Genomic insights into local adaptation of upland cotton in China and Pakistan.

KEY MESSAGE: Different kinship and resistance to cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD) and heat were found between upland cotton cultivars from China and Pakistan. 175 SNPs and 82 InDels loci related to yield, fiber quality, CLCuD, and heat resistance were identified. Elite alleles found in Pakistani accessions aided local adaptation to climatic condition of two countries. Adaptation of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) beyond its center of origin is expected to be driven by tailoring of the genome and genes to enhance yield and quality in new ecological niches. Here, resequencing of 456 upland cotton accessions revealed two distinct kinships according to the associated country. Fiber quality and lint percentage were consistent across kinships, but resistance to cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD) and heat was distinctly exhibited by accessions from Pakistan, illustrating highly local adaption. A total of 175 SNP and 82 InDel loci related to yield, fiber quality, CLCuD and heat resistance were identified; among them, only two overlapped between Pakistani and Chinese accessions underscoring the divergent domestication and improvement targets in each country. Loci associated with resistance alleles to leaf curl disease and high temperature were largely found in Pakistani accessions to counter these stresses prevalent in Pakistan. These results revealed that breeding activities led to the accumulation of unique alleles and helped upland cotton become adapted to the respective climatic conditions, which will contribute to elucidating the genetic mechanisms that underlie resilience traits and help develop climate-resilient cotton cultivars for use worldwide.

New genetic resources for aphid resistance were identified from a newly developed wheat mutant library.

Reports on development of resilient wheat mutants to aphid infestation-causing heavy losses to wheat production in many parts of the world, are scanty. The present study aimed to identify genetic diversity of wheat mutants in terms of varying degree of resistance to aphid infestation which can help protect wheat crop, improve yields and enhance food security. Resistance response to aphid infestation was studied on newly developed 33 wheat mutants, developed through irradiating seed of an elite wheat cultivar "Punjab-11" with gamma radiations, during three normal growing seasons at two sites. Data on various traits including aphid count per plant, biochemical traits, physiological traits and grain yield was recorded. Meteorological data was also collected to unravel the impact of environmental conditions on aphid infestation on wheat plants. Minimum average aphid infestation was found on Pb-M-2725, Pb-M-2550, and Pb-M-2719 as compared to the wild type. High yielding mutants Pb-M-1323, Pb-M-59, and Pb-M-1272 supported the moderate aphid infestation. The prevailing temperature up to 25 °C showed positive correlation (0.25) with aphid count. Among biochemical traits, POD (0.34), TSP (0.33), TFA (0.324) exhibited a high positive correlation with aphid count. In addition, CAT (0.31), TSS (0.294), and proline content (0.293) also showed a positive correlation with aphid count. However, all physiological traits depicted negative correlation with aphid count, while, a very weak correlation (0.12) was found between mean aphid count and grain yield. In PCA biplots, the biochemical variables clustered together with aphid count, while physiological variables grouped with grain yield. Biochemical parameters contributed most, towards first dimension of the PCA (48.6%) as compared to the physiological variables (13%). The FAMD revealed that mutant lines were major contributor towards total variation; Pb-M-1027, Pb-M-1323, Pb-M-59 were found to be the most diverse lines. The PCA revealed that biochemical parameters played a significant role in explaining variations in aphid resistance, emphasizing their importance in aphid defense mechanisms. The identified mutants can be utilized by the international wheat community for getting insight into the molecular circuits of resistant mechanism against aphids as well as for designing new KASP markers. This study also highlights the importance of considering both genetic and environmental factors in the development of resilient wheat varieties and pave the way for further investigations into the molecular mechanisms underpinning aphid resistance in wheat.

Study of synergistic effects induced by novel base composites on heavy metals removal and pathogen inactivation.

The green-collar strategies for nanomaterial synthesis with novel structural competencies have received significant attention in nanotechnology owing to their potential benefits. The utilization of silica nanoparticles for wastewater treatment through heavy metal ions remediation is the focal point of the present study. With this intent, silica was extracted from bagasse ash by the sol-gel method and modified using chitosan. Chemical and physical characteristics of silica(S), silica/Chitosan (SCs), were reckoned through X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and the efficiency of synthesized biomaterials for removing heavy metal ions. Cadmium and Lead from wastewater was evaluated by conducting closed batch experiments. Isotherm and kinetics models were applied to understand the adsorption mechanism. Results of heavy metal ions removal showed that the S possesses the highest removal efficiency of 88% for cadmium. Equilibrium was established within 56 min following a Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order reaction. The synthesized biomaterials were also tested against the fungal (Aspergillus Niger) and bacterial strains (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) to determine their antimicrobial properties Maximum inhibition of 26 mm was shown by SCs for E.coli. Synthesized samples were not so effective for A.niger. The high adsorption potential of silica nanoparticles reveals their potential to treat wastewater containing inorganic pollutants like calcium and lead released from the sugar industry firsthand, thereby building a circular economy by controlling the pollution from source to sink. The synthesized silica nanoparticles and silica/chitosan biomaterials demonstrated high adsorption potential for heavy metal ions, making them promising candidates for integration into Algal Membrane Bioreactors to enhance wastewater treatment efficiency and remove toxic pollutants. Their multifunctional properties, including antimicrobial activity, also offer potential for improving microbial control within AMBRs, ensuring a more effective and sustainable wastewater treatment process.

Hydroxyapatite and ionic liquid coupled with hybrid membranes for toxic pollutant removal and remediation.

Access to clean water is the mandatory requirement for every living being to sustain life. So, membrane-based integrated approach of adsorption and separation technology has recently been preferred by scientists over other conventional techniques, for wastewater treatment. Current research focused on the synthesis of novel imidazolium (A1) based IL, which was further functionalized with hydroxyapatite (HAp; extracted from Labeo rohita scales), to create possible solutions towards environmental remediation. Cellulose acetate (CA) was used for the fabrication of three different ionic liquid membranes. All the synthesized products were characterized by FTIR, XRD and TGA. Two dyes of different nature, i.e., congo red (anionic) and crystal violet (cationic) were selected because of their highly toxic and carcinogenic effects, for batch adsorption experiments. Antibacterial activity of the synthesized membranes was also evaluated against S. aureus. Results of the study revealed that CA-HA1 1:2 acted as the best adsorbent towards the removal of crystal violet, exhibiting removal efficiency of 98% with the contact time of 24 h while in case of congo red adsorption, CA-HA1 (1:2) proved as prime adsorbent with the removal efficiency of 96% for the same preceding contact time. Considering the antibacterial character of the synthesized membranes, CA-A1 (1:1) emerged as very efficient antibacterial agent with the inhibition zone of 50 mm after 48 h. The overall behavior of monolayer and multilayer adsorption was witnessed for both dyes while kinetic studies favored the pseudo-second order reaction for all adsorbents.

Strongyloides coinfection in COVID-19 patients treated with corticosteroids: A systematic review.

The COVID-19 pandemic linked to the virus SARS-CoV-2, which began in China, affected ∼765 million people as of 30 April 2023. The widespread use of corticosteroids for the symptomatic treatment of COVID-19 could lead to the reactivation of infections of opportunistic pathogens, including Strongyloides. We sought to determine the clinical symptoms and demographic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2-Strongyloides co-infection, particularly in patients with severe disease and being treated with immunosuppressive drugs. To do this, we undertook a systematic review of the literature, and searched public accessible scientific databases-the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed/Medline and Embase -for eligible studies (1 December 2019 to 30 August 2022). The review protocol is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022377062). Descriptive statistical analyses were used to present the clinical and laboratory parameters of the co-infection; for this, we calculated prevalence using the following formula: positive cases/total number of cases × 100. Of a total of 593 studies identified, 17 studies reporting 26 co-infected patients met the criteria for inclusion in this review. The median age of these patients was 55.14 years. Most of cases (53.8%) were treated with dexamethasone, followed by methylprednisolone (26.9%). Eighteen of 26 patients were immigrants living in European countries or the USA; most of these immigrants originated from Latin America (58%) and South-East Asia (11%). The commonest symptoms of co-infection were abdominal pain (50%), fever (46.1%), dyspnoea (30.7%) and cough (30.7%), and frequently reported laboratory findings were high absolute eosinophil count (38.4%), high white blood cell count (30.7%), high C-reactive protein (23.0%) and high neutrophil count (19.2%). Two of the 26 patients (7.7%) had fatal outcomes. Most of the SARS-CoV-2-Strongyloides coinfected cases were immigrants living in developed countries, emphasising the need for clinicians in these countries to be aware of clinical and laboratory parameters associated with such co-infections, as well as the key importance of rapid and accurate diagnostic tests for timely and effective diagnosis and patient management.

Genome-wide survey of HMA gene family and its characterization in wheat (Triticum aestivum).

Background: Abiotic stresses, particularly drought and heavy metal toxicity, have presented a significant risk to long-term agricultural output around the world. Although the heavy-metal-associated domain (HMA) gene family has been widely explored in Arabidopsis and other plants, it has not been thoroughly studied in wheat (Triticum aestivum). This study was proposed to investigate the HMA gene family in wheat. Methods: To analyze the phylogenetic relationships, gene structure, gene ontology, and conserved motifs, a comparative study of wheat HMA genes with the Arabidopsis genome was performed. Results: A total of 27 T. aestivum proteins belonging to the HMA gene family were identified in this study, with amino acid counts ranging from 262 to 1,071. HMA proteins were found to be grouped into three subgroups in a phylogenetic tree, and closely related proteins in the tree showed the same expression patterns as motifs found in distinct subgroups. Gene structural study elucidated that intron and exon arrangement differed by family. Conclusion: As a result, the current work offered important information regarding HMA family genes in the T. aestivum genome, which will be valuable in understanding their putative functions in other wheat species.

Mitigation of water scarcity with sustained growth of Rice by plant growth promoting bacteria.

Climate change augments the risk to food security by inducing drought stress and a drastic decline in global rice production. Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) have been known to improve plant growth under drought stress. Here in the present study, we isolated, identified, and well-characterized eight drought-tolerant bacteria from the rice rhizosphere that are tolerant to 20% PEG-8000. These strains exhibited multiple plant growth-promoting traits, i.e., 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase activity, exopolysaccharide production, phosphate (P)-solubilizing activity (51-356 µg ml-1), indole-3 acetic acid (IAA) production (14.3-46.2 µg ml-1), and production of organic acids (72-178 µg ml-1). Inoculation of bacterial consortium (Bacillus subtilis NM-2, Brucella haematophilum NM-4, and Bacillus cereus NM-6) significantly improved seedling growth and vigor index (1009.2-1100) as compared to non-inoculated stressed plants (630-957). Through rhizoscanning, efficiency of the consortium was validated by improved root parameters such as root length (17%), diameter, and surface area (18%) of all tested genotypes as compared with respective non-inoculated stressed treatments. Furthermore, the response of consortium inoculation on three rice genotypes was positively correlated with improved plant growth and drought stress ameliorating traits by the accumulation of osmoprotectant, i.e., proline (85.8%-122%), relative water content (51%), membrane stability index (64%), and production of antioxidant enzymes to reduce oxidative damage by reactive oxygen species. A decrease in temperature and improved chlorophyll content of inoculated plants were found using infrared thermal imaging and soil plant analyzer development (SPAD), respectively. The key supporting role of inoculation toward stress responses was validated using robust techniques like infrared thermal imaging and an infrared gas analyzer. Furthermore, principal component analysis depicts the contribution of inoculation on stress responses and yield of tested rice genotypes under water stress. The integration of drought-tolerant rice genotype (NIBGE-DT02) and potential bacterial strains, i.e., NM-2, NM-4, and NM-6, can serve as an effective bioinoculant to cope with water scarcity under current alarming issues related to food security in fluctuating climate.

Biocompatible cellulose acetate supported ammonium based ionic liquid membranes; way forward to remediate water pollution.

Dyes contaminated water has caused various environmental and health impacts in developing countries especially Pakistan due to different industrial activities. This issue has been addressed in present study by fabricating biocompatible ionic liquid (IL) membranes for the remediation of Crystal violet (CV) dye from contaminated water. Novel ammonium-based IL such as Triethyl dimethyl ammonium sulfate ([C3A][C2H6]SO4); (A2) was synthesized and further functionalized with hydroxyapatite (HAp; extracted from refused fish scales) resulting in the formation of HA2. Furthermore, A2 and HA2 were then used to fabricate the cellulose acetate (CA) based membranes with different volume ratios. The physicochemical properties of membranes-based composite materials were investigated using FTIR, XRD, and TGA and used for the adsorption of CV in the closed batch study. In results, CA-HA2 (1:2) showed higher efficiency of 98% for CV reduction, after the contact time of 90 min. Kinetic studies showed that the adsorption of CV followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model for all adsorbents. The antibacterial properties of the synthesized membrane were investigated against gram-positive strain, S. aureus and CA-A2 (1:1) showed better antibacterial properties against S. aureus. The developed membrane is sustainable to be used for the adsorption of CV and against bacteria.

Engineering Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Crop Plants through CRISPR Genome Editing.

Environmental abiotic stresses challenge food security by depressing crop yields often exceeding 50% of their annual production. Different methods, including conventional as well as genomic-assisted breeding, mutagenesis, and genetic engineering have been utilized to enhance stress resilience in several crop species. Plant breeding has been partly successful in developing crop varieties against abiotic stresses owning to the complex genetics of the traits as well as the narrow genetic base in the germplasm. Irrespective of the fact that genetic engineering can transfer gene(s) from any organism(s), transgenic crops have become controversial mainly due to the potential risk of transgene-outcrossing. Consequently, the cultivation of transgenic crops is banned in certain countries, particularly in European countries. In this scenario, the discovery of the CRISPR tool provides a platform for producing transgene-free genetically edited plants-similar to the mutagenized crops that are not extensively regulated such as genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Thus, the genome-edited plants without a transgene would likely go into the field without any restriction. Here, we focused on the deployment of CRISPR for the successful development of abiotic stress-tolerant crop plants for sustaining crop productivity under changing environments.

Domestication of newly evolved hexaploid wheat-A journey of wild grass to cultivated wheat.

Domestication of wheat started with the dawn of human civilization. Since then, improvement in various traits including resistance to diseases, insect pests, saline and drought stresses, grain yield, and quality were improved through selections by early farmers and then planned hybridization after the discovery of Mendel's laws. In the 1950s, genetic variability was created using mutagens followed by the selection of superior mutants. Over the last 3 decades, research was focused on developing superior hybrids, initiating marker-assisted selection and targeted breeding, and developing genetically modified wheat to improve the grain yield, tolerance to drought, salinity, terminal heat and herbicide, and nutritive quality. Acceptability of genetically modified wheat by the end-user remained a major hurdle in releasing into the environment. Since the beginning of the 21st century, changing environmental conditions proved detrimental to achieving sustainability in wheat production particularly in developing countries. It is suggested that high-tech phenotyping assays and genomic procedures together with speed breeding procedures will be instrumental in achieving food security beyond 2050.

Planetary health education in medical curricula in the Republic of Ireland.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization considers climate change an urgent global health challenge requiring prioritised action. A recent global survey reported that only 15% of medical schools have incorporated climate change and health into the curriculum. OBJECTIVES: This research study was carried out from November 2020 and April 2021 using the Planetary Health Report Card (PHRC) initiative to assess the current level of planetary health teaching in medical schools in the Republic of Ireland. PHRC is a student-led international public initiative, which aims to compare medical schools using a planetary health report card. The assessment was submitted as a final report to the Irish Medical Council and to the medical schools involved. RESULTS: Very few learning outcomes in Irish medical curricula directly address or include the concept of planetary health. Inclusion of specific topics remains reliant on individual lecturer interest. While most universities have excellent research centres which cover specific aspects of planetary health, the links between these institutes and medical schools have not been created. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, there are promising examples of planetary health themes throughout the current Irish medical curricula, however, these remain poorly implemented or embedded within the curricula. Medical schools should incorporate education on planetary health to ensure graduates are equipped as to become medical leaders practising in a changing world.

Cost-effectiveness evidence on approved cancer drugs in Ireland: the limits of data availability and implications for public accountability.

BACKGROUND: We surveyed evidence published by Ireland's National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) on the cost-effectiveness of cancer drugs approved for funding within the Irish public healthcare system. The purpose is threefold: to assess the completeness and clarity of publicly available cost-effectiveness data of such therapies; to provide summary estimates of that data; to consider the implications of constraints on data availability for accountability regarding healthcare resource allocation. METHODS: The National Cancer Control Programme lists 91 drug-indication pairs approved between June 2012 and July 2020. Records were retrieved from the NCPE website for each drug-indication pair, including, where available, health technology assessment (HTA) summary reports. We assessed what cost-effectiveness data regarding approved interventions is available, aggregated it and considered the consequences of reporting constraints. RESULTS: Among the 91 drug-indication pairs 61 were reimbursed following full HTA, 22 after a rapid review process and 8 have no corresponding NCPE record. Of the 61 where an HTA report was available, 41 presented costs and quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) estimates of the interventions compared. Cost estimates and corresponding incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) are based on prices on application for reimbursement. Reimbursed prices are not published. Aggregating over the drug-indication pairs for which data is available, we find a mean incremental health gain of 0.85 QALY and an aggregate ICER of €100,295/QALY, which exceeds Ireland's cost-effectiveness threshold of €45,000/QALY. CONCLUSION: Reimbursement applications by pharmaceutical manufacturers for cancer drugs typically exceed Ireland's cost-effectiveness threshold, often by a considerable margin. On aggregate, the additional total net cost of new drugs relative to current treatments needs to be more than halved for the prices sought on application to be justified for reimbursement. Commercial confidentiality regarding prices and cost-effectiveness upon reimbursement compromises accountability regarding the fair and efficient allocation of scarce healthcare resources.

Removal of pirimicarb from agricultural waste water using cellulose acetate-modified ionic liquid membrane.

Insecticide spray in fruit gardens is a very common practice in different districts of Pakistan. These toxic sprays not only deteriorate the taste of fruit but also due to wet deposition travel through soil, they reach groundwater via leaching process. In the present study, imidazolium-based ionic liquid ([C2im][C3H6NH2]Br-) and its cellulose acetate-supported membrane ([CA-C2im][C3H6NH2]Br-) was prepared and characterized using FTIR, XRD, and SEM. These materials are used as adsorbents for the removal of "Pirimicarb" (an insecticide from waste water). A closed batch at varying parameters, i.e., concentration and temperature as function of time, was conducted on UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Comparison of removal capacity exposed better (74%) adsorption trend by CA-IL membrane than ionic liquid (68%). Thermodynamic studies projected spontaneous process (-ΔG), favoring endothermic reaction (ΔH, ΔS). Kinetics supported pseudo-second order reaction while fitness of isothermic models (Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin) proposed multistep intraparticle diffusion process.