Genetic characterization of Vibrio cholerae strains by inter simple sequence repeat-PCR

The utility of inter simple sequence repeat-PCR (ISSR-PCR) assay in the characterization and elucidation of the phylogenetic relationship between the pathogenic and nonpathogenic isolates of Vibrio cholerae is demonstrated. A total of 45 V. cholerae strains including 15 O1 El Tor, nine O139 and 21 non-O1/non-O139 strains were analyzed using eight ISSR primers. These primers, which are essentially simple sequence repeats (SSR) with additional nonrepeat bases at the 5' or 3' end, amplify genomic regions interspersed between closely spaced SSRs. Neighbor-joining analysis showed that the strains belonging to the same serogroup clustered together with the exception of one O1 and two O139 strains. The absence of pathogenicity islands in these strains, as confirmed by PCR, suggested their non-O1/non-O139 origin. Thus the ISSR-PCR-based phylogeny was consistent with the classification of V. cholerae based on serological methods. A finer resolution of the clustering of the toxinogenic O1 El Tor and toxinogenic O139 subtypes was obtained by ISSR-PCR analysis as compared with the Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus sequences-based PCR analysis for the same set of strains. Thus, it is proposed that ISSR-PCR is an efficient tool in phylogenetic classification of prokaryotic genomes in general and diagnostic genotyping of microbial pathogens in particular

Rapid production of therapeutic proteins using plant system

Plant molecular farming is simply defined as the production of proteins therapeutics (PT) in plants, which involves transient gene expression in plants and purification of expressed protein to a great scale for diagnosis, treatment and other applications.  This is therapid,economical, safe and reproducible approach for the production of PTas compared to bacterial and mammalian systems. Protein yield and post-translational modifications are the major roadblocks that can be overcome byhigh expression strategies includes over expression constructs, suitable plant host systems and glycoengineering of proteins. The inherent ability of ideally producing safe, functional protein is the most striking phenomenon recognized by the pharmaceutical industries and developed many therapeutic products within few weeks to meet escalating demands during pandemic/epidemic outbreaks recentl

Metabolite Profiling for Six 'B' Vitamins Using LC-MS in Tomato Genotypes at Different Stages of Fruit Maturity

Vitamins are essential nutrients in food crucial for maintaining good health. Tomato, being a widely consumed vegetable, provides a good quantity of vitamins. Metabolite profiling of vitamins at different stages of fruit maturity in a crop helps identify the right stage for better quality. Based on preliminary screening for quality parameters, tomato lines rich in TSS, antioxidants, lycopene and beta-carotene were selected for the present study. Eight genotypes and a wild species were profiled for 'B' vitamins at three different stages of fruit maturity, viz., green, breaker and ripe stage. A simple and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method for simultaneous determination of six 'B' vitamins was developed and validated by us. Among the genotypes studied, IIHR-249-1 recorded higher niacin, pantothenic acid and biotin content. Pyridoxine content was higher in the hybrid, Arka Rakshak. The wild species, LA-1777(Solanum habrochaites) was found to be rich in pantothenic acid, riboflavin and thiamine. Content of most of the vitamins increased with ripening of the fruit. IIHR-249-1 and LA-1777 were found to be rich in 'B' vitamins, earlier reported to be also rich in antioxidants and lycopene. These genotypes can be used for improving the nutritive value of tomato under crop improvement programmes, through conventional breeding or biotechnological approaches

Deposition of tin oxide, iridium and iridium oxide films by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition for electrochemical wastewater treatment

In this research, the specific electrodes were prepared by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) in a hot-wall CVD reactor with the presence of O2 under reduced pressure. The Ir protective layer was deposited by using (Methylcyclopentadienyl) (1,5-cyclooctadiene) iridium (I), (MeCp)Ir(COD), as precursor. Tetraethyltin (TET) was used as precursor for the deposition of SnO2 active layer. The optimum condition for Ir film deposition was at 300 °C, 125 of O2/(MeCp)Ir(COD) molar ratio and 12 Torr of total pressure. While that of SnO2 active layer was at 380 °C, 1200 of O2/TET molar ratio and 15 Torr of total pressure. The prepared SnO2/Ir/Ti electrodes were tested for anodic oxidation of organic pollutant in a simple three-electrode electrochemical reactor using oxalic acid as model solution. The electrochemical experiments indicate that more than 80% of organic pollutant was removed after 2.1 Ah/L of charge has been applied. The kinetic investigation gives a two-step process for organic pollutant degradation, the kinetic was zero-order and first-order with respect to TOC of model solution for high and low TOC concentrations, respectively

The impact of intraoperative fluid management during laparoscopic donor nephrectomy on donor and recipient outcomes

BackgroundIntraoperative fluid management during laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) may have a significant effect on donor and recipient outcomes. We sought to quantify variability in fluid management and investigate its impact on donor and recipient outcomes.MethodsA retrospective review of patients who underwent LDN from July 2011 to January 2016 with paired kidney recipients at a single center was performed. Patients were divided into tertiles of intraoperative fluid management (standard, high, and aggressive). Donor and recipient demographics, intraoperative data, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed.ResultsOverall, 413 paired kidney donors and recipients were identified. Intraoperative fluid management (mL/h) was highly variable with no correlation to donor weight (kg) (R = 0.017). The aggressive fluid management group had significantly lower recipient creatinine levels on postoperative day 1. However, no significant differences were noted in creatinine levels out to 6 months between groups. No significant differences were noted in recipient postoperative complications, graft loss, and death. There was a significant increase (P < 0.01) in the number of total donor complications in the aggressive fluid management group.ConclusionsAggressive fluid management during LDN does not improve recipient outcomes and may worsen donor outcomes compared to standard fluid management.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149691/1/ctr13542_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149691/2/ctr13542.pd

Electric Vehicle Wireless Charging using RFID

Electric vehicle (EV) wireless charging using radio-frequency identification (RFID) is a novel technology that enables the charging of electric vehicles without the need for wires or cables. The technology utilizes RFID tags that are installed on the EV, which communicate with the charging pad through electromagnetic fields. The charging process is initiated when the RFID reader detects the presence of the EV with the installed RFID tag, and the charging pad is activated. The power transfer is then enabled between the charging pad and the EV, allowing for the charging process to begin. RFID-based wireless charging technology offers numerous benefits over traditional wired charging systems. For instance, it eliminates the need for physical connectors, thereby reducing the wear and tear of components and increasing the convenience of charging. Moreover, the technology is more efficient, with minimal energy losses, and reduces the risk of electrical hazards. It also minimizes the impact of weather conditions and road debris on the charging process, making it suitable for both indoor and outdoor charging application. In conclusion, EV wireless charging using RFID is a promising technology that can potentially revolutionize the EV charging industry. It offers numerous benefits, including increased convenience, efficiency, and safety, and has the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact of transportation

Assessment of phytoplankton diversity, distribution, and environmental variables along the southeast coast of India

Coastal waters are dynamic because of anthropogenic activities that contribute nutrients and contaminants. These changes have the potential to alter patterns of primary production and thus pelagic food webs. Here, we investigated the spatial variation of the phytoplankton community and its response to changing environmental variables at 84 stations along the five coastal districts of Tamil Nadu (TN). During the present study, 85 phytoplankton species were recorded, such as diatoms (64), dinoflagellates (18), silicoflagellates (1), and Cyanophyceae (2). The maximum phytoplankton abundance was recorded on the Thanjavur coast and gradually decreased towards the south coast of Tamil Nadu. Among the phytoplankton community, 50% was dominated by pennate diatoms, attributed to higher NO3− concentrations in the coastal waters due to agricultural discharge. Cluster analysis revealed that Ramanathapuram and Tirunelveli formed a closed cluster, whereas Thanjavur and Pudukottai formed a separate closed cluster associated with higher nutrient and metal concentrations, highlighting the difference in physicochemical parameters between the northern and southern districts of the TN coast. Relatively high nutrient concentrations in the coastal waters of northern districts are of greater concern, which could impact the coastal ecosystem. Coastal eutrophication is becoming a widespread phenomenon, causing disruption in the food chain and ecosystem balances and hence requiring regular monitoring and management

Continuous Interaction with a Virtual Human

Attentive Speaking and Active Listening require that a Virtual Human be capable of simultaneous perception/interpretation and production of communicative behavior. A Virtual Human should be able to signal its attitude and attention while it is listening to its interaction partner, and be able to attend to its interaction partner while it is speaking – and modify its communicative behavior on-the-fly based on what it perceives from its partner. This report presents the results of a four week summer project that was part of eNTERFACE’10. The project resulted in progress on several aspects of continuous interaction such as scheduling and interrupting multimodal behavior, automatic classification of listener responses, generation of response eliciting behavior, and models for appropriate reactions to listener responses. A pilot user study was conducted with ten participants. In addition, the project yielded a number of deliverables that are released for public access

The lived experiences of frontline nurses during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Qatar: A qualitative study

This study aims to explore the lived experiences of frontline nurses providing nursing care for COVID-19 patients in Qatar. Qualitative, Phenomenological. Nurses were recruited from a designated COVID-19 facility using purposive and snowball sampling. The participants were interviewed face-to-face using semi-structured interview questions from 6 September-10 October 2020. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. A total of 30 nurses were interviewed; (76.7%) were deployed for >6 months. Three major themes were drawn from the analysis: (a) Challenges of working in a COVID-19 facility (subthemes: working in a new context and new working environment, worn out by the workload, the struggle of wearing protective gear, fear of COVID-19, witnessing suffering); (b) Surviving COVID-19 (subthemes: keeping it safe with extra measures, change in eating habits, teamwork and camaraderie, social support); and (c) Resilience of Nurses (subthemes: a true calling, a sense of purpose).This study was funded by the Medical Research Center at Hamad Medical Corporation (MRC-01-20-423

Risk factors for non-communicable diseases at baseline and their short-term changes in a workplace cohort in Singapore

Copyright © 2019 by the authors. We aimed to examine the behavioural and clinical risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) at baseline and their changes over 12 months in a workplace cohort in Singapore. A total of 464 full-time employees (age ≥ 21 years) were recruited from a variety of occupational settings, including offices, control rooms, and workshops. Of these, 424 (91.4%) were followed-up at three months and 334 (72.0%) were followed up at 12 months. Standardized questionnaires were used to collect data on health behaviours and clinical measurements were performed by trained staff using standard instruments and protocols. Age-adjusted changes in risk factors over time were examined using generalized estimating equations or linear mixed-effects models where appropriate. The mean age of the participants at baseline was 39.0 (SD: 11.4) years and 79.5% were men. Nearly a quarter (24.4%) were current smokers, slightly more than half (53.5%) were alcohol drinkers, two-thirds (66%) were consuming <5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day, and 23.1% were physically inactive. More than two-thirds (67%) were overweight or obese and 34.5% had central obesity. The mean follow-up was 8.6 months. After adjusting for age, over 12 months, there was a significant increase in the proportion consuming <5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day by 33% (p = 0.030), who were physically inactive by 64% (p < 0.001), and of overweight or obese people by 15% (p = 0.018). The burden of several key NCD risk factors at baseline was high and some worsened within a short period of time in this working population. There is a need for more targeted strategies for behaviour change towards a healthy lifestyle as part of the ongoing health and wellness programs at workplaces in SingaporeSingapore Ministry of National Development and the National Research Foundation; Prime Minister’s Office under the Land and Liveability National Innovation Challenge (L2 NIC) Research Programme