Immunohistochemical studies of cone photoreceptors and cells of the inner retina in feline rod-cone degeneration

Previous studies using electroretinography and immunohistochemistry have shown normal cone function and structure in early stages of hereditary rod‐cone degeneration of Abyssinian cats. To further investigate the cone photoreceptors and the inner retina of dystrophic cats, antibodies against green‐ and blue‐sensitive cones and specific cell types of inner retina were used in seven cats with the recessively inherited rod‐cone degeneration, and three normal European short‐haired cats. There was a reduction in number of both types of cones early in the disease. Changes at early stages of disease also occurred among horizontal cells in which there was an extension and a thickening of their lateral processes. The regular configuration of bipolar cells was changed in the more advanced stages of disease and their apical dendrites were lost. Abnormalities were not observed in the amacrine cells and in the ganglion cell layer in any of the present cases. This study shows that the cone system is morphologically abnormal in young cats at an earlier stage of disease than previously shown. The present findings also support the assumption that the inner retina is largely preserved throughout the disease process.     

Forest fire in India: a review of the knowledge base

Forest fire has profound impacts on atmospheric chemistry, biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem structure. This feedback interaction may be hastened in climate change scenarios. In view of this, the present day knowledge about the forest fire condition in India has been reviewed. Operational monitoring, geospatial modelling and climate change uncertainties are discussed. Indicators for forest fire assessment and the role of geoinformatics tools in developing those parameters are identified. The need for developing an adaptive management strategy from the existing experience is emphasized, and specific points are recommended sector-wise with short- and long-term visions.     

槟榔叶片和花序的体细胞胚胎发生及植株再生

本研究以不同槟榔品种的幼嫩叶片及花序为外植体成功实现体细胞胚胎发生及植株再生.试验结果显示,不同品种及外植体均以毒莠定为最佳愈伤组织诱导剂.诱导所获愈伤组织需连续用生长素浓度由高到低的一系列培养基进行继代培养才能不断生长并诱导体细胞胚胎.当愈伤组织最终转移入无激素MS配养基后可观察到体细胞胚胎发生.胚胎萌发以附加20 ...     

Water properties in cream cheeses with variations in pH, fat, and salt content and correlation to microbial survival

Water mobility and distribution in cream cheeses with variations in fat (4, 15, and 26%), added salt (0, 0.625, and 1.25%), and pH (4.2, 4.7, and 5.2) were studied using (1)H NMR relaxometry. The cheese samples were inoculated with a mixture of Listeria innocua, Escherichia coli O157 and Staphylococcus aureus, and partial least-squares regression revealed that (1)H T(2) relaxation decay data were able to explain a large part of the variation in the survival of E. coli O157 (64-83%). However, the predictions of L. innocua and S. aureus survival were strongly dependent on the fat/water content of the samples. Consequently, the present results indicate that NMR relaxometry is a promising technique for predicting the survival of these bacteria; however, the characteristics of the sample matrix are substantial.     

Purification of an antifungal endochitinase from a potential biocontrol Agent Streptomyces griseus

Streptomyces griseus (MTCC 9723) is a chitinolytic bacterium isolated from prawn cultivated pond soil of Peddapuram Village; East Godavari District was studied in detailed. Chitinase (EC 3.2.1.14) was extracted from the culture filtrate of Streptomyces griseus and purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose ionexchange chromatography, Sephadex G-100 and Sephadex G-200 gel filtration chromatography. The molecular mass of the purified chitinase was estimated to be 34, 32 kDa by SDS gel electrophoresis and confirmed by activity staining with Calcofluor White M2R. Chitinase was optimally active at pH of 6.0 and at 40 degrees C. The enzyme was stable from pH 5-9 and up to 20-50 degrees C. The chitinase exhibited Km and Vmax values of 400 mg and 180 IU mL(-1) for colloidal chitin. Among the metals and inhibitors that were tested, the Hg+, Hg2+ and P-chloromercuribenzoic acid completely inhibited the chitinase activity at 1 mM concentration. The purified chitinase showed high activity on colloidal chitin, chitobiose, and chitooligosaccharide. An in vitro assay proved that the crude chitinase, actively growing cells of S. griseus having antifungal activity against all studied fungal pathogen. This result implies that characteristics of S. griseus producing endochitinase made them suitable for biotechnological purpose such as for degradation of chitin containing waste and it might be a promising biocontrol agent for plant pathogens.     

Effect of gypsum on exchangeable sodium percentage and electrical conductivity in the Daeho reclaimed tidal land soil in Korea—a field scale study

Purpose

A reclaimed tidal land along the shore has poor soil properties such as high exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), and electrical conductivity (EC) due to excess sodium (Na) content. Therefore, Na content should be decreased to improve the land productivity, and for this, gypsum has been widely used. The objective of this study was to determine the changes in ESP and EC of the gypsum-treated reclaimed tidal soil in a field scale.

Materials and methods

For this, gypsum was applied to Daeho reclaimed tidal land (500 ha) in Korea for 5 years (2006 to 2010). The Daeho reclaimed tidal land has been used as reclaimed paddy fields since 1993. The application rate of gypsum was calculated based on exchangeable calcium (Ca) contents and soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) to maintain 60 % exchangeable calcium percentage (ECP) of CEC in soil and the average amount treated was 1570 kg ha^?1 year^?1. The changes in ESP and EC were monitored from 2006 to 2010, and 2013.

Results and discussion

The ESP dropped from 80 % in 2006 to 34 % in 2013. The EC of the soil was decreased by 73 %, from 11.5 dS m^?1 in 2006 to 3.1 dS m^?1 in 2013. Eventually, it was estimated that the ESP will be lowered below 15 % in 2023 with continuous treatment of gypsum according to ECP calculation, and EC will be declined to reach at 0.5 dS m^?1 in 2035, the average EC level of Korean rice paddy.

Conclusions

This field scale study evidenced that gypsum application effectively improves the soil properties of reclaimed tidal soil by decreasing ESP and EC.

     

Effect of Clean Coal Combustion Products in Reducing Soluble Phosphorus in Soil I. Adsorption Study

Water, Air, &; Soil Pollution - Low-grade weirs are innovative management strategies that control surface drainage, slow water velocities, and encourage sedimentation in agricultural drainage...     

Influence of Oxalate,Phytate, Tannin,Dietary Fiber,and Cooking on Calcium Bioavailability of Commonly Consumed Cereals and Millets in India

The objectives of this research were to study the bioavailable calcium from widely used cereals and millets by an in vitro method and to provide data on the role of calcium inhibitors. The average total calcium content of the analyzed raw cereals and millets ranged from 10.2 to 324.6 mg/100 g (the lowest and highest values correspond to maize and finger millet, respectively), whereas the rest of the raw cereals and millets had calcium content in the range of 26.3–50.4 mg/100 g, except for rice samples (10.4 mg/100 g). Soluble percentage of calcium is the highest in maize (45.1%), and dialyzable calcium percentage is the highest in wheat (34.9%). The cooking process did not significantly affect calcium bioavailability and the contents of phytate and tannin. However, cooking reduced the oxalate content, and in the case of dietary fiber significant increase was observed. The order of oxalate content in the cereals and millets studied was found to be pearl millet > finger millet > wheat > maize > sorghum > rice. Multiple regression analysis carried out to explain the influence of oxalate, phytate, tannin, and dietary fiber on calcium bioavailability showed greater inhibitory effect of oxalate.     

Analysis of diversity and distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Jatropha curcas</Emphasis> L. germplasm using Geographic Information System (DIVA-GIS)

Jatropha curcas L., an important biodiesel plant, has been studied for its distribution and diversity in south east coastal zone of India using DIVA-GIS. The Grid maps were generated on the distribution pattern, plant height, number of primary branches, collar length, number of fruits per cluster and oil content. Flowering in the collected accessions were grouped in to very early (35%), early (29%), medium duration (10%), late (20%), and very late (6%) types. Analysis for richness using rarefaction method of DIVA-GIS showed that Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh is the potential area for germplasm with high oil content. The present study revealed that diverse germplasm accessions of J. curcas are distributed all over the south east coastal zone and enabled us to find out gaps in collection and diversity richness from SEC zone of India for conservation.     

Stability analysis of farmer participatory trials for conservation agriculture using mixed models

Normally, the data generated from farmer participatory trials (FPT) are highly unbalanced due to variation in the number of replicates of different treatments, the use of different varieties, farmers’ management of the trials, and their preferences for testing different treatments. The incomplete nature of the data makes mixed models the preferred class of models for the analysis. When assessing the relative performances of technologies, stability over a range of environments is an important attribute to consider. Most of the common models for stability may be fitted in a mixed-model framework where environments are a random factor and treatments are fixed. Data from on-farm trials conducted in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) of South Asia under the umbrella of Rice-Wheat Consortium (RWC) were analyzed for grain yield stability using different stability models. The objective was to compare improved resource management technologies with farmers’ practice. The variance components of an appropriate mixed model serve as measures of stability. Stability models were compared allowing for (i) heterogeneity of error variances and (ii) heterogeneity of variances between environments for farmers-within-environment effects. Mean comparisons of the treatments were made on the basis of the best fitting stability model. Reduced-till (non-puddled) transplanted rice (RT-TPR) and reduced-till drill-seeded wheat using a power tiller - operated seeder with integrated crop and resource management RTDSW(PTOS)ICRM ranked first in terms of both adjusted mean yield and stability.