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The effect of feeding damages induced by the leaf folder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenee) at various damage levels on the biochemical parameters of rice leaves was investigated along with the estimation of leaf roll rate. The leaf roll rate was shown to be higher as the pest population increased. Biochemical profile of rice leaves damaged by a leaf folder was studied for quantitative and qualitative variations in soluble carbohydrate, starch and the ratio of chlorophyll a/b using standard biochemical procedures. The tests were carried out on a susceptible rice variety TN1. The result revealed that with increase in infestation by C. medinalis resulted in decreased soluble carbohydrates and starch content in rice leaves. But the trend was different for chlorophyll a/b and the ratio was found higher in pest infested vegetation.

Enhancing the productivity of crops while reducing the environmental footprint are the major challenges especially for rice farming. Precison farming helps in optimising inputs such as fertilizers and water in tune with crop requirement recognizing the spatial and temporal variabilities within and across field. The precision tools viz. Remote sensing, site specific nutrient management systems, global positioning system (GPS), geographical information system (GIS), variable rate applicator, models and decision support system are used for implementing precision rice farming. The precision nutrient management technology like site specific nutrient management options, using sensors for estimating nutrient content in soil and crop and estimating the spatial variability of nutrients and mapping for variable rate fertiliser application helps in achieving the higher nutrient use efficiency compared to conventional practices. Similarly the precision water management such as sensors for moisture content determination and irrigation scheduling increases the water use efficiency. This paper covers the progress made in PF technologies for nutrient and water management focussing on challenged and opportunities in adoption of these technologies.

Insect pests and diseases are the major biotic constraints in rice production. According to the ecosystem, the incidence of insect pests and diseases vary. The degree of loss due to different biotic stresses differ widely depending upon the predominant factors of abundance of these pests in a particular year, season or locality. Though around 800 insect species damaging rice in one way or another, the majority of them do very little damage. In India, about a dozen of insect species are of major pest status. Farmers bear an estimated average of 37% losses in rice crop due to insect pests and diseases every year. This review focuses on status of insect pests and diseases, extent of losses, different tools used in pest monitoring and management in rice. Among the important pest management tools used in rice pest and diseases management are forecasting model for real-time pest-advisory services, light trap, hyper-spectral remote sensing, computer-based decision support system, disruptive technologies (mobile apps).

A study was conducted to examine the interrelationships among socioeconomic factors, household consumption patterns, calorie intake and greenhouse gas emissions factors in rural eastern India based on household survey data. Findings indicated that higher monthly per capita incomes (12.1–80.1$) were associated with greater average calorie intakes (2021–2525 kcal d−1). As estimated by the FEEDME model, in total 17.2% of the population was calorie malnourished with a regional disparity of 29.4–18.2% malnourishment. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were calculated only on the basis of crop and livestock production and consumption. Rice accounted for the highest share of total GHG emissions, on average 82.6% on a production basis, which varied from 58.1% to 94.9% in regional basis. Rice contributed the greatest share (~ 65% and 66.2%) in terms of both calories and GHG emissions (CO2 eq y−1), respectively, on a consumption basis. We conclude that extensive rice farming and increasing animal product consumption are dominant factors in the higher carbon footprint in this region and are likely to further increase with increase in per capita income. This study provides useful information to help for better crop planning and for fine-tuning food access policy, to reduce carbon footprint and calorie malnutrition.

An experiment was conducted at Research Farm, National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Odisha, India to quantify the effect of elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations on the biology and morphometric parameters of yellow stem borer (Scirpophaga incertulas, Pyralidae, Lepidoptera). Yellow stem borer is one of the major pest of rice in the whole rice growing regions of South East Asia. The effect of three carbon dioxide concentrations i.e. 410 ppm (ambient), 550 ppm and 700 ppm on the duration of the developmental period as well as morphometric parameters of each stage of the lifecycle of the pest was analysed. It was found that, there was an increase in the duration of the developmental period of each stage of life cycle as the concentration of CO2 increases. However, the life span of the adult moth was significantly lower under the elevated CO2 concentrations when compared with ambient CO2 concentration. Morphometric parameters viz., mean length, width and weight of each larval instar, pupa and adult were found to be significantly higher in elevated concentrations of CO2 as compared to ambient concentration.

Association between rice grain characteristics and Sitophilus oryzae development were deciphered through laboratory experiments. Among the different physical characteristics evaluated, significant and negative correlation of 100 seed weight was observed with weevil emergence (r = − 0.53) and susceptibility index (r = − 0.51). Hence, 100 seed weight was found out to be important characteristics of grain. Similarly, hardness of the grain delayed weevil emergence (r = − 0.41) and reduced the grain weight loss (r = − 0.245). Biochemical characteristic of grain, like protein was found positively associated with weevil emergence (r = 0.741) and negatively associated with median developmental period (r = − 0.537). Amylose being an important component of grain had negative relation with weevil emergence (r = − 0.007); median development period (r = − 0.093). Among different varieties tested, Cross-12 was found to be moderately resistant compared to others. It was the only variety having long broad grain and recorded highest 100 seed weight indicating size of the substrate could hinder the development of weevils. The aim of the current study is to decipher the association of development of S. oryzae and physico-chemical characteristics of grain governing it.

Background Rice is a major cereal crop and staple food of eastern India, and most farmers depend solely on rice for their livelihood. Rice farming provides both tangible and non-tangible benefits to ecosystems which need to be maintained and enhanced. These benefits are provided through ecosystem services (ES) that include both marketable and non-marketable. Methods In this study, the rice farms in eastern India were valued by quantifying the economic value of the services under conventional method of rice cultivation and the gap of ecosystem services value and farm income per unit area were assessed. A stratified random sampling technique was used in this study for selection of agro-climatic zones, districts, blocks, gram panchayat, and study units (households). Soil sampling was also performed for assessing the regulating services (biocontrol of pests, carbon flow, soil erosion, nitrogen fixation), provisioning services (food and by-products), and supporting services (soil fertility, hydrological flow, nutrient cycling, and soil formation). Results The results indicated that the total economic value of ecosystem services ranged from US$ 1238 to 1688 ha−1 year−1. The marketed (primary production) and non-marketed ecosystem services values ranged from 66–89 to 11–34% of the total, respectively. Valuation of some of the ecosystem services such as cultural services, biodiversity, and gas regulation, which may play a significant role in total ecosystem services, has not been made due to non-availability of data and appropriate methodology for rice ecosystem. Different values of parameters can explain the variability in ecosystem services among the agro-climatic zones in eastern India. Clustering of locations based on variability of ecosystem services helps in identifying intervention points for sustaining and improving ecosystem services, while permitting sustainable agro-ecological intensification. The highest total economic gap between ES value and farm income was found in the north central plateau zone (US$ 1063 ha−1 year−1) and the lowest in the north western plateau zone (US$ 670 ha−1 year−1). Conclusion We suggest various measures to reduce the economic gap, including payments for ecosystem services for rice farming for sustainability of the ecosystem and agricultural development, while ensuring reliable farm income.

A basic IPM module for basmati rice as a part of integrated crop management accounting the pest prevalence and the information available from literature has been developed. As the module is location specific and dynamic, therefore needs regular updating and fine tuning depending on the location and pest prevalence. The technology has been successfully validated and implemented during 1998 to 2019 in Pusa Basmati 1, Taraori Basmati, Dehraduni Basmati, Pusa Basmati 1121 in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand with little modification and fine tuning. Implementation of the technology resulted in increase in rice grain yield i.e., 21.6% in Pusa Basmati 1 at Shikohpur, in Uttar Pradesh 21.5% in Taraori Basmati at Chhajpur in Haryana, 19.5% in Type 3 in Uttarakhand, 14.5 to 22.7% in Pusa Basmati 1121 in Haryana and 38.2% in Pusa Basmati 1121 in Uttar Pradesh over farmer's practices (FP). In all the basmati rice trials, higher yield as well as Benefit - Cost (B-C) ratio was obtained in IPM as compared to FP. Implementation of IPM led to significant reduction in uses of chemical pesticides. In case of IPM, only 1.46 application of chemical pesticides (103.2 g a.i./ha) were undertaken in Pusa Basmati 1121 against 2.8 application in FP (1214.4 g a.i./ha) at Bambawad, Uttar Pradesh. ICAR-NRRI, Cuttack developed and validated IPM module at Sigmapur (Cuttack, Odisha) non-Basmati rice variety Pooja for four kharif seasons i.e 2010-2013 using standard agronomic practices. The trial resulted in an enhancement of 47.1% yield and 26.47 % B-C ratio over FP. Additional income of Rs. 9857/- per ha was also obtained in IPM over FP. On-Farm trial on validation of IPM module in non-Basmati rice (Pooja variety) under semi deep water conditions conducted in 10 ha during rabi 2017 at Nagapur and Basudeipur villages in Khurda district of Odisha resulted in reduction in the incidence of insect pests and diseases with higher population of natural enemies as compared to FP. Rice yield was recorded 5600 kg ha-1 in IPM as against 4900 kg ha-1 in FP. Recently, ICT based e-pest monitoring and advisory has become an important component for area wise implementation of IPM at state and national level. The programme has been successfully implemented in Odisha during 2010 and 2011 under RKVY. Implementation of the programme had resulted successful management of swarming caterpillar in 13 rice growing districts of Odisha during kharif 2010 and 2011.

The insect problem is accentuated in intensive rice cropping where the insects occur throughout the year in overlapping generations. Over 800 insect species damaging rice in one way or another, although the majority of them do very little damage. In India, about a dozen of insect species are of major importance but the economic damage caused by these species varies greatly from field to field and from year to year. Insect pests cause about 10-15 per cent yield losses. Farmers lose an estimated average of 37% of their rice crop to insect pests and diseases every year. This review focuses on precision farming tools being used in rice pest and diseases management viz., forecasting model for real-time pest-advisory services, hyper-spectral remote sensing in pest damage assessment, computer-based decision support system, disruptive technologies (mobile apps).

Dengue is a growing public health problem in India, and acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the least studied complications of dengue virus infection (DVI). This study was conducted to investigate the incidence, clinical characteristics, and risk factors for AKI in DVI. This was a retrospective study of patients with confirmed DVI presenting as dengue fever (DF) or dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS) at our center over a period of 2 years. A total of 620 subjects fulfilling inclusion criteria were studied. Patients were divided into two cohorts (90 patients with AKI and 530 patients without AKI) to determine independent predictors of AKI. Among 620 patients, 454 (73.22%) had classical DF, 141 (22.74%) patients had DHF, and 25 (4.03%) patients had DSS. AKI was present in 90 (16.36%) patients; approximately one-third (31, 34.45%) had AKIN stage 1, 33 (36.66%) patients had AKIN stage 2, and 26 (28.88%) had AKIN stage 3. Among those with AKI, 14 patients expired and all had DHF/DSS. On multivariate logistic regression, AKI was associated with male gender [odds ratio (OR): 2.9], DHF (OR: 7.9), rhabdomyolysis (OR: 8.2), multiple-organ dysfunction (OR: 18.2), hypertension (OR: 0.7), diabetes mellitus (OR: 4.8), delayed hospitalization (OR: 2.2), and use of nephrotoxic drugs (OR: 2.86). In all, 320 patients (51.61%) had hospital stay >3 days. We found that AKI was an independent predictor for longer duration of hospital stay (OR: 7.2, 95% confidence interval: 4.8–10.7). AKI in DVI is associated with significant morbidity, mortality and longer hospital stay.

In this work, we systematically followed the growth of MnOx nanostructures on trimesic acid (TMA)/benzoic acid (BA) functionalised nitrogen doped graphene (NG) and studied their electrocatalytic activity towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In these hybrid materials the MnOx phase, their morphology and Mn surface valency were guided by the functional molecules, their concentration and the duration of reaction, which in turn significantly affected the ORR activity. During the growth in the presence of TMA, agglomerated nanostructures were formed at 2 h reaction, which transformed to well dispersed 4–7 nm particles at 6 h over a large area of NG. However, in the presence of BA, MnOOH nano-flecks were formed at 2 h and transformed to MnOOH nanowires and oval shaped Mn3O4 particles at 8 h of reaction. The valency of surface Mn on the different MnOx nanostructures was ascertained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The ORR activity of samples were studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and rotating disc electrode (RDE) in alkaline medium. Among all the studied samples, the highest ORR activity with most efficient 4e− transfer process is observed for TMA modified NG-MnOX obtained at 6 h of reaction, which is due to its well dispersed nanostructure morphology.

SummaryCotton fiber development is still an intriguing question to understand the fiber commitment and development. Here, we remapped >350 publicly available cotton RNA sequencing data on recently published cotton genome with ∼400 fold coverage. The differentially expressed genes were clustered in six modules whose functions are specific to commitment, initiation, elongation and Secondary Cell Wall (SCW) fiber development stages. Gene Ontology analysis of commitment and initiation specific modules suggests enrichment of genes involved in organ development. The modules specific for elongation and SCW showed significant enrichment of hydroxyproline-rich proteins and hydrolases. Transcription factors (TFs) binding frequency of defined modules suggested that homeodomain, MYB and NAC expresses at commitment stages but their expression was governed by other TFs. We also mined the stage-specific transcriptional biomarker and Exclusively Expressed Transcripts (EETs) for fiber. These EETs were positively selected during fiber evolution and cotton domestication. The extensive expression profiling of six EETs in 100 cotton genotypes at different fiber developmental stages using nCounter assay and their correlation with eight fiber-related suggests that several EETs are correlated with different fiber quality-related traits. Thus, our study reveals several important genes and pathways that may be important for cotton fiber development and future improvement of cotton.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the oncologic safety of submental island flap (SIF) reconstruction in clinically node-negative oral cancer patients. Forty-four clinically node-negative oral cancer patients with tumour size T1–T3 were divided into two groups. The Submental group consisted of 21 patients, who underwent submental island flap reconstruction whereas the control group consisted of 23 patients who underwent reconstruction with other locoregional or free flaps. The locoregional recurrence rate (LRR) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in these two groups were assessed and compared. The follow-up period in the two groups ranged from six to 28 months, with a median follow-up period of 15 months and 21 months, respectively. Results showed that the LRR in the control and the submental group was 21.7% and 19%, respectively (p = 0.825). Kaplan–Meier curve showed that the difference in recurrence-free survival in the two groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.749). Multivariate and bivariate analyses did not establish any relationship between the predictive parameters and locoregional recurrence. Thus, the Submental island flap is a reliable and versatile locoregional flap for the reconstruction of post-resection defects in oral cancer. It has no predictive influence on locoregional recurrence in clinically node-negative oral cancer patients.

We report the electrocatalytic activity of nanosized Co2Fe‐layered double hydroxide (LDH) on nitrogen doped graphene (NG) hybrid materials toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER). An enhanced activity trend was observed with increase in amount of LDH in the hybrid. The highest activity in terms of onset potential (1.48 V), Ej=10 (1.54 V), and Tafel slope (61 mV/dec) was observed for 75 wt% LDH, which is better than pristine LDH and the state of art RuO2. The origin of activity enhancement in the hybrids was correlated with different electrochemical parameters and physical properties of the constituents. In earlier reports, generally the decrease in charge transfer resistance (RCT) at the electrode electrolyte interface was correlated with increase in OER activity. However, in case of LDH‐NG hybrids, a completely opposite trend was observed. The TGA and XRD results showed that higher amount of LDH loading inhibits the NG stacking. The hydrophilic property of LDH, uniform distribution of LDH on NG without agglomeration, and inhibition of NG stacking were proposed to be the reason behind the observed trend in activity.

We report the electrochemical activity of transition metal ion (Fe, Co and Ni) doped MnOx@N-graphene (MnOx@NG) hybrid catalysts towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The doped catalysts displayed significantly enhanced electrochemical performance than the undoped one. The Fe doped MnOx@NG exhibited highest positive shift in onset potential (0.93V vs. RHE), highest electron transfer number (n) (3.87) and lowest peroxide yield (6.35 %) in 0.1 M KOH solution. The Co doped catalyst showed highest current density, which is comparable to that of benchmark 20 wt% Pt/C. The XRD analysis showed that the catalyst samples are poorly crystalline and the doping of either Fe or Co or Ni cation induces formation of Mn2O3, whereas the undoped catalyst consists of both Mn2O3 and MnOOH. The STEM (scanning transmission electron microscope) micrographs revealed that in all the samples the MnOx nanostructures are well dispersed on NG and the elemental mapping of the doped catalysts showed uniform distribution of dopants. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies revealed that doping of either cation results an increase in the average Mn valency of the host MnOx. The change in crystal structure and corresponding ORR activity has also been investigated with increase in dopant amount for Fe doped samples.

A commercial process was developed to treat a Ca-based Mo-V residue generated in Mo processing plant. Vanadium was selectively leached using acetic acid and recovered as iron vanadate by hydro process. Process conditions for selective V leaching and iron vanadate precipitation were investigated. V recovery efficiency of 90.3% was achieved with a V content of 26.5% and an Fe content of 29% in the iron vanadate cake suitable for ferrovanadium industry. The overall Mo recovery in the whole process was 98.6%. The obtained leach residue containing 14.3% Mo with negligible impurities can be used as a feed material for the Mo production process or ferromolybdenum industry. This simple and economical process generates two product streams from a single operation and has the potential to solve a long standing problem of handling such a mixed Mo-V residue.

The dynamic and transitional characteristics of rice field ecosystems provide an excellent environment for integration with compatible components such as fish and duck, which enhances the overall productivity through the effective nutrient recycling. The ecological mechanisms underlying the rice-fish-duck system sustainability have not been studied in detail especially on soil and water chemistry, dynamics of plankton, microbe and benthic populations and their community compositions. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to understand the ecological significance and diversities of organisms in the processes of maintenance of soil health, nutrient recycling and sustainable productivity in different rice-based integrated farming systems. In the integrated system such as rice-fish (RF), rice-duck (RD), and rice-fish-duck (RFD); the physico-chemical parameters of water (dissolved oxygen, nitrate, ammonia, total alkalinity, dissolved organic matter, and total suspended solid) and soil nutrient levels were significantly higher compared to conventional system due to the continuous addition of fecal matters, scooping and churning of soil by fish and ducks in the paddy field ecology. The aquatic biological diversity including planktons (phyto- and zooplankton), soil benthic fauna and microbial populations were dynamic in integrated rice-based system, provides an indication of enhanced soil fertility and production sustainability. The observed decreasing trends of plankton and soil benthic populations in integrated systems (RF, RD and RFD) indicated that fish and ducks fed these materials in rice ecology. Higher productivity and profitability in term of rice equivalent yields (REY) and the ratio of output value and cost of cultivation (OV/CC) were achieved in integrated farming system as compared to conventional rice farming (CRF). Thus, the present study reveals that adoption of rice-fish-duck integrated farming system enhances total farm production and income. Besides, the evaluation of different indicator indices viz., water quality index (WQI) and soil quality index (SQI) have shown a good prediction about ecological aspects of agro-ecosystems and will be helpful in farm management decisions making processes for improving farm productivity, profitability, and overcome any potential limiting factors in the rice-fish-duck integrated farming system. Finally, the present study concluded that rice-fish-duck integration utilizes maximum ecological niches and converted into potential production processes, which enhances farm production, farmer income and improved the soil health through the effective nutrient recycling in the rice ecologies.

The role of soil moisture, light and pH on imidacloprid dissipation was investigated. A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) based method was developed to quantify imidacloprid present in soil with a recovery of more than 82%. Rate of dissipation of imidacloprid from soil was faster in submerged condition compared to field capacity and air dried condition. Imidacloprid dissipated non-significantly between sterile and non-sterile soils, but at field capacity, the dissipation was faster in non-sterile soil compared to sterile soil after 60 days of incubation. Similarly, under submergence, the dissipation of imidacloprid was 66.2% and 79.8% of the initial in sterile and non-sterile soils, respectively. Imidacloprid was rather stable in acidic and neutral water but was prone to photo-degradation. Therefore, imidacloprid degradation will be faster under direct sunlight and at higher soil moisture.

We present the first measurement of the Michel parameters η ‾ and ξκ in the radiative leptonic decay of the τ lepton using 703 fb-1 of data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB e + e − collider. The Michel parameters are measured by an unbinned maximum likelihood fit to the kinematic information of e + e − → τ + τ − → ( π + π 0 ν ‾ ) ( l − ν ν ‾ γ ) ( l = e or μ ) . The preliminary values of the measured Michel parameters are η ‾ = − 2.0 ± 1.5 ± 0.8 and ξ κ = 0.6 ± 0.4 ± 0.2 , where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic.

In this work, we systematically followed the growth of MnO

Land use and land cover (LULC) change have considerable influence on ecosystem services. Assessing change in ecosystem services due to LULC change at different spatial and temporal scales will help to identify suitable management practices for sustaining ecosystem productivity and maintaining the ecological balance. The objective of this study was to investigate variations in ecosystem services in response to LULC change over 27 years in four agro-climatic zones (ACZ) of eastern India using satellite imagery for the year 1989, 1996, 2005, 2011 (Landsat TM) and 2016 (Landsat 8 OLI). The satellite images were classified into six LULC classes, agriculture land, forest, waterbody, wasteland, built-up, and mining area. During the study period (1989 to 2016), forest cover reduced by 5.2%, 13.7%, and 3.6% in Sambalpur, Keonjhar, and Kandhamal districts of Odisha, respectively. In Balasore, agricultural land reduced by 17.2% due to its conversion to built-up land. The value of ecosystem services per unit area followed the order of waterbodies > agricultural land > forests. A different set of indicators, e.g., by explicitly including diversity, could change the rank between these land uses, so the temporal trends within a land use are more important than the absolute values. Total ecosystem services increased by US$ 1296.4 × 105 (50.74%), US$ 1100.7 × 105 (98.52%), US$ 1867 × 105 (61.64%), and US$ 1242.6 × 105 (46.13%) for Sambalpur, Balasore, Kandhamal, and Keonjhar, respectively.

Illumina-Miseq®-based cyanobiont diversity and biomass were analyzed in six Azolla spp. Results revealed that 93–98% of total operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belong to Nostacaceae followed by Cylindrospermopsis with about 1–6% OTUs. The taxonomy of Azolla-cyanobiont is a long-term debate within the scientific community. Morphological and biochemical-based reports indicated the presence of Anabaena, Nostoc and/or Trichormus azollae as abundant Azolla-cyanobionts, however, molecular data did not support the abundance of Anabaena and/or Nostoc. To understand furthermore, the cyanobiont diversity in six species of Azolla (A. microphylla, A. mexicana, A. filiculoides, A. caroliniana, A. pinnata and A. rubra) was analyzed based on 16S rRNA Illumina-MiSeq sequencing. Additionally, biomass and nutrient profiling of Azolla spp. were analyzed and correlated with cyanobiont diversity. Illumina-MiSeq data revealed that 99.6–99.9% of total operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonged to Nostocophycideae (class), Nostocales (order) and Nostacaceae (family). At genus level, the unassigned affiliation (93.4–97.9%) under Nostacaceae family was abundant followed by Cylindrospermopsis OTUs (1.1–6.0%). Interestingly, A. pinnata harboured maximum Cylindrospermopsis OTUs and also recorded higher biomass (40.67 g m−2 day−1), whereas crude protein (25.9%) and antioxidants (76.9%) were recorded to be higher in A. microphylla. Biplot analysis revealed that A. pinnata and its cyanobiont abundance were positively correlated with neutral and acid detergent fibers. Overall, the present findings deepened the understanding about cyanobiont in Azolla and its relations with Azolla nutrient profiling.

Seismic microzonation is a process of estimating site-specific effects due to an earthquake on urban centers for its disaster mitigation and management. The state of West Bengal, located in the western foreland of the Assam–Arakan Orogenic Belt, the Himalayan foothills and Surma Valley, has been struck by several devastating earthquakes in the past, indicating the need for a seismotectonic review of the province, especially in light of probable seismic threat to its capital city of Kolkata, which is a major industrial and commercial hub in the eastern and northeastern region of India. A synoptic probabilistic seismic hazard model of Kolkata is initially generated at engineering bedrock (Vs30 ~ 760 m s−1) considering 33 polygonal seismogenic sources at two hypocentral depth ranges, 0–25 and 25–70 km; 158 tectonic sources; appropriate seismicity modeling; 14 ground motion prediction equations for three seismotectonic provinces, viz. the east-central Himalaya, the Bengal Basin and Northeast India selected through suitability testing; and appropriate weighting in a logic tree framework. Site classification of Kolkata performed following in-depth geophysical and geotechnical investigations places the city in D1, D2, D3 and E classes. Probabilistic seismic hazard assessment at a surface-consistent level – i.e., the local seismic hazard related to site amplification performed by propagating the bedrock ground motion with 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years through a 1-D sediment column using an equivalent linear analysis – predicts a peak ground acceleration (PGA) range from 0.176 to 0.253 g in the city. A deterministic liquefaction scenario in terms of spatial distribution of liquefaction potential index corresponding to surface PGA distribution places 50% of the city in the possible liquefiable zone. A multicriteria seismic hazard microzonation framework is proposed for judicious integration of multiple themes, namely PGA at the surface, liquefaction potential index, NEHRP soil site class, sediment class, geomorphology and ground water table in a fuzzy protocol in the geographical information system by adopting an analytical hierarchal process. The resulting high-resolution surface consistent hazard, liquefaction and microzonation maps are expected to play vital roles in earthquake-related disaster mitigation and management of the city of Kolkata.

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity for Manganese oxide (MnOx) based nanostructures primarily depend upon their morphology, phase and surface Mn valency. While used in fuel cells or metal air batteries, MnOx undergoes irreversible change with degradation in ORR activity. In the present study, we developed a methodology for electrochemical regeneration of their ORR activity by potentiostatic conditioning. MnOx nanostructures with three different morphologies were grown on N doped graphene (NG) and their ORR activity was measured in alkaline medium by rotating ring disc electrode (RRDE). The catalysts were subjected to two step electrochemical treatment and the ORR activity after each step was monitered by rotating disc electrode (RDE). In the first step, the catalysts were put to 300 electrochemical cycles in the potential window 1.12 to 0.12 V (vs. RHE), and after this step, the ORR onset potential showed negative shift, with decrease in limiting current density. On subsequent potentiaostatic treatment at −0.58 V in O2 atmosphere, partial regeneration of onset potential, electron transfer number (n) and current density were observed. The characteristic redox peaks for MnOx disappeared in the first step and reappeared after the second step. After each step, the catalysts were characterised ex-situ by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It showed that after the first step the decay in ORR activity was due to phase transformation to Mn3O4 with decrease in nominal Mn valency and drastic change in microstructure. Then the activity regeneration after the second step was due to the regeneration of MnOOH phase and Mn valency.

Insect pests in the rice agroecosystem, particularly the leaf folder, Cnaphalocrosis medinalis (Guenee) and stem borer, Sesamia inferens (Walker), cause significant yield losses. These pests are generally managed by farmers by application of insecticides and a few biocontrol agents. As a component of integrated pest management, biocontrol agents play a dynamic role in pest control. Although diverse microbial communities are available in the rice ecosystem, bacterial genera such as Bacillus and Pseudomonas spp. are broadly used as biocontrol agents. Therefore, an attempt was made to identify other effective entomopathogenic bacteria to manage the above mentioned pests. In this study, the two entomopathogenic bacteria isolated from diseased pink stem borer (S. inferens Walker) larvae collected from rice fields were identified as Skermanella sp. (KX611462) and Serratia sp. (KX761232). The larvicidal activity of these two bacteria was evaluated against third instar larvae of C. medinalis and S. inferens in in vitro assays and on potted rice plants (Oryza sativa var. TN1). The results of this study demonstrated 50% (LC50) larval mortality of C. medinalis at 2.95 × 103 and 5.88 × 103 colony forming units (CFU) ml−1 for Skermanella sp. and Serratia sp., respectively, under in vitro conditions, 2.57 × 104 and 3.38 × 104 CFU ml−1, respectively, in whole plant assays. Similarly, the LC50 value for Skermanella sp. was 3.80 × 104 CFU ml−1 and Serratia sp. was 2.29 × 105 CFU ml−1 for S. inferens larvae. Our study reports the larvicidal activity of Skermanella sp. against C. medinalis and S. inferens.

The relationship between carapace length (CL), carapace width (CW) and total weight (TW) in the flower moon crab Matuta planipes Fabricius, 1798 was studied and found to be CL = 0.144+1.319 CW and CL = 0.356+1.273 CL for males and females respectively. In case of the carapace width and total weight, the relationships were: TW = 0.272 CW3.011 and TW = 0.474 CW2.555 for males and females respectively. The relationships of carapace length and total weight were: TW = 0.128 CL2.917 for males and TW = 0.184 CL2.650 for females. A linear pattern was found between the relationship of CL and CW for M. planipes, whereas a curvilinear pattern was found between the relationship of CL/CW and TW in the present study. It was also observed that M. planipes is an opportunistic omnivore, seaweed being the most dominant food item followed by crustaceans, seagrass, amphipods and miscellaneous matter.

Different laboratory synthesized metal nanoparticles viz. Copper oxide (CuO), Zinc oxide (ZnO) and silver doped titanium dioxide (Ag-TiO2) were studied for their effect on hatching and survival of larvae and fry of Indian major carp, rohu, Labeo rohita both in direct application in tank water & coated onto tanks. Among these nanoparticles, CuO and ZnO nanoparticles exhibited highest percentage of hatching in both direct addition (78.0 ± 3.1% and 78.05 ± 4.2%, respectively) and coating onto tanks (58.6 ± 2.1% and 61.2 ± 2.7%, respectively) at 1 mg mL−1 while least percentage of hatching was recorded in Ag-TiO2 nanoparticles irrespective of its concentration & mode of supplementation. Highest survival of L. rohita fry (50.13 ± 2.2%) was observed after 15 days post hatching in CuO coated tanks followed by ZnO coated tanks (38.6 ± 2.8%) while least was recorded in Ag-TiO2 coated tanks (22.53 ± 3.0%). However in control tanks coated with Poly-Urethane base with hardener and uncoated control tanks, the survival was 42.4 ± 1.2% and 41.36 ± 1.8% respectively. Further, significantly lower microbial load of water was recorded in CuO nanoparticles coated tanks (1.5 × 1010 CFU L−1) as compared to uncoated control tanks (1.1 × 1016 CFU L−1) without affecting water quality parameters. On the other hand, in Ag-TiO2 coated tanks, significantly lower microbial load (1.0 × 106 CFU L−1) as compared to uncoated control tanks at 15 days post hatching was recorded. However, Ag-TiO2 was toxic to L. rohita larvae & fry both in direct application and coating onto tanks. Considering the beneficial effects of CuO nanoparticle application, it has the scope of being used in a more eco-friendly way in hatchery operations.

The platinum based catalyst exhibits good “oxygen reduction reaction” (ORR) activity while its lower methanol tolerance and high cost obstructs its commercialization. In order to replace this precious metal containing ORR catalysts, transition metal oxides and their composites have been extensively studied. Among the various transition metal oxides, oxides of manganese have attracted massive interest because of their high electrochemical stability, availability, low cost, variable oxidation states and effective catalytic properties. Among the various rare earth oxides, CeO2 is extensively studied. To facilitate the catalytic activity of CeO2, either doping with transition metal and/or integration with a conducting framework is required. In this paper, we have reported the synthesis of manganese doped CeO2/reduced graphene oxide (Mn-CeO2/rGO) nanocomposite with varying manganese concentration using microwave mediated solvothermal method. The ORR activity of synthesized nanocomposites has been studied in basic medium. An optimized 5% Mn doped CeO2/rGO leads to highest ORR activity among the studied catalysts. The synthesized nanocomposite surpasses Pt/C in terms of methanol tolerance and stability.

Molecular doping on graphene, through noncovalent functionalization offers a great opportunity to tune charge density on graphene for catalytic applications. Although enhanced oxygen reduction activity has been reported in heteroatom doped graphene, the synergistic advantage of molecular and heteroatom co-doping has not yet been studied. Here, we report the remarkably enhanced catalytic activity of benzoate or 1-pyrenebutyrate functionalized N-doped graphene (BA-NrGO/PB-NrGO) towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline medium. An efficient 4e(-) reduction process with a more positive onset potential (Eonset = 0.85 V vs. RHE) and high ORR activity (Jk = 3.16 mA cm(-2) at 0.65 V) has been observed in BA-NrGO. DFT studies show that the stimulated ORR activity is due to functionalisation induced increased charge density on active sites.

Application of pesticide in agricultural fields is “unnecessary evil” for non-target microflora and fauna. Hence, to identify the safer pesticide molecules against non-target microbes, a long-term pesticide experiment was initiated at National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, India. In the present study, the effect of continuous application of chlorpyrifos (0.5 kg ha−1) in rice fields on non-target groups of soil microbes and nematodes was studied for seven seasons (four wet and three dry seasons) during 2009–2013. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications of chlorpyrifos-treated (0.5 kg a.i. ha−1) (CT) and untreated control (UT) plots. During seven seasons of experimentation, regular application of chlorpyrifos had no significant effect on population of heterotrophic aerobic, anaerobic, oligotrophic and copiotrophic bacteria in CT compared to UT, whereas, population of asymbiotic aerobic nitrogen fixer, nitrifiers, denitrifiers, gram positive and spore-forming bacteria were significantly reduced by nearly 0.25–2 fold in CT than UT. However, comparatively less deviation in population of actinomycetes, fungi, phosphate solubilizing and sulfur oxidizing bacteria were observed in CT than UT. Significant interactions were found between effects of chlorpyrifos with time in population dynamics of microbes. In plant parasitic nematode species, Meloidogyne graminicola (RRKN) and Hirschmanniella spp. (RRN), were significantly lower (p

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS), the outer membrane of the Gram-negative bacteria, are reported to stimulate the immunity of different vertebrates including fish. However, their potency and spectrum of actions often differ among different bacteria. In this study, effect of crude LPS, derived from three species of smooth Gram-negative bacterial fish pathogens viz. Edwardsiella tarda, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas fluorescens, on certain innate immune parameters of Indian major carp, Labeo rohita was studied. L. rohita yearlings, when injected intraperitoneally with crude LPS extracted from these bacteria showed little variations in different innate immune parameters. Furthermore, LPS injected fish were protected against a virulent E. tarda challenge. Although, no significant difference (p > 0.05) in most of the immune parameters were found with LPS of different bacteria, the E. coli LPS injected fish elucidated high resistivity during challenge study. Hence, there could be some variations in LPS with respect to the bacterial type which needs to be further explored.

Aeromonas hydrophila is a Gram-negative bacteria associated with many disease conditions of aquatic animals. Two rough attenuated variants were derived from two smooth virulent types of this bacterium by continuous passage separately in laboratory over a period of 8 years in brain-heart infusion agar. These variants were checked to be rough lipopolysaccharides (LPS) types and attenuated since they neither produced any disease nor mortality in the injected fishes. The immunogenic potential of these variants remained unaltered as compared to parent smooth types and fish immunized with these variants resisted the infection and mortality upon cross challenge. Because of their intact immunogenic potential and loss of virulence, they may be used as candidates for fish immunization.

Immunogenicity of different antigen preparations of outer membrane proteins (OMP) of Aeromonas hydrophila such as Poly d, l-lactide-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) microparticles, oil emulsion, neat OMP and bacterial whole cells were compared through intra-peritoneal injection in fish, Labeo rohita. Among these preparations, PLGA encapsulated antigen stimulated both innate and adaptive immune parameters and the immunogenicity exhibited by PLGA microparticles was significantly higher (p0.05) at both 21 and 42 days post-immunization suggesting that the above delivery system would be a novel antigen carrier for parenteral immunization in fish, Labeo rohita.

Insect population has changed both spatially and temporally over the period of time in a crop like rice. In the present study, data from the year 1965 to 2017 shows considerable increase of insect pests to 21 numbers. Their spread to large rice areas has been worked out which is a matter of concern, particularly Brown Planthopper (BPH), which has invaded all rice growing areas of the country. Present article focuses on more frequent occurrence of pests in different years related to the extent of damage incurred, which will be the principal concern of applied entomologists and farmers. Insects are classified as pests based not solely on numbers but on socioeconomic impact and on biological tolerance of the host to pest attack. In the present study, emphasis is placed upon host plant resistance to pests, proper monit oring and developing location-specific IPM packages for management of rice insect pests based on their initial populations and the processes by which they change to endemic form.