The popcorn Wolbachia infection of Drosophila melanogaster: can selection alter Wolbachia longevity effects?

Wolbachia popcorn (wMelPop), a life-shortening strain of Wolbachia, has been proposed as an agent for suppressing transmission of dengue fever following infection of the vectoring mosquito Aedes aegypti. However, evolutionary changes in the host and Wolbachia genomes might attenuate any life span effects mediated by wMelPop. Here we test for attenuation by selecting strains of Drosophila melanogaster infected with wMelPop for early and late reproduction in three independent outcrossed populations.

Molecular analysis to detect pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in high-risk groups.

Background & Aims: Screening of high-risk groups for pancreatic cancer has not been adopted because of concerns regarding specificity and sensitivity. Suitability of a combination of 3 novel molecular screening techniques was investigated.

Methods: Pancreatic juice was extracted from 146 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, chronic pancreatitis, or biliary tract stones.