Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fertility recovery of anther-derived haploid plants in Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.)

The cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) is one of the most important Colombian exotic fruits. Chromosome doubling of anther-derived plants is a key factor in the application of double haploid technology for the genetic improvement of crops. In the present study, axillary buds from four haploid cape gooseberry genotypes were used to evaluate artificial chromosome doubling induced by colchicine and its effects on ploidy level and pollen fertility. Three concentrations of colchicine (5, 10 and 15 mM) and three exposure times (2, 4 and 6 h) were used to determine the best treatment for the generation of fertileB plants from axillary buds of haploid genotypes. The colchicine increased both the number of chromosomes, from 36 to 129, and the average chloroplasts in stomata guard cell, from 4.5 to 23.8. The optimal chromosome doubling of the haploids was obtained with the 5 mM colchicine solution and 2 h exposure time. This protocol produced chromosome doubling in over 60% of the regenerants of the four haploid genotypes, with a high level of fertility. Morphologically, the fertile mixoploid plants showed variation in the vegetative, flowering and fruit characteristics, as compared to the haploid plants.
Crocin Alleviates 5-Fluorouracil-induced Hepatotoxicity through the abrogation of Oxidative Stress in Male Wistar rats

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a pyrimidine analogue that is used as an anti-cancer drug but its therapeutic potential is limited by its hepatotoxicity. This study therefore, aimed at investigating the protective effect of crocin, a natural supplement, against 5-FU-induced liver injury. Male rats were administered with 5-FU (30 mg/kg b.wt i.p.) for 5 days. Two groups of animals were either orally treated 3 days prior to or 3 days after 5-FU administration with crocin (40 mg/kg bwt). Another group was concurrently treated with crocin along with 5-FU administration. Biochemical variables indicative of liver injury, oxidative stress and liver histopathological alterations were thereafter determined. 5-FU administration markedly increased oxidative stress and markers of hepatic injury. Pre-, concurrent and post-treatment with crocin significantly reduced MDA, AOPP and LOOH levels and increased total antioxidant capacity compared to the 5-FU alone group, with improvement in the activities of the antioxidant enzymes, SOD, CAT and PONase. Liver injury was markedly reversed when AST, ALT and ALP activities estimated in the three treatment groups were compared to 5-FU group, but the restoration was incomplete, compared to the control. These biochemical variables were supported by histopathological examinations. The results indicate that crocin supplementation can ameliorate 5-FU-induced oxidative stress and liver injury in rat.
Étude protéomique de la microhétérogénéité des caséines [alpha]s1 et [bêta] équines : identification des variants transcriptionnels et de phosphorylation ; identification des sites phosphorylés de la caséine [bêta]

La caseine [beta] (CN-[beta]) et la caseine [alpha]s1 (CN-[alpha]s1) du lait de jument possedent un taux variable de phosphorylation et sont de bons modeles d’etude de l’influence du degre de phosphorylation et de la sequence peptidique sur la chelation de caseinophosphopeptides (CPP) avec des mineraux d’interet nutritionnel. Avant d’envisager une telle etude, la structure des caseines doit etre determinee precisement. Notre travail a ete consacre a la caracterisation de variants post-transcriptionnels et post-traductionnels de CN-[alpha]s1 et de CN-[beta]. Apres fractionnement chromatographique et analyse par spectrometrie de masse, la CN-[alpha]s1 entiere, trois variants d’epissage alternatif des exons 7 et 14 de la CN-[alpha]s1 et quatre variants deletes du residu Gln91, resultat de l’utilisation d’un site d’epissage cryptique, ont ete identifies dans le lait equin. Nous avons montre que le degre de phosphorylation de ces isoformes varie de 2 a 8 groupes phosphates. Au total, 36 isoformes differentes de CN-[alpha]s1 ont ete caracterisees. La cartographie bidimensionnelle de la CN-[beta] a ete etablie avec precision apres avoir isole par chromatographie chacun des variants de phosphorylation (possedant de 3 a 7 groupes phosphates) et apres avoir caracterise les formes de CN-[beta] modifiees par desamidation non enzymatique du residu Asn135. Des CPP trypsiques de chaque variant de phosphorylation ont ete prepares avec une technique recente de chromatographie d’affinite au dioxyde de titane, ce qui a permis de localiser par spectrometrie de masse en tandem les sites phosphoryles de la CN-[beta] (Ser9, Ser10, Thr12, Ser18, Ser23, Ser24, Ser25) et de montrer que la phosphorylation de la CN-[beta] n’est pas aleatoire mais sequentielle
The role of animated images in the website evaluation and online purchase process

More companies, especially the electronic companies, have started to use animated images on their websites to strength the first impression of their products and services. The first objective of this study was to aim at understanding the following gap: understanding the relationship between the animated images and the purchase intention. This will be done considering two mediators: visceral emotion, website credibility. No research focuses on the impact of websites animated images considering serial mediators. The second objective was to investigate the moderating effect of the culture value on the impact of the animated images on Visceral emotion (Pleasure, arousal, dominance). The results indicate that animated images will elicit greater emotional pleasure (arousal) which will induce higher perceived website credibility, thus leading to higher purchase intention than static images on the electronic’s product pages. Emotional dominance does not seem to change when customers see animated images. In fact, people from different countries have similar emotional flow towards animated images on the electronic’s product pages and similar ones following perceived site credibility and purchase intention. The managerial implications of this study suggest builder could focus their effort on creating animated product images instead of making two versions of images to adjust the tastes of different cultures. In both cases, electronic companies and web builders should be careful in their ethical approach to ensure they do respect individuals' rights and maintain an ethical mindset in their whole vision of their marketing strategy and application.
Investigation of the Mott transition with metastable Helium atoms

Dans cette these, nous transferons un condensat de Bose-Einstein d'Helium metastable dans un potentiel cubique 3D (reseau optique). Ce systeme constitue une realisation experimentale de l'Hamiltonien de Bose-Hubbard ou interviennent deux echelles d'energie: la force d'interaction entre les atomes $U$ et l'energie cinetique $J$. Suivant le rapport $U/J$, l'etat fondamental de ce systeme est soit un superfluide (SF), soit un isolant de Mott (MI). Ces deux phases sont separees par une transition appelee transition de Mott dont nous avons etudie quelques proprietes au cours de cette these. Grâce a l'utilisation d'atomes d'Helium dans un etat metastable, il est possible de detecter ces atomes de maniere individuelle et en 3D apres un long temps de vol. Ainsi, on a acces a la distribution en impulsion du gaz piege resolue a l'atome unique, ce qui permet de mesurer les fonctions de correlation en impulsion a n'importe quel ordre. Nous avons demontre que les correlations d'ordre 2 et 3 en impulsion sont celles d'un systeme decrit par une matrice densite gaussienne pour un isolant de Mott loin de la transition. Dans la phase MI, nous avons par ailleurs etudie l'augmentation de la coherence a une particule en se rapprochant de la transition de Mott. Pour finir, nous avons compare les distributions en impulsion mesurees experimentalement a des distributions numeriques exactes calculees a partir de l'algorithme Monte Carlo et de nous parametres experimentaux pour un panel de temperatures. Ces comparaisons nous ont permise de mesurer la temperature des nuages etudies necessaire a l'etude de la transition de phase entre un etat SF et l'etat thermique (NF) qui apparait lorsque le gaz est chauffe au dela d'une certaine temperature. En particulier, nous avons mesure l'evolution de la fraction condensee le long des transitions de phases SF-MI et SF-NF. Nous avons montre que si l'evolution de la fraction condensee en fonction de la temperature permet de mesurer la position de la transition de phase SF-NF, l'inhomogeneite des nuages etudies rend la mesure de la position de la transition de Mott plus compliquee. Dans ce cas, nous avons donc etudie d'autres observables.
Fluctuations and response in complex biological systems: Watching stochastic evolutionary and ecological pattern dynamics

My research uses computational and analytical techniques from statistical physics to examine spatial patterns and dynamics in complex biological systems. More specifically I used these techniques to analyze aspects of three different complex biological systems, namely stochastic Turing patterns, transposon and retrotransposon dynamics in live cells, and bistability in ant foraging. In collaboration with experimentalists at MIT and UIUC, I have shown how noise can stabilize emergent behaviors such as Turing patterns in biofilms. Normally, one would think that noise destroys patterns but we found that fluctuations in the copy number of signaling molecules acting as activator and inhibitors of gene expression leads to pattern formation. Surprisingly, we can show theoretically that these fluctuations increase the range of experimental conditions in which patterns can form. In collaboration with experimentalists at UIUC, we have observed how evolution acts on variation in time, space, and genome locus by imaging live cells with fluorescent reporters that allow us to track transposon dynamics. Transposons, also known as “jumping genes,” are found in all organisms and have activity that can cause mutations and drive evolution. As part of this collaboration I developed the software for image analysis of the cells and analyzed the resulting statistics of events. We discovered that the excision rate of transposons depends on orientation of the element, spatial location of the cell, and some heritable factors. In a follow-up experiment, I recently developed a model to explain our collaborators’ observation that the number of retrotransposon transcripts, transcripts produced by a copy and paste type of mobile genetic element, produces an exponential growth dependence defect. I developed a model for the copy number dynamics of retroelements and the time it takes these elements to be lost from a population of cells depending on the observed growth rate defect, transposition rate, and inactivation rate. This model explains why Group II introns are present in about 30% of bacterial species, while retrotransposons are essentially absent. This research sheds light on the early evolution of the eukaryotic spliceosome, the cellular machinery allowing complex organisms to remove intra-gene junk DNA during gene expression. I have extended a model for ants foraging from two food sources [1] to include indirect recruitment of ants with pheromones rather than direct recruitment by the ants themselves. This model continues to show bistable foraging for
Estrogenic action by tris(2,6-dimethylphenyl) phosphate, an impurity in resorcinol bis[di(2,6-dimethylphenyl) phosphate] flame retardant formulations, impairs the development of female reproductive functions

Background Developmental exposure to environmental chemicals with estrogen-like activity has been suspected to permanently impair women’s health. Objectives In this study, we used a mouse model to evaluate whether a chemical having putative estrogen-like action detected by in vitro study, namely tris(2,6-dimethylphenyl) phosphate (TDMPP) impairs sexual differentiation of the brain. Methods To induce developmental exposure, TDMPP was administered subcutaneously to dams from gestational day 14 to parturition and to pups from postnatal day 0 to 9 at two different doses (TDMPP-high and TDMPP-low groups, respectively). To compare the results between TDMPP and typical estrogen exposures, 17β-estradiol was administered at two different doses on the same treatment schedule (E2-low and E2-high groups, respectively). A vehicle control group was formed by administering an equivalent volume of sesame oil to dams and to pups. Results Although there was no specific impairment in female ovary morphology, precocious puberty, detected by vaginal opening, and irregular estrous cycles, detected by vaginal cytology after sexual maturation, were found in TDMPP-and E2-treated groups, but not in the vehicle control group. In addition, lower lordosis response during reproductive behavioral tests was found in TDMPP-or E2-treated groups. To further clarify whether TDMPP directly affects sexual differentiation of the brain, we evaluated the transfer of TDMPP into the brain and the formation of sexual dimorphic nuclei. We detected a certain amount of TDMPP and its metabolites in the mouse brain after treatment, and masculinization of sexual dimorphic nuclei in the hypothalamus of female mice, suggesting the direct impact of TDMPP in developing brain. Discussion Taken together, the experimental evidence demonstrates that TDMPP directly enters the fetal and neonatal brain, inducing changes of sex-related brain structures, and impairing female reproductive functions.
Pompage rovibrationnel optique des molécules de césium

Cette these traite de la manipulation des deux degres de libertes internes des molecules, que sont la rotation et la vibration. Il s'agit de transferer par un mecanisme de pompage optique les molecules formees dans plusieurs niveaux vibrationnels et rotationnels vers le niveau rovibrationnel absolu (J = v = 0). La demonstration experimentale est effectuee sur des molecules froides de cesium formees par photoassociation d'atomes froids. Le pompage optique est de plus demontre vers d'autres niveaux rotationnels du niveau vibrationnel fondamental. Le niveau cible est rendu noir par faconnage du spectre laser, c'est-a-dire que les molecules qui l'occupent ne peuvent plus absorber de photons du fait que le laser ne fournit pas les frequences resonnantes necessaires. Dans le cas du cesium, la faible separation en energie entre les niveaux rotationnels necessite une source spectralement fine. En effet, un laser large bande est dedie au refroidissement de la vibration et un second laser, plus fin spectralement, est utilise pour le refroidissement de la rotation. La methode demontree est tres generale. Des simulations, en tres bon accord avec l'experience, montrent qu'elle peut etre appliquee a d'autres molecules. Une application a des jets moleculaires est aussi discutee. Elle pourrait permettre d'ouvrir la voie a un refroidissement laser et une collimation de jet avec d'eventuelles applications de lithographie.
The terrestrial organism and biogeochemistry spatial sampling design for the National Ecological Observatory Network

Author(s): Barnett, David T; Duffy, Paul A; Schimel, David S; Krauss, Rachel E; Irvine, Kathryn M; Davis, Frank W; Gross, John E; Azuaje, Elena I; Thorpe, Andrea S; Gudex-Cross, David; Patterson, Michael; McKay, Jalynda M; McCorkel, Joel T; Meier, Courtney L
Thermal cycling-hyperthermia in combination with polyphenols, epigallocatechin gallate and chlorogenic acid, exerts synergistic anticancer effect against human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells

Hyperthermia (HT) has shown feasibility and potency as an anticancer therapy. Administration of HT in the chemotherapy has previously enhanced the cytotoxicity of drugs against pancreatic cancer. However, the drugs used when conducting these studies are substantially conventional chemotherapeutic agents that may cause unwanted side effects. Additionally, the thermal dosage in the treatment of cancer cells could also probably harm the healthy cells. The purpose of this work was to investigate the potential of the two natural polyphenolic compounds, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and chlorogenic acid (CGA), as heat synergizers in the thermal treatment of the PANC-1 cells. Furthermore, we have introduced a unique strategy entitled the thermal cycling-hyperthermia (TC-HT) that is capable of providing a maximum synergy and minimal side effect with the anticancer compounds. Our results demonstrate that the combination of the TC-HT and the CGA or EGCG markedly exerts the anticancer effect against the PANC-1 cells, while none of the single treatment induced such changes. The synergistic activity was attributed to the cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and the induction of the ROS-dependent mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. These findings not only represent the first in vitro thermal synergistic study of natural compounds in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, but also highlight the potential of the TC-HT as an alternative strategy in thermal treatment.
Co-design and participatory methods for wellbeing

Wellbeing and health are closely connected as one affects the other (Howell et al, 2007; Diener and Chan, 2011). Wellbeing forms a complex notion with both an external (e.g. poverty, physical impairment) as well as an internal dimension (e.g. mental issues, happiness). Participatory and co-design approaches present a fundamental shift in the traditional designer-user relationship. The co-design approach enables a wide range of people to make a creative contribution in the solution but critically also in the formulation of a problem, a task that has been predominantly led by designers previously. In this chapter we explore the current use of participatory design and co-design approaches for wellbeing. Following an introduction to the theory, we provide an overview of the main areas where participatory and co-design approaches are being applied in relation to wellbeing. We also present two case studies where such approaches are employed for enhancing the wellbeing of people living with dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Following this we discuss the challenges and benefits for the use of co-design and participatory methods in wellbeing research projects and provide the reader with several recommendations.
Genetic Diversity Analysis in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.em.Thell.) for Yield and Physiological Traits

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the most widely grown crop and an essential component of the global food security mosaic, providing one-fifth of the total calories for the world’s population. India is second largest producer of wheat in the world. The area, production, and productivity of wheat in India in 2017-18 was 29.58 million ha, 99.7 million ton and 33.71 qtls/ha, respectively (ICARIIWBR, 2018). It is grown in all the regions of the country and the states, namely, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 8 Number 02 (2019) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
Determination of Optimal Soil Moisture Depletion Level for Groundnut at Amibara, Middle Awash, Ethiopia

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the response of Groundnut to different allowable soil moisture depletion levels. From the three consecutive years of combined data analyses, the effect of different allowable soil moisture depletion level on the yield of groundnut and other yield components was not significantly different. However, there was a statistically significance difference on crop water productivity. Among the five treatments, SMD3, which is had 50% allowable soil moisture depletion level gave the highest mean unshelled yield. Whereas, SMD4, which is had 60% allowable soil moisture depletion level, gave the lowest unshelled yield. 30% allowable soil moisture depletion level gave the highest crop water productivity. Even if the different allowable soil moisture depletion level didn’t did not show a significant difference on yield of Groundnut, 50% allowable soil moisture depletion level gave relatively the highest yield and optimum crop water productivity. Therefore, for Amibara and other similar agroecological areas irrigating Groundnut at 50% allowable soil moisture depletion level will provide an optimum yield. Keywords: Soil moisture depletion; unshelled yield; Groundnut; crop water productivity
Efficacy of different botanical and synthetic insecticides on red pumpkin beetle (Aulacophora foveicollis) in bitter gourd

Present experiment was laid out to study the efficacy of different botanicals and synthetic insecticides against red pumpkin beetle in bitter gourd crop. The trail was conducted at Research Farm of Bakhra Shaker Khan, Sibi-Balochistan. Five Treatments viz., Neem oil 1L/acre, Castor oil 1L/acre, Melathion 250L/acre, Imidachloprid 250L/acre with a control (untreated) plot was utilized for this experiment. The efficacy of insecticides was obs8erved after 0, 24, 72 and 7 days of insecticides spraying. 2.94, 2.92, 3.22, 3.72 and 4.17 larvae / leaf was died against Neem oil after 0 hrs, 24 hrs, 48 hrs, 72 hrs and 7 days, similarly 3.22, 3.31, 3.81, 4.08 and 4.31 after 0 hrs, 24 hrs, 48 hrs, 72 hrs and 7 days against Caster oil, 2.09, 1.32, 1.34, 2.17 and 3.15 after 0 hrs, 24 hrs, 48 hrs, 72 hrs and 7 days against Melathanion, 1.93, 1.98, 2.09, 2.29 and 31 after 0 hrs, 24 hrs, 48 hrs, 72 hrs and 7 days against Imidachloprid. In control 3.407, 3.95, 4.00, 4.42 and 5.64 after 0 hrs, 24 hrs, 48 hrs, 72 hrs and 7 days was noted. The results indicated that Melathion 250 / acre and Imidachloprid 250L/acre are highly effective against Aulacophora foveicollis.
Determination of toxicity of spinosad against the pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis L

Pulses serve as one of the main sources of protein and minerals as well as play a vital socio-economic role in the diet of common people of Bangladesh but these pulses suffer enormous losses due to infestation of a serious insect pest pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis L. As a part of eco-friendly management of this detrimental pest, an experiment was conducted at the laboratory to determine the toxicity of spinosad against the pulse beetle, C. chinensis L. directly by using dry film contact toxicity method and indirectly by treating chickpea seeds. In the direct method spinosad showed contact toxicity and the lethal concentration of spinosad was 117.46, 76.05 and 37.45 ppm at 24, 48 and 72 hours after treatment, respectively. On the other hand, the LC50 values were 990.34, 301.35 and 95.08 ppm after 24, 48 and 72 HAT, respectively as per indirect method. A dose-dependent relation with the mortality was observed by both methods. Spinosad was also significantly effective in reducing the number of eggs (68.00 to 98.60% inhibition over control), adult emergence (56.70 to 100% inhibition over control), percent seed infestation (62.79 to 100% inhibition over control) and seed weight loss (50.81 to 100% inhibition over control). The present results indicated that spinosad could be suggested for the efficient management of C. chinensis in storage. J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 16(3): 411–416, December 2018