Malaria vaccines and their potential role in the elimination of malaria

Research on malaria vaccines is currently directed primarily towards the development of vaccines that prevent clinical malaria. Malaria elimination, now being considered seriously in some epidemiological situations, requires a different vaccine strategy, since success will depend on killing all parasites in the community in order to stop transmission completely

Long Term Running Biphasically Improves Methylglyoxal-Related Metabolism, Redox Homeostasis and Neurotrophic Support within Adult Mouse Brain Cortex

Oxidative stress and neurotrophic support decline seem to be crucially involved in brain aging. Emerging evidences indicate the pro-oxidant methylglyoxal (MG) as a key player in the age-related dicarbonyl stress and molecular damage within the central nervous system. Although exercise promotes the overproduction of reactive oxygen species, habitual exercise may retard cellular aging and reduce the age-dependent cognitive decline through hormetic adaptations, yet molecular mechanisms underlying beneficial effects of exercise are still largely unclear. In particular, whereas adaptive responses induced by exercise initiated in youth have been broadly investigated, the effects of chronic and moderate exercise begun in adult age on biochemical hallmarks of very early senescence in mammal brains have not been extensively studied. This research investigated whether a long-term, forced and moderate running initiated in adult age may affect the interplay between the redox-related profile and the oxidative-/MG-dependent molecular damage patterns in CD1 female mice cortices; as well, we investigated possible exercise-induced effects on the activity of the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-dependent pathway. Our findings suggested that after a transient imbalance in almost all parameters investigated, the lately-initiated exercise regimen strongly reduced molecular damage profiles in brains of adult mice, by enhancing activities of the main ROS- and MG-targeting scavenging systems, as well as by preserving the BDNF-dependent signaling through the transition from adult to middle age

Morphometric analysis on different species of honeybees in NEH region of India

Morphometric studies were carried out on different species of honeybees in North-East hill region of India and it was found that the longest mean tongue length was found in A. dorsata with a mean length of 4.19±0.07 mm followed by A. mellifera (3.87±0.12 mm) and shortest tongue length was found in A. florea with a mean length of 2.14±0.05mm. The length and breadth of forewing was longest in A. dorsata with a mean length of (12.5±0.00 mm) and (4.32 ±0.12 mm), respectively followed by A. mellifera (8.89±0.14 mm) and (3.15 ±0.06 mm) and the shortest length and breadth of forewing was found in A. florea with a mean length of (6.94±0.28 mm) and (2.40±0.06mm), respectively. The longest cubital index was found in A. dorsata with a mean length of (2.88±0.08 mm) followed by A. mellifera (2.80 ±0.05mm) and the shortest cubital index were found in A. florea (2.87±0.09mm). The number of wing hooks was highest in A. dorsata with a mean number of (27±0.06) followed by A. mellifera (20±1.25) and the minimum number of wing hooks was found in A. florea (11±1.06). The width of 3rd and 4th tergite was found maximum in A. dorsata with a (2.72±0.10mm) and (2.79±0.06mm) and minimum width was found in A. florea with mean width of (1.49±0.10mm) and (1.40±0.06mm), respectively. Morphomatrics of all eighteen morphological characters of different honey bee species was in the order: Apis dorsata (Manipur)˃Apis mellifera (Assam)˃ Apis cerana himalaya (Assam)˃ Apis cerana himalaya (Manipur)˃ Apis florae (Manipur)

Eco-friendly organic management of rust red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) under stored conditions

The results showed that neem leaf powder was the most effective treatment with a record of the highest mean adult mortality of 67.22 per cent and also exhibited the lowest weight loss of 0.67 per cent after 60 days of treatment. It was followed by powders of Eucalyptus (58.89% & 0.87%) and Tulsi (51.11% & 0.80%). The least effectiveness of turmeric rhizome powder against the pest recording minimum adult mortality and maximum weight loss of 30.56% and 1.07% per cent respectively was noticed control against adult mortality (30.56 %), grain weight loss and adult emergence owing to T. castaneum. As a result, 1.5 g/100 g of grains of neem leaf powder can be recommended as a safe control method against T. castaneum in stored wheat. The overall mean adult mortality of T. castaneum in fenvalerate was 72.78 per cent. When it came to treating T. castneum with some inert materials, boric acid treatment was the most effective showed the 100 percent adult mortality, followed by coal ash (71.67 %) and cow dung ash (63.33 %) after 5 days of storage. There was minimum grain weight loss and least adult emergence was recorded in the treatment of coal ash and cow dung ash. Whereas sawdust resulted in the least effective treatment with mean adult mortality of (35.56 %), there was maximum adult emergence seen

Eco-friendly organic management of rust red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) under stored conditions

The results showed that neem leaf powder was the most effective treatment with a record of the highest mean adult mortality of 67.22 per cent and also exhibited the lowest weight loss of 0.67 per cent after 60 days of treatment. It was followed by powders of Eucalyptus (58.89% & 0.87%) and Tulsi (51.11% & 0.80%). The least effectiveness of turmeric rhizome powder against the pest recording minimum adult mortality and maximum weight loss of 30.56% and 1.07% per cent respectively was noticed control against adult mortality (30.56 %), grain weight loss and adult emergence owing to T. castaneum. As a result, 1.5 g/100 g of grains of neem leaf powder can be recommended as a safe control method against T. castaneum in stored wheat. The overall mean adult mortality of T. castaneum in fenvalerate was 72.78 per cent. When it came to treating T. castneum with some inert materials, boric acid treatment was the most effective showed the 100 percent adult mortality, followed by coal ash (71.67 %) and cow dung ash (63.33 %) after 5 days of storage. There was minimum grain weight loss and least adult emergence was recorded in the treatment of coal ash and cow dung ash. Whereas sawdust resulted in the least effective treatment with mean adult mortality of (35.56 %), there was maximum adult emergence seen

Honeybees diversity, pollination, entrepreneurship and beekeeping scenario in NEH region of India

The north-eastern region of India with diverse forage resources encompasses great potential in beekeeping. The honeybee species existing in the north-eastern hill region are Apis dorsata, A. florea, A. cerana himalaya, A. mellifera, A. laboriosa and Trigona iridepennis. Modern agriculture has come to depend greatly on the bees to fulfill its pollination needs. Pollen analysis from North-eastern hill region revealed that the dominant sporomorphs were Brassica sp., Solamun sp., Helianthus sp., Wendlandia sp., Clematis sp., Adhatoda sp. and Mussaenda sp. Bee flora was identified as 107 plants from North-eastern region of India. Different types of entrepreneurship can be developed through beekeeping like honey bees rearing, sale of honey bees colonies, consultancy to farmers for honey bee rearing, processing of honey at large scale and marketing of honey products. Available information on honeybee’s diversity, pollination, entrepreneurship and beekeeping scenario for sustainable agriculture of north-eastern hill region are reviewed and discussed

Advances in imaging-assisted sensing techniques for heavy metals in water: Trends, challenges, and opportunities

Heavy metal pollution of water resources is of worldwide concern, stimulating the development of breakthroughs in detection and remedy technologies. In the digital age, imaging solutions have been applied to almost every sector of civil society, from health and manufacturing to diagnostics, defense, and personal security. The next generation of monitoring sensors and systems for water quality and pollutants is developing at a rapid pace. The present review discusses various aspects of imaging-assisted quantification of heavy metals in water, including transduction techniques (colorimetric and photoluminescence), sensor materials (organic linkers, metal nanoparticles, carbonaceous & semiconductor quantum dots, etc.), the roles of equipment and readout tools (color charts, image scanners, digital cameras, mobile phones, etc.), substrates (organic and inorganic), and sampling methods. To the best of our knowledge, no such efforts have been made previously to critically and comprehensively analyze various aspects on the new imaging-based technologies in the environmental sector

Bio-efficacy of ground plant powders on the population of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) in stored green gram

Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is one of the major insect pests of stored grains. Experiment was conducted for studying the efficiency of ground plant materials for management of T. castaneum in stored green gram and effect of plant powders on seed germination in laboratory of Department of Entomology, CoA, CAU, Imphal during the period 2021-2022. Studies on effect of plant powders on management of T. castaneum revealed that Black pepper @ 1.5g/kg seed shows maximum mean adult mortality of 100.00 per cent and Sweet flag @ 1.5g/kg seed shows lowest mean adult mortality of 33.33 per cent. Highest seed damage was recorded in Sweet flag @ 1.5g/kg seed (8.00 per cent) and least was in Black pepper @ 1.5g/kg seed (1.67 per cent). Maximum adult emergence was noted in treatment of Sweet flag @ 1.5g/kg seed (8.00 per cent) and lowest was in China berry @ 1.5g/kg seed (1.33 per cent). Evaluation of germination percentage reveals that minimum germination percentage was recorded in Black pepper @ 1.5g/kg seed (91.33 per cent) and maximum was in Indian wormwood @ 1.5g/kg seed (98.67 per cent) but none of the treatment recorded the percentage below the prescribed germination percentage of green gram. Plant powders offers efficient control of red flour beetle and these are available locally and did not show any adverse on the environment and hence can be recommended as alternatives to the chemical insecticides