ID: 63985
Title: Agricultural weeder with nail assembly for weed control, soil moisture conservation, soil aeration and increasing crop productivit
Author: Asesh Kumar Ghorai
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2023
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 124 (5) 635-640 (2023)
Subject: Agricultural weeder with nail assembly for weed control, soil moisture conservation, soil aeration and increasing crop productivit
Keywords: CRIJAF nail weeder, manual weeder, soil air, soil moisture, soil temperature, weed control.
Abstract: Agricultural weeder with nail assembly, popularly
known as CRIJAF Nail Weeder, controls germinating
and young weeds. It performs best at field capacity
(FC) and has low draft (8–12 kg at FC) requirement.
Its operation improves soil hydrothermal regimes and
aeration (oxygen diffusion rate, 303 µg–2 O2 m–2 s
–1
). It
has 5–6 detachable nails, each at 3 cm distance, and has
option to attach one scrapper or one tine. Introducing
a boat in place of its front wheels and addition of two
conical rotors in the mainframe makes it suitable to
control weeds in transplanted rice. It requires 12–
18 man-days/ha for operation, controls 85–90% weeds,
produced 33–40 q/ha jute fibre, 4.5–5 t/ha of upland and
transplanted rice, 3.0–4.5 t/ha of wheat and 15 q/ha of
mustard. More than 55,000 units have been distributed
by the Department of Agriculture, Government of West
Bengal
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Ghorai, A. K., Kundu, D. K. and Barman, D., Irrigation methods
and soil water conservation practices for improving water productivity in jute. In CRIJAF Annual Report (TMJ MM 5.0), CRIJAF,
Kolkata, 2016–17, pp. 27–28.
Ghorai, A. K., CRIJAF jute–paddy weeder for weeding in both jute
and paddy. Jaf News, 2019, 17(1), 19–20.
Literature cited 2: . Ghorai, A. K., Choudhury, H. K., De, R. K. and Mahapatra, B. S.,
Integrated weed management of jute and mesta. In Proceedings of
the National Symposium on Weed Threat to Environment, Biodiversity and Agricultural Productivity, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 2–3 August 2009, p. 151.
Ghorai, A. K., Chowdhury, H. K., De, R. K. and Mahapatra, B. S.,
Mechanised weed management in jute. Jaf News, 2010, 8(1), 20–21.
ID: 63984
Title: A hybrid approach for forecasting mustard price having long-memory property
Author: Rajeev Ranjan Kumar , Girish Kumar Jha, Ronit Jaiswal and Kapil Choudhary
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2023
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 124 (5) 632-635 (2023)
Subject: A hybrid approach for forecasting mustard price having long-memory property
Keywords: Hybrid model, long memory, mustard, price forecasting, time-series data
Abstract: For the modelling of time series data having long memory
properties, we generally use the autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average (ARFIMA) model. This
model performs well compared to the autoregressive
integrated moving average (ARIMA) model. However,
it cannot capture the nonlinear property of the data. In
order to achieve the desired and accurate forecasts, hybridizing the existing forecasting models is an important
technique. The hybrid time-series model combines the
strength of individual models. Accordingly, this study
proposes a hybrid model based on ARFIMA and extreme
learning machine (ELM) for agricultural time-series data
with long memory properties. For evaluation of the
proposed model, the daily mustard price (`/q) of Agra
and Bharatpur markets from 1 January 2016 to 31
January 2020 was used. Empirical results show that the
forecasting performance of the proposed hybrid model
based on ARFIMA and ELM is better than the existing
models.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Jha, G. K. et al., Edible Oilseeds Supply and Demand Scenario in
India: Implications for Policy, Indian Agricultural Research
Institute, New Delhi, 2012, pp. 1–6.
Renjini, V. R. and Jha, G. K., Oilseeds sector in India: a trade
policy perspective. Indian J. Agric. Sci., 2019, 89, 73–81.
Literature cited 2: Beran, J., Statistics for Long-Memory Processes, Chapman and
Hall Publishing Inc., New York, USA, 1995, pp. 21–31.
Granger, C. W. J. and Joyeux, R., An introduction to long-memory
time series models and fractional differencing. J. Time Ser. Anal.,
1980, 1, 15–29.
ID: 63983
Title: Localization of endosymbionts of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) using double-fluorescence in situ hybridization approach
Author: K. B. Ramesh and S. Subramanian
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2023
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 124 (5) 626-631 (2023)
Subject: Localization of endosymbionts of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) using double-fluorescence in situ hybridization approach
Keywords: Bemisia tabaci, fluorescent in situ hybridization, Hamiltonella, Portiera, Rickettsia.
Abstract: The bacterial endosymbionts are integral to the physiology of sucking insect pests like whitefly Bemisia tabaci,
as they contribute to the nutrition and fitness traits of
their host insects. While the primary endosymbiont
Porteira aids nutritionally, the secondary endosymbionts
play additive roles such as increased fitness, thermal
tolerance and host-plant plasticity. We have deployed
double fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) technique
to detect endosymbionts of B. tabaci using 16srRNAbased FISH probes targeting both primary endosymbiont, Portiera and secondary endosymbionts Rickettsia
and Hamiltonella. Our results have shown that Portiera
and Hamiltonella are confined in bacteriocytes with
higher concentrations, whereas Rickettsia is found to
have a scattered distribution pattern outside the bacteriocytes. FISH is particularly useful in understanding
the colocalization pattern of the endosymbionts and
their interactions in the whitefly B. tabaci
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Lestari, S. M., Hidayat, P., Hidayat, S. H., Shim, J. K. and Lee, K.
Y., Bemisia tabaci in Java, Indonesia: genetic diversity and the relationship with secondary endosymbiotic bacteria. Symbiosis, 2021, 83(3),
317–333.
De Barro, P. D. and Hart, P. J., Mating interactions between two
biotypes of the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)
in Australia. Bull. Entomol. Res., 2000, 90(2), 103–112.
Literature cited 2: Brown, J. K., Frohlich, D. E. and Rosell, R. C., The sweet potato or
silver leaf whiteflies: biotypes of Bemisia tabaci or a species complex? Annu. Rev. Entomol., 1995, 40(1), 511–534.
Lowe, S., Browne, M., Boudjelas, S. and De Poorter, M., 100 of the
World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species: A Selection from the Global
Invasive Species Database (vol. 12), Invasive Species Specialist
Group, Auckland, 2000.
ID: 63982
Title: Role of vegetation characteristics on the distribution of three hornbill species in and around Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Author: Soumya Dasgupta, Tapajit Bhattacharya and Rahul Kaul
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2023
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 124 (5) 617-625 (2023)
Subject: Role of vegetation characteristics on the distribution of three hornbill species in and around Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Keywords: Forest structure, hornbill abundance, mutualism, tiger reserve, vegetation characteristics
Abstract: The change in physiognomic and floristic characteristics of vegetation composition affects the bird community assemblage and the relative abundance of different
species within the community. Hornbills are mutualistic
to the forest with their dependency on roosting, nesting
and feeding, and helping in the regeneration of different
plant species by dispersing the seeds. The relationship
between various vegetation characteristics and the relative abundance of three hornbill species (Great Pied
Hornbill (GPH, Buceros bicornis), Wreathed Hornbill
(Rhyticeros undulatus) and Oriental Pied Hornbill
(OPH, Anthracoceros albirostris)) was studied in and
around Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, India.
We walked transects (n = 11; 22 walks) in three study
sites to detect hornbills. Vegetation sampling was done
using circular plots (n = 33; 10 m radius) at every 400 m
interval along each transect. Encounter rate (1.5 ±
0.188/km) of GPH was highest in the protected and undisturbed forest area, where food and roosting tree
density were also high (114/ha). OPH was common in
both the sites in the Reserve, near riverine forests (0.75 ±
0.25/km) and the dense undisturbed forest (0.875 ±
0.226/km). Multivariate analysis revealed that tree
density, presence of fruiting trees (utilized by hornbills),
canopy cover and tree diversity in a particular area
are the major factors responsible for the assemblage of
more than one hornbill species. The study shows that
protection of forest patches to keep the diversity and
density of the tree species intact is crucial for the survival and distribution of hornbills in the landscape
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Cody, M. L. (ed.), Habitat Selection in Birds, Academic Press,
New York, USA, 1985, p. 560.
Terborgh, J., Robinson, S. K., Parker, T. A., Munn, C. A. and
Pierpont, N., Structure and organization of an Amazonian forest
bird community. Ecol. Monogr., 1990, 60, 213–238.
Literature cited 2: Weins, J. A., The Ecology of Bird Community, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 1992, vol. 2, p. 336.
Morrison, M. C., Marcot, B. G. and Mannan, R. W., Wildlife Habitat
Relationships: Concepts and Applications, University of Wisconsin
Press, Madison, USA, 1992, p. 371
ID: 63981
Title: Studies on true morels (Morchella) from North Kashmir, India
Author: Abdul Hamid Wani , Mehrajud Din Talie, Asif Hamid Dar , Pallaki Shrikhandia , Mohd Yaqub Bhat and Tariq Ahmad Wani
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2023
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 124 (5) 607-616 (2023)
Subject: Studies on true morels (Morchella) from North Kashmir, India
Keywords: Geographical distribution, morels, mushroom flora, phenetic approaches, phylogenetic analysis, taxonomic revision.
Abstract: Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) India, harbours a rich diversity of mushrooms, but sporadic work has been carried
out till date to explore the morel mushroom diversity.
Besides, only a few morel species have been identified
based on classical taxonomic studies, and taxonomic
confusion exists regarding the differentiation and classification of morel mushrooms. Keeping this in mind,
the present research aimed to analyse the geographical
distribution and taxonomic revision of true morels from
North Kashmir using modern phylogenetic tree analysis
along with classical phenetic approaches. In this study,
11 collections of true morels, identified as Morchella
esculenta, Morchella crassipes, Morchella vulgaris, Morchella tridentina, Morchella elata and Morchella kaibabensis, were found widely distributed in 16 sampling
study sites. The true morels were found to be extensively
distributed in the Kupwara district, followed by Baramulla, but were less common in the Bandipora district,
J&K. To the best of our knowledge, the documented
species M. vulgaris, M. tridentina and M. kaibabensis
have not been recorded earlier from the study area.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Bhunjun, C. S. et al., The numbers of fungi: are the most speciose
genera truly diverse. Fungal Divers., 2022, 114, 387–462.
Hawksworth, D. L. and Lucking, R., Fungal diversity revisited: 2.2
to 3.8 million species. Microbiol. Spectr., 2017, 5(4), 5–4.
Literature cited 2: Priyamvada, H., Akila, M., Singh, R. K., Ravikrishna, R., Verma,
R. S., Philip, L. and Gunthe, S. S., Terrestrial macrofungal diversity
from the tropical dry evergreen biome of southern India and its potential role in aerobiology. PLoS ONE, 2017, 12(1), 0169333.
Watling, R. and Abrahim, S. P., Ectomycorrhizal fungi of Kashmir
forests. Mycorrhiza, 1992, 2, 81–87.
ID: 63980
Title: Advanced coating on Zea mays seeds using modified hydroxyapatite nanoparticles as a plant nutrient delivery system for enhanced plant growth
Author: Latheesha Abeywardana , Chanaka Sandaruwan , Surani Chathurika , Veranja Karunaratne and Nilwala Kottegoda
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2023
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 124 (5) 599-606 (2023)
Subject: Advanced coating on Zea mays seeds using modified hydroxyapatite nanoparticles as a plant nutrient delivery system for enhanced plant growth
Keywords: Agriculture, enhanced growth and yield, hydroxyapatite nanoparticles, maize, seed coating
Abstract: The deficiency of nutrients during the early plant growth
stages diminishes plant development, leading ultimately
to lower crop yields. In this context, nanotechnology
has been used to develop advanced seed coatings with
sustainable and precise release properties to deliver
supplements to the plant effectively. Zinc-doped hydroxyapatite–urea nanoparticles were synthesized and incorporated into a seed coating. This system enhanced
plant growth, yield and root–shoot nutrient content in
Zea mays seeds. The nanohybrid is futuristic as a macro–
micro plant nutrient delivery agent and opens up new
opportunities to explore the suitability of metal-doped
hydroxyapatite nanoparticles in agriculture
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Singh, R. P., Handa, R. and Manchanda, G., Nanoparticles in sustainable agriculture: an emerging opportunity. J. Control. Release,
2021, 329, 1234–1248.
Kaufman, G., Seed coating: a tool for stand establishment; a stimulus
to seed quality. Horttechnology, 1991, 1, 98–102.
Literature cited 2: Farooq, M., Wahid, A. and Siddique, K. H., Micronutrient application through seed treatments: a review. J. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr.,
2012, 12, 125–142.
Adhikari, T., Kundu, S. and Rao, A. S., Zinc delivery to plants
through seed coating with nano-zinc oxide particles. J. Plant Nutr.,
2016, 39, 136–146
ID: 63979
Title: Assessment framework for public satisfaction on the urban water management attributes in Central India
Author: Shantanu Singh, Krishna Kumar Dhote and Sanjeev Kumar
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2023
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 124 (5) 591-598 (2023)
Subject: Assessment framework for public satisfaction on the urban water management attributes in Central India
Keywords: Assessment framework, city-planners, community participation, public satisfaction, urban water management
Abstract: Urban areas of the present and future can be sustainably
transformed by involving community participation in
decision-making because of their local knowledge. Most
of the Indian cities have water management problems
like accessibility, availability, quality, adequate infrastructure and user charges. Urban water management
is one of the prime responsibilities of urban local bodies
in India, but there is no provision to assess public satisfaction. This study focuses on the assessment of the satisfaction level of the public on urban water management
in Central India to improve the efficiency of urban water.
The methodology and proposed framework will help in
distinguishing the poor functioning among water attributes that need to be strengthened to maximize the efficiency of the water management system.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Kumar, S. and Dhote, K. K., A grounded theory approach for the
assessment of urban development policies in Indian cities. Curr.
Sci., 2021, 121(12), 1561–1571.
Hans, A. and Bharat, A., Water as a resource: different perspectives
in literature. Int. J. Eng. Res. Technol., 2014, 3(10), 27–34
Literature cited 2: Kumar, S. and Dhote, K. K., Calibrating neighbourhood preferences in
the land value contour model. Curr. Sci., 2020, 119(6), 1001–1009.
Shah, M., Urban water systems in India: a way forward. Indian
Council for Research on International Economic Relations, 2016.
ID: 63978
Title: Performance assessment of a bathymetry system in open inland waterbodies
Author: Satyendra S. Raghuwanshi, Vaibhav Garg, Bhaskar R. Nikam , G. Varaprasad Babu and S. Muralikrishnan
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2023
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 124 (5) 585-590 (2023)
Subject: Performance assessment of a bathymetry system in open inland waterbodies
Keywords: Acoustic transducer, bathymetry, echo sounder, waterbodies, water-depth measurement.
Abstract: Bathymetry of an open waterbody can be estimated remotely using airborne and space-borne sensors with wide
coverage. However, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-
borne bathymetric systems are current trends for applications with limited depth subjected to the quality of
water. Estimation of accurate bathymetry using surface based sensors is essential for validating the remote sening-derived results. To cater to the requirements of the
in situ measurement system, especially for supporting the
airborne (aircraft/UAVs) remote sensing-based bathymetry systems, a customized and compact, immersion-type
bathymetry system using single-frequency (typ. 500 kHz)
transducer was developed in-house at the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), ISRO, Hyderabad. In the
present study, we assess the performance of the developed system in the field against physical measurements
and a reference acoustic transducer for shallow and deep
inland open waterbodies. Performance testing was carried out in the Asan Lake, a shallow waterbody, with a
depth of up to 4 m and in the Tehri reservoir for deep bathymetry with a depth of more than 150 m. The results
show that the estimated TVU for the developed system
during shallow bathymetry assessment was 0.272 m
which complies with the IHO order 1. The observed performance of the developed system was consistent with
the system specifications, which advocate its utility for
hydrology and water resource management applications
along with its intended use to support remote sensing based bathymetric systems.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Kearns, T. A. and Breman, J., Bathymetry – the art and science of
seafloor modeling for modern applications; http://downloads2.esri.
com/ESRIpress/images/169/OGLOBE_ch01.pdf (accessed on
Kasvi, E., Salmela, J., Lotsari, E., Kumpula, T. and Lane, S. N., Comparison of remote sensing based approaches for mapping bathymetry of
shallow, clear water rivers. Geomorphology, 2019, 333, 180–197;
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2019.02.017
Literature cited 2: . Jawak, S. D., Vadlamani, S. S. and Luis, A. J., A synoptic review
on deriving bathymetry information using remote sensing technologies:
models, methods and comparisons. Adv. Remote Sensing, 2015, 4,
147–162; doi.org/10.4236/ars.2015.42013.
. Jawak, S. D., Vadlamani, S. S. and Luis, A. J., A synoptic review
on deriving bathymetry information using remote sensing technologies:
models, methods and comparisons. Adv. Remote Sensing, 2015, 4,
147–162; doi.org/10.4236/ars.2015.42013.
ID: 63977
Title: Quantification of shoreline changes along the entire Indian coast using Indian Remote Sensing satellite images of 2004–06 and 2014–16
Author: R. Ratheesh, Preeti Rajput, H. Bhatti, A. S. Rajawat and D. Ram Rajak
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2023
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 124 (5) 578-584 (2023)
Subject: Quantification of shoreline changes along the entire Indian coast using Indian Remote Sensing satellite images of 2004–06 and 2014–16
Keywords: Coastal erosion and accretion, high tide line, remote sensing, shoreline changes
Abstract: The coastal region of India is highly vulnerable to various
threats, including coastal erosion, due to natural processes enhanced by anthropogenic influences. Shoreline
change inventories are the pre-requisite for identifying
the coastal stretches subjected to erosion. In this study,
the shoreline of the entire Indian coast was delineated
at a scale of 1 : 25,000 using IRS LISS-IV images of 2004–
06 and 2014–16 time frames. The spatial shift between
the shoreline of two time frames was estimated in the
GIS platform and a database of shoreline changes was
prepared. The eroding, accreting and stable length of the
shoreline were calculated for the Indian coast along
with the area of erosion and accretion. This study discusses the imperative results of shoreline mapping and
the status of shoreline changes on the Indian coast. The
shoreline changes in terms of erosion and accretion
were assessed for 7549 km of the Indian coast. It was
found that the coast is eroding along 1144 km and accretion of the coast is along 1084 km, while 5321 km of the
coastline shows no changes between the two time frames.
The coastal land area lost due to erosion was 3680 ha;
however, the increase in land area as a result of coastal
deposition was 4042 ha. The regional coastal processes
and the associated shoreline changes and coastal issues
related to anthropogenic impacts are also discussed in
this study. The inventory of shoreline changes has been
used to prepare six volumes of Shoreline Change Atlas
covering the entire Indian coast. The shoreline change
database forms the baseline data for planning any
coastal development activity by the maritime authorities
apart from the potential use by the scientific community.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Bamunawala, J. et al., Twenty-first-century projections of shoreline
change along inlet-interrupted coastlines. Sci. Rep., 2021, 11, 14038.
Leatherman, S. P., Zhang, K. and Douglas, B. C., Sea level rise
shown to drive coastal erosion. EOS, 2000, 81, 55–57.
Literature cited 2: Voudoukas, M., Ranasinghe, R., Mentaschi, L., Plomaritis, T.,
Athanasiou, P., Luijendik, A. and Feyen, L., Sandy coastlines under
threat of erosion. Nature Climate Change, 2020, 10, 260–263.
Mentaschi, L., Voudoukas, M., Pekel, J. F., Voudoukas, E. and
Feyen, L., Global long-term observations of coastal erosion and accretion. Sci. Rep., 2018, 8, 1
ID: 63976
Title: Addressing the impact of COVID-19 on dairy value chains: evidence from Punjab, India
Author: Kashish Arora, Sunny Kumar*, Pradipkumar Adhale, Priya Brata Bhoi and Kamal Vatta
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2023
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 124 (5) 570-577 (2023)
Subject: Addressing the impact of COVID-19 on dairy value chains: evidence from Punjab, India
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, dairy sector, digital platforms, disruptions, value chain management
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected dairy
farmers with the demand shrinking due to income losses
of the consumers, disruptions in the supply chains reducing supply, raising costs and increasing wastage. The
present study examined such disruptions in Punjab,
India, with the primary survey covering dairy farmers,
intermediaries, consumers and other stakeholders in
the dairy industry. The results reveal a significant fall in
farmgate milk prices, disruption in transporting milk
within the supply chains, labour shortages, rise in production costs and lack of operating capital. The demand
for milk and milk products declined sharply during the
pandemic. To dispose of the excess milk supply, dairy
farmers turned to localized value chains catering directly
to consumer households. Approximately half of the farmers lost almost one-third of their income from processed
milk products like ghee and butter. The dairy farmers
agreed to strengthen the dairy value chains through
better integration of the stakeholders. The inability of
the farmers to quickly shift to digital platforms for sales
of milk and milk products during the pandemic calls for
special capacity-building efforts.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: . Qingbin, W., Chang-Quan, L., Yuan-Feng, Z., Anthony, K., Mark,
C., Shu-Kun, W. and Lei, H., Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
on the dairy industry: lessons from China and the United States and
policy implications. J. Integr. Agric., 2020, 19, 2903–2915.
Bhandari, G. and Ravishankar, K. M., Implications of COVID-19
for Indian dairy sector. Food Sci. Rep., 2020, 1, 43–46.
Literature cited 2: BBC News, Coronavirus: why Canada dairy farmers are dumping
milk, 4 June 2020; https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-5-
2192190
Marshall, A., Why farmers are dumping milk, even as people go
hungry. WIRED, 23 June 2020; https://www.wired.com/story/
whyfarmers-dumping-milk-people-hungry/ (retrieved 20 January
2022)
ID: 63975
Title: Non-invasive method of melanoma detection on the skin surface through extraction of image features using modified CAT optimization algorithm
Author: N. Prabhakaran
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2023
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 124 (5) 562-569 (2023)
Subject: Non-invasive method of melanoma detection on the skin surface through extraction of image features using modified CAT optimization algorithm
Keywords: Contour refinement, edge detection, melanoma, non-convex boundary, optimization algorithm.
Abstract: In this study, melanoma was detected at an early stage
using modified CAT optimization algorithm (MCOA)
based on non-convex boundary edge extraction, pixel
size, shape and intensity variations on the skin. MCOA
can detect skin cancer at an early stage by extracting
the non-convex border of the affected region prevent
cancer spread. Thus melanoma is curable when detected
at an early stage. MCOA extracts image features and
obtains non-convex boundaries of melanoma in the skin
image. The non-convex boundary region leads to visualization of discriminative features of melanoma based on
the region of interest and scaling. The proposed MCOA
delineates the affected region through non-convex border
extraction and edge detection. An accuracy of 85% was
obtained in the detection of melanoma using MCOA,
when compared to traditional algorithms.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Siegel, R. L., Miller, K. D., Fuchs, H. E. and Jemal, A., Cancer statistics. CA: Cancer J. Clin., 2021, 71, 7–33; doi:10.3322/caac.21654.
Petrie, T., Samatham, R., Witkowski, A. M., Esteva, A. and Leachman, S. A., Melanoma early detection: big data, bigger picture. J. Invest. Dermatol., 2
Literature cited 2: Narayanamurthy, V. et al., Skin cancer detection using non-invasive
techniques. RSC Adv., 2018, 49, 28095–28130; doi:10.1039/c8ra0-
4164d.
Olugbara, O. O., Taiwo, T. B. and Heukelman, D., Segmentation of
melanoma skin lesion using perceptual color difference saliency
with morphological analysis. Math. Probl. Eng., 2018; doi:10.1155/
2018/1524286.
ID: 63974
Title: Synthesis, characterization, antioxidant and antibacterial studies of praseodymium complex with glutathione
Author: Mhasiriekho Ziekhrü, Putusenla Imchen, Tovishe Phucho and M. Indira Devi
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2023
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 124 (5) 554-561 (2023)
Subject: Synthesis, characterization, antioxidant and antibacterial studies of praseodymium complex with glutathione
Keywords: Antibacterial and antioxidant activity, glutathione, lanthanide, praseodymium complex.
Abstract: Reduced glutathione (GSH) is a biologically important
component that plays a critical role in antioxidant activity.
Praseodymium(III) complex with GSH was synthesized
and the complex formed was characterized by FTIR,
XRD, TGA and SEM analysis. Infrared studies provided
information on the mode of complexation between the
lanthanide metal ion and GSH. XRD and TEM analysis
showed the nanocrystalline phase and irregular morphology of the complex. TGA thermogram indicated good
thermal stability of the complex. The in vitro antioxidant
and antibacterial properties of the complex were studied.
The results suggest that the praseodymium(III) complex
possesses antioxidant and antibacterial activity.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Bernot, K., Daiguebonne, C., Calvez, G., Suffren, Y. and Guillou,
O., A journey in lanthanide coordination chemistry: from evaporable dimers to magnetic materials and luminescent devices. Acc.
Chem. Res., 2021, 207, 427–440.
Chundawat, N. S., Jadoun, S., Zarrintaj, P. and Chauhan, N. P. S.,
Lanthanide complexes as anticancer agents: a review. Polyhedron,
2021, 207, 115387.
Literature cited 2: Gassner, A. L., Duhot, C., Bünzli, J. C. G. and Chauvin, A. S.,
Remarkable tuning of the photophysical properties of bifunctional
lanthanide tris(dipicolinates) and its consequence on the design of
bioprobes. Inorg. Chem., 2008, 47, 7802–7812.
Li, H., Wang, X., Ohulchanskyy, T. Y. and Chen, G., Lanthanide-doped
near-infrared nanoparticles for biophotonics. Adv. Mater., 2021, 33,
2000678.
ID: 63973
Title: Soil-based interventions for economic returns in India
Author: Chandra Sekhar Bahinipati, Aparajay Kumar Singh and Unmesh Patnaik
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2023
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 124 (5) 547-553 (2023)
Subject: Soil-based interventions for economic returns in India
Keywords: Community-based farming, crop yield, economic returns, fertilizers, soil interventions.
Abstract: Available empirical evidence for the association between
soil-based interventions and economic returns in India
reveals the following. First, integrated nutrient management (INM) is superior to balanced nutrient management
(BNM) in terms of yield and economic profit for the cultivation of maize and soybean. Second, incentivizing the
usage of INM rather than BNM is likely to provide a
better yield and higher income to rice, wheat and potato
farmers. Third, more studies on various crops are required to scientifically compare and reach a definite conclusion on the yield and economic returns from different
types of fertilizer applications – INM, BNM and organic
or biofertilizers. These findings have policy implications
in India since the Soil Health Card scheme was centralized in 2015
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Thakur, D. S. and Sharma, K. D., Organic farming, sustainable agriculture and meeting the challenges of food security in 21st century:
an economic analysis. Indian J. Agric. Econ., 2005, 60(2), 1–15.
Swaminathan, M. S., An evergreen revolution. Crop Sci., 2006,
46(5), 2293–2303.
Literature cited 2: Pathak, H., Trend of fertility status of Indian soils. Curr. Adv. Agric.
Sci., 2010, 2(1), 10–12.
Prasad, J., Soil health management – a key sustainable production.
J. Indian Soc. Soil Sci., 2015, 63(S), S6–S13.
ID: 63972
Title: Social equity measures in the agricultural higher education system
Author: R. C. Agrawal, Hema Tripathi, Ritika Joshi, R. Chaubey and Dhiraj K. Singh
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2023
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 124 (5) 539-546 (2023)
Subject: Social equity measures in the agricultural higher education system
Keywords: Agricultural higher education system, equity action plan, gender equality, skilled human resource, social equity
Abstract: Agricultural education is crucial to produce skilled human resources to take up present and emerging
challenges faced by Indian agriculture. Over the last decade, agricultural higher education attractiveness has improved due to access to quality education, attractiveness in employment market, and widening career opportunities across social and geographical areas. While continuing to provide better
quality and more relevant education in agriculture, ICAR, in association with World Bank, initiated
National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) in 2017. The project development objective
is to enhance the quality and relevance of agricultural higher education in the country. NAHEP has
also adopted social inclusion by providing national and international training to student and faculty.
In addition, various special initiatives are being undertaken to enable access to the essential amenities
for differently abled, female students and faculties. To take it forward and make it sustainable, this
article also suggests key measures.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: . Agarwal, R. C. et al. (eds), Response Catalogue of International
Training under NAHEP. Project Implementation Unit (PIU), National
Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP), Agricultural Education Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New
Delhi, 2020; https://heyzine.com/flip-book/b73c2f8f51.html#page/2
NAHEP, Annual Report, PIU, NAHEP, Agricultural Education Division, ICAR, New Delhi, 2020-21; https://nahep.icar.gov.in/pdf/
NAHEP%20Book%202021%20Final.pdf
Literature cited 2: GoI, National Education Policy. Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, 2020, pp. 41–42; https://www.education.
gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf
Tripathi, H. et al. (eds), Nurturing Social Equity under NAHEP, PIU,
NAHEP, Agricultural Education Division, ICAR, New Delhi, 2022;
https://nahep.icar.gov.in/NahepAchievement/NuturingSocialEquityNAHEP-6th%20June
ID: 63971
Title: Need for conservation and sustainable utilization of Juniperus communis in Western Himalaya, India
Author: Bhaskar CH. Joshi
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2023
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 124 (5) 536-538 (2023)
Subject: Need for conservation and sustainable utilization of Juniperus communis in Western Himalaya, India
Keywords: conservation and sustainable utilization,Juniperus communis, Western Himalaya, India
Abstract: The genus Juniperus (Cupressaceae) is represented by about 75 species limited to
the landmass of the former northern supercontinent Laurasia
, with the exception of
J. procera Hochst. ex Endl. occurring in the
southern hemisphere along the rift mountains in East Africa, and J. oxycedrus, J.
phoenicea and J. thurifera in the mountains
of Morocco and Algeria in the northernmost part of Africa
. In Uttarakhand (part
of Western Himalaya), India, the genus is
represented by 13 species
, six species,
namely J. communis, J. indica, J. semiglobosa (found in Milam, Darma and Byans
valley), J. macropoda, J. recurva, J. squamata. Among these J. communis, J. indica
and J. semiglobosa are found only in the
cold desert region of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh (Lahaul valley)
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Adams, R. P., Junipers of the World: The
Genus Juniperus, Trafford Publishing,
Bloomington, IN, USA, 2014, 4th edn
El-Bana, M., Shaltout, K., Khalafallah, A.
and Mosallam, H., Funct. Ecol., 2010,
205(3), 171–178.
Literature cited 2: Jiménez, J. F., Werner, O., SánchezGómez, P., Fernández, S. and Guerra, J.,
Isr. J. Plant Sci., 2003, 51, 11–22.
Sekar, K. C., Lalit, G., Aseesh P. and Srivastava, S. K., Indian J. For., 2015, 38(1), 79–
80