Gene expression in rabbit appendices infected with Eimeria coecicola

Eimeria coecicola causes intestinal coccidiosis in rabbits and, thereby, enormous economic losses in rabbit farms. Here, we investigate the final target site of E. coecicola, the appendix of rabbits, at the level of gene expression. Rabbits, orally infected with E. coecicola, begin to shed parasitic oocysts with their feces on day 5 p.i., and approximately 1.1 million oocysts are maximally shedded on day 7 p.i. At maximal shedding, the appendix has increased in size by about 2-3-folds and reveals increased hemorrhage which is associated with increases in nitrite/nitrate, malondialdehyde and catalase activity and a decrease in glutathione. Agilent 2-color oligo whole rabbit genome microarray, in combination with quantitative real-time PCR, detects 45 and 36 genes whose expression is more than 2-fold up- and down-regulated, respectively, by E. coecicola infection on day 7 p.i. The most dramatic increase by approximately 50-fold reveals the mRNA of the pro- and anti-inflammatory pleiotropic cytokine interleukin 6 (IL-6), whereas the largest decrease by approximately 13-fold is detected for mRNAs encoding for DBP, SULT3A1, CRP and glutathione-S transferase. Also, there are up- and down-regulations in the expression of genes encoding diverse regions of antibodies. Our data suggest that IL-6 plays a central role in the infection of the appendix of rabbits by E. coecicola, presumably involved in both pathological injuries, host defences and healing processes.     

Production, Economics, Employment Generation and Marketing Pattern of Rattan-Based Cottage Enterprises: A Case Study from an Urban Area of North-Eastern Bangladesh

Rattan, an important non-timber forest product, is a flexible palm used in weaving baskets or furniture. Rattan is light yet sturdy, making it suitable for furniture that can be moved often. Bangladesh has a large number of rattan-based enterprises. This paper reports a case study carried out in Sylhet City Corporation of north-eastern Bangladesh, exploring the production, financial profitability and marketing of rattan-based products, and the problems and priorities of rattan-based enterprises as well as their potential contribution to employment opportunity. A sample survey was conducted of 58 randomly selected rattan-based enterprises with entrepreneurs personally interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Based on the total investment, the enterprises were divided into large, medium and small categories. Three origins of rattan (Local, Myanmar and Indonesia) and five species were used by the enterprises to produce 29 rattan-based product types. Rattan products were divided into three basic categories, viz. domestic utensils, domestic decorative articles and others for which uses are not specific. Among the three rattan origins, processing cost of local and Myanmar rattan species products was less and more articles were sold than for Indonesia rattan species. Financial analysis indicated that rattan-based enterprises are a profitable and attractive option for local socio-economic development. Entrepreneurs’ views on major problems and issues in rattan-based product trading and suggested measures to improve the condition of rattan-based enterprises also collected. Rattan-based enterprises will generate more domestic revenue, foreign exchange and employment if policies are adopted to provide the enterprises with a reliable source of raw materials and technical and financial assistance from Government to NGOs to sell the products, and expand market facilities in both local and international markets.     

Effect of two species of cyanobacteria as biofertilizers on some metabolic activities, growth, and yield of pea plant

Two cyanobacterial species (Nostoc entophytum and Oscillatoria angustissima) were tested as biofertilizers, substituting the normally used chemical fertilizer, for pea plant. Inoculation of soil with a suspension of each species or a combination of the two species significantly increased the germination percentage and stimulated the other measured growth parameters and photosynthetic pigment fractions of pea. However, the soil inoculation with one cyanobacterial species and the addition of the recommended dose or half the recommended dose of chemical fertilizer were usually more effective and also increased carbohydrate and protein contents of produced pea seeds. However, biofertilization combined with half the recommended dose of the chemical fertilizer was usually more effective than the addition of the full rate of the chemical fertilizer, and this may allow saving 50% of the used chemical fertilizer. The protein profile of the produced seeds showed appearance and disappearance of some protein bands in response to fertilization treatments compared to the control. Blue green algae analyses show that N. entophytum fixed more N, produced more exopolysaccharide, and contained more auxin and cytokinin than O. angustissima, the latter contained more gibberellins. These data may explain their different influences on growth and yield of pea.     

Investigating the effect of yarn count and twist factor on the packing density and wicking height of lyocell ring-spun yarns

The moisture transport expressed with wicking is one of the most important aspects in clothing science and strongly effects on the quality of clothes. Wicking is a spontaneous transport of liquid driven into a porous system by capillary forces. Furthermore, the packing density has a direct relation with the yarn structure. At the present work, the effects of yarn count and twist factor on the wicking height and packing density of lyocell ring-spun yarns was investigated. Achieving the objectives of this research, an image processing method was developed to determine the packing density of samples. Experimental results were also used to develop a regression model to predict the wicking height based on the packing density, yarn count, twist factor and rising time. The results demonstrated that the correlation coefficient between the predicted and measured wicking height was 0.98 indicating the capability of the presented model to predict the wicking height of lyocell ring-spun yarns.     

The effect of carbon black nanoparticles on some properties of air plasma printed cotton/polyamide 6 fabrics

In this study, cotton/nylon blended fabrics were treated with atmospheric air plasma at various times (30–60 s) and were subsequently printed with pastes containing carbon black nanoparticles. Properties of plasma treated fabrics such as visible-near infrared (Vis-NIR) reflectance, water contact angle, air permeability, and color fastness were measured. It was shown that increasing plasma treatment time decreases reflection level of treated fabrics in Vis-NIR region. Plasma treatment also enhanced the hydrophobicity of cotton/nylon fabrics observed by an increase in water contact angle. Plasma treated samples for 60 s demonstrated lower air permeability than those treated for 30 s. Furthermore, printed samples possessed acceptable levels of fastness against washing, light and crocking.     

Investigation of salinity impacts on germination and growth of two forest tree species at seedling stage

Soil salinity is becoming an increasingly serious constraint to plant growth in many parts of the world;this is particularly common in semi-arid and arid zones. This study was conducted to evaluate the...     

Evaluating Beech Tree Phenology in a Deciduous Broadleaf Forest in Northern Iran Using Ground Observation and MODIS Images

We selected 15 beech trees (Fagus orientalis) from the study area in a mountainous region from 520 to 1310 m above sea level. Ground observations of the beech tree growth process from January to December 2004 in 7- to 15-day intervals were performed both visually and by measuring leaf chlorophyll concentration (chlorophyll meter SPAD-502). Results for the regression analysis showed that the leaved period positively correlated with the air temperature (r?=?.894). Anthesis and SPAD measurements have a negative relationship with air temperature and as temperature increases they appear earlier in the year. Anthesis and SPAD measurements had correlation coefficients of r?=??.883 and r?=??.855, respectively. The anthesis and bud bursting and leaf tip appearance have a negative relationship with increasing altitude from sea level and as altitude increases they appear later in the year. To make phenological events in deciduous broadleaf forests recognizable, we used a seasonal 8-day composite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer/Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (MODIS/NDVI). Prior to leaf expansion, NDVI increased from the 109th day of the year or earlier. Existence of the evergreen plants (Ruscus hyrcanus) on the ground and snow-melting exert an influence on inconsistency of phenology monitoring of MODIS/NDVI images. Regression analysis showed that there is a positive relationship between NDVI and SPAD measurements (chlorophyll content) in beech trees.     

Laparoscopic Anatomy of the Abdomen and Laparoscopic Ligating Loops,Electrocoagulation, and a Novel Modified Electroligation Ovariectomy in Standing Mare

The purpose of this study was to provide a detailed laparoscopic anatomy of the caudal abdominal region of mare in a standing position and to evaluate and modify a technique for standing laparoscopic ovariectomy using combination between hand-tied ligating loop and electrocoagulation techniques, as the ligating loops, electrocoagulation, and modified electroligation laparoscopic ovariectomy were applied using nine adult mares. Laparoscopy was practical and effective for direct visual examination of internal abdominal organs in the mare. Ventral dislocation of abdominal viscera after pneumoperitoneum was established with the mare in standing position, which provided an excellent inspection of the dorsal and ventral structures in the peritoneal cavity on the right and left sides. Standing laparoscopic ovariectomy using an electroligation modified method was considered a safe and effective method for hemostasis of the mesovarium, technically easy, time saving, and economical. The mean surgical time for bilateral ovariectomy was 40 ± 7.63, 60 ± 5.25, and 85 ± 6.43 minutes for electroligation-modified technique, ligating loops technique, and electrocoagulation technique, respectively.     

Extraction of seed oil from Diospyros lotus optimized using response surface methodology

Oil from seeds of Diospyros lotus was extracted using a conventional method with two different solvents:hexane and petroleum ether. A central composite design with response surface methodology were used to optimize the process. A second-order polynomial equation was employed, and ANOVA was applied to evaluate the impact of various operating parameters including extraction temperature(x_1; 44.9–70.1 °C), extraction time(x_2;5.0–10.0 h) and solvent to solid ratio(x_3;11.6–28.4 mL g^-1), on oil yield. Experiments to validate the model showed decent conformity between predicted and actual values. Extraction conditions for optimal oil yield were 61 °C, 8.75 h extraction duration and 19.25 mL g^-1 solvent to solid ratio. Under these conditions, the oil yield was predicted to be 5.1340%. Oil samples obtained were then analyzed using gas chromatography. The fatty acid composition revealed the major fatty acids to be oleic acid(C18:1) and linoleic acid(C18:2). The analysis of oil also demonstrated a decent ratio between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The structure of seeds was imaged using scanning electron microscopy. Oil quality was analyzed thermogravimetrically and by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The assigned nutritional features of the D. lotus oil suggested that it can be used as an edible oil in pharmaceutical and food industry in the future.     

Induction of humoral and cellular immunity against latent HSV-1 infections by DNA immunization in BALB/c mice

Previously, we have reported that the injection of an expression vector containing Herpes simplex virus (HSV) Glycoprotein D-1 (gD-1) generated a significant antibody response in mice and protected them against HSV lethal challenge. We tested its potential to induce antibody and cell mediated immune responses in latently infected mice. Positive control group (KOS) and HSV gD-1 vaccinated mice demonstrated protection against a lethal ocularly challenge of 10(5.5) plaque-forming units (pfu)/eye of wild HSV-1 versus negative control groups. For neutralizing antibody titers, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), lymphocyte proliferation responses, clinical evaluation and survival following lethal challenge, no considerable difference was observed between mice vaccinated with DNA plasmid and those vaccinated with KOS. KOS-vaccinated mice demonstrated the ability to completely prevent latency whereas DNA vaccinated group showed some degree of protection and displayed less latency than negative control groups and had considerably high levels of IFN-gamma and strong CTL responses versus negative control groups. It can be concluded that although immunization with the DNA vaccine is more effective in both protecting mice and induction of immune response, however it could not completely block the latent infection in sensory nerves.