Publications

a phylogenetic approach to gene expression data: evidence for the evolutionary origin of mammalian leukocyte phenotypes.	the evolution of multicellular organisms involved the evolution of specialized cell types performing distinct functions; and specialized cell types presumably arose from more generalized ancestral cell types as a result of mutational event, such as gene duplication and changes in gene expression. we used characters based on gene expression data to reconstruct evolutionary relationships among 11 types of lymphocytes by the maximum parsimony method. the resulting phylogenetic tree showed expected ...	19601972
urban structure and dengue fever in puntarenas, costa rica.	dengue is currently the most important arboviral disease globally and is usually associated with built environments in tropical areas. remotely sensed information can facilitate the study of urban mosquito-borne diseases by providing multiple temporal and spatial resolutions appropriate to investigate urban structure and ecological characteristics associated with infectious disease. in this study, coarse, medium and fine resolution satellite imagery (moderate resolution imaging spectrometer, adv ...	20161131
defeating dengue: new mosquito genome, old promise?		18438504
comparative digestive physiology.	in vertebrates and invertebrates, morphological and functional features of gastrointestinal (gi) tracts generally reflect food chemistry, such as content of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and material(s) refractory to rapid digestion (e.g., cellulose). the expression of digestive enzymes and nutrient transporters approximately matches the dietary load of their respective substrates, with relatively modest excess capacity. mechanisms explaining differences in hydrolase activity between population ...	23720328
wide spread cross resistance to pyrethroids in aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae) from veracruz state mexico.	seven f1 strains of aedes aegypti (l.) were evaluated by bottle bioassay for resistance to the pyrethroids d-phenothrin, permethrin, deltamethrin, lambda-cyalothrin, bifenthrin, cypermethrin, alpha-cypermethrin, and z-cypermethrin. the new orleans strain was used as a susceptible control. mortality rates after a 1 h exposure and after a 24 h recovery period were determined. the resistance ratio between the 50% knockdown values (rr(kc50)) of the f1 and new orleans strains indicated high levels of ...	23786088
the impact of co2 on collection of aedes aegypti (linnaeus) and culex quinquefasciatus say by bg-sentinel® traps in manaus, brazil.	carbon dioxide (co2) is an important component for activating and attracting host-seeking mosquitoes. the bg-sentinel® trap is a well-established monitoring tool for capturing culicidae, but co2 role for the trap effectiveness has not been evaluated in highly urbanised areas. the objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of bg-sentinel traps baited with and without co2 for capturing urban mosquitoes. fifteen areas were selected within the city of manaus, brazil, where four bg-sentinels were op ...	23579804
the divergence, actions, roles, and relatives of sodium-coupled bicarbonate transporters.	the mammalian slc4 (solute carrier 4) family of transporters is a functionally diverse group of 10 multi-spanning membrane proteins that includes three cl-hco3 exchangers (ae1-3), five na(+)-coupled hco3(-) transporters (ncbts), and two other unusual members (ae4, btr1). in this review, we mainly focus on the five mammalian ncbts-nbce1, nbce2, nbcn1, ndcbe, and nbcn2. each plays a specialized role in maintaining intracellular ph and, by contributing to the movement of hco3(-) across epithelia, i ...	23589833
an analysis on model development for climatic factors influencing prediction of dengue incidences in urban cities.		23703353
cost-effectiveness of novel system of mosquito surveillance and control, brazil.	of all countries in the western hemisphere, brazil has the highest economic losses caused by dengue fever. we evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a novel system of vector surveillance and control, monitoramento inteligente da dengue (intelligent dengue monitoring system [mid]), which was implemented in 21 cities in minas gerais, brazil. traps for adult female mosquitoes were spaced at 300-m intervals throughout each city. in cities that used mid, vector control was conducted specifically at high ...	23628282
genetic relatedness of dengue viruses in key west, florida, usa, 2009-2010.	sequencing of dengue virus type 1 (denv-1) strains isolated in key west/monroe county, florida, indicate endemic transmission for >2 years of a distinct and predominant sublineage of the american-african genotype. denv-1 strains isolated elsewhere in florida grouped within a separate central american lineage. findings indicate endemic transmission of denv into the continental united states.	23632064
a divergent p element and its associated mite, but5, generate chromosomal inversions and are widespread within the drosophila repleta species group.	the transposon but5 caused two chromosomal inversions fixed in two drosophila species of the repleta group, d. mojavensis and d. uniseta. but5 copies are approximately 1-kb long, lack any coding capacity, and do not resemble any other transposable element (te). because of its elusive features, but5 has remained unclassified to date. to fully characterize but5, we carried out bioinformatic similarity searches in available sequenced genomes, including 21 drosophila species. significant hits were o ...	23682154
a road map for integrating eco-evolutionary processes into biodiversity models.	the demand for projections of the future distribution of biodiversity has triggered an upsurge in modelling at the crossroads between ecology and evolution. despite the enthusiasm around these so-called biodiversity models, most approaches are still criticised for not integrating key processes known to shape species ranges and community structure. developing an integrative modelling framework for biodiversity distribution promises to improve the reliability of predictions and to give a better un ...	23679011
germline excision of transgenes in aedes aegypti by homing endonucleases.	aedes (ae.) aegypti is the primary vector for dengue viruses (serotypes1-4) and chikungunya virus. homing endonucleases (hes) are ancient selfish elements that catalyze double-stranded dna breaks (dsb) in a highly specific manner. in this report, we show that the hes y2-i-anii, i-crei and i-scei are all capable of catalyzing the excision of genomic segments from the ae. aegypti genome in a heritable manner. y2-i-anii demonstrated the highest efficiency at two independent genomic targets, with 20 ...	23549343
impact of source reduction on the spatial distribution of larvae and pupae of aedes albopictus (diptera: culicidae) in suburban neighborhoods of a piedmont community in north carolina.	aedes albopictus (skuse) is a principal nuisance mosquito species and a potential arbovirus vector throughout its geographic range in the united states. this species lays eggs, and progeny complete development in water-filled containers that are discarded in suburban landscapes. source reduction of containers, achieved through environmental sanitation, was used to experimentally manipulate mosquito production to gain insight into the spatial structure of the population of immature ae. albopictus ...	18714860
molecular cloning and analysis of the tryptophan oxygenase gene in the silkworm, bombyx mori.	a bombyx mori l. (lepidoptera: bombycidae) gene encoding tryptophan oxygenase has been molecularly cloned and analyzed. the tryptophan oxygenase cdna had 1374 nucleotides that encoded a 401 amino acid protein with an estimated molecular mass of 46.47 kda and a pi of 5.88. rt-pcr analysis showed that the b. mori tryptophan oxygenase gene was transcribed in all examined stages. tryptophan oxygenase proteins are relatively well conserved among different orders of arthropods.	20331401
susceptibility to chlorpyrifos in pyrethroid-resistant populations of aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae) from mexico.	resistance to the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos was evaluated in females from six strains of aedes aegypti (l.) that expressed high levels of cross-resistance to eight pyrethroid insecticides. relative to lc50 and lc90 at 24 h of a susceptible new orleans (no) strain, three strains were highly resistant to chlorpyrifos (coatzacoalcos, resistance ratio [rrlc90 = 11.97; pozarica, rrlc90 = 12.98; and cosoleacaque, rrlc50 = 13.94 and rrlc90 = 17.57), one strain was moderately resistant (v ...	24897857
the salivary gland-specific apyrase of the mosquito aedes aegypti is a member of the 5'-nucleotidase family.	the saliva of hematophagous insects contains a variety of pharmacologically active substances that counteract the normal hemostatic response to injury in vertebrate hosts. the yellow-fever mosquito, aedes aegypti, secretes an apyrase that inhibits adp-dependent platelet aggregation. apyrase was purified as an active enzyme from adult female salivary glands and subjected to tryptic digestion, and the resulting peptides were sequenced. the amino acid sequences obtained match the conceptual transla ...	7846038
identification of the abdominal-a homologue from aedes aegypti and structural comparisons among related genes.		1354853
use of google earth to strengthen public health capacity and facilitate management of vector-borne diseases in resource-poor environments.	novel, inexpensive solutions are needed for improved management of vector-borne and other diseases in resource-poor environments. emerging free software providing access to satellite imagery and simple editing tools (e.g. google earth) complement existing geographic information system (gis) software and provide new opportunities for: (i) strengthening overall public health capacity through development of information for city infrastructures; and (ii) display of public health data directly on an ...	18797648
alkalinization in the isolated and perfused anterior midgut of the larval mosquito, aedes aegypti.	in the present study, isolated midguts of larval aedes aegypti l. (diptera: culicidae) were mounted on perfusion pipettes and bathed in high buffer mosquito saline. with low buffer perfusion saline, containing m-cresol purple, transepithelial voltage was monitored and luminal alkalinization became visible through color changes of m-cresol purple after perfusion stop. lumen negative voltage and alkalinization depended on metabolic energy and were stimulated in the presence of serotonin (0.2 micro ...	20307229
isoleucine at position 150 of cyt2aa toxin from bacillus thuringiensis plays an important role during membrane binding and oligomerization.	cyt2aa2 is a mosquito larvicidal and cytolytic toxin produced by bacillus thuringiensis subsp. darmstadiensis. the toxin becomes inactive when isoleucine at position 150 was replaced by alanine. to investigate the functional role of this position, ile150 was substituted with leu, phe, glu and lys. all mutant proteins were produced at high level, solubilized in carbonate buffer and yielded protease activated product similar to those of the wild type. intrinsic fluorescence spectra analysis sugges ...	23527862
gates grand challenges explorations award: endectocides for controlling transmission of mosquito-borne diseases.		24818085
phylogeography and spatio-temporal genetic variation of aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae) populations in the florida keys.	aedes aegypti (l.) is the principal mosquito vector of dengue fever, the second-most deadly vector-borne disease in the world. in ae. aegypti and other arthropod disease vectors, genetic markers can be used to inform us about processes relevant to disease spread, such as movement of the vectors across space and the temporal stability of vector populations. in late 2009, 27 locally acquired cases of dengue fever were reported in key west, fl. the last dengue outbreak in the region occurred in 193 ...	23540116
pupal productivity of dengue vectors in kolkata, india: implications for vector management.	entomological surveillance of the dengue vectors using pupal productivity as indicators can be helpful in effective management. on this basis, an assessment was made on the relative importance of the larval habitats of aedes mosquitoes in kolkata, an endemic zone for dengue in west bengal, india.	23640563
how brazil joined the quest for a yellow fever vaccine. interview by claudia jurberg and julia d'aloisio..	brazil recently announced an agreement between its bio-manguinhos vaccine unit and two us companies to research and develop a new yellow fever vaccine. claudia jurberg and julia d'aloisio talk to jaime benchimol about the controversial history of the development of the vaccine that benefits millions of people today.	23476088
the tiptop/teashirt genes regulate cell differentiation and renal physiology in drosophila.	the physiological activities of organs are underpinned by an interplay between the distinct cell types they contain. however, little is known about the genetic control of patterned cell differentiation during organ development. we show that the conserved teashirt transcription factors are decisive for the differentiation of a subset of secretory cells, stellate cells, in drosophila melanogaster renal tubules. teashirt controls the expression of the water channel drip, the chloride conductance ch ...	23404107
synthetic genomics and synthetic biology applications between hopes and concerns.	new organisms and biological systems designed to satisfy human needs are among the aims of synthetic genomics and synthetic biology. synthetic biology seeks to model and construct biological components, functions and organisms that do not exist in nature or to redesign existing biological systems to perform new functions. synthetic genomics, on the other hand, encompasses technologies for the generation of chemically-synthesized whole genomes or larger parts of genomes, allowing to simultaneousl ...	23997647
dengue reborn: widespread resurgence of a resilient vector.		18795135
toxicity studies for indigenous bacillus thuringiensis isolates from malang city, east java on aedes aegypti larvae.	to investigate the toxicity of indigenous bacillus thuringiensis (b. thuringiensis)isolates from malang city for controlling aedes aegypti (ae. aegypti) larvae.	23593589
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
a killer-rescue system for self-limiting gene drive of anti-pathogen constructs.	a number of genetic mechanisms have been suggested for driving anti-pathogen genes into natural populations. each of these mechanisms requires complex genetic engineering, and most are theoretically expected to permanently spread throughout the target species' geographical range. in the near term, risk issues and technical limits of molecular methods could delay the development and use of these mechanisms. we propose a gene-drive mechanism that can be self-limiting over time and space, and is si ...	18765342
evolution of an insect-specific groucho-interaction motif in the engrailed selector protein.	animal morphology evolves through alterations in the genetic regulatory networks that control development. regulatory connections are commonly added, subtracted, or modified via mutations in cis-regulatory elements, but several cases are also known where transcription factors have gained or lost activity-modulating peptide motifs. in order to better assess the role of novel transcription factor peptide motifs in evolution, we searched for synapomorphic motifs in the homeotic selectors of drosoph ...	18803772
genome-level analysis of selective constraint without apparent sequence conservation.	conservation of function can be accompanied by obvious similarity of homologous sequences which may persist for billions of years (iyer lm, leipe dd, koonin ev, aravind l. 2004. evolutionary history and higher order classification of aaa+ atpases. j struct biol. 146:11-31.). however, presumably homologous segments of noncoding dna can also retain their ancestral function even after their sequences diverge beyond recognition (fisher s, grice ea, vinton rm, bessling sl, mccallion as. 2006. conserv ...	23418180
cumulative mortality of aedes aegypti larvae treated with compounds.	objective to evaluate the larvicidal activity of azadirachta indica, melaleuca alternifolia, carapa guianensis essential oils and fermented extract of carica papaya against aedes aegypti (linnaeus, 1762) (diptera: culicidae). methods the larvicide test was performed in triplicate with 300 larvae for each experimental group using the third larval stage, which were exposed for 24h. the groups were: positive control with industrial larvicide (bti) in concentrations of 0.37 ppm (pc1) and 0.06 ppm (p ...	25119939
genome-wide comparison of genes involved in the biosynthesis, metabolism, and signaling of juvenile hormone between silkworm and other insects.	juvenile hormone (jh) contributes to the regulation of larval molting and metamorphosis in insects. herein, we comprehensively identified 55 genes involved in jh biosynthesis, metabolism and signaling in the silkworm (bombyx mori) as well as 35 in drosophila melanogaster, 35 in anopheles gambiae, 36 in apis mellifera, 47 in tribolium castaneum, and 44 in danaus plexippus. comparative analysis showed that each gene involved in the early steps of the mevalonate (mva) pathway, in the neuropeptide r ...	25071411
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
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
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
racing against time against zika.		27489331
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
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
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
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
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
[dengue and chikungunya vector control: is it necessary to re-examine present strategies?].		26849689
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
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
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
modelling, simulation and social network data: what's new for public health and epidemiology informatics?		26293870
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
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
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
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
the history of dengue outbreaks in the americas.	dengue is a viral disease usually transmitted by aedes aegypti mosquitoes. dengue outbreaks in the americas reported in medical literature and to the pan american health organization are described. the outbreak history from 1600 to 2010 was categorized into four phases: introduction of dengue in the americas (1600-1946); continental plan for the eradication of the ae. aegypti (1947-1970) marked by a successful eradication of the mosquito in 18 continental countries by 1962; ae. aegypti reinfesta ...	23042846
acute and subacute oral toxicity of litsea elliptica blume essential oil in rats.	litsea elliptica blume has been traditionally used to treat headache, fever, and stomach ulcer, and has also been used as an insect repellent. the acute and subacute toxicities of l. elliptica essential oil were evaluated orally by gavage in female sprague-dawley rats. for the acute toxicity study, l. elliptica essential oil was administered in doses from 500 to 4000 mg/kg (single dose), and in the subacute toxicity test, the following doses were used: 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg, for 28 consecutive ...	23024045
study of the fragmentation of arginine isobutyl ester applied to arginine quantification in aedes aegypti mosquito excreta.	it has been demonstrated that argininolysis and uricolysis are involved in the synthesis and excretion of urea in aedes aegypti female mosquitoes. to further investigate the metabolic regulation of urea in female mosquitoes, it is desirable to have a rapid and efficient method to monitor arginine (arg) concentration in mosquito excreta. thus, a procedure currently used for the identification of arg in urea cycle disorders in newborn babies was adapted to analyze arg in a. aegypti excreta. the fr ...	23019169
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
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
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
infectious disease management: lessons from cuba.		18382630
a transcriptome analysis of the aedes aegypti vitellogenic fat body.	aedes (stegomyia) aegypti is an important dengue vector in tropical and subtropical zones throughout the world. a transcriptome of ae. aegypti vitellogenic fat bodies is described here. the fat body is a dynamic tissue that participates in multiple biochemical functions of intermediate metabolism. a total of 589 randomly selected cdnas were assembled into 262 clusters based on their primary sequence similarities. the putative translated proteins were classified into categories based on their fun ...	19537968
immune pathways and defence mechanisms in honey bees apis mellifera.	social insects are able to mount both group-level and individual defences against pathogens. here we focus on individual defences, by presenting a genome-wide analysis of immunity in a social insect, the honey bee apis mellifera. we present honey bee models for each of four signalling pathways associated with immunity, identifying plausible orthologues for nearly all predicted pathway members. when compared to the sequenced drosophila and anopheles genomes, honey bees possess roughly one-third a ...	17069638
expression of insulin pathway genes during the period of caste determination in the honey bee, apis mellifera.	female honeybees have two castes, queens and workers. developmental fate is determined by larval diet. coding sequences made available through the honey bee genome sequencing consortium allow for a pathway-based approach to understanding caste determination. we examined the expression of several genes of the insulin signalling pathway, which is central to regulation of growth based on nutrition. we found one insulin-like peptide expressed at very high levels in queen but not worker larvae. also, ...	17069635
mosquito-specific microrna-1890 targets the juvenile hormone-regulated serine protease jha15 in the female mosquito gut.	females of the hematophagous mosquito species require a vertebrate blood meal to supply amino acids and other nutrients necessary for egg development, serving as the driving force for the spread of many vector-borne diseases in humans. blood digestion utilizes both early and late phase serine proteases (sps) that are differentially regulated at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. to uncover the regulatory complexity of sps in the female mosquito midgut, we investigated involvemen ...	26488481
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
100 years of the pan american health organization.		12453801
vaccinating in disease-free regions: a vaccine model with application to yellow fever.	concerns regarding natural or induced emergence of infectious diseases have raised a debate on the pros and cons of pre-emptive vaccination of populations under uncertain risk. in the absence of immediate risk, ethical issues arise because even smaller risks associated with the vaccine are greater than the immediate disease risk (which is zero). the model proposed here seeks to formalize the vaccination decision process looking from the perspective of the susceptible individual, and results are ...	17442650
climate change and developing-country cities: implications for environmental health and equity.	climate change is an emerging threat to global public health. it is also highly inequitable, as the greatest risks are to the poorest populations, who have contributed least to greenhouse gas (ghg) emissions. the rapid economic development and the concurrent urbanization of poorer countries mean that developing-country cities will be both vulnerable to health hazards from climate change and, simultaneously, an increasing contributor to the problem. we review the specific health vulnerabilities o ...	17393341
fever and prominent arthralgia in a traveler who returned from amazonia: differentiating between dengue fever and chikungunya fever.		26157592
mal de mayo.		17479908
biochemical mechanisms leading to tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase activation.	tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (tdo) is the first enzyme in the tryptophan oxidation pathway. it is a hemoprotein and its heme prosthetic group is present as a heme-ferric (heme-fe(3+)) form that is not active. to be able to oxidize tryptophan, the heme-fe(3+) form of the enzyme must be reduced to a heme-ferrous (heme-fe(2+)) form and this study describes conditions that promote tdo activation. tdo is progressively activated upon mixing with tryptophan in a neutral buffer, which leads to an impressi ...	17212352
spatial vulnerability to dengue in a brazilian urban area during a 7-year surveillance.	this study considers the vulnerability of the urban area of the city of belo horizonte to dengue. a total number of 89,607 cases registered in the surveillance system from 1996 to 2002 were analyzed. seven epidemic waves were identified during this period. cases were grouped into 2,563 census areas, and three risk categories were proposed based on how many times each area reached a threshold established for each epidemic wave. the association between the risk categories and the socioeconomic, de ...	17243024
silencing of molt-regulating transcription factor gene, cihr3, affects growth and development of sugarcane stem borer, chilo infuscatellus.	rna interference (rnai) is a technology for conducting functional genomic studies and a potential tool for crop protection against insect pests. development of reliable methods for production and delivery of double-stranded rna (dsrna) is the major challenge for efficient pest control. in this study, chilo infuscatellus snellen (crambidae: lepidoptera) was fed with cihr3 dsrna expressed in bacteria or synthesized in vitro. the dsrna ingested by c. infuscatellus successfully triggered silencing o ...	23427912
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
dual lipolytic control of body fat storage and mobilization in drosophila.	energy homeostasis is a fundamental property of animal life, providing a genetically fixed balance between fat storage and mobilization. the importance of body fat regulation is emphasized by dysfunctions resulting in obesity and lipodystrophy in humans. packaging of storage fat in intracellular lipid droplets, and the various molecules and mechanisms guiding storage-fat mobilization, are conserved between mammals and insects. we generated a drosophila mutant lacking the receptor (akhr) of the a ...	17488184
definition of the minimal fragments of sti1 required for dimerization, interaction with hsp70 and hsp90 and in vivo functions.	the molecular chaperone hsp (heat-shock protein) 90 is critical for the activity of diverse cellular client proteins. in a current model, client proteins are transferred from hsp70 to hsp90 in a process mediated by the co-chaperone sti1/hop, which may simultaneously interact with hsp70 and hsp90 via separate tpr (tetratricopeptide repeat) domains, but the mechanism and in vivo importance of this function is unclear. in the present study, we used truncated forms of sti1 to determine the minimal r ...	17300223
genomic evolution of the pathogenic wolbachia strain, wmelpop.	most strains of the widespread endosymbiotic bacterium wolbachia pipientis are benign or behave as reproductive parasites. the pathogenic strain wmelpop is a striking exception, however: it overreplicates in its insect hosts and causes severe life shortening. the mechanism of this pathogenesis is currently unknown. we have sequenced the genomes of three variants of wmelpop and of the closely related nonpathogenic strain wmelcs. we show that the genomes of wmelcs and wmelpop appear to be identica ...	24190075
a phylogenetic study of drosophila splicing assembly chaperone rnp-4f associated u4-/u6-snrna secondary structure.	the rnp-4f gene in drosophila melanogaster encodes nuclear protein rnp-4f. this encoded protein is represented by homologs in other eukaryotic species, where it has been shown to function as an intron splicing assembly factor. here, rnp-4f is believed to initially bind to a recognition sequence on u6-snrna, serving as a chaperone to facilitate its association with u4-snrna by intermolecular hydrogen bonding. rna conformations are a key factor in spliceosome function, so that elucidation of chang ...	25419488
interaction of lipophorin with rhodnius prolixus oocytes: biochemical properties and the importance of blood feeding.	lipophorin (lp) is the main haemolymphatic lipoprotein in insects and transports lipids between different organs. in adult females, lipophorin delivers lipids to growing oocytes. in this study, the interaction of this lipoprotein with the ovaries of rhodnius prolixus was characterised using an oocyte membrane preparation and purified radiolabelled lp (125i-lp). lp-specific binding to the oocyte membrane reached equilibrium after 40-60 min and when 125i-lp was incubated with increasing amounts of ...	24037104
circadian clock of aedes aegypti: effects of blood-feeding, insemination and rna interference.	mosquitoes are the culprits of some of the most important vector borne diseases. a species' potential as a vector is directly dependent on their pattern of behaviour, which is known to change according to the female's physiological status such as whether the female is virgin/mated and unfed/blood-fed. however, the molecular mechanism triggered by and/or responsible for such modulations in behaviour is poorly understood. clock genes are known to be responsible for the control of circadian behavio ...	24473806