Comparison of transgenic plant production for bacterial blight resistance in Pakistani local rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars

The study was carried out to improve bacterial leaf blight resistance in three rice cultivars (Basmati - 370, DR - 82 and IR - 6) by Agrobacterium mediated transformation system. Three week-old scutellum derived calli were infected with Agrobacterium strain EHA101, containing binary vector pTCL5 which has Xa 21 gene. Different levels of acetosyringone were tested to enhance transformation efficiency. Acetosyringone at 300 ìM showed 56.6% GUS expression with 100 and 200 ìM acetosyringone showing 13.3 and 30.0% GUS expression, respectively. Maximum transformation efficiency was obtained using DR - 82 with calli exposed to 300 ìM acetosyringone for 2 min. Direct hygromycin selection with 48 h ofco-cultivation was superior to pre-selection in all three cultivars. Transient GUS expression was 51.4% while stable GUS expression in calli was 18.8%. PCR analysis confirmed the presence of the Xa 21 gene in transformed regenerated plants. Stable varietal transformation efficiency was DR - 82 > Basmati-370 > IR - 6. Resistance of transgenic plants against Xanthomonas oryzae pathovar oryzae was evaluated with various strains/isolates at the seedling stage. All PCR positive transgenic plants of DR - 82 and Basmati - 370 were resistant with lesion areas less than 5% of the inoculated leaf area. The tested transgenic plants were resistant to all the indigenous and exotic strains tested due to the broad spectrum protection provided by the Xa 21 gene

Recent Development and Results with the MERLIN Tracking Code

MERLIN is a high performance accelerator simulation code which is used for modelling the collimation system at the LHC. It is written in extensible object-oriented C++ so new physics processes can be easily added. In this article we present recent developments needed for the Hi-Lumi LHC and future high energy colliders including FCC, such as hollow electron lenses and composite materials. We also give an overview of recent simulation work, validation against LHC data from run 1 and 2, and loss maps for Hi-Lumi LHC

A varicocoele mimicking a hydrocoele in a man with portal hypertension: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Hydrocoele is a condition frequently encountered in adult urological practice. It is usually of benign aetiology and often diagnosed on clinical grounds. Surgical repair, if indicated, is generally straightforward.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report a 53-year-old man with liver cirrhosis and clinical features of a hydrocoele, in whom flow was demonstrated using Doppler ultrasonography in the fluid around the testis, which communicated via varices with the left renal vein.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In this patient with misleading clinical signs, diagnosis was established radiologically. Had surgery proceeded without this investigation, significant intra-operative bleeding would have been likely.</p

MIL-53(Fe) derived magnetic CuFe2O4/Fe2O3 composite for catalytic oxidation of sulfamethoxazole via peroxymonsulfate activation

Design of metal–organic framework (MOF) derived metal oxides is an effective approach for environmental remediation. The current study describes the fabrication of MIL-53-derived perforated CuFe2O4/Fe2O3 using a facile, one-step, post-thermal solid-state approach by varying Cu/Fe ratios. Herein, the release of CO2 and H2O during the thermal treatment facilitates the incorporation of Cu2+ onto the Fe2O3 structure, forming a perforated hollow CuFe2O4/Fe2O3 composite via an in-situ ion-exchange mechanism. The optimised catalyst CF-0.5 displays a high degradation efficiency for the removal of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) by heterogeneous activation of peroxymonsulfate (PMS), ascribing to the better textural, morphological, and elemental properties of the novel catalyst. Important reaction parameters such as pH, catalyst loading, PMS dosage, pollutant kind and concentration, and reaction temperature are further optimised to develop a cost-effective catalytic system. The magnetically recoverable catalyst outlines a high stability rate, and only a 9 % efficiency loss is observed even after the fourth cycle. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are identified by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) and their roles are determined by performing quenching experiments. In the end, a detailed study of the mineralisation ability and reaction intermediates is performed and possible pathways for the degradation mechanism are proposed. This study not only introduces a facile approach for the fabrication of MOF-driven nanomaterials but provides insights into the removal of emerging contaminants such as SMX

Heterogeneous activation of persulfate by macroscopic nitrogen-doped graphene oxide cubes for the degradation of antibiotic contaminants in water

As a sustainable and green approach, carbocatalysis, a metal-free strategy, has shown exceptional results in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Nonetheless, the recovery of these catalysts has been a major shortcoming over the years. Herein, three-dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene macrostructures (3D-NGMs), in the form of macro cubes, were synthesised by a simple cross-linking and thermal annealing procedure, after which they were employed in the activation of peroxydisulfate (PS) for the degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The catalytic cubes were loaded with different amounts of nitrogen precursor to investigate the role of nitrogen configuration in the sp2 hybridised carbon network on AOPs. NGC3 cubes with optimum N-loading exhibited outstanding performance for SMX degradation owing to their optimum N/C ratio. Various reaction parameters were studied to optimise the catalytic system. Comprehensive studies on the radical generation were done and illustrated the dominance of the non-radical pathway leading to the proposal of a possible reaction mechanism for SMX. This study not only suggests the role of nitrogen doping on graphene macrostructures but also provides novel insights into macro catalysis to overcome the recovery challenges posed by nano catalysis

Investigating the Acceptance of Mobile Library Applications with an Extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)

© 2019 Mobile applications are getting a great deal of interest among researchers due to their proliferation and pervasiveness, especially in the context of digital libraries of educational institutes. However, their low acceptance and usage are observed, hence, in-depth investigations are required in order to understand the factors behind low acceptance and intention to use mobile library application (MLA). Therefore, the aim of this work is to empirically explore the acceptance of MLA with a proposed model that is evolved from the technology acceptance model (TAM). The study objects to deliver empirical provision on acceptance of MLA. A self-administrated cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted to gather data from 340 users of MLA. Structural equation model (SEM) with an analysis of moment structure (AMOS) software was conducted to examine quantitative data. Results revealed that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are direct significant predictors with the intention to use MLA whereas system quality and habit are the influencing factors toward the usage intention of MLA. The findings help as a guide for effective decision in the design and development of MLA. Further, the outcomes can be utilized in the resource allocation process for ensuring the success of the library's vision and mission

Methyl 4-hy­droxy-2-meth­oxy­carbonyl­methyl-1,1-dioxo-1,2-dihydro-1λ6,2-benzothia­zine-3-carboxyl­ate1

There are two independent mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit of the title compound, C13H13NO7S, which have almost identical geometries. The thia­zine ring adopts a sofa conformation in both mol­ecules and the mol­ecular conformations are stabilized by intramolecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. Inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds stabilize the crystal packing