Effect of ethrel spray on the ripening behaviour of mango (Mangifera indica L.) variety 'Dashehari'

An experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of post harvest spray of different concentrations (100, 200, 400, 600 and 800 ppm) of ethrel (2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid) on ripening and colour development in ‘Dashehari’ mango fruits harvested in second week of June, 2015. The treated fruits were assessed for physico-chemical parameters such as physiological loss in weight (%), firmness (Kg/cm2), TSS (°Brix), titrable acidity (%), total carotenoids (mg/100g) and peel chlorophyll (mg/100g) and observations were recorded at 2 days interval during 8 days storage at ambient temperature. Changes in total soluble solids (8.5 to 23.23° Brix), total carotenoids (0.807 to 7.12 mg/100g) and PLW (14.58%) showed increasing trends up to 8 days during storage whereas fruit firmness (8.5 to 0.68 Kg/cm2), titrable acidity (1.26 to 0.08%) and total peel chlorophyll (5.2 to 0.14 mg/100g) showed decreasing trends. At the end of the storage period for 8 days, Ethrel spray at 600 ppm induced uniform ripening with attractive yellow colour within 4 days while untreated control fruits failed to ripen uniformly and remain light green even after 8 days of storage. Ripening advances by 4 days in fruits sprayed with 600 ppm ethrel com-pared to unsprayed control fruits

The role of the subtropical jet in deficient winter precipitation across the mid-Holocene Indus basin

The mid-Holocene (7-5 ka) was a period with an increased seasonal insolation cycle, resulting from decreased insolation during northern hemisphere winter. Here, a set of six CMIP5 models is used to show that the decreased insolation reduced the upper-tropospheric meridional temperature gradient, producing a weaker subtropical jet with less horizontal shear. These effects work to reduce the baroclinic and barotropic instability available for perturbations to grow, and in consequence, storm-tracking results show that there are fewer winter storms over India and Pakistan (known as western disturbances). These western disturbances are weaker, resulting in a reduction in winter precipitation of around 15% in the north Indus Basin. Combined with previous work showing greater northwestward extent of the Indian monsoon during the mid-Holocene, our GCM-derived results are consistent with the Indus Basin changing from a summer-growing season in the mid-Holocene to a winter-growing season in the present day

IN-SITU ASSESSMENT OF PHENOTYPIC DIVERSITY IN CAJANUS SCARABAEOIDES (L.)THOUARS

In-situ assessment of phenotypic diversity in 13 wild populations of Cajanus scarabaeoides (L.) Thouars were carried out in five districts of Vidharbha region of Maharashtra state, India. Significant variability in qualitative traits ranging from stem pigmentation (light green, green to purple and some accessions turned even red during maturity), flower pattern (sparse to medium streaks on yellow flower) and seed coat colour (brown, mottled to black) were observed. Plant height ranged from 80.0-190.0 cm, number of branches per plant (3.0-10.0), pod length (1.7-3.0 cm), pod width (0.7-1.0 cm), number of seeds per pod (4.0-6.0), number of pods per plant (5.7- 30.0) and 100 seed weight (1.47-3.02g). Promising lines were identified for select traits which can be utilized in pigeonpea crop improvement programme. For example, D/G-9, a collection from Gujgawan, Chandrapur district was recorded promising for plant height (190.0 cm), number of seeds per pod (6.0) and number of pods per plant (30.0). DIVA-GIS grid maps were generated to delineate the diversity rich pockets for select quantitative traits. GIS analysis indicated that Northern Vidarbha region was the rich pocket of C. scarabaeoides diversity

A two-year participatory intervention project with owners to reduce lameness and limb abnormalities in working horses in Jaipur, India

Participatory methods are increasingly used in international human development, but scientific evaluation of their efficacy versus a control group is rare. Working horses support families in impoverished communities. Lameness and limb abnormalities are highly prevalent in these animals and a cause for welfare concern. We aimed to stimulate and evaluate improvements in lameness and limb abnormalities in horses whose owners took part in a 2-year participatory intervention project to reduce lameness (PI) versus a control group (C) in Jaipur, India.In total, 439 owners of 862 horses participated in the study. PI group owners from 21 communities were encouraged to meet regularly to discuss management and work practices influencing lameness and poor welfare and to track their own progress in improving these. Lameness examinations (41 parameters) were conducted at the start of the study (Baseline), and after 1 year and 2 years. Results were compared with control horses from a further 21 communities outside the intervention. Of the 149 horses assessed on all three occasions, PI horses showed significantly (P<0.05) greater improvement than C horses in 20 parameters, most notably overall lameness score, measures of sole pain and range of movement on limb flexion. Control horses showed slight but significantly greater improvements in four parameters, including frog quality in fore and hindlimbs.This participatory intervention succeeded in improving lameness and some limb abnormalities in working horses, by encouraging changes in management and work practices which were feasible within owners’ socioeconomic and environmental constraints. Demonstration of the potentially sustainable improvements achieved here should encourage further development of participatory intervention approaches to benefit humans and animals in other contexts

ROLE OF TERMINALIA ARJUNA IN ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE (HRIDAROGA): A REVIEW

Now days, life is becoming very stressful and fast. As many diseases originate due to this hectic lifestyle. One of the important disease is Hridaroga (Ischemic heart disease), which is responsible for many deaths in early age. In Ayurveda, Hridaroga &amp; their symptoms are described in many textbooks. Management of Hridaroga is also very critical and important. In modern medicine, only expensive interventional procedures are described but on the other hand, Ayurvedic herbs are better, cost effective &amp; good therapeutic option for IHD (Hridaroga). The review emphasizes on various properties of Terminalia arjuna. Many clinical &amp; animal studies on T.arjuna show its effect on ECG changes, LV functions &amp; myocardial ischaemic reperfusion injury-etc. Besides this it also has antiatherosclerotic, anticoagulant, anti-infarction, hypolipidemic &amp; hypotensive properties. So, Ayurvedic drug (T. arjuna) is a better option for the treatment of IHD (Hridaroga) because it can improve the quality of life in individuals &amp; potentially save millions of lives

Security Framework for Agent-Based Cloud Computing

Agent can play a key role in bringing suitable cloud services to the customer based on their requirements. In agent based cloud computing, agent does negotiation, coordination, cooperation and collaboration on behalf of the customer to make the decisions in efficient manner. However the agent based cloud computing have some security issues like (a.) addition of malicious agent in the cloud environment which could demolish the process by attacking other agents, (b.) denial of service by creating flooding attacks on other involved agents. (c.) Some of the exceptions in the agent interaction protocol such as Not-Understood and Cancel_Meta protocol can be misused and may lead to terminating the connection of all the other agents participating in the negotiating services. Also, this paper proposes algorithms to solve these issues to ensure that there will be no intervention of any malicious activities during the agent interaction

SELECTIVE ESTROGEN RECEPTOR MODULATORS; ROLE OF SIDE CHAIN IN ACTIVITY MODULATION

Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) are a class of molecules that activate estrogen receptors (ER), impacting differently on differenttissues. Upon binding to ER, the ligand-receptor complex may present various conformations due to the presence of two different kinds of ERs. Fewof these ligands show estrogenic effects, whereas others will inhibit the action of estrogens. Researchers are working in the direction to generatethe SERMs that have a desirable estrogen-like effects on the various sites i.e., bones, improving lipid profile, reduce hot flushes, but do not act likeestrogens in unwanted ways i.e., causing breast cancer, uterine endometrial proliferation. Given the comprehensive nature of this article, it is not ourintention to revisit many of the issues relating to SERMs, which have already been covered in detail. Rather this article focuses on the aspect thatligand-mediated structural perturbations in and around the ligand binding pocket, contributed by the side chain effects lead to receptor antagonism.Adjusting the balance of these effects may provide a novel strategy for designing of improved SERMs. In the light of this, the article will provide anoverview of the SERMs and their structural diversity.Keywords: Ligand and estrogen receptor, Side chain of selective estrogen receptor modulators, Selective estrogen receptor modulators, Mechanismof action

The efficacy and safety of clomiphene citrate and metformin on ovulation induction in patients suffering from anovulatory infertility

Background: Ovulation disorders are an important cause of infertility. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) comprises almost 90% cases of all ovulatory disorders. Clomiphene citrate helps to stimulate ovulation. Recently, use of metformin to treat PCOS due to its insulin sensitizing property is increasing. Hence, this study was undertaken to evaluate efficacy and safety of clomiphene citrate and its combination with metformin on ovulation induction and pregnancy outcome in the treatment of anovulatory infertility.Methods: This study was done in patients of primary infertility due to anovulatory cycles at Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad. Patients were treated with clomiphene citrate in incremental doses from 50 to 150 mg for a period of maximum 6 menstrual cycle. In patients of anovulatory infertility with PCOS, clomiphene citrate was given along with metformin. At every visit, abdominal and pelvic examination, the size of ovarian follicle, endometrial thickness by ultrasonography was recorded. Urine pregnancy test was done once the menstruation was overdue by 9 days. Adverse drug effects, if any were noted. If patient did not conceive, then whole treatment was repeated from the next menstrual cycle.Results: Out of 53 patients, five patients were lost to follow-up. The mean age of the enrolled patients in the study was 26.04±7.78. There were 20 patients (41.67%) with body mass index (BMI) <25 kg/m2 while 28 patients (58.33%) with BMI above 25 kg/m2. Among 21 patients who received clomiphene citrate alone in the study, 12 patients were ovulated (57.12%). Among 27 patients (PCOS) who received clomiphene with metformin, 18 patients were ovulated (66.74%). Pregnancy rate was 23.8% with clomiphene citrate alone while in PCOS patients, the pregnancy rate was 25.91%. Both clomiphene citrate and metformin were well tolerated in most of the patients.Conclusion: Ovulation rate was significantly higher compared to pregnancy rate. We could not find any benefit of adding metformin to the standard treatment with clomiphene citrate