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Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy can cause severe brain and eye malformations and is associated with neurodevelopmental abnormalities in affected infants (1). Currently, ZIKV testing with concurrent dengue virus [...]

Zika virus is a flavivirus that was first isolated in 1947 from a rhesus macaque in the Zika Forest in Uganda. Zika virus is primarily transmitted to humans by infected [...]

Despite progress in cardiovascular research, a cure for peripheral vascular disease has not been found. We compared the vascularization and tissue regeneration potential of murine and human undifferentiated multipotent adult progenitor cells (mMAPC-U and hMAPC-U), murine MAPC-derived vascular progenitors (mMAPC-VP), and unselected murine BM cells (mBMCs) in mice with moderate limb ischemia, reminiscent of intermittent claudication in human patients. mMAPC-U durably restored blood flow and muscle function and stimulated muscle regeneration, by direct and trophic contribution to vascular and skeletal muscle growth. This was in contrast to mBMCs and mMAPC-VP, which did not affect muscle regeneration and provided only limited and transient improvement. Moreover, mBMCs participated in a sustained inflammatory response in the lower limb, associated with progressive deterioration in muscle function. Importantly, mMAPC-U and hMAPC-U also remedied vascular and muscular deficiency in severe limb ischemia, representative of critical limb ischemia in humans. Thus, unlike BMCs or vascular-committed progenitors, undifferentiated multipotent adult progenitor cells offer the potential to durably repair ischemic damage in peripheral vascular disease patients., Introduction Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is a growing health problem in Western societies. PVD presents itself with different degrees of severity, e.g., intermittent claudication (IC) is an early moderate manifestation [...]

Bullying in schools has become recognized as a significant public health problem. Through unprecedented support from a health care foundation, a unique opportunity to bring bullying prevention programs to school buildings in western and central Pennsylvania was created. As a result of the foundation's leadership and the coalition it established, numerous schools in Pennsylvania were given the means and support to implement the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) over a three year period. After the second year of support, reductions in bullying behaviors have been seen, students' positive perceptions of teacher interventions have increased, and reductions in the risk of bullying to students who report they are without friend support have been made. The efforts at maintaining program fidelity and enhancing its effectiveness through continuing education for teachers, administrators, parents, and community members, have resulted in consistent positive outcomes for schools. The goal of this research project was to reduce bullying rates by producing a quantifiable change in school climate by the end of the three-year implementation period. At the end of two years, survey responses were collected on 56,137 students in grades 3-12. Across cohorts, there were reductions in student self-reports of bullying others; and improvements in student perceptions of adults' responsiveness, students' attitudes about bullying, This Pennsylvania based initiative will serve as a landmark study of the effects of implementation of an internationally recognized evidence-based model for bullying prevention in the U.S. and around the world. It is the largest health promotion effort to address school based bullying in the United States, and one of the only such programs put forth by a healthcare foundation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Caucasian female, aged 4 yrs 2 mos, presented to the office with the chief complaint of a calcified 2 cm pelvic mass and resolving mild abdominal pain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Haemaphysalis longicornis is a tick indigenous to eastern Asia and an important vector of human and animal disease agents, resulting in such outcomes as human hemorrhagic fever and reduction of production in dairy cattle by 25%. H. longicornis was discovered on a sheep in New Jersey in August 2017 (1). This was the first detection in the United States outside of quarantine. In the spring of 2018, the tick was again detected at the index site, and later, in other counties in New Jersey, in seven other states in the eastern United States, and in Arkansas. The hosts included six species of domestic animals, six species of wildlife, and humans. To forestall adverse consequences in humans, pets, livestock, and wildlife, several critical actions are indicated, including expanded surveillance to determine the evolving distribution of H. longicornis, detection of pathogens that H. longicornis currently harbors, determination of the capacity of H. longicornis to serve as a vector for a range of potential pathogens, and evaluation of effective agents and methods for the control of H. longicornis., Competing Interests: All authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. Susan E. Little reports grants, personal fees, and nonfinancial support from several veterinary pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies, outside the submitted work. Mark G. Ruder reports grants from U.S. Department of Agriculture during the conduct of the study and grants from U.S. Department of Agriculture, outside the submitted work. Gary P. Wormser reports unpaid board membership in the American Lyme Disease Foundation; fees for expert medical/legal testimony regarding Lyme disease and babesiosis; grants to New York Medical College from Immunetics, Inc., Quidel Corporation, and Rarecyte, Inc. for diagnostic tests for Lyme disease and babesiosis, Tufts University for xenodiagnoses to assess persistence of Borrelia, and Institute for Systems Biology for exploration of biomarkers for Lyme disease outcomes; U.S. Patent Application, “High Sensitivity Method for Early Lyme Disease Detection” (Application No. 15/046,204); and U.S. Provisional Patent Application, “Use of Metabolic Biosignatures for Differentiation of Early Lyme Disease from Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI)” (Application No. 62/277,252); and stock/stock options in Abbott/AbbVie. No other potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.