Effects of Night Temperature,Spikelet Position and Salicylic Acid on Yield and Yield‐Related Parameters of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Plants

Periodic episodes of heat stress and seasonally high night temperatures (HNT) are predicted to occur more frequently in the current changing weather environment. These events affect aspects of crop growth and development, including oxidative‐stress damage, reducing crop yield and quality. Salicylic acid (SA), a naturally occurring phenolic compound, associated with thermo‐tolerance, prevents oxidative damage by detoxifying superoxide radicals and altering antioxidant capacity in plants. A study was conducted to determine the effects of HNT and SA on multiple rice yield‐determining parameters with special emphasis on effects of HNT and SA at different spikelet positions in the panicle. Plants were grown under ambient night temperature (27 °C) or HNT (32 °C) in the greenhouse. They were subjected to HNT through use of continuously controlled infrared heaters, starting from 2000 h to 0600 h. The HNT did not affect productive tillers, main‐stem panicle length or number of primary branches per panicle; however, reduced yield resulted from significant negative effects on spikelet fertility (SF), grain length and width. The grains located at the base of the panicle showed decreased fertility, length and width. Application of SA increased antioxidant capacity, thereby preventing damage to membranes, hence increasing yield by predominantly affecting SF in rice plants.     

ELLA: A Rapid Technique to Estimate Chromium Stress-Induced Modification of E. coli EI19

An enzyme-linked lectin assay (ELLA) was used to differentiatebetween chromium-stressed and unstressed cells of Escherichia coli EI19. The assay is a modification of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that uses Concanavalin A (Con A) conjugated with peroxidase to detect the carbohydrate moiety of the cell envelope glycoconjugates. The ELLA test shows that Con A binds to stressed bacteria much moreefficiently than it does to unstressed bacteria. Effects of heat,phenol and papain treatments on Con A-binding to chromium-stressed bacteria were also studied. Con A-binding to bacteria was sensitive to heat and phenol treatment, but not to treatment with papain. A potential analytical method for estimating the concentration of certain environmental pollutants is outlined.     

龙胆泻肝汤药理学与毒理学研究进展

龙胆泻肝汤为中医经典名方,源于清代汪昂《医方集解》,由龙胆草、黄芩、栀子、柴胡、当归、生地黄、木通、车前子、泽泻、甘草10味组成[1]。由于其疗效显著,在临床上被广泛应用。近年来对其药理学、毒理学进行了广泛研究,取得了可喜成绩。1药理学研究1.1中兽医药理论龙胆泻肝汤是以“凉肝猛将”大苦大寒的龙胆草为君,上清肝胆实火,下利三焦湿热,泻火除湿两擅其功;臣以黄芩、栀子泻火;泽泻、木通、车前子除湿,使邪出有路;佐以生地、当归养血益阴,使祛邪不伤正,燥湿不伤阴,并用柴胡疏畅肝胆。综观全方,泻中有补,利中有滋,降中寓升,祛邪不伤正,…     

Development and Characterization of Calcium-Alginate Beads of Apigenin: In Vitro Antitumor,Antibacterial, and Antioxidant Activities

The objective of this work was to develop sustained-release Ca-alginate beads of apigenin using sodium alginate, a natural polysaccharide. Six batches were prepared by applying the ionotropic gelation technique, wherein calcium chloride was used as a crosslinking agent. The beads were evaluated for particle size, drug loading, percentage yield, and in vitro drug release. Particle size was found to decrease, and drug entrapment efficiency was enhanced with an increase in the polymer concentration. The dissolution study showed sustained drug release from the apigenin-loaded alginate beads with an increase in the polymer proportion. Based on the dissolution profiles, BD6 formulation was optimized and characterized for FTIR, DSC, XRD, and SEM, results of which indicated successful development of apigenin-loaded Ca alginate beads. MTT assay demonstrated a potential anticancer effect against the breast cancer MCF-7 cell lines. The antimicrobial activity exhibited effective inhibition in the bacterial and fungal growth rate. The DPPH measurement revealed that the formulation had substantial antioxidant activity, with EC50 value slightly lowered compared to pure apigenin. A stability study demonstrated that the BD6 was stable with similar (f2) drug release profiles in harsh condition. In conclusion, alginate-based beads could be used for sustaining the drug release of poorly water-soluble apigenin while also improving in vitro antitumor, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activity.     

In vitro maturation and fertilization of prepubertal and pubertal black Bengal goat oocytes

Oocytes retrieval, in vitro maturation (IVM) and fertilization (IVF) efficiency are inevitable steps towards in vitro production of embryos. In the present study, these parameters were investigated in the ovaries of prepubertal (n = 31) and pubertal (n = 61) black Bengal goats obtained from a slaughterhouse. Nuclear maturation was evaluated upon aspiration and following IVM in TCM-199 (Earle''s salt with L-glutamine and sodium bicarbonate) for 27 h at 39℃ under 5% CO₂ in humidified air. The oocytes retrieval and efficiency (mean ± SD) per prepubertal and pubertal goats were 5.2 ± 0.6 and 6.8 ± 0.6, and 77.3 ± 0.1% and 80.5 ± 0.6%, respectively. Anaphase I - telophase I stages differed significantly (7.3 ± 0.8 vs. 2.6 ± 0.2, p < 0.05) between the two groups of goats. After IVM, the percentages of metaphase II were significantly higher (66.3 vs. 60.3, p < 0.05) in pubertal goats than in their prepubertal counterparts. The percentages of normal in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Fert-Tyrode''s albumin lactate pyruvate of pubertal goat oocytes did not differ between Percoll and swim-up sperm separation methods (36.7 ± 0.9% vs. 32.7 ± 1.3%, p > 0.05). Furthermore, sperm capacitation by heparin alone or in combination with ionomycin did not lead to a significant increase in the normal fertilization rate (34.8 ± 1.7 vs. 32.2 ± 1.5%, respectively) in the oocytes of pubertal goats. In conclusion, the ovaries of pubertal black Bengal goats obtained from the slaughterhouse could be used for in vitro embryo production. However, further optimization of the IVM and IVF techniques are necessary for satisfactory in vitro embryo production.     

Evaluation of bermuda and paspalum grass types for urban landscapes under saline water irrigation

In the arid regions, turfgrass cover is an integral part of landscape to protect the soil from erosion, enhance the aesthetic value, and improve the microclimate. The salinity and the scarcity of fresh water of the arid region are the major challenging factors in turfgrass production. Therefore, the need for salt tolerant turfgrass with functional quality is necessary to improve the turf performance. The detrimental effects of salinity include growth suppression, and lowered osmotic potential ultimately leading to firing of the leaf blades. In this context, the study was undertaken to determine the relative salt tolerance and growth response of turfgrass genotypes in order to recommend turfgrass cultivars that can tolerate high salinity irrigation and maintain excellent visual and functional qualities under United Arab Emirates (UAE) condition. The paspalum cultivars maintained the highest succulence percentage compared to the bermudagrass cultivars under enhanced salinity levels. The shoots count, fresh weight (FW), and dry weight (DW) were found highest in paspalum types. The chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and the total chlorophyll content was found higher in bermuda grass types under high salinity levels. The bermudagrass cultivars showed significantly higher carotenoids, anthocyanins and proline compared to the paspalum types under salt stress condition. In the case of princess 77 and Yukon, an inherently high amount of proline was recorded which confirmed an increase up to 10,000 ppm and drastically declined beyond this concentration. Sea Dwarf paspalum and Sea Isle 2000 maintained uniformity in the proline level at all levels of salinity without significant variation. These findings point to the fact that both paspalum and bermuda types exhibited varied responses to different physiological and biochemical parameters under the saline conditions. Paspalum types have an edge over the bermudagrass in terms of shoot density, which is a potential factor in determining the high-quality turfs. Bermudagrass types can be applied in lower salinity conditions based on the responses as evidenced from the present results.     

Evaluation of polymerase chain reaction diagnosis of Cryptosporidium spp in dairy cattle and wildlife

This study investigated the utility of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol as a screening test for Cryptosporidium spp in 125 fecal samples from dairy cattle and wild rodents. Samples initially examined by fecal flotation and ELISA were evaluated using four PCR protocols (18S SSU rRNA, TRAP-C2, HSP70, and COWP), and the relative accuracy and agreement of PCR protocols was assessed. Although PCR can be both highly sensitive and accurate, the ability of these protocols to accurately detect DNA in samples can vary. A combination of techniques may be the best choice for to screen samples for this parasite.     

Replacing cottonseed meal with ground Prosopis juliflora pods; effect on intake,weight gain and carcass parameters of Afar sheep fed pasture hay basal diet

The experiment was conducted to determine the supplementary feeding value of ground Prosopis juliflora pod (Pjp) and cottonseed meal (CSM) and their mixtures on feed intake, body weight gain and carcass parameters of Afar sheep fed a basal diet of pasture hay. Twenty-five yearling fat-tailed Afar rams with mean initial live weight 17.24?±?1.76 kg (mean ± SD) were used in a randomized complete block design. Animals were blocked on their initial body weight. The experiment was conducted for 12 weeks and carcass evaluation followed. Treatments were hay alone ad libitum (T ₁) or with 300 g CSM (T ₂), 300 g Pjp (T ₅), 2:1 ratio (T ₃) and 1:2 ratio of CSM : Pjp (T ₄). The CP contents of the hay, CSM and Pjp were 10.5, 44.5 and 16.7 %, respectively. Hay DM intake was higher (P?<?0.05) for non-supplemented and total DM intake was lower in non-supplemented. Average daily weight gain (ADG) was lower (P?<?0.05) for T ₁ compared to all supplemented treatments except T ₅. Hot carcass weight and rib-eye muscle area also followed the same trend like that of ADG. Compared with feeding hay alone, supplementing with CSM or a mixture of CSM and Pjp appeared to be a better feeding strategy, biologically, for yearling Afar rams.