Both biotic and abiotic stresses are major constrains to agricultural production. Under stress conditions, plant growth is affected by a number of factors such as hormonal and nutritional imbalance, ...ion toxicity, physiological disorders, susceptibility to diseases, etc. Plant growth under stress conditions may be enhanced by the application of microbial inoculation including plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and mycorrhizal fungi. These microbes can promote plant growth by regulating nutritional and hormonal balance, producing plant growth regulators, solubilizing nutrients and inducing resistance against plant pathogens. In addition to their interactions with plants, these microbes also show synergistic as well as antagonistic interactions with other microbes in the soil environment. These interactions may be vital for sustainable agriculture because they mainly depend on biological processes rather than on agrochemicals to maintain plant growth and development as well as proper soil health under stress conditions. A number of research articles can be deciphered from the literature, which shows the role of rhizobacteria and mycorrhizae alone and/or in combination in enhancing plant growth under stress conditions. However, in contrast, a few review papers are available which discuss the synergistic interactions between rhizobacteria and mycorrhizae for enhancing plant growth under normal (non-stress) or stressful environments. Biological interactions between PGPR and mycorrhizal fungi are believed to cause a cumulative effect on all rhizosphere components, and these interactions are also affected by environmental factors such as soil type, nutrition, moisture and temperature. The present review comprehensively discusses recent developments on the effectiveness of PGPR and mycorrhizal fungi for enhancing plant growth under stressful environments. The key mechanisms involved in plant stress tolerance and the effectiveness of microbial inoculation for enhancing plant growth under stress conditions have been discussed at length in this review. Growth promotion by single and dual inoculation of PGPR and mycorrhizal fungi under stress conditions have also been discussed and reviewed comprehensively.
•Plant growth under stress conditions•Strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of stresses on plants•Role of plant beneficial bacteria and mycorrhizae for plant adaptation to stress•Effectiveness of combined inoculation of PGPR and mycorrhizal fungi•Discussion on recent developments in PGPR–mycorrhizae–plant interactions under stress
Dengue fever, caused by dengue virus (DENV), has become a serious threat to human lives. Phytochemicals are known to have great potential to eradicate viral, bacterial and fungal-borne diseases in ...human beings. This study was aimed at in silico drug development against nonstructural protein 4B (NS4B) of dengue virus 4 (DENV4).
A total of 2750 phytochemicals from different medicinal plants were selected for this study. These plants grow naturally in the climate of Pakistan and India and have been used for the treatment of various pathologies in human for long-time. The ADMET studies, molecular docking and density functional theory (DFT) based analysis were carried out to determine the potential inhibitory properties of these phytochemicals.
The ADMET analysis and docking results revealed nine phytochemicals, i.e. Silymarin, Flavobion, Derrisin, Isosilybin, Mundulinol, Silydianin, Isopomiferin, Narlumicine and Oxysanguinarine to have potential inhibitory properties against DENV and can be considered for additional in vitro and in vivo studies to assess their inhibitory effects against DENV replication. They exhibited binding affinity ≥ -8 kcal/mol against DENV4-NS4B. Furthermore, DFT based analysis revealed high reactivity for these nine phytochemicals in the binding pocket of DENV4-NS4B, based on ELUMO, EHOMO and band energy gap.
Five out of nine phytochemicals are reported for the first time as novel DENV inhibitors. These included three phytochemicals from Silybum marianum, i.e. Derrisin, Mundulinol, Isopomiferin, and two phytochemicals from Fumaria indica, i.e. Narlumicine and Oxysanguinarine. However, all the nine phytochemicals can be considered for in vitro and in vivo analysis for the development of potential DENV inhibitors.
Background
Hypertension and its associated complications are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Asia. Racial disparities in terms of treatment outcomes among hypertension ...patients have been reported in literature with Asian patients resulting in poorer treatment outcomes. Non-adherence to antihypertensive therapy is frequently associated with poor treatment outcomes.
Aim of the review
The aim of this review was to estimate the prevalence of non-adherence to antihypertensive medications among patients with hypertension residing in Asia.
Method
PubMed, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, CINHAL and Cochrane library were searched for studies published between 2000 and 2019 involving hypertensive patients. Studies investigating the prevalence of medication non-adherence in Asian countries, rated either good or fair on National Institute of Health quality assessment tool and published in English language were included in our review. Data were extracted by one author and checked by another using a structured and pilot-tested data extraction sheet. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed using STATA version 14.3®.
Results
Sixty-Six studies from 22 Asian countries including 2,532,582 hypertensive patients were included. Mean (± SD) age of participants was 58(± 6) years. Overall, the estimated prevalence of non-adherence to antihypertensive medication in Asia was 48% (95% CI: 41–54,
P
= 0.001). The rate of non-adherence was higher among females 49% (95% CI: 41–56,
P
= 0.001) compared to males 47% (95% CI: 40–53,
P
= 0.001). As per the region, the highest prevalence of non-adherence was found in South Asia 48% (95% 44–51,
P
= 0.877) followed by East Asia 45% (31–59,
P
= 0.001) and the Middle East 41 (95% 30–52,
P
= 0.001). Similarly, higher rate of non-adherence was observed in low and lower middle-income countries i.e. 50% (95% CI: 47–54,
P
= 0.220) as compare to upper-middle and high-income countries i.e. 37% (95% CI: 25–49,
P
= 0.001) and 44% (95% CI: 29–59,
P
= 0.001) respectively.
Conclusion
The prevalence of non-adherence to antihypertensive medication is high in Asia. This may partly explain poor treatment outcomes and incidence of higher mortality rate in Asia frequently reported in the literature. There is a need to implement appropriate policies and clinical practices to improve medication adherence.
Abstract The investigation focused on creating and studying a new 2D–2D S-scheme CdS/g-C 3 N 4 heterojunction photocatalyst. Various techniques examined its structure, composition, and optical ...properties. This included XRD, XPS, EDS, SEM, TEM, HRTEM, DRS, and PL. The heterojunction showed a reduced charge recombination rate and more excellent stability, helping to lessen photocorrosion. This was due to photogenerated holes moving more quickly out of the CdS valence band. The interface between g-C 3 N 4 and CdS favored a synergistic charge transfer. A suitable flat band potential measurement supported enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in degrading 4-nitrophenol and 2-nitrophenol. This resulted in remarkable degradation efficiency of up to 99% and mineralization of up to 79%. The findings highlighted the practical design of the new 2D–2D S-scheme CdS/g-C 3 N 4 heterojunction photocatalyst and its potential application in various energy and environmental settings, such as pollutant removal, hydrogen production, and CO 2 conversion.
Salt stress is one of the major constraints hampering agricultural production owing to its impact on ethylene production and nutritional imbalance. A check on the accelerated ethylene production in ...plants could be helpful in minimizing the negative effect of salt stress on plant growth and development. Four
Pseudomonas
, 1
Flavobacterium
, and 1
Enterobacter
strain of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria containing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC)-deaminase were selected and their effects on growth and yield of maize were investigated to improve the salt tolerance of maize grown on salt-affected fields. The selected rhizobacterial isolates reduced or eliminated the classical "triple" response, indicating their ability to reduce stress-induced ethylene levels. Results showed that rhizobacterial strains, particularly Pseudomonas and Enterobacter spp., significantly promoted the growth and yield of maize compared with the non-inoculated control.
Pseudomonas fluorescens
increased plant height, biomass, cob yield, grain yield, 1000 grain mass, and straw yield of maize up to 29%, 127%, 67%, 60%, 17%, and 166%, respectively, over the control. Under stress conditions, more N, P, and K uptake and high K
+
-Na
+
ratios were recorded in inoculated plants compared with the control. The results imply that inoculation with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria containing ACC-deaminase could be a useful approach for improving growth and yield of maize under salt-stressed conditions.
Rhizobacteria may promote plant growth by cleaving plant-produced 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) through ACC-deaminase activity. The effectiveness of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria ...(PGPR) for improving the growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was evaluated under salinity stress. The effect of high ethylene concentrations on plant growth and performance of these strains for reducing this negative impact was also evaluated by conducting a classical triple-response bioassay. Eighteen rhizobacterial strains containing ACC-deaminase were screened by conducting a jar experiment under axenic conditions at 1 (original), 5, 10, and 15 dS m–1. The four most effective strains were further evaluated in a pot trial at salinity levels of 1.46 (original), 5, 10, and 15 dS m–1. In general, salinity depressed the growth of wheat, but inoculation improved the growth and yield of wheat compared with the uninoculated controls. At the high salinity level (15 dS m–1), plant height, root length, plant biomass, and grain yield increased up to 37, 70, 116, and 111%, respectively, compared with the control. Results indicated that inoculated plants had higher K+/Na+ ratios, relative water contents and chlorophyll content; however, relatively low proline contents compared with controls. The results also showed that intensity of the classical triple response decreased due to inoculation with these strains. Pseudomonas putida (W2) and P. fluorescens (W17) were the most effective strains for alleviating salt stress even at higher salinity levels. Our results suggest that the assay for ACC-deaminase activity could be an efficient approach to screen effective PGPR for increasing the growth and yield of wheat under salt-stressed conditions.
COVID-19 break out has created panic and fear in society. A strict kind of lockdown was imposed in Wuhan, Hubei province of China. During home confinement due to lockdown, people face ...multidimensional issues. The present study explored the psychological impacts of COVID-19 home confinement during the lockdown period and Wuhan's residents' attitude toward physical activity.
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted to collect the primary data according to the study objectives. The population was Wuhan residents (+ 18 years) who were in home confinement. A total of 2280 participant's reply to the online questionnaire survey and collected data after quantifying the data, about 2200 (96.49%); about (49.8%) female, about (49.4%) male, others about (0.2%), and about (0.6%) were not disclosed their gender participants responses were used for analysis. The collected data were analyzed through appropriate statistical techniques.
According to results, H1 is supported with β = -40.793,
= 57.835,
= 0.000, which claimed a negative association between COVID-19 lockdown policy and behavior and attitude. Results for H2 reveals that the COVID-19 lockdown policy have negative influence on emotional control with β = -0.769,
= 46.766,
= 0.000 and it is supported. H3 documented a significant positive relationship between COVID-19 lockdown policy and lockdown period psychological impact, which means lockdown policy, is the main reason to increase the lockdown psychological impact. Further, COVID-19 lockdown policy have negative influence on physical activity (H4) and self-belief (H5) with β = -0.657,
= 32.766,
= 0.000 and β = -0.620,
= -6.766,
= 0.000 respectively. H6 stated that there is a positive impact of behavior and attitude toward physical activity. The results for H6, behavior, and attitude affecting the physical activity with β = 0.401,
= 10,
= 0.000, which is supported.
COVID-19 home confinement created various psychological impacts, negatively affecting the emotional state due to depression and anxiety. Physical activity is the best strategy to manage human nature's psychological issues, and people's attitudes were positive toward physical activity during home confinement. However, the lockdown policy also affects physical activity participation negatively, and a sedentary lifestyle prevailed during home confinement.
Ethylene synthesis is accelerated in response to various environmental stresses like salinity. Ten rhizobacterial strains isolated from wheat rhizosphere taken from different salt affected areas were ...screened for growth promotion of wheat under axenic conditions at 1, 5, 10 and 15 dS m⁻¹. Three strains, i.e., Pseudomonas putida (N21), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (N39) and Serratia proteamaculans (M35) showing promising performance under axenic conditions were selected for a pot trial at 1.63 (original), 5, 10 and 15 dS m⁻¹. Results showed that inoculation was effective even in the presence of higher salinity levels. P. putida was the most efficient strain compared to the other strains and significantly increased the plant height, root length, grain yield, 100-grain weight and straw yield up to 52, 60, 76, 19 and 67%, respectively, over uninoculated control at 15 dS m⁻¹. Similarly, chlorophyll content and K⁺/Na⁺ of leaves also increased by P. putida over control. It is highly likely that under salinity stress, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid-deaminase activity of these microbial strains might have caused reduction in the synthesis of stress (salt)-induced inhibitory levels of ethylene. The results suggested that these strains could be employed for salinity tolerance in wheat; however, P. putida may have better prospects in stress alleviation/reduction.
Hypertension is a major risk factor for a number of cardiovascular diseases. Proper management of hypertension may require both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. ...Non-pharmacological interventions help reduce the daily dose of antihypertensive medication and delay the progression from prehypertension to hypertension stage. Non-pharmacological interventions include lifestyle modifications like dietary modifications, exercise, avoiding stress, and minimizing alcohol consumption. Nutritional requirements of hypertensive individuals can be addressed through adopting either the DASH diet or through traditional Mediterranean diet. These dietary guidelines promote the consumption of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products, and food rich in K
+
, Mg
+2
, Ca
+2
, and phosphorus. Restriction of Na
+
intake has the greatest role in lowering the blood pressure. The DASH diet alone has the effect equal to that of a single drug therapy. After dietary modifications, exercise and weight loss are the second major intervention for hypertension management. Avoiding stressful lifestyle, depression, and anxiety also help to reduce elevated blood pressure. Minimizing alcohol intake also favors the blood pressure reduction. However, lifestyle modification is a dynamic process and requires continuous adherence. It is a multi-factorial approach targeting more than one intervention. However, 6–12-month lifestyle modifications can be attempted in stage-1 hypertensive patients without any cardiovascular complication, in the hope that they may be sufficiently effective to make it unnecessary to use medicines.
Diabetes is a serious health issue that can be a great risk factor related to numerous physical problems. A class of drugs "Gliflozin" especially Sodium Glucose Co. Transporter 2 was inhibited by a ...novel drug, which is known as "empagliflozin". While ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) had considerable promise for combating diabetes, it was employed in the treatment and management of type-2 diabetes mellitus. The new drug empagliflozin was initially incorporated into Zinc Oxide NPs in this study using the surface physio-sorption technique, and the degree of drug adsorption was assessed using the HPLC method. The tailored product was characterized by using the FTIR, EDX, Ultraviolet-Visible, XRD and SEM techniques. With an average particle size of 17 nm, SEM revealed mono-dispersion of NPs and sphere-like form. The Freundlich isotherm model best fits and explains the data for the physio-sorption investigation, which examined adsorption capabilities using adsorption isotherms. The enzymes α-amylase and α-glucosidase, which are involved in the human metabolism of carbohydrates, were used in the in-vitro anti-diabetic assays. It was discovered that the composite showed the highest levels of 81.72 and 92.77% inhibition of -α-amylase and -glucosidase at an absolute concentration of 1000 μg per ml with IC
values of 30.6 μg per ml and 72 μg per ml.
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