2 VAR models 4 2.1 Analytical results for VAR models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2.1.1 The Diffuse Prior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2.1.2 The Natural Conjugate Prior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2.1.3 The Minnesota Prior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2.2 Estimation of VARs using the Gibbs sampler . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6...

Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) is a major pathogenicity factor in falciparum malaria that mediates cytoadherence. PfEMP1 is encoded by approximately 60 var genes per haploid genome. Most var genes are grouped into 3 subgroups: A, B, and C. Evidence is emerging that the specific expression of these subgroups has clinical significance. Using field samples from child...

Value-at-Risk (VaR) is one of the most widely accepted risk measures in the financial and insurance industries, yet efficient optimization of VaR remains a very difficult problem. We propose a computationally tractable approximation method for minimizing the VaR of a portfolio based on robust optimization techniques. The method results in the optimization of a modified VaR measure, Asymmetry-Ro...

UNLABELLED PREMISE OF THE STUDY The exploitation of Labisia pumila for commercial demand is gradually increasing. It is therefore important that conservation is prioritized to ensure sustainable utilization. We developed microsatellites for L. pumila var. alata and evaluated their polymorphism across var. alata, var. pumila, and var. lanceolata. • METHODS AND RESULTS Ten polymorphic micros...

The phylogeny of 46 geographically diverse Histoplasma capsulatum isolates representing the three varieties capsulatum, duboisii, and farciminosum was evaluated using partial DNA sequences of four protein coding genes. Parsimony and distance analysis of the separate genes were generally congruent and analysis of the combined data identified six clades: (i) class 1 North American H. capsulatum v...

The var gene family of Plasmodium falciparum encodes the clonally variant adhesin PfEMP1 present on the surface of infected erythrocytes. A poorly understood mechanism of allelic exclusion controls the expression of PfEMP1. Transcription of var genes is developmentally and, most likely, epigenetically regulated. Here we have studied the transcriptional pattern of 28 members of this multigene fa...

PfEMP1 are variant parasite antigens that are inserted on the surface of Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes (IE). Through interactions with various host molecules, PfEMP1 mediate IE sequestration in tissues and play a key role in the pathology of severe malaria. PfEMP1 is encoded by a diverse multi-gene family called var. Previous studies have shown that that expression of specific sub...

Sixty-seven strains of the five described Salmonella serotypes having antigens 6,7:c:1,5, that is S. enterica serotype Choleraesuis sensu stricto, Choleraesuis var. Kunzendorf, Choleraesuis var. Decatur, Paratyphi C, and Typhisuis, were examined for 16S rrn profile ribotype, presence of IS200 and phenotypic characters, including rate of change of flagellar-antigen phase and nutritional characte...

Monoallelic expression of the var multigene family enables immune evasion of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum in its human host. At a given time only a single member of the 60-member var gene family is expressed at a discrete perinuclear region called the 'var expression site'. However, the mechanism of var gene counting remains ill-defined. We hypothesize that activation factors asso...