This article aims to investigate the Grand Challenges which arise in the current and emerging landscape of rapid technological evolution towards more intelligent interactive technologies, coupled w...

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Seven HCI Grand Challenges

Including auxiliary variables such as antecedent and consequent variables in mixture models provides valuable insight in understanding the population heterogeneity embodied by a latent class variab...

Prediction from Latent Classes: A Demonstration of Different Approaches to Include Distal Outcomes in Mixture Models

The purpose of this study is to discover the public’s general perceptions of robots as frontline employees in the hotel industry based on YouTube online reviews. This study applied data mining tech...

Humanlike robots as employees in the hotel industry: Thematic content analysis of online reviews

The culture filtrate of the fungus, Alternaria alternata, was used for the bio-reduction of sodium selenate to produce selenium nanoparticles. Change in colour to dark red of the reaction mixture signifies the development of nano-α-selenium. Dynamic light scattering experiments, atomic force microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopic images explained the formation of monodisperse spherical α-selenium nanoparticles in the range of 30–150 nm. X-ray diffraction spectrum of the nano-Se exhibited a broad peak at the 2thetas angles of 15–35°, signifying its amorphous nature. Energy-dispersive X-ray study revealed the presence of selenium in the nanoparticles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the presence of a protein shell outside the nanoparticles, which in turn support their stabilisation. A novel method has been presented here to synthesise nano-selenium in which the fungal culture filtrate was used and up-to-date literature survey showed that this is the first report on mycosynthesis of selenium nanoparticles.

Mycosynthesis of selenium nanoparticles

The development of an eco-friendly and reliable process for the synthesis of gold nanomaterials (AuNPs) using microorganisms is gaining importance in the field of nanotechnology. In the present study, AuNPs have been synthesized by bio-reduction of chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) using the fungal culture filtrate (FCF) of Alternaria alternata. The synthesis of the AuNPs was monitored by UV–visible spectroscopy. The particles thereby obtained were characterized by UV, dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Energy-dispersive X-ray study revealed the presence of gold in the nanoparticles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the presence of a protein shell outside the nanoparticles which in turn also support their stabilization. Treatment of the fungal culture filtrate with aqueous Au+ ions produced AuNPs with an average particle size of 12 ± 5 nm. This proposed mechanistic principal might serve as a set of design rule for the synthesis of nanostructures with desired architecture and can be amenable for the large scale commercial production and technical applications.

Mycogenesis of gold nanoparticles using a phytopathogen Alternaria alternata.

Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, a potential medicinal plant used for the treatment of nervous disorders, intestinal infection, leprosy, and cancer, is a perennial herb belonging to Solanaceae and distributed throughout the drier parts of India. Leaf blight disease of this plant generally occurs during March in various districts of South Bengal, India. At the initial stage of infection, symptoms appear as small, light brown spots, gradually becoming irregular, dark brown, concentrically zonate with a diffuse margin, frequently surrounded by light yellow haloes, conspicuous brownish concentric rings in the advance stage of infection. A species of Alternaria was isolated from the lesions. The pathogen was isolated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) media. On PDA, the fungus grew slowly with colonies reaching approximately 35 to 40 mm in diameter in 7 days when incubated at 30°C. Conidiophores arose singly or in groups, straight or flexous, cylindrical, septate, pale to olivaceous brown, as much as 155 μm long, 4 t...

First Report of Alternaria dianthicola Causing Leaf Blight on Withania somnifera from India.

First report of Alternaria alternata causing leaf spot on Stevia rebaudiana

Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, also known Indian ginseng is one of the most widespread tranquillizers tranquillisers used for the treatment of nervous disorders, intestinal infection, leprosy, and cancer; it also suffers a leaf blight disease caused by the fungus Alternaria dianthicola in various districts of South Bengal, India: Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain WS-1 isolated from the rhizosphere, showed both in vitro and in vivo antagonistic activity against the pathogen. The antifungal activity of the isolate has been found to be linked to theproduction of a siderophore, volatile substances (hydrocyanic acid), proteases and chitinases. Foliar application of a talc talc-based formulation of P. aeruginosa strain WS-1 to field grown W. somnifera reduced disease severity by 80% compared to non-treated control.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa WS-1 for biological control of leaf blight disease of Withania somnifera

Leaf blight disease was found on Gloriosa superba L. (Liliaceae), an endangered, herbaceous, perennial, climbing lily that produces colchicine, in West Bengal, India in 2004. Small brownish spots on leaves developed into concentric rings, which eventually darkened and coalesced to blight the entire leaf. The causal fungus was morphologically identified as Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler. This is the first record of A. alternata on G. superba.

C. K. Maiti

Papers

First Report of Alternaria dianthicola Causing Leaf Blight on Withania somnifera from India.

First report of Alternaria alternata causing leaf spot on Stevia rebaudiana

Pseudomonas aeruginosa WS-1 for biological control of leaf blight disease of Withania somnifera

First report of leaf blight disease of Gloriosa superba L. caused by Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler in India

First report of leaf blight of Medicago sativa caused by Alternaria longipes in India.