Notions of Regularity for Functions of a Split-Quaternionic Variable

Notions of a "holomorphic" function theory for functions of a split-quaternionic variable have been of recent interest. We describe two found in the literature and show that one notion encompasses a small class of functions, while the other gives a richer collection. In the second instance, we describe a simple subclass of functions and give two examples of an analogue of the Cauchy-Kowalewski extension in this context

Relationships Taught By Disney Princesses

The Disney princess film franchise has become a very popular topic within the last decade where parents and researchers argue that the females and their lives in the films are portrayed in an idealized manor that teach children incorrect standards about life. The research focuses on how the princess industry, which was created and expanded by Disney princess films, is an exponentially growing business that more and more children are being raised on during their prime developmental years. The Disney princess films consist of similar storylines: the princess and evil stepmother having a conflict, the prince sweeping the princess away, and everything ending with a happily ever after. Through this repetition, children pick up concepts, such as waiting for their prince charming or needing to be a perfect, loving princess for a boy, that may work as a reality in the films, but create false ideals in the real world. The research analyzes scholarly articles and personal observations done while working at a preschool to deliberate the affects that Disney princess films have on young girl’s relationships. Specifically on how the films teach girls wrong ideals about relationships with boys and women, and how these films affect the way girls treat each other.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1075/thumbnail.jp

Human Infections with Plasmodium knowlesi, the Philippines.

Five human cases of infection with the simian malaria parasite Plasmodium knowlesi from Palawan, the Philippines, were confirmed by nested PCR. This study suggests that this zoonotic infection is found across a relatively wide area in Palawan and documents autochthonous cases in the country

Acanthamoeba genotype T4 from the UK and Iran and isolation of the T2 genotype from clinical isolates

The majority of the keratitis-causing Acanthamoeba isolates are genotype T4. In an attempt to determine whether predominance of T4 isolates in Acanthamoeba keratitis is due to greater virulence or greater prevalence of this genotype, Acanthamoeba genotypes were determined for 13 keratitis isolates and 12 environmental isolates from Iran. Among 13 clinical isolates, eight (61.5 %) belonged to T4, two (15.3 %) belonged to T3 and three (23 %) belonged to the T2 genotype. In contrast, the majority of 12 environmental isolates tested in the present study belonged to T2 (7/12, 58.3 %), followed by 4/12 T4 isolates (33.3 %). In addition, the genotypes of six new Acanthamoeba isolates from UK keratitis cases were determined. Of these, five (83.3 %) belonged to T4 and one was T3 (16.6 %), supporting the expected high frequency of T4 in Acanthamoeba keratitis. In total, the genotypes of 24 Acanthamoeba keratitis isolates from the UK and Iran were determined. Of these, 17 belonged to T4 (70.8 %), three belonged to T2 (12.5 %), three belonged to T3 (12.5 %) and one belonged to T11 (4.1 %), confirming that T4 is the predominant genotype (S2 = 4.167; P = 0.0412) in Acanthamoeba keratitis

Cloning and Characterization of a GIT1 Homolog Gene from Schizosaccharomyces Pombe

Phosphatidylinositol (PI) deacylation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae results in the formation and excretion of glycerophosphoinositol (GPI). This is a predominant route of PI turnover and is not unique to S. cerevisiae. Released GPI can be transported back into the cell through a membrane permease encoded by the GIT1 gene, Git1p. Maximum transport is achieved in low inositol/low phosphate conditions at pHs below 7, and the addition of a protonophore to the GPI transport assay abolishes transport activity. These findings suggest that Git1p is a proton symporter. An excess of unlabeled glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) inhibits the transport of radiolabeled GPI into S. cerevisiae. Furthermore, radiolabeled G3P is transported into S. cerevisiae in a Git1p-dependent fashion. A GIT1 homolog from Schizosaccharomyces pombe (Sp-git1) was cloned. Overexpression of Sp-git1 did not result in increased transport of GPI into S. cerevisiae or S. pombe cells. However, it resulted in increased transport of inositol in S. pombe

Post-mortem culture of Balamuthia mandrillaris from the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of a case of granulomatous amoebic meningoencephalitis, using human brain microvascular endothelial cells.

The first isolation in the UK of Balamuthia mandrillaris amoebae from a fatal case of granulomatous amoebic meningoencephalitis is reported. Using primary cultures of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs), amoebae were isolated from the brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The cultures showed a cytopathic effect at 20-28 days, but morphologically identifiable B. mandrillaris amoebae were seen in cleared plaques in subcultures at 45 days. The identification of the organism was later confirmed using PCR on Chelex-treated extracts. Serum taken while the patient was still alive reacted strongly with slide antigen prepared from cultures of the post-mortem isolate, and also with those from a baboon B. mandrillaris strain at 1:10,000 in indirect immunofluorescence, but with Acanthamoeba castellanii (Neff) at 1:160, supporting B. mandrillaris to be the causative agent. If the presence of amoebae in the post-mortem CSF reflects the condition in life, PCR studies on CSF and on biopsies of cutaneous lesions may also be a valuable tool. The role of HBMECs in understanding the interactions of B. mandrillaris with the blood-brain barrier is discussed

Delayed Onset of Symptoms and Atovaquone-Proguanil Chemoprophylaxis Breakthrough by Plasmodium malariae in the Absence of Mutation at Codon 268 of pmcytb.

Plasmodium malariae is widely distributed across the tropics, causing symptomatic malaria in humans with a 72-hour fever periodicity, and may present after latency periods lasting up to many decades. Delayed occurrence of symptoms is observed in humans using chemoprophylaxis, or patients having received therapies targeting P. falciparum intraerythrocytic asexual stages, but few investigators have addressed the biological basis of the ability of P. malariae to persist in the human host. To investigate these interesting features of P. malariae epidemiology, we assembled, here, an extensive case series of P. malariae malaria patients presenting in non-endemic China, Sweden, and the UK who returned from travel in endemic countries, mainly in Africa. Out of 378 evaluable P. malariae cases, 100 (26.2%) reported using at least partial chemoprophylaxis, resembling the pattern seen with the relapsing parasites P. ovale spp. and P. vivax. In contrast, for only 7.5% of imported UK cases of non-relapsing P. falciparum was any chemoprophylaxis use reported. Genotyping of parasites from six patients reporting use of atovaquone-proguanil chemoprophylaxis did not reveal mutations at codon 268 of the cytb locus of the P. malariae mitochondrial genome. While travellers with P. malariae malaria are significantly more likely to report prophylaxis use during endemic country travel than are those with P. falciparum infections, atovaquone-proguanil prophylaxis breakthrough was not associated with pmcytb mutations. These preliminary studies, together with consistent observations of the remarkable longevity of P. malariae, lead us to propose re-examination of the dogma that this species is not a relapsing parasite. Further studies are needed to investigate our favoured hypothesis, namely that P. malariae can initiate a latent hypnozoite developmental programme in the human hepatocyte: if validated this will explain the consistent observations of remarkable longevity of parasitism, even in the presence of antimalarial prophylaxis or treatment

Molecular diversity in the Leishmania subgenus Viannia

The aim of this work was to provide further insight into the relationships between species of the Leishmania subgenus Viannia by examining inter- and intra-specific genetic diversity. Diversity among Viannia strains and stocks was investigated using biochemical and molecular techniques. Isoenzyme and microsatellite analyses were found to be the most discriminatory and generated results which could be interpreted genotypically. These techniques were used to study diversity in Viannia populations consisting of i) Brazilian L V. braziliensis stocks, ii) Nicaraguan stocks belonging to different Viannia species complexes, including putative species-complex hybrids, and iii) uncharacterized stocks from a new epidemic focus in Huanuco, Peru. LEA identified all stocks to at least the species level. Microsatellite analyses using Genescan® / Genotyper® and direct sequencing were found to be more discriminatory than EEA for all populations. The application of Genescan® / Genotyper® to the identification of alleles at these microsatellite loci has not been described previously. Phylogenetic analysis was carried out for each population using enzyme and microsatellite sequence data: phylogenies constructed from multilocus enzyme data were most accurate. Putative species heterozygotes between/,. V. braziliensis/L. V. panamensis and/,. V. braziliensis / L. V. peruviana were identified in the Nicaraguan and Huanuco populations, respectively, using IEA. Microsatellite analysis identified heterozygous stocks in all 3 populations. This approach also supported the hybrid status of the Nicaraguan and Huanuco stocks. Population genetic analysis of stocks from Huanuco provided statistical evidence for a limited degree of genetic recombination between stocks in this population. Results indicated, however, that clonal expansion was the predominant mode of replication. To explore the possibility of the occurrence of genetic recombination between species, genetic transformation experiments were initiated using putative parental stocks from the Nicaraguan populatio

Post-mortem culture of Balamuthia mandrillaris from the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of a case of granulomatous amoebic meningoencephalitis, using human brain microvascular endothelial cells

The first isolation in the UK of Balamuthia mandrillaris amoebae from a fatal case of granulomatous amoebic meningoencephalitis is reported. Using primary cultures of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs), amoebae were isolated from the brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The cultures showed a cytopathic effect at 20–28 days, but morphologically identifiable B. mandrillaris amoebae were seen in cleared plaques in subcultures at 45 days. The identification of the organism was later confirmed using PCR on Chelex-treated extracts. Serum taken while the patient was still alive reacted strongly with slide antigen prepared from cultures of the post-mortem isolate, and also with those from a baboon B. mandrillaris strain at 1 : 10 000 in indirect immunofluorescence, but with Acanthamoeba castellanii (Neff) at 1 : 160, supporting B. mandrillaris to be the causative agent. If the presence of amoebae in the post-mortem CSF reflects the condition in life, PCR studies on CSF and on biopsies of cutaneous lesions may also be a valuable tool. The role of HBMECs in understanding the interactions of B. mandrillaris with the blood–brain barrier is discussed