Investigating Schizocarp morphology as a taxonomic tool in study of Apiaceae family by utilizing LM and SEM techniques

In present study, the schizocarp morphology of 14 species belonging to Apiaceae family has been investigated. Light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been utilized to highlight qualitative and quantitative features of studied species. Variations have been observed in macro‐ and micro‐morphological features such as color, shape, symmetry, length, width, apex, epicuticular projections, surface patterns, anticlinal, and periclinal wall patterns. Schizocarp shapes observed were oval, round, triangular, linear, elliptic, and globose. Fruit was either homomorphic or heteromorphic. Crystalloids, stellate hair, multicellular spines, and platelets were mostly observed epicuticular projections. Surface patterns on the fruit surface were striate, rugulate‐striate, reticulate, and striato‐knotted. Both macro‐ and micro‐morphological characters can serve as an important tool in classifying Apiaceae family at various taxonomic ranks. Substantial variations observed can assist as useful constraints at various taxonomic levels as they provide reliable and constant details. Disparities observed in schizocarp features can pave a path for Apiaceae family classification based on phylogenetic and molecular studies.     

Taxonomic study of subfamily Nepetoideae (Lamiaceae) by polynomorphological approach

The present study is insight into pollen morphology for characterizing species and their utility in the taxonomic separation of certain taxa of subfamily Nepetoideae (Lamiaceae) from Pakistan. The pollen micromorphology of 11 species of the Nepetoideae was analyzed and documented using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for both qualitative and quantitative characteristics. Most species have hexazonocolpate pollen grains but trizonocolpate and tetrazonocolpate pollen with circular and oval amb were also rarely observed in Mentha spicata. The basic pollen shape in most of the studied species was subspheroidal but prolate grains were also observed in M. spicata, S. coccinea, and S. plebeia. The exine sculpturing of Nepetoideae pollen was taxonomically very informative particularly at subfamily level. Observations of exine sculpturing with SEM revealed various types of pollen grains: reticulate, bireticulate, microreticulate, perforate, aerolate, and gammate. The bireticulate type further subdivided into three subtypes based on the number of secondary lumina in each primary lumen and is characterized by varying characteristics of the secondary reticulum and primary muri. A significant variation was observed in colpus surface ornamentation. The maximum polar diameter was found in O. americanum (58 ± 5.8 μm) and the maximum equatorial diameter observed in O. basilicum (50.25 ± 1.37 μm). Pollen features of the studied species were discussed and compared based on the current taxonomical concepts. The results showed that pollen traits of the subfamily Nepetoideae was found significant to classify the taxa. Furthermore, pollen features provide additional evidence to distinguish macromorphologically similar taxa from each other.     

Do IT freelancers increase their entrepreneurial behavior and performance by using IT self-efficacy and social capital? Evidence from Bangladesh

This study applies entrepreneurship theory and social capital perspective to IT freelancing to facilitate a better understanding of it. Our model hypothesizes that both IT self-efficacy and social capital obtained through social media interactions contribute to IT freelancers’ entrepreneurial behavior and then this entrepreneurial behavior influences their performance. We collected primary data from one of the leading online freelancing marketplaces, oDesk.com (currently Upwork.com). Our empirical findings confirm the core assertion of our research model. The implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed. Directions for future research are also provided.     

Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka (HLN) Treatment of the Magneto-Conductivity of Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>Te<Subscript>3</Subscript> Topological Insulator

We report the magneto-conductivity analysis at different temperatures under a magnetic field of up to 5 T of a well- characterized Bi₂Te₃ crystal. Details of crystal growth and various physical properties including high linear magneto-resistance are already reported by some of us. To elaborate upon the transport properties of Bi₂Te₃ crystal, the magneto-conductivity is fitted to the known Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka (HLN) equation and it is found that the conduction mechanism is dominated by both surface-driven weak anti-localization (WAL) and the bulk weak localization (WL) states. The value of HLN equation coefficient (α) signifying the type of localization (WL, WAL or both WL and WAL) falls within the range of ??0.5 to ??1.5. In our case, the low-field (±?0.25 T) fitting of studied crystal exhibited a value of α close to ??0.86 for studied temperatures of up to 50 K, indicating both WAL and WL contributions. The phase coherence length (l_φ) is found to decrease from 98.266 to 40.314 nm with increasing temperature. Summarily, the short letter reports the fact that bulk Bi₂Te₃ follows the HLN equation and quantitative analysis of the same facilitates to know the quality of studied crystal in terms of WAL to WL contributions and thus the surface to bulk conduction ratio.     

Citrulline malate supplementation does not improve German Volume Training performance or reduce muscle soreness in moderately trained males and females

Background

Use of supplements to aid performance is common practice amongst recreationally active individuals, including those without a sufficient evidence base. This investigation sought to assess whether acute supplementation with 8 g of citrulline malate (CM) (1.11: 1 ratio) would improve anaerobic performance.

Methods

A randomised double blind placebo control trial was employed, using a counterbalanced design. We recruited recreationally active men and women to take part in an isokinetic chair protocol, based on German Volume Training (GVT) whereby participants attempted to perform 10 sets of 10 repetitions against a force representing 70% of their peak concentric force.

Results

The number of repetitions achieved over the course of the GVT was 94.0?±?7.9 and 90.9?±?13.9 for placebo and CM respectively. There was no significant difference between the placebo and CM treatment for number of repetitions (P?=?0.33), isometric (P?=?0.60), concentric (P?=?0.38), or eccentric (P?=?0.65) peak force following the GVT. Total muscle soreness was significantly higher in the CM compared to the placebo treatment following the GVT protocol over 72 h (P?=?0.01); although this was not accompanied by a greater workload/number of repetitions in the CM group.

Conclusions

We conclude that an acute dose of CM does not significantly affect anaerobic performance using an isokinetic chair in recreational active participants. Practical implications include precaution in recommending CM supplementation. Coaches and athletes should be aware of the disparity between the chemical analyses of the products reviewed in the present investigation versus the manufacturers’ claims.

     

Melatonin Modulates Plant Tolerance to Heavy Metal Stress: Morphological Responses to Molecular Mechanisms

Heavy metal toxicity is one of the most devastating abiotic stresses. Heavy metals cause serious damage to plant growth and productivity, which is a major problem for sustainable agriculture. It adversely affects plant molecular physiology and biochemistry by generating osmotic stress, ionic imbalance, oxidative stress, membrane disorganization, cellular toxicity, and metabolic homeostasis. To improve and stimulate plant tolerance to heavy metal stress, the application of biostimulants can be an effective approach without threatening the ecosystem. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine), a biostimulator, plant growth regulator, and antioxidant, promotes plant tolerance to heavy metal stress by improving redox and nutrient homeostasis, osmotic balance, and primary and secondary metabolism. It is important to perceive the complete and detailed regulatory mechanisms of exogenous and endogenous melatonin-mediated heavy metal-toxicity mitigation in plants to identify potential research gaps that should be addressed in the future. This review provides a novel insight to understand the multifunctional role of melatonin in reducing heavy metal stress and the underlying molecular mechanisms.     

Gelatin controversies in food,pharmaceuticals, and personal care products: Authentication methods,current status,and future challenges

Gelatin is a highly purified animal protein of pig, cow, and fish origins and is extensively used in food, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. However, the acceptability of gelatin products greatly depends on the animal sources of the gelatin. Porcine and bovine gelatins have attractive features but limited acceptance because of religious prohibitions and potential zoonotic threats, whereas fish gelatin is welcomed in all religions and cultures. Thus, source authentication is a must for gelatin products but it is greatly challenging due to the breakdown of both protein and DNA biomarkers in processed gelatins. Therefore, several methods have been proposed for gelatin identification, but a comprehensive and systematic document that includes all of the techniques does not exist. This up-to-date review addresses this research gap and presents, in an accessible format, the major gelatin source authentication techniques, which are primarily nucleic acid and protein based. Instead of presenting these methods in paragraph form which needs much attention in reading, the major methods are schematically depicted, and their comparative features are tabulated. Future technologies are forecasted, and challenges are outlined. Overall, this review paper has the merit to serve as a reference guide for the production and application of gelatin in academia and industry and will act as a platform for the development of improved methods for gelatin authentication.     

De Novo Missense Mutations in TNNC1 and TNNI3 Causing Severe Infantile Cardiomyopathy Affect Myofilament Structure and Function and Are Modulated by Troponin Targeting Agents

Rare pediatric non-compaction and restrictive cardiomyopathy are usually associated with a rapid and severe disease progression. While the non-compaction phenotype is characterized by structural defects and is correlated with systolic dysfunction, the restrictive phenotype exhibits diastolic dysfunction. The molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Target genes encode among others, the cardiac troponin subunits forming the main regulatory protein complex of the thin filament for muscle contraction. Here, we compare the molecular effects of two infantile de novo point mutations in TNNC1 (p.cTnC-G34S) and TNNI3 (p.cTnI-D127Y) leading to severe non-compaction and restrictive phenotypes, respectively. We used skinned cardiomyocytes, skinned fibers, and reconstituted thin filaments to measure the impact of the mutations on contractile function. We investigated the interaction of these troponin variants with actin and their inter-subunit interactions, as well as the structural integrity of reconstituted thin filaments. Both mutations exhibited similar functional and structural impairments, though the patients developed different phenotypes. Furthermore, the protein quality control system was affected, as shown for TnC-G34S using patient’s myocardial tissue samples. The two troponin targeting agents levosimendan and green tea extract (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCg) stabilized the structural integrity of reconstituted thin filaments and ameliorated contractile function in vitro in some, but not all, aspects to a similar degree for both mutations.     

Antimicrobial Peptides from Plants: A cDNA-Library Based Isolation,Purification, Characterization Approach and Elucidating Their Modes of Action

Even in a natural ecosystem, plants are continuously threatened by various microbial diseases. To save themselves from these diverse infections, plants build a robust, multilayered immune system through their natural chemical compounds. Among the several crucial bioactive compounds possessed by plants’ immune systems, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) rank in the first tier. These AMPs are environmentally friendly, anti-pathogenic, and do not bring harm to humans. Antimicrobial peptides can be isolated in several ways, but recombinant protein production has become increasingly popular in recent years, with the Escherichia coli expression system being the most widely used. However, the efficacy of this expression system is compromised due to the difficulty of removing endotoxin from its system. Therefore, this review suggests a high-throughput cDNA library-based plant-derived AMP isolation technique using the Bacillus subtilis expression system. This method can be performed for large-scale screening of plant sources to classify unique or homologous AMPs for the agronomic and applied field of plant studies. Furthermore, this review also focuses on the efficacy of plant AMPs, which are dependent on their numerous modes of action and exceptional structural stability to function against a wide range of invaders. To conclude, the findings from this study will be useful in investigating how novel AMPs are distributed among plants and provide detailed guidelines for an effective screening strategy of AMPs.     

Elemental analyses and determination of lead content in kohl (stone) by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Elemental analyses of kohl (stone) samples collected from three different parts of the world were performed using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The analyses indicated that lead (Pb), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), and sodium (Na) were present in all the kohl samples. In addition to these elements, the sample from Madina, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), contained the elements tin (Sn), zirconium (Zr), and antimony (Sb). The sample from Mount Toor, Egypt, also contained Sn. Also, quantitative analysis for lead was carried out by the standard addition method using the LIBS technique. The result showed the presence of 14.12 ± 0.28% by weight of Pb in the sample from Madina, which compares well with the measurement done using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) (13.31 ± 0.46%). The standard addition method used three calibration curves drawn for three emission lines of the LIBS spectra of Pb. The limits of detection (LoD) for these calibration curves varied from 0.27% to 1.16% by weight. The lead contents of the samples from Mount Toor and the local market of Bangladesh were also measured by the AAS technique, and the results were 14.61 ± 0.48% and 8.98 ± 0.35% by weight, respectively. The reason for determining only the lead content in kohl, which may be used as an eye cosmetic, is the adverse effect that lead has on health.