Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards in vivo imaging of early Rhizobium Nod factor responses

The goal in this thesis is to explore the possibility of live imaging of cellular events using fluorescence microscopy in combination with Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) based reporter constructs in root hairs during the Rhizobium -legume interaction. Legumes have the ability to establish an endosymbiotic relationship with soil bacteria of different genera, collectively named rhizobia , that results in nitrogen-fixing root nodules. The formation of root nodules begins when bacteria colonize the root surface and start secreting signal molecules, named Nod factor. These molecules induce responses in root epidermal cells; e.g. [Ca2+] spiking, actin skeleton rearrangement (Mirabella et al. 2002) . Ultimately, specific infection structures are formed in root hairs, which guide the bacteria through the epidermis and outer cortical cells towards the newly formed nodule primoridum (Mylona 1995; Long 1996; Bladergroen et al. 1998; Hadri 1998; Schultze et al. 1998) . The known [Ca 2+ ]-responses and actin skeleton alterations in root hairs were used as parameters to explore whether these can be monitored in living root hairs. However imaging approaches using FP based reporter constructs require the availability of efficient transformation procedures. Therefore Agrobacterium rhiogenes based transformation of Medicago truncatula ( Medicago ) and Lotus japonicus (Lotus) , was optimised ( Chapter 2 ). Several pilot experiments indicted that transgenes did have negative effects on plant/root development. This is in our system of importance since we use an A. rhizogenes root transformation procedure to obtain root hairs expressing the FP reporter constructs. If the negative influence on root growth is too high no transgenic roots will be obtained from the shoot. Therefore it was decided to test which tissue specific and inducible promoters could be used to create a set of promoters to facilitate future imaging studies. Thus several root epidermis specific promoters were analyzed for their suitability ( Chapter 2 ). In Chapter 3 ,4,5 inducible promoters have been studied that can be activated by a specific treatment by which the level, place and timing of expression can be controlled. To study the dynamics of actin in living cells a vital actin probe had to be developed. Therefore fusions of FPs with actin , actin binding proteins ( ABPs ), and actin binding protein domains (ABDs), respectively, were made. Their usefulness was tested in Vigna mesophyll protoplasts ( Chapter 6 ). In addition some attempts were made to express the most promising construct in root hairs. In vivo [Ca 2+ ] imaging was tested using use the FP based sensor Ycam , enabling [Ca 2+ ] imaging ( Miyawaki et al. 1997) . Ycam was expressed and tested in root hairs ( Chapter 7 ) by using one of the previously tested root epidermis specific promoters (Chapter 2). Finally the potential of the tested approaches is discussed ( Chapter 8)
Haplotype characterization of a stranded Balenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758) from Ancona (Adriatic sea, central Italy)

Caratterizzazione aplotipica di una balenottera comune spiaggiata presso Ancona (Mare Adriatico, Italia centrale). Riassunto La sequenza della regione di controllo del DNA mitocondriale di un esemplare di balenottera comune ( Balaenoptera physalus ) spiaggiata presso Ancona (Mare Adriatico) viene descritta e confrontata con quelle note per la specie. L’aplotipo ottenuto e risultato identico a quello descritto per il Mar Ligure, permettendo di ipotizzare spostamenti fra l’area tirrenica e l’Adriatico centro-settentrionale.
Host Plants Dependent Prey Suitability of Predatory Lady Beetles

Host plants play an important role in the suitability of preys for development of predatory insects. The suitability of Aphis gossypii (Glover) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) from different host plant species, Solanum xanthocarpum Schrad. and Wendl. (Solanaceae) and Chromolaena odorata (L.) (Asteraceae) as food sources for two lady beetle species, Menochilus sexmaculatus Fab. and Micraspis discolor (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) was evaluated by examining the effect of prey consumption on the performance of lady beetle larvae. Results demonstrated that A. gossypii from S. xanthocarpum was more suitably for larval growth than A. gossypii from C. odorata , with faster development time and higher larval survival of both lady beetle species. Consistent with the results of larval performance, larvae of M. sexmaculatus showed feeding preference on A. gossypii from S. xanthocarpum over A. gossypii from C. odorata . For M. discolor , however, longer development time of larvae when reared on A. gossypii from C. odorata result higher consumption on A. gossypii from C. odorata. Regardless of lady beetle species and aphid, 4th larval instar was the most voracious. Menochilus sexmaculatus was likely resistant to toxic of host plant of aphid, C. odorata , while M. discolor was susceptible to noxious allelochemicals of C. odorata distinctly. The different of essential prey and alternative prey of both lady beetle species was discussed in this study.
Nutritional value of Sesbania grandiflora leaves for monogastrics and ruminants.

The nutritive value of Sesbania grandiflora (sesbania) foliage was evaluated in two experiments in Western Samoa. In Experiment 1, goats were fed none, 1000 g day −1 or ad libitum fresh sesbania foliage with a basal diet of low quality grass hay. Feed intake was greater in goats offered ad libitum sesbania than in goats given grass alone, particularly in the second half of the experiment (78.6 vs 54.7 g DM kg W −0.75 day −1 ). Organic matter and nitrogen digestibility coefficients increased from 52.5 and 29.6% to 65.1 and 61.9%, respectively, as the level of sesbania feeding increased from nil to ad libitum (.)
Pollen and Spores of Chile

in an amended and much enlarged form in his Praktische Einfiihrung in die Pflanzenmorphologie, and his work on the inflorescences makes good progress. By January 1971, the date of signing his foreword, Troll could therefore look back upon a perhaps not complete, but certainly an unequalled series of works on plant morphology, unique for the present time and fully abreast wit the works of his great predecessors. There is, however, more to come.
Evolutionary dynamics of mechanisms that affect genome size in the cotton genus (Gossypium)

vi CHAPTER ONE. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 Description of Research Objectives 1 Dissertation Organization 3 Literature Cited 4 CHAPTER TWO. GENOME SIZE EVOLUTION 5 Introduction 5 Patterns of genome size variation in plants 5 Mechanisms that cause genome size growth 6 Mechanisms that cause genome size contraction 9 Polyploids and the evolution of genome size 11 Gossypium as a model for genome size evolution 12 Literature Cited 13 CHAPTER THREE. INCONGRUENT PATTERNS OF LOCAL AND GLOBAL GENOME SIZE EVOLUTION IN COTTON 20 Abstract 20 Introduction 21 Methods 23 Results 26 Discussion 36 Conclusions 40 Acknowledgments 40 References 41 CHAPTER FOUR. MICROCOLINEARITY AND GENOME EVOLUTION IN THE ADHA REGION OF DIPLOID AND POLYPLOID COTTON (GOSSYPIUM) 52 Summary 52 Introduction 53 Results 56 Discussion 69 Methods 74 Acknowledgments 76 References 76
Hypoglycemic effects of ginger in mildly and severely diabetic rats

In this study, the hypoglycemic effects of a raw aqueous extract of ginger (Zingiber officinale) were studied in mildly and severely diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in rats by the administration of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg). After one week, fasting serum glucose levels indicated that the diabetic rats could be divided into two groups: mildly diabetic (serum glucose ≅ 200 mg/dl) and severely diabetic (≥ 350 mg/dl). A raw aqueous extract of ginger was administered daily (500 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) for a period of seven weeks to both groups of diabetic rats. Both ginger‐treated diabetic groups showed a significant decrease in serum glucose level during the treatment period when compared to the diabetic control. The normal and treated mildly diabetic rats gained weight similarly while the treated severely diabetic rats nearly maintained their starting weights suggesting that ginger treatment protected the rats against characteristic diabetic weight loss. As for water intake, the treated mildly diabetic rats had a water intake similar to normal rats, while the treated severely diabetic rats increased their water consumption almost 5‐fold over the experimental period similar to diabetic control animals. These results indicate that raw ginger possesses hypoglycemic potential in both mildly and severely diabetic rats. In addition, raw ginger is effective in preventing the weight loss normally observed in diabetic rats. Thus, ginger may be useful in prevention of the progression of diabetes in both mild and severe conditions.
Design and fabrication of experimental dryer for studying agricultural products

Because of the importance of rice cracking in milling process, precision control of drying conditions is important. For this purpose, it is necessary to determine drying kinetics and obtain the moisture change during the drying process. In this paper, design, fabrication and testing of an automated thin-layer dryer is presented. Experiments on the drying kinetics of rice paddy (Fajr cv.) were conducted at five drying air temperatures, ranging from 30 to 70 , in four air velocities, ranging from 0.25 to 1.0 ms C o -1 and three replicas (60 runs altogether) with initial moisture content of 25% (d.b.) at the start of all runs. During drying, the mass loss was measured continuously. Experimental curves of the drying rate versus time grouped by air temperature showed the strong dependence of drying rate with temperature revealed that: (a) drying rate increased when air temperature increased and (b) moisture transfer occurred during the falling rate period of drying. However, when the curves of moisture ratio verses time were grouped by air velocity, very weak dependence of moisture ratio with velocity was observed. Increase in air velocity from 0.25 to 1 ms had little effect on the drying period paddy. Drying curves obtained from the experimental data, fitted to eight thin layer models and compared with three statistical parameters, showed that two terms model can predict moisture change with grater accuracy than other models.
Tumorigenicity Assays in Nude Mice: Analysis of the Implanted Gelatin Sponge Method

Gelatin sponges, preimplanted in nude mice for 10 days, were used for an improved assay for tumorigenicity of cultured cells. Cells inoculated through the skin into such sponges yielded tumors more rapidly and with greater frequency than with newly implanted sponges or into subcutaneous tissue. However, an unexpected loss of cells occurred in the first few days after implantation. This loss may be an important aspect of tumorigenicity assays of all kinds, and is readily studied with the sponge methods described.
Food and Feeding Habit of Fresh Water Fish Notopterus Notopterus (Pallas) from Godavari River, Nanded, Maharashtra

In order to study food and feeding habits of Notopterus notopterus from Godavari river, Nanded region have been reported. The fish is carnivorous inhabits and feeds on various Annelids, Arthropods, Molluscs, small fishes etc. The percentage composition of various items of food and the intensity of feeding during different months of the year in relation to different size group of Notopterus notopterus have been described.
Transfer mechanisms for low molecular weight lipid insoluble molecules into the developing brain

The internal environment of the central nervous system (CNS) is protected from its surrounding milieu by barriers, which selectively facilitate and restrict the entry of molecules in and out of the CNS. These barriers form early during development, however, their selectivity in the developing brain appears to be different from those that protect the adult brain. The reasons for the differences in the CNS barriers between young and adult animals are still unclear. The experiments in this thesis were performed in order to obtain morphological and physiological explanations for the changes in the transfer of lipid insoluble molecules into the CNS that occur during development. Quantitative studies with radioactive markers in parallel with experiments using a tracer that could be visualised were conducted in an attempt to correlate physiological uptake with the structural studies. A marsupial species, the grey short-tailed South-American opossum (Monodelphis domestica), was used in all experiments since it is born at an early stage of brain development, and thus is a more accessible model than any eutherian animal during a similar developmental period. The transfer of lipid insoluble molecules has previously not been studied at such early stages of brain development. All experiments were carried out in accordance with NHMRC guidelines and with the approval of the University of Tasmania Ethics Committee. Lipid insoluble radioactive markers were injected into opossum pups and blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain samples were collected to assess initial rate of uptake and steady-state CSF/plasma and brain/plasma ratios. These experiments showed that the steady-state ratios for small lipid insoluble molecules were high in early development compared to the adult and that they decreased during development due to a reduction in CNS barrier permeability with age. Possible routes by which lipid insoluble molecules enter the brain were investigated using a 3000 molecular weight biotin-dextran and visualising it under the light and electron microscope. This tracer allowed localisation of a small inert lipid insoluble molecule at the blood-CNS interfaces. Quantitative measurements of CSF uptake showed that the dextran penetrates across the brain barriers to an extent similar to other small lipid insoluble molecules and thus validates the dextran as a suitable tracer. Under the electron microscope, it appeared that cells of the blood-CSF interface at birth already exhibited tight-junctions, which are the fundamental structures of the brain barriers. These junctions seemed to impede the intercellular movement of the biotin-dextran. Uptake into cells at the blood-CSF interface and lack of extracellular biotin-dextran in the brain suggest that in the immature brain the route of penetration from blood to brain may be predominantly via the CSF rather than directly across the cerebral vessels of the developing brain.
Studies on the fishery and biology of Solenocera crassicornis (H. Milne Edwards) from Bombay waters

The average annual catch of Solinocera crassicornis was estimated to be 177 tonnes during 1969-75 at Versova. Bulk of the landings took place during November and March-April. Growth showed considerable disparity between sexes. The average monthly growth rate was found to be 5.20 mm for females and 3.80 mm for males. The life span was estimated as 16-20 months. The average annual total mortality rate was found to be 2.77 for females and 1.99 for males. Segregation of sexes was noticed during February- April when females migrate to deeper waters for spawning. The size at first maturity is 60-65 mm for females. The breeding period is prolonged with two peaks, one in December and another in April. An individual prawn may be spawning three times in its life period. The average number of eggs produced by a female in the size range of 61-102 mm was estimated to be 49,200.
The Extrastriate Body Area Computes Desired Goal States during Action Planning123

Abstract How do object perception and action interact at a neural level? Here we test the hypothesis that perceptual features, processed by the ventral visuoperceptual stream, are used as priors by the dorsal visuomotor stream to specify goal-directed grasping actions. We present three main findings, which were obtained by combining time-resolved transcranial magnetic stimulation and kinematic tracking of grasp-and-rotate object manipulations, in a group of healthy human participants (N = 22). First, the extrastriate body area (EBA), in the ventral stream, provides an initial structure to motor plans, based on current and desired states of a grasped object and of the grasping hand. Second, the contributions of EBA are earlier in time than those of a caudal intraparietal region known to specify the action plan. Third, the contributions of EBA are particularly important when desired and current object configurations differ, and multiple courses of actions are possible. These findings specify the temporal and functional characteristics for a mechanism that integrates perceptual processing with motor planning.
Conséquences physiopathologiques des mutations du gène ARX dans le développement cérébral

Des mutations du gene ARX (aristaless-related homeobox gene) ont ete identifiees dans un large spectre de desordres neurologiques precoces, incluant ou non des malformations cerebrales, le plus souvent associes a des epilepsies. Il est propose que le gene ARX, codant pour un facteur de transcription, joue un role primordial au cours du developpement cerebral, notamment sur la migration des neurones GABAergiques, mais son implication au cours de la mise en place du systeme nerveux central reste cependant encore mal connue. L’objectif de ce travail a ete d’etudier le role du gene ARX et les consequences de ses mutations sur le developpement cerebral dans le but de mieux comprendre ces pathologies. Dans un premier temps, nous avons etudie l’effet d’une mutation particuliere du gene, la mutation ARX(CGC)7, une expansion polyalanine retrouvee principalement dans des pathologies sans malformation cerebrale mais avec des epilepsies, tels que les syndromes de West ou d’Ohtahara. Des analyses realisees sur une lignee de souris knock-in pour cette mutation (GCG)7 et sur des rats apres electroporation in utero ont montre que la migration neuronale des neurones glutamatergiques et GABAergiques ainsi que la maturation des neurones GABAergiques ne sont pas alterees par cette mutation. De facon interessante, nos donnees suggerent que les epilepsies observees chez les souris knock-in resulteraient plutot d’une reorganisation du reseau glutamatergique. Etant donne que le gene ARX n’est pas exprime dans les neurones glutamatergiques, l’ensemble de ce travail suggere donc que les epilepsies chez les souris knock-in pour la mutation (GCG)7 sont la consequence d’une alteration developpementale secondaire a la mutation initiale du gene, et ceci aurait d’importantes repercussions therapeutiques qui requierent d’avantages d’etudes. Des experiences nous ont ensuite permis d’etudier l’effet de plusieurs mutations du gene ARX sur la morphologie des interneurones in vitro. Celles-ci ont montre que les mutations d’ARX n’engendrent pas une localisation subcellulaire anormale de la proteine dans les interneurones en culture. De facon interessante, ces experiences suggerent que la morphologie des interneurones est alteree seulement par certaines mutations, notamment les mutations P353R et Dup24. Ces donnees soulignent ainsi l’importance d’etudier de facon specifique chaque mutation du gene pour expliquer les mecanismes engendrant l’heterogeneite phenotypique liee aux mutations d’ARX. L’ensemble de ces travaux contribuent a une meilleure comprehension du role du gene ARX dans le developpement cortical et a une meilleure caracterisation des mecanismes physiopathologiques des desordres neurologiques precoces lies aux mutations de ce gene.
Long-term effects of intravitreal ranibizumab treatment on retinal ganglion cell complex and choroidal thickness

Background: To evaluate the long-term effects of intravitreal ranibizumab treatment on both choroidal and retinal layers thicknesses using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and Enhanced Depth Imaging (EDI) mode. Methods: Thirty-two eyes of 27 patients with classic choroidal neovascularization that have been undergoing intravitreal 0.5 mg ranibizumab injections for a minimum of 2-year follow up were enrolled as the study group. Age and sex matched 31 eyes of 17 nonneovascular age-related macular degeneration subjects constituted the control group. Thickness of retinal layers measured by the program embedded in SD-OCT. Choroidal images were obtained by SD-OCT with EDI mode by the same certified operator. Results: The mean injection number of the study group was 12.1 ± 4.0. The mean follow-up time was 3.6 ± 1.6 years. The mean subfoveal choroidal thickness values tended to be lower in ranibizumab treated eyes than controls, but difference was not statistically significant (184 ± 75.5μ vs. 200.8 ± 60.2μ; p:0.336). The study and control groups’ mean retinal thickness values were not statistically significant (250.4 ± 29.4μ vs. 249.7 ± 15.2μ; p:0.906). The mean ganglion cell layer (GCL), internal plexiform layer (IPL) and ganglion cell complex (GCC) values of ranibizumab treated eyes were found to be statistically significantly lower than controls ([21.06 ± 8.03μ vs. 24.6 ± 5μ; p:0.036], [24.5 ± 7.8μ vs. 29.8 ± 3.8μ; p:0.001], [64.1 ± 16.5μ vs. 72.9 ± 8.03μ; p:0.010] respectively). Conclusions: Our study showed that long-term intravitreal ranibizumab treatment was associated with significant reduction in the GCL, IPL and GCC thicknesses. Randomized prospective studies must be conducted to determine if any difference exits between anti-VEGF agents or if this thinning induces any damage in the function of the retinal ganglion cells.
Metabolic Analysis of Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate) Production by Recombinant Escherichia coli

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) production by fermentation was examined under both restricted- and ample-oxygen supply conditions in a single fed-batch fermentation. Recombinant Escherichia coli transformed with the PHB production plasmid pSYL107 was grown to reach high cell density (227 g/l dry cell weight) with a high PHB content (78% of dry cell weight), using a glucose-based minimal medium. A simple flux model containing 12 fluxes was developed and applied to the fermentation data. A superior closure (95%) of the carbon mass balance was achieved. When the data were put into use, the results demonstrated a surprisingly large excretion of formate and lactate. Even though periods of severe oxygen limitation coincided with rapid acetate and lactate excretion, PHB productivity and carbon utilization efficiency were not significantly impaired. These results are very positive in reducing oxygen demand in an industrial PHA fermentation without sacrificing its PHA productivity, thereby reducing overall production costs.