In order to investigate specific and general adaptation of chickpea in India, a wide range of sub-continental, Australian and Mediterranean genotypes were grown across seven sites characterizing the major chickpea growing areas over 3 years, and extensive data on plant stand, early vigour, phenology, productivity and yield components collected. High and low yielding sites were clearly separated by a range of physical and biological characters, low yield being associated with low latitude and pre-season rainfall, high temperature, early phenology, short crop duration, low biomass and fecundity. Genotype by environment interactions for yield were highly significant (P < 0.001), and accounted for more variance than that attributed to genotypes alone. Ward's hierarchical clustering indicated that the genotypes could be separated into discrete groups, comprising material specifically adapted to the north (Clusters 2 and 3) or south (Cluster 5), widely or consistently poorly adapted germplasm (Clusters 1 and 4, respectively).Cluster 5, comprising germplasm from southern and central India, was characterized by early phenology, confirming the role of drought escape in southern India. With increasing latitude Cluster 5 genotypes remained early, but had the capacity to delay maturity considerably, resulting in average, and occasionally above average yields. However, compared to well-adapted material in the north, Cluster 5 biomass was low, and the time interval between flowering and podding up to 50 days, representing repeated cycles of flowering and subsequent abortion. Clusters 2 and 3, dominated by northern Indian genotypes, were characterized by later phenology, and were able to delay the onset of flowering significantly more than the remaining germplasm at late flowering northern sites. In Cluster 3, the second highest yielding group overall, this increased both source and sink potential at productive northern sites. Cluster 2 was uniformly later than Cluster 3, and lower yielding at most sites. Cluster 1 was characterized by intermediate flowering and relatively early, responsive maturity, a phenological compromise responsible for wide adaptation, by providing sufficient drought escape in the south, and enough biomass in the north to produce above average yields in these contrasting environments. ICCV 10 from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), and 2 Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) lines, BG 391 and BG 1006, were the most consistently high yielding, ranking www.elsevier.com/locate/fcr Field Crops Research 98 (2006) 230-244 in the top 10 at 10 and 8 sites, respectively. Cluster 4, comprising largely Australian cultivars, was characterized by late, unresponsive phenology and the lowest yield at each site. Crown

The CREATE-ECLA Randomized Controlled TrialThe CREATE-ECLA Trial Group Investigators* See also pp 427 and 489.

Ethambutol (EMB) is a first-line drug used for antitubercular therapy in combination with other drugs as recommended by World Health Organization DOTS/DOTS-Plus regimens. EMB is also effective in the treatment of opportunistic mycobacterial infections in patients with human immunodeficiency virus. The emb locus has been considered as a drug target for EMB, and substitutions of codon 306 in Mycobacterium tuberculosis gene embB have been shown to be the most frequent and predictive mutations for EMB resistance. The aim of the present study was to detect embB and embC gene mutations in EMB-resistant clinical isolates. A total of 23 isolates of M. tuberculosis from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were included in the study. Drug sensitivity was tested by proportion method and E-test. All 23 isolates were EMB resistant. Primers to amplify the embB and embC gene were designed, and polymerase chain reaction products were subjected for sequence analysis. H37Rv standard laboratory strain was used as control. Nucleotide sequencing showed that 16 strains had a mutation in the embB gene. The most common mutation observed in the embB gene was at codon 306, followed by mutations at codons 299 and 378 in 4 and 2 isolates, respectively. Novel mutations have been reported at codons 239, 240, 247, 282, 311, 368, 397, 446, 469, and 471. Sequence analysis of the embC gene showed mutation in 8 isolates at codon 270. Novel mutations in embC have been reported at codons 251 and 254. The most common nucleotide polymorphism in our isolates was at codons 306 and 299 in the embB gene and at codon 270 in the embC gene. A mutation at codon 306 was usually associated with high-level ethambutol resistance.

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CTA is an excellent diagnostic tool in ED patients with low risk of ACS, with minimum time delay as compared to XECG, and also is safe for triaging such patients.