Evaluation of Selected Indian Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes for Morpho-physiological and Biochemical Characterization under Salt Stress Conditions

Wheat is the second most important crop after rice in India and occupies approximately 28.5 million hectare area. Salinity is one of the major factors reducing plant growth and productivity worldwide, and affects about 7% of world’s total land area. In India about 6.73 million hectare land area is salt affected. The aim of this study was to investigate the morpho- physiological and biochemical response of wheat to temporal salinity (ECiw = 10.0 dSm–1) exposures. Ten wheat genotypes were evaluated in two successive growing seasons (2012–2014), with complete randomized design with three replications under both salinity stress and non-stress conditions. The morpho-physiological and biochemical character measured in this investigation, inhibited under both salt stresses (S1 & S2) conditions but much more significantly inhibited under long-term salinity exposure (S2) than S1 because interrupting the metabolic process of plant, resulting in reduced growth and productivity. According to correlation result, selection of high yield genotypes can be done based on plant height (0.649*), tiller plant–1 (0.808**) and leaf area (0.687*). The multivariate morphophysiological and biochemical parameters should be further used to develop salinity tolerance in wheat breeding improvement programmes

Novel modelling of ultra-compact X-ray binary evolution - stable mass transfer from white dwarfs to neutron stars

Tight binaries of helium white dwarfs (He WDs) orbiting millisecond pulsars (MSPs) will eventually "merge" due to gravitational damping of the orbit. The outcome has been predicted to be the production of long-lived ultra-compact X-ray binaries (UCXBs), in which the WD transfers material to the accreting neutron star (NS). Here we present complete numerical computations, for the first time, of such stable mass transfer from a He WD to a NS. We have calculated a number of complete binary stellar evolution tracks, starting from pre-LMXB systems, and evolved these to detached MSP+WD systems and further on to UCXBs. The minimum orbital period is found to be as short as 5.6 minutes. We followed the subsequent widening of the systems until the donor stars become planets with a mass of ~0.005 Msun after roughly a Hubble time. Our models are able to explain the properties of observed UCXBs with high helium abundances and we can identify these sources on the ascending or descending branch in a diagram displaying mass-transfer rate vs. orbital period.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, MNRAS Letters, in pres

Impact of Educational Intervention Measures on Knowledge regarding HIV/ Occupational Exposure and Post Exposure Prophylaxis among Final Year Nursing Students of a Tertiary Care Hospital in Central India

Amongst the different Health Care Personnel nurses are at a greater risk of being accidentally exposed to HIV and other Blood Borne Pathogens. The present study was conducted among 50 final year nursing students of a Medical College Hospital to assess the knowledge regarding HIV, occupational exposure and Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) among the students and analyses the impact of educational intervention measures on the issues amongst the study subjects. A Pre-designed and Pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used to evaluate the level of knowledge before and after educational intervention sessions. Knowledge regarding risk of transmission of HIV by needle-stick injury and body fluids against which universal precautions were mandatory increased by 72% following the intervention sessions (χ2 = 53.202, p <0.001). 72% and 36% respondents correctly knew the duration within which to start PEP and the drugs available for PEP, post educational sessions 98% and 96% students were aware of it: the difference being statistically significant (χ2 = 11.294, p <0.001) and (χ2 = 37.748, p <0.001) respectively. The mean pre-intervention score was 8.32; mean post-intervention score was 14.40: statistical analysis showed the results to be significant (t= 13.857, p< 0.001). The study reflects that there is a dearth of knowledge among the study group. Incorporating the concerned issues in the academic curriculum to provide the students with adequate knowledge and information during their formative years is needed

Osmolytes: Proline metabolism in plants as sensors of abiotic stress

Proline accumulation occurs in a large range of plant species in retaliation to the numerous abiotic stresses. An exclusive research pattern suggests there is a pragmatic relation between proline accumulation and plant stress tolerance. In this review, we will discuss the metabolism of proline accumulation and its role in stress tolerance in plants. Pertaining to the literature cited clearly indicates that not only does it acts as an osmolyte, it also plays important roles during stress as a metal chelator and an antioxidative defence molecule. Moreover, when applied exogenously at low concentrations, proline enhanced stress tolerance in plants. However, some reports point out adverse effects of proline when applied at higher doses. Role of proline gene in seed germination, flowering and other developmental programmes; thus creation of transgene overexpressing this gene would provide better and robust plants. In this context this review gives a detailed account of different proline gene over-expressed in all the trans-genic crops so far

Development and evaluation of plastic based solar still for production of distilled water

Solar still was developed and evaluated at Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Dediapada. The average yield of distilled water in developed solar still varied from 1055-1498 ml/m 2 -day during winter and summer where as in already developed still varied 1350 to 1550 ml /m 2 day . Thermal efficiency of developed solar still was found as 20 per cent .The physicochemical analysis was carried out to examine the effect of distillation on tap water. A drastic reduction in the TDS, Chlorides, Calcium hardness and magnesium hardness, dissolved silica was observed through solar distillation. The payback period of the unit was only 6 months and after that period the unit produced net profit. The manufacturing cost of this developed solar still was only Rs. 1640/- which was totally manufactured in plastic material so no any corrosive material came in contact for changing the property of distilled water as output. Cleaning of solar still could be easily carried out by just removing the w shape dome of developed device which cannot be possible in available solar still in market

Examining adherence and sexual behavior among patients on antriretroviral therapy in India

"Very high levels of patient adherence (greater than 95 percent) are required for antiretroviral therapy (ART) to be effective and to prevent the emergence of resistant viral strains (Paterson et al. 2000; Ickovics et al. 2002). Since 1997, antiretroviral (ARV) medications have been available in India through the private sector and some employer-supported health insurance programs. It is estimated that India has 5.1 million HIV-infected persons (NACO 2004), some of whom have been on ART for several years. However, very little information is available on the levels of adherence to ART among people living with HIV/AIDS in India. With increased availability of ART, HIV-positive individuals are living healthier lives and continuing or resuming sexual activity. But, optimism related to ART's success in slowing disease progression, reducing viral load, and improving health status may lead to more risky sexual practices and a possible increase in transmission of infections. Determining the sexual behavior of HIV-positive persons on ART is therefore an area of special interest and concern. To meet these knowledge gaps, the Horizons Program, in collaboration with research partners in Delhi and Pune, conducted a study to assess current levels of adherence to ART among a sample of people living with HIV/AIDS, identify the factors that influence their adherence to treatment, and determine their sexual risk behaviors. The study also examined the economic burden of ART on the household. Findings from the study provide important insights that are immediately relevant to the scale-up of the national ART program, which was launched in April 2004." [OCLC Accession No.: 70645391

Relationship of susceptibility and growth stages of plant for development of epidemic of sheath blight in rice

The present paper deals with most susceptible growth stage of rice with different farms and quantitiy of inoculum for development of sheath blight of rice by Rhizoctonia solani.Among seven different growth stages of rice crop i.e. seedling, initial tillering, maximum tillering, boot leaf, panicle emergence, flowering and dough stage, the flowering stage was found to be most susceptible and highly prone for sheath blight development, while seedling stage was found to be least susceptible and with low proneness for disease development. Disease severity, number and length of lesions get increased with the increasing crop growth stages up to flowering stage and thereafter disease severity decreases with the increases in further growth stages of rice plant. Among four different growth stages of the pathogen (inoculum capacity) i.e. five days old mycelium, seven days old mycelium, milky sclerotial stage and mature sclerotial stage which were inoculated at maximum tillering stage of rice plants, five days old mycelial inoculum was found to be most virulent. Disease severity decreased and incubation period increased with further ageing of inoculum. Among five different amount of inoculum (inoculum density) i.e. 0.20 mg, 5.50 mg, 6.00 mg, 7.00 mg and 8.00 mg of sclerotial inoculum, which were inoculated at maximum tillering stage of rice plants, highest disease severity and minimum incubation period was observed with 8.00 mg amount of sclerotial inoculum. Whereas, least disease severity and longest incubation period was observed when inoculation was done with 0.2 mg of sclerotial inoculum

Optimization of culture conditions for high frequency in vitro shoot multiplication in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.)

Present study deals with the optimization of various culture conditions for initiating high frequency in vitro shoot multiplication in two early maturing high yielding sugarcane genotypes namely Co98014 &amp; Co89003. On the behalf of the findings of this study, it was concluded that the temperature, photoperiod and culture media pH affected the frequency of in vitro shoot multiplication in both sugarcane genotypes at a significant level. In both genotypes high frequency shoot multiplication was recorded at growth room temperature 25ºC, 16h/8h light/dark photoperiod and culture media pH 6.0. Genotype Co89003 exhibited highest shoot regeneration and multiplication under various culture conditions. The present study suggests the necessity of investigation of these culture conditions separately upon individual sugarcane genotypes prior to develop efficient in vitro plant regeneration protocol for commercial purposes