India has a large repository of important tea accessions and, therefore, plays a major role in improving production and quality of tea across the world. Using seven AFLP primer combinations, we analyzed 123 commercially important tea accessions representing major populations in India. The overall genetic similarity recorded was 51%. No significant differences were recorded in average genetic similarity among tea populations cultivated in various geographic regions (northwest 0.60, northeast and south both 0.59). UPGMA cluster analysis grouped the tea accessions according to geographic locations, with a bias toward China or Assam/Cambod types. Cluster analysis results were congruent with principal component analysis. Further, analysis of molecular variance detected a high level of genetic variation (85%) within and limited genetic variation (15%) among the populations, suggesting their origin from a similar genetic pool.

IMPF: 01.55Seabuckthorn, a non-leguminous nodule bearing dioecious shrub, is a storehouse of neutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic usage. The 348 genotypes of Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. turkestanica, H. salicifolia and H. tibetana were collected from 194 locations at 46 major sites across 1,500km from north-east to north-west Himalayas, harboring one of the most harsh, highly variable climatic and ecological conditions and rugged rocky terrain in the range of 3,000?5,000 metres altitude. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and selective amplification of microsatellite polymorphic loci (SAMPL) DNA markers were utilized to assess the genetic diversity of total spectrum of Himalayan germplasm resources and interrelationships among Hippophae taxa. A total of 151, 50, and 41 AFLP loci were detected in Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. turkestanica, H. salicifolia and H. tibetana respectively; of these, 92.6, 30.6 and 25.1% were polymorphic. For SAMPL, the number of markers and polymorphism for these species were respectively, 77 (77.7%), 41 (41.4%), and 23 (23.2%). Nei?s genetic diversity and Shannon?s information index values revealed that populations of H. rhamnoides ssp. turkestanica in Sumur and Raling in Ladakh and Lahaul-Spiti, respectively, were the most diverse. In H. salicifolia and H. tibetana, the populations in Changu, and Takcha and Guling in Spiti valley, were the most diverse. In H. rhamnoides ssp. turkestanica, high levels of interpopulation genetic diversity with little intra-population diversity was accompanied by very low gene flow (Nm) range, estimated by AFLP (0.571?0.943) and SAMPL (0.321?0.726) markers. In H. rhamnoides ssp. turkestanica, the genotypes collected from Uttaranchal were found to be the least diverse. The exclusive characteristics of the nuclear genome in the Uttaranchal genotypes warrant new species rank closer to H. salicifolia rather than to H. rhamnoides ssp. turkestanica. The present results also provide explicit evidence to suggest that both H. salicifolia and H. tibetan deserve species rank.Peer reviewe

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the common infections encountered by the clinicians. Though a good number of antimicrobial agents are available, still UTIs have become difficult to treat due to development of resistance by the uropathogens. So, regional data regarding the common uropathogens and their sensitivity pattern is required to guide the clinicians to start empirical therapy while managing UTIs. The purpose of the study was to identify different species of microorganisms, along with their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, causing urinary tract infection in outpatient and indoor patients at RIMS, Ranchi, Jharkhand.Methods: Observational study was conducted using urine culture and sensitivity reports collected retrospectively from records maintained in the department of Microbiology over a period from July 2016 to Feb 2017 in tertiary care hospital.Results: UTI was more common in females (57.74%) than in males (42.26%). Among the uropathogens isolated Escherichia coli (37.41%) was found to be the predominant organism followed by Klebsiella species (32.79%), Pseudomonas species (25.86%), and gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus accounted (3.92%) of total cases. The most common isolates were E. coli showed high sensitivity to amikacin (79.24%), followed by levofloxacin (77.21%) and gentamycin (62.26%). It was found to be resistant to norfloxacin (86%), nalidixic acid (86.76%) and cefotaxime (69.88%).Conclusions: Though various microorganisms are responsible for UTI. Escherichia coli species is the most common organism. Antimicrobial resistance has already emerged against many antibiotics, making empirical treatment of these infections challenging.

SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron with its lineages BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3 has triggered a fresh wave of Covid‐19 infections. Though, Omicron has, so far, produced mild symptoms, its genome contains 60 mutations including 37 in the spike protein and 15 in the receptor‐binding domain. Thirteen sites conserved in previous SARS‐CoV‐2 variants carry mutations in Omicron. Many mutations have shown evolution under positive selection. Omicron's giant mutational leap has raised concerns as there are signs of higher virus infectivity rate, pathogenesis, reinfection, and immune evasion. Preliminary studies have reported waning of immunity after two‐dose primary vaccine regime, need for the boosters, folds reduction in vaccine effectiveness and neutralizing antibodies even after boosting and significant neutralization resistance with the therapeutic monoclonal, polyclonal, and convalescent antibodies against Omicron. The narrative that “Omicron is mild,” therefore, needs time to be tested with a deeper, scientific dwelling into the facts.

Mentorship during flexible ureteroscopy training results in higher GRS and lower TCT at the end of the training. Self-assessment GRS by trainee does not correlate well with the skills acquired.

Objective:We performed a comparative study of high-fidelity training models for flexible ureteroscopy (URS). Our objective was to determine whether high-fidelity non-virtual reality (VR) models are as effective as the VR model in teaching flexible URS skills.Materials and Methods:Twenty-one trained urologists without clinical experience of flexible URS underwent dry lab simulation practice. After a warm-up period of 2 h, tasks were performed on a high-fidelity non-VR (Uro-scopic Trainer™; Endo-Urologie-Modell™) and a high-fidelity VR model (URO Mentor™). The participants were divided equally into three batches with rotation on each of the three stations for 30 min. Performance of the trainees was evaluated by an expert ureteroscopist using pass rating and global rating score (GRS). The participants rated a face validity questionnaire at the end of each session.Results:The GRS improved statistically at evaluation performed after second rotation (P<0.001 for batches 1, 2 and 3). Pass ratings also improved significantly for all training models when the third and first rotations were compared (P<0.05). The batch that was trained on the VR-based model had more improvement on pass ratings on second rotation but could not achieve statistical significance. Most of the realistic domains were higher for a VR model as compared with the non-VR model, except the realism of the flexible endoscope.Conclusions:All the models used for training flexible URS were effective in increasing the GRS and pass ratings irrespective of the VR status.

This review collates information on the onset of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 genome architecture, emergence of novel viral lineages that drove multiple waves of infection around the world and standard and fast track development of vaccines. With the passage of time, the continuously evolving SARS-CoV-2 has acquired an expanded mutational landscape. The functional characterization of spike protein mutations, the primary target of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines has revealed increased transmission, pathogenesis and immune escape potential in the variant lineages of the virus. The incurred mutations have also resulted in substantial viral neutralization escape to vaccines, monoclonal, polyclonal and convalescent antibodies presently in use. The present situation suggests the need for development of precise next-generation vaccines and therapeutics by targeting the more conservative genomic viral regions for providing adequate protection.

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