Aim: This study aims to present the design process of an education and administrative building for the Faculty of Agriculture, which was founded in 1995 and started education in 2002, in Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Eskisehir, Turkey. Method: The design approach for the Faculty of Agriculture was discussed with respect to innovative spatial characteristics, ability to respond to the nature of scientific and academic work and the capacity to provide a future vision. Results: Universities, as dynamic constructs, necessitate spatial designs that could keep up with current requirements and innovative scientific work. The present study provides an insight of spatial planning for academic buildings specifically designed for administrative and educational functions regarding the particular needs of the curricular formation of a specific faculty. Conclusion: Universities are educational institutions that provide academic training, skills and proficiency for individuals while improving the country and the region in terms of economic and cultural perspectives. Participants of such institutions need enclosed areas, such as classrooms, offices and laboratories, for their scientific and academic work and open spaces where they could socialize, relax and perform their physical activities in their spare time. The physical characteristics and qualities of these areas significantly affect the sociological, psychological and academic development of individuals through a direct influence of utilization patterns.

Conventional, molecular plant breeding and genetic modifications have been widely used to improve crop yield, quality, architecture and plant ability to tolerate abiotic and biotic stresses. However, due to the limitations of resources, time and need of more specific targeting lead to the new corridor of targeted genome engineering. Genome editing technologies involves the use of plethora of enzymatic tools (meganucleases, zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), Transcription Activator Like Effector Nucleases (TALENs) and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9) that has the capability to cut at specific sequence. CRISPR/Cas seems to be more promising, efficient and less time consuming. All the ongoing efforts and future advances in this technology will accelerate both basic and applied research, opening the door to improve a wide variety of agronomic traits in crop plants. In this review, efforts have been made to discuss the various techniques needed for genome editing while focusing on the recent advances in CRISPR/Cas and its applications in crop improvement and therapeutics.

An investigation of the seed composition of seed banks is ecologically important in predicting the initial composition of the pioneer vegetation in an area, particularly on exposed or cleared sites. This study was initiated with the objectives of gaining more knowledge on the role of seed banks in stimulating vegetation regeneration leading to natural dry evergreen afromontane forest restoration, by analyzing their species composition and abundance and further investigates the difference on soil seed bank in exclosures and the adjacent free grazing areas. Soil seed bank density, diversity, vertical and horizontal distribution and composition were assessed by collecting 360 soil samples. The total numbers of species recovered from the soil samples collected in the study area were 47 for the exclosure and 39 for the free grazing area and totally 62 species. The total seed density in the upper nine centimeters both from seedling emergence and seed counting method was 1868 seeds m-2 for exclosures and 1431 seeds m-2 for free grazing areas. The similarity between the soil seed bank and above-ground flora was also low for exclosuresSj value 0.29 and average for free grazing area Sjvalue 0.51. But the herbs similarities was high showing 0.75 and 0.78 similarities in exclosures and free grazing respectively. Similarity between the soil seed banks and aboveground flora was very low implying that the role of soil seed banks in the regeneration is low and dispersal of seeds from the adjacent forest areas play an important role in the process. These results support the idea that assisted natural regeneration can promote the regeneration of species and increase plant biodiversity in the area, if seed sources are available in the area or nearby sites of the restoration areas.

The effect of different soil types (Control as (Garden loam), Karachi University Campus, Gadap area site, Sheikh Zaid Palace site and Between Madinatulhikmat and Hub site) on germination and growth performance of Mash bean (Vigna mungo L.) was studied. Mash bean showed different results in seed germination, shoot, root, seedling length, number of leaves and seedling dry weight when treated with the different soil types extract. The effects of soil extract (in a 1:10 ratio) on comparisons with “Garden loam” soil showed little variation on the seed germination and growth indices of V. mungo. In present study, the results obtained showed higher seed germination percentages of above 90% in the control soil extract treatment. A consequent performance with more than 80 % seed germination of Mash bean was also recorded for the Sheikh Zaid Palace site soil treatment. The lowest seed germination percentage of Mash bean below 50% was observed in the between Madinatulhikmat and Hub soil treatments. Similarly, the average seedling growth of V. mungo in soils extract of Sheikh Zaid Palace was found the highest as compared to control site soil. Whereas, shoot growth of V. mungo increased in soil extract treatment of Karachi University Campus and Gadap area soil sample as compared to control soil extract treatment. The soil extract treatment showed slight variation in number of leaves of V. mungo. The development of number of leaves was found high in Sheikh Zaid Palace site and Between Madinatulhikmat and Hub soil treatment as compared to control soil. Root growth of V. mungo increased in soils of Gadap area and between Madinatulhikmat and Hub areas soil as compared to control soil. The soil treatment of Gadap area promoted root growth of Mash bean as compared soil treatment of Karachi University Campus, Sheikh Zaid Palace site, between Madinatulhikmat and Hub site and Control as (Garden loam), respectively. Generally, soil solution treatment showed different results on biomass production of Mash bean. Seedling dry weight of V. mungo was found low in all soil treatment as compared to control soil extract treatment.

Two fishlice, both females, were preserved live from the body surface of a loricariid catfish, Ancistrus ranunculus Muller, Rapp Py-Daniel & Zuanon 1994, collected in the middle Xingu River. The two specimens are herein described as Argulus celioi n. sp. and distinguished from congeners based on first and second antennae characteristics, pigmentation pattern, carapace and abdomen size and shape as well as the lack of accessory, post-antennal spines on the thorax, abdomen and ventral region of the carapace. Reports of branchiurans parasitizing loricariid catfishes are scarce in the published literature, highlighting a need to examine such taxa as potential hosts.