National character does not reflect mean personality trait levels in 49 cultures

Most people hold beliefs about personality characteristics typical of members of their own and others' cultures. These perceptions of national character may be generalizations from personal experience, stereotypes with a "kernel of truth," or inaccurate stereotypes. We obtained national character ratings of 3989 people from 49 cultures and compared them with the average personality scores of culture members assessed by observer ratings and self-reports. National character ratings were reliable but did not converge with assessed traits. Perceptions of national character thus appear to be unfounded stereotypes that may serve the function of maintaining a national identity.     

Study on furundu, a traditional Sudanese fermented roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) seed: effect on in vitro protein digestibility, chemical composition, and functional properties of the total proteins

Furundu, a meat substitute, is traditionally prepared by cooking the karkade (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) seed and then fermenting it for 9 days. Physicochemical and functional properties of raw and cooked seed and of furundu ferments were analyzed. Furundu preparation resulted in significant changes in karkade seed major nutrients. Total polyphenols and phytic acid were also reduced. The increase in total acidity and fat acidity coupled with a decrease in pH indicates microbial hydrolysis of the major nutrients; proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. In vitro digestibility of the seed proteins reached the maximum value (82.7%) at the sixth day of fermentation, but thereafter it significantly decreased. The effect of furundu preparation on N solubility profiles and functional properties, such as emulsification and foaming properties and other related parameters, is investigated in water and in 1 M NaCl extracts from defatted flour samples. The results show that cooking followed by fermentation affects proteins solubility in water and 1 M NaCl. The foaming capacity (FC) from the flour of raw seed decreased as a result of cooking. Fermentation for 9 days significantly increased the FC of the cooked seed, restoring the inherent value. Foam from fermented samples collapsed more rapidly during a period of 120 min as compared to the foam from raw and cooked karkade seeds; stability in 1 M NaCl was lower as compared to those in water. In water, the emulsion stability (ES) from the fermented samples was significantly higher than that of the raw seed flour. Addition of 1 M NaCl significantly decreased the ES of the fermented samples.     

First report of Cryptosporidium deer-like genotype in Malaysian cattle

Fifty faecal samples from diarrheic calves between 1 and 6 months old were collected per rectum from 5 farms around Petaling District in Selangor, Malaysia for Cryptosporidium species detection and genotyping investigation. Oocysts were purified using sedimentation and gradient centrifugation, then examined by immunofluorescence assay (IFAT). Genomic DNA was extracted from all samples and nested PCR was performed to amplify the SSU rRNA gene. Eighteen samples (36%) were positive for Cryptosporidium species by PCR. The sequence and phylogenetic analysis of 14 isolates indicated that Cryptosporidium parvum was most common (11 isolates) followed by Cryptosporidium deer-like genotype (3 isolates). The present work reports the first data on Cryptosporidium genotyping from cattle in Malaysia.     

Evaluation of chitosan and alginate immobilized Methylobacterium oryzae CBMB20 on tomato plant growth

Methylobacterium oryzae CBMB20, a promising plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) and a biocontrol agent, was immobilized in different formulations such as wet chitosan, dry chitosan, wet alginate and dry alginate and were tested for tomato plant growth promotion. Chitosan solution (1.5%) with pH 5.5–6.0 and 90 min contact time was found optimal for immobilization. The chitosan formulations showed better entrapment efficiency and good degradability resistance apart from slow release of cells under prolonged incubation. Survivability of bacteria (80%) was observed in wet chitosan formulation even after 90 days of storage at 4°C. The spermosphere survival of bacteria was high in both dry and wet chitosan formulations applied soils even after 21 days under greenhouse conditions. While the alginate formulation degraded fully, partial degradation of chitosan formulation was observed even after 30 days, indicating its ability to support the survival of M. oryzae CBMB20 in soil. Plants inoculated with wet chitosan formulation registered 1.3 fold increase in the shoot and root length and dry weight compared to other treatments. Hence, chitosan formulation supporting better plant growth compared to alginate will be a better carrier for taking bacteria to the plant rhizosphere and thereby promote plant growth.     

State of Urban Nurseries in Bangladesh: A Case Study from the North-Eastern Region

The state of urban seedling nurseries in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh is examined with a focus on production and profitability of the enterprises. Twenty-eight sample nurseries out of the 97 nursery enterprises in Sylhet town were selected at random, and operators personally interviewed. It was found that the entrepreneurs are not highly educated though they believed that a basic level of education is required to understand the management of young nursery stock. Labourers of various employment categories work in the enterprises and their wage is determined by their skill, gender and efficiency. Capital and operating costs vary among the enterprises according to land value, production capacity, infrastructure type and workforce size. Production capacity ranges from 10,000 to 5 M seedlings/year with an average 836,000, though actual average production is only 341,000 seedlings/year. The production cost per seedling ranges from Tk. 4 to 50 while sale value ranges from Tk. 10 to 60. The most frequently sold species are Acacia mangium, Swietenia macrophylla, Tectona grandis, Mangifera indica, Litchi chinensis and Cocos nucifera. Nursery techniques and cultural practices adopted by nursery operators depend on the type of species and its silvicultural requirement. Despite some problems, including lack of suitable land for nursery establishment and inadequate level of technical knowledge for high quality seedling management, it seems that production of tree seedlings is a promising profitable small-scale business in the study area.     

棕榈在孟加拉乡村传统利用——一种可持续的生物多样性管理手段(英文)

采用多级采样的方法研究了孟加拉国农村耕作区内棕榈树的传统利用模式和当地的管理经验。农民管理棕榈主要为获取树液产品,生产以糖为主的次生品。树液可直接用作饮料,也可加工成糖蜜或酒精饮料。7块不同地块为棕榈提供生长环境,20.40%的棕榈种植在果园内。尽管中等级的农民拥有多数棕榈(33%),但是主要管理棕榈的是没有土地的农民,他们靠棕榈维持生计。这些农民将自己的智慧应用到棕榈管理当中,从种植到开孔取树液再到产品加工。如果能更科学地管理棕榈,加上农民的智慧,棕榈业将会对当地经济发展起到重要作用,也会丰富当地生物多样性。     

Performance assessment of nanoparticulate lime to accelerate the downward movement of calcium in acid soil

Calcium in conventional lime (CL) moves downward extremely slowly into the soil in the short term. To monitor the effects of using nanoparticulate lime (NL) in low affordable doses and in large doses on accelerating the downward movement of Ca in a simulated plough layer profile (0–25 cm), we ran a column leaching experiment with an acid soil with NL applied into the top 5 cm. The experiment evaluated a reference treatment (0 NL), three low doses of NL (8, 40 and 80 kg ha^?1 = 0.02×, 0.1×, and 0.2× the NL needed to raise soil pH to 6.0 in the top 5 cm: NLR_pH‐6), and two large doses (400 and 800 kg ha^?1 = 1× and 2× NLR_pH‐6). Over the short term (70 days), NL accelerated the downward movement of Ca, likely by mass flow of nanoparticles down soil micro‐ and macropores. Applying NL to the top 5 cm at 40 and 80 kg ha^?1 was effective at increasing the downward movement of Ca and the neutralization of soil acidity (in terms of pH) to 20 cm depth, as well as rectifying Al toxicity (in terms of exchangeable Al) to ≤ the critical limit to 10 cm. NL at 80 kg ha^?1 was most economically justified in terms of rectifying Al toxicity throughout the profile. Therefore, NL may introduce new and alternative application strategy that allowing lower rates of lime to be used and thereby offset economic constraints posed by high application rates.     

Comparative analysis of some selected macronutrients of soil in orange orchard and degraded forests in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh

Status of organic carbon （C）, total nitrogen （N）, available potassium （K）, calcium （Ca） and phosphorus （P） in three different depths （0-5 cm, 5-15 cm and 15-30 cm） on two hill slopes of 35% and 55% in orange orchard cultivated by the Mro tribe of Chittagong Hill. Tracts （CHTs） were evaluated and compared with those in degraded bush forests, through digging three profiles in each land use. The content of all the five nutrients was found to be higher in the soil of orange orchard than in the soil of forest. But the variation was not consistent for both the slopes. The content varied depth wise also, having the highest value in surface soil in case of both the land uses on both the slopes. A mean available K content was significantly higher in orange orchard than in forest on 55% slope, while it was lower on 35% slope. Surface soil contained the nutrients of K and Ca with the amount of 0.2905-mg·g^-1 soil and 3.025-mg·g^-1 soil respectively in the orchard, while 0.1934-mg·g^-1 soil and 1.6083-mg·g^-1 soil were respectively in the forest. Organic carbon and total nitrogen were found more or less similar in surface soil on both the land uses showing a slight difference. Available P was found only in orange orchard, and in forest it was too little in amount to detect by the spectrophotometer. The degraded forests were poor in nutrient content due to high rate of soil erosion, which would be possible to be improved by bringing it under tree cover as proved by the adaptation of orange orchard there.     

Plant polyphenols can directly affect ovarian cell functions and modify toluene effects

The influence of toluene alone and in combination with plant polyphenols apigenin, daidzein or rutin on viability, proliferation (proliferating cell nuclear antigen accumulation), apoptosis (Bax accumulation) and release of progesterone (P), testosterone (T) and estradiol (E) in cultured porcine ovarian granulosa cells was evaluated. Toluene reduced ovarian cell viability, proliferation and E release; it promoted P release, demonstrating no effect on apoptosis or T output. Apigenin alone failed to affect cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis and P and T release, but stimulated E release, promoting the inhibitory action of toluene on proliferation, preventing and even reversing the stimulatory effect of toluene on apoptosis and P. Daidzein alone reduced cell viability and promoted T release, preventing and reversing the stimulatory effect of toluene on cell proliferation. Rutin administration reduced cell viability and E output, promoting the inhibitory action of toluene on cell viability and stimulatory effect on P release, and preventing the inhibitory action of toluene on E release. Toluene reduced apigenin- and rutin-induced E release, promoting action of daidzein on cell viability. These observations suggest the action of toluene and plant polyphenols on ovarian cell functions and the functional interrelationships between these molecules in the ovary.     

孟加拉国Bhanugach西部保育林用地类型变化(英文)

应用遥感和地理信息系统调查了孟加拉国Sylhet林业分局所辖的Bhanugach西部保育林从1988年到2006年间用地类型的变化。应用了监督和非监督两种方法,用全球定位系统搜集了地面控制点。地理信息系统软件制成地图。结果表明,植被覆盖从1988年的1826hm2大幅地降低到1996年的1714.85hm2,随着协同管理措施的实施,植被覆盖自1996年后逐年增长到2006年的1847.83hm2。在没有其他类型的用地转变成裸地的情况下,裸地变化与植被覆盖间成反比。18年间水体面积从1988年的307.67hm2增加到1996年379.53hm2,96-97年间略有下降,1997年以后直到2006年基本保持不变。本文还提出了将遥感技术和地理信息系统应用于用地类型变化及地理信息系统数据库创建的一些建议。