143 research outputs found
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A Study of entomopathogenic nematodes and their role in microbial control of pests
Get PDFAn essential part of managing insect pests is the use of entomopathogenic nematodes and in preventing environmental contamination. Their use has been increasing in recent years. So far, about 30 to 40 nematode families are in contact with insects and other vertebrates. Among these families, the group widely studied as the so-called "entomopathogenic nematodes," also known as EPN, are Heterorhabditidae and Steinernematidae. Two species of Oscheius (Oscheius chongmingensis and Oscheius carolinensis) have been added in recent years to the EPNs group, and we expect that several species will be added to EPNs. ENP has a wide range of host insects found in a species of EPN that can attack over 250 different kinds of insects from several families. Suitable environments for EPNs include insect hemocoels, soil pores, or river bottoms that grow in contact with these environments. Occurrence, mobility, distribution, and stability of EPN under the influence of several factors, including intrinsic factors such as behavioral, physiological, and genetic characteristics. Biological nature included are hosted and non-host arthropods, predators, parasites, diseases, and aberrant environmental elements like temperature, moisture content, texture, pH, and UV radiation. Proper mass production and application are essential for the biological control effectiveness of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN). In addition, there is no problem in applying EPNs because they are simple to spray with common equipment and are compatible with almost all chemical fertilizers, but the compatibility is different from chemical pesticides
A Comprehensive Framework for Mitigating Digital Divide Factors in Higher Education: A Case Study of Kabul University
Get PDFThe issue of Digital Divide is a prevalent concern across various educational and non-educational domains in Afghanistan. The situation is particularly challenging at Kabul University, where numerous factors hinder the effective utilization of available digital technologies by students, teachers, and staff. Drawing on the existing factors, our research proposes a comprehensive solution framework to address this problem. Our framework aims to mitigate most of the Digital Divide factors that are present at Kabul University, thereby enabling its stakeholders to leverage digital technologies effectively. Compared to similar frameworks proposed in other developing countries, our approach is specifically tailored to the cultural and educational environments of Kabul University and Afghanistan. As such, it takes into account the unique challenges and opportunities presented by these contexts. Our research is a significant contribution to the discourse on Digital Divide in Afghanistan, and we believe that our proposed framework has the potential to transform the digital landscape of Kabul University. We hope that our findings and recommendations will inform further research and policy interventions in this area, ultimately contributing to the development of a more digitally inclusive society. In our research, we utilized a case study and design science methodology to address the issue of the Digital Divide at Kabul University in Afghanistan
Genetic Architecture of Body Fat Composition in Mice
Get PDFBody fat composition is a quantitative measure of obesity, a major health concern in humans. Laboratory mice are considered an excellent model for dissecting the genetic basis of obesity due to the genetic variation present in inbred strains for body size and fat composition, as well as their historical use as a model organism for human disease studies. To identify the loci controlling fat pad weights and body weight in mice, we performed a quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis of 513 (SM/J x NZB/BINJ) F2 individuals fed a high-fat diet for 14 weeks. Our analysis separated fat composition genetic effects from those affecting overall body sizes in mouse. Composite interval mapping (CIM) results showed that body weight was conditioned by three major additive QTLs, explaining 3 to 30% of the phenotypic variation. One significant QTL on chromosome 19 conditioned all fat pads with the exception of the inguinal fat weight, which was controlled by a different QTL also on chromosome 19. Significant QTLs associated with fat compositions were detected on chromosomes 17 and 19 and differed from those of body weight. The fat pad QTLs also showed mainly additive gene effects and they explained 2 to 7% of variation in fat composition. Joint analysis of correlated traits detected five additional large effect QTLs on five different linkage groups. These findings have indicated that fat composition and body weight in mouse are conditioned by one to three major additive genes and can therefore be potentially manipulated in controlling obesity