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Wildfire is an integral component of the terrestrial ecosystem that plays a significant role in regulating the vegetation cover. The paleofire records stored in lacustrine, peat, or marine sedimentary deposits along with environmental proxy records provide temporal information on fire activity and contemporary climatic conditions on a regional scale. A ~2.8m long peat sedimentary profile from Stagmo, Indus Valley, Ladakh Himalaya was examined for sedimentology and charcoal microfossil contents to investigate fire characteristics and reconstruct wildfires which are compared with paleoclimatic changes and past human activities to assess their significance in biomass burning. Charcoal count (CC) analysis provides a suitable method for investigating climatic and vegetation changes with human intervention when no direct evidence is available in the Late-Holocene Trans Himalaya records. The results bring new insight into the interaction between vegetation, fire, and human activity in the Ladakh Himalaya during the past ~2.8 cal kyr BP. An event characterized by high CC at ~2.8 cal kyr BP is distinct from the whole sequence and cannot easily be explained as only the result of a climatic event. This first high charcoal count phase (2.81–2.55 cal kyr BP) could be a natural response to the expansion of forest and dense vegetation with human management interruption. This paleo wildfire event likely corresponds with the time of the Tibetan Plateau’s immediate human occupation. In the second phase, a relatively low charcoal count (1.65–1.54 cal kyr BP) is supported by the high fuel availability during a transitional phase. The third phase of wildfire reconstruction in Ladakh Himalaya is identified at ~1.38 cal kyr BP. This phase can be correlated with the intensified Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) advancing to Trans-Himalaya leading to increased human settlement in the region.

Heinrich Stadial 4 during the last glacial period was marked by severe cooling at northern high latitudes along with the attendant changes in Asian Monsoon (Chinese Stadial 4) and South American Monsoon (South American Stadial 4). Here we present improved constraints on timings of Heinrich/Chinese/South American Stadial 4 onset and termination at sub-centennial precision based on speleothem records. We show that their initial onsets were essentially synchronous (40.20 ± 0.08 thousand years ago) and led the Antarctic warming by ~300 years. The Heinrich/Chinese Stadial 4 termination commenced at 38.34 ± 0.07 thousand years ago following a centennial-scale reduction in the Amazon River runoff and a poleward shift of the Southern Westerly wind belt. These two precursor events may have contributed to a reduced Amazon Plume Region and an enhanced Agulhas salt/heat leakage that led to an abrupt resumption of the Atlantic Meridional Ocean Circulation eventually triggering the Heinrich/Chinese Stadial 4 termination. Severe cooling at high northern latitudes, which marked the onset of Heinrich Stadial 4, was synchronous with changes in tropical monsoon systems and preceded Antarctic warming by around 300 years, according to a compilation of speleothem and ice core records.

The aim of the study was to assess genotypical differences over different stages for morphophysiological parameters associated with iron (Fe) deficiency and their effect on yield. The factorial pot experiment was comprised of two major factors, i) soil-Fe status of natural vertisol [Fe-sufficient and Fe-deficient soils], and ii) genotypes [CP-3443, CP- 4105, CP-3486 and CP-4069] with differential iron-induced deficiency chlorosis (IDC) response. Data were recorded and associations between different traits were estimated. Under Fe-deficient soil, tolerant genotype (CP-3443) recorded significantly higher chlorophyll content, peroxidase activity in leaves, and better yield compared to susceptible genotypes which verified usefulness as IDC tolerant potato genotypes characteristics.

High-resolution proxy records help to understand natural forcing of climate variability and improving our capability to predict climate variability on decadal to centennial time scales. Present study from the Mawmluh cave, northeastern India shows sudden shifts in speleothem oxygen isotope values, indicating several abrupt changes in the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) during ~212 BCE to 1986 CE. Moderate ISM conditions prevailed during ~212 BCE to 400 CE punctuated with weak intervals, strong ISM during 400 and 500 CE and from 640 to 1060 CE, whereas weak ISM conditions prevailed during 520–540 CE, 820–850 CE and 940–980 CE and after 1060 CE. The interval from 1060 to 1986 CE witnessed decreased precipitation than the previous millennium. The latter phase of the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA; 1060 to 1200 CE) was quite drier in contrast to the earlier intervals. The ISM was generally weak during the Little Ice Age (LIA; 1350 to 1850 CE) with short-term pulses of high precipitation when sun-spot activity was high. The data shows the weakest ISM condition during 1640–1740 CE (Maunder Minimum) of the last two millennia. Variations in extra-tropical northern hemisphere temperatures due to volcanic activity and solar insolation, and accompanying northward/southward shifting of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone played a pivotal role in modulating the strength of the ISM during the past two millennia.

The current trend of health-conscious consumers and healthy food habits prompts researchers to explore developing food products with synbiotic benefits. Synbiotic foods have gained popularity in recent years due to their functional, nutritional, physiological, and therapeutic characteristics. Lactose intolerance, dyslipidemia, and allergic milk proteins become the barriers in the development of dairy probiotics. The present scenario of an increase in the demand for vegetarian products leads to a rise in the consumption of non-dairy probiotics. Prebiotics like, resistant starch, inulin, and polyphenols are selectively used by gut microbiota to enhance the selection and colonization of probiotics bacteria. Probiotic's action mechanisms include the production of bacteriocins, peptides, short-chain fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins, and other metabolites. Therefore, this review article explores the alternative sources of probiotics so it will help to an understanding of non-dairy based functional fermented foods for both pro and prebiotics. Dietary fibers in vegetables, fruits, and cereals are one of prospective prebiotics and highlighted the various methods for making non-dairy synbiotics based on dietary fibers, such as microencapsulation, freeze-drying, and spray drying is also addressed.

Changes in monsoon precipitation governed agricultural practices and production, health risks, competition and conflict level of preindustrial human societies in South Asia. To understand monsoon shifts and their implication to the South Asian societies, we produced a sub-decadal scale multiproxy record of monsoon variability from the Rewalsar lake, India encompassing the past ~3200 years. Our multi-proxy data from this lake indicate a long, strong Indian monsoon interval during ~1200 BCE to 450 AD with intermittent short-lived dry phases, the latter half is coinciding with the Roman Warm Period. A moderately wet summer monsoon characterizes the Medieval Climate Anomaly during ~950–1300 AD. The Rewalsar lake experienced hypertrophic conditions across the transition from the Medieval Climate Anomaly to the Little Ice Age (~1250 to 1400 AD) marked by severe depletion in δ15N ratio (0 to −5‰). The monsoon was weak during the Little Ice Age cold interval and has intensified during the past four centuries in the study region. We find an evidence of the coincidence between increased summer precipitation and economic boom in South Asia with flourishing dynasties during the last three millennia.

Background Fruits and vegetables are rich source of phytonutrients. These phytonutrients are present in high concentrations in raw form, and decrease to some extent after processing. The major phytonutrients present in fruits and vegetables are vitamins, carotenoids, polyphenols, curcuminoids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, proteins, peptides, dietary fibers, oligosaccharides, and minerals that exhibit multiple beneficial effects on human health. Lots of research work has been carried out on assessing these phytonutrients in various fruits and vegetables however very limited knowledge is available on assessment of how much of these phytonutrients are available to exert their biological function in the human body. Scope and approach In this review we attempted to provide updated information regarding the methods used for assessing bioaccessibility, extent of bioaccessibile phytonutrients from different food matrix and effect of different processing (boiling, microwaving, frying) and preservation techniques (dehydration and freezing) on bioaccessibility of phytonutrients. Key Finding and Conclusions Food matrix, processing and preservation methods have major influence on the bioaccessibility of phytonutrients. Cooking, frying and pasteurization increased the bioaccessibility of polyphenols and carotenoids in fruits and vegetables. Dehydration can be a good technique to enhance the bioaccessibility of carotenoids. Freezing showed contradictory response on bioaccessibility as it increased bioaccessibility of phytonutrients in some fruits and decreased in others. To achieve maximum bioaccessibility of carotenoids, thermal treatment along with addition of oil is the best; to enhance ascorbic acid and polyphenols bioaccessibility thermal treatment is the best and for enhanced bioaccessibility of mineral and tocopherols high pressure-processing is most suitable.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is considered to be one of the most prominent nongrain food crops throughout the world that can be regarded as most affordable and most accessible food to provide numerous health benefits. Potential role in improving human health is attributed to presence of wide range of phytonutrients in potatoes viz., polyphenols, anthocyanins, carotenoids, ascorbic acid and proteins, vitamins as well as minerals. In India, more than 75% of the potato production is confined to Indo-Gangetic plains due to thermo-sensitivity of the crop. Several reports are available in recent years to develop new cultivars with improved nutritional value as well as nutrient evaluation of existing cultivars. Current status of research on potato phytonutrients particularly antioxidants, minerals and vitamins in relation to human health as well as research carried out on enhancement of these phytonutrients through genetic manipulations has been compiled in this review article.

Malnutrition, unhealthy diets, and lifestyle changes have become major risk factors for non-communicable diseases while ad-versely impacting economic growth and sustainable development. Anthocyanins, a group of flavonoids that are rich in fruits and vegetables, contribute positively to human health. This review focuses on genetic variation harnessed through crossbreeding and biotechnology-led approaches for developing anthocyanins-rich fruit and vegetable crops. Significant progress has been made in identifying genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis in various crops. Thus, the use of genetics has led to the development and release of anthocyanin-rich crop cultivars in Europe and USA. Such a trend is emerging in the developing world. The purple pota-to “Kufri Neelkanth” has been released for cultivation in northern India, and a few colored grain wheat lines, developed through crossbreeding, are being tested for their productivity and adaptation. Although tomato is deficient in anthocyanins, some of its wild relatives are known to accumulate anthocyanins in their sub-epidermal fruit tissue. In Europe, anthocyanin-rich tomato cul-tivar ‘Sun Black’ developed via the introgression of Aft and atv genes has been released. The development of anthocyanin-rich food crops without any significant yield penalty has been due to the use of genetic engineering involving specific transcription factors or gene editing. The anthocyanin-rich food ingredients have the potential of being more nutritious than those devoid of anthocyanins. The inclusion of anthocyanins as a target characteristic in breeding programs can ensure the development of culti-vars to meet the nutritional needs for human consumption, particularly in the developing world.

Stable isotope analysis of biogenic tissues like tooth and bone has become a widely recognized and increasingly important method for provenance of human remains, particularly in bio-archaeological and forensic investigations. Establishing the dietary status and identity of unknown human skeletal remains retrieved from forensic anthropological contexts is a challenging task. Thousands of unknown human osseous remains along with the personalized contextual items, reportedly belonging to 282 Indian soldiers killed in 1857, were excavated non-scientifically from an abandoned well at Ajnala (Amritsar, India). In present study, the isotopic concentrations of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) were estimated from the dentine collagen extracted from 21 first molars to provide information about the geographic affinity and dietary status of the individuals killed in Ajnala. As diagenesis affects bone more severely than enamel or dentine due to increased porosity of the former, so teeth were preferred to bones for stable isotope analysis in present study. The literature supported C: N range of 2.8-3.6 was considered as cut-off for the well-preserved collagen and the samples with values outside this range were considered to be altered or contaminated with non-collagenous materials. The interpretation of the obtained isotope values from Ajnala teeth samples indicated the consumption of C3/C4 mixed diet (though some samples showing marine diet) by the victims which supported the previous observations about the dietary status of Ajnala victims estimated from prevalence of various dental pathologies. Though C and N isotopes are generally not the best indicators of geographic origin, they can be used to for the purpose only if they show different dietary inputs of C3 and C4 plants. Present study results provided scientific confirmation to the written historical accounts that Ajnala skeletal remains belonged to the individuals belonging to the Indian states of Awadh (north-eastern Uttar Pradesh), Bihar and Bengal and some norteastern states.

The probable plant-microbe interactions and interconnected signalling among them occur in the crop rhizosphere and are involved in the stimulation of plant growth, biological suppression of harmful pathogens, and mitigation of crops' abiotic stresses through multifold mechanisms of beneficial rhizosphere microbiota. The positive effects of rhizobacteria on plant growth and soil health are exerted via the mechanism of nitrogen fixation, solubilization of essential nutrients, and supply of plant nutrients, hormonal stimulation, improving root growth, and enhanced uptake of nutrients and water. At present, the focus is on biological strategies for sustainable crop production with the aim of reduced chemical usage. The present book chapter is an attempt to explicate the functions of beneficial and other useful plant-associated microorganisms in the current scenario and their underlying mechanisms in supporting plant growth and nutritional aspects as well as enhancing soil quality and agricultural productivity.

Potato peel waste is one of the zero-value wastes with the potential of bioethanol production through the Waste to Energy (WtE) approach. The newly isolated, phenotypically characterized, and molecular identified high-altitude strain, B. amyloliquefaciens, shown promising starch hydrolysis (12.06 g/L reducing sugars) over acid hydrolysis and is capable of working at 30-50 °C and pH 6.0-8.0. The ethanol production by Acinetobacter sp. (a newly isolated, phenotypically characterized, molecular identified) has been modelled and optimized through the central composite design of response surface methodology by taking the fermentation variables as input variables and ethanol yield as the output variable. The ethanol production by Acinetobacter sp. showcased a non-linear relationship of fermentation variables with the ethanol yield (5.83 g/L) with a 99.11% desirability function (R

The present study assesses the environmental and Land Use Landcover (LULC) changes in the Soan Basin, western Himalaya between 1999 and 2015 and their impacts on groundwater quality and static water level (SWL). An increase in the area of agricultural land (19%), settlement (~ 300%), and dense forest (25%) at the expense of open forest and waste cum grazing land was observed subsequently since the year 1999. SWL was lowered in the basin between 1999 and 2013 due to less groundwater recharge with decreased permeable surfaces and decreased rainfall, except in a few locations in the valley fill region plausibly due to the secondary recharge through seepages, infiltration of irrigational wastewater, and waterlogging in the agricultural fields. A continuous lowering of SWL after 2015, even after increasing the rain amount significantly, indicates overexploitation of groundwater in the region. Enhanced use of fertilizers has resulted in an increased concentration of Na

A simple-to-implement and experimentally validated computational workflow for sequence modification of peptide inhibitors of protein–protein interactions (PPIs) is described., An experimentally validated approach for in silico modification of peptide based protein–protein interaction inhibitors is described.

The Internet is an ever growing frontier of information, knowledge and data exchange. Every day approximately 2.5 quintillion bytes of data is created by the 367 million internet users, which can be anything from photos and videos to audios and gifs etc, worldwide. In India alone, the number of users has reached 523.3 million of the 1.35 billion people. This poses a huge responsibility on various companies that handle the sensitive data for hundreds and thousands of millions of people in India, let alone worldwide. One of the most sensitive data is present in the banking and financial institutions which holds the livelihood of such sensitive information. An attack on such data, be it stealing, selling and modification of data, can be harmful for both the trusted parties involved. This attack can be done via malware, for eg, Zeus, Zitmo, GOZ etc. In today’s world, modern malware creators have innovative and creative ways to design malware which can evade all the pre-existing traditional signature based malware detection softwares. One of the more advanced ways to detect malware is to use and harness the power of machine learning algorithms like Light Gradient Boosting Model. Such a model will be very efficient on the system resources, along with being scalable and will give better results.

Molar-tooth structures (MTS) are enigmatic, micro-crystalline calcite-filled fissures, confined in Proterozoic carbonates. Here we present petrography, carbon isotope, total organic carbon (TOC) and morphological attributes in the context of interpreted palaeoenvironment to understand its development in the Mesoproterozoic carbonates of Lesser Himalaya. Lack of any detrital infill, uniform crystal size and gradational contact with host limestone indicate rapid calcite precipitation in fluid-filled cracks. Reworking of MT as intraclast, folding and offset of MT ribbons supports for early formation before significant lithification. Moderate TOC (0.1–0.9) is possibly due to organic matter preservation under sub-oxic to slightly anoxic/dysoxic conditions. Storm generated bedforms indicate deposition in between fair weather- and storm wave base. Average 1.4‰ depletion of δ13C in MT relative to host limestone, presence of relict microbial laminae along the margin of the MT cracks and storm generated bedforms at outcrop scale indicates that the cracks might have formed by the combined effect of degassing of CO2 generated during the microbial oxidation of organic matter and wave loading by storm. Precipitation of microcrystalline calcite within the cracks may have been triggered by alkalinity generated by the mixing of the outflowing CO2 with seawater.

The intensity of turbidite sedimentation over long timescales is driven by sea-level change, tectonically driven rock uplift and climatically modulated sediment delivery rates. This study focuses on understanding the effect of sea-level fluctuations and climatic variability on grain-size variations. The grain size and environmental magnetic parameters of Arabian Sea sediments have been documented using 203 samples, spanning the last 200 ka, obtained from International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Site U1457. Grain-size end-member modelling suggests that between ~200 and 130 ka there was an increase in the coarse silt fraction caused by sediment transport following reworking of the Indus Fan and development of deep-sea canyons. The sediment size and enhanced magnetic susceptibility indicate a dominant flux of terrestrial sediments. Sedimentation in the distal Indus Fan atc. 200–130 ka was driven by a drop in sea level that lowered the base level in the Indus and Narmada river systems. The low sea-stand caused incision in the Indus delta, canyons and fan area, which resulted in the transportation of coarser sediment at the drilling site. Magnetic susceptibility and other associated magnetic parameters suggest a large fraction of the sediment was supplied by the Narmada River during ~200–130 ka. Since ~130 ka, clay-dominated sedimentation is attributed to the rise in sea level due to warm and wet climate.

Sub-tropicalisation of potato has increased the threat of dry rot during postharvest potato storage at elevated temperatures (10–12 °C). Potatoes meant for processing are generally stored at 10–12 °C, where not only sugars accumulate during prolonged storage, also Fusarium species affects the tuber quality and leads to more losses. Therefore, the present study aimed to reduce the physiological and pathological losses by retaining the processing quality of potatoes through coating with three concentrations of chitosan (0.1%, 0.25% and 0.5%). Tubers were stored at 12 ± 1 °C with 90–95% relative humidity up to 170 days and analysed periodically. Sugar accumulation reduced with chitosan coating of tubers. Chip colour was retained in all coated as well as uncoated tubers. Coating at 0.25% chitosan showed improved chip colour compared to others. Concentration of flavouring compounds increased with increasing chitosan concentration. Chitosan coating reduced the rate of respiration and weight loss. Maximum decrease in rate of respiration with coating was 22% in cultivar Kufri Jyoti and 25% in cultivar Kufri Frysona. Weight loss decrease was 26% in Kufri Jyoti and 15% in Kufri Frysona compared to uncoated tubers. Chitosan coating reduced the Fusarium incidence significantly in dose-dependent manner. Chitosan at 0.25% concentration was able to completely inhibit Fusarium growth. Coating of whole potatoes with chitosan increased the storage life of tubers by reducing the pathological and physiological losses. Coating of tubers with chitosan prior to cold storage will help potato processors to reduce postharvest losses.

Climate variability has played a vital role in the expansion and collapse of human civilizations across the World since ancient times. The Indus Civilization in South Asia has been the focus of investigations to archaeologists, historians, and anthropologists. But little attention was paid earlier to the role of climate variability in shaping the course of this well-established urban civilization. In this paper, we have presented a review of literature to understand various factors that affected the evolution of this cultural enigma. We suggest that the climate change in the region was a major controlling factor in determining the fate of Indus civilization settlements. The transformation of hunter-gatherers into pastoral community between 7000 and 3200 B.C.E., the establishment of village habitations along the Indus River and its tributaries in the Early Harappan phase, urbanization and shifting towards Ghaggar-Hakra rivers in the Mature Harappan phase, and final displacement towards Ganga-Yamuna doab (interfluve) region as village culture were largely modulated by the changing strength of the Indian summer monsoon and amount of precipitation in the region.