Publications

survival and development of a tropical mosquito, aedes aegypti, in southern england.		5316751
evaluation of ultra-low-volume insecticide dispensing systems for use in single-engined aircraft and their effectiveness against aedes aegypti populations in south-east asia.	an evaluation study of ultra-low-volume (ulv) spraying of insecticide from aircraft was carried out in thailand, to determine if this technique could be used for the emergency control of aedes aegypti, the major vector of haemorrhagic fever. a small, single-engined aircraft, a cessna-180, was used in the trials and 2 types of spraying equipment were tested; both were found to be equally effective. the aircraft was fitted with 6 spraying nozzles and flew at an altitude of 150 feet (46 m) at a spe ...	5309517
[the effect of groups in tests on insecticide resistance in aedes aegypti].		5303669
heterogeneity in the trinidad ddt-resistant strain and the qs susceptible strain of aedes aegypti l. the isolation of highly resistant and highly susceptible substrains.	investigating heterogeneity in response to ddt with 2 strains of aedes aegypti, the author has compared ddt-resistance in the f(1) and f(2) progenies of single-pair matings of resistant with resistant (trinidad) and susceptible with susceptible (qs) strains.both strains showed heterogeneity; however, there was little overlap between the most tolerant qs progeny and the least resistant trin progeny. a substrain of very high resistance was isolated from a single trin progeny and one of very low to ...	5304437
mechanisms and inheritance of resistance and selection of resistance potential in aedes aegypti.		5299454
factors affecting the oviposition of aedes aegypti.		5299458
the need for standard and other strains of aedes aegypti for research.		5299455
measures to be taken to prevent the transmission of aedes aegypti by sea and air.		5299469
organization and administration of aedes aegypti control and eradication programmes.		5299462
current status of the formal genetics of aedes aegypti.		5299452
dynamics of aedes aegypti distribution and density. seasonal fluctuations in the americas.		5299446
dynamics of aedes aegypti distribution, density and seasonal prevalence in the mediterranean area.		5299448
aedes aegypti in the western pacific region.		5299449
insecticides for use against aedes aegypti.		5299464
the distribution, density and seasonal prevalence of aedes aegypti in west africa.		5299447
aedes aegypti and yellow fever.		5299444
mating, resting habits and dispersal of aedes aegypti.		5299459
aedes aegypti and other mosquitos in relation to the dengue syndrome.		4383543
[insecticide-resistance in aedes aegypti and allied species].		5299453
genetic control of aedes aegypti.		5299738
frmal genetics and cytogenetics of aedes aegypti.		5299451
the control of aedes aegypti in south-east asia and the western pacific.		5299463
taxonomy of aedes aegypti and related species.		4383544
possible use of the sterile-male technique for control of aedes aegypti.		5299467
cytogenetics of aedes aegypti.		5299736
biotic factors in the control of aedes aegypti.		5299466
toxic hazards from the use of insecticides in the control of aedes aegypti.		5299465
history of aedes aegypti eradication in the americas.		5299460
the use of discriminating concentrations in genetical studies on ddt-resistance in larval aedes aegypti l.		5299759
ddt-resistance in west african and asian strains of aedes aegypti (l.).	the yellow fever mosquito aedes aegypti has developed resistance to ddt in the caribbean region and in south-east asia, but not in west africa. therefore west african strains were compared with south-east asian strains for their response to laboratory selection with ddt. it was found that west african strains were much slower to respond initially, but eventually could build up a high degree of ddt-resistance. by crossing and backcrossing with a susceptible marker-gene strain, it was found that t ...	5299673
a soluble deoxyribonucleic acid in the mosquito aedes aegypti.		5227670
the distribution of aedes aegypti in thailand.		20604280
report on a pilot study of aedes aegypti control in bangkok.		20604289
insecticide-resistance studies on aedes aegypti in thailand.		20604290
the control of aedes aegypti.		20604288
diagnostic dosages to separate genotypes of aedes aegypti for ddt-resistance and dieldrin-resistance.		5296139
dehydrochlorination and ddt-resistance in culex mosquitos.	the mechanism of resistance to ddt was investigated in culex mosquitos to ascertain whether it was associated with detoxication to dde as in houseflies and aedes aegypti. resistant larvae of c. tarsalis were found to effect this dehydrochlorination, whereas the susceptible larvae did not; resistant larvae of c. fatigans completely converted all the absorbed ddt to the metabolite dde. enzyme assays in vitro showed that the resistant c. fatigans had 10 times the dehydrochlorinating activity, and r ...	14315723
toxicities of certain larvicides to resistant and susceptible aedes aegypti (l.).	in a study of the toxicological characteristics of dieldrin-resistant and ddt-resistant strains of aedes aegypti, combined with an evaluation of certain larvicides, 14 cyclodienes, 13 ddt-type compounds, 18 organophosphorus compounds, several carbamates and a number of other compounds were tested against larvae of a. aegypti. telodrin and gc-9160 proved to be toxic against a highly dieldrin-resistant strain. against highly ddt-resistant strains the toxicity of ddt could be enhanced by piperonyl ...	5294255
yolk protein uptake in the oocyte of the mosquito aedes aegypti. l.	yolk proteins are thought to enter certain eggs by a process akin to micropinocytosis but the detailed mechanism has not been previously depicted. in this study the formation of protein yolk was investigated in the mosquito aedes aegypti l. ovaries were fixed in phosphate-buffered osmium tetroxide, for electron microscopy, before and at intervals after a meal of blood. the deposition of protein yolk in the oocyte was correlated with a 15-fold increase in 140 mmicro pit-like depressions on the oo ...	14126875
the aseptic rearing of aedes aegypti.		14274211
experimental observations governing the choice of a test method for determining the ddt-irritability of adult mosquitos.	in an attempt to determine the optimum test conditions for assessing the irritability of adult mosquitos to ddt, the author has carried out a series of experiments with two strains of aedes aegypti, one resistant and one susceptible to ddt. in these experiments a comparison was made between, on the one hand, the results obtained with the three possible test steps included in a tentative method proposed in 1960 by the who expert committee on insecticides, and, on the other hand, the results with ...	14122447
methods for mass rearing of aedes aegypti (l.).		14049192
antimetabolites in the nutrition of aedes aegypti l. larvae; nicotinic acid analogues.		14011576
the elimination of urban yellow fever in the americas through the eradication of aedes aegypti.		13978257
toxicity of aromatic acids to the larvae of the mosquito aedes aegypti l. and the counteracting influence of amino acids.		14351182
editorial: 2008 year in review.		25567842
on-chip solid-phase extraction pre-concentration/focusing substrates coupled to atmospheric pressure matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization ion trap mass spectrometry for high sensitivity biomolecule analysis.	atmospheric pressure matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (ap-maldi) has proven a convenient and rapid method for ion production in the mass spectrometric (ms) analysis of biomolecules. ap-maldi and electrospray ionization (esi) sources are easily interchangeable in most mass spectrometers. however, ap-maldi suffers from less-than-optimal sensitivity due to ion losses during transport from the atmosphere into the vacuum of the mass spectrometer. here, we study the signal-to-noise ratio (s ...	19140128
dengue transmission.		19270769
revisiting the cellular mechanisms of strong luminal alkalinization in the anterior midgut of larval mosquitoes.	here we critically review two recent hypotheses about the mechanism of strong alkalinization by the anterior midgut of mosquito larvae and our tests of these hypotheses. we present experimental evidence against the major components of transport models proposed in these hypotheses. measurements of the transapical and transbasal proton electrochemical gradients provide an indication of driving forces faced by and generated by the transport mechanisms of the tissue. these measurements confirmed tha ...	19151212
the ldl receptor.	in this article, the history of the ldl receptor is recounted by its codiscoverers. their early work on the ldl receptor explained a genetic cause of heart attacks and led to new ways of thinking about cholesterol metabolism. the ldl receptor discovery also introduced three general concepts to cell biology: receptor-mediated endocytosis, receptor recycling, and feedback regulation of receptors. the latter concept provides the mechanism by which statins selectively lower plasma ldl, reducing hear ...	19299327
mucopolysaccharidosis type i in 21 czech and slovak patients: mutation analysis suggests a functional importance of c-terminus of the idua protein.	mucopolysaccharidosis type i (mps i) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder that is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme alpha-l-iduronidase (idua). of the 21 czech and slovak patients who have been diagnosed with mps i in the last 30 years, 16 have a severe clinical presentation (hurler syndrome), 2 less severe manifestations (scheie syndrome), and 3 an intermediate severity (hurler/scheie phenotype). mutation analysis was performed in 20 mps i patients and 39 mutant alleles were ...	19396826
identification and characterization of heat shock 70 genes in aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae).	heat shock genes are highly evolutionarily conserved and are expressed to varying degrees in all organisms in response to stress. heat shock 70 (hsp70) genes have been well characterized in a number of organisms, most notably drosophila melanogaster, but not as yet for any of the major arthropod-borne viral mosquito vectors. to identify hsp70 genes in the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae), basic local alignment searches of the ae. aegypti genome were performed using d. me ...	19496419
density-dependent intraspecific competition in the larval stage of aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae): revisiting the current paradigm.	density-dependent intraspecific competition has been considered an important determinant of the dynamics of larval stages of aedes aegypti. a model was published in 1984 providing a mathematical description of this density dependence, based on field data, that has since been widely used. this description, however, is based on the strong assumption that all mortality is density-dependent. we re-examine the data without this premise and find a reduced importance of density dependence, as well as a ...	19496407
the basic reproduction number r0 and effectiveness of reactive interventions during dengue epidemics: the 2002 dengue outbreak in easter island, chile.	we use a stochastic simulation model to explore the effect of reactive intervention strategies during the 2002 dengue outbreak in the small population of easter island, chile. we quantified the effect of interventions on the transmission dynamics and epidemic size as a function of the simulated control intensity levels and the timing of initiation of control interventions. because no dengue outbreaks had been reported prior to 2002 in easter island, the 2002 epidemic provided a unique opportunit ...	24245625
evaluation of the traditional and revised world health organization classifications of dengue cases in brazil.	dengue is a worldwide public health problem with approximately 50 million cases reported annually. the world health organization proposed a revised classification system in 2008 to more effectively identify the patients who are at increased risk of complications from dengue. few studies have validated this new classification system in clinical practice. we conducted a cross-sectional study of patients hospitalized for dengue in dourados, mato grosso do sul, brazil, to evaluate the capacity of th ...	24212835
birth of three stowaway-like mite families via microhomology-mediated miniaturization of a tc1/mariner element in the yellow fever mosquito.	eukaryotic genomes contain numerous dna transposons that move by a cut-and-paste mechanism. the majority of these elements are self-insufficient and dependent on their autonomous relatives to transpose. miniature inverted repeat transposable elements (mites) are often the most numerous nonautonomous dna elements in a higher eukaryotic genome. little is known about the origin of these mite families as few of them are accompanied by their direct ancestral elements in a genome. analyses of mites in ...	24068652
bacteria mediate oviposition by the black soldier fly, hermetia illucens (l.), (diptera: stratiomyidae).	there can be substantial negative consequences for insects colonizing a resource in the presence of competitors. we hypothesized that bacteria, associated with an oviposition resource and the insect eggs deposited on that resource, serve as a mechanism regulating subsequent insect attraction, colonization, and potentially succession of insect species. we isolated and identified bacterial species associated with insects associated with vertebrate carrion and used these bacteria to measure their i ...	23995019
leishmania amazonensis exhibits phosphatidylserine-dependent procoagulant activity, a process that is counteracted by sandfly saliva.	leishmania parasites expose phosphatidylserine (ps) on their surface, a process that has been associated with regulation of host's immune responses. in this study we demonstrate that ps exposure by metacyclic promastigotes of leishmania amazonensis favours blood coagulation. l. amazonensis accelerates in vitro coagulation of human plasma. in addition, l. amazonensis supports the assembly of the prothrombinase complex, thus promoting thrombin formation. this process was reversed by annexin v whic ...	24037188
distribution, seasonal variation & dengue transmission prediction in sisaket, thailand.	environmental factors including weather variables may play a significant role in the transmission of dengue. this study investigated the effect of seasonal variation on the abundance of aedes aegypti and ae. albopictus larvae and explored the impact of weather variability on dengue transmission in sisaket, thailand.	24135179
rapid evolution of reduced receptivity to interspecific mating in the dengue vector aedes aegypti in response to satyrization by invasive aedes albopictus.	in this paper we examine the effect of reproductive interference on the dynamics of two mosquito vectors of public health concern and add to the growing literature on the strength and speed with which interspecific reproductive interference may drive evolution. recent evidence supports a role for asymmetric reproductive interference, or satyrization, in competitive displacements of aedes aegypti by aedes albopictus. however, populations of a. aegypti sympatric with a. albopictus in nature evolve ...	24563572
aedes aegypti mosquitoes imported into the netherlands, 2010.	during summer 2010, aedes aegypti mosquitoes were discovered in the netherlands. using genetic markers, we tracked the origin of these mosquitoes to a tire shipment from miami, florida, usa. surveillance of tire exports from the united states should be included as part of a comprehensive surveillance system.	22172498
spatial stability of adult aedes aegypti populations.	vector control programs could be more efficient by identifying the location of highly productive sites of aedes aegypti. this study explored if the number of female adults of ae. aegypti in bg-sentinel traps was clustered and if their spatial distribution changed in time in two neighborhoods in san juan, puerto rico. traps were uniformly distributed across each neighborhood (130 m from each other), and samples were taken every 3 weeks. global and local spatial autocorrelations were explored. spa ...	22144449
the monarch butterfly genome yields insights into long-distance migration.	we present the draft 273 mb genome of the migratory monarch butterfly (danaus plexippus) and a set of 16,866 protein-coding genes. orthology properties suggest that the lepidoptera are the fastest evolving insect order yet examined. compared to the silkmoth bombyx mori, the monarch genome shares prominent similarity in orthology content, microsynteny, and protein family sizes. the monarch genome reveals a vertebrate-like opsin whose existence in insects is widespread; a full repertoire of molecu ...	22118469
distinct intracellular motifs of delta mediate its ubiquitylation and activation by mindbomb1 and neuralized.	dsl proteins are transmembrane ligands of the notch receptor. they associate with a ring (really interesting new gene) family e3 ubiquitin ligase, either neuralized (neur) or mindbomb 1 (mib1), as a prerequisite to signaling. although neur and mib1 stimulate internalization of dsl ligands, it is not known how ubiquitylation contributes to signaling. we present a molecular dissection of the intracellular domain (icd) of drosophila melanogaster delta (dl), a prototype dsl protein. using a cell-bas ...	22162135
lessons from studying insect symbioses.	as in mammals, insect health is strongly influenced by the composition and activities of resident microorganisms. however, the microbiota of insects is generally less diverse than that of mammals, allowing microbial function in insects to be coupled to individual, identified microbial species. this trait of insect symbioses facilitates our understanding of the mechanisms that promote insect-microbial coexistence and the processes by which the microbiota affect insect well-being. as a result, ins ...	22018236
evaluation of the who classification of dengue disease severity during an epidemic in 2011 in the state of ceará, brazil.	in 2009, the world health organization (who) issued a new guideline that stratifies dengue-affected patients into severe (sd) and non-severe dengue (nsd) (with or without warning signs). to evaluate the new recommendations, we completed a retrospective cross-sectional study of the dengue haemorrhagic fever (dhf) cases reported during an outbreak in 2011 in northeastern brazil. we investigated 84 suspected dhf patients, including 45 (53.6%) males and 39 (46.4%) females. the ages of the patients r ...	24626308
characterization of lipophorin receptor (lpr) mediating the binding of high density lipophorin (hdlp) in the silkworm, bombyx mori.	in an earlier report, we described the gene encoding a lipophorin receptor (lpr) of the silkworm, bombyx mori l. (lepidoptera: bombycidae), and recombinant expression of the protein. the present study was performed to characterize the corresponding native bmlpr and its binding characteristics. polyclonal anti-lpr antibody prepared against the cloned receptor fragment from the cytoplasmic domain specifically detected the receptor. through immunoblotting, ovary and brain membrane protein samples o ...	22236107
cdna cloning and expression pattern of homolog of alpha subunit of platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase ib from the chinese oak silkworm, antheraea pernyi.	platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (paf-ah) is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of platelet-activating factor (paf). a homolog of alpha subunit of paf-ah(ib) from antheraea pernyi (guérin-méneville) (lepidoptera: saturniidae) (appafahibα) was isolated and characterized. the obtained cdna sequence was 1843 base pairs (bp) long with an open reading frame (ore) of 678 bp encoding 225 amino acids. the predicted amino acid sequence shared several conserved features of paf-ahs of other ...	22224584
new approaches to the inhibition of replication of viral pathogens.	this meeting was a special symposium sponsored by the american society for biochemistry and molecular biology. the conference was held in gangzhou, china on 24-26 july 2011 and shared a venue with the society of chinese bioscientists in america thirteenth international symposium. over 150 participants from the americas, europe, asia and australia attended the meeting. this article focuses on two areas of research in which there have been exciting developments that have application to the develop ...	22029515
genetics and morphology of aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae) in septic tanks in puerto rico.	dengue viruses, primarily transmitted by the mosquito aedes aegypti (l.), affect an estimated 50-100 million people yearly. traditional approaches to control mosquito population numbers, such as the use of pesticides, have had only limited success. atypical mosquito behavior may be one reason why current vector control efforts have been less efficacious than expected. in puerto rico, for example, adult ae. aegypti have been observed emerging from septic tanks. interestingly, adults emerging from ...	22238867
aedes albopictus mosquitoes, yucatan peninsula, mexico.		22377491
wedding fever: fever in the returning traveler. diagnosis: dengue fever.		23851538
complementary chimeric isoforms reveal dscam1 binding specificity in vivo.	dscam1 potentially encodes 19,008 ectodomains of a cell recognition molecule of the immunoglobulin (ig) superfamily through alternative splicing. each ectodomain, comprising a unique combination of three variable (ig) domains, exhibits isoform-specific homophilic binding in vitro. although we have proposed that the ability of dscam1 isoforms to distinguish between one another is crucial for neural circuit assembly, via a process called self-avoidance, whether recognition specificity is essential ...	22542180
a dynamic paracellular pathway serves diuresis in mosquito malpighian tubules.	female mosquitoes gorge on vertebrate blood, a rich nutrient source for developing eggs, but gorging meals increase the risk of predation. mosquitoes are quick to reduce the flight payload with a potent diuresis. diuretic peptides of the insect kinin family induce a tenfold reduction in the paracellular resistance of malpighian tubules and increase the paracellular permeation of cl(-), the counterion of the transepithelial secretion of na(+) and k(+). as a result, the transepithelial secretion o ...	22731730
evidence of polyandry for aedes aegypti in semifield enclosures.	female aedes aegypti are assumed to be primarily monandrous (i.e., mate only once in their lifetime), but true estimates of mating frequency have not been determined outside the laboratory. to assess polyandry in ae. aegypti with first-generation progeny from wild mosquitoes, stable isotope semen-labeled males ((15)n or (13)c) were allowed to mate with unlabeled females in semifield enclosures (22.5 m(3)) in a dengue-endemic area in southern mexico. on average, 14% of females were positive for b ...	22492148
proteome of aedes aegypti in response to infection and coinfection with microsporidian parasites.	hosts are frequently infected with more than one parasite or pathogen at any one time, but little is known as to how they respond to multiple immune challenges compared to those involving single infections. we investigated the proteome of aedes aegypti larvae following infection with either edhazardia aedis or vavraia culicis, and coinfections involving both. they are both obligate intracellular parasites belonging to the phylum microsporidia and infect natural populations of ae. aegypti. the re ...	22837817
knockdown resistance, rdl alleles, and the annual entomological inoculation rate of wild mosquito populations from lower moshi, northern tanzania.	understanding vector behavioral response due to ecological factors is important in the control of disease vectors. this study was conducted to determine the knockdown resistance (kdr) alleles, dieldrin resistance alleles, and entomological inoculation rates (eirs) of malaria vectors in lower moshi irrigation schemes for the mitigation of disease transmission.	22754247
dengue and us military operations from the spanish-american war through today.	dengue is a major cause of illness among travelers and a threat to military troops operating in areas to which it is endemic. before and during world war ii, dengue frequently occurred in us military personnel in asia and the south pacific. from the 1960s into the 1990s, dengue often occurred in us troops in vietnam, the philippines, somalia, and haiti. we found attack rates as high as 80% and periods of convalescence up to 3-1/2 weeks beyond the acute illness. the increase in dengue throughout ...	22469290
whole-genome sequence of wolbachia strain walbb, an endosymbiont of tiger mosquito vector aedes albopictus.	although bacteria of the genus wolbachia induced significant extended phenotypes to infected hosts, most molecular mechanisms involved are still unknown. to gain insight into the bacterial genetic determinants, we sequenced the whole genome of wolbachia walbb strain, a commensal obligate intracellular of the tiger mosquito aedes albopictus.	22408242
gene expression profiling in the thiamethoxam resistant and susceptible b-biotype sweetpotato whitefly, bemisia tabaci.	thiamethoxam has been used as a major insecticide to control the b-biotype sweetpotato whitefly, bemisia tabaci (gennadius) (hemiptera: aleyrodidae). due to its excessive use, a high level of resistance to thiamethoxam has developed worldwide over the past several years. to better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying this resistance in b. tabaci, gene profiles between the thiamethoxam-resistant and thiamethoxam-susceptible strains were investigated using the suppression subtractive hyb ...	22957505
evolution of bmp signaling in drosophila oogenesis: a receptor-based mechanism.	the bone morphogenetic protein (bmp) signaling pathway is a conserved regulator of cellular and developmental processes in animals. the mechanisms underlying bmp signaling activation differ among tissues and mostly reflect changes in the expression of pathway components. bmp signaling is one of the major pathways responsible for the patterning of the drosophila eggshell, a complex structure derived from a layer of follicle cells (fcs) surrounding the developing oocyte. activation of bmp signalin ...	22768927
community-based control of aedes aegypti by using mesocyclops in southern vietnam.	we previously reported a new community-based mosquito control strategy that resulted in elimination of aedes aegypti (linn.) in 40 of 46 communes in northern and central vietnam, and with annual recurrent total costs (direct and indirect) of only $0.28-$0.89 international dollars per person. this control strategy was extended to four provinces in southern vietnam in long an and hau giang (2004-2007) and to long an, ben tre, and vinh long (2005-2010). in a total of 14 communes with 124,743 reside ...	22556087
the economic burden of dengue.		22556068
return of epidemic dengue in the united states: implications for the public health practitioner.	conditions that facilitate sustained dengue transmission exist in the united states, and outbreaks have occurred during the past decade in texas, hawaii, and florida. more outbreaks can also be expected in years to come. to combat dengue, medical and public health practitioners in areas with mosquito vectors that are competent to transmit the virus must be aware of the threat of reemergent dengue, and the need for early reporting and control to reduce the impact of dengue outbreaks. comprehensiv ...	22547856
the combination of npk fertilizer and deltamethrin insecticide favors the proliferation of pyrethroid-resistant anopheles gambiae (diptera: culicidae).	in this laboratory study, we investigated how the biological cycle of anopheles gambiae s.s. (vkpr strain) would be like when grew in an environment containing more or less plant matter (2.5 or 5 g/l) and fertilizer (8-12-8 or 17-23-17 mg/l). half of the environments studied were not exposed to insecticide (control) whereas the other half was submitted to deltamethrin treatment at the concentration of 0.015 mg/l. the bioassays showed that 2.5 g/l of plant matter in water are not sufficient to fe ...	22550627
mosquito biology. evolution of sexual traits influencing vectorial capacity in anopheline mosquitoes.	the availability of genome sequences from 16 anopheline species provides unprecedented opportunities to study the evolution of reproductive traits relevant for malaria transmission. in anopheles gambiae, a likely candidate for sexual selection is male 20-hydroxyecdysone (20e). sexual transfer of this steroid hormone as part of a mating plug dramatically changes female physiological processes intimately tied to vectorial capacity. by combining phenotypic studies with ancestral state reconstructio ...	25722409
dengue vaccine: come let's fight the menace.	although dengue has a global distribution, the world health organization (who) south-east asia region together with western pacific region bears nearly 75% of the current global disease burden. globally, the societal burden has been estimated to be approximately 528 to 1300 disability-adjusted life years (daly) per million to populations in endemic regions dengue is believed to infect 50 to 100 million people worldwide a year with half a million life-threatening infections requiring hospitalizat ...	25695523
formulae for insect wingbeat frequency.	a formula is developed connecting the wingbeat frequency of insects with their masses and wing areas. it is derived first theoretically, using dimensional analysis, and then it is compared with published measurements. the formula discovered involves two parameters which dimensional analysis alone cannot determine. one of these is evaluated using one among many proposed semi-empirical relationships (the only one that stands scrutiny); the other by fitting a published dataset. it is found that the ...	20673120
modeling the impact on virus transmission of wolbachia-mediated blocking of dengue virus infection of aedes aegypti.	dengue is the most common arboviral infection of humans and is a public health burden in more than 100 countries. aedes aegypti mosquitoes stably infected with strains of the intracellular bacterium wolbachia are resistant to dengue virus (denv) infection and are being tested in field trials. to mimic field conditions, we experimentally assessed the vector competence of a. aegypti carrying the wolbachia strains wmel and wmelpop after challenge with viremic blood from dengue patients. we found th ...	25787763
cloning and characterization of a putative farnesoic acid o-methyltransferase gene from the brown planthopper, nilaparvata lugens.	juvenile hormone (jh) plays key roles in both metamorphosis and adult reproductive processes. farnesoic acid o-methyltransferase (famet) is thought to be an important enzyme in the jh biosynthetic pathway, catalyzing methylation of farnesoic acid (fa) to methyl farnesoate (mf). a full-length cdna (nlfamet) encoding a 299 amino acid putative famet was isolated from the brown planthopper, nilaparvata lugens (stal) (hemiptera: geometroidea), a major rice pest in many parts of asia. nlfamet showed h ...	20874390
evaluation of household bleach as an ovicide for the control of aedes aegypti.	accumulations of dormant eggs in container habitats allow aedes aegypti populations to survive harsh environmental conditions and may frustrate control interventions directed at larval and adult life stages. while sodium hypochlorite solutions (naocl) have long been recognized as ovicides for use against dengue vectors, the susceptibility of eggs to spray applications has not been robustly evaluated on substrate materials representative of the most frequently utilized artificial container habita ...	25843179
in vitro antibacterial and in vivo cytotoxic activities of grewia paniculata.	grewia paniculata (family: malvaceae) has been used to treat inflammation, respiratory disorders and fever. it is additionally employed for other health conditions including colds, diarrhea and as an insecticide in bangladesh. the aim of the present study was to investigate the antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of different extracts of grewia paniculata.	25949950
transgenerational effect of infection in plasmodium-infected mosquitoes.	transgenerational effects of infection have a huge potential to influence the prevalence and intensity of infections in vectors and, by extension, disease epidemiology. these transgenerational effects may increase the fitness of offspring through the transfer of protective immune factors. alternatively, however, infected mothers may transfer the costs of infection to their offspring. although transgenerational immune protection has been described in a dozen invertebrate species, we still lack a ...	25762571
do viruses use vectors to penetrate mucus barriers?	i propose a mechanism by which viruses successfully infect new individuals, despite being immotile particles with no ability for directed movement. within cells, viral particle movements are directed by motors and elements of the cytoskeleton, but how viruses cross extracellular barriers, like mucus, remains a mystery. i propose that viruses cross these barriers by hitch-hiking on bacteria or sperm cells which can transport themselves across mucosal layers designed to protect the underlying cell ...	20190864
the steroid hormone ecdysone functions with intrinsic chromatin remodeling factors to control female germline stem cells in drosophila.	steroid hormones are known systemic regulators of multiple normal and cancerous tissues; however, whether or how they impact the fate and function of adult stem cells is unclear. in the drosophila ovary, insulin signals modulate the proliferation and self-renewal of germline stem cells (gscs), yet despite evidence that additional systemic factors control gsc activity, these have remained largely unknown. here, we report that ecdysone, a steroid hormone structurally related to mammalian sex stero ...	21040900
examination of a miniaturized funnel trap for aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae) larval sampling.	funnel traps are often used to sample for the presence of aedes aegypti (l.) (diptera: culicidae) larvae in subterranean aquatic habitats. these traps are generally > or = 15 cm in diameter, making them impractical for use in subterranean sites that have narrow (10-cm) access ports, such as those in standard-sized septic tanks. recent research indicates septic tanks may be important habitats for ae. aegypti in puerto rico and the caribbean. to sample mosquito larval populations in these sites, a ...	21175077
neuroscience: love hangover.		18172487
purification and characterization of recombinant lipid storage protein-2 from drosophila melanogaster.	lipid storage protein 2 (lsd 2) is a conserved insect protein that belongs to the small pat family of proteins. pat proteins are found associated to the lipid droplets of adipocytes and play significant roles in the regulation of triacylglycerides metabolism. here we describe the expression and purification of lsd2, its reconstitution in lipoprotein particles, the location of putative lipid binding sites and its secondary structure. this study provides the starting point for future studies on th ...	18991782
ageing in a eusocial insect: molecular and physiological characteristics of life span plasticity in the honey bee.	commonly held views assume that ageing, or senescence, represents an inevitable, passive, and random decline in function that is strongly linked to chronological age. in recent years, genetic intervention of life span regulating pathways, for example, in drosophila as well as case studies in non-classical animal models, have provided compelling evidence to challenge these views.rather than comprehensively revisiting studies on the established genetic model systems of ageing, we here focus on an ...	18728759
a cumulative feeding threshold required for vitellogenesis can be obviated with juvenile hormone treatment in lubber grasshoppers.	developmental thresholds can ensure that an adequate condition has been attained to proceed through major transitions (e.g. initiation of reproduction, metamorphosis). nutrition is critical to attaining most thresholds, because it is needed for both growth and storage. attaining a threshold typically stimulates the release of hormones that commit the animal to the developmental transition, yet the relationships between the nutrition needed for developmental thresholds and these endocrine signals ...	18083735