December 2014
Volume 1 Issue 1
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Research Article
Naphthaleneacetic Acid Solely Induced Extensive Hairy Root Development that Precedes Extensive Shoot Regeneration from Stalk Explants of Cauliflower (Brassica Oleracea Var. Botrytis)
Hani Al-Ahmad*
A reliable, rapid, and single step strategy for in vitro regeneration of true-to-type cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. Botrytis) plants is described. Mature stalk disc explants cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 2 mg l-1 naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) regenerated entire plants within one month. During the first 18 days, hairy roots developed intensively before the regeneration of shoots (on average 52 shoots per 1-cm disc explant) on the same MS medium plus 2 mg l-1 NAA.
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Short Paper
Isolation and Structural Characterization of Glycosaminoglycans from Heads of Red Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)
Fuming Zhang* , Jin Xie, Robert J. Linhardt
Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are linear, highly negatively charged polysaccharides. They are ubiquitous molecules exhibiting a wide range of biological functions with numerous applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and nutraceutical industrials. The commercial fish-processing industry generates large quantities of solid waste, which can represent a potential resource for GAG production. In this study, we used a three-step recovery and purification scheme for isolation of GAGs from the heads of red salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka).
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Mini Review
The Brazilian Agricultural Revolution in the XXI Century-Changing Paradigms in Biotechnology
Luiz A. B. de Castro*, PhD, Francisco J. L. Aragão, PhD
The late Norman Borlaug visited Brazil some years before he passed away and said in a press release: “the next revolution in agriculture will happen in Brazil”. Brazil multiplied its food production by four within fifty years. More important, this was done without substantial increase in acreage. Plant breeding, performed by a dozen of good geneticists, has continuously built cultivars to feed our seed industry. High-tech seeds and low-tech farming practices resulted in Brazil from seed laws and plant breeders. Agriculture in Brazil is competitive because it is cheap for the farmer.
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Research Article
Very High Frequency Bone Conduction Transducer for Audiometric Testing
Martin L. Lenhardt*
A prototype piezo ceramic transducer is described which will address the need in hearing testing for a compact, light weight device that will allow measurement of hearing thresholds in the 10-20 kHz range by bone or fluid conduction. This transducer will permit comparisons with well-established high frequency air conduction procedures.
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Research Article
Structural Characteristics of rocG and ure Genes of a Novel Screened Bacillus subtilis natto Strain
Bingjun Qian, Bei Huang, Guangyan Song, Yinyun Ni, Xiaomin Yao, Glenn M. Young, Jianhua Zhang*
Natto is considered to be a health-enhancing food mainly because of nattokinase, which can lead to a mild enhancement of fibrinolytic activity in rats and dogs after oral administration. It has distinctive smell partly caused by the high amount of ammonia produced during the secondary fermentation.
