MEASUREMENT OF INDOOR RADON ACTIVITY LEVELS IN JOWAI REGION, MEGHALAYA, INDIA

In the present work, the activity levels of radon in dwellings and schools are reported for Jowai region. We have used LR-115 type 2 films which belong to the class of Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTDs); the ‘Bare-mode’ methodology was adopted. Higher concentration levels were observed in concrete structures as compared to Assam type structures. Higher geometrical mean value was recorded for the first floor of multi-storeyed school buildings as compared to the ground floor

Loungu (Carpenter worm): Indigenous Delicious Insects with Immense Dietary Potential in Nagaland state, India

145-151Carpenter worms of genus Cossus (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) are common wood-boring insects that can cause significant damage to several economically important plant species across the globe. Nevertheless, these worms are a popular delicacy among the indigenous population of Nagaland state of India since age old days. The carpenter worms (locally known as ‘Loungu’) are culturally significant during the Te-l Khukhu festival of Southern Angami region, annually held during July. The direct larval consumption is also cited for medicinal value. Rearing of carpenter worm is gaining popularity in hill tracts of Nagaland, because of its potential as a viable source of income for the rural population. The present study aimed to determine the eventual nutritional value of the larva by approximating its nutritional potential for the first time. Proximate analysis presents a significantly higher value of crude fat (37%), crude protein (48%), crude fibre (12.90%) and an appreciable calorific value. Close correlation between increased polyphenol value with its higher antioxidant capacity and pigment content is strongly evident. Nevertheless, the larva also provides appreciable quantities of dietary minerals reflected in terms of higher zinc and iron content. Analysis of thin layer chromatography undertaken in the study interestingly identified some of the essential amino acids, viz., methionine, lysine, leucine, histidine, threonine etc. This is the first report pioneering other detail studies to establish the significant value of carpenter worm larvae as an exotic dietary supplement among the indigenous Naga population, thereby providing more impetus for its promotion and commercialization

Loungu (Carpenter worm): Indigenous Delicious Insects with Immense Dietary Potential in Nagaland state, India

Carpenter worms of genus Cossus (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) are common wood-boring insects that can cause significant damage to several economically important plant species across the globe. Nevertheless, these worms are a popular delicacy among the indigenous population of Nagaland state of India since age old days. The carpenter worms (locally known as ‘Loungu’) are culturally significant during the Te-l Khukhu festival of Southern Angami region, annually held during July. The direct larval consumption is also cited for medicinal value. Rearing of carpenter worm is gaining popularity in hill tracts of Nagaland, because of its potential as a viable source of income for the rural population. The present study aimed to determine the eventual nutritional value of the larva by approximating its nutritional potential for the first time. Proximate analysis presents a significantly higher value of crude fat (37%), crude protein (48%), crude fibre (12.90%) and an appreciable calorific value. Close correlation between increased polyphenol value with its higher antioxidant capacity and pigment content is strongly evident. Nevertheless, the larva also provides appreciable quantities of dietary minerals reflected in terms of higher zinc and iron content. Analysis of thin layer chromatography undertaken in the study interestingly identified some of the essential amino acids, viz., methionine, lysine, leucine, histidine, threonine etc. This is the first report pioneering other detail studies to establish the significant value of carpenter worm larvae as an exotic dietary supplement among the indigenous Naga population, thereby providing more impetus for its promotion and commercialization

Drought tolerance in Pinus halepensis seed sources as identified by distinctive physiological and molecular markers

[EN] Drought is one of the main constraints determining forest species growth, survival and productivity, and therefore one of the main limitations for reforestation or afforestation. The aim of this study is to characterize the drought response at the physiological and molecular level of different Pinus halepensis (common name Aleppo pine) seed sources, previously characterized in field trials as drought-sensitive or drought-tolerant. This approach aims to identify different traits capable of predicting the ability of formerly uncharacterized seedlings to cope with drought stress. Gas-exchange, water potential, photosynthetic pigments, soluble sugars, free amino acids, glutathione and proteomic analyses were carried out on control and drought-stressed seedlings in greenhouse conditions. Gas-exchange determinations were also assessed in field-planted seedlings in order to validate the greenhouse experimental conditions. Drought-tolerant seed sources presented higher values of photosynthetic rates, water use efficiency, photosynthetic pigments and soluble carbohydrates concentrations. We observed the same pattern of variation of photosynthesis rate and maximal efficiency of PSII in field. Interestingly drought-tolerant seed sources exhibited increased levels of glutathione, methionine and cysteine. The proteomic profile of drought tolerant seedlings identified two heat shock proteins and an enzyme related to methionine biosynthesis that were not present in drought sensitive seedlings, pointing to the synthesis of sulfur amino acids as a limiting factor for drought tolerance in Pinus halepensis. Our results established physiological and molecular traits useful as distinctive markers to predict drought tolerance in Pinus halepensis provenances that could be reliably used in reforestation programs in drought prone areas.This study is a part of the research project: "Application of molecular biology techniques in forest restoration in Mediterranean environments, PAID-05-11" funded by the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV), program for supporting R&D of new multidisciplinary research lines. The authors are grateful to the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad AGL2014-57431-P. AV was supported by project Survive-2 (CGL2015-69773-C2-2-P MINECO/FEDER) by the Spanish Government and Prometeo program (DESESTRES-Generalitat Valenciana). CEAM is funded by Generalitat Valenciana.Taïbi, K.; Campo García, ADD.; Vilagrosa, A.; Belles Albert, JM.; López-Gresa, MP.; Pla, D.; Calvete Chornet, JJ.... (2017). 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Expression of a plant serine O-acetyltransferase inSaccharomyces cerevisiae confers osmotic tolerance and creates an alternative pathway for cysteine biosynthesis. Yeast, 21(4), 303-312. doi:10.1002/yea.1076Mulet, J. M., Martin, D. E., Loewith, R., & Hall, M. N. (2006). Mutual Antagonism of Target of Rapamycin and Calcineurin Signaling. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 281(44), 33000-33007. doi:10.1074/jbc.m604244200Patakas, A., Nikolaou, N., Zioziou, E., Radoglou, K., & Noitsakis, B. (2002). The role of organic solute and ion accumulation in osmotic adjustment in drought-stressed grapevines. Plant Science, 163(2), 361-367. doi:10.1016/s0168-9452(02)00140-1Peguero-Pina, J. J., Sancho-Knapik, D., Barrón, E., Camarero, J. J., Vilagrosa, A., & Gil-Pelegrín, E. (2014). Morphological and physiological divergences within Quercus ilex support the existence of different ecotypes depending on climatic dryness. Annals of Botany, 114(2), 301-313. doi:10.1093/aob/mcu108Peguero-Pina, J. J., Sisó, S., Flexas, J., Galmés, J., Niinemets, Ü., Sancho-Knapik, D., & Gil-Pelegrín, E. (2017). Coordinated modifications in mesophyll conductance, photosynthetic potentials and leaf nitrogen contribute to explain the large variation in foliage net assimilation rates across Quercus ilex provenances. Tree Physiology, 37(8), 1084-1094. doi:10.1093/treephys/tpx057Pinheiro, C., António, C., Ortuño, M. F., Dobrev, P. I., Hartung, W., Thomas-Oates, J., … Wilson, J. C. (2011). Initial water deficit effects on Lupinus albus photosynthetic performance, carbon metabolism, and hormonal balance: metabolic reorganization prior to early stress responses. Journal of Experimental Botany, 62(14), 4965-4974. doi:10.1093/jxb/err194Pyngrope, S., Bhoomika, K., & Dubey, R. S. (2012). Reactive oxygen species, ascorbate–glutathione pool, and enzymes of their metabolism in drought-sensitive and tolerant indica rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings subjected to progressing levels of water deficit. Protoplasma, 250(2), 585-600. doi:10.1007/s00709-012-0444-0Rodríguez-Calcerrada, J., Pérez-Ramos, I. M., Ourcival, J.-M., Limousin, J.-M., Joffre, R., & Rambal, S. (2011). Is selective thinning an adequate practice for adapting Quercus ilex coppices to climate change? Annals of Forest Science, 68(3), 575-585. doi:10.1007/s13595-011-0050-xRuiz-Yanetti, S., Chirino, E., & Bellot, J. (2016). Daily whole-seedling transpiration determined by minilysimeters, allows the estimation of the water requirements of seedlings used for dryland afforestation. Journal of Arid Environments, 124, 341-351. doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2015.08.017Sánchez-Gómez, D., Majada, J., Alía, R., Feito, I., & Aranda, I. (2010). Intraspecific variation in growth and allocation patterns in seedlings of Pinus pinaster Ait. submitted to contrasting watering regimes: can water availability explain regional variation? Annals of Forest Science, 67(5), 505-504. doi:10.1051/forest/2010007Serrano, R., Mulet, J. 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Avian strains of emerging pathogen Escherichia fergusonii are phylogenetically diverse and harbor the greatest AMR dissemination potential among different sources: Comparative genomic evidence

IntroductionEscherichia fergusonii is regarded as an emerging pathogen with zoonotic potential. In the current study, we undertook source-wise comparative genomic analyses (resistome, virulome, mobilome and pangenome) to understand the antimicrobial resistance, virulence, mobile genetic elements and phylogenetic diversity of E. fergusonii.MethodsSix E. fergusonii strains (5 multidrug resistant strains and 1 biofilm former) were isolated from poultry (duck faeces and retail chicken samples). Following confirmation by phenotypic and molecular methods, the isolates were further characterized and their genomes were sequenced. Comparative resisto-virulo-mobilome analyses and pangenomics were performed for E. fergusonii genomes, while including 125 other E. fergusonii genomes available from NCBI database.Results and discussionAvian and porcine strains of E. fergusonii were found to carry significantly higher number of antimicrobial resistance genes (p < 0.05) and mobile genetic elements (plasmids, transposons and integrons) (p < 0.05), while the pathogenic potential of bovine strains was significantly higher compared to other strains (p < 0.05). Pan-genome development trends indicated open pan-genome for all strains (0 < γ < 1). Genomic diversity of avian strains was found to be greater than that from other sources. Phylogenetic analysis revealed close clustering among isolates of similar isolation source and geographical location. Indian isolates of E. fergusonii clustered closely with those from Chinese and a singleton Australian isolate. Overall, being the first pangenomic study on E. fergusonii, our analysis provided important cues on genomic features of the emerging pathogen E. fergusonii while highlighting the potential role of avian strains in dissemination of AMR

Potentials of Ecotourism around Shella, East Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya.

The area around Shella selected for the present study is an interesting area with an evolutionary history, uniqueness and individuality of its own. The study area has great potential for ecotourism owing to the presence of a rolling topography, vast hills and deep valleys and associated landforms with varied and complex features. The area also has dissected plateaus, scarp zones with numerous waterfalls and flood plains. As this area is located very close to the Bangladesh border, no study related to development of ecotourism, has so far been carried out particularly in this area; therefore, an attempt is made to assess the landscape from an aesthetic point of view as a means to identify sites or places of tourist destination. The area is also known for its rich biodiversity of the oriental region, where a variety of indigenous flora and fauna are encountered, some of which are rare in the world. The area is also known for its rich culture and tradition which usually have a very strong bondage with the natural environment. Physical features have attracted man from time immemorial, and many of the features that make a landscape attractive are mostly of Geomorphological interests. In fact, the most attractive place of tourist interest is the geomorphic sites such as escarpments, waterfalls, rivers, gorges, etc. The physical landscape can be considered like any other natural resource which can be used for recreational purposes. The landscape and its associated features of the study area shall be investigated and assessed from an aesthetic point of view to identify and record ecotourism destination. Keywords - ecotourism, potentials, aesthetic, southern slope, geomorphic features, attractions</jats:p

Varietal Evaluation of Pak Choi (Brassica rapa subsp. Chinensis) under Agro-climatic Conditions of Prayagraj, India

A study was conducted on the Varietal Evaluation of Pak Choi using ten different varieties at the Horticultural Farm, Department of Horticulture, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh). This study was carried out to determine the most suitable cultivar of Pak Choi under the agro-climatic conditions of Prayagraj during the winter growing season in 2022. The observations were recorded on various growth and yield contributing characters. At the end of the research, it is evident that Pak Choi White Stem was found to be superior on the basis of growth, having the maximum plant height (22.57cm) and gross weight (133.75g). In terms of yield/ha (q), Pak Choi White Stem (70.67) and Desi Pak Choi (69.22) was found to be superior.&nbsp; In terms of economics, the maximum gross return per hectare was obtained by Pak Choi White Stem i.e. 212010 INR followed by Desi Pak Choi &nbsp;i.e.,207660 INR