Sodicity Intensifies the Effect of Salinity on Grain Yield and Yield Components of Wheat

ABSTRACT

This study reports the relationship of the leaf ionic composition with the grain yield and yield components of wheat in response to salinity x sodicity and salinity alone. The study was conducted in soil culture in pots with three treatments including control (ECe 2.6 dS m^{? 1} and SAR 4.53), salinity (ECe 15 dS m^{? 1} and SAR 9.56), and salinity x sodicity (ECe 15 dS m^{? 1} and SAR 35). The soil was treated before being put in the pots and the pots were arranged in a completely randomized factorial arrangement with five replications. The seeds of three wheat genotypes were sown directly in the pots and the study was continued till the crop maturity. At booting stage, the leaf second to the flag leaf of each plant was collected and analyzed for sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), and chloride (Cl^?). At maturity, plants were harvested and data regarding grain yield and yield components were recorded. This study shows that salinity and sodicity in combination decreases the grain yield of wheat more than the salinity alone with a greater difference in the sensitive genotype. This study also shows that as for salinity, the maintenance of lower Na⁺ and higher K⁺ concentrations and higher K⁺: Na⁺ ratio in the leaves relates positively with the better development of different yield components and higher grain yield in saline sodic soil conditions. Although, the leaf Cl^? concentration was increased significantly by salinity as well as salinity x sodicity and would have affected the growth and yield, yet it does not seem to determine the genotypic tolerance or sensitivity to either salinity or salinity x sodicity.     

Ecological disturbances due to high cutback in the green infrastructure of Karachi: Analyses of public perception about associated health problems

This paper evaluates the changes to the green infrastructure of the megacity of Karachi, Pakistan, occurring during a period of rapid development, involving extensive loss of trees and green spaces since 2000, occurring as a consequence of road widening and improvements to the city's transport infrastructure, aggravated by a series of cyclones, involving further tree loss and which has led to numerous ecological problems in the city, assessing how the effect of the reduction of Karachi's green infrastructure has impacted both the reality and the perception of human health conditions. It uses medium-resolution satellite images classified for land use and land cover (LULC) data extraction and detailed field surveys to map the extent of change; structured questionnaires are used to identify the perception of selected, targeted groups regarding the state of Karachi's urban green infrastructure and perceived human health conditions. Findings indicate that the public perception of green space functionality or presence does not equate with the remote sensing and field mapping results, which show a dramatic loss. The need to develop a comprehensive urban greening strategy, which considers the needs and priorities of the population, is identified. The impact of such a strategy in terms of increased frequency of visits to green sites and associated increase in the physical activity of the people to improve overall physical health is discussed in relation to the general development of Karachi.     

Effect of Low Temperature of Irrigation Water on Rice Growth and Nutrient Uptake

The study was designed to investigate the effect of cold irrigation water on rice growth and on uptake of N, P, K and Zn applied ca. 50, 20, 35 and 5 mg kg⁻¹ soil, respectively. Cold temperature of irrigation water reduced rice shoot and root dry weight and plant height, significantly compared to hot temperature treatment. Under low temperature stress N was a major rice growth determinant. Increased shoot concentrations of both P and Zn allevated the low temperature stress. The uptake of N, P, K and Zn reduced significantly at low temperature (16.5–20 °C soil and 20–24 °C flood water) compared to high temperature (24.5–27 °C soil and 26.5–29.0 °C), with the strongest effect being noticed for N, followed by P, K and Zn. Application of N, P, K and Zn increased their uptake in rice shoots. Nitrogen and K had synergistic effect on their uptake. Responses to N and K application and their uptake behavior were well marked at higher than at low temperature whereas reverse was true for P and Zn.     

Effect of Prunus avium roots on river bank strong

A pulling effect by side roots is one way in which roots help to side in-plane strong of a little depth soil mass. In contrast to the effect of vertically-enlarge roots, whereby soil is strengthened by an increase in its shear strength, the pulling effect strengthens the soil by increasing the tensile strength of the rooted soil zone. To verify whether or not a pulling effect exists in the root system of Prunus avium in the Roudsar, North Iran and to study the importance and size of this effect, a direct in situ test was led at a site in the Chaboksar Forests. The results from the site showed that, in the surface soil (0-30 cm), Side roots can provide a pull force of up to 490-712 N (Newtons) over a vertical cross-section area of 20-50 cm2, or an enhance in the pulling stability of the rooted soil by about 48.1%. The test results suggest that, together with the Prunus avium vertical roots, which keep the little depth rooted soil zone to the deep and more stable soil mass, the side roots of the Prunus avium, with their pulling effect, are able to make less against little depth instability in the forest slopes, such as little depth slide, to a certain degree.     

Comparative Performance of Copper and Silver Coated Stretchable Fabrics

The present work described the development of multifunctional, electrically conductive and durable fabrics by coating of silver and copper particles using a dipping-drying method. The particles were directly grown on fabric structure to form electrically conductive fibers. Particles were found to fill the spaces between the microfibers, and were stacked together to form networks with high electrical conductivity. The electrically conductive fabrics showed low resistance with high stretch ability. The utility of conductive fabrics was analyzed for electromagnetic shielding ability over frequency range of 30 MHz to 1.5 GHz. The EMI shielding was found to increase with increase in concentration of copper and silver particles. Furthermore, the heating performance of the copper and silver coated fabric was studied through measuring the change in temperature at the surface of the fabric while applying a voltage difference across the fabric. The maximum temperature (119°C for silver and 112°C for copper) were obtained when the applied voltage was 10 V. Moreover, the role of deposited particles on antibacterial properties was examined against pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. At the end, the durability of coated fabrics was examined against several washing cycles. The fabrics showed good retention of the particles, proved by small loss in the conductivity of the material after washing.     

Trans-endocytosis of CD80 and CD86: a molecular basis for the cell-extrinsic function of CTLA-4

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) is an essential negative regulator of T cell immune responses whose mechanism of action is the subject of debate. CTLA-4 shares two ligands (CD80 and CD86) with a stimulatory receptor, CD28. Here, we show that CTLA-4 can capture its ligands from opposing cells by a process of trans-endocytosis. After removal, these costimulatory ligands are degraded inside CTLA-4-expressing cells, resulting in impaired costimulation via CD28. Acquisition of CD86 from antigen-presenting cells is stimulated by T cell receptor engagement and observed in vitro and in vivo. These data reveal a mechanism of immune regulation in which CTLA-4 acts as an effector molecule to inhibit CD28 costimulation by the cell-extrinsic depletion of ligands, accounting for many of the known features of the CD28-CTLA-4 system.     

Synbiotic effect of Bacillus mycoides and organic selenium on immunity and growth of marron,Cherax cainii (Austin, 2002)

The present feeding trial examined the effect of synbiotic use of Bacillus mycoides and organic selenium (OS) as Sel‐Plex on marron immunity, growth and survival. The marron were cultured in recirculated tanks and fed test diets consisting of a basal diet; basal diet supplemented with B. mycoides (10⁸ CFU g^?1 of feed); basal diet supplemented with OS (Sel‐Plex) (0.2 g kg ^{? 1} of feed) and basal diet supplemented with synbiotic (B. mycoides at 10⁸ CFU g^?1 and OS 0.2 g kg ^{? 1} feed) diet, in triplicate. The effect of the prebiotic OS (Sel‐Plex) on the growth rate of B. mycoides was also studied in vitro. The results suggested that synbiotic use of B. mycoides and OS significantly improved some immune parameters of marron, particularly the glutathione peroxidase, and to some extent total haemocyte counts. However, the synbiotic feed did not synergistically improve marron growth, in fact the use of B. mycoides‐supplemented diet alone demonstrated significantly higher growth in marron compared with the growth of marron fed on other test diets. Supplementation of the basal diet with host origin B. mycoides significantly increased the intestinal bacterial population (3.399 ± 825 CFU g ^{? 1} of gut) in marron compared with other diets. Organic selenium as Sel‐Plex in Trypticase Soya Broth also confirmed that OS did not increase the amount of growth of B. mycoides and resulted in a lower intestinal bacterial population in the synbiotic diet‐fed marron. In conclusion, synbiotic of OS and B. mycoides may improve a particular immune parameters of marron and to a lesser extent their growth.     

Effect of body weight on the chemical composition and collagen content of snakehead fish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Channa striata</Emphasis> skin

Snakehead fish (Channa striata) skin is a fishery by-product that has the potential for further processing because it contains a high amount of organic matter. This study investigates the effect of body weight on the chemical composition and collagen content of snakehead fish skin. This study used fresh snakehead fish of either gender. Their body weights were divided into three groups: small, medium, and large size. The characteristics of snakehead fish skin included proximate composition, amino acid content, collagen content, microstructure, and minerals. Snakehead fish skin from fish of different body weights indicated that the moisture content and ash tended to decrease, the protein content was relatively stable, and the lipid content tended to increase with increasing body weight. Glycine and proline comprised the highest percentages of amino acids at all levels of body weight, and the presence of hydroxyproline showed that snakehead fish skin was the source of collagen. There was no significant difference in body weight observed on collagen protein content of the skin. This study on the microstructure and mineral content of snakehead fish skin can be used as supporting information to promote the potential utility and economic value of the skin.     

SUMO1 haploinsufficiency leads to cleft lip and palate

The posttranslational modification sumoylation can have multiple effects on its substrate proteins. We studied a patient with isolated cleft lip and palate and a balanced chromosomal translocation that disrupts the SUMO1 (small ubiquitin-related modifier) gene, resulting in haploinsufficiency. In mouse, we found that Sumo1 is expressed in the developing lip and palate and that a Sumo1 hypomorphic allele manifests an incompletely penetrant orofacial clefting phenotype. Products of several genes implicated in clefting are sumoylated, and the Sumo1 hypomorphic allele interacts genetically with a loss-of-function allele for one of these loci. Thus, sumoylation defines a network of genes important for palatogenesis.