334 research outputs found
Enhancing Nanos expression via the bacterial TomO protein is a conserved strategy used by the symbiont <i>Wolbachia</i> to fuel germ stem cell maintenance in infected <i>Drosophila</i> females
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A highly secure method for rearing Aedes aegypti mosquitoes
No full textAbstract Background Vector-borne infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms transmitted mainly by blood-sucking arthropod vectors. In laboratories, the handling of insects carrying human pathogens requires extra caution because of safety concerns over their escape risk. Based on standard insect containment practices, there have been cases where costly enhancements were required to definitely protect laboratory workers and neighbors from potential infection through mosquito bites. Here, we developed a mosquito rearing method that provides a reliable and cost-effective means to securely contain pathogen-infected females of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti. Results To debilitate the motility of A. aegypti females, mosquitoes were rendered completely flightless by ablation of either wing. The “single-winged” mosquitoes exhibited a severe defect in flying ability and were incubated in a container with inside surfaces covered with a net stretched to approximately 1-mm mesh, which helped the mosquitoes hold on and climb up the wall. In this container, flightless females consistently showed similar blood feeding and egg laying activities to intact females. Eighty-five percent of the flightless mosquitoes survived at 1 week after wing ablation, ensuring feasibility of the use of these mosquitoes for studying pathogen dynamics. Conclusions This mosquito rearing method, with a detailed protocol, is presented here and can be readily implemented as a highly secure insectary for vectors carrying human pathogens. For researchers in an environment where highly strict containment practices are mandatory, this method could offer appropriate opportunities to perform research on pathogen–mosquito interactions in vivo
The <i>Wolbachia</i> protein TomO interacts with a host RNA to induce polarization defects in <i>Drosophila</i> oocytes
No full textLetter from children of Kihichi Sakamoto to Project Director [Raymond R. Best], February 14, 1944
No full textLetter from three of his children, Tatsuo, Manabu, and Osamu Sakamoto, requests the release of their father, Kihichi Sakamoto, from the Army Stockade, for the sake of their mother's "health and mind" stating that she has been ill since their stay in Heart Mountain the previous year and has suffered a relapse upon her husband's imprisonment in the stockade; the letter states that, according to her doctor, a lack of kindness and peace of mind regarding this request for release could prove lethal to her.The Willard Schmidt collection, documents some of the administrative duties of Willard Schmidt, the Chief of Internal Security for the War Relocation Authority and the Tule Lake incarceration/segregation camp. This collection contains administrative records and photos documenting the Tule Lake camp, the largest incarceration camp with a peak population of 18,789 and with the most turbulent history. In 1943, the camp was turned into a segregation center to house "disloyal" Japanese Americans relocated from other camps based on their answers to a confusing loyalty questionnaire. The camp endured martial law from November 1943- Jan 1944 after escalating protests and unrest. The hostile environment of the camp lead to many incarcerees renouncing their American citizenship upon the end of incarceration, a process which took 14 years to reverse if they did not wish to be deported to Japan
Additional file 1: of A highly secure method for rearing Aedes aegypti mosquitoes
No full textFigure S1. A detailed protocol for construction of a mosquito-rearing container. (A) The bottom of a cardboard cup was cut off. (B) A round plate was separated from the rim of the lid, and the center of the round board was cut out. The donut-shaped lid was placed into a disposable polyester/polyurethane sink drain net. (C) The lid was set on the cup ensuing all the inside area was covered with the net. (D) The net was turned over and fixed using the rim (E). The container was enclosed by the remaining part of the net using a rubber band (FâH). (TIF 1692Â kb
<Research Report>Coherent terahertz emission from high-temperature superconductors
No full textSince the first demonstration of intense, continuous, coherent terahertz emission from a stack of intrinsic Josephson junctions (IJJs) in high transition temperature superconductor Bi[2]Sr[2]CaCu[2]O[8+δ], terahertz generation utilizing IJJ stacks has become a major topic of research, both in terms of experiment and theory. In this Research Report, the author reviews basic research on the superconducting IJJ terahertz sources. The author will present a couple of recent topics: For example, direct imaging of local temperature distributions in the emitting IJJ stack using a fluorescent technique
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