Characterization of fusarium wilt-resistant and fusarium wilt-susceptible somaclones of banana cultivar rastali (Musa AAB) by random amplified polymorphic DNA and retrotransposon markers

Two DNA fingerprinting techniques, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter-retrotransposon amplified polymorphism (IRAP), were used to characterize somaclonal variants of banana. IRAP primers were designed on the basis of repetitive and genome-wide dispersed long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposon families for assessing the somaclonal variation in 2Musa clones resistant and susceptible toFusarium oxysporum f. sp.cubense race 4. RAPD markers successfully detected genetic variation within and between individuals of the clones. IRAP makers amplified either by a single primer or a combination of primers based on LTR orientation successfully amplified different retrotransposons dispersed in theMusa genome and detected new events of insertions. RAPD markers proved more polymorphic than IRAP markers. Somaclonal variation seems to be the result of numerous indels occurring genome-wide accompanied by the activation of retroelements, as a result of stress caused by micropropagation. It is concluded that characterization of the somaclonal variants requires more than one DNA marker system to detect variation in diverse components of the genome.     

Preferential recognition of peroxynitrite modified human DNA by circulating autoantibodies in cancer patients

Peroxynitrite (ONOO⁻) has been vastly implicated in mutagenesis and cancer development. Present study probes the antigenicity of peroxynitrite damaged DNA (ONOO⁻-DNA) in cancer patients. Purified human placental DNA was damaged by the synergistic action of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and Pyrogallol for 3 h at 37 °C. Binding characteristics of cancer autoantibodies as well as experimentally induced anti-peroxynitrite-DNA (anti-ONOO⁻-DNA) antibodies were assessed by ELISA and band shift assay. DNA modifications produced single strand breaks, decreased melting temperature (T_m), hyperchromicity in UV spectrum and decreased fluorescence intensity. The ONOO⁻-DNA induced high titre antibodies in experimental animals. Cancer autoantibodies exhibited enhanced binding with the modified DNA as compared to the native form. Lymphocyte DNA from cancer patients showed appreciable recognition of anti-ONOO⁻-DNA IgG as compared to the DNA from healthy subjects. The peroxynitrite modified DNA presents unique epitopes which may be one of the factors for the autoantibody induction in cancer patients.     

Removal and recovery of Cu(II) and Zn(II) using immobilized Mentha arvensis distillation waste biomass

The potential use of the immobilized Mentha arvensis distillation waste (IMADW) biomass for removal and recovery of Cu(II) and Zn(II) from aqueous was evaluated in the present study. Biosorption capacity of Cu(II) and Zn(II) on IMADW increased with increase in pH reaching a maximum at 5 for Cu(II) and 6 for Zn(II). The equilibrium sorption data agreed well with Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model in batch mode. Cu(II) and Zn(II) uptake by IMADW was best described by pseudo-first-order kinetic model in continuous mode. Maximum Cu(II) and Zn(II) uptake by IMADW was 104.48 and 107.75 mg/g, respectively. Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were also carried out to investigate functional groups and surface changes of biomass. The results showed that IMADW biomass is a potential biomaterial to remove Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions with a high biosorption capacity from aqueous solutions.     

Heterochrony and Cross-Species Intersensory Matching by Infant Vervet Monkeys

Background

Understanding the evolutionary origins of a phenotype requires understanding the relationship between ontogenetic and phylogenetic processes. Human infants have been shown to undergo a process of perceptual narrowing during their first year of life, whereby their intersensory ability to match the faces and voices of another species declines as they get older. We investigated the evolutionary origins of this behavioral phenotype by examining whether or not this developmental process occurs in non-human primates as well.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We tested the ability of infant vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops), ranging in age from 23 to 65 weeks, to match the faces and voices of another non-human primate species (the rhesus monkey, Macaca mulatta). Even though the vervets had no prior exposure to rhesus monkey faces and vocalizations, our findings show that infant vervets can, in fact, recognize the correspondence between rhesus monkey faces and voices (but indicate that they do so by looking at the non-matching face for a greater proportion of overall looking time), and can do so well beyond the age of perceptual narrowing in human infants. Our results further suggest that the pattern of matching by vervet monkeys is influenced by the emotional saliency of the Face+Voice combination. That is, although they looked at the non-matching screen for Face+Voice combinations, they switched to looking at the matching screen when the Voice was replaced with a complex tone of equal duration. Furthermore, an analysis of pupillary responses revealed that their pupils showed greater dilation when looking at the matching natural face/voice combination versus the face/tone combination.

Conclusions/Significance

Because the infant vervets in the current study exhibited cross-species intersensory matching far later in development than do human infants, our findings suggest either that intersensory perceptual narrowing does not occur in Old World monkeys or that it occurs later in development. We argue that these findings reflect the faster rate of neural development in monkeys relative to humans and the resulting differential interaction of this factor with the effects of early experience.     

The Natural Statistics of Audiovisual Speech

Humans, like other animals, are exposed to a continuous stream of signals, which are dynamic, multimodal, extended, and time varying in nature. This complex input space must be transduced and sampled by our sensory systems and transmitted to the brain where it can guide the selection of appropriate actions. To simplify this process, it''s been suggested that the brain exploits statistical regularities in the stimulus space. Tests of this idea have largely been confined to unimodal signals and natural scenes. One important class of multisensory signals for which a quantitative input space characterization is unavailable is human speech. We do not understand what signals our brain has to actively piece together from an audiovisual speech stream to arrive at a percept versus what is already embedded in the signal structure of the stream itself. In essence, we do not have a clear understanding of the natural statistics of audiovisual speech. In the present study, we identified the following major statistical features of audiovisual speech. First, we observed robust correlations and close temporal correspondence between the area of the mouth opening and the acoustic envelope. Second, we found the strongest correlation between the area of the mouth opening and vocal tract resonances. Third, we observed that both area of the mouth opening and the voice envelope are temporally modulated in the 2–7 Hz frequency range. Finally, we show that the timing of mouth movements relative to the onset of the voice is consistently between 100 and 300 ms. We interpret these data in the context of recent neural theories of speech which suggest that speech communication is a reciprocally coupled, multisensory event, whereby the outputs of the signaler are matched to the neural processes of the receiver.     

Massive Fluid Requirements and an Unusual BUN/Creatinine Ratio for Pre-Renal Failure in Patients with Cholera

Background

Cholera is an important infectious cause of secretory diarrhea. The primary symptom of infection is the sudden onset of watery diarrhea with subsequent volume depletion causing renal insufficiency. The objective of this research is to study the level of dehydration at presentation and subsequent fluid management in patients with cholera.

Methods

This study was conducted on 191 patients of Cholera admitted at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan during the period of 5 years. Medical charts were evaluated retrospectively for initial hydration status, baseline lab investigations on admission and discharge and fluid therapy given to all the patients while their stay in the hospital and the data was analyzed on SPSS 15.0.

Results

Out of the 191 patients, 83(43%) were males and 108 (57%) were females with mean age of 42.3 years (SD±18.34). The average duration of symptoms was 3.75 days (SD±2.04). Of 191 patients, 175 (92.1%) presented with dehydration, 80 (42.3%) were given Ringer''s Lactate (R/L) + Normal Saline (N/S), 45 (24%) patients were given R/L + N/S + Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORS), 27 (14.3%) of the patients were kept on R/L only and remaining were given various combinations of R/L, N/S, ORS and Dextrose Saline (D/S). On admission mean Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) was 24.54 (SD±16.6), mean creatinine was 2.47 (SD±2.35) and mean BUN/Creatinine ratio was 11.63 (SD±5.7).

Conclusion

Aggressive fluid rehydration remains the cornerstone of management of cholera. Instead of presenting with a classical BUN/Creatinine ratio of >20∶1, patients with pre-renal failure in cholera may present with a BUN/Creatinine ratio of <15∶1.     

Classification of Dengue Fever Patients Based on Gene Expression Data Using Support Vector Machines

Background

Symptomatic infection by dengue virus (DENV) can range from dengue fever (DF) to dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF), however, the determinants of DF or DHF progression are not completely understood. It is hypothesised that host innate immune response factors are involved in modulating the disease outcome and the expression levels of genes involved in this response could be used as early prognostic markers for disease severity.

Methodology/Principal Findings

mRNA expression levels of genes involved in DENV innate immune responses were measured using quantitative real time PCR (qPCR). Here, we present a novel application of the support vector machines (SVM) algorithm to analyze the expression pattern of 12 genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 28 dengue patients (13 DHF and 15 DF) during acute viral infection. The SVM model was trained using gene expression data of these genes and achieved the highest accuracy of ∼85% with leave-one-out cross-validation. Through selective removal of gene expression data from the SVM model, we have identified seven genes (MYD88, TLR7, TLR3, MDA5, IRF3, IFN-α and CLEC5A) that may be central in differentiating DF patients from DHF, with MYD88 and TLR7 observed to be the most important. Though the individual removal of expression data of five other genes had no impact on the overall accuracy, a significant combined role was observed when the SVM model of the two main genes (MYD88 and TLR7) was re-trained to include the five genes, increasing the overall accuracy to ∼96%.

Conclusions/Significance

Here, we present a novel use of the SVM algorithm to classify DF and DHF patients, as well as to elucidate the significance of the various genes involved. It was observed that seven genes are critical in classifying DF and DHF patients: TLR3, MDA5, IRF3, IFN-α, CLEC5A, and the two most important MYD88 and TLR7. While these preliminary results are promising, further experimental investigation is necessary to validate their specific roles in dengue disease.     

Cholera outbreak in Forcibly Displaced Myanmar National (FDMN) from a small population segment in Cox’s Bazar,Bangladesh, 2019

BackgroundBangladesh experienced a sudden, large influx of forcibly displaced persons from Myanmar in August 2017. A cholera outbreak occurred in the displaced population during September-December 2019. This study aims to describe the epidemiologic characteristics of cholera patients who were hospitalized in diarrhea treatment centers (DTCs) and sought care from settlements of Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN) as well as host country nationals during the cholera outbreak.MethodsDiarrhea Treatment Center (DTC) based surveillance was carried out among the FDMN and host population in Teknaf and Leda DTCs hospitalized for cholera during September-December 2019.ResultsDuring the study period, 147 individuals with cholera were hospitalized. The majority, 72% of patients reported to Leda DTC. Nearly 65% sought care from FDMN settlements. About 47% of the cholera individuals were children less than 5 years old and 42% were aged 15 years and more. Half of the cholera patients were females. FDMN often reported from Camp # 26 (45%), followed by Camp # 24 (36%), and Camp # 27 (12%). Eighty-two percent of the cholera patients reported watery diarrhea. Some or severe dehydration was observed in 65% of cholera individuals. Eighty-one percent of people with cholera received pre-packaged ORS at home. About 88% of FDMN cholera patients reported consumption of public tap water. Pit latrine without water seal was often used by FDMN cholera individuals (78%).ConclusionVigilance for cholera patients by routine surveillance, preparedness, and response readiness for surges and oral cholera vaccination campaigns can alleviate the threats of cholera.