Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
GALIG : UN NOUVEAU GÈNE HUMAIN INDUCTEUR DE LA MORT CELLULAIRE

Galig, gene interne au gene de la galectine-3, code deux proteines la mitogaligine et la cytogaligine. Ce travail de these a montre que l'expression de galig conduit a une mort cellulaire presentant des marqueurs caracteristiques de l'apoptose. Ainsi, la co-expression de Bcl-XL, proteine anti-apoptotique, reduit significativement la liberation de cytochromec et la mort cellulaire. Cependant, certains caracteres apoptotiques ne sont pas mis en evidence suggerant une nouvelle forme de mort cellulaire programmee. Des etudes de relation structure-fonction ont permis de delimiter le signal d'adressage mitochondrial en position interne dans la mitogaligine. Des anticorps anti-cytogaligine polyclonaux ont ete produits puis utilises en immunofluorescence et en western-blot. Un test de PCR quantitative a egalement ete mis au point. Ces outils devraient permettre de quantifier l'expression du gene galig et la production des proteines in vivo dans differents echantillons de tissus humains.
Restructuring to Improve Water Services in Malaysia

The regulatory structure of the Malaysian water services industry is complex as both the state and federal authority manage water supply at the state level. In 2008, the Federal Government restructured the water industry and centralised the water management of the state government by establishing SPAN (National Water Services Commission) and PAAB (Water Asset Management Company). The objective of SPAN and PAAB is to improve the efficiency of water operators in Peninsular Malaysia including Labuan. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the level of efficiency of the state’s water operators before and after the restructuring, and also to determine the factors that affect the level of efficiency of the state’s water operator. DEA approach (Data Envelopment Analysis), and Malmquist index were used to measure technical efficiency and productivity of the operator over the period 2000-2013. The DEA score showed that the sector’s mean technical efficiency was 73%, and only 42% of the state water operator showed an increasing in efficiency score. Penang’s water operator was the most efficient with a score of one over the study period. Total Factor Productivity analyses show that the water industry lags in the area of technology and inadequate capital. SPAN and PAAB also need to review their current key performance indicators in order for the latter to improve the efficiency of the operators.
Efficient 3D grids for image reconstruction using spherically-symmetric volume elements

Incorporation of spherically-symmetric volume elements (blobs), instead of the conventional voxels, into iterative image reconstruction algorithms, has been found in the authors' previous studies to lead to significant improvement in the quality of the reconstructed images. Furthermore, for 3D positron emission tomography, the 3D algebraic reconstruction technique using blobs can reach comparable or even better duality than the 3D filtered backprojection method after only one cycle through the projection data. The only shortcoming of the blob reconstruction is an increased computational demand, because of the overlapping nature of the blobs. These encouraging results mere obtained in the authors' previous studies for the case when the blobs were placed on the same 3D simple cubic grid used for voxel basis functions. For basis functions which are spherically-symmetric, there are more advantageous arrangements of the 3D grid, enabling a more isotropic distribution of the spherical functions in the 3D space and a, better packing efficiency of the image spectrum. A good arrangement is the body centered cubic grid. The authors' studies confirmed that, when using this type of 3D grid, the number of grid points can be effectively reduced, decreasing the computational and memory demands while preserving the quality of the reconstructed images. <<ETX>>
Genotype - factor influencing performance of chicken production.

Genotype – factor in uencing performance of chicken production. The aim of this study was to establish the effect of the genotype on performance of chickens. The experimental material included 1,320 slow-growing chickens with two genotypes Hubbard JA 957 – available on the Polish market hybrid with a declared slow growth and non-commercial hybrid C×GP, for creation of which a light native breed Greenleg Partridge hens were used. Chickens were maintained up to 63 days of age. During the experiment body weight, feed intake and health of the birds were under control. Based on the observations the growth rate and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) were determined. It was found, that chickens C×GP were characterized by lower body weight, slower rate of growth and higher feed conversion ratio compared with the chickens Hubbard JA 957, but chickens C×GP had a higher health.
Pathogenesis and Host Response During Infection of Maize Kernels by Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides

SHU, XIAOMEI. Pathogenesis and Host Response During Infection of Maize Kernels by Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides. (Under the direction of Dr. Gary A. Payne.) Developing maize kernels are vulnerable to colonization by microbes. When colonization allows proliferation of the microbe at the expense of the host, disease occurs. The ascomycete fungal pathogens Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides are capable of colonizing maize kernels, causing ear rots and contamination of the kernel with mycotoxins. These diseases lead to significant losses of crop yield and quality, and constitute a threat to food safety and human health. Thus, the significance of these diseases has prompted extensive research efforts to understand these plant-parasite interactions. However, pathogenesis and resistance mechanisms remain poorly characterized, hampering the development of effective control strategies. No commercial maize lines are completely resistant to these fungi. We applied an integrated approach consisting of histology, in situ gene expression and transcriptional profiling to better understand the nature of the interactions that occur between maize kernels and these fungi. Maize inbred line B73 was hand pollinated and inoculated with either A. flavus or F. verticillioides by wounding the kernel with a needle bearing conidia. Histological staining of the kernel sections revealed fungal mycelium in kernels adjacent to the inoculation site by 48 hours post inoculation (hpi), and in all tissues at 96 hpi. Compared with F. verticillioides, A. flavus more aggressively colonized kernel tissue and formed a unique biofilm-like structure around the scutellum. Transcriptome profiling using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) coupled with pathway analysis showed that these fungi were recognized by the kernel tissues prior to visible colonization. Infection of the kernel by these fungi induced transcriptional changes in defense-related genes, hormone signaling networks, as well as primary and secondary metabolism pathways. To dissect tissue-specific responses of the kernel, RNA in situ hybridization and histological staining were carried out in adjacent serial sections. We found that two maize genes, pathogenesis related protein, maize seeds (PRms) and shrunken-1 (Sh1), were expressed in the aleurone and scutellum during infection by these fungi. By staining the adjacent sections, we found that these genes were induced in the tissue before the establishment of fungal colonization. Integration of histology, in situ gene expression and transcriptional profiling to study pathogenesis of maize kernels by these two fungi revealed distinctive and common features between the two pathosystems, and provided information that will facilitate the development of resistance genotypes in maize. Pathogenesis and Host Response During Infection of Maize Kernels by Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides
The potential of bioinformatics approaches in identifying genetic factors associated with environmental stress reponse of cereal crops.

Wheat is Australia's largest cereal crop but its growth can suffer from environmental stress factors such as drought, salinity, chilling, frost and flooding. Biotechnology is starting to play significant roles in identifying genes associated with abiotic stress tolerance. This work focuses on one such gene family, the aq\laporins. Rice (Oryza sativa) has had its entire genome sequenced, hence we have used various in silica approaches such as keyword searches, sequence homology based searches and sequence alignments to compile a comprehensive list of rice aquaporins, including gene size, chromosomal location, gene type and predicted functional roles. Comparative genomics is a particularly fast growing area of research and is an important tool for utilising existing genetic data for application to other species. Information on synteny (conserved order of genes and other DNA sections between species) between the comparatively simple genome of rice and the complex genome of wheat (Triticum aestivum) is also being utilised to identify sections of wheat chromosomes which contain aquaporins with potentially significant roles in environmental stress resistance. These approaches will circumvent much laboratory work, resulting in a quicker identification of aquaporin genes of interest for future studies. Similar methods could also be extended to other environmental stress responsive genes.
Competition and concentration in the Polish banking sector after the global financial crisis of 2008

The aim of this paper is to investigate the level of competition in the Polish banking sector. The analysis of concentration ratios and competition measures showed that as a result of the consolidation process, the level of competition in the Polish banking sector decreased. Moreover, it was pointed out that despite the generally favorable situation, the regulatory requirements observed in recent years are a significant challenge for banks in order to maintain their competitive position on the market. In addition, it seems that the greatest challenge now is the inability to reconcile pressure on short-term profits along with long-term development strategies.
IMPACT OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) ON COMMUNICATION NETWORK IN SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES, DELTA STATE

This study is conducted to access the impact of Information Communication Technology on communication network in small and medium enterprises in Delta State. Consequently, three (3) research objectives, three (3) research questions and three (3) testable hypotheses were used in the study. The sample for the study comprised managers of registered Small and Medium scale industries with the State Ministry of Commerce. The questionnaire is the main instrument of data collection for the study. Data collected is analyzed using mean, z-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Findings include that the utilisation of electronic mail (e-mail) by managers of SMEs is fairly adequate, the usage of voice is low while on-line discussion in communication network is barely applicable. It is recommended that the use of e-mail should be increased, while online discussion and video conferencing be applied to a higher degree as this helps to increase customer reach, enhance sales and break new market grounds Keywords: Information Communication Technology, Network, Small and Medium Enterprises, Managers.
Cycles de vie des symbiontes chez les bivalves des environnements à base chimiosynthétique de l'océan profond

De nombreuses bacteries entrent en symbiose avec les metazoaires colonisant les habitats a base chimiosynthetique dans l'ocean profond. Les hotes auxquels elles apportent le carbone organique deviennent ainsi dependants des bacteries sulfo-oxydantes et/ou methanotrophes. Pour assurer la continuite de ces associations et la colonisation de nouveaux sites, des strategies diverses de dispersion ont ete developpees par les animaux. Deux types de transmission des bacteries symbiotiques existent : la transmission verticale ou elles sont transmises via les gametes, et la transmission horizontale ou elles sont acquises a partir de l? environnement, depuis des populations de bacteries libres ou relarguees par d'autres hotes. Cette these vise a repondre a des questions concernant les cycles de vie des symbiontes. La diversite et la distribution des formes libres de symbiontes et des bacteries apparentees dans plusieurs habitats reduits ont ete etudiees par l? analyse des sequences de l'ARNr 16S des bacteries colonisant des substrats organiques deployes dans l'Atlantique et la Mediterranee. La transmission maternelle des symbiontes chez le bivalve vesicomyide Isorropodon bigoti du golfe de Guinee a ete confirmee par l'observation et l'identification des symbiontes dans les ovocytes et dans les stades post-larvaires. Enfin, l'effet des stress chimique, thermique et de la remontee sur la dynamique des populations de symbiontes sulfo-oxydants et methanotrophes chez la moule Bathymodiolus azoricus a ete analyse par les techniques de FISH 3D et de pyrosequencage. Cette these a permis de mieux comprendre des cycles de vie des bacteries symbiotiques dans et en dehors de leur hotes animaux.
Effect of vitamin B12 supplementation on retinal lesions in diabetic rats

Purpose Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common complication of diabetes involving microvasculature and neuronal alterations in the retina. Previously, we reported that vitamin B12 deficiency could be an independent risk factor for DR in humans. However, the effect of vitamin B12 supplementation in experimental DR is unknown. Thus, in this study, we investigated the impact of dietary supplementation of vitamin B12 on retinal changes in diabetic rats. Methods Diabetes was induced in 2-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats and maintained for 4 months. One group of diabetic rats were fed normal levels of vitamin B12, and one group double the quantity of vitamin B12 (50 µg/kg diet). Vitamin B12 and homocysteine levels in the plasma were analyzed with radioimmunoassay (RIA) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), respectively. At the end of 4 months of experimentation, the eyeballs were collected. Retinal changes were analyzed with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence methods. Results Dietary supplementation of vitamin B12 had no effect on food intake, bodyweight, fasting blood glucose, and plasma homocysteine levels in the diabetic rats. However, vitamin B12 supplementation prevented loss of rhodopsin, and overexpression of VEGF, and completely prevented overexpression of HIF1α, GFAP, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers (GRP78, ATF6α, XBP1, CHOP, and caspase 12) in the diabetic rat retina. Further, vitamin B12 ameliorated apoptosis in the retina as shown with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) and prevented retinal thinning. Conclusions Vitamin B12 supplementation of diabetic rats appeared to be beneficial by circumventing retinal hypoxia, VEGF overexpression, and ER stress-mediated cell death in the retina. The present study adds another potential therapeutic strategy of vitamin B12 in diabetes.
Community Ecology of Scincid Lizards in a Swamp Rainforest of South-Eastern Nigeria

Diets, activity patterns, habitat use, and the role of predation, were studied in a community of terrestrial lizards ( Mabuya affinis , Mabuya maculilabris , Mochlus fernandii : Scincidae) from a swamp lowland rainforest in south-eastern Nigeria. Mochlus fernandii was the largest species, whereas the two Mabuya were very similar in terms of body size. There was no significant sexual size dimorphism in any of the species, but males of Mochlus fernandii tended to be larger than females. Niche breadths varied significantly between species, with M. fernandii specimens showing the widest niche breadth values. Moreover, the intersexual differences in diet composition were significant in all the species. The size of the lizards influenced the type of prey eaten. Mochlus fernandii occasionally preyed on the two Mabuya species, and M. affinis also fed upon fruits and plants. The diets of the three species were clearly separated. The highest dietary similarity occurred between Mochlus fernandii and M. maculilabris , and the lowest similarity occurred between Mochlus fernandii and M. affinis . All three species exhibited a bimodal activity pattern (first peak: 08.00 – 10.00, second peak: 16.00 – 18.00), and did not differ significantly between species. Mochlus fernandii was less abundant than the two Mabuya in suburban habitats, but the interspecific differences in habitat characteristics were minor. Based on the frequency of tail loss, predation risk was high for all lizards in this community. Snakes are most likely the main predators.
Identifying protein sequence signatures for flexible regions of functional importance

The advent of structural genomics and high-throughput sequencing technology has left researchers satiated with a plethora of protein structures to visualize and sequences to analyze. Nevertheless, the sequence-flexibility relationship generalized for all proteins remains to be realized. This research topic is of utmost importance with growing evidence of entropy playing a larger role in the allosteric nature of proteins. Many recent papers reporting the dynamics of several different protein systems indicate that fluctuations within a protein can be redistributed with sequence modulations or intermolecular binding. Furthermore, proteins in solution are constantly interconverting between multiple conformational states because of their dynamical nature. The understanding of local regions that facilitate the required changes in proteins to fulfill their biological role is the subject of this dissertation. These local regions include, but are not limited to, hinges, catalytic loops, and recognition loops. In this thesis, tools were developed to identify these flexible regions of functional importance with a structure- and sequence- based method. Transitional Dynamic Analysis identifies the redistribution of low frequency fluctuations between two different protein conformational states. Positional Impact Vertex for Entropy Transfer identifies position-specific regions in the protein structure with a large impact on global dynamics. With a third structure-based approach we were able to generate a training dataset to create Wiggle and Wiggle200 predictors that identify these regions of interest using only sequence information. The results of this research effort represent important contributions to the community in expanding our knowledge of the protein sequence space and the possible second order information that can be extracted from it
A new architecture for monitoring land use and land cover change based on remote sensing and GIS: A data mining approach

The issue of land use (LU) and land cover change (LCC) has become crucial around the world in recent years, not only for researchers, but also for urban planners and environmentalists who advocate sustainable land use in the future. In Morocco, this phenomenon affects large areas and is all the more pronounced because the climate is arid with cycles of increasing drought and soils are poor and highly vulnerable to erosion. In addition, the precarious living conditions of rural populations pushes them to over exploit natural resources to meet their growing needs, which further amplifies environmental degradation. In this LU/LCC monitoring context, this paper aims on one hand at giving a clear survey of classical methods and techniques used to monitor LU/LCC, on other hand the authors propose a new architecture whose objective is to integer data mining techniques to the LU/LCC monitoring in order to automatically and efficiently improve the monitoring, control and asset management in LU/LCC
A report on a mosquito-killing fungus, Pythium carolinianum

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Ethical Values and Meta-Ethical Beliefs Guide Deference to Experts

In a crowded marketplace, consumers must often defer to external knowledge sources, such as user testimonials or professional reviewers. How do consumers choose which experts to rely on? Across three studies, we find that consumers are likelier to rely on product reviews written by reviewers who share their moral values. This was true for different product categories including books (Study 1A) and consumer electronics (Study 1B), and generalized across a variety of measures, including purchase intentions, product attitudes, information-seeking, willingness-to-pay, and consequential choices. This effect occurred because people often believe moral values to be objectively true or false, and thus shared moral values signaled expert competence (Study 2), especially among consumers with more objectivist meta-ethical beliefs (Study 3). This mechanism held up when competed against various alternative mediators, including trust and shared personality, preferences, and social group. We discuss implications for research on persuasion, expert detection, ideology, and moral judgment.
The role of pond management for biodiversity conservation in an agricultural landscape

Debate surrounds the best way to deal with pond terrestrialization so as to maximize landscape-scale biodiversity. One way of addressing this issue is to re-set succession via management activities, but the merits of this approach relative to non-intervention and pond creation are little known. Manor Farm in Norfolk, UK, possesses around 40 ponds, and each year three to four ponds are subject to management involving tree (de-shading) and/or sediment removal. To determine the consequences of management for pond biodiversity, macrophyte and invertebrate communities were surveyed for replicate ponds covering four ‘time since management’ categories: no management, and managed over the periods 1999–2003, 2004–2006 and 2007–2009. Macrophyte diversity was significantly lower in unmanaged ponds compared with ponds managed in 2004–2006 and 2007–2009. In addition, with the exception of Mollusca, invertebrate diversity was significantly lower in the unmanaged ponds compared with all the managed ponds. A tendency was evident for diversity to peak 3–5 years after management and for a subsequent decline in diversity (significant for macrophytes). No distinctive species assemblages were associated with the different pond successional stages, although several species were confined to individual ponds. Although many species were absent from the non-managed ponds, especially in the macrophytes and Coleoptera, few species were unique to these ponds. The principal driver of species turnover in the ponds was shade, which was negatively correlated with macrophyte cover. Shade was substantially higher in the unmanaged ponds, whose species-poor assemblages appeared to be a consequence of low oxygen levels. By arresting succession and restoring macrophyte-dominated early- and mid-successional ponds, management may have an essential role in biodiversity conservation. In pond-rich landscapes, where a high proportion of ponds are heavily terrestrialized, management provides a sustainable means both of preserving heterogeneity in the pond network and preventing the loss of large numbers of species which favour early- and mid-successional ponds. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.