Allelopathy and Agricultural Sustainability: Implication in weed management and crop protection—an overview

Crop plants have defined roles in agricultural production and feeding the world. They are affected by several environmental and biological stresses, which range from soil salinity, drought, and climate change to exposure to diverse plant pathogens. These stresses pose risk to agricultural sustainability. To avoid the increasing biotic and abiotic pressure on crop plants, agrochemicals are extensively used in agriculture for attaining desirable yield and production of crops. However, the use of agrochemicals is also challenging the integrity of ecosystems. Thus, to maintain the integrity of ecosystem, sustainable measures for elevated crop production are required. Allelopathy, a process of chemical interactions between plants and other organisms, could be used in the management of several biotic and abiotic stresses if the basic mechanisms of the phenomena and plants with allelopathic potentials are known. Allelopathy has a promising future for its application in agriculture for natural weed management, improving soil health and suppressing plant diseases. The aim of this review is to discuss the importance of allelopathy in agriculture and its role in sustainability with a specific focus on weed management and crop protection

Antibacterial activity of leaf extracts of seven grape cultivars against six strains of bacteria

Background: Grape (Vitis spp.) is one of the most widely grown fruit crops in the world. It contains large amounts of phenolic compounds which have antimicrobial properties. Many efforts have been done to discover new antimicrobial compounds from various kinds of natural sources to benefit mankind. The current study is aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of the methanolic extract of different cultivars of grapes against six bacterial strains.Methods: In the present study, the antibacterial activity of different concentrations (25, 50 and 100mg/mL) of methanolic leaf extracts of seven cultivars of grape (Red Globe, Autumn Royal, Crimson, Thompson, Sundarkhani, Perlette and King’s Ruby) was tested against six strains of bacteria (Proteus sp., Streptococcus viridans, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas sp., Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium septicum) using agar well diffusion method.Results: The methanolic leaf extract of all the cultivars showed significant antibacterial activity, suppressing the growth of all the six bacterial strains tested. The inhibition zones against the different bacteria ranged from 12.6 mm to 29.6 mm. The highest zones of inhibition were produced by Proteus sp. (29.6 mm), Pseudomonas sp. (27 mm), Staphylococcus aureus (27 mm), E. coli (26 mm), Streptococcus viridans (23.3 mm) and Clostridium septicum (21.0mm) at 100 mg/mL concentrations of different cultivars.Conclusion: This study confirms that Vitis vinifera methanolic leaf extracts have inhibitory activity against all the tested microorganisms and is worthy of further investigation.Keywords: Vitis vinefera; Antibacterial activity; Proteus sp.; Streptococcus viridans; E. coli; Pseudomonas sp.; MRSA; Clostridium septicum; Agar well diffusio

Peningkatan Kualitas Madrasah terhadap Sistem Zonasi MTs. Nurul Huda Sedati Sidoarjo

Pendidikan merupakan salah satu hal penting sehingga mendorong pemerintah untuk terus meningkatkan kualitas layanan pendidikan. Salah satu upaya untuk meningkatkan dan pemerataan kualitas pendidikan di Indonesia yaitu dengan diaplikasikannya sistem zonasi terhadap proses penerimaan peserta didik baru. Ketentuan sistem zonasi dimuat dalam Permendikbud Nomor 14 Tahun 2018. Penelitian ini menggunakan penilitian deskriptif dengan pendekatan kualitatif. Disebut penelitian deskriptif karena bertujuan untuk menggambarkan atau mendeskripsikan keadaan suatu obyek dan subjek penelitian. Dilihat dari besarnya jumlah peminat yang masuk ke MTs Nurul Huda dan dari sudut prestasi, MTs Nurul Huda dapat dikategorikan sebagai salah satu madrasah yang memiliki daya saing tinggi. Salah satunya yaitu kepimpinan kepala sekolah yang efektif dan inovatif, sarana yang memadai, kualitas pendidik yang memenuhi standar dan dikembangkannya berbagai inovasi pembelajaran. Dengan sistem zonasi ini MTs. Nurul Huda tahun ini telah memaksimalkan kekuatan madrasah untuk memberikan kepercayaan kepada masyarakat dan membuat MTs. Nurul Huda ini lebih unggul dari sekolah lain

Focused abdominal CT scan for acute appendicitis in children: can it help in need

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the focused abdominal CT scan [FACT] in clinically equivocal cases of acute appendicitis in paediatric population. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Radiology Department of Aga Khan Hospital, from August 2007 to November 2008. A total of 84 patients (42 males & 42 females) with clinically equivocal signs and symptoms of acute appendicitis referred to radiology department for CT evaluation were studied. CT findings were compared with histopathology and clinical follow-up. RESULTS: The sensitivity of focused CT for acute appendicitis was 91%; specificity was 69% and accuracy of 76% while PPV and NPV were 58%, 94% respectively. CONCLUSION: Focused unenhanced CT is a quick, accurate and non invasive modality for the assessment of clinically equivocal cases of acute appendicitis for ruling out patients and reducing negative appendectomies

Molecular Characterization of EGLN1 Gene in Fast and Slow Moving Animals of Diverse Terrain

Background: Process of animal migration from their habitat to a new environment is always problematic due to low adaptive tendency, which ultimately affect their production, behavior and overall performance. Current study is focused to explore the sequence diversity of EGLN1 gene in relation to animal acclimatization at higher altitude under deprived oxygen or ability of better utilization of oxygen which is considered to be liable for their agility in diverse terrains. Fast and slow moving animals of plain and hilly terrains are potential species to study this phenomenon.Methods: Molecular characterization of EGLN1 gene was performed in sheep, goat, buffalo and camels of Pakistan as slow moving candidate species, while tiger, leopard, wolf, ibex, urial and markhor as fast moving candidate species of diverse terrains by extraction their DNA from whole blood, followed by PCR amplification and sequence analysis of EGLN1 gene through BioEdit software. Later on, certain bioinformatics tools like MEGA, protparam and blast2sequence are used for the characterization of the normal and mutant EGLN1 protein.Results: Current study revealed that goat and camel showed a nucleotide change at c.810 position. While all fast moving animals of higher altitude showed a nucleotide change at position c.406 except one sample of markhor.Conclusion: Current study will assist to have an idea of sequence diversity of aforementioned candidate gene responsible for adaption of animals in oxygen deprived environment of diverse terrain and may be responsible for their agile behaviour of movement. Keywords: EGLN1, Fast moving animals, Slow moving animals, Animal acclimatization, Behavioural traits, Pakistani animal

Učinkovitost in vivo detoksifikacije ohratoksina A pomoću visokoporoznog nanokompozita ugljika pripravljenog od ostataka šećerne repe

The aim of this study was to develop highly porous carbon nanocomposites for detoxification of ochratoxin A (OTA) in broilers. One-day-old chicks were divided into six groups (A to F). Group A was given pure feed. Group B was given 400 μg/kg of OTA contaminated feed, while the rest of the groups were fed on 400 μg/ kg of OTA contaminated feed plus a different level of the adsorbent. The clinical signs of the positive control (group B) such as depression, diarrhea, increased water intake, low body weight, a high degree of genotoxicity, and swollen and hemorrhagic kidneys and liver, were compared with the other groups. In group B chicks, the serum ALT (alanine transferase), ALP (alkaline phosphatase), creatinine and urea levels were significantly higher, while albumin, globulin and total proteins levels were significantly lower than in negative control group A. The adsorbent treated groups showed almost normal clinical signs. Group C and D were affected to some extent, however, groups E and F showed undamaged DNA, normal behavior and blood biochemistry, and well- maintained histological structure, like that of the negative control group.Cilj je ovoga istraživanja bio razviti visokoporozne nanokompozite ugljika za detoksifikaciju ohratoksina A (OTA) u brojlera. Jednodnevni pilići podijeljeni su u šest skupina (A do F). Skupina A hranjena je čistom hranom. Skupini B davana je hrana kojoj je dodano 400 μg/kg OTA-e, dok su preostale skupine hranjene hranom kojoj je uz 400 μg/kg OTA-e dodane različite razine adsorbensa. Klinički znakovi kod pozitivne kontrole (skupina B), poput depresije, proljeva, povećanog unosa vode, niske tjelesne mase, visoke genotoksičnosti, natečenih i krvavih bubrega i jetre, uspoređeni su s ostalim skupinama. Skupine tretirane adsorbensima pokazale su gotovo normalne kliničke znakove. Skupine C i D do neke su mjere zahvaćene, dok su skupine E i F pokazale neoštećenu DNA, normalno ponašanje, normalne biokemijske krvne pokazatelje i dobro održanu histološku strukturu kao i brojleri u negativnoj kontrolnoj skupini

Machine-learning-based side-channel evaluation of elliptic-curve cryptographic FPGA processor

Security of embedded systems is the need of the hour. A mathematically secure algorithm runs on a cryptographic chip on these systems, but secret private data can be at risk due to side-channel leakage information. This research focuses on retrieving secret-key information, by performing machine-learning-based analysis on leaked power-consumption signals, from Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) implementation of the elliptic-curve algorithm captured from a Kintex-7 FPGA chip while the elliptic-curve cryptography (ECC) algorithm is running on it. This paper formalizes the methodology for preparing an input dataset for further analysis using machine-learning-based techniques to classify the secret-key bits. Research results reveal how pre-processing filters improve the classification accuracy in certain cases, and show how various signal properties can provide accurate secret classification with a smaller feature dataset. The results further show the parameter tuning and the amount of time required for building the machine-learning models

Vascular ehlers-danlos syndrome: a rare disorder presenting with focal convulsions

Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (VEDS), previously called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type-IV, is a heterogeneous group of heritable connective tissue disorders characterized by thin, translucent skin, easy bruising, arterial, intestinal, and/or uterine fragility. There is large vessel involvement that leads to arterial rupture often preceded by aneurysm, arteriovenous fistulae, or dissection. Noninvasive imaging studies such as CT angiography and MR angiography are preferred as diagnostic studies for this condition. We are reporting a 4 years old girl who was presented with right sided unilateral convulsions and hypertension. CT angiogram showed stenosis with post-stenotic dilatation of coeliac and superior mesenteric arteries. There were extensive calcified plaques with atherosclerotic changes in the segment of right common iliac artery with aneurysmal dilatation of celiac, superior mesenteric and common iliac artery. Radiological findings were consistent with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. She was successfully managed with anti-hypertensive and anticonvulsants

Determination of the factors leading to noncompliance with antiepileptic drug

Background: Epilepsy is a chronic disorder or group of chronic disorder in which the indispensable feature is recurrence of seizures that are typically unprovoked and usually unpredictable. It is well established that non-adherence to antiepileptic drugs may lead to a loss of seizure control. Negative outcomes that may be associated with a loss of seizure control include: injury, increase hospitalizations, and decrease in productivity. All of these contribute to increased direct and indirect healthcare costs related to epilepsy. Objective: To determine factors leading to noncompliance with antiepileptic drugs in patients attending a tertiary care hospital. Methods & Results: In the crosssectional study design, total 203 patients, attending neurology outpatient clinic at Department of Neurology Civil Hospital Karachi, Pakistan, from August, 2010 to February, 2011, with epilepsy were included in the study. Non probability, purposive sampling technique was applied. Detailed history was taken from each patient. A structured proforma was filled for each patient at the time of visit and note was made of the factors that were responsible for non-compliance. Overall mean (±SD) age was 29.1 ±16.9 years (ranging from 6 to 60 years) with Male: Female = 1.9: 1. Most common reason for non compliance was high cost of antiepileptic drugs 126 (62.1%) followed by unemployment in 58 (28.6%) patients, more than one antiepileptic drug in 35 (17.2%) patients, side effects of antiepileptic drugs 19 (9.4%), freedom free periods from fits 18 (8.9%), deviation from prescription 13 (6.4%) and Non Availability of drugs 12 (5.9%). Conclusion: In this study, high cost of antiepileptic drugs was the most common reason for non compliance and non-availability of drugs was the least common reason. While unemployment was the second common reason for non-complianc

Tuberculosis of the scapula

Tuberculosis (TB) of the scapula is an extremely rare presentation of osteoarticular tuberculosis. In a tuberculosis endemic setting with a rising burden of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, this rare presentation may become more frequent. The common presentation is with longstanding Complaints of pain and swelling in the shoulder region, typically in young adults. Classic radiographic features include a well defined radiolucent lesion with minimal sequesteration. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is usually elevated and initially these patients are frequently mis-diagnosed and thus a high index of clinical suspicion is required. Medical therapy with antituberculous drugs is the standard modality of treatment. This case serves to higlight the salient features of scapular TB