Lipid droplet degradation by autophagy connects mitochondria metabolism to Prox1-driven expression of lymphatic genes and lymphangiogenesis.

Autophagy has vasculoprotective roles, but whether and how it regulates lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC) homeostasis and lymphangiogenesis is unknown. Here, we show that genetic deficiency of autophagy in LEC impairs responses to VEGF-C and injury-driven corneal lymphangiogenesis. Autophagy loss in LEC compromises the expression of main effectors of LEC identity, like VEGFR3, affects mitochondrial dynamics and causes an accumulation of lipid droplets (LDs) in vitro and in vivo. When lipophagy is impaired, mitochondrial ATP production, fatty acid oxidation, acetyl-CoA/CoA ratio and expression of lymphangiogenic PROX1 target genes are dwindled. Enforcing mitochondria fusion by silencing dynamin-related-protein 1 (DRP1) in autophagy-deficient LEC fails to restore LDs turnover and lymphatic gene expression, whereas supplementing the fatty acid precursor acetate rescues VEGFR3 levels and signaling, and lymphangiogenesis in LEC-Atg5-/- mice. Our findings reveal that lipophagy in LEC by supporting FAO, preserves a mitochondrial-PROX1 gene expression circuit that safeguards LEC responsiveness to lymphangiogenic mediators and lymphangiogenesis.We thank K. Rillaerts, J. Souffreau, and A. Bouche, for expert technical support and Dr. A. Luttun and Dr. A. Zijsen for sharing tools and advices. P.A. is supported by grants from the Flemish Research Foundation (FWO-Vlaanderen; G076617N, G049817N, G070115N), the EOS MetaNiche consortium N degrees 40007532, Stichting tegen Kanker (FAF-F/2018/1252) and the iBOF/21/053 ATLANTIS consortium with G.B. D.H. is the recipient of an FWO Doctoral Fellowship from the Flemish Research Foundation (FWO-Vlaanderen, 1186019N), Belgium. M.B. is supported by the `Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek' (FWO). K.J. is the recipient of an FWO Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Flemish Research Foundation (FWO-Vlaanderen). P.C. is supported by Methusalem funding by the Flemish government, and by an ERC Advanced Research Grant (EU-ERC269073).S

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress signalling - from basic mechanisms to clinical applications

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a membranous intracellular organelle and the first compartment of the secretory pathway. As such, the ER contributes to the production and folding of approximately one-third of cellular proteins, and is thus inextricably linked to the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and the fine balance between health and disease. Specific ER stress signalling pathways, collectively known as the unfolded protein response (UPR), are required for maintaining ER homeostasis. The UPR is triggered when ER protein folding capacity is overwhelmed by cellular demand and the UPR initially aims to restore ER homeostasis and normal cellular functions. However, if this fails, then the UPR triggers cell death. In this review, we provide a UPR signalling-centric view of ER functions, from the ER's discovery to the latest advancements in the understanding of ER and UPR biology. Our review provides a synthesis of intracellular ER signalling revolving around proteostasis and the UPR, its impact on other organelles and cellular behaviour, its multifaceted and dynamic response to stress and its role in physiology, before finally exploring the potential exploitation of this knowledge to tackle unresolved biological questions and address unmet biomedical needs. Thus, we provide an integrated and global view of existing literature on ER signalling pathways and their use for therapeutic purposes

DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF BUCKET ELAVATOR

Bucket elevators are the most used systems for vertical transport of bulk, dry, wet and even liquid materials. It is designed with various options of height, speed and constructive details depending on the type of material to be transported. The main aim of the project is to Design and Analyze elevator bucket using the two different materials. This can be achieved from finite element approach. For this a 3D model of bucket of elevator will be modeled using CATIA and analyzed using ANSY

SIGN LANGUAGE RECOGNITION USING IMAGE PROCESSING

we have proposed a method for real time Hand Gesture Recognition and feature extraction using a web camera. In this approach, the image is captured through webcam attached to the system. First the input image is preprocessed and threshold is used to remove noise from image and smoothen the image. After this apply region filling to fill holes in the gesture or the object of interest. This helps in improving the classification and recognition step. Then select the biggest blob (biggest binary linked object) in the image and remove all small object, this is done to remove extra unwanted objects or noise from image. When the preprocessing is complete the image is passed on to feature extraction phase.The test image is classified in nearest neighbor’s class in training set. The classification results are displayed to user and through the windows text to speech API gesture is translated into speech as well. The training data set of images that is used has 5 gestures, each with 50 variations of a single gesture with different lighting conditions. The purpose of this is to improve the accuracy of classification

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Not AvailableAchieving food and nutritional security in the midst of a relentless increase in population, rising costs of energy, changes in diet preferences, economic development, and climate risks are major global challenges faced by producers, scientists, policy makers, and governments. It is projected that 70% more food needs to be produced by 2050 in a sustainable manner. Sustainable intensification of crop production, from limited resources, aims for a combination of food and nutritional security, ecological sustenance, and economical productivity. Worldwide, although the sole‐cropping practices of large‐scale modern agriculture produce sufficient food currently to feed the population, significant social and environmental impacts have occurred, including a disparity between food actually produced and food that needs to be consumed as an integral part of a healthy diet, a reduction in biodiversity, decreased resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses, and yield instability. Crop diversification within multiplecropping and intercropping systems provides an alternate, sustainable crop production method with the potential to significantly reduce ecological impact and maximize productivity and nutritional security. Cassava is considered to be a “climate‐smart” crop that can yield well in challenging environments. Cassavabased multiple‐cropping systems, which represent a diversification of cropping methods, have been evaluated and practiced by farmers in developing countries in Africa and Asia. They include the best combinations of crops with different morpho‐phenological features that ensure the efficient and judicious use of land, nutrients, and water resources. Such cropping systems offer maximum total factor productivity and ecosystem services, besides food production,in a sustainable manner. In a previous review published in 2004, crop husbandryand agrotechniques for cassava‐based multiple‐cropping systems involving several ephemerals such as legumes (cowpea, peanut, soybean, mungbean, pigeonpea, vegetable legumes, and others), cereals (rice, maize), and vegetables (okra) with cassava; intercropping cassava under plantations (coconut); and relay/sequential cropping involving cassava were reviewed. The present review describes advances made in crop husbandry and agrotechniques for cassavabased multiple‐cropping systems that have subsequently been evaluated. In addition to the short‐season crops mentioned above, sorghum, bottle gourd, and dwarf pigeonpea could be successfully intercropped with cassava. Nevertheless, other crops, such as onion, cluster bean, garlic, tomato, pearl millet, and chili, are yet to be evaluated in an intercropping system. Cassava could be cultivated successfully under coconut, banana, and rubber plantations. As expected, yields of cassava as well as the associate crops were reduced in intercropping systems, sometimes significantly, compared to the sole‐crop yields, primarily due to the reduction in plant population, mutual shading, and competition for nutrients in intercropping. Nevertheless, yield loss in individual components is often compensated by total factor productivity in the intercropping system. Hence, cassava‐based multiple/intercropping systems have been shown to be efficient and productive with significant economic advantage and total factor productivity. Differences occur in the growth duration of the main and associate crops in cassava‐based intercropping systems. However, evaluation of the efficiency and productivity of an intercropping system can be achieved through estimation of area × time equivalent ratio (ATER) rather than land equivalent ratio (LER). Most of the crops and varieties used in cassava‐based multiple‐cropping studies have involved varieties that had been developed for sole cropping. Genotype versus cropping system interaction and differences in combining ability may result in inconsistencies or variation in location and regional varietal performance under different agroecosystems. Therefore, varieties with traits that are beneficial for complex multiple cropping with maximum complementary effect and minimum crop competition may boost productivity in intercropping. The effect of intercropping on pest and disease incidence has been little studied and warrants further investigation. Fertilizers have been applied to cassava and associate crops without assessing the innate nutrient status of the soil, resulting in negative environmental impacts. Varieties with high nutrient use efficiency and soil test–based site‐specific nutrient management may reduce negative environmental impacts. Although the allelopathic effect of leachates from cassava leaves on crops has been reported, further research on the allelopathic interaction between the various components in cassava‐based intercropping systems is needed.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableFront line demonstrations of tuber crops resulted in higher yield.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableParticipatory demonstrations of improved tuber crops yielded better results than local varietiesNot Availabl

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Not Availableparticipatory demonstration in tuber crops resulted in better yield.Not Availabl

Trial Watch: Immunogenic cell death induction by anticancer chemotherapeutics

The expression "immunogenic cell death" (ICD) refers to a functionally unique form of cell death that facilitates (instead of suppressing) a T cell-dependent immune response specific for dead cell-derived antigens. ICD critically relies on the activation of adaptive responses in dying cells, culminating with the exposure or secretion of immunostimulatory molecules commonly referred to as "damage-associated molecular patterns". Only a few agents can elicit bona fide ICD, including some clinically established chemotherapeutics such as doxorubicin, epirubicin, idarubicin, mitoxantrone, bleomycin, bortezomib, cyclophosphamide and oxaliplatin. In this Trial Watch, we discuss recent progress on the development of ICD-inducing chemotherapeutic regimens, focusing on studies that evaluate clinical efficacy in conjunction with immunological biomarkers.status: publishe

Technical bulletin on traditional foods from tuber crops

Tuber Crops based Traditional food recipes of Tripura provides information on different traditional foods prepared from tuber crops and also elaborates on how tuber crops delicacies helps the indigenous communities in Tripura stateICAR-NEH Scheme -Central Tuber Crops Research Institut