Anchoring the Anchor: Spirituality as an Entrepreneurial Competence

Spirituality is the fountainhead of many of the required and elemental entrepreneurial competencies, yet it seems to be out of the main stage in entrepreneurial-competence dialogue. Spirituality lays the groundwork for entrepreneurial success, as it builds eligibility for the same. It preludes, enables and sustains the phenomenon of entrepreneurship. Research confirms a huge overlap and integration between spiritual attributes, psychological capital and character-strengths. These together help entrepreneurial competencies and prospects. Spirituality should be accorded appropriate precedence in the scheme of competencies, though the extant literature denies any. Also, spiritual attributes give a meaningful and virtuous direction to entrepreneurial behaviors, rendering them beneficial to all holistically. This includes socioeconomic and ecological dimensions. Contrary to the misconceived dissonance between entrepreneurial interests and spiritual attributes, the pixie-dust of spirituality packs more punch in entrepreneurial pursuits. Absenting spirituality and the attributes associated with it in the entrepreneurial discussion will send the world hurtling into endless entropy

Microbes as Artists of Life

Scientists have been knocking the wood to ascertain the symbiotic relationships of tiny living creatures, that is, microorganisms with other beings such as plants, animals, insects, and humans. The concept of “symbiosis” got its existence in 1879, which means “living together.” Microorganisms show a great deal of diverse interactions such as commensalism (moochers), mutualism (both benefitted), and parasitism (one benefitted and other unharmed) with other living beings and mutualism being the most common of all, thus forming a range of antagonistic to cooperative symbiotic relationships. These tiny creatures interact with plants by forming lichens (fungi and algae), mycorrhizae (plants and roots of higher plants), root noodles (Rhizobium) and acting as keyworkers in plant’s rhizosphere promoting growth and development. Microbial community also extends itself to kingdom Animalia establishing relationships with phylum Mammalia including humans, animals, and the most abundant species of phylum Arthropoda, that is, insects such as termites, which have colonization of bacteria in gut to digest wood cellulose. Scientists have discovered that most studied organisms—mussels found in deep-sea hydrothermal vents too live in a mutualistic association whereby bacteria get protection and mussels get nutrition as bacteria use chemicals from hydrothermal fluid producing organic compounds

Effect of three decade long application of chemical fertilizer and amendments on crop yield under maize - wheat cropping system in an acid alfisol

The results on the effect of three decade long term application of chemical fertilizers and amendments on the yield of continuous maize-wheat crop rotation in an acid alfisol at Palampur revealed that continuous omission of essential nutrients in a maize-wheat sequence resulted in an appreciable decline in the grain yield of maize and wheat crops. A remarkable reduction in crop yield was noticed in plots where nitrogen was applied alone. Use of recommended level of N alone through urea had deleterious effect on crop productivity. The continuous exhaustionof native pools of K in 100% NP treated plots appreciably reduced percent grain yield. Application of farmyard manure (FYM) and lime along with NPK fertilizers increased the crop yield. The integrated use of optimal dose of NPK and FYM give better and more sustainable yields

Long-term effect of inorganic fertilizers and amendments on productivity and root dynamics under maize-wheat intensive cropping in an acid Alfisol

Study on the soil nutrient status and crop productivity under continuous use of inorganic fertilizers and amendments in an acid Alfisol after 36 years (1972-73 to 2008-09) was carried out at Palampur, HP. Results showed that application of Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (120:60:40 kg/ha to maize and 120:60:30 kg/ha to wheat) with 10 t farmyard manure/ha applied once a year for 36 years resulted in 786 and 515 per cent increase in maize and wheat yields, respectively over control. Soil acidity rose from 5.8 to 4.58 with the application of fertilizers over 36 years. Conjoint use of FYM with 100 per cent NPK substantially improved the Organic Carbon status by 4.95 g/kg as well as available P, K and S by 154.1, 14.5 and 12.5 kg/ha, respectively in soil over its initial values, thereby indicating significant contribution towards sustaining the soil health. On the other hand, there was a drastic decline in the available N status of soil in all the treatments as compared to the initial value. The various root parameters viz., root mass density (4.08 kg m-3), root volume density (10.84 m3 m-3x10-3), root length density (2.60 m m-3 x 10-4), root surface area (204.12 m2 x 10-4) and root cation exchange capacity (8.37 c mol (p+) kg-1) were found to be highest in the plots with the application of 100% NPK + FYM. Thus, balanced use of fertilizers continuously either alone or in combination with amendments is necessary for sustaining soil fertility and productivity of crops

Decay Analysis of 197Tl* Compound Nucleus Formed in 16O + 181Ta Reaction at above Barrier Energy Ec.m.~100 MeV

The decay dynamics of 197Tl* compound nucleus has been studied within the framework of the dynamical cluster-decay model (DCM) at above barrier energy Ec.m. ≈ 100 MeV using quadrupole deformed configuration of decay fragments. The influence of various nuclear radius parameters on the decay path and mass distributions has been investigated by analysing the fragmentation potential and preformation probability. It is observed that 197Tl* nucleus exhibits the triple-humped mass distribution, independent of nuclear radius choice. The most preferred fission fragments of both fission modes (symmetric and asymmetric) are identified, which lie in the neighborhood of spherical and deformed magic shell closures. Moreover, the modification in the barrier characteristics, such as interaction barrier and interaction radius, is observed with the variation in the radius parameter of decaying fragments and influences the penetrability and fission cross-sections. Finally, the fission cross-sections are calculated for considered choices of nuclear radii, and the results are compared with the available experimental data

ADA3 regulates normal and tumor mammary epithelial cell proliferation through c-MYC

Background: We have established the critical role of ADA3 as a coactivator of estrogen receptor (ER), as well as its role in cell cycle progression. Furthermore, we showed that ADA3 is predominantly nuclear in mammary epithelium, and in ER+, but is cytoplasmic in ER- breast cancers, the latter correlating with poor survival. However, the role of nuclear ADA3 in human mammary epithelial cells (hMECs), and in ER+ breast cancer cells, as well as the importance of ADA3 expression in relation to patient prognosis and survival in ER+ breast cancer have remained uncharacterized.Methods: We overexpressed ADA3 in hMECs or in ER+ breast cancer cells and assessed the effect on cell proliferation. The expression of ADA3 was analyzed then correlated with the expression of various prognostic markers, as well as survival of breast cancer patients.Results: Overexpression of ADA3 in ER- hMECs as well as in ER+ breast cancer cell lines enhanced cell proliferation. These cells showed increased cyclin B and c-MYC, decreased p27 and increased SKP2 levels. This was accompanied by increased mRNA levels of early response genes c-FOS, EGR1, and c-MYC. Analysis of breast cancer tissue specimens showed a significant correlation of ADA3 nuclear expression with c-MYC expression. Furthermore, nuclear ADA3 andc-MYC expression together showed significant correlation with tumor grade, mitosis, pleomorphism, NPI, ER/PR status, Ki67 and p27 expression. Importantly, within ER+ cases, expression of nuclear ADA3 and c-MYC also significantly correlated with Ki67 and p27 expression. Univariate Kaplan Meier analysis of four groups in the whole, as well as the ER+ patients showed that c-MYC and ADA3 combinatorial phenotypes showed significantly different breast cancer specific survival with c-MYC-high and ADA3-Low subgroup had the worst outcome. Using multivariate analyses within the whole cohort and the ER+ subgroups, the significant association of ADA3 and c-MYC expression with patients’ outcome was independent of tumor grade, stage and size, and ER status.Conclusion: ADA3 overexpression enhances cell proliferation that is associated with increased expression of c-MYC. Expression patterns with respect to ADA3/c-MYC can divide patients into four significantly different subgroups, with c-MYC High and ADA3 Low status independently predicting poor survival in patients

X-ray and MR contrast bearing nanoparticles enhance the therapeutic response of image-guided radiation therapy for oral cancer

INTRODUCTION: Radiation therapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is constrained by radiotoxicity to normal tissue. We demonstrate 100 nm theranostic nanoparticles for image-guided radiation therapy planning and enhancement in rat head and neck squamous cell carcinoma models. METHODS: PEG conjugated theranostic nanoparticles comprising of Au nanorods coated with Gadolinium oxide layers were tested for radiation therapy enhancement in 2D cultures of OSC-19-GFP-luc cells, and orthotopic tongue xenografts in male immunocompromised Salt sensitive or SS rats via both intratumoral and intravenous delivery. The radiation therapy enhancement mechanism was investigated. RESULTS: Theranostic nanoparticles demonstrated both X-ray/magnetic resonance contrast in a dose-dependent manner. Magnetic resonance images depicted optimal tumor-to-background uptake at 4 h post injection. Theranostic nanoparticle + Radiation treated rats experienced reduced tumor growth compared to controls, and reduction in lung metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Theranostic nanoparticles enable preprocedure radiotherapy planning, as well as enhance radiation treatment efficacy for head and neck tumors

Insights into Marker Assisted Selection and Its Applications in Plant Breeding

Burgeoning the human population with its required food demand created a burden on ever-decreasing cultivated land and our food production systems. This situation prompted plant scientists to breed crops in a short duration with specific traits. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) has emerged as a potential tool to achieve desirable results in plants with the help of molecular markers and improves the traits of interest in a short duration. The MAS has comprehensively been used in plant breeding to characterize germplasm, diversity analysis, trait stacking, gene pyramiding, multi-trait introgression, and genetic purity of different cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and fiber crops, etc. Mapping studies pointed out several marker-trait associations from different crop species, which specifies the potential application of MAS in accelerating crop improvement. This chapter presents an overview of molecular markers, their genesis, and potential use in plant breeding

Insights into salt tolerance of mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern & Coss): A metabolomics perspective

Salt stress is one of the key abiotic factor which leads to reduced global agricultural productions through negatively impacting the growth and development of crops. Indian mustard (Brassica juncea), the most important cruciferous crop with significant nutritional and medicinal values, is majorly affected by salt stress. In this study, we explored the global metabolomic response of two Indian mustard genotypes, CS 60 and CS 245–2–80–7 grown under salt stress for different time periods to unleash the role of differentially accumulated metabolites and relevant metabolic pathways involved in the salt tolerance mechanism. A total of 608 known compounds were detected from 4119 metabolites using DionexUltiMate® 3000 Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic System combined with “Q Exactive™ Plus Orbitrap™ Mass Spectrometer (UHPLC-MS/MS) analysis, from which 111 significantly altered metabolites in both genotypes were selected based on t-test and VIP score values. Using MetPa from MetaboAnalyst 5.0 platform, metabolic pathways with significant impact values were considered to be involved in the salt tolerance mechanism. Increased accumulation of metabolites and detected relevant pathways majorly regulating the anti-oxidant defense system gives CS 60, a high yielding variety, an edge against the genotype CS 245–2–80–7, which might be the chief tolerance mechanism to withstand salt stress