Gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) application modulated the morpho-physiological and yield traits of fragrant rice under well-watered and drought conditions.

BACKGROUND: Changing climate is causing erratic rainfall and prolonged drought periods, thus posing serious threats to crop productivity. Owing to severity of drought events, it is imperative to take proactive measures to enhance the resilience of drought sensitive crops like rice. Therefore, the present study was carried out to improve the drought stress tolerance in rice through gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) application. METHODS: The experiment was included four GABA concentrations i.e., 0 mM as control, 1 mM, 1.5 mM, and 2 mM, two water levels i.e., 100% and 50% field capacity (referred as FC100 for well-watered and FC50 for drought conditions, respectively), and two fragrant rice cultivars i.e., Super Basmati and Basmati-515. RESULTS: The findings unveiled a comprehensive improvement in various parameters with GABA application in fragrant rice under both well-watered (FC100) and water-limited (FC50) conditions, compared to the control. Specifically, GABA induced enhancements were observed in plant height, root length, fresh weight, dry weight, total soluble protein content, and total free amino acid content across both cultivars. Moreover, GABA application significantly improved peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) enzyme activities, alongside elevating anthocyanin levels, while concurrently reducing H2O2 contents in both FC100 and FC50 treatments. Furthermore, the positive impact of GABA extended to morphological traits, with notable increases in panicle length, total tillers and productive tillers per hill, branch and grain numbers per panicle, and 1000-grain weight for Super Basmati and Basmati 515 cultivars under both water regimes, compared to Ck. Similarly, the grain yield increased by 31.01% and 27.32% under FC100 and 36.85% and 27.71% under FC50 in Super Basmati and Basmati-515, respectively, in response to GABA application, compared to Ck. Additionally, principal component analysis (PCA) revealed significant variances attributed to Dim1 and Dim2, with 86.1% and 4.0% of the variance, respectively, across three bi-plots encompassing rice cultivars, water levels, and GABA treatments. Notably, all tested indices, except for H2O2 and non-productive tillers per hill, exhibited positive correlations amongst themselves and with rice yield, further emphasizing the beneficial effects of GABA application on fragrant rice under well-watered and drought conditions. CONCLUSIONS: GABA significantly improved fragrant rice performance under both well-watered (FC100) and water-limited (FC50) conditions. Moreover, integrating GABA application into rice cultivation practices could not only improve the crop resilience to drought stress but also potentially benefiting the future food and nutritional security globally. However, however; further research is needed to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the functionality of GABA in fragrant rice, particularly under drought conditions.

Optimization of liquid fertilizer management improves grain yield, biomass accumulation, and nutrient uptake of late-season indica fragrant rice.

BACKGROUND: The use of liquid fertilizer is an effective measure to increase rice yield and nitrogen use efficiency. There has been a lack of information regarding the effects on the grain yield, biomass accumulation, and nutrient uptake in late-season indica fragrant rice of split fertilizer application and of nitrogen management in liquid fertilizer application. RESULTS: A 2-year field experiment was carried out during 2019 and 2020 with two fragrant rice cultivars grown under differing fertilizer management treatments. Results showed that the fertilization treatments affected the grain yield, yield components, biomass accumulation, and nutrient accumulation significantly. The mean nitrogen recovery efficiency with liquid fertilizer management was greater than in a control treatment corresponding to a practice commonly used by farmers (H2). The effects of nitrogen metabolism enzymes in the leaves of both rice cultivars were stronger with liquid fertilizer treatments than with H2. Grain yield was positively associated with the effective panicle number, spikelets per panicle, dry matter accumulation, N and K accumulation, and the nitrogen metabolism enzymes. CONCLUSIONS: Optimized liquid fertilizer management increases biomass accumulation, nitrogen utilization efficiency, and nitrogen metabolism. It stabilizes yields and increases the economic benefits of late-season indica fragrant rice. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Alternate wetting and drying modulated physio-biochemical attributes, grain yield, quality, and aroma volatile in fragrant rice.

Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) has been recognized as a water-saving technology in rice production systems; however, pre- and post-flowering AWD could induce changes in yield, quality and aroma biosynthesis in fragrant rice. In the present study, two fragrant rice cultivars (Guixiangzhan and Nongxiang-18) were subjected to AWD till soil water potential reached -25 to -30 kPa during vegetative stage (VS), reproductive stage (RS), and both stages (VS + RS). The AWD did not affect net photosynthesis and gas exchange significantly, while malondialdehyde (MDA), H2 O2 and electrolyte leakage (EL) were higher than in control plants. The AWD treatments variably affected soluble sugars, proline and protein accumulation as well as the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and reduced glutathione (GSH) contents. Moreover, filled grain percentage and 1000-grain weight in AWD treatments were found to be statistically similar (p > 0.05) to control, except grains panicle-1 under AWD-VS + RS that was reduced by 11% and 14% for Guixiangzhan and Nongxiang-18, respectively. On average, yield and related attributes in Guixiangzhan remained higher than in Nongxiang-18. In addition, the grain aroma volatile (2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, 2-AP) content increased by 8.79%, 14.45%, and 6.87% and 7.95%, 14.02%, and 5.04% under AWD-VS, AWD-RS, and AWD-VS + RS treatments, for Guixiangzhan and Nongxiang-18, respectively. Overall, AWD treatments, either at VS or RS, could promote rice aroma in terms of accumulation of 2AP, which might be linked with enhanced endogenous proline contents (a precursor for 2AP biosynthesis) without any severe consequences on rice yield and quality.

Comprehensive characterization of Guanosine monophosphate synthetase in Nicotiana tabacum.

BACKGROUND: Guanosine monophosphate (GMP) synthetase is an enzyme that converts xanthosine monophosphate to GMP. GMP plays an essential role in plant development and responses to internal and external stimuli. It also plays a crucial role in several plant physiochemical processes, such as stomata closure, cation flux regulation, pathogen responses and chloroplast development. METHODS AND RESULTS: The mRNA sequences of NtGMP synthase in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) were rapidly amplified from cDNA. The GMP synthase open reading frame contains a 1617 bp sequence encoding 538 amino acids. A sequence analysis showed that this sequence shares high homology with that of Nicotiana sylvestris, Nicotiana attenuata, N. tomentosiformis, Solanum tuberosum, Lycopersicon pennellii, L. esculentum, Capsicum annuum, C. chinense and C. baccatum GMP synthase. A BLAST analysis with a tobacco high-throughput genomic sequence database revealed that the tobacco GMP synthase gene has five introns and six exons. A phylogenetic analysis showed a close genetic evolutionary relationship with N. sylvestris GMP synthase. The tissue-specific expression profile was evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR. The data showed that NtGMP synthase was highly expressed in leaves and moderately expressed in roots, flowers, and stems. The subcellular localization was predicted using the WOLF PSORT webserver, which strongly suggested that it might be localized to the cytoplasm. CONCLUSIONS: In the current study, we cloned and comprehensively characterized GMP synthase in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). Our results establish a basis for further research to explore the precise role of this enzyme in tobacco.

Insight of transcriptional regulators reveals the tolerance mechanism of carpet-grass (Axonopus compressus) against drought.

BACKGROUND: Carpet grass [Axonopus compressus (L.)] is an important warm-season perennial grass around the world and is known for its adaptability to varied environmental conditions. However, Carpet grass lacks enough data in public data banks, which confined our comprehension of the mechanisms of environmental adaptations, gene discovery, and development of molecular markers. In current study, the DEGs (differentially expressed genes) in Axonopus compressus under drought stress (DS) were identified and compared with CK (control) by RNA-Seq. RESULTS: A total of 263,835 unigenes were identified in Axonopus compressus, and 201,303 (also added to the numbers of the remaining 2 databases) a sequence of unigenes significantly matched in at least one of the seven databases. A total of 153,697 (58.25%) unigenes classified to 144 KEGG pathways, and 7444 unigenes were expressed differentially between DS and CK, of which 4249 were up-regulated and 3195 were down-regulated unigenes. Of the 50 significantly enriched GO terms, 18, 6, and 14 items were related to BP, CC, and MF respectively. Analysis of KEGG enrichment revealed 2569 DEGs involved in 143 different pathways, under drought stress. 2747 DEGs were up-regulated and 2502 DEGs were down-regulated. Moreover, we identified 352 transcription factors (TFs) in Axonopus compressus, of which 270 were differentially expressed between CK and DS. The qRT-PCR validation experiment also supports the transcriptional response of Axonopus compressus against drought. Accuracy of transcriptome unigenes of Axonopus compressus was assessed with BLAST, which showed 3300 sequences of Axonopus compressus in the NCBI. CONCLUSION: The 7444 unigenes were found to be between DS and CK treatments, which indicate the existence of a strong mechanism of drought tolerance in Axonopus compressus. The current findings provide the first framework for further investigations for the particular roles of these unigenes in Axonopus compressus in response to drought.

Genome-wide analysis of ARF transcription factors reveals HcARF5 expression profile associated with the biosynthesis of ß-ocimene synthase in Hedychium coronarium.

KEY MESSAGE: Herein, 37 ARF genes were identified and analyzed in Hedychium coronarium and HcARF5 showed a potential role in the regulation of HcTPS3. Auxin is an important plant hormone, implicated in various aspects of plant growth and development processes especially in the biosynthesis of various secondary metabolites. Auxin response factors (ARF) belong to the transcription factors (TFs) gene family and play a crucial role in transcriptional activation/repression of auxin-responsive genes by directly binding to their promoter region. Nevertheless, whether ARF genes are involved in the regulatory mechanism of volatile compounds in flowering plants is largely unknown. ß-ocimene is a key floral volatile compound synthesized by terpene synthase 3 (HcTPS3) in Hedychium coronarium. A comprehensive analysis of H. coronarium genome reveals 37 candidate ARF genes in the whole genome. Tissue-specific expression patterns of HcARFs family members were assessed using available transcriptome data. Among them, HcARF5 showed a higher expression level in flowers, and significantly correlated with the key structural ß-ocimene synthesis gene (HcTPS3). Furthermore, transcript levels of both genes were associated with the flower development. Under hormone treatments, the response of HcARF5 and HcTPS3, and the emission level of ß-ocimene contents were evaluated. Subcellular and transcriptional activity assay showed that HcARF5 localizes to the nucleus and possesses transcriptional activity. Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) and dual-luciferase assays revealed that HcARF5 directly regulates the transcriptional activity of HcTPS3. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays showed that HcARF5 interacts with scent-related HcIAA4, HcIAA6, and HcMYB1 in vivo. Overall, these results indicate that HcARF5 is potentially involved in the regulation of ß-ocimene synthesis in H. coronarium.

ZnO nanoparticle-based seed priming modulates early growth and enhances physio-biochemical and metabolic profiles of fragrant rice against cadmium toxicity.

BACKGROUND: Cadmium (Cd) is amongst the most toxic heavy metals that severely affects crop growth, whereas application of nanoparticles (NPs) to negate the toxic effects of heavy metals could be an effective management approach. In the present study, the seeds of two fragrant rice varieties i.e., Yuxiangyouzhan and Xiangyaxiangzhan under normal and Cd stress conditions i.e., 0 and 100 mg L- 1 applied with four levels of ZnO NPs i.e., 0, 25, 50, and 100 mg L- 1. RESULTS: Seed priming with ZnO NPs had no significant effect on the seed germination (p > 0.05) however, it substantially improved the seedling growth and other related physiological attributes under the Cd stress. The mean fresh weight of the shoot, and whole seedling was increased by 16.92-27.88% and by 16.92-27.88% after ZnO NPs application. The root fresh weight, root-shoot length was also substantially improved under ZnO NPs treatment. Moreover, application of ZnO NPs induced modulations in physiological and biochemical attributes e.g., the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in root and shoot, the peroxidase (POD) activity and metallothionein contents in root were increased under low levels of ZnO NPs. The α-amylase and total amylase activity were improved by ZnO NPs application under Cd Stress. Besides, modulation in Zn concentration and ZnO NPs uptake in the seedling were detected. The metabolomic analysis indicated that various pathways such as alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism were possibly important for rice response to ZnO NPs and Cd. CONCLUSION: Overall, application of ZnO NPs substantially improved the early growth and related physio-biochemical attributes in rice. Our findings provide new insights regarding the effects of ZnO NPs on seed germination, and early growth of rice, and its potential applications in developing crop resilience against Cd contaminated soils.

Ultrasonic seed treatment improved morpho-physiological and yield traits and reduced grain Cd concentrations in rice.

Rice cultivation under cadmium (Cd) contaminated soil often results in reduced growth with excess grain Cd concentrations. A pot experiment was conducted to assess the potential of ultrasonic seed treatment to alleviate Cd stress in rice. Seeds of two aromatic rice cultivars i.e., Xiangyaxiangzhan and Meixiangzhan 2 and two non-aromatic rice cultivars i.e., Huahang 31 and Guangyan 1 were exposed to ultrasonic waves for 1.5 min in 20-40 KHz mixing frequency. The experimental treatments were comprised of untreated seeds (U0) and ultrasonic treated seeds (U1) transplanted in un-contaminated soil (H0) and Cd-contaminated soil (H1). Results revealed that Cd contents and Cd accumulation in grain in U1 were 33.33-42.31% and 12.86-57.58% lower than U0 for fragrant rice cultivars under H1. Meanwhile, biomass production was higher in U1 than U0 under H0 and better yield was assessed in U1 for all cultivars under H1. The activity of peroxidase (POD) in flag leaves was increased by 8.28-115.65% for all cultivars while malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were significantly decreased in U1 compared with U0 under H0. Conclusively, ultrasonic treatment modulated Cd distribution and accumulation in different parts while improved physiological performance as well as yield and grain quality of rice under Cd contaminated conditions.

Application of γ-aminobutyric acid under low light conditions: Effects on yield, aroma, element status, and physiological attributes of fragrant rice.

Cloudy weather with low light is more common during rice growing season of South China which often leads reduced yield and aroma formations in fragrant rice. However, exogenous γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) application could enhance the 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) accumulations and yield of fragrant rice under low light conditions. Field and pot experiments were conducted with three fragrant rice cultivars i.e., Basmati and Yuxiangyouzhan (indica), and Yungengyou 14 (japonica) that were grown under three different treatments i.e., normal light + GABA 0 mg L-1 (CK), low light + GABA 0 mg L-1 (T1), and low light + GABA 250 mg L-1 (T2). The results revealed that the grain 2AP contents were increased by 14.67-34.83% and up to 29.34% under T1 and T2 treatments in pot and field experiments, respectively, as compared with CK. The T1 and T2 treatments improved aroma owing to regulation in the accumulation of micronutrients i.e., Na, Mn, and Fe and enzyme activities involved in 2AP biosynthesis. The grain yield was substantially reduced in T1 as compared with T2 treatment for all rice cultivars. On the other hand, GABA application improved the grain yield under low light conditions by regulating the plant growth, and related physiological and biochemical attributes in all rice cultivars. Thus, GABA could balance low light-induced 2AP content and grain yield by modulating morphological and yield related attributes as well as physio-biochemical responses of fragrant rice.

Differential response of fragrant rice cultivars to salinity and hydrogen rich water in relation to growth and antioxidative defense mechanisms.

Salinity negatively effects the growth and productivity of crop plants; however, the effects of hydrogen rich water (HRW) on the early growth of fragrant rice under salinity stress are rarely investigated. In present study, two HRW treatments: foliar application (F-HRW) and irrigation (I-HRW) were applied on the two fragrant rice cultivars, Yuxiangyouzhan and Xiangyaxiangzhan, grown under normal and salt stress conditions, i.e., 0 and 150 mmol NaCl L-1, respectively. Plants without HRW application were grown as control (CK). Results showed that the dry weight per unit plant height (mg cm-1) was increased by 12.6% and 23.0% in F-HRW and I-HRW, respectively under salt stress as compared with CK. Application of HRW, regardless of the application method, modulated the antioxidant activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) while reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) contents under salt stress. Moreover, significant and positive relations were observed among total dry weight and shoot dry weight, dry weight per unit plant height, SOD and CAT activity in root. Overall, F-HRW application modulated the early growth and related physiological attributes in fragrant rice under salt stress whereas I-HRW was found to mitigate salt stress. Novelty statement: Involvement of endogenous H2 in plants for regulating various physiological functions is of great importance to stimulate and/or activate the antioxidant defense responses against oxidative stress; however, there is a lack of research in this aspect. The present study investigated the effects of hydrogen rich water (HRW) on the growth and physiological attributes of two fragrant rice cultivars grown under salt-stress. It was noteworthy to find that application of HRW either foliar application or irrigation improved the morphological characters, i.e., dry weight per unit plant height and enhanced the activities of antioxidants, i.e., peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase whilst decreased the malonaldehyde content. Overall, the application of HRW modulates plant growth and physiological attributes in fragrant rice cultivars under salt-stress conditions. This study will be helpful in improving the early growth and/or stand establishment of fragrant rice nursery under saline conditions.

Outcome of Total Hip Replacement with Ceramic on Ceramic Bearings, Case series from Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.

Total Hip replacement offers complete resolution of symptoms and restoration of the hip function. The long-term success of hip replacement primarily depends on wear and osteolysis resulting from the bearing surfaces used in hip replacement surgery. Different bearing surfaces have been used in hip replacements, with variable success rates. Traditional combinations include metal on polyethylene, ceramic on polyethylene, and metal on metal articulations. Ceramic on ceramic Bearing couple is a relatively newer combination recommended for younger patients, requiring Total hip Arthroplasty. Ceramics have the lowest wear rate and are showing promising long-term results in international literature. We report the use of this bearing surface for the first time in Pakistan.

Selenium-silicon (Se-Si) induced modulations in physio-biochemical responses, grain yield, quality, aroma formation and lodging in fragrant rice.

Fragrant rice is a high-valued quality rice type which is gaining much popularity over the globe due to its better cooking qualities and special aromatic characteristics. Selenium (Se) and silicon (Si) could improve the growth and yield of rice; however, the combine effects of Se and Si (Se-Si treatments) on rice grain quality, aroma and lodging in fragrant rice were rarely investigated. The pot and field experiments were conducted with two fragrant rice cultivars i.e., Xiangyaxiangzhan and Yuxiangyouzhan, grown under three Se levels i.e., 0, 120, and 240 mg kg-1 of soil (for pot experiment) and 0, 300, and 600 kg ha-1 (for field experiment) regarded as LSe, MSe and HSe, respectively and two Si levels i.e., 0 and 60 mg kg-1 of soil (for pot experiment) and 0 and 150 kg ha-1 (for field experiment) regarded as -Si and +Si, respectively. Results depicted that the Se-Si treatments regulated head rice yield, grain yield and yield related traits and the HSe+Si treatment sustainably improved the grain yield and head rice yield by regulating plant growth, antioxidant response and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in fragrant rice. The Se-Si treatments also improved the grain 2AP contents owing to regulation in the proline, pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) contents. Besides, Se-Si treatments also regulated the grain quality attributes and influenced the plant Se contents. Moreover, the Si mitigated Se-induced lodging resulted from changes in the lodging parameters i.e., lodging index, fresh weight per tiller, pushing resistance force, plant height and bending moment. Overall, the Se and Si application improved the grain yield and regulated the dry weight accumulation, antioxidant attributes and quality attributes. Meanwhile, the Si application mitigated the negative effect of Se-induced lodging in fragrant rice.

Ultrasonic seed treatment improved cadmium (Cd) tolerance in Brassica napus L.

Cadmium (Cd) affects crop growth and productivity by disrupting normal plant metabolism. To determinate whether ultrasonic (US) seed treatment can alleviate Cd stress in rape (Brassica napus L.), the seeds of two oilseed rape cultivars i.e., 'Youyanzao18' and 'Zaoshu104' were exposed to ultrasonic waves for 1 min at 20 KHz frequency. Seeds without US treatment were taken as control (CK). Results revealed that the germination rate of both cultivars was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in US treatment than CK only at 0 and 10 mg Cd L-1. The shoot and root length of both cultivars were significantly higher in US treatment than CK at all Cd treatments except the root length of Youyanzao18 at 50 mg Cd L-1. The fresh weight Youyanzao18 was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in US than CK except for Youyanzao18 at 25 mg Cd L-1. Moreover, the superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities and the proline, glutathione (GSH), and soluble protein contents in Youyanzao18 were relatively higher in the US treatment than CK. The malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were prominently reduced in US treatment than CK. The pods per plant, seeds per pod and rapeseed yield were increased by 15.9, 11.4, and 16.4% in Youyanzao18 and 10.3, 9.5, and 11.5% in Zaoshu104, respectively in US treatment, compared to CK. Moreover, the contents of Cd in root, stem, leaf, rape pod shell, and rapeseeds were comparatively less in US treatment than CK whereas the Cd concentrations in different plant parts of both rape cultivars were recorded as: leaf ˃ root ˃ stem ˃ rape pod shell ˃ rapeseed. In sum, the US treatment improved the morphological growth and rapeseed yield whereas reduced the Cd accumulation in different plant parts of rapeseed under Cd contaminated soil.

Mixed-cropping systems of different rice cultivars have grain yield and quality advantages over mono-cropping systems.

BACKGROUND: A mixed-cropping system that enhances farmland biodiversity has the potential to improve grain yield and quality; however, the impacts of growing different rice cultivars simultaneously has been rarely investigated. In the present study, five popular rice cultivars were selected and ten mixture combinations were made according to the growth period, plant height, grain yield and quality, and pest and disease resistance. Seedlings of the five cultivars and ten mixture combinations (mixed-sowing of the seeds in an equal ratio, then mixed-transplanting and finally mixed-harvesting) were grown in plastic pots in a glasshouse during the early and late growing seasons in 2016. RESULTS: Compared with the mono-cropping systems in the early and late growing seasons in 2016 (paired t-test), the mixed-cropping systems increased the rice leaf photosynthetic rate, soil plant analysis development (SPAD) index and total aboveground dry weight. Moreover, mixed-cropping systems improved the number of spikelets per panicle, seed-setting rate, and grain weight per pot and harvest index by 19.52% and 5.77%, 8.53% and 4.41%, 8.31% and 4.61%, and 10.26% and 6.98% in the early and late growing seasons, respectively. In addition, mixed-cropping systems reduced chalky rice rate and chalkiness degree by 33.12% and 43.42% and by 30.11% and 48.13% in the early and late growing seasons, respectively. CONCLUSION: The SPAD indexes and photosynthetic rates enhanced at physiology maturity in mixed-cropping systems may result in higher grain yield and better grain quality. In general, it was found that mixed-cropping with different rice cultivars has the potential for increasing grain yield and improving grain quality. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Water management regimes alter Pb uptake and translocation in fragrant rice.

Rice cultivation in lead (Pb) polluted soils often leads to high Pb contents in rice grains. The present study investigated the dynamics of Pb uptake under different water regimes in two fragrant rice cultivars i.e., Guixiangzhan and Nongxiang-18. Results revealed that water dynamics regulated the antioxidant activities in both rice cultivars under Pb toxicity. Compared to continuous ponding (CP), taken as control, alternate wetting and drying (AWD) reduced the Pb contents in roots, stems, leaves, and grains up to 17%, 41%, 22%, and 52% in Guixiangzhan and 23%, 19%, 17%, and 37% in Nongxiang-18, respectively. Furthermore, AWD-treatments reduced paddy yield from 11% to 21% in Guixiangzhan and 11-33% in Nongxiang-18 under Pb toxicity. In conclusion, Pb loadings in fragrant rice can be regulated by effective water management and/or by controlling irrigation water at different growth stages. Special control measures or management is required to cultivate the rice in metal(loid)s polluted soils.

Benign tumours and tumour like lesions of bone.

Over the last century, there has been a remarkable development in the study of benign bone tumours. This is primarily due to the improved knowledge of the nature of these lesions and improved imaging technology. They present as a diverse group of clinical and pathological entities, which vary in their clinical behaviour and aggressiveness and, hence, multidisciplinary approach is necessary in their management. Combined opinion from an orthopaedic surgeon, radiologist and a pathologist is therefore required. Incidence of these tumours is debatable because they are often asymptomatic. Many protocols have been reported in studies with respect to the management of these tumours based on the experience of different centres and different surgeons with no set guidelines. English-language studies, including case reports, case series and systemic reviews, from PubMed, ERIC, MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Reviews databases from 2002 to 2016 were included in the current. Articles reporting all levels of evidence - Level I to V - were included.

Transfer of lead (Pb) in the soil-plant-mealybug-ladybird beetle food chain, a comparison between two host plants.

Contamination of soil with heavy metals has become an issue of concern on global scale. This study investigates the translocation of lead (Pb) along the soil - plant (eggplant and tomato) - mealybug (Dysmicoccus neobrevipes) - ladybird beetle (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri) food chain. Soil amendments used for this study were adjusted to 0, 25, 50 and 100mg/kg of Pb (w/w). The results revealed significantly higher transfer of Pb in tomato when compared to eggplant. Bio-magnification of Pb (2-4 times) was observed for soil - root transfer whereas Pb was bio-minimized in later part of food chain (shoot - mealybug - ladybird transfer). A dose dependent increase in transfer of Pb across the multi-trophic food chain was observed for both host plants. A decrease in coefficients of Pb transfer (from root - shoot and shoot - mealybug) was observed with increase in Pb concentrations. Our results also showed removal of Pb from the bodies of ladybird beetle during metamorphosis. Further studies are required to explain the mechanisms or physiological pathways involved in the bio-minimization of Pb across the food chain.

Trends in management of neck of femur fracture.

OBJECTIVE: To identify trends related to surgical procedure for the management of neck of femur fracture to see how the choice is changing over time in relation to different age groups. METHODS: The retrospective audit was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised data of all patients who presented with neck of femur fracture from 1995 to 2014. Patients with open fractures and those having external fixators were excluded. Data was retrieved from the hospital database, and analysed using SPSS 17. RESULTS: Records of 1039 patients were reviewed. The proportion of patients in the 70+ years age group significantly increased from 45% to 52% over the two decades (p=0.033). Proportion of patients undergoing total hip replacement increased by more than 3 times from 2.6% to 8% (p<0.001).Internal fixation was the most common procedure in patients aged <50 (p<0.001), and hemiarthroplasty for those aged > 50 years (p<0.001). Total hip replacement was seen in its highest proportion (15%) in patients aged 40-49 years (p=0.006). Hemiarthroplasty showed a dramatic decrease in the age group 50-59 years (from 57% to 40%). Total hip replacement showed a steady increasing trend over the last 20 years, most prominently in people in their 50s and 60s (from 1% to 18%; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: There is apparently a rising trend in number of patients presenting with neck of femur fracture. Total hip replacement has a rising trend and partial hip arthroplasties have a decreasing trend when it comes to treatment of neck of femur fractures.

Ultrasonic seed treatment improved seed germination, growth, and yield of rice by modulating associated physio-biochemical mechanisms.

Ultrasonic seed (US) treatment could alter seed germination mechanism, however, US induced alterations in morph-physiological attributes and yield of fragrant rice were rarely reported. In the present study, the seeds of three fragrant rice cultivars viz., Xiangyaxiangzhan, Meixiangzhan 2, Ruanhuayou 6100 and one non-fragrant rice viz., Wufengyou 615 were exposed to ultrasonic waves at 20-40 kHz for 1.5 min (T) whereas the seeds without exposure were taken as control (CK). Results showed that US treatment caused minor cracks on seed surface while improved seed germination rate (1.79 %-11.09 %) and 3-indoleacetic acid (IAA) (3.36 %-46.91 %). Furthermore, peroxidase (POD) activity and methionine sulfoxide reductase activity was increased by 29.15 %-74.13 % and 11.26 %-20.87 %, respectively; however, methionine sulfoxide reductase related protein repairing gene MSRA4 was down-regulated by 17.93 % -41.04 % under T, compared to CK. Besides, US treatment also improved soluble protein in flag leaf (0.92 %-40.79 %), photosynthesis (3.37 %-16.46 %), biomass (5.17 %-31.87 %), as well as 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline content (4.77 %-15.48 %) in rice grains. In addition, multivariate analysis showed that the dry weight at the maturity stage were significantly related to the POD, glutathione reductase (GR) activity, IAA, and abscisic acid (ABA) content while germination rate was positively related to the GR activity, ABA content, and yield, but which were negatively related to the IAA and gibberellic acid content.

Functionality of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi varies across different growth stages of maize under drought conditions.

Physio-biochemical regulations governing crop growth period are pivotal for drought adaptation. Yet, the extent to which functionality of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi) varies across different stages of maize growth under drought conditions remains uncertain. Therefore, periodic functionality of two different AM fungi i.e., Rhizophagus irregularis SUN16 and Glomus monosporum WUM11 were assessed at jointing, silking, and pre-harvest stages of maize subjected to different soil moisture gradients i.e., well-watered (80% SMC (soil moisture contents)), moderate drought (60% SMC), and severe drought (40% SMC). The study found that AM fungi significantly (p < 0.05) affected various morpho-physiological and biochemical parameters at different growth stages of maize under drought. As the plants matured, AM fungi enhanced root colonization, glomalin contents, and microbial biomass, leading to increased nutrient uptake and antioxidant activity. This boosted AM fungal activity ultimately improved photosynthetic efficiency, evident in increased photosynthetic pigments and photosynthesis. Notably, R. irregularis and G. monosporum improved water use efficiency and mycorrhizal dependency at critical growth stages like silking and pre-harvest, indicating their potential for drought resilience to stabilize yield. The principal component analysis highlighted distinct plant responses to drought across growth stages and AM fungi, emphasizing the importance of early-stage sensitivity. These findings underscore the potential of incorporating AM fungi into agricultural management practices to enhance physiological and biochemical responses, ultimately improving drought tolerance and yield in dryland maize cultivation.