Black rot caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Pam.) Dowson is the most destructive disease of cauliflower causing huge loss to the farmers throughout the world. Since there are limited sources of resistance to black rot in B. oleracea (C genome Brassica), exploration of A and B genomes of Brassica was planned as these were thought to be potential reservoirs of black rot resistance ...

When polymeric solids slide against other solids such as steel there appears to be no way to predict either the friction of the system or the wear life of the polymer from handbook data. Friction and wear vary over wide ranges when sliding speed, applied load and system temperature are varied. Neither have thermal analyses of the sliding system produced satisfying results, partly because of the...

Duncan Dowson, whom this issue commemorates, was a world leader in the field of biotribology, with prolific contributions both fluid-based and boundary lubrication biological tissues, particular articular cartilage, central biotribology due to its importance for joint homeostasis. Here we explore further cartilage lubrication, which has been attributed phospholipid (PL)-exposing layers at surfa...