The classical swine fever virus (CSFV) glycoprotein E2 is the major structural component of the virus particle. E2 is involved in several functions such as virus adsorption to the cell, the ...elicitation of protective immune responses, and virus virulence in swine. Using a yeast two-hybrid system, we previously identified the swine host protein Torsin-1A, an ATPase protein residing in the endoplasmic reticulum and inner nucleus membrane of the cell, as a specific binding partner for E2. The interaction between Torsin-1A and E2 proteins was confirmed to occur in CSFV-infected swine cells using three independent methodologies: co-immunoprecipitation, confocal microscopy and proximity ligation assay (PLA). Furthermore, the E2 residue critical to mediate the protein-protein interaction with Torsin-1A was identified by a reverse yeast two-hybrid using a randomly mutated E2 library. A recombinant CSFV E2 mutant protein with a Q316L substitution failed to bind swine Torsin-1A in the yeast two-hybrid model. In addition, a CSFV infectious clone harboring the E2 Q316L substitution, although expressing substantial levels of E2 protein, repetitively failed to produce virus progeny when the corresponding RNA was transfected into susceptible SK6 cells. Importantly, PLA analysis of the transfected cells demonstrated an abolishment of the interaction between E2 Q316L and Torsin-1A, indicating a critical role for that interaction during CSFV replication.
Structural glycoprotein E2 is an important structural component of the CSFV particle. E2 is involved in several virus functions, particularly virus-host interactions. Here we characterize the interaction between CSFV E2 and swine protein Torsin-1A during virus infection. The critical amino acid residue in E2 mediating the interaction with Torsin-1A was identified and the effect of disrupting the E2-Torsin-1A protein-protein interaction was studied using reverse genetics. It is shown that the amino acid substitution abrogating E2-Torsin-1A interaction constitutes a lethal mutation, demonstrating that this virus-host protein-protein interaction is a critical factor during CSFV replication. This highlights the potential importance of the E2-Torsin-1A protein-protein interaction during CSFV replication and provides a potential pathway towards blocking virus replication, an important step towards the potential development of novel virus countermeasures.
Transit events of extrasolar planets offer a wealth of information for planetary characterization. However, for many known targets, the uncertainty of their predicted transit windows prohibits an ...accurate scheduling of follow-up observations. In this work, we refine the ephemerides of 21 hot Jupiter exoplanets with the largest timing uncertainties. We collected 120 professional and amateur transit light curves of the targets of interest, observed with a range of telescopes of 0.3 m–2.2 m, and analyzed them along with the timing information of the planets discovery papers. In the case of WASP-117b, we measured a timing deviation compared to the known ephemeris of about 3.5 h, and for HAT-P-29b and HAT-P-31b the deviation amounted to about 2 h and more. For all targets, the new ephemeris predicts transit timings with uncertainties of less than 6 min in the year 2018 and less than 13 min until 2025. Thus, our results allow for an accurate scheduling of follow-up observations in the next decade.
We report the discovery by the HATSouth network of HATS-18b: a (ProQuest: Formulae and/or non-USASCII text omitted) planet in a 0.8378 day orbit, around a solar analog star (mass 1.037 + or - 0.047 ...Mmiddot in circle and radius (ProQuest: Formulae and/or non-USASCII text omitted) Rmiddot in circle) V= 14.067 + or - 0.040 mag. The high planet mass, combined with its short orbital period, implies strong tidal coupling between the planetary orbit and the star. In fact, given its inferred age, HATS-18 shows evidence of significant tidal spin up, which together with WASP-19 (a very similar system) allows us to constrain the tidal quality factor for Sun-like stars to be in the range of 6.5 <, ~ log sub(10)(Q*/k sub(2)) <, ~ 7 even after allowing for extremely pessimistic model uncertainties. In addition, the HATS-18 system is among the best systems (and often the best system) for testing a multitude of star-planet interactions, be they gravitational, magnetic, or radiative, as well as planet formation and migration theories.
Fossil fuels account for more than 90% of the world total energy consumption. The emission of CO
2
to the atmosphere can be reduced by the development and implementation of carbon capture and storage ...technologies. The geological formations considered for CO
2
storage are saline aquifers, depleted and semidepleted hydrocarbon reservoirs, and unminable coal seams. The efficient short-term injection and the stable long-term geological storage of carbon dioxide are affected by complex hydro-chemo-mechanical interactions that take place in the formation, including water acidification, mineral dissolution, and stress and volume changes. Positive feedback mechanisms may lead to runaway effects. These hydro-chemo-mechanical coupled processes and emergent phenomena may hinder the storativity of injected carbon dioxide. Technological developments such as adequate geophysical tools for injection and reservoir monitoring, are needed for the safe geo-storage of CO
2
.
Abstract
We report the discovery of four close-in transiting exoplanets (HATS-50b through HATS-53b), discovered using the HATSouth three-continent network of homogeneous and automated telescopes. ...These new exoplanets belong to the class of hot Jupiters and orbit G-type dwarf stars, with brightness in the range
V
= 12.5–14.0 mag. While HATS-53 has many physical characteristics similar to the Sun, the other three stars appear to be metal-rich (
), larger, and more massive. Three of the new exoplanets, namely HATS-50b, HATS-51b, and HATS-53b, have low density (HATS-50b:
,
; HATS-51b:
,
; HATS-53b:
,
) and similar orbital periods (
days,
days,
days, respectively). Instead, HATS-52b is more dense (mass
and radius
) and has a shorter orbital period (
days). It also receives an intensive radiation from its parent star and, consequently, presents a high equilibrium temperature (
K). HATS-50 shows a marginal additional transit feature consistent with an ultra-short-period hot super Neptune (upper mass limit 0.16
), which will be able to be confirmed with TESS photometry.
Colonization factors or Coli surface antigens (CFs or CS) are important virulence factors of Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) that mediate intestinal colonization and accordingly are targets of vaccine ...development efforts. CS6 is a highly prevalent CF associated with symptomatic ETEC infection both in endemic populations and amongst travelers. In this study, we used an Aotus nancymaae non-human primate ETEC challenge model with a CS6 + ETEC strain, B7A, to test the immunogenicity and protective efficacy (PE) of a recombinant CS6-based subunit vaccine. Specifically, we determined the ability of dscCssBA, the donor strand complemented recombinant stabilized fusion of the two subunits of the CS6 fimbriae, CssA and CssB, to elicit protection against CS6 + ETEC mediated diarrhea when given intradermally (ID) with the genetically attenuated double mutant heat-labile enterotoxin LT(R192G/L211A) (dmLT). ID vaccination with dscCssBA + dmLT induced strong serum antibody responses against CS6 and LT. Importantly, vaccination with dscCssBA + dmLT resulted in no observed diarrheal disease (PE = 100%, p = 0.03) following B7A challenge as compared to PBS immunized animals, with an attack rate of 62.5%. These data demonstrate the potential role that CS6 may play in ETEC infection and that recombinant dscCssBA antigen can provide protection against challenge with the homologous CS6 + ETEC strain, B7A, in the Aotus nancymaae diarrheal challenge model. Combined, these data indicate that CS6, and more specifically, a recombinant engineered derivative should be considered for further clinical development.
Witnessing inter-parental conflict is associated with dating violence perpetration in late adolescence and adulthood. This relationship may be moderated by adolescents' empathy, with more empathic ...youth viewing their parents' conflict behavior as less acceptable, and thus refraining from dating violence perpetration. This study sought to determine if empathy buffers the effects of inter-parental conflict in early adolescence on expected dating violence perpetration in early adolescence and actual dating violence perpetration in late adolescence and adulthood. Moreover, this study tested if expected dating violence perpetration in early adolescence and dating violence perpetration in late adolescence mediate the effects of inter-parental conflict and empathy on dating violence perpetration in adulthood. Sex differences in these relationships were also examined. The sample included 412 adolescents (52% male, 73% Black, 25% White, 2% Other) who participated at three time points between 2006 and 2022 (T1-T3, Mean age = 13, 18, 28 years). Results indicated that higher inter-parental conflict and lower empathy were associated with higher expected dating violence perpetration at T1 in both males and females. Inter-parental conflict at T1 predicted higher dating violence perpetration at T3 through expected dating violence perpetration at T1 and dating violence perpetration at T2. Empathy at T1 predicted lower dating violence perpetration at T3 directly and also indirectly through lower expected dating violence at T1 and lower dating violence perpetration at T2 in both sexes. There were no interaction effects of inter-parental conflict and empathy on expected or actual dating violence perpetration at any age.
The GJ 357 system harbors three planets orbiting a bright, nearby M2.5V star at 9.44 pc. The innermost planet, GJ 357b (TOI-562.01), is a hot transiting Earth-sized planet with Earth-like density, ...which receives about 12 times the irradiation Earth receives from the Sun, and was detected using data from TESS. Radial velocities discovered two more planets in the system at 9.12 (GJ 357 c) and 55.6 days (GJ 357 d), with minimum masses of 3.59 0.50 and 6.1 1 Earth masses, and an irradiation of 4.4 and 0.38 Earth's irradiation, respectively. GJ 357 d receives slightly less stellar irradiation than Mars does in our own solar system, which puts it in the Habitable Zone (HZ) for its host star. GJ 357 d could not have been detected with TESS and whether it transits remains an open question. Here we model possible conditions within which GJ357 d could sustain surface habitability and present planetary models as well as synthetic transmission, reflection, and emission spectra for a range of models for GJ 357 d from water worlds to Earth-like models. With Earth-analog outgassing rates, GJ 357 d would be a frozen rocky world; however, with an increased CO2 level, as would be expected if a geological cycles regulates CO2 concentration like on Earth, the planet models show temperate surface conditions. If we can detect a transit of GJ 357 d, it would become the closest transiting, potentially habitable planet in the solar neighborhood. Even if GJ 357 d does not transit, the brightness of its star makes this planet, in the HZ of a close-by M star, a prime target for observations with Extremely Large telescopes as well as future space missions.
Breast cancer ranks first in incidence and mortality in working age women. Cancer initiation and progression relies on accumulation of genetic and epigenetic aberrations that alter cellular ...processes, among them, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) denotes particularly aggressive neoplasias given its capacity to invade and metastasize. Several microRNAs (miRNA) have been found able to regulate gene expression at the core of EMT. In this study, the Affymetrix CytoScan HD array was used to analyze three different primary tumor cell isolates from Mexican breast cancer patients. We found an amplification in band 22q11.2 shared by the three samples, in the region that encodes miRNA-650. Overexpression of this miRNA has been associated with downregulation of tumor suppressors ING4 and NDRG2, which have been implicated in cancer progression. Using the Pathway Linker platform the ING4 and NDRG2 interaction networks showed a significant association with signaling pathways commonly deregulated in cancer. Also, several studies support their participation in the EMT. Supporting the latter, we found that the three primary isolates were E-cadherin negative, vimentin positive, presented a cancer stem cell-like phenotype CD44+CD24-/low and were invasive in Transwell invasion assays. This evidence suggests that the gain of region 22q11.2 contributes to trigger EMT. This is the first evidence linking miR-650 and breast cancer.
Context. The multi-planetary system HD 106315 was recently found in K2 data. The planets have periods of Pb ~ 9.55 and Pc ~ 21.06 days, and radii of rb = 2.44 ± 0.17 R⊕ and rc = 4.35 ± 0.23 R⊕ . The ...brightness of the host star (V = 9.0 mag) makes it an excellent target for transmission spectroscopy. However, to interpret transmission spectra it is crucial to measure the planetary masses. Aims. We obtained high precision radial velocities for HD 106315 to determine the mass of the two transiting planets discovered with Kepler K2. Our successful observation strategy was carefully tailored to mitigate the effect of stellar variability. Methods. We modelled the new radial velocity data together with the K2 transit photometry and a new ground-based partial transit of HD 106315c to derive system parameters. Results. We estimate the mass of HD 106315b to be 12.6 ± 3.2 M⊕ and the density to be 4.7 ± 1.7 g cm-3, while for HD 106315c we estimate a mass of 15.2 ± 3.7 M⊕ and a density of 1.01 ± 0.29 g cm-3. Hence, despite planet c having a radius almost twice as large as planet b, their masses are consistent with one another. Conclusions. We conclude that HD 106315c has a thick hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope. A detailed investigation of HD 106315b using a planetary interior model constrains the core mass fraction to be 5–29%, and the water mass fraction to be 10–50%. An alternative, not considered by our model, is that HD 106315b is composed of a large rocky core with a thick H–He envelope. Transmission spectroscopy of these planets will give insight into their atmospheric compositions and also help constrain their core compositions.
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