Association analysis and evaluation of genetic diversity in wheat genotypes using SSR markers

A population of 105 wheat genotypes (including 94 hexaploid and 11 tetraploid genotypes) was used to determine genetic diversity. Samples were grown based on the randomized complete block design with three replications under salinity stress (120 mM NaCl (and control (10 mM NaCl (conditions. Morpho-physiological traits associated with tolerance of salinity at the seedling stage were recorded. The results of the analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences between genotypes in all studied traits, except K⁺/Na⁺ ratio. The amount of potassium content of leaves and roots in control was higher than salt stress conditions. Salinity significantly decreased all traits measured except Na⁺ concentration in root and shoot and leaf stomata conduction. A total of 12 SSR (simple sequence repeats) markers were assessed for the existence of polymorphism between genotypes. The highest Nei (Nei 1973) gene diversity was observed for gwm410 (0.72) and gpw2181 (0.71) markers, and PIC (polymorphic information content index) values ranged from 0.2 to 0.67. According to PIC, only six markers were informative during this study. These markers could be more efficient in displaying the genotypic differentiation of the near-wheat species as they showed the highest genetic diversity. Simple regression analysis showed that barc212 marker had the most significant relationship with root dry weight, leaf moisture and stomatal conductance (at 0.01 significant level). The gpw2181 marker showed a significant correlation with different traits under stress conditions. It was suggested that this marker could be used for marker-assisted selection to improve salt stress tolerance of wheat.

Are wet-induced wrinkled fingers primate rain treads?

Wet fingers and toes eventually wrinkle, and this is commonly attributed by lay opinion to local osmotic reactions. However, nearly a century ago surgeons observed that no wrinkling occurs if a nerve to the finger has been cut. Here we provide evidence that, rather than being an accidental side effect of wetness, wet-induced wrinkles have been selected to enhance grip in wet conditions. We show that their morphology has the signature properties of drainage networks, enabling efficient removal of water from the gripped surface.

Harnessing color vision for visual oximetry in central cyanosis

Central cyanosis refers to a bluish discoloration of the skin, lips, tongue, nails, and mucous membranes, and is due to poor arterial oxygenation. Although skin color is one of its characteristic properties, it has long been realized that by the time skin color signs become visible, oxygen saturation is dangerously low. Here we investigate the visibility of cyanosis in light of recent discoveries on what color vision evolved for in primates. We elucidate why low arterial oxygenation is visible at all, why it is perceived as blue, and why it can be so difficult to perceive. With a better understanding of the relationship between color vision and blood physiology, we suggest two simple techniques for greatly enhancing the clinician's ability to detect cyanosis and other clinical color changes. The first is called "skin-tone adaptation", wherein sheets, gowns, walls and other materials near a patient have a color close to that of the patient's skin, thereby optimizing a color-normal viewer's ability to sense skin color modulations. The second technique is called "biosensor color tabs", wherein adhesive tabs with a color matching the patient's skin tone are placed in several spots on the skin, and subsequent skin color changes have the effect of making the initially-invisible tabs change color, their hue and saturation indicating the direction and magnitude of the skin color shift.

Harnessing vision for computation

Might it be possible to harness the visual system to carry out artificial computations, somewhat akin to how DNA has been harnessed to carry out computation? I provide the beginnings of a research programme attempting to do this. In particular, new techniques are described for building 'visual circuits' (or 'visual software') using wire, NOT, OR, and AND gates in a visual 6modality such that our visual system acts as 'visual hardware' computing the circuit, and generating a resultant perception which is the output.

Large-scale optimization of neuron arbors

At the global as well as local scales, some of the geometry of types of neuron arbors-both dendrites and axons-appears to be self-organizing: Their morphogenesis behaves like flowing water, that is, fluid dynamically; waterflow in branching networks in turn acts like a tree composed of cords under tension, that is, vector mechanically. Branch diameters and angles and junction sites conform significantly to this model. The result is that such neuron tree samples globally minimize their total volume-rather than, for example, surface area or branch length. In addition, the arbors perform well at generating the cheapest topology interconnecting their terminals: their large-scale layouts are among the best of all such possible connecting patterns, approaching 5% of optimum. This model also applies comparably to arterial and river networks.