In vitro Cellulose Rich Organic Material Degradation by Cellulolytic Streptomyces albospinus (MTCC 8768)

Aims: Cellulosic biomass is the only foreseeable sustainable source of fuels and is also one of the dominating waste materials in nature resulting from human activities. Keeping in view the environmental problems like disposal of large volumes of cellulosic wastes and shortage of fossil fuel in the world, the main aim of the present investigation was to characterize and study the cellulolytic activity of Streptomyces albospinus (MTCC 8768), isolated from municipal wastes, on natural cellulosic substrates viz. straw powder, wood powder and finely grated vegetable peels.Methodology and Result: Stanier’s Basal broth with 100 mg of each of the substrates was inoculated separately with S. albospinus (MTCC No. 8768) and incubated at 37 °C for 8 days. The cellulosic substrates were re-weighed at an interval of 2 days and the difference between the initial weight and the final weight gave the amount of substratesdegraded by the isolate. It was observed that maximum degradation was observed in the grated vegetable peels (64 mg) followed by straw powder (38 mg) and wood powder (28 mg) over a period of 8 days.Conclusion, significance and impact of study: By the selection of efficient cellulolytic microorganisms and cost-effective operational techniques, the production of useful end products from the biodegradation of the low cost enormous stock of cellulose in nature can be very beneficial

Field Bund & Border as Alternative Land Use for Forage Production: A Case of Marginal Farmer in Bundelkhand Region of India

In India, if marginal farmers are approached for production of forage grasses in their agricultural lands, the response of the farmers would be straight forward „NO‟ to the forage crops on agricultural lands. The reason is that food grains (cereals & pulses), vegetables, oilseeds, fruits, etc. are grown on agricultural land and get the first preference for family members, while the forage grasses are least preferred, as crops residues are being fed to livestock. More than 60% of the farm produce come from the small farms only. The productivity of the marginal and small farmers is the solution for growing population food needs. Most of the marginal and small farmers cultivate the farm land with the support of their family members and local labour which the quality of the work is higher. They grow multiple crops and sow as soon as they harvest. The last four decades has witnessed a sharp decline in the average size of operational land holdings in India. The average size of operational land holdings has reduced by half from 2.28 ha in 1970-71 to 1.6 ha in 2010-11. Land holdings in the marginal category (less than 1 ha) constitute 67% of the operational holdings in India (2010-11). Marginal and small holdings together, constitute 85% in terms of number of operational holdings and 44% of the operated area in the country. Thus, over the period, the marginal category has emerged as a distinct and dominant class by itself with its average size dwindling to a mere 0.38 ha. (NABARD, 2014). This is the case study of an illiterate & marginal farmer, Shri Vijay Singh Kushwaha (37) S/o shri Dhan Singh resides in Kushwaha Dera at village Parasai (under Babina development block) in Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh, Bundelkhand region of central India. He used to cultivate only monsoon crops, was the target of an extension programme initiated by ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi in 2011 under the project “Enhancing groundwater recharge and water use efficiency in Semi-Arid Tropics region through watershed interventions, Parasai-Sindh watershed, Jhansi”. The watershed is being developed in consortia mode with ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi, and International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad. The watershed comprises three villages namely Parasai, Chhatpur and Bachhauni and located between 250 23‟56‟‟ to 250 27‟ 9.34‟‟ N latitude and 780 19‟ 45.71‟‟ to 780 22‟ 42.57‟‟E longitude. The watershed is about 35 km in the West of the district headquarter. Bundelkhand is prone to severe drought leading to huge migration towards cities in search of livelihoods and the scarcity of green fodder posed as one of the major hindrances for dairy and livestock production activity in the region

Human protein reference database—2006 update

Human Protein Reference Database (HPRD) () was developed to serve as a comprehensive collection of protein features, post-translational modifications (PTMs) and protein–protein interactions. Since the original report, this database has increased to >20 000 proteins entries and has become the largest database for literature-derived protein–protein interactions (>30 000) and PTMs (>8000) for human proteins. We have also introduced several new features in HPRD including: (i) protein isoforms, (ii) enhanced search options, (iii) linking of pathway annotations and (iv) integration of a novel browser, GenProt Viewer (), developed by us that allows integration of genomic and proteomic information. With the continued support and active participation by the biomedical community, we expect HPRD to become a unique source of curated information for the human proteome and spur biomedical discoveries based on integration of genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic data

Seroprevalence of bluetongue in ruminants of Jharkhand

Aim: This study was carried out to assess the presence of anti-bluetongue (BT) antibodies in sheep, goat and cattle of different agro-climatic zones of Jharkhand. Materials and Methods: Serum samples were collected from apparently healthy as well as suspected sheep, goat and cattle from different districts of Jharkhand covering different agro-climatic zones. Serum samples were screened by indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) for detecting anti-BT antibodies. Results: Out of a total of 480 animal serum samples (sheep-190, goats-210 and cattle-80) screened, 83 (43.68%) of sheep, 91 (43.33%) of goat and 46 (57.50%) of cattle sera were found positive. The % positivity ranged between 41% and 51% in different agro-climatic zones. The results showed slight higher seroprevalence, although not significantly, in cattle than sheep and goats in different agro-climatic zones of Jharkhand. Conclusions: The above data indicate widespread prevalence of BT virus antibodies in studied areas. The incidence of BT is not detected officially, so far. The present seroprevalence status of BT in Jharkhand indicates presence of BT infection in the state for the first time

Stroke epidemiology and outcomes of stroke patients in Nepal: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background With an increasing burden of stroke, it is essential to minimize the incidence of stroke and improve stroke care by emphasizing areas that bring out the maximum impact. The care situation remains unclear in the absence of a national stroke care registry and a lack of structured hospital-based data monitoring. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the status of stroke care in Nepal and identify areas that need dedicated improvement in stroke care. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted to identify all studies on stroke epidemiology or stroke care published between 2000 and 2020 in Nepal. Data analysis was done with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Comprehensive Meta-analysis (CMA-3). Results We identified 2533 studies after database searching, and 55 were included in quantitative and narrative synthesis. All analyses were done in tertiary care settings in densely populated central parts of Nepal. Ischemic stroke was more frequent (70.87%) than hemorrhagic (26.79%), and the mean age of stroke patients was 62,9 years. Mortality occurred in 16.9% (13-21.7%), thrombolysis was performed in 2.39% of patients, and no studies described thrombectomy or stroke unit care. Conclusion The provision of stroke care in Nepal needs to catch up to international standards, and our systematic review demonstrated the need to improve access to quality stroke care. Dedicated studies on establishing stroke care units, prevention, rehabilitation, and studies on lower levels of care or remote regions are required

Statistics pertaining to HPRD growth, experimental types for protein–protein interactions and a breakdown of PTMs

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Human protein reference database—2006 update"</p><p>Nucleic Acids Research 2005;34(Database issue):D411-D414.</p><p>Published online 28 Dec 2005</p><p>PMCID:PMC1347503.</p><p>© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved</p> () Growth of HPRD over the last 3 years with respect to protein entries, protein–protein interactions and PTMs. () Distribution of protein–protein interactions in HPRD based on the type of the experimental method. () Distribution of various types of PTMs in HPRD. The percentage of the respective PTM is indicated only when it is greater than or equal to 2