Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Prenatal Food And Micronutrient Supplementation On Child Growth From Birth To 54 Months Of Age: A Randomized Trial In Bangladesh, Ashraful Islam Khan, Iqbal Kabir, Eva-Charlotte Ekström, Kajsa Åsling-Monemi, Dewan Shamsul Alam, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Md Yunus, Shams Arifeen, Lars-Åke Persson

Faculty Publications

Background: There is a lack of information on the optimal timing of food supplementation to malnourished pregnant women and possible combined effects of food and multiple micronutrient supplementations (MMS) on their offspring's growth. We evaluated the effects of prenatal food and micronutrient interventions on postnatal child growth. The hypothesis was that prenatal MMS and early invitation to food supplementation would increase physical growth in the offspring during 0-54 months and a combination of these interventions would further improve these outcomes.

Methods: In the large, randomized MINIMat trial (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions in Matlab), Bangladesh, 4436 pregnant women were enrolled …

A Deep Insight Into The Sialotranscriptome Of The Gulf Coast Tick, Amblyomma Maculatum, Shahid Karim, Parul Singh, José M.C. Ribeiro

Faculty Publications

Background

Saliva of blood sucking arthropods contains compounds that antagonize their hosts' hemostasis, which include platelet aggregation, vasoconstriction and blood clotting; saliva of these organisms also has anti-inflammatory and immunomodullatory properties. Perhaps because hosts mount an active immune response against these compounds, the diversity of these compounds is large even among related blood sucking species. Because of these properties, saliva helps blood feeding as well as help the establishment of pathogens that can be transmitted during blood feeding.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We have obtained 1,626,969 reads by pyrosequencing a salivary gland cDNA library from adult females Amblyomma maculatum ticks at different …

Site-Specific Proteolytic Cleavage Of The Amino Terminus Of Herpes Simplex Virus Glycoprotein K On Virion Particles Inhibits Virus Entry, Nithya Jambunathan, Sona Chowdhury, Ramesh Subramanian, Vladimir N. Chouljenko, Jason D. Walker, Konstantin G. Kousoulas

Faculty Publications

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein K (gK) is expressed on virions and functions in entry, inasmuch as HSV-1(KOS) virions devoid of gK enter cells substantially slower than is the case for the parental KOS virus (T. P. Foster, G. V. Rybachuk, and K. G. Kousoulas, J. Virol. 75:12431-12438, 2001). Deletion of the amino-terminal 68-amino-acid (aa) portion of gK caused a reduction in efficiency and kinetics of virus entry similar to that of the gK-null virus in comparison to the HSV-1(F) parental virus. The UL20 membrane protein and gK were readily detected on double-gradient-purified virion preparations. Immuno-electron microscopy confirmed the …

Relationship Between Vancomycin Trough Concentrations And Nephrotoxicity: A Prospective Multicenter Trial, John A. Bosso, Jean Nappi, Celeste Rudisill, Marlea Wellein, P Brandon Bookstaver, Jenna Swindler, Patrick D. Mauldin

Faculty Publications

Several single-center studies have suggested that higher doses of vancomycin, aimed at producing trough concentrations of >15 mg/liter, are associated with increased risk of nephrotoxicity. We prospectively assessed the relative incidence of nephrotoxicity in relation to trough concentration in patients with documented methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections at seven hospitals throughout South Carolina. Adult patients receiving vancomycin for at least 72 h with at least one vancomycin trough concentration determined under steady-state conditions were prospectively studied. The relationship between vancomycin trough concentrations of >15 mg/ml and the occurrence of nephrotoxicity was assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses, controlling for age, …

Horizontal Transmission Of Rickettsia Felis Between Cat Fleas, Ctenocephalides Felis, Supanee Hirunkanokpun, Chutima Thepparit, Lane D. Foil, Kevin R. Macaluso

Faculty Publications

Rickettsia felis is a rickettsial pathogen primarily associated with the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. Although laboratory studies have confirmed that R. felis is maintained by transstadial and transovarial transmission in C. felis, distinct mechanisms of horizontal transmission of R. felis among cat fleas are undefined. Based on the inefficient vertical transmission of R. felis by cat fleas and the detection of R. felis in a variety of haematophagous arthropods, we hypothesize that R. felis is horizontally transmitted between cat fleas. Towards testing this hypothesis, flea transmission of R. felis via a bloodmeal was assessed weekly for 4 weeks. Rhodamine B …

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Loci Influencing Concentrations Of Liver Enzymes In Plasma, J. C. Chambers, W. Zhang, J. Sehmi, X. Li, M. N. Wass, P. Van Der Harst, H. Holm, S. Sanna, M. Kavousi, S. E. Baumeister, L. J. Coin, G. Deng, C. Gieger, N. L. Heard-Costa, J. J. Hottenga, B. Kühnel, V. Kumar, V. Lagou, L. Liang, J. Luan, P. M. Vidal, I. Mateo Leach, P. F. O'Reilly, J. F. Peden, N. Rahmioglu, P. Soininen, E. K. Speliotes, X. Yuan, G. Thorleifsson, B. Z. Alizadeh, L. D. Atwood, I. B. Borecki, M. J. Brown

Faculty Publications

Concentrations of liver enzymes in plasma are widely used as indicators of liver disease. We carried out a genome-wide association study in 61,089 individuals, identifying 42 loci associated with concentrations of liver enzymes in plasma, of which 32 are new associations (P = 10-8 to P = 10-190). We used functional genomic approaches including metabonomic profiling and gene expression analyses to identify probable candidate genes at these regions. We identified 69 candidate genes, including genes involved in biliary transport (ATP8B1 and ABCB11), glucose, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism (FADS1, FADS2, GCKR, JMJD1C, HNF1A, MLXIPL, PNPLA3, PPP1R3B, SLC2A2 and TRIB1), glycoprotein biosynthesis …

The Remarkable Evolutionary History Of Endornaviruses, Marilyn J. Roossinck, Sead Sabanadzovic, Ryo Okada, Rodrigo A. Valverde

Faculty Publications

The family Endornaviridae contains several members from diverse hosts, including plants, fungi and oomycetes. They are found as large dsRNA elements with a nick in the coding strand. All members encode a conserved RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, but no other domain that is conserved among all members. Based on the conserved domain database comparison the various domains have different origins, indicating a highly modular evolutionary history. In some cases, domains with similar putative functions are found that are derived from different protein families, indicating convergent evolution for a required function. © 2011 SGM.

A Draft Genome Of Yersinia Pestis From Victims Of The Black Death, Kirsten I. Bos, Verena J. Schuenemann, G. Brian Golding, Hernán A. Burbano, Nicholas Waglechner, Brian K. Coombes, Joseph B. Mcphee, Sharon Dewitte, Matthias Meyer, Sarah Schmedes, James Wood, David J. D. Earn, D. Ann Herring, Peter Bauer, Hendrik N. Poinar, Johannes Krause

Faculty Publications

Technological advances in DNA recovery and sequencing have drastically expanded the scope of genetic analyses of ancient specimens to the extent that full genomic investigations are now feasible and are quickly becoming standard1. This trend has important implications for infectious disease research because genomic data from ancient microbes may help to elucidate mechanisms of pathogen evolution and adaptation for emerging and re-emerging infections. Here we report a reconstructed ancient genome of Yersinia pestis at 30-fold average coverage from Black Death victims securely dated to episodes of pestilence-associated mortality in London, England, 1348–1350. Genetic architecture and phylogenetic analysis indicate …

Viral Double-Strand Rna-Binding Proteins Can Enhance Innate Immune Signaling By Toll-Like Receptor 3, Yvonne Lai, Guanghui Yi, Alice Chen, Kanchan Bhardwaj, Brady J. Tragesser, Rodrigo A. Valverde, Adam Zlotnick, Suchetana Mukhopadhyay, C. T. Ranjith-Kumar, C. Cheng Kao

Faculty Publications

Toll-like Receptor 3 (TLR3) detects double-stranded (ds) RNAs to activate innate immune responses. While poly(I:C) is an excellent agonist for TLR3 in several cell lines and in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, viral dsRNAs tend to be poor agonists, leading to the hypothesis that additional factor(s) are likely required to allow TLR3 to respond to viral dsRNAs. TLR3 signaling was examined in a lung epithelial cell line by quantifying cytokine production and in human embryonic kidney cells by quantifying luciferase reporter levels. Recombinant 1b hepatitis C virus polymerase was found to enhance TLR3 signaling in the lung epithelial BEAS-2B cells …

Rumi Functions As Both A Protein O-Glucosyltransferase And A Protein O-Xylosyltransferase, Hideyuki Takeuchi, Rodrigo C. Fernańdez-Valdivia, Devin S. Caswell, Aleksandra Nita-Lazar, Nadia A. Rana, Thomas P. Garner, Thomas K. Weldeghiorghis, Megan A. Macnaughtan, Hamed Jafar-Nejad, Robert S. Haltiwanger

Faculty Publications

Mutations in rumi result in a temperature-sensitive loss of Notch signaling in Drosophila. Drosophila Rumi is a soluble, endoplasmic reticulum-retained protein with a CAP10 domain that functions as a protein O-glucosyltransferase. In human and mouse genomes, three potential Rumi homologues exist: one with a high degree of identity to Drosophila Rumi (52%), and two others with lower degrees of identity but including a CAP10 domain (KDELC1 and KDELC2). Here we show that both mouse and human Rumi, but not KDELC1 or KDELC2, catalyze transfer of glucose from UDPglucose to an EGF repeat from human factor VII. Similarly, human Rumi, but …

Targeted Enrichment Of Ancient Pathogens Yielding The Ppcp1 Plasmid Of Yersinia Pestis From Victims Of The Black Death, Verena J. Schuenemann, Kristen Bos, Sharon Dewitte, Hendrik N. Poinar, Sarah Schmedes, Joslyn Jamieson, Alissa Mittnik, Stephen Forrest, Brian K. Coombes, James W. Wood, David J.D. Earn, William White, Johannes Krause, Hendrik N. Poinar

Faculty Publications

Although investigations of medieval plague victims have identified Yersinia pestis as the putative etiologic agent of the pandemic, methodological limitations have prevented large-scale genomic investigations to evaluate changes in the pathogen's virulence over time. We screened over 100 skeletal remains from Black Death victims of the East Smithfield mass burial site (1348–1350, London, England). Recent methods of DNA enrichment coupled with high-throughput DNA sequencing subsequently permitted reconstruction of ten full human mitochondrial genomes (16 kb each) and the full pPCP1 (9.6 kb) virulence-associated plasmid at high coverage. Comparisons of molecular damage profiles between endogenous human and Y. pestis DNA confirmed …

Genome-Wide Comparison Of African-Ancestry Populations From Care And Other Cohorts Reveals Signals Of Natural Selection, Gaurav Bhatia, Nick Patterson, Bogdan Pasaniuc, Noah Zaitlen, Giulio Genovese, Samuela Pollack, Swapan Mallick, Simon Myers, Arti Tandon, Chris Spencer, Cameron D. Palmer, Adebowale A. Adeyemo, Ermeg L. Akylbekova, L. Adrienne Cupples, Jasmin Divers, Myriam Fornage, W. H.Linda Kao, Leslie Lange, Mingyao Li, Solomon Musani, Josyf C. Mychaleckyj, Adesola Ogunniyi, George Papanicolaou, Charles N. Rotimi, Jerome I. Rotter, Ingo Ruczinski, Babatunde Salako, David S. Siscovick, Bamidele O. Tayo, Qiong Yang, Steve Mccarroll, Pardis Sabeti, Guillaume Lettre

Faculty Publications

The study of recent natural selection in human populations has important applications to human history and medicine. Positive natural selection drives the increase in beneficial alleles and plays a role in explaining diversity across human populations. By discovering traits subject to positive selection, we can better understand the population level response to environmental pressures including infectious disease. Our study examines unusual population differentiation between three large data sets to detect natural selection. The populations examined, African Americans, Nigerians, and Gambians, are genetically close to one another (F ST < 0.01 for all pairs), allowing us to detect selection even with moderate changes in allele frequency. We also develop a tree-based method to pinpoint the population in which selection occurred, incorporating information across populations. Our genome-wide significant results corroborate loci previously reported to be under selection in Africans including HBB and CD36. At the HLA locus on chromosome 6, results suggest the existence of multiple, independent targets of population-specific selective pressure. In addition, we report a genome-wide significant (p = 1.36 × 10 -11) signal of selection in the prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) gene. The most significantly differentiated marker in our analysis, rs2920283, is highly differentiated in both Africa and East Asia and has prior genome-wide significant associations to bladder and gastric cancers. © 2011 The American Society of Human Genetics.

Human Pathogen Shown To Cause Disease In The Threatened Elkhorn Coral Acropora Palmata, Kathryn Patterson Sutherland, Sameera Shaban, Jessica L. Joyner, James W. Porter, Erin K. Lipp

Faculty Publications

Coral reefs are in severe decline. Infections by the human pathogen Serratia marcescens have contributed to precipitous losses in the common Caribbean elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, culminating in its listing under the United States Endangered Species Act. During a 2003 outbreak of this coral disease, called acroporid serratiosis (APS), a unique strain of the pathogen, Serratia marcescens strain PDR60, was identified from diseased A. palmata, human wastewater, the non-host coral Siderastrea siderea and the corallivorous snail Coralliophila abbreviata. In order to examine humans as a source and other marine invertebrates as vectors and/or reservoirs of the APS pathogen, challenge experiments …

Acquisition Of Rickettsia Felis By Cat Fleas During Feeding, Kathryn E. Reif, Michael T. Kearney, Lane D. Foil, Kevin R. Macaluso

Faculty Publications

Evidence for horizontal routes of transmission for Rickettsia felis has come from detection of R. felis infection in vertebrates and multiple blood-feeding arthropods; however, infection of cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis, during blood feeding has not been demonstrated. In this study, the ability of cat fleas to acquire R. felis through an infectious blood meal with subsequent vertical transmission was examined. Utilizing an artificial feeding system, Rickettsia-naive fleas were exposed to R. felis-infected blood meals and monitored for subsequent infection at weekly intervals for 4 weeks. At 7 days postexposure (dpe) ∼52% of fleas successfully acquired rickettsiae and R. felis DNA; …

Intracellular Targeting Specificity Of Novel Phthalocyanines Assessed In A Host-Parasite Model For Developing Potential Photodynamic Medicine, Sujoy Dutta, Benson G. Ongarora, Hairong Li, Maria Graca H. Da Vicente, Bala K. Kolli, Kwang Poo Chang

Faculty Publications

Photodynamic therapy, unlikely to elicit drug-resistance, deserves attention as a strategy to counter this outstanding problem common to the chemotherapy of all diseases. Previously, we have broadened the applicability of this modality to photodynamic vaccination by exploiting the unusual properties of the trypanosomatid protozoa, Leishmania, i.e., their innate ability of homing to the phagolysosomes of the antigen-presenting cells and their selective photolysis therein, using transgenic mutants endogenously inducible for porphyrin accumulation. Here, we extended the utility of this host-parasite model for in vitro photodynamic therapy and vaccination by exploring exogenously supplied photosensitizers. Seventeen novel phthalocyanines (Pcs) were screened in vitro …

The Effects On Population Health Status Of Using Dedicated Property Taxes To Fund Local Public Health Agencies, Peggy A. Honoré, Xueyuan Wang

Faculty Publications

Background: In the United States, a dedicated property tax describes the legal authority given to a local jurisdiction to levy and collect a tax for a specific purpose. We investigated for an association of locally dedicated property taxes to fund local public health agencies and improved health status in the eight states designated as the Mississippi Delta Region.

Methods: We analyzed the difference in health outcomes of counties with and without a dedicated public health tax after adjusting for a set of control variables using regression models for county level data from 720 counties of the Mississippi Delta …

B Cell-Deficient Mice Display Markedly Enhanced Resistance To The Intracellular Bacterium Brucella Abortus, Radhika Goenka, Michelle A. Parent, Philip H. Elzer, Cynthia L. Baldwin

Faculty Publications

Background. Brucella species are facultative intracellular bacteria that cause lifelong infections in humans and livestock. Methods. Here we evaluated the contribution of B cells in control of murine brucellosis in the more susceptible BALB/c and the more resistant C57BL/6 mice by infecting B cell-deficient mice. Results. Strikingly, in the absence of B cells in both C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, 99% and 99.5% of the infection found in wild type mice was cleared, respectively. This augmented clearance was not reversed in either strain by passive transfer of immune serum. In C57BL/6 mice, the clearance of infection coincided with an increase in …

Isolation Of A Rickettsial Pathogen From A Non-Hematophagous Arthropod, Chutima Thepparit, Piyanate Sunyakumthorn, Mark L. Guillotte, Vsevolod L. Popov, Lane D. Foil, Kevin R. Macaluso

Faculty Publications

Rickettsial diversity is intriguing in that some species are transmissible to vertebrates, while others appear exclusive to invertebrate hosts. Of particular interest is Rickettsia felis, identifiable in both stored product insect pests and hematophagous disease vectors. To understand rickettsial survival tactics in, and probable movement between, both insect systems will explicate the determinants of rickettsial pathogenicity. Towards this objective, a population of Liposcelis bostrychophila, common booklice, was successfully used for rickettsial isolation in ISE6 (tick-derived cells). Rickettsiae were also observed in L. bostrychophila by electron microscopy and in paraffin sections of booklice by immunofluorescence assay using anti-R. felis polyclonal antibody. …

The Nlrp3 Inflammasome Instigates Obesity-Induced Inflammation And Insulin Resistance, Bolormaa Vandanmagsar, Yun Hee Youm, Anthony Ravussin, Jose E. Galgani, Krisztian Stadler, Randall L. Mynatt, Eric Ravussin, Jacqueline M. Stephens, Vishwa Deep Dixit

Faculty Publications

The emergence of chronic inflammation during obesity in the absence of overt infection or well-defined autoimmune processes is a puzzling phenomenon. The Nod-like receptor (NLR) family of innate immune cell sensors, such as the nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, pyrin domain-containing-3 (Nlrp3, but also known as Nalp3 or cryopyrin) inflammasome are implicated in recognizing certain nonmicrobial originated 'danger signals' leading to caspase-1 activation and subsequent interleukin-1β 2 (IL-1β 2) and IL-18 secretion. We show that calorie restriction and exercise-mediated weight loss in obese individuals with type 2 diabetes is associated with a reduction in adipose tissue expression of Nlrp3 as well …

Child Work And Labour Among Orphaned And Abandoned Children In Five Low And Middle Income Countries, Rachel Whetten, Lynne Messer, Jan Ostermann, Kathryn Whetten, Brian Wells Pence, Megan Buckner, Nathan Thielman, Karen O’Donnell, The Positive Outcomes For Orphans (Pofo) Research Team

Faculty Publications

Background

The care and protection of the estimated 143,000,000 orphaned and abandoned children (OAC) worldwide is of great importance to global policy makers and child service providers in low and middle income countries (LMICs), yet little is known about rates of child labour among OAC, what child and caregiver characteristics predict child engagement in work and labour, or when such work infers with schooling. This study examines rates and correlates of child labour among OAC and associations of child labour with schooling in a cohort of OAC in 5 LMICs.

Methods

The Positive Outcomes for Orphans (POFO) study employed a …

Spread Of Plague Among Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs Is Associated With Colony Spatial Characteristics, Christopher Frey, Tammi L. Johnson, Jack Cully Jr., Sharon K. Collinge, Chris Ray, Brett Sandercock

Faculty Publications

Sylvatic plague (Yersinia pestis) is an exotic pathogen that is highly virulent in black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) and causes widespread colony losses and individual mortality rates >95%. We investigated colony spatial characteristics that may influence inter-colony transmission of plague at 3 prairie dog colony complexes in the Great Plains. The 4 spatial characteristics we considered include: colony size, Euclidean distance to nearest neighboring colony, colony proximity index, and distance to nearest drainage (dispersal) corridor. We used multi-state mark–recapture models to determine the relationship between these colony characteristics and probability of plague transmission among prairie dog colonies. Annual mapping of …

Beyond Rehabilitation: A New Theory Of Indeterminate Sentencing, Michael M. O'Hear

Faculty Publications

Indeterminate sentencing - that is, sentencing offenders to a range of potential imprisonment with the actual release date determined later, typically by a parole board - fell into disrepute among theorists and policymakers in the last three decades of the twentieth century. This sentencing practice had been closely associated with the rehabilitative paradigm in criminal law, which also fell from favor in the 1970’s. In the years that followed, most states eliminated or pared back the various devices that had been used to implement indeterminate sentencing, especially parole release. Yet, sentencing remained indeterminate most places to varying degrees, and now …

Ambivalence & Activism: Employment Discrimination In China, Timothy Webster

Faculty Publications

Chinese courts do not vigorously enforce many human rights, but a recent string of employment discrimination lawsuits suggests that, given the appropriate conditions, advocacy strategies, signals from above, and rights at issue, courts can help victims vindicate their constitutional and statutory rights to equality. Since 28, carriers of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) have used the Employment Promotion Law to challenge hiring discrimination. Their high success rate suggests official support for making one potent form of discrimination illegal. Central to these lawsuits is a broad network of lawyers, activists and scholars who have advocated for protecting the rights of HBV …

Airspace In A Green Economy, Troy A. Rule

Faculty Publications

The recent surge of interest in renewable energy and sustainable land use has made the airspace above land more valuable than ever before. However, a growing number of policies aimed at promoting sustainability disregard landowners' airspace rights in ways that can cause airspace to be underutilized. This article analyzes several land use conflicts emerging in the context of renewable energy development by framing them as disputes over airspace. The article suggests that incorporating options or liability rules into laws regulating airspace is a useful way to promote wind and solar energy while still respecting landowners' existing airspace rights. If properly …

A Multiple Additive Regression Tree Analysis Of Three Exposure Measures During Hurricane Katrina, Andrew Curtis, Bin Li, Brian D. Marx, Jacqueline W. Mills, John Pine

Faculty Publications

This paper analyses structural and personal exposure to Hurricane Katrina. Structural exposure is measured by flood height and building damage; personal exposure is measured by the locations of 911 calls made during the response. Using these variables, this paper characterises the geography of exposure and also demonstrates the utility of a robust analytical approach in understanding health-related challenges to disadvantaged populations during recovery. Analysis is conducted using a contemporary statistical approach, a multiple additive regression tree (MART), which displays considerable improvement over traditional regression analysis. By using MART, the percentage of improvement in R-squares over standard multiple linear regression ranges …

Sperm Quality Assessments For Endangered Razorback Suckers Xyrauchen Texanus, Jill A. Jenkins, Bruce E. Eilts, Amy M. Guitreau, Chester R. Figiel, Rassa O. Draugelis-Dale, Terrence R. Tiersch

Faculty Publications

Flow cytometry (FCM) and computer-assisted sperm motion analysis (CASA) methods were developed and validated for use with endangered razorback suckers Xyrauchen texanus collected (nZ64) during the 2006 spawning season. Sperm motility could be activated within osmolality ranges noted during milt collections (here 167-343 mOsm/kg). We hypothesized that sperm quality of milt collected into isoosmotic (302 mOsm/kg) or hyperosmotic (500 mOsm/kg) Hanks' balanced salt solution would not differ. Pre-freeze viabilities were similar between osmolalities (79%G6 (S.E.M.) and 76%G7); however, post-thaw values were greater in hyperosmotic buffer (27%G3 and 12%G2; PZ0.0065), as was mitochondrial membrane potential (33%G4 and 13%G2; PZ0.0048). Visual estimates …

The Use Of A Neonatal Mouse Model To Study Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections, Stephania A. Cormier, Dahui You, Srinivasa Honnegowda

Faculty Publications

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is the most significant cause of viral death in infants worldwide. The significant morbidity and mortality associated with this disease underscores the urgent need for the development of an RSV vaccine. The development of an RSV vaccine has been hampered by our limited understanding of the human host immune system, which plays a significant role in RSV pathogenesis, susceptibility and vaccine efficacy. As a result, animal models have been developed to better understand the mechanisms by which RSV causes disease. Within the past few years, a revolutionary variation on these animal models has emerged - …

Population Forecasting Model Of Nilaparvata Lugens And Sogatella Furcifera (Homoptera: Delphacidae) Based On Markov Chain Theory, Xiang Hui Yan, Huai Liu, Jin Jun Wang, Zhi Mo Zhao, Fangneng Huang, Deng Fa Cheng

Faculty Publications

Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) and Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) are the two most important long-distance migratory insect pests that cause great yield losses to rice in China. Accurate long-term population forecast is needed to implement effective management strategies for these two rice pests. In this paper, a transition probability matrix of 5-yr steps of Markov chain theory was constructed based on 31-yr light-trapping data of the two pests from 1977 to 2007 in Jiangkou County, Guizhou, China. The weight of each step for the transition probability matrix was calculated according to its prediction accuracy. Insect occurrence levels in the sixth year were …

Lines And Sines Of Primate Evolution, Miriam K. Konkel, Jerilyn A. Walker, Mark A. Batzer

Faculty Publications

The primate order is a monophyletic group thought to have diverged from the Euarchonta more than 65 mya.1 Recent paleontological and molecular evolution studies place the last common ancestor of primates even earlier (≥ 85 mya).2 More than 300 extant primate species are recognized today,3, 4 clearly emphasizing their diversity and success. Our understanding of the evolution of primates and the composition of their genomes has been revolutionized within the last decade through the increasing availability and analyses of sequenced genomes. However, several aspects of primate evolution have yet to be resolved. DNA sequencing of a wider array of primate …

The Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Ul20 Protein And The Amino Terminus Of Glycoprotein K (Gk) Physically Interact With Gb, Vladimir N. Chouljenko, Arun V. Iyer, Sona Chowdhury, Joohyun Kim, Konstantin G. Kousoulas

Faculty Publications

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein K (gK) and the UL20 protein (UL20p) are strictly required for virus-induced cell fusion, and mutations within either the gK or UL20 gene cause extensive cell fusion (syncytium formation). We have shown that gK forms a functional protein complex with UL20p, which is required for all gK and UL20p-associated functions in the HSV-1 life cycle. Recently, we showed that the amino-terminal 82 amino acids (aa) of gK (gKa) were required for the expression of the syncytial phenotype of the mutant virus gBΔ28 lacking the carboxyl-terminal 28 amino acids of gB (V. N. Chouljenko, …