Bacillus Thuringiensis Var. Aizawai HD-137 as a Potential Agent for Biological Control

Four strains of Bacillus thuringiensis were screened for their chitinolytic activity on colloidal chitin. B. thuringiensis var. aizawai HD-137 with the GenBank accession number HM173355 showed the highest chitinase activity, which was recorded after 2 days of incubation. The optimum condition for high chitinase production was Nutrient Yeast extract, Salt Medium, NYSM, with 0.2% colloidal chitin, two days of incubation, pH 6 and 30°C. The novel strain B. thuringiensis var. aizawai HD-137 is also considered as a powerful phytopathogenic control agent in which it showed inhibition of the mycelial growth of some phytopathogenic fungi, Alternaria solani, Rhizopus B1 and B2, Fusarium solani and Aspergillus flavus. The clear zones of mycelial inhibition ranged from 12 to 19mm. The partial nucleotides sequence of chitinase gene from B. thuringiensis var. aizawai HD-137 showed similarities to the chitinase producing bacteria in the GenBank, and it was more related to B. thuringiensis (AB699714, GQ921840 and GQ921842) and B. ehimensis chi60 (AB110081). It is obvious that the B. thuringiensis var. aizawai HD-137 is considered as a significant biocontrol agent against phytopathogenic fungi

Evaluation of Genetic Diversity and Heritability of Some Rapeseed (Brassica Napus) Genotypes Using Agronomical and Molecular Traits

High level of heritability and variability were estimated for all traits among genotypes. The genetic similarity of nine genotypes Brassica napus was estimated by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), which ranged from 69% to 94%. The phylogenetic tree resulted in two different clusters; the first including two genotypes which also showed high similarity in agronomic traits and the second included the rest of the genotypes. The genetic diversity was discussed in relation to molecular and agronomical traits. High and positive correlation were recorded for all traits. The high coupled of heritability and variability is considered as a powerful source for the selection of donors in the breeding program, where the genetic gain depends on the availability of genetic variation and high heritability

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030