Group I introns were discovered inserted at the same position in the nuclear small-subunit ribosomal DNA (nuc-ssu-rDNA) in several species of homobasidiomycetes (mushroom-forming fungi). Based on conserved intron sequences, a pair of intron-specific primers was designed for PCR amplification and sequencing of intron-containing rDNA repeats. Using the intron-specific primers together with flanki...

Even though bluetongue virus (BTV) transmission is apparently interrupted during winter, bluetongue outbreaks often reappear in the next season (overwintering). Several mechanisms for BTV overwintering have been proposed, but to date, their relative importance remain unclear. In order to assess the probability of BTV overwintering by persistence in adult vectors, ruminants (through prolonged vi...

OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of a bundle of infection control interventions on the horizontal transmission of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing K. pneumoniae during an outbreak. DESIGN Quasi-experimental study. Setting. Long-term acute care hospital. Intervention. On July 23, 2008, a bundled intervention was implemented: daily 2% chlorhexidine gluconate baths for patien...

The salivary glands of scrapie-affected sheep and healthy controls were investigated for the presence of the pathological prion protein (PrP(Sc)). PrP(Sc) was detected in major (parotid and mandibular) and minor (buccal, labial, and palatine) salivary glands of naturally and experimentally infected sheep. Using Western blotting, the PrP(Sc) concentration in glands was estimated to be 0.02 to 0....

Vertical transmission of heritable material, a cornerstone of the Darwinian theory of evolution, is inadequate to describe the evolution of eukaryotes, particularly microbial eukaryotes. This is because eukaryotic cells and eukaryotic genomes are chimeric, having evolved through a combination of vertical (parent to offspring) and lateral (trans-species) transmission. Observations on widespread ...

Chikungunya fever (CHIK) is a highly important arbovirosis currently established in Lat‐ in America and the Caribbean (LAC); its acute and chronic burden is an overlooked issue for policy makers. Disease spread control and proper management of chronic-derived se‐ quelae do not seem like a realistic goal in shortand mid-term. The CHIKV circulating in the Western Hemisphere is closely related to ...

PCR was used to rapidly identify and isolate 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase genes from bacteria. The Shimodaira-Hasegawa test was used to assess whether phylogenetically anomalous gene placements suggestive of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) were significantly favored over vertical transmission. The best maximum likelihood (ML) ACC deaminase tree was significantly more likely ...

Symbiotes can be transmitted from parents to offspring or horizontally from unrelated hosts or the environment. A key question is whether symbiote transmission is similar enough to Mendelian gene transmission to generate and maintain coevolutionary associations between host and symbiote genes. Recent papers come to opposite conclusions, with some suggesting that any horizontal transmission elim...

CONTEXT Many authors have conducted studies that determine horizontal condylar guidance (HCG) using various methods, articulator systems, and recording materials. However, there is a dearth of literature on variability existing in HCG in individuals with different skeletal relationships. This study is an attempt to verify whether such a difference exists or not. AIMS The aim of this study is ...

Vaccinia virus (VACV) has been associated with several bovine vaccinia outbreaks in Brazil, affecting cattle and humans. There are no available data about VACV environmental circulation or the role of wildlife in the emergence of an outbreak. Since VACV was isolated from rodents in Brazil, we investigated shedding and transmission of VACV strains in mice. The VACV excretion profile was assessed...