Curling Canada says the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Thunder Bay, Ont., will operate under Ontario's current public health measures and an approved framework from the office of the chief medical officer.

CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, today announced its new CBL Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) futures have launched and are available for trading. A total of five...

CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, today announced it has received approval from the National Futures Association (NFA) to establish a futures commission merchant (FCM). "We...

CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, today announced that open interest in its global benchmark Henry Hub futures contract reached a record 1.73 million contracts on October 30,...

Record October ADV for interest rate, energy, metals and agricultural products Record October ADV across U.S. Treasury and SOFR complexes All-time record monthly ADV in U.S. Treasury options and...

Farmer sentiment saw an unexpected surge in October ahead of the upcoming U.S. election, according to the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. The index rose to 115, marking a...

Chief Financial Officer Lynne Fitzpatrick Appointed to President and CFO Chief Operating Officer Julie Holzrichter to Step Down and Assume Advisory Role Suzanne Sprague to Succeed Holzrichter CHICAGO,

Mosquitoes transmit deadly pathogens from person to person as they obtain the blood meal that is essential for their life cycle. Female mosquitoes of many species are unable to reproduce without consuming protein that they obtain from blood. This developmental stage makes them highly efficient disease vectors of deadly pathogens. They can transmit pathogens between members of the same species and different species that can provide a route for evolving zoonotic viruses to jump from animals to humans. One possible way to develop novel strategies to combat pathogen transmission by mosquitoes is to study the sensory systems that drive mosquito reproductive behaviors, in particular the neural architecture and circuits of mosquito sensory afferent neurons, the central circuits that process sensory information, and the downstream circuits that drive reproductive behaviors. The study of mosquito neuroanatomy and circuitry also benefits basic neuroscience, allowing for comparative neuroanatomy in insect species, which has great value in the current model species-heavy landscape of neuroscience. Here, we introduce two important techniques that are used to study neuroanatomy and neural circuitry—namely, immunofluorescent labeling and neural tracing. We describe how to apply these approaches to study mosquito neuroanatomy and describe considerations for researchers using the techniques.

A researcher may have many reasons for wanting to establish new laboratory colonies from field-collected mosquitoes. In particular, the ability to study the diversity found within and among natural populations in a controlled laboratory environment opens up a wide range of possibilities for understanding how and why burdens of vector-borne disease vary over space and time. However, field-collected mosquitoes are often more difficult to work with than established laboratory strains, and considerable logistical challenges are involved in safely transporting field-collected mosquitoes into the laboratory. Here, we provide advice for researchers working with Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae, and Culex pipiens, as well as notes on other closely related species. We provide guidance on each stage of the life cycle and highlight the life stages for which it is easiest to initiate new laboratory colonies for each species. In accompanying protocols, we provide methods detailing Ae. aegypti egg collection and hatching as well as how to transport larvae and pupae from the field.

The establishment of neural connectivity is a major part of neural development. The central nervous system (CNS) midline is the most characterized axon guidance choice point, and work in Drosophila has played a pivotal role in understanding the molecular mechanisms responsible. Axons respond to attractive cues such as Netrin via the Frazzled receptor, and repulsive cues such as Slit via Robo receptors. Both signals are expressed at the CNS midline, affect pioneer axons, and have dramatic effects on the axon scaffold as a whole. Here, we focus on previous research analyzing classic mutants in the Slit/Robo pathway, which can readily be detected with a dissecting microscope. We also discuss analyzing these mutants in a teaching lab situation. The combination of sophisticated genetics and reliable axonal markers in Drosophila allows phenotypic analysis to be performed at the single-cell level. The elaborate architecture of neurons is very sensitive to disruption by genetic mutations, allowing the effects of novel mutations to be easily detected and assessed.

CRISPR–Cas9 has revolutionized gene editing for traditional and nontraditional model organisms alike. This tool has opened the door to new mechanistic studies of basic mosquito biology as well as the development of novel vector control strategies based on CRISPR–Cas9, including gene drives that spread genetic elements in the population. Although the promise of the specificity, flexibility, and ease of deployment CRISPR is real, its implementation still requires empirical optimization for each new species of interest, as well as to each genomic target within a given species. Here, we provide an overview of designing and testing single-guide RNAs for the use of CRISPR-based gene editing tools.

Analysis of taste sensory responses has been a powerful approach for understanding principles of taste detection and coding. The shared architecture of external taste sensing units, called sensilla, in insects opened up the study of tastant-evoked responses in any model of choice using a single-sensillum tip recording method that was developed in the mid-1900s. Early studies in blowflies were instrumental for identifying distinct taste neurons based on their responses to specific categories of chemicals. Broader system-wide analyses of whole organs have since been performed in the genetic model insect Drosophila melanogaster, revealing principles of stereotypical organization and function that appear to be evolutionarily conserved. Although limited in scope, investigations of taste sensory responses in mosquitoes showcase conservation in sensillar organization, as well as in groupings of functionally distinct taste neurons in each sensillum. The field is now poised for more thorough dissections of mosquito taste function, which should be of immense value in understanding close-range chemosensory interactions of mosquitoes with their hosts and environment. Here, we provide an introduction to the basic structure of a taste sensillum and functional analysis of the chemosensory neurons within it.

Transposon-mediated transgenesis of mosquito vectors of disease pathogens followed the early success of transgenesis in the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster. The P transposable element used in Drosophila does not function canonically in mosquitoes, and repeatable, routine transgenesis in mosquitoes was not accomplished until new transposable elements were discovered and validated. A number of distinct transposons were subsequently identified that mediate the introduction of exogenous DNA in a stable and heritable manner in mosquito species, including members of the genera Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex. The most versatile element, piggyBac, is functional in all of these mosquito genera, as well as in many other insects in diverse orders, and has been used extensively outside the class. Transposon-mediated transgenesis of recessive and dominant marker genes and reporter systems has been used to define functional fragments of gene control sequences, introduce exogenous DNA encoding products beneficial to medical interests, and act as "enhancer traps" to identify endogenous genes with specific expression characteristics.

Anautogenous female mosquitoes, which ingest a blood meal from warm-blooded vertebrates to produce eggs, have become a valuable model organism for investigating signaling pathways and physiological processes that occur during egg development. Different molecular pathways tightly regulate the initiation of egg development and are governed by a balance among different insect hormones. Gravid (mature egg-carrying) females deposit fully developed eggs at the end of each gonotrophic cycle, which is defined as the time interval between the ingestion of a blood meal to oviposition. An intact eggshell protects the oocyte and embryo inside from external factors such as desiccation, physical damage, etc., and the various eggshell proteins are spatially and temporary deposited during oogenesis. Additionally, follicle resorption (oosorption) during blood meal–induced mosquito ovarian follicle development is an adapted physiological process that optimizes reproductive fitness. Mosquito oocytes grow and mature synchronously throughout oogenesis; however, during the later stages of oogenesis, some oocytes may undergo oosorption if sufficient nutrients are unavailable. This introduction highlights how mosquito egg development can be used to investigate follicular resorption and identify proteins involved in eggshell formation in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

Volker (OM Montenegro) describes how their outdoor lessons for Roma kids were threatened by bad weather. Then God provided not only the solution - building a carport as a shelter - but also the funds and manpower needed to build it.

When OM Montenegro began in 2007 with a team of three, holding a full Sunday meeting seemed a long way off—but not anymore.

OM Montenegro has discovered that if they are faithful and patient, they can eventually walk through doors that had once seemed closed.

Four OM guys in Bar, Montenegro, and four guys from a nearby Roma camp take a hiking/camping trip together.

No public playground exists in Bar, Montenegro. This year, OM Montenegro plans to build one with the help of an outreach team.

The OM team in Bar, Montenegro, received an enthusiastic response when they showed the JESUS film in the Roma language for the first time.

God transforms the hearts of teens from two people groups, who normally do not interact, to bring them together for worship, Bible study and friendship.

A church plant in Montenegro experiences unexpected diversity and growth resulting from the conflict in Ukraine.

After making friends at OM's English Cafe, Igor shares with them how he came from a similar background but was freed from despair when he met Jesus.

OMers visit the beachfront cafes for weekly Bible study, seeking to bless the businesses and share God's love all year round.

Pioneering Technology Allows Surgeons to Cut Precisely and Control Bleeding Without Causing Heat Damage to Tissue

Quadruped Dinosaur Stomps the Rest of the Competition

With 3D CAD, Company Reduces Design Cycle from Three Weeks to Three or Four Days

Robotics programmers can now use SolidWorks 3D CAD models for more powerful simulations

R&D ‘Sandbox’ Previews Some Potential Capabilities for 3D CAD Software

Eliminates the Cost and Complexity of Maintaining Online Parts Catalogs; Improves Search, Navigation, and Communication for Engineers Seeking 3D Part Models

SolidWorks World 2009 Wraps Up Exhilarating Week of Learning and Networking

Vault Structures Saves $150,000 in Prototyping Costs, Cuts Development Time by 70 Percent Using SolidWorks Software

New Licensing, Support Programs For Certification Accompany Software Upgrades

Leading elevator components supplier implements 550 licenses of the SolidWorks PDM solution

One Of Only Four Companies To Place Among Top Employers In Each Year Of The Publication’s Survey

Integrated Tools Make Mechatronics-Oriented Design and Seamless Deployment to Hardware Easy

3D CAD Software’s Superior Data Translation Capabilities Support Growth of Tech Publishing and Engineering Services

World Cup Champion Noelle Pikus-Pace Turns To Local Metal Shop – And Her Husband – For Innovative New Sled

Intuitive 3D CAD Software, Used So Often by Professionals, Prepares EUSS Students for Success