Litterfall, decomposition and nutrient release patterns of different tree species in Taran Taran district of Punjab, India

The present investigation was attempted to assess the leaf litter production, decomposition rate and amount of major nutrient return in Populus deltoides, Eucalyptus tereticornis, Tectona grandis and Pyrus pyrifolia based agroforestry land use systems in Taran Taran district which falls in the north western agro-climatic zone of thePunjab state, India. The litter production in selected tree species was quantified using litter traps and decomposition pattern of leaf litter was investigated by litter bag technique. Litterfall in the selected tree species varied significantly (5 % level of significance) during different months of the study period. Among the four species, P. deltoides exhibited highest leaf litter production (7.8 tons/ha) followed by T. grandis (1.83 tons/ha) and E. tereticornis (1.77 tons/ha) whereas, lowest leaf litter production was observed in P. pyrifolia (0.34 tons/ha). The present study also showed that temperature as compared to rainfall play a significant (5 % level of significance) role in litter decomposition. In case of P. pyrifolia, P. deltoides and T. grandis decomposition take place 100 per cent, 98 per cent and 99 per cent respectively after 10 months whereas in E. tereticornis 87.7 per cent leaf decomposed after 10 months. The nutrients percentage through litter fall was maximum of nitrogen (2.27 %) followed by potassium (1.90 %) and phosphorous (0.32 %). Maximum and minimum N input through leaf litter was in P. deltoides (2.27 %) and P. pyrifolia (1.15 %). The K input (%) was maximum in leaves of T. grandis (0.32) and minimum in E. tereticornis (0.21). The maximum input of P (%) through leaf litter was in P. deltoides (1.90) whereas, minimum value was observed in E. tereticornis (1.27). Tree based agroforestry land use systems improve soil nutrient status as compared to traditional wheat and paddy based land use systems under this region of Punjab. Therefore tree based land use systems need to be promoted over the traditional field crops for realizing better environmental benefits in this region

Temporal Variation of Surface Water Quality in Urbanized Watershed of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India

The Water quality of Ashwani Khad, a drinking water resource for Shimla city was studied to find out it’s suitability for drinking purposes since this stream is receiving treated sewage effluent from a nearby Sewage Treatment Plant. The sewage contaminated water had caused Hepatitis A outbreak in the city few years ago. This for the first time created a hue and cry among the people leading to a constant monitoring of the water quality of Ashwani Khad since this water is directly being used for drinking purposes in the study area. Fifteen water quality parameters were tested for 26 water samples along the stream both in pre and post monsoon seasons in April 2013 and October 2013 respectively. These included pH, EC, TDS, BOD, COD, hardness, alkalinity, nitrates, phosphates, fluoride, sulphates and chlorides. The pH, EC and TDS were evaluated in the field while the other parameters were evaluated in the laboratory. The higher values of few parameters especially the BOD and COD in the water samples indicated that the water is not suitable for drinking purposes and needs certain levels of purification techniques to make it suitable for drinking purposes. The results also revealed that the Sewage Treatment Plant is not working effectively as the effluents were highly contaminated. Keywords: Water, Sewage, Pollution, Shimla, Sewage Treatment Plant, Ashwani Kha

Phyto-pharmacology of Momordica dioica Roxb. ex. Willd: A Review

Momordica dioica Roxb. ex. Willd (Cucurbitaceae ) is commonly known as a biiter gourd. It is traditionally used as astringent, febrifuge, antiseptic, anthelmintic, spermicidal. Also Used in bleeding piles, urinary infection and as a sedative. Studies indicate that it possesses antioxidant, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-lipid peroxidative, hypoglycemic and analgesic properties.This review aims to highlight the ethnobotany, pharmacognostic and pharmacological uses of Momordica dioicaKeywords: Momordica dioica, Cucurbitaceae, phytochemical constituents, pharmacological actions, Parora , kakor

Histochemical techniques in plant science: more than meets the eye

Histochemistry is an essential analytical tool interfacing extensively with plant science. The literature is indeed constellated with examples showing its use to decipher specific physiological and developmental processes, as well as to study plant cell structures. Plant cell structures are translucent unless they are stained. Histochemistry allows the identification and localization, at the cellular level, of biomolecules and organelles in different types of cells and tissues, based on the use of specific staining reactions and imaging. Histochemical techniques are also widely used for the in vivo localization of promoters in specific tissues, as well as to identify specific cell wall components such as lignin and polysaccharides. Histochemistry also enables the study of plant reactions to environmental constraints, e.g. the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can be traced by applying histochemical staining techniques. The possibility of detecting ROS and localizing them at the cellular level is vital in establishing the mechanisms involved in the sensitivity and tolerance to different stress conditions in plants. This review comprehensively highlights the additional value of histochemistry as a complementary technique to high-throughput approaches for the study of the plant response to environmental constraints. Moreover, here we have provided an extensive survey of the available plant histochemical staining methods used for the localization of metals, minerals, secondary metabolites, cell wall components, and the detection of ROS production in plant cells. The use of recent technological advances like CRISPR/Cas9-based genome-editing for histological application is also addressed. This review also surveys the available literature data on histochemical techniques used to study the response of plants to abiotic stresses and to identify the effects at the tissue and cell levels.The authors would like to thank Head of the Department, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, India, for providing the necessary facilities to carry out the work

Pre-main-sequence population in NGC 1893 region

In this paper we continued our efforts to understand the star formation scenario in and around the young cluster NGC 1893. We used a sample of the young stellar sources (YSOs) identified on the basis of multiwavelength data (optical, near-infrared (NIR), mid-infrared (MIR) and X-ray) to study the nature of YSOs associated with the region. The identified YSOs show an age spread of ~ 5 Myr. The YSOs located near the nebulae at the periphery of the cluster are relatively younger in comparison to those located within the cluster region. The present results are in accordance with those obtained by us in previous studies. Other main results from the present study are: 1) the fraction of disk bearing stars increases towards the periphery of the cluster; 2) there is an evidence supporting the notion that the mechanisms for disk dispersal operate less efficiently for low-mass stars; 3) the sample of Class II sources is found to be relatively older in comparison to that of Class III sources. A comparison of various properties of YSOs in the NGC 1893 region with those in the Tr 37/ IC 1396 region is also discussed.Comment: Accepted for publication in New Astronom

Serum magnesium and calcium levels in relation to ischemic stroke : Mendelian randomization study

ObjectiveTo determine whether serum magnesium and calcium concentrations are causally associated with ischemic stroke or any of its subtypes using the mendelian randomization approach.MethodsAnalyses were conducted using summary statistics data for 13 single-nucleotide polymorphisms robustly associated with serum magnesium (n = 6) or serum calcium (n = 7) concentrations. The corresponding data for ischemic stroke were obtained from the MEGASTROKE consortium (34,217 cases and 404,630 noncases).ResultsIn standard mendelian randomization analysis, the odds ratios for each 0.1 mmol/L (about 1 SD) increase in genetically predicted serum magnesium concentrations were 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.69-0.89; p = 1.3 7 10-4) for all ischemic stroke, 0.63 (95% CI 0.50-0.80; p = 1.6 7 10-4) for cardioembolic stroke, and 0.60 (95% CI 0.44-0.82; p = 0.001) for large artery stroke; there was no association with small vessel stroke (odds ratio 0.90, 95% CI 0.67-1.20; p = 0.46). Only the association with cardioembolic stroke was robust in sensitivity analyses. There was no association of genetically predicted serum calcium concentrations with all ischemic stroke (per 0.5 mg/dL [about 1 SD] increase in serum calcium: odds ratio 1.03, 95% CI 0.88-1.21) or with any subtype.ConclusionsThis study found that genetically higher serum magnesium concentrations are associated with a reduced risk of cardioembolic stroke but found no significant association of genetically higher serum calcium concentrations with any ischemic stroke subtype

Mapping geographical inequalities in childhood diarrhoeal morbidity and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries, 2000–17 : analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Across low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), one in ten deaths in children younger than 5 years is attributable to diarrhoea. The substantial between-country variation in both diarrhoea incidence and mortality is attributable to interventions that protect children, prevent infection, and treat disease. Identifying subnational regions with the highest burden and mapping associated risk factors can aid in reducing preventable childhood diarrhoea. Methods We used Bayesian model-based geostatistics and a geolocated dataset comprising 15 072 746 children younger than 5 years from 466 surveys in 94 LMICs, in combination with findings of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017, to estimate posterior distributions of diarrhoea prevalence, incidence, and mortality from 2000 to 2017. From these data, we estimated the burden of diarrhoea at varying subnational levels (termed units) by spatially aggregating draws, and we investigated the drivers of subnational patterns by creating aggregated risk factor estimates. Findings The greatest declines in diarrhoeal mortality were seen in south and southeast Asia and South America, where 54·0% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 38·1–65·8), 17·4% (7·7–28·4), and 59·5% (34·2–86·9) of units, respectively, recorded decreases in deaths from diarrhoea greater than 10%. Although children in much of Africa remain at high risk of death due to diarrhoea, regions with the most deaths were outside Africa, with the highest mortality units located in Pakistan. Indonesia showed the greatest within-country geographical inequality; some regions had mortality rates nearly four times the average country rate. Reductions in mortality were correlated to improvements in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) or reductions in child growth failure (CGF). Similarly, most high-risk areas had poor WASH, high CGF, or low oral rehydration therapy coverage. Interpretation By co-analysing geospatial trends in diarrhoeal burden and its key risk factors, we could assess candidate drivers of subnational death reduction. Further, by doing a counterfactual analysis of the remaining disease burden using key risk factors, we identified potential intervention strategies for vulnerable populations. In view of the demands for limited resources in LMICs, accurately quantifying the burden of diarrhoea and its drivers is important for precision public health

Search for leptophobic Z ' bosons decaying into four-lepton final states in proton-proton collisions at root s=8 TeV

Peer reviewe

Search for black holes and other new phenomena in high-multiplicity final states in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

Peer reviewe

Measurements of differential production cross sections for a Z boson in association with jets in pp collisions at root s=8 TeV

Peer reviewe