Methods for enhancing expression of secondary cell wall cellulose synthases in plants

Described are methods for making transgenic plants capable of expressing secondary cell wall cellulose synthases and methods of enhancing expression of secondary cell wall cellulose synthases in plants. Also described are plants produced by the methods. Plants comprising at least three exogenous polynucleotides encoding secondary cell wall cellulose synthases are also provided.https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/patents/1014/thumbnail.jp

Isolated cellulose synthase promoter regions

The invention relates to methods of inducing expression of coding sequences including cellulose synthase coding sequences in transgenic plants using promoters of cellulose synthase genes from Populus plant species and transgenic plants produced by the methods.https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/patents/1024/thumbnail.jp

Management of business process reengineering projects: a case study

Business process reengineering (BPR) projects are undertaken by outward-looking companies that are looking for significant change in their performance and wanting radical changes in the chosen parameters. Generally, these companies are trendsetters in their respective industries. BPR projects take longer time for completion and may require significant capital inflows as well. This paper discusses BPR, special requirements/considerations for BPR project management and, through a case analysis, seeks to identify and emphasise the critical success factors for the implementation of a BPR projec

Anticonvulsant Activity of Carissa carandas Linn. Root Extract in Experimental Mice

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate anticonvulsant effect of the ethanolic extract of the roots of Carissa carandas (ERCC) on electrically and chemically induced seizures.Methods: The ethanolic extract of the roots of C. carandas (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, i.p.) was studied for its anticonvulsant effect on maximal electroshock-induced seizures and pentylenetetrazole-, picrotoxin-, bicuculline- and N-methyl-dl-aspartic acid-induced seizures inmice. The latency of tonic convulsions and the number of animals protected from tonic convulsions were noted.Results: ERCC (100-400 mg/kg) significantly reduced the duration of seizures induced by maximal electroshock (MES). However, only 200 and 400mg/kg of the extract conferred protection (25 and 50%, respectively) on the mice. The same doses also protected animals from pentylenetetrazole-induced tonic seizures and significantly delayed the onset of tonic seizures produced by picrotoxin and N-methyl-dl-aspartic acid. The extract had no effect on bicuculline-induced seizures.Conclusion: The data suggest that the ethanolic root extract of C. carandas may produce its anticonvulsant effects via non-specific mechanisms since it reduced the duration of seizures produced by maximal electroshock as well as delayed the latency of seizures produced by pentylenetetrazole and picrotoxin

Cellulose synthase encoding polynucleotides and uses thereof

The invention relates to isolated polynucleotides encoding functional cellulose synthases and UDP-glucose binding domain thereof, transgenic plants and plant cells transformed with the polynucleotides. The invention further relates to methods of transforming plants and plant cells with cellulose synthase or UDP-encoding polynucleotides.https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/patents/1113/thumbnail.jp

Improved Wood Properties Through Genetic Manipulation: Engineering of Syringyl Lignin in Softwood Species Through Xylem-Specific Expression of Hardwood Syringyl Monolignol Pathway Genes

Project Objective: Our long-term goal is to genetically engineer higher value raw materials with desirable wood properties to promote energy efficiency, international competitiveness, and environmental responsiveness of the U.S. forest products industry. The immediate goal of this project was to produce the first higher value softwood raw materials engineered with a wide range of syringyl lignin quantities. Summary: The most important wood property affecting directly the levels of energy, chemical and bleaching requirements for kraft pulp production is lignin. Softwoods contain almost exclusively chemically resistant guaiacyl (G) lignin, whereas hardwoods have more reactive or easily degradable lignins of the guaiacyl (G)-syringyl (S) type. It is also well established that the reactive S lignin component is the key factor that permits much lower effective alkali and temperature, shorter pulping time and less bleaching stages for processing hardwoods than for softwoods. Furthermore, our pulping kinetic study explicitly demonstrated that every increase in one unit of the lignin S/G ratio would roughly double the rate of lignin removal. These are clear evidence that softwoods genetically engineered with S lignin are keys to revolutionizing the energy efficiency and enhancing the environmental performance of this industry. Softwoods and hardwoods share the same genetic mechanisms for the biosynthesis of G lignin. However, in hardwoods, three additional genes branch out from the G-lignin pathway and become specifically engaged in regulating S lignin biosynthesis. In this research, we simultaneously transferred aspen S-specific genes into a model softwood, black spruce, to engineer S lignin

SHEAR BEHAVIOR OF STEEL FIBER REINFORCED PRECAST PRESTRESSED CONCRETE BEAMS

Precast industries constantly look for better alternative solutions to reduce the secondary reinforcement to speed up the production process. Addition of fibers in concrete helps in reducing the use of secondary reinforcement. Presence of fiber reinforcement has proven to enhance the ductility and energy dissipation capacity of the concrete under flexure and shear. Shear behavior of concrete members mainly depends on the compressive strength of concrete, shear span to depth ratio (a/d), amount of stirrups, aggregate interlock and dowel action of longitudinal reinforcement. The present study focuses on the shear behavior of steel fiber reinforced PSC beams with different volume fractions i.e., 0.50% and 1.00%. Fiber reinforced prestressed concrete (FRPC) beams were cast using long line method and tested with a shear span to depth ratio of 2.4 to simulate shear dominant behavior. Strain gauges were attached to the strands at loading point and at the center of shear span (a/2) to measure strain variation at different stages such as prestressing, de-tensioning and testing. During experimentation, load-deflection and strand strain was recorded. Test results indicate that the addition of steel fibers improved the shear resistance and ductility of the prestressed concrete beams

Cellulose synthase promoter and method for modifiying cellulose and lignin biosynthesis in plants

This invention relates to an isolated cellulose synthase promoter, methods for genetically altering cellulose and lignin biosynthesis, and to methods for improving strength properties of juvenile wood and fiber in trees. The invention further relates to methods for identifying regulatory elements in a cellulose synthase promoter and to methods for augmenting expression of polynucleotides operably linked to a cellulose synthase promoter.https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/patents/1037/thumbnail.jp

Understanding the Modus Operandi of Class II KNOX Transcription Factors in Secondary Cell Wall Biosynthesis

Lignocellulosic biomass from the secondary cell walls of plants has a veritable potential to provide some of the most appropriate raw materials for producing second-generation biofuels. Therefore, we must first understand how plants synthesize these complex secondary cell walls that consist of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in order to deconstruct them later on into simple sugars to produce bioethanol via fermentation. Knotted-like homeobox (KNOX) genes encode homeodomain-containing transcription factors (TFs) that modulate various important developmental processes in plants. While Class I KNOX TF genes are mainly expressed in the shoot apical meristems of both monocot and eudicot plants and are involved in meristem maintenance and/or formation, Class II KNOX TF genes exhibit diverse expression patterns and their precise functions have mostly remained unknown, until recently. The expression patterns of Class II KNOX TF genes in Arabidopsis, namely KNAT3, KNAT4, KNAT5, and KNAT7, suggest that TFs encoded by at least some of these genes, such as KNAT7 and KNAT3, may play a significant role in secondary cell wall formation. Specifically, the expression of the KNAT7 gene is regulated by upstream TFs, such as SND1 and MYB46, while KNAT7 interacts with other cell wall proteins, such as KNAT3, MYB75, OFPs, and BLHs, to regulate secondary cell wall formation. Moreover, KNAT7 directly regulates the expression of some xylan synthesis genes. In this review, we summarize the current mechanistic understanding of the roles of Class II KNOX TFs in secondary cell wall formation. Recent success with the genetic manipulation of Class II KNOX TFs suggests that this may be one of the biotechnological strategies to improve plant feedstocks for bioethanol production

Home delivery and newborn care practices among urban women in western Nepal: a questionnaire survey

BACKGROUND: About 98% of newborn deaths occur in developing countries, where most newborns deaths occur at home. In Nepal, approximately, 90% of deliveries take place at home. Information about reasons for delivering at home and newborn care practices in urban areas of Nepal is lacking and such information will be useful for policy makers. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in the immunisation clinics of Pokhara city, western Nepal during January and February, 2006. Two trained health workers administered a semi-structured questionnaire to the mothers who had delivered at home. RESULTS: A total of 240 mothers were interviewed. Planned home deliveries were 140 (58.3%) and 100 (41.7%) were unplanned. Only 6.2% of deliveries had a skilled birth attendant present and 38 (15.8%) mothers gave birth alone. Only 46 (16.2%) women had used a clean home delivery kit and only 92 (38.3%) birth attendants had washed their hands. The umbilical cord was cut after expulsion of placenta in 154 (64.2%) deliveries and cord was cut using a new/boiled blade in 217 (90.4%) deliveries. Mustard oil was applied to the umbilical cord in 53 (22.1%) deliveries. Birth place was heated throughout the delivery in 88 (64.2%) deliveries. Only 100 (45.8%) newborns were wrapped within 10 minutes and 233 (97.1%) were wrapped within 30 minutes. Majority (93.8%) of the newborns were given a bath soon after birth. Mustard oil massage of the newborns was a common practice (144, 60%). Sixteen (10.8%) mothers did not feed colostrum to their babies. Prelacteal feeds were given to 37(15.2%) newborns. Initiation rates of breast-feeding were 57.9% within one hour and 85.4% within 24 hours. Main reasons cited for delivering at home were 'preference' (25.7%), 'ease and convenience' (21.4%) for planned deliveries while 'precipitate labor' (51%), 'lack of transportation' (18%) and 'lack of escort' during labor (11%) were cited for the unplanned ones. CONCLUSION: High-risk home delivery and newborn care practices are common in urban population also. In-depth qualitative studies are needed to explore the reasons for delivering at home. Community-based interventions are required to improve the number of families engaging a skilled attendant and hygiene during delivery. The high-risk traditional newborn care practices like delayed wrapping, bathing, mustard oil massage, prelacteal feeding and discarding colostrum need to be addressed by culturally acceptable community-based health education programmes