Effect of supplementary sugar feeding on colony growth of Asiatic hive bee, Apis cerana indica F.

Honey bees also known as "Angels of Agriculture" are arguably the most vital insects on the planet. Bee nutrition is an important aspect of colony management. Supplementary feeding is essential for maintaining the strength and health of honey bee colonies, especially during dearth periods. Experiments were conducted to evaluate a suitable, cheaper carbohydrate supplement and its effect on the colony growth of the Asiatic hive bee Apis cerana indica. Four different sugar syrup components, viz., sugar, water, milk and glucose, were combined to form  seven treatments : T1-Sugar: water (1:1), T2-Sugar: water (1:1) + Glucose (2%),T3- Sugar: water (1:1) + Desi cow’s milk (2%),T4- Sugar + water (2:1), T5- Sugar + water (2:1) + Glucose (2%) ,T6- Sugar + water (2:1) + Desi cow’s milk (2%) and T7-Control and evaluated to select honey bee colonies . Among the different sugar syrup feeding treatments, the colonies fed with T2 - Sugar: water (1:1) + Glucose (2%) had a profound effect within a month and the colonies recorded an increase in sealed brood area from 175.66 cm2 to 425.00 cm2, honey store area from 49.00 cm2 to 130.33 cm2, pollen store area from 47. 33 cm2 to 125.33 cm2, adult bee population from 4318.66 bees/colony to 4933.33 bees/colony. The work is new to A. cerana indica. Many of their bee colonies suffer from poor nutrition and absconding during the dearth period. The present study will help the beekeeping farmers maintain these Asiatic honey bee colonies during the starved period and will be useful in income generation.          

ANTIPROLIFERATIVE AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF GYNANDROPSIS PENTAPHYLLA LINN ON MCF-7 CELL LINE

Objective: To investigate the in vitro Antiproliferative and Antioxidant Activity of Gynandropsis pentaphylla Linn. Leaves on MCF-7 Cell line. Methods: Phytochemicals were analysed by using standard methods. In Vitro antioxidant studies were carried out for the methanol extracts of the Gynandropsis pentaphylla using various free radical models such a DPPH, Reducing power assay and Hydrogen peroxide. In vitro cytotoxic assay such as trypan blue dye exclusion and MTT assays were carried out in methanolic extract against MCF-7 cell line. Results: The results of the present study demonstrated that the qualitative phytochemical analysis of the methanol, aqueous and chloroform extract of Gynandropsis pentaphylla showed the presence of carbohydrates, flavonoids, tannins, glycosides, phenols, saponins, protein and terpenoids. The antioxidant activity of methanolic extract of leaves G.pentaphyllawas confirmed by free radical scavenging activity and reducing (FRAP) and it was found to be significant. Inhibitory concentration (IC50) for the methanolic extract of Gynandropsis pentaphylla on MCF-7 cell was found to be 96.67 determined by MTT assay. Conclusion: It revealed that the crude methanolic extract of G. pentaphylla has antiproliferative activity against MCF-7 cell lines. From our study it is concluded that, the phytochemicals present in the Gynandropsis pentaphylla possess antioxidant and anticancer activity

Perspectives on the Pathogenesis and Complications of PE

Preeclampsia is a multisystem disorder characterized by hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation. Globally, it is the leading cause of fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality. Nearly 8–10% of women develop hypertension during pregnancy worldwide. Although the actual pathogenesis of PE has not been fully understood, the only cure for the disease is delivery. So, the growing evidence suggests that improper spiral artery remodeling creates placental hypoxia and leads to altered immune response followed by endothelial dysfunction, the release of angiogenic and antiangiogenic factors, and various other vasoactive factors into the maternal circulation. Reliable biochemical markers are needed for the diagnosis of PE at the earliest. MMPs are differentially expressed as a result of the trophoblast invasion’s distinct temporal features. Early in the gestational period, MMPs create the conditions for the ensuing incursion to the placental bed. Endothelial dysfunction is the cause of the clinical sign of the mother such as impairment of the hepatic endothelium causing the HELLP syndrome to develop, impairment of the cerebral endothelium causing refractory neurological problems, or even eclampsia. Also, this chapter reveals the various maternal consequences like HELLP syndrome, Seizure, future cardiovascular events, and end-organ dysfunction; fetal complications include premature delivery, respiratory distress, IUGR, etc

Sonochemical synthesis of CuO nanostructures and their morphology dependent optical and visible light driven photocatalytic properties

A controlled synthesis of CuO nanostructures with various morphologies were successfully achieved by presence/absence of low frequency (42 kHz) ultrasound with two different methods. The size, shape and morphology of the CuO nanostructures were tailored by altering the ultrasound, mode of addition and solvent medium. The crystalline structure and molecular vibrational modes of the prepared nanostructures were analysed through X-ray diffraction and FTIR measurement, respectively which confirmed that the nanostructures were phase pure high-quality CuO with monoclinic crystal structure. The morphological evaluation and elemental composition analysis were done using TEM and EDS attached with SEM, respectively. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the prepared CuO nanostructures could be served as an effective photocatalyst towards the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible light irradiation. Among the various nanostructures, the spherical shape CuO nanostructures were found to have the better catalytic activities towards MO dye degradation. The catalytic degradation performance of MO in the presence of CuO nanostructures showed the following order: spherical\nanorod \layered oval \nanoleaf \triangular \shuttles structures. The influence of loading and reusability of catalyst revealed that the efficiency of visible light assisted degradation of MO was effectively enhanced and more than 95 % of degradation was achieved after 3 cycle

Biofuel policy in India: A review of policy barriers in sustainable marketing of biofuel

Global warming issue due to the combustion of fossil fuel pushes the world to produce renewable and environmental friendly energy from sustainable feedstock. There are several measures on different levels to reduce the global warming including clean energies from wind, solar, and biomass. There are different aspects in bringing these technologies into a reality including development of technology, economic feasibilities, environmental sustainability and finally, support from the government in the form of effective policies and public awareness. Adequate R&D efforts could overcome all the factors but only an effective policy could drive those efforts to reality. Therefore, in this connection this review initially addresses the present state of energy demand, progression of biofuel sources and the bottlenecks in microalgal biofuel production and commercialization. The biofuel policies are essential to change the world’s dependence on fossil fuels for a better tomorrow. Hence, this review addresses the salient features of National Biofuel policy of India that helps in regulating the biofuels production and their marketing. As a part of Policy implementation, government of India introduced several schemes and programs in last two-decades, which includes mandate blending of ethanol with gasoline, diesel with biodiesel, for the future clean energy vision, and incentivizing bio-based products/fuels. In addition, participation of both federal and state governments for clean energy initiatives, capital investments and tax credits were described in detail. Many policies lack easy outreach among public and industries, which needs marketing by the government that secures a clean energy future in India. Though India is in the process of evolution, it might be quite difficult to enact a dedicative legislation to deal with the challenges of biofuel marketing. Therefore, recent initiatives and scope were summarized in this review for future endeavors

Preparation of nanosized yttrium doped CeO2 catalyst used for photocatalytic application

In the present work, the pure CeO2 and yttrium doped CeO2 nanopowders were synthesized by the nitrate-fuel self-sustaining combustion method and calcined at 700 C for 2 h. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution electron transmission microscopy (HRTEM) results demonstrated a cubic fluorite with high purity and the crystallite sizes less than 20 nm calculated from Scherrer’s formula. The BET specific surface area of yttrium doped CeO2 samples showed high values than those of pure CeO2. The photocatalytic activity of yttrium doped CeO2 showed high degradation of Rhodamine B solution under visible light illumination

Canine parvovirus-2: An Emerging Threat to Young Pets

Canine parvovirus-2 (CPV-2) is a highly contagious and key enteropathogen affecting the canine population around the globe by causing canine parvoviral enteritis (CPVE) and vomition. CPVE is one of the the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in puppies and young dogs. Over the years, five distinct antigenic variants of CPV-2, namely CPV-2a, CPV-2b, new CPV-2a, new CPV-2b, and CPV-2c, have emerged throughout the world. CPV-2 infects a diverse range of wild animals, and the newer variants of CPV-2 have expanded their host range to include felines. Despite the availability of highly specific diagnostics and efficacious vaccines, CPV-2 outbreaks have been reported globally due to the emergence of newer antigenic variants, expansion of the viral host range, and vaccination failures. The present chapter describes the latest information pertaining to virus properties and replication, disease manifestations in animals, and an additional recent updates on diagnostic, prevention and control strategies of CPV-2