The influence of rare earth (RE - Ce, Gd) doping at the Nd site in the NdFeAsO sub(0.7)F sub(0.3) superconductor wherein Ce and Gd have ionic radii in the order Ce > Nd > Gd is investigated. The ...structural and superconductivity characterization of the pure and doped samples show that Ce doping enhances the T sub(C) of Nd sub(1-x)RE sub(x)FeAsO sub(0.7)F sub(0.3) to a maximum of 53.6 K at x= 0.1 while Gd doping attains a T sub(C) of 55.1 K at x= 0.15. Interestingly, both Ce and Gd doping create neither secondary phases nor precipitates within the detection limit of XRD. However, the lattice defects due to Ce and Gd doping modifies NdFeAsO sub(0.7)F sub(0.3) and assists in pinning the flux lines on these defects thereby exhibiting an enhanced J sub(C)(H) performance especially at high fields. It is also observed that the relatively small ionic size of Gd is more effective in T sub(C) enhancement, while the lattice defects due to larger ionic size of Ce favor the remarkable enhancement of J sub(C)(H).
Keeping in view, the challenges concerning agro-ecosystem and environment, the recent developments in biotechnology offers a more reliable approach to address the food security for future generations ...and also resolve the complex environmental problems. Several unique features of cyanobacteria such as oxygenic photosynthesis, high biomass yield, growth on non-arable lands and a wide variety of water sources (contaminated and polluted waters), generation of useful by-products and bio-fuels, enhancing the soil fertility and reducing green house gas emissions, have collectively offered these bio-agents as the precious bio-resource for sustainable development. Cyanobacterial biomass is the effective bio-fertilizer source to improve soil physico-chemical characteristics such as water-holding capacity and mineral nutrient status of the degraded lands. The unique characteristics of cyanobacteria include their ubiquity presence, short generation time and capability to fix the atmospheric N2. Similar to other prokaryotic bacteria, the cyanobacteria are increasingly applied as bio-inoculants for improving soil fertility and environmental quality. Genetically engineered cyanobacteria have been devised with the novel genes for the production of a number of bio-fuels such as bio-diesel, bio-hydrogen, bio-methane, synga, and therefore, open new avenues for the generation of bio-fuels in the economically sustainable manner. This review is an effort to enlist the valuable information about the qualities of cyanobacteria and their potential role in solving the agricultural and environmental problems for the future welfare of the planet.
We conducted a serosurvey of 155 healthcare workers and 124 household and community members who had close contact with 18 patients who had laboratory-confirmed Nipah virus infections in Kerala, ...India. We detected 3 subclinical infections; 2 persons had IgM and IgG and 1 only IgM against Nipah virus.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Phthalates are widely used man-made chemical released in the environment and human exposure is mainly through diet. As the phthalate plasticizers are not covalently bound to PVC, they can leach, ...migrate or evaporate into the environment and as a result have become ubiquitously contaminants. The present study investigates the correlation, if any, between the phthalate esters (DEP, DEHP, DBP, DMP, DOP) and sperm mitochondrial status, ROS, LPO, SCSA, and sperm quality. The study was conducted in the urban/rural population of Lucknow visiting Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, CSMMU, Lucknow. Semen analysis was performed according to the WHO guidelines while phthalate analysis by HPLC and LPO by spectrophotometer and the sperm mitochondrial status, ROS, SCSA using flow cytometry. The questionnaire data showed no significant difference in the demographic characteristics among the groups. In general, urban population was found to have statistically significant higher levels of phthalate esters than the rural. Further, infertile men showed statistically significant (
p
<
0.05) higher levels of pollutants in the semen than fertile men. A negative correlation between semen phthalate level viz DEHP and sperm quality and positive association with depolarized mitochondria, elevation in ROS production and LPO, DNA fragmentation was established. The findings are suggestive that phthalates might be one among the contributing factors associated with the deterioration in semen quality and these adverse effects might be ROS, LPO and mitochondrial dysfunction mediated.
This open-access edited book is a collection of 17 chapters, synthesized primarily from the lectures delivered by eminent Indian and international experts during a series of capacity-building ...programmes organised in India during 2020 and 2021 under the aegis of 'Indo-German Cooperation on Seed Sector Development', a component of the Bilateral Cooperation between the Governments of India and Germany. Seed Science and Technology, a multi-disciplinary subject, is advancing rapidly keeping pace with the development of improved plant varieties and other climate-resilient technologies. Knowledge of the underlying biological processes and application of appropriate technologies for variety maintenance and seed production; quality assurance, testing and enhancement; processing, packaging and storage etc., are important in a seed programme. Chapters presented in the book is a blend of basic seed biology covering seed development, maturation, dormancy, germination, vigour and invigoration, and seed deterioration; variety maintenance and production of genetically pure seed of open-pollinated and hybrid varieties in a few key field crops and vegetables, and fundamentals of seed processing, packaging and storage; and seed quality assurance systems followed in different countries; testing the essential components of seed quality including seed health, application of molecular technologies for precision in testing, and enhancement of seed quality. It concludes by identifying the key areas of future seed research and technology development. The book covers the fundamentals and recent advances of seed science and technology with the latest research information and an exhaustive and updated list of references on different topics. It is expected to benefit the students as well as the scientists, faculty members and seed sector professionals, working in the public and private seed sectors, certification authorities and seed producing agencies in India, and elsewhere.
Flax, or linseed, is considered a "superfood", which means that it is a food with diverse health benefits and potentially useful bioactive ingredients. It is a multi-purpose crop that is prized for ...its seed oil, fibre, nutraceutical, and probiotic qualities. It is suited to various habitats and agro-ecological conditions. Numerous abiotic and biotic stressors that can either have a direct or indirect impact on plant health are experienced by flax plants as a result of changing environmental circumstances. Research on the impact of various stresses and their possible ameliorators is prompted by such expectations. By inducing the loss of specific alleles and using a limited number of selected varieties, modern breeding techniques have decreased the overall genetic variability required for climate-smart agriculture. However, gene banks have well-managed collectionns of landraces, wild linseed accessions, and auxiliary Linum species that serve as an important source of novel alleles. In the past, flax-breeding techniques were prioritised, preserving high yield with other essential traits. Applications of molecular markers in modern breeding have made it easy to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for various agronomic characteristics. The genetic diversity of linseed species and the evaluation of their tolerance to abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, heavy metal tolerance, and temperature, as well as resistance to biotic stress factors, viz., rust, wilt, powdery mildew, and alternaria blight, despite addressing various morphotypes and the value of linseed as a supplement, are the primary topics of this review.
Marine epibiotic bacteria produce bioactive compounds effective against microbial biofilms. The study examines antibiofilm ability of a protein obtained from a tropical marine strain of Bacillus ...licheniformis D1.
B. licheniformis strain D1 isolated from the surface of green mussel, Perna viridis showed antimicrobial activity against pathogenic Candida albicans BH, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and biofouling Bacillus pumilus TiO1 cultures. The antimicrobial activity was lost after treatment with trypsin and proteinase K. The protein was purified by ultrafiltration and size-exclusion chromatography. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) analysis revealed the antimicrobial agent to be a 14 kDa protein designated as BL-DZ1. The protein was stable at 75°C for 30 min and over a pH range of 3.0 to 11.0. The sequence alignment of the MALDI-fingerprint showed homology with the NCBI entry for a hypothetical protein (BL00275) derived from B. licheniformis ATCC 14580 with the accession number gi52082584. The protein showed minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 1.6 µg/ml against C. albicans. Against both P. aeruginosa and B. pumilus the MIC was 3.12 µg/ml. The protein inhibited microbial growth, decreased biofilm formation and dispersed pre-formed biofilms of the representative cultures in polystyrene microtiter plates and on glass surfaces.
We isolated a protein from a tropical marine strain of B. licheniformis, assigned a function to the hypothetical protein entry in the NCBI database and described its application as a potential antibiofilm agent.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
A field experiment was conducted during rainy (kharif) seasons of 2021 and 2022 at research farm of Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh ...to find out genetic variations, trait association and path coefficient among 116 rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes based on grain yield and yield attributes. Variance analysis displayed extensive trait-wise variations across genotypes, indicated variability and opportunity for genetic selection of desirable traits. All the studied characters showed minimum influence of environment on the expression of trait and genetic factors. High heritability in broad sense (h2 b) and high to moderate genetic advance in per cent of the mean were recorded for all the characters. Genetic factors showed significant influence on the expression of traits, with high heritability and moderate genetic advance. Genotypic correlation with grain yield and path analysis revealed selection based on plant height, harvest index, biological yield per plant, flag leaf area, spikelet fertility, number of spikelets per panicle and seedling vigour will be more effective for increasing grain yield.
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