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Background: Early bowel resection (EBR) in ileocolonic Crohn's disease (CD) may be associated with more durable remission compared with initial medical therapy (IMT) even when biologic therapy is included. Aim: To compare the efficacy of EBR versus IMT for ileocolonic CD Methods: A systematic search was performed to identify studies that compared EBR (performed < 1 year from initial diagnosis) or IMT for the management of ileocolonic CD. Log hazard ratios (InHR) for relapse-free survival (RFS) and their standard errors were calculated from Kaplan-Meier plots and pooled using the inverse-variance method. Dichotomous variables were pooled as odds ratios (OR). Quality assessment of the included studies was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa (NOS) and Jadad scales. Results: A total of 7 studies with 1863 CD patients (EBR n = 581, 31.2%; IMT n = 1282, 68.8%) were eligible for inclusion. There was a moderate-to-high risk of bias. The median NOS was 8 (range 7–9). There was a reduced likelihood of overall (OR, 0.53; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.34, 0.83; p = 0.005) and surgical (OR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.24, 0.91; p = 0.03) relapse with EBR. There was also a less requirement for maintenance biologic therapy (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.14, 0.42; p < 0.0001). Patients who underwent EBR had a significantly improved RFS than those who underwent IMT (HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.52, 0.73; p < 0.001). There was no difference in morbidity (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 0.44, 6.36; p = 0.45) between the groups. Conclusion: EBR may be associated with less relapse and need for maintenance biologic therapy than IMT. 'Upfront' or early resection may represent a reasonable and cost-effective alternative to biologic therapy, especially in biologic-resistant subpopulations. Trial registration: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change can decrease the global maize productivity and grain quality. Maize crop requires an optimal temperature for better harvest productivity. A suboptimal temperature at any critical stage for a prolonged duration can negatively affect the growth and yield formation processes. This review discusses the negative impact of temperature extremes (high and low temperatures) on the morpho-physiological, biochemical, and nutritional traits of the maize crop. High temperature stress limits pollen viability and silks receptivity, leading to a significant reduction in seed setting and grain yield. Likewise, severe alterations in growth rate, photosynthesis, dry matter accumulation, cellular membranes, and antioxidant enzyme activities under low temperature collectively limit maize productivity. We also discussed various strategies with practical examples to cope with temperature stresses, including cultural practices, exogenous protectants, breeding climate-smart crops, and molecular genomics approaches. We reviewed that identified quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and genes controlling high- and low temperature stress tolerance in maize could be introgressed into otherwise elite cultivars to develop stress-tolerant cultivars. Genome editing has become a key tool for developing climate-resilient crops. Moreover, challenges to maize crop improvement such as lack of adequate resources for breeding in poor countries, poor communication among the scientists of developing and developed countries, problems in germplasm exchange, and high cost of advanced high-throughput phenotyping systems are discussed. In the end, future perspectives for maize improvement are discussed, which briefly include new breeding technologies such as transgene-free clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas)-mediated genome editing for thermo-stress tolerance in maize.

The invasive water hyacinth (WH), Eichhornia crassipes, poses a severe environmental and economic threat to Ethiopian water bodies, particularly in the Rift Valley water bodies and Lake Tana. Known for its rapid proliferation, WH outcompetes native vegetation, doubling its coverage every 13 days, and has the potential to produce 140–350 tons of dry weight per hectare/annum. Lake Tana's northern shore alone bears the brunt of this issue, with an estimated 50,000 hectares of affected areas in Lake Tana alone covering approximately 130 km of lakeshore length as of 2015, apart from other lakes. In response to this pressing concern, the present study is dedicated to formulating a comprehensive circular bioeconomy policy framework focusing on effectively utilizing WH biomass. This innovative framework aims to convert WH biomass into valuable biofuels and other products, acknowledging its potential for environmental mitigation. It integrates diverse policy instruments – informational, economic, cooperative, and regulatory – to encourage sustainable WH biomass production and processing. With a focus on fostering economic advantages for local communities, the framework tackles challenges and outlines implementation strategies, highlighting the importance of international collaboration and robust monitoring systems. Success depends on alignment with existing policies related to environmental protection, energy production, and economic development. The framework unlocks economic, social, and ecological benefits and emphasizes stakeholder collaboration, community participation, and international cooperation. It offers a proactive approach to managing the invasive WH threat sustainably, transforming adversity into sustainable growth. Furthermore, it serves as a model for other countries facing similar challenges, contributing to the global shift towards a circular bioeconomy. [Display omitted] • Water hyacinth (WH) is Ethiopia's significant environmental and economic problem. • WH presents immense biofuel potential & eco-mitigation via a biorefinery framework. • A Circular bioeconomy policy framework with Adaptive Management strategies developed. • Global support seems vital for invasive WH circular bioeconomy to share best practices. • Key recos: Policies, R & D funding, incentives, stakeholder engagement, monitoring for the way forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In drylands, groundwater is often the sole source of freshwater for industrial, domestic and agricultural uses, while concurrently supporting ecosystems. Many dryland aquifers are becoming depleted due to over-pumping and a lack of natural recharge, resulting in loss of storage and future water supplies, water-level declines that reduce access to freshwater, water quality problems, and, in extreme cases, geologic hazards. Conservation is often proposed as a strategy for managing groundwater to reduce or reverse the depletion, although there is a need to better understand its potential effectiveness and benefits at the local scale. This study assesses the impact of water-conservation planning strategies on groundwater resources in the Wadi El Natrun (WEN) area of northern Egypt. WEN has been subjected to groundwater depletion and quality degradation since the 1990s, attributed to agricultural and industrial groundwater usage. Initiatives have been proposed to increase the sustainability of the groundwater resource in the study area, but they have yet to be evaluated. Simultaneously, there are also proposals to increase the extent of arable land and thus demand for freshwater. In this study, three water management scenarios are developed and assessed to the 2060s for their impact on groundwater resources using a hydrogeologic model. Results demonstrate that demand management implemented through an optimized irrigation and crop rotation strategy has the greatest potential to significantly reduce risk of groundwater depletion compared to the other two scenarios—“business as usual” and “30% water-use reduction”—that were evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strigolactones (SLs) constitute an important class of plant hormones involved in diverse developmental activities in plant growth and host-parasite interaction. Although substantial progress has been made to understand this pathway, the mechanism of action is still elusive especially with its interaction with other phytohormones and downstream targets. Here we have utilized the negative role of strigolactones in rice (Oryza sativa L.) mesocotyl elongation as a morphological marker for the identification and characterization of new developmental mutants. We observed that deep sown seeds develop longer mesocotyl compared with the surface-grown seeds in the dark condition. Based on this observation, we have developed a method to access mesocotyl elongation consisting of the glass vessel and vermiculite as a growth media. Mesocotyl elongation in the modified deep sown system results in a many-fold increase compared to the surface-grown seeds in the dark condition. External application of SLs analog rac-GR24 rescued the elongated mesocotyl phenotype in the mutant defective in SLs synthesis but not the signaling mutant, demonstrating its applicability in the physiological experiments. The modified mesocotyl elongation assay can be used as a rapid method for characterization and identification of suppressors/enhancers and new developmental mutants in the SLs or its associated pathway saving a huge amount of time and space.

Water scarcity is projected to affect half of the world's population, gradually exacerbated by climate change. This article elaborates from a panel discussion at the 2023 United Nations Water Conference on Addressing Water Scarcity to Achieve Climate Resilience and Human Health. Understanding and addressing water scarcity goes beyond hydrological water balances to also include societal and economic measures. We consider five categories of health impacts resulting from deteriorating water qualities and quantities: (i.) water-related diseases and water for hygiene, (ii.) malnutrition and water for food, (iii.) livelihoods, income, development, and water for energy, (iv.) adverse air quality from drought-induced dust and wildfire smoke, and (v.) mental health effects from water scarcity-related factors. A discussion on the barriers and opportunities for resilient water systems begins by re-framing water scarcity as a 'pathway to water bankruptcy' and introducing Water Partnerships to empowering local water leaders with the awareness, education, and resources to devise and implement locally-appropriate water management strategies. Other barriers include the (i.) lack of tools to consider the socio-economic implications of water scarcity, (ii.) lack of water information being in actionable formats for decision-makers, (iii.) lack of clarity in the application of water scarcity modelling to gain policy-relevant findings, and (iv.) inadequate drought adaptation planning. The article includes recommendations for local governments, national governments, international actors, researchers, non-governmental organizations, and local constituents in addressing these barriers. The predominant theme in these recommendations is collaborative, multi-disciplinary Water Partnerships, knowledge-sharing in accessible formats, and empowering participation by all. This paper's central thesis is that addressing water scarcity must focus on people and their ability to lead healthy and productive lives., (© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: To identify concordance and discordance between GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay and gold standard bacteriologic culture for the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in Extra-Pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) specimens in our region., Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted at the Indus Hospital and Health Network. Data from 1 st January, 2020 to 31 st December, 2021 was analyzed. A total of 1499 EPTB specimens were included for which GeneXpert was requested along with acid-fast bacteria (AFB) culture from the same specimen. Specimens were processed according to specimen type following standard operating procedures of the laboratory. Fluorescent staining was performed on all specimens along with bacteriologic culture. The GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay was carried out in exact accordance with the manufacturer's instructions., Results: Out of 1499 EPTB specimens, 1370 (91.39%) specimens exhibited concordance between GeneXpert and conventional culture method, while 129 (8.60%) specimens showed discordance. GeneXpert exhibited sensitivity and specificity of 69.4% and 94.3% respectively in comparison to culture., Conclusion: GeneXpert sensitivity for the diagnosis of EPTB varied with the site involved. Lower sensitivity was observed in ascitic and pleural fluids as compared to higher sensitivity observed among urine samples and pus aspirates. However, given the quick turnaround time and ease of use, it is a helpful tool in the diagnosis of EPTB when utilized in the appropriate clinical context. Caution is advised while interpreting negative GeneXpert results in endemic settings and should be interpreted along with other supporting clinical and diagnostic features., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None., (Copyright: © Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences.)

The Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the most widespread viral infections of humans. HBV causes acute and chronic hepatitis. Chronic hepatitis leads to hepatocellular carcinoma, which is a significant cause of death. DNA-based immunization programs to control the spread of Hepatitis B in developing countries are costly and require special storage and transportation. The alternative way is to express Hepatitis B surface antigen ( HBsAg ) in plants to develop oral vaccines. In this study, HBsAg gene was isolated, cloned, and then transformed in tomato plants. The transgenic tomato plants were confirmed through RT-qPCR. HBsAg expression was analysed in mature green and red stages of tomato fruit through quantitative real-time PCR. It was observed that expression of HBsAg was high in matured red tomato as compared to mature green. The present study is the first step to developing Solanum lycopersicum as an edible vaccine production system in this world region., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 The Author(s).)