Exploring the Impact of Knowledge and Social Environment on Influenza Prevention and Transmission in Midwestern United States High School Students

We used data from a convenience sample of 410 Midwestern United States students from six secondary schools to develop parsimonious models for explaining and predicting precautions and illness related to influenza. Scores for knowledge and perceptions were obtained using two-parameter Item Response Theory (IRT) models. Relationships between outcome variables and predictors were verified using Pearson and Spearman correlations, and nested [student within school] fixed effects multinomial logistic regression models were specified from these using Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC). Neural network models were then formulated as classifiers using 10-fold cross validation to predict precautions and illness. Perceived barriers against taking precautions lowered compliance with the CDC recommended preventative practices of vaccination, hand washing quality, and respiratory etiquette. Perceived complications from influenza illness improved social distancing. Knowledge of the influenza illness was a significant predictor for hand washing frequency and respiratory etiquette. Ethnicity and gender had varying effects on precautions and illness severity, as did school-level effects: enrollment size, proficiency on the state’s biology end-of-course examination, and use of free or reduced lunch. Neural networks were able to predict illness, hand hygiene, and respiratory etiquette with moderate success. Models presented may prove useful for future development of strategies aimed at mitigation of influenza in high school youths. As more data becomes available, health professionals and educators will have the opportunity to test and refine these models

Tandem repetition of the origin of DNA replication in defective polyoma virus DNA's

The sequences derived from the polyoma virus genome which are tandemly repeated in a class of noninfectious covalently closed circular DNA's (Folk, W. R., and Wang, H. E., Virology 61, 140-155 (1974) have been identified. Specific fragments of polyoma DNA produced by cleavage with the HpaII endonuclease have been purified, and the homology between each fragment and the noninfectious DNA's containing tandem repeats has been measured by DNA reassociation kinetics. The majority of the repeated sequences in the noninfectious DNA's are derived from the region of the genome containing the origin of DNA replication.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/22091/1/0000515.pd

Chilling susceptibility in mungbean varieties is associated with their differentially expressed genes

Additional file 4: Table S3. Validation of microarray data by qRT-PCR in mungbean seedlings

Polyoma virus replication in BHK-21 cells: Semi-permissiveness is due to cellular heterogeneity

Normal and transformed BHK-21 cells are heterogeneous in their capacity to support replication of polyoma virus. In situ hybridization has been used to demonstrate rare cells in which large numbers of polyoma genomes accumulate following infection by wild-type virus or induction of polyoma A gene mutants. Different transformed cell lines vary in the frequency of occurrence of these rare cells. Such cells may be an important determinant of the frequency of transformation of BHK-21 cells by polyoma virus.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/24382/1/0000652.pd

Sites in the polyoma genome cleaved by restriction endonuclease HindII

The Hemophilus influenzae HindII endonuclease cleaves polyoma DNA into two fragments, approximately 90 and 10% the size of polyoma linear DNA. One of the HindII sites is located in the H. parainfluenzae HpaII-F fragment, and the other in the HpaII-A fragment. Both sites have the sequencePeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/22117/1/0000544.pd

Regulatory mutants of polyoma virus defective in DNA replication and the synthesis of early proteins

In polyoma virus the origin of replication, the 5' ends of early mRNAs, and the initiation codon for early protein synthesis map within an approximately 200 bp region of the genome. We have previously reported the isolation and partial characterization of viable mutants of polyoma virus with deletions in this important regulatory region of the genome. Three of the mutants with large deletions, one of which had significantly altered growth properties, have been further characterized with respect to their nucleotide sequence alterations and their levels of viral DNA replication and of early protein synthesis. The nearly coincident deletions in mutants 17 and 2-19 reduce the capacity of these viruses to replicate, even in the presence of a coinfecting virus; thus they help define one boundary of the origin of DNA replication. The deletion in mutant 75 appears to remove sequences that are essential for efficient expression of early genes, but has little or no effect upon DNA replication. Its defect is complemented in trans by wild-type virus. All three mutants eliminate sequences which are candidates for RNA polymerase and ribosome binding sites near the initiation codon for early proteins.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/23233/1/0000166.pd

Isolation and characterization of a novel cytochrome P-450-like pseudogene

SummaryA rabbit liver P-450-like pseudogene has been isolated from a [lambda] phage genomic library. Sequence analysis revealed structural homology with respect to the rat P-450b and P-450e genes as well as a similar intron-exon organization. A 5'-proximal TATA box-like sequence and two 3'-distal putative polyadenylation signals were identified, and all putative intronexon boundaries except at the 3'-splice site of intron 2 were found to follow the GT/AG rule. With allowance for apparent deletions and insertions, the structural homology of the amino acid sequence deduced from the pseudogene with respect to rabbit P-450 isozyme 2 is lower for exons 1 through 4 (18-28%) than for exons 5 through 9 (42-65%). S1 nuclease mapping showed that mRNAs complementary to the DNA sequence of exon 9 are expressed. However, due to the alterations in the pseudogene, it appears that functional P-450 would not be produced from such mRNAs.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/26288/1/0000373.pd

Use of [1 or 3-3H, U-14c]glucose to estimate the synthesis of glycerolipids via acyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate

SummaryBHK-21-cl3 fibroblasts were incubated with [1-3H, U-14c]glucose or [3-3H, U-14c]glucose to produce intracellular [3H]NADPH via the phosphogluconate pathway. 3H and 14C were then determined at the three positions of glycerol in glycerol phosphate, saponifiable glycerolipids, alkyl ether glycerolipids and plasmalogens. The 3H/14C ratio at C-2 in glycerol of saponifiable glycerolipids is 2-10 fold greater than in glycerol phosphate and approaches the ratio found in ether-containing glycerolipids. This suggests that a significant fraction of the glycerolipids in BHK-21-cl3 fibroblasts is synthesized via acyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/22025/1/0000441.pd

Behavioral Improvements and its Molecular Mechanism of Ilex kudingcha C.J. Tseng on Animal Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common chronic neurodegenerative disease with well-defined pathophysiological mechanisms. Ilex kudingcha (IK) C.J. Tseng is commonly known as bitter tea or “Khom” tea in Vietnam. The present study was conducted to investigate the anti-dementia effect of IK using olfactory bulbectomized (OBX) mice. OBX mice were daily treated with IK extract (540 mg/kg) or reference drug, tacrine (2.5 mg/kg) 1 week before and continuously for 3 days after the OBX surgery. The object recognition test, modified Y maze test and fear conditioning test were employed to analyze non-spatial short-term, spatial short-term and long-term memories of the mice respectively. Administration of IK extract and tacrine attenuated these OBX-induced cognitive deficits in mice. The effects of IK and tacrine on spatial short-term memory impairment were reversed by scopolamine, a muscarinic receptor antagonist. The amyloid-beta (Aβ) production in adult transgenic Drosophila brain flies was also investigated by using Western blotting with APP-HA antibody. These results indicated that IK extract improves short-term and long-term memory disturbances in OBX mice and that muscarinic receptor may play a role on these actions. In addition, our result also showed that IK extract reduces the expression of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in brain of AD model using Drosophila melanogaster

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Lessertia frutescens in Healthy Adults

OBJECTIVES: Indigenous medicines are widely used throughout Africa, despite a lack of scientific evidence for their safety or efficacy. The aims of this study were: (a) to conduct a pilot study of the safety of a common indigenous South African phytotherapy, Lessertia frutescens (Sutherlandia), in healthy adults; and (b) to contribute to establishing procedures for ethical and scientifically rigorous clinical trials of African indigenous medicines. DESIGN: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Sutherlandia leaf powder in healthy adults. SETTING: Tiervlei Trial Centre, Karl Bremer Hospital, Bellville, South Africa. PARTICIPANTS: 25 adults who provided informed consent and had no known significant diseases or allergic conditions nor clinically abnormal laboratory blood profiles during screening. INTERVENTION: 12 participants randomized to a treatment arm consumed 400 mg capsules of Sutherlandia leaf powder twice daily (800 mg/d). 13 individuals randomized to the control arm consumed a placebo capsule. Each participant received 180 capsules for the trial duration of 3 mo. OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary endpoint was frequency of adverse events; secondary endpoints were changes in physical, vital, blood, and biomarker indices. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in general adverse events or physical, vital, blood, and biomarker indices between the treatment and placebo groups (p > 0.05). However, participants consuming Sutherlandia reported improved appetite compared to those in the placebo group (p = 0.01). Although the treatment group exhibited a lower respiration rate (p < 0.04) and higher platelet count (p = 0.03), MCH (p = 0.01), MCHC (p = 0.02), total protein (p = 0.03), and albumin (p = 0.03), than the placebo group, these differences remained within the normal physiological range, and were not clinically relevant. The Sutherlandia biomarker canavanine was undetectable in participant plasma. CONCLUSION: Consumption of 800 mg/d Sutherlandia leaf powder capsules for 3 mo was tolerated by healthy adults