Efficacy of streptomyces spp. And bacillus spp. For their antagonistic potential against dry root rot (rhizoctonia bataticola) of chickpea

Five strains of Streptomyces (AC-5, AC-6, AC-10, AC-18 and AC-19) and another five strains of Bacillus (BS-10, BS-15, BS-17, BS- 19 and BS-20) were earlier reported by us as biological control agents against Fusarium wilt of chickpea, caused by Fusariumoxysporum f. sp. ciceri (FOC), and plant growth-promoting agents in chickpea. In the present study, the selected strains of Streptomyces and Bacillus were further characterized for their antagonistic potential against dry root rot of chickpea, caused by Rhizoctoniabataticola, by dual culture assay, blotter paper assay and in greenhouse. Both the Streptomyces and Bacillus strains inhibited three strains of R. bataticola(RB6, RB24 and RB115) in both dual culture and blotter paper assays. When these were further evaluated for their antagonistic potential against R. bataticolaunder greenhouse conditions, reduced incidence of dry root rot was observed in Streptomyces and Bacillus treatments compared to the pathogen control.Among the ten strains studied,AC-18and BS-20recorded the highest reduction of disease both at 30 days after sowing (DAS) (58% and 75%, respectively)and 45 DAS (36% and 48%, respectively), when compared to the pathogen control.This study indicates that the selected Streptomyces and Bacillus strains have the potential for biocontrol of dry root rot of chickpea

'Let me take care of you': what can healthcare learn from a high-end restaurant to improve the patient experience?

Background: The patient experience is associated with patient satisfaction and health outcomes, presenting a key challenge in healthcare. The objective of the study was to explore the principles of care in and beyond healthcare, namely in a three Michelin-starred restaurant, and consider what, if any, principles of care from the diners’ experience could be transferrable to healthcare. Methods: The principles of care were first explored as part of observational fieldwork in a healthcare day surgery unit and restaurant respectively, focusing on communication between the professionals and the patients or the diners. Care was subsequently explored in a series of public engagement events across the UK. The events used immersive simulation to recreate the healthcare and the dining experiences for the general public, and to stimulate discussion. Results: A thematic analysis of the engagement discussions identified overarching themes in how care was experienced in and through communication; “informed, not bombarded”, “conversation, not interrogation”, “environment is communication”, and “being met as a person”. The themes suggested how the participants in simulation felt about the care they received in real time and provided recommendations for improved clinical practice. Conclusions: While practice improvements in healthcare are challenging, the patient experience could be enhanced by learning relational aspects of care from other sectors, including the high-end restaurant industry that focuses on meeting persons’ needs. Simulation provides a new kind of opportunity to bring professionals and patients together for focused discussions, prompted by immersive experiences of care and communication

Case report 476

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/46788/1/256_2004_Article_BF00351012.pd

Peripheral Delivery of a CNS Targeted, Metalo-Protease Reduces Aβ Toxicity in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD), an incurable, progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is the most common form of dementia. Therapeutic options have been elusive due to the inability to deliver proteins across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In order to improve the therapeutic potential for AD, we utilized a promising new approach for delivery of proteins across the BBB. We generated a lentivirus vector expressing the amyloid β-degrading enzyme, neprilysin, fused to the ApoB transport domain and delivered this by intra-peritoneal injection to amyloid protein precursor (APP) transgenic model of AD. Treated mice had reduced levels of Aβ, reduced plaques and increased synaptic density in the CNS. Furthermore, mice treated with the neprilysin targeting the CNS had a reversal of memory deficits. Thus, the addition of the ApoB transport domain to the secreted neprilysin generated a non-invasive therapeutic approach that may be a potential treatment in patients with AD

Influence of the chirality of short peptide supramolecular hydrogels in protein crystallogenesis

For the first time the influence of the chirality of the gel fibers in protein crystallogenesis has been studied. Enantiomeric hydrogels 1 and 2 were tested with model proteins lysozyme and glucose isomerase and a formamidase from B. cereus. Crystallization behaviour and crystal quality of these proteins in both hydrogels are presented and compared.MICINN (Spain) projects BIO2010-16800 (JAG), CTQ-2011.22455 (LAC & JMC), CTQ2012-34778 (JJDM & ALG), “Factoría Española de Cristalización” Consolider-Ingenio 2010 (JAG & MCM) and EDRF Funds (JAG, LAC & JMC), P12-FQM-2721 (LAC) Junta de Andalucía.MINECO,Project No. FIS2013-41821-R