Strain Crosses Research Articles

Comparative Studies of Nairobi-Sheep-Disease Virus Strains Infectivity, Immunogenicty and Cross- Protectivity in BALB/C Mice Model

Nairobi sheep disease virus is a hemorrhagic virus that cause severe gastroenteritis in shoats resulting to significant morbidity and mortality in naïve small ruminants’ populations. Vaccine platform to develop efficacious vaccine against the Nairobi sheep disease virus have been unsuccessful. This research detail the comparative infection, immunogenicity, and protection of three Nairobi sheep strains; I34, 1473 and Ansell. The three strains are marked with differences in their ability to cause disease in suckling mice model. Fatality rates range from 0-50% from the virulent pathogenic 1473 strain, I34 and the seemingly less virulent Ansell strain also shown by their relative time to death. Findings of this research demonstrate that protective efficacy mediated by inactivated Nairobi sheep disease virus strain I34 conferred a stronger cross protection against homologous and heterologous strains compared to 1473 and Ansell strains. Strain I34 sera neutralization against homologous I34 strain was similar to that against Entebe strain providing evidence of possible antigenic homology. Vaccine developed from I34 strain will protect against multiple strains of Nairobi sheep disease virus; 1473, Ansell and Entebe strain. Understanding immune response in mice elicited by different Nairobi sheep disease virus strains will facilitate development of a more efficacious vaccine. Using formalin inactivated NSDV vaccine, I34 strain showed complete protection from homologous and a partial protection heterologous strains in in vitro assay. Protection was associated by higher neutralizing antibodies against homologous and heterologous strains compared to that of 1473 and Ansell. Thus, this study deduce serum neutralizing antibody titers are associated with protection against homologous and heterologous challenge

Evaluation of the current situation of sheep production characteristics in Nkasi District, Tanzania

Abstract. Kapongo RY, Mbaga SH. 2024. Evaluation of the current situation of sheep production characteristics in Nkasi District, Tanzania. Intl J Trop Drylands 8: 44-57. This study was conducted in two divisions, Namanyere and Mkwamba of Nkasi District in the Rukwa Region, Tanzania, to assess the sheep production status of smallholder farmers. Eight wards, namely Namanyere, Mtenga, Chala, Swaila, Kipande, Sintali, Kate, and Isale, were surveyed from November 2010 to April 2011. The random sampling technique was adopted to get 20 respondents from each selected ward. Two villages from each ward were chosen randomly, whereby ten respondents were interviewed in each village. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from smallholder farmers keeping sheep and was complimented by secondary data from the district council offices. The results showed that sheep strains kept mainly by smallholder farmers were variant crosses of local strains and Red Maasai. The strains were deemed tolerant to diseases/parasites, heat, and drought and had better carcasses. Most smallholder farmers adopted an extensive grazing system during both dry and wet seasons. Breeding was uncontrolled; however, rams were selected based on their body sizes, conformation, and performance (e.g., number of lambs per ewe's lifetime, age at first lambing, and lambing intervals). Traits such as disease tolerance, drought, and heat tolerance scored higher for most strains. The average age at first lambing was 6.5 months, the lambing interval was three months, and the average number of lambs per ewe's lifetime was 14. The constraints to sheep production mostly were poor market availability, endemic diseases, and mortality of lambs. On marketing, fewer sheep were sold in the market compared to goats, and the price was 22% lower than that of goats.

Fall armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): practical resistance of 2 Brazilian populations to Cry1A.105 + Cry2Ab and Cry1F Bt maize.

In the Americas, transgenic cropsproducing insecticidal proteins fromBacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt,Bacillales: Bacillaceae) have been used widely to manage fall armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda [J.E. Smith]). As resistance to Cry1 single-gene Bt maize (Zea mays L.)rapidly evolved in some FAW populations, pyramided Bt maizehybrids producing Cry1, Cry2, or Vip3Aa proteins were introduced in the 2010s. We examined field-evolved resistance to single- and dual-protein Bt maize hybrids in 2 locations in southeastern Brazil, where plant damage by FAW larvae far exceeded the economic threshold in 2017. We collected late-instar larvae in Cry1A.105 + Cry2Ab and Cry1F maize fields and established 2 FAW populations in the laboratory. The F1 offspring reared on the foliage of Bt and non-Bt maize plants (Cry1A.105 + Cry2Ab and Cry1F) showed neonate-to-adult survival rates as high as 70% for both populations. There was no significant difference in the life-table parameters of armyworms reared on non-Bt and Bt maize foliage, indicating complete resistance to Cry1A.105 + Cry2Ab maize. Larval survival rates of reciprocal crosses of a susceptible laboratory strain and the field-collected populations indicated nonrecessive resistance to Cry1F and a recessive resistance to Cry1A.105 + Cry2Ab maize. When relaxing the selection pressure, the armyworm fitness varied on Cry1A.105 + Cry2Ab and non-Bt maize; the resistance was somewhat stable across 12 generations, without strong fitness costs, although one of the lines died confounded by a depleted-quality, artificial rearing diet. To our knowledge, this is the first report documenting the practical resistance of FAW to a pyramided Bt crop. We discuss the implications for resistance management.

Two curvature sensors based on no-core–seven-core fiber interference

Abstract Using the no-core fiber (NCF)–seven-core fiber (SCF) interference structure, two curvature sensors of Michelson interference type and Mach–Zehnder interference (MZI) type are proposed, respectively. The curvature sensor based on Michelson interference shows wavelength-modulation characteristics, the sensitivity is about −22.76 nm/m−1 with a linearity of 0.9823, the temperature sensitivity is only 0.054 nm/°C, and the effect of temperature on curvature can be negligible. The MZI sensor based on an enlarged taper-embedded cascaded structure is an intensity-modulated sensor. The sensitivities are −63.6271 dB m/m−1 and 93.3293 dBm/m−1 for the forward and reverse curvature, respectively, and the linearities are 0.9987 and 0.9930, respectively. But the strain sensitivity (8.357 × 10−4 dBm/με) of the MZI sensor is so tiny, which can avoid the strain cross effect. The two sensors can be used in the detection of the curvature at different (temperature/strain) conditions.

The human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus can produce the highest known number of meiotic crossovers.

Sexual reproduction involving meiosis is essential in most eukaryotes. This produces offspring with novel genotypes, both by segregation of parental chromosomes as well as crossovers between homologous chromosomes. A sexual cycle for the opportunistic human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is known, but the genetic consequences of meiosis have remained unknown. Among other Aspergilli, it is known that A. flavus has a moderately high recombination rate with an average of 4.2 crossovers per chromosome pair, whereas A. nidulans has in contrast a higher rate with 9.3 crossovers per chromosome pair. Here, we show in a cross between A. fumigatus strains that they produce an average of 29.9 crossovers per chromosome pair and large variation in total map length across additional strain crosses. This rate of crossovers per chromosome is more than twice that seen for any known organism, which we discuss in relation to other genetic model systems. We validate this high rate of crossovers through mapping of resistance to the laboratory antifungal acriflavine by using standing variation in an undescribed ABC efflux transporter. We then demonstrate that this rate of crossovers is sufficient to produce one of the common multidrug resistant haplotypes found in the cyp51A gene (TR34/L98H) in crosses among parents harboring either of 2 nearby genetic variants, possibly explaining the early spread of such haplotypes. Our results suggest that genomic studies in this species should reassess common assumptions about linkage between genetic regions. The finding of an unparalleled crossover rate in A. fumigatus provides opportunities to understand why these rates are not generally higher in other eukaryotes.

Large differences in collateral blood vessel abundance among individuals arise from multiple genetic variants

Collateral blood flow varies greatly among humans for reasons that remain unclear, resulting in significant differences in ischemic tissue damage. A similarly large variation has also been found in mice that is caused by genetic background-dependent differences in the extent of collateral formation, termed collaterogenesis—a unique angiogenic process that occurs during development and determines collateral number and diameter in the adult. Previous studies have identified several quantitative trait loci (QTL) linked to this variation. However, understanding has been hampered by the use of closely related inbred strains that do not model the wide genetic variation present in the “outbred” human population. The Collaborative Cross (CC) multiparent mouse genetic reference panel was developed to address this limitation. Herein we measured the number and average diameter of cerebral collaterals in 60 CC strains, their 8 founder strains, 8 F1 crosses of CC strains selected for abundant versus sparse collaterals, and 2 intercross populations created from the latter. Collateral number evidenced 47-fold variation among the 60 CC strains, with 14% having poor, 25% poor-to-intermediate, 47% intermediate-to-good, and 13% good collateral abundance, that was associated with large differences in post-stroke infarct volume. Collateral number in skeletal muscle and intestine of selected high- and low-collateral strains evidenced the same relative abundance as in brain. Genome-wide mapping demonstrated that collateral abundance is a highly polymorphic trait. Subsequent analysis identified: 6 novel QTL circumscribing 28 high-priority candidate genes harboring putative loss-of-function polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with low collateral number; 335 predicted-deleterious SNPs present in their human orthologs; and 32 genes associated with vascular development but lacking protein coding variants. Six additional suggestive QTL (LOD > 4.5) were also identified in CC-wide QTL mapping. This study provides a comprehensive set of candidate genes for future investigations aimed at identifying signaling proteins within the collaterogenesis pathway whose variants potentially underlie genetic-dependent collateral insufficiency in brain and other tissues.

Comparisons and genetic assessments of WSSV resistance and growth in strain cross of Litopenaeus vannamei

To explore the performance differences among offspring obtained by the intra- and inter-strain crosses, strain A with outstanding WSSV resistance and strain B with outstanding growth of Litopenaeus vannamei were used to construct four experimental groups in a complete diallel cross. 27 growth-related phenotypic traits and WSSV resistance represented by the surviving hours post-infection were obtained via the growth and the virus challenge test. Mixed linear model along with physical pedigree were utilized to calculate the least squares means, correlations, heritability and heterosis. The results showed that crossbreeding can realize character complementation of advantage strain. The performance of WSSV resistance was ranked AA> BA> AB> BB, and the reciprocal crosses performed significantly better than intra-strain group BB. Most growth-related traits in two reciprocal cross groups were also significantly better than those in AA group. Comparisons between the two reciprocal crosses showed that BA cross was better than AB in terms of WSSV resistance and growth. Heterosis of WSSV resistance in BA cross was 5.74∼10.18% greater than that in AB, meanwhile the absolute weight gain rate of BA cross was 4.83% higher than that of AB. The heritability estimates of body length and body weight were 0.0278 and 0.339, both of which reached medium level. The genetic and phenotypic correlations among growth-related traits were from 0.36 to 0.99 and 0.32 to 0.99, respectively. In term of WSSV resistance, the heritability estimate was 0.135 ± 0.082. The genetic and phenotypic correlations between WSSV resistance and growth-related traits were from − 0.034 to − 0.573 and − 0.001 to − 0.202, respectively. The results showed that hybrid offspring obtained by crossing female parents with outstanding WSSV resistance and male parents with outstanding growth culminated in a superior heterosis in both traits. This study provides basic reference data for L. vannamei breeding of new strains that are disease resistant and fast-growing.

Inter-particle adhesion induced strong mechanical memory in a dense granular suspension

Repeated/cyclic shearing can drive amorphous solids to a steady state encoding a memory of the applied strain amplitude. However, recent experiments find that the effect of such memory formation on the mechanical properties of the bulk material is rather weak. Here, we study the memory effect in a yield stress solid formed by a dense suspension of cornstarch particles in paraffin oil. Under cyclic shear, the system evolves toward a steady state showing training-induced strain stiffening and plasticity. A readout reveals that the system encodes a strong memory of the training amplitude (γT) as indicated by a large change in the differential shear modulus. We observe that memory can be encoded for a wide range of γT values both above and below the yielding albeit the strength of the memory decreases with increasing γT. In situ boundary imaging shows strain localization close to the shearing boundaries, while the bulk of the sample moves like a solid plug. In the steady state, the average particle velocity v inside the solid-like region slows down with respect to the moving plate as γ approaches γT; however, as the readout strain crosses γT, v suddenly increases. We demonstrate that inter-particle adhesive interaction is crucial for such a strong memory effect. Interestingly, our system can also remember more than one input only if the training strain with smaller amplitude is applied last.

Genomic regions associated with virulence in Setosphaeria turcica identified by linkage mapping in a biparental population

Northern corn leaf blight (NCLB) and sorghum leaf blight (SLB) are significant diseases of maize and sorghum, respectively, caused by the filamentous fungus Setosphaeria turcica. Strains of S. turcica are typically host-specific and infect either maize or sorghum. Host specificity in this pathogen is attributed to a single locus for maize and a second distinct locus for sorghum. To identify the genetic basis of host specificity in S. turcica, we generated a biparental population of S. turcica by crossing strains specific to maize and sorghum, phenotyped the population for leaf blight on sorghum and maize, genotyped the population to create a linkage map of S. turcica, and located candidate virulence regions. A total of 190 ascospores from 35 pseudothecia were isolated from the cross of maize and sorghum-specific strains. Greenhouse phenotyping of the biparental population (n = 144) showed independent inheritance of virulence, as indicated by a 1:1:1:1 segregation for virulence to maize, sorghum, both maize and sorghum, and avirulence to both crops. The population and host-specific parent strains were genotyped using genome skim sequencing on an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform resulting in over 780 million reads. A total of 32,635 variants including single nucleotide polymorphisms and indels were scored. There was evidence for a large deletion in the sorghum-specific strain of S. turcica. A genetic map consisting of 17 linkage groups spanning 3,069 centimorgans was constructed. Virulence to sorghum and maize mapped on distinct linkage groups with a significant QTL detected for virulence to maize. Furthermore, a single locus each for the in vitro traits hyphal growth rate and conidiation were identified and mapped onto two other linkage groups. In vitro traits did not correlate with in planta virulence complexity, suggesting that virulence on both hosts does not incur a fitness cost. Hyphal growth rate and conidiation were negatively correlated, indicating differences in hyphal growth versus dispersal ability for this pathogen. Identification of genetic regions underlying virulence specificity and saprotrophic growth traits in S. turcica provides a better understanding of the S. turcica- Andropogoneae pathosystem.

Bt Cry1Ac resistance in Trichoplusia ni is conferred by multi-gene mutations

The three-domain Cry toxin Cry1Ac from Bacillus thuringiensis （Bt） is an important insecticidal toxin in Bt sprays and has been used in transgenic Bt-crops to confer insect resistance. The cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni, has developed resistance to Bt sprays in commercial greenhouses, and the resistance to Cry1Ac has been previously identified to be associated with altered expression of the APN1 and APN6 genes and be genetically linked to a locus on chromosome 15. In this study, the Cry1Ac resistance locus in T. ni was further finely mapped, and the specific Cry1Ac resistance-conferring mutation in the resistance locus was identified to be a 4 bp frameshift insertion in the ABCC2 gene by whole genome resequencing, midgut transcriptome analysis, candidate gene cDNA sequencing and mutation site genomic DNA sequencing. By CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis, a series of ABCC2 and ABCC3 mutant T. ni strains were generated, and the role of ABCC2 in the toxicity of Cry1Ac in T. ni was confirmed. The results from this study also showed that knockout of ABCC2 in T. ni conferred resistance to Cry1Ac at a level lower than that in the greenhouse-derived resistant T. ni strain and that the Cry1Ac resistance-associated alteration of APN1 and APN6 expression was independent of ABCC2 gene mutations, indicating that the altered expression of APN1 and APN6 was controlled by another gene mutation in Cry1Ac resistant T. ni. Furthermore, T. ni larval bioassays showed that the level of Cry1Ac resistance in F1 families from reciprocal crosses of the Cry1Ac resistant strain with an ABCC2 knockout CRISPR strain was significantly higher than that in ABCC2 knockout strain, indicating the presence of additional Cry1Ac resistance-conferring mutation(s) in the Cry1Ac resistant strain. Therefore, the resistance to Cry1Ac in T. ni is conferred by a mutation in ABCC2 and an additional mutation (or mutations) which leads to altered expression of APN1 and APN6. The additional Cry1Ac resistance mutation or mutations remain to be identified.

Reproductive Patterns Drive the Gene Flow and Spatial Dispersal of Euschistus heros (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

Euschistus heros (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) has two allopatric strains with a hybrid zone in central Brazil. Asymmetric dispersal and gene flow between these strains of E. heros have been observed, where the South strain (SS) moves more quickly to the northern regions of the country than the North strain (NS) to the southern areas. In addition, SS generally has a bigger body size and presents dark brown coloration, and NS is usually smaller in size and presents light brown coloration. Here, we studied the reproductive behavior and tested for the presence of assortative mating and reproductive barriers between the two allopatric strains of E. heros. Nonrandom mating was observed in the SS strain based on mating choice trials and the reproductive isolation indexes. SS females and males prefer to mate with their co-specific (same strain) partner, while NS insects showed no mating preference. The insect's pronotum width was positively associated with the mating choice suggesting size-assortative mating in E. heros. Reciprocal crosses between strains yielded similar reproductive outputs when compared with pure strain crosses, suggesting similar fitness of hybrid pure strains. The asymmetric gene flow in the hybridization zone that favors SS seems to be associated with the reproductive behavior of the species, which favors the typical phenotype found in the SS populations.

Dynamic properties and fracture damage characteristics of granite under impact load

The goal of this research is to study the dynamic properties and fracture damage laws of granite at the meso-scale under impact load. The quasi-static and dynamic mechanical properties of granite were studied through laboratory tests (Uniaxial compression, split Hopkinson pressure bar). The establishment of three-dimensional coupled numerical model of rock specimen and split Hopkinson pressure bar was realized by new coupling technology of PFC-FLAC. Three wave superposition and end stress distribution were discussed to determine the stress balance of the specimen during the loading process. The dynamic compression mechanics response characteristics and crack growth laws of granite under different strain rates were studied. The results indicated that PFC-FLAC coupling technology can solve the problems of tedious modeling process and long calculation time in the past three-dimensional discrete element model, and can better describe the dynamic mechanical behaviour of rock. There is obvious rate dependency in the dynamic strength of rock material, and the dynamic compressive strength of rock increases with the increase of strain rate. The macro fracture of rock mass is the result of the continuous development, expansion, aggregation and connection of the internal microcracks. With the increase of strain rate, the increase and cross propagation of cracks lead transformation of rock from intact to crushing destruction. Under dynamic loading, the failure process of rock is crack initiation, propagation, crossing, transfixion and rupture.

Evaluation of the growth and egg-laying performance of quail (Coturnix Japonica) resulting from crosses of different strains of quail reared in Ivory Coast

Quail weight and laying rate are very important parameters for quail breeders. This study aims to evaluate the growth and egg-laying performance of quails from different crosses in order to consider an improvement of performance through feeding. Thus, intra and inter crosses were made between the light strain and the heavy strain. To assess the growth and laying performance, it is used for each crossing result, 450 one day old quails and 120 females aged 42 days. These quails were reared under the same experimental conditions. The weight, the consumption and conversion index, the laying, the egg weight and mortality were recorded. The results show that the heavy strain has the highest weight (250.3g) followed by the mixed quail (216.9 - 218.8g). The light strain has the lowest weight (172.5g). Regarding the consumption indices, the heavy strain recorded the lowest index (3.24) followed by the mixed strain (3.52 - 3.59). As for the laying rate, the light strain obtained the highest rate (75.7%) followed by the mixed quail (68.7 to 70.6%). The heavy strain has the lowest laying rate (64.2%). In terms of conversion index, females of light strain recorded the best conversion index (3.8), followed by mixed quail (4.51 to 4.72). Regarding egg weight and mortality rate, no significant difference was observed between strains (p> 0.05). Considering its growth and laying performance the mixed strain is a promising strain which could be improved with feeding.

The Genetic Architecture of a Congenital Heart Defect Is Related to Its Fitness Cost.

In newborns, severe congenital heart defects are rarer than mild ones. This epidemiological relationship between heart defect severity and incidence lacks explanation. Here, an analysis of ~10,000 Nkx2-5+/− mice from two inbred strain crosses illustrates the fundamental role of epistasis. Modifier genes raise or lower the risk of specific defects via pairwise (G×GNkx) and higher-order (G×G×GNkx) interactions with Nkx2-5. Their effect sizes correlate with the severity of a defect. The risk loci for mild, atrial septal defects exert predominantly small G×GNkx effects, while the loci for severe, atrioventricular septal defects exert large G×GNkx and G×G×GNkx effects. The loci for moderately severe ventricular septal defects have intermediate effects. Interestingly, G×G×GNkx effects are three times more likely to suppress risk when the genotypes at the first two loci are from the same rather than different parental inbred strains. This suggests the genetic coadaptation of interacting G×G×GNkx loci, a phenomenon that Dobzhansky first described in Drosophila. Thus, epistasis plays dual roles in the pathogenesis of congenital heart disease and the robustness of cardiac development. The empirical results suggest a relationship between the fitness cost and genetic architecture of a disease phenotype and a means for phenotypic robustness to have evolved.

Evaluation of the growth and egg-laying performance of quail (Coturnix Japonica) resulting from crosses of different strains of quail reared in Ivory Coast

Evaluation of the growth and egg-laying performance of quail (Coturnix Japonica) resulting from crosses of different strains of quail reared in Ivory Coast

Inheritance patterns, cross‐resistance and synergism in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) resistant to emamectin benzoate

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), is a relevant global pest due to severe damage caused on agricultural crops and its capacity to evolve resistance to insecticides. Here, we selected a strain of S.frugiperda resistant to emamectin benzoate under laboratory conditions to understand the inheritance patterns, cross-resistance and synergism involved in the resistance. The emamectin benzoate-resistant (Ben-R) strain was isolated by using F2 screen in a field population collected in Lucas do Rio Verde, Mato Grasso state, Brazil. After ten generations of selection pressure with emamectin benzoate, the estimated LC50 of the Ben-R strain was 678.38 μg a.i. mL-1 whereas that of the susceptible (Sus) strain was 0.29 μg a.i.mL-1 , resulting in a resistance ratio (RR) of 2340-fold. The LC50 values of the offspring from reciprocal crosses of Sus and Ben-R strains were 93.37 and 105.32 μg a.i. mL-1 , suggesting that resistance is an autosomal incompletely dominant trait. The high survival of heterozygous and Ben-R strains (>92%) on non-Bt maize sprayed with the field rate of emamectin benzoate confirmed that resistance is functionally dominant. The minimum number of segregations influencing resistance was 3.55, suggesting a polygenic effect. Low cross-resistance was detected between emamectin benzoate and the insecticides methomyl, chlorpyrifos, lambda-cyhalothrin, spinetoram, indoxacarb and chlorantraniliprole (RR <5.75-fold). There was no effect of synergists piperonyl butoxide, diethyl maleate and S, S, S-tributyl phosphorotrithiotate on the Ben-R strain, suggesting a minor role of metabolic resistance. Our results showed a high risk of resistance evolution of S.frugiperda to emamectin benzoate, based on incompletely dominant inheritance. Rotation of insecticides with different modes of action can be one of the resistance management strategies to be implemented to delay the evolution of resistance of S.frugiperda to emamectin benzoate in Brazil.

Current State of Preeclampsia Mouse Models: Approaches, Relevance, and Standardization.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a multisystemic, pregnancy-specific disorder and a leading cause of maternal and fetal death. PE is also associated with an increased risk for chronic morbidities later in life for mother and offspring. Abnormal placentation or placental function has been well-established as central to the genesis of PE; yet much remains to be determined about the factors involved in the development of this condition. Despite decades of investigation and many clinical trials, the only definitive treatment is parturition. To better understand the condition and identify potential targets preclinically, many approaches to simulate PE in mice have been developed and include mixed mouse strain crosses, genetic overexpression and knockout, exogenous agent administration, surgical manipulation, systemic adenoviral infection, and trophoblast-specific gene transfer. These models have been useful to investigate how biological perturbations identified in human PE are involved in the generation of PE-like symptoms and have improved the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning the human condition. However, these approaches were characterized by a wide variety of physiological endpoints, which can make it difficult to compare effects across models and many of these approaches have aspects that lack physiological relevance to this human disorder and may interfere with therapeutic development. This report provides a comprehensive review of mouse models that exhibit PE-like symptoms and a proposed standardization of physiological characteristics for analysis in murine models of PE.

Strain tuning of nematicity and superconductivity in single crystals of FeSe

Strain is a powerful experimental tool to explore new electronic states and understand unconventional superconductivity. Here, we investigate the effect of uniaxial strain on the nematic and superconducting phase of single crystal FeSe using magnetotransport measurements. We find that the resistivity response to the strain is strongly temperature dependent and it correlates with the sign change in the Hall coefficient being driven by scattering, coupling with the lattice and multiband phenomena. Band structure calculations suggest that under strain the electron pockets develop a large in-plane anisotropy as compared with the hole pocket. Magnetotransport studies at low temperatures indicate that the mobility of the dominant carriers increases with tensile strain. Close to the critical temperature, all resistivity curves at constant strain cross in a single point, indicating a universal critical exponent linked to a strain-induced phase transition. Our results indicate that the superconducting state is enhanced under compressive strain and suppressed under tensile strain, in agreement with the trends observed in FeSe thin films and overdoped pnictides, whereas the nematic phase seems to be affected in the opposite way by the uniaxial strain. By comparing the enhanced superconductivity under strain of different systems, our results suggest that strain on its own cannot account for the enhanced high $T_c$ superconductivity of FeSe systems.

Evaluation of mild strain cross protection in cacao – further evidence of the protective potential of cacao swollen shoot virus strain N1 against the New Juabeng (1A) isolate under field conditions

The yield, canopy status and cocoa swollen shoot virus disease (CSSVD) symptom severity were assessed in cacao trees in a long-term field experiment originally established to study cacao swollen shoot virus strain 1A (CSSV-1A) epidemics in plots inoculated with the mild strain CSSV-N1. Yield of cacao was 73.7% and 32.1% lower in cacao plants inoculated with CSSV-1A and the non-inoculated respectively, when compared with cacao plants inoculated with CSSV-N1. CSSVD severity and canopy cover of cacao plants were significantly (P < 0.0001) affected by varying the number of inner rows inoculated with CSSV-N1 as well as individual CSSV strains. The treatments in which all the test cacao trees or first five inner rows received mild strain cross protection (T4 and T1) had the best canopy and lowest disease severity. Trees with CSSV-N1 protection had better canopy and lower CSSVD severity in comparison with the non-inoculated and CSSV-1A inoculated trees. DNA fingerprinting analysis indicated that genetic make-up of the planting material does not appear to contribute significantly to variation in disease severity or canopy status. Significant relationships were established between some soil parameters and CSSVD symptom severity (organic carbon, phosphorus, calcium, nitrogen, magnesium) as well as canopy status (phosphorus, potassium, magnesium).

Genetic parameters for egg production traits in crosses between local and exotic chickens estimated by Bayesian inference

Estimates of genetic parameters for economic traits are important to enable the breeder estimate the breeding value of individuals available for selection. Thus, this study was carried out to estimate genetic parameters namely heritability and genetic correlations among egg production traits in two strain crosses using bivariate animal model in Bayesian (MCMC) method. The egg production data were obtained from four generations which comprised the base population of two commercial egg strains and the local chicken, the inbred population derived from the base population, the F1 crossbred population obtained from the crossing of the local and exotic inbred chickens and the backcross population obtained from the backcrossing of the crossbred to their parents. A total number of 1,138 daughters of 62 sires and 620 dams were used for the study. The autocorrelations among samples in the MCMC chain were less than 0.1 for all lag values indicating that all samples of the posterior distribution were independent. The estimated heritability for age at first egg, body weight at first egg, hen day egg number, weight of first egg, egg weight at thirty week and egg weight at forty week were 0.62, 0.48, 0.47, 0.53, 0.54 and 0.56 for strain 1 crosses and 0.43, 0.48, 0.49, 0.52, 0.52 and 0.53 for strain 2 crosses. The corresponding highest posterior density interval ranged from 0.22 to 0.91 for strain 1 crosses and 0.07 to 0.83 for strain 2 crosses. The genetic correlations among egg production traits ranged from 0.06 to 1.97 in strain 1 and 0.06 to 2.59 in strain 2 crosses. The estimates were within the range reported in literature for egg production traits in chicken and imply that appreciable amount of additive genes exist in the strain crosses which could be used for the selection of superior birds. The magnitude of genetic correlations implies that selection of one trait could lead to correlated response to the other traits.