Frequency Of Damage Research Articles

In silico molecular docking and in vitro analysis of atomoxetine

Although atomoxetine, a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, is widely used in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), there is limited data on its cytogenetic effects. This study aimed to investigate the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of atomoxetine in vivo and silico. Chromosome aberration and micronucleus assays were used to analyze the genotoxic effect of atomoxetine in human peripheral blood lymphocytes under culture conditions. The mitotic index was assessed for cytotoxic potential. For the docking analysis, DNA receptor (1BNA) was prepared with ChimeraX, and the Atomoxetine molecule was optimized by Avogadro2.0 software. In silico molecular docking analysis was carried out utilizing SwissDock online platform. The results obtained were visualized using ChimeraX and Pymol software. Atomoxetine doses of 9.6 µg/mL (equal to about 1.2 mg/kg as a maintenance dose), 14.4 µg/mL (equal about to 1.8 mg/kg as the highest dose systematically tested), 48.0 µg/mL (equal about to 6 mg/kg as five times the maintenance dose) and 96.0 µg/mL (equal about to 12 mg/kg as ten times the maintenance dose) were analyzed. The findings clearly indicate that atomoxetine has no genotoxic effect at the therapeutic dose. However, we observed genotoxic effects at 48.0 and 96.0 µg/mL doses. No strong binding affinity occurs in silico analyses. As one of the initial inquiries into the in silico and in vivo appraisal of atomoxetine’s genotoxic impacts, the research has established that atomoxetine does not significantly affect the frequency of chromosomal damage or micronucleus formation. Genotoxic effects should be kept in mind at doses above clinical practice.

Clinical epidemiology of dengue and COVID-19 co-infection among the residents in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2021-2023: A cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Co-infection of dengue and COVID-19 has increased the health burden worldwide. We found a significant knowledge gap in epidemiology and risk factors of co-infection in Bangladesh. Methods This study included 2458 participants from Dhaka city from December 1, 2021, to November 30, 2023. We performed Kruskal-Walli’s test and χ2 test. Multivariable logistic regression was also performed. Results Co-infection of dengue and COVID-19 was found among 31% of the participants. Co-prevalence of dengue and COVID-19 was found in higher frequency in Jatrabari (14%), and Motijhil (11%). Severe (65%, p-value 0.001) and very severe (78%, p-value 0.005) symptoms were prevalent among the participants aged >50 years. Long-term illness was prevalent among the participants with co-infection (35%, 95% CI 33%- 36%) and COVID-19 (28%, 95% CI 26%- 30%). Co-infected participants had a higher frequency of heart damage (31.6%, p-value 0.005), brain fog (22%, p-value 0.03), and kidney damage (49.3%, p-value 0.001). Fever (100%) was the most prevalent symptom followed by weakness (89.6%), chills (82.4%), fatigue (81.4%), headache (80.6%), feeling thirsty (76.3%), myalgia (75%), pressure in the chest (69.1%), and shortness of breath (68.3%), respectively. Area of residence (OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.96-2.49, p-value 0.01), number of family members (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.08-1.87, p-value <0.001), and population density (OR 2.43, 95% CI 2.15-3.01, p-value 0.001) were associated with higher odds of co-infection. We found that coinfected participants had a 4 times higher risk of developing severe health conditions (OR 4.22, 95% CI 4.11-4.67, p-value 0.02). Conclusions This is one of the early epidemiologic studies of co-infection of dengue and COVID-19 in Bangladesh.

Pymetrozine induced remarkable hemato-biochemical modifications and genotoxicity in vital organs of bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis)

Pymetrozine (a pyridine azomethine pesticide) is one of the most commonly and frequently used insecticides. Scanty information is available about the deleterious effects of Pymetrozine on fish especially bighead carp. Hence, the current study investigated chronic toxicological effects of pymetrozine in bighead carp. A total of 80 fish were reared and divided into four groups(A–D) each containing 20 fish. Pymetrozine was given to experimental fish of groups B, C, and D mixed in water at doses of 5, 10, and 15 mg/L respectively for 30 days. Group A remained as control group. On days 10, 20, and 30 of the experiment, blood and other visceral tissues were collected for analysis of genotoxic effects, erythrocytic morphological and nuclear changes, antioxidant enzymes, and oxidative stress profile. The results revealed significantly higher values of various nuclear abnormalities (erythrocyte with micronuclei, red blood cells with condensed and lobed nuclei) and morphological changes (pear shaped erythrocyte, spindle shaped erythrocytes and spherocyte) in erythrocytes of bighead carp. The investigations on status of antioxidant enzymes and oxidative stress indicated higher values of oxidative stress biomarkers and lower values of antioxidant enzymes in visceral organs (brain, liver, gills, and kidneys) of treated fish. The findings on genotoxic potential of pymetrozine revealed a considerably increased frequency of DNA damage in isolated cells of multiple tissues (brain, liver, gills, and kidneys) of experimental fish at higher doses. In conclusion, it may be suggested that pymetrozine induces toxic effects via disruption of physiological mechanisms of multiple visceral organs of bighead carp.

Evidences of radioresistance in Drosophila melanogaster from Northeastern Brazil

Background Ionizing radiation can inflict cellular damage, the severity of which is determined by the dose, exposure duration, and its capacity to penetrate cells. Some studies have demonstrated that genetic and epigenetic mechanisms have enabled organisms to develop adaptive traits and enhance their ability to repair DNA damage. Northeastern Brazil, a region containing rocky outcrops rich in uranium and thorium, is an ideal scenario to study natural radiation and its effects on natural populations. This study presents evidence of radioresistance in the offspring of a natural strain of Drosophila melanogaster resident in the municipality of Cerro Corá (CC-res), an environment with high levels of radon-222. Material and methods Genotoxicity was assessed using the comet assay in offspring of the CC-res and Oregon-R (OR), the control group, both reared under the same laboratory conditions for between 7 and 13 months. The adults and their offspring larvae were exposed to the Cerro Corá environment for 6 days during the dry and wet seasons. Low damage index and frequency were observed only in the CC-res. To confirm the radioresistance, the same strains were exposed after 16 months of cultivation to controlled doses of gamma radiation. Results and conclusions CC-res exhibited significantly lower levels of damage compared to the OR strain, with a clear dose–response effect to the irradiation observed exclusively in the OR group. The results support the occurrence of radioresistance in the CC-res strain and underscore the need for further in vivo studies investigations into the impact of Brazil’s natural environmental radiation.

Framework Construction and Dynamic Characteristics of Spring Low-Temperature Disasters Affecting Winter Wheat in the Huang-Huai-Hai Region, China

The accurate and sub-daily identification of agricultural low-temperature disasters (LTDs) facilitates the understanding of their dynamic evolution, the evaluation of the characteristics of disaster events, and informs effective strategies aimed at disaster prevention and mitigation. In order to ensure the timely, precise, and comprehensive capture of disaster processes, we have developed a dynamic evaluation framework for winter wheat spring LTD in the Huang-Huai-Hai (HHH) region, driven by meteorological data. This framework consists of two primary components: a disaster classification module and a dynamic simulation-assessment module. Through disaster mechanisms and comprehensive statistical analysis, we have established the input features and structural framework of the classification module using a decision tree algorithm. The dynamic simulation evaluation module is based on our newly developed index for the cumulative hourly intensity of low-temperature stress (CHI) and its grade indicators. This index integrates the interaction between cold stress (low-temperature intensity, cooling amplitude, and duration) and mitigating conditions (air humidity) during the evolution process of LTD. Based on CHI, we found that as the intensity of low temperatures and the amplitude of cooling rise, along with an extended duration of stress and a reduction in relative humidity, the severity of spring LTDs in winter wheat get worse. The overall validation accuracy of the evaluation framework is 92.6%. High validation accuracy indicates that our newly established framework demonstrates significant efficacy in identifying LTDs and assessing grade. Through the analysis of the characteristics of the disaster process, spring LTDs affecting winter wheat are mainly mild, with frost identified as the primary category of LTD. The duration of freeze injury typically exceeds 24 h, while the duration of frost damage and cold damage is less than 24 h. From 1980 to 2022 in the HHH region, the frequency of spring freeze injury and frost damage on winter wheat showed an overall decreasing trend, with a particularly significant decrease in frost damage occurrences. Conversely, cold damage occurrences are on the rise. In addition, the duration of individual disaster events for the three categories of spring LTDs is decreasing, while both the average intensity and extremity of these events show increasing trends. This study has important practical value for the sub-daily scale evaluation of the spring LTD affecting winter wheat in the HHH region and serves as an effective guide for agricultural disaster prevention and mitigation, as well as for the formulation of planting strategies.

Acute toxicity and biodistribution assessment of quantum dots conjugated to lectins from Schinus terebinthifolia leaves (SteLL) and Punica granatum sarcotesta (PgTeL)

This work reports the in vivo investigation of telluride cadmium quantum dots (CdTe QDs) conjugated to plant lectins from Schinus terebinthifolia (SteLL) and Punica granatum (PgTeL) for acute toxicity and genotoxicity in healthy mice and 24-h biodistribution in sarcoma 180-bearing animals. Acute toxicity data indicated their safety, despite some histopathological alterations. Comet assay revealed that the QDs-PgTeL group presented a higher damage index and frequency of damage than the negative control. The micronucleus test did not reveal a genotoxic effect. The 24-h biodistribution study showed a major uptake of cadmium by the liver, spleen, and kidneys. A greater accumulation of cadmium was found in tumors of the QDs-SteLL group. In conclusion, the biodistribution study showed no influence of the studied lectins in the absorption of QDs by different organs and that the conjugation of SteLL resulted in increased targeting of QDs to sarcoma 180 cells, suggesting a potential theranostic application in cancer.

Application of risk informed safety margin characterization to the analysis of a pressurized water reactor

The sequence Core Damage Frequency of a pressurized water reactor has been quantified in three initiating events that are Medium Break Loss of Coolant Accident, Small Break Loss of Coolant Accident and Steam Generator Tube Rupture, following a realistic methodology called risk informed safety margin characteristic. The surrogate plant analyzed in the study is a typical pressurized water reactor. The plant adopted two Westinghouse Three-Loop Pressurized Water Reactors with rated thermal power of 2,830 MWt. The phenomenon identification and ranking table is applied for uncertainty analysis. The mitigation actions as described in plant specific Probabilistic Risk Assessment include cooldown and depressurization, emergency cooldown and depressurization, high head safety injection, high head safety recirculation, low head safety recirculation and Refueling Water Storage Tank replenishment. These mitigation actions are analyzed by thermal hydraulic system analysis code RELAP5-3D to determine the successfulness of the actions. The uncertainties of input parameters of the plant conditions are included, and the time of mitigation action executed is treated as one of the input uncertainties. The results of realistic methodology show a decrease in Core Damage Frequency for all three analyzed events in comparison with conventional methodology. The differences between three initiating events are also discussed.

Synergizing QCC and PDCA Approaches to Foster Kaizen Practices in Wingbox Production at Karoseri

This research applies the Quality Control Circle (QCC) method and the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Action) approach to overcome problems in hydraulic cylinder bracket mounts in a manufacturing company. At the "Plan" stage, a defect classification analysis, matrix diagram for problem classification, analysis of existing conditions, setting quality, cost, and morale targets, as well as Why-Why and 5W+1H analysis were conducted. At the "Do" stage, the cylinder bracket mounts was redesigned using UNP 5.4 material as a solution to the existing problems. At the "Check" stage, measurements of the improvement results were made to ensure the achievement of the planned targets, including the reduction of damage frequency and repair costs. The results of overcoming the problem of broken hydraulic cylinder bracket mounts showed a decrease in complaints during the 2-month period after implementation. The application of the QCC method and PDCA approach not only effectively addressed the problem, but also increased customer confidence, company sustainability, and worker morale. The next step is “Action” stage to ensure process continuity by standardizing through the creation of operation standards for the manufacture and installation of hydraulic cylinder bracket mounts. As a result, the material change from SPHC 6.0 to UNP 5.4 successfully resolved the damage problem and eliminated complaints within two months after implementation. After implementation, the company can reduce the cost expense of repair by IDR 1,413,510. This success had a positive impact on customer confidence, cost efficiency, and worker morale.

Unveiling the Hidden Causes: Identifying the Drivers of Human-Elephant Conflict in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Western Ghats, Southern India.

Since the human population is growing beyond the earth's ability to sustain it, more people are being brought into contact with wildlife, leading to increasing human-wildlife conflict. The Asian elephant, a wide-ranging megaherbivore, is being increasingly threatened by human-elephant conflict [HEC]. Its conservation depends on identifying the causes of HEC and implement measure to mitigate the HEC effectively. We studied the drivers of HEC among five forest divisions in Western Ghats, India, that support a high density of elephants across Asia. Comparing the last six years' data on HEC with 26 ecological covariates in the GLMM framework, we identified spatiotemporal variations and drivers of crop, and property damages and human casualties. Spatially, HEC was highest in the territorial division and lowest in those declared as Protected Areas earlier. The comparison of crop damage with covariates showed that crop damage decreased with the grass biomass index, elephant density, extent of dry-thorn, and deciduous habitats, and forest range area, while it increased with adult male % and forest range perimeter. Similarly, the property damage by elephants increased with crop damage frequency and human settlement/cultivation area, but decreased with grass biomass, forest range area, and deciduous habitat area. Human casualties due to elephants increased with property damage, ambient temperature, and forest range perimeter, but decreased with grass biomass. Overall, the decrease in HEC with grass biomass, and the increase in HEC with human settlement and forest range perimeter indicate that anthropogenic pressure that decreases the grass biomass and degrades the habitat is the likely root cause of HEC, and minimizing it would reduce overall HEC.

Assessment of genotoxicity biomarkers in neotropical fish species from streams of the Ivinhema River basin located in sugarcane cultivation areas

The Ivinhema River basin has experienced the greatest expansion of sugarcane cultivation in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Theassessment of water quality through physical and chemical parameters and ecotoxicological studies, employing both bioindicators collected in situ and laboratory tests, provides more robust results for this region. In this context, the objective of this study was to analyze the composition and structure of the landscape around the sampling sites located in three streams (Vitória, Rosário, and Piravevê) belonging to the Ivinhema River basin to evaluate the impacts of sugarcane cultivation expansion on water quality and genotoxicity biomarkers in situ and ex situ using native fish species. Inthe sampling sites in the Rosário and Vitória streams, sugarcane is the main land use, while in the Piravevê stream, pasture areas represent the main land use. The acidic pH observed in the Vitória and Rosário streams seems to be related to the application of fertilizers and the fertigation in the sugarcane crop. Two species of detritivorous and five of omnivorous fishes were collected. A higher frequency of genotoxic damage was identified in detritivorous fish species. In the genotoxicity tests with Astyanax lacustris, the most frequent nuclear alteration induced by the water samples from all sampling sites was nuclear invagination. Our results indicated that the expansion of the sugarcane ridge in the Ivinhema River basin may cause negative impacts on the aquatic environment and native biota. These results contribute to the generation of data and information that can be used for public hearing requests that aim to discuss and review many aspects of legislation regarding agricultural activities around streams, as well as the need for restoration and management programs in these areas in order to conserve biodiversity.

Extent of iron induced organ damage in patients with hematological disorders.

Objective: To determine the extent of iron induced organ damage in patients of Haematological disorders who are transfusion dependent, presenting in the emergency department of SZH, Lahore. Study Design: Cross Sectional study. Setting: Department of Emergency, Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore. Period: December 25, 2020 to June 24, 2021. Methods: A total of 100 patients aged 10-60 years, of both genders, diagnosed with haematological disorders, and receiving multiple blood transfusions were included in this study. Demographic details were noted including name, age, sex, diagnosis, duration of receiving transfusions and number of transfusions received per month. Patients were evaluated clinically for organ damage including pulmonary, hepatic, renal, and cardiac organs using Denver MOF score. Results: Mean age of patients was 35.33±14.27 years. Mean duration of receiving transfusion was 6.69±2.71 months. There were 67 (67%) males and 33 (33%) female patients. Primary diagnosis was Autoimmune Haemolytic Anemia (AIHA) in 18 (18.00%) patients, Aplastic anemia in 34 (34%) patients, Thalassemia in 37 (37%) patients and Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in 11 (11%) patients. Multiple organ damage was found in 23 (23%) patients. Pulmonary damage was diagnosed in 21 (21%) patients, hepatic damage in 21 (21 %) patients, renal damage in 20 (20%) patients and cardiac damage in 15 (15%) patients. Conclusion: There is a high frequency of multi-organ damage in patients of Haematological disorders requiring chronic blood transfusions. In this study, multi-organ damage was diagnosed in 23% patients requiring chronic blood transfusion.

Tree damage risk across gradients in tree species richness and stand age: Implications for adaptive forest management

AbstractForest disturbances are expected to increase in severity with climate change and intensified land use, threatening future delivery of several ecosystem services, including the climate‐mitigating potential of forests. Alleviating these consequences through adaptive forest management demands a greater understanding of what drives the impacts of disturbances on forests, which, in turn, requires collection of high‐quality data through large‐scale and long‐term monitoring programs. The Swedish National Forest Inventory has been recording “damages” on living trees across a forest area of 230,000 km2, in addition to a wide range of stand characteristics and environmental conditions. Using 15 years of these data, we investigated the frequency of different types of tree damages and the causes of these damages and modeled damage risk among tree species and across gradients in stand attributes and environmental conditions. We found that 94% of all surveyed trees had some type of damage, but for 65% of these, the underlying cause was not identified. Nevertheless, for all damage types and causes, we found that damage risk varied considerably among tree species and across gradients in tree species richness, tree height, and stand age. For a few damages, stand age or tree species richness interacted with climate to influence risks. Among identified causes of damage, “wind and snow” was most common (11.9% of surveyed trees), followed by “forestry” (6.9%). Further, for most causes of damage where stand age was significant, the risk was highest in young or the youngest stands. As such, our results indicate that there is great potential for reducing the risk of tree damages via adaptive management, such as altered tree species composition and increased rotation length. However, for a greater understanding of what is driving the frequency and magnitude of forest damages, and to be able to provide specific, useful information to stakeholders, collection of higher‐quality data must be prioritized by monitoring programs.

Azoxystrobin induced genotoxicity in Pethia conchonius, a freshwater fish of river Teesta, India

Azoxystrobin, a widely used fungicide, can contaminate water bodies through surface run-off, posing a risk to aquatic organisms. This study aimed to assess the genotoxic effects of azoxystrobin on the fish Pethia conchonius. The 96 h lethal concentration (LC50) of azoxystrobin was determined to be 0.514 mg/L. Based on LC50, three sub-lethal concentrations (SLCs) of 0.025 mg/L, 0.0514 mg/L, and 0.103 mg/L were used to expose fish for 96 h. The blood and gill samples were collected at 24 h intervals for analysis. The Micronucleus (MN) and Comet assays were used to evaluate nuclear abnormalities and DNA damage, respectively. The results showed that the frequency of nuclear abnormalities and DNA damage in the exposed groups was significantly higher than the control, with increasing concentrations and duration of exposure. The highest levels of micronuclei, notched and blebbed nuclei, and DNA damage parameters were observed in the group exposed to SLC III for 96 h. These findings indicate that azoxystrobin is highly genotoxic to fish causing severe DNA damage.

Non-invasive biomarkers for investigating urban metal exposure in neotropical bats

In urban centers, sewage treatment plants (STPs) serve as foraging and shelter areas for bats; however, they are sources of persistent pollutants that affect the health of these animals. This study aimed to investigate the impact of pollutants from an STP on the health of different species of neotropical bats from different guilds using non-invasive biomarkers. A conservation unit, the Silvania National Forest (SNF), was used as a reference area for comparison purposes. Blood, buccal mucosa, and fur samples were obtained for comet assay, micronucleus test, leukocyte profile, and metal concentration analysis in fur. Our results demonstrated that bats collected at the STP show a higher frequency of genotoxic damage, nuclear abnormalities, and an inflammatory response linked to infection than bats from the SNF. Regarding guilds, frugivores and nectarivores showed more pronounced responses to damage, but insectivores bats also showed relevant responses. While STPs are considered a source of pollutants, other urban sources of contamination likely contributed to these results. Still we encourage further studies using other non-invasive biomarkers, detection analysis of different pollutants in biological matrices, and the use of other wildlife species inserted in urban centers.

Development of a BDD-based methodology to estimate importance measures in seismic probabilistic risk assessment

Probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) evaluates the core damage frequency (CDF) as the plant risk by considering failure events such as failure of structures, systems, and components (SSCs) and failure of operator's actions. To calculate the CDF, minimal cut-sets (MCSs) related to core damage are obtained from the PRA model developed with event trees and fault trees. Using these MCSs, quantification is performed and importance measures are estimated to confirm the impact of the failure events considered in the MCSs on the CDF. However, in the case of seismic PRA, since probabilities of seismic-induced failure events are relatively higher than that of random failure events and can lead to an overestimation of the CDF, the quantification of the CDF should be performed by converting the MCSs into a binary decision diagram (BDD) form and this form should also be considered in the importance measure for seismic event.In this study, we review the importance measures calculated using MCSs, which is mainly used in PRA for internal events, and the method of calculating these measures considering the BDD form is developed and applied to confirm the effect on failure events in seismic PRA.

Microwave‐Assisted Synthesis Method for the Production of Carbon Nano Dots and Its Genotoxicity Assessment

AbstractIn this study, nitrogen‐doped carbon nanodots (N‐CNDs) were synthesized from Citrus reticulata using microwave‐assisted process and material's genotoxic effects were investigated in Daphnia magna. Morphological size and shape variations of the synthesized N‐CNDs were evaluated by using zetasizer and transmission electron microscope. Acute/chronic toxicity experiments were performed using method by OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) 202–212 guidelines. Daphnia magna was subjected to the N‐CNDs produced from Citrus reticulata at the different concentrations ranging between 0.04 and0.24 mg tangerine equivalent N‐CND/mL for 96 h at 20 °C. After 96 h, the LC50 (lethal concentration‐ at which 50% of cells) value of N‐CNDs was determined to be 0.1 mg equivalent N‐CND/mL using probit analysis. Based on toxicity levels determined by EU‐Directive 93/67/EEC, N‐CNDs are classified in the nontoxic category. The toxicological assessments of sublethal concentrations of N‐CNDs demonstrated that 0.013 mg tangerine equivalent N‐CND/mL dose group exhibited a similar profile to the control group, indicating its safety. Although the DNA damage frequency of the 0.03 and 0.06 mg equivalent N‐CND/mL dose groups was found to be higher than control group, these levels were observed almost 70% lower than the DNA damage frequency found in the mutagenic group/positive group.

Evaluation of the Genotoxicity in Jordanian Paint Workers' Lymphocytes

One of the largest manufacturing industries in the world is paint. Certain compounds included in paints have been identified as carcinogenic. The aim of this study was to detect the DNA damage in the lymphocytes of Jordanian paint workers by using Comet and micronucleus assays. In this research, the genotoxic impact of paint molecules was evaluated in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of 50 paint workers with healthy controls using micronucleus and Comet assays. The paint worker group's chromosomal abnormalities showed a high frequency of MNi to those in the unexposed group. According to OTM and % tail DNA parameters, the exposed group had significantly more DNA damage than the unexposed group (p<0.001). In conclusion, the high frequency of DNA damage found in this research emphasizes the critical need for action to lower the heightened risk of cancer, as well as to impose strict health regulations and use suitable protective gear at work.

Agro-morphological evaluation of gamma ray-induced mutant populations and isolation of harder grain mutants in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

AbstractGamma ray-induced mutations have been widely used to improve existing crop germplasm and create novel genetic variation. In the current study, a multi-year experiment was carried out to induce and isolate mutants with desirable agro-morphological traits and improved grain hardness through evaluation of induced mutant populations generated in soft-textured wheat variety HPW 89 irradiated with gamma ray dose of 250, 300 and 350 Gy. Mutagen sensitivity studies revealed a higher frequency of biological damage and seedling mortality for doses beyond 300 Gy in the M1 generation. However, the mutagenic treatments in the M2–3 populations significantly altered the magnitude of the biometrical traits. Results from the variability and association studies among traits showed that biological yield per plant, 1000-grain weight, spike length, grains per spike and plant height may be prioritized for higher genetic gain and could be used as selection criteria parameters. Multivariate analysis indicated induction of heterogeneity among mutant populations. Overall, 250–300 Gy doses were found ideal for a successful wheat mutation programme and 293 agro-morphologically superior wheat mutants were identified, out of which 108 had semi-hard grain texture based on single kernel characterization system. Among these, nine mutants were found to have the highest grain hardness index due to induced changes in one or both puroindoline genes. Hence, these mutants identified for several traits along with harder grain texture will serve as important genetic resource in future wheat-breeding programmes.

Local and landscape predictors of herbivory on subsistence croplands in Brazilian dry forests

ABSTRACT Understanding the impact of herbivores on croplands is critical to developing sustainable agricultural landscapes. Here, we test the hypothesis that field size and landscape structure modulate the levels of herbivory in cowpea and maize subsistence croplands in Brazilian drylands. We conducted the study in nine small-scale farms with varying levels of landscape structure and field sizes (0.10–1.67 ha). In each farm, we haphazardly sampled 20 plants of maize and cowpea. The frequency of foliar herbivory was high for both crops (0.45–0.72), but the average magnitude of damage was low (<3% of leaf surface in both crops), indicating that herbivory is not an ecosystem disservice. Nonetheless, the field size and level of human impact on the landscape matrix were positively related to the frequency and magnitude of damage on maize foliage and cowpea foliage and pods. Landscape composition (proportion of woodland/forest surrounding the field) and configuration (number of surrounding woodland/forest patches) had weaker effects on herbivory levels, mixing positive and negative effects on both crops. Our findings indicate that herbivory attack is not concerning in the agricultural fields studied, but suggest that maize and cowpea should be preferably grown in small fields surrounded by an environmental-friendly matrix and patches of conserved ecosystems.

Robust and Accurate Recognition of Carriage Linear Array Images for Train Fault Detection

Train fault detection often relies on comparing collected images with reference images, making accurate image type recognition crucial. Current systems use Automatic Equipment Identification (AEI) devices to recognize carriage numbers while capturing images, but damaged Radio Frequency (RF) tags or blurred characters can hinder this process. Carriage linear array images, with their high resolution, extreme aspect ratios, and local nonlinear distortions, present challenges for recognition algorithms. This paper proposes a method tailored for recognizing such images. We apply an object detection algorithm to locate key components, simplifying image recognition into a sparse point set alignment task. To handle local distortions, we introduce a weighted radial basis function (RBF) and maximize the similarity between Gaussian mixtures of point sets to determine RBF weights. Experiments show 100% recognition accuracy under nonlinear distortions up to 15%. The algorithm also performs robustly with detection errors and identifies categories from 79 image classes in 24 ms on an i7 CPU without GPU support. This method significantly reduces system costs and advances automatic exterior fault detection for trains.