Not Available

Not AvailableExtension poster/ chart on “Seed Replacement Rate for various crops grown in Ujaliya village as on 2016-17” for display in Kisan Mela and Division gallery.Not Availabl

Analysis of Livelihood Structure of Pastoralists in Banni Grassland in Kachchh District of Gujarat in India

Banni grassland in Kachchh district of Gujarat in India is situated at 69024’ E longitude to 23042’ N latitude axis and spread in about 3847 sq km area. Banni region is a vast salt affected plain and experiences arid climate with average rainfall of 317mm received by southwest monsoon spread between June to September with high coefficient of Variation of 65%. Banni grassland is home to migratory pastoralists, generally called maldharies, for more than 500 years. Banni area comprises of 48 hamlets/villages organized into 19 Panchayats with a population of approximately 40,000 people. Maldharies are landless and depend upon village commons (Gauchars) for their livestock rearing. Banni buffaloes, kankrej cows, sheep, goat and camel are the domesticated animals. Breeding of kankrej bullocks and banni buffaloes for draught and milch purpose respectively was the traditional occupation and main source of income for maldharies. They breed and sell these animals to farmers in Gujarat and other parts of the country. Since late 1970s there has been a gradual shift in livestock population formerly dominated by kankrej cows to one now dominated by banni buffaloes. Change in vegetation pattern, especially invasion of Prosopis juliflora is attributed as one of the main reasons by farmers for this occupational shift. Feeding on P. juliflora pods over a period of time leads to dislocation and weakening of jaws in cows leading to their death. Mechanization of agriculture in Kachchh and other parts of Gujarat has led to reduction in use of bullocks for draught purpose. Consequently the demand for kankrej bullocks has also reduced drastically. On the other hand, banni buffaloes are tolerant to ill effects of feeding on P. juliflora. Hence, number of banni buffaloes has increased drastically since 1980s when compared to kankrej cows. Improved road connectivity of villages in banni area to Bhuj city and other towns and establishment of milk collection centers in the region has also played a vital role in growth and development of banni buffalo based dairy enterprise. These internal and external factors have led to change in occupational structure in banni region. Hence, documentation of changes in occupational structure and the driving factors behind such change is important. This research paper has the objective of analyzing the combination of various livelihood options available for pastoralist households of banni region

Gamma, X-ray and neutron shielding properties of boron polymers

271-276We have studied the X-ray and gamma radiation shielding parameters such as mass attenuation coefficient, linear attenuation coefficient, Half Value Layer (HVL), Tenth Value Layer (TVL), effective atomic number and electron density in some boron polymers of different boron based polymers [ Polymer A-PolyBorazylene (B3N3H4), Polymer B- 4-Vinylphenyl Boronic acid (C8H9O2B), Polymer C- Borazine (B3N3H6), Polymer D- 3-Acrylamidophenylboronic acid (C9H10BNO3) Polymer E-Phenylethenylboronic acid (C14H19BO2), Polymer F- 4-Aminophenylboronic acid (C12H18BNO2) and Polymer G- 3- Aminophenylboronic acid (C6H8BNO2)]. We have also studied the neutron shielding properties such as coherent neutron scattering length, incoherent neutron scattering lengths, coherent neutron scattering cross section, incoherent neutron scattering cross sections, total neutron scattering cross section and neutron absorption cross sections in the boron polymers. We have compared the shielding properties among the studied different boron polymers. From the detail study, it is clear that the boron polymer Phenylethenylboronic acid is good absorber for X-ray, gamma radiation and neutron. Hence, we suggest that the boron polymer Phenylethenylboronic acid is good shielding material for X-ray, gamma and neutrons

Gamma, X-ray and neutron shielding properties of boron polymers

We have studied the X-ray and gamma radiation shielding parameters such as mass attenuation coefficient, linear attenuation coefficient, Half Value Layer (HVL), Tenth Value Layer (TVL), effective atomic number and electron density in some boron polymers of different boron based polymers [ Polymer A-PolyBorazylene (B3N3H4), Polymer B- 4-Vinylphenyl Boronic acid (C8H9O2B), Polymer C- Borazine (B3N3H6), Polymer D- 3-Acrylamidophenylboronic acid (C9H10BNO3) Polymer E-Phenylethenylboronic acid (C14H19BO2), Polymer F- 4-Aminophenylboronic acid (C12H18BNO2) and Polymer G- 3- Aminophenylboronic acid (C6H8BNO2)]. We have also studied the neutron shielding properties such as coherent neutron scattering length, incoherent neutron scattering lengths, coherent neutron scattering cross section, incoherent neutron scattering cross sections, total neutron scattering cross section and neutron absorption cross sections in the boron polymers. We have compared the shielding properties among the studied different boron polymers. From the detail study, it is clear that the boron polymer Phenylethenylboronic acid is good absorber for X-ray, gamma radiation and neutron. Hence, we suggest that the boron polymer Phenylethenylboronic acid is good shielding material for X-ray, gamma and neutrons

Transformation and gene editing in the bioenergy grass \u3ci\u3eMiscanthus\u3c/i\u3e

Background: Miscanthus, a C4 member of Poaceae, is a promising perennial crop for bioenergy, renewable bioproducts, and carbon sequestration. Species of interest include nothospecies M. x giganteus and its parental species M. sacchariforus and M. sinensis. Use of biotechnology-based procedures to genetically improve Miscanthus, to date, have only included plant transformation procedures for introduction of exogenous genes into the host genome at random, non-targeted sites. Results: We developed gene editing procedures for Miscanthus using CRISPR/Cas9 that enabled the mutation of a specific (targeted) endogenous gene to knock out its function. Classified as paleo-allopolyploids (duplicated ancient Sorghum-like DNA plus chromosome fusion event), design of guide RNAs (gRNAs) for Miscanthus needed to target both homeologs and their alleles to account for functional redundancy. Prior research in Zea mays demonstrated that editing the lemon white1 (lw1) gene, involved in chlorophyll and carotenoid biosynthesis, via CRISPR/Cas9 yielded pale green/yellow, striped or white leaf phenotypes making lw1 a promising target for visual confirmation of editing in other species. Using sequence information from both Miscanthus and sorghum, orthologs of maize lw1 were identified; a multi-step screening approach was used to select three gRNAs that could target homeologs of lw1. Embryogenic calli of M. sacchariforus, M. sinensis and M. x giganteus were transformed via particle bombardment (biolistics) or Agrobacterium tumefaciens introducing the Cas9 gene and three gRNAs to edit lw1. Leaves on edited Miscanthus plants displayed the same phenotypes noted in maize. Sanger sequencing confirmed editing; deletions in lw1 ranged from 1 to 26 bp in length, and one deletion (433 bp) encompassed two target sites. Confocal microscopy verified lack of autofluorescence (chlorophyll) in edited leaves/sectors. Conclusions: We developed procedures for gene editing via CRISPR/Cas9 in Miscanthus and, to the best of our knowledge, are the first to do so. This included five genotypes representing three Miscanthus species. Designed gRNAs targeted all copies of lw1 (homeologous copies and their alleles); results also confirmed lw1 made a goo

Xer Recombinase and Genome Integrity in Helicobacter pylori, a Pathogen without Topoisomerase IV

In the model organism E. coli, recombination mediated by the related XerC and XerD recombinases complexed with the FtsK translocase at specialized dif sites, resolves dimeric chromosomes into free monomers to allow efficient chromosome segregation at cell division. Computational genome analysis of Helicobacter pylori, a slow growing gastric pathogen, identified just one chromosomal xer gene (xerH) and its cognate dif site (difH). Here we show that recombination between directly repeated difH sites requires XerH, FtsK but not XerT, the TnPZ transposon associated recombinase. xerH inactivation was not lethal, but resulted in increased DNA per cell, suggesting defective chromosome segregation. The xerH mutant also failed to colonize mice, and was more susceptible to UV and ciprofloxacin, which induce DNA breakage, and thereby recombination and chromosome dimer formation. xerH inactivation and overexpression each led to a DNA segregation defect, suggesting a role for Xer recombination in regulation of replication. In addition to chromosome dimer resolution and based on the absence of genes for topoisomerase IV (parC, parE) in H. pylori, we speculate that XerH may contribute to chromosome decatenation, although possible involvement of H. pylori's DNA gyrase and topoisomerase III homologue are also considered. Further analyses of this system should contribute to general understanding of and possibly therapy development for H. pylori, which causes peptic ulcers and gastric cancer; for the closely related, diarrheagenic Campylobacter species; and for unrelated slow growing pathogens that lack topoisomerase IV, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Identification and Structural Characterization of a New Three-Finger Toxin Hemachatoxin from Hemachatus haemachatus Venom

10.1371/journal.pone.0048112PLoS ONE710

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