Rice sheath blight, caused by the necrotrophic fungus Rhizoctonia solani, is one of the most devastating and intractable diseases of rice, leading to a significant reduction in rice productivity worldwide. In this article, in order to examine sheath blight resistance, we report the generation of transgenic rice lines overexpressing the rice oxalate oxidase 4 (Osoxo4) gene in a green tissue-specific manner which breaks down oxalic acid (OA), the pathogenesis factor secreted by R. solani. Transgenic plants showed higher enzyme activity of oxalate oxidase (OxO) than nontransgenic control plants, which was visualized by histochemical assays and sodium dodecylsulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Transgenic rice leaves were more tolerant than control rice leaves to exogenous OA. Transgenic plants showed a higher level of expression of other defence-related genes in response to pathogen infection. More importantly, transgenic plants exhibited significantly enhanced durable resistance to R. solani. The overexpression of Osoxo4 in rice did not show any detrimental phenotypic or agronomic effect. Our findings indicate that rice OxO can be utilized effectively in plant genetic manipulation for sheath blight resistance, and possibly for resistance to other diseases caused by necrotrophic fungi, especially those that secrete OA. This is the first report of the expression of defence genes in rice in a green tissue-specific manner for sheath blight resistance.

Cognitive development of children is influenced by different environmental factors like nutritional and socio-economic status. The objectives of the present study were to determine the influence of grades of undernutrition and socio-economic status (SES) on the cognitive development of school children of Kolkata. Five hundred sixty six (566) school children having 5-12 years of age were selected from different schools of Kolkata. The cognitive development was measured by the scores of Raven's colored progressive matrices (RCPM). The chronic and acute nutritional statuses were measured from height-for-age (HAZ) and weight-for-age (WAZ) Z scores respectively with reference to the values of WHO. SES was determined by updated Kuppuswamy scale. The prevalences of undernutrition in the observed children were 57.95% (according to HAZ) and 52.82% (according to WAZ). The age dependent growth curve of RCPM scores of the observed children remains in between the 10th and 25th centile of British children. The children belonging to superior and intellectual deficit IQ classes were 21.55 and 36.40%, respectively of the total subjects. Most of the subjects belong to lower middle (39.93%) and upper middle (36.40%) class of SES. RCPM scores of school children were gradually decreased with the grades of undernutrition and SES. RCPM scores were significantly correlated with HAZ, WAZ, SES, age, and sex (P < 0.001) and strongly associated with HAZ, SES, age, and sex (P < 0.001, P < 0.05). Present study indicates that cognitive development of school children of Kolkata is influenced by the grade of undernutrition and SES.

Chronic undernutrition and lower SES are associated with poorer motor proficiency in children. Understanding the complex interrelationships that shape childen's motor skills can help inform the development of health promotion programs and tailored interventions to help children reach their full potential. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 58:734-744, 2016.

The study was aimed to assess the role of nutritional status and socio-economic status, body composition and occupation on motor development. The height, weight and skinfold thickness of bicep, tricep, suprailiac, subscapula and thigh of 144 boys aged 10 -14 years were measured. Nutritional and socio-economic statuses were also measured. The Bruininks -Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency -Second EditionShort Form was used to assess children's motor ability. Mean values of fine motor development tests of schoolboys were significantly higher than those of hotel boys and bookbinders. Schoolboys and bookbinders showed significantly higher mean values of gross motor development than those of hotel boys. Occupation itself is strongly associated with fine motor development, while it is identified as a partial determinant for gross motor development. Nutritional status and socio-economic status of surveyed boys appear to be significant predictors for their fine and gross motor development.

Phytophthora infestans is the pathogen responsible for late blight disease of potato. Multiple spraying of crop protection chemicals is so far the only means to control the disease. Despite the continuous effort from breeders, late blight resistant potato varieties are not available to farmers. In this context, development of genetic resistance by incorporating new genes through genetic engineering is an attractive way to combat the pathogen. Here, we report the development of transgenic potato cultivars overexpressing the rice oxalate oxidase 4 gene (Osoxo4). Transgenic lines showed higher activity of oxalate oxidase enzyme and were able to degrade externally applied oxalic acid. The levels of reactive oxygen H 2 O 2 were elevated in transgenic plants. The transcription of defense related genes (anionic peroxidase and phenylalanine ammonia lyase) was found to be elevated after pathogen inoculation. Detached leaf bioassays with spore suspension and in vitro plantlet bioassays with mycelia of P. infestans showed enhanced resistance in transgenic plants. Interestingly, constitutive overexpression of Osoxo4 did not show any effect on the morphology and yield of transgenic potato plants as evident from agronomic performance studies. Thus, constitutive expression of Osoxo4 represents an efficient strategy for engineering late blight resistance in potato.