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The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel human respiratory viral infection that has rapidly progressed into a pandemic, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Blood clotting disorders and acute respiratory failure have surfaced as the major complications among the severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection.Remarkably, more than 70% of deaths related to COVID-19 are attributed to clotting-associated complications such as pulmonary embolism, strokes and multiorgan failure. These vascular complications have been confirmed by autopsy. This study summarizes the current understanding and explains the possible mechanisms of the blood clotting disorder, emphasizing the role of (1) hypoxia-related activation of coagulation factors like tissue factor, a significant player in triggering coagulation cascade, (2) cytokine storm and activation of neutrophils and the release of neutrophil extracellular traps and (3) immobility and ICU related risk factors.

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Drought is a major abiotic stress that affects crop productivity. Endophytic bacteria have been found to alleviate the adverse effects of drought on plants. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of two endophytic bacteria Shewanella putrefaciens strain MCL‐1 and Cronobacter dublinensis strain MKS‐1 on pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) under drought stress conditions. Pearl millet plants were grown under three water levels: field capacity (FC), mild drought stress (MD), and severe drought stress (SD). The effects of inoculation on plant growth, physiological attributes, phytohormone content, and drought stress‐responsive genes were assessed. The inoculation of pearl millet seeds with endophytes significantly improved shoot and root dry weight and root architecture of plants grown under FC and drought stress conditions. There was a significant increase in relative water content and proline accumulation in the inoculated plants. Among the phytohormones analyzed, the content of ABA and IAA was significantly higher in endophyte‐treated plants under all moisture regimes than in uninoculated plants. C. dublinensis‐inoculated plants had higher GA content than uninoculated plants under all moisture regimes. The expression level of genes involved in phytohormone biosynthesis (SbNCED, SbGA20oX, and SbYUC) and coding drought‐responsive transcription factors (SbAP2, SbSNAC1 and PgDREB2A) was significantly higher under SD in endophyte‐inoculated plants than in uninoculated plants. Thus, these endophytic bacteria presumably enhanced the tolerance of pearl millet to drought stress by modulating root growth, plant hormones, physiology and the expression of genes involved in drought tolerance.

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of various nutrient sources and lime on nutrient availability and soil enzymatic activities in upland rice in North Eastern Himalayan region, Meghalaya. The experiment was laid out in FRBD (Factorial Randomized Block Design), with three replications and twelve treatment combinations (Control, 100% RDN through inorganic means, 100%RDN through FYM, 50%RDN through FYM+50%RDN through Vermicompost (VC), 50%RDN though FYM+50%RDN through Poultry manures (PM), 50%RDN though FYM+50%RDN through Pig Manures (SM), each treatment alternatively supplemented with lime @ 400 kg/ha). Available N, P, K, Fe, Zn were significantly higher in 50% FYM + 50% SM followed by 50% FYM + 50% PM over control. Enzyme activities as observed for dehydrogenase, fluorescein diacetate and soil microbial biomass carbon were significantly higher by 78.6%, 47.0% and 44.5% in 50% FYM + 50% SM at harvest. Urease enzyme activity was highest in 100% inorganic at flowering. The increase in enzyme activity due to liming was not found.