Coherent Flow Structures over Scour Marks Generated by Obstacles of Different Shapes

Source: ICHE Conference Archive - https://mdi-de.baw.de/icheArchiv

Endozoochorus Seed Dispersal by Jalauni Sheep in Tropical Climate: Recovery and Germinability under Natural Pasture Grazing

Herbivores can play an important role in seed dispersal. Climate, available vegetation for grazing, pasture situation can determine the seed dispersal trends by the grazing animals. Tropical climate of India with wide climatic variation leads to fluctuating herbage quality and available biomass. Ruminants spread plants through fecal pellets after grazing at one place and fecal voiding at another. Herbivores can play an important role in seed dispersal. Climate, available vegetation for grazing, pasture situation can determine the seed dispersal trends by the grazing animals. Tropical climate of India with wide climatic variation leads to fluctuating herbage quality and available biomass. Ruminants spread plants through fecal pellets after grazing at one place and fecal voiding at another. Sheep have narrow mouths and flexible lips than other ruminants that lead them selective grazing on palatable forage (Grande et al., 2013). During dry season and hearse climate they are forced to graze on dried up grasses and twigs and thereby consume mature seed and seed those not digested passes through fecal pellets that has endozoochorus characteristics. Herbivores can affect vegetation by driving dispersal patterns of plants or zoochory (Fenner and Thompson, 2005). For grazing animal, germination success of seed from fecal pellets determined by the eating rate of animal under grazing along with palatable plants (Pakeman et al., 2002) and the solvability of seed in the digestive system. Tropical climate pasture dominated by different grass species along with weeds has bushes too for browsing. During late winter to dry season between January to May, animal compelled to graze on available dry grasses and weeds and those seed disperse through pelleting in other areas. Information on this regard is very rare to compare and present studies conducted at tropical climate of India during January to May

Effect of Sublethal Concentration of Malathion Insecticide on Innate Immune System, Immune Function and Hemocytes of Adult Drosophila melanogaster

Invertebrate organisms mostly have innate immune system. Hemocytes are the immune cells of the innate immunity in invertebrates. Our study was designed to observe the effect of malathion insecticide on the innate immune system, immune function and hemocytes of Drosophila melanogaster. A hemocytometer was used for total count of hemocytes which showed a reduced percentage of live cells (from 91.63% to 44.57%) due to the treatment. For differential count, the hemolymph was spread as a smear on a clean grease free slide. It was observed that the plasmatocyte count considerably decreased under the effect of malathion (from 78% to 44.66%). Lamellocytes also showed a decline in their number (from 18.33% to 12.61%). But, a trivial increase (from 3.67% to 3.98%) in crystal cell count was recorded. Our result suggests that malathion has mostly negative effect on hemocytes. This study could help in understanding of insect defense mechanism against such hazardous chemicals. Additionally, the function of human macrophages is analogous to the function of plasmatocytes. Hence, this work could possibly aid us in studying the response of human immune cells against organophosphates like malathion

Ethical Use of Cereal Legume Intercrop Forages for Feeding of Sheep and Pasture Development

Cereal forages are important in the feeding of livestock for their high energy and dry matter content. However, they are low in protein content and inferior in other nutritional quality than the legume forages. Ruminants required protein as well as energy to maintain their production. Supplementation of protein through concentrates is cost effective in livestock production. Besides, ruminant is unique in having the potential for cycling forage materials, poor quality protein and non protein nitrogen sources into human food supply as meat and milk (Eskandary et al., 2009). Thus, management of forages for livestock feeding either in feedlot or in pasture grazing is the key task of livestock manager to minimize cost in maximization of profit. In agricultural system, intercropping is a crop management system involving two or more crop species grown together for at least part of their productive cycle (Innis, 1997). Cereal legume intercropping system is more productive and profitable cropping system for the supply of balanced nutrients to livestock. Besides, animal welfare committee pointed out that there should not be restriction or prevention of natural innate behaviour including natural foraging or exploratory behaviour of animal. As per this, animals foraging behaviour on feeding and thereby analysis of the system and its application in livestock farming and pasture development as per species of animal became utmost important in forthcoming days of livestock farming. Intercropping of cereals and legumes can boost forage protein of animal’s diet which may be tested for animals choice in foraging will justify the ethics in animal feeding

Buffalo Rearing System in Bhadawari Breeding Tract

Bhadawari buffalo is one of the recognized buffalo breeds in India, known for high milk fat content, which may go as high as 14% (Kushwaha et al., 2012). Zachariah (1941) had first described this breed as “Bhadawan” buffalo – the best breed of buffaloes in Uttar Pradesh and found in the districts of Agra and Etah (Central India). Presently Bhadawari Buffaloes are found in the ravines of Yamuna and Chambal rivers spread over in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. These buffaloes have adapted to the harsh conditions of the ravines with undulating topography, thorny and scanty bushes, climatic stress and draught conditions. The buffaloes are of medium size with medium to low milk yield having high fat content. Animals are of copper color, have two white rings on the lower side of the neck and legs are comparatively shorter. Indiscriminate crossbreeding with Murrah buffaloes, for increasing milk production, during the last 3-4 decades has reduced the number of Bhadawari buffaloes in the region. Looking into the need to conserve this gene pool, Indian Council of Agricultural Research has initiated efforts on conservation and improvement of Bhadawari buffaloes at Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi (IGFRI) under Network program in the year 2001. The present study was conducted to collect the information regarding existing buffalo rearing practices adopted by the farmers in the Bhadawari breeding tract

Cosmological quests in the CMB sky

Observational Cosmology has indeed made very rapid progress in recent years. The ability to quantify the universe has largely improved due to observational constraints coming from structure formation Measurements of CMB anisotropy and, more recently, polarization have played a very important role. Besides precise determination of various parameters of the `standard' cosmological model, observations have also established some important basic tenets that underlie models of cosmology and structure formation in the universe -- `acausally' correlated initial perturbations in a flat, statistically isotropic universe, adiabatic nature of primordial density perturbations. These are consistent with the expectation of the paradigm of inflation and the generic prediction of the simplest realization of inflationary scenario in the early universe. Further, gravitational instability is the established mechanism for structure formation from these initial perturbations. In the next decade, future experiments promise to strengthen these deductions and uncover the remaining crucial signature of inflation -- the primordial gravitational wave background.Comment: Plenary talk at the International Conference on Einstein's Legacy in the New Millennium, December 15 - 22, 2005, Puri, India; to appear in the Proceedings to be published in IJMPD; 18 pages, 7 figure

Foraging behaviour of honeybees (Apis spp.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in hybrid seed production of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea)

Pollination of entomophilous crops by honeybees is considered as one of the effective and inexpensive method for improving the crop yield and its quality. In most of the crops, effective pollination is prerequisite for fruitful fertilisation. Hence, we investigated the differential foraging activity of honeybees in relation to aspects of crop management including sowing time and parental row ratio in the hybrid seed production of the first Indian mustard hybrid NRCHB Apis spp. (half of which being Apis dorsata) was the dominant pollinators in our study. The pollinator abundance was maximum in the forenoon in male line (19.1) and in the afternoon in female line (13.9). Pollen collectors (8.7) outnumbered the nectar collectors (7.2) in male line and the reverse in female line. Pollinator abundance decreased in rows distantly positioned from the male parent row. Air temperature was positively correlated (r = 0.631) and relative humidity negatively correlated (r = –0.736) with honeybee foraging. Warmer weather conditions during flowering period showed higher number of honeybee visiting the hybrid seed production plots. This study would help the seed producers to standardise the planting geometry and date of sowing to promote maximum pollinator abundance at peak flowering period resulting in higher hybrid seed yield

Evaluation of hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity of Ichnocarpus frutescens (Linn.) R.Br. on paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Purpose: The entire plant including the flowers, of Ichnocarpus frutescens R.Br. (Apocynaceae) has been used for the treatment of cancer, skin infections, diabetes and liver disorder. The present study is aimed at evaluating the hepatoprotective effect of chloroform and methanol extract (CEIF and MEIF) of whole plant of I. frutescens (Linns) by paracetamol-induced liver damage in rats. Methods: The chloroform and methanolic extracts of I. frutescens (CEIF and MEIF) were studied for their hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects on paracetamol (750mg/kg) induced acute liver damage on Wistar albino rats. The degree of protection was measured by using biochemical parameters such as serum glutamate oxalate transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin and total protein. Further, the effects of both extracts on lipid peroxidation (LPO), glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were estimated. Results: CEIF and MEIF at a dose level of 250mg/kg and 500mg/kg produce significant (