Incessant Use Research Articles

A cub and sushi domain-containing protein with esterase-like activity confers insecticide resistance in the Indian malaria vector Anopheles stephensi

Chemical insecticides (organophosphates and pyrethroids) in the form of IRS (Indoor Residual Sprays) and LLINs (Long Lasting insecticidal nets) are the cornerstone for vector control, globally. However, their incessant use has resulted in widespread development of resistance in mosquito vectors, warranting continuous monitoring and investigation of the underlying mechanisms of resistance. Here, we identified a previously uncharacterized- Cub and Sushi Domain containing Insecticide Resistance (CSDIR) protein and generated evidence for its role in mediating insecticide resistance in the Anopheles stephensi. A strong binding affinity of the CSDIR protein towards different classes of insecticide molecules-malathion (KD 6.43 μM) and deltamethrin (KD 46.7μM) were demonstrated using MD simulation studies and Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) experiments. Further, the recombinant CSDIR913-1190 protein exhibited potent esterase-like activity (α-naphthyl acetate (α-NA)- 1.356±0.262 mM/min/mg and β-naphthyl acetate (β -NA)- 1.777±0.220 mM/min/mg). Interestingly, dsRNA-mediated gene silencing of the CSDIR transcripts caused >60% mortality in resistant An. stephensi upon 1-hour exposure to deltamethrin and malathion insecticides, compared to the control group. A significant reduction in the esterase-like activity was also observed against α-NA (P=0.004) and β-NA (P=0.025) in CSDIR silenced mosquitoes compared to the control group. Using computational analysis and experimental data, our results provided significant evidence of the involvement of the CSDIR protein in mediating insecticide resistance in Anopheles mosquitoes. Thereby making the CSDIR protein, a novel candidate for exploration of novel insecticide molecules. These data would also be helpful in further understanding the development of metabolic resistance by the Anopheles vector.

Vaccination and Pandemic Control in Bangladesh: Post Vaccination COVID-19 Positive Cases among Health Care Providers

Vaccination was started on a trial basis in Bangladesh from 27th January, 2021 and started mass vaccination from 7th February, 2021. Since starting of mass vaccination it was noticed that, the health care providers (HCPs) who received two doses of Astra-Zeneca were then reported of being infected. This cross-sectional study was conducted during the period of July to December 2021 and data were collected from July to August 2021. The main objective was to measure the proportion of post vaccinated Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) positive cases among healthcare providers working in different healthcare facilities in Bangladesh and aimed to collect available evidence to characterize these infections and correlations with different co-morbidities. This study was carried out among 450 vaccinated HCPs who received 2 doses of vaccine at various health care facilities (HCFs) from 32 districts of Bangladesh. Data were collected from HCPs (Doctors, Nurses, Lab technician) who willing to participate irrespective of age and sex. Among the HCPs nearly three-fourth (71.6%) was doctors, 21.3% nurses and 7.1% were lab technologists. Here, most of the (88.0%) respondents were in age group 21 to 40 years and other 22.0% was in age group 41 to 59 years. The number of Male-female respondents was equal and 77.8% of the respondents was Muslim followed by Hinduism (20.2%), Buddhist and Christian 2.0%. Study finds that 27.6% of the respondents was post vaccination COVID-19 positive (PVC-19+) (according to their rt-PCR test result). Less than one-fifth (18.7%) of the respondents had pre-existing co-morbidities among them 8.2% was suffering from hypertension (HTN), 6.0% asthma, 4% Diabetes Mellitus (DM), 2.0% Obesity, 1.1% ischemic heart disease (IHD) and 1.1% was others co-morbidities. Among the PVC-19+ cases most of them (84.6%) were in age group 21-40 years, male-female ratio was 1:0.9 and 81.5% was Muslim. More than three-fourth (77.4%) of positive cases were doctors, 17.7% nurses and 4.8% was lab technicians; among the PVC-19+ cases 87.9% was symptomatic. Three-fourth (75%) of the positive cases had fever, 51.6% had lost of smell and taste, 49.2% showed fatigue/ or malaise, 48.4% dry cough, 43.5% headache, 26.6% runny nose, 25.8% felt muscle pain, 19.4% sore throat, 18.5% shortness of breathing, 14.5% experienced joint pain, 9.7% had productive cough and 32.3% complained for other symptoms and signs. Majority of the PVC+19+ cases (57.26%) developed complications; among them 71.8% had tiredness/ fatigue, 31% difficulty in thinking/ concentrating, 21.1% headache, 19.7% cough, 15.5% dizziness, 14.1% loss of smell or taste, 12.7% joint or muscle pain, 12.7% fast-beating or pounding heart, 11.3% shortness of breathing, 8.5% chest pain and 29.9% developed other complications. Pre-existing co-morbidity was found in 66.94% of positive cases, among those 41.5% HTN, 36.6% asthma, 14.6% DM, 14.6% obesity, 4.9% IHD and 9.8% had others co-morbidity. Chi-square test for independence with α = 0.05 was done to assess association, hypertension (P = 0.009) and asthma (P = 0.001) with PVC-19+ cases was statistically significant. Hypertensive and asthmatic HCPs are more likely to be COVID-19 positive even after complete vaccination. Healthcare providers are at high risk for contracting COVID-19 and might become infected at home or nosocomially while caring for patients or interacting with other staff members. COVID-19 vaccination together with incessant use of personal protective equipment (PPE) might be recommended for HCPs to combat its pandemicity. Bangladesh Med J. 2022 Sept; 51(3): 1-9

Hybridization of antimicrobial oxazolidinones with commercial drugs: A fight against the "superbugs".

Antimicrobial resistance caused by the emergence of antibiotic-resistant microbes, termed as "superbugs," poses a grave healthcare concern in the contemporary era. Though this phenomenon is natural, an incessant use of antibiotics due to their unregulated over-the-counter availability, and a lack of compliance with the legislation seem to be major contributing factors. This phenomenon has further complicated the treatment of common infectious diseases thereby leading to prolonged illness, disability, and even death. In addition, a sizeable impact on the healthcare cost is met due to a prolonged stay at the medical facilities to receive an intensive care. Overall, the gains of "Millennium Development Goals" and the accomplishment of Sustainable Development Goals are at risk due to the emerging antimicrobial resistance. Since an early identification and development of novel antibiotic classes that evade antimicrobial resistance appears improbable, the strategy of hybridization of the existing antibiotics with efficacious pharmacophores and drug molecules with a different mechanism of antimicrobial action can be a silver lining for the management of superbugs. In this regard, we aim to provide a perspective for the applicability of the hybridization of oxazolidinone class of antibiotics with other drugs for evading antimicrobial resistance.

The pangenome structure of human pathogen Mycobacterium kansasii

The non-tuberculous Mycobacterium kansasii, is the causative agent of destructive pulmonary and extrapulmonary infections in immunocompromised persons. Incessant use of multiple antibiotics and lack of effective vaccines did little to combat M. kansasii mediated infections. Here, a bioinformatic analysis has been carried out using PanExplorer, to analyze the pangenome aimed at functional characterization of the bacterium, understanding it’s pathogenic lifestyle and recognize the factors shaping evolution and variations amongst strains. M. kansasii had a large core genome (60.2%), a small (11.9%) dispensable genome and 27.9% strain-specific genes. The core genome of M. kansasii had a high concentration of COGs (Cluster of orthologous genes) linked to energy production and conversion, amino acid transport and metabolism, nucleotide transport and metabolism, coenzyme transport and metabolism, and secondary me-tabolite biosynthesis, transport and metabolism. Interestingly, numerous genes within the core and dispensable genome were associated with pathogenesis and virulence. Noteworthy among them were type VII secretion, ESX, PP and PPE family proteins. Although, M. kansasii genomes revealed overall relatedness and conservation, genomic rearrangements caused variability within the strains. The information from this analysis could assist future microbial genomics research on M. kansasii, and further studies, e.g., concerning distinctive gene clusters, and evolution.

Efficacy of Mycorrhizae Based Manure on the Vegetative Growth of Rice Grown within Bauchi State, Nigeria

Background: Rice is one of the staple crops in the African continent for its ability to give maximum yields which can help to achieve food security under the sustainable development goals (SDGs); to those effects, the incessant use of inorganic fertilizer has been employed which proved to have devastating effect in the environment and the ecosystem at large. Therefore, the thirst for an alternative method to ensure bumper production of rice cannot be overemphasized so as to prevent soil alteration and environmental damage. Objective: This study aimed at determining the efficacy of mycorrhizae-based manure on the vegetative growth of rice as compared to inorganic fertilizer and its sustainability. Methods: Soil samples were collected from seven (7) locations (M1 - M7). Mycorrhiza were isolated from the soils and mass produced, mixed with organic waste to form manure (biofertilizer) and were applied at concentrations of 50 g, 100 g and 150 g to the potted rice in tree (3) replicates. Growth parameters observed were plant height, girth diameter, leaf broadness and leaf number. Results: The result revealed mycorrhizal spore count ranging from 1.7 × 107 - to 4.1 × 107 across the locations. The mycorrhizae-based manure gives the highest plant height of 45.33 cm as compared with the least plant height of 18.5 cm from the inorganic fertilizer. Furthermore, the biofertilizer gives a positive influence on the other parameters observed in comparison with the inorganic fertilizer. Statistical analysis shows that, the means of all the parameters except for leaf numbers were significantly different at p ≤ 0.05 across the sampling locations. Conclusions: Mycorrhizae-based manure proves to be an effective replacement of inorganic fertilizer that can boost rice production at a cheaper cost.

Factors Determining Sustainable Consumption Behaviour: A Guiding Framework from Literature

One of the most pressing issues facing the world today is that of rapid degradation of the environment caused by the incessant use of natural resources for satisfying human material needs. A solution to this lies in transitioning from consuming conventional to eco-friendly products which have the least adverse impact on the environment. This study has attempted to identify the factors that determine or impact this sustainable consumption. Drawing conclusions from the extant literature, this study has listed all the determinants of sustainable consumption studied by researchers in different parts of the world in the last decade. Thirty-two factors, segregated into five broad categories viz. Endogenous, Exogenous, Situational, Product Attributes, and Demographic have been identified. It is clear that the factors work individually or in combination with each other to impact sustainable consumption behaviour, directly or indirectly, and sometimes act as moderating and mediating variables. This study shall provide pointers for future research to understand consumer behaviour concerning green products. The findings of this comprehensive study shall guide marketers and policymakers in formulating strategies to promote green consumption, in any part of the world. This paper is divided into four sections. The first section gives an introduction and lists out the research questions which the authors have attempted to answer in this study. The second section outlines the research methodology used. All the factors or determinants have been discussed in the third section. The paper concludes by giving future research prospects the current study opens up and its contribution in the form of policy recommendations.

Price Sensitivity of Fish Fed with Insect Meal: An Analysis on Italian Consumers

The importance of aquaculture in reducing pressure on wild stocks in the seas and meeting the demand for fish worldwide has increased greatly in recent years. However, sustainability of the sector can be jeopardized by the incessant use of fish meal as the main source of feed. For this reason, replacing, even partially, fish meal with other feeds such as insect meal is essential to make this sector more sustainable. However, this transition requires consumer acceptance of this innovation, which comes through price, one of the most powerful marketing tools affecting the evaluation of product alternatives (e.g., fish fed with traditional feed or insects) and the final purchase decision. The objective of this study is to explore the acceptable price and the limits of price thresholds of fish fed with insect meal using a direct measure of assessing consumers’ willingness to pay. In particular, the study uses the Price Sensitivity Meter (PSM) of Van Westendorp to evaluate the reaction of Italian consumers to the price of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) hypothetically fed with insect meal. The results showed a wide acceptable price range, an indifferent price point very close to the price of traditionally fed fish, and a high price stress factor. Consumers have shown considerable price sensitivity, which does not allow the additional costs arising from the use of this sustainable alternative feed to be passed on to them. Consumers with great subject knowledge showed major willingness to pay. The contribution of our study lies in providing detailed insights into the possible prices that consumers are willing to pay for sea bass fed with insect meal and thus on the product’s perceived quality, offering several implications for academics, practitioners, and policymakers.

Toxicological impact of gasoline generator emissions using rat models

Nigeria has been identified as one of the largest active users of gasoline generators globally. Due to the widespread incessant use of gasoline generators, the present study assessed the exposure to gasoline generator emission (GGE) and some toxicity endpoints. This study employed a laboratory-based experimental design. An emission chamber was designed using clear thermoplastic to house the rats during exposure to 0.5KVA GGEs. Three experimental groups, each with eight rats respectively, were subjected to 5, 10, 15 minutes of of daily GGE exposure for fourteen days for fourteen days, while the fourth was a control group. Selected air quality parameters were measured using the appropriate samplers. Assays like liver function tests, antioxidant enzyme activity, and micronucleus frequency were conducted after the experiment. Micronucleus frequency significantly increased with time of GGE exposure (p=0.000), while the liver tissue antioxidant activity of the test groups was significantly higher than that of the control group (p<0.05). Moreover, histopathological examinations revealed lesions like sinusoidal congestion and vacuolar degeneration of the hepatocytes in liver tissues of the exposed rats. However, the liver function test showed a non-significant association with their level of GGE exposure. The result of this study suggested that exposure to GGEs at a non-lethal concentration in a sub-acute or chronic manner has deleterious effects on mammalian biochemical systems. Therefore, the use of exhaust filters and improvement in the ventilating systems of houses are encouraged to reduce exposure rates in developing countries like Nigeria, where GGEs are widespread due to erratic electricity supply.

Phytotoxic activity of Moldavian dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica L.) essential oil and its possible use as bio-herbicide

The incessant use of synthetic herbicides may cause several ecological problems including environmental contamination and developing herbicide-resistant species. These concerns led to exploring new eco-friendly weed control strategies. Present study is aimed to assess the phytotoxic activity of Moldavian dragonhead, Dracocephalum moldavica L., essential oil (EO) on Bromus tectorum L. All experiments were carried out as a completely randomized design with three replications. The EO of D. moldavica was analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The outcomes of GC–MS showed that geranyl acetate (32.57 %), geranial (24.50 %), neral (22.65 %), and geraniol (8.78 %) are the major bioactive compounds of EO. As a result of treatment of B. tectorum with EO, seed germination and plantlet growth parameters were reduced in a concentration-dependent manner, and were completely suppressed with an essential oil concentration of 2 μL/mL. The content of pigments was also reduced in a dose-dependent manner. Although, antioxidant enzymes activities were enhanced in low concentrations of the EO, they were inhibited in high concentrations especially at 2 μL/mL. H2O2 and malondialdehyde content as well as electrolyte leakage were enhanced with the increasing concentration of EO. Overall, the outcomes of present study suggest that essential oil of D. moldavica can be used industrially to develop bio-herbicides owing to its noteworthy phytotoxic activity and weed killer potential.

Comparative analysis of different chemical and biological adsorbents for the reduction of arsenic and mercury from vegetable species in the Sanganer, Jaipur

Heavy metals (HMs) pollution has become a universal menace to the ecosystem and environment due to a variety of natural and human-induced actions. Vegetables are accounted as nature reserves for nutrients hence they are a vital element of human food. The toxicity of heavy metals to many types of ailments on their ingestion through food is one of the most toxic food pollutants. Irrigation with contaminated water, industrial pollutants, and overuse of metal-containing pesticides, etc. contribute to the contamination of vegetables. Current research work was executed to alleviate the residue of HMs (As and Hg) in Spinach and Reddish collected from agricultural fields near Sanganer industrial area through chemical and biological adsorbent treatments. Physicochemical characteristics of irrigating water samples and field soils were identified. The extent of HMs in soil, water, and vegetable samples was calculated with the help of an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The data was statistically examined to find the most effective adsorbent treatment for heavy metal mitigation. The incessant use of contaminated water for irrigation may create the progressive deposition of HMs in the soil, which may eventually lead to increased heavy metal uptake by growing vegetable crops. Adsorbent treated vegetable samples showed a significant reduction in loads of HMs as compared to untreated samples. Amid various chemical adsorbents, 15% sodium carbonate proved maximum reduction potential and among various biological adsorbents, 15% orange peel extract proved maximum reduction potential for amputation of HMs from vegetable samples. On the whole, consumption of vegetables could be safer when treated with these adsorbent solutions as they are intelligible and can mitigate heavy metal residues from vegetables.

TOXICITY OF SOME BOTANICAL POWDERS ON MAIZE WEEVIL Sitophilus Zeamais MOTSCHULSKY 1855 (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE)

Maize production system is challenged by a lot of biotic and abiotic stressors. Among the biotic stressors, the maize weevil is infamous for causing severe damage to stored maize, reducing both qualitative and quantitative qualities. Incessant use of synthetic insecticide to manage maize weevil has led to a public outcry and a need for more eco-compatible options. Botanicals provide a cheap, safe and easy-to-make, and eco-friendly option for maize weevil management. This study was designed to assess the toxicity of four medicinal plant powders on some parameters of maize weevil. The study was conducted in June-July, 2020 in the Food Science laboratory of Catholic University of Cameroon, Bamenda. Plant powders of Carica papaya seeds, Cupressus macrocarpa leaves, Piper nigrum seeds and a control (no-input) were assessed. All the parameters assessed were significantly influenced by botanical powders (P < 0.05). The highest F1 emergence suppression was observed from piper treatments, followed by cypress and pawpaw treatments. The highest and lowest maize weight loss after storage were 21.0g and 13.25g from control and piper treatments respectively. The highest germination percentage was 95.0%, followed by 80.0%, 75.0% and 52.5% from piper (bush pepper or black pepper, cypress, pawpaw and control treatment, respectively. High repellency potential was observed from botanicals and that of piper can be described as a ‘very good repellant’ and ‘good repellant’ for the other botanicals. The highest adult weevil mortality was 80.05, recorded from piper. The current study demonstrate that botanical powders can play a significant role in maize weevil management. Piper seed powder is highly recommended for management of maize weevil. In addition, it is recommended that botanical powders be incorporated into integrated pest management strategies in order to guarantee safe, healthy and quality maize in storage. Such activities are in line with the objective of sustainable development goals (SDG).

Does Power “Spread”? Foucault on the Generalization of Power

This essay critically analyzes a common metaphor in political theory, which figures the growth of power as a process of “spreading” or “diffusion.” It argues that narratives that cast the generalization of power as a movement of “spreading” often fail to furnish the specific type of historical evidence that they imply, such that these narratives are frequently received as richly suggestive yet ultimately unjustified. This essay develops an alternative way of conceptualizing the generalization of power, one that rests on rigorous yet speculative evidence of the sort that political theorists are best positioned to find: not proof of literal extension or application of existing powers to new domains, but accidental convergences, isomorphisms, and ideal combinations among disparate practices that introduce large powers into the world. To do this, the essay revisits Foucault’s narrative of the generalization of disciplinary power in modern Western societies, which is perhaps the clearest source for the familiarity of the figure of “spread” in contemporary political theory. It shows that Foucault’s incessant use of the “spread” metaphor naturally invites the dismissive reading that Discipline and Punish received in many quarters, for it implies a historical process that Foucault cannot justify. Yet I argue that in a brief self-criticism, Foucault provides the rudiments for a conception of power’s generalization far more useful and compelling than the metaphoric of “spread.” I suggest that this alternative, if developed, is not just the proper frame for interpreting Foucault’s narrative, but a promising practical resource for contemporary theorists of general powers.

Trends and techniques for thiamethoxam residue estimation in different vegetables and fruits

At this present day, the use of pesticides has become an important part of farming practices for our farmer as well as for public health. Pesticides are being used globally in such an inflated rate that many of them are on the way of becoming a serious threat to the biosphere. Besides providing a very good coverage over various pest infestations, they bring additional hazard to non-targeted organisms, application surfaces and harm to the applicator. All-round use of pesticides had resulted in tainting of all the basic necessities of life, i.e. air, water and food. The incessant use of pesticides has caused the deleterious effects to ecosystem as well. In response to this, numerous methods have been developed by several regulatory agencies and private laboratories which are being applied perpetually for the qualitative and quantitative quantification and monitoring of multi pesticide residues in different vegetables and crops. The main intent of the review is to document access and analyze the results of the former data on levels of different pesticides in various fruits and vegetables in India and abroad. The findings of the previous studies clearly indicated that approximately more than 50 % of the samples were contaminated with organophosphate, pyrethroids and organochlorine pesticides. Many studies reported that among fresh fruits and vegetables tomato, apple, melon, mango, grapes, and plum crossed the FAO/WHO permissible limits for these contaminants residual levels.

ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLIMATE CHANGE AND PATTERNS OF FARMERS’/PASTORALISTS’ CONFLICTS IN ZAMFARA STATE, NIGERIA

Struggle over land and scarce resources have resulted in perennial and growing violent conflicts amongst arable crop farmers and cattle herdsmen in various parts of Nigeria. This study analyses the relationship between climate change and patterns of herders-crop farmers’ conflict in Zamfara state, Nigeria. Data for this study were acquired via semi structured questionnaire and Key Informant Interview. Purposeful sampling method was used to select six communities, while 260 farmers and 67 pastoralists were chosen as sample size for the survey based on Krejcie and Morgan’s formula. Descriptive statistics such as percentages, arithmetic mean and Likert rating scale were adopted to analyze the data for the study. Results from the findings indicated that farmers and herders in Zamfara state were within active years of economic and productive age (24 to 44 years). Nearly,75% of both farmers and pastoralists in the study communities professed there is high variability in rainfall pattern and increase in temperature. Three-quarter of the respondents confirmed that the nature of the conflicts was assault involving the use of arms; whereas two-fifth of the respondents affirmed that the conflict occurs during harvest and the planting seasons. The study concluded that climate change is the bane of incessant resource use conflicts in the study area. Thus a clearly formulated government policies and implementation framework that would boost climate change information forecasting and dissemination, adaptive capacity and ranch management will salvage the conflictual relationship subsisting between farmers and herders in the study area

Linguistic Landscape of Languages Used in Signboards in Larkana, Sindh

The present study investigates the use of local, official and national languages and the incessant use of English on the localized Sindhi Roman script. Linguistic landscape is the study of written language on public road Signs, advertisements, billboards or front shops. Bilingualism is very common on the public signboards of Larkana city, where English language is used as market language. Many local people consider it as foreign language still English is used on every local and public signboard of Larkana city. The study used semi-structured interviews from different businesspeople, shopkeepers and owners of the institutions. The results show that Romanized Sindhi language/ Sindhlish and Bilingualism is influenced and dominant on the linguistic landscape of Larkana. In the comparison of English language the local/ native languages of the particular area of Larkana city seem missed or least used on signboards. Keywords: Linguistic Landscape, Multilingualism, Bilingualism, Official Language, Roman Sindhi DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/80-03 Publication date: June 30 th 2021

A critical review on water quality index tool: Genesis, evolution and future directions

Water quality is a substantial measure in coordinating water demand and supply. An adequate level of freshwater is eminent for biological needs and a vital side of integrated sustainable environmental development. There has been a disrupting ascend in the water pollution due to the natural and anthropogenic events. Past few years, research has enormously engrossed on the development of water quality index (WQI), as a prevalent tool for water quality assessment. This review article presented an in-depth literature-based look up of WQI's potentials concerning their use as a scientific tool for river water quality monitoring and management. This study also highlighted the importance, limitations and future directions of WQI tool to afford additional information about its usage. The review indicated the influence of the environmental features, like geographic locations and sampling periods, on the estimation of WQI. Also, WQI was projected as a single value which decreased the immense amount of water quality parameters and epitomized the data in a simple way. The incessant use of WQI tool provided long-term information for helping the water resource managers, environmental engineers and scientists in decision making and management.

Activity of Mannose-Binding Lectin on Bacterial-Infected Chickens-A Review.

Simple SummaryIn the quest to combat bacterial-related diseases in chickens, different methods, of which some are less economical and less effective on the long-term, have been adapted. However, chickens possess mannose-binding lectin (MBL) which could be vital in managing pathogenic bacteria in chickens. MBL is one of the soluble proteins secreted by the chicken’s innate immune system which can be activated when chickens are exposed to chicken-related diseases. This review explains how mannose-binding lectin activation can help in fighting bacterial pathogens in chickens. This knowledge is believed to reduce incessant use of antibiotics and to assist in developing a profitable breeding program with less or no adverse effect on the chicken, human and the environment. In recent years, diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria have profoundly impacted chicken production by causing economic loss in chicken products and by-product revenues. MBL (mannose-binding lectin) is part of the innate immune system (IIS), which is the host’s first line defense against pathogens. The IIS functions centrally by identifying pathogen-specific microorganism-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) with the help of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Studies have classified mannose-binding lectin (MBL) as one of the PRR molecules which belong to the C-type lectin family. The protective role of MBL lies in its ability to activate the complement system via the lectin pathway and there seems to be a direct link between the chicken’s health status and the MBL concentration in the serum. Several methods have been used to detect the presence, the level and the structure of MBL in chickens such as Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) among others. The concentration of MBL in the chicken ranges from 0.4 to 35 µg/mL and can be at peak levels at three to nine days at entry of pathogens. The variations observed are known to depend on the bacterial strains, breed and age of the chicken and possibly the feed manipulation strategies. However, when chicken MBL (cMBL) becomes deficient, it can result in malfunctioning of the innate immune system, which can predispose chickens to diseases. This article aimed to discuss the importance and components of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) in chickens, its mode of actions, and the different methods used to detect MBL. Therefore, more studies are recommended to explore the causes for low and high cMBL production in chicken breeds and the possible effect of feed manipulation strategies in enhancing cMBL production.

Optimization of solar integrated electrolyser system for hydrogen production using Taguchi method

The age of modernization comes with its own set of flaws, which has to be mitigated as sooner as possible for a sustainable future. It is a well-established fact that the need for energy in this age of technology is at stake due to the incessant use of carbon based fossil fuels. Fossil fuels in themselves are not enough. They are very much likely to be exhausted sooner than expected. Therefore, a new clean and renewable alternative has to be adopted which could be able to meet the energy demand. Hydrogen Energy may be one of the most viable and suitable alternative ways to mitigate the energy demand, without affecting the environment. The project work is focused on the optimization of the key operating parameters of the electrolyser coupled with a solar photovoltaic (PV) system for hydrogen production using the Taguchi technique. In this work ten operating parameters have been selected using an L27 (310) orthogonal array for optimization. Based on the 27 orthogonal arrays, it was found that the maximum hydrogen production is 319.35 Ncm3/hr. After applying the Taguchi technique, found that the maximum hydrogen production was 645.89 Ncm3/hr., which gives 50.56% increment as compared to the highest value of production obtained from orthogonal array.

Electronic Government Development Strategies Using Frameworks COBIT 5

At this time, Information technology in the government or called by electronic government (e-government) is an absolute necessity and must be continuously developed as an acceleration tool in strategic policy and decision making. Utilization of e-government aims to improve performance and productivity, improve budget efficiency, transparency and accountability in the delivery of service activities to the communities. The incessant use of e-government in the government both central and regional, of course, not only produces benefit or value to the organization, but also gives a variety of problems and obstacles. To guarantee the benefit and value by using e-government and minimize various problems and obstacles, it is necessary to build information technology governance in the e-government development. In the information technology governance, an organization does not only build information technology facilities and infrastructure, but how information technology is used be able to achieve organizational goals, is able to play a role in the organization's strategic decision making processes and policies and remains in harmony with the architecture framework of information technology development that is has been established. To achieve information technology good governance, strategies are needed in developing existing e-government. The first step is to evaluate the implementation of e-government. Evaluation is done by measuring the level of maturity of e-government that has been applied. This measurement includes a strategic plan for information technology management, maintenance of information technology facilities and infrastructure, management of information technology services that are sustainable and the last is oversight of information technology governance. The scope of this research is e-government which has been implemented in the Ministry of Law and Human Rights in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. The research method used is a quantitative method using a questionnaire instrument and using the 5th edition of the Control Objective for Information and Related Technology (COBIT) framework model to determine the level of maturity in the information technology governance process. This study will provide an overview of information technology governance has been implemented and produce recommendations that is needed to improve and develop a comprehensive information technology governance.

Molecular avenues in targeted doxorubicin cancer therapy.

In recent, intra- and inter-tumor heterogeneity is seen as one of key factors behind success and failure of chemotherapy. Incessant use of doxorubicin (DOX) drug is associated with numerous post-treatment debacles including cardiomyopathy, health disorders, reversal of tumor and formation of secondary tumors. The module of cancer treatment has undergone evolutionary changes by achieving crucial understanding on molecular, genetic, epigenetic and environmental adaptations by cancer cells. Therefore, there is a paradigm shift in cancer therapeutic by employing amalgam of peptide mimetic, small RNA mimetic, DNA repair protein inhibitors, signaling inhibitors and epigenetic modulators to achieve targeted and personalized DOX therapy. This review summarizes on recent therapeutic avenues that can potentiate DOX effects by removing discernible pitfalls among cancer patients.