Aerosol emissions from biomass burning are of specific interest over the globe due to their strong radiative impacts and climate implications. The present study examines the impact of paddy crop ...residue burning over northern India during the postmonsoon (October–November) season of 2012 on modification of aerosol properties, as well as the long‐range transport of smoke plumes, altitude characteristics, and affected areas via the synergy of ground‐based measurements and satellite observations. During this period, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images show a thick smoke/hazy aerosol layer below 2–2.5 km in the atmosphere covering nearly the whole Indo‐Gangetic Plains (IGP). The air mass trajectories originating from the biomass‐burning source region over Punjab at 500 m reveal a potential aerosol transport pathway along the Ganges valley from west to east, resulting in a strong aerosol optical depth (AOD) gradient. Sometimes, depending upon the wind direction and meteorological conditions, the plumes also influence central India, the Arabian Sea, and the Bay of Bengal, thus contributing to Asian pollution outflow. The increased number of fire counts (Terra and Aqua MODIS data) is associated with severe aerosol‐laden atmospheres (AOD500 nm > 1.0) over six IGP locations, high values of Ångström exponent (>1.2), high particulate mass 2.5 (PM2.5) concentrations (>100–150 µgm−3), and enhanced Ozone Monitoring Instrument Aerosol Index gradient (~2.5) and NO2 concentrations (~6 × 1015 mol/cm2), indicating the dominance of smoke aerosols from agricultural crop residue burning. The aerosol size distribution is shifted toward the fine‐mode fraction, also exhibiting an increase in the radius of fine aerosols due to coagulation processes in a highly turbid environment. The spectral variation of the single‐scattering albedo reveals enhanced dominance of moderately absorbing aerosols, while the aerosol properties, modification, and mixing atmospheric processes differentiate along the IGP sites depending on the distance from the aerosol source, urban influence, and local characteristics.
Key Points
Satellite and ground‐based monitoring of agriculture fires in northern India
Transport pathways, smoke plume characteristics, and affected areas
Variation of aerosol loading as a function of distance from the source
Novel bio-sorbent wheat bran has been successfully utilized for the removal of cadmium(II) from wastewater. The maximum removal of cadmium(II) was found to be 87.15% at pH 8.6, initial Cd(II) ...concentration of 12.5
mg
l
−1 and temperature of 20
°C. The effect of different parameters such as contact time, adsorbate concentration, pH of the medium and temperature were investigated. Dynamics of the sorption process were studied and the values of rate constant of adsorption, rate constant of intraparticle diffusion and mass transfer coefficient were calculated. Different thermodynamic parameters viz., changes in standard free energy, enthalpy and entropy have also been evaluated and it has been found that the reaction was spontaneous and exothermic in nature. The applicability of Langmuir isotherm showed of monolayer coverage of the adsorbate on the surface of adsorbent. A generalized empirical model was proposed for the kinetics at different initial concentrations.
Variety of implant materials have been employed in various disciplines of medical science depending on the requirement of a particular application. Metals, alloys, ceramics, and polymers are the ...commonly used biomaterials. The main focus of this study is to review the various structural and microstructural properties of titanium and titanium based alloys used as orthopaedic implants. Orthopaedic implants need to possess certain important qualities to ensure their safe and effective use. These properties like the biocompatibility, relevant mechanical properties, high corrosion and wear resistance and osseointegration are summarized in this review. Various attempts to improve upon these properties like different processing routes, surface modifications have also been inculcated in the paper to provide an insight into the extent of research and effort that has been put into developing a highly superior titanium orthopaedic implant.
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•Process parameters and microstructure are important for selection of implants.•Surface modifications improve biocompatibility, wear, and corrosion resistance.•Equal channel angular pressing improves mechanical properties of titanium implants.•Nano-scale surface features help avoid infection and enhance osseointegration.•Modulus of gyroid scaffold from selective laser melting close to trabecular bone
Erratic rainfall leading to flash flooding causes huge yield losses in lowland rice. The traditional varieties and landraces of rice possess variable levels of tolerance to submergence stress, but ...gene discovery and utilization of these resources has been limited to the Sub1A-1 allele from variety FR13A. Therefore, we analysed the allelic sequence variation in three Sub1 genes in a panel of 179 rice genotypes and its association with submergence tolerance. Population structure and diversity analysis based on a 36-plex genome wide genic-SNP assay grouped these genotypes into two major categories representing Indica and Japonica cultivar groups with further sub-groupings into Indica, Aus, Deepwater and Aromatic-Japonica cultivars. Targetted re-sequencing of the Sub1A, Sub1B and Sub1C genes identfied 7, 7 and 38 SNPs making 8, 9 and 67 SNP haplotypes, respectively. Haplotype networks and phylogenic analysis revealed evolution of Sub1B and Sub1A genes by tandem duplication and divergence of the ancestral Sub1C gene in that order. The alleles of Sub1 genes in tolerant reference variety FR13A seem to have evolved most recently. However, no consistent association could be found between the Sub1 allelic variation and submergence tolerance probably due to low minor allele frequencies and presence of exceptions to the known Sub1A-1 association in the genotype panel. We identified 18 cultivars with non-Sub1A-1 source of submergence tolerance which after further mapping and validation in bi-parental populations will be useful for development of superior flood tolerant rice cultivars.
Aims
To study the biocontrol potential of nematode‐trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora in protecting tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) against Meloidogyne incognita and Rhizoctonia solani ...under greenhouse and field conditions.
Methods and Results
Five isolates of the nematode‐trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora isolated from different parts of India were tested against Meloidogyne incognita and Rhizoctonia solani in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants grown under greenhouse and field conditions. Arthrobotrys oligospora‐treated plants showed enhanced growth in terms of shoot and root length and biomass, chlorophyll and total phenolic content and high phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity in comparison with M. incognita‐ and R. solani‐inoculated plants. Biochemical profiling when correlated with disease severity and intensity in A. oligospora‐treated and untreated plants indicate that A. oligospora VNS‐1 offered significant disease reduction in terms of number of root galls, seedling mortality, lesion length, disease index, better plant growth and fruit yield as compared to M. incognita‐ and R. solani‐challenged plants.
Conclusion
The result established that A. oligospora VNS‐1 has the potential to provide bioprotection agents against M. incognita and R. solani.
Significance and Impact of the Study
Arthrobotrys oligospora can be a better environment friendly option and can be incorporated in the integrated disease management module of crop protection. Application of A. oligospora not only helps in the control of nematodes but also increases plant growth and enhances nutritional value of tomato fruits. Thus, it proves to be an excellent biocontrol as well as plant growth promoting agent.
In this article, different perovskite-structure related materials are reviewed, which could be potential candidates for cathode materials in solid oxide fuel cells. Solid oxide fuel cells provide an ...alternative, environmentally viable and efficient option to conventional electricity-producing devices. Different properties are required for the materials to qualify as a cathode for solid oxide fuel cells. Therefore, the analysis and review are done based on the process parameters and their effect on the electrical conductivity, electrochemical properties, the coefficient of thermal expansion and mechanical properties of different cathode materials. Fracture toughness and hardness have been the focus while analysing the mechanical properties. The selection of the initial composition, dopants and their valence plays a vital role in deciding the properties mentioned above of cathode materials. The prospective cathode materials classified as cobalt-based and cobalt-free are further bifurcated based on the A-site elements of the perovskite (ABO3) structure. Also given in this article is the summary of the latest development on the cathode materials. As observed from the properties studied, cobalt-based materials tend to have higher conductivity than cobalt-free materials. While cobalt-free compositions are cost-effective and have a comparable coefficient of thermal expansion with other components of solid oxide fuel cells. The last section of the article gives the future scope of the research.
Agronomic practices such as crop residue return and additional nutrient supply are recommended to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) in arable farmlands. However, changes in the priming effect (PE) ...on native SOC mineralization in response to integrated inputs of residue and nutrients are not fully known. This knowledge gap along with a lack of understanding of microbial mechanisms hinders the ability to constrain models and to reduce the uncertainty to predict carbon (C) sequestration potential. Using a 13C‐labeled wheat residue, this 126‐day incubation study examined the dominant microbial mechanisms that underpin the PE response to inputs of wheat residue and nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur) in two contrasting soils. The residue input caused positive PE through “co‐metabolism,” supported by increased microbial biomass, C and nitrogen (N) extracellular enzyme activities (EEAs), and gene abundance of certain microbial taxa (Eubacteria, β‐Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Fungi). The residue input could have induced nutrient limitation, causing an increase in the PE via “microbial nutrient mining” of native soil organic matter, as suggested by the low C‐to‐nutrient stoichiometry of EEAs. At the high residue, exogenous nutrient supply (cf. no‐nutrient) initially decreased positive PE by alleviating nutrient mining, which was supported by the low gene abundance of Eubacteria and Fungi. However, after an initial decrease in PE at the high residue with nutrients, the PE increased to the same magnitude as without nutrients over time. This suggests the dominance of “microbial stoichiometry decomposition,” supported by higher microbial biomass and EEAs, while Eubacteria and Fungi increased over time, at the high residue with nutrients cf. no‐nutrient in both soils. Our study provides novel evidence that different microbial mechanisms operate simultaneously depending on organic C and nutrient availability in a residue‐amended soil. Our results have consequences for SOC modeling and integrated nutrient management employed to increase SOC in arable farmlands.
This study examined the dynamics of priming effect (PE), controlled by the interaction of crop residue input and balanced supply of nutrients (N, P, and S), and the underlying mechanisms in relation to microbial community growth and extracellular enzyme activity. The results showed that the “microbial nutrient mining” and “microbial stoichiometry decomposition” mechanisms relating to nutrient availability mainly operated at high residue input. The image presents a conceptualized model based on key findings on the dominant occurrence of microbial mechanisms relating to PE, with implications to underpin soil organic carbon (SOC) modeling and guide integrated residue–nutrient management in croplands for SOC sequestration.
Plants are subjected to diverse biotic and abiotic stresses in life. These can induce changes in transcriptomics and metabolomics, resulting in changes to root and leaf exudates and, in turn, ...altering the plant-associated microbial community. Emerging evidence demonstrates that changes, especially the increased abundance of commensal microbes following stresses, can be beneficial for plant survival and act as a legacy, enhancing offspring fitness. However, outstanding questions remain regarding the microbial role in plant defense, many of which may now be answered utilizing a novel synthetic community approach. In this article, building on our current understanding on stress-induced changes in plant microbiomes, we propose a ‘DefenseBiome’ concept that informs the design and construction of beneficial microbial synthetic communities for improving fundamental understanding of plant–microbial interactions and the development of plant probiotics.
The recent advances in using synthetic communities together with metagenomics and metabolomics has begun to unravel mechanistic understanding of how stressed plants modulate their microbiomes.Stresses change plant transcriptomics and metabolomics below and above ground. Molecules such as flavonoids, coumarins, and other organic compounds have been recognized as plant signals that shape host microbiomes.A crucial regulating role of the interactions between the microbiome and plant immune system in stress tolerance is emerging. Experimental validation of such interactions and determination of how they influence plant fitness should now be prioritized.The plant-associated microbes that increase in abundance by plant stresses, coined the ‘DefenseBiome’, could benefit plant health and be used for designing functionally reliable synthetic communities to improve plant fitness.
The present article aims to investigate a comparative effect of the mechanical properties and tribological operating variables (applied load and sliding distance) on the tribo‐performance of graphene ...incorporated woven glass fabric reinforced epoxy (GFRE) composites. Computational and data‐driven machine learning (ML) approach has been extensively applied to examine the advancement of the tribological systems. For the study, tribo‐mechanical data, gathered from previous investigations by the present authors, have been used as well. Accordingly, a predictive model, based on the ML algorithms for predicting specific wear rates (SWR), has been developed. Further, a co‐relation between the SWR and the mechanical properties of materials has been determined. For the investigation process, three ML approaches, have been applied, viz., artificial neural network (ANN), Random Forest (RF), and Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM). Feature score analysis has been done as well revealing that variation of the sliding distance, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and product of tensile strength (s) and elongation (e) significantly influence the SWR prediction. The trained ML models can predict the tribo‐performance from mechanical properties variables and tribological test conditions, which is impossible with conventional two‐parameter correlations. During the present study, the coefficient of determination (R2 value) in different models was found to be 0.9883, 0.9884, and 0.9762 for the ANN, RF, and GBM, respectively. The best‐performing model was RF.
Apoptosis: A Target for Anticancer Therapy Pfeffer, Claire M; Singh, Amareshwar T K
International journal of molecular sciences,
02/2018, Letnik:
19, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Apoptosis, the cell's natural mechanism for death, is a promising target for anticancer therapy. Both the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways use caspases to carry out apoptosis through the cleavage of ...hundreds of proteins. In cancer, the apoptotic pathway is typically inhibited through a wide variety of means including overexpression of antiapoptotic proteins and under-expression of proapoptotic proteins. Many of these changes cause intrinsic resistance to the most common anticancer therapy, chemotherapy. Promising new anticancer therapies are plant-derived compounds that exhibit anticancer activity through activating the apoptotic pathway.
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