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ID: 65875
Title: Pollination of Dipcadi saxorum Blatt. (Asparagaceae: Scilloideae)
Author: Hensal Rodrigues, Kiran Chakral and Suchandra Dutta
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (6) 714-720 25 March (2024)
Subject: Pollination of Dipcadi saxorum Blatt. (Asparagaceae: Scilloideae)
Keywords: Dipcadi saxorum Blatt., nectar production, pollinators and visitors, scent analysis, self-compatibility
Abstract: Pollination of Dipcadi saxorum Blatt. was studied in Thane and Mumbai suburban districts, Maharashtra, India, during the flowering season from June to August for a period of two years. The flowers are nocturnal, producing scent and nectar at nightfall, which extends up to morning hours, attracting many visitors. The study shows that the species is self-incompatible and that its foul-acrid odour is mainly because of aldehydes and esters. Settling moths, Heliothus peltigera and Chrysodexis acuta, as well as hovering moths, Macroglossum stellatarum and Cephanodes hylas, are pollinators of D. saxorum Blatt.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK; Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ (retrieved 30 August 2023). Deb, D. B. and Dasgupta, S., Revision of the genus Dipcadi Medik. (Liliaceae) in India and adjoining regions. J. Bombay Natl. Hist. Soc., 1978, 75, 50–70
Literature cited 2: Deb, D. B. and Dasgupta, S., Fascicles of Flora of India, Fascicle 7, Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta, 1981, 7, 9. Almeida, M. R., Flora of Maharashtra, Orient Press, Mumbai, 2009, vol. 5(B), pp. 176–178

ID: 65874
Title: AYUsearch: a repository to facilitate the biochemical understanding of natural products-derived chemical substances
Author: Komal Tilwani , Abhishek Patel , Ghanshyam Patel , Mrugendra Rahevar and Gayatri Dave
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (6) 706-713 25 March (2024)
Subject: AYUsearch: a repository to facilitate the biochemical understanding of natural products-derived chemical substances
Keywords: Ayurveda, molecular docking, natural products, network pharmacology, repository
Abstract: Ayurveda – a traditional Indian medicinal (TIM) practice advocates a lifestyle regimen utilizing natural products to cure complex ailments. The famous Ayurveda classics, viz. Charak Samhita, Ashtanga Hridayam and Sushruta Samhita, elaborate on various plant and animal products, in which the descriptions are narrated in Sanskrit and often signified through a metaphor. The particulars are empirical and usually lack experimental evidence. Its efficacy needs to be ensured towards the gold standard of biomedical sciences. Indeed, an ordered catalogue on a natural product is quintessential to designing the validation strategies for TIM. We obtained evidence on 60 natural products with a mentioned history in Ayurveda. For this, we manually curated a list of natural products-derived molecules (NDMs). Next, they were sorted into universally accepted chemical identifiers and processed into SDF formats. The 1004 gene targets were identified for 636 NDMs through molecular and reverse docking studies. Subsequently, the functional annotation of differentially expressed genes using KEGG pathways and Gene Ontology analysis unravelled the role of the scrutinized ligands on cell functions. AYUsearch (database) is an attempt to redefine the information embedded in Ayurveda, where the biological role of natural chemical products is decoded through network pharmacology.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Park, K., A review of computational drug repurposing. Transl. Clin. Pharmacol., 2019, 27, 59–63. Yuan, H., Ma, Q., Ye, L. and Piao, G., The traditional medicine and modern medicine from natural products. Molecules, 2016, 21, 559.
Literature cited 2: López-López, E., Bajorath, J. and Medina-Franco, J. L., Informatics for chemistry, biology, and biomedical sciences. J. Chem. Inf. Model., 2020, 61, 26–35. Humbeck, L. and Koch, O., What can we learn from bioactivity data? Chemoinformatics tools and applications in chemical biology research. ACS Chem. B

ID: 65873
Title: Spatial mapping of acidity and vegetal multi-micronutrients in soils of the Meghalaya Plateau, northeastern Himalaya, India
Author: Burhan U. Choudhury, Md. Zafar , Arumugam Balusamy , Prabha Moirangthem , Ramesh Thangavel , Manoj Kumar , Bibhash C. Verma, Hammylliende Talang , Samarendra Hazarika and Vinay K. Mishra
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (6) 694-705 25 March (2024)
Subject: Spatial mapping of acidity and vegetal multi-micronutrients in soils of the Meghalaya Plateau, northeastern Himalaya, India
Keywords: Crop productivity, deficiency zone, micronutrients, soil acidity, soluble aluminium, spatial mapping
Abstract: This study explores the high-precision mapping (1 : 50 K stratified random sampling) of spatial variability in soil acidity (pH), soluble aluminium (Al) and plant available micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn extracted by DTPA) for the acid soils of the Meghalaya Plateau northeastern Himalaya, India. Results revealed that soils in nearly 88% of the total geographical area (TGA: 22,429 sq. km) fell below the pH limit of 5.5, of which significant areas (13.9% TGA) were strongly acidic in reaction (pH < 4.5). In close to 90% of the plateau soils, Al exceeded the critical toxicity threshold (>9.0 mg kg–1 ). Over 93% of the soils were high in Fe concentration (>10.5–100.0 mg kg–1 ). Mn, Cu, and Zn were found to be deficient in 12% (Mn < 5.0 mg kg–1 ), 20% (Cu < 0.6 mg kg–1 ), and 27% (Zn < 0.9 mg kg–1 ) of TGA respectively. The multi-micronutrient composite maps of Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn displayed an intricate spatial dimension in the deficiency zones. The study concludes that there is a pressing need to manage site-specific micronutrients to improve crop productivity and the quality of the produce.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: . Choudhury, B. U., Nengzouzam, G., Ansari, M. A. and Islam, A., Causes and consequences of soil erosion in northeastern Himalaya, India. Curr. Sci., 2022, 122(7), 772–789. Choudhury, B. U., Nengzouzam, G. and Islam, A., Runoff and soil erosion in the integrated farming systems based on micro-watersheds under projected climate change scenarios and adaptation strategies in the eastern Himalayan mountain ecosystem (India). J. Environ. Manage., 2022, 309, 114667; doi:org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.11466
Literature cited 2: Kumar, M. et al., Micronutrients (B, Zn and Mo) for improving crop production on acidic soils of northeast India. Natl. Acad. Sci. Lett., 2016, 39(2), 85–89. Choudhury, B. U. and Mandal, S., Indexing soil properties through constructing minimum datasets for soil quality assessment of surface and profile soils of intermontane valley (Barak, North East India). Ecol. Indic., 2021, 123, 107369.

ID: 65872
Title: Designing design of expert for the treatment of sulphur black dye in textile effluents using zinc-oxide nanobioadsorbents
Author: Sangita Yadav, Subhash Chander and Asha Gupta
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (6) 686-693 25 March (2024)
Subject: Designing design of expert for the treatment of sulphur black dye in textile effluents using zinc-oxide nanobioadsorbents
Keywords: Biogenic adsorbent, response surface methodology, sulphur black dye, textile effluents, zinc-oxide nanomaterials
Abstract: The present study uses biogenic fabricated ZnO and ZnO-ME nanomaterials to extract sulphur black (SB) dye from textile effluents. In this study, response surface methodology-central composite design (RSM-CCD) was used to optimize the batch adsorption experiments instead of standard one-variable-at-a-time method. The optimum parameters for removing textile dye with desirability of 1 were 22 mg adsorbent dosage at room temperature (30°C) and 137 min of contact time and the colour adsorption efficiency was found to be 67% and 76% of ZnO and ZnO-ME nanomaterials respectively. Validation of the model showed that the estimated response was consistent with the experimental results. The model demonstrated excellent fit for SB dye removal utilizing ZnO and ZnO-ME nanomaterials, which had adjusted R2 values of 0.9991 and 0.9952 and predicted R2 values of 0.9961 and 0.9972 respectively.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Chander, S., Yadav, S., Gupta, A. and Luhach, N., Sequestration of Ni(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) utilizing biogenic synthesized Fe3O4/ CLPC NCs and modified Fe3O4/CLPC@ CS NCs: process optimization, simulation modeling, and feasibility study. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., 2023, 30, 114056–114077. Kumar, S., Yadav, S., Kataria, N., Chauhan, A. K., Joshi, S., Gupta, R. and Show, P. L., Recent advancement in nanotechnology for the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater: sources, toxicity, and remediation technology. Curr. Pollut. Rep., 2023, 10, 110–142.
Literature cited 2: Yadav, S., Punia, S., Sharma, H. R. and Gupta, A., Nano-remediation for the decolourisation of textile effluents: a review. Nanofabrication, 2022, 7, 217–243. Boubaker, H., Arfi, R. B., Mougin, K., Vaulot, C., Hajjar, S., Kunneman, P. and Ghorbal, A., New optimization approach for successive cationic and anionic dyes uptake using reed-based beads. J. Clean. Prod., 2021, 307, 127218.

ID: 65871
Title: Climate-smart land management methods for enhancing the adaptive capacity of food production systems in the tropical regions
Author: A. Velmurugan , T. P. Swarnam, D. Burman , S. Mandal and T. Subramani
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (6) 676-685 25 March (2024)
Subject: Climate-smart land management methods for enhancing the adaptive capacity of food production systems in the tropical regions
Keywords: Adaptation, alternative land management, climate change, coastal regions and islands, waterlogging.
Abstract: The island ecosystem is influenced by the maritime climate and endemic flora and fauna that predominate the food production system. The observed variations and projected changes in rainfall and temperature severely affect the small islands and island states (SIS) more than large countries. In this study, we analyse the long-term changes in total rainfall, its seasonal variations, the number of rainy days and extreme events based on standardized global datasets and ground observations for SIS, including island regions of India, to identify suitable adaptation options in order to ensure sustainable food production. We link these climatic parameters with the observed waterlogging, moisture stress and salinity, compounded by the sea-water intrusion, which severely affects agricultural diversification and food production. In these areas, climate-smart alternative land management (ALM) methods, viz. raised beds, paddy–fish, farm ponds with broader dykes, etc. have been demonstrated and evaluated against these climate change-linked challenges at smallholder farms in the Andaman Islands and Sundarbans region of India. The results showed that the ALM methods created favourable conditions for crop growth and agricultural diversification by excluding sea-water intrusion, harvesting rainwater, reducing salinity and facilitating drainage amidst extreme events experienced during the observation period (2010–2020). ALM enhanced on-farm food production (2.7–34.6 tonne ha–1 rice equivalent yield), sustainability (0.23–0.79, measured as sustainable yield index) and net mitigation benefit (2.2–5.7 Mg CO2 eq. year –1 ), providing greater scope for its upscaling in the island and coastal regions as adaptation measures.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: FAO, Climate change adaptation and mitigation: challenges and opportunities in the food sector, Food and Agriculture Organisation, Rome, Italy, 2012. Porter, J. R., Food security and food production systems. In Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects (ed. Field, C. B.), Cambridge University Press, NY, USA, 2014, pp. 485–533.
Literature cited 2: IPCC, Climate Change – 2007: Synthesis Report, Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Geneva, Switzerland, 2007, pp. 1–104. Hess, A., Sustainable development and environmental management of small islands – an overview. In Sustainable Development and Environmental Management of Small Islands (eds Beller, W., D’ayala, P. and Hein, P.), UNESCO, Paris, France, 1990, pp. 3–14.

ID: 65870
Title: Metalized plastic: a material for a better world
Author: M. C. Rath
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (6) 671-675 25 March (2024)
Subject: Metalized plastic: a material for a better world
Keywords: Carbon emission, global warming, metalized polyester, solar radiation, summer heat, winter cold.
Abstract: Global warming has been a matter of serious concern in recent years, and therefore, there is a need for lower carbon emissions in all human activities. In order to achieve this goal, new technologies are being developed. However, at present, a good amount of energy is being spent to get protection from the summer heat as well as the winter cold using appliances across the globe. Due to poor economic conditions, many people still cannot afford such appliances to live comfortably in these extreme climatic conditions. Additionally, those working directly under the sun during summer may even lose their lives due to sunstroke. Therefore, an easier and cheaper alternative method is described in this study for protection from the summer heat as well as the winter cold.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Houghton, J., Global Warming, The Complete Briefing, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2004. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Solar_Spectrum.png (accessed on 22 D
Literature cited 2: Webber, M. J., Handbook of Optical Materials, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2003. Clarke, F. W. and Washington, H. S., The composition of earth’s crust. US Geol. Surv., Prof. Pap., 1924, pp. 1–122.

ID: 65869
Title: The evolution of diabetes treatments: from insulin therapy to synthetic biology
Author: Shubhangi Sharma and Jaspreet Kaur
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (6) 662-670 25 March (2024)
Subject: The evolution of diabetes treatments: from insulin therapy to synthetic biology
Keywords: Blood glucose levels, diabetes, insulin analogs, traditional and new-age treatments, synthetic biology
Abstract: Diabetes mellitus is one of the most prevalent diseases in the world and a leading cause of many cardiovascular diseases. Today, there is a wide range of options available to treat diabetes. Over the last few decades, the clinical field has gone through a major shift in the direction of genetic engineering and synthetic biology. This has led to many new techniques and treatments that can help manage diabetes. The purpose of this study is to summarize the advancement of diabetic treatments from old, conventional methods to new-age treatments which hold the potential to cure diabetes. While reviewing published research and review articles, we found that over the last few decades, there has been a surge in more handy devices to monitor and manage blood glucose levels. With advancements in the field of science, techniques such as genetic engineering, nanotechnology and synthetic biology are being used to design new devices or artificially engineer cells to relieve the symptoms associated with the disease. While the old conventional ways of taking medications or managing glycaemic levels using insulin syringes are more common, new-age treatments like insulin patches, synthetic cells, and synthetic receptors will likely gain popularity in the coming years.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Sun, H. et al., IDF Diabetes Atlas: global, regional and countrylevel diabetes prevalence estimates for 2021 and projections for 2045. Diabetes Res. Clin. Pract., 2022, 183, 109119. Whiting, D. R., Guariguata, L., Weil, C. and Shaw, J., IDF Diabetes Atlas: global estimates of the prevalence of diabetes for 2011 and 2030. Diabetes Res. Clin. Pract., 2011, 94, 311–321.
Literature cited 2: Kannan, R., India is home to 77 million diabetics, second highest in the world. The Hindu, 14 November 2019. Gromada, J., Chabosseau, P. and Rutter, G. A., The α-cell in diabetes mellitus. Nature Rev. Endocrinol., 2018, 14, 694–704.

ID: 65868
Title: Cashless economy: the impact of digital innovation in India
Author: S. Sangeeta Kumari, K. M. Singh and Nasim Ahma
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (6) 650-661 25 March (2024)
Subject: Cashless economy: the impact of digital innovation in India
Keywords: Cashless economy, digital innovation, economic growth, financial transactions, internet connectivity
Abstract: Digitalization has brought a revolutionary change in every walk of human life, giving the average person many digital options for payment and settlement. Information communication technology enabled the transformation of our banking system from paper to virtual mode, facilitating speedy and secure fund transfers. Post-demonetization (8 November 2016), the cashless economy got a boost, and about 98% of transactions have become cashless. A cashless policy empowers industries, leading to an increase in employment opportunities and reducing cash-oriented fraud. The Reserve Bank of IndiaDigital Payments Index was recorded at 349.30 as of March 2022 against 304.06 for September 2021, indicating significant growth, rapid adoption and deepening of digital payment across the nation. During the financial year 2021–22, digital transactions surged to 7195 crores, with the value increasing to Rs 17.44 billion. There is a strong need to make policies for protection against cyberattacks, encourage digital literacy, and ensure adequate rural penetration of internet connectivity and banking infrastructure, with awareness among rural masses to strengthen organized indigenous markets. This article provides an insight into the cashless economy and the impact of digital innovation on India’s financial system.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Kaur, P., Cash to cashless economy: challenges and opportunities. Int. J. 360 Manage. Rev., 2019, 7(1), 520–528. Rupa, R., Demonetization: a way to cashless economy. Intercontinental. J. Finan. Res. Rev., 2016, 5(7), 81–88.
Literature cited 2: Badam, D. and Gochhait, S., Digitalization and its impact on Indian economy. Eur. J. Mol. Clin. Med., 2020, 7(6), 2131–2140. IBEF, Digital Payments and their impact on the Indian economy. India Brand Equity Foundation, 2021; www.ibef.org

ID: 65867
Title: Laboratory science: representations of reproductive biology in Carl Djerassi’s An Immaculate Misconception: Sex in an Age of Mechanical Reproduction
Author: Ajay Kumar and Adrene Freeda Dcruz
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (6) 646-649 25 March (2024)
Subject: Laboratory science: representations of reproductive biology in Carl Djerassi’s An Immaculate Misconception: Sex in an Age of Mechanical Reproduction
Keywords: Artificial reproduction, ethical implications, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, laboratory on stage, mutual incomprehension.
Abstract: Carl Djerassi’s ‘An Immaculate Misconception: Sex in an Age of Mechanical Reproduction’ belongs to the science-in-theatre genre. The play revolves around the incidents in a reproductive biology laboratory and investigates the ethical implications of intracytoplasmic sperm injection, a pathbreaking scientific innovation in the field of assisted reproductive technology. In selecting key scientific themes as the subject matter of his literary works, Djerassi attempts to disseminate scientific ideas to a non-scientific audience. This is a significant step towards narrowing the gap of mutual incomprehension between scientists and non-scientists.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Snow, C. P., The two cultures. Leonardo, 1990, 23, 169–173. Djerassi, C., Contemporary ‘science-in-theatre’: a rare genre. Interdiscip. Sci. Rev., 2002, 27, 193–20
Literature cited 2: Shepherd-Barr, K., Science on Stage: From Doctor Faustus to Copenhagen, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA, 2012. Djerassi, C., An Immaculate Misconception: Sex in an Age of Mechanical Repro

ID: 65866
Title: Insect–plant mutualism
Author: Krishna Kumar
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (6) 637-638 25 March (2024)
Subject: Insect–plant mutualism
Keywords: None
Abstract: It is a common belief that except silkworms, honey bees and lac insects, all other insects are harmful creatures, damaging stored grains, crops and ornamental plants. Besides, they act as carriers or vectors of a number of harmful pathogens and microbes transmitting various dreadful diseases to human beings and animals. Apart from this hostile and acrimonious relationship between insects and plants, there is a friendly and cordial relationship between them, where both benefit each other and coexist in perfect harmony. For example, many plants and insects have developed or evolved a mechanism that is of mutual interest. Generally, the insects living in close association with plants, protect them in return for food. Plants of Acacia sp. harbour colonies of ants of Pseudomyrmex sp. These ants live within the hollow, swollen stipular thorns of the plants feeding on the nectar and proteins produced in the petioles and tips of the new leaves respectively. In return, these ants aggressively guard and protect the plants from herbivores.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1:
Literature cited 2:

ID: 65865
Title: Reservoir-influenced land ecosystem
Author: Pulak Das
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (6) 637-637 25 March (2024)
Subject: Reservoir-influenced land ecosystem
Keywords: None
Abstract: Reservoirs intensify open-water evaporation and enhance moisture supply for precipitation in the vicinity . Around a reservoir, higher water tables support increased soil moisture and higher groundwater levels, which may cause increased vegetation growth . Studies worldwide indicate that reservoirs affect the microclimatic and soil moisture conditions in their surroundings, resulting in a noticeable increase in vegetation and overall normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Woldemichael, A. L., Hossain, F., Pielke Sr, R. and Beltrán-Przekurat, A., Water Resour. Res., 2012, 48(9), W09547; doi:10.1029/ 2011WR011684. Hausner, M. B. et al., Ecol. Eng., 2018, 120, 432–440; https://doi.org/10.1016/j. ecoleng.2018.06.024
Literature cited 2: Sun, L. et al., Adv. Water Resour., 2021, 153, 103946; https://doi.org/10.1016/j. advwatres.2021.103946. Tian, M., Zhou, J., Jia, B., Lou, S. and Wu, H., Remote Sensing, 2020, 12, 2860; doi: 10.3390/rs12172860.

ID: 65864
Title: Flash floods and their cascading tumults: an example from Teesta River valley, Eastern Himalaya, Sikkim, India
Author: Dilli Ram Dahal , Manish Mehta, C. M. Bhatt and Khayingshing Luirei
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (10) 1280-1284 25 May (2024)
Subject: Flash floods and their cascading tumults: an example from Teesta River valley, Eastern Himalaya, Sikkim, India
Keywords: Cloudburst, GLOF, Himalaya, Sikkim, South Lhonak Lake
Abstract: Rapid melting of snow/ice and heavy rainfall have resulted in the formation and expansion of moraine dammed lakes, creating a potential danger from glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). Around 9:30–10 p.m. on 3 September 2023, the South Lhonak Lake, a glacial lake in the upper reaches of Sikkim Himalaya, burst its banks following a cloudburst in the catchment area of Lachung River. The water, with all the debris it picked up along the way, rammed into the dam, causing parts of it to give way. This led to massive flooding downstream. This catastrophic event changed the landscape in many parts of the upper reaches of Sikkim, making the whole region more fragile and vulnerable.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Valdiya, K. S., Paul, S. K., Chandra, T., Bhakuni, S. S. and Upadhyaya, R. C., Tectonic and lithological characterization of Himadri (Great Himalaya) between Kali and Yamuna rivers, Central Himalaya. Himal. Geol., 1999, 20(2), 1–17. Mehta, M., Shukla, T., Bhambri, R., Gupta, A. K. and Dobhal, D. P., Terrain changes, caused by the 15–17 June 2013 heavy rainfall in the Garhwal Himalaya, India: a case study of Alaknanda and Mandakini basins. Geomorphology, 2017, 284, 53–71
Literature cited 2: Valdiya, K. S., Environmental Geology: Indian Context, Tata McGraw Hill, New Delhi, 1987, p. 538. Das, S., Ashrit, R. and Moncrieff, M. W., Simulation of a Himalayan cloud burst event. J. Earth Sys. Sci., 2006, 115(3), 299–313.

ID: 65863
Title: Soil enzymatic activity, nutrient dynamics and biplot analysis under varied plant population and nutrient management in machine-planted chickpea
Author: M. Karthika , K. Bhanu Rekha, K. S. Sudhakar , A. Madhavi , S. Triveni and P. Rajaiah
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (10) 1273-1279 25 May (2024)
Subject: Soil enzymatic activity, nutrient dynamics and biplot analysis under varied plant population and nutrient management in machine-planted chickpea
Keywords: Enzyme activity, nutrient management, PCAbiplot, planting density, soil nutrient dynamics.
Abstract: Soil dehydrogenase (14.2, 11.3 mg TPF g–1 day–1 ), alkaline phosphatase (109.5, 86.7 mg PNP g–1 soil h–1 ), acid phosphatase (69.7, 51.6 mg PNP g–1 soil h–1 ) and urease activity (60.4, 39.9 mg NH4 g–1 2 h–1 ) in chickpea at flowering and harvest with seed rate @ 105 kg ha–1 . Among, nutrient management the corresponding activity (14.9, 11.7 mg TPF g–1 day–1 ), (120.7, 96.7 mg g PNP g–1 soil h–1 ), (70.5, 52.7 mg g PNP g–1 soil h–1 ) was higher with 75% RDF + microbial consortia (MC). Contrarily, urease activity (62.3, 38.7 mg g NH4 g–1 2 h–1 ), soil available soil nitrogen (181.3, 179.0 kg ha–1 ) and phosphorus (78.3, 76.5 kg ha–1 ) were higher under 125% RDF + MC. PCA indicated that among nutrient management, first principal component explained 71.37% variability to urease activity, available soil potassium and dehydrogenase activity and second component (22.34%) to available soil phosphorus and nitrogen. Among planting density, first component explained variability (66.87%) to acid phosphatase and second component (32.11%) to available phosphorus
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: van der Heijden, M. G. A., Bardgett, R. D. and van Stralen, N. M., The unseen majority, soil microbes as drivers of plant diversity and productivity in terrestrial ecosystems. Ecol. Lett., 2008, 11, 296–310. Khan, S., Hesham, A. E. L., Qiao, M., Rehman, S. and He, J. Z., Effects of Cd and Pb on soil microbial community structure and activities. Environ. Sci. Poll., 2010, 17, 288–296.
Literature cited 2: Jiao, X. G., Gao, C. S., Lu, G. H. and Sui, Y. Y., Effect of long-term fertilization on soil enzyme activities under different hydrothermal conditions in Northeast China. Agric. Sci. China, 2011, 10, 412–422. Wolińska, A. and Zofia, S., Dehydrogenase Activity in the Soil Environment (ed. Rosa Angela Canuto), Dehydrogenases Intech, Open Access Textbook, 2012, 10.5772/48294.

ID: 65862
Title: Automated kharif rice mapping using SAR data and machine learning techniques in GEE platform
Author: Saurabh P. Vyas , Mukesh Kumar, Dhaval Kathiria , Mandakini Jani , Mehul R. Pandya and Bimal K. Bhattacharya
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (10) 1265-1272 25 May (2024)
Subject: Automated kharif rice mapping using SAR data and machine learning techniques in GEE platform
Keywords: Google earth engine, large-scale rice mapping, machine learning, multi-temporal, SAR
Abstract: The present study employs temporal C-band Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data within the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform to evaluate discriminability and estimate acreage of kharif rice across major Indian states. Utilizing multi-temporal Sentinel-1 Cband SAR data, including time-series cross-polarization vertical–horizontal channels, the research spanned states such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha and Assam. Employing five machine learning algorithms on GEE, with random forest demonstrating high performance, achieved 98.59% accuracy and 0.92 kappa coefficient (κ) in Odisha. Subsequently, the RF algorithm was applied for kharif rice acreage estimation, yielding overall accuracies from 88.48% to 97.28% and κ between 0.87 and 0.96 with deviations from reported acreage ranging from 0.95% to 12% across diverse states. The study underscores the efficacy of SAR data and machine learning within GEE for precise large-scale automated mapping of kharif rice
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Department of Agriculture Cooperation (India). Agricultural Statistics at a Glance, 2021; https://desagri.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/ 2021/07/Agricultural-Statistics-at-a-Glance-2021-English-version. pdf Joshi, N. et al., A review of the application of optical and radar remote sensing data fusion to land use mapping and monitoring. Remote Sensing, 2016, 8(1), 70; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs8010070.
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ID: 65861
Title: In silico model and sensitivity analysis of plasma glucose regulation: towards an individualized maximal model for physiology and pathophysiology
Author: Vennila Minar, Viswanathan Mohan and Krishnakumar Ramarathnam
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (10) 1254-1264 25 May (2024)
Subject: In silico model and sensitivity analysis of plasma glucose regulation: towards an individualized maximal model for physiology and pathophysiology
Keywords: Glucose homeostasis, individualized maximal model, metabolic hormones, Sobol sensitivity analysis, type 2 diabetes.
Abstract: The present study focuses on metabolic hormone regulation of plasma glucose and its role in type 2 diabetes (T2D). We propose an individualized maximal model based on plasma glucose dynamics in healthy individuals, considering key substrates and hormones after oral intake. The model accurately simulates T2D pathophysiology, including effects of free fatty acids, glucagon, GLP-1, ghrelin and leptin on insulin and glucagon levels. Model simulations closely match clinical data from oral glucose tolerance tests in normal and T2D subjects. However, the model’s complexity poses challenges for parameter estimation. To address this, we conducted a Sobol sensitivity analysis to identify influential parameters and simplify the model while preserving its dynamic interpretation. This approach reveals critical parameters influencing glucose regulation, aiding in understanding model dynamics and improving computational efficiency
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
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