Bacoside production by suspension cultures of Bacopa monnieri (L.) Pennell

Cell suspension cultures of Bacopa monnieri (L.) Pennell, grown in modified MS medium, grew some 5–6 fold over 40 days. Selected cell lines produced the important saponin, bacoside A, up to 1 g/100 g dry wt after this time.     

Environmental distribution and abundance of the facultative methanotroph Methylocella

Methylocella spp. are facultative methanotrophs, which are able to grow not only on methane but also on multicarbon substrates such as acetate, pyruvate or malate. Methylocella spp. were previously thought to be restricted to acidic soils such as peatlands, in which they may have a key role in methane oxidation. There is little information on the abundance and distribution of Methylocella spp. in the environment. New primers were designed, and a real-time quantitative PCR method was developed and validated targeting Methylocella mmoX (encoding the α-subunit of the soluble methane monooxygenase) that allowed the quantification of Methylocella spp. in environmental samples. We also developed and validated specific PCR assays, which target 16S rRNA genes of known Methylocella spp. These were used to investigate the distribution of Methylocella spp. in a variety of environmental samples. It was revealed that Methylocella species are widely distributed in nature and not restricted to acidic environments.     

A Novel Approach to Identifying Physical Markers of Cryo-Damage in Bull Spermatozoa

Cryopreservation is an efficient way to store spermatozoa and plays a critical role in the livestock industry as well as in clinical practice. During cryopreservation, cryo-stress causes substantial damage to spermatozoa. In present study, the effects of cryo-stress at various cryopreservation steps, such as dilution / cooling, adding cryoprtectant, and freezing were studied in spermatozoa collected from 9 individual bull testes. The motility (%), motion kinematics, capacitation status, mitochondrial activity, and viability of bovine spermatozoa at each step of the cryopreservation process were assessed using computer-assisted sperm analysis, Hoechst 33258/chlortetracycline fluorescence, rhodamine 123 staining, and hypo-osmotic swelling test, respectively. The results demonstrate that the cryopreservation steps reduced motility (%), rapid speed (%), and mitochondrial activity, whereas medium/slow speed (%), and the acrosome reaction were increased (P < 0.05). Differences (Δ) of the acrosome reaction were higher in dilution/cooling step (P < 0.05), whereas differences (Δ) of motility, rapid speed, and non-progressive motility were higher in cryoprotectant and freezing as compared to dilution/cooling (P < 0.05). On the other hand, differences (Δ) of mitochondrial activity, viability, and progressive motility were higher in freezing step (P < 0.05) while the difference (Δ) of the acrosome reaction was higher in dilution/cooling (P < 0.05). Based on these results, we propose that freezing / thawing steps are the most critical in cryopreservation and may provide a logical ground of understanding on the cryo-damage. Moreover, these sperm parameters might be used as physical markers of sperm cryo-damage.     

Impact of NGO Training and Support Intervention on Diarrhoea Management Practices in a Rural Community of Bangladesh: An Uncontrolled,Single-Arm Trial

Purpose/Objective

The evolving Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) sector in Bangladesh provides health services directly, however some NGOs indirectly provide services by working with unlicensed providers. The primary objective of this study was to examine the impact of NGO training of unlicensed providers on diarrhoea management and the scale up of zinc treatment in rural populations.

Methods

An uncontrolled, single-arm trial for a training and support intervention on diarrhoea outcomes was employed in a rural sub-district of Bangladesh during 2008. Two local NGOs and their catchment populations were chosen for the study. The intervention included training of unlicensed health care providers in the management of acute childhood diarrhoea, particularly emphasizing zinc treatment. In addition, community-based promotion of zinc treatment was carried out. Baseline and endline ecologic surveys were carried out in intervention and control villages to document changes in treatments received for diarrhoea in under-five children.

Results

Among surveyed household with an active or recent acute childhood diarrhoea episode, 69% sought help from a health provider. Among these, 62.8% visited an unlicensed private provider. At baseline, 23.9% vs. 22% of control and intervention group children with diarrhoea had received zinc of any type. At endline (6 months later) this had changed to 15.3% vs. 30.2%, respectively. The change in zinc coverage was significantly higher in the intervention villages (p<0.01). Adherence with giving zinc for 10 days or more was significantly higher in the intervention households (9.2% vs. 2.5%; p<0.01). Child''s age, duration of diarrhoea, type of diarrhoea, parental year of schooling as well as oral rehydration solution (ORS) and antibiotic usage were significant predictors of zinc usage.

Conclusion

Training of unlicensed healthcare providers through NGOs increased zinc coverage in the diarrhoea management of under-five children in rural Bangladesh households.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT02143921","term_id":"NCT02143921"}}NCT02143921     

Leaf gas exchange,physiological growth,yield and biochemical properties of groundnut as influenced by boron in soilless culture

Crops specific proper concentration of micronutrient application is necessary to improve the yield and quality of crops. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to identify the optimum dose of boron for groundnut plant. Six level of boron (B) application, B₀ (0?ppm), B₁ (0.5?ppm), B₂ (1?ppm), B₃ (2?ppm), B₄ (4?ppm) and B₅ (8?ppm) were evaluated. Photosynthetic rate, transpiration and stomatal conductance were increased for boron application but leaf vapor pressure deficit decreased. Physiological growth parameters, yield and yield contributing character, and shelling percentage was highest for B₃. The values of biochemical traits including protein, oil and vitamin E content were higher for B₄. Thus, leaf gas exchange showed that boron can be used to culture groundnut as it provides high yield and biochemical properties.     

Chlamydophila abortus in a Brown Skua (Catharacta antarctica lonnbergi) from a Subantarctic Island

On Bird Island, South Georgia, a new strain of Chlamydophila abortus was detected in one Brown skua out of 37 specimens from six different seabird species. Phylogenetic analysis of the rnpB and omp1 genes indicated the strain to be more closely related to C. abortus than to 6BC, the type strain of Chlamydophila psittaci.     

2',4'-BNA(NC): a novel bridged nucleic acid analogue with excellent hybridizing and nuclease resistance profiles

Oligonucleotides modified with 2 ',4 '-BNA(NC) (N-H)/(N-Me) monomers exhibited excellent hybridizing and nuclease resistance properties. Duplex and triplex thermal stabilities were greatly enhanced by incorporating 2',4'-BNA(NC) (N-H) and (N-Me) monomers and nuclease resistance was tremendously higher than that of natural oligonucleotide.     

Enhancing food waste biodegradation rate in a food waste biodigester with the synergistic action of hydrolase-producing Bacillus paralicheniformis GRA2 and Bacillus velezensis TAP5 co-culture inoculation

Food waste (FW) minimization at the source by using food waste biodigester (FWBs) has a vast potential to lower down the impact of increasing organic fraction in municipal solid waste generation. To this end, this research sought to check the performance of locally isolated hydrolase-producing bacteria (HPB) to improve food waste biodegradation rate. Two under-explored HPB identified as Bacillus paralicheniformis GRA2 and Bacillus velezensis TAP5 were able to produce maximum amylase, cellulase, protease and lipase activities, and demonstrated a significant hydrolase synergy in co-culture fermentation. In vitro biodegradation analysis of both autoclaved and non-autoclaved FW revealed that the HPB inoculation was effective to degrade total solids (>62%), protein (>19%), total fat (>51), total sugar (>86%), reducing sugar (>38%) and starch (>50%) after 8-day incubation. All co-culture treatments were recorded superior to the respective monocultures and the uninoculated control. The results of FW biodegradation using batch-biodigester trial indicated that the 1500 mL and 1000 mL inoculum size of HPB inoculant reached a plateau on the 4th day, with gross biodegradation percentage (GBP) of >85% as compared to control (66.4%). The 1000 mL inoculum was sufficient to achieve the maximum GBP (>90%) of FW after an 8-day biodigestion in a FWB.