Effect of Pheromone Lure-Distance and Direction in Trapping Brinjal Fruit and Shoot Borer (Leucinodes orbonalis Guen.) Male Moths

An experiment was conducted at Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, to study the presence of male Brinjal Shoot and Fruit Borer (BSFB) outside cropping area and the effect of wind direction on male BSFB trap catches. Water traps with 4 mg of synthetic BSFB pheromone lure in rubber septa were placed at 0, 50, 100, 150 and 350 m away from a brinjal field in all four directions i.e., North, South, East and West. Water level in the traps was maintained constant and lures were changed at 20 days interval. Count of BSFB trapped males and record of wind direction was made every 24 h for 61 days. Results indicated that the number of male BSFB moths in distantly located traps (350 m from the brinjal field) was at par with the numbers observed in traps placed in the main brinjal field. Traps located at 50 and 100 m from brinjal field attracted less male BSFB moths than those at 0, 150 and 350 m indicating the feasibility of trapping male BSFB moths even in non-brinjal area. Trap direction did not significantly influence trap catch. Nearly 60% of BSFB male moths were observed in traps placed against direction of the wind

Sand fly synthetic sex-aggregation pheromone co-located with insecticide reduces the incidence of infection in the canine reservoir of visceral leishmaniasis: a stratified cluster randomised trial

The predominant sand fly vector of the intracellular parasite Leishmania infantum, that causes human and canine visceral leishmaniasis in the Americas, is Lutzomyia longipalpis. Dogs are the proven reservoir. Vector control tools to reduce transmission suited to this predominantly exophilic vector are lacking. Insecticide-impregnated dog collars protect dogs against infectious bites from sand fly vectors, and result in reductions of new infections in both dogs and humans. However, collars are costly for endemic communities, and alternative approaches are needed. Recently the bulk synthesised sex-aggregation pheromone of male Lu. longipalpis was shown to attract large numbers of conspecific females to lethal pyrethroid insecticides, indicating the potential for use in a vector control application. This study, conducted in Brazil, evaluated the efficacy of this novel lure-and-kill approach to reduce seroconversion and infection incidence with L. infantum in the canine reservoir, in addition to measuring its impact on household abundance of Lu. longipalpis. Deployed in 14 stratified clusters, the outcomes were compared to those attributed to insecticide impregnated collars fitted to dogs in another 14 clusters; each intervention was compared to 14 clusters that received placebo treatments. The beneficial effects of the lure-and-kill method were most noticeable on confirmed infection incidence and clinical parasite loads, and in reducing sand fly abundance. The overall effect of the two interventions were not statistically dissimilar, though the confidence intervals were broad. We conclude that the novel low-cost lure-and-kill approach should be added to the vector control toolbox against visceral leishmaniasis in the Americas

Effect of T. Arjuna Stem Bark Extract on Histopathology of Liver, Kidney and Pancreas of Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

The present study examined the effect of ethanolic extract (250 and 500 mg/kg body weight) of Terminalia arjuna stem bark in alloxan - induced diabetic rats for 30 days, and its histopathological study was investigated in the liver, kidney and pancreatic tissues sections. Pathological lesions were evoked in cells of diabetic rats. The extract improve the liver, kidney and pancreas function and reduce lesions associated with diabetic state in alloxan induced rats. The effect of oral administration of T. Arjuna at a dose of 500 mg / kg body weight was more efficacy than the 250 mg/kg body weight. The results indicate the extract exhibit the protective effect on tissues, and proves its potentials as an antidiabetic agent

CRITICAL WORKS or ACHARYA NANDADULARE VAJPAI

HINDICUSATDepartment of Hindi, Cochin University of science & Technolog

Analysis of water quality in Buckingham Canal

The paper presents the study of  physico chemical parameters of water in Buckingham canal within the Chennai city limits .The water has been subjected to immense degradation and pollution due to huge amount of domestic and industrial  waste entering into it .The restoration of water quality is a major challenge to environmental managers .The study area is divided into 5 regions and water samples are collected .The qualitative and quantitative analysis of water samples are conducted to determine the amount of different pollutants present .The study identifies the critical pollutants affecting the water during its course through the city . The results are compared with the standard limits .Solutions are recommended to reduce the critical parameters and make water purposeful

Lipase catalysed kinetic resolution of racemic (±)2,2-dimethyl-3-(2-methyl-1-propenyl)-cyclopropane carboxyl esters

Optically active (1R)(−) and (1S)(+)-trans-Chrysanthemic acid and its esters were prepared from corresponding racemic methyl ester by lipase mediated enantioselective hydrolysis, is described

Effect of tide on the variability of zooplankton in the nearshore waters of Thal, Maharashtra

166-173Quantitative and qualitative difference in zooplankton in relation to the tide were studied along 3 transects located off Thal, Maharashtra, India during Feb. 1980 to Jan. 1981. Variation in zooplankton biomass for the flood and ebb period were 2 to 96 and 2 to 134 ml.(100 m3)-1 respectively. In general, there was shoreward increase in zooplankton during the flood period and a reverse trend during the ebb period. Biomass for the ebb period [av. 23 ml. (100 m3)-1] was relatively more than the flood period [av. 21 ml(100 m3)-1] and this feature was more prevalent at stations close to the shore. The topography of the area and prevailing current pattern exert profound influence on the distribution of zooplankton. Difference in the representation of common groups of zooplankton for the flood and ebb periods was distinct. Copepods and decapods sustained higher population during the ebb period. Group like chaetognaths and molluscs were caught in appreciable numbers during the flood period