Publications

light on the moth-eye corneal nipple array of butterflies.	the outer surface of the facet lenses in the compound eyes of moths consists of an array of excessive cuticular protuberances, termed corneal nipples. we have investigated the moth-eye corneal nipple array of the facet lenses of 19 diurnal butterfly species by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscope, as well as by optical modelling. the nipples appeared to be arranged in domains with almost crystalline, hexagonal packing. the nipple distances we ...	16608684
condition-specific competition in container mosquitoes: the role of noncompeting life-history stages.	condition-specific competition, wherein competitive superiority varies with the abiotic environment, can determine species' distributions in a spatially heterogeneous environment. we investigated this phenomenon with two competing container-dwelling mosquitoes. we tested the hypothesis that habitat drying alters the outcome of interspecific competition, predicting that the competitive impact of aedes albopictus on aedes aegypti would be severe in wetter environments, but greatly reduced in drier ...	17450188
ecoepidemiologia del dengue: relevancia de dos vectores invasores.		25284912
characterization of cry2-type genes of bacillus thuringiensis strains from soilisolated of sichuan basin, china.	sichuan basin, situated in the west of china, is the fourth biggest basin in china. in order to describe a systematic study of the cry2-type genes resources from bacillus thuringiensis strains of sichuan basin, a total of 791 bacillus thuringiensis strains have been screened from 2650 soil samples in different ecological regions. the method of pcr-restriction fragment length polymorphism (pcr-rflp) was used to identify the type of cry2 genes. the results showed that 322 bacillus thuringiensis st ...	24031615
bilateral premacular subhyaloid hemorrhage in dengue fever.		22454709
sampling considerations for designing aedes aegypti (diptera:culicidae) oviposition studies in iquitos, peru: substrate preference, diurnal periodicity, and gonotrophic cycle length.	when devising methods to sample aedes aegypti (l.) eggs from naturally-occurring containers to investigate selective oviposition, failure to take into account certain aspects of ae. aegypti behavior can bias study inferences. in iquitos, peru, we tested three assumptions related to designing ae. aegypti oviposition field studies, as follows: 1) lining containers with paper as an oviposition substrate does not affect oviposition; 2) diurnal egg-laying activity peaks in the late afternoon or early ...	21337947
differential selection within the drosophila retinal determination network and evidence for functional divergence between paralog pairs.	the retinal determination (rd) network in drosophila comprises 14 known nuclear proteins that include dna-binding proteins, transcriptional coactivators, kinases, and phosphatases. the composition of the network varies considerably throughout the animal kingdom, with the network in several basal insects having fewer members and with vertebrates having potentially significantly higher numbers of rd genes. one important contributing factor for the variation in gene number within the network is gen ...	21210943
cadherin binding is not a limiting step for bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis cry4ba toxicity to aedes aegypti larvae.	bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis produces three cry toxins (cry4aa, cry4ba and cry11aa) that are active against aedes aegypti larvae. the identification of the rate-limiting binding steps of cry toxins that are used for insect control in the field, such as those of b. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis, should provide targets for improving insecticides against important insect pests. previous studies showed that cry11aa binds to cadherin receptor fragment cr7-11 (cadherin repeats 7-11) wi ...	22329749
analysis of lipolysis underlying lactation in the tsetse fly, glossina morsitans.	female tsetse flies undergo viviparous reproduction, generating one larva each gonotrophic cycle. larval nourishment is provided by the mother in the form of milk secretions. the milk consists mostly of lipids during early larval development and shifts to a balanced combination of protein and lipids in the late larval instars. provisioning of adequate lipids to the accessory gland is an indispensable process for tsetse fecundity. this work investigates the roles of brummer lipase (bmm) and the a ...	22509523
a review on the toxicity and non-target effects of macrocyclic lactones in terrestrial and aquatic environments.	the avermectins, milbemycins and spinosyns are collectively referred to as macrocyclic lactones (mls) which comprise several classes of chemicals derived from cultures of soil micro-organisms. these compounds are extensively and increasingly used in veterinary medicine and agriculture. due to their potential effects on non-target organisms, large amounts of information on their impact in the environment has been compiled in recent years, mainly caused by legal requirements related to their marke ...	22039795
dengue infections in travellers.	dengue has been designated a major international public health problem by the world health organization (who). it is endemic in most tropical and sub-tropical countries, which are also popular tourist destinations. travellers are not only at significant risk of acquiring dengue but they also contribute to its spread to non-endemic regions. furthermore, they may serve as sentinels to alert the international community to epidemics in dengue-endemic regions. geosentinel, a global surveillance netwo ...	22668447
dengue: an escalating public health problem in latin america.	dengue infection is a significant and escalating public health problem in latin america. its re-emergence and subsequent rise in the region over the past 50 years has largely been caused by a combination of a lack of political will, the radical growth of urban populations, migration flow and insufficient financial resources. its increased incidence has been compounded by climate change, poor sanitation and extreme poverty, which lead to more breeding sites of the mosquito vector aedes aegypti. i ...	22668444
the dengue situation in africa.	dengue outbreaks and epidemics have been reported in all regions of africa, and it is believed that all four dengue virus serotypes are in circulation. available data suggest that dengue is endemic to 34 african countries and that aedes aegypti mosquitoes--the primary vector for dengue transmission--are known to be present in all but five countries. whether populations in africa are susceptible to dengue at the same rates as in asia and latin america is difficult to determine from the available ...	22668445
location of and landing on a source of human body odour by female culex quinquefasciatus in still and moving air.	the orientation to and landing on a source of human odour by female culex quinquefasciatus say (diptera: culicidae) is observed in a wind tunnel without an airflow or with a laminar airflow of 0.2 m s(-1). odours from human feet are collected by 'wearing' clean glass beads inside a stocking and presenting beads in a petri dish in a wind tunnel. mosquitoes are activated by brief exposure to a 1 l min(-1) jet of 4% co2 positioned 10 cm from the release cage. in moving air at 0.2 m s(-1), a mean of ...	26472918
high level of awareness but poor practices regarding dengue fever control: a cross-sectional study from north india.	delhi, the capital of india, has suffered many outbreaks of dengue in recent past and despite the obvious magnitude of problem, very scarce evidence exists that documents the knowledge, awareness and practices of the people regarding dengue.	22754880
a vitellogenin polyserine cleavage site: highly disordered conformation protected from proteolysis by phosphorylation.	vitellogenin (vg) is an egg-yolk precursor protein in most oviparous species. in honeybee (apis mellifera), the protein (amvg) also affects social behavior and life-span plasticity. despite its manifold functions, the amvg molecule remains poorly understood. the subject of our structure-oriented amvg study is its polyserine tract - a little-investigated repetitive protein segment mostly found in insects. we previously reported that amvg is tissue specifically cleaved in the vicinity of this trac ...	22573762
histone recognition and nuclear receptor co-activator functions of drosophila cara mitad, a homolog of the n-terminal portion of mammalian mll2 and mll3.	mll2 and mll3 histone lysine methyltransferases are conserved components of compass-like co-activator complexes. in vertebrates, the paralogous mll2 and mll3 contain multiple domains required for epigenetic reading and writing of the histone code involved in hormone-stimulated gene programming, including receptor-binding motifs, set methyltransferase, hmg and phd domains. the genes encoding mll2 and mll3 arose from a common ancestor. phylogenetic analyses reveal that the ancestral gene underwent ...	22569554
evolutionary conservation and adaptation in the mechanism that regulates srebp action: what a long, strange trip it's been.	sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (srebps) are a subfamily of basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper (bhlh-lz) transcription factors that are conserved from fungi to humans and are defined by two key features: a signature tyrosine residue in the dna-binding domain, and a membrane-tethering domain that is a target for regulated proteolysis. recent studies including genome-wide and model organism approaches indicate srebps coordinate cellular lipid metabolism with other cellular physiologi ...	19933148
it's time for doctors to speak out on climate change.		22135506
cell surface changes in the egg at fertilization.	an egg changes dramatically at fertilization. these changes include its developmental potential, its physiology, its gene expression profile, and its cell surface. this review highlights the changes in the cell surface of the egg that occur in response to sperm. these changes include modifications to the extracellular matrix, to the plasma membrane, and to the secretory vesicles whose contents direct many of these events. in some species, these changes occur within minutes of fertilization, and ...	19658159
chikungunya fever - epidemic in rural maharashtra.		20165644
clip-domain serine proteases as immune factors in insect hemolymph.	clip proteases are non-digestive serine proteases present in hemolymph of insects and other arthropods. they are composed of one or more amino-terminal clip domains followed by a linker sequence and a carboxyl-terminal s1a family serine protease domain. the genes for clip proteases have evolved as four clades (clipa, clipb, clipc, clipd), each present as multigene families in insect genomes. clip proteases in hemolymph function in innate immune responses. these include proteolytic activation of ...	26688791
nutritional control of insect reproduction.	the amino acid-target of rapamycin (aa/tor) and insulin pathways play a pivotal role in reproduction of female insects, serving as regulatory checkpoints that guarantee the sufficiency of nutrients for developing eggs. being evolutionary older, the aa/tor pathway functions as an initial nutritional sensor that not only activates nutritional responses in a tissue-specific manner, but is also involved in the control of insect insulin-like peptides (ilps) secretion. insulin and aa/tor pathways also ...	26644995
repellant and insecticidal activities of shyobunone and isoshyobunone derived from the essential oil of acorus calamus rhizomes.	it was found that the essential oil of acorus calamus rhizomes showed insecticidal activity.	26600710
crystal structure and functional characterization of the human rbm25 pwi domain and its flanking basic region.	human rbm25 (rna-binding motif protein 25) is a novel splicing factor that contains a pwi domain, a newly identified rna/dna-binding domain, and regulates bcl-x pre-mrna alternative splicing. the flanking basic region has been suggested to serve as a co-operative partner of the pwi domain in the binding of nucleic acids, but the structure of this basic region is unknown. in the present paper, we report the crystal structure of the rbm25 pwi domain and its flanking basic region. the pwi domain is ...	23190262
racing against time against zika.		27489331
inhibitor designing, virtual screening, and docking studies for methyltransferase: a potential target against dengue virus.	aim of this work was to design and identify some s-adenosyl-l-homocysteine (sah) analogs as inhibitors of s-adenosyl-l-methionine-dependent methyltransferase (mtase) protein using computational approaches.	27413346
promising new tools to fight aedes mosquitoes.	two new tools for suppressing aedes aegypti mosquito populations have been recommended for pilot testing. carefully designed trials will be needed to see whether they actually reduce disease as well. andréia azevedo soares reports.	27516632
larvicidal activity of syzygium aromaticum (l.) merr and citrus sinensis (l.) osbeck essential oils and their antagonistic effects with temephos in resistant populations of aedes aegypti.	environmentally friendly botanical larvicides are commonly considered as an alternative to synthetic larvicides against aedes aegypti linn. in addition, mosquito resistance to currently used larvicides has motivated research to find new compounds acting via different mechanisms of action, with the goal of controlling the spread of mosquitos. essential oils have been widely studied for this purpose. this work aims to evaluate the larvicidal potential of syzygium aromaticum and citrus sinensis ess ...	27384083
the efficacy of some commercially available insect repellents for aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae) and aedes albopictus (diptera: culicidae).	reducing the number of host-vector interactions is an effective way to reduce the spread of vector-borne diseases. repellents are widely used to protect humans from a variety of protozoans, viruses, and nematodes. deet (n,n-diethyl-meta-toluamide), a safe and effective repellent, was developed during world war ii. fear of possible side effects of deet has created a large market for "natural" deet-free repellents with a variety of active ingredients. we present a comparative study on the efficacy ...	26443777
big city, small world: density, contact rates, and transmission of dengue across pakistan.	macroscopic descriptions of populations commonly assume that encounters between individuals are well mixed; i.e. each individual has an equal chance of coming into contact with any other individual. relaxing this assumption can be challenging though, due to the difficulty of acquiring detailed knowledge about the non-random nature of encounters. here, we fitted a mathematical model of dengue virus transmission to spatial time-series data from pakistan and compared maximum-likelihood estimates of ...	26468065
the mysterious multi-modal repellency of deet.	deet is the most effective insect repellent available and has been widely used for more than half a century. here, i review what is known about the olfactory and contact mechanisms of deet repellency. for mosquitoes, deet has at least two molecular targets: odorant receptors (ors) mediate the effect of deet at a distance, while unknown chemoreceptors mediate repellency upon contact. additionally, the ionotropic receptor ir40a has recently been identified as a putative deet chemosensor in drosoph ...	26252744
infection dynamics of western equine encephalomyelitis virus (togaviridae: alphavirus) in four strains of culex tarsalis (diptera: culicidae): an immunocytochemical study.	background: vector competence describes the efficiency with which vector arthropods become infected with and transmit pathogens and depends on interactions between pathogen and arthropod genetics as well as environmental factors. for arbovirus transmission, the female mosquito ingests viremic blood, the virus infects and replicates in midgut cells, escapes from the midgut, and disseminates to other tissues, including the salivary glands. virus-laden saliva is then injected into a new host. for t ...	22629118
the poly(a) polymerase gld2 is required for spermatogenesis in drosophila melanogaster.	the dna of a developing sperm is normally inaccessible for transcription for part of spermatogenesis in many animals. in drosophila melanogaster, many transcripts needed for late spermatid differentiation are synthesized in pre-meiotic spermatocytes, but are not translated until later stages. thus, post-transcriptional control mechanisms are required to decouple transcription and translation during spermatogenesis. in the female germline, developing germ cells accomplish similar decoupling throu ...	21427144
the cost of routine aedes aegypti control and of insecticide-treated curtain implementation.	insecticide-treated curtains (itcs) are promoted for controlling the dengue vector aedes aegypti. we assessed the cost of the routine aedes control program (racp) and the cost of itc implementation through the racp and health committees in venezuela and through health volunteers in thailand. the yearly cost of the racp per household amounted to us$2.14 and $1.89, respectively. the itc implementation cost over three times more, depending on the channel used. in venezuela the racp was the most eff ...	21540384
draft genome sequence of bacillus thuringiensis 147, a brazilian strain with high insecticidal activity.	bacillus thuringiensis is a ubiquitous gram-positive and sporulating bacterium. its crystals and secreted toxins are useful tools against larvae of diverse insect orders and, as a consequence, an alternative to recalcitrant chemical insecticides. we report here the draft genome sequence of b. thuringiensis147, a strain isolated from brazil and with high insecticidal activity. the assembled genome contained 6,167,994 bp and was distributed in seven replicons (a chromosome and 6 plasmids). we iden ...	26517667
satyrization without evidence of successful insemination from interspecific mating between invasive mosquitoes.	previous research has documented low frequencies of interspecific mating in nature between the invasive vectors aedes aegypti and aedes albopictus. it is also known that heterospecific male accessory gland substances transferred during mating sterilize a. aegypti but not a. albopictus females, leading to satyrization, a form of reproductive interference. this paper demonstrates that satyrization of a. aegypti by a. albopictus may occur without evidence of successful insemination. our results sho ...	26382076
visceral leishmaniasis in far western nepal: another case and concerns about a new area of endemicity.		21363996
male mating history and body size influence female fecundity and longevity of the dengue vector aedes aegypti.	male reproductive success is dependent on insemination success and reproductive output. during mating, male mosquitoes transfer not just sperm, but also seminal fluid proteins that may have profound effects on mated female biology and behavior. in this study, we investigated the role of male body size and mating history on semen depletion, female longevity, and reproductive success in aedes aegypti l. small and large males were mated in rapid succession with up to five females. our results indic ...	21485355
cloning and expression analysis of the bombyx mori α-amylase gene (amy) from the indigenous thai silkworm strain, nanglai.	α-amylase is a common enzyme for hydrolyzing starch. in the silkworm, bombyx mori l. (lepidoptera: bombycidae), α-amylase is found in both digestive fluid and hemolymph. here, the complete genomic sequence of the amy gene encoding α-amylase from a local thai silkworm, the nanglai strain, was obtained. this gene was 7981 bp long with 9 exons. the full length amy cdna sequence was 1749 bp containing a 1503 bp open reading frame. the orf encoded 500 amino acid residues. the deduced protein showed 8 ...	21529256
upward trend in dengue incidence among hospitalized patients, united states.	international travel and a global expansion of dengue fever have the potential to increase the incidence of dengue in the united states. we conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of trends in dengue among hospitalized patients by using the national inpatient sample (2000-2007); the number of cases more than tripled (p<0.0001).	21529411
prevalence of chikungunya in urban field practice area of a private medical college, chennai.	the outbreak of chikungunya in india started during december 2005 with more than 11,00,000 cases. many cases with symptoms suggestive of chikungunya reported to our urban health-training centre. hence this study was done to estimate the prevalence of chikungunya, to study the common treatment-seeking behavior, control measures and the sequalae of chikungunya by follow-up.	21976797
modelling, simulation and social network data: what's new for public health and epidemiology informatics?		26293870
[dengue and chikungunya vector control: is it necessary to re-examine present strategies?].		26849689
vaccine-preventable diseases in humanitarian emergencies among refugee and internally-displaced populations.	humanitarian emergencies may result in breakdown of regular health services including routine vaccination programs. displaced populations including refugees and internally displaced persons are particularly susceptible to outbreaks of communicable diseases such as vaccine-preventable diseases (vpds). common vpds encountered in humanitarian emergencies include measles, polio, and depending on geographical location, meningococcal meningitis, yellow fever, hepatitis a, and cholera. we conducted a r ...	26406333
genetic linkage map of the edible basidiomycete pleurotus ostreatus.	we have constructed a genetic linkage map of the edible basidiomycete pleurotus ostreatus (var. florida). the map is based on the segregation of 178 random amplified polymorphic dna and 23 restriction fragment length polymorphism markers; four hydrophobin, two laccase, and two manganese peroxidase genes; both mating type loci; one isozyme locus (est1); the rrna gene sequence; and a repetitive dna sequence in a population of 80 sibling monokaryons. the map identifies 11 linkage groups correspondi ...	11097904
drug-resistant drosophila indicate glutamate-gated chloride channels are targets for the antiparasitics nodulisporic acid and ivermectin.	the fruit fly drosophila melanogaster was used to examine the mode of action of the novel insecticide and acaricide nodulisporic acid. flies resistant to nodulisporic acid were selected by stepwise increasing the dose of drug in the culture media. the resistant strain, glc(1), is at least 20-fold resistant to nodulisporic acid and 3-fold cross-resistant to the parasiticide ivermectin, and exhibited decreased brood size, decreased locomotion, and bang sensitivity. binding assays using glc(1) head ...	11095718
chorion peroxidase-mediated nadh/o(2) oxidoreduction cooperated by chorion malate dehydrogenase-catalyzed nadh production: a feasible pathway leading to h(2)o(2) formation during chorion hardening in aedes aegypti mosquitoes.	a specific chorion peroxidase is present in aedes aegypti and this enzyme is responsible for catalyzing chorion protein cross-linking through dityrosine formation during chorion hardening. peroxidase-mediated dityrosine cross-linking requires h(2)o(2), and this study discusses the possible involvement of the chorion peroxidase in h(2)o(2) formation by mediating nadh/o(2) oxidoreduction during chorion hardening in a. aegypti eggs. our data show that mosquito chorion peroxidase is able to catalyze ...	11042391
molecular characterization of the abp1 5'-flanking region in maize and the teosintes.	auxin-binding protein 1 subsp. mays (abp1) has been suggested as a receptor mediating auxin-induced cell expansion and differentiation. in maize (zea mays), abp1 is encoded by a single gene, abp1. the tata and caat promoter elements as well as the transcriptional start site were previously identified and all were found to be located within a transposable element (te), tourist-zm11. in this study we report the cloning and characterization of the abp1 5'-flanking region in maize and its wild relat ...	10982450
a repressible female-specific lethal genetic system for making transgenic insect strains suitable for a sterile-release program.	we have developed a tetracycline-repressible female-specific lethal genetic system in the vinegar fly drosophila melanogaster. one component of the system is the tetracycline-controlled transactivator gene under the control of the fat body and female-specific transcription enhancer from the yolk protein 1 gene. the other component consists of the proapoptotic gene hid under the control of a tetracycline-responsive element. males and females of a strain carrying both components are viable on medi ...	10890889
purification and characterization of chorion peroxidase from aedes aegypti eggs.	previous study has shown that a peroxidase is present in the mature eggs of aedes aegypti mosquitoes, and the enzyme is involved in the formation of a rigid and insoluble chorion by catalyzing chorion protein crosslinking through dityrosine formation. in this study, chorion peroxidase was solubilized from egg chorion by 1% sds and 2 m urea and purified by various chromatographic techniques. the enzyme has a relative molecular mass of 63,000 as estimated by sds-page. spectral analysis of the enzy ...	10871050
the other dr finlay is commemorated in cuban stamps.		10731200
cis and trans factors affecting mos1 mariner evolution and transposition in vitro, and its potential for functional genomics.	mos1 and other mariner / tc1 transposons move horizon-tally during evolution, and when transplanted into heterologous species can transpose in organisms ranging from prokaryotes to protozoans and vertebrates. to further develop the drosophila mos1 mariner system as a genetic tool and to probe mechanisms affecting the regulation of transposition activity, we developed an in vitro system for mos1 transposition using purified transposase and selectable mos1 derivatives. transposition frequencies of ...	10637331
recent, extensive, and preferential insertion of members of the miniature inverted-repeat transposable element family heartbreaker into genic regions of maize.	a 314-bp dna element called heartbreaker-hm1 (hbr-hm1) was previously identified in the 3' untranslated region of a mutant allele of the maize disease resistance gene hm1. this element has structural features of miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (mites) and is a member of a large family of approximately 4,000 copies in the maize genome. unlike previously described mites, most members of the hbr family display over 90% sequence identity. this, coupled with the insertion of an hbr el ...	10655501
regulation of the vitellogenin receptor during drosophila melanogaster oogenesis.	in many insects, development of the oocyte arrests temporarily just before vitellogenesis, the period when vitellogenins (yolk proteins) accumulate in the oocyte. following hormonal and environmental cues, development of the oocyte resumes, and endocytosis of vitellogenins begins. an essential component of yolk uptake is the vitellogenin receptor. in this report, we describe the ovarian expression pattern and subcellular localization of the mrna and protein encoded by the drosophila melanogaster ...	10679010
receptor-mediated endocytosis in the caenorhabditis elegans oocyte.	the caenorhabditis elegans oocyte is a highly amenable system for forward and reverse genetic analysis of receptor-mediated endocytosis. we describe the use of transgenic strains expressing a vitellogenin::green fluorescent protein (yp170::gfp) fusion to monitor yolk endocytosis by the c. elegans oocyte in vivo. this yp170::gfp reporter was used to assay the functions of c. elegans predicted proteins homologous to vertebrate endocytosis factors using rna-mediated interference. we show that the b ...	10588660
the other dr finlay		10473479
scientists try new strategy to eradicate dengue fever.	in a bid to reduce the risk of dengue fever in parts of vietnam, the australian foundation for the peoples of asia and the pacific, an aid organization, recently completed a 3-year program using the mesocyclops crustacean, an organism about 1 mm long which eats the larvae of mosquitos which transmit dengue fever. the program appears to eradicated the larvae from the northern vietnamese province of phan boi, and there was a 75% success rate in other provinces. the queensland institute of medical ...	10037618
toxicity of certain penta-coordinated organotin(iv) and tetra-coordinated tin(ii) complexes of heterocyclic beta-diketones against the larvae of aedes aegypti (liston).	some organotin(iv) and tin(ii) complexes of composition r(3)sn[r'coc:con(c(6)h(5))n:cch(3)] (where r=c(4)h(9), r'=ch(3), c(3)h(5), p-clc(6)h(4); r=c(6)h(5), r'=c(6)h(5) and p-clc(6)h(4)) and sn[p-clc(6)h(4)coc:con(c(6)h(5))n:cch(3)](2) were screened for their toxicity against aedes aegypti larvae. organotin(iv) complexes were more active than tin(ii) complexes.	18472910
aedes aegypti in tucson, arizona.		9866754
high level transactivation by a modified bombyx ecdysone receptor in mammalian cells without exogenous retinoid x receptor.	our studies of the bombyx mori ecdysone receptor (be) revealed that, unlike the drosophila melanogaster ecdysone receptor (de), treatment of be with the ecdysone agonist tebufenozide stimulated high level transactivation in mammalian cells without adding an exogenous heterodimer partner. gel mobility shift and transfection assays with both the ultraspiracle gene product (usp) and retinoid x receptor heterodimer partners indicated that this property of be stems from significantly augmented hetero ...	9653129
the lepidopteran transposon vector, piggybac, mediates germ-line transformation in the mediterranean fruit fly.	the piggybac (ifp2) short inverted terminal repeat transposable element from the cabbage looper trichoplusia ni was tested for gene transfer vector function as part of a bipartite vector-helper system in the mediterranean fruit fly ceratitis capitata. a piggybac vector marked with the medfly white gene was tested with a normally regulated piggybac transposase helper at two different concentrations in a white eye host strain. both experiments yielded transformants at an approximate frequency of 3 ...	9636182
mariner transposition and transformation of the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti.	the mariner transposable element is capable of interplasmid transposition in the embryonic soma of the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti. to determine if this demonstrated mobility could be utilized to genetically transform the mosquito, a modified mariner element marked with a wild-type allele of the drosophila melanogaster cinnabar gene was microinjected into embryos of a kynurenine hydroxylase-deficient, white-eyed recipient strain. three of 69 fertile male founders resulting from the micr ...	9520438
mosquito transferrin, an acute-phase protein that is up-regulated upon infection.	when treated with heat-killed bacterial cells, mosquito cells in culture respond by up-regulating several proteins. among these is a 66-kda protein (p66) that is secreted from cells derived from both aedes aegypti and aedes albopictus. p66 was degraded by proteolysis and gave a virtually identical pattern of peptide products for each mosquito species. the sequence of one peptide (31 amino acids) was determined and found to have similarity to insect transferrins. by using conserved regions of ins ...	9356450
transposable elements as sources of variation in animals and plants.	a tremendous wealth of data is accumulating on the variety and distribution of transposable elements (tes) in natural populations. there is little doubt that tes provide new genetic variation on a scale, and with a degree of sophistication, previously unimagined. there are many examples of mutations and other types of genetic variation associated with the activity of mobile elements. mutant phenotypes range from subtle changes in tissue specificity to dramatic alterations in the development and ...	9223252
the reemergence of aedes aegypti in arizona.		9204311
intensive linkage mapping in a wasp (bracon hebetor) and a mosquito (aedes aegypti) with single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis of random amplified polymorphic dna markers.	the use of random amplified polymorphic dna from the polymerase chain reaction (rapd-pcr) allows efficient construction of saturated linkage maps. however, when analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis, most rapd-pcr markers segregate as dominant alleles, reducing the amount of linkage information obtained. we describe the use of single strand conformation polymorphism (sscp) analysis of rapd markers to generate linkage maps in a haplodiploid parasitic wasp bracon (habrobracon) hebetor and a dipl ...	8844159
subunit cleavage of mosquito pro-vitellogenin by a subtilisin-like convertase.	the eukaryotic convertase family plays an important role in posttranslational proteolytic processing and activation of many pro- and polypeptides that have at their cleavage sites the paired basic motif, rx(k/r)r. recent studies have revealed that the cleavage site of insect pro-vitellogenins (pro-vg) also contains this motif. to identify and characterize the insect pro-vg processing enzyme, vg convertase (vc), its cdna was cloned from a vitellogenic female fat body cdna library of the mosquito, ...	8650241
sscp analysis of cdna markers provides a dense linkage map of the aedes aegypti genome.	an intensive linkage map of the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti, was constructed using single-strand conformation polymorphism (sscp) analysis of cdna markers to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps). a total of 94 a. aegypti cdnas were downloaded from genbank and primers were designed to amplify fragments <500 bp in size. these primer pairs amplified 94 loci, 57 (61%) of which segregated in a single f(1) intercross family among 83 f(2) progeny. this allowed us to produce a dense ...	11404335
integration of the aedes aegypti mosquito genetic linkage and physical maps.	two approaches were used to correlate the aedes aegypti genetic linkage map to the physical map. sts markers were developed for previously mapped rflp-based genetic markers so that large genomic clones from cosmid libraries could be found and placed to the metaphase chromosome physical maps using standard fish methods. eight cosmids were identified that contained eight rflp marker sequences, and these cosmids were located on the metaphase chromosomes. twenty-one cdnas were mapped directly to met ...	11238414
glycoproteins from insect cells: sialylated or not?	our growing comprehension of the biological roles of glycan moieties has created a clear need for expression systems that can produce mammalian-type glycoproteins. in turn, this has intensified interest in understanding the protein glycosylation pathways of the heterologous hosts that are commonly used for recombinant glycoprotein expression. among these, insect cells are the most widely used and, particularly in their role as hosts for baculovirus expression vectors, provide a powerful tool for ...	11308014
detection of wolbachia from field collected aedes albopictus skuse in malaysia.	wolbachia-based vector control strategies have been proposed as a mean to augment the existing measures for controlling dengue vector. prior to utilizing wolbachia in novel vector control strategies, it is crucial to understand the wolbachia-mosquito interactions. many studies have only focused on the prevalence of wolbachia in female aedes albopictus with lack of attention on wolbachia infection on the male ae. albopictus which also affects the effective expression of wolbachia induced- cytopla ...	26354218
underrecognition of dengue during 2013 epidemic in luanda, angola.	during the 2013 dengue epidemic in luanda, angola, 811 dengue rapid diagnostic test-positive cases were reported to the ministry of health. to better understand the magnitude of the epidemic and identify risk factors for dengue virus (denv) infection, we conducted cluster surveys around households of case-patients and randomly selected households 6 weeks after the peak of the epidemic. of 173 case cluster participants, 16 (9%) exhibited evidence of recent denv infection. of 247 random cluster pa ...	26196224
a comparative analysis of reproductive biology of insect vectors of human disease.	studying the reproductive strategies of insect species that transmit diseases to humans can identify new exploitable targets for the development of vector control methods. here we describe shared characteristics and individual features of the reproductive biology of three major disease vectors: anopheles gambiae, aedes aegypti and glossina morsitans. current studies are identifying i) species-specific molecular cascades that determine female monandrous behavior, ii) core aspects of egg developme ...	26140265
development of johnston's organ in drosophila.	hearing is a specialized mechanosensory modality that is refined during evolution to meet the particular requirements of different organisms. in the fruitfly, drosophila, hearing is mediated by johnston's organ, a large chordotonal organ in the antenna that is exquisitely sensitive to the near-field acoustic signal of courtship songs generated by male wing vibration. we summarize recent progress in understanding the molecular genetic determinants of johnston's organ development and discuss surpr ...	17891726
dna transposons and the evolution of eukaryotic genomes.	transposable elements are mobile genetic units that exhibit broad diversity in their structure and transposition mechanisms. transposable elements occupy a large fraction of many eukaryotic genomes and their movement and accumulation represent a major force shaping the genes and genomes of almost all organisms. this review focuses on dna-mediated or class 2 transposons and emphasizes how this class of elements is distinguished from other types of mobile elements in terms of their structure, ampl ...	18076328
revolutionary fever: disease and war in the lower south, 1776-1783.		18528506
photoirradiation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with uva light - a pathway leading to the generation of reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, and dna damage.	polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs) are a class of genotoxic environmental contaminants. we have long been interested in determining the mechanisms by which pahs induce genotoxicity. although the metabolic activation of pahs leading to biological activities has been well studied, the photo-induced activation pathway has seldom reported. in this paper, we review the study of photoirradiation of pahs with uva irradiation results in (i) cytotoxicity and dna damage (ii) dna single strand cleavag ...	17159277
community based vector control in malindi, kenya.	community involvement has become an important component of the national malaria control strategy in kenya, resulting in the organization of groups charged with addressing mosquito and malaria-related concerns within the community.	17604514
rnai knockdown of a salivary transcript leading to lethality in the pea aphid, acyrthosiphon pisum.	abstract injection of sirna (small interfering rna) into parthenogenetic adult pea aphids (acyrthosiphon pisum) is shown here to lead to depletion of a target salivary gland transcript. the sirna was generated from double stranded rna that covered most of the open reading frame of the transcript, which we have called coo2. the coo2 transcript level decreases dramatically over a 3-day period after injection of sirna. with a lag of 1 to 2 days, the sicoo2-rna injected insects died, on average 8 da ...	20233093
genomic organization and developmental expression of glutathione s-transferase genes of the diamondback moth, plutella xylostella.	in the present study, we cloned and sequenced the entire coding regions of two glutathione s-transferase (gst) genes encoding pxgsts and pxgste from the diamondback moth, plutella xylostella l. (lepidoptera: yponomeutidae), along with their respective 5' and 3' flanking regions. the pxgsts gene was composed of four exons and three introns. based on amino acid identity with gst genes from other insects, this gene was classified as a member of the sigma class. the gene encoding pxgste had an intro ...	20233073
response of culex quinquefasciatus larvae to three insecticides.		27049713
predicting wolbachia potential to knock down dengue virus transmission.	releasing mosquitoes infected with the intracellular bacteria wolbachia is a candidate strategy for dengue control that has recently advanced to field-testing. a critical next step is to evaluate the impact of this strategy on dengue epidemiology. a recent study by ferguson and colleagues presents a mathematical framework to predict the likely effect of mosquitoes carrying wolbachia on dengue virus transmission. fitting the mathematical model to empirical data obtained with wolbachia-infected mo ...	26697448
essential oil composition, antimicrobial and pharmacological activities of lippia sidoides cham. (verbenaceae) from são gonçalo do abaeté, minas gerais, brazil.	lippia sidoides (verbenaceae) is used in brazilian folk medicine as an antiseptic, and it is usually applied topically on skin, mucous membranes, mouth, and throat, or used for vaginal washings.	27867267
trends in clinical trials of dengue vaccine.	dengue is one of the most important vector-borne disease and an increasing problem worldwide because of current globalization trends. roughly, half the world's population lives in dengue endemic countries, and nearly 100 million people are infected annually with dengue. india has the highest burden of the disease with 34% of the global cases. in the context of an expanding and potentially fatal infectious disease without effective prevention or specific treatment, the public health value of a pr ...	27843790
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reining in angola's yellow fever outbreak.	rosa moreira tells andréia azevedo soares how angola reined in its worst yellow fever epidemic in 30 years.	27843160
imported chikungunya virus strains, taiwan, 2006-2014.	we identified 78 imported chikungunya cases in taiwan during 2006-2014. sixty-six (84.6%) cases were initially suspected to be dengue, which indicates the necessity for laboratory diagnostics in differentiation between dengue and chikungunya. results also emphasize the need for active surveillance of febrile illness at points of entry.	27767908
functional expression and characterization of aedes aegypti dopachrome conversion enzyme.	a full-length mosquito dopachrome conversion enzyme (dce) and its truncated form lacking the last 54 carboxyl-terminal amino acid residues are expressed using a baculovirus/insect cell expression system. the full-length recombinant dce displayed multiple bands during native page with substrate staining, but only one active band was detected when the truncated recombinant dce was analyzed under identical analysis conditions. our data suggest that the last 50 some carboxyl-terminal residues are in ...	11779167
testing for context-dependence in a processing chain interaction among detritus-feeding aquatic insects.	scirtid beetles may benefit mosquitoes ochlerotatus triseriatus (say) by consuming whole leaves and leaving behind fine particles required by mosquito larvae. such interactions based on the sequential use of a resource that occurs in multiple forms are known as processing chains.models of processing chains predict that interactions can vary from commensal (0, +) to amensal (0, -), depending on how quickly resource is processed in the absence of consumers.the scirtid-o. triseriatus system was use ...	19060960
light-mediated control of rhodopsin movement in mosquito photoreceptors.	multiple mechanisms contribute to a photoreceptor's ability to adapt to ambient light conditions. the mosquito aedes aegypti expresses the long-wavelength rhodopsin aaop1 in all r1-r6 photoreceptors and most r8 photoreceptors. these photoreceptors alter the cellular location of aaop1 and reorganize their photosensitive rhabdomeric membranes on a daily basis. during daylight periods, aaop1 is excluded from the light-sensitive rhabdomeres and localized to multivesicular bodies (mvbs) within the ph ...	23035078
two drosophila deg/enac channel subunits have distinct functions in gustatory neurons that activate male courtship.	trimeric sodium channels of the deg/enac family have important roles in neurons, but the specific functions of different subunits present in heteromeric channels are poorly understood. we previously reported that the drosophila deg/enac subunit ppk25 is essential in a small subset of gustatory neurons for activation of male courtship behavior, likely through detection of female pheromones. here we show that, like mutations in ppk25, mutations in another drosophila deg/enac subunit gene, nope, sp ...	22915128
biochemical identification and crystal structure of kynurenine formamidase from drosophila melanogaster.	kfase (kynurenine formamidase), also known as arylformamidase and formylkynurenine formamidase, efficiently catalyses the hydrolysis of nfk (n-formyl-l-kynurenine) to kynurenine. kfase is the second enzyme in the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism. a number of intermediates formed in the kynurenine pathway are biologically active and implicated in an assortment of medical conditions, including cancer, schizophrenia and neurodegenerative diseases. consequently, enzymes involved in the ky ...	22690733
dengue fever in south korea, 2006-2010.		22931747
comparative characterization of aedes 3-hydroxykynurenine transaminase/alanine glyoxylate transaminase and drosophila serine pyruvate aminotransferase.	this study describes the comparative analysis of two insect recombinant aminotransferases, aedes aegypti 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-hk) transaminase/alanine glyoxylate aminotransferase (ae-hkt/agt) and drosophila melanogaster serine pyruvate aminotransferase (dm-spat), which share 52% identity in their amino acid sequences. both enzymes showed agt activity. in addition, ae-hkt/agt is also able to catalyze the transamination of 3-hk or kynurenine with glyoxylate, pyruvate or oxaloacetate as the amino ...	12220660
venezuela launches new campaign against dengue fever.		12219753
the impact of genomics on global health.	ensuring that advances in genomics are applied to the health improvement of people living in developing countries is an important contemporary challenge. in the near term, such advances are likely to alleviate infectious diseases, with longer-term benefits envisaged for chronic disorders. to ensure that benefits are shared by developing countries, attention must be paid to complex ethical, legal, social, and economic issues, as well as to public education and engagement. creative and equitable i ...	12084683
100 years of the pan american health organization.		12453801
a 3-synapse positive feedback loop regulates the excitability of an interneuron critical for sensitization in the leech.	sensitization of reflexive shortening in the leech has been linked to serotonin (5-ht)-induced changes in the excitability of a single interneuron, the s cell. this neuron is necessary for sensitization and complete dishabituation of reflexive shortening, during which it contributes to the sensory-motor reflex. the s cell does not contain 5-ht, which is released primarily from the retzius (r) cells, whose firing enhances s-cell excitability. here, we show that the s cell excites the r cells, mai ...	16571760
acetylcholinesterase genes within the diptera: takeover and loss in true flies.	it has recently been reported that the synaptic acetylcholinesterase (ache) in mosquitoes is encoded by the ace-1 gene, distinct and divergent from the ace-2 gene, which performs this function in drosophila. this is an unprecedented situation within the diptera order because both ace genes derive from an old duplication and are present in most insects and arthropods. nevertheless, drosophila possesses only the ace-2 gene. thus, a secondary loss occurred during the evolution of diptera, implying ...	17002944