Partition and Legacies of Violence: A Study of Kashmir Conflict

The Partition of 1947, the clashing set of images, memories and the horror of violence that erupted in the Indian sub-continent. The roots and reasons may vary in the circumstances of identity, religion, ideology and so on, but for the sub-continent, it was a trauma as well as a triumph in so many ways. It was indeed the final victory of anti-colonial struggles, the birth of new independent and separate states and granted the citizenship of a new sovereign republic. While on the other side it has changed narratives of subcontinent. The legacies of violence, displacement, refugees, rape and kidnapping from both sides created the narratives of rupture, which are still alive in terms of border skirmishes, conflicts either intra, inter or sectarian created a new wave of violence in the sub-continent. The question arises, how partition had kept the state of Jammu and Kashmir on the threshold and from seventy years, the people of Kashmir are on the liminality. Stuck in the middle of violence from 1947, Kashmir had seen nothing, but repression and genocide from both sides. After Partition, it became one’s Integral part (Atoot-Ang) and Jugular vein (Shah Rag) of another. It is remarkable, that the Kashmir remained unsolved and continues to bleed for both India and Pakistan both politically, economically and religiously. The audit of this paper is to present a broad framework of Kashmir conflict, through the outlook of partition. Besides that, the paper will also cover the legacies of violence that have roots in the partition, which are negligible in the sub-continent

Characterization Of A Putative SIR2 Like Deacetylase And Its Role In SABP2 Dependent Salicylic Acid Mediated Pathways In Plant

Salicylic Acid Binding Protein2 (SABP2) is an enzyme known to play important role in SA mediated pathway. SBIP-428 (SABP2 Interacting Protein-428), a SIR2 like deacetylase, has been found to interact with SABP2. We demonstrate that SBIP-428 functions as a Sirtuin deacetylase. We show that SBIP-428 itself is lysine acetylated. Interactions of a SBIP-428 with SABP2 also raised the possibility of SABP2 itself being lysine acetylated. The recombinant purified SABP2 or native partially purified SABP2 displayed no acetylation. In response to TMV infection, the expression of SBIP-428 was down regulated at 48 hpi. In addition, SBIP-428 was up regulated in plant known to accumulate less SA. Taken together expression of SBIP-428 is negatively correlated to the levels of SA in plants. The AtSRT2 plants exhibit no altered growth phenotype but exhibit a higher pathogen resistance against bacterial pathogen. Our results indicate that SBIP-428 is an important regulator in plant defense pathway

Prevalence and association of obesity with self-reported comorbidity: a cross-sectional study of 1321 adult participants in Lasbela, Balochistan

Association of fatness with chronic metabolic diseases is a well-established fact, and a high prevalence of risk factors for these disorders has increasingly been reported in the third world. In order to incorporate any preventive strategies for such risk factors into clinical practice, decision-makers require objective evidence about the associated burden of disease. A cross-sectional study of 1321 adults from one of the districts of Balochistan, among the most economically challenged areas of Pakistan, was carried out for the measures of fatness and self-reported comorbidities. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were measured and demographic information and self-reported comorbidities were documented.The prevalence of obesity was 4.8% (95% CI: [3.8, 6.1]) and 21.7% (95% CI: [19.5, 24.0]), as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) international and Asia/Asia-Pacific BMI cut-offs, respectively. The proportion exhibiting comorbidity increased with increasing levels of fatness in a dose-response relationship

Effect of immersion systems on chlorophyll contents in micro-propagating banana

Banana is a nutritionally as well as economically important plant for which (Basrai variety) an efficient micro-propagation protocol was developed by using micro-stem cutting, as an explant. The maximum numbers of plantlets with higher chlorophyll and lower carotenoid contents were observed, which developed through routinely used tissue culture system (10.0 ìM BA; 8.0 ìM IAA; 3.0 g/L phytagel) for organogenesis, permanent immersion system (10.0 ìM BA; 1.0 g/L phytagel) for shoot induction andtemporary immersion system (10.0 ìM BA; 2.0 g/L phytagel) for shoot multiplication. The developed plantlets were cultured on 0.5 MS medium with IBA (0.01 mg/L). Rooted plantlets were successfully transferred to field after initial acclimatization

An antibody raised against a pathogenic serpin variant induces mutant-like behaviour in the wild-type protein.

A monoclonal antibody (mAb) that binds to a transient intermediate may act as a catalyst for the corresponding reaction; here we show this principle can extend on a macro-molecular scale to the induction of mutant-like oligomerisation in a wild-type protein. Using the common, pathogenic Glu342Lys (Z) variant of α1-antitrypsin as antigen - whose native state is susceptible to the formation of a proto-oligomeric intermediate - we have produced a mAb (5E3) that increases the rate of oligomerisation of the wild-type (M) variant. Employing ELISA, gel shift, thermal stability and FRET time-course experiments, we show that mAb5E3 does not bind to the native state of α1-antitrypsin, but recognises a cryptic epitope in the vicinity of the post-helix A loop and strand 4C that is revealed upon transition to the polymerisation intermediate, and which persists in the ensuing oligomer. This epitope is not shared by loop-inserted monomeric conformations. We show the increased amenity to polymerisation by either the pathogenic Glu342Lys mutation or the binding of mAb5E3 occurs without affecting energetic barrier to polymerisation. As mAb5E3 also does not alter the relative stability of the monomer to intermediate, it acts in a manner similar to the Glu342Lys mutation, by facilitating the conformational interchange between these two states

Perkiraan Cakupan Luasan Pencemaran Airtanah Akibat Limbah Batik di Desa Gulurejo, Kecamatan Lendah, Kabupaten Kulon Progo

Desa Gulurejo merupakan salah satu desa yang dijadikan sebagai Kawasan Wisata Batik. Kini telah banyak bermunculan Usaha Kecil Menengah (UKM) Batik di Desa Gulurejo. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui kualitas airtanah di sekitar UKM Batik serta mengetahui pengaruh pencemaran yang terjadi di airtanah akibat limbah batik terhadap air sungai terdekat. Parameter kualitas air yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini meliputi pH, COD, BOD, dan Nitrit (NO2). Nitrit digunakan sebagai parameter kunci dalam melacak adanya limbah batik di airtanah karena senyawa Nitrit digunakan pada proses pewarnaan batik ketika menggunakan zat warna jenis Indigosol.Sampel air dikumpulkan menggunakan metode quota sampling dan purposive sampling dengan mengacu pada arah aliran airtanah di daerah penelitian. Jumlah sampel yang diambil berjumlah 15 sampel. Hasil analisis laboratorium menunjukkan bahwa parameter pH, COD, BOD dan Nitrit (NO2) pada sampel airtanah masih berada di bawah baku mutu sesuai dengan PERGUB DIY Nomor 20 Tahun 2008. Sampel air sungai justru menunjukkan nilai Nitrit antara 0,588 mg/L hingga 0,651 mg/L degnan baku mutu 0,06 mg/L. Sumber nitrit dapat berasal dari limbah domestik serta limbah industri yang dekat dengan sungai

Sugar cane bagasse pretreatment: An attempt to enhance the production potential of cellulases by Humicola insolens TAS-13

Pretreatment of the cellulosic substrate has miracle effect on the enhancement of cellulase production by fungal strains. A thermophilic strain of Humicola insolens TAS-13 was locally isolated and was tested for cellulases production under solid-state fermentation conditions using sugar cane bagasse as substrate. The cultural conditions for the H. insolens were also optimized for the higher rate of cellulase secretion. In order to enhance the production rate of heterogenouscellulosic proteins, bagasse was pretreated with NaOH, H2SO4, H2O2 and H2O2+1.5%NaOH. The pretreatment of bagasse with 2.0% H2O2 along with 1.5% NaOH enhanced the biosynthesis of cellulases by H. insolens. Production rate was also optimized with different parameters like thickness of fermentation medium, initial pH, incubation time and temperature. The thickness of the fermentation medium of 0.8 cm (10 g) with pH range of 5.5 was found to be better for enhanced production at 50°C. The yield of the enzyme was reached maximum with CMC-ase (18.98 U/g/min), FP-ase (13.63 U/g/min), -glucosidase (19.54 U/g/min) 72 h after inoculation

Water-pipe smoking and albuminuria: new dog with old tricks

Water-pipe (WP) smoking is on rise worldwide for the past few years, particularly among younger individuals. Growing evidence indicates that WP smoking is as harmful as cigarette smoking. To date, most of the research has focused on acute health effects of WP smoking, and evidence remains limited when it comes to chronic health effects in relation to long-term WP smoking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the association between WP smoking and albuminuria in apparently healthy individuals. This analysis was conducted on data of a population-based cross-sectional study—the Urban Rural Chronic Diseases Study (URCDS). The study sample was recruited from three sites in Pakistan. Trained nurses carried out individual interviews and obtained the information on demographics, lifestyle factors, and past and current medical history. Measurements of complete blood count, lipid profile, fasting glucose level, and 24-hour albuminuria were also made by using blood and urine samples. Albumin excretion was classified into three categories using standard cut-offs: normal excretion, high-normal excretion and microalbuminuria. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between WP smoking and albuminuria. The final analysis included data from 1,626 health individuals, of which 829 (51.0%) were males and 797 (49.0%) females. Of 1,626 individuals, 267 (16.4%) were current WP smokers and 1,359 (83.6%) were non-WP smokers. WP smoking was significantly associated with high-normal albuminuria (OR = 2.33, 95% CI 1.68-3.22, p-value <0.001) and microalbuminuria (OR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.18-2.58, p-value 0.005) after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, social class, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. WP smoking was significantly associated with high-normal albuminuria and microalbuminuria when analysis was stratified on hypertension and diabetes mellitus categories. WP smoking has a strong association with albuminuria in apparently healthy individuals. More research is warranted to evaluate the temporality of this association between WP smoking and albuminuria