Carbohydrate Hydrolysis and Transport in the Extreme Thermoacidophile \u3ci\u3eSulfolobus solfataricus\u3c/i\u3e

Extremely thermoacidophilic microbes, such as Sulfolobus solfataricus, are strict chemoheterotrophs despite their geologic niche. To clarify their ecophysiology, the overlapping roles of endoglucanases and carbohydrate transporters were examined during growth on soluble cellodextrins as the sole carbon and energy source. Strain-specific differences in genome structure implied a unique role for one of three endogenous endoglucanases. Plasmid-based endoglucanase expression promoted the consumption of oligosaccharides, including cellohexaose (G6) through cellonanaose (G9). Protein transporters required for cellodextrin uptake were identified through mutagenesis and complementation of an ABC transporter cassette, including a putative oligosaccharide binding protein. In addition, ablation of the binding protein compromised growth on glucose and alpha-linked oligosaccharides while inactivation of a previously described glucose transporter had no apparent impact. These data demonstrate that S. solfataricus employs a redundant mechanism for soluble cellodextrin catabolism having both substrate uptake and extracytoplasmic hydrolytic components

DEPLOYR: A technical framework for deploying custom real-time machine learning models into the electronic medical record

Machine learning (ML) applications in healthcare are extensively researched, but successful translations to the bedside are scant. Healthcare institutions are establishing frameworks to govern and promote the implementation of accurate, actionable and reliable models that integrate with clinical workflow. Such governance frameworks require an accompanying technical framework to deploy models in a resource efficient manner. Here we present DEPLOYR, a technical framework for enabling real-time deployment and monitoring of researcher created clinical ML models into a widely used electronic medical record (EMR) system. We discuss core functionality and design decisions, including mechanisms to trigger inference based on actions within EMR software, modules that collect real-time data to make inferences, mechanisms that close-the-loop by displaying inferences back to end-users within their workflow, monitoring modules that track performance of deployed models over time, silent deployment capabilities, and mechanisms to prospectively evaluate a deployed model's impact. We demonstrate the use of DEPLOYR by silently deploying and prospectively evaluating twelve ML models triggered by clinician button-clicks in Stanford Health Care's production instance of Epic. Our study highlights the need and feasibility for such silent deployment, because prospectively measured performance varies from retrospective estimates. By describing DEPLOYR, we aim to inform ML deployment best practices and help bridge the model implementation gap

Gender Issues in Watershed Management

The rain-fed areas in the semi-arid tropics are characterised by low and erratic rainfall, severe land degradation, low crop yields and high poverty. Watershed programmes are recognised as a potential engine for agricultural growth and sustainable development in rain-fed areas (Wani et al., 2003). The success and sustainability of watershed programmes are directly related to collective action and community participation (Wani et al., 2008; Sreedevi and Wani, 2007). Women are key players as managers and direct actors in managing natural resources in the watershed and addressing household food security and nutritional goals. How ever, too often, they play a passive role in decision-making processes because of their low educational levels, social customs and economic dependence. Though women share a major workload for managing the natural resources, the benefits of the watershed programmes largely bypass them, except where targeted income-generating and employment interventions have been undertaken (Sreedevi et al., 2009

Carbohydrate Hydrolysis and Transport in the Extreme Thermoacidophile \u3ci\u3eSulfolobus solfataricus\u3c/i\u3e

Extremely thermoacidophilic microbes, such as Sulfolobus solfataricus, are strict chemoheterotrophs despite their geologic niche. To clarify their ecophysiology, the overlapping roles of endoglucanases and carbohydrate transporters were examined during growth on soluble cellodextrins as the sole carbon and energy source. Strain-specific differences in genome structure implied a unique role for one of three endogenous endoglucanases. Plasmid-based endoglucanase expression promoted the consumption of oligosaccharides, including cellohexaose (G6) through cellonanaose (G9). Protein transporters required for cellodextrin uptake were identified through mutagenesis and complementation of an ABC transporter cassette, including a putative oligosaccharide binding protein. In addition, ablation of the binding protein compromised growth on glucose and alpha-linked oligosaccharides while inactivation of a previously described glucose transporter had no apparent impact. These data demonstrate that S. solfataricus employs a redundant mechanism for soluble cellodextrin catabolism having both substrate uptake and extracytoplasmic hydrolytic components

Baseline Socio-economic Characterization of Watersheds

Baseline characterization is important to measure project performance before making any changes to project processes. The paper provide insights into the baseline characterization of watersheds with special reference to socio-economic aspects to propose appropriate policy directions for enhancing productivity and sustainability in the semi-arid zone

Agriculture and Allied Micro-enterprise for Livelihood Opportunities

Micro-enterprises are the keys to generate employment opportunities as well as income earning avenues to both landless, women and landholding people. Therefore, the poverty alleviation in semi-arid regions requires a greater understanding of the interactions of agriculture and allied enterprises and their implications for the household economy. This paper synthesizes the available evidence on agriculture and allied enterprises in watershed development areas and how policy should address the issue to balance between agriculture and micro- enterprises promoted by watershed development program

Efficient Management of Rainwater for Increased Crop Productivity and Groundwater Recharge in Asia

Rainwater is the main source of water for agriculture but its current use efficiency for crop production ranges between only 30 and 45%. Annually, 300–800 mm of seasonal rainfall are not used productively, as the rainfall becomes surface runoff or deep drainage. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)’s long experience, in partnership with national agricultural research systems, in integrated watershed management has clearly demonstrated that areas with good soils in the semi-arid tropics (SAT) in Asia can support double-cropping, while surplus rainwater could recharge the groundwater. In the integrated watershed approach, the emphasis is on in situ conservation of rainwater at farm level, with the excess water being taken out of the fields safely through com- munity drainage channels and stored in suitable low-cost structures. The stored water is used as surface irrigation or for recharging groundwater. Following conservation of the rainwater, its efficient use is achieved through choosing appropriate crops, improved varieties, cropping systems and nutrient and pest-management options for increasing productivity and conserving natural resources. Longterm, on-station watershed experiments have demonstrated that Vertisols with a rainfall of 800 mm have the capacity to feed 18 persons haϪ1 (4.7 t of food grains haϪ1) compared with their current productivity of 0.9 t haϪ1 supporting four persons haϪ1. This increased productivity can be achieved if the productivity of rainwater is doubled (from 30% to 67%) and the soil loss is reduced by 75% compared with the loss under traditional methods of cultivation. By adopting such a holistic approach to the management of rainwater in partnership with the communities, crop productivity in the watersheds is substantially increased (up to 250%), groundwater levels improved and soil loss minimized. Results from such on-farm integrated watersheds are discussed. Conditions for success in the improved management of rainwater are: community participation, capacity building at local level through appropriate technical guidance and the use of new scientific tools to manage the watersheds efficiently. To sustain agricultural productivity in the SAT, this holistic approach of watershed management needs to be scaled up through appropriate policy and institutional support and its on-site and off-site impacts need to be studied

LL37 and Cationic Peptides Enhance TLR3 Signaling by Viral Double-stranded RNAs

BACKGROUND:Toll-like Receptor 3 (TLR3) detects viral dsRNA during viral infection. However, most natural viral dsRNAs are poor activators of TLR3 in cell-based systems, leading us to hypothesize that TLR3 needs additional factors to be activated by viral dsRNAs. The anti-microbial peptide LL37 is the only known human member of the cathelicidin family of anti-microbial peptides. LL37 complexes with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to prevent activation of TLR4, binds to ssDNA to modulate TLR9 and ssRNA to modulate TLR7 and 8. It synergizes with TLR2/1, TLR3 and TLR5 agonists to increase IL8 and IL6 production. This work seeks to determine whether LL37 enhances viral dsRNA recognition by TLR3. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Using a human bronchial epithelial cell line (BEAS2B) and human embryonic kidney cells (HEK 293T) transiently transfected with TLR3, we found that LL37 enhanced poly(I:C)-induced TLR3 signaling and enabled the recognition of viral dsRNAs by TLR3. The presence of LL37 also increased the cytokine response to rhinovirus infection in BEAS2B cells and in activated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Confocal microscopy determined that LL37 could co-localize with TLR3. Electron microscopy showed that LL37 and poly(I:C) individually formed globular structures, but a complex of the two formed filamentous structures. To separate the effects of LL37 on TLR3 and TLR4, other peptides that bind RNA and transport the complex into cells were tested and found to activate TLR3 signaling in response to dsRNAs, but had no effect on TLR4 signaling. This is the first demonstration that LL37 and other RNA-binding peptides with cell penetrating motifs can activate TLR3 signaling and facilitate the recognition of viral ligands. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:LL37 and several cell-penetrating peptides can enhance signaling by TLR3 and enable TLR3 to respond to viral dsRNA

Impact of Watershed Development in Low Rainfall Region of Maharashtra: A Case Study of Shekta Watershed.Global Theme on Agroecosystems Report no. 49

Rainfed agriculture has an important role in development of agriculture in India and it will also continue to play in the future as 60% arable land in the country is rainfed. Watershed development is an important strategy for sustainable development of drylands. Impact assessment of Shekta Watershed in Ahmednagar District, a rain shadow region of Sahyadris in Maharashtra was undertaken as a micro-level case study. The region receives low rainfall (465 mm/yr), is drought prone, poverty is wide spread and migration from rural areas is common in this watershed village. The watershed development approach evaluated a capacity building phase, demand driven and net planning with each family. Exactly 59% of the watershed area was treated with soil and water conservation measures spending 38.6% (Rs. 1.1 million) development budget and 32.6% on rainwater harvesting structures. Groundwater availability has substantially increased as evident from the 48% increase in number of wells, increase in number of seasonally and perennially active wells, increase in crop productivity of 3.6 to 189% over district average yield for different crops, increase in cropping intensity by 28% from 1998-99 to 2004-05 was observed. Diversified farming systems with high-value crops such as wheat and vegetables as well as livelihood sources such as livestock rearing and micro-enterprise benefited people in terms of increased crop yields, income, improved livelihoods and reduced seasonal migration by 60%. Watershed development was economically beneficial with a benefit cost ratio (BCR) of 1.5 with an internal rate of return (IRR) of 16% along with development of rural institutions and protection of the environment

A consortium approach for sustainable management of natural resources in watershed

The natural resource management in the dry regions imposes challenging pressure on the fragile ecosystems, as they are the source of livelihoods of people whose key occupation is agriculture. ICRISAT’s earlier experiences indicated that in the past, watershed management emphasized soil and water conservation measures. Lack of holistic approach to natural resource management in conventional watersheds has led to the emergence of a new integrated watershed management model. Important components of this new model are farmer-participatory approach, use of new science tools, knowledgeflow from on-station to on-farm watersheds, holistic systems approach with integrated genetic and natural resource management (IGNRM) strategy providing site specific solutions, a consortium of institutions for technical backstopping, continuous monitoring and evaluation by the stakeholders, community and women empowerment, and environmental protection. The main features of the consortium approach are technical backstopping by the consortium of multi-institutions, linking strategic and developmental research on farmers’ fields, reducing the lag for transferring results from research fields to farmers’ fields, empowering the development workers and farmers to manage natural resources sustainably, and harnessing the strengths of the partners to make a win-win situation for all the partners. The consortium strategy has facilitated the exchange of knowledge and technologies amongst the consortium partners, reduced land degradation, and improved rural livelihoods through increased incomes