Effects of Overexpression of SAP12 and SAP13 in Providing Tolerance to Multiple Abiotic Stresses in Plants

Environmental stresses are the one of the main reasons for the decline of crop production worldwide. In the past years, a major focus has been on improving plant species and their tolerance towards these stresses but not much has been achieved because of the limited knowledge of the gene/network of genes that might be involved in providing tolerance to such multiple abiotic stresses. Recently, members of Stress Associated Protein (SAP) family in plants have been shown to impart tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses. There are 14 SAP genes in Arabidopsis thaliana and these proteins contain A20, AN1 and C2H2 zinc finger domains. AtSAP13, a member of the SAP family, carries two AN1 zinc finger domains and an extra Cys2-His2 domain. AtSAP13 showed differentially regulation in response to multiple abiotic stresses such as toxic metals arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn), drought, and salt. When overexpressed in Arabidopsis and Brassica juncea, it showed strong tolerance to these stresses. However, the mode of action of this SAP member in providing tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses is largely unknown. In-silico analysis of the promoter sequences upstream of ATG start codon of AtSAP13 using PLACE database predicted the presence of various abiotic stress related cis regulatory elements. We hypothesized that the expression of AtSAP13 gene might be regulated via the interaction of cis-elements present in the AtSAP13 promoter with abiotic stress related trans factors via protein-DNA interactions under different abiotic stresses. Through yeast one hybrid assay (Y1H), we have proved this hypothesis and identified several transcription factors such as DREB, ERE, ZIP, HSE etc that are interacting with the AtSAP13 promoter. These interactions were analyzed through Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) to understand the molecular and biochemical functioning of AtSAP13. Further, Camelina sativa, a member of Brassicaseae family and closely related with Arabidopsis, has been proposed as an ideal biofuel crop. In order to improve it’s adaptability to wider geographical ranges and marginal land, we have characterized and overexpressed endogenous SAP13 in C. sativa in providing tolerance to various stresses. We have identified and cloned CsSAP13 in C. sativa. Resulting transgenic plants showed enhanced biomass and seed yield under multiple abiotic stresses. The knowledge and information gained here will not only be applied on agricultural crops that will be better able to withstand such abiotic stresses and still produce sustainable yield but will also help to grow crops for food and biomass production on barren lands, thus making them more cultivable over time. Therefore, the proposed research could have a significant impact on global food security, biofuel production, and human and environment health enhancement

Comparison of safety and efficacy of tamsulosin, tadalafil, combinations and deflazacort in lower ureteric orifice negotiation by large size uretero- scope (8/9.8 Fr) prior to intracorporeal lithotripsy

Objective: To compare the safety and efficacy of tamsulosin, tadalafil, deflazacort and combination of tamsulosin with tadalafil in lower ureteric orifice negotiation by large size ureteroscope (8/9.8 Fr) prior to intracorporeal lithotripsy.Patients and methods: In this prospective study, 180 patients presented with ureteric stone of size 8–15 mm were randomly assigned to 5 groups: tamsulosin (group A), tadalafil (group B), deflazacort (group C), combination of tamsulosin with tadalafil (group D) and placebo (group E). After 10 days of drug therapy 168 patients were underwent ureteroscopy and findings like endoscopic configuration of ureteric orifice, need for ureteric dilatation, ureteroscope negotiation, operating time, drug related side effect and procedural complication were noted in each group.Results: All four groups (A, B, C, D) were significantly better than group E in terms of ureteric orifice appearance (wide) during endoscopy. Negotiation of ureteric orifice was easy in group A (70.59%), B (58.82%) and D (78.13%) as compare to group E (31.43%) which was statistically significant. Group A (32.35%) and D (34.38%) were statistically better with group E (62.86%) in terms of ureteral dilatation. Operative time was less in all four groups as compared to group E. All patients well tolerated the drugs with no serious side effects.Conclusion: Both tamsulosin and tamsulosin with tadalafil helps in forward propagation of large sizeureteroscope as compared to other groups with less operative time without any significant complications.So, we can conclude that tamsulosin alone can be helpful for lower ureteric orifice negotiation duringintracorporeal lithotripsy with minimal side effects.Keywords: Hematuria; Negotiation; Ureteroscop

Laparoscopic Surgeries during Pregnancy - Related Anaesthetic Concerns

Pregnancy is no longer considered a contraindication to laparoscopic surgery. The advantages include less exposure of the fetus to possibly toxic agents, smaller incisions, decreased pain, less need for analgesics, more rapid recovery and mobilization. By understanding the physiological and pharmacological changes during pregnancy, surgery and related anesthesia risk can be minimized on mother and fetus. Appendicitis, cholecystitis, ovarian torsion and trauma are among the more common indications for surgical intervention. Less commonly, cardiac and neurological procedures are undertaken during pregnancy

A Posteriori Error Estimates for Nonconforming Approximations of Evolutionary Convection-Diffusion Problems

We derive computable upper bounds for the difference between an exact solution of the evolutionary convection-diffusion problem and an approximation of this solution. The estimates are obtained by certain transformations of the integral identity that defines the generalized solution. These estimates depend on neither special properties of the exact solution nor its approximation, and involve only global constants coming from embedding inequalities. The estimates are first derived for functions in the corresponding energy space, and then possible extensions to classes of piecewise continuous approximations are discussed.Comment: 10 page

Anomalous change in leakage and displacement currents after electrical poling on lead-free ferroelectric ceramics

We report the polarization, displacement current and leakage current behavior of a trivalent nonpolar cation Al cation substituted lead free ferroelectric NBT-BT electroceramics with tetragonal phase and P4mm space group symmetry. Nearly three orders of magnitude decrease in leakage current were observed under electrical poling, which significantly improves microstructure, polarization, and displacement current. Effective poling neutralizes the domain pinning, traps charges at grain boundaries and fills oxygen vacancies with free charge carriers in matrix, thus saturated macroscopic polarization in contrast to that in upoled samples. E-poling changes bananas type polarization loops to real ferroelectric loops.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure

Patterns of dual use of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco among US males: findings from national surveys

Background: In the USA, consumption of moist snuff continues to increase and cigarette manufacturers now control nearly its entire market. Manufacturers have developed new products that represent cigarette brand extension and in test marketing are promoting dual use of cigarettes and snuff. This study examined patterns of concurrent use of smokeless tobacco (ST) and cigarettes among young people and adults in the USA just before cigarette companies' control of the nation's ST market. Methods: Data were drawn from four US nationally representative surveys. Stratified analyses applied sampling weights and accounted for the complex sample designs. Results: Cigarette smoking was substantially more prevalent among young males who used ST than among those who did not. Among adult males, those who smoked daily were less likely than others to have used snuff every day. Men who used moist snuff daily had the lowest prevalence of daily smoking, but the prevalence of daily smoking was relatively high among men who used moist snuff less than daily. Unsuccessful past-year attempts by daily smokers to quit smoking were more prevalent among non-daily snuff users (41.2%) than among those who had never used snuff (29.6%). Conclusions: Although dual daily use of ST and cigarettes is relatively uncommon in the USA, concurrent ST use is more common among adolescent and young adult male smokers than among more mature tobacco users. Among adult males, daily smoking predominates and non-daily ST use is very strongly associated with current smoking. Adult male smokers who also use ST daily tend to have relatively high levels of serum cotinine and high prevalence of a major indicator for tobacco dependence

Pseudohypoparathyroidism Presenting as Congestive Cardiac Failure

Hypocalcaemia can have a variety of manifestations including cardiovascular changes. Hypocalcemic cardiomyopathy has been reported in hypoparathyroidism and vitamin D deficiency but association of hypocalcemic cardiomyopathy in pseudohypo-parathyroidism has been reported scarcely in literature. We describe here a case of PHP presenting as congestive cardiac failure