Viability and Vigor of Dura, Pisifera and Tenera Oil Palm (Elaeis Guineensis Jacq.) Pollen

Selecting pollen with high viability and vigor are important for ensuring the success of oil palm seed production through controlled pollination. Therefore, an estimation of pollen viability and vigor is essential for fruit and seed setting. This study consist of three experiments. In the first experiment, pollens from three oil palm fruit-forms of 20-year old dura, pisifera and tenera palms were collected at Malaysia Palm Oil Board (MPOB) Research Station, Kluang and MPOB/UKM Research Station, Bangi. The objective of this study is to establish a favorable medium pollen germination medium for the assessment of pollen viability and vigor in three oil palm fruit-forms. Three types of media: two solid media prepared with two types of sugar i.e. 11% sucrose and glucose and another is sucrose liquid medium (sucrose 2.5%+0.01% boric acid) was investigated. Pollen was incubated at 35°C for 2 hours. Experiment was carried out by using completely randomized design with four replications. Data were collected at 60, 120 and 180 minutes. Dura pollen germination percentage as well as pollen tube growth showed good response in solid sucrose medium compared to other media. Solid sucrose media yielded highest pollen germination percentage among the media tested at 60 min (69.7%) to 180 min (75.8%) which is significantly higher than liquid medium but no difference with glucose solid medium. Liquid media gave longer pollen tube (409.0μm) but with no significant difference with solid sucrose medium (405.7μm). Only liquid medium caused the rupturing of pollen tubes. Solid glucose medium produced only shorter pollen tubes and was significantly shorter than solid sucrose and liquid sucrose medium. The effect of liquid sucrose medium was more pronounced in pisifera pollen. Solid sucrose medium emitted longer pollen tube length (372.1 μm) with smooth and slender tubes without bursting which is no difference with liquid sucrose medium (419.6 μm). At 60 min after incubation exhibited was the highest pollen germination rate (PGR) and pollen tube length rate (PTLR) was the most important counting time. For PTLR, at 60 min counting time, all media tested were not significantly different for dura pollen. Solid sucrose and liquid sucrose media had significantly higher PTLR than solid glucose in pisifera pollen. For tenera, solid sucrose and solid glucose media provided significantly higher PTLR than liquid sucrose medium. In the second experiment, the study was carried out to investigate the effect of different pollen sizes (small 32μm) on pollen germinability and vigor. Experiment was carried out by using completely randomized design with four replications. Data were collected with 60 min interval up to 180 min. Results showed that small pollen generally have a higher germinability and is free from impaired factors such as slower tube growth rate and hypertrophy effect. Both rates of germination and tube growth were highest at 60 min after incubation and increase with the declining rate up to 120 min and 180 min. In the third experiment, pollen was taken from three different fruit forms of 20 and 8-year old oil palm and stored in sub-zero condition at different temperature regimes (0°C, -5°C, -10°C, -15°C and -20°C). Experiment was conducted by completely randomized design with four replications. Percentage of pollen germination (PG), rate of pollen germination (PGR), pollen tube length (PTL) and rate of pollen tube growth (PTLR) from 180 min measuring time was evaluated in each storage temperature level with 2 months interval until 6 months. Generally, all the tested pollen sources decrease viability and vigor with storage time. The germination percentage and vigor of all pollen sources were maintained during the first two months after storage. This experiment pointed that -15 °C was the best storage temperature among all the other tested temperatures regimes for both traits, pollen germination and tube growth

Examining t.he product quality attributes that influences customer satisfaction most when the price was discounted: A case study

Abstract The study is about customer satisfaction towards the product quality.The effect of low pricing product with the product quality plays the same result of low price products produces low quality product and vice-versa. Data instrument that is used in obtaining data is by distributing survey questionnaire. The main purpose of this research is to classify whether the eight dimension of product quality after price discounting is satisfying towards customer. The respondent of the research was chosen through sampling method by using the non-probability sampling. The results infer that that the customer's satisfaction towards the discounted product quality is based on the three attributes most namely perceived quality, performance and reliability. The Perceived quality-on image, brand name, and advertising is positively related to the level of satisfaction towards the quality of discounted product; were all supported as the relationships between the variables were statistically significant. This study does also provide useful guidelines for future researcher to be more rigorous and also in-depth to empirical and theoretical processes. In future study, customer satisfaction towards discounted product quality of the product to be specified to a product only determine by one gender (female) and also a perception towards a certain discounted price level of a product and its quality with extension of product design and customer requirements

Genetic polymorphism of merozoite surface protein-1 and merozoite surface protein-2 in Plasmodium falciparum field isolates from Myanmar

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1) and MSP-2 of <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>are potential vaccine candidate antigens for malaria vaccine development. However, extensive genetic polymorphism of the antigens in field isolates of <it>P. falciparum </it>represents a major obstacle for the development of an effective vaccine. In this study, genetic polymorphism of MSP-1 and MSP-2 among <it>P. falciparum </it>field isolates from Myanmar was analysed.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 63 <it>P. falciparum </it>infected blood samples, which were collected from patients attending a regional hospital in Mandalay Division, Myanmar, were used in this study. The regions flanking the highly polymorphic characters, block 2 for MSP-1 and block 3 for MSP-2, were genotyped by allele-specific nested-PCR to analyse the population diversity of the parasite. Sequence analysis of the polymorphic regions of MSP-1 and MSP-2 was also conducted to identify allelic diversity in the parasite population.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Diverse allelic polymorphism of MSP-1 and MSP-2 was identified in <it>P. falciparum </it>isolates from Myanmar and most of the infections were determined to be mixed infections. Sequence analysis of MSP-1 block 2 revealed that 14 different alleles for MSP-1 (5 for K1 type and 9 for MAD20 type) were identified. For MSP-2 block 3, a total of 22 alleles (7 for FC27 type and 15 for 3D7 type) were identified.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Extensive genetic polymorphism with diverse allele types was identified in MSP-1 and MSP-2 in <it>P. falciparum </it>field isolates from Myanmar. A high level of mixed infections was also observed, as was a high degree of multiplicity of infection.</p

Comparison of the antibody responses to Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum antigens in residents of Mandalay, Myanmar

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aim of this study was to investigate the profile of antibodies against several antigens of <it>Plasmodium vivax </it>and <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>in Mandalay, Myanmar.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Malaria parasites were identified by microscopic examination. To test the antibodies against <it>P. vivax </it>and <it>P. falciparum </it>in sera, an indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) was performed using asexual blood parasite antigens. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed with circumsporozoite protein (CSP), Pvs25 and Pvs28 recombinant proteins of transmission-blocking vaccine candidates for <it>P. vivax</it>, and liver stage specific antigen-1 and -3 (PfLSA-1, PfLSA-3) for <it>P. falciparum</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Fourteen patients among 112 were found to be infected with <it>P. vivax </it>and 26 with <it>P. falciparum </it>by thick smear examination. Twenty-three patients were found to be infected with <it>P. vivax</it>, 19 with <it>P. falciparum </it>and five with both by thin smear examination. Blood samples were divided into two groups: Group I consisted of patients who were positive for infection by microscopic examination, and Group II consisted of those who showed symptoms, but were negative in microscopic examination. In <it>P. falciparum</it>, IgG against the blood stage antigen in Group I (80.8%) was higher than in Group II (70.0%). In <it>P. vivax</it>, IgG against the blood stage antigen in Group I (53.8%) was higher than in Group II (41.7%). However, the positivity rate of the PvCSP VK210 subtype in Group II (40.0%) was higher than in Group I (23.1%). Similarly for the PvCSP VK247 subtype, Group II (21.7%) was higher than that for Group I (9.6%). A similar pattern was observed in the ELISA using Pvs25 and Pvs28: positive rates of Group II were higher than those for Group I. However, those differences were not shown significant in statistics.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The positive rates for blood stage antigens of <it>P. falciparum </it>were higher in Group I than in Group II, but the positive rates for antigens of other stages (PfLSA-1 and -3) showed opposite results. Similar to <it>P. falciparum</it>, the positive rate of pre-blood stage (CSP VK210 and 247 subtype) and post-blood stage (Pvs25 and 28) antigens of <it>P. vivax </it>were higher in Group II than in Group I. Therefore, sero-diagnosis is not helpful to discriminate between malaria patients and symptomatic individuals during the epidemic season in Myanmar.</p

Immunogenicity and efficacy of oral vaccines in developing countries: lessons from a live cholera vaccine

Oral vaccines, whether living or non-living, viral or bacterial, elicit diminished immune responses or have lower efficacy in developing countries than in developed countries. Here I describe studies with a live oral cholera vaccine that include older children no longer deriving immune support from breast milk or maternal antibodies and that identify some of the factors accounting for the lower immunogenicity, as well as suggesting counter-measures that may enhance the effectiveness of oral immunization in developing countries. The fundamental breakthrough is likely to require reversing effects of the 'environmental enteropathy' that is often present in children living in fecally contaminated, impoverished environments

Associated features in females with an FMR1 premutation

Abstract Changes in the fragile X mental retardation 1 gene (FMR1) have been associated with specific phenotypes, most specifically those of fragile X syndrome (FXS), fragile X tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), and fragile X primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI). Evidence of increased risk for additional medical, psychiatric, and cognitive features and conditions is now known to exist for individuals with a premutation, although some features have been more thoroughly studied than others. This review highlights the literature on medical, reproductive, cognitive, and psychiatric features, primarily in females, that have been suggested to be associated with changes in the FMR1 gene. Based on this review, each feature is evaluated with regard to the strength of evidence of association with the premutation. Areas of need for additional focused research and possible intervention strategies are suggested