Human-mediated dispersal drives the spread of the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula).

The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is a novel invasive insect from Asia now established and spreading throughout the United States. This species is of particular concern given its ability to decimate important crops such as grapes, fruit trees, as well as native hardwood trees. Since its initial detection in Berks County, Pennsylvania in 2014, spotted lanternfly infestations have been detected in 130 counties (87 under quarantine) within Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Long-term induction and regression of diet-induced atherosclerotic lesions in rhesus monkeys. II. Morphometric evaluation of lesions by light microscopy in coronary and carotid arteries.

Atherosclerotic lesions were induced in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) by feeding them a high-saturated fatty acid and high-cholesterol diet. After 5.4 years the extent of lesions in three major coronary arteries and the right carotid artery was evaluated morphometrically by light microscopy in one group of animals (group P).

Long-term induction and regression of diet-induced atherosclerotic lesions in rhesus monkeys. I. Morphological and chemical evidence for regression of lesions in the aorta and carotid and peripheral arteries.

Atherosclerotic lesions were induced in rhesus monkeys by feeding a high-saturated fatty acid and high-cholesterol diet. After 5.4 years the extent of fatty streaks and raised lesions was evaluated in one group of animals (group P) by visual estimation in 10 arterial segments and chemically in four arterial segments.

Use of serum lipid and apolipoprotein concentrations to predict extent of diet-induced atherosclerotic lesions in aortas and coronary arteries and to demonstrate regression of lesions in individual rhesus monkeys.

In most studies, the assessment of lesion "regression" is based on comparisons of group means between the "progression" and regression groups. This comparison depends on the assumption that the extent and distribution of lesions produced by the end of the lesion-induction period in the regression animals are equal to those observed in the progression group. To determine whether significant regression of lesions occurs in an individual regression animal, it is necessary to obtain a measure of the lesions produced in these animals at the end of the lesion-induction period.

Changes in plasma lipoprotein concentrations and compositions upon feeding cholesterol in high- and low-responding rhesus monkeys.

When fed cholesterol, the high-responding rhesus monkeys develop severe hypercholesterolemia, whereas low-responding rhesus monkeys show only slight increases in plasma cholesterol levels. We report changes in plasma lipoprotein concentrations and compositions along with changes in plasma lipid concentrations in high- and low-responding rhesus monkeys fed a high-cholesterol diet. On low-cholesterol diet, the concentrations and compositions of plasma lipoprotein fractions were similar in the two groups.

Reduction of preterm birth in an HMO.

In 1984 a preterm birth prevention project was introduced into a large, well-established HMO. Five years of resultant experience and data are compared to metropolitan area and state data. The method described by Dr.

Effect of cholesterol feeding on lipolytic activities in high- and low-responding rhesus monkeys.

We compared the activities of lipoprotein (LPL) and hepatic lipase (HL) in postheparin plasma in groups of high- and low-responding rhesus monkeys fed a low cholesterol diet followed by a high cholesterol diet. Cholesterol feeding resulted in a two-phase response in lipolytic activities: an initial phase lasting about 21 days that was similar in the two groups, followed by the second phase in which major differences became apparent between the groups. In the initial phase, LPL and HL activities increased along with plasma cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, but there was no change in plasma triglycerides or apolipoprotein (apo) A-I levels.

Differences in fecal excretion of cholesterol and bacterial degradation products in high- and low-responding rhesus monkeys: implications in colon cancer.

This paper reports the differences in the fecal excretion of cholesterol and its degradation products in high- and low-responding rhesus monkeys fed diets with and without extra cholesterol. The high-responding monkeys had a great increase in plasma cholesterol concentration when fed a high-cholesterol diet, whereas the low-responders had a small increase when fed the same diet. The results show that low-responding monkeys, when fed high-cholesterol diets, excrete nearly two to three times the amount of cholesterol and its bacterial degradation products in the feces than the high-responding monkeys.

Studies on the mechanism of high intestinal absorption of cholesterol and campesterol in high-responding rhesus monkeys.

To understand better the mechanism of higher absorption of cholesterol and campesterol in high-responding than in low-responding rhesus monkeys, we measured the concentrations of the two sterols in the micellar fraction isolated from small intestinal content, and also determined their rates of esterification by cholesterol esterase prepared from the small intestinal mucosa. The results show that the concentrations of both cholesterol and campesterol in the micellar fraction were significantly higher in the high- than in low- and intermediate-responding rhesus monkeys. Also the rates of esterification of both sterols are higher in the proximal segment of the small intestine in high-responders than the other two groups.

Relationships between dietary cholesterol, cholesterol absorption, cholesterol synthesis, and plasma cholesterol in rhesus monkeys.

The relationships between the cholesterol content of the diet, plasma cholesterol concentration, cholesterol absorption, and cholesterol synthesis (measured indirectly by desmosterol suppression technique) are explored in groups of high- and low-responding rhesus monkeys fed diets containing 0.02, 0.15 and 0.

Regression of experimental atherosclerotic lesions in rhesus monkeys consuming a high saturated fat diet.

Atherosclerotic lesions were induced in rhesus monkeys by feeding them a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet for 2 years. Arteries were examined after autopsy of a subgroup of animals (group P) and cholesterol was removed from the diet of the remaining animals. Lesions were examined in other subgroups after 30 weeks (group R1) and after 52 weeks (group R2).

Effect of dietary cholesterol level on plasma campesterol concentration in rhesus monkeys.

High- and low-responding rhesus monkeys were fed diets containing 0.02, 0.15 and 0.

The rate of biliary cholesterol secretion in high- and low-responding rhesus monkeys.

The rates of secretion of cholesterol in bile measured by an isotope ratio method were found similar in cholesterol-fed high- and low-responding rhesus monkeys. The results indicate that the failure on the part of the high-responders to increase proportionately the fecal excretion of neutral steroids to compensate for the higher absorption of cholesterol than the low-responders, as suggested earlier, is not due to a difference in the rate of biliary cholesterol secretion but must lie in some other aspect of cholesterol metabolism.

Effects of feeding cholesterol and mixed plant sterols on the fecal excretion of acidic steroids in rhesus monkeys.

The effects of feeding diets with high or low amounts of cholesterol and with low or high levels of mixed plant sterols (sitosterol: campesterol: stigmasterol, 60:35:5) on the daily fecal excretion of acidic steroids were studied in rhesus monkeys. During periods of low dietary plant sterol, total fecal acidic steroid excretion was 43% lower (P less than 0.01) during low dietary cholesterol than during high dietary cholesterol.

Effect of triparanol on cholesterol absorption in rhesus monkeys.

The drug, triparanol, a known inhibitor of cholesterol biosynthesis, was found to interfere with absorption of cholesterol in rhesus monkeys. The percent luminal cholesterol absorbed decreased by 13 and 21%, respectively, in the high- and low-responding monkeys when the drug was fed along with the low-cholesterol, low-plant sterol diet. When the diet contained large amounts of plant sterols, feeding of the drug also reduced the percent cholesterol absorption by the same order of magnitude.

Lipoprotein profiles in rhesus monkeys with divergent responses to dietary cholesterol.

From a group of 53 rhesus monkeys, we selected 12 animals, the six with the highest and the six with the lowest response to a high cholesterol diet, and we made detailed analyses of their cholesterol and apolipoprotein profile. The high responders differed from the low responders in several ways. During the high cholesterol diet period, the high responders had much higher plasma apolipoprotein B and E concentrations and much lower plasma apolipoprotein A-I concentrations than did the low responders.

Mechanism of the variability in plasma cholesterol response to cholesterol feeding in rhesus monkeys.

The response of plasma cholesterol to cholesterol feeding in rhesus monkeys varies widely among individual animals. Some develop severe hypercholesterolemia (the high-responders) while some show only a mild increase in plasma cholesterol concentration (the low-responders) with similar cholesterol intake. We have reviewed our studies on cholesterol absorption and metabolism in the high- and low-responding rhesus monkeys and conclude that the consistent observation that high-responders absorb significantly higher percentage of intestinal luminal cholesterol than the low-responders is one primary mechanism responsible for the differential response of plasma cholesterol to dietary cholesterol.

Survey of serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentration and lipoprotein electrophoretic pattern in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

Serum lipids and lipoproteins were surveyed during quarantine of a group of 811 wild-caught rhesus monkeys. No abnormalities indicative of dyslipoproteinemia analogous to the familial hyperlipoproteinemias in man were observed. Males had significantly lower mean cholesterol (134 mg/dl) and higher mean triglyceride (41.

Feedback regulation of cholesterol biosynthesis in rhesus monkeys with variable hypercholesterolemic response to dietary cholesterol.

To test the hypothesis that high-responding rhesus monkeys should have a greater degree of feedback inhibition of hepatic cholesterol biosynthesis than the low-responding monkeys because the former group absorbs a higher percentage of cholesterol than the later group, we determined the relative rates of cholesterol biosynthesis by measuring plasma desmosterol levels while feeding triparanol along with diets high and low in cholesterol and with or without 2% plant sterols. The build-up of plasma desmosterol was more rapid in low-responders than in high-responders on all diets; the difference was significant only on diets low in plant sterols. In both groups, adding plant sterols to either diet increased the initial slope of plasma desmosterol build-up (significant only for high cholesterol diet).

Obesity, smoking and atherosclerosis. A study of interassociations.

The data gathered from male autopsied cases (25-64 years of age) in Orleans Parish have been analysed for association between measurements of athetosclerosis and measurements of obesity. The confounding effects of diseases such as hypertension and diabetes have been controlled by excluding from analysis cases known to have such diseases. The confounding effect of age and a measurement of smoking habit on the association between atherosclerosis and obesity has been controlled by the technique of multivariate regression analysis.

Cholesterol absorption and turnover in rhesus monkeys as measured by two methods.

We compared the absorption of cholesterol in seven rhesus monkeys (four high-responders and three low-responders) as measured by two methods: 1) the dual isotope plasma ratio method of Zilversmit (1972. Proc. Soc.