CVID is a heterogeneous primary immune deficiency with infectious, autoimmune and autoinflamatory features. It is most common symptomatic PID in Iran, with prevalence of 1 in 25000 to 50000 people. CVID has been divided into some phenotypes to produce more homogenized subpopulations. CVID is not a pure Ab deficiency .and because of both abnormalities in Tcell and innate immunity in combination with B cell dysfunction these patients are predisposed to viral and opportunistic infections. Method: prevalence of viral infections is reported in 47 CVID patients registered in Rasool E Akram hospital in Tehran. Patients have been diagnosed as CVID with the PAGID-ESID diagnostic criteria in our department or referred from other clinics for follow up and treatment. Diagnosis of viral germs has been made by clinical signs, pathological significances and in some cases by PCR. Cases: 9 patients (19%) had problems with viral infections. Infections occurred befor diagnosis of CVID in some cases or after that. Four patients (8.5 %) had problems with wart. Sever mucocutaneus HSV infection has occurred in 3 (6 %), recurrent zona in one (2 %) and CMV infection as colitis or pneumonitis in 3(6 %) patients. Sever progressive lethal CNS infection with JC virus occurred in one patient. Conclusion: evidences show that CVID is not a pure B cell defect, and we should be aware of opportunistic and viral infections that in some cases may be fatal

East Carolina University: Creating a Better Tomorrow: 5th Annual Research & Creative Achievement Week

The Program of the 5th Annual Research and Creative Activity Week is available, with a schedule of events and abstracts for the lectures and presentations. These events took place from April 4-8, 2011, in Mendenhall Student Center on the campus of East Carolina University

Epidemiology Insights

This book represents an overview on the diverse threads of epidemiological research, brings together the expertise and enthusiasm of an international panel of leading researchers to provide a state-of-the art overview of the field. Topics include the epidemiology of dermatomycoses and Candida spp. infections, the epidemiology molecular of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from humans and animals, the epidemiology of varied manifestations neuro-psychiatric, virology and epidemiology, epidemiology of wildlife tuberculosis, epidemiologic approaches to the study of microbial quality of milk and milk products, Cox proportional hazards model, epidemiology of lymphoid malignancy, epidemiology of primary immunodeficiency diseases and genetic epidemiology family-based. Written by experts from around the globe, this book is reading for clinicians, researchers and students, who intend to address these issues

Psr1p interacts with SUN/sad1p and EB1/mal3p to establish the bipolar spindle

Regular Abstracts - Sunday Poster Presentations: no. 382During mitosis, interpolar microtubules from two spindle pole bodies (SPBs) interdigitate to create an antiparallel microtubule array for accommodating numerous regulatory proteins. Among these proteins, the kinesin-5 cut7p/Eg5 is the key player responsible for sliding apart antiparallel microtubules and thus helps in establishing the bipolar spindle. At the onset of mitosis, two SPBs are adjacent to one another with most microtubules running nearly parallel toward the nuclear envelope, creating an unfavorable microtubule configuration for the kinesin-5 kinesins. Therefore, how the cell organizes the antiparallel microtubule array in the first place at mitotic onset remains enigmatic. Here, we show that a novel protein psrp1p localizes to the SPB and plays a key role in organizing the antiparallel microtubule array. The absence of psr1+ leads to a transient monopolar spindle and massive chromosome loss. Further functional characterization demonstrates that psr1p is recruited to the SPB through interaction with the conserved SUN protein sad1p and that psr1p physically interacts with the conserved microtubule plus tip protein mal3p/EB1. These results suggest a model that psr1p serves as a linking protein between sad1p/SUN and mal3p/EB1 to allow microtubule plus ends to be coupled to the SPBs for organization of an antiparallel microtubule array. Thus, we conclude that psr1p is involved in organizing the antiparallel microtubule array in the first place at mitosis onset by interaction with SUN/sad1p and EB1/mal3p, thereby establishing the bipolar spindle.postprin