Isolation, identification of Phytophthora nicotianae var. parasitica and screening of tomato parental lines for buckeye rot resistance

Buckeye rot disease of tomato which is one of the most devastating diseases of tomato crop is caused by soil born fungus Phytophthora nicotianae var. parasitica. In present study, the pathogen was isolated, morphologically identified and its pathogenicity was proved on susceptible commercial variety Solan Lalima and resistant line EC-251649 of tomato. Isolation of pathogen from the infected tomato fruit was achieved on Corn Meal Agar (CMA) out of two different media viz., Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and CMA. Fungal inoculum was prepared on Corn Meal broth. Inoculation with 10 ml of inoculum was found optimum in plant parts namely, stem, leaves and fruits. Parental lines were inoculated to test their disease reaction to buckeye rot. Symptoms of infection appeared on leaves and fruits only. Solan Lalima was found to be highly susceptible to with disease severity of 92 % and 100 % disease incidence, while EC-251649 was found moderately resistant on the basis of 16 % disease severity and 10 % disease incidence to the disease. After confirmation of resistance and susceptibility, the parental lines were surveyed for polymorphism using 42 primers and 32 were recorded to be polymorphic revealing that the differences are present at DNA level also. This is the very first study which evaluated parental lines for buckeye rot disease reaction on morphological as well as molecular basis. These lines will be further used for quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis/gene tagging for buckeye rot and marker assisted selection to provide improved varieties to the farmers

A framework for parametric design optimization using isogeometric analysis

Isogeometric analysis (IGA) fundamentally seeks to bridge the gap between engineering design and high-fidelity computational analysis by using spline functions as finite element bases. However, additional computational design paradigms must be taken into consideration to ensure that designers can take full advantage of IGA, especially within the context of design optimization. In this work, we propose a novel approach that employs IGA methodologies while still rigorously abiding by the paradigms of advanced design parameterization, analysis model validity, and interactivity. The entire design lifecycle utilizes a consistent geometry description and is contained within a single platform. Because of this unified workflow, iterative design optimization can be naturally integrated. The proposed methodology is demonstrated through an IGA-based parametric design optimization framework implemented using the Grasshopper algorithmic modeling interface for Rhinoceros 3D. The framework is capable of performing IGA-based design optimization of realistic engineering structures that are practically constructed through the use of complex geometric operations. We demonstrate the framework’s effectiveness on both an internally pressurized tube and a wind turbine blade, highlighting its applicability across a spectrum of design complexity. In addition to inherently featuring the advantageous characteristics of IGA, the seamless nature of the workflow instantiated in this framework diminishes the obstacles traditionally encountered when performing finite-element-analysis-based design optimization

Study on interventions to reduce vibration transmission to power tiller operator

Present study focuses on interventions to reduce vibration transmitted to power tiller operator. In this study two operations (namely: standing mode and transportation) and three forward speeds (1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 kmh-1) were selected. In both selected operations vibration magnitudes were maximum at 2.0 kmh-1. In the standing mode vibration magnitudes in x, y and z direction were 5.83, 1.37 and 2.36 ms -2 at 2.0 kmh-1. In transportation vibration magnitudes were 6.81, 1.49, 2.82 ms-2 respectively in x, y and z direction at 2.0 kmh-1. The selection of vibration isolators were done on the basis of the transmissibility curves and the isolation region. The selected isolators were installed at interface between engine and the chassis. These interventions along with previously developed bush and sheet type interventions reduced vibrations up to 50.24, 69.06 and 59.08 % at 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 kmh-1 in stationary mode. In transportation vibration reduction were 52.96, 65.98 and 36.67 % at 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 kmh-1, respectively. The vibration reduction were high in stationary mode than transportation mode because in stationary mode vibration comes only from the engine but in transportation vibration comes from engine and the surface profile as well

Pt(IV)-based nanoscale coordination polymers : antitumor activity, cellular uptake and interactions with nuclear DNA

Cisplatin has been for many years the gold standard chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of a wide range of solid tumors, even though its use is commonly associated with serious side effects including non-selective toxicity, myelosuppression or development of cisplatin resistance, among others complications. Over the last decade, a number of nanoparticle formulations were developed to reduce its side effects and improve the selectivity and efficacy of this drug. In this study, we have developed a novel nanoparticle platform based on nanoscale coordination polymer named (Zn-Pt(IV)-NCPs) which contains a Pt(IV) prodrug, Zn and the linker ligand 1,4-Bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene (bix). The main objective has been to gain insights into the mechanism of action of this nanostructured material in comparison with cisplatin and the free Pt(IV) prodrug in order to establish a correlation between nanostructuration and therapeutic activity. Zn-Pt(IV)-NCPs nanoparticles displayed an average size close to 200 nm as determined by DLS, a good stability in physiologic environments, and a controlled drug release of Pt. In vitro studies demonstrated that Pt(IV)-NCPs showed an enhanced cytotoxic effect against cell culture of cervical cancer, neuroblastoma and human adenocarcinoma cells in comparison with free Pt(IV) prodrug. Although no difference in cell uptake of Pt was observed for any of the three cell lines assayed, a higher amount of Pt bound to the DNA was found in the cells treated with the nanostructured Pt(IV) prodrug. These studies suggest that the nanostructuration of the prodrug facilitate its activation and induce a change in the mechanism of action related to an increased interaction with the DNA as corroborated by the studies of direct interaction of the Pt(IV) prodrug, nanostructured or not, with DNA

Ageing increases reliance on sensorimotor prediction through structural and functional differences in frontostriatal circuits

This is the author accepted manuscript. It is currently under an indefinite embargo pending publication by Nature Publishing Group.The control of voluntary movement changes markedly with age. A critical component of motor control is the integration of sensory information with predictions of the consequences of action, arising from internal models of movement. This leads to sensorimotor attenuation – a reduction in the perceived intensity of sensations from self-generated compared to external actions. Here we show that sensorimotor attenuation occurs in 98% of adults in a population-based cohort (n=325; 18-88 years; the Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience). Importantly, attenuation increases with age, in proportion to reduced sensory sensitivity. This effect is associated with differences in the structure and functional connectivity of the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA), assessed with magnetic resonance imaging. The results suggest that ageing alters the balance between the sensorium and predictive models, mediated by the pre-SMA and its connectivity in frontostriatal circuits. This shift may contribute to the motor and cognitive changes observed with age.Cam-CAN research was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/H008217/1). JBR and NW were supported by the James S. McDonnell Foundation 21st Century Science Initiative, Scholar Award in Understanding Human Cognition. JBR was also supported by Wellcome Trust [103838] and the Medical Research Council [MC-A060-5PQ30]. DMW was supported by the Wellcome Trust [097803], Human Frontier Science Program and the Royal Society Noreen Murray Professorship in Neurobiology. RNH was supported by the Medical Research Council [MC-A060-5PR10]. RAK was supported by a Sir Henry Wellcome Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship [107392]. LG was funded by a Rubicon grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)

Poorer White Matter Microstructure Predicts Slower and More Variable Reaction Time Performance: Evidence for a Neural Noise Hypothesis in a Large Lifespan Cohort

Most prior research has focused on characterizing averages in cognition, brain characteristics, or behavior, and attempting to predict differences in these averages among individuals. However, this overwhelming focus on mean levels may leave us with an incomplete picture of what drives individual differences in behavioral phenotypes by ignoring the variability of behavior around an individual's mean. In particular, enhanced white matter (WM) structural microstructure has been hypothesized to support consistent behavioral performance by decreasing Gaussian noise in signal transfer. Conversely, lower indices of WM microstructure are associated with greater within-subject variance in the ability to deploy performance-related resources, especially in clinical populations. We tested a mechanistic account of the “neural noise” hypothesis in a large adult lifespan cohort (Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience) with over 2500 adults (ages 18-102; 1508 female; 1173 male; 2681 behavioral sessions; 708 MRI scans) using WM fractional anisotropy to predict mean levels and variability in reaction time performance on a simple behavioral task using a dynamic structural equation model. By modeling robust and reliable individual differences in within-person variability, we found support for a neural noise hypothesis (Kail, 1997), with lower fractional anisotropy predicted individual differences in separable components of behavioral performance estimated using dynamic structural equation model, including slower mean responses and increased variability. These effects remained when including age, suggesting consistent effects of WM microstructure across the adult lifespan unique from concurrent effects of aging. Crucially, we show that variability can be reliably separated from mean performance using advanced modeling tools, enabling tests of distinct hypotheses for each component of performance

Energy Resolution Performance of the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter

The energy resolution performance of the CMS lead tungstate crystal electromagnetic calorimeter is presented. Measurements were made with an electron beam using a fully equipped supermodule of the calorimeter barrel. Results are given both for electrons incident on the centre of crystals and for electrons distributed uniformly over the calorimeter surface. The electron energy is reconstructed in matrices of 3 times 3 or 5 times 5 crystals centred on the crystal containing the maximum energy. Corrections for variations in the shower containment are applied in the case of uniform incidence. The resolution measured is consistent with the design goals