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Resistance to antimycobacterial agents consistently remains a major obstacle to end TB in India. Geographical prevalence data regarding drug-resistant evolutionary genetics of M. tuberculosis (MTB) remains sparse in India. Our objective was to determine the genotypic drug resistance mutation pattern for Rifampicin and Isoniazid of MTB isolates to gain an understanding of the prevailing molecular epidemiology of drug-resistant tuberculosis. In this study 2528 M. tuberculosis DNA isolates from presumptive DRTB suspects received at the nodal TB reference laboratory in Kerala were tested for Rifampicin and Isoniazid resistance by sequence-based diagnostic Line Probe assay (LPA). Geographical prevalence and associations of rpoB, katG, inhA resistance codons was analyzed from January 2019 to March 2020. Among the 2528 DNA samples subjected for Rifampicin and Isoniazid resistance determination by LPA, 146 (5.8%) isolates were resistant to both drugs. Isoniazid mono-resistance was found in 164 (6.5%) and Rifampicin mono-resistance in 38 (1.5%) isolates. The most frequent rpoB mutation was S531L (60.32%) followed by S531W/L533P mutations seen in 8.15% of the isolates. S315T1 KatG mutation was seen in 97.33% of Isoniazid resistant isolates. 84.68% isolates with rpoB S531L mutation were found to be multidrug-resistant. 82.9% of isolates with rpoB S531L mutation showed katG S315T1 mutation. Mono isoniazid-resistant isolates were significantly higher compared to mono rifampicin-resistant isolates among the DNA isolates studied in our region. The molecular epidemiological pattern most frequently associated with multidrug resistance was rpoB S531L which was significantly associated with the co-presence of S315T1 mutation.

Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millspaugh] is an important pulse crop grown under Indian rainfed agriculture. Twenty eight pigeonpea genotypes were tested for stability and adaptability across ten rainfed locations in the States of Telangana and Karnataka, India using AMMI (additive main effects and multiplicative interaction) model and GGE (genotype and genotype by environment) biplot method. The grain yields were significantly affected by environment (56.8%) followed by genotype × environment interaction (27.6%) and genotype (18.6%) variances. Two mega environments were identified with several winning genotypes viz., ICPH 2740 (G15), TS 3R (G10), PRG 176 (G8) and ICPL 96058 (G22). E2 (Gulbarga, Karnataka), E3 (Bidar, Karnataka) and E6 (Vikarabad, Telangana) were the most discriminating environments. Genotypes, ICPH 2740, PRG 176 and TS 3R were the best cultivars in all the environments whereas PRG 158 (G9), ICPL 87119 (G12), ICPL 20098 (G19) and ICPL 96058 (G22) were suitable across a wide range of environments. Genotypes, ICPH 2740 and PRG 176 can be recommended on a large scale to the farmers with small holdings to enhance pigeonpea productivity and improve the food security

BACKGROUND: The first national severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) serosurvey in India, done in May-June, 2020, among adults aged 18 years or older from 21 states, found a SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody seroprevalence of 0·73% (95% CI 0·34-1·13). We aimed to assess the more recent nationwide seroprevalence in the general population in India. METHODS: We did a second household serosurvey among individuals aged 10 years or older in the same 700 villages or wards within 70 districts in India that were included in the first serosurvey. Individuals aged younger than 10 years and households that did not respond at the time of survey were excluded. Participants were interviewed to collect information on sociodemographics, symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, exposure history to laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases, and history of COVID-19 illness. 3-5 mL of venous blood was collected from each participant and blood samples were tested using the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay. Seroprevalence was estimated after applying the sampling weights and adjusting for clustering and assay characteristics. We randomly selected one adult serum sample from each household to compare the seroprevalence among adults between the two serosurveys. FINDINGS: Between Aug 18 and Sept 20, 2020, we enrolled and collected serum samples from 29 082 individuals from 15 613 households. The weighted and adjusted seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in individuals aged 10 years or older was 6·6% (95% CI 5·8-7·4). Among 15 084 randomly selected adults (one per household), the weighted and adjusted seroprevalence was 7·1% (6·2-8·2). Seroprevalence was similar across age groups, sexes, and occupations. Seroprevalence was highest in urban slum areas followed by urban non-slum and rural areas. We estimated a cumulative 74·3 million infections in the country by Aug 18, 2020, with 26-32 infections for every reported COVID-19 case. INTERPRETATION: Approximately one in 15 individuals aged 10 years or older in India had SARS-CoV-2 infection by Aug 18, 2020. The adult seroprevalence increased approximately tenfold between May and August, 2020. Lower infection-to-case ratio in August than in May reflects a substantial increase in testing across the country. FUNDING: Indian Council of Medical Research.

Field trials were conducted for three years during kharif season of 2014, 2015 and 2016 to evaluate the integrated pest management (IPM) module against pinworm (Tuta Absoluta) in tomato in comparison with farmer’s practice. Seasonal incidence studies revealed that population increased gradually from September and touched its peak during December (28.00 adults/trap). The insect was found to be higher at the fruit maturity stage and infestation found decreased with increase in temperature. IPM module reduced the cost of cultivation by Rs. 9615.66 ha-1 and the net returns were increased by Rs. 53282.00 per hectare. The average benefit cost ratio was improved with 2.39 in treatment compared to farmers practice 1.92. The results based on pooled data showed that reduction in the fruit damage by Tuta absoluta and good yields is due to the integrated management strategy taken up by installing pheromone traps 2 weeks after transplanting by which awareness on timely spraying of Azadirachtin 1500ppm @ 5ml/lt or combination of Azadirachtin with Chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC @ 0.3 ml or Flubendiamide 480 SC @0.3ml or Indoxacarb 14.5% SC @ 1.75ml carried in practicing farmers field based on ETL level of adult catches and burning of infested plants and remnants of the crop immediately after the fruits have been harvested also found effective in managing the pest.

Cisplatn is one of the chemotherapy for the treatment of triple‐negatve breast cancer (TNBC), but its effectveness is limited because of the phenomenon of chemoresistance. miR‐638 was shown to regulate chemoresistance; however, it has never been validated in the cisplatn‐resistant tumor from patents. This present study aimed to identfy the key gene regulatory networks of miR‐638 and evaluate the potental role of the miR‐638 and its targets as potental prognosis biomarkers for cisplatn‐resistance triple‐negatve breast cancer patents. The miR‐638 target was obtained from the miRecords database while the mRNA of chemoresistance biomarker candidate was obtained from the GSE18864 of GEO database, which is mRNA of cisplatn‐resistance TNBC patents. CCND1 and FZD7 are potental candidates for cisplatn chemoresistance biomarkers in patents with TNBC. Moreover, a Kaplan‐Meier survival plot showed that breast cancer patents with low mRNA levels of FZD7 had signifcantly worse overall survival than those in higher mRNA expression group. Taken together, miR‐638 plays a role in cisplatn resistance mechanism through a mechanism involving its target gene CCND1 and FZD7 . Overall, miR‐638, CCND1 , and FZD7 are candidates for cisplatn biomarker resistance in TNBC.

TSV isolates (GNAP7. SFAP17 and CUKA13) maintained on cowpea were cross inoculated on five popularly grown varieties and hybrids of groundnut (JL-24, K-6, Prasuna, K-9, Kadiri harithandra), sunflower (KBSH-44, DRSH-1, NDSH-1012, Mordent, Sunbred-275) and cucumber (Long green, Poorna, Ageti, Sheetal, Uday). Incubation period required for the initiation of local and systemic symptoms varied among different hosts and cultivars. Local symptoms of veinal necrosis, leaf yellowing and wilting, petiole necrosis, chlorotic spot, tip necrosis and systemic symptoms of mosaic, wilting, necrotic streaks on stem, bud necrosis, axillary shoot proliferation were observed in different hosts and Culivars. Out of 23 plant species tested against TSV by sap inoculation, 15 plant species were susceptible to TSV, which includes Beta vulgaris, Abelmoschus esculentus, Cicer arietinum, Solanum melongena, Ricinus communis, Chrysanthemum indicum, Phaseolus vulgaris, Gerbera jamesonii, Macrotyloma uniflorum, Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata, Tagetus erecta, Allium cepa, Phaseolus coccineus, Solanum lycopersicum, Vigna unguiculata ssp. sesquipedalis.