Explore the vast range of titles available.

This study determined whether motivational interviewing-based cognitive behavioral therapy (MI-CBT) adherence counseling combined with modified directly observed therapy (MI-CBT/mDOT) is more effective than MI-CBT counseling alone or standard care (SC) in increasing adherence over time. A three-armed randomized controlled 48-week trial with continuous electronic drug monitored adherence was conducted by randomly assigning 204 HIV-positive participants to either 10 sessions of MI-CBT counseling with mDOT for 24 weeks, 10 sessions of MI-CBT counseling alone, or SC. Poisson mixed effects regression models revealed significant interaction effects of intervention over time on non-adherence defined as percent of doses not-taken (IRR = 1.011, CI = 1.000–1.018) and percent of doses not-taken on time (IRR = 1.006, CI = 1.001–1.011) in the 30 days preceding each assessment. There were no significant differences between groups, but trends were observed for the MI-CBT/mDOT group to have greater 12 week on-time and worse 48 week adherence than the SC group. Findings of modest to null impact on adherence despite intensive interventions highlights the need for more effective interventions to maintain high adherence over time.

Mungbeans and lentils are relatively easily grown and cheaper sources of microgreens, but their phytonutrient diversity is not yet deeply explored. In this study, 20 diverse genotypes each of mungbean and lentil were grown as microgreens under plain-altitude (Delhi) and high-altitude (Leh) conditions, which showed significant genotypic variations for ascorbic acid, tocopherol, carotenoids, flavonoid, total phenolics, DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), FRAP (ferric-reducing antioxidant power), peroxide activity, proteins, enzymes (peroxidase and catalase), micronutrients, and macronutrients contents. The lentil and mungbean genotypes L830 and MH810, respectively, were found superior for most of the studied parameters over other studied genotypes. Interestingly, for most of the studied parameters, Leh-grown microgreens were found superior to the Delhi-grown microgreens, which could be due to unique environmental conditions of Leh, especially wide temperature amplitude, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and UV-B content. In mungbean microgreens, total phenolics content (TPC) was found positively correlated with FRAP and DPPH, while in lentil microgreens, total flavonoid content (TFC) was found positively correlated with DPPH. The most abundant elements recorded were in the order of K, P, and Ca in mungbean microgreens; and K, Ca, and P in the lentil microgreens. In addition, these Fabaceae microgreens may help in the nutritional security of the population residing in the high-altitude regions of Ladakh, especially during winter months when this region remains landlocked due to heavy snowfall.

Thiol-based redox sensing has been found to play diverse roles in regulating various metabolic pathways. Here, the thiol-based redox system of 16 diverse genotypes of wheat grains was characterized, and it correlated with the accumulation of macro-/micronutrients inside the grains. We observed significant variations in the thiol and disulfide content in the grains. An expression analysis of the genes responsible for thiol-based redox sensing, such as thioredoxin ( TRX ), glutaredoxin ( GRX ) and glutathione reductase ( GR ), showed maximum fold expression in wheat cvs . Halna and HD2985 (high thiol cvs .) during the seed hardening stage (G 2 ) of endosperm, as compared to low thiol-containing cvs . We retrieved the amino acid sequences of 11 genes linked with nutrient biosynthesis pathways and observed the highest cysteine (Cys) (2.25%) in Granule bound starch synthase ( GBSS; involved in starch biosynthesis) and methionine (Met) (4.04%) in the BCH gene (involved in tannin synthesis). Genotypes with a Cys : Met ratio >1.0 were observed to be nutrient-rich and robust due to the high stability of key proteins and enzymes. The yellow pigment (shining factor) was observed to be the highest in the grains of wheat cv. NIAW34 (6.08 µg/g dry matter) with a Cys: Met ratio of 2.15. Antioxidants such as total phenolic content and tannin were observed to be significantly higher in cvs . (Halna, HI1544, etc.) with a ratio of Cys: Met ≥2.0. The highest level of polysaccharides (starch and resistant starch) was observed in the grains of wheat cv. HD1914 with a Cys : Met ratio of 4.0. The results of Pearson’s correlation indicated a negative relationship between thiol content and nutrient-linked traits such as total protein, gluten, and phytic acid. Micronutrients such as iron and zinc showed a weak positive correlation with thiol content. The role of thiol-based redox sensors needs to be further explored and utilized for manipulating the tolerance level and nutrient compositions of wheat grains. This will help in developing “nutrient-smart grain” and “climate-smart” crops with improved downstream processing and dough engineering.

Soil salinity affects various crop cultivation but legumes are the most sensitive to salinity. Osmotic stress is the first stage of salinity stress caused by excess salts in the soil on plants which adversely affects the growth instantly. The Trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) genes play a key role in the regulation of abiotic stresses resistance from the high expression of different isoform. Selected genotypes were evaluated to estimate for salt tolerance as well as genetic variability at morphological and molecular level. Allelic variations were identified in some of the selected genotypes for the TPS gene. A comprehensive analysis of the TPS gene from selected genotypes was conducted. Presence of significant genetic variability among the genotypes was found for salinity tolerance. This is the first report of allelic variation of TPS gene from chickpea and results indicates that the SNPs present in these conserved regions may contribute largely to functional distinction. The nucleotide sequence analysis suggests that the TPS gene sequences were found to be conserved among the genotypes. Some selected genotypes were evaluated to estimate for salt tolerance as well as for comparative analysis of physiological, molecular and allelic variability for salt responsive gene Trehalose-6-Phosphate Synthase through sequence similarity. Allelic variations were identified in some selected genotypes for the TPS gene. It is found that Pusa362, Pusa1103, and IG5856 are the most salt-tolerant lines and the results indicates that the identified genotypes can be used as a reliable donor for the chickpea improvement programs for salinity tolerance.

Background Climate change is gradually increasing demand for resilient, nutritious crops like finger millet or ragi. Ensuring food security requires researchers to develop improved and adapted cultivars rapidly. Modern techniques such as genomics-assisted breeding have emerged in the previous decade and combined with rapid generation advancement they will offer a step change in the speed of cultivar development. Results In this study, we developed a repeatable and cost-effective speed breeding protocol for finger millet by modulating the agronomic and physiological components for early generation advancement. A photoperiod of 9-hours, 29 ± 2℃ temperature, 70% relative humidity, 105 plants per 1.5 sq. ft., 0.17% Hoagland’s No. 2 solution spray, restricted irrigation and harvesting at physiological maturity successfully reduced 28–54 days across the maturity groups of finger millet. The advantage was validated in segregating populations confirming up to 4–5 generations a year, instead of 1–2 under field conditions. Conclusion The speed breeding protocol developed reduces the breeding cycle time significantly allowing increased genetic gain. The protocol provides the advantage of rapid development of recombinant inbred lines (RILs), high-throughput phenotyping for biotic and abiotic stresses, and genotyping for early generation selections.

Main conclusion We cloned two variants of lipase gene—MAGL and TAGL from pearl millet. Lipase showed negative correlation with antioxidants and total phenolics. FAA can be used as marker for rancidity. Pearl millet is considered as “Nutri-cereal” due to its rich nutrient profile. Low keeping quality of the flour due to rancidity is one of the major problems in pearl millet. Lipases are a group of enzymes that produces free fatty acids that ultimately leads to rancidity. Very few lipases have been identified and characterized from pearl millet. Here, we have identified 2039 transcripts of lipases from pooled samples (leaf, stem and developing grains) of pearl millet using de novo transcriptomic approach and predicted 05 full length lipase variants. Further, we cloned 02 lipase genes—monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL, acc. no. MZ590564) and triacylglycerol lipase (TAGL, acc. no. MZ590565) of 1.5 kb each from pearl millet cv . Pusa-1201. Conserved domain search analysis showed the presence of catalytic triad [GXSXG] near the active site which is signature domain of lipase family of proteins. MAGL showed maximum expression in PC-701 and TAGL in Pusa-1201 during mealy-ripe growth stage of endospermic tissue. Abundance of transcripts of both the lipases was observed in the harvested grains of PC-701. We observed negative correlation between the lipase activity and accumulation of antioxidants like total phenolic content (TPC), tannin, and total antioxidant potential (TAP). Free amino acid and reducing sugar were observed as potential markers for accessing the intensity/extent of rancidity in pearl millet flour. Thus, there is need to explore and characterize the lipase variants to connect the missing dots in rancidity pathway and to use it in genome editing using the CRISPR/Cas9 approach for the development of pearl millet lines free of off-odor and flour rancidity.

Zinc (Zn) deficiency poses a significant global health concern, particularly in regions where rice is a staple food. Biofortification, the process of enhancing the nutrient content of crops, offers a sustainable solution. This study investigates the potential of soil applied zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) of different sizes (30, 40, and 95 nm) as an alternative to enhance Zn uptake, growth, and grain quality in two popular basmati rice cultivars (Pusa Basmati-1121 and Pusa Basmati-1509). Results showed that ZnO-NPs treatments performed significantly but among the various sizes, the 30 nm ZnO-NPs performed the best and increased the photosynthetic rate by 21.5–23.4%, stomatal conductance by 35.7–38.5%, chlorophyll a, b, and total content by 21.7–47%, and carotenoids by 38.2–46.2% compared to the control. Similarly, the performance of ZnO-NPs was significantly higher for metabolites especially protein, proline, and antioxidant enzymatic activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT), particularly  30 nm ZnO-NPs increased the most by 18.1–36% compared to the control. Soil amendment with ZnO-NPs significantly ( p  < 0.05) improved root length, surface area, volume, and average root diameter compared to the control. Additionally, ZnO-NP treatment increased tillers per hill (46%), productive tillers per hill (25% ), panicle length (5–20%), grain weight per panicle (33.3–36.3%), and yield per hill (29.2–32.1%) over the control, with the 30 nm ZnO-NPs performing the best among the three sizes. Other sizes of NPs (40 and 95 nm) also showed a significant improvement in crop yield attributes. ZnO-NP soil amendment significantly increased Zn density in roots and grains, with the 30 nm nanoparticles resulting in the highest increase (~ 57%) in grain Zn content in both cultivars. Furthermore, soil amended with ZnO-NPs significantly ( p  < 0.05) reduced phytic acid content in the grains of both rice cultivars. These findings demonstrate that ZnO-NPs, especially in smaller sizes (30 nm), can serve as an effective nano-biofortification strategy, addressing Zn deficiency in rice . The long-term effects of ZnO-NPs on soil health, microbial balance, and nutrient cycling, as well as assessing bioaccumulation risks in ecosystems, could be examined in future studies.

The present work focuses on the flow of an incompressible, viscous nanofluid between convergent/divergent channels. Applications in cosmetics, food processing, and medicines need an understanding of interfacial layer features, which is crucial in fields like emulsions, colloid science, and surface chemistry. In view of this, the current work explores the effects of the interfacial layer and nanoparticle diameter on thermal conductivity, pollutant discharge concentration, and viscous dissipation on nanofluid flow between divergent/convergent channels. The modelled partial differential equations (PDEs) with suitable boundary conditions (BC) are changed into ordinary differential equations (ODEs) using similarity transformations. Additionally, the Galerkin finite element scheme is applied to solve ODEs and related reduced BC. Graphs are used to describe the influence of various non-dimensional factors identified in the motion equation on the velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles. In convergent/divergent channels, an increment in Reynolds number causes a reduction in concentration. The external source variation parameter and the local pollutant external source variation parameter will both escalate the concentration. The concentration of the nanofluid drops in the convergent channel and increases in the divergent channel for an increase in Schmidt number values.

Pigeon pea is an important legume infested by a plethora of insect pests amongst which gram pod borer Helicoverpa armigera is very prominent. Imparting resistance to this insect herbivore is of global importance in attaining food security. Expression of insecticidal crystal proteins (ICP) in diverse crops has led to increased resistance to several pests. We report in this paper, expression of Cry2Aa in transgenic pigeon pea and its effectiveness towards H . armigera by employing Agrobacterium -mediated in planta transformation approach. Approximately 0.8% of T 1 generation plants were identified as putative transformants based on screening in the presence of 70 ppm kanamycin as the selection agent. Promising events were further recognized in advanced generations based on integration, expression and bioefficacy of the transgenes. Seven T 3 lines (11.8% of the selected T1 events) were categorized as superior as these events demonstrated 80–100% mortality of the challenged larvae and improved ability to prevent damage caused by the larvae. The selected transgenic plants accumulated Cry2Aa in the range of 25–80 µg/g FW. The transgenic events developed in the study can be used in pigeon pea improvement programmes for pod borer resistance.

Aphis gossypii (Glover) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a highly invasive pest that feeds primarily on phloem resulting in severe economic loss to growers. A. gossypii has cosmopolitan distribution with broad host range, polyphenism, parthenogenetic mode of reproduction, vectoring abilities, and host alteration which has profound influence on its management. Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) in insects are involved in olfaction, playing a key role in orienting the insect for feeding or oviposition. Recent studies revealed that OBP2 is found in both sensilla trichodea and sensilla basiconica and is preferentially binds to plant volatiles, thus playing crucial roles in host-seeking, detection of oviposition attractants, etc., However, information about the role of OBP2 in A. gossypii (AgOBP2) is still unavailable. In this study, we cloned and characterized OBP2, ortholog from A. gossypii, and the full-length AgOBP2 complementary DNA (cDNA) consisted of 859 bp with an open reading frame of 732 bp. Phylogenetic analysis resulted in grouping of AgOBP2 protein with members of the tribe Aphidini. Further, diet-mediated delivery of double-stranded RNA for AgOBP2 induced silencing, which was evaluated at 48 and 96 h. The reverse transcriptase real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTq-PCR) results revealed that the level of AgOBP2 messenger RNA (mRNA) was significantly reduced (55–77 %) in dsAgOBP2 treatment after 96 h as compared to the untreated control. The same was reiterated by the electrophysiological responses in the aphids which was reduced (>50 % at 0.25 μg/μl concentration) as compared to the untreated control. Thus, our results showed the potential of gene silencing, possibly to interfere with the odorant perception of A. gossypii for RNAi-mediated pest management. The results from our study provided the first evidence that AgOBP2 play crucial roles in host-seeking, detection of oviposition attractants, etc.; as a result, we suggests that OBP2 could potentially serve as a practicable target for RNAi-mediated gene silencing in hemipteran insect pest control.