Present status and problems of fishermen in the marine fishing industry

With rising pressure on food producing land resources, an increasing share of future food supply needs, especially of developing countries like India may have to be met from fisheries. The present study focuses on the prevailing problems connected to the fishing populations in our rural coastal regions and the crucial socioeconomic problems affecting peace and stability in our country

Comparative Evaluation of Various Statistical Models and Its Accuracy for Landslide Risk Mapping: A Case Study on Part of Himalayan Region, India

Among other natural hazards, Landslides are the most prominent and frequently occurring natural disaster in the state of Himachal Pradesh with higher socio-economical losses. About 0.42 million sq.kms of area are prone to landslide activities in our country that is excluding the snow covered areas. The current research focuses on estimating the landslide risk zones of the Shimla Tehsil, Himachal Pradesh using various statistical models. Landslide contributing factors as such Landuse Landcover, Elevation, Slope, Lithology, Soil, Geology and Geomorphology has been used to assess the Landslide risk factors. Data obtained from LANDSAT 8 OLI sensors, SRTM DEM, Soil and Land Use Survey of India and SOI Toposheets have been used as sources. Weighted Overlay, Fuzzy logic and Analytical Hierarchical Process models will be used to categorize the Vulnerability and risk Zones of the study area. The causative factors were analyzed and processed in GIS environment. These values will be then being integrated using various studied models to produce individual landslide vulnerability and risk zones. The results reveal that most of the study area falls under Very Low risk category with a total coverage of 67.34%. Low and Moderate area covers about 23% and 9.13% of the study area. Higher risk areas only account for about 0.46%. Higher percent of the study area is mostly covered by settlements. National highways, Metal roads, Slopes and Denser settlements are located along the Moderate and low risk areas. The results retrieved from the WOM model reveals a total of 55% of the area comes under very low category. Low and Moderate category covers about 31.4% and 10.6% of the study area. High and Very High category cover a total of 1.9% together

Chemically and biologically mediated systemic resistance in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) against Pseudoperonospora cubensis and Erysiphe cichoracearum

Azoxystrobin at concentrations of 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 ml l-1, mancozeb at 2 g l-1 and Pseudomonas fl uorescens at 10 g l-1 were evaluated in cucumber for their effi cacy in inducing defense enzymes against Pseudoperonospora cubensis and Erysiphe cichoracearum. The activity of the defense enzymes peroxidase (PO), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), ß-1,3-glucanase, chitinase, catalase and defense-inducing chemicals (total phenols) increased in the azoxystrobin and P. fl uorescens treated cucumber plants. Increased expression of specifi c isoforms of PO and PPO was observed due to induced systemic resistance (ISR)

The H3K27M mutation alters stem cell growth, epigenetic regulation, and differentiation potential

BACKGROUND: Neurodevelopmental disorders increase brain tumor risk, suggesting that normal brain development may have protective properties. Mutations in epigenetic regulators are common in pediatric brain tumors, highlighting a potentially central role for disrupted epigenetic regulation of normal brain development in tumorigenesis. For example, lysine 27 to methionine mutation (H3K27M) in the H3F3A gene occurs frequently in Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas (DIPGs), the most aggressive pediatric glioma. As H3K27M mutation is necessary but insufficient to cause DIPGs, it is accompanied by additional mutations in tumors. However, how H3K27M alone increases vulnerability to DIPG tumorigenesis remains unclear. RESULTS: Here, we used human embryonic stem cell models with this mutation, in the absence of other DIPG contributory mutations, to investigate how H3K27M alters cellular proliferation and differentiation. We found that H3K27M increased stem cell proliferation and stem cell properties. It interfered with differentiation, promoting anomalous mesodermal and ectodermal gene expression during both multi-lineage and germ layer-specific cell specification, and blocking normal differentiation into neuroectoderm. H3K27M mutant clones exhibited transcriptomic diversity relative to the more homogeneous wildtype population, suggesting reduced fidelity of gene regulation, with aberrant expression of genes involved in stem cell regulation, differentiation, and tumorigenesis. These phenomena were associated with global loss of H3K27me3 and concordant loss of DNA methylation at specific genes in H3K27M-expressing cells. CONCLUSIONS: Together, these data suggest that H3K27M mutation disrupts normal differentiation, maintaining a partially differentiated state with elevated clonogenicity during early development. This disrupted response to early developmental cues could promote tissue properties that enable acquisition of additional mutations that cooperate with H3K27M mutation in genesis of DMG/DIPG. Therefore, this work demonstrates for the first time that H3K27M mutation confers vulnerability to gliomagenesis through persistent clonogenicity and aberrant differentiation and defines associated alterations of histone and DNA methylation

Redox-triggered buoyancy and size modulation of a dynamic covalent gel

The development of stimuli-responsive materials capable of transducing external stimuli into mechanical and physical changes has always been an intriguing challenge and an inspiration for scientists. Several stimuli-responsive gels have been developed and applied to biomimetic actuators or artificial muscles. Redox active actuators in which the mechanical motion is driven chemically or electrochemically have attracted much interest and their actuation mechanism is based on the change in electrostatic repulsion and the loss or gain of counterions to balance newly formed charges. Actuation can also be promoted by changing the hydration state of the material leading to the release/adsorption of water molecules from the network, inducing a direct shrinking/swelling of the material respectively. A cationic crystalline dynamic covalent gel was obtained via the formation of imine bonds between 2,6-diformyl pyridine and triamino guanidinium chloride. The gel exhibits a reversible contraction/expansion behavior in response to base (oxidation, –H+, –e–) and acid (reduction +H+, +e–) respectively. The oxidation induces a color change and contraction of the gel with a concomitant increase in its strength. As synthesized, the cationic gel is denser than water and sinks when placed in water. Upon oxidation, the radical cationic gel expels water molecules rendering it less dense than water and the gel is propelled to the surface without any loss of its structural integrity. These results demonstrate that a careful choice of amine and aldehyde linkers can give rise to imine-linked materials capable of tolerating and resisting extreme acidic and basic conditions while performing work

Topologically non-trivial metal-organic assemblies inhibit \u3b22-microglobulin amyloidogenesis

Inhibiting amyloid aggregation through high-turnover dynamic interactions could be an efficient strategy that is already used by small heat-shock proteins in different biological contexts. We report the interactions of three topologically non-trivial, zinc-templated metal-organic assemblies, a [2]catenane, a trefoil knot (TK), and Borromean rings, with two \u3b22-microglobulin (\u3b22m) variants responsible for amyloidotic pathologies. Fast exchange and similar patterns of preferred contact surface are observed by NMR, consistent with molecular dynamics simulations. In vitro fibrillation is inhibited by each complex, whereas the zinc-free TK induces protein aggregation and does not inhibit fibrillogenesis. The metal coordination imposes structural rigidity that determines the contact area on the \u3b22m surface depending on the complex dimensions, ensuring in vitro prevention of fibrillogenesis. Administration of TK, the best protein-contacting species, to a disease-model organism, namely a Caenorhabditis elegans mutant expressing the D76N \u3b22m variant, confirms the bioactivity potential of the knot topology and suggests new developments

Photoelectric Properties of Silicon Nanocrystals/P3HT Bulk-Heterojunction Ordered in Titanium Dioxide Nanotube Arrays

A silicon nanocrystals (Si-ncs) conjugated-polymer-based bulk-heterojunction represents a promising approach for low-cost hybrid solar cells. In this contribution, the bulk-heterojunction is based on Si-ncs prepared by electrochemical etching and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) polymer. Photoelectric properties in parallel and vertical device-like configuration were investigated. Electronic interaction between the polymer and surfactant-free Si-ncs is achieved. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence and transport properties were studied and the ratio between the photo- and dark-conductivity of 1.7 was achieved at ambient conditions. Furthermore the porous titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes’ template was used for vertical order of photosensitive Si-ncs/P3HT-based blend. The anodization of titanium foil in ethylene glycol-based electrolyte containing fluoride ions and subsequent thermal annealing were used to prepare anatase TiO2nanotube arrays. The arrays with nanotube inner diameter of 90 and 50 nm were used for vertical ordering of the Si-ncs/P3HT bulk-heterojunction

An embedded interfacial network stabilizes inorganic CsPbI₃ perovskite thin films

The black perovskite phase of CsPbI(3) is promising for optoelectronic applications; however, it is unstable under ambient conditions, transforming within minutes into an optically inactive yellow phase, a fact that has so far prevented its widespread adoption. Here we use coarse photolithography to embed a PbI(2)-based interfacial microstructure into otherwise-unstable CsPbI(3) perovskite thin films and devices. Films fitted with a tessellating microgrid are rendered resistant to moisture-triggered decay and exhibit enhanced long-term stability of the black phase (beyond 2.5 years in a dry environment), due to increasing the phase transition energy barrier and limiting the spread of potential yellow phase formation to structurally isolated domains of the grid. This stabilizing effect is readily achieved at the device level, where unencapsulated CsPbI(3) perovskite photodetectors display ambient-stable operation. These findings provide insights into the nature of phase destabilization in emerging CsPbI(3) perovskite devices and demonstrate an effective stabilization procedure which is entirely orthogonal to existing approaches

Ion-Mobility Mass Spectrometry for the Rapid Determination of the Topology of Interlocked and Knotted Molecules.

A rapid screening method based on traveling-wave ion-mobility spectrometry (TWIMS) combined with tandem mass spectrometry provides insight into the topology of interlocked and knotted molecules, even when they exist in complex mixtures, such as interconverting dynamic combinatorial libraries. A TWIMS characterization of structure-indicative fragments generated by collision-induced dissociation (CID) together with a floppiness parameter defined based on parent- and fragment-ion arrival times provide a straightforward topology identification. To demonstrate its broad applicability, this approach is applied here to six Hopf and two Solomon links, a trefoil knot, and a [3]catenate.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (CRC 765 “Multivalency”). Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Swiss National Science Foundation (PZ00P2_161270). Fondation Wiener-Anspach

Synergistic effect between hydrodynamic conditions during Ti anodization and acidic treatment on the photoelectric properties of TiO2 nanotubes

In the present work, the combined influence of controlled hydrodynamic conditions during Ti anodization and the acidic treatment with HClO4 on the photoelectric properties of mixed anatase/rutile TiO2 nanotubes has been studied. Anodized samples were analyzed by means of Field Emission Scanning Electronic Microscopy (FE-SEM), Confocal Raman Microscopy, electrochemical measurements (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Mott-Schottky analysis) and photoelectrochemical measurements. It has been observed that the use of hydrodynamic conditions increases the surface area of nanotubes, while acidic treatment enhances their conductivity. Besides, there is a clear synergistic effect between the hydrodynamic conditions and the acidic treatment, which results in higher photocurrent densities for the treated nanotubes formed under hydrodynamic conditions.Authors would like to express their gratitude for the financial support to the Ministerio of Economia y Competitividad (Project CTQ2013-42494-R).Sánchez Tovar, R.; Fernández Domene, RM.; Martinez Sanchez, A.; Blasco Tamarit, ME.; García-Antón, J. (2015). Synergistic effect between hydrodynamic conditions during Ti anodization and acidic treatment on the photoelectric properties of TiO2 nanotubes. Journal of Catalysis. 330:434-441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcat.2015.08.002S43444133