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Methane is one of the main greenhouse gases emitted by ruminants around the world. It is essential to investigate novel approaches to increasing animal production while reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ruminants. This study was conducted to examine the effect of methane inhibitors, such as nitrate, linseed oil, and anthraquinone, on nutritional digestibility, rumen fermentation processes, and methane emission in Sahiwal and Gir cattle calves. Twelve calves (6–12 months old), six of each Sahiwal and Gir breed, were selected and divided into four groups; Sahiwal control (C) and treated (T) calves; Gir control (C) and treated calves (T) of three calves each based on average body weight. Switch over a design was used as for periods 1 and 2. Animals in all groups were fed chopped oat fodder, wheat straw, and a concentrate mixture. Additionally, treated groups were fed a ration with potassium nitrate (1%), linseed oil (0.5%), and anthraquinone (4 ppm). The results revealed that the addition of methane inhibitors had no impact on nutrient intake and apparent digestibility. The levels of propionate, ammonia nitrogen, and total nitrogen were increased significantly (p < 0.05), while butyrate decreased in the treated groups of both breeds. However, there was no change in acetate and pH between the groups. Methane emission (g/d) was lower (p < 0.05) in the treated groups as compared to the control group. This study concludes that supplementation of methane inhibitors in calves feed can be utilized to lower methane emissions without affecting the intake and digestibility of nutrients. Combining diverse dietary mitigation strategies could be an effective way to mitigate methane emissions to reduce global warming while minimizing any negative impacts on ruminants to accomplish sustainable animal production.

Bamboo biomass is a potential source of monomeric sugars containing a high cellulose content with a low amount of lignin. However, for efficient hydrolysis, an effective biomass pretreatment technique is required to minimize the lignin content and other barrier components. In the present study, bamboo biomass was treated with different physical, chemical, biological, and combined treatments to reduce the lignin content. Among all the pretreatments, the maximum lignin removal amount (14.5%) was obtained with the combined chemical and biological treatment under 2% NaOH + 1% H2O2 + WDP2 fungal culture (5 plugs) conditions. In addition, the ligninolytic fungus and NaOH pretreatment was primarily effective in removing lignins, whereas the H2O2 pretreatment efficiently minimized cellulose crystallinity. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was utilized to analyze the structural changes of the raw and treated biomass. The structural analysis indicated that all the treatments caused disruption in the biomass structure and reduced the compactness of the biomass, which facilitated the biomass conversion during the hydrolysis process. The findings of the present study indicated effective pretreatment methods in overcoming the recalcitrancy of potential lignocellulosic biomass for maximum hydrolysis.

Exploring innovative methods to provide essential nutrients and reducing ruminant greenhouse gas emission is crucial for animal production and diminishing global warming. This study was conducted to examine the efficacy of Moringa oleifera leaves (ML) in ruminants at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 30% and 40% level in different roughage (R) and concentrate (C) (80R:20C, 70R:30C and 60R:40C) under in vitro conditions. Chemical composition of ML, concentrate mixture and berseem were estimated. Rumen fermentation parameters of male goat kids viz., total gas production, CH4, true dry matter digestibility (TDMD), organic matter digestibility (TOMD), partial fraction (PF), microbial biomass (MBP), ammonia (N), acetate, propionate, butyrate and acetate propionate ratio were observed under in vitro conditions. Results revealed that crude protein, organic matter and ethyl ether content were higher in ML as compared to concentrate mixture and berseem. Magnesium and iron content were also higher in ML as compared to concentrate and berseem. Total gas production, digestibility of DM and OM, MBP, acetate and propionate level were improved (P 4 (%) and CH4 (mL/100 mg dDM) was noted with increased levels of ML incorporation. There was no change observed in ammonia, acetate: propionate ratios at all the three planes of nutrition. In this study, it is concluded that mixing Moringa oleifera leaves in feed can be used as protein supplement and reduce the methane emission without causing any effect on digestibility and rumen fermentation parameters. However, ML can be suggested for widespread practice to attain the sustainable animal production (10–20%) and to alleviate the global warming.

Biotic stress is caused by harmful microbes that prevent plants from growing normally and also having numerous negative effects on agriculture crops globally. Many biotic factors such as bacteria, fungi, virus, weeds, insects, and nematodes are the major constrains of stress that tends to increase the reactive oxygen species that affect the physiological and molecular functioning of plants and also led to the decrease in crop productivity. Bacterial and fungal endophytes are the solution to overcome the tasks faced with conventional farming, and these are environment friendly microbial commodities that colonize in plant tissues without causing any damage. Endophytes play an important role in host fitness, uptake of nutrients, synthesis of phytohormone and diminish the injury triggered by pathogens via antibiosis, production of lytic enzymes, secondary metabolites, and hormone activation. They are also reported to help plants in coping with biotic stress, improving crops and soil health, respectively. Therefore, usage of endophytes as biofertilizers and biocontrol agent have developed an eco-friendly substitute to destructive chemicals for plant development and also in mitigation of biotic stress. Thus, this review highlighted the potential role of endophytes as biofertilizers, biocontrol agent, and in mitigation of biotic stress for maintenance of plant development and soil health for sustainable agriculture.

Chlorpyrifos is a broad-spectrum organophosphate pesticide and used frequently on different cropping systems to control phytopathogens. Being a hazardous substance, chlorpyrifos may affect human health as some unutilized pesticide percolates through soil and contaminates ground water. Present study was planned to establish an effective remediation method of chlorpyrifos using two fungal isolates (C1 and C3), recovered from the waste (soil) of a refrigeration industry. C1 and C3, identified as Byssochlamys spectabilis and Aspergillus fumigates respectively were able to tolerate 600 mg L− 1 of chlorpyrifos. “The Half-life of chlorpyrifos (control) was 231 days which could be reduced to 13.6 days” under in vitro condition in the presence of mixture of two fungi in Czapek dox medium (CDM). Consortium of the fungi showed 98.4 % degradation of chlorpyrifos within 30 days in CDM. Degradation of the pesticide was related to specific laccase activity of the fungi and the level of enzyme activity was better in consortium 9.09 and 10.29 U mL− 1 after 6 and 10 days respectively. Immobilized fungal enzymes also showed appreciable biodegradation of the pesticide by providing extra matrix for enzyme substrate reaction. Residual analysis of chlorpyrifos in the soil of onion (Allium cepa) in a phytoremediation experiment revealed a significant decrease in t1/2 value in the presence of fungi. Hence, it is concluded that chlorpyrifos biodegradation ability of fungal consortium reveals the potential of these isolates in biodegradation of toxic compounds from contaminated water and soil. However, further studies are needed to access the biodegradation of the pesticide in different soil types, crops and under varied environmental conditions at molecular level.

Objective This study conducted exploratory metabolomic and lipidomic profiling of plasma samples from the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Sodium Trial to identify unique plasma biomarkers to identify salt-sensitive versus salt-resistant participants. Methods Utilizing plasma samples from the DASH-Sodium Trial, we conducted untargeted metabolomic and lipidomic profiling on plasma from salt-sensitive and salt-resistant DASH-Sodium Trial participants. Study 1 analyzed plasma from 106 salt-sensitive and 85 salt-resistant participants obtained during screening when participants consumed their regular diet. Study 2 examined paired within-participant plasma samples in 20 salt-sensitive and 20 salt-resistant participants during a high-salt and low-salt dietary intervention. To investigate differences in metabolites or lipidomes that could discriminate between salt-sensitive and salt-resistant participants or the response to a dietary sodium intervention Principal Component Analysis and Orthogonal Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis was conducted. Differential expression analysis was performed to validate observed variance and to determine the statistical significance. Results Differential expression analysis between salt-sensitive and salt-resistant participants at screening revealed no difference in plasma metabolites or lipidomes. In contrast, three annotated plasma metabolites, tocopherol alpha, 2-ketoisocaproic acid, and citramalic acid, differed significantly between high-sodium and low-sodium dietary interventions in salt-sensitive participants. Conclusion In DASH-Sodium Trial participants on a regular diet, plasma metabolomic or lipidomic signatures were not different between salt-sensitive and salt-resistant participants. High-sodium intake was associated with changes in specific circulating metabolites in salt-sensitive participants. Further studies are needed to validate the identified metabolites as potential biomarkers that are associated with the salt sensitivity of blood pressure.

Despite the fact that many animal products are comparatively rich in nutrients when matched to other diets, butthe overuse and abuse of many drugs, particularly antibiotics in animals, is a factor in the growing issue of antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, the widespread use of synthetic chemicals in a variety of agricultural and livestock sectors creates risk to the environment, human health as well animal health. To combat this, bioactive compounds or plant secondary metabolites (PSM) through the several plant extractionsare looked on as natural substances that can take the place of antibiotics and such synthetic chemicals as secure and enduring substitutes. According to latest scientific research, there is a tremendous opportunity for using plants to improve animal productivityespecially in ruminants. This article discusses the use of various plant extracts as feed additives in ruminants and their impact on livestock production performance.

In order to ensure food safety, screening food samples for the presence of pathogens has been categorised as a legal testing item throughout the globe. One of the most prevalent zoonotic bacteria transmitted through dairy milk is

Inborn errors of ketogenesis are rare disorders that result in acute and fulminant decompensation during lipolytic stress, particularly in infants and children. These include mitochondrial 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) synthase (HMGCS) deficiency and HMG-CoA lyase (HMGCL) deficiency. In this series, we describe the clinical, biochemical, and molecular profiles of four patients along with dietary interventions and their outcomes on a long-term follow-up. Two patients each of HMGCS and HMGCL deficiency were evaluated with clinical history, biochemical investigations, including tandem mass spectrometry (TMS) and urine gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS). Molecular analysis was performed by whole-exome sequencing, as well as exon array validated by long-range polymerase chain reaction. All individuals were diagnosed with acute metabolic decompensation in the early infancy period except one with HMGCL deficiency who had the first presentation at 5 years of age. Central nervous system manifestations, severe metabolic acidosis, hyperammonemia, hypoglycemia with a normal lactate, and absence of urinary ketones were observed in all the affected individuals. The disorder was life-threatening in three individuals and one succumbed to the illness. TMS was nonspecific and urine GCMS revealed dicarboxylic aciduria in HMGCS deficiency. Both the patients with HMGCL deficiency demonstrated elevated 3 hydroxyisovaleryl carnitine levels in TMS and metabolites of leucine degradation in urine GCMS. We identified five novel variants that included a large deletion involving exon 2 in HMGCL gene. There was no evidence of long-term neurological sequelae in the living individuals. Diet with moderation of fat intake was followed in two individuals with HMGCS deficiency. Low leucine and protein diet with moderation of fat intake was followed in the individual with HMGCL deficiency. All affected individuals are thriving well with no further major metabolic decompensation.

The development of different innovative feed resources for livestock is important to provide the essential nutrients and diminish the emission of greenhouse gases. The purpose of the present experiment was to study the response of replacing concentrate with

Combined application of bioinoculants and agriusable nanocompounds has the potential to make beneficial impact on agricultural sector. Plant growth-promoting activities of bioinoculants and unique physical properties of nanocompounds can synergistically help to overcome challenges such as low crop productivity, overuse of agrochemicals and nutrient loss in agricultural practices. The present study was conducted to assess the biocompatibility of two bacterial cultures and their effect on maize by way of phosphate solubilization, production of siderophore and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase. Results indicated that both the bacterial isolates were compatible with each other and showed better phosphate solubilization and siderophore production when used jointly. Presence of acdS gene in bacterial strains also supported the role of bioinoculants under biotic and abiotic stresses. Impact of nanochitosan on bioinoculants evaluated on the basis of growth pattern, number of colony-forming units and by SEM analysis was encouraging significantly. Bacterial cultures and nanochitosan showed significantly enhanced seed germination and plant vigor including plant height, chlorophyll and carotenoid content over control in maize. The present study indicated the positive effect of nanochitosan on bacterial growth and hence can be used as a bioformulation to enhance plant health parameters and shelf life of the test bioinoculants.

Hypertension is a global health burden. The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) is an essential component of the neuronal network that regulates sodium homeostasis and blood pressure (BP). Previously, we have shown PVN-specific G protein-coupled receptor-coupled Gαi2 subunit proteins are essential to counter the development of salt-sensitive hypertension by mediating the sympathoinhibitory and natriuretic responses to increased dietary sodium intake to maintain sodium homeostasis and normotension. However, the cellular localization and identity of PVN Gαi2-expressing neurons are currently unknown. In this study using in situ hybridization, we determined the neuroanatomical characterization of Gαi2-expressing PVN neurons in 3-mo-old male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. We observed that Gαi2-expressing neurons containing Gnai2 mRNA are highly localized in the parvocellular region of the hypothalamic PVN. At level 2 of the hypothalamic PVN, Gnai2 mRNA colocalized with ∼ 85% of GABA-expressing neurons and ∼28% of glutamatergic neurons. Additionally, within level 2 Gnai2 mRNA colocalized with ∼75% of corticotrophin-releasing hormone PVN neurons. Gnai2 neurons had lower colocalization with tyrosine hydroxylase (∼33%)-, oxytocin (∼6%)-, and arginine vasopressin (∼10%)-expressing parvocellular neurons in level 2 PVN. Colocalization was similar among male and female rats. The high colocalization of Gnai2 mRNA with GABAergic neurons, in conjunction with our previous findings that PVN Gαi2 proteins mediate sympathoinhibition, suggests that Gαi2 proteins potentially modulate GABAergic signaling to impact sympathetic outflow and BP.

We have investigated the effect of the position and dimension of piezoelectric buzzers embedded in shoe soles on energy harvesting. The force and pressure generated by different types of shoes and heels were measured using plantar measurement systems. A Kistler force plate and zebris force distribution measurement provided precise values and locations of the force and pressure exerted by the foot on the sole. The position and area of buzzers inside the sole of the shoes resulted in a significant increase in electrical outputs. A maximum open-circuit voltage of 38 V, short circuit current of 33 μA, and harvested energy of 296.8 μJ cm−3 were found across a 100-μf capacitor for a wedge-heeled shoe. The open-circuit voltage in the wedge-heel type of shoe improved by more than five times when the pressure is changed from the heel to the toe and area of the buzzer is increased. Similarly, the energy stored across a 100-μF capacitor also improved by five times for the same shoe. Furthermore, the short circuit current improved by three times when the shoe was changed from a wedge heel to a block heel. The results indicate that this technique can be used to power wearable electronics and sensors.

The 2019 National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for Sodium (Na+) and Potassium (K+) Report concluded there remains insufficient evidence to establish a K+ DRI. This study tested the hypothesis that reduced Na+ and increased K+ excretion will positively associate with lower blood pressure in salt sensitive (SS) and salt resistant (SR) participants in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Sodium Trial (DASH–Sodium). Via the NHLBI BioLINCC we accessed the DASH-Sodium dataset for data on systolic blood pressure (SBP), 24-h urinary Na+ and K+ excretion at screening (regular patient diet; N = 186, SS N = 222 SR) and post DASH diet (N = 71 SS, N = 119 SR). The relationships between SBP, urinary Na+ and K+ excretion, and Na+/K+ ratio were assessed via linear regression. At screening elevated urinary Na+ excretion positively associated with SBP in SS (1 g increase in urinary Na+ excretion = +1 0 ± 0.4 mmHg) but not SR participants, and urinary K+ excretion of +/day was associated with higher SBP in SS and SR participants. Urinary K+ excretion ≥1 g/day, or a decreases in urinary Na+/K+ ratio, was not associated with lower SBP. Post the DASH–sodium diet intervention, SBP was reduced in SS and SR participants. However, no correlation was observed between reduced SBP and urinary K+ excretion or the urinary Na+/K+ ratio irrespective of the salt sensitivity of blood pressure. Our data support the DRI recommendation not to establish a K+ DRI and suggest further evidence is required to support a reduced Na+/K+ ratio to lower SBP.

Utility mining has been emerging as an important area in data mining. While existing works on utility mining for retail businesses have primarily focused on the problem of finding high-utility itemsets from transactional databases, they implicitly assume that each item occupies only one slot. Here, the slot size of a given item is the number of (integer) slots occupied by that item on the retail store shelves. However, in many real-world scenarios, the number of slots consumed by different items typically varies. Hence, this paper considers that a given item may physically occupy any fixed (integer) number of slots. Thus, we address the problem of efficiently determining the top-utility itemsets when a given number of slots is specified as input. The key contributions of our work are three fold. First, we present an efficient framework to determine the top-utility itemsets for different user-specified number of slots that need to be filled. Second, we propose a novel flexible and efficient index, designated as Slot Type Utility (STU) index, for facilitating quick retrieval of the top-utility itemsets for a given number of slots. Third, we conducted an extensive performance evaluation using both real and synthetic datasets to demonstrate the overall effectiveness of the STU index in quickly retrieving the top-utility itemsets by considering a placement scheme in terms of execution time and utility (net revenue) as compared to recent existing schemes.

The ability of parallel compensation for voltage and current in bus system is known as Multi Converter Unified Power Quality Conditioner (MC-UPQC). It improve the Power Quality (PQ) of the renewable energy sources. The combination of current and voltage quality is known as PQ. The PQ problems, named as imbalance, flicker, and harmonics, the electronically switched and nonlinear devices with increasing applications in distribution systems and industries have become serious concerns. In this paper, improved fuzzy-based MC-UPQC is proposed for improving the PQ in grid connected wind energy system (WES). Improved fuzzy, that is hybrid fuzzy incremental conductance controlled MC-UPQC is the novelty in this study. Fuzzy incremental conductance is introduced to search the maximum power point in wind energy conversion system. From the grid, the proposed controller joined with MC-UPQC improve the WES. At the same time, the system can recompense the current and voltage imperfections in adjacent feeders. A normal dc-link capacitor is shared by all converters in this configuration. Hence, the power transfer from one to adjacent feeders is possible. The proposed work is simulated in MATLAB/SIMULINK platform. Through the hysteresis controller, the performance analysis is carried out. Finally the results are compared with existing controller’s namely proportional integral and a conventional fuzzy logic controller. Thus, the overall performance can display the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Compared to other two existing approaches, the proposed scheme achieves very low THD values i.e. 3.53% for load 1 and 3.25% for load 2.

CTX-M beta-lactamases are one of the most important extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) resistance enzymes found in

The indiscriminate use of organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos in agricultural crops causes significant soil and water pollution and poses a serious threat to the global community. In this study, a microbial consortium ERM C-1 containing bacterial strains Pseudomonas putida T7, Pseudomonas aeruginosa M2, Klebsiella pneumoniae M6, and a fungal strain Aspergillus terreus TF1 was developed for the effective degradation of chlorpyrifos. Results revealed that microbial strains were not only utilizing chlorpyrifos (500 mg L–1) but also coupled with plant growth-promoting characteristics and laccase production. PGP traits, that is, IAA (35.53, 45.53, 25.19, and 25.53 μg mL–1), HCN (19.85, 17.85, 12.18, and 9.85 μg mL–1), and ammonium (14.73, 16.73, 8.05, and 10.87 μg mL–1) production, and potassium (49.53, 66.72, 46.14, and 52.72 μg mL–1), phosphate (52.37, 63.89, 33.33, and 71.89 μg mL–1), and zinc (29.75, 49.75, 49.12, and 57.75 μg mL–1) solubilization tests were positive for microbial strains T7, M2, M6, and TF1, respectively. The laccase activity by ERM C-1 was estimated as 37.53, 57.16, and 87.57 enzyme U mL–1 after 5, 10, and 15 days of incubation, respectively. Chlorpyrifos degradation was associated with ERM C-1 and laccase activity, and the degree of enzyme activity was higher in the consortium than in individual strains. The biodegradation study with developed consortium ERM C-1 showed a decreased chlorpyrifos concentration from the 7th day of incubation (65.77% degradation) followed by complete disappearance (100% degradation) after the 30th day of incubation in the MS medium. First-order degradation kinetics with a linear model revealed a high k –day value and low t1/2 value in ERM C-1. The results of HPLC and GC-MS analysis proved that consortium ERM C-1 was capable of completely removing chlorpyrifos by co-metabolism mechanism.

Agricultural yield of major crops is low due to the injudicious use of chemical fertilizers that affects soil fertility and biodiversity severely and thereby affecting plant growth. Soil health is regulated by various factors such as physicochemical properties of the soil, availability of micro/macronutrients, soil health indicator enzymes and microbial diversity which are essential for agriculture productivity. Thus, it is required to draw attention towards an eco-friendly approach that protects the beneficial microbial population of soil. Application of different bioinoculants and agriusable nanocompounds has been reported to enhance soil quality with increased nutrient status and beneficial bacterial population, but additive effects of combined treatments on soil microbial population are largely unknown. The present study investigated the impact of nanozeolite and nanochitosan along with two Bacillus spp. on rhizospheric microbial flora and indicator enzymes to signify soil health under field conditions on maize. Soil health was ascertained by evaluating physicochemical analysis; total bacterial counts including N, P, and K solubilizing bacteria; and soil health indicator enzymes like fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis, alkaline phosphatase, β-glucosidase, dehydrogenase, amylase, and arylesterase. Change in copy number of 16S rRNA as a marker gene was used to quantify the bacterial population using quantitative PCR (qPCR) in different treatments. Our study revealed that nanocompounds with Bacillus spp. significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced total microbial count (16.89%), NPK solubilizing bacteria (46%, 41.37%, and 57.14%), and the level of soil health indicator enzymes up to twofold over control after 20, 40, and 60 days of the experiment. qPCR analysis showed a higher copy number of the 16S rRNA gene in treated samples, which also indicates a positive impact on soil bacterial population. This study presents a valuable approach to improve soil quality in combined treatments of nanocompounds and bioinoculants which can be used as a good alternative to chemical fertilizers for sustainable agriculture.

Evolution is mainly driven by environmental stresses. Among all the living beings, microorganisms have elaborated a wide range of physiological responses to survive in different ecosystems. Variations in the environment allow microorganisms to acquire new gene(s) through different processes and to lose preexisting genes by the processes like mutation or deletion. Our environment is heavily contaminated by indiscriminate and wide spread use of polythene, paints, petroleum products, industrial dyes, toxic chemicals and pesticides etc. Indiscriminate use of these chemicals/polymers adversely affects the environment and ultimately human beings and other living systems. Microbial evolution/ adaptation is the key of formation of a fully functional catabolic pathway enabling them to use toxic compound(s) as a source of carbon and energy. Physical and chemical methods are applicable in a modified matrix or help in converting the pollutants from one phase to another but the microbial degradation process to detoxify the pollutants can be effectively used to overcome the pollution problem.

The modern agricultural system is facing the unprecedented task of contriving the extensive demand for agrarian production owing to population explosion and global climate change. The employment of Nanotechnology in agriculture has gained immense interest in recent times for the development of sustainable agricultural technologies and environmental remediation strategies. Nanotechnology pertains to the employment of nanoparticles and furnishes the potential to fabricate novel materials and products possessing improved quality. The nanomaterials may be used as; nanosensors, nanocides, nanofertilizers, nanobarcodes, and nano-remediators, which play a significant role in modern agricultural practices. However, the physical and chemical processes of nanoparticle production is neither economical nor environmentally sustainable. Therefore, the need for green or biogenic nanoparticles obtained from plants, bacteria, fungi or their metabolites has emerged as novel, sustainable, economical, biocompatible, and eco-friendly technology. In this perspective, the production and sources of biogenic nanoparticles and their implication in agro-ecosystems for crop productivity, soil health management, biocontrol, and environmental remediation have been focused on in this review. The potential development and implementation challenges are also explored.

Climate change, inadequate possessions, and land degradation all pose obstacles to modern agriculture. In the current scenario, the agriculture industry is mainly dependent on the use of chemical-based pesticides and fertilizers that impact soil health and crop productivity. Moreover, water scarcity leads farmers in drastically affected regions to use heavy metal-enriched water sources mainly originating from industrial sources for field crops irrigation. Soil pollutants can be carried into the human body via dust and water, creating negative health effects varying from simple symptoms, e.g., nausea and diarrhea and reaching death in critical cases. Thus, to clean soil contaminants, and improve soil fertility and agricultural production, alternatives to chemical fertilizers must be developed. Therefore, using beneficial microbes found in plant-associated soil microorganisms offers an effective strategy to alleviate some of these challenges, improving soil fertility, and crop yield, and protecting plants from stress conditions. Through the use of synergistic interactions, the synthetic consortium strategy seeks to improve the stability of microbial communities. In this review, synthetic consortia and their potential use in agriculture were discussed. Further, engineering new effective synthetic consortia was suggested as an effective approach in the concept of environmental bioremediation of soil pollutants and contaminants.

Background Since the World’s population is increasing, it’s critical to boost agricultural productivity to meet the rising demand for food and reduce poverty. Fertilizers are widely used in traditional agricultural methods to improve crop yield, but they have a number of negative environmental consequences such as nutrient losses, decrease fertility and polluted water and air. Researchers have been focusing on alternative crop fertilizers mechanisms to address these issues in recent years and nanobiofertilizers have frequently been suggested. “Nanophos” is a biofertilizer and contains phosphate-solubilising bacteria that solubilises insoluble phosphate and makes it available to the plants for improved growth and productivity as well as maintain soil health. This study evaluated the impact of nanophos on the growth and development of maize plants and its rhizospheric microbial community such as NPK solubilising microbes, soil enzyme activities and soil protein under field condition after 20, 40 and 60 days in randomized block design. Results Maize seeds treated with nanophos showed improvement in germination of seeds, plant height, number of leaves, photosynthetic pigments, total sugar and protein level over control. A higher activity of phenol, flavonoid, antioxidant activities and yield were noticed in nanophos treated plants over control. Positive shift in total bacterial count, nitrogen fixing bacteria, phosphate and potassium solubilizers were observed in the presence of nanophos as compared to control. Soil enzyme activities were significantly (P Conclusion The study concluded a stimulating effect of nanophos on Zea mays health and productivity and indicates good response towards total bacterial, NPK solubilising bacteria, soil enzymes, soil protein which equally showed positive response towards soil nutrient status. It can be a potential way to boost soil nutrient use efficiency and can be a better alternative to fertilizers used in the agriculture.

Placement of items on the shelf space of retail stores significantly impacts the revenue of the retailer. Since customers typically tend to buy sets of items (i.e., itemsets) together, several research efforts have been undertaken towards facilitating itemset placement in retail stores for improving retailer revenue. However, they fail to consider that the time-period of expiry can vary across items i.e., some items expire sooner than others. This leads to loss of opportunity towards improving retailer revenue. Hence, we propose PEAR, which is a Product Expiry-Aware and Revenue-conscious itemset placement scheme for improving retailer revenue. Our key contributions are three-fold. First, we introduce the problem of addressing retail itemset placement when the items can be associated with different time-periods of expiry. Second, we propose the expiry-aware PEAR scheme for efficiently identifying and placing high-revenue itemsets for improving retailer revenue. Third, we conduct a performance study with two real datasets to demonstrate that PEAR is indeed effective in improving retailer revenue w.r.t. a reference scheme.

New findings • What is the central question of this study? We hypothesized that central inflammatory processes that involve activation of microglia and astrocytes contribute to the development of Gαi2 protein-dependent, salt-sensitive hypertension. • What is the main finding and its importance? The main finding is that PVN-specific inflammatory processes, driven by microglial activation, appear to be linked to the development of Gαi2 protein-dependent, salt-sensitive hypertension in Sprague-Dawley rats. This finding might reveal new mechanistic targets in the treatment of hypertension. Abstract The central mechanisms underlying salt-sensitive hypertension, a significant public health issue, remain to be established. Researchers in our laboratory have reported that hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) Gαi2 proteins mediate the sympathoinhibitory and normotensive responses to high sodium intake in salt-resistant rats. Given the recent evidence of central inflammation in animal models of hypertension, we hypothesized that PVN inflammation contributes to Gαi2 protein-dependent, salt-sensitive hypertension. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received chronic intracerebroventricular infusions of a targeted Gαi2 or control scrambled oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) and were maintained for 7 days on a normal-salt (NS; 0.6% NaCl) or high-salt (HS; 4% NaCl) diet; in subgroups on HS, intracerebroventricular minocycline (microglial inhibitor) was co-infused with ODNs. Radiotelemetry was used in subgroups of rats to measure mean arterial pressure (MAP) chronically. In a separate group of rats, plasma noradrenaline, plasma renin activity, urinary angiotensinogen and mRNA levels of the PVN pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6 and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 were assessed. In additional groups, immunohistochemistry was performed for markers of PVN and subfornical organ microglial activation and cytokine levels and PVN astrocyte activation. High salt intake evoked salt-sensitive hypertension, increased plasma noradrenaline, PVN pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA upregulation, anti-inflammatory cytokine mRNA downregulation and PVN-specific microglial activation in rats receiving a targeted Gαi2 but not scrambled ODN. Minocycline co-infusion significantly attenuated the increase in MAP and abolished the increase in plasma noradrenaline and inflammation in Gαi2 ODN-infused animals on HS. Our data suggest that central Gαi2 protein prevents microglial-mediated PVN inflammation and the development of salt-sensitive hypertension.

Secondary metabolites of microbial origin are structurally diverse and functionally versatile compounds that offer selective advantages to the producing organism. Production of these compounds is low under natural conditions and requires elicitation for large-scale production. Omic sciences provide a major breakthrough in the discovery of novel compounds and indicate efficiency of microorganisms to produce a diverse array of chemical entities more than those known today. Synthetic biology in particular, has remarkably changed the outlook to explore natural products by unravelling hidden potential of the microorganisms. In silico studies pave a path to investigate new secondary metabolic compounds by the fusion of genetics, chemistry, and computer science, which expand their diversity and lead to generation of new analogs. Genes involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis, regulation and transport in microorganisms are organized into clusters known as Biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Application of sophisticated tools helps to get more information on newer BGCs leading to novel bioactive compound discovery. Experimental verification and structural elucidation are still the bottleneck in the discovery of a new product, but in silico tools help to speed up the process of product prediction and its identification. They also help in optimizing strains for stable and optimal production during scale up process for an economic output. In the present study, we have described microbial secondary metabolites with special mention of polyketides (PKS) and non-ribosomal polypeptides (NRPS) along with some of the strategies employed to induce their production, providing the main emphasis on in silico methods and tools used in their study and analysis to date.