Molecular mechanisms of growth responses to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The carbon dioxide concentration [CO2] in the current atmosphere is increasing at a significant rate and is predicted to reach up to 700 umol mol-1 by the end of this century. Elevated ([CO2]) has the potential to increase the growth and yield of crops. Being the primary substrate for photosynthesis, increased CO2 levels significantly promote the growth of most C3 crops through increased photosynthesis capacity and reduced stomatal conductance. This stimulation of photosynthesis is central to other post-photosynthetic key metabolic processes such as carbon and nitrogen metabolism, cell cycle functions and hormonal regulation, which may lead to changes in whole plant growth. The magnitude of these responses to elevated [CO2] varies even within same species, indicating a significant genetic variation for CO2 responsiveness within plant communities. In addition, the CO2 responsiveness of plants depends on their ontogeny and is found to be more pronounced in the early development stages of the crops. However, there is a limited understanding of underlying molecular mechanisms of plant growth responses to elevated [CO2] which is crucial for developing crop breeding strategies to improve crop productivity in a changing climate. Therefore, this project broadly aimed to dissect the molecular mechanisms of plant growth responses to elevated [CO2] in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), focusing on three unexplored aspects of this underlying mechanism. This project focused primarily on the early vegetative stage of wheat to study the increased CO2 responsiveness of crops in their early ontogeny. First, putative quantitative trait loci (QTL) for major early growth traits at elevated [CO2] were identified using a doubled haploid population of a cross between RAC875 and Kukri, to identify the genetic regions potentially associated with CO2 responsiveness. In total 24 putative QTL for CO2 responsiveness were identified for different growth traits. Three QTL, worthy for future research, were identified on chromosome 2A, 1B and 4B that showed an increased response for biomass accumulation at elevated [CO2]. Secondly, the role of photosynthesis and post-photosynthetic metabolic processes in moderating growth responses to elevated [CO2] was investigated through developing an understanding of the source and sink interaction of wheat. Transcript abundance of key genes involved in carbon and nitrogen metabolism, and cell cycle functions varied greatly among CO2 levels (400 and 700 μmol mol-1), organ types (last fully expanded leaves, expanding leaves, leaf cell elongation zone and shoot apex region) and genotypes. Finally, the interplay of different regulatory mechanisms involved in plant growth at elevated [CO2] was investigated through a comparative proteomics analysis. Most of the differentially expressed proteins at elevated [CO2] were involved in carbon metabolism, energy pathways, protein synthesis and cell cycle functions. However, the leaf proteome responses to elevated [CO2] were highly genotype dependent. Overall, the results indicated that post-photosynthetic metabolic processes play a significant role in moderating plant growth responses at elevated [CO2]. Molecular level responses of these processes are subject to developmental regulation and thus, are involved in determining the source and sink integration of plants. This study has demonstrated the intraspecific variability of growth responses to elevated [CO2] at the genetic, transcriptomic and proteomic level. These variable responses provide valuable targets for the selection of genotypes that can thrive well in the future CO2 enriched atmosphere

A nation divided : an exploration of national identity and immigration through analysis of naturalized Mexican and non-Hispanic white citizen\u27s attitudes toward undocumented immigration in the United States

This study sought to understand the intersection of citizenship status and national identity as factors impacting perceptions of undocumented immigration in the U.S. Increased national identity is proposed to coincide with low levels of support and more negative associations with undocumented immigration. An additional hypothesis asserts immigrants and non-immigrants alike will illustrate parallel attitudes, though the naturalized group will retain more positive attitudes towards the impact and future of U.S. immigration. The current research was undertaken to illustrate how immigrants are compelled towards native-cultural distancing to gain access to privileges afforded to adherents to Anglo practices deemed as \u27American\u27 culture. Naturalized Mexican citizens and non-Hispanic White citizens of the United States represented two major citizen groups in this study. Research materials were distributed and achieved a total of 105 participants, including 26 naturalized Mexican citizens and 79 non-Hispanic White citizens. Participants completed a 45-questionnaire that targeted the following topics: national identity, language, immigrant acculturation, policy and practice, group size perceptions, as well as independent questions addressing the influence of undocumented immigration within the U.S. Significance was determined in certain content areas illustrating that the naturalized group asserts higher levels of support and positive affiliation towards U.S. immigration. Still, results indicated only slight group variability to support the expectation that the citizen groups share equivalent attitudes. Furthermore, findings support the hypothesis that increased national identity coincides with negative attitudes regarding immigration. Research implications suggest current immigration practices are in place to promote the interests of a perceived homogenous American identity advocated by an Anglo-American belief system

Saute ça : the acquisition of the faire faire causative by first and second language learners of French

Do young Bengali-speaking children learning French as a second language at preschool follow the same developmental path as French first language children with respect to the acquisition of the French faire faire causative? As an initial step toward answering this question, a flexible semi-structured play protocol was developed for the elicitation of the faire faire causative from both first and second language learners. In the first part of the study, longitudinal data were collected from eight monolingual children acquiring French as a first language in Montreal. The children were audio- and video-taped in their homes for 30 to 45 minutes every two to four weeks for at least six months, and their data were analyzed for occurrences of causative constructions, such as Je fais sauter la grenouille , and single-agent infinitival complement constructions such as Je veux jouer in which the same argument (agent or actor) applies to both modal and infinitive. Causative constructions are double-agent; the grammatical subject of the sentence (and semantic agent of the verb faire ) and the grammatical object of faire (and semantic agent of the following infinitive) are two distinct arguments. The argument structure of causative constructions is therefore more complex than that of single-agent infinitival complement constructions. Both kinds of constructions emerged at the same time in the speech of the French-L1 children, sometime between the second and fourth birthdays. In the second part of the study, cross-sectional data from 24 Bengali-L1 children aged 5 and 6 were analyzed. A standardized measure of receptive vocabulary in French was taken from each L2 child, as well as a 30-minute naturalistic speech sample incorporating the causative elicitation procedure. The L2 children's receptive vocabulary and their ability to form single-agent infinitival complement constructions resembled that of the 2and 3-year-old French monolingual children, but their ability to form causative constructions lagged far behind. Some possible explanations for this finding are suggested. Differences in the input to the two groups, aspects of the syntax of causativization in French, and first language influence may all be implicated

A Systematic Review of Digital Transformation Literature (2013 – 2021) and the development of an overarching a-priori model to guide future research

In recent times, organizations purport to undergo unprecedented transformations owing to the adoption of digital technologies. Consequently, there has been a substantial effort in academia attempting to better understand the phenomenon of digital transformation in business organizations. However, a cumulative tradition of research on digital transformation, underpinned by a consolidated theoretical positioning, is compromised by the loosely defined constructs, confusion in terminology and lack of an overarching framework of its nomological net. This paper, therefore, features a systematic review of the assorted and fragmented literature on this notion of Digital Transformation by critically analysing 174 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2013 and 2021, in over thirty leading academic outlets. The authors provide a consolidated nomological net of digital transformation by synthesizing themes and dominant theories apparent in existing digital transformation literature, which will be useful for future academic studies

Study of Serum Gamma Glutamyl Tranferase Levels in Female Patients with Metabolic Syndrome.

INTRODUCTION : Metabolic syndrome is a combination of Medical disorders that increase the risk of developing Cardiovascular disease and Diabetes1. It affects a great number of people and prevalence increases with age. Metabolic syndrome is also known as syndrome-X, Insulin Resistance syndrome, Raeven’s syndrome, CHAOS (Australia) or Metabo (Japan). GGT is a Potential biomarker for preclinical development of artherosclerosis because GGT was detected in atheromatous plaques of carotid and coronary arteries triggering oxidation of LDL. Signs and Symptoms : 1. Fasting Hyper glycemia – Diabetes Mellitus Type II or Impaired Fasting Glucose, Impaired Glucose tolerance or Insulin resistance, 2. High blood pressure, 3. Central obesity (Visceral, Male pattern or Apple shaped Adiposity) Over Weight with fat deposits mainly around the waist, 4. Decreased HDL – Cholesterol, 5. Elevated Triglycerides. Since GGT is Proatherogenic, it is essential to find the levels of Serum Gamma Glutamyl Transferase in individuals with Metabolic Syndrome which is Already associated with (high) cardiac risk factors. OBJECTIVE : To study the level of GGT in serum of female patients with Metabolic Syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS : The study was carried out in the Hypertensive Out-Patient Department of Thanjavur Medical College Hospital. The study group comprises of 100 females with Metabolic syndrome according to 3/5 criteria of National Cholesterol education programme (NCEP), in whom fasting serum levels of Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase levels were estimated. The patients were identified as having Metabolic syndrome according to the following criteria. 1. Elevated waist circumference of >or= 35 inches (88 cms), 2. Elevated Triglycerides >or=150 mg/dl, 3. Decreased HDL – Cor= 130/85 mm of Hg, 5. Elevated fasting Glucose of >or= 100mg/dl. Criteria :- Female Patients in the age group 30 to 75 yrs. Inclusion Criteria: 1. Obesity, 2. Hypertension, 3. Dyslipidemias over 150 mg/dl TAG Blood, 4. Fasting blood sugar More than 106 mg/dl, 5. HDL less than 50mg/dl. Exclusion Criteria : 1. Liver diseases, 2. Renal Diseases, 3. Alcoholism, 4. Drug in take (Anticoagulants), 5. Males (Prostatic GGT). CONCLUSION : In this study on serum GGT levels in metabolic syndrome about 56 percent showed elevation in Gamma-Glutamyl Transferease levels which may be due to Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease which is the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. There is a very close relationship between low density lipoproteins, total cholesterol, triglyceride levels with serum GGT levels. Since LDL and GGT are independent risk factors for coronary heart disease, it will be very useful to describe GGT as a potential biomarker for coronary heart disease. The earlier the patients with dyslipidemia are to be investigated for elevated GGT levels and type-II diabetes mellitus. If the patients have elevated GGT levels with increased waist circumference, lifestyle modification can decrease the rate of progression to diabetes and coronary heart disease. Weight loss of 4kg over 3 years, 150 minutes of exercise per week, a low fatty and high fibre diet can be advised. Dietary recommendations for people with metabolic syndrome can be advised - eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, avoid heavily processed foods rich in salt, sugar and fat

Pre- and post-harvest elicitation with methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid followed by cold storage synergistically improves red colour development and health-promoting compounds in blood oranges

Red blush is one of the key quality markers of blood orange fruit (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck). Therefore, the influence of pre- (1, 2, and 3 mM) and postharvest (0.5, 1, and 1.5 mM) methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and salicylic acid (SA) (1, 2, and 3 mM) treatments on redness, colouring pigments, and health-promoting compounds in cold stored ‘Tarocco Ippolito’ blood oranges was investigated. Preharvest application of 3 mM MeJA significantly increased rind citrus colour index (CCI) by 43.3% and colorimetric coordinate a* (redness) by 3.1% and decreased h° (hue angle, 0 = red), L* (lightness), and b* (yellowness) by 13.7%, 12.6%, and 23.4%, respectively. This treatment also enhanced CCI (57.4%), reduced h° (16.5%) and L* (36.4%), and increased total anthocyanins (88%), monomeric anthocyanins (117%), and flavonoids (77%) in the juice. Postharvest dip of 1.5 mM MeJA (5 min) improved CCI of juice (53.6%) and a* (5.5%), reduced h° (15.9%), L* (19.8%), and b* (19.4%), and increased total anthocyanins (66.7%), monomeric anthocyanins (74%), and flavonoids (23.4%) in the juice. Preharvest application of 1 mM SA increased rind CCI (50.8%) and reduced L* (13.6%), b* (16.4%), and h° (29.5%). All preharvest SA treatments significantly increased total phenolics in the juice. Lycopene was increased (61.7%) by 5 min postharvest dip of 3 mM SA. In conclusion, 3 mM preharvest spray application of MeJA four weeks before harvest and postharvest dip of 1.5 mM MeJA (5 min) are effective in improving red colour of rind and juice and health-promoting compounds in blood orange juice

Shooting ‘Yohani’ to Global Stardom: A Teaching Case of Social Media Strategy of a Top-10 YouTuber

This teaching case is about ‘Yohani’ – a Global YouTube sensation. Yohani’s song ‘Menike Mage Hithe’ reached the top hits of Amazon music and Spotify, eventually making its way to the YouTube Top-10 global charts in September 2021. Gathering in-depth insights from the executive staff behind her record label company and her creative company, this teaching case demonstrates (i) the role of social media strategy in contemporary businesses and entrepreneurs; (ii) social media hygiene factors that one must consider; (iii) how social media insights gained through analytics assisted in delivering a carefully orchestrated business strategy and (iv) how a combination of social media platforms was employed, considering a range of technological, geographical, financial and social factors. The case and its teaching notes are suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying a contemporary information systems management course

Pregnancy Intendedness by Maternal Disability Status and Type in the United States

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154611/1/psrh12130.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154611/2/psrh12130_am.pd

Performance Analysis Techniques for Real-time Broadband RFI Filtering System of uGMRT

Electromagnetic radiation from human activities, known as man-made Radio Frequency Interference (RFI), adversely affects radio astronomy observations. In the vicinity of the Upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) array, the sparking on power lines is the major cause of interference at observing frequencies less than 800 MHz. A real-time broadband RFI detection and filtering system is implemented as part of the uGMRT wideband signal processing backend to mitigate the effect of broadband RFI. Performance analysis techniques used for testing and commissioning the system for observations in the beamformer and correlator modes of the uGMRT are presented. The concept and implementation of recording simultaneous unfiltered and filtered data along with data analysis and interpretation is illustrated using an example. For the beamformer mode, spectrogram, single spectral channel, and its Fourier transform is used for performance analysis whereas, in the correlator mode, the cross-correlation function, closure phase, and visibilities from the simultaneously recorded unfiltered and filtered is carried out. These techniques are used for testing the performance of the broadband RFI filter and releasing it for uGMRT users.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure