Osmopriming combined with Boron-Tolerant Bacteria (Bacillus sp. MN54) improved the productivity of Desi Chickpea under rainfed and irrigated conditions

Chickpeas are rich source of protein and predominantly grown in boron (B)-deficient sandy-loam soils in Pakistan. Boron-tolerant bacteria (BTB) could tolerate higher B levels in soil and increase B availability to the plants. Field trials were conducted under irrigated (district Layyah) and rainfed (district Chakwal) conditions to evaluate the interactive effects of pre-optimized B application methods and BTB (Bacillus sp. MN54) on the nodule’s population, grain quality, productivity, and grain-B concentration in desi chickpea during 2019–2020 and 2020–2021. Boron was applied as soil application (1 kg B ha−1), foliar application (0.025% B), osmopriming (0.001% B), and seed coating (1.5 g B kg−1 seed) with or without BTB inoculation. Untreated seeds receiving no B through any of the methods were regarded as control. The individual and interactive effects (up to three-way interaction of location × BTB inoculation × B application methods) of year, location, B application methods and BTB inoculation significantly altered the growth and yield-related traits of desi chickpea. The four-way interaction of year × location × BTB inoculation × B application methods was non-significant for all recorded growth and yield-related traits. Regarding individual effects, the higher values of growth and yield-related traits were noted for 2020–2021, rainfed location, BTB inoculation and B application through seed priming. Similarly, in two-way interactions 2020–2021 with rainfed location and BTB inoculation, rainfed location with BTB inoculation and osmopriming and osmopriming with BTB inoculation recorded higher values of the growth and yield-related traits. Osmopriming combined with BTB inoculation significantly improved dry matter accumulation and leaf area index in both locations. Boron application through all the methods significantly improved grain quality, yield grain B concentration. The highest grain and biological yields, and nodules’ population were recorded with osmopriming followed by soil application of B combined with BTB inoculation. The highest plant B concentration (75.05%) was recorded with foliar application of B followed by osmopriming (68.73%) combined with BTB inoculation. Moreover, the highest economic returns (USD 2068.5 ha−1) and benefit–cost ratio (3.7%) were recorded with osmopriming + BTB inoculation in 2020–2021 under rainfed conditions. Overall, B application through osmopriming and soil application combined with BTB inoculation could be used to increase productivity and profitability of desi chickpea, whereas foliar application is a better method to enhance grain and plant B concentration

Construction of S-Box based on chaotic map and algebraic structures

The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is widely used in different kinds of security applications. The substitution box (S-box) is the main component of many modern symmetric encryption ciphers that provides confusion between the secret key and ciphertext. The S-box component that is used in AES is fixed. If we construct this component dynamically, the encryption strength of AES would be greater than before. In this manuscript, we used chaotic logistic map, Mobius transformation and symmetric group S256 to construct S-box for AES. The idea behind the proposed work is to make supplementary safe S-box. The presented S-box is analyzed for the following analyses: linear approximation probability (LP), nonlinearity (NL), differential approximation probability (DP), strict avalanche criterion (SAC), and bit independence criterion (BIC). The analyses show that the proposed technique is useful in generating high resistance S-box to known attacksThe publication of this article was funded by the Qatar National Library

Soil-Applied boron combined with Boron-Tolerant Bacteria (Bacillus sp. MN54) improve root proliferation and nodulation, yield and agronomic grain biofortification of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Chickpea is widely cultivated on calcareous sandy soils in arid and semi-arid regions of Pakistan; however, widespread boron (B) deficiencies in these soils significantly decreases its productivity. Soil application of B could improve chickpea yield and grain-B concentration. However, optimizing suitable B level is necessary due to a narrow deficiency and toxicity range of B. Nonetheless, the co-application of B-tolerant bacteria (BTB) and synthetic B fertilizer could be helpful in obtaining higher chickpea yields and grain-B concentration. Therefore, this study optimized the level of soil applied B along with BTB, (i.e., Bacillus sp. MN54) to improve growth, yield and grain-B concentrations of chickpea. The B concentrations included in the study were 0.00 (control), 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00 mg B kg−1 soil combined with or without Bacillus sp. MN54 inoculation. Soil application of B significantly improved root system, nodulation, yield and grain-B concentration, and Bacillus sp. MN54 inoculation further improved these traits. Moreover, B application at a lower dose (0.25 mg B kg−1 soil) with BTB inoculation recorded the highest improvements in root system (longer roots with more roots’ proliferation), growth, nodulation and grain yield. However, the highest grain-B concentration was recorded under a higher B level (0.75 mg B kg−1 soil) included in the study. Soil application of 0.25 mg B kg−1 with Bacillus sp. MN54 inoculation improved growth and yield-related traits, especially nodule population (81%), number of pods plant−1 (38%), number of grains plant−1 (65%) and grain yield (47%) compared with control treatment. However, the grain-B concentration was higher under the highest B level (1.00 mg kg−1 soil) with Bacillus sp. MN54 inoculation. In conclusion, soil application of 0.25 mg B kg−1 with Bacillus sp. MN54 inoculation is a pragmatic option to improve the root system, nodule population, seedling growth, yield and agronomic grain-B biofortification of chickpea

Suspension high velocity oxy-fuel (SHVOF) spray of delta-theta alumina suspension: phase transformation and tribology

Suspension high-velocity oxy-fuel (SHVOF) thermal spray is an emerging spray technology that enables the processing of nanometric feedstock. Although SHVOF thermal sprayed alumina coatings prepared from alpha alumina feedstock have been widely reported, a metastable δ-θ Al2O3 feedstock has yet to be investigated despite its low cost and commercial availability. In this study, an aqueous δ-θ Al2O3 suspension was sprayed on to a stainless steel (SS 304) substrate via SHVOF thermal spraying using an internal injection UTP TopGun. X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the as-sprayed coating showed δ-θ Al2O3 to γ-Al2O3 transformation upon spraying, along with amorphous/nanocrystalline phase formation. Furthermore, post-spray heat treatment of the coatings was performed at 600–750 °C for 6 and 48 h. The microhardness and indentation fracture toughness of the heat treated coatings increased by a factor of two compared to the as-sprayed coatings: due to grain refinement, pore consolidation and phase transformation of amorphous and γ-Al2O3 to δ-Al2O3. Unlubricated sliding wear tests were conducted at room temperature (~25 °C, relative humidity ~60%) using α-Al2O3 balls (Ø 9.5 mm) as the counter body at a normal load of 16.8 N to study the wear performance of the coatings. The wear rate of the as-sprayed coating and the coating heat treated at 600 °C for 6 h is of the order of 10−9 mm3 (Nm)−1, a noticeable improvement over conventional alumina coatings. The coatings heat treated at 750 °C for both 6 and 48 h failed abruptly by severe wear due to their pre-cracked surface

Seed dormancy and germination in Dodonaea viscosa (Sapindaceae) from south-western Saudi Arabia

Dodonaea viscosa (Sapindaceae) is widespread in the mountainous highlands of the southwestern part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where it is a medicinally important species for the people of Saudi Arabia. Seeds of this species were collected from Mount Atharb in the Al-Baha region, at an altitude of 2100 m. The aims of this study were to determine if the seeds of D. viscosa have physical dormancy (i.e. a water-impermeable seed coat) and, if so, what treatments would break dormancy, and what conditions promote germination after dormancy has been broken. The dormancy-breaking treatments included: soaking of seeds in concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4) for 10 minutes, immersion in boiling water for 10 minutes and exposure to 50 °C for 1 minute. After seeds had been pre-treated with H2SO4, to break dormancy, they were incubated at constant temperatures from 5 to 35°C, under 12-h photoperiods or in continuous darkness, and germination recorded. Salinity tolerance was investigated by incubating acid-scarified seeds in 0, 100, 200 and 300 mM NaCl in the light at 25°C. Untreated seeds had low final germination (30%). Seeds that had been acid-scarified, immersed in boiling water or exposed to 50 °C all achieved 91% subsequently when incubated at 25°C. Thus, seeds of this species in Saudi Arabia have physical dormancy, which can be broken by all three treatments designed to increase the permeability of the testa. After pre-treatment, there was a broad optimum constant temperature for germination that ranged between 5-25°C but germination was inhibited by higher temperatures (30 and 35°C). Light had little effect on this germination response. Scarified seeds were also sensitive to salinity, with the highest germination in distilled water and complete inhibition in 400 mM NaCl. Seeds that failed to germinate in saline treatments were mostly able to germinate on transfer to distilled water, suggesting osmotic inhibition

Electronic Structures of Cu/S Co-doped/Anatase TiO 2 by First-principles

ABSTRACT The structural parameters, band structures and density of states of anatase TiO2 co-doped with Cu and S were calculated by first-principles based on the density functional theory. The results indicate that the volumes of the co-doped TiO2 increase due to the lattice distortion. The calculated X-ray diffraction pattern shows that the crystal phase of TiO2 is still kept as anatase after Cu and S co-doping. The band gap of TiO2 broadened when S substitutes for Ti or O along with Cu substitutes for Ti. The calculated partial density of states shows that the impurity energy levels mainly come from the Cu 3d and S 3p orbital. The calculated results may provide some theoretical foundations for the photocatalytic activity enhancement of TiO2 co-doped with Cu and S

IBD Serology and Disease Outcomes in African Americans with Crohn's Disease

Backgrounds: Recent studies have identified the role of serologic markers in characterizing disease phenotype, location, complications, and severity among Northern Europeans (NE) with Crohn's disease (CD). However, very little is known about the role of serology in CD among African Americans (AA). Our study explored the relationship between serology and disease phenotype in AA with CD, while controlling for genetic ancestry. Methods: AAs with CD were enrolled as participants through multicenter collaborative efforts. Serological levels of IgA anti-Saccharomyces cervisiae antibody (ASCA), IgG ASCA, E. coli outermembrane porin C, anti-CBir1, and ANCA were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Genotyping was performed using Illumina immunochip technology; an admixture rate was calculated for each subject. Multiple imputation by chained equations was performed to account for data missing at random. Logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratio (OR) for associations between serological markers and both complicated disease and disease requiring surgery. Results: A total of 358 patients were included in the analysis. The majority of our patients had inflammatory, noncomplicated disease (58.4%), perianal disease (55.7%), and documented colonic inflammation (86.8%). On multivariable analysis, both IgG ASCA and OmpC were associated with complicated disease (OR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.67-4.28; OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.41-3.53, respectively) and disease requiring surgery (OR, 2.51; 95% CI, 1.49-4.22; OR, 3.57; 95% CI, 2.12-6.00). NE admixture to the African genome did not have any associations or interactions in relation to clinical outcome. Conclusions: Our study comprises the largest cohort of AAs with CD. The utility of serological markers for the prognosis of CD in NE applies equally to AA populations

Measurement of jet suppression in central Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN)=2.76 TeV

The transverse momentum(p(T)) spectrum and nuclear modification factor (R-AA) of reconstructed jets in 0-10% and 10-30% central Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN) = 2.76 TeV were measured. Jets were reconstructed using the anti-k(T) jet algorithm with a resolution parameter of R = 0.2 from charged and neutral particles, utilizing the ALICE tracking detectors and Electromagnetic Calorimeter (EMCal). The jet p(T) spectra are reported in the pseudorapidity interval of \eta(jet)\ 5 GeV/c to suppress jets constructed from the combinatorial background in Pb-Pb collisions. The leading charged particle requirement applied to jet spectra both in pp and Pb-Pb collisions had a negligible effect on the R-AA. The nuclear modification factor R-AA was found to be 0.28 +/- 0.04 in 0-10% and 0.35 +/- 0.04 in 10-30% collisions, independent of p(T), jet within the uncertainties of the measurement. The observed suppression is in fair agreement with expectations from two model calculations with different approaches to jet quenching. (C) 2015 CERN for the benefit of the ALICE Collaboration. Published by Elsevier B.V.Peer reviewe

EPIdemiology of Surgery-Associated Acute Kidney Injury (EPIS-AKI) : Study protocol for a multicentre, observational trial

More than 300 million surgical procedures are performed each year. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after major surgery and is associated with adverse short-term and long-term outcomes. However, there is a large variation in the incidence of reported AKI rates. The establishment of an accurate epidemiology of surgery-associated AKI is important for healthcare policy, quality initiatives, clinical trials, as well as for improving guidelines. The objective of the Epidemiology of Surgery-associated Acute Kidney Injury (EPIS-AKI) trial is to prospectively evaluate the epidemiology of AKI after major surgery using the latest Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) consensus definition of AKI. EPIS-AKI is an international prospective, observational, multicentre cohort study including 10 000 patients undergoing major surgery who are subsequently admitted to the ICU or a similar high dependency unit. The primary endpoint is the incidence of AKI within 72 hours after surgery according to the KDIGO criteria. Secondary endpoints include use of renal replacement therapy (RRT), mortality during ICU and hospital stay, length of ICU and hospital stay and major adverse kidney events (combined endpoint consisting of persistent renal dysfunction, RRT and mortality) at day 90. Further, we will evaluate preoperative and intraoperative risk factors affecting the incidence of postoperative AKI. In an add-on analysis, we will assess urinary biomarkers for early detection of AKI. EPIS-AKI has been approved by the leading Ethics Committee of the Medical Council North Rhine-Westphalia, of the Westphalian Wilhelms-University Münster and the corresponding Ethics Committee at each participating site. Results will be disseminated widely and published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at conferences and used to design further AKI-related trials. Trial registration number NCT04165369

Mapping geographical inequalities in childhood diarrhoeal morbidity and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries, 2000–17 : analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Across low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), one in ten deaths in children younger than 5 years is attributable to diarrhoea. The substantial between-country variation in both diarrhoea incidence and mortality is attributable to interventions that protect children, prevent infection, and treat disease. Identifying subnational regions with the highest burden and mapping associated risk factors can aid in reducing preventable childhood diarrhoea. Methods We used Bayesian model-based geostatistics and a geolocated dataset comprising 15 072 746 children younger than 5 years from 466 surveys in 94 LMICs, in combination with findings of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017, to estimate posterior distributions of diarrhoea prevalence, incidence, and mortality from 2000 to 2017. From these data, we estimated the burden of diarrhoea at varying subnational levels (termed units) by spatially aggregating draws, and we investigated the drivers of subnational patterns by creating aggregated risk factor estimates. Findings The greatest declines in diarrhoeal mortality were seen in south and southeast Asia and South America, where 54·0% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 38·1–65·8), 17·4% (7·7–28·4), and 59·5% (34·2–86·9) of units, respectively, recorded decreases in deaths from diarrhoea greater than 10%. Although children in much of Africa remain at high risk of death due to diarrhoea, regions with the most deaths were outside Africa, with the highest mortality units located in Pakistan. Indonesia showed the greatest within-country geographical inequality; some regions had mortality rates nearly four times the average country rate. Reductions in mortality were correlated to improvements in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) or reductions in child growth failure (CGF). Similarly, most high-risk areas had poor WASH, high CGF, or low oral rehydration therapy coverage. Interpretation By co-analysing geospatial trends in diarrhoeal burden and its key risk factors, we could assess candidate drivers of subnational death reduction. Further, by doing a counterfactual analysis of the remaining disease burden using key risk factors, we identified potential intervention strategies for vulnerable populations. In view of the demands for limited resources in LMICs, accurately quantifying the burden of diarrhoea and its drivers is important for precision public health