Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of IL2 and HLA on the Homeostasis and Function of Human CD4 and CD8 T Cells

Homeostasis of human T cells is regulated by many factors that control proliferation, differentiation of effector cells and generation of memory. Our current knowledge of the mechanisms controlling human T cell homeostasis in vivo is based on experiments in small animal models. However many differences exist between immune systems of mice and humans, including cell composition, function, and gene expression. Humanized mouse models have shown great value in the study of human immunobiology. I have used novel humanized mouse models to examine the role of human MHC (HLA) and human IL2 in CD8 T cell and CD4 regulatory T cell (Treg) homeostasis. To study human CD8 T cells I engrafted CD8 T cells from healthy donor PBMC into NOD-scid IL2rg (NSG) mice that lacked expression of murine MHC and that expressed HLA-A2. My data demonstrate that CD8 T cell survival and effector function required the presence of HLAA2, helper function from human CD4 T cells and exogenous human IL2. To study human Treg homeostasis I used NSG mice engrafted with human fetal thymus and hematopoietic stem cells (BLT model). NSG-BLT mice support the growth of human thymic tissue and enable the efficient development of HLA-restricted Treg and conventional T cells. Using an AAV vector to express human IL2, I demonstrated that functional human Treg but not conventional T cells increased in number in NSG-BLT mice and that this coincided with increases in activated human NK cells. Overall my research has revealed that HLA and human IL2 have an essential role in human T cell survival and function in vivo.
The Study of Antibacterial Activity of Capparis Spinosa Flowers

ةصلاخلا ُكلا تاــــبن نا ت يــــتلا ةــــلاعفلا تاــــبكرملا كــــلتمي رــــب مك مدختــــسي هــــلعج ءاــــيحلاا وــــمنل داــــض ةيرهجملا . ُكلا تاـبن راـهزلا يناـسكهلاو يلوناـثيملا صلختـسملا ةـيلاعف ةسا رد مت حوا رـتت زـيكا رتبو رـب نيب 125-1000mg/ml لا عاونلاا دض رفحلاب راشتنلاا ةقيرط مادختساب ب ك ت ةيري ةيلاتلا . Klebsiella sp. , Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Eseherichia coli, Proteus sp. , Enterococcus sp. , Lactobacillus sp. , Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus sp. اـثيملا صلختـسملا نا جئاـتنلا ترـهظا ون لا نـم ةـيلاعف رـثكلاا ناـك يل ـسم كهلا صلخت ـس ينا ــظعمل لا عاوــنلاا م ب ك يت ملا ةــير مدختــس رــطق ساــيقب صلختــسملا ةــيلاعف تددــح ثــيح . راــبتخلاا يــف ة طيـــبثتلا ةـــقطنم نـــم لـــك تدـــبا ثـــيح Eseherichia coli, Lactobacillus sp. ,
Co-évolution Hommes-Canidés en Afrique du Nord-Ouest : une longue histoire

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. Co-évolution Hommes-Canidés en Afrique du Nord-Ouest : une longue histoire Emilie Campmas, Camille Daujeard
Constituents of essential oils from the leaf, stem, root, fruit and flower of Alpinia macroura K. Schum

En este trabajo se presentan los componentes quimicos de los aceites esenciales de las distintas partes de Alpinia macroura K. Schum (Zingi beraceae) de Vietnam. Los aceites esenciales se obtuvieron por hidrodestilacion y se analizaron por medio de cromatografia de gases acoplada a detector de ionizacion de llama (GC - FID) y cromatografia de gases acoplada a espectrometria de masas (GC/MS). Los principales constituye ntes de los aceites fueron β - pineno (8,8% - 16,4%), 1,8 - cineol (5,5% - 17,7%), γ - terpineno (5,9% - 16,9%), α - pineno (4,5% - 8,4 %) y β - cariofileno (1,4% - 18,6%). Sabineno (9,0%) fue identificado solamente en la fruta. En general, diecinueve de los compuestos i dentificados estan llegando a todos los aceites esenciales. Los componentes quimicos de los aceites esenciales de la hoja, ta llo, raiz, frutas y flores de A. macroura estan siendo reportados por primera vez y se encontro que eran diferentes de las de otros aceites de Alpinia
Ultrasonography and dual-energy computed tomography: impact for the detection of gouty deposits

Ultrasonography (US) and dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) are useful and sensitive diagnostic tools to identify monosodium urate deposits in joints and soft tissues. The purpose of this review is to overview the imaging findings obtained by US and DECT in patients with gout, to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each imaging modality, and to evaluate the added value of using both modalities in combination.
The Complex Role of Sequence and Structure in the Stability and Function of the TIM Barrel Proteins

Sequence divergence of orthologous proteins enables adaptation to a plethora of environmental stresses and promotes evolution of novel functions. As one of the most common motifs in biology capable of diverse enzymatic functions, the TIM barrel represents an ideal model system for mapping the phenotypic manifestations of protein sequence. Limits on evolution imposed by constraints on sequence and structure were investigated using a model TIM barrel protein, indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthase (IGPS). Exploration of fitness landscapes of phylogenetically distant orthologs provides a strategy for elucidating the complex interrelationship in the context of a protein fold. Fitness effects of point mutations in three phylogenetically divergent IGPS proteins during adaptation to temperature stress were probed by auxotrophic complementation of yeast with prokaryotic, thermophilic IGPS. Significant correlations between the fitness landscapes of distant orthologues implicate both sequence and structure as primary forces in defining the TIM barrel fitness landscape. These results suggest that fitness landscapes of point mutants can be successfully translocated in sequence space, where knowledge of one landscape may be predictive for the landscape of another ortholog. Analysis of a surprising class of beneficial mutations in all three IGPS orthologs pointed to a long-range allosteric pathway towards the active site of the protein. Biophysical and biochemical analyses provided insights into the molecular mechanism of these beneficial fitness effects. Epistatic interactions suggest that the helical shell may be involved in the observed allostery. Taken together, knowledge of the fundamental properties of the TIM protein architecture will provide new strategies for de novo protein design of a highly targeted protein fold.
Organoselenium chemistry-based polymer synthesis

Due to their unique properties, selenium-containing polymers have become one of the research focuses of polymer materials in recent years. First, selenium can transform among various states of selenoxide, selenone, and selenium free radicals, and then be restored under these conditions, which endows these polymers with multiresponsive behaviors, including responses to redox changes, light, radiation, etc. Second, these polymers show characteristic properties. Selenium-containing polymers exhibit unique multiple optical–electrical characteristics, including high photoconductivity, anisotropic thermoconductivity, high piezoelectric and thermoelectric responses, and a high refractive index. Based on these various properties, selenium-containing polymers are regarded as excellent functional polymer materials. Therefore, it is meaningful to synthesize selenium-containing polymers with various structures. This paper principally gives a summary of the organic reactions of organoselenium compounds and reviews the research on the synthesis of selenium-containing polymers via different methods, such as the use of selenium-containing monomers and their polymerization, selenium-containing initiators for polymerization, selenium-containing mediators for controlled polymerization and selenium-containing molecules for the postmodification of polymers. Moreover, applications of selenium-containing polymers are described, including their use as intrinsic high refractive index polymeric materials, oxidative- and reductive-responsive materials, dynamic exchanging polymers, selective metal adsorbents, and catalysts.
Genetic integrity is still maintained in natural populations of the indigenous wild apple species Malus sylvestris (Mill.) in Saxony as demonstrated with nuclear SSR and chloroplast DNA markers

Abstract Malus sylvestris (Mill.) is the only indigenous wild apple species in Central Europe. Agriculture, forestry, and urbanization increasingly endanger Malus sylvestris natural habitats. In addition, the risks of cross‐hybridization associated with increase in the cultivation of the domesticated apple Malus × domestica (Borkh.) threaten the genetic integrity of M. sylvestris. The present study investigated the number of hybrids, genetic diversity, and genetic structure of 292 putative M. sylvestris that originate from five different natural M. sylvestris populations in Saxony, Germany. All samples were genetically analyzed using nine nuclear microsatellite markers (ncSSR) and four maternally inherited chloroplast markers (cpDNA) along with 56 apple cultivars commonly cultivated in Saxony. Eighty‐seven percent of the wild apple accessions were identified as pure M. sylvestris. The cpDNA analysis showed six private haplotypes for M. sylvestris, whereas three haplotypes were present in M. sylvestris and M. × domestica. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) resulted in a moderate (ncSSR) and great (cpDNA) variation among pure M. sylvestris and M. × domestica individuals indicating a low gene flow between both species. The genetic diversity within the pure M. sylvestris populations was high with a weak genetic structure between the M. sylvestris populations indicating an unrestricted genetic exchange between these M. sylvestris populations. The clear distinguishing of M. sylvestris and M. ×domestica confirms our expectation of the existence of pure M. sylvestris accessions in this area and supports the argument for the implementation of preservation measures to protect the M. sylvestris populations in Saxony.
Vulnerability and behavioral responses of South Chinese anuran tadpoles to native dragonfly (Pantala flavescens) naiads and introduced western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis)

ABSTRACT Anti-predator behavior is an important fitness component in most animals. Alien predator species are a serious threat to amphibian populations. We studied the vulnerability and behavioral defenses of tadpoles of six Chinese anurans in response to the introduced, active foraging predator Gambusia affinis (western mosquitofish) and compared them with the responses to the native ambush predator Pantala flavescens (dragonfly and naiad stage) in laboratory experiments. The tadpoles were Bufo gargarizans, Duttaphrynus (formerly Bufo) melanostictus, Rana zhenhaiensis, Fejervarya multistriata, Microhyla onata, and Hoplobatrachus chinensis from Lishui, Zhejiang, South China. Our data showed that both native P. flavescens and introduced G. affinis could prey on the six tadpole species to different degrees and that the two toad tadpoles (B. gargarizans and D. melanostictus) were significantly less vulnerable to predation than the frog ones. The reduced vulnerability of toad tadpoles to predation may be attributed to their unpalatability and their continuous swimming ability, traits that are adaptive in more permanent habitats. Compared with the ambush predator P. flavescens, tadpoles reduced their activity level and used spatial avoidance measures when encountering G. affinis. Overall, our results suggest that some of the tadpoles in the study area are likely to recognize and respond to the predation threats of G. affinis.
Voluntary disclosure of listed banks operating in Ghana

Issues of voluntary disclosure have become relevant in Ghana after the Bank of Ghana took steps to rationalised banks in Ghana to strengthen the banking sector. The sudden collapse of some banks in Ghana may have raised some doubts among investors and other stakeholders with regards to the quality of information disclosed by banks in Ghana. It has therefore become important for banks in Ghana to improve the quality of financial information by setting up good governance structures and to provide adequate voluntary information in their annual reports to boost the confidence of investors and other stakeholders. This study examines the extent to which listed banks in Ghana voluntarily disclose information in their annual report for the 2018 period and to determine the differences in the types of information voluntarily disclosed by listed banks in Ghana. This study revealed an overall voluntary disclosure level mean of 0.6294 which was slightly above average. The Tukey post hoc test showed a statistical significant difference between strategic information and non-financial information as well as a statistical significant difference between strategic information and financial information. However, there is no statistical significant difference between non-financial information and financial information. The study concludes that adequate voluntary information must be provided in the annual reports of listed banks in Ghana to ensure transparency, consistency, reliability and comparability to influence the economic decision needs of investors and other users of accounting information.
Assessment on the roles of information technology in improving the customer satisfaction and employee performance of commercial banks: The case of Dashen and United Bank Branches in Mizan-Aman, Southwestern Ethiopia

The study was conducted with the major objective of assessing the impact of IT on the performance of commercial banks in Ethiopia. In order to accomplish its general objective, the study attempted to evaluate the effects of IT on customer satisfaction, employee performance as well as bank revenue. The three dimensions were used as crucial indicators of the impact of IT on overall bank performance. Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted to gather the necessary data from the 372 customers and 24 employees of the Mizan-Aman branches of Dashen and United Banks in Southwestern Ethiopia. In addition, the annual performance reports of both banks, particularly the ones for 2015 and 2016 fiscal years, were reanalyzed as data sets for assessing the impact of IT on bank revenue. The findings of the study clearly indicated that IT indeed has an impact on the performance of commercial banks. It was found that the IT based services provided by the two bank branches were found to be convenient and user-friendly to customers. The study has also indicated that customers have found both banks to be efficient not only in terms of service delivery but also in terms of their ability to maintain their IT products. IT also positively affected the job performance of bank employees by reducing their workload and improving their accuracy. Meanwhile, broadband and electric power fluctuations were found to have a significant negative impact on both customer satisfaction and employee performance. Finally, an exploratory overview of the financial performance of the two banks has indicated that IT based services constituted a significant percent of the banks’ gross profit for both 2015 and 2016 fiscal years. Key words: Customer satisfaction, commercial banking, Dashen Bank, employee performance, information technology, United Bank.
Sucrose interacts with auxin in the burst of axillary buds

Research focus. Branching is an important process for productivity (number of productive branches) and for visual quality of ornamental plants (branches spatial arrangement). But branching behaviour is difficult to predict due to the lack of knowledge on the all mechanisms regulating the plasticity of the burst of axillary buds. Auxin has an inhibitory action on bud burst and interacts with cytokinins (CKs) and strigolactones (SLs) [1]. Our study focuses on understanding and modelling how a newly - identified player, sugars [2,3], interact with the hormonal network to control bud burst . Methods. Experiments consisted in cultivating nodal stem segments of rosebush in vitro with different sucrose and auxin levels, and in quantifying bud elongation, CK level, and the expression of genes involve in SL biosynthesis and signalling. From these data, we designed and calibrated a computational model accounting for sucrose modulation of bud inhibition by auxin. Results. We observed that increasing sucrose level decreased the inhibition of bud elongation by auxin, so that buds fed with high sucrose level were less inhibited by a given amount of auxin than those fed with low sucrose level. In accordance with literature, auxin repressed CKs and stimulated the expression of SLs biosynthesis genes. We demonstrate that the main effect of sucrose was to repress SL signalling. The model developed from these results reproduced the combined action of sucrose and auxin on bud burst. We validated it for its capacity to predict the effect of external CK supply for different sucrose levels. Conclusions. Our study proposes for the first time a physiological model of the effect of sucrose on bud regulation by auxin at the scale of the bud. Initially observed for rosebush, our results were also validated in pea, demonstrating model genericity. Next step is to understand the role of sugars, together with hormones, in the spatio-temporal regulation of bud burst at the scale of the plant. For that, we will use the computational tool, by coupling our bud model to models simulating sugar and hormone fluxes within a plant architecture. (Texte integral)
Iron oxide nanoparticle-induced hematopoietic and immunological response in rats

The application and use of iron oxide nanoparticless (IONPs) in the biomedical field are steadily increasing, although it remains uncertain whether IONPs are safe or should be used with caution. In the present study, we investigated the toxicity profile of ultrafine IONPs in rats administered with 7.5, 15 and 30 mg IONPs/kg body wt intravenously once a week for 4 weeks. IONP treatment reduces bone marrow-mononuclear cell proliferation, increases free radical species and DNA damage leading to growth arrest and subsequently apoptosis induction at 15 and 30 mg doses. It also induces apoptosis in undifferentiated hematopoietic stem cells. IONP treatment significantly increased the pro-inflammatory cytokine (Interleukin (IL)-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6) level in serum. The induction in inflammation was likely mediated by splenic M1 macrophages (IL-6 and TNF-α secretion). IONP treatment induces splenocyte apoptosis and alteration in the immune system represented by reduced CD4+/CD8+ ratio and increased B cells. It also reduces innate defense represented by lower natural killer cell cytotoxicity. IONP administration markedly increased lipid peroxidation in the spleen, while the glutathione level was reduced. Similarly, superoxide dismutase activity was increased and catalase activity was reduced in the spleen of IONP-treated rats. At an organ level, IONP treatment did not cause any significant injury or structural alteration in the spleen. Collectively, our results suggest that a high dose of ultrafine IONPs may cause oxidative stress, cell death, and inflammation in a biological system.
The Path to Understanding Salt Tolerance: Global Profiling of Genes Using Transcriptomics of the Halophyte Suaeda fruticosa

The Path to Understanding Salt Tolerance: Global Profiling of Genes Using Transcriptomics of the Halophyte Suaeda fruticosa Joann Diray Arce Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, BYU Doctor of Philosophy Salinity is a major abiotic stress in plants that causes significant reductions in crop yield. The need for improvement of food production has driven research to understand factors underlying plant responses to salt and mechanisms of salt tolerance. The aim of improving tolerance in traditional crops has been initiated but most crops can only tolerate a limited amount of salt in their systems to survive and produce biomass. Studies of naturally occurring high salt-tolerant plants (halophytes) are now being promoted for economic interests such as food, fodder or ecological reasons. Suaeda fruticosa, a member of the family Chenopodiaceae, belongs to a potential model halophyte genus for studying salt tolerance. However, published reports on the identification of genes, expression patterns and mechanisms of salinity tolerance in succulent halophytes are very limited. Next generation RNA-sequencing techniques are now available to help characterize genes involved in salinity response, along with expression patterns and functions of responsive genes. In this study, we have optimized the assembly of the transcriptome of S. fruticosa. We have annotated the genes based on their gene ontology characteristics and analyzed differential expression to identify genes that are upand downregulated in the presence of salt and have grouped the genes based on their putative functions. We also have provided evidence for groups of transcription factors that are involved in salt tolerance of this species and have identified those that may affect the regulation of salt tolerance. This work elucidates the characterization of genes involved in salinity tolerance to increase our understanding of the regulation of salt in a succulent halophyte.
COHERENS:A Hydrodynamic Model Validated for the West Coast of India

COHERENS (COupled Hydrodynamical and Ecological model for REgioNal and Shelf seas), a 3D hydrodynamic multi-purpose model, has been implemented for the coastal and shelf seas of eastern Arabian Sea to study the flow characteristics. The model has been tested and verified with one month measurements of surface and bottom currents collected off Mangalore, Ratnagiri, Mumbai and Dwarka on the west coast of India (WCI). After calibration, the model was allowed to perform under tide and wind forcings. The flow characteristics at these select locations have been well reproduced by the model. A shift in current direction from south to southeast has been observed at several occasions, and this could be attributed to shamal events. The low amplitudes of the residual currents in the measurements off Mumbai and Dwarka suggest that the influence of the West India Coastal Current is weak or negligible in the northern part of the WCI and the currents are mainly tide-dominant. Certain discrepancies are noticed especially in the southern domain, off Mangalore, where the shallow water dynamics is not only driven by the local wind forcing and tides, but also by the remotely driven currents. In order to get a comprehensive picture of the prevailing dynamics, the model domain has to be extended to the entire Indian Ocean.
Dual‐band bandpass filter using two simple coupled microstrip rings

A new dual‐band bandpass filter (BPF) using two very simple coupled microstrip rings is proposed in this paper. The two identical 3λg/2 microstrip rings are coupled each other with λg/2 coupled length, resulting in the generation of dual frequency bands with multiple transmission zeros (TZs). Theoretical deduction is presented to verify the proposed structure. The center frequencies and bandwidths of the two passbands can be tuned by controlling the impedance parameters of the microstrip rings. For demonstration, a prototype example of this dual‐band BPF is fabricated and characterized. The measured results show that it has high selectivity and great return losses of passbands with multiple TZs at the stopband.