• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.44 no.4
• /
• pp.637-649
• /
• 2011

Soil microorganisms play a major role in improving soil fertility and plant health. Symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form a key component of the soil microbial populations. AMF form a mutualistic association with the host plant and exert a positive influence on its growth and nutrient uptake. The establishment of mycorrhizal symbioses with the host plant can positively be influenced by plant growth promoting rhizobacteria through various mechanisms such as increased spore germination and hyphal permeability in plant roots. Though there are evidences that combined interactions between AMF and PGPR can promote the plant growth however mechanisms of these interactions are poorly understood. Better understanding of the interactions between AMF and other microorganisms is necessary for maintaining soil fertility and enhancing crop production. This paper reviews current knowledge concerning the interactions between AMF and PGPR with plants and discusses on enhanced nutrient availability, biocontrol, abiotic stress tolerance and phytoremediation in sustainable agriculture.

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.331-351
• /
• 2021

The unprecedented situation of COVID-19 caused the government of India to instruct educational institutions to switch to an online mode to mitigate the losses for students due to the pandemic. The present study attempts to explore the impact of online learning introduced as a stop-gap arrangement during the pandemic in India. A survey was conducted (N=289), via Facebook and WhatsApp, June 1-15, 2020 to understand the accessibility and effectiveness of online learning and constraints that students of higher education across the country faced during the peak times of the pandemic. The analysis and interpretation of the data revealed that the students acclimatized in a short span of time to online learning, with only 33.21% saying they were not satisfied with the online learning mode. However, the sudden shift to online education has presented more challenges for the socially and economically marginalized groups, including Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Class (OBC), females, and students in rural areas, due to factors like the price of high-speed Internet (78.20% identified it as a barrier to online learning), insufficient infrastructure (23.52% needed to share their device frequently or very frequently), poor Internet connectivity, etc. According to 76.47% of respondents, the future of learning will be in "blended mode." A total of 88.92% of the respondents suggested that the government should provide high-quality video conferencing facilities free to students to mitigate the division created by online education in an already divided society.

• CELLMED
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.5.1-5.8
• /
• 2023

Objectives: Cassia occidentalis L. is a weed belonging to the Caesalpiniaceae family. The root of this medicinal plant is used for the treatment of various ailments, including kidney diseases. The present study was aimed at evaluating the nephroprotective effects of HAE of the roots of Cassia occidentalis L. against gentamicininduced renal toxicity in albino Wistar rats. Methods: The renal toxicity was induced by subcutaneous administration of gentamicin at 100 mg/kg in the rats belonging to the disease control and treatment groups from the 4^th to the 8^th day. The rats in the treatment group received HAE of the roots of Cassia occidentalis L. at 67 mg/kg b. w. orally for 8 days, while no treatment was given to the rats in the disease control and plain control groups. At the end of the experiment, renal biomarkers viz; s. creatinine, b. urea, and s. uric acid, were investigated. The histopathological examination of the kidney specimens was also carried out. Results: The results of the present study revealed that renal function biomarkers such as s. creatinine, b. urea, and s. uric acid were significantly reduced in the rats of the treatment group as compared to those of the disease control group. Moreover, the histoarchitecture reports of the treatment group's kidney specimens showed significant improvements. Conclusion: The results suggested that the HAE of Cassia occidentalis L. roots promisingly prevented kidney injury in gentamicin-induced nephrotoxic rats. This effect might be due to improved clearance of gentamicin from the renal tubule and decreased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.8-14
• /
• 2005

Mass culturing of two beneficial organisms used as biofertilizers for crops would reduce the risks in production and minimize the capital involved and this demands appropriate media that supports both organism and also selection of organisms that are not antagonistic to each other. A study was initiated to culture a nitrogen fixer (Rhizobium) and phosphate solubilizer (Bacillus megaterium) in a single medium and to study their growth patterns and shelf life in carrier. The growth of Rhizobium and Bacillus megaterium was assessed in different media and a slight modification in the traditional yeast extract mannitol media promoted the growth of both the organisms. The growth of the individual organisms in the modified medium was assessed by estimating the population at regular intervals and compared to their original medium. Maximum population of Rhizobium and phosphobacteria was at 60 hr when the phosphiobacteria inoculation of later was after 48 hr of Rhizobium inoculation. The shelf life of the individual inoculants in the inoculant containing both the organism in a sterile carrier base revealed no significant differences compared to individual organisms inoculated in a sterilized carrier. The population of both organisms in carrier based mixed inoculant remained at $10^8$ cells till 90 days.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.125-133
• /
• 2006

This study was conducted to detect the apoptosis incidence in blastocysts and to compare the abundance of Bax, Bcl2L1, VEGF and FGFR2 in in vitro fertilized (IVF), parthenogenetic (PAT) and nuclear transfer (NT) embryos. Oocytes matured for 40 hr were enucleated and reconstructed with confluenced fetal fibroblasts (FFs) derived from a ${\sim}45$ day fetus. Reconstructed eggs were then fused with 2 DC pulses (2.0 kV/cm, $30{\mu}sec$) and cultured with $7.5{\mu}g/ml$ cytochalasin B for 3 hr. Parthenotes (PAT) were produced with the same electric strength and culture for NT eggs. The embryos were cultured in NCSU-23 medium at $39^{\circ}C,\;5%\;CO_2,\;5%\l;O_2$ in air. In 3 runs, set of 10 embryos at the 4-cell to blastocyst stages were used to extract total RNA for analyzing the gene expression patterns of pro-apoptotic (Bax), anti-apoptotic (Bcl2L1), vasculogenesis (VEGF), implantation (FGFR2III) using real-time quantitative PCR. Cleavage and blastocyst rates were significantly higher (P<0.05) in IVF and PAT ($79.3{\pm}8.5\;and\;25.5{\pm}6.1,\;and\;85.0{\pm}6.4\;and\;38.6{\pm}5.5$, respectively)than NT counterparts ($65.1{\pm}5.2\;and\;15.6{\pm}3.0$, respectively). Significantly higher (P<0.05) total cells were observed in IVF controls and PAT ($34.7{\pm}5.8\;and\;38.1{\pm}4.1$) than NT embryos ($24.8{\pm}3.2$). Apoptosis index was significantly lower (P<0.05) in IVF than NT embryos. The Relative abundances (RA) of Bax and VEGF were significantly higher (P<0.05) at blastocyst stage in NT than IVF control. The RA of Bcl2L1 and FGFR2III were significantly higher (P<0.05) at blastocyst stage in IVF than NT. The present study observed the abnormal gene expressions in NT embryos at various developmental stages, suggesting certain clues to find out the cause of the low efficiency of NT to term.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.119-124
• /
• 2006

The present study compared the developmental potential of cloned porcine embryos with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), fetal fibroblasts (FFs) and cumulus cells (CCs) by assessing the cleavage and blastocyst rate, total cell number, inner cell mass (ICM) ratio and apoptosis. MSCs were isolated by ficoll gradients from femur of -6 month old female pig, and maintained for primary cultures. FFs from a female fetus at ${\sim}30$ day of gestation were established, and CCs were obtained from cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) aspirated from $3{\sim}6$ mm follicles in diameter. Donor cells at $3{\sim}4$ passage were employed for nuclear transfer (NT). COCs were matured and fertilized in vitro(IVF) as control. Cleavage rate was significantly (P<0.05) higher in IVF than in NT embryos with MSCs, FFs and CCs ($82.7{\pm}8.9%\;vs\;70.6{\pm}5.4,\;68.7{\pm}5.1\;and\;63.4{\pm}5.6%$, respectively). However, blastocyst rates in IVF and NT embryos derived from MSCs ($24.5{\pm}2.8\;and\;20.4{\pm}8.3%$) did not differ, but were significantly (P<0.05) higher than NT derived from FFs and CCs ($10.6{\pm}2.7\;and\;9.8{\pm}2.1%$). Total cell number and the ratio of ICM to total cells among blastocysts cloned from MSCs ($35.4{\pm}5.2\;and\;0.40{\pm}0.09%$, respectively) were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those from FFs and CCs ($24.9{\pm}6.2%\;vs\;0.19{\pm}0.16,\;23.6{\pm}5.5\;and\;0.17{\pm}0.16%$, respectively). Proportions of TUNEL positive cells in NT embryos from FFs and CCs ($6.9{\pm}1.5\;and\;7.4{\pm}1.7%$, respectively) were significantly (P<0.05) higher than in MSCs ($4.8{\pm}1.4%$) and IVF ($2.3{\pm}0.9%$). The results demonstrate that MSCs have a greater potential as donor cells than FFs and CCs in achieving enhanced production of cloned porcine embryos.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.9
• /
• pp.3639-3644
• /
• 2015

Oral, cervical and breast cancers, which are either preventable and/or amenable to early detection and treatment, are the leading causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality in India. In this paper, we describe implementation science research priorities to catalyze the prevention and control of these cancers in India. Research priorities were organized using a framework based on the implementation science literature and the World Health Organization's definition of health systems. They addressed both community-level as well as health systems-level issues. Community-level or "pull" priorities included the need to identify effective strategies to raise public awareness and understanding of cancer prevention, monitor knowledge levels, and address fear and stigma. Health systems-level or "push" and "infrastructure" priorities included dissemination of evidence-based practices, testing of point-of-care technologies for screening and diagnosis, identification of appropriate service delivery and financing models, and assessment of strategies to enhance the health workforce. Given the extent of available evidence, it is critical that cancer prevention and treatment efforts in India are accelerated. Implementation science research can generate critical insights and evidence to inform this acceleration.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.353-366
• /
• 2016

The effect of different environmental conditions and altitudes on the growth and reproductive characteristics in 12 teak plantations at 4 different blocks (Cauvery canal bank, Topslip and Parambikulam (Tamil Nadu), Nilambur and Wayanad (Kerala) of Southern India was investigated. The annual rainfall and mean monthly temperature of the study areas varied significantly from 1390 to 3188 mm and 16 to $38^{\circ}C$ respectively. The teak plantations in Cauvery canal bank which grow in continuous moisture condition (8-10 months) retain the leaf for longer period due to moisture resulting continuous supply of photosynthates leads to fast and outstanding growth. The girth at breast height (GBH) of 34-years-old tree in canal area was similar to that of 40 to 49-years-old trees in other locations, indicating that teak plantations with regular watering and silvicultural practices may be harvested at the age of 30 years. The leaf fall, flowering and fruiting showed significant variations in different teak plantations due to environmental factors and altitudes. It was found that increase of rainfall enhances number of flowers in the inflorescence in teak. Tholpatty (block-IV) showed more flowering in a inflorescence (3,734-3,744) compared to other plantations (1,678-3,307). Flowering in Nilambur and Wayanad coincided with heavy rainfall resulting low fruitset (1.1-2.3%) probably heavy rainfall ensuing restriction of pollinators for effective pollination. On the other hand, flowering in Cauvery canal bank (Block-I) was not coincided with high rainfall exhibited high fruitset (2-3%). About 66 to 76% of the fruits in different plantations were empty, and it is one of the main reasons for poor germination in teak. The seeds of Topslip and Parambikulam (Block-II) showed higher seed weight, maximum seed filling and good germination indicating that the environmental factors and altitude play significant role in fruit setting and seed filling in teak. In addition, the teak plantations in Topslip and Parambikulam showed good growth suggesting that plantations in the altitude range of approximately 550-700 m may be suitable for converting into seed production areas for production of quality seeds.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.278-288
• /
• 2014

Background: Panax ginseng Meyer is a traditional medicinal plant famous for its strong therapeutic effects and serves as an important herbal medicine. To understand and manipulate genes involved in secondary metabolic pathways including ginsenosides, transcriptome profiling of P. ginseng is essential. Methods: RNA-seq analysis of adventitious roots of two P. ginseng cultivars, Chunpoong (CP) and Cheongsun (CS), was performed using the Illumina HiSeq platform. After transcripts were assembled, expression profiling was performed. Results: Assemblies were generated from ~85 million and ~77 million high-quality reads from CP and CS cultivars, respectively. A total of 35,527 and 27,716 transcripts were obtained from the CP and CS assemblies, respectively. Annotation of the transcriptomes showed that approximately 90% of the transcripts had significant matches in public databases.We identified several candidate genes involved in ginsenoside biosynthesis. In addition, a large number of transcripts (17%) with different gene ontology designations were uniquely detected in adventitious roots compared to normal ginseng roots. Conclusion: This study will provide a comprehensive insight into the transcriptome of ginseng adventitious roots, and a way for successful transcriptome analysis and profiling of resource plants with less genomic information. The transcriptome profiling data generated in this study are available in our newly created adventitious root transcriptome database (http://im-crop.snu.ac.kr/transdb/index.php) for public use.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.976-986
• /
• 2018

Knowledge about the gut bacterial communities associated with insects is essential to understand their roles in the physiology of the host. In the present study, the gut bacterial communities of a laboratory-reared insecticide-susceptible (IS), and a field-collected insecticide-resistant (IR) population of a major rice pest, the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens, were evaluated. The deep-sequencing analysis of the V3 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene was performed using Illumina and the sequence data were processed using QIIME. The toxicological bioassays showed that compared with the IS population, IR population exhibited 7.9-, 6.7-, 14.8-, and 18.7-fold resistance to acephate, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, and buprofezin, respectively. The analysis of the alpha diversity indicated a higher bacterial diversity and richness associated with the IR population. The dominant phylum in the IS population was Proteobacteria (99.86%), whereas the IR population consisted of Firmicutes (46.06%), followed by Bacteroidetes (30.8%) and Proteobacteria (15.49%). Morganella, Weissella, and Enterococcus were among the genera shared between the two populations and might form the core bacteria associated with N. lugens. The taxonomic-to-phenotypic mapping revealed the presence of ammonia oxidizers, nitrogen fixers, sulfur oxidizers and reducers, xylan degraders, and aromatic hydrocarbon degraders in the metagenome of N. lugens. Interestingly, the IR population was found to be enriched with bacteria involved in detoxification functions. The results obtained in this study provide a basis for future studies elucidating the roles of the gut bacteria in the insecticide resistance-associated symbiotic relationship and on the design of novel strategies for the management of N. lugens.