Search

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia), one of the most threatened felids distributed along the high-altitude mountains in the Himalayas, has experienced a steady population decline in most of its distribution range due to the loss of suitable habitats, anthropogenic activities, and retaliatory killings. We undertook the genetic assessment of the snow leopard in the Western Himalaya, India, and identified 18 unique individuals. The snow leopard populations exhibited moderate genetic variability, i.e., effective number of alleles = 3.96 ± 0.004, observed heterozygosity = 0.539 ± 0.038 and no variation at mtDNA. We found the snow leopard populations under panmixia, possibly due to the long-ranging behavior and dispersal patterns. We present the first population genetic account of the snow leopard from the Western Himalayas and discuss the importance of non-invasive genetics in monitoring the snow leopard population in the tough terrain of the trans-Himalayan region of India.

The common leopard (Panthera pardus fusca), which persists in most of its historic range, is experiencing steady population decline due to habitat loss, anthrophonic disturbances, illegal poaching for their body parts, and retaliatory killings in response to the leopard-human conflicts. We analysed 143 scats samples and identified 32 unique leopards following a selected panel of seven loci with cumulative PID sibs 5.30E−04. We observed moderate genetic diversity at nuclear (Ho = 0.600 ± 0.06) and mitochondrial markers (Hd = 0.569 ± 0.009; π = 0.001 ± 0.0002) and found sub-structuring in the leopard population at Uttarkashi, Western Himalayas. The present study exhibits the utility of non-invasive genetics in monitoring the leopard population and paves the path to investigate population genetic parameters in further studies.

Establishing species identity in wildlife forensics and anthropology is pre-requisite fo prosecution of the legal cases and successful implementation of the regional laws and acts. However, identifying osteological collection, e.g., bones, skulls and skeleton of phylogenetically closely related species is a daunting task due to the taxonomic similarities and shared attributes among the species. In this context, fragmented samples like bones, tooth, and skulls are crucial source of evidences for undertaking any forensic assignments particularly in cases of mass fatality scenario. The present study established various metric and non-metric parameters among the skulls of human and non-human primates indigenous to India. The metric parameters and the linear measurements of teeth were dimorphic and found to be used as potential keys for species identification. The inter-canine distance of both the arches varied significantly among the species. In the non-metric parameters, the postorbital constriction and the supra-orbital ridge anatomy was found to be the best distinguishing factor. This study has introduced a baseline reference dataset of paired cranio-dental parameters to distinguish between the skulls of human and non-human primates.

The sambar (Rusa unicolor) is one of the largest deer distributed across diverse habitats of India and threatened due to habitat loss, changes in the land-use patterns, illegal poaching, and anthropogenic disturbances. Here, we report the first population genetics account of sambar deer from the Western Himalayas. We observed relatively compromised genetic diversity (π = 0.0008 ± 0.0006 at mtDNA and Ho = 0.499 ± 0.056 at nDNA). We identified 60 unique individuals using a select panel of seven loci (PID sib cum 1.60E-03). Bayesian skyline plot showed a stable demographic history since the past 8 kyr with a decline in recent years. The population lacked genetic structuring, likely due to the contiguous distribution and large dispersal patterns of sambar. The preliminary findings are valuable in exploring the utility of genetic diversity in monitoring the sambar population, estimating density following capture-recapture analysis, and aid to the conservation planning of sambar in large landscapes.

BACKGROUND Himalayan goral (Naemorhedus goral), solitary cliff-dwelling species and are distributed throughout the Indian Himalayan region. Its populations across the range are facing severe threats due to habitat loss, fragmentation and changes in the land-use patterns by various anthropogenic activities. METHODS AND RESULTS We carried out genetic analyses of Himalayan goral using the mitochondrial control regions and microsatellite loci (n = 10) in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. We reported a moderate genetic diversity at nuclear (Ho 0.602 ± 0.057) and mitochondrial markers (Hd-0.6931 ± 0.053; π-0.0048 ± 001). Bayesian skyline plot indicates a sharp decline in the goral population in the last 100 years. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate the population of Himalayan goral in Uttarkashi is under panmictic condition, plausibly due to long-ranging behaviour. The present study laid the foundation for future non-invasive genetics monitoring and detailed population genetic assessment of goral from the entire range in the Western Himalayas.

Identifying species from various confiscated material is a prerequisite and of utmost importance to extend support to the law enforcement agencies in curbing illegal wildlife trade and prosecution of the cases in the court of law. Cranio and odontometric measurements have been used in developing characters for ascertaining species identity from the osteological specimens. In the present study, we established baseline data by measuring the cranial and odontometric variables in differentiating the skulls of three big cats of India, i.e. tiger, leopard and lion. The skulls of tigers were the largest and weighed heaviest among three felids and the lateral profiles revealed very sharp maxilla-naso-frontal suture angle. The skulls of lions were relatively intermediate in size having obtuse maxilla-naso-frontal suture angle with relatively rounded appearance. Leopard skulls were smallest having a prominent canine grooves and convex nasal profiles. The multivariate, principal component analysis using the selected cranio-mandibular measurement data successfully differentiated the three species. The findings of the present study will aid in forensic identification of the confiscated cranium/parts or tooth of these three big cats and open new avenues to examine the museum specimens with the reported cranio-mandibular measurements.

In this paper, the systematics for obtaining the Viola-Seaborg formula (VSF) for logarithmic partial alpha half-lives (Tα1/2) have been undertaken based on the NUBASE2016 evaluation. The constants Az and Bz in Geiger-Nuttal law for determination of Tα1/2 , are obtained using gs-gs transitions data, of even-even nuclei for two sets of nuclei with Z = 84 - 102 and Z = 86 - 98 with N > 126. The Viola-Seaborg co-efficients are determined for both the sets. The obtained parameters for both sets are tested on even-even nuclei for Z ranging from 104 - 118 and it is observed that first set parameters fare better. This formula for estimating α-decay half-lives of heavy nuclei can be extrapolated to predict those of super-heavy nuclei. The logarithmic half-lives Tα1/2 obtained for isotopes of Z = 121 and 122 using current modified VSF (AME2016) are compared with those obtained from theoretical considerations using Coulomb and proximity potential model (CPPM) and observed to be much larger. They are also much larger than those obtained from the previous coefficients based on AME2003 data.

Wild ungulates in the Himalayas, the major diet source for large carnivores, play an important role in ecosystem functioning. Studying their distribution, population demography and land-use patterns is pivotal for decision making and proposing conservation and management plans. We collected faecal droppings of ungulates from Western Himalayas, identified them using DNA analysis and prioritized three wild ungulates i.e. serow (Capricornis sumatraensis), blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) and ibex (Capra sibirica) for generating quantitative measurements data that can be used in identifying the faecal pellets of these three ungulates showing overlapping distribution. We observed significant difference (p

The present study aimed to investigate the genetic and forensic attributes of Uttarakhand population based on 20 autosomal STR loci implemented in PowerPlex® 21 System. Results unveiled 219 alleles ranging from 6 (TH01, TPOX) to 20 (Penta E). Forensic analysis revealed locus Penta E as the most polymorphic and discriminative loci, whereas genetic analysis indicated presence of higher heterozygosity within population. Phylogenetic analysis indicated higher genetic affinity of Uttarakhand population with the neighbouring Himachal Pradesh population. Overall, the study indicates that the PowerPlex® 21 System is suitable for genetic and forensic analysis in Uttarakhand population.

Fetal liver hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) have been considered appropriate for the management of aplastic anemia owing to their proliferative potential. Bone marrow recovery was possible in some cases; the engraftment potential of these cells, however was unsatisfactory, possibly due to the availability of a smaller number of these cells from a single fetus. The present study explores how we can expand fetal liver hematopoietic stem cells under in vitro conditions. We isolated mononuclear cells from fetal liver and hematopoietic stem cells were identified and analyzed by cell surface marker CD34. CD34+ fetal liver HSPCs cells were separated by magnetic cell sorting positive selection method. HSPCs (CD34+) were cultured by using 5 cytokines, stem cell factor (SCF), granulocyte macrophages-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), Fms-related tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT-3) and erythropoietin (EPO), in 4 different combinations along with supplements, in serum-free culture media for 21 days. Cell viability continued to be greater than 90% throughout 21 days of culture. The cells expanded best in a combination of media, supplements and 5 cytokines, namely SCF, FLT-3, IL6, EPO and GM-CSF to yield a large number of total (CD34+ & CD34-) cells. Even though the total number of nucleated cells increased in culture significantly, levels of CD34 antigen expression declined steadily over this period.

Gram pod borer (H. armigera) and tobacco caterpillar (S. litura) causes huge economical losses in different crops, identifying a novel and safe biological origin insecticides for their management is always being an important approach. Actinobacteria has significance for their bioactive compounds production and diverse ecological functions. However, little was known for antilarval traits of actinobacteria inhabiting upper gangetic agro-climatic zone of India, so, a study was conducted to explore, isolate and characterize the antilarval actinobacteria. Morphological characters and 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that isolated actinobacteria strains were belonged to Streptomyces spp., Amycolatopsis spp., Nocardiopsis spp., Saccharopolyspora spp. genera, of which Streptomyces spp. was dominant genera. Streptomyces puniceus IIPR:TB01:01 and Streptomyces badius IIPR:KR04:01 strains (EtoAc extracts) exhibited 78% and 81% larval mortality against H. armigera and S. litura, respectively, were at par with insecticides (Emamectin benzoate 5G and Spinosad 45SC) treatments, indicating those are potential insecticidal strains. Juvenometric activity (extended larval duration and larval-pupal intermediates) of actinobacteria extract was noticed in H. armigera (up to 25 days) and S. litura (up to 28 days) compared to control (15–16 days). Potential actinobacteria strains also witnessed neurotoxic effect (blackening of larva) and lower survival probabilities in H. armigera and S. litura larvae. This study identified phenomena like neurotoxicity and juvenile hormone activity of actinobacterial extract against H. armigera and S. litura. The actinobacteria strains isolated in this study were new and their antilatval potential was not studied earlier, thus current findings advance the isolation and purification of antilarval compounds from aforesaid potential strains.

Eichhornia crassipes and Salvinia molesta are two of the world’s worst aquatic invasive alien plant Species (AIAPS) that have a major impact on the environment, agricultural production and food security. The aim of this study was to understand the current and potential distribution of E. crassipes and S. molesta under climate change in the tropical island of Sri Lanka. The MaxEnt species distribution modelling technique was used to generate predictive models using global distribution data and environmental variables. For future projections, the mean of two best performing climate models was used under two emissions scenarios, Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 for time periods 2050 and 2070. The study revealed that at present, the majority of the aquatic habitats of the country, particularly lowland areas, are vulnerable to the invasion of these two species; however, a striking difference was observed under future RCP scenarios. Aquatic habitats suitable for E. crassipes is predicted to decrease substantially by 2050 and increase again until 2070. The suitable habitats of S. molesta are likely to decrease sharply until 2070. This study provides insights for decision-makers that climate change influences should be considered for long-term management of AIAPS.

Parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) is an invasive alien plant species that is spreading rapidly all over the world. With globalization and climate change, it will continue to spread, posing threats to agriculture, biodiversity and the environment. To determine its invasion and impacts in Bhutan, an investigation was undertaken in West-Central Bhutan using a questionnaire survey, complemented by MaxEnt modelling. Most farmers (19–30%) recall having seen parthenium for the last 11–15 years, or more. Infestations of parthenium differed significantly (P

Poaching of South Asian river dolphins is considered one of the main reasons for the rapid decline of their natural populations. To curb the escalated rate of poaching, high numbers of oil and meat seizures are recovered with subsequent convictions by the law enforcement agencies. In this connection, we report a case where suspected animal oil was confiscated by the forest official of West Bengal. We extracted DNA and successfully amplified partial fragments of Cytb and 16S rRNA mitochondrial genes. The generated sequences identified that the seized oil belonged to the Ganges river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) which is protected as Schedule I under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 of India and listed as "Endangered" under IUCN and APPENDIX I in CITES. In routine case work analysis, oil samples are not preferred for forensic DNA investigation due to low DNA yield and presence of inhibitors or contaminants leading to high failure rate. However, the present study generates hope for identifying species from seized animal oil and supports law enforcement in successful prosecution of the case.

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is an enveloped virus that causes serious respiratory tract infection among immunocompromised populations especially haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. Here, we describe 3 cases of hMPV infection which led to mortality among post HSCT adults. 66 post HSCT adults enrolled between January 2017 and March 2019 at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, AIIMS, New Delhi, were followed up for a period varying from 16 days to 18 months for any episode of respiratory illness until March 2019. Real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) was used to detect the virus from appropriate specimens when symptoms of acute respiratory infection appeared. Samples from 88 out of a total of 172 episodes of suspected acute respiratory infection could be tested by rRT-PCR. Of these, 9 episodes were positive for hMPV. Three patients with hMPV associated lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) expired within 30 days of HSCT. The possible risk factors associated with mortality included LRTI, infection during early post-transplant period (first week following HSCT), absolute lymphocyte count less than 200/µl, absolute neutrophil count less than 500/µl, use of steroid within 30 days prior to infection and need for mechanical ventilation.

The successful treatment of Helicobacter pylori infections is becoming increasingly difficult due to the rise of resistance against current broad spectrum triple therapy regimens. In the search for narrow-spectrum agents against H. pylori, a high-throughput screen identified two structurally related thienopyrimidine compounds that selectively inhibited H. pylori over commensal members of the gut microbiota. To develop the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of the thienopyrimidines against H. pylori, this study employed four series of modifications in which systematic substitution to the thienopyrimidine core was explored and ultimately side-chain elements optimized from the two original hits were merged into lead compounds. During the development of this series, the mode of action studies identified H. pylori's respiratory complex I subunit NuoD as the target for lead thienopyrimidines. As this enzyme complex is uniquely essential for ATP synthesis in H. pylori, a homology model of the H. pylori NuoB-NuoD binding interface was generated to help rationalize the SAR and guide further development of the series. From these studies, lead compounds emerged with increased potency against H. pylori, improved safety indices, and a good overall pharmacokinetic profile with the exception of high protein binding and poor solubility. Although lead compounds in the series demonstrated efficacy in an ex vivo infection model, the compounds had no efficacy in a mouse model of H. pylori infection. Additional optimization of pharmacological properties of the series to increase solubility and free-drug levels at the sequestered sites of H. pylori infection would potentially result in a gain of in vivo efficacy. The thienopyrimidine series developed in this study demonstrates that NuoB-NuoD of the respiratory complex I can be targeted for development of novel narrow spectrum agents against H. pylori and that thienopyrimines can serve as the basis for future advancement of these studies.

With the recent classification of red panda into two phylogenetic species, we propose ‘Siang river’ as a potential boundary for species divergence between the Himalayan red panda (Ailurus fulgens) and the Chinese red panda (Ailurus styani). Bayesian-based phylogeny and MJ network splited all the sequences of red pandas into two distinct clusters in accordance with the origin of the samples collected from the east and west side of the Siang river. The clade 1 that represented Himalayan red panda was formed by the inclusion of samples originated from the north West Bengal, Sikkim, and central and Western Arunachal Pradesh and South Tibet, located in the west of Siang river. While, clade 2 stood to Chinese red panda, and represented samples originated from Dibang valley of eastern Arunachal Pradesh, India and Southwest China, in the east of Siang river. This study provides pragmatic genetic evidence and demonstrates Siang river as a potential boundary of species divergence in red panda by contributing samples from Indian Himalayan Region. We suggest being associated with diverse habitats, threats and transboundary distribution, both species of red panda require regional as well as transboundary level conservation initiatives and multilateral cooperation for a species survival plan.

The complete mitogenome of Himalayan black bear (Ursus thibetanus laniger) from Indian Himalayan region was assembled following the modified approach of mitochondrial baiting and mapping using the next-generation sequencing reads. The complete mitogenome was of 16,556 bp long, consisted of 37 genes that contained 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs and 1 control region. The complete base composition was 31.33% A, 15.24% G, 25.45%C, and 27.98%T and gene arrangement was similar to the other sub-species of Asiatic black bear. The relative synonymous codon usage analysis revealed the maximum abundance of Isoleucine, Tyrosine, Leucine and Threonine. The assembled mitogenome of U. t. laniger exhibited 99% similarity with the mitogenomes of Himalayan black bear available from Nepal and Tibetan Plateau-Himalaya region. The findings of the present study has proven low depth sequencing data, adequate and highly efficient in rapid recovering the mitochondrial genome by overcoming the conventional strategies of obtaining long-range PCR and subsequently drawing phylogenetic inferences.

Introduction: To avoid adverse effects of general anaesthesia, regional anaesthesia (RA) techniques are increasingly being practiced in children for different surgeries. These RA techniques are often combined with moderate degree of sedation to remain child calm and immobile. With limited literature available, we planned a prospective study to evaluate the effectiveness of dexemedetomidine as an intraoperative sedative agent with RA considering its short term sedation and least respiratory depression property. Materials and Methods: Fifty children of 1-8 year of age, ASA grade 1&2 undergoing below umbilical surgery under RA (caudal epidural anaesthesia) were selected and studied. After giving Inj. Ketamine (1mg/kg) intravenously, RA was performed with Inj. Bupivacaine. Then inj. Dexemedetomidine (1mcg/kg) IV was administered as bolus over 10 min followed by continuous infusion (0.4 mcg/kg/hr) till completion of surgery. Perioperative sedation score, vital parameters, peripheral oxygen saturation, respiratory rate and surgeon's satisfaction were observed. The Study was considered complete till stay of patient in PACU for 2hrs. Recovery time and any complications were noted. Results: The quality of sedation and surgeon's satisfaction were good in all children except three children who needed extra dose of sedative. The only adverse effects reported were bradycardia and hypotension in 3 patients which were well managed by reducing the infusion rate. Conclusion: Dexemedetomidine offers an adequate level of sedation in most of the children without haemodynamic or respiratory side effects when used intraoperatively with RA. Keywords: Dexemedetomidine, Ketamine, Regional anaesthesia, Caudal epidural anaesthesia.

Introduction: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a vector-borne protozoal infection of the skin with variable clinical manifestations. In Rajasthan, western Thar desert is endemic for this disease. Aim: The present study was aimed to describe clinico-epidemiological features of cutaneous leishmaniasis cases from a non-endemic area of South Rajasthan. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based prospective study was carried out during a period of 3 years (2017-2019). Data regarding clinical profile and treatment outcome were recorded in a predesigned proforma for analysis. Diagnosis of CL was made clinically and confirmed by demonstration of amastigotes in microscopic examination of Giemsa stained tissue smear of lesions. Results: Out of 24 patients, 16 (67%) were females and 8 (33%) were males. The age ranged from 3 months to 68 years (median-25). Face (67%) and extremities (29%) were the common sites affected. The most common morphological form was crusted plaques (54%) followed by nodular lesions (38%). Slit skin smear for Leishmania donovani bodies was positive in all patients (100%). Conclusion: This study highlights a focus of CL in non-endemic areas of South Rajasthan. Of late leishmaniasis is breaking out of its classical boundaries and is increasingly being reported from new geographic locations with a possibility of a novel parasite variant. Therefore, a high clinical suspicion of CL should be kept in non-endemic area.

YPEL3 that induces cellular senescence in both normal and tumour cells of humans may show altered expression under the influence of incidental mutations. In this study, we proposed the first structure of Native YPEL3 protein and its five possible deleterious mutants—V40M, C61Y, G98R, G108S, and A131T and predicted their deleterious effects to alter stability, flexibility and conformational changes in the protein. The MD simulation (RMSD, RMSF, Rg, h-bond and SASA) analysis revealed that the variants V40M, G98R and G108S increased the flexibility in protein, and variant V40M imparted more compactness to the protein.. In general, variants attributed changes in the native conformation and structure of the YPEL3 protein which might affect the native function of cellular senescence. The study provides opportunities for health professionals and practitioners in formulating précised medicines to effectively cure various cancers. We propose in-vitro or in-vivo studies should consider these reported nsSNPs while examining any malfunction in the YPEL3 protein.

Demand for pangolin scales in East Asia has increased dramatically in the past two decades, raising concern to the pangolin survival and bringing them to the brink of local extinction. Enumerating the number of individuals from the seized pangolin scales primarily goes undocumented, mostly due to the unavailability of the appropriate methods. In this study, we developed a Pangolin Indexing System, a multi-locus STR panel of eight dinucleotide microsatellites that showed promising results in individualization and assignment of scales into Chinese and Indian pangolins. The combined power of exclusion was 0.83 and 0.99 for Chinese and Indian pangolin. The select panel of eight polymorphic STRs exhibited the cumulative probability of identity 3.7 × 10−9 for Indian pangolin and 3.6 × 10−7 for Chinese pangolin and identified 51 unique genotypes from the 74 scales selected from the four pangolin seizures. The study demonstrated the first report of cross-species validation of STRs developed from Malayan pangolin to Indian pangolin and showed the potential application of Pangolin Indexing System in screening of large seizures through DNA profiling from the scales of Indian and Chinese pangolin.

Yield losses are closely related to the increased pests on crops. Higher temperatures can lead to an earlier establishment, shorter life cycles, more generations and spread in a geographic range. Corn is an important economic crop worldwide. One of its main pests, Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm, FAW) is causing losses of millions of dollars. Maps of climatic scenarios show an increase in the number of FAW generations for the studyarea. While currently three and four generations are the most common, by 2060 four and five generations can occur over most of the state area. In some areas, seven generations can occur within a season; currently, seven generations do not occur in the state but six generations can occur in very small areas. These results show that more days with warm temperatures in a breeding season can lead to a decrease in the FAW life cycle duration,enabling more broods per season. This increase can generate more pressure in agricultural areas with negative economic and social impacts on the corn supply in the future. The results of this modelling could be used to perform mitigation and adaptation policies to guarantee food security under a changing global climate

Through the present manuscript, we are reporting for the first time the presence of Cyclophorus pfeifferi Reeve, 1861 in India. Previously, this species of land snail was reported only from South-East Asian countries Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The specimens were collected during field sur- veys in Dampa Tiger Reserve in Mizoram state, India. The presence of C. pfeifferi in India reveals the range expansion and long-distance dispersal abilities of the species. Here we discuss the taxonomy, ecology and possible routes of dispersal of the species in India.

Montane systems, formed by a series of climatic oscillations and temporal topographic metamorphoses, have broken up the contiguous distribution of widespread species and accelerated allopatric speciation. We used a partial fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene to address speciation across the entire range of the Siberian ibex Capra sibirica. We demonstrated that the Siberian ibex is a polytypic species, plausibly formed by a combination of at least 2 species and/or 3 to 4 sub-species. Bayesian phylogeny showed that the Indian-Tajikistan (I-T) clade is adequately diverged from the other clades based on the mean intra-specific distance criterion, and warrants recognition as a distinct species. We provide pragmatic evidence for the endorsement of the I-T clade as a distinct species of Siberian ibex and urge prioritization of the conservation of this species at global and regional scales.

The present investigation entitled “Studies the effect of integrated nutrient management on fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) “Was conducted during the period from October 2016 to March 2017 at the Department of Plantation, Spices, Medicinal, Aromatic Crops, College of Horticulture Mandsaur, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya Gwalior (M.P.) The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with three replications. Fenugreek cultivar AFG-3 was used for the experiment. Twelve treatments consisting of integrated nutrient management with organic, inorganic and biofertilizers along with control.The observations on different growth and yield parameters were recorded and the results obtained are summarized below. On the basis of one year research trial it could be concluded that the treatment (T11) i.e. 50% RDF + Neem cake @ 1 ton ha-1 + Rhizobium + PSB was best at all the stages of growth parameters like plant height 30, 60 and 90 das (cm), number of primary branches per plant at 30, 60 and 90 DAS, number of secondary branches per plant at 60 and 90 DAS, length of internode, days to 50% flowering, fresh and dry weight of the plants and yield parameters like days to first pod formation, days to 50% pod formation, number of pods per plant, weight of pod, pod length at number of seeds per pod, weight of seeds per pod, seed yield per plant, seed yield (q ha-1), harvest index and days taken to maturity showed better performance from other treatments of organic, inorganic and biofertilizers applications.

Genetic diversity indices and forensic parameters at 20 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci were evaluated in 233 unrelated individuals of Himachal Pradesh, India. In total, 255 alleles were observed with an average of 11.25 ± 0.88 alleles per locus. None of the loci deviated from Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium. The most polymorphic and discriminative locus was Penta E. The combined power of exclusion and the combined power of discrimination were found to be 0.99 and 1. Additionally, the genetic relationship of the Himachal Pradesh population with the populations of the neighboring state was also investigated. All the STR loci were found polymorphic, and the select panel of STRs was found suitable for population genetic studies and forensic analysis.

Abnormal expression patterns of regulatory small non-coding RNA (sncRNA) molecules such as microRNAs (miRs), piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), and small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) play an important role in the development and progression of cancer. Identification of clinically relevant sncRNA signatures could, therefore, be of tremendous translational value. In the present study, genome-wide small RNA sequencing identified a unique pattern of differential regulation of eight miRs in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). Among these, three were up-regulated (miR-1295a, miR-155, miR-4524a) and five were down-regulated (miR-30a, miR-423, miR-486*, let-7e, and miR-744) in CLL. Altered expression of all these eight differentially expressed miRs (DEMs) was validated by RQ-PCR. Besides, seven novel sequences identified to have elevated expression levels in CLL turned out to be transfer RNA (tRNA)/piRNAs (piRNA-30799, piRNA-36225)/snoRNA (SNORD43) related. Multivariate analysis showed that miR-4524a (HR: 1.916, 95% CI: 1.080–3.4, p value: 0.026) and miR-744 (HR: 0.415, 95% CI: 0.224–0.769, p value: 0.005) were significantly associated with risk and time to first treatment. Further investigations could help establish the scope of integration of these DEM markers into risk stratification designs and prognostication approaches for CLL.

Exploring the gut microbiome is an emerging tool for monitoring wildlife health and physiological conditions which often sustained under the variety of stresses and challenges. We analyzed gut microbiome of Arunachal macaque (Macaca munzala) of two disjunct populations from Arunachal Pradesh, India, to validate whether the geography or the feeding habits plays a principal role in shaping the gut microbiome in natural populations. We observed geography has a mere effect but feeding habits (i.e. feeding upon the leftover food and crop-raiding) significantly influenced the gut microbiome composition. The phylum Proteobacteria found to be enriched in leftover feeding group while phylum Bacteroidetes was differentially abundant in crop-raiding group. We observed predominant phyla Firmicutes followed by Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes with the dominant classes represented by the Clostridia. Interestingly, one individual with known diarrheal/metabolic disorder exhibited complete dominance of the order Bacillales and showed 100% sequence similarity with genus Solibacillus. We raise concern that shift in diet of macaques may compel them to expose for various human diseases as two macaques feeding upon the leftover food exhibited dysbiotic gut microbiome. The present study provides the pragmatic evidences of how the alteration of food resources can harm the physiological condition of the macaques in wild and raises alarm to the forest officials/managers in strategise planting of natural food resources and monitor anthropogenic activities in the distribution of Arunachal macaques.

The present study aims to explore the mammalian diversity of Darjeeling district using camera traps along with questionnaire survey in protected area (PA) and non- protected area (Non-PA). We also attempted to understand the influence of habitat variables on mammalian species richness using the generalized linear mixed models (GLMM). A total of 30 mammal species were recorded of which 21 species were detected through camera trapping with the most abundant records of barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak) and least of the elusive Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) and red panda (Ailurus fulgens). Additionally, melanistic forms of four mammals were also recorded. The mammalian species richness, their capture rate and naïve occupancy did not differ significantly among the PA and Non-PA. The GLMM revealed that the proportions of oak and bamboo in the forest, percentage canopy cover and camera trap operational days (wAICc = 0.145,wBIC = 0.603) were significant predictors of species richness in the study. We suggest Non-PA forest of Darjeeling should be given equal conservation importance as to the PA. Landscape based conservation planning will be imperative for achieving long term conservation goals in the study area.

There is a lack of studies on whether the use of open source mid-resolution image and traditional classification techniques can produce a high-quality output with sufficient level of accuracy required to map mangrove forest trees at species level. To bridge this gap, we employed maximum likelihood algorithm to identify and map out mangrove species composition using open source mid-resolution Landsat data, taking Bangladesh Sundarbans as a case study. Our results showed that such mid-resolution image can yield acceptable accuracy levels to be used in the image analysis at species level. We achieved an overall accuracy of 89.10% and kappa coefficient of 0.87 for the five-identified species, viz. Heritiera fomes, Ceriops decandra, Excoecaria agallocha, Sonneratia apetala, and Xylocarpus mekongensis, which is higher than the required minimum overall accuracy of 85% deemed suitable to use in most of the natural resource mapping applications. With this accuracy level, the spatial coverage of the investigated species for a single year was calculated. We concluded that mid-resolution images, such as Landsat, and the traditional classification algorithm can be applied with confidence for the identification and classification of mangrove forest resources at species level as an alternative to the high resolution satellite images.

Escalation of human-elephant conflict (HEC) in India threatens its Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) population and victimizes local communities. India supports 60% of the total Asian elephant population in the world. Understanding HEC spatial patterns will ensure targeted mitigation efforts and efficient resource allocation to high-risk regions. This study deals with the spatial aspects of HEC in Keonjhar forest division, where 345 people were killed and 5,145 hectares of croplands were destroyed by elephant attacks during 2001–2018. We classified the data into three temporal phases (HEC1: 2001–2006, HEC2: 2007–2012, and HEC3: 2013–2018), in order to (1) derive spatial patterns of HEC; (2) identify the hotspots of HEC and its different types along with the number of people living in the high-risk zones; and (3) assess the temporal change in the spatial risk of HEC. Significantly dense clusters of HEC were identified in Keonjhar and Ghatgaon forest ranges throughout the 18 years, whereas Champua forest range became a prominent hotspot since HEC2. The number of people under HEC risk escalated from 14,724 during HEC1 and 34,288 in HEC2, to 65,444 people during HEC3. Crop damage was the most frequent form of HEC in the study area followed by house damage and loss of human lives. Risk mapping of HEC types and high priority regions that are vulnerable to HEC, provides a contextual background for researchers, policy makers and managers.

The multiplicity of beneficial effects of soil microorganisms, particularly plant growth promotion (PGP), highlights the need to further strengthen the research and its use in modern agriculture. Rhizobia are considered as PGP comes in symbiosis with legumes taking advantage of nutrients from plant root exudates. When interacting with legumes, rhizobia help in increased plant growth through enriching nutrients by nitrogen fixation, solubilizing phosphates and producing phytohormones, and rhizobia can increase plants’ protection by influencing the production of metabolites, improve plant defense by triggering systemic resistance induced against pests and pathogens. In addition, rhizobia contain useful variations to tolerate abiotic stresses such as extreme temperatures, pH, salinity and drought. The search for rhizobium tolerant strains is expected to improve plant growth and yield, even under a combination of constraints.

In the present study, a systematic validated method was developed for the determination of two key dietary dihydrochalcones (DHC) viz. phloridzin (PZ) and phloretin (PT) in the leaves of Sikkim crabapple (Malus sikkimensis) using HPLC-Photo Diode Array (PDA). Chromatographic separation was optimized on a C18 column using a gradient elution of water/acetonitrile with the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min at 25°C at 280 nm. Sample preparation approach is rapid and energy efficient, and it requires no pre-concentration before analysis. Validation showed a good analytical performance in terms of specificity, linearity (r2 > 0.999), precision (% RSD

Cisplatin is a keystone for treatment of both recurring and locally advanced cervical cancer. However toxic side effects and acquired resistance limits its efficacy. Enhanced DNA repair is one of the mechanisms through which cancer cells acquire cisplatin resistance. Inhibitors of PARP, which is a DNA damage repair enzyme, have been approved for use in BRCA mutated cancers like breast and ovary cancer. However little is known about the therapeutic efficacy of PARP inhibitors in cervical cancer, either as a single agent or in combination with cisplatin. We hypothesized that PARP-1 inhibition might improve the sensitivity of cervical cancer cells to cisplatin by diminishing DNA repair. To ascertain this, we determined effect of PARP-1 inhibition on cisplatin cytotoxicity in HeLa and SiHa cell lines. Combination of cisplatin with PJ34, a phenanthridinone-derived PARP-1 inhibitor, augmented cisplatin toxicity in vitro by decreasing cell proliferation, enhancing cell cycle block and cell death, and decreasing invasion and metastasis, when compared with either of the single agent alone. We further show that PARP-1 inhibition inhibited β-catenin signaling and its downstream components such as c-Myc, cyclin D1 and MMPs indicating a possible link between single strand base damage repair and WNT signaling. In conclusion, PARP-1 inhibition might augment cisplatin cytotoxicity in cervical cancer cells by modulating β-catenin signaling pathway. Combining PARP-1 inhibitors with cisplatin might be a promising approach to overcome cisplatin resistance and to achieve a better therapeutic effect.

Species distribution models (SDMs) are valuable for the information they provide to reduce the potential negative effects of climatic factors on agricultural production systems. Such information may be used to prevent the entry and spread of invasive species in new areas, as well as to monitor regions with current occurrence. This is the first study of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) global distribution, focusing on the risk of this disease in areas projected to be suitable for open field tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and for whitefly (Bemisia tabaci - biotypes B and Q). TYLCV (Begomovirus) is an important virus transmitted by B. tabaci and poses a risk to S. lycopersicum cultivation worldwide. Despite the importance of TYLCV, the potential impact of climate change on the global distribution of TYLCV in agricultural crops remains unstudied. The aim of this study was to identify the invasion risk levels for TYLCV in areas optimally conducive for open field tomato cultivation and suitable for B. tabaci (biotypes B and Q) under projected climate changes for the years 2050 and 2070 using MaxEnt and the Global Climate Model (HadGEM2_ES, MIROC5 and CCSM4) under four scenarios (RCPs 2.6, 4.5, 6.0, and 8.5). Our results show that large regions are projected to be suitable for TYLCV in areas of suitability for B. tabaci and optimal for open field tomato cultivation. In the predictions, most areas with optimal conditions for S. lycopersicum and suitable for B. tabaci will be under medium suitability for TYLCV under climate change scenarios. This research may be useful to design strategies to prevent the introduction and establishment of TYLCV where the occurrence has not yet been reported.

OBJECTIVES Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) remains a debilitating cause of death among HIV-infected patients. The combination trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (SXT) is the most effective anti-Pneumocystis treatment and prophylaxis. However, long-term use of this combination has raised alarms about the emergence of resistant organisms. This study was performed to investigate mutations in the dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS) gene and their clinical consequences in HIV-infected patients with PCP. METHODS A total of 76 clinically suspected cases of PCP among HIV-seropositive adult patients from March 2014 to March 2017 were included. Clinical samples (bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and sputum) were investigated for the detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii using both microscopy and nested PCR. DHPS genotyping and mutational analyses were performed and the data were correlated with clinical characteristics. RESULTS Among the 76 enrolled HIV-positive patients, only 17 (22.4%) were positive for P. jirovecii. DHPS gene sequencing showed a novel nucleotide substitution at position 288 (Val96Ile) in three patients (3/12; 25.0%). Patients infected with the mutant P. jirovecii genotype had severe episodes of PCP, did not respond to SXT and had a fatal outcome (P=0.005). All three patients had a CD4+ T-cell count

Recent field survey in Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary (RWS), Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh, India amazed us to locate several bird carcasses on the railway track and prompted to identify the species and possible reasons of mortality from the deteriorated body remains. Surprisingly, DNA analysis with conserved mitochondrial genes i.e. Cytochrome b (Cyt b) and 16S rRNA, identified carcass originated from a Critically Endangered Red-headed Vulture (RHV: Sarcogyps calvus). The present study exhibits mtDNA based identification to be very efficient in species identification and raises concern for the mortality of RHV due to the possible bird-train collisions. We hope this study will get attention of the wildlife conservationists, forest officials and administrators in order to gather long term monitoring data on the mortality of RHV and other animals by train-hits or associated factors and suggest conservation strategies for wildlife management in and around RWS.

The Dubas bug, Ommatissus lybicus de Bergevin, is one of the major pests of the date palm, Phoenix dactylifera, in Oman, reducing its production by 28%. In addition to the important annual costs to control this pest nationwide, effort, cost and time are spent surveying and spotting O. lybicus infestations. Several studies have indicated the possibility of using remote sensing technology to identify plants stressed by pest infestation. The aim of the present study is to detect O. lybicus infestations by quantifying reflectance changes of different infestation levels and calculating different vegetation indices (VIs) using high-resolution multispectral (MS) images. An image of an area with different sub-locations that had varying levels of infestation was acquired in March 2017 using the WorldView-3 satellite. The reflectance of 8 bands, 32 spectral VIs and maximum likelihood classification (MLC) were derived from the image, and then the correlation was tested using ground-infestation data. The results revealed that the reflectance decreased in the red edge and near-infrared (NIR) bands as the infestation level increased. High levels of infestation showed a significant difference in three bands, red edge, NIR1 and NIR2, compared to no, low and medium levels of infestation. Nineteen out of 32 VIs showed a significant relation with the infestation levels. The relation ranged between r = −0.12, p

Bacterial infections have always been an unrestrained challenge to the medical community due to the rise of multi-drug tolerant and resistant strains. Pioneering work on Escherichia coli polyphosphate kinase (PPK) by Arthur Kornberg has generated great interest in this polyphosphate (PolyP) synthesizing enzyme. PPK has wide distribution among pathogens and is involved in promoting pathogenesis, stress management and susceptibility to antibiotics. Further, the absence of a PPK orthologue in humans makes it a potential drug target. This review covers the functional and structural aspects of polyphosphate kinases in bacterial pathogens. A description of molecules being designed against PPKs has been provided, challenges associated with PPK inhibitor design are highlighted and the strategies to enable development of efficient drug against this enzyme have also been discussed.

Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) and relapse are major issues for patients undergoing allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT). T-regulatory (Treg) cells in the donor graft are negatively correlated with the incidence of aGVHD without any impact on relapse. In this study to determine the association of Treg cells with aGVHD in allo-HSCT patients. Thirty-two patients with hematological disorders, who underwent allo-HSCT. Twenty-nine patients who achieved engraftment were enrolled in the study. Treg cells were quantified in donor graft by flowcytometry and were assessed for their association with aGVHD and other clinical outcomes. Fifteen of 29 patients developed aGVHD. According to the occurrence and severity of aGVHD, patients were divided into two groups: 20 (68.9%) patients with grade 0–I aGVHD and 9 (31.1%) patients with grade II–IV aGVHD. Treg cells/CD4 ratio was significantly higher in the grade 0–I aGVHD group than in grade II–IV aGVHD group, (p = 0.0002). We could not find the association of CD34 dose (p = 0.55) or CD3 dose (p = 0.57) with the severity of aGVHD. Higher Treg cells/CD4 ratio in donor graft was associated with less severe aGVHD. Though more studies are needed, Treg cells/CD4 ratio may be used as a predictive marker for severity of aGVHD in post allo-HSCT.

Molecular tools have been used in wildlife forensics for species identification of indiscernible samples and to provide evidence against poaching of wildlife and illegal trade of their products. Th...

Background Acne is a multifactorial skin disease associated with pilosebaceous unit and caused by bacteria Propionibacterium acnes and Acne vulgaris. Near about 95% people throughout the world suffer from acne at some point in their life span. This disease is more prominent in adults compared to neonates and prepubescent children. Conventionally it is treated with either creams or gels having large number of side effects on patients. Methods We searched about recent advancements in the use of nanotechnological carriers for effective treatment of acne. We focused on the use of liposomes, niosomes, microemulsions, microsponge, microspheres, and nanoparticles to improve anti-acne therapy. Patents regarding use of nanocarrier systems to eliminate acne were also discussed in this review. Results The encapsulation of anti-acne drugs in various nanotechnological carriers improve their efficacy and reduce side effects. These carriers show controlled drug release and improved drug penetration even upto pilosebaceous unit of skin. Local tolerability of anti-acne molecules can be improved by adjusting the concentration in nanotechnological carriers. Conclusions Nanotechnological carriers have opened a new window to design novel, effective and low dose systems for effective eradication acne disease. However, very few nanocarrier based formulations are available in market for topical use and much progress is required in this field to improve anti-acne therapy.