Grain yield and agronomic characteristics of Romanian bread wheat varieties under the conditions of Northwestern Turkey

In this study, fourteen bread wheat varieties, twelve of which were introduced into Turkey from Romania, were evaluated for grain yield and seven agronomic properties in Biga, Çanakkale in northwest part of Turkey in 2005 - 2006 and 2006 - 2007 growing seasons. The objectives of the research, carried out in a completely randomized block design with 3 replicates, were to investigate Romanian wheat varieties, to study the associations between yield and yield components, and todetermine the most promising varieties suitable to Biga conditions. Based on a two-year data, all the characteristics examined showed significant difference (P < 0.05) and varied with a wide range in grainyield (344.0 - 475.5 kg da-1), plant height (78.1 - 103.3 cm), spike length (9.2 - 16.4 cm), number of spikelets (15.3 - 19.3 number), number of grains per spike (35.7 - 43.3 number), grain weight per spike(1.25 - 1.73 g), harvest index (34.2 - 43.8%) and 1000 grain weight (35.2 - 47.8 g). Except for harvest index, genotype x year interactions (GxY) was found to be significant for all the traits studied.Correlation coefficient analyses showed that the grain yield had positive and significant associations with plant height (r = 0.416***), grain weight per spike (r = 0.345**), number of grain per spike (r = 0.220*)and 1000 grain weight (r = 0.388***). Consequently, new bread wheat varieties, Joseph followed by Dumbrava and Trivale, from Romania gave rise to higher yield compared to the local varieties

The effect of autumn and spring planting time on seed yield and protein content of chickpea genotypes

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of autumn and spring plantings on seed yield and quality of chickpea genotypes. Fourteen chickpea genotypes were grown over the consecutive twogrowing seasons in northwest Turkey. The results showed that planting time had significant effects on the investigated traits (P < 0.05). Significant differences for yield were observed between autumn (2050kg ha-1) and spring (1588 kg ha-1) plantings. Line 99 - 59C was the highest yielding genotype both in autumn (2662 kg ha-1) and spring (2000 kg ha-1) plantings. Seed analysis revealed that crude proteincontent in spring planting (23.2%) was higher than in autumn planting (20.5%). The highest protein content (21.1%) was produced by genotype P-2 in autumn planting whereas line 97 - 73C had thehighest content (24.6%) in spring planting. In addition, yield was highly and positively correlated with C/N ratio (r = 0.20**) whereas it was negatively correlated with protein (r = -0.19**). As a result, plantingtime influenced yield, yield components and chemical composition of the genotypes. Autumn planting had advantages for higher seed yield and consequently higher amount of protein per harvested area

Ostim'de küçük ve orta ölçekli işletmelere yönelik sanal fabrika sisteminin geliştirilmesi

TÜBİTAK MAG01.08.200

Burden of headache in a HIV-positive population of sub-Saharan Africa

Background About 26 million people are living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. The DREAM programme in sub-Saharan Africa provides free healthcare for HIV/AIDS and a range of chronic non-communicable diseases. HIV is a risk factor for neurological non-communicable diseases including stroke and epilepsy, which themselves are associated with headache, and HIV may be a direct risk factor for headache. We investigated the prevalence and burden of headache in a HIV+ population in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods At the DREAM Centre in Blantyre, Malawi, a low-income country with a population of 19 million and 9.2% HIV prevalence, a structured questionnaire was administered by a trained lay interviewer to consecutively attending HIV+ patients aged 6–65 years. All were monitored with regular viral load detection. Results Of 513 eligible patients invited, 498 were included (mean age 34.1 ± 12.8 years; 72% females; 15 declined). All were on antiretroviral treatment, with viral load undetectable in 83.9%. The 1-year prevalence of headache was 80.3% (females 83.6%, males 71.9%); 3.8% had ≥15 headache days/month, 1.4% had probable medication-overuse headache. Mean overall headache frequency was 4.4 ± 5.4 days/month. Those reporting headache lost means of 2.3% of paid workdays and 3.3% of household workdays because of headache. Only one third had sought advice for their headache. Conclusions Headache is very prevalent among HIV+ patients in Malawi, imposing additional burden and costs on individuals and the community. Management of headache disorders should be implemented in HIV centres, as it is for other chronic non-communicable diseases

New Suggestions for the Mechanical Control of Bone Remodeling

Bone is constantly renewed over our lifetime through the process of bone (re)modeling. This process is important for bone to allow it to adapt to its mechanical environment and to repair damage from everyday life. Adaptation is thought to occur through the mechanosensitive response controlling the bone-forming and -resorbing cells. This report shows a way to extract quantitative information about the way remodeling is controlled using computer simulations. Bone resorption and deposition are described as two separate stochastic processes, during which a discrete bone packet is removed or deposited from the bone surface. The responses of the bone-forming and -resorbing cells to local mechanical stimuli are described by phenomenological remodeling rules. Our strategy was to test different remodeling rules and to evaluate the time evolution of the trabecular architecture in comparison to what is known from μ-CT measurements of real bone. In particular, we tested the reaction of virtual bone to standard therapeutic strategies for the prevention of bone deterioration, i.e., physical activity and medications to reduce bone resorption. Insensitivity of the bone volume fraction to reductions in bone resorption was observed in the simulations only for a remodeling rule including an activation barrier for the mechanical stimulus above which bone deposition is switched on. This is in disagreement with the commonly used rules having a so-called lazy zone

Nuclear localisation of Aurora-A: its regulation and significance for Aurora-A functions in cancer.

The Aurora-A kinase regulates cell division, by controlling centrosome biology and spindle assembly. Cancer cells often display elevated levels of the kinase, due to amplification of the gene locus, increased transcription or post-translational modifications. Several inhibitors of Aurora-A activity have been developed as anti-cancer agents and are under evaluation in clinical trials. Although the well-known mitotic roles of Aurora-A point at chromosomal instability, a hallmark of cancer, as a major link between Aurora-A overexpression and disease, recent evidence highlights the existence of non-mitotic functions of potential relevance. Here we focus on a nuclear-localised fraction of Aurora-A with oncogenic roles. Interestingly, this pool would identify not only non-mitotic, but also kinase-independent functions of the kinase. We review existing data in the literature and databases, examining potential links between Aurora-A stabilisation and localisation, and discuss them in the perspective of a more effective targeting of Aurora-A in cancer therapy

Chickpea

The narrow genetic base of cultivated chickpea warrants systematic collection, documentation and evaluation of chickpea germplasm and particularly wild Cicer species for effective and efficient use in chickpea breeding programmes. Limiting factors to crop production, possible solutions and ways to overcome them, importance of wild relatives and barriers to alien gene introgression and strategies to overcome them and traits for base broadening have been discussed. It has been clearly demonstrated that resistance to major biotic and abiotic stresses can be successfully introgressed from the primary gene pool comprising progenitor species. However, many desirable traits including high degree of resistance to multiple stresses that are present in the species belonging to secondary and tertiary gene pools can also be introgressed by using special techniques to overcome pre- and post-fertilization barriers. Besides resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses, the yield QTLs have also been introgressed from wild Cicer species to cultivated varieties. Status and importance of molecular markers, genome mapping and genomic tools for chickpea improvement are elaborated. Because of major genes for various biotic and abiotic stresses, the transfer of agronomically important traits into elite cultivars has been made easy and practical through marker-assisted selection and marker-assisted backcross. The usefulness of molecular markers such as SSR and SNP for the construction of high-density genetic maps of chickpea and for the identification of genes/QTLs for stress resistance, quality and yield contributing traits has also been discussed

Effects of pretanning effluent originated from leather industry on the germination of rice seeds

The effects of pretanning effluent obtained from leather processing on the germination and seedling growth of rice were investigated. Undiluted pretanning effluents, and its 1:10, 1:40 and 1:80 dilutions along with tap water were used for irrigation to germinate the seeds. Some morphological characteristics were investigated. No germination occurred in the seeds irrigated with the undiluted pretanning effluent. Elemental analyses of the shoots and roots of rice seedlings were conducted. The lowest contents of C (29.7%), S (0.41%), Cr (1.2 mg/kg) and Na (2933.8 mg/kg) in shoots were detected in control group. The lowest contents of Cu (38.81 mg/kg) and Mn (2225.0 mg/kg) in roots were determined in irrigations with 1:10 dilutions