Molecular basis for the influence of muscle length on myocardial performance

According to Starling's law of the heart, the force of contraction during the ejection of blood is a function of the end-diastolic volume. To seek the molecular explanation of this effect, a study was made of the effects of length on Ca2+ sensitivity during tension development by isolated demembranated cardiac muscle in which the cardiac form of troponin C was substituted with skeletal troponin C. The results of troponin C exchange were compared at sarcomere lengths of 1.9 and 2.4 micrometers. Enhancement of the myocardial performance at the stretched length was greatly suppressed with the skeletal troponin C compared with the cardiac troponin C. Thus the troponin C subunit of the troponin complex that regulates the activation of actin filaments has intrinsic molecular properties that influence the length-induced autoregulation of myocardial performance and may be a basis for Starling's law of the heart.     

Anti-abortion and Fertility Vaccine Potential of Defined Double Deletion (ΔaroAΔhtrA) Mutant (S30) of Salmonella Abortusequi in Equids

The present study on defined double deletion (ΔaroAΔhtrA) mutant (S30) of Salmonella enterica serovar Abortusequi evaluated it for safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy as a vaccine candidate in equids. The candidate strain was found safe in equids (foals, male and female horses and donkeys, and pregnant and nonpregnant mares) and induced good humoral and cell-mediated immunity on administration through oral route. The strain was not excreted in feces of vaccinated animals. The vaccine candidate administered orally (1 × 10¹¹ cfu per animal) protected mares even after 180 days of inoculation against abortion on challenge with wild-type S. Abortusequi strain whereas in nonvaccinated control, all mares aborted. The vaccination in infertile mares resulted in regaining of fertility in 67%–80% thoroughbred mares at two different breeding farms. Further, the humoral immunity was transferred to foals from vaccinated mothers through colostrum, but no placental transfer was evident. Thus, the vaccine under study may be recommended for use in equids to control S. Abortusequi infection–associated abortions and also to enhance fertility of temporarily infertile mares in endemic areas.     

一种基于聚合酶链式反应检测SNP的方法

SNP是具有广泛利用潜力的第3代分子标记,本文旨在开发一种利用PCR技术快速检测SNP的方法。设计思路是:根据已知SNP位点设计2条特异正向引物,其最后一个碱基分别与已知SNP的2个碱基相同,同时在1条引物的5′端添加1段20 bp左右的其他物种的特异序列(如细菌DNA序列),然后选择1条合适的反向引物;最后同时加入3条引物,通过梯度PCR选择合适的退火温度进行PCR反应。利用这一方法成功将玉米的ZDS基因定位在玉米第7染色体短臂7.02 Bin。这种检测SNP的方法设计简单,费用低廉,尤其适合SNP标记的分子标记连锁图构建或者基因定位。     

Effect of crop load,fruit position and shoot vigour on yield and quality of Annona atemoya × Annona squamosa in India

The effect of crop load, position of the fruit on the shoots and vigour of the shoots on yield and quality of Annona atemoya × A. squamosa hybrid ‘Arka Sahan’ was investigated in India over two years. The trees were hand-pollinated and thinned to 20, 40, 60, 80 or 100 fruit after fruit set. Information was collected on total and marketable yield, yield efficiency, average fruit fresh weight, peel weight, the number of seeds per 100 g of pulp, pulp content in the fruit, total soluble solids (TSS) and total titratable acidity. In other experiments, fruit were harvested from weak, medium or vigrous shoots, or from basal, middle or apical nodes. Total yield increased up to 60 or 80 fruit per tree and marketable yield increased up to 60 fruit per tree. Average fruit weight and peel weight increased as cropping increased. These results suggest that optimum productivity and quality is associated with 60 fruit per tree or 0.17 to 0.19 kg cm² trunk-cross sectional area. The quality of the fruit in different positions on the shoots or on the different types of shoots was highly variable and generally not affected by the various treatments.     

Assessment of Genetic Diversity among Finger Millet (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eleusine coracana</Emphasis> (L.) Gaertn.) Accessions using Molecular Markers

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana), an allotetraploid cereal, is widely cultivated in the arid and semiarid regions of the world. Being rich in protein and calcium, finger millet serves as an important staple food for rural populations in developing tropical countries where calcium deficiency and anemia are wide spread. Thirty-two finger millet genotypes were fingerprinted using 50 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Out of the total 529 loci generated using the 50 RAPD primers, 479 loci (91%) were polymorphic and informative to differentiate the accessions. Cluster analysis grouped the 32 finger millet accessions into two major clusters. Among the 32 finger millet genotypes, GEC 182 and CO 12 were distantly related with a low similarity index of 0.315. These two accessions also differed considerably in days to flowering and grain weight; GEC 182 is early flowering and has bold grains, while CO 12 is late flowering and has smaller grains. These two accessions with higher diversity at molecular level, phenology and grain weight will be ideal as parents in hybridization programme, to develop improved finger millet varieties suitable for peninsular region of India.     

Productivity,profitability and sustainability of rain-fed chickpea under inorganic and biofertilization in foothills of north-west Himalayas

A 4-year (2008–2009 to 2011–2012) study was conducted on the effect of mineral phosphorus (P) + sulphur (S) and biofertilizers on rain-fed chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) at the Punjab Agricultural University’s Research Station, Ballowal Saunkhri, India. The experiment comprised of five combinations of P and S, viz. control (P₀S₀), no P + 10 kg S ha^?1 (P₀S₁₀), 15 kg P + 10 kg S ha^?1 (P₁₅S₁₀), no P + 20 kg S ha^?1 (P₀S₂₀) and 30 kg P + 20 kg S ha^?1 (P₃₀S₂₀); and three seed inoculation levels, viz. control, Rhizobium and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), were laid out in randomized complete block design. Combined application of P + S resulted in improved growth, nodulation, yield attributes and yield. The increase in seed yield over control due to P + S ranged from 11.8% to 17.7%. Seed inoculation with Rhizobium recorded the highest growth, nodulation, yield attributes and yield of chickpea and was statistically at par with PSB and significantly better than no inoculation. Highest benefit/cost ratio (B:C, 2.19) was obtained in P₃₀S₂₀. In view of environmental pollution and high costs of chemical fertilizers, biofertilizers alone or in combination may help to achieve sustainable and ecological agricultural production.     

Growth and Development of Soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) Cultivars under Shade in Coconut Garden

The growth and development of seven soybean cultivars were studied under shade in a coconut garden. Higher shoot height, internodal elongation and lower leaf area index were the most significant growth changes noticed under shade. Leaf net photosynthesis, crop growth rate and seed yield were also reduced under shade. The cultivars CO 1, UGM 30 and UGM 37 recorded higher yield under shade when compared to other cultivars tested.     

Application of encapsulated nano materials as feed additive in livestock and poultry: a review

Veterinary Research Communications - Livestock plays a significant role in the socio-economic development of developing countries by providing livelihood and nutritional security, transport,...     

Antioxidant and hepatoprotective effect of Acanthus ilicifolius

The alcoholic extract of Acanthus ilicifolius leaves inhibited the formation of oxygen derived free radicals (ODFR) in vitro with IC(50) of 550 microg/ml, 2750 microg/ml, 670 microg/ml and 600 microg/ml (Fe(2+)/ascorbate system), 980 microg/ml (Fe(3+)/ADP/ascorbate system) for superoxide radical production, hydroxyl radical generation, nitric oxide radical formation and lipid peroxide formation, respectively. The oral administration of the extract (250 and 500 mg/kg) significantly reduced CCl(4) induced hepatotoxicity in rats, as judged from the serum and tissue activity of marker enzymes [glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP)]. These results were comparable with those obtained with curcumin (100 mg/kg, p.o.).