High-Frequency in Vitro Direct Shoot Regeneration from Nodal Explants of Hyssop Plant (Hyssopus officinalis L.)

Considering great medicinal value of Hyssopus officinalis L. and possibility of its mass production through in vitro culture, two individual experiments was conducted. Effect of various concentrations (0, 2.2, 4.4 and 11 µmol) of TDZ and BAP in combination with 1 µmol of IAA on direct regeneration from nodal explants were assessed. Significant difference between treatments was observed (P≤ 0.01). In BAP treatments, the maximum shoot-buds induction (9 shoot-buds per explant) and shoot regeneration percentage (96.66%) were observed on MS medium fortified with 2.2 and 4.4 µmol BAP in combination with 1 µmol of IAA. In TDZ treatments, the highest regeneration percentage was achieved in MS medium supplemented with TDZ (2.2 µmol) and IAA (1 µmol), and the maximum shoot-buds induction (19.83 shoot-buds per explant) was observed in medium containing 4.4 µmol of TDZ in combination with 1 µmol of IAA. The highest root production frequency (89.5%) was achieved in medium contained 9.84 µmol of IBA. Rooted plants were acclimatized successfully in greenhouse conditions with 100% survival. The protocol described here could be applicable for mass in vitro production of the valuable medicinal plant Hyssopus officinalis L. for its genetic resource conservation as well as pharmaceutical purpose

A rare cause of intestinal obstruction: ileosigmoid knot

Intestinal obstruction is common surgical emergency; ileosigmoid knot is a rare cause of intestinal  obstruction (a loop ileum and sigmoid colon twisted around each other in a knot). We recorded a three cases in HASSAN II hospital in the last 3 years.Key words: Intestinal obstruction, ileosigmoid knot, sigmoid colo

Identification of a small molecule with activity against drug-resistant and persistent tuberculosis

A cell-based phenotypic screen for inhibitors of biofilm formation in mycobacteria identified the small molecule TCA1, which has bactericidal activity against both drug-susceptible and -resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and sterilizes Mtb in vitro combined with rifampicin or isoniazid. In addition, TCA1 has bactericidal activity against nonreplicating Mtb in vitro and is efficacious in acute and chronic Mtb infection mouse models both alone and combined with rifampicin or isoniazid. Transcriptional analysis revealed that TCA1 down-regulates genes known to be involved in Mtb persistence. Genetic and affinity-based methods identified decaprenyl-phosphoryl-beta-D-ribofuranose oxidoreductase DprE1 and MoeW, enzymes involved in cell wall and molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis, respectively, as targets responsible for the activity of TCA1. These in vitro and in vivo results indicate that this compound functions by a unique mechanism and suggest that TCA1 may lead to the development of a class of antituberculosis agents

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

Combinations of single-top-quark production cross-section measurements and vertical bar f(LV)V(tb)vertical bar determinations at root s=7 and 8 TeV with the ATLAS and CMS experiments

This paper presents the combinations of single-top-quark production cross-section measurements by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations, using data from LHC proton-proton collisions at = 7 and 8 TeV corresponding to integrated luminosities of 1.17 to 5.1 fb(-1) at = 7 TeV and 12.2 to 20.3 fb(-1) at = 8 TeV. These combinations are performed per centre-of-mass energy and for each production mode: t-channel, tW, and s-channel. The combined t-channel cross-sections are 67.5 +/- 5.7 pb and 87.7 +/- 5.8 pb at = 7 and 8 TeV respectively. The combined tW cross-sections are 16.3 +/- 4.1 pb and 23.1 +/- 3.6 pb at = 7 and 8 TeV respectively. For the s-channel cross-section, the combination yields 4.9 +/- 1.4 pb at = 8 TeV. The square of the magnitude of the CKM matrix element V-tb multiplied by a form factor f(LV) is determined for each production mode and centre-of-mass energy, using the ratio of the measured cross-section to its theoretical prediction. It is assumed that the top-quark-related CKM matrix elements obey the relation |V-td|, |V-ts| << |V-tb|. All the |f(LV)V(tb)|(2) determinations, extracted from individual ratios at = 7 and 8 TeV, are combined, resulting in |f(LV)V(tb)| = 1.02 +/- 0.04 (meas.) +/- 0.02 (theo.). All combined measurements are consistent with their corresponding Standard Model predictions.Peer reviewe