► Submergence reduces rice yield on 20millionha in Asia, worsening food insecurity ► The gene controlling tolerance (SUB1) cloned and transferred into several varieties ► Sub1 varieties had yield ...advantages of 1 to over 3tha−1 following submergence ► These varieties reached over 3.8 million farmers in Asia within 3 years of release.
Transient complete submergence reduces survival and yield on more than 20millionha of rice in rainfed lowlands and flood-prone areas in Asia. Poverty and food insecurity are concomitant problems in these heavily populated areas, because of the high risks and the lack of high-yielding, flood-tolerant varieties. Rice landraces that can withstand over 2 weeks of complete submergence were identified and the gene (named SUB1) that controls most of the tolerance phenotype was cloned and characterized. This enabled the use of marker-assisted backcrossing (MABC) to transfer this gene into numerous varieties that are popular among farmers, five of which were recently released for commercial use in five countries in South and Southeast Asia. Varieties carrying the SUB1 gene developed through this process had the same agronomic, yield and quality traits as their non-Sub1 counterparts when grown under non-flooded conditions, but showed yield advantages of 1 to more than 3tha−1 after complete submergence for various durations in naturally flooded fields. Furthermore, SUB1 was found to be effective at all growth stages from early seedling stage to about a week before flowering. Sub1 varieties have been spreading fast in several countries over the last few years, and are currently grown by more than 4 million farmers in Asia. This success is attributed to several factors, including the choice of varieties that are popular among rainfed lowland farmers for deploying SUB1 and its consistent effectiveness in different genetic backgrounds and environments. Other factors are a far-reaching network of partners along the research to adoption continuum, an effective awareness programme targeting appropriate partners, policymakers and farmers, and the additional resources made available by international donors and national programmes primarily to support the production and distribution of good-quality seeds and for strengthening seed systems. Further work is ongoing to incorporate SUB1 into more varieties and to strengthen the tolerance conferred by SUB1. Breeding varieties with multiple stresses is being accomplished by combining SUB1 with other tolerance traits/genes for wider adaptation in the less favourable rice ecosystems.
The FDA has approved several drugs based on the fluorinated nucleoside pharmacophore, and numerous drugs are currently in clinical trials. Fluorine-containing nucleos(t)ides offer significant ...antiviral and anticancer activity. The insertion of a fluorine atom, either in the base or sugar of nucleos(t)ides, alters its electronic and steric parameters and transforms the lipophilicity, pharmacodynamic, and pharmacokinetic properties of these moieties. The fluorine atom restricts the oxidative metabolism of drugs and provides enzymatic metabolic stability towards the glycosidic bond of the nucleos(t)ide. The incorporation of fluorine also demonstrates additional hydrogen bonding interactions in receptors with enhanced biological profiles. The present article discusses the synthetic methodology and antiviral activities of FDA-approved drugs and ongoing fluoro-containing nucleos(t)ide drug candidates in clinical trials.
Abstract
We study the capability of INO-ICAL to determine the
neutrino oscillation parameters |Δ
M
2
31
| and
sin
2
θ
23
. We do not use any generator level
information. Instead, we process the ...generated atmospheric neutrino
events through GEANT4 simulation of the detector and the event
reconstruction framework. Among the outputs of this framework, only
the momentum and direction of the longest track were used in a
previous study by other authors. In this study, in addition to
these two variables, we consider a third variable based on
additional hits, which arise due to hadrons in the event. We show
that the inclusion of this variable leads to a 30% reduction in
the uncertainty of |Δ
M
2
31
| for a 5-year run of ICAL. We
find that doubling the exposure time leads to an additional 30%
reduction in the uncertainties of both |Δ
M
2
31
| and
sin
2
θ
23
.
Ilmenite AgSbO3 was synthesized by ion-exchange reaction of NaSbO3 with silver nitrate and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance, surface area, and photocatalytic ...measurements. AgSbO3 exhibited unique optical absorption behavior capable of absorbing UV and visible light with a wavelength λ ≤ 500 nm and with a clear tail extending up to 650 nm. Investigation of photocatalytic degradation of dyes, such as methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (Rh B), agreed very well with the optical absorption behavior and showed excellent activity under UV light (λ < 400 nm) radiation. Complete mineralization of MB and Rh B was observed within the first 30−40 min of UV light irradiation. Further, the single phase ilmenite AgSbO3 efficiently decomposed MB, Rh B, and 4-chlorophenol solutions under visible light radiation (400 nm ≤ λ ≤ 800 nm). The present investigation results point toward the possibility of an ilmenite form of silver antimony oxide as a potential visible-light-based photocatalyst for splitting water to produce hydrogen.
Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is the most common malignant salivary gland neoplasm comprising approximately 10% of all tumours of the major salivary gland. Owing to a plethora of morphological variations, ...it poses a diagnostic challenge on fine‐needle aspiration cytology. Oncocytic variant of mucoepidermoid carcinoma is a rare subtype seen in the age group of 20‐80 years. It is crucial to make the correct diagnosis on cytology as it has therapeutic implications. Oncocytes can be present in a wide range of salivary gland lesions ranging from non‐neoplastic conditions to benign and malignant lesions. We report a case of oncocytic mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid gland in a 12‐year‐old boy which is the youngest age reported for the same. On cytology, this case was initially diagnosed as Warthin's tumour and was supported by radiology. However, histomorphological findings clinched the diagnosis of an oncocytic variant of mucoepidermoid carcinoma with the aid of immunohistochemistry.
Flooding is one of the major constraints for rice production in rainfed lowlands, especially in years and areas of high rainfall. Incorporating the Sub1 (Submergence1) gene into high yielding popular ...varieties has proven to be the most feasible approach to sustain rice production in submergence-prone areas. Introgression of this QTL into popular varieties has resulted in considerable improvement in yield after flooding. However, its impact under non-flooded conditions or years have not been thoroughly evaluated which is important for the farmers to accept and adopt any new version of their popular varieties. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of Sub1 on grain yield of rice in different genetic backgrounds, under non-submergence conditions, over years and locations. The study was carried out using head to head trials in farmer's fields, which enable the farmers to more accurately compare the performance of Sub1 varieties with their recurrent parents under own management. The data generated from different head to head trials revealed that the grain yield of Sub1 varieties was either statistically similar or higher than their non-Sub1 counterparts under non-submergence conditions. Thus, Sub1 rice varieties show no instance of yield penalty of the introgressed gene.
Ion-exchange reactions of aqueous SnCl(2).2H(2)O solutions with oxides such as H(2)Sb(2)O(6).3.0H(2)O, KSbWO(6), and KTaWO(6).1.0H(2)O resulted in novel Sn(2+) incorporated pyrochlore-type oxides ...under ambient conditions. Characterization of the Sn(2+) exchanged products by powder X-ray diffraction, EDAX, thermogravimetric analysis, and chemical analysis yielded nominal compositions of Sn(0.92)Sb(2)O(6).2.0H(2)O, K(0.59)Sn(0.20)SbWO(6).1.0H(2)O, and K(0.58)Sn(0.29)TaWO(6).1.0H(2)O. Diffuse reflectance spectra of the oxides incorporated with Sn(2+) ions clearly exhibited red shifts from their respective parent oxides. The observed reduction in the band gaps to an extent of 0.9-1.6 eV was consistent with the Sn(2+) ion-exchange, and indicated the upward shifting of the valence band resulting from the contribution of 5s band of Sn(2+) to the O 2p band. Photocatalytic activities of the synthesized pyrochlore oxides were consistent with their electronic properties and decomposed methyl orange (MO) solutions under visible light. The pseudo first order rate constants of the oxides Sn(0.92)Sb(2)O(6).2.0H(2)O and K(0.59)Sn(0.20)SbWO(6).1.0H(2)O for the decomposition of MO solutions were found to be 1.34 h(-1) and 0.217 h(-1), respectively, and almost a negligible MO decomposition was observed for K(0.58)Sn(0.29)TaWO(6).1.0H(2)O. The photocatalytic efficiencies of the oxides were found to be proportional to the rate of formation of .OH radicals, which was found to vary in the order, Sn(0.92)Sb(2)O(6).2.0H(2)O > K(0.59)Sn(0.20)SbWO(6).1.0H(2)O > K(0.58)Sn(0.29)TaWO(6).1.0H(2)O as determined by the photoluminescence spectra using terephthalic acid.
Ion-exchange reactions of aqueous SnCl2·2H2O solutions with oxides such as H2Sb2O6·3.0H2O, KSbWO6, and KTaWO6·1.0H2O resulted in novel Sn2+ incorporated pyrochlore-type oxides under ambient ...conditions. Characterization of the Sn2+ exchanged products by powder X-ray diffraction, EDAX, thermogravimetric analysis, and chemical analysis yielded nominal compositions of Sn0.92Sb2O6·2.0H2O, K0.59Sn0.20SbWO6·1.0H2O, and K0.58Sn0.29TaWO6·1.0H2O. Diffuse reflectance spectra of the oxides incorporated with Sn2+ ions clearly exhibited red shifts from their respective parent oxides. The observed reduction in the band gaps to an extent of 0.9−1.6 eV was consistent with the Sn2+ ion-exchange, and indicated the upward shifting of the valence band resulting from the contribution of 5s band of Sn2+ to the O 2p band. Photocatalytic activities of the synthesized pyrochlore oxides were consistent with their electronic properties and decomposed methyl orange (MO) solutions under visible light. The pseudo first order rate constants of the oxides Sn0.92Sb2O6·2.0H2O and K0.59Sn0.20SbWO6·1.0H2O for the decomposition of MO solutions were found to be 1.34 h−1 and 0.217 h−1, respectively, and almost a negligible MO decomposition was observed for K0.58Sn0.29TaWO6·1.0H2O. The photocatalytic efficiencies of the oxides were found to be proportional to the rate of formation of ·OH radicals, which was found to vary in the order, Sn0.92Sb2O6·2.0H2O > K0.59Sn0.20SbWO6·1.0H2O > K0.58Sn0.29TaWO6·1.0H2O as determined by the photoluminescence spectra using terephthalic acid.
Background
The ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic has greatly impacted the health services worldwide, challenging the way modern medicine has been practiced for decades.
Aim
The present study documents an ...institutional experience on its impact on cytology services.
Materials & Methods
The cytology samples received during lock down period in India (24 March to 17 May 2020) were analysis and compared to the samples received during the same time frame in year 2019.
Results
The data revealed an overall 92.6% reduction in cytology samples received. All sample types were reduced with a statically significant reduction in thyroid cytology samples (P‐value: .023). There was relative increase in breast and lymph node samples; however, this relative increase was not statistically significant. The malignancy rate also significantly increased by 34.1% accompanied by decrease in neoplastic category among the samples received during COVID‐19 lockdown period. Breast samples remain the most frequent sample type both in pre‐COVID‐19 and COVID‐19 periods. Majority of fine‐needle aspiration done in these cases, during the lockdown period, were either in cases for recurrence or primary diagnosis.
Conclusion
Prioritization of samples, proper precautions and triaging of patients before procedure helped in carrying out this procedure safely.
2′-Fluoro-6′-methylene-carbocyclic adenosine (FMCA, 12) and its phosphoramidate prodrug (FMCAP, 14) have been proven as a potential anti-HBV agent against both adefovir-resistant as well as ...lamivudine-resistant double (rtL180M/rtM204V) mutants. Furthermore, in vitro, these agents have demonstrated significant activity against lamivudine/entecavir triple mutants (L180M + S202G + M204V). These preliminary results encourage us for further biological evaluation of FMCA and FMCAP to develop as a potential clinical candidate as an anti-HBV agent, which may overcome the problem of drug resistance in HBV therapy. To support the preclinical exploration, a scalable synthesis of this molecule was needed. In this communication, a practical and scalable synthesis of FMCA, and its prodrug, is reported via ketone 1. The selective opening of the isopropylidene group of 2 led to compound 3. Protection of the allylic hydroxyl group of 3, followed by fluorination and deprotection, afforded the key intermediate 10, which was condensed with a Boc-protected adenine, followed by deprotection, furnished the target nucleoside FMCA (12) in high yield. Further coupling of phosphorochloridate of L-alanine isopropyl ester (13) with FMCA gave its phosphoramidate prodrug FMCAP (14) in good yield.
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