Cyclin kinase inhibitor p21: a mediator of immune tolerance: direct and indirect evidence

*Background:* Uncontrolled proliferation of T-cells is considered a barrier to the induction of transplantation tolerance by T regulatory cells. Therefore, cyclin kinase inhibitor p21, one of the most potent inhibitors of cell proliferation, may exert an important role in the induction/generation of T regulatory cells.
*Methods:* CD4^+^CD25^+^ and CD4^+^CD25^-^ cells were isolated from normal healthy blood donors (n=6), p21^-/-^ mice (n=9) and wild type mice (n=9). Proliferation with and without cyclosporine was quantified by ^3^H-thymidine uptake assay (expressed as counts per minute) and FoxP3 mRNA was studied by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. 
*Results:* The difference in proliferation (p<0.003) among CD4^+^CD25^+^ (15236 ± 1190) and CD4^+^CD25^-^ (50317 ± 974) T cells were proportionately similar to the difference in proliferation (p<0.001) of lymphocytes from wild type (28206 ± 2812) and p21^-/-^ mice (49624 ± 2164), proliferation of CD4^+^CD25^-^ and p21 deficient cells was resistant to cyclosporine. The number of T regulatory cells in p21^-/-^ mice were significantly (p<0.002) lower (2.6 ± 0.8%) than wild type mice (14.5 ± 1.6%,) and similar to CD4^+^CD25^-^ T cells, CD4^+^25^+^ T cells from p21^-/-^ mice lacked FoxP3 gene expression. T lymphocytes from wild type inhibited the proliferation of T lymphocytes from p21^-/-^ mice similar to the effect of CD4^+^CD25^+^ T cells on the proliferation of CD4^+^CD25^-^ cells. 
*Conclusions:* Presence of the p21 creates a milieu favorable for immune tolerance and consistent with antiproliferative and immunosuppressive effect of CD4^+^CD25^+^ T-regulatory cells. These findings support the notion that p21 could be used clinically in controlling allo-immune activation to achieve prolongation of graft survival

Non-Gaussian Error Distributions of Galactic Rotation Speed Measurements

We construct the error distributions for the galactic rotation speed ($\Theta_0$) using 137 data points from measurements compiled in De Grijs et al. (arXiv:1709.02501), with all observations normalized to the galactocentric distance of 8.3 kpc. We then checked (using the same procedures as in works by Ratra et al) if the errors constructed using the weighted mean and the median as the estimate, obey Gaussian statistics. We find using both these estimates that they have much wider tails than a Gaussian distribution. We also tried to fit the data to three other distributions: Cauchy, double-exponential, and Students-t. The best fit is obtained using the Students-$t$ distribution for $n=2$ using the median value as the central estimate, corresponding to a $p$-value of 0.1. We also calculate the median value of $\Theta_0$ using all the data as well as using the median of each set of measurements based on the tracer population used. Because of the non-gaussianity of the residuals, we point out that the subgroup median value, given by $\Theta_{med}=219.65$ km/sec should be used as the central estimate for $\Theta_0$.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure

Biodiversity of the Indian Desert and it´s value

The state of Rajasthan is situated between 23º3’ and 30º12’ N latitude and 69º30’ and 78º17’ E longitude . The total land area of the state is about 3,24,239 km²out of which about 1,98,100 km² is arid and the rest semi arid. The physical features are characterized mainly by the Aravallis and to the some extent by the vindhyan formation, and the Deccan trap. A major portion of western Rajasthan has desert soils and sandy plains. Sand dunes occupy a greater part of western Rajasthan ( 1,20, 983 km²). The soils of the desert plains are loamy sand to loam and the eastern part has alluvial soil which supports good forests and agricultural crop. Occurrence of saline soils with pH up to 9.0 is a common feature in the sandy areas of Rajasthan. The average annual rainfall in the state is 525-675 mm, and the annual precipitation in different tracts of Rajasthan varies from 13 mm to 1766 mm. Out of the total areaforests cover only about 37,638 km² and are rich in biodiversity. Rajasthan is rich in biodiversity which has a great economic value. Characterization of different plant species of economic value was undertaken. (Table 1-6)

The Use of Web and its Resources among Research Scholars of Social Science at Guru Ghasidas University (A Central University), Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India: A Study

The main purpose of this study was to identify and analyze the different use of web and its resources among research scholars at Guru Ghasidas University (A Central University), Bilaspur, India. The study mainly focused on the use of web and preferred information source as well as methods to access the web. In this study a well-structured questionnaire survey of Eighty Nine (89) full-time research scholars of various departments under the faculty of the social science reveals that the majority of the respondents access the web regularly. Most of the research scholars’ access to web based resources with simple keywords. The poor connectivity of the internet was the major obstacle among maximum research scholars during access to the web in the library. The finding of the study would assist various universities certainly to make better use of web and its resources for research work especially

Causes and Consequences of Supply-Demand Gap for Labour in Sugarcane in India

The paper has estimated the demand for human labour use in sugarcane and other competing crops and changes over time in its use in major cane-growing states. It has also examined the supply-demand gap in human labour for sugarcane and has provided some coping strategies. The study, based on the primary as well as secondary data on the use of human labour for sugarcane for the past 30 years (1980 to 2010), has found that sugarcane cultivation is least mechanized and most labour-intensive in almost all major canegrowing states of India. The labour-use per hectare has increased in all the cane-growing states, except Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Study has revealed that the proportion of casual labour has increased over the years in sub-tropical states because of less availability of family labour for cane cultivation. The assured labour in the form of family + attached labour is on decline, impacting sugarcane cultivation adversely. Arduous work and inhuman working conditions, lack of female participation and disintegrating traditional system of cane harvesting have been identified as the major constraints for the increasing demand and supply gaps in sugarcane cultivation. The shortage of labour is reported to hit all sugarcane cultivation operations, driving up the costs and a decline in the profit margin of farmers. The study has also found that area under cane cultivation has reduced drastically in Haryana and cane yield is stagnant or declining in Maharashtra. The coping strategies for reducing demand-supply gap suggested in the paper are: R&D efforts towards development of sugarcane harvester; development of suitable crop geometry to facilitate the movement of machineries up to the knee-high stage of the crop; change in the traditional system of cane planting for fast germination to avoid weed menace and curtailing labour requirement; popularization of cane planting by machines developed at IISR, Lucknow and popularization of multifunctional ratoon management device. The sugar mills must evolve a sound cane development plan in their cane command areas for purchase of machinery and tie up with the manufacturers and research organizations. This will help in ensuring mechanization of cane operations and avoid forced scarcity of labour in situations of labour diversion to schemes like MGNREGS.Labour supply, Supply-demand gap, Labour demand, Sugarcane, Agricultural and Food Policy, J22, J23,