Can pigeonpea hybrids negotiate stresses better than inbred cultivars?

Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] is an important rainfed pulse crop of tropics and sub-tropics, and during its long growth cycle of 6–9 months it encounters a number of biotic and abiotic stresses. The recently developed CMS-based pigeonpea hybrids have demonstrated large gains in yield and stability over the traditional inbred cultivars. In this review, the authors argue that the heterosis expressed in traits like seed germination, radicle growth, root biomass production and moisture retention during water stress confers advantages to hybrid plants in negotiating a few abiotic and biotic stresses in much better way than pure line cultivars

Comparative Analysis of Super-Kamiokande and SNO Solar-Neutrino Data and the Photospheric Magnetic Field

We analyze Super-Kamiokande, SNO, and photospheric magnetic-field data for the common time interval, namely the SNO D2O phase. Concerning rotational modulation, the magnetic-field power spectrum shows the strongest peaks at the second and sixth harmonics of the solar synodic rotation frequency [3 nu(rot) and 7 nu(rot)]. The restricted Super-Kamiokande dataset shows strong modulation at the second harmonic. The SNO D2O dataset shows weak modulation at that frequency, but strong modulation in the sixth-harmonic frequency band. We estimate the significance level of the correspondence of the Super-Kamiokande second-harmonic peak with the corresponding magnetic-field peak to be 0.0004, and the significance level of the correspondence of the SNO D2O sixth-harmonic peak with the corresponding magnetic-field peak to be 0.009. By estimating the amplitude of the modulation of the solar neutrino flux at the second harmonic from the restricted Super-Kamiokande dataset, we find that the weak power at that frequency in the SNO D2O power spectrum is not particularly surprising. Concerning 9.43 yr-1, we find no peak at this frequency in the power spectrum formed from the restricted Super-Kamiokande dataset, so it is no surprise that this peak does not show up in the SNO D2O dataset, either.Comment: 32 pages, 8 tables, 16 figure

Single grain (LRE)-Ba-Cu-O superconductors fabricated by top seeded melt growth in air

We have recently reported a practical processing method for the fabrication in air of large, single grain (LRE)-Ba-Cu-O [where LRE Nd, Sm, Eu and Gd] bulk superconductors that exhibit high Tc and high Jc. The process is based initially on the development of a new type of generic seed crystal that can promote effectively the epitaxial nucleation of any (RE)-Ba-Cu-O system and, secondly, by suppressing the formation of (LRE)/Ba solid solution in a controlled manner within large LRE-Ba-Cu-O grains processed in air. In this paper we investigate the degree of homogeneity of large grain Sm-Ba-Cu-O superconductors fabricated by this novel process. The technique offers a significant degree of freedom in terms of processing parameters and reproducibility in the growth of oriented single grains in air and yields bulk samples with significantly improved superconducting and field-trapping properties compared to those processed by conventional top seeded melt growth (TSMG)

Performance Evaluation of Reduced Rule Base Fuzzy Logic Controller for Indirect Vector Controlled Induction Motor Drive

Abstract. This paper investigates the performance of a fuzzy logic speed controller with a reduced rule base for an indirect vector controlled induction motor drive. Generally in the control of complex systems where high performance is required, traditional controllers does not meet the required performance. In this paper a fuzzy logic controller is developed in such a way that it can provide high performance while using lesser rule. The drive is simulated successfully using Simulink/MATLAB. The performance of the drive has been examined under various rigorous working conditions. The Simulation results show that the proposed fuzzy logic controller (FLC) works satisfactorily making the drive more suitable for high performance applications

An analysis of yield variation among long-duration pigeonpea genotypes in relation to season, irrigation and plant population

The response of eight long-duration pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L) Millsp.] genotypes to irrigation was studied at Gwalior in Central India during the 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93 growing seasons on an Inceptisol. The crop was grown at two spacings as it was expected that crop density could interact with the crop's ability to extract soil moisture. The irrigation treatment received furrow irrigation four times during the 1990–91 and 1992–93 seasons and twice during the 1991–92 season. Grain yields of all genotypes were 11 % higher when planted at higher density than at low density. There was a differential variation in yield and harvest index among genotypes due to season but not due to spacing and irrigation suggesting the validity of the present approach of testing genotypes under optimum conditions. Grain yield declined by 21 % from the 1990 to 1992 season. The decline was > 1 t/ha in some cultivars (ICPL 366, GW3), and between 0·5 and 1·0 t/ha in others (NP [WR] 15, ICP 87143 and ICPL 84072). In others (Bahar, ICP 9174, ICP 8860) the yield fluctuation was < 0·5 t/ha. The genotypes' mean yields were as high as 2·7 t/ha for ICPL 87143, ICPL 84072 and ICPL 366. There was a significant reduction in both grain yield (16 %), and also above-ground plant dry mass (18 %) due to soil moisture limitation in the unirrigated treatment. Both the above-ground plant dry mass and grain yields were significantly more at high plant density than at lower plant density especially with irrigation. The genotypes were found to differ in their response to production environment (irrigation, spacing and to the undefined differences of the 3 years). Genotypic variation in yield within a production environment was found to vary in relation to changes in harvest index and across environment (irrigation, seasons) due to variation in total dry matter production. A lack of negative relationship between the total dry matter and harvest index suggests the possibility of optimizing both for obtaining higher yield from long-duration genotype

Factors Influencing Optical Coherence Tomography Peripapillary Choroidal Thickness: A Multicenter Study.

Purpose:To quantify peripapillary choroidal thickness (PCT) and the factors that influence it in healthy participants who represent the racial and ethnic composition of the U.S. population. Methods:A total of 362 healthy participants underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) enhanced depth imaging of the optic nerve head with a 24 radial B-scan pattern aligned to the fovea to Bruch's membrane opening axis. Bruch's membrane, anterior scleral canal opening (ASCO), and the anterior scleral surface were manually segmented. PCT was measured at 100, 300, 500, 700, 900, and 1100 μm from the ASCO globally and within 12 clock-hour sectors. The effects of age, axial length, intraocular pressure, ethnicity, sex, sector, and ASCO area on PCT were assessed by ANOVA and univariable and multivariable regressions. Results:Globally, PCT was thicker further from the ASCO border and thinner with older age, longer axial length, larger ASCO area, European descent, and female sex. Among these effectors, age and axial length explained the greatest proportion of variance. The rate of age-related decline increased further from the ASCO border. Sectorally, the inferior-temporal sectors were thinnest (10.7%-20.0% thinner than the thickest sector) and demonstrated a higher rate of age-related loss (from 15.6% to 20.7% faster) at each ASCO distance. Conclusions:In healthy eyes, PCT was thinnest in the inferior temporal sectors and thinner PCT was associated with older age, European descent, longer axial length, larger ASCO area, and female sex. Among these associations, age had the strongest influence, and its effect was greatest within the inferior temporal sectors

Pyrosequencing the transcriptome of the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum reveals multiple transcripts encoding insecticide targets and detoxifying enzymes.

Published onlineJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tBACKGROUND: The whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum is an economically important crop pest in temperate regions that has developed resistance to most classes of insecticides. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying resistance have not been characterised and, to date, progress has been hampered by a lack of nucleotide sequence data for this species. Here, we use pyrosequencing on the Roche 454-FLX platform to produce a substantial and annotated EST dataset. This 'unigene set' will form a critical reference point for quantitation of over-expressed messages via digital transcriptomics. RESULTS: Pyrosequencing produced around a million sequencing reads that assembled into 54,748 contigs, with an average length of 965 bp, representing a dramatic expansion of existing cDNA sequences available for T. vaporariorum (only 43 entries in GenBank at the time of this publication). BLAST searching of non-redundant databases returned 20,333 significant matches and those gene families potentially encoding gene products involved in insecticide resistance were manually curated and annotated. These include, enzymes potentially involved in the detoxification of xenobiotics and those encoding the targets of the major chemical classes of insecticides. A total of 57 P450s, 17 GSTs and 27 CCEs were identified along with 30 contigs encoding the target proteins of six different insecticide classes. CONCLUSION: Here, we have developed new transcriptomic resources for T. vaporariorum. These include a substantial and annotated EST dataset that will serve the community studying this important crop pest and will elucidate further the molecular mechanisms underlying insecticide resistance.CASE PhD studentship BBSRCBayer CropScienceRothamsted Researc

Synthesis of ethyl oleate employing synthetic hydrogel-immobilized lipase of Bacillus coagulans MTCC-6375

Ten polymeric hydrogels were chemically synthesized by varying the concentrations of copolymer (DMA) and cross-linker (MBAm) molecules. An alkaline lipase of Bacillus coagulans MTCC-6375 was immobilized onto a poly (MAc-co-DMA-cl-MBAm)-hydrogel support at pH 8.5 and temperature 55&ordm;C in 16 h. The bound lipase possessed 7.6 U.g⁻&sup1; (matrix) lipase activity with a specific activity of 18 U.mg⁻&sup1; protein. Hydrogel bound-lipase catalyzed esterification of oleic acid and ethanol to synthesize ethyl oleate in n-nonane. Various kinetic parameters were optimized to produce ethyl oleate using immobilized lipase. The optimal parameters were bound enzyme/substrate (E/S) ratio 0.62 mg/mM, ethanol/oleic acid 100 mM:75 mM or 100 mM:100 mM, incubation time 18 h and reaction temperature 55&ordm;C that resulted in approximately 53% conversion of reactants into ethyl oleate in n-nonane. However, addition of a molecular sieve to the reaction mixture promoted the conversion to 58% in 18 h in n-nonane, which was equivalent to 55 mM of ethyl oleate produced.<br /