Comparative study for salt stress among seed, root stock and direct regenerated violet (Viola odorata L.) seedlings in relation to growth, ion contents and enzyme activities

The experiments were carried out to evaluate the comparative study for salt stress among seed, root stock and direct regenerated violet (Viola odorata L.) seedlings. Violet seedlings propagated through tissue culture (direct regeneration) had significantly higher salicylic acid (SA) concentrations from seed and rootstock propagated plants. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) studies prior to the salt treatments revealed that genetic similarity at the molecular level among seed, root stock and direct regenerated violet seedlings was 50.9 to 70.5%. NaCl applications (50 mol m–3) reduced plant and root lengths, plant fresh and dry weights in plants obtained through seeds and rootstock as compared to direct regenerated seedlings. Direct regenerated violet showed better plant growth significantly both in saline and non-saline conditions. Seedlings raised through direct regeneration strongly inhibited accumulation of Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Cl− and organic solute accumulations as glycinebetaine (GB) and root total soluble carbohydrates (TSC) but stimulated N and relative water contents (RWC). Direct regenerated seedlings showed an enhanced catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and guaiacol dependent peroxidase (GDP) activities as compared to seed and root stock propagated plants. It was concluded that direct regenerated plants had better performance under salt stress in relation to growth and ion accumulations as compared to seed and root stock propagated violet seedlings. This might be due to higher SA concentrations in direct regenerated seedlings which resulted from somaclonal variations or growth media applied during tissue culture technique

What molecular mechanism is adapted by plants during salt stress tolerance?

Salt stress harmfully shocks agricultural yield throughout the world affecting production whether it is for subsistence or economic outcomes. The plant response to salinity consists of numerous processes that must function in coordination to alleviate both cellular hyper-osmolarity and ion disequilibrium. Salt tolerance and yield stability are complex genetic traits that are difficult to establish in crops since salt stress may occur as a catastrophic episode, be imposed continuously or intermittently and become gradually more severe at any stage during development. Molecular biology research has provided new insight into the plant response to salinity and identified genetic determinants that effect salt tolerance. Recent confirmation that many salt tolerance determinants are ubiquitous in plants has led to the use of genetic models, like Arabidopsis thaliana, to further dissect the plant salt stress response. Since manyof the most fundamental salt tolerance determinants are those that mediate cellular ion homeostasis, this review will focus primarily on the functional essentiality of ion homeostasis mechanisms in plantsalt tolerance. The transport systems that facilitate cellular capacity to utilize Na+ for osmotic adjustment and growth and the role of the Salt-Overly-Sensitive (SOS) signal transduction pathway in the regulation of ion homeostasis and salt tolerance will be particularly emphasized. The objective of the review is to know “What molecular mechanism is adopted by plants during salt stress tolerance?” A conclusion will be presented that integrates cellular based stress signaling and ion homeostasis mechanisms into a functional paradigm for whole plants and defines biotechnology strategies for enhancing salt tolerance of crops

Isolation and characterization of a bacterial strain for aniline degradation

Aniline, a serious environmental threat and health risk to living organisms is being released into the soil and water bodies owing to its expanded use in industry. The objective of the present study was to isolate a strain from rhizospheric soil samples of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) taken from anagricultural site near the industrial area of Faisalabad, with the capability of degrading aniline with its maximum activity. The isolated strain was identified as Staphylococcus aureus ST1 a newly reported strain for aniline degradation. The strain ST1 showed tolerance up to 2000 ppm for aniline on mineral salt media plates and its degradative ability was checked through shake flasks experiments using HPLC. The strain was capable of degrading aniline and utilizing it as a sole source of carbon andenergy. Maximum reduction of aniline concentration in medium up to 59.65% was observed after 72 h. An enhancement in biodegradation was observed using glucose as an additional growth substrate. The degradative products analyzed by HPLC were catechol, phenol and some other unknown compounds. Plasmid curing showed the involvement of plasmid encoded genes which was later followed by the isolation of plasmid DNA, which was found to be a large one of ~40 kb having restriction sites for enzymes (EcoRI, BamHI, ClaI, StuI, PstI, and HindIII) used

Feasibility investigation of direct laser cutting process of metal foam with high pore density

To avoid damage to the pore structure of metal foam, a laser cutting process for efficiently and directly cutting metal foam into regular shapes is proposed. After analyzing the proposed laser cutting process, its effects when applied to three different types of metal material (copper, ferroalloy, and nickel) and two levels of pore density, namely 90 and 110 pores per inch (PPI), were investigated. The results show that metal foam with a good surface quality can be obtained without damaging the pore structure by using the proposed laser cutting process. Of the three metal types considered, the highest material removal rate (MRR) and material oxidation rate (MOR) were observed for ferroalloy foam. Of the two pore densities, metal foam of 90 PPI showed a larger material removal rate than metal foam of 110 PPI. The MRR and MOR increased with an increase in the laser output power and decrease in the scanning speed. Using a central composite experimental design method, optimized processing parameters of 26 W laser output power and 475 mm/s scanning speed were adopted to cut the metal foam with a high pore density

Using Light to Improve Commercial Value

The plasticity of plant morphology has evolved to maximize reproductive fitness in response to prevailing environmental conditions. Leaf architecture elaborates to maximize light harvesting, while the transition to flowering can either be accelerated or delayed to improve an individual's fitness. One of the most important environmental signals is light, with plants using light for both photosynthesis and as an environmental signal. Plants perceive different wavelengths of light using distinct photoreceptors. Recent advances in LED technology now enable light quality to be manipulated at a commercial scale, and as such opportunities now exist to take advantage of plants' developmental plasticity to enhance crop yield and quality through precise manipulation of a crops' lighting regime. This review will discuss how plants perceive and respond to light, and consider how these specific signaling pathways can be manipulated to improve crop yield and quality

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Background: Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. // Methods: We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung's disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. // Findings: We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung's disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middle-income countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in low-income countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. // Interpretation: Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Prognostic model to predict postoperative acute kidney injury in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery based on a national prospective observational cohort study.

Background: Acute illness, existing co-morbidities and surgical stress response can all contribute to postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery. The aim of this study was prospectively to develop a pragmatic prognostic model to stratify patients according to risk of developing AKI after major gastrointestinal surgery. Methods: This prospective multicentre cohort study included consecutive adults undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection, liver resection or stoma reversal in 2-week blocks over a continuous 3-month period. The primary outcome was the rate of AKI within 7 days of surgery. Bootstrap stability was used to select clinically plausible risk factors into the model. Internal model validation was carried out by bootstrap validation. Results: A total of 4544 patients were included across 173 centres in the UK and Ireland. The overall rate of AKI was 14·2 per cent (646 of 4544) and the 30-day mortality rate was 1·8 per cent (84 of 4544). Stage 1 AKI was significantly associated with 30-day mortality (unadjusted odds ratio 7·61, 95 per cent c.i. 4·49 to 12·90; P < 0·001), with increasing odds of death with each AKI stage. Six variables were selected for inclusion in the prognostic model: age, sex, ASA grade, preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate, planned open surgery and preoperative use of either an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker. Internal validation demonstrated good model discrimination (c-statistic 0·65). Discussion: Following major gastrointestinal surgery, AKI occurred in one in seven patients. This preoperative prognostic model identified patients at high risk of postoperative AKI. Validation in an independent data set is required to ensure generalizability

Evaluation of gamma irradiation and moringa leaf powder on quality characteristics of meat balls under different packaging materials

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of irradiation doses (0, 1.5, and 3 kGy) on the physicochemical and microbial qualities of meat balls with or without moringa leaf powder (MLP) and 14 days under refrigerated storage. The results indicated that irradiation and storage caused significant changes on physicochemical attributes of meatballs and the decreasing trend in stability was observed in meatballs stored under aerobic packaging. Highest pH and TVBN were observed in samples treated with 3 kGy at day 14 in aerobic packaging without MLP. The addition of MLP and higher doses of irradiation reduced the total aerobic bacteria and coliforms counts. Different treatments did not affect the sensory quality of chicken samples. Hence, it was concluded that irradiation dose at 1.5 kGy with the addition of MLP and vacuum packaging may enhanced the safety, quality as well as stability of chicken meat during storage intervals. Practical applications: The health benefits of meat and its products make them popular among the consumers. Hence, this study indicates the significance of irradiation (at low dose) in preserving the meat for long time without causing immense deteriorative changes in its quality. Moreover, the addition of moringa leaf powder (MLP) (a natural antioxidant) and type of packaging (vacuum packaging) plays a vital role in maintaining the shelf life and stabilizing the safety of meat without causing major changes in its physicochemical, functional, and sensory characteristics