Whole-genome evaluation and prophages characterization associated with genome of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii UOL-KIMZ-24-2.

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is an emerging threat to healthcare settings in many countries, principally in South Asia. The current study was aimed to identify, evaluate whole-genome and characterize the prophages in genome of CRAB strain, recovered from patients of Lahore General Hospital, Lahore. More than 200 samples were collected and identified by morphological and biochemical tests.

Effect of resveratrol on post-thaw motility, kinematics, structural parameters and antioxidant/oxidant status of Kamori buck spermatozoa.

Resveratrol is a polyphenol compound showing strong antioxidant properties. It is believed that semen cryopreservation causes significant sperm losses which eventually affects sperm quality. Improving antioxidant status of semen may reduce this damage and enhance sperm fertilizing potential.

Chloroplast alchemy: rewriting the chloroplast genome with high precision.

In the past decade, precise genome editing has transitioned from theory to practical application. Yet, plastid genomes have largely remained impervious to these advances. A recent breakthrough by Mok et al.

Potentially probiotic NPL 1334 strain of Enterococcus durans benefits rats with diet-induced hypercholesterolemia.

Purpose: To study the potential of a candidate probiotic strain belonging to the Enterococcus durans species in alleviating hypercholesterolemia and improving the microbial milieu of rat gut.

Methods: A previously isolated and characterized E. durans strain NPL 1334 was further screened in vitro for its bile salt hydrolyzation and cholesterol assimilation ability.

Analysis of the genome data of UOL-KIMZ-24, exhibiting multiple drug resistance through efflux pumps.

is a well-known opportunistic pathogen, responsible for various nosocomial infections. UOL-KIMZ-24 was previously isolated from a clinical specimen, collected from Lahore General Hospital, Lahore (LGH), Pakistan, dated 3rd March, 2022. During the initial screening for antimicrobial susceptibility, the UOL-KIMZ-24 was found a multiple drug resistant (MDR) strain.

Encapsulation of Moringa oleifera Susan Lee aqueous extract in silver chitosan metallopolymer nanocomposites for anti-cancer activity.

The growing interest in plant-derived compounds and synthesis of metallopolymer nanocomposites (MPNCs) especially silver chitosan nanocomposites (AgCS-NCs) emerges as a useful platform to encapsulate and deliver plant-based anticancer drugs. This work presents the synthesis of AgCS-NCs by using Moringa oleifera aqueous leaf extract (MOAE) and the effect of concentration of MOAE on physicochemical properties of AgCS-NCs followed by its anticancer effect on MCF-7 cell line. The results of UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed successful formation of AgCS-NCs.

Morphological Features Influence the Drug Loading and Delivery Efficacy of Photoactivatable Gold Nanocarriers for Antitumor Photo/Chemotherapy.

Photoactivatable gold nanocarriers are transforming antitumor therapies by leveraging their distinctive physicochemical properties, enabling targeted drug delivery and enhanced therapeutic efficacy in cancer treatment. This study systematically investigates how surface topography and morphology of gold nanocarriers influence drug loading capacity, light-to-heat conversion efficiency, and overall therapeutic performance in photo/chemotherapy. We synthesized four distinct morphologies of gold nanoparticles: porous gold nanocups (PAuNCs), porous gold nanospheres (PAuNSs), solid gold nanocups (SAuNCs), and solid gold nanospheres (SAuNSs).

Perfecting prime editing: achieving precise edits in dicots.

Prime editing (PE), a precise CRISPR-based method, has worked well in some plants but faces challenges in dicots. Vu and colleagues developed new PE tools that greatly improve PE efficiency in dicots, enabling accurate, heritable genome edits. This advance marks a breakthrough that could revolutionize crop improvement and plant biotechnology.

Draft genome sequence of FH1.

Phytopathogens with multi-drug resistance are emerging frequently, resulting in various disease outbreaks. Hence, exploring new antimicrobials is urgent. Here, we present the draft genome sequence of FH1 strain, with the potential to produce various antimicrobial compounds.

Advancing crop improvement through GWAS and beyond in mung bean.

Accessing the underlying genetics of complex traits, especially in small grain pulses is an important breeding objective for crop improvement. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) analyze thousands of genetic variants across several genomes to identify links with specific traits. This approach has discovered many strong associations between genes and traits, and the number of associated variants is expected to continue to increase as GWAS sample sizes increase.

Identification of a novel mutation in the gene in low phytate Basmati rice mutant and development of CAPS marker for marker-assisted breeding.

Low phytate level is a desirable trait because it promotes mineral bioavailability and thus offers a solution to tackle mineral deficiencies. The objectives of the present study were to characterize low phytate (lpa) Basmati rice mutants for the identification of novel mutations in target gene(s) and to develop a PCR-based CAPS (cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence) marker for low phytate Basmati rice. For this purpose, cultivar Super Basmati (Q4) was irradiated with gamma rays (Co source) and three mutants named Q1 (lpa-5-9), Q2 (lpa-9-13), and Q3 (lpa-59-14) were isolated.

Fluorescence Analysis of Antibacterial Activity of ZnO/TiO Electrospun Nanofibers: A Molecular Approach to Reveals the Insights of Physiochemical Interactions of Materials with Bacteria.

Fluorescence spectroscopy employed to compute the antibacterial potential of pure ZnO and Titania (TiO) loaded ZnO (TiO: 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%) electrospun nanofibers. The study of electrospun nanofibers followed by their structural, morphological and antibacterial properties has been revealed through fluorescence spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of nanofibers calcinated at 600 °C revealed the presence of polycrystalline wurtzite hexagonal crystallographic planes of ZnO with preferred orientation along (101) direction.

Diversity and functional traits based indigenous rhizosphere associated phosphate solubilizing bacteria for sustainable production of rice.

Introduction: Rice, particularly Basmati rice, holds significant global importance as a staple food. The indiscriminate use of phosphate-based fertilizers during rice production has led to high residual levels of these chemicals in soil, impacting soil health and fertility. This study aimed to address this challenge by investigating the potential of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) in improving soil fertility and boosting the growth of Basmati rice.

A meta-analysis of AI and machine learning in project management: Optimizing vaccine development for emerging viral threats in biotechnology.

Objectives: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have emerged as transformative technologies across various industries, including healthcare, biotechnology, and vaccine development. These technologies offer immense potential to improve project management efficiency, decision-making, and resource utilization, especially in complex tasks such as vaccine development and healthcare innovations.

Methods: A systematic meta-analysis was conducted by reviewing studies from databases like PubMed, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Google Scholar until September 2024.

Melatonin as a multifunctional modulator: emerging insights into its role in health, reproductive efficiency, and productive performance in livestock.

Melatonin, a pleiotropic hormone plays a vital role in enhancing livestock performance not only by regulating circadian rhythms but also by exhibiting antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and metabolic regulatory effects that collectively improve resilience, fertility, and productivity. Melatonin's synthesis is predominantly influenced by light exposure, with increased production in darkness; however, factors such as diet and health status further modulate its levels. By helping animals adapt to environmental stressors, melatonin boosts immune responses, mitigates chronic illnesses, and optimizes production efficiency.

DNA Damage and Inflammatory Response of p53 Null H358 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells to X-Ray Exposure Under Chronic Hypoxia.

Hypoxia-induced radioresistance limits therapeutic success in cancer. In addition, p53 mutations are widespread in tumors including non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs), and they might modify the radiation response of hypoxic tumor cells. We therefore analyzed the DNA damage and inflammatory response in chronically hypoxic (1% O, 48 h) p53 null H358 NSCLC cells after X-ray exposure.

Enzyme-free detection of creatinine as a kidney dysfunction biomarker using TiO flow-through membranes.

TiO nanotube flow-through membranes (TNTsM) were fabricated anodization of Ti foil and explored as a biosensing platform for creatinine detection. The electrodes were prepared in different configurations including TNT membrane with top surface up (TNTsMTU/TNPs/FTO), TNT membrane with bottom surface up (TNTsMBU/TNPs/FTO), TNT membrane with top surface up containing nanograss (TNTsMNG/TNPs/FTO), and TNTs/NPs/FTO and TiO nanoparticles (TNPs) film on fluorine doped tin oxide (TNPs/FTO). Electrochemical studies depict the higher electrochemical activity (sensitivity ∼19.

Optimized production of laccase from Pseudomonas stutzeri and its biodegradation of lignin in biomass.

Laccases are multi-copper oxidases that play an important role in the biodegradation of phenolic compounds, lignin, dye, and wastes. Here, we report the screening of potential laccase-producing indigenous bacterial isolates and subsequent optimization of laccase production using crop residues as cheap supplementary energy sources. Among 16 bacterial isolates, seven were selected based on the appearance of reddish-brown bacterial colonies and guaiacol oxidation assay after 10 days of incubation at 37 °C.

Naringenin loaded solid lipid nanoparticles alleviate oxidative stress and enhance oral bioavailability of naringenin.

Naringenin (Nrg) is the most abundant natural dietary flavonoid with promising anti-inflammatory potential. However, its therapeutic application is limited due to poor absorption, low bioavailability, and inability to cross physiological barriers. Herein, we designed biocompatible solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) to overcome these challenges and to enhance the oral bioavailability and therapeutic potential of Nrg.

An adaptive neural network approach for resilient leader-following consensus control of multi-agent systems under cyber-attacks.

This paper addresses the dynamic neural networks (DNNs) based resilient leader-following consensus control of multi-agent systems (MASs) under unidentified false data injection (FDI) attacks. We have examined generic linear leader-following agents in the context of stochastic FDI attacks on the network topology. When information is sent from one agent to another, it is altered as a result of the attacks.

A study on the performance of enhancing environmental protection from molecular iodine using granular impregnated activated carbon.

Environmentally hazardous radioactive isotopes of iodine may be released from a nuclear power plant as a by-product of uranium fission. The efficient and safe capture of volatile radioiodine is of great significance in the history of nuclear power plants. Due to its high volatility and carcinogenic characteristics, elimination of iodine gas (I) from air is the need of the hour from an environmental and health point of view.

Heat transfer efficiency in gas-solid fluidized beds with flat and corrugated walls.

Gas-solid fluidized bed reactors exhibit improved heat and mass transfer performance as compared to packed beds. Corrugated walls installed in narrow gas-solid bubbling fluidized bed (CWBFB) enclosures have been observed to decrease minimum bubbling velocity, reduce bubble size, improve gas distribution, provide stable operation, and minimize particle carryover or loss. Thorough analyses of the wall-to-bed heat transfer coefficient in flat- (FWBFB) and corrugated- (CWBFB) wall bubbling fluidized beds have been performed for a variety of operating conditions and geometric parameters.

An aptamer and hydroxyapatite-silver-zinc oxide-based novel electrochemical sensor for ultrasensitive H. pylori detection.

Electrochemical biosensors offer a cost-effective way to identify Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) (Hsp 60), responsible for stomach infections. The conductivity and surface area of the electrode were enhanced using Hap-Ag-ZnO composites on glassy carbon electrode (GCE) along with polythiophene (PP), as a conductive polymer to improve proficiency.