Men\u27s Ensemble and University Chorale Fall Choral Concert

KSU School of Music presents KSU Men\u27s Ensemble and University Chorale Fall Choral Concert with special guest artist Huu Mai, directed by Dr. Leslie Blackwell, Director of Choral Activities.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/1965/thumbnail.jp

Human HERC5 restricts an early stage of HIV-1 assembly by a mechanism correlating with the ISGylation of Gag

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The identification and characterization of several interferon (IFN)-induced cellular HIV-1 restriction factors, defined as host cellular proteins or factors that restrict or inhibit the HIV-1 life cycle, have provided insight into the IFN response towards HIV-1 infection and identified new therapeutic targets for HIV-1 infection. To further characterize the mechanism underlying restriction of the late stages of HIV-1 replication, we assessed the ability of IFNbeta-induced genes to restrict HIV-1 Gag particle production and have identified a potentially novel host factor called HECT domain and RCC1-like domain-containing protein 5 (HERC5) that blocks a unique late stage of the HIV-1 life cycle.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>HERC5 inhibited the replication of HIV-1 over multiple rounds of infection and was found to target a late stage of HIV-1 particle production. The E3 ligase activity of HERC5 was required for blocking HIV-1 Gag particle production and correlated with the post-translational modification of Gag with ISG15. HERC5 interacted with HIV-1 Gag and did not alter trafficking of HIV-1 Gag to the plasma membrane. Electron microscopy revealed that the assembly of HIV-1 Gag particles was arrested at the plasma membrane, at an early stage of assembly. The mechanism of HERC5-induced restriction of HIV-1 particle production is distinct from the mechanism underlying HIV-1 restriction by the expression of ISG15 alone, which acts at a later step in particle release. Moreover, HERC5 restricted murine leukemia virus (MLV) Gag particle production, showing that HERC5 is effective in restricting Gag particle production of an evolutionarily divergent retrovirus.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>HERC5 represents a potential new host factor that blocks an early stage of retroviral Gag particle assembly. With no apparent HIV-1 protein that directly counteracts it, HERC5 may represent a new candidate for HIV/AIDS therapy.</p

Clustering in A=10 nuclei

We discuss the identification and properties of the states that belong to the highly clustered rotational band in A=10 nuclei, 10Be, 10B(T=1) and 10C. The band is of interest because it may correspond to an exotic α:nn:α configuration

Clustering in non-self-conjugate nuclei \u3csup\u3e10\u3c/sup\u3eBe and \u3csup\u3e18\u3c/sup\u3eO

Clustering phenomena in 10Be and 18O were studied by means of resonance elastic scattering of α-particles on 6He and 14C. Excitation functions for α+6He and α+14C were measured and detailed R-matrix analyses of the excitation functions was performed. We compare the experimental results with the predictions of modern theoretical approaches and discuss properties of cluster rotational bands

Measurement of F 17 (d,n) Ne 18 and the impact on the F 17 (p,γ) Ne 18 reaction rate for astrophysics

Background: The F17(p,γ)Ne18 reaction is part of the astrophysical hot CNO cycles that are important in astrophysical environments like novas. Its thermal reaction rate is low owing to the relatively high energy of the resonances and therefore is dominated by direct, nonresonant capture in stellar environments at temperatures below 0.4 GK. Purpose: An experimental method is established to extract the proton strength to bound and unbound states in experiments with radioactive ion beams and to determine the parameters of direct and resonant capture in the F17(p,γ)Ne18 reaction. Method: The F17(d,n)Ne18 reaction is measured in inverse kinematics using a beam of the short-lived isotope F17 and a compact setup of neutron, proton, γ-ray, and heavy-ion detectors called resoneut. Results: The spectroscopic factors for the lowest l=0 proton resonances at Ec.m.=0.60 and 1.17 MeV are determined, yielding results consistent within 1.4σ of previous proton elastic-scattering measurements. The asymptotic normalization coefficients of the bound 21+ and 22+ states in Ne18 are determined and the resulting direct-capture reaction rates are extracted. Conclusions: The direct-capture component of the F17(p,γ)Ne18 reaction is determined for the first time from experimental data on Ne18

Experimental Investigation of the Ne 19 (p,γ)20Na Reaction Rate and Implications for Breakout from the Hot CNO Cycle

The Ne19(p,γ)Na20 reaction is the second step of a reaction chain which breaks out from the hot CNO cycle, following the O15(α,γ)Ne19 reaction at the onset of x-ray burst events. We investigate the spectrum of the lowest proton-unbound states in Na20 in an effort to resolve contradictions in spin-parity assignments and extract reliable information about the thermal reaction rate. The proton-transfer reaction Ne19(d,n)Na20 is measured with a beam of the radioactive isotope Ne19 at an energy around the Coulomb barrier and in inverse kinematics. We observe three proton resonances with the Ne19 ground state, at 0.44, 0.66, and 0.82 MeV c.m. energies, which are assigned 3+, 1+, and (0+), respectively. In addition, we identify two resonances with the first excited state in Ne19, one at 0.20 MeV and one, tentatively, at 0.54 MeV. These observations allow us for the first time to experimentally quantify the astrophysical reaction rate on an excited nuclear state. Our experiment shows an efficient path for thermal proton capture in Ne19(p,γ)Na20, which proceeds through ground state and excited-state capture in almost equal parts and eliminates the possibility for this reaction to create a bottleneck in the breakout from the hot CNO cycle

Programming of metabolic effects in C57BL/6JxFVB mice by in utero and lactational exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is known to cause developmental toxicity and is a suggested endocrine disrupting compound (EDC). Early life exposure to EDCs has been implicated in programming of the developing organism for chronic diseases later in life. Here we study perinatal metabolic programming by PFOA using an experimental design relevant for human exposure. C57BL/6JxFVB hybrid mice were exposed during gestation and lactation via maternal feed to seven low doses of PFOA at and below the NOAEL used for current risk assessment (3–3000 μg/kg body weight/day). After weaning, offspring were followed for 23–25 weeks without further exposure. Offspring showed a dose-dependent decrease in body weight from postnatal day 4 to adulthood. Growth under high fat diet in the last 4–6 weeks of follow-up was increased in male and decreased in female offspring. Both sexes showed increased liver weights, hepatic foci of cellular alterations and nuclear dysmorphology. In females, reductions in perigonadal and perirenal fat pad weights, serum triglycerides and cholesterol were also observed. Endocrine parameters, such as glucose tolerance, serum insulin and leptin, were not affected. In conclusion, our study with perinatal exposure to PFOA in mice produced metabolic effects in adult offspring. This is most likely due to disrupted programming of metabolic homeostasis, but the assayed endpoints did not provide a mechanistic explanation. The BMDL of the programming effects in our study is below the current point of departure used for calculation of the tolerable daily intake.The authors wish to acknowledge the support of the biotechnicians from the team of Hans Strootman at the RIVM animal facilities. Further technical support was provided by Piet Beekhof, Hennie Hodemaekers, Sandra Imholz (RIVM), Mirjam Koster (UU), Stefan van Leeuwen (RIKILT), Jacco Koekkoek and Marja Lamoree (VU). This study was funded by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme [FP7/2007–2013] under grant agreement OBELIX 227391