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The wheat stem rust fungus, Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt), race TTKSK and related races pose a serious threat to world wheat production. Knowing the effectiveness of wheat stem rust resistance (Sr) genes against Pgt race TTKSK is fundamental in mitigating this threat through resistance breeding. Sr15 was previously identified as being ineffective against Pgt race TTKSK. Here, multirace disease phenotyping data, linkage analyses, allelism testing and haplotype analyses are presented to support the conclusion that Sr15 is effective against Pgt race TTKSK. Resistance to race TTKSK was mapped to Sr15 in a biparental population. Thirty‐two accessions with Sr15 displayed seedling resistance phenotypes against race TTKSK. However, these accessions were susceptible as seedlings at high temperatures (22–25 °C), consistent with previous reports that the interaction between avirulent Pgt isolates and Sr15 is temperature‐sensitive. Markers STS638, wri4 and KASP_IWB30995 were found to predict the presence of Sr15, suggesting the utility of these assays for marker‐assisted selection in breeding programmes. The effectiveness of Sr15 to specific Pgt races and temperatures makes it a less‐desirable TTKSK‐effective gene. Wheat lines assayed as resistant to race TTKSK at the seedling stage may possess Sr15 and breeders should be aware of the limitations of Sr15 for conferring stem rust resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Caldwell' is a US soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) that has partial, adult plant resistance to the leaf rust pathogen Puccinia triticina Eriks. A line of 'Thatcher*2/Caldwell' with adult plant resistance derived from Caldwell was crossed with 'Thatcher' to develop a population of recombinant inbred lines (RILs). The parents and RIL population were evaluated for segregation of leaf rust resistance in four field tests. A genetic map of the RIL population was constructed using 90K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers with the Illumina Infinium iSelect 90K wheat bead array. Significant effects for reduction of leaf rust severity in all four tests were found for a quantitative trait locus on chromosome 3BS. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers linked to the adult plant resistance gene Lr74 and kompetitive allele specific polymerase chain reaction (KASP) assay markers were added to the map on chromosome 3BS. Thatcher and the resistant Thatcher*2/Caldwell parent were negative for the presence of Sr2 on chromosome 3BS based on the tightly linked marker csSr2. The SSR marker cfb5006 linked closely to Lr74 mapped the closest to the logarithm of odds peak for leaf rust resistance on chromosome 3BS. The SNP and SSR markers on chromosome 3BS can be used to add Caldwell leaf rust resistance to wheat breeding germplasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aegilops umbellulata, a non-progenitor diploid species, is an excellent source of resistance to various wheat diseases. Leaf rust and stripe rust resistance genes from A. umbellulata were transferred to the susceptible wheat cultivar WL711 through induced homoeologous pairing. A doubly resistant introgression line IL 393-4 was crossed with wheat cultivar PBW343 to develop a mapping population. Tests on BC2F7 RILs indicated monogenic inheritance of seedling leaf rust and stripe rust resistance in IL 393-4 and the respective co-segregating genes were tentatively named LrUmb and YrUmb. Bulked segregant analysis placed LrUmb and YrUmb in chromosome 5 DS, 7.6 cM distal to gwm190. Aegilops geniculata-derived and completely linked leaf rust and stripe rust resistance genes Lr57 and Yr40 were previously located in chromosome 5 DS. STS marker Lr57/ Yr40 MAS- CAPS16 ( Lr57/ Yr40- CAPS16), linked with Lr57/ Yr40 (T756) also co-segregated with LrUmb/ YrUmb. Seedling infection types differentiated LrUmb from Lr57. Absence of leaf rust-susceptible segregants among F3 families of the intercross ( IL 393-4/T756) indicated repulsion linkage between LrUmb and Lr57. YrUmb expressed a consistently low seedling response under greenhouse conditions, whereas Yr40 expressed a higher seedling response. Based on the origin of LrUmb/ YrUmb from the U genome and Lr57/ Yr40 from the M genome, as well as phenotypic differences, LrUmb and YrUmb were formally named Lr76 and Yr70, respectively. These genes have been transferred to Indian wheat cultivars PBW343 and PBW550, and advanced breeding lines are being tested in state and national trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports the design and development of wrought Al-Cu alloys that retain high strength until 250 °C. It is achieved by minor alloying of Zr (<0.15 at%) and Nb (<0.1 at%) and inducing precipitation of stable nanometric dispersion of L1 2 ordered precipitates during controlled thermomechanical treatment (rolling) of cast alloys before conventional heat treatment (solutionizing and ageing). The rolling temperature was optimized to 450 °C by quantitatively evaluating the size distribution of the dispersions at different rolling temperatures. The dispersions influence the microstructure and the nature of the precipitation of the strengthening θ′ plates during subsequent conventional heat treatment. The microstructure of the processed alloy show stability at high temperatures. The atom probe tomography reveals Zr enrichment at the broad faces of θ′ plates. The presence of Zr plays a critical role in the high-temperature strength by promoting the stability of θ′ precipitates and resisting its coarsening. The composite microstructure of Al-Cu-Nb-Zr alloy displayed yield strength (YS) of 415 MPa and 220 MPa at room temperature and at 250 °C, which are higher by 26 % and 45 % respectively as compared to a commercial Al-Cu based alloy (2219-T851). The present results are promising for developing wrought Al alloys for high-temperature applications. • Effect of Zr and Nb addition in Al-Cu alloy processing through thermo-mechanical route. • Dynamic precipitation of nanometric L1 2 ordered phase in Al matrix during wrought processing • L1 2 ordered precipitate promotes the nucleation of θ′ and retard the growth and coarsening. • APT study reveals solute (Zr/Nb) segregation at the Al/θ′ interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian continent was free from wheat stripe rust caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici until exotic incursions occurred in 1979 mid 2002. The 2002 incursion enabled the identification of a new stripe rust resistance gene (Yr34) in the advanced breeding line WAWHT2046. In this study, we developed and validated markers closely linked with Yr34, which is located in the distal region in the long arm of chromosome 5A. Four kompetitive allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (KASP) and three sequencetagged site (STS) markers derived from the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium RefSeq v 1.0 scaffold-77836 cosegregated with Yr34. Markers sun711, sun7I2, sun725, sunKASP_109, and sunKASP_112 were shown to be suitable for marker-assisted selection in a validation panel of 71 Australian spring wheat genotypes, with the exception of cultivar Orion that carried the Kr34-linked alleles for sunKASP_I09 mid sunKASP_l 12. Markers previously reported to be linked with adult plant snipe rust resistance gene Yr48 also cosegregated with Yr34. Wheat genotypes carrying Yr34 and Yr48 produced identical haplotypes for the Kr34-linked markers identified in this study and those previously reported to be linked with Yr48. Phenotypic testing of genotypes carrying Yr34 and Yr48 showed that both genes conferred similar seedling responses to pre-2002 and post-2002 P. striiformis f. sp. tritici pathotypes. Further testing of 600 F2 plants from a cross between WAWHT2046 and RIL143 (Yr48) with P. striiformis f. sp. tritici pathotype 134 E16A+Yr17+Yr27+ failed to reveal any susceptible segregants. Our results strongly suggest that Yr34 and Yr48 are the same gene, and that Yr48 should be considered a synonym of Yr34. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular mapping of rust resistance genes was investigated in the doubled haploid (DH) population derived from a hybrid between a line DM5637*B8 and an Australian wheat variety H45. The DH population was grown at the University of Sydney's Plant Breeding Institute site at Cobbitty in 2006 and 2007. The Diversity Array Technology (DArT) approach was employed to genotype the population. Resistance genes Yr7, Sr36 and Lr13 mapped on chromosome 2B, while linked stem rust and leaf rust resistance genes Sr24 and Lr24 were placed on the long arm of chromosome 3D. Rust resistant loci Sr36, Lr13 and Yr7 were flanked by the marker loci wPt-0395 and wPt-0981. The rust resistance gene combination, Sr24/Lr24, was flanked by DArT markers wPt-7752 and wPt-8845 on chromosome 3D. QTL analysis for adult plant stripe rust responses indicated the involvement of chromosomes 2B, 3B, 4B and 5B. QTL on chromosome 4B (QYr.sun-4B) can be revealed as the second component of YrA. Two QTLs (QLr.sun-2B and QLr.sun-3D) detected on chromosomes 2B and 3D, controlling low leaf rust response, corresponded to genomic locations of seedling leaf rust resistance genes Lr13 and Lr24. DM/H45 population possessed low Polyphenoloxidase (PPO) activity, good YAN colour stability and sprouting tolerance. The lines of this population were identified having high levels of adult plant rust (APR) to rust diseases and having good end-use quality. Genetic associations of DArT markers with rust resistance genes Lr13, Sr36, Yr7 and Lr24/Sr24 would be useful to identify PCR-based markers for tracing these genes in diverse wheat germplasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striifonnis f. sp. tritici W., is a devastating disease of wheat worldwide. A new stripe rust resistance gene with moderate seedling and adult plant resistance was mapped using an F5 recombinant inbred line (RIL) population developed from the cross of the resistant parent 'Almop' with the susceptible parent 'Avocet'. The parents and RILs were phenotyped for seedling stripe rust response variation in a greenhouse and in field trials at Toluca, Mexico for 2 years. Almop showed moderate levels of resistance at both seedling and adult plant stages compared with the highly susceptible response of Avocet. The distribution of homozygous resistant, homozygous susceptible, and segregating RILs conformed to segregation at a single locus. Seedlings and adult plant responses were correlated, indicating that the same gene conferred resistance at both stages. A bulk segregant analysis approach with widely distributed simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers mapped the resistance gene to the distal region of the long arm of chromosome 4A. The SSR marker wmc776 cosegregated with this gene, whereas markers wmc219 and wmc313 were tightly linked and both located at 0.6 centimorgans. The resistance locus was designated Yr60. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Microvascular free tissue transfer is a popular option for reconstruction of the head and neck defects following tumor ablation. Many factors are involved in the achievement of a satisfactory outcome, namely, adequate selection of the donor flap and recipient vessels, proficient anastomosis technique and postoperative care including flap monitoring. Preferential use of end-to-side anastomosis to the internal jugular vein in head and neck reconstruction offers various advantages and has consistently yielded outstanding results., Purpose: Presented is a series of 200 consecutive cases at one institution over 1 year., Method: In our institution, the internal jugular vein (IJV) has had the first priority in the selection of a recipient vein in free-flap head and neck reconstruction. An end-to-side anastomosis with the internal jugular vein has several advantages., Results: We have devised a simple technique of marking the point of anastomosis with a needle prick at two points taking the diameter of pedicle vein to aid in identification of point of anastomosis., Conclusion: This method is very reliable to ascertain the suitable lie of the pedicle vein. The diameter of the lumen for anastomosis is maintained. We had a success rate of 100% with all the cases we applied this technique on., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© The Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India 2023.)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the healthcare industry. There have been limited studies assessing AI model efficacy and accuracy in urology. To our knowledge, there is a lack in research looking at one of the most common urological procedures: the vasectomy. Ten frequently asked questions regarding vasectomies were individually entered into three different AI sources (ChatGPT, Bard & Bing) using free interfaces available to consumers. The responses were critically analyzed by three urologists and graded on a scale of 1 to 4 for clarity, accuracy, and evidence-based information, with 1 being the best and 4 being the worst. ChatGPT had the best average rating per question at 1.367, followed by Bard at 2.167 and Bing at 1.800(p = 0.000083). ChatGPT was found to provide significantly more satisfactory answers than both Bard (p = 0.00005) and Bing (p = 0.03988). The difference between Bard and Bing however was found to be insignificant (p = 0.09651). Overall, our study shows that AI Chatbots may provide mostly accurate information on frequently asked questions regarding vasectomies and is a reasonable resource for patients interested in the procedure to use. ChatGPT is the most accurate and concise of the chatbots assessed., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Harnessing genetic diversity in major staple crops through the development of new breeding capabilities is essential to ensure food security 1 . Here we examined the genetic and phenotypic diversity of the A. E. Watkins landrace collection 2 of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), a major global cereal, by whole-genome re-sequencing of 827 Watkins landraces and 208 modern cultivars and in-depth field evaluation spanning a decade. We found that modern cultivars are derived from two of the seven ancestral groups of wheat and maintain very long-range haplotype integrity. The remaining five groups represent untapped genetic sources, providing access to landrace-specific alleles and haplotypes for breeding. Linkage disequilibrium-based haplotypes and association genetics analyses link Watkins genomes to the thousands of identified high-resolution quantitative trait loci and significant marker-trait associations. Using these structured germplasm, genotyping and informatics resources, we revealed many Watkins-unique beneficial haplotypes that can confer superior traits in modern wheat. Furthermore, we assessed the phenotypic effects of 44,338 Watkins-unique haplotypes, introgressed from 143 prioritized quantitative trait loci in the context of modern cultivars, bridging the gap between landrace diversity and current breeding. This study establishes a framework for systematically utilizing genetic diversity in crop improvement to achieve sustainable food security., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: This study aimed to assess the utility of real-time-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for diagnosing chronic endometritis (CE) by targeting 11 prevalent pathogens and to compare the outcomes with conventional culture-based diagnosis., Study Design: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 500 patients with clinical conditions such as abnormal bleeding, in vitro fertilization failure, recurrent implantation failure, recurrent miscarriage, and recurrent pregnancy loss. The prevalence of 11 key pathogens associated with CE was evaluated in endometrial biopsy samples., Results: In our study, PCR identified 318 cases (63.6%) positive for at least one of the 11 investigated pathogens, while culture-based methods detected 115 cases (23%). Predominant pathogens detected by PCR included Enterococcus faecalis ( E. faecalis ) (19%), Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) (6.8%), Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) (9%), Mycoplasma hominis (5%), Mycoplasma genitalium (6.2%), Streptococcus agalactiae ( S. agalactiae ) (4.2%), Ureaplasma urealyticum (4%), nontuberculous Mycobacterium (5.2%), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (1.2%), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (0.6%), and Chlamydia trachomatis (2.4%). Standard culture methods identified E. faecalis (10.8%), S. aureus (6.2%), E. coli (3.8%), and S. agalactiae (2.2%)., Conclusion: The DICE panel proves itself as a swift, precise, and cost-effective diagnostic tool for detecting both culturable and nonculturable endometrial pathogens in CE. Demonstrating superiority, the Molecular method outshines microbial culture, ensuring accurate and sensitive detection of CE-associated pathogens, harmonizing seamlessly with histology and hysteroscopy findings., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: Distinguishing between organ-confined disease and extraprostatic extension (EPE) is crucial for the treatment of patients with prostate cancer. EPE is associated with an increased risk of biochemical recurrence, positive surgical margins, and metastatic disease. An MRI-based EPE scoring system was developed by Mehralivand in 2019; however, it has not been adopted in the Urology community. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association of MRI-based EPE scoring with the pathologic EPE (pEPE) after radical prostatectomy. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review on a prospectively collected database of male patients who underwent a prostate MRI with EPE scoring by a trained genitourinary radiologist and subsequent robotic radical prostatectomy at our institution from September 2020 to December 2022. The associations between MRI EPE (mEPE) score and the presence of EPE on surgical pathology (pEPE) were examined using multivariable logistic regression. Results: A total of 194 patients met inclusion criteria with a median age of 63 years and prostate specific antigen (PSA) 7 ng/mL. Among those with mEPE score 3, 96% had pEPE. Those patients with an mEPE score ≥2 had an increased risk of pEPE compared with those with mEPE score 0 (odds ratio 3.79; 95% confidence interval 1.28-11.3) Furthermore, those with an mEPE score 3 were significantly more likely to have pEPE compared with those with mEPE score 0, 1 and 2 independently. Conclusion: MRI EPE is a straightforward tool that strongly correlates with the presence of pEPE. If validated prospectively, this scoring system could assist in counseling patients regarding nerve-sparing approach.

Positive frequency-dependent selection should theoretically lead to monomorphic warning coloration. Instead, numerous examples of polymorphic warning signals exist. Biases - for example, in human perception - hinder our appreciation and research of understanding warning signal diversity. We propose strategies to counter such biases and objectively move our field forward., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests No interests are declared by the authors., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

With recent climatic changes, the reduced access to solar radiation has become an emerging threat to chickpeas' drought tolerance capacity under rainfed conditions. This study was conducted to assess, and understand the effects of reduced light intensity and quality on plant morphology, root development, and identifying resistant sources from a Sonali/PBA Slasher mapping population. We evaluated 180 genotypes, including recombinant inbred lines (RILs), parents, and commercial checks, using a split-block design with natural and low light treatments. Low light conditions, created by covering one of the two benches inside two growth chambers with a mosquito net, reduced natural light availability by approximately 70%. Light measurements encompassed photosynthetic photon flux density, as well as red, and far-red light readings taken at various stages of the experiment. The data, collected from plumule emergence to anthesis initiation, encompassed various indices relevant to root, shoot, and carbon gain (biomass). Statistical analysis examined variance, treatment effects, heritability, correlations, and principal components (PCs). Results demonstrated significant reductions in root biomass, shoot biomass, root/shoot ratio, and plant total dry biomass under suboptimal light conditions by 52.8%, 28.2%, 36.3%, and 38.4%, respectively. Plants also exhibited delayed progress, taking 9.2% longer to produce their first floral buds, and 19.2% longer to commence anthesis, accompanied by a 33.4% increase in internodal lengths. A significant genotype-by-environment interaction highlighted differing genotypic responses, particularly in traits with high heritability (> 77.0%), such as days to anthesis, days to first floral bud, plant height, and nodes per plant. These traits showed significant associations with drought tolerance indicators, like root, shoot, and plant total dry biomass. Genetic diversity, as depicted in a genotype-by-trait biplot, revealed contributions to PC1 and PC2 coefficients, allowing discrimination of low-light-tolerant RILs, such as 1&#95;52, 1&#95;73, 1&#95;64, 1&#95;245, 1&#95;103, 1&#95;248, and 1&#95;269, with valuable variations in traits of interest. These RILs could be used to breed desirable chickpea cultivars for sustainable production under water-limited conditions. This study concludes that low light stress disrupts the balance between root and shoot morphology, diverting photosynthates to vegetative structures at the expense of root development. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of biomass partitioning under limited-light conditions, and inform breeding strategies for improved drought tolerance in chickpeas., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Naveed, Bansal and Kaiser.)

A seedling susceptible Australian common wheat cultivar Sentinel showed resistance to stripe rust under field conditions. A Sentinel/Nyabing3 (Nyb3)-derived recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was phenotyped. A DArTseq marker-based linkage map of the Sentinel/Nyb3 RIL population was used to determine the chromosomal location of the adult plant stripe rust resistance possessed by Sentinel. Three consistent quantitative trait loci (QTL); QYr.sun-1BL , QYr.sun-2AS and QYr.sun-3BS were detected, and they on an average explained 18%, 15.6% and 10.6% of the variation in stripe rust response, respectively. All three QTL were contributed by Sentinel. QYr.sun-1B corresponded to the previously characterized gene Yr29 . Sentinel expressed resistance at the four-leaf stage at 21 ± 2 °C in the greenhouse. Monogenic segregation among the RIL population was observed when screened at the four-leaf stage at 21 ± 2 °C in the greenhouse, and the underlying resistance locus was temporarily named YrSen . QYr.sun-3BS peaked on YrSen . QYr.sun-2AS was mendelized by generating and phenotyping a mongenically sgregating F 6 RIL population, and it was temporarily designated YrSen2 . RILs carrying Yr29 , YrSen and YrSen2 in combination exhibited responses like the parent Sentinel. Based on a comparison of the genomic locations and resistance expression with stripe rust resistance genes previously located in their respective chromosomes, QYr.sun-2AS ( YrSen2 ) and QYr.sun-3BS ( YrSen ) were concluded to represent new loci.

Key Message: Sr65 in chromosome 1A of Indian wheat landrace Hango-2 is a potentially useful all-stage resistance gene that currently protects wheat from stem rust in Australia, India, Africa and Europe. Stem rust, caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt), threatened global wheat production with the appearance of widely virulent races that included TTKSK and TTRTF. Indian landrace Hango-2 showed resistance to Pgt races in India and Australia. Screening of a Hango-2/Avocet 'S' (AvS) recombinant inbred line population identified two stem rust resistance genes, a novel gene (temporarily named as SrH2) from Hango-2 and Sr26 from AvS. A mapping population segregating for SrH2 alone was developed from two recombinant lines. SrH2 was mapped on the short arm of chromosome 1A, where it was flanked by KASP markers KASP&#95;7944 (proximal) and KASP&#95;12147 (distal). SrH2 was delimited to an interval of 1.8-2.3 Mb on chromosome arm 1AS. The failure to detect candidate genes through MutRenSeq and comparative genomic analysis with the pan-genome dataset indicated the necessity to generate a Hango-2 specific assembly for detecting the gene sequence linked with SrH2 resistance. MutRenSeq however enabled identification of SrH2-linked KASP marker sunCS&#95;265. Markers KASP&#95;12147 and sunCS&#95;265 showed 92% and 85% polymorphism among an Australian cereal cultivar diversity panel and can be used for marker-assisted selection of SrH2 in breeding programs. The effectiveness of SrH2 against Pgt races from Europe, Africa, India, and Australia makes it a valuable resource for breeding stem rust-resistant wheat cultivars. Since no wheat-derived gene was previously located in chromosome arm 1AS, SrH2 represents a new locus and named as SR65., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), poses a threat to global wheat production. Deployment of widely effective resistance genes underpins management of this ongoing threat. This study focused on the mapping of stripe rust resistance gene YR63 from a Portuguese hexaploid wheat landrace AUS27955 of the Watkins Collection., Results: YR63 exhibits resistance to a broad spectrum of Pst races from Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East and South America. It was mapped to the short arm of chromosome 7B, between two single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers sunCS&#95;YR63 and sunCS&#95;67, positioned at 0.8 and 3.7 Mb, respectively, in the Chinese Spring genome assembly v2.1. We characterised YR63 locus using an integrated approach engaging targeted genotyping-by-sequencing (tGBS), mutagenesis, resistance gene enrichment and sequencing (MutRenSeq), RNA sequencing (RNASeq) and comparative genomic analysis with tetraploid (Zavitan and Svevo) and hexaploid (Chinese Spring) wheat genome references and 10+ hexaploid wheat genomes. YR63 is positioned at a hot spot enriched with multiple nucleotide-binding and leucine rich repeat (NLR) and kinase domain encoding genes, known widely for defence against pests and diseases in plants and animals. Detection of YR63 within these gene clusters is not possible through short-read sequencing due to high homology between members. However, using the sequence of a NLR member we were successful in detecting a closely linked SNP marker for YR63 and validated on a panel of Australian bread wheat, durum and triticale cultivars., Conclusions: This study highlights YR63 as a valuable source for resistance against Pst in Australia and elsewhere. The closely linked SNP marker will facilitate rapid introgression of YR63 into elite cultivars through marker-assisted selection. The bottleneck of this study reinforces the necessity for a long-read sequencing such as PacBio or Oxford Nanopore based techniques for accurate detection of the underlying resistance gene when it is part of a large gene cluster., (© 2023. Crown.)

Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici ( Pst ), is among the major threats to global wheat production. The common wheat landraces AUS27506 and AUS27894 displayed stripe rust resistance against several commercially prevailing Pst pathotypes. These genotypes were crossed with a stripe-rust-susceptible landrace AUS27229 to understand the inheritance of resistance and to determine the genomic location(s) of underlying gene(s). F 3 generations of crosses AUS27506/AUS27229 and AUS27894/AUS27229 showed monogenic segregation for stripe rust resistance under greenhouse conditions. The absence of segregation for stripe rust response among the AUS27506/AUS27894-derived F 3 population suggested that both genotypes carry the same gene. The stripe rust resistance gene carried by AUS27506 and AUS27894 was tentatively named YrAW4 . A bulked segregant analysis placed YrAW4 in the long arm of chromosome 2B. The AUS27506/AUS27229 F 3 population was enhanced to develop an F 6 recombinant inbred line (RIL) population for detailed mapping of chromosome 2BL. DArT-based SSR, STS and SNP markers were employed to enrich the 2BL map. DArT-based STS markers sun481 and SNP marker IWB12294 flanked YrAW4 proximally (1.8 cM) and distally (1.2 cM), respectively. Deletion mapping placed sun481 in the deletion bin 2BL-5. All stripe rust resistance genes, previously located on chromosome 2BL, neither express an infection type like YrAW4 , nor are they mapped in the deletion bin 2BL-5. Hence, YrAW4 represented a new locus and was formally named Yr72 . The usefulness of the markers IWB12294 and sun481 in marker-assisted selection was demonstrated by the amplification of alleles that are different to that linked with Yr72 in 19 common wheat and two durum wheat cultivars.

Background Menarche is an important event in a female's reproductive health. However, the age at menarche is variable and has implications on the future health of the girl. The purpose of this study was to estimate the mean age at menarche of North Indian adolescent girls and its association with the Tanner stage and to study the trend of menarcheal age in India in the 21st century. Materials & methods A longitudinal descriptive study was conducted on 470 healthy girls aged nine to 16 years in expectant menarche (Tanner stage II). They were followed for six months to check for the attainment of menarche. Those who achieved menarche were grouped in Group I and the rest in Group II. The data were analyzed using the independent t-test. Results Menarche was achieved by 263 girls in the six-month follow-up period. The mean (SD) age of menarche was 13.13 (1.23) years. Group I girls were mostly in Tanner stage IV and above. Group II girls had a mean (SD) age of 11.53 (1.1) years and were mostly in Tanner stage III or below. The estimated decline in the age of menarche in the 21st century was about 0.41 years per decade. Conclusion The girls who achieved menarche had a significantly higher age and Tanner stage of sexual maturity than girls who did not achieve menarche in the study period. Tanner stage is a better measure to estimate the pubertal onset than age. The studies on the age of menarche in the current century reveal that the declining trend in the menarcheal age is continuing in India., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Bajpai et al.)

Targeted exome-based genotype by sequencing (t-GBS), a sequencing technology that tags SNPs and haplotypes in gene-rich regions was used in previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for sodicity tolerance in bread wheat. Thirty-nine novel SNPs including 18 haplotypes for yield and yield-components were identified. The present study aimed at developing SNP-derived markers by precisely locating new SNPs on ~180 bp allelic sequence of t-GBS, marker validation, and SNP functional characterization based on its exonic location. We identified unknown locations of significant SNPs/haplotypes by aligning allelic sequences on to IWGSC RefSeqv1.0 on respective chromosomes. Eighteen out of the target 39 SNP locations fulfilled the criteria for producing PCR markers, among which only eight produced polymorphic signals. These eight markers associated with yield, plants m -2 , heads m -2 , and harvest index, including a pleiotropic marker for yield, harvest index, and grains/head were validated for its amplification efficiency and phenotypic effects in focused identification germplasm strategy (FIGS) wheat set and a doubled haploid (DH) population (Scepter/IG107116). The phenotypic variation explained by these markers are in the range of 4.1-37.6 in the FIGS population. High throughput PCR-based genotyping using new markers and association with phenotypes in FIGS wheat set and DH population validated the effect of functional SNP on closely associated genes-calcineurin B-like- and dirigent protein, basic helix-loop-helix (BHLH-), plant homeodomain (PHD-) and helix-turn-helix myeloblastosis (HTH myb) type -transcription factor. Further, genome-wide SNP annotation using SnpEff tool confirmed that these SNPs are in gene regulatory regions (upstream, 3'-UTR, and intron) modifying gene expression and protein-coding. This integrated approach of marker design for t-GBS alleles, SNP functional annotation, and high-throughput genotyping of functional SNP offers translation solutions across crops and complex traits in crop improvement programs., Competing Interests: The Authors did not report any conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Plant Direct published by American Society of Plant Biologists and the Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Situation awareness (SA) training is a vital part of healthcare training, and opportunities to provide SA training to healthcare workers are limited in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to analyze undergraduate medical and nursing students' perception of their understanding of SA through an interprofessional obstetric neonatal emergency simulation workshop (ONE-Sim) and subsequently evaluate their perceived changes in SA understanding using the Endsley model ( Hum Factors 1995;37(1):32-64)., Methods: Feedback on SA before and after the workshop was collected through questionnaire-based surveys. Thematic analysis was performed, with themes emerging from an inductive analysis followed by a deductive analysis using the Endsley model., Results: The themes emerging from the inductive analysis included environmental awareness, evolving knowledge, skill development, and applicability to practice. These aligned with the 3 levels of SA in the Endsley model in the deductive analysis suggesting that participants transformed their perception, comprehension, and projection of SA after the workshop., Conclusion: Simulation-based education enhanced SA perception in obstetric and neonatal emergencies for medical and nursing students in a low- and middle-income country, and the Endsley model is a feasible framework to measure learner perceived changes in SA understanding through simulation-based education., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Society for Simulation in Healthcare.)