Publications by authors named "Jennifer A Wright"

Importance: Wild-type (WT) gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), which lack KIT and PDGFRA gene mutations, are the primary form of GIST in children and occasionally occur in adults. They respond poorly to standard targeted therapy. Better molecular and clinical characterization could improve management.

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The BG-Sentinel® (BGS) trap and oviposition cups (OCs) have both proven effective in the surveillance of Aedes species. This study aimed to determine which of the 2 traps could best characterize the relative population sizes of Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti in an urban section of Jacksonville, FL. Until 1986, Ae.

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Carbon dioxide (CO2) sources improve the efficacy of mosquito traps. However, traditional CO2 sources (dry ice or compressed gas) may be difficult to acquire for vector surveillance during military contingency operations. For this reason, a new and convenient source of CO2 is required.

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Transposons are used in insect science as genetic tools that enable the transformation of insects and the identification and isolation of genes though their ability to insert in or near to them. Four transposons, piggyBac, Mos1, Hermes and Minos are commonly used in insects beyond Drosophila melanogaster with piggyBac, due to its wide host range and frequency of transposition, being the most commonly chosen. The utility of these transposons as genetic tools is directly proportional to their activity since higher transposition rates would be expected to lead to higher transformation frequencies and higher frequencies of insertion throughout the genome.

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Background: The piRNA pathway has been shown in model organisms to be involved in silencing of transposons thereby providing genome stability. In D. melanogaster the majority of piRNAs map to these sequences.

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Transposons are found in virtually all organisms and play fundamental roles in genome evolution. They can also acquire new functions in the host organism and some have been developed as incisive genetic tools for transformation and mutagenesis. The hAT transposon superfamily contains members from the plant and animal kingdoms, some of which are active when introduced into new host organisms.

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The Dachshund (dac) gene, initially cloned as a dominant inhibitor of the Drosophila hyperactive EGFR mutant ellipse, encodes a key component of the cell fate determination pathway involved in Drosophila eye development. Analysis of more than 2,200 breast cancer samples showed improved survival by some 40 months in patients whose tumors expressed DACH1. Herein, DACH1 and estrogen receptor-alpha (ERalpha) expressions were inversely correlated in human breast cancer.

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