Studies on combining ability in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

ArticleThe present study was done seven elite tomato lines (Solamun lycopersicum L.) of determinate and indeterminate growth with good yield potential and good combining ability, using diallel fashion without reciprocals to produce 21 F1s. General combining ability (GCA) and Specific combining ability (SCA) analysis were conducted, with Diallel-SAS, assessing six yield and component traits. Results showed highly significant differences (p ≤ 0.01) among genotypes, as well as in GCA and SCA effects in all the characteristics that was assessed, with the exception of Days to First Cut. The results revealed that variance contribution to the yield attributed to the crossings had more non-additive effects (SCA) than additive effects (GCA). Furthermore, Line D4 had the greatest effect on yield in terms of GCA, as well in AFW (Average Fruit Weight), NFP (Number of Fruits per Plant) and PD (Polar Diameter) followed by D3 and K3. These lines can be used as donor parent in future tomato-breeding program. Hybrids K3×D4, R1×Y53, D3×IR13 and F3×Y53 had the highest level of SCA, with average yields of 93 t ha-1. These potential hybrids could be exploited at commercial level after critical testing

Influence of the timing of cardiac surgery on the outcome of patients with infective endocarditis and stroke.

BACKGROUND: The timing of cardiac surgery after stroke in infective endocarditis (IE) remains controversial. We examined the relationship between the timing of surgery after stroke and the incidence of in-hospital and 1-year mortalities. METHODS: Data were obtained from the International Collaboration on Endocarditis-Prospective Cohort Study of 4794 patients with definite IE who were admitted to 64 centers from June 2000 through December 2006. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox regression analyses were performed to estimate the impact of early surgery on hospital and 1-year mortality after adjustments for other significant covariates. RESULTS: Of the 857 patients with IE complicated by ischemic stroke syndromes, 198 who underwent valve replacement surgery poststroke were available for analysis. Overall, 58 (29.3%) patients underwent early surgical treatment vs 140 (70.7%) patients who underwent late surgical treatment. After adjustment for other risk factors, early surgery was not significantly associated with increased in-hospital mortality rates (odds ratio, 2.308; 95% confidence interval [CI], .942-5.652). Overall, probability of death after 1-year follow-up did not differ between 2 treatment groups (27.1% in early surgery and 19.2% in late surgery group, P = .328; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.138; 95% CI, .802-1.650). CONCLUSIONS: There is no apparent survival benefit in delaying surgery when indicated in IE patients after ischemic stroke. Further observational analyses that include detailed pre- and postoperative clinical neurologic findings and advanced imaging data (eg, ischemic stroke size), may allow for more refined recommendations on the optimal timing of valvular surgery in patients with IE and recent stroke syndromes

Search for the doubly charmed baryon Xi(+)(cc)

A search for the doubly charmed baryon \u39ecc+ is performed through its decay to the \u39bc+K 12\u3c0+ final state, using proton-proton collision data collected with the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV. The data correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 9 fb 121. No significant signal is observed in the mass range from 3.4 to 3.8 GeV/c2. Upper limits are set at 95% credibility level on the ratio of the \u39ecc+ production cross-section times the branching fraction to that of \u39bc+ and \u39ecc++ baryons. The limits are determined as functions of the \u39ecc+ mass for different lifetime hypotheses, in the rapidity range from 2.0 to 4.5 and the transverse momentum range from 4 to 15 GeV/c

(U)pdated measurement of decay-time-dependent CP asymmetries in D-0 -> K+ K- and D-0 -> pi(+)pi(-) decays

A search for decay-time-dependent charge-parity (CP) asymmetry in D0\u2192K+K- A nd D0\u2192\u3c0+\u3c0-decays is performed at the LHCb experiment using proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb-1. The D0 mesons are required to originate from semileptonic decays of b hadrons, such that the charge of the muon identifies the flavor of the neutral D meson at production. The asymmetries in the effective decay widths of D0 and D0 mesons are determined to be A\u393(K+K-)=(-4.3\ub13.6\ub10.5) 710-4 and A\u393(\u3c0+\u3c0-)=(2.2\ub17.0\ub10.8) 710-4, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. The results are consistent with CP symmetry and, when combined with previous LHCb results, yield A\u393(K+K-)=(-4.4\ub12.3\ub10.6) 710-4 and A\u393(\u3c0+\u3c0-)=(2.5\ub14.3\ub10.7) 710-4

Search for CP violation and observation of P violation in Lambda(0)(b) -> p pi(-) pi(+) pi(-) decays

A search for CP violation in the \u39bb0\u2192p\u3c0-\u3c0+\u3c0- decay is performed using LHCb data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6.6 fb-1 collected in pp collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV. The analysis uses both triple product asymmetries and the unbinned energy test method. The highest significances of CP asymmetry are 2.9 standard deviations from triple product asymmetries and 3.0 standard deviations for the energy test method. Once the global p-value is considered, all results are consistent with no CP violation. Parity violation is observed at a significance of 5.5 standard deviations for the triple product asymmetry method and 5.3 standard deviations for the energy test method. The reported deviations are given in regions of phase space

Impact of COVID-19 on Cardiovascular Testing in the United States Versus the Rest of the World

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-U.S. institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection