Impact of Aphis pomi-tending Formica rufa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on biological parameters of Hippodamia variegata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae).

One of the key reasons for the poor performance of natural enemies of honeydew-producing insect pests is mutualism between ants and some aphid species. The findings demonstrated that red wood ant, Formica rufa Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) had a deleterious impact on different biological parameters of the lady beetle, Hippodamia variegata Goeze (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). H. variegata laid far fewer eggs in ant-tended aphid colonies, laying nearly 2.5 times more eggs in ant absence. Ants antennated and bit the lady beetle eggs, resulting in significantly low egg hatching of 66 per cent over 85 per cent in ant absent treatments. The presence of ants significantly reduced the development of all larval instars. The highest reduction was found in the fourth larval instar (31.33% reduction), and the lowest in the first larval instar (20% reduction). Later larval instars were more aggressively attacked by ants than earlier instars. The first and second larval instars stopped their feeding and movement in response to ant aggression. The third and fourth larval instars modified their mobility, resulting in increased ant aggression towards them. Adult lady beetles were shown to be more vulnerable to ant attacks than larvae. However, H. variegata adults demonstrated counterattacks in the form of diverse defensive reaction behaviours in response to F. rufa aggression.

Genome-wide characterization and development of SSR markers for genetic diversity analysis in northwestern Himalayas Walnut (Juglans regia L.).

In the present study, we designed and validated genome-wide polymorphic SSR markers (110 SSRs) by mining the walnut genome. A total of 198,924 SSR loci were identified. Among these, successful primers were designed for 162,594 (81.73%) SSR loci. Dinucleotides were the most predominant accounting for 88.40% (175,075) of total SSRs. The SSR frequency was 377.312 SSR/Mb and it showed a decreasing trend from dinucleotide to octanucleotide motifs. We identified 20 highly polymorphic SSR markers and used them to genotype 72 walnut accessions. Over all, we obtained 118 alleles that ranged from 2 to 12 with an average value of 5.9. The higher SSR PIC values indicate their robustness in discriminating walnut genotypes. Heat map, PCA, and population structure categorized 72 walnut genotypes into 2 distinct clusters. The genetic variation within population was higher than among population as inferred by analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA). For walnut improvement, it is necessary to have a large repository of SSRs with high discriminative power. The present study reports 150,000 SSRs, which is the largest SSR repository for this important nut crop. Scientific communities may use this repository for walnut improvement such as QTL mapping, genetic studies, linkage map construction, and marker-assisted selection. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03563-6.

Nearly Complete Genome Sequence of Cherry Virus A, Isolated from Prunus armeniaca in Jammu and Kashmir, India.

A nearly complete genome sequence of cherry virus A (CVA), isolated from the Prunus armeniaca plant, is presented in this publication. The genome is 7,380 bases in length and is divided into two open reading frames, with a 54-nucleotide (nt) 5' noncoding region (NCR) and a 297-nt 3' NCR.

Use of gastrografin in the management of worm-induced small bowel obstruction in children.

OBJECTIVE: Ascaris-induced small bowel obstruction (SBO) is a common sequel of Ascaris lumbricoides (AL) infestation. Most cases respond to conservative treatment practiced in different centers worldwide. We conceived a prospective randomized trial to compare the conservative treatment with gastrografin administered in addition to the conservative treatment. STUDY DESIGN: This prospective randomized study was conducted between January 2011 and June 2014 at Department of Paediatric and Neonatal Surgery, a tertiary-care hospital. Patients were divided into two groups, one group received conservative treatment and the other received gastrografin in addition to conservative treatment. Forty patients having uncomplicated AL-induced SBO were included in each group. Gastrografin was administered through nasogastric tube and serial clinical and radiological monitoring was performed. The duration of hospital stay, time between admission and first oral feed, passage of worms/flatus were compared in the two groups. Student's t test was used for comparing these variables. RESULTS: Average time for passage of flatus or worms and resolution of abdominal signs and was shorter in gastrografin group as compared to the conservative group. This difference was found to be statistically significant. The average duration of hospital stay in gastrografin group was 25.20 ± 8.01 h whereas it was 61.12 ± 14.64 h in the conservative group (P < 0.001). The difference in the operation rate was statistically insignificant (2 in gastrografin group and 3 in the conservative group).No serious adverse reaction was noted after gastrografin administration. CONCLUSION: Use of gastrografin resulted in faster relief of signs and symptoms of AL-induced SBO, early passage of worms/flatus and return to oral feeds. However, the role of gastrografin role in reducing the likelihood of laparotomy remains inconclusive. Adverse effects of gastrografin can be prevented if it is used in well-hydrated patients.