Rangeland-Centered Agroecosystems in Indian Central Himalayas: Operationalizing Ecological Sustainability in Mountain Agriculture

Himalayan Mountains are home to unique agroecosystems harboring unique inter- and intra-species diversity in uncultivated and cultivated lands. The uncultivated lands are largely the rangelands which are ecologically more stable ecosystems than the cultivated lands which are ecologically prone areas. Rangelands, cultivated areas, and livestock in mountain agriculture are in organic linkages with each other, woven into a complex unitary whole, functionally oriented to produce foods and other life-supporting products – such as feed, fiber, fuel, fertilizers, etc. – and provide vital ecological functions. Rangelands in fragile Himalayan mountains serve as a key component of agriculture and the biodiversity conserved in this component nourishes the cultivated land through a constant flow of nutrients. Flourishing with the diversity of vegetation, the rangelands impart ecological stability to the whole food production system. This core component also enhances resilience, complexity, progressive succession, ecosystem efficiency, productivity and eventually sustainability of an agroecosystem. An intensive study of the rangeland-based agroecosystems in the ICH Region attempts to evolve an ecologically sound strategy for the development of sustainable agriculture in fragile mountains by operationalizing sustainability principles, viz, living soil, biodiversity, and cyclic nutrient flows

Carbon-Nitrogen Ratios in Rangeland Soils in Various Agriculture Response Units in Three Watersheds in the Central Himalayas, India

CN ratios of rangeland soils in selected agriculture response units (ARUs) prevailing in three watersheds, Kosi, Alaknanda, and Pindar, in the Indian Central Himalayan mountains were analyzed. The ratios varied significantly (P\u3c0.05) with ARUs and seasons. Interaction between ARUs and season was also found significant (P\u3c0.05). In Alaknanda Watershed soil CN ratios ranged from 6.62 to 20.58. Soil CN ratio values differed significantly (P\u3c0.05) with seasons and ARUs. Soil CN ratios in the rangelands of Pindar Watershed were recorded between 6.54 and 11.29. The ratios varied significantly (P\u3c0.05) in seasons and ARUs. Interaction between ARUs and season was also found significant (P\u3c0.05). Rangeland soil CN ratio values of all ARUs were further statistically analyzed in all three watersheds. Minimum soil CN ratios were seen at Pindar and maximum at Alaknanda watershed. The ratios variation was seen in all the rangelands and it was found significant at a significance level of 5%. Interaction between Kosi and Alaknanda was found non-significant while between Kosi and Pindar and Alaknanda and Pindar it was significant (P\u3c0.05) throughout the study. Variation in soil CN ratios in both agricultural and rangeland soils was seen in each watershed. In the Kosi watershed, soil CN ratios ranged from 6.74 to 15.06; in Alaknanda from 6.36 to 20.58 and in Pindar from 5.75 to 14.38. CN ratios have an absolute relationship with temperature and are higher when higher rainfall occurs and moisture prevails. The ratios also impact soil acidity and other soil quality parameters

High input impedance trans-admittance mode biquad universal filter employing DVCCTAs and grounded passive elements

In this paper a new high input impedance trans-admittance-mode biquad filter has been proposed and investigated which has been designed using  two differential voltage current conveyor trans-conductance amplifiers (DVCCTAs) and all grounded passive elements in the form of two capacitors and three resistors only. The proposed TAM filter has the ability to realize all five standard filtering functions, simultaneously. Apart from these characteristics, the proposed filter also enjoys the desirable features such as low active and passive sensitivities, low power consumption, high impedance for both input voltage and output current signal and orthogonal electronic tunability of pole frequency and quality factor. The overall performance of the presented filter has been investigated using mathematical analysis, pre-layout and post-layout simulation results obtained by PSPICE in 0.18 µm CMOS process technology

Fertility Regulation in Male Rats by Implemented Tetraazamacrocyclic Compounds of Iron(II): Synthetic, Spectroscopic, and Applied Aspects With Toxicological Screening

Antifertility and histopathological investigations were carried out on reproductive organs of male albino rats induced by tetraazamacrocyclic complexes of iron(II). The complexes were synthesized by the template condensation of 1,2-diaminoethane, 1,3-diaminopropane with succinic acid and phthalic acid in 2 : 2 molar ratios which are abbreviated as [Fe(TAML(n))OAc] (n = 1 or 2 and TAML(n) represents tetraazamacrocyclic ligand). The complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, conductivity measurements, IR, and electronic spectra

Current understanding on micro RNAs and its regulation in response to Mycobacterial infections

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are evolutionarily conserved, naturally abundant, small, regulatory non-coding RNAs that inhibit gene expression at the post-transcriptional level in a sequence-specific manner. Due to involvement in a broad range of biological processes and diseases, miRNAs are now commanding considerable attention. Although much of the focus has been on the role of miRNAs in different types of cancer, recent evidence also points to a critical role of miRNAs in infectious disease, including those of bacterial origin. Now, miRNAs research is exploring rapidly as a new thrust area of biomedical research with relevance to deadly bacterial diseases like Tuberculosis (caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis). The purpose of this review is to highlight the current developments in area of miRNAs regulation in Mycobacterial diseases; and how this might influence the diagnosis, understanding of disease biology, control and management in the future

Functional outcome of arthroscopic meniscal repair in meniscal tears: a prospective study in tertiary care hospital in North India

Background: A Meniscal injury can result in intra articular damage and which can eventually result in osteoarthritis if not treated on time and the objective should be to save the meniscus wherever possible. This study was done to analyse the functional outcome of arthroscopic meniscal repair done in different types of Meniscal tears.Methods: The study was conducted on a group of 28 patients with meniscal injury admitted in government medical college Jammu from November 2018 to October 2020. All the tears were located in the red-red and red-white zones. The functional outcome was assessed on the basis of Lysholm Tegner scoring. A standard rehabilitation protocol was followed post repair.Results: Twenty-eight patients were included in the study. Male patients outnumbered the females and the incidence of injury was more on the right side. Sports injuries were the most common mode of injury, followed by road traffic accidents and falls. Bucket handle tears were most commonly seen in the group of patients. ACL injury was the major associated injury to be noted. The functional outcome between pre and post operation was statistically significant (p<0.05). In one of the patient failures was seen. Two patients were lost to follow up and were not included in the study.Conclusions: Arthroscopic meniscal repair is a has a very good functional outcome according to our study and should be preferred over meniscectomy (subtotal or total), as meniscus being a very important shock absorber present between the knee joint can lead to delay in osteoarthritis of knee joint. Therefore, our priority should be to save the meniscus and restore the normal anatomy of the knee joint for its biomechanical stability and normal function