Fusarium wilt of banana is a devastating disease that has decimated banana production worldwide. Host resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc), the causal agent of this disease, is genetically dissected in this study using two Musa acuminata ssp. malaccensis segregating populations segregating for Foc Tropical (TR4) and Subtropical (STR4) race 4 resistance. Marker loci and trait association using 11 SNP-based PCR markers allowed the candidate region to be delimited to a 12.9 cM genetic interval corresponding to a 959 kb region on Chromosome 3 of ‘DH-Pahang’ reference assembly v4. Within this region, there is a cluster of pattern recognition receptors, namely leucine rich repeat ectodomain containing receptor-like protein kinases, cysteine-rich cell wall associated protein kinases, and leaf rust 10 disease-resistance locus receptor-like proteins positioned in an interspersed arrangement. Their transcript levels were rapidly upregulated in the resistant but not in susceptible F2 progenies at the onset of infection. This suggests that one or several of these genes may control resistance at this locus. To confirm the segregation of single-gene resistance, we generated an inter-cross between the resistant parent ‘Ma850’ and a susceptible line ‘Ma848’, to show that the STR4 resistance co-segregated with marker ‘28820’ at this locus. Finally, an informative SNP marker 29730 allowed the locus specific resistance to be assessed in a collection of diploid and polyploid banana plants. Out of the 60 lines screened, 22 lines were predicted to carry resistance at this locus, including lines known to be TR4 resistant, such as ‘Pahang’, ‘SH-3362’, ‘SH-3217’, ‘Ma-ITC0250’, and ‘DH-Pahang/CIRAD 930’. Additional screening in the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture’s collection suggests that the dominant allele is common among in the elite ‘Matooke’ NARITA hybrids, as well as in other triploid or tetraploid hybrids derived from East African highland bananas. Fine-mapping and candidate gene identification will allow characterization of molecular mechanisms underlying TR4 resistance. The markers developed in this study can now aid the marker-assisted selection of TR4 resistance in breeding programs around the world.

Parasite control strategies such as blanket anthelmintic treatment of all horses in a herd or interval treatment regimen based on egg reappearance remain widely followed practices for the last several decades. These practices have resulted in the fast emergence of resistance in equine strongyles to all major classes of drugs on the market. In this regard, the guidelines set by the American Association of Equine Practitioners advocate evidence-based strongyle control in horses. It recommends targeted treatment of all heavy egg shedders [> 500 eggs per gram (EPG) of feces] while the low shedders (0-200 EPG) are left untreated to maintain susceptible parasite refugia in a herd. As 50-75% of adult horses in a herd are low shedders, preventing them from unnecessary anthelmintic exposure is critical to tackling resistance. There are various fecal egg count (FEC) techniques with many modifications and variations in use, but none is identified as a gold standard and methods comparison studies are lacking. We hypothesized that the diagnostic performance of commonly used quantitation methodologies differs and the FEC methods must be evaluated to determine the gold standard. In this regard, we performed methods comparison studies using polystyrene beads with size and specific gravity comparable to strongyle eggs, as proxy. The linearity of 12 commonly used FEC methodologies (3 techniques with 4 different solutions) was studied using bead standards in the clinically applicable range (63 to 1,000) to determine their suitability for strongyle egg counts. Deming regression analysis identified Mini-FLOTAC with sugar (specific gravity 1.33) as the test with the greatest coefficient of determination. All tests underestimated the true bead count, and we determined a correction factor (CF) for each test to estimate the true count. CF negates the preference for a gold standard test. Finally, we analyzed the validity of CF for 5 tests with R2>0.95 to accurately quantify strongyle eggs from 40 different horses. Overall, this study identified methodologies with the highest diagnostic performance and the limitations to standardizing routine FEC tests to promote uniformity in implementing AAEP parasite control guidelines.

The aim of the studies was to test the hydraulic pressure losses along the length, local pressure losses, absolute and relative roughness values of the pipeline walls made of modern polymer material. The article presents the results of the experimental studies of hydraulic resistance of pipelines from modern polymer materials, the method of theoretical determination of resistance coefficients in the VALTEC ISO 21003 metal polymer pipeline, the classification and method of determining the values of local hydraulic resistance coefficients of T-Junctions are given, the dependence for determining the Darcy λ hydraulic friction coefficient associated with the value of the equivalent hydraulic roughness coefficient of the inner surface of pipes and the Reynolds number. The experimental data of the hydraulic coefficient of friction Darcy λ was compared with the known theoretical relationships of A.D. Altschul, Colbrooke for smooth pipes, Colbrooke and White, an alternative to the Colbrooke-White, Offengenden equation for low-shear pipes and pipes from polymer materials with Reynolds numbers Re>10^4. Dependence of hydraulic coefficient of friction on relative equivalent roughness of pipeline walls and Reynolds number, specific energy loss per one linear meter on total flow rate in system of hydraulically short pipeline is obtained. The empirical dependence of values of coefficients of local resistance ζ=f(Q2/Q3) from a ratio of the divided expenses of Q2/Q3 of the equal-pass T-Junction α=90 the pipeline to a branch up, on pass in the direct T-Junction and division of streams at various internal pipeline diameters of VALTEC.

Electrically conductive adhesives (ECA’s) are used widely to replace or reinforce lead soldering or conductive metal components in electronic packaging applications such as die attachment, solderless interconnections, component repair, display interconnections, and heat dissipation. Their conductive behavior as well as the associated behaviors such as heat conduction and mechanical behavior (strength, rigidity, deformation and viscoelastic behavior, which may be affected by moisture ingression) are affected by adhesive film thickness, volume fraction, size and shape of the conductive filler, as well as uncured base adhesive viscosity, substrate and filler surface treatment and the applied pressure (during bonding and during conduction). The adhesive resistivity decreases precipitously above a characteristic filler volume fraction called the percolation threshold. In general, micron-sized metal fillers mixed in an adhesive (often an epoxy) resulting with different film thicknesses exhibit thickness thresholds for transition from three-dimensional conductivity to two-dimensional conductivity with considerable increases in thickness-direction (z-axis) resistivity when the film thicknesses are smaller than these threshold values. Recently, the use of conductive nanoparticles allowed decreases in percolation threshold levels as well as increases in mechanical strength and durability of ECA’s. Most ECA’s are supplied in liquid or paste form in varying viscosities and therefore, the method of their application also affects their performance. This work intends to provide an understanding of these effects on conduction behavior in (usually high-priced) equipment in which they are used.

Whether the different NR-AMPs could ever be utilized as drugs not only against prokaryotic (bacteria) pathogens but eukaryotic (fungal pathogens, and parasitic protists) depends on the side effects. To get experimental experience about the option of applying EPB-produced antimicrobials to pathogens, and parasites of veterinary significance, we present here the results of an in vitro, and an accompanying in vivo study on chicken. In the in vitro study, we tested the cytotoxic potential of the cell-free conditioned culture media (CFCM) of three entomopathogenic bacterium species, - X. budapestensis, DSM16342 (EMA); X. szentirmaii DSM16338 (EMC); Photorhabdus luminescens ssp. akhurstii TT01 - on chicken tissue culture cells, namely, on the Leghorn Male Hepatoma (LMH), [92] cells, (a permanent confluent hepato-carcinoma cell line). Each CFCM proved rather cytotoxic in this test. In the in vivo study, we fed freshly hatched male broiler chickens for 42 days with XENOFOOD [39] which contained autoclaved cultures of EMA, and EMC). These bacteria were grown on standard chicken (starter and grower) [HM3] [u4] feed, and the whole culture was used as a “food supplement”. [HM5]. It had been known that these EPB species cannot grow that is, not viable) atbody temperature (above 33 C).