The present study investigated the effects of composted rice husk (5 and 26; 10 g/2 kg of soil/pot) on growth and biochemical parameters of sunflower plants at the 30th and 60th day of germination. Result showed significant improvement in growth and biochemical parameters of plants as compared to control plants treated with uncomposted organic fertilizer. However, the effects vary with the microbial treatments involved in the composting of rice husk like composted with T. hamatum (JUF1), bradyrhizobium sp-II (JUR2) alone, and JUF1 in combination with Rhizobium sp-I (JUR1) were found effective in improving the shoot and root lengths, total chlorophyll, carbohydrate, crude protein, and mineral (nitrogen and phosphorus) content of sunflower plants. It indicates that composted rice husk with improved total carbohydrate and protein contents may increase the soil fertility by improving its organic content.

Abstract. Diabetic foot infections (DFIs) constitute a major complication of diabetes mellitus. DFIs contribute to the development of gangrene and non-traumatic lower extremity amputations with a lifetime risk of up to 25%. The aim of the present study was to identify the presence of neuropathy and determine the ulcer grade, microbial profile and phenotypic and genotypic prevalence of the methicillin-resistance gene mecA and extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-encoding genes in bacterial isolates of DFI in patients registered at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Islamabad, Pakistan). The results indicated that 46/50 patients (92%), exhibited sensory neuropathy. The most common isolate was Staphylococcus aureus (25%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa; 18.18%), Escherichia coli (16.16%), Streptococcus species (spp.) (15.15%), Proteus spp. (15.15%), Enterococcus spp. (9%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae; 3%). The prevalence of the mecA gene was found to be 88% phenotypically and 84% genotypically. K. pneumoniae was shown to have the highest percentage of ESBL producers with a prevalence of 66.7% by double disk synergy test, and 100% by the cefotaxime + clavulanic acid/ceftazidime + clavulanic acid combination disk test. P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae had the highest (100%) proportion of metallo β-lactamase producers as identified by the EDTA combination disk test. The overall prevalence of β-lactamase (bla)-CTX-M, bla-CTX-M-15, bla-TEM, bla-OXA and bla-SHV genes was found to be 76.9, 76.9, 75.0, 57.7 and 84.6%, respectively, in gram-negative DFI isolates. The prevalence of mecA and ESBL-related genes was found to be alarmingly high in DFIs, since these genes are a major cause of antibiotic treatment failure.

The present study was designed to investigate the combine effect of Trichoderma hamatum and host-specific Rhizobium sp. of Vigna mungo on growth and biochemical parameters of same legume. The results proved that T.hamatum and host-specific Rhizobium sp are compatible with each other and their combine use was found effective not only in improving the growth parameters including lengths of roots & shoots and fresh biomass of experimental crop but also increasing the total chlorophyll, carbohydrate and crude protein contents as compared to control plants (p<0.05). Similarly, the amount of both nitrogen and phosphorus was significantly increased in leaves of the same legume (p<0.05). Therefore, T.hamatum could be a good alternate of chemical fertilizer and fungicide for improving the growth and productivity of V.mungo.

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