Molecular approaches for the management of papaya ringspot virus infecting papaya: a comprehensive review.

Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) is a catastrophic disease that causes huge yield losses in papaya cultivation around the world. Yield losses in severely infected plants can be upto 100%. Because of this disease, papaya cultivation has been shifted to other crops in some areas of the world. Many conventional methods and breeding approaches are used against this disease, which turns out to be less effective. Considering the yield loss caused by PRSV in papaya, it is high time to focus on alternative control methods. To implement effective management strategies, molecular approaches such as Marker Assisted Breeding (MAS) or transgenic methods involving post-transcriptional gene silencing targeting the genome viz., coat protein, replicase gene, or HC Pro can be pursued. However, the public's reluctance to widely accept the transgenic approach due to health and environmental concerns necessitates a consideration of non-transgenic alternatives. Prioritizing safety and ensuring efficient virus control, non-transgenic approaches which encompass cross-protection, genome editing, and topical applications of dsRNA to induce gene silencing within the host, can be adopted. This review aims to provide comprehensive insights of various molecular tools used in managing PRSV which in turn will help in sustainable agriculture.

Genome wide identification and evolutionary analysis of vat like NBS-LRR genes potentially associated with resistance to aphids in cotton.

Nucleotide Binding Site - Leucine Rich Repeat (NBS-LRR) genes play a significant role in plant defense against biotic stresses and are an integral part of signal transduction pathways. Vat gene has been well reported for their role in resistance to Aphis gossypii and viruses transmitted by them. Despite their importance, Vat like NBS-LRR resistance genes have not yet been identified and studied in cotton species. This study report hundreds of orthologous Vat like NBS-LRR genes from the genomes of 18 cotton species through homology searches and the distribution of those identified genes were tend to be clustered on different chromosome. Especially, in a majority of the cases, Vat like genes were located on chromosome number 13 and they all shared two conserved NBS-LRR domains, one disease resistant domain and several repeats of LRR on the investigated cotton Vat like proteins. Gene ontology study on Vat like NBS-LRR genes revealed the molecular functions viz., ADP and protein binding. Phylogenetic analysis also revealed that Vat like sequences of two diploid species, viz., G. arboreum and G. anomalum, were closely related to the sequences of the tetraploids than all other diploids. The Vat like genes of G. aridum and G. schwendimanii were distantly related among diploids and tetraploids species. Various hormones and defense related cis-acting regulatory elements were identified from the 2 kb upstream sequences of the Vat like genes implying their defensive response towards the biotic stresses. Interestingly, G. arboreum and G. trilobum were found to have more regulatory elements than larger genomes of tetraploid cotton species. Thus, the present study provides the evidence for the evolution of Vat like genes in defense mechanisms against aphids infestation in cotton genomes and allows further characterization of candidate genes for developing aphid and aphid transmitted viruses resistant crops through cotton breeding.

Influence of processing on bioactive compounds, Type-II diabetes related enzyme regulation potential and antiurolithiatic potential of underutilized legume Macrotyloma uniflorum.

The hydro-alcoholic extract of raw and processed Macrotyloma uniflorum seeds, an underutilized food legume was analysed for its bioactive compounds, Type-II diabetes enzyme regulation and antiurolithiatic potential. The study aimed to establish and promote the introduction of these new grains and enlarge the market of novel functional foods. The seed extract had phenolic content of 35.6 and 30.4 mg GAE/g dm, for PAIYUR-2 and GPM-6 respectively. Chlorogenic, coumaric, vanillic and ellagic were the major and, sinapic and syringic were limiting phenolic acids. The raw seeds extract exhibited ferric ion reducing potential (1125 and 1236 mmol Fe II/mg extract dm), free radical inhibition (EC50, 3.58 and 3.78 g dm/g DPPH), hydroxyl ion inhibition (46.71 and 45.44%) and superoxide ion inhibition (36.93 and 33.37%) for PAIYUR-2 and GPM-6 respectively. Further, considerable α-amylase (49.34 & 45.89%) and α-glucosidase (62.72 & 60.33%) inhibition potentials were observed along with antiurolithiatic activity of 48.12 and 46.31% in PAIYUR-2 and GPM-6 respectively. Although, processing had significant (p ≤ 0.05) impact on grain quality but still the significant (p ≤ 0.05) functional properties were retained. This proves the grain utility as a functional food in maintaining human health.

Engineering properties of horse gram (Macrotyloma uniflorum) varieties as a function of moisture content and structure of grain.

The study was conducted to determine the engineering properties of horse gram varieties namely GPM-6, PAYIUR-2, and BHK as a function of moisture content in range of 10-30%. The average length, width, thickness, geometric mean diameter, arithmetic mean diameter, thousand kernel weight, sphericity, porosity and angle of repose ranged from 5.43 to 6.53 mm, 3.96 to 4.48 mm, 2.21 to 2.99 mm, 3.62 to 4.41 mm, 3.86 to 4.64 mm, 30.32 to 49.11 g, 63.56 to 72.66%, 35.20 to 38.76% and 22.72° to 29.86° respectively as the moisture content of the grain increased from 10.08 to 29.98%. The bulk density and true density of the grain decreased from initial range of 810-901 to 734-801 kg m-3 and 1250-1426 to 1168-1308 kg m-3. The volume, porosity and terminal velocity of the grain increased linearly with increase in moisture content. The coefficient of friction also showed positive correlation for all surface materials, the highest increase was found for plywood in all varieties of horse gram seeds. Dehulling properties of the grain found to be significantly affected by the change in moisture content. The overall dehulling ranged from 53.44 to 61.21% for GPM-6 and 55.58 to 61.06% for PAYIUR-2 variety of horse gram. Textural properties of the grains were also found to be significantly affected by the change in moisture content from 10 to 30%. The data generated in this study will be highly useful in optimization of post-harvest processing operations as well as to design and develop related processing equipment for horse gram.

Epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli and first report of blaVIM carbapenemases gene in calves from India.

A cross-sectional study on six dairy farms was conducted to ascertain the occurrence of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli in calves. Two-hundred and seventy-nine isolates of E. coli were recovered from 90 faecal samples from apparently healthy (45) and diarrhoeal (45) calves. The isolates were screened for phenotypic susceptibility to carbapenems and production of metallo ß-lactamase, as well as five carbapenemase resistance genes by PCR, and overexpression of efflux pumps. Eighty-one isolates (29.03%) were resistant to at least one of three carbapenem antibiotics [meropenem (23.30%), imipenem (2.15%) and ertapenem (1.43%)], and one isolate was positive for the blaVIM gene which was located on an Incl1 plasmid of a novel sequence type (ST 297) by multilocus sequence typing. The majority (83.95%) of isolates had an active efflux pump. Calves housed on concrete floors were approximately seven times more likely to acquire meropenem-resistant isolates than those housed on earthen floors (95% CI 1.27-41.54). In India, carbapenem drugs are not used in food animal treatment, hence carbapenem-resistant strains in calves possibly originate from the natural environment or human contact and is of public health importance. To our knowledge, this is the first report of blaVIM carbapenemases gene in calves from India.

Detection of the presence of Coxiella burnetii in a case of goat abortion: a first report from India.

Abortion is a major cause of economic loss to the goat industry. Coxiella burnetii the causative agent of Q fever is an important zoonotic agent known to be prevalent worldwide. In the present investigation, we detected the presence of Coxiella burnetii by the modified Ziehl Neelsen method of staining and its DNA by trans-PCR assay in the placenta obtained from the aborted goat. We also ruled out other common causes of abortion in this case. Based on a literature survey, this is the first report on the direct detection of Coxiella burnetii from an aborted goat to be reported from India.

Development of a simple and rapid method for the specific identification of organism causing anthrax by slide latex agglutination.

UNLABELLED: A specific latex agglutination test (LAT) based on anti-PA (protective antigen) antibodies having detection limit of 5 × 10(4) formalin treated Bacillus anthracis cells or 110 ng of PA was optimized in this study. The optimized LAT could detect anthrax toxin in whole blood as well as in serum from the animal models of anthrax infection. The protocol is a simple and promising method for the specific detection of bacteria causing anthrax under routine laboratory, as well as in field, conditions without any special equipments or expertise. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The article presents the first report of a latex agglutination test for the specific identification of the cultures of bacteria causing anthrax. As the test is targeting one of anthrax toxic protein (PA), this can also be used to determine virulence of suspected organisms. At the same time, the same LAT can be used directly on whole blood or sera samples under field conditions for the specific diagnosis of anthrax.

Profiling of Groundnut bud necrosis orthotospovirus-responsive microRNA and their targets in tomato based on deep sequencing.

Tomato, an extensively cultivated vegetable crop produces miRNAs in response to infection with Groundnut bud necrosis orthotospovirus, a viral pathogen causing significant economic losses. High-throughput miRNA sequencing was performed on tomato leaves inoculated with GBNV and mock-inoculated leaves as controls. Analysis revealed 73 known miRNAs belonging to 24 miRNA families, with variable expression levels. Interestingly, 39 miRNAs were upregulated, and 34 were downregulated in response to GBNV infection. Stem-loop quantitative reverse transcription PCR validated the differential expression of selected miRNAs. Additionally, 30 miRNA encoded proteins were identified to be involved in disease resistance and susceptibility. The miRNA-target interactions were found to play significant roles in cellular and metabolic activities, as well as modulating signaling pathways during the plant-virus interaction. The findings shed light on the intricate regulatory network of miRNAs in tomato response to viral infection and may contribute to developing strategies for improving crop protection against viral diseases.

Improved solar still productivity using PCM and nano- PCM composites integerated energy storage.

The study investigates the impact of Phase Change Material (PCM) and nano Phase Change Materials (NPCM) on solar still performance. PCM and a blend of NPCM are placed within 12 copper tubes submerged in 1 mm of water to enhance productivity. Thermal performance is assessed across four major scenarios with a fixed water level of 1 mm in the basin. These scenarios include the conventional still, equipped with 12 empty copper rods and 142 g of PCM in each tube, as well as stills with NPCM Samples 1 and 2. Sample 1 contains 0.75% nanoparticle concentration plus 142 g of PCM in the first 6 tubes, while Sample 2 features 2% nanoparticle concentration plus 142 g of PCM in the subsequent 6 tubes. Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanoparticles ranging in size from 20 to 30 nm are utilized, with paraffin wax (PW) serving as the latent heat storage (LHS) medium due to its 62 °C melting temperature. The experiments are conducted under the local weather conditions of Vaddeswaram, Vijayawada, India (Latitude-80.6480 °E, Longitude-16.5062 °N). A differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) is utilized to examine the thermal properties, including the melting point and latent heat fusion, of the NPCM compositions. Results demonstrate that the addition of nanoparticles enhances both the specific heat capacity and latent heat of fusion (LHF) in PCM through several mechanisms, including facilitating nucleation, improving energy absorption during phase change, and modifying crystallization behavior within the phase change material. Productivity and efficiency measurements reveal significant improvements: case 1 achieves 2.66 units of daily production and 46.23% efficiency, while cases 2, 3, and 4 yield 3.17, 3.58, and 4.27 units of daily production, respectively. Notably, the utilization of NPCM results in a 60.37% increase overall productivity and a 68.29% improvement in overall efficiency.

Role of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Insecticide Residue Degradation.

Lactic acid bacteria are gaining global attention, especially due to their role as a probiotic. They are increasingly being used as a flavoring agent and food preservative. Besides their role in food processing, lactic acid bacteria also have a significant role in degrading insecticide residues in the environment. This review paper highlights the importance of lactic acid bacteria in degrading insecticide residues of various types, such as organochlorines, organophosphorus, synthetic pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, and diamides. The paper discusses the mechanisms employed by lactic acid bacteria to degrade these insecticides, as well as their potential applications in bioremediation. The key enzymes produced by lactic acid bacteria, such as phosphatase and esterase, play a vital role in breaking down insecticide molecules. Furthermore, the paper discusses the challenges and future directions in this field. However, more research is needed to optimize the utilization of lactic acid bacteria in insecticide residue degradation and to develop practical strategies for their implementation in real-world scenarios.

Altered expression of GLS2 indicates a poor prognosis and correlates with clinicopathological features of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Glutamine metabolism, governed by enzymes including glutaminase (GLS1 and GLS2), has a pivotal role in cancer progression. The objective of this study was to determine whether GLS2 transcription levels are associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) when compared to matched adjacent normal tissues. Primary tumour and adjacent normal tissues were collected from 51 OSCC patients, and GLS2 mRNA expression analysis was conducted using real-time qPCR. Additionally, The Cancer Genome Atlas-Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (TCGA-HNSCC) dataset was utilized to examine GLS2 expression in relation to clinicopathological features, the prognosis, and tumour immune cell infiltration. A significantly reduced expression of GLS2 mRNA was found in the OSCC tissues when compared to the matched adjacent normal tissue samples (P < 0.001), which aligned with the results from the TCGA-HNSCC dataset and immunohistochemistry. Moreover, GLS2 mRNA expression was associated with clinicopathological features including tumour stage, grade, and human papillomavirus status (all P < 0.05), predicted a poorer prognosis (P = 0.024), and was correlated with tumour immune cell infiltration (all P < 0.05) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Functional pathway analysis indicated its involvement in cell proliferation and metabolic cycles. GLS2 dysregulation is linked to oral cancer, suggesting its potential as a predictive prognostic marker for OSCC. Furthermore, targeting glutaminases via GLS2 may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for OSCC treatment.

End-to-Side Versus End-to-End Venous Anastomosis Using Couplers in Mandibular Reconstruction: A Comparative Study.

Purpose: This study compares the advantages of end-to-side technique over end-to-end technique for venous anastomosis using couplers. Methods: Patients were divided into group I and group II based on end-to-side and end-to-end techniques, respectively. Intraoperative anastomotic time, flap ischemic time, and postoperatively flap vitality were the parameters evaluated. Results: Thirty-eight patients were randomly allocated to two groups with 19 patients in each group. The mean anastomotic time with standard deviation in group I was 391.84 ± 49.052 s and in group II was 354.47 ± 46.365 s with p value 0.021. The mean flap ischemic time with standard deviation in group I was 180.68 ± 35.773 min and in group II was 161.21 ± 32.418 min with p value 0.087. All the flaps in group I were vital, whereas 78.9% of flap vitality was observed in group II with p value 0.105. Conclusion: Based on this study, end-to-side venous anastomosis using couplers is a better technique over end-to-end venous anastomosis.

Identification of Novel Cytochrome C1 (CYC1) Gene Expression in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma- An Evaluative Study.

Introduction: Cytochrome C1 (CYC1) is an important subunit of mitochondrial complex III and plays a vital role in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and reactive oxygen species generation. Overexpression of the CYC1 gene has been implicated in cancer development and its prognosis previously, but unexplored in head-and-neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), especially oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Materials and Methods: CYC1 m-RNA expression and gene alterations were assessed using the Cancer Genome Atlas dataset in HNSCC and validated in OSCC tissues using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and functional enrichment pathways were also analysed. Results: A thorough analysis of the TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) database revealed that CYC1 was overexpressed in the HNSCC cases and the increased expression correlated with several parameters which involve the prediction of advanced diseases such as histopathological grade, tumour-node-metastasis staging, and nodal metastases (P < 0.05). The expression of CYC1 was validated using RT-PCR showing significant upregulation (P < 0.05) in OSCC tissue samples compared to the normal tissue counterparts. PPI network and functional analysis show the prominent role of CYC1 in OXPHOS, especially in electron transport chain III complex regulation. Discussion: The study revealed that CYC1 is highly expressed in HNSCC, and is validated in the OSCC patient tissue samples compared to the normal counterparts and associated with advanced disease stages and grade of the tumour. CYC1 could be a novel promising therapeutic and prognostic marker in HNSCC, especially in OSCC.

Wheat curl mite resistance: interactions of mite feeding with wheat streak mosaic virus infection.

The majority of plant viruses are dependent on arthropod vectors for spread between plants. Wheat streak mosaic virus (family Potyviridae, genus Tritimovirus, WSMV) is transmitted by the wheat curl mite, Aceria tosichella Keifer, and this virus and vector cause extensive yield losses in most major wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-growing regions of the world. Many cultivars in use are susceptible to this vector-virus complex, and yield losses of 10-99% have been documented. wheat curl mite resistance genes have been identified in goat grass, Aegilops tauschii (Coss) Schmal., and transferred to hexaploid wheat, but very few varieties contain effectively wheat curl mite resistance, due to virulent wheat curl mite populations. However, wheat curl mite resistance remains an effective strategy to reduce losses due to WSMV. The goal of our project was to identify the most effective, reproducible, and rapid method for assessing wheat curl mite resistance. We also wanted to determine whether mite resistance is affected by WSMV infection, because the pathogen and pest commonly occur together. Single and group wheat curl mite infestations produced similar amounts of leaf rolling and folding on wheat curl mite-susceptible wheat varieties that were independent of initial wheat curl mite infestation. This finding will allow accurate, efficient, large-scale screening of wheat germplasm for wheat curl mite resistance by infesting plants with sections of wheat leaf tissue containing mixed stages of wheat curl mite. The wheat curl mite-resistant breeding line 'OK05312' displayed antibiosis (reduced wheat curl mite population development). The effect of WSMV infection on wheat curl mite reproduction was genotype-dependent. Mite populations increased on infected wheat curl mite- and WSMV-susceptible plants compared with uninfected plants, but WSMV infection had no significant effect on wheat curl mite populations on resistant plants. OK05312 is a strong source of wheat curl mite resistance for wheat breeding programs.

Variation of resistance in barley against biotypes 1 and 2 of the Russian wheat aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae).

The Russian wheat aphid, Diruaphis noxia (Kurdjumov) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is globally one of the most devastating pests of bread wheat, Tritium aestivum L.; durum wheat, Triticum turgidum L.; and barley, Hordeum vulgare L. Host plant resistance is the foundation for cereal insect pest management programs, and several sources of D. noxia resistance have been incorporated in cultivars to manage D. noxia damage. The emergence of D. noxia North American biotype 2 (RWA2) in Colorado has made all known Dn genes vulnerable except the Dn7 gene from rye, Secale cereale, and has warranted exploration for sources of resistance to both RWA1 and RWA2. The category of resistance in resistant donor plants may exert selection pressure over the aphid population to form a new virulent population. In the current study, we report tolerance and antibiosis resistance to RWA1 and RWA2 in the barley genotype 'Stoneham'. The rate and degree of expression of resistance in Stoneham against RWA1 and RWA2, although not similar, are greater than the partial resistance in 'Sidney'. Antixenosis resistance to RWA1 or RWA2 was not observed in Sidney or Stoneham. The tolerance identified in Stoneham is encouraging because it may delay D. noxia biotype selection and fits well in a dryland barley cropping system.

Inheritance and categories of resistance in wheat to Russian wheat aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) biotype 1 and biotype 2.

The Russian wheat aphid, Diruaphis noxia (Kudjumov) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is globally one of the most devastating pests of wheat, Tritium aestivum L., and barley, Hordeum vulgare L. Host plant resistance is the foundation of cereal insect pest management programs, and several D. noxia resistance (Dn) genes from wheat have been introduced in commercial cultivars of wheat to manage Russian wheat aphid (RWA). Emergence of D. noxia biotype 2 (RWA2) in Colorado has made all known Dn genes, except the Dn7 gene from rye, Secale cereale L., vulnerable and has warranted exploration for sources of resistance to RWA1 and RWA2. Here, we report antibiosis resistance to RWA1 and RWA2 identified in the wheat breeding line KS94H871. Additional experiments indicated that tolerance and antixenosis are not operating in KS94H871. Segregation studies involving F2-derived F3 families indicated that KS94H871 resistance to RWA1 is controlled by one dominant gene and one recessive gene, whereas resistance to RWA2 is controlled by only one dominant gene. This new genetic resource may serve as a good source of resistance in future breeding programs with proper understanding of the genetics of resistance.

Synthesis of 3-(2-pyridyl)-2-substituted-quinazolin-4(3H)-ones as new analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents.

A new series of 3-(2-pyridyl)-2-substituted-quinazolin-4(3H)-ones were synthesized by reacting the amino group of 2-hydrazino-3-(2-pyridyl)-quinazolin-4(3H)-one with a variety of aldehydes and ketones. The starting material 2-hydrazino-3-(2-pyridyl)-quinazolin-4(3H)-one was synthesized from 2-aminopyridine. The title compounds were investigated for analgesic, anti-inflammatory and ulcerogenic index activities. While the test compounds exhibited significant activity, compound 2-(1-ethylpropylidene)-hydrazino-3-(2-pyridyl)-quinazolin-4(3H)-one (AS2) showed moderate analgesic activity and compound 2-(1-methylbutylidene)-hydrazino-3-(2-pyridyl)-quinazolin-4(3H)-one (AS3) showed realistic anti-inflammatory activity when compared to the reference standard diclofenac sodium. Interestingly the test compounds showed only mild ulcerogenic side effect when compared to aspirin.

Design and synthesis of 3-(4-ethylphenyl)-2-substituted amino-3H-quinazolin-4-ones as a novel class of analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents.

A new series of 3-(4-ethylphenyl)-2-substituted amino-3H-quinazolin-4-ones were synthesized by reacting the amino group of 2-hydrazino-3-(4-ethylphenyl)-3H-quinazolin-4-one from 4-ethyl aniline with a variety of aldehydes and ketones. The title compounds were investigated for analgesic, anti-inflammatory and ulcerogenic index activities. The compound 2-(N'-3-pentylidene-hydrazino)-3-(4-ethylphenyl)-3H-quinazolin-4-one (AS2) emerged as the most active compound of the series and was moderately more potent than the reference standard diclofenac sodium. Interestingly the test compounds showed only mild ulcerogenic potential when compared to aspirin.