Rabbit Farming in India: An Overview

Domestic rabbit belongs to genus Oryctolagus cuniculus which has 38 important breeds and 77 varieties of European rabbits. The domestic rabbit is known to produce quality meat, fur and very fine quality animal fibre. Rabbit rearing has gained momentum in the recent years among the developing countries including India, owing to their small body size, rapid growth rate, high prolificacy, early maturity, shorter generation interval and ability to utilize forage and fibrous agricultural by-products. In India, there has been a rising awareness in recent years on the virtues of broiler rabbit production as an alternative means of alleviating food shortages. India is also one of the developing countries which are also facing meat shortage of 4.66 g/day against the recommended requirement of 87 g/day. In India, the total rabbit population has increased from 424 thousands in 2007 to 591.6 thousand in 2012 which is 39.55% increase in last 5 years.

Optimization of Modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) Medium Promoting Efficient Callus Induction in Zinnia elegans

Zinnia (Zinnia elegans Jacq.) occupies a pristine place in the garden for its bright colours and long flowering period. Zinnias are propagated by seeds hence genetic variation and a tendency for stock plants to decline in vigor over time is high. Young internodal explants of this species were grown on modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with various growth hormones to evaluate callus induction. 2,4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) at 1.0 mg/L was shown to be the best choice for a high percentage of callus induction (70-73%) and a rapid growth rate of viable and healthy callus. A large-scale and quick callus generation protocol was developed in the lab and might be used for in-vitro micropropagation.

Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine).

P. contorta is a fast-growing, short-lived and fire-adapted two-needled pine species with a very wide ecological amplitude and tolerance. It is an important and valuable timber trees in western North America, with forests dominated by P. contorta covering some 6 million ha in the USA and 20 million ha in Canada (Burns and Honkala, 1990). Because of its rapid growth rate, small taper and thin bark, it produces a higher volume of wood than many of its associates of the same diameter and height. It is a low nutrient-demanding species and easy to regenerate and grow. A common problem of regenerating P. contorta is overstocking which may result in growth stagnation during early stand development on water-deficient, nutrient-poor sites.

Surface Charge Effects on Adsorption of Solutes by Poplar and Elm Biochars

Elm and poplar are two tree species that can provide a large amount of low-value feedstock for biochar production due to their rapid growth rate (poplar), and susceptibility to disease and/or infestation (both elm and poplar). Biochar has been studied recently as filtration medium for water purification, as it provides a renewable alternative to activated carbon. In this work, the adsorption efficiency of biochars made from elm and poplar as a function of pyrolysis temperature were studied by ultraviolet (UV) adsorption of dyes with positive, neutral, and negative charges to determine what factors had the greatest effect on adsorption of these dyes. It was found that conductivity of the biochars increased with pyrolysis temperature, and that this factor was more important than surface area in terms of adsorbing charged dyes. Both elm and poplar biochars were not effective in adsorbing neutral dyes. This research demonstrates that elm and poplar biochars adsorb charged (either positively or negatively) solutes more efficiently than uncharged ones because they carry both charges themselves. Therefore, these biochars would make excellent candidates as renewable filtration media for charged contaminants.

Gmelina arborea (candahar).

Due to its rapid growth rate, G. arborea is a tree which has been widely used in reforestation programs in tropical and subtropical regions of the world and as a source of commercial timber and cellulose (Dvorak, 2004; Rojas-Rodríguez et al., 2004; Silva et al., 2005; USDA-ARS, 2016). This species produces large numbers of fertile fruits that are easily dispersed by birds and bats, spreading seedlings quite far from the parent tree (Orwa et al., 2009). In this way, G. arborea has escaped from plantations and entered wild habitats where it is now replacing native trees and becoming invasive (IUCN, 2013). Currently, it is listed as invasive in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Australia and the Cook Islands (Chacón and Saborío, 2012; Mir, 2012; IUCN, 2013; PIER, 2016; Weeds of Australia, 2016). It is also separately reported as invasive in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia.

Extraordinary Tumor Growth Rates in Bilateral Meningioma-Vestibular Schwannoma Collision Tumors in a Patient with Neurofibromatosis Type 2: Case Report and Literature Review

Collision tumors seem to be an extraordinary pathology with unusual features. We sought to report the management of very fast-growing bilateral meningioma-vestibular schwannoma collision tumors in a patient with neurofibromatosis type 2. Both meningiomas and both vestibular schwannoma, when analyzed by volumetry, showed a very rapid growth rate (0.476–0.833 cm3 per month) in comparison with two meningiomas of other locations (0.132–0.233 cm3 per month). To the best of our knowledge, the growth rates of both vestibular schwannomas in the present case are the fastest that have been described in literature for a vestibular schwannoma so far.

Hibiscus elatus (blue mahoe).

Due to its rapid growth rate and valuable wood, H. elatus has been introduced and grown in experimental and forestry plantations. It has been also introduced in tropical and warm temperature areas to be used as an ornamental and shade tree (Weaver and Francis, 1989). This early successional tree has escaped from cultivation and can be found naturalized in disturbed sites, secondary montane forests and foothills (Francis and Liogier, 1991; Graveson, 2012). Currently, H. elatus is listed as invasive only in Trinidad and Tobago (Trinidad and Tobago Biodiversity, 2016), but it is spreading and becoming abundant on many Caribbean islands such as Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Grenada and St Lucia (Francis and Liogier, 1991; Kairo et al., 2000; Salazar and Soihet, 2001; Graveson, 2012). A risk assessment for Hawaii gave the species a low risk score of 5 (PIER, 2016).

The Chinese Developmental State: Threats, Challenges, and Prospects

Over the last 40 years, China’s development has been breath-taking. Its poor, centrally planned economy has been transformed into a middle-income capitalist one with a strong resemblance to highly successful East Asian economies like Taiwan and South Korea. It is argued here that China had become a developmental state by the mid-1990s, showing most features of its predecessors. At the same time, differences such as its huge size, socialist past, and structural problems have made it increasingly clear that China’s rapid growth rate is unsustainable. Instead of a strong and confident great power, one can only see a vulnerable giant with an inevitably decelerating economy.

Effect of Ploidy on Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus Levels in Cultured Oysters

ABSTRACT Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus are naturally occurring human pathogenic bacteria commonly found in estuarine environments where oysters are cultured. The use of triploid oysters has increased due to their rapid growth rate and because they maintain a high quality throughout the year. Previous work suggested levels of Vibrio spp. may be lower in triploid oysters than diploid oysters. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether there is a difference in the abundances of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus between half-sibling diploid and triploid American oysters (Crassostrea virginica). In four trials, 100 individual oysters (either iced or temperature abused) were analyzed for V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus by using direct plating followed by colony hybridization. Mean levels of V. parahaemolyticus in iced and abused diploid oysters were 3.55 and 4.21 log CFU/g, respectively. Mean levels in iced and abused triploid oysters were 3.49 and 4.27 log CFU/g, respectively. Mean levels of V. vulnificus in iced and abused diploid oysters were 3.53 and 4.56 log CFU/g, respectively. Mean levels in iced and abused triploid oysters were 3.54 and 4.55 log CFU/g, respectively. The differences in Vibrio spp. abundances between diploid and triploid oysters was not significant (P > 0.05). However, the differences across treatments were significant (P < 0.05), with the exception of V. parahaemolyticus levels in trial 3 (P = 0.83). Variation between individual oysters was also observed, with 12 of 808 measurements being outside of the 95th percentile. This phenomenon of occasional statistical outliers (“hot” or “cold” oysters) has been previously described and supports the appropriateness of composite sampling to account for inherent animal variability. In summary, the data indicate that abundances of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus are not dependent on the ploidy of cultured oysters but vary with the type of handling. HIGHLIGHTS