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A prevalent neurodegenerative condition known as Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by a movement disorder with bradykinesia, rest tremor, rigidity, and postural instability. The majority of contemporary PD treatments are predicated on restoring dopaminergic tone in the striatum; however, there are few effective choices available. These, however, do not change the course of the disease and do not address the dopamine-independent symptoms of PD, such as freezing gait, cognitive impairment, and other non-motor aspects of the condition, which frequently have the biggest effects on quality of life. Novel therapy approaches are developing as our understanding of Parkinson's disease pathophysiology increases. These include therapies that target PD symptoms while avoiding the unfavorable side effects associated with currently available therapies, as well as therapies that halt pathology, minimize neuronal loss, and moderate disease progression. This article discusses some promising approaches that are currently being researched in the laboratories or are in the clinical trial phase such as cell based therapies, gene therapy, neuronal therapy, infusion therapy, neuron regeneration and novel drug approaches, which can pose as the future for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease

The field experiment was conducted during 2010-11 at the Experimental Farm of School of Agricultural Sciences and Rural Development, Medziphema, Nagaland to study the effect of different sources of manuring on growth, yield and quality of capsicum cv. California Wonder under low cost polyhouse condition. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. Application of different levels of fertilizers, organic manures and biofertilizers either alone or in combination significantly increased the quality of capsicum as compared to control. The maximum TSS (9.55 oBrix) and vitamin C (126.31 mg 100-1g) were recorded with the combined application of 50% NPK + 50% FYM + biofertilizers. There was a significant build up of organic carbon in the soil after harvest of the crop with 50% NPK + 50% FYM + biofertilizers. It also recorded highest net return of Rs. 7,93,858.00 /ha and the cost: benefit ratio 1:8. These results indicated that the optimum production and quality of capsicum with higher monetary returns can be obtained with integrated application of 50% NPK + 50% FYM + biofertilizers. This integrated nutrient management saved about 50% of chemical fertilizers without any reduction in yield and quality parameters of capsicum.

A study was conducted at Hi-Tech Unit, Department of Horticulture, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur to evaluate the effect of different nutrient sources in tomato under Naturally Ventilated Polyhouse. The study comprises eight treatment combinations with four replications under completely randomized design. The present investigation was undertaken with a view to work out the costs and returns from polyhouse grown tomato under low cost naturally ventilated polyhouse conditions. Polyhouse cultivation of tomato is emerging as specialized production technology to overcome biotic and abiotic stresses during off-season and also ensure round the year production of tomato. Application with 50 per cent organic and 50 per cent inorganic fertilizers was found best in terms of economic feasibility in tomato as it produced the highest gross return (Rs. 266200.00/1000 m2 area), net return (Rs. 188420.00) and net return per rupee investment (2.42) and was also found to be superior in terms of good quality produce. These results suggested that the optimum production and net return can be obtained with the integrated application of 50 per cent organic and 50 per cent inorganic fertilizers.

A study was conducted at Hi-Tech Unit, Department of Horticulture, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur during 2017 and 2018 to evaluate the effects of different nutrient sources on post harvest soil fertility status in cucumber under Naturally Ventilated Polyhouse. The present study comprises eight treatment combinations with four replications under completely randomized design. From the study, it was found that application of 50% organic management through innovative approaches and 50 % RDF through organic fertilizers resulted in maximum production of cucumber and maximum uptake of macro nutrients by the cucumber plants. It is also confirmed that treatment T7 (50% organic and 50% inorganic fertilizer) improved the post harvest soil fertility status for next crop with better quality produce.

Land degradation is decline in productivity of land in terms of bio-diversity and economy, resulting from various causes including climate and human dominance, leading to loss of ecosystem. It is an issue of global concern and threatens productivity of land, water, biodiversity, ecology, economy, and people. India, with 2.4% of global land area, is homeland for around 18% of global human population and 30.4% livestock population, supporting more than 8% of world’s agriculture with more than 69% area falling under drylands. The blend of high population, high agriculture production and diverse agro-climatic conditions results in excessive pressure on resources. This study is an attempt to access land degradation vulnerability considering human-induced factors, biophysical and climate parameters. Hierarchy-based indexing method is used for analysis using geospatial technique. Study reveals that around 67% of the land area falls under high vulnerability, and 27% area falls under moderate vulnerability. The outcome was further compared with MODIS land surface temperature and normalised difference vegetation index data for validation and is observed that more than 85% area under moderate–high vulnerability is related to increase in surface temperature and/or no-change in vegetation index; this area also falls under low NDVI value range (

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC)-based ex vivo gene therapy has demonstrated clinical success for X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID-X1) patients who lack a suitable donor for HSPC transplantation. Nevertheless, this form of treatment is associated with an increased risk of infectious disease complications and genotoxicity mainly due to the conditioning regimen. In addition, ex vivo gene therapy approaches require sophisticated facilities to manufacture gene-modified cells and to care for the patients after chemotherapy. Considering these impediments, we have developed an in vivo gene therapy approach to treat canine SCID-X1 after HSPC mobilization and systemic delivery of the therapeutic vector. Here, we investigated the use of the cocal envelope to pseudotype a lentiviral (LV) vector expressing a functional gammaC gene. The cocal envelope is resistant to serum inactivation compared with the commonly used vesicular stomatitis virus envelope glycoprotein (VSV-G) envelope and thus well suited for systemic delivery. Two SCID-X1 neonatal canines treated with this approach achieved long-term therapeutic immune reconstitution with no prior conditioning. Therapeutic levels of gene-corrected CD3(+) T cells were demonstrated for at least 16 months, and all other correlates of T cell functionality were within normal range. Retroviral integration-site analysis demonstrated polyclonal T cell reconstitution. Comparative analysis of integration profiles of foamy viral (FV) vector and cocal LV vector after in vivo gene therapy found distinct integration-site patterns. These data demonstrate that clinically relevant and durable correction of canine SCID-X1 can be achieved with in vivo delivery of cocal LV. Since manufacturing of cocal LV is similar to VSV-G LV, this approach is easily translatable to a clinical setting, thus providing for a highly portable and accessible gene therapy platform for SCID-X1.

We used Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer-Next Generation data for mapping possible mineral alterations, which aid in mineral exploration over larger areas. The data were subjected to various advanced processing techniques like Minimum Noise Fraction, Pixel Purity Index, N-Dimensional visualization and Spectral angle mapper classification. End-member spectra were matched with those of the minerals as available in the United States Geological Survey Spectral Library. In the present study, the Ambaji–Deri area of northwestern India was mapped for mineral alterations. The area has thick forest cover along with rugged topography, which warranted the use of hyperspectral remote sensing approach. The minerals such as calcite, muscovite and chlorite have been mapped, which are showing a good correlation with the ground geological records, barring epidote, whose distribution is scattered. We attribute the possible reason to be the spectral similarities between epidote and chlorite, which makes them difficult to differentiate only on the basis of the present hyperspectral study. The hyperspectral technique, as illustrated, provides powerful tool for mapping mineral alteration to mineral deposits. This enables scrutiny of a wider area of interest to being narrowed down for first-hand field investigations.

An experiment was carried out on study of genetic variability in 30 genotypes of ivy gourd at Horticulture Department of Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur during July to September 2017. Twelve Growth and quality characters were studied. The analysis of variance indicated that the mean sum of square due to genotypes were highly significant for all the characters suggesting the presence of good deal of variability in material studied. High magnitude of genotypic as well as phenotypic coefficient of variations were recorded for traits viz., petiole length (27.63% and 29.93%), inter nodal length (22.73% and 23.40%), leaf width (22.63% and 23.35%) and leaf width (22.52% and 23.56%) and highest heritability recorded for inter nodal length (94.30%) followed by leaf length (93.92%), leaf width (91.37%), ascorbic acid (89.48 %), petiole length (85.17%), fruit weight (82.10%), fruit length (79.98%) and chlorophyll content in leaves (78.23%).The highest genetic gain was recorded for petiole length (52.52%) followed by viz., inter nodal length (45.47%), leaf length (45.17%), leaf width (44.34%), fruit weight (34.21%), fruit length (28.24%) fruit diameter (23.31%) & genetic advance were also higher for some characters. Availability of high GCV & PCV shows presence of sufficient genetic variability for evaluated traits. This indicates that there is an ample scope of selection in the present gene pool for yield and its components.

Conditioning chemotherapy is used to deplete hematopoietic stem cells in the recipient’s marrow, facilitating donor cell engraftment. Although effective, a major issue with chemotherapy is the systemic genotoxicity that increases the risk for secondary malignancies. Antibody conjugates targeting hematopoietic cells are an emerging non-genotoxic method of opening the marrow niche and promoting engraftment of transplanted cells while maintaining intact marrow cellularity. Specifically, this platform would be useful in diseases associated with DNA damage or cancer predisposition, such as dyskeratosis congenita, Schwachman-Diamond syndrome, and Fanconi anemia (FA). Our approach utilizes antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) as an alternative conditioning regimen in an FA mouse model of autologous transplantation. Antibodies targeting either CD45 or CD117 were conjugated to saporin (SAP), a ribosomal toxin. FANCA knockout mice were conditioned with either CD45-SAP or CD117-SAP prior to receiving whole marrow from a heterozygous healthy donor. Bone marrow and peripheral blood analysis revealed equivalent levels of donor engraftment, with minimal toxicity in ADC-treated groups as compared with cyclophosphamide-treated controls. Our findings suggest ADCs may be an effective conditioning strategy in stem cell transplantation not only for diseases where traditional chemotherapy is not tolerated, but also more broadly for the field of blood and marrow transplantation.

Intra and inter-annual variations in the sea ice thickness are highly sensitive indicators of climatic variations undergoing in the earth’s atmosphere and oceans. This paper describes the method of...

An experiment was conducted at Hi-Tech Unit, Department of Horticulture, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur during the year 2017-18 to evaluate the yield and quality traits of tomato hybrids under polyhouse condition. The experiment was laid out in completely randomized design with nine hybrids replicated four times. The analysis of variance revealed significant variation among the hybrids for all the characters. The experiment results revealed that hybrid Dev was performed extremely well under polyhouse condition with respect to yield parameters viz. yield per plant (5.50 kg) and yield per square meter (24.42 kg). The observation recorded for biochemical analysis showed that maximum titratable acidity (0.509%), ascorbic acid (17.76 mg/100 g) and lycopene content (5.80 mg/100 g) were recorded in hybrid Arka Samrat. Based on the above experiment Dev and Arka Samrat are promising hybrids under polyhouse cultivation.

Rainfall is one of the major causes of landslides/landslips across the globe. The fatalities and damage caused by rainfall induced landslides increased in recent days. The Nilgiris district in Western Ghats part of Tamil Nadu state is one of the very high to severe landslide hazard-prone areas of India. The present study is focused on estimation of rainfall thresholds and the temporal probability of landslides in different landslide-prone slopes in part of The Nilgiris district. The landslide prone areas identified in earlier research are used for the present study. The landslide locations data for the years 1824 to 2018 were collected and a spatial database on landslide inventory was created. A detailed inventory carried out on the 2009 landslides were analysed and used for the calculation of rainfall thresholds. Monthly and Yearly Rainfall data for the years 2000 to 2011 were collected for 37 rainguage stations from various government agencies. Based on the quality and quantity of data, the rainfall thresholds for 14 different locations were estimated viz., Aderly, Coonoor, Coonoor Railway, Governor Sola, Ooty (Near Botanical Garden), Runnymedu, Burliar where the probability of landslide occurrences is high. The temporal probability of landslide was calculated for four years viz., 1, 3, 5 and 10 years. The present study can be used as a key to develop an early warning system in The Nilgiris District.

CARTOSAT-1-derived 10 m spatial resolution digital elevation model (DEM) for entire India was compiled for several applications. Overall assessment of the accuracy of this product requires additional regional studies involving ground truth control points and accuracy verification methods with a higher level of precision, such as the global positioning system (GPS).The study presented in this paper compares the accuracy of CARTOSAT-1 datasets with respect to eight sites over different terrains in India with the same GPS system. Robust statistical analysis including mean errors, standard deviation error, root mean square error (RMSE), skewness, kurtosis measures and Shapiro–Wilk’s normality test were used for evaluating error. The results of this study show a linear trend between the DEM and the ground control points (GCP). The mean error is very high in highlands ranging up to − 14.06 m, whereas in moderate terrain it ranges around 2.65 m and in the lowland about 1.20 m. RMSE ranges up to 28.82 m in rugged high-altitude topographies, 6.24 m in moderate and 1.98 m in low-altitude regions. However, this study shows that CARTODEM is one of the finest DEM that can be used for the Indian subcontinent as it works more accurately over plain and moderately undulating lands.

SUMMARY The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) conducted its sixth and largest affirmed underground nuclear test on 2017 September 3. Analysis of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data revealed detailed surface displacements associated with the nuclear explosion. The nuclear explosion produced large-scale surface deformation causing decorrelation of the InSAR data directly above the test site, Mt. Mantap, while the flanks of the Mountain experienced displacements up to 0.5 m along the Line-of-Sight of the Satellite. We determined source parameters of the explosion using the Bayesian inversion of the InSAR data. The explosive yield was estimated as 245–271 kiloton (kt) of TNT, while the previous yield estimations range from 70–400 kt. We determined the nuclear source at a depth of 542 ± 30 m below Mt. Mantap (129.0769°E, 41.0324°N). We demonstrated that the Bayesian modelling of the InSAR data reduces the uncertainties in the source parameters of the nuclear test, particularly the yield and source depth that are otherwise poorly resolved in seismic methods.

Coastal areas are dynamic transition zones between land and sea. Their vulnerability is increasing due to human interventions with the natural processes. In the present study, we focused on coastal vulnerability assessment along Karnataka, south-west coast of India to identify the erosion-prone areas by integrating thematic datasets such as shoreline dynamics, land-use/land-cover, geomorphology, geology, elevation and bathymetry using remote sensing and GIS techniques. The 304 km coastline of Karnataka is divided into fourteen littoral cells, and each into a number of transects at uniform intervals. In this coastal stretch, ~ 265 km (87%) is vulnerable to erosion of which ~ 179.5 km (59%) is undergoing erosion at various magnitudes. Littoral cells in the south are subjected to high erosion and vulnerability, and the areas having human interventions are the most erosion-prone. This approach provides valuable information on the degree of potential vulnerability risk which serves as a guide to develop adaptation measures by the coastal zone management authority.

Context: Dental caries remains the most widespread oral disease among all age groups. Hormonal fingerprints (second digit: fourth digit ratio or 2D:4D ratio) are biomarkers displaying sexual dimorphism and diverse human phenotypic traits. A person's genetic makeup may influence the occurrence of dental caries. Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of digit ratio on the incidence of dental caries. Settings and Design: Two hundred patients between 18 and 55 years, reporting for restorations or endodontic therapy, participated in the study. Subjects and Methods: Hormonal fingerprints (2D:4D ratio) were measured with the help of a digital vernier caliper. Caries incidence was recorded using the DMFT index. Statistical Analysis used: Data obtained were tabulated and statistically analyzed using Independent t-test and Chi-square test. Results: Males had a less mean 2D:4D ratio than females, which was statistically significant (p-value = 0.003). Chi-square test was applied, and there was a statistically significant correlation between high digit ratio and caries experience (p-value = 0.002). Females with a high digit ratio and males with a low digit ratio were in the moderate and low caries risk groups with a p-value of 0.029 and 0.001 in the respective risk groups. Conclusion: The present study displayed a correlation between hormonal fingerprints (2D:4D ratio) and dental caries. An indicator of caries risk will help prevent caries by implementing oral hygiene measures, which will reduce its incidence as the most occurring oral disease.

The December 2004 earthquake and the subsequent tsunami have incurred devastating impacts on vital habitats along the Indian coastal region, where few of them are irreversible. The earthquake has uplifted the northern Andaman coast, resulting in a drastic reduction of tidal water influx into the adjoining mangrove-laden mudflats. Satellite images of the period from 2003 to 2019 were used to assess the impact of coastal upliftment on the northern Andaman mangroves. Through satellite data analysis, we report a loss of 6500 ha of northern Andaman mangroves. Tidal hydrodynamics simulation under the post-earthquake scenario showed a vast area of mudflats deprived of tidal influx. This reduction in the tidal inundation has incurred a gradual and permanent mangrove area degradation. The earthquake impact on the mangroves was not spontaneous, but a gradual process, where the mangroves were intact until Mach 2006. The earthquake and the resultant coastal uplift have significantly altered the coastal geomorphology as well as the plant demography of the study area. Field visit revealed the terrestrial vegetation growth along the erstwhile mudflats, and vast areas of mangrove peat are observed, surrounded by successions of marshy and terrestrial plants. As mangroves are preferred habitat for diverse marine and terrestrial organisms and act as a vital food source and juvenile shelters for various fish species, the extensive loss of mangrove area may adversely affect a large scale biological ecosystem.

Imaging spectroscopy/hyperspectral remote sensing technique acquires images in a very narrow and contiguous spectral bands. High spectral resolution data provided by imaging spectrometers enables remote compositional mapping of earth surface. In the present study, we demonstrate the potentials of airborne AVIRIS-NG datasets for identification and mapping of non-metallic minerals. Several minerals such as carbonates, sulphates and phyllosilicate exhibit diagnostic absorption feature in Short Wave Infrared Region (SWIR) (2.0–2.5 μm). Therefore, mapping of wavelength of deepest absorption in SWIR is very useful for exploratory earth surface composition/mineral mapping. To map the mineralogical diversity in the parts of Banswara region, Rajasthan, wavelength of deepest absorption feature and absorption band depth in SWIR region was calculated at each pixel. It was found that majority of pixels showed absorption near ∼2.31, 2.33 and 2.20 μm. Detailed analysis of spectra of image revealed dolomite as dominant mineral at pixels showing deepest absorption at 2.31 μm. Calcite and clays were found to be present at pixels showing deepest absorption feature near 2.33 and 2.20 μm respectively. It is noted that mapping wavelength position of deepest feature is a very fast and reliable indicator of mineralogy. The mineral map of calcite and dolomite shall be useful for locating new mining prospect in the region.

The coastal zone of the Gulf of Kachchh (GoK) is well known for their large tidal range and a vast expanse of intertidal mudflats. Since monitoring of the intertidal mudflats with field observations is not feasible, the paper presents the utilization of microwave remote sensing technique with RISAT-1 dual polarized data for the geomorphological studies of intertidal mudflats. Radar measures backscattering coefficient, which depends on surface roughness parameters, where the surface roughness of intertidal mudflats are functions of sediment ripple height and space between consecutive ripples. Ripple’s height and the distance between ripples (its wavelength) are represented here as root-mean-square height (RMSH) and correlation length (CL) respectively. A semi-empirical model is used to derive RMSH using cross-polarized backscattering coefficient, and CL is calculated using inversion algorithm on a ratio of backscattering coefficient. A surface sediment type map is generated, based on the retrieved ...

Radargrammetry technique using the stereoscopic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images is used for the generation of a digital elevation model (DEM) of a region requires only the amplitude images. SAR stereoscopic technique is analogous to the stereo-photogrammetric technique where the optical stereoscopic images are used for DEM generation. While the advantages of the SAR images are their indifference to atmospheric transparency and solar illumination conditions, the side-looking geometry of the SAR increases the complexity in the SAR stereo analysis. The availability of high spatial and temporal resolution SAR data in recent years has facilitated generation of high-resolution DEM with greater vertical accuracy using radargrammetric technique. In the present study, attempt has been made to generate the DEM of Dehra Dun region, India, from the COSMO-Skymed X-band SAR data-pair acquired at 8 days interval through the radargrammetry technique. Here, radargrammetric orientation approach has been adopted to generate the DEM and various issues and processing steps with the radargrammetry technique have been discussed. The DEM was validated with ground measured elevation values using a differential global positioning system and the root-mean-square error of the DEM was found as 7.3 m. The DEM was compared with the reference DEM of the study area generated from the Cartosat-1 stereo data with a model accuracy of 4 m.

Monitoring of seasonal snow cover is important for many applications such as melt runoff estimation, climate change studies and strategic requirements. Contribution of seasonal snow melt runoff of Chenab River is significant and important to meet hydrological requirement at foothills. Seasonal snow cover of Chandra, Bhaga, Miyar, Bhut, Warwan and Ravi, six major tributaries of Chenab River, becomes crucial to assess the water availability. In addition, altitudinal distribution of snow cover significantly influences the melt runoff which is highly sensitive to minor variations in atmospheric temperature. In this investigation, remote sensing based Normalized Difference Snow Index technique has been used to generate 10 daily snow cover product. Snow cover monitoring of all the sub-basins were carried out for 10 years from 2004–2005 to 2013–2014 during hydrological year (October to June) using Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) of Indian remote sensing satellite (IRS). Accumulation and ablation patterns of snow cover have also been analyzed for the six sub-basins. Accumulation and ablation pattern of snow cover, from 2004 to 2014 which shows slightly increasing trend for all the sub-basins. Meteorological data of Kelong at Bhaga sub-basin was also analysed. Average monthly snow line altitude was estimated for all the sub-basins using hypsographic curve. Chandra and Bhaga sub-basins are at higher altitude and Ravi sub-basin is at lower altitude. It was also observed that areal extent of snow reaches to lower altitude during last 5 years, particularly in Ravi sub-basin.

Systematic inventory of glaciers is required for a variety of applications needed for the comprehensive development of the Himalayan region such as: a) disaster warning, b) estimation of irrigation potential, c) planning and operation of mini and micro hydroelectric power stations, etc. A systematic inventory of the Himalayan glaciers at 1 : 50,000 scale was created for Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra basins using Indian Remote Sensing Satellite data and attempted to modified global standards in GIS environment (Sharma et al, 2013). A robust, user- friendly web-based Himalayan Glacier Information System (HGIS), a first of its kind in the country is developed which facilitates any user to selectively display, query, analyse, compose maps and graphs and print, spatial and aspatial information on glaciers relevant to respective interests. The HGIS architecture is based on Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards and utilises OpenGeo Suite bundled software comprising of Postgresql (PostGIS), Geoserver, GeoWebCache and GeoExplorer each of those having a different function (Anonymous 2010). The spatial and aspatial glacier data sets were stored in a pre-defined format (Sharma et al, 2008) and imbibed into spatially enabled database (PostGIS), having sophisticated functions for spatial data analysis and query. For publishing the data on web page OGC-compliant services are used. The HGIS information content comprise of a) glacier inventory maps and b) inventory data sheet. The map displays the glacier morphology features like accumulation zone and ablation (ice exposed and debris covered) zones, snout location, de-glaciated valleys, moraines and glacier lakes. The basin, sub-basin and administrative boundaries form the background. The inventory data sheet attributes for each glacier provides information on glacier Location, Identification, Dimension, Orientation, Elevation, Classification, etc. The spatial map and datasheet are linked by unique glacier identification number (galc_id) which is a key field present in all corresponding glacier related point, polygon or line layers. All the glacier attribute were made amenable to query and analysis by users. HGIS represents a significant step towards mapping and compiling individual glacier level inventory data in spatial form to fill the void in data and information on the status of Glaciers in the Himalaya and Trans-Himalayan Karakoram region. HGIS provides a basis for assessing the glacier inventory data which has applications in studies related to climate change, water resource planning, hydropower site selection and mitigation of glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) hazards.

Turbidity is one of the important water quality parameters, essentially a proxy to assess eutrophication state in inland coastal systems. In this article, a method of combined near-infrared–shortwa...

Prediction of coastal erosion is a challenging field of research with immense application potential in coastal management plans. In the present study, we simulated coastal morphological changes that occurred under normal and extreme wave conditions during a four-month winter monsoon period along a pocket beach at Yarada near Visakhapatnam city. We used Xbeach, a process-based numerical model to simulate the morphological changes by forcing the model with buoy observed wave parameters. Initial beach topography was generated from DGPS profiles surveyed in November 2014 at regular spatial intervals. Model simulated changes in the beach elevation due to accretion and erosion are validated by DGPS profiles re-surveyed in March 2015. During the four-month period, the net sediment transport at Yarada is generally southerly and becomes strong during high wave activity inducing erosion at the northern sector and accretion at the southern sector. The model has simulated the changes in elevation with a high degree of accuracy for the eroded northern sector, and with some disparity along the accreted southern sector. The swash and nearshore processes responsible for the coastal erosion were found to exist throughout the simulation period and intensified during the high wave condition. The paper highlights the importance of modelling studies for conceptual understanding of the beach response to normal and extreme conditions, and for identifying vulnerable sectors of a beach so that appropriate measures can be taken to prevent coastal erosion and loss of land.

We present a source model for the 2019 Mw = 6 Mirpur earthquake, NW Himalaya using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) measurements. Bayesian inversion of InSAR data from both ascending and descending orbits suggests that the earthquake ruptured a shallow (Depth ~ 5 km), near-horizontal (Dip ~2.5°) up-dip portion of the decollement of the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT). The distributed slip model suggests a compact rupture terminating the up-dip end at the base of the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT) with higher slip (> 0.4 m) around the hypocentre, equivalent to a moment magnitude of Mw = 6. A shallow up-dip rupture of the MHT through a moderate magnitude earthquake is atypical as Himalayan earthquakes generally originate at the down-dip portion of the MHT and propagate towards south. We estimate a low effective coefficient of friction of 0.06 ± 0.02 from the slip model and suggest that high pore fluid pressures and/or a weak, lubricated portion of decollement could have caused a local, near-horizontal rupture at the base of the MFT. The 2019 Mirpur earthquake released a small fraction of the accumulated strain energy since the 1555 Kashmir earthquake. Coseismic Coulomb stress change analysis suggests a significant increase in stress on the locked, up-dip portion of the MHT and the frontal fold-thrust system. These findings compel a revisit of the seismic hazard assessment of the northwestern Himalaya.

Beach morphologies, primarily include shape, surface changes/variation, and beach volume along with slope, are very dynamic and believed to be largely controlled by waves and currents (Komar, 1998). Contrary to this general notion, results presented in this paper suggest a strong control of the local morpho-tectonic frame-work on foreshore sedimentation. In the 20 km long study area between Bhatkal on the north and Uppunda in the south, foreshore morphology range from reflective and dissipative to intermediate types, but nearshore hydrodynamic regime is similar. The inland morpho-tectonic frame-work reveals graben and horst-like structures. The foreshores bordering these grabens and horsts are dissipative and reflective respectively, have distinctly different granulometric dynamics and sedimentation processes, whereas an intermediate type between the dissipative and the reflective show a large seasonal variability in terms of beach width and slope. The foreshore profile modification indicated that the reflective beaches remained reflective and the dissipative beaches remained dissipative throughout the year, despite the large variation in the wave energy condition from monsoon through post-monsoon to pre-monsoon. Spit growth is observed only in the dissipative beach. Granulometric dynamics in all the three types of beaches show distinct differences. The reflective beaches show significant fluvial characteristics of sediments in all the seasons, dissipative beaches show minor fluvial characteristics and the intermediate beaches show significant fluvial characteristics only during the monsoon seasons. Sediment transport process in the reflective beaches is dominantly by rolling process, in the dissipative beaches suspension is the dominant mechanism, and in the intermediate type beaches a large range from suspension to rolling is observed. Sediments in the beaches are negatively skewed through symmetrical to positively skewed in reflective beaches, while in dissipative beach negative skewness is dominant. Integration of the tectonic framework, beach morphology and granulometric dynamics suggest that temporal and spatial variations in textural characteristics are related to a strong morpho-tectonic control rather than seasonal variations in wave energy condition.

The coastal bathymetry often forms complex and transient morphology, especially along the tide-dominated regions like the Gulf of Khambhat (GoK), west coast of India. The high tidal currents within the gulf relentlessly modify the morphology of the bathymetric features that prompts for a frequently updated bathymetric information. The SAR estimated bathymetry represent updated depth values based on the transient bathymetric features observed from the SAR images. The present study has used ALOS PALSAR-1/2 data to update the depth of shallow water bottom features of GoK. The method involves modeling the gradient in the backscatter coefficient (σ°) modulated by the slope of the bathymetric features with the satellite images. The slope corresponding to the bathymetric feature from hydrographic charts (initial guess bathymetry) and the simulated current velocity forms the input to the model. The bathymetry is updated by varying the slopes of the bathymetric features through iteration until the σ° converges. The method is applied to update the depth of various bathymetric features observed from the SAR images of 2008, 2010, 2014 and 2018. We validated the updated depth from 2018 satellite data using available in situ measurements. The comparison of in situ observation with the hydrographic chart has resulted in RMSE of 3.2 m, while the RMSE have improved to 1.5 m when compared with the SAR updated bathymetry. The temporal dynamics of the bathymetric features are studied using the pair of 2008–10 and 2010-14 SAR images. Analysis has comprehended the morphodynamics of bathymetric features like lateral migration of tidal bars, erosion along the tidal channel periphery, and deposition at the tidal spits. We updated the depth of rapidly changing bathymetric features using the 2018 SAR images. The study shows its potential in operational usage to update the complex nearshore bathymetry from the SAR image.

This paper assesses the ecological changes in mangroves and coral reefs of Marine National Park and Sanctuary (MNP&S), Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat, India during 1972–2014. Landsat 1 Multi Spectral Scanner data were used for 1972 to map the mangroves and coral reefs whereas Landsat 8 Optical Land Imager data were used to map the coral reef extent only, in MNP&S in 2014. Published literature sources were used to record the area of mangroves and coral reefs of MNP&S for various years between 1972 and 2014, and the changes were analyzed. For the year 1972, total mangrove area mapped is 175.36 sq. km and the total reef area mapped comes out to be 402.14 sq. km. The total area of reef in MNP&S computed for 2014 is 443.49 sq. km. Our analysis shows that MNP&S witnessed severe loss of mangroves till 1992, with annual rate of mangrove degradation being 2.89%. Exploitation by local communities and careless release/spillage of oil and brine by nearby industries were found to be two major anthropogenic factors responsible for degradation of mangroves over a period of four decades. Major reasons found for degradation of reefs in MNP&S were mining and deposition of sediments. The area estimates for coral reefs reported in this paper for 2014 are the latest figures available for coral reefs in this region. It is recommended that monitoring of coastal habitats in MNP&S should be done regularly to understand the changes in the ecology of the area.

An experiment was conducted on Effect of humic acid and nutrients mixture on growth and yield parameter of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) under polyhouse condition at Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur (Raj.). The data was analyzed statistically following completely randomized design. The results revealed that treatment T7 [(RDF + humic acid 10 kg/ha soil application + humic acid 0.1% foliar spray + nutrient mixture foliar spray (0.2% Ca + 0.5% Mg + 0.2% B + 0.5% Zn)] was recorded superior to enhance leaf nutrients analysis Ca (1.656%), Mg (0.763%), Zn (25.07ppm) and B (61.94ppm), fruit nutrient analysisCa (1.904%), Mg (0.877%), Zn (58.98ppm) and B (61.84ppm), total Soluble Solids (TSS) (6.020%), ascorbic acid content (39.85mg/100g), lycopene content (3.75 mg/100g) and cost benefit ratio (4.81).

A field experiment was conducted to study the “Effect of different micronutrients on plant growth, yield and flower bud quality of broccoli (Brassica oleracea Var. Italica) cv. – Green Bud” during rabi season of 2014-15 Research field, Department of Horticulture, Allahabad School of Agriculture, Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences Allahabad. The experiment consists of 10 treatment viz, T0 (control), T1 (B), T2 (Mo), T3 (Mn), T4 (B + Mo), T5 (B+ Mn +Zn), T6 (Mo +Mn), T7 (B +Mo +Mn +Zn), T8 (B +Zn), T9 (Zn) laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. The micronutrients (B, Mo, Mn and Zn) were applied at the rate of 2 kg (B), 0.5 kg (Mo), 2.5 kg (Mn), 3 kg (Zn) per hectare significantly increased the plant height (51.30 cm), number of leaves(22.92), Plant spread (52.83 cm), diameter of bud or head (16.90 cm), average bud weight of per plant (303.69 gm), yield ha-1(121.48q), vitamin ‘C’ (93.92 mg), TSS (0Brix) (8.37) content, Plant fresh weight (908.28 gm), dry plant matter(95.61 gm), root weight (45.02 gm) and dry weight(11.65 gm) were maximum in treatment T5 and lowest in T0 (control) under Allahabad agro climatic condition.

Degradation of land is a very vital question to be addressed in present times and needs immediate attention for restoration. There are various kinds of land degradation processes in India such as water and wind erosion, waterlogging, soil salinity and alkalinity, soil acidification, loss of soil organic matter, and other complex processes. The increasing level of CO2 in the atmosphere along with other greenhouse gases is a big concern for human society. Agroforestry as such is a very cost-effective and viable option not only for sustaining productivity but also for having socioeconomic and environmental benefits. Agroforestry has the long-term potential to combat climate change, maintain soil health, improve biodiversity, and protect natural resources. Sequestering C through agroforestry is now considered as an alternative economic opportunity for the mitigation of global climate change and carbon trading in addition to providing multiple associated benefits. The present review discusses role of agroforestry systems for degraded land management with main focus on carbon sequestration. The study undertaken under NICRA (National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture) Project at ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi, for 17 states of India, revealed that total carbon stock under baseline in different states of the country varied from 14.5 to 33.48 Mg C ha−1. Carbon sequestration potential in agroforestry systems existing on farmers’ field varied from 0.11 to 0.82 Mg C ha−1 per year. The inference was drawn that these systems especially in degraded landscapes have tremendous scope of locking carbon and mitigating climate change; however, the magnitude of carbon sequestration would vary depending on the climatic and geographical conditions of the area.

A study has been carried out in part of Chenab basin, Himalaya to understand the relationship between glacio-morphological factors and change in glacial area. Initially change in areal extent of glaciers was derived for two time frames (1962-2001/02 and 2001/02-2010/11). The study comprised of 324 glaciers for the monitoring period of 1962-2001/02 for, which 11% loss in glacial area was observed. Two hundred and thirty-eight glaciers were further monitored between 2001/02 and 2010/11. These glaciers showed an area loss of 1.1%. The annual deglaciation has been found to be higher during the period of 1962-2001/02 compared to 2001/02-2010/11. The spatial and temporal variability in deglaciation was also addressed using glacio-morphic parameters. Area, length, percentage of debris cover, and various elevation parameters of glaciers were observed to have significant controls on relationships to the rate of glacial shrinkage. Larger-area and longer glaciers show a lower percentage of retreat than smaller and shorter ones. Moreover, glaciers located at lower altitudes and having gentle slopes show more area retreat. The results of area retreat in debris covered and debris free glaciers supports that the glaciers covered by debris retard ice melting at some extent. 158 glaciers were observed having no debris cover, and these exhibit 14% of loss in surface area. In glaciers having 40% debris cover, 8% of deglaciation was observed. The glaciers located below equilibrium line altitude (ELA) have experienced 4.6% of deglaciation for the time frame 2001/02–2010/11 whereas it was found to be 1.1% for the glaciers occurring above ELA. However, the orientation of glaciers did not show any considerable influence on glacial change based on hypothesis.