Adventitious shoot formation from leaf explants of Rhododendron
A protocol for high frequency adventitious shoot regeneration adventitious shoot regeneration from leaf explants of Rhododendron spp. has been developed. The highest percentage of regeneration and the greatest number of shoots were obtained when leaf explants were cultured on Anderson's medium containing 4.9 μM IBA and 73.8 μM 2iP. Genotypic variation was observed for adventitious shoot regeneration potential among the seven cultivars tested. Regeneration frequencies ranged from 0 to 96%. ‘Lodestar’ had the highest rate of regeneration after 3 months of culture with 96% shoot regeneration and an average of 14 shoots per explant. Regenerated shoots were rooted in soil in about 2 months. This protocol should be useful in applying gene transfer techniques to Rhododendron improvement.
Conservation of rhododendrons in Sikkim Himalaya: an overview.
A review of different conservation aspects of rhododendrons from the Sikkim Himalaya is retraced. Works done in the past and present on the various aspects of the regional rhododendrons vis-a-vis national and global research findings are presented and discussed for its contribution and effect to the understanding of the group. Rhododendrons which are classified as rare, endangered and threatened may be wiped out in near future from the biota, if proper management and conservation initiatives are not taken up. Chronologic primary and derived data on various aspects of regional rhododendrons, viz., species enumeration, species availability and distribution, general usage, identification of anthropogenic pressure, ex situ/ in situ and in vitro conservation initiatives, etc. are highlighted. The role of regional rhododendrons as keystone element in the context of Sikkim Himalaya is also presented for a better understanding of conservational issues at upper temperate and lower alpine region of Sikkim.
Chip scale packaging using chip-on-flex technology
An increasing number of electronic designers, fabricators and users see Chip Scale Packaging (CSP) as a way to obtain the benefits foreseen in multichip packaging and Chip-on-Board (COB) without the problems and limitations currently associated with each. The Chip-on-Flex (COF) multichip packaging technology has been demonstrated to be applicable to single chip packages that meet chip scale packaging goals. This paper looks at the Chip-on-Flex Chip Scale technology and addresses issues including the process, structure, assembly, yields and reliability.