Escherichia coli,Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus susceptibility to antimicrobials of human and veterinary importance in poultry sector of India

In India, little attention has been paid on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the context of developing “One Health” approach. Hence, utilizing multi-disciplinary approach, we assess the AMR level and dynamics/pattern of multi-drug resistance (MDR) in Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus circulating over the different stages of poultry in India. A total of 342 isolates including E. coli (n = 143), Salmonella spp. (n = 104), and S. aureus (n = 95) were recovered from fecal (n = 80) and cecal (n = 80) samples of chicken, collected across the different poultry-retail shops and poultry-farms located at urban and rural areas of Rajasthan, India, respectively. High rates of AMR to drugs that are critically/highly important both in human and veterinary medicine were observed among all the isolates. Upward trends in AMR prevalence was observed in poultry-retail shops than in poultry-farms. Notably, >90% of all the isolates were MDR, of particular, pattern/prevalence of MDR was substantially varied across the poultry-farms vs. poultry-retail shops. Our results indicate AMR including MDR to be common in E. coli, Salmonella spp., and S. aureus distributed frequently in poultry. The study encourages the formulation of national policy, programmes and further research with a “One Health” approach that can benefits to the human/animal and the environment.     

Comprehensive review for energy efficient hierarchical routing protocols on wireless sensor networks

Wireless Networks - In recent years, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have played a major role in applications such as tracking and monitoring in remote environments. Designing energy efficient...     

Application of High Hydrostatic Pressure as a Pretreatment for Osmotic Dehydration of Banana Slices (Musa cavendishii) Finish-Dried by Dehumidified Air Drying

The process variables high hydrostatic pressure (HHP; 100–500 MPa), sucrose concentration (30–70 °Brix), immersion time (5–9 h) and immersion temperature (30–70 °C) were optimised to yield maximum water loss (WL), minimum solid gain (SG), minimum water activity (a _w) and minimum browning index (BI) during osmotic dehydration (OD) of banana slices (Musa cavendishii) pretreated by HHP using response surface methodology. The pressure-treated samples showed significantly higher WL and SG during OD (p?<?0.05), which was attributed to the rupture of cell wall with applied pressure, making the cells more permeable, also evident from the scanning electron micrographs of the banana tissue. The optimised operating conditions were: HHP of 200 MPa for a dwell time of 5 min at room temperature (26 °C), sucrose concentration of 60 °Brix, immersion time of 5 h and immersion temperature of 40 °C. A study of the concentration profiles during OD revealed no appreciable increase in SG and WL after 4 h; hence, immersion time was reduced to 4 h. The optimised product developed was dried to a moisture content of 15 % (wet basis) in a dehumidified air dryer at an air temperature of 40, 55 and 70 °C with a fixed air velocity of 3.8 m/s and relative humidity maintained at 20 %. The final dried product was analyzed for total soluble solids content, BI and a _w. A drying temperature of 55 °C was found to give superior quality OD banana slices in terms of reduced bulk, improved flavour, decreased a _w (<0.60), and reduced dehydration time and energy using HHP as a pretreatment.     

Reduction of cresolase and catecholase activities in tubers of some Indian potato varieties by the application of potash fertilisers

Cresolase and catecholase activities were determined in tubers of four potato (Solanum tuberosum L) varieties (Kufri Chamatkar, Kufri Chandramukhi, Kufri Sindhuri and C-2703) fertilised with three levels (0, 120, 240 kg K₂O ha^?1) of either muriate or sulphate of potash. The enzyme activities were also determined separately in the peel and flesh tissues of the tubers of Kufri Chamatkar and C-2703. Differences were observed in the activities between varieties, with highest specific activities in the tubers of Kufri Chamatkar. Peels of both the varieties showed higher cresolase and catecholase activities than the flesh tissue. Application of potassic fertilisers caused a reduction in both the activities in the tuber, peel and flesh tissue. Greater reduction in activities was caused by application of muriate of potash than with the sulphate form.     

Removal of lead from aqueous solution using Syzygium cumini L.: equilibrium and kinetic studies

The biosorption of lead ions from aqueous solution by Syzygium cumini L. was studied in a batch adsorption system as a function of pH, contact time, lead ion concentration, adsorbent concentration and adsorbent size. The biosorption capacities and rates of lead ions onto S. cumini L. were evaluated. The Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich-Peterson and Temkin adsorption models were applied to describe the isotherms and isotherm constants. Biosorption isothermal data could be well interpreted by the Langmuir model followed by Temkin model with maximum adsorption capacity of 32.47 mg/g of lead ion on S. cumini L. leaves biomass. The kinetic experimental data were properly correlated with the second-order kinetic model.     

Bio‐diesel lubricity: correlation study with residual acidity

Bio‐diesel has been accepted as a renewable liquid biofuel worldwide. In order to ensure customers' acceptance, standardisation and quality assurance are the key factors to the market introduction of bio‐diesel as a transport fuel. Lubricity of bio‐diesel is an important issue and it is well reported that 1–2% bio‐diesel is sufficient to maintain the lubricity of diesel even of very poor lubricity. However, a wide variation in lubricity performance of bio‐diesel from different vegetable oils and sources has been noticed. In addition, on critical examination, it was noticed that the variation in the lubricating performance of bio‐diesel could be better linked to its residual acidity than to variation in fatty acid composition. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two residues that may ligate Ca2+ in transmembrane domain six of the plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase

In order to identify Ca2+ ligands in the putative transmembrane domain 6 of the plasma membrane Ca2+ pump, amino acids Asn879, Met882, Asp883, and Ser887 were singly altered. Asn879, Met882, and Asp883 were chosen because the corresponding amino acids have been proposed as Ca2+ ligands in the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump (Clarke, D. M., Loo, T. W., and MacLennan, D. H. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 6262-6267). For the alterations, a fully active truncated version of the pump was used, because the interaction of Ca2+ with the pump could be studied without interference from calmodulin binding. The mutants at Asn and Asp did not carry out ATP-supported Ca2+ uptake and formed no acylphosphate from [gamma-32P]ATP, suggesting that, like the corresponding amino acids in the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump, these two are Ca2+ ligands. However, all the mutants at the position of Met882 showed some activity. Indeed, the Met882--> Ile mutant was fully active at a saturating Ca2+ concentration and only the K1/2 for Ca2+ activation was shifted slightly upward. Converting the Met to Thr (which is the corresponding residue in the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump) reduced the activity to 20% of the wild type, further emphasizing the differences between the two Ca2+ pumps. The mutant Ser887--> Ala was expressed in greater amounts than, and had a specific activity about 50% higher than, the wild type, indicating that this serine also could not be a Ca2+ ligand and could not replace the missing Thr at position Met882.     

Testing and Application of a Transport Model for Runoff Event Inputs for a Water Supply Reservoir

Effective simulation of the fate and transport of runoff event inflows is an important goal of many water quality modeling initiatives. The set-up and testing of a two-dimensional hydrodynamic transport model is documented for a water supply reservoir, Schoharie Reservoir, New York, that uses specific conductance (SC) as a conservative tracer and focuses on fate and transport of runoff event inputs, particularly the plunging of density currents in summer and fall. Model testing is supported by temporally detailed measurements of meteorological, operational, and tributary (temperature and SC) model drivers, and temporally and spatially replete in-reservoir patterns of SC following multiple runoff events, obtained with a combination of robotic monitoring platforms and gridding with rapid profiling instrumentation. Specific conductance is demonstrated to be an ideal tracer because of the distinct tributary signals and subsequent in-reservoir signatures imparted from runoff events and its close coupling to turbidity patterns that are primary water quality concerns for managers. The model is demonstrated to perform well in simulating in-reservoir signatures of SC following multiple runoff events over the spring to fall interval of 2003, including vertical, longitudinal, and temporal patterns, and features of the thermal stratification regime for the same interval. The validated model is applied in a probabilistic manner on the basis of a 61-year record (239 runoff events) of model drivers to provide a robust representation of the transport of runoff event inputs relative to the location of the water supply intake. This application demonstrates the entry of runoff event inflows as plunging density currents in summer and fall is a recurring phenomenon for this reservoir.     

Graft copolymerization onto starch. II. Grafting of acrylonitrile to granular native potato starch by manganic pyrophosphate initiation. Effect of reaction conditions on grafting parameters

The effect of reaction conditions on the composition of native potato starch–polyacrylonitrile graft copolymers initiated by manganic pyrophosphate onto starch slurries at 30°C has been examined. In general, when the Mn³⁺ ion concentration was increased from 0.15 × 10^?3M to 3.0 × 10^?3M (other conditions kept constant), an increase in conversion of monomer to polymer and % add-on was observed, whereas frequency of grafts (anhydroglucose units, AGU, per grafted chain) decreased. Also, the average molecular weights of grafts showed a decrease from 2.2 × 10⁵ to 1.5 × 10⁵. Increasing the concentration ratio of starch to monomer during polymerization by a factor of 3 produced an increase in the conversion of monomer to polymer, whereas an increase in frequency of grafts (AGU/chain) was obtained. Values of % add-on and average molecular weights of the grafts showed, however, a decreasing tendency. It was observed that grafting onto starch took place readily even at acid additions as low as 10 × 10^?3M H₂SO₄ (pH ?1.8). Selective solvent extraction of homopolymer and extremely low conversions of monomer to polymer (0.1%–1.5%) in duplicate runs without addition of starch indicated that grafting efficiencies were high in all cases. An attempt has been made to interpret the results in terms of variations in factors such as initial ratio of (Mn³⁺)/(AGU), termination rate of acrylonitrile chain radicals by oxidation by Mn³⁺ ions, oxidation rate of radicals formed on anhydroglucose units by Mn³⁺ ions, and physical factors such as diffusion rate of Mn³⁺ ions through the polyacrylonitrile-grafted starch granules for terminating the radicals.     

羟基脂肪酸生产菌Bacillus pumilus对油酸的代谢特性和产物分析

一株具有转化油酸羟基化的微生物Bacillus pum ilus BD-12(记作BP BD-12),在摇瓶条件下分批深层培养,研究了菌株在以胰蛋白胨为主要氮源、葡萄糖为基本碳源的条件下对油酸(OA)的代谢特性,并对转化OA生成羟基脂肪酸的规律及产物进行了分析测定。结果表明:在只有葡萄糖作碳源条件下,细胞生长良好,且无羟基脂肪酸生成,OA对菌株BP BD-12细胞生长有抑制作用;用40 h细胞菌龄添加OA条件下其转化产物为ω-1、ω-2和ω-3-羟基脂肪酸,其转化率和羟基脂肪酸得率最大值分别达到63%和12.3%;通过气质联用方法对产物组分分析,其ω-1-羟基脂肪酸占总羟基脂肪酸的70%,细胞培养过程中未有其它羟基脂肪酸检出。因此,菌株BP BD-12是一株较理想的ω-1-羟基脂肪酸工业化生产菌株。