Publications by authors named "Devi Balakrishnan"

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) are phenotypically distinct inherited cardiac diseases. This case report presents a woman aged 51 years with coinheritance of pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants of the β-myosin heavy chain ( p.Glu924Lys) and plakophilin 2 ( p.

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Article Synopsis
  • Melanaphis sacchari, known as the sugarcane aphid (SCA), is an invasive pest that primarily feeds on economically crucial plants like sorghum and sugarcane, posing significant agricultural threats due to its rapid reproduction and spread.
  • Recent research has identified two distinct genotypes of SCA in the USA that specialize in either sugarcane or sorghum, raising concerns given the USA's prominence in sorghum production.
  • The review discusses various management strategies, including biological and chemical methods, emphasizes the importance of understanding host plant resistance and using integrated pest management practices to effectively control the SCA population.
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Economic losses from insect herbivory in agroecosystems has driven the development of integrated pest management strategies that reduce pest incidence and damage; however, traditional chemicals-based control is either being complemented or substituted with sustainable and integrated methods. Major sustainable pest management strategies revolve around improving host plant resistance, and one of these traits of interest is Brown midrib (BMR). Originally developed to increase nutritional value and ease of digestion for animal agriculture, BMR is a recessive plant gene usually found in annual grasses, including sorghum and sorghum-sudangrass hybrids.

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Soybean () is the most important plant protein source, and Fall Armyworm (FAW, is considered a major pest. This study aimed to examine the impact of FAW feeding on soybean accessions that vary in their water use efficiency (WUE) traits, by examining FAW growth and life history parameters along with plant growth response to pest damage. Soybean accessions were grown in a greenhouse and exposed to FAW larval feeding for 48 h at three different soybean growth stages: V3, R3, and R6.

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Understanding surface defenses, a relatively unexplored area in rice can provide valuable insight into constitutive and induced defenses against herbivores. Plants have evolved a multi-layered defense system against the wide range of pests that constantly attack them. Physical defenses comprised of trichomes, wax, silica, callose, and lignin, and are considered as the first line of defense against herbivory that can directly affect herbivores by restricting or deterring them.

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