First report on black spot disease of Phyllanthus emblica L. fruits caused by Thielaviopsis paradoxa in Bangladesh

Fruit spot disease of Phyllanthus emblica L. is one of theproblems, which reduce the quality of the fruits at pre-harvest period. Fungal pathogen was isolated using tissue planting methods during November 2016 to December 2017. The fungus, Thielaviopsis paradoxa was identified using both morphological and molecular characterization based on internal transcribe spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA (rDNA). Mycelial growth of the isolated fungus was evaluated on six different fungal culture media viz, potato sucrose agar (PSA), Richard agar (RA), carrot agar (CA), potato dextrose agar (PDA), honey peptone agar (HPA) and Hansen’s agar (HA) in which RA and HPA media provided the utmost growth. The optimum temperature of the fungus was recorded at 25 to 35ºC. Alternate cycle of 12h/12h light dark and neutral to basic pH was preferred by the studied fungus. Aqueous crude extracts of three plants (garlic, black cumin, and turmeric) were evaluated against the isolated fungus in which the highest inhibition was recorded due to garlic extract. Two food preservatives (sodium benzoate and vinegar) were also tested in which sodium benzoate (100 mM) was most efficient for the inhibition of T. paradoxa. Therefore, garlic and food preservative-sodium benzoate could be used to control this fungal growth associated with amla fruits. To the best of our knowledge, occurrence of T. paradoxa on amla fruits is a new record in Bangladesh. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 10(2): 38-46, December 202

In vitro evaluation of biocontrol agents and fungicides on wood decay fungiganoderma associated with mortality of tree legumes

An experiment was conducted to isolate a number of biocontrol agent- Trichoderma spp. from infected spawn packets of oyster mushroom at National Mushroom Development and Extension Centre, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. These bio-control agents were used as antagonist against four wild wood decay fungi of Ganoderma, viz., G. lucidum-1, G. lucidum-2, G. lucidum-3, G. applanatum and two cultivated G. lucidum-4, G.lucidum-6 under in vitro condition. An in vitro trial of Trichoderma spp. against Ganoderma were performed by dual culture, by treating with volatile, non-volatile and naturally untreated metabolites of bio-control agents. In dual culture, all the Trichoderma species showed 70- 100% mycelia inhibition of G. lucidum-1 and G. lucidum-2, 55.6-100% inhibition of G. lucidum-3, 20-66.7% of G. applanatum, 100% of G. lucidum-5, 75-100% of G. lucidum-6. Effects of heat killed extracts of Trichoderma spp. on growth of G. lucidum-2 (wild) and G. lucidum-6 (cultivated) were also evaluated. Fungicides Bavistin and Dithane M-45 were also used to investigate the mycelial growth inhibition of Ganoderma spp.Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 6 (2): 31-35, December, 201

Symptomatology of fungal competitors on oyster mushrooms spawn packets and in vitro evaluation using phytoextracts and a fungicide

An experiment was conducted to find out the fungal competitors and symptom studies in damaged Oyster Mushroom spawn packets at National Mushroom Development and Extension Center, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. A total of nine fungal competitors of oyster mushroom were isolated and identified namely- Trichoderma harzianum Rifai, T. viride Pers. (Green strain), T. viride Pers. (Yellow strain), T. koningii Oudem, Mucor hiemalis Wehmer, Papulaspora byssina Hotson, Neurospora sp. Shear and B.O. Dodge., Aspergillus flavus Link., and Botryodiplodia theobromae Pat. on the basis of microscopic, morphological and cultural characteristics. To produce oyster mushroom in an eco-friendly manner and to find out their antifungal potency, 23 plant species belonging to 19 families were screened out against isolated nine fungal competitors of oyster mushroom. Among 23 extracts, the maximum (44%) mycelial inhibition of T. harzianum was found due to Aegle marmelos whereas Eclipta alba showed the highest mycelial inhibition (62%) of T. viride (Green strain); in case of T. viride (Yellow strain), Cassia tora exhibited the highest mycelial inhibition (39%); Diospyros cordifolia showed the maximum mycelial inhibition (48%) of T. koningii; Curcuma longa (rhizome) gave the maximum mycelial inhibition (90%) of Neurospora sp. There were no significant effects found to control of P. byssina, B. theobromae, M. hiemalis and A. flavus due to 23 different types of botanicals tested. Trichoderma harzianum, T. viride (Green strain), T. viride (Yellow strain), T. koningii, A. flavus, Neurospora sp. and P. byssina was successfully inhibited by 30, 50 and 70 ppm of fungicide-Bavistin 50 WP but B. theobromae and M. hiemalis were not affected by Bavistin at mentioned concentration.Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 6 (2): 24-30, December, 201

Suicide related to the COVID-19 pandemic in India: a systematic review

Background: The suicide rate has increased during the pandemic in India. Moreover, several studies, especially press-media reporting suicide studies have been conducted but no systematic review has been attempted in this context. Therefore, the present study systematically investigated the risk factors associated with suicidal behaviors, and the method of suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was performed to include papers published up until September 30, 2022. From an initial 144 papers, 18 studies which met the inclusion criteria were included in the present review. The Pierson’s method was used for quality assessment of the included studies in the present review. Results: The risk factors associated with suicide comprised: (i) socio-demographic factors (e.g., being aged between 31 and 50 years, male, married, unemployed), (ii) behavior and health-related factors (e.g., unavailability of alcohol and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, poor state of physical health and health issues, family disputes, relationship complexities, and sexual harassment), (iii) COVID-19-related factors (e.g., fear of COVID-19, COVID-19 test results, quarantine or isolation, financial hardship due to the pandemic, having influenza-like symptoms, experiencing stigmatization and ostracism despite testing negative, separation from family due to transport restrictions, misinterpreting other illness symptoms as COVID-19, saving the village from infection, watching COVID-19 videos on social media, online schooling, perceived stigma toward COVID-19, and being suspected of having COVID-19), and (iv) psychopathological stressors (depression, loneliness, stress, TikTok addiction, and poor mental health, suicidal tendencies, helplessness, and worrying). Hanging was the most common method of suicide. In addition, jumping from high buildings, poisoning, drowning, burning, cutting or slitting throat or wrists, self-immolation, medication overdose, electrocution, pesticide, and gun-shot were also used to carry out the suicide. Conclusions: Findings from this research suggest multiple reasons for suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic and knowledge of such factors could aid in developing suicide prevention strategies focusing the most vulnerable cohorts inside and outside India

Transcriptional Responses of Cultured Rat Sympathetic Neurons during BMP-7-Induced Dendritic Growth

Dendrites are the primary site of synapse formation in the vertebrate nervous system; however, relatively little is known about the molecular mechanisms that regulate the initial formation of primary dendrites. Embryonic rat sympathetic neurons cultured under defined conditions extend a single functional axon, but fail to form dendrites. Addition of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) triggers these neurons to extend multiple dendrites without altering axonal growth or cell survival. We used this culture system to examine differential gene expression patterns in naïve vs. BMP-treated sympathetic neurons in order to identify candidate genes involved in regulation of primary dendritogenesis.To determine the critical transcriptional window during BMP-induced dendritic growth, morphometric analysis of microtubule-associated protein (MAP-2)-immunopositive processes was used to quantify dendritic growth in cultures exposed to the transcription inhibitor actinomycin-D added at varying times after addition of BMP-7. BMP-7-induced dendritic growth was blocked when transcription was inhibited within the first 24 hr after adding exogenous BMP-7. Thus, total RNA was isolated from sympathetic neurons exposed to three different experimental conditions: (1) no BMP-7 treatment; (2) treatment with BMP-7 for 6 hr; and (3) treatment with BMP-7 for 24 hr. Affymetrix oligonucleotide microarrays were used to identify differential gene expression under these three culture conditions. BMP-7 significantly regulated 56 unique genes at 6 hr and 185 unique genes at 24 hr. Bioinformatic analyses implicate both established and novel genes and signaling pathways in primary dendritogenesis.This study provides a unique dataset that will be useful in generating testable hypotheses regarding transcriptional control of the initial stages of dendritic growth. Since BMPs selectively promote dendritic growth in central neurons as well, these findings may be generally applicable to dendritic growth in other neuronal cell types

Prevalence, years lived with disability, and trends in anaemia burden by severity and cause, 1990-2021: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background Anaemia is a major health problem worldwide. Global estimates of anaemia burden are crucial for developing appropriate interventions to meet current international targets for disease mitigation. We describe the prevalence, years lived with disability, and trends of anaemia and its underlying causes in 204 countries and territories. Methods We estimated population-level distributions of haemoglobin concentration by age and sex for each location from 1990 to 2021. We then calculated anaemia burden by severity and associated years lived with disability (YLDs). With data on prevalence of the causes of anaemia and associated cause-specific shifts in haemoglobin concentrations, we modelled the proportion of anaemia attributed to 37 underlying causes for all locations, years, and demographics in the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Findings In 2021, the global prevalence of anaemia across all ages was 24·3% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 23·9–24·7), corresponding to 1·92 billion (1·89–1·95) prevalent cases, compared with a prevalence of 28·2% (27·8–28·5) and 1·50 billion (1·48–1·52) prevalent cases in 1990. Large variations were observed in anaemia burden by age, sex, and geography, with children younger than 5 years, women, and countries in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia being particularly affected. Anaemia caused 52·0 million (35·1–75·1) YLDs in 2021, and the YLD rate due to anaemia declined with increasing Socio-demographic Index. The most common causes of anaemia YLDs in 2021 were dietary iron deficiency (cause-specific anaemia YLD rate per 100 000 population: 422·4 [95% UI 286·1–612·9]), haemoglobinopathies and haemolytic anaemias (89·0 [58·2–123·7]), and other neglected tropical diseases (36·3 [24·4–52·8]), collectively accounting for 84·7% (84·1–85·2) of anaemia YLDs. Interpretation Anaemia remains a substantial global health challenge, with persistent disparities according to age, sex, and geography. Estimates of cause-specific anaemia burden can be used to design locally relevant health interventions aimed at improving anaemia management and prevention. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

In vitro evaluation of biocontrol agents and fungicides on wood decay fungiganoderma associated with mortality of tree legumes

An experiment was conducted to isolate a number of biocontrol agent- Trichoderma spp. from infected spawn packets of oyster mushroom at National Mushroom Development and Extension Centre, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. These bio-control agents were used as antagonist against four wild wood decay fungi of Ganoderma, viz., G. lucidum-1, G. lucidum-2, G. lucidum-3, G. applanatum and two cultivated G. lucidum-4, G.lucidum-6 under in vitro condition. An in vitro trial of Trichoderma spp. against Ganoderma were performed by dual culture, by treating with volatile, non-volatile and naturally untreated metabolites of bio-control agents. In dual culture, all the Trichoderma species showed 70- 100% mycelia inhibition of G. lucidum-1 and G. lucidum-2, 55.6-100% inhibition of G. lucidum-3, 20-66.7% of G. applanatum, 100% of G. lucidum-5, 75-100% of G. lucidum-6. Effects of heat killed extracts of Trichoderma spp. on growth of G. lucidum-2 (wild) and G. lucidum-6 (cultivated) were also evaluated. Fungicides Bavistin and Dithane M-45 were also used to investigate the mycelial growth inhibition of Ganoderma spp.Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 6 (2): 31-35, December, 201

Symptomatology of fungal competitors on oyster mushroom’s spawn packets and in vitro evaluation using phytoextracts and a fungicide

An experiment was conducted to find out the fungal competitors and symptom studies in damaged Oyster Mushroom spawn packets at National Mushroom Development and Extension Center, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. A total of nine fungal competitors of oyster mushroom were isolated and identified namely- Trichoderma harzianum Rifai, T. viride Pers. (Green strain), T. viride Pers. (Yellow strain), T. koningii Oudem, Mucor hiemalis Wehmer, Papulaspora byssina Hotson, Neurospora sp. Shear and B.O. Dodge., Aspergillus flavus Link., and Botryodiplodia theobromae Pat. on the basis of microscopic, morphological and cultural characteristics. To produce oyster mushroom in an eco-friendly manner and to find out their antifungal potency, 23 plant species belonging to 19 families were screened out against isolated nine fungal competitors of oyster mushroom. Among 23 extracts, the maximum (44%) mycelial inhibition of T. harzianum was found due to Aegle marmelos whereas Eclipta alba showed the highest mycelial inhibition (62%) of T. viride (Green strain); in case of T. viride (Yellow strain), Cassia tora exhibited the highest mycelial inhibition (39%); Diospyros cordifolia showed the maximum mycelial inhibition (48%) of T. koningii; Curcuma longa (rhizome) gave the maximum mycelial inhibition (90%) of Neurospora sp. There were no significant effects found to control of P. byssina, B. theobromae, M. hiemalis and A. flavus due to 23 different types of botanicals tested. Trichoderma harzianum, T. viride (Green strain), T. viride (Yellow strain), T. koningii, A. flavus, Neurospora sp. and P. byssina was successfully inhibited by 30, 50 and 70 ppm of fungicide-Bavistin 50 WP but B. theobromae and M. hiemalis were not affected by Bavistin at mentioned concentration.Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 6 (2): 24-30, December, 201