The Correlation of Francisella tularensis on Size and Supercooling of Dermacentor variabilis

Overwintering tick survival is essential for the continuation of a tick’s lifecycle. Recent studies have found that infections with particular microorganisms can alter the physiology of ticks and, in some cases, increase their cold hardiness. To date, the influence of Francisella tularensis on Dermacentor variabilis (Say) has not been studied and thus the symbiosis between the two has been unknown. This study determined the infection rate of F. tularensis as well as examined the relationship between F. tularensis and the supercooling point (SCP) and size of D. variabilis of ticks from Nova Scotia, Canada. Local veterinarians provided adult ticks. The SCP of each tick was recorded using Logger Pro and infection status was found using Polymerase Chain Reaction. Of the 203 ticks tested, 9.8% were infected with F. tularensis. When the sexes were considered separately, 4% of males, 11.7% engorged females and 17.3% of non-engorged females were infected. Upon further analysis, a statistically significant difference was found between infected ticks and changes in thier SCPs, but there was no statistically significant difference between infected ticks and changes in size. This suggests that F. tularensis benefits D. variabilis by decreasing their SCPs, and thereby enhancing their overwintering capabilities. While other physiological influences of F. tularensis on D. variabilis remain unknown, the results from this study support previous research that bacterium species such as F. tularensis is able to influence the survivability of its tick host in the form of altering their freezing tolerance but does not affect the physical size of D. variabilis.

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Supercooling Points of Adult Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae) From a Population Near the Northern Distribution Limit

Journal of Medical Entomology ◽

10.1093/jme/tjaa223 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Matthew E M Yunik ◽

Neil B Chilton

Keyword(s):

Cold Hardiness ◽

Dermacentor Variabilis ◽

Subzero Temperatures ◽

Host Seeking ◽

Short Period ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Northern Distribution ◽

Dog Tick ◽

Provincial Park ◽

Established Population

Abstract The northern distributional limit of Dermacentor variabilis Say, the American dog tick, is expanding in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (western Canada). The ability of D. variabilis to continue to expand its range northwards will depend upon the ability of individuals within populations at the species distributional edge to withstand very low temperatures during winter. One component of cold hardiness is the supercooling point (SCP), the temperature below 0°C at which an individual freezes. In this study, the SCP was determined for 94 questing D. variabilis adults (44 females and 50 males) from an established population near Blackstrap Provincial Park in Saskatchewan. SCP values ranged from −18.2 to −6.7°C, with a median of −13.3°C. This suggests that host-seeking D. variabilis adults differ in their ability to survive exposure to subzero temperatures, for at least a short period of time, without freezing. The distribution of SCPs was bimodal, but there was no significant difference in SCP values between female and male ticks, and no relationship between SCP and tick body weight. It remains to be determined what factors contribute to the variation in SCP values among questing D. variabilis adults.

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ACE Gene I/D polymorphism and systemic arterial hypertension in different classes of hypertensive individuals

MOJ Biology and Medicine ◽

10.15406/mojbm.2019.04.00108 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 22-28

Author(s):

Rubia Caldas Umburanas ◽

Priscila Costa Estabile ◽

Rogério Pincela Mateus ◽

Mara Cristina de Almeida ◽

Roberto Ferreira Artoni

Keyword(s):

Arterial Hypertension ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Chi Square ◽

Ace Gene ◽

Systemic Arterial Hypertension ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

The Relationship

Systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) is a multifactorial clinical condition characterized by high and sustained levels of blood pressure (BP). Some studies have reported that variants of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ace) gene increase the risk of hypertension. The aim of this study was to verify the existence of the relationship between the insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in the ACE gene and its genotypic variants with BP in four distinct groups of hypertensive individuals and also to genetically and epidemiologically characterize the investigated samples. The study was formed of 112 individuals arranged into the following groups: normotensive (control); hypertensive and non-obese; hypertensive and obese; and, hypertensive and with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Epidemiological data and peripheral blood were collected from participants for DNA extraction and amplification by PCR (polymerase chain reaction). The allele (D=0.5446; I=0.4554) and genotype (DD =0.2411, ID =0.6071; II =0.1518) frequencies showed low genetic differentiation (Fst<0.05) and were outside the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between the groups (chi-square=4.4335; p=0.6174). There was no association of the D allele with SAH, reinforcing the hypothesis that environmental interferences are prevalent in the evolution of SAH.

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Polymorphisms of the uridine-diphosphoglucuronosyltransferase 1A1 gene and coronary artery disease

Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters ◽

10.2478/s11658-007-0030-1 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Chia-Jung Hsieh ◽

Meng-Jung Chen ◽

Yung-Liang Liao ◽

Tung-Nan Liao

Keyword(s):

Coronary Artery Disease ◽

Coronary Artery ◽

Control Group ◽

Ugt1a1 Gene ◽

Coding Regions ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Artery Disease ◽

Highly Correlated ◽

The Relationship

AbstractBilirubin, an antioxidant in the blood, plays a role in protection from atherosclerosis. The level of bilirubin is highly correlated to the incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD). Unconjugated bilirubin is conjugated with glucuronic acid through the reaction of uridine 5′-diphosphate-glucuronosyl transferase 1A1 (UGT1A1). The interactions of CAD and the variations in the coding regions of the UGT1A1 gene have never been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of the UGT1A1 variant on the incidence of CAD. There were 135 participants in this study: 61 in the experimental group, who had CAD, and 74 in the control group, who did not have CAD. The blood samples from all 135 participants were collected and assayed to clarify the relationship between bilirubin and CAD. The assay of the polymerase chain reaction and the sequence of the UGT1A1 gene were examined to find the gene’s polymorphisms. The bilirubin levels for the participants in the control group were significantly higher than for the patients in the CAD group. Although the concentration of bilirubin in the UGT1A1 variant was higher than the wild type for the patients in the CAD group, there was no significant difference in the polymorphism of UGT1A1 between the patients in the CAD group and the participants in the control group.

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Effects of SR-BI rs5888 and rs4238001 variations on hypertension

Turkish Journal of Biochemistry ◽

10.1515/tjb-2018-0394 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 44 (4) ◽

pp. 549-553

Author(s):

Burcu Çaykara ◽

Hani Alsaadoni ◽

Halime Hanım Pençe ◽

Sadrettin Pençe ◽

Hülya Yılmaz Aydoğan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vessel Wall ◽

Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽

Scavenger Receptor ◽

Control Group ◽

Type I ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Class B ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

And Control ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Background Scavenger receptor class B, type I (SR-BI), involved in reverse cholesterol pathway, is a multilipoprotein receptor and capable of binding HDL, LDL and VLDL. SR-BI may contribute to the development of hypertension due to accumulation of cholesterol in the vessel wall via transporting lipoproteins. Therefore, it was aimed to investigate the relationship between SR-BI rs5888 and rs4238001 variants in the patient with hypertension. Materials and methods Seventy three subjects diagnosed with hypertension and 76 healthy subjects constituted the patient and control group, respectively. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood samples and a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction protocol was performed to detect variations of rs5888 and rs4238001. The results were analyzed with the SPSS 22 program and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results and discussion SR-BI rs4238001 variation did not show significant difference between patient and control group (p > 0.05). In the SR-BI rs5888 variation; normal homozygous CC and heterozygous CT carriers had an average 2-fold lower risk of hypertension than those carrying the TT genotype (p < 0.05). Conclusion SR-BI rs5888 TT variant may increase hypertension risk by reducing lipid transport to the liver from the vessel wall.

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Antimalarial bednet protection of children disappears when shared by three or more people in a high transmission setting of western Kenya

Parasitology ◽

10.1017/s003118201800149x ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 146 (3) ◽

pp. 363-371

Author(s):

Noriko Tamari ◽

Noboru Minakawa ◽

George O. Sonye ◽

Beatrice Awuor ◽

James O. Kongere ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Professionals ◽

Lower Risk ◽

The Other ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Western Kenya ◽

Public Health Professionals ◽

Transmission Setting ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

The Relationship

AbstractA sizeable proportion of households is forced to share single long-lasting insecticide treated net (LLIN). However, the relationship between increasing numbers of people sharing a net and the risk for Plasmodium infection is unclear. This study revealed whether risk for Plasmodium falciparum infection is associated with the number of people sharing a LLIN in a holoendemic area of Kenya. Children ⩽5 years of age were tested for P. falciparum infection using polymerase chain reaction. Of 558 children surveyed, 293 (52.5%) tested positive for parasitaemia. Four hundred and fifty-eight (82.1%) reported sleeping under a LLIN. Of those, the number of people sharing a net with the sampled child ranged from 1 to 5 (median = 2). Children using a net alone or with one other person were at lower risk than non-users (OR = 0.29, 95% CI 0.10–0.82 and OR = 0.47, 95% CI 0.22–0.97, respectively). On the other hand, there was no significant difference between non-users and children sharing a net with two (OR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.44–1.77) or more other persons (OR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.32–1.72). LLINs are effective in protecting against Plasmodium infection in children when used alone or with one other person compared with not using them. Public health professionals should inform caretakers of the risks of too many people sharing a net.

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Investigation of Phospholipase Activity in Candida albicans Strains Isolated From Blood and Oral Cavity Specimens

Türk Mikrobiyoloji Cemiyeti Dergisi ◽

10.5222/tmcd.2021.84429 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Buğse Tunç ◽

Ebru Demiray Gürbüz ◽

Mine Doluca Dereli

Keyword(s):

Oral Cavity ◽

Large Scale ◽

Blood Cultures ◽

Phospholipase Activity ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Plate Method ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Study Support ◽

The Mean ◽

Polymerase Chain

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate and compare the phospholipase B1, B2, C1 and D1 activities in C.albicans strains isolated from blood cultures and oral cavity specimens. Method: Phospholipase activity of the strains was examined by plate method and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PZT). Results: Twenty-six (86.7%) strains isolated from blood and 24 (80.0%) from oral cavities revealed phospholipase activity by plate method. No statistically significant difference (χ2 =0.48; p=0.49) was observed between the groups. However statistical difference was determined between the mean Pz values (0.6138±0.9823; 0.6988±0.9910) (p=0.007). PLB1 expression was detected in all (100%), PLB2 in 29 (96.7%) and 30 (100.0%), PLC1 in 27 (90%) and 22 (73.3%), PLD1 in 27 (90.0%) and 21 (70.0%) of blood and oral strains, respectively. While no significant difference was detected between PLB1 expression values of the groups (t=-0.307; p=0.760), PLB2 and PLC1 expressions were found to be significantly higher in blood (p=0.043) and oral cavity isolates (p<0.001), respectively. No difference was observed between PLD1 expressions (p=0.732). PLB1, PLB2, PLC1 and PLD1 expressions were 100%, 81.7%, 71.6% and 76.7% in agreement with the plate method. The agreement was 83.3% when all the phospholipase genes were considered. No correlation was detected between the Pz values and phospholipase expressions (p=0.602; p=0.555; p=0.241; p=0,096, respectively). Conclusion: The high rates of phospholipase activity of the C.albicans isolates in our study, support the important roles of these enzymes in virulence. Our results may indicate that phospholipase enzymes encoded by PLB2 and PLC1 genes play more important roles for invasive and oral cavity infections, respectively; however large scale studies are needed on this issue.

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The Relationship Between Infertility and Infection with Clarithromycin Resistant Strain of Helicobacter Pylori in Iraq

Iraqi Journal of Science ◽

10.24996/ijs.2020.61.8.3 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1874-1879

Author(s):

Shiamaa G. Abid ◽

Rana S. Aboud

Keyword(s):

Helicobacter Pylori ◽

Seminal Fluid ◽

Control Group ◽

Control Groups ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

H Pylori ◽

And Control ◽

The Relationship ◽

Infertile Patients

The relationship between infertility and Helicobacter pylori infection was investigated; samples from thirty-five infertile patients (aged 20-49 years) were collected from Kamal Al-Samaraei hospital , Baghdad, Iraq during the period from the first of February until April 2018. These patients were compared with 10 apparently fertile individuals who served as a control. The study was carried out to detect the DNA of H.pylori in both serum and seminal fluid of male infertile patients and for the control group by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) technique. The results revealed that there was a significant difference (P<0.01) in the detection of DNA of H.pylori between patients and control groups. thereby the percentage level of H.pylori DNA in serum was 80% and in the seminal fluid was 0 %. As a result, we strongly suggest that the infection with H. pylori plays an important role in male infertility.

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Molecular Typing and Presence of Genetic Markers Among Strains of Banana Finger-Tip Rot Pathogen, Burkholderia cenocepacia, in Taiwan

Phytopathology ◽

10.1094/phyto-97-2-0195 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 97 (2) ◽

pp. 195-201 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Yung-An Lee ◽

Chih-Wen Chan

Keyword(s):

Opportunistic Pathogen ◽

Burkholderia Cenocepacia ◽

Nucleotide Sequence Analysis ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Southern Taiwan ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Group B ◽

Finger Tip ◽

The Relationship ◽

Common Plant

Burkholderia cenocepacia (genomovar III of B. cepacia complex), the causal agent of banana finger-tip rot, is a common plant-associated bacterium but also an important opportunistic pathogen of humans. To better understand the nature of B. cenocepacia from banana, the genetic variation among B. cenocepacia isolates from various banana-growing regions in southern Taiwan was examined. Forty-four serial isolates recovered from diseased banana stigmata from three banana-growing regions during the periods ranging from 2002 to 2004 were investigated. All B. cenocepacia isolates picked from quinate-yeast extract tetracycline-polymyxin semiselective medium could cause onion maceration and were polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive for bcscV, which is a type III secretion gene present in all members of the B. cepacia complex except B. cepacia (formerly genomovar I). Genetic diversity was assessed using recA PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism, recA nucleotide sequence analysis, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis assays. The assays revealed the genetic variability among the isolates and also allowed us to trace the relationship among isolates. The isolates all were assigned to genomovar III and consisted of two groups, A and B, which corresponded to recA lineage IIIA and IIIB. The group B strains were separated into B1 and B2 subgroups and the B1 strains were further divided into distinct lineages. The B1 strains were the most frequently detected and occurred in all regions tested. There was no significant difference between strains from each subgroup in the virulence on banana fingers of cv. Cavendish. PCR assays were further used to determine whether B. cenocepacia from banana contained the cable pilus subunit gene (cblA), IS1356, and B. cepacia epidemic strain marker (BCESM), which are DNA markers associated with epidemic B. cepacia clinic strains. The results indicated that cblA and IS1356 were absent but the BCESM was found in all isolates. The present study revealed that banana is a natural reservoir of genetically diversified B. cenocepacia strains.

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Relationship between Thyroglobulin and Tumor Detectabilily with Thallium-201 in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Nuklearmedizin ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1632238 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 39 (01) ◽

pp. 10-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

S. P. Müller ◽

Ch. Reiners ◽

A. Bockisch ◽

Katja Brandt-Mainz

Keyword(s):

Thyroid Cancer ◽

Differentiated Thyroid Cancer ◽

Roc Analysis ◽

Tsh Suppression ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Test Specificity ◽

The Relationship ◽

Tumor Scintigraphy ◽

Tsh Stimulation

Summary Aim: Tumor scintigraphy with 201-TICI is an established diagnostic method in the follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer. We investigated the relationship between thyroglobulin (Tg) level and tumor detectability. Subject and methods: We analyzed the scans of 122 patients (66 patients with proven tumor). The patient population was divided into groups with Tg above (N = 33) and below (N = 33) 5 ng/ml under TSH suppression or above (N = 33) and below (N = 33) 50 ng/ml under TSH stimulation. Tumor detectability was compared by ROC-analysis (True-Positive-Fraction test, specificity 90%). Results: There was no significant difference (sensitivity 75% versus 64%; p = 0.55) for patients above and below 5 ng/ml under TSH suppression and a just significant difference (sensitivity 80% versus 58%; p = 0.04) for patients above and below 50 ng/ml under TSH stimulation. In 18 patients from our sample with tumor, Tg under TSH suppression was negative, but 201-TICI-scan was able to detect tumor in 12 patients. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate only a moderate dependence of tumor detectability on Tg level, probably without significant clinical relevance. Even in patients with slight Tg elevation 201-TICI scintigraphy is justified.

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Fecundity and Gonado-somatic Index of Trichiurus lepturus (Linnaeus, 1758) Along the Zamboanga del Norte Coast

International Journal of Emerging Research in Management and Technology ◽

10.23956/ijermt.v6i7.196 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (7) ◽

pp. 120

Author(s):

Ma. Dulce C. Guillena

Keyword(s):

Sex Ratio ◽

Stock Assessment ◽

Chi Square ◽

Moon Phases ◽

Ovary Weight ◽

Moment Coefficient ◽

Trichiurus Lepturus ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Relationship ◽

Somatic Index

Gonado-somatic index and fecundity are tools for measuring the sexual maturity and ability of animals to reproduce. This study investigates the reproduction of Trichiurus lepturus. Specifically, this aimed to determine the sex ratio, the GSI, the relationship between fecundity and total length, fecundity and total weight, fecundity and ovary weight. The Descriptive Method of research was used. Percentage and chi-square was utilized in determining the percentage of occurrence and sex ratio respectively. Pearson r Product Moment Coefficient of Correlation was used to determine the relationships of the parameters. The study revealed that females outnumbered males and the sex ratio for different month showed significant difference. Spawning season was observed to occur in November and December as revealed in its GSI values and it synchronized with the full and new moon phases. Fecundity is positively correlated with body weight, body size, and ovary weight where ovary weight is observed to be the best index for fecundity. The results of this study could be used further for formal stock assessment of cutlassfish fishery.

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