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The effect of organic solvents on alkaline proteases was assessed for native, recombinant, and metagenomically derived alkaline proteases. Their stability and the effects of physicochemical parameters were studied in the presence of hexane. The native enzyme was comparatively more resistant against the organic solvents than the recombinant counterparts. On the other hand, the metagenomically derived alkaline protease was minimally resistant against solvents. A similar trend was apparent for the stability of enzyme in organic solvents. The novelty of this study lies in the fact that the majority of the studies on the solvent tolerance have focused on the mesophilic enzymes, while those from the haloalkaliphilic bacteria have received little attention. The comparative tolerance of the native, recombinant, and metagenomic alkaline proteases against the organic solvent has practical importance. The phylogenetic relatedness among the various protease sequences will be described.

Climate change has been considered among the greatest challenge to living organisms. Medicinal and aromatic plants are no exception to it. The practice of use of therapeutic plant has proved to be particularly important in the health system all over the world. WHO predicted that 60% of the earth population and 80% of the population of 3rd world countries bank on herbal medicine, for their wellbeing requirements. Environmental conditions under the influence of climate change is dreadful not only for declining the quality of planting material but also severely retards public health. Our main idea is to focus on cultivation of local valued plants, training for farmers, preservation of traditional knowledge, developing awareness among people regarding alarming influence of climate change on medicinal plants. Anthropogenic activity-mediated climate change has devastating impacts on species varieties, on the earth. The augmented releases of greenhouse gases in the air; mainly of CO2 is the main reason for climatic changes. Study reveals the true understanding of effect of changing climate scenario on Medicinal plants. Differential patterns of climate change cause abiotic stress and can change the growth physiology, growth pattern, declines in biomass production, changes in phytochemical active constituents and overall changes the quality and safety of medicinal plants.After studying enormous review papers, detailed information regarding repercussions of climate change on therapeutic plants is found to be so negligible as compared to other trade crops, therefore we have tried to highlight the discipline in a comprehensive manner.

Water is an inorganic, non-flammable and easily available phase change material (PCM), which can be utilized for cold thermal energy storage (TES) application (melting point at 0°C). Although water has a specific heat of about 4.18 J g–1 K–1 and has melting enthalpy of about 333 J g–1, its application as an insulation layer was constrained. Phase separation (bulk convective movement during phase change, between ice and water), leakage from the container, supercooling during freezing, volumetric expansion and corrosion to the container were the main concerns for water as an insulation layer in TES systems. In this study, a thick non-flowing hydrogel (shape-stabilized PCM) was prepared by adding a small amount of inorganic additive material called LAPONITE® in water. The idea is to propose this thick non-flowing hydrogel as an insulating layer for cold TES application. The effect of this additive on viscosity and thermal properties of the water was studied. The phase change phenomenon of this hydrogel (between –10 and 20°C) was compared with water and the results are discussed.

The present paper describes the impact of floriculture on socio-economic development of the rural communities inhabited in the Himalayan Mountains. Rural and traditional societies are interested and many are involved in floriculture business for supplementing their livelihood for sustainability in the region. Keeping this in view, two varieties of potential flowers viz. Gladiolus and Lilium were selected for cultivation in the study area through participatory approaches. A total of 150 farmers involved in cultivation of these potential flowers on 12.5 ha of land which was mostly abandoned and uncultivated. For the capacity building of the involved farmers, 50 cluster level meetings were conducted with diverse stakeholders.

Leaf explants of critically endangered medicinal plant Swertia chirayita were cultured in Murashige and Skoog medium fortified with various concentrations of 2,4-Diclorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) and Gibberalic acid (GA3). The best callus induction was obtained in 2,4-D (15.0 µM) after 60 days of culture period. After 30 days of first subculture, maximum 32 microshoots were formed in a lump of callus in combination of BAP (10.0 µM) with GA3 (5.0 µM). On the other hand maximum 25 microshoots were formed from a lump of callus in BAP (5.0 µM) used alone. The multiple shoots developed in combination of BAP with GA3 were found poor/thin in comparison to BAP alone. Therefore, the further subculture was conducted in BAP (5.0 µM) and approximately 210 microshoots per lump of callus were obtained within 3–4 months of culture. Root induction was observed in all microshoots cultured in various concentrations of auxins (Indole-3-butyric acid, IBA and Indole-3-acetic acid, IAA) after 45 days of culture, however, the higher mean number of roots (50) per microshoot were formed in IBA (5.0 µM). After a month, well rooted plantlets were successfully transplanted and established (58.70%) in mixture of soil, sand and FYM (2:1:1) under partially shade (75% agro shade net) condition in nursery at Pothibasa (2200 m a.s.l.).

One giant plagioclase basalt GPB) flow from the northeast corner of the DVP, about 70 km south of Sagar, is reported for the first time. This GPB flow, over 40 m in thickness, is exposed approximately for 15 sq. km area and overlies a fine-grained, non-porphyritic basalt at 40 m depth in a borehole. Plagioclase phenocrysts, 4–5 cm in length, and occasionally larger, range in composition from bytownite-labradorite (An80–60). Clinopyroxene phenocrysts though present, are rare. Major and trace element chemistry of the GPB and the non-porphyritic basalt below is presented and discussed in comparison to the well-known GPBs from Western Ghats as also those reported later from Jhabua and Jabalpur districts in Madhya Pradesh. Among other differences, MgO content of the Sagar GPB (6.13%) seems to be the highest of all the GPBs reported from DVP so far.

Piezoelectric transducers have effectively been used for force measurement due to their inherently large stiffness. The primary transduction parameter of piezoelectric transducer is voltage which is used mostly for dynamic and sometimes for quasi-static force measurement. Other parameters of piezoelectric transducers such as resonant frequency, electrical impedance, etc. have also been used for force measurement. In the present work, precision measurement of conductance of a radial mode piezo-resonator has been carried out under different static loading and the resultant change in resonant conductance of the resonator have been evaluated as a function of loading force. This method based on resonant conductance measurement can prove to be effective in measuring forces between two interfaces which is an important requirement in many scientific and technical problems.

Compact cylindrical and spherical invaginations are common structural motifs found in cellular and developmental biology. To understand the basic physical mechanisms that produce and maintain such structures, we present here a simple model of vesicles in confinement, in which mechanical equilibrium configurations are computed by energy minimization, balancing the effects of curvature elasticity, contact of the membrane with itself and the confining geometry, and adhesion. For cylindrical confinement, the shape equations are solved both analytically and numerically by finite element analysis. For spherical confinement, axisymmetric configurations are obtained numerically. We find that the geometry of invaginations is controlled by a dimensionless ratio of the adhesion strength to the bending energy of an equal area spherical vesicle. Larger adhesion produces more concentrated curvatures, which are mainly localized to the "neck" region where the invagination breaks away from its confining container. Under spherical confinement, axisymmetric invaginations are approximately spherical. For extreme confinement, multiple invaginations may form, bifurcating along multiple equilibrium branches. The results of the model are useful for understanding the physical mechanisms controlling the structure of lipid membranes of cells and their organelles, and developing tissue membranes.

The roots of Angelica glauca Edgew., a high value critically endangered plant, were collected from two alpine Himalayan locations of Uttarakhand (India). The essential oils were obtained by hydro-distillation, analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) in order to determine the variation of concentration in their constituents. A total of 26 compounds were identified in both the oils, representing 97.7–98.2 % of total oil compositions. The major components of A. glauca oils were characterised as (Z)-ligustilide (40.6–53.0 %), (Z)-butylidene phthalide (20.7–32.8 %), (E)-butylidene phthalide (2.5–5.9 %) and (E)-ligustilide (2.1–2.3 %). Due to the higher relative area quantum of monomeric lactones (phthalides and ligustilides) in A. glauca populations (69.3–90.6 %) growing in Uttarakhand, there is a need to develop propagation protocol for mass multiplication and in situ and ex situ conservation.

We probe the spectral hardening of solar flares emission in view of associated solar proton events (SEPs) at earth and coronal mass ejection (CME) acceleration as a consequence. In this investigation we undertake 60 SEPs of the Solar Cycle 23 alongwith associated Solar Flares and CMEs. We employ the X-ray emission in Solar flares observed by Reuven Ramaty Higly Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) in order to estimate flare plasma parameters. Further, we employ the observations from Geo-stationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) and Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO), for SEPs and CMEs parameter estimation respectively. We report a good association of soft-hard-harder (SHH) spectral behavior of Flares with occurrence of Solar Proton Events for 16 Events (observed by RHESSI associated with protons). In addition, we have found a good correlation (R=0.71) in SEPs spectral hardening and CME velocity. We conclude that the Protons as well as CMEs gets accelerated at the Flare site and travel all the way in interplanetary space and then by re-acceleration in interplanetary space CMEs produce Geomagnetic Storms in geospace. This seems to be a statistically significant mechanism of the SEPs and initial CME acceleration in addition to the standard scenario of SEP acceleration at the shock front of CMEs., Comment: accepted for publication (12 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables), published in Astrophysics and Space Science, 2013

Re-examination of the outcrop of conjugate of strike-slip faults mapped by Roday et al. (1989) near forest rest house at Hirapur reveals that the main dextral strike-slip fault that strikes N35°E and is a manifestation of the earliest NE-SW trending subhorizontal σ1 that produced extensional reef system in the Bundelkhand massif. Although the change in the stress system though 90° rotation of the principal compressive stress σ1 and σ3 (with σ2 maintaining near vertically) is correct, another point of interest is that the σ1 for the system of faults bisects the obtuse angle between the two sets and not an acute one as required by the brittle failure criterion. The sinistral strike-slip faults were probably formed by rejuvenation of the initial dextral strike-slip faults that were generated when the maximum principal compressive stress was oriented NS. The reversal of fault displacement is seen on all scales in the Bundelkhand massif. The dextral strike-slip fault related to the late stress system was preferentially produced along pre-existing tensile fractures that were generated under NE-SW directed subhorizontal σ1. Some of these fractures were converted into sinistral strike-slip faults under NS directed maximum principal compression acting subhorizontally.

Fry method enables rapid estimate of finite strain from deformed aggregates such as clastic grains, fossil colonies, oolitic or pisolitic aggregates, prophyroblastic minerals or phenocrysts. It has an advantage over the other methods of finite strain analysis in its very quality of enabling rapid estimation with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Details of the software to prepare a plot using Fry method are outlined. This program has an advantage over other computer based programs on the world wide web in its aesthetic getup, small size, user friendliness and a help file.

In vivo folding of many proteins can be facilitated by growth temperature, extent of induction, and molecular chaperones, which prevent over-expressed protein from being trapped into insoluble inclusion bodies. In the present report, we describe the role of molecular chaperones and growth temperature on the solubilization of overexpressed Cellobiose Phosphorylase (CBP) in Escherichia coli. The growth of host at low temperature enhanced enzyme in soluble fraction. Similarly, induction of target gene at low level of IPTG also yielded higher enzyme in soluble fraction. The synergistic effect of low temperature and induction on the prevention of inclusion bodies was also evident from our results. In addition, co-expression of the target gene with two types of molecular chaperones (GroESL and KODHsp) was also attempted. However, none of these chaperones enhanced the solubilization under in vivo conditions. Nevertheless, effective role of low growth temperature coupled with low level of induction appeared to be an attractive feature for producing recombinant protein.

Fungal rhinosinusitis (FRS) is uncommon and accounts for 6-12% of culture or histologically proven chronic sinusitis. FRS may be acute or chronic. The aim of this paper was to study the histological features that contribute to the diagnosis and sub typing of FRS, using a retrospective review of all paranasal sinus mucosal biopsies from January 2005 to December 2008. The clinical features, predisposing conditions, imaging findings, and extent of the lesion were noted. The slides were reviewed with hematoxylin and eosin, Gomori's methenamine silver, and periodic acid Schiff stains. Culture reports were obtained wherever material was subjected to culture. There were 63 biopsies diagnosed as FRS (45.7%) out of 138 biopsies of chronic sinusitis in the study period. The FRS was classified as allergic in 15 (23.8%), chronic non-invasive (sinus mycetoma) in 1 (1.6%), chronic invasive in 10 (15.87%), granulomatous invasive in 19 (30%), and acute fulminant in 18 (28.5%) biopsies or surgical resections. Predisposing conditions were identified in 19 patients with diabetes mellitus as the commonest. Seventeen of the 18 patients with acute fulminant FRS had predisposing conditions. As per the results, the characteristic histological features were allergic mucin in allergic, fungal ball in chronic non-invasive, sparse inflammation and numerous hyphae in chronic invasive, non caseating granulomas with dense fibrosis in granulomatous invasive, and infarction with suppuration in acute fulminant FRS. Aspergillus sp. was the commonest etiologic agent. To conclude, predisposing risk factors were more common in invasive FRS than in non-invasive sinusitis and Aspergillus species was the most common etiologic agent.

The purpose of this work is to investigate the effect of magnetic activity on ionospheric time delay at low latitude Station Bhopal (geom. lat. 23.2°N, geom. long. 77.6°E) using dual frequency (1575.42 and 1227.60 MHz) GPS measurements. Data from GSV4004A GPS Ionospheric Scintillation and TEC monitor (GISTM) have been chosen to study these effects. This paper presents the results of ionospheric time delay during quiet and disturbed days for the year 2005. Results show that maximum delay is observed during quiet days in equinoxial month while the delays of disturbed period are observed during the months of winter. We also study the ionospheric time delay during magnetic storm conditions for the same period. Results do not show any clear relationship either with the magnitude of the geomagnetic storm or with the main phase onset (MPO) of the storm. But most of the maximum ionospheric time delay variations are observed before the main phase onset (MPO) or sudden storm commencement (SSC) as compared to storm days.

An efficient and reproducible method for the regeneration of multiple shoots of brown oak (Quercus semecarpifolia Sm.) has been developed in which a part of the petiolar tube containing a primary shoot is used as the explant. Explants derived from in vitro grown seedlings were cultured either on Murashige and Skoog or Woody Plant medium (WPM) containing different concentrations of benzyladenine (BAP) throughout the range of 1–20 μM. WPM supplemented with 20 μM BAP was found to be best for adventitious shoot induction and for the multiplication of individual shoots. In-vitro-produced shoots were rooted using a two-step method. Firstly, shoots were cultured on WPM containing indolebutyric acid (IBA) at either 50 or 100 μM for 24 or 48 h. Secondly, the shoots were transferred to plant-growth-regulator-free half-strength WPM. The second step not only considerably improved the rooting percentage but also minimized the formation of basal callus. The most effective first-step treatment was found to be 100 μM IBA for 24 h, which initiated rooting at a frequency of 100%. Well-rooted plants were transferred to plastic cups containing nonsterile, sieved soil and farmyard manure, hardened under greenhouse conditions, and then successfully established in pots. This procedure is suitable for use in large-scale production of plants and may have potential application in additional oak species.

Multiple shoots of Quercus leucotrichophora L. and Q. glauca Thunb. were induced from the intact embryos (decoated seeds) as well as from the cotyledonary nodes (with attached cotyledons but without radicle and primary shoot) of 3-weeks old in vitro grown seedlings on Woody Plant (WP; Lloyd and McCown, 1980) and Murashige and Skoog (MS; 1962) media supplemented with 6-benzyladenine (BA), either alone or in combination with gibberellic acid (GA3)/ indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). BA (22.19 µM) was effective for induction of multiple shoots and addition of GA3 to the medium further enhanced the shoot number and shoot height but resulted in shoot thinness. High frequency shoot multiplication was achieved using cotyledonary nodes. Shoots were further multiplied from the original explant on WP medium supplemented with BA (22.19 µM). Nearly 78% and 67% rooting was obtained in Q. leucotrichophora and Q. glauca microshoots (3–4 cm high), respectively on 1/2 strength WP medium supplemented with IBA (14.76 µM). However, this was associated with basal callus formation. Treatment with IBA (25–100 µM) for 24 or 48 h followed by transfer to PGR free 1/2 strength WP medium not only improved the rooting percentage but also avoided basal callus formation. IBA at 100 µM for 24 h was most effective (90% and 100% rooting in Q. leucotrichophora and Q. glauca, respectively). In vitro rooted plants were hardened and established in garden soil. Growth performance of 6-month-old in vitro raised plants was compared with ex vitro plants (seedlings) of the same age. The photosynthesis and transpiration rates of eight months old in vitro and ex vitro raised plants of both species were measured under different light (0, 600, 900, 1200, 1500 and 2000 µmol m −2 s −1 ) and temperature (20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 ◦ C). Light optimum for photosynthesis was around 2000 µmol m −2 s −1 in Q. leucotrichophora and around 1500 µmol m −2 s −1 in Q. glauca whereas optimum temperature for photosynthesis was 25 ◦ Ci n Q. leucotrichophora and 30 ◦ Ci nQ. glauca. The rate of transpiration at different temperatures (20–40 ◦ C), in the two species, increased with increase in the light intensity up to the highest level, i.e., 2000 µmol m −2 s −1 . Temperatures beyond 35 ◦ C adversely affected the rate of transpiration in in vitro raised as well as ex vitro plants of both the species. In vitro raised and hardened plants of both the species were comparable to ex vitro plants in terms of gas and water vapour exchange characteristics, within the limits of this study. Abbreviations: BA – 6-benzyladenine; GA3 – gibberellic acid; IBA – indole-3-butyric acid; MS – Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium; PAR – photosynthetically active radiation; PGR – plant growth regulator; PPFD – photosynthetic photon flux density; WP – Woody Plant (Lloyd and McCown, 1980) medium

Doon Valley is surrounded by two major river systems (Ganga and Yamuna) on either side, with a water divide passing nearly across the centre of the valley, and is sandwiched between two mountain ranges in the fragile ecological systems of the Himalayan foothills. In total 398 soil samples were collected from the valley in a grid pattern (∼1 sample per 2 km2) and investigated for their heavy metal (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) abundances that are environmentally sensitive. Comparison of the heavy metal abundances with the contamination threshold values (CTV) revealed that most of these elemental abundances in Doon Valley soils fall well within the range of the uncontaminated to slightly contaminated category. In the case of Cr and Ni, a sizeable number of samples exceeded the CTV (250 and 100 mg kg–1 respectively) with an overall background value of 109 and 52 mg kg–1 respectively. Sites of high Cr and Ni mostly occur in the Ganga Catchment (GC) sector that includes even relatively undisturbed forestland. The source of this contamination is attributed to geological factors which indicate contribution from the mafic volcanics of the Lesser Himalaya. This is also consistent with the distribution pattern of Mn and Fe, though their abundance levels are not alarming. The background concentration of Pb is low (22 mg kg–1) in Doon Valley soils; however, signs of gradual Pb contamination are palpable in and around the centre of the Dehra Dun city and along the highways. Aluminium normalized heavy metal ratios were found to exhibit narrow variability in the case of Cu, Ni and Cr and had good correlation with Al, indicating their affinity and association with the clay minerals. On the other hand, Pb and Zn seem to be associated with non-silicate sources.

The Bhuj earthquake (26 January 2001) in India and the Ghori earthquake (8 October 2005) in Pakistan, both occurred close to the Indian-Iranian plate boundary related to the activity along the intercontinental Chaman transform fault. It is suggested that the seismic activity along NNW — NNE trending weak zones or faults is more intense in the sub-continent than along the WNW trending zones. Since the stress along the former is less compressive but more of the shear or translational type. The devastative Koyna (1967) and Latur (1993) earthquakes both occurred along faults or weak zones that were close to the meridional rather than the equatorial trend. The Indian plate is moving to the north or NNE or NNW, along a rotational trajectory and hence the force tends to be more compressive along the equatorial weak zones. In contrast, it tends to be less compressive and more of the shear or translational along the weak zones that are close to meridional trend. The seismic activity is therefore more intense along the weak zones with NNW to NNE trend than along the ENE to EW trending zones.

A case of solid hemangioblastoma in the IV ventricle in a 16-year-old boy is reported because of the rarity of this type of lesion. Microsurgical removal of the lesion was accomplished without any side effects in this highly vascular tumor in a strategic location.

A morbidity study was carried out in 350 children below 5 years. Sindhi Colony, Raja Park on the eastern outskirts of Jaipur city was selected for study. The minimum number of children (14.3 per cent) was in the age group 48·60 months. 62.9 per cent of the children had one or more behavioural disorders. The leading problem was pico (47.1 per cent). Anajovity (78.0 pevrecehty of the children suffered from one or the other communicable disease. Acute respiratory infections (48.9 per cent). diarrhoea ond dvsentery (18.3 per cent), pneumoning (7.6 per cent) and worm infestation (6.2 per cent) were the leading causes of illness during the preceding twelve months. 27.1 per cent of children were found sick at the time of examination.

Quantitative and qualitative differences were observed in the pigments of light-grown and dark-grown sprouts of the potato.