Murine typhus: endemic Rickettsia in southwest Texas.

Murine Typhus is a zoonosis caused by the organism Rickettsia typhi and is transmitted to humans by fleas. It is endemic in several areas of Texas, California and Hawaii where the vector is supported predominantly by rodents in addition to opossums, domestic and feral cats and domestic dogs. We present a typical case in an adult from Corpus Christi, located in one of the four endemic areas in Texas. Included is an overview of the organism's pathogenicity and our host responses, both influencing the milder clinical course seen with this species of Rickettsia.

Students as vital participants in research projects.

Inclusion of research coursework into a medical technology or clinical laboratory science program is currently viewed as a mark of a good degree program. Examples of this type of coursework are evaluation of scientific papers, techniques of scientific writing, application and performance of statistical analysis and introduction to research ethics (e.g., Institutional Review Board approval process). While many programs have the ability to recruit experienced scientists into research mentorship of medical technology/clinical laboratory science students, it is recognized that not all programs have this ability. It is also recognized that clinical laboratorians are performing critical diagnostic tests and, in this capacity, have the ability to identify research projects that are necessary, evidence-based and timely. It is hereby proposed that clinical laboratorians take advantage of this innate ability and create rich teaching experiences for students by including them in performance of research projects. Because of the fact that students are armed with up-to-date knowledge, have willing and enthusiastic spirits and are highly motivated to learn, they are vital participants in research. The students receive an invaluable active learning experience and possibly a future job; the clinical laboratorians meet and possibly exceed the research and scholarship expectations of their institutions; and the scientific community benefits by the science being shared through publication in scientific journals.

Salivary cortisol levels in students challenged with a testing stressor.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was twofold. The focus of the study was primarily to determine if the stress of a particularly difficult exam could cause students to lose the normal diurnal variation seen in human cortisol levels and secondarily, to validate the use of a competitive enzyme immunoassay for salivary cortisol. DESIGN: Physical therapy students enrolled in Research Design were asked to participate in the study by collecting baseline evening and morning salivary cortisols during what was regarded as a relatively stress free time in the Fall of 2009. The following spring, the same students were asked for samples the evening before and morning of their first Kinesiology test, traditionally a stressful time. Method validation was accomplished using instrumentation owned by the Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) Program and analysis was performed by MLS faculty and a second year MLS student. SETTING: Participants were enrolled in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Tennessee in Memphis. Sample collection and testing was performed in the student laboratory of the Medical Laboratory Science Program. PARTICIPANTS: Physical therapy students in their first year of a three-year entry level doctorate program, DPT. RESULTS: This group of students did not lose their diurnal variation of cortisol. However, an unexpected finding was noted: the students' salivary cortisol specimen collected in the morning of the fall semester was significantly higher than the salivary cortisol specimen collected the morning of the test in the spring semester (p = .019). Method validation was successful demonstrating a strong correlation ( r = 0.915) when compared to the reference laboratory. CONCLUSIONS: Cortisol diurnal variation was not lost in the study participants, but further studies should be performed due to the low percentage of students completing the study and the lack of demographic diversity. Even though the method validation in the student laboratory setting demonstrates that it is indeed possible to obtain the same excellent correlation as is seen in a clinical setting, the student laboratory is not CLIA certified, so assays can be performed for research use only.

Identification of the J and K genes in the bacteriophage Mu genome sequence.

Bacteriophage Mu was the first transposable phage to be discovered and still serves as the model for a large family of related transposable phages and prophages. The Mu genome sequence is known (NC-000929.1 GI:9633494), but not all of the genes have been assigned to the ORFs in the genome sequence. For this paper, we have sequenced an approximately 3-kb DNA region containing four predicted ORFs, Mup35-Mup38, from lysogens containing amber mutant prophages defective in either the J or the K gene. Amber mutations in prophages with J gene mutations mapped to the Mup36 ORF, and those in the K gene were found in Mup37, identifying the ORFs corresponding to these genes.