CHARACTERIZATION OF NUCLEOCAPSID-RNA INTERACTIONS IN RIFT VALLEY FEVER VIRUS INFECTION

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-borne virus that infects humans and livestock and exhibits potential for global spread. No vaccine or treatment is currently available for human use. The nucleocapsid protein (N) in RVFV is a multifunctional RNA-binding protein that is necessary for viral replication and dissemination. Because of its essential roles, N is a promising candidate to be targeted for anti-RVFV therapy. The goal of this dissertation is to characterize N-RNA interactions in RVFV infected cells. To achieve this goal, two methods, strand-specific reverse transcription and quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) as well as multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (MRM-MS) for N, were developed. Using strand-specific RT-qPCR, we were able to discriminate expression levels of viral genomic, antigenomic, and protein coding mRNAs. We determined that the relative expression levels of viral protein-coding RNAs increased according to previously published viral promoter strength determinations. However, expression levels of antigenomic RNAs were independent of the RVFV promoter strength. Moreover, the presence of NSs protein, the virulence factor for RVFV, positively correlated with increased viral RNA (vRNA) synthesis. Combining RT-qPCR and MRM-MS methods with crosslinking immunoprecipitation and RNA sequencing (CLIP-seq), it was found that N interacts not only with viral but with host RNAs during infection. The interactions between N and vRNAs increased with infection time, which correlated with an increase in the specific infectivity of virus particles produced later in infection. The results provided in this dissertation add important knowledge pertaining to vRNA synthesis, encapsidation, and packaging in RVFV infection and will be useful in the development of N-targeting anti-RVFV therapeutics in the future

DCIS arising in mammary hamartoma

Mammary hamartoma is benign lesion and relatively rare. 17 cases of breast cancer associated with a hamartoma had been previously documented in the literature. We describe herein a case of noninvasive ductal carcinoma of the breast arising in hamartoma in a woman of 60’s. The discordance of images of the mass between mammogram and ultrasonogram can lead us to detect the carcinoma within the hamartoma in our case

Исследование процесса утилизации сточных вод фабрики по переработке ильменитового концентрата, производительностью 10000 т/год по концентрату

Объектом исследования является процесса утилизации сточных вод фабрики по переработке ильменитового концентрата производительностью 10000 т/год по концентрату. Цель работы – спроектировать участок очистки технической воды. В процессе исследования проводились эксперименты по выпариванию раствора фторид аммония. В результате исследования определены оптимальные параметры введения процесса. Рaссчитaны основные технико-экономические покaзaтели (себестоимость переделa 108294133,24)The object of research is the process of recycling waste water plant for the processing of ilmenite concentrate capacity of 10,000 tons / year for the concentrate. The purpose of the work - design of industrial water purification station. The study carried out experiments on the evaporation of a solution of ammonium fluoride. The study determined the optimal parameters of the process of administration. Rasschitany basic technical and economic pokazateli (peredela 108,294,133.24 cost

Acetaldehyde Removal from Indoor Air through Chemical Absorption Using L-Cysteine

The irreversible removal of acetaldehyde from indoor air via a chemical reaction with amino acids was investigated. To compare effectiveness, five types of amino acid (glycine, l-lysine, l-methionine, l-cysteine, and l-cystine) were used as the reactants. First, acetaldehyde-laden air was introduced into aqueous solutions of each amino acid and the removal abilities were compared. Among the five amino acids, l-cysteine solution showed much higher removal efficiency, while the other amino acids solutions didn’t show any significant differences from the removal efficiency of water used as a control. Next, as a test of the removal abilities of acetaldehyde by semi-solid l-cysteine, a gel containing l-cysteine solution was put in a fluororesin bag filled with acetaldehyde gas, and the change of acetaldehyde concentration was measured. The l-cysteine-containing gel removed 80% of the acetaldehyde in the air within 24 hours. The removal ability likely depended on the unique reaction whereby acetaldehyde and l-cysteine rapidly produce 2-methylthiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid. These results suggested that the reaction between acetaldehyde and l-cysteine has possibilities for irreversibly removing toxic acetaldehyde from indoor air