The semi-allogeneic fetus develops in a uniquely immune tolerant environment within the uterus. For successful pregnancy, both the innate and adaptive immune systems must favor acceptance of the ...fetal allograft. Macrophages are the second most abundant immune cells after natural killer (NK) cells in the decidua. In coordination with decidual NK cells and dendritic cells, macrophages aid in implantation, vascular remodeling, placental development, immune tolerance to placental cells, and maintenance of tissue homeostasis at the maternal-fetal interface. Decidual macrophages show the classical activated (M1) and alternatively activated (M2) phenotypes under the influence of the local milieu of growth factors and cytokines, and appropriate temporal regulation of the M1/M2 switch is vital for successful pregnancy. Disturbances in the mechanisms that control the M1/M2 balance and associated functions during pregnancy can trigger a spectrum of pregnancy complications ranging from preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction to preterm delivery. This review addresses various mechanisms of tolerance, focusing on the basic biology of macrophages, their plasticity and polarization, and their protective roles at the immune-privileged maternal-fetal interface, including direct and indirect roles in promoting fetomaternal immune tolerance.
The behaviour of typical armour steel material under large strains, high strain rates and elevated temperatures needs to be investigated to analyse and reliably predict its response to various types ...of dynamic loading like impact. An empirical constitutive relation developed by Johnson and Cook (J–C) is widely used to capture strain rate sensitivity of the metals. A failure model proposed by Johnson and Cook is used to model the damage evolution and predict failure in many engineering materials. In this work, model constants of J–C constitutive relation and damage parameters of J–C failure model for a typical armour steel material have been determined experimentally from four types of uniaxial tensile test. Some modifications in the J–C damage model have been suggested and Finite Element simulation of three different tensile tests on armour steel specimens under dynamic strain rate (10−1s−1), high triaxiality and elevated temperature respectively has been done in ABAQUS platform using the modified J–C failure model as user material sub-routine. The simulation results are validated by the experimental data. Thereafter, a moderately high strain rate event viz. Charpy impact test on armour steel specimen has been simulated using J–C material and failure models with the same material parameters. Reasonable agreement between the simulation and experimental results has been achieved.
To understand the genetic basis of tolerance to drought and heat stresses in chickpea, a comprehensive association mapping approach has been undertaken. Phenotypic data were generated on the ...reference set (300 accessions, including 211 mini-core collection accessions) for drought tolerance related root traits, heat tolerance, yield and yield component traits from 1-7 seasons and 1-3 locations in India (Patancheru, Kanpur, Bangalore) and three locations in Africa (Nairobi, Egerton in Kenya and Debre Zeit in Ethiopia). Diversity Array Technology (DArT) markers equally distributed across chickpea genome were used to determine population structure and three sub-populations were identified using admixture model in STRUCTURE. The pairwise linkage disequilibrium (LD) estimated using the squared-allele frequency correlations (r2; when r2<0.20) was found to decay rapidly with the genetic distance of 5 cM. For establishing marker-trait associations (MTAs), both genome-wide and candidate gene-sequencing based association mapping approaches were conducted using 1,872 markers (1,072 DArTs, 651 single nucleotide polymorphisms SNPs, 113 gene-based SNPs and 36 simple sequence repeats SSRs) and phenotyping data mentioned above employing mixed linear model (MLM) analysis with optimum compression with P3D method and kinship matrix. As a result, 312 significant MTAs were identified and a maximum number of MTAs (70) was identified for 100-seed weight. A total of 18 SNPs from 5 genes (ERECTA, 11 SNPs; ASR, 4 SNPs; DREB, 1 SNP; CAP2 promoter, 1 SNP and AMDH, 1SNP) were significantly associated with different traits. This study provides significant MTAs for drought and heat tolerance in chickpea that can be used, after validation, in molecular breeding for developing superior varieties with enhanced drought and heat tolerance.
Histological evaluation of endometrium has been the gold standard for clinical diagnosis and management of women with endometrial disorders. However, several recent studies have questioned the ...accuracy and utility of such evaluation, mainly because of significant intra- and interobserver variations in histological interpretation. To examine the possibility that biochemical or molecular signatures of endometrium may prove to be more useful, we have investigated whole-genome molecular phenotyping (54,600 genes and expressed sequence tags) of this tissue sampled across the cycle in 28 normo-ovulatory women, using high-density oligonucleotide microarrays. Unsupervised principal component analysis of all samples revealed that samples self-cluster into four groups consistent with histological phenotypes of proliferative (PE), early-secretory (ESE), mid-secretory (MSE), and late-secretory (LSE) endometrium. Independent hierarchical clustering analysis revealed equivalent results, with two major dendrogram branches corresponding to PE/ESE and MSE/LSE and sub-branching into the four respective phases with heterogeneity among samples within each sub-branch. K-means clustering of genes revealed four major patterns of gene expression (high in PE, high in ESE, high in MSE, and high in LSE), and gene ontology analysis of these clusters demonstrated cycle-phase-specific biological processes and molecular functions. Six samples with ambiguous histology were identically assignable to a cycle phase by both principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering. Additionally, pairwise comparisons of relative gene expression across the cycle revealed genes/families that clearly distinguish the transitions of PE→ESE, ESE→MSE, and MSE→LSE, including receptomes and signaling pathways. Select genes were validated by quantitative RT-PCR. Overall, the results demonstrate that endometrial samples obtained by two different sampling techniques (biopsy and curetting hysterectomy specimens) from subjects who are as normal as possible in a human study and including those with unknown histology, can be classified by their molecular signatures and correspond to known phases of the menstrual cycle with identical results using two independent analytical methods. Also, the results enable global identification of biological processes and molecular mechanisms that occur dynamically in the endometrium in the changing steroid hormone milieu across the menstrual cycle in normo-ovulatory women. The results underscore the potential of gene expression profiling for developing molecular diagnostics of endometrial normalcy and abnormalities and identifying molecular targets for therapeutic purposes in endometrial disorders.
Using next-generation sequencing technologies it is possible to resequence entire plant genomes or sample entire transcriptomes more efficiently and economically and in greater depth than ever ...before. Rather than sequencing individual genomes, we envision the sequencing of hundreds or even thousands of related genomes to sample genetic diversity within and between germplasm pools. Identification and tracking of genetic variation are now so efficient and precise that thousands of variants can be tracked within large populations. In this review, we outline some important areas such as the large-scale development of molecular markers for linkage mapping, association mapping, wide crosses and alien introgression, epigenetic modifications, transcript profiling, population genetics and de novo genome/organellar genome assembly for which these technologies are expected to advance crop genetics and breeding, leading to crop improvement.
KEY MESSAGE : Analysis of phenotypic data for 20 drought tolerance traits in 1–7 seasons at 1–5 locations together with genetic mapping data for two mapping populations provided 9 QTL clusters of ...which one present on CaLG04 has a high potential to enhance drought tolerance in chickpea improvement. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is the second most important grain legume cultivated by resource poor farmers in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Drought is one of the major constraints leading up to 50 % production losses in chickpea. In order to dissect the complex nature of drought tolerance and to use genomics tools for enhancing yield of chickpea under drought conditions, two mapping populations—ICCRIL03 (ICC 4958 × ICC 1882) and ICCRIL04 (ICC 283 × ICC 8261) segregating for drought tolerance-related root traits were phenotyped for a total of 20 drought component traits in 1–7 seasons at 1–5 locations in India. Individual genetic maps comprising 241 loci and 168 loci for ICCRIL03 and ICCRIL04, respectively, and a consensus genetic map comprising 352 loci were constructed ( http://cmap.icrisat.ac.in/cmap/sm/cp/varshney/ ). Analysis of extensive genotypic and precise phenotypic data revealed 45 robust main-effect QTLs (M-QTLs) explaining up to 58.20 % phenotypic variation and 973 epistatic QTLs (E-QTLs) explaining up to 92.19 % phenotypic variation for several target traits. Nine QTL clusters containing QTLs for several drought tolerance traits have been identified that can be targeted for molecular breeding. Among these clusters, one cluster harboring 48 % robust M-QTLs for 12 traits and explaining about 58.20 % phenotypic variation present on CaLG04 has been referred as “QTL-hotspot”. This genomic region contains seven SSR markers (ICCM0249, NCPGR127, TAA170, NCPGR21, TR11, GA24 and STMS11). Introgression of this region into elite cultivars is expected to enhance drought tolerance in chickpea.
In this work, Chromium (Cr) doped Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nano-structured thin films were deposited using ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique on glass substrate at different concentration (0,1,3,5,10 wt%) ...with a substrate temperature of 350
o
C. The effect of chromium on zinc oxide thin films was studied to extract the structural, optical and electrical characteristics using XRD, UV-Vis spectroscopy and Hall effect measurement instruments respectively. The work on undoped ZnO showed hexagonal wurtzite structure, with an ideal orientation of (101). The increase in strain with respect to doping concentration confirmed decrease in the crystallite size. Variation in the surface roughness on doping Cr is observed. The optical results depicted influence of Cr doping resulted in the decrease in transmittance. Band-gap (BG) obtained using Tauc’s plot was seen to vary with Cr-doping. Hall effect measurement at standard conditions observed decreases in carrier concentration, and indicating the conduction to be n-type. The study of third-order nonlinear optical characteristics, such as susceptibility χ
(3)
, nonlinear refractive index (NRI) (𝑛
2
), and nonlinear absorption coefficient (β) was carried out. These findings suggest that the films consist of self-defocusing nonlinearity. The overall results confirmed that the structural and optical results were dependent on Cr concentration in ZnO.
Carbon biosequestration strategies: a review Nayak, N.; Mehrotra, R.; Mehrotra, S.
Carbon Capture Science & Technology,
September 2022, 2022-09-00, 2022-09-01, Volume:
4
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
•Conservation and management of blue carbon ecosystems are necessary to reduce carbon emissions.•Conservation agriculture and biochar amendment require standardization at soil and crop level to ...positively influence soil carbon stocks.•Agroforestry and afforestation offer the greatest biosequestration potential provided planning and economic incentives.•Genetic engineering strategies that tweak the carbon assimilation cycle in plants and microbes increase yield and carbon capture.
Anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) contribute to global warming. Limiting temperature rise requires negative emission techniques to retract the emitted CO2 from the atmosphere. Through photosynthesis, ecosystems naturally sequester and store carbon. Enhancing these processes forms the basis of biological sequestration strategies. Ecosystems are a sink of atmospheric CO2 and significantly impact the global carbon cycle. The fixed carbon is converted into biomass, a portion of which enters the soil carbon pool and can be sequestered for millennia. The formation of stable soil organic carbon (SOC) depends on land use, management practices, and the use of amendments. Employing best management practices and carbon boosting approaches such as conservation agriculture, agroforestry, biochar, afforestation, and restoration of wetlands can improve SOC stocks and create a positive soil carbon budget, especially in degraded ecosystems. . Carbon fixation by plants and microbes is fundamental to biological sequestration. Regulating the properties and expression of the enzymes involved and introducing novel pathways for carbon capture can enhance carbon fixation efficiency and positively affect yield. This review discusses biological carbon sequestration strategies highlighting the recent findings in the effects and potential of soil carbon boosting approaches in carbon mitigation and the prospects of genetic engineering in enhancing carbon fixation.
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Biodiesel refers to be the future of fuel due to its distinctive properties, such as biodegradability, renewability, non-toxicity, and the net reduction in sulfur and carbon emission. The use of ...microwave as a heat source intensifies biodiesel synthesis process. The drastic reduction in reaction time for a homogeneous and heterogeneous catalyst is associated with the non-thermal and thermal effect of microwave on polar substance and microwave absorbing catalyst. This paper review the microwave-assisted transesterification involving various homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic systems used for biodiesel synthesis. The microwave-assisted transesterification involving homogeneous acid or base catalyst is fast but associated with high purification cost. The use of heterogeneous catalyst under microwave requires a higher molar ratio of alcohol to oil, temperature, and time, but the production separation, catalyst recovery, and reuse are feasible. A special class of microwave-assisted heterogeneous system containing the enzyme and microwave-assisted supercritical transesterification reaction is reviewed. In the end, a continuous flow system reviewed to overcome the lower penetration depth of microwave in a batch system. The techno-economic analysis of microwave-assisted transesterification is energy efficient compared to the conventional method. The continuous flow system suggests technological up-gradation in biodiesel production.
•Review microwave-assisted transesterification (MAT) using various systems.•MAT using homogeneous catalyst is fast, but involving higher downstream cost.•MAT using heterogeneous catalyst is slow but easier separability is an advantage.•MAT using enzymatic system is suitable for low-quality feedstock.•Continuous MAT can overcome the lower penetration depth of microwave.
Hypergravity is a condition where the force of gravity exceeds that on the surface of the Earth and can be simulated by centrifugation. Previously, a significant increase in root growth phenotype was ...observed when wheat seeds were exposed to hypergravity (10 g for 12 h). In the present study, we investigated the molecular basis of this change through root transcriptome. The data revealed a total of 3765 up-regulated and 2102 down-regulated transcripts in response to hypergravity. GO enrichment analysis revealed hormonal responses, cell division, and cell-wall-related terms were significantly enriched in hypergravity. The increased isoform level expression of transcripts involved in auxin biosynthesis, transport, and signaling was observed. Further, enhanced expression of cell division transcripts and down-regulation of cell number regulator genes suggests rapid cell division. Overexpression of cellulose and hemicellulose biosynthesis transcripts suggests demand for cell-wall constituents. Collectively, this study identified candidate genes associated with hypergravity-induced enhanced root growth.
•Transcriptome data revealed a total of 3765 up-regulated and 2102 down-regulated transcripts in response to hypergravity.•Hormonal responses, cell division, and cell-wall related GO terms were significantly enriched in response to hypergravity.•Candidate genes associated with hypergravity-induced enhanced root growth phenotype was identified.•Expression patterns of the selected fourteen genes analyzed were highly consistent in RNASeq and qRT-PCR data.
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