3,031 research outputs found
Can genomics boost productivity of orphan crops?
No full textRajeev K Varshney, Jean-Marcel Ribaut, Edward S Buckler, Roberto Tuberosa, J Antoni Rafalski & Peter Langridg
Surgery for pancreas divisum
No full textWe present our experience of open surgical treatment in 5 patients with symptomatic pancreas divisum (PD). Choice of therapy was based on allocation of patients to one of five clinical presentation groups: (i) with minor symptoms (no operation); (ii) with recurrent acute pancreatitis or upper abdominal pain (RAP/RUAP)--3 patients; (iii) with radiological evidence of chronic pancreatitis (CP)--1 patient; (iv) chronic pancreatic pain without radiological evidence of chronic pancreatitis (CPP); and (v) other pancreatic complications--1 patient. This classification helps to decide management and predict possible outcome. Various types of operation were performed as indicated (open surgical accessory sphincteroplasty [2 also had distal pancreatectomy], n = 3; Puestow's operation, n = 1; or Beger's pancreatectomy, n = 1). All patients improved significantly and are now leading normal personal, professional, and social lives. We conclude that, with careful selection of patients and appropriate therapy, the response to surgical treatment is good
Paratachardina mithila Varshney
No full text<i>Paratachardina mithila</i> Varshney <p> <i>Paratachardina mithila</i> Varshney, 1968: 489; 1977: 58.</p> <p> <i>Paratachardina mithilae</i> Varshney, 1997: 30. Incorrect subsequent spelling [see 'Notes'].</p> <p> <b>Type data. Holotype,</b> adult female. <b>INDIA: Assam,</b> Shillong, in the gardens of Ward Lake, coll. R. K. Varshney, i.1967, on <i>Photinia notoniana</i> var. <i>macrophylla</i>. <b>Paratypes:</b> same data as holotype except some specimens coll. vi.1967 or viii.1970 (NZSI). [Types not seen; see 'Notes'.]</p> <p>Adult female</p> <p> The following descriptions of unmounted and mounted material are adapted from Varshney (1977). <b>Unmounted material.</b> Lac test of adult female almost round, brownish black, with three small openings on top for brachial and anal orifices; with 16 conspicuous longitudinal ridges that divide the test into sectors; a circular spot on the middle of each ridge, probably corresponding to marginal duct cluster openings.</p> <p> <b>Mounted material.</b> Body trilobed, 2.5–3.0 mm long, 2.8–3.0 mm wide. Brachia short, 103 µm long. Each brachial plate oval, distal half slightly larger, each 68–120 µm long, 51–70 µm wide; pseudospines totalling 44–50, occupying about two-thirds area of brachial plate center, with gaps on upper large portion. Anterior spiracles each 137 µm long, 86 µm wide, situated far away from brachial plates, spiracular pores with 5- loculi. Dorsal spine small, conical, 68–70 µm long, with a hollow, not pointed tip; membranous pedicel of dorsal spine well developed, 70–103 um long and 70–103 µm wide. Anal tubercle well developed, 86–170 µm long, 120–140 µm wide; supra-anal plate subequal or slightly longer than its maximum width. Anal ring not divided in sectors; supra-anal plate forming a cup-shaped cavity. Anal fringe of few acute lobes, with narrow and deep clefts. Anal ring setae just reach, or slightly protrude past anal fringe. Antennae minute and obscure. Marginal duct clusters in 8 pairs, each roughly round, poorly demarcated, with ducts arranged irregularly. Ventral duct clusters present.</p> <p> <b>Notes.</b> Subsequent to his original description, Varshney (1997) listed the species name as " mithilae " rather than " mithila ", without giving an explanation for his action. Varshney's (1968, 1977) descriptions do not specify the etymology of the name " mithila ", and do not indicate whether it should be regarded as a noun or an adjective. According to the Article 31.2.2 of the <i>International Code of Zoological Nomenclature</i> (ICZN 1999), the name “ mithila ” becomes a noun in apposition and should be retained as " mithila ". Even though Varshney (personal communication) emended " mithila " to " mithilae " because the species was named after a woman, articles 31, 32 and 33 of the ICZN (1999) make it clear that such an alteration to the species name is an incorrect subsequent spelling, as recognised by Ben-Dov (2006).</p> <p> According to Varshney (1977), this species is similar to <i>P. t h e a e</i>, from which it can be separated due to its larger adult female size, anal tubercle subequal in length and width, and pedicel of the dorsal spine not much longer than the length of the spine itself. Type material of <i>P. mithila</i> was not available in the present study, as we did not receive a reply to our request for a loan from the NZSI, and no type material or non-type topotypic specimens could be located in any other museum. Varshney (1977) gave a key to separate <i>P. mithila</i> and <i>P.</i></p> <p> <i>theae</i> as follows (Varshney 1977: 56, key couplet number 4):</p> <p> – Anal tubercle slightly longer than its maximum width; pedicel of dorsal spine as long as spine itself.................................................................................................................................................................... <i>mithila</i> – Anal tubercle distinctly broader than its maximum length; pedicel of dorsal spine much longer than the spine <i>....................................................................................................................................................... theae</i></p> <p> However, Varshney’s (1977) description of <i>P. mithila</i> overlaps with his description of <i>P. t h e a e</i> in the character states used to separate them in the key. The minimum length and width of the anal tubercle of <i>P. mithila</i> given by Varshney’s (1977) description is 86 µm and 120 µm, respectively, in which case, there must be specimens for which the anal tubercle is distinctly broader than its maximum length. On the other hand, the anal tubercle in the syntypes of <i>P. t h e a e</i> herein studied are approximately as long as wide, with some specimens being slightly longer than wide, and others being slightly wider than long. Furthermore, the length of the pedicel of the dorsal spine also varies in <i>P. t h e a e</i> and sometimes is about the same length as the spine. Specimens from China collected on the same host genus as <i>P. m i t h i l a</i>, i.e., on <i>Photinia benthamiana</i>, were available for study (see 'Other material studied' under <i>P. t h e a e</i>), but these could not be separated morphologically from <i>P. t h e a e</i>. Thus adult females of <i>P. mithilae</i> and <i>P. t h e a e</i> appear similar in all features considered and the two species cannot be separated with the available information (see also 'Diagnosis' of <i>P. ternata</i>).</p>Published as part of <i>Kondo, Takumasa & Gullan, Penny J., 2007, Taxonomic review of the lac insect genus Paratachardina Balachowsky (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Kerriidae), with a revised key to genera of Kerriidae and description of two new species, pp. 1-41 in Zootaxa 1617</i> on pages 17-18, DOI: <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/179122">10.5281/zenodo.179122</a>
Stress and post-traumatic stress disorder
No full textThis is a chapter published by Mahi Publication in Stress and Struggles: Comprehensive Book of Stress, Mental Health & Mental Illness edited by Bettahalasoor S. Somashekar, Narayana Manjunatha, Santosh K. Chaturvedi, Bhavika Vajawat, Mohamed Yaasir Mohamudbucus, Prateek Varshney.
All rights reserved. For re-use please contact the publisher
Integration of novel SSR and gene-based SNP marker loci in the chickpea genetic map and establishment of new anchor points with Medicago truncatula genome
No full textThis study presents the development and mapping of simple sequence repeat (SSR) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in chickpea. The mapping population is based on an inter-specific cross between domesticated and non-domesticated genotypes of chickpea (Cicer arietinum ICC 4958 × C. reticulatum PI 489777). This same population has been the focus of previous studies, permitting integration of new and legacy genetic markers into a single genetic map. We report a set of 311 novel SSR markers (designated ICCM—ICRISAT chickpea microsatellite), obtained from an SSR-enriched genomic library of ICC 4958. Screening of these SSR markers on a diverse panel of 48 chickpea accessions provided 147 polymorphic markers with 2–21 alleles and polymorphic information content value 0.04–0.92. Fifty-two of these markers were polymorphic between parental genotypes of the inter-specific population. We also analyzed 233 previously published (H-series) SSR markers that provided another set of 52 polymorphic markers. An additional 71 gene-based SNP markers were developed from transcript sequences that are highly conserved between chickpea and its near relative Medicago truncatula. By using these three approaches, 175 new marker loci along with 407 previously reported marker loci were integrated to yield an improved genetic map of chickpea. The integrated map contains 521 loci organized into eight linkage groups that span 2,602 cM, with an average inter-marker distance of 4.99 cM. Gene-based markers provide anchor points for comparing the genomes of Medicago and chickpea, and reveal extended synteny between these two species. The combined set of genetic markers and their integration into an improved genetic map should facilitate chickpea genetics and breeding, as well as translational studies between chickpea and Medicago
On the pressure and temperature dependent ductile, brittle nature of Hg0.91Mn0.09Te semiconductor
No full textFuture Prospects
No full textPigeonpea with limited genetic diversity in the cultivated gene pool, long
crop cycle, almost negligible public funding support to research as
compared to other food crops remained an orphan crop. However, the
development of extensive genetic stocks and genomics resources in recent
years has made significant advances in pigeonpea research. Although
genome sequence, genetic maps and a large set of markers allowed
genome-wide identification of marker–traits associations and their
deployment in breeding programs, there is a need for concerted
community efforts to accelerate genetic gains in the crop breeding
programs. This chapter proposes the use of a number of approaches that
may be targeted by pigeonopea research community so that superior
varieties or hybrids can be developed and disseminated to farmers in
relatively short time. This will help to enhance the income of farmers as
well as contributing to the food, nutritional and environmental sustainability
in developing countries
Distributed Detection in Wireless Sensor Networks under Multiplicative Fading via Generalized Score Tests
No full textIn this article, we address the problem of distributed detection of a noncooperative (unknown emitted signal) target with a wireless sensor network. When the target is present, sensors observe a (unknown) deterministic signal with attenuation depending on the unknown distance between the sensor and the target, multiplicative fading, and additive Gaussian noise. To model energy-constrained operations within Internet of Things, one-bit sensor measurement quantization is employed and two strategies for quantization are investigated. The fusion center receives sensor bits via noisy binary symmetric channels and provides a more accurate global inference. Such a model leads to a test with nuisances (i.e., the target position ) observable only under hypothesis. Davies' framework is exploited herein to design the generalized forms of Rao and locally optimum detection (LOD) tests. For our generalized Rao and LOD approaches, a heuristic approach for threshold optimization is also proposed. The simulation results confirm the promising performance of our proposed approaches
Translational Genomics in Crop Breeding for Biotic Stress Resistance: An Introduction
No full textBiotic stresses pose a major threat to crop productivity. Crops are challenged by a plethora of biotic
stresses, but only a limited number of key pests and diseases cause the vast majority of economic
losses in a particular crop. Plant protection measures such as application of pesticides and deployment
of resistant gene(s)/quantitative trait loci (QTLs) into cultivars have so far been quite successful
in curtailing the losses; however, these measures have also led to the constant evolution of new
biotypes/pathotypes/strains/races of pest and disease organisms. Hence, there is a continuous need
to identify genomic regions that can impart resistance against these variants. The availability of
large-scale genomic resources in many crop species has enhanced our understanding on the path to
developing host-plant resistance. As a result, numerous race-specific gene(s) and QTLs have now
been identified and cloned with the help of molecular markers. It is quite exciting that these genomic
regions are being introgressed into breeding programs of many crops. The objective of this book is to
critically review the current availability and utilization of genomic tools for major biotic stresses in
important cereals, legumes, vegetables, and tuber and oilseed crop. The book also summarizes the
success stories achieved through application of genomics-assisted breeding (GAB), as well as the
scope for deployment of modem breeding methods such as marker-assisted backcrossing (MABC)
and genomic selection in the era of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, which have the
potential to advance the genetic gains for enhancing resilience against biotic stress. This chapter
summarizes highlights of different chapters included in the book that is expected to be a resource
for young researchers, GAB practitioners, and policy makers for employing better strategies toward
achieving food security
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