Technology Commercialization: Indian University Perspective

Technology transfer is the complete, enabling disclosure of advancement in Science and technology, sufficient for its unfettered use and improvement. Universities and institutions of high end research and learning are the focus of such knowledge economy. University- industry partnerships in the field of Science and technology are complex and develop through a large number of mechanisms. The protection and the licensing mechanism of Intellectual property rights at such institutions are the focus of attention of the policy makers at all levels, including the Parliament, wherein a bill has been passed recently, PFIP Bill,2010, which emulates the technology commercialization at US University through Bayh Dole Act. A detailed commercialization process has been evaluated and the success of such technology transfer analysis and commercialization has been reviewed with reference to controlling parameters and revenue being generate

Development of 2,4-D-resistant transgenics in Indian oilseed mustard (Brassica juncea)

Transgenic lines resistant to the herbicide 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) were developed in mustard (Brassica juncea), a major oilseed crop grown in more than six million hectares of land in North India. The developed construct contained the tfdA gene, encoding the enzyme 2,4-D monooxygenase, cloned downstream to the 35S promoter along with a leader sequence from RNA4 of alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV leader sequence), for improved expression of the transgene in plant cells. Southern analysis of T0 transgenics confirmed six out of 24 transgenics to be single copy events, from both the flanks of T-DNA. Selfed progeny derived from single copy tfdA lines germinated normally and rooted in medium containing 2,4-D at concentrations as high as 2.5 mg l–1 compared to the wild-type seedlings which did not root even at a concentration of 0.5 mg l–1. The tfdA transgenic lines were also sprayed with commercially available 2,4-D herbicide at concentrations ranging from 10 to 1000 mg l–1 under field conditions. Wild type plants were affected by levels as low as 10 mg l–1 and were completely killed at a concentration of 50 mg l–1. The four transgenic lines tested in the study were resistant to herbicide concentration of 500 mg l–1. The available transgenic lines can be used for testing the potential of 2,4-D in weed control including the control of parasitic weeds (Orobanche spp) of mustard and for low-till cultivation of mustard

Haemophilic arthropathy

Acquired haemophilia (AH) is extremely rare and potentially fatal bleeding disorder and it is associated with significant morbidity and mortality rate between 7.9% to 22%. Upto 90% of people with AH experience bleeding. It is mainly due to the spontaneous development of auto antibodies that inhibit the coagulant activity of factor VIII (FVIII). Autoimmune disorders (16.6%) like Rheumatoid arthritis, Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Multiple Sclerosis etc., may lead to trigger acquired inhibitors to Factor VIII. In the case report we described a 70-year-old male patient who has history of migratory joint pains and swellings for five months and on physical examination there was an echymotic rash over the left hand elbow and left groin extending into the left thigh and we reemphasize that even though a series of effective treatment options available, a through workup, early diagnosis and early treatment are important

Energetics and GHG Emission Mitigation Potential Estimation of Solar Water Heating System in India

The aim of this study is focused on “energetics” or energy analysis and evaluation of greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential of solar water heating system (SWHS) having 100 litre per day (lpd) capacity in 28 states of India. Different types of collectors are used in solar water heating system, which may affect on the feasibility of the system. So to analyze this factor, the present approach focused on three types of glazed flat plate collectors. In addition to this, the feasibility of the system also does depend upon the end user applications. So to incorporate more feasible analysis, three different scenarios were considered. For the analysis of environmental impact of the system, GHG emission mitigation potential has also been evaluated by assuming the replacement of the system with frequently used fuels, viz., natural gas, coal, diesel, etc. This was done for both seasonal and annual use of this renewable energy thermal device. The result of this study shows that energy payback period (EPBP) and energy yield ratio (EYR) values for selected locations are in the adoption level. In case of coal, the GHG-emission reduction was found to have a maximum value of 22.4 tCO2 for the state of Rajasthan and a minimum value of 13.4 tCO2, for Jammu & Kashmir, for 20 years of useful lifetime of the system

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 among blood donors during the COVID-19 outbreak

Background: Assessments of the blood donors’ knowledge, attitudes, practices, and perceptions of this infection are essential for controlling the spread of COVID-19. Aim and objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the KAP among blood donors towards COVID 19 pandemic and how to increase the number of blood donations during pandemic. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted among 630 blood donors at the Department of Transfusion Medicine, at a tertiary care center in North India. It was an observational study. Statistical analysis: The data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney test. To correlate variables Chi-square test was used. Results: The knowledge score of demographic variables marital status, education & occupation showed a significant association, while its association with age, gender, and religion was insignificant. The entire demographic variables under study showed a significant association with Attitude questionnaire 1. According to univariate analysis, the variables Intercept, Unemployed and Physical Labour showed significant impact on knowledge level with the corresponding effect size 0.10 and 0.022. Conclusions: This study reveals that blood donors have good knowledge with positive attitudes and practices. By improving the knowledge with the help of health education platforms, the number of blood donations will also increase

Water quality improvement of Penaeus monodon culture pond for higher productivity through biomediation

Intensive culturing of Penaeus monodon generates considerable amount of wastes leading to the deterioration of water quality, disease outbreaks and lower yields. Recently, the application of biocontrol agents were started in ponds in order to improve yield through bioremediation. Analytical investigation of a biocontrol product (PROFS), an extensively used product of Biostadt India Ltd. was performed to determine its accuracy and applicability. It was found that four different types of Bacillus species (69×10 9 cfu/g) were present in the product. Amylase, phytase and protease activities in the product were 3.078, 4.584 and 84.154 U/g, respectively. The biocontrol treatment was applied in the ponds five times during the cultivation (120 days) of P. monodon at a dose of 1 kg/ha. The amount of total ammonia, nitrate and nitrite of the treated ponds varied from 0.418 ± 0.039 to 0.079 ± 0.028 ppm, 0.029 ± 0.008 to 0.014 ± 0.004 ppm and 0.0127 ± 0.0008 to 0.0098 ± 0.00007 ppm, respectively, which were significantly lower than the values measured for untreated ponds. The product showed antimicrobial activity against Vibrio harveyi MTCC 7954 (inhibition zone: 4.89 mm) and Vibrio vulnificus MTCC 1145 (6.41 mm). Average body weight of shrimps in treated ponds was 33 ± 2.42 g, which was 39.5% higher than the values measured from control ponds. The Vibrio count was negligible (0.12×10 5 cfu/ml) and the survival rate was 93% in treated ponds