Reducing options of ammonia volatilization and improving nitrogen use efficiency via organic and inorganic amendments in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Background: This study investigates the effect of organic and inorganic supplements on the reduction of ammonia (NH3) volatilization, improvement in nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and wheat yield. Methods: A field experiment was conducted following a randomized block design with 10 treatments i.e., T1-without nitrogen (control), T2-recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN), T3-(N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide) (NBPT @ 0.5% w/w of RDN), T4-hydroquinone (HQ @ 0.3% w/w of RDN), T5-calcium carbide (CaC2 @ 1% w/w of RDN), T6-vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM @ 10 kg ha-1), T7-(azotobacter @ 50 g kg-1 seeds), T8-(garlic powder @ 0.8% w/w of RDN), T9-(linseed oil @ 0.06% w/w of RDN), T10-(pongamia oil @ 0.06% w/w of RDN). Results: The highest NH3 volatilization losses were observed in T2 at about 20.4 kg ha-1 per season. Significant reduction in NH3 volatilization losses were observed in T3 by 40%, T4 by 27%, and T8 by 17% when compared to the control treatment. Soil urease activity was found to be decreased in plots receiving amendments, T3, T4, and T5. The highest grain yield was observed in the T7 treated plot with 5.09 t ha-1, and straw yield of 9.44 t ha-1 in T4. Conclusion: The shifting towards organic amendments is a feasible option to reduce NH3 volatilization from wheat cultivation and improves NUE.

Immunopathological studies on Escherichia coli infected broiler chickens fed on Aloe vera leaf extract.

Escherichia coli infection is the major bacterial disease affecting the poultry industry and the continuous use of antibiotics in poultry farming has resulted in antibiotic resistance. So this study was planned to evaluate the use of an ecologically safe alternative to fight against infections. The leaf gel of the Aloe vera plant was selected based on its antibacterial activity assessed in in-vitro tests. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of A. vera leaf extract supplementation on the severity of clinical signs and pathological lesions, mortality rate, levels of antioxidant enzymes, and immune response in experimentally E. coli-infected broiler chicks. Broiler chicks were supplemented with aqueous Aloe vera Leaf (AVL) extract @ 20 ml per liter of water from day one of age. After seven days of age, they were experimentally infected with E. coli O78 @ 107 CFU/0.5 ml intraperitoneally. Blood was collected at weekly intervals up to 28 days and assayed for antioxidant enzyme assays, and humoral and cellular immune response. The birds were observed daily for clinical signs and mortality. Dead birds were examined for gross lesions and representative tissues were processed for histopathology. The activities of antioxidants, Glutathione reductase (GR), and Glutathione-S-Transferase (GST) were significantly higher than the control infected group. The E. coli-specific antibody titer and Lymphocyte stimulation Index were comparatively higher in the AVL extract-supplemented infected group as compared to the control infected group. No considerable change was noted in the severity of clinical signs and pathological lesions, and mortality. Thus, Aloe vera Leaf gel extract enhanced the antioxidant activities and cellular immune responses of infected broiler chicks to combat this infection.

Effect of Ayurveda intervention in the integrated management of essential hypertension- a retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: A study titled 'Integration of AYUSH (Ayurveda) with National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS)' implemented in India in three districts of three states, namely Bhilwara (Rajasthan), Gaya (Bihar), and Surendranagar (Gujarat) since 2015 for the management of various non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through integrated approach. OBJECTIVE(S): To evaluate the effect of Ayurveda medication, lifestyle modification, and Yoga in integration with standard care for the management of essential hypertension. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the demographic and clinical records available from NPCDCS-AYUSH Integration Project was done. The data of participants with Essential Hypertension (EHTN), aged between 30 and 60 years, who had completed six months integrated management as per the treatment protocol of the NPCDCS-AYUSH Integration project between July 2018 and March 2019 were taken and distributed in two groups based on their intervention. Those advised for lifestyle modification and Yoga in addition to standard care with any of the five medicines/combinations i.e. Amlodipine or Atenolol or Amlodipine + Atenolol or Losartan or Telmisartan were assigned Group I and those who were given Ayurveda medication, lifestyle modification and Yoga in addition to standard care were assigned to Group II. The change in blood pressure was analysed and dose reduction/discontinuation of conventional medications was also observed. RESULTS: Data of 1938 participants who had completed treatment under the NPCDCS program was analysed. At the 6th month, systolic and diastolic blood pressure was significantly reduced (P < 0.01) in all categories of Group I and Group II from baseline. Further, the dose of conventional medicine was reduced in 33.1% of participants of Group I and in 30.4% participants of Group II when compared to 0 day while conventional medicines were discontinued in 15.1% of Group I and 36.7% of Group II participants. CONCLUSION: Ayurveda medication along with lifestyle management and Yoga effectively controls systolic and diastolic blood pressure and further helps in reducing/discontinuation of dose of conventional medicines in EHTN participants.

Responding to the challenge of untreatable gonorrhea: ETX0914, a first-in-class agent with a distinct mechanism-of-action against bacterial Type II topoisomerases.

With the diminishing effectiveness of current antibacterial therapies, it is critically important to discover agents that operate by a mechanism that circumvents existing resistance. ETX0914, the first of a new class of antibacterial agent targeted for the treatment of gonorrhea, operates by a novel mode-of-inhibition against bacterial type II topoisomerases. Incorporating an oxazolidinone on the scaffold mitigated toxicological issues often seen with topoisomerase inhibitors. Organisms resistant to other topoisomerase inhibitors were not cross-resistant with ETX0914 nor were spontaneous resistant mutants to ETX0914 cross-resistant with other topoisomerase inhibitor classes, including the widely used fluoroquinolone class. Preclinical evaluation of ETX0914 pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics showed distribution into vascular tissues and efficacy in a murine Staphylococcus aureus infection model that served as a surrogate for predicting efficacious exposures for the treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections. A wide safety margin to the efficacious exposure in toxicological evaluations supported progression to Phase 1. Dosing ETX0914 in human volunteers showed sufficient exposure and minimal adverse effects to expect a highly efficacious anti-gonorrhea therapy.

Effect of mitotic inducers and retinoic acid blocker on expression of pluripotent genes in ES cells derived from early stage in vitro-produced embryos in buffalo.

So far, it has been difficult to generate embryonic stem (ES) cell from early stage preimplantation embryos of buffalo. These ES cells will be more helpful for efficient embryo cloning and generation of body cells as they are more primitive than inner cell mass (ICM)-derived ES cells. The present study was conducted to find the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, a pineal gland product), and citral (3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal and a retinoic acid synthesis blocker) on establishment of primary ES cell colonies, the comparative size of the ES cell colonies, and expression of pluripotent genes during extended period of culture in buffalo. Zona-free eight-cell stage in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos were cultured in ES cell medium supplemented with none (media I as control), LPS (media II), citral melatonin (media III), or melatonin (media IV). The multiplication of blastomere leading to ES cell colony formation and expression of pluripotent genes were assessed up to day 20 of culture. The primary colony formation, the comparative size of the ES cell colonies, and expression of pluripotent genes in these colonies were better in the medium supplemented with melatonin in all days of culture. Within melatonin supplementation, the colony size was comparatively larger on day 8 and day 12 of culture. Further, with this supplementation, the Oct-4 and Nanog expression was comparatively higher on all days of culture. The results indicated that supplementation of melatonin helped in the formation of better primary ES cell colony as well as in the maintenance of pluripotency. The results also indicated that primary colonies developed on day 8 to day 12 of culture may be better for passaging them for establishment of ES cell line from early stage preimplantation IVF embryos of in buffalo.

An active-learning assignment involving peer-to-peer presentations to improve pharmacy students' attitudes and knowledge of dietary supplements.

OBJECTIVE: To design and implement a small-group self-guided active-learning format for a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) curriculum, and assess changes in first-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students' attitudes and knowledge of CAM. DESIGN: Students received an overview CAM lecture from a faculty member, and brief presentations with defined parameters on natural products from their peers. ASSESSMENT: Based on pre- and post-intervention survey responses, the percentage of students who strongly agreed about the importance of CAM in pharmacy practice increased from 28% to 55% and the percentage of students who agreed or strongly agreed about the harmful effects of dietary supplements increased from 60% to 96%. Overall, students' attitude toward and self-assessed knowledge of dietary supplements improved significantly from pre- to post-intervention survey. CONCLUSION: Small-group self-guided learning of CAM, followed by peer presentations on dietary supplements, was successful in significantly improving pharmacy students' attitude toward and knowledge of CAM.

Chitosan-iron oxide nano-composite platform for mismatch-discriminating DNA hybridization for Neisseria gonorrhoeae detection causing sexually transmitted disease.

Electrochemically fabricated nano-composite film of chitosan (CH)-iron oxide (Fe(3)O(4)) has been used to detect gonorrhoea, a sexually transmitted disease (STD) via immobilization of biotinylated probe DNA (BDNA) using avidin-biotin coupling for rapid and specific (mismatch-discriminating) DNA hybridization. The presence of Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles (∼18nm) increases the electro-active surface area of the nano-biocomposite that provides desirable environment for loading of DNA with better conformation leading to increased electron transfer kinetics between the medium and electrode. The differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) studies have been conducted using BDNA/avidin/CH-Fe(3)O(4)/ITO electrode owing to the reduction of the methylene blue (MB) indicator and investigate electron transfer between MB moieties and electrode for one and two-bases mismatch. This STD biosensor is found to have a detection limit (1 × 10(-15)M) and a wide dynamic range (from 1 × 10(-16)M to 1 × 10(-6)M) using the complementary target DNA. In addition, the sensing system can be utilized to accurately discriminate complementary sequence from mismatch sequences.

STD sensor based on nucleic acid functionalized nanostructured polyaniline.

STD (sexually transmitted disease, Gonorrhoea) sensor based on nucleic acid probe (from Opa, a multi-copy gene of Neisseria gonorrhoeae) functionalized nanostructured-polyaniline coated onto indium-tin-oxide-coated glass plate has been fabricated using avidin-biotin as cross-linking agent. This DNA functionalized electrode can specifically detect upto 0.5 x 10(-15)M of complementary target within 60s of hybridization time at 25 degrees C by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) using methylene blue as electro-active DNA hybridization indicator. This highly sensitive and specific nucleic acid functionalized nanostructured-polyaniline electrode can distinguish presence of N. gonorrhoeae from Neisseria meningitidis and Escherichia coli culture and spiked samples from the urethral swabs of the patients.