Fungi - an Amalgam of Toxins and Antibiotics: a Mini- Review

Fungi are eukaryotes with many functions. Earlier, fungi were classified in the plant kingdom but were later classified as a separate kingdom due to their unique cell walls. Fungi are heterotrophs like animals and are more closely related to animals. The perception of fungi is inconspicuous due to their small sizes and their ability to grow symbiotically in plants, animals, other fungi, and parasites. Fungi are used for their nutrition, fermentation potential, and bactericidal potential. However, fungi are also toxic due to certain bioactive compounds known as mycotoxins. Candida and Aspergillus are invasive species that contribute to a high percentage of mycoses in oncological and haematological patients. The mortality rate due to invasive aspergillosis and candidiasis is high, at 4% and 2%, respectively. In the agriculture sector, a significant contributor to damage to crops globally is the invasion of filamentous fungi. Fungi invasion destroys over 125 million tons of wheat, rice, soybeans, potatoes, and maize annually. If prevented, 600 million people may be fed. Therefore, it is vital to consider the dual role of fungi, therapeutic, and pathogenic

Comparing Food and Cash Transfers to the Ultra-Poor in Bangladesh

"Bangladesh has some social safety net programs that transfer food to the poor, some that transfer cash, and some that provide a combination of both. This study evaluates the relative impacts of food and cash transfers on food security and livelihood outcomes among the ultra poor in Bangladesh. The programs impacts are evaluated according to various measures, including how well transfers are delivered; which transfers beneficiaries prefer; how accurately the programs target the extremely poor; effects on food security, livelihoods, and women’s empowerment; and cost effectiveness. The report identifies what has and has not worked in food and cash transfers and recommends ways of improving these programs. This study will be valuable to policymakers and others concerned with poverty reduction in Bangladesh and elsewhere." from textCash transfers, cost effectiveness, food security, Poverty, Poverty reduction, safety net programs, women empowerment,

Correlation and Path Analysis between Sorghum Yield to Growth and Yield Characters

Mutual association between characters of two sorghum varieties (ICSV III and SAMSORG 14) was determined using correlation coefficient of two years experiment. The percent contribution of growth and yield components to yield was also determined with path coefficient analysis. In both years and the average over the years, a positive and highly significant correlation was observed between sorghum yield and plant height, leaf area index and total dry matter. Likewise, sorghum yield also had a positive and highly significant interaction with panicle weight and 1000- grain weight. The highest individual contribution was made by leaf area index, followed by plant height. Total dry matter, panicle length and weight also contributed positively to the final yield. The highest combined percent contribution to yield resulted from plant height via leaf area index.  This was followed by contribution from plant height via panicle weight, panicle length via leaf area index respectively. In improving sorghum yield emphasis on breeding should be on its height, leaf area index and panicle length. Keywords: Sorghum, correlation, growth, regression and yield

Anodal block permits directional vagus nerve stimulation

© 2020, The Author(s). Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a bioelectronic therapy for disorders of the brain and peripheral organs, and a tool to study the physiology of autonomic circuits. Selective activation of afferent or efferent vagal fibers can maximize efficacy and minimize off-target effects of VNS. Anodal block (ABL) has been used to achieve directional fiber activation in nerve stimulation. However, evidence for directional VNS with ABL has been scarce and inconsistent, and it is unknown whether ABL permits directional fiber activation with respect to functional effects of VNS. Through a series of vagotomies, we established physiological markers for afferent and efferent fiber activation by VNS: stimulus-elicited change in breathing rate (ΔBR) and heart rate (ΔHR), respectively. Bipolar VNS trains of both polarities elicited mixed ΔHR and ΔBR responses. Cathode cephalad polarity caused an afferent pattern of responses (relatively stronger ΔBR) whereas cathode caudad caused an efferent pattern (stronger ΔHR). Additionally, left VNS elicited a greater afferent and right VNS a greater efferent response. By analyzing stimulus-evoked compound nerve potentials, we confirmed that such polarity differences in functional responses to VNS can be explained by ABL of A- and B-fiber activation. We conclude that ABL is a mechanism that can be leveraged for directional VNS