Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bite-force performance and head shape in a sexually dimorphic crevice-dwelling lizard, the common chuckwalla [Sauromalus ater (= obesus)]

The Common Chuckwalla [Sauromalus ater (= obesus)] is a large, sexually dimorphic lizard with a flattened head that takes refuge from predators in rock crevices. Males use their relatively large heads to bite competing males during territorial fights and to restrain females during copulation. Flattened heads with an antipredator function (i.e. seeking refuge in crevices) and enlarged heads with intrasexual competition and reproductive functions suggest possible antagonism between selective pressures on head morphology in males. To examine this hypothesis, we performed a morphometric analysis and measured the bite-force performance of 49 adult chuckwallas. Males had disproportionately wider heads than females, but did not have deeper heads. Males bit with nearly four times the force of females, consistent with the notion of sexual selection for high bite force in males. Although constrained by crevice-wedging behaviour, head depth was a good predictor of bite force in both sexes. In males, however, osteological head width also was a good predictor of bite force. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that head shape in males is under antagonistic selective pressures, which may partly explain the pattern of head shape dimorphism. The disproportionately wide head of males may reflect anatomical modifications to enhance bite force in response to sexual selection in spite of presumed constraints on head shape for crevice-wedging behaviour © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 88, 215–222.
Adding the Online-to-Store Channel to Supply Chain: Impact of Spillover Effect

This paper investigates the impacts of an additional online-to-store channel and spillover effect on the optimal retail channel choice of a supply chain. In the presence of spillover effect, we discuss how the chosen retail channel affects the manufacturer’s profit, online retailer’s profit, and consumer surplus. Interestingly, our results reveal that there is an asymmetric effect of the online-to-store channel on the manufacturer and the retailer under spillover effect. Specifically, the retailer is better off adding the online-to-store channel if the spillover intensity is in the intermediate range, while the manufacturer is better off adding the channel if the spillover intensity is relatively high or low. Consequently, a win-win outcome for the retailer and the manufacturer will occur when adding the online-to-store channel under medium spillover intensity. We also show that the impact of online-to-store channel's introduction on consumer surplus depends on the spillover intensity. In particular, when the spillover intensity is at a moderate level, the consumer will gain more utility from buying through the online-to-store channel. Otherwise, the consumer will suffer a loss due to the online disutility cost. Overall, there is a win-win-win outcome for all channel members when the spillover intensity is not markedly positive or negative. Our findings offer valuable insights for managers and scholars by providing a better understanding of the joint functionality of online-to-store channel and spillover effect in retail channel management.
Physiological and cellular effects of TENin1, a novel small molecule inhibitor of endomembrane protein trafficking

Gravitropic response is required for proper orientation of plant growth and development. One of the factors that influence gravitropism in plants is the polar distribution of the plant hormone auxin, which is maintained by auxin transporters at the plasma membrane (PM). These endomembrane proteins are transported to the PM via the secretory pathway and undergo constitutive endocytic recycling from the PM. This thesis characterises an inhibitor of endomembrane protein trafficking, Trafficking & ENdocytosis inhibitor 1 TENin1 (TE1), that reduces gravitropic response in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Short term TE1 treatment causes intracellular accumulation of membrane proteins including brassinosteroid receptor BRI1, aquaporin PIP2a, and auxin transporters PIN2 and PIN7. All the accumulated experimental evidence gained throughout the duration of this project also suggest that TE1 interferes with the endomembrane recycling to the TGN both from the pre-vacuolar compartment (PVC) and the PM therefore causing accumulation of PIN2-GFP at the PVC, which is eventually re-directed to the vacuole. The long term effects of TE1 were also characterised and revealed dose-dependent growth inhibition of whole plants and reduction in organelle dynamics. In a separate study in the laboratory two Arabidopsis thaliana accessions that displayed resistance to the effects of TE1 were identified. A library of Arabidopsis thaliana recombinant inbred lines (RILs) generated by crossing a TE1 resistant accession with the sensitive Columbia accession was commercially available. Therefore, 174 and 117 RILs were screened for different traits to identify a region of the genome responsible for the resistance to the effects of TE1. The data generated from the RIL screens revealed a major resistant locus lies within 9 to 16 Mb in the chromosome 5. A further study is now required to map the target gene(s) responsible for the resistance to TE1.
Cartilage Tissue Engineering with Heterogeneous and Clonal Mesenchymal Stem Cell Populations: Multi-Scale Analysis of Maturation, Stability, and Response to Environmental Stressors

Osteoarthritis is a disease of high incidence with significant clinical impact. Unfortunately, joint arthroplasty remains the gold standard treatment as there has been limited success in long term cartilage repair with biological treatments. While advances have been made in cartilage tissue engineering, resulting in the in vitro development of a mechanically viable tissue, much of this progress has been restricted to chondrocyte-based engineered tissues, and these cells are limited in their availability. Mesenchymal stem cells are one possible alternative cell source for cartilage repair strategies; however, they have yet to produce a mechanically stable tissue comparable to chondrocytes cultured identically. Thus, the objective of this dissertation was to use a multi-scale approach to better characterize, between these two cell types, where differences in matrix production and construct mechanics arise, the time scales during which chondrocytes and MSCs diverge in their production of a mechanically stable tissue, and the environmental factors that may be impacting MSC health. Furthermore, we assessed if there are clonal subpopulations with a greater propensity for chondrogenic differentiation. Through assessment of regional mechanical properties of cell-laden constructs, we found that MSCs are in fact capable of producing mechanically functional matrix equivalent to that produced by chondrocytes. However, due to nutritional stress, the health and viability of these cells is severely impacted in regions of constructs that are nutrient deprived. By modulating nutrient (glucose) and metabolic (oxygen) concentrations in the growth media, we found that glucose concentration had a greater impact on cell health than low oxygen tension. However, with increased culture time, regardless of nutrient provision, MSC-based constructs underwent mechanical failure (with loss of GAG content) , suggesting innate instability of this stem cell population. Probing subpopulations of heterogeneous MSC isolates for chondrogenic potential revealed that both interand intracolony heterogeneity exists, with a small fraction of colony subpopulations showing greater chondrogenic potential. Collectively, this work highlights potential pitfalls that are encountered when developing a stem cell based cartilage in vitro, which may further be exacerbated in vivo, but also provides future directions that may result in a clinically successful stem cell based cartilage replacement. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Bioengineering First Advisor Robert L. Mauck This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn. edu/edissertations/855
Cardiac mitochondrial Ca2+ ‐dependent big K+ channels are open during early reperfusion

Ca2+ ‐dependent “Big” conductance K+ (mBKCa) channels exist in inner mitochondrial (m) membranes of guinea pig myocytes. Our aim was to explore if mBKCa channels are active during early reperfusion (RP) after global ischemia and act to mitigate ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury. Guinea pig isolated hearts (n= 12) were subjected to 30 min of global ischemia and 120 min of RP. Groups were: untreated (CON) and Paxilline treated (PAX). PAX hearts were perfused with 1 μM Paxilline, a putative blocker of mBKCa channels, during the first 10 min of RP. Developed left ventricular pressure (systolic–diastolic LVP, mmHg) was recorded along with spectrofluorometric measures of mitochondrial matrix calcium [mCa2+] by Indo 1 AM, and redox state (NADH and FAD) at the same wavelengths by autofluorescence. Infarct size was measured by the TTC method. ANOVA (mean±sem; ∗PAX vs. CON, p <0.05). At 60 min RP: LVP was higher in CON (36±1∗) than after PAX (28±3); [mCa2+] was lower in CON (259±31∗) than after PAX (326±26); NADH was higher in CON (0.48±0.04) than after PAX (0.40±0.03); FAD at 60 min RP was higher after PAX (0.65±0.02) than in CON (0.62±0.01) and infarct size at 120 min RP was higher after PAX (50±2) than in CON (43±1). Blocking mBKCa channels during early RP resulted in reduced myocardial contractility and NADH, increased [mCa2+] and infarct size. These results suggest that mBKCa channels are opened during early RP after ischemia and intrinsically contribute to reducing IR injury, and provide a better understanding of cardioprotection after ischemia and may lead to new therapeutic options to treat ischemic heart disease.
Quantum Engineering of a Diamond Spin Qubit With Nanoelectromechanical Systems

Quantum emitters are indispensable building blocks for quantum computers and networks. By entangling multiple individual quantum systems, it is possible to make overall system exponentially more powerful. Quantum emitters play a key role in this regard, since they offer an optical interface between a flying qubit (photon) and a stationary qubit (spin) for a long distance. Among those, solid-state emitters are an appealing candidate for its scalability. Among many kinds, we study color centers in diamond: nitrogen-vacancy (NV) and silicon-vacancy (SiV) centers. Being trapped atom in a solid, a color center provides both unique opportunities and challenges. Using dynamic interaction between phonons and spin qubits, it is possible to build an on-chip universal quantum bus. On the other hand, the host material causes inhomogeneous distribution of emitters by its material strain and exposes color centers to thermal lattice vibrations. In this work, we use nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) to address both issues. First, we make nanocantilevers with embedded NV centers and use its flexural motion for parametric coupling. Both electron spin resonance and spin-echo measurements are performed. As a result, we deduce the single-phonon coupling rate of approximately 1.8 Hz,
Quantitative Real-Time PCR in Applied Microbiology

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EFFECT OF A COMMERCIAL FEED ADDITIVE (BIACID®) ON PERFORMANCE, CARCASS TRAITS AND BLOOD PARAMETERS OF BROILERS

Eighty broilers from Ross 308 strain were divided into 4 drug regimes. On 28th day of age 2 birds were selected randomly from each replicate and SRBC injected to them via wing's vein (one ml of SRBC for one kg of live body weight). Seven days after injection, blood samples were collected from those birds and send them to the laboratory for determination of blood parameters. At the end of experiment one bird selected from each replicate, then it killed and carcass traits were determined. Data were analyzed by SPSS software. Resuits revealed no significant difference among different treatments for weight gain and feed intake while feed conversion ratio differed significantly among different treatment groups. Group with 0.1% Biadd@ treatment had the highest and the control group had the lowest feed conversion ratio. Production index had no significant difference among treatments. , There was no significant difference among treatments for carcass traits, except gizzard. No significant difference was observed in heterophile, lymphocyte, monocyte, PVC, RBC and SRBC among different treatments except WBC. Present results reveal Biadd® to be a good alternative to antibiotics in broiler diet.
Efecto del estrés osmótico sobre la germinación de semillas de Tecoma stans (Bignoniaceae)

La. , germinacion de semillas de Tecoma stans (Bignoniaceae) se determino' en' cuatro concentraciones de polietilenglicol durante un mes. La germinacion fue fuertemente innibicion a -1.0 MPa (8.6 %) y fue totalmente bloqueada a -1.5 MPa. La germinacion en los tratamientos a -0.5, -0.1 Y testigo fueron 72, 88 Y 88.6 %, respectivamente. El indice de germinacion (lG) indico una reduccion de la tasa de germinacion conforme el potencial osmotico de la solucion decrecio. No se observaron danos en aquellas semillas que permanecieron durante un mes en las soluciones de PEG a -1.0 y -1.5 MPa. Estos pretratamientos mejoraron y aceleraron la iniciacion de la germinacion de las semillas.
Détermination de la structure secondaire d'une région de l'ARN Xist nécessaire à l'inactivation du chromosome X, la région des A-repeats, et identification de ses partenaires protéiques ayant un rôle structural ou fonctionnel dans l'inactivation

L’inactivation d’un des deux chromosomes X dans les cellules d’organismes femelles permet d’assurer un taux similaire des transcrits des genes lies aux chromosomes X entre les deux sexes. L’ARN non codant Xist d’environ 17000 nts joue un role central dans ce processus. Il habille le futur chromosome X inactive et induit la mise en place de modifications epigenetiques qui permettent d’eteindre l’expression des genes. Une region d’approximativement 500 nts situee a l’extremite 5’ de l’ARN Xist est necessaire a l’initiation de l’inactivation. Cette region appelee region des A-repeats contient 8 repetitions d’une sequence de 24 nucleotides. La deletion de cette region provoque un defaut d’inactivation, ce qui souligne son importance dans le processus. Etant donne que la fonction d’un ARN est bien souvent conditionnee par sa structure 2D, mon travail de these a consiste a realiser l’etude experimentale de la structure 2D de la region des A-repeats, ceci en utilisant des sondes de la structure secondaire des ARN en solution et une methode de FRET. Nous avons montre que la region des A-repeats se structure selon 2 grandes structures tige-boucle irregulieres formees par l’appariement 2 a 2 des elements repetes. Par purification des RNP et identification de leurs proteines, nous avons demontre que le complexe PRC2, implique dans la mise en place des marques epigenetiques du Xi, se lie a la region des A-repeats. Nous avons egalement identifie un grand nombre d’autres proteines pouvant avoir un role dans l’activite de la region des A-repeats (PTB, KSRP, Sam68, Vigiline, RHA, TIAR, DEK, H1, BRML1, Rod1, Lin28). Leurs implications dans l’inactivation du chromosome X est en cours de verification.
Avaliação da autozigosidade em vacas Nelore (Bos indicus) através de genótipos SNP de alta densidade

V LISTA DE ABREVIATURAS VI LISTA DE TABELAS IX LISTA DE FIGURAS X CAPITULO 1 – A AUTOZIGOZIDADE GENOMICA E SEU POTENCIAL NO MELHORAMENTO GENETICO EM BOVINOS NO BRASIL 1 1. INTRODUCAO 1 2. REVISAO DE LITERATURA 2 3. REFERENCIAS 13 CAPITULO 2 ASSESSMENT OF AUTOZYGOSITY IN NELLORE COWS (Bos indicus) THROUGH HIGH-DENSITY SNP GENOTYPES 19 ABSTRACT 20 20
Système de recommandation de ressources pédagogiques fondé sur les liens sociaux: formalisation et évaluation. (Educational resource recommendation system based on social links: formalization and evaluation)

Avec la quantite croissante du contenu pedagogique produit chaque jour par les utilisateurs, il devient tres difficile pour les apprenants de trouver les ressources les plus adaptees a leurs besoins. Les systemes de recommandation sont utilises dans les plateformes educatives pour resoudre le probleme de surcharge d'information. Ils sont concus pour fournir des ressources pertinentes a un apprenant en utilisant certaines informations sur les utilisateurs et les ressources. Le present travail s'inscrit dans le contexte des systemes de recommandation des ressources pedagogiques, en particulier les systemes qui utilisent des informations sociales. Nous avons defini une approche de recommandation de ressources educatives en se basant sur les resultats de recherche dans le domaine des systemes de recommandation, des reseaux sociaux et des environnements informatiques pour l’apprentissage humain. Nous nous appuyons sur les relations sociales entre apprenants pour ameliorer la precision des recommandations. Notre proposition est basee sur des modeles formels qui calculent la similarite entre les utilisateurs d'un environnement d'apprentissage pour generer trois types de recommandation, a savoir la recommandation des 1) ressources populaires, 2) ressources utiles et 3) ressources recemment consultees. Nous avons developpe une plateforme d'apprentissage, appelee Icraa, qui integre nos modeles de recommandation. La plateforme Icraa est un environnement d’apprentissage social qui permet aux apprenants de telecharger, de visualiser et d’evaluer les ressources educatives. Dans cette these, nous presentons les resultats d'une experimentation menee pendant deux ans qui a implique un groupe de 372 apprenants d'Icraa dans un contexte educatif reel. L'objectif de cette experimentation est de mesurer la pertinence, la qualite et l'utilite des ressources recommandees. Cette etude nous a permis d'analyser les retours des utilisateurs concernant les trois types de recommandations. Cette analyse a ete basee sur les traces des utilisateurs enregistrees avec Icraa et sur un questionnaire. Nous avons egalement effectue une analyse hors ligne en utilisant un jeu de donnees afin de comparer notre approche avec quatre algorithmes de reference.
Negative Affective Responses to Stress among Urban Police Officers: A General Strain Theory Approach

ABSTRACT The larger literature on police stress indicates that much of their stress emanates from two sources: organizational and environmental. These sources coexist in officers’ lives but function differently across police agencies. Officer experiences with stress also tend to lead to emotional reactions, some of which can be negative and increase the risk of misconduct. Agnew’s general strain theory provides one useful theoretical framework within which the relationship between officer strain and negative emotions can be investigated. Using data from three urban Texas police agencies, this study investigates the main sources of police strain as predictors of anger, depression, and burnout. Further, differences in negative emotions across agencies are also examined. Results show that organizational stress is significantly related to all three negative emotions across agencies. Implications and future research directions are highlighted.
Clasificación de hojas de té al ingreso del proceso de secado mediante redes neuronales con datos supervisados y no supervisados

Resumen. El proceso de clasificación de la materia prima, es uno de los procedimientos de mayor relevancia en cualquier secadero de té, siendo el responsable de asegurar una buena calidad del producto final. Actualmente, éste proceso está a cargo de una persona experta, que realiza el trabajo de forma manual y bajo su propio criterio, lo cual tiene una serie de inconvenientes asociados. En este trabajo, se propone una solución que incluye el planteo, diseño, desarrollo y prueba de un prototipo que sea capaz de clasificar correctamente fotografías correspondientes a muestras de materia prima arribada a un secadero, utilizando técnicas de Inteligencia Artificial (IA) de tipo supervisadas para la Clasificación mediante Redes Neuronales Artificiales y no supervisadas con Agrupamiento K-means para la preparación de las clases. El prototipo tuvo un correcto desempeño y es una herramienta confiable para clasificar la materia prima arribada a secaderos de té.
Détermination des densités de populations de CMA dans les systèmes bananiers de Martinique

Les champignons mycorhiziens a arbuscules (CMA - Phylum des Glomeromycetes) forment des associations symbiotiques avec les systemes racinaires de presque 80% des angiospermes. Ces organismes ubiquistes peuvent representer 5 a 50% de la biomasse microbienne du sol. La symbiose mycorhizienne confere aux hotes vegetaux une meilleure nutrition minerale, une plus grande tolerance aux stress abiotiques ainsi qu'une protection accrue contre certains pathogenes. Ces organismes representent un groupe fonctionnel cle a l'interface entre la plant et le sol, contribuant a la productivite et a la durabilite des agro-ecosystemes. La banane (Musa x paradisiaca L.) beneficie des associations avec les CMA. Cette plante domine le paysage agricole de Martinique (Antilles francaises) et est majoritairement cultivee a des fins d'exportation (cultivar AAA Cavendish). La production de banane plantain (AAB) destinee au marche local est plus marginale, mais non negligeable. L'utilisation des CMA represente une option interessante pour repondre aux contraintes agro-environnementales economiques et sociales auxquelles ces systemes de production font face aujourd'hui. Ce travail comporte deux objectifs : (i) l'estimation du potentiel infectieux mycorhizien de parcelles agricoles martiniquaises a l'aide de deux methodes differentes, qui feront l'objet d'une comparaison. (ii) L'etablissement de relations entre les potentiels infectieux et des donnees agropedoclimatiques des parcelles de banane plantain echantillonnees. Les deux methodes d'estimation utilisees sont le Most Probable Number (MPN) qui estime la densite de propagules infectieuses dans le substrat teste ; et le potentiel infectieux mycorhizien (PIM) estimant la quantite de substrat necessaire a la mycorhization de 50% d'une population de plantes. Les donnees pedoclimatiques ont ete obtenues pour 17 parcelles testees. 5 parcelles de banane plantain ont fait l'objet d'une enquete sur les pratiques agricoles realisees. Les resultats obtenus pour chaque estimation ne different pas significativement les uns des autres. Des problemes rencontres lors du processus experimental et les imprecisions inherentes aux methodes d'estimations sont tenus pour cause des biais et imprecisions des resultats. Ces causes sont approfondies dans ce travail afin d'en faire ressortir des ameliorations des protocoles et des plans d'experience. Alternativement aux potentiels infectieux estimes, des pronostics sont realises sur base d'une confrontation entre les resultats agropedoclimatiques obtenus et les potentiels infectieux mycorhiziens mentionnes dans la litterature scientifique. Il en resulte que les sols martiniquais ont un grand pouvoir fixateur de Phosphore, approprie au developpement de CMA. Nous avons egalement pu conclure que la culture de banane plantain est plus apte aux symbioses mycorhiziennes que la culture de Cavendish d'exportation. (Resume d'auteur)