Minimal Growth Research Articles

Sap flow and growth response of Norway spruce under long-term partial rainfall exclusion at low altitude.

Under ongoing climate change, more frequent and severe drought periods accompanied by heat waves are expected in the future. Under these conditions, the tree's survival is conditioned by fast recovery of functions after drought release. Therefore, in the presented study, we evaluated the effect of long-term water reduction in soil on tree water use and growth dynamics of Norway spruce. The experiment was conducted in two young Norway spruce plots located on suboptimal sites at a low altitude of 440 m a.s.l. In the first plot (PE), 25% of precipitation throughfall was excluded since 2007, and the second one represented the control treatment with ambient conditions (PC). Tree sap flow, stem radial increment, and tree water deficit were monitored in two consecutive growing seasons: 2015-2016, with contrasting hydro-climatic conditions. Trees in both treatments showed relatively isohydric behavior reflected in a strong reduction of sap flow under the exceptional drought of 2015. Nevertheless, trees from PE treatment reduced sap flow faster than PC under decreasing soil water potential, exhibiting faster stomatal response. This led to a significantly lower sap flow of PE, compared to PC in 2015. The maximal sap flow rates were also lower for PE treatment, compared to PC. Both treatments experienced minimal radial growth during the 2015 drought and subsequent recovery of radial growth under the more the humid year of 2016. However, treatments did not differ significantly in stem radial increments within respective years. Precipitation exclusion treatment, therefore, led to water loss adjustment, but did not affect growth response to intense drought and growth recovery in the year after drought.

Bioinspired Green Synthesis of Bimetallic Iron and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Mushroom Extract and Use against Aspergillus niger; The Most Devastating Fungi of the Green World

In the current study, a macro fungus was collected and identified by using morphological and molecular tools to study the ITS region, which has been described as a universal barcode marker during molecular investigation for the identification of fungi. Based on morphology and molecular evidence, the collected fungus was identified as Daedalea Mushroom. The identified fungus was used for the synthesis of Iron and ZnO nanoparticles as an eco-friendly agent for nanoparticle synthesis. The synthesized nanoparticles were confirmed by, Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy analysis (FTIR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and scanning electron microscopy analysis (SEM). All these characterizations revealed the synthesis of Iron and ZnO NPs with an irregular shape and a size of 16.8 nm. The zinc oxide nanoparticles had a size in the range of 18.53 nm. Daedalea Mushroom was used for the first time to synthesize Iron and zinc nanoparticles. The mycosynthesized Iron and ZnO NPs were assessed as control agents at various dosage rates against the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus niger, which was isolated from an apple and identified using its morphology. At higher concentrations (0.75 mg/mL), the iron nanoparticles inhibited fungal growth by 72%, whereas at lower concentrations (0.25 mg/mL), they inhibited fungal growth by 60%. ZnO NPs showed good antifungal activity at different concentrations including growth inhibition at 0.25 mg/mL (88%), 1.0 mg/mL (68%), 0.75 mg/mL (75%), and 0.5 mg/mL (70%) concentrations of ZnO NPs. However, the maximum growth inhibition of ZnO NPs was observed at 0.25 mg/mL (88%) concentration and minimum growth inhibition at 0.1 mg/mL (22%). The current study concludes that Daedalea Mushroom works as a novel and eco-friendly source for the synthesis of Iron and ZnO NPs with prominent antifungal activities that can be further applied in different fields.

Frequently oscillating families related to subharmonic functions

The goal of this note is to extend the result bounding from below the minimal possible growth of frequently oscillating subharmonic functions to a larger class of functions that carry similar properties. We refine and find further applications for the technique presented by Jones and Makarov in their celebrated paper from 1995.

Alginate oligosaccharides enhance the antifungal activity of nystatin against candidal biofilms.

The increasing prevalence of invasive fungal infections in immuno-compromised patients is a considerable cause of morbidity and mortality. With the rapid emergence of antifungal resistance and an inadequate pipeline of new therapies, novel treatment strategies are now urgently required. The antifungal activity of the alginate oligosaccharide OligoG in conjunction with nystatin was tested against a range of Candida spp. (C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, C. auris, C. tropicalis and C. dubliniensis), in both planktonic and biofilm assays, to determine its potential clinical utility to enhance the treatment of candidal infections. The effect of OligoG (0-6%) ± nystatin on Candida spp. was examined in minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and growth curve assays. Antifungal effects of OligoG and nystatin treatment on biofilm formation and disruption were characterized using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ATP cellular viability assays. Effects on the cell membrane were determined using permeability assays and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). MIC and growth curve assays demonstrated the synergistic effects of OligoG (0-6%) with nystatin, resulting in an up to 32-fold reduction in MIC, and a significant reduction in the growth of C. parapsilosis and C. auris (minimum significant difference = 0.2 and 0.12 respectively). CLSM and SEM imaging demonstrated that the combination treatment of OligoG (4%) with nystatin (1 µg/ml) resulted in significant inhibition of candidal biofilm formation on glass and clinical grade silicone surfaces (p < 0.001), with increased cell death (p < 0.0001). The ATP biofilm disruption assay demonstrated a significant reduction in cell viability with OligoG (4%) alone and the combined OligoG/nystatin (MIC value) treatment (p < 0.04) for all Candida strains tested. TEM studies revealed the combined OligoG/nystatin treatment induced structural reorganization of the Candida cell membrane, with increased permeability when compared to the untreated control (p < 0.001). Antimicrobial synergy between OligoG and nystatin against Candida spp. highlights the potential utility of this combination therapy in the prevention and topical treatment of candidal biofilm infections, to overcome the inherent tolerance of biofilm structures to antifungal agents.

In Vitro Pharmacokinetics of LL-37 and Oncorhyncin II Combination Against Acinetobacter baumannii

Background: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the most common nosocomial pathogens. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been introduced as a viable alternative to antibiotics in the treatment of MDR pathogens. Objectives: This study was designed to assess the in vitro pharmacokinetics of the combination of two potent AMPs, LL-37 and oncorhyncin II, against A. baumannii (ATCC19606). Methods: The synthesized genes of oncorhyncin II and LL-37 were introduced into Escherichia coli BL21 as the expression host. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), time-kills, and growth kinetics of these peptides were used to evaluate their antimicrobial efficiencies against A. baumannii (ATCC19606). Results: LL-37 and oncorhyncin II recombinant peptides showed MIC of 30.6 and 95.87 µg/mL against A. baumannii, respectively. Additive action was confirmed by combining the generated AMPs at the checkerboard approach. The combination of LL-37 and oncorhyncin II at 2 × MIC resulted in a rapid drop in log10 CFU/mL of A. baumannii in the time-kill and growth kinetic findings studies. Conclusions: The combination of the produced LL-37 and oncorhyncin II synergizes the bioactivity of the individual peptides. Therefore, these peptides or their combinations might function as novel antibiotics and be used to develop and produce new antimicrobial drugs for the treatment of infections caused by A. baumannii.

Influence of Paclobutrazol and Potassium Nitrate on Vegetative Growth, Leaf Nutrient Status, Flowering and Yield of Mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv. Amrapali Planted under Different Spacing

The flowering and fruiting of individual mango plant under high density planting is comparatively low. Among different strategies evolved, paclobutrazol and potassium nitrate application is effective not only in flower induction but also in early and offseason flower production in mango. A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of paclobutrazol and potassium nitrate on the vegetative growth, nutrient mobilisation to leaves, flowering and fruit yield of Amrapali mango (Mangifera indica L.) plants grown under different plant spacings at Horticultural Research Station, OUAT, Bhubaneswar during 2018-19 and 2019-20. The experiment was laid out in a Factorial Randomized Block Design with 24 treatment combinations and 2 replications. The treatment combinations consist of four levels of spacings (2.0 x 2.0 m, 4.0 x 2.0 m, 4.0 x 4.0 m, 8.0 x 2.0 m) and 6 levels of chemical treatments (Paclobutrazol@0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 g a.i. per meter of canopy spread and KNO3@ 2% and 4%) and a control with water application. The results of the study revealed that the plants spaced at 2.0 x 2.0 m recorded minimum vegetative growth except plant height and maximum yield (t/ha) in comparison to the plant spacing of 4.0 x 2.0 m, 4.0 x 4.0 m, 8.0 x 2.0 m. Among chemical treatments paclobutrazol irrespective of its concentration significantly reduced vegetative growth, increase flowering intensity and yield. There was a reduction in leaf N, P and K contents and increase in total leaf chlorophyll content in the plants treated with Paclobutrazol. Higher concentration of Paclobutrazol (0.75 g a.i.) reduced the yield. Whereas KNO3 increase the vegetative growth, leaf biochemical status, flowering intensity and yield. But the increase in yield of mango plant due to Paclobutrazol treatment @ 0.50 g a.i. and 0.25 g a.i. was significantly higher than KNO3 at both the applied concentration. Hence, soil drenching of paclobutrazol at 0.50 g a.i. per meter of canopy spread irrespective of plant spacing during September seems recommendable for regulating tree size and enhancing yield in mango cv. Amrapali planted under higher densities. The productivity of Amrapali mango plant can be improved through application of flower inducer like PBZ and KNO3.

Synthesis of Bimetallic BiPO4/ZnO Nanocomposite: Enhanced Photocatalytic Dye Degradation and Antibacterial Applications.

Multidrug-resistant strains (MDRs) are becoming a major concern in a variety of settings, including water treatment and the medical industry. Well-dispersed catalysts such as BiPO4, ZnO nanoparticles (NPs), and different ratios of BiPO4/ZnO nanocomposites (NCs) were synthesized through hydrothermal treatments. The morphological behavior of the prepared catalysts was characterized using XRD, Raman spectra, PL, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), SEM, EDX, and Fe-SEM. MDRs were isolated and identified by the 16s rDNA technique as belonging to B. flexus, B. filamentosus, P. stutzeri, and A. baumannii. The antibacterial activity against MDRs and the photocatalytic methylene blue (MB) dye degradation activity of the synthesized NPs and NCs were studied. The results demonstrate that the prepared BiPO4/ZnO-NCs (B1Z4-75:300; NCs-4) caused a maximum growth inhibition of 20 mm against A. baumannii and a minimum growth inhibition of 12 mm against B. filamentosus at 80 μg mL-1 concentrations of the NPs and NCs. Thus, NCs-4 might be a suitable alternative to further explore and develop as an antibacterial agent. The obtained results statistically justified the data (p ≤ 0.05) via one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). According to the results of the antibacterial and photocatalytic study, we selected the best bimetallic NCs-4 for the photoexcited antibacterial effect of MDRs, including Gram ve+ and Gram ve- strains, via UV light irradiation. The flower-like NCs-4 composites showed more effectiveness than those of BiPO4, ZnO, and other ratios of NCs. The results encourage the development of flower-like NCs-4 to enhance the photocatalytic antibacterial technique for water purification.

Probing cytoplasmic peroxide metabolism in Shewanella oneidensis.

The facultative anaerobe Shewanella oneidensis respires an extensive set of electron acceptors and, as a consequence, can leak electrons to produce reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). However, the effects of respiration on cytoplasmic redox homeostasis are poorly characterized in comparison. In the present study, the H2O2 sensor HyPer-3 was deployed to interrogate cytoplasmic peroxide levels of both wild-type and gene deletion mutants lacking peroxide scavenging enzymes following exposure to H2O2. HyPer-3 signals were validated in the S. oneidensis wild-type strain and exhibited a dynamic range of 0-250μM H2O2. As reported by the HyPer-3 sensor, the cytoplasm of H2O2-perturbed mutant strains lacking periplasmic glutathione peroxidase (PgpD) and double deletion mutants lacking catalase (KatB) and bifunctional catalase-peroxidases (KatG1 or KatG2) contained high H2O2 concentrations. The high cytoplasmic H2O2 concentrations correlated with impaired H2O2 removal rates displayed by the mutant strains. Results of the present study provide the first in vivo interrogation of the redox environment of the S. oneidensis cytoplasm with HyPer-3 sensors and indicate that proper redox conditions in minimal growth medium are maintained by the concerted action of both well-known (periplasmic PgpD, cytoplasmic KatB and KatG1) and previously overlooked (cytoplasmic KatG2) peroxidases and catalases.

Portulaca oleracea L. organic acid extract inhibits persistent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in vitro and in vivo.

Staphylococcus aureus continues to be one of the most important pathogens capable of causing a wide range of infections in different sites of the body in humans and livestock. With the emergence of methicillin-resistant strains and the introduction of strict laws on antibiotic usage in animals, antibiotic replacement therapy has become increasingly popular. Previous studies have shown that Portulaca oleracea L. extract exerts a certain degree of bacteriostatic effect, although the active ingredients are unknown. In the present study, the antibacterial activity of the organic acid of P. oleracea (OAPO) against S. aureus was examined using a series of experiments, including the minimum inhibitory concentration, growth curve, and bacteriostasis curve. In vitro antibacterial mechanisms were evaluated based on the integrity and permeability of the cell wall and membrane, scanning electron microscopy, and soluble protein content. A mouse skin wound recovery model was used to verify the antibacterial effects of OAPO on S. aureus in vivo. The results showed that OAPO not only improved skin wound recovery but also decreased the bacterial load in skin wounds. Moreover, the number of inflammatory cells and cytokines decreased in the OAPO-treated groups. In summary, this study reports a botanical extract that can inhibit S. aureus in vitro and in vivo, indicating the potential use of OAPO to prevent and control S. aureus infection in the near future.

Alley Cropping and Organic Compost: An Efficient and Sustainable Agro-Ecological Strategy for Improving Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) Growth and Attributes

Alley cropping is a sustainable agriculture approach that improves ecosystem services while also promoting biodiversity. The current study was conducted over two seasons, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, to examine the impact of leucaena–turmeric alley cropping and organic compost addition as agroforestry systems on the growth, yield and characteristics of the turmeric crop. Alley cropping included four treatments: control (turmeric as sole crop), turmeric cultivated between leucaena trees pruned at 1 m height, leucaena trees pruned at 1.5 m height and unpruned leucaena trees. Meanwhile, organic compost rates were control (received recommended NPK) and 17 and 34 m3 ha−1. This study’s results showed that growing turmeric in between rows of unpruned leucaena resulted in maximum turmeric plant growth, production and characteristics. Minimum turmeric growth and yield parameters were recorded with plants grown between pruned leucaena at 1 m and those where the turmeric was the sole crop. In addition, compost addition at 34 m3 ha−1 led to maximum growth, yield and attributes of the turmeric crop. Compost addition and alley cropping were shown to be an effective and sustainable agro-ecological system for increasing turmeric output and quality. The study demonstrated the importance of selecting the appropriate crop–tree combination in this system and it was discovered that leguminous leucaena trees significantly contributed to improving fertility and nutrient availability, which in turn improved the growth characteristics of turmeric, particularly the leaf-area index and its nutrient content, which are beneficial to the characteristics of the rhizome yield and curcumin content.

On the monotonicity property of the generalized eigenvalue for weakly-coupled cooperative elliptic systems

We consider general linear non-degenerate weak-coupled cooperative elliptic systems and study certain monotonicity properties of the generalized principal eigenvalue in Rd with respect to the potential. It is shown that monotonicity on the right is equivalent to the recurrence property of the twisted operator which is, in turn, equivalent to the minimal growth property at infinity of the principal eigenfunctions. The strict monotonicity property of the principal eigenvalue is shown to be equivalent with the exponential stability of the twisted operators. An equivalence between the monotonicity property on the right and the stochastic representation of the principal eigenfunction is also established.

Study on Extraction and Antibacterial Activity of Essential Oil from Liquidambar formosana Hance (L.) leaves by Continuous Flow Microreactor

As a natural medication and food plant resource, Liquidambar formosana Hance (L.) leaves are growing popularity in the fields of medicine and health care. The essential oil of L. leaves was extracted by continuous flow microreactor, and the extraction rate is 53.2%. 26 compounds from essential oil were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The main components of these compounds are α-pinene, β-pinene and limonene. Ten of them are reported for the first time. The antibacterial activity of essential oil was investigated by the inhibition zone method, minimum inhibitory concentration and inhibition growth curve experiment. The results show that the essential oil had inhibitory effects on both Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Bacillus subtilis (B.subtilis), and the minimum inhibitory concentrations are 1.0 μg/mL and 1.2 μg/mL. The inhibition effect on gram-negative bacteria E.coli is stronger. The results of this study show that the essential oil contains rich medicinal value components and have great potential for exploitation. This research provided a scientific foundation for understanding essential oil while also providing a theoretical foundation for their full and rational utilization. Simultaneously, research into the antibacterial properties of essential oil provides a scientific basis for the further development of the anti-bacterial agents that exists in plants.

Developmental patterns of behavioural self-regulation and peer relations in early childhood

Behavioural self-regulation is a key developmental task that improves, on average, across early childhood. Yet there is variation in the early developmental trajectories of behavioural self-regulation. The current study examines (1) heterogeneity in the trajectories of behavioural self-regulation across preschool and kindergarten, (2) peer relations in preschool (acceptance, sociability, victimization, conflict) as predictors of these trajectories, and (3) trajectories of behavioural self-regulation as predictors of peer relations in kindergarten. Data come from a two-year longitudinal study that followed a sample of 443 children (47.9% girls, Mage = 4.08 years) across preschool and kindergarten. Growth mixture modeling identified five distinct latent class trajectories: strong starters with minimal growth, strong starters with steady growth, moderate starters with steady growth, weak starters with rapid growth, and weak starters with minimal growth. Early peer acceptance, victimization and conflict differentiated between the behavioural self-regulation trajectories. These trajectories in turn predicted peer acceptance, sociability, victimization and conflict in kindergarten. Children who evidenced more peer acceptance and less peer conflict at entry to preschool were more likely to show consistently strong than weak behavioural self-regulation. Children who experienced more peer victimization in preschool were more likely to show slowly rather than rapidly improving behavioural self-regulation. By the spring of kindergarten, children who improved in their behavioural self-regulation were more accepted by peers, children who showed consistently strong or improving behavioural self-regulation were more sociable, and children with consistently weak behavioural self-regulation experienced more peer victimization and conflict. These findings have implications for supporting children's emerging behavioural self-regulation and peer relations in the early school years.

Management of tomato early blight [Alternaria solani (Ellis &amp; Martin) Sorauer] through botanicals and fungicides under in-vitro and in-vivo conditions

Early blight is the most harmful and dangerous disease of tomato worldwide. In the present investigation, five plant extracts and five fungicides were evaluated against Alternaria solani under in-vitro condition and effective botanicals and fungicides were evaluated under field condition. Among all the botanicals, Azadirachta indica leaf was found most effective botanicals under in-vitro evaluation followed by Datura fastuosa leaf and Allium cepa leaf. Among the fungicides, minimum mycelial growth of Alternaria solani was found in Fluciazole 40% followed by Carbendazim 50% WP, Difenoconazole 25% EC, Azoxystrobin 23% SC and Mancozeb 75% WP. In field experiment, Fluciazole 40% EC and Carbendazim 50% WP found most effective among all the treatments.

Divergent growth‐differentiation balance strategies and resource competition shape mortality patterns in ponderosa pine

AbstractDynamic resource availability leads to trade‐offs among functions in plants. The growth‐differentiation balance hypothesis (GDBH) predicts greater allocation of carbon to defense than growth when resources are scarce, with optimum defense production occurring at a point between the minimum and maximum growth rates. While the GDBH has been widely tested, consideration of phenotypic variation in rates for which defense is traded for growth and what this variation means for plant resistance remains rare. For defense, pines produce and store oleoresin in “resin ducts.” Retrospective comparisons of resin ducts in pines have revealed that trees with greater numbers, sizes, or areas of xylem resin ducts are more likely to avoid or survive insect attack. We used tree ring chronologies to quantify phenotypic variation in growth and resin duct defenses in pairs of living and bark beetle‐killed Pinus ponderosa trees in southern New Mexico, USA, and to test the utility of the GDBH for explaining tree mortality. We also assessed the sensitivity of annual growth to climate and competitor density in years preceding mortality in each pair. Survivors had greater growth rates and total cross‐sectional areas of resin ducts than trees killed by bark beetles. We did not observe a difference in climate–growth relationships among the groups; however, trees killed by bark beetles suffered negative effects of competition while survivors did not. Growth‐defense trade‐offs conformed to the GDBH's prediction of a quadratic relationship; however, the two groups significantly differed in the rate at which defense was traded for increasing levels of annual growth. Our results demonstrate that phenotypic variation in the trade‐off between growth and defense could be used to characterize trees that were killed by or survived recent natural enemy epidemics. We hypothesize that the GDBH could be integrated with the characterization of phenotypic variation in growth‐differentiation strategies—along with parsing of gene versus environment influences on phenotypes—at both local and landscape scales to increase our understanding of patterns of natural enemy impacts in plant populations.

Comparative &lt;i&gt;in vitro&lt;/i&gt; activity of various antibiotic against planktonic and biofilm and the gene expression profile in &lt;i&gt;Pseudomonas aeruginosa&lt;/i&gt;

P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that is commonly found in nosocomial infections. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of seven antibiotics on P. aeruginosa planktonic growth, biofilm formation, and the expression of virulence factors. These antibiotics included Ciprofloxacin (CP), Amikacin (AMK), Vancomycin (VAN), Tetracycline (TET), Gentamicin (GEN), Erythromycin (Ery), and Clindamycin (CLI). Antibiotic susceptibility testing, Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC), Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), growth curve, time-kill curve, biofilm inhibition and reduction assay, and RT-qPCR were used to assess the effects of these antibiotics on P. aeruginosa planktonic and biofilm. The clear zones of inhibition against P. aeruginosa for the CP, AMK, VAN, TET, GEN, Ery, and CLI were 26 mm, 20 mm, 21 mm, 22 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm and 23 mm, respectively. The MIC values for CP, AMK, VAN, TET, GEN, Ery and CLI against P. aeruginosa ranged from 0.25 to 1 µg/mL while the MBC values ranged from 1 and 0.5 to 2 µg/mL respectively. The growth, total viable counts (TVCs), bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa were reduced after exposure to all the tested antibiotics in a dose-dependent manner. The RT-qPCR analysis showed that all the tested antibiotics share a similar overall pattern of gene expression, with a trend toward reduced expression of the virulence genes of interest (lasR, lasI, fleN, fleQ and fleR, oprB and oprC) in P. aeruginosa. The results indicate that all of the tested antibiotics possess antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activities, and that they may be multiple inhibitors and moderators of P. aeruginosa virulence via a variety of molecular targets. This deduction requires to be investigated in vivo.

Эконометрическое прогнозирование на 2023 год ВВП России в условиях санкционных ценовых ограничений на экспорт нефти марки «Юралс»

The 2023 has seen a significant increase in the sanctions pressure on Russia and Russian national economy from geo-economic and geo-political opponents. Such a pressure affected, in particular, the oil production and oil refining industries. From December 5, 2022, most Western countries introduced a price ceiling for the purchase of Russian crude oil ($60 per barrel), and from February 5, 2023, on Russian petroleum products traded at a premium and at a discount to crude oil ($100 per barrel and $45 per barrel, respectively). Under these conditions, it is important to foresee what impact the above price and other sanctions will have on the dynamics of Russia’s GDP and its growth. As a forecasting tool, we use the macroeconomic production function, where GDP depends on fixed assets, the level of their use, the labor and the world price of Urals oil, the values of which were selected in accordance with forecasts of the Bank of Russia and the Russian Ministry of Economic Development at the level of $55 and $65 per barrel (in 2010 dollars). The originality and advantage of this production function over many other forecast models are the following: firstly, its average ex-post forecast errors for 22 years ahead do not exceed 5,1%, and, secondly, over these years the direction of the dynamics of ex-post forecast GDP coincides almost everywhere with the direction of the dynamics of actual GDP, including during the crisis of 2009, sanctions pressure started in 2014 and the epidemic of the Wuhan coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in 2020-2021. The results of econometric forecasting showed the following: at a price of $55, the minimum growth rate of Russia's GDP will be – 1,1%, the average will be 0,2%, and the maximum will reach 1,6%. At a price of $65, the minimum growth rate of Russia's GDP will be 1,7%, the average will be 3,1%, and the maximum will be 4,5%. Thus, according to our forecasts, the Russian economy will grow, instead of falling into recession as many geo-economic and geo-political opponents of Russia would anticipate.

Performance of Integrated Nutrient Management on growth, yield and quality of strawberry cultivar winter drawn in Baksa district, Assam, India

The present demonstration was conducted under Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Baksa during 2018, 2019 and 2020 to identify a integrated plant nutrient supply through balanced fertilization of organic, inorganic and biofertilisers in strawberry cv. Winter Down and potential effect on growth and yield attributing parameters were investigated. Results revealed that Strawberry cultivar winter dawn showed superior performance on growth parameters like plant height (23.78 cm), number of leaves (26.71nos), numbers of runners (5.98 nos) and length of runners (67.25 cm) per plant in Azotobacter + PSB + vermicompost + 50% Recommended Dose of Fertilizers (RDF)as compared to other treatments whereas control showed the minimum growth in all parameters. The plot treated with Azotobacter + PSB + vermicompost + 50% RDF also showed early flowering (47.79 days) with more number of flowers (46.23nos.) and early fruiting with more numbers of fruit per plant (36.62nos.) in strawberry cv. winter dawn as comparison to other treatments. The Individual fruit weight (35.67g) found larger in plot treated with Azotobacter + PSB + vermicompost + 50% RDF that varies significantly from plot treated with 100% RDF(34.57g), 50% FYM + 50% RDF (33.76g) and 50% Vermicompost + 50% RDF (33.87g) and control (13.59g). The highest yield per plant (538.29g) was obtained from Azotobacter + PSB + vermicompost + 50% RDF treated plot whereas (528.18g), (527.17g), (527.28g), (528.19g) and (241.19g) were achieved from 100% RDF, RDFwith N in two split dose as basal and before the onset of flowering, 50% FYM + 50% RDF and 50% Vermicompost + 50% RDF and control respectively and varies significantly among them. The Azotobacter + PSB + Vermicompost + 50% RDF treated plot found better combination of nutrient management practices in straw berry cultivation both in quality and yield point of view

New typhoid vaccine using sponge-like reduced protocol: development and evaluation.

Typhoid remains a major health problem, especially in the developing world. Furthermore, the emergence of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant strains of Salmonella typhi added a sense of urgency to develop more effective typhoid vaccines, one of which is bacterial ghosts (BGs), prepared by both genetic and chemical means. The chemical method includes incubation with numerous agents for a short time at their minimum inhibitory or minimum growth concentrations. This study included the preparation of BGs by a sponge-like reduced protocol (SLRP). Critical concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate, NaOH, and H2O2 were used. Moreover, high-quality BGs were visualized by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Subculturing was used to confirm the absence of vital cells. Besides, the concentrations of the released DNA and protein were estimated spectrophotometrically. In addition, the integrity of cells was proved by visualizing Gram-stained cells using a light microscope. Furthermore, a comparison between the immunogenicity and safety of the prepared vaccine and the available whole-cell killed vaccine was established. Improved preparation of high-quality BGs of S. typhi, visualized by SEM, revealed punctured cells with intact outer shells. Moreover, the absence of vital cells was confirmed by subculturing. At the same time, the release of respective amounts of proteins and DNA is another evidence of BGs' production. Additionally, the challenge test provided evidence that the prepared BGs are immunogenic and have the same efficacy as the whole cell vaccine. The SLRP provided a simple, economical, and feasible method for BGs preparation.

A Study on Behaviour of Arrivals and Prices of Cotton in Different Markets of Haryana

The goal of the current study was to examine the growth, seasonal variation, and volatility of cotton prices and arrivals in a few key cotton markets in Haryana. The monthly data on cotton arrivals and prices were gathered from 2005–2006 through to 2021–2022. The study employed the Compound Growth Rate, Moving Average technique, and Coeffi cient of Variation measure. The results revealed that cotton prices in the selected markets were found on the increasing side which ranged from 7.13 to 8.01. Among the three districts the maximum growth rate of cotton prices was recorded in Adampur (8.01%) followed by Uklana (7.95%) of Hisar district and minimum growth rate of cotton prices was recorded in Uchana (7.13%) of Jind district. Results of a seasonal analysis revealed that cotton arrivals in the targeted markets were higher during the peak period of months from October to January and showed decreasing trend during the subsequent months from February to May. (Lean period). The Coeffi cient of Fluctuation ranged from 1.11 to 20.97% in the selected cotton markets, demonstrating the presence of not signifi cantly increased volatility during the study period, although the intra-year prices in those markets remained nearly stable with less than 10% of variation. Through stock management and the use of risk management techniques like crop insurance, futures markets, etc., the increased volatility can be reduced. Farmers should sell their cotton in lean period to get better price of cotton.