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Purpose: Local muskmelon germplasm is being lost because of genetic erosion caused by the replacement of hybrid varieties, lack of conservation climate change, etc. Particularly, the foremost requisites of the industry for muskmelon is a genetic diversity assessment of landraces for identification and trait improvement. Therefore, this study was conducted to estimate the genetic diversity of muskmelon germplasm Research Method: Forty-two muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) germplasm was collected from different geographical territories of Bangladesh and was studied to identify the morphological diversity among the germplasm using an augmented design. Thirty-four (34) agro-morphological characters were recorded, of which twenty-eight (28) were scored as qualitative characters and six (6) were measured as quantitative characters. Findings: In qualitative characters, variations in morphometrics were found such as the fruit’s shape, and different color patterns of fruit skin and flesh, etc. A maximum coefficient of variation of 73.5 % was estimated in fruit weight. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of different quantitative traits was used to distinguish muskmelon germplasm. The cumulative percentage of variance reached 75.7% by the first two PCA components. Germplasm RC-186, IAH-194, IAH-207, AHM-15, IAH-197, IAH-345, AC-422, and RAI-239, were divergent from others concerning traits such as early maturity, fruit length, width, and weight. Clustering of accessions by D²statistic resulted in five clusters and cluster III was found to be the largest containing twenty-two (22) accessions. Value: This research work will be helpful for the further development of the muskmelon variety and the improvement of specific characters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study questionDo endometrial stromal fibroblasts (eSF) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) (eSFpcos) exhibit altered estrogen and/or progesterone (P4) responses, which may explain some of the adverse reproductive outcomes and endometrial pathologies in these women?Summary answerIn vitro, eSF from women with PCOS exhibit an aberrant decidualization response and concomitant changes in pro-inflammatory cytokine, chemokine and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) release and immune cell chemoattraction. In vivo these aberrations may result in suboptimal implantation and predisposition to endometrial cancer.What is known alreadyThe endometrium in women with PCOS has several abnormalities including progesterone (P4) resistance at the gene expression level, likely contributing to subfertility, pregnancy complications and increased endometrial cancer risk in PCOS women.Study design, size, durationProspective, university-based, case-control, in vitro study.Participants/materials, setting, methodsCultures of eSFPCOS (n = 12, Rotterdam and NIH criteria) and eSFControl (Ctrl) (n = 6, regular cycle length, no signs of hyperandrogenism) were treated with vehicle, estradiol (E2, 10 nM) or E2P4 (10 nM/1 μM) for 14 days. Progesterone receptor (PGR) mRNA was assessed with quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and eSF decidualization was confirmed by insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) transcript and protein expression. Fractalkine (CX3CL1), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin (IL) 6, 8 and 11, macrophage chemoattractant protein (MCP) 1 and 3, CCL5 (RANTES) and MMPs (MMP1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 10 and 12) were measured in conditioned media by Luminex multiplex assays, and chemotactic activity of the conditioned media was tested in a migration assay using CD14+ monocyte and CD4+ T-cell migration assay. Effects of IL-6 (0.02, 0.2, 2 or 20 ng/ml) or IL-8 (0.04, 0.4, 4, or 40 ng/ml) or combination (0.2 ng/ml IL-6 and 4.0 ng/ml IL-8) on 14-d decidualization were also tested. ANOVA with pre-planned contrasts was used for statistical analysis.Main results and the role of chanceHormonal challenge with E2P4 to induce decidualization revealed two distinct subsets of eSFPCOS. Eight eSFPCOS (dPCOS) and all eSFCtrl (dCtrl) cultures showed a normal decidualization response to E2P4 as determined by morphology and IGFBP-1 secretion. However, 4 eSFPCOS cultures showed blunted decidualization (ndPCOS) in morphological assessment and low IGFBP-1 levels even though all three groups exhibited normal estrogen-mediated increase in PGR expression. Interestingly dPCOS had decreased IL-6 and GM-SCF secretion compared with dCtrl, whereas the ndPCOS cultures showed increased IL-6 and 8, MCP1, RANTES and GM-CSF secretion at base-line and/or in response to E2 or E2P4 compared with dCtrl and/or dPCOS. Furthermore, even though PGR expression was similar in all three groups, P4 inhibition of MMP secretion was attenuated in ndPCOS resulting in higher MMP2 and 3 levels. The conditioned media from ndPCOS had increased chemoattractic activity compared with dCtrl and dPCOS media. Exogenously added IL-6 and/or 8 did not inhibit decidualization in eSFCtrl indicating that high levels of these cytokines in ndPCOS samples were not likely a cause for the aberrant decidualization.Limitations, reasons for cautionThis is an in vitro study with a small sample size, utilizing stromal cell cultures from proliferative and secretory phase endometrium. The effect of PCOS on endometrial epithelium, another major histoarchitectural cell compartment of the endometrium, was not evaluated and should be considered in future studies. Furthermore, results obtained should also be confirmed in a larger data set and with mid/late secretory phase in vivo samples and models.Wider implications of the findingsThe alterations seen in ndPCOS may contribute to endometrial dysfunction, subfertility and pregnancy complications in PCOS women. The results emphasize the importance of understanding immune responses related to the implantation process and normal endometrial homeostasis in women with PCOS.Study funding/competing interestsSigrid Juselius Foundation, Academy of Finland, Finnish Medical Foundation, Orion-Farmos Research Foundation (to T.T.P.), the NIH Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) U54HD 055764-07 Specialized Cooperative Centers Program in Reproduction and Infertility Research (to L.C.G.), the NICHD the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards grant 1F32HD074423-03 (to J.C.C.). The authors have no competing interests.

TiO2 is the most important and remarkable material in photocatalytic applications. In the present work, pure and doped TiO2 nanoparticles were fabricated by the sol‐gel synthesis route. The impact of the metal and nonmetal dopants on the performance of the photocatalysts was examined systematically. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis affirmed the existence of anatase and rutile phases in the fabricated nanoparticles. The diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) analysis confirmed that all doped TiO2 nanoparticles have a lower bandgap than undoped TiO2, and (N, Cu, Ag)‐doped TiO2 nanoparticles having the lowest bandgap (2.38 eV), demonstrating that metal‐metal‐nonmetal multidoping improves TiO2′s sensitivity towards visible light. In comparison to pure and other doped TiO2 nanoparticles, methylene blue (MB) photodegrades at a faster rate (rate constant of 0.04878 min−1) with the highest photocatalytic activity (99.61 % MB degradation) on the surface of (N, Cu, Ag)‐doped TiO2. The photocatalytic activities of TiO2 nanoparticles have been improved by multidoping in the following sequence: TiO2

OBJECTIVE: Standard phytochemical investigations were performed to identify the secondary metabolites in the methanol extract of Chaetocarpus castanocarpus bark (MECC) and investigate the neuropharmacological potential of MECC in Swiss albino mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Swiss albino mice were used in the forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) to evaluate the antidepressant effect of MECC. Also, the hole board test (HBT) and elevated plus maze (EPM) were conducted to examine anxiolytic activities. In contrast, the open field test (OFT) and hole cross test (HCT) were employed to evaluate sleeping disorders. RESULTS: Alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, terpenoids, coumarins, and tannins are only a few secondary metabolites identified in MECC by qualitative and quantitative phytochemical investigations. The oral administration of MECC considerably shortened the immobility duration during FST and TST. Encouraging dose-dependent anxiolytic effects were also observed in all relevant experiments compared to the control. Additionally, during the OFT and HCT assessment, a noteworthy decline in the locomotor activities of the experimental animals was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this investigation suggest that the Chaetocarpus castanocarpus bark is a possible source of therapeutic candidates for treating neurological disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize is being promoted as a new Rabi season crop for the coastal zone in Bangladesh, but the spread of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is an emergent threat that needs to be managed. The prevalence of fall armyworm was surveyed in Patuakhali (Kalapara upazila), Barguna (Amtali upazila) and Khulna (Dacope and Batiaghata upazila) districts in coastal Bangladesh using a structured questionnaire and supplemented by a survey of farmer's awareness of this pest and their current management responses. Adult populations were monitored using pheromone traps and larval populations were counted by sampling maize plants from production fields during October 2019 to April 2020. Of the 120 maize growers, 74% had >10 years farming experience but most were illiterate. They mainly cultivated hybrid maize varieties Miracle, NK 40 and BARI hybrid maize 16. All the respondents opined that different stages of maize plants were infested by fall armyworm from seedling stage. The infestation level of fall armyworm increased during February to March and they sprayed chemical insecticides 2-3 times for the management of this pest. Most of the farmers got pest management information from a pesticide retailer. The number of captured moths in pheromone traps gradually increased from December to March at each coastal district. Larvae of S. frugiperda was first observed on the 1st week of January when temperature was low and reached a peak during the 3rd week of March. Increases in maximum temperature and minimum temperature had positive associations with incidence of larvae whereas increasing relative humidity and rainfall exhibited a negative association. In conclusion, maize growers are familiar with S. frugiperda and they used chemical insecticides for the management of this pest. S. frugiperda control measures need to target the period from January and February. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore a model of armchair graphene nanoribbons tuned by functionalizing the edge states. Edge modifications are modeled by changing the electronic energy of the edge states in specific periodic patterns. The model can be considered to mimic a controlled doping process with different elements. The band structure, density of states, conductance, and local density of states are calculated, using the tight binding approach, Green's function methodology, and the Landauer formula. The results show interesting behaviors, which are considerably different from the properties of the perfect nanoribbons. The hybridization of conducting bands with non-conducting bands, which appear perfectly flat in the perfect ribbon, opens up and modifies gaps in conductance near the Fermi level. One particular pattern of edge functionalization causes a strong, symmetric, and systematic band gap change about the Fermi level, modifying the electronic characteristics in the energy dispersion, density of states, local density of states, and conductance. Key words: armchair GNRs, band gap, metallicity, band structure, conductance, local density of states. Nous explorons un modele de nanoruban de graphene de type armchair en fonctionnalisant les etats de bord. Ces modifications du bord sont modelisees en changeant l'energie electronique des etats de bord selon des patrons periodiques specifiques. Le modele peut etre vu comme representant un processus de dopage controle avec differents elements. Nous calculons la structure de bande, la densite d'etats, la conductance et la densite locale d'etats, en utilisant une approche liaisons fortes, la methodologie des fonctions de Green et la formule de Landauer. Les resultats montrent des comportements interessants qui sont considerablement differents des proprietes des nanorubans parfaits. L'hybridation des bandes de conduction avec celles non conductrices, qui apparait parfaitement plate dans le ruban parfait, s'ouvre ici et modifie les bandes interdites de conductance pres du niveau de Fermi. Un patron particulier de fonctionnalisation du bord cause un fort, symetrique et systematique changement de la bande interdite au voisinage du niveau de Fermi, modifiant les caracteristiques electroniques touchant la dispersion en energie, la densite d'etats, la densite locale d'etats et la conductance. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: nanoruban de graphene de type armchair, bande interdite, metallicite, structure de bande, conductance. PACS Nos.: 72.80.Vp, 73.22.Pr., 1. Introduction Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are strips of graphene with infinite length and finite widths. Based on the edge structures, these are known as zigzag and armchair GNRs (AGNRs), and [...]