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Bionanofertilizers are promising eco-friendly alternative to chemical fertilizers, leveraging nanotechnology and biotechnology to enhance nutrient uptake by plants and improve soil health. They consist of nanoscale materials and beneficial microorganisms, offering benefits such as enhanced seed germination, improved soil quality, increased nutrient use efficiency, and pesticide residue degradation, ultimately leading to improved crop productivity. Bionanofertilizers are designed for targeted delivery of nutrients, controlled release, and minimizing environmental pollutants, making them a sustainable option for agriculture. These fertilizers also have the potential to enhance plant growth, provide disease resistance, and contribute to sustainable farming practices. The development of bionanofertilizers addresses the adverse environmental impact of chemical fertilizers, offering a safer and productive means of fertilization for agricultural practices. This review provides substantial evidence supporting the potential of bionanofertilizers in revolutionizing agricultural practices, offering eco-friendly and sustainable solutions for crop management and soil health., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Fungal endophytes are valuable sources of bioactive compounds with diverse applications. The exploration of these compounds not only contributes to our understanding of ecological interactions but also holds promise for the development of novel products with agricultural, medicinal, and industrial significance. Continued exploration of fungal endophyte diversity and understanding the ecological roles of bioactive compounds present opportunities for new discoveries and applications. Omics techniques, which include genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, contribute to the discovery of novel bioactive compounds produced by fungal endophytes with their potential applications. The omics techniques play a critical role in unraveling the complex interactions between fungal endophytes and their host plants, providing valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms and potential applications of these relationships. This review provides an overview of how omics techniques contribute to the study of fungal endophytes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Fungal lipases (triacylglycerol acyl hydrolases EC 3.1.1.3) are significant industrial enzymes and have several applications in a number of industries and fields. Fungal lipases are found in several species of fungi and yeast. These enzymes are carboxylic acid esterases, categorized under the serine hydrolase family, and do not require any cofactor during the catalyzing of the reactions. It was also noticed that processes including the extraction and purification of lipases from fungi are comparatively easier and cheaper than other sources of lipases. In addition, fungal lipases have been classified into three chief classes, namely, GX, GGGX, and Y. Fungal lipases have applications not only in the hydrolysis of fats and oils (triglycerides) but are also involved in synthetic reactions such as esterification, acidolysis, alcoholysis, interesterification, and aminolysis. The production and activity of fungal lipases are highly affected by the carbon source, nitrogen source, temperature, pH, metal ions, surfactants, and moisture content. Therefore, fungal lipases have several industrial and biotechnological applications in many fields such as biodiesel production, ester synthesis, production of biodegradable biopolymers, formulations of cosmetics and personal care products, detergent manufacturing, degreasing of leather, pulp and paper production, textile industry, biosensor development, and drug formulations and as a diagnostic tool in the medical sector, biodegradation of esters, and bioremediation of wastewater. The immobilization of fungal lipases onto different carriers also helps in improving the catalytic activities and efficiencies of lipases by increasing thermal and ionic stability (in organic solvents, high pH, and temperature), being easy to recycle, and inducing the volume-specific loading of the enzyme onto the support, and thus, these features have proved to be appropriate for use as biocatalysts in different sectors., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Kumar, Verma, Dubey, Srivastava, Garg, Singh and Arora.)

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a genome-editing tool that allows for precise and efficient modifications to the DNA of a cell. This technology can be used in endophytic fungi, which live within plants and can have beneficial effects on their host, making them important for agriculture. Using CRISPR/Cas9, researchers can introduce specific genetic changes into endophytic fungal genomes, allowing them to study the function of genes, improve their plant-growth-promoting properties, and create new, more beneficial endophytes. This system works by using the Cas9 protein, which acts as a pair of molecular scissors, to cut DNA at specific locations determined by a guide RNA. Once the DNA is cut, the cell's natural repair mechanisms can be used to insert or delete specific genes, allowing for precise editing of the fungal genome. This article discusses the mechanism and applications of CRISPR/Cas9 to fungal endophytes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Verma, Batta, Singh, Srivastava, Garg, Singh and Arora.)

This mini review focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of virus diseases using Crisper-Cas technology. The present paper describes various strategies involved in diagnosing diseases using Crispr-Cas-based assays. Additionally, CRISPR-Cas systems offer great potential as new therapeutic tools for treating viral infections including HIV, Influenza, and SARS-CoV-2. There are several major challenges to be overcome before this technology can be applied routinely in clinical settings, such as finding a suitable delivery tool, toxicity, and immunogenicity, as well as off-target effects. This review also discusses ways to deal with the challenges associated with Crisper-Cas technology. KEY POINTS: • Crisper technology is being applied to diagnose infectious and non-infectious diseases. • A new generation of CRISPR-Cas-based assays has been developed which detect pathogens within minutes, providing rapid diagnosis of diseases. • Crispr-Cas tools can be used to combat viral infections, specifically HIV, influenza, and SARS-CoV-2., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

A 4-nitrophenol-degrading bacterial strain PNP was isolated from pesticide-contaminated soil collected from Lucknow. Strain PNP utilized 0.5 mM 4-nitrophenol as its carbon source and degraded it completely within 24 h with stoichiometric release of nitrite ions. Strain PNP was associated with the genus Pseudomonas in a phylogentic tree and exhibited highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Pseudomonas juntendi BML3 (99.79%) and Pseudomonas inefficax JV551A3 (99.79%). Based on values of average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization among strain PNP and its closely related type strains, it concluded that strain PNP belongs to Pseudomonas alloputida. The Illumina HiSeq platform was used to sequence the PNP genome. The draft genome sequence of Pseudomonas alloputida PNP was presented here. The total size of the draft assembly was 6,087,340 bp, distributed into 87 contigs with N50 value of 139502. The genome has an average GC content of 61.7% and contains 5461 coding sequences and 77 putative RNA genes. This Whole Genome Shotgun project has been submitted at DDBJ/ENA/GenBank under the accession JAGKJH000000000., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 The Authors.)

Early secreted antigenic target of 6 kDa (ESAT-6) has recently been identified as a biomarker for the rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis. We propose a stable and reusable immunosensor for the early diagnosis of tuberculosis based on the detection and quantification of ESAT-6 via cyclic voltammetry (CV). The immunosensor was synthesized by polymerizing aniline dispersed with the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and Ni nanoparticles, followed by surface modification of the electroconductive polyaniline (PANI) film with anti-ESAT-6 antibody. Physicochemical characterization of the prepared materials was performed by several analytical techniques, including FE-SEM, EDX, XRD, FT-IR, Raman, TGA, TPR, and BET surface area analysis. The antibody-modified Ni-rGO-PANI electrode exhibited an approximately linear response (R 2 = 0.988) towards ESAT-6 during CV measurements over the potential range of -1 to +1 V. The lower detection limit for ESAT-6 was approximately 1.0 ng mL -1 . The novelty of this study includes the development of the reusable Ni-rGO-PANI-based electrochemical immunosensor for the early diagnosis of tuberculosis. Furthermore, this study successfully demonstrates that electro-conductive PANI may be used as a polymeric substrate for Ni nanoparticles and rGO., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Omar, Verma and Arora.)

COVID-19 has brought a lot of turbulence and instability among manufacturing organizations. This pandemic has affected all three types of manufacturing operations- subtractive, additive and forming manufacturing processes. In this paper we have discussed how additive manufacturing has played a role in this time of crisis. There has been an increased adoption of additive manufacturing to overcome the demand created by this pandemic. The number of actors in additive supply chain have reduced and thus in the time of epidemics that has been a boom and has helped manufacturers relying on additive manufacturing to be agile and react in nearly no time to the requirements. The same has been found its use primarily in manufacturing healthcare facilities in short notices along with producing parts of medical equipment like ventilators., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 2nd International Conference on Future Learning Aspects of Mechanical Engineering.)

The new outbreak of the corona virus (Covid-19) is expanding rapidly worldwide, disrupting millions and prompting authorities to take swift measures to avoid the disease. National lockdown imposed by the Indian government since 25 March 2020, the early lockdown action shows as compared to many other Countries/states can benefit from limiting the final size of the epidemic. A report on the issue of spreading the Covid-19 modeling in India is under review. This study analyzes Covid-19 infections by 20Dec 2021 and presents a mathematical approach for forecasting new cases or cumulative cases in practical situations. This forecast is much needed to schedule/continue medical set-ups for possible action to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak. It is important to mention here that the number of authors has proposed different models for predicting the expansion of Covid-19 to India and other countries; almost no model has yet to be demonstrated viable. With this mathematical model, it is simple to forecast the transfer of Covid-19. It is clear from the data that lockdown has played a significant role in controlling the transmission of the disease. A close match between the predicted empirical results and the available results proves the derived model similarity., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 3rd International Conference on Computational and Experimental Methods in Mechanical Engineering.)

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is an unparalleled threat intoday's quickly developing climate, and we face it as a global community. Like climate change, it is challenging our resilience from environmental health, social security, and government, to knowledge exchange and economic policy in all sectors of the economy and all fields of growth. So much as climate change, everybody's coming together would require the initiative. Throughout Europe and America, several organizations have mobilized to ensure that the neediest are not left behind, encouraging emergencies and disruptions avoidance and preparedness. The coronavirus outbreak has highlighted the growing community's strengths and vulnerabilities that it has influenced, and has provided us with the ability to benefit from each other's accomplishments and shortcomings. The comparison graph has also been shown in this paper displaying European and American scenarios. The globe might feel smaller amid disaster states and global travel bans, but it is a period when teamwork and looking outward were never more relevant., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 3rd International Conference on Computational and Experimental Methods in Mechanical Engineering.)

A chromium-reducing bacterium designated as strain KNP was isolated from a sample collected from a tannery effluent of Kanpur, India. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain KNP belonged to the Bacillus genus and showed 100% similarity with Bacillus licheniformis . Furthermore, average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization between strain KNP and its closely related strains confirmed its affiliation with Bacillus licheniformis species . Whole-genome sequencing of Bacillus licheniformis KNP was performed using the Illumina Hiseq platform. Here, we present the draft genome sequence of Bacillus licheniformis KNP. The total size of the draft assembly was 4,280,093 bp, distributed into 21 contigs with an N50 value of 4,186,229. The genome has 45.9% G + C content, 4255 coding sequences and 86 putative RNA genes. This Whole Genome Shotgun project has been deposited at DDBJ/ENA/GenBank under the accession JACDXS000000000. The version described in this paper is version JACDXS010000000., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

Xenobiotic compounds are man-made compounds and widely used in dyes, drugs, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, explosives, and other industrial chemicals. These compounds have been released into our soil and water due to anthropogenic activities and improper waste disposal practices and cause serious damage to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems due to their toxic nature. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has listed several toxic substances as priority pollutants. Bacterial remediation is identified as an emerging technique to remove these substances from the environment. Many bacterial genera are actively involved in the degradation of toxic substances. Among the bacterial genera, the members of the genus Bacillus have a great potential to degrade or transform various toxic substances. Many Bacilli have been isolated and characterized by their ability to degrade or transform a wide range of compounds including both naturally occurring substances and xenobiotic compounds. This review describes the biodegradation potentials of Bacilli toward various toxic substances, including 4-chloro-2-nitrophenol, insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, explosives, drugs, polycyclic aromatic compounds, heavy metals, azo dyes, and aromatic acids. Besides, the advanced technologies used for bioremediation of environmental pollutants using Bacilli are also briefly described. This review will increase our understanding of Bacilli -mediated degradation of xenobiotic compounds and heavy metals., (Copyright © 2020 Arora.)

Lipases are very versatile enzymes, and produced the attention of the several industrial processes. Lipase can be achieved from several sources, animal, vegetable, and microbiological. The uses of microbial lipase market is estimated to be USD 425.0 Million in 2018 and it is projected to reach USD 590.2 Million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 6.8% from 2018. Microbial lipases (EC 3.1.1.3) catalyze the hydrolysis of long chain triglycerides. The microbial origins of lipase enzymes are logically dynamic and proficient also have an extensive range of industrial uses with the manufacturing of altered molecules. The unique lipase (triacylglycerol acyl hydrolase) enzymes catalyzed the hydrolysis, esterification and alcoholysis reactions. Immobilization has made the use of microbial lipases accomplish its best performance and hence suitable for several reactions and need to enhance aroma to the immobilization processes. Immobilized enzymes depend on the immobilization technique and the carrier type. The choice of the carrier concerns usually the biocompatibility, chemical and thermal stability, and insolubility under reaction conditions, capability of easy rejuvenation and reusability, as well as cost proficiency. Bacillus spp., Achromobacter spp., Alcaligenes spp., Arthrobacter spp., Pseudomonos spp., of bacteria and Penicillium spp., Fusarium spp., Aspergillus spp., of fungi are screened large scale for lipase production. Lipases as multipurpose biological catalyst has given a favorable vision in meeting the needs for several industries such as biodiesel, foods and drinks, leather, textile, detergents, pharmaceuticals and medicals. This review represents a discussion on microbial sources of lipases, immobilization methods increased productivity at market profitability and reduce logistical liability on the environment and user.

Context: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) assessment plays an important role in the decision-making process in oncology., Aims: The aim of the study was to translate European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaire (QLQ) OES18 and OG25 in Punjabi language for HRQOL assessment of patients diagnosed with esophagus and esophagogastric malignancies., Subjects and Methods: The EORTC translation guidelines were duly followed to translate QLQ-OES18 and OG25 into Punjabi language. Each set of questionnaire was independently translated by two forward translators, followed by backward translation of the reconciled version by two independent translators. The final version was submitted to the EORTC Translation Team and served to the patients for the pilot testing., Results: The questionnaire was administered to ten patients each of esophagus and esophagogastric malignancies who were evaluated and treated at our hospital. Every patient underwent an interview to check if any of the questions was difficult, uncomfortable, or upsetting to answer. Their concerns were recorded as per the template provided by the EORTC team and due changes done if required., Conclusions: The EORTC QLQ-OES18 and OG25 questionnaire has been translated to Punjabi language and subsequently approved for usage., Competing Interests: None

Chloronitrophenols (CNPs) constitute a group of environmental pollutants that are widely distributed in our surrounding environment due to human based activities. This group of chemicals is highly toxic to living beings due to its mutagenic and carcinogenic nature. Examples include 2-chloro-4-nitrophenol, 4-chloro-2-nitrophenol, 2-chloro-5-nitrophenol, 4-chloro-3-nitrophenol and 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol. Several methods including advanced oxidation processes, adsorption and bacterial degradation have been used for degradation of CNPs. Among, bacterial degradation is an eco-friendly and effective way to degrade CNPs. Several bacterial metabolic pathways have been proposed for degradation of CNPs and their genes and enzymes have been identified in bacteria. These bacteria were able to degrade CNPs in broth culture and soil. Therefore, CNPs-degrading bacteria are suitable candidates for bioremediation of CNPs-contaminated sites. Few CNP-degrading bacteria exhibited chemotaxis towards CNPs to enhance their biodegradation. The present review summarizes recent progress in degradation of CNPs., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Lipases are industrial biocatalysts, which are involved in several novel reactions, occurring in aqueous medium as well as non-aqueous medium. Furthermore, they are well-known for their remarkable ability to carry out a wide variety of chemo-, regio- and enantio-selective transformations. Lipases have been gained attention worldwide by organic chemists due to their general ease of handling, broad substrate tolerance, high stability towards temperatures and solvents and convenient commercial availability. Most of the synthetic reactions on industrial scale are carried out in organic solvents because of the easy solubility of non-polar compounds. The effect of organic system on their stability and activity may determine the biocatalysis pace. Because of worldwide use of lipases, there is a need to understand the mechanisms behind the lipase-catalyzed reactions in organic solvents. The unique interfacial activation of lipases has always fascinated enzymologists and recently, biophysicists and crystallographers have made progress in understanding the structure-function relationships of these enzymes. The present review describes the advantages of lipase-catalyzed reactions in organic solvents and various effects of organic solvents on their activity.

The paper discusses the development of the ring shaped force transducers for measurement of force in lower capacity to meet the industrial requirements with the increasing technological developments. A 50 N ring shaped force transducer for tension mode has been developed by studying the analytical and computational methods. The force transducer developed has been metrologically studied according to the calibration procedure based on the standard ISO 376 and uncertainty of measurement of the force transducer is found to be±0.10% (k=2), while taking into account the relative uncertainty contribution due to necessary factors like repeatability, reproducibility, zero offset, interpolation, resolution and reversibility. The force transducer developed may further be studied for improvement of metrological performance and may suitably be developed for other lower capacities like 10 N, 20 N etc. The force transducer developed offers very economical alternative of complex shaped force transducers with simple design and manufacturing features. The force transducer developed may be proved very helpful in providing traceability to the user industries and calibration laboratories in the lower range of force measurement and serve as force transfer standard., (Copyright © 2015 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aromatic amines are an important group of industrial chemicals, which are widely used for manufacturing of dyes, pesticides, drugs, pigments, and other industrial products. These compounds have been considered highly toxic to human beings due to their carcinogenic nature. Three groups of aromatic amines have been recognized: monocyclic, polycyclic, and heterocyclic aromatic amines. Bacterial degradation of several monocyclic aromatic amines has been studied in a variety of bacteria, which utilizes monocyclic aromatic amines as their sole source of carbon and energy. Several degradation pathways have been proposed and the related enzymes and genes have also been characterized. Many reviews have been reviewed toxicity of monocyclic aromatic amines; however, there is lack of review on biodegradation of monocyclic aromatic amines. The aim of this review is to summarize bacterial degradation of monocyclic aromatic amines. This review will increase our current understanding of biochemical and molecular basis of bacterial degradation of monocyclic aromatic amines.

Arthrobacter sp. SPG utilized 2-nitrobenzoate as its sole source of carbon and energy and degraded it with accumulation of stoichiometric amounts of nitrite ions. Salicylate and catechol were detected as metabolites of the 2-nitrobenzoate degradation using high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Enzyme activities for 2-nitrobenzoate-2-monooxygenase, salicylate hydroxylase, and catechol-1,2-dioxygenase were detected in the crude extracts of the 2-nitrobenzoate-induced cells of strain SPG. The 2-nitrobenzoate-monooxygenase activity resulted in formation of salicylate and nitrite from 2-nitrobenzoate, whereas salicylate hydroxylase catalyzed the conversion of salicylate to catechol. The ring-cleaving enzyme, catechol-1,2-dioxygenase cleaved catechol to cis,cis-muconic acid. Cells of strain SPG were able to degrade 2-nitrobenzoate in sterile as well as non-sterile soil microcosms. The results of microcosm studies showed that strain SPG degraded more than 90% of 2-nitrobenzoate within 10-12 days. This study clearly shows that Arthrobacter sp. SPG degraded 2-nitrobenzoate via a new pathway with formation of salicylate and catechol as metabolites. Arthrobacter sp. SPG may be used for bioremediation of 2-nitrobenzoate-contaminated sites due to its ability to degrade 2-nitrobenzoate in soil.

Exiguobacterium sp. PMA utilized 4-chloroindole as its sole source of carbon and energy. The effect of initial concentrations of substrate on the 4-chloroindole degradation was studied and observed that strain PMA was capable of degrading 4-chloroindole up to concentration of 0.5mM. The degradation pathway of 4-chloroindole was studied for Exiguobacterium sp. PMA based on metabolites identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. 4-Chloroindole was initially dehalogenated to indole that was further degraded via isatin, anthranilic acid, and salicylic acid. The potential of strain PMA to degrade 4-chloroindole in soil was monitored using soil microcosms, and it was observed that the cells of strain PMA efficiently degraded 4-chloroindole in the soil. The results of microcosm studies show that strain PMA may be used for bioremediation of 4-chloroindole-contaminated sites. This is the first report of the bacterial degradation of 4-chloroindole., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) signaling is of critical importance in plants and other eukaryotic organisms. The MAPK cascade plays an indispensible role in the growth and development of plants, as well as in biotic and abiotic stress responses. The MAPKs are constitute the most downstream module of the three tier MAPK cascade and are phosphorylated by upstream MAP kinase kinases (MAPKK), which are in turn are phosphorylated by MAP kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK). The MAPKs play pivotal roles in regulation of many cytoplasmic and nuclear substrates, thus regulating several biological processes., Results: A total of 589 MAPKs genes were identified from the genome wide analysis of 40 species. The sequence analysis has revealed the presence of several N- and C-terminal conserved domains. The MAPKs were previously believed to be characterized by the presence of TEY/TDY activation loop motifs. The present study showed that, in addition to presence of activation loop TEY/TDY motifs, MAPKs are also contain MEY, TEM, TQM, TRM, TVY, TSY, TEC and TQY activation loop motifs. Phylogenetic analysis of all predicted MAPKs were clustered into six different groups (group A, B, C, D, E and F), and all predicted MAPKs were assigned with specific names based on their orthology based evolutionary relationships with Arabidopsis or Oryza MAPKs., Conclusion: We conducted global analysis of the MAPK gene family of plants from lower eukaryotes to higher eukaryotes and analyzed their genomic and evolutionary aspects. Our study showed the presence of several new activation loop motifs and diverse conserved domains in MAPKs. Advance study of newly identified activation loop motifs can provide further information regarding the downstream signaling cascade activated in response to a wide array of stress conditions, as well as plant growth and development.

Inguinal hernia with vermiform appendix as content is known as Amyand's hernia. It is a rare entity but we encountered four cases within six months. A 52-year-old female had high grade fever and evidence of inflammatory pathology involving the ileocaecal region. She was initially managed conservatively and subsequently underwent exploratory laparatomy. The appendix was perforated and herniating in the inguinal canal. Appendectomy was done with herniorrhaphy without mesh placement. A 74-year-old male with bilateral inguinal hernia, of which, the right side was more symptomatic, underwent open exploration. Operative findings revealed a lipoma of the sac and a normal appearing appendix as content. Contents were reduced without appendectomy and mesh hernioplasty was performed. A 63-year-old male with an obstructed right sided hernia underwent emergency inguinal exploration which revealed edematous caecum and appendix as content without any inflammation. Contents were reduced without any resection. Herniorrhaphy was performed without mesh placement. A 66-year-old male with an uncomplicated right inguinal hernia underwent elective surgery. The sac revealed an appendix with adhesions at the neck. Contents were reduced after adhesiolysis and hernioplasty was performed with mesh placement. Emphasis is made to the rarity of disease, variation in presentation, and difference in treatment modalities depending upon the state of appendix.

A degradation pathway of 2-chloro-4-aminophenol (2C4AP) was studied in an Arthrobacter sp. SPG that utilized 2C4AP as its sole source of carbon and energy. The 2C4AP degradation was initiated by a 2C4AP-deaminase that catalyzed the conversion of 2C4AP into chlorohydroquinone (CHQ) with removal of ammonium ion. In the next step, a CHQ-dehalogenase dehalogenated CHQ to hydroquinone (HQ) that cleaved into γ-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde by a HQ-dioxygenase. The 2C4AP degradation was also investigated in sterile and non-sterile soil microcosms using strain SPG. The results show that the SPG cells degraded 2C4AP more rapidly in sterile soil than non-sterile soil. Our studies showed that strain SPG may be used for bioremediation of 2C4AP-contaminated sites. This is the first report of the 2C4AP degradation by any bacteria.

Pseudomonas sp. JHN decolourized and biotransformed 4-chloro-2-nitrophenol (4C2NP) in the presence of additional carbon source. The effect of the various concentrations of the 4C2NP was studied on the decolourization of 4C2NP by Pseudomonas sp. JHN. It was observed that strain JHN decolourized and biotransformed 4C2NP up to concentration of 0.6 mM. Gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry detected 5-chloro-2-methylbenzoxazole as a major metabolite of the co-metabolism of 4C2NP. Furthermore, strain JHN exhibits positive chemotaxis toward 4C2NP based on the drop plate and capillary assays. This is the first report of the chemotaxis toward 4C2NP by any bacterium.

Bioinformatics and biodegradation are two primary scientific fields in applied microbiology and biotechnology. The present review describes development of various bioinformatics tools that may be applied in the field of biodegradation. Several databases, including the University of Minnesota Biocatalysis/Biodegradation database (UM-BBD), a database of biodegradative oxygenases (OxDBase), Biodegradation Network-Molecular Biology Database (Bionemo) MetaCyc, and BioCyc have been developed to enable access to information related to biochemistry and genetics of microbial degradation. In addition, several bioinformatics tools for predicting toxicity and biodegradation of chemicals have been developed. Furthermore, the whole genomes of several potential degrading bacteria have been sequenced and annotated using bioinformatics tools.

A 4-chloro-3-nitrophenol (4C3NP)-mineralizing bacterium, Pseudomonas sp. JHN was isolated from a waste water sample collected from a chemically-contaminated area, India by an enrichment method. Pseudomonas sp. JHN utilized 4C3NP as a sole carbon and energy source and degraded it with the release of stoichiometric amounts of chloride and nitrite ions. Gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry detected 4-chlororesorcinol as a major metabolite of the 4C3NP degradation pathway. Inhibition studies using 2,2'-dipyridyl showed that 4-chlororesorcinol is a terminal aromatic compound in the degradation pathway of 4C3NP. The activity for 4C3NP-monooxygenase was detected in the crude extracts of the 4C3NP-induced JHN cells that confirmed the formation of 4-chlororesorcinol from 4C3NP. The capillary assay showed that Pseudomonas sp. JHN exhibited chemotaxis toward 4C3NP. The bioremediation capability of Pseudomonas sp. JHN was monitored to carry out the microcosm experiments using sterile and non-sterile soils spiked with 4C3NP. Strain JHN degraded 4C3NP in sterile and non-sterile soil with same degradation rates. This is the first report of (i) bacterial degradation and bioremediation of 4C3NP, (ii) formation of 4-chlororesorcinol in the degradation pathway of 4C3NP, (iii) bacterial chemotaxis toward 4C3NP.

Chlorophenols (CPs) and their derivatives are persistent environmental pollutants which are used in the manufacture of dyes, drugs, pesticides and other industrial products. CPs, which include monochlorophenols, polychlorophenols, chloronitrophenols, chloroaminophenols and chloromethylphenols, are highly toxic to living beings due to their carcinogenic, mutagenic and cytotoxic properties. Several physico-chemical and biological methods have been used for removal of CPs from the environment. Bacterial degradation has been considered a cost-effective and eco-friendly method of removing CPs from the environment. Several bacteria that use CPs as their sole carbon and energy sources have been isolated and characterized. Additionally, the metabolic pathways for degradation of CPs have been studied in bacteria and the genes and enzymes involved in the degradation of various CPs have been identified and characterized. This review describes the biochemical and genetic basis of the degradation of CPs and their derivatives.

This review intends to provide an overview of bacterial degradation of nitrophenols (NPs) and their derivatives. The main scientific focus is on biochemical and genetic characterization of bacterial degradation of NPs. Other aspects such as bioremediation and chemotaxis correlated with biodegradation of NPs are also discussed. This review will increase our current understanding of bacterial degradation of NPs and their derivatives., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Burkholderia sp. RKJ 800 utilized 4-chloro-2-aminophenol (4C2AP) as the sole carbon and energy source and degraded it with release of chloride and ammonium ions. The metabolic pathway of degradation of 4C2AP was studied and a novel intermediate, 4-chlorocatechol was identified as a major degradation product of 4C2AP using high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Enzyme activities for 4C2AP-deaminase and 4-chlorocatechol-1,2-dioxygenase were detected in the crude extracts of the 4C2AP-induced cells of strain RKJ 800. The activity of the 4C2AP-deaminase confirmed the formation of 4-chlorocatechol from 4C2AP and the 4-chlorocatechol-1,2-dioxygenase activity suggested the cleavage of 4-chlorocatechol into 3-chloro-cis,cis-muconate. On the basis of the identified metabolites, we have proposed a novel degradation pathway of 4C2AP for Burkholderia sp. RKJ 800. Furthermore, the potential of Burkholderia sp. RKJ 800 to degrade 4C2AP in soil was also investigated using microcosm studies under laboratory conditions. The results of microcosm studies conclude that Burkholderia sp. RKJ 800 was able to degrade 4C2AP in soil and may be used to remediate 4C2AP-contaminated site. This is the first report of (1) the formation of 4-chlorocatechol and 3-chloro-cis,cis-muconate in the degradation pathway of 4C2AP and (2) bioremediation of 4C2AP by any bacterium.

Arthrobacter sp. SPG transformed indole completely in the presence of an additional carbon source. High performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry detected indole-3-acetic acid, indole-3-glyoxylic acid, and indole-3-aldehyde as biotransformation products. This is the first report of the formation of indole-3-acetic acid, indole-3-glyoxylic acid, and indole-3-aldehyde from indole by any bacterium.

Strain SJCon T , a 2-chloro-4-nitrophenol (2C4NP) degrading bacterium, was isolated from soil collected from a pesticide-contaminated site in Punjab, India. The strain, which stained Gram positive, displayed a rod-coccus life cycle, and possessed a type A3 α peptidoglycan (L-Lys-L-Ala 3 ), MK-9(H2) as the major menaquinone, anteiso-C15 and iso-C15:0 as the major cellular fatty acids, and diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and a glycolipid as the major polar lipids, showed morphological and chemotaxonomic properties consistent with those reported for members of the genus Arthrobacter. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain SJCon T confirmed that it was a member of this genus with Arthrobacter globiformis DSM 20124 T being the closest relative (sequence similarity of 97 %). The DNA G + C content of strain SJCon T was 69 ± 1 mol% and DNA homology with A. globiformis DSM 20124 T was 45 %, suggesting that strain SJCon T represented a novel species of the genus Arthrobacter, which we have named Arthrobacter nitrophenolicus sp. nov The type strain is SJCon T (=MTCC 10104 T =DSM 23165 T ).

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors or "GIST" are mesenchymal neoplasms expressing KIT(CD117) tyrosine kinase and showing the presence of activating mutations in KIT or PDGFR α (platelet-derived growth factor alpha). GIST of anal canal is an extremely rare tumor, accounting for only 3% of all anorectal mesenchymal tumors and 0.1-0.4% of all GIST. GIST with large tumor size and high mitotic activity are highly malignant, but the biological behavior of anorectal GIST is less clear. Abdominoperineal resection (APR) or conservative surgery is the best treatment option. Imatinib mesylate, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has shown promising results in its management. We present a case of anorectal GIST diagnosed by computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and colonoscopy with biopsy. The patient underwent abdominoperineal resection (APR) and was confirmed on histopathology to have anal canal GIST with tumor size more than 5 cm in maximum dimension and mitotic figures more than 5/50 high power field (HPF). The CD117-immunoreactive score-was 3+ in spindled cells. Therefore the patient was put on adjuvant imatinib mesylate 400 mg daily.

Intracystic papillary carcinoma (IPC) of the breast is a rare malignant tumour, found mainly but not exclusively in elderly women. IPC may be asymptomatic or presents with a palpable mass or blood-stained nipple discharge. The tumour is encysted within a dilated duct with arborisation of the fibrovascular stroma and contains nodules of papillary carcinoma surrounded by a thick fibrous capsule. Frequently excisional biopsy is required for diagnosis. The mainstay of treatment is breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy. Sentinel node biopsy could be considered in invasive cases. Adjuvant radiotherapy (XRT) and/or endocrine therapy is considered in appropriate cases. Prognosis is excellent. We report three such cases of IPC, in elderly women, which were successfully treated.

Background: Chloronitrophenols (CNPs) are widely used in the synthesis of dyes, drugs and pesticides, and constitute a major group of environmental pollutants. 4-Chloro-2-nitrophenol (4C2NP) is an isomer of CNPs that has been detected in various industrial effluents. A number of physicochemical methods have been used for treatment of wastewater containing 4C2NP. These methods are not as effective as microbial degradation, however., Results: A 4C2NP-degrading bacterium, Exiguobacterium sp. PMA, which uses 4C2NP as the sole carbon and energy source was isolated from a chemically-contaminated site in India. Exiguobacterium sp. PMA degraded 4C2NP with the release of stoichiometeric amounts of chloride and ammonium ions. The effects of different substrate concentrations and various inoculum sizes on degradation of 4C2NP were investigated. Exiguobacterium sp. PMA degraded 4C2NP up to a concentration of 0.6 mM. High performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified 4-chloro-2-aminophenol (4C2AP) and 2-aminophenol (2AP) as possible metabolites of the 4C2NP degradation pathway. The crude extract of 4C2NP-induced PMA cells contained enzymatic activity for 4C2NP reductase and 4C2AP dehalogenase, suggesting the involvement of these enzymes in the degradation of 4C2NP. Microcosm studies using sterile and non-sterile soils spiked with 4C2NP were carried out to monitor the bioremediation potential of Exiguobacterium sp. PMA. The bioremediation of 4C2NP by Exiguobacterium sp. PMA was faster in non-sterilized soil than sterilized soil., Conclusions: Our studies indicate that Exiguobacterium sp. PMA may be useful for the bioremediation of 4C2NP-contaminated sites. This is the first report of (i) the formation of 2AP in the 4C2NP degradation pathway by any bacterium and (iii) the bioremediation of 4C2NP by any bacterium.

Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) of breast is known to present with atypical clinical findings in the breast, making it difficult to diagnose. It is also known to have unusual sites of metastases arising de novo or in patients treated for known ILC. Skin lesion in axilla could be a cutaneous metastasis from ILC or ILC in ectopic breast tissue (EBT). We present two cases with skin lesion in axillas which after excision were surprisingly reported as ILC. On further investigations these were found to be primary in EBT. Though such cases are reported, carcinoma arising from EBT is a very rare presentation and one should be aware of this, when dealing with a skin lesion.

This study was designed to investigate the role of 7,8-dimethoxycoumarin on cisplatin- and ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced acute renal failure in rats. Acute renal failure was induced in rats by administration of a single dose of cisplatin (CP) (6 mg/kg, intraperitoneally on day 6) and occlusion of the left renal artery for 45 min (I) and opened for the next 24 h (R). The drug samples of 7,8-dimethoxycoumarin (DMC, 50, 75, and 100 mg/kg) and cyclosporin A (50 μM/kg) were administered orally for six consecutive days. Administration of a single dose of cisplatin and I/R event has significantly raised blood urea nitrogen and creatinine, N-acetyl beta-D: -glucosaminidase, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances but decreased FrNa, creatinine clearance, reduced glutathione (GSH), mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase, and adenosine triphosphate levels. Further, pretreatment of DMC (50, 75, and 100 mg/kg, p.o., for six consecutive days) has ameliorated the CP- and I/R-induced biochemical and histopathological changes in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, 75 and 100 mg/kg of 7,8-dimethoxycoumarin has shown to possess the significant renoprotective effect similar to that of the cyclosporin A-treated group which served as positive control. Based on the results of the present study, it has been concluded that 7,8-dimethoxycoumarin protects the kidney against the CP and I/R injury via antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and inactivation of mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening.

Decolourization, detoxification and biotransformation of 4-chloro-2-nitrophenol (4C2NP) by Bacillus sp. strain MW-1 were studied. This strain decolorized 4C2NP only in the presence of an additional carbon source. On the basis of thin layer chromatography (TLC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), 4-chloro-2-aminophenol, 4-chloro-2-acetaminophenol and 5-chloro-2-methylbenzoxazole were identified as metabolites. Resting cells depleted 4C2NP with stoichiometric formation of 5-chloro-2-methyl benzoxazole. This is the first report of the formation of 5-chloro-2-methylbenzoxazole from 4C2NP by any bacterial strain.

Chlorinated nitroaromatic compounds (CNAs) are persistent environmental pollutants that have been introduced into the environment due to the anthropogenic activities. Bacteria that utilize CNAs as the sole sources of carbon and energy have been isolated from different contaminated and non-contaminated sites. Microbial metabolism of CNAs has been studied, and several metabolic pathways for degradation of CNAs have been proposed. Detoxification and biotransformation of CNAs have also been studied in various fungi, actinomycetes and bacteria. Several physicochemical methods have been used for treatment of wastewater containing CNAs; however, these methods are not suitable for in situ bioremediation. This review describes the current scenario of the degradation of CNAs.

A 2-chloro-4-nitrophenol (2C4NP) degrading bacterial strain designated as RKJ 800 was isolated from a pesticide contaminated site of India by enrichment method and utilized 2C4NP as sole source of carbon and energy. The stoichiometric amounts of nitrite and chloride ions were detected during the degradation of 2C4NP. On the basis of thin layer chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, chlorohydroquinone (CHQ) and hydroquinone (HQ) were identified as major metabolites of the degradation pathway of 2C4NP. Manganese dependent HQ dioxygenase activity was observed in the crude extract of 2C4NP induced cells of the strain RKJ 800 that suggested the cleavage of the HQ to γ-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde. On the basis of the 16S rRNA gene sequencing, strain RKJ 800 was identified as a member of genus Burkholderia. Our studies clearly showed that Burkholderia sp. RKJ 800 degraded 2-chloro-4-nitrophenol via hydroquinone pathway. The pathway identified in a gram negative bacterium, Burkholderia sp. strain RKJ 800 was differed from previously reported 2C4NP degradation pathway in another gram-negative Burkholderia sp. SJ98. This is the first report of the formation of CHQ and HQ in the degradation of 2C4NP by any gram-negative bacteria. Laboratory-scale soil microcosm studies showed that strain RKJ 800 is a suitable candidate for bioremediation of 2C4NP contaminated sites.

A 4-Chloro-2-nitrophenol (4C2NP) decolourizing strain RKJ 700 was isolated from soil collected from a pesticide contaminated site of India and identified as Bacillus subtilis on the basis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Bacillus subtilis RKJ 700 decolourized 4C2NP up to concentration of 1.5 mM in the presence of additional carbon source. The degradation pathway of 4C2NP was studied and 4-chloro-2-aminophenol, 4-chloro-2-acetaminophenol and 5-chloro-2-methylbenzoxazole (5C2MBZ) were identified as metabolites by high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Resting cell studies showed that Bacillus subtilis RKJ 700 depleted 4C2NP completely with stoichiometric formation of 5C2MBZ. This is the first report of (i) the degradation of 4C2NP at high concentration (1.5 mM) and, (ii) the formation of 5C2MBZ by a soil bacterium.

Adult intussusception is a rare entity accounting for only 5% of all intussusceptions and causes approximately 1% of all adult intestinal obstructions. Unlike paediatric intussusceptions which are usually idiopathic, there is usually a lead point pathology which might be malignant in up to 50% cases. We present an unusual case of adult intussusception which was not diagnosed on any investigation including computerized tomographic (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It was a case of ileo-ileo-cecal intussusception caused by a large lipoma 38 mm × 43 mm × 61 mm. It was treated by emergency laparotomy for acute intestinal obstruction. A conservative resection with ileostomy was performed with good postoperative recovery.

Degradation of 2-Chloro-4-nitrophenol (2C4NP) was studied by Arthrobacter sp. SJCon, isolated from the soil of a pesticide contaminated site. This strain utilized 2C4NP as sole source of carbon and energy and degraded 2C4NP with stoichiometric release of nitrite and chloride ions. A metabolite was detected during the study of 2C4NP degradation and identified as chlorohydroquinone (CHQ) by thin layer chromatography (TLC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Inhibition study using 2,2'-dipyridyl showed that CHQ is a terminal aromatic compound in degradation pathway of 2C4NP. CHQ dioxygenase activity was observed in the crude extract of 2C4NP induced cells of the strain SJCon that suggested the cleavage of the CHQ to maleylacetate (MA). Our study clearly showed that Arthrobacter sp. SJCon degraded 2C4NP via formation of CHQ that further cleaved to MA by CHQ dioxygenase. This mechanism of degradation of 2C4NP differs from previously reported degradation pathways of 2C4NP.

Burkholderia sp. strain SJ98 (DSM 23195) was previously isolated and characterized for degradation and co-metabolic transformation of a number nitroaromatic compounds. In the present study, we evaluated its metabolic activity on chlorinated nitroaromatic compounds (CNACs). Results obtained during this study revealed that strain SJ98 can degrade 2-chloro-4-nitrophenol (2C4NP) and utilize it as sole source of carbon, nitrogen, and energy under aerobic conditions. The cells of strain SJ98 removed 2C4NP from the growth medium with sequential release of nearly stoichiometric amounts of chloride and nitrite in culture supernatant. Under aerobic degradation conditions, 2C4NP was transformed into the first intermediate that was identified as p-nitrophenol by high-performance liquid chromatography, LCMS-TOF, and GC-MS analyses. This transformation clearly establishes that the degradation of 2C4NP by strain SJ98 is initiated by "reductive dehalogenation"; an initiation mechanism that has not been previously reported for microbial degradation of CNAC under aerobic conditions.