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Objective: To analyse safety, tolerability, efficacy and logistic issues related to administration of 3 types of therapeutic feeds to children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) from tribal district of Nandurbar, Maharashtra. Design: A three arm open label, block randomized trial using 3 therapeutic feeds i.e. commercially available ready to use therapeutic feed (C-RUTF), locally prepared ready to use therapeutic feed ( L-RUTF) & amylase rich food(ARF) was given to 1092 tribal children of SAM in Nandurbar District, Maharashtra, India during 2014-2015. Setting: Tribal district of Nandurbar, Maharashtra. Participants: 1092 children of SAM, 766 on C-RUTF, 184 on L-RUTF & 143 on ARF followed on treatment for 8 weeks. Outcomes: The recovery rates in the three groups, any untoward effects during treatment and logistic aspects of procurement, delivery, storage & administration of therapeutic feeds. Results: Total number of children with SAM were 1092. Gr 1 – Out of 765 children of SAM, 404 (52.8%) recovered on C-RUTF. Gr 2 – 80 (43.5%) recovered out of 184 on L-RUTF. Gr 3 – 64 (44.8%) recovered on ARF at the end of 8 weeks of treatment, the difference being statistically significant between C-RUTF & others. Out of 38 children on C-RUTF, it was observed that 1 had diarrhoea, 1 had vomiting, 1 had fever, 4 children reported more activity in terms of playfulness, more speaking & smiling. 31 children had nothing specific to report. Out of 34 children on L-RUTF, 6 children reported diarrhoea, 1 had vomiting & 4 children reported fever. 3 children reported more activity. 23 children had nothing specific to report. Out of 19 children on ARF, 1 had diarrhoea, 1 had vomiting, 1 had fever, 3 reported more activity. 13 had nothing specific to report. Untoward effects were noted in 3 out of 38 (7.89%) in C-RUTF group, 11 out of 34 (32.35%) in L-RUTF group and 3 out of 19 (15.7%) in ARF group. Conclusion: C-RUTF was found to be more efficacious, with least untoward effects, easy to administer and was more palatable when compared to L-RUTF & ARF.

Chlorophyll fluorescence is an indicator of plant photosynthetic activity and has been used to monitor the health status of vegetation. Several studies have exploited the application of red/far-red chlorophyll fluorescence ratio in detecting the impact of various types of stresses in plants. Recently, sunlight-induced chlorophyll fluorescence imaging has been used to detect and discriminate different stages of mosaic virus infection in potted cassava plants with a multi-spectral imaging system (MSIS). In this study, the MSIS is used to investigate the impact of drought and herbicide stress in field grown crop plants. Towards this control and treatment groups of colocasia and sweet potato plants were grown in laterite soil beds and the reflectance images of these crop plants were recorded up to 14-days of treatment at the Fraunhofer lines of O2 B at 687 nm and O2 A at 759.5 nm and the off-lines at 684 and 757.5 nm. The recorded images were analyzed using the Fraunhofer Line Discrimination technique to extract the sunlight-induced chlorophyll fluorescence component from the reflectance images of the plant leaves. As compared to the control group, the chlorophyll fluorescence image ratio (F 687/F 760) in the treatment groups of both the plant varieties shows an increasing trend with increase in the extent of stress. Further, the F 687/F 760 ratio was found to correlate with the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and stomatal conductance (gs) of leaves. The correlation coefficient (R 2) for the relationship of F 687/F 760 ratio with Pn were found to be 0.78, 0.79 and 0.78, respectively for the control, herbicide treated and drought treated colocasia plants, while these were 0.77, 0.86 and 0.88, respectively for sweet potato plants. The results presented show the potential of proximal remote sensing and the application F 687/F 760 fluorescence image ratio for effective monitoring of stress-induced changes in field grown plants.

Cassava Mosaic virus Disease (CMD) is the most severe and widespread virus infection that affects cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) crops. This paper investigates the application of photochemical reflectance index (PRI) imaging to detect and assess the impact of varying levels of CMD infection in cassava. Towards this, narrow band reflectance images of field-grown cassava plants were recorded at 531 and 571 nm by proximal sensing with a multispectral imaging system (MSIS). It was observed that the PRI values increase with increasing levels of CMD infection in all the varieties of cassava studied. A scatter plot of the PRI image intensity yielded a sensitivity of 85 % and specificity of 79 % for discriminating visibly no CMD from initial CMD and a sensitivity of 93 % and specificity of 92 % for discriminating initial CMD from advanced CMD. Area under the receiver operator characteristics (AUC-ROC) curve was used to discriminate the CMD infection level by differentiating visibly no CMD from initial CMD [AUC = 0.92] and initial CMD from advanced CMD [AUC = 0.99]. It was observed that PRI values determined from the experimental data follow a linear inverse relationship with net photosynthetic rate (Pn) (R 2 = 0.76) and total leaf chlorophyll (Chl) content (R 2 = 0.80). The results show that PRI imaging can be utilized to discriminate healthy plants from CMD and other stress infected crops by proximal sensing in outdoor plants.

The pollen morphology of ten accessions representing five species of Leea D. Royen ex L.collected from different parts of Kerala State, South India, were studied. The major palynological features appear to be highly conserved with the pollen grains being consistently 3-colporate, prolate-spheroidal to subprolate and medium-sized with microreticulate exine ornamentation. SEM analysis revealed large broad colpi with slightly winged margins, tall muri with warted upper surfaces and irregularly heterobrochate narrow lumina. The luminal floors were not clearly visible due to luminal depth and heavy wax deposition, more frequently at the mesocolpium. The lumina tend to elongate and narrow at the mesocolpium assuming a rugulate nature. Earlier reports of similar pollen traits from the close kin Vitaceae reflect the palynological affinity between the two groups, justifying the recent inclusion of the genus as a subfamily under the Vitaceae.

Cassava mosaic disease CMD is a prominent virus infection that causes considerable crop damage and yield reduction. Early detection of crop damage by remote sensing could be a useful tool for initiating remedial measures to reduce further crop damage. This article presents a non-destructive method for detection and classification of CMD infection, based on the red:far-red chlorophyll chl fluorescence image ratio. This pilot study was carried out in 14 varieties of potted cassava plants Manihotesculenta Crantz with a multispectral imaging system MSIS consisting of an electron multiplying charge coupled device EMCCD camera. Sunlight-induced chl fluorescence SICF images of plant leaves were recorded using the MSIS at the Fraunhofer lines of O2-B at 687 nm and O2-A at 759.5 nm and their off-lines at 684 and 757.5 nm. The recorded images were analysed using the Fraunhofer line discrimination FLD technique to extract the SICF from the solar reflectance in the recorded images. The chl fluorescence image ratio red:far-red, F687:F760 was computed and correlated with the laser-induced chl fluorescence LICF ratio F685:F735 determined by point monitoring, chl content variation, and the net photosynthetic rate Pn. The scatter plot of the F687:F760 image ratio showed good discrimination between different levels of CMD infection as evidenced by the high sensitivity and specificity values. It is observed that the fluorescence image ratio F687:F760 has a good correlation with Pn coefficient of determination R2 = 0.85, chl content R2 = 0.82, and the LICF ratio F685:F735R2 = 0.80, thereby highlighting the potential of the SICF image ratio in the discrimination of CMD infection. The results clearly indicate that changes in the red:far-red fluorescence image ratio due to CMD stress can easily be detected at an early stage and the technique has great potential for monitoring the health of crops and vegetation from proximal sensing platforms.

Chipless RFID tags, owing to their low cost, have opened a new way to the identification systems. Chipless RFID tags operating in the time domain have the advantage of being compatible with large reading distances of the order of a few meters, and also can operate in the ISM frequency bands. However, time domain tags developed until now offer poor coding capacity. This thesis proposes a new method to increase the coding capacity of tags operating in time domain by using C-sections, i.e. the transmission lines are folded so as to have tightly coupled zones that give them a dispersive nature. Another approach based on a multi-layer technique was also introduced, in order to increase the coding capacity considerably. Finally, the proof of concept of a humidity sensor tag based on silicon nanowires is also presented.; La RFID sans puce, en raison du très faible coût des tags, a ouvert une nouvelle voie pour les systèmes d'identification. Les étiquettes RFID sans puce fonctionnant dans le domaine temporel ont l'avantage d'être compatibles avec de grandes distances de lecture, de l'ordre de quelques mètres, et de pouvoir fonctionner dans les bandes de fréquence ISM. Cependant, les tags de ce type développés jusqu'à lors n'offraient qu'une faible capacité de codage. Cette thèse propose une nouvelle méthode pour augmenter la capacité de codage des tags fonctionnant dans le domaine temporel en utilisant des C-sections, c'est-à-dire des lignes de transmission repliées de manière à avoir des zones fortement couplées, ce qui leur donne un caractère dispersif. Une autre approche basée sur une technique multi-couches a également été introduite de façon à augmenter considérablement la capacité de codage. Pour terminer, la preuve de concept d'un tag-capteur d'humidité, basé sur l'utilisation de nano fils de silicium, est également présentée.

Chipless RFID tags, owing to their low cost, have opened a new way to the identification systems. Chipless RFID tags operating in the time domain have the advantage of being compatible with large reading distances of the order of a few meters, and also can operate in the ISM frequency bands. However, time domain tags developed until now offer poor coding capacity. This thesis proposes a new method to increase the coding capacity of tags operating in time domain by using C-sections, i.e. the transmission lines are folded so as to have tightly coupled zones that give them a dispersive nature. Another approach based on a multi-layer technique was also introduced, in order to increase the coding capacity considerably. Finally, the proof of concept of a humidity sensor tag based on silicon nanowires is also presented., La RFID sans puce, en raison du très faible coût des tags, a ouvert une nouvelle voie pour les systèmes d'identification. Les étiquettes RFID sans puce fonctionnant dans le domaine temporel ont l'avantage d'être compatibles avec de grandes distances de lecture, de l'ordre de quelques mètres, et de pouvoir fonctionner dans les bandes de fréquence ISM. Cependant, les tags de ce type développés jusqu'à lors n'offraient qu'une faible capacité de codage. Cette thèse propose une nouvelle méthode pour augmenter la capacité de codage des tags fonctionnant dans le domaine temporel en utilisant des C-sections, c'est-à-dire des lignes de transmission repliées de manière à avoir des zones fortement couplées, ce qui leur donne un caractère dispersif. Une autre approche basée sur une technique multi-couches a également été introduite de façon à augmenter considérablement la capacité de codage. Pour terminer, la preuve de concept d'un tag-capteur d'humidité, basé sur l'utilisation de nano fils de silicium, est également présentée.

National audience; no abstract