PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN AGRICULTURAL AND GDP GROWTH-- ANOTHER LOOK AT THE INTER SECTORAL LINKAGES AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS

Despite its reduced share in India’s GDP, agriculture continues to have a strategic importance in ensuring its overall growth and prosperity. As part of the new economic policy package introduced in the early nineties, there has been a reduction in the rate of public investment. While this may not be bad for the industrial sector, the impact of this policy on agriculture is a matter of concern, in sofar as it not only affects steady growth of agriculture but also influences the overall performance of the economy. This is more so because the agricultural sector public investment has also promoted private investment by way of what is termed as the crowding-in phenomenon. This phenomenon together with inter-sectoral linkages is used in this paper to examine the effect of higher public investment for agriculture on the stable growth of this sector as well as of the entire economy. Policy implications of this exercise are important for obvious reasons.Sectoral linkages, Public Investment, crowding-in

A review on the genome-based approaches for the development of stress and climate resilient tea crops

Teais one of the most significant plantation crops to be emphasized towards research on development for climate-resilient variants that suits across different climate crisisimpacted countries including India. Recent tea genome research advancements eased our thoughts to begin, and apply that addresses biotic, abiotic stresses and productivity. Though the effect of climate change with unpredictable weather conditions on tea crop’s resistance is unclear, DNA based and genomics-assisted breeding techniques might play prominent role in facing future challenges of crop improving set-ups. Transgene based technological advancements and molecular breeding strategies have simplified the progress of elite tea genotypes with robust adaptation to climate change and the genomics-assisted breeding strategies in specific, found to play a substantial part in the advance of climate resilient tea crops. In this review, we briefed the signs of progress in tea genome-based research and their further perspectives needed to address the current challenges we face due to the climate crisis that resolve to breed for the water-stress-tolerant tea plant

Maternal input and infants’ response to infant‐directed speech

Caregivers typically use an exaggerated speech register known as infant‐directed speech (IDS) in communication with infants. Infants prefer IDS over adult‐directed speech (ADS) and IDS is functionally relevant in infant‐directed communication. We examined interactions among maternal IDS quality, infants’ preference for IDS over ADS, and the functional relevance of IDS at 6 and 13 months. While 6‐month‐olds showed a preference for IDS over ADS, 13‐month‐olds did not. Differences in gaze following behavior triggered by speech register (IDS vs. ADS) were found in both age groups. The degree of infants’ preference for IDS (relative to ADS) was linked to the quality of maternal IDS infants were exposed to. No such relationship was found between gaze following behavior and maternal IDS quality and infants’ IDS preference. The results speak to a dynamic interaction between infants’ preference for different kinds of social signals and the social cues available to them

HOMOCASTASTERONE: A NOVEL PLANT KETOSTEROID INDUCING HAEMATOLOGICAL CHANGES IN NORMAL AND DIABETIC MALE RAT

Objective: To study the effect of brassinosteroid keto isoform homocastasterone, in diabetic male wistar rat as an antihyperglycemic factor and to evaluate its effects on the hemodynamic parameters in rat blood.Methods: Diabetes was induced in a group (n=6) of rats with a single peritoneal injection of streptozotocin at 60 mg/kg. bw. With a treatment schedule of 15 consecutive days, control (n=6) and diabetic rats received 666µg/kg bw, of homocastasterone. Circulating blood glucose, cell count, cell indices, and MDA level was assessed.Results: Significant reduction (p<0.05) in blood glucose level and increase inRBCs, WBCs, granulocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes and platelets count(p<0.05) along with improved functional indices for HCT, PCV, MCV, MCH, MCHC, MPV, PDW, PCT in homocastasterone treated diabetic group was noted. A significant reduction in RBC-MDA level (p<0.001) in the treated group was noted.Conclusion: It is suggested that brassinosteroid keto isoform homocastasterone exhibits antiglycemic effect in diabetic rat, and improves RBC, WBC, Platelet counts, haemoglobin level, and cell indices, while reducing peroxidative cell damage in RBCs.Â

Microwave induced magnetoresistance oscillations at the subharmonics of the cyclotron resonance

The magnetoresistance oscillations, which occur in a two-dimensional electron system exposed to strong microwave radiation when the microwave frequency $\omega$ coincides with the n-th subharmonic of the cyclotron frequency $\omega_c$ have been investigated for n = 2, 3 and 4. It is shown that these subharmonic features can be explained within a non-equilibrium energy distribution function picture without invoking multi-photon absorption processes. The existence of a frequency threshold above which such oscillations disappear lends further support to this explanation.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Effect of H₂S and HCl contaminants on nickel and ceria pattern anode solid oxide fuel cells

In this study, with the motivation of elucidating the effect of H2S and HCl on solid oxide fuel cell anodes, nickel and ceria pattern anodes are prepared on yttrium-stabilized zirconia electrolyte, and the effect of H2S and HCl on their performance is tested using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. However, it has been found that while H2S adversely impacts both nickel and ceria, the poisoning caused is reversible for nickel and only partially reversible for ceria. Poisoning kinetics are similar and fast for both materials, while recovery kinetics are slower for ceria than nickel. High sulfur coverage is the rate-limiting factor inferred from the elementary kinetic modeling. Unlike H2S, the presence of HCl appeared to be favorable for electrochemical oxidation as the polarization resistance of both pattern electrode cells decreased upon feeding HCl contaminated hydrogen gas. Similar behavior has not been reported previously, and the conclusion regarding underlying mechanisms requires further investigation

Non-Syndromic Solitary Neurofibroma in floor of the mouth: A case report

Neurofibromas are rare in the head and neck region, but most frequent tumor of neural origin. Oral hard and soft tissue is affected bythe tumor. In this paper, we describe an unusual case of non-syndromic solitary neurofibroma of the floor of the mouth in a 70-yearfemalepatient with a chief complaint of growth in the floor of the mouth for the past 3 months. An occlusal, intraoral periapicalradiograph and CT imaging were done. After confirming the diagnosis, the lesion was excised under local anesthesia and the specimenwas submitted for histopathological examination. On subsequent follow-up, the patient was asymptomatic. Intraoral neurofibromaalthough uncommon, deserve special attention because of their similarity with other inflammatory neoplastic condition, and theirtendency to undergo malignant transformation

Consultancy services in marine fisheries- A profile of technologies and experts

The ICAR system currently needs very effective partnership between the researchers and the user groups. The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, a premier Institute under the ICAR, has taken effective steps to introduce the services and technologies in the marine fisheries sector, achieved over the last 50 years R & D activities. With a viev/ to institutionalising transfer of technologies, the institute has constituted a Consultancy Processing Cell (CPC) in 1997 for effectively serving the needs of our clients, through the short term and long term trainings, consultancies, contract services and contract research