An Empirical Study on Compatibility of Sarawak Forest Ordinance and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bidayuh</Emphasis> Native Customary Laws in Forest Management

This study was conducted to examine the compatibility between the Sarawak Forest Ordinance and Bidayuh Native Customary Laws in Sarawak and to gather the community members’ opinions on the compatibility of these laws. This study was carried out using two research methods, viz. a literature review and a survey among the Bidayuh community in Bau, Sarawak. The documents reviewed were the Forest Ordinance Chapter 126 (1958) and the Adat Bidayuh Order, 1994. There are several notable differences between the two laws in terms of, forest ownership, losing of rights to forest or inheritance, and the management of forest. A list of statements with six interval scales was presented and a majority of Bidayuh community members neither disagreed nor agreed with the statement, (1) Forest Ordinance respects the Bumiputera people’s rights (37.5 %; SD = 1.259) and (2) Forest Ordinance protects the Bumiputera people’s rights (37.5 %; SD = 1.281). The community members are also not sure about the consistency between these two laws (28.1 %; SD = 1.182). These results indicated the need for the State to respect the natives’ rights toward the forest land and its resources, recognize the Bidayuh Native Customary Laws and for the native people to learn about the constitutional provisions. Further studies are needed because the knowledge of Native Customary Law itself cannot guarantee the natives’ future in terms of economic, social and environmental aspects and there is also a need to review the current laws to achieve the objective to protect and preserve the natives’ rights.     

Modeling the relationship between the main emulsion components and stability, viscosity, fluid behavior, zeta-potential, and electrophoretic mobility of orange beverage emulsion using response surface methodology

The possible relationships between the main emulsion components (namely, Arabic gum, xanthan gum, and orange oil) and the physicochemical properties of orange beverage emulsion were evaluated by using response surface methodology. The physicochemical emulsion property variables considered as response variables were emulsion stability, viscosity, fluid behavior, zeta-potential, and electrophoretic mobility. The independent variables had the most and least significant ( p < 0.05) effect on viscosity and zeta-potential, respectively. The quadratic effect of orange oil and Arabic gum, the interaction effect of Arabic gum and xanthan gum, and the main effect of Arabic gum were the most significant ( p < 0.05) effects on turbidity loss rate, viscosity, viscosity ratio, and mobility, respectively. The main effect of Arabic gum was found to be significant ( p < 0.05) in all response variables except for turbidity loss rate. The nonlinear regression equations were significantly ( p < 0.05) fitted for all response variables with high R (2) values (>0.86), which had no indication of lack of fit. The results indicated that a combined level of 10.78% (w/w) Arabic gum, 0.56% (w/w) xanthan gum, and 15.27% (w/w) orange oil was predicted to provide the overall optimum region in terms of physicochemical properties studied. No significant ( p > 0.05) difference between the experimental and the predicted values confirmed the adequacy of response surface equations.     

A preliminary passive surveillance of clinical diseases of cart pulling camels in Faisalabad metropolis (Pakistan)

We identified clinical disorders of all 200 city-dwelling cart pulling male camels attending the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan during a 7-year period (1993–1999). Data were collected prospectively on a predesigned form and collated. Diagnoses of different diseases/disorders were based on clinical examination supplemented with relevant laboratory tests. A total of 463 entries of 34 different clinical diseases/disorders were recorded. Sarcoptic mange (35% of 200 camels) followed by anhidrosis (23%) and trypanosomosis (19%) were the three most frequently encountered disorders. The body system most often involved was the integument (31%) followed by gastrointestinal (21%), locomotory (12%), thermoregulatory (6%), blood (6%), urogenital (6%), lymphatic (3%), nervous (3%), respiratory (3%) and ocular (3%).     

Host selection behavior and incidence of the bark beetle Scolytus kashmirensis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) attacking elm (Ulmus spp.) trees in Kashmir

The status of the incidence of the bark beetle Scolytus kashmirensis Schedl on elm (Ulmus spp.) trees was determined in four districts of the Kashmir Valley in 2009.The incidence of the borer was higher in the Anantnag (25.93%) and Shopian (22.35%) districts of the Kashmir Valley,followed by the Ganderbal (17.14%) and Baramulla (16.67%) districts.The overall infestation recorded in these districts was 20.52%.The beetle under study chewed the scars on twigs of both the host and tentative non-host plants supplied to them in cages but bored and laid eggs in only one of them (the host plant).Both species of elm,Ulmus wallichiana and U.villosa,were susceptible to borer attacks;however,U.villosa showed low susceptibility and high resistance compared to U.wallichiana.Older,taller elms were preferred for feeding by bark beetles and are therefore much more susceptible to its infestation compared to younger elms.This bark beetle species also preferred to oviposit in branches of the host plants with diameters of 9-12 mm.     

Seed germination of Albizia procera (Roxb.) Benth. in Bangladesh: a basis for seed source variation and pre-sowing treatment effect

An experiment in seed morphology and seed germination techniques of Albizia procera was carried out in the nursery of the Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline,Khulna University,Bangladesh in order to discover the source variation in seeds and pre-sowing treatment effects on seed germination.Mature seeds of A.procera were collected from healthy trees in home garden plantations from five different districts in Bangladesh and treated with four pre-sowing treatments,i.e.,control,immersion in cold water (4°C for 24 h)and immersion in hot water(80°C for 10 min and 100°C for 1 min).The average length,width and thickness of seeds were calculated as 0.502±0.485,0.420±0.060 and 0.191±0.118 cm,respectively.Germination was conducted in poly-bags with a mixture of topsoil and cow dung in a ratio of 3:1.The results revealed that pre-sowing treatments affected the rate of germination of seeds,which significantly increased the germination percentages of seeds in hot water treatments compared with those in control (60.60%)and the cold water treatment(4°C for 24 h,63.53%).The highest germination success was 82.07%in the treatment of immersion in hot water(80°C)for 10 min,followed by 79.00%in immersion in hot water(100°C)for 1 min.Germination started 4 to 6 days after seed sowing and completed in a period of 22 to 25 days in all treatments.ANOVAs showed statistically significant differences(p0.05)in seed germination starting dates,closing dates,germination percentages and rates of germination among treatments,but no significant differences in seed germination starting dates,closing dates,germination period,germination percentages and rates of germination among the seed sources.The study also revealed that the interaction between seed source variation and treatment effect significantly differed in seed germination starting dates,closing dates,germination percentages and rates of germination. The hot water(100°C for 1 min)treatment is recommended for seed germination of A.procera in rural Bangladesh.     

Allelic variation and composition of HMW-GS in advanced lines derived from d-genome synthetic hexaploid / bread wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis> L.)

The objective of this study was to identify allelic variations at Glu-1 loci of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) advanced lines derived from hybridization of bread wheat and synthetic hexaploid wheats (2n = 6x = 42; AABBDD). Locally adapted wheat genotypes were crossed with synthetic hexaploid wheats. From the 134 different cross combinations made, 202 F₈ advanced lines were selected and their HMW-GS composition was studied using SDS-PAGE. In total, 24 allelic variants and 68 HMW-GS combinations were observed at Glu-A1, Glu-B1, and Glu-D1 loci. In bread wheat, the Glu-D1 locus is usually characterized by subunits 1Dx2+1Dy12 and 1Dx5+1Dy10 with the latter having a stronger effect on bread-making quality. The subunit 1Dx5+1Dy10 was predominantly observed in these advanced lines. The inferior subunit 1Dx2+1Dy12, predominant in adapted wheat germplasm showed a comparative low frequency in the derived advanced breeding lines. Its successful replacement is due to the other better allelic variants at the Glu-D1 locus inherited in these synthetic hexaploid wheats from Aegilops tauschii (2n = 2x = 14; DD).     

Genetic analysis of yield and quantitative traits in pigeonpea (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cajanus cajan</Emphasis> L. Millsp.)

Basic information on genetics and inheritance of quantitative characters, which is necessary to develop future breeding programme, is not widely studied in pigeonpea. Hence, present study was conducted among 5 generations in four pigeonpea crosses to know significance of additive-dominance model, gene action involved in inheritance of quantitative characters, heritability and genetic advance. “Scaling” and “joint scaling test” was significant for most characters indicating that additive-dominance model alone is not enough to explain the inheritance of a character. Though additive variance was more, dominance variance also played important role for most of the traits. Positive and negative alleles were found to be distributed between parents. Additive gene effect (d) was significant for pods per plant and seeds per pod whereas dominance gene effect (h) was more predominant among pod yield and seed yield. Dominance × Dominance inter-allelic interactions (l) was more important than Additive × Additive type (i) for most of the traits studied which could be exploited by selecting individuals based on their performance in recurrent selection. Complementary gene action was observed among many traits with few exhibiting duplicate gene action. Heritability and genetic advance was high indicating the effectiveness of selection. Since dominance effects is also present along with additive effects selection could be practised in later generations to identify high yielding genotypes.     

Neuroprotective activity of galloylated cyanogenic glucosides and hydrolysable tannins isolated from leaves of Phyllagathis rotundifolia

The galloylated cyanogenic glucosides based on prunasin (1-7), gallotannins (8-14), ellagitannins (15-17), ellagic acid derivatives (18, 19) and gallic acid (20) isolated from the leaves of Phyllagathis rotundifolia (Melastomataceae) were investigated for their neuroprotective activity against hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced oxidative damage in NG108-15 hybridoma cell line. Among these compounds, the gallotannins and ellagitannins exhibited remarkable neuroprotective activities against oxidative damage in vitro as compared to galloylated cyanogenic glucosides and ellagic acid derivatives in a dose-dependent manner. They could be explored further as potential natural neuroprotectors in various remedies of neurodegenerative diseases.     

Patterns of root respiration rates and morphological traits in 13 tree species in a tropical forest

The root systems of forest trees are composed of different diameters and heterogeneous physiological traits. However, the pattern of root respiration rates from finer and coarser roots across various tropical species remains unknown. To clarify how respiration is related to the morphological traits of roots, we evaluated specific root respiration and its relationships to mean root diameter (D) of various diameter and root tissue density (RTD; root mass per unit root volume; gcm(-3)) and specific root length (SRL; root length per unit root mass; mg(-1)) of the fine roots among and within 14 trees of 13 species from a primary tropical rainforest in the Pasoh Forest Reserve in Peninsular Malaysia. Coarse root (2-269mm) respiration rates increased with decreasing D, resulting in significant relationships between root respiration and diameter across species. A model based on a radial gradient of respiration rates of coarse roots simulated the exponential decrease in respiration with diameter. The respiration rate of fine roots (<2mm) was much higher and more variable than those of larger diameter roots. For fine roots, the mean respiration rates for each species increased with decreasing D. The respiration rates of fine roots declined markedly with increasing RTD and increased with increasing SRL, which explained a significant portion of the variation in the respiration among the 14 trees from 13 species examined. Our results indicate that coarse root respiration in tree species follows a basic relationship with D across species and that most of the variation in fine root respiration among species is explained by D, RTD and SRL. We found that the relationship between root respiration and morphological traits provides a quantitative basis for separating fine roots from coarse roots and that the pattern holds across different species.     

Dead-end (dnd) protein in fish—a review

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry - Dead end (dnd) is a germ plasm-specific maternal RNA discovered in zebrafish and then in other vertebrates. Dnd protein is essential for migration and motility of...