Iridovirus in the root weevil Diaprepes abbreviatus

Invertebrate iridescent virus 6 (IIV6) was evaluated for mode of transmission and ability to cause infection in the root weevil, Diaprepes abbreviatus (L.). This is the first evidence of IIV6 infection in D. abbreviatus, which caused both patent and sub-lethal covert infections in both larvae and adults. Adults and larvae were successfully infected with IIV6 by puncture, injection and per os. Transmission of IIV6 was demonstrated between infected and healthy individuals regardless of gender. Virus was detected in egg masses produced by virus-infected females suggesting IIV6 is transmitted transovarially. Virus particles were observed in the cytoplasm of weevil cells, and were shown to infect fat bodies, muscle, and nerve tissues, as visualized using transmission electron microscopy. Patent infections resulted in death of individuals within 3 to 4 days post infection. Individuals with covert infections tested positive for virus infection on day 7 by polymerase chain reaction analysis. Sequencing of PCR amplicons confirmed virus infection. Discovery of new pathogens against root weevils may provide new management tools for development of control strategies based on induced epizootics. This is the first report of a virus infecting D. abbreviatus

Correction to: Cluster identification, selection, and description in Cluster randomized crossover trials: the PREP-IT trials

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article

Odontoglossum ringspot virus host range restriction in Nicotiana sylvestris maps to the replicase gene

The experimental host range of Odontoglossum ringspot virus (ORSV), a member of the tobamoviruses, includes several species of Nicotiana, but not N. sylvestris. However, ORSV was able to replicate in protoplasts from N. sylvestris leaves. By using the green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a marker inserted into ORSV, it was found that a small number of single epidermal cells became infected in mechanically inoculated leaves, but the virus did not move cell to cell. The ORSV movement protein (MP) and coat protein (CP) were examined for their ability to effect movement by substitution into Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) hybrids. Both proteins and the 3 non-translated region (NTR) of ORSV allowed movement of TMV hybrids in N. sylvestris. These results suggested that the inability of ORSV to move in N. sylvestris was due to the replicase gene or the 5NTR. One possibility was that the replicase gene could indirectly affect movement by failing to produce subgenomic (sg) RNAs for exp ression of MP or CP, but this appeared not to be the case as ORSV replicated and produced MP and CP sgRNAs, both of which were translated in N. sylvestris protoplasts. Additionally, genomic RNA was encapsidated into virions in N, sylvestris protoplasts. Because the 5NTR permitted efficient replication and production of replicase proteins, these findings suggest that the replicase of ORSV is responsible for the defect in cell-to-cell movement of ORSV in N. sylvestris

Perceived Impact of Personality Traits on the Academic Performance of Students in Biology

The study examined the perceived impact of personality traits on the academic performance of biology students in Makurdi, a local government area of Benue State, Nigeria. Three research questions were raised and two hypotheses were also formulated and tested. The research design adopted for this study was a descriptive survey design. The study sample comprises 384 students who were randomly selected from the total population of 9,748 students of the 20 government secondary schools in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. The instruments used for data collection in this study were the Five-Factor Inventory Questionnaire (FFIQ) for personality traits and “The Biology Performance Test (BPT)” for academic performance. The data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while ANOVA statistics and t-tests were used to test the hypotheses at a .05 significance level. The findings revealed that there was no significant mean difference in the five personality traits of students and the personality traits of Biology students had no significant relationship with their performance in the subject. Also, there was no significant difference in the mean performance of students in each of the five personality traits based on gender. The findings further revealed no significant difference in students’ personality traits according to gender and no significant difference in the performance of students who were offered biology according to gender. This study recommends that Special attention be paid to improving the performance of students in Biology in Makurdi to strike an association between the traits. Also, male and female students should be given equal opportunities in biology since there is no gender difference in their personality traits and academic performance