In vitro culture of Telfairia occidentalis under different cytokinins and auxin combination

Telfairia occidentalis is a tropical vine and has been a good source of iron rich vegetable to man. It is normally propagated through seeds but the seeds are recalcitrant in nature. The vegetative propagation of T. occidentalis has been difficult hence there is a need to develop an in vitro method. Nodal cuttings of T. occidentalis was cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS; 1962) basal media supplemented with IBA, IAA, NAA, BAP, and kinetin at different concentrations. Among all the growth hormones used, IBA and BAP combination gave the best result for both rooting and shooting while BAP in combination with NAA showed the highest number of nodes. The result showed that in vitro growth of T. occidentalis is hormone specific

Effects of Fusarium verticilloides, its metabolites and neem leaf extract on germination and vigour indices of maize (Zea mays L.)

Maize (Zea mays L.) seed samples were collected from three markets in Minna, Niger State to investigate the effect of Fusarium verticilloides, its metabolites and neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf ethanolic extract on germination of the seeds and seedling vigour. Among the fungi genera isolated from the seeds samples were Aspergillus spp. (41.18%), Fusarium spp. (29.41%) and Rhizopus spp. (23.53%). F. verticilloides metabolite was extracted using dichloromethane and phosphoric acid (10:1) while powdered neem leaf was extracted with ethanol for 72 h. The experiment, which was made up of eight treatments and three replicates, was set up in a germination chamber. At 9 days after sowing (9 DAS), the seeds applied with combined F. verticilloides mycelia and their metabolites had the least germination percentage (30%), the highest rot-index (3.5) and the least seedling vigour (0.93). The seedsapplied with neem extract only had the highest germination percentage of 100%, the least rot index (0.5) and seedling vigour index (5.4). Though neem leaf extract proved to be fungitoxic against F.verticilloides, further investigation on the pathogenic mode of action of fusariotoxin on germination and growth of cereal crops on the field is necessary

La soutenabilité budgétaire des finances publiques du gouvernement du Québec

Le vieillissement de la population représente un défi de taille pour l'ensemble des pays développés. Globalement, les pays de l'OCDE vont connaître des changements démographiques majeurs au cours des prochaines années. Les effets conjugués de la baisse de la natalité et de l'allongement de l'espérance de vie provoquent déjà un renversement de la pyramide des âges, une situation qui se traduira à terme par des conséquences importantes sur le marché du travail, sur la croissance économique et sur l'appariement des revenus et des dépenses des gouvernements. Il reste encore beaucoup à faire pour bien comprendre les conséquences de la transition démographique sur les finances publiques. Au printemps 2007, nous produisions une première projection de l'évolution des finances publiques québécoises dans un contexte de vieillissement démographique 1. Les résultats de cette projection de long terme étaient assez clairs : si les paramètres de dépenses et de taxation se maintenaient, à compter du milieu de la présente décennie le budget du Québec deviendrait chroniquement déficitaire pour les prochaines décennies. L'impasse budgétaire appréhendée prendrait progressivement de l'ampleur pour atteindre 2,7 % du PIB en 2031 et 4,5 % du PIB en 2051. Quelques années plus tard, alors que la « Grande Récession » a été traversée et que le gouvernement du Québec vise le retour à l'équilibre budgétaire, la pertinence de refaire un tel exercice est toujours là. Il s'agit d'un exercice essentiel. D'ailleurs, les meilleures pratiques de l'OCDE en matière de transparence budgétaire recommandent de procéder régulièrement à une évaluation des perspectives budgétaires à long terme (sur un horizon de 10 à 40 ans) et de la rendre publique. Pour en justifier la pertinence, l'OCDE évoquait que « la composante démographique des dépenses futures au titre de la santé et des soins aux personnes âgées dépendantes aura un impact considérable sur la situation budgétaire globale dans le long terme2 ». Le gouvernement fédéral fait un tel exercice par l'intermédiaire du Bureau du directeur parlementaire du budget, mais ce mécanisme n'a toujours pas été mis en place au Québec. Dans la présente analyse, chacune des hypothèses utilisées en 2007 a été revue pour tenir compte des plus récents travaux de recherche et des plus récentes statistiques. À la lumière des nouvelles projections, il sera possible de déterminer si les finances publiques du Québec sont mieux préparées pour traverser les prochaines décennies

Droplet-based electro-coalescence for probing threshold disjoining pressure

In this work, we investigate the coalescence of emulsion droplets in a controlled electric field. Two contacting droplets stabilized by surfactants can be forced to coalesce into a combined one when the applied voltage is above a critical value. The critical voltages change with the types, concentrations of surfactants and temperature. By exploring the drainage of a thin oil film trapped between emulsions, we interpret that the coalescence occurs as the electric compression overcomes the disjoining pressure barrier and squeezes the film to a critical thickness. Based on this, we have devised an approach to probe the threshold disjoining pressure which can help predict the emulsion stability and surfactant efficacy quantitatively. We have confirmed the validity of our approach for measuring the threshold disjoining pressure by comparing the result with other proven tests that involve centrifugation and thermal heating. Our approach is simple, reliable and robust in predicting emulsion stability and will facilitate the design of emulsion-based formulations by accelerating the testing of emulsion stability.postprin

Paediatric hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma: retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare and contrast clinical characteristics and outcomes of hepatoblastoma or hepatocellular carcinoma in paediatric patients. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: University teaching hospital, Hong Kong. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Medical records of 22 paediatric patients with hepatoblastoma (n=11) or hepatocellular carcinoma (n=11) admitted to Queen Mary Hospital between 1989 and 2000 were reviewed. Data gathered included demographic data, results of liver function tests, hepatitis A, B, and C titres, and alpha-foetoprotein levels, and imaging studies including chest X-ray, ultrasound study, computed tomography scan, and magnetic resonance imaging/hepatic angiogram for tumour staging and resectability. RESULTS: The mean age of patients with hepatoblastoma was 18 months (range, 5 months to 3 years), while that of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma was 10.2 years (range, 2 to 16 years). Females predominated in the hepatoblastoma group (female:male, 8:3) and males in the hepatocellular carcinoma group (male:female, 10:1). None of the patients with hepatoblastoma were hepatitis B surface antigen positive, in contrast to 64% of the hepatocellular carcinoma group. Only 45% of the hepatocellular carcinomas were resectable at presentation and this figure remained unchanged following chemotherapy. A total of 91% of hepatoblastomas were resectable, four at presentation, and a further six after chemotherapy. Tumour rupture was more common in patients with hepatoblastoma than in those with hepatocellular carcinoma (36% versus 9% of cases, respectively). Mortality rates were considerably higher among the hepatocellular carcinoma group than the hepatoblastoma group in this series. CONCLUSION: Childhood hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma differ with respect to age and tumour stage at presentation, hepatatis B surface antigen status, tendency to rupture, chemosensitivity, and prognosis.published_or_final_versio

Glycyrrhizic Acid Can Attenuate Metabolic Deviations Caused by a High-Sucrose Diet without Causing Water Retention in Male Sprague-Dawley Rats

Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) ameliorates many components of the metabolic syndrome, but its potential therapeutic use is marred by edema caused by inhibition of renal 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (11β-HSD2). We assessed whether 100 mg/kg per day GA administered orally could promote metabolic benefits without causing edema in rats fed on a high-sucrose diet. Groups of eight male rats were fed on one of three diets for 28 days: normal diet, a high-sucrose diet, or a high-sucrose diet supplemented with GA. Rats were then culled and renal 11β-HSD2 activity, as well as serum sodium, potassium, angiotensin II and leptin levels were determined. Histological analyses were performed to assess changes in adipocyte size in visceral and subcutaneous depots, as well as hepatic and renal tissue morphology. This dosing paradigm of GA attenuated the increases in serum leptin levels and visceral, but not subcutaneous adipocyte size caused by the high-sucrose diet. Although GA decreased renal 11β-HSD2 activity, it did not affect serum electrolyte or angiotensin II levels, indicating no onset of edema. Furthermore, there were no apparent morphological changes in the liver or kidney, indicating no toxicity. In conclusion, it is possible to reap metabolic benefits of GA without edema using the current dosage and treatment time

Properties of Light Flavour Baryons in Hypercentral quark model

The light flavour baryons are studied within the quark model using the hyper central description of the three-body system. The confinement potential is assumed as hypercentral coulomb plus power potential ($hCPP_\nu$) with power index $\nu$. The masses and magnetic moments of light flavour baryons are computed for different power index, $\nu$ starting from 0.5 to 1.5. The predicted masses and magnetic moments are found to attain a saturated value with respect to variation in $\nu$ beyond the power index $\nu>$ 1.0. Further we computed transition magnetic moments and radiative decay width of light flavour baryons. The results are in good agreement with known experimental as well as other theoretical models.Comment: Accepted in Pramana J. of Physic

Non-palimpsested crowded Skolithos ichnofabrics in a Carboniferous tidal rhythmite: Disentangling ecological signatures from the spatio-temporal bias of outcrop

Funder: International Association of Sedimentologists; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100007463A heterolithic tidalite succession yielding spring–neap bundles is newly reported from a mid- Carboniferous (Serpukhovian) section of the Alston Formation of Northumberland, England. The rhythmite records deposition over an interval that can be confidently calibrated to at least 84 lunar days, and attests to a non-negligible tidal range in parts of the Northwest European Seaway in the late Mississippian. The tidalite is notable for the presence of a striking crowded Skolithos ichnofabric on both bedding planes and in vertical section. Bedding plane expressions of the ichnofabric reveal true substrates of sand piles excavated during burrow construction, in addition to an apparently remarkable equal spacing between individual burrows that is shown to be genuine through pair correlation function analysis. These characteristics show that the burrowed horizons were registered by contemporaneous ichnocoenoses, with no palimpsesting of burrows. The irregular vertical distribution of burrow horizons, despite a near-continuous semi-diurnal record of sedimentation, is suggested to be an artefact of spatial patchiness of burrowing communities in the depositional environment; imperfectly registered in a vertical profile with high-temporal, lowspatial resolution. The succession proves that burrow palimpsesting is not an inevitable ichnological conclusion of sedimentary stasis, and attests to intermittent palaeoecological fidelity of the stratigraphic record at the small spatio-temporal scales recorded a