At the nexus of three kingdoms: the genome of the mycorrhizal fungus Gigaspora margarita provides insights into plant, endobacterial and fungal interactions.

As members of the plant microbiota, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF, Glomeromycotina) symbiotically colonize plant roots. AMF also possess their own microbiota, hosting some uncultivable endobacteria. Ongoing research has revealed the genetics underlying plant responses to colonization by AMF, but the fungal side of the relationship remains in the dark. Here, we sequenced the genome of Gigaspora margarita, a member of the Gigasporaceae in an early diverging group of the Glomeromycotina. In contrast to other AMF, G. margarita may host distinct endobacterial populations and possesses the largest fungal genome so far annotated (773.104 Mbp), with more than 64% transposable elements. Other unique traits of the G. margarita genome include the expansion of genes for inorganic phosphate metabolism, the presence of genes for production of secondary metabolites and a considerable number of potential horizontal gene transfer events. The sequencing of G. margarita genome reveals the importance of its immune system, shedding light on the evolutionary pathways that allowed early diverging fungi to interact with both plants and bacteria

Duchamp\u27s Audience

An examination of Marcel Duchamp’s ideas of how art is defined, especially in regards to the role of the audience in determining whether an object is art and his challenges to how art was perceived, as demonstrated by his readymades. The struggle to define art is a significant element of society. With this paper, I argue against Duchamp’s view that the audience has a monopoly on power in the artist-audience relationship, showing that the audience can be persuaded to accept an object as art based on how the object is presented. This manipulation of the audience has meaningful consequences, as the manipulator can affect much more than just the way the audience views art

Identification of Novel Druggable Targets in Two Members of Mononegavirales

Measles virus (MeV) is considered one of the most contagious human viruses and has recently been declared endemic again in several countries despite a highly efficacious vaccine. The viral RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) is a heterologous complex comprised of the large protein (L), which provides all catalytic domains for RNA synthesis, and the phosphoprotein (P), which provides chaperone support for L and mediates the interaction between L and the ribonucleoprotein complex (RNP). Though essential for polymerase function, the interface between P and L remains poorly characterized, as well as the role of P in RdRP advancement along the RNP. Through biochemical interface mapping, functional assays, and domain swapping of P, we have identified a bipartite L binding domain on P. One domain consists of a conserved helical motif upstream of the oligomerization domain (OD), and the second is a face of the P X-domain (PXD). Using stoichiometrically-controlled trans-complementation studies and applied mathematical modeling, we also determined the PXD:L interaction to be mutually exclusive to the PXD:N interaction. These findings suggest a model that centers PXD as a master regulator of RdRP advancement. Rabies virus (RABV) causes a severe and 100% fatal neurological disease that is vaccine preventable and treatable prior to the onset of clinical symptoms. The post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for RABV treatment is prohibitively expensive, especially in developing countries where the majority of cases occur and does not confer cross-protection against the newly emerging phylogroup II lyssaviruses. To address the unmet clinical need for cross-protective anti-RABV therapeutics, we developed and implemented an innovative high-throughput screening approach utilizing a novel single cycle RABV reporter strain maintained in BSL-2 laboratory conditions. From our extensive screening library, we have identified the first direct-acting multi-strain RABV entry inhibitor, GRP-60367. Resistance profiling of GRP-60367 revealed escape mutations that accelerate the fusion kinetic of the RABV glycoprotein (G). We have solved two of the feasibility issues with current RABV antiviral drug discovery: i) BSL-2+RABV containment restraints and ii) reliable drug efficacy determination, thus paving the way for future drug discovery campaigns to alleviate the deficit and cost of current therapeutic options against lyssaviruses

Personhood & Parenthood: An Experiential Account of Balance & Well-being

Parents are constantly engaging in a balancing act, weighing their own needs with those of their children and family. Helping parents navigate the role of parenthood can promote optimal development in the child, parent, couple and family. Parents engage in various roles and responsibilities essential for family and individual well-being that require balance in order to be effective. Past research on balance has indicated that people are more satisfied with life when they are active in multiple life domains rather than in a single one. This study is interested in two specific life domains: personhood and parenthood, and how parents balance these two roles and identities. Balance between these two domains may operate to develop the individual and collective simultaneously, seeking to satisfy basic human needs. As a result, this fulfillment and balance may contribute to the experience of well-being. The focus of this study is on parents who believe that they have balance between personhood and parenthood. The mission is to bring awareness and understanding to the experiential part of parenting through a qualitative, phenomenological approach. This study explores parent’s personal accounts, experiences and stories through a semi-structured face-to-face interview. Participants included seven American parents of a variety of ages but all of whom were age 26 years and older. The electronic version of this dissertation is accessible at the Ohiolink ETD center http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd

Justifying the constitutional regulation of political parties : a framework for analysis

What are the main reasons behind the regulation of political parties by contemporary constitutional practices? This article presents a framework for analysis which identifies types of justifications and actors involved in the process of regulation and their further influence on the outcomes of constitutionalization. The empirical focus is on the revelatory case of Luxembourg, which amended the constitution for the sole reason of giving parties constitutional status. The analysis suggests that the constitutional regulation of political parties depends on their current interests and power status. Additionally, the paper draws attention to the involvement of external actors and nevertheless to the changing nature of contemporary constitutionalism

Rice Galaxy: An open resource for plant science

Background: Rice molecular genetics, breeding, genetic diversity, and allied research (such as rice-pathogen interaction) have adopted sequencing technologies and high-density genotyping platforms for genome variation analysis and gene discovery. Germplasm collections representing rice diversity, improved varieties, and elite breeding materials are accessible through rice gene banks for use in research and breeding, with many having genome sequences and high-density genotype data available. Combining phenotypic and genotypic information on these accessions enables genome-wide association analysis, which is driving quantitative trait loci discovery and molecular marker development. Comparative sequence analyses across quantitative trait loci regions facilitate the discovery of novel alleles. Analyses involving DNA sequences and large genotyping matrices for thousands of samples, however, pose a challenge to non−computer savvy rice researchers. Findings: The Rice Galaxy resource has shared datasets that include high-density genotypes from the 3,000 Rice Genomes project and sequences with corresponding annotations from 9 published rice genomes. The Rice Galaxy web server and deployment installer includes tools for designing single-nucleotide polymorphism assays, analyzing genome-wide association studies, population diversity, rice−bacterial pathogen diagnostics, and a suite of published genomic prediction methods. A prototype Rice Galaxy compliant to Open Access, Open Data, and Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reproducible principles is also presented. Conclusions: Rice Galaxy is a freely available resource that empowers the plant research community to perform state-of-the-art analyses and utilize publicly available big datasets for both fundamental and applied science

Symbolic Policies versus European Reconciliation: the Hungarian ‘Status Law’

International audienceThis chapter is organized as follows. First, it puts the Status Law back in the context of Hungarian symbolic policies and the development of European standards for minority protection after the Cold War. Agenda-setting at the COE and the OSCE is then analyzed to show how the originally bilateral controversy quickly became a ‘European problem’. The third part of the chapter underlines that the circulation of European standards between these European agencies was intrinsically ambiguous. At the international level, each organization interpreted these norms according to its own history, identity and resources, while at the national level politicians contested the ‘European solutions’ that they felt were being imposed on them