Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Restriction of HIV by Tim-family proteins and antagonism by NEF

T-cell immunoglobulin (Ig) and mucin domain (TIM) proteins play an important role in promoting the entry of a wide range of enveloped viruses by interacting with virions-associated phosphatidylserine (PS). However, the roles of TIMs in HIV-1 infection are poorly understood. In this Ph.D. thesis work, I demonstrate that expression of TIM-family proteins restricts HIV-1 release in viral producer cells by retaining mature viral particles on the plasma membrane. Notably, TIM-1 mutants that are defective for PS binding fail to block HIV-1 release, indicating that the interaction of TIM-1 and PS is required for TIM-mediated restriction. Consistent with this finding, knockdown of endogenous TIMs in human macrophages promotes HIV-1 production, suggesting that TIM-family proteins function as intrinsic inhibitors of viral release. HIV-1 accessory proteins play a critical role in antagonizing host restriction factors. I show in this work that expression of TIM-1 exhibits stronger inhibition of the release of Nef-deficient HIV-1 compared to wildtype. Consistently, ectopic expression of Nef overcomes the TIM-1 restriction. Interestingly, coexpression of SERINC3 and SERINC5 potentiates the ability of TIM-1 to inhibit HIV-1 release, and depletion of SERINCs in viral producer cells relieves TIM1-mediated restriction. My Ph.D. thesis work has provided new insights into HIV-host interactions, particularly the interplay between TIMs, SERINCs and HIV-1 Nef.
Sources of Betaine as Methyl Group Donors in Broiler Diets

Betaine is donor of methyl groups and can partially replace methionine in diets for this purpose. The objective of this study was to evaluate three sources of betaine in partial substitution of methionine supplement in broiler diets. The Cobb-500 broiler chickens were allocated in a completely randomized experimental design with 5 treatments and 7 replicates of 49 birds each. The positive control treatment consisted of standard level of digestible methionine, the negative control was the digestible methionine reduced by 17% and the other three treatments consisted of the negative control diet supplemented with natural betaine (95%) or hydrochloride betaine (72%), HCl 1 and HCl 2 that had the same composition, and were obtained from two different manufacturers. The performance was evaluated from 7 to 21 days, 7 to 35 days and 7 to 43 days. At 43 days, the carcass and carcass parts (breast, thigh+drumstick, liver and abdominal fat) were determined and an economic analysis of each diet was performed. The performance results of the negative control were similar to the other treatments; however, there was a reduction in breast meat yield of birds fed the negative control compared to positive control and betaine HCl 2. The birds from the negative control had the lowest breast meat yield and the highest thigh + drumstick yield. The chickens fed betaine HCl 2 had greater amount of breast in the carcass (42.85 vs. 41.17%) and the cost of production of breast was reduced (US$1.941 vs. US$ 2.042) compared to the negative control. There was not difference between treatments in carcass yield, percentage of liver and abdominal fat. There was a tendency to higher abdominal fat deposition in carcass in animals fed with the negative control. As a conclusion, the inclusion of betaine in the diets of chickens containing restricted levels of methionine is economically feasible, reducing the cost of breast meat production.
A critical role for miR-142 in alveolar epithelial lineage formation

The development of a functional lung, capable of gas exchange, requires proper alveologenesis. Mechanisms regulating AT1 and AT2 cell maturation are poorly defined. We report the activation of the glucocorticoid pathway in an in vitro alveolar epithelial lineage differentiation assay led to increased AT2 marker Sftpc and decreased miR-142 expression. Using a constitutive KO mouse model, we further demonstrate a relative increase of AT2 and a decrease in AT1 cell number with a global decrease of AT2 gene profile signature in miR-142 KO AT2 cells. Over-expression of miR-142 in alveolar progenitor cells in vivo led to an opposite effect. Examination of the KO lungs at E18.5, revealed enhanced expression miR-142 targets like Apc, Ep300 and Kras associated with increased Ctnnb1 and p-Erk signaling. Pharmacological inhibition of Ep300-Ctnnb1 in vitro prevented an increase in Sftpc expression triggered by loss of miR-142. These results together suggest glucocorticoid-miR-142-p300 signaling axis controls pneumocyte maturation.
Métabolisme énergétique mitochondrial dans le développement de la stéatose hépatique

La steatose hepatique est une pathologie associee a l'obesite et a l'insulinoresistance. Les mecanismes a l'origine du developpement de la steatose hepatique sont loin d'etre elucides. Cependant, une alteration de la fonction mitochondriale pourrait contribuer a l'accumulation de lipides dans le foie. Par consequent, l'objectif de ce travail est d'evaluer la fonction mitochondriale dans deux modeles animaux de steatose hepatique ainsi que les effets de deux molecules, le rimonabant et le resveratrol. Dans un modele genetique d'obesite, le rat Zucker, aucune alteration de la phosphorylation oxydative n'est observee. Dans un modele plus physiologique, le rat alimente avec un regime riche en lipides pendant differentes durees, dans les premiers temps d'un apport accru en lipides, le metabolisme hepatique est oriente de maniere a utiliser ou a stocker l'exces de lipides. Cette premiere adaptation est ensuite inversee et une diminution de l'oxydation des acides gras mais egalement une diminution du stockage de triglycerides sont observees. Le traitement avec du rimonabant de rats alimentes avec un regime en gras, a un effet benefique sur la fonction mitochondriale hepatique notamment en augmentant l'entree des acides gras dans la mitochondrie et donc leur oxydation. Enfin, le traitement par du resveratrol de cellules HepG2, entraine une augmentation de la consommation d'oxygene mitochondriale et une augmentation de l'activite du complexe I mais sans modification de la biogenese mitochondriale. Meme si la mitochondrie semble peu affectee au cours du developpement de la steatose hepatique, la considerer comme une cible therapeutique reste pertinent.
Plant traits related to leaf decomposition processes in arid ecosystems of northern Patagonia

Plants play an important role in ecosystem processes. Functional meaning of trait variation in wide environmental gradients is well known but is scarcely known across narrow gradients. We analyze the variation of morphological, physical and chemical traits of dominant plant species and the potential rates of dry mass loss and N release/immobilization during senesced leaf decomposition of these species across a narrow aridity gradient, and to identify indicative traits useful to set species functional groups sharing decomposition patterns. We analyzed the variation of morphological, physical and chemical traits (specific leaf area, seed mass, N and soluble phenols in green and senesced leaves, plant height) in dominant plant species at 12 sites across an aridity gradient in northern Patagonia, Argentina. We collected senesced leaves of each plant species at each site and used them to estimate the potential rates of dry mass loss and N release/immobilization from decomposing senesced leaves in a microcosm experiment. We analyzed the variation of plant traits and decomposition rates across the aridity gradient. We grouped plants species according to growth forms (perennial grasses, deciduous shrubs, evergreen shrubs) and different combinations of morpho-physical and chemical traits of green and senesced leaves and compared the potential rates of dry mass loss and N release/immobilization during leaf decomposition among these groups delimited by each grouping criteria. Plant traits did not vary across the aridity gradient. The potential rate of dry mass loss was positively related to aridity, while the potential rate of N release/immobilization did not vary across the gradient. Grouping species by separately morpho-physical and chemical traits resulted in a large overlapping in mean values of decomposition rates among groups. In contrast, plant groupings based on growth forms and those including all morpho-physical and chemical traits of green or senesced leaves yielded groups with differentiated rates of decomposition processes. The two latter groupings clustered species from more than one growth form indicating some overlapping in the rates of decomposition processes among species of different growth forms. Among traits, N concentration in senesced leaves and plant height explained the highest variation in decomposition rates being positively related to potential rates of dry mass loss and N release/immobilization. We concluded that plant groupings based on morpho-physical and chemical traits of either green or senesced leaves may be more powerful to differentiate functional species groups sharing decomposition patterns than the growth form grouping. Moreover, plant height and N concentration in senesced leaves may be considered relevant synthetic functional traits in relation to decomposition processes in narrow aridity gradients.
Influence of Method and Application Time of Nitrogen on Pest Incidence of Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] Genotypes

An experiment was conducted under open field condition in the month of June to December in the year of 2013 at College of Agriculture, Indore, R.V. S.K. V.V. (M.P.), India. Nitrogen application time and cultivars were significantly effective but their interaction was non-significantly effective for incidence of insect pest (exception of ear head bug), whereas both factor and interaction were significantly effective to growth parameter. CSV20 was recorded with significantly lowest incidence of pests and maximum for growth parameters in comparison to CSH16 in nitrogen application time treatment N 1 : 50% at sowing+50% at 30 DAS maximum incidence of Shoot fly (57.87% and 64.39%) at 14 and 21 days, while minimum in stem borer dead hearts (41.15%) at 45 DAE, Ear head pests (3.75 bug & 3.0 worm) at milk stage, N 2 : 50% at sowing+25% at 30 DAS+25% at boot leaf stage was found highest height of plant (182.33 cm.), N 3 : 25% at sowing+50% at 30 DAS+25% at BLS has been recorded higher stem borer dead hearts (51.42%), N 4 : 25% at sowing+50% at 30 DAS+15% at BLS+10% at grain filling stage reported maximum ear head pests (6.78% and 4.27%), treatment N 5 : 25% at sowing+45% at 30 DAS+5% foliar spray at 45 DAS+15% BLS+10% GFS) recorded minimum incidence of shoot fly (43.85% and 51.12%). Among the treatment maximum number of grains ear head -1 was recorded in the treatment N 4 , (2369.33) at GFS and N5 (2111.17) at GFS with and higher yield plot -1 and stover yield was recorded in the treatment N 5 (2.79 kg and 2.88 kg) respectively.
A multi‐ingredient athletic supplement disproportionately enhances hind leg musculature, jumping performance, and spontaneous locomotion in crickets (Acheta domesticus)

Nutrition is a key component of life‐history theory with profound impacts on fitness traits. We examined lifetime impacts of a multi‐ingredient athletic supplement (MAS) on physical performance, anatomical morphology, survivorship, and general life‐history features in the house cricket, Acheta domesticus (L.) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). The MAS was formulated using 13 nutraceutical supplements that are commonly used by human athletes specifically to improve athletic performance. Cricket doses were based on human doses adjusted for body size and metabolic rate. Markers of athletic performance included: jumping distance, spontaneous locomotor activity, and morphology of the hind legs (femurs). Supplemented adult crickets jumped ca. 25% further and expressed elevated spontaneous locomotion relative to controls. The MAS disproportionately increased hind leg femur length and width. Life‐history endpoints included survivorship, juvenile growth rate, maturation age, and mature body size. Supplemented crickets showed faster juvenile growth and earlier maturation, but no change in final adult size. A 20% increase in mean survivorship (extending into older ages) was also documented. Crickets represent an excellent new model for assessing athletic diets and associated performance criteria. Finally, as experimental animals were untrained, we argue that our supplement may represent a novel ‘exercise mimetic’ that impacts both performance and survivorship.
Evaluation of homeopathic drugs on Glucocorticoid induced osteoporosis (GIOP) zebrafish model

Background : Homeopathic remedies are proposed as source for traditional preventive medicines. In this context our study focuses to evaluate efficacy of homoeopathic drug with reference to GIOP in Zebrafish vertebrate model. The overall approach behind this study was to determine whether homeopathic drugs can be used along with of allopathic medicines as an alternate therapy. Methods : In the present study, an attempt is made to find out the efficacy of homoeopathic medicines- Argentum Metallicum, Calcaria Carbonica and Sepia in two dilutions 6CH and 30 CH on GIOP model of zebra fish in two dilutions. Exposure was studied at 3 different points - 4, 14 and 28 days exposure (treatment with test drugs) and staining intensities were measured using Image J software. Control groups used were untreated control larvae, GIOP model untreated post 11 dpf and GIOP model treated with Alendronate. The medium was changed every day at the same time. Staining intensities measured for Alizarin Red and Calcein dye stained images. Results : Staining intensities of Alizarin red and Calcein staining of the treated group on statistical analysis showed that the means of GIOP and other treated groups were not statistically significant at p<0.05 except in the case of 28 day study for Calcarea Carbonica 30C and Sepia 30C. Though screening was processed using Alizarin red and Calcein staining, our quantification screening with calcein labeling indeed facilitated the process and diminished labor of handling. Conclusion: Our findings show that, despite some physiological differences between mammals and teleosts, the zebra fish represents an effective model for screening of bone defects. This model has been used for preliminary studies on homeopathy drugs prescribed for treatment of Osteoporosis. The proposed calcein staining protocol can represents a powerful tool for in vivo monitoring of mineralized structures.
Association patterns of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Bahía San Antonio, Argentina

This study aims to investigate the association patterns of a small and resident population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Bahia San Antonio (Argentina), and assess any seasonal variation in view of the reported seasonal variation in the population's grouping behavior. The estimation of social differentiation (S) was 0.29 (SE = 0.08), suggesting a homogenous society. The half-weight index (HWI) averaged 0.23 (± 0.06), with evidence of long-term preferred associations. However, data showed seasonal variation in the association patterns. In winter, when large groups were reported in this population, HWI values averaged 0.30 (± 0.09) with no indication of preferred or avoided associations. However, during summer, when group size was generally small, HWI values averaged 0.14 (± 0.07), with an indication of preferred/avoided associations. This study indicates that the social structure of the bottlenose dolphins in Bahia San Antonio seems relatively homogenous and flexible over time, with the formation of a random social network at times when large aggregations are formed, and a more disconnected network made up of strongly connected components when the cost of grouping is high.
Vincetoxicum luridum (Asclepiadeae, Asclepiadoideae, Apocynaceae), a new and long misunderstood endemic species from Balochistan, Pakistan

We here describe a new species, Vincetoxicum luridum, from South West Balochistan. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of leaves and seeds, palynology and chorology support the recognition of V. luridum. The lurid appearance, dense pubescence and ovate corona lobes readily distinguish V. luridum from the closely related species V. stocksii which is endemic to North East Balochistan. We illustrate V. luridum, and confirm the significance of corona morphology for classification of Vincetoxicum in Pakistan. Presently, the V. arnottianum complex comprise four species with purple flowers viz., V. arnottianum, V. sakesarense, V. luridum and V. stocksii. In this study we also present the geographic distribution and a taxonomic key to the taxa of V. arnottianum complex.
Are seeds able to germinate before fruit color ripening? Evidence from six Neotropical bird-dispersed plant species

Many plants attract seed dispersers and indicate the presence of ripe, ﬂ eshy fruits with coloration changes. If seed maturation is simultaneous with visual signs for frugivorous, a portion of seeds can be removed before being ready for dispersal. In this study, we tested the delay visual signal hypothesis (DVSH), which implies high reproductive success when seed maturation precedes the visual signal of the fruit ripening, limiting the dispersal of unviable seeds. We evaluated this hypothesis with six tropical species that have fruits with discrete coloration for the immature, intermediate, and mature stages, testing the prediction that the development of mature and intermediate seeds is similar. First, we veri ﬁ ed that the coloration of three categories was differentiable with color analysis. Next, we carried out germination and viability tests (i.e., electrical conductivity [EC] and tetrazolium) as an approach to evaluate the germination potential along development. We found that the EC of three species decreased constantly during fruit ripening, suggesting that the seed maturation is a gradual process, with a substantial germination of intermediate seeds. In the other species, the conductivity of seeds of fruits with intermediate coloration was lower than that of mature fruit, because mature seeds are more affected by predators and pathogens. The tetrazolium tests indicated that the viability of seeds of three species increased with maturity and smaller differences between intermediate and mature stages were observed, supporting the DVSH. Only two species achieved high percentages of germination, and for Myrcia splendens , the pattern was very consistent with the hypothesis. We concluded that the germination and viability rates of the seeds of each plant species depend on many factors (e.g., dormancy and time of exposure to predators); however, for all the species studied, there is some evidence that seeds can germinate before they reach maturity by color.
Prey electivity of the slimy sculpin within the Lake Superior-North Watershed

ABSTRACT We evaluated the prey electivity of lotic slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus) within the Lake Superior-North Watershed, an area characterized by high gradient streams and lacking the preferred prey of Gammarus. Fish and macroinvertebrates were sampled at 67 sites within 52 rivers and streams during 2013 in the Lake Superior-North Watershed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Fish sampling was conducted with the use of backpack and stream tote barge electrofishers, and macroinvertebrates were collected using qualitative multi-habitat sampling within D-Frame kick nets. Feeding electivity was calculated using Strauss’ modified feeding electivity model for three rivers. In total we sampled 174 slimy sculpins within the Lake Superior-North Watershed and found sculpins positively selected for Hydropsychidae (47.3% of total taxa consumed) and Perlidae (11% of total taxa consumed) instead of abundant Chironomidae (20% of total taxa sampled).
A decisional space account of saccadic reaction times towards personally familiar faces

Manual and saccadic reaction times (SRTs) have been used to determine the minimum time required for different types of visual categorizations. Such studies have demonstrated that faces can be detected within natural scenes within as little as 100ms (Crouzet, Kirchner & Thorpe, 2010), while increasingly complex decisions require longer processing times (Besson, Barragan-Jason, Thorpe, Fabre-Thorpe, Puma et al., 2017). Following the notion that facial representations stored in memory facilitate perceptual processing (Ramon & Gobbini, 2018), a recent study reported 180ms as the fastest speed at which “familiar face detection” based on expressed choice saccades (Visconti di Ollegio Castello & Gobbini, 2015). At first glance, these findings seem incompatible with the earliest neural markers of familiarity reported in electrophysiological studies (Barragan-Jason, Cauchoix & Barbeau, 2015; Caharel, Ramon & Rossion, 2014; Huang, Wu, Hu, Wang, Ding & Qu et al., 2017), which should temporally precede any overtly observed behavioral (oculomotor or manual) categorization. Here, we reason that this apparent discrepancy could be accounted for in terms of decisional space constraints, which modulate both manual RTs observed for different levels of visual processing (Besson et al., 2017), as well as saccadic RTs (SRTs) in both healthy observers and neurological patients (Ramon, in press; Ramon, Sokhn, Lao & Caldara, in press). In the present study, over 70 observers completed three different SRT experiments in which decisional space was manipulated through task demands and stimulus probability. Subjects performed a gender categorization task, or one of two familiar face “recognition” tasks, which differed with respect to the number of personally familiar identities presented (3 vs. 7). We observe an inverse relationship between visual categorization proficiency and decisional space. Observers were most accurate for categorization of gender, which could be achieved in as little as 140ms. Categorization of highly predictable targets was more error-prone and required an additional ~100ms processing time. Our findings add to increasing evidence that pre-activation of identity-information can modulate early visual processing in a top-down manner. They also emphasize the importance of considering procedural aspects as well as terminology when aiming to characterize cognitive processes.
Effect of cultivars and weed management on quality, nutrient content and uptake in late sown groundnut.

Rajendra Gochar. A field experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2010 to study the effect of cultivars and weed management on late sown groundnut productivity. The experiment comprising of 16 treatment combinations (4 cultivars (TG-37A, Malika, HNG-10 and Local) and 4 weed control treatments (Weedy check, Weed free, Pendimethalin 1.0 kg ha and Pendimethalin 1.0 kg ha -1 with one hand weeding at 35 DAS), replicated four times was laid out in split plot design. Maximum uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus, higher net return (49882 Rs. ha-) and Benefit cost ratio (B: C) recorded in cultivar HNG-10. Maximum and significantly higher shelling percentage was recorded in Malika cultivar. Oil yield and economies was obtaining in weed free treatment, which was significantly higher as compared to Pendimethalin at 1 kg ha treatment; however, it was statistically at par with Pendimethalin at 1 kg ha + HW 35 DAS treatment.