Comparative studies of codon usage profile of Anisakis simplex (Nematoda) and Carassius gibelio (Prussian carp)

Aim: The aim of the present study was to understand the molecular relationship between nematode (parasite) and fish (host) through codon usage bias (CUB) analysis. Methodology: The Codon usage bias analysis has been performed in fish Carassius gibelio (Prussian carp) and nematode fish parasite Anisakis simplex. The complete coding sequences (CDS) of C. gibelio (Prussian carp) and A. simplex (Nematode) were retrieved from National Center for Biotechnology Information and followed to that we have performed bioinformatics analysis to understand the codon usage pattern between host and parasite. Results: Different CUB indices like Relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU), Effective number of codons (ENC), Codon adaptation index (CAI) and Codon bias index (CBI) revealed a similar pattern in the codon usage in C. gibelio and A. simplex. In addition, inclusive analysis using different plots (ENC, parity, neutrality) had shown the influence of both the evolutionary forces i.e mutational and translational selection on codon usage pattern. This describes the role of evolutionary forces in determining the conserved genome to establish species-specific function-level differences for efficient survival. Interpretation: The present study elucidated the association between Carassiusgibelio (host) and Anisakis simplex (parasite) based on the similar pattern of codon usage bias between both the species.

Evidences for newer insecticides and growth regulators resistance in field populations of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Karnataka, India

The prominence of Helicoverpaarmigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) averse insecticide resistance was traversed in the course of 2017 in Karnataka, India. The results divulged typical resistance level prostrating in selected newer insecticides, even though exiguous higher resistance airing in insect growth regulator Novaluranwith LC 50 of and 13.02 to 18.07 ppm and 1.17 to 1.95 folds resistance) compared to newer group insecticides Spinasad, Indoxacarb, Flubendiamide, and Rynaxypyr (3.57 to 10.19 ppm, 1.01 to 1.27 fold). Raichur and Kalaburgi strains comprehend higher resistance to Novaluran and newer insecticides with exception of Flubendiamide (Raichur and Vijayapura strains), respectively, and Spinosad (Kalaburgi and Raichur strains), respectively. The morphometric parameters of larval length, pupal length, and weight were most in RCH stain (2.75 cm, 1.76.18 cm, and 0.511 g, 0.309 g) respectively, which was pursued by Kalaburgi strain. The morphometric correlation revealed that larval length was a significant positive relation with insecticide resistance which might be an influence of resistance but not merely responsible. Among newer insecticides, a significant positive correlation between Rynaxypyr and Indoxacarb was evident, similarly, Nuvaluran with Indoxacarb and Rynaxypyr as well. Usage pattern revealed that 81.67 % of farmers found to use insecticides more than the recommended dose and 70.83% have habit consecutive applications of products from the same chemical group which bears witness to developing resistance.

Electronic gadgets use and sleep quality among medical students during COVID-19 Lockdown

BACKGROUND: The Nepal Government imposed two national-level lockdowns to curtail the spread of coronavirus. Schools, colleges, and universities were briefly shut leading students to stay indoors. Change in daily routine, online education and plenty of free time has ultimately led to an increase in use of electronic gadgets like smartphones, laptops, etc. There have not been enough studies to evaluate the usage pattern of electronic gadgets and sleep quality among undergraduate medical students of Nepal before and during the COVID-19 lockdown. Our study aims to evaluate the usage pattern of electronic gadgets and sleep quality among undergraduate medical students before and during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nepal.METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 208 undergraduate medical students of Lumbini Medical College, Tansen, Palpa. Participants were requested to fill up an online questionnaire circulated via Viber and Facebook messenger. Gadget usage pattern and sleep quality before and during COVID-19 lockdown were evaluated using Smartphone addiction score-short version (SAS-SV) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) respectively.RESULTS: Of 208 responses which met the inclusion criteria, smartphone addiction was seen 94 (46.30%) respondents with higher number of male addicts (27.59%). Mean time spent in electronic gadgets raised significantly during lockdown compared to pre-COVID phase. 99 (48.77%) respondents had impaired sleep according to PSQI global sleep score. Significant relation was present between most of the components of PSQI with addicts and non-addicts.CONCLUSION: This study is merely a partial snapshot of the present scenario and provides preliminary understanding on smartphone use pattern and sleep quality among medical students from Nepal. It is critical to decrease total screen time and promote sleep quality for the betterment of physical and mental health of the future health care professionals.

Drug Utilization Evaluation of Colistin: A Retrospective Study

Background: Colistin, is used as the last treatment line for infections concluded from multiple drug-resistant gram-negative microorganisms. Increased consumption of colistin leads to resistance to this antibiotic in many countries. This study investigated the usage pattern of colistin administration in a selected hospital in Iran. Methods: This study was conducted in a selected hospital in Ahvaz. Inclusion criteria were all patients who received colistin during this time according to the health information system. Patients who were received less than three doses of colistin were excluded from the study. Prescription of colistin in all patients was evaluated according to the protocol extracted from the last version of Lexicomp written by Wolters Kluwer. The descriptive and analytical statistics were carried out by the R software. Results: Among 27 patients who received colistin, pneumonia (30%) was the main diagnoses. Colistin administration was based on the microbiological culture data in 70% of cases. Considering the involved microorganism, most cases were Acinetobacter spp., followed by Klebsiella spp. Loading dose was prescribed for seven (26%) patients. In only five (19%) cases, colistin dosing, including loading dose, maintenance dose, and the interval of colistin administration, was appropriate during the study time. Increasing in serum creatinine was seen in two (7.4%) patients. In 29.4% of patients, the combination of colistin and carbapenems was observed. Conclusion: Given the lack of appropriate dose adjustment of colistin that may lead to incidence of resistance and adverse effect, applying of the specialist clinical pharmacist will be suggested.

A Study on the Internet Usage Pattern of Youths in Sikkim

Internet is being used by people all over the world. It has become a part of their day-to-day activity. The smartness brought by internet and its related devices have made life of people easy. Sharing knowledge, researching, and reaching out to people are now within the reach of fingertips. This study aims to find the internet usage pattern of youth in Sikkim, India. Fourteen internet activities have been identified and through a survey. The usage of these activities was analysed for the youth population in Sikkim, India. It has been found that, more or less, all the activities are used by the youth population of Sikkim. The most popular activity is use of emails and social networking sites while blogging and video calling is not too popular. In addition, it has been found that 67% of the users use internet for more than 3 hours per day. Hence, there also is a serious risk of “internet addiction.”

More Thoughts About Concept Analysis: A Different Approach

The author of this essay presents a new approach to concept analysis based on the usage pattern of words, in contrast to literature-based analysis of concepts. This new approach is based on the premise that words exist, whereas concepts do not exist.

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of DnaJ Gene Family in Grape (Vitis vinifera L.)

Grape production in southern China suffers great loss due to various environmental stresses. To understand the mechanism of how the grape plants respond to these stresses is an active area of research in developing cultivation techniques. Plant stress resistance is known to rely on special proteins. Amongst them, DnaJ protein (HSP40) serves as co-chaperones of HSP70, playing crucial roles in various stress response. However, the DnaJ proteins encoded by the DnaJ gene family in Vitis vinifera L. have not been fully described yet. In this study, we identified 78 VvDnaJs in the grape genome that can be classified into three groups—namely, DJA, DJB, and DJC. To reveal the evolutionary and stress response mechanisms for the VvDnaJ gene family, their evolutionary and expression patterns were analyzed using the bioinformatic approach and qRT-PCR. We found that the members in the same group exhibited a similar gene structure and protein domain organization. Gene duplication analysis demonstrated that segmental and tandem duplication may not be the dominant pathway of gene expansion in the VvDnaJ gene family. Codon usage pattern analysis showed that the codon usage pattern of VvDnaJs differs obviously from the monocotyledon counterparts. Tissue-specific analysis revealed that 12 VvDnaJs present a distinct expression profile, implying their distinct roles in various tissues. Cis-acting element analysis showed that almost all VvDnaJs contained the elements responsive to either hormones or stresses. Therefore, the expression levels of VvDnaJs subjected to exogenous hormone applications and stress treatments were determined, and we found that VvDnaJs were sensitive to hormone treatments and shade, salt, and heat stresses, especially VIT_00s0324g00040. The findings of this study could provide comprehensive information for the further investigation on the genetics and protein functions of the DnaJ gene family in grape.

Language Variation in Mandarin as a Heritage Language: Subject Personal Pronouns

Because of limited language input, different dominant languages, and learners’ differing backgrounds, the acquisition of heritage languages is distinguished from the acquisition of L1 and L2. Few studies of Chinese as a Heritage Language (CHL) have explored whether students can acquire native-like sociolinguistic competence and language-specific variables with educational input. Based on a sociolinguistic variationist perspective, this study investigates the acquisition of variation between null and overt subject personal pronouns (SPP s) by heritage learners in an undergraduate-level Mandarin program. A total of 11,970 tokens were collected through classroom observation, sociolinguistic interviews, and narratives. Measuring mixed-effects logistic regression with Rbrul (Johnson, 2009), results show that the overall usage pattern of SPP s by CHL students largely resembled that in the input provided by the language program. Results also demonstrate that linguistic constraints including coreference, person and number, and verb type, and social factors such as discourse context, first languages, course level, and age of arrival had a significant effect on SPP expression by CHL learners. Implications for CHL development and variationist studies in heritage languages are discussed.

Initial Feasibility of the “Families Moving Forward Connect” Mobile Health Intervention for Caregivers of Children With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Mixed Method Evaluation Within a Systematic User-Centered Design Approach

Background Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are prevalent neurodevelopmental conditions. Significant barriers prevent family access to FASD-informed care. To improve accessibility, a scalable mobile health intervention for caregivers of children with FASD is under development. The app, called Families Moving Forward (FMF) Connect, is derived from the FMF Program, a parenting intervention tailored for FASD. FMF Connect has 5 components: Learning Modules, Family Forum, Library, Notebook, and Dashboard. Objective This study assesses the feasibility of FMF Connect intervention prototypes. This includes examining app usage data and evaluating user experience to guide further refinements. Methods Two rounds of beta-testing were conducted as part of a systematic approach to the development and evaluation of FMF Connect: (1) an iOS prototype was tested with 20 caregivers of children (aged 3-17 years) with FASD and 17 providers for the first round (April-May 2019) and (2) iOS and Android prototypes were tested with 25 caregivers and 1 provider for the second round (November-December 2019). After each 6-week trial, focus groups or individual interviews were completed. Usage analytics and thematic analysis were used to address feasibility objectives. Results Across beta-test trials, 84% (38/45) of caregivers and 94% (17/18) of providers installed the FMF Connect app. Technological issues were tracked in real time with updates to address problems and expand app functionalities. On use days, caregivers averaged 20 minutes using the app; most of the time was spent watching videos in Learning Modules. Caregiver engagement with the Learning Modules varied across 5 usage pattern tiers. Overall, 67% (30/45) of caregivers posted at least once in the Family Forum. Interviews were completed by 26 caregivers and 16 providers. App evaluations generally did not differ according to usage pattern tier or demographic characteristics. Globally, app users were very positive, with 2.5 times more positive- than negative-coded segments across participants. Positive evaluations emphasized the benefits of accessible information and practical utility of the app. Informational and video content were described as especially valuable to caregivers. A number of affective and social benefits of the app were identified, aligning well with the caregivers’ stated motivators for app use. Negative evaluations of user experience generally emphasized technical and navigational aspects. Refinements were made on the basis of feedback during the first beta test, which were positively received during the second round. Participants offered many valuable recommendations for continuing app refinement, which is useful in improving user experience. Conclusions The results demonstrate that the FMF Connect intervention is acceptable and feasible for caregivers raising children with FASD. They will guide subsequent app refinement before large-scale randomized testing. This study used a systematic, user-centered design approach for app development and evaluation. The approach used here may illustrate a model that can broadly inform the development of mobile health and digital parenting interventions.