The mediating role of workplace spirituality between personal attributes and job performances of Indian bus drivers

Purpose

Transport industry is one of the leading accident causing industries all around the world. Personal attributes like educational qualification, work experience, marital status, consumption of alcohol, hours of work of bus drivers are known to influence such accidents. In the present study, the mediating effects of Workplace spirituality (WS) among bus drivers between the personal attributes and job performance variables like self-reported accidents, punishments and appraisals are carried out.

Design/methodology/approach

A mediation analysis of WS between personal attributes and job performances of bus drivers is conducted in the present study. Since there is scarcity of studies measuring the effects of WS of bus drivers, new scale to measure WS was developed. The study was carried out in the government-owned road transport corporation in the state of Kerala, India. Responses were obtained from 617 male drivers.

Findings

Using exploratory factor analysis, four factors were identified, namely Meaningful work, Sense of Community, Mindfulness and Compassion. Confirmatory factory analysis provided good fit. The intercorrelations of personal attributes of drivers (independent variables) between WS factors (mediating variables) and job performance variables (dependent variables) were found out. Mediation analysis showed complete mediation of WS factors between marital status, alcohol consumption, hours of work and job performances like number of self-reported accidents, punishments and appraisals. The WS levels of drivers decrease significantly as working hours per goes beyond the legally allowed working hours.

Originality/value

Psychological attributes like Mindfulness, Sense of community, compassion etc. which are collectively known as WS influence the job performances of employees in other industries. Yet it is not studied in the transport industry. Hence, in the present study, the levels of WS are studied among bus drivers of government-owned road transport corporation in the State of Kerala, India.

Sustainable removal of cadmium from contaminated water using green alga - Optimization, characterization and modeling studies

This research study reported the feasibility of cadmium removal using green algae, Caulerpa scalpelliformis, under controlled environmental conditions. The algal biosorbent could effectively remove cadmium under broad range of test conditions, namely, initial pH (3-6), adsorbent mass (0.5-2.5 gL^-1) and shaking speed (60-100 rpm). The best operating conditions were identified using Central Composite Design under Response Surface methodology and found to be pH - 4.9, adsorbent mass - 2.1 gL^-1 and shaking speed - 90 rpm. Equilibrium studies were conducted and monolayer sorption was identified as the mechanism, confirmed by Langmuir isotherm (R² = 0.9920). The maximum Cd uptake achieved at optimal conditions was 111.11 mg g^-1. The kinetic constants of the best fit model (pseudo second order) were determined. The thermodynamic feasibility was verified (ΔG ^ͦ < 0) and the biosorption process was found to be endothermic (ΔH ^ͦ > 0). The mass transfer studies shows that the mass transfer coefficient was inversely related to the temperature. Presence of favorable surface functional groups and enhanced surface area confirmed the suitability of the synthesized biosorbent for effective removal of cadmium.

Chromosomal-scale de novo genome assemblies of Cynomolgus Macaque and Common Marmoset

Cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis) and common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) have been widely used in human biomedical research. Long-standing primate genome assemblies used the human genome as a reference for ordering and orienting the assembled fragments into chromosomes. Here we performed de novo genome assembly of these two species without any human genome-based bias observed in the genome assemblies released earlier. We assembled PacBio long reads, and the resultant contigs were scaffolded with Hi-C data, which were further refined based on Hi-C contact maps and alternate de novo assemblies. The assemblies achieved scaffold N50 lengths of 149 Mb and 137 Mb for cynomolgus macaque and common marmoset, respectively. The high fidelity of our assembly is also ascertained by BAC-end concordance in common marmoset. Our assembly of cynomolgus macaque outperformed all the available assemblies of this species in terms of contiguity. The chromosome-scale genome assemblies produced in this study are valuable resources for non-human primate models and provide an important baseline in human biomedical research.

Comprehensive evaluation of non-hybrid genome assembly tools for third-generation PacBio long-read sequence data

Long reads obtained from third-generation sequencing platforms can help overcome the long-standing challenge of the de novo assembly of sequences for the genomic analysis of non-model eukaryotic organisms. Numerous long-read-aided de novo assemblies have been published recently, which exhibited superior quality of the assembled genomes in comparison with those achieved using earlier second-generation sequencing technologies. Evaluating assemblies is important in guiding the appropriate choice for specific research needs. In this study, we evaluated 10 long-read assemblers using a variety of metrics on Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) data sets from different taxonomic categories with considerable differences in genome size. The results allowed us to narrow down the list to a few assemblers that can be effectively applied to eukaryotic assembly projects. Moreover, we highlight how best to use limited genomic resources for effectively evaluating the genome assemblies of non-model organisms.

An improved de novo genome assembly of the common marmoset genome yields improved contiguity and increased mapping rates of sequence data

BACKGROUND

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is one of the most studied primate model organisms. However, the marmoset genomes available in the public databases are highly fragmented and filled with sequence gaps, hindering research advances related to marmoset genomics and transcriptomics.

RESULTS

Here we utilize single-molecule, long-read sequence data to improve and update the existing genome assembly and report a near-complete genome of the common marmoset. The assembly is of 2.79 Gb size, with a contig N50 length of 6.37 Mb and a chromosomal scaffold N50 length of 143.91 Mb, representing the most contiguous and high-quality marmoset genome up to date. Approximately 90% of the assembled genome was represented in contigs longer than 1 Mb, with approximately 104-fold improvement in contiguity over the previously published marmoset genome. More than 98% of the gaps from the previously published genomes were filled successfully, which improved the mapping rates of genomic and transcriptomic data on to the assembled genome.

CONCLUSIONS

Altogether the updated, high-quality common marmoset genome assembly provide improvements at various levels over the previous versions of the marmoset genome assemblies. This will allow researchers working on primate genomics to apply the genome more efficiently for their genomic and transcriptomic sequence data.

Genome sequence and analysis of the Japanese morning glory Ipomoea nil

Ipomoea is the largest genus in the family Convolvulaceae. Ipomoea nil (Japanese morning glory) has been utilized as a model plant to study the genetic basis of floricultural traits, with over 1,500 mutant lines. In the present study, we have utilized second- and third-generation-sequencing platforms, and have reported a draft genome of I. nil with a scaffold N50 of 2.88 Mb (contig N50 of 1.87 Mb), covering 98% of the 750 Mb genome. Scaffolds covering 91.42% of the assembly are anchored to 15 pseudo-chromosomes. The draft genome has enabled the identification and cataloguing of the Tpn1 family transposons, known as the major mutagen of I. nil, and analysing the dwarf gene, CONTRACTED, located on the genetic map published in 1956. Comparative genomics has suggested that a whole genome duplication in Convolvulaceae, distinct from the recent Solanaceae event, has occurred after the divergence of the two sister families.

Next generation sequencing and de novo transcriptome analysis of Costus pictus D. Don, a non-model plant with potent anti-diabetic properties

Background

Phyto-remedies for diabetic control are popular among patients with Type II Diabetes mellitus (DM), in addition to other diabetic control measures. A number of plant species are known to possess diabetic control properties. Costus pictus D. Don is popularly known as “Insulin Plant” in Southern India whose leaves have been reported to increase insulin pools in blood plasma. Next Generation Sequencing is employed as a powerful tool for identifying molecular signatures in the transcriptome related to physiological functions of plant tissues. We sequenced the leaf transcriptome of C. pictus using Illumina reversible dye terminator sequencing technology and used combination of bioinformatics tools for identifying transcripts related to anti-diabetic properties of C. pictus.

Results

A total of 55,006 transcripts were identified, of which 69.15% transcripts could be annotated. We identified transcripts related to pathways of bixin biosynthesis and geraniol and geranial biosynthesis as major transcripts from the class of isoprenoid secondary metabolites and validated the presence of putative norbixin methyltransferase, a precursor of Bixin. The transcripts encoding these terpenoids are known to be Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor (PPAR) agonists and anti-glycation agents. Sequential extraction and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) confirmed the presence of bixin in C. pictus methanolic extracts. Another significant transcript identified in relation to anti-diabetic, anti-obesity and immuno-modulation is of Abscisic Acid biosynthetic pathway. We also report many other transcripts for the biosynthesis of antitumor, anti-oxidant and antimicrobial metabolites of C. pictus leaves.

Conclusion

Solid molecular signatures (transcripts related to bixin, abscisic acid, and geranial and geraniol biosynthesis) for the anti-diabetic properties of C. pictus leaves and vital clues related to the other phytochemical functions like antitumor, anti-oxidant, immuno-modulatory, anti-microbial and anti-malarial properties through the secondary metabolite pathway annotations are reported. The data provided will be of immense help to researchers working in the treatment of DM using herbal therapies.

First Report of Anthracnose Disease of Black Pepper (Piper nigrum) Caused by an Unknown Species of Colletotrichum

Black pepper is cultivated in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India as a spice crop. During a survey performed in June of 2007 in South Andaman, two kinds of leaf anthracnose symptoms were observed. The classic symptom, angular to irregular or circular brownish lesions with a chlorotic halo and pinhead size acervuli on the leaves, was consistent with the disease previously reported on pepper caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (2). This symptom also caused splitting and the production of hollow berries. The new symptom was novel, with leaves initially exhibiting pale green or yellowish green lesions. As the disease progressed, lesion margins became brown to black with slightly raised areas containing numerous acervuli. Unlike the classic symptom, the new symptom was characterized as leaf lesions that rarely caused defoliation; berries showed no lesions. The foliar disease incidence was up to 15%, but direct economic loss of berries was not noticed. This new symptom was similar to symptoms caused by C. dracaenophilum, a species identified as a pathogen on lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) (1). A fungus was isolated in pure culture from the pale green lesions and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA). At room temperature (28 ± 2°C), fungal growth on PDA was slow and mycelium appeared whitish at the margin with pale pink centers. A pinkish color was observed on the reverse side of the plate, reflecting profuse sporulation. The conidia were hyaline, broadly clavate to cylindrical, and measured 12.5 to 15 × 5 to 7.5 μm (average 14 × 7.5 μm). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the fungal DNA was amplified, sequenced, and submitted to NCBI GenBank (Accession No. EU744584). The specimen was deposited in the MTCC of IMTECH, Chandigarh, India (Accession No. MTCC9344). Pathogenicity was tested in five replications on 15- to 20-day-old pepper plants and repeated twice. A 1-ml conidial suspension (10⁸ spores/ml) of the fungus was brushed on two intact leaves of each pepper plant and incubated for 2 weeks in a glasshouse at 28°C and 70% relative humidity with natural daylight conditions. Plants brushed with sterile water served as control. Similar pale green symptoms were observed only on treated leaves and the same organism was reisolated from lesions. BLAST searches of the GenBank using the ITS sequence revealed that this fungus was a member of the genus Colletotrichum, but a species level identification could not be made with these data. The fungus was most similar in sequence to unnamed endophytic strains of Colletotrichum (96% sequence identity) and phytopathogenic isolates of C. dracaenophilum (93% sequence similarity). Although the symptomatology and sequence data were most closely matched with those documented for C. dracaenophilum (1), the morphological and cultural characteristics of the black pepper anthracnose fungus differed from C. dracaenophilum and other known species of Colletotrichum (3). Together these morphological and molecular data suggest that this form of anthracnose disease on black pepper may be caused by a novel, undescribed species of Colletotrichum. Further investigations will be required to characterize this organism to the species level. References: (1) S. G. Bobev et al. Plant Dis. 92:173, 2008. (2) P. Santha Kumari and A. Sanker. J. Mycol. Plant Pathol. 33:329, 2003. (3) B. C. Sutton. In: Colletotrichum. Biology, Pathology and Control. CAB International, Wallingford, 1992.

Potential of plant extracts in combination with bacterial antagonist treatment as biocontrol agent of red rot of sugarcane

Plant extracts and antifungal microorganisms were tested singly and in combination for biocontrol of sugarcane red rot disease ( Colletotrichum falcatum ) using two sugarcane ( Saccharum officinarum L.) cultivars, CoC671 and CoC92061, in pot and field experiments. Leaf extracts of Abrus precatorius and Bassia latifolia and the rhizome extract of Curcuma longa reduced Colletotrichum falcatum mycelial growth by 80%, 58%, and 57%, respectively. Although sugarcane- planting materials (setts) treated individually with either Pseudomonas fluorescens Md1 or A. precatorius in pot experiments had the lowest incidences of red rot, 20.1% and 24.2%, respectively, none of the plant extracts were effective in the field. In contrast, when the two varieties were tested separately in two field locations, the setts treated with A. precatorius in combination with a spray or soil application of P. fluorescens Md1 had the lowest incidence of red rot in both locations, e.g., 3.1% and 3.4% incidence for CoC92061 in one location, and had a similar response to the chemical control. The results suggest the applicability of plant-based extracts for the suppression of sugarcane red rot disease in the field as an environment-friendly tool in combination with antagonists.

Induction of resistance in host against the infection of leaf blight pathogen (Alternaria palandui) in onion (Allium cepa var aggregatum)

The Pseudomonas fluorescens isolate Pfl was found to inhibit the growth of pathogen Alternaria palandui, in vitro. In the present study, foliar application of a talc-based formulation of Pfl significantly reduced the incidence of leaf blight of onion, caused by A. palandui. Induction of defense-related proteins viz., chitinase, beta-1,3 glucanase, peroxidase (PO) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) by application of Pfl, was studied against A. palandui infection in resistant (IHR 56) and susceptible (MDUI) onion cultivars. Chitinase in both cultivars, with or without challenge-inoculation of A. palandui revealed changes in the isoform pattern. The Native-PAGE of PO showed induction of PO2 isoform in both the cultivars, in response to inoculation of pathogen. Isoform analysis of PPO also exhibited induction in the Pfl-treated plants challenged with pathogen. Similarly, the activity of beta-1,3-glucanase was greatly induced in Pfl-treated plants, challenged with pathogen as compared to controls. Thus, the P. fluorescens-treated plants showed significant increase in the levels of the defense enzymes, in comparison to the plants challenged with the pathogen.

Immunorheophoresis for the diagnosis of infectious bursal disease

The immunorheophoresis (IR) technique was used for the detection of infectious bursal disease antigen from bursae collected from field cases and experimentally infected chickens. When these results were compared with that of the agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test, they showed excellent agreement as determined by kappa value. However, the time taken for the appearance of the precipitin lines was reduced from 14-24 hr in the AGID test to 3-5 hr in the IR technique.

Studies on the pathogenicity of classical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from acute diarrhoea among children 0-5 years of age

The mechanisms of pathogenicity in EPEC strains were studied in tissue culture. Escherichia coli was isolated as the predominant organism in the primary culture of 1293 (70.54%) diarrhoeal cases. 284 (90.44%) cases from the age group of 1-6 months showed Escherichia coli as the predominant organism. Classical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) were detected in 311 (24.05%) cases. Among EPEC isolates 277 (89.06%) did not produce either LT or ST. 32 (10.28%) produced LT or ST. 2 strains produced verotoxins belong to serotypes 0:86; K:61, 0.26; K:60, serogroups 0.86:K61 0142:K86, 0:128:K67, 0 126: 71, 0125:K 70, 0119: k69 showed localised adherence and serogroups 0111:K58-055:K59 showed both localised and diffused adherence to HeLa cells.

Studies on the pathogenicity of classical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from acute diarrhoea among children 0-5 years of age

The mechanisms of pathogenicity in EPEC strains were studied in tissue culture. Escherichia coli was isolated as the predominant organism in the primary culture of 1293 (70.54%) diarrhoeal cases. 284 (90.44%) cases from the age group of 1-6 months showed Escherichia coli as the predominant organism. Classical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli) were detected in 311 (24.05%) cases. Among EPEC isolates 277 (89.06%) did not produce either LT or ST 32(10.28%) produced LT or ST. 2 strains produced verotoxins belong to serotypes 0:86; K:61, 0:26; K:60, sero groups 0.86 :K:61, 0.142:K 86, 0.128:K 67, 0.126:K 71, 0125:K 70 0119:K69 showed localised adherence and serogroups 0111:K58-055:K59 showed both localised and diffused adherence to HeLa cells.