Efficiency of Soil Amendments for Copper Removal and Brassica Juncea (L.) Growth in Wastewater Irrigated Agricultural Soil

Wastewater irrigation is becoming a massive challenge for sustainable agriculture. Particularly, copper (Cu) presence in wastewater poses a great threat to the food chain quality. Thus, scientists need to address this issue by using chemical and organic soil amendments to restore the soil ecosystem. Therefore, this study aims to examine the efficacy of sulphur, compost, acidified animal manure and sesame straw biochar for Cu immobilization, adsorption and Brassica growth in wastewater irrigated soil. The current findings presented that all the soil amendments prominently improved brassica yield and significantly minimized the Cu uptake by Brassica shoots and roots in sesame straw biochar (SB) (64.2% and 50.2%), compost (CP) (48% and 32.5%), acidified manure (AM) (37% and 23.2%) and Sulphur (SP) (16% and 3.1%) respectively relative to untreated soil. In addition, Cu bioavailability was reduced by 51%, 34%, 16.6%, and 7.4% when SB, CP, AM, and SP were incorporated in wastewater irrigated polluted soil. The Cu adsorption isotherm results also revealed that SB treated soil has great potential to increase Cu adsorption capacity by 223 mg g^??1 over control 89 mg g^??1. Among all the treatments, SB and CP were considered suitable candidates for the restoration of Cu polluted alkaline nature soil.

     

RNA interference demonstrates a novel role for integrin-linked kinase as a determinant of pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell gemcitabine chemoresistance.

Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) facilitates signal transduction between extracellular events and important intracellular survival pathways involving protein kinase B/Akt. We examined the role of ILK in determining pancreatic adenocarcinoma cellular chemoresistance to the nucleoside analogue gemcitabine. Cellular ILK expression was quantified by Western blot analysis. We examined the effects of overexpression of active ILK and of ILK knockdown induced by RNA interference on gemcitabine chemoresistance. We also examined the effects of modulating ILK expression on gemcitabine-induced caspase 3-mediated apoptosis, phosphorylation status of Akt (Ser473) and glycogen synthase kinase. Overexpression of ILK increased cellular gemcitabine chemoresistance, whereas ILK knockdown induced chemosensitization via increased caspase 3-mediated apoptosis. ILK knockdown attenuated Akt Ser473 and glycogen synthase kinase phosphorylation, whereas overexpression of constitutively active myristoylated Akt was sufficient to induce significant recovery in gemcitabine chemoresistance in the presence of ILK knockdown. Levels of ILK expression affect gemcitabine chemoresistance in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells. This novel finding suggests that therapies directed against ILK and its downstream signaling targets may have the potential to enhance the efficacy of gemcitabine-based chemotherapy.     

Resistance to new chemical insecticides in the house fly, Musca domestica L., from dairies in Punjab, Pakistan

The house fly, Musca domestica L., is one of the major pests in dairy operations that has developed resistance to a number of insecticides with different modes of action. Adult house fly populations from six dairies in Punjab, Pakistan were evaluated for resistance to insecticides with novel modes of action (abamectin, emamectin benzoate, fipronil, imidacloprid, indoxacarb, and spinosad). Significant levels of resistance to most of the insecticides tested were observed in the present study. For avermectins at LC₅₀ level, the resistance ratios were in the range of 38.40 to 94.44-fold for abamectin and 13.16 to 36.30-fold for emamectin benzoate. Fipronil LC₅₀ resistance ratios exceeded 10-fold in three house fly populations, while all the populations had >10-fold resistance ratios for imidacloprid. Indoxacarb and spinosad had the lowest resistance ratios that ranged from 3.02 to 7.12-fold for indoxacarb and 2.91 to 9.0-fold for spinosad. As the resistance to fipronil, indoxacarb, and spinosad are emerging, therefore these chemicals should be used cautiously in management programs to retain the efficacy for longer times.     

Gene Therapy Strategies to Exploit TRIM Derived Restriction Factors against HIV-1

Restriction factors are a collection of antiviral proteins that form an important aspect of the innate immune system. Their constitutive expression allows immediate response to viral infection, ahead of other innate or adaptive immune responses. We review the molecular mechanism of restriction for four categories of restriction factors; TRIM5, tetherin, APOBEC3G and SAMHD1 and go on to consider how the TRIM5 and TRIMCyp proteins in particular, show promise for exploitation using gene therapy strategies. Such approaches could form an important alternative to current anti-HIV-1 drug regimens, especially if combined with strategies to eradicate HIV reservoirs. Autologous CD4⁺ T cells or their haematopoietic stem cell precursors engineered to express TRIMCyp restriction factors, and provided in a single therapeutic intervention could then be used to restore functional immunity with a pool of cells protected against HIV. We consider the challenges ahead and consider how early clinical phase testing may best be achieved.     

Is blood agar an alternative to sabouraud dextrose agar for the isolation of fungi in patients with mycotic keratitis

To compare the blood agar (BA), sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) and chocolate agar (CA) for the isolation of fungi in patients with mycotic keratitis. Corneal Scrapings of 229 patients with clinically diagnosed microbial keratitis were inoculated on BA, SDA, CA. The culture media were evaluated for the rate and time taken for the fungal growth. Seventy six of 229 patients had fungal keratitis. Fungus grew on BA in 60/76(78.9 %), on SDA in 76/76 (100 %), on CA in 40/76(52.6 %) patients. The fungi which grew on BA (60/76) also grown on SDA at the same time. The colony morphologies of different fungi were better on SDA than BA/CA. Among the different culture media, SDA is essential for the isolation fungi in patients with mycotic keratitis.     

Hematobiochemical effects of cadmium intoxication in male Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) and its amelioration with silymarin and milk thistle

The present study was designed to investigate the toxico-pathological effect of cadmium (Cd) and its amelioration with silymarin (SL) and milk thistle (MT) in male Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). A total of 144 male quail were divided into nine equal groups (A–I). Experimental feeds were offered to these groups containing different combinations of Cd chloride (Cd1: 150 and Cd2: 300?mg/kg feed), SL (250?mg/kg of feed), and MT (10?g/kg of feed). The duration of the experiment was 60 days. The physical parameters studied included feed intake and body weight. Hematobiochemical parameters included total protein, albumin, ALT, AST, creatinine, urea, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. The data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique, and group means were compared by Duncan’s multiple range test. The body weight decreased significantly in Cd-treated groups while SL and MT ameliorated the toxic effects of Cd as compared to control group. The hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and hematocrit (Hct) values were decreased significantly in Cd2-treated group, while Hb and Hct decreased nonsignificantly in Cd1-treated group compared with control. Similar hematological findings were observed, when Cd was used in combinations with SL and MT. Urea, creatinine, and AST increased significantly, while ALT increased nonsignificantly in Cd-treated groups as compared to control group, while total protein, albumin, and globulin decreased significantly in Cd-treated groups as compared to control group. The SL and MT completely ameliorated these toxic effects at low dose of Cd; however, amelioration was partial at higher doses of Cd. These compounds (SL &; MT) might be used to ameliorate toxic effects of Cd in Japanese quail.     

An occult finding in heparin drip order set

Background: In 1998, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) noted that the American healthcare system had many problems. A major concern was the pervasiveness of medical errors. Electronic medical records (EMR) were introduced for myriad of reasons, one being to reduce these errors. Within the EMR, order sets have been shown to reduce variation in clinical practice and improve the quality of care. However, the lack of standardization in these sets enables peculiar orders, such as fecal occult blood test (FOBT) in the heparin drip order set at our hospital, to be surprisingly included. Our study was conducted to evaluate the consequences associated with having FOBT in this order set. Methods: A retrospective study of 898 adult hospitalized patients over a 6-month period, who had a heparin drip ordered at a single academic center, was conducted. The main focus of our study was the 130 patients for whom the FOBT was sent. Results: Fifteen percent (n = 130) of patients started on IV heparin had FOBT sent, of which 33 (25%) came back positive. Approximately one-third (36%) of the positive results were documented by a provider, either in a progress note or discharge summary. In eight instances of a positive FOBT (24%), the heparin drip was stopped. For 10 patients with a positive test (30%), gastroenterology was consulted, and 4 (12%) patients had inpatient endoscopy. Five patients with positive FOBT died while in the hospital (15%) as compared to seven patients (7%) in the negative FOBT group, p < 0.05. Conclusions: Most patients started on heparin did not have FOBT tested, and the results changed management infrequently, even when positive. The regular review of all order sets is imperative to ensure that they remain evidenced-based and sensible.