Population genetic structure of cotton pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) using mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene sequences from India

Pink bollworm (PBW), Pectinophora gossypiella is one of the most destructive pest's globally inflicting huge economic losses in cotton even during later stages of crop growth. In the present investigation, the population genetic structure, distribution, and genetic diversity of P. gossypiella in cotton growing zones of India using partial mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase-I (COI) gene was addressed. The overall haplotype (Hd), number of nucleotide differences (K), and nucleotide diversity (π) were 0.3028, 0.327, and 0.00047, respectively which suggest that entire population exhibited low level of genetic diversity. Zone-wise clustering of population revealed that central zone recorded low level of Hd (0.2730) as compared to north (0.3619) and south (0.3028) zones. The most common haplotype (H1) reported in all 19 locations could be proposed as ancestral/original haplotype. This haplotype with one mutational step formed star-like phylogeny connected with 11 other haplotypes. The phylogenetic relationship studies revealed that most haplotypes of populations are closely related to each other. Haplotype 5 was exclusively present in Dharwad (South zone) shared with populations of Hanumangarh and Bathinda (North zone). The result indicated that there is no isolation by distance effect among the Indian populations of PBW. The present study reports a low genetic diversity among PBW populations of India and H1, as ancestral haplotype from which other haplotypes have evolved suggests that the migration and dispersal over long distance and invasiveness are major factors.

Spatio-temporal variation in chemical characteristics of PM10 over Indo Gangetic Plain of India

The paper presents the spatio-temporal variation of chemical compositions (organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and water-soluble inorganic ionic components (WSIC)) of particulate matter (PM10) over three locations (Delhi, Varanasi, and Kolkata) of Indo Gangetic Plain (IGP) of India for the year 2011. The observational sites are chosen to represent the characteristics of upper (Delhi), middle (Varanasi), and lower (Kolkata) IGP regions as converse to earlier single-station observation. Average mass concentration of PM10 was observed higher in the middle IGP (Varanasi 206.2 ± 77.4 μg m(-3)) as compared to upper IGP (Delhi 202.3 ± 74.3 μg m(-3)) and lower IGP (Kolkata 171.5 ± 38.5 μg m(-3)). Large variation in OC values from 23.57 μg m(-3) (Delhi) to 12.74 μg m(-3) (Kolkata) indicating role of formation of secondary aerosols, whereas EC have not shown much variation with maximum concentration over Delhi (10.07 μg m(-3)) and minimum over Varanasi (7.72 μg m(-3)). As expected, a strong seasonal variation was observed in the mass concentration of PM10 as well as in its chemical composition over the three locations. Principal component analysis (PCA) identifies the contribution of secondary aerosol, biomass burning, fossil fuel combustion, vehicular emission, and sea salt to PM10 mass concentration at the observational sites of IGP, India. Backward trajectory analysis indicated the influence of continental type aerosols being transported from the Bay of Bengal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and surrounding areas to IGP region.

Assessment of Bt trait purity in different generations of transgenic cottons

Adequate expression of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) toxins and purity of seeds of Bt-transgenic cottons are important for controlling bollworms, and thereby increasing the cotton productivity. Therefore, we examined the variability in expression of Bt toxin proteins in the seeds and in leaves of different cotton (Gossypium hirsutum (L.) hybrids (JKCH 226, JKCH 1947, JKCH Durga, JKCH Ishwar, JKCH Varun KDCHH 441 and KDCHH 621) expressing Bt toxins in F₁ and F₂ generations, using bioassays against the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), and the lateral flow strip (LFS) test. Toxicity of Bt toxin proteins in the seeds of Bt-transgenic cottons to H. armigera correlated with their toxicity in the leaves in one- toxin Bt cotton hybrids. The Bt-F₁ and Bt-F₂ seeds of JKCH 1947 were more toxic to H. armigera than those of JKCH Varun seeds. The seeds and leaves of F₁s showed greater toxicity than the F2 seeds or leaves of one-toxin (cry1Ac) Bt cotton hybrids. However, no significant differences were observed for the two-toxin (cry1Ac and cry2Ab) hybrid, KDCHH 621. Toxicity of leaves to H. armigera increased with crop age, until 112 days after seedling emergence. The Bt trait purity in F₁ seeds of four two-toxin Bt cotton hybrids ranged from 86.7 to 100%. The present study emphasizes the necessity of 95% Bt trait purity in seeds of transgenic cotton for sustainable crop production.

Efficacy of Mandibular 2-implant Overdenture: An Updated Meta-analysis on Patient-based Outcomes

The extent of heterogeneity regarding the efficacy of the mandibular 2-implant overdenture is still in question. The aim of this meta-analysis is to provide an update on the existing evidence from randomized controlled trials assessing the efficacy of the mandibular 2-implant overdenture in regard to patient-based outcomes. Electronic searches were carried out to September 2015 through MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Cochrane Systematic Reviews. Only randomized controlled trials that compared conventional dentures with mandibular 2-implant overdentures were included. Patient-based outcomes were assessed, including patient satisfaction and oral health- and general health-related quality of life. Random effects models were used to pool the effect sizes of all included studies. Further stratified analyses and heterogeneity analyses were tested, as was publication bias. In addition to the 7 randomized controlled trials that were included in the previous meta-analysis, 4 new trials were identified and included in this update. A random effects model showed that, when compared with conventional dentures, mandibular 2-implant overdentures significantly improved patient satisfaction (pooled effect size = 0.87, z = 5.31, 95% confidence interval: 0.55 to 1.19, P < 0.0001, χ² = 41.82, df = 8, P < 0.0001, I² = 81%) and oral health-related quality of life (pooled effect size = -0.66, z = 2.72, 95% confidence interval: -1.13 to -0.18, P = 0.007, χ² = 21.26, df = 4, P = 0.0003, I² = 81%). The differences in participant recruitment and their pretreatment condition were important sources of heterogeneity among the studies. Only 1 study investigated the impact of mandibular implant overdentures on perceived general health, and it revealed no between-treatment differences. The 2-implant mandibular overdenture improves patient satisfaction and quality of life for the general edentate population. Health status, poor oral condition, and patient characteristics may effect patient-based outcomes and should be considered by clinicians in treatment planning. Knowledge Transfer Statement: This meta-analysis shows that mandibular 2-implant overdentures are significantly more satisfactory to the general edentate populations than new conventional dentures. The results also show that mandibular 2-implant overdentures provide significantly better oral health-related quality of life than do new conventional dentures. These results should be shared with edentate patients in planning their treatment.

Excellent mechanical properties of carbon fiber semi-aligned electrospun carbon nanofiber hybrid polymer composites

The excellent mechanical properties of carbon fiber fabric hybrid polymer composites is achieved by integrating continuous semi-aligned carbon nanofiber layers in the interlaminar region between carbon fiber fabric plies.

Variation of Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopic Composition of PM10 at Urban Sites of Indo Gangetic Plain (IGP) of India

This paper presents the variation of elemental concentrations of total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN) and isotopic ratios of δ13C and δ15N along with δ13OC and OC of PM10 mass over Delhi, Varanasi and Kolkata of the Indo Gangetic Plain (IGP), India. For Delhi, the average concentrations of TC and TN of PM10 were 53.0±33.6 and 14.9±10.8 µg m(-3), whereas δ13C and δ15N of PM10 were -25.5±0.5 and 9.6±2.8‰, respectively. For Varanasi, the average values of δ13C and δ15N of PM10 were -25.4±0.8 and 6.8±2.4‰, respectively. For Kolkata, TC and TN values for PM10 ranged from 9.1-98.2 to 1.4-25.9 µg m(-3), respectively with average values of 32.6±24.9 and 9.3±8.2 µg m(-3), respectively. The average concentrations of δ13C and δ15N were -26.0±0.4 and 7.4±2.7‰, respectively over Kolkata with ranges of -26.6 to -24.9‰ and 2.8±11.5‰, respectively. The isotopic analysis revealed that biomass burning, vehicular emission and secondary inorganic aerosols were likely sources of PM10 mass over IGP, India.

STUDY OF SEGREGATING NATURE IN LIQUID Al-Ga ALLOYS

We report energetic of mixing behavior of liquid Al-Ga alloys, using simple statistical theory through concentration dependence thermodynamic, structural, transport and surface properties at 1023K. The concentration dependent thermodynamic functions (free energy of mixing, enthalpy of mixing, entropy of mixing and activity coefficient of the component), structural functions (concentration fluctuation in the long wavelength limit and chemical short range order parameter), transport properties (diffusivity and viscosity) and surface properties (surface segregation and surface tension) have got special attention to show a tendency of homo-coordination of atom in the mixture. The theoretical analysis reveals that input parameter, order energy is temperature dependent and Al-Ga alloys is of weakly interacting system.Scientific World, Vol. 12, No. 12, September 2014, page 14-20    

Host-mediated gene silencing of a single effector gene from the potato pathogen Phytophthora infestans imparts partial resistance to late blight disease

RNA interference (RNAi) has proved a powerful genetic tool for silencing genes in plants. Host-induced gene silencing of pathogen genes has provided a gene knockout strategy for a wide range of biotechnological applications. The RXLR effector Avr3a gene is largely responsible for virulence of oomycete plant pathogen Phytophthora infestans. In this study, we attempted to silence the Avr3a gene of P. infestans through RNAi technology. The P. infestans inoculation resulted in lower disease progression and a reduction in pathogen load, as demonstrated by disease scoring and quantification of pathogen biomass in terms of Pi08 repetitive elements, respectively. Transgenic plants induced moderate silencing of Avr3a, and the presence and/or expression of small interfering RNAs, as determined through Northern hybridization, indicated siRNA targeted against Avr3a conferred moderate resistance to P. infestans. The single effector gene did not provide complete resistance against P. infestans. Although the Avr3a effector gene could confer moderate resistance, for complete resistance, the cumulative effect of effector genes in addition to Avr3a needs to be considered. In this study, we demonstrated that host-induced RNAi is an effective strategy for functional genomics in oomycetes.

Enhanced up-conversion and temperature-sensing behaviour of Er(3+) and Yb(3+) co-doped Y2Ti2O7 by incorporation of Li(+) ions

Y2Ti2O7:Er(3+)/Yb(3+) (EYYTO) phosphors co-doped with Li(+) ions were synthesized by a conventional solid-state ceramic method. X-ray diffraction studies show that all the Li(+) co-doped EYYTO samples are highly crystalline in nature with pyrochlore face centred cubic structure. X-ray photon spectroscopy studies reveal that the incorporation of Li(+) ions creates the defects and/or vacancies associated with the sample surface. The effect of Li(+) ions on the photoluminescence up-conversion intensity of EYYTO was studied in detail. The up-conversion study under ∼976 nm excitation for different concentrations of Li(+) ions showed that the green and red band intensities were significantly enhanced. The 2 at% Li(+) ion co-doped EYYTO samples showed nearly 15- and 8-fold enhancements in green and red band up-converted intensities compared to Li(+) ion free EYYTO. The process involved in the up-conversion emission was evaluated in detail by pump power dependence, the energy level diagram, and decay analysis. The incorporation of Li(+) ions modified the crystal field around the Er(3+) ions, thus improving the up-conversion intensity. To investigate the sensing application of the synthesized phosphor materials, temperature-sensing performance was evaluated using the fluorescence intensity ratio technique. Appreciable temperature sensitivity was obtained using the synthesized phosphor material, indicating its applicability as a high-temperature-sensing probe. The maximum sensitivity was found to be 0.0067 K(-1) at 363 K.

Growth of dense CNT on the multilayer graphene film by the microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique and their field emission properties

Catalyst assisted carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were grown on multilayer graphene (MLG) on copper and silicon substrates by the microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique.

Color tuning in thermally stable Sm3+-activated CaWO4nanophosphors

Sm³⁺(Sm³⁺= 2, 5, 7 and 10 at%) doped CaWO₄nanophosphors exhibit a wide range emission in blue, green and red regions of the visible spectrum.

Retraction Note to: Pathogen virulence of Phytophthora infestans: from gene to functional genomics

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1007/s12298-012-0157-z.].

Electroforming free high resistance resistive switching of graphene oxide modified polar-PVDF

A new model is proposed for high resistance resistive switching in polar beta-polyvinylidene fluoride and graphene oxide composites. The device achieved high resistance resistive switching in the range of 10–100 μA current without electroforming.