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MicroRNAs (MiRNAs) are small endogenous RNA molecules and have emerged as novel serum diagnostic biomarkers for several diseases due to their stability and detection at minute quantities. In this study, we have identified a serum miRNA signature in human serum samples of mild to severe TBI, which can be used for diagnosis of mild and moderate TBI (MMTBI). Human serum samples of MMTBI, severe TBI (STBI), orthopedic injury and healthy controls were used and miRNA profiling was done using taqman real time PCR. The real time PCR data for the MMTBI, STBI and orthopedic injury was normalized to the control samples which showed upregulation of 39, 37 and 33 miRNAs in MMTBI, STBI and orthopedic injury groups respectively. TBI groups were compared to orthopedic injury group and an up-regulation of 18 and 20 miRNAs in MMTBI and STBI groups was observed. Among these, a signature of 10 miRNAs was found to be present in both MMTBI and STBI groups. These 10 miRNAs were validated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from STBI and four miRNAs were found to be upregulated in CSF. In conclusion, we identified a subset of 10 unique miRNAs which can be used for diagnosis of MMTBI and STBI.

Non-rhizobial endophytes (NREs) are active colonizers inhabiting the root nodules. Though their active role in the lentil agroecosystem is not well defined, here we observed that these NREs might promote the growth of lentils, modulate rhizospheric community structure and could be used as promising organisms for optimal use of rice fallow soil. NREs from root nodules of lentils were isolated and examined for plant growth-promoting traits, exopolysaccharide (EPS) and biofilm production, root metabolites, and the presence of nifH and nifK elements. The greenhouse experiment with the chosen NREs, i.e., Serratia plymuthica 33GS and Serratia sp. R6 significantly increased the germination rate, vigour index, development of nodules (in non-sterile soil) and fresh weight of nodules (33GS 94%, R6 61% growth) and length of the shoot (33GS 86%, R6 51.16%) as well as chlorophyll levels when compared to the uninoculated control. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed that both isolates could successfully colonize the roots and elicit root hair growth. The inoculation of the NREs resulted in specific changes in root exudation patterns. The plants with 33GS and R6 treatment significantly stimulated the exudation of triterpenes, fatty acids, and their methyl esters in comparison to the uninoculated plants, altering the rhizospheric microbial community structure. Proteobacteria dominated the rhizospheric microbiota in all the treatments. Treatment with 33GS or R6 also enhanced the relative abundance of other favourable microbes, including Rhizobium, Mesorhizobium, and Bradyrhizobium. The correlation network analysis of relative abundances resulted in numerous bacterial taxa, which were in cooperation with each other, having a possible role in plant growth promotion. The results indicate the significant role of NREs as plant growth promoters, which also includes their role in root exudation patterns, enhancement of soil nutrient status and modulation of rhizospheric microbiota, suggesting their prospects in sustainable, and bio-based agriculture.

Rhizobacteria are vital component of soil–plant interfaces which helps in plant growth responses and disease management. Precisely, the role of biosurfactant production by rhizobacteria in biocontrol mechanisms is underscored. The current study explores the destructive effect of a biosurfactant-producing bacterium Bacillus cereus BS14 on fungal growth under in vitro experiments and showed in vivo reduction of disease severity in pulse crop Vigna mungo. In this study, B. cereus BS14 was observed as plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) based on abilities of production of phytohormone and HCN, phosphate solubilization and biocontrol of Macrophomina phaseolina. The purified biosurfactant from BS14 inhibited the fungal growth by arresting radially growing mycelia. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) study revealed deformities at cellular level in the mycelia of M. phaseolina. The biosurfactant of Bacillus BS14 was identified as cyclic siloxane in GC–MS spectroscopy and FT-IR spectroscopy analyses. In the pot trial studies, B. cereus BS14 proved its efficiency for the growth promotion of Vigna mungo and significantly reduced disease severity index. The present study concludes that biosurfactant of rhizobacterial origin and rhizobacteria can serve for biological control, improvement in crop production and agricultural sustainability. In future, it can be developed as biological control and biofertilizer formulations for legume crops, and commercialized for routine farming practices.

Background and aims Amaranth is an important underutilized crop with high nutritional value but due to acidic soils and low nutrient availability, its production is low in Uttarakhand hills. Use of inorganic chemicals is restricted as they may disturb the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. Therefore, native cold tolerant Bacillus spp. isolates were used to assess their effect on growth and yield enhancement in amaranth. Methods A repository of 120 isolates of Bacillus spp. was developed and evaluated for their cold tolerance ability and PGP (Plant Growth Promoting) traits. Among these isolates, three potential isolates (BS-27, BS-41, BS-58) were selected for the field experiments to assess their effects on plant growth, soil nutrients (N, P and K) availability, nutrient uptake and yield of amaranth. Effect of different treatments on the nutrient use efficiency of amaranth was also determined. Results Biopriming of amaranth seeds by the selected three isolates exhibited a significant enhancement in plant growth and yield under field conditions. Among the different treatments, T-8 (BS-27 + BS-58) exhibited a maximum increase in grain yield (36.94%) closely followed by T-4 (BS-27; 33.80%). A significant increase (36.18%, 32.45 and 17.11%) in soil nutrients (NPK) and their uptake (68.01%, 104.16 and 116.46%) was recorded in different treatments. Principal component analysis revealed a positive correlation between soil nutrients and their uptake by host plants. The rpoB gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis suggested the identity of BS-27 and BS-41 as B. pumilus and BS-58 as B. subtilis. Conclusion Our study shows that plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) can enhance the nutrient use efficiency of the host plant that further contributes to increase the crop yield. A significant increase in crop yield suggests that regular use of such effective PGPBs by farmers may increase the soil fertility and crop yield. Ultimately, this will lead towards food security under the organic farming framework in general, and sustainable crop production in particular.

Hemorrhage following whole-body γ-irradiation in a combined injury (CI) model increases mortality compared to whole-body γ-irradiation alone (RI). The decreased survival in CI is accompanied by increased bone marrow injury, decreased hematocrit, and alterations of miRNA in the kidney. In this study, our aim was to examine cytokine homeostasis, susceptibility to systemic bacterial infection, and intestinal injury. More specifically, we evaluated the interleukin-6 (IL-6)-induced stress proteins including C-reactive protein (CRP), complement 3 (C3), Flt-3 ligand, and corticosterone. CD2F1 male mice received 8.75 Gy 60Co gamma photons (0.6 Gy/min, bilateral) which was followed by a hemorrhage of 20% of the blood volume. In serum, RI caused an increase of IL-1, IL-2, IL-3, IL-5, IL-6, IL-12, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17A, IL-18, G-CSF, CM-CSF, eotaxin, IFN-γ, MCP-1, MIP, RANTES, and TNF-α, which were all increased by hemorrhage alone, except IL-9, IL-17A, and MCP-1. Nevertheless, CI further elevated RI-induced increases of these cytokines except for G-CSF, IFN- γ and RANTES in serum. In the ileum, hemorrhage in the CI model significantly enhanced RI-induced IL-1β, IL-3, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, IL-18, and TNF-α concentrations. In addition, Proteus mirabilis Gram(-) was found in only 1 of 6 surviving RI mice on Day 15, whereas Streptococcus sanguinis Gram(+) and Sphingomonas paucimobilis Gram(-) were detected in 2 of 3 surviving CI mice (with 3 CI mice diseased due to inflammation and infection before day 15) at the same time point. Hemorrhage in the CI model enhanced the RI-induced increases in C3 and decreases in CRP concentrations. However, hemorrhage alone did not alter the basal levels, but hemorrhage in the CI model displayed similar increases in Flt-3 ligand levels as RI did. Hemorrhage alone altered the basal levels of corticosterone early after injury, which then returned to the baseline, but in RI mice and CI mice the increased corticosterone concentration remained elevated throughout the 15 day study. CI increased 8 miRNAs and decreased 10 miRNAs in serum, and increased 16 miRNA and decreased 6 miRNAs in ileum tissue. Among the altered miRNAs, CI increased miR-34 in the serum and ileum which targeted an increased phosphorylation of ERK, p38, and increased NF-κB, thereby leading to increased iNOS expression and activation of caspase-3 in the ileum. Further, let-7g/miR-98 targeted the increased phosphorylation of STAT3 in the ileum, which is known to bind to the iNOS gene. These changes may correlate with cell death in the ileum of CI mice. The histopathology displayed blunted villi and villus edema in RI and CI mice. Based on the in silico analysis, miR-15, miR-99, and miR-100 were predicted to regulate IL-6 and TNF. These results suggest that CI-induced alterations of cytokines/chemokines, CRP, and C3 cause a homeostatic imbalance and may contribute to the pathophysiology of the gastrointestinal injury. Inhibitory intervention in these responses may prove therapeutic for CI and improve recovery of the ileal morphologic damage.

Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have highlighted the problems of diagnosis and treatment of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). MTBI is a heterogeneous injury that may lead to the development of neurological and behavioral disorders. In the absence of specific diagnostic markers, mTBI is often unnoticed or misdiagnosed. In this study, mice were induced with increasing levels of mTBI and microRNA (miRNA) changes in the serum were determined. MTBI was induced by varying weight and fall height of the impactor rod resulting in four different severity grades of the mTBI. Injuries were characterized as mild by assessing with the neurobehavioral severity scale-revised (NSS-R) at day 1 post injury. Open field locomotion and acoustic startle response showed behavioral and sensory motor deficits in 3 of the 4 injury groups at day 1 post injury. All of the animals recovered after day 1 with no significant neurobehavioral alteration by day 30 post injury. Serum microRNA (miRNA) profiles clearly differentiated injured from uninjured animals. Overall, the number of miRNAs that were significantly modulated in injured animals over the sham controls increased with the severity of the injury. Thirteen miRNAs were found to identify mTBI regardless of its severity within the mild spectrum of injury. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that the more severe brain injuries were associated with a greater number of miRNAs involved in brain related functions. The evaluation of serum miRNA may help to identify the severity of brain injury and the risk of developing adverse effects after TBI.

The radioprotective capacity of a rationally-designed Mn2+-decapeptide complex (MDP), based on Mn antioxidants in the bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans, was investigated in a mouse model of radiation injury. MDP was previously reported to be extraordinarily radioprotective of proteins in the setting of vaccine development. The peptide-component (DEHGTAVMLK) of MDP applied here was selected from a group of synthetic peptides screened in vitro for their ability to protect cultured human cells and purified enzymes from extreme damage caused by ionizing radiation (IR). We show that the peptides accumulated in Jurkat T-cells and protected them from 100 Gy. MDP preserved the activity of T4 DNA ligase exposed to 60,000 Gy. In vivo, MDP was nontoxic and protected B6D2F1/J (female) mice from acute radiation syndrome. All irradiated mice treated with MDP survived exposure to 9.5 Gy (LD70/30) in comparison to the untreated mice, which displayed 63% lethality after 30 days. Our results show that MDP provides early protection of white blood cells, and attenuates IR-induced damage to bone marrow and hematopoietic stem cells via G-CSF and GM-CSF modulation. Moreover, MDP mediated the immunomodulation of several cytokine concentrations in serum including G-CSF, GM-CSF, IL-3 and IL-10 during early recovery. Our results present the necessary prelude for future efforts towards clinical application of MDP as a promising IR countermeasure. Further investigation of MDP as a pre-exposure prophylactic and post-exposure therapeutic in radiotherapy and radiation emergencies is warranted.

Background: Alcoholism Physiological problems (hand tremors and blackouts), Psychological problems, (an obsessive desire to drink), Behavioral problems that affect work or social life. Spouses of the alcoholic may experience psychological problems due to her life with the alcoholic husband. The spouses of the alcoholic individuals experience high levels of stress from dual problems husband's alcoholism and domestic violence by the husband and are thus a high-risk group. In alcoholism, spouses are mainly affected because of the intimate nature of the relationship with the husband and constant exposure to the behavior of alcoholics. This study aimed to assess the stress and coping strategies among the spouses of the alcoholic. Objectives: 1. To assess stress and coping strategies among the spouses of the alcoholic in de-addiction centers. 2. To find the correlation between stress and coping strategies among the spouses of the alcoholic in de-addiction centers. 3. To find the association between stress and coping strategies among the spouses of the alcoholic in de-addiction centers with selected demographic variables. Methodology: A Descriptive research design study was conducted among 50spouses of the alcoholic in de-addiction centers, Puducherry. Each spouse of the alcoholic was selected through a non-probability purposive sampling method and was assessed stress and coping strategies among the spouses of the alcoholic by using a standardized tool (Perceived stress standardized scale and Carver, C. S. (1997) coping strategy scale). The collected data were computerized and analyzed using SPSS version 25. The analysis was done using Frequency, Percentage; Pearson correlation r test, and Chi-square test. Results: The result shows that the stress level, majority of the spouses of the alcoholic41 (82%) had a moderate level of stress and 9 (18%) had a high perceived level of stress and the coping strategies level, majority of the spouses of the alcoholic 36 (72%) had a moderate level of coping strategies and 14 (28%) had a low level of coping strategies.Conclusion: The study concludes the majority of the spouses of the alcoholic had a moderate level of stress and coping strategies. Hence, an Awareness program on the prevention of alcoholism can be started in this group to educate the public in both the clinical and community settings and Pamphlets can be given to the spouses of the alcoholic. The Psychological health care service administration should plan and formulate policies for spouses of the alcoholic

Rainfall and earthquakes are the most frequent landslide-triggering parameters throughout the Indian Himalayan region. This region is susceptible to both rainfall- and earthquake-induced landslides. Therefore, landslide susceptibility zonation (LSZ) based on the individual triggering parameter is insufficient for this region. The primary aim of this work is to assess the combined effect of rainfall- and earthquake-triggering parameters on LSZ using a GIS-based relative frequency ratio (RFR) approach. Consequently, the objective is to develop rainfall- and earthquake-induced LSZ maps for the study area. In this paper, the study area considered is a part of Chamoli district in the Uttarakhand state of India. For this study, the landslide inventories were derived from the pre- and post-Chamoli earthquake (1999). Landslide inventory includes 220 landslides that occurred before the Chamoli earthquake, considered as rainfall-induced landslides (RIL) and 56 earthquake-induced landslides (EIL). The variation between landslides' spatial distribution and controlling parameters for both cases, i.e. RIL and EIL, are assessed and compared. Then, rainfall- and earthquake-induced LSZ maps in the same study area are produced and compared.

A descriptive cross sectional survey approach was used to assess the knowledge of parents with under five children regarding first aid in Selected Hospital, Salem. Data were collected from hundred mothers by using purposive sampling technique through structured interview schedule. Data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics.