Agonistic Association of Lepidoptera and Fungus in the Development of Leaf-spot Disease in High Altitude Mango and its Control

Plants are common prey for pests, though plants at high altitudes are less prone to diseases. However, our sample proved to be an exception, as disease in plants have become a major problem in North India, especially in old, crowded orchards where there is excessive shade .Mango, our test plant, is well adapted to tropical and subtropical climate. Here we considered the mechanism of disease initiation in the mango leaves by the entry of a fungal pathogen- Cercospora mangiferae, and its possible agonistic association with an insect of the Lepidoptera group, Procontarinia sp . Our aim is to suggest a pesticide to avert the entry and reduce the occurrence of the disease. The specimen, collected from a place called Jorolle (NH 88) near Sundernagar, is 10 kms away from the Beas-Sutlej confluence in the state of Himachal Pradesh, during the months of January-February, the temperature recorded was between 7-14°C. The environment in the vicinity of the mango orchard was dry, windy, and grimy and plagued by vehicular emissions. There were predominantly 2 kinds of leaf spots-a white and a brown spot. The spread of the disease started from the lower mature leaves to the upper younger leaves. Enormity of the infection was much greater in leaves having galls along their margins. The gall formation results due to the mechanical damage caused by the infection due to a midge fly (Procontarinia sp). The average diameter of galls ranged between 3-4mm. As affirmed earlier, the leaves with large number of galls are the primary  home for the fungus- Cercospora mangiferae where they reside in larger numbers. Although the mechanism of an agonistic association is obscure but the possibility of such an association cannot be ruled out completely; where the primary infection caused by the midge insect paves the way for secondary infection by the fungus. Our sole intention was to prevent occurrence of such an association, by inhibiting both the infections from occurring individually. Our test pesticide belonged to the Malathione group. Its main component is monocrotophos which interferes not only with the nerve impulse transmission of the insect but also damages the cell wall of the fungal pathogen thereby attending both the problems. The experiment was performed with different concentrations of pesticide and it was observed that at 43.5%w/w it was effective enough to prevent 100% germination. Our studies provide a conclusive result which suggests that if the pesticide, at the effective concentration is sprayed till run-off, the young tender leaves of Mangifera indica will be protected from both the midge insect as well as the fungal pathogen.Key words: Chausa, Langra, Dashehari, Leaf spot, Cercospora mangiferae, White spot, Brown Spot, Gall, Procontarinia sp., pesticide, Malathione, Hilcron, Monocrotophos Arup Kumar Mitra et al. Agonistic Association of Lepidoptera and Fungus in the Development of Leaf-spot Disease in High Altitude Mango and its Control.  J Phytol 2/7 (2010) 28-36

Depression among the Non-Native International Undergraduate Students Studying Dentistry in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Bangladesh has been attracting international students with interests in various subjects recently. Every year students from different parts of the world come to study undergraduate and postgraduate courses, mostly at private universities in Bangladesh. This study evaluates the depression status among international students who are studying dentistry in Bangladesh. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among International undergraduate dental students who enrolled in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery program in nine public and private dental colleges in Bangladesh. Participants were selected using a convenience sampling method. A total of 206 students completed the survey where 78.5% of them were female students and 21.5% students were male, and a CES-D 10-item Likert scale questionnaire was used for data collection. The Cronbach alpha for the 10-item CES-D scale for this population is 0.812. RESULTS: The majority of the students (79.5%) are below 24 years of age with a mean age of 23.22 years and standard deviation of 2.3, and are students who cannot communicate well in Bengali (Bangla), about 60% of them have experienced depression. About 77.3% (p < 0.00) of the international students having financial difficulties exhibited depression. The international students who went through financial problems were two times more likely to suffer from depression (OR = 2.38; p-value < 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study tried to highlight the struggles faced by international students in Bangladesh studying dentistry. It is evident from the findings that several factors influence students' mental well-being during demanding dental education years

Biocontrol of larval mosquitoes by Acilius sulcatus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Problems associated with resistant mosquitoes and the effects on non-target species by chemicals, evoke a reason to find alternative methods to control mosquitoes, like the use of natural predators. In this regard, aquatic coleopterans have been explored less compared to other insect predators. In the present study, an evaluation of the role of the larvae of <it>Acilius sulcatus </it>Linnaeus 1758 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) as predator of mosquito immatures was made in the laboratory. Its efficacy under field condition was also determined to emphasize its potential as bio-control agent of mosquitoes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In the laboratory, the predation potential of the larvae of <it>A. sulcatus </it>was assessed using the larvae of <it>Culex quinquefasciatus </it>Say 1823 (Diptera: Culicidae) as prey at varying predator and prey densities and available space. Under field conditions, the effectiveness of the larvae of <it>A. sulcatus </it>was evaluated through augmentative release in ten cemented tanks hosting immatures of different mosquito species at varying density. The dip density changes in the mosquito immatures were used as indicator for the effectiveness of <it>A. sulcatus </it>larvae.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A single larva of <it>A. sulcatus </it>consumed on an average 34 IV instar larvae of <it>Cx. quinquefasciatus </it>in a 24 h period. It was observed that feeding rate of <it>A. sulcatus </it>did not differ between the light-on (6 a.m. – 6 p.m.), and dark (6 p.m. – 6 a.m.) phases, but decreased with the volume of water i.e., space availability. The prey consumption of the larvae of <it>A. sulcatus </it>differed significantly (P < 0.05) with different prey, predator and volume combinations, revealed through univariate ANOVA. The field study revealed a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in larval density of different species of mosquitoes after 30 days from the introduction of <it>A. sulcatus </it>larvae, while with the withdrawal, a significant increase (p < 0.05) in larval density was noted indicating the efficacy of <it>A. sulcatus </it>in regulating mosquito immatures. In the control tanks, mean larval density did not differ (p > 0.05) throughout the study period.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>the larvae of the dytiscid beetle <it>A. sulcatus </it>proved to be an efficient predator of mosquito immatures and may be useful in biocontrol of medically important mosquitoes.</p

Bioenergy Technologies for a Net Zero Transition:Outcomes of UK-India Bioenergy Research Scoping

The report is part of scoping exercise led by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and commissioned to Supergen Bioenergy Hub. The report is for UKRI, funded by UKRI India. UKRI launched in April 2018. UKRI is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Our organisation brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England, which is responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher education institutions in England, and the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK. Our nine councils work together in innovative ways to deliver an ambitious agenda, drawing on our great depth and breadth of expertise and the enormous diversity of our portfolio. http://www.ukri.org UKRI India plays a key role in enhancing the research and innovation collaboration between the UK and India. Since 2008, the UK and Indian governments, and third parties, have together invested over £330 million in co-funded research and innovation programmes. This investment has brought about more than 258 individual projects. The projects were funded by over 15 funding agencies, bringing together more than 220 lead institutions from the UK and India. These research projects have generated more than £450 million in further funding, mainly from public bodies but also from non-profit organisations and commercial entities, attesting the relevance of these projects. www.ukri.org/india This work was commissioned to inform UKRI/UKRI India priorities and pathways for innovation development in bioenergy with UK-India partnerships

Plasticity-mediated collapse and recrystallization in hollow copper nanowires: a molecular dynamics simulation

We study the thermal stability of hollow copper nanowires using molecular dynamics simulation. We find that the plasticity-mediated structural evolution leads to transformation of the initial hollow structure to a solid wire. The process involves three distinct stages, namely, collapse, recrystallization and slow recovery. We calculate the time scales associated with different stages of the evolution process. Our findings suggest a plasticity-mediated mechanism of collapse and recrystallization. This contradicts the prevailing notion of diffusion driven transport of vacancies from the interior to outer surface being responsible for collapse, which would involve much longer time scales as compared to the plasticity-based mechanism

An Insight Investigation of Dengue in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital, West Bengal

Dengue is the most common and widespread arboviral infection in the world today. It is an increasingly prevalent tropical arbovirus infection with significant morbidity and mortality. Dengue fever is a recurrent problem in West Bengal. The purpose of this study is to present a comprehensive report on the diagnosis of Dengue fever cases with age and sex preponderance, data available from January 2013 to December 2016 at Malda Medical College, Malda, West Bengal. This is a cross-sectional investigative study done at Malda Medical College. In suspected Dengue fever cases, serum samples were tested for presence of Dengue NS1 antigen and presence of Dengue specific IgM antibodies by IgM antibody capture enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (MAC ELISA), strictly following the manufacturer’s protocol. On the year 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 Dengue confirmed cases were 25, 33, 68 and 1102 respectively. The number of Dengue cases in 2016 clearly outnumbered the Dengue cases in 2013, 2014 and 2015. In our study the highest numbers of cases were recorded in the age group 11 to 30 years and males were more affected than females. The majority of the cases were reported during the monsoon and post monsoon seasons. Dengue is increasing its geographical areas mostly everywhere now and this Dengue epidemiology demands efforts and support for controlling the disease effectively

Comparative proteomics and glycoproteomics of plasma proteins in Indian visceral leishmaniasis

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a deadly parasitic diseases caused by Leishmania donovani; it is a major health problem in many countries. A lack of proper understanding of the disease biology, poor diagnostic methods and increasing drug resistance are the main reasons for the growing burden of VL infection. Comparative plasma proteomics are a relatively useful technique that can be used to investigate disease-associated alterations that can help in understanding host responses against pathogens, and might be useful in disease management and diagnosis. In this study, a comparative proteomics and glycoproteomics approach using 2DE and 2D-DIGE was employed between early diagnosed VL patients of all age groups and healthy endemic and non-endemic controls in order to aid the recognition of disease-associated alterations in host plasma. Comparative proteomics was performed by the depletion of seven highly abundant plasma proteins. Comparative glycoproteomics was performed by thedepletion of albumin and IgG, followed by purification of plasma glycoproteins using a multi lectin affinity column. From these two approaches, 39 differentially expressed protein spots were identified and sequenced using MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry. This revealed ten distinct proteins that appeared in multiple spots, suggesting micro-heterogeneity. Among these proteins, alpha-1-antitrypsin, alpha-1-B glycoprotein and amyloid-A1 precursor were up-regulated, whereas vitamin-D binding protein, apolipoprotein-A-I and transthyretin were down-regulated in VL. Alterations in the levels of these proteins in VL-infected plasma were further confirmed by western blot and ELISA. These proteins may be involved in the survival of parasites, resisting neutrophil elastase, and in their multiplication in macrophages, potentially maintaining endogenous anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive conditions. Consequently, the results of this study may help in understanding the host response against L.donovani, which could help in the discovery of new drugs and disease management. Finally, these alterations on protein levels might be beneficial in improving early diagnosis considering those as biomarkers in Indian VL

Secret Image Sharing Schemes: A Comprehensive Survey

The safeguarding of digitized data against unwanted access and modification has become an issue of utmost importance as a direct result of the rapid development of network technology and internet applications. In response to this challenge, numerous secret image sharing (SIS) schemes have been developed. SIS is a method for protecting sensitive digital images from unauthorized access and alteration. The secret image is fragmented into a large number of arbitrary shares, each of which is designed to prevent the disclosure of any information to the trespassers. In this paper, we present a comprehensive survey of SIS schemes along with their pros and cons. We review various existing verifiable secret image sharing (VSIS) schemes that are immune to different types of cheating. We have identified various aspects of developing secure and efficient SIS schemes. In addition to that, a comparison and contrast of several SIS methodologies based on various properties is included in this survey work. We also highlight some of the applications based on SIS. Finally, we present open challenges and future directions in the field of SIS

Original Article - No association between seropositivity for Hepatitis C virus and lichen planus: A case control study

Background: The epidemiological association of lichen planus (LP) with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been recorded from some countries and HCV RNA3 has been isolated from lesional skin in patients with LP and chronic HCV infection. The observed geographical differences regarding HCV infection and LP could be immuno-genetically related. Aim: To determine whether HCV has a causal relationship with LP. Methods: Histopathologically proved cases of LP were subjected to antibody to HCV test by the Third Generation Enzyme Immunoassay Kit for the detection of antibody to HCV (Anti-HCV) in human serum or plasma. They were routinely screened in the virology department by the reagent kit, HIVASE 1 + 2, adopting the "direct sandwich principle" for the assay to detect antibodies to HIV-1 and/or HIV-2. There were 150 age and sex matched controls (not suffering from LP) and HIV-I and II negative, and negative for HCV. Results: Of the 104 patients studied only 2 patients (1.92%) of generalized LP with disease duration of more than 3 months were found to be positive for antibodies to HCV. This was not a significant finding and no statistical methods, e.g. Chi square test etc. could be applied. Conclusion: Hepatitis C virus is not significant to the causation of LP in India