Isolation of phytohormones producing plant growth promoting rhizobacteria from weeds growing in Khewra salt range, Pakistan and their implication in providing salt tolerance to Glycine max L.

Present investigation was made to isolate and characterize plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (Rkh1 - Rkh4) from rhizosphere of four weeds: Chrysopogon aucheri, Lactuca dissecta, Solanum surratenseand Sonchus arvensis thriving under high salinity (EC: 2.3 dS/m) of Khewra salt range and the results were compared with strain Rak isolated from rhizosphere (EC: 0.2 dS/m) of Solanum surratense grown in arid area of district Attock. The tolerance of all the strains was checked against the salt present in culture media in the form of rhizospheric soil filtrate of weeds collected from Khewra salt range. The nutrient contents of rhizospheric soil of weeds were measured. All the strains were capable to producephytohormones indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA3), trans-zeatin riboside (t-zr) and abscisic acid (ABA) in the culture media. Inoculation of strains on soybean seedlings treated with or without 20 dS/m NaCl resulted in better growth and higher proline contents than control plants. Thestrains isolated from weeds of Khewra salt range particularly Rkh3 appears more promising for potential biofertilizers in saline fields

Integer Programming Formulations and Cutting Plane Algorithms for the Maximum Selective Tree Problem

This paper considers the Maximum Selective Tree Problem (MSelTP) as a generalization of the Maximum Induced Tree problem. Given an undirected graph with a partition of its vertex set into clusters, MSelTP aims to choose the maximum number of vertices such that at most one vertex per cluster is selected and the graph induced by the selected vertices is a tree. To the best of our knowledge, MSelTP has not been studied before although several related optimization problems have been investigated in the literature. We propose two mixed integer programming formulations for MSelTP; one based on connectivity constraints, the other based on cycle elimination constraints. In addition, we develop two exact cutting plane procedures to solve the problem to optimality. On graphs with up to 25 clusters, up to 250 vertices, and varying densities, we conduct computational experiments to compare the results of two solution procedures with solving a compact integer programming formulation of MSelTP. Our experiments indicate that the algorithm CPAXnY outperforms the other procedures overall except for graphs with low density and large cluster size, and that the algorithm CPAX yields better results in terms of the average time of instances optimally solved and the overall average time

Effect of visible range electromagnetic radiations on Escherichia coli

Background: Escherichia coli is the agent responsible for a range of clinical diseases. With emerging antimicrobial resistance, other treatment options including solar/photo-therapy are becoming increasingly common. Visible Range Radiation Therapy/Colour Therapy is an emerging technique in the field of energy/vibrational medicine that uses visible spectrum of Electromagnetic Radiations to cure different diseases. In this study, our goal was to understand the effect of Visible Range Electromagnetic Radiations on E. coli (in vitro) and therefore find out the most appropriate visible range radiation for the treatment of diseases caused by E. coli.Materials and Methods: A total of 6 non-repetitive E. coli isolates were obtained from urine samples obtained from hospitalized patients with UTI. Single colony of E. coli was inoculated in 3 ml of Lysogeny Broth (LB) and 40 μl of this E. coli suspension was poured into each of the plastic tubes which were then irradiated with six different wavelengths in the visible region (Table. 1) after 18 hours with one acting as a control. The Optical Densities of these irradiated samples were then measured. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (TEFCAN ZEGA3) was carried out.Results: The analysis of the microscopic and SEM images of irradiated E. coli samples with six different visible range radiations is representative of The fact that E. coli responded differently to every applied radiation in the visible region and the most profound inhibitory effects were that of 538nm Visible Range Radiation (Green) which proved to be bactericidal and 590nm Visible Range Radiation (yellow) which was bacteriostatic. The enhanced growth of E. coli with varying degrees was clearly observed in 610nm (orange), 644nm (red), 464nm (Purple) and 453nm (blue).Conclusion: It can be concluded that 538nm (Green) and 590nm (Yellow) can effectively be used for treating E. coli borne diseases.Keywords: Visible Range Radiation Therapy, E. coli, UTI, Alternative Treatment, Colour Therap

RNA interference-mediated knockdown of voltage-gated sodium channel (MpNav) gene causes mortality in peach-potato aphid, Myzus persicae

Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSC) are transmembrane proteins that generate an action potential in excitable cells and play an essential role in neuronal signaling. Since VGSCs play a crucial role in nerve transmission they have become primary targets for a broad range of commercial insecticides. RNA interference (RNAi) is a valuable reverse genetics tool used in functional genomics, but recently, it has also shown promise as a novel agent that could be used to control agricultural insect pests. In this study, we targeted the VGSC (MpNav) gene in the peach-potato aphid Myzus persicae, by oral feeding of artificial diets mixed with dsRNAs. Knock-down of MpNav gene expression caused up to 65% mortality in 3rd instar nymphs. Moreover, significantly lower fecundity and longevity was observed in adult aphids that had been fed with dsMpNav solution at the nymphal stage. Analysis of gene expression by qRT-PCR indicated that the aphid mortality rates and the lowered fecundity and longevity were attributable to the down-regulation of MpNav by RNAi. Taken together, our results show that MpNav is a viable candidate target gene for the development of an RNAi-based bio-aphicide

Phosphinecarboxamide based InZnP QDs – an air tolerant route to luminescent III–V semiconductors

We describe a new synthetic methodology for the preparation of high quality, emission tuneable InP-based quantum dots (QDs) using a solid, air- and moisture-tolerant primary phosphine as a group-V precursor. This presents a significantly simpler synthetic pathway compared to the state-of-the-art precursors currently employed in phosphide quantum dot synthesis which are volatile, dangerous and air-sensitive, e.g. P(Si(CH3)3)3

A cluster-based, spatial-sampling method for assessing household healthcare utilization patterns in resource-limited settings

Background: Implementation of population-based surveys is resource intensive and logistically demanding, especially in areas with rapidly changing demographics and incomplete or no enumeration of the underlying population and their residences. To remove the need for pre-enumeration and to simplify field logistics for the population healthcare utilization survey used for the Surveillance for Enteric Fever in Asia Project in Nepal, we incorporated a geographic information system-based geosurvey and field mapping system into a single-stage cluster sampling approach.Methods: A survey was administered to ascertain healthcare-seeking behavior in individuals with recent suspected enteric fever. Catchment areas were based on residential addresses of enteric fever patients using study facilities; clusters were randomly selected from digitally created grids using available satellite images and all households within clusters were offered enrollment. A tablet-compatible geosurvey and mapping system that allowed for data-syncing and use in areas without cellular data was created using the ArcGIS suite of software.Results: Between January 2017 and November 2018, we surveyed 25 521 households in Nepal (16 769 in urban Kathmandu and 8752 in periurban Kavrepalanchok), representing 84 202 individuals. Overall, the survey participation rate was 90.9%, with geographic heterogeneity in participation rates within each catchment area. Areas with higher average household wealth had lower participation rates.Conclusion: A geographic information system-based geosurvey and field mapping system allowed creation of a virtual household map at the same time as survey administration, enabling a single-stage cluster sampling method to assess healthcare utilization in Nepal for the Surveillance for Enteric Fever in Asia Project . This system removed the need for pre-enumeration of households in sampling areas, simplified logistics and could be replicated in future community surveys

Spatial heterogeneity of enteric fever in 2 diverse communities in Nepal

Background: Typhoid fever is endemic in the urban Kathmandu Valley of Nepal; however, there have been no population-based studies of typhoid outside of this community in the past 3 decades. Whether typhoid immunization should be prioritized in periurban and rural communities has been unclear.Methods: We performed population-based surveillance for enteric fever in 1 urban catchment (Kathmandu) and 1 periurban and rural catchment (Kavrepalanchok) as part of the Surveillance for Enteric Fever in Asia Project (SEAP). We recruited individuals presenting to outpatient and emergency departments at 2 study hospitals with suspected enteric fever and performed blood cultures. Additionally, we conducted a household survey in each catchment area to characterize care seeking for febrile illness. We evaluated spatial heterogeneity in febrile illness, care seeking, and enteric fever incidence.Results: Between September 2016 and September 2019, we enrolled 5736 participants with suspected enteric fever at 2 study hospitals. Among these, 304 (5.3%) were culture positive for Salmonella Typhi (249 [81.9%]) or Paratyphi A (55 [18.1%]). Adjusted typhoid incidence in Kathmandu was 484 per 100 000 person-years and in Kavrepalanchok was 615 per 100 000 person-years. While all geographic areas for which estimates could be made had incidence \u3e200 per 100 000 person-years, we observed spatial heterogeneity with up to 10-fold variation in incidence between communities.Conclusions: In urban, periurban, and rural communities in and around Kathmandu, we measured a high but heterogenous incidence of typhoid. These findings provide some support for the introduction of conjugate vaccines in Nepal, including outside urban areas, alongside other measures to prevent enteric fever

Diagnostic value of clinical features to distinguish enteric fever from other febrile illnesses in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan

Background: Enteric fever, a bacterial infection caused by Salmonella enterica serotypes Typhi and Paratyphi A, frequently presents as a nonlocalizing febrile illness that is difficult to distinguish from other infectious causes of fever. Blood culture is not widely available in endemic settings and, even when available, results can take up to 5 days. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of clinical features, including both reported symptoms and clinical signs, of enteric fever among patients participating in the Surveillance for Enteric Fever in Asia Project (SEAP), a 3-year surveillance study in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan.Methods: Outpatients presenting with ≥3 consecutive days of reported fever and inpatients with clinically suspected enteric fever from all 6 SEAP study hospitals were eligible to participate. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of select clinical features against blood culture results among outpatients using mixed-effect regression models with a random effect for study site hospital. We also compared the clinical features of S. Typhi to S. Paratyphi A among both outpatients and inpatients.Results: We enrolled 20 899 outpatients, of whom 2116 (10.1%) had positive blood cultures for S. Typhi and 297 (1.4%) had positive cultures for S. Paratyphi A. The sensitivity of absence of cough was the highest among all evaluated features, at 65.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 55.0-74.7), followed by measured fever at presentation at 59.0% (95% CI, 51.6-65.9) and being unable to complete normal activities for 3 or more days at 51.0% (95% CI, 23.8-77.6). A combined case definition of 3 or more consecutive days of reported fever and 1 or more of the following (a) either the absence of cough, (b) fever at presentation, or (c) 3 or more consecutive days of being unable to conduct usual activity--yielded a sensitivity of 94.6% (95% CI, 93.4-95.5) and specificity of 13.6% (95% CI, 9.8-17.5).Conclusions: Clinical features do not accurately distinguish blood culture-confirmed enteric fever from other febrile syndromes. Rapid, affordable, and accurate diagnostics are urgently needed, particularly in settings with limited or no blood culture capacity

Antibiotic use prior to hospital presentation among individuals with suspected enteric fever in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan

Background: Antibiotic use prior to seeking care at a hospital may reduce the sensitivity of blood culture for enteric fever, with implications for both clinical care and surveillance. The Surveillance for Enteric Fever in Asia Project (SEAP) is a prospective study of enteric fever incidence in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Nested within SEAP, we evaluated the accuracy of self-reported antibiotic use and investigated the association between antibiotic use and blood culture positivity.Methods: Between November 2016 and April 2019, we collected urine samples among a subset of SEAP participants to test for antibiotic use prior to the hospital visit using an antibacterial activity assay. All participants were asked about recent antibiotic use and had a blood culture performed. We used mixed-effect logit models to evaluate the effect of antimicrobial use on blood culture positivity, adjusted for markers of disease severity.Results: We enrolled 2939 patients with suspected enteric fever. Antibiotics were detected in 39% (1145/2939) of urine samples. The correlation between measured and reported antibiotic use was modest (κ = 0.72). After adjusting for disease severity, patients with antibiotics in their urine were slightly more likely to be blood culture positive for enteric fever; however, the effect was not statistically significant (prevalence ratio, 1.22 [95% confidence interval, .99-1.50]).Conclusions: The reliability of self-reported prior antibiotic use was modest among individuals presenting with fever to tertiary hospitals. While antibiotics are likely to reduce the sensitivity of blood culture, our findings indicate that there is still considerable value in performing blood culture for individuals reporting antibiotic use