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Development and implementation of a culturally sensitive cervical health survey: a community-based participatory approach.

Cervical cancer mortality rates are higher for Great Plains Native American women than for Caucasian women and other Native women. Messengers for Health, a project based on the Apsáalooke (Crow Indian) reservation, utilizes a lay health advisor approach to decrease cervical cancer screening barriers, increase knowledge regarding screening and prevention, and increase the proportion of women receiving Pap tests among Apsáalooke women aged 18 and older. This project utilizes a community-based participatory research model, which emphasizes community member involvement in all phases of the project. The initial phase of this project was the development and implementation of a culturally sensitive survey used to guide the program and benefit the community. The process and preliminary results are presented.

Adult↗

The morphology of the femur in developmental dysplasia of the hip.

We studied the morphometry of 35 femora from 31 female patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) and another 15 from 15 age- and sex-matched control patients using CT and three-dimensional computer reconstruction models. According to the classification of Crowe et al 15 of the dysplastic hips were graded as class I (less than 50% subluxation), ten as class I/III (50% to 100% subluxation) and ten as class IV (more than 100% subluxation). The femora with DDH had 10 to 14 degrees more anteversion than the control group independent of the degree of subluxation of the hip. In even the most mildly dysplastic joints, the femur had a smaller and more anteverted canal than the normal control. With increased subluxation, additional abnormalities were observed in the size and position of the femoral head. Femora from dislocated joints had a short, anteverted neck associated with a smaller, narrower, and straighter canal than femora of classes I and II/III or the normal control group. We suggest that when total hip replacement is performed in the patient with DDH, the femoral prosthesis should be chosen on the basis of the severity of the subluxation and the degree of anteversion of each individual femur.

Adult↗

Charnley low-friction arthroplasty with an autograft of the femoral head for developmental dysplasia of the hip. The 10- to 15-year results.

Between 1983 and 1988 we carried out 45 Charnley low-friction arthroplasties with autografts from the femoral head in 41 patients for developmental dysplasia of the hip. The preoperative radiographs were assessed for the severity of DDH according to the classifications of Crowe et al, Hartofilakidis et al and Sharp. The postoperative and follow-up radiographs were analysed for coverage of the socket by the graft, for loosening and for the outcome of the fixation of the bone graft. Two patients died (two hips) at four and seven years after THR from causes unrelated to the surgery and were excluded from the final radiological analysis. The mean age of the patients at the time of operation was 46 years 3 months. The autograft of the femoral head covered a mean 26% (16 to 35) of the acetabular component. All the grafts united. Some degree of resorption of the bone graft occurred in 27 patients, and always involved the lateral part of the graft, which was beyond the margin of the socket. After a mean follow-up of 11 years there had been no revisions and 38 patients had no pain or only slight discomfort. One socket migrated and four others were fully demarcated. Our findings indicate that the Charnley LFA with an autograft of the femoral head for DDH remains successful at a follow-up of 15 years.

Adult↗

Pathology of fatal West Nile virus infections in native and exotic birds during the 1999 outbreak in New York City, New York.

West Nile fever caused fatal disease in humans, horses, and birds in the northeastern United States during 1999. We studied birds from two wildlife facilities in New York City, New York, that died or were euthanatized and were suspected to have West Nile virus infections. Using standard histologic and ultrastructural methods, virus isolation, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, we identified West Nile virus as the cause of clinical disease, severe pathologic changes, and death in 27 birds representing eight orders and 14 species. Virus was detected in 23/26 brains (88%), 24/ 25 hearts (96%), 15/18 spleens (83%), 14/20 livers (70%), 20/20 kidneys (100%), 10/13 adrenals (77%), 13/ 14 intestines (93%), 10/12 pancreata (83%), 5/12 lungs (42%), and 4/8 ovaries (50%) by one or more methods. Cellular targets included neurons and glial cells in the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral ganglia; myocardial fibers; macrophages and blood monocytes; renal tubular epithelium; adrenal cortical cells; pancreatic acinar cells and islet cells; intestinal crypt epithelium; oocytes; and fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. Purkinje cells were especially targeted, except in crows and magpies. Gross hemorrhage of the brain, splenomegaly, meningoencephalitis, and myocarditis were the most prominent lesions. Immunohistochemistry was an efficient and reliable method for identifying infected cases, but the polyclonal antibody cross-reacted with St. Louis encephalitis virus and other flaviviruses. In contrast, the in situ hybridization probe pWNV-E (WN-USAMRIID99) reacted only with West Nile virus. These methods should aid diagnosticians faced with the emergence of West Nile virus in the United States.

Animals↗

West Nile virus infection in Eastern fox squirrels (Sciurus niger).

Since the initial outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) in the northeastern United States in 1999, the virus has rapidly spread westward and southward across the USA, causing high mortality in crows as well as sporadic mortality in horses, humans, and a wide variety of birds. In 2002 the epidemic widened as hundreds of equine and human cases and sporadic cases in other mammalian species were reported. This is the first report of WNV infection in three Eastern fox squirrels (Sciurus niger). Neurologic signs included head tilt, uncoordinated movement, paralysis, and tremors. Gross lesions were absent. Microscopic lesions consisted of lymphoplasmacytic inflammation involving the brain, heart, kidney, and liver. Formalin-fixed tissues from the three squirrels were tested for WNV antigen by immunohistochemical staining and for WNV-specific RNA by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The kidneys of all three squirrels stained positive with immunohistochemistry for WNV, whereas the brain and heart were positive in only one animal. Two of the three squirrels were positive for WNV by RT-PCR.

Animals↗

Dispersion characteristics of coupled-resonator optical waveguides.

A tight-binding optical waveguide formed by proximity coupling of nearest-neighbor resonators, e.g., a coupled-resonator optical waveguide (CROW), has distinct wave and pulse propagation characteristics compared with a conventional waveguide, and several applications in photonic devices have been proposed recently. But analysis of the dispersion, and in particular the group-velocity dispersion, in such a waveguide requires particular attention: the waveguide displays two distinct regimes of operation, depending on the position of the wave packet in the dispersion relationship.

Journal Article↗

One-anastomosis gastric bypass by laparoscopy: results of the first 209 patients.

BACKGROUND: One-Anastomosis Gastric Bypass (OAGB) by laparoscopy consists of constructing a divided 25-ml (estimated) gastric pouch between the esophago-gastric junction and the crow's foot level, parallel to the lesser curvature, which is anastomosed latero-laterally to a jejunal loop 200 cm distal to the ligament of Treitz. METHODS: The results of our first 209 OAGB patients operated from July 2002 to June 2004 are reported. Mean age was 41 years (14-66), BMI 48 (39-86) and mean excess body weight 66 kg (35-220). In 144 patients, OAGB was the only operation performed, and in 61 patients it was accompanied by other surgery (18 cholecystectomies, 5 incisional hernia repairs, and 38 adhesiolysis), and in 4 patients a restrictive bariatric operation had been performed previously. RESULTS: 2 patients (0.9%) were converted to open surgery due to uncontrollable bleeding. 3 patients (1.4%) needed re-operation in the immediate postoperative period. 5 patients (2.3%) needed prolonged hospital stay due to acute pancreatitis in 1 and anastomotic leakage in 4, all resolving with conservative treatment. 2 patients died (0.9%), 1 from fulminant pulmonary thromboembolism and 1 from nosocomial pneumonia. Long-term complications have occurred in only 2 patients who developed clinically significant iron-deficiency anemia. Mean excess weight loss was 75% after 1 year and >80% at 2 years. CONCLUSION: OAGB is a simple, safe and effective operation with less perioperative risk than conventional gastric bypass, quicker return to normal activities, and better quality of life.

Adolescent↗

Brain switching: studying evolutionary behavioral changes in the context of individual brain development.

Working together at Nogent, Marie-Aimee Teillet, Nicole Le Douarin and the author successfully developed an extension of the quail-chick transplant technique for relating species brain cell differences to behavioral differences. This article reviews the application of the technique to species differences in motor behavior (crowing) and auditory perceptual preferences. Interspecies brain transplants provide a unique means for elucidating general cellular mechanisms which integrate evolutionary and individual experience during the development of complex brain circuitry.

Animals↗

Identification of avian- and mammalian-derived bloodmeals in Aedes vexans and Culiseta melanura (Diptera: Culicidae) and its implication for West Nile virus transmission in Connecticut, U.S.A.

To evaluate the host-feeding patterns of Aedes vexans (Meigen) and Culiseta melanura (Coquillett) as secondary vectors of West Nile virus (family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus, WNV) in Northeastern United States, we identified the source of vertebrate bloodmeals by sequencing portions of the cytochrome b gene of mitochondrial DNA. Analysis of polymerase chain reaction products from a total of 119 Ae. vexans revealed that 92.4% of individuals acquired blood solely from mammalian and 2.5% from avian hosts. Mixed bloodmeals from both avian and mammalian hosts were detected in 5% of individuals of this species. Ae. vexans obtained vertebrate bloodmeals most frequently from white-tailed deer (80%) followed by domestic horse, American robin, eastern cottontail, and domestic cat. In contrast, Cs. melanura fed predominantly on avian species (89.6%) but exhibited some inclination for mammalian blood (4.2%). Individual mosquitoes containing mixed bloodmeals were also identified in 6% of Cs. melanura. American robin was the most common source of vertebrate blood for Cs. melanura (23%), followed by wood thrush and gray catbird. American crow represented only 2% of the bloodmeals identified in Cs. melanura, as was similarly found with other recognized Culex vectors of WNV in the northeast. These findings support the view that Ae. vexans is likely to be a relatively important "bridge vector" to large mammals, including deer and horse, whereas Cs. melanura likely plays a secondary role in enzootic transmission of WNV among free-ranging birds in more rural environs.

Aedes↗

Vector competence of North American mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) for West Nile virus.

We evaluated the potential for several North American mosquito species to transmit the newly introduced West Nile (WN) virus. Mosquitoes collected in the New York City metropolitan area during the recent WN virus outbreak, at the Assateague Island Wildlife Refuge, VA, or from established colonies were allowed to feed on chickens infected with WN virus isolated from a crow that died during the 1999 outbreak. These mosquitoes were tested approximately 2 wk later to determine infection, dissemination, and transmission rates. Aedes albopictus (Skuse), Aedes atropalpus (Coquillett), and Aedes japonicus (Theobald) were highly susceptible to infection, and nearly all individuals with a disseminated infection transmitted virus by bite. Culex pipiens L. and Aedes sollicitans (Walker) were moderately susceptible. In contrast, Aedes vexans (Meigen), Aedes aegypti (L.), and Aedes taeniorhynchus (Wiedemann) were relatively refractory to infection, but individual mosquitoes inoculated with WN virus did transmit virus by bite. Infected female Cx. pipiens transmitted WN virus to one of 1,618 F1 progeny, indicating the potential for vertical transmission of this virus. In addition to laboratory vector competence, host-feeding preferences, relative abundance, and season of activity also determine the role that these species could play in transmitting WN virus.

Aedes↗

Effect of incubation at overwintering temperatures on the replication of West Nile Virus in New York Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae).

We examined the effect of simulated overwintering temperatures on West Nile (WN) virus replication in Culex pipiens L. derived from mosquitoes collected during the autumn 1999 WN epizootic in New York. The WN virus was a strain isolated from a dead crow also collected during this outbreak. Virus was recovered from most mosquitoes held exclusively at 26 degres C. In contrast, none of the mosquitoes held exclusively at the lower temperatures had detectable infections. When mosquitoes were transferred to 26 degrees C after being held at 10 degrees C for 21-42 d, infection and dissemination rates increased with increased incubation at 26 degrees C. Future studies involving the attempted isolation of WN virus from overwintering mosquitoes may benefit from holding the mosquitoes at 26 degrees C before testing for infectious virus.

Animals↗

Effect of environmental temperature on the ability of Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) to transmit West Nile virus.

Environmental temperature can affect the ability of mosquitoes to transmit an arbovirus. However, results of various studies indicate that these effects are not consistent among viruses or mosquito species, and there is no information available on the effect of environmental temperature on the ability of North American mosquito species to transmit West Nile (WN) virus. We evaluated the effect of incubation temperature (18, 20, 26, or 30 degrees C) on the ability of Culex pipiens L. derived from specimens collected during the outbreak in New York in 1999 to transmit a strain of WN virus obtained from a crow that died during this outbreak. Although mosquitoes fed on the same viremic chickens, infection rates were directly related to subsequent incubation temperatures. In mosquitoes held at 30 degrees C, virus was recovered from nearly all mosquitoes tested, disseminated infections were detected as early as 4 d after the infectious blood meal, and >90% of all mosquitoes had a disseminated infection 12 or more days after the infectious blood meal. In contrast, for mosquitoes held at 18 degrees C, disseminated infections were not detected until 25 d after the infectious blood meal, and even after 28 d, <30% contained a disseminated infection. Results for mosquitoes held at 20 and 26 degrees C were intermediate for both infection and dissemination rates. The effect of environmental temperature should to be considered when evaluating the vector competence of these mosquitoes and modeling risk of WN virus transmission in nature.

Animals↗

Identification of mosquito bloodmeals using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with order-specific primers.

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol was developed to identify host bloodmeals from mosquitoes. Primers for the cytochrome b gene were designed to distinguish between mammalian and avian bloodmeals and further differentiate among four avian orders: passeriformes, falconiformes, columbiformes, and galliformes. The assay was validated by testing tissues from 18 species of passeriformes, three species of falconiformes, three species of columbiformes, and two species of galliformes. American crows were distinguished from other passeriformes by restriction enzyme digestion. Host bloodmeals from engorged mosquitoes collected in New York State were identified to avian order level. PCR was able to detect the mosquito bloodmeal for up to 3 d after feeding on a quail. Significantly, these studies use order-specific primers in a single PCR test to identify mosquito bloodmeals.

Animals↗

Transstadial transfer of West Nile virus by three species of ixodid ticks (Acari: Ixodidae).

Larvae and/or nymphs of four species of ixodid ticks, Ixodes scapularis Say, Amblyomma americanum (L.), Dermacentor andersoni Stiles, and Dermacentor variabilis Say, were fed to completion on laboratory hamsters or mice which had been inoculated with a West Nile (WN) virus isolate from Culex pipiens L. captured in Connecticut USA. Maximum titers in mice and hamsters were approximately 5 and two logs, respectively, lower than recorded (10 logs) in a naturally infected American crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos Brehm. WN virus was isolated in Vero cell culture from ticks and detected by TaqMan RT-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in ticks that had completed their feeding as larvae or nymphs, and in I. scapularis, D. andersoni, and D. variabilis that had molted into the next stage of development. Naive hosts, fed upon by nymphs that as larvae had fed on viremic hosts, did not become infected. WN virus was isolated in Vero cell culture from one female I. scapularis and was detected by TaqMan RT-PCR in 24 adult I. scapularis, one D. andersoni, and two D. variabilis adults that had fed to completion as larvae on viremic hosts and as nymphs on naive mice or hamsters. Three species of ixodid ticks acquired WN virus from viremic hosts and transstadially passed the virus, but vector competency was not demonstrated.

Animals↗

Clinical and pathologic features of West Nile virus infection in native North American owls (Family strigidae).

Since the initial report of West Nile virus in the northeastern United States in 1999, the virus has spread rapidly westward and southward across the country. In the summer of 2002, several midwestern states reported increased cases of neurologic disease and mortality associated with West Nile virus infection in various native North American owl species. This report summarizes the clinical and pathologic findings for 13 captive and free-ranging owls. Affected species were all in the family Strigidae and included seven snowy owls (Nyctea scandiaca), four great-horned owls (Bubo virginianus), a barred owl (Strix varia), and a short-eared owl (Asio flammeus). Neurologic signs identified included head tilt, uncoordinated flight, paralysis, tremors, and seizures. Owls that died were screened for flaviviral proteins by immunohistochemical staining of formalin-fixed tissues, followed by specific polymerase chain reaction assay to confirm West Nile virus with fresh tissues when available. Microscopic lesions were widespread, involving brain, heart, liver, kidney, and spleen, and were typically nonsuppurative with infiltration by predominantly lymphocytes and plasma cells. Lesions in owls were much more severe than those previously reported in corvids such as crows, which are considered highly susceptible to infection and are routinely used as sentinel species for monitoring for the presence and spread of West Nile virus. This report is the first detailed description of the pathology of West Nile virus infection in Strigiformes and indicates that this bird family is susceptible to natural infection with West Nile virus.

Animals↗

Phylogenetic analysis of avian poxviruses among free-ranging birds of Virginia.

Polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify a portion of the avian poxvirus core 4b gene of infected free-ranging birds that presented at the Wildlife Center of Virginia during the 2003 and early 2004 years. The species of bird infected were a great blue heron (Ardea herodias), two American crows (Corvus brachyrhyncos), two American robins (Turdus migratorius), two mourning doves (Zenaida macroura), a red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), a blue-gray gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea), a northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), a house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus), and a northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). Phylogenetic analysis was performed using the consensus sequences determined for each avian case in Virginia in combination with avian poxvirus core 4b gene sequence from isolates previously described in Europe and that of vaccinia virus. Alignment of DNA sequences identified areas of point mutations and, in the case of a single mourning dove, the incorporation of a triplet of nucleotides. Maximum-likelihood analysis grouped the 2003-2004 Virginia avian poxviruses into a clade distinct from those reported in European free-ranging birds, with the exception of a single case in a mourning dove that clustered within one European clade. The cladogram that resulted from our analysis of the European isolates is in agreement with those previously published. This study identified a distinct clade of avian poxvirus unique from four clades previously described and associated with epornitics in free-ranging birds, where the core 4b gene DNA sequence has been the basis of comparison.

Animals↗

The mosaic pattern of the inner surface of vertebrate retina.

Retinas of various vertebrates (bullfrog, crow, bull, pig and human) were treated with HCl and collagenase for removal of the basement membrane. The exposed basal surface of Müller cells was observed under a scanning electron microscope. In the nerve fiber layer, the Müller cells divide into small basal processes which extend towards the basal surface, where they terminate with a mosaic pattern. This pattern varies somewhat from species to species and from region to region of the retina.

Animals↗

West Nile viral encephalitis.

West Nile virus (WNV) has emerged in recent years in temperate regions of Europe and North America, presenting a threat to both public and animal health. The most serious manifestation of infection is fatal encephalitis in humans and horses, as well as mortality in certain domestic and wild birds. A recent development in the epizootiology of this mosquito-borne flavivirus was the occurrence of a severe outbreak in New York City and surrounding areas. During this outbreak, mortality was observed in humans, horses, a cat and numerous species of wild birds, particularly members of the family Corvidae (crows). The author reviews basic information and summarises recent developments in the epidemiology and epizootiology of WNV.

Animals↗