Prospect and potential of Burkholderia sp. against Phytophthora capsici Leonian: a causative agent for foot rot disease of black pepper

Foot rot disease is a very destructive disease in black pepper in Malaysia. It is caused by Phytophthora capsici Leonian, which is a soilborne pathogenic protist (phylum, Oomycota) that infects aerial and subterranean structures of many host plants. This pathogen is a polycyclic, such that multiple cycles of infection and inoculum production occur in a single growing season. It is more prevalent in the tropics because of the favourable environmental conditions. The utilization of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as a biological control agent has been successfully implemented in controlling many plant pathogens. Many studies on the exploration of beneficial organisms have been carried out such as Pseudomonas fluorescens, which is one of the best examples used for the control of Fusarium wilt in tomato. Similarly, P. fluorescens is found to be an effective biocontrol agent against the foot rot disease in black pepper. Nowadays there is tremendous novel increase in the species of Burkholderia with either mutualistic or antagonistic interactions in the environment. Burkholderia sp. is an indigenous PGPR capable of producing a large number of commercially important hydrolytic enzymes and bioactive substances that promote plant growth and health; are eco-friendly, biodegradable and specific in their actions; and have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity in keeping down the population of phytopathogens, thus playing a great role in promoting sustainable agriculture today. Hence, in this book chapter, the potential applications of Burkholderia sp. to control foot rot disease of black pepper in Malaysia, their control mechanisms, plant growth promotion, commercial potentials and the future prospects as indigenous PGPR were discussed in relation to sustainable agriculture

Genomic characterization and epidemiology of an emerging SARS-CoV-2 variant in Delhi, India

Delhi, the national capital of India, experienced multiple severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks in 2020 and reached population seropositivity of >50% by 2021. During April 2021, the city became overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases and fatalities, as a new variant, B.1.617.2 (Delta), replaced B.1.1.7 (Alpha). A Bayesian model explains the growth advantage of Delta through a combination of increased transmissibility and reduced sensitivity to immune responses generated against earlier variants (median estimates: 1.5-fold greater transmissibility and 20% reduction in sensitivity). Seropositivity of an employee and family cohort increased from 42% to 87.5% between March and July 2021, with 27% reinfections, as judged by increased antibody concentration after a previous decline. The likely high transmissibility and partial evasion of immunity by the Delta variant contributed to an overwhelming surge in Delhi

SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 Delta variant replication and immune evasion

The B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first identified in the state of Maharashtra in late 2020 and spread throughout India, outcompeting pre-existing lineages including B.1.617.1 (Kappa) and B.1.1.7 (Alpha)1. In vitro, B.1.617.2 is sixfold less sensitive to serum neutralizing antibodies from recovered individuals, and eightfold less sensitive to vaccine-elicited antibodies, compared with wild-type Wuhan-1 bearing D614G. Serum neutralizing titres against B.1.617.2 were lower in ChAdOx1 vaccinees than in BNT162b2 vaccinees. B.1.617.2 spike pseudotyped viruses exhibited compromised sensitivity to monoclonal antibodies to the receptor-binding domain and the amino-terminal domain. B.1.617.2 demonstrated higher replication efficiency than B.1.1.7 in both airway organoid and human airway epithelial systems, associated with B.1.617.2 spike being in a predominantly cleaved state compared with B.1.1.7 spike. The B.1.617.2 spike protein was able to mediate highly efficient syncytium formation that was less sensitive to inhibition by neutralizing antibody, compared with that of wild-type spike. We also observed that B.1.617.2 had higher replication and spike-mediated entry than B.1.617.1, potentially explaining the B.1.617.2 dominance. In an analysis of more than 130 SARS-CoV-2-infected health care workers across three centres in India during a period of mixed lineage circulation, we observed reduced ChAdOx1 vaccine effectiveness against B.1.617.2 relative to non-B.1.617.2, with the caveat of possible residual confounding. Compromised vaccine efficacy against the highly fit and immune-evasive B.1.617.2 Delta variant warrants continued infection control measures in the post-vaccination era

Population-level risks of alcohol consumption by amount, geography, age, sex, and year: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2020

Background The health risks associated with moderate alcohol consumption continue to be debated. Small amounts of alcohol might lower the risk of some health outcomes but increase the risk of others, suggesting that the overall risk depends, in part, on background disease rates, which vary by region, age, sex, and year. Methods For this analysis, we constructed burden-weighted dose–response relative risk curves across 22 health outcomes to estimate the theoretical minimum risk exposure level (TMREL) and non-drinker equivalence (NDE), the consumption level at which the health risk is equivalent to that of a non-drinker, using disease rates from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2020 for 21 regions, including 204 countries and territories, by 5-year age group, sex, and year for individuals aged 15–95 years and older from 1990 to 2020. Based on the NDE, we quantified the population consuming harmful amounts of alcohol. Findings The burden-weighted relative risk curves for alcohol use varied by region and age. Among individuals aged 15–39 years in 2020, the TMREL varied between 0 (95% uncertainty interval 0–0) and 0·603 (0·400–1·00) standard drinks per day, and the NDE varied between 0·002 (0–0) and 1·75 (0·698–4·30) standard drinks per day. Among individuals aged 40 years and older, the burden-weighted relative risk curve was J-shaped for all regions, with a 2020 TMREL that ranged from 0·114 (0–0·403) to 1·87 (0·500–3·30) standard drinks per day and an NDE that ranged between 0·193 (0–0·900) and 6·94 (3·40–8·30) standard drinks per day. Among individuals consuming harmful amounts of alcohol in 2020, 59·1% (54·3–65·4) were aged 15–39 years and 76·9% (73·0–81·3) were male. Interpretation There is strong evidence to support recommendations on alcohol consumption varying by age and location. Stronger interventions, particularly those tailored towards younger individuals, are needed to reduce the substantial global health loss attributable to alcohol. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

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Not Available© 2017 PP House Development and Storage Studies of Aonla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) based Ready to Serve (RTS) Using Different Sweeteners V. S. Meena1*, P. C. Sharma2, V. S. Yadav3, R. S. Meena3, Manoj Mahawar4, Bharat Bhushan4, Kirti Jalgaonkar4, Pankaj Kannaujia4 and K. K. Meena3 1ICAR- National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, NBPGR, New Delhi (110 012), India 2College of Horticulture & Forestry, Dr. Y.S.P.H. & Forestry, Neri-Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh (171 001), India 3Rajasthan agricultural Research Institute, Durgapura, Jaipur, Rajasthan (302 015), India 4ICAR-CIPHET, Abohar, Punjab (152 116), India The investigation on preparation of ready-to-serve beverage from Aonla using sugar substitutes was conducted at ICAR-CIPHET, Abohar (Punjab) during 2014–15. The experiment was laid out in completely randomised design with three replications and four treatments viz., sucrose, aspartame, sucralose and stevia with 50% juice made by blending of 60% of aonla, 20% pomegranate and 20% aloe vera. The RTS beverage with no sugar was the control. Sugar substitutes were used in place of sugar based on sugar equivalents. The required quantities of juice, sugar substitutes, water and citric acid were calculated. Strained fruit juice and freshly prepared sugar syrup were mixed together in the proportion as per the recipes on weight basis. The prepared RTS beverages were stored up to six months and analysed for chemical composition and sensory quality attributes sensory quality attributes at 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 days intervals at ambient conditions. At the end of storage, RTS with stevia 4% was found best among all in term biochemical and sensory quality. During storage period, the TSS, acidity and total sugars increased, while pH, and ascorbic acid decreased. The RTS beverage had storage stability up to six months. The developed RTS could be recommended for the large scale production at industrial level.Not Availabl

Not Available

Not AvailableThe investigation on preparation of ready-to-serve beverage from Aonla using sugar substitutes was conducted at ICAR-CIPHET, Abohar (Punjab) during 2014–15. The experiment was laid out in completely randomised design with three replications and four treatments viz., sucrose, aspartame, sucralose and stevia with 50% juice made by blending of 60% of aonla, 20% pomegranate and 20% aloe vera. The RTS beverage with no sugar was the control. Sugar substitutes were used in place of sugar based on sugar equivalents. The required quantities of juice, sugar substitutes, water and citric acid were calculated. Strained fruit juice and freshly prepared sugar syrup were mixed together in the proportion as per the recipes on weight basis. The prepared RTS beverages were stored up to six months and analysed for chemical composition and sensory quality attributes sensory quality attributes at 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 days intervals at ambient conditions. At the end of storage, RTS with stevia 4% was found best among all in term biochemical and sensory quality. During storage period, the TSS, acidity and total sugars increased, while pH, and ascorbic acid decreased. The RTS beverage had storage stability up to six months. The developed RTS could be recommended for the large scale production at industrial level.Not Availabl

Not Available

Not AvailablePresent research investigation was aimed to determine the optimum combination of aonla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.), pomegranate and aloe vera juices, which were mixed together in various proportions to obtain a suitable blend. Box Behnken design was adopted with three factors at five levels of each. The responses were analysed to fit a polynomial model by least square technique. Optimized blend was observed to contain aonla juice (71.6%), pomegranate juice (15.6%) and aloe vera (12.7%). Resulted with the responses of TSS 8.91oBrix, acidity 0.40%, ascorbic acid 80.1 mg/ 100 ml, colour L 23.55 and overall sensory score of 7.9. Regression models for TSS, ascorbic acid and sensory were found significant and the coefficients of determination R2 were found in the range up to 0.93 for these dependent variables. Results showed that the optimized blend of aonlapomegranate- aloe vera juice is acceptable for further development of premium beverages and can be preserved for 6 months with good quality attributes.Not Availabl

Not Available

Not AvailablePresent research investigation was aimed to determine the optimum combination of aonla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.), pomegranate and aloe vera juices, which were mixed together in various proportions to obtain a suitable blend. Box Behnken design was adopted with three factors at five levels of each. The responses were analysed to fit a polynomial model by least square technique. Optimized blend was observed to contain aonla juice (71.6%), pomegranate juice (15.6%) and aloe vera (12.7%). Resulted with the responses of TSS 8.91oBrix, acidity 0.40%, ascorbic acid 80.1 mg/ 100 ml, colour L 23.55 and overall sensory score of 7.9. Regression models for TSS, ascorbic acid and sensory were found significant and the coefficients of determination R2 were found in the range up to 0.93 for these dependent variables. Results showed that the optimized blend of aonlapomegranate- aloe vera juice is acceptable for further development of premium beverages and can be preserved for 6 months with good quality attributes.Not Availabl

Effect of negative air ions on fog and smoke

A negative electric discharge voltage generator (NAI Generator) was designed and used to investigate the possibility of reducing (neutralizing) fog, dhoop smoke, and vehicle smoke collected in closed glass containers. The experiment was carried out in a dark room, and two identical glass containers were used. Various sensitivity tests were carried out with fog and smoke. Light intensity was measured for each run as a function of time with and without a negative air ion generator. Negative air ions attach to particulate matter to enhance visibility. At a high negative ion emission rate, the particle mobility becomes sufficient so that particle migration results in their deposition on walls and other indoor surfaces. The performance characteristics of the negative electric discharge generator designed in this work, which produces uni-polar ions by corona discharge at a relatively high emission rate, were evaluated. This device, if operated continuously for six minutes, resulted in the removal of about 93 to 97 of the particles in the glass container, in addition to the natural decay effect. The rate of change of particle removal was higher for fog than for smoke. This study demonstrates that it is possible to neutralize and reduce the concentration of fog and smoke to a significant degree using negative air ions, resulting in increasing visibility in a closed chamber