A CLASSIFICATION OF THE MURINE LEUKEMIA VIRUSES : NEUTRALIZATION OF PSEUDOTYPES OF FRIEND SPLEEN FOCUS-FORMING VIRUS BY TYPE-SPECIFIC MURINE ANTISERA

Coinfection of neonatal BALB/c mice with helper-dependent Friend spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV), as contained in the Friend virus (FV) complex, and antigenically distinct Moloney leukemia virus (MolLV) resulted in the recovery of a MolLV pseudotype of SFFV, abbreviated SFFV(MolLV). The antigenic alteration of SFFV was observed by following its neutralization kinetics in vitro by specific Friend or Moloney typing antiserum. Effective pseudotype production was accomplished only when N-tropic LLV-F (the natural helper virus in the FV complex) was inhibited in B-type mice coinfected with an NB-tropic MolLV or other murine leukemia virus (MuLV) preparation. SFFV pseudotypes could not be prepared by using murine viruses other than leukemia viruses. SFFV prepared after two serial passages in the presence of MolLV was effectively neutralized by Moloney antiserum, but not by Friend typing antiserum; therefore, the envelope of the pseudotype virus, SFFV(MolLV), is homogeneous. Pseudotype virus was antigenically stable in the absence of continued mixed infection of BALB/c mice with SFFV(MolLV) and MolLV. However, SFFV(MolLV) was easily converted back to the LLV-F type after only one passage in BALB/c mice coinfected with NB-tropic LLV-F. The antigenic interconversion between LLV-F and MolLV types demonstrated that SFFV is defective with respect to the expression of neutralizable envelope antigens. Analysis of the neutralizable envelope antigens of nine SFFV(MuLV) pseudotypes by a panel of seven typing antisera made possible a "type-specific" SFFV(MuLV) envelope classification. Two major categories have been identified which correspond to the Gross (G) and Friend-Moloney-Rauscher (FMR) subgroups. Further, the FMR subgroup was divided into four types on the basis of distinct neutralization patterns. These results indicated that the specificity observed by cytotoxic G vs. FMR antisera is different from that observed by neutralization kinetics. We therefore suggest that the specific antigens revealed by virus neutralization tests be referred to as type specific

Strategies for Recruiting African American Men into Prostate Cancer Screening Studies

Background Recruitment for research and clinical trials continues to be challenging. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and disproportionately affects African American men; thus, effective recruitment strategies are essential for this population. Objectives To focus on innovative and effective recruitment strategies for research on prostate cancer with minorities. Methods A systematic description is provided of the recruitment efforts for a hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative study of African American men's experiences in decision-making on whether or not to have a prostate cancer screening. Results Seventeen African American men were enrolled from rural Central Virginia. Recruiting strategies were targeted on places where African American men usually are found, but that are rarely used for recruitment: barbershops, community health centers, and churches. Word-of-mouth was used also, and the majority of the participants (n = 11) were reached through this method. Discussion Recruitment efforts have been noted to be particularly challenging among minorities, for numerous reasons. Making minority recruitment a priority in any research or clinical trial is essential in gaining a representative sample. Word-of-mouth is a powerful tool that is often forgotten, but should be looked at in further detail

The Relationship between Physical Activity Variety and Objectively Measured Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity Levels in Weight Loss Maintainers and Normal-Weight Individuals

Given the importance of physical activity (PA) for weight control, identifying strategies to achieve higher PA levels is imperative. We hypothesized that performing a greater variety of self-reported moderate-to-vigorous activities (MVPAs) would relate to higher objectively measured MVPA minutes in two groups who were successfully maintaining their body weight: weight loss maintainers (WLM/n = 226) and normal-weight individuals (NW/n = 169). The Paffenbarger Questionnaire and RT3 accelerometer were used to determine variety/number of different MVPAs performed and MVPA minutes, respectively. The variety/number of different activities performed by WLM and NW was similar (1.8 ± 1.2 versus 1.7 ± 1.2, P = 0.52). Regression analyses showed that greater variety (P < 0.01) and WLM status (P < 0.05) were each positively related to greater MVPA minutes/day and meeting the ≥250 MVPA minutes/week guideline for long-term weight maintenance. The association between greater variety and higher MVPA was similar in NW and WLM. Future studies should test whether variety can facilitate engagement in higher MVPA levels for more effective weight control

Pedigree Validation Using Genetic Markers in an Intensively-Managed Taonga Species, the Critically Endangered Kakī (\u3cem\u3eHimantopus novaezelandiae\u3c/em\u3e)

Many species recovery programmes use pedigrees to understand the genetic ancestry of individuals to inform conservation management. However, incorrect parentage assignment may limit the accuracy of these pedigrees and subsequent management decisions. This is especially relevant for pedigrees that include wild individuals, where misassignment may not only be attributed to human error, but also promiscuity (i.e. extra-pair parentage) or egg-dumping (i.e. brood parasitism). Here, we evaluate pedigree accuracy in the socially monogamous and critically endangered kakī (black stilt, Himantopus novaezelandiae) using microsatellite allele-exclusion analyses for 56 wild family groups across three breeding seasons (2014–2016, n= 340). We identified 16 offspring where parentage was incorrectly assigned, representing 5.9% of all offspring. Of the 16 misassigned offspring, three can be attributed to non-kakī brood parasitism, one can be assigned to human error, but others cannot be readily distinguished between non-monogamous mating behaviours and human error. In the short term, we advise the continued use of microsatellites to identify misassigned offspring in the kakī pedigree, and to verify non-kakī brood parasitism. We also recommend the Department of Conservation’s Kakī Recovery Programme further evaluate the implications of pedigree error to the management of this critically endangered taonga species

Family Interactions Among African American Prostate Cancer Survivors

Prostate cancer affects African Americans at a higher rate than any other ethnic group in the United States. Prostate cancer does not only affect the man with the disease but also affects those individuals who are closest to him, such as his family and friends. Open communication is valuable in coping with stressors that are affiliated with chronic illnesses. This article focuses on family and friend social support of men with prostate cancer. Data analysis revealed that support from family members and friends plays an important role in how men cope with their treatment and recovery from prostate cancer. Originally published Family and Community Health, Vol. 31, No. 3, July-Sep 200

Reference Genomes from Distantly Related Species Can Be Used for Discovery of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms to Inform Conservation Management

Threatened species recovery programmes benefit from incorporating genomic data into conservation management strategies to enhance species recovery. However, a lack of readily available genomic resources, including conspecific reference genomes, often limits the inclusion of genomic data. Here, we investigate the utility of closely related high-quality reference genomes for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery using the critically endangered kakī/black stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae) and four Charadriiform reference genomes as proof of concept. We compare diversity estimates (i.e., nucleotide diversity, individual heterozygosity, and relatedness) based on kakī SNPs discovered from genotyping-by-sequencing and whole genome resequencing reads mapped to conordinal (killdeer, Charadrius vociferus), confamilial (pied avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta), congeneric (pied stilt, Himantopus himantopus) and conspecific reference genomes. Results indicate that diversity estimates calculated from SNPs discovered using closely related reference genomes correlate significantly with estimates calculated from SNPs discovered using a conspecific genome. Congeneric and confamilial references provide higher correlations and more similar measures of nucleotide diversity, individual heterozygosity, and relatedness. While conspecific genomes may be necessary to address other questions in conservation, SNP discovery using high-quality reference genomes of closely related species is a cost-effective approach for estimating diversity measures in threatened species

The Role of Auxin Transport in Plant Patterning Mechanisms

In plants, many patterning processes involve the phytohormone auxin, and controlling how it moves around plays a critical role in pattern formation

1936 The Freshman, vol. 3, no. 19

The Freshman was a weekly, student newsletter issued on Mondays throughout the academic year. The newsletter included calendar notices, coverage of campus social events, lectures, and athletic teams. The intent of the publication was to create unity, a sense of community, and class spirit among first year students. Featured in this issue is a memoriam dedicated to Carlton Otis Wilson (1913-1933), killed when he was struck from behind by a speeding vehicle

1936 The Freshman, vol. 3, no. 20

The Freshman was a weekly, student newsletter issued on Mondays throughout the academic year. The newsletter included calendar notices, coverage of campus social events, lectures, and athletic teams. The intent of the publication was to create unity, a sense of community, and class spirit among first year students. This issue covers the approval of changes regulations related to rushing and fraternities

1936 The Freshman, vol. 3, no. 18

The Freshman was a weekly, student newsletter issued on Mondays throughout the academic year. The newsletter included calendar notices, coverage of campus social events, lectures, and athletic teams. The intent of the publication was to create unity, a sense of community, and class spirit among first year students. Student activities covered in this issue include the annual class war between the freshman and sophomore classes