Food spectrum and dietary preferences of the Indian anchovy Stolephorus indicus (van Hasselt, 1823) from Thiruvananthapuram coast, Kerala

The food preferences of the Indian anchovy Stolephorus indicus (van Hasselt, 1823) along the Thiruvananthapuram coast of Kerala was studied for a period of one year from June 2013 to May 2014, dividing the entire period into three seasons as pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon. A total of 141 samples were collected and the gut contents were analysed. The principal food item was the crustaceans which included copepods, lucifers, mysids, Acetes and amphipods. The other preferred prey items were molluscs (bivalves and gastropods), small fishes, tintinnids and dinoflagellates. The gastrosomatic and stomach fullness indices revealed almost uniform feeding preferences with copepods being the preferred food item throughout the three seasons. Analysis of variance showed significant (p0.05) seasonal variation was observed in the gut contents of S. indicus. Analyses of the different prey indices [prey diversity index (H), niche width indices (B) and prey evenness indices (e)] of S. indicus for the three seasons indicated an almost uniform distribution of prey species throughout the study period which directly indicate the abundance of the prey items and indirectly indicate a stable potential fishery and ecosystem

Characterization of Sorghum germplasm for various qualitative traits

Present study was performed to characterize 750 germplasm lines with 4 checks namely CSV17, CSV20, CSV27 and CSV21F for various qualitative traits of Sorghum. These 754 genotypes were sown in augmented RBD with 30 replications during Kharif 2014 at Instructional Farm, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur. Majority of the accessions showed poor early plant vigour (40.2 %), dark green leaf (88.6 %), non- tan leaf sheath pigmentation (60 %), drooping leaves (100 %), white midrib colour (51.6 %), senescence (60 %), loose panicle density (31.5 %), elliptical panicle shape (66.5 %), straw glume colour (48.2 %), 3/4 glume coverage (42.9 %), absence of awns (59.5 %), creamy straw seed (39.9 %), oval grain shape (48.8 %), medium seed size (43.7 %), non-lustrous seed (62.0 %), intermediate endosperm texture (50.3 %) and bicolor race (49.6 %). Very good early plant vigour, tan type leaf sheath pigmentation, drooping leaf orientation, straw glume colour, ½ glume covering, oval grain shape, intermediate endosperm texture appeared in all the 4 check. The results of this study indicated that considerable genetic diversity exists among the sorghum accessions

Factors affecting institutional delivery in rural Chitwan district of Nepal: a community-based cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Health facility delivery is considered a critical strategy to improve maternal health. The Government of Nepal is promoting institutional delivery through different incentive programmes and the establishment of birthing centres. This study aimed to identify the socio-demographic, socio-cultural, and health service-related factors influencing institutional delivery uptake in rural areas of Chitwan district, where high rates of institutional deliveries co-exist with a significant proportion of home deliveries. Methods This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in six rural Village Development Committees of Chitwan district, which are characterised by relatively low institutional delivery rates and the availability of birthing centres. The study area represents both hilly and plain areas of Chitwan. A total of 673 mothers who had given birth during a one-year-period were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis using stepwise backward elimination was performed to identify key factors affecting institutional delivery. Results Adjusting for all other factors in the final model, advantaged caste/ethnicity [aOR: 1.98; 95% CI: 1.15-3.42], support for institutional delivery by the husband [aOR: 19.85; 95% CI: 8.53-46.21], the decision on place of delivery taken jointly by women and family members [aOR: 5.43; 95% CI: 2.91-10.16] or by family members alone [aOR: 4.61; 95% CI: 2.56-8.28], birth preparations [aOR: 1.75; 95% CI: 1.04-2.92], complications during the most recent pregnancy/delivery [aOR: 2.88; 95% CI: 1.67-4.98], a perception that skilled health workers are always available [aOR: 2.70; 95% CI: 1.20-6.07] and a birthing facility located within one hour’s travelling distance [aOR: 2.15; 95% CI: 1.26-3.69] significantly increased the likelihood of institutional delivery. On the other hand, not knowing about the adequacy of physical facilities significantly decreased the likelihood of institutional delivery [aOR: 0.14; 95% CI: 0.05-0.41]. Conclusion With multiple incentives present, the decision to deliver in a health facility is affected by a complex interplay of socio-demographic, socio-cultural, and health service-related factors. Family decision-making roles and a husband’s support for institutional delivery exert a particularly strong influence on the place of delivery, and this should be emphasized in the health policy as well as development and implementation of maternal health programmes in Nepal.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/110661/1/12884_2015_Article_454.pd

A Transgenic Rat for Investigating the Anatomy and Function of Corticotrophin Releasing Factor Circuits.

Corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) is a 41 amino acid neuropeptide that coordinates adaptive responses to stress. CRF projections from neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) to the brainstem are of particular interest for their role in motivated behavior. To directly examine the anatomy and function of CRF neurons, we generated a BAC transgenic Crh-Cre rat in which bacterial Cre recombinase is expressed from the Crh promoter. Using Cre-dependent reporters, we found that Cre expressing neurons in these rats are immunoreactive for CRF and are clustered in the lateral CeA (CeL) and the oval nucleus of the BNST. We detected major projections from CeA CRF neurons to parabrachial nuclei and the locus coeruleus, dorsal and ventral BNST, and more minor projections to lateral portions of the substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, and lateral hypothalamus. Optogenetic stimulation of CeA CRF neurons evoked GABA-ergic responses in 11% of non-CRF neurons in the medial CeA (CeM) and 44% of non-CRF neurons in the CeL. Chemogenetic stimulation of CeA CRF neurons induced Fos in a similar proportion of non-CRF CeM neurons but a smaller proportion of non-CRF CeL neurons. The CRF1 receptor antagonist R121919 reduced this Fos induction by two-thirds in these regions. These results indicate that CeL CRF neurons provide both local inhibitory GABA and excitatory CRF signals to other CeA neurons, and demonstrate the value of the Crh-Cre rat as a tool for studying circuit function and physiology of CRF neurons

Unraveling the cytotoxic potential of Temozolomide loaded into PLGA nanoparticles

BACKGROUND: Nanotechnology has received great attention since a decade for the treatment of different varieties of cancer. However, there is a limited data available on the cytotoxic potential of Temozolomide (TMZ) formulations. In the current research work, an attempt has been made to understand the anti-metastatic effect of the drug after loading into PLGA nanoparticles against C6 glioma cells. Nanoparticles were prepared using solvent diffusion method and were characterized for size and morphology. Diffusion of the drug from the nanoparticles was studied by dialysis method. The designed nanoparticles were also assessed for cellular uptake using confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. RESULTS: PLGA nanoparticles caused a sustained release of the drug and showed a higher cellular uptake. The drug formulations also affected the cellular proliferation and motility. CONCLUSION: PLGA coated nanoparticles prolong the activity of the loaded drug while retaining the anti-metastatic activity

Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Agricultural Soil via GC-MS and Enhancement of Degradation Efficiency by Bacillus velezensis SKRB5

Overuse of pesticides negatively impacts soil fertility and ecosystems. This study aimed to screen agricultural soils in Mahabubabad, Telangana, India, for pesticide residues using GC-MS techniques and to identify bacteria capable of degrading these pesticides. The findings revealed three major pesticides: Monocrotophos, Atrazine, and Mancozeb. Among ten bacterial isolates, Bacillus velezensis SKRB5 demonstrated significant pesticide degradation ability. The growth and biodegradation capacity of Bacillus velezensis SKRB5 varied significantly across different pH values, temperatures, and pesticide concentrations. Optimal growth conditions were identified as pH 7, 37°C, and a pesticide concentration of 250 mg/L. Enzyme activity analysis over a week showed peak degradation on the fourth day, with Phosphotriesterases activity reaching 750 U/mg for Atrazine and Phosphatases activity reaching 600 U/mg for Mancozeb and Monocrotophos. This research highlights the importance of enzymatic activity in biodegradation and supports the future application of Bacillus velezensis SKRB5 in environmental remediation. &nbsp

Isolation of Phototrophic Bacteria from Water and Soil Samples

The main aim of this study was to isolate and identify phototrophic bacteria from water and soil sources. The water samples were collected from the river of Godavari at Rajahmundry near Mangalavaripeta and Estuarian water from Antharvedi, a place where the Godavari River merges with the Bay of Bengal. The Soil samples were collected from Rice fields near Kurmurthy and the selected samples were enriched in Biebl and pfenning media for the isolation of phototrophic bacteria. About twenty-one strains of bacteria were obtained in anaerobic cultures. The pure isolates were tentatively identified by studying the optimum pH, shape of the bacterial cell, colour of the cell suspensions, biomass, pigmentation characters like predominant bacteriochlorophylls and carotenoids. Tentative identification of these strains helps in further screening for desired phototrophic organisms for various applications

Software reusability development through NFL approach for identifying security based inner relationships of affecting factors

In component based software reusability development process, the software developers have to choose the best components which are self adaptive future to overcome the functional errors, framework mismatches, violation of user level privacy issues and data leakage feasibilities. The software developers can build high quality software applications by taking the consideration of the reusable components which are more suitable to provide high level data security and privacy. This paper has proposing the neural based fuzzy framework based approach to estimate the reusable components which are directly and indirectly involve the security and privacy to improve the quality of the software system. This approach has considered the twenty effecting factors and fifty three attribute matrices. It has formed with three stages of execution scenarios. The first stage has executed with eleven effecting factors and eighteen attribute matrices for identification of supporting software reusability components, the second stage has executed with four effecting factors and thirty five attribute matrices for identification of sub-internal relationships in terms of security-privacy, and the third stage has executed with eight effecting factors and six attribute matrices for identification of sub of sub-internal relationships in terms of security risk estimation. This analytical finding proposes a fuzzy logic model to evaluate the most feasible effecting factors that influence the enterprise level data security-privacy practices at real time environment

THE IMPACT OF EMPLOYEE PRACTICES ON WORKING CAPITAL OPTIMIZATION IN TSRTC

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the impact of employee practices and decision-making processes on working capital optimization at TSRTC. Specifically, it analyses current practices among TSRTC employees in managing working capital and examines how these practices influence the efficiency of working capital utilization. Methodology: Employing a qualitative research design, this study utilizes a structured questionnaire to gather data from 80 employees across various departments at TSRTC. Data analysis includes Neural Networking Analysis and Regression Analysis to explore the significance of employee practices and decision-making on working capital management effectiveness. Findings: The study found critical factors influencing working capital management at TSRTC. Key findings include the paramount importance of employees\u27 perceptions of their roles and their understanding of working capital management. It highlights that, Effective cost control measures and timely financial decisions were found to significantly enhance working capital efficiency. However, challenges in accounts receivable management suggest areas for improvement. Conclusion: The findings emphasize the necessity for TSRTC to establish clear communication channels for employees to contribute cost-saving ideas and feedback, enhancing organizational efficiency. It suggest that, Employees play a pivotal role in identifying opportunities for improvement and implementing changes that optimize resource utilization. By enhancing these practices, TSRTC can sustainably improve financial performance and operational efficiency, ultimately strengthening its working capital management