Fast-Speech-Induced Hypoarticulation Does Not Considerably Affect the Diachronic Reversal of Complementary Length in Central Bavarian.

This study investigated a sound change in progress by which the Central Bavarian dialect feature of complementary length between consonant and the preceding vowel is giving way to the unrestricted combination possibility of long (Vː) and short (V) vowels with following longer fortis (Cː) and shorter lenis (C) stops, respectively. This 2 × 2 system is also found in the standard variety of German. While previous studies have regarded any such findings of convergence toward Standard German as being a result of language contact, the present study specifically tested the possibility of fast-speech-induced hypoarticulation being a system-internal driver of this change.

Molecular sequencing and morphological identification reveal similar patterns in native bee communities across public and private grasslands of eastern North Dakota.

Bees play a key role in the functioning of human-modified and natural ecosystems by pollinating agricultural crops and wild plant communities. Global pollinator conservation efforts need large-scale and long-term monitoring to detect changes in species' demographic patterns and shifts in bee community structure. The objective of this project was to test a molecular sequencing pipeline that would utilize a commonly used locus, produce accurate and precise identifications consistent with morphological identifications, and generate data that are both qualitative and quantitative.

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of antibody to epizootic hemorrhagic disease of deer virus.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay has been developed to detect antibodies to epizootic hemorrhagic disease of deer virus (EHDV). The assay incorporates a monoclonal antibody to EHDV serotype 2 (EHDV-2) that demonstrates specificity for the viral structural protein, VP7. The assay was evaluated with sequential sera collected from cattle experimentally infected with EHDV serotype 1 (EHDV-1) and EHDV-2, as well as the four serotypes of bluetongue virus (BTV), BTV-10, BTV-11, BTV-13, and BTV-17, that currently circulate in the US.

Monoclonal antibodies to bluetongue virus define two neutralizing epitopes and a hemagglutinating epitope.

Monoclonal antibodies were used to characterize neutralizing epitopes on VP2 of bluetongue virus serotype 10 (BTV-10). Six neutralizing monoclonal antibodies that immune precipitated VP2 demonstrated two distinct patterns of reactivity in the competitive enzyme-linked immune absorbent assay (ELISA). These results suggest that there are at least two distinct domains of neutralization on VP2 of BTV.

Cross-protective immunity between equine encephalomyelitis viruses in equids.

Eighteen equids were inoculated with eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) and 18 equids with western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE) viruses to produce EEE virus- and WEE virus-immunized equids. Twelve surviving EEE virus-seropositive equids, 15 surviving WEE virus-seropositive equids, and 10 nonimmunized, seronegative equids (controls) were subsequently inoculated with an equine pathogenic (epizootic) strain of Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (VEE) virus to determine cross-protective immunity. Challenge infection produced 90% mortality in control (nonimmunized) equids, and 40% mortality in WEE virus-seropositive equids; all EEE virus-seropositive equids survived.

Correlation of serotype specificity and protein structure of the five U.S. serotypes of bluetongue virus.

The relationship between serotype specificity and protein structure was studied by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, peptide mapping and radioimmune precipitation (RIP) of structural and non-structural proteins of the five U.S. serotypes of bluetongue virus (BTV).

Bluetongue infections in Louisiana cattle.

Bluetongue virus (BTV) serotype 17 was isolated from cattle with clinical signs of bluetongue disease during 1978 and 1979 epizootics. Bovine sera from 6 herds located in an epizootic region were examined in 1979 for antibodies, using an immunodiffusion (ID) test. Of 300 sera, 164 (54.

Evaluation of a hemolysis-in-gel test for detection and quantitation of antibodies to bluetongue virus.

A hemolysis-in-gel (HIG) test was developed to detect and quantitate antibody to bluetongue virus (BTV). The HIG test was sensitive and accurate when applied to sera from sheep and cattle infected with BTV. Sensitized sheep RBC were prepared by adsorption of partly purified BTV to the cells.

Bluetongue in cattle: repeated exposure of two immunologically tolerant calves to bluetongue virus by vector bites.

A heifer and steer that were immunologically tolerant to bluetongue (BT) virus became immunologically competent after repeated exposures by bites of BT virus-infected Culicoides variipennis. Immunologic tolerance ended in the heifer at 25 months of age, after the 2nd exposure to the virus, and in the steer at 22 months, after the 4th exposure. High hemic concentrations of BT virus were detected in both animals after they became immunologically competent, but neither developed an overt BT clinical response.

Bluetongue in cattle: effects of vector-transmitted bluetongue virus on calves previously infected in utero.

Three of 7 principal calves, after a challenge of immunity exposure by bites of bluetongue (BT) virus-infected Culicoides variipennis, became latently infected with BT virus. These calves were born to heifers infected with the homologous virus by bites of C variipennis at 60 or 120 days' gestation. Latent BT virus infection was detected by isolation of BT virus from washed erythrocyte samples obtained from the calves at 57, 100 to 102, 200 to 202, 300 to 302, and 400 to 402 days after challenge of immunity and from 1 of the calves over 5 years after challenge of immunity.

Vitamin E enhancement of Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis antibody response in guinea pigs.

Immune response potentiation by vitamin E was studied in guinea pigs with Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis attenuated live-virus vaccine as the antigenic stimulus; antibodies were measured by the hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test. Significantly higher (P less than 0.01) HI antibody titers resulted when guinea pigs were given intramuscular injections of dl-alpha-tocopherol, 33 IU/kg of body weight, before and after immunization.

Immunoglobulin response to bluetongue virus soluble antigen in subcutaneous chambers.

Group-specific antibodies were produced by inoculation of bluetongue virus soluble antigen into polyethylene chambers implanted subcutaneously in 8 rabbits and 2 sheep. For comparison, 5 rabbits and 1 sheep were inoculated intramuscularly with the soluble antigen in Freund's complete adjuvant. Antibodies present in the serum and chamber fluids were detected by the agar gel precipitin or serum-neutralization tests, qualitatively examined by immunoelectrophoresis and immunofluorescence, and quantitated by electroimmunodiffusion.

Plaque neutralization of bluetongue virus and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus in BHK21 cells.

Plaque assay and plaque neutralization of blue-tongue virus and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus were studied in baby hamster kidney (BHK21) cells grown under an overlay containing gum tragacanth. Tests were done in plastic panels, each with 24 wells, and variables were established for achieving reproducible results. Four serotypes of bluetongue virus were compared, and their antigenic differences were confirmed with this new plaque-neutralization test.

Serial cyclic transmission of bluetongue virus in sheep and Culicoides variipennis.

Bluetongue virus (strain 62-45S) was transmitted from sheep to sheep throughout a year by vector bites. A colonized population (SONORA strain, 000 line) of the biological vector Culicoides variipennis (Coquilllett) was used. Fifteen serial cyclic transmissions covered a period of 13 months from October through November of the following year.