Physico-chemical and enzymatic changes in peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) fruit in response to sodium salts during low temperature storage

‘Shan-i-Punjab’ is a leading cultivar of peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) in Punjab. After harvesting peach fruits cannot be stored for a longer period under ambient conditions. To prolong the post-harvest life of fruits, an experiment was conducted during the year 2014. Physiological mature fruits of peach cv. Shan-i-Punjab were harvested and subjected to various post-harvest dip treatments viz. sodium bicarbonate (@ 0.5 and 1%), sodium benzoate (@ 0.5 and 1%) for 5 mins. Treated and untreated (control) fruits were packed in Corrugated fibre board CFB boxes and kept under low temperature storage conditions (0-10 C and 90-95% RH) for 6 weeks. Stored fruits were analyzed for various physico-chemical characteristics after 2, 4, 5 and 6 weeks of storage. Fruits treated with 0.5% sodium bicarbonate showed better results in terms low PLW (5.05%), high palatability rating (7.66), TSS (11.26%), acidity (0.70%) and PME activity (1.28 ml of 0.02N NaOH used) upto 4 weeks of storage as compared to control. It can be concluded that peach fruits of the cultivar Shan-i-Punjab treated with sodium bicarbonate @ 0.5% can be safely stored upto 4 weeks with acceptable quality under low temperature conditions

Missed Hospital Appointments of Patients Receiving Ranibizumab Therapy for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and duration of missed hospital appointments (MHAs) in a consecutive cohort of patients treated with ranibizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and to assess their impact on outcomes of therapy in a real-world clinical setting. METHODS: Retrospective, cross-sectional study of consecutive patients attending medical retina clinics for nAMD treatment with ranibizumab. RESULTS: Seventy-eight eyes of 78 patients met the inclusion criteria for data analysis. Mean age was 78 years with mean follow-up of 27 months. Mean visual acuity (VA) was 52 ± 16 letters at baseline, 56 ± 17 letters at year 1 and 58 ± 16 letters at year 2. At the end of the second year, 90% of the patients had lost <15 letters, 26% had gained ≥15 letters and 10% had lost ≥15 letters. Nineteen patients had at least one MHA (24%) over 2 years. There were 26 MHA episodes in total leading to a median duration of 79 days (range 35–159) between attended hospital visits. None of these MHAs occurred during the first 3 months after treatment initiation. Mean VA and central retinal thickness difference between 2 years and baseline for the MHA group was not statistically different compared with the non-MHA group. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that MHA may be a relatively common occurrence in AMD treatment clinics, but good outcomes of treatment can be achieved over 2 years despite missed hospital visits if patients are reviewed on average six times in the first year after an initial loading phase of three injections and nine times in the second year of treatment. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s40123-015-0031-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

VARIABLE RESPONSE OF THREE MORPHOTYPES OF TECOMELLA UNDULATA (SM.) SEEM TOWARDS HUMAN PATHOGENIC BACTERIA

Objective: Medicinal Tree Tecomella undulata [Sm.] Seem belonging to family Bignoniaceae has three distinct morphotypes. Present study was undertaken to assess antimicrobial potential of the three morphotypes of Tecomella undulata against human pathogenic bacteria to select suitable morphotype for medicinal use.Methods: Disc diffusion method was used to test and compare the antimicrobial activity exhibited by 13 populations belonging to three morphotypes of this tree against five human pathogenic bacteria i. e. Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.Results: Methanol and acetone extract of bark of the tree showed considerable activity against all the five bacteria tested. Differences were observed in the activity not only between the morphotypes but also within the morphotypes against the bacteria tested. Out of the three morpho types yellow morphotypes showed the highest antimicrobial action against all the five bacteria which were comparable to standard antibiotic Chloramphenicol. The trend in antibacterial activity observed was yellow&gt;red&gt;orange in acetone extract and yellow&gt;orange&gt;red in methanol extract towards all microbes except against bacillus bacteria where it was yellow&gt;orange&gt;red [acetone] and orange&gt;yellow&gt;red [methanol].Conclusion: The experimental results of the present study revealed that Tecomella undulata plants show great intraspecific variability in their antibacterial potential. Hence there is need to evaluate germplasm to select superior genotype for medicinal, multiplication, conservation or plantation purpose.Â

A Comparative Analysis of SERPIND1 in a Genomic Lens in Sharks

This research investigates differences in wound healing between sharks and humans, focusing on key components in the healing pathway. Sharks are known for their remarkable lesion-healing capabilities. Genes such as SERPIND1 play crucial roles in tissue remodeling for sharks while playing a role in cancer metastasis and inflammation in humans. The SERPIND1 gene codes for plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), which is involved in blood clotting. This clotting process is vital for repairing dermal wounds, sealing off the damaged area, and preventing further blood loss. Comparative genomic analysis reveals distinctions between human and shark SERPIND1 genes at different levels such as nucleotide, amino acids, and chromosomal levels. The use of programs like StringDB and Ensembl helped us investigate protein interactions with each variant of SERPIND1. This led us to a broader understanding of the transformative changes between these variants through an evolutionary perspective. We discovered that both the human and shark homologs exhibit partial synteny, as several proteins, including PI4Kaa and Snap29, are present in both species. We discovered one extra splice site in the human SERPIND1 gene. Moreover, the human SERPIND1 had 8 exons compared to 7 exons in the shark homolog. Understanding these genetic factors and their roles in blood clotting enhances our knowledge of shark physiology and provides valuable insights that may inform advancements in human wound-healing strategies, opening avenues for further research and potential applications in medical scienc

Endometrial thickness cut-off value by transvaginal ultrasonography for screening of endometrial pathology in postmenopausal women with bleeding

Background: Postmenopausal bleeding is defined as blood loss occurring at least 12 months after menopause. Aims and objectives were to assess the clinical usefulness and diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonographic measurement of endometrial thickness (ET) in women with postmenopausal bleeding. Methods: It was a prospective study that took place at Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital Patiala. from June 2018 to May 2019. The study was carried out in 60 patients presenting with postmenopausal bleeding to the OPD of department of obstetrics and gynecology, Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital, Patiala. Patients with post-menopausal bleeding were included in the study. The endometrial thickness (ET) was measured on TVS. Hysteroscopy was done. Findings were recorded as atrophic endometrium, endometrial hyperplasia, endometrial polyp, fibroid, and endometrial carcinoma (obvious intrauterine growth with necrotic tissue). Endometrial biopsies were taken in all patients. Histopathological examination was done and was considered as the final diagnosis. Data collected was analysed using Microsoft Excel Office software 2019 version 19.11 and Epi info (CDC Atlanta) version 7.2.3.1. Results: The best diagnostic accuracy for TVS was obtained at endometrial thickness of 4 mm. Conclusions: TVS is useful for detecting endometrial pathology with a cut-off value for ET of 4 mm having a high sensitivity. Role of endometrial thickness cannot be undermined for detecting patients at high risk especially with comorbid conditions

INFLUENCE OF LDPE PACKAGING ON POST HARVEST QUALITY OF MANGO FRUITS DURING LOW TEMPERATURE STORAGE

The present studies were conducted to examine the effect of LDPE (Low density polyethylene) packaging on quality of Dashehari mango fruits under low temperature storage. Physiological mature fruits were subjected to LDPE packaging with different perforation levels (0, 0.05 and 0.1%) and were placed at 12±1oC for 4 weeks. The control fruits were packed in corrugated fiber board boxes. After four weeks of storage, minimum PLW (2.03 %) was registered in non-perforated LDPE packaged fruits while maximum PLW (9.86 %) was recorded in control fruits. This treatment also retained maximum fruits firmness (5.8 lbf) after three weeks of storage. However, maximum soluble solids content (17.20 %) were recorded in LDPE (0.1% perforation) packed fruits after 3 weeks of storage. At the end of storage, fruits kept in non-perforated LDPE packaging resulted in highest (0.41%) juice acidity while control fruits had lowest (0.18%) acidity. Similarly, control fruits developed maximum sensory quality rating of 8.5 till two weeks of storage and then showed declining trend. Maximum β-carotene content (3.32 mg/100g of pulp) was recorded in control fruits at 3rd week of storage. In conclusions, LDPE packaging (0.1 % perforation) of Dashehari mango fruits was effective in maintaining quality characteristics up to three weeks under low temperature storage

Comparative Genomics Across Streptomyces Murinus Strains to Study Conservation of Biosynthetic Gene Cluster Producing Antifungal Compound, Pentamycin

Biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) are groups of microbial genes that play a critical role in producing secondary metabolites with varied functions. Secondary metabolites include compounds such as siderophores, antibiotics, antifungal compounds, toxins, and pigments. The BGCs are modular units that usually contain a transcription factor, core biosynthetic gene, other genes involved in modifications and addition of side chains as well as genes needed for extracellular export. In specific, the metabolites produced by BGCs have diverse biological activities and usually display antimicrobial properties. The genome of Streptomyces murinus strain SPC1 revealed a complete BGC involved in the biosynthesis of the antifungal metabolite, pentamycin, also known as fungichromin. The pentamycin BGC from SPC1 was compared to other publicly available genomes of different isolates of S. murinus. A preliminary analysis of the gene content and organization showed that this BGC seems to be conserved across multiple S. murinus isolates. Further studies will let us understand BGC evolution in bacteria, different aspects of secondary metabolite biosynthesis and utility of BGCs as antimicrobials, and alleviating challenges related to antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

QTLs and Candidate Loci Associated with Drought Tolerance Traits of Kaybonnet x ZHE733 Recombinant Inbred Lines Rice Population

Rice is the most important staple crop for the sustenance of the world’s population, and drought is a major factor limiting rice production. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis of drought-resistance-related traits was conducted on a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the self-fed progeny of a cross between the drought-resistant tropical japonica U.S. adapted cultivar Kaybonnet and the drought-sensitive indica cultivar ZHE733. K/Z RIL population of 198 lines was screened in the field at Fayetteville (AR) for three consecutive years under controlled drought stress (DS) and well-watered (WW) treatment during the reproductive stage. The effects of DS were quantified by measuring morphological traits, grain yield components, and root architectural traits. A QTL analysis using a set of 4133 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and the QTL IciMapping identified 41 QTLs and 184 candidate genes for drought-related traits within the DR-QTL regions. RT-qPCR in parental lines was used to confirm the putative candidate genes. The comparison between the drought-resistant parent (Kaybonnet) and the drought-sensitive parent (ZHE733) under DS conditions revealed that the gene expression of 15 candidate DR genes with known annotations and two candidate DR genes with unknown annotations within the DR-QTL regions was up-regulated in the drought-resistant parent (Kaybonnet). The outcomes of this research provide essential information that can be utilized in developing drought-resistant rice cultivars that have higher productivity when DS conditions are prevalent

A BAC-based physical map of the Hessian fly genome anchored to polytene chromosomes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Hessian fly (<it>Mayetiola destructor</it>) is an important insect pest of wheat. It has tractable genetics, polytene chromosomes, and a small genome (158 Mb). Investigation of the Hessian fly presents excellent opportunities to study plant-insect interactions and the molecular mechanisms underlying genome imprinting and chromosome elimination. A physical map is needed to improve the ability to perform both positional cloning and comparative genomic analyses with the fully sequenced genomes of other dipteran species.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>An FPC-based genome wide physical map of the Hessian fly was constructed and anchored to the insect's polytene chromosomes. Bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones corresponding to 12-fold coverage of the Hessian fly genome were fingerprinted, using high information content fingerprinting (HIFC) methodology, and end-sequenced. Fluorescence <it>in situ </it>hybridization (FISH) co-localized two BAC clones from each of the 196 longest contigs on the polytene chromosomes. An additional 70 contigs were positioned using a single FISH probe. The 266 FISH mapped contigs were evenly distributed and covered 60% of the genome (95,668 kb). The ends of the fingerprinted BACs were then sequenced to develop the capacity to create sequenced tagged site (STS) markers on the BACs in the map. Only 3.64% of the BAC-end sequence was composed of transposable elements, helicases, ribosomal repeats, simple sequence repeats, and sequences of low complexity. A relatively large fraction (14.27%) of the BES was comprised of multi-copy gene sequences. Nearly 1% of the end sequence was composed of simple sequence repeats (SSRs).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This physical map provides the foundation for high-resolution genetic mapping, map-based cloning, and assembly of complete genome sequencing data. The results indicate that restriction fragment length heterogeneity in BAC libraries used to construct physical maps lower the length and the depth of the contigs, but is not an absolute barrier to the successful application of the technology. This map will serve as a genomic resource for accelerating gene discovery, genome sequencing, and the assembly of BAC sequences. The Hessian fly BAC-clone assembly, and the names and positions of the BAC clones used in the FISH experiments are publically available at <url>http://genome.purdue.edu/WebAGCoL/Hfly/WebFPC/</url>.</p