A Hybrid Metaheuristic Algorithm for Stop Point Selection in Wireless Rechargeable Sensor Network

A wireless rechargeable sensor network (WRSN) enables charging of rechargeable sensor nodes (RSN) wirelessly through a mobile charging vehicle (MCV). Most existing works choose the MCV’s stop point (SP) at random, the cluster’s center, or the cluster head position, all without exploring the demand from RSNs. It results in a long charging delay, a low charging throughput, frequent MCV trips, and more dead nodes. To overcome these issues, this paper proposes a hybrid metaheuristic algorithm for stop point selection (HMA-SPS) that combines the techniques of the dragonfly algorithm (DA), firefly algorithm (FA), and gray wolf optimization (GWO) algorithms. Using FA and GWO techniques, DA predicts an ideal SP using the run-time metrics of RSNs, such as energy, delay, distance, and trust factors. The simulated results demonstrate faster convergence with low delay and highlight that more RSNs can be recharged with fewer MCV visits, further enhancing energy utilization, throughput, network lifetime, and trust factor

Evaluation of different native Streptomyces spp. for effective management of rhizome rot of turmeric

The efficacy of talc based bioformulations containing various biocontrol agents against rhizome rot disease caused by Pythium aphanidermatum in turmeric plants was evaluated under field condition. Indigenous biocontrol agents such as Streptomyceslydicus, Streptomyces griseus and Streptomyces sannanensis belonging to actinomycetes group, Pseudomonas fluorescens (bacterial) and Trichoderma atroviride (fungal) were selected for the biological control of rhizome rot of turmeric. The results indicated a significantly stronger reduction in disease severity in trial plots treated with Bacillus subtilis based commercial fungicide ‘Companion’ when compared to plants treated with indigenous biocontrol agents. However, it was reverse in trial plots in terms of turmeric rhizome yield potential, yield attributes, physiological components, biochemical constituents and quality characteristics of rhizomes. Among 17 treatments, a dual mixture of S. griseus and T. atroviride achieved the best disease control as well as plant growth improvement when compared to single and triple combinations of biocontrol agents. The present study confirms that exploration of microbial formulations containing Streptomyces spp.as soil inoculant to turmeric plants exhibited some benefits to turmeric plant growth as well as controlling rhizome rot disease, which ultimately enhance the overall quality characteristics of rhizomes. Further, our results suggest that a dual combination of biocontrol agents represent a promising method for effective management of rhizome rot of turmeric

MEDDB: A medicinal plant database developed with the information gathered from tribal people in and around Madurai, Tamil Nadu

Tribal peoples are endowed with enriched traditional wisdom to use available nature resources around them. They are well versed in the usage of plant for treating various diseases. They have used powder or extract or paste form of the plant parts such as root, shoot, whole plant, fruits and leaves etc. The recipe known by the tribal people was passed on only to their family members and community through mouth to mouth practice. Hence, the knowledge is confined to particular people alone. It is always expedient to store information in the database, so that it will be accessible by everyone from everywhere. To achieve this, MEDDB has been developed, which stores the details of 110 plant species that are commonly used by tribes for fever, asthma, cold, cough, diabetes, diarrhea, dysentery, eye infections, stomach ache, wounds and snake bite. The details of each plant were collected from the literature and through web search to give comprehensive and exhaustive information. Each plant entry is compiled under the subheadings viz., common name, classification, physical characteristics, medicinal uses, active constituents, and references

Plant Defence Related Enzymes in Rice (Oryzae sativa L.,) Induced by Pseudomonas sp VSMKU2

In recent days, antibiotic producing fluorescent pseudomonads (FPs) has been used as a bioorganic tool for the control of sheath blight disease of rice. Combined application of antagonistic microorganism showed that significant bio control activity and enhances plant growth by induced systemic resistance (ISR). The present study, we carryout morphological, physiological and biochemical analysis and then identified, the selected isolate VSMKU2 is Pseudomonas sp. Maximum level of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) was quantified in the treatment of Pseudomonas sp VSMKU2 + R. solani on the 7th day (97.50 nmol trans-cinnamic acid/min/g). Similarly, the cell free culture filtrate of VSMKU2 challenged with R. solani demonstrated lower level of PAL activity on 7th day (91.76 nmol trans-cinnamic acid/min/g) compared to control. Peroxidase (PO) and polyphenoloxidase (PPO) gave higher activity in Pseudomonas sp VSMKU2 challenged with R. solani on 7th day (0.94 and 0.95 unit/min/g of proteinrespectively) but 14th and 21st day after challenged inoculation of R. solani had been reduced (0.92, 0.75 and 0.82, 0.65 unit/min/g of protein) compared to control. The total phenol content activity was significantly increased with Pseudomonas sp VSMKU2 (148.27 µg catechol/mg/g of protein) and cell free culture filtrate of VSMKU2 (137 µg catechol/mg/g of protein) treated in rice seedlings on 7th day after challenged inoculation of R. solani compared to control. The results obtained in the current study imply to Pseudomonas sp VSMKU2 was able to rise defence response, thereby contribute resistance to sheath blight disease

Biocontrol Properties and Functional Characterization of Rice Rhizobacterium Pseudomonas sp. VSMKU4036

A total of 30 fluorescent pseudomonads (FPs) were showed significant antagonistic activity against different fungal phytopathogens with different level of the zone of inhibition (ZOI) for Rhizoctonia solani (5mm-34mm), Macrophomina phaseolina (9mm-37mm), Scleotium rolfsii (4mm-36mm), Helminthusporium solani (5mm-27mm), Fusarium oxysporum (2mm-25mm) and Fusarium oxysporum RACE (4mm-31mm) compared to control. The maximum growth of our selected isolate VSMKU4036 was observed in King’B Broth (KBB), pH 7.0 and at 37°C. The VSMKU4036 isolate has been recognized as Pseudomonas sp, based on the morphological, biological, and different functional characteristics. Antagonistic rhizobacterium Pseudomonas sp VSMKU4036 produced antimicrobial traits, such as plant growth promotion and various functional characters like siderophores, hydrogen cyanide (HCN), phosphate solubilization, indole acetic acid (IAA), biofilms formation, protease, gelatinase, amylase, and pectinase. Our superior biocontrol isolate VSMKU4036 was high resistance to tetracycline, streptomycin and nalidixic acid, however, it was sensitive to ampicillin and rifamycin. Pseudomonas sp VSMKU4036 showed maximum resistance to cadmium, nickel chloride, copper sulphate, magnesium sulphate, zinc chloride and ferric chloride where as highly sensitive to mercuric chloride, and selenium dioxide compared to control

Haploidentical Natural Killer Cell Therapy as an Adjunct to Stem Cell Transplantation for Treatment of Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML), defined as failure of two cycles of induction therapy at diagnosis or of one cycle at relapse, represents a subgroup with poor outcomes. Haploidentical natural killer cell (NK) therapy is a strategy that is being explored in refractory malignancies. Historically, at our center, patients with refractory AML have been treated with cytoreductive therapy (fludarabine + cytosine + granulocyte colony-stimulating factor ± idarubicin or mitoxantrone + etoposide) followed by 1-week rest and then reduced-intensity transplant with fludarabine + melphalan. We used the same backbone for this trial (CTRI/2019/02/017505) with the addition of CD56-positive cells from a family donor infused 1 day after the completion of chemotherapy. CD56-positive selection was done using a CliniMACS Prodigy system (Miltenyi Biotec, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany) followed by overnight incubation in autologous plasma with 2 micromolar arsenic trioxide and 500 U/mL of interleukin-2. From February 2019, 14 patients with a median age of 29 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 16.5–38.5) were enrolled in this trial. Six were females. Six had primary refractory AML while eight had relapsed refractory AML. The median CD56-cell dose infused was 46.16 × 106/kg (IQR: 25.06–70.36). One patient withdrew consent after NK cell infusion. Of the 13 patients who proceeded to transplant, five died of immediate post-transplant complications while two did not engraft but were in morphologic leukemia-free state (both subsequently died of infective complications after the second transplant). Of the remaining six patients who engrafted and survived beyond 1 month of the transplant, two developed disease relapse and died. The remaining four patients are alive and relapse free at the last follow-up (mean follow-up duration of surviving patients is 24 months). The 2-year estimated overall survival for the cohort was 28.6% ± 12.1% while the treatment-related mortality (TRM) with this approach was 38.5% ± 13.5%. Haploidentical NK cell therapy as an adjunct to transplant is safe and needs further exploration in patients with AML. For refractory AML, post-transplant NK infusion and strategies to reduce TRM while using pre-transplant NK infusion merit exploration

sj-docx-1-cll-10.1177_09636897231198178 – Supplemental material for Haploidentical Natural Killer Cell Therapy as an Adjunct to Stem Cell Transplantation for Treatment of Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-cll-10.1177_09636897231198178 for Haploidentical Natural Killer Cell Therapy as an Adjunct to Stem Cell Transplantation for Treatment of Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia by Uday Kulkarni, Arun Kumar Arunachalam, Hamenth Kumar Palani, Reeshma Radhakrishnan Nair, Nithya Balasundaram, Arvind Venkatraman, Anu Korula, Sushil Selvarajan, Sharon Lionel, Poonkuzhali Balasubramanian, Madhavi Maddali, Aby Abraham, Biju George and Vikram Mathews in Cell Transplantation</p