6,764 research outputs found
Poet and author Jack Ridl reads his selected works at the Michigan Writers Series
No full textPoet and author Jack Ridl reads his selected poems. The event is convened by Peter Berg, head of Michigan State University Libraries' Special Collections. Part of the MSU Libraries' Michigan Writers Series. Held at the Main Library
Author and bioregionalist Stephanie Mills reads her selected works at the Michigan Writers Series
No full textAuthor and ecologist Stephanie Mills reads from her first book "Whatever happened to ecology?" and from "Tough little beauties," then answers questions from the audience. The event is convened by Peter Berg, head of Michigan State University Libraries' Special Collections. Part of the Michigan State University Libraries' Michigan Writers Series. Held in the Main Library
Author Jeff Vande Zande reads his selected works at the Michigan Writers Series
No full textAuthor Jeff Vande Zande reads selections from both his poetry and fiction, including "Transient" and "Threatened species", and answers questions from the audience. The event is convened by Peter Berg, head of Michigan State University Libraries' Special Collections. Part of the MSU Libraries' Michigan Writers Series. Held in the MSU Main Library
Short story author Sylvia Watanabe reads her selected works at the Michigan Writers Series
No full textShort story author Sylvia Watanabe reads from her memoir "Knowing Your Place" then answers questions from audience. The event is convened by Director of Special Collections Peter Berg. Part of the Michigan State University Libraries' Michigan Writers Series. Held in the Main Library
Michigan author Liesel Litzenburger reads from her novel in progress at the Michigna Writers Series
No full textMichigan author Liesel Litzenburger reads from her novel in progress which is set in Morthern Michigan like her collection of short stories entitled "Now you love me," published in 2001. The event is convened by Peter Berg, head of the Michigan State University Libraries' Special Collections. Part of the MSU Libraries' Michigan Writers Series. Held in the MSU Main Library
Author Gary Gildner reads his selected works at the Michigan Writers Series
No full textAuthor Gary Gildner reads "Sleepy time gal," "Pavol Hudak, the poet, is talking," and "Genealogy" then answers questions from the audience. The event is convened by Peter Berg, head of the Michigan State University Libraries' Special Collections. Part of the MSU Libraries' Michigan Writers Series. Held at the MSU Main Library
Author Paul Clemens reads from his book "Made in Detroit" at the Michigan Writers Series
No full textAuthor Paul Clemens reads from his book "Made in Detroit" and answers questions from the audience. The event is convened by Peter Berg, head of the Michigan State University Libraries' Special Collections. Part of the MSU Libraries' Michigan Writers Series. Held in the MSU Main Library
Peter Berg interviews prose and poetry writer Kathleen McGookey
No full textAuthor Kathleen McGookey talks about developing her motivation to write during college and getting published for the first time. She also talks about the work required to assemble a number of pieces for publication, her relationship with editor Robert Alexander, balancing writing with being a parent, working on a children's book, the difference between simple prose and a prose poem, and the subtle influence of Michigan on her writing. She is interviewed by Michigan State University Librarian Peter Berg for the Michigan State University Libraries' Michigan Writers Series
Detection of genome-scale ordered RNA structure (GORS) in genomes of positive-stranded RNA viruses:Implications for virus evolution and host persistence
No full textDiscrete RNA secondary and higher-order structures, typically local in extent, play a fundamental role in RNA virus replication. Using new bioinformatics analysis methods, we have identified genome-scale ordered RNA structure (GORS) in many genera and families of positive-strand animal and plant RNA viruses. There was remarkably variability between genera that possess this characteristic; for example, hepaciviruses in the family Flaviviridae show evidence for extensive internal base-pairing throughout their coding sequences that was absent in both the related pestivirus and flavivirus genera. Similar genus-associated variability was observed in the Picornaviridae, the Caliciviridae, and many plant virus families. The similarity in replication strategies between genera in each of these families rules out a role for GORS in a fundamentally conserved aspect of this aspect of the virus life cycle. However, in the Picornaviridae, Flaviviridae, and Caliciviridae, the existence of GORS correlated strongly with the ability of each genus to persist in their natural hosts. This raises the intriguing possibility of a role for GORS in the modulation of innate intracellular defense mechanisms (and secondarily, the acquired immune system) triggered by double-stranded RNA, analogous in function to the expression of structured RNA transcripts by large DNA viruses. Irrespective of function, the observed evolutionary conservation of GORS in many viruses imposes a considerable constraint on genome plasticity and the consequent narrowing of sequence space in which neutral drift can occur. These findings potentially reconcile the rapid evolution of RNA viruses over short periods with the documented examples of extreme conservatism evident from their intimate coevolution with their hosts
Evolutionary history, cross-species transmission and host adaptation of human viruses and their primate homologues
No full textAt present the origins of major human pathogens associated with hepatic disease are
poorly understood. The absence of such information pertaining to the evolutionary history
of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) and its genetically related viruses
impacts upon the development of vaccines and effective eradication strategies. Studies are
currently limited by the absence of historical samples from which to date the emergence of
human infections and therefore the evolution of human hepatic viruses relies on
epidemiological studies and genetic analysis of contemporary virus populations
worldwide.
Approximately one third of the world’s population is infected with HBV, and despite the
availability of a vaccine, the virus is attributed with over 1 million deaths per year through
liver disease. HBV variants infecting humans show genetic and antigenic heterogeneity
and are currently classified into 8 genotypes A-H with nucleotide divergence of between
9-13%. In addition to these variants, recombination has been detected between genotypes
A and D, and B and C, which can generate novel variants. The past 10 years has seen the
detection of HBV in chimpanzees, gorillas and other non-human primates (NHPs) at
frequencies comparable to those observed in regions of endemic human HBV infection.
Despite the genetic divergence between human and NHP HBV variants the detection of
recombination between human genotype C and chimpanzee and gibbon variants suggests
that HBV can share hosts in nature. The evolutionary process that may have given rise to
the distinct species-specific variants of NHP HBV within overlapping geographical
regions has not been reconciled, with evidence supporting both allopatric speciation and
co-speciation.
HCV a member of the Flaviviridae family currently infects approximately 3% of the
world’s population and is one of the major causes of chronic liver disease, hepatocellular
carcinoma and liver cirrhosis. Human pegivirus (HPgV) a member of the Pegivirus genus
of the Flaviviridae family infects approximately 5% of the world’s population, although it
is of unknown disease association. Very recently, several studies of wild rodent and bat
populations have revealed much greater viral diversity of members of both Hepacivirus
and Pegivirus genera. Homologues of HCV have been detected in a range of species
including domestic dogs (canine hepacivirus [CHV]) and horses (non-primate
hepaciviruses [NPHV]). Similarly, several new pegiviruses have been described in horses
(equine pegivirus, [EPgV] and Theiler’s Disease Associated Virus [TDAV]), several
species of rodents (rodent pegivirus [RPgV]), and further species of bats (bat pegivirus,
[BPgV]). Despite the differences in pathogenicity between HCV and HPgV
infections, they share similar genomic organisation and are capable of establishing
persistent infections in humans. Studies into bat, horse and rodent homologs of HCV
and HPgV have yet to determine disease associations, transmission routes and
seroprevalence.
Studies presented within this thesis broaden our understanding of the clinical
presentations and host range of NPHV and EPgV. Screening to determine the level
of active and past infection to both viruses provides novel insight into infection
frequencies, host range, disease progression and examines the correlation between
infections and the presence or absence of hepatic disease. Research examining HBV
variants circulating in NHPs in Cameroon provides novel evidence for the
occurrence of recombination and cross species transmission between NHP variants
of HBV and examines the role these findings play in expanding our understanding of
the evolution of HBV
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