Determination, characterisation and combination of novel resistance genes to stripe and stem rust in wheat

Triticum aestivum L., commonly known as bread wheat, characterized by a chromosomal composition of 2n = 6x = 42 (AABBDD), is a significant source of dietary protein and daily calorie intake for much of the global population. Stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis Westend. f. sp. tritici Eriks) and stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici Erikss & E. Henning) now pose substantial threats to overall wheat production worldwide, since most rust resistance genes in wheat have been overcome by virulent rust fungus races. It is essential to enhance genetic resistance against these devastating diseases.Wheat acquires crucial reservoirs of new resistance genes through introgressions from derivatives of Secale cereale, Leymus mollis, Leymus racemosus, and Thinopyrum junceiforme. This study systematically examined seedling resistance to various stripe rust races to identify new sources of resistance. Six wheat-rye introgression lines (SLU124, SLU125, SLU126, SLU127, SLU128 and SLU129) containing rye chromosomes 4R, 5R, and 6R were identified as carriers of previously undiscovered resistance genes against stripe rust races. Seedling assays confirmed that the stripe rust resistance in line SLU126 was retained over multiple generations. Using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) platforms and aligning putative GBS-SNPs with fully annotated rye NLR genes, three Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR (KASP) markers were designed specifically for a chromosomal region at chromosome 6R, associated with two distinct stripe rust resistance genes. The development and validation of the wheat-rye cryptic translocation 6DS.6DL.6RL.6DL, featuring newfound stripe rust resistance genes, were conducted through seedling resistance assays and molecular analysis. The stripe rust resistance gene in family 29-N3-5 onthe rye chromosome 6RL arm was provisionally designated YrSLU. Extensive molecular marker analysis and multiple-generation seedling assays revealed that stripe rust resistance in SLU124 is located on the 4RL chromosome arm of rye. Two KASP markers located on the 4RL chromosome were identified as being closely associated with two stripe rust resistance genes in resistant plants of a SLU124 population. Using marker-assisted gene pyramiding, stem rust resistance gene Sr59 and stripe rust resistance gene YrSLU were combined in a single wheat genotype.Overall, this thesis demonstrated the advantages of marker-assisted gene pyramiding in transferring multiple disease resistance genes within a single genotype. Incorporation of these resistance genes into wheat has expanded the gene pool for combating destructive diseases

Role of negative cognitions in PTSD and depression

This study was conducted to look at common cognitive factors that maintain PTSD and depression in a sample of women who had experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). For this purpose, a path analysis was conducted to study the simultaneous associations of negative thoughts about the self, negative thoughts about the world, and self-blame with continuous ratings of PTSD and depression. The results showed a significant association of negative thoughts about the self with PTSD and depression. The results showed a significant association of negative thoughts about the world with PTSD but not depression. No significant associations were seen for self-blame with either PTSD or depression. The findings suggest that negative thoughts about the self are a common maintaining factor for PTSD and depression. It may benefit to address these thoughts when working with survivors of IPV

An Intelligent Path for Improving Diversity at Law Firms (Un)Artificially

Most law firms are struggling when it comes to diversity and inclusion. There are fewer women in law firms compared to men. The majority of lawyers—81%—are White, despite White people making up only about 65% of the law school population. Lawyers of color remain underrepresented with the historic high being only 28.32%. By comparison, 13.4% of the United States population is Black and 5.9% is Asian. The biases that perpetuate this lack of diversity in law firms begin during the hiring process and extend to associate retainment. For example, an applicant’s resume reveals a lot, including the prestige of the law school they attend (which can create inferences about their socioeconomic status); their class status, depending on extracurricular activities (i.e., playing polo v. interning with a dentist); or their gender, based on their name or other details. Continuing to depend on these biases is detrimental to law firms for various reasons. They lead to the same demographics of hired candidates, to the exclusion of other diverse candidates. Clients also have been demanding their outside counsel to be diverse, or risk losing their business. This paper recommends law firms seeking to address diversity and inclusion issues adopt artificial intelligence (“AI”) in the hiring and retention of lawyers. AI is a term that refers to computers that accomplish tasks that would ordinarily require human intelligence. While AI is being used in other legal tasks successfully to automate routine work and cut costs, there is an added benefit to using AI in hiring and recruiting: firms can remove human biases. This Note begins by first identifying the current lack of diversity in law firms and discussing how bias is a major contributing factor. Second, it will explain how clients are influencing outside counsel to have an increasingly diverse workforce. It will then propose AI as a beneficial solution that can help firms increase diversity and inclusion in both the hiring processes and retention efforts of attorneys while mitigating human biases. Specifically, this paper will discuss the advantages of AI as applied to resume screening, structured interviewing, fair performance management, and equal compensation systems. Finally, it will outline challenges to using AI and how firms can overcome them to use AI fairly and efficiently

Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Genetic Prevalence of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases in Gram-Negative Rods Isolated from Clinical Specimens in Pakistan

The prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes has increased remarkably, resulting in multidrug-resistant gram-negative rods (GNRs) in clinical specimens. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of ESBL-producing GNRs and its correlation with corresponding genes. Two hundred and seventy-two (n = 272) samples were evaluated for the molecular identification of ESBL genes by polymerase chain reaction after confirmation with the modified double-disc synergy test. E. coli 64.0% (n = 174) was the most prevalent ESBL producer, followed by Klebsiella species 27.2% (n = seventy-four), Acinetobacter species 6.6% (n = eighteen) and others 2.2% (n = six). These ESBL-producing isolates showed resistance to β-lactam antibiotics, i.e., sulbactam/cefoperazone (41.5%), piperacillin/tazobactam (39.3%), meropenem (36.0%), imipenem (34.2%) and non- β-lactam antibiotics, i.e., nalidixic acid (89.0%), co-trimoxazole (84.9%), ciprofloxacin (82.4%), gentamicin (46.3%), nitrofurantoin (24.6%), amikacin (19.9%) and fosfomycin (19.9%). The incidences of the ESBLs-producing genes blaCTX-M, blaTEM, blaOXA and blaSHV were 91.2%, 61.8%, 39.3% and 17.6%, respectively. Among nine multiple-gene combinations, blaCTX-M + blaTEM (30.5%) was the most prevalent combination, followed by blaCTX-M + blaOXA + blaTEM (14.0%), blaCTX-M + blaOXA (13.6%), blaCTX-M + blaTEM + blaSHV (7.0%), blaCTX-M + blaSHV (2.2%), blaCTX-M + blaOXA + blaSHV (2.2%) and blaOXA + blaTEM (1.8%). ESBLs producing GNRs carrying blaCTX-M, blaTEM, blaOXA and blaSHV showed resistances to β-lactam antibiotics, i.e., ampicillin, amoxillin-clavulanic acid, cefotaxime and ceftazidime but were susceptible to carbapenems (meropenem and imipenem), β-lactam-β-lactamase inhibitor combination (piperacillin/tazobactam) and non-β-lactam antibiotics i.e., aminoglycoside (amikacin and gentamicin), nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin. These antibiotics that demonstrated activity may be used to treat infections in clinical settings.</p

Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Genetic Prevalence of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases in Gram-Negative Rods Isolated from Clinical Specimens in Pakistan

The prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes has increased remarkably, resulting in multidrug-resistant gram-negative rods (GNRs) in clinical specimens. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of ESBL-producing GNRs and its correlation with corresponding genes. Two hundred and seventy-two (n = 272) samples were evaluated for the molecular identification of ESBL genes by polymerase chain reaction after confirmation with the modified double-disc synergy test. E. coli 64.0% (n = 174) was the most prevalent ESBL producer, followed by Klebsiella species 27.2% (n = seventy-four), Acinetobacter species 6.6% (n = eighteen) and others 2.2% (n = six). These ESBL-producing isolates showed resistance to β-lactam antibiotics, i.e., sulbactam/cefoperazone (41.5%), piperacillin/tazobactam (39.3%), meropenem (36.0%), imipenem (34.2%) and non- β-lactam antibiotics, i.e., nalidixic acid (89.0%), co-trimoxazole (84.9%), ciprofloxacin (82.4%), gentamicin (46.3%), nitrofurantoin (24.6%), amikacin (19.9%) and fosfomycin (19.9%). The incidences of the ESBLs-producing genes blaCTX-M, blaTEM, blaOXA and blaSHV were 91.2%, 61.8%, 39.3% and 17.6%, respectively. Among nine multiple-gene combinations, blaCTX-M + blaTEM (30.5%) was the most prevalent combination, followed by blaCTX-M + blaOXA + blaTEM (14.0%), blaCTX-M + blaOXA (13.6%), blaCTX-M + blaTEM + blaSHV (7.0%), blaCTX-M + blaSHV (2.2%), blaCTX-M + blaOXA + blaSHV (2.2%) and blaOXA + blaTEM (1.8%). ESBLs producing GNRs carrying blaCTX-M, blaTEM, blaOXA and blaSHV showed resistances to β-lactam antibiotics, i.e., ampicillin, amoxillin-clavulanic acid, cefotaxime and ceftazidime but were susceptible to carbapenems (meropenem and imipenem), β-lactam-β-lactamase inhibitor combination (piperacillin/tazobactam) and non-β-lactam antibiotics i.e., aminoglycoside (amikacin and gentamicin), nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin. These antibiotics that demonstrated activity may be used to treat infections in clinical settings.</p

Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Genetic Prevalence of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases in Gram-Negative Rods Isolated from Clinical Specimens in Pakistan

The prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes has increased remarkably, resulting in multidrug-resistant gram-negative rods (GNRs) in clinical specimens. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of ESBL-producing GNRs and its correlation with corresponding genes. Two hundred and seventy-two (n = 272) samples were evaluated for the molecular identification of ESBL genes by polymerase chain reaction after confirmation with the modified double-disc synergy test. E. coli 64.0% (n = 174) was the most prevalent ESBL producer, followed by Klebsiella species 27.2% (n = seventy-four), Acinetobacter species 6.6% (n = eighteen) and others 2.2% (n = six). These ESBL-producing isolates showed resistance to β-lactam antibiotics, i.e., sulbactam/cefoperazone (41.5%), piperacillin/tazobactam (39.3%), meropenem (36.0%), imipenem (34.2%) and non- β-lactam antibiotics, i.e., nalidixic acid (89.0%), co-trimoxazole (84.9%), ciprofloxacin (82.4%), gentamicin (46.3%), nitrofurantoin (24.6%), amikacin (19.9%) and fosfomycin (19.9%). The incidences of the ESBLs-producing genes blaCTX-M, blaTEM, blaOXA and blaSHV were 91.2%, 61.8%, 39.3% and 17.6%, respectively. Among nine multiple-gene combinations, blaCTX-M + blaTEM (30.5%) was the most prevalent combination, followed by blaCTX-M + blaOXA + blaTEM (14.0%), blaCTX-M + blaOXA (13.6%), blaCTX-M + blaTEM + blaSHV (7.0%), blaCTX-M + blaSHV (2.2%), blaCTX-M + blaOXA + blaSHV (2.2%) and blaOXA + blaTEM (1.8%). ESBLs producing GNRs carrying blaCTX-M, blaTEM, blaOXA and blaSHV showed resistances to β-lactam antibiotics, i.e., ampicillin, amoxillin-clavulanic acid, cefotaxime and ceftazidime but were susceptible to carbapenems (meropenem and imipenem), β-lactam-β-lactamase inhibitor combination (piperacillin/tazobactam) and non-β-lactam antibiotics i.e., aminoglycoside (amikacin and gentamicin), nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin. These antibiotics that demonstrated activity may be used to treat infections in clinical settings.</p

Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Genetic Prevalence of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases in Gram-Negative Rods Isolated from Clinical Specimens in Pakistan

The prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes has increased remarkably, resulting in multidrug-resistant gram-negative rods (GNRs) in clinical specimens. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of ESBL-producing GNRs and its correlation with corresponding genes. Two hundred and seventy-two (n = 272) samples were evaluated for the molecular identification of ESBL genes by polymerase chain reaction after confirmation with the modified double-disc synergy test. E. coli 64.0% (n = 174) was the most prevalent ESBL producer, followed by Klebsiella species 27.2% (n = seventy-four), Acinetobacter species 6.6% (n = eighteen) and others 2.2% (n = six). These ESBL-producing isolates showed resistance to β-lactam antibiotics, i.e., sulbactam/cefoperazone (41.5%), piperacillin/tazobactam (39.3%), meropenem (36.0%), imipenem (34.2%) and non- β-lactam antibiotics, i.e., nalidixic acid (89.0%), co-trimoxazole (84.9%), ciprofloxacin (82.4%), gentamicin (46.3%), nitrofurantoin (24.6%), amikacin (19.9%) and fosfomycin (19.9%). The incidences of the ESBLs-producing genes blaCTX-M, blaTEM, blaOXA and blaSHV were 91.2%, 61.8%, 39.3% and 17.6%, respectively. Among nine multiple-gene combinations, blaCTX-M + blaTEM (30.5%) was the most prevalent combination, followed by blaCTX-M + blaOXA + blaTEM (14.0%), blaCTX-M + blaOXA (13.6%), blaCTX-M + blaTEM + blaSHV (7.0%), blaCTX-M + blaSHV (2.2%), blaCTX-M + blaOXA + blaSHV (2.2%) and blaOXA + blaTEM (1.8%). ESBLs producing GNRs carrying blaCTX-M, blaTEM, blaOXA and blaSHV showed resistances to β-lactam antibiotics, i.e., ampicillin, amoxillin-clavulanic acid, cefotaxime and ceftazidime but were susceptible to carbapenems (meropenem and imipenem), β-lactam-β-lactamase inhibitor combination (piperacillin/tazobactam) and non-β-lactam antibiotics i.e., aminoglycoside (amikacin and gentamicin), nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin. These antibiotics that demonstrated activity may be used to treat infections in clinical settings.</p

Outcome of traumatic inferior vena caval injuries: A case series

Inferior vena caval (IVC) injuries are uncommon and challenging. The objective of the study is to evaluate outcomes of patients operated for inferior vena caval injuries at a university hospital. This is a retrospective case series of all adult patients aged \u3e18 years who had been operated for traumatic IVC injuries at a university hospital between Jan 1998 to December 2018. During the study period, 9 patients with IVC injuries were operated with mean age of 26±10.3 years and all were males. Five (55.5%) patients had penetrating injuries while 4 (44.4%) had blunt trauma. Four (44.4%) patients had infra-renal while 5(66.7%) had suprarenal segment injuries with 4 (44.4%) patients undergoing primary repair of the injury. The most injured associated organ was liver 5 (55.6%). Thirty-days operative mortality was 66.7%