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Yellow mosaic disease (YMD) caused by several begomoviruses is one of the major constraints of over a dozen leguminous crops worldwide, particularly in Asian and Southeast Asian countries. The present study aimed to investigate the distribution, diversity and prevalence of begomoviruses associated with YMD in leguminous hosts in five agro-climatic zones of India, to assess the extent of their geographical presence and develop location and crop-specific distribution maps. One hundred and seventy-four leguminous plant samples were tested from 32 locations in India to detect YMD-causing viruses. Additionally, publicly available data were incorporated into this study to provide a comprehensive overview of their distribution in India. This resulted in 581 reports on the DNA-A component representing 119 locations, which were also utilized to depict the distribution of YMD-causing viruses on a map of India. In this study, 117 full-length DNA-A and 103 DNA-B components were successfully characterized, representing the detected mungbean yellow mosaic India virus (MYMIV), mungbean yellow mosaic virus (MYMV), and horsegram yellow mosaic virus in the collected samples. Phylogenetic analysis of isolates of these species showed no differentiation based on location in India. Diversity indices revealed the abundance (55.9%) and dominance (0.56) of MYMIV across 119 locations. These findings hold significant implications for legume researchers, offering insights into disease prevalence and geographic distribution. Furthermore, the distribution of YMD-causing viruses in different agro-climatic zones will help researchers in developing zone-specific YMD-resistant cultivars of the legume crops and would facilitate effective disease management options.

Background: Anti-nuclear autoantibodies (ANA), have explicitly been linked to immune complex-mediated autoimmune diseases. Detection and quantitation of autoantibodies are therefore crucial in the diagnosis and treatment. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the demographic profile of patients with ANA positivity in a tertiary health care Centre in Delhi, India. Patients and methods: A total of 938 samples of suspected patients were analyzed over a period of three years from February 2020 to February 2023 for the presence of antinuclear antibodies. Serum ANA levels were measured by ELISA. The data were collected retrospectively and analyzed using SPSS v 23 (IBM Corp.) software. Results: A total of 104 (11.09%) samples were positive for ANA. Females constituted the majority 84(80.77%) of the total positive samples. Females in the age group of 21 to 40 years showed the highest ANA positivity. Maximum autoimmune disease suspected samples were received from the Medicine Department, followed by Dermatology, Ophthalmology, and Orthopedics departments.58.6% (61 out of 104) of the samples received were from the Indoor patient Department (IPD) as compared to 41.34% (43out of 104) from Outdoor patient department (OPD ) (P =0.4592). Conclusion: Regular follow up of patients with positive ANA might be beneficial for early detection of the related autoimmune conditions. However, more long term follow up studies are needed to support this hypothesis.

The contamination of soils with heavy metals and its associated hazardous effects are a thrust area of today’s research. Rapid industrialization, emissions from automobiles, agricultural inputs, improper disposal of waste, etc., are the major causes of soil contamination with heavy metals. These contaminants not only contaminate soil but also groundwater, reducing agricultural land and hence food quality. These contaminants enter the food chain and have a severe effect on human health. It is important to remove these contaminants from the soil. Various economic and ecological strategies are required to restore the soils contaminated with heavy metals. Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that is non-invasive, cost-effective, and aesthetically pleasing. Many metal-binding proteins (MBPs) of the plants are significantly involved in the phytoremediation of heavy metals; the MBPs include metallothioneins; phytochelatins; metalloenzymes; metal-activated enzymes; and many metal storage proteins, carrier proteins, and channel proteins. Plants are genetically modified to enhance their phytoremediation capacity. In Arabidopsis, the expression of the mercuric ion-binding protein in Bacillus megaterium improves the metal accumulation capacity. The phytoremediation efficiency of plants is also enhanced when assisted with microorganisms, biochar, and/or chemicals. Removing heavy metals from agricultural land without challenging food security is almost impossible. As a result, crop selections with the ability to sequester heavy metals and provide food security are in high demand. This paper summarizes the role of plant proteins and plant–microbe interaction in remediating soils contaminated with heavy metals. Biotechnological approaches or genetic engineering can also be used to tackle the problem of heavy metal contamination.

Climate change is projected to alter the growing conditions of groundnut crop differently in different regions of India. The CROPGRO-Groundnut model was used to quantify the impact of climate change on the productivity of groundnut at three sites (Anantapur, Mahboobnagar and Junagadh) in India.Increase in temperature significantly (p

Objective: The aim of this study was to find out the GeneXpert positivity among endometrial biopsy specimens for diagnosis of genital tuberculosis. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted from January 2019 to June 2019 on all women clinically and radiologically diagnosed with infertility, dyspareunia, menstrual irregularities and pelvic inflammatory disease. Endometrial biopsies were taken from all cases and subjected to GeneXpert test for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Result: Total number of suspected cases was 62 with age ranging from 19 years to 65 years. Majority of suspected cases were from the age group 21-30 years (54.8%). Five out of 62 (8%) cases tested positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis by GeneXpert which were all sensitive to Rifampicin. Among these 5 cases, 2 were reported as medium positive and 3 as very low positive based on cycle threshold value. Conclusion: GeneXpert on endometrial biopsy may prove to be a reliable diagnostic modality for genital tuberculosis as well as multidrug resistance tuberculosis in females leading to timely management of the disease.

Abstract Permeability is an important petrophysical parameter of hydrocarbon reservoirs for oil and gas production. Formation permeability is often measured in the laboratory test using core samples. However, when few core samples are available to calculate the permeability in the field, estimation of permeability becomes a challenging task. In study area, the Chandmari field of upper Assam-Arakan basin with the availability of only seven core samples and conventional logs such as density, porosity, resistivity and gamma ray data from few wells, the estimation of permeability becomes a difficult task. Therefore, in the present study an attempt is made to estimate the permeability from well log and core data using Buckles’ method approach in Langpar and Lakadong + Therria sanstone reservoir of Eocene–Paleocene geologic age in the field under the assumption and geological support that reservoirs in the study area are clean sand having very less shale control and are homogenous reservoir with little/no heterogeneity. In this study, petrophysical evaluation from log data and that from core data are integrated for the analysis of the reservoir characteristics. The relationship between porosity and water saturation which is required to distinguish mobile from capillary bound water or irreducible water saturation is used to estimate the irreducible water saturation. The estimated irreducible water saturation which is an essential parameter for water cut and permeability estimation is used for estimating the permeability in the field. The estimated permeability in the reservoirs using Buckles’ method ranging from 1500 to 4554.38 mD is well matched with the permeability estimated from core sample. The estimated permeability results suggest that the oil reservoir has the higher permeability than the gas reservoir. The permeability estimation relationship can further be used for the estimation of permeability in the inter-well region of Chandmari oil field.

Abstract Petrophysical evaluation of well log data has always been crucial for identification and assessment of hydrocarbon bearing zones. In present paper, petrophysical evaluation of well log data from cluster of six wells in the study area is carried out in combination with rock physics modeling for qualitative and quantitative characterization of Eocene reservoir in Chandmari oil field of Assam-Arakan basin, India. Petrophysical evaluation has provided the estimation of fluid and mineral types, rock/pore fabric type and fluid and mineral volumes for invaded and virgin zones. Calibrations are made where core data were available. Rock physics study is carried out for analyzing the influence of porosity, mineral compositions and saturation variations on the elastic properties of the subsurface. The rock physics modeling allowed quantitative prediction of relationship between porosity, saturation (gas, oil and water), clay volume and the elastic properties. Cross-plots of different elastic parameters are generated to identify the lithology variability and pore-fluid type, and to establish likely distinction between the hydrocarbon bearing sands, brine sands and shale. The Eocene reservoirs are found to be primarily sandstone intermixed with incidental clay matrix and some calcareous cementation. Sands are interpreted to be continuous in most of the blocks. The effective porosity for these sands varies from 15 to 22% in most of the wells. A wide range of variation is observed in water saturation with lowest being 5%. Finally, a numerical rock physics model is prepared to predict the elastic properties of the rock from petrophysical properties.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the major causes of nosocomial infections. This organism produces powerful toxins and cause superficial lesions, systemic infections, and several toxemic syndromes. A total of 109 S. aureus strains isolated from a variety of infections like ocular diseases, wound infection, and sputum were included in the study. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined against 8 antimicrobials. PCR determined the presence of 16S rRNA, nuc, mecA, czrC, qacA/B, pvl, and toxin genes in S. aureus isolates. Pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), SCCmec, spa-, and agr-typing and serotyping determined the diversity among them. All isolates of S. aureus were resistant to two or more than two antibiotics and generated 32 resistance patterns. These isolates were positive for 16S rRNA and S. aureus-specific nuc gene, but showed variable results for mecA, czrC, and qacA/B and pvl genes. Of the 32 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), 13 strains carried SCCmec type V, seven type IV, two type III, and nine carried unreported type UT6. Of the 109 strains, 98.2% were positive for hlg, 94.5% for hla, 86.2% for sei, 73.3% for efb, 70.6% for cna, 30.2% for sea, and 12.8% for sec genes. Serotypes VII and VI were prevalent among S. aureus strains. PFGE analysis grouped the 109 strains into 77 clusters. MLST classified the strains into 33 sequence types (ST) and eight clonal complexes (CCs) of which 12 were singletons, and two belong to new allelic profiles. Isolates showed 46 spa-types that included two new spa-types designated as t14911 and t14912. MRSA and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) isolates were diverse in terms of antibiotic resistance pattern, toxin genotypes, SCCmec types, serotypes and PFGE, MLST, and spa-types. However, few isolates from eye infection and wound infection belong to CC239, ST239, and spa-type t037/t657. The study thus suggests that S. aureus strains are multidrug resistant, virulent, and diverse irrespective of sources and place of isolation. These findings necessitate the continuous surveillance of multidrug-resistant and virulent S. aureus and monitoring of the transmission of infection.

Pigeonpea is one of the important pulse crops grown in many states of India and plays a major role in sustainable food and nutritional security for the smallholder farmers. In order to overcome the productivity barrier the Translational Pigeonpea Genomics Consortium (TPGC) was established, representing research institutes from six different states (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh) of India. To enhance pigeonpea productivity and production the team has been engaged in deploying modern genomics approaches in breeding and popularizing modern varieties in farmers’ fields. For instance, new genetic stock has been developed for trait mapping and molecular breeding initiated for enhancing resistance to fusarium wilt and sterility mosaic disease in 11 mega varieties of pigeonpea. In parallel, genomic segments associated with cleistogamous flower, shriveled seed, pods per plant, seeds per pod, 100 seed weight, and seed protein content have been identified. Furthermore, 100 improved lines were evaluated for yield and desirable traits in multi-location trials in different states. Furthermore, a total of 303 farmers’ participatory varietal selection (FPVS) trials have been conducted in 129 villages from 15 districts of six states with 16 released varieties/hybrids. Additionally, one line (GRG 152 or Bheema) from multi-location trials has been identified by the All India Coordinated Research Project on Pigeonpea (AICRP-Pigeonpea) and released for cultivation by the Central Variety Release Committee (CVRC). In summary, the collaborative efforts of several research groups through TPGC is accelerating genetics gains in breeding plots and is expected to deliver them to pigeonpea farmers to enhance their income and improve livelihood.

The general expression of TEM response of large loop source over the layered earth models is not available in the literature for arbitrary source-receiver positions, except for the case of central loop and coincident loop configurations over the homogeneous earth model. In the present study, an attempt is made to present the TEM response of a large loop source over the layered earth model for arbitrary receiver positions. The frequency domain responses of large loop source over the layer earth model for arbitrary receiver positions are converted into the impulse (time derivative of magnetic field) TEM response using Fourier cosine or sine transform. These impulse TEM responses in turn are converted into voltage responses for arbitrary receiver positions, namely, central loop, arbitrary in-loop, and offset-loop TEM responses over the layered earth models. For checking the accuracy of the method, results are compared with the results obtained using analytical expression over a homogeneous earth model. The complete matching of both of the results suggests that the present computational technique is capable of computing TEM response of large loop source over the homogeneous earth model with high accuracy. Thereafter, the technique is applied for computation of TEM response of a large loop source over the layered earth (2-layer, 3-layer, and 4-layer) models for the central loop, in-loop, and offset-loop configurations and the results are presented in voltage decay form. The results depict their characteristic variations. These results would be useful for modeling and inversion of large loop TEM data over the layer earth models for all the possible configurations resulting from a large loop source.

The limited availability of fossil fuels has encouraged the need of replacement fuels of renewable nature. Among the renewable fuels, biodiesel produced from oil seeds and food wastes has been favored by the majority of researchers. In this study, Tectona Grandis seed oil has been investigated as a non-edible feedstock for biodiesel. The oil content of seed is 43% which makes it suitable for commercial production of biodiesel. The synthesis of biodiesel from T. Grandis oil was done with transesterification reaction giving high percentage yield of biodiesel which reached to 89%. The T. Grandis biodiesel was subjected to determine various physicochemical parameters by standard testing methods and found in agreement with the ASTM D-6751 and EN-14214 standards. The fatty-acid methyl ester composition for the biodiesel is composed of 42.71% oleic acid, 13.1% palmitic acid, and 31.51% linoleic acid. The biodiesel showed low oxidation stability which is attributed to high percentage of unsaturation. To address this issue, synthetic antioxidants were added to increase its resistance towards oxidation. By considering all the parameters, the present study reveals that T. Grandis seed oil is reliable for the production of biodiesel with encouraging probability in future.

Domain swapping and generation of chimeric insecticidal crystal protein is an emerging area of insect pest management. The lepidopteran insect pest, gram pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera H.) wreaks havoc to chickpea crop affecting production. Lepidopteran insects were reported to be controlled by Bt (cryI) genes. We designed a plant codon optimized chimeric Bt gene (cry1Aabc) using three domains from three different cry1A genes (domains I, II, and III from cry1Aa, cry1Ab, and cry1Ac, respectively) and expressed it under the control of a constitutive promoter in chickpea (cv. DCP92-3) to assess its effect on gram pod borer. A total of six transgenic chickpea shoots were established by grafting into mature fertile plants. The in vitro regenerated (organogenetic) shoots were selected based on antibiotic kanamycin monosulfate (100 mg/L) with transformation efficiency of 0.076%. Three transgenic events were extensively studied based on gene expression pattern and insect mortality across generations. Protein expression in pod walls, immature seeds and leaves (pre- and post-flowering) were estimated and expression in pre-flowering stage was found higher than that of post-flowering. Analysis for the stable integration, expression and insect mortality (detached leaf and whole plant bioassay) led to identification of efficacious transgenic chickpea lines. The chimeric cry1Aabc expressed in chickpea is effective against gram pod borer and generated events can be utilized in transgenic breeding program.

The current trajectory of population growth indicates that the world population is to cross 9 billion by 2050, and could likely reach 11 billion by the end of 21st century. This upward trend in turn necessitates a quantum leap in the global food production by 70% in order to meet the dietary demands of the global population. The increasing severity of the global crop looses accounted to the pest problems is reflected in the fact that the amount of yield lost to these attacks are adequate to feed almost one billion people worldwide. Pulses are generally grown on marginalized soil and risk prone environment where their production is subject to a number of yield-limiting constraints that include pests, diseases and various other agricultural adversities. Given growing concerns to agricultural sustainability and environmental safety, resistance breeding remains the most economically-viable and widely accepted strategy for developing improved crop cultivars showing markedly enhanced level of resistance to various biotic and abiotic constraints. In recent years, transformational developments in the area of legume genetics and genomics have resulted in the availability of modern genomic tools that are potentially underpinning various crop improvement schemes.

The meteorological data recorded during the period from 1992 to 2006 were used for preparing crop calendar in Tripura. Maximum and minimum temperatures in the state varying from 22.4 to 35.60C and 9.3 to 26.10C, respectively. The crops, rice, maize, oil seeds, pulses, vegetables, mushrooms, tuber crops, fibre crops and fruits were considered in this calendar. Growing seasons for different kinds of mushrooms were determined for better productivity.

Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) is one of the most important tropical bulbous-ornamental cultivated for production of long-lasting flowers spikes. Adaptation and acclimatization of different cultivars under humid agro-climatic conditions of Goa are to be confirmed for their better performance. The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the performance of tuberose cultivars under agro-climatic conditions of Goa during 2014- 2017. Five single and six double cultivars of tuberose were evaluated during the study period. All the cultivars differed in their growth and flowering behaviour. Among the single cultivars, evaluated, maximum number of florets per spike (47.00) was observed in Pune local whereas spike-length (75.59 cm) was maximum in Mexican Single. Among the double cultivars, evaluated, maximum plant height (52.21 cm) and maximum number of leaves per plant (59.63) were recorded with cultivar Arka Suvasini. Leaf length was significantly higher (52.93 cm) in Pearl double whereas leaf width (2.04 cm) was maximum in Calcutta Double. Days to appearance of flower spike were earlier in Arka Suvasini. Minimum days taken for opening of basal floret (84.88 days) were recorded with cultivar Arka Suvasini. Spike girth (0.68 cm), Spike fresh-weight (69.06 cm), floret stalk-length (3.6 cm), floret diameter (5.24 cm), weight of individual floret (3.49 g) and vase life (7.93 days) was significantly maximum in Cv. Arka Suvasini followed by Pearl Double. Based on the performance evaluation cv. Mexican Single among single types and cv. Arka Suvasini and Pearl Double among double types could be recommended for commercial cultivation under agro climatic conditions of Goa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]