Insights into the cumulative effect of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Fusarium acutatum causing anthracnose-twister disease complex of onion.

Colletotrichum is an important plant pathogenic fungi that causes anthracnose/-twister disease in onion. This disease was prevalent in the monsoon season from August to November months and the symptoms were observed in most of the fields. This study aimed to investigate the pathogenicity and cumulative effect, if any of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Fusarium acutatum. The pot experiment was laid out to identify the cause responsible for inciting anthracnose-twister disease, whether the Colletotrichum or Fusarium or both, or the interaction of pathogens and GA3. The results of the pathogenicity test confirmed that C. gloeosporioides and F. acutatum are both pathogenic. C. gloeosporioides caused twisting symptoms independently, while F.acutatum independently caused only neck elongation. The independent application of GA3 did not produce any symptoms, however, increased the plant height. The combined treatment of C. gloeosporioides and F. acutatum caused twisting, which enhanced upon interaction with GA3 application giving synergistic effect. The acervuli were found in lesions infected with C. gloeosporioides after 8 days of inoculation on the neck and leaf blades. Symptoms were not observed in untreated control plants. Koch's postulates were confirmed by reisolating the same pathogens from the infected plants.

Differential gene expression analysis reveals the fast-growth mechanisms in Melia dubia at different stand ages.

BACKGROUND: Melia dubia Cav. is a fast-growing multipurpose tree suitable for agroforestry and has been widely cultivated for wood-based industries, particularly pulp and paper production. Despite its high economic value in India, there is a lack of information regarding the molecular mechanism driving its fast-growth. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms responsible for fast-growth by expression analysis of selective candidate genes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Initially, growth traits were assessed, including tree height and diameter at breast height (DBH), across three different ages (one-year-old, two-year-old, and three-year-old) of M. dubia plantations. Tree volume based on tree height and DBH, was also calculated. The analysis of annual tree height increment revealed that the second-year plantation exhibited the higher increment, followed by first and third years. In contrast, DBH was maximum in third-year plantation, followed by the second and first years. Similarly, annual tree volume increment showed a similar trend with DBH that maximum in the third year, followed by second and first years. Furthermore, a differential gene expression analysis was performed using qRT-PCR on four genes such as Phloem Intercalated with Xylem (PXY), Clavata3/Embryo Surrounding Region-Related 41 (CLE41), 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase (ACS-1) and Hemoglobin1 (Hb1) for downstream analysis. The relative gene expression showed up-regulation of CLE41, ACS-1, and Hb1 genes, while the PXY gene was downregulated across the tree ages. Interestingly, a positive association was observed between tree growth and the expression of the selected candidate genes. CONCLUSION: Our results pave the way for further research on the regulatory mechanisms of genes involved in fast-growth and provide a basis for genetic improvement of Melia dubia.

Whole plant response of Pongamia pinnata to drought stress tolerance revealed by morpho-physiological, biochemical and transcriptome analysis.

BACKGROUND: Pongamia is considered an important biofuel species worldwide. Drought stress in the early growth stages of Pongamia influences negatively on the germination and seedling development. Due to lack of cultivar stability under drought stress conditions, establishment of successful plantation in drought hit areas becomes a major problem. To address this issue, drought stress response of four Pongamia genotypes was studied at morphological, physio-chemical and transcriptome levels. METHODS AND RESULTS: Drought stress was levied by limiting water for 15 days on three months old seedlings of four genotypes. A significant effect of water stress was observed on the traits considered. The genotype NRCP25 exhibited superior morpho-physiological, biochemical drought responses. Also, the genotype had higher root length, photosynthetic pigments, higher antioxidant enzymes and solute accumulation compared to other genotypes. In addition, transcript profiling of selected drought responsive candidate genes such as trehalose phosphate synthase 1 (TPS1), abscisic acid responsive elements-binding protein 2 (ABF2-2), heat shock protein 17 (HSP 17 kDa), tonoplast intrinsic protein 1 (TIP 1-2), zinc finger homeodomain protein 2 (ZFP 2), and xyloglucan endotransglucolase 13 (XET 13) showed only up-regulation in NRCP25. Further, the transcriptome responses are in line with key physio-chemical responses exhibited by NRCP25 for drought tolerance. CONCLUSIONS: As of now, there are no systematic studies on Pongamia drought stress tolerance; therefore this study offers a comprehensive understanding of whole plant drought stress responsiveness of Pongamia. Moreover, the results support important putative trait indices with potential candidate genes for drought tolerance improvement of Pongamia.

Alien genome mobilization and fixation utilizing an apomixis mediated genome addition (AMGA) strategy in Pennisetum to improve domestication traits of P. squamulatum.

KEY MESSAGE: An approach to release 'frozen' variability in apomictic species using sexuality of another species, eventually its utilization in crop improvement and de-novo domestication of crop wild relatives is presented. Pennisetum squamulatum, a secondary gene pool species of pearl millet (P. glaucum), harbours many desirable traits. However, it was neither utilized to improve pearl millet fodder traits nor improvement of its own domestication traits was attempted, due to the complexities of genomes and apomictic reproduction. To overcome this, we followed an Apomixis Mediated Genome Addition (AMGA) strategy and utilized the contrasting reproductive capacities (sexuality and apomixis) of both the species to access the otherwise un-available variability embedded in P. squamulatum. Segregating population of interspecific hybrids exhibited significant variability and heterosis for desired morphological, agronomical, and nutritional traits. Elite apomictic and perennial hybrids were evaluated in breeding trials, and eventually a novel grass cultivar was released for commercial cultivation in India. The performance of newly developed cultivar was superior to other adapted perennial grasses of arid and semi-arid rangelands. Through AMGA, the sexuality of one species was successfully utilized to 'release' the 'frozen' variability embedded in another species. Subsequently, the hybrids representing desirable trait combinations were again 'fixed' utilizing the apomixis alleles from the male parent in a back-and-forth apomixis-sexual-apomixis selection cycle. This study also demonstrated the potential of AMGA to improve crop relatives through genomes introgression as well as de novo domestication of new crops from wild species.

Correlation between salivary cortisol levels and dental anxiety in children of smokers and nonsmokers.

OBJECTIVES: The present study was undertaken to evaluate salivary cortisol levels in children of smokers and nonsmokers and thereby establishing the relationship between cortisol levels in response to anxiety in children based on their father's habit of smoking. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population aged between 8 and 10 years includes two groups. Group 1 is comprised 20 children of cigarette smokers and Group 2 is comprised 20 children of nonsmokers. The passive drooling technique was used to collect unstimulated saliva from the children using a sterile container. Salivary cortisol levels were evaluated using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay method. The obtained data were subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS software and paired t-test. RESULTS: Higher mean salivary cortisol levels were found in children of smokers compared to children of nonsmokers and the difference between them was significant statistically (P < 0.05). Higher salivary cortisol levels were found in females compared to males and the result was significant statistically (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study has proved that the smoking habit of the father has a negative influence on the anxiety levels of their children.

Oral health status and treatment needs among 10126 school children in West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, India.

OBJECTIVES: Oral diseases are affecting a large percentage of children worldwide. This study with Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry collaboration was taken up with the aim to evaluate the oral health status and treatment needs in school-going children of the West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 10126 school children who were randomly selected from 32 schools in West Godavari district. To find the significance of the obtained number of cases for different age groups, Chi-square test of significance was used. RESULTS: The prevalence of dental conditions are as follows: Dental caries 63.5%, periodontal diseases 13.6%, dental anomalies 3.6%, dental trauma 3.2%, and orthodontic treatment 25.1%. Among the different age groups, 11-14 years age group has the highest prevalence of oral health problems. Females were more affected with dental caries (P = 0.17), orthodontic treatment needs (P = 0.12), and dental anomalies (P = 0.86) compared to males which was statistically insignificant. The highest prevalence of dental conditions in the case of females was observed during the age of 11-14 years, and in males, the peak was seen in the 15-18 years age group. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that school-going children in West Godavari district suffer from a high prevalence of dental conditions and have higher treatment needs.

Are father surrogates a risk factor for child maltreatment?

Most research on the effect of father figures in the home on the incidence of child maltreatment has been cross-sectional and has focused on sexual abuse. This prospective study's purpose is to determine if the presence of a father surrogate in the home affects the risk of a subsequent child maltreatment report. In a longitudinal sample of at-risk children, North Carolina's Central Registry for Child Abuse and Neglect was used to determine the maltreatment history of children from birth to age 8 years. Children who had a father surrogate living in the home were twice as likely to be reported for maltreatment after his entry into the home than those with either a biological father (odds ratio = 2.6, 95 % confidence interval = 1.4-4.7) or no father figure in the home (odds ratio = 2.0, 95% confidence interval = 1.1-3.5).

Father involvement and children's functioning at age 6 years: a multisite study.

Research suggests that fathers' involvement in their children's lives is associated with enhanced child functioning. The current study examined (a) whether presence of a father was associated with better child functioning, (b) whether children's perceptions of fathers' support was associated with better functioning, and (c) whether the above association was moderated by the father's relationship to the child, the child's race, and the child's gender. Participants included 855 six-year-old children and their caregivers. Father presence was associated with better cognitive development and greater perceived competence by the children. For children with a father figure, those who described greater father support had a stronger sense of social competence and fewer depressive symptoms. The associations did not differ by child's gender, race, or relationship to the father figure. These findings support the value of fathers' presence and support to their children's functioning. Priorities for future research include clarifying what motivates fathers to be positively involved in their children's lives and finding strategies to achieve this.

Adolescent women face triple jeopardy: unwanted pregnancy, HIV / AIDS and unsafe abortion.

PIP: This article reports the risks of unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion relative to HIV/AIDS by adolescent women. Data presented at the XI International Conference on AIDS indicated that adolescents aged 15-19 years form the highest risk group for newly acquired HIV infections and also with the highest rate worldwide of unwanted pregnancy. Contributing factors of this high rate includes physical violence and other forms of coercion; an earlier age of sexual initiation for girls than boys; so-called "sexual mixing", wherein young girls may have sex with older men for a variety of cultural and economic reasons; social pressures faced by young girls; the lack of access to formal education including sex education; the lack of access to contraception and reproductive health services; the high-risk sexual behavior of adolescent female partners; and young women's lack of power to negotiate terms of sex with their partners. When faced with an unwanted pregnancy, adolescent women have always found it difficult to obtain appropriate services to meet their needs, including safe abortion care. The AIDS epidemic exacerbates these difficulties and adds new medical, legal and ethical dimensions to the practice of unsafe and illegal abortion procedures that put young women's health and lives in danger.^ieng

Distribution and enrichment of radionuclides in the newly discovered high background area in Ullal on the southwest coast of India.

In order to understand the distribution of radionuclides in the newly discovered high background area in Ullal near Mangalore, soil and sand samples collected from different depths were analyzed for the concentration of primordial radionuclides by gamma spectrometry. The activity of 232Th and 238U in soil and sand was observed to be maximum in the 0-10 cm layer. The activity of primordial radionuclides was determined for the different size fractions of soil and sand to study the enrichment pattern. The highest activity was found in the 250-125 mu fraction in both soil and sand. The concentration of primordial radionuclides in riverine and marine sediments in the vicinity of the high background area was measured to understand the transportation of radionuclides in riverine and marine environments and to throw light on the formation of the new patches of monazite deposit. The results of these systematic investigations are discussed in this paper.

A new natural background radiation area on the southwest coast of India.

The systematic study of background radiation and the distribution of radionuclides in the environment of coastal Karnataka, South India, has been initiated with an objective of establishing reliable baseline data on the background radiation level of the region for future assessment of the impact of nuclear and thermal power stations that are being set up in the region. The ambient gamma radiation survey in the environment of Mangalore, a major industrial city of coastal Karnataka, revealed significantly high gamma dose in air in certain locations of the Mangalore beach area. Thermoluminescent dosimetric studies indicated conspicuously high gamma dose in air in these places. Gamma spectrometric analyses of the soil and sand samples of this high background area have been carried out. The measured gamma dose in air in high background area is in the range 44-2102 nGy h-1. The average activity of 232Th, 238U, and 40K in soil samples is 2,971 Bq kg-1, 546 Bq kg-1, and 268 Bq kg-1, respectively. In sand samples, the respective activities are 1,842 Bq kg-1, 374 Bq kg-1, and 158 Bq kg-1. Results of these systematic investigations which establish the existence of new patches of monazite in the Mangalore beach area, on the southwest coast of India, are presented in this paper.