HighlightsPrecision farming is measuring and responding to inter and intra-field variability in crops to form a decision support system.About 40–70% of N, 80–90% of P and 50–70% of K of the applied fertilizers is lost to the environment causing pollution.Nanofertilizers helps in slow and sustained release of agrochemicals resulting in precise dosage to the plants.Green synthesized Ag, ZnO and TiO2 NPs are extensively used for plant protection and treatment of diseases.Biosensors helps in detecting pesticides in the vegetable crops and form a decision support system for crop commodities.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus(SARS-CoV) nucleocapsid (N) protein is one of the four structural proteins of the virus and is predicted to be a 46-kDa phosphoprotein. Our in silico analysis predicted N to be heavily phosphorylated at multiple residues. Experimentally, we have shown in this report that the N protein of the SARS-CoV gets serine-phosphorylated by multiple kinases, in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus. The phosphoprotein is stable and localizes in the cytoplasm and coprecipitates with the membrane fraction. Also, using specific inhibitors of phosphorylation and an in vitro phosphorylation assay, we show that the nucleocapsid protein is a substrate of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK), glycogen synthase kinase, mitogenactivated protein kinase, and casein kinase II. Further, we show that the phosphorylated protein is translocated to the cytoplasm by binding to 14-3-3 (tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein). 14-3-3 proteins are a family of highly conserved, ubiquitously expressed eukaryotic proteins that function primarily as adapters that modulate interactions between components of various cellular signaling and cell cycle regulatory pathways through phosphorylation-dependent protein-protein interactions. Coincidentally, the N protein was also found to downregulate the expression of the theta isoform of 14-3-3 (14-3-3), leading to the accumulation of phosphorylated N protein in the nucleus, in the absence of growth factors. Using short interfering RNA specific to 14-3-3 we have inhibited its expression to show accumulation of phosphorylated N protein in the nucleus. Thus, the data presented here provide a possible mechanism for phosphorylation-dependent nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of the N protein. This 14-3-3-mediated transport of the phosphorylated N protein and its possible implications in interfering with the cellular machinery are discussed.

Nearly two decades ago, we evaluated ten patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We determined that alarming nocturnal oscillations in arterial pressure and sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) were caused by regulatory coupling and neural interactions among SNA, apnea, and ventilation. Patients with OSA exhibited high levels of SNA when awake, during normal ventilation, and during normoxia, which contributed to hypertension and organ damage. Additionally, we achieved a beneficial and potentially lifesaving reduction in SNA through the application of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), which remains a primary therapeutic approach for patients with OSA. With these results in hindsight, we herein discuss three concepts with functional and therapeutic relevance to the integrative neurobiology of autonomic cardiovascular control and to the mechanisms involved in excessive sympathoexcitation in OSA.

This study was aimed to synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles from the aqueous peel extract of Aloe vera and assess their antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). UV-Vis spectroscopic analysis confirmed the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) depicted functional groups associated with the formation of zinc oxide nanoparticles, whereas XRD showed their crystalline nature. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that nanoparticles were rough in appearance with agglomeration. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the size of nanoparticles from 50 to 220 nm with hexagonal shape. The antimicrobial activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles was assessed against pathogenic bacteria, Staphylococcus epidermidis (MTCC-3382), S. epidermidis (MTCC-3382), Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC-3384), Escherichia coli (MTCC-41) and fungi, Aspergillus niger (MTCC-404) and Aspergillus oryzae (MTCC-3107). The results showed the effectiveness of zinc oxide nanoparticles against E. coli (MTCC-41) and A. niger (MTCC-404). However, in combination with antibiotic, there was a decrease in the antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi as compared to antibiotics. Hence, a molecular research is needed to check the effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles on antibiotics.

Objective The aim of the study was to identify indicated homeopathic remedies based on the clinical characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in India. Methods In this retrospective, cohort study, confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted at a COVID Health Centre in New Delhi between April 29 and June 17, 2020 were given conventional and homeopathic treatment. Patients were grouped into mild, moderate or severe categories of disease. Their symptomatologic profiles were analyzed to identify indicated homeopathic medicines. Results A total of 196 COVID-19 patients were admitted. One hundred and seventy-eight patients had mild symptoms; eighteen patients had moderate symptoms; no patients with severe symptoms were included as they were referred to tertiary care centers with ventilatory support. The mean age of patients with mild symptoms was significantly lower (38.6 years; standard deviation or SD ± 15.8) compared with patients in the moderate category (66.0 years; SD ± 9.09). The most important symptoms identified were fever (43.4%), cough (47.4%), sore throat (29.6%), headache (18.4%), myalgia (17.9%), fatigue (16.8%), chest discomfort (13.8%), chills (12.6%), shortness of breath (11.2%) and loss of taste (10.2%). Twenty-eight homeopathic medicines were prescribed, the most frequently indicated being Bryonia alba (33.3%), Arsenicum album (18.1%), Pulsatilla nigricans (13.8%), Nux vomica (8%), Rhus toxicodendron (7.2%) and Gelsemium sempervirens (5.8%), in 30C potency. Conclusion Data from the current study reveal that Arsenicum album, Bryonia alba, Pulsatilla nigricans, Nux vomica, Rhus toxicodendron and Gelsemium sempervirens are the most frequently indicated homeopathic medicines. A randomized controlled clinical trial based on this finding is the next step.