Desiccation induced physiological and biochemical changes of Gymnacranthera canarica (King.) Warb. seeds in the Myristica swamp forests, Southern Western Ghats, India

Gymnacranthera canarica (King.) Warb. is an endemic tree species that dominates the Myristica swamp ecosystem of southern Western Ghats. This tropical tree species has become more threatened due to limited natural seed germination and habitat loss. Mature seeds were collected from the myristica swamp ecosystem subjected to desiccation study. This research evaluated the physiological (moisture content, tetrazolium reduction, lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage) and biochemical response of seeds during different desiccation treatments. Results showed that G. canarica seeds are highly sensitive to desiccation and total viability loss was seen within 15 days following harvest indicating the active seed metabolism of mature seeds showing absence of metabolic arrest. Desiccation enhanced malondialdehyde and electrolyte leakage while reducing formazan formation. Seed desiccation increases protease activity, which peaks when viability is lost. Desiccation reduced the quantity of phenol and starch, whereas proline, fat, sucrose and total soluble carbohydrates increased. The early viability loss in G. canarica seeds could be due to loss of membrane integrity, which was linked to ROS formation and associated lipid peroxidation products indicating seeds are truly recalcitrant

Are Scopus journal field classifications ever misleading?

Journal field classifications in Scopus are used for citation-based indicators and by authors choosing appropriate journals to submit to. Whilst prior research has found that Scopus categories are occasionally misleading, it is not known how this varies for different journal types. In response, we assessed whether specialist, cross-field and general academic journals sometimes have publication practices that do not match their Scopus classifications. For this, we compared the Scopus narrow fields of journals with the fields that best fit their articles' titles and abstracts. We also conducted qualitative follow-up to distinguish between Scopus classification errors and misleading journal aims. The results show sharp field differences in the extent to which both cross-field and apparently specialist journals publish articles that match their Scopus narrow fields, and the same for general journals. The results also suggest that a few journals have titles and aims that do not match their contents well, and that some large topics spread themselves across many relevant disciplines. Thus, the likelihood that a journal's Scopus narrow fields reflect its contents varies substantially by field (although without systematic field trends) and some cross-field topics seem to cause difficulties in appropriately classifying relevant journals. These issues undermine citation-based indicators that rely on journal-level classification and may confuse scholars seeking publishing venues

Knowledge, Perceptions, and Attitudes of AGRN 1110 Students on GM (Genetically Modified) Crops: A Survey

Prior research indicates that college students are motivated to buy organic food based on their interests rather than perceived environmental or worker benefits. The underlying motivations showed discontinuity of knowledge of the benefits and reality of genetically modified (GM) crops. Therefore, we seek to determine AGRN 1110 (Plant Science Laboratory) students' knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes towards GM crops. Plant science students (n = 37) were asked to complete a survey that included the following constructs: knowledge of GM crops, purchasing habits, and personal value. The survey was distributed before and again after a GM crops unit. Preliminary results indicate that 70% believe that a GM organism is produced through genetic modification, 62.5% were unsure if GM products affected their overall health, 57.5% were unsure if GM affected the environment, 45% were unsure if GM should be given as feed to animals, and 70% believed that GM reduced pesticide use. Additionally, 78% did not seek non-GM labels, 38% were unsure if non-GM organic foods were healthier for consumption, 48% did not believe that non-GM organic fruits and vegetables taste better, and 60% had no preference if their food was non-GM or GM. Results from this study can aid educators in understanding the lacking area of knowledge surrounding GM products and understand the personal intrinsic values of collegiate students to address this controversial topic in course content