Evaluation of Spur and Colour Mutant Cultivars of Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) for their Suitablity under Mid Hill Conditions of Uttaranchal

Out of 9 apple cultivars belonging to spur and colour mutants, Red Spur exhibited the largest fruit size (6.38 cm x 7.69cm) followed by Red Chief (6.37 cm x 7.11 cm) and Vance Delicious (5.95 cm x 6.68 cm). The maximum value of average fruit weight (170.4 g) and fruit volume (193.1 ml) were observed in Red Spur. Maximum value for firmness (1.35 kg/cm2) and T.S.S. (12.50°B) were observed in Red Chief with the lowest acidity in Vance Delicious (0.23%). The highest value for total sugars (8.45%) was recorded in Vance Delicious and for reducing sugars (6.98%) in Red Chief . On the basis of these characteristics, spur type cultivars Red Chief and Red Spur, with maximum yield/tree of 27.4 kg and 24.3 kg respectively, and the colour mutant cultivar, Vance Delicious with an yield of 25.1 kg were suitable for cultivation under mid-hill conditions of Uttaranchal

In-vitro scolicidal activity of Mallotus philippinensis (Lam.) Muell Arg. fruit glandular hair extract against hydatid cyst Echinococcus granulosus

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate new scolicidal agent from natural resources to cope with the side effects associated with synthetic drugs in Echinococcosis.MethodsThe scolicidal potential of methanolic fruit powder extract (10 and 20 mg/mL) of Mallotus philippinensis (M. philippinensis) was investigated. Viability of protoscoleces was confirmed by trypan blue exclusion method, where mortality was observed at concentration of 10 and 20 mg/mL in 60 min treatment against Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus), under in-vitro conditions with reference to the known standard drug Praziquantel®.ResultsAt concentration 10 and 20 mg/mL, the mortality rate was observed 97% and 99% respectively for 60 min treatment; while up to 93% mortality was observed with 20 mg/mL for only 10 min treatment. The concentration above 20 mg/mL for above 2 h showed 100% mortality, irrespective of further incubation.ConclusionsAs compared with the standard anti-parasitic drug Praziquantel our extract has significant scolicidal activity with almost no associated side effects

Wheat rust research—then and now

Wheat is an important constituent of human diet worldwide. India is the second largest producer of wheat in the world and wheat is directly related to the economic health of country. To meet the food requirements of the growing population, there is a need to increase wheat production. Wheat rusts caused by a fungus Puccinia species are the main biotic constraints in our efforts to sustain and boost production. Wheat rusts are historic and devastating pathogens worldwide. Their ability to spread aerially over the continents, production of infectious pustules geometrically in trillions and evolving new physiologic forms, makes the management of wheat rusts a very challenging task. To counter the threat of wheat rusts, efforts are going on worldwide. Identification of pathotypes, anticipatory breeding, evaluation for rust resistance and deployment of rust resistant cultivars is a time tested strategy to manage wheat rusts. There had been continuous efforts to increase the diversity for rust resistance. A list of more than 210 rust resistance genes and associated markers for many are available for the use of breeders. However, many of them have lost the effectiveness over the years. Introgression of rust resistance from rye and later on from other sources opened new vistas in research. However, the rust pathogens out smarted and new virulent pathotypes emerged which could overcome the novel rust resistance genes. Emergence of Ug 99 type of virulences threatened the cultivation of wheat in 40% of the world's acreage. DNA fingerprinting, sequencing of wheat and rust genomes were the milestone pieces of research in the 21st century. Efforts are still needed in studying the perpetuation of wheat rusts, epidemiology and inventing next generation techniques to break the yield barriers and manage wheat rusts. Role of Berberis chinensis, B. holstii, B. koreana and B. vulgaris as alternate hosts to P. striiformis (yellow rust of wheat) was an important discovery in this respect. Consolidated information on wheat rust research conducted over the years has been reviewed in this publication

Patterns of physiologic diversity of Puccinia triticina on wheat in Indian subcontinent during 2008-2013

Brown (leaf) rust of wheat, caused by Puccinia triticina was widely distributed in all the wheat growing areas. To identify new pathotypes and determine the virulence pattern of Puccinia triticina, rust samples were analyzed from the wheat growing areas in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. A new pathotype 93R57 (104-4=NHKSP) was identified from Arki area of Solan district in Himachal Pradesh. Among the 37 pathotypes identified in 2124 samples analyzed during 2008-2013, four predominant pathotypes 121R63-1(77-5=THTTS), 21R55 (104-2=PHTTL), 121R60-1(77-9=MHTTS) and 21R63 (104-3=PHTKL) accounted for 68% of the population. These four pathotypes have virulence to Lr1, Lr3, Lr10, Lr11, Lr12, Lr13, Lr14a, Lr16, Lr17, Lr23, Lr26. Virulence on Lr19 was found in 7 samples only whereas the proportion of pathotype 121R60-1 (77-9=MHTTS) has increased recently in Tamil Nadu and was identified in about 40% of the samples from that area. Virulent pathotypes on Lr9, Lr24, Lr25, Lr32, Lr39 and Lr45 were not observed in the field population of brown rust in the Indian subcontinent during the last five cropping seasons

Evaluation of global composite collection reveals agronomically superior germplasm accessions for chickpea improvement

The rich genetic diversity existing within exotic, indigenous, and diverse germplasm lays the foundation for the continuous improvement of crop cultivars. The composite collection has been suggested as a gateway to identifying superior germplasm for use in crop improvement programs. Here, a chickpea global composite collection was evaluated at five locations in India over two years for five agronomic traits to identify agronomically superior accessions. The desi, kabuli, and intermediate types of chickpea accessions differed significantly for plant height (PLHT) and 100-seed weight (100 SW). In contrast, the intermediate type differed substantially from kabuli for days to maturity (DM). Several highly significant trait correlations were detected across different locations. The most stable and promising accessions from each of the five locations were prioritised based on their superior performance over the best-performing check cultivar. Accordingly, the selected germplasm accessions of desi type showed up to 176% higher seed yield (SY), 29% lower flowering time, 21% fewer maturity days, 64% increase in PLHT, and 183% larger seeds than the check cultivar JG11 or Annigeri. The prioritised kabuli accessions displayed up to 270% more yield, 13% less flowering time, 8% fewer maturity days, 111% increase in PLHT, and 41% larger seeds over the check cultivar KAK2. While the intermediate type accessions had up to 169% better yield, 1% early flowering, 3% early maturity, 54% taller plants, and 25% bigger seeds over the check cultivar JG 11 or KAK2. These accessions can be utilised in chickpea improvement programs to develop high-yielding, early flowering, short duration, taller, and large-seeded varieties with a broad genetic base

Phase resolved observation of spin wave modes in antidot lattices

Antidot lattices have proven to be a powerful tool for spin wave band structure manipulation. Utilizing time-resolved scanning transmission x-ray microscopy, we are able to experimentally image edge-localized spin wave modes in an antidot lattice with a lateral confinement down to < 80 nm x 130 nm. At higher frequencies, spin wave dragonfly patterns formed by the demagnetizing structures of the antidot lattice are excited. Evaluating their relative phase with respect to the propagating mode within the antidot channel reveals that the dragonfly modes are not directly excited by the antenna but need the propagating mode as an energy mediator. Furthermore, micromagnetic simulations reveal that additional dispersion branches exist for a tilted external field geometry. These branches correspond to asymmetric spin wave modes that cannot be excited in a non-tilted field geometry due to the symmetry restriction. In addition to the band having a negative slope, these asymmetric modes also cause an unexpected transformation of the band structure, slightly reaching into the otherwise empty bandgap between the low frequency edge modes and the fundamental mode. The presented phase resolved investigation of spin waves is a crucial step for spin wave manipulation in magnonic crystals

The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP): Integrated Regional Assessment Projects

The worldwide agricultural sector faces the significant challenge of increasing production to provide food security for a population projected to rise to nine billion by mid-century, while protecting the environment and the sustainable functioning of ecosystems. This challenge is compounded by the need to adapt to climate change by taking advantage of potential benefits, and by minimizing the potentially negative impacts, to agricultural production. The goals of Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) are to improve substantially the characterization of world food security under climate change and to enhance adaptation capacity in both developing and developed countries (www.agmip.org). To accomplish these goals, AgMIP organizes protocol-based intercomparisons of crop and economic models and ensemble projections to produce enhanced climate change assessments by the crop and economic modeling communities. These assessments focus on research related to climate change agricultural impacts and adaptation (Rosenzweig et al., 2012). This chapter describes the AgMIP regional integrated assessment projects in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia..

Suspension High Velocity Oxy-Fuel (SHVOF)-sprayed alumina coatings: microstructure, nanoindentation and wear

Suspension High Velocity Oxy Fuel Spraying (SHVOF) can be used to produce thermally sprayed coatings from powdered feedstocks too small to be processed by mechanical feeders, allowing formation of nanostructured coatings with improved density and mechanical properties. Here, alumina coatings were produced from sub-micron sized feedstock in aqueous suspension, using two flame combustion parameters yielding contrasting microstructures. Both coatings were tested in dry sliding wear conditions with an alumina counterbody. The coating processed with high combustion power of 101 kW contained 74 wt% amorphous phase and 26 wt% crystalline phase (95 wt% gamma and 3 wt% alpha alumina) while the 72 kW coating contained lower 58 wt% amorphous phase and 42 wt% crystalline phases (73 wt% was alpha and 26 wt % gamma). The 101 kW coating had a dry sliding specific wear rate between 4-4.5 x 10-5 mm3/Nm, 2 orders of magnitude higher than the 72 kW coating wear rate of 2-4.2 x 10-7 mm3/Nm. A severe wear regime dominated by brittle fracture and grain pull out of the coating was responsible for the wear of the 101 kW coating, explained by mean fracture toughness three times lower than the 72 kW coating, owing to the almost complete absence of alpha alumina

A Meta-Analysis of Caspase 9 Polymorphisms in Promoter and Exon Sequence on Cancer Susceptibility

BACKGROUND: Caspases are important regulators and executioners in apoptosis pathway and have been defined as either tumor suppressors or oncogenes. Polymorphisms in promoter and exon of caspase 9 were shown to confer genetic susceptibility to multiple cancers, but the results were inconsistent. To accomplish a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta-analysis was performed. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We assessed published studies of the association between caspase 9 polymorphisms and cancer risk from nine studies with 5,528 subjects for rs4645978, six studies with 2,403 subjects for rs105276 and two studies for rs4645981. Overall meta-analysis indicated that no evidence of an association between rs4645978 and cancers was found. Through the stratified analysis, statistically significant reduced cancer risks were observed among Caucasians (AG vs AA: OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.66-0.99, P(heterogeneity) = 0.150 and the dominant model: OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.75-0.99, P(heterogeneity) = 0.290) and prostate cancer. As for rs105276, Ex5+32G>A polymorphism was found with protective effect in overall meta-analysis (AA vs GG: OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.60-0.92, P(heterogeneity) = 0.887; A vs G: OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.77-0.95, P(heterogeneity) = 0.739 and the recessive model: OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.56-0.82, P(heterogeneity) = 0.309) and Asians group. While for rs4645981, a statistically significant increase in risk of lung cancer was shown in Asians (T vs C: OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.07-1.42, P(heterogeneity) = 0.399 and the dominant model: OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.04-1.43, P(heterogeneity) = 0.660). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our meta-analysis suggests that the caspase 9 rs4645978 most likely contributes to decreased susceptibility to cancer in Caucasians and prostate cancer. The A allele of rs105276 might be a protective factor for cancer, especially for Asians. However, it seems that rs4645981 confers increased susceptibility to lung cancer in Asians

An exploration of the determinants for decision to migrate existing resources to cloud computing using an integrated TOE-DOI model

Migrating existing resources to cloud computing is a strategic organisational decision that can be difficult. It requires the consideration and evaluation of a wide range of technical and organisational aspects. Although a significant amount of attention has been paid by many industrialists and academics to aid migration decisions, the procedure remains difficult. This is mainly due to underestimation of the range of factors and characteristics affecting the decision for cloud migration. Further research is needed to investigate the level of effect these factors have on migration decisions and the overall complexity. This paper aims to explore the level of complexity of the decision to migrate the cloud. A research model based on the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory and the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework was developed. The model was tested using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The quantitative analysis shows the level of impact of the identified variables on the decision to migrate. Seven determinants that contribute to the complexity of the decisions are identified. They need to be taken into account to ensure successful migration. This result has expanded the collective knowledge about the complexity of the issues that have to be considered when making decisions to migrate to the cloud. It contributes to the literature that addresses the complex and multidimensional nature of migrating to the cloud