Fine structure of the haemocytes of the Indian white shrimp Fenneropenaeus indicus (H. Milne Edwards, 1837)

Three types of circulating haemocytes have been identified in the haemolymph of the Indian white shrimp, Fenneropenaeus indicus, by electron microscopy. The ultrastructure of an agranulocyte, a dense granulocyte, and a semi-dense granulocyte, are described. The possible presence of a fourth type of haemocyte, viz., the cyanocyte, is discussed. The ultrastructure of a special type of haemocyte found in the haemolymph of shrimps with a developing ovary is described

Haemolymph proteins of the Indian white shrimp, Penaeus indicus (H. Milne Edwards) II. Moult stages and ovarian development

Haemolymph proteins of the Indian white shrimp, Penaeus indicus in various stages of the moult cycle and ovarian development were characterized by Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel discontinuous electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). No specific protein or polypeptide was detected during the various moult stages. In the females with developing and mature ovary, a distinct haemolymph protein pattern was observed. The presence of female specific proteins in the haemolymph is described. The FSPs stained positive for PAS, Oil Red O and Alizarin Red. The peculiar pattern of hemocyanin fractions during vitellogenesis is discussed

Haemolymph proteins of the Indian white shrimp, Penaeus indicus (H. Milne Edwards)

Haemolymph proteins of the Indian white shrimp, Penaeus indicus were characterised by Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDSPAGE). The most important fractions were the cuproproteins-hemocyanins, characterized by two fractions. The two fractions are also lipo- and glyco-proteic in nature. Males and females possess similar protein pattern and the maximal number of fractions separated was 16

Influence Of Tillage Practices And Residue Management Practices on Yield Attributes And Yield Of Maize In Maize-Based Cropping Systems Under Semi-Arid Tropics

A field experiment was conducted during kharif and rabi in 2016-17 and 2017-18 at International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics, Patancheru, Hyderabad to study the influence of tillage practices and residue management practices on yield attributes and yield of maize in maize-based cropping systems under semi-arid tropics. The field experiment was laid out on broad-beds and furrows in a split-split design with four replications under rainfed conditions. Main plot consisted of two tillage practices (minimum tillage and conventional tillage), sub-plot of two crop residue management practices (residue addition and no-residue addition) and sub-sub plot of two cropping systems (Maize-chickpea sequential cropping and maize+pigeonpea intercropping system). The results revealed that yield and yield attributes of maize did not vary significantly due to tillage practices, however, minimum tillage led to considerable yield losses. Among the residue management practices, addition of crop residue recorded significantly higher yield and yield attributes (cob girth, number of grain rows and test weight) as compared to no residue addition. Yield attributes and yield remained non-significant among the two cropping systems

Observations on selected characteristics of water and sediment at the open sea cage culture site of Asian seabass Lates calcarifer (Bloch) off Cochin, south-west coast of India

Study was undertaken to assess the impact of open sea cage culture of Asian seabass Lates calcarifer on selected parameters of water as well as sediment at Munambam off Cochin, Kerala coast from November 2008 to March 2009. Periodic observations were made on temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, nutrients (NO3, PO4, SiO3), nitrite, ammonia, BOD, total suspended solids, chlorophyll a, gross and net primary productivity as well as bacterial load of the surface and near bottom water from the cage site (N 10º 08' 162''; E 76º 08' 901'') and also from a reference site (N 10º 07' 189''; E 76º 09' 210'') during pre- as well as post-stocking periods. Sediment samples were collected simultaneously from both the sites and analysed for texture, pH, organic carbon and bacterial load. A significant reduction (p<0.05) in silicate and chlorophyll a was perceived in surface water at the cage site, during the culture period as compared to pre-stocking period. No significant variations were noticed in any of the other parameters studied. The sand, silt, clay and organic carbon content in sediment at cage site differed significantly (p<0.05) from that of the reference site. There was no significant difference in the mean values of total heterotrophic bacterial count as well as presumptive Vibrio count of the water and sediment, either between the cage site and reference site or between the pre- and post-stocking samplings. No adverse effect as influenced by cage culture of fish was observed on any of the environmental parameters studied during the period of investigation

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Not AvailableRoot and tuber crops are the one of the oldest group of crops domesticated by the human being. Nutritionally, they are on par with new world food crops. Greater yam (Dioscorea alata) and cassava (Manihot esculenta) are highly drought tolerant crops. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and yam bean (Pachyrrhizus erosus) can be grown in marginal soils. Under Tribal Sub Plan programme, yam, taro (Colocasia esculenta), sweet potato, yam bean and cassava cultivation was demonstrated in the tribal areas of Odisha, Chhatisgarh and Jharkhand states of India during 2012-13 for livelihood improvement and income generation. Greater yam 7400 kg, taro 1550 kg, yam bean 100 kg sweet potato 110000 vine cuttings and cassava 40000 sett were distributed to the tribal farmers and the area covered in all the three states together was greater yam 3.7 ha, taro 1.24 ha, yam bean 8.0 ha, sweet potato 2.2 ha and cassava 4.0 ha. Greater yam recorded higher yield of 458 kg 200 m-2 with the net return of Rs 4380. The net returns from yam and taro were higher than other crops implying their commercial stature. However, Benefit cost ratio from yam bean (2.76) was as high as greater yam (2.76). High yield and returns from the improved varieties of tuber crops increased the food availability in the household. Voluntary intake of available nutrient rich tubers improved the nutritional security of the disadvantaged tribal farmers in the above statesNot Availabl

Global, regional, and national sex-specific burden and control of the HIV epidemic, 1990–2019, for 204 countries and territories: the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2019

Background: The sustainable development goals (SDGs) aim to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Understanding the current state of the HIV epidemic and its change over time is essential to this effort. This study assesses the current sex-specific HIV burden in 204 countries and territories and measures progress in the control of the epidemic. Methods: To estimate age-specific and sex-specific trends in 48 of 204 countries, we extended the Estimation and Projection Package Age-Sex Model to also implement the spectrum paediatric model. We used this model in cases where age and sex specific HIV-seroprevalence surveys and antenatal care-clinic sentinel surveillance data were available. For the remaining 156 of 204 locations, we developed a cohort-incidence bias adjustment to derive incidence as a function of cause-of-death data from vital registration systems. The incidence was input to a custom Spectrum model. To assess progress, we measured the percentage change in incident cases and deaths between 2010 and 2019 (threshold &gt;75% decline), the ratio of incident cases to number of people living with HIV (incidence-to-prevalence ratio threshold &lt;0·03), and the ratio of incident cases to deaths (incidence-to-mortality ratio threshold &lt;1·0). Findings: In 2019, there were 36·8 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 35·1–38·9) people living with HIV worldwide. There were 0·84 males (95% UI 0·78–0·91) per female living with HIV in 2019, 0·99 male infections (0·91–1·10) for every female infection, and 1·02 male deaths (0·95–1·10) per female death. Global progress in incident cases and deaths between 2010 and 2019 was driven by sub-Saharan Africa (with a 28·52% decrease in incident cases, 95% UI 19·58–35·43, and a 39·66% decrease in deaths, 36·49–42·36). Elsewhere, the incidence remained stable or increased, whereas deaths generally decreased. In 2019, the global incidence-to-prevalence ratio was 0·05 (95% UI 0·05–0·06) and the global incidence-to-mortality ratio was 1·94 (1·76–2·12). No regions met suggested thresholds for progress. Interpretation: Sub-Saharan Africa had both the highest HIV burden and the greatest progress between 1990 and 2019. The number of incident cases and deaths in males and females approached parity in 2019, although there remained more females with HIV than males with HIV. Globally, the HIV epidemic is far from the UNAIDS benchmarks on progress metrics. Funding: The Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Institute on Aging of the NIH

Mapping subnational HIV mortality in six Latin American countries with incomplete vital registration systems

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a public health priority in Latin America. While the burden of HIV is historically concentrated in urban areas and high-risk groups, subnational estimates that cover multiple countries and years are missing. This paucity is partially due to incomplete vital registration (VR) systems and statistical challenges related to estimating mortality rates in areas with low numbers of HIV deaths. In this analysis, we address this gap and provide novel estimates of the HIV mortality rate and the number of HIV deaths by age group, sex, and municipality in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico. Methods: We performed an ecological study using VR data ranging from 2000 to 2017, dependent on individual country data availability. We modeled HIV mortality using a Bayesian spatially explicit mixed-effects regression model that incorporates prior information on VR completeness. We calibrated our results to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Results: All countries displayed over a 40-fold difference in HIV mortality between municipalities with the highest and lowest age-standardized HIV mortality rate in the last year of study for men, and over a 20-fold difference for women. Despite decreases in national HIV mortality in all countries—apart from Ecuador—across the period of study, we found broad variation in relative changes in HIV mortality at the municipality level and increasing relative inequality over time in all countries. In all six countries included in this analysis, 50% or more HIV deaths were concentrated in fewer than 10% of municipalities in the latest year of study. In addition, national age patterns reflected shifts in mortality to older age groups—the median age group among decedents ranged from 30 to 45 years of age at the municipality level in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico in 2017. Conclusions: Our subnational estimates of HIV mortality revealed significant spatial variation and diverging local trends in HIV mortality over time and by age. This analysis provides a framework for incorporating data and uncertainty from incomplete VR systems and can help guide more geographically precise public health intervention to support HIV-related care and reduce HIV-related deaths

The global burden of adolescent and young adult cancer in 2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: In estimating the global burden of cancer, adolescents and young adults with cancer are often overlooked, despite being a distinct subgroup with unique epidemiology, clinical care needs, and societal impact. Comprehensive estimates of the global cancer burden in adolescents and young adults (aged 15–39 years) are lacking. To address this gap, we analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, with a focus on the outcome of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), to inform global cancer control measures in adolescents and young adults. Methods: Using the GBD 2019 methodology, international mortality data were collected from vital registration systems, verbal autopsies, and population-based cancer registry inputs modelled with mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). Incidence was computed with mortality estimates and corresponding MIRs. Prevalence estimates were calculated using modelled survival and multiplied by disability weights to obtain years lived with disability (YLDs). Years of life lost (YLLs) were calculated as age-specific cancer deaths multiplied by the standard life expectancy at the age of death. The main outcome was DALYs (the sum of YLLs and YLDs). Estimates were presented globally and by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintiles (countries ranked and divided into five equal SDI groups), and all estimates were presented with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). For this analysis, we used the age range of 15–39 years to define adolescents and young adults. Findings: There were 1·19 million (95% UI 1·11–1·28) incident cancer cases and 396 000 (370 000–425 000) deaths due to cancer among people aged 15–39 years worldwide in 2019. The highest age-standardised incidence rates occurred in high SDI (59·6 [54·5–65·7] per 100 000 person-years) and high-middle SDI countries (53·2 [48·8–57·9] per 100 000 person-years), while the highest age-standardised mortality rates were in low-middle SDI (14·2 [12·9–15·6] per 100 000 person-years) and middle SDI (13·6 [12·6–14·8] per 100 000 person-years) countries. In 2019, adolescent and young adult cancers contributed 23·5 million (21·9–25·2) DALYs to the global burden of disease, of which 2·7% (1·9–3·6) came from YLDs and 97·3% (96·4–98·1) from YLLs. Cancer was the fourth leading cause of death and tenth leading cause of DALYs in adolescents and young adults globally. Interpretation: Adolescent and young adult cancers contributed substantially to the overall adolescent and young adult disease burden globally in 2019. These results provide new insights into the distribution and magnitude of the adolescent and young adult cancer burden around the world. With notable differences observed across SDI settings, these estimates can inform global and country-level cancer control efforts. Funding: Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities, St Baldrick's Foundation, and the National Cancer Institute