Fungi - an Amalgam of Toxins and Antibiotics: a Mini- Review

Fungi are eukaryotes with many functions. Earlier, fungi were classified in the plant kingdom but were later classified as a separate kingdom due to their unique cell walls. Fungi are heterotrophs like animals and are more closely related to animals. The perception of fungi is inconspicuous due to their small sizes and their ability to grow symbiotically in plants, animals, other fungi, and parasites. Fungi are used for their nutrition, fermentation potential, and bactericidal potential. However, fungi are also toxic due to certain bioactive compounds known as mycotoxins. Candida and Aspergillus are invasive species that contribute to a high percentage of mycoses in oncological and haematological patients. The mortality rate due to invasive aspergillosis and candidiasis is high, at 4% and 2%, respectively. In the agriculture sector, a significant contributor to damage to crops globally is the invasion of filamentous fungi. Fungi invasion destroys over 125 million tons of wheat, rice, soybeans, potatoes, and maize annually. If prevented, 600 million people may be fed. Therefore, it is vital to consider the dual role of fungi, therapeutic, and pathogenic

Authentication of Electronic Records: Limitations of Indian Legal Approach

Paper based documents have inherent authenticity and high evidentiary value for obvious reasons. The documents are permanent record of the contractual relationship of the parties and their contents cannot be so easily altered, modified or changed and even if any change is effected that can be easily detected. This is the reason that the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 excludes oral evidence in presence of documentary evidence. The moot point is that can an electronic record be treated equivalent to paper based record? In other words, can an electronic record have all the properties of the physical document appended with the hand written signature? This is necessitated by the fact that there are different laws in India providing that a contract is not valid unless it is in writing and signed by the parties. An attempt is made in this paper to analyze the provisions prescribing authentication of electronic records in India to demonstrate inherent limitations in them. To overcome these limitations, a new model of authentication is proposed which is based on digital signature combined with time stamping service

A global mental health fund for serious mental illness in low-income and middle-income countries.

Serious Mental Illnesses (SMI) are psychiatric disorders (excluding developmental and substance use disorders) that result in considerable functional impairment. These conditions receive little or no funding in most Low and Middle Income (LAMI) countries. The huge gap in resources for SMI can only be met by a global fund to provide the treatment of SMI in LAMI countries. The Global Fund to fight AIDS established more than two decades ago, not only provided enormous funding but most importantly, generated the hope that the condition could be treated. We argue that SMI stand today where HIV-AIDS was a couple of decades ago. The cost effective interventions for these disorders are available. For example, it is estimated that that an extra 11 Naira or I$ 0.27 per capita would need to be invested each year to increase the present treatment coverage for schizophrenia of 20% to a level of 70% in Nigeria. The treatment package should include free access to essential medicines to treat psychotic disorders and a component of appropriate evidence based psychosocial intervention, which have been evaluated in number of studies in these countries. It is ethical and public health imperative that a Global Fund to provide the basic treatment for those suffering from SMI is established and the seed money for the proposed fund should be provided by rapidly developing LAMI countries such as India and South Africa

HUBBLE PARAMETER MEASUREMENT CONSTRAINTS ON THE REDSHIFT OF THE DECELERATION-ACCELERATION TRANSITION, DYNAMICAL DARK ENERGY, AND SPACE CURVATURE

Citation: Farooq, O., Madiyar, F. R., Crandall, S., & Ratra, B. (2017). HUBBLE PARAMETER MEASUREMENT CONSTRAINTS ON THE REDSHIFT OF THE DECELERATION-ACCELERATION TRANSITION, DYNAMICAL DARK ENERGY, AND SPACE CURVATURE. Astrophysical Journal, 835(1), 11. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/835/1/26We compile an updated list of 38 measurements of the Hubble parameter H(z) between redshifts 0.07 <= z <= 2.36 and use them to place constraints on model parameters of constant and time-varying dark energy cosmological models, both spatially flat and curved. We use five models to measure the redshift of the cosmological deceleration-acceleration transition, z(da), from these H(z) data. Within the error bars, the measured zda are insensitive to the model used, depending only on the value assumed for the Hubble constant H-0. The weighted mean of our measurements is z(da) = 0.72 +/- 0.05 (0.84 +/- 0.03) for H-0 = 68 +/- 2.8 (73.24 +/- 1.74) km s(-1) Mpc(-1) and should provide a reasonably model-independent estimate of this cosmological parameter. The H(z) data are consistent with the standard spatially flat.CDM cosmological model but do not rule out nonflat models or dynamical dark energy models

The Federalisation of Cooperative Banking in Pakistan and Rural Cooperatives in Punjab Province

The creation of Pakistan on 14 August 1947 was the result of the irresistible and massive pressure of Muslim nationalism. The British colonial government, despite its initial reservations on the practicability and soundness of the demand, came around to the viewpoint of the Muslims and agreed to partition India. The Pakistan that came into being had two geographical units separated by 1,600 miles of Indian territory. The Eastern Wing became the independent Republic of Bangladesh at the end of 1971. Pakistan now comprises the West Wing of the Pakistan created in 1947

Training impact on household economy from backyard chicken

One hundred out of 200 randomly interviewed females in 10 villages of Mardan were selected to establish female groups. The members were trained in backyard chicken production by Female Livestock Extension Workers under the Livestock Extension Women Worker project, North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Pakistan. Regular follow up visits were made and data prior to and after one-year of training were collected to assess the impact of training on contribution of backyard chicken production to household economy and other associated problems. Training significantly (

ACC-deaminase producing plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and biochar mitigate adverse effects of drought stress on maize growth

Availability of good quality irrigation water is a big challenge in arid and semi arid regions of the world. Drought stress results in poor plant growth and low yield; however, the rhizobacteria, capable of producing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC)-deaminase are likely to improve crop growth and productivity under drought stress. Similarly, biochar could also ameliorate the negative impacts of drought stress. Therefore, this pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the role of ACC-deaminase producing plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) alone and in combinations with timber-waste biochar in improving maize growth under drought stress. The ACC-deaminase producing rhizobacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae, Achromobacter xylosoxidans and Leclercia adecarboxylata were studied along with two rates (0.75 and 1.50% of the soil weight) of biochar under three moisture levels i.e., normal moisture, mild drought stress and severe drought stress. The E. cloacae in conjunction with higher rate of biochar produced a significant improvement i.e., up to 60, 73, 43, 69, 76 and 42% respectively, in grain yield plant-1, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll a, total chlorophyll and carotenoids contents of maize as compared to the control under mild drought stress. Similarly, A. xylosoxidans with higher rate of biochar also enhanced grain yield plant-1, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll a, total chlorophyll and carotenoids contents of maize up to 200, 213, 113, 152, 148 and 284%, respectively over control under severe drought stress. In conclusion, combination of ACC-deaminase containing PGPR, A. xylosoxidans and biochar (0.75%) proved an effective technique to improve maize growth and productivity under drought stress

Synthesis of Mixed Ligand Complexes of M(II) Dithiocarbamato Derivative and 2,2'-bipyridyl and Study their Cytotoxic Effect Against HepG2 Cell Line in vitro

Mixed ligand of Co and Ni (II) complexes were prepared from [5-(p-nitrophenyl)-4/-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-dithiocarbamato hydrazide](TRZ.DTC) as primary ligand and 2,2'-bipyridyl (bipy) as a co-ligand with metal salts. These complexes were analytically and spectroscopically characterized in solid state by elemental analyses, flame atomic absorption, magnetic susceptibility and molar conductance measurements, as well as by UV–Vis and FTIR spectroscopy. Infrared, ultra violet spectra reveal a bidentate coordination of the two ligands with metal ions 1:1:1 mole ratio. Room temperature magnetic moments and solid reflectance spectra data indicate paramagnetic complexes with five-coordinate square pyramidal geometry for nickel (II) complex, while six-coordinate octahedral geometry for cobalt (II) complex in solid state. The mixed ligand and its respective complexes were screened for cytotoxicity assay on human HepG2 cell line using cis-Pt drug as a control positive following the cell culture method for 3 days after treatment with the tested compounds using eight different concentrations. The bioassay results showed good inhibition activity of these synthetic compounds especially Ni (II) complex on selected cell lines comparable with standard drug