Agronomic Management of Indigenous Mycorrhizas

Many of the advantages conferred to plants by arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) are associated to the ability of AM plants to explore a greater volume of soil through the extraradical mycelium. Sieverding (1991) estimates that for each centimetre of colonized root there is an increase of 15 cm3 on the volume of soil explored, this value can increase to 200 cm3 depending on the circumstances. Due to the enhancement of the volume of soil explored and the ability of the extraradical mycelium to absorb and translocate nutrients to the plant, one of the most obvious and important advantages resulting from mycorrhization is the uptake of nutrients. Among of which the ones that have immobilized forms in soil, such as P, assume particular significance. Besides this, many other benefits are recognized for AM plants (Gupta et al, 2000): water stress alleviation (Augé, 2004; Cho et al, 2006), protection from root pathogens (Graham, 2001), tolerance to toxic heavy metals and phytoremediation (Audet and Charest, 2006; Göhre and Paszkowski, 2006), tolerance to adverse conditions such as very high or low temperature, high salinity (Sannazzaro et al, 2006), high or low pH (Yano and Takaki, 2005) or better performance during transplantation shock (Subhan et al, 1998). The extraradical hyphae also stabilize soil aggregates by both enmeshing soil particles (Miller e Jastrow, 1992) and producing a glycoprotein, golmalin, which may act as a glue-like substance to adhere soil particles together (Wright and Upadhyaya, 1998). Despite the ubiquous distribution of mycorrhizal fungi (Smith and Read, 2000) and only a relative specificity between host plants and fungal isolates (McGonigle and Fitter, 1990), the obligate nature of the symbiosis implies the establishment of a plant propagation system, either under greenhouse conditions or in vitro laboratory propagation. These techniques result in high inoculum production costs, which still remains a serious problem since they are not competitive with production costs of phosphorus fertilizer. Even if farmers understand the significance of sustainable agricultural systems, the reduction of phosphorus inputs by using AM fungal inocula alone cannot be justified except, perhaps, in the case of high value crops (Saioto and Marumoto, 2002). Nurseries, high income horticulture farmers and no-agricultural application such as rehabilitation of degraded or devegetated landscapes are examples of areas where the use of commercial inoculum is current. Another serious problem is quality of commercial available products concerning guarantee of phatogene free content, storage conditions, most effective application methods and what types to use. Besides the information provided by suppliers about its inoculum can be deceiving, as from the usually referred total counts, only a fraction may be effective for a particular plant or in specific soil conditions. Gianinazzi and Vosátka (2004) assume that progress should be made towards registration procedures that stimulate the development of the mycorrhizal industry. Some on-farm inoculum production and application methods have been studied, allowing farmers to produce locally adapted isolates and generate a taxonomically diverse inoculum (Mohandas et al, 2004; Douds et al, 2005). However the inocula produced this way are not readily processed for mechanical application to the fields, being an obstacle to the utilization in large scale agriculture, especially row crops, moreover it would represent an additional mechanical operation with the corresponding economic and soil compaction costs. It is well recognized that inoculation of AM fungi has a potential significance in not only sustainable crop production, but also environmental conservation. However, the status quo of inoculation is far from practical technology that can be widely used in the field. Together a further basic understanding of the biology and diversity of AM fungi is needed (Abbott at al, 1995; Saito and Marumoto, 2002). Advances in ecology during the past decade have led to a much more detailed understanding of the potential negative consequences of species introductions and the potential for negative ecological consequences of invasions by mycorrhizal fungi is poorly understood. Schwartz et al, (2006) recommend that a careful assessment documenting the need for inoculation, and the likelihood of success, should be conducted prior to inoculation because inoculations are not universally beneficial. Agricultural practices such as crop rotation, tillage, weed control and fertilizer apllication all produce changes in the chemical, physical and biological soil variables and affect the ecological niches available for occupancy by the soil biota, influencing in different ways the symbiosis performance and consequently the inoculum development, shaping changes and upset balance of native populations. The molecular biology tools developed in the latest years have been very important for our perception of these changes, ensuing awareness of management choice implications in AM development. In this context, for extensive farming systems and regarding environmental and economic costs, the identification of agronomic management practices that allow controlled manipulation of the fungal community and capitalization of AM mutualistic effect making use of local inoculum, seem to be a wise option for mycorrhiza promotion and development of sustainable crop production

Novel insights into the cardio-protective effects of FGF21 in lean and obese rat hearts

Aims: Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a hepatic metabolic regulator with pleotropic actions. Its plasma concentrations are increased in obesity and diabetes; states associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease. We therefore investigated the direct effect of FGF21 on cardio-protection in obese and lean hearts in response to ischemia. Methods and Results: FGF21, FGF21-receptor 1 (FGFR1) and beta-Klotho (βKlotho) were expressed in rodent, human hearts and primary rat cardiomyocytes. Cardiac FGF21 was expressed and secreted (real time RT-PCR/western blot and ELISA) in an autocrine-paracrine manner, in response to obesity and hypoxia, involving FGFR1-βKlotho components. Cardiac-FGF21 expression and secretion were increased in response to global ischemia. In contrast βKlotho was reduced in obese hearts. In isolated adult rat cardiomyocytes, FGF21 activated PI3K/Akt (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt), ERK1/2(extracellular signal-regulated kinase) and AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) pathways. In Langendorff perfused rat [adult male wild-type wistar] hearts, FGF21 administration induced significant cardio-protection and restoration of function following global ischemia. Inhibition of PI3K/Akt, AMPK, ERK1/2 and ROR-α (retinoic-acid receptor alpha) pathway led to significant decrease of FGF21 induced cardio-protection and restoration of cardiac function in response to global ischemia. More importantly, this cardio-protective response induced by FGF21 was reduced in obesity, although the cardiac expression profiles and circulating FGF21 levels were increased. Conclusion: In an ex vivo Langendorff system, we show that FGF21 induced cardiac protection and restoration of cardiac function involving autocrine-paracrine pathways, with reduced effect in obesity. Collectively, our findings provide novel insights into FGF21-induced cardiac effects in obesity and ischemia

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF SIMVASTATIN GASTRORETENTIVE DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM

Objective: The aim of this study was to formulate and evaluate gastro retentive drug delivery system (GRRDS) using an effervescent approach for simvastatin.Methods: Floating tablets were prepared using directly compressible polymers hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) K100M, HPMC K4M and carboxymethylcellulose sodium (NaCMC). The prepared tablets were subjected to pre-formulation studies like Compressibility index, Hausner ratio and post compression parameters like buoyancy/floating test and In vitro dissolution study.Results: Drug-excipient compatibility studies performed with the help of FTIR instrument indicated that there were no interactions. The DSC thermogram of the formulations revealed that crystalline form of simvastatin existed in the formulation which was confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction. Dissolution studies indicated that there was a decrease in the drug release with an increase in the polymer viscosity. The tablets prepared with low-viscosity grade HPMC K4M exhibited short Buoyancy Lag Time and floated for a longer duration as compared with formulations containing high viscosity grade HPMC K100M. The ‘n' value for dissolution studies for all the formulations was found to be in the range of 0.647 to 0.975 indicating non-Fickian or anomalous drug transport. Conclusion: The drug release rate and floating duration of tablets depended on the nature of the polymer and other added excipients. The release rate of the drug can be optimized by using different ratios of polymers and other excipients. The formulation F8 achieved the optimized batch and complied with all the properties of the tablets

Standardisation of soil volume wetting for drip irrigation in mango (Mangifera indica L.,)

Field experiments were conducted in mango for four years during 2017-2020 at ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research to standardise optimum soil volume wetting for drip irrigation. Wetting soil volume upto 70% recorded higher mean fruit yield of 34.8 kg/plant (9.68 t/ha)and with further increase in the level of soil volume wetting irrigation (upto 80%), there was a decline in the mango yield (7.40 t/ha). Similarly, significantly increased response was observed in fruit weight upto 70% soil volume irrigation (226 g) although there were no significant differences in the TSS of the fruit. Significantly higher water use efficiency was observed for 30% soil volume wetting irrigation (274.1 kg/m3) and further no significant differences were observed in water use efficiency between 50% and 70% soil volume wetting irrigations indicating that in areas of water scarcity, it is enough to scheduling the irrigation only upto 50% soil volume wetting in mango for economising the water (232.1 kg/m3)

The iPlant Collaborative: Cyberinfrastructure for Plant Biology

The iPlant Collaborative (iPlant) is a United States National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project that aims to create an innovative, comprehensive, and foundational cyberinfrastructure in support of plant biology research (PSCIC, 2006). iPlant is developing cyberinfrastructure that uniquely enables scientists throughout the diverse fields that comprise plant biology to address Grand Challenges in new ways, to stimulate and facilitate cross-disciplinary research, to promote biology and computer science research interactions, and to train the next generation of scientists on the use of cyberinfrastructure in research and education. Meeting humanity's projected demands for agricultural and forest products and the expectation that natural ecosystems be managed sustainably will require synergies from the application of information technologies. The iPlant cyberinfrastructure design is based on an unprecedented period of research community input, and leverages developments in high-performance computing, data storage, and cyberinfrastructure for the physical sciences. iPlant is an open-source project with application programming interfaces that allow the community to extend the infrastructure to meet its needs. iPlant is sponsoring community-driven workshops addressing specific scientific questions via analysis tool integration and hypothesis testing. These workshops teach researchers how to add bioinformatics tools and/or datasets into the iPlant cyberinfrastructure enabling plant scientists to perform complex analyses on large datasets without the need to master the command-line or high-performance computational services

Comparative analysis of tension band wiring and cannulated cancellous screws for displaced medial malleolus fractures: a prospective study

Background: The displaced medial malleolus fractures require surgical intervention, and the management includes tension band wiring (TBW) and cannulated cancellous screws (CCS). Methods: This prospective randomized study was conducted from December 2019 to December 2022. Sixty patients with closed displaced medial malleolus fractures were randomized into two groups: group A (TBW) and group B (CCS). Patients were evaluated based on radiological fracture union and functional outcomes assessed using the modified Olerud and Molander ankle score (OMAS). Follow-ups were conducted for two years to assess healing, range of motion, complications, and functional outcomes. Results: Mean age was 41.46 years in group A (TBW) and 39.4 years in group B (CCS). Radiological union was achieved faster in group B (10.4 weeks) compared to group A (11.53 weeks, p=0.003). Functional outcomes showed excellent scores in 16.67% of group A patients and 30% of group B patients. Group B had fewer complications, with only one case of screw loosening compared to a higher rate of hardware prominence (30%) and exertional pain (10%) in group A, necessitating implant removal in 12 patients. No significant differences in range of motion were observed, although group B demonstrated slightly better functional outcomes. Conclusions: Both TBW and CCS effectively achieve fracture union in displaced medial malleolus fractures. However, CCS fixation demonstrates superior functional outcomes, faster union rates, and fewer complications compared to TBW. Lower risk of hardware-related issues and reduced need for secondary surgeries, CCS is recommended as a preferred method for the surgical management of displaced medial malleolus fractures.

Comparison of clinical profile of urban vs. rural Indian youth with premature coronary artery disease (PCAD): a sub-study of the PCAD registry

Background: We aimed to compare clinical profile of premature coronary artery disease (PCAD) in urban vs. rural Indian populations.Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional observational multi-centre study. This study is a sub-study of the ongoing PCAD registry. Between the period April 2017 and April 2018, a total of 1061 patients <40 years with PCAD were studied. Urban (n=583) and rural (n=478) populations were statistically compared.Results: Mean age of the urban and rural populations were 34.50±4.15 years and 33.99±4.46 years, respectively. All cardiovascular risk factors (smoking, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, diet and family history), except for alcoholism were more prevalent in urban subjects compared to rural subjects. However, higher prevalence of only hypertension (p=0.05) was statistically significant. Religion was significant between the two populations (p<0.001). Window period was also significant between the two populations (p<0.001). Very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL) (p=0.037) was significantly different between both populations.Conclusions: All conventional risk factors were more prevalent among urban populations than rural populations, however none of these differences except for hypertension was statistically significant

Efficacy and safety of thrombolytic therapy in prosthetic valve thrombosis

Background: There is limited data available about the effectiveness of thrombolysis in prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of thrombolytic treatment in PVT patients.Methods: This was an observational study conducted at a tertiary-care centre in India between March 2013 and April 2014. Total of 56 patients with either recurrent PVT or with confirmed left-sided PVT was included in the study. Thrombolytic therapy was administered as an intravenous infusion of streptokinase or urokinase, initially at a loading dose of 2.5L IU/hour over 30 minutes, followed by 1L IU/hour for 48–78 hours depending upon the clinical and 2D-Echo observation. Primary endpoint was considered as the occurrence of a complete clinical response. Secondary endpoint was considered as a composite of death, major bleeding or embolic stroke.Results: Mean age of the patients was 37±13 years. Most of the patients presented with NYHA-II (51.7%), III (39.2%), and IV (8.9%) symptoms. Mitral and aortic valve thrombosis were observed in 40(71.4%) and 11(28.6%) patients. Forty-nine (73.3%) patients were treated with streptokinase. Whereas, rethrombosis patients were treated with urokinase [6(16%)] and tenecteplase [1(1.3%)]. Two (3.6%) patients died, 1(1.8%), 1(1.8%), 2(3.6%), and 1(1.8%) patient had peripheral embolism, central nervous system bleeding, stroke, and embolic complications.Conclusions: Thrombolytic therapy can be used as the first-line treatment for thrombolysis in PVT patients. All PVT patients can be treated with streptokinase unless specific contraindications exist. Urokinase or tenecteplase is an alternative thrombolytic agent in rethrombosis patients