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Characterization Of Emerging Xanthomonas campestris Isolates On The Nonnative Weed Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
No full textNonnative plant infestations provide unique opportunities to investigate pathogen emergence with evolutionarily recent plant introduction events. The widespread distribution of invasive plants and their proximity to genetically related crops highlights the risks of nonnative plants acting as ancillary hosts and fostering microbial recombination and pathogen selection. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a widespread, nonnative cruciferous weed that grows throughout North America and along the forested edges of diverse agricultural fields. The recent identification of a novel Xanthomonas campestris pv. incanae strain isolated from a diseased A. petiolata population led to the current investigation of the distribution and diversity of X. campestris isolates from naturally infected A. petiolata. A total of 14 diseased A. petiolata sites were sampled across three states, leading to the identification of diverse X. campestris pathotypes and genotypes. Pathogenicity assays and multilocus sequence analyses identified pathogenic X. c. pv. incanae and X. c. pv. barbareae strains collected from disparate A. petiolata populations. Moreover, independently collected X. c. pv. incanae strains demonstrated a broad cruciferous host range by infecting cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata), garden stock (Matthiola incana), and the cover crop yellow mustard (Guillenia flavescens). This study highlights the genetic variability and host potential of natural X. campestris populations and the potential risks to Brassica crops via widespread, dense garlic mustard reservoirs
Foliar Application of Vermitea on Wheat Against Salt Stress Under Hydroponic Condition
Get PDFSalinity is one of the major issues that drastically reduce wheat production. In a hydroponic investigation, vermitea was employed to evaluate the impact of salinity on wheat. The vermitea is a by-product of the vermicomposting process that has both macro- and micronutrients. When these plants reached full maturity, they were harvested. The evaluation was based on their morphological characteristics, such as root/shoot dry weight, root/shoot ratio, plant height, root/shoot length, number of spikelets per spikelet, spike length, number of grains per spikelet, and biological yield per plant. The leaves relative water contents and other biochemical parameters including K+, Na+, chlorophyll content, were also assessed. In comparison to the other levels, the VT3 (8 %) level produced the best outcomes. The morphological, biochemical, and yield related indices of wheat were boosted and improved by the foliar application of vermitea. Vermitea was found to be an efficient bio-stimulant in enhancing wheat plants\u27 development in both non-saline and saline hydroponic environments
Eco-Friendly Management of Nausinoe Geometralis Through Botanical Extracts on Jasmine Plant
Get PDFJasmine leaf webworm, Nausinoe geometralis, is a significant pest of Jasminum spp. commonly known as Jasmine plant. This plant holds a special place in Pakistan\u27s culture; as it is declared as its national flower. N. geometralis feeds on the leaves of the jasmine plant; leaving it damaged and unattractive. Current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of four botanical extracts (i.e. Neem, Taramira, Lemon grass, and Cactus) against N. geometralis; to explore an effective and eco-friendly method to protect the jasmine plant. Different concentrations of extracts were prepared using distilled water. Bioassays were performed on third instar larvae of N. geometralis following leaf dip method for various exposure intervals. Outcomes revealed that Neem extract was highly effective to manage the test insect pest followed by Taramira, Lemon grass, and Cactus. LC50 values of Neem after 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours were 22.25, 11.11, 11.31, and 15.82 ppm, respectively. It was concluded that botanical extracts can be utilized as promising agents in developing effective management strategies against N. geometralis. Future research should focus on optimizing the application methods and exploring the synergistic effects of these botanical extracts with other eco-friendly control measures to enhance their effectiveness against N. geometralis in field conditions
Histopathology of Heart and Spleen as a Result of Chromium Exposure in Mice
Get PDFPotassium dichromate (K2CR2O7) contains hexavalent chromium that was tested for cardiac and splenic histopathology and micro anatomical and morphometric analysis at sub-toxic chronic exposure in drinking water in mice at 50 ppm, 100 ppm and 200 ppm concentration. Its duration of exposure was 30 days. The forty animals were divided into 4 groups as Group I was designated as Control (Ctl) received free normal drinking water, other groups (Group II-IV) were Cr (VI)50 ppm, Cr(VI)100 ppm, Cr(VI)200 ppm received 50, 100 and 200 ppm chromium in drinking water respectively. The animals were sacrificed after 30 days of exposure to obtain the heart and spleen for histological preparation. The digital photographs obtained from selected slides were analyzed histo-anatomically. Considerable decrease in red pulp of spleen was observed in Cr(VI)50 ppm (8.07±0.76), Cr(VI)100 ppm (7.74±0.30) and Cr(VI)200 ppm (7.35±0.65) in a dose dependent manner as compared to Ctl (8.24±0.86). Relative cell abundance in red pulp of Cr(VI)50 ppm (0.81±0.13), Cr(VI)100 ppm (0.65±0.16) and Cr(VI)200 ppm (0.6±0.1) was decreasing as compared to Ctl group (1.47±0.20). However, interestingly white pulp of spleen was increased in Cr (VI)50 ppm (1.31±0.15), Cr(VI)100 ppm (1.47±0.10) and Cr(VI)200 ppm (1.72±0.15) in dose dependent manner as compared to Ctl (1.55±0.15). While heart tissue indicate variation in the mean cross sectional area (CSA) of the cardiac fibers along with damaged to end plates, merger of the adjacent fibers necrosis followed by fibrosis in the myocardial myometrium. The results shows clear impression that persistent low concentration (50 ppm)chromium exposure in drinking water can be dangerous to myometrium leading to congestive heart problems, cardiac failure, brady cardia along with many hematological implications
Variation In The Strength Of Local And Regional Determinants Of Herbivory Across The Neotropics
No full textPlant–herbivore interactions are ubiquitous, and variation in the strength of these interactions contributes to diversity and ecosystem function at multiple scales in most biomes. Leaf herbivory exhibits substantial skew at most scales, but virtually all ecological studies focus on estimates of means and variance in herbivory rather than entire distributions. The novelty of this paper is that it employed estimation of latent variables summarizing statistical distributions of herbivory, rather than focusing on single random variables. Interestingly, latent variables representing central tendency, dispersion, skew, and kurtosis of herbivory on a tropical shrub genus each responded uniquely to abiotic and biotic factors
Progressive Enrichment Of Benthic Primary Producer And Dreissenid Δ\u3csup\u3e15\u3c/sup\u3eN With Depth In Lakes Erie And Ontario
No full textInvasive quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) have physically, and potentially biogeochemically, transformed the bottom of the Laurentian Great Lakes by colonizing vast expanses of soft sediment habitat. We analyzed the δ13C and δ15N of quagga mussels, the epizoic algal biofilms on their shells, and epipelic algae on sediments in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Spatial patterns in isotopic values of these basal organisms were broadly similar in the two lakes: the δ13C of mussels were consistent with a phytoplankton diet and exhibited lower spatial variation than benthic algae. Decreases in epipelic and epizoic algal δ13C with depth were consistent with decreasing benthic algal photosynthesis. Thus, mussels and their associated biofilms provide baseline δ13C for phytoplankton and benthic algae, respectively, refining our ability to track autochthonous C through lake food webs. However, the δ15N of mussels and epizoic algae were significantly higher than epipelic algae, and increased markedly with depth. The depth-specific increases in mussel and epizoic algal δ15N strongly suggests that invasive mussels influence denitrification at the sediment–water interface. The spatial variation in δ13C and δ15N of basal resources must be incorporated into isotope-based food web models that include highly mobile predators, such as fish
Food Waste, Food Insecurity, and the Globalization of Food Banks
No full textFood banks—warehouses that collect and systematize surplus food—have expanded into one of the largest mechanisms to redistribute food waste. From their origins in North America in the 1960s, food banks provide food to communities in approximately one hundred countries on six continents. This book analyzes the development of food banks across the world and the limits of food charity as a means to reduce food insecurity and food waste. Based on fifteen years of in-depth fieldwork on four continents, Daniel Warshawsky illustrates how and why food banks proliferate across the globe even though their impacts may be limited. He suggests that we need to reformulate the role of food banks. The mission of food banks needs to be more realistic, as food surpluses cannot reduce food insecurity on a significant scale. Food banks need to regain their institutional independence from the state and corporations, and incorporate the knowledge and experiences of the food insecure in the daily operations of the food system. These collective changes can contribute to a future where food banks play a smaller but more targeted role in food systems.https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/books/1247/thumbnail.jp
Experimental Study of Drag Characteristics and Dust Removal Performance of a Hybrid Wet-Filter Precipitator
Get PDFWith their advantages of high dust removal efficiency and low drag characteristics, hybrid wet-filter precipitators have great potential for dust control in coal mines, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, to help fill this knowledge gap, a hybrid wet-filter precipitator consisting of a 40-layer metal filter and a defogger device is designed and a prototype is constructed. Experiments are conducted to investigate its drag characteristics under wind velocities from 0.85 to 5.68 m/s and its dust removal performance under wind velocities of 2 and 4 m/s. On the basis of results with the initial design, which show that the dust removal efficiency does not meet the target value of 99%, two rounds of improvement are implemented to enhance the dust removal efficiency. Results show that the defogger device contributes ∼80% of the total drag. The drag from the metal filters is found to increase by over 80% on average after sampling, since some of dust particles are left on the filters, decreasing their porosity. The installation of two-layer air filters on the leeside of the metal filter unit is found to increase the efficiency to 99.89% and 99.80% under wind velocities of 2 and 4 m/s, respectively, although this is at the cost of increased drags. Additionally, it is found that the replacement of the defogger by a 20-layer metal filter is not desirable, since this increases the downstream air humidity to more than 100%, which can cause damage to the centrifugal blower system. Therefore, new designs for the defogger device need to be examined in future studies
Generating Blood Analog for Laser Induced Fluorescent Particle Image Velocimetry
Get PDFTo mimic blood non-Newtonian viscosity features under designated temperatures from 305 to 315 K, transparent blood analogs were generated by the mixture of xanthan gum and deionized water with fluorescent particles for laser induced fluorescent particle image velocimetry
Weight Health in the Modern Lens: Investigating the Intersectionality of Obesity
Get PDFPurpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between these social determinants of health and obesity to provide a better understanding of geographical differences in obesity rates. Methods All data was collected using countyhealthrankings.org. The variables that were studied included access to exercise, food insecurity, and life expectancy due to previous literature demonstrating probable association between these variables and the prevalence of obesity. Results Statistically significant increase in number of adults with obesity from 2016 to 2022 (32% to 37%). Statistically significant weak, negative correlation between access to exercise and obesity (r=-.306). Statistically significant weak, negative correlation between adult obesity rates and food environment index (r=-.388). Statistically significant moderate, negative correlation between life expectancy and adult obesity (r=-.522) Conclusion With an increase in obesity rates in Ohio from 2016 to 2022 and a clear correlation with decreased life expectancy, there continues to be an urgent need to address the “obesity epidemic” not only in Ohio counties, but nationwide, by taking a closer look at the variables associated with obesity