scholarly journals Genetic Basis for Variation of Metalloproteinase-Associated Biochemical Activity in Venom of the Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus)

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruben K. Dagda ◽  
Sardar Gasanov ◽  
Ysidro De La OIII ◽  
Eppie D. Rael ◽  
Carl S. Lieb
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Basis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Biochemical Properties ◽  
Nucleotide Sequences ◽  
Rattlesnake Venom ◽  
A Subunit ◽  
Southwest Region ◽  
Biochemical Profiles ◽  
Mojave Toxin ◽  
Geographical Locations

The metalloproteinase composition and biochemical profiles of rattlesnake venom can be highly variable among rattlesnakes of the same species. We have previously shown that the neurotoxic properties of the Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus) are associated with the presence of the Mojave toxin A subunit suggesting the existence of a genetic basis for rattlesnake venom composition. In this report, we hypothesized the existence of a genetic basis for intraspecies variation in metalloproteinase-associated biochemical properties of rattlesnake venom of the Mojave rattlesnake. To address this question, we PCR-amplified and compared the genomic DNA nucleotide sequences that code for the mature metalloproteinase domain of fourteen Mojave rattlesnakes captured from different geographical locations across the southwest region of the United States. In addition, the venoms from the same rattlesnakes were tested for their ability to hydrolyze fibrinogen, fibrin, casein, and hide powder azure and for induction of hemorrhage in mice. Overall, based on genomic sequencing and biochemical data, we classified Mojave rattlesnake venom into four distinct groups of metalloproteinases. These findings indicate that differences in nucleotide sequences encoding the mature proteinase domain and noncoding regions contribute to differences in venom metalloproteinase activities among rattlesnakes of the same species.

Electron Microscopic Analysis of Myonecrosis Induced by a Pure Component Isolated From Rattlesnake Venom

1976 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. 292-293
Author(s):  
Charlotte L. Ownby ◽  
David Cameron ◽  
Anthony T. Tu
Keyword(s):  
Gel Filtration ◽  
Microscopic Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Exchange Chromatography ◽  
Pure Component ◽  
Electron Microscopic Level ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Mouse Muscle ◽  
Major Health Problem ◽  
Rattlesnake Venom

In the United States the major health problem resulting from snakebite poisoning is local tissue damage, i.e. hemorrhage and myonecrosis. Since commercial antivenin does not usually prevent such damage to tissue, a more effective treatment of snakebite-induced myonecrosis is needed. To aid in the development of such a treatment the pathogenesis of myonecrosis induced by a pure component of rattlesnake venom was studied at the electron microscopic level.The pure component, a small (4,300 mol. wt.), basic (isoelectric point of 9.6) protein, was isolated from crude prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis viridis) venom by gel filtration (Sephadex G-50) followed by cation exchange chromatography (Sephadex C-25), and shown to be pure by electrophoresis. Selection of the myotoxic component was based on light microscopic observations of injected mouse muscle.

scholarly journals Lawsuits against plastic surgeons: Does locale affect incidence of claims?

2007 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 155-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan L Kaplan ◽  
Warren C Hammert ◽  
James E Zin
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Emergency Room ◽  
Plastic Surgery ◽  
Medical Malpractice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Absolute Number ◽  
Malpractice Claims ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
Medical Malpractice Claims ◽  
Geographical Locations

Background Physicians continue to practice in a very litigious environment. Some physicians try to mitigate their exposure to lawsuits by avoiding geographical locations known for their high incidence of medical malpractice claims. Not only are certain areas of the United States known to have a higher incidence of litigation, but it is also assumed that certain areas of the hospital incur a greater liability. There seems to be a medicolegal dogma suggesting a higher percentage of malpractice claims coming from patients seen in the emergency room (ER), as well as higher settlements for ER claims. Objective To determine if there is any validity to the dogma that a higher percentage of malpractice claims arise from the ER. Methods An analysis of common plastic surgery consults that result in malpractice claims was performed. The location where the basis for the lawsuit arose – the ER, office (clinic) or the operating room (OR) – was evaluated. The value of the indemnity paid and whether its value increased or decreased based on the location of the misadventure was evaluated. Results According to the data, which represented 60% of American physicians, there was a larger absolute number of malpractice claims arising from the OR, not the ER. However, the highest average indemnity was paid for cases involving amputations when the misadventure originated in the ER. Conclusions The dogma that a greater percentage of lawsuits come from incidents arising in the ER is not supported. However, depending on the patient's injury and diagnosis, a lawsuit from the ER can be more costly than one from the OR.

scholarly journals nec1, a Gene Conferring a Necrogenic Phenotype, Is Conserved in Plant-Pathogenic Streptomyces spp. and Linked to a Transposase Pseudogene

1998 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 960-967 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raghida A. Bukhalid ◽  
Soo Young Chung ◽  
Rosemary Loria
Keyword(s):  
Restriction Fragment ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Nucleotide Sequences ◽  
Pathogenic Species ◽  
Potato Tubers ◽  
Biosynthetic Genes ◽  
Oligonucleotide Primers ◽  
Thaxtomin A ◽  
Streptomyces Spp ◽  
Plant Pathogenicity

We are investigating the genetic basis for, and evolution of, plant pathogenicity in Streptomyces spp. The plant-pathogenic species S. scabies, S. acidiscabies, and S. turgidiscabies cause the scab disease of potato and produce the phytotoxins, thaxtomins. Forty-three Streptomyces strains representing the three species were evaluated; all thaxtomin A-producing Streptomyces strains were pathogenic on potato tubers and all but one hybridized to nec1 and ORFtnp, two genes previously cloned from S. scabies ATCC 41973. nec1 confers a pathogenic phenotype on S. lividans TK24, a nonpathogen, and ORFtnp is a transposase pseudogene located 5′ to nec1. The eight nonpathogenic strains tested neither produced thaxtomin A nor hybridized to nec1. ORFtnp and nec1 occurred on a single PvuII restriction fragment in all thaxtomin A-producing Streptomyces strains. The nucleotide sequences of the homologs of nec1 and ORFtnp from two pathogenic strains each of S. scabies, S. acidiscabies, and S. turgidiscabies were identical; oligonucleotide primers specific to this gene amplified homologs from all strains that hybridized to nec1. We propose that nec1 and ORFtnp have been horizontally mobilized from S. scabies to S. acidiscabies and S. turgidiscabies, and that nec1 is involved in pathogenicity and physically linked to the thaxtomin A biosynthetic genes.

scholarly journals Sibling Species of Cercospora Associated with Gray Leaf Spot of Maize

1998 ◽  
Vol 88 (12) ◽  
pp. 1269-1275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Wang ◽  
Morris Levy ◽  
Larry D. Dunkle
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Genetic Distance ◽  
Sibling Species ◽  
Fragment Length ◽  
Leaf Spot ◽  
The United States ◽  
Nucleotide Sequences ◽  
Gray Leaf Spot ◽  
5.8S Rdna ◽  
Its Regions

Monoconidial isolates of the fungus causing gray leaf spot of maize were obtained from diseased leaves collected throughout the United States and analyzed for genetic variability at 111 amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) loci. Cluster analysis revealed two very distinct groups of Cercospora zeae-maydis isolates. Both groups were found to be relatively uniform internally with an average genetic similarity among isolates of approximately 93 and 94%, respectively. The groups were separated from each other by a genetic distance of approximately 80%, a distance greater than that separating each group from the sorghum pathogen, C. sorghi (67 to 70%). Characteristics and dimensions of conidia and conid-iophores produced on infected plants or nutrient media were unreliable criteria for taxonomic differentiation of isolates composing the two groups of C. zeae-maydis. Nucleotide sequences of 5.8S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions were identical within each group but different between the two groups and different from C. sorghi. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms generated by digestion of the 5.8S rDNA and ITS regions with TaqI readily distinguished each group and C. sorghi. Isolates in one group were generally distributed throughout maize-producing regions of the United States; isolates in the other group were localized in the eastern third of the country. Both types were present in the same fields at some locations. The genetic distance based on AFLP profiles and different ITS nucleotide sequences between the two morphologically indistinguishable groups indicate that they are sibling species. Although it is unlikely that breeding for resistance to gray leaf spot will be confounded by local or regional variation in the pathogen, a vigilant approach is warranted, because two pathogenic species exist with unknown abilities to evolve new pathotypes.

The evolution and development of human social systems requires more than parasite-stress avoidance explanation

2012 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 88-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Grotuss
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Religious Practices ◽  
Evolution And Development ◽  
The World ◽  
Stress Avoidance ◽  
Geographical Locations

AbstractFincher & Thornhill (F&T) present a model of in-group assortative sociality resulting from differing levels of parasite-stress in differing geographical locations in the United States and the world. Their model, while compelling, overlooks some important issues, such as mutualistic associations with parasites that are beneficial to humans and how some religious practices increase parasite risk.

Managing Risk in School Crisis Intervention

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Betty Denise Monzingo ◽  
Mario S. Torres
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Public Confidence ◽  
School Superintendents ◽  
Leadership Challenges ◽  
Legislative Policy ◽  
Southwest Region ◽  
Leader Perspectives ◽  
Managing Risk ◽  
Policy And Planning ◽  
Crisis Preparation

This chapter reports findings from a study of school leader perspectives on crisis preparedness. The context for the study is a sample of school superintendents in the southwest region of the United States. Interviews were conducted with four school superintendents to gather insights into mainly organizational norms, policy, and planning related to crisis preparation. This chapter seeks to add insight into what leaders perceive as preparation for potential crises and to critically assess the demands and obligations set forth through state legislative policy. Furthermore, the authors explore myriad leadership challenges to maintaining public confidence and maximizing the safety of children. Recommendations for leaders to engage in reframing of their positionality with respect to crises and a model for engaging parents and community in assessing risks and threats are offered.

That smells blue! Differences between colour associations for odours and odour-evocative words

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (0) ◽  
pp. 108-109
Author(s):  
Kirsten J. McKenzie ◽  
Andrew T. Woods ◽  
Christine Leong ◽  
Jiana Ren ◽  
Jason Chan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
United States Of America ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Prior Experience ◽  
The United States ◽  
Multisensory Environment ◽  
Tactile Sensations ◽  
Odour Perception ◽  
Geographical Locations ◽  
Over Time

Strong associations exist between specific odours and colours, and these associations have been found to be both consistent within populations and over time (Gilbert et al., 1996). Experimental manipulations of these associations have shown that both taste and odour perception rely heavily upon visual cues (e.g., Blackwell, 1995; Sakai et al., 2005); participants often make errors in odour judgements when stimuli have been artificially coloured (Morrot et al., 2001), and the presence of a strongly-associated colour can greatly enhance the detection of an odour and the intensity of aromas or flavours (Zellner and Kautz, 1990; Zellner and Whitten, 1999), as well as preference and enjoyment (Herz, 2001; Herz and Beland, 2004). Such associations between colour and odour appear to be based on prior experience (Blackwell, 1995; Morrot et al., 2001; Sakai et al., 2005; Stevenson and Oaten, 2008), and odours are usually perceived alongside visual, taste and tactile sensations, as well as higher order cues such as shape, size and object labelling. As such, an odour maybe perceived quite differently depending upon its current multisensory context, and experiencing an odour without these additional cues is likely to be different from experiencing the odour in a natural multisensory environment. Here we explore if odour-evocative words, rich in semantic connotations, differ in their colour associations compared to those associated with just odour. Twenty individuals were tested in each of four geographical locations; Germany, Malaysia, The Netherlands and the United States of America. Participants chose the three colours they most closely associated with both odours and odour-words from a chart of 36, using Xperiment software (www.xperiment.mobi). Preliminary results indicate that there were differences between odour-evocative words and odour cues in terms of the associated colours, for all populations.

scholarly journals Divalent Cations Affect the Stability and Structure of Dad2p, a Subunit of the Candida Albicans Kinetochore Dam1 Complex

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Jennifer Turner Waldo ◽  
Tsering Dolma ◽  
Emily Rouse
Keyword(s):  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Mitotic Spindle ◽  
Divalent Cations ◽  
Dynamic Structure ◽  
Biochemical Properties ◽  
Differential Scanning Fluorimetry ◽  
A Subunit ◽  
Dam1 Complex ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Shed Light

<p class="1Body">The heterodecameric Dam1 complex is involved in establishing and maintaining the connection between the kinetochore and the mitotic spindle during mitosis. Biochemical studies of the reconstituted complex have shed light upon how it interacts with microtubules. However, little information about the biochemical properties of the isolated subunits has been available. This report examines the stability and structure of Dad2p, one of the Dam1 complex subunits isolated from <em>Candida albicans</em>. By employing differential scanning fluorimetry, protease protection and hydrodynamic analyses, we show that Dad2p is specifically responsive to the presence of divalent cations. This observation may be important for understanding the dynamic structure and regulation of the Dam1 complex in fungal cells.</p>

scholarly journals Sex-specific markers for waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) and Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri)

Weed Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 412-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob S. Montgomery ◽  
Ahmed Sadeque ◽  
Darci A. Giacomini ◽  
Patrick J. Brown ◽  
Patrick J. Tranel
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Palmer Amaranth ◽  
Amaranthus Palmeri ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Amaranthus Tuberculatus ◽  
Primer Sets ◽  
Male Specific ◽  
Specific Sequences

AbstractWaterhemp [Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) J. D. Sauer] and Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) are troublesome weeds of row-crop production in the United States. Their dioecious reproductive systems ensure outcrossing, facilitating rapid evolution and distribution of resistances to multiple herbicides. Little is known, however, about the genetic basis of dioecy in Amaranthus species. In this work, we use restriction site–associated DNA sequencing (RAD-Seq) to investigate the genetic basis of sex determination in A. tuberculatus and A. palmeri. For each species, approximately 200 plants of each sex were sampled and used to create RAD-Seq libraries. The resulting libraries were separately bar-coded and then pooled for sequencing with the Illumina platform, yielding millions of 64-bp reads. These reads were analyzed to identify sex-specific and sex-biased sequences. We identified 345 male-specific sequences from the A. palmeri data set and 2,754 male-specific sequences in A. tuberculatus. An unexpected 723 female-specific sequences were identified in a subset of the A. tuberculatus females; subsequent research, however, indicated female specificity of these markers was limited to the population from which they were identified. Primer sets designed to specifically amplify male-specific sequences were tested for accuracy on multiple, geographically distinct populations of A. tuberculatus and A. palmeri, as well as other Amaranthus species. Two primer sets for A. palmeri and four primer sets for A. tuberculatus were each able to distinguish between male and female plants with at least 95% accuracy. In the near term, sex-specific markers will be useful to the A. tuberculatus and A. palmeri research communities (e.g., to predict sex for crossing experiments). In the long-term, this research will provide the foundational tools for detailed investigations into the molecular biology and evolution of dioecy in weedy Amaranthus species.

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