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BACKGROUND: Huanglongbing (HLB) (caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus) is the most damaging disease of citrus around the world. This study investigated the effects of citrus tree height on Diaphorina citri Kuwayama mortality, endosymbiont responses, and HLB distribution. RESULTS: The results reveal that the age of citrus trees plays a significant role in psyllid mortality. Interestingly, the cumulative mean mortality (%) of psyllids over the seven‐day observation period was higher (31.50±0.03) when four‐year‐old (501A1, 502A2, 501A3) citrus trees were sprayed with a US‐SMART mechanical sprayer. In contrast, the psyllids mortality was 0.09±0.23 for the 13‐year‐old citrus trees (104A2, 104A3, 104C1) sprayed with a US‐SMART mechanical sprayer and 9.10±0.05 for 13‐year‐old (502A2, 502B2, 502D1) citrus trees sprayed with a fixed US‐SMART mechanical sprayer. Our findings also revealed that psyllids from both four‐ and 13‐year‐old citrus trees carried Candidatus Carsonella ruddii species and Wolbachia, the primary and secondary endosymbionts, respectively. Surprisingly, infection rates of these endosymbionts remained consistent across different age groups, as confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Furthermore, our study highlights the significance of tree height as a proxy for tree age in influencing HLB occurrence. Specifically, four‐year‐old citrus trees subjected to the US‐SMART mechanical sprayer for citrus psyllid control demonstrated effective disease management compared to 13‐year‐old (104A2, 104A3, 104C1) citrus trees sprayed with US‐SMART mechanical sprayers. Additionally, the investigation explored the impact of tree height on HLB distribution. In four‐year‐old trees, no significant correlation between HLB disease and tree height was observed, potentially due to effective spray coverage with US‐SMART mechanical sprayer. However, in 13‐year‐old (104A2, 104A3, 104C1) citrus tree sprayed with US‐SMART mechanical sprayer, a positive correlation between tree height and HLB disease was evident. CONCLUSION: This research provides valuable insights into the complex interaction between citrus tree age, psyllid endosymbionts responses, and HLB distribution. These results emphasize effective HLB management strategies, especially in orchards with diverse tree age populations, ultimately contributing to the long‐term sustainability of citrus cultivation. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine and analyse the Ideological construction of gender representation in Nadia Hashmi's The Pearl That Broke Its Shell from the perspective of Critical discourse analysis. The study has been conducted in a socially constructed Bacha Posh tradition which has been practiced in Afghanistan for several generations. To unpack gender representation and ideological construction of gender in the discourse structures, the researcher has used M.M Lazar's FCDA praxis. Lazar's theoretical and methodological considerations offer a systematic inquiry to the researcher to dig out the ideological construction and unequal representation of gender. The current study revealed that gender is a social and cultural phenomenon and central female characters in the discourse structures are represented unequally, socially, culturally politically and economically through linguistic structures. Further studies are required to investigate the effect of polygamy and early marriages on the lives of girls in Afghan society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Herbivores may influence each other directly and through plant mediated inter-specific interactions. The Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri Kuwayama) and citrus aphids are key pests that can co-exist on citrus, but their plant-mediated interaction between them is unknown. Here we investigated plant-mediated effect of two citrus aphid species, the polyphagous Aphis spiraecola Patch and the oligophagous Aphis (Toxoptera) citricidus (Kirkaldy) on the feeding behavior and reproduction of Diaphorina citri, and explored the underlying mechanisms. Results: In comparison with those on aphid free plants, Diaphorina citri had decreased reproduction and reduced phloem feeding on Aphis spiraecola pre-infested plants, while the reproduction and feeding efficiency were increased on Aphis citricidus pre-infested plants. Jasmonic acid (JA) dependent defense was significantly activated by Diaphorina citri feeding on Aphis spiraecola pre-infested plants, but was suppressed by Diaphorina citri feeding on Aphis citricidus pre-infested plants compared with that on aphid free plant. By contrast, only one tested marker gene in salicylic acid (SA) signaling was activated by Diaphorina citri feeding on Aphis spiraecola pre-infested plants. Furthermore, exogenous application of methyl jasmonate, but not SA, conferred resistance against Diaphorina citri in our citrus trials. Conclusion: Our results indicate that pre-infestation by two citrus aphid species differentially altered Diaphorina citri induced citrus JA dependent defense, which resulted in different effect on subsequent Diaphorina citri performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a detailed study of the Ahl-i-Hadith movement in Pakistan and shows how its scholars continue to rely heavily on religious discourses and texts produced by official Saudi Salafi scholars. The authors illustrates this by showing how Pakistani Ahl-i-Hadith scholars actively refer to the fatwas issued by Saudi scholars. Further, based on interviews with both senior and younger scholars, they show that most of them, while somewhat troubled by the changes occurring within Saudi Arabia, are inclined to follow whatever direction the Saudi religious establishment adopts. Thus, in the view of the authors, social liberation within Saudi Arabia will trigger similar changes in attitude within this movement. The article, however, also highlights the need to recognize that the Ahl-i-Hadith movement represents a very small, though influential, group within the broader Pakistani religious sphere, which is dominated by Deobandi and Barelvi networks. Thus, it should not be assumed that the existence of Salafi groups in a country means that Salafism constitutes the dominant Islamic force in that context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The response of plant cultivars to infestation by single aphid species has been widely reported, whereas the response of plants to multiple aphid species, and the mechanisms by which various aphids benefit from the induced changes, has been largely ignored. Here we analyzed the symptoms and physiological responses of sweet orange, Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck (Rutaceae), as affected by Aphis spiraecola Patch and Aphis (Toxoptera) citricidus (Kirkaldy) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). We further compared the feeding behavior, population abundance, and proportion of winged morph of the two aphid species when separately feeding on sweet orange. Results showed that feeding by A. spiraecola, but not A. citricidus, caused leaf curling, reduced shoot length, shoot fresh weight, and chlorophyll concentration. In addition, A. spiraecola feeding increased the concentration of essential amino acids in leaves when compared with A. citricidus and uninfested control plants. Electrical penetration graph‐studies showed that A. citricidus gained faster access and acceptance of phloem, and spent more time ingesting phloem sap, than A. spiraecola. Furthermore, after 2 weeks of infestation, A. spiraecola produced more winged morphs, whereas A. citricidus achieved higher population abundance. Thus, our results indicate that the two citrus aphids utilize divergent strategies to manipulate host metabolism, and gain fitness benefits in population abundance or winged form production. The results could improve our understanding of varied adaptive strategies of co‐existing insects and extend our knowledge of aphid‐plant interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan, being a heterogeneous country, is home to people hailing from different ethnicities, subcultures and local languages. Nonverbal language acquired by a speaker parallel to the acquisition of their local language on subcultural level can continue to be used by the speaker while using their national or official language. As a result, a researcher doing country-wide research faces a great deal of chances of misunderstanding the non-verbal cues accompanying the oral responses made in the national lingua franca, Urdu, in the official language, English or in some rare cases the mother tongue of the respondent. The nature and extent of the matter was investigated by interviewing students coming from different parts of the country i.e. Karak, Hunza, Quetta and Gilgit, to the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad, in the official language, English or, upon choice, in the lingua franca, Urdu. Speakers of different mother tongues from different ethnicities were selected via purpose sampling. Since they were university students, most of them agreed to give interviews in simple English or Urdu language. It surfaced that despite giving their interviews in English or in Urdu, the interviewees still used the nonverbal cues associated to their mother tongues and their sub-cultures; thereby, posing difficulty in interpreting their nonverbal behavior correctly. The findings were that the apparent smile of the people of Hunza was not because they enjoyed a bad comment or question; the high tone and roughness of people from Karak should not be interpreted as signs of argumentation or rudeness. Unlike many other cultures of the country the people from Gilgit were not prone to make hand gesture while speaking and they disliked being touché physically during conversation. Much rhythmical variation in the speech of the Pashto speakers from Quetta should not be taken as a dramatic and artificial style. It was recommended that anyone doing research on national level should spend some time with their interviewees to be aware of the peculiar nonverbal behaviour associated to their sub-cultures or should make a list of their specific non-verbal cues and meanings to interpret their communication correctly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current work was planned to explore the effect of a natural emulsifier (Lysophospholipid) supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood serum, meat quality, carcass characters and economics in broilers. Total research period was divided in starter, grower and finisher phases. A total of 1530, day old Ross-308 chicks were purchased from local hatchery and divided into five treatments in such a way that each treatment had six replicates and each replicate had fifty-one birds. Treatments were (1) diet with emulsifier during overall (0-35 days) period; (2) diet without emulsifier during overall (0-35 days) period; (3) diet with emulsifier during starter (0-10 days) phase only; (4) diet with emulsifier during grower (11-25 days) phase only; (5) diet with emulsifier during finisher (26-35 days) phase only. Results explored that feed intake was not affected (P>0.05) by any dietary treatment in starter and finisher phase. However, feed intake decreased in broilers fed emulsifier supplemented diet during grower phase only (P<0.05). Diets with emulsifier addition throughout life and during finisher phase only showed highest (P<0.05) body weight and better feed conversion ratio. At day 35th % nutrient digestibility (dry matter, crude protein and ether extract) was improved by emulsifier addition in diet (P<0.05). Total cholesterol and triglycerides in blood serum were not affected (P>0.05) by all dietary treatments but glucose was highest (P<0.05) in group fed diet without emulsifier during all phases. Relative organs weight like liver, heart, spleen and gizzard were not affected (P>0.05) by all dietary treatments while, dressing (%) and meat quality were better (P<0.05) by supplementation of emulsifier in diet during finisher phase and overall period. Profit percentage and feed economic efficiency per bird were increased (P<0.05) by emulsifier supplementation throughout the life of broilers and during finisher phase only. Based on the findings of current study it is recommended that natural emulsifier should be added in broilers diet during finisher phase for better growth performance, meat quality, digestibility, economics and dressing percentage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]