This is an original study focus on ERF gene response to alkaline stress. GsERF6 functions as transcription factor and significantly enhanced plant tolerance to bicarbonate (HCO 3 (-) ) in transgenic Arabidopsis . Alkaline stress is one of the most harmful, but little studied environmental factors, which negatively affects plant growth, development and yield. The cause of alkaline stress is mainly due to the damaging consequence of high concentration of the bicarbonate ion, high-pH, and osmotic shock to plants. The AP2/ERF family genes encode plant-specific transcription factors involved in diverse environmental stresses. However, little is known about their physiological functions, especially in alkaline stress responses. In this study, we functionally characterized a novel ERF subfamily gene, GsERF6 from alkaline-tolerant wild soybean (Glycine soja). In wild soybean, GsERF6 was rapidly induced by NaHCO3 treatment, and its overexpression in Arabidopsis enhanced transgenic plant tolerance to NaHCO3 challenge. Interestingly, GsERF6 transgenic lines also displayed increased tolerance to KHCO3 treatment, but not to high pH stress, implicating that GsERF6 may participate specifically in bicarbonate stress responses. We also found that GsERF6 overexpression up-regulated the transcription levels of bicarbonate-stress-inducible genes such as NADP-ME, H (+)-Ppase and H (+)-ATPase, as well as downstream stress-tolerant genes such as RD29A, COR47 and KINI. GsERF6 overexpression and NaHCO3 stress also altered the expression patterns of plant hormone synthesis and hormone-responsive genes. Conjointly, our results suggested that GsERF6 is a positive regulator of plant alkaline stress by increasing bicarbonate ionic resistance specifically, providing a new insight into the regulation of gene expression under alkaline conditions.

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the effects of parental socioeconomic status on the academic achievement of secondary school students in District Karak (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Pakistan. The objectives of the study were: (a) to find out the effect of parental socioeconomic status on the academic achievement of secondary school students (b) to determine the effect of parental educational level on the academic achievement of secondary school students (c) to find out the effect of parental occupational level on the academic achievement of secondary school students and (d) to suggest workable recommendations for the enhancement of the students’ academic achievement. All the students studying at secondary school level in District Karak constituted the population of the study. The study was delimited to only sixty government boys’ high schools in District Karak. The study was further delimited to the students of 10th Class. In order to represent adequate representation of population, only 1500 secondary school students were selected randomly at the rate of 25 students from each school. The study was survey type and therefore the researchers decided to develop self-developed questionnaire for the collection of data. Pilot testing was conducted to explore the weakness, misconceptions and ambiguities of the questionnaire. After the conduction of pilot testing, final version of the questionnaire was developed and prepared. The researchers personally visited to the respective sample and distributed questionnaires among the participants. In this way data was collected. After collection of data, the data was organized, tabulated and analyzed. Chi-square and percentage were used for the statistical analysis of the data. After statistical analysis of data, the researchers concluded that parental socio-economic status; parent’s educational level, parental occupational level; and parental income level affect the academic achievement of students at secondary level. Therefore it is strongly recommended that unemployment should be controlled. Poor students should be provided scholarships, free books and other stationary. In addition, it is also recommended that government should take steps to raise socioeconomic status of people. KEY WORDS: Parental Socioeconomic status, academic achievement, secondary school students

No abstract

No abstract