India’s water supply and demand from 2025-2050: business-as-usual scenario and issues

Water demandEstimationIrrigation waterRiver basinsWater supplySimulation modelsPopulation growthFood productionFood consumptionCrop yieldGroundwater irrigation

India’s water future to 2025-2050: Business-as-usual scenario and deviations

Poverty / Mapping/ Water demand / Water supply / Population growth / Crop production / Crop yield / Groundwater irrigation / Food security

Cost and benefits of intermediate water storage structures: case study of diggies in Rajasthan

Water storageWater deliveryIrrigation schedulingWater controlIrrigation canalsWatercoursesFarmsCrop productionCost benefit analysis

VP24-Karyopherin alpha binding affinities differ between Ebolavirus species, nfluencing interferon inhibition and VP24 stability

Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV), Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV), and Reston ebolavirus (RESTV) belong to the same genus but exhibit different virulence properties. VP24 protein, a structural protein present in all family members, blocks interferon (IFN) signaling and likely contributes to virulence. Inhibition of IFN signaling by EBOV VP24 (eVP24) involves its interaction with the NPI-1 subfamily of karyopherin alpha (KPNA) nuclear transporters. Here, we evaluated eVP24, BDBV VP24 (bVP24), and RESTV VP24 (rVP24) interactions with three NPI-1 subfamily KPNAs (KPNA1, KPNA5, and KPNA6). Using purified proteins, we demonstrated that each VP24 binds to each of the three NPI-1 KPNAs. bVP24, however, exhibited approximately 10-fold-lower KPNA binding affinity than either eVP24 or rVP24. Cell-based assays also indicate that bVP24 exhibits decreased KPNA interaction, decreased suppression of IFN induced gene expression, and a decreased half-life in transfected cells compared to eVP24 or rVP24. Amino acid sequence alignments between bVP24 and eVP24 also identified residues within and surrounding the previously defined eVP24-KPNA5 binding interface that decrease eVP24-KPNA affinity or bVP24-KPNA affinity. VP24 mutations that lead to reduced KPNA binding affinity also decrease IFN inhibition and shorten VP24 half-lives. These data identify novel functional differences in VP24-KPNA interaction and reveal a novel impact of the VP24-KPNA interaction on VP24 stability. IMPORTANCE The interaction of Ebola virus (EBOV) VP24 protein with host karyopherin alpha (KPNA) proteins blocks type I interferon (IFN) signaling, which is a central component of the host innate immune response to viral infection. Here, we quantitatively compared the interactions of VP24 proteins from EBOV and two members of the Ebolavirus genus, Bundibugyo virus (BDBV) and Reston virus (RESTV). The data reveal lower binding affinity of the BDBV VP24 (bVP24) for KPNAs and demonstrate that the interaction with KPNA modulates inhibition of IFN signaling and VP24 stability. The effect of KPNA interaction on VP24 stability is a novel functional consequence of this virus-host interaction, and the differences identified between viral species may contribute to differences in pathogenesis

A novel mode of capping protein-regulation by Twinfilin

Cellular actin assembly is controlled at the barbed ends of actin filaments, where capping protein (CP) limits polymerization. Twinfilin is a conserved in vivo binding partner of CP, yet the significance of this interaction has remained a mystery. Here, we discover that the C-terminal tail of Twinfilin harbors a CP-interacting (CPI) motif, identifying it as a novel CPI-motif protein. Twinfilin and the CPI-motif protein CARMIL have overlapping binding sites on CP. Further, Twinfilin binds competitively with CARMIL to CP, protecting CP from barbed-end displacement by CARMIL. Twinfilin also accelerates dissociation of the CP inhibitor V-1, restoring CP to an active capping state. Knockdowns of Twinfilin and CP each cause similar defects in cell morphology, and elevated Twinfilin expression rescues defects caused by CARMIL hyperactivity. Together, these observations define Twinfilin as the first \u27pro-capping\u27 ligand of CP and lead us to propose important revisions to our understanding of the CP regulatory cycle

Rice Husk Char-Clay Composite for the Adsorption of Methylene Blue Dye

Contamination of water bodies due to the release of wastewater containing dyes is a worldwide environmental problem and hence treatment before discharging is particularly important. In this study, adsorption of Methylene Blue dye from aqueous solutions onto a novel adsorbent; rice husk char-clay composite; was studied. Rice husk was burnt at 300° C at a heating rate of 100 C increase per minute with the total residence time of 45 minutes. Rice husk char thus obtained was grounded and the composite was prepared by mixing rice husk char and clay to the weight ratio of 9:16 and extruding to approximately 0.5 cm diameter pellets. Two types of adsorbents were prepared with clay burnt at 450° C for 1 hour and with unburnt clay. A series of batch adsorption experiments were performed to determine the factors affecting adsorption. For both types of composites, maximum removal of dye was observed at an initial dye concentration of 20 mg/l. In particular, an extensive analysis was made on solution pH variation during the adsorption process. Batch experiments at various initial pH values were carried out, and solution pH profiles with the adsorption time were also evaluated. The pH values considered for the experiment were 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. Optimum pH values for the maximum dye removal were obtained for burnt clay at 7 and for the unburnt clay at 10. Composite made of burnt clay showed higher dye removal compared to unburnt clay composite. Experimental data were fitted to pseudo first order and second order kinetic models and related parameters, initial adsorption rate (h) and rate constant (k2) were estimated. The results showed that kinetic data of the system best fits the pseudo second order model for burnt clay composite with initial adsorption rate (h) as 12.937 mg g-1 min-1 and rate constant (k2) 0.136 g mg-1 min-1. The highest initial dye uptake of 12.9 mg/g was observed for burnt clay composite. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were used to fit the equilibrium data successfully and constants were calculated. Accordingly, for burnt clay these values were obtained adsorption coefficient (b) as 1.28, constant related to adsorption capacity (k) as 4.96, constant related to adsorption intensity (n) as 2.42 and amount of solute adsorbed per unit weight of adsorbent corresponding to complete coverage of available sites () as 10.21 mg g-1. Results revealed that Freundlich isotherm fits the burnt clay composite and Langmuir model fits the unburnt clay composite. Based on these experimental results, application of rice husk char burnt clay composite in removal of dye from wastewater is suggested.Keywords: Rice husk char, Adsorption, Methylene-blu

Anaphylaxis: Revision of the Brighton collaboration case definition

The Brighton Collaboration (BC) has formulated a number of case definitions which have primarily been applied to adverse events of special interest in the context of vaccine safety surveillance. This is a revision of the 2007 BC case definition for anaphylaxis. Recently, the BC definition has been widely used for evaluating reports of suspected anaphylaxis following COVID-19 vaccination. This has led to debate about the performance of the BC definition in comparison with those from the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease/Food Allergy Anaphylaxis Network (NIAID/FAAN) and the World Allergy Organization (WAO). BC convened an expert working group to revise the case definition based on their usual process of literature review and expert consensus. This manuscript presents the outcome of this process and proposes a revised case definition for anaphylaxis. Major and minor criteria have been re-evaluated with an emphasis on the reporting of observable clinical signs, rather than subjective symptoms, and a clearer approach to the ascertainment of levels of certainty is provided. The BC case definition has also been aligned with other contemporary and international case definitions for anaphylaxis

Review on Photomicrography based Full Blood Count (FBC) Testing and Recent Advancements

With advancements in related sub-fields, research on photomicrography in life science is emerging and this is a review on its application towards human full blood count testing which is a primary test in medical practices. For a prolonged period of time, analysis of blood samples is the basis for bio medical observations of living creatures. Cell size, shape, constituents, count, ratios are few of the features identified using DIP based analysis and these features provide an overview of the state of human body which is important in identifying present medical conditions and indicating possible future complications. In addition, functionality of the immune system is observed using results of blood tests. In FBC tests, identification of different blood cell types and counting the number of cells of each type is required to obtain results. Literature discuss various techniques and methods and this article presents an insightful review on human blood cell morphology, photomicrography, digital image processing of photomicrographs, feature extraction and classification, and recent advances. Integration of emerging technologies such as microfluidics, micro-electromechanical systems, and artificial intelligence based image processing algorithms and classifiers with cell sensing have enabled exploration of novel research directions in blood testing applications.