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Objectives: Testing of blood-fed mosquitoes plays an integral role in arbovirus surveillance and in understanding its interaction mechanisms between host, vector and reservoir. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of two different traps (gravid and resting boxes) for collection of blood-fed mosquitoes in the northwestern part of Riverside County. Materials and Methods: Three trapping sites were selected in the Northwest Mosquito and Vector Control District of Riverside County, California. At each site resting boxes and gravid traps were set; and mosquitoes were collected on a weekly basis between July-December 2009. Mosquitoes were transported over blue ice, identified up to species level on chill table, and classified as male, female and blood-fed females. Results: During this study period, 3953 mosquitoes (826 blood-fed females) belonging to three different genera and eight species were collected; resting boxes collecting maximum number (seven) of mosquito species. Overall as well as individually in each trap kind, the most abundant mosquito species collected was Cx. quinquefasciatus. The proportion of blood-fed females of the Culex species collected in resting boxes was 28.8 times more, while of blood-fed females of Cx. quinquefasciatus was 32.2 times more than the proportion collected from gravid traps. Conclusions: Overall, the proportion of blood-fed female mosquitoes collected for each species trapped was highest in resting boxes. Additionally, resting boxes showed the advantage of extremely low running and maintenance cost; generation of no hazardous waste; quick turnaround time in terms of mosquito collection per man-hour spent; and they were less prone to vandalism or thefts.

Objective: Since its discovery in the western hemisphere in 1999, West Nile virus (WNv) has caused extensive bird mortality across North America, especially in American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) which are highly susceptible to WNv. In this study, antigenic distribution of WNv among different organs of American crows was studied, using the immunohistochemistry technique (IHC). Materials and Methods: Dead crows reported by residents were collected, transported on ice, and were necropsied for heart, lung, brain, intestine, kidney, liver, spleen, pancreas, and gonad tissues. Gross examination was performed on brain, heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen, bursa of fabricius, gastrointestinal tract, skeletal muscle, pancreas, reproductive tract, and skin. Gross hemorrhage of brain, splenomegaly, meningoencephalitis, myocarditis, and trauma were sporadically observed in some of the infected carcasses. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections were stained with IHC technique followed by counter staining with hematoxylin and eosin. Results: WNv antigen was detected in brain, spleen, heart, kidney, liver, gonads, intestine, lung, and pancreas. The spleen was found to be positive in all infected crows, followed by kidney, liver, and duodenum (95% each). Heart and pancreas were positive in 63% while brain was positive in 36.5% of the infected crows. Conclusion: More than one tissue sample is suggested to screen WNv infection using IHC technique. IHC has the advantage of correlating the visual destruction of tissue architecture with the presence of stained WNv antigen but as compared to PCR, IHC has the disadvantage of longer turnaround time, which is critical when used as a surveillance tool.

Mg-doped GaN films/nanorods were grown epitaxially on c -sapphire by reactive co-sputtering of GaAs and Mg at different N2 percentages in Ar–N2 sputtering atmosphere. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy revealed that the Mg incorporation increases with increase of Mg area coverage of GaAs target, but does not depend on N2 percentage. In comparison to undoped GaN films, Mg-doped GaN displayed substantial decrease of lateral conductivity and electron concentration with the initial incorporation of Mg, indicating p -type doping, but revealed insulating behaviour at larger Mg content. Morphological investigations by scanning electron microscopy have shown that the films grown with 2%–4% Mg area coverages displayed substantially improved columnar structure, compared to undoped GaN films, along with rough and voided surface features at lower N2 percentages. With increase of Mg area coverage to 6%, the growth of vertically aligned and well-separated nanorods, terminating with smooth hexagonal faces was observed in the range of 50%–75% N2 in sputtering atmosphere. High-resolution x-ray diffraction studies confirmed the epitaxial character of Mg-doped GaN films and nanorods, which displayed complete c -axis orientation of crystallites and a mosaic structure, aligned laterally with the c -sapphire lattice. The catalyst-free growth of self-assembled Mg-doped GaN nanorods is attributed to increase of surface energy anisotropy due to the incorporation of Mg. However, with further increase of Mg area coverage to 8%, the nanorods revealed lateral merger, suggesting enhanced radial growth at larger Mg content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Haploid induction (HI) holds great promise in expediting the breeding process in onion, a biennial cross-pollinated crop. We used the CENH3-based genome elimination technique in producing a HI line in onion. Here, we downregulated AcCENH3 using the RNAi approach without complementation in five independent lines. Out of five events, only three could produce seeds upon selfing. The progenies showed poor seed set and segregation distortion, and we were unable to recover homozygous knockdown lines. The knockdown lines showed a decrease in accumulation of AcCENH3 transcript and protein in leaf tissue. The decrease in protein content in transgenic plants was correlated with poor seed set. When the heterozygous knockdown lines were crossed with wild-type plants, progenies showed HI by genome elimination of the parental chromosomes from AcCENH3 knockdown lines. The HI efficiency observed was between 0 and 4.63% in the three events, and it was the highest (4.63%) when E1 line was crossed with wildtype. Given the importance of doubled haploids in breeding programmes, the findings from our study are poised to significantly impact onion breeding.

The use of beneficial microbes is hitherto known and constantly increasing in agriculture due to their positive impact on crop growth and yield, and their minimal negative impact on the environment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of eight Trichoderma strains of diverse origin on crop growth and yield of onion under field conditions. The identity of the strains used in the current study was confirmed by ITS and Tef1 gene sequencing. Field experiments were conducted in the Rabi season for 2 years (2020–21, and 2022–23) to evaluate the effect of the application of eight different Trichoderma strains that were applied individually and separately as eight different treatments (T1–T8) in experimental plots. In the plant growth promotion assay conducted in vitro, all strains showed the ability to produce IAA (indole-3-acetic acid), with levels ranging from 23.52 μg/mL (T6) to 45.54 μg/mL (T3). Our results revealed that Trichoderma treated experimental plots displayed better growth indices (plant height, pseudostem diameter), RWC (Relative water content), leaf chlorophyll content, and yield-attributing features like biomass (bulb and root dry mass), bulb diameter, and harvested bulb yield compared to the untreated control plants. In terms of yield, the T2 strain exhibited the highest bulb yield consistently for both the years (2020–21 and 2022–23) followed by T3 being statistically at par with T5. Among all the evaluated Trichoderma strains, the strain T2 (OGRDT2) and T3 (GRDT1), taxonomically identified as Trichoderma longibrachiatum, registered bulb yield of 32.24 t/ha and 30.76 t/ha, respectively while T5 (GRDT3), identified as Trichoderma asperellum, registered 30.55 t/ha average yield for 2 years compared to 24.08 t/ha average yield recorded for untreated control plants with an increase of 34, 28 and 27%, respectively. Based on our findings, it is concluded that the T. longibrachiatum strains OGRDT2 (T2) and GRDT1 (T3), T. asperellum strain GRDT3 (T5) are the best inducers of the onion crop growth and yield in the Rabi season and would be explored further for its commercial application in onion farming.

The current study investigates how genotype by environment interaction (GEI) complicates superior cultivar selection in onion breeding. Employing a randomized block design with three replications, we assessed GEI effects on onion yield and identified adaptable, stable genotypes. The sensitivity of onion genotypes to environmental changes significantly influences yield and quality, necessitating adaptability across diverse climatic conditions. We conducted multilocation trials evaluating 28 onion genotypes across four distinct locations, each representing varying environmental factors. Through phylogenetic analysis, genotypes were categorized into four clusters: cluster I (3), cluster II (4), cluster III (15), and cluster IV (6). Rigorous assessment of yield performance, employing additive main effects and multiplicative interaction models, particularly the AMMI model, revealed five genotypes demonstrating remarkable stability and potential across diverse environmental conditions: RO-1626, RO-1623, RO-1639, RO-1625, and RO-1627. Notably, genotypes from cluster II exhibited the highest marketable yield (277.06 q/ha) and total yield (295.66 q/ha), indicating adaptability to varied environmental conditions. These findings hold promise for breeding high-yielding onion varieties resilient to diverse environments, ensuring stability, adaptability, and quality in cultivation.

Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) is an important salad vegetable grown and consumed throughout the world for fleshy roots which has numerous categories– varying in root colour, size, shape and flavour. The uses of coloured radishes in the salads and their anthocyanins as colourants are gaining popularity because of the colour characteristics, health benefits as well as antioxidant activities. However, information on the genetic variability, heritability and inter-relationship of total phenolics, anthocyanins and antioxidant activities in pigmented radish is very limited, but pre-requisite to initiate breeding programme; and therefore investigated in the present study. Radish genotypes were significantly diverse for all the antioxidants; differed by 4.98-fold for total phenolics, 36.16-fold for anthocyanins content, 4.96-fold for FRAP activity and 4.03-fold for CUPRAC activity; and the genotypes accounted for >97% of total variations. The meager differences between phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation reveals the greater role of genotypes and lesser influence of the environment on the biosynthesis and accumulation of antioxidants. Significantly positive correlations along with higher magnitude for anthocyanins content, total phenolics, FRAP activity and CUPRAC activity (r= 0.823 to 0.964) could be used as indirect selection criteria for improving levels of antioxidant compounds. The estimates of heritability and genetic advance indicate the role of additive and non-additive genes for biosynthesis of antioxidants and root development, respectively; therefore, recurrent selection would be the best breeding approach to improve both the traits simultaneously in coloured radish.

Vertically aligned and highly c-axis oriented ZnO nanorods were epitaxially grown on c-sapphire by dc reactive sputtering of zinc target in argon-oxygen atmosphere. Scanning electron microscopy shows that substrate temperature critically controls the morphology of sputtered ZnO films, eventually causing the formation of laterally oriented ZnO nanorods at higher temperatures (700 °C–750 °C), as confirmed by Φ-scan measurements. High resolution X-ray diffraction was used to obtain the micro-structural parameters of ZnO columnar films/nanorods from Williamson-Hall plots of ω and ω-2θ scans, and rocking curves of asymmetric reflections. These results show that epitaxially grown ZnO nanorods exhibit substantially superior micro-structural parameters, namely, tilt (0.4°), twist (0.5°), and microstrain (4 x 10-4), compared to columnar ZnO films grown at 500 °C–600 °C. The reciprocal space maps of (0002), (0004), (10…1), (10…4); and (11…0) planes of ZnO nanorods were carried out to obtain the lattice parameters of epitaxial ZnO nanorods and calculate lattice strain (9 x 10-4, for both “a” and “c”), which indicates the absence of biaxial strain. Room temperature photoluminescence of epitaxial ZnO nanorods shows a strong near-band-edge emission along with negligible defect emission, owing to their high crystalline quality and micro-structural parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undoped GaN films were epitaxially grown on c-sapphire by rf magnetron reactive sputtering of GaAs at different N2 percentages in Ar–N2 sputtering atmosphere. These films display a large increase in conductivity from ∼10−6 Ω−1cm−1 to ∼102 Ω−1cm−1 with decrease of N2 in sputtering atmosphere from 100% to 10%. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals a monotonous decrease of N/Ga ratio, concurrently with increase of uncoordinated/interstitial Ga in the films, with decrease of N2 percentage in sputtering atmosphere. Extended x-ray absorption fine structure measurements and x-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) simulation at Ga K-edge demonstrate the absence of N vacancies in sputtered GaN films and point towards the presence of Ga vacancies, which increase with decrease of N2 percentage in sputtering atmosphere. XANES measurements at O K-edge reveal that O interstitials are present in most of the films, except for the film grown at low N2 percentages (∼10%), in which case, O substitution on N-site may also take place. A monotonous increase of n-type conductivity is observed with increase of Ga interstitials, which suggests that Ga interstitials are the main source of n-type conductivity in sputtered GaN films. The low conductivity of the films grown at high N2 percentages (≳75%) is attributed to the limited presence of Ga interstitials and a strong compensation, dominated by N and O interstitials. The high conductivity GaN films grown at low N2 percentages may be partly contributed by O substituted on N site, along with Ga vacancies and possibly VGa-ON complexes, as the compensating defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman, an economically important onion pest in India, poses a severe threat to the domestic and export supply of onions. Therefore, it is important to study the distribution of this pest in order to assess the possible crop loss, which it may inflict if not managed in time. In this study, MaxEnt was used to analyze the potential distribution of T. tabaci in India and predict the changes in the suitable areas for onion thrips under two scenarios, SSP126 and SSP585. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.993 and 0.989 for training and testing demonstrated excellent model accuracy. The true skill statistic value of 0.944 and 0.921, and the continuous Boyce index of 0.964 and 0.889 for training and testing, also showed higher model accuracy. Annual Mean Temperature (bio1), Annual Precipitation (bio12) and Precipitation Seasonality (bio15) are the main variables that determined the potential distribution of T. tabaci, with the suitable range of 22–28 °C; 300–1000 mm and 70–160, respectively. T. tabaci is distributed mainly in India's central and southern states, with 1.17 × 106 km2, covering 36.4% of land area under the current scenario. Multimodal ensembles show that under a low emission scenario (SSP126), low, moderate and optimum suitable areas of T. tabaci is likely to increase, while highly suitable areas would decrease by 17.4% in 2050 20.9% in 2070. Whereas, under the high emission scenario (SSP585), the high suitability is likely to contract by 24.2% and 51.7% for 2050 and 2070, respectively. According to the prediction of the BCC-CSM2-MR, CanESM5, CNRM-CM6-1 and MIROC6 model, the highly suitable area for T. tabaci would likely contract under both SSP126 and SSP585. This study detailed the potential future habitable area for T. tabaci in India, which could help monitor and devise efficient management strategies for this destructive pest.

Epitaxial GaN films were grown on c-sapphire by rf magnetron reactive sputtering of GaAs at different partial pressures of nitrogen in Ar–N2 sputtering atmosphere. High-resolution x-ray diffraction and φ-scans reveal the mosaic growth of c-axis oriented, wurtzite GaN films. The c and a parameters were independently determined to obtain the corresponding in-plane and out-of-plane strain components. Raman measurements confirmed the in-plane strain behavior. The surface morphology and elemental composition of films were studied by atomic force microscopy and secondary ion mass spectroscopy, respectively. High-resolution ω-2θ, ω, and in-plane φ-rocking curve scans were used to obtain micro-strain, screw and edge dislocation densities, respectively. The films grown at 30%–100% N2 reveal dominance of edge (∼1012 cm−2) over screw (∼1010 cm−2) dislocations, with both approaching similar densities at lower N2 percentages. The strain data has been analyzed to separate the hydrostatic and biaxial contributions and their dependences on N2 percentage. The film grown at 100% N2 displays large hydrostatic strain and micro-strain due to the presence of excess/interstitial nitrogen. The hydrostatic strain and micro-strain decrease substantially with initial decrease of N2 percentage, but increase slightly in the films grown below 30% N2, primarily due to the incorporation of Ar. The films grown below 75% N2 display growth-related intrinsic tensile stress, originating from crystallite coalescence. The stress reversal from tensile to compressive, seen in the films grown at higher N2 percentages is primarily attributed to the incorporation of excess/interstitial nitrogen into grain boundaries and the tensile side of edge dislocations. The decrease of intrinsic tensile stress in the films grown below 30% N2 is attributed to the incorporation of Ar and their voided structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionWaterlogging is a major stress that severely affects onion cultivation worldwide, and developing stress-tolerant varieties could be a valuable measure for overcoming its adverse effects. Gathering information regarding the molecular mechanisms and gene expression patterns of waterlogging-tolerant and sensitive genotypes is an effective method for improving stress tolerance in onions. To date, the waterlogging tolerance-governing molecular mechanism in onions is unknown.MethodsThis study identified the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) through transcriptome analysis in leaf tissue of two onion genotypes (Acc. 1666; tolerant and W-344; sensitive) presenting contrasting responses to waterlogging stress.ResultsDifferential gene expression analysis revealed that in Acc. 1666, 1629 and 3271 genes were upregulated and downregulated, respectively. In W-344, 2134 and 1909 genes were upregulated and downregulated, respectively, under waterlogging stress. The proteins coded by these DEGs regulate several key biological processes to overcome waterlogging stress such as phytohormone production, antioxidant enzymes, programmed cell death, and energy production. The clusters of orthologous group pathway analysis revealed that DEGs contributed to the post-translational modification, energy production, and carbohydrate metabolism-related pathways under waterlogging stress. The enzyme assay demonstrated higher activity of antioxidant enzymes in Acc. 1666 than in W-344. The differential expression of waterlogging tolerance related genes, such as those related to antioxidant enzymes, phytohormone biosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, and transcriptional factors, suggested that significant fine reprogramming of gene expression occurs in response to waterlogging stress in onion. A few genes such as ADH, PDC, PEP carboxylase, WRKY22, and Respiratory burst oxidase D were exclusively upregulated in Acc. 1666.DiscussionThe molecular information about DEGs identified in the present study would be valuable for improving stress tolerance and for developing waterlogging tolerant onion varieties.

A field study was carried out on the year-long residual activity of the insect growth regulator (IGR) pyriproxyfen (Nylar 0.5G) in comparison with methoprene (Altosid® XRP Pellets) against mosquito developmental stages in catch basins in northwestern Riverside County, southern California. Pyriproxyfen was applied at 75, 100, 125, 150, 175 g per catch basin and methoprene at 3.5 g per catch basin. A total of 80 catch basins (10 per each treatment and 20 for control) were used. Posttreatment observations of catch basins were carried out at weekly intervals, with all pupal collections reared to adults. Mosquito species composition in this study, consisting mostly of Culex species (693), was predominated by Cx. quinquefasciatus (92.8%), followed by Cx. erythrothorax (5.5%), Cx. tarsalis (1.2%), Cx. stigmatosoma (0.3%), and Cx. thriambus (0.2%). Activity of both IGRs was expressed as percent inhibition of adult emergence (% IAE). Data generated on % IAE showed that, like methoprene, pyriproxyfen provided complete control of mosquitoes at 75, 125, and 175 g per catch basin up to 50 wk posttreatment at the Riverside amusement park, whereas its activity against mosquitoes in catch basins treated with 100 g and 150 g at the Eastvale site was short-lived, up to 48 wk. Water samples, bioassayed against laboratory-reared, 4th-stage larvae of Cx. quinquefasciatus 1–2 wk after the 50-wk-long study, showed evidence of significant % IAE (∼50) by pyriproxyfen at the 2 higher rates (125 g, 175 g) used at the amusement park. In conclusion, pyriproxyfen can be used to effectively control mosquitoes in catch basins for 48–50 wk, depending on the rate of application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin of n-type conductivity in as grown, undoped GaN has been debated over several decades, with contradictory views. This work deals with reactively sputtered, undoped GaN films in which a large decrease of resistivity from ∼105 to ∼2 × 10−3 Ω cm is seen, as the nitrogen percentage in argon–nitrogen sputtering atmosphere is decreased from 100% to 10%, resulting in high electron concentration ∼1020 cm−3 at the lower end of nitrogen pressure. The electrical behavior of these films has been correlated with their composition and chemical state to understand the nature of point defects which influence n-type conductivity. Powder x-ray diffraction and phi scans of the undoped GaN films grown by sputtering of GaAs at 700 °C on c-sapphire reveal epitaxial growth of single phase GaN. SIMS results show the absence of arsenic in the films and uniformly distributed gallium and nitrogen along with oxygen impurity, across their thickness. XPS data reveal the decrease of N/Ga ratio, as the nitrogen partial pressure is decreased along with the increase of uncoordinated Ga, indicating the formation of nitrogen vacancies. In the high resistivity films grown at higher nitrogen percentage in sputtering atmosphere, oxygen impurities appear to be primarily responsible for creation of n-type carriers, which are compensated by Ga vacancies and possibly VGa–ON complexes. The drastic enhancement of n-type conductivity and carrier concentration in the low resistivity films grown at lower nitrogen percentage, which reveal significantly smaller nitrogen content, is attributed dominantly to the increase in nitrogen vacancies and uncoordinated Ga. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced graphene oxide–zinc oxide (rGO–ZnO) nanocomposites were grown on solid substrates by rapid thermal treatment of Langmuir–Blodgett transferred GO–Zn composite sheets in oxygen ambient. The changes induced by uptake of Zn2+ ions and subsequent thermal treatment on surface morphology, micro-structure, composition and optical properties of composite sheets were investigated by atomic force microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman measurements. The morphological features of composites are practically independent of subphase Zn concentration and are largely determined by the temperature of rapid thermal treatment. FT-IR results indicate the presence of zinc carboxylate in composites and HR-TEM results confirm the formation of ZnO nanoparticles upon subsequent oxidation. XPS and Raman measurements show that rapid thermal treatment in oxygen ambient results in decrease of carbon-oxygen functional groups and increase in graphitic carbon content leading to the reduction of GO in the composites. The average optical transmittance of rGO–ZnO composites in the visible region is found to be ∼87%. Photocatalytic studies carried out on methylene blue (MB) overlayer coated rGO–ZnO composites show reduction in concentration of MB with increasing duration of UV irradiation. The transparent two-dimensional rGO–ZnO composite solid state structures thus facilitate efficient adsorption and degradation of MB molecules, without any composite aggregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GaN films have been deposited by reactive rf sputtering of GaAs target in 100% nitrogen ambient on quartz substrates at different substrate temperatures ranging from room temperature to 700 °C. A series of films, from arsenic-rich amorphous to nearly arsenic-free polycrystalline hexagonal GaN, has been obtained. The films have been characterized by phase modulated spectroscopic ellipsometry to obtain the optical parameters, viz., fundamental band gap, refractive index, and extinction coefficient, and to understand their dependence on composition and microstructure. A generalized optical dispersion model has been used to carry out the ellipsometric analysis for amorphous and polycrystalline GaN films and the variation of the optical parameters of the films has been studied as a function of substrate temperature. The refractive index values of polycrystalline films with preferred orientation of crystallites are slightly higher (2.2) compared to those for amorphous and randomly oriented films. The dominantly amorphous GaN film shows a band gap of 3.47 eV, which decreases to 3.37 eV for the strongly c-axis oriented polycrystalline film due to the reduction in amorphous phase content with increase in substrate temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu doped CdS nanophosphors were fabricated through Langmuir–Blodgett route for the first time. Precursors mixed Langmuir–Blodgett multilayers of cadmium arachidate–copper arachidate were used to grow doped sulfide nanoparticles within the organic matrix through postdeposition treatment with H2S gas. Changes in composition and layered structure of precursor multilayers were studied using Fourier transform infrared and x-ray reflection. Uptake of Cu in the multilayers was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy measurements. Unannealed H2S exposed multilayers containing CdS nanoparticles show strong surface state emission centeredat ∼570 nm, whereas Cu doped CdS nanoparticles show orange-red luminescence. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of annealed-Cu doped CdS nanoparticles show distinct Cu-related emission compared to annealed-undoped CdS nanoparticles. Power dependent PL measurements of annealed samples show that an efficient carrier recombination takes place at T2 level of Cu++. The carrier relaxation from the excitonic states to T2 level results in the strong orange-red luminescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GaN films have been deposited by radio frequency sputtering of a GaAs target with pure nitrogen. The growth, composition, and structure of the films deposited on quartz substrates have been studied by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Films deposited below 300 °C are amorphous and As rich. Above 300 °C, polycrystalline, hexagonal GaN is formed, along with As rich amorphous phase, which reduces with increasing substrate temperature. At a substrate temperature of 700 °C, GaN films, practically free of amorphous phase, and As (<0.5 at. %) are formed. The preferred orientation depends strongly on the substrate temperature and is controlled by surface diffusion of adatoms during growth stage. Below 500 °C, the surface diffusion between planes dominates and results in the (1011) preferred orientation. Above 500 °C, the surface diffusion between grains takes over and results in (0002) preferred orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characterization of garlic germplasm improves its utility, despite the fact that garlic hasn't been used much in the past. Garlic has an untapped genetic pool of immense economic and medicinal value in India. Hence, using heuristic core collection approach, a core set of 46 accessions were selected from 625 Indian garlic accessions based on 13 quantitative and five qualitative traits. The statistical measures (CV per cent, CR per cent, VR per cent) were used to sort the core set using Shannon-Wiener diversity index and the Nei diversity index. In addition, the variation within the core set was tested for 18 agro-morphological and six biochemical characteristics (allicin, phenol content, pyruvic acid, protein, allyl methyl thiosulfinate (AMTHS), and methyl allyl thiosulfinate (MATHS)). Further study of the core set's molecular diversity was performed using sequence related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers, which revealed a wide range of diversity among the core set's accessions, with an average polymorphism efficiency (PE) of 80.59 percent, polymorphism information content (PIC) of 0.29, effective multiplex ratio (EMR) of 3.51, and marker index (MI) of 0.99. The findings of this study will be useful in identifying high-yielding, elite garlic germplasm lines with the trait of interest. Since this core set is indicative of total germplasm, these selected breeding lines will be used for genetic improvement of garlic in the future.

Fruit length in chilli is quantitatively inherited trait and selection based on phenotypic performance is tedious and time consuming. To detect QTLs determining fruit length in Capsicum spp., an interspecific F2 mapping population was developed from the cross of C. annuum L. cv. 'FL 201' with C. galapagoense Hunz. accession 'TC 07245'. Fruit length in this cross showed a quantitative inheritance with the population depicting a symmetric distribution in histogram. To map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for fruit length 400 SSR markers were surveyed on the parental genotypes but only 28 markers were observed to be polymorphic indicating less genetic diversity between the two Capsicum species. Polymorphic markers were then analyzed in F2 population consisting of 210 plants and 24 of these markers were mapped on to three linkage groups (LGs): LG 1, LG 2 and LG 3. Two fruit length determining QTLs designated as paufl2.1 and paufl2.2 were identified and both the QTLs were mapped on to LG 2. The two QTLs together explained 21.78 per cent of the phenotypic variation. Apart from the two QTLs, positive alleles were detected in the small fruited parent 'TC 07245' which might be of potential use in chilli breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purple blotch (PB) is one of the most destructive foliar diseases of onion and other alliums, caused by a necrotrophic fungal pathogen Alternaria porri. There are no reports on the molecular response of onion to PB infection. To elucidate the response of onion to A. porri infection, we consequently carried out an RNAseq analysis of the resistant (Arka Kalyan; AK) and susceptible (Agrifound rose; AFR) genotype after an artificial infection. Through differential expression analyses between control and pathogen-treated plants, we identified 8,064 upregulated and 248 downregulated genes in AFR, while 832 upregulated and 564 downregulated genes were identified in AK. A further significant reprogramming in the gene expression profile was also demonstrated by a functional annotation analysis. Gene ontology (GO) terms, which are particularly involved in defense responses and signaling, are overrepresented in current analyses such as “oxidoreductase activity,” “chitin catabolic processes,” and “defense response.” Several key plant defense genes were differentially expressed on A. porri infection, which includes pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins, receptor-like kinases, phytohormone signaling, cell-wall integrity, cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, and transcription factors. Some of the genes were exclusively overexpressed in resistant genotype, namely, GABA transporter1, ankyrin repeat domain-containing protein, xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase, and PR-5 (thaumatin-like). Antioxidant enzyme activities were observed to be increased after infection in both genotypes but higher activity was found in the resistant genotype, AK. This is the first report of transcriptome profiling in onion in response to PB infection and will serve as a resource for future studies to elucidate the molecular mechanism of onion-A. porri interaction and to improve PB resistance in onions.

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is a clonally propagated bulbous crop and can be infected by several viruses under field conditions. A virus complex reduces garlic yield and deteriorates the quality of the produce. In the present study, we aimed to eliminate Onion yellow dwarf virus (OYDV), Garlic common latent virus (GCLV), Shallot latent virus (SLV), and Allexiviruses from the infected crop using combination of meristem culture, thermotherapy, and chemotherapy. In this study, seven different treatments, namely shoot meristem culture, thermotherapy direct culture, chemotherapy direct culture, chemotherapy + meristem culture, thermotherapy + meristem culture, thermotherapy + chemotherapy direct culture, and thermotherapy + chemotherapy + meristem culture (TCMC), were used. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to detect virus elimination, which revealed the percentage of virus-free plants was between 65 and 100%, 55 and 100%, and 13 and 100% in the case of GCLV, SLV, and OYDV, respectively. The in vitro regeneration efficiency was between 66.06 and 98.98%. However, the elimination of Allexiviruses could not be achieved. TCMC was the most effective treatment for eliminating GCLV, SLV, and OYDV from garlic, with 66.06% plant regeneration efficiency. The viral titre of the Allexivirus under all the treatments was monitored using real-time PCR, and the lowest viral load was observed in the TCMC treatment. The present study is the first to report the complete removal of GCLV, SLV, and OYDV from Indian red garlic with the application of thermotherapy coupled with chemotherapy and shoot meristem culture.

Introduction : In the perioperative care, the effects of anesthesia on the brain are monitored with a frontal bispectral index monitor calculating an index between 0 (complete suppression of cortical activity) and 100 (fully awake) based on sinusoidal components of the EEG. Until today, anesthesiologists define loss of consciousness (LOC) clinically with the suppression of lid closure reflex or missing response. Routinely used monitors do not directly report the transition from awake to unconscious. An increase in frontal β power followed by predominant increased α power was proposed as a tool to track the transition between anesthetic states (Gugino, Chabot et al. 2001, Purdon, Pierce et al. 2013). Here we wanted to find common spectral signatures of LOC in young and elderly patients to implement in intraoperative neuromonitors. Methods : Patients without neurological diseases/medication aged >70 years and between 18 and 30 years undergoing elective orthopedic surgery were included. 20 Ag/AgCl electrodes were placed following the 10/20-system. Full-band EEG (DC-500Hz) was recorded intraoperatively with a sampling frequqency of 5000 Hz. Anesthesia was induced with propofol. EEGs were aligned at the event LOC. Power spectral analysis was computed with Chronux Toolbox in Matlab with the multitaper method for 6 frontal channels (Fp1, Fp2, F3, F4, F7, F8) and their mean was calculated. We used a custom-written Matlab code computing the 95% confidence interval of the median difference at each frequency between preLOC (1 min before LOC) and postLOC (1 min after LOC) to assess statistical significance for the difference in power by using a frequency domain-based bootstrapping algorithm resampling the Fourier coefficient. Results : 19 patients were included: 10 in the elderly cohort (80.6 +/- 3.2 years) and 9 in the young cohort (25.6 +/-2.9 years). In the young cohort, LOC was associated with a significant increase in δ, θ, α and β bands whereas the elderly cohort showed opposite dynamics with a decrease in sub-δ, δ and γ bands over LOC (Figure 1, 2). The power of fast components of the EEG (50-250 Hz) significantly dropped over LOC in both cohorts (Figure 2). Conclusion : Elderly patients undergoing anesthesia do not show the characteristic increased β and α power at LOC known from younger patients but rather a decrease in the slow components of the EEG (<8Hz). LOC is associated with a decrease in the fast components (>50Hz) in all patients. However commonly used neuromonitors do not measure faster components of the EEG. Further easily computable markers are needed to develop an EEG tool that reliably recognizes LOC in all patients. Legend Figure 1: Dynamics of Frontal Mean Power around LOC. Figure 2: Comparison of Power Distribution between preLOC & postLOC in the Young (left) and Elderly (right) Cohorts. A: Frontal Group Spectrogram over LOC B: Distribution of Frontal Spectral Power preLOC & postLOC C: 95% CI of median difference between preLOC & postLOC. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Onion is the most important crop challenged by a diverse group of insect pests in the agricultural ecosystem. The green semilooper (Chrysodeixis acuta Walker), a widespread tomato and soybean pest, has lately been described as an emergent onion crop pest in India. C. acuta whole mitochondrial genome was sequenced in this work. The circular genome of C. acuta measured 15,743 base pairs (bp) in length. Thirteen protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and one control region were found in the 37 sequence elements. With an average 395 bp gene length, the maximum and minimum gene length observed was 1749 bp and 63 bp of nad5 and trnR, respectively. Nine of the thirteen PCGs have (ATN) as a stop codon, while the other four have a single (T) as a stop codon. Except for trnS1, all of the tRNAs were capable of producing a conventional clover leaf structure. Conserved ATAGA motif sequences and poly-T stretch were identified at the start of the control region. Six overlapping areas and 18 intergenic spacer regions were found, with sizes ranged from 1 to 20 bp and 1 to 111 bp correspondingly. Phylogenetically, C. acuta belongs to the Plusiinae subfamily of the Noctuidae superfamily, and is closely linked to Trichoplusia ni species from the same subfamily. In the present study, the emerging onion pest C. acuta has its complete mitochondrial genome sequenced for the first time.

Onion production is severely affected by waterlogging conditions, which are created due to heavy rainfall. Hence, the identification of waterlogging-tolerant onion genotypes is crucial for increasing onion production. In the present study, 100 distinct onion genotypes were screened for waterlogging tolerance under artificial conditions by using the phenotypic approach in the monsoon season of 2017. Based on plant survival and recovery and changes in bulb weight, we identified 19 tolerant, 27 intermediate tolerant, and 54 highly sensitive onion genotypes. The tolerant genotypes exhibited higher plant survival and better recovery and bulb size, whereas sensitive genotypes exhibited higher plant mortality, poor recovery, and small bulb size under waterlogging conditions. Furthermore, a subset of 12 contrasting genotypes was selected for field trials during monsoon seasons 2018 and 2019. Results revealed that considerable variation in the morphological, physiological, and yield characteristics were observed across the genotypes under stress conditions. Waterlogging-tolerant genotypes, namely, Acc. 1666, Acc. 1622, W-355, W-208, KH-M-2, and RGP-5, exhibited higher plant height, leaf number, leaf area, leaf length, chlorophyll content, membrane stability index (MSI), pyruvic acid, antioxidant content, and bulb yield than sensitive genotypes under stress conditions. Furthermore, the principal component analysis biplot revealed a strong association of leaf number, leaf area, chlorophyll content, MSI, and bulb yield with tolerant genotypes under stress conditions. The study indicates that the waterlogging-tolerant onion genotypes with promising stress-adaptive traits can be used in plant breeding programs for developing waterlogging-tolerant onion varieties.

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Tomato production is severely affected by abiotic stresses (drought, flood, heat, and salt) and causes approximately 70% loss in yield depending on severity and duration of the stress. Drought is the most destructive abiotic stress and tomato is very sensitive to the drought stress, as cultivated tomato lack novel gene(s) for drought stress tolerance. Only 20% of agricultural land worldwide is irrigated, and only 14.51% of that is well-irrigated, while the rest is rain fed. This scenario makes drought very frequent, which restricts the genetically predetermined yield. Primarily, drought disturbs tomato plant physiology by altering plant–water relation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Many wild tomato species have drought tolerance gene(s); however, their exploitation is very difficult because of high genetic distance and pre- and post-transcriptional barriers for embryo development. To overcome these issues, biotechnological methods, including transgenic technology and CRISPR-Cas, are used to enhance drought tolerance in tomato. Transgenic technology permitted the exploitation of non-host gene/s. On the other hand, CRISPR-Cas9 technology facilitated the editing of host tomato gene(s) for drought stress tolerance. The present review provides updated information on biotechnological intervention in tomato for drought stress management and sustainable agriculture.

The onion (Allium cepa L.) is a lucrative and high-value vegetable–spice crop in India, but it is sensitive to several of diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes, of which a fungal disease, anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum spp., is a major issue for both onion producers and researchers since it severely affects the bulb production. Twister disease is currently one of the most common problems in onion production, particularly in humid regions, and it reduces productivity while also lowering the value and profitability. Twister disease is visualised by white or pale-yellow water-soaked oval depressed lesions on leaf blades, which are the first symptoms. Lesions expand as the disease advances, and numerous black-coloured, slightly elevated structures/fruiting bodies appear in the middle area, arranged in concentric rings. Curling, twisting, chlorosis of the leaves, and aberrant extension of the neck or pseudo-stem occurs, followed by rotting of the bulb. In an unmanaged crop, an excess gibberellin production by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Gibberella moniliformis is suspected to induce twisting and aberrant neck elongation, which will ruin onion productivity. It is difficult and environmentally unfriendly to control these infections. Since, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first review on onion anthracnose, we tried to consolidate information. This review updates our knowledge of the pathogen, including the disease cycle, infection pathways, and disease management techniques. As a result, growers will be benefit from the application of cultural, biological, and chemical measures and the use of resistant varieties.

Most of the hybrid seed in chilli are produced manually, but the use of male sterility ( MS) can reduce the cost of hybrid seed production. MS-12, a nuclear male-sterile ( NMS) line developed at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (India), has been utilized to develop commercial F1 hybrids. A recessive gene, designated as ms10, governs MS in MS-12. Due to recessive gene control, development of new NMS lines incorporating ms10 gene is tedious and time-consuming. We identified SSR markers AVRDC- PP12 and AVRDC_ MD997* linked to the ms10 gene. A total of 558 primer pairs were screened following bulked segregant analysis ( BSA). Linkage analysis in 210 F2 plants indicated that the two SSR markers were linked to the ms10 gene and the marker AVRDC- PP12 was closest to the gene at 7.2 cM distance. The marker was mapped to chromosome 1 at genome position 175 694 513 to 175 694 644. Until more closely linked markers are developed, the marker AVRDC- PP12 would facilitate transfer of ms10 gene through marker-assisted selection ( MAS). Fine mapping would lead to cloning of the ms10 gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background A case of congenital hypothyroidism with goiter ( CHG) in a juvenile French bulldog was identified and hypothesized to be caused by dyshormonogenesis of genetic etiology. Objectives To describe case management, unusual phenotypic aspects, and a CHG-causing mutation in a French bulldog. Animals Thyroid tissue and blood from a CHG-affected French bulldog and 4 normal control dogs and buccal brush samples of 125 French bulldogs were studied. Methods Standard clinical assessment and laboratory tests were applied. Thyroid peroxidase ( TPO) iodide oxidation activity was measured in vitro, and TPO protein was assessed on Western blots. Thyroid peroxidase exons and flanking splice sites were amplified from genomic DNA and sequenced. Thyroid peroxidase cDNA was amplified from thyroid RNA and sequenced. Results At 9 months of age, the affected dog had signs of cretinism, but near-normal skeletal maturation. The enlarged thyroid glands exhibited noninflammatory fibrosis and aberrant follicular organization. Thyroid peroxidase activity and immunocrossreactive protein were undetectable. There was a T>C mutation of the intron 12 splice donor consensus that caused abnormally spliced mRNA, consistent with absent TPO function. The mutant allele was not observed in 125 clinically normal French bulldogs. Conclusions Presumptive CHG in a French bulldog with unusual clinical presentation is described. Genetic etiology was confirmed by identifying the underlying TPO mutation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This age period after 12 years is characterized by an increase in all dimensions of all the anatomical structures of the individuals, under the influence of new factors that interfere with the general tonus of the body. Purpose. Thus, in this paper, we approached certain aspects of both theoretical and practical that may occur in the formation and development of dento-maxillary system in the age period of 12 years (after some authors, up to the age of 21 years). Material and method. The study was conducted between May 12 and June 25 2018 with the help of 55 dental practitioners. Results and discussions. The analysis of the answers provided by the participants in the study was performed by means of specific research methods. The results are eloquent and provide an overview of how dental practitioners manage the eruption of the wisdom tooth in the developmental processes of the dento-maxillary system. Conclusions. The eruption of the wisdom tooth is a certain element of growth, which must be taken into account in the future therapeutic approach of the morpho-functional imbalances of the dento-maxillary system.

Drought is a leading abiotic constraints for onion production globally. Breeding by using unique genetic resources for drought tolerance is a vital mitigation strategy. With a total of 100 onion genotypes were screened for drought tolerance using multivariate analysis. The experiment was conducted in a controlled rainout shelter for 2 years 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 in a randomized block design with three replications and two treatments (control and drought stress). The plant was exposed to drought stress during the bulb development stage (i.e., 50–75 days after transplanting). The genotypes were screened on the basis of the drought tolerance efficiency (DTE), percent bulb yield reduction, and results of multivariate analysis viz. hierarchical cluster analysis by Ward’s method, discriminate analysis and principal component analysis. The analysis of variance indicated significant differences among the tested genotypes and treatments for all the parameters studied, viz. phenotypic, physiological, biochemical, and yield attributes. Bulb yield was strongly positively correlated with membrane stability index (MSI), relative water content (RWC), total chlorophyll content, antioxidant enzyme activity, and leaf area under drought stress. The genotypes were categorized into five groups namely, highly tolerant, tolerant, intermediate, sensitive, and highly sensitive based on genetic distance. Under drought conditions, clusters II and IV contained highly tolerant and highly sensitive genotypes, respectively. Tolerant genotypes, viz. Acc. 1656, Acc. 1658, W-009, and W-085, had higher DTE (>90%), fewer yield losses (