Mapping Arbovirus-Vector Interactions Using Systems Biology Techniques

Studying how arthropod-borne viruses interact with their arthropod vectors is critical to understanding how these viruses replicate and are transmitted. Until recently, these types of studies were limited in scale because of the lack of classical tools available to study virus-host interaction for non-model viruses and non-model organisms. Advances in systems biology “-omics”-based techniques such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) and mass spectrometry can rapidly provide an unbiased view of arbovirus-vector interaction landscapes. In this mini-review, we discuss how arbovirus-vector interaction studies have been advanced by systems biology. We review studies of arbovirus-vector interactions that occur at multiple time and length scales, including intracellular interactions, interactions at the level of the organism, viral and vector populations, and how new techniques can integrate systems-level data across these different scales

Pathogenic CD8 T Cells in Multiple Sclerosis and Its Experimental Models

A growing body of evidence suggests that autoreactive CD8 T cells contribute to the disease process in multiple sclerosis (MS). Lymphocytes in MS plaques are biased toward the CD8 lineage, and MS patients harbor CD8 T cells specific for multiple central nervous system (CNS) antigens. Currently, there are relatively few experimental model systems available to study these pathogenic CD8 T cells in vivo. However, the few studies that have been done characterizing the mechanisms used by CD8 T cells to induce CNS autoimmunity indicate that several of the paradigms of how CD4 T cells mediate CNS autoimmunity do not hold true for CD8 T cells or for patients with MS. Thus, myelin-specific CD4 T cells are likely to be one of several important mechanisms that drive CNS disease in MS patients. The focus of this review is to highlight the current models of pathogenic CNS-reactive CD8 T cells and the molecular mechanisms these lymphocytes use when causing CNS inflammation and damage. Understanding how CNS-reactive CD8 T cells escape tolerance induction and induce CNS autoimmunity is critical to our ability to propose and test new therapies for MS

Ekstrak Bawang Putih Bubuk Dengan Menggunakan Proses Spray Drying

Bawang putih banyak digunakan sebagai bumbu utama pada berbagai masakan karena aromanya yang khas. Aroma khas tersebut karena adanya komponen aktif (Allicin) pada bawang putih. Allicin juga berguna untuk daya anti kolesterol yang dapat mencegah penyakit jantung, tekanan darah tinggi dan lain sebagainya. Komponen Allicin bersifat volatil sehingga bila penanganannya salah maka dapat menyebabkan kerusakan. Untuk mengawetkan bawang putih yaitu dengan cara pengeringan. Salah satu proses yang dapat digunakan adalah spray drying karena proses ini membutuhkan waktu yang singkat. Proses spray drying adalah proses pengeringan dengan cara menyemprotkan fase cair menjadi butiran-butiran kecil kemudian mengontakkannya dengan udara panas sehingga menjadi bubuk. Umpan yang akan dikeringkan dapat berupa larutan ataupun suspensi dengan viskositas tertentu. Penelitian ini dilakukan percobaan pembuatan ekstrak bawang putih bubuk dengan variasi perbandingan massa bawang putih dengan pelarut air tertentu yang dimulai dari perbandingan 1:1, variasi konsentrasi maltodekstrin 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% dan 50%, serta variasi suhu udara masuk 160 oC, 170 oC, 180 oC dan 190 oC. Hal yang diamati adalah pengaruh konsentrasi maltodekstrin dan suhu udara masuk terhadap karakteristik ekstrak bawang putih bubuk yang dihasilkan. Karakteristik bubuk yang dianalisa meliputi kadar air, bulk density, wettability, solubility dan organoleptik. Dari hasil analisa diketahui bahwa dengan meningkatnya suhu udara inlet menyebabkan terjadinya penurunan kadar air. Begitu juga dengan meningkatnya suhu udara masuk menyebabkan terjadinya peningkatan bulk density, wettability dan solubility

Identification of antiviral roles for the exon-junction complex and nonsense-mediated decay in flaviviral infection.

West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging mosquito-borne flavivirus, related to dengue virus and Zika virus. To gain insight into host pathways involved in WNV infection, we performed a systematic affinity-tag purification mass spectrometry (APMS) study to identify 259 WNV-interacting human proteins. RNA interference screening revealed 26 genes that both interact with WNV proteins and influence WNV infection. We found that WNV, dengue and Zika virus capsids interact with a conserved subset of proteins that impact infection. These include the exon-junction complex (EJC) recycling factor PYM1, which is antiviral against all three viruses. The EJC has roles in nonsense-mediated decay (NMD), and we found that both the EJC and NMD are antiviral and the EJC protein RBM8A directly binds WNV RNA. To counteract this, flavivirus infection inhibits NMD and the capsid-PYM1 interaction interferes with EJC protein function and localization. Depletion of PYM1 attenuates RBM8A binding to viral RNA, suggesting that WNV sequesters PYM1 to protect viral RNA from decay. Together, these data suggest a complex interplay between the virus and host in regulating NMD and the EJC

The structure and dynamics of young star clusters: King 16, NGC 1931, NGC 637 and NGC 189

In this paper, using 2MASS photometry, we study the structural and dynamical properties of four young star clusters viz. King 16, NGC 1931, NGC 637 and NGC 189. For the clusters King 16, NGC 1931, NGC 637 and NGC 189, we obtain the limiting radii of 7', 12', 6' and 5' which correspond to linear radii of 3.6 pc, 8.85 pc, 3.96 pc and 2.8 pc respectively. The reddening values $E(B-V)$ obtained for the clusters are 0.85, 0.65--0.85, 0.6 and 0.53 and their true distances are 1786 pc, 3062 pc, 2270 pc and 912 pc respectively. Ages of the clusters are 6 Myr, 4 Myr, 4 Myr and 10 Myr respectively. We compare their structures, luminosity functions and mass functions ($\phi(M) = dN/dM \propto M^{-(1+\chi)}$) to the parameter $\tau = t_{age}/t_{relax}$ to study the star formation process and the dynamical evolution of these clusters. We find that, for our sample, mass seggregation is observed in clusters or their cores only when the ages of the clusters are comparable to their relaxation times ($\tau \geq 1$). These results suggest mass seggregation due to dynamical effects. The values of $\chi$, which characterise the overall mass functions for the clusters are 0.96 $\pm$ 0.11, 1.16 $\pm$ 0.18, 0.55 $\pm$ 0.14 and 0.66 $\pm$ 0.31 respectively. The change in $\chi$ as a function of radius is a good indicator of the dynamical state of clusters.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc

Experiences of people with dementia and their caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic in India: a mixed-methods study

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has unprecedented consequences for the management of chronic diseases such as dementia. However, limited evidence exists on the condition of persons with dementia and their caregivers during the pandemic in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). The study aimed to provide insights into the experiences of persons with dementia and their families during the early phases of the pandemic in India. Methods This study adopted a mixed-method approach. One hundred and four persons with dementia and their caregivers were evaluated via telephone using validated instruments and a semi-structured interview guide. We used the quantitative data collected to establish a baseline, whereas qualitative data were analysed thematically. Results The study revealed that persons with dementia and their caregivers experienced difficulties during the pandemic, which included worsening of behaviour, problems in accessing care, disruptions in functional activities and struggles in enforcing infection prevention contributing to caregiver distress. An important finding that emerged was the unchanging reality of caregiving for families. The relative success of the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic contrasted with the lack of awareness and formal support for dementia. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of persons with dementia and their caregivers. This calls for a collaborative reframing of medical care and public health policies to address dementia care

Multiple Routes to Oncogenesis Are Promoted by the Human Papillomavirus-Host Protein Network.

We have mapped a global network of virus-host protein interactions by purification of the complete set of human papillomavirus (HPV) proteins in multiple cell lines followed by mass spectrometry analysis. Integration of this map with tumor genome atlases shows that the virus targets human proteins frequently mutated in HPV- but not HPV+ cancers, providing a unique opportunity to identify novel oncogenic events phenocopied by HPV infection. For example, we find that the NRF2 transcriptional pathway, which protects against oxidative stress, is activated by interaction of the NRF2 regulator KEAP1 with the viral protein E1. We also demonstrate that the L2 HPV protein physically interacts with the RNF20/40 histone ubiquitination complex and promotes tumor cell invasion in an RNF20/40-dependent manner. This combined proteomic and genetic approach provides a systematic means to study the cellular mechanisms hijacked by virally induced cancers.Significance: In this study, we created a protein-protein interaction network between HPV and human proteins. An integrative analysis of this network and 800 tumor mutation profiles identifies multiple oncogenesis pathways promoted by HPV interactions that phenocopy recurrent mutations in cancer, yielding an expanded definition of HPV oncogenic roles. Cancer Discov; 8(11); 1474-89. ©2018 AACR.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1333