Food Wastage is a rising challenge at the global level as 1.4B hectare of land is occupied by wasted food. If annual 1/3rd of wasted food is donated to undernourishment areas, it will result in ...overcoming food shortage issues. Findings of previous researchers have identified that 49% of food is wasted in households and 20% due to mishandling of best before date. This research fills the gaps by a BYOD (bring your own device) application named ConFood, that can help reduce or eliminate the food wastage by reminding the user about best before date. It also includes a customized alert system, adding family members, BYOD support, recipe suggestions and similar others. The complete framework has been provided to develop the application.
Characterization of commercial humic acid samples and their impact on growth of fungi and plants Lodhi, A. (Nuclear Inst. for Agriculture and Biology, Faisalabad (Pakistan)); Tahir, S. (Nuclear Inst. for Agriculture and Biology, Faisalabad (Pakistan)); Iqbal, Z. (Nuclear Inst. for Agriculture and Biology, Faisalabad (Pakistan)) ...
Soil & environment (Faisalabad),
(Jun 2013), Letnik:
32, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Odprti dostop
Naturally occurring humates like leonardite and brown coal or lignite are marketed under different brand names e.g. Pak Humates, Humate Fertilizer, Pak Humax, Humkara and Humide etc. However, their ...efficacy is needed to be confirmed before their use. Different studies were conducted for the comparison of four commercial humates for their physico-chemical, optical properties, plant growth promoting ability in terms of seed germination and seedling vigour in wheat (cv Sehr), mung bean (Mung-54), maize (C-12) and sesbania and their effect on growth of some fungi. Moisture content of four humates varied from 0.52 to 71.11%, while solubility in water varied from 30.2 to 98.2% and density differed from 1.67 to 4.17. A 2% solution of humates had pH and EC varying from 5.39 to 10.11 and 3.140 to 1.143 mS cm-1, respectively. Carbon and nitrogen concentrations varied from 22.95 to 36.56% and 0.658 to 1.183, respectively with a C/N ratio of 30.91 to 44.16. Humates dissolved in 0.1N NaOH were partitioned into humic acid and fulvic acid fractions. Of the total C in humates, 40.3 to 77.5% was ranged in humic acid and 22.5 to 59.7% in fulvic acid fraction. The HA was also studied for optical properties at 400, 500, 600, and 700 nm besides that at 465 and 665 to calculate E4/E6 (extinction coefficient); the later varied between 3.64 and 5.48. Optical density of the humic acid decreased at increasing wavelength and was correlated significantly with the carbon contents of humic compounds. Three fungi, Trichoderma harzianum, T. hamatum and Alternaria alternate showed maximum growth at 0.025% HA in the growth medium on the basis of colony diameter. Humates inhibited seed germination in wheat, maize and mung bean except for sesbania. Root length and shoot dry matter increased in wheat and maize but no effect was found in mung bean and sesbania. The studies revealed that humates available in the market vary widely and therefore some sort of quality monitoring is required for the benefit of end users.
Rotaviruses are among the major causes of gastroenteritis and diarrhea among children in developed as well as the developing countries. The rapidly evolving strain prevalence and circulation have ...resulted in the emergence of novel strains over the period worldwide. The introduction of G12 prototype in 1987 from Philippines and subsequently re-emergence among most of the Asian countries along with USA and Europe has provoked new research horizons to address the global distribution of rotavirus serotypes. These newly emerging subtypes and their sustenance among the population have posed tremendous challenge to the development of an effectual vaccine with heterotypic protective efficacy. In Pakistan, no data is available regarding the prevalent rotavirus serotypes; therefore, this is the first study to report the prevalence of G12 strain in Pakistan in hospitalized children with diarrhea addressing a dire need of further large-scale epidemiological surveys to resolve the underlying rotavirus isolates in both the hospitalized and the community neonatal and child population before formulating the vaccine introduction policies in the country's routine immunization program.
Abstract 4900
Trisomy 8 is the most common chromosomal change in AML, as sole aberration in 5 % of cytogenetically abnormal cases and occurring together with other abnormalities in an additional 10% ...and little is known about the pathogenetic impact of trisomy 8. Most studies reported trisomy 8 in AML to be associated with intermediate risk. However, some reports have identified a poorer outcome than is usually seen in the intermediate group, considering trisomy 8 an adverse prognostic factor. More importantly, the clinical behavior and outcome of patients with trisomy 8 who are treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is not known. We investigated the outcome in patients with trisomy 8 who were treated with HSCT.
Bone marrow conventional cytogenetic and FISH data from 110 adult AML patients was reviewed and patients divided into three cytogenetic risk groups according to the European LeukemiaNet reporting system while separating patients with trisomy 8 into another, fourth, independent group. Patients with trisomy 8 as part of a complex karyotype (complex = 3 or more abnormalities) were excluded. We also compared outcome of patients with trisomy 8 to the intermediate-risk group alone and adverse-risk group alone, respectively. The AML cohort included 62 (56%) patients treated in their first remission (CR1) while most non-CR1 AML patients were treated with HSCT in CR2. The median age of all patients was 25 years (range: 14–58).
Patients with trisomy 8 were 9 (8%). Patients with trisomy 8 showed significantly longer overall survival (OS) (P=0.02) and event-free survival (EFS) (P=0.03) as compared to patients with adverse cytogenetics. The outcome of trisomy 8-positive patients was similar to the intermediate-risk group.
This data suggests that trisomy 8 in AML is an intermediate-risk factor when patients are treated with HSCT. While we did not compare the outcome of HSCT with the outcome of trisomy 8-positive patients treated with intensive chemotherapy, most likely the cytogenetic risk of trisomy 8 for patients after HSCT is similar to their cytogenetic risk when treated with chemotherapy. Display omitted
No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Abstract 4643
Mutations in the genes encoding for the cytosolic isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) and the mitochondrial version of this enzyme (IDH2) have been reported in acute myeloid leukemia ...(AML) and other types of cancer. Presence of these mutations in AML correlated with more aggressive disease in some studies, but other studies did not find significant correlation with outcome when patients were treated with intensive chemotherapy. The polymorphism at rs11554137 in IDH1 was reported to correlate with inferior outcome in cytogenetically normal AML patients. Most of the studies evaluating the prognostic relevance of IDH1, IDH2 and the rs11554137 polymorphism were reported in patients treated with standard chemotherapy. The prognostic significance of these markers is not fully studied when AML patients are treated with intensive chemotherapy followed by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We studied the prognostic value of the IDH1, IDH2, and rs11554137 polymorphism in patients with AML treated with HSCT in first complete remission (CR1).
Samples from 69 patients with AML were analyzed for mutations in IDH1, IDH2, and the SNP rs11554137 by direct sequencing. All patients were diagnosed with AML, treated with chemotherapy followed by HSCT in CR1. They included intermediate (N=42) and adverse (N=27) cytogenetic risk groups.
The R132H and the SNP C to T change at rs11554137 (silent G105) in IDH1 were detected in 5 (7%) and 6 (9%) of 69 AML patients. The IDH2 mutations (N=5; 7%) included R140Q, 172K, and T169A. Patients with IDH1 or IDH2 mutations did not differ significantly in their overall survival, event free survival, or time to relapse from those without mutation. In addition, the rs11554137 SNP polymorphism did not correlate with outcome in this group of AML patients. We also looked at the combination of mutations as compared with cytogenetic risk and found no difference in survival or event free survival based on IDH1 or IDH2 mutations or rs11554137 polymorphism in the intermediate cytogenetic risk group.
The data suggests that HSCT after intensive chemotherapy in CR1 may neutralize the negative prognostic impact of IDH1 and IDH2 or the rs11554137 SNP polymorphism. However, the number of cases is relatively small and further studies with larger number of cases are needed.
No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Abstract 1465▪▪This icon denotes a clinically relevant abstract
The gene for the transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α (CEBPA) is important for the differentiation of granulocytes and ...has been reported to be mutated in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Double mutation of CEBPA has been shown to be associated with good outcome in the cytogenetic intermediate-risk subgroup. Multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been reported in this gene in addition to a 6-nucleotide insertion. Most of the studies of prognostic relevance of CEBPA have been reported in patients treated with standard chemotherapy focusing on the mutations in the CEBPA gene. The prognostic significance of CEBPA is not fully studied in AML patients treated with intensive chemotherapy followed by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in their first complete remission (CR1). We studied the prognostic value of the CEBPA mutations and the SNPs in patients with AML treated with HSCT in CR1.
Samples from 69 patients with AML were analyzed for CEBPA mutations by direct sequencing of the entire coding sequence of the gene. All patients were diagnosed with AML, treated with intensive chemotherapy, then received HSCT in CR1. The group included intermediate (N=42) and adverse (N=27) cytogenetic risk groups.
Double CEBPA mutations were detected in 7 patients (10%). However, silent G to T (690g>t) transition in rs34529039 SNP (silent T230) was detected in 15 patients (22%). The same genotype was detected in 17% of normal control individuals. The prevalence of rs34529039 T genotype in our patient population was similar to that detected in the United State population (Quest Diagnostics data: 17% in normal controls and 28% in AML patients). Outcome in patients with double mutations did not differ significantly in event free survival (EFS) or overall survival (OS) in this group of patients, although the number of patients with double mutation is too small. In contrast, the T rs34529039 genotype was significantly associated with shorter EFS (P=0.03) and time-to-relapse (P=0.006). The same trend is seen for OS, although the P-value is not significant due to very few events. When we excluded patients with adverse cytogenetic abnormalities, similar results were obtained and EFS was significantly poor in patients with T phenotype (P=0.04 for EFS).
The data suggests that HSCT after intensive chemotherapy in CR1 may neutralize the prognostic value of CEBPA double mutations. However, the rs34529039 is a very important independent adverse prognostic factor in patients with AML and should be used in stratifying patients. Display omitted
No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Abstract 4464
Alterations of the short arm of chromosome 12, most often resulting in loss of chromosomal material, are a recurrent feature in myeloid malignancies and occur in about 5 % of ...cytogenetically abnormal AML. Chromosomal abnormalities of 12p in AML have been reported to be associated with a non-favorable outcome. However, it is unclear how dismal the outcome is, as AML with 12p abnormalities is variably included in the intermediate or poor prognosis groups. Moreover, the role of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) on outcome of patients with 12p abnormalities is not known. We investigated whether HSCT can improve the poor survival of patients with 12p abnormalities.
Bone marrow conventional cytogenetic and FISH data from 110 adult AML patients was reviewed and patients were divided into three cytogenetic risk groups according to the European LeukemiaNet reporting system while separating the patients with 12p aberrations into one independent fourth group. We also compared outcome of the 12p group with to the intermediate group alone or after combining intermediate with favorable, since there was no significant difference between the favorable and the intermediate groups. The AML cohort included 62 (56%) patients treated in their first remission (CR1) while most non-CR1 AML patients were treated with HSCT in CR2. The median age of all patients was 25 years (range: 14–58).
Patients with 12p abnormalities were 4 (4%). Patients with 12p abnormalities had a significantly shorter overall survival (OS) (P=0.03) and event-free survival (EFS) (P=0.04). Their outcome was similar to the adverse-risk cytogenetic group, and survival was significantly shorter than in the intermediate group (P=0.02). The poor outcome was significant even when only patients treated with HSCT in first remission were considered. All four patients with 12p abnormalities were treated with HSCT in CR1.
Although the number is small, this data suggests that 12p chromosomal changes in AML are significant adverse abnormalities, not different from complex cytogenetics, and treatment with HSCT does not change this dismal outcome. This also suggests that for patients with 12p abnormalities, alternative therapeutic approaches should be considered.
No relevant conflicts of interest to declare. Display omitted
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