262 research outputs found
Balanced nutrient management: Effects on plant zinc
No full textParticipatory on-farm research on the diagnosis and
management of nutrient disorders over the last decade by
the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-
Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and its partners has established
that multi-nutrient deficiency is the norm rather than an
exception. The results of analysis of a large number of
soil samples from farmers’ fields in the semi-arid tropical
regions of India showed that generally the soils are low in
organic carbon (C), indicating general poor soil health.
Apart from deficiencies of the major nutrients nitrogen
(N) and phosphorus (P), the deficiencies of secondary
nutrient sulfur (S) and micronutrients especially zinc (Zn)
and boron (B) are widespread and indeed revealing. The
results from a large number of on-farm follow-up trials
comparing soil test-based balanced nutrition with
farmers’ inputs showed that balanced plant nutrient
management significantly increases crop productivity
(Sahrawat and Wani 2013) and enhances grain and straw
quality of crops (Sahrawat et al. 2008). Currently..
Ureaplasma species Multiple Banded Antigen (MBA) variation is associated with the severity of inflammation in vivo and in vitro in human placentae
No full text<b>Background</b>\ud
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The <i>multiple banded antigen</i> (MBA), a surface-exposed lipoprotein, is a proposed virulence factor of Ureaplasma spp. We previously demonstrated that the number of Ureaplasma parvum MBA size variants in amniotic fluid was inversely proportional to the severity of chorioamnionitis in experimentally infected pregnant sheep. However, the effect of ureaplasma MBA size variation on inflammation in human pregnancies has not been reported. \ud
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<b>Methods</b>\ud
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Ureaplasmas isolated from the chorioamnion of pregnant women from a previous study (n = 42) were speciated/serotyped and MBA size variation was demonstrated by PCR and western blot. Results were correlated with the severity of chorioamnionitis and cord blood cytokines. In vitro, THP-1-derived macrophages were exposed to recombinant-MBA proteins of differing sizes and NF-κB activation and cytokine responses were determined. \ud
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<b>Results</b>\ud
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MBA size variation was identified in 21/32 (65.6%) clinical isolates (in 10 clinical isolates MBA size variation was unable to be determined). Any size variation (increase/decrease) of the MBA (regardless of Ureaplasma species or serovar) was associated with mild or absent chorioamnionitis (P = 0.023) and lower concentrations of cord blood cytokines IL-8 (P = 0.04) and G-CSF (P = 0.008). In vitro, recombinant-MBA variants elicited different cytokine responses and altered expression of NF-κB p65. \ud
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<b>Conclusion</b>\ud
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This study demonstrates that size variation of the ureaplasma MBA protein modulates the host immune response in vivo and in vitro
Association between Cheiloscopic Patterns and ABO Blood Groups among South Indian Population
No full textABSTRACT
Background
Human beings have few characteristics that are unique from others. Lip prints are one of such feature. They are not changed throughout the life and are not influenced by injuries, diseases, or environmental changes. According to the various antigen–antibody reactions in the bloodstream, different individuals have specific blood groups.
Aim
To study the distribution of lip print patterns among individuals with different ABO and Rh blood groups and also to know the relation between their characters and blood groups.
Materials and methods
In the present study, lip prints were collected randomly from 85 individuals, and their blood group matching was performed. This is to identify the most common lip print type and to know any association between lip print types and blood groups. Tsuchihashi's classification of lip prints was used to compare with the ABO and Rh blood grouping systems.
Results
It was observed that in individuals with B+, A+, and O− blood groups, predominant pattern was Type IV and individuals having blood group O+ and AB+ common lip print pattern was Type II.
Conclusion
This study showed strong association between lip print patterns and ABO blood groups as some blood groups were not included in statistical analysis; further studies including larger sample are essential to substantiate the results.
Clinical significance
Correlating lip print with blood group helps in identification of the suspects. Along with lip prints, another biological record that remains unchanged throughout the lifetime of a person is the blood group. Determining the blood group of a person from the samples obtained at the site of crime and also recovering lip prints from site can help identify a person.
How to cite this article
Khanapure S, Suhas HG, Potdar S, Sam G, Sudeep CB, Arjun MR. Association between Cheiloscopic Patterns and ABO Blood Groups among South Indian Population. J Contemp Dent Pract 2017;18(7):596-600.
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The role of EBNA binding proteins in cell transformation
No full textEpstein-Barr virus (EBV) infects majority of the human population and maintains sub-clinical infection. However, under certain conditions it is associated with several B-cell malignancies, such as Burkitt lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma etc. Moreover, EBV also plays a causative role in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) associated lymphomas and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD). EBV maintains latent infection and expresses a particular set of proteins that are necessary for host cell proliferation. Studying function of EBV latent proteins could help us to understand the mechanisms underlying EBV induced B-cell transformation.EBV transformed B cells, i.e. lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) is a well- established in vitro model system to study the molecular mechanisms of B-cell transformation. In the present work, we have identified vitamin D receptor (VDR) as a binding partner of EBNA3. We showed that EBNA3 can block the VDR mediated gene transactivation and protects B-cells from vitamin D3 induced growth arrest/ apoptosis. We have observed that hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF1α) is stabilized in LCLs at normoxic conditions. HIF1α is not hydroxylated and therefore it is not degraded in LCLs. We have shown that prolylhydroxylases 1 and 2 (PHD1 and 2) that are responsible for hydroxylation of HIF1α, form complexes with EBNA5 and EBNA3, respectively. Due to this binding catalytic activity of PHDs is blocked, resulting in inhibition of HIF1α hydroxylation and subsequent degradation. Stabilized HIF1α is transcriptionally active and induces genes that are involved in glycolysis. Moreover, LCLs have high levels of pyruvate and lactate in contrast to mitogen activated B cells, indicating induction of aerobic glycolysis or Warburg effect.We have shown that mitochondrial ribosomal protein MRPS18-2 (S18-2), an EBNA6 binding protein, can immortalize rat embryonic fibroblasts (REFs). These immortalized cells express stem cell markers like SSEA1, Sox2, Oct3/4 and have the characteristics of embryonic stem cells. S18-2 also immortalized the adult rat skin fibroblasts (RSFs). Moreover, single clones from immortalized REFs and RSFs resulted in tumors in SCID mice. This thesis work reveals three different aspects of EBV induced B-cell transformation, i.e. protection from vitamin D3 induced apoptosis, metabolic adaptation required for proliferation and hijacking functions of novel protein MRPS18-2 for immortalization.List of scientific papersI. Yenamandra SP, Hellman U, Kempkes B, Darekar SD, Petermann S, Sculley T, Klein G, Kashuba E. (2010). Epstein-Barr virus encoded EBNA-3 binds to vitamin D receptor and blocks activation of its target genes. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2010. 67(24): p. 4249-56. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-010-0441-4 II. Darekar SD, Georgiou K, Yurchenko M, Yenamandra SP, Chachami G, Simos G, Klein G, Kashuba E. (2012). Epstein-Barr virus immortalization of human B-cells leads to stabilization of hypoxia-induced factor 1 alpha, congruent with the Warburg effect. PLoS One. 2012. 7(7): p. e42072. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0042072 III. Kashuba E, Pavan Yenamandra S, Darekar SD, Yurchenko M, Kashuba V, Klein G, Szekely L. (2009). MRPS18-2 protein immortalizes primary rat embryonic fibroblasts and endows them with stem cell-like properties. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009. 106(47): p. 19866-71. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0911545106 IV. Yenamandra SP, Darekar SD, Kashuba V, Matskova L, Klein G, Kashuba E. (2012). Stem cell gene expression in MRPS18-2-immortalized rat embryonic fibroblasts. Cell Death Dis. 2012. 3: p. e357. https://doi.org/10.1038/cddis.2011.138 V. Darekar SD, Gurrapu S, Drummond C, Matskova L, Kashuba E. Overexpression of the mitochondrial ribosomal protein S18-2 results in transformation of primary rat skin fibroblasts. [Manuscript]</p
Comparative Evaluation of Inductively Coupled Plasma–Atomic Emission Spectroscopy and Colorimetric Methods for Determining Hot-Water-Extractable Boron in Soils
No full textBoron (B) deficiency frequency is increasing in rainfed systems and hence the need to diagnose the deficiency. Colorimetric methods are still widely used in soil testing laboratories in India for measuring B. Little information is available on the comparative evaluation of the colorimetric and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) methods for determining extractable B in soils. We describe results on the comparative evaluation of these methods for measuring extractable B in 57 soil samples with pH ranging from 5.0 to 9.5. There was a significant correlation between B values determined by the two methods and the correlation coefficient was higher for soil samples with pH in the neutral to alkaline range. Interaction between soil samples and methods (ICP or colorimetric) was significant except for soil samples in the pH range of 8.0 to 9.5. Precision for B determination was greater with the ICP than with the colorimetric metho
Quasiparticle transport and g factor anisotropy in quantum dots
No full textCurrent computer systems encode data in sequences of the binary unit, the bit. The quest of designing faster processors is one of the most important in modern society. However, reducing the size of transistors and thus CPUs is limited to the size of single atoms. Modern fabrication techniques employed in industry achieve structures at scales down to 22nm. Hence, new computation schemes are necessary to continue construction of better processors. Expanding the properties of the bit is a scheme widely spread in the condensed matter community. The most promising ansatz is to enable the bit to not only take states 0 and 1 but also any superposition of the two and thus providing a new set of operations. Essentially, this concept takes the bit into the world of quantum mechanics and marks the genesis of the qubit. Numerous proposal for the implementation of the qubit exist. However, an electron spin confined to a quantum dot (QD) turns out to be the most natural realization of the qubit. Hence, knowledge of QD properties is essential to the fabrication of an efficient and powerful quantum computer.
In the first part of this thesis we study a QD tunnel coupled to one dimensional conductors (1D), in particular edge states of fractional quantum Hall (FQH) samples. Our proposed setup combines two regimes that individually attract tremendous scientific effort. The QD is in the Coulomb blockade regime. Hence sequential tunneling processes from edge state via the QD to the other edge state are suppressed. Thus, we focus on cotunneling, i.e.\ second order processes transferring a particle directly from one edge to the other. 1D conductors are strongly correlated systems that reveal interesting elementary excitations. Especially FQH edge states at filling factor 5/2 have been identified to exhibit excitations obeying non-Abelian statistics. Renormalization group calculations show that the relevant excitations are quasiparticles of both quarter and half of the elementary charge. We determine the cotunneling conductance via the QD for different kinds of charge carriers, in particular electrons and quasiparticles of fractional charge e/2 and e/4. On the one hand, we find that the electron cotunneling conductance is strongly suppressed while on the other hand both e/2 and e/4 quasiparticles exhibit distinctive signatures in the cotunneling lineshapes. Our findings provide a test of the Moore-Read wavefunction based on a simple transport measurement.
The second part is devoted to the response of a qubit to external fields. In particular, we study the electron spins confined to self-assembled InAs QDs of pyramidal shape. We present a trial wavefunction obeying hard-wall boundary conditions for a pyramidal geometry. Starting from the band structure of the bulk material we model the QD by adding strain and hard-wall confinement potential according to the considered geometry. Furthermore, we account for external electric and magnetic fields. We decouple the conduction band from the valence band and find the spectrum of the bound electron states in the QD. Finally, we extract the g factor and analyze the dependence on the direction of the external fields. Depending on the respective electronic states, we find a variety of g factor anisotropies suitable for determination by a simple transport measurement. We find both qualitatively good agreement with recent measurements and shapes not yet observed in experiments. At last, we conclude that our findings can be employed to control the splitting of qubit states and therefore should prove useful for qubit manipulation
Soil test-based nutrient balancing improved crop productivity and rural livelihoods: case study from rainfed semi-arid tropics in Andhra Pradesh, India
No full textWidespread multinutrient deficiencies in the semi-arid tropics (SAT) are among major factors for large gaps between farmers’ current crop yields and potential yields. In this study, we adopted stratified soil sampling method to assess soil fertility-related constraints in farmers’ fields in eight districts of Andhra Pradesh in the semi-arid tropics of India. Most of the fields across all eight districts were critical in sulphur (61 to 98% deficient fields); and up to six districts each in boron (83 to 98% deficient fields), zinc (50 to 85% deficient fields) and soil organic carbon (55 to 97% deficient fields). Low soil organic carbon specifically indicates nitrogen deficiency. Phosphorus deficiency was critical in three districts (60 to 84%) while potassium in general was adequate. Soil test-based nutrient balancing through application of sulphur, boron and zinc in addition to farmers’ practice of adding only nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium increased crop productivity by 8 to 102%. Benefit-cost ratio (1.60 to 28.5) proved favourable to scale-up balanced nutrition. Better postharvest soil health and residual benefits of sulphur, boron and zinc up to four succeeding seasons indicated sustainability of the practice. Results showed that balanced nutrition is a way forward for sustainably improving farm productivity and livelihoods
Sustainable use of natural resources for crop intensification and betterlivelihoods in the rainfed semi-arid tropics of Central India
No full texttIn Indian semi-arid tropics (SAT) in general and central part i.e. Madhya Pradesh state specifically; thereare large yield gaps in most of the rainfed crops between current farmers’ yields and achievable ones.Soil fertility related degradation due to deficiencies of secondary and micronutrients mainly sulphur,boron and zinc in addition to macronutrients is mainly responsible for poor crop productivity, and alongwith poor hydraulic properties of Vertisols is responsible for about 2 million ha rainy season fallows.Soil health assessment of 11 districts in Madhya Pradesh, India has revealed that in most of the districtsonly few fields with adequate levels of sulphur, boron, zinc and phosphorus indicating their widespreadlow levels. Potassium was in general adequate. Farmers’ current blanket fertilization practices focusedat macronutrients viz. nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium only, thus does not meet the variable soilfertility needs. Through participatory action research on soil test based fertilizer application, farmersrealized benefits in crop productivity to the tune of 5 to 45% in the season of application and additionalyield by 5 to 27% due to residual effects of S, B and Zn in succeeding three seasons. An economic assessmentshowed the balanced nutrition a profitable option in the 1stseason itself. In current rainy fallow regions,the landform management as broadbed and furrow or conservation furrow along with balanced nutritionhas shown that fallow lands in black soil regions in Madhya Pradesh can be successfully cultivated togrow soybean crop. In succeeding post-rainy season, the rainy season cultivated plots also yielded moreas compared to adjoining plots having one crop only in post-rainy season. This study thus found thatsoil test based fertilization and landform management are the twin technologies for sustainable cropintensification in black soils of Central Indian regio
Experimental Investigation of Heat Transfer Coefficient and Correlation Development for Subcooled Flow Boiling of Water–Ethanol Mixture in Conventional Channel
No full textIn this present work, bubble dynamics of subcooled flow boiling in water–ethanol mixture is investigated through visualization using a high-speed camera in horizontal rectangular channels. The heat transfer coefficient of water–ethanol mixture during subcooled flow boiling is determined for various parameters like heat flux, mass flux, and channel inlet temperature. The effect of bubble departure diameter on heat transfer coefficient is discussed. A correlation is developed for subcooled flow boiling Nusselt number of water–ethanol mixture. The parameters considered for correlation are grouped as dimensionless numbers by Buckingham π-theorem. The present correlation is compared with the experimental data. The mean absolute error (MAE) of Nusselt number of water–ethanol mixture calculated from the experimental data and those predicted from the present correlation is 10.39%. The present correlation is also compared with the available literature correlations developed for water. The MAE of Nusselt number of water predicted from the present correlation and those predicted with Papel, Badiuzzaman, Moles–Shaw, and Baburajan correlations is 41%, 19.61%, 29.9%, and 43.1%, respectively.</jats:p
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