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Background: Soybean leaf blight has been viewed as a possible biotic stress responsible for decreasing yield potential of soybean in Kashmir over the years. Therefore, its etiology and recording associated yield loss were deemed necessary corresponding to baseline findings for deciding any chemical or non-chemical intervention in disease management. Methods: Field and laboratory investigations were undertaken during crop periods of 2019 and 2020. Disease specimens were collected from various locations across valley and the pathogen was isolated on Potato Dextrose Agar medium. To identify the host range of soybean isolate, nine pulse crops were tested under controlled conditions (Tem. 22±3℃ and RH>80%). The relative yield loss and critical stage of chemical intervention were assessed by exposing soybean populations to disease at different phenological stages which created five different levels of disease in a field experiment laid in RBD with four replications. Result: Phoma sojicola (syn. Ascochyta sojicola) was associated pathogen of this disease of soybean in Kashmir. Typical disease symptoms on leaves comprised of roughly circular and brown lesions (up to 20 mm diameter) with concentric rings having interspersed pycnidia. Most often the diseased tissue fall apart and gives it a shot hole expression. Radial daily mycelial growth of the pathogen was 3.62 mm colony was grey olivaceous in the centre and light olivaceous towards periphery. Conidia were hyaline, oblong to ellipsoidal and 1-2 celled with average dimensions of 7.98 × 2.87 μ. Chlamydospores were brown olivaceous, globose to sub-globose with average dimensions of 16.89 × 9.30 μ. After artificial inoculation, Phaseolus vulgaris, Vigna sinensis, V. radiata, V. mungo, Cicer arietinum, Vicia faba and Cajanus cajan manifested disease symptoms after variable incubation periods of 8-13 days, while as Lens esculenta and Pisum sativum resisted the invasion. Early appearance of the Phoma blight (V-1 stage) in soybean can reach a terminal intensity of 67.16 per cent besides causing 51.72 per cent yield loss. Tolerable yield loss (5.63%) was achieved only when the crop was maintained disease free up to R-3 (beginning pod development) stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saffron, a spice derived from the Crocus sativus flowers is used as a coloring agent along with its medicinal application. Pampore area in Kashmir valley is famous for saffron cultivation and is one of the major saffron cultivation areas in the world. In the present study we aimed to isolate and characterize the phosphate solubilizing micro-flora from saffron soils of Pampore (9 sites were selected). The site selection was done based on the slope and altitude of the study region i.e. elevated (location with higher altitude but lower slope), sloppy (location with median altitude than elevated and plains but higher slope) and plain (location with lower altitude and lower slope. Four types of arbuscular mycorrhizae were isolated from the soils of saffron fields by Gerdemann & Nicolson technique. The genera isolated were identified as Glomus, Acaulospora, Scutellospora and Gigaspora. Glomus and Acaulospora were pre-dominant. The highest spore population was found in summer (11.3/g soil) as compared to winter due to the congenial temperature in summer. Root colonization was more (79.9 %) in less phosphorus containing soils. The phosphatase activity was high in summer (37 μgp-NP/g/ha) than winter and maximum values were found in sloppy areas ascertained to minimum phosphorus in these soils. The phosphorus solubilizing bacteria was maximum in summer (18.5 × 105 CFU/g) than in winter and the maximum values were found in plain soils exhibiting the presence of more arbuscular mycorrhizae. The present study concludes that VAM species can act as good bio-fertilizers in order to improve the production of Saffron in Kashmir Valley by demanding more attention to the microbial population of saffron soils and without the use of chemical fertilizers which pollute our soil as well as our environment. Conflict of Interest: The author declare no potential conflict of interest related to this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A device was constructed to monitor viscosity of solutions using fundamental frequency of 9 MHz and 10 MHz quartz crystal. Piezoelectric quartz crystals with gold electrodes were mounted by [...]

A comperative study of organically and conventionally managed soils under beans was conducted to ascertain the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of these soils. Average values of physicochemical and microbiological parameters of the rhizosphere soil samples from the selected districts were compared with the bean rhizosphere soils of the organic farm of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology of Kashmir India. The results revealed that the soil of the organic farm has significantly higher content of organic carbon (1.04%), available Nitrogen, (298.7 kgha-1) phosphorus (16.72 kgha-1), potassium (296.30 kgha-1), dehydrogenase activity (68.7μg TPF/24 hr g-1 soil), total viable bacteria (78.90×106 cfu g-1 soil), fungi (48.73×103 cfu g-1 soil), actinomycete (27.20×103 cfu g-1 soil), phosphate solubilizing bacteria (18.30×105 cfu g-1 soil) and mycorrhizal spores (4.10 spores g-1 soil) followed by that of district Kupwara rhizosphere soils with organic carbon (0.97%), available Nitrogen (293.0 kg ha-1), phosphorus (15.81 kg ha-1), potassium (252.3 kg ha-1), dehydrogenase activity (62.7 μg TPF/24 hr g-1 soil), total viable bacteria (72.60×106 cfu g-1 soil), fungi (45.76×103 cfu g-1 soil), actinomycete (24.3×103 cfu g-1 soil), phosphate solubilizing bacteria (14.8×105 cfu g-1 soil) and mycorrhizal spores (3.8 spores g-1 soil). Rhizobium bacteria were also isolated from the effective nodules of the bean plants grown at different places of various districts in Kashmir valley, India. These isolates after identification were screened for the production of IAA, GA and siderophores. The isolate (Rhizobium phaseoli OF) from Organic farm was found most promising by producing 39.20 μl,162 μl, and 24 μl of IAA, GA and siderophor respectively followed by 37.5 μl, 153 μl, and 21 μl of IAA, GA and siderophor respectively from the isolate obtained from rhizosphere soils of Kupwara district. The isolate (Rhizobium phaseoli OF) was used in combination with three levels of fertilizer nitrogen (0, 20 and 40 kg ha-1) in a field experiment with beans as experimental crop and five replications by adopting RBD design to study the impact on various plant growth and yield attributing features like number of pods per plant, pod weight and number of nodules. Nitrogen uptake, apparent nitrogen recovery and percent soil nitrogen utilization was also estimated. Maximum number of pods (12 plant-1) was recorded under the treatments T5 and T6. Significantly maximum pod weight (5.96 g) and number of nodules (60.45 plant-1) was observed under the treatment T5. Treatments T5 and T6 were at par with respect to nitrogen uptake in grains (63 and 64 kg ha-1), plant biomass (84 kg ha-1) and total N uptake (147 and 148 kg ha-1) by plant. Maximum apparent nitrogen recovery (210) and percent soil nitrogen utilization (46.37) was recorded from the treatment T5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient recycling of resources forms the cornerstone of sustainable development. Among multiple options in stock for waste recycling, vermicomposting technology is regarded as a futuristic strategy, being tested in every part of the globe due to easy accessibility. Hence, a bibliometric study was planned to set a sight on global scientific trends encompassing vermicomposting research in last three decades. The data were retrieved from Google Scholar, Scopus and PubMed. Publications from different search engines were filtered out and 2064 unique documents were collected and illustrated in MS Excel and Vos-viewer. Inferences were drawn on significant aspects, such as publication growth trend, journal analysis and co-occurrence of keywords. The study revealed that the number of publications increased from 3 in 1992 to 166 in 2021. The number of citations also increased and peaked at 4314 in 2015. Following this, we clustered keywords using principle component analysis and worked out links between domains of vermicomposting. Vermicomposting conjoined to words substrate manipulation, quality improvement, heavy metal adsorption, and yield parameters. This implies that vermicompost is being explored for many alternate uses in addition to its use as a fertiliser. We concluded that vermicomposting is one of the promising technologies for waste recycling. It modulates plant growth and subdues stress in plants. Additionally, being an efficient adsorbent, it serves bioremediation of contaminated sites. Therefore, the future of this technology lies in synthesising nano-formulations, integrating into biosensor technology, simulating for predicting timelines under different conditions and making efforts to improve their adsorption.

Returning to campus after remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us were excited about participating in interactive, hands-on health promotion for students. In response, our Office of Wellness Promotion planned a student health and well-being expo in partnership with the university's College of Health Sciences (CHS). Faculty were invited to involve their students in the delivery. Student groups were encouraged to deliver health education in an interactive format. The event was open to the campus community, and participants were able to further their knowledge and skills in health and well-being topics. The student health and well-being expo was the first of its kind at the university, where students could learn with and from their peers and share their skills in many dimensions of wellness. The interactive nature of the activities allowed participants to practice health promotion skills and engage a diverse audience. Analysis of program evaluation data yielded overwhelmingly positive results, with most attendees considering the expo an innovative campus activity that fulfilled a need. Specifically, the interactive nature, peer learning, and incentives were aspects of the event students want to see return in future iterations of the expo.

Objectives: African immigrants represent a rapidly growing immigrant group in the US, yet relatively little is known about influences on the health of this group. This is a particularly important oversight since adaptation to life in the United States can have deleterious effects on health due to the stress associated with immigrant and minority status as well as separation from family abroad. The present study explores how African immigrants experience acculturative stress - the stress-inducing elements of life as an immigrant - and the mental health implications of these experiences in light of home country values and conceptions of health., Design: Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of sub-Saharan African immigrant students attending a metropolitan university in the northeastern United States ( N  = 26). Data were analyzed thematically using NVivo 12., Results: African immigrant students first experience acculturative stress through schools and neighborhoods where they encounter othering processes, including discrimination and racism. Family responsibilities to loved ones in the US and Africa also represent a source of stress that contributes to feelings of isolation and depression experienced while managing college responsibilities. Since these emotional and mental states are not within the purview of how health is viewed in their home countries, many suffer and may not get the care they need to effectively manage their mental health., Conclusion: Findings emphasize shared experiences of navigating cultural dynamics, family pressures, and discrimination that contribute to the stress experienced by African immigrants. Findings also underscore the need for the development of culturally sensitive interventions in university settings so that African immigrant students can be upwardly mobile and healthy in the long-term.

Objective: Understand student concerns with returning to in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic using an e-learning module., Participants: 925 undergraduate and graduate students returning to in-person instruction in Fall 2021., Methods: Five modules educated students about COVID and the transition to in-person learning and collected quantitative and qualitative data related to concerns about COVID and in-person learning., Results: 65% of students expressed comfort in returning to in-person learning and almost all students answered the scenario questions correctly. Identifying as female and African-American as well as living off campus were connected to a decrease in comfort level associated with the return to in-person learning. Six major themes emerged from the qualitative data analysis., Conclusions: Students were well-informed about the COVID-19 pandemic protection measures. These findings suggest that universities can do more to address concerns students have about in-person settings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

IgG4-related disease is an inflammatory, multisystemic disease that affects the immune system. The disease progresses to fibrosis due to inflammation. Retroperitoneal fibrosis is a serious complication. Pancreas, biliary tract, glands, thyroid, lymph nodes, etc. may be involved. Prognosis is usually subacute, and seen in middle age and advanced men. It is characterized histopathologically by IgG4 positive plasma cells, lymphoplasmocytic cell infiltration, and storiform fibrosis. In our case, we evaluated a patient who referred to our clinic from an external center with the complaints of generalized pain, itching, tearing and redness in eyes, involvement of bilateral large joints, and impaired renal function. Diagnosis, treatment and management of the disease are important. Response to glucocorticoid therapy is good., Competing Interests: There is no conflict of interest between authors., (© 2023 The Authors. Clinical Case Reports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)