High-throughput virus-induced gene-silencing approach to assess the functional relevance of a moisture stress-induced cDNA homologous to lea4

The abiotic stress-responsive cDNA database and their expression profiles suggest that stress genes are many and diverse. However, characterization and validation of their functional significance has been a constraint to assessing their role in imparting tolerance. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a potential option for assessing the functional significance of stress genes. Here the effectiveness of VIGS to silence the expression of an ABA-responsive lea4 (late embryogenic abundant) gene involved in stress tolerance is documented. In the present study, low moisture-stress protocols were developed in such a way that the plants experienced the desired stress level when silencing the target stress gene using VIGS was at a maximum. The functional relevance of a groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) subtracted-stress cDNA clone putative lea4 was examined by VIGS in tomato. A 400 bp fragment of lea4 was cloned into tobacco rattle virus-based VIGS vector to trigger post-transcriptional gene silencing by Agrobacterium-mediated inoculation in tomato plants. In silenced plants only lea4 transcripts showed a substantial decline, whereas the expression of other known stress-responsive genes such as apx (ascorbate peroxidase) and elip (early light-induced protein) were unaltered. Under moderate moisture stress, the silenced plants showed enhanced susceptibility as measured by cell viability, superoxide radical activity, and cell osmotic adjustment. This approach illustrates the potential benefits of VIGS in identifying functional relevance of low moisture stress-responsive genes. It is also demonstrated that heterologous probes with a fairly high degree of homology to the native genes can be used to study the functional relevance of stress-responsive genes using VIGS

Indigenous Knowledge on Medicinal Plants Among the Local People of Puducherry Region (Union Territory), India

A survey on the use of medicinal plants by local traditional healers was carried out in Puducherry (Union Territory) region, southern India. Findings presented in this paper were gathered by group discussions, interviews and questionnaires with the local people having knowledge of medicinal values of plants; this study involved a total of 24 plant species distributed in 22 families. These medicinal plants employed by them are listed with Latin name, family, local name, parts used, mode of preparation of the drug and medicinal uses. Generally, fresh parts of the plants are used for the preparation of medicine and leaves are most commonly used. The results of this study showed that local people still depend on plants for the cure of certain diseases

Density, diversity and community composition of trees in tropical thorn forest, peninsular India

Tropical thorn forests (TTFs) are characterized by the presence of small and thorny trees which usually shed their leaves in dry season. A quantitative phytosociological study was conducted in Uthumalai Reserve Forest of Peninsular India to record density, species richness, diversity and population structure of trees. Diameter of all free standing trees ≥1 cm diameter at breast height (DBH, cm) was measured at 1.37 m above the ground. A sum of 4135 trees ≥1cm DBH recorded from one hectare study plot. With 2272 (54.94%) individuals Dalbergia spinosa dominated the study plot followed by Commiphora berryi (484, 11.70%), Grewia flavescens (259, 6.26%), Dichrostachys cinerea (206, 4.98%) and Anogeissus pendula (171, 4.14%). In total, 26 species belonged to 19 genera and 15 families found in one ha study plot. The family Mimosaceae had a large number of species followed by Apocynaceae, Capparidaceae, Tiliaceae, Rhamnaceae. Rubiaceae (each 2 species). Stand basal area of tree community recorded as 15.238 m2 ha-1. Commiphora berryi constituted 50.80% (7.74 m2 ha-1) of stand basal area followed by Dalbergia spinosa (19.43%, 2.96 m2 ha-1). The forest showed a reverse J shaped population structure. Shannon diversity (H), equitability (H’) and Simpson’s dominance (D) indices of study area recorded as 1.76, 0.54 and 0.335, respectively. Dalbergia spinosa, Commiphora berryi, Grewia flavescens, Dichrostachys cinerea and Anogeissus pendula topped the species important value index with 87.80, 73.53, 20, 19.79, 17.43 scores, respectively. In family important value index, Papilionaceae topped the list followed by Burseraceae and Mimosaceae with scores 129.32, 74.23 and 34.43, respectively. The study area endowed with a moderate species richness and diversity, and acts as one of the homes for an IUCN’s vulnerable tree species

Nesting biology, seasonality and host range of sweat bee, Hoplonomia westwoodi (Gribodo) (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Nomiinae)

Nesting biology and Seasonal dynamics of Halictid bee, Hoplonomia westwoodi (Nomiinae: Halictidae) was studied at ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources (NBAIR) Bengaluru, Yelahanka Campus (13.096792N, 77.565976E) India from July 2016 to May 2017. The bee built subterranean nests on a leveled soil surface with turrets with main shaft running to a depth of 70.1 cm. In total, nineteen cells were observed in clusters at diferente depths. Different life stages of the bee were observed in the cells. The life cycle of the bee was completed in 41.80 days. The bees were found actively foraging on different flora belonging to the different families like Acanthaceae, Asteraceae, Convolvulaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Malpighiaceae, Polygonaceae, Rubiaceae and Solanceae throughout the year with the peak population during the months of June to November. Marked preference and behavior of buzz pollination was observed on the flowers of Solanaceous crops like tomato and eggplant

Review on Type-2 fuzzy in biomedicine

Application of physiological and biological ethics to clinical practice is called medical science or Bio-medicine. This branch includes biochemistry, molecular biology, biological engineering neuro science, immunology, pathology and other life science applied to medicine. In this paper, a review has been done for creating a new path and motivation in this field for the new researchers as an application of fuzzy logic in life science areas. Since medical field has uncertainty in nature this topic will be very useful for the future researc

Plant protection through RNAi: Alternative for pesticides and chemical approaches to pest control

RNA interference (RNAi) has become a powerful genetic approach to systemically dissect gene function on a genome wide scale. Double stranded RNA (dsRNA) mediated gene silencing has been proven as a potential approach to control several insect pests including fruit fly, nematode, cotton bollworm, and corn rootworm. RNA interference (RNAi) induced by hairpin RNAs are new line of defence against coleopteran and lepidopteron pests. It was shown that insect larvae fed with plant material expressing dsRNA for the insect genes triggered the RNAi pathway in insect larvae and blocked the expression of target genes. The resulting reduction in larval growth and subsequent death has opened up new options for insect control involving the insect genes perse. Hence, protein targets for insect control strategies can be minimized or completely ignored. Prospecting for novel resistance mechanisms depend on the plant generating an effective form of double-stranded RNA in the absence of an endogenous target gene without detrimental effect to itself. Although the amazing popularity of RNAi as a biotechnology tool is certainly justified, the underlying biology is still being worked out and the relative advantages and disadvantages of the approach are being efficiently addressed using emerging Bioinformatic tools and many genome sequences. In this review we would like to highlight the attempts of pest control using gene silencing or RNAi technology, few strategies, target genes for RNAi in insects, target site of action, and probable likely targets for RNAi in insects and plants for potential durable pest resistance mechanisms. © 2011 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved

Tomorrow's Surgery: Micromotors and Microrobots

Surgical procedures have changed radically over the last few years due to the arrival of new technology. What will technology bring us in the future? This paper examines a few of the forces whose timing are causing new ideas to congeal from the fields of artificial intelligence, robotics, micromachining and smart materials. Intelligence systems for autonomous mobile robots can now enable simple insect level behaviors in small amounts of silicon. These software breakthroughs coupled with new techniques for microfabricating miniature sensors and actuators from both silicon and ferroelectric families of materials offer glimpses of the future where robots will be small, cheap and potentially useful to surgeons. In this paper we relate our recent efforts to fabricate piezoelectric micromotors in an effort to develop actuator technologies where brawn matches to the scale of the brain. We discuss our experiments with thin film ferroelectric motors 2mm in diameter and larger 8mm versions machined from bulk ceramic and sketch possible applications in the surgical field.MIT Artificial Intelligence Laborator

Report on swimbladder disorder in the honeycomb grouper, Epinephelus merra

Swimbladder or airbladder is a thin layered epithelial sac filled with air, lying above the alimentary canal of bony fishes that regulates buoyancy of the fish so that the specific gravity of the fish always matches the depth at which it is swimming. Swimbladder disorder (SBD) is a condition caused by sudden temperature changes impacted stomach resulting from improper feeding or due to bacterial or viral infections of the bladder characterised by inability of the fish to keep a normal upright position in water. Normally gold fishes suffer from SBD due to their globoid body shape. Fish with SBD may float on their side or their back, swim in circles or take head-down posture