Notch3-regulated microRNAs impair CXCR4-dependent maturation of thymocytes allowing maintenance and progression of T-ALL.

Malignant transformation of T-cell progenitors causes T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), an aggressive childhood lymphoproliferative disorder. Activating mutations of Notch, Notch1 and Notch3, have been detected in T-ALL patients. In this study, we aimed to deeply characterize hyperactive Notch3-related pathways involved in T-cell dynamics within the thymus and bone marrow to propose these processes as an important step in facilitating the progression of T-ALL.

Seasonal Dynamics of Mosquito-Borne Viruses in the Southwestern Florida Everglades, 2016, 2017.

Mosquitoes were collected for 12 consecutive months beginning June 2016, from 11 locations in the Florida Everglades, Collier County, and tested for viruses by isolation in Vero cells and subsequent identification. One species complex and 31 species of mosquitoes were identified from 668,809 specimens. Ochlerotatus taeniorhynchus comprised 72.

Notch and NF-κB: Coach and Players of Regulatory T-Cell Response in Cancer.

The Notch signaling pathway plays multiple roles in driving T-cell fate decisions, proliferation, and aberrant growth. NF-κB is a cell-context key player interconnected with Notch signaling either in physiological or in pathological conditions. This review focuses on how the multilayered crosstalk between different Notches and NF-κB subunits may converge on Foxp3 gene regulation and orchestrate CD4 regulatory T (Treg) cell function, particularly in a tumor microenvironment.

Intrathymic Notch3 and CXCR4 combinatorial interplay facilitates T-cell leukemia propagation.

Notch hyperactivation dominates T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia development, but the mechanisms underlying "pre-leukemic" cell dissemination are still unclear. Here we describe how deregulated Notch3 signaling enhances CXCR4 cell-surface expression and migratory ability of CD4CD8 thymocytes, possibly contributing to "pre-leukemic" cell propagation, early in disease progression. In transgenic mice overexpressing the constitutively active Notch3 intracellular domain, we detect the progressive increase in circulating blood and bone marrow of CD4CD8 cells, characterized by high and combined surface expression of Notch3 and CXCR4.

Repellency of Naturally Occurring or Related Compounds, DEET, and Para-Menthane-3,8-Diol to Bed Bugs (Hemiptera: Cimicidae).

Bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), have become a major health nuisance in the past 20 ysin cities and elsewhere throughout many areas of the world. Few studies have reported on repellent compounds that could reduce their transport in luggage.

Relatively Small Quantities of CO2, Ammonium Bicarbonate, and a Blend of (E)-2-Hexenal Plus (E)-2-Octenal Attract Bed Bugs (Hemiptera: Cimicidae).

Bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L., feed on humans, have increased exponentially in the past two decades in many major cities throughout the world, have caused intense infestations, and have become a significant health concern. Improved traps are needed to detect early infestations, to assess control programs, and for control of bed bugs.

Multidrug Resistance Protein-4 Influences Aspirin Toxicity in Human Cell Line.

Overexpression of efflux transporters, in human cells, is a mechanism of resistance to drug and also to chemotherapy. We found that multidrug resistance protein-4 (MRP4) overexpression has a role in reducing aspirin action in patients after bypass surgery and, very recently, we found that aspirin enhances platelet MRP4 levels through peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-α (PPARα). In the present paper, we verified whether exposure of human embryonic kidney-293 cells (Hek-293) to aspirin modifies MRP4 gene expression and its correlation with drug elimination and cell toxicity.

Arboviruses in North Dakota, 2003-2006.

To investigate arbovirus transmission in North Dakota, we collected and screened mosquitoes for viral infection by Vero cell culture assay. Seven viruses were isolated from 13 mosquito species. Spatial and temporal distributions of the important vectors of West Nile virus (WNV), Cache Valley virus, Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV), and trivittatus virus are reported.

Aedes japonicus japonicus and associated woodland species attracted to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention miniature light traps baited with carbon dioxide and the Traptech mosquito lure.

Twelve reported mosquito attractants, alone or in combination, and 3 different types of traps were evaluated under field conditions for their attractiveness to host-seeking and oviposition-seeking female Aedes japonicus japonicus and associated woodland species in Windsor, CT, in 2010 and 2011. This study highlights the effectiveness of combining CO2 with the TrapTech Mosquito Lure in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) miniature light trap for collection of Ae. j.

Relating the progeny production curve to the speed of an epidemic.

The dependence of the initial infection rate, r, on the basic reproductive number, R(0), and the temporal moments of the progeny production curve are examined. A solution to the linearized Kermack-McKendrick equation is presented and used to analyze a variety of theoretical models of pathogen reproduction. The solution yields a relation between r and the basic reproductive number, R(0); the mean time between pathogen generations, μ; and the standard deviation about this mean, σ.

Horizontal and vertical transmission of West Nile virus genotype NY99 by Culex salinarius and genotypes NY99 and WN02 by Culex tarsalis.

Culex tarsalis is a superior horizontal and vertical vector of West Nile virus (WNV) compared with Culex salinarius. Culex salinarius transmitted WNV genotype NY99 (CT 2741-99 strain) horizontally to suckling mice at significantly lower rates than Cx. tarsalis on Days 8, 9, 10, and 12 post-infection, and Cx.

Arterial endothelial dysfunction and idiopathic deep venous thrombosis.

Recent epidemiological studies have highlighted higher risk of subsequent development of atherosclerotic disease in patients with deep venous thrombosis (DVT). We evaluated the Flow Mediated Dilation (FMD) looking for arterial endothelial dysfunction, predictive for future ischaemic cardiovascular events, in patients with idiopathic DVT. FMD was measured in the brachial artery in 60 subjects with idiopathic DVT (age 60.

Control of mosquitoes in catch basins in Connecticut with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, Bacillus sphaericus, [corrected] and spinosad.

Catch basins are a major source of Culex pipiens pipiens, Cx. restuans, and Aedes japonicus in northeastern USA. VectoBac CG (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis [Bti]), VectoLex CG (Bacillus sphaericus [Bs]), and VectoBac 12AS (Bti), each applied at maximum label rate of 1.

Some consequences of using the Horsfall-Barratt scale for hypothesis testing.

Comparing treatment effects by hypothesis testing is a common practice in plant pathology. Nearest percent estimates (NPEs) of disease severity were compared with Horsfall-Barratt (H-B) scale data to explore whether there was an effect of assessment method on hypothesis testing. A simulation model based on field-collected data using leaves with disease severity of 0 to 60% was used; the relationship between NPEs and actual severity was linear, a hyperbolic function described the relationship between the standard deviation of the rater mean NPE and actual disease, and a lognormal distribution was assumed to describe the frequency of NPEs of specific actual disease severities by raters.

A carbon dioxide, heat and chemical lure trap for the bedbug, Cimex lectularius.

A trap for the collection of bedbugs, Cimex lectularius Linnaeus (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), is described. The trap was baited with CO2 (50-400 mL/min), heat (37.2-42.

Suppression of Verticillium Wilt of Eggplant by Earthworms.

The role of earthworms in plant disease has received little attention. To address whether earthworms would affect the severity of Verticillium wilt of eggplant (Solanum melongena) in the field, we grew eggplants in experimental field plots that were naturally infested with Verticillium dahliae in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Three earthworm treatments were compared: (i) no treatment (untreated control), (ii) earthworm populations reduced via chemical eradicants (carbaryl or hot mustard) (reduced treatment), and (iii) earthworm populations increased by addition of adult Canadian nightcrawlers (Lumbricus terrestris, 11 earthworms per m) (augmented treatment).

Measuring spatial aggregation in binary epidemics: correlative analysis and the advantage of fractal-based sampling.

ABSTRACT The incomplete sampling of a binary epidemic is nothing more than the overlap of two spatial patterns: the pattern of diseased plants and the pattern of sampled points. Thus, the information on the spatial arrangement of diseased plants obtained from such a sampling explicitly depends on the geometric locations of the sampled points. A number of procedures for sampling disease incidence are examined.

The explicit dependence of quadrat variance on the ratio of clump size to quadrat size.

ABSTRACT In the past decade, it has become common practice to pool mapped binary epidemic data into quadrats. The resultant "quadrat counts" can then be analyzed by fitting them to a probability distribution (i.e.

Effect of crop growth and canopy filtration on the dynamics of plant disease epidemics spread by aerially dispersed spores.

Most mathematical models of plant disease epidemics ignore the growth and phenology of the host crop. Unfortunately, reports of disease development are often not accompanied by a simultaneous and commensurate evaluation of crop development. However, the time scale for increases in the leaf area of field crops is comparable to the time scale of epidemics.