Rootstock scion interaction studies on various horticultural attributes of pomato grafts under protected structures.

Pomato is a horticultural wonder plant, as tomato and potato can be produced from a single plant. This experiment explored the influence of diverse graft combinations of tomato scions grafted onto potato rootstocks on various growth and yield-attributing traits. The investigation outcomes confirmed the significantly positive influence of scion grafted onto rootstock on various yielding attributes of tomato and potato harvested from pomato grafts. Scion "Rakshita" grafted onto the rootstock of Kufri Himalini had the maximum fruit length. In contrast, the fruits harvested from the graft combination of Avtar grafted onto Kufri Khyati had the maximum number of fruits per cluster and the number of fruits per plant. The highest average fruit weight, fruit yield per meter square, and total fruit yield quintal per hectare were recorded with control "Avtar. The longest harvest duration was noticed with the graft combination of Heemsohna grafted onto Kufri Himalini. Moreover, on, rootstock Kufri Himalini with scion Rakshita resulted in maximum tuber length, and average tuber weight, while Kufri Himalini with Avtar had maximum fruit width. The maximum number of tubers per plant was also noticed with Kufri Pukhraj with Palam Tomato hybrid -1. The potato harvested from the rootstock of Kufri Pukhraj with Avtar had the highest tuber yield per plant, total tuber yield quintal per hectare, and tuber equivalent yield. The highest survival percentage of grafted plants was noted in Heemsohna onto Kufri Jyoti. In context to the cumulative yield of tomato fruits and potato tubers obtained from the pomato graft was found to be incremented in grafts of Avtar grafted onto Kufri Pukhraj followed by Rakshita grafted onto Kufri Rakshita, which also resulted in the maximum benefit-cost ratio with highest net return and gross return. The graft combination of scion Avtar and Rakshita onto Rootstock Kufri Pukhraj resulted in a positive increment in yield attributing traits of the pomato plant than of control of un-grafted tomato and potato.

Appraisal of extended cane length and fruit thinning strategies on the performance of growth yield and quality of kiwifruit.

The kiwifruit has been identified as an enormous fruit for mid-hill horticulture due to its wider adaptability and diversification. The size and quality of kiwifruit were affected by its market. As a result, appropriate canopy management and orchard techniques are key components in its production. Pruning and hand thinning, especially in kiwifruit, have been observed to improve the size and quality of the fruit. Traditional pruning maintained shorter canes with 6-12 nodes and 4 fruits/shoots. However, this study extended cane length and retained loads of 20 nodes/cane and 6 fruits/shoot. Considering the above, a study was conducted to determine the effects of extended cane length and fruit thinning on kiwifruit growth, yield, and fruiting performance. Five pruning levels have been employed: 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 nodes/cane; 4, 6, and 8 fruits/fruiting shoot. The result revealed that the pruning of up to 12 nodes/cane coupled with thinning up to 6 fruits/fruiting shoot resulted in maximum cane diameter, leaf area, leaf: fruit ratio, advancement in flower initiation, bud break percentage (86.79 %), real fertility index, fruit yield and a proportion of grade "A" fruits. The highest leaf chlorophyll content (67.50), flowers per floral shoot, and productivity were recorded with pruning up to 16 nodes/cane coupled with thinning up to 6 fruits/fruiting shoot. The physico-chemical parameters such as fruit weight, diameter, volume, TSS, TSS: acid ratio, total sugars, and C: N ratio of the leaf and shoot were also found to be highest with pruning up to 12 nodes/cane coupled with thinning up to 6 fruits/fruiting shoot. This treatment also gave the maximum net return on a per-hectare basis, hence it was found to be the most profitable for the farmers.

'ARVs are a constant reminder of lost freedom, whereas for others, they are liberating': understanding the treatment narrative among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Malawi and Zimbabwe-a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the research was to understand what drives and motivates young women living with HIV in their treatment journeys, as well as their key influencers. The findings will assist in appreciating their obstacles to treatment and constructing the most effective ways to convey fresh messages to them. These insights will contribute to the messaging developed for a campaign across sub-Saharan Africa, primarily Malawi and Zimbabwe. DESIGN: This was a qualitative study conducted in order to build an understanding of unknown parts of the HIV treatment journey through in-depth interviews. A hybrid approach was used to conduct thematic analysis. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Study participants were HIV-positive women, their influencers (eg, parents/partners/siblings/aunts and uncles/religious leaders, etc) and healthcare providers from a range of regions in Zimbabwe and Malawi. RESULTS: A total of 26 young people living with HIV (PLHIV), 29 healthcare providers and 24 influencers such as maternal figures in the community were interviewed. Two main broad insights were drawn, that is, key needs and wider contextual factors. The key needs of young PLHIV to stay on treatment were empathy, support and emotional connection with antiretroviral therapy (ART), while the wider contextual factors impacting their treatment journeys were structural challenges and cultural reference points. Fear of shame and humiliation can also be significant barriers to disclosure and treatment. The fear predisposes the PLHIV to the need for empathy, support and connection with ART. Mental health and anxiety appear to be comorbid with HIV. Some PLHIV have a small and limited support network leading to very few people living openly with HIV. There is no 'one-size-fits-all' approach, and maximising campaign reach will likely need a multifaceted approach. CONCLUSION: Currently, the relationship between nurses and PLHIV can appear to be transactional. Through learning about the community (including PLHIV), there are more chances of communicating in a way that resonates.

Captivating actions of pomological crops waste as biosorbents for environmental remediation: a comprehensive review.

Water pollutants are an emerging environmental hurdle for crop production and human health risks. In recent decades, the removal of contaminants from water using a cutting-edge approach like biosorbents is a strategy that is both cost-efficient and sustainable. For instance, since biowaste from fruit crops implies the frequent occurrence of average annual waste, it is imperative to formulate strategic initiatives to mitigate this emerging problem while simultaneously recognizing the potential for reutilization and reintroduction of such waste into the industrial sector. Fruit crops such as peels, seeds, skins, branches and stalks can be altered into biosorbents for water treatment. Partially mitigating the adverse impacts of biowaste that estimate to incur costs of billions of dollars around the world would be achieved with this engineering application. This review provides a perspective on the existing literature and brings up-to-date information and findings in the field of pomological crop waste as biosorbents for environmental remediation. In this way, we review the detrimental impact of environmental contaminants on biological organisms and different types of fruit crop waste and their utilization for wastewater treatment, with special emphasis on the formulation of biowaste sorbents (removal efficiency is > 80%) and their application for capturing pollutants such as heavy metals, organic and inorganic dyes and oils. Besides, the newly invented techniques for the characterization of fruit-based biosorbents, the parametric evaluation of biosorbents and their comparison with other available biosorbents are discussed. This review will be helpful for remediating contaminants in wastewater and a panacea for practical engineering solutions.

The ART of RNAylation: covalent RNA-protein linkage in bacteriophage infection.

Bacteriophages have been a treasure trove for the discovery of fundamental biological principles and the expansion of our enzymatic toolkit since the dawn of molecular biology. In a recent study by Wolfram-Schauerte et al. these ubiquitous bacteria-infecting viruses reveal yet another new biological concept: post-translational modification through covalent RNA-protein linkages.

Vertex-Based Resolvability Parameters for Identification of Certain Chemical Structures.

Chemical graph theory explores chemical phenomena and entities through the conceptual framework of graph theory. In chemical graph theory, molecular structures are represented by chemical graphs, where edges and vertices correspond to bonds and atoms, respectively. Chemical graphs serve as fundamental data types in cheminformatics for illustrating chemical structures. The computable properties of graphs form the basis for quantitative structure-property and structure-activity predictions, which are central to cheminformatics. These graphs capture the physical characteristics of molecules and can be further reduced to graph-theoretical indices or descriptors. One extensively studied distance-based graph descriptor is the resolving set Z, which enables the distinction of every pair of distinct vertices in a connected simple graph. Resolving sets were specifically employed in pharmaceutical research to find patterns shared by several different drugs. Since very early times, medicinal drugs have played a significant part in human civilization. In this article, we investigate minimum resolving sets for certain significant drug molecular structures, namely, suramin (S86) and acemannan (A116).

NADcapPro and circNC: methods for accurate profiling of NAD and non-canonical RNA caps in eukaryotes.

Accurate identification of NAD-capped RNAs is essential for delineating their generation and biological function. Previous transcriptome-wide methods used to classify NAD-capped RNAs in eukaryotes contain inherent limitations that have hindered the accurate identification of NAD caps from eukaryotic RNAs. In this study, we introduce two orthogonal methods to identify NAD-capped RNAs more precisely. The first, NADcapPro, uses copper-free click chemistry and the second is an intramolecular ligation-based RNA circularization, circNC. Together, these methods resolve the limitations of previous methods and allowed us to discover unforeseen features of NAD-capped RNAs in budding yeast. Contrary to previous reports, we find that 1) cellular NAD-RNAs can be full-length and polyadenylated transcripts, 2) transcription start sites for NAD-capped and canonical m7G-capped RNAs can be different, and 3) NAD caps can be added subsequent to transcription initiation. Moreover, we uncovered a dichotomy of NAD-RNAs in translation where they are detected with mitochondrial ribosomes but minimally on cytoplasmic ribosomes indicating their propensity to be translated in mitochondria.

Characterising the HIV self-testing market in Kenya: Awareness and usage, barriers and motivators to uptake, and propensity to pay.

HIVST has a key role in ensuring countries meet their 95-95-95 goals. For HIVST to be sustainable, we should explore sharing costs with users as well as the overall experience. This research explores why a consumer would use HIVST and willingness to pay for HIVST through surveying 1,021 participants 18-35 living in Nairobi or Kisumu who were not diagnosed as HIV positive and who are not currently taking PrEP for HIV. A majority (89.8%) would pay 100 KSH and 64.7% would pay 300 KSH, at higher prices likelihood of paying dropped sharply. Price reduction or subsidization coupled with interventions to address the identified barriers may increase HIVST uptake. We identified 5 distinct groups based on willingness to pay and drivers/ barriers to HIVST uptake. These were created using dimension reduction, hierarchical clustering, and k-means analysis to group respondents. 79% of participants had ever heard of HIVST, and 24% had ever used HIVST. The 5 groups included active users, unlikely users, and three segments interested in HIVST with different barriers: need for HCP support, need for increased privacy/confidentiality, and fear of positive result/disclosure.

A structural equation modelling approach to understanding the determinants of childhood vaccination in Nigeria, Uganda and Guinea.

Vaccines have contributed to reductions in morbidity and mortality from preventable diseases globally, but low demand for vaccination threatens to reverse these gains. Explorations of the determinants of vaccination uptake may rely on proxy variables to describe complex phenomena and construct models without reference to underlying theories of vaccine demand. This study aimed to use the results of a formative qualitative study (described elsewhere) to construct and test a model to explain the determinants of vaccination uptake. Using the results of a survey among more than 3,000 primary caregivers of young children in Nigeria, Uganda and Guinea, factor analysis produced six explanatory factors. We then estimated the effects of each of these factors on uptake of immunization using a structural equation model. The results showed that the probability that a child is fully vaccinated increases if a caregiver has support from others to vaccinate them (B = 0.33, ß = 0.21, p<0.001) and if caregivers had poor experiences with the healthcare system (B = 0.09, ß = 0.09, p = 0.007). Conversely, the probability of full vaccination decreases if the caregiver's husband exerts control over her decision-making ability (B = -0.29, ß = -0.20, p<0.001), or if the caregiver perceives vaccines to be of low importance (B = -0.37, ß = -0.27, p<0.001). Belief in religious protection (B = -0.07, ß = -0.05, p = 0.118) and a belief that vaccines are harmful (B = -0.12, ß = -0.04, p = 0.320) did not have an observed effect on vaccination status. This research suggests that interventions may benefit from that including entire families and communities in their design.

On Degree-Based Topological Indices of Carbon Nanocones.

Topological descriptors are numerical numbers that are assigned to molecular structures and can predict certain physicochemical properties. Because of their importance in nanotechnology and as developing materials with practical uses, the topological properties of nanocones have received a lot of attention. In this paper, we discuss the ev-degree- and ve-degree-based topological indices for the generalized carbon nanocones, CNC r [s]. Furthermore, we find numerical computations for certain types of nanocones and plot these numerical results using Matlab programming.

Applying a social-ecological model to understand factors impacting demand for childhood vaccinations in Nigeria, Uganda, and Guinea.

Vaccines have reduced child mortality across the world, but low levels of demand for vaccination threatens to undermine progress. Existing frameworks to understand demand tend to prioritise primary caregivers' decision-making processes. We aimed to build a wider understanding of vaccine demand by applying an adapted socio-ecological model to analyse 158 interviews with primary caregivers and fathers of young children, and community influencers in Nigeria, Uganda, and Guinea. We found that several factors come together to inform a primary caregiver's demand for vaccination, including their familial and social relationships, their interactions with government and healthcare institutions, and the wider social and cultural norms in their communities. The study suggests that interventions targeted at families and communities instead of individuals could be effective. The results could be used to ensure that vaccine demand frameworks used by researchers and intervention designers are comprehensive and consider a wider range of influences on the primary caregiver.

Effect of Organic Manures on Growth, Yield, Leaf Nutrient Uptake and Soil Properties of Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa Chev.) cv. Allison.

In recent decades, organic kiwifruit farming has come up as a feasible method for high-quality kiwi production without using chemical fertilizers. The primary objective of this research was to investigate how the sole application of organic and the combined application of organic manures affected the growth, yields, and quality of Allison kiwifruit, as well as the soil's physicochemical characteristics. The field trial was conducted on cv. Allison to determine the efficacy of organic manures (OM) on growth, nutrient absorption, production and soil health. The experiment involved eight treatments, viz.: T1: 100% Dairy manure (DM); T2: 100% Vermicompost (VC); T3: 100% chicken manure (CM); T4: 50% DM + 50% CM; T5: 50% DM + 50% VC; T6: 50% CM + 50% VC; T7: DM + CM + VC in equal proportions; and T8: Recommended nutrients inorganic NPK + 40 kg DM. A randomized complete block design comprising three replicas was used in this investigation. The use of inorganic fertilizers (NPK) in combination with DM enhanced Spad Values Chlorophyll, fruit production, leaf number, leaf area, and stem diameter while also improving the soil's chemical characteristics. The flower initiation was recorded with DM and Vermicompost (50:50). Furthermore, when compared to inorganic fertilizer treatment, OM treatment significantly improved fruit quality by improving fruit chemical composition in terms of soluble solids contents and leaf nutrient status, as well as improving soil's physical properties with DM and Vermicompost (50:50). The study's outcome revealed that OM had a significant impact on flowering time, fruit SSC, leaf nutritional status, and soil physical characteristics. In comparison to organic treatments, recommended fertilizer dosages (NPK + DM) improved plant growth, fruit yield, and soil chemical characteristics.

Identification of a novel deFADding activity in human, yeast and bacterial 5' to 3' exoribonucleases.

Identification of metabolite caps including FAD on the 5' end of RNA has uncovered a previously unforeseen intersection between cellular metabolism and gene expression. To understand the function of FAD caps in cellular physiology, we characterised the proteins interacting with FAD caps in budding yeast. Here we demonstrate that highly conserved 5'-3' exoribonucleases, Xrn1 and Rat1, physically interact with the RNA 5' FAD cap and both possess FAD cap decapping (deFADding) activity and subsequently degrade the resulting RNA. Xrn1 deFADding activity was also evident in human cells indicating its evolutionary conservation. Furthermore, we report that the recently identified bacterial 5'-3' exoribonuclease RNase AM also possesses deFADding activity that can degrade FAD-capped RNAs in vitro and in Escherichia coli cells. To gain a molecular understanding of the deFADding reaction, an RNase AM crystal structure with three manganese ions coordinated by a sulfate molecule and the active site amino acids was generated that provided details underlying hydrolysis of the FAD cap. Our findings reveal a general propensity for 5'-3' exoribonucleases to hydrolyse and degrade RNAs with 5' end noncanonical caps in addition to their well characterized 5' monophosphate RNA substrates indicating an intrinsic property of 5'-3' exoribonucleases.

Mapping of the Chemical Modifications of rRNAs.

Cellular RNAs, both coding and noncoding, contain several chemical modifications. Both ribose sugars and nitrogenous bases are targeted for these chemical additions. These modifications are believed to expand the topological potential of RNA molecules by bringing chemical diversity to otherwise limited repertoire. Here, using ribosomal RNA of yeast as an example, a detailed protocol for systematically mapping various chemical modifications to a single nucleotide resolution by a combination of Mung bean nuclease protection assay and RP-HPLC is provided. Molar levels are also calculated for each modification using their UV (254 nm) molar response factors that can be used for determining the amount of modifications at different residues in other RNA molecules. The chemical nature, their precise location and quantification of modifications will facilitate understanding the precise role of these chemical modifications in cellular physiology.

Chemical Modifications of Ribosomal RNA.

Cellular RNAs in all three kingdoms of life are modified with diverse chemical modifications. These chemical modifications expand the topological repertoire of RNAs, and fine-tune their functions. Ribosomal RNA in yeast contains more than 100 chemically modified residues in the functionally crucial and evolutionary conserved regions. The chemical modifications in the rRNA are of three types-methylation of the ribose sugars at the C2-positionAbstract (Nm), isomerization of uridines to pseudouridines (Ψ), and base modifications such as (methylation (mN), acetylation (acN), and aminocarboxypropylation (acpN)). The modifications profile of the yeast rRNA has been recently completed, providing an excellent platform to analyze the function of these modifications in RNA metabolism and in cellular physiology. Remarkably, majority of the rRNA modifications and the enzymatic machineries discovered in yeast are highly conserved in eukaryotes including humans. Mutations in factors involved in rRNA modification are linked to several rare severe human diseases (e.g., X-linked Dyskeratosis congenita, the Bowen-Conradi syndrome and the William-Beuren disease). In this chapter, we summarize all rRNA modifications and the corresponding enzymatic machineries of the budding yeast.

Probing small ribosomal subunit RNA helix 45 acetylation across eukaryotic evolution.

NAT10 is an essential enzyme that catalyzes N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) in eukaryotic transfer RNA and 18S ribosomal RNA. Recent studies suggested that rRNA acetylation is dependent on SNORD13, a box C/D small nucleolar RNA predicted to base-pair with 18S rRNA via two antisense elements. However, the selectivity of SNORD13-dependent cytidine acetylation and its relationship to NAT10's essential function remain to be defined. Here, we demonstrate that SNORD13 is required for acetylation of a single cytidine of human and zebrafish 18S rRNA. In-depth characterization revealed that SNORD13-dependent ac4C is dispensable for human cell growth, ribosome biogenesis, translation and development. This loss of function analysis inspired a cross-evolutionary survey of the eukaryotic rRNA acetylation 'machinery' that led to the characterization of many novel metazoan SNORD13 genes. This includes an atypical SNORD13-like RNA in Drosophila melanogaster which guides ac4C to 18S rRNA helix 45 despite lacking one of the two rRNA antisense elements. Finally, we discover that Caenorhabditis elegans 18S rRNA is not acetylated despite the presence of an essential NAT10 homolog. Our findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying SNORD13-mediated rRNA acetylation across eukaryotic evolution and raise new questions regarding the biological and evolutionary relevance of this highly conserved rRNA modification.

Recent insights into noncanonical 5' capping and decapping of RNA.

The 5' N7-methylguanosine cap is a critical modification for mRNAs and many other RNAs in eukaryotic cells. Recent studies have uncovered an RNA 5' capping quality surveillance mechanism, with DXO/Rai1 decapping enzymes removing incomplete caps and enabling the degradation of the RNAs, in a process we also refer to as "no-cap decay." It has also been discovered recently that RNAs in eukaryotes, bacteria, and archaea can have noncanonical caps (NCCs), which are mostly derived from metabolites and cofactors such as NAD, FAD, dephospho-CoA, UDP-glucose, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, and dinucleotide polyphosphates. These NCCs can affect RNA stability, mitochondrial functions, and possibly mRNA translation. The DXO/Rai1 enzymes and selected Nudix (nucleotide diphosphate linked to X) hydrolases have been shown to remove NCCs from RNAs through their deNADding, deFADding, deCoAping, and related activities, permitting the degradation of the RNAs. In this review, we summarize the recent discoveries made in this exciting new area of RNA biology.

Xrn1 is a deNADding enzyme modulating mitochondrial NAD-capped RNA.

The existence of non-canonical nicotinamide adenine diphosphate (NAD) 5'-end capped RNAs is now well established. Nevertheless, the biological function of this nucleotide metabolite cap remains elusive. Here, we show that the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae cytoplasmic 5'-end exoribonuclease Xrn1 is also a NAD cap decapping (deNADding) enzyme that releases intact NAD and subsequently degrades the RNA. The significance of Xrn1 deNADding is evident in a deNADding deficient Xrn1 mutant that predominantly still retains its 5'-monophosphate exonuclease activity. This mutant reveals Xrn1 deNADding is necessary for normal growth on non-fermenting sugar and is involved in modulating mitochondrial NAD-capped RNA levels and may influence intramitochondrial NAD levels. Our findings uncover a contribution of mitochondrial NAD-capped RNAs in overall NAD regulation with the deNADding activity of Xrn1 fulfilling a central role.

Systematic mapping of rRNA 2'-O methylation during frog development and involvement of the methyltransferase Fibrillarin in eye and craniofacial development in Xenopus laevis.

Ribosomes are essential nanomachines responsible for protein production. Although ribosomes are present in every living cell, ribosome biogenesis dysfunction diseases, called ribosomopathies, impact particular tissues specifically. Here, we evaluate the importance of the box C/D snoRNA-associated ribosomal RNA methyltransferase fibrillarin (Fbl) in the early embryonic development of Xenopus laevis. We report that in developing embryos, the neural plate, neural crest cells (NCCs), and NCC derivatives are rich in fbl transcripts. Fbl knockdown leads to striking morphological defects affecting the eyes and craniofacial skeleton, due to lack of NCC survival caused by massive p53-dependent apoptosis. Fbl is required for efficient pre-rRNA processing and 18S rRNA production, which explains the early developmental defects. Using RiboMethSeq, we systematically reinvestigated ribosomal RNA 2'-O methylation in X. laevis, confirming all 89 previously mapped sites and identifying 15 novel putative positions in 18S and 28S rRNA. Twenty-three positions, including 10 of the new ones, were validated orthogonally by low dNTP primer extension. Bioinformatic screening of the X. laevis transcriptome revealed candidate box C/D snoRNAs for all methylated positions. Mapping of 2'-O methylation at six developmental stages in individual embryos indicated a trend towards reduced methylation at specific positions during development. We conclude that fibrillarin knockdown in early Xenopus embryos causes reduced production of functional ribosomal subunits, thus impairing NCC formation and migration.

A Comparative Evaluation of Marginal Accuracy of Co-Cr Metal Copings Fabricated Using Traditional Casting Techniques and Metal Laser Sintering.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim and objective of the study were to determine the amount of marginal discrepancy produced by cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) copings fabricated using two different fabrication methods, i.e., traditional casting and direct metal laser-sintering (DMLS), and compare the values obtained between each fabrication technique and to evaluate if the fabrication technique can produce prosthesis that is within the standards of clinical acceptance of marginal discrepancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty metal copings each were fabricated by laser sintering and traditional casting method. The marginal gap at the buccal, lingual, mesial, and distal areas was measured using the silicone replica technique. The stereomicroscope and optical microscope were used to measure the marginal discrepancy between the working die and the copings. Statistical analysis was done using a t-test using Open-epi calculator software. RESULTS: The values indicate that the marginal gap was less for the copings fabricated using Co-Cr alloy crowns that were fabricated with direct metal laser-sintered technique than Co-Cr alloy crowns fabricated with conventional casting technique. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Gautam N, Khajuria RR, Ahmed R, et al. A Comparative Evaluation of Marginal Accuracy of Co-Cr Metal Copings Fabricated Using Traditional Casting Techniques and Metal Laser Sintering. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(1):128-132.