Analyses of the Genetic Parameters (Variability, Heritability, Genetic Advance, Relationship of Yield and Yield Contributing Characters) for some Plant Traits among Brassica Cultivars under Phosphorus Starved Environmental Cues

The potential of a crop favorably respond to breeding/selection and bioengineering programs depends upon the nature and magnitude of genetic variability. For effective selection, information on nature and magnitude of variation in population, association of character with dry matter yield and among themselves and the extent of environmental influence on the expression of these characters are necessary. The estimates of genetic parameters help in understanding the role of various plant traits in establishing the growth behavior of cultivars under a given set of environmental conditions. Genetic analysis leads us to a clear understanding of different morphological, physiological and genetic characters and also the type and extent of their contribution to dry matter yield. Six Brassica cultivars were grown in a P-deficient sandy loam soil for 49 days after sowing. Significant variations were observed for all the characters in all the cultivars used in the experiment. All the characters showed high　heritability coupled with high genetic advance. Heritability (h(2)) is an approximate measure of the expression of a character. The highest estimates of broad sense heritability (h(2)= 0.90) and relative expected genetic advance (85.72%) were noted for root dry matter (RDM), while the estimate of expected genetic advance at 10% selection intensity was quite high (ΔG = 85.30c㎡) for leaf area per plant. The estimates of coheritability were positive and relatively higher for rootshoot ratio (RSR) in combination with shoot dry matter (SDM) (coh(2) = 2.002) and phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) (coh(2) = 1.875), whereas coheritability estimates were negative between leaf area per plant and RSR (coh(2) = -0.2010) indicating lack of association between these traits. High heritability with high genetic advance was exhibited by all the studied plant traits of cultivars evidencing that the traits could be further improved through individual plant selection. The innate variations within the Brassica gene-pool impel to drive a concentrated effort to understand the basis of adaptability. Access to the relevant genetic traits and information will provide necessary tools to select the optimal combinations of alleles adapted to local and changing growing environments especially nutrient stress conditions such as phosphorus (P) starvation

'Tailoring the Plant to Fit the Soil' in Stead of 'Tailoring the Soil to Fit the Plant' is an Alternate Environmental Sound Strategy to Acclimate Orthophosphate (Pi) Deprivation via Highly Coordinated Classical Pi-Starvation Induced Mechanisms

Acclimation to orthophosphate (Pi) deprivation via highly coordinated Pi-starvation induced (PSI) classical mechanisms such as copious quantities of H(+) and carboxylates (OAs) exudation, remodeling and modification of root architecture by increasing structural and functional plasticity, enhanced uptake rate and increased synthesis of Pi transporters would reduce or eliminate our current overreliance on expensive, polluting, and nonrenewable Pi-fertilizers. These complicated but elegant morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular adjustments of Pi-starved plants provide an excellent example of how the unique flexibility of plant metabolism and energy transduction helps them to cope in a typically stressful environment. Pi-starved roots possess enhanced H(+)-ATPase and PEPCase which could result in increasing H(+) efflux and OAs exudations in the root vicinity. This would lead to the rhizosphere acidification, which thereby contribute to the solublization and assimilation of mineral Pi from environment. To visualize the dissolution of sparingly soluble Ca-phosphate and rhizospheric pH changes (in situ), genetically diverse Brassica cultivars were grown on agar media. Newly formed Ca-phosphate was suspended in agar containing other essential nutriens. With NH(4)(+) applied as the N source, the precipitate dissolved in the root vicinity and this was ascribed to acidification. No dissolution was occurred with No(3)(-)-nutrition. In order to observe the pH changes at the media-root interface (rhizosphere), an image analysis was carried out after embedding the roots in agar containing bromocresol purple as pH indicator. Efficient cultivar 'Brown Raya' showed greater decrease in pH than P-inefficient 'B.S.A' in the culture media. Hydroponically grown cultivars were compared with respect to P-utilization efficiency (PUE), P-stress factor (PSF), and Ca- and P-uptake at P-starvation. PUE, and Ca- and P-uptake correlated significantly (P<0.01) with biomass accumulation, indicating that higher P-uptake of efficient cultivars was because of their higher Ca-uptake, which in turn was related to their better P-acquisition and PUE. Remodelling of root architecture of efficient cultivars helped the cultivars to establish a better rooting system, which provided basis for tolerance under P-starvation

Pooled analysis of WHO Surgical Safety Checklist use and mortality after emergency laparotomy

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist has fostered safe practice for 10 years, yet its place in emergency surgery has not been assessed on a global scale. The aim of this study was to evaluate reported checklist use in emergency settings and examine the relationship with perioperative mortality in patients who had emergency laparotomy. Methods In two multinational cohort studies, adults undergoing emergency laparotomy were compared with those having elective gastrointestinal surgery. Relationships between reported checklist use and mortality were determined using multivariable logistic regression and bootstrapped simulation. Results Of 12 296 patients included from 76 countries, 4843 underwent emergency laparotomy. After adjusting for patient and disease factors, checklist use before emergency laparotomy was more common in countries with a high Human Development Index (HDI) (2455 of 2741, 89.6 per cent) compared with that in countries with a middle (753 of 1242, 60.6 per cent; odds ratio (OR) 0.17, 95 per cent c.i. 0.14 to 0.21, P <0001) or low (363 of 860, 422 per cent; OR 008, 007 to 010, P <0.001) HDI. Checklist use was less common in elective surgery than for emergency laparotomy in high-HDI countries (risk difference -94 (95 per cent c.i. -11.9 to -6.9) per cent; P <0001), but the relationship was reversed in low-HDI countries (+121 (+7.0 to +173) per cent; P <0001). In multivariable models, checklist use was associated with a lower 30-day perioperative mortality (OR 0.60, 0.50 to 073; P <0.001). The greatest absolute benefit was seen for emergency surgery in low- and middle-HDI countries. Conclusion Checklist use in emergency laparotomy was associated with a significantly lower perioperative mortality rate. Checklist use in low-HDI countries was half that in high-HDI countries.Peer reviewe

Global variation in anastomosis and end colostomy formation following left-sided colorectal resection

Background End colostomy rates following colorectal resection vary across institutions in high-income settings, being influenced by patient, disease, surgeon and system factors. This study aimed to assess global variation in end colostomy rates after left-sided colorectal resection. Methods This study comprised an analysis of GlobalSurg-1 and -2 international, prospective, observational cohort studies (2014, 2016), including consecutive adult patients undergoing elective or emergency left-sided colorectal resection within discrete 2-week windows. Countries were grouped into high-, middle- and low-income tertiles according to the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI). Factors associated with colostomy formation versus primary anastomosis were explored using a multilevel, multivariable logistic regression model. Results In total, 1635 patients from 242 hospitals in 57 countries undergoing left-sided colorectal resection were included: 113 (6·9 per cent) from low-HDI, 254 (15·5 per cent) from middle-HDI and 1268 (77·6 per cent) from high-HDI countries. There was a higher proportion of patients with perforated disease (57·5, 40·9 and 35·4 per cent; P < 0·001) and subsequent use of end colostomy (52·2, 24·8 and 18·9 per cent; P < 0·001) in low- compared with middle- and high-HDI settings. The association with colostomy use in low-HDI settings persisted (odds ratio (OR) 3·20, 95 per cent c.i. 1·35 to 7·57; P = 0·008) after risk adjustment for malignant disease (OR 2·34, 1·65 to 3·32; P < 0·001), emergency surgery (OR 4·08, 2·73 to 6·10; P < 0·001), time to operation at least 48 h (OR 1·99, 1·28 to 3·09; P = 0·002) and disease perforation (OR 4·00, 2·81 to 5·69; P < 0·001). Conclusion Global differences existed in the proportion of patients receiving end stomas after left-sided colorectal resection based on income, which went beyond case mix alone

Expression of genes encoding non-specific immunity, anti-oxidative status and aquaporins in β-glucan-fed golden mahseer (Tor putitora) juveniles under ammonia stress

The study investigated the effects of dietary administration of β-glucan on aquaporins and antioxidative &amp; immune gene expression in endangered golden mahseer, Tor putitora juveniles, exposed to ammonia stress. For that, fish were fed experimental diets having 0 (control/basal), 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75% β-d-glucan for five weeks and then exposed to ammonia (10 mgL−1 total ammonia nitrogen) for 96 h. Administration of β-glucan differentially influenced the mRNA expression of aquaporins, anti-oxidative, and immune genes in ammonia-exposed fish. For instance, the transcript abundance of catalase and glutathione-s-transferase in gill varied significantly among the treatment groups, with the lowest levels in 0.75% β-glucan fed groups. At the same time, their hepatic mRNA expression was similar. Congruently, transcript abundance of inducible nitric oxide synthase considerably decreased in the β-glucan fed ammonia-challenged fish. Conversely, the relative mRNA expression of various immune genes viz., major histocompatibility complex, immunoglobulin light chain, interleukin 1-beta, toll-like receptors (tlr4 and tlr5) and complement component 3 remained largely unchanged in ammonia-exposed mahseer juveniles that were fed with graded levels of β-glucan. On the other hand, a significantly lower transcript level of aquaporins 1a and 3a was noticed in the gill of glucan-fed fish compared to ammonia-exposed fish that received the basal diet. However, branchial aquaporin 3b remained unaltered. Altogether, this study showed that dietary intake of 0.75% β-glucan improved resistance to ammonia stress to a certain degree, probably through activating anti-oxidative system and reducing brachial ammonia uptake