October 2011
Nature and causes of land degradation and desertification in Libya: Need for sustainable land management
In this article, the characteristics of desertification, causative factors and efforts to combat desertification in Libya are presented. Also, the need to mainstream sustainable land management into land use planning is highlighted which could provide a firm basis for future policy decisions to combat desertification. Libya is characterized by a desert type environment and more than 95% of the country is desert or...
October 2011
Effect of stocking density on pig production
Numerous stressors such as environmental, nutritional, pathological or equipment related ones are operative in swine facilities. Among many factors, socking density increases social stress and influences pig performance. Many studies have reported that reducing space allowance could induce decreases in growth performance of pigs. In addition, high stocking density induces a behavioral problem and...
October 2011
Role of sodium and hydrogen (Na+/H+) antiporters in salt tolerance of plants: Present and future challenges
Salt tolerant plants have been characterized by their ability to cope with osmotic and ionic stresses caused by elevated sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations. For homeostatic control of Na+, plants have evolved a system of membrane channels and antiporters that facilitate the influx and efflux of sodium (Na+) ions at the roots and establish a steady state rate of entry of Na+ into the plant, compartmentation of...
October 2011
Adenovirus vectors can induce activation of endothelial cells: CD40-CD40L interactions partly participate in the endothelial cells activation induced by adenovirus vectors in an NF-kappaB-dependent manner
Replication-defective adenovirus vector without both E1 and E3 is one of the most popular tools in transgenic therapies. However, more attention should be paid to adenovirus vectors mediated-gene modified study on endothelial cells (ECs). To verify the possible danger in that process, we explored the effect of adenovirus on ECs in this study. By using western blot analysis, we showed that the level of both CD40 and...
October 2011
Association of Calpain 1 (CAPN1) and HRSP12 allelic variants in beef cattle with carcass traits
Calpain 1 (CAPN1) and its activator HRSP12 are evaluated as candidate gene for quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting meat tenderness. In this study, SNPs were detected by sequencing in 323 cattle from 9 breeds. The association results showed that the A3553G and T824C loci individually related with marbling and tenderness, and CAPN1/HRSP12 double homozygote and heterozygote/homozygote...
October 2011
Bayesian analysis of interacting quantitative trait loci (QTL) for yield traits in tomato
An F2 population derived from the hybrid of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.XF98-7×Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium LA2184 was used for genome-wide linkage analysis for yield traits in tomato. The genetic map, spanning the tomato genome of 808.4 cM long was constructed with 112 SSR markers distributing on 16 linkage groups. Main and epistatic effect QTLs controlling first flower node, number of flowers...
October 2011
In vitro plant regeneration in rough lemon (Citrus jambhiri Lush) by direct organogenesis
This study was aimed to optimize the organogenesis in rough lemon (Citrus jambhiri Lush), an important citrus rootstock of India. Organogenesis was induced in epicotyl segments of rough lemon seedlings. Three important factors influencing organogenesis in vitro viz. hormone combination, cut modes and photoperiod were evaluated. Etiolation of seedlings had a positive effect on bud formation and...
October 2011
Hysteresis of soil temperature under different soil moisture and fertilizer in solar greenhouse conditions
Soil temperature is one of the important variables in spatial prediction of soil energy balance in a solar greenhouse. The objective of this study was to find a simple method to estimate the hysteresis of soil temperature under three soil moisture and two fertilizer levels in solar greenhouse conditions with tomato crop (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill). The results show that the soil moisture had...
October 2011
Diallel analysis to study the genetic makeup of spike and yield contributing traits in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Five wheat genotypes were crossed in complete diallel fashion for gene action studies of spike length, spikelets per spike, grains per spike, grain weight per spikeand grain yield per plant. Analysis of variance reveals significant differences for all the traits. The significant deviation of joint regression value “b” from zero and non significance of “t” square value, suggested the absence...
October 2011
Diallel analysis to study the genetic makeup of spike and yield contributing traits in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Five wheat genotypes were crossed in complete diallel fashion for gene action studies of spike length, spikelets per spike, grains per spike, grain weight per spikeand grain yield per plant. Analysis of variance reveals significant differences for all the traits. The significant deviation of joint regression value “b” from zero and non significance of “t” square value, suggested the absence...
October 2011
Simulated and measured soil wetting patterns for overlap zone under double points sources of drip irrigation
Water resource scarcity is a serious problem hampering agricultural development in the arid and semi-arid region. Drip irrigation is one of the most useful methods that is widely used in the arid and semi-arid region. Intersection is a however, common event under drip irrigation and the crops are always planted in the overlap zone, hence a suitable design and operation of the system is very important for crop yield. In...
October 2011
Growth characteristics and biomass production of kenaf
Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is one of the important fibre crops next to cotton, which is planted throughout the world. It is cultivated for its core and bast fibres. Unlike cotton, the fibre of kenaf is obtained from vegetative part of plant. Hence,growth and biomass production of kenaf is a fundamental issue that should be considered for its successful commercial cultivation. This...
October 2011
Establishment of somatic embryogenesis from Gerbera jamesonii Bolus EX. Hook F. through suspension culture
Cell suspension cultures were established from embryogenic callus induced from leaf explants of Gerbera jamesonii Bolus ex. Hook f. Embryogenic callus was induced when leaf explants were cultured on MS medium containing 1.0 to 2.0 mg/L 2,4-D. Cream friable callus was formed within two weeks. Proliferated callus was transferred to MS liquid medium containing 2,4-D with a small concentration of NAA and...
October 2011
Effect of phosphorus and potassium on seed production of berseem
A research study was conducted to find out the effect of phosphorus and potassium on seed production performance of berseem Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L) which belongs to the family Papilionaceae. The experiment was conducted at Research Farm of Khyber Paktunkhwa, Agricultural University Peshawar, Pakistan during 2004 to 2005. The experiment was carried out in randomized complete block design (RCBD)...
October 2011
Systematics, diversity and forage value of indigenous legumes of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland
The diversity of legumes, indigenous to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland is reported using recorded descriptive and distribution data. A total of 24 tribes, 118 genera and 1662 species were documented with the majority of genera belonging to subfamily Faboideae, tribe Phaseoleae, and the majority of species to tribe Crotalarieae. In terms of distribution patterns, most species were present in the Savanna Biome and...
October 2011
Characteristics of papillae in wild, cultivated and hybrid sea cucumbers (Apostichopus japonicus)
We investigated the characteristics of papillae of living, boiled and dried specimens of three wild populations, cultivated and hybrid Apostichopus japonicus in the laboratory. Visual observation showed that the appearance of the papillae was obviously different among the populations. For the first time, we established a standard criterion for estimating papilla number (PL/L ≥ 0.05, PL: the length of the...
October 2011
A sample for biodiversity in Turkey: Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) landraces from Artvin
Artvin province located in north-east region of Turkey is small province but has rich plant diversity due to its different geographical and ecological formation. Significant part of this province has been flooded by the dams which have been built. The common bean is a very important crop for Artvin’s farmers. This study was carried out with the aim of determining and preserving the characteristics of domestic bean...
October 2011
Comparative water relation of three varieties of Hibiscus cannabinus L. (Kenaf)
Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is an industrial fiber crop that is being grown increasingly in tropical and subtropical areas. Choosing the proper variety with the most growth rate and biomass content is a critical point for successful commercial cultivation of kenaf. Since growth and biomass production of plants are strictly related to their physiology attribute, it is therefore, necessary to provide knowledge...
October 2011
The growth promotion of mung bean (Phaseolus radiatus) by Enterobacter asburiae HPP16 in acidic soils
A novel phosphate-solubilizing bacterium HPP16 from plant rhizosphere of Shandong University of Science and Technology districts of Qingdao (China) was isolated and the effects on promoting growth of mung bean (Phaseolus radiatus) seedlings in Campus and Jinshatan; two kinds of acidic soils were studied. HPP16 was identified as Enterobacter asburiae on the basis of 16S rDNA sequencing. It was...
October 2011
Forage yield of berseem (Trifolium alaxandrium) as affected by phosphorus and potassium fertilization
This research was conducted with the aim to quantify the effect of phosphorus and potassium fertilization on forage yield of berseem (Trifolium alaxandrium). The experiment was carried out at the Research Farm of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Agricultural University Peshawar, Pakistan during the cropping season of 2004 to 2005. Randomized complete block design (RCBD) having four replications was used for the experiment....
October 2011
Carbon dioxide (CO2) utilizing strain database
Culling of excess carbon dioxide from our environment is one of the major challenges to scientific communities. Many physical, chemical and biological methods have been practiced to overcome this problem. The biological means of CO2 fixation using various microorganisms is gaining importance because database of their substantial role in reversing global warming. Carbon dioxide utilizing strain database (CSD)...
October 2011
Optimization of coagulation-flocculation process for pastas industry effluent using response surface methodology
The goal of this study was to characterize and then optimize the treatment process of effluent generated from couscous and pasta industry. The crude effluent is characterized by a high level of organic concentration (from 2269 to 4383 mg/l). The optimization of coagulation-flocculation process was then performed to minimize chemical oxygen demand (COD). The experiments were carried out using the response surface...
October 2011
Response of Oncomelania snail distribution on land use in Sichuan, China
Schistosomiasis is one of the four major infectious diseases that require prevention and control in China. It is mainly distributed along the middle and downstream areas of the Yangtze River and some hilly areas in Sichuan, Yunnan, and so on. Oncomelania snail is the only intermediate parasite in the schistosome life cycle; thus, reducing the number of snails can decrease the incidence of schistosomiasis by limiting its...
October 2011
Isolation and characterization of Jatropha oil-degradation by Enterococcus faecalis and Burkholderia cenocepacia W-1 under anaerobic condition
Ground contamination by oily substances led to several environmental issues. This work focused on the isolation and characterization of micro-organisms which possess the capability of degrading Jatropha oil, a feed stock of biodiesel production, under anaerobic condition. The active isolated strains were tested for morphological, physiological and genotypic characteristics. Based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis,...
October 2011
Acute toxicity and haematological changes in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) caused by diazinon exposure
The common carp (Cyprinus carpio) was exposed to diazinon to determine the lethal concentration (LC50) values at different times and effects of sub-lethal concentrations on haematological and biochemical parameters. The LC50 values at varying times were recorded as high as 18.57 mg/l (24 h), 14.87 mg/l (48 h), 12.29 mg/l (72 h) and 9.76 mg/l (96 h). Fishes exposed to sub-lethal concentrations (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0...
October 2011
Impact of nickel (Ni) on hematological parameters and behavioral changes in Cyprinus carpio (common carp)
The effect of nickel on hematological parameters and behaviour in Cyprinus carpioafter a 96 h exposure to nickel test was investigated. Cyprinus carpio fingerlings were obtained from local fish hatchery. Morphometric characteristics of experimental fish were recorded. Fish of both sexes were stocked without discrimination. The fish were exposed to different concentrations (0, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18...
October 2011
Kinetic growth of the isolated oleaginous yeast for microbial lipid production
Microbial lipid was produced by the soil isolated oleaginous yeast Torulaspora maleeae Y30 using glucose in flask-batch fermentation. At low concentration of nitrogen, maximum lipid production rate was observed; while high nitrogen concentration (0.4 g/l) resulted in high volumetric cell mass production rate (0.960 g/l d) and specific growth rate (0.266 d-1). The isolated yeast T. maleeae Y30 had...
October 2011
Identification of a new strain of Actinomadura isolated from Saharan soil and partial characterization of its antifungal compounds
One promising strain Actinomadura sp. AC170, isolated from Algerian Saharan soil, with strong antifungal activity against pathogenic and toxinogenic fungi, was selected for further studies. The 16S rRNA results showed a distinct phylogenetic lineage from the other species within the Actinomadura genus. The production of antibiotic substances was investigated using GYEA solid medium....
October 2011
Optimised production of L-glutaminase: A tumour inhibitor from Aspergillus flavus cultured on agroindustrial residues
L-Glutaminase, an amidohydrolase enzyme has been a choice of interest in the treatment of lymphoblastic leukemia. This study investigates the production and optimization of extracellular glutaminase enzyme using several agro-industrial residues by Aspergillus flavus KUGF009 using SSF (solid state fermentation).Effect of process variables namely substrates, incubation period,...
October 2011
Chemical composition and evaluation of antimicrobial properties of Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil
Preservatives used in the food industry are undergoing increasing scrutiny and reappraisal. There is therefore a renewed interest in the antimicrobial properties of herbs and spices. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) belonging to the Lamiaceae family, is a pleasant-smelling perennial herb. The antimicrobial activities of the R....
October 2011
Morphological and molecular based diversity studies of some cassava (Manihot esculenta crantz) germplasm in Ghana
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an important food crop in many tropical countries in Africa, South America and Asia. However, yields are below the productivity of the crop. This requires breeding and selection for improved varieties. The current study therefore investigated genetic diversity among some Ghanaian preferred accessions which could be used for breeding purposes. Genetic diversity of 43 cassava...
October 2011
Repeated-batch ethanol fermentation from sweet sorghum juice by free cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae NP 01
Low-cost inoculum preparation (IP) media for ethanol production were developed. It was found that sweet sorghum juice (SSJ) containing 100 g l-1 of total sugar without nutrient supplement could be used as the low-cost IP medium instead of the typical IP medium or yeast extract malt extract (YM) medium. Ethanol production from the SSJ (total soluble solids of 24 °Bx) by the inoculum of Saccharomyces...
October 2011
BACTEC MGIT 960 TM system for screening of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex among cattle
Bovine tuberculosis remains a disease of economic and public health importance in developing countries. The largest number of new cases of tuberculosis usually occurs in South-East Asia region and Africa. This study was aimed to evaluate the recent technique (BACTEC MGIT 960 TM system) for screening of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex among cattle in Egypt. From the 1180 cattle examined in three...
October 2011
Variation in reproductive and developmental parameters of Callosobruchus maculatus (F) reared on ten Botswana cowpea landraces
A study was conducted on ten Botswana cowpea landraces to evaluate their resistance to the cowpea weevil (Callosobruchus maculatus (F) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). The variations in reproductive and developmental parameters were used to evaluate the landraces for resistance against C. maculatus under laboratory conditions. The landraces B339, B383, B013-F and B261-B had significant lower percentage adult...
October 2011
Evaluation on the resistance to aphids of wheat germplasm resources in China
A collection of more than 200 wheat lines from the main wheat-producing areas of China was evaluated for resistance to wheat aphids, using fuzzy recognition technique in five field experiments over 2 years. The results show that susceptibility to wheat aphids was exhibited in most of the lines tested, and no immune and highly resistant lines to wheat aphids was observed. The average percentage of wheat germplasm...
October 2011
Characterization of a tailless white spot syndrome virus from diseased Penaeus vannamei and Procambarus clarkii in China
In this study, a virus similar to the causative agent of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) but without tail-like extension was identified and characterized from diseased Penaeus vannamei and moribund Procambarus clarkia. Contrary to previous reports, white spots were not observed on the carapace of the diseased P. vannamei but with ulceration on the carapace and red tail. All samples...
October 2011
Expression, purification and characterization of Oryza sativa L. NAD-malic enzyme in Escherichia coli
The cDNA fragment of a rice NAD-malic enzyme (OsNAD-ME1) was cloned and constructed into expression vector (pGEX-6p-3). OsNAD-ME1 was successfully expressed as a GST fusion protein in Escherichia coli BL21. The optimal concentration of IPTG for inducement was 1 mmol/L and the optimal culturetemperature was 30°C. The fusion protein was purified by using...
October 2011
Diversity of micro-crustaceans in temporary habitats of the province of Sasalı (Izmir, Turkey)
A study on the distribution of micro-crustaceans in seven temporary habitats of the province of Sasalı (Izmir) was conducted between 27 March and 10 April 2011. 15micro-crustacean species, comprising eight ostracods, four branchiopods and three copepods were identified. All species registered represent new reports for the studies area. One of these, living populations of Heterocypris...
October 2011
The effects of alfalfa particle size and acid treated protein on ruminal chemical composition, liquid, particulate, escapable and non escapable phases in Zel sheep
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of alfalfa particle size (long vs. fine) and canola meal treated with hydrochloric acid solution (untreated vs treated) on ruminal chemical composition, liquid, particulate, escapable and non escapable phases in Zel sheep. Four ruminally cannulated sheep received a mixed diet (% of dry matter) consisting of 23.73 alfalfa, 8.70 canola meal, 39.56 wheat...
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