In-vitro induction of aerial leaves and of precocious flowering in submerged shoots of Limnophila indica by abscisic acid

Nodal explants of submerged shoots of Limnophila indica (L.) Druce were cultured in Nitsch's liquid medium containing abscisic acid (ABA, 10-9-10-6 M). At 10-7 and 10-6 M, ABA induced typical aerial leaves (entire, ovate, opposite-decussately arranged) even under submerged conditions and completely suppressed the development of water leaves (pinnately dissected and whorled). Flowers that invariably arise from aerial shoots were induced precociously by ABA even on submerged nodes

Specificity of gibberellin and sucrose-promoted flower bud growth in gladiolus

A critical stage in flower bud growth in the spike of Gladiolus which is initiated by gibberellic acid (GA3) and sustained by sucrose has been identified. This corresponds to the stage at which separation of the outer bract occurs. In buds at different developmental stages isolated and held in water, it is the same bud stage that first shows increased growth. Buds not induced by light were shown to respond more significantly to GA3 and sucrose than those induced by light. Since the separation of the outer bract results in light-induced amylase production and starch hydrolysis leading to petal growth, it is proposed that growth promotion by GA3 is related to light-induced petal growth at this specific stage

Induction of division and differentiation of somatic embryos in the leaf epidermis of Gaillardia picta

Somatic embroys and subsequent plant regeneration were obtained from isolated leaf epidermis of Gaillardia picta. Abaxial and adaxial epidermal peels (monolayer) from 45 days old aseptic seedlings were isolated and segments measuring 5 mm × 3 mm were cultured on B5 basal medium supplemented with various growth regulators such as naphthaleneacetic acid or indolebutyric acid and benzylaminopurine or kinetin. Within 12 h of culture the epidermal cells showed receding of cytoplasm from the walls. After 48 h of incubation 3 or 4 localized zones, each consisting of 3-8 cells that accumulated cytoplasm and stained densely, were observed. Mitotic divisions occurred in these zones on day 3 of culture and localized masses of callus were observed in 95% of the cultures after 10 days. In another 5 days, the callus differentiated somatic embryos or roots, depending on the growth regulators and their concentration in the medium

The Impact of Erratic Electricity supply on Irrigated Agriculture

Unscheduled power cuts reduced summer paddy yields in Aurepalle and Dokur in 1990 and 1992. Power cuts are the inevitable result of flat rate pricing schedules for agricultural electricity, but they are only a major problem when they are unscheduled and unpredictable. Unpredictability raises production costs and reduces crop yields. Farmers indicate that they are willing to pay more for better quality power delivery. The Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Board has limited options due to political pressure. If it cannot adopt pro rata pricing it must tighten existing rations; otherwise unscheduled cuts will become increasingly common

Partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma in an allograft kidney with limited functional reserve

Abstract The increased risk of malignancies is a well-recognized complication of organ transplantation. When renal cell carcinoma (RCC) occurs in kidney transplant recipients, less than 10% of it affects the allograft. Recent experience suggests that partial allograft nephrectomy for tumours less than 4 cm may be considered the treatment of choice. We report a case of a 3.3 cm RCC discovered in a renal allograft. Limited allograft function was due to segmental infarction after transplant surgery and chronic allograft nephropathy. She underwent successful partial allograft nephrectomy. At 36 months post-surgery, there is no evidence of RCC recurrence and she remains free of renal replacement therapy

Process Documentation Research and Impact of Community-Driven Development Grants Research in Rural India, Socioeconomics Discussion Paper Series 34

In 2011 ICRISAT gave experimental grants to six dryland villages targeted by the “Village Dynamics Studies in South Asia” (VDSA) project. Two villages were located in Telangana state (undivided Andhra Pradesh) and four in Maharashtra state. A grant of USD 7,000 (Rs. 315,000) was given to each villages to assess the role of local governance and institutions on agricultural performance, and to evaluate development pathways. The community was free to decide where and how to use the grant. Using the Process Documentation Research (PDR) framework, this report documents the activities of the ICRISAT-VDSA project team and the community implementation committee in using the grant, and lessons learned in the process. We also estimated the number of beneficiaries and the economic benefits from the grant. In two villages, the annual economic benefits from the grant were almost equal to the total grant expenditure. In five villages, the cumulative benefits over the last four years exceeded the total value of the grant. Unlike other publically-funded projects, large numbers of households from minority and socially weaker sections also benefited. The results suggest that, given the opportunity, local communities can effectively execute local infrastructure development projects through need-based collective action, while lowering the transaction costs of community action. By involving local community members in planning and implementing projects, the village grant provided benefits to a large number of households and generated substantial economic benefits. The experiment provides useful lessons for scaling-out village grants to other project villages, and for rural development agencies in India and elsewhere

Labor-Market Participation in Semi-Arid Tropical Villages of India with Specific Reference to Gender. Working Paper Series No. 55

The issue of gender differentials in relation to farm productivity in subsistence farming has been of special interest from the standpoint of public policy in developing countries, as the difference is often viewed from the angle of human capital theory and measurement of discrimination. The role of rural women in agricultural development draws not only the attention of the academicians but also of the politicians, assuming that gender equality does matter for overall economic development and welfare measurement..

Myosin Va binding to neurofilaments is essential for correct myosin Va distribution and transport and neurofilament density

The identification of molecular motors that modulate the neuronal cytoskeleton has been elusive. Here, we show that a molecular motor protein, myosin Va, is present in high proportions in the cytoskeleton of mouse CNS and peripheral nerves. Immunoelectron microscopy, coimmunoprecipitation, and blot overlay analyses demonstrate that myosin Va in axons associates with neurofilaments, and that the NF-L subunit is its major ligand. A physiological association is indicated by observations that the level of myosin Va is reduced in axons of NF-L–null mice lacking neurofilaments and increased in mice overexpressing NF-L, but unchanged in NF-H–null mice. In vivo pulse-labeled myosin Va advances along axons at slow transport rates overlapping with those of neurofilament proteins and actin, both of which coimmunoprecipitate with myosin Va. Eliminating neurofilaments from mice selectively accelerates myosin Va translocation and redistributes myosin Va to the actin-rich subaxolemma and membranous organelles. Finally, peripheral axons of dilute-lethal mice, lacking functional myosin Va, display selectively increased neurofilament number and levels of neurofilament proteins without altering axon caliber. These results identify myosin Va as a neurofilament-associated protein, and show that this association is essential to establish the normal distribution, axonal transport, and content of myosin Va, and the proper numbers of neurofilaments in axons