Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The transformative business model

A business model that can link a new technology to an emerging market need is the key to industry transformation. When Apple coupled the iPod with iTunes, it revolutionized the audio devices market. But most attempts to introduce a new model fail. The authors did an in-depth analysis of 40 companies that had launched new business models in a variety of industries, and here they present the key takeaways from their research. They looked for recurring features in the models and found six: personalization, a closed-loop process, asset sharing, usage-based pricing, a collaborative ecosystem, and an agile and adaptive organization. No model displayed all of them, but having a higher number of features usually correlated with a greater chance of success at transformation. (The taxi service Uber can claim five of the six.) Companies that are thinking about changing their business model or entering an industry with a new model can rate themselves on the six features to assess the likelihood that they’ll be transformative. INSETS: Linking Technology and the Market. ;How Many Boxes Should a Model Tick? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
The application of DNA fingerprinting and marker–assisted backcross selection in breeding for sunflower high oleic acid content lines

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) high oleic acid content lines differ from conventional sunflower by an increase in oleic acid (C18:1) content of more than 60%. The current sunflower cultivars under production in South Africa are standard sunflower with high levels of linoleic acid (C18:2). The aim of this study was to improve the quality of oil produced by local sunflower germplasm with respect to oleic acid through employing a marker-assisted breeding technique to facilitate and speed up the recovery of the high oleic acid allele into the background of the recurrent parent genome. Eleven sunflower breeding genotypes with high and low oleic acid traits were obtained from the Agricultural Research Council-Grain Crops Institute (ARC-GCI) in Potchefstroom. The breeding genotypes were phenotypically characterised based on their oleic and linoleic acid levels using gas chromatography. Results demonstrated that the average mean of oleic and linoleic acid contents in high oleic acid genotypes were 72% and 17% respectively, while the average mean of oleic acid and linoleic acid contents in wild type lines were 33.5 % and 54 % respectively. These results indicated a perfect negative correlation between the amount of oleic and linoleic acids possessed in high and low oleic acid genotypes (R2 = -99.16%). Sequence characterised amplified region (SCAR) markers were tested to ascertain if any of the ten available dominant FAD2-1 markers was segregating with the high oleic acid allele. Four dominant SCAR markers (FAD2-1F4/R1; FAD2-1F4/R2; FAD2-1F13/R1; FAD2-1F14/R2) were strongly associated with the high oleic acid trait (P< 0.001). With regard to the inheritance of the high oleic acid trait, 143 plants of the F2 segregating population derived from a cross between the high oleic acid parent (AP901-95-3-4-1) and low oleic acid parent (H55-9-2-1-1) were genotyped with the four SCAR markers to determine the genetic state concerning the high oleic acid gene (Ol). Results from a Chi square analysis of the observed frequencies of each dominant FAD2-1 marker locus in 143 F2 individuals indicated that the deviation from the expected ratio of 3:1 (high to low oleic acid) was not statistically significant (P< 0.95) from the observed segregation ratio. These results were consistent with the previous finding that an incomplete dominant gene governs sunflower high oleic acid. A multiplex assay of 78 Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers was optimised and evaluated on 143 plants of the F2 population to determine suitable SSR markers that can be used in a marker-assisted background selection. Only 14 markers were suitable for marker-assisted background selection based on their high polymorphic information content, allele frequency and maximum allele numbers. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the potential of using SSR and SCAR marker systems as a breeding tool to characterise and speed up the selection process in marker-assisted backcross breeding.
Dictyostelium cell-fate bias is regulated antagonistically by the Retinoblastoma orthologue RblA and the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdk1

A Dictyostelium cell chooses its fate based on the time of its last division prior to the initiation of development. At the onset of development, freshly-divided cells tend to form the stalk of the fruiting body while late-G2 cells become the reproductive spores. How the phases of the cell cycle are linked to cell-type differentiation is unknown. To address this issue, we targeted for analysis two key cell-cycle regulators, Cdk1 and the Retinoblastoma orthologue RblA. Using RNA-blot analysis and reporter-gene studies, we showed that cdk1 is expressed shortly before mitosis then again during mid-development. We also generated a series of doxycycline-inducible cdk1 mutants. Cells expressing cdk1Y15F were blocked in mitosis and displayed defects in spindle assembly, suggesting that Cdk1 dephosphorylation on tyrosine15 is a pivotal step in the G2/M transition of Dictyostelium. Those expressing cdk1T14A were smaller than the control strain, implying that Cdk1T14 phosphorylation is one mechanism by which Dictyostelium coordinates cell growth with cell division. When given the choice between becoming spores or stalk cells, Cdk1T14A cells opted for the stalk fate. Importantly the developmental phenotype was rescued when cdk1T14A was expressed in RblA-deficient cells. By comparing the transcriptional profiles of wild-type and RblA-deficient cells, we found that RblA-repressed genes associated with cell proliferation. These genes were expressed in late G2 then again in mid-development. Collectively our findings support a model in which RblA and Cdk1 play opposing roles in the cell cycle. In this model RblA prevents cell-cycle progression by repressing mitosis and S-phase genes. Repression is relieved in late G2 and genes such as cdk1 are activated, thereby allowing cells to advance through the cell cycle. The antagonistic relationship between Retinoblastoma and Cdks is not new; it has long been established in other model systems. The novelty of our findings is that RblA and Cdk1 also influenced development. We found that cells with an active Cdk1 (or lacking a functional RblA) at the onset of development were ushered to the stalk pathway. This is important since it implies that these cell-cycle regulators are part of the intrinsic signalling pathway responsible for initial cell-type choice in Dictyostelium.
Aberrant V(D)J Recombination: Misrepair of DNA Breaks and Implications For Lymphomagenesis.

Canonical non-homologous end joining (C-NHEJ), a major DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathway, is required for the repair of general DSBs as well as programmed breaks generated during antigen receptor gene rearrangements by V(D)J recombination. During this process, the lymphocyte-specific RAG1/2 endonuclease generates DSBs at numerous V, D and J genomic segments. The DNA ends are maintained in a postcleavage complex to facilitate end joining by C-NHEJ proteins, including Artemis, a DNA nuclease. Proper end joining is essential for lymphocyte development, immune diversification and to suppress structural chromosomal aberrations. Patients with null and hypomorphic mutations in RAG, Artemis and other C-NHEJ genes develop immunodeficiency disorders. Hypomorphic Artemis mutations that result in loss of the C-terminus are also associated with lymphomas harboring chromosomal translocations at the antigen receptor loci. The mechanisms that promote genomic instability in these patients are not entirely clear. This dissertation is focused on elucidating the roles of RAG1 and Artemis in preventing genomic instability during V(D)J recombination. These studies provide the first in vivo evidence that hypomorphic Rag1 and Artemis mutations result in unique molecular defects characterized by chromosomal translocations at the RAG-induced breaks in non-malignant cells. My findings suggest that RAG1 and Artemis play important roles in maintaining postcleavage complex stability. Disruption of these complexes in the hypomorphic mutant lymphocytes results in premature release of DNA ends that may engage in aberrant V(D)J recombination. Recurrent chromosomal translocations are also a hallmark of sporadic human hematological malignancies, and of progenitor-B cell lymphomas in mice with combined C-NHEJ and tumor suppressor p53 deficiencies. Distinct alternative end joining (A-EJ) mechanisms have been implicated in mediating these translocations. The mechanisms that activate A-EJ are poorly characterized. My studies have demonstrated that induction of DNA damage response triggers alternative end-joining (A-EJ) in lymphocytes in the absence of Artemis resulting in chromosomal translocations at RAG-induced breaks. In summary, I have identified novel functions for RAG and Artemis in maintaining chromosomal integrity during V(D)J
Investigating the Effect of Inlet Velocity on Temperature Distribution and Solid Volume Fraction in Fluidized Bed Dryer using CFD

Tea leaves drying is a process to stop polyphenol oxidation and reduce the humidity of the leaves by roasting technique. The roasting techniques uses heat which generated from wood burning. The roasting must be monitored carefully so that the leaves are not too dry or even singed. The process of roasting from wood burning (organic material) increasing the levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) of the tea because of the fume from its combustion. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) is a member of Hydrocarbon which consisting of two or more close aromatic ring structures. Each of structure consist of benzo[a]pyrene. Benzo[a]pyrene formed from the imperfect combustion which are carcinogenic and mutagenic which can cause cancer. One of the ways that can be done to reduce the negative impact of drying with a wood burning is using a fluidized bed dryer (FBD). Fluidized bed dryer is a drying technique by reducing and eliminating humidity on the solid particle and change the humidity to gas (evaporation), in another word, this technique is called convective drying. On the drying technique, water has a role as evaporating fluid (evaporated) and air as gas cleaner. This research aims to analyze the effect of velocity variation on temperature and solid volume fraction distribution. This research uses Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software in 2D modelling with a constant temperature at 130 ̊C and varying velocity at 1.152 m/s, 1.536 m/s, 1.728 m/s and 1.8 m/s to get the average particle temperature distribution. Simulation results obtained error on temperature distribution of particles with an average error of 0.67625%. Solid volume fraction contour, velocity contour, and temperature distribution contour show that the optimum velocity of fluidization and particle temperature distribution optimum velocity is 1.728 m/s.
A simple parity check matrix LDPC code for perpendicular magnetic recording channels

In LDPC code design, the structure of code's parity check matrix can be very crucial to code performance. In this paper, we have investigated a simple designed parity check matrix when the code is applied to a PMR channel of a storage system. Belief propagation algorithm and min-sum algorithm are two major decoding algorithms used to benchmarked the code's merits. Additive white Gaussian noise channel (AWGN) and perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) channel with SISO equalizer in PR2 target are the conditions of our investigation. The LDPC code itself is a modified array type. Its construction fairly simple compared to normal array and quasi-cyclic code. We used two decision variables to define the permutation matrix. A method proposed by Tanner's et.al had been adapted to the modified array code. The decoders have been tested for 5 and 20. iterations. SNR versus BER and BLER were measured.
The genetic crisis of the Mexican Bolson Tortoise (Gopherus flavomarginatus: Testudinidae)

Gopherus flavomarginatus (Testudinidae) is endemic to a series of discontinuous, isolated basins collectively known as the Bolson de Mapimi in the Chihuahuan Desert. Its numbers declined after catastrophic levels of exploitation during the mid-20th century. However currently, the Bolson Tortoise appears to be on a path to recovery owing to intensive, sustained conservation efforts. We sequenced an 842-bp-long fragment of the D-loop from 76 individuals distributed throughout the species’ range. The results revealed only two haplotypes. An AMOVA showed that 95% of the variance occurred among populations, whereas the remaining 5% was explained by genetic differences within populations. Tectonic processes together with ecological transformation during the Pleistocene and Holocene may be responsible for the reduction in this species’ genetic variation. A bottleneck during which a significant percentage of the haplotype diversity was lost would result in genetic homogeneity. Although there is demographic growth, the lack of genetic diversity is indicative of the potential crisis that the Bolson Tortoise is facing, and awareness must be brought to this situation.
The Molecular and Physiological Basis of Nutrient Use Efficiency in Crops

Preface vii Contributors ix Part I: Generic Aspects of Crop Nutrition 3 Chapter 1 An Overview of Nutrient Use Effi ciency and Strategies for Crop Improvement 5 Malcolm J. Hawkesford Chapter 2 Crop Root Systems and Nutrient Uptake from Soils 21 Peter J. Gregory Chapter 3 The Role of the Rhizosphere in Nutrient Use Effi ciency in Crops 47 Petra Marschner Chapter 4 Optimizing Canopy Physiology Traits to Improve the Nutrient Utilization Effi ciency of Crops 65 M. John Foulkes and Erik H. Murchie Chapter 5 Senescence and Nutrient Remobilization in Crop Plants 83 Per L. Gregersen Chapter 6 Effects of Nitrogen and Sulfur Nutrition on Grain Composition and Properties of Wheat and Related Cereals 103 Peter R. Shewry Part II: Nitrogen as a Key Driver of Production 121 Chapter 7 Genetic Improvement of Nutrient Use Effi ciency in Wheat 123 Jacques Le Gouis Chapter 8 The Molecular Genetics of Nitrogen Use Effi ciency in Crops 139 Bertrand Hirel and Peter J. Lea Chapter 9 Biotechnological Approaches to Improving Nitrogen Use Effi ciency in Plants: Alanine Aminotransferase as a Case Study 165 Allen G. Good and Perrin H. Beatty Chapter 10 Transporters Involved in Nitrogen Uptake and Movement 193 Anthony J. Miller and Nick Chapman Chapter 11 Crop Improvement for Nitrogen Use Effi ciency in Irrigated Lowland Rice 211 Shaobing Peng Part III: Other Critical Macro- and Micronutrients 227 Chapter 12 Phosphorus as a Critical Macronutrient 229 Carroll P. Vance Chapter 13 Uptake, Distribution, and Physiological Functions of Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium 265 Frans J.M. Maathuis and Dorina Podar Chapter 14 Sulfur Nutrition in Crop Plants 295 Luit J. De Kok, Ineke Stulen, and Malcolm J. Hawkesford Chapter 15 Iron Nutrition and Implications for Biomass Production and the Nutritional Quality of Plant Products 311 Jean-Francois Briat Chapter 16 Zinc in Soils and Crop Nutrition 335 Behzad Sadeghzadeh and Zed Rengel Chapter 17 Overview of the Acquisition and Utilization of Boron, Chlorine, Copper, Manganese, Molybdenum, and Nickel by Plants and Prospects for Improvement of Micronutrient Use Effi ciency 377 Patrick H. Brown and Elias Bassil Part IV: Specialized Case Studies 429 Chapter 18 Drought and Implications for Nutrition 431 Eric Ober and Martin A.J. Parry Chapter 19 Salt Resistance of Crop Plants: Physiological Characterization of a Multigenic Trait 443 Sven Schubert Chapter 20 Legumes and Nitrogen Fixation: Physiological, Molecular, Evolutionary Perspectives, and Applications 457 Muthusubramanian Venkateshwaran and Jean-Michel Ane Index 491
Enhancement by α‐tocopheryl hemisuccinate of nitric oxide production induced by lypopolysaccharide and interferon‐γ through the upregulation of protein kinase C in rat vascular smooth muscle cells

The effect of α-tocopheryl hemisuccinate (TS) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/interferon-γ (IFN)-induced nitric oxide production in rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) was examined. The LPS/IFN-induced NO production was enhanced by TS but not by the other α-tocopherol (α-T) derivatives α-tocopheryl acetate (TA) and α-tocopheryl nicotinate (TN), or α-T itself. α-T, TA and TN inhibited the enhancement by TS of LPS/IFN-induced NO production. The enhancing effect of TS was observed in the presence of LPS, but not IFN, suggesting that TS participates in the LPS-stimulated signal pathway leading to NO production. Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors, but not protein kinase A inhibitors, inhibited the enhancing effect of TS on LPS/IFN-induced NO production. Furthermore, TS enhanced the amount of PKCα in VSMC. From these results, we concluded that the enhancing effect of LPS/IFN-induced NO production was caused by upregulation of PKC in VSMC.
Interaction entre démographie et génétique dans les petites populations : études sur un Hyménoptère parasitoïde avec incompatibilités génétiques

L’interaction de processus genetiques et demographiques peut generer des vortex d’extinction. Chez les Hymenopteres, les mâles sont haploides et les femelles diploides. Chez les especes avec sl-CSD (single-locus complementary sex determination), les haploides, se developpent en mâles et les diploides heterozygotes au gene du CSD, en femelles. Les diploides homozygotes sont des mâles non viables ou steriles. Des etudes theoriques suggerent que la production de mâles diploides peut entrainer les petites populations d’Hymenopteres dans un vortex d’extinction. Le premier objectif est d’encourager le dialogue entre genetique et demographie en proposant une definition des effets Allee elementaires generes par des processus genetiques, dont nous avons identifie des exemples dans la litterature. Le deuxieme objectif est de rechercher l’existence d’un effet Allee genetique dans des populations de Venturia canescens, un Hymenoptere parasitoide avec sl-CSD. Des marqueurs microsatellites ont ete elabores et utilises pour montrer une relation negative entre diversite genetique et proportion de mâles diploides dans des populations isolees ou goulotees. Les mâles diploides s’accouplent mais sont steriles. La depression de consanguinite affectant les femelles est faible. Nous avons cree et suivi des populations experimentales de V. canescens avec differents niveaux de diversite genetique. Un effet Allee genetique du a la production de mâles diploides a ete detecte mais il n’influencait ni le taux d’accroissement ni la probabilite d’extinction des populations. Les extinctions observees semblent surtout due a la stochasticite demographique.
Lectin expression in grasshopper (Melanoplus differentialis) fat body, ovary and testis tissue

Lectins play an important role in the humoral and cellular defense response of invertebrates. The carbohydrate-binding capacity of these proteins mediates recognition of specific carbohydrates on the surface of microorganisms, leading to their opsonization. Agglutinin that binds specific carbohydrates has been isolated from hemolymph of grasshopper, M. differentialis. This protein is a C-type lectin, requiring calcium for sugar binding activity. Two related lectin cDNA clones have been isolated, namely clone 3 and clone 4. The full length cDNAs of clone 3 and clone 4 are 2.1 Kb and 2.0 Kb, respectively, and they show 80% sequence identity within the open reading frame. The objective of this study is to determine lectin expression in grasshopper fat body, ovarian and testicular tissue using molecular biology techniques. Results would confirm or contradict previous published data that indicates synthesis of agglutinins in the three respective tissues (Stiles et al. 1988). Total RNA and polyA+ RNA were isolated from predissected and frozen fat body, ovary and testis tissue, for use in Northern analysis and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Northern analysis using a 32P-labeled lectin cDNA probe was successful with fat body polyA+ RNA, indicating lectin transcription in this tissue. RT-PCR with clone 3and clone 4-specific primers gave expected bands with fat body, ovary and testis polyA+ RNA. Southern analysis of the RT-PCR products with a radioactively labeled lectin cDNA probe showed that the RT-PCR products were a result of amplification of lectin mRNA. Interpretation of RT-PCR and Southern analysis results indicate that genes encoding clone 3 and clone 4 are expressed in fat body, ovary and testis tissues. Additional lectin-specific bands' with the three tissues in Southern analysis data suggest expression of other lectin genes. Overall results confirm that grasshopper fat body, ovarian and testicular tissues are synthesizing lectin molecules. LECTIN EXPRESSION IN GRASSHOPPER {MELANOPLUS DIFFERENTIAL! S) FAT BODY, OVARY AND TESTIS TISSUE
Mass spectrometry as a useful tool for identifying new therapeutic targets on the cell surface of pathogenic fungi from the genus Candida

Mass spectrometry (MS) is a universal technique with a wide range of applications, including proteomic studies of different organisms, particularly the characterization and sequencing of proteins isolated from specific cellular compartments. It is used for the identification of elements exposed on the cell surface of microbial pathogens, which are involved in the initial contact with the human host, and then in the further development of infection. Given the increasing frequency of invasive fungal infections caused by pathogenic yeast from the genus Candida , especially among patients with severe immunological impairments, it appears advisable to study the diversity of cell wall proteins that arise during subsequent stages of infection and that are responsible for several important phenomena correlated with pathogenesis. This study employed a liquid chromatograph-coupled mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionization source (ESI), and an ion trap analyser. For tandem mass spectrometry, two approaches for fragmentation of ions - collision-induced dissociation (CID) and electron transfer dissociation (ETD) - were used to analyse the mixtures of peptides generated after tryptic digestion of fungal cell wall proteins (i.e. the “bottom-up” ap-proach). Several surface proteins from Candida spp. were identified which could be potential drug targets and candidates for vaccine development.
Electromanipulation of cells

The Effect of High Intensity Electric Field Pulses on Eukaryotic Cell Membranes: Fundamentals and Applications, U. ZimmermannElectrotransformation of Bacteria, A. TaketoHigh-Intensity Field Effects on Artificial Lipid Bilayer Membranes: Theoretical Considerations and Experimental Evidence, M. Winterhalter, K. Klotz, and R. BenzElectrofusion of Cells: State of the Art and Future Directions, U. ZimmermannCell Motion in Time-Varying Fields: Principles and Potential, G. Fuhr, U. Zimmermann, and S. ShirleyElectric Properties of the Membrane and the Cell Surface, R. GlaserProtocols for High-Efficiency Electroinjection of "Xenomolecules" and Electrofusion of Cells, U. Zimmermann