Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are flashes of high-energy radiation arising from energetic cosmic explosions. Bursts of long (greater than two seconds) duration are produced by the core-collapse of massive ...stars
, and those of short (less than two seconds) duration by the merger of compact objects, such as two neutron stars
. A third class of events with hybrid high-energy properties was identified
, but never conclusively linked to a stellar progenitor. The lack of bright supernovae rules out typical core-collapse explosions
, but their distance scales prevent sensitive searches for direct signatures of a progenitor system. Only tentative evidence for a kilonova has been presented
. Here we report observations of the exceptionally bright GRB 211211A, which classify it as a hybrid event and constrain its distance scale to only 346 megaparsecs. Our measurements indicate that its lower-energy (from ultraviolet to near-infrared) counterpart is powered by a luminous (approximately 10
erg per second) kilonova possibly formed in the ejecta of a compact object merger.
Studies were conducted to determine the effect of vermicompost on growth, physiological disorders, fruit yield and quality of ‘Chandler’ strawberry. For this, 4 levels of vermicompost (2.5, 5.0, 7.5 ...and 10.0
t
ha
−1) were supplemented with inorganic fertilizers to balance fertilizer requirement of strawberry under semi-arid region of northern India. The vermicompost was incorporated into top 10
cm layer of soil, which was supplemented on the basis of chemical analysis, with amount of inorganic N, P, K fertilizer calculated to equalize the recommended dose of nutrients. Vermicompost application increased plant spread (10.7%), leaf area (23.1%) and dry matter (20.7%), and increased total fruit yield (32.7%). Substitution of vermicompost drastically reduced the incidence of physiological disorders like albinism (16.1–4.5%); fruit malformation (11.5–4.0%) and occurrence of grey mould (10.4–2.1%) in strawberry indicating that vermicompost had significant role in reducing nutrient-related disorders and disease like
Botrytis rot, and thereby increasing the marketable fruit yield up to 58.6% with better quality parameters. Fruit harvested from plant receiving vermicompost were firmer, have higher TSS, ascorbic acid content and lower acidity, and have attractive colour. All these parameters appeared to be dose dependent and best results were achieved @ 7.5
t
ha
−1, however, beyond this dose of vermicompost, there was not significant influence on these parameters.
A large spectrum of neurologic disease has been reported in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Our aim was to investigate the yield of neuroimaging in patients with COVID-19 ...undergoing CT or MR imaging of the brain and to describe associated imaging findings.
We performed a retrospective cohort study involving 2054 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 presenting to 2 hospitals in New York City between March 4 and May 9, 2020, of whom 278 (14%) underwent either CT or MR imaging of the brain. All images initially received a formal interpretation from a neuroradiologist within the institution and were subsequently reviewed by 2 neuroradiologists in consensus, with disputes resolved by a third neuroradiologist.
The median age of these patients was 64 years (interquartile range, 50-75 years), and 43% were women. Among imaged patients, 58 (21%) demonstrated acute or subacute neuroimaging findings, the most common including cerebral infarctions (11%), parenchymal hematomas (3.6%), and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (1.1%). Among the 51 patients with MR imaging examinations, 26 (51%) demonstrated acute or subacute findings; notable findings included 6 cases of cranial nerve abnormalities (including 4 patients with olfactory bulb abnormalities) and 3 patients with a microhemorrhage pattern compatible with critical illness-associated microbleeds.
Our experience confirms the wide range of neurologic imaging findings in patients with COVID-19 and suggests the need for further studies to optimize management for these patients.
Heavy metal pollution can enhance the level of antibiotic resistance, posing concerns to ecosystem and public health. Here, we investigated heavy metal concentrations, heavy metal resistant bacteria ...and antibiotic resistant bacteria and their corresponding resistant genes, and integrons in four different river environments, i.e., low heavy metals and low wastewater, high heavy metals and low wastewater, low heavy metals and high wastewater, and high heavy metals and high wastewater levels. Heavy metals were found to show positive and significant correlations with heavy metal resistance and antibiotic resistance and integrons (r > 0.60, p < 0.05), indicating that heavy metal selective pressure can cause heavy metal and antibiotic resistance to be transmitted simultaneously via integrons, which can result in the development of multi-resistant bacteria in the heavy metal-polluted environments. Moreover, there were significant associations between heavy metal resistance and antibiotic resistance (r > 0.60, p < 0.05), demonstrating heavy metal and antibiotic resistance are connected via a same or related mechanism. Class 1 integrons were found to have strong correlations with heavy metals and heavy metal resistance and antibiotic resistance (r > 0.60, p < 0.05), indicating a higher occurrence of antibiotic resistance co-selection in the heavy metal-polluted environments.
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•Heavy metal exposure triggers co-selection of heavy metal and antibiotic resistance.•Significant relationships were found between heavy metal and antibiotic resistance.•Int1 could facilitate the co-transmission of heavy metal and antibiotic resistance.•rcnA might play a critical role in antibiotic resistance prevalence in environment.
Heavy metal pollution and the potential for co-selection of resistance to antibiotics in the environment is growing concern. However, clear associations between heavy metals and antibiotic resistance ...in river systems have not been developed. Here we investigated relationships between total and bioavailable heavy metals concentrations; metal resistance gene (MRG) and antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) abundances; mobile genetic elements; and the composition of local bacterial communities in low and high metal polluted rivers in UK and India. The results indicated that MRGs conferring resistance to cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni) (rcnA), and Co, zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd) (czcA), and ARGs conferring resistance to carbapenem and erythromycin were the dominating resistant genes across the samples. The relative MRGs, ARGs, and integrons abundances tended to increase at high metal polluted environments, suggesting high metals concentrations have a strong potential to promote metal and antibiotic resistance by horizontal gene transmission and affecting bacterial communities, leading to the development of multi-metal and multi-antibiotic resistance. Network analysis demonstrated the positive and significant relationships between MRGs and ARGs as well as the potential for integrons playing a role in the co-transmission of MRGs and ARGs (r > 0.80, p < 0.05). Additionally, the major host bacteria of various MRGs and ARGs that could be accountable for greater MRGs and ARGs levels at high metal polluted environments were also identified by network analysis. Spearman's rank-order correlations and RDA analysis further confirm relationships between total and bioavailable heavy metals concentrations and the relative MRG, ARG, and integron abundances, as well as the composition of related bacterial communities (r > 0.80 (or < −0.80), p < 0.05). These findings are critical for assessing the possible human health concerns associated with metal-driven antibiotic resistance and highlight the need of considering metal pollution for developing appropriate measures to control ARG transmission.
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•Metals exposure trigger co-selection of metal and antibiotic resistance in bacteria.•Metals could promote ARGs transmission by affecting MGEs and bacterial communities.•Significant relationships were found between MRGs and ARGs.•Int1 could facilitate the co-transmission of metal and antibiotic resistance.
Sewage treatment plants (STPs) are considered as “hotspots” for the emergence and proliferation of antibiotic resistance. However, the impact of heavy metals contamination on dispersal of antibiotic ...resistance in STPs is poorly understood. This study simultaneously investigated the effect of removal of metal and antibiotic resistance as well as mobile elements at different treatment units of STPs in Delhi, India. Results showed that treatment technologies used in STPs were inefficient for the complete removal of metal and antibiotic resistance, posing an ecological risk of co-selection of antibiotic resistance. The strong correlations were observed between heavy metals, metal and antibiotic resistance, and integrons, implying that antibiotic resistance may be exacerbated in the presence of heavy metals via integrons, and that metal and antibiotic resistance share a common or closely associated mechanism. We quantified an MRG rcnA, conferring resistance to Co and Ni, and identified that it was more abundant than all MRGs, ARGs, integrons, and 16S rRNA, suggesting rcnA could be important in antibiotic resistance dissemination in the environment. The associations between heavy metals, metal and antibiotic resistance, and integrons highlight the need for additional research to better understand the mechanism of co-selection as well as to improve the removal efficacy of current treatment systems.
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•High levels of metal and antibiotic resistance observed in treated effluents.•Combination of primary treatment, ASP, and chlorination offers a better treatment.•Heavy metals promote development and propagation of metal and antibiotic resistance.•Significant correlations between metal and antibiotic resistance were observed.•Intl1 plays a major role in the transmission of metal induced antibiotic resistance.
Heavy metals contamination in sediment poses serious threats to bacterial communities that play critical roles in sediment biogeochemical processes. However, the physicochemical factors and the major ...heavy metals fractions that affect sediment bacterial communities are still unclear. Here, we performed heatmap and redundancy analyses to examine the effects of physico-chemical characteristics and heavy metals fractions on the sediment bacterial community from rivers in the UK (River Tyne and Ouseburn) and India (River Ganga and Yamuna). The results revealed that physicochemical characteristics and heavy metals fractions altered the diversity, richness, and structures of the bacterial community. Moreover, the fractions of Co, Zn, Pb, Cr, and Cu played significant roles in shaping the bacterial community structure, and physicochemical variables, particularly NH4+-N and NO2−-N, also influenced the bacterial diversity and structure. Firmicutes showed strong associations with both physicochemical factors and heavy metals fractions. Chloroflexi and Actinobacteriota can be used as biomarkers for Zn contamination. Overall, our study identified the significance of sediment chemical characteristics and heavy metals fractions in determining the bacterial community structure as well as bioremediation and environmental management of metals contaminated sites.
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•Cd and Pb have higher potential mobility and bioavailability.•Physicochemical factors and heavy metals fractions determined bacterial community.•Bacterial communities were greatly affected by NH4+, NO2−, Co, Zn, Pb, Cr, and Cu.•Chloroflexi and Actinobacteriota can be used as bioindicators for Zn contamination.
This work compares the tensile and fatigue behavior of unidirectional glass fiber/epoxy (GFRPs) and basalt fiber/epoxy (BFRPs) composites manufactured using vacuum‐assisted resin infusion molding ...(VARIM). The tensile and fatigue tests are performed, and results show that both GFRPs and BFRPs have very similar tensile behavior, whereas BFRPs perform better than the GFRPs in terms of fatigue life and degradation of properties, showing about 75 MPa more fatigue limit. The S–N curve shows that BFRPs resist fatigue failure and stiffness degradation due to their better interfacial adhesion. Fractographic observations reveal fatigue failure mechanisms of both BFRPs and GFRPs. From the regression analysis performed, an S–N curve was fitted with a model available in the literature, and regression parameters were calculated. Dynamic mechanical analysis of both BFRPs and GFRPs was performed to evaluate parameters like glass transition temperature, storage modulus, and loss modulus. From the findings of this research, BFRPs may be recommended as a suitable alternative to GFRPs.
Highlights
This article compares the tension–tension fatigue properties of unidirectional GFRPs and BFRPs.
From the research work, the authors found that BFRPs perform better than GFRPs under fatigue loading.
The stiffness degradation behavior of GFRPs and BFRPs are studied and compared.
Scanning electron micrographs of fractured samples are used to observe fatigue failure mechanisms.
Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was performed to determine the storage modulus, loss modulus, glass transition temperature, and damping coefficient (tanδ) for both composites.
Methodology adopted for evaluating fatigue behavior of GFRPs and BFRPs.
The high degree of conservation of toll-like receptors (TLRs), and yet their subtle variations for better adaptation of species in the host-pathogen arms race make them worthy candidates for ...understanding evolution. We have attempted to track the trend of TLR evolution in the most diverse vertebrate group-teleosts, where Clarias batrachus was given emphasis, considering its traits for terrestrial adaptation. Eleven C. batrachus TLRs (TLR1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 9, 13, 22, 25, 26) were identified in this study which clustered in proximity to its Siluriformes relative orthologues in the phylogenetic analysis of 228 TLRs from 25 teleosts. Ten TLRs (TLR1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 9, 13, 21, 22) with at least 15 member orthologues for each alignment were processed for selection pressure and coevolutionary analysis. TLR1, 7, 8 and 9 were found to be under positive selection in the alignment-wide test. TLR1 also showed maximum episodic diversification in its clades while the teleost group Eupercaria showed the maximum divergence in their TLR repertoire. Episodic diversification was evident in C. batrachus TLR1 and 7 alignments. These results present a strong evidence of a divergent TLR repertoire in teleosts which may be contributing towards species-specific variation in TLR functions.
Purpose
To codify the use of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) for the interrogation of prostate neoplasia (PCa) in clinical practice and focal therapy (FT).
Methods
An international ...collaborative consensus project was undertaken using the Delphi method among experts in the field of PCa. An online questionnaire was presented in three consecutive rounds and modified each round based on the comments provided by the experts. Subsequently, a face-to-face meeting was held to discuss and finalize the consensus results.
Results
mpMRI should be performed in patients with prior negative biopsies if clinical suspicion remains, but not instead of the PSA test, nor as a stand-alone diagnostic tool or mpMRI-targeted biopsies only. It is not recommended to use a 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner without an endorectal or pelvic phased-array coil. mpMRI should be performed following standard biopsy-based PCa diagnosis in both the planning and follow-up of FT. If a lesion is seen, MRI-TRUS fusion biopsies should be performed for FT planning. Systematic biopsies are still required for FT planning in biopsy-naïve patients and for patients with residual PCa after FT. Standard repeat biopsies should be taken during the follow-up of FT. The final decision to perform FT should be based on histopathology. However, these consensus statements may differ for expert centers versus non-expert centers.
Conclusions
The mpMRI is an important tool for characterizing and targeting PCa in clinical practice and FT. Standardization of acquisition and reading should be the main priority to guarantee consistent mpMRI quality throughout the urological community.
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