Potensi Tunikata Rhopalaea SP. sebagai Sumber Inokulum Jamur Simbion Penghasil Antimikroba

The research on the potency of tunicate Rhopalaea sp as a source of inoculum fungal symbionts that produce antimicrobial has been done. This research aimed to know the tunicate's potency as a source of inoculum fungal symbionts and to characterize isolate symbiont fungal Rhopalaea sp. Isolation of fungi was performed using a PDA medium (Potato Dextrose Agar). Characterization of isolates fungal symbiont through macroscopic and microscopic observation, and testing its activity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The results showed there were three isolates(Asc 1, Asc 2 dan Asc 3) of fungal symbionts Rhopalaea sp. The results of macroscopic observation colony showed that Asc 1 had a flat surface such as cotton while Asc 2 and Asc 3 had a surface such as flour; Colours of isolates : Asc 1 (yellow), Asc 2 and Asc 3 (dark green). The result of microscopic observation reveals that Asc 1 had septa, Asc 2 and Asc 3 hadn't septa; Asc 1 with blue brownish hyphae, while Asc 2 and Asc 3 hyaline (colorless); Asc 1 had asexual spores sporangiophores, while Asc 2 and Asc 3 had conidioshpore. Asc 1 isolate was suspected, belongs to the genus Penicillium and Asc 2 and Asc 3 isolates were suspected to be classified into the genus Aspergillus. All three isolates were able to inhibit the growth of Salmonella thypi bacteria and Candida albicans fungus

A new initialization procedure for the distributed estimation of distribution algorithms

Estimation of distribution algorithms (EDAs) are one of the most promising paradigms in today’s evolutionary computation. In this field, there has been an incipient activity in the so-called parallel estimation of distribution algorithms (pEDAs). One of these approaches is the distributed estimation of distribution algorithms (dEDAs). This paper introduces a new initialization mechanism for each of the populations of the islands based on the Voronoi cells. To analyze the results, a series of different experiments using the benchmark suite for the special session on Real-parameter Optimization of the IEEE CEC 2005 conference has been carried out. The results obtained suggest that the Voronoi initialization method considerably improves the performance obtained from a traditional uniform initialization

On-Line Team Project Communication Tool Set

Team projects offer a valuable mechanism for effective learning. However, communication within the team, with the instructor and between different teams is a challenging task that can greatly limit the effectiveness of the learning experience. Some of the tools and concepts that are being developed for distance learning applications can be used to enhance team project communication within teams that are geographically separated as well as for in-campus teams. This article documents a set of on-line tools that allow for asynchronous team participation and timely monitoring and feedback by the instructor

Choroidal microvascular repair after argon laser photocoagulation. Ultrastructural observations

Acute laser injury to the tapetum of the feline retina produces thrombosis of the choriocapillaris. Early changes are characterized by the appearance of platelet-fibrin thrombi within capillary loops and disruption of endothelial integrity. By 4 days, thrombi have disappeared, and the endothelium shows regenerative changes. No endothelial cell mitotic activity is seen. The endothelial cytoplasm becomes plump, and there is a loss of the fenestrations adjacent to Bruch's membrane. By 10-20 days, the capillary structure shows gradual restoration. At 30 days, endothelial cell fenestrae are clearly evident adjacent to Bruch's membrane. The reparative process in this model appears to evolve as a result of thrombolysis and endothelial cell activation

Myeloid cell deficiency of p38γ/p38δ protects against candidiasis and regulates antifungal immunity

Fundació la Marató de TV3 (GrantNumber(s): 20133431; Grant recipient(s): Ana Cuenda) Wellcome Trust (GrantNumber(s): 97377, 102705; Grant recipient(s): GORDON D. BROWN) Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (GrantNumber(s): SAF2016-79792-R, SAF2014- 52009-R, SAF2013-45331-R; Grant recipient(s): Ana Cuenda, SUSANA ALEMANY) Medical Research Council (GrantNumber(s): MR/N006364/1; Grant recipient(s): GORDON D. BROWN) ERC Consolidator Grant (GrantNumber(s): 310372; Grant recipient(s): Mihai Netea)Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Auditory conflict and congruence in frontotemporal dementia.

Impaired analysis of signal conflict and congruence may contribute to diverse socio-emotional symptoms in frontotemporal dementias, however the underlying mechanisms have not been defined. Here we addressed this issue in patients with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD; n = 19) and semantic dementia (SD; n = 10) relative to healthy older individuals (n = 20). We created auditory scenes in which semantic and emotional congruity of constituent sounds were independently probed; associated tasks controlled for auditory perceptual similarity, scene parsing and semantic competence. Neuroanatomical correlates of auditory congruity processing were assessed using voxel-based morphometry. Relative to healthy controls, both the bvFTD and SD groups had impaired semantic and emotional congruity processing (after taking auditory control task performance into account) and reduced affective integration of sounds into scenes. Grey matter correlates of auditory semantic congruity processing were identified in distributed regions encompassing prefrontal, parieto-temporal and insular areas and correlates of auditory emotional congruity in partly overlapping temporal, insular and striatal regions. Our findings suggest that decoding of auditory signal relatedness may probe a generic cognitive mechanism and neural architecture underpinning frontotemporal dementia syndromes

Loureirin B, an essential component of Sanguis Draxonis, inhibits Kv1.3 channel and suppresses cytokine release from Jurkat T cells

Sanguis draxonis (SD), also known as “Dragon’s Blood”, is a traditional herb medicine that has been used to treat a variety of complications with unknown mechanisms. Recent studies show that SD displays immunosuppressive activities and improves symptoms of type I diabetes in animal models. However, the mechanisms underlying SD’s immunosuppressive actions are not completely understood. The voltage-gated Kv1.3 channel plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases by regulating the functions of both T cells and B cells. Here we investigated the effect of SD and one of its active components loureirin B (LrB) on Kv1.3. Both SD and LrB inhibited Kv1.3-mediated currents, produced a membrane depolarization, and reduced Ca(2+) influx in Jurkat T cells. In addition, application of LrB inhibited phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced IL-2 release from activated Jurkat T cells. Furthermore, point mutations in the selective filter region significantly reduced the inhibitory effect of LrB on Kv1.3. The results of these experiments provide evidence that LrB is a channel blocker of Kv1.3 by interacting with amino acid residues in its selective filter region. Direct inhibition of Kv1.3 in T cells by SD and LrB might be the cellular and molecular basis of SD-mediated immunosuppression

Three-Dimensional Imaging of the Intracellular Assembly of a Functional Viral RNA Replicase Complex

Positive-strand RNA viruses, which can be devastating pathogens in humans, animals and plants, replicate their genomes on intracellular membranes. Here, we describe the three-dimensional ultrastructural organization of a tombusvirus replicase in yeast, a valuable model for exploring virus–host interactions. We visualized the intracellular distribution of a viral replicase protein using metal-tagging transmission electron microscopy, a highly sensitive nanotechnology whose full potential remains to be developed. These three-dimensional images show how viral replicase molecules are organized when they are incorporated into the active domains of the intracellular replication compartment. Our approach provides a means to study protein activation mechanisms in cells and to identify targets for new antiviral compounds

Noncanonical Role for the Host Vps4 AAA+ ATPase ESCRT Protein in the Formation of Tomato Bushy Stunt Virus Replicase

Assembling of the membrane-bound viral replicase complexes (VRCs) consisting of viral- and host-encoded proteins is a key step during the replication of positive-stranded RNA viruses in the infected cells. Previous genome-wide screens with Tomato bushy stunt tombusvirus (TBSV) in a yeast model host have revealed the involvement of eleven cellular ESCRT (endosomal sorting complexes required for transport) proteins in viral replication. The ESCRT proteins are involved in endosomal sorting of cellular membrane proteins by forming multiprotein complexes, deforming membranes away from the cytosol and, ultimately, pinching off vesicles into the lumen of the endosomes. In this paper, we show an unexpected key role for the conserved Vps4p AAA+ ATPase, whose canonical function is to disassemble the ESCRT complexes and recycle them from the membranes back to the cytosol. We find that the tombusvirus p33 replication protein interacts with Vps4p and three ESCRT-III proteins. Interestingly, Vps4p is recruited to become a permanent component of the VRCs as shown by co-purification assays and immuno-EM. Vps4p is co-localized with the viral dsRNA and contacts the viral (+)RNA in the intracellular membrane. Deletion of Vps4p in yeast leads to the formation of crescent-like membrane structures instead of the characteristic spherule and vesicle-like structures. The in vitro assembled tombusvirus replicase based on cell-free extracts (CFE) from vps4Δ yeast is highly nuclease sensitive, in contrast with the nuclease insensitive replicase in wt CFE. These data suggest that the role of Vps4p and the ESCRT machinery is to aid building the membrane-bound VRCs, which become nuclease-insensitive to avoid the recognition by the host antiviral surveillance system and the destruction of the viral RNA. Other (+)RNA viruses of plants and animals might also subvert Vps4p and the ESCRT machinery for formation of VRCs, which require membrane deformation and spherule formation