Evaluating testcross performance and genetic divergence of lines derived from reciprocal tropical maize composites

The development of hybrids with enhanced expression of heterosis depends on the genetic background of the source population and the effectiveness of a breeding scheme used to identify and use divergent inbred lines with good combining ability. The present study was conducted to examine the potential of improved tropical reciprocal composites as sources of inbred lines for developing productive hybrids. Thirty-six S4 lines derived from the third RRS cycle of each composite were crossed in pairs to form 36 testcrosses, which were evaluated along with commonly grown commercial hybrids in Nigeria across nine test environments. Results showed consistent ranking of testcrosses for grain yield and other traits across the diverse test environments. The best 22 testcrosses produced 21% to 51% more grain yields than the highest yielding commercial hybrid. Several testcrosses combined high grain yields with other desirable agronomic traits. The SSR and SNP markers used in the present study detected a broad range of genetic diversity among the 72 S4 lines, which was structured along the two composites. The two markers portrayed similar trends in determining genetic distance estimates and detecting composite-specific alleles in the S4 lines. These results highlight the potential of improved reciprocal composites as sources of new and divergent parents for developing productive hybrids and as sources of novel alleles for broadening and diversifying the genetic base of adapted germplasm to sustain genetic gain in productivity of hybrids in WCA

Identification of rare nonsynonymous variants in SYNE1/CPG2 in bipolar affective disorder

Background: Bipolar affective disorder (BPD) is a severe mood disorder with a prevalence of ∼ 1.5% in the population. The pathogenesis of BPD is poorly understood; however, a strong heritable component has been identified. Previous genome-wide association studies have indicated a region on 6q25, coding for the SYNE1 gene, which increases disease susceptibility. SYNE1 encodes the synaptic nuclear envelope protein-1, nesprin-1. A brain-specific splice variant of SYNE1, CPG2 encoding candidate plasticity gene 2, has been identified. The intronic single-nucleotide polymorphism with the strongest genome-wide significant association in BPD, rs9371601, is present in both SYNE1 and CPG2. / Methods: We screened 937 BPD samples for genetic variation in SYNE1 exons 14–33, which covers the CPG2 region, using high-resolution melt analysis. In addition, we screened two regions of increased transcriptional activity, one of them proposed to be the CPG2 promoter region. / Results and Conclusion: We identified six nonsynonymous and six synonymous variants. We genotyped three rare nonsynonymous variants, rs374866393, rs148346599 and rs200629713, in a total of 1099 BPD samples and 1056 controls. Burden analysis of these rare variants did not show a significant association with BPD. However, nine patients are compound heterozygotes for variants in SYNE1/CPG2, suggesting that rare coding variants may contribute significantly towards the complex genetic architecture underlying BPD. Imputation analysis in our own wholegenome sequencing sample of 99 BPD individuals identified an additional eight risk variants in the CPG2 region of SYNE1

Detection of Trojan horse by Analysis of System Behavior and Data Packets

Trojan horse is said to be one of the most serious threats to computer security. A Trojan horse is an executable file in the Windows operating system. These executable files will have certain static and runtime characteristics. Multiple Windows system process will be called whenever a Trojan horse tries to execute any operation on the system. In this paper a new Trojan horse detection method by using Windows dynamic link libraries to identify system calls from a Trojan horses is explicated. Process explorer is used to identify the malicious executable and to determine whether it is a Trojan or not. Further, an attempt is made to study the network behavior after a Trojan horse is executed using wire shark

Navigating the nutritional paradox: The impact of sustainable development targets on childhood wasting and overweight prevalence

In 2015, the United Nations member states endorsed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to chart a path towards a better future for all. Childhood malnutrition, particularly wasting, remains a critical global health challenge, disproportionately affecting children under five in low- and middle-income countries. This study evaluates the impact of achieving selected Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets on reducing childhood malnutrition, with a specific focus on wasting and overweight. Utilizing multi-country DHS datasets, this study analyzed data from 138,782 children under five across 27 countries, nested within 13,788 neighborhoods. We simulated the predicted prevalence of wasting and overweight as selected SDG-related health inputs and determinant indicators reached their target values. Our findings reveal a baseline prevalence of 6.3% for wasting and 4.3% for overweight among the children studied. Progress towards the SDGs can potentially decrease wasting prevalence by a quarter (25%), translating to a reduction from 6.3% to 4.7%. This significant reduction in wasting is more pronounced in rural areas (29%) than in urban settings (7%). Conversely, a 14% increase in overweight prevalence was observed, with rural areas experiencing a higher rise (15%) than urban areas (13%). The study also highlighted variations in access to safe sanitation, improved water sources, healthcare services, income, maternal employment, and education levels, underscoring the complex interplay between these factors and malnutrition outcomes. Notably, the reduction in wasting prevalence was mainly attributable to input determinants rather than direct health inputs, suggesting the importance of broader socioeconomic factors in combating malnutrition. Achieving SDG targets presents a significant opportunity to mitigate wasting, particularly in rural communities. However, the uneven distribution of improvements underscores the need for targeted interventions in less affected areas. The concurrent rise in overweight prevalence, points to the emerging challenge of addressing the dual burden of malnutrition. This necessitates integrated, multi-sectoral strategies considering the diverse health determinants and nutritional status

Income and education disparities in childhood malnutrition: a multi-country decomposition analysis

Introduction: Childhood malnutrition is a complex issue with a range of contributing factors. The consequences of malnutrition are severe, particularly for children. This study aims to identify the factors contributing to inequality gaps in childhood malnutrition. Our study provides insights into modifiable elements to inform interventions targeted at distinct contexts and populations to improve child nutrition. Methods: This study utilized data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 27 countries. First, the risk differences (RDs) between the prevalence of childhood malnutrition among the determinant variables, household income, and maternal education categories were calculated. The Blinder‒Oaxaca decomposition was subsequently used to determine the extent to which the difference in childhood malnutrition prevalence between low-income and high-income groups and maternal education levels results from the contributory effects of the explanatory variables: child and maternal individual-level compositional factors. Results: We examined data from 138,782 children in 27 countries from 2015 to 2020. The prevalence of childhood malnutrition (10.5%) varied across countries, ranging from 6.5% in Burundi to 29.5% in Timor Leste. On average, the prevalence of childhood malnutrition was 11.0% in low-income households and 10.7% among mothers without education. Some nations had pro-low-income (i.e., malnutrition concentrated among children from poor households) or pro-no-maternal education (i.e., malnutrition concentrated among children from mothers with no formal education) inequality in childhood malnutrition, but most did not. We found a complex interplay of compositional effects, such as the child’s age, maternal education, maternal health behavior, and place of residence, that influence the inequality in childhood malnutrition rates across 10 pro-low-income countries. In addition, we also found that a complex mix of compositional effects, such as the household wealth index, maternal health behavior, and maternal age, contribute to childhood malnutrition inequality between educated and uneducated mothers across the 7 pro-no maternal education countries. Conclusion: The prevalence of childhood malnutrition varies among low-income, high-income, and no maternal education-maternal education groups. This study highlights the need for a country-specific approach to addressing childhood malnutrition, with policies and interventions tailored to each country’s specific context

Quantifying the increased risk of illness in malnourished children: a global meta-analysis and propensity score matching approach

Background: Childhood morbidity and mortality continue to be major public health challenges. Malnutrition increases the risk of morbidity and mortality from illnesses such as acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea, fever, and perinatal conditions in children. This study explored and estimated the magnitude of the associations between childhood malnutrition forms and child morbidity. Methods: We performed an individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis and employed propensity score matching to examine crude (unadjusted) and adjusted associations. Our analysis utilized demographic and health datasets from surveys conducted between 2015 and 2020 in 27 low- and middle-income countries. Our objective was to quantify the risk of morbidity in malnourished children and estimate the population-attributable fraction (PAF) using a natural experimental design with a propensity score-matched cohort. Results: The IPD meta-analysis of child morbidity across three childhood malnutrition forms presented nuanced results. Children with double-burden malnutrition had a 5% greater risk of morbidity, which was not statistically significant. In contrast, wasted children had a 28% greater risk of morbidity. Overweight children exhibited a 29% lower risk of morbidity. Using the matched sample, children with double-burden malnutrition and overweight children had lower morbidity risks (1.7%, RR: 0.983 (95% CI, 0.95 to 1.02) and 20%, RR: 0.80 (95% CI, 0.76 to 0.85), respectively), while wasting was associated with a 1.1 times (RR: 1.094 (95% CI, 1.05 to 1.14)) greater risk of morbidity. Eliminating double-burden malnutrition and wasting in the four and seven countries with significant positive risk differences could reduce the child morbidity burden by an estimated average of 2.8% and 3.7%, respectively. Conclusions: Our study revealed a correlation between specific childhood malnutrition subtypes—double-burden malnutrition and wasting—and increased risks of morbidity. Conversely, overweight children exhibited a lower risk of immediate morbidity, yet they may face potential long-term health challenges, indicating the necessity for nuanced approaches to childhood nutrition

Factors influencing technology adoption among smallholder farmers: a systematic review in Africa

Smallholder agriculture has been identified to be critical in the creation of employment, improving food security and improving the economy. However, smallholder agriculture in Africa is characterised by a low production level which has been linked to the limited use of technologies. Several factors influence the adoption of technologies among smallholder farmers in Africa. This systematic literature review focuses on the factors influencing technology adoption among smallholder farmers in Africa and identified 128 peer-reviewed papers in English between January 2000 to December 2019. The majority were carried out in Kenya, Uganda, and Malawi, with the major crops being maize, legumes and rice. This review identified 29 factors that were broadly classified into five main categories: (i) farmers’ characteristics; (ii) farm characteristics; (iii) technology characteristics; (iv) institutional factors; and (v) finance. Of these, finance (81 articles), gender of household head (71 articles), age (68 articles), education (64 articles), farm size (62 articles) and extension access (59 articles) are the most prominent factors mentioned. The factors identified in this review were then related to existing technology adoption theories, and it was concluded that finance does not adequately feature in any of these extant theories. As illustrated by the relatively high occurrence of finance, this review puts forward a comprehensive framework for technology adoption and also provides critical recommendations to improve technology adoption among smallholder farmers in Africa

MRI of the lung (1/3):methods

Proton magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has recently emerged as a clinical tool to image the lungs. This paper outlines the current technical aspects of MRI pulse sequences, radiofrequency (RF) coils and MRI system requirements needed for imaging the pulmonary parenchyma and vasculature. Lung MRI techniques are presented as a “technical toolkit”, from which MR protocols will be composed in the subsequent papers for comprehensive imaging of lung disease and function (parts 2 and 3). This paper is pitched at MR scientists, technicians and radiologists who are interested in understanding and establishing lung MRI methods. Images from a 1.5 T scanner are used for illustration of the sequences and methods that are highlighted. Main Messages • Outline of the hardware and pulse sequence requirements for proton lung MRI • Overview of pulse sequences for lung parenchyma, vascular and functional imaging with protons • Demonstration of the pulse-sequence building blocks for clinical lung MRI protocol

Association between gender-based violence and hypertension among women in the Kyrgyzstan Republic

Background: Gender-based violence (GBV) is a significant global public health problem and the most prominent human rights violation severely impacting women’s health and wellbeing. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the association between gender-based violence and hypertension in Kyrgyzstan Republic. Methods: This study was conducted using population-based data of women from the 2018 Kyrgyzstan Demographic and Health Survey. The odds ratio was calculated to measure the association between GBV and hypertension, and p-values < 0.005 was considered statistically significant. Result: We included data of 4793 participants, and 621 (13%) of them had hypertension. Participants exposed to GBV were 24% more likely to have hypertension than unexposed participants (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.03–1.48). Of all women with hypertension, 206 (33.0%) were exposed to GBV. Participants with secondary education or higher exposed to GBV were 24% more likely to be hypertensive than GBV unexposed women with the same education levels OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.04–1.49). Unemployed participants exposed to GBV were 45% more likely to develop hypertension than their unexposed counterparts (OR = 1.45, 95%CI: 1.15–1.81). Rural residents exposed to GBV were also 29% more likely to have hypertension than those unexposed to GBV (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.04–1.59). The odds of hypertension among those exposed to GBV increase with age. Conclusion: The study revealed that GBV is a significant factor of having hypertension among Kyrgyz women

Soil weight determination for optimal growth and yield performances of pot-grown maize

Root restriction, reduced growth and poor yield due to an insufficient quantity of soil are the major limitations of pot-grown maize (Zea mays L.). Hence, to determine the actual quantity of soil required for optimal growth and yield performances of pot-grown maize, two maize varieties; BR9943 DMR-SR (yellow) and BR9928 DMR-SR (white), were evaluated in pots of 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 kg of topsoil in a 2 x 4 factorial (r = 4) using complete randomised design at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Ibadan, Nigeria. Data were collected on plant height (PHT), leaf area (LA), cob length (CBT), number of kernels per row (K/R), number of rows per cob (R/C), number of kernels per cob (K/C) and total grain weight (TGW). The results obtained showed that all the evaluated parameters were significantly different at P < 0.05 across the soil weights. Maize planted in 30 kg of soil had the highest LA (774.25 cm2), R/C (15.25), K/C (405.62) and TGW (73.84 g), compared with maize planted in 5 kg and 10 kg soils. Plant height and CBT were highest when 40 kg of soil was used. The maize varieties BR9928 DMR-SR (yellow) and BR9943 DMR-SR (white) were not significantly different across the growth and yield parameters except for LA, where the yellow maize (651.91 cm2) had a substantially higher LA than the white maize variety (588.19 cm2). Based on the results of this study, 30 kg of topsoil is recommended for optimum growth and yield performances of pot grown maize