Update on Laboratory Diagnosis and Epidemiology of \u3cem\u3eTrichomonas vaginalis\u3c/em\u3e: You Can Teach an “Old” Dog “New” Trichs

Past viewpoints on Trichomonas vaginalis infection have characterized the associated clinical disease as a “nuisance” condition, with affected demographics largely being older African American females residing in urban centers. The advent of commercial molecular assays specific for T. vaginalis has offered a new outlook on trichomoniasis. Within high-prevalence sexually transmitted infection populations, parasite distribution is not localized to specific population centers, and T. vaginalis prevalence is elevated among both younger and older age groups. Adaptation of these molecular assays can additionally facilitate male screening and subsequent epidemiologic characterization. These findings, combined with associations between T. vaginalis infection and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition/transmission and persistent human papillomavirus infection, support consideration of the expansion of T. vaginalis screening efforts in the realms of clinical practice and public health

Suboptimal \u3cem\u3eTrichomonas vaginalis\u3c/em\u3e Antigen Test Performance in a Low-Prevalence Sexually Transmitted Infection Community

Trichomonas vaginalis is the most common nonviral etiology of sexually transmitted infection (STI) worldwide. The OSOM Trichomonas rapid test (OSOM; Sekisui Diagnostics, San Diego, CA) is a rapid surrogate to microscopic analysis in symptomatic patients, but its performance in low-prevalence STI populations has been assessed on a limited basis in the literature. OSOM has widespread usage, as accreditation data from the College of American Pathologists report that over 300 participant laboratories utilize this assay on an annual basis. We sought to characterize the analytical and clinical performance of OSOM in a low-prevalence STI population on the basis of a commercial transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) reference

Engineering an endocrine Neo-Pancreas by repopulation of a decellularized rat pancreas with islets of Langerhans

Introduction: Decellularization of pancreata and repopulation of these non-immunogenic matrices with islets and endothelial cells could provide transplantable, endocrine Neo-Pancreata. Methods: In this study, rat pancreata were perfusion decellularized and repopulated with intact islets, comparing three perfusion routes (artery, portal vein, pancreatic duct). Results: Decellularization effectively removed all cellular components but conserved the pancreas specific extracellular matrix. Digital subtraction angiography of the matrices showed a conserved integrity of the decellularized vascular system but a contrast emersion into the parenchyma via the decellularized pancreatic duct. Islets infused via the pancreatic duct leaked from the ductular system into the peri-ductular decellularized space despite their magnitude. TUNEL staining and Glucose stimulated insulin secretion revealed that islets were viable and functional after the process. Discussion: We present the first available protocol for perfusion decellularization of rat pancreata via three different perfusion routes. Furthermore, we provide first proof-of-concept for the repopulation of the decellularized rat pancreata with functional islets of Langerhans. The presented technique can serve as a bioengineering platform to generate implantable and functional endocrine Neo-Pancreata.Einführung: Mittels Dezellularisierung von Bauchspeicheldrüsen und Repopularisierung dieser nicht-immunogenen Matrizen mit Langerhans-Inseln und Endothelzellen könnte ein transplantables endokrines Neo-Pankreas generiert werden. Methoden: In dieser Studie wurden Bauchspeicheldrüsen von Ratten mittels Perfusion dezellularisiert und anschließend mit intakten Langerhans-Inseln besiedelt. Dafür wurden drei Perfusionswege verglichen (Arterie, Portalvene, Ductus pancreaticus). Ergebnisse: Mittels Dezellularisierung wurden alle zellulären Komponenten aus dem Organ gelöst, während die pankreas-spezifische Extrazellulärmatrix erhalten blieb. Eine digitale Subtraktionsangiographie machte die Integrität des Gefäßsystems sichtbar. Inseln, welche in den Pankreasgang infundiert wurden, entwichen aus dem duktalen System in den peri-duktalen dezellularisierten Raum. Die TUNEL-Färbung und eine Glucose stimulierte Insulin-Sekretion machten deutlich, dass die Langerhans-Inseln die Rezellularisierung überlebten und funktional waren. Diskussion: Wir präsentieren das erste verfügbare Protokoll zur Perfusions-Dezellularisierung von Ratten-Pankreata über drei verschiedene Routen. Diese Studie verdeutlicht die Machbarkeit der Repopularisierung von dezellularisierten Ratten-Pankreata mit funktionalen Langerhans-Inseln. Die Technik kann als Plattform zur Generierung von implantierbaren endokrinen Neo-Pankreata dienen

Virtualized Educational Lab Setup Project Plan and Supporting Project Documentation

The current infrastructure being used for IT courses at the University of Northwestern Ohio is not adequate for students. In addition, hands-on components of courses are difficult to test over, faculty administration of class resources was minimal, and students did not have access to enterprise level systems. The solution was to implement a lab environment to accomplish all of these concerns. This project closely mirrors how a real world project would function using the knowledge acquired during coursework completed at DSU. Documentation submitted for coursework at DSU was used as templates during this project. Not only was this project designed to outline how a project would be completed but also includes deliverables of analyzing virtualization solutions for a lab environment, an architectural diagram of the proposed virtualized lab environment, purchasing a solution, and finally implementing the proposed solution. The project deliverable entitled “Virtualized Educational Lab Setup Top Solutions and Recommendation” includes a comparison of several solutions for the proposed lab. Included in this documentation is the proposed architectural diagram which outlines how the lab should be setup. The project deliverable entitled “Virtualized Educational Lab Setup Implementation” outlines the systems used within the lab. This includes documentation of both hardware and software being used. Specific identifying information about some systems has been excluded to protect the integrity of the environment; however, revised information will be distributed to internal faculty and staff at UNOH so it can be maintained and managed

ERK1/2 do not Phosphorylate Proteins in Mitochondria and Myofilaments

Heart disease continues to be the most prevalent health issue in the United States. Previous studies have demonstrated the cardio-protective benefit of an increase in extracellular signal regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) activity in mice. In this study, genetically modified mice with knockouts of both the DUSP6 and DUSP8 genes (DKO) were used to study whether increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation in DKO mice changes the expression of these death-related proteins. We found out the increase in ERK1/2 phosphorylation mainly stayed in cytoplasm and the expression levels of BCl-2 and Bax were not altered. We also investigated whether myofilament proteins could be the phosphorylation targets. Our data indicated that there was no significant difference of myofilament protein phosphorylation between wild type and DKO mouse hearts. In conclusion, our data suggest that the protective role of ERK1/2 in the heart doesn\u27t influence the phosphorylation of either mitochondrial or myofilament proteins

The current state of biomarker research for Friedreich's ataxia: a report from the 2018 FARA biomarker meeting

The 2018 FARA Biomarker Meeting highlighted the current state of development of biomarkers for Friedreich's ataxia. A mass spectroscopy assay to sensitively measure mature frataxin (reduction of which is the root cause of disease) is being developed. Biomarkers to monitor neurological disease progression include imaging, electrophysiological measures and measures of nerve function, which may be measured either in serum and/or through imaging-based technologies. Potential pharmacodynamic biomarkers include metabolic and protein biomarkers and markers of nerve damage. Cardiac imaging and serum biomarkers may reflect cardiac disease progression. Considerable progress has been made in the development of biomarkers for various contexts of use, but further work is needed in terms of larger longitudinal multisite studies, and identification of novel biomarkers for additional use cases

A Qualitative Participant Observation Study Investigating the Use of Web 2.0 Technologies in One High School Visual Arts Classroom Using a Social Constructivist Lens

This qualitative project studied the benefits of Web 2.0 technology in one high school visual arts classroom using a participant observation stance. I examined an advanced art class through a social constructivist lens, with student’s ages from 16-18 years. I implemented several lessons teaching the students how artists display ideas within their artwork, through having the students use the blogging service Tumblr and the video sharing Web site YouTube. In analyzing the student’s interactions with their peers and their experiences with the technology, the project revealed that using the technology benefited their learning. I collected data from a variety of sources that included both pre- and post-questionnaires from the students, interviews with students and classroom teacher, my own reflection logs and observations, and document analysis of the student blogs and artwork. Through reading and re-reading the data and organizing the data into word documents, the student’s individual stories began to reveal the categories of the findings. Through interacting on the blogs, students began to build a classroom community that had a positive effect on their learning. The students discovered that blogs provided them with the opportunity to reflect as they responded to assignments. The students became teachers both directly and indirectly through completing assignments and posting responses. Using Web 2.0 technology motivated the students by giving them an active role in their learning. These categories contributed to larger themes: students gain enjoyment and value through Web 2.0, social interaction benefits student learning, and Web 2.0 provides teachers with tools that help students succeed. My research displayed how Web 2.0 technology can be implemented in a high school visual arts classroom, and documented the students’ personal experiences with the technology