An insight decipher on photocatalytic degradation of microplastics: Mechanism, limitations, and future outlook.

Plastic material manufacturing and buildup over the past 50 years has significantly increased pollution levels. Microplastics (MPs) and non-biodegradable residual plastic films have become the two most pressing environmental issues among the numerous types of plastic pollution. These tiny plastic flakes enter water systems from a variety of sources, contaminating the water. Since MPs can be consumed by people and aquatic species and eventually make their way into the food chain, their presence in the environment poses a serious concern. Traditional technologies can remove MPs to some extent, but their functional groups, stable covalent bonds, and hydrophobic nature make them difficult to eliminate completely. The urgent need to develop a sustainable solution to the worldwide contamination caused by MPs has led to the exploration of various techniques. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as photo-catalytic oxidation, photo-degradation, and electrochemical oxidation have been investigated. Among these, photocatalysis stands out as the most promising method for degrading MPs. Photocatalysis is an environmentally friendly process that utilizes light energy to facilitate a chemical reaction, breaking down MPs into carbon dioxide and water-soluble hydrocarbons under aqueous conditions. In photocatalysis, semiconductors act as photocatalysts by absorbing energy from a light source, becoming excited, and generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). These ROS, including hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and superoxide ions ( [Formula: see text] ), play a crucial role in the degradation of MPs. This extensive review provides a detailed exploration of the mechanisms and processes underlying the photocatalytic removal of MPs, emphasizing its potential as an efficient and environmentally friendly approach to address the issue of plastic pollution.

Deciphering soil-plant-animal continuum in relation to trace elements in middle Gangetic plain region of India.

The soil-plant-animal continuum represents an evolving realm in biological research that's why this study was undertaken in the middle Gangetic plain region of India. Trace and ultra-trace elements were analyzed in 100 soil samples, 147 feed and fodder samples, as well as 69 blood and 127 hair samples with the help of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The levels of trace and ultra-trace elements in the soil were significantly higher than those in the feed, and similarly, the concentrations in the feed were notably higher than those in the blood of dairy cattle. Blood and hair samples from the cattle showed deficiencies in copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn), with reaching approximately 20% and 50%, respectively. Correlation analysis indicated significant (P < 0.05) associations between the trace and ultra-trace elements in plants and the corresponding elements found in cattle's hair, specifically for iron (Fe) and molybdenum (Mo). Conversely, a significant (P < 0.05) negative correlation was observed between soil composition and cattle's blood, while a positive correlation was evident only in the case of silver content between plant and cattle's hair. Regression analyses revealed positive linear relationships between minerals in soils and plants, as well as between plants and cattle. However, the correlation coefficients were statistically insignificant. The regression equations established to predict mineral concentrations in cattle based on soil and plant mineral contents indicated a positive relationship for both trace and ultra-trace elements, suggesting the potential to measure the mineral status in dairy cattle through this approach.

Comparative genomic diversity analysis of copy number variations (CNV) in indicine and taurine cattle thriving in Europe and Indian subcontinent.

Copy number variations (CNVs) include deletions, duplications, and insertions that are larger than 50 bp in size causing structural variation responsible for diversity, adaptation, and breed development. Indian cattle breeds are highly diverse from the taurine breeds. The pattern of CNVRs in 191 animals belonging to 39 cattle breeds (four Indicine and 35 Taurine) was studied based on Illumina 777K BovineHD chip data. The Indicine breeds revealed 2590 CNVs and 335 copy number variation regions (CNVRs) in autosomes. Out of the identified CNVs, 50 were found to be novel. Structure analysis revealed admixed nature of Siri. Neighbor joining tree from CNVR data showed that hot (Kankrej and Hallikar) and cold (Ladakhi and Siri) adapted cattle breeds clustered separately. CNVR of Indian and European breeds revealed that Balkan and Italian breeds of Podolian group are admixed with Indian cattle breeds corroborating indicine introgression (6.1-13.5%). CNVRs spanning the regions of olfactory receptors and immune system genes were identified. AMOVA revealed 9% variation among populations which is 2% greater than SNP based studies showing higher inclusion of variation by CNVR. Detailed analysis of CNVs/CNVRs in Indian cattle adapted to hot and cold climate, and their diversity among worldwide cattle is presented in this study.

Can adoption of climate resilient management practices achieve carbon neutrality in traditional green revolution states of Punjab and Haryana?

Decreasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and enhancing soil carbon (C) sequestration in cropland are necessary to achieve carbon neutrality at national scale. The major objective of this study is to quantify the GHG mitigation potential of adopted climate resilient (CR) practices in CR villages using Ex-ACT tool developed by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Intensively cultivated area of Punjab and Haryana was selected for carrying out this study. In both the states, villages were selected by considering the climate for past 30 years. In the selected villages, a set of CR practices were implemented in annuals, perennials, irrigated rice, fertilizer use, land use change and livestock and quantified the GHG mitigation potential in these villages for next twenty years. The tool predicted that the CR practices adopted were successful in enhancing the overall sink (carbon balance) in all the study villages. The villages of Punjab had recorded higher mitigation potential as compared to the villages of Haryana. The overall sink potential in these villages ranged from -354 to -38309 Mg CO2-eq. The change in sink potential varied from 3.16 to 112% with lowest in Radauri and highest in Badhauchhi kalan village. The sink potential got doubled in Badhauchhi kalan village due to stopping rice straw burning and increase in area under perennials by 25%. The source potential varied from 6.33 to -7.44% across the study villages. Even with the implementation of NICRA, there was increase in source by 5.58 and 6.33% in Killi Nihal Singh Wala and Radauri due to irrigated rice, land use change and livestock. Majorly, rice straw burning was seen in most of the study villages, yet, with proper residue management and adoption of CR practices (mainly intermittent flooding) in rice cultivation resulted in emissions reduction up to 5-26% with enhanced productivity up to 15-18%, which can be considered for scaling up. Fertilizer management reduced the emissions by average of 13% across the study villages. Farm gate emission intensity per ton of milk and rice recorded highest emission intensity compared to annuals and perennials suggesting strict implementation of CR practices in rice cultivation and livestock sector. Implementation and scaling up of CR practices could potentially reduce the emissions and make the village C negative in intensive rice-wheat production system.

Newly designed acrylamide derivative-based pH-responsive hydrogel-urease bioconjugates: synthesis and catalytic urea hydrolysis.

Jack bean urease, the first nickel metalloenzyme, and crystallized enzymes have historical significance due to their several applications in the biomedical and other fields. For the first time, cross-linker free pH-responsive hydrogel-urease bioconjugates have been reported. Without the use of divinyl benzene or divinyl acrylamide derivatives, urease was immobilized inside the hydrogel matrix and various grades of bioconjugates were synthesized. The hydrogel-urease bioconjugate exhibits excellent swelling-deswelling and pH-responsive characteristics without affecting the urease enzyme. The pH-responsive bioconjugates were characterized by FT-IR, powder XRD, SEM, TGA, and UV-vis spectroscopy. Urea hydrolysis and enzyme affinity have been investigated at pH 4, pH 7, and pH 11 using bioconjugates and free urease. At basic pH, BCs showed excellent enzyme activity. In summary, this technique is effective for stabilizing biomacromolecules at different pHs for a variety of real applications.

Starch bio-based composite active edible film functionalized with Carum carvi L. essential oil: antimicrobial, rheological, physic-mechanical and optical attributes.

In the present study, the antimicrobial, rheological, mechanical, barrier and optical properties of Carrageenan and Manihot esculenta (composite) starch biobased edible film incorporated with caraway (Carum carvi L.) essential oil (EO) were investigated. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of caraway oil against B. cereus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus were found to be 0.6, 1.4, 1.4 and 0.8% respectively. The Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) of caraway EO expressed a distinct chromatogram peak for phenolic compounds. Rheological results of Film-Forming Solution (FFS) revealed solid-like viscoelastic behavior. Incorporation of caraway EO in the film caused significant (P < 0.05) increase in moisture, moisture absorption, bio-degradability in terms of film solubility, L value, total color difference (ΔE), haziness and transparency value, however, significantly (P < 0.05) decreased tensile strength and whiteness index were observed. The zone of inhibition of caraway EO incorporated films against all test bacteria were highly significant (P < 0.01) than control whereas antibacterial activity was found more towards gram-positive bacteria than gram-negative bacteria. No significant (P>0.05) changes in thickness, density, water activity, swelling, elongation at break, water vapor transmission rate, a and b value were observed with increasing caraway EO concentration. These results with some good rheological, physic-mechanical, antimicrobial and optical characteristics suggest the application of such active film into a variety of foods with improved food safety and quality. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-021-05028-1.

Temperature-based phenology model for predicting the present and future establishment and distribution of recently invasive Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) in India.

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) is a polyphagous and highly destructive invasive insect pest of many crops. It was recently introduced into India and widely reported in almost all parts of India. Development of a temperature-based phenology model for predicting its rate of development and distribution will help in understanding the establishment and further spread of introduced invasive insect pests. Development, survival and reproduction parameters of S. frugiperda at six constant temperature conditions (15, 20, 25, 27, 30 and 35°C) were investigated and further validated with data generated under fluctuating temperature conditions. The estimated lower developmental threshold temperatures were 12.1°C for eggs, 11°C for larvae, 12.2°C for pupae, 15.13°C for males and 12.66°C for females. Degree-day (DD) requirements for the development of the different stages of S. frugiperda were 50, 250 and 200 DD for egg, larva and pupa, respectively. The best-fitted functions were compiled for each life stage to yield a phenology model, which was stochastically simulated to estimate the life table parameters. The developed phenology model predicted temperature ranges between 27 and 30°C as favourable for S. frugiperda development, survival and reproduction. The results revealed that maximum net reproductive rate (215.66 females/female/generation) and total fecundity (981.08 individuals/female/generation) were attained at 30°C constant temperature. The mean length of generations decreased from 74.29 days at 15°C to 38.74 days at 30°C. The maximum intrinsic rate of increase (0.138 females/female/day) and shortest doubling time (4.9 days) were also observed at 30°C. Results of simulated life table parameters showed high temperature-dependent development of S. frugiperda and complete development within all the tested constant temperature ranges (15-35°C). Simulated life table parameters for predicting risk indices of S. frugiperda in India indicated a significant increase in activity indices and establishment risk indices with a higher number of generations during future (2050 and 2070) climatic change scenarios compared to present conditions. Our results indicate that India will be highly suitable for the establishment and survival of S. frugiperda in future time periods.

Vitamin D Status of Very Low Birth Weight Neonates at Baseline and Follow-up after Daily Intake of 800 IU Vitamin D.

INTRODUCTION: Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is rampant in neonates. Recommendations for supplementation are variable. METHODS: An observational study was done on less than 32 weeks of very low birth weight neonates to find prevalence of VDD (<20 ng/ml) at baseline; at 38 ± 2 weeks post-menstrual age (PMA) after daily intake of 800 IU vitamin D (vit D). Secondary objectives were to find determinants of VDD, to compare growth in deficient; vit D sufficient (VDS) neonates; to find vit D toxicity. RESULTS: Of 83 neonates, 81 (97.6%) were VDD at baseline and 5 (6%) at 38 ± 2 weeks PMA. Determinants for VDD at baseline were inadequate maternal sun exposure (p < 0.001) and vit D supplementation (p = 0.007). Factors for VDD at 38 ± 2 weeks PMA were male gender (p = 0.049), morbidities (p = 0.006), ventilation >24 h (<0.001), sepsis (p = 0.032), caffeine (p ≤ 0.001) and missed supplements (p < 0.001). Weight and length gain of VDD to VDS neonates were (6.70 ± 2.40 to 8.96 ± 2.21 g/day); (0.82 ± 0.34 to 1.08 ± 0.37 cm/week), respectively (p < 0.001). Head circumference gain (cm/week) of VDS; VDD neonates was 0.58 ± 0.09; 0.54 ± 0.06 (p = 0.054), respectively. No neonates developed vit D toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: In preterm VLBW neonates, the prevalence of VDD was 97.6% but decreased by >90% at 38 ± 2 weeks with a daily intake of 800 IU vit D. Inadequate maternal vit D intake and sun exposure determined low baseline vit D status of neonates. Male gender, morbidities, ventilation, sepsis, caffeine, missed vitamin D supplements were determinants of poor vit D status at follow-up. Weight gain and length increments were more in the VDS group.

Monitoring Iodine Deficiency in a District Hospital, Nepal.

Background Iodine deficiency possesses serious threat to pregnant women and infants. During pregnancy, iodine deficiency can result in stillbirth while in infants it can lead to impaired brain development. Objective This study was conducted to assess the status of iodine deficiency among pregnant women and infants. Method Ninety seven pregnant women seeking antenatal check-up (ANC) from Chautara Hospital Sindhupalchowk were included to analyze urine iodine. Thirty one mothers and their children were followed-up for their clinical status. Additionally, the infants were assessed for their urine iodine excretion and the mothers were assessed for their awareness about iodine and iodine deficiency disorder (IDD). Result Urinary iodine excretion revealed 25.2% of pregnant women and 20% children below one year of age had insufficient iodine intake while 42.9% of pregnant women and 24% children had iodine level above normal. Almost all households were found using iodized salt, 80% respondents had heard about iodized salt, 13% mothers were aware of benefits of iodized salt, 41.9% had knowledge of iodine deficiency diseases and 38.4% cognized the source of iodine. Conclusion Though awareness about iodine and iodine deficiency disorder was satisfactory, pregnant women and children were at risk of iodine deficiency and excessive iodine disorder. Therefore, to improve health of pregnant women and newborn, their nutrition must be prioritized which ultimately will help reduce morbidity and mortality.

Sensitivity Enhancement of a Concave Shaped Optical Fiber Refractive Index Sensor Covered with Multiple Au Nanowires.

In the present paper, a new kind of concave shaped refractive index sensor (CSRIS) exploiting localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is proposed and numerically optimized. The LSPR effect between polaritons and the core guided mode of designed CSRIS is used to enhance the sensing performance. The sensor is characterized for two types of sensing structures coated with gold (Au) film and Au nanowires (AuNWs), respectively. The influence of structural parameters such as the distance (D) of the concave shaped channel (CSC) from the core, the diameter of the nanowire (dn) and the size (s) of the CSC are investigated here. In comparison to Au film, the AuNWs are shown to significantly enhance the sensitivity and the performance of the designed sensor. An enhanced sensitivity of 4471 nm/RIU (refractive index unit) is obtained with AuNWs, for a wide range of analytes refractive index (na) varying between 1.33 to 1.38. However, for conventional Au film; the sensitivity of 808.57 nm/RIU is obtained for the same range of analytes.

Implementation of Active Case Detection of Visceral Leishmaniasis along with Leprosy through Female Community Health Volunteers in Sarlahi District, Nepal.

Background Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and leprosy are important public health problem in Nepal. Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) play pivotal role to promote community based health services. Therefore, we designed an implementation research to assess the effectiveness of active case detection (ACD) and information education and communication (IEC) campaign of Visceral leishmaniasis cases along with leprosy cases through Female Community Health Volunteers in Visceral leishmaniasis endemic 10 Village Development Committees of both Visceral leishmaniasis and leprosy prevalent Sarlahi district of Nepal. Objective To determine the effectiveness of active case search strategy of visceral leishmaniasis along with leprosy through Female Community Health Volunteers in Sarlahi district. Method One hundred fifty one Female Community Health Volunteers of twelve Village Development Committees were oriented on detection, identification and referral of Visceral leishmaniasis and leprosy patients. They were oriented on referring the patients to district hospital for confirmatory diagnosis and treatment. The intervention was continued up to ten months after training of Female Community Health Volunteers. Data on number of Visceral leishmaniasis and leprosy patients detected and referred by Female Community Health Volunteers and detected through passively at district hospital were collected and indicators was calculated. Result Altogether 151 Female Community Health Volunteers were trained from 12 (Village Development Committees) VDCs of Sarlahi district. Their knowledge on leprosy and Visceral leishmaniasis related information subsequently increased after training. None of the Visceral leishmaniasis or leprosy cases were detected actively through Female Community Health Volunteers. However, two leprosy cases were detected through household screening. Conclusion Female Community Health Volunteers should be provided sufficient knowledge to use them in community based active case detection of Visceral leishmaniasis and leprosy.

Evaluation of antiviral activity of Ocimum sanctum and Acacia arabica leaves extracts against H9N2 virus using embryonated chicken egg model.

BACKGROUND: In the view of endemic avian influenza H9N2 infection in poultry, its zoonotic potential and emergence of antiviral resistance, two herbal plants, Ocimum sanctum and Acacia arabica, which are easily available throughout various geographical locations in India were taken up to study their antiviral activity against H9N2 virus. We evaluated antiviral efficacy of three different extracts each from leaves of O. sanctum (crude extract, terpenoid and polyphenol) and A. arabica (crude extract, flavonoid and polyphenol) against H9N2 virus using in ovo model. METHODS: The antiviral efficacy of different leaves extracts was systematically studied in three experimental protocols viz. virucidal (dose-dependent), therapeutic (time-dependent) and prophylactic (dose-dependent) activity employing in ovo model. The maximum non-toxic concentration of each herbal extracts of O. sanctum and A. arabica in the specific pathogen free embryonated chicken eggs was estimated and their antiviral efficacy was determined in terms of reduction in viral titres, measured by Haemagglutination (HA) and real time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays. RESULTS: All the extracts of O. sanctum (crude extract, terpenoid and polyphenol) and A. arabica (crude extract, flavonoid and polyphenol) showed significant virucidal activity, however, crude extract ocimum and terpenoid ocimum showed highly significant to significant (p < 0.001-0.01) decrease in virus genome copy numbers with lowest dose tested. Similarly, therapeutic effect was observed in all three extracts of O. sanctum in comparison to the virus control, nevertheless, crude extract ocimum and terpenoid ocimum maintained this effect for longer period of time (up to 72 h post-incubation). None of the leaves extracts of A. arabica had therapeutic effect at 24 and 48 h post-incubation, however, only the crude extract acacia and polyphenol acacia showed delayed therapeutic effect (72 h post-inoculation). Prophylactic potential was observed in polyphenol acacia with highly significant antiviral activity compared to virus control (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The crude extract and terpenoid isolated from the leaves of O. sanctum and polyphenol from A. arabica has shown promising antiviral properties against H9N2 virus. Future investigations are necessary to formulate combinations of these compounds for the broader antiviral activity against H9N2 viruses and evaluate them in chickens.

Antimicrobial assay and genetic screening of selected freshwater Cyanobacteria and identification of a biomolecule dihydro-2H-pyran-2-one derivative.

AIMS: Explorations of freshwater Cyanobacteria as antimicrobial (bacteria, fungi and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains) drug resource using bioassay, NRPS (non-ribosomal polypeptide synthetase) and PKS (polyketide synthase) genes, as well as in silico approach. METHODS AND RESULTS: We have bioassayed the extracts of Phormidium CCC727, Geitlerinema CCC728, Arthrospira CCC729, Leptolyngbya CCC732, Phormidium CCC730, Phormidium CCC731 against six pathogenic bacteria comprising Gram (+ve): S. aureus including seven clinical MRSA and Enterococcus faecalis, Gram (-ve): Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Shigella boydii along with non-pathogenic Enterobacter aerogenes as well as fungal strains (Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans, C. krusei, C. tropicalis and Aspergillus niger) exhibiting antimicrobial potential. The NRPS and PKS genes of the target strains were also amplified and sequenced. The putative protein structures were predicted using bioinformatics approach. CONCLUSION: PKS gene expression indicated ß keto-acyl synthase as one of the important active domains in the biomolecules related to antitumour and antifungal group. The simultaneous identification of the biomolecule (dihydro-2H-pyran-2-one derivative) was also inferred spectroscopically. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Freshwater Cyanobacteria are prolific producers of secondary metabolite(s) that may act as the antimicrobial drug resource in addition to their much explored marine counterpart.

Mining the Cicer arietinum genome for the mildew locus O (Mlo) gene family and comparative evolutionary analysis of the Mlo genes from Medicago truncatula and some other plant species.

The mildew locus O (Mlo) gene family is ubiquitous in land plants. Some members of this gene family are involved in negative regulation of powdery mildew resistance, while others are involved in several other biological functions. Mlo proteins have characteristic seven transmembrane domains and a calmodulin-binding domain at their C-termini, and are associated with plasma membrane. The Mlo gene family has been studied in several economically important cereals, but little information is available on this gene family in the important legumes, Medicago truncatula Gaertn. and Cicer arietinum L. We carried out a comprehensive and comparative investigation of the Mlo gene family in these two species using the genome sequences available at the M. truncatula genome database (Mt v4.0) and NCBI (C. arietinum). A genome-wide homology-based search using Arabidopsis Mlo proteins as query identified 16 MtMlo (M. truncatula Mlo) and 14 CarMlo (C. arietinum Mlo) genes. The MtMlo and CarMlo genes had comparable gene structure, protein sequence and topology. Their chromosomal locations indicated the occurrence of extensive reorganization in the genomes of the two species after their divergence from the common ancestor. A multiple sequence alignment of 53 Mlo proteins from these two and several other species showed a highly conserved sequence block of seven amino acids, viz., L-ETPTW, towards their N-termini. The evolutionary phylogenetic analysis grouped the MtMlo and CarMlo members into four clusters, and most of the MtMlo and CarMlo members formed one-to-one ortholog pairs. The ka/ks analyses indicated that the MtMlo and CarMlo genes are subjected to intense purifying selection.

Heavy metal pollution due to coal washery effluent and its decontamination using a macrofungus, Pleurotus ostreatus.

Release of the effluent generated during washing of coal became a major problem for coal industries due to presence of many toxic metals and other pollutants. These effluents are the main source of pollution in rivers and other water bodies. Therefore in this study, we tried to analyse the toxicity of coal washery effluent (CWE) collected from one of the washery plant situated in Dhanbad, India. CWE was found to be very toxic containing large amount of suspended particles and many heavy metals above than their permissible limits. Mycoremediation of CWE was also performed to decontaminate heavy metals from the CWE using a macrofungi Pleurotus ostreatus. Efficiency of Pleurotus for remediation of heavy metals was found to be highest in the 50% diluted effluent (57.2% Mn, 82.6% Zn, 98.0% Ni, 99.9% Cu, 99.3% Co, 99.1% Cr, 89.2% Fe and 35.6% Pb) followed by 25% diluted effluent (33.0% Mn, 55.1% Zn, 97.8% Ni, 99.7% Cu, 97% Co, 84.4% Cr, 87.1% Fe and 73.4% Pb) and raw effluent (23.3% Mn, 73.1% Zn, 78.7% Ni, 87.5% Cu, 59.3% Co, 64.6% Cr, 34.6% Fe and 11.3% Pb) respectively. Increased activity of antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation, concentration of metallothionein proteins and changes in peaks of FTIR spectra were also observed in fungal mycelia grown on the CWE containing media due to accumulation of different metals. Overall this study suggests that Pleurotus can be used as promising option for removal of heavy metals from the effluent released from washery plants and dilution of effluent could increase the efficiency of remediation.

Comparative analysis of genome-wide Mlo gene family in Cajanus cajan and Phaseolus vulgaris.

The Mlo gene was discovered in barley because the mutant 'mlo' allele conferred broad-spectrum, non-race-specific resistance to powdery mildew caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei. The Mlo genes also play important roles in growth and development of plants, and in responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. The Mlo gene family has been characterized in several crop species, but only a single legume species, soybean (Glycine max L.), has been investigated so far. The present report describes in silico identification of 18 CcMlo and 20 PvMlo genes in the important legume crops Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. and Phaseolus vulgaris L., respectively. In silico analysis of gene organization, protein properties and conserved domains revealed that the C. cajan and P. vulgaris Mlo gene paralogs are more divergent from each other than from their orthologous pairs. The comparative phylogenetic analysis classified CcMlo and PvMlo genes into three major clades. A comparative analysis of CcMlo and PvMlo proteins with the G. max Mlo proteins indicated close association of one CcMlo, one PvMlo with two GmMlo genes, indicating that there was no further expansion of the Mlo gene family after the separation of these species. Thus, most of the diploid species of eudicots might be expected to contain 15-20 Mlo genes. The genes CcMlo12 and 14, and PvMlo11 and 12 are predicted to participate in powdery mildew resistance. If this prediction were verified, these genes could be targeted by TILLING or CRISPR to isolate powdery mildew resistant mutants.

Manipulation of BCG vaccine: a double-edged sword.

Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), an attenuated vaccine derived from M. bovis, is the only licensed vaccine against tuberculosis (TB). Despite its protection against TB in children, the protective efficacy in pulmonary TB is variable in adolescents and adults. In spite of the current knowledge of molecular biology, immunology and cell biology, infectious diseases such as TB and HIV/AIDS are still challenges for the scientific community. Genetic manipulation facilitates the construction of recombinant BCG (rBCG) vaccine that can be used as a highly immunogenic vaccine against TB with an improved safety profile, but, still, the manipulation of BCG vaccine to improve efficacy should be carefully considered, as it can bring in both favourable and unfavourable effects. The purpose of this review is not to comprehensively review the interaction between microorganisms and host cells in order to use rBCG expressing M. tuberculosis (Mtb) immunodominant antigens that are available in the public domain, but, rather, to also discuss the limitations of rBCG vaccine, expressing heterologous antigens, during manipulation that pave the way for a promising new vaccine approach.

Gallbladder Volume in Sikkimese Population.

Background Gall bladder volume can have clinical and therapeutic implications and possibly affect certain pathophysiological mechanisms of many diseases affecting the gallbladder including gall stones. Objective The objective of the study was to establish baseline indices of gallbladder volume for the Sikkimese population and determine its correlation with age, sex and Body Mass Index. Method A prospective epidemiologic study on selected 100 patients (equal male to female ratio) over the age of 36 years, undergoing ultrasound scan of abdomen, was undertaken. Age, Sex, Body Mass Index and gall bladder volume for each subject were collected and analysed statistically. Spearman's correlation test was performed to look for significant variables. Result The overall mean gallbladder volume in the present study was 15.47±7.9 ml with 17.2±8.9 ml and 13.74±6.4 ml being average volumes in males and females respectively, which gives the baseline indices for the Sikkimese population. Gall bladder volume was strikingly increased in obese subjects. There was a positive correlation between gall bladder volume and age (r=0.114), gender (r=0.182) and BMI (r= 0.175) but the strength of correlation was weak and not statistically significant (p <0.001). Conclusion Ultrasonography is an easy and effective method for evaluation of gall bladder volume. Sikkimese males have a larger fasting gall bladder volume which is directly correlated with higher body mass index. Fasting gall bladder volume has a weak correlation with advancing age.

Insights into structural and functional diversity of Dof (DNA binding with one finger) transcription factor.

MAIN CONCLUSION: The structural, functional and in-silico studies of Dof transcription factor attempted so far reveals immense opportunity to analyze the plant genomes in terms of number of Dof genes and discuss in light of the evolution. The multiple functions of Dof genes needs to explored for crop improvement. Transcription factors play a very vital role in gene regulation at transcriptional level and are being extensively studied across phylas. In recent years, sequencing of plant genomes has led to genome-wide identification and characterizations of diverse types of plant-specific transcription factor gene family providing key insights into their structural and functional diversity. The DNA binding with one finger (Dof), a class belonging to C2H2-type zinc finger family proteins, is a plant-specific transcription factor having multiple roles such as seed maturation and germination, phytohormone and light-mediated regulation and plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Dof proteins are present across plant lineage, from green algae to higher angiosperm, and represent a unique class of transcription factor having bifunctional binding activities, with both DNA and proteins, to regulate the complex transcriptional machinery in plant cells. The structural and functional diversity of the Dof transcription factor family along with the bioinformatics analysis highlighting the phylogeny of Dof families is reviewed in light of its importance in plant biotechnology for crop improvement.

Genome wide in silico characterization of Dof gene families of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L) Millsp.).

The DNA binding with One Finger (Dof) protein is a plant specific transcription factor involved in the regulation of wide range of processes. The analysis of whole genome sequence of pigeonpea has identified 38 putative Dof genes (CcDof) distributed on 8 chromosomes. A total of 17 out of 38 CcDof genes were found to be intronless. A comprehensive in silico characterization of CcDof gene family including the gene structure, chromosome location, protein motif, phylogeny, gene duplication and functional divergence has been attempted. The phylogenetic analysis resulted in 3 major clusters with closely related members in phylogenetic tree revealed common motif distribution. The in silico cis-regulatory element analysis revealed functional diversity with predominance of light responsive and stress responsive elements indicating the possibility of these CcDof genes to be associated with photoperiodic control and biotic and abiotic stress. The duplication pattern showed that tandem duplication is predominant over segmental duplication events. The comparative phylogenetic analysis of these Dof proteins along with 78 soybean, 36 Arabidopsis and 30 rice Dof proteins revealed 7 major clusters. Several groups of orthologs and paralogs were identified based on phylogenetic tree constructed. Our study provides useful information for functional characterization of CcDof genes.