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Abstract Background Plant microbiome confers versatile functional roles to enhance survival fitness as well as productivity. In the present study two pearl millet panicle microbiome member species Bacillus subtilis PBs 12 and Bacillus paralicheniformis PBl 36 found to have beneficial traits including plant growth promotion and broad-spectrum antifungal activity towards taxonomically diverse plant pathogens. Understanding the genomes will assist in devising a bioformulation for crop protection while exploiting their beneficial functional roles. Results Two potential firmicute species were isolated from pearl millet panicles. Morphological, biochemical, and molecular characterization revealed their identities as Bacillus subtilis PBs 12 and Bacillus paralicheniformis PBl 36. The seed priming assays revealed the ability of both species to enhance plant growth promotion and seedling vigour index. Invitro assays with PBs 12 and PBl 36 showed the antibiosis effect against taxonomically diverse plant pathogens (Magnaporthe grisea; Sclerotium rolfsii; Fusarium solani; Alternaria alternata; Ganoderma sp.) of crops and multipurpose tree species. The whole genome sequence analysis was performed to unveil the genetic potential of these bacteria for plant protection. The complete genomes of PBs 12 and PBl 36 consist of a single circular chromosome with a size of 4.02 and 4.33 Mb and 4,171 and 4,606 genes, with a G + C content of 43.68 and 45.83%, respectively. Comparative Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) analysis revealed a close similarity of PBs 12 and PBl 36 with other beneficial strains of B. subtilis and B. paralicheniformis and found distant from B. altitudinis, B. amyloliquefaciens, and B. thuringiensis. Functional annotation revealed a majority of pathway classes of PBs 12 (30) and PBl 36 (29) involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, polyketides, and non-ribosomal peptides, followed by xenobiotic biodegradation and metabolism (21). Furthermore, 14 genomic regions of PBs 12 and 15 of PBl 36 associated with the synthesis of RiPP (Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides), terpenes, cyclic dipeptides (CDPs), type III polyketide synthases (T3PKSs), sactipeptides, lanthipeptides, siderophores, NRPS (Non-Ribosomal Peptide Synthetase), NRP-metallophone, etc. It was discovered that these areas contain between 25,458 and 33,000 secondary metabolite-coding MiBiG clusters which code for a wide range of products, such as antibiotics. The PCR-based screening for the presence of antimicrobial peptide (cyclic lipopeptide) genes in PBs 12 and 36 confirmed their broad-spectrum antifungal potential with the presence of spoVG, bacA, and srfAA AMP genes, which encode antimicrobial compounds such as subtilin, bacylisin, and surfactin. Conclusion The combined in vitro studies and genome analysis highlighted the antifungal potential of pearl millet panicle-associated Bacillus subtilis PBs12 and Bacillus paralicheniformis PBl36. The genetic ability to synthesize several antimicrobial compounds indicated the industrial value of PBs 12 and PBl 36, which shed light on further studies to establish their action as a biostimulant for crop protection.

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of electrical stimulation (ES) on breast and thigh muscles in spent hen. A total of 24 spent hens (White Leghorn) were slaughtered and split into two halves, each half was either treated with postmortem ES (150V) or was used as a non-stimulated (NS) control. Breast and thigh muscles were excised and analysed for biophysical, colour and sensory qualities after ageing for 24 h at 4 ± 1 ˚C. Biochemical parameters were recorded immediately (0h) and after 24h of ES. Biophysical parameters like water holding capacity (WHC), protein extractability, shear force value (SFV) and myofibre fragmentation index (MFI) of both types of muscles varied significantly with ES. Electrical stimulation significantly reduced the pH and glycogen content in both muscles and the thigh muscle showed a significantly higher pH and lower glycogen content than the breast muscle. No significance difference in metabolic rate (R-value) was observed between ES and NS thigh at 24 h. ES had no significant effect on colour and ES significantly improved the sensory value of both breast and thigh muscle. Canonical discriminant and Mahalanobis distance (D2) analysis of biophysical and biochemical parameters demonstrated that the effect of electrical stimulation was comparatively more in thigh muscle than breast with an ageing period of 24 h.

AbstractThis study investigated the relationship between agricultural market imperfections and multidimensional rural poverty in Ethiopia’s Sidama Region in 2022. And this study used qualitative and quantitative methodologies. A multi-stage sampling method was used to select 400 sample sizes. Descriptive statistics method was used to find out modes of agricultural market imperfections, and Tobit model was employed to capture the effects of agricultural market imperfections on multidimensional rural poverty. And the multidimensional poverty index (MPI) technique was employed to measure the severity of multidimensional rural poverty. Apart from what they have traditionally done by themselves, about 23% of people lack knowledge about how to produce and where to sell using modernized information. The Tobit model was also employed to figure out how market imperfections affected multidimensional poverty in the study area. This study showed that 43% of farmers transport their goods by carrying them on their shoulders to the market. For farmers with asymmetric information, the multidimensional poverty index (MPI) is expected to have a value of 0.4354 higher than those with symmetric information. Furthermore, the Tobit model’s findings showed that labor, improved seed, farm size, cooperative membership, and commercialization experience significantly negatively impacted multidimensional rural poverty. And asymmetric information, transaction cost, and infrastructure inaccessibility had a statistically significant and positive impact on multidimensional poverty. Hence, improving input usage and creating access to agricultural market information is a foundation for reducing multidimensional rural poverty.

Diabetic renal injury is a microvascular complication associated with inflammation and oxidative stress, culminating in renal dysfunction. Conventionally, it is treated with hypoglycemic agents to address metabolic perturbations. However, the way to mitigate immunological, inflammation, and oxidative stress have seldom been studied. Hence, in the present study, the nephroprotective role of immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory drugs, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in combination with the oral hypoglycemic agent glibenclamide, on streptozotocin (STZ)- induced diabetic renal damage was studied. Bodyweight, fasting blood glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin levels were altered in the diabetic rats. Furthermore, renal injury was indicated by abnormal levels of urinary protein and creatinine and serum markers of renal function in diabetic rats. Hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress and inflammation were also observed in the diabetic rats. The combination of MMF and glibenclamide treatment significantly attenuated the abnormal effects of hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and inflammation-induced renal injury in diabetic rats. Histopathological studies confirmed the nephroprotective role of MMF and glibenclamide by reversing renal injury in diabetic rats. The present study suggests that MMF and glibenclamide have a protective role in STZ-induced diabetic renal damage.

Abstract Depending on the RMSE and sites sharing travel details, enormous reviews have been posted day by day. In order to recognize potential target customers in a quick and effective manner, hotels are necessary to establish a customer recommender system. The data adopted in this study was rendered by the Trip Advisor which permits the customers to rate the hotel on the basis of six criteria such as, Service, Sleep Quality, Value, Location, Cleanliness and Room. This study suggest the multi-criteria recommender system to analyse the impact of contextual segments on the overall rating based on trip type and hotel classes. In this research we have introduced item-item collaborative filtering approach. Here, the adjusted cosine similarity measure is applied to identify the missing value for context in the dataset. For the selection of significant contexts the backward elimination with multi regression algorithm is introduced. The multi-collinearity among predictors is examined on the basis of Variance Inflation Factor (V.I.F). In the experimental scenario, the results are rendered based on hotel class and trip type. The performance of the multiregression model is evaluated by the statistical measures such as R-square, MAE, MSE and RMSE. Along with this, the ANOVA study is conducted for different hotel classes and trip types under 2, 3, 4 and 5 star hotel classes.

Recently, a large body of work has revealed a very accurate deep learning established movement categorization algorithmic technique for assistive technology applications. However, minimum seriousness is given to its relative hardware execution. But direct mapping these algorithms onto battery-operated devices is a point of care, edge devices would not yield optimum results necessitating an algorithm-architectural holistic design methodology. In the current study, we offered a method for creating reconfigurable VLSI architectures for deep learning established gesture recognition for rehabilitative technology applications. The ZYNQ ultrascale + MPSoC zcu102 FPGA was used to implement the design. The on- chip power requirements for LoCoMo-Net and MyoNet on FPGA are 3.5 and 5 Watts, respectively. Furthermore, gesture recognition on the FPGA takes both networks at 1.876 ms and 61.988 ms, respectively. The accuracy comparison of the most advanced networks is carried out on the CPU, GPU, FPGA, and ASIC platforms. The suggested architecture was further synthesized utilizing GF 40-nm technology, which resulted in a $2.5\times $ improvement in performance in terms of speed and a 12– $15\times $ decrease in power consumption compared to FPGA in $2.046~mm2$ of space and 300.8423 mW of power at 1.21 V.

Background: Nontuberculosis mycobacterium (NTM) is the emerging group of organisms being recognized as etiological agents for diverse clinical conditions such as lymphadenitis, cutaneous, and pulmonary or disseminated lesions. Diverse background patients can acquire these infections such as immunocompetent, immunocompromised patients, or postoperative settings. Rapid addition of newer strains to this group necessitates heightened suspicion in the clinical settings. Specific requirements for cultures, biochemical testing, and molecular methods are needed to diagnose these organisms. Methods: The prospective study conducted at Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences from January 2019 to December 2021 using various clinical samples using molecular techniques such as line probe assay and hsp-65 gene sequencing to discover new NTM species. The management is challenging since it requires prolonged treatment, multiple drugs, drug resistance, and individualization of treatment in the combination of surgery if needed. In this article, we describe three different NTM species which were not reported in India and highlight to consider these organisms in adequate clinical situation. Results: Mycobacterium iranicum is a rare strain with quick growth and scotochromogenic colonies that are orange-colored. Eight distinct strains were discovered in clinical samples from six different countries: Two each from Iran, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States. Two of the strains were recovered from cerebrospinal fluid, which is unusual. Mycobacterium species AW6 is an unidentified and unclassified Mycobacterium according to NCBI taxonomy. Mycobacteria malmoense has been linked to lymphadenitis, notably cervical adenitis in children, and pulmonary infection in the majority of cases. Using Line Probe Assay and hsp-65 gene sequencing, novel and uncommon species of NTM were detected from a clinical samples, including sputum and tissue. Conclusion: We report three unusual species of NTMs: M. iranicum, M. species-AW6, and M. malmoense for the first time in India. Novel and rare emerging species of NTMs need to be considered in diverse clinical situations for appropriate therapy and good clinical outcomes.

Abstract In this paper, we establish sufficient conditions for various stability aspects of a nonlinear Volterra integro-dynamic matrix Sylvester system on time scales. We convert the nonlinear Volterra integro-dynamic matrix Sylvester system on time scale to an equivalent nonlinear Volterra integro-dynamic system on time scale using vectorization operator. Sufficient conditions are obtained to this system for stability, asymptotic stability, exponential stability, and strong stability. The obtained results include various stability aspects of the matrix Sylvester systems in continuous and discrete models.

Roots from salt-susceptible ICSR-56 (SS) sorghum plants display metaxylem elements with thin cell walls and large diameter. On the other hand, roots with thick, lignified cell walls in the hypodermis and endodermis were noticed in salt-tolerant CSV-15 (ST) sorghum plants. The secondary wall thickness and number of lignified cells in the hypodermis have increased with the treatment of sodium chloride stress to the plants (STN). Lignin distribution in the secondary cell wall of sclerenchymatous cells beneath the lower epidermis was higher in ST leaves compared to the SS genotype. Casparian thickenings with homogenous lignin distribution were observed in STN roots, but inhomogeneous distribution was evident in SS seedlings treated with sodium chloride (SSN). Higher accumulation of K+ and lower Na+ levels were noticed in ST compared to the SS genotype. To identify the differentially expressed genes among SS and ST genotypes, transcriptomic analysis was carried out. Both the genotypes were exposed to 200 mM sodium chloride stress for 24 h and used for analysis. We obtained 70 and 162 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) exclusive to SS and SSN and 112 and 26 DEGs exclusive to ST and STN, respectively. Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis unlocked the changes in metabolic pathways in response to salt stress. qRT-PCR was performed to validate 20 DEGs in each SSN and STN sample, which confirms the transcriptomic results. These results surmise that anatomical changes and higher K+/Na+ ratios are essential for mitigating salt stress in sorghum apart from the genes that are differentially up- and downregulated in contrasting genotypes.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for plants and is considered as one of the limiting nutrients to plants. The majority of P in the soil is found in the form of insoluble phosphate complexes, making the P unavailable for plants. In the present study, we report two highly efficient phosphate solubilizing bacteria isolated from the closed flower of Hedychium coronarium L., a medicinal plant commonly known as Gulbakawali. Based on morphological, biochemical, and molecular characterization, the two bacterial isolates were identified as genus Pantoea and designated as HCF6 and HCF9. Both these isolates efficiently solubilize tricalcium phosphate [Ca3(PO4)2] present in National Botanical Research Institute’s Phosphate (NBRIP) medium by releasing soluble phosphate up to 2000 μg ml-1 and also partially solubilize aluminium phosphate (AlPO4). HCF6 and HCF9 possess several plant growth promoting traits and were evaluated for plant growth promotion ability using sand as a growth medium. Wheat plants treated with the bacterial isolates had increased root and shoot length and plant dry mass and accumulated higher inorganic phosphate in the plant tissue suggesting their role in mobilizing soluble P from insoluble P-complexes. Overall, our findings suggest that both these Pantoea isolates (HCF6 and HCF9) represent promising candidates as bioinoculants.

In this study, biologically active chitooligosaccharides (COS) D3–7 (D-deacetylated unit) and A5 (A-acetylated unit) were assessed for their suitability to reduce the viability of human breast cancer cell lines, BT-474 and SUM-159. The treatment with COS resulted in a significant decrease in the viability of breast cancer cells, in a dose-dependent manner. The long-term proliferative potential of breast cancer cells decreased upon COS treatment, suggesting that COS significantly inhibited colony formation in breast cancer cells. The COS-treated cell population significantly underwent apoptosis, confirmed by flow cytometry. Further, the increased expression of BAX, cleaved PARP, and cleaved caspase 3, with increased concentration of COS, conformed that COS-D3–7 and A5 induce apoptosis in BT474 cells through apoptotic signaling. We further investigated the mechanism by which COS promotes apoptosis. The marked inhibition of phosphorylation of EGFR and its downstream signaling molecules FAK, AKT, and MAPKpromote apoptosis.

Background and Aims: The contribution of CYP2C9 in phenytoin metabolism is generally modest, but it increases with increasing serum phenytoin concentration. In the current study, we sought to study the association of CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3 polymorphism with clinical and biochemical phenytoin toxicity in epileptic patients presenting to a tertiary care hospital in South-India. Methods: In total, 50 patients on phenytoin therapy and clinically diagnosed with phenytoin toxicity in neurology outpatient department/casualty/intensive care unit and medicine wards were considered as cases. A total of 50 patients on phenytoin therapy without any evidence of toxicity were considered as controls. CYP2C9*2 (exon-3) and CYP2C9*3 (exon-7) gene polymorphisms were studied using the allele specific PCR method. Results: Out of 100 patients, CYP2C9*2 polymorphism was seen in 8 (8%) patients in which 6 (12%) were cases and 2 (4%) were controls. CYP2C9*3 polymorphism was seen in 23 (23%) patients out of which 17 (34%) were cases and 6 (12%) were controls. Mean serum phenytoin level in cases was 24.23 ± 1.3 μg/ml, whereas in controls, it was 17.10 ± 0.6 μg/ml and the difference was statistically significant with P value

Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp. ) is a legume crop resilient to climate change due to its tolerance to drought. It is grown by millions of resource-poor farmers in semiarid and tropical subregions of Asia and Africa and is a major contributor to their nutritional food security. Pigeon pea is the sixth most important legume in the world, with India contributing more than 70% of the total production and harbouring a wide variety of cultivars. Nevertheless, the low yield of pigeon pea grown under dry land conditions and its yield instability need to be improved. This may be done by enhancing crop nodulation and, hence, biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) by supplying effective symbiotic rhizobia through the application of “elite” inoculants. Therefore, the main aim in this study was the isolation and genomic analysis of effective rhizobial strains potentially adapted to drought conditions. Accordingly, pigeon pea endosymbionts were isolated from different soil types in Southern, Central, and Northern India. After functional characterisation of the isolated strains in terms of their ability to nodulate and promote the growth of pigeon pea, 19 were selected for full genome sequencing, along with eight commercial inoculant strains obtained from the ICRISAT culture collection. The phylogenomic analysis [Average nucleotide identity MUMmer (ANIm)] revealed that the pigeon pea endosymbionts were members of the genera Bradyrhizobium and Ensifer. Based on nodC phylogeny and nod cluster synteny, Bradyrhizobium yuanmingense was revealed as the most common endosymbiont, harbouring nod genes similar to those of Bradyrhizobium cajani and Bradyrhizobium zhanjiangense. This symbiont type (e.g., strain BRP05 from Madhya Pradesh) also outperformed all other strains tested on pigeon pea, with the notable exception of an Ensifer alkalisoli strain from North India (NBAIM29). The results provide the basis for the development of pigeon pea inoculants to increase the yield of this legume through the use of effective nitrogen-fixing rhizobia, tailored for the different agroclimatic regions of India.

ABSTRACT Pigeon pea, a legume crop native to India, is the primary source of protein for more than a billion people in developing countries. The plant can form symbioses with N2-fixing bacteria; however, reports of poor crop nodulation in agricultural soils abound. We report here a study of the bacterial community associated with pigeon pea, with a special focus on the symbiont population in different soils and vegetative and non-vegetative plant growth. Location with respect to the plant roots was determined to be the main factor controlling the bacterial community, followed by developmental stage and soil type. Plant genotype plays only a minor role. Pigeon pea roots have a reduced microbial diversity compared to the surrounding soil and select for Proteobacteria, especially for Rhizobium spp., during vegetative growth. While Bradyrhizobium, a native symbiont of pigeon pea, can be found associating with roots, its presence is dependent on plant variety and soil conditions. A combination of 16S rRNA gene amplicon survey, strain isolation, and co-inoculation with nodule-forming Bradyrhizobium spp. and non-N2-fixing Rhizobium spp. demonstrated that the latter is a much more successful colonizer of pigeon pea roots. Poor nodulation of pigeon pea in Indian soils may be caused by a poor Bradyrhizobium competitiveness against non-nodulating root colonizers such as Rhizobium. Hence, inoculant strain selection of symbionts for pigeon pea should be based not only on their nitrogen fixation potential but, more importantly, on their competitiveness in agricultural soils. IMPORTANCE Plant symbiosis with N2-fixing bacteria is a key to sustainable, low-input agriculture. While there are ongoing projects aiming to increase the yield of cereals using plant genetics and host-microbiota interaction engineering, the biggest potential lies in legume plants. Pigeon pea is a basic food source for a billion low-income people in India. Improving its interactions with N2-fixing rhizobia could dramatically reduce food poverty in India. Despite the Indian origin of this plant, pigeon pea nodulates only poorly in native soils. While there have been multiple attempts to select the best N2-fixing symbionts, there are no reliable strains available for geographically widespread use. In this article, using 16S rRNA gene amplicon, culturomics, and plant co-inoculation assays, we show that the native pigeon pea symbionts such as Bradyrhizobium spp. are able to nodulate their host, despite being poor competitors for colonizing roots. Hence, in this system, the establishment of effective symbiosis seems decoupled from microbial competition on plant roots. Thus, the effort of finding suitable symbionts should focus not only on their N2-fixing potential but also on their ability to colonize. Increasing pigeon pea yield is a low-hanging fruit to reduce world hunger and degradation of the environment through the overuse of synthetic fertilizers.

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and underlying molecular mechanisms of Bauhiniastatin-1 (BSTN1) to alleviate adiposity in diet-induced obese rodent model and in 3T3-L1 cells.Methods: BSTN1 was purified and confirmed through HPLC. In-vitro experiments such as MTT assay, Oil Red-O (ORO) stain, cellular lipid content, glycerol release and RT-PCR analysis were performed in 3T3-L1 cells in the presence and absence of BSTN1. In animal experiments, rats were divided into Group-I: normal pellet diet-fed, Group-II: HFD-fed, Groups-III, IV and V: HFD-fed BSTN1 (1.25, 2.5, and 5 mg/kg.b.wt./day/rat)-treated and Group-VI: HFD-fed Orlistat-treated. The rats were fed either normal diet or high fat diet (HFD) for 18 weeks and water ad-libitum. BSTN1 was orally administered from 13th week onwards to the selected HFD-fed groups. Body composition parameters, biochemical assays, histopathology examination and western blot analysis were performed to identify the predicted targets related to obesity. Molecular docking studies threw light on the binding interactions of BSTN1 against PPAR-γ, FAS and AMPK.Results: BSTN1 at 20 μM significantly (p < 0.001) inhibited adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells. A conspicuous down-regulation in the mRNA expression levels of PPAR-γ, FAS and SREBP1 was observed but AMPK expression remained unchanged in BSTN1 treated 3T3-L1 cells. A substantial decrease in body weight gain, fat percent, total body fat, serum and liver lipid profile (except high-density lipoprotein), glucose, insulin and insulin resistance in BSTN1 treated rats was noticed in a dose dependent manner. In BSTN1 (5 mg/kg.b.wt.)-treated groups significantly (p < 0.01) elevated plasma adiponectin level but reduced leptin level as well as fall in serum AST and ALT were noticed. Further, the disturbed structural integrity and architecture of adipose and hepatic tissues due to high fat diet feeding were considerably recovered with BSTN1 treatment. Down-regulation in the protein expression level of PPAR-γ and activation of AMPK through phosphorylation was observed in BSTN1 treated rats than the untreated. Molecular docking studies revealed strong binding interactions of BSTN1 against PPAR-γ and AMPK and thus supported the experimental results.Conclusion: Taken together, the results suggest that BSTN1 could be a promising pharmacological molecule in the treatment of obesity and dyslipidemia.

Four strains belonging to the family of Methylobacteriaceae were isolated from different locations on the International Space Station (ISS) across two consecutive flights. Of these, three were identified as Gram-negative, rod-shaped, catalase-positive, oxidase-positive, motile bacteria, designated as IF7SW-B2T, IIF1SW-B5, and IIF4SW-B5, whereas the fourth was identified as Methylorubrum rhodesianum. The sequence similarity of these three ISS strains, designated as IF7SW-B2T, IIF1SW-B5, and IIF4SW-B5, was

In the present work, epoxy resin is modified with epoxy terminated butadiene acrylonitrile (ETBN) liquid rubber and was used to make carbon fiber reinforced epoxy (C-epoxy) composites with an aim to enhance the impact, compression and damping properties. ETBN added C-epoxy composites were further modified using amino functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (A-MWCNTs) at different weight ratios namely 0.5 wt%, 1.0 wt%, and 1.5 wt% and evaluated impact, compression and damping properties. Results indicate that modification of C-epoxy with ETBN enhances the properties considerably. A-MWCNTs addition to ETBN modified C-epoxy (A-MWCNTs-C-Epoxy-ETBN) further enhances the impact strength (26%), compressive strength (17%) at 1.0 wt% and damping ratio (87%) at 0.5 wt% of A-MWCNTs. The toughening mechanisms contributing to the enhancement of mechanical and damping properties of A-MWCNTs are discussed. Keywords: CFRP, MWCNT, ETBN, Multi phase composite

The rhizosphere offers a quintessential habitat for the microbial communities and facilitates a variety of plant-microbe interactions. Members of the genus Bacillus constitute an important group of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), which improve growth and yield of crops. In a total of 60 bacterial isolates from the tomato rhizosphere, 7 isolates were selected based on distinct morphological characteristics and designated as tomato rhizosphere (TRS) isolates with a number suffixed viz., TRS-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and TRS-8. All the seven isolates were Gram positive, with in vitro plant growth promoting (PGP) traits like phosphate and zinc solubilization, and also produced indoleacetic acid (IAA), phytase, siderophore, hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, besides being antagonistic to other microbes and formed biofilm. The seven isolates belonged to the genus Bacillus as per the 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Phylogenetic tree grouped the isolates into four groups, while BOX-PCR fingerprinting allowed further differentiation of the seven isolates. The PGP activity of the isolates was measured on tomato seedlings in plant tissue culture and greenhouse assays. A significant increase in root colonization was observed over 15 days with all the isolates. Greenhouse experiments with these isolates indicated an overall increase in the growth of tomato plants, over 60 days. Isolates TRS-7 and TRS-8 were best plant growth promoters among the seven isolates, with a potential as inoculants to increase tomato productivity.

Retrieval of mathematical text from data is a key predicament in present circumstances. To achieve this, we have considered three different algorithms viz., Sequence matcher, Levenshtein Distance and Fuzzy-Wuzzy. Two different variants of Fuzzy-Wuzzy are found applicable to this study out of four variants. Performance of these variants in retrieving mathematical texts, is calculated using efficiency measure, sensitivity analysis and time series exploration. Fuzzy-Wuzzy partial ratio algorithm scored better over the other variants on efficiency measure and sensitivity analysis.

Background/Aims: Diabetes mellitus is a pandemic metabolic disorder that is affecting a majority of populations in recent years. There is a requirement for new drugs that are safer and cheaper due to the side effects associated with the available medications. Methods: We investigated the anti-diabetic activity of leaves of Anisomeles malabarica following bioactivity guided fractionation. The different solvent (hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol and water) extracts of A. malabarica leaves were used in acute treatment studies to evaluate and identify the active fraction. The ethyl acetate extract was subjected to further fractionation using silica gel column chromatography and the compounds were identified by LC-SRM/MS and GC-MS. Additional chronic treatment studies were carried out using this active fraction (AMAF) for 30 days in experimental diabetic rats. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), plasma insulin levels and glucose tolerance were measured along with insulin resistance/sensitivity indicators (HOMA-IR, HOMA-β and QUICKI) to assess the beneficial effects of A. malabarica in the management of diabetes mellitus. Results: Among the different solvent extracts tested, ethyl acetate extract showed maximum (66%) anti-hyperglycemic activity. The hexane and ethyl acetate (1: 1) fraction that has maximum anti-diabetic activity was identified as active fraction of A. malabarica (AMAF). The FBG, HbA1c, plasma insulin levels and insulin sensitivity/resistance indicators such as glucose tolerance, HOMA-IR, HOMA-β and QUICKI were significantly improved to near normal in diabetic rats treated with AMAF. Further, we identified key flavonoids and fatty acids as the anti-diabetic active principles from the AMAF of A. malabarica leaves. Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that Anisomeles malabarica has potential anti-diabetic activity in STZ induced diabetic rats.

Abstract Humans have exploited natural resources for a variety of applications. Chitin and its derivative chitin oligosaccharides (CHOS) have potential biomedical and agricultural applications. Availability of CHOS with the desired length has been a major limitation in the optimum use of such natural resources. Here, we report a single domain hyper-transglycosylating chitinase, which generates longer CHOS, from Enterobacter cloacae subsp. cloacae 13047 (EcChi1). EcChi1 was optimally active at pH 5.0 and 40 °C with a Km of 15.2 mg ml−1, and k cat/Km of 0.011× 102 mg−1 ml min−1 on colloidal chitin. The profile of the hydrolytic products, major product being chitobiose, released from CHOS indicated that EcChi1 was an endo-acting enzyme. Transglycosylation (TG) by EcChi1 on trimeric to hexameric CHOS resulted in the formation of longer CHOS for a prolonged duration. EcChi1 showed both chitobiase and TG activities, in addition to hydrolytic activity. The TG by EcChi1 was dependent, to some extent, on the length of the CHOS substrate and concentration of the enzyme. Homology modeling and docking with CHOS suggested that EcChi1 has a deep substrate-binding groove lined with aromatic amino acids, which is a characteristic feature of a processive enzyme.

Anisomeles malabarica (AM) is an aromatic plant traditionally used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in India. Following bioassay guided fractionation, we recently identified an active fraction of AM (AMAF, with potential mix of active principles) that showed significant antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic activities. In addition, AMAF treatment improved insulin levels. However, the biochemical mechanism/s through which AMAF demonstrates the antidiabetic effects is largely unknown. Based on its beneficial effects we investigated the biochemical mechanism of the anti-diabetic activity of A.malabarica active fraction (AMAF) in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. Streptozotocin induced diabetic rats were treated with AMAF (50 mg AMAF/kg/day) for 30 days and alterations in the body weights, glycogen and protein content of tissues, functional markers of hepatic and renal tissues, carbohydrate metabolic enzymes and their genes expression were evaluated. Lipid peroxides levels and activities of antioxidant enzymes of hepatic and renal tissues were also measured. The AMAF treatment resulted in increase in body weights, hepatic and renal protein and tissue glycogen levels in diabetic treated rats compared to diabetic rats. In addition, the treatment improved activities of carbohydrate metabolic enzymes, antioxidant enzymes and, liver and renal functional markers in the AMAF treated diabetic rats. Gene expressions of key carbohydrate metabolic enzymes/factors glucokinase, glucose transporter protein (GLUT-2) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) were also normalized up on AMAF treatment in diabetic rats. Our studies indicate that the isolated active fraction of AM (AMAF) from the leaves of A.malabarica positively regulated the glucose homeostasis and oxidative stress through carbohydrate metabolism and antioxidant enzyme activities respectively in hepatic and renal tissues.

Diesel engines with their high thermal efficiency and fuel economy are very much successful in commercial applications compared to their counterpart gasoline engines. The emissions like HC and CO from diesel engines are less compared to gasoline engines because they run mostly with lean mixtures. But due to heterogeneous combustion NOx and smoke emissions from Diesel engines is high. Due to contradicting requirements for the reduction of NOx and smoke, the tradeoff between NOx and smoke emission without compromising fuel economy is a big challenge being faced by automotive industries and researchers in the field. Also to have sustainable civilization, there is a need to find eco friendly and renewable alternative fuel to petro diesel to conserve fast depleting petroleum resources and to minimize environmental pollution. Biodiesel produced from non-edible feed stock is found to be a good alternative to petro diesel. It is observed that the formation of NOx is very much dependent on the peak temperature in the combustion chamber. Various types of techniques are being tried by the researchers to reduce high NOx emission from usage of biodiesel blended fuel in diesel engines. The techniques used are like dilution using EGR, injection of water, retardation of injection timing etc. With the development of CRDI systems split and multiple injection strategy attracting the attention of researchers as a promising technique in reducing the NOx emissions. In this work an attempt is made to study the effect of retardation of injection timing of a selected multiple injection with pilot-main-post strategy. The selected strategy is with 10% pilot fuel quantity with a dwell of 10 CAD and closely coupled fixed quantity of 0.5 mg post injection with 3 CAD after main injection. The main injection timing along with pilot and post was retarded from the recommended 23o bTDC in steps of 3 degrees. It is observed that the combination of multiple injection and retardation of injection reduced NOx emissions effectively without compromising power output and thermal efficieny.

Diesel engines are very much widely used as a power source in industrial, transportation and power generation sectors due to their higher efficiency and better fuel economy. But the major drawback of diesel engines is its higher emissions of NOx and smoke due to heterogeneous combustion that exists in diesel engines. In general the emissions like HC and CO from diesel engines are less compared to gasoline engines because they run mostly with lean mixtures. Due to contradicting requirements for the reduction of NOx and smoke, the tradeoff between NOx and smoke emission without compromising fuel economy is a big challenge being faced by automotive industries and researchers in the field. Also to have sustainable civilization, there is a need to find eco friendly and renewable alternative fuel to petro diesel to conserve fast depleting petroleum resources and to minimize environmental pollution. Biodiesel produced from non-edible feed stock is found to be a good alternative to petro diesel. It is observed that the formation of NOx is very much dependent on the peak temperature in the combustion chamber. Various types of techniques are being tried by the researchers to reduce high NOx emission from usage of biodiesel blended fuel in diesel engines. The techniques used are like dilution using EGR, injection of water, retardation of injection timing etc. With the development of CRDI systems split and multiple injection strategy attracting the attention of researchers as a promising technique in reducing the NOx emissions. In this work an attempt is made to study the effect of dwell between pilot and main injection in a multiple injection strategy of Pilot-Main-Post injection while retarding main injection. In this multiple injection strategy of three injection pulses the pilot fuel quantity is fixed as 10% of total fuel injected, post injection fuel quantity is fixed as 0.5 mg. The dwell between pilot and main was varied at different main injection timing. The post injection is closely coupled with main injection with a dwell of 3 CAD. The main injection timing along with pilot and post was retarded from the recommended 23o bTDC in steps of 3 degrees. At all main injection timing the dwell of 10 CAD observed to be the best for smoke reduction, where as 20 CAD is better for NOx reduction. In overall Dwell 10 CAD is better for trade off between NOx and Smoke.