Seasonal variations and distribution of sea grass associated macrofauna in Uppanar estuary, southeast coast of India

The occurrence of sea grass in relation to the distribution, relative abundance and seasonal variations along with the Physio-chemical parameters influencing the growth and distribution of associated fauna in Uppanar estuary, have been studied for a period of one year from April 2005 to March 2006. Totally three species of sea grass were collected. The sea grass showed definite levels of zonation. They also showed seasonal changes in growth pattern in relation to the changes in Physio-chemical parameters. Totally about three major groups of organisms i.e. Polychaetes, Crustaceans and Molluscs were recorded. The Molluscans were the most dominant organisms amounting to 41% and between  this, Polychaetes above contributed to the tune of 37%. Crustaceans 19% and others 3%. The study area water quality parameters are favorable for juvenile and existence of different biotic communities in the estuary

Effect of seaweed liquid fertilizer on the germination and growth of seedling of mangrove - Rhizophora mucronata Boir

Seaweeds are among the important marine living resources with tremendous commercial application. The effect of sea weed liquid fertilizer of Padina boergesenii was studied on the growth parameters of Rhizophora mucronata.  The propagules were soaked in different concentrations (0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2%). Within 24 hours soaking, all the soaked propagules were carefully planted in individual polythene bags each containing 2 kg of soil best response was found after 90 days at 1% concentration of seaweed extract in almost all the growth parameters. The maximum growth was recorded at 1% concentration Viz.,shoot length 24.3 cm, leaf breadth 3.45 cm, leaf length 7.1 cm when compared to control (13.7 cm shoot length, leaf breadth 3.0 cm and leaf length 5.35 cm). It was concluded that differential response was noticed in the mangrove plant to the seaweed extract treatment. In spite of these differential responses, Padina boergesenii was found to be an effective seaweed liquid fertilizer (SLF) in mangrove plant

Studies on ecology of phytoplankton from Pichavaram mangroves, South East Coast of India

The spatial and seasonal distribution of phytoplankton species and their abundance to hydrographical parameters were studied during April 2000 and March 2001 from two stations of Pichavaram mangroves located in south east coast of India, (Lat. 11°27’N: Long 79°47E).  During the study 91 species of phytoplankton were recorded which belongs to different groups viz. Diatoms (73), Dinoflagellates (17) and Slicoflagellates (1). Species such as Coscinodiscus centralis, Pleurosigma elongatum, Thalassionema nitzschioides, Skeletonema costatum Triceratium favus, Odentella sinensis, Navicula longa and Ceratium furca Constituted bulk of the population density.  More number of species was recorded at station 1 and the production of phytoplankton was very high during summer season. The temperature, salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen examined fairly stable during the study period except monsoon. During the summer season nutrients level was low as well as the phytoplankton density was very high

Climate variability, consumption risk and poverty in semi-arid Northern Ghana: Adaptation options for poor farm households

This paper presents a micro-level simulation study on possible impacts of farm level adaptation strategies using a spatial dynamic hydro-economic model called Mathematical Programming based Multi Agent System. The model was validated for the Northern semi-arid region of Ghana. The simulation results revealed that climate variability has substantial impacts on the poverty and food security status of farm households. Policy interventions like the provision of agricultural credit and expansion of irrigation access are found to be highly important in reducing the adverse effects of climate variability for the capital constrained and poor rainfed farm households. However, to achieve significant changes in food security, a mix of adaptation strategies in the form of credit and irrigation has to be provided simultaneously. We also found that farm level adaption through shifting planting date as well as adopting early maturing crop varieties can substantially reduce the adverse impacts of climate variability

Transforming tribal communities in Telangana, India, into strategic business enterprises — a paradigm for inclusive growth

Global food systems are failing both people and the planet due to overarching interconnected challenges, including climate change, natural resource depletion, biodiversity loss, malnutrition, food insecurity, gender inequality and preventable ill-health, all of which are exacerbated by the fragmentation of food systems and policy incoherence. Here, we present innovative interventions that have addressed critical bottlenecks in the transformation of food systems, with a case study on linking entrepreneurship with agriculture and nutrition/health via a convergence model in a select tribal locale of India

Acceptance and Impact of Millet-Based Mid-Day Meal on the Nutritional Status of Adolescent School Going Children in a Peri Urban Region of Karnataka State in India

The study assessed the potential for use of millets in mid-day school meal programs for better nutritional outcomes of children in a peri-urban region of Karnataka, India, where children conventionally consumed a fortified rice-based mid-day meal. For a three-month period, millet-based mid-day meals were fed to 1500 adolescent children at two schools, of which 136 were studied as the intervention group and were compared with 107 other children in two other schools that did not receive the intervention. The intervention design was equivalent to the parallel group, two-arm, superiority trial with a 1:1 allocation ratio. The end line allocation ratio was 1.27:1 due to attrition. It was found that there was statistically significant improvement in stunting (p = 0.000) and the body mass index (p = 0.003) in the intervention group and not in the control group (p = 0.351 and p = 0.511, respectively). The sensory evaluation revealed that all the millet-based menu items had high acceptability, with the highest scores for the following three items: finger millet idli, a steam cooked fermented savory cake; little and pearl millet bisi belle bath, a millet-lentil hot meal; and upma, a pearl and little millet-vegetable meal. These results suggest significant potential for millets to replace or supplement rice in school feeding programs for improved nutritional outcomes of children

Sustainable Intensification of Agricultural Productivity in Semi-Arid-Tropics (SAT) of India – Case studies

Sustainable intensification is a term now much used in discussions around the future of agriculture and food security. The term actually dates back to the 1990s and was coined in the context of African agriculture, where yields are often very low, and environmental degradation a major concern. This pro-poor, smallholder oriented origin of the phrase is worth noting in the context of the current controversy around sustainable intensification. Sustainable intensification (SI) has been defined as a form of production wherein “yields are increased without adverse environmental impact and without the cultivation of more land”. In this sense, the term denotes an aspiration of what needs to be achieved, rather than a description of existing production systems, whether this be conventional high input-farming, or smallholder agriculture, or approaches based on organic methods. While the intensification of agriculture has long been the subject of analysis, sustainable intensification is a more recent concern

Sex Steroids Induce Membrane Stress Responses and Virulence Properties in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Estrogen, a major female sex steroid hormone, has been shown to promote the selection of mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the airways of patients with chronic respiratory diseases, including cystic fibrosis. This results in long-term persistence, poorer clinical outcomes, and limited therapeutic options. In this study, we demonstrate that at physiological concentrations, sex steroids, including testosterone and estriol, induce membrane stress responses in P. aeruginosa This is characterized by increased virulence and consequent inflammation and release of proinflammatory outer membrane vesicles promoting in vivo persistence of the bacteria. The steroid-induced P. aeruginosa response correlates with the molecular polarity of the hormones and membrane fluidic properties of the bacteria. This novel mechanism of interaction between sex steroids and P. aeruginosa explicates the reported increased disease severity observed in females with cystic fibrosis and provides evidence for the therapeutic potential of the modulation of sex steroids to achieve better clinical outcomes in patients with hormone-responsive strains.IMPORTANCE Molecular mechanisms by which sex steroids interact with P. aeruginosa to modulate its virulence have yet to be reported. Our work provides the first characterization of a steroid-induced membrane stress mechanism promoting P. aeruginosa virulence, which includes the release of proinflammatory outer membrane vesicles, resulting in inflammation, host tissue damage, and reduced bacterial clearance. We further demonstrate that at nanomolar (physiological) concentrations, male and female sex steroids promote virulence in clinical strains of P. aeruginosa based on their dynamic membrane fluidic properties. This work provides, for the first-time, mechanistic insight to better understand and predict the P. aeruginosa related response to sex steroids and explain the interindividual patient variability observed in respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis that are complicated by gender differences and chronic P. aeruginosa infection

Second Green Revolution: Growth Engine for Transformation. The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India

The Indian agricultural sector needs to be revitalised to meet the demand of food and nutritional security of a growing population amidst challenging situations. While the first Green Revolution helped in meeting the production demands in the 1960s, the next revolution needs to focus on holistic development of the sector and sustainable in the long run. The next revolution has to help the small and marginal farmers in sustaining their livelihood. It will need to provide end-to-end services to the farmer, linking him to the market and facilitating access to better technology and other resources. The dairy revolution in the country is a prime example of such an approach. An inclusive market oriented approach can revolutionise the agricultural sector and attract the youth to take up to agriculture as another business venture. An agribusiness development path involving greater productivity growth throughout the entire agribusiness value chain provides for a solid foundation for rapid, inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction. Improving the skill levels of the farmers can help in diversifying and minimising the risk from the sector. This will also foster an ecosystem for innovations from within the community

Sex steroids induce membrane stress responses and virulence properties in pseudomonas aeruginosa

© 2020 Vidaillac et al. Estrogen, a major female sex steroid hormone, has been shown to promote the selection of mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the airways of patients with chronic respiratory diseases, including cystic fibrosis. This results in long-term persistence, poorer clinical outcomes, and limited therapeutic options. In this study, we demonstrate that at physiological concentrations, sex steroids, including testosterone and estriol, induce membrane stress responses in P. aeruginosa. This is characterized by increased virulence and consequent inflammation and release of proinflammatory outer membrane vesicles promoting in vivo persistence of the bacteria. The steroid-induced P. aeruginosa response correlates with the molecular polarity of the hormones and membrane fluidic properties of the bacteria. This novel mechanism of interaction between sex steroids and P. aeruginosa explicates the reported increased disease severity observed in females with cystic fibrosis and provides evidence for the therapeutic potential of the modulation of sex steroids to achieve better clinical outcomes in patients with hormone-responsive strains. IMPORTANCE Molecular mechanisms by which sex steroids interact with P. aeruginosa to modulate its virulence have yet to be reported. Our work provides the first characterization of a steroid-induced membrane stress mechanism promoting P. aeruginosa virulence, which includes the release of proinflammatory outer membrane vesicles, resulting in inflammation, host tissue damage, and reduced bacterial clearance. We further demonstrate that at nanomolar (physiological) concentrations, male and female sex steroids promote virulence in clinical strains of P. aeruginosa based on their dynamic membrane fluidic properties. This work provides, for the first-time, mechanistic insight to better understand and predict the P. aeruginosa related response to sex steroids and explain the interindividual patient variability observed in respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis that are complicated by gender differences and chronic P. aeruginosa infection