Agroclimatic classification for assessment Of the crop potential of Karnataka

To plan cropping pattern and to bring out agricultural potential of a region, it is essential that the agro climatic classification is made on an objective and rational basis. Such an attempt has been made in this paper by devising an index called Water Availability Index (WAI). This index takes into account the distribution of the minimum water required by the crop. It utilizes the most probable number of the wet weeks for three threshold values of weekly rainfall and probability of dry spells of more than three weeks. The methodology developed is applied to dry farming tracts of Karnataka State. Using these information along with the information of the soil types and water requirement of different crops, cropping pattern can be assessed in each agro climatic zone, so that optimum use of the available moisture is made in stabilizing the crop production in the State.

Microbial Contamination Analysis of Mobile Phones from certain Users of Chattogram, Bangladesh

Mobile phone is an essential part of everyday life in modern days. Mobile phones act as vehicles for transmitting pathogenic bacteria due to lack of awareness and widespread use. This study aimed to investigate the bacterial contamination of mobile phones of different categories people at Chattogram city, Bangladesh. During the present study, 40 swab samples were collected from the mobile phones of students, businessmen, fishermen, and hospital patients for the isolation, identification of mobile phone associated bacteria, and their antibiogram. In our study, total viable count (TVC) was performed by the pour plate method and total coliform count (TCC) by the most probable number (MPN) method. Besides these, five selective media were used to isolate pathogenic bacteria from mobile phones and then identified. Antibiotic sensitivity assay was performed by disc diffusion method with 10 different antibiotics. Mobile phones of hospital patients (20165 cfu/ml) and students (1578 cfu/ml) showed the highest and lowest TVC respectively. Coliform bacteria were detected from the mobile phones of 100% hospital patients, 90% from both businessmen, and fishermen but only 30% from students. Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were found the most prevalent bacteria but Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Micrococcus sp., Bacillus sp., E. coli, Salmonella sp., Citrobacter sp., Serratia sp., Proteus sp., and Enterobacter sp. were also detected. Almost all the isolates were highly resistant to ampicillin, amoxicillin, rifampin, erythromycin and sensitive to ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, azithromycin, and tetracycline. Our findings ensure that mobile phones act as an important source of pathogenic organisms for humans and can serve as a vehicle for cross-transmission of microbiota. So, washing hands before and after handling food and also personal hygiene is very important.

Keterkaitan Sistem Penyediaan Air Bersih dan Angka Penyakit Diare di Daerah Pesisir Kelurahan Kangkung

Diare merupakan penyakit berbasis lingkungan yang sering dikaitkan dengan kejadian kematian. Kurang baiknya sistem penyediaan air bersih dapat meningkatkan kejadian diare. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengidentifikasi kejadian diare, mengkaji kualitas mikrobiologi sampel air, status sistem yang menyediakan air bersih, dan menganalisis korelasi antara angka penyakit diare dan sistem penyediaan air di daerah pesisir Kangkung, Bandar Lampung. Populasi pada kajian ini adalah seluruh masyarakat di wilayah pesisir Kelurahan Kangkung. Penentuan sampel dengan teknik random sampling. Data penelitian didapatkan melalui kuesioner dan analisis dilakukan dengan uji chi-square, sedangkan total coliform dilakukan dengan metode Most Probable Number. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan proporsi terjadinya diare sebanyak 22,2%, kandungan Coliform pada air PAM 0 MPN/ml, air suteng sebanyak 1100 MPN/ml, dan air sumur sebanyak 1100 MPN/ml. Daerah pesisir kelurahan Kangkung, sistem penyediaan air bersihnya cukup baik karena lebih banyak responden yang masuk dalam katagori memenuhi syarat dibandingkan yang tidak. Namun, hasil analisis menunjukkan tidak ada keterkaitan yang signifikan antara sistem yang menyediakan air bersih dengan kejadian diare di wilayah pesisir Kelurahan Kangkung.ABSTRACTDiarrhea is one of the disease based in environmentally that is often associated with death. Poor system of clean water supply can increase the incidence of diarrhea. The purpose of this research to identify frequency of diarrhea, to examine the microbiological quality of water samples, the status of the system that ptovides clean water, and to analize the correlation between diarrhea disease rate and the water supply system in the coastal areas of Kangkung, Bandar Lampung City. The population in this research were an entire comunity in the coastal area of Kangkung Village. Determination of the sample selection by the random sampling technique. The research data was obtained through a questionnaire and then analyzed was carried out using the chi-square test. Meanwhile, the total coliform test was carried out using the Most Probable Number method. The results showed the proportion of diarrhea was 22.2%, total Coliform in water from drink water company was 0 MPN/ml, Suteng water was 1100 MPN/ml, and well water was 1100 MPN/ml. In the coastal area of the Kangkung, the clean water supply system is quite good because more respondents are included in the eligible category than those who do not. However, the results of the analysis show that there is no significant correlation between the system that provides clean water and the incidence of diarrhea in the coastal area of Kangkung Village.

Detection of microbial contamination in chicken meat from local markets in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia

Background and Aim: Chicken meat can be contaminated by microorganisms anywhere in the supply chain, from farm to market, and these microorganisms can be transmitted to humans through direct contact, contact with the environment, and food consumption. The microbial contamination has a serious impact on public health. This study aimed to analyze the microbial contamination of chicken meat sampled from local markets in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 samples of fresh chicken meat obtained from 10 traditional markets (six samples per market) were examined for the presence of bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli were identified using Gram staining, culturing, and biochemical tests. The most probable number (MPN) method was used to identify E. coli. Results: Most chicken meat samples were positive for S. aureus (58.3%), Salmonella spp. (48.3%), and E. coli (40%). The samples were considered positive for E. coli if the MPN value was higher than 1×101 CFU/g. Conclusion: High microbial contamination was found in all the chicken meat sampled from local markets in Surabaya. Such contamination can lead to foodborne diseases so, proper hygiene and sanitation standards should be followed from slaughterhouses to the end-users.

Application of a commercial Salmonella real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the detection and quantitation of Salmonellaenterica in poultry ceca

Foodborne Salmonellosis is commonly associated with poultry and poultry products necessitating continued development of pre- and post-harvest food safety interventions and risk management strategies. Evaluating technologies and strategies is limited by availability of cost-effective, rapid laboratory methods. The objective of this work was to evaluate a commercial, qualitative PCR assay and its novel quantitative application to detect and enumerate Salmonella in poultry ceca as an analytical matrix. Ceca were collected at harvest, contents homogenized, and paired samples evaluated with Buffered Peptone Water (BPW) and BAX® MP + Supplement (MPS) pre-enrichment broths followed by PCR screening on BAX® System Q7 (PCR) and by isolation. Additional ceca were inoculated with Salmonella to develop a standard curve for the BAX® System SalQuant™ quantitative PCR application (QA), then estimates were obtained by the QA and Most Probable Number (MPN) methods. For pre-enrichment media, PCR outcomes performed equivalently to culture isolation for detecting Salmonella in ceca with 95.65% and 87.88% sensitivity and 82.00% and 100.00% specificity (P=0.074) for BPW and MPS, respectively. However, at the sample-level, BPW performed significantly worse (47.92%) than MPS (68.75%) for overall isolation of Salmonella (P<0.0001). Post-standard curve development, the mean QA estimates obtained for the inoculated samples were 1.14 (95% CI; 0.62 - 1.66), 1.79 (95% CI; 1.50- 2.08), 2.91 (95% CI; 2.65 - 3.17) and 3.76 (95% CI; 3.26 - 4.25), respectively for each targeted inoculation of 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 Log10 CFU/mL and within or comparable to 95% confidence intervals of paired MPN estimates. These data demonstrate performance of MPS for the detection and isolation of Salmonella enterica from poultry ceca when screening with PCR and indicate the QA may be useful as an alternative tool to estimate Salmonella concentrations in ceca, which may support pre-harvest food safety activities.

3D Bio-Printability of Hybrid Pre-Crosslinked Hydrogels

Maintaining shape fidelity of 3D bio-printed scaffolds with soft biomaterials is an ongoing challenge. Here, a rheological investigation focusing on identifying useful physical and mechanical properties directly related to the geometric fidelity of 3D bio-printed scaffolds is presented. To ensure during- and post-printing shape fidelity of the scaffolds, various percentages of Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) (viscosity enhancer) and different calcium salts (CaCl2 and CaSO4, physical cross-linkers) were mixed into alginate before extrusion to realize shape fidelity. The overall solid content of Alginate-Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) was limited to 6%. A set of rheological tests, e.g., flow curves, amplitude tests, and three interval thixotropic tests, were performed to identify and compare the shear-thinning capacity, gelation points, and recovery rate of various compositions. The geometrical fidelity of the fabricated scaffolds was defined by printability and collapse tests. The effect of using multiple cross-linkers simultaneously was assessed. Various large-scale scaffolds were fabricated (up to 5.0 cm) using a pre-crosslinked hybrid. Scaffolds were assessed for the ability to support the growth of Escherichia coli using the Most Probable Number technique to quantify bacteria immediately after inoculation and 24 h later. This pre-crosslinking-based rheological property controlling technique can open a new avenue for 3D bio-fabrication of scaffolds, ensuring proper geometry.

Self-conscious intelligent technological societies in the universe: a simple direct approach to probable astrosociological realistic scenarios

We present an alternative equation to estimate the probable number N of self-conscious intelligent technological societies (SCITSs) within the radius of the observable universe. This equation has only one poorly-known factor, Pc, the SCITS's formation probability, which can be estimated within an uncertainty by a factor of 102 (10−11 ≤ Pc ≤ 10−9) by applying the restriction imposed by Fermi's Paradox. The SCITS's formation rate for a typical spiral galaxy is then estimated as ≈1 civ Gyr−1. For a very optimistic maximum life expectancy ≈108 yr, the conclusion is that two civilizations never coexist in the same galaxy. Our estimated values for Pc are compatible with current biological and astrophysical evidences. We also propose an alternative astrosociological classification scheme which enables us to speculate about possible evolutionary paths for SCITSs in the universe. The so-called ‘Closed Bottle Neck’ (CBN) scenario suggests that civilizations are no exit evolutionary ways. We argue that simply there would not be interstellar travels nor Galaxy colonization or a Galactic Club. Thus Fermi's Paradox results eliminated, and the perspectives about the future of our own civilization may not be positive.

Differential Survival of Generic E. coli and Listeria spp. in Northeastern U.S. Soils Amended with Dairy Manure Compost, Poultry Litter Compost, and Heat-Treated Poultry Pellets and Fate in Raw Edible Radish Crops

Composted or heat-treated Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origin (BSAAO) can be added to soils to provide nutrients for fresh produce. These products lower the risk of pathogen contamination of fresh produce when compared with use of untreated BSAAO; however, meteorological conditions, geographic location, and soil properties can influence the presence of pathogenic bacteria, or their indicators (e.g., generic E. coli) and allow potential for produce contamination. Replicated field plots of loamy or sandy soils were tilled and amended with dairy manure compost (DMC), poultry litter compost (PLC), or no compost (NoC) over two different field seasons, and non-composted heat-treated poultry pellets (HTPP) during the second field season. Plots were inoculated with a three-strain cocktail of rifampicin-resistant E. coli (rE.coli) at levels of 8.7 log CFU/m2. Direct plating and most probable number (MPN) methods measured the persistence of rE.coli and Listeria spp. in plots through 104 days post-inoculation. Greater survival of rE. coli was observed in PLC plots in comparison to DMC plots and NoC plots during year 1 (P < 0.05). Similar trends were observed for year 2, where rE. coli survival was also greater in HTPP amended plots (P < 0.05). Survival of rE. coli was dependent on soil type, where water potential and temperature were significant covariables. Listeria spp. were found in NoC plots, but not in plots amended with HTPP, PLC or DMC. Radish data demonstrate that PLC treatment promoted the greatest level of rE.coli translocation when compared to DMC and NoC treatments (P < 0.05). These results are consistent with findings from studies conducted in other regions of the US and informs Northeast produce growers that composted and non-composted poultry-based BSAAO supports greater survival of rE. coli in field soils. This result has the potential to impact the food safety risk of edible produce grown in BSAAO amended soils as a result of pathogen contamination.