Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diverse Streptococcus pneumoniae strains drive a MAIT cell response through MR1-dependent and cytokine-driven pathways

Mucosal Associated Invariant T (MAIT) cells represent an innate T cell population of emerging significance. These abundant cells can recognize ligands generated by microbes utilizing the riboflavin synthesis pathway, presented via the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-related molecule MR1 and binding of specific T cell receptors (TCR). They also possess an innate functional programme allowing microbial sensing in a cytokine-dependent, TCR-independent manner. Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major human pathogen that is also associated with commensal carriage, thus host control at the mucosal interface is critical. The recognition of S. pneumoniae strains by MAIT cells has not been defined, nor have the genomics and transcriptomics of the riboflavin operon (Rib genes). We examined the expression of Rib genes in S. pneumoniae at rest and in response to metabolic stress and linked this to MAIT cell activation in vitro. We observed robust recognition of S. pneumoniae strains at rest and following stress, using both TCR-dependent and TCR-independent pathways. The pathway used was highly dependent on the antigen-presenting cell, but was maintained across a wide range of clinically-relevant strains. The riboflavin operon was highly conserved across a range of 571 S. pneumoniae from 39 countries dating back to 1916, and different versions of the riboflavin operon were also identified in related Streptococcus species. These data indicate an important functional relationship between MAIT cells and S. pneumoniae,which may be tuned by local factors, including the metabolic state of the organism and the antigen-presenting cell that it encounters. Author Summary Streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia, causes invasive diseases such as meningitis and bacteraemia, and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in children and the elderly. Here, we demonstrate that a novel T cell population called Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells is able to respond to a diverse range of S. pneumoniae strains. We found that this response was dependent on the T cell receptor (which recognises metabolites of the bacterial riboflavin biosynthesis pathway), cytokines, and the type of antigen-presenting cell. A population genomics approach was also used to assess the prevalence and diversity of the genes encoding the riboflavin biosynthesis pathway among a large and diverse collection of S. pneumoniae. These genes were highly conserved across a range of 571 S. pneumoniae from 39 countries dating back to 1916, and was also present in other related Streptococcus species. Given the low levels of MAIT cells in neonates and MAIT cell decline in the elderly, both of whom are at the highest risk of invasive pneumococcal disease, further understanding of the functional role of MAIT cells in host defense against this major pathogen may allow novel therapeutics or vaccines to be designed.
Swimming energetics of the postlarvae of the spiny lobster Jasus edwardsii in New Zealand

Postlarval spiny lobsters require sufficient energy reserves to enable them to actively move across the continental shelf and settle successfully in shallow coastal waters. Recent declines in settlement in lobster populations around the world have been associated with changing ocean climate impacts on the accumulation and use of energy reserves during this phase of the lifecycle. Here, we experimentally measured the energy requirements of swimming postlarvae of the Australasian red spiny lobster, Jasus edwardsii (Hutton, 1875). Wild-caught postlarvae actively swimming in tanks were found to have high energy demands, on average catabolizing 1.6 (SE 0.2) mg of lipid d–1, which is consistent with previous estimates for pueruli of this species using indirect estimations. In contrast, the protein reserves of experimentally swum pueruli only began to be used following the depletion of lipid reserves. A large observed difference in the nutritional condition of pueruli arriving at the sampling site between years is likely to translate into marked interannual differences in the survival and recruitment of pueruli into the population. To begin to understand the dramatic interannual fluctuations in the recruitment of spiny lobsters, it is necessary to determine the environmental factors leading to differences in nutritional condition of their pueruli. Differences in water temperature and zooplankton food availability that impact the ability of lobster larvae to accumulate nutrients appear to be likely candidates for closer examination in future studies.
Use, applications and mechanisms of intracellular actions of camelid VHHs

The discovery of heavy-chain-only antibodies (HCAbs) in camelids and sharks led to the rise of a new research field in which single-domain antibodies are used for various applications. Single-domain antibodies are the antigen-binding fragments derived from HCAbs showing several beneficial properties (e.g., small size, specificity, stability under extreme conditions, cost-effective production, and ease of engineering). Importantly, they are stable in reducing cytoplasmic environment, which allows their use as an intrabody to target a wide range of intracellular targets. In this chapter, we discuss both the therapeutic potential of camelid single-domain antibodies (nanobodies) and their use as a research tool with the main focus on its intracellular employment. Targeting intracellular proteins using nanobodies as a therapeutic per se is, up to now, limited due to its incapacity to traverse the cellular membrane. They can however serve as a stepping stone to small compound development, since they directly target a resident, endogenous protein, similar to how a conventional drug acts. In addition, nanobodies are highly adaptable tools and possess interesting properties for more fundamental research objectives like the elucidation of protein function, the tracking and visualization of endogenous proteins in an in vivo setting, and the assessment of protein-protein interactions.
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE QUALITY OF FINANCIAL AUDIT

Investors’ decisions are based on financial and non-financial information. To be useful, the information provided by the financial reports must be accurate, which is also ensured by the opinion expressed by the auditors. The purpose of the paper is to show the importance of the quality of audit services both for investors and for professional accountants and auditors. Audit quality factors can be structured according to several criteria and were represented by the size of the auditor, rotation, duration of the contract, types of services provided. In order to support this hypothesis, the correlation between the variables was tested on the basis of a sample of seven companies listed at Bucharest Stock Exchange in the energy field and utilities included in index BET, for period 2013 - 2018. The data was collected from the annual financial statements and reports issued by financial auditors. The results show that there is a correlation between variables, but of different intensities depending on the indicators chosen. Increasing the quality of financial reporting and the quality of audit leads to increased investor confidence in professional accountants.
Importance of Habitat Structure for Pond-Breeding Amphibians in Multiple Life Stages

IMPORTANCE OF HABITAT STRUCTURE FOR POND-BREEDING AMPHIBIANS IN MULTIPLE LIFE STAGES Jennifer L. Purrenhage Habitat loss and alteration is a major cause of population declines; thus, habitat conservation is essential for preventing species extinctions. Habitat conservation, however, can be hindered by an inadequate understanding of species’ habitat requirements. Pond-breeding amphibians have a biphasic life history, which requires both aquatic and terrestrial habitats; thus, pond-breeding amphibians are particularly vulnerable to habitat alteration because they experience its effects in multiple habitats during successive life stages. The goal of this dissertation was to examine the importance of habitat structure (i.e., vegetation structure, canopy cover) for larval and juvenile pond-breeding amphibians. In the first and second chapters, I assessed how aquatic vegetation structure mediates biotic interactions (competition and predation) for larval amphibians. In the second, third, and fourth chapters, I established that aquatic and terrestrial canopy cover can strongly influence growth and survival of amphibian larvae, as well as locomotor performance, growth, and survival of terrestrial juveniles. Taken together, the findings of my research suggest that, although habitat structure influences growth and survival of larvae, some pond-breeding amphibians appear to be more sensitive to the suitability of their terrestrial habitat; thus, successful conservation of pond-breeding amphibians must involve the preservation of high-quality (i.e., closed canopy) terrestrial habitat and the maintenance of corridors that facilitate juvenile dispersal from natal wetlands to suitable terrestrial habitat. IMPORTANCE OF HABITAT STRUCTURE FOR POND-BREEDING AMPHIBIANS IN MULTIPLE LIFE STAGES
Bernoulli, multinomial and Markov chain thinning of some point processes and some results about the superposition of dependent renewal processes

We show that Bernoulli thinning of arbitrarily delayed renewal processes produces uncorrelated thinned processes if and only if the renewal process is Poisson. Multinomial thinning of point processes is studied. We show that if an arbitrarily delayed renewal process or a doubly stochastic Poisson process is subjected to multinomial thinning, the existence of a single pair of uncorrelated thinned processes is sufficient to ensure that the renewal process is Poisson and the double stochastic Poisson process is at most a non-homogeneous Poisson process. We also show that a two-state Markov chain thinning of an arbitrarily delayed renewal process produces, under certain conditions, uncorrelated thinned processes if and only if the renewal process is Poisson and the Markov chain is a Bernoulli process. Finally, we identify conditions under which dependent point processes superpose to form a renewal process.
Three new species and a new genus of Hypselostomatidae (Gastropoda: Pulmonata) from Cong Troi Cave, Northern Vietnam

The Hypselostomatidae Zilch, 1959 comprise a family of minute pupilloid snails usually endemic to limestone habitats in single hills, adjacent hill ranges, and in caves of Southeast Asia. Except for one molecular study, their taxonomy is largely conchologically driven. In this work, shell material derived from sediment samples from the Cong Troi Cave in Northern Vietnam is examined and taxonomically assessed. Altogether, five species are recognized. Three new species are described: Angustopila stochi Páll-Gergely et Jochum, sp. n. , Tonkinospira tomasini Páll-Gergely et Jochum sp. n. and Dentisphaera maxema PállGergely et Jochum, sp. n. For the latter species, Dentisphaera Páll-Gergely et Jochum a new genus is erected. Another hypselostomatid species is found to be identical with the original sample of Angustopila subelevata Páll-Gergely et Hunyadi, 2015 from Guangxi, China. This is the first record of A. subelevata from Vietnam. The fifth species closely resembles Pupisoma sp. from Thailand. Though figured here, it is not assessed taxonomically in this work.
Bacterial wilt resistance in tomato, eggplant and pepper : genetic resources challenged with the multifaceted Ralstonia solanacearum species complex : [P3-49]

Bacterial wilt caused by strains belonging to the #Ralstonia solanacearum# species complex inflicts severe economic losses in many crops worldwide. Host resistance remains the most effective control strategy against the bacterial wilt. However, interactions among plant, strain and environment often result in overcoming resistance properties due to variation in strain pathogenicity and adaptation. To help breeders circumvent this problem, we assembled a worldwide collection of 30 accessions of Tomato, Eggplant and Pepper (Core-TEP) that are commonly used as sources of resistance to #R. solanacearum# or for mapping QTLs. The Core-TEP lines were challenged with a core collection of 12 pathogen strains (Core-Rs2) representing the phylogenetic diversity of #R. solanacearum#. To our knowledge, this is the first study that investigated bacterial wilt resistance in a set of worldwide genetic resources used as sources of resistance in three solanaceous species (tomato, eggplant, and pepper). Our results showed that none of the Core-TEP accessions, representative of the TEP genetic diversity for resistance, was resistant to all Core-Rs2 strains. Hence, none of them displayed universal resistance. We observed six wilt interaction phenotypes, from highly susceptible to highly resistant. Intermediate phenotype resulted from the ability of plants to tolerate latent infections, i.e. bacterial colonization of vascular elements with limited or no wilting. #R. solanacearum# strains exhibited specific patterns of interaction with Core-TEP accessions. Thanks to several similarities of virulence patterns between strains of Core-Rs2, we defined two working concepts associated with two levels of resolution of the interactions between strains and plant phenotypes. One concept, the "pathoprofile" is based on the interactions for the three solanaceae taken together, and the other, the pathotype is based on the interactions for each plant species taken separately. The 12 Core-Rs2 strains partitioned into four pathotypes on Pepper accessions, five pathotypes on Tomato, six pathotypes on Eggplant, and six pathoprofiles on the whole set of Core-TEP accessions. Neither pathotypes nor pathoprofiles were phylotype-specific. Pathoprofiles with high pathogenicity were mainly found in strains from phylotypes I, IIB and III. One pathoprofile included a strain that overcame almost all resistance sources. (Resume d'auteur)
Acclimation responses to short‐term temperature treatments during early life stages causes long lasting changes in spontaneous activity of adult Drosophila melanogaster

Ecotherms adjust their physiology to environmental temperatures. Long‐term exposures to heat or cold typically induce acclimation responses that generate directional, but reversible shifts in thermal tolerance and performance. However, less is known about how short exposure in different life stages will affect the adult phenotype. In the present study, we compared the effects of long‐term temperature exposure to 15, 19 and 31 °C with that of brief (16 h) exposure periods at the same temperatures in Drosophila melanogaster eggs, larvae, pupae, or adults, respectively. The acclimation responses are evaluated using activity measurements at 11, 15, 19, 27, 31 and 33 °C and by measuring upper and lower thermal limits (CTmax and CTmin) in 5‐day‐old adult males. As expected, long‐term cold exposure reduces relative CTmin, whereas long‐term heat exposure increases relative CTmax. By contrast, we find little effect on thermal limits when using short‐term exposures at different life stages. Long‐term exposures to 31 and 15 °C both suppressed activity relative to the 19 °C control, suggesting that development at high and low temperatures may lead to reduced activity later in life. Short‐term cold exposure early in development reduces activity in the adult stage, whereas the effects of short‐term heat exposure on behaviour are dependent on life stage and test temperature. Together, our results highlight how the thermal sensitivity of the trait measured determines the ability to detect acclimation responses.
A model for sheath formation coupled to motility in Leptothrix ochracea

Optical and atomic force microscopy (AFM) of naturally occurring Leptothrix ochracea was used to study the fine structure of sheaths and cells. Morphology of young sheaths suggests the scaffold chains have strong self-adhesion. Evidence from un-encapsulated cells indicates fresh scaffold production through cell walls. Simple diffusion arguments are used to explain the morphology of the sheath structure. We propose a novel cell motility model based on previously published video data, our AFM images of naked cells, and simple flow calculations. The model indicates that motility results from differential shear forces resulting from extrusion of sheath material that passively pushes a filament of connected cells forward as the surrounding sheath material hardens behind the cell train.
The Role of n-3 Fatty Acids in Cardiometabolic Risk

The work described in this thesis addresses two questions relating to benefits of dietary omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA). Accretion of research knowledge indicates that adequate n-3 LCPUFA intakes may be instrumental in maintaining good health throughout life, including in the optimisation of cardiovascular health. Sources of n-3 LCPUFA traditionally include fish oils but concern regarding long-term sustainability of fish stocks has led to investigation of alternative sources. Krill oil, obtained from the crustacean Euphausia superba, contains n-3 fatty acids as phospholipids and triglycerides, astaxanthin and related carotenoid pigments, and has been proposed as a more effective alternative than triglyceride oils. Some foods rich in n-3-LCPUFA, including prawns, also contain cholesterol; concern regarding possible adverse health effects of such dietary cholesterol has led to public health advice to limit intake of these potentially beneficial foodstuffs. These questions are addressed in two food intake studies in male volunteers by monitoring markers of cardiovascular health, food intake and biochemical markers of compliance. Firstly, prawns and a white fish control were compared for effects on lipoprotein profiles and other markers. Dietary supplementation with 225 g prawns daily for 4 weeks was associated with a decrease in ApoB of 7.8mg/dL compared an increase (+2.4 mg/dL) for the white fish control. Participants with BMI > 25 kg/m2 also showed a reduction in plasma TAG (0.17 mmol/L) compared with baseline following prawn intake; those receiving the control showed an increase in plasma TAG (0.30 mmol/L), a decrease in HDL-C, and increases in VLDL-C and sdLDL-C. No overall adverse effect was found for prawns compared with processed white fish. Secondly, effects were compared of fish oil and krill oil on cardiometabolic profiles of a cohort of men with metabolic syndrome, using anthropometric measurements, biochemical markers of cardiovascular health and assessments of food intake. Krill oil and fish oil at the doses used showed no overall difference in effect on MetS markers after 6 weeks; correlations between magnitude of reduction and baseline measurement were observed in both groups for TAG, fasting glucose, NEFA and sdLDL after 3 weeks on both supplements, and for glucose and cholesterol after 6 weeks of fish oil. Comparison of analytical methods was also undertaken during both studies; use of a point-of-care system using capillary blood correlated well with plasma biochemistry using venous blood, while the Hirano method for sdLDL measurement correlated favourably with more labour-intensive centrifugation techniques. Limitations of the methods used are discussed, and proposals put forward for future work, including improving compliance through the use of newly emerging technologies such as metabolomics.
3D Structure Modeling of Major Subunit and Chaperone of CS3 Pili: Prediction of Residues Conferring Assembly of Fimbriae

The objective of the current study is to model the three dimensional (3D) structures of major subunit (CstH) and chaperone (CS3-1) of CS3 pili using computational methods, particularly comparative protein modeling. The generated models of CstH and CS3-1 have been deposited into the PMDB database under the ID numbers PM0079873 and PM0078481, respectively. The 3D structures were utilized in the molecular dimerization in order to identify the potential interaction sites in the CstH molecule. The interacting surface areas of the dimer molecules were determined using the PDBePISA server. The interaction affinities and electrostatic potential of the CstH subunit surfaces and its complexes were calculated by PPEPred server and APBS software, respectively. The results indicated that analysis of the 3D models presents an important insight into the permissive sites, binding mode and contact sites of the CstH protein and our method can be a useful tool for other experimental studies in the biology of the pili and their applications.
Driving Force Control of Electric Vehicles with Estimation of Slip Ratio Limitation Considering Tire Side Slip

This paper presents the estimation method of the slip ratio limitation for electric vehicles that ensures traction, based on the tire brush model considering tire side slip. Also the estimated slip ratio limitation is applied to the driving force control, a traction control that has been proposed by the authors’ research group. According to the proposed method, vehicle safety can be improved by preventing understeer when cornering with accelerating or decelerating on slippery roads. Effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by experiments using an experimental electric vehicle.
Wind tunnel as a tool in bird migration research

Wind tunnels, in which birds fly against an artificially generated air flow, have since long been used to evaluate aerodynamic properties of steady bird flight. A new generation of wind tunnels has also allowed the many processes associated with migratory flights to be studied in captivity. We review how wind tunnel studies of aerodynamics and migratory performance together have helped advancing our understanding of bird migration. Current migration theory is based on the power-speed relationship of flight as well as flight range equations, both of which can be evaluated using birds flying in wind tunnels. In addition, and depending on wind tunnel properties, performance during gliding and climbing flight, and effects of air pressure, humidity and turbulence on bird flight has been measured. Long-distance migrant species have been flown repeatedly for up to 16 h non-stop, allowing detailed studies of the energy expenditure, fuel composition, protein turnover, water balance, immunocompetence and stress associated with sustained migratory flights. In addition, wind tunnels allow the fuelling periods between migratory flights to be studied from new angles. We end our review by suggesting several important topics for future wind tunnel studies, ranging from on of the key questions remaining, the efficiency at which chemical power in converted to mechanical power, to new useful avenues, such as improving and calibrating the techniques used for tracking of individual birds in the wild. (Less)
Effect of Feeding Frequency and Feeding Rate on the Growth and Feed Efficiency of Milkfish, Chanos chanos Forsskal, Juveniles

The effect of feeding frequency on the growth and feed efficiency of milkfish was investigated at two feeding rates (5% and 9% of body weight) in a 2 x 2 factorial experiment. The study was conducted in sixteen conical fiberglass tanks provided with aerated recirculating water, with four replicate tanks for each treatment. Fish averaging 0.60 g, were fed either four times over a period of six: hours or eight times over a period of 14 hours using practical diets for six weeks. The percentage weight gain ranged from 57% to 167%. Regardless of feeding rate, increasing feeding frequency from four to eight times a day significantly increased (P < 0.05) growth and feed efficiency by about 20%. The results suggest that more frequent feeding over a wider spread of time would be a more efficient strategy for feeding milkfish in ponds.