27,830 research outputs found
Seroepidemiological studies of herpesvirus-associated diseases of marine turtles: Fibropapillomatosis and lung-eye-trachea disease
We have developed immunological tests that can identify marine turtles in Florida (green and loggerhead) that have been exposed
to the LETV herpesvirus. The seroepidemiological data collected provides critical evidence about the relationship between
infection with the FP-associated herpesvirus and the LETV herpesvirus. The data supports the hypothesis that LETV and FPHV
infections are independent infections of marine turtles. The data shows that wild green turtles in Florida are exposed to the
LETD-associated herpesvirus, which is the first description ofLETV infection in free-ranging marine turtles. To our knowledge,
the antigenic proteins identified in this study are not only the first proteins from a reptilian herpesvirus to be cloned and
expressed, but they represent the first reptilian herpesvirus proteins to be identified as immunogenic in their host species. (16 page document
Further strategies for evaluating the etiological role of a tumor-associated herpesvirus in marine turtle fibropapillomatosis
In 1992, an interdisciplinary research team headquartered at the University of Florida
began studies in key targeted areas of fibropapillomatosis (FP) etiology and
pathogenesis. At that time, little was known about FP outside of field studies
documenting its prevalence in different areas of the world and studies of tumor
histopathology. Our primary objective was to develop a broad-based scientific
understanding of FP by applying principles of tumor biology, immunology, pathology,
virology, molecular biology, and epidemiology to FP in the green turtle, Chelonia
mydas. Long-term goals included the development of assays for FP and study of any
role of environmental co-factors in the disease. This report is a continuation of that
effort and the results reported here bring us closer to understanding the role of a
tumor-associated herpesvirus in marine turtle fibropapillomatosis.
This research has demonstrated that marine turtle herpesviruses can persist for
extended periods of time as infectious agents in the marine environment and that wild
green turtles in Florida are exposed to the LETD-associated herpesvirus. This is the
first description of LETV infection in free-ranging. marine turtles. In addition, data is
presented that supports the hypothesis that LETV and FPHV infections are
independent. These data reveal new levels of complexity that must be addressed
before reliable serodiagnostic assays for herpesvirus infections of chelonians can be
developed for widespread application. The results reported here also raise new
concerns about the potential impact of infections by new herpesviruses on populations
of wild marine turtles, an area which has previously been unexplored by turtle
biologists. (8 page document
Observations of Uranus' satellites: Bibliography and literature search
A literature search has yielded more than 10,000 observations of the satellites of Uranus made from 1787 to 1985. The type (photographic, micrometer) and the number of observations are tabulated in 5 year increments and a complete bibliography is provided
Formation and Evolution of Binary Asteroids
Satellites of asteroids have been discovered in nearly every known small body
population, and a remarkable aspect of the known satellites is the diversity of
their properties. They tell a story of vast differences in formation and
evolution mechanisms that act as a function of size, distance from the Sun, and
the properties of their nebular environment at the beginning of Solar System
history and their dynamical environment over the next 4.5 Gyr. The mere
existence of these systems provides a laboratory to study numerous types of
physical processes acting on asteroids and their dynamics provide a valuable
probe of their physical properties otherwise possible only with spacecraft.
Advances in understanding the formation and evolution of binary systems have
been assisted by: 1) the growing catalog of known systems, increasing from 33
to nearly 250 between the Merline et al. (2002) Asteroids III chapter and now,
2) the detailed study and long-term monitoring of individual systems such as
1999 KW4 and 1996 FG3, 3) the discovery of new binary system morphologies and
triple systems, 4) and the discovery of unbound systems that appear to be
end-states of binary dynamical evolutionary paths.
Specifically for small bodies (diameter smaller than 10 km), these
observations and discoveries have motivated theoretical work finding that
thermal forces can efficiently drive the rotational disruption of small
asteroids. Long-term monitoring has allowed studies to constrain the system's
dynamical evolution by the combination of tides, thermal forces and rigid body
physics. The outliers and split pairs have pushed the theoretical work to
explore a wide range of evolutionary end-states.Comment: 42 pages, 4 figures, contribution to the Asteroids 4 boo
Counting the ions surrounding nucleic acids.
Nucleic acids are strongly negatively charged, and thus electrostatic interactions-screened by ions in solution-play an important role in governing their ability to fold and participate in biomolecular interactions. The negative charge creates a region, known as the ion atmosphere, in which cation and anion concentrations are perturbed from their bulk values. Ion counting experiments quantify the ion atmosphere by measuring the preferential ion interaction coefficient: the net total number of excess ions above, or below, the number expected due to the bulk concentration. The results of such studies provide important constraints on theories, which typically predict the full three-dimensional distribution of the screening cloud. This article reviews the state of nucleic acid ion counting measurements and critically analyzes their ability to test both analytical and simulation-based models
Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour: A Critical Review
Over the past decade, anti-social behaviour (henceforth referred to as ASB) has
become a focus of much policy-making and debate within central and local
government and the police. Clear definitions of ASB are lacking, but the term is
usually understood to refer to relatively minor criminal activity and non-criminal
‘nuisance’ behaviour that affects the social and/or physical environment of public or
semi-public places. The term ASB is frequently used synonymously with ‘disorder’,
and is sometimes associated with the concept of ‘incivilities’.
Policy-makers and strategists, at national and local levels alike, reiterate that
problems of ASB can have a massively detrimental effect on neighbourhoods as a
whole, and on the lives of individuals. Hence strenuous and wide-ranging efforts are
being made to support, develop and implement schemes for tackling ASB – involving
a variety of enforcement and preventive measures
- …