Insect diversity on rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) – A tropical fruit tree of East Asia

Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) is a tropical fruit from the Sapindaceae family and an emerging popular fruit tree in India and other Southeast Asian countries. Insect pest infestation in rambutan has not been systematically documented earlier. As the area of rambutan planting is increasing, a systematic documentation of arthropod diversity associated with rambutan is necessary. This study identified and documented 32 insect pest species on rambutan trees across Kerala, India. Sucking pests were predominant in rambutan followed by leaf and inflorescence caterpillars and beetles. The fluctuation of insect infestation on rambutan with respect to abiotic factors was studied for one year from November 2022 to November 2023. Pest infestations were highest from March 2023 to May 2023 during the flowering and fruit-setting stages. The pest incidence in rambutan showed a positive correlation with temperature and a negative correlation with rainfall and relative humidity. A study was conducted during the flowering season of rambutan to document pollinators. Ten pollinator species were observed on rambutan, with the stingless bee Tetragonula travancorica (Shanas and Faseeh) being the most frequent and abundant flower visitor. Understanding insect diversity can help farmers more effectively anticipate and manage sporadic pest outbreaks

Heterogeneous polymer supported and soluble tantalum metal complex catalysts for acylation reaction: A kinetic study

New soluble and insoluble Tantalum pentachloride complex catalysts are prepared by simple procedures using pyridine and polymer-supported cross-linked (poly-4-vinyl pyridine) beads (PSCPVP) respectively as supports and Tantalum pentachloride as a catalytic moiety (TaCl5). The prepared soluble Py-TaCl5 and insoluble bead-shaped PSCPVP-TaCl5 catalysts have been characterized with FT-IR, UV-Vis, SEM, TGA and elemental analysis techniques. The catalytic efficiency of these catalysts has been examined through acylation of ethanol as a model reaction under identical pseudo first order reaction condition. From the calculated kobs values, it has been noticed that both the catalysts are active and however, Py-TaCl5shown 1.65 fold has increased activity (kobs =11.42x103 min-1) than insoluble PSCPVP-TaCl5 catalyst (kobs= 6.98x103, min-1). Although, PSCPVP-TaCl5 has shown lesser activity than soluble due to its lower cost, recyclability and reusable nature up to third cycle, it has received greater recognition. Hence, in order to utilize this insoluble bead-shaped PSCPVP-TaCl5 catalyst to pack in column reactor and to carry out the same reaction for continuous mode operation at industrial level, detailed kinetics study for acylation of ethanol has been conducted under pseudo first order condition by varying the different experimental parameters and has observed that each parameter has influenced the reaction. The obtained kobs value reveals that reaction rates increase with the increase in the stirring speed, [substrate], [catalyst] and temperature. The thermodynamic parameters viz., activation energy (Ea), entropy (∆S), enthalpy (∆H) and free energy (∆G#) for the reaction are also calculated for the first time and their observed values are 35.2 kJmol-1, -64.6 kJ-1mol-1, 37.7 kJmol-1and 57.3 kJmol-1 respectively. The prepared insoluble catalyst is stable even after its use for three times in acylation without losing its efficiency, thus it is better suited for industrial applications

Unveiling genetic diversity in teak (Tectona grandis L. f.) accessions through ISSR profiling

The present study focuses on understanding the genetic diversity among the selected teak accessions using Inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. Genomic DNA from ten selected teak accessions was extracted using a modified Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide (CTAB) protocol, ensuring high quality and yield. ISSR primers were employed to amplify DNA fragments and resulting bands were visualized. Banding patterns were analyzed to determine the presence of alleles and polymorphism. The study revealed significant genetic diversity among teak accessions, with 212 alleles identified, of which 199 were polymorphic. Cluster analysis grouped accessions into three distinct clusters based on genetic relatedness, highlighting the influence of environmental factors and geographic location on teaks’ genetic variability. Cluster I comprised two accessions, A1 (Top slip-6) and A2 (Top slip-10) (Jaccards’ coefficient=0.361). Notably, A6 (Nellikutha-1) and A4 (Nedumkayam-2) show a close genetic relationship, sharing a common ancestry with A10 (Karulai) and finally, all three are linked with A7 (Nedumkayam-1), forming cluster II. Cluster III included two pairs of closely related accessions: A3(TC4)-A5(TC11) and A8(Nellikutha-2) - A9 (Shankaram-thode1). Neis’ genetic identity and distance indices provided further insights into the degree of genetic similarity and differentiation among accessions

In silico Molecular Docking of Cyclic Peptides against TEM-1 Beta-Lactamases for Effective Antimicrobial Drug Development

Targeting the class A Beta lactamases Omega loop is an ideal way to combat drug resistance because of its significant role in the catalytic activity and deacylation process inhibition. Therefore, the molecular docking approach with computerized peptide-based in silico screening has been applied for the identification of inhibitors of TEM-type βLs. Among the subjected 105 peptides, Chrombacin (-47.8 KJ/mol), Gassericin A (-35.7 KJ/mol), Duramycin (-34.1 KJ/mol), Brevinin-1DYa (-34.0 KJ/mol), Amoebapore A (-31.2 KJ/mol), Mundticin ATO6 (-29.0 KJ/mol), Lactocyclicin Q (-26.3 KJ/mol), Cinnamycin (-25.9 KJ/mol showed highest binding energy. Among the peptides that showed the highest docking score Elafin, Cinnamycin, Duramycin interacted with Lys 73 of the α domain of catalytic residues of TEM-1 Beta lactamases, whereas Taromycin A, Gassericin A interacted with Lys 234 of the β domain, depicting a strong inhibition and also exhibited desirable physicochemical properties. Hence further in vitro examination of these cyclic peptides against the resistant strains is warranted to help design further novel inhibitors based on their scaffolds and also for the development of an effective drug combination regime

High-Capacity Anode for Sodium-Ion Batteries using Hard Carbons Derived from Polyurea-Cross-Linked Silica Xerogel Powders

In this article, we demonstrated carbon aerogel-silica composites derived from polyurea-cross-linked silica xerogel powders (C-PUA@silica) as anodes for Na-ion batteries. These xerogel-derived hard carbons with embedded silica showed a stable high capacity. Of the several hard carbon samples derived at different temperatures, the pyrolyzed sample at 800 °C (C-PUA@silica-800) showed a high capacity of 236 mAh/g at a current density of 10 mA/g and a stable cycle-life at 200 mAh/g. The galvanostatic charge-discharge curves displayed a sloping voltage profile reminiscent of the adsorption mechanism of Na+ storage. On the other hand, higher temperature-pyrolyzed samples at 1300 °C (C-PUA@silica-1300) displayed a lower capacity of 185 mAh/g at a current density of 10 mA/g, and the charge-discharge profile showed a two-step process, a sloping adsorption mechanism at higher voltage and a flat plateau at lower voltage due to the pore-filling mechanism. The two different types of mechanisms in the two xerogel-derived hard carbons can be attributed to the chemistry and size distribution of pores. The stable cycle life for the C-PUA@silica-800 sample has been attributed to the presence of finely distributed embedded amorphous silica particles, as proven by comparing its performance with hard carbon made without embedded SiO2. These xerogel-derived hard carbons have good electronic conductivity, and the anode can be fabricated without the use of added conductive carbon

Pattern of congenital abnormalities in a tertiary hospital and its impact on neonatal mortality

Background: Congenital abnormalities are major contributors of neonatal mortality and stillbirths. However, there is not sufficient data in our country on the prevalence of various congenital malformations and their impact on neonatal mortality. Objectives: To study the prevalence and pattern of congenital anomalies among neonates delivered in a tertiary hospital setting in 3 years and its impact on perinatal and neonatal mortality. Materials and Methods: This hospital based prospective descriptive study was undertaken at tertiary care hospital in Kerala. All babies born in the hospital from January 2013 to December 2015 (3 years) were included in the study. The baby was examined by a pediatrician during the first 24 h to identify any birth defects. A detailed history including familial and gestational factors was taken in babies with birth defects. Photographs, radiographs, ultrasound examination, echocardiography, and chromosomal studies were undertaken as required. The details were entered in a pro forma. The anomalies are classified as per ICD-10 criteria. Results were analyzed by simple statistical techniques recording number and percentage of cases. Results: The prevalence of birth defects in live born newborn was 1.9% whereas, in stillbirths, it was 15.3%. Congenital anomalies also contributed a major risk factor for neonatal death as 22% of the newborns, died in the immediate neonatal period, had some form of congenital anomaly. The major maternal risk factor found to be associated with congenital anomalies was gestational diabetes (21.3%). The patterns of congenital anomalies were musculoskeletal anomalies (25%), central nervous system (18%), genitourinary system (14%), congenital diaphragmatic hernia (12%), cardiovascular system (10%), gastrointestinal (7%), syndromes (6%), non-immune hydrops (5%), and others (3%). Conclusion: Prevalence of birth defects in this birth cohort was 1.9% comparable to other Indian data. In Kerala, one of the major causes of perinatal and neonatal mortality is congenital malformations

Marker-Assisted Breeding as Next-Generation Strategy for Genetic Improvement of Productivity and Quality: Can It Be Realized in Cotton?

The dawdling development in genetic improvement of cotton with conventional breeding program is chiefly due to lack of complete knowledge on and precise manipulation of fiber productivity and quality. Naturally available cotton continues to be a resource for the upcoming breeding program, and contemporary technologies to exploit the available natural variation are outlined in this paper for further improvement of fiber. Particularly emphasis is given to application, obstacles, and perspectives of marker-assisted breeding since it appears to be more promising in manipulating novel genes that are available in the cotton germplasm. Deployment of system quantitative genetics in marker-assisted breeding program would be essential to realize its role in cotton. At the same time, role of genetic engineering and in vitro mutagenesis cannot be ruled out in genetic improvement of cotton

Next-generation sequencing-based comparative mapping and culture-based screening of bacterial rhizobiome in Phytophthora capsici-resistant and susceptible Piper species

Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), a highly valued spice crop, is economically significant as one of the most widely traded spices in the world. The global yield and quality of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) are affected by foot rot-causing soil-borne oomycete pathogen Phytophthora capsici. To gain initial insights toward developing an approach that utilizes microbial genetic resources for controlling foot rot disease in black pepper, we mapped the rhizobiome communities in susceptible Piper nigrum L. and wild-resistant Piper colubrinum. The analysis showed compositional differences in the rhizobiome of two Piper species, which revealed higher diversity and the presence of more differentially abundant genera in P. colubrinum. Furthermore, P. colubrinum rhizobiome had a significantly higher abundance of known anti-oomycete genera, such as Pseudomonas, and a higher differential abundance of Janthinobacterium, Variovorax, and Comamonas, indicating their probable contribution to pathogen resistance. Predictive functional profiling in P. colubrinum rhizobiome showed highly enriched functional gene orthologs (KOs), particularly chemotaxis proteins, osmoprotectants, and other transport systems that aid in pathogen resistance. Similarly, pathways such as phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and other antimicrobial synthesis were enriched in P. colubrinum rhizobiome. The culturable diversity of the resistant root endosphere, which harbors efficient biocontrol agents such as Pseudomonas, strengthens the possible role of root microbiome in conferring resistance against soil-borne pathogens. Our results depicted a clear distinction in the rhizobiome architecture of resistant and susceptible Piper spp., suggesting its influence in recruiting bacterial communities that probably contribute to pathogen resistance