Adaptation of endemic mediterranean Sternbergia candida Mathew Et T. Baytop in the continental climate of central anatolia

Sternbergia candida is an important endemic bulbous plant with beautiful white flowers. It grows on the rock slopes of Baba mountains under Lebanon Cedars in the Mugla province of Turkey with Mediterranean climate. The plant is vulnerable and endangered due to illegal collection for local and foreign flower industry. Fast developing tourism industry and rapid urbanization has also shown negative implications on its population. The study reports three years successful adaptation results of S. candida in the continental climate of Ankara in the Central Anatolia. Four groups of bulbs based on diameter (>2.45, 2.15–2.44, 1.85–2.14 and <1.84 cm) were collected from its natural habitat during March, April and May 1998 and were evaluated for frequency (%) of emergence, mean number of leaves per plant, mean plant height, frequency (%) of flowering, frequency (%) of fruit setting. mean number of bulbs per plant, and mean diameter (cm) of regenerated bulbs. All categories of bulbs could be multiplied and adapted successfully with variable frequency of fruit setting. However, the highest fruit set was recorded from 2.15–2.44 cm April collected bulbs. This indicated that the bulb diameter and collection time had clear implications on multiplication, propagation and adaptation of the plant.     

Computer aided data acquisition tool for high-throughput phenotyping of plant populations

Background  

The data generated during a course of a biological experiment/study can be sometimes be massive and its management becomes quite critical for the success of the investigation undertaken. The accumulation and analysis of such large datasets often becomes tedious for biologists and lab technicians. Most of the current phenotype data acquisition management systems do not cater to the specialized needs of large-scale data analysis. The successful application of genomic tools/strategies to introduce desired traits in plants requires extensive and precise phenotyping of plant populations or gene bank material, thus necessitating an efficient data acquisition system.     

Effects of Freezing and Frozen Storage on Protein Functionality and Texture of Some Cephalopod Muscles

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of freezing and frozen storage on protein functionality and texture of squid (Loligo vulgaris), octopus (Octopus vulgaris), and cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) muscles. Squid, octopus, and cuttlefish samples were cut into pieces of 4 × 4 cm. These pieces were packed in polyethylene bags. The bags were frozen in a blast freezer at ?45°C until the thermal center reached ?18°C. Frozen samples were stored in a deep freezer at ?18°C for 30 days. After freezing and during frozen storage, total soluble protein and water holding capacity decreased and total free amino acid and cooking loss increased in all cephalopod muscles. According to instrumental texture analysis results, freezing and frozen storage affected textural characteristics of squid and cuttlefish but not of octopus. Sensory hardness and chewiness values of all cephalopods increased after freezing, but elasticity values did not change. There were no significant differences between storage days in hardness values of squid and octopus. However, significant differences in hardness values of cuttlefish were observed between the 1st day of storage and the last day.     

Fatty Acid Profiles of Different Shrimp Species: Effects of Depth of Catching

The aim of this study was to investigate fatty acid profiles of different shrimp species caught from deep water and shallow water. The shrimp species investigated in the study were Aristeus antennatus, Aristeomorpha foliacea, Plesionica martia, Parapenaeus longirostris, and Plesionica edwardsi from deep water; and Metapenaeus monoceros, Penaeus semisulcatus, Penaeus kerathurus, and Penaeus japonicus from shallow water.

Fatty acid composition of shrimps varied. The main fatty acids were C18:1n9, C16:0, C25:6n3, C22:5n3, and C18:0. Saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) contents of P. longirostris, P. edwardsi, and M. monoceros were markedly different, respectively. The ratio of n6/n3 of the edible tissue of M. monoceros was found to be 0.795, whereas this value was 0.152 in A. foliacea. Among the species studied, the highest docosahexaenoic acid + eicosapentaenoic acid value was found for P. kerathurus. The levels of PUFAs of shallow water shrimps (ranging from 33.44 to 42.77%) were found to be higher than those of deep water shrimps (ranging from 29.68 to 33.95%). Marine animals in the upper water layers gain nutrition through phytoplankton which provides n-3 PUFA depending on solar energy. Shallow water shrimp species provide a satisfying amount of PUFA.     

Colostral Transfer of Rinderpest Neutralizing Antibody to Offspring of Våccinated Dams

The transfer of maternal antibodies to Friesian and buffalo calves born of dams vaccinated against rinderpest was through colostrum only. Colostral antibody titers at the time of parturition were higher than the serum titer. Two hours after suckling, a high level of rinderpest neutralizing antibodies was detected in the sera of newborn animals. The half-life of maternal antibodies in buffalo and Friesian calves was found to be approximately 33 and 29 days respectively. By the age of 7-8 months, 60 per cent of buffalo calves and 80 per cent of Friesian calves had no detectable levels of rinderpest neutralizing antibody.     

Acaricidal properties of two extracts from Guiera senegalensis J.F. Gmel. (Combrataceae) against Hyalomma anatolicum (Acari: Ixodidae)

Laboratory test were carried out on eggs, larvae, nymphs and adults of Hyalomma anatolicum to determine the acaricidal activities of petroleum ether (PE) and crude ethanolic extracts (EE) from the leaves of Guiera senegalensis J.F. Gmel. (Combrataceae) using immersion method.Stock solutions, of 300 mg/ml (30%) of the each two extract, were prepared. Six two-fold serial dilutions each with three replicates were used. Both extracts, at the highest concentration 150 mg/ml (15%), induced 100% failure of hatching of the treated eggs. The concentrations of PE and EE that induced 50% inhibition of the hatchability (IC₅₀) were 1.71 and 0.508%, respectively. In the larval immersion test (LIT), EE at 15% concentration caused complete mortality while the same concentration of PE resulted in 96% mortality. The mortalities increased with concentrations. There was a correlation between the mortalities and increased concentrations, the values of the linear correlation coefficient (r) for PE and EE were 0.93 and 0.79, and The LC₅₀ and LC₉₉ were 2.08 and 14.09, and 0.787 and 11.054, respectively. At the concentrations of 3.75%, 7.5% and 15%, PE inhibited the molting of the nymphs by 40, 55 and 65%, respectively, while EE induced 46.49, 64.3 and 71.4% inhibition, respectively. The effectiveness of the treatment against unfed adult females was assessed by measuring the feeding performance and egg production using adult immersion test (AIT). Although, there was no mortality in unfed adults, PE and EE inhibited feeding and egg-laying of the survived females by 35–100% and 6.16–100%, respectively. Our results indicated that G. senegalensis is a promising biocontrol candidate as an acaricidal agent against H. anatolicum.     

Preparation, isolation, and characterization of cutin monomers and oligomers from tomato peels

Cutin in tomato peels was depolymerized in methanolic base to yield cutin monomers or a mixture of cutin oligomers. These products were isolated by typical solvent extraction methods or by precipitation, and the isolates were characterized by chromatographic and spectroscopic analyses. It was determined that the compositions of the isolates from both isolation procedures were similar, although solvent extraction gave higher yields. However, the precipitation method, which is easy to carry out and avoids the use of undesirable organic solvents, may be preferable in commercial processes for recovering these compounds.     

Soil and water conservation in ethiopia

The article shows results of an international and interdisciplinary project with the title ‘Rainfall and its Erosivity in Ethiopia’. The article contains information about the traditional soil conservation practices, the reasons for intervention with traditional soil conservation technologies, the historical background of instutionalized soil conservation activities, the institutional frame work for soil conservation activities and their achievements, and the different departments and organisations for soil and water conservation as far as soil erosion in Ethiopia is concerned. As a conclusion and recommendation, the major constraints of the past activities and the current situation including future trends were discussed.