Small Stature Research Articles

A strategy for identification and characterization of genic mutations using a temperature-sensitive chlorotic soybean mutant as an example.

Screening a transposon-mutagenized soybean population led to the discovery of a recessively inherited chlorotic phenotype. This "y24" phenotype results in smaller stature, weaker stems, and a smaller root system. Genome sequencing identified 15 candidate genes with mutations likely to result in a loss of function. Amplicon sequencing of a segregating population was then used to narrow the list to a single candidate mutation, a single-base change in Glyma.07G102300 that disrupts splicing of the second intron. Single cell transcriptomic profiling indicates that this gene is expressed primarily in mesophyll cells, and RNA sequencing data indicate that it is upregulated in germinating seedlings by cold stress. Previous studies have shown that mutations to Os05g34040, the rice ortholog of Glyma.07G102300, produced a chlorotic phenotype that was more pronounced in cool temperatures. Growing soybean y24 mutants at lower temperatures also resulted in a more severe phenotype. In addition, transgenic expression of wild-type Glyma.07G102300 in the knockout mutant of the Arabidopsis ortholog At4930720 rescues the chlorotic phenotype, further supporting the hypothesis that the mutation in Glyma.07G102300 is causal of the y24 phenotype. The variant analysis strategy used to identify the genes underlying this phenotype provides a template for the study of other soybean mutants.

<b>Performance of Candidate Varieties of Basmati Rice in Uniform Yield Trials</b>

The primary focus of rice breeding research is now on developing high-yielding rice varieties with early maturing and physio-chemical features, such as improved cooking quality, aroma, and extra-long grain. This shift in focus is driven by the growing global demand for high-quality rice. Using traditional breeding methods to trait pyramid these extremely important traits while maintaining yield and quality is a challenging task. Good grain quality(aromatic), fertilizer responsiveness, and high-yielding varieties can help the farmers in Pakistan to increase their revenue despite global population growth and changing international market patterns. At the Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku (RRI KSK), new, improved, high-yielding, extra-long grain lines with the qualities of early maturity, small stature, and good cooking with aroma are being developed through traditional breeding methods. The present study aimed to assess the genetic variability of these lines in terms of paddy yield and to discover superior high-yielding cultivars suitable for widespread cultivation. There were notable variations in paddy yield among the different entries in the pooled analysis. The highest average paddy yield (5010 Kg/ha) was seen in entry 10640-10-1-1-1, followed by entry 10684-3-1-2 (4990 Kg/ha) and PK 10434-6-2-1 (4550 Kg/ha) and suggested for general cultivation based on their mean paddy yield. A strong positive correlation was seen between the grain thickness grading of over 2.2 mm and the number of panicles per plant. The overall quality of the Uniform Yield Trials of Fine rice samples can be reported as excellent for PK 10306-15-5, PK PB-8 and PK 10678-2-1-1 over check Basmati-515. There will be a simultaneous increase in grain yield with improvements in these qualities.

Midterm Outcomes of Multimodal Approach to Treating Severe Scoliosis in Patients With Osteogenesis Imperfecta.

The surgical management of severe scoliosis in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is challenging because of curve rigidity, small stature, and inherent bone fragility. This study evaluated the midterm outcomes of our multimodal approach to address these issues, integrating perioperative bisphosphonate therapy, preoperative/intraoperative traction, various osteotomies, segmental pedicle screw instrumentation with cement augmentation, and bone morphogenetic protein-2 application. A single-center retrospective review of 30 patients (average age 14.1 ± 2.2 years; 18 were female) diagnosed with OI and scoliosis was conducted. These patients underwent posterior spinal fusion between 2008 and 2020 and completed a minimum follow-up of 2 years. We measured radiographic parameters at each visit and reviewed the incidence of complications. A mixed-effects model was used to evaluate changes in radiographic parameters from preoperative measurements to the first and latest follow-ups. The patient cohort consisted of 2 individuals with type I OI, 20 with type III, 6 with type IV, and 2 with other types (types V and VIII). Surgical intervention led to a notable improvement in the major curve magnitude from 76° to 36°, with no notable correction loss. In addition, the minor curve, apical vertical translation, lowest instrumented vertebra tilt, and pelvic obliquity were also improved. In the sagittal plane, thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis remained unchanged while thoracolumbar kyphosis markedly improved. Two patients experienced proximal junctional kyphosis with screw pullout, one of whom required revision surgery. One patient developed a superficial infection that was successfully treated with oral antibiotics. No instances of neurologic deficits or cement extravasation were observed. This study demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of our multimodal approach to treating scoliosis in patients with OI, achieving a 53% major curve correction with minimal complications over 2-year follow-up. These findings provide notable insights into managing scoliosis in this population. Level IV (case series).

Perioperative Benefits of a 3D Printed Spine Biomodel in the Setting of Congenital Scoliosis Surgery

The spine community is continuously adding to its armamentarium of intraoperative techniques for visualization and instrumentation of the spine. Recently, three-dimensional printed spine models were introduced for use in preoperative planning, surgical simulation, and intraoperative guidance. We present a 14-year old African male with congenital kyphoscoliosis, small stature, an obvious gibbus deformity and coronal imbalance, who underwent a three-staged posterior surgical correction procedure, during which a 3D-printed spine biomodel was utilized for better appreciation of his complex spinal deformity patho-anatomy. During the first stage of the procedure, he developed diminished lower extremity motor strength bilaterally and bowel/bladder control, but, following his third stage procedure and with focused rehabilitation efforts, he has regained full control of his bowel and bladder function, and is able to ambulate and perform activities of daily living independently, albeit still requiring intermittent walking support with a single forearm crutch due to residual left leg weakness. The 3D spine biomodel functioned successfully as a valuable tool and surrogate anatomic blueprint for the surgeons, enabling adequate appreciation of the complex bony anatomy which could not be easily resolved on the conventionally available imaging modalities, intraoperative navigation or robotic platform. Theoretically, up to $2900 USD in savings, translated from the mean estimated time saved per procedure with the use 3D-printed spine models has been proposed in some studies. Therefore, 3D-printed spine models have utility in complex spinal deformity correction surgery.

Sidonia and Nicu de Barcsy: a famous mother with post-partum hirsutism after giving birth to a famous son with idiopathic short stature.

At the end of the 19th century, an 18-year-old lady gave birth to a well-proportioned, though very small, son. After delivery, the mother developed a full-grown beard, whereas the son always remained of small stature. The mother developed diabetes mellitus and died, aged 59, from a complicated severe cold. The son died at the age of 91 because of chronic kidney disease. The differential diagnosis in the son is isolated growth hormone deficiency. The mother might have suffered luteoma of pregnancy, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor(s). The two cases are apparently coincidental/not related in pathophysiology. Hirsutism occurring directly postpartum can have several causes. Patients with isolated growth hormone deficiency can live a long life without the substitution of growth hormone. Coincidence does not necessarily imply correlation. In the past, patients with endocrine disorders like severe hirsutism or small stature were employed at circuses and fairs to entertain the audience as curiosities.

Understanding woody plant encroachment: A plant functional trait approach

AbstractThe increasing density of woody plants threatens the integrity of grassy ecosystems. It remains unclear if such encroachment can be explained mostly by direct effects of resources on woody plant growth or by indirect effects of disturbances imposing tree recruitment limitation. Here, we investigate whether woody plant functional traits provide a mechanistic understanding of the complex relationships between these resource and disturbance effects. We first assess the role of rainfall, soil fertility, texture, and geomorphology to explain variation in woody plant encroachment (WPE) following livestock grazing and consequent fire suppression across the Serengeti ecosystem. Second, we explore trait‐environment relationships and how these mediate vegetation response to fire suppression. We find that WPE is strongest in areas with high soil fertility, high rainfall, and intermediate catena positions. These conditions also promote woody plant communities characterized by small stature and seed sizes smaller relative to a comparative baseline within the Serengeti ecosystem, alongside high recruit densities (linked to a recruitment‐stature trade‐off). The positioning of species along this “recruitment‐stature axis” predicted woody stem density increase in livestock sites. Structural equation modeling suggested a causal pathway where environmental factors shape the community trait composition, subsequently influencing woody recruit numbers. These numbers, in turn, predicted an area's vulnerability to WPE. Our study underscores the importance of trait‐environment relationships in predicting the impact of human alterations on local vegetation change. Understanding how environmental factors directly (resources) and indirectly (legacy effects and plant traits) determine WPE supports the development of process‐based ecosystem structure and function models.

Irrigation Scheduling Impacts Vegetative Growth, Seed Yield, and Fungal Diseases of Spinach Seed Crops in a Maritime Mediterranean Climate

Although irrigation scheduling has been studied for diverse vegetable crops, much less attention has been given to irrigation scheduling for the seed crops on which these production systems rely. In spinach, for which irrigation scheduling needs are likely to vary greatly between seed and leaf production, this leaves seed producers without adequate resources to make irrigation scheduling decisions. Our research sought to fill this gap by evaluating two alternative irrigation scheduling strategies (a publicly available decision-support tool and soil moisture sensors) and four soil moisture thresholds for irrigation for their impacts on vegetative growth, marketable seed yield, seed quality, and the severity of Stemphylium leaf spot (caused by Stemphylium vesicarium and Stemphylium beticola), a common foliar disease of spinach, under sprinkler irrigation. We found that in all 3 years of the study, earlier and more frequent irrigation increased vegetative growth. However, marketable seed yield only increased relative to the control treatment based on farmers’ standard irrigation practices in 1 of the 3 years—a year with an abnormally late planting date. This indicates that vegetative growth is more responsive than seed yield to earlier and more frequent irrigation, and that increases in vegetative growth do not translate directly to increased marketable seed yield. Contrary to the expected increase in Stemphylium leaf spot severity with increasing irrigation, the severity decreased in both years it was measured, likely as a result of the small stature of the spinach seed parent lines used in our study and opportunistic pathogenicity on moisture-stressed plants. These results provide a useful foundation from which spinach seed producers can make irrigation management decisions for their crops that underpin a valuable global industry.

Innovative Systems Engineering Solutions for Power-Positive Operations: Navigating the Multi-Constraint Challenges of the SWARM-EX CubeSat Mission

Although the small stature of CubeSats and their standardized deployer options help to lower unit development cost and facilitate launch opportunities, the physical size limits of CubeSats prove to be a double-edged sword vis-à-vis sustaining a stable power state while hosting instruments with high power demands and often strict pointing requirements. For the Space Weather Atmospheric Reconfigurable Multiscale-EXperiment (SWARM-EX), this issue is magnified by the mission’s ambitious goals; to comply with mission requirements, a SWARM-EX spacecraft is required to concurrently (1) point the science instruments no more than 30° off ram when they are operational, (2) point the GPS patch antenna no more than 30° off zenith at least once per orbit, (3) point the boresight of the X-Band patch antenna no more than 18° from the ground station during downlink, (4) maximize the differential cross-sectional area during differential drag maneuvers, and (5) maximize solar array power generation at all times. Consequently, leading-edge CubeSat missions like SWARM-EX require innovative systems engineering solutions to remain power-positive during on-orbit operations. Through the design of a comprehensive module-based concept of operations, orbital power generation simulations, intricate constrained attitude profiles, and a configurable battery state of charge simulation tool, the SWARM-EX mission designers have conceived a plan to retire the risk of not maintaining a power-positive state while successfully meeting all mission requirements; it is the aim of the authors to illuminate these strategies as a case study.

Evaluating the Correlation Between Anteroposterior Diameter, Body Surface Area, and Height for Liver Transplant Donors and Recipients.

Small stature and female sex correlate to decreased deceased donor liver transplant (DDLT) access and higher waitlist mortality. However, efforts are being made to improve access and equity of allocation under the new continuous distribution (CD) system. Liver anteroposterior diameter (APD) is a method used by many centers to determine size compatibility for DDLT but is not recorded systematically, so it cannot be used for allocation algorithms. We therefore seek to correlate body surface area (BSA) and height to APD in donors and recipients and compare waitlist outcomes by these factors to support their use in the CD system. APD was measured from single-center DDLT recipients and donors with cross-sectional imaging. Linear, Pearson, and PhiK correlation coefficient were used to correlate BSA and height to APD. Competing risk analysis of waitlist outcomes was performed using United Network for Organ Sharing data. For 143 pairs, donor BSA correlated better with APD than height (PhiK = 0.63 versus 0.20). For recipient all comers, neither BSA nor height were good correlates of APD, except in recipients without ascites, where BSA correlated well (PhiK = 0.63) but height did not. However, among female recipients, BSA, but not height, strongly correlated to APD regardless of ascites status (PhiK = 0.80 without, PhiK = 0.70 with). Among male recipients, BSA correlated to APD only in those without ascites (PhiK = 0.74). In multivariable models, both BSA and height were predictive of waitlist outcomes, with higher values being associated with increased access, decreased delisting for death/clinical deterioration, and decreased living donor transplant (model concordance 0.748 and 0.747, respectively). Taken together, BSA is a good surrogate for APD and can therefore be used in allocation decision making in the upcoming CD era to offset size and gender-based disparities among certain candidate populations.

Challenges in the Surgical Orthopedic Treatment of Long Bone Fracture in a Rare Case of Pycnodysostosis

Pycnodysostosis is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by an inactivating mutation in cathepsin K (CTSK) and characterized by dysmorphic facial features, a short stature, acro-osteolysis, osteosclerosis with increased bone fragility, and delayed closure of cranial sutures. Although the satisfying healing potential, many issues exist in managing fractures in pycnodysostosis patients. In this paper, we report the challenges faced in managing a fracture of the femoral shaft in a 14-year-old boy coming from a low-income family. The patient was administered to the Paediatric Surgical Emergency Department of the Children's Hospital in Rabat for the management of a closed fracture of the left femur. Despite being of small stature with dysmorphic facial features, a prominent forehead, and brachydactyly, he never had a medical consultation before. The patient then underwent a surgical reduction. We attempted titanium elastic nail fixation, but metaphyseal drilling was not feasible due to the high bone density, and the narrow medullary canal eliminated this option. Therefore we opted for the palate fixation. Sclerotic bone made drilling extremely difficult. The postoperative fracture was successfully healed.

Scouts vs. usurpers: alternative foraging strategies facilitate coexistence between neotropical Cathartid vultures

Understanding how diverse assemblages of scavengers can coexist on shared ecological resources is a fundamental challenge in community ecology. However, current approaches typically focus on behaviour at carcass provisioning sites, missing how important differences in movement behaviour and foraging strategies can facilitate sympatric species coexistence. Such information is particularly important for vultures – obligate scavengers representing the most endangered avian foraging guild. Their loss from ecosystems can trigger trophic cascades, mesopredator release and disease outbreaks. We provide the first‐ever analyses of GPS location data from wild King Vultures Sarcoramphus papa and Greater Yellow‐headed Vultures Cathartes melambrotus, coupled with trait data (from both wild‐living and museum specimens) and visitation data from camera traps deployed at provisioned carcasses, to characterize vulture flight behaviour and strategies in the Peruvian Amazon. We found marked species differences in several key movement characteristics, including: King Vultures having home‐ranges five times larger, average flight heights four times greater and ground speeds 40% faster than those of Greater Yellow‐headed Vultures. Despite these differences, both species flew similar distances each day (on average), probably due to King Vultures taking 50% fewer flights and spending 40% less time in the air per day. Consistent with these patterns, King Vulture body mass was more than double that of the Greater Yellow‐headed Vulture, with a substantially larger hang wing index (a measure of long‐distance flight efficiency). At carcasses, Greater Yellow‐headed Vultures typically arrived first but were rapidly outnumbered by both King and Black Vultures Coragyps atratus. We find that the movement behaviour of obligate apex scavengers in the western Amazon is linked to their ability to coexist – Greater Yellow‐headed Vultures, a smaller stature ‘scouting’ species adapted to fly low, forage early and arrive first at carcasses, are ultimately displaced by larger‐bodied, wider ranging King Vultures at large ephemeral carrion resources. Expansion of future GPS tracking initiatives could facilitate the exploration of direct facultative interactions from animal movement data and give further insight into how diverse communities assemble and interact.

Ixeridium malingheense (Asteraceae), a new species from southwestern Guizhou, China

A new Asteraceae species, Ixeridium malingheense Z.Li & Q.Xu sp. nov., from Xingyi City, south-western Guizhou, China, is described and illustrated based on morphological and molecular analyses. Compared with the other species of the genus, the species is most similar to I. yunnanense in a small stature, linear-lanceolate stem leaves, and short phyllaries. However, it is easily distinguished from the latter by its smaller basal leaves 18–34 × 5–13 mm (vs. 10–25 × 5 mm), spatulate or long-spatulate (vs. elliptic, lanceolate, or oblanceolate), petioles ca. 30–55 mm (vs. 10 mm to absent), outer phyllaries 1-seriate (vs. 2-seriate, unequal), achenes smaller 2.0–3.0 × 0.5–1.0 mm (vs. 3.2 × 0.6 mm), and a flowering period of March to May (vs. June). Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear ITS sequence data determined the systematic position of I. malingheense in Ixeridium.

The Short Inflorescence Mutation in Diploid Strawberry Fragaria vesca Affects Inflorescence Architecture and Runner Elongation

Mutants are useful for determining the genes that underlie a given trait. This information is highly useful for developing molecular markers for breeding and is the foundational knowledge required for future genomic crop improvements. The dessert strawberry, Fragaria ×ananassa, is a valuable crop with high potential for increased use in controlled environment agriculture. The genome of the woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca is the dominant genome of the four diploid strawberry subgenomes that contribute to the octoploid F. ×ananassa genome. F. vesca is therefore a useful reference system for determining gene function and should be a useful source of gene diversity for breeding of F. ×ananassa. Chemical mutagenesis of the inbred F. vesca line H4 F7-3 resulted in one M2 line with a smaller stature overall and which produces flowers on very short peduncles close to the crown. This line was named short inflorescence (sin). The sin phenotype results from a single gene recessive mutation that is pleiotropic in that the mutation also affects internode lengths of runners as well as petiole elongation of sin plants. Microscopic characterization revealed that sin peduncles are most likely short because of a failure of cells to elongate. Inflorescences, runners, and petioles of sin plants were found to elongate in response to exogenous gibberellin, indicating that sin could be a gibberellin biosynthesis or transport mutant. A brief characterization of sin plants is presented to facilitate collaborative studies of the line.

First Report of Achromobacter xylosoxidans Causing Bacterial Stem and Leaf Blight on Cyrilla arida in Tennessee and the United States.

Scrub titi (Cyrilla arida), broadleaf semi-evergreen shrub, is endemic to central Florida. However, its smaller stature, lustrous, dark-green leaves and abundance of white racemes in late spring make it a potential candidate for future use in Southeastern U.S. landscapes. Three-years-old container grown C. arida plants maintained in a shade house at the Nursery Research Center, McMinnville, TN exhibited black leaf lesions and brown stem lesions (Fig. 1a) in April 2023. The disease severity was 25% of the shoot area and the disease incidence was 10% out of 60 plants. Symptomatic stem and leaf tissues were surface sterilized with 0.525% NaOCl for 1 min. Bacterial colonies were white-colored, opaque, round with smooth edges on lysogen broth agar medium after 2 days of incubation at 28°C. Bacteria were gram-negative and non-fluorescent on King's B. Esculin, catalase, and oxidase tests were positive but arginine dihydrolase and gelatine hydrolysis were negative. Bacterial identity was confirmed by sequencing of DNA from pure cultures (strains FBG5290 and FBG5294). The 16S ribosomal RNA, RNA polymerase sigma factor (rpoD), enolase (eno), and NADH-quinone oxidoreductase subunit L (nuoL) genes were amplified and sequenced using the primers 8F/1492R (Galkiewicz et al. 2008), rpoDpF/R (Sarkar and Guttman 2004), enoP1/P2 and nuoLP1/P2 (Spilker et al. 2012), respectively. The sequences were deposited in GenBank with acc. nos.: OR689356, OR689357 (16S); OR751366, OR751367 (rpoD); OR792456, OR792457 (eno); and OR792458, OR792459 (nuoL). The closest identified species to our two identical strains was Achromobacter xylosoxidans (CP054571), showing 99.6%, 95.2%, 96.2%, and 95.0% identity with >99% coverage to the above mentioned gene sequences, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis, using concatenated sequences along with the genome sequences of other closely related taxa (Fig. 2), suggest that A. xylosoxidans is presently the identified species, but given the results of the MLST, it may be that this organism will be classified as new species in the future. The pathogenicity of the strains was confirmed on 1-year-old C. arida by inoculating five plants per strain. Stems were inoculated by depositing 15 µl of bacterial suspension (1x108 CFU/mL) into the stem wounded using a scalpel. The inoculation sites were covered with moist cotton and wrapped with Parafilm. Inoculation was also performed on three leaves per plant by using a needleless syringe to infiltrate bacteria into the intercellular spaces (1x108 CFU/mL). Sterile water was used for five control plants. Plants were kept in a greenhouse at 21-23°C, 70% RH, and 16-h photoperiod. All inoculated plants showed brown lesions in stems (Fig. 1b and 1c) and leaves (Fig. 1d) 7-10 days after inoculation, while control plants remained asymptomatic (Fig. 1e and 1f). The bacteria were re-isolated from inoculated plants and confirmed as A. xylosoxidans using morphological and molecular methods. Achromobacter spp. are commonly known as human pathogens, and cross-kingdom pathogenic bacterium in animal (mice) and fungi (Coprinus comatus) (Ye et al. 2018). However, A. xylosoxidans was recently reported as the causal agent of stem rot of Amorphophallus konjac in China (Wei et al. 2023). To our knowledge, this is the first report of A. xylosoxidans causing bacterial stem and leaf blight of C. arida in Tennessee and the U.S. Identification of this novel disease lays the foundation development of effective management strategies.

Genetic Insights into the Extremely Dwarf Hibiscus syriacus var. micranthus: Complete Chloroplast Genome Analysis and Development of a Novel dCAPS Marker.

This study explored the chloroplast (cp) genomes of three Hibiscus syriacus (HS) specimens endemic to Korea possessing unique ornamental and conservation values: the dwarf H. syriacus var. micranthus (HSVM), renowned for its small stature and breeding potential; HS 'Tamra', a cultivar from Korea's southernmost islands, noteworthy for its distinctive beauty; and HS Natural Monument no. 521 (N.M.521), a specimen of significant lifespan and height. Given the scarcity of evolutionary studies on these specimens, we assembled and analyzed their cp genomes. We successfully assembled genomes spanning 160,000 to 160,100 bp and identified intraspecific variants. Among these, a unique ATA 3-mer insertion in the trnL-UAA region was identified in HSVM, highlighting its value as a genetic resource. Leveraging this finding, we developed a novel InDel dCAPS marker, which was validated across 43 cultivars, enhancing our ability to distinguish HSVM and its derivatives from other HS cultivars. Phylogenetic analysis involving 23 Malvaceae species revealed that HSVM forms a clade with woody Hibiscus species, closely associating with N.M.520, which may suggest a shared ancestry or parallel evolutionary paths. This investigation advances our understanding of the genetic diversity in Korean HS and offers robust tools for accurate cultivar identification, aiding conservation and breeding efforts.

First report of Brown blotch disease caused by Diaporthe ueckeri on Hyophorbe lagenicaulis in China.

Bottle palm (Hyophorbe lagenicaulis) is a picturesque evergreen plant in the family Aceraceae, ubiquitously cultivated as an ornamental tree throughout the tropics and subtropics due its attractive shape and small stature. During 2016-2022, brown spots were observed on the leaves of bottle palm on both sides of a campus road in Mazhang, Zhanjiang, Guangdong province (N21°8' 59.9" E110°17' 51.4"). Symptoms appeared as circular, light yellow to brownish red, slightly sunken spots, and brown to black in the center (Fig 1 A-C). The spots expanded to big irregular blotches, which finally led leaves to wither. 0ne hundred percent of 50 plants were infected and 90% of the leaves each plant were covered with brown patches of different sizes. Tissues (5 × 5 mm) from the diseased-healthy junction of the leaf spots were surface disinfected with 75% ethanol for 30 s and 3.5% hydrogen peroxide solution for 5 min, rinsed three times with sterile water and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 25-28℃ in the dark for 3 days. Fungi with the similar morphology grew from 100% of these inoculated tissues. Hyphal tips from the colony edges were transferred to PDA. Single isolates were obtained by plate dilution method after sporogenesis. Colonies with sparse aerial mycelium were flat, grey. Conidiomata were superficial, black, solitary, scattered. Conidiophores were cylindrical, densely aggregated. Alpha conidia with bi-multiguttulate were hyaline, smooth, ellipsoidal, aseptate, 4.7-7.9×1.6-3.4 µm (Av. 6.4×2.3µm, n>50). Beta conidia were filiform, slightly curved, 15.9-28.3× 0.7-1.1 μm (20.1 × 0.9 μm, n>50) (Fig 1 E-H). Gamma conidia were not observed. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, large subunit (LSU) rRNA sequence, translation elongation factor (TEF), actin (ACT), calmodulin (CAL), histone H3 (HIS), and beta tubulin (TUB2) genes were amplified using the primers ITS4/ITS1 (White et al. 1990), LR0R/LR5, EF1-728F/EF-2, ACT-512F/ACT-783R, CAL228F/ CAL737R, CYLH3F/ H3-1b, and TUB2Fd /TUB4Rd (Aveskamp et al. 2009; Carbone and Kohn 1999; Crous et al. 2004; O'Donnell et al. 2000), respectively. All seven sequences of the isolate CCAS-JPYZ-4B (ACCC 35493) were submitted to NCBI (OR430112-3, OR451702-6). BLAST search result showed high sequence identity with several Diaporthe ueckeri isolates (Tab1). Phylogenetic analysis of the concatenated data of CAL, HIS, ITS, TEF and TUB genes using Maximum Likelihood method placed CCAS-JPYZ-4B in the D. ueckeri clade. Thus, the isolate was identified as D. ueckeri (Udayanga et al. 2015). Pathogenicity tests were performed on three 5-year-old plants, one healthy new leaf per plant and 10 sites on per leaf were slightly wounded and inoculated with 5-mm mycelial plugs from 10-day-old culture on PDA. The control sites were treated with PDA plugs. Each inoculated leaf was covered with a plastic bag to maintain high humidity and kept at natural temperatures (25-28 ℃). The experiment was repeated once. Symptoms appeared as those described as above 5 to 10 days after inoculation (Fig 1 D). Controls were asymptomatic. The fungus was reisolated from diseased leaves and identified as D. ueckeri. D. ueckeri may infect Arachis hypogaea, Cucumis melo, Camellia sinensis, Glycine max, Mangifera indica and Michelia shiluensis, and this is first report causing brown blotch on bottle palm in China. This disease occurred all year round, which seriously affected plants growth and ornamental value; it is necessary to develop an effective management strategy.

Hybrid de novo and haplotype-resolved genome assembly of Vechur cattle - elucidating genetic variation.

Cattle contribute to the nutritional needs and economy of a place. The performance and fitness of cattle depend on the response and adaptation to local climatic conditions. Genomic and genetic studies are important for advancing cattle breeding, and availability of relevant reference genomes is essential. In the present study, the genome of a Vechur calf was sequenced on both short-read Illumina and long-read Nanopore sequencing platforms. The hybrid de novo assembly approach was deployed to obtain an average contig length of 1.97 Mbp and an N50 of 4.94 Mbp. By using a short-read genome sequence of the corresponding sire and dam, a haplotype-resolved genome was also assembled. In comparison to the taurine reference genome, we found 28,982 autosomal structural variants and 16,926,990 SNVs, with 883,544 SNVs homozygous in the trio samples. Many of these SNPs have been reported to be associated with various QTLs including growth, milk yield, and milk fat content, which are crucial determinants of cattle production. Furthermore, population genotype data analysis indicated that the present sample belongs to an Indian cattle breed forming a unique cluster of Bos indicus. Subsequent FST analysis revealed differentiation of the Vechur cattle genome at multiple loci, especially those regions related to whole body growth and cell division, especially IGF1, HMGA2, RRM2, and CD68 loci, suggesting a possible role of these genes in its small stature and better disease resistance capabilities in comparison with the local crossbreeds. This provides an opportunity to select and engineer cattle breeds optimized for local conditions.

Stunting and its association with education and cognitive outcomes in adulthood: A longitudinal study in Indonesia.

Stunting is associated with adverse outcomes in adulthood. This article specifically aims to analyse the relationship between childhood stunting and education as well as cognitive outcomes for adults in Indonesia. Pooled data from wave one (1) and two (2) of the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) in 1993 and 1997 identified a sub-sample of 4,379 children aged 0-5 by their height-for-age (HAZ) to be compared for their differences in educational outcomes and cognitive abilities in 2014. HAZ was used to proxy relative height to determine stunting status based on 2006 WHO child's growth standards. Education and cognitive abilities outcomes include years of schooling, age of school entry, grade repetition, and scores for cognitive and math tests. The study employs estimation models of pooled regressions and instrumental variable (IV) to address problems of endogeneity and bias from omitted variables. Stunting and relatively small stature had significant associations with cognitive development, and they worked as intermediaries to cognitive developmental barriers as manifested in reduced educational outcomes. A lack of one SD in HAZ was associated with 0.6 years shortened length of the school, 3% higher chances of dropouts from secondary school, and 0.10-0.23 SD lowered cognitive and numerical scores. Similarly, stunting is associated with decrease cognitive test scores by 0.56-0.8 SD compared to non-stunting, two years less schooling, and 0.4 years of delayed entry to school. As for cognitive abilities, stunting is associated with lower cognitive and numerical abilities by 0.38-0.82 z-scores. Growth retardation during childhood in Indonesia was associated with lower cognitive abilities, particularly during school age, and this correlation faded as individuals grew up. Subsequently, growth retardation is significantly linked to lower educational outcomes. Impaired growth has implications for reduced lifetime earnings potential mediated by diminished cognitive capacity and lower educational attainment. The finding suggests that development in Indonesia during recent decades has not provided an adequate environment to enable children to achieve their potential educational outcomes.

A rare presentation of Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome

Objective. Taybi syndrome is a rare genetical disorder with the symptoms of small stature, broad thumbs and first toes, a moderate to severe intellectual handicap, and unique facial traits. The present case study aimed with diagnose and therapeutic management of pediatric patients having Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome. Study area. The case study was carried out in Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital, Sawangi Meghe, Wardha, Maharashtra, in department of Pediatrics. The present study follows case of male child, diagnosed with different degrees of compliance, in which the therapeutic approach was determined by the severity of the patient’s conditions. Outcomes. Case study on 3 years old male child was carried out and observed with some behavioural changes like unstable mood, distractibility and impulsivity along with attention problem, aggressive nature and self-injurious behavior etc. As the syndrome does not have a particular treatment but some therapies are applied to address issues that are frequently connected to the illness. The thumbs or toes surgically repaired might enhance grip or ease pain. The study was performed as per the scientific way, based on research literatures study.

Deleterious phenotypes in wild Arabidopsis arenosa populations are common and linked to runs of homozygosity.

In this study, we aimed to systematically assess the frequency at which potentially deleterious phenotypes appear in natural populations of the outcrossing model plant Arabidopsis arenosa, and to establish their underlying genetics. For this purpose, we collected seeds from wild A. arenosa populations and screened over 2,500 plants for unusual phenotypes in the greenhouse. We repeatedly found plants with obvious phenotypic defects, such as small stature and necrotic or chlorotic leaves, among first-generation progeny of wild A. arenosa plants. Such abnormal plants were present in about 10% of maternal sibships, with multiple plants with similar phenotypes in each of these sibships, pointing to a genetic basis of the observed defects. A combination of transcriptome profiling, linkage mapping and genome-wide runs of homozygosity patterns using a newly assembled reference genome indicated a range of underlying genetic architectures associated with phenotypic abnormalities. This included evidence for homozygosity of certain genomic regions, consistent with alleles that are identical by descent being responsible for these defects. Our observations suggest that deleterious alleles with different genetic architectures are segregating at appreciable frequencies in wild A. arenosa populations.