Preservation of Penicillium Species by Lyophilization

The maintenance and production of reliable pure cultures with desirable quality is a key operation and the first significant stage in the success of fungal identification. This study assessed spawn preservation and lyophilization (freeze drying) of cultures, for a long time. The sampling was done during the years 2008-2010. Samples were processed in fungal research laboratory of First Fungal Culture Bank of Pakistan (FCBP), Institute of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. Lyophilization has been used to stabilize living cells and fungal isolates, to dehydrate vast range of materials, including foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology products, vaccines, and diagnostic and biological materials, to improve the storage and the quality of DNA after extraction. Long-term maintenance of Penicillium species is essential for detailed studies. Fifty Penicillium species were isolated from different sources by direct and dilution method, and then preserved by spawn and lyophilization technique. Fungal isolates were purified and identified based on their morphology. The viability and purity of the fungal species by fungal spawn and lyophilized material (fungal spawn and fungal mat) were monitored immediately after storage at 1, 2 and 3 months at 4 oC. Each fungal isolate was considered viable if the rate of growth present was the same as that of the original culture and if the morphology of the colony matched the fungal identification documented for each species. All lyophilized Penicillium species were found viable at 1-3 months of storage recovered each time from both type of lyophilized material, fungal spawn and fungal mat and showed the initial colony characteristics and growth rates. Neither stabilizer nor skimmed milk was used in fungal material to protect it from sticking with the walls of the container. Modified method of Penicillium spawn preservation by lyoplilization has been found cost effective in contrast to liquid nitrogen preservation. It was concluded that lyophilization is simple, inexpensive, reliable and effective method for the long term preservation of Penicillium isolates

1-(4-Ethoxy­benzo­yl)-4-(4-methoxy­phen­yl)thiosemicarbazide

The title compound, C17H19N3O3S, crystallizes with two closely similar independent mol­ecules related by a pseudotranslation of c/2. Each mol­ecule consists of three approximately planar moieties centred on the N2CS group and the two ring systems. The packing involves classical H bonds of the form Namide—H⋯S and Nhydrazine—H⋯OC, together with various weak hydrogen bonds and Nhydrazine—H⋯π inter­actions. The overall packing is three-dimensional, but layer substructures parallel to the xz plane can be readily identified. Each mol­ecule forms a topologically equivalent set of hydrogen-bond inter­actions

3-(3-Bromo­benz­yl)-1H-isochromen-1-one

In the title compound, C16H11BrO2, the isocoumarin ring system is planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.015 Å) and subtends a dihedral angle of 88.90 (2)° with the bromo­benzene ring. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked, forming a three-dimensional packing pattern involving C—H⋯O inter­actions, Br⋯O contacts [3.4734 (10) Å] and π–π stacking inter­actions with centroid–centroid distances ranging from 3.667 (2) to 3.765 (2) Å

2-(2-Fluoro­biphenyl-4-yl)-N′-(propan-2-yl­idene)propanohydrazide

In the title compound, C18H19FN2O, the hydrazide side chain is approximately perpendicular to the central ring [dihedral angle = 76.80 (5)°]. The F atom is disordered over two positions with occupancies of 0.818 (2) and 0.182 (2). The packing consists of chains of mol­ecules parallel to the a axis, connected by a bifurcated N—H⋯(O,N) hydrogen bond and a weak Cphen­yl—H⋯O hydrogen bond. The packing is extended to a layer structure parallel to the ab plane by a weak Cphen­yl—H⋯F hydrogen bond

Determinants of bank efficiency in developed (G7) and developing (E7) countries: role of regulatory and economic environment

Efficiency is one of the key factors promoting the long-term performance and sustainability of the banking industry. In this context, this paper investigates the implications of the regulatory environment, macroeconomic factors, monetary conditions, and uncertainty for the banking sectors’ operating as well as investment efficiencies. Using data from G7 and E7 countries from 2001 to 2020, we employ a set of empirical techniques, including Fixed Effects, Random Effects, Panel Fully Modified Least Squares, Panel Dynamic Least Squares and Generalized Method of Moments. Our key findings show that leverage, capital adequacy, monetary conditions, economic growth, price stability as well as exchange rate stability and uncertainty have substantial effects on bank efficiency, with notable differences between impact on operational and investment efficiencies and developed (G7) and developing (E7) economies

Modelling the impact of changes to abdominal aortic aneurysm screening and treatment services in England during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BackgroundThe National Health Service (NHS) abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening programme (NAAASP) in England screens 65-year-old men. The programme monitors those with an aneurysm, and early intervention for large aneurysms reduces ruptures and AAA-related mortality. AAA screening services have been disrupted following COVID-19 but it is not known how this may impact AAA-related mortality, or where efforts should be focussed as services resume.MethodsWe repurposed a previously validated discrete event simulation model to investigate the impact of COVID-19-related service disruption on key outcomes. This model was used to explore the impact of delayed invitation and reduced attendance in men invited to screening. Additionally, we investigated the impact of temporarily suspending scans, increasing the threshold for elective surgery to 7cm and increasing drop-out in the AAA cohort under surveillance, using data from NAAASP to inform the population.FindingsDelaying invitation to primary screening up to two years had little impact on key outcomes whereas a 10% reduction in attendance could lead to a 2% lifetime increase in AAA-related deaths. In surveillance patients, a 1-year suspension of surveillance or increase in the elective threshold resulted in a 0.4% increase in excess AAA-related deaths (8% in those 5-5.4cm at the start). Longer suspensions or a doubling of drop-out from surveillance would have a pronounced impact on outcomes.InterpretationEfforts should be directed towards encouraging men to attend AAA screening service appointments post-COVID-19. Those with AAAs on surveillance should be prioritised as the screening programme resumes, as changes to these services beyond one year are likely to have a larger impact on surgical burden and AAA-related mortality

Spatiotemporal variation in land use land cover in the response to local climate change using multispectral remote sensing data

Climate change is likely to have serious social, economic, and environmental impacts on farmers whose subsistence depends on nature. Land Use Land Cover (LULC) changes were examined as a significant tool for assessing changes at diverse temporal and spatial scales. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) has the potential ability to signify the vegetation structures of various eco-regions and provide valuable information as a remote sensing tool in studying vegetation phenology cycles. In this study, we used remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques with Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLC) to identify the LULC changes for 40 years in the Sahiwal District. Later, we conducted 120 questionnaires administered to local farmers which were used to correlate climate changes with NDVI. The LULC maps were prepared using MLC and training sites for the years 1981, 2001, and 2021. Regression analysis (R2) was performed to identify the relationship between temperature and vegetation cover (NDVI) in the study area. Results indicate that the build-up area was increased from 7203.76 ha (2.25%) to 31,081.3 ha (9.70%), while the vegetation area decreased by 14,427.1 ha (4.5%) from 1981 to 2021 in Sahiwal District. The mean NDVI values showed that overall NDVI values decreased from 0.24 to 0.20 from 1981 to 2021. Almost 78% of farmers stated that the climate has been changing during the last few years, 72% of farmers stated that climate change had affected agriculture, and 53% of farmers thought that rainfall intensity had also decreased. The R2 tendency showed that temperature and NDVI were negatively connected to each other. This study will integrate and apply the best and most suitable methods, tools, and approaches for equitable local adaptation and governance of agricultural systems in changing climate conditions. Therefore, this research outcome will also meaningfully help policymakers and urban planners for sustainable LULC management and strategies at the local level

Promoting Resilience Among African American Girls: Racial Identity as a Protective Factor

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146551/1/cdev12995.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146551/2/cdev12995_am.pd

Psychometric properties of the revised children’s anxiety and depression scale (RCADS) for autistic youth without co-occurring intellectual disability

Autistic youth often present with comorbid anxiety and depression yet there is a dearth of validated assessment tools. The Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) assesses internalizing symptoms but there is little psychometric data in autistic youth. Treatment-seeking autistic youth with anxiety or obsessive-compulsive symptoms (N = 74; age 6–14 years), and caregivers, were administered the RCADS-Parent, RCADS-Child, and assessments of internalizing, externalizing symptoms and social impairment indicative of autism. RCADS-Parent and RCADS-Child total anxiety scores demonstrated excellent internal consistency, and the six subscales demonstrated acceptable-to-good internal consistency. The RCADS-Child and Parent total anxiety scores were weakly correlated, and neither child age nor gender altered the strength of this association. Convergent validity was supported by moderate-to-strong correlations with clinician and parent-reported anxiety symptoms. Support for divergent validity was mixed. Results provide support for the RCADS-Parent and RCADS-Child as reliable, valid measures of internalizing symptoms in autistic youth