A Gene for Universal Congenital Alopecia Maps to Chromosome 8p21-22

SummaryComplete or partial congenital absence of hair (congenital alopecia) may occur either in isolation or with associated defects. The majority of families with isolated congenital alopecia has been reported to follow an autosomal-recessive mode of inheritance (MIM 203655). As yet, no gene has been linked to isolated congenital alopecia, nor has linkage been established to a specific region of the genome. In an attempt to map the gene for the autosomal recessive form of the disorder, we have performed genetic linkage analysis on a large inbred Pakistani family in which affected persons show complete absence of hair development (universal congenital alopecia). We have analyzed individuals of this family, using >175 microsatellite polymorphic markers of the human genome. A maximum LOD score of 7.90 at a recombination fraction of 0 has been obtained with locus D8S258. Haplotype analysis of recombination events localized the disease to a 15-cM region between marker loci D8S261 and D8S1771. We have thus mapped the gene for this hereditary form of isolated congenital alopecia to a locus on chromosome 8p21-22 (ALUNC [alopecia universalis congenitalis]). This will aid future identification of the responsible gene, which will be extremely useful for the understanding of the biochemistry of hair development

Effects of micronutrient on growth and micronutrient content of hybrid maize (Zea mays L.)

Requirement of micronutrients for yield maximization of BARI Hybrid Maize 5 was studied under field condition. The highest grain yield of maize of 10.1 t/ha was obtained with the application of Zn along with recommended NPKS. The Zn application alone produces about 50% yield benefits compared to control. The concentration of macronutrients (N, P, K and S) in maize grain and straw remained unaffected while concentration of micronutrients (Zn, B, Cu, Mn and Fe) increased significantly due to their application. The result clearly indicated the necessity of applying 3 kg Zn/ha along with recommended doses of NPKS for yield maximization of BARI Hybrid Maize 5 in Old Brahmaputra Floodplain soil

Complete Genome Sequence of the Aerobic Facultative Methanotroph Methylocella tundrae Strain T4

Methylocella tundrae T4T is a facultative aerobic methanotroph which was isolated from an acidic tundra wetland and possesses only a soluble methane monooxygenase. The complete genome, which includes two megaplasmids, was sequenced using a combination of Illumina and Nanopore technologies. One of the megaplasmids carries a propane monooxygenase gene cluster

Effects of micronutrient on growth and micronutrient content of hybrid maize (Zea mays L.)

Requirement of micronutrients for yield maximization of BARI Hybrid Maize 5 was studied under field condition. The highest grain yield of maize of 10.1 t/ha was obtained with the application of Zn along with recommended NPKS. The Zn application alone produces about 50% yield benefits compared to control. The concentration of macronutrients (N, P, K and S) in maize grain and straw remained unaffected while concentration of micronutrients (Zn, B, Cu, Mn and Fe) increased significantly due to their application. The result clearly indicated the necessity of applying 3 kg Zn/ha along with recommended doses of NPKS for yield maximization of BARI Hybrid Maize 5 in Old Brahmaputra Floodplain soil

International manufacturing and trade in colistin, its implications in colistin resistance and One Health global policies: a microbiological, economic, and anthropological study

Background The emergence of colistin-resistant Enterobacterales is a global public health concern, yet colistin is still widely used in animals that are used for food as treatment, metaphylaxis, prophylaxis, and growth promotion. Herein, we investigate the effect of colistin-resistant Enterobacterales in Pakistan, global trade of colistin, colistin use at the farm level, and relevant socioeconomic factors. Methods We conducted a microbiological, economic, and anthropological study of colistin-resistant Escherichia coli in humans, animals, and the environment and international trade and knowledge of colistin in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, China, India, and Viet Nam. We collected backyard poultry cloacal swabs, commercial broiler cloacal swabs, cattle and buffalo rectal swabs, human rectal swabs, wild bird droppings, cattle and buffalo meat, sewage water, poultry flies, chicken meat, and canal water from 131 sites across Faisalabad, Pakistan, to be tested for mcr-1-positive and mcr-3-positive Escherichia coli. We recruited new patients admitted to Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, Pakistan, with abdominal pain and diarrhoea for rectal swabs. Patients with dysentery and those who were already on antibiotic treatment were excluded. Data for colistin trade between 2017 and 2020, including importation, manufacturing, and usage, were accessed from online databases and government sources in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. We recruited participants from poultry farms and veterinary drug stores in Pakistan and Nigeria to be interviewed using a structured questionnaire. International manufacturing, import, and export data; value analysis; and trade routes of colistin pharmaceutical raw material (PRM), feed additive, and finished pharmaceutical products (FPPs) were accessed from 2017–21 export data sets. Findings We collected 1131 samples between May 12, 2018, and July 1, 2019: backyard poultry cloacal swabs (n=100), commercial broiler cloacal swabs (n=102), cattle and buffalo rectal swabs (n=188), human rectal swabs (n=200), wild bird droppings (n=100), cattle and buffalo meat (n=100), sewage water (n=90), poultry flies (n=100), chicken meat (n=100), and canal water (n=51). We recruited 200 inpatients at Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, Pakistan, between Nov 15, 2018, and Dec 14, 2018, for rectal swabs. We recruited 21 participants between Jan 1, 2020, and Dec 31, 2020, from poultry farms and drug stores in Pakistan and Nigeria to be interviewed. 75 (7%) of 1131 samples contained mcr-1-positive E coli, including wild bird droppings (25 [25%] of 100), commercial broiler cloacal swabs (17 [17%] of 100), backyard poultry cloacal swabs (one [1%] of 100), chicken meat (13 [13%] of 100), cattle and buffalo meat (two [2%] of 100), poultry flies (eight [8%] of 100), sewage water (six [7%] of 90), and human rectal swabs (three [2%] of 200). During 2017–20, Pakistan imported 275·5 tonnes (68·9 tonnes per year, 95% CI 41·2–96·6) of colistin as PRM, all sourced from China, 701·9 tonnes (175·5 tonnes per year, 140·9–210·1) of colistin as feed additives from China and Viet Nam, and 63·0 tonnes (15·8 tonnes per year, 10·4–21·1) of colistin as FPPs from various countries in Asia and Europe. For Bangladesh and Nigeria, colistin PRM and FPPs were imported from China and Europe. Colistin knowledge and usage practices in Pakistan and Nigeria were unsatisfactory in terms of understanding of the effects on human medicine and usage other than for treatment purposes. China is the major manufacturer of PRM and feed additive colistin and exported a total of 2664·8 tonnes (666·2 tonnes per year, 95% CI 262·1 to 1070·2) of PRM and 2570·2 tonnes (642·6 tonnes per year, –89·4 to 1374·5) of feed additive in 1330 shipments during 2018–21 to 21 countries. Interpretation Regardless of 193 countries signing the UN agreement to tackle antimicrobial resistance, trading of colistin as PRM, FPPs, and feed additive or growth promoter in low-income and middle-income countries continues unabated. Robust national and international laws are urgently required to mitigate the international trade of this antimicrobial listed on WHO Critically Important Antimicrobials for Human Medicine