The identification of genes selected during and after plant domestication is an important research topic to enhance knowledge on adaptative evolution. Adaptation to different climates was a key factor in the spread of domesticated crops. We conducted a study to identify genes responsible for these adaptations in pearl millet and developed an association framework to identify genetic variations ...

Well-trained experts in pearl grading have been thought to evaluate pearls according to their glossiness, interference color, and shape. However, the characteristics of their evaluations are not fully understood. Using pearl grading experiments, we investigate the consistency of novice (i.e., without knowledge of pearl grading) and expert participants' pearl grading skill and then compare the n...

Pearl oyster Pinctada fucata is widely cultured to produce seawater pearl in South China, and the quality of pearl is significantly affected by its shell color. Thus the Pearl Oyster Selective Breeding Program (POSBP) was carried out for the shell color and growth traits. The black (B), gold (G), red (R) and white (W) shell strains with fast growth trait were achieved after five successive gene...

Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS) is a genetically heterogeneous inherited disease causing hypopigmentation and prolonged bleeding times. An additional serious clinical problem of HPS is the development of lung pathology, which may lead to severe lung disease and premature death. No cure for the disease exists, and previously, no animal model for the HPS lung abnormalities has been reported. A mo...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this laboratory study was to evaluate changes in the pigmentation of esthetic elastomeric ligatures after immersion in a staining solution. METHODS Sixty ligatures were selected and divided into 12 groups according to their brand and also considering their condition, i.e., unstretched or stretched. The groups were divided into: Morelli (clear), TP Orthodontics (clear)...

Deficiencies of essential micronutrients such as iron and zinc are the cause of extensive health problems in developing countries. They adversely affect performance, productivity and are a major hindrance to economic development. Since many people who suffer from micronutrient deficiencies are dependent on staple crops to meet their dietary requirements, the development of crop cultivars with i...

Native endophytic actinomycetes isolated from pearl millet roots were examined for their efficacy to protect pearl millet against downy mildew. Nineteen of 39 isolates were found to be proteolytic, of which 7 strains could directly suppress the sporangium formation of Sclerospora graminicola, the pearl millet downy mildew pathogen. Thus, mycelial suspensions containing either spores or cell-fre...

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) has potential as a grain crop for dryland crop production in the southeastern United States. Whether or not pearl millet will be compatible in rotation with cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), corn (Zea mays), and peanut (Arachis hypogaea) will depend, in part, on its host status for important plant-parasitic nematodes of these crops. The pearl millet hybrid 'TifGrain...

Pearl millet [Penisetum glaucum (L) R. Br.] is a hardy cereal crop grown in the arid and semiarid tropics where other cereals are likely to fail to produce economic yields due to drought and heat stresses. Adaptive evolution, a form of natural selection shaped the crop to grow and yield satisfactorily with limited moisture supply or under periodic water deficits in the soil. Drought tolerance i...

The Pearl River Delta, one of the main regions of China’s export-oriented economy, has benefited from its traditional economic structure for three decades which in turn appeared to hinder further economic development recently. To advance industrial restructuring and upgrading, the governments have promulgated policies and appropriated special funds to optimize the industrial structure of the Pe...