Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of Host Cellular Membrane Raft Domains in the Assembly and Release of Newcastle Disease Virus: A Dissertation

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) belongs to the Paramyxoviridae , a family of enveloped RNA viruses that includes many important human and animal pathogens. Although many aspects of the paramyxovirus life cycle are known in detail, our understanding of the mechanisms regulating paramyxovirus assembly and release are poorly understood. For many enveloped RNA viruses, it has recently become apparent that both viral and host cellular determinants coordinate the proper and efficient assembly of infectious progeny virions. Utilizing NDV as a model system to explore viral and cellular determinants of paramyxovirus assembly, we have shown that host cell membrane lipid raft domains serve as platforms of NDV assembly and release. This conclusion was supported by several key experimental results, including the exclusive incorporation of host cell membrane raftassociated molecules into virions, the association of structural components of the NDV particle with membrane lipid raft domains in infected cells and the strong correlation between the kinetics of viral protein dissociation from membrane lipid raft domains and incorporation into virions. Moreover, perturbation of infected cell membrane raft domains during virus assembly resulted in the disordered assembly of abnormal virions with reduced infectivity. These results further established membrane raft domains as sites of virus assembly and showed the integrity of these domains to be critical for the proper assembly of infectious virions. Although specific viral protein-protein interactions are thought to occur during paramyxovirus assembly, our understanding of how these interactions are coordinated is incomplete. While exploring the mechanisms underlying the disordered assembly of non-infectious virions in membrane raft-perturbed cells, we determined that the integrity of membrane raft domains was critical in the formation and virion incorporation of a complex consisting of the NDV attachment (HN) and fusion (F) proteins. The reduced virus-to-cell membrane fusion capacity of particles released from membrane raft-perturbed cells was attributed to an absence of the HN – F glycoprotein-containing complex within the virion envelope. This result also correlated with a reduction of these glycoprotein complexes in membrane lipid raft fractions of membrane raft-perturbed cells. Specifically, it was determined that the formation of newly synthesized HN and F polypeptides into the glycoprotein complex destined for virion incorporation was dependent on membrane lipid raft integrity. Finally, a novel virion complex between the ribonucleoprotein (RNP) structure and the HN attachment protein was identified and characterized. Unlike the glycoprotein complex, the detection of the RNP – HN protein-containing complex was not affected by membrane raft perturbation during virus assembly in the cell. The biological importance of this novel complex for the proper assembly of an infectious progeny virion is currently under investigation. The results presented…
Effects of dietary α‐lipoic acid on the growth and antioxidative responses of juvenile abalone Haliotis discus hannai Ino

A feeding experiment was conducted to determine the effects of α-lipoic acid (LA) on the growth and antioxidative responses of juvenile abalone Haliotis discus hannai Ino. Six purified diets supplemented with 0, 200, 400, 800, 1600 and 3200 mg kg−1 of LA, respectively, were fed to abalone for 16 weeks in a flow-through water system. The results showed that the weight gain ratio (WGR) increased with the dietary LA levels, and reached the highest value in the group with 800 mg kg−1 dietary LA supplement. Glutathione peroxidase activity in the 800 mg kg−1 dietary LA group was significantly higher than that in the dietary LA-deficient (0 mg kg−1) group. Superoxide dismutase activities in the 200, 400 and 800 mg kg−1 groups were significantly increased. Supplements of 200, 400 and 800 mg kg−1 dietary LA elevated the total antioxidative capacity significantly. The glutathione level in the hepatopancreas increased significantly with the dietary LA supplements in a dose-dependent manner (except for the 200 mg kg−1 group). Catalase and malondialdehyde in the hepatopancreas were not significantly affected by dietary LA. In conclusion, dietary LA promoted the growth and stimulated the antioxidative defence capacity of abalone. Based on the data of WGR, the optimal dietary LA supplement for juvenile abalone was found to be 709 mg kg−1 using piece-wise linear analysis.
Pro-lipogenic Action of Lysophosphatidic Acid in Ovarian Cancer

Abstract : The objective of the project is to determine the role of endogenous lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) in lipogenesis and metabolic abnormalities of ovarian cancer cells. During the second year of the funding support, the most significant advance we made was the identification of a previously unrecognized functional aspect of LPA-producing enzymes or LPA-synthesizing pathways such as iPLA2 and PLA2-autotaxin. They not only produce bioactive LPA but also regulate the availability of fatty acids for boxidation. We have obtained strong evidence that fatty acids and boxidation metabolism play an active role in driving cell proliferation and resistance to apoptosis. One of the key mediators of fatty acid b-oxidation is carnitine pamitoyl transferase 1A (CPT1A), which is overexpressed in malignant ovarian epithelial cells. Our results together indicate a dual role for lipid metabolism (LPA-driving lipogenesis and fatty acid catabolism) in support of malignant features of ovarian cancer cells. We have also obtained interesting results from other aspects of the project as detailed in the progress report. With the 6-month no extension that we have requested, we will be able to accomplish most of the project objectives.
ADUBAÇÃO FOSFATADA PARA A CULTURA DO SORGO GRANÍFERO

Objetivou-se, neste trabalho, avaliar a resposta de dois hibridos de sorgo granifero a doses crescentes de fosforo cultivados na regiao da Zona da Mata do Estado de Alagoas. Os tratamentos foram constituidos por dois hibridos de sorgo granifero: BRS304 e BRS310, e quatro doses de fosforo: 0, 25, 50 e 75 kg ha-1, dispostos em blocos casualisados com quatro repeticoes em esquema de parcelas subdivididas. Cada parcela experimental foi formada por cinco fileiras de 4,5 m de comprimento, espacadas de 0,70 m. O solo da area experimental recebeu calagem para elevar a saturacao por bases a 60%. Foram adotados os niveis de adubacao de 100 e 120 kg ha-1 para o N e K, respectivamente. O sorgo foi semeado manualmente estabelecendo-se uma densidade populacional de 160.000 plantas ha-1. Amostragens de plantas foram coletadas aos 40, 50, 60 e 70 dias apos a emergencia. A biomassa coletada foi separada em folhas fotossinteticamente ativas e no restante da planta. Quando os graos se apresentavam no estadio farinaceo duro avaliou-se a produtividade amostrando-se areas de 1,4 m2 no centro das parcelas. A adubacao fosfatada aumenta linearmente a producao de sorgo ate a dose de 75 kg ha-1 de P. O fosforo proporciona maior participacao de graos na materia seca total das plantas de sorgo.
Zur Systematik der in die Gattung Trissexodon Pilsbry (Helicidae, Helicodontinae) gerechneten Arten

In der Gattung Trissexodon Pilsbry gehoren nach Pilsbry (1895: 288) und spateren Autoren die beiden rezenten Arten T. constrictus (Boubee) und T. quadrasi (Hidalgo). Wenz (1923: 457-458) wahlte T. constrictus zur Typusart und stellte zugleich noch zwei fossile Arten, T. subconstrictus (Souverbie) und T. plioauriculatus (Sacco), in derselben Gattung. Germain (1929: 205) hat darauffolgend T. plioauriculatus zur Typusart einer neuen Gattung Protodrepanostoma gemacht. In dieser Gattung rechnete er auch P. planorbiformis (Sacco), ebenfalls eine fossile Art. Zilch (1960: 694) betrachtete schliesslich Protodrepanostoma als jungeres Synonym von Trissexodon. Eine anatomische Untersuchung der beiden rezenten Arten hat ergeben, dass diese durchaus nicht nahe verwandt sind und in zwei verschiedenen Gattungen gehoren. Es war darum notwendig fur Τ. quadrasi eine neue Gattung zu errichten. Fur Protodrepanostoma folge ich die Auffassung Germain's was P. plioauriculata angeht. P. planorbiformis mochte ich, wie Wenz (1923: 455) lieber zu Helicodonta rechnen. In Jugoslawien wurden vor mehreren Jahren in der Umgebung von Virpazar einige unbeschriebene Arten von Hohlenschnecken festgestellt, die in einigen Sammlungen unter Trissexodon eingeordnet wurden. Es handelt sich dabei um Vertreter der Pupillidae, Spelaeodiscinae, die in einer anderen Arbeit beschrieben werden. Die Verwirrung um Trissexodon ist zuruckzufuhren auf die Uberwertung eines einzigen Merkmales, namlich der Besitz einer Parietallamelle, wodurch die beiden Enden des Mundrandes verbunden werden. Eine solche Parietal-
OREGON'S NUTRIA PROBLEM

Author(s): Kuhn, Lee W. ; Peloquin, E. Paul | Abstract: The nutria or coypu, Myocastor coypus, is a large semi-aquatic rodent that superficially resembles an overgrown muskrat or a stunted beaver. They were introduced into Oregon from about 1930 to the 1950's. At one time Oregon had more than 600 fur farmers raising these animals for fur; now there are none. Some animals escaped and many others were released into the wild when it became apparent that pelt values were nonexistent and production costs greatly exceeded profits. Being prolific and quite mobile, the nutria quickly spread through much of western Oregon. By the 1960's damage to agricultural crops was common to severe in western Oregon. Crops damaged included seed, grain, forage, hay and trees. Burrowing damage to stream banks, field borders, and farm ponds was reported in many areas. Growth and reproduction data for Oregon nutria are included. Methods for controlling feral nutria including the use of prolin, red squill, strychnine alkaloid, and zinc phosphide are reported. Fur trapping and adverse weather as factors in population reduction are discussed.
Challenges in accounting the forests - a Latvian case study.

Forest has a long production cycle. Therefore forest bookkeeping has specific characteristics. However accounting for forest activities has received little attention from accounting researchers. The release of International Accounting Standard 41 "Agriculture" (IAS 41) established a single accounting system for forest assets. The paper analyzes application of IAS 41 which regulates forest accounting. Practice of international forestry companies is examined, and current forest accounting situation in Latvia is investigated. The main factors affecting valuation of a forest in its fair value are discussed and major problems in forest accounting are illuminated. The research indicates that land value and standing timber value should be recorded separately and standing timber should be estimated at its fair value. Despite the attempt of the International Accounting Standard Board to improve the accounting with IAS 41 for biological assets, much enhancement in forest accounting is still needed.
Booms, Busts, and Common Risk Exposures

I present a dynamic general equilibrium model in which commonality in bank assets endogenously changes over the business cycle and shapes systemic risk. To reduce individual risks, banks diversify, increasing portfolio overlap and hence the similarity of their exposures to fundamental shocks. Systemic financial crises burst at the end of credit booms when productive investment opportunities are exhausted, banks' diversification incentives are strong, and their portfolios are highly correlated. A calibrated model is able to match key moments related to frequency, severity, and the economy's behavior around systemic crises.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
The Role and Regulation of Quinol Oxidase in Rhizobium Etli

THE ROLE AND REGULATION OF QUINOL OXIDASE IN RHIZOBIUM ETLI Zachary Lunak, B.S., M.S. Marquette University, 2015 Aerobic bacteria typically respire by delivering electrons to oxygen via cytochrome c oxidases. In addition, many bacteria can respire by transferring electrons to oxygen via quinol oxidases. Exactly why bacteria contain quinol oxidases when they already have cytochrome c oxidases is unclear. In particular, the Cyo quinol oxidase, encoded by cyoABCD, is widespread among the dominant bacterial groups but its specific role is unknown. Rhizobium etli CFN42 provides an aerobic respiratory model in which Cyo can be directly compared to cytochrome c oxidases within the same organism. Mutants of the terminal oxidases in R. etli were constructed and their ability to grow in different physiological conditions was examined. The cyo mutant had noticable growth defects in low oxygen, low pH and low iron conditions. Furthermore, the cyo gene in the wild type was significantly up-regulated in these conditions. Conversely, in slow-growth conditions, such as stationary growth or growth in certain carbon sources, cyo was significantly down-regulated. A respiratory mutant, in which Cyo is the only viable terminal oxidase, had clear phenotypic defects in these conditions due to the regulation of cyo. Examination of the 5’ promoter region of cyo revealed multiple DNA binding sites for the transcription factor, ActR of the ActSR 2-component system. An actSR mutant was constructed and had significantly lower levels of cyo expression in all physiological conditions tested. The results suggest Cyo is important for growth and adaptation to low oxygen conditions, low pH, and low iron conditions in R. etli. Having an oxidase that enables the bacterium to aerobically respire in these conditions is of great benefit for bacteria, in particular soil bacteria that have to frequently adjust to adverse environmental conditions. Interestingly, each of these conditions would theoretically lead to higher quinol:quinone ratios in the cell. The activity of the transcriptional activator of cyo, ActSR, has been linked to the redox state of quinone in other bacteria, where quinone has been shown to inhibit ActSR activity. Altogether, the results indicate that the quinol:quinone ratio in the cell may be an important cue for Cyo utilization and expression.
Mortality of the cassava mealybug, Phenacoccus manihoti Mat.-Ferr. (Hom., Pseudococcidae), associated with an attack by Epidinocarsis lopezi (Hym., Encyrtidae).

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Intertidal ponds of Messina’s beachrock faunal assemblage, evaluation of ecosystem dynamics and communities’ interactions

Beachrock can be found in intertidal marine environments worldwide even though the knowledge about its ecological value in Messina’s strait is still quite scarce. In this study, six tidal ponds of Messina’s Beachrock were sampled from October 2016 to October 2017 to investigate the ecological status of the area, biotic and abiotic factors that can influence the faunal assemblage and the relationships among the communities inhabiting the various pools examined. A total of 13399 organisms, belonging to 5 Phyla, were identified by Visual Census. The surveyed stations showed biodiversity values and evenness that depend, above all, from the edaphic features and water exchange of the different tidal ponds. Tidal ponds characterized by a lower water exchange showed a faunal assemblage characterized by the presence of species tolerant to a wide temperature and salinity range, as Mugil cephalus, Clibanarius erythropus and Phorcus turbinatus. The pools with the most water exchange showed the highest abundance and evenness values; while the ponds characterized by hard bottom showed this feature as strong influence on the species composition. A preliminary mathematical study was also carry out to describe, qualitatively, the main mechanisms ruling the interaction between the Clibanarius erythropus and Phorcus turbinatus.
Evolutionary Genetics of Coloration in Cichlids

iv asymmetrically to selection. There was also a correlated response of body size. Furthermore, no evidence was found for the previously proposed sexual advertisement functions. All of this is inconsistent with the view that such trait is under strong directional sexual selection. It seems more likely that either non-adaptive processes currently shape the distribution of eggspot numbers or that selection acting on a correlated trait does. The second case-study concerns the gold/normal polychromatism in the Midas cichlid species of the genus Amphilophus. Gold or normal colored adults exist in several different populations and species in Nicaragua. All fish start their lives with a grayish (normal) color pattern and most individuals maintain their melanophores (dark pigment cells) throughout their lives. Others undergo morphological color change due to a process of melanophore cell death and exhibit a distinctive white-to-gold coloration in adulthood. It was shown that the color morphs mate assortatively and have diverged significantly in at least two lakes. In the present thesis, the genetic architecture of the gold phenotype is shown to be a simple one. This incipient speciation phenotype is determined by a dominant allele at a single gene. It was found that the gold locus might also control mating preference. In order to identify the causative gene, a number of approaches were taken, including forward-genetics (familyand population-based mapping), candidate-gene and transcriptomic experiments. The genomic region harboring the gold locus contains only a few positional candidate-genes out of which a single one has a known pigmentation function. Significant genotype-phenotype association was found in this region in an independent, field-collected population sample. Known color-genes that determine similar phenotypes in other organisms were either unrelated to or appear to be downstream targets of the gold locus. Interestingly, the genes that showed an expression pattern consistent with a role in the process of morphological color change are also related to human pigmentation disorders (e.g. skin cancer, psoriasis). One curious and unexpected result was that heterozygous gold fish undergo color change later in life than homozygous fish. This observation has implications for the evolutionary dynamics of this allele in the wild. In summary, the present results contribute towards filling the knowledge gaps of cichlid pigmentation and speciation genetics. By questioning previous conceptions, confirming theoretical expectations and generating new and exciting hypotheses, the present thesis illustrates the importance of understanding the genetic bases of ecologically-relevant phenotypes.
Cockroaches: Ecology, Behavior, and Natural History

The cockroach is truly an evolutionary wonder. This definitive volume provides a complete overview of suborder Blattaria, highlighting the diversity of these amazing insects in their natural environments. Beginning with a foreword by Edward O. Wilson, the book explores the fascinating natural history and behavior of cockroaches, describing their various colors, sizes, and shapes, as well as how they move on land, in water, and through the air. In addition to habitat use, diet, reproduction, and behavior, Cockroaches covers aspects of cockroach biology, such as the relationship between cockroaches and microbes, termites as social cockroaches, and the ecological impact of the suborder. With over 100 illustrations, an expanded glossary, and an invaluable set of references, this work is destined to become the classic book on the Blattaria. Students and research entomologists can mine each chapter for new ideas, new perspectives, and new directions for future study.
The peopling of Southern Africa: a genetics approach

Human populations in Africa have high levels of genetic, cultural and linguistic diversity. Despite this, only a small proportion of African populations have been studied from a genetics perspective. There is a particular dearth of information for Southern Africa, even though this region is one of the few places where hunter-gatherer, pastoralist and farmer populations remain, and where interaction between these groups can be studied. This thesis analyses novel populations from Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa, for both maternal and paternal markers, in order to provide a more accurate understanding of the history of this region. Analysis of biodemographic data for these populations highlights signatures of specific cultural traits. Interestingly, contrary to expectations, results indicate that in the patrilocal Basotho there are no differences in within and between area mtDNA and NRY variation, despite observations of a higher female than male migration rate. Females move preferentially at shorter distances than males, minimising the impact of the higher female migration rate. Further analysis of the Southern African samples indicates that the genetic composition of these populations is different to previously studied populations from Sub-Saharan Africa. Notably, there is a significantly higher maternal hunter-gatherer component, potentially as a result of an archeologically defined static frontier which existed along the Maloti/Drakensberg escarpment. Analysis of Namibian samples provides additional information about the history of populations with different lifestyles in the region, with support for a link between Southern Africa pastoralists and East Africa, while other Namibian populations appear genetically different from previously studied populations. Overall, this work demonstrates the diversity of populations in Southern Africa, improves understanding of the history of this region, and also emphasises the value of having access to geographically and ethnically well-defined samples.
Forecasting U.K. Yield Curve Dynamics Using Macroeconomic and Asset Pricing Factors: A No-Arbitrage Approach

We propose a no-arbitrage affine Gaussian model that links term structure dynamics to the evolution of asset pricing measures along with conventional macroeconomic and latent factors. In contrast to generic factors in FAVAR-type models, our economic factors exploit concept-specific rich data. For the U.K. economy, we find that medium and long-term yields respond more to shocks in asset pricing than real activity. The out-of-sample predictive analysis reveals that the proposed model outperforms traditional no-arbitrage affine Gaussian approaches with conventional macroeconomic and latent factors during the 2007-2010 crisis and post-crisis periods; the contribution of asset pricing measures to forecast accuracy is most pronounced at intermediate and long forecasting horizons. However, models with concept-specific factors only outperform models with generic FAVAR-type factors in the crisis and post-crisis periods, indicating that investors pay closer attention to specific sources of economic risks during periods of heightened economic uncertainty.