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Lentil rust incited by the fungus Uromyces viciae-fabae is a major impedance to lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) production globally. Host-plant resistance is the most reliable, efficient and viable strategy among the various approaches to control this disease. In this study, 26 lentil genotypes comprising advanced breeding lines and released varieties along with a susceptible check were evaluated consecutively for rust resistance under natural incidence for two years and at five test locations in India. A heritability-adjusted genotype main effect plus genotype×environment interaction (HA-GGE) biplot program was used to analyse disease-severity data. The results revealed that, among the interactive factors, the GE interaction had the greatest impact (27.81%), whereas environment and genotype showed lower effects of 17.2% and 20.98%, respectively. The high GE variation made possible the evaluation of the genotypes at different test locations. The HA-GGE biplot method identified two sites (Gurdaspur and Pantnagar) as the ideal test environments in this study, with high efficiency for selection of durable and rust-resistant genotypes, whereas two other sites (Kanpur and Faizabad) were the least desirable test environments. In addition, the HA-GGE biplot analysis identified three distinct mega-environments for rust severity in India. Furthermore, the analysis identified three genotypes, DPL 62, PL 165 and PL 157, as best performing and durable for rust resistance in this study. The HA-GGE biplot analysis recognised the best test environments, restructured the ecological zones for lentil-rust testing, and identified stable sources of resistance for lentil rust disease, under multi-location and multi-year trials.

Pt–CeO2nanoporous spheres were prepared by a two-step synthesis procedure. First, CeO2nanoporous spheres were prepared by a solvo-thermal method followed by Pt-loading by controlled deposition. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by BET-surface area, H2-chemisorption, XRD, H2-TPR, SEM, TEM, XPS, Raman analysis and EXAFS techniques. The prepared Pt–CeO2NPcatalyst showed a bimodal pore structure, which highly influenced its catalytic activity. The catalyst activates methane at 350 °C and was found to be highly active and selective for synthesis gas production viapartial oxidation of methane. Pt-nanoparticles of 1.27 nm on average supported on about 150 nm nanoporous spheres comprised of 5–15 nm CeO2particles were stable for more than 60 h of time-on-stream (TOS) without any significant activity loss, producing synthesis gas with an H2/CO ratio ∼1.95. The high surface area and bimodal pore size distribution played the most important role for the catalyst's superior activity.

The vapour-phase O-methylation of the dihydroxybenzenes (DHBs; o-dihydroxybenzene (catechol), m-dihydroxybenzene (resorcinol), and p-dihydroxybenzene (hydroquinone)) with excess methanol has been investigated over alkali (Li, Na, K, and Cs) oxide loaded-SiO2 as catalysts. The reaction takes place in two consecutive steps, the formation of the monomethoxyphenol in the first step (rate constant, k1) and the dimethoxybenzene in the second step (rate constant, k2). The two steps have been assumed to follow a pseudo-first-order kinetics with respect to the substrates (DHB in the first step and the monomethoxy phenol in the second step) and the kinetic parameters, k1, k2, tmax, and Rmax have been calculated. The trends in the values of the above kinetic parameters have been explained on the basis of the reactivity and electronic properties of the three DHBs, the surface basicity of the catalysts, and the mode of adsorption of the molecules on the support.

AbstractIn this article, we present ongoing work performed within the Video-over-IP (VIP) project. We describe the architecture of the VIP project within the context of a complete content production street and techniques for extracting metadata from video content. We then discuss the application of Dublin Core and MPEG7 metadata to video searching and browsing. We provide an outline of VIP's billing and accounting service, which facilitates charging consumers for the video services they utilize, and also discuss the use of VIP within an educational context.

Zirconium containing mesoporous MCM-41 molecular sieves with Si/Zr ratios of 96 (A), 55 (B), 39 (C), and 23 (D) were synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), surface area and pore size distribution measurements, and FTIR, diffuse reflectance UV−visible (DRUV−vis), ²⁹Si MAS NMR, and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopic techniques. The XRD patterns indicated an increase in the d100 spacing (from 36.77 to 40.88 Å) with increasing Zr content. The samples showed a characteristic oxygen to zirconium charge-transfer band at 210 nm in the DRUV−vis spectra, consistent with monatomic dispersion of zirconium in Zr−MCM-41. Reduction of zirconium from the +4 to the +3 state was achieved by reaction with LiAlH4 at 298 K or with dry hydrogen at high temperatures. In samples A and B, Zr is located mostly in the pore walls, in substitutional locations (type I‘) and in C and D, it is present at the surface of the pores (type I‘ ‘) in addition to the substitutional locations. Zr(III) ions, in type I‘ locations (g1 = 1.876, g2 = 1.943 and g3 = 1.970), were resistant to reoxidation while those in type I‘ ‘ locations (g∥ = 1.899 and g⊥ = 1.961) readily oxidized and formed Zr^IV(O2^•-) species. Interaction with H2O2 or γ-ray irradiation also produced the superoxo radical species. Irradiation resulted in two types of superoxo radical species, type II‘ ions associated with surface Zr centers (g1 = 2.0319, g2 = 2.0093, and g3 = 2.0024) and type II‘ ‘ ions associated with defect centers (g1 = 2.0131, g2 = 2.0098, and g3 = 2.0045). The ESR results of Zr(III) ions are compared with those of the isoelectronic Ti(III) centers in silicalite structures.

We have discovered a novel class of endothelin (ET) receptor antagonists through pharmacophore analysis of the existing non-peptide ET antagonists. On the basis of this analysis, we determined that a pyrrolidine ring might replace the indan ring in SB 209670. The resultant compounds were readily prepared and amenable to extensive SAR studies. Thus a series of N-substituted trans,trans-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)pyrrolidine-3-carboxylic acids (8) have been synthesized and evaluated for binding at ETA and ETB receptors. Compounds with N-acyl and simple N-alkyl substituents had weak activity. Compounds with N-alkyl substituents containing ethers, sulfoxides, or sulfones showed increased activity. Much improved activity resulted from compounds where the N-substituents were acetamides. Compound 17u (A-127722) with the N,N-dibutylacetamide substituent is the best of the series. It has an IC50 = 0.36 nM for inhibition of ET-1 radioligand binding at the ETA receptor, with a 1000-fold selectivity for the ETA vs the ETB receptor. It is also a potent inhibitor (IC50 = 0.16 nM) of phosphoinositol hydrolysis stimulated by ET-1, and it antagonized the ET-1-induced contraction of the rabbit aorta with a pA2 = 9.20. The compound has 70% oral bioavailability in rats.

Structure−activity studies have been performed in an attempt to improve the potency of a novel series of azole-based endothelin-A (ETA) selective antagonists. Modifications of the hydrophobic group on the terminal urea produced substantial effects on receptor affinity; in particular, the choice of cyclohexyl- or arylureas led to substantial improvements in activity. Conformational restriction of these groups provides an additional benefit. N-Methylation of the indole moiety which is part of the heterocyclic dipeptide surrogate also improves potency. The effects of these two modifications appear to be synergistic, with the best of the resultant doubly modified analogs (e.g. 14q, 15y, and 15ff) exhibiting an 80−200-fold improvement over the original leads.

Germination and seedling growth of rice was studied in NaCl and PEG 6000 solutions having osmotic potentials −0.2, −0.4, −0.6 and −0.8 MPa.

Abstract: Intestinal volvulus causing obstruction is an unusual complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunts. There are no clear guidelines on the management of this problem. In our patient exteriorization of the shunt with subsequent reinsertion at a different site led to an uneventful recovery. The extreme rarity of this complication and its challenging management are discussed.