The members of the Dicistroviridae family are non-enveloped positive-sense single-stranded RNA (+ssRNA) viruses pathogenic to beneficial arthropods as well as insect pests of medical importance. Triatoma virus (TrV), a member of this family, infects several species of triatomine insects (popularly named kissing bugs), which are vectors for human trypanosomiasis, more commonly known as Chagas di...

The stability of hybrid plant viruses that might arise by recombination in transgenic plants was examined using hybrid viruses derived from the viral expression vectors potato virus X (PVX) and tobacco rattle virus (TRV). The potato virus Y (PVY) NIb and HCPro open reading frames (ORFs) were introduced into PVX to generate PVX-NIb and PVX-HCPro, while the PVY NIb ORF was introduced into a vecto...

RNA silencing is a host defense mechanism that limits the accumulation and spread of viruses in infected plants. Correspondingly, plant viruses encode suppressors of silencing. In the positive-strand RNA virus Tobacco rattle virus (TRV), the suppressor of silencing is a 16-kDa (16K) protein encoded by RNA1. The suppressor action of the 16K protein is transient and weaker than that of the P19 su...

We analyzed entry data from 163 adult hemoglobin SS and Sbeta(0) thalassemia patients enrolled in the prospective Sickle Cell Pulmonary Hypertension Screening Study and stratified their ECHO-determined tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity (TRV) and serum creatinine concentration according to three systemic blood pressure categories. TRV was >or= 2.5 m/sec in 27% of the patients with systolic bloo...

Background Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), leading to right ventricular (RV) failure [1]. PVR is calculated using right heart catheterization (RHC), from the trans-pulmonary pressure gradient (ΔP) and pulmonary flow (QPA). Doppler echocardiography can estimate PVR from the ratio of peak tricuspid regurgitatio...

To determine the frequency, clinical and laboratory associations of pulmonary hypertension in Iraqi Kurds with sickle cell anemia, a total of ninety four such patients attending a major hemoglobinopathy center in Iraqi Kurdistan were enrolled. All patients were re-evaluated clinically and had their blood counts, HbF, serum ferritin, LDH, renal and liver function assessed. Transthoracic Doppler ...

OBJECTIVES To describe the clinical-biological characteristics of patients with scleroderma (SSc) and pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). To establish the relationship between pulmonary functional tests (PFT), Doppler echocardiography (ECHO) and the severity of the PAH. MATERIAL AND METHODS Retrospective study of patients with scleroderma treated at a tertiary center. All participants receiv...

ABBTRACT Thi 3' terainal forty nucleotides of tobraviral RNAs readily fold into a tertiary structure, reseabling that of tyaoand tobaaoviral RNAs. The latttr RNA* possess a tRNA-like structure at their 3' m d that is recognized by a nUBber of tRNA-specific enzyaes (Rietveld et al. (1984), EHBO J. 2, 26132619). Characteristic for thiir aainoacyl acctptor a m is tht priunct of a •o-calltd pseudok...

Ilex dabieshanensis is not only an important ornamental plant, but can also be used to produce Kuding tea, owing its lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory medicinal properties. The genetic transformation of I. currently difficult, which restricts functional gene studies molecular breeding research on this species. Virus-induced silencing (VIGS) a powerful tool for determining functions in plants...