Non-invasive hERG channel screening based on electrical impedance tomography and extracellular voltage activation (EIT-EVA).

hERG channel screening has been achieved based on electrical impedance tomography and extracellular voltage activation (EIT-EVA) to improve the non-invasive aspect of drug discovery. EIT-EVA screens hERG channels by considering the change in extracellular ion concentration which modifies the extracellular resistance in cell suspension. The rate of ion passing in cell suspension is calculated from the extracellular resistance Rex, which is obtained from the EIT measurement at a frequency of 500 kHz. In the experiment, non-invasive screening is applied by a novel integrated EIT-EVA printed circuit board (PCB) sensor to human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells transfected with the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) ion channel, while the E-4031 antiarrhythmic drug is used for hERG channel inhibition. The extracellular resistance Rex of the HEK 293 cells suspension is measured by EIT as the hERG channels are activated by EVA over time. The Rex is reconstructed into extracellular conductivity distribution change Δσ to reflect the extracellular K+ ion concentration change Δc resulting from the activated hERG channel. Δc is increased rapidly during the hERG channel non-inhibition state while Δc is increased slower with increasing drug concentration cd. In order to evaluate the EIT-EVA system, the inhibitory ratio index (IR) was calculated based on the rate of Δc over time. Half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 2.7 nM is obtained from the cd and IR dose-response relationship. The IR from EIT-EVA is compared with the results from the patch-clamp method, which gives R2 of 0.85. In conclusion, EIT-EVA is successfully applied to non-invasive hERG channel screening.

Organic seed priming with curtailed seed rate compensated wheat grains productivity by upgrading anti-oxidant status against terminal drought at flowering and milking.

Terminal irrigation drought stress is one of the most drastic abiotic stress to diminish the wheat crop development and grains yield in arid regions of the world. The use of moringa leaf extract (MLE30) via seed priming technique is investigated as an organic and sustainable approach for the mitigation of drought stress along with curtailed seed rate in wheat crop. The study investigated the interaction of organic seed priming: control (dry seeds), hydro-priming, MLE30-priming, seed rate: recommended @ 125 kg ha-1, curtailed @ 25 kg ha-1, and terminal irrigation drought (TID): normal irrigation, mild-TID, severe-TID in wheat crop at agronomic research station, Bahawalpur, Pakistan during the wheat winter season of 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. The application of organic MLE30-priming with curtailed seed rate enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity especially total soluble proteins by 15%, superoxide dismutase by 68%, peroxidase by 16%, catalase by 70%, ascorbic acid by 17% and total protein contents by 91% under severe-TID. Yield and yield-related morphological attributes performed better in MLE30-priming as compared to hydro-priming. An effective trend was observed in the plant's chlorophyll contents, K+, and water use efficiency after being treated with MLE30-priming followed by hydro-priming under curtailed seed rate. The higher benefit-cost ratio and net income return were observed with the application of MLE30-priming with curtailed seed rate under mild-TID and severe-TID. So, it is suggested to adopt the MLE30-priming technique along with a curtailed seed rate for improving the crop establishment, stress regulation, and economic return under limited availability of irrigation water. The project findings recommended that the application of exogenous application of organic MLE30-seed priming favored and compensated the maximum wheat grains production under curtailed seed rate @ 25 kg ha-1 and induced terminal drought stress at flowering and milking conditions.

Assessing pattern of the Pediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (PMIS) in children during the COVID-19 pandemic: experience from the emergency department of tertiary care center of a low-middle-income country.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (PMIS) is a hyperinflammatory condition affecting multiple organs in children, often resembling incomplete Kawasaki Disease during later phases of COVID-19 infection. Data on PMIS in low-middle-income countries, particularly in emergency department settings, is limited. OBJECTIVES: This prospective observational study at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, aimed to determine the frequency, clinical presentation patterns, and laboratory parameters of children with PMIS visiting the emergency department during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary objectives included assessing factors associated with in-hospital mortality. METHODS: From March 2020 to September 2021, patients meeting World Health Organization PMIS criteria were enrolled. COVID-19 testing included PCR and antibody testing. Data was collected through a questionnaire and analyzed statistically. RESULTS: Among 56 PMIS patients (85.7% male, mean age 7.67 ± 4.8 years), respiratory symptoms (70%), neurological symptoms (57%), and gastrointestinal symptoms (54%) were common presentations. Signs included delayed capillary refill time (93%), low-volume pulses (89%), and hypotension (68%). COVID-19 antibodies were positive in the majority (78.6%) while PCR was positive in 18%. Risk factors for mortality included prolonged emergency department stay, and high Ferritin and Lactate Dehydrogenase levels. CONCLUSION: PMIS affects children of all ages. Respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms are the most frequent presentations. Elevated inflammatory markers, including LDH, Ferritin, D-dimer, and Pro-BNP, correlate with higher mortality risk.

A pothole video dataset for semantic segmentation.

This paper introduces a video dataset for semantic segmentation of road potholes. This dataset contains 619 high-resolution videos captured in January 2023, covering locations in eight villages within the Hulu Sungai Tengah regency of South Kalimantan, Indonesia. The dataset is divided into three main folders, namely train, val, and test. The train, val, and test folders contain 372 videos for training, 124 videos for validation, and 123 videos for testing, respectively. Each of these main folders has two subfolders, ``RGB'' for the video in the RGB format and ``mask'' for the ground truth segmentation. These videos are precisely two seconds long, containing 48 frames each, and all are in MP4 format. The dataset offers remarkable flexibility, accommodating various research needs, from full-video segmentation to frame extraction. It enables researchers to create ground truth annotations and change the combination of videos in the folders according to their needs. This resource is an asset for researchers, engineers, policymakers, and anyone interested in advancing algorithms for pothole detection and analysis. This dataset allows for benchmarking semantic segmentation algorithms, conducting comparative studies on pothole detection methods, and exploring innovative approaches, offering valuable contributions to the computer vision community.

An algorithmic multiple attribute decision-making method for heart problem analysis under neutrosophic hypersoft expert set with fuzzy parameterized degree-based setting.

A fuzzy parameterized neutrosophic hypersoft expert set (FpNHse-set) is one of the family members of fuzzy parameterized structures and a valuable extension of the neutrosophic soft expert set as well as the neutrosophic hypersoft set. This structure involves a multi-argument approximate function that has the ability to change the sub-characteristic pairs in the form of power set of universe. The main function of this structure is the classification of each character into sub-characteristic valued sets. Due to this prominent property, this mathematical structure is useful for uncertainties and also helps make the decision-making process more adaptable and dependable. By using the algebraic and basic ideas of the FpNHse-sets, a useful strategy, especially for medical diagnosis, known as Sanchez's method has been used in this study. To see a reformed process for the medical diagnosis of heart disease, a useful combination of FpNHse-set and a modified Sanchez's method has been made in this context. By using the real data from the Cleveland data set for heart disease, the implementation of the reform process has been made to see its veracity. Finally, a clear comparison of the used study with its existing studies has been made for the purpose of benefits.

Parental knowledge attitude and practices about chemical and medicinal poisons: A hospital based study from Karachi, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Unintentional poisoning is among the leading cause of death in children less than 20 years age. The incidence of unintentional poisoning in Low-income countries LMICs is four times higher compared to high-income countries (HICs). In Pakistan a 10% (25/211) incidence of unintentional poisonings among 0-15-year-old children has been reported. Most of the poisoning occur because of household chemical and medicines. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of parents in Karachi regarding poisonous household chemicals and medicines. METHODS: This KAP study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi from May to August 2019. A maximum sample of 384 was calculated using a 50% knowledge about household chemicals. Data were collected about parental knowledge, attitude and practices about poisons and chemicals at home and presented as frequency and percentages. Chi-square test of independence (or Fisher's exact test) was used. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. RESULTS: A total of 364 parents of 0-16-year-old children completed the survey out of which 229 were mothers and 127 were fathers (eight had missing data). We had 70% of parents that kept chemicals and medicines locked in cabinets and 80% chose to never leave medicines unattended, there are still 20-30% parents that need improvement in the parental knowledge and practices for storing chemicals and medicines. A general lack of knowledge regarding poisoning first aid and emergency response centers was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Two-pronged approach for future interventions could be useful; (1) Improving the knowledge and practice among the remaining 20-30% through repeated awareness' sessions for the community. (2) Information regarding PCCS needs to be made readily available to the parents which is a measure useful in cases a child poisoning occurs.

Good outcome after an 8-year radial head resection on a Monteggia fracture in a young patient: A case report and literature review.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Monteggia fractures are proximal ulna fractures that involve radial caput displacement. Radial caput excision or resection is only suggested in situations of Monteggia lesions with radial caput fractures. Radial head resection should be avoided because the radial head is the principal stabilizer of the elbow and forearm. In this case report, we present a case of radial head resection at a young age after Monteggia reconstruction. CASE PRESENTATION: A 26-year-old female came to the orthopaedic clinic for removal implant control after eight years postoperatively, patient had motorcycle accident at 2015 and performed ORIF Monteggia fracture with radial head resection. The patient also showed good alignment of the antebrachi, and there were no limitations in performing supination, pronation, and flexion of elbow and wrist movements. There were also no complications related to the radial head resection from the x-ray examination. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: After eight years postoperatively of ORIF Monteggia reconstruction with radial head resection showed a good outcome and improved quality of life for this patient. There was improvement in DASH and MEPS scores. CONCLUSION: Patients with radial head resection at a young age after Monteggia reconstruction had good results and should be considered.

Factors affecting outcomes of embryo transfer in dromedary camels: A retrospective study.

The present study aimed to use a comprehensive approach for evaluating 12 factors related to embryo quality (shape, size and transparency), donors (age, ET type, number of recovered embryos and day of uterine flushing), recipients (age), males (age and individual variations) and environment (season and year) which could affect the outcome of ET in terms of pregnancy (PR) and pregnancy losses in dromedary camels. During three breeding seasons, 116 donor females were mated repeatedly at 12- to 14-day intervals by fertile male camels (n = 33) without stimulation of the ovaries (WSPO). Superovulation (SPO ET) regimen was applied for each donor female twice or thrice per season. In the occasions of applying superovulation regimen, donor females having an ovulatory follicle were mated instead of GnRH administration and superovulation regimen was applied 4 days post-mating (MIX ET). The uteri of all donor females were flushed at Day 8 or 9 post-mating, and a total of 2,095 embryos were recovered and transferred individually to 924 recipient females. Pregnancy diagnoses were conducted at Day 10 after ET (Days 18-19 of gestation) by using progesterone assay and by transrectal ultrasonography (TRU) at Days 30 and 60 of gestation. By using logistic regression analysis, transparency of embryos and age of recipient females had significant effects on PR at Days 18-19 (p < .01), 30 (p < .01) and 60 (p < .01; p < .05, respectively) of gestation. The shape of embryos had significant effects on the PR at Days 30 (p < .05) and 60 (p < .01) of gestation. Type of ET and the breeding season (year) had significant (p < .05) effects on the PR at Day 30, while day of flushing had the same effect on PR at Day 60. Regarding the pregnancy losses, transparency and shape of the embryo, type of ET, breeding season had significant (p < .05) effect on the late embryonic mortalities (LEM) and shape and season of year had significant (p < .01 and p < .05, respectively) effect on LEM/early foetal mortalities (EFM). Regarding male individual factor, there was a tendency for a significant (p = .055) effect of male camels on the PR at Days 18-19 and rate of LEM. In conclusion, transferring a spherical, transparent or a large-sized embryo (>750 µm) into recipient females ageing between 8 and 11 y could greatly improve the PR from Days 18 to 60 of gestation. Also, embryo recovered from donor females with Mix ET type or embryos sired by certain male camel or at Day 8 post-mating of the donor could improve the 2-month PR. In addition, transferring a transparent or spherical-shaped embryo or embryos recovered from donor females with SPO or Mix ET could reduce the pregnancy losses during the first 2 months of pregnancy.

Status of Bioinformatics Education in South Asia: Past and Present.

Bioinformatics education has been a hot topic in South Asia, and the interest in this education peaks with the start of the 21st century. The governments of South Asian countries had a systematic effort for bioinformatics. They developed the infrastructures to provide maximum facility to the scientific community to gain maximum output in this field. This article renders bioinformatics, measures, and its importance of implementation in South Asia with proper ways of improving bioinformatics education flaws. It also addresses the problems faced in South Asia and proposes some recommendations regarding bioinformatics education. The information regarding bioinformatics education and institutes was collected from different existing research papers, databases, and surveys. The information was then confirmed by visiting each institution's website, while problems and solutions displayed in the article are mostly in line with South Asian bioinformatics conferences and institutions' objectives. Among South Asian countries, India and Pakistan have developed infrastructure and education regarding bioinformatics rapidly as compared to other countries, whereas Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal are still in a progressing phase in this field. To advance in a different sector, the bioinformatics industry has to be revolutionized, and it will contribute to strengthening the pharmaceutical, agricultural, and molecular sectors in South Asia. To advance in bioinformatics, universities' infrastructure needs to be on a par with the current international standards, which will produce well-trained professionals with skills in multiple fields like biotechnology, mathematics, statistics, and computer science. The bioinformatics industry has revolutionized and strengthened the pharmaceutical, agricultural, and molecular sectors in South Asia, and it will serve as the standard of education increases in the South Asian countries. A framework for developing a centralized database is suggested after the literature review to collect and store the information on the current status of South Asian bioinformatics education. This will be named as the South Asian Bioinformatics Education Database (SABE). This will provide comprehensive information regarding the bioinformatics in South Asian countries by the country name, the experts of this field, and the university name to explore the top-ranked outputs relevant to queries.

Drought tolerance improvement in plants: an endophytic bacterial approach.

Climate change is a crucial issue among the serious emerging problems which got a global attention in the last few decades. With the climate change, worldwide crop production has been seriously affected by drought stress. In this regard, various technologies including traditional breeding and genetic engineering are used to cope with drought stress. However, the interactions between plants and endophytic bacteria emerged as an interesting era of knowledge that can be used for novel agriculture practices. Endophytic bacteria which survive within plant tissues are among the most appropriate technologies improving plant growth and yield under drought conditions. These endophytic bacteria live within plant tissues and release various phytochemicals that assist plant to withstand in harsh environmental conditions, i.e., drought stress. Their plant growth-promoting characteristics include nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, mineral uptake, and the production of siderophore, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, and various phytohormones. These plant growth promoting characteristics of endophytic bacteria improve root length and density, which lead to the enhance drought tolerance. In addition, plant-endophytic bacteria assist plant to withstand against drought stress by producing drought-tolerant substances, for instance, abscisic acid, indole-3-acetic acid, ACC deaminase, and various volatile compounds. Indirectly, endophytic bacteria also improve osmotic adjustment, relative water content, and antioxidant activity of inoculated plants. Altogether, these bacterial-mediated drought tolerance and plant growth-promoting processes continue even under severe drought conditions which lead to enhanced plant growth promotion and yield. The present review highlights a natural and environment-friendly strategy in the form of drought-tolerant and plant growth-promoting endophytic bacteria to improve drought tolerance in plants.

The Effect of Lower Body Positive Pressure on Left Ventricular Ejection Duration in Patients With Heart Failure.

Lower body positive pressure (LBPP) treadmill activity might benefit patients with heart failure (HF). To determine the short-term effects of LBPP on left ventricular (LV) function in HF patients, LV ejection duration (ED), a measure of systolic function was prospectively assessed in 30 men with stable HF with LV ejection fraction ≤ 40% and 50 healthy men (N). Baseline measurements (100% body weight), including blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and LVED, obtained via radial artery applanation tonometry, were recorded after 2 minutes of standing on weight support treadmill and after LBPP achieving reductions of 25%, 50%, and 75% of body weight in random sequence. Baseline, HR, and LVED (251 ± 5 vs 264 ± 4 ms; P = .035) were lower in the HF group. The LBPP lowered HR more (14% vs 6%, P = .009) and increased LVED more (15% ± 7% vs 10% ± 6%; P = .004) in N versus HF. Neither group had changes (Δ) in BP. On generalized linear regression, the 2 groups showed different responses (P < .001). Multivariate analysis showed %ΔHR (P < .001) and HF (P = .026) were predictive of ΔED (r 2 = 0.44; P < .001). In conclusion, progressive LBPP increases LVED in a step-wise manner in N and HF patients independent of HR lowering. The ΔLVED is less marked in patients with HF.

Relation of the Ankle Brachial Index to Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction in Patients Without Coronary Artery Disease.

BACKGROUND: The low ankle brachial index (ABI) values are indicative of peripheral arterial disease, but have recently been found to be associated with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). This may relate to coexisting coronary artery disease (CAD). AIM: This study prospectively assessed a potential ABI-LVEF association in patients without CAD. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 55 patients (age 57 ± 13 years, 49% male) with normal coronary arteries with LVEF determination. ABI, pulse wave velocity (PWV), and augmentation index (AI) were performed after coronary angiography. ABI correlated with LVEF (r = 0.40, p = 0.002), but not with PWV or AI. On linear regression analysis, ABI was independently associated with LVEF (B = 0.42, p = 0.004). The median LVEF was lower in subjects with low ABI values compared to those with normal ABI values (33 vs. 61%; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: ABI may be influenced by LVEF independently of CAD, arterial stiffness or pressure wave reflection.

Boosting Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Production With Rhizobacteria From Various Plants in Saudi Arabia.

This study focused on rhizobacteria to promote sustainable crop production in arid regions of Saudi Arabia. The study isolated 17 tightly root-adhering rhizobacteria from various plants at Hada Al Sham in Saudi Arabia. All 17 rhizobacterial isolates were confirmed as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria by classical biochemical tests. Using 16S rDNA gene sequence analyses, the strains were identified as Bacillus, Acinetobacter and Enterobacter. Subsequently, the strains were assessed for their ability to improve the physiology, nutrient uptake, growth, and yield of alfalfa plants grown under desert agriculture conditions. The field trials were conducted in a randomized complete block design. Inoculation of alfalfa with any of these 17 strains improved the relative water content; chlorophyll a; chlorophyll b; carotenoid contents; nitrogen (N), phosphorus, and potassium contents; plant height; leaf-to-stem ratio; and fresh and dry weight. Acinetobacter pittii JD-14 was most effective to increase fresh and dry weight of alfalfa by 41 and 34%, respectively, when compared to non-inoculated control plants. Nevertheless, all strains enhanced crop traits when compared to controls plants, indicating that these desert rhizobacterial strains could be used to develop an eco-friendly biofertilizer for alfalfa and possibly other crop plants to enhance sustainable production in arid regions.

Author Correction: Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria Nullify the Antagonistic Effect of Soil Calcification on Bioavailability of Phosphorus in Alkaline Soils.

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.

Overview of Impella and mechanical devices in cardiogenic shock.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a life-threatening condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The Impella (Abiomed Inc.) is an axial flow pump on a pigtail catheter that is placed across the aortic valve to unload the left ventricle by delivering non-pulsatile blood flow to the ascending aorta. It is used for high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention and CS. AREAS COVERED: Percutaneous mechanical support devices are placed in a minimally invasive manner and provide life-saving assistance. We review Impella and other percutaneous devices such as intra-aortic balloon pump, TandemHeart, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and the evidence supporting their use in the setting of CS. EXPERT COMMENTARY: Impella has been proven to be safe and may be superior to other mechanical support devices in CS.

Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria Nullify the Antagonistic Effect of Soil Calcification on Bioavailability of Phosphorus in Alkaline Soils.

Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) reduce the negative effects of soil calcification on soil phosphorus (P) nutrition. In this incubation study, we explored the ability of PSB (control and inoculated) to release P from different P sources [single super phosphate (SSP), rock phosphate (RP), poultry manure (PM) and farm yard manure (FYM)] with various soil lime contents (4.78, 10, 15 and 20%) in alkaline soil. PSB inoculation progressively enriched Olsen extractable P from all sources compared to the control over the course of 56 days; however, this increase was greater from organic sources (PM and FYM) than from mineral P sources (SSP and RP). Lime addition to the soil decreased bioavailable P, but this effect was largely neutralized by PSB inoculation. PSB were the most viable in soil inoculated with PSB and amended with organic sources, while lime addition decreased PSB survival. Our findings imply that PSB inoculation can counteract the antagonistic effect of soil calcification on bioavailable P when it is applied using both mineral and organic sources, although organic sources support this process more efficiently than do mineral P sources. Therefore, PSB inoculation combined with organic manure application is one of the best options for improving soil P nutrition.

Potential of miscanthus biochar to improve sandy soil health, in situ nickel immobilization in soil and nutritional quality of spinach.

The complex interaction of biochar (BC) with soil health reflecting properties, the feedstock used to prepare BC and application rate of BC in sandy soil is still a question for the researchers. An incubation study was conducted where nine different sorts of BC, each prepared from the different feedstock, were applied at 2% rate to evaluate their relative suitability to improve sandy soil health. Results revealed that BC prepared from miscanthus (MIB) significantly increased soil medium and fine pores, available water content (AWC), electrical conductivity (EC), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) while decreased soil wide pores, pH, bulk density (BD) and particle density (PD) compared to the rest sorts of BC. Later, spinach was grown in pots containing same soil but spiked with 50 ppm nickel (Ni) and amended with 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5% rates of MIB. The results showed a significant increment in spinach biomass, reduction in the concentrations of Ni in spinach tissues and DTPA-extractable Ni with the increasing rate of MIB till 3% and later, no significant changes with 4 and 5% rates thereafter. However, significant improvement in the activities of antioxidant enzymes, chemical and biochemical attributes of spinach were observed at 5% MIB when compared to lower rates. Similarly, post-harvest soil physicochemical and enzymatic parameters were also significantly (P < 0.05) improved with increasing rates of MIB. This study implies that application of MIB at 5% rate can improve the nutritional quality of spinach, sandy soil health and can reduce Ni concentrations in spinach tissues.

Crop Production under Drought and Heat Stress: Plant Responses and Management Options.

Abiotic stresses are one of the major constraints to crop production and food security worldwide. The situation has aggravated due to the drastic and rapid changes in global climate. Heat and drought are undoubtedly the two most important stresses having huge impact on growth and productivity of the crops. It is very important to understand the physiological, biochemical, and ecological interventions related to these stresses for better management. A wide range of plant responses to these stresses could be generalized into morphological, physiological, and biochemical responses. Interestingly, this review provides a detailed account of plant responses to heat and drought stresses with special focus on highlighting the commonalities and differences. Crop growth and yields are negatively affected by sub-optimal water supply and abnormal temperatures due to physical damages, physiological disruptions, and biochemical changes. Both these stresses have multi-lateral impacts and therefore, complex in mechanistic action. A better understanding of plant responses to these stresses has pragmatic implication for remedies and management. A comprehensive account of conventional as well as modern approaches to deal with heat and drought stresses have also been presented here. A side-by-side critical discussion on salient responses and management strategies for these two important abiotic stresses provides a unique insight into the phenomena. A holistic approach taking into account the different management options to deal with heat and drought stress simultaneously could be a win-win approach in future.

Effects of Nitrogen Supply on Water Stress and Recovery Mechanisms in Kentucky Bluegrass Plants.

Non-irrigated crops in temperate and irrigated crops in arid regions are exposed to an incessant series of drought stress and re-watering. Hence, quick and efficient recuperation from drought stress may be amongst the key determinants of plant drought adjustment. Efficient nitrogen (N) nutrition has the capability to assuage water stress in crops by sustaining metabolic activities even at reduced tissue water potential. This study was designed to understand the potential of proper nutrition management by studying the morphological and physiological attributes, and assimilation of nitrogen in Kentucky bluegrass under drought stress. In present study, one heterogeneous habitat and four treatments homogenous habitats each with four replications were examined during field trial. Drought stress resulted in a significant reduction in the nitrogen content of both mother and first ramets, maximum radius, above and below ground mass, number of ramets per plot, leaf water contents and water potential and increased the carbon content and the C:N ratio in both homogenous and heterogeneous plots compared to well-watered and nutritional conditions. Observation using electron microscopy showed that drought stress shrunk the vessel diameter, circumference and xylem area, but increased the sieve diameter, and phloem area in the leaf crosscutting structure of Kentucky bluegrass, first, second, and third ramet leaf. Thus, it can be concluded that water stress markedly reduced all the important traits of Kentucky bluegrass, however, proper nutritional management treatment resulted in the best compensatory performance under drought assuaging its adversity up to some extent and may be considered in formulating good feasible and cost-effective practices for the environmental circumstances related to those of this study.

Gene Mining for Proline Based Signaling Proteins in Cell Wall of Arabidopsis thaliana.

The cell wall (CW) as a first line of defense against biotic and abiotic stresses is of primary importance in plant biology. The proteins associated with cell walls play a significant role in determining a plant's sustainability to adverse environmental conditions. In this work, the genes encoding cell wall proteins (CWPs) in Arabidopsis were identified and functionally classified using geneMANIA and GENEVESTIGATOR with published microarrays data. This yielded 1605 genes, out of which 58 genes encoded proline-rich proteins (PRPs) and glycine-rich proteins (GRPs). Here, we have focused on the cellular compartmentalization, biological processes, and molecular functioning of proline-rich CWPs along with their expression at different plant developmental stages. The mined genes were categorized into five classes on the basis of the type of PRPs encoded in the cell wall of Arabidopsis thaliana. We review the domain structure and function of each class of protein, many with respect to the developmental stages of the plant. We have then used networks, hierarchical clustering and correlations to analyze co-expression, co-localization, genetic, and physical interactions and shared protein domains of these PRPs. This has given us further insight into these functionally important CWPs and identified a number of potentially new cell-wall related proteins in A. thaliana.