Ontogenetic Color Switching in Lizards as a by-Product of Guanine Cell Development

Many animals undergo dramatic changes in colour during development1,2. Changes in predation risk during ontogeny are associated with spectacular switches in defensive colours, typically involving the replacement of skin or the production of new pigment cells3. Ontogenetic colour systems are ideal models for understanding the evolution and formation mechanisms of animal colour which remain largely enigmatic2. We show that defensive colour switching in lizards arises by reorganization of a single photonic system, as an incidental by-product of chromatophore maturation. The defensive blue tail colour of hatchling A. beershebensis lizards is produced by light scattering from premature guanine crystals in underdeveloped iridophore cells. Camouflaged adult tail colours emerge upon reorganization of the guanine crystals into a photonic reflector during chromatophore maturation. The substituent guanine crystals form by the attachment of individual nanoscopic plates, which coalesce during growth to form single crystals. Our results show that the blue colour of hatchlings is a fortuitous, but necessary, precursor to the development of adult colour. Striking functional colours in animals can thus arise not as distinct evolutionary innovations but via exploitation of the timing of naturally occurring changes in chromatophore cell development.

Influence of Post Shooting Spray and Bunch Bagging on Per Day Productivity and Fruit Quality of Banana (Musa paradisiaca L.)

Aims: To determine the effect of post shooting spray and bunch bagging on per day productivity and quality of banana (Musa paradisiaca L.)” Study Design: Completely Randomized Design (Factorial) with three repetitions. Place and Duration of Study: Experiment was carried out at the Horticultural Research Farm, Department of Horticulture, B. A. College of Agriculture, AAU, Anand during the year 2017-18 and 2018-19 Methodology: The experiment comprises of twenty four treatment combinations involving two varieties viz. Grand Naine and William with six levels of post shooting sprays namely; control, humic acid 2 %, 2, 4-D 30 mg/l, gibberellic acid (GA3) 100 mg/l, CPPU 4 mg/l and sulphate of potash (SOP) 2 % with two bunch bagging viz., non- woven material bag covering and blue colour polyethylene sleeve (6 % perforated) bag covering. Post shooting sprays were given twice i.e. 1st spray after complete opening of inflorescence and 2nd spray after 30 days of first spray with covering the bunch immediately after second spray. Results: The results indicated that the Grand Naine variety recorded significantly minimum harvest days, maturity days. Whereas, William variety was recorded significantly shelf life and fruit appearances. In case of per day productivity is concerned, both the varieties were equally important. The post shooting spray of GA3 100 mg/l recorded significantly improves per day productivity and fruit appearances. Whereas, post shooting spray of SOP 2 % recorded minimum harvest day and maturity days. While, post shooting sprays of CPPU 4 mg/l showed significantly maximum shelf life. The non-woven material bag covering was significantly better among all quantitative and qualitative parameters as compared to blue colour polyethylene sleeve bag covering. While, post shooting spray of CPPU 4 mg/l with non-woven material bag covering showed significantly expand the shelf life of fruit. Conclusion: Grand Naine variety recorded significantly minimum harvest and maturity days. Whereas, William variety was recorded significantly shelf life and fruit appearances. The post shooting spray of GA3 100 mg/l was improved per day productivity and fruit appearances. Whereas, post shooting sprays of CPPU 4 mg/l showed significantly enhancing the shelf life. The non-woven material bag covering on banana bunches was found significantly better among all quantitative and qualitative parameters.

Response of Quality Attributes of Banana (Musa paradisiaca L.) cv. Williumto Post Shooting Spray and Bunch Covering Material

Aims: To study the post harvest shooting namely; control, humic acid 2%, 2, 4-D 30 mg/l, gibberellic acid (GA3) 100 mg/l, CPPU 4 mg/l and sulphate of potash (SOP) 2% and covering materials viz., non- woven material bag and blue colour polyethylene sleeve (6% perforated) bag on bunch of banana cv. Willium Study Design: Experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (Factorial) with three repetitions. Place and Duration of Study: Experiment was carried out at the Horticultural Research Farm,Department of Horticulture, B. A. College of Agriculture, AAU, Anand during the year 2017-18 and 2018-19 Methodology: The experimental plot was prepared by deep ploughing, harrowing and levelling. The pits of 30 x 30 x 30 cm were dug out at a spacing of 1.8 x 1.8 m2 and well decomposed fine textured Farm Yard Manure (FYM) at the rate of 10 kg per pit was applied at planting. Well hardened, healthy, uniform tissue cultured tissue culture plants of willium banana having 5-6 leaves were used for planting. Post shooting sprays were given twice i.e. 1st spray after complete opening of inflorescence and 2nd spray after 30 days of first spray with covering the bunch immediately after second spray.The fruits which were used for recording the weight loss during ripening, were used to calculating pulp: peel ratio. Pulp to peel ratio was calculated by dividing respective pulp weight by respective peel weight. The TSS value of the fruit was recorded by using hand refractometer having range of 0-32 ⁰Brix. Acidity (%) was calculated by the method described by Rangana (1977) was adopted for estimation of titrable acidity. Results: The results revealed that the banana bunches sprayingof CPPU 4 mg/lwith bunch covering with non woven materials were recorded significantly lower physiological loss in weight (12.80, 13.60 and 13.20%) and (13.26, 14.14 and 13.70%), respectively. Whereas, post shooting spray of SOP 2% with non-woven material bag coveringwere recorded significantly maximum TSS (21.42, 21.05 and 21.17 ºBrix; 21.39, 20.93 and 21.16 ºBrix), reducing sugar (12.55, 12.34 and 12.45%; 12.21, 12.16 and 12.18%) and total sugar (21.42, 20.82 and 21.12%; 20.84, 20.50 and 20.67%) as compared to rest of the treatments of post shooting sprays and bunch covering materials on banana quality. Conclusion: From the two years of field study, it can be concluded that the post shooting spraying of CPPU 4 mg/l and SOP 2% with non woven bunch covering bags were improve fruit quality of banana.

Colorimetric Detection of Organophosphate Pesticides Based on Acetylcholinesterase and Cysteamine Capped Gold Nanoparticles as Nanozyme

Organophosphates (OPs) are neurotoxic agents also used as pesticides that can permanently block the active site of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE). A robust and sensitive detection system of OPs utilising the enzyme mimic potential of the cysteamine capped gold nanoparticles (C-AuNPs) was developed. The detection assay was performed by stepwise addition of AChE, parathion ethyl (PE)-a candidate OP, acetylcholine chloride (ACh), C-AuNPs, and 3, 3′, 5, 5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the buffer solution. The whole sensing protocol completes in 30–40 min, including both incubations. The Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) results indicated that the NPs are spherical and have an average size of 13.24 nm. The monomers of C-AuNPs exhibited intense catalytic activity (nanozyme) for the oxidization of TMB, revealed by the production of instant blue colour and confirmed by a sharp peak at 652 nm. The proposed biosensor’s detection limit and linear ranges were 5.8 ng·mL−1 and 11.6–92.8 ng·mL−1, respectively, for PE. The results strongly advocate that the suggested facile colorimetric biosensor may provide an excellent platform for on-site monitoring of OPs.

Investigations of Azulene Derivatives as Self-Indicating Chromophores for Applications in Protecting Group Strategies and Solid-Phase Purification

<p>Azulene is a hydrocarbon that exhibits an intense blue colour. Derivatives of azulene exhibit different colours depending on the position and electronic properties of the substituents. The chemical and chromophoric properties of azulene and guaiazulene derivatives are investigated for the potential use in applications such as chromophoric protecting groups and self-indicating scavenger resins. Investigations were carried out on the scope of known reactions on the 3- position of guaiazulene for this purpose...</p>

Investigations of Azulene Derivatives as Self-Indicating Chromophores for Applications in Protecting Group Strategies and Solid-Phase Purification

<p>Azulene is a hydrocarbon that exhibits an intense blue colour. Derivatives of azulene exhibit different colours depending on the position and electronic properties of the substituents. The chemical and chromophoric properties of azulene and guaiazulene derivatives are investigated for the potential use in applications such as chromophoric protecting groups and self-indicating scavenger resins. Investigations were carried out on the scope of known reactions on the 3- position of guaiazulene for this purpose...</p>

Characterization of natural silicate garnets by means of non-destructive testing methods

Two kinds of natural silicate garnets from the known origin countries were investigated: pyralspites – pyrope (Russia), almandine (India), rhodolite (India), spessartine (India), blue colour-change garnet (Sri Lanka), and ugrandites – andradite (Russia), demantoid (Russia), topazolite (Russia), rainbow garnet (Japan), grossular (Kenya-Tanzania), colourless grossular (India), light orange grossular (India), dark green tsavorite (Tanzania), medium green tsavorite (Kenya), light green tsavorite (Kenya), orange hessonite (Sri Lanka), pink hessonite (Sri Lanka), cinnamon hessonite (India) and uvarovite (Russia). The chemical composition of the garnets was performed with a scanning electron microscope. The physical properties such as specific gravity and refractive index were measured for the majority of garnets investigated. The spectroscopic meth­ods – visible light absorption spectrophotometry, Raman spectroscopy and cathodoluminiscence microscopy – were applied for the characterization of the mentioned natural silicate garnets.

Sur la validité d’Oreina (Chrysochloa) cacaliae tristis (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)

About the validity of Oreina (Chrysochloa) cacaliae tristis (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae). The status of Oreina cacaliae tristis (Fabricius, 1792), established for more than two centuries, is wholly confirmed by the fine elytral microsculpture and the blue colour of the insects, which represent moreover an isolated population of the occidental and central Alps. The recent treatment of tristis as a synonymous of Oreina cacaliae (Schrank, 1785) is not acceptable: tristis must be maintained as a subspecies of cacaliae.

Redesigning the User-Interface: The Use of Colours in nopE-Commerce Enterprise Software

This paper appraises the relevance of e-commerce enterprise software in contemporary business management. Enterprise packages are technological applications that automate business activities and improve efficiency in the business workflow. The study enunciated the critical role of administrating the backend of enterprise software to manage the front-end which is accessible to users. The user interface of e-commerce enterprise backend is essential in enhancing user’s performance on the software. The study explores the psychological and physiological properties of colours in redesigning the nopE-commerce enterprise software for the backend user interface to enhance the efficiency of the administrators. The objectives of the study are to download the existing the backend of nopE-commerce enterprise software, to recreate the backend of nopE-commerce enterprise software and to introduce colours into the redesigned user interface backend of nopE-commerce enterprise software. The redesigned user-interface was subjected to the evaluation of one hundred (100) selected back-end administrators working in Lagos. The responses of participants were analysed using the 5-point Likert Scale to generate mean results. The results indicated that colours stimulate actions and feelings, user interface colours in virtual environment determines the efficiency of the system and the creative interplay of orange and blue colour in e-commerce back-end user interface enhances the performance of backend managers.

Gender reveal parties and the construction of the prenatal gendered environment

Expecting parents are often eager to learn the sex of their baby. Gender-reveal parties offer a community or family celebration of that information, often complete with clichéd pink or blue colour coding. Common practices include party games, competitions between Team Boy and Team Girl, and the colourful surprise reveal via confetti, smoke, balloons or food. Not only is the term ‘gender-reveal’ inaccurate (at best sonograms reveal biological sex), the practice privileges stereotypical gender binaries and legitimates pre-birth personhood under the guise of merriment, appropriating the unborn body as a contested discursive site. The gender-reveal party enhances reliance on medical technology and consumerism, retrieves traditional superstitions about pregnancy, obsolesces privacy and reverses into the commodification of both mother and child. Gender-reveals do not necessarily celebrate the pregnancy or the mother. The gender-reveal party functions to reinforce traditional cisgender binaries and constructs gendered expectations for the child even before birth.