3D PRINTING OF BIOCOMPATIBLE CRYOGELS FOR BONE TISSUE ENGINEERING

Natural biopolymers are highly valued and commonly utilized in tissue engineering to create scaffolds that support living cells. This is due to their exceptional biocompatibility and the fact that their degradation rate can be controlled. However, the shape and average pore size are crucial in biological processes that influence the kinetics of cell proliferation and tissue regeneration processes linked to the production of extracellular matrix. For the construction of high-accuracy hydrogel scaffolds via 3D printing, the shear thinning characteristics of the bioinks used frequently result in morphological compromises like smaller pore diameters. Here, we introduced a new mixture of gelatin and oxidized alginate (Gel/OxAlg) that has been optimized for use in 3D printing and cryogelation techniques. This composite formulation allows for the creation of highly porous and biocompatible hydrogel scaffolds with extra-large pore sizes (d > 100 μm) using a combination of 3D printing and cryogelation techniques. These scaffolds have the potential to serve as a platform for various tissue engineering applications, and their morphological properties and cell viability data can be tailored accordingly. Overall, our approach offers a simple and cost-effective method for constructing hydrogel scaffolds with high accuracy

Effect of Different Phosphorus Levels on Growth and Yield of Wheat under Water Stress Conditions

Water stress and low phosphorus availability are the limiting factors for growth and yield of wheat. Five different phosphorus levels (P = 0, 30, 60, 90, 120 kg ha-1) with three water stress levels (I1 = well-irrigated, I2 = water stress at reproductive stage and I3 = water stress both at vegetative + reproductive stages) were applied to check their effects on growth and yield of wheat. Higher application of phosphorus with optimum irrigation showed significant effect on growth of wheat. Higher phosphorus application rate compensate the effect of water stress conditions both at vegetative and reproductive stages. Drought stress at vegetative + reproductive stages was more drastically affected as compared to stress at reproductive stage. Lower phosphorus application rate with water stress caused maximum reduction in plant height, number of tillers, spike length, number of grains spike-1, 1000 grains weight, grain yield and straw yield. It was concluded that application of phosphorus at higher rate could compensate drastic effect of water stress. On overall performance, application of phosphorus at the rate of 120 kg ha-1 showed better results under water stress conditions as compared to other phosphorus levels. Keywords: - wheat, water stress, phosphorus, growth, yield

The role of the WASP family proteins in cellular migration and invasion in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer metastasis is a complex process, involving multiple pathways in its orchestration. Malignant cells are influenced by different growth factors from the extracellular environment which promote or inhibit cell movement and metastasis. HGF has been implicated in progression and metastasis of prostate cancer. A cell interacts with the environment through surface molecules like integrins. These interactions are further translated in to different responses through various intracellular machineries. Furthermore organization of the actin cytoskeleton is vital for many cellular functions. WAVEs are member of WASP family of proteins, which have important role in regulation of actin dynamics through regulation of actin related protein (ARP 2/3). The role of individual members of WASP family has been investigated in development and progression of different cancers. We documented the expression of different WAVE family members in various prostate cancer cell lines. Expression of WAVE-3 was effectively knocked down with the use of hammer head ribozymes. Loss of WAVE-3 expression resulted in reduced cell movement and invasion in the PC-3 cell line. These cells failed to show any significant increase in cellular movement and invasive potential following treatment with HGF. Further experiments to investigate the underlying mechanism of this phenotypic change revealed that optimum levels of phosphorylated paxillin play an important role in this change. Our study also indicates that reduced potential of invasive capability following WAVE-3 knock down, may be related to reduced availability of MMP-2 in the cellular environment

Insecticidal potential of some indigenous weeds extracts of Bahawalpur Pakistan againstdusky cotton bug (Oxycarenus hyalinipennis) (Costa) (Hemiptera: Lygaidae) under laboratory conditions

Owing to large scale use of chemical insecticides there is always need to find new alternatives to chemical insecticides. This study evaluated the aqueous extracts of three weeds namely Datura alba (Nees), Withania somnifera (Linnaeus) and Chenopodium album (Linnaeus) for insecticidal potential against Oxycarenus hyalinipennis (Costa) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) under laboratory conditions. Extracts were prepared from three plant parts e.g., leaves, stems and roots and applied at five concentrations ranging from 1 to 20 %. To check the mortality not because of weed extracts control treatment (water only) was also included as sixth treatment. Mortality of pest insects was assessed after three exposure periods e.g., 24h, 48 hand 72 h. Among the three weeds tested, mortality was more due to extract of D. alba weed which thus proved more toxic compared to other two weeds. Among plant parts, root extracts were more potent than leaves and stem extracts and the more concentration of 20 per cent usually resulted in maximum mortality. Maximum mortality of insects was after 72 h period followed by 48 h and minimum was after 24 h period. However maximum mortality of 60 % in case of D. alba warrants attention towards the options of either increasing concentration (> 20 %) of this extract or to evaluate other extraction type e.g., ethanolic extract to gain maximum mortality against this notorious pest

Synthons for supramolecular assemblies: Synthesis of new triazine-core polyhydroxylated and multi-N-donor compounds

The synthesis of new triazine-core polyhydroxylated and multi-N-donor compounds are being reported. The reaction of 2,4,6-tris(4-n-butylaminophenyl)triazine (1) with cyanuric chloride provided star-shaped fragment (2) with six reactive chloro-substituents. Upon treatment of this fragment with bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amine (3a) and bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (3b), functionalized polyhydroxylated (4a) and multi-N-donor compounds (4b) were obtained in high yields through nucleophilic aromatic substitution. These functionalized compounds are expected to have unique applications in supramolecular self-assembly and material chemistry

The influence of alcohol on telomere length and shelterin complex gene expression in human embryonic stem cells

BACKGROUND: Telomeres are specialized heterochromatic structures found at the ends of chromosomes that serve to protect the integrity of the genome. Theoretically, telomeres, and thereby chromosomes, should be constantly shortening however that is not the case. Telomere length homeostasis is maintained via the activity of the enzyme Telomerase as well as a complex of 6 proteins, called the shelterin complex. Decreased telomere length is associated with a variety of neuropsychological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, and chronic depression. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to understand the effect of alcohol exposure on telomere dynamics, specifically on telomere length as well as the expression of the shelterin complex genes. This was accomplished using human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) as models. This study was exploratory with the goal of increasing our knowledge of genes involved in telomere maintenance. METHODS: hESCs were cultured in cell culture media containing 25 mM, 50 mM, or 100 mM of ethanol. After a 3-, 7-, or 14-day ethanol exposure plus a 24-hour withdrawal, hESCs were collected and genomic DNAs and total RNAs was extracted. Ethanol-induced telomere length changes were examined by quantitative polymerase chain reactions (qPCR).Ethanol-induced shelterin complex gene expression changes were examined by reverse-transcription and quantitative polymerase chain reactions (RT-qPCRs). RESULTS: Extended alcohol exposure exerted a deleterious effect on telomeres, causing them to diminish in length. The effects of alcohol on the expression of shelterin complex genes were varied, ranging from consistent upregulation or downregulation to a combination of both. The concentration of alcohol was inversely correlated with the expression of shelterin complex genes, and the correlation was influenced by the duration of ethanol exposure. CONCLUSION: Chronic exposure to alcohol resulted in the shortening of telomeres. The effect ethanol was both time- and concentration-dependent, with telomere length having a negative relationship with the concentration of ethanol as well as the duration of exposure. Additionally, the shelterin subunit genes had their expression levels altered by ethanol in a manner which was consistent with what has been observed in prior studies as well as what aligns with their respective functions

Undermining alienative commitment through spiritual leadership: a moderated mediation model of social capital and political skill

PurposeThe purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship between spiritual leadership and employees' alienative commitment to the organization, both directly and indirectly, via employee social capital. We also test the role of employee political skill as a boundary condition of the indirect spiritual leadership–alienative commitment link.Design/methodology/approachTime-lagged data were collected from 491 employees in various manufacturing and service organizations. Data were analyzed using structural modeling equation in Mplus (8.6).FindingsSpiritual leadership was negatively associated with alienative commitment, both directly and indirectly, via social capital. Employee political skill moderated the indirect relationship between spiritual leadership and alienative commitment, such that the relationship was stronger when employee political skill was high (vs low).Practical implicationsThe demonstration of spiritual leadership's behaviors by both managers and employees can develop employees' social capital at work, which in turn can reduce employees' negative commitment to the organization. Likewise, improving employees' political skills can help leadership diminish alienative commitment.Originality/valueThe present work contributes to the literature on spiritual leadership by foregrounding how and why spiritual leadership undermines employee alienative commitment to the organization. By doing so, the study also enhances the nomological networks of the antecedents and outcomes of social capital and contributes to the scant literature on negative alienative commitment. Given the prevalence and negative repercussions of alienative commitment for employees' and organizations' productivity and performance, our findings are timely and relevant

“Articulating cognizance about what to hide what not":Insights into why and when ethical leadership regulates employee knowledge-hiding behaviors

Given the dearth of research examining the distinctions across various facets of employee knowledge-hiding (KH) behaviors, there is little known about why and when leadership negatively influences playing dumb and evasive hiding but positively influences rationalized hiding. The present study fills this void by hypothesizing that employee justice orientation (JO) acts as a mediator of the associations of ethical leadership (EL) with different facets of employee KH behaviors. We also propose employee conscientiousness moderates the relationship of EL with JO and the indirect relationships of ethical leadership with distinct variants of employee KH behaviors. The results based on time-lagged data from 387 employees provide support for the hypothesized relationships. Together, our research provides a more nuanced account of the influence of leadership on employee KH behaviors that can facilitate the development of more appropriate interventions to deal with the intricate problems related to employee KH behaviors

“Articulating cognizance about what to hide what not":Insights into why and when ethical leadership regulates employee knowledge-hiding behaviors

Given the dearth of research examining the distinctions across various facets of employee knowledge-hiding (KH) behaviors, there is little known about why and when leadership negatively influences playing dumb and evasive hiding but positively influences rationalized hiding. The present study fills this void by hypothesizing that employee justice orientation (JO) acts as a mediator of the associations of ethical leadership (EL) with different facets of employee KH behaviors. We also propose employee conscientiousness moderates the relationship of EL with JO and the indirect relationships of ethical leadership with distinct variants of employee KH behaviors. The results based on time-lagged data from 387 employees provide support for the hypothesized relationships. Together, our research provides a more nuanced account of the influence of leadership on employee KH behaviors that can facilitate the development of more appropriate interventions to deal with the intricate problems related to employee KH behaviors