Brown-top millet: an overview of breeding, genetic, and genomic resources development for crop improvement.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Brown-top millet is a lesser-known millet with a high grain nutrient value, early maturation, and drought tolerance that needs basic research to understand and conserve food security. Brown-top millet [Urochloa ramosa (L.)] is currently cultivated in some developing countries (especially in India) for food and fodder, although it is less known among the small millets. Like other millets, it contains macro- and micronutrients, vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fiber, all of which have rich health benefits. The nutritional importance and health benefits of brown-top millet are still unknown to many people due to a lack of awareness, wide cultivation, and research. Hence, this millet is currently overshadowed by other major cereals. This review article aims to present the nutritional, breeding, genetic, and genomic resources of brown-top millet to inform millet and other plant researchers. It is important to note that genetic and genomic resources have not yet been created for this millet. To date, there are no genomic and transcriptomic resources for brown-top millet to develop single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and insertion/Deletions (InDels) for breeding studies. Furthermore, studies regarding nutritional significance and health benefits are required to investigate the exact nutritional contents and health benefits of the brown-top millet. The present review delves into the nutritional value and health advantages of brown-top millet, as supported by the available literature. The limitations of producing brown-top millet have been enumerated. We also cover the status of marker-assisted breeding and functional genomics research on closely related species. Lastly, we draw insights for further research such as developing omics resources and applying genome editing to study and improve brown-top millet. This review will help to start breeding and other molecular studies to increase the growth and development of this cereal.

Trends in carbapenem resistance in Pre-COVID and COVID times in a tertiary care hospital in North India.

BACKGROUND: Carbapenem resistance is endemic in the Indian sub-continent. In this study, carbapenem resistance rates and the prevalence of different carbapenemases were determined in Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa during two periods; Pre-COVID (August to October 2019) and COVID (January to February 2021) in a north-Indian tertiary care hospital. METHODS: Details of patient demographics and clinical condition was collated from the Hospital Information System and detection of carbapenemases NDM, OXA-48, VIM, IMP and KPC was done by Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 152 and 138 non-consecutive carbapenem resistant isolates during the two study periods respectively. Conjugation assay and sequencing of NDM and OXA-48 gene was done on a few selected isolates. RESULTS: As compared to Pre-COVID period, co-morbidities and the mortality rates were higher in patients harbouring carbapenem resistant organisms during the COVID period. The overall carbapenem resistance rate for all the four organisms increased from 23 to 41% between the two periods of study; with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae showing significant increase (p < 0.05). OXA-48, NDM and co-expression of NDM and OXA-48 were the most common genotypes detected. NDM-5 and OXA-232 were most common variants of NDM and OXA-48 family respectively during both the study periods. CONCLUSION: Higher rate of carbapenem resistance in COVID times could be attributed to increase in number of patients with co-morbidities. However, genetic elements of carbapenem resistance largely remained the same in the two time periods.

Molecular cloning, sequencing and tissue-level expression of complement C3 of Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1822).

Complement component C3 plays a central role in all known complement activation pathways. In the present study, we cloned, sequenced and analyzed the full-length cDNA sequence of Labeo rohita complement C3 (LRC3). The expression pattern of complement C3 mRNA in different tissues of healthy rohu and after challenge with Aeromonas hydrophila were evaluated using real-time PCR. The LRC3 cDNA sequence of rohu comprised of 5081 bp encoding a predicted protein of 1645 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence had the characteristic domain architecture. About eight domains specific to complement C3 are present in the sequence starting from signal peptide to netrin C345C (NTR) domain. The post-translational processing signal sequence (RKRR), the C3-convertase cleavage site sequence (LAR) and the canonical thiol-ester motif (GCGEQ) were found to be conserved in the LRC3. Real-time PCR analysis revealed the highest expression of C3 in liver and extra-hepatic expression of C3 was also observed in all the tissues studied. A. hydrophila challenge resulted in significant up-regulated expression of C3 transcripts in both liver and kidney at 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h post-infection.

Biological fixation of carbon dioxide and biodiesel production using microalgae isolated from sewage waste water.

The present research investigates potential of microalgae isolated from sewage treatment plant to utilize sodium bicarbonate as carbon source for CO2 sequestration and biodiesel production. Eight algal isolates were isolated from waste water of sewage treatment plant, Amity University Haryana, India. The most potent algal isolates were identified and characterized on the basis of growth and lipid content. The efficient isolates ASW1 and ASW2 were identified as Chlorella sp. and Arthronema sp. by 18srRNA and 16srRNA sequencing method. In both isolates, maximum growth was observed under 20-W fluorescent bulb (3500 flux light intensity) with continuous light cycle of 24 h at pH 9.0 and 25 °C on the 20th day of incubation period. CO2 utilization efficiency of both algal isolates were observed in terms of total CO2 consumption rate. Under optimized culture conditions, total lipid content and lipid yield was higher in Arthronema sp. (180 mg l-1; 32.14%) as compared to Chlorella sp. (98 mg l-1; 29.6%) in 50 mM NaHCO3. Transesterified lipids were analysed by GC-MS. The fatty acid methyl ester profile of Arthronema sp. was 34.42% saturated and 65.58% unsaturated fatty acid. Chlorella sp. produces 29.80% saturated and 70.20% unsaturated fatty acid. In both isolates, C16 and C18 fatty acids dominated, which is a promising component for biodiesel. Graphical abstract.

Schizophrenia--a victim's perspective.

This article is based on my own personal experience of having undergone "coma treatment" and being given approximately 37 coma injections between the period 1983-1993 despite the fact that I was not psychotic and was normal in every way. The experiences I had following the injections and the forcible administration of innumerable antipsychotics and drugs have shaped my perspective of what it is to be a victim of "iatrogenic" psychiatric treatment-iatrogenic because it induced symptoms of schizophrenia or at the least schizoidism in a normal person like me-an inability to think, feel, and reason, over time. I have also with my own eyes seen at least 7 or 8 women who look me (my clones) that has reinforced my belief that the injections split me. The British psychiatrist, Richard David Laing (Encyclopedia Britannica 2004 DVD [DVD]) also theorized that it is the division of the self that leads to the symptoms of schizophrenia such as splitting and fragmentation of the mind.

Polymerase chain reaction confirmation of diagnosis of intestinal amebiasis in Puducherry.

BACKGROUND: Stool microscopy, the commonly used test for diagnosis of intestinal amebiasis, is unreliable as it does not differentiate Entamoeba histolytica, the causative agent for amebiasis, from non-pathogenic Entamoeba dispar and Entamoeba moshkovskii. METHODS: Two hundred and forty-six stool samples collected between January to February 2009, were examined microscopically for E. histolytica/E. dispar/E. moshkovskii complex cysts and trophozoites. Nested multiplex PCR targeting a 16 S-like rRNA gene for differential detection of all the three morphologically similar forms of E. histolytica, E. moshkovskii and E. dispar simultaneously was done on all microscopy positive stool samples. RESULTS: Forty-nine stool samples were positive for Entamoeba spp. by microscopy. Nested multiplex PCR for E. histolytica, E. moshkovskii and E. dispar was positive in only 19 of these samples, and only 6 of the 19 samples were positive for E. histolytica. CONCLUSION: Stool microscopy grossly over-diagnosed intestinal amebiasis and is likely to result in unnecessary treatment with anti-protozoal drugs.

Variable products in dielectric-barrier discharge assisted benzene oxidation.

Atmospheric-pressure dielectric-barrier discharge (DBD) assisted control of benzene((g)) oxidation into different classes of products is presented in this study. The gas-phase products were directly analyzed online by GC-FID and GC-MS. In addition, a solid yellowish surface deposit also formed, which was dissolved in 10 mL ethanol after each 10 min DBD cycle for GC analyses. One of the gas-phase products, phenol was also separately collected and estimated by Folin-Ciocalteu's wet-colorimetric method. In the gas phase only phenol and biphenyl were detected at maximum total conversion of approximately 3%, while in the ethanolic solution furthermore 1,2- and 1,4-dihydroxybenzene, 2,2'-biphenol, 2- and 4-phenylphenol and 4-phenoxyphenol were estimated at microM to mM level, and reveal approximately 30% total conversion. Products' types hint at the phenyl radical as the primary precursor. However, with the use of mesoporous molecular sieve 10X packing in unison with DBD, while the concentrations of such phenolic products decreased drastically, a number of open chain and non-aromatic ethers, aldehydes and esters, and also naphthalene and biphenylene were formed. In addition to high DBD process efficiency, the latter results suggest modification of discharge characteristics, and also strong physicochemical effects of cavity size and surface property on the intermediate reactions therein. Thus, use of such packing highlights a novel and practical methodology for control of chemical reactions towards useful product types, vis-à-vis pollutant mitigation.