Genomic overview of INA-induced NPR1 targeting and transcriptional cascades in Arabidopsis

The phytohormone salicylic acid (SA) triggers transcriptional reprogramming that leads to SA-induced immunity in plants. NPR1 is an SA receptor and master transcriptional regulator in SA-triggered transcriptional reprogramming. Despite the indispensable role of NPR1, genome-wide direct targets of NPR1 specific to SA signaling have not been identified. Here, we report INA (functional SA analog)-specific genome-wide targets of Arabidopsis NPR1 in plants expressing GFP-fused NPR1 under its native promoter. Analyses of NPR1-dependently expressed direct NPR1 targets revealed that NPR1 primarily activates genes encoding transcription factors upon INA treatment, triggering transcriptional cascades required for INA-induced transcriptional reprogramming and immunity. We identified genome-wide targets of a histone acetyltransferase, HAC1, including hundreds of co-targets shared with NPR1, and showed that NPR1 and HAC1 regulate INA-induced histone acetylation and expression of a subset of the co-targets. Genomic NPR1 targeting was principally mediated by TGACG-motif binding protein (TGA) transcription factors. Furthermore, a group of NPR1 targets mostly encoding transcriptional regulators was already bound to NPR1 in the basal state and showed more rapid and robust induction than other NPR1 targets upon SA signaling. Thus, our study unveils genome-wide NPR1 targeting, its role in transcriptional reprogramming, and the cooperativity between NPR1, HAC1, and TGAs in INA-induced immunity.

Strong Invasive Mechanism of Wedelia trilobata via Growth and Physiological Traits under Nitrogen Stress Condition

Nitrogen (N) is one of the most crucial elements for plant growth. However, a deficiency of N affects plant growth and development. Wedelia trilobata is a notorious invasive plant species that exhibits superior tolerance to adapt to environmental stresses. Yet, research on the growth and antioxidant defensive system of invasive Wedelia under low N stress, which could contribute to understanding invasion mechanisms, is still limited. Therefore, this study aims to investigate and compare the tolerance capability of invasive and native Wedelia under low and normal N conditions. Native and invasive Wedelia species were grown in normal and low-N conditions using a hydroponic nutrient solution for 8 weeks to assess the photosynthetic parameters, antioxidant activity, and localization of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The growth and biomass of W. trilobata were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than W. chinensis under low N. The leaves of W. trilobata resulted in a significant increase in chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll content by 40.2, 56.2, and 46%, respectively, compared with W. chinensis. W. trilobata significantly enhanced antioxidant defense systems through catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase by 18.6%, 20%, and 36.3%, respectively, providing a positive response to oxidative stress caused by low N. The PCA analysis showed that W. trilobata was 95.3% correlated with physiological traits by Dim1 (79.1%) and Dim2 (16.3%). This study provides positive feedback on W. trilobata with respect to its comprehensive invasion mechanism to improve agricultural systems via eco-friendly approaches in N deficit conditions, thereby contributing to the reclamation of barren land.

Dose dependent effect of nitrogen on the phyto extractability of Cd in metal contaminated soil using Wedelia trilobata

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the toxic heavy metal that negatively affect plant growth and compromise food safety for human consumption. Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and development. It may enhance Cd tolerance of invasive plant species by maintaining biochemical and physiological characteristics during phytoextraction of Cd. A comparative study was conducted to evaluate the phenotypical and physiological responses of invasive W. trilobata and native W. chinensis under low Cd (10 µM) and high Cd (80 µM) stress, along with different N levels (i.e., normal 91.05 mg kg-1 and low 0.9105 mg kg-1). Under low-N and Cd stress, the growth of leaves, stem and roots in W. trilobata was significantly increased by 35-23%, 25-28%, and 35-35%, respectively, compared to W. chinensis. Wedelia trilobata exhibited heightened antioxidant activities of catalase and peroxidase were significantly increased under Cd stress to alleviate oxidative stress. Similarly, flavonoid content was significantly increased by 40-50% in W. trilobata to promote Cd tolerance via activation of the secondary metabolites. An adverse effect of Cd in the leaves of W. chinensis was further verified by a novel hyperspectral imaging technology in the form of normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI) and photochemical reflectance index (PRI) compared to W. trilobata. Additionally, W. trilobata increased the Cd tolerance by regulating Cd accumulation in the shoots and roots, bolstering its potential for phytoextraction potential. This study demonstrated that W. trilobata positively responds to Cd with enhanced growth and antioxidant capabilities, providing a new platform for phytoremediation in agricultural lands to protect the environment from heavy metals pollution.

Invasive Wedelia trilobata Performs Better Than Its Native Congener in Various Forms of Phosphorous in Different Growth Stages

At present, many hypotheses have been proposed to explain the mechanism of alien plants' successful invasion; the resource fluctuations hypothesis indicates that nutrient availability is a main abiotic factor driving the invasion of alien plants. Higher phosphorus utilization and absorption efficiency might be one of the important reasons for alien plants successful invasion. Wedelia trilobata, one of the notorious invasive weeds in China, possesses a strong ability to continue their development under infertile habitats. In this study, firstly, W. trilobata and its native congener, W. chinensis, were grown in various phosphorus forms to test their absorption efficiency of phosphorus. Secondly, the different responses of W. trilobata and W. chinensis to the insoluble phosphorus in three growth stages (at 30, 60, and 150 days cultivation) were also tested. The results showed that the growth rate, root morphology, and phosphorus absorption efficiency of W. trilobata under various insoluble, organic, or low phosphorus conditions were significantly higher than that of W. chinensis. During the short-term cultivation period (30 d), the growth of W. trilobata under insoluble and low phosphorus treatments had no significant difference, and the growth of W. trilobata in insoluble phosphorus treatment also had no significant effect in long-term cultivation (60 and 150 d). However, the growth of W. chinensis in each period under the conditions of insoluble and low phosphorus was significantly inhibited throughout these three growth stages. Therefore, invasive W. trilobata had a higher phosphorus utilization efficiency than its native congener. This study could explain how invasive W. trilobata performs under nutrient-poor habitats, while also providing favorable evidence for the resource fluctuations hypothesis.

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and biochar production from Parthenium hysterophorus enhance seed germination and productivity in barley under drought stress

Drought stress can significantly affect plant growth and development. Biochar (BC) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been found to increase plant fertility and development under drought conditions. The single effects of BC and PGPR in different plant species have been widely reported under abiotic stress. However, there have been relatively few studies on the positive role of PGPR, BC, and their combination in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Therefore, the current study investigated the effects of BC from Parthenium hysterophorus, drought tolerant PGPR (Serratia odorifera), and the combination of BC + PGPR on the growth, physiology, and biochemical traits of barley plants under drought stress for two weeks. A total of 15 pots were used under five treatments. Each pot of 4 kg soil comprised the control (T0, 90% water), drought stress alone (T1, 30% water), 35 mL PGPR/kg soil (T2, 30% water), 2.5%/kg soil BC (T3, 30% water), and a combination of BC and PGPR (T4, 30% water). Combined PGPR and BC strongly mitigated the negative effects of drought by improving the shoot length (37.03%), fresh biomass (52%), dry biomass (62.5%), and seed germination (40%) compared to the control. The PGPR + BC amendment treatment enhanced physiological traits, such as chlorophyll a (27.9%), chlorophyll b (35.3%), and total chlorophyll (31.1%), compared to the control. Similarly, the synergistic role of PGPR and BC significantly (p< 0.05) enhanced the antioxidant enzyme activity including peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) to alleviate the toxicity of ROS. The physicochemical properties (N, K, P, and EL) of the soils were also enhanced by (85%, 33%, 52%, and 58%) respectively, under the BC + PGPR treatment compared to the control and drought stress alone. The findings of this study have suggested that the addition of BC, PGPR, and a combination of both will improve the soil fertility, productivity, and antioxidant defense systems of barley under drought stress. Therefore, BC from the invasive plant P. hysterophorus and PGPR can be applied to water-deficient areas to improve barley crop production.

Role of Organizational Justice in Linking Leadership Styles and Academics’ Performance in Higher Education

Leadership is vital for all organizations, including higher education institutions (HEIs). Based on this, this study aimed to examine department heads’ leadership styles concerning employee performance as well as nurturing the culture of justice. For this purpose, the leadership styles (transformational and transactional leadership) relationship is examined with employee performance through the mediating role of organizational justice. Data were collected from academicians working in the HEIs located in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan using a convenience sampling approach to obtain the targeted sample. Data were analyzed through a symmetric approach and after conducting confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using AMOS, mediation models were assessed by following the Hayes process model procedure. The results indicate that organizational justice partially mediates the direct relationship between transformational and transactional leadership with employee performance in the HEIs sector of Pakistan. It is recommended that institutions need to take action to ensure that just and fair transformational leadership behavior is practiced to attain the desired employee performance in the HEIs.

Lutetium-177 Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen Therapy in a Patient With Double Malignancy and Single Functioning Kidney: A Case Report

Lutetium-177 labeled with 617 types of Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen (¹⁷⁷Lu PSMA-617) Radio-ligand Therapy (RLT) is an emerging modality of choice for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate carcinoma (mCRPC). After it is administered intravenously, it is excreted primarily through the kidneys. Physiological excretion and concomitant expression of PSMA receptors on renal tissues are associated with potential renal toxicity, a matter of concern while treating patients with multiple doses of RLT. There are published articles that have demonstrated the safe use of ¹⁷⁷Lu PSMA-617 in patients with bilateral fair-functioning kidneys; however, only a single study has been published that has evaluated its safety in patients with solitary-functioning kidneys. The uniqueness of this case report lies in the fact that we have documented the renal safety profile of ¹⁷⁷Lu PSMA-617 therapy after multiple doses in a patient who presented with double malignancy (metastatic castration-resistant prostate carcinoma and left renal cell carcinoma) and had a single-functioning right kidney.

A Green Approach Used for Heavy Metals 'Phytoremediation' Via Invasive Plant Species to Mitigate Environmental Pollution: A Review

Heavy metals (HMs) normally occur in nature and are rapidly released into ecosystems by anthropogenic activities, leading to a series of threats to plant productivity as well as human health. Phytoremediation is a clean, eco-friendly, and cost-effective method for reducing soil toxicity, particularly in weedy plants (invasive plant species (IPS)). This method provides a favorable tool for HM hyperaccumulation using invasive plants. Improving the phytoremediation strategy requires a profound knowledge of HM uptake and translocation as well as the development of resistance or tolerance to HMs. This review describes a comprehensive mechanism of uptake and translocation of HMs and their subsequent detoxification with the IPS via phytoremediation. Additionally, the improvement of phytoremediation through advanced biotechnological strategies, including genetic engineering, nanoparticles, microorganisms, CRISPR-Cas9, and protein basis, is discussed. In summary, this appraisal will provide a new platform for the uptake, translocation, and detoxification of HMs via the phytoremediation process of the IPS.

Thermo-neutrophilic cellulases and chitinases characterized from a novel putative antifungal biocontrol agent: Bacillus subtilis TD11

Cellulose and chitin are the most abundant naturally occurring biopolymers synthesized in plants and animals and are used for synthesis of different organic compounds and acids in the industry. Therefore, cellulases and chitinases are important for their multiple uses in industry and biotechnology. Moreover, chitinases have a role in the biological control of phytopathogens. A bacterial strain Bacillus subtilis TD11 was previously isolated and characterized as a putative biocontrol agent owing to its significant antifungal potential. In this study, cellulase and chitinase produced by the strain B. subtilis TD11 were purified and characterized. The activity of the cellulases and chitinases were optimized at different pH (2 to 10) and temperatures (20 to 90°C). The substrate specificity of cellulases was evaluated using different substances including carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), and crystalline substrates. The cellulase produced by B. subtilis TD11 had a molecular mass of 45 kDa while that of chitinase was 55 kDa. The optimal activities of the enzymes were found at neutral pH (6.0 to 7.0). The optimum temperature for the purified cellulases was in the range of 50 to 70°C while, purified chitinases were optimally active at 50°C. The highest substrate specificity of the purified cellulase was found for CMC (100%) followed by HEC (>50% activity) while no hydrolysis was observed against the crystalline substrates. Moreover, it was observed that the purified chitinase was inhibitory against the fungi containing chitin in their hyphal walls i.e., Rhizoctonia, Colletotrichum, Aspergillus and Fusarium having a dose-effect relationship.

Preparation and biological evaluation of radio conjugated cephradine complex for infection imaging

Antimicrobial resistance is a major challenge in the field and threat to human life. Many patients are suffering from cancer, infection and other diseases simultaneously. Therefore, early detection of infection can lead to treatment of these patients with an appropriate antibiotic. Hence, the development of a specific imaging molecule can increase the speed of infection analysis and thereby application of proper antibiotic. The present work involves the optimization of labelling conditions for an antibiotic of cephalosporin family, cephradine with technetium-99m (_99mTc) and establishment of quality control tests. Labelling of cephradine was also determined by applying MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Evaluation of in vitro binding with S. aureus bacteria was carried out. Animal model was used to conduct in vivo binding studies. For this, infected animals were injected with the radiolabelled ligand and images were captured by Gamma camera, to observe target to non-target uptake of radiolabelled complex. Furthermore, we optimized various parameters to achieve best labelling efficacy and stability of cephradine. Our results show that cephradine can be used as potential infection imaging agent for advanced clinical care.

Efficacy of pentamidine-loaded chitosan nanoparticles as a novel drug delivery system for Leishmania tropica

The present study compares the in vitro effects of nanoparticles loaded pentamidine drug and conventional pentamidine on Leishmania tropica. Herein, pentamidine-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (PTN-CNPs) have been synthesized through an ionic gelation method with sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP). Next, the physical characteristics of PTN-CNPs were determined through the surface texture, zeta potential, in vitro drug release, drug loading content (DLC), and encapsulation efficacy (EE) and compared its efficacy with free pentamidine (PTN) drug against promastigotes and axenic amastigotes forms of L. tropica in vitro. The PTN-CNPs displayed a spherical shape having a size of 88 nm, an almost negative surface charge (-3.09 mV), EE for PTN entrapment of 86%, and in vitro drug release of 92% after 36 h. In vitro antileishmanial activity of PTN-CNPs and free PTN was performed against Leishmania tropica KWH23 promastigote and axenic amastigote using 3-(4, 5- dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyletetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. It was observed that the effect of PTN-CNPs and free PTN on both forms of the parasite was dose and time dependent. Free PTN presented low efficacy even at higher dose (40 µg/ml) with 25.6 ± 1.3 and 26.5 ±1.4 mean viability rate of the promastigotes and axenic amastigotes, respectively after 72 hrs incubation. While PTN-CNPs showed strong antileishmanial effects on both forms of parasite with 16 ± 0.4 and 19 ± 0.7 mean viability rate at the same higher concentration (40 µg/ml) after 72 hrs incubation. Half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of PTN-CNPs toward promastigotes and amastigotes were obtained as 0.1375 µg/ml and 0.1910 µg/ml, respectively. In conclusion, PTN-CNPs effectively inhibited both forms of the L. tropica; however, its effect was more salient on promastigotes. This data indicates that the PTN-CNPs act as a target drug delivery system. However, further research is needed to support its efficacy in animal and human CL.

A Proactive Attack Detection for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) System Using Explainable Extreme Gradient Boosting Model (XGBoost)

The advent of Industry 4.0 has revolutionized the life enormously. There is a growing trend towards the Internet of Things (IoT), which has made life easier on the one hand and improved services on the other. However, it also has vulnerabilities due to cyber security attacks. Therefore, there is a need for intelligent and reliable security systems that can proactively analyze the data generated by these devices and detect cybersecurity attacks. This study proposed a proactive interpretable prediction model using ML and explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) to detect different types of security attacks using the log data generated by heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) attacks. Several ML algorithms were used, such as Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting (GB), Ada Boost (AB), Light Gradient Boosting (LGBM), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and CatBoost (CB). Furthermore, feature selection was performed using stepwise forward feature selection (FFS) technique. To alleviate the data imbalance, SMOTE and Tomeklink were used. In addition, SMOTE achieved the best results with selected features. Empirical experiments were conducted, and the results showed that the XGBoost classifier has produced the best result with 0.9999 Area Under the Curve (AUC), 0.9998, accuracy (ACC), 0.9996 Recall, 1.000 Precision and 0.9998 F1 Score got the best result. Additionally, XAI was applied to the best performing model to add the interpretability in the black-box model. Local and global explanations were generated using LIME and SHAP. The results of the proposed study have confirmed the effectiveness of ML for predicting the cyber security attacks on IoT devices and Industry 4.0.

The soil pH and heavy metals revealed their impact on soil microbial community

Soil microbial community is the main indicator having a crucial role in the remediation of polluted soils. These microbes can alter soil pH, organic matter in soils (SOM), soil physic-chemical properties, and potential soil respiration rate via their enzymatic activities. Similarly, heavy metals also have a crucial role in soil enzymatic activities. For this purpose, a number of methods are studied to evaluate the impact of soil pH (a key factor in the formation of biogeographic microbial patterns in bacteria) on bacterial diversity. The effects of pH on microbial activity are glamorous but still unclear. Whereas, some studies also indicate that soil pH alone is not the single key player in the diversity of soil bacteria. Ecological stability is achieved in a pollution-free environment and pH value. The pH factor has a significant impact on the dynamics of microbes' communities. Here, we try to discuss factors that directly or indirectly affect soil pH and the impact of pH on microbial activity. It is also discussed the environmental factors that contribute to establishing a specific bacterial community structure that must be determined. From this, it can be concluded that the environmental impact on soil pH, reducing soil pH and interaction with this factor, and reducing the effect of soil pH on soil microbial community.

Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis Using Machine Learning and Deep Learning: Challenges and Opportunities

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease that impacts the central nervous system (CNS), which can lead to brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve problems. A total of 2.8 million are estimated to suffer from MS. Globally, a new case of MS is reported every five minutes. In this review, we discuss the proposed approaches to diagnosing MS using machine learning (ML) published between 2011 and 2022. Numerous models have been developed using different types of data, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical data. We identified the methods that achieved the best results in diagnosing MS. The most implemented approaches are SVM, RF, and CNN. Moreover, we discussed the challenges and opportunities in MS diagnosis to improve AI systems to enable researchers and practitioners to enhance their approaches and improve the automated diagnosis of MS. The challenges faced by automated MS diagnosis include difficulty distinguishing the disease from other diseases showing similar symptoms, protecting the confidentiality of the patients' data, achieving reliable ML models that are also easily understood by non-experts, and the difficulty of collecting a large reliable dataset. Moreover, we discussed several opportunities in the field such as the implementation of secure platforms, employing better AI solutions, developing better disease prognosis systems, combining more than one data type for better MS prediction and using OCT data for diagnosis, utilizing larger, multi-center datasets to improve the reliability of the developed models, and commercialization.

Optimal Path Routing Protocol for Warning Messages Dissemination for Highway VANET

In vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs), helpful information dissemination establishes the foundation of communication. One of the significant difficulties in developing a successful dissemination system for VANETs is avoiding traffic fatalities. Another essential success metric is the transfer of reliable and secure warning messages through the shortest path, particularly on highways with high mobility. Clustering vehicles is a general solution to these challenges, as it allows warning alerts to be re-broadcast to nearby clusters by fewer vehicles. Hence, trustworthy cluster head (CH) selections are critical to decreasing the number of retransmissions. In this context, we suggest a clustering technique called Optimal Path Routing Protocol for Warning Messages (OPRP) for dissemination in highway VANETs. OPRP relies on mobility measured to reinforce cluster creation, evade transmission overhead, and sustain message authenticity in a high mobility environment. Moreover, we consider communication between the cluster heads to reduce the number of transmissions. Furthermore, the cluster head is chosen using the median technique based on an odd or even number of vehicles for a stable and lengthy cluster life. By altering traffic densities and speeds, OPRP is compared with prominent schemes. Simulation results revealed that OPRP offers enhanced throughput, end-to-end delay, maximizing packet delivery ratio, and message validity.

Comparative Study of Chinese and American Media Reports on the COVID-19 and Expressions of Social Responsibility: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Critical discourse analysis aims to explore the dialectical relationship between discourse and ideology. Based on psycholinguistic research, this paper analyzes the Chinese and American media's news reports and comments on the COVID-19. It aims to expose the hidden psychological messages and ideologies behind the words. The corpus in this paper is mainly from the official media of China Daily and Time from December 2019 to January 2021 in China and the United States. This paper uses Wang Zhenhua's Appraisal Theory and Halliday's Systemic Functional Grammar as tools to make a comparative analysis of the corpus. At the textual level, languages are classified and lexical choices are analyzed followed by the analysis of the reporter's ideology after reviewing the motivation of the reporters of two countries. On the level of social responsibility expression and discourse, the paper analyzes the news reports, which are characterized by the combination of the reporter's views on the news. In the aspect of social practice, the social and cultural factors and background of news reports are analyzed. China calls for strengthening cooperation and exchanges with other countries to jointly fight the epidemic. The Chinese government has actively shared its experience and made corresponding contributions to international economic recovery. However, the US government shirks its responsibility by claiming that the effective implementation of Chinese methods and experience in China does not mean that it can achieve corresponding results in Europe and the US. At the same time, the United States provides medical supplies to other countries. This study hopes to help awaken readers' critical thinking and increase their awareness of the anti-control of mass discourse. At the same time, it is hoped that readers can view the epidemic from a more scientific perspective, understand the facts and reject the unwarranted panic. It will also help reshape Chinese and American discourse.

Renal Hydatid Cyst Mimicking Renal Cell Carcinoma; A Case Report

Renal hydatid cyst is a rare entity as compared to hepatic hydatid cyst. However, literature manifests case reports of renal hydatid cysts. The establishment of diagnosis becomes difficult in non-endemic areas. The tumour is well-considered on clinical examination and radiological investigations for this condition. We presented a case of renal hydatid cyst in a 45-yearsold male patient who presented with hematuria and was labelled as renal cell carcinoma clinically and radiologically. However, histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of renal hydatid cyst.

Non-Expresser of PR-Genes 1 Positively Regulates Abscisic Acid Signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana

The plant hormone, abscisic acid (ABA), is not only important for promoting abiotic stress responses but also plays a versatile and crucial role in plant immunity. The pathogen infection-induced dynamic accumulation of ABA mediates the degradation of non-expresser of PR genes 1 (NPR1) through the CUL3^NPR3NPR4 proteasome pathway. However, the functional significance of NPR1 degradation by other E3 ligases in response to ABA remains unclear. Here, we report that NPR1 is induced transcriptionally by ABA and that npr1-1 mutation results in ABA insensitivity during seed germination and seedling growth. Mutants lacking NPR1 downregulate the expression of ABA-responsive transcription factors ABA INSENSITIVE4 (ABI4) and ABA INSENSITIVE5 (ABI5), and that of their downstream targets EM6, RAB18, RD26, and RD29B. The npr1-1 mutation also affects the transcriptional activity of WRKY18, which activates WRKY60 in the presence of ABA. Furthermore, NPR1 directly interacts with and is degraded by HOS15, a substrate receptor for the DDB1-CUL4 ubiquitin E3 ligase complex. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that NPR1 acts as a positive regulator of ABA-responsive genes, whereas HOS15 promotes NPR1 degradation in a proteasome-dependent manner.

Bacillus altitudinis HNH7 and Bacillus velezensis HNH9 promote plant growth through upregulation of growth-promoting genes in upland cotton

AIMS

The potential of endophytic Bacillus strains to improve plant growth and yield was evaluated.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Endophytic Bacillus altitudinis HNH7 and Bacillus velezensis HNH9 were evaluated for their growth-promoting traits. In an in vitro plate assay, HNH7 and HNH9 exhibited proteolytic, amylolytic, lipolytic, and cellulolytic activity. HNH7 and HNH9 were able to solubilize iron by producing siderophores but were unable to solubilize insoluble phosphate. PCR confirmed the presence of four growth-promoting genes viz. pvd, budA, asbA, and satA in the genome of HNH7, while HNH9 also possessed the same genes except for budA. In a greenhouse experiment, HNH7 and HNH9 promoted the growth of upland cotton plants by upregulating the expression of growth-linked genes, EXP6, ARF1, ARF18, IAA9, CKX6, and GID1b. However, the expression of genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis i.e., ERF and ERF17 was downregulated after treating the plants with HNH7 and HNH9 compared to the control. Furthermore, cotton plants treated with HNH7 and HNH9 exhibited a significantly higher rate of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance.

CONCLUSION

HNH7 and HNH9 showed a promising potential to promote the growth of cotton plants.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY

Research on plant growth-promoting Bacillus strains can lead to the formation of biofertilizers.

Using a Deep Learning Model to Explore the Impact of Clinical Data on COVID-19 Diagnosis Using Chest X-ray

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is disrupting the entire world; its rapid global spread threatens to affect millions of people. Accurate and timely diagnosis of COVID-19 is essential to control the spread and alleviate risk. Due to the promising results achieved by integrating machine learning (ML), particularly deep learning (DL), in automating the multiple disease diagnosis process. In the current study, a model based on deep learning was proposed for the automated diagnosis of COVID-19 using chest X-ray images (CXR) and clinical data of the patient. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of integrating clinical patient data with the CXR for automated COVID-19 diagnosis. The proposed model used data collected from King Fahad University Hospital, Dammam, KSA, which consists of 270 patient records. The experiments were carried out first with clinical data, second with the CXR, and finally with clinical data and CXR. The fusion technique was used to combine the clinical features and features extracted from images. The study found that integrating clinical data with the CXR improves diagnostic accuracy. Using the clinical data and the CXR, the model achieved an accuracy of 0.970, a recall of 0.986, a precision of 0.978, and an F-score of 0.982. Further validation was performed by comparing the performance of the proposed system with the diagnosis of an expert. Additionally, the results have shown that the proposed system can be used as a tool that can help the doctors in COVID-19 diagnosis.

Leadership empowering behaviour as a predictor of employees' psychological well-being: Evidence from a cross-sectional study among secondary school teachers in Kohat Division, Pakistan

In this technologically developed scenario, many organizations in developing countries including Pakistan have expanded the enthusiasm for understanding and creating an encouraging administrative and managerial environment. Numerous organizations are struggling for structural changes by deserting the old-fashioned organizational management style and implementing an empowering leadership where leaders give more authority to subordinates in decision making and responsibilities with the aim to increase organizational productivity. Therefore, the study examined the leadership empowering behaviour as a predictor of employees’ psychological well-being of the educational institutions at secondary level in Kohat Division, Pakistan. A total sample of 564 secondary school teachers (male n = 379; female n = 185) was carefully chosen through a stratified random sampling technique. In this study, a non-experimental predictive correlational design was adopted. In order to collect data from the participants, two different standardized research tools i.e., the Leader Empowering Behaviour Questionnaire and Ryff’s Psychological Well-being Scale were used. After the collection of data, it was analyzed on the basis of mean, standard deviation, Pearson’s product-moment correlation, and multiple linear regression model. In conclusion, the study confirmed a significant positive correlation between leadership empowering behaviour and employees’ psychological well-being. Leadership empowering behaviours predict employees’ psychological well-being positively. Therefore, it was recommended that empowering behaviour might be adopted by the school leaders to improve the employees’ psychological well-being for better organizational productivity.

Cough Sound Detection and Diagnosis Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques: Challenges and Opportunities

Coughing is a common symptom of several respiratory diseases. The sound and type of cough are useful features to consider when diagnosing a disease. Respiratory infections pose a significant risk to human lives worldwide as well as a significant economic downturn, particularly in countries with limited therapeutic resources. In this study we reviewed the latest proposed technologies that were used to control the impact of respiratory diseases. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a promising technology that aids in data analysis and prediction of results, thereby ensuring people's well-being. We conveyed that the cough symptom can be reliably used by AI algorithms to detect and diagnose different types of known diseases including pneumonia, pulmonary edema, asthma, tuberculosis (TB), COVID19, pertussis, and other respiratory diseases. We also identified different techniques that produced the best results for diagnosing respiratory disease using cough samples. This study presents the most recent challenges, solutions, and opportunities in respiratory disease detection and diagnosis, allowing practitioners and researchers to develop better techniques.

E-Triage Systems for COVID-19 Outbreak: Review and Recommendations

With population growth and aging, the emergence of new diseases and immunodeficiency, the demand for emergency departments (EDs) increases, making overcrowding in these departments a global problem. Due to the disease severity and transmission rate of COVID-19, it is necessary to provide an accurate and automated triage system to classify and isolate the suspected cases. Different triage methods for COVID-19 patients have been proposed as disease symptoms vary by country. Still, several problems with triage systems remain unresolved, most notably overcrowding in EDs, lengthy waiting times and difficulty adjusting static triage systems when the nature and symptoms of a disease changes. In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive review of general ED triage systems as well as COVID-19 triage systems. We identified important parameters that we recommend considering when designing an e-Triage (electronic triage) system for EDs, namely waiting time, simplicity, reliability, validity, scalability, and adaptability. Moreover, the study proposes a scoring-based e-Triage system for COVID-19 along with several recommended solutions to enhance the overall outcome of e-Triage systems during the outbreak. The recommended solutions aim to reduce overcrowding and overheads in EDs by remotely assessing patients' conditions and identifying their severity levels.

Applications of Big Data Analytics to Control COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 epidemic has caused a large number of human losses and havoc in the economic, social, societal, and health systems around the world. Controlling such epidemic requires understanding its characteristics and behavior, which can be identified by collecting and analyzing the related big data. Big data analytics tools play a vital role in building knowledge required in making decisions and precautionary measures. However, due to the vast amount of data available on COVID-19 from various sources, there is a need to review the roles of big data analysis in controlling the spread of COVID-19, presenting the main challenges and directions of COVID-19 data analysis, as well as providing a framework on the related existing applications and studies to facilitate future research on COVID-19 analysis. Therefore, in this paper, we conduct a literature review to highlight the contributions of several studies in the domain of COVID-19-based big data analysis. The study presents as a taxonomy several applications used to manage and control the pandemic. Moreover, this study discusses several challenges encountered when analyzing COVID-19 data. The findings of this paper suggest valuable future directions to be considered for further research and applications.

Identification and analysis of a differentially expressed wheat RING-type E3 ligase in spike primordia development during post-vernalization

We identified a RING-type E3 ligase (TaBAH1) protein in winter wheat that targets TaSAHH1 for degradation and might be involved in primordia development by regulating targeted protein degradation. Grain yield per spike in wheat (Triticum aestivum), is mainly determined prior to flowering during mature primordia development; however, the genes involved in primordia development have yet to be characterized. In this study, we demonstrated that, after vernalization for 50 days at 4 °C, there was a rapid acceleration in primordia development to the mature stages in the winter wheat cultivars Keumgang and Yeongkwang compared with the Chinese Spring cultivar. Although Yeongkwang flowers later than Keumgang under normal condition, it has the same heading time and reaches the WS9 stage of floral development after vernalization for 50 days. Using RNA sequencing, we identified candidate genes associated with primordia development in cvs. Keumgang and Yeongkwang, that are differentially expressed during wheat reproductive stages. Among these, the RING-type E3 ligase TaBAH1 (TraesCS5B01G373000) was transcriptionally upregulated between the double-ridge (WS2.5) stage and later stages of floret primordia development (WS10) after vernalization. Transient expression analysis indicated that TaBAH1 was localized to the plasma membrane and nucleus and was characterized by self-ubiquitination activity. Furthermore, we found that TaBAH1 interacts with TaSAHH1 to mediate its polyubiquitination and degradation through a 26S proteasomal pathway. Collectively, the findings of this study indicate that TaBAH1 might play a prominent role in post-vernalization floret primordia development.

Identification of a new function of metallothionein-like gene OsMT1e for cadmium detoxification and potential phytoremediation

Cadmium (Cd) is a biologically non-essential and toxic heavy metal leaking to the environment via natural emission or anthropogenic activities, thereby contaminating crops and threatening human health. Metallothioneins (MTs) are a group of metal-binding proteins playing critical roles in metal allocation and homeostasis. In this study, we identified a novel function of OsMT1e from rice plants. OsMT1e was dominantly expressed in roots at all developmental stages and, to less extent, expressed in leaves at vegetative and seed filling stages. OsMT1e was mainly targeted to the nucleus and substantially induced by Cd exposure. Expression of OsMT1e in a yeast Cd-sensitive strain ycf1 conferred cellular tolerance to Cd, even though the ycf1 + OsMT1e cells accumulated more Cd than the control cells (ycf1 + pYES2). Both transgenic rice overexpressing (OX) and repressing OsMT1e by RNA interference (RNAi) were developed. Phenotypic analysis revealed that OsMT1e overexpression enhanced the rice growth concerning the increased shoot or root elongation, dry weight and chlorophyll contents, whereas the RNAi lines displayed a sensitive growth phenotype compared to wild-type. Assessment with 0.5, 2 and 10 μM Cd for two weeks revealed that the RNAi lines accumulated less Cd, while the OX lines had an increased Cd accumulation in root and shoot tissues. The contrasting Cd accumulation phenotypes between the OX and RNAi lines were further confirmed by a long-term study with 0.5 μM Cd for one month. Overall, the study unveiled a new function of OsMT1e in rice, which can be potentially used for engineering genotypes for phytoremediation or minimizing Cd in rice crops.

Antagonistic Potential of Novel Endophytic Bacillus Strains and Mediation of Plant Defense against Verticillium Wilt in Upland Cotton

Verticillium wilt caused by Verticillium dahliae is a threatening disease of cotton, causing economic loss worldwide. In this study, nine endophytic Bacillus strains isolated from cotton roots exhibited inhibitory activity against V. dahliae strain VD-080 in a dual culture assay. B. altitudinis HNH7 and B. velezensis HNH9 were chosen for further experiments based on their high antagonistic activity. The secondary metabolites of HNH7 and HNH9 also inhibited the growth of VD-080. Genetic marker-assisted detection revealed the presence of bacillibactin, surfactin, bacillomycin and fengycin encoding genes in the genome of HNH7 and HNH9 and their corresponding gene products were validated through LC-MS. Scanning electron microscopy revealed mycelial disintegration, curling and shrinkage of VD-080 hyphae after treatment with methanolic extracts of the isolated endophytes. Furthermore, a significant reduction in verticillium wilt severity was noticed in cotton plants treated with HNH7 and HNH9 as compared to control treatments. Moreover, the expression of defense-linked genes, viz., MPK3, GST, SOD, PAL, PPO and HMGR, was considerably higher in plants treated with endophytic Bacillus strains and inoculated with VD-080 as compared to control.

Predicting Postoperative Length of Stay for Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Patients Using Machine Learning

Purpose

Predictive analytics (PA) is a new trending approach in the field of healthcare that uses machine learning to build a prediction model using supervised learning algorithms. Isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (iCABG), an open-heart surgery, is commonly performed in the treatment of coronary heart disease.

Aim

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a model to predict postoperative length of stay (PLoS) for iCABG patients using supervised machine learning techniques, and to identify the features with the highest contribution to the model.

Methods

This is a retrospective study that uses historic data of adult patients who underwent isolated CABG (iCABG). After initial data pre-processing, data imputation using the kNN method was applied. The study used five prediction models using Naïve Bayes, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Logistic Regression and k Nearest Neighbor algorithms. Data imbalance was managed using the following widely used methods: oversampling, undersampling, "Both", and random over-sampling examples (ROSE). The features selection process was conducted using the Boruta method. Two techniques were applied to examine the performance of the models, (70%, 30%) split and cross-validation, respectively. Models were evaluated by comparing their performance using AUC and other metrics.

Results

In the final dataset, six distinct features and 621 instances were used to develop the models. A total of 20 models were developed using R statistical software. The model generated using Random Forest with "Both" resampling method and cross-validation technique was deemed the best fit (AUC=0.81; F1 score=0.82; and recall=0.82). Attributes found to be highly predictive of PLoS were pulmonary artery systolic, age, height, EuroScore II, intra-aortic balloon pump used, and complications during operation.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates the significance and effectiveness of building a model that predicts PLoS for iCABG patients using patient specifications and pre-/intra-operative measures.

THE Role of Preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen in recurrence of resectable colorectal carcinoma

In colorectal carcinoma, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a recommended marker for surveillance after curative resection. The aim of the present study was to determine the association of preoperative CEA with recurrence of colorectal carcinoma in our population. The study included 55 patients with all operable stages of colorectal adenocarcinoma treated during the 2012-2014 period, evaluated retrospectively and followed-up for recurrence for 2 years. Data on the baseline (preoperative) CEA levels were retrieved from patient files. On data analysis, SPSS 16.0 was used. In patients with normal preoperative CEA, the rate of recurrence was significantly low (p=0.008) and the likelihood of no recurrence 1.55-fold greater as compared to patients with raised initial CEA levels (p=0.028). In patients with raised preoperative CEA, the risk of recurrence was 5.26-fold greater as compared to those with normal CEA levels (p=0.028). A significant weak positive correlation (r_s=0.297) was found between raised CEA and recurrence. A highly significant (p=0.002) moderate positive correlation was recorded in patients aged <50 and moderate positive correlation of borderline significance in males (r_s=0.324, p=0.058). Sensitivity was 94.4% and specificity 32.4% in predicting recurrence. Accordingly, preoperative elevated CEA showed a significant weak positive correlation with recurrence while normal preoperative CEA moderately decreased the likelihood of recurrence.

Smokeless tobacco use and risk of oral cavity cancer

Background/aim

Smokeless tobacco has been associated with oral cavity cancer for several decades. The incidence of oral cavity cancer is higher in some parts of the world especially South and South-East Asia including Pakistan. The aim of current study was to evaluate the risk of oral cavity cancer among smokeless tobacco users in our country.

Materials and methods

A case-control study was conducted between November 2016 and September 2017. Patients diagnosed with oral cavity cancer receiving treatment were included as cases and the attendants of various cancer patients visiting the hospital during the study period were included in the study as controls. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated and all reported P-values were considered significant at < 0.05.

Results

The crude OR for the “ever smokeless tobacco users” among cases and controls came out to be 4.98 (95%CI; 2.76–9.01). The OR for snuff users among cases and controls was 4.82 (95%CI; 2.37–9.80) and that for betel leaf users was 4.42 (95%CI; 1.66–11.91) after adjusting for smoking and age.

Conclusion

Our study provided strong evidence for snuff and betel leaf to be independent risk factors for oral cavity cancer.

Integrated control of dry root rot of chickpea caused by Rhizoctoniabataticola under the natural field condition

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Bavistin® was effective in controlling dry root rot of chickpea.

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Among the chickpea cultivars, Karak-1 was found to be resistant as compared to other cultivars.

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The highest plant (64.1 cm), highest grain yield (1488 Kg/ha) in the integrated use of Karak-1 and Bavistin®, fungicide.

The study investigated the effect of three fungicides Bavistin®, Aliette®, and Biomagic® at the rate of 2 g/L were tested In vitro and In vivo to control dry root rot and their impact on yield were evaluated at the rate of 4 g/L against R. bataticola while varieties used were Karak-1, Karak-2, Karak-3, and Sheenghar. Disease severity was recorded lowest (19 %) and highest yield (1467 Kg/ha), plant height (47.5 cm), number of pods/plant (15.0) and number of grain/pods (1.66) were recorded in cultivar Karak-1. Among the fungicides drugs, the Bavistin®, significantly reduced the disease severity (5 %) and Kg/ha), highest plant height (64.1 cm), highest grain yield (1488 Kg/ha), number of pods/plant (24.5) and number of grain/pods (2.25). It is concluded that the integrated use of Karak-1 and Bavistin®, fungicide drugs gave promising results for controlling dry root rot of chickpea, and increased plant height, number of pods/plant and number of grain/pods.

PWR/HDA9/ABI4 Complex Epigenetically Regulates ABA Dependent Drought Stress Tolerance in Arabidopsis

Drought stress adversely affects plant growth and development and significantly reduces crop productivity and yields. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) rapidly accumulates in response to drought stress and mediates the expression of stress-responsive genes that help the plant to survive dehydration. The protein Powerdress (PWR), which interacts with Histone Deacetylase 9 (HDA9), has been identified as a critical component regulating plant growth and development, flowering time, floral determinacy, and leaf senescence. However, the role and function of PWR and HDA9 in abiotic stress response had remained elusive. Here we report that a complex of PWR and HDA9 interacts with ABI4 and epigenetically regulates drought signaling in plants. T-DNA insertion mutants of PWR and HDA9 are insensitive to ABA and hypersensitive to dehydration. Furthermore, the expression of ABA-responsive genes (RD29A, RD29B, and COR15A) is also downregulated in pwr and hda9 mutants. Yeast two-hybrid assays showed that PWR and HDA9 interact with ABI4. Transcript levels of genes that are normally repressed by ABI4, such as CYP707A1, AOX1a and ACS4, are increased in pwr. More importantly, during dehydration stress, PWR and HDA9 regulate the acetylation status of the CYP707A1, which encodes a major enzyme of ABA catabolism. Taken together, our results indicate that PWR, in association with HDA9 and ABI4, regulates the chromatin modification of genes responsible for regulation of both the ABA-signaling and ABA-catabolism pathways in response to ABA and drought stress.

Identification of epigenetic mechanisms in paddy crop associated with lowering environmentally related cadmium risks to food safety

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal that contributes to human diseases such as pediatric cancer and cardiovascular dysfunction. Epigenetic modification caused by Cd exposure is the major factor in etiology of environmentally-relevant diseases. However, the underlying epigenetic mechanism for Cd uptake and accumulation in food crops, particularly those growing in Cd-contaminated environments, is largely unknown. This study investigated uncharacterized regulatory mechanisms and biological functions of global DNA hypomethylation at CG sites that are associated with gene expression for Cd detoxification and accumulation in the food crop rice. Mutation of the CG maintenance enzyme OsMET1 confers rice tolerance to Cd exposure. Genome-wide analysis of OsMET1 loss of function mutant Osmet1 and its wild type shows numerous loci differentially methylated and upregulated genes for Cd detoxification, transport and accumulation. We functionally identified a new locus for a putative cadmium tolerance factor (here termed as OsCTF) and demonstrated that Cd-induced DNA demethylation is the drive of OsCTF expression. The 3'-UTR of OsCTF is the primary site of DNA and histone (H3K9me2) demethylation, which is associated with higher levels of OsCTF transcripts detected in the Osmet1 and Ossdg714 mutant lines. Mutation of OsCTF in rice led to hypersensitivity to Cd and the Osctf line accumulated more Cd, whereas transfer of OsCTF back to the Osctf mutant completely restored the normal phenotype. Our work unveiled an important epigenetic mechanism and will help develop breeding crops that contribute to food security and better human health.

Effects of natamycin and Lactobacillus plantarum on the chemical composition, microbial community, and aerobic stability of Hybrid pennisetum at different temperatures

This study evaluated the effects of natamycin and Lactobacillus plantarum on the chemical composition, microbial community, and aerobic stability of Hybrid pennisetum at different temperatures. Different concentrations of natamycin (0.50 g L⁻¹, 1.00 g L⁻¹, and 1.50 mg L⁻¹) significantly (p > 0.05) reduced the growth of undesirable microorganisms. During the ensiling periods the pH, ammonia nitrogen (NH₃–N), acetic acid (AA), butyric acid (BA), aerobic bacteria (AB), and yeast were significantly (p > 0.05) reduced, while the lactic acid and lactic acid bacteria were significantly (p < 0.05) influenced in the SLP and SLNP groups as compared to the SP and SNP groups at high temperature (29–30 °C). During air exposure, water-soluble carbohydrate, ammonia nitrogen (NH₃–N), lactic acid (LA), and acetic acid (AA) were not influenced, while pH and aerobic bacteria were significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced after three days (72 hours) of air exposure, and lactic acid bacteria were significantly (p > 0.05) reduced at ambient temperature (9–10 °C). It is concluded that the addition of L. plantarum CICC 20765 alone and in combination with natamycin reduced the content of AA, pH, NH₃–N, BA, and undesirable microbial community, and enhanced the chemical composition, fermentation quality, and air exposure. Natamycin alone did not significantly enhance the organic acid profile but improved the air exposure. Furthermore, more effort is needed to evaluate the effects on silage preservation on a large scale and on animal performance.

The inoculation of L. plantarum and natamycin influenced the fermentation quality. Natamycin and L. plantarum reduced the undesirable microbial community. During ensiling process, the LA and LABs was significantly enhanced.

Rheostatic Control of ABA Signaling through HOS15-Mediated OST1 Degradation

Dehydrating stresses trigger the accumulation of abscisic acid (ABA), a key plant stress-signaling hormone that activates Snf1-Related Kinases (SnRK2s) to mount adaptive responses. However, the regulatory circuits that terminate the SnRK2s signal relay after acclimation or post-stress conditions remain to be defined. Here, we show that the desensitization of the ABA signal is achieved by the regulation of OST1 (SnRK2.6) protein stability via the E3-ubiquitin ligase HOS15. Upon ABA signal, HOS15-induced degradation of OST1 is inhibited and stabilized OST1 promotes the stress response. When the ABA signal terminates, protein phosphatases ABI1/2 promote rapid degradation of OST1 via HOS15. Notably, we found that even in the presence of ABA, OST1 levels are also depleted within hours of ABA signal onset. The unexpected dynamics of OST1 abundance are then resolved by systematic mathematical modeling, demonstrating a desensitizing feedback loop by which OST1-induced upregulation of ABI1/2 leads to the degradation of OST1. This model illustrates the complex rheostat dynamics underlying the ABA-induced stress response and desensitization.

Biological and biochemical characteristics of male reproductive system, serum metabolites and carcass quality of Japanese quails by the supplementation of Pinus ponderosa leaves and α-tocopherol acetate

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation of Pinus ponderosa leaves (pine leaves) and α-tocopherol acetate (vitamin E) powder on male reproductive system, serum metabolites and carcass characteristics of Japanese quails. A total of 360-day-old male quails were purchased from the open market and kept at poultry shed for ninety-four days. After ten days of adaptation, all quails were randomly assigned into 4 groups, control (IC); supplemented with α-tocopherol acetate (IE) at the rate of 150 mg/L; Pinus ponderosa leaves (IP) at the rate of 150 mg/L; and 70 mg α-tocopherol acetate and 70 mg Pinus ponderosa leaves (IEP). Pinus ponderosa leaves and α-tocopherol acetate supplementation had not significantly (p > .05) effected on final body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio of quails. The high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) and total cholesterol (TC) were significantly (p > .05) affected by IE and IP groups as compared to IC and IEP groups. Triglyceride (TG), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) significantly (p < .05) increased in all treatment groups except for the IC group. Aspartate transaminase (AST) significantly (p > .05) decreased in treatment groups as compared to control group. Overall, the mineral levels significantly (p < .05) increased in treatment groups as compared to control. Cloacal gland index values, the quantity of foam production and testis weight were significantly (p < .05) increased in treatment groups. It was concluded that the supplementation of Pinus ponderosa leaves and α-tocopherol acetate improved the testis weight, foam production, serum antioxidant enzymes and mineral level especially zinc in Japanese quail considered an indicative characteristic of higher sperm production rate and improved sexual activity. Further, higher gametogenesis rate, sperm production or reproductive behaviour including different hormonal level will be analysed in future study.

Synthesis, Characterization, and in Vitro Anticancer Activity of Copper and Zinc Bis(Thiosemicarbazone) Complexes

A series of eight bis(thiosemicarbazone) ligands and 16 of their respective copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes containing a combination of hydrogen, methyl, pyridyl, phenyl, and/or ethyl substituents at the diimine position of the ligand backbone were synthesized and characterized. The objective of this study was to identify the structure-activity relationships within a series of analogues with different substituents at the diimine position of the backbone and at the terminal N atom. The Cu(II) complexes Cu(GTSM₂), Cu(GTSCM), Cu(PyTSM₂), Cu(EMTSM₂) and Cu(PGTSM₂) demonstrated a distorted square planar geometry, while the Zn(II) complexes Zn(ATSM₂)(DMSO), Zn(PyTSM₂)(DMSO), and Zn(PGTSM₂)(H₂O) formed a distorted square pyramidal geometry. Cyclic voltammetry showed that the Cu(II) complexes display quasi-reversible electrochemistry. Of the agents, Cu(II) glyoxal bis(4,4-dimethyl-3-thiosemicarbazone) [Cu(GTSM₂)] and Cu(II) diacetyl bis(4,4-dimethyl-3-thiosemicarbazone) [Cu(ATSM₂)] demonstrated the greatest antiproliferative activity against tumor cells. Substitutions at the diimine position and at the terminal N atom with hydrophobic moieties markedly decreased their antiproliferative activity. Complexation of the bis(thiosemicarbazones) with Zn(II) generally decreased their antiproliferative activity, suggesting the Zn(II) complex did not act as a chaperone to deliver the ligand intracellularly, in contrast to similar bis(thiosemicarbazone) cobalt(III) complexes [King et al. Inorg. Chem. 2017, 56, 6609-6623]. However, five of the eight bis(thiosemicarbazone) Cu(II) complexes maintained or increased their antiproliferative activity, relative to the ligand alone, and a mechanism of Cu-induced oxidative stress is suggested. Surprisingly, relative to normoxic growth conditions, hypoxia that is found in the tumor microenvironment decreased the antiproliferative efficacy of most bis(thiosemicarbazones) and their copper complexes. This was independent of the potential hypoxia-selectivity mediated by Cu(II/I) redox potentials. These results provide structure-activity relationships useful for the rational design of bis(thiosemicarbazone) anticancer agents.

Identification of novel rice (Oryza sativa) HPP and HIPP genes tolerant to heavy metal toxicity

HPP (heavy metal associated plant protein) and HIPP (heavy metal associated isoprenylated plant protein) are a group of metal-binding metallochaperones playing crucial roles in metal homeostasis and detoxification. Up to now, only few of them have been functionally identified in plants. Here, we identified 54 HPP and HIPP genes in rice genome. Analysis of the transcriptome datasets of the rice genome exposed to cadmium (Cd) revealed 17 HPP/HIPP genes differentially expressed, with 11 being upregulated (>2 fold change, p < 0.05). Comprehensive analysis of transcripts by qRT-PCR showed that both types of genes displayed diverse expression pattern in rice under excess manganese (Mn), copper (Cu) and Cd stress. Multiple genomic analyses of HPPs/HIPPs including phylogenesis, conserved domains and motifs, genomic arrangement and genomic and tandem duplication were performed. To identify the role of the genes, OsHIPP16, OsHIPP34 and OsHIPP60 were randomly selected to express in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) mutants pmrl, cup2, ycf1 and zrc1, exhibiting sensitivity to Mn, Cu, Cd and Zn toxicity, respectively. Complementation test showed that the transformed cells accumulated more metals in the cells, but their growth status was improved. To confirm the functional role, two mutant oshipp42 lines defective in OsHIPP42 expression were identified under metal stress. Under normal condition, no difference of growth between the oshipp42 mutant and wild-type plants was observed. Upon excess Cu, Zn, Cd and Mn, the oshipp42 lines grew weaker than the wild-type. Our work provided a novel source of heavy metal-binding genes in rice that can be potentially used to develop engineered plants for phytoremediation in heavy metal-contaminated soils.

The High-Affinity Potassium Transporter EpHKT1;2 From the Extremophile Eutrema parvula Mediates Salt Tolerance

To survive salt stress, plants must maintain a balance between sodium and potassium ions. High-affinity potassium transporters (HKTs) play a key role in reducing Na+ toxicity through K+ uptake. Eutrema parvula (formerly known as Thellungiella parvula), a halophyte closely related to Arabidopsis, has two HKT1 genes that encode EpHKT1;1 and EpHKT1;2. In response to high salinity, the EpHKT1;2 transcript level increased rapidly; by contrast, the EpHKT1;1 transcript increased more slowly in response to salt treatment. Yeast cells expressing EpHKT1;2 were able to tolerate high concentrations of NaCl, whereas EpHKT1;1-expressing yeast cells remained sensitive to NaCl. Amino acid sequence alignment with other plant HKTs showed that EpHKT1;1 contains an asparagine residue (Asn-213) in the second pore-loop domain, but EpHKT1;2 contains an aspartic acid residue (Asp-205) at the same position. Yeast cells expressing EpHKT1;1, in which Asn-213 was substituted with Asp, were able to tolerate high concentrations of NaCl. In contrast, substitution of Asp-205 by Asn in EpHKT1;2 did not enhance salt tolerance and rather resulted in a similar function to that of AtHKT1 (Na+ influx but no K+ influx), indicating that the presence of Asn or Asp determines the mode of cation selectivity of the HKT1-type transporters. Moreover, Arabidopsis plants (Col-gl) overexpressing EpHKT1;2 showed significantly higher tolerance to salt stress and accumulated less Na+ and more K+ compared to those overexpressing EpHKT1;1 or AtHKT1. Taken together, these results suggest that EpHKT1;2 mediates tolerance to Na+ ion toxicity in E. parvula and is a major contributor to its halophytic nature.

Studying the efficacy of escalated dose conformal radiation therapy in prostate carcinoma - Pakistan experience

BACKGROUND

Our objective in this study was to evaluate the role and benefits in terms of local toxicity and biochemical disease-free survival (bDFS) following escalated-dose conformal radiation therapy in prostate adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

The study population was composed of 53 patients with histologically proven T1b-T4, NO, MO prostate adenocarcinoma, having any Gleason score with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) of less than 50 ng/mL at diagnosis, given escalated dose EBRT (74 Gy) during the period between January 2011 and December 2013, retrospectively and evaluated for a period of 2 years post-radiation. Patients were followed up for a period of 2 years, beginning after completion of escalated dose external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for biochemical failure as defined in ASTRO consensus committee guidelines 1996 and investigated for gastrointestinal, genitourinary skin toxicity.

RESULTS

Out of 53 patients, 35 showed no biochemical failure at the end of 2 years following the completion of definitive escalated dose conformal radiotherapy while 18 were observed to have biochemical relapse. Acute gastrointestinal grade 1 toxicity was found in 26 patients, grade 2 in 24, and grade 3 only in 3 patients. Late gastrointestinal grade 0 toxicity was found in 16 patients, grade 1 in 28, grade 2 in 7 and grade 3 only in 2 patients. Grade 1 acute genitourinary toxicity was the highest in frequency observed in 28 of the total population followed by grade 2 in 21, grade 0 and grade 3 each, only in 2 patients. Late genitourinary Grade 0 toxicity was observed in 32 patients, grade 1 in 19, grade 2 and 3 only in 1 patient of the total population, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our data were comparable to international studies of dose escalation using 3D and beneficial as compared to conventional radiation therapy delivered by 2D in terms of biochemical failure rate and treatment related toxicity.

Efficacy and Toxicity of Concurrent Chemoradiation in Inoperable Oral Carcinoma in Pakistani Population

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy of concurrent chemoradiation in patients with locally advanced inoperable squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity in terms of local control and toxicity.

STUDY DESIGN

Case series.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY

Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology (INMOL), Lahore, from January 2008 to December 2013.

METHODOLOGY

Sixty-nine patients with locally advanced inoperable oral cavity cancer, registered in INMOL hospital from January 2008 to December 2013 who fulfilled a pre-defined eligibility criteria, were enrolled in the study. Concurrent chemoradiation protocol consisted of conventional fractionation delivering 70 Gy with weekly Cisplatin (50 mg/m2) during the course of radiation. Tumor response was calculated by RECISTcriteria version 1.1 along with the median overall survival and disease-free survival. Acute treatment related toxicities were graded as (G).

RESULTS

Thirty-six (52.17%) patients showed complete response; while 19 (27.54%), 8 (11.59%) and 6 (8.7%) were observed with partial response, stable and progressive disease, respectively. Treatment response was significant (p<0.001) in terms of responders vs. non responders to treatment. Median overall survival was 18.00 months; whereas, median disease-free survival remained 14.00 months. Main toxicities included mucositis (G3 and G4, 71%), xerostomia (G2 and G3, 82.5%), vomiting (G3 and G4, 51%), myelosuppression (G3 and G4, 26.2%), dermatitis (G3 and G4, 49.2%), and fatigue (G3 and G4, 57.9%).

CONCLUSION

Platinum based CCR Tremained effective for inoperable oral cancer patients.

The use of Acufex Wedge Tag Tissue Anchors in Hand Surgery

Over a period of 4 years, in various circumstances commonly seen in hand surgery, 100 patients underwent 127 soft tissue attachments to bone using the Acufex wedge tag system (Acufex Microsurgical, Inc, Mansfield, MA), a non-metallic bone anchor. No failures to maintain the attachment of the desired soft tissue to bone were identified. While less robust than the Mitek anchor, the other commonly available system of bone anchoring, and therefore possibly inappropriate for general orthopaedics, the Acufex wedge tag proved adequate for the smaller forces of hand surgery.

Management of pretibial lacerations: How patients' well-being is affected by their management

Background

Pretibial lacerations remain one of the commonest problems in plastic surgery. There is still no evidence of superiority of either a conservative or surgical approach for their management, nor any documentation regarding patients' performance following each approach.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of all patients treated for pretibial lacerations/haematomas in our unit, from May 2013 till April 2014 who were offered surgical or conservative management. Conservative management included washout of wound and application of non-adhesive dressings; the patients were discharged home on the same day and followed up in dressing clinic. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score was used to assess patients' well-being during healing time.

Results

There were 38 patients; 21 opted for conservative management and 17 for skin grafting, after consultation. Overall, 66% of conservatively managed wounds were completely healed and patients were discharged. Mean healing time was 66.28 (13–172) days and required 3.43 (1–8) visits to the unit. In the surgically managed group, 88% of the patients had their wounds completely healed with a mean healing time of 69.5 (14–147) days and 5.87 (2–11) visits to the unit required. Of the conservatively managed patients, 55.6% scored 0 on the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scale, denoting fine health, while only 7.6% of the surgically managed patients scored zero. In total, 77.8% of the conservatively managed patients reported they would not have a chosen a skin graft if given the choice again.

Conclusion

This study shows that satisfactory healing of pretibial lacerations may be achieved without surgical intervention in a high-risk group of patients, who reported good overall performance during healing time.

A Single Amino-Acid Substitution in the Sodium Transporter HKT1 Associated with Plant Salt Tolerance

A crucial prerequisite for plant growth and survival is the maintenance of potassium uptake, especially when high sodium surrounds the root zone. The Arabidopsis HIGH-AFFINITY K(+) TRANSPORTER1 (HKT1), and its homologs in other salt-sensitive dicots, contributes to salinity tolerance by removing Na(+) from the transpiration stream. However, TsHKT1;2, one of three HKT1 copies in Thellungiella salsuginea, a halophytic Arabidopsis relative, acts as a K(+) transporter in the presence of Na(+) in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Amino-acid sequence comparisons indicated differences between TsHKT1;2 and most other published HKT1 sequences with respect to an Asp residue (D207) in the second pore-loop domain. Two additional T salsuginea and most other HKT1 sequences contain Asn (n) in this position. Wild-type TsHKT1;2 and altered AtHKT1 (AtHKT1(N-D)) complemented K(+)-uptake deficiency of yeast cells. Mutant hkt1-1 plants complemented with both AtHKT1(N) (-) (D) and TsHKT1;2 showed higher tolerance to salt stress than lines complemented by the wild-type AtHKT1 Electrophysiological analysis in Xenopus laevis oocytes confirmed the functional properties of these transporters and the differential selectivity for Na(+) and K(+) based on the n/d variance in the pore region. This change also dictated inward-rectification for Na(+) transport. Thus, the introduction of Asp, replacing Asn, in HKT1-type transporters established altered cation selectivity and uptake dynamics. We describe one way, based on a single change in a crucial protein that enabled some crucifer species to acquire improved salt tolerance, which over evolutionary time may have resulted in further changes that ultimately facilitated colonization of saline habitats.

Technetium-99m and rhenium-188 complexes with one and two pendant bisphosphonate groups for imaging arterial calcification

The first (99m)Tc and (188)Re complexes containing two pendant bisphosphonate groups have been synthesised, based on the mononuclear M(v) nitride core with two dithiocarbamate ligands each with a pendant bisphosphonate. The structural identity of the (99)Tc and stable rhenium analogues as uncharged, mononuclear nitridobis(dithiocarbamate) complexes was determined by electrospray mass spectrometry. The (99m)Tc complex showed greater affinity for synthetic and biological hydroxyapatite, and greater stability in biological media, than the well-known but poorly-characterised and inhomogeneous bone imaging agent (99m)Tc-MDP. It gave excellent SPECT images of both bone calcification (mice and rats) and vascular calcification (rat model), but the improved stability and the availability of two pendant bisphosphonate groups conferred no dramatic advantage in imaging over the conventional (99m)Tc-MDP agent in which the bisphosphonate group is bound directly to Tc. The (188)Re complex also showed preferential uptake in bone. These tracers and the biological model of vascular calcification offer the opportunity to study the biological interpretation and clinical potential of radionuclide imaging of vascular calcification and to deliver radionuclide therapy to bone metastases.

MPF2-like MADS-box genes affecting expression of SOC1 and MAF1 are recruited to control flowering time

A complex and intricate network of genes responding to various developmental and environmental signals control floral transition in plants. MADS-box genes are the key regulators and major contributors with regard to flowering time determination. Previously, MPF2-like genes belonging to the STMADS11 superclade were duplicated into MPF2-like-A and MPF2-like-B in Withania (WSA206 and WSB206) and Tubocapsicum (TAB 201). The present study was conducted to determine the effect of MPF2-like genes on flowering time by analyzing 35S:MPF2-like transgenic Arabidopsis plants as well as to probe their effects on the expression of SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1 (SOC1, a floral promoter) and MADS AFFECTING FLOWERING 1 (MAF1, a floral repressor) genes. The overexpression of WSA206 (35S:MPF2-like-A) moderately promoted flowering, while that of WSB206 and TAB 201 (35S:MPF2-like-B) exhibited no effects on floral transition. Concomitantly, an elevation in SOC1 transcript abundance and a reduction for MAF1 transcript levels were observed in 35S:WSA206 transgenic plants. Nucleotide diversity analysis indicated an extraordinary 8 aa extension at the C-terminus of the WSA206 protein. Ectopic expression of a truncated WSA206-version without these 8 aa (WSA206ΔC246) and of MPF2-like-B-versions elongated by these 8 aa (WSB206∇C257 and TAB 201∇C257) in Arabidopsis revealed an ambiguous role of the 8 aa signature in floral transition. It may influence a protein's ability to modulate flowering time but is neither sufficient nor strictly necessary for early flowering. Nevertheless, the 8 aa extension influences the expression of SOC1 and MAF1 in MPF2-like derivative constructs. Our studies provide insight into the role of MPF2-like genes in phase transition by interacting with SOC1 and MAF1 genes, thereby also pointing to their significance as potential candidates for modifying flowering in crop plants in the future.

Preparation and biodistribution in mice of a new radiopharmaceutical-technetium-99m labeled methotrexate, as a tumor diagnostic agent

Our aim was to develop the procedure for radiolabeling of an anticancer drug e.g., methotrexate with (99m)Tc for tumors diagnosis. The study included the radiolabeling of methotrexate, in vitro stability of radiolabeled drug, in vitro binding of radiolabeled drug with plasma protein, partition coefficient and biodistribution of radiolabeled drug in mice. Results showed 98.2±0.5% radiolabeling of methotrexate with technetium-99m ((99m)Tc). In vitro stability was studied for 5h and 79.3±5% of the drug was bound with plasma proteins. Partition coefficient of the labeled drug showed that it was highly hydrophilic. Biodistribution study in tumor bearing mice exhibited high uptake in tumor cells which were further investigated by histopathological studies. In conclusion, our study indicates that technetium-99m labeled methotrexate is a potentially strong tumor diagnostic agent with low uptake in normal tissues.

Preperation of (99m)Tc labeled 5-fluorouracil as a potential diagnostic agent in advanced breast cancer: first clinical trial

The chemotherapeutic drug 5-fluorouracil (5FU) is used for treatment of various types of cancers. The present study was conducted to evaluate the potential of this drug as a diagnostic radiopharmaceutical in advanced breast cancer. We have labeled 5FU by using the stannous chloride reduction method with 555MBq of technetium-99m ((99m)Tc). The (99m)Tc-5FU was injected intravenously in 4 patients having advanced breast cancer. Dynamic and static images were taken at various time intervals till 2h. Whole body images were used to calculate the percentage of the injected dose, in each organ. Target to non target ratio was calculated to find out the optimum time for imaging. In conclusion, our study showed that (99m)Tc-5FU was a promising agent for diagnosing advanced breast cancer with optimum visualization at 1h.