Development of antibody to virulence factor flagellin and its evaluation in screening Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum.

The bacterial wilt disease caused by Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum presents a notable economic risk to a variety of crucial crops worldwide. During preliminary isolation of this phytopathogen, several colonies of other saprophytic bacteria may be mistaken with it. So, the present study aims to address this issue by proposing the application of immunogenic proteins, particularly flagellin (FliC), to enable a rapid and early identification of bacterial wilt. In this study, a novel approach is unveiled for the early detection of R. pseudosolanacearum. The study exploits the immunogenic attributes of flagellin (FliC), by generating polyclonal antibodies against recombinant FliC within model organisms-rabbits and mice. The efficacy of these antibodies is meticulously assessed through discerning techniques, including DAS-ELISA and Western blot analyses, which elucidate their remarkable specificity in identifying various R. pseudosolanacearum strains. Furthermore, the introduction of antibody-coated latex agglutinating reagents offers an additional layer of confirmation, substantiating the feasibility of establishing a laboratory-based toolkit for swift screening and unambiguous identification of the bacterial wilt pathogen. This study presents a significant stride toward enhancing early diagnostic capabilities, potentially revolutionizing agricultural practices by safeguarding crop yield and quality through proactive pathogen detection and mitigation strategies.

Pattern of Violence Among Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Care Government Hospital and a Multi-Specialty Private Hospital in Sagar, India: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Workplace violence in hospitals is an occupational hazard that affects healthcare workers (HCWs) negatively in many aspects and causes deterioration of the doctor-patient relationship, resulting in providence of substandard healthcare. This study was conducted to compare the pattern of violence in a tertiary care government teaching hospital and a multi-specialty private trust hospital in Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh, India. Methodology After ethical clearance of this cross-sectional, observational study, participants (frontline healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses) were asked about the type, frequency, department, and place of violence, etc., along with its perceived causes, solutions, and arrangements made by hospitals for dealing with it using a pretested, semi-structured questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Version 26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Categorical variables were described using frequency and percentages, and inferential analysis was conducted using the chi-square/Fisher's exact test. A P-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Among the 113 participants, 67 (59.3%) were female, 53 (46.9%) were doctors, and 60 (53.1%) were nurses. The mean age of participants was 30.9±7.3 years. Predominantly verbal, emotional, and physical violence were present in 96.5%, 43.4%, and 6.2% of participants, respectively. Violent incidents against healthcare workers were more frequent in government hospitals as compared to private hospitals. Most healthcare workers (87.6%) tried to resolve violent incidents peacefully, and 1.8% tried to fight back. The most perceived cause of violence in both setups was a lack of morality and literacy among patients and their relatives (i.e., 83.2%), followed by a lack of proper facilities and a lack of trust in healthcare workers. Conclusion Both setups faced a substantial amount of violence. The loopholes in both setups, considering resources, security, and other facilities, are clearly visible, and specific steps must be adopted to protect both systems from violence.

Did COVID-19 or COVID-19 Vaccines Influence the Patterns of Dengue in 2021? An Exploratory Analysis of Two Observational Studies from North India.

Dengue experienced a rise in disease burden in 2021 in specific regions of India. We aimed to explore the risk factors of dengue occurrence and severity in the post-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 vaccination era and performed an exploratory analysis involving participants from two prior observational studies conducted from February 2021 to April 2022 in a tertiary hospital in North India. Health care workers constituted the majority of the study participants. Individuals were stratified into five groups based on COVID-19 infection and timing of vaccination: COVID-No Vaccine, Vaccine-No COVID (VNC), COVID After Vaccine (CAV), Vaccine After COVID (VAC), and No Vaccine-No COVID (NVNC) groups. The occurrence of laboratory-confirmed dengue and severe forms of dengue were the main outcomes of interest. A total of 1,701 participants (1,520 vaccinated, 181 unvaccinated) were included. Of these, symptomatic dengue occurred in 133 (7.8%) and was "severe" in 42 (31.6%) cases. Individuals with a history of COVID-19 in 2020 had a 2-times-higher odds of developing symptomatic dengue (P = 0.002). The VAC group had 3.6 (P = 0.019)-, 2 (P = 0.002)-, and 1.9 (P = 0.01)-times-higher odds of developing symptomatic dengue than the NVNC, VNC, and CAV groups, respectively. The severity of dengue was not affected by COVID-19 vaccination but with marginal statistical significance, a 2-times-higher risk of severe dengue was observed with any COVID-19 of the past (P = 0.08). We conclude that COVID-19 may enhance the risk of developing symptomatic dengue. Future research should explore the predisposition of COVID-19-recovered patients toward other viral illnesses. Individuals receiving COVID-19 vaccines after recovering from COVID-19 particularly seem to be at greater risk of symptomatic dengue and need long-term watchfulness. Possible mechanisms, such as antibody-dependent enhancement or T-cell dysfunction, should be investigated in COVID-19-recovered and vaccinated individuals.

Arsenic Resistance Mechanisms in Pseudomonas mendocina SMSKVR-3 Strain Isolated from Khetri Copper Mines, Rajasthan, India.

An arsenic resistant bacteria SMSKVR-3 has been isolated from the rhizospheric soil of the metal-contaminated site of khetri copper mines situated in the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, India. The strain showed homology with Pseudomonas mendocina strain ATCC 25411. This gram-negative isolate exhibited optimal growth in M9 minimal media with temperature and salt concentration as 30 °C and 0.25% (w/v), respectively, at pH 7.0. The similar growth pattern and SEM analysis of this strain exposed to M9 minimal media alone, M9 media supplemented with 300 mM arsenate [As(V)] or M9 media supplemented with 1.34 mM arsenite [As(III)] indicate the existence of the strong arsenic resistance mechanism. The isolate was able to produce siderophores and was able to reduce As(V) to As(III). A decrease in polyP concentration from 354.8 µg/1010 CFU mL-1 at 0 h to 0.043 µg/1010 CFU mL-1 at 8 h incubation with As(V) was in correlation with the change in intracellular As(V) concentration (116.98 mg L-1/1010 cells at 0 h to 88.65 mg L-1/1010 at 8 h) with time. This shows the possible role of polyP bodies in the regulation of As(V) concentration inside the cell. The presence of arsC gene in P.mendocina SMSKVR-3 was confirmed by the PCR amplification of arsC gene. The BLAST analysis of the sequenced gene represented 98.59% identity with the P. mendocina S5.2 arsenate reductase. These results indicate that the observed arsenic resistance in SMSKVR-3 is due to a combination of siderophore production, the transformation of As(V) to As(III) by arsenate reductase, multi-drug efflux pump, and polyP bodies mediated metal resistance mechanism.

Designing dynamic reverse logistics network for post-sale service.

The paper addresses the problem of designing a multi-country production-distribution network that also provides services such as repairs and remanufacturing. The proposed work concentrates primarily on post-sale service provided by the firm under warranty returns. The proposed model assumes that existing warehouses can also serve as collection centres or repair centres for reverse logistics. In addition, the model also explores the possibility of establishing a new facility. Hybrid facilities are considered because of their huge cost-cutting potential due to equipment sharing and space sharing. The capacity of hybrid facilities can be expanded to a predefined limit to process returned products without hampering forward logistics operations. However, if a product cannot be repaired at the warehouse, it is transported to the plant for remanufacturing. The model optimizes the overall configuration and operation cost of the production-distribution network. The production-distribution model developed in the paper is a mixed-integer nonlinear program (MINLP) that is later transformed to a mixed-integer linear program to reduce the solution time. The usefulness of the model is illustrated using a randomly generated dataset. The model identifies (a) the optimal locations/allocations of the existing/new facilities, (b) the distribution of returned products for refurbishing and remanufacturing, and (c) the capacity expansion of the existing plants and warehouses to facilitate remanufacturing and repair services.

Differential expression of proteins in Pseudomonas mendocina SMSKVR-3 under arsenate stress.

This study focuses on analyzing the protein expression pattern of intracellular proteins when Pseudomonas mendocina SMSKVR-3 exposed to 300 mM of arsenate to find out the proteins that are overexpressed or exclusively expressed in response to arsenate. The sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of protein expression at different time intervals showed the highest number of protein bands (14) that are overexpressed at 8 h of the time interval. It was also observed that treatment with at least 200 mM of As(V) is required to induce a difference in protein expression. Two-dimensional (2D)-PAGE analysis of 8-h sample exhibited 146 unique spots, 45 underexpressed, and 46 overexpressed spots in arsenate-treated sample. Based on the highest percent volume and fold change, three unique spots and one overexpressed spot were selected and analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF/TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) analysis followed by the MASCOT search. These proteins were identified as ribosome-recycling factor (20.13 kDa), polyphosphate:ADP/GDP phosphotransferase (40.88 kDa), ribonuclease P protein component (14.96 kDa) and cobalt-precorrin-5B C(1)-methyltransferase (38.43 kDa) with MASCOT score of 54, 81, 94, and 100, respectively. All of these proteins help the bacteria to overcome arsenate stress.

Preparation of TiO2-SiO2 Hybrid Nanosols Coated Flame-Retardant Polyester Fabric Possessing Dual Contradictory Characteristics of Superhydrophobicity and Self Cleaning Ability.

TiO2, SiO2 and their hybrid nanocoatings are prepared on inherent flame retardant textile substrates from titanium(IV)iso-proproxide (TTIP) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) precursors using a sol-gel process followed by hydrothermal treatment. The coated samples are further functionalized by hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS) to impart superhydrophobicity. Sample characterization of the nanosols, nanoparticles and coated samples are investigated using, X-ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, contact angle measurement. Stain degradation test under mild UV irradiation shows almost 54% degradation of coffee stain within 4 hours measured by Spectrophotometer. UV-Vis Absorption Spectroscopy demonstrates complete degradation of methyl orange colorant within 3 hours. Hybrid nanosol coated and HDTMS modified inherent flame retardant polyester surfaces show apparent water contact angle as ~145°, which is much closer to proximity of superhydrophobic surfaces. Thus, the novelty of present work is, by using sol-gel technique, a bi-functional textile surface has been developed which qualifies the very specific requirements of protective clothing like self-cleaning property (imparted by TiO2 nanoparticles) and superhydrophobicity (imparted by SiO2 nanoparticles and further surface modification by HDTMS), which are entirely contradictory in nature, in a single fabric itself. Thus developed textile surfaces also possess the other attributes of protective clothing like flame retardancy and air permeability.

Distribution network model using big data in an international environment.

This paper proposes dynamic mixed integer facility location model to design an international manufacturing network (IMN). The proposed model considers a broad facility network linking production and distribution facilities located internationally. The proposed model discussed in the paper assumes significance over the traditional manufacturing model as it provides a country specific analysis making it more convenient for the decision maker to devise country specific strategies within an international ecosystem. Therefore, the model considers import export cost, loan subsidies along with depreciation expense and other operating costs applicable to specific country. The objective of the model is to identify optimal facility locations and the production distribution in the entire network to meet the demand of global markets. The proposed model is illustrated and computationally tested using two cases. Model parameters are mapped using 3Vs of Big Data viz. Volume, Velocity and Variety.

Synthesis and characterization of UO(2)(2+)-ion imprinted polymer for selective extraction of UO(2)(2+).

Ion-imprinted polymers (IIPs) were prepared for uranyl ion (imprint ion) by formation of binary (salicylaldoxime (SALO) or 4-vinylpyridine (VP)) or ternary (salicylaldoxime and 4-vinylpyridine) complex in 2-methoxy ethanol (porogen) following copolymerization with methacrylic acid (MAA) as a functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as crosslinking monomer using 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. Control polymers (CPs) were also prepared under identical experimental conditions without using imprint ion. The above synthesized polymers were characterized by surface area measurement, microanalysis and FT-IR analysis techniques. The imprinted polymer formed with ternary complex of UO(2)(2+)-SALO-VP (1:2:2, IIP3) showed quantitative enrichment of uranyl ion from dilute aqueous solution and hence was chosen for detailed studies. The optimal pH for quantitative enrichment is 3.5-6.5. The adsorbed UO(2)(2+) was completely eluted with 10 mL of 1.0 M HCl. The retention capacity of IIP3 was found to be 0.559 mmol g(-1). Further, the distribution ratio and selectivity coefficients of uranium and other selected inorganic ions were also evaluated. Five replicate determinations of 25 microg L(-1) of uranium(VI) gave a mean absorbance of 0.032 with a relative standard deviation of 2.20%. The detection limit corresponding to three times the standard deviation of the blank was found to be 5 microg L(-1). IIP3 was tested for preconcentration of uranium(VI) from ground, river and sea water samples.

Synthesis, characterization and removal of Cd(II) using Cd(II)-ion imprinted polymer.

A novel ion imprinted polymer (IIP), phenol-formaldehyde-Cd(II)-2-(p-sulphophenylazo)-1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene-3,6-disulphonate (PF-Cd(II)-SPANDS) has been synthesized for selective solid phase extraction (SPE) of Cd(II) from aqueous solutions. IIP was prepared by the copolymerization of phenol and formaldehyde in the presence of Cd(II)-SPANDS complex in acidic medium. This polymer has been characterized on the basis of FTIR, elemental analysis and surface area measurement. Subsequently, the imprinted Cd(II) was completely removed by leaching the dried and powdered imprinted polymer with 1M HNO(3) or 0.01 M EDTA in 0.5M HNO(3). Adsorption capacity was determined by batch experiments for Cd(II), Zn(II), Cu(II) and Hg(II) ions. The effect of pH, flow rate and equilibrium adsorption time was also studied for Cd(II). Adsorption equilibrium time was 50 min. The maximum adsorption of Cd(II) ions on to the imprinted polymer was 270 microg g(-1). For comparison, the adsorption of metal ions was also studied on non-imprinted polymer (NIP). The adsorption capacity of IIP was found 59.2% higher than that of NIP for Cd(II) ion. However, for other investigated transition metal ions the capacity difference was not significant. The relative selectivity factor (alpha(r)) values of Cd(II)/Zn(II), Cd(II)/Cu(II) and Cd(II)/Hg(II) are 7.4, 6.6 and 6.7, respectively which are greater than 1.