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Plant parasitic nematodes cause severe damage to soybean crops, leading to substantial losses in yield and quality. However, more information is needed regarding the occurrence, distribution and damage status of soybean PPNs in Ethiopia. A total of 180 samples of rhizosphere and roots were collected randomly from three major soybean‐producing districts of Metekel Zone. Nematodes were extracted and identified at the genus level based on their morphological characteristics, except Meloidogyne javanica, the deadly species, which was identified using morphological and molecular techniques. Seven nematode genera were recovered: Meloidogyne, Scutellonema, Pratylenchus, Helicotylenchus, Rotylenchulus, Hemicycliophora and Criconema. The genera Meloidogyne, Scutellonema and Pratylenchus were dominant and had FO% of 98.3%, 97.5% and 81.8%, respectively. The host status of 10 soybean varieties to M. javanica infection was determined. Data on the shoot height, root length, fresh shoot and root weight, gall number and nematode density were estimated 3 months after inoculation. The results revealed that Jalele variety suppresses M. javanica multiplication while the other nine supported it. Comparatively, Pawe‐3, Awassa‐95 and Koreme varieties supported the highest nematode multiplication 24.4, 16.2 and 15.3 reproductive factors, respectively. Nova experienced the highest shoot and root relative biomass losses (84%) and roots (63%). In contrast, Jalele did not experience any loss in all parameters. However, Jalele variety resisted M. javanica, making it a promising approach towards soybean breeding programs for nematode management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of various potato cultivars in response to disease pressures from Meloidogyne incognita (MI) and Ralstonia solanacearum (RS) is believed to be different. The experiment was laid out in a randomised complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. A total of 13 potato cultivars during the main cropping season were assessed. The mean squares values from the analyses of variance for MI, RS, and plant parameters of potato cultivars at the two hot spot sites, 'Kersa' and 'Arbarakate' for the two pathogens showed highly significant (P < 0.01) differences among cultivars in terms of response to pathogens and plant parameters. At 'Kersa', all of the tested potato cultivars were classed as 'moderately resistant'. However, 'Gudenie' and 'Belete' were classed as 'resistant' to RS. At 'Arbarakate', 'Belete', and 'Bubu' were classed as 'resistant' to MI, while 'Gudenie', 'Belete', and 'Bubu' were classed as 'resistant' to RS. At 'Kersa', 'Gudenie' recorded the highest mean values (25.5 t ha−1) of marketable tuber yield (MY) and total yield (TY) (39.2 t ha−1). At 'Arbarakate', the highest mean value (49.6 t ha−1) of TY was registered from the cultivar 'Bubu'. TY had a negative phenotypic correlation with the pathogen's parameters but a positive with plant parameters. 'Gera' was the most distant from all tested cultivars with Euclidean distance = 30.8. These assessments provide information for breeders for further improvement through selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ascochyta rabiei. (aka. Ascochyta blight of chickpea) is among the most devastating fungal pathogens in chickpea-growing areas. One of the main goals of the breeding programs is to improve the resistance of newly developed commercial cultivars to this pathogen. The resistance of 18 chickpea cultivars and 27 chickpea lines (developed under the chickpea breeding program in Turkey) was evaluated against Pathotype IV of Ascochyta rabiei, the most aggressive pathotype found in Turkey. All genotypes were tested under greenhouse conditions. Significant differences were found among the genotypes (α = 0.05). The response of the genotypes were grouped as resistant, moderately resistant, susceptible and highly susceptible with the percentage of 31.2%, 37.7%, 20% and 11.1%, respectively. The outputs of this study could be used for the development of new chickpea cultivars and varieties through breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Resistant keratitis is a difficult situation faced every day in ophthalmology clinics. Resistance to healing may be attributed to many factors. Many adjunctive agents are widely used in a trial to accelerate healing and to prevent resistance to eliminate the chance of development of disabling complications. Purpose The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of topical insulin, autologous serum, and honey-based eye drops as adjunctive therapies in resistant corneal ulcers. Patients and methods This prospective study investigated 45 eyes of infected keratitis not responding to culture-based medical treatment for 2 weeks. The eyes were divided into three groups each of 15 eyes. The insulin group was treated with topical insulin drops, the serum group with autologous serum drops, and the honey group with honey-based drops. Culture-based medical treatment was also continued in the three groups till complete healing was achieved. The results of the three groups were compared regarding the time needed for healing and best-corrected visual acuity outcome. Results Best-corrected visual acuity improved by one or more lines in 11 (73.33%) cases in the insulin group, in 10 (66.67%) cases in the serum group, and in nine (60%) cases in the honey group, with no statistically significant difference (χ2=1.525, P=0.822). Healing occurred in 14–28 days in 12 (80%) cases in the insulin group, in 13 (86.67%) cases in the serum group, and in 10 (66.67%) cases in the honey group, with no statistically significant difference (χ2=1.8, P=0.407). The remaining cases in each group required amniotic membrane transplantation due to thinning. Conclusion The effects of topical insulin, autologous serum, and honey-based eye drops, when used as adjunctive methods added to the culture-based medical therapy in the management of resistant corneal ulcers, were comparable. Autologous serum gave slightly higher effect than topical insulin and honey-based eye drops but the difference was statistically insignificant.

ABSTRACT: Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation are increasingly significant public health concerns. This study aimed to examine the antibacterial and antibiofilm properties of carbon dots (C-dots) alone and in combination with antibiotics against biofilm-forming isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methods: The antibacterial property of C-dots was investigated by broth microdilution method against ATCC PAO1 and P. aeruginosa clinical isolates. The antibacterial effect of the C-dots and ciprofloxacin combination was investigated using the checkerboard method. The antibiofilm effect of the C-dots alone and its combination with ciprofloxacin was evaluated using the microtiter plate method. Subsequently, the toxicity of each agent was tested on L929 fibroblast cells. In the end, the effects of C-dots on the expression levels of pslA, pelA, and ppyR genes were determined using real-time quantitative PCR. Results: The combination of C-dots and ciprofloxacin exhibited a synergistic effect. Additionally, this compound substantially decreased bacterial growth (P < 0.0001) and inhibited biofilm formation at MIC (96 µg/mL) and sub-MIC (48 µg/mL) concentrations (P < 0.0053, P < 0.01). After being exposed to C-dots at a concentration of 1mg/mL for 24 hours, the survival rate of L929 cells was 87.3%. The expression of genes pslA, pelA, and ppyR, associated with biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa, was significantly reduced upon exposure to C-dots (P < 0.0023). Conclusions: The findings demonstrate a promising new treatment method for infections. Furthermore, reducing the dosage of antibiotics can lead to an improvement in the toxic effects caused by dose-dependent antibiotics and antimicrobial activity.

ABSTRACT: Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) has spread worldwide and causes serious problems in the cattle industry owing to the lack of effective treatments and vaccines. Bovine leukemia virus is transmitted via horizontal and vertical infection, and cattle with high BLV proviral load (PVL), which is a useful index for estimating disease progression and transmission risk, are considered major infectious sources within herds. The PVL strongly correlates with highly polymorphic bovine lymphocyte antigen (BoLA)-DRB3 alleles. The BoLA-DRB3*015:01 and *012:01 alleles are known susceptibility-associated markers related to high PVL, and cattle with susceptible alleles may be at a high risk of BLV transmission via direct contact with healthy cows. In contrast, the BoLA-DRB3*009:02 and *014:01:01 alleles comprise resistant markers associated with the development of low PVL, and cattle with resistant alleles may be low-risk spreaders for BLV transmission and disrupt the BLV transmission chain. However, whether polymorphisms in BoLA-DRB3 are useful for BLV eradication in farms remains unknown. Here, we conducted a validation trial of the integrated BLV eradication strategy to prevent new infection by resistant cattle and actively eliminate susceptible cattle in addition to conventional BLV eradication strategies to maximally reduce the BLV prevalence and PVL using a total of 342 cattle at 4 stall-barn farms in Japan from 2017 to 2019. First, we placed the resistant milking cattle between the BLV-positive and BLV-negative milking cattle in a stall barn for 3 yr. Interestingly, the resistant cattle proved to be an effective biological barrier to successfully block the new BLV infections in the stall-barn system among all 4 farms. Concomitantly, we actively eliminated cattle with high PVL, especially susceptible cattle. Indeed, 39 of the 60 susceptible cattle (65%), 76 of the 140 neutral cattle (54%), and 20 of the 41 resistant cattle (48.8%) were culled on 4 farms for 3 years. Consequently, BLV prevalence and mean PVL decreased in all 4 farms. In particular, one farm achieved BLV-free status in May 2020. By decreasing the number of BLV-positive animals, the revenue-enhancing effect was estimated to be ¥5,839,262 ($39,292.39) for the 4 farms over 3 yr. Our results suggest that an integrated BLV eradication program utilization of resistant cattle as a biological barrier and the preferential elimination of susceptible cattle are useful for BLV infection control.

Abstract Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen that has been linked to global disease outbreaks. These diseases include hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. It is vital to know the features that make this strain pathogenic to understand the development of disease outbreaks. In the current study, a comparative genomic analysis was carried out to determine the presence of structural and functional features of O157:H7 strains obtained from 115 National Center for Biotechnology Information database. These strains of interest were analysed in the following programs: BLAST Ring Image Generator, PlasmidFinder, ResFinder, VirulenceFinder, IslandViewer 4 and PHASTER. Five strains (ECP19–198, ECP19–798, F7508, F8952, H2495) demonstrated a great homology with Sakai because of a few regions missing. Five resistant genes were identified, however, Macrolide-associated resistance gene mdf(A) was commonly found in all genomes. Majority of the strains (97%) were positive for 15 of the virulent genes (espA, espB, espF, espJ, gad, chuA, eae, iss, nleA, nleB, nleC, ompT, tccP, terC and tir). The plasmid analysis demonstrated that the IncF group was the most prevalent in the strains analysed. The prophage and genomic island analysis showed a distribution of bacteriophages and genomic islands respectively. The results indicated that structural and functional features of the many O157:H7 strains differ and may be a result of obtaining mobile genetic elements via horizontal gene transfer. Understanding the evolution of O157:H7 strains pathogenicity in terms of their structural and functional features will enable the development of detection and control of transmission strategies.

Abstract Pear (Pyrus bretschneideri), a valuable widely cultivated fruit, faces significant economic losses due to black spot disease caused by Alternaria alternate (Fr.) Keissl. Trihelix transcription factors (TFs) are crucial in regulating plant defense and autoimmunity. This study aimed to analyze the trihelix transcription factor (GT) genes within pear through genome-wide identification, phylogenetic, gene structure, synteny, and cis-acting elements analyses. Among the 31 trihelix genes, 28 were on 12 known chromosomes, while the remaining 3 were located on unknown chromosomes. These genes were categorized into five clades: SIP1, GTγ, GT1, GT2 and SH4, containing 7, 2, 9, 11 and 2 genes, respectively. Synteny analysis indicated eight duplicated gene pairs. Based on the expression pattern of PbGT genes in seven tissues from the database, the PbGT genes of the GT2 clade were selected for further investigation. The quantitative reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction confirmed that PbrGT5, PbrGT6, PbrGT15 and PbrGT16 correlated with black spot disease resistance. Notably, the salicylic acid (SA) treatment significantly upregulated the expression levels of PbrGT10, PbrGT13, PbrGT15 and PbrGT23. Among these, PbrGT15 showed the highest induction to both SA and black spot infection. Subcellular localization demonstrated that PbrGT15 functions as a nuclear protein. Virus-induced gene silencing of PbrGT15 increased pear plants' susceptibility to black spot disease, indicating its pivotal role in enhancing resistance. These results indicated that PbrGT15 positively regulated black spot disease resistance in pears.

Background: Resistant hypertension (HTN) is associated with a high risk of cardiovascular complications. Our study aimed to assess the prevalence, characteristics, and treatment of patients with resistant HTN. Methods: We screened 4340 consecutive cardiovascular patients hospitalized in our clinic and identified 3762 with HTN. Of them, 128 fulfilled criteria for resistant HTN and were included in our study. We matched these patients to 128 hospitalized patients with controlled HTN. Results: Resistant HTN patients comprised 3.4% of all hypertensive individuals. Most of these patients (67.2%) were at high or very high cardiovascular risk compared to controlled HTN patients (40.6%); p < 0001. Resistant HTN patients more commonly had concomitant chronic kidney disease (CKD) (60.9%), overweight/obesity (52.3%), dyslipidemias (35.2%), smoking (27.3%), and diabetes (21.9%) compared to controlled HTN patients (37.5%, 29.7%, 28.1%, 14.1%, and 7.8%, respectively); p < 0.001. Regression analysis showed the strongest association of resistant HTN with CKD (OR 6.64), stage III HTN (OR 3.07), and obesity/overweight (OR 2.60). In contrast, single-pill combinations (SPCs) were associated with a lower likelihood of uncontrolled HTN (OR 0.58). Conclusions: Resistant HTN represented a small proportion of all hypertensives in our study, but it was characterized by high/very high cardiovascular risk. Optimized therapy including increased use of SPCs could improve blood pressure control and long-term prognosis for these patients.

Sarah L Becker,1,&ast; Rose Velasco,2,&ast; Alex G Ortega-Loayza1 1Department of Dermatology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; 2University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Alex G Ortega-Loayza, Department of Dermatology, Oregon Health & Science University, 3303 S Bond Ave Building 1, 16th Floor, Portland, OR, 97239, USA, Tel +1 503-418-3376, Fax +1 503-494-6968, Email ortegalo@ohsu.eduAbstract: Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare, autoinflammatory disease leading to aseptic ulcers which carries a significant disease burden and is often difficult to treat, with many patients failing first-line treatment and requiring additional therapies. Such cases are typically referred to in the literature as “recalcitrant”, “refractory”, or “resistant”, though little is known about the clinical characteristics of such cases. We performed a narrative literature review to characterize patient demographics and clinical course associated with difficult to treat pyoderma gangrenosum cases in order to identify trends to guide future clinical management and therapeutic innovation. We identified 148 cases with clinical manifestations and associated patient demographics stratified by ulcer and patient features. Consistent with previous work, a greater prevalence of PG was observed among female patients and those with a history of inflammatory bowel disease, however interestingly despite an aggressive course to their PG, few patients had comorbidities complicating their disease course. Additionally, despite the requirement of three or more treatments for most patients’ disease to resolve, the majority healed within the typical window observed in previous clinical studies with low rates of recurrence. Biologics were the most common medication patients were on at time of remission. Collectively, our results suggest a potential benefit for a reduced threshold for biologic initiation in PG patients and a need for standardization of language in the field to facilitate treatment outcomes comparisons and interventions.Keywords: pyoderma gangrenosum, recalcitrant, refractory, resistant, biologics

Mohammed S Almuhayawi,1 Mohammed H Alruhaili,1,2 Hattan S Gattan,2,3 Mohanned Talal Alharbi,4 Mohammed Nagshabandi,4 Soad Al Jaouni,5,6 Samy Selim,7 Awadh Alanazi,7 Yasir Alruwaili,7 Osama Ahmed Faried,8 Mohamed E Elnosary9 1Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, King AbdulAziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 2Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahad Medical Research Center, King AbdulAziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, 23218, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Hematology/Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; 6Yousef Abdulatif Jameel Scientific Chair of Prophetic Medicine Application, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; 7Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia; 8Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt; 9Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, EgyptCorrespondence: Mohammed S Almuhayawi; Samy Selim, Email msalmuhayawi@kau.edu.sa; sabdulsalam@ju.edu.saBackground: Wound infection is a prevalent concern in the medical field, being is a multi-step process involving several biological processes. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) infections often occur in areas of damaged skin, such as abrasions and open wounds.Methods: This research aims to light the incidence of MRSA and VRSA in wound swabs, the antimicrobial susceptibility configuration of isolated S. aureus patterns in pus/wound samples collected from Saudi Arabian tertiary hospital. The cross section study, β- lactamase detection, VRSA genotyping, MAR index, D-test and VRSA genotyping are methods, which used for completed this research.Results: Patients of several ages and genders delivered specimens from two hospitals in the Al jouf area, in the northern province of Saudi Arabia. S. aureus was found in 188 (34.7%) of the 542 wounds. The traumatized wounds provided 71 isolates (38.8%), surgical wound provided 49 isolates (26.8%) and abscess were represented 16 by isolates (8.7%). In the study, 123 (65.4%) out of 188 were MRSA, 60 (31.9%) were MSSA, and five (2.7%) were VRSA. Linezolid and rifampin were found to be the most effective antimicrobials with 100% in vitro antibacterial activity against S. aureus isolates. The Multiple antimicrobials resistance (MAR) index revealed 73 isolates (38.9%) with a MAR index greater than 0.2, and 115 (61.1%) less than 0.2. The D-test showed that of MLSb phenotypes among S. aureus, 22 (11.7%) strains were D-test positive (MLSbi phenotype), 53 (28.2%) strains were constitutive MLSc phenotypes, and 17 (9%) strains were shown to have MSb phenotypes. All VRSA isolates (n=5) were found to be positive for vanA, and no vanB positive isolates were detected in the study.Conclusion: Regular monitoring and an antimicrobials stewardship program should be in place to provide critical information that can be utilized for empirical therapy and future prevention strategies.Keywords: methicillin, vancomycin, resistant, Staphylococcus aureus, emergence, virulent, wound infection, MAR index, D-test, tertiary hospital, Saudi Arabia

Introduction: Osimertinib is a standard treatment for patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC. Although some osimertinib resistance mechanisms have been identified, nearly 50% of the mechanisms remain to be elucidated. This study was aimed at identifying non-genetic mechanisms underlying osimertinib resistance. Methods: We established two osimertinib-resistant cell lines from EGFR mutation-positive PC-9 and HCC827 NSCLC cell lines (PC-9OR and HCC827OR, respectively) using a stepwise method. We compared the phosphoproteomic profiles of the osimertinib-resistant and parental cells using mass spectrometry. Upstream kinases were identified using the application Kinase Enrichment Analysis version 3. Results: Phosphoproteomic analysis revealed 80 phosphorylation sites that were mutually up-regulated in PC-9OR and HCC827OR cells. The Kinase Enrichment Analysis version 3 analysis identified focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src (Src) as upstream kinases of these up-regulated phosphoproteins. The small-interfering RNA–mediated knockdown of FAK reduced Src phosphorylation and that of Src reduced FAK phosphorylation in both cell lines. Furthermore, FAK- or Src-specific small-interfering RNA treatments restored EGFR phosphorylation in PC-9OR and HCC827OR cells. The combination of FAK and Src inhibitors inhibited PC-9OR and HCC827OR cell proliferation in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model. Immunohistochemistry of tumors from patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC suggested that phosphorylated FAK and Src are involved in initial and acquired resistance to osimertinib. Conclusions: Phosphoproteomic analysis may help elucidate the mechanisms of resistance to molecular-targeted therapies in lung cancer. Mutual phosphorylation of FAK and Src is involved in osimertinib resistance. Thus, FAK and Src inhibition may be novel treatment strategies for osimertinib-resistant NSCLC.

Enterococcus faecium is an opportunistic pathogen able to colonize the intestines of hospitalized patients. This initial colonization is an important step in the downstream pathogenesis, which includes outgrowth of the intestinal microbiota and potential infection of the host. The impact of intestinal overgrowth on host–enterococcal interactions is not well understood. We therefore applied a RNAseq approach in order to unravel the transcriptional dynamics of E. faecium upon co-culturing with human derived colonic epithelium. Co-cultures of colonic epithelium with a hospital-associated vancomycin resistant (vanA-type) E. faecium (VRE) showed that VRE resided on top of the colonic epithelium when analyzed by microscopy. RNAseq revealed that exposure to the colonic epithelium resulted in upregulation of 238 VRE genes compared to the control condition, including genes implicated in pili expression, conjugation (plasmid_2), genes related to sugar uptake, and biofilm formation (chromosome). In total, 260 were downregulated, including the vanA operon located on plasmid_3. Pathway analysis revealed an overall switch in metabolism to amino acid scavenging and reduction. In summary, our study demonstrates that co-culturing of VRE with human colonic epithelium promotes an elaborate gene response in VRE, enhancing our insight in host– E. faecium interactions, which might facilitate the design of novel anti-infectivity strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the cases of dermatophytosis have increased sharply, which is associated with frequent reports of chronic cases of the disease, uncommon skin manifestations, and treatment failure. Cases of emergence of resistant species in other geographical areas such as Denmark, Switzerland, and China, Belgium, Germany, Japan, Iran, Finland, Switzerland, France, Iraq and Bahrain are also known. Antifungal drug susceptibility testing for dermatophyte species has not yet been standardized. Antifungal Susceptibility Tests (AFST) are used to determine the minimum growth inhibitory concentration (MIC) of a specific drug in laboratory conditions with the aim of predicting whether a patient will respond to standard antifungal treatment or not. In the continuation of this article, we gave an overview of the antifungal sensitivity test, including its strengths and weaknesses and its role in helping to make therapeutic decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Enterococci are relatively avirulent in healthy individuals but pathogenic in hospitalized patients. Because of their resistance to multiple drugs resulted in serious super infections among hospitalized patients. The present study was undertaken for isolation, identification & speciation of enterococci and determines antibiotic susceptibility patterns in various clinical specimens. Methods: Identification & Speciation of 100 isolates were done by standard conventional methods from various clinical samples like urine, pus, blood, wound swab etc & Antibacterial susceptibility pattern determined by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results: Among 100 isolates, enterococcus spp isolated more from female patients(21-40yrs). E. faecalis, isolated in 60% of cases followed by E. faecium (36%), E. durans (3%), E. avium (1%). Enterococcal spp. isolated from Urine (59%), followed by blood (18%), pus (13%), wound swab (8%) & CSF (2%). Enterococcus shows resistance to antibiotics like penicillin, ampicillin followed by ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, tetracycline, high level gentamicin & 100% sensitive to Linezolid followed by teichoplanin & vancomycin. The resistance pattern of enterococci in urinary isolates is only 33.89%. Conclusion: The most common isolate in our study is E. faecalis. There is an increase in isolation rate of E. faecium and other non faecalis species of enterococci. The study revealed the prevalence of multidrug resistant HLAR strains of E. faecalis & E. faecium. Therefore, a periodic surveillance is required to monitor these rapid changing patterns of Enterococcal infections for effective treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, phytopathological assessment of oidium infection of grape varieties and forms was carried out based on I.N. Naydenova evaluation method. In the Absheron Scientific-Research Base, a phytopathological assessment of oidium infection of 77 grape varieties and forms was carried out in the natural background. Cluster analysis was constructed according to the Euclidean distance index of the UPGMA method by using PAST statistical software package. The studied genotypes were grouped into 5 clusters according to their resistance. In the first cluster, 3 genotypes were highly resistant with 1- 1,5 points of infection, in the second cluster 22 genotypes were high susceptible with 5 points of infection and in the third cluster there were 29 genotypes with 4-4,5 points of susceptible samples. The fourth cluster grouped 6 genotypes that showed resistance to oidium, which were selected as resistant genotypes with 2-2,5 points of infection. 17 genotypes were grouped in the last cluster of the dendrogram, which showed tolerant with 3-3.5 points of infection. At result of evaluation Ag Khalili, Arayatli gara uzum, Qara uzum are determined as high resistant forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Controlling high blood pressure (BP) continues to be a major concern because the associated complications can lead to an increased risk of heart, brain, and kidney disease. Those with hypertension, despite lifestyle and diet modifications and pharmacotherapy, defined as resistant hypertension, are at increased risk for further risk for morbidity and mortality. Understanding inflammation in this population may provide novel avenues for treatment. Objectives: This study aimed to examine a broad range of cytokines in adults with cardiovascular disease and identify specific cytokines associated with resistant hypertension. Methods: A secondary data analysis was conducted. The parent study included 156 adults with a history of myocardial infarction within the past 3-7 years and with a multiplex plasma analysis yielding a cytokine panel. A network analysis with lasso penalization for sparsity was performed to explore associations between cytokines and BP. Associated network centrality measures by cytokine were produced, and a community graph was extracted. A sensitivity analysis BP was also performed. Results: Cytokines with larger node strength measures were sTNFR2 and CX3. The graphical network highlighted six cytokines strongly associated with resistant hypertension. Cytokines IL-29 and CCL3 were found to be negatively associated with resistant hypertension, whereas CXCL12, MMP3, sCD163, and sIL6Rb were positively associated with resistant hypertension. Discussion: Understanding the network of associations through exploring oxidative stress and vascular inflammationmay provide insight into treatment approaches for resistant hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Hospital-associated multidrug-resistant infections are currently on the rise. Widespread resistance to antibiotics and limited therapeutic options make it a challenge to eradicate these infections. Therefore, the use of different antibiotics was increased in pediatric intensive care (PICU). Fluoroquinolones belong to a class of broad-spectrum antimicrobials, and their use in children has not been associated with any known clinical complications. In this single-centre retrospective study, we aimed to evaluate the effects, results, and safety of levofloxacin treatment. Materials and Methods: A retrospective, single-center study was conducted at a local tertiary hospital involving 22 patients who were treated with levofloxacin in the PICU from July to December 2021. Levofloxacin was initiated at a dose of 10mg/kg twice daily intravenously for 14-21 days. The study examined and evaluated various factors related to the patients, including their demographic characteristics, medical history, comorbidities, length of stay, need for mechanical ventilation support, laboratory results, type of infection/microorganism, duration of treatment, treatment response and adverse effects, morbidity and mortality. Results: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia13(59.1%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa9(40.9%) were detected in included patients who had levofloxacin treatment 20(90.9%) of their infections were eradicated. The mortality rate was found to be 13.6%, and 19 patients (86.4%) were successfully treated. No complications related to levofloxacin were detected during the treatment period. The duration of levofloxacin treatment in patients with eradication of gram negative bacteria was 21 days (range: 14-27 days), compared to 12 days (range: 10-14 days) in patients without eradication. This difference was found to be statistically significant (p=0.007). Conclusions: Due to the challenge of eradicating infections and the rising antibiotic resistance, it may be necessary to use antibiotics that are not typically prescribed to children or to develop new drug categories. Therefore, there is a need for more multicenter, randomized controlled, and long-term observational studies to evaluate the efficacy of different and new groups of antibiotics, including levofloxacin, in treating gram-negative bacterias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the breeding value of a new sunflower source with complex resistance to sulfonylurea herbicides and downy mildew. Methods. In the research process, field (hybridization, line testing, individual selection, line evaluation), visual (phenological observations), laboratory (immunological evaluation of resistance to DM), vegetation (evaluation of resistance to herbicides) and mathematical and statistical (processing of experimental data and determination of reliability of research results) methods were used. Results. During 2020-2023, new self-pollinated sunflower lines were studied in the cross-pollination and breeding department of the Plant Breeding & Genetics Institute - National Center of Seeds and Cultivar Investigation (PBGI - NCSCI). Based on the results of the work, 33 self-pollinated sunflower lines with complex resistance to sulfonylurea herbicides and downy mildew (DM) were created and evaluated. The lines were created using domestic breeding populations that were able to reach their full genetic potential in various conditions. These populations were adapted to cultivation in the southern steppe of Ukraine and were resistant to a complex of diseases and pests. Additionally, they had increased seed yield and plasticity. The new source material obtained is constant, stably productive lines used in the subsequent breeding programme. According to the results of the trials, almost all the hybrids obtained (F1) showed a yield of more than 1.0 t/ha. Lines with the highest level of combining ability in terms of yield (heterozygous hybrid progeny with increased viability for the main economic and valuable traits) will be selected for further research and will be involved in the creation of new hybrids resistant to sulfonylurea herbicides and DM. Conclusions. Research showed that traits such as sulfonylurea herbicide resistance and downy mildew resistance can be combined in one line. Herbicide resistance in sunflowers is easy to control in the field, while downy mildew resistance needs to be controlled in the laboratory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

‒ The root exudation of the low molecular weight components of susceptible and resistant to Fusarium root rot barley plants was studied. Barley with different resistance to root rot differed not only in the amount of various components in their root exudates but also in their composition. The presence of F. culmorum in the roots of barley of both genotypes was accompanied by an increase in the total amount of exudates and by the changes in the composition and the ratio of various groups of components as compared to the control. In response to the fungus, a significant increase in the amount of low molecular weight organic acids, amino acids and auxins was detected in the root exudates of the susceptible barley, while in the root exudates of the resistant barley a significant increase in the amount of sugars and aromatic carboxylic acids was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen that has been linked to global disease outbreaks. These diseases include hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. It is vital to know the features that make this strain pathogenic to understand the development of disease outbreaks. In the current study, a comparative genomic analysis was carried out to determine the presence of structural and functional features of O157:H7 strains obtained from 115 National Center for Biotechnology Information database. These strains of interest were analysed in the following programs: BLAST Ring Image Generator, PlasmidFinder, ResFinder, VirulenceFinder, IslandViewer 4 and PHASTER. Five strains (ECP19–198, ECP19–798, F7508, F8952, H2495) demonstrated a great homology with Sakai because of a few regions missing. Five resistant genes were identified, however, Macrolide-associated resistance gene mdf(A) was commonly found in all genomes. Majority of the strains (97%) were positive for 15 of the virulent genes (espA, espB, espF, espJ, gad, chuA, eae, iss, nleA, nleB, nleC, ompT, tccP, terC and tir). The plasmid analysis demonstrated that the IncF group was the most prevalent in the strains analysed. The prophage and genomic island analysis showed a distribution of bacteriophages and genomic islands respectively. The results indicated that structural and functional features of the many O157:H7 strains differ and may be a result of obtaining mobile genetic elements via horizontal gene transfer. Understanding the evolution of O157:H7 strains pathogenicity in terms of their structural and functional features will enable the development of detection and control of transmission strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brinjal (Solanum melongena) is a precious and nourishing vegetable grown worldwide in tropical and subtropical climates. Jassid (Amrasca biguttula biguttulaI.) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), of which nymphs and adults suck the cell sap from the underside of the brinjal leaves resulting in curling and affecting the photosynthesis process. The present study aimed to study the effectiveness of biopesticides and their impact on jassid and its natural enemy in different seasons. The field experiment arranged in randomized block design includes six biorational insecticides such has (T1)-Spinosad 45 % SC @ 0.4ml/l, (T2)-Neem Seed Kernel Extract(NSKE) 1% @ 2ml/l, (T3)-Beauveria bassiana 1x 108 conidia/ml @10ml/l, (T4)-Metarhizium anisopliae 1x 108 conidia/ml @10ml/l, (T5)-Verticillium lecanii 1x108 conidia/ml @10ml/land (T6)-Untreated plots replicated in four times. It is resulted that all the biorational pesticides performed significantly better than the control. However, among the treatments, application of (T3)-Beauveria bassiana 1x108 conidia/ml @10ml/l and (T2)-Neem Seed Kernel Extract (NSKE) 1% @2 ml/l was found to have significantly better results against jassid, during Rabi(2021) and Kharif season (2022) respectively. For predatory coccinellids, (T2) - Neem Seed Kernel Extract (NSKE) 1% @2 ml/l and(T1)-Spinosad 45 % SC @ 0.4ml/l were found to be better compared to other treatments in Rabi and Kharif season. This research will help to understand the importance of biopesticides with eco-friendly approaches to manage jassid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of IoT devices has influenced end users in several aspects. Yottabytes (YB) of information are being produced in the IoT environs because of the ever-increasing utilization capacity of the Internet. Since sensitive information, as well as privacy problems, always seem to be an unsolved problem, even with best-in-class in-formation governance standards, it is difficult to bolster defensive security capabilities. Secure data sharing across disparate systems is made possible by blockchain technology, which operates on a decentralized computing paradigm. In the ever-changing IoT environments, blockchain technology provides irreversibility (immutability) usage across a wide range of services and use cases. Therefore, blockchain technology can be leveraged to securely hold private information, even in the dynamicity context of the IoT. However, as the rate of change in IoT networks accelerates, every potential weak point in the system is exposed, making it more challenging to keep sensitive data se-cure. In this study, we adopted a Multi-level Blockchain-based Secured Framework (M-BSF) to provide multi-level protection for sensitive data in the face of threats to IoT-based networking systems. The envisioned M-BSF framework incorporates edge-level, fog-level, and cloud-level security. At edge- and fog-level security, baby kyber and scaling kyber cryptosystems are applied to ensure data preservation. Kyber is a cryptosystem scheme that adopts public-key encryption and private-key decryption processes. Each block of the blockchain uses the cloud-based Argon-2di hashing method for cloud-level data storage, providing the highest level of confidentiality. Argon-2di is a stable hashing algorithm that uses a hybrid approach to access the memory that relied on dependent and independent memory features. Based on the attack-resistant rate (> 96%), computational cost (in time), and other main metrics, the proposed M-BSF security architecture appears to be an acceptable alternative to the current methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precarious potato disease known as late blight (LB), which is brought on by Phytophthora infestans, quickly decimates crops and economically detriment growers. The pathogen prefers relatively cold temperatures and that usually prevails in northern Bangladesh. To decrease the number of fungicide sprays with the changing climate, it is necessary to identify potato varieties that are most resistant to late blight. This study aims to assess the growth and production performance of late blight-tolerant potato varieties in the northern part of Bangladesh. The field study was conducted in the crop-growing years of 2017–18 and 2018–19. In this study, three exotic potato varieties [(BARI Alu-90 (Alouette), BARI Alu-91 (Carolus), and BARI Alu-77 (Sarpomira)] and two check varieties [BARI Alu‑8 (Cardinal) and BARI Alu-25 (Asterix)] were used. Compared with the two cultivated varieties BARI Alu‑8 (Cardinal) and BARI Alu-25 (Asterix), the BARI Alu-90 (Alouette) with the highest level of late blight resistance based on AUDPC scoring (late blight estimated mean value of 5.9). The result showed that the majority of the evaluated variety BARI Alu-90 (Alouette) and BARI Alu-91 (Carolus) were highly resistant and BARI Alu-77 (Sarpomira) is moderately resistant. In contrast, the check varieties were susceptible to late blight. The yield and shelf life (or storage) quality of BARI Alu-90 (Alouette) was also good compared with the other varieties. Considering the yield, yield contributing characters, shelf-life data and disease resistance level BARI Alu-90 (Alouette) can be grown in northern Bangladesh without chemical protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cinnamomum Zeylanicum, is one of the oldest herbal medicines and a popular spice crop used in Asian countries. It has been valued for centuries for its distinct flavor and aroma, and it also possesses various medicinal properties. In Cinnamomum Zeylanicum, there are many constituents such as cimmaldehyde, eugenol, linalool and cinnamic acid. Therapeutic compounds found in plants are gaining attention as a potential source for new drug development. Objectives : The study aims to identify potential novel treatments for bacterial infections by evaluating commercially available ethanolic extracts' in vitro antimicrobial activity and observing their effects on bacterial biological activity inhibition. Material and methods: The well diffusion method was used to examine the in vitro antimicrobial activity of an ethanol extract of Cinnamomum zeylanicum bark against both gram-positive (S. aureus and S.epidermides) and gram-negative (E. coli and P. aeruginosa) standard microbes. In this study, all pathogenic bacteria that affect humans tested were inhibited to varying degrees by the concentrations investigated. Results:The results indicate that the inhibition zone for gram positive bacteria is greater than that of gram negative bacteria at all concentrations, ranging from 19.22 (29%)mm to 18.44 (28%)mm against S. aureus and S. epidermids. The inhibition zones for E. coli and P. aeruginosa are 14.67 (22%) and 14.11 (21%) respectively. Conclusion: In this study, all pathogenic bacteria that affect humans were inhibited to varying degrees by the concentrations investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Data on diuretic treatment in nephrotic syndrome (NS) are scarce. Our goal was to assess the non-inferiority of the combined oral diuretics (furosemide/hydrochlorothiazide/amiloride) compared to intravenous (i.v.) furosemide in patients with NS and resistant edema. Methods: We conducted a prospective randomized trial on 22 patients with resistant nephrotic edema (RNE), defined as hypervolemia and a FENa < 0.2%. Based on a computer-generated 1:1 randomization, we assigned patients to receive either intravenous furosemide (40 mg bolus and then continuous administration of 5 mg/h) or oral furosemide (40 mg/day) and hydrochlorothiazide/amiloride (50/5 mg/day) for a period of 5 days. Clinical and laboratory measurements were performed daily. Hydration status was assessed by bioimpedance on day 1 and at the end of day 5 after treatment initiation. The primary endpoint was weight change from baseline to day 5. Secondary endpoints were hydration status change measured by bioimpedance and safety outcomes (low blood pressure, severe electrolyte disturbances, acute kidney injury and worsening hypervolemia). Results: Primary endpoint analysis showed that after 5 days of treatment, there was a significant difference in weight change from baseline between groups [adjusted mean difference: −3.33 kg (95% CI: −6.34 to −0.31), p = 0.03], with a higher mean weight change in the oral diuretic treatment group [−7.10 kg (95% CI: −18.30 to −4.30) vs. −4.55 kg (95%CI: −6.73 to −2.36)]. Secondary endpoint analysis showed that there was no significant difference between groups regarding hydration status change [adjusted mean difference: −0.05 L (95% CI: −2.6 to 2.6), p = 0.96], with a mean hydration status change in the oral diuretic treatment group of −4.71 L (95% CI: −6.87 to −2.54) and −3.91 L (95% CI: −5.69 to −2.13) in the i.v. diuretic treatment group. We observed a significant decrease in adjusted mean serum sodium of −2.15 mmol/L [(95% CI: −4.25 to −0.05), p = 0.04]), favored by the combined oral diuretic treatment [−2.70 mmol/L (95% CI: −4.89 to −0.50) vs. −0.10 mmol/L (95%CI: −1.30 to 1.10)]. No statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of adverse events. Conclusions: A combination of oral diuretics based on furosemide, amiloride and hydrochlorothiazide is non-inferior to i.v. furosemide in weight control of patients with RNE and a similar safety profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pyogenic infections that occur can be caused by direct bacterial contamination of the wound, such as infection in a post-surgical wound or infection after trauma. Efforts to control infection can be done with the use of antibiotics. Purpose: To determine the profile of bacteria and antibiotic sensitivity in wound culture in hospitalized patients in Hajj General Hospital Surabaya, East Java in 2021. Method: This study used the Chi-square test and descriptive analysis in the form of distribution tables and percentages using secondary data based on the results of examination of pus culture at the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory in Hajj General Hospital Surabaya, East Java in 2021. Result: The results of research on wound culture samples showed as many as 113 patients (56.22%) with positive culture results, which were predominantly female as many as 59 patients (50.9%) and the highest age category namely at the age of 46-55 years as many as 39 patients (33.6%). Based on bacteria, the most dominant type of bacteria in the Gram-negative group was Escherichia coli ESBL with 21 isolates (26.6%), while Gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, was found in 16 isolates (43.3). The results of antibiotic sensitivity on Gram-negative bacteria were Piperacillin/Tazobactam and Meropenem, and on Gram-positive bacteria Vancomycin and Linezolid were obtained. Conclusion: E. coli and S. aureus are the most important causes of wound infections and the suppressor organisms in this study. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of all isolates showed that the antibiotics amikacin and meropenem were sensitive to Gram-negative bacteria especially ESBL-producing bacteria, and the antibiotics vancomycin and linezolid were sensitive to Gram-positive bacteria especially MRSA.

Vibrio species are zoonotic pathogens that can affect humans by different routes such as ingestion or contact causing gastrointestinal diseases and wound infection. This study aimed to detect V. cholera and V. parahaemolyticus in Nile Tilapia fish collected from Aswan Governorate, Egypt. A total of 52 muscle samples were collected from Tilapia fish and were subjected to microbiological and molecular characterization. Alkaline peptone water media was used for the enrichment of the samples then followed by inoculation onto thiosulfate citrate bile salt sucrose (TCBS) agar media for the isolation of Vibrio species, biochemical tests were performed to identify V. cholera and V. parahaemolyticus, and then they were confirmed by Vibrio genus-specific gene and virulence genes by PCR . Out of 52 fish muscle samples (Nile Tilapia) 32 appeared as yellow colonies, 2 samples showed green colonies and 18 samples showed mixed yellow and green on TCBS agar. Only 40 samples show biochemically positive for Vibrio species. 15 random samples were amplified to 16srRNA gene by PCR technique for more accurate identification resulting in 14 isolates being positive to 16srRNA, 8 isolates positive for sodB gene-specific of V. cholera, and 6 isolates positive for toxR gene-specific of V. parahaemolyticus. Out of 8 V. cholera isolates were found high resistance rate to amoxiclav (87.5%), gentamicin (75%), chloramphenicol (50 %) and ampicillin (50 %). Conversely, (50 %) sensitive to tetracycline, ciprofloxacin and, trimethoprimsulphamethoxazole, and the average MRA of V. cholera was 0.48. On the other hand, all 6 V. parahaemolyticus isolates were resistant to amoxiclav (100%), tetracycline (100%), gentamicin (100%) and chloramphenicol (100%) However, all isolates sensitive to trimethoprimsulphamethazole (100%) but half of them sensitive to ciprofloxacin (50%) and ampicillin (50%), and the average MRA of V. parahaemolyticus was 0.59. In conclusion, this study showed that V. cholera is the most dominant pathogenic one then followed by V. parahaemolyticus in Nile tilapia fish resulting in economic losses and causing public health problems.

This study was conducted to investigate the resistance of 4 wild eggplant species (Solanum aethiopium group Aculeatum, S. incanum, S. macrocarpon, S. linnaeanum), 3 cultivated eggplant varieties ('Anamur F1', 'Pala', 'Yamula'), 1 eggplant rootstock (Köksal F1) and 34 interspecific hybrids to Verticillium dahliae Kleb. and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melongenae. Disease resistance of eggplant genotypes was determined by the pathogenicity test. The disease severity values varied between 0-80% for Verticillium and between 0-100% for Fusarium. Among the 42 genotypes, 18 genotypes were found to be moderately resistant and 1 genotype was found to be highly resistant to Verticillium. At the same time, 2 of the 42 genotypes were found to be moderately resistant and 22 of the 42 genotypes were found to be highly resistant to Fusarium. All hybrids with S. integrifollium, Solanum aethiopicum group Gilo as father were found to be highly resistant to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melongenae. Solanum linnaeanum did not exhibit any disease symptoms and was found to be highly resistant to both disease agents. Present interspecific hybrid eggplant genotypes with known resistance to Verticillium and Fusarium wilt are expected to have significant contributions in developing new eggplant rootstocks and hybrid eggplant cultivars in the future.

Introduction: The aim of this study is the isolation and primary identification of isolated bioaerosols sampled from different locations, as well as determining their antibiotic resistance profile for the selected bacteria. Materials and Methods: The air samples were collected from 35 stations in 17 buildings (bank, public, healthcare and industrial). An air-sampling pump (Flite3-SKC) with a flow rate of 14.1 l/min was used for five minutes at the respiratory height. The total bacterial count and primary identification were carried out, then the antibiotic susceptibility tests for ten selected antibiotics were conducted by the disk diffusion method. Results: The bacterial population varied at a range of 128-5503 CFU/m3, and the fruit and vegetable bazaar of Zanjan showed the highest population of bioaerosols. The bioaerosols population among industrial samples was high. Most isolates were determined as gram-positive Cocci (> 70%) and Bacillus spp, respectively. The most antibiotic-resistant bacteria were related to manufacturing activities, showing resistance to Chloramphenicol and Trimethoprim/ Sulfamethoxazole (72%). Conclusion: The type of activity affects the bacterial population and antibiotic resistance in industrial uses. The increase of multi-drug resistant bacteria, especially in medical settings, is known as a community health challenge and needs more attention.

Exserohilum turcicum is a fungus that causes northern corn leaf blight (NCLB) and has deleterious effects on maize production globally. Therefore, it is prudent to mitigate the effects of NCLB using genetic diversity. The objective of this research was to assess the severity of NCLB disease on the growth and yield of various maize genotypes. A randomized complete block design field experiment, replicated three times, was conducted to evaluate the effect of E. turcicum on 10 maize hybrids. Percent disease index, plant height, and leaf area were recorded at the silk stage. Cob weight, grain fresh weight, and grain yields were determined at harvest maturity. All measured parameters were significantly different (P0.05) and high, maize growth and yield parameters had negative correlations with disease incidence, except for grain fresh weight. Therefore, DKC80-40BR may be selected for cultivation in areas prone to NCLB to reduce maize susceptibility to the disease, while DKC74-74BR may improve crop performance. These hybrids could be considered as potential sources of resistance or tolerance to NCLB for further validation by plant breeders.

This work was undertaken at the experimental farm of Sakha Agricultural Research Station during 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 seasons. For investigating the role of resistant varieties and Aphidius colemani Viereck (Hymenoptera:Aphidiidae) parasitoid in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) of Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in sugar beet fields. Results indicate that significant difference among the three varieties (LP17B4011, FD18B4018 and FD17B4010) in the numbers of aphid populations and infested plants with this aphid throughout the two seasons LP17B4011 variety more resistant than FD18B4011 and FD17B4010 ones. Mean ±SE (Mean number of aphids and infested plants) were 0.807±0.01 and 0.471± 0.0 to LP17B4011 and 1.425± 0.02 and 0.614± 0.03 to FD 18B4018. Also, 7.661±1.2 and 2.377± 1.01to FD17B4010 during 2021/2022. While, (0.330 ± 0.01 and 0.235± 0.02), (0.567± 0.01and 0.520± 0.01), (9.044± 2.11 and 2.710 ± 1.03) for the three cultivars, respectively in 2022/2023. In such concern, the parasitism efficiency of A. colemani against M. persicae on the three varieties was 47.05, 36.66 and 34.78 % to the three varieties, respectively in 2021/2022. Moreover, 57.14, 39.39 and 36.84 % for three varieties respectively in 2022/2023. Consequently, planting the resistant variety + A. colmani parasitoids are very important and efficient elements in IPM of M. persicae in sugar beet fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colistin, also known as Polymyxin E, was the first polymyxin antibiotic. This bactericidal antibiotic plays a vital role as salvage therapy for untreatable gram-negative. Colistin dosing regimens differ worldwide. The published guidelines have different recommendations on the dosing regimens. Further confusion exists due to two different dosing units. Currently, Pakistan has no national guidelines for colistin use. The guideline was developed to improve the safety profile by developing standardization in colistin use and thus reduce the confusion amongst clinicians. Method: The guideline was developed by a panel of five actively practising infectious disease specialists (physicians and pharmacists) with clinical and research expertise in this particular field. Different literature and international guidelines along with institutional data were used to develop the guideline. Conclusion: The guideline provides ten recommendations on prescribing, transcribing, posology, preparation, administration and monitoring of colistin use. The guideline will give Pakistani healthcare providers a standard approach to using rationally and effectively, and to clear confusion and questions about this medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 65 isolates of Rhizoctonia spp. were isolated from necrotic roots of 425 symptomatic bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) plants collected from nine provinces of Türkiye including Balıkesir, Burdur, Bursa, Eskişehir, Karaman, Konya, Kütahya, Nevşehir and Niğde in 2018 and 2019. Fifty isolates with multinucleate (MN) hyphae were characterized as Rhizoctonia solani, whereas fifteen isolates were Rhizoctonia sp. with binucleate (BN) hyphae. The isolates of R. solani belonged to 7 anastomosis groups including AG-1 (one isolate), AG-1-IA (one isolate), AG-2-1 (six isolates), AG-4-HGI (18 isolates), AG-4-HGII (17 isolates), AG-4-HGIII (five isolates) and AG-5 (one isolate). Only one isolate could not be placed in any recognised anastomosis group. Three of these anastomosis groups, AG-1, AG-1-IA and AG-2-1, were non-pathogenic while the others caused disease severities between 71-100% on bean plants in pathogenicity tests. Fifteen BN Rhizoctonia isolates belonged to the two anastomosis groups AG-F (seven isolates) and AG-K (eight isolates). Eighty-two bean lines comprising most of the cultivars grown in Türkiye and several lines archived at Eskişehir Transitional Zone Agricultural Research Institute were tested against one of the most aggressive isolates of AG4-HGII. Four bean lines [Weighing (Samsun), USWK-6, Beryl/Weihing 1, 4F-675-1/Ph.coch.(GÖYNÜK)/Matterhorn] were resistant, while six lines [4F-2409/İTAŞ GB-33, Şeker Fasulye 2 (Sakarya/Geyve Pazardan), ES-855/4F-2834//4F-2666/4F-2849-2, (4F-1182/4F-2833)/Emerson, USCR-9, Weihing//4F-675-1/Ph.coch.(GÖYNÜK)/3/Weihing 1] were moderately resistant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Purpose Adriamycin is a novel chemotherapeutic agent of great benefit for treating breast cancer. However, adriamycin ‐resistance remains a major obstacle. The vital Glutathione transferase P1 (GSTPi) inhibitor 6‐(7‐nitro‐2,1,3‐benzoxadiazol‐4‐ylthio) hexanol (NBDHEX) has recently shown antitumor activity in various cancers. In this study, we analyzed the effect of NBDHEX and adriamycin combination against breast cancer in vitro and in vivo. Methods CCK‐8 assay was performed to test cell viability. The location and expression level of GSTpi was determined by immunofluorescence and Western blot in cells and immunohistochemistry staining in tissues. The enzyme activity test was applied to detect the effect of NBDHEX on the activity of GSTpi. The apoptosis related proteins' expression was tested using Western blot. The phosphorylation sites of GSTpi were detected by mass spectrometry. Antitumor effects of single treatment or co‐administration of adriamycin and NBDHEX were evaluated in nude mice. Results NBDHEX treatment inhibited GSTpi enzyme activity and co‐administration of adriamycin and NBDHEX promoted apoptosis of adriamycin‐resistance breast cancer cell. Moreover, drug combination of NBDHEX and adriamycin significantly enhanced tumor growth inhibition compared with single agent. Conclusion NBDHEX serves as a good candidate for combination with adriamycin, offering new insights for breast cancer treatment.

This experiment was conducted to define changes in metabolic pathways in response to mandibulate insect feeding and to provide a reference for further investigation of the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of conifer resistance. Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis Carr.) in good growth status in natural condition was chosen for stimulation by 10 pine caterpillars (Dendrolimus tabulaefomis Tsai et Liu) as feeding stimulation (FS), leaf clipping control (LCC) as mechanical damage, and CK group (with no treatment) (recorded as 0 h). The metabolome and total flavonoid content were measured in the needles at 0, 2, and 8 h after treatment. Plant hormones were measured with needles at 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 4, 6, and 8 h after different treatments. The results show that a total of 30.8% flavonoids are identified by metabolomics analysis. Compared with leaf clipping control, feeding stimulation of Chinese pine caterpillars significantly induced the upregulation of metabolites in the flavonoid pathway in Chinese pine, and the plant hormones JA and IAA showed expression trends consistent with those of the metabolome. According to the biological processes of the four plant hormones involved, JA and SA are mostly involved in resistance formation, and in this study, both of them also have fluctuating expressions influenced by feeding stimulation, while the expressions of the growth-related hormones IAA and ABA have no significant changes at other time points except for 1 h after treatment. Thus, the flavonoid pathway is one of the main pathways involved in resistance formation in conifers, and JA and IAA are involved in the formation of resistance.

Background Corneal wound healing involves several complex pathways that can be targeted by drugs with varying mechanisms of action. Infected corneal ulcers represent a special challenging situation facing ophthalmologists due to resistance to treatment and visual impairing complications. Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of umbilical cord blood serum (CBS) as an adjunctive therapy for resistant infected corneal ulcers. Patients and methods This prospective cohort study included 40 eyes having infected corneal ulcer resistant to specific medical treatment for 2 weeks. The patients were recruited from the Cornea Unit at Tanta University Hospital, Tanta, Egypt. They were divided into two groups, 20 cases each. Group A cases were treated with umbilical CBS as an adjunctive therapy together with medical treatment based on culture and sensitivity testing, while group B cases continued the conventional medical treatment only till the complete healing was achieved. The results of the two groups were compared regarding the duration of healing and best-corrected visual acuity improvement. Results Visual acuity improvement was achieved with one or more line gain in 14 (70%) cases in group A compared to 6 (30%) cases in group B, with a statistically significant difference (P = 0.008). Healing was achieved in 16 (80%) cases of group A in 2–4 weeks compared to 14 (70%) cases of group B that achieved healing in a longer duration of 3–6 weeks, with a statistically significant difference (P = 0.001). Amniotic membrane transplantation AMT was required in 4 (20%) cases in group A due to thinning compared to 6 (30%) cases in group B. Conclusion Umbilical CBS was safe and effective when applied to the cornea as an adjunctive therapy in cases of resistant infected corneal ulcers where it accelerated healing with better visual outcome results.