Establishment of a Biolistic-Mediated Transformation System for an Indigenous Fragrant Orchid, Phalaenopsis Violacea

Phalaenopsis, orchid recognised by its moth-like shape, orderly arranged flower, and long flower shelf-life, is one of the most important orchids grown for commercial production of cut flowers and potted plants. A study was carried out to develop the genetic transformation system for an indigenous fragrant orchid species - Phalaenopsis violacea Witte as this system is important for the development of novel orchid varieties with improved floriculture features and marketability. Protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) were successfully induced from leaf segments of in vitro seedlings, culturing on ½ strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing auxin 2,4-D (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 μM) and NAA (0.4 and 0.6 μM) in three months. The highest frequency of PLBs formation was scored at 53 % on ½ strength MS basal medium containing 0.8 μM 2,4-D. However, using ½ MS medium supplemented with each 0.4 and 0.6 μM auxin. NAA to induce PLBs, the frequency of PLBs induction was lower than 15 %. No PLBs induction observed when auxin picloram and dicamba were employed to leaf segments at a series of concentration examined (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 μM). Among all the organic additives [banana homogenate (BN), tomato homogenate (TM), coconut water (CW) and taro homogenate (TR)] tested in various concentrations (range 10, 20, 30, and 40 % w/v or v/v) for PLBs multiplication, optimal proliferation of PLBs was achieved through culturing on ½ MS medium supplemented with 10 % w/v BN. However, all the organic additives examined were found stimulated to PLBs growth in the concentration range of 5-10 % w/v or v/v compared to control treatment. Plant regeneration of PLBs was achieved in PGR-free ½ MS basal medium (with or without 10% w/v BN). The effectiveness of hygromycin in selecting transformed tissues has been investigated based on the minimal hygromycin level that capable to thoroughly inhibit and/or killed all the non-transformed tissues. Phalaenopsis violacea Witte PLBs had shown a high sensitive respond to hygromycin as a low concentration (4 mg/L) of hygromycin was sufficient to meet the requirements. Potential physical and biological parameters affecting DNA delivery into Phalaenopsis violacea Witte PLBs have been optimised. Green fluorescence protein (GFP) was served as the reporter system except in the study of ‘Influence of co-bombardment plasmid DNA ratios on transient expression’, both GFP and β-glucuronidase (GUS) detection were employed. Based on the optimised results, the ideal bombardment conditions were as followed: 6 cm target tissues distance, 1100 psi acceleration pressure, 1.0 μm gold particle size, 27 mmHg chamber vacuum pressure, 1 X bombardment time, spermidine for DNA coating on gold particle, 72 hours post-bombardment incubation time, 2 μg of total plasmid amount and 2:1 as the ratio of plasmid DNA used. Two putative transformed lines (recovered from hygromycin selection) were achieved from a total of 160 PLBs bombarded using the optimised transformation parameters, thus, 1.25 % transformation efficiency was obtained. However, the post-cultivation period after bombardment was found to be critical as the putative transformed PLBs were only produced with 30 post-cultivation days (indirect hygromycin selection), while selection without going through post-cultivation after bombardment (direct hygromycin selection) failed to produce any putative transformant. Pattern and behaviour of GFP expression along the path to regeneration were observed on line A putative transformant PLBs that recovered from hygromycin selection after 6-11 months of culture. Young cells or tissues showed strong green fluorescence while matured tissues gradually faded and lost their green fluorescence. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results that referred to the presence of transgenes (gfp, gusA, and hptII) in line A putative transformant PLBs (including second and third generation clonal progenies) showed that 100 % over the 32 samples tested were positive. All the gfp, gusA and hptII genes were retained from first to second and to third generation of clonal progenies in the putative transformants. However, no p35S::chs transgene was detected in both putative transformants lines as believes incorporated DNA might be fragmented during or after the bombardment events. Subsequently, accomplishment in DNA sequencing double confirmed the presence of gfp, gusA and hptII transgenes in the putative transformed PLBs

Protein with Tau-like repeats (PTL-1) modulates the oxidative stress response, neuronal ageing and lifespan

Protein with Tau-like repeats (PTL-1) is the sole Tau /MAP2/MAP4 homolog in Caenorhabditis elegans. Dysregulation of Tau is a pathological hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, reducing Tau levels has been suggested as a therapeutic strategy. We used PTL-1 to model the biological functions of a Tau-like protein without the complication of functional redundancy. Firstly, our data indicate that PTL-1 in the nervous system mediates the oxidative stress response in a pathway that may involve the C. elegans homolog of the Nrf2 transcription factor, SKN-1. In addition, we found that ptl-1 mutant animals are short-lived, and that lifespan modulation by PTL-1 may occur via similar processes to those mediated by SKN-1. We also observed that the short-lived phenotype of ptl-1 mutants can be rescued by transgenic re-expression of PTL-1 but not human Tau. Secondly, we show that PTL-1 maintains the structural integrity of neurons with increasing age. This phenotype observed in ptl-1 mutant animals could again be rescued by PTL-1 re-expression but not by human Tau. Thirdly, our data also indicate that the regulation of neuronal ageing by PTL-1 is cell-autonomous. We expressed PTL-1 in touch neurons and showed rescue of the neuronal ageing phenotype of ptl-1 mutant animals in these neurons but not in another neuronal subset. Knockdown of PTL-1 specifically in touch neurons also resulted in premature neuronal ageing in these neurons but not in a distinct subset of neurons, further supporting the conclusion that PTL-1 functions in a cell-autonomous manner. Interestingly, we showed that expression of PTL-1 in touch neurons alone was unable to rescue the shortened lifespan observed in null mutants, indicating that premature neuronal ageing in touch neurons and organismal ageing can be decoupled. Our data show that PTL-1 in C. elegans is a useful model to investigate the physiological functions of a Tau-like protein. Overall, our findings that PTL-1 is involved in the stress response, neuronal ageing and lifespan modulation suggest that some of the effects of Tau pathology may result from the loss of physiological Tau functions and not solely from a toxic gain-of-function due to an accumulation of Tau

Protein with Tau-like repeats (PTL-1) modulates the oxidative stress response, neuronal ageing and lifespan

Protein with Tau-like repeats (PTL-1) is the sole Tau /MAP2/MAP4 homolog in Caenorhabditis elegans. Dysregulation of Tau is a pathological hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, reducing Tau levels has been suggested as a therapeutic strategy. We used PTL-1 to model the biological functions of a Tau-like protein without the complication of functional redundancy. Firstly, our data indicate that PTL-1 in the nervous system mediates the oxidative stress response in a pathway that may involve the C. elegans homolog of the Nrf2 transcription factor, SKN-1. In addition, we found that ptl-1 mutant animals are short-lived, and that lifespan modulation by PTL-1 may occur via similar processes to those mediated by SKN-1. We also observed that the short-lived phenotype of ptl-1 mutants can be rescued by transgenic re-expression of PTL-1 but not human Tau. Secondly, we show that PTL-1 maintains the structural integrity of neurons with increasing age. This phenotype observed in ptl-1 mutant animals could again be rescued by PTL-1 re-expression but not by human Tau. Thirdly, our data also indicate that the regulation of neuronal ageing by PTL-1 is cell-autonomous. We expressed PTL-1 in touch neurons and showed rescue of the neuronal ageing phenotype of ptl-1 mutant animals in these neurons but not in another neuronal subset. Knockdown of PTL-1 specifically in touch neurons also resulted in premature neuronal ageing in these neurons but not in a distinct subset of neurons, further supporting the conclusion that PTL-1 functions in a cell-autonomous manner. Interestingly, we showed that expression of PTL-1 in touch neurons alone was unable to rescue the shortened lifespan observed in null mutants, indicating that premature neuronal ageing in touch neurons and organismal ageing can be decoupled. Our data show that PTL-1 in C. elegans is a useful model to investigate the physiological functions of a Tau-like protein. Overall, our findings that PTL-1 is involved in the stress response, neuronal ageing and lifespan modulation suggest that some of the effects of Tau pathology may result from the loss of physiological Tau functions and not solely from a toxic gain-of-function due to an accumulation of Tau

A Study on Employee Retention in a Construction Company

Many construction companies experiences high attrition, which negatively impacts the construction industry. This study’s objective was to identify employees are leaving and propose retention initiatives. The research instrument used to obtain data was questionnaire. A total of 200 questionnaires were randomly distributed to employees from construction companies. Researcher has also conducted interview with the subject expert. However, only 100 respondents returned the completed questionnaires. Correlation analysis was used to test the inter correlation between the variables. Correlation result shows that these two variables of motivation and job satisfaction were correlated with employee retention in the organization. The Pearson correlation used to measure the significance of linear bivariate between the independent and dependent variables thereby achieving the objectives of this study. Linear regressions used to determine the relationship between independent and dependent variables, the direction of the relationship and strength of the relationship. Results indicate attrition is associated with compensation, work hours, staffing and improper selection/hiring of employees. These findings show that the related factors should be given attention to retain employees in the organisation

PERCEPTIONS OF ONLINE LEARNING IN AN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITY: AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ (ASIAN REGION) PERSPECTIVE – ENJOYMENT

Several researchers have reported that cultural andlanguage differences can affect online interactions andcommunications between students from different culturalbackgrounds. Other researchers have asserted that onlinelearning is a tool that can improve teaching and learning skills,but its effectiveness depends on how the tool is used. To delve intothese aspects further, this study set out to investigate the kinds oflearning difficulties encountered by the international studentsand how they actually coped with online learning. The modifiedOnline Learning Environment Survey (OLES) instrument wasused to collect data from the sample of 109 international studentsat a university in Brisbane. A smaller group of 35 domesticstudents was also included for comparison purposes. Contrary toassumptions from previous research, the findings revealed thatthere were only few differences between the international Asianand Australian students with regards to their perceptions ofonline learning. Recommendations based on the findings of thisresearch study were made for Australian universities whereAsian international students study online. Specifically therecommendations highlighted the importance of upskilling oflecturers’ ability to structure their teaching online and to applystrong theoretical underpinnings when designing learningactivities such as discussion forums, and for the university toestablish a degree of consistency with regards to how content islocated and displayed in a learning management system likeBlackboard

Medicinal and Environmental Indicator Species of Utricularia from Montane Forest of Peninsular Malaysia

The carnivorous Utricularia (Lentibulariaceae) is a small herb of multifarious wet habitats worldwide. Eleven of the 14 Peninsular Malaysian species range into the mountains. Distribution, disturbance adaptability and collection frequency were used to formulate their commonness category. Common (U. aurea, U. bifida, and U. minutissima) and fairly common (U. gibba and U. uliginosa) species are mostly lowland plants that ascend to open montane microhabitats, while the fairly common (U. striatula), narrow-range (U. caerulea pink form and U. involvens), rare (U. furcellata and U. scandens), and endemic (U. vitellina) species are restricted to mountainous sites. Common species that colonise dystrophic to oligotrophic man-made sites in late succession could serve as predictors for general health and recovery of wet habitats. Rarer species are often locally abundant, their niches situated around pristine forest edges. When in decline, they indicate the beginning of problems affecting the forest. Utricularia is reportedly nutritious, mildly astringent, and diuretic. Preadapted to nutrient-poor, waterlogged soils, U. bifida is suitable as an alternative for small-scale herb cultivation on low pH, wet poor soils usually deemed not suitable for any crops

Angular velocity and elevation angle: the proposed human model scalable tracking model using linear regression

A scalable tracking human model was proposed for recognizing human jogging and walking activities. The model aims to detect and track a particular subject by using wearable sensor. Data collected are in accelerometer readings in three axes and gyroscope readings in three axes. The development of proposed human model is based on the moderating effects on human movements. Two moderators were proposed as the moderating factors of human motion and they are angular velocity and elevation angle. Linear regression is used to investigate the relationship among inputs, moderators and outputs of the model. The result of this study showed that the angular velocity and elevation angle moderators are affecting the relation of research output. Acceleration in x-axis (Ax) and angular velocity in y-axis (Gy) are the two main components in directing a motion. Classification between jogging and walking motions was done by measuring the magnitude of angular velocity and elevation angle. Jogging motion was classified and identified with larger angular velocity and elevation angle. The two proposed hypotheses were supported and proved by research output. The result is expected to be beneficial and able to assist researcher in investigating human motions

Colour Perception on Facial Expression towards Emotion

This study is to investigate human perceptions on pairing of facial expressions of emotion with colours. A group of 27 subjects consisting mainly of younger and Malaysian had participated in this study. For each of the seven faces, which express the basic emotions neutral, happiness, surprise, anger, disgust, fear and sadness, a single colour is chosen from the eight basic colours for the “match” of best visual look to the face accordingly. The different emotions appear well characterized by a single colour. The approaches used in this experiment for analysis are psychology disciplines and colours engineering. These seven emotions are being matched by the subjects with their perceptions and feeling. Then, 12 male and 12 female data are randomly chosen from among the previous data to make a colour perception comparison between genders. The successes or failures in running of this test depend on the possibility of subjects to propose their every single colour for each expression. The result will translate into number and percentage as a guide for colours designers and psychology field

Pre- and post-treatment assessment for the anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic waste: P-graph

Lignocellulosic waste is one of the most abundant and potential feedstocks for anaerobic digestion (AD), but the energy efficiency is limited by the lignocellulosic composition which is recalcitrant to biodegradation. Pretreatment of feedstock and the post-treatment of biogas and digestate play a significant role in enhancing the AD efficiency as well as the product utilisation. This study aims to determine the cost-optimal pre-and post-treatment pathway for an AD of lignocellulosic waste by applying P-graph. The economic balance between the main operating cost, yield and quality of products were considered. The treatment options were overviewed followed by a case study considered a different combination of physical, chemical and biological pretreatments, biogas post-treatment (combine heat and power, fuel cell, biomethane, biofuel) and digestate treatments. A total of 9 pre-treatments for lignocellulosic waste, 2 digestate post-treatments and 9 post-treatments for biogas were evaluated in this study. Chemical pre-treatment by CaO, post-treatment by H2S removal with membrane separation for biomethane production and without the composting of digestate is suggested as the optimal treatment pathway for lignocellulosic waste

Factors affecting customer loyalty in the telecommunications industry in the Klang Valley, Malaysia

A vital factor in the growth and performance of a company in the current highly competitive telecommunications industry is the development and enhancement of customer loyalty. Although several studies in the past have helped explain the influence of some significant variables for loyalty, not many studies have examined the effects of certain factors such as service quality, customer value and corporate image on the loyalty of subscribers of mobile telecommunication companies or providers. Thus, the aim of this study is to explore the critical factors of service quality, customer value, corporate image and customer satisfaction that generate customer loyalty in the mobile communication service markets in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Furthermore, this study also attempts to validate the connection between these factors and customer loyalty. This study employed the convenience sampling method to select 100 respondents in the Klang Valley, Malaysia, who are mobile phone users. Their personal information was analysed by means of descriptive analysis, while inferential analysis was used to test the hypotheses. All the hypotheses were found to be supported by the findings of the study, which also showed that the tested variables are significantly related to each other. This illustrates that mobile service providers wanting to build and maintain a competitive edge in the mobile service market should make greater efforts to enhance the quality of their service, provide superior customer value, attain higher customer satisfaction and win customer loyalty