'Slippage' : The Bane of Rural Drinking Water Sector (A Study of Extent and Causes in Andhra Pradesh)

Slippage is one of the main bottlenecks of achieving full coverage of water and sanitation services in India. Slippage is the term often used to reflect unsustainable service delivery of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, especially in rural areas. Off late slippage is attracting attention at the policy level though slippage is as old as the coverage of water supply services. This paper makes an attempt to identify the causes of slippage in a systematic manner. The broad objectives of the paper include : i) assess the extent of slippage at the national and state level; ii) identify the causes of slippage at various levels; and iii) provide some pointers for policy based on the analysis. The extent of slippage is quite substantial even at the aggregate level. The situation is alarming in some of the states where the extent of slippage is as high as 60 percent. Our analysis at the national, state and habitation levels suggests strongly that policy makers should look beyond the often repeated supply sided strategies. As evident from the experience of Andhra Pradesh, the demand side and governance factors play an equally, if not more, important role in addressing the sustainability issues. So far the experiences are that large investments in water sector would not automatically lead to increase in coverage. The sector also needs a sound policy and capacity so that money is spent effectively and leads to increased water security. The policy should also address resource sustainability and behavioural change goals instead of relying upon a one-sided target driven approach. These aspects are highlighted in the proposed guidelines and their effective implementation needs to be ensured.slippage, India, supply side strategies, policy

Expansion With Assessment Utilize Of Sulphur As An Stabilizer In Bitumen

In this work, research is performed on the use of commercial sulphur available on the traditional market to improve traditional markets, and thus a modified binder is analyzed, which is presented in the form of rheological properties. A conventional 30 bitumen VG was used to replace the sulphur with different fractions (bitumen weight). The increased volume of traffic and the effect of temperature changes on binder performance usually result in stresses and permanent floor spacing’s to repair these barriers, thus adding to normal bitumen. The incorporation of better technical properties helps the potatoes to run and prolongs the life of the bitumen pit. Sulphur is one of the main additives used in construction, where sulphur is used as a modifier in various forms, as a conditioner and as a cutting agent. The physical and chemical properties of elemental sulphur allow its use as a building material. This article reviews further hygiene research. In a previous study, the benefits of using excess sulphur were studied

Production of monoclonal antibodies to bud necrosis virus

The bud necrosis disease of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) was first reported from India by Reddy et al. (1968). It was subsequently reported that bud necrosis disease was caused by tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) (Ghanekar et al. 1979). Recent studies using advanced serological techniques have shown that the causal agent of bud necrosis disease is distinct from TSWV and it has therefore been named bud necrosis virus (BNV) (Sreenivasulu et al. 1991, Reddy et al. in press). Hence BNV is considered to be a distinct member of the tospovirus grou

Peanut yellow spot virus: A distinct tospovirus species based on serology and nucleic acid hybridisation

Nucleocapsids of peanut yellow spot virus (PYSV), purified from peanut (= groundnut) plant tissue, contained a protein with a molecular mass of 29 kDa. In ELISA and immuno-blot analysis the virus did not react with tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV) and peanut bud necrosis virus (PBNV) antisera. PYSV contained three RNA species, a large (L) RNA (c.8900 nucleotides), a medium (M) RNA (c.4800 nucleotides) and a small (S) RNA (c.3000 nucleotides), similar to other tospoviruses. In addition, a fourth RNA species of approximately 1800 nucleotides was also present in purified preparations. Hybridisation analysis under high stringency conditions revealed no hybridisation between PYSV RNAs and cDNA probes representing the nucleocapsid (N) gene, the glycoprotein (GP) gene and the 3' half of the RNA polymerase gene of PBNV. PYSV genomic RNAs also failed to hybridise with cDNA probes from the GP genes of TSWV and INSV. In reciprocal tests, the cDNA clones of PYSV S and M RNAs did not hybridise with any of the PBNV RNAs. Based on the absence of serological relationships between PYSV and PBNV, TSWV and INSV and lack of nucleotide homology based on hybridisation studies between the PYSV RNAs and cDNA clones from PBNV, TSWV and INSV, PYSV should be considered as a distinct species of the genus Tospovirus under a new serogroup, putatively designated ‘V

Studies on transmission of Indian peanut clump virus disease by Polymyxa graminis

The plasmodiophoromycete fungus, Polymyxa graminis was observed in the roots of Sorghum bicolor, S. sudanense, Pennisetum glaucum, Triticum aestivum, Cyperus rotundus, Eleucine coracana, Zea mays, Tridax procumbens and Arachis hypogaea collected from Indian peanut clump virus (IPCV)-infested fields. Examination of roots of IPCV-infected S. bicolor, S. sudanense, P. glaucum and T. aestivum grown in previously air dried field soil also showed the presence of cystosori of P. graminis. IPCV-infested soil stored at room temperature for 3 years transmitted the virus to A. hypogaea, T. aestivum and S. bicolor. Roots extracted from IPCV-infected P. glaucum and S. bicolor containing cystosori, and dried root fragments incorporated into sterile soil, transmitted the virus to A. hypogaea and T. aestivum. The root extracts contained primary zoospores of the fungus, presumably arising from cystosori. Utilising root fragments of S. sudanense containing cystosori as inoculum P. graminis was shown to infect both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. Profuse cystosorus production in rootlets only occurred in monocotyledonous plants. In dicotyledonous plants, in general, only few rootlets showed cystosori. Indian isolates of P. graminis appear to differ from isolates from temperate soils in that they can infect dicotyledonous plants and have a much wider host rang

Identification of bud blight of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) through ELISA and infectivity assay

The virus from soyabean bud blight infected plants reacted strongly with the antisera of peanut bud necrosis tospovirus (BNV) using direct antigen coating-ELISA. Of 19 soyabean samples with bud blight symptoms, 14 were positive for BNV alone. One sample was positive for BNV, cowpea mild mottle carlavirus and peanut stripe virus. The results of dot immunobinding assay were positive with the antisera of BNV at 10-1 and 10-2 dilutions. Mechanical inoculation on cowpea cv. C-152 and groundnut cv. JL 24 resulted in necrotic ring spots and chlorotic spots, respectively, after 6 d. These symptoms were characteristic of BNV and it is suggested that BNV is associated with soyabean bud blight in Indi

Limonene and BEZ 235 induce apoptosis in COLO-320 and HCT-116 colon cancer cells

Deregulated apoptosis is the hall mark of many cancers, therefore every defect in apoptosis pathway could be a potential target for cancer treatment.The anticancer mechanism of limonene could be multifactorial. However, induction of apoptosis in cancer cells is proposed as the predominant mechanism in several of preclinical studies. Therefore, we determined to investigate the role of apoptosis in the anticancer activity of limonene and BEZ235 combination in COLO-320 and HCT-116 colon cancer cells. Cells after treatments were assessed for apoptosis by DAPI staining for fluorescent microscopic examination of apoptotic cells, estimation of caspases activities, Bcl-2 family proteins in addition to cell cycle analysis by flowcytometry. Results show that both drugs induced apoptosis as demonstrated by increased caspases activity, significant alterations in pro and anti-apoptotic proteins of Bcl-2 family in promoting apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G1 phase. Over all, it is indicated that limonene and BEZ exerted anticancer activity is mediated through induction of apoptosis involving mitochondria mediated intrinsic death pathway in the selected CRC cells

Limonene and BEZ 235 inhibits growth of COLO-320 and HCT-116 colon cancer cells

D-Limonene is a dietary monoterpene with significant anticancer activity against many cancer types in preclinical and clinical studies. The study is designed to investigate synergistic anticancer effects of limonene and BEZ235 combination in COLO-320 and HCT-116 colon cancer cells. Cells were treated with both the drugs alone and in combination and the effects on cell viability; cell migration and clonogenic potential were examined. Results show that both drugs exhibited dose and time dependant cytotoxicity on the cell lines tested. CompuSyn analysis of the drug combination effects revealed the strong synergistic interaction of the combination. Our results also indicate that COLO-320 cells were more sensitive for anticancer effects of the drugs than HCT-116 cells. The presence of Ras and PI3K mutations in HCT-116 cells could possibly be one of the main reasons for the observed outcome as compared to the wild type expressions of them in COLO-320 cells

The Occurrence Of Yellow Spot Virus, A Member Of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Group, On Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea L) In India

A virue that induced yellow leaf spots which later coalesced and became necrotic, vae ieolated from peanut (bacua -1 in India and named peanut yellow apot'virus (PYSY). PYSV was sap-transmisslbls to eleven epecles of Chenopodiaccao. Lcpualnoeac, and Salanacsaa. The virus induced local leslona in all tho host., Y. uaa a good local lesion host. The infection In Fl&m -. Ylnnn rndLata and Y. became ay~temic hen they uers maintained st temperatures between 20 and 30'~. In thin sectlone of peanut leaves rpherloal membrane-bound particlea of TO to 100 nm in diameter were observed to occur in cluatera. Purlfled virus Preparations contained five polypeptldeo of 90000. 54000. 44000. 40000 and 31000 dslton polypeptldca. Whan virus particle^ were treated vlth Nanldet P 40, the polypeptides ware removed with the exception of that of 31000 daltana In both ELISA end western blot., PYSV did not react vlth antisera to two tomato apotted wilt virus isolates. On the basis of these properties. PYSV is regarded as a previously undeecribed virus belon(linr to the tomato spotted wilt vlrus group