The contamination of soils with heavy metals and its associated hazardous effects are a thrust area of today's research. Rapid industrialization, emissions from automobiles, agricultural inputs, ...improper disposal of waste, etc., are the major causes of soil contamination with heavy metals. These contaminants not only contaminate soil but also groundwater, reducing agricultural land and hence food quality. These contaminants enter the food chain and have a severe effect on human health. It is important to remove these contaminants from the soil. Various economic and ecological strategies are required to restore the soils contaminated with heavy metals. Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that is non-invasive, cost-effective, and aesthetically pleasing. Many metal-binding proteins (MBPs) of the plants are significantly involved in the phytoremediation of heavy metals; the MBPs include metallothioneins; phytochelatins; metalloenzymes; metal-activated enzymes; and many metal storage proteins, carrier proteins, and channel proteins. Plants are genetically modified to enhance their phytoremediation capacity. In
, the expression of the mercuric ion-binding protein in
improves the metal accumulation capacity. The phytoremediation efficiency of plants is also enhanced when assisted with microorganisms, biochar, and/or chemicals. Removing heavy metals from agricultural land without challenging food security is almost impossible. As a result, crop selections with the ability to sequester heavy metals and provide food security are in high demand. This paper summarizes the role of plant proteins and plant-microbe interaction in remediating soils contaminated with heavy metals. Biotechnological approaches or genetic engineering can also be used to tackle the problem of heavy metal contamination.
Phytopathogens, such as biotrophs, hemibiotrophs and necrotrophs, pose serious stress on the development of their host plants, compromising their yields. Plants are in constant interaction with such ...phytopathogens and hence are vulnerable to their attack. In order to counter these attacks, plants need to develop immunity against them. Consequently, plants have developed strategies of recognizing and countering pathogenesis through pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI). Pathogen perception and surveillance is mediated through receptor proteins that trigger signal transduction, initiated in the cytoplasm or at the plasma membrane (PM) surfaces. Plant hosts possess microbe-associated molecular patterns (P/MAMPs), which trigger a complex set of mechanisms through the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and resistance (R) genes. These interactions lead to the stimulation of cytoplasmic kinases by many phosphorylating proteins that may also be transcription factors. Furthermore, phytohormones, such as salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and ethylene, are also effective in triggering defense responses. Closure of stomata, limiting the transfer of nutrients through apoplast and symplastic movements, production of antimicrobial compounds, programmed cell death (PCD) are some of the primary defense-related mechanisms. The current article highlights the molecular processes involved in plant innate immunity (PII) and discusses the most recent and plausible scientific interventions that could be useful in augmenting PII.
This review includes 84 references on the genus Calendula (Asteraceae) and comprises ethnopharmacology, morphology and microscopy, phytoconstituents, pharmacological reports, clinical studies and ...toxicology of the prominent species of Calendula. Triterpene alcohols, triterpene saponins, flavonoids, carotenoids and polysaccharides constitute major classes of phytoconstituents of the genus. A few species of this genus have medicinal value, among these Calendula officinalis Linn., has been traditionally used in the treatment of various skin tumors, dermatological lesions, ulcers, swellings and nervous disorders as well as almost 200 cosmetic formulations, i.e., creams, lotions, shampoos. Despite a long tradition of use of some species, the genus has not been explored properly. In the concluding part, the future scope of Calendula species has been emphasized with a view to establish their multifarious biological activities and mode of action.
Abstract
Background:
Competency-based medical education has been recently launched for MBBS students in India by the National Medical Council. Successful implementation of the new curriculum requires ...not only concrete evidence of acquisition of competencies but also proper feedback to students for his growth in the required direction. In the first phase MBBS program, in the neuroanatomy module, frequently students’ ability to correlate patients’ signs and symptoms is asked during examinations to assess higher order cognitive skill. These questions are usually asked in written assessments as short essay responses. Currently, the use of analytic rubrics is limited in medical students’ written assessment. Teachers use their self-developed criteria to grade students for such answers. Analytic rubrics have evidence to improve case writing, presentation, surgical and soft skills. The present study aims to develop an analytic rubric to assess critical thinking abilities in written exams.
Methodology:
The study was carried out at KGMU, Lucknow. After developing the criteria and grading statements, two rounds of modified Delphi method of consensus building were conducted by involving 20 subject experts. The item-level validity index of 0.7 or above was set to retain the descriptors.
Results:
After the two rounds of consensus, an analytic rubric with 7 criteria, each with 3 performance levels as excellent (>75%), satisfactory (50%–75%), and unsatisfactory (<50%), was developed. All criteria and level descriptors were having content validity index above 0.7.
Conclusion:
The developed analytic rubrics with clear expectations will help learners to set their learning goals and faculty to assess their level of achievements more objectively.
Soybean, one of the most important crops is well recognized globally for its nutritional value. Soybean has a balanced proportion of nutrients, minerals, and other bioactive compounds with enormous ...medicinal and industrial uses. Soybean is also one of the leading oil crops as well as a source of protein-rich food and feed. However, the worldwide acceptance of soybean as a staple food crop has certain limitations. The anti-nutritional factors and off-flavor-producing compounds present in soybean make it unacceptable to the masses. With the ever-growing global population, it has become necessary to develop a potent source of nutrients to tackle the rising hidden hunger. The development of staple food-grade soybean could probably suffice the nutritional requirements. The present review discusses the potential of soybean as a source of nutritive proteins and edible oil and the scope for their improvement. The approaches helpful to eliminate anti-nutritional factors are also discussed. Similarly, the efficient use of genome editing tools for the improvement of nutritional traits in soybean is described. The information on desired alleles, causal genetic variations, and genome editing opportunities provided here will be helpful to develop anti-nutrient free staple food-grade soybean. Efforts toward the development of food-grade soybean will be helpful to address the global malnutrition issue.
•Soybean-based food has great global reach but is not yet accepted as the staple food.•Soybean has anti-nutritional factors like trypsin inhibitor, phytic acid, and lectins.•Lipoxygenases and KTI are major constraints for soybeans acceptability as staple food.•Omics approaches seem promising for enhancement of soybean seed composition traits.•Genome editing can be an efficient tool to improve nutritional traits in soybean.
Using first-principle spin-density functional computations, the structural, magnetic, and electronic properties of the Cr- and V-doped diluted magnetic semiconductors Ca1-xCrxS and Ca1-xVxSe at x = ...0.25 in the B1 (NaCl) phase are explored. Elastic constants and structural properties (lattice constants, bulk modulus, and its pressure derivative) were calculated and used to establish structure stability. Plots of the TDOS and PDOS of transition metal atom-doped CaZ at x = 0.25 and pure CaZ (Z = S, Se) are presented. Cr-doped CaZ (Z = S, Se) shows half-metallic character at x = 0.25 and is stable in ferromagnetic state, while that of V-doped CaZ compounds shows semiconductor behavior and is stable in antiferromagnetic state. Dispersion of phonons was also evaluated to check the global minima of energy in pure CaZ compounds. Curie temperature, magnetic moments, and exchange constants were also calculated for all doped systems. The current results are in excellent agreement with earlier research. Our current findings imply that CaZ doped with Cr/V (Z = S, Se) would make a promising option for spintronic applications.
Ascaridia galli is the most common nematode in chickens. Ascaridia galli is highly prevalent in chickens reared in scavenging or semiscavenging systems. Here, we studied the epidemiology, pathology, ...genetic diversity, ex vivo culture protocol and anthelmintic sensitivity of A. galli prevalent in indigenous chickens in Bangladesh. Through morphological study and molecular analyses, the isolated worms were confirmed as A. galli. Of the chickens examined, 45.6% (178 out of 390) were found infected. The male and young chickens were significantly (P < 0.05) more prone to A. galli infection. Prevalence of the infection was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the summer season. In heavy infections, A. galli blocked the small intestine. Marked inflammation, increased mucus production and petechial hemorrhages were evident in the small intestine, particularly in the duodenum. Also, there were desquamation and adhesion of the mucosal villi; degeneration, necrosis of the epithelial cells and goblet cell hyperplasia. The mucosal layer was infiltrated mainly with eosinophils and heterophils. We developed a hen egg white-based long-term ex vivo culture protocol which supported the survival and reproduction of A. galli for more than a week. Levamisole (LEV) and ivermectin (IVM) efficiently killed A. galli. However, albendazole (ABZ), mebendazole (MBZ), and piperazine (PPZ) did not kill the worms even at 120 μg/mL and 1mg/mL concentrations, respectively. Taken together, our results suggest that A. galli is highly prevalent in semiscavenging chickens in Bangladesh. Ascaridia galli can be easily maintained ex vivo in egg white supplemented M199 medium. LEV and IVM, but not ABZ, MBZ and PPZ, can be used for treating and controlling A. galli infections in chickens.
Quercetin is one of the most powerful bioactive dietary flavonoids. The in vivo biological study of quercetin is extremely difficult due to its very low solubility. However, diorganotin complexes of ...quercetin are more useful when contrasted with quercetin due to increased solubility. In the present study, quercetin, substituted biguanide synthesized in the form of Schiff base and its di-alkyl/aryl tin (IV) complexes were obtained by condensing Schiff base with respective di-alkyl/aryl tin (IV) dichloride. Advanced analytical techniques were used for structural elucidation. The results of biological screening against Gram-positive/Gram-negative bacteria and fungi showed that these diorganotin (IV) derivatives act as potent antimicrobial agents. The in silico investigation with dihydropteroate (DHPS) disclosed a large ligand-receptor interaction and revealed a strong relationship between the natural exercises and computational molecular docking results.
To assess the diagnostic accuracy of Procalcitonin in maternal serum and umbilical cord blood samples to predict Early onset neonatal sepsis (EONS).
It was a Prospective analytical cohort study. ...Pregnant women ≥ 34 weeks gestation in active labour, with risk factors for EONS were included in the study. Maternal blood samples at recruitment and umbilical cord blood samples after delivery were taken for Total leucocyte count (TLC), high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP) and Procalcitonin. Newborns were classified into non-infected, suspected and proven infection. Sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of maternal and cord blood procalcitonin, TLC and hs-CRP were calculated.
A total of 200 women were recruited. Maternal procalcitonin had a superior diagnostic accuracy of 99% compared to maternal TLC and maternal hs-CRP. Also, cord blood procalcitonin had a diagnostic accuracy of 95%.
Procalcitonin in both maternal as well as cord blood is a promising biomarker to detect EONS with high diagnostic accuracy.
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