Pigeonpea perspective in India

Pigeonpea occupies a prominent place in Indian rainfed agriculture. It is an integral component of in various agro ecologies of the country mainly inter cropped with cereals, pulses and oilseeds and millets. It is the second most important pulse crop next to chickpea, covering an area of around 4.42 m ha (occupying about 14.5% of area under pulses) and production of 2.86 MT (contributing to 16% of total pulse production) and productivity of about 707 kg/ha. It is mainly consumed as dry split dhal throughout the country besides several other uses of various parts of pigeonpea plant. Enhancing the productivity of the crop assumes specific significance in India mainly to combat protein malnutrition as it is the main source of protein to the predominant vegetarian population. Based on the crop duration and climatic condition the crop is grouped under four agro ecological zones with varied plant type requirements and location specific constraints for each zone. Systematic crop improvement efforts were launched at ICRSIAT since its inception in 1972. It focused during first decade (1972 to 1980) on collection, evaluation, maintenance and sharing of germplasm and yield enhancement research. During 1980 to 2000 ICRISAT research priorities were development of stable sources of resistance for wilt and Sterility Mosaic Diseases which are highly devastating and endemic in India in almost all the agro ecologies of pigeonpea cultivation. From 2000, concerted efforts are in progress on CGMS based hybrid development. Spectacular achievement by ICRISAT in recent past in the crop is deciphering its genome sequence and it has ushered pigeonpea in to genomic era. Subsequently lot of genomic information is in the process of development through molecular approaches like Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS), Nested Association Mapping (NAM). Multiparent Advance Generation Inter Crosses (MAGIC) and Introgression Libraries (IL) etc. These approaches are under process of utilization for crop improvement

Coping with mother nature : households' livelihood security and coping strategies in a situation of a continuing disaster in Tarlac, Philippines

Several studies on households and individuals coping with disasters have been made. The Philippines, being a disaster prone area, has to grapple with the yearly damage caused by deluge or drought. The eruption of the Mt. Pinatubo in 1991 has the greatest toll to the country's economy because it did not only claim lives, properties, and resources at that time, but continues to do so up to the present day, which is why the disaster has been characterised as a lingering disaster. This study provides insight into the behaviour of individuals in a household faced with a disaster whose effects may carry through an indefinite period. The two major activities conducted to describe the effects of the disaster on household livelihood are the general household survey and the case study analysis.The former was done to obtain an understanding of the disaster situation. The micro but in-depth perspective was provided by case study analysis. In both activities, information of the 'before' and 'after' situations were the basis of observations.As the study shows, the disaster significantly affected the major livelihood sources of the households.Lahar-laden fields made rice farming difficult because of poor soil structure. It made aquaculture and sustenance fishing impractical because of too much deposition of lahar, and livestock raising unfeasible because of lack of pasture. The change in cropping calendar and ecology indicate the changed situation. The changed natural resource base has a corresponding implications for the socio-cultural resources of the households. When households are under stress, negotiation becomes all the more important. The moral dimension of the household economy and kinship relations becomes more prominent and transcends kinship relationships. The social network of an individual or household becomes the source of support, while reciprocity being in the hub of this support system.Households beset by a disaster are eclectic. As the case studies show, household respond to the changed situation through several mechanisms that are honed through time making these adaptive. Households cope by altering their production management like adjusting their cropping calendar and diversifying crops and mobilising available resources like the forest and other traditional forms of livelihood/food system. Household membership tends to become very loose in a situation of a crisis. The manipulation of social relations and household membership has become a significant form of coping. Negotiations over work and other domestic responsibilities and migration of household members appeared to be part of the available coping strategies. These strategies to attain a secure livelihood do not always represent clear-cut,mutually exclusive alternatives.Outside intervention like government support in crisis situations should not just contend with emergency relief. Because disasters result in entitlement destruction, an intervention that allows for 'entitlement protection' is essential in the case of a continuing type of a disaster. Responsive disaster management articulates the need to know and understand the situation, and a genuine support programme is sensitive to the plight of vulnerable groups like women and the elderly

Efficacy and safety of pharmacotherapy in cancer-related psychiatric disorders across the trajectory of cancer care: a review

At least 25 – 30% of patients with cancer and an even higher percentage of patients in an advanced phase of illness meet the criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis, including depression, anxiety, stress-related syndromes, adjustment disorders, sleep disorders and delirium. A number of studies have accumulated over the last 35 years on the use of psychotropic drugs as a pillar in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Major advances in psycho-oncology research have also shown the effi cacy of psychotropic drugs as adjuvant treatment of cancer-related symptoms, such as pain, hot fl ushes, pruritus, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, and cognitive impairment. The knowledge about pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, clinical use, safety, side effects and effi cacy of psychotropic drugs in cancer care is essential for an integrated and multidimensional approach to patients treated in different settings, including community-based centres, oncology, and palliative care. A search of the major databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycLIT, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library) was conducted in order to summarize relevant data concerning the effi cacy and safet