Genotypic response of short day garlic (Allium sativum L.) accessions to shoot multiplication

A simple protocol for in vitro shoot multiplication of 10 accessions including 8 varieties and 2advanced lines of short day Indian garlic (Allium sativum) is described. Two shootmultiplication media (Murashige and Skoog 1 and Murashige and Skoog 2) were tried usingbasal plate explant from mature cloves for multiple shoot induction. The medium (Murashigeand Skoog 2) consisting of 6-(γ,γ-dimethylallylamino)-purine (3 mg l-1) was the best forinduction of multiple shoots. Although genetic variability existed among the genotypes,shoot multiplication was obtained in all the accessions in Murashige and Skoog 2 mediumalong with almost 100% bulb formation in the shoots produced. &nbsp

Genotype x environment interactions and stability analysis in elite lines of garlic (Allium safivum L.)

Thirty five elite lines and three released varieties of garlic (Allium sativum) were evaluated for their stability, with respect to yield and its contributing traits, for three years at Rajgurunagar (Maharashtra) during rabi season. Analysis of variance for stability of different characters indicated that mean differences for varieties and environments (years) were significant for all the characters except for number of leaves, indicating that the performance with respect to number of leaves in different years was not stable. Genotype 50 gave stable performance for higher plant height, clove weight, total yield and marketable yield, while genotypes 74 and 163 gave better yield under adverse situations. Genotype 117 had stability for dwarf plant height, less number of leaves and more equatorial diameter. Genotype 58 had stability in desired direction for less number of leaves and lesser neck thickness. Genotype 52 showed stability for higher plant height, greater neck thickness and average number of cloves with less number of leaves. Variety G-41 was stable for marketable yield only. In genotypes 52, 58, 117, 163,200, 229 and variety G-41, the yield was more in favourable environmental conditions. &nbsp

Callus culture and regeneration from root tip of garlic (Allium sativum L.)

Callus induction and subsequent plant regeneration was studied in acommercial Indian cultivar of garlic, cV. G-41 (short-day type). 2,4-dicholorophenoxyacetic acid at lower concentration (0.25 mg 1-1) and picloram at higher concentration 1.0 mg 1") were suitable for efficient callus formation from the root tips. Callus was obtained only from the apical portions of root-tips treated with 2,4-dicholorophenoxyacetic acid whereas picloram led to callus fo rmation throughout the root segment except the non apical (subjacent) portion. Callus obtained from induction medium containing both auxins and cytokinins responded well toregeneration. The average shoot regeneration frequency ranged from 16.7% to 50.0%. The best combination for callus culture and regeneration was callus formation in root tip medium 2 (CRT 2) (2,4-d icholorophenoxyacetic acid 0.25 mg 1" + 6-benzylaminopurine 1.0 mg I'') induction medium followed by garlic regeneration medium 3 (GR 3) (ki netin 1.0 mg 1") as the regeneration medium. In other regeneration media, profuse root formation and appearance of dark green callus was also observed

Cooperative fluorescence effects for dipole-dipole interacting systems with experimentally relevant level configurations

The mutual dipole-dipole interaction of atoms in a trap can affect their fluorescence. Extremely large effects were reported for double jumps between different intensity periods in experiments with two and three Ba^+ ions for distances in the range of about ten wave lengths of the strong transition while no effects were observed for Hg^+ at 15 wave lengths. In this theoretical paper we study this question for configurations with three and four levels which model those of Hg^+ and Ba^+, respectively. For two systems in the Hg^+ configuration we find cooperative effects of up to 30% for distances around one or two wave lengths, about 5% around ten wave lengths, and, for larger distances in agreement with experiments, practically none. This is similar for two V systems. However, for two four-level configurations, which model two Ba^+ ions, cooperative effects are practically absent, and this latter result is at odds with the experimental findings for Ba^+.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, RevTeX4, to be published in Phys. Rev.

δ′\delta'-Function Perturbations and Neumann Boundary-Conditions by Path Integration

$\delta'$-function perturbations and Neumann boundary conditions are incorporated into the path integral formalism. The starting point is the consideration of the path integral representation for the one dimensional Dirac particle together with a relativistic point interaction. The non-relativistic limit yields either a usual $\delta$-function or a $\delta'$-function perturbation; making their strengths infinitely repulsive one obtains Dirichlet, respectively Neumann boundary conditions in the path integral.Comment: nine pages, plain Tex with AmSTeX macro-packag

Improving women’s diet quality pre-conceptionally and during gestation: effects on birth weight and prevalence of low birth weight; a randomized controlled efficacy trial in India (Mumbai Maternal Nutrition Project)

BACKGROUND: Low birth weight (LBW) is an important public health problem in undernourished populations.OBJECTIVE: We tested whether improving women's dietary micronutrient quality before conception and throughout pregnancy increases birth weight in a high-risk Indian population.DESIGN: The study was a nonblinded, individually randomized controlled trial. The intervention was a daily snack made from green leafy vegetables, fruit, and milk (treatment group) or low-micronutrient vegetables (potato and onion) (control group) from ? 90 d before pregnancy until delivery in addition to the usual diet. Treatment snacks contained 0.69 MJ of energy (controls: 0.37 MJ) and 10-23% of WHO Reference Nutrient Intakes of ?-carotene, riboflavin, folate, vitamin B-12, calcium, and iron (controls: 0-7%). The primary outcome was birth weight.RESULTS: Of 6513 women randomly assigned, 2291 women became pregnant, 1962 women delivered live singleton newborns, and 1360 newborns were measured. In an intention-to-treat analysis, there was no overall increase in birth weight in the treatment group (+26 g; 95% CI: -15, 68 g; P = 0.22). There was an interaction (P &lt; 0.001) between the allocation group and maternal prepregnant body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) [birth-weight effect: -23, +34, and +96 g in lowest (&lt;18.6), middle (18.6-21.8), and highest (&gt;21.8) thirds of BMI, respectively]. In 1094 newborns whose mothers started supplementation ? 90 d before pregnancy (per-protocol analysis), birth weight was higher in the treatment group (+48 g; 95% CI: 1, 96 g; P = 0.046). Again, the effect increased with maternal BMI (-8, +79, and +113 g; P-interaction = 0.001). There were similar results for LBW (intention-to-treat OR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.66, 1.05; P = 0.10; per-protocol OR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.59, 0.98; P = 0.03) but no effect on gestational age in either analysis.CONCLUSIONS: A daily snack providing additional green leafy vegetables, fruit, and milk before conception and throughout pregnancy had no overall effect on birth weight. Per-protocol and subgroup analyses indicated a possible increase in birth weight if the mother was supplemented ? 3 mo before conception and was not underweight. This trial was registered at www.controlled-trials.com/isrctn/ as ISRCTN62811278<br/

Effect of a micronutrient-rich snack taken preconceptionally and throughout pregnancy on ultrasound measures of fetal growth: The Mumbai Maternal Nutrition Project (MMNP)

Improving micronutrient intakes of under‐nourished mothers in low‐ and middle‐income countries increases birth weight, but there is little data on the nature and timing during gestation of any effects on fetal growth. Ultrasound measures of fetal size were used to determine whether and when a food‐based supplement affected fetal growth. Non‐pregnant women living in Mumbai slums, India (N = 6,513), were randomly assigned to receive either a daily micronutrient‐rich snack containing green leafy vegetables, fruit, and milk (treatment) or a snack made from lower‐micronutrient vegetables (control) in addition to their usual diet from before pregnancy until delivery. From 2,291 pregnancies, the analysis sample comprised 1,677 fetuses (1,335 fetuses of women supplemented for ≥3 months before conception). First‐trimester (median: 10 weeks, interquartile range: 9–12 weeks) fetal crown‐rump length was measured. Fetal head circumference, biparietal diameter, femur length, and abdominal circumference were measured during the second (19, 19–20 weeks) and third trimesters (29, 28–30 weeks). The intervention had no effect on fetal size or growth at any stage of pregnancy. In the second trimester, there were interactions between parity and allocation group for biparietal diameter (p = .02) and femur length (p = .04) with both being smaller among fetuses of primiparous women and larger among those of multiparous women, in the treatment group compared with the controls. Overall, a micronutrient‐rich supplement did not increase standard ultrasound measures of fetal size and growth at any stage of pregnancy. Additional ultrasound measures of fetal soft tissues (fat and muscle) may be informative

The quantum-jump approach to dissipative dynamics in quantum optics

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