MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION BY USING RANDOM AMPLIFIED POLYMORPHIC DNA (RAPD) ANALYSIS OF SALMONELLA ENTERITIDIS ISOLATES RECOVERED FROM AVIAN AND HUMAN SOURCES

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was applied for molecular characterization of five Salmonella enteritidis strains from different avian sources and human cases of infection. A total of 16 primers were used and only five primers showed good discriminatory power for all five isolates. Dendrogram showed a common lineage among all five isolates. There was a close genetic relationship among isolates of eggs and human sources, while there was less pronounced homology among isolates of broiler meat and human sources. On the basis of results we have found that an endemic strain of S. enteritidis is prevalent between the poultry derived food and humans which gives us an insight to genetic diversity of S. enteritidis from these sources

GENETSKA VARIJABILNOST, ZNAČAJKE I GENETSKA RAZLIČITOST AZIJSKOG GRAHA (VIGNA RADIATE L. WILCZEK)

Genetic variability, correlation coefficient, path coefficient and genetic diversity were determined among fifty mungbean genotypes. There was a great deal of significant variation for all the characters among the genotypes. Considering genetic parameters high genotypic co-efficient of variation (GCV) was observed for no. of primary branches, seed yield per plant but no. of seed per pod and days to 80% maturity showed low GCV. In all the cases, phenotypic variances were higher than the genotypic variance. High heritability with low genetic advance in percent of mean was observed for days to 50% flowering suggesting non-additive gene effects for the expression of the character and selection for such trait might not be rewarding. High heritability with high genetic advance in percent of mean was observed for no. of primary branches per plant and a thousand seed weight indicating that this trait was under additive gene control and selection for genetic improvement for this trait would be effective. Seed yield per plant showed highest significant positive correlation with a thousand seed weight. It also has a significant positive correlation with seed per pod at genotypic level and a non-significant positive correlation with seed per pod at phenotypic level. Therefore, these traits could be important for the direct selection to improve yield. Total six clusters were formed for fifty genotypes. Considering group distance, cluster mean values, and other agronomic performances, inter genotypic crosses between G16 and G47; G16 and G13; G47 and G13: G21 and G19: G8 and G21, G21 and G35, G3 and G8, G3 and G35, G3 and G19, G8 and G19 might be suggested for future hybridization program.Među pedeset genotipova azijskog graha određeni su genetska varijabilnost, koeficijent korelacije, koeficijent putanje i genetska različitost. Među genotipovima bilo je mnogo značajnog variranja u svim značajkama. U genetskim parametrima primijećen je značajno visoki koeficijent raznolikosti (GLV) u broju primarnih grančica i prinosu sjemena po biljci, ali je broj sjemenki po mahuni dana do 80% zrelosti pokazao niski GLV. U svim slučajevima fenotipska variranja bila su viša nego genotipska variranja. Visoka nasljednost s niskim genetskim napretkom u postotku prosjeka primijećeni su za dane do 50% do cvatnje, što pretpostavlja djelovanje neaditivnog gena za izražavanje značajki pa selekcija za takve osebine možda nije korisna. Visoka nasljednost s visokim genetskim napretkom u postotku prosjeka primijećena je za broj primarnih grančica po biljci i težinu 1000 sjemenki, što upućuje da je ova osobina pod kontrolom aditivnog gena, te da bi selekcija za genetsko poboljšanje ove osobine bila djelotvorna. Prinos sjemena po biljci pokazao je najvišu značajnu pozitivnu korelaciju s težinom 1000 sjemenki. Isto tako ima pozitivnu korelaciju sa sjemenom po mahuni na razini fenotipa. Stoga bi ove značajke mogle biti važne za izravnu selekciju radi poboljšanja prinosa. Formirano je ukupno šest klastera za pedeset genotipova. S obzirom na grupnu udaljenost, srednju vrijednost klastera i druge agronomske rezultate/performanse može se preporučiti međugenetsko križanje za buduće programe hibridizacije između G16 i G47; G16 i G13; G47 i G13; G21 i G19, G8 i G21, G21 i G35, G3 i G8, G3 i G35, G3 i G19, G8 i G19

Substitution of fishmeal: Highlights of potential plant protein sources for aquaculture sustainability

High protein content, excellent amino acid profile, absence of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs), high digestibility and good palatability of fishmeal (FM), make it a major source of protein in aquaculture. Now, FM is at risk due to an increase in its demand and price. So, there is greatest need to find cheap protein sources to replace FM. Plant protein sources are acknowledged best due to their large availability and low cost. However, they have certain ANFs, deficiency of some amino acids, low nutrient bioavailability and poor digestibility due to presence of starch and fiber. These contrasting characteristics make them less suitable for feed as compared to FM. Thus, these potential challenges and limitations associated with various plant proteins can be overcome by using different methods, i.e. enzymatic pretreatments, solvent extraction, heat treatments and fermentation, that are discussed briefly in this review. This review explains impacts of plant products on growth performance, body composition, flesh quality, changes in metabolic activities and immune response of fishes. To minimize negative effects and to enhance nutritional value of plant products, functional additives such as citric acid, phytase and probiotics are supplemented with them. These additives improve growth of fishes by increasing digestibility and nutrient utilization of plant based feeds. Overall, this review exhibits that the substitution of fishmeal by plant protein sources is a viable and practical option for sustainable aquaculture production

Assessment of proline function in higher plants under extreme temperatures

Climate change and abiotic stress factors are key players in crop losses worldwide. Among which, extreme temperatures (heat and cold) disturb plant growth and development, reduce productivity and, in severe cases, lead to plant death. Plants have developed numerous strategies to mitigate the detrimental impact of temperature stress. Exposure to stress leads to the accumulation of various metabolites, e.g. sugars, sugar alcohols, organic acids and amino acids. Plants accumulate the amino acid ‘proline’ in response to several abiotic stresses, including temperature stress. Proline abundance may result from de novo synthesis, hydrolysis of proteins, reduced utilization or degradation. Proline also leads to stress tolerance by maintaining the osmotic balance (still controversial), cell turgidity and indirectly modulating metabolism of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, the crosstalk of proline with other osmoprotectants and signalling molecules, e.g. glycine betaine, abscisic acid, nitric oxide, hydrogen sulfide, soluble sugars, helps to strengthen protective mechanisms in stressful environments. Development of less temperature-responsive cultivars can be achieved by manipulating the biosynthesis of proline through genetic engineering. This review presents an overview of plant responses to extreme temperatures and an outline of proline metabolism under such temperatures. The exogenous application of proline as a protective molecule under extreme temperatures is also presented. Proline crosstalk and interaction with other molecules is also discussed. Finally, the potential of genetic engineering of proline-related genes is explained to develop ‘temperature-smart’ plants. In short, exogenous application of proline and genetic engineering of proline genes promise ways forward for developing ‘temperature-smart’ future crop plants.Research of FJC is supported by a European Regional Development Fund co-financed grant from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness/Science and Innovation (PID2019-10103924GB-I00), Plan Andaluz de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación (PAIDI 2020) (P18-FR-1359), Spain. This work was also supported by grants from Bill & Melinda Foundation (Tropical Legumes Project, OPP1114827), and Food Futures Institute of Murdoch University to RKV

Spatiotemporal distribution patterns of climbers along an abiotic gradient in Jhelum District, Punjab, Pakistan

Climber–abiotic parameter interactions can have important ramifications for ecosystem’s functions and community dynamics, but the extent to which these abiotic factors influence the spatial distributions of climber communities in the western Himalayas is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the taxonomic diversity, richness, and distribution patterns of climbers in relation to abiotic variables in the Jhelum District. The data were collected from 120 random transects between 2019 and 2021, from 360 sites within triplet quadrats (1080 quadrats), and classification and ordination analyses were used to categorize the sample transects. A total of 38 climber species belonging to 25 genera and 11 families were recorded from the study area. The Convolvulaceae were the dominant family (26.32%), followed by the Apocynaceae (21.05%), and Leguminosae (15.79%). The majority of the climbers were herbaceous in nature (71.05%), followed by woody (23.68%). Based on the relative density, the most dominant species was Vicia sativa (12.74). The majority of the species flowered during the months of March–April (28.04%), followed by August–September (26.31%). Abiotic factors have a significant influence on the distribution pattern and structure of climbers in the study area. The results show that the climbers react to the biotic environment in different ways. The findings will serve as the foundation for future botanical inventories and will be crucial for understanding the biological, ecological, and economic value of climbers in forest ecosystems. This will help forest management, conservation, and ecological restoration in the Himalayas

Influence of edaphic properties in determining forest community patterns of the Zabarwan Mountain Range in the Kashmir Himalayas

The significance of edaphic factors in describing forest vegetation patterns is becoming more well acknowledged, with significant implications for the description of biogeographical regions and biome classification, as well as abundance and growth patterns at regional levels. The current study examines the vegetation association in the Zabarwan mountain range of the Western Himalayas and its association with edaphic factors. To collect data on forest types, we employed a systematic random sampling strategy in 60 plots (0.1 ha) across five forest types. We investigated data using ordination and cluster analysis approaches after calculating the important value index (henceforth IVI) for each plant species and edaphic data from forests. In total, 76 plant species from 39 different families were found in the area. The Rosaceae family was the most numerous, followed by Fabaceae and Asteraceae. Scrub forest types have lower diversity indices, while broad-leaved forest types have greater diversity indices. Two-way cluster analyses classified the forest vegetation of the Zabarwan mountain range into two plant communities on the basis of indicator plant species. The ordination analysis (canonical correspondence analysis) indicated that vegetation association tended to be influenced differently by distinct levels of soil parameters. The soil pH and calcium content were the main factors influencing the species distribution in the different forest types. The phytosociological features (basal area) were higher in coniferous forest type (74.49 m2ha−1) compared to broad-leaved (58.63 m2ha−1) and scrub forest type (15.4 m2ha−1). Overall, the goal of this research is to gain a better understanding of the impact of soil elements on forest composition and associations in order to develop scientifically based management options for forest ecosystem protection in the Himalayan region

Urdu News Clustering Using K-Mean Algorithm On The Basis Of Jaccard Coefficient And Dice Coefficient Similarity

Clustering is the unsupervised machine learning process that group data objects into clusters such that objects within the same cluster are highly similar to one another. Every day the quantity of Urdu text is increasing at a high speed on the internet. Grouping Urdu news manually is almost impossible, and there is an utmost need to device a mechanism which cluster Urdu news documents based on their similarity. Clustering Urdu news documents with accuracy is a research issue and it can be solved by using similarity techniques i.e., Jaccard and Dice coefficient, and clustering k-mean algorithm. In this research, the Jaccard and Dice coefficient has been used to find the similarity score of Urdu News documents in python programming language. For the purpose of clustering, the similarity results have been loaded to Waikato Environment for Knowledge Analysis (WEKA), by using k-mean algorithm the Urdu news documents have been clustered into five clusters. The obtained cluster's results were evaluated in terms of Accuracy and Mean Square Error (MSE). The Accuracy and MSE of Jaccard was 85% and 44.4%, while the Accuracy and MSE of Dice coefficient was 87% and 35.76%. The experimental result shows that Dice coefficient is better as compared to Jaccard similarity on the basis of Accuracy and MSE

Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plant knowledge among three ethnic groups in peri-urban areas of south-central Ethiopia

BackgroundDocumenting traditional knowledge on plant use among ethnic groups has enabled researchers to obtain a better understanding of how indigenous flora is seen and used in daily life. Their therapeutic applications will also encourage future conservation and phytochemical research, potentially leading to the development of novel drugs. However, past ethnobotanical studies conducted in Ethiopia mainly focused on rural areas, and limited coverage to document the ethnobotanical knowledge at the rural-urban interface. Therefore, this study was conducted to document and analyze traditional ethnobotanical knowledge on medicinal plants among three selected ethnic groups in peri-urban areas of south-central Ethiopia. In addition, we attempted to investigate the range of cultural similarity and disparity between the studied ethnic groups in relation to traditional medicinal plants and diseases treated.MethodsData were collected using semistructured questionnaires and in-depth interviews of 189 key informants, floristic species inventories, and field observations. Several cultural importance indices and Rahman's similarity indices were applied to analyze the relevance of medicinal plants and cultural similarity among the ethnic groups.ResultsA total of 189 therapeutic plants representing 159 genera and 69 families were identified and documented across the three studied ethnic groups. Of these, the Sidama, Gedeo, and Oromo ethnic groups reported 28, 34, and 38%, respectively. Most medicinal plants were represented by herbs (36%), followed by shrubs (31%), trees (27%), and herbaceous climbers (7%). Rahman's similarity index (RSI) revealed considerable ethnobotanical knowledge variation among ethnic groups. Oromo and Sidama showed the highest disparity (63.8%), followed by Gedeo and Oromo (63.2%). Of the total collected therapeutic plants, 78 most important medicinal plants were selected for the cultural importance analysis, which revealed that Croton macrostachyus Hochst. ex Delile scored the highest point in the Gedeo and Oromo ethnic groups and Zingiber officinale Roscoe in the Sidama ethnic group. Whereas Cinnamomum verum J.Presl, Psidium guajava L., and Melia azedarach L. are the least.ConclusionThe present study revealed the presence of cultural differences in medicinal plant knowledge practices and therapeutic plant use among the studied ethnic groups in rural-urban interface areas of south-central Ethiopia. The diverse healing potential of plants would support future pharmacological investigations, emphasizing the need for adequate documentation of indigenous knowledge and versatile flora to prevent their further loss