Using mapped quantitative trait loci in improving genetic evaluation

The benefit of using QTL information in dairy cattle breeding schemes by means of computer simulation is investigated. In addition, algorithms to overcome computational problems arising when marker data are included in mixed linear models were proposed.;Computer simulation was conducted with parameters relative to the Holstein population of the United States. Superiority of QTL-assisted selection (QAS) over QTL-free selection was studied in four pathways of selection, namely active sires, young bulls, bull dams, and cows, for cumulative genetic response, accuracy of evaluation, and selection pressure on the QTL.;Further, breeding scheme as a factor was studied. The breeding scheme was the most effective factor in increasing the superiority of QAS. As it agreed with many previous studies, nucleus breeding schemes were found to be promising systems to implement QTL information. On the other hand, benefits of QAS in conventional two stage selection programs were limited.;The interaction between the type of QTL information available and the breeding system was found important. Using a highly polymorphic QTL in nucleus schemes was found very effective. Effects of different number of alleles per locus and different number of loci on the superiority of QAS were studied.;An algorithm to directly build the inverse of a conditional gametic relationship matrix, given marker data, was developed. The inverse algorithm is based on matrix decomposition instead of partitioned matrix theory. Numerical techniques that greatly improved computing performance were introduced.;Appropriate modifications to the conventional breeding schemes that are currently in use are highly recommended. Further, attention should be paid to the characteristics of the QTL and how they may interact with the breeding system, e.g., number of loci and alleles. Finally, the study found that the use of marked or known QTL information in genetic evaluation is computationally possible and generally useful

The Role of Social Software in Shaping the Cultural Identity of Saudi Citizens from Their Point of View: Al-Jouf Region as A Model

The current research aimed to determine the impact of the social software in shaping the cultural identity of Saudi citizens at Al-Jouf region. The information explosion and technological development have led to an increase in the use of social software in Saudi society, which directs it to the importance of conducting research that works to reveal the reasons for this growing use and its impact in shaping the cultural identity of the community. Therefore, the researchers formulated the questionnaire to determine the role of social software in shaping the cultural identity, so that the questionnaire has been applied to a sample consisted of (572) of citizens of Al-Jouf region, (221) male and (351) female, (193) less than 20 years old, (252) from 20 to 40 years old, and (127) more than 40 years old. The results showed the research recommended the need to raise awareness of the importance of social software and its impact in shaping the cultural identity. With the importance of directing research towards the mechanisms of consolidating Arab and Islamic culture, with the design of specialized programs to consolidate the cultural identity among the youth in Saudi society

Population dynamics of yellowtail scad, Atule mate (Cuvier 1833) in Marudu Bay, Sabah, Malaysia

The yellowtail scad, Atule mate, forms important fisheries throughout the Indo-Pacific region. To know about the stock status of A. mate in Malaysia, various population parameters were measured, by utilizing length-frequency data, that included asymptotic length (L∞), growth coefficient (K), mortality rates (Z, F and M), exploitation level (E) and recruitment pattern of this species from Marudu Bay, Sabah, Malaysia. Total length and body weight relationship was estimated as W = 0.007TL3.148 (R2 = 0.937). The asymptotic length (L∞) and growth coefficient (K) were estimated 27.80 cm and 1.50 yr−1, respectively. Total mortality (Z), natural mortality (M) and fishing mortality (F) were found to be 4.53, 2.46 and 2.07 yr−1, respectively. The exploitation level (E) was estimated 0.46. It was showed that the recruitment pattern was continuous with two major peaks per year. Relative yield per recruit predicted a maximum exploitation rate (Emax) which was 0.55. The current E value (0.46) is lower than the optimum exploitation (E = 0.50) as well predicted Emax. Therefore, it could be concluded that stock of A. mate in the investigated area of Marudu Bay, Sabah is under exploited

Isolation and characterization of antineoplastic alkaloids from Catharanthus roseus l. Don. cultivated in Egypt

Vinblastine and vincristine (the antileukemic agents) were isolated, in a pure form, from Catharanthus roseus L. Don., cultivated in Egypt, by several chromatographic techniques. Five modified methods for the preparation of total alkaloids were carried out. All the isolated mixtures were evaluated by HPLC and HPTLC analyses. The antineoplastic alkaloids; vinblastine and vincristine, were isolated by the use of vacuum liquid chromatographic column on silica gel : aluminium oxide (1:1) mixed bed vacuum liquid chromatography (VLC), Charcoal column, and finally purified by centrifugally accelerated radial chromatography (Chromatotrone).Key words: Catharanthus roseus L., Apocyanaceae, Vinblastine, Vincrisitine, Antileuckemic alkaloids, VLC, HPLC, HPTL

Offset-fed UWB antenna with multi-slotted ground plane

This paper presents the design and results of an offset feed Ultrawideband(UWB) antenna with a multiple-slotted ground plane. The antenna consists of a square shaped radiator, a feed slightly offset from the middle along the radiator side and a ground plane with multiple rectangular slots. Simulation results show that the antenna can achieve a wide bandwidth from 3.3 to 18 GHz. © 2011 IEEE.published_or_final_versionThe 2011 International Workshop on Antenna Technology (iWAT), Hong Kong, China, 7-9 March 2011. In Proceedings of iWAT, 2011, p. 432-43

Analytical reasoning task reveals limits of social learning in networks

Social learning -by observing and copying others- is a highly successful cultural mechanism for adaptation, outperforming individual information acquisition and experience. Here, we investigate social learning in the context of the uniquely human capacity for reflective, analytical reasoning. A hallmark of the human mind is our ability to engage analytical reasoning, and suppress false associative intuitions. Through a set of lab-based network experiments, we find that social learning fails to propagate this cognitive strategy. When people make false intuitive conclusions, and are exposed to the analytic output of their peers, they recognize and adopt this correct output. But they fail to engage analytical reasoning in similar subsequent tasks. Thus, humans exhibit an 'unreflective copying bias,' which limits their social learning to the output, rather than the process, of their peers' reasoning -even when doing so requires minimal effort and no technical skill. In contrast to much recent work on observation-based social learning, which emphasizes the propagation of successful behavior through copying, our findings identify a limit on the power of social networks in situations that require analytical reasoning

Structural evidence for the partially oxidized dipyrromethene and dipyrromethanone forms of the cofactor of porphobilinogen deaminase: structures of the Bacillus megaterium enzyme at near-atomic resolution.

The enzyme porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD; hydroxymethylbilane synthase; EC 2.5.1.61) catalyses an early step of the tetrapyrrole-biosynthesis pathway in which four molecules of the monopyrrole porphobilinogen are condensed to form a linear tetrapyrrole. The enzyme possesses a dipyrromethane cofactor, which is covalently linked by a thioether bridge to an invariant cysteine residue (Cys241 in the Bacillus megaterium enzyme). The cofactor is extended during the reaction by the sequential addition of the four substrate molecules, which are released as a linear tetrapyrrole product. Expression in Escherichia coli of a His-tagged form of B. megaterium PBGD has permitted the X-ray analysis of the enzyme from this species at high resolution, showing that the cofactor becomes progressively oxidized to the dipyrromethene and dipyrromethanone forms. In previously solved PBGD structures, the oxidized cofactor is in the dipyromethenone form, in which both pyrrole rings are approximately coplanar. In contrast, the oxidized cofactor in the B. megaterium enzyme appears to be in the dipyrromethanone form, in which the C atom at the bridging α-position of the outer pyrrole ring is very clearly in a tetrahedral configuration. It is suggested that the pink colour of the freshly purified protein is owing to the presence of the dipyrromethene form of the cofactor which, in the structure reported here, adopts the same conformation as the fully reduced dipyrromethane form

Development of a Semielliptical Partial Ground Plane Antenna for RFID and GSM-900

A novel compact broadband patch antenna for UHF (ultrahigh frequency), RFID (radio frequency identification), and GSM-900 (global system for mobile communications) band is shown in this paper. The antenna is composed of an ellipse shape annular ring at the patch. The ground plane of the planar antenna is modified with a semiellipse shape slot. The structure can generate substantial amount of current at the feed-line. The geometry of the antenna is evaluated by using HFSS simulation software and deliberated across the paper. Parametric study is exhibited to delineate the response change of the antenna. The antenna has a physical width of 0.24 λ and length of 0.3 λ. It covers a frequency starting from 0.9 GHz to 1.08 GHz. A fractional bandwidth of 18.2% has been achieved from 0.9 GHz till 1.08 GHz. An average gain of 5.5 dBi is achieved at the resonance frequency. The simulated and measured results have good agreement

Structural evidence for the partially oxidized dipyrromethene and dipyrromethanone forms of the cofactor of porphobilinogen deaminase: structures of the Bacillus megaterium

The enzyme porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD; hydroxymethylbilane synthase; EC 2.5.1.61) catalyses an early step of the tetrapyrrole-biosynthesis pathway in which four molecules of the monopyrrole porphobilinogen are condensed to form a linear tetrapyrrole. The enzyme possesses a dipyrromethane cofactor, which is covalently linked by a thioether bridge to an invariant cysteine residue (Cys241 in the Bacillus megaterium enzyme). The cofactor is extended during the reaction by the sequential addition of the four substrate molecules, which are released as a linear tetrapyrrole product. Expression in Escherichia coli of a His-tagged form of B. megaterium PBGD has permitted the X-ray analysis of the enzyme from this species at high resolution, showing that the cofactor becomes progressively oxidized to the dipyrromethene and dipyrromethanone forms. In previously solved PBGD structures, the oxidized cofactor is in the dipyromethenone form, in which both pyrrole rings are approximately coplanar. In contrast, the oxidized cofactor in the B. megaterium enzyme appears to be in the dipyrromethanone form, in which the C atom at the bridging α-position of the outer pyrrole ring is very clearly in a tetrahedral configuration. It is suggested that the pink colour of the freshly purified protein is owing to the presence of the dipyrromethene form of the cofactor which, in the structure reported here, adopts the same conformation as the fully reduced dipyrromethane form