Not Available

Not AvailableA profile moisture model has been developed to evaluate the seasonal soil moisture fluctuation with respect to soil characteristics and land use pattern under irrigated and rainfed conditions in an area of agricultural fields. Daily rainfall and irrigation were used as model inputs. Instantaneous uniform redistribution of soil moisture in the effective root zone and negligible contribution of soil water through upward flux were assumed. An empirical model was used to determine the root depth. Runoff was estimated from rainfall data using the curve number technique of the Soil Conservation Service adapted for conditions in India and combined with a soil moisture-accounting procedure. The modified Penman method was used to calculate the reference evapotranspiration. To calculate the crop coefficient (Kc), regression equations were developed taking Kc as the dependent variable on normalized difference vegetation index. This model was very easy to parameterize and required a minimum soil data set of field capacity and permanent wilting point. To evaluate model performance, observed values of soil water were taken for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the Mehrauli (sandy loam to loam texture) and Daryapur (loamy texture) soil series under irrigated conditions and for gram (Cicer arietinum L.) in the Jagat (clay loam texture) and Holambi (loam texture) soil series under rainfed conditions in Delhi. The r(2) and D index between observed and predicted soil water values varied between 0.67 and 0.77 and 0.83 and 0.93, respectively.Not Availabl

Acute toxicity and gene responses induced by endosulfan in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos

Endosulfan has been listed as a persistent organic pollutant, and is frequently found in agricultural environments during monitoring processes owing to its heavy use and persistent characteristics. This study was conducted to understand the effects of endosulfan on the development of zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos by exposing them to a specific range of endosulfan concentrations. Exposing zebrafish embryos to endosulfan for 96 h yielded no acute toxicity until the concentration reached 1500 mu g L-1, whereas malformed zebrafish larvae developed severely curved spines and shortened tails. About 50% of zebrafish larvae were malformed when exposed to 600 mu g L-1 of endosulfan. Comparative gene expression using realtime quantitative polymerase chain reaction was assessed using endosulfan-exposed zebrafish embryos. CYP1A and CYP3A were significantly enhanced in response to endosulfan treatment. Two genes, acacb and fasn, encoding acetyl-CoA carboxylase b and fatty acid synthase proteins, respectively, were also up-regulated after treating zebrafish embryos with endosulfan. These genes are also involved in fatty acid biosynthesis. The genes encoding vitellogenin and Hsp70 increased in a concentration-dependent manner in embryos. Finally, biochemical studies showed that acetylcholinesterase activity was reduced, whereas glutathione S-transferase and carboxylesterase activities were enhanced in zebrafish embryos after endosulfan treatment. These biochemical and molecular biological differences might be used for tools to determine contamination of endosulfan in the aquatic environment.clos

Candida auris : An emerging multidrug-resistant pathogen

Candida aurisis an emerging multidrug-resistant pathogen that can be difficult to identify using traditional biochemical methods. C. auris is capable of causing invasive fungal infections, particularly among hospitalized patients with significant medical comorbidities. Echinocandins are the empiric drugs of choice for C. auris, although not all isolates are susceptible and resistance may develop on therapy. Nosocomial C. auris outbreaks have been reported in a number of countries and aggressive infection control measures are paramount to stopping transmission