Dimensions and Determinants of Peoples’ Participation in Watershed Development Programmes in Rajasthan

Peoples’ participation has been at the centre-stage of the resource conservation and rural development efforts in the developing countries. The study on peoples’ participation in watershed development programmes in Rajasthan has revealed that a very low proportion of beneficiaries is contributing at different stages of the programme in terms of either labour or finances or both. The determinants of participation have been identified using Tobit regression. The institutional effectiveness has been found as the key factor towards guaranteeing involvement of people in the watershed programmes. The other factors positively related with peoples’ participation are training of farmers, age, and frequency of the visit of extension workers. A negative relationship has been found between participation and off-farm income. Therefore, efforts should be made for developing effective local institutions, capacity building through training of farmers and providing off-farm employment opportunities in the countryside itself for safeguarding the livelihoods of people in the rainfed areas.Agricultural and Food Policy,

SRELS Journal of Information Management: A Gender Analysis

The SRELS Journal of Information Management has been playing vital role in the library and information science field since last fifty years. This paper presents the results of a bibliometric study of articles with a gender viewpoint from 2007-2017. The aim of the study is to examine the journal during the period 2007-2017 using bibliometric indicators with a gender perspective. The pattern of research output in 606 publications is analyzed in which 435(71.78%) articles are contributed by male authors and 171(28.21%) by female authors. The degree of collaboration in the publications of the journal is 0.66. Most of the articles i.e. (52.31%) are two authored articles. The male and female distribution by professional category indicates large number of contributing authors belonged to non-teaching category i.e. 389 out of which 292 (67.12%) are male authors and 97 (56.72%) female authors. Maximum number i.e. 222 (36.6%) contributions are under male-male authorship pattern followed by 153(25.2%) male solo papers. Citation study showed that 120 cited articles received 215 citations. Male authors contributed maximum number of articles in the subject category “bibliometrics analysis” whereas females authored large number of articles on the topic “use studies”. Overall research productivity of male LIS professionals is higher than female authors

Probing the anticancer mechanism of prospective herbal drug Withaferin A on mammals: a case study on human and bovine proteasomes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The UPP (ubiquitin proteasome pathway) is the major proteolytic system in the cytosol and nucleus of all eukaryotic cells which regulates cellular events, including mitotis, differentiation, signal transduction, apoptosis, and inflammation. UPP controls activation of the transcriptional factor NF-κB (nuclear factor κB), which is a regulatory protein playing central role in a variety of cellular processes including immune and inflammatory responses, apoptosis, and cellular proliferation. Since the primary interaction of proteasomes occurs with endogenous proteins, the signalling action of transcription factor NF-κB can be blocked by inhibition of proteasomes. A great variety of natural and synthetic chemical compounds classified as peptide aldehydes, peptide boronates, nonpeptide inhibitors, peptide vinyl sulfones and epoxyketones are now widely used as research tools for probing their potential to inhibit proteolytic activities of different proteasomes and to investigate the underlying inhibition mechanisms. The present work reports a bio-computational study carried out with the aim of exploring the proteasome inhibition capability of WA (withaferin A), a steroidal lactone, by understanding the binding mode of WA as a ligand into the mammalian proteasomes (X-ray crystal structure of <it>Bos taurus</it> 20S proteasome and multiple template homology modelled structure of 20S proteasome of <it>Homo sapiens</it>) using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One possible mode of action which is proposed here for WA to act as a proteasome inhibitor is by suppression of the proteolytic activity which depends on the N-terminal threonine (Thr1) residue hydroxyl group. Docking studies carried out with herbal ligand WA into the structures of bovine and human proteasomes substantiate that WA has the ability to inhibit activity of mammalian 20S proteasomes by blocking the nucleophilic function of N-terminal Thr1. Results from molecular dynamics simulations in water show that the trajectories of both the native human 20S proteasome and the proteasome complexed with WA are stable over a considerably long time period of 4 ns suggesting the dynamic structural stability of human 20S proteasome/WA complex.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Inhibition of proteasomal activity are promising ways to retard or block degradation of specific proteins to correct diverse pathologies. Though quite a number of selective and efficient proteasomal inhibitors exist nowadays, their toxic side effects limit their potential in possible disease treatment. Thus there is an indispensable need for exploration of novel natural products as antitumor drug candidates. The present work supports the mammalian proteasomes inhibiting activity of WA along with elucidation of its possible mode of action. Since WA is a small herbal molecule, it is expected to provide one of the modest modes of inhibition along with added favours of ease in oral administration and decreased immunogenicity. The molecular docking results suggest that WA can inhibit the mammalian proteasomes irreversibly and with a high rate through acylation of the N-terminal Thr1 of the β-5 subunit.</p

Probing the kinetic and thermodynamic consequences of the tetraloop/tetraloop receptor monovalent ion-binding site in P4-P6 RNA by smFRET

Abstract Structured RNA molecules play roles in central biological processes and understanding the basic forces and features that govern RNA folding kinetics and thermodynamics can help elucidate principles that underlie biological function. Here we investigate one such feature, the specific interaction of monovalent cations with a structured RNA, the P4-P6 domain of the Tetrahymena ribozyme. We employ single molecule FRET (smFRET) approaches as these allow determination of folding equilibrium and rate constants over a wide range of stabilities and thus allow direct comparisons without the need for extrapolation. These experiments provide additional evidence for specific binding of monovalent cations, Na + and K + , to the RNA tetralooptetraloop receptor (TL-TLR) tertiary motif. These ions facilitate both folding and unfolding, consistent with an ability to help order the TLR for binding and further stabilize the tertiary contact subsequent to attainment of the folding transition state

1,2-Cycloaddition reactions of dihalocarbenes (CCl2, :CBr2, CF3 CCI) to some π-bonded organosilanes under phase transfer catalytic conditions

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Processing of Oak Ridge Mixed Waste Labpacks

The Oak Ridge Site Treatment Plan (STP) issued under a Tennessee Commissioner's Order includes a compliance milestone related to treatment of mixed waste labpacks on the Oak Ridge sites. The treatment plan was written and approved in Fiscal Year 1997. The plan involved approximately 1,100 labpacks and 7,400 on-the-shelf labpackable items stored at three Department of Energy (DOE) sites on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). The labpacks and labpack items consist of liquids and solids with various chemical constituents and radiological concerns. The waste must be processed for shipment to a commercial hazardous waste treatment facility or treatment utilizing a Broad Spectrum mixed waste treatment contract. This paper will describe the labpack treatment plan that was developed as required by the Site Treatment Plan and the operations implemented to process the labpack waste. The paper will discuss the labpack inventory in the treatment plan, treatment and disposal options, processing strategies, project risk assessment, and current project status

Hsp90/Cdc37 Chaperone/co-chaperone complex, a novel junction anticancer target elucidated by the mode of action of herbal drug Withaferin A

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>HSPs (Heat shock proteins) are highly conserved ubiquitous proteins among species which are involved in maintaining appropriate folding and conformation of other proteins and are thus referred to as molecular chaperones. Hsp90 (Heat-shock protein 90 kDa) is one of a group of molecular chaperones responsible for managing protein folding and quality control in cell environment. However it is also involved in the maturation and stabilization of a wide range of oncogenic client proteins which are crucial for oncogenesis and malignant progression. Hsp90 requires a series of co-chaperones to assemble into a super-chaperone complex for its function. These co-chaperones bind and leave the complex at various stages to regulate the chaperoning process. Arresting the chaperone cycle at these stages by targeting different co-chaperone/Hsp90 interactions seems to be quite a viable alternative and is likely to achieve similar consequences as that of Hsp90 direct inhibition with added favors of high specificity and reduced side effect profile. The study conducted here is an attempt to explore the potential of <it>Withania somnifera’s</it> major constituent WA (Withaferin A) in attenuating the Hsp90/Cdc37 chaperone/co-chaperone interactions for enhanced tumor arresting activity and to elucidate the underlying mode of action using computational approaches.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Formation of active Hsp90/Cdc37 complex is one of the essential steps for facilitation of chaperone client interaction, non-assembly of which can lead to prevention of the chaperone-client association resulting in apoptosis of tumor cells. From our flexible docking analysis of WA into active Hsp90/Cdc37 complex in which key interfacing residues of the complex were kept flexible, disruption of the active association complex can be discerned. While docking of WA into segregated Hsp90 leaves the interface residues untouched. Thus the molecular docking analysis of WA into Hsp90 and active Hsp90/Cdc37 complex conducted in this study provides significant evidence in support of the proposed mechanism of chaperone assembly suppression by inhibition or disruption of active Hsp90/Cdc37 complex formation being accounted by non-assembly of the catalytically active Hsp90/Cdc37 complex. Results from the molecular dynamics simulations in water show that the trajectories of the protein complexed with ligand WA are stable over a considerably long time period of 4 ns, with the energies of the complex being lowered in comparison to the un-docked association complex, suggesting the thermodynamic stability of WA complexed Hsp90/Cdc37.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The molecular chaperone Hsp90 has been a promising target for cancer therapy. Cancer is a disease marked by genetic instability. Thus specific inhibition of individual proteins or signalling pathways holds a great potential for subversion of this genetic plasticity of cancers. This study is a step forward in this direction. Our computational analysis provided a rationalization to the ability of naturally occurring WA to alter the chaperone signalling pathway. The large value of binding energy involved in binding of WA to the active Hsp90/Cdc37 complex consolidates the thermodynamic stability of the binding. Our docking results obtained substantiate the hypothesis that WA has the potential to inhibit the association of chaperone (Hsp90) to its co-chaperone (Cdc37) by disrupting the stability of attachment of Hsp90 to Cdc37. Conclusively our results strongly suggest that withaferin A is a potent anticancer agent as ascertained by its potent Hsp90-client modulating capability.</p

A Rare Case of Coronary Artery Thrombosis in a Patient With Recently Diagnosed Giant Cell Arteritis: Is Anticardiolipin Antibody Involved?

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is an immune-mediated systemic inflammation of large-sized arteries that predominantly affects elderly women. It may be considered as one of the risk factors for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Moreover, patients with GCA may have increased anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL). However, its relationship with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is not clear. We present a case of a unique presentation of GCA with a connection to both ACS and APS. A 76-year-old woman who initially presented to the hospital with a chief complaint of intermittent unilateral headache, blurry vision along with transient aphasia was found to have a biopsy confirmed GCA and subsequently developed left anterior descending artery (LAD) thrombosis. Her hypercoagulability workup was negative except for significantly elevated aCL