Northeastern States Of India Research Articles

A survey of edible fresh fish resources in Iewduh (Bara Bazaar) in Shillong, Meghalaya

Indian fisheries are an important sector of food production, providing nutritional and livelihood security to a vast majority of the population and contributes significantly to the foreign exchange earnings. There is a big demand of fish in north-eastern states of India. Fish market infrastructures include wholesale market, retail market and fish shops. Iewduh, also called Bara Bazaar, is one of the oldest and largest traditional market and trade centre in the northeast. A variety of fish are being sold in Iewduh in Shillong, Meghalaya. Majority of the fishes are sourced from other parts of the country. A total of 30 distinguishable taxa were observed in the market, representing 18 families. There was a predominance of different carp species and a number of catfishes were also available.

Development of an indicator based composite measure to assess livelihood sustainability of shifting cultivation dependent ethnic minorities in the disadvantageous Northeastern region of India

Rural livelihood has long been discussed in scientific literature, although livelihood sustainability of fringe communities in far-flung and disadvantageous areas is very scarcely researched. Jhumias of the hilly and remote Northeastern (NE) region of India represent such a fringe community which is dependent upon shifting cultivation and forest resources for livelihood. The present study examines livelihood sustainability of these underprivileged forest peasants within the scope of sustainable livelihood framework. An indicator based approach helped in developing a composite measure, called the sustainable livelihood index (SLI) which gives a fair idea about the extent of livelihood sustainability of the shifting cultivator households in the study area. The study was carried out with randomly drawn six hundred and twenty one shifting cultivator households (n = 621) from the ‘seven sister’ states of NE India, namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. The findings of the study brings into light an immense vulnerable picture of shifting cultivation based livelihood in the region. Except for Mizoram, the other states had a minimum of 39.22 percent (in Manipur) and up to as high as 86.67 percent (in Assam) shifting cultivator households belonging to the very bottom stratum of livelihood sustainability. Social and financial capitals were the most important to bring sustainability in the livelihoods of shifting cultivators. The study specifically highlights the importance of livelihood diversification, improving market access and strengthening extension contacts for livelihood sustainability of these ethnic groups of peasants. In light of the findings, we suggest some policy measures within the scope of prevailing socio-cultural beliefs of the shifting cultivators for sustainable livelihood, environmental conservation and harmonic co-existence.

Methanolic extract of Potentilla fulgens root and its ethyl-acetate fraction delays the process of carcinogenesis in mice

People of north-eastern states of India consume raw areca-nut (RAN) and lime which could lead to oral, esophageal and gastric cancers. However, the incidence of these cancers are significantly lesser in those who consume pieces of Potentilla fulgens root along with RAN. Since evaluation of anticancer role, if any, of P. fulgens on RAN-mediated genetic alterations in human is difficult because of other compounding factors, this study was undertaken in mice to focus on gastric carcinogenesis since ad libitum administration of RAN extract with lime in drinking water induced stomach cancer due to greater exposure of its lining. A total of 160 mice were used at different time points and either methanol extract of P. fulgens roots (PRE) or mixture of four compounds of ethyl-acetate fraction (EA-mixture) was mixed with mice feed. Histological studies revealed that RAN + lime induced cancer in all the mice and interestingly only 20% developed cancer when PRE/EA-mixture was provided along with RAN + lime. Higher frequency of precocious anaphase and over expression of p53 and Securin genes were significantly reduced by PRE/EA-mixture. Thus PRE/EA-mixture mitigates the RAN-induced tumor-initiating process in stomach by maintaining expression of tumor suppressor and check-point genes under control.

A new species of fossorial natricid snakes of the genus Trachischium Günther, 1858 (Serpentes: Natricidae) from the Himalayas of northeastern India

A new species of natricid snakes, Trachischium apteii sp. nov. is described from the northeastern Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh. The new species differs from its congeners in the following suite of characters: dorsal scales in 15:15:15 rows, SVL 293–299mm, higher ventral count 143–150, very faint dorsal longitudinal lines, absence of yellow patch on the neck and the belly being pale yellow. Preliminary discussion on the phylogenetic position of the members of the genus Trachischium is presented. This discovery of a new snake species advocates the need for dedicated surveys to document biodiversity across Arunachal Pradesh and the neighbouring States of northeastern India.

A new genus and a new species of Tropidopolinae (Orthoptera: Acrididae) from India

A new genus Neooxyrrhepes gen. n. with a new species Neooxyrrhepes meghalayensis n. from Meghalaya, a state of the North Eastern region of India. Description and illustrations of the new genus and species are given. A key to the genera of subfamily Tropidopolinae from North Eastern states of India is also provided. Additonally the characters of male and female genitalia at generic and species level are also given.

First report of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) variants (Mahidol and Acores) from malaria-endemic regions of northeast India and their functional evaluations in-silico

G6PD deficiency results from numerous mutations in the G6PD gene and can cause alterations in enzyme function up to varying degrees. P. vivax malaria infections require G6PD deficiency screening because of the potential risk of haemolysis by the gametocytocidal drug (primaquine) during the radical treatment. The present study investigated the incidence of G6PD deficiency from northeast India and further, molecular characterization was performed. During 2014-16, a total of 1,015 patients from four north-eastern states of India (Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya & Arunachal Pradesh), were screened for G6PD deficiency, using Beutler's fluorescence spot test (FST) and confirmed with SPAN G6PD kit. The deficient individuals (55/1015, 5.4%) were further characterized by PCR-RFLP and DNA sequencing except one case of lost to follow up. As observed by FST, the frequency of G6PD deficient males (42/538, 7.8%) were found to be higher than females (13/477, 2.73%), (p < 0.0001). Two non-synonymous mutations; G6PD-D (Mahidol)487A (48/54, 88.9%; 36 hemizygous males, 8 homozygous and 4 heterozygous females) and G6PD-D (Acores)595T (2/54, 3.7%) were identified. Remaining (4/54, 7.4%) individuals could not be characterized. Molecular modeling and dynamic simulations were performed for the G6PD wild-type (G6PD-WT) enzyme and its variants. The in-silico results demonstrated alterations in the secondary structures & crucial loss of ligand-protein interactions, which might result in reduced enzyme function, leading to enzyme deficiency. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to document G6PD-Mahidol and G6PD-Acores variants from malaria-endemic regions of northeast India, and provided molecular insights on the varied genetic makeup of the studied population.

Rice of Northeast India harbor rich genetic diversity as measured by SSR markers and Zn/Fe content

BackgroundRice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important crops of the world and a major staple food for half of the World’s human population. The Northeastern (NE) region of India lies in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot and about 45% of the total flora of the country is found in the region. Local rice cultivars from different states of NE India were analyzed for genetic diversity and population structure using microsatellite markers, and their zinc and iron content.ResultsA total of 149 bands were detected using twenty-two microsatellite markers comprising both random and trait-linked markers, showing 100% polymorphism and high value of expected heterozygosity (0.6311) and the polymorphism information content (0.5895). Nali Dhan cultivar of Arunachal Pradesh possessed the highest genetic diversity (0.3545) among studied populations while Moirangphou Khonganbi of Manipur exhibited the lowest genetic diversity (0.0343). The model-based population structure revealed that all the studied 65 rice cultivars were grouped into two clusters. Cluster I was represented by 36 cultivars and cluster II by 29 cultivars. Badalsali cultivar of Assam possessed the highest Zn content (75.8 μg/g) and Kapongla from Manipur possessed the lowest (17.98 μg/g). The highest and the lowest Fe content was found in Fazu (215.62 μg/g) and Idaw (11.42 μg/g) of Mizoram.ConclusionThe result suggested rice cultivars of NE India possessing high genetic diversity (Nali dhan), high Zn (Badalsali) and Fe (Fazu) content can be useful as a source of germplasm for future rice improvement programs.

Mann-Kendall, and Sen’s Slope Estimators for Precipitation Trend Analysis in North-Eastern States of India

Mann-Kendall, and Sen’s Slope Estimators for Precipitation Trend Analysis in North-Eastern States of India

GCMS analysis of sadagura (smokeless tobacco), its enhanced genomic instability causing potential due to arsenic co-exposure, and vitamin-C supplementation as a possible remedial measure: a study involving multiple model test systems

North-eastern states of India, including Assam, have a high prevalence of head and neck cancer cases. In these regions, Sadagura is a unique form of smokeless tobacco (SLT). There are fewer reports regarding the effects of simultaneous sadagura and arsenic co-exposure. Analysis of chemical compounds present in sadagura aqueous extract was done using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Estimation of arsenic contamination in groundwater and bioaccumulation in human tissues was performed by using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Buccal micronucleus cytome (BMCyt) assay and analysis of various peripheral blood parameters were performed among study volunteers. Chronic exposure (90 days) experiments were performed in mice test system in vivo to determine any possible protective potential of vitamin C (Vit-C) supplementation against sadagura and arsenic co-exposure. BMCyt assay results revealed a higher incidence of micronucleated cells (p < 0.001), and cell death biomarker among sadagura consumers residing in arsenic affected areas. Comet assay of mice femur bone marrow cells following chronic exposure of the test substances revealed a reduction in DNA damage due to Vit-C supplementation. Histological examination of the hepatic and renal tissues revealed marked improvement due to Vit-C supplementation in mice against sadagura and arsenic chronic co-exposure. Indiscriminate consumption, presence of various harmful compounds in sadagura along with arsenic co-exposure might be a vital link for the higher incidence of oral cancer in the region. Chronic Vit-C supplementation study results in mice show its effective remedial potential against combined sadagura and arsenic co-mediated genotoxicity and ultrastructural changes in major organs.

Extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing Shiga-toxin producing-Escherichia coli in piglets, humans and water sources in North East region of India.

Extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) producing Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) are posing a constant threat to public health throughout the world leading to serious infections and raising key therapeutic issues. A total of 219 fecal samples were collected from piglets with diarrheoa, pig farmers and water sources in North East India; and were processed for isolation of Escherichia coli. The isolates were screened for antimicrobial resistance and suspected isolates for ESBLs production by double-disk synergy test (DDST). Escherichia coli isolates positive for DDST were subjected for detection of selected ESBL/beta-lactamase genes and virulence associated genes by PCR. By DDST, 337 (67·94%) E. coli isolates were detected as ESBLs producer, of which 211 (66·98%), 117 (70·91%) and 9 (56·25%) isolates were from piglets, humans and water sources respectively. A total of 64 (12·90%) isolates were recorded as STEC, of which 48 (9·68%), 6 (1·21%) and 10 (2·02%) were from human, piglets and water respectively. Majority of the STEC isolates (64·06%) possessed multiple virulence genes, of which 59·38% also harboured ESBL/beta-lactamase genes with 32·81% STEC isolates being positive for multiple ESBL/beta-lactamase genes. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Multidrug resistant (MDR) enteric bacteria are global concern. Association of MDR traits in STEC isolates are another rising issue in human and animal health perspective. The interaction of such organisms among the human, domestic animals and adjoining water sources require to be analysed systematically. The present study exhibited the possible transmission of MDR-STEC among the human, domestic animals and water sources in the North eastern states of India. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of such kind in India.

Named Entity Recognition for a Low Resource Language

Kokborok named entity recognition using the rules based approach is being studied in this paper. Named entity recognition is one of the applications of natural language processing. It is considered a subtask for information extraction. Named entity recognition is the means of identifying the named entity for some specific task. We have studied the named entity recognition system for the Kokborok language. Kokborok is the official language of the state of Tripura situated in the north eastern part of India. It is also widely spoken in other part of the north eastern state of India and adjoining areas of Bangladesh. The named entities are like the name of person, organization, location etc. Named entity recognitions are studied using the machine learning approach, rule based approach or the hybrid approach combining the machine learning and rule based approaches. Rule based named entity recognitions are influence by the linguistic knowledge of the language. Machine learning approach requires a large number of training data. Kokborok being a low resource language has very limited number of training data. The rule based approach requires linguistic rules and the results are not depended on the size of data available. We have framed a heuristic rules for identifying the named entity based on linguistic knowledge of the language. An encouraging result is obtained after we test our data with the rule based approach. We also tried to study and frame the rules for the counting system in Kokborok in this paper. The rule based approach to named entity recognition is found suitable for low resource language with limited digital work and absence of named entity tagged data. We have framed a suitable algorithm using the rules for solving the named entity recognition task for obtaining a desirable result.

Does nature of livelihood regulate the urban community's vulnerability to climate change? Guwahati city, a case study from North East India

There is dearth of studies on climate change based vulnerabilities of the urban people. It has been a matter of widespread debate whether nature of livelihood has any role to play in regulating the vulnerabilities of an individual. To find an answer, in a first ever attempt, this study tested three different approaches viz. Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI), LVI IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) models and Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) to estimate climate change vulnerability of urban communities from various livelihoods in Guwahati city, Assam, India. Guwahati is considered to be the gateway to the seven North Eastern states of India and therefore strategically very important for this region. A structured survey was conducted involving 200 stakeholders from various livelihood sectors viz. construction workers, perishable item sellers, farmers, taxi/auto driver/rickshaw puller/coolie, tea stall/fast food seller, gas cylinder deliverymen, street vendors/salespersons, traffic police/police, doctors and boatmen. Data was systematically aggregated and examined using the above-mentioned composite indices. The differential vulnerabilities were compared and results suggested that the farmers were the most vulnerable community by virtue of their high sensitivity towards health, economic losses, exacerbated by their poor adaptive capacity toward unpredictable climatic variations. Doctors were the least vulnerable owing to their higher levels of awareness and adaptive capacity. These results reiterated the importance of awareness and access to resources in regulating vulnerability. The vulnerability scores also revealed that LVI and Model II (M II) of LVI IPCC approaches were the two most suitable indices and could be used for comparative vulnerability analysis. These pragmatic approaches can be used to assess the community vulnerabilities and could stimulate robust Climate Smart Urban Planning (CSUP).

Phenotypic characterization and performance evaluation of Burmese black pig: A unique indigenous germplasm of north east region of India

Burmese black pig is one of the unique and well adapted indigenous pig reared under low input backyard production system in the eastern Himalayan hill ecosystem. The present study was conducted in four states of north eastern India viz. Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya to identify the geographical distribution, breeding habitat, phenotypic and productive characteristics of the pig. Information on production system was collected from 251 Burmese pig farmers across 78 villages in 14 districts by providing structured pre tested questionnaire. The study revealed that the population of Burmese black pig was about twelve thousands and mostly distributed in Phek, Kiphire, Tuensang and Mon district of Nagaland (38%); Champhai, Kolasib and Siaha districts of Mizoram (28%); Ukhrul, Chandel, Churachandpur and Tamenglong districts of Manipur (27%); and East Khasi hills, West Khasi hills and Ribhoi districts of Meghalaya (7%) which covered approximately 33700 square km areas of distribution. The average herd size of Burmese black pigs was 3.26±0.34 which ranges from 1 to 12. Backyard earthen floor housing system (55.38%)was the most common, followed by backyard deep litter housing (19.52%),slatted floor housing (14.34%), concrete floor housing (7.17%) and girth tethering system (3.59%). These pigs are predominantly black in colour. Medium sized concave dish shaped head, short slightly upward curve snout, well build long body structure with short legs, prominent neck in both male and female are the unique feature of Burmese black pigs. The average body weight of adult (10 months) was 79.76 ± 1.97 kg. The average body length, height at withers, heart girth and neck girth at adult age were 84.86 ±1.76, 61.94 ±1.52, 87.06 ±2.41 and 78.27 ±1.98 cm in male and 81.66 ±1.70, 60.15 ±1.60, 83.05 ±2.10, 75.02 ±1.81 cm in female, respectively. The average age at first heat and age at first farrowing were 220.32 ± 23.61 days and 365.00 ± 20.75 days, respectively; while average litter size at birth and litter size at weaning was 10.76 ± 0.87 and 8.86 ± 0.61, respectively. These pigs are having faster growth rate, larger adult body size and higher liter size as compared to the other indigenous pig breeds in India. The Burmese black pig possesses unique physical and high productive as well as reproductive traits that distinguished them from other indigenous pig breeds in the region.

Status and socio-ecological dimensions of sacred groves in Northeast India

Sacred groves are among one of the best practices of biodiversity conservation used by the ethnic societies which are deeply associated with the religion and culture that significantly nurture nature. As these practices play a vital role in conserving socio-ecologically important species and protect threatened flora and fauna from extinction in different ecological zones. In northeast India, sacred groves are well connected with culture and society through religious beliefs of the population and their associated myths. Sacred groves cover a total of &gt; 40,000 hectares of natural forest area in the five northeastern states of India. These forests house some of the most important and highly threatened species of plants. Wild relatives of present-day cultivated plants are found in these forests and hence act as the gene pool for these species. Social transformation and urbanization have a large impact on the structure and health of these forests and responsible for their destruction. Developmental projects like railways, roads, hydro-electric projects etc. have reportedly destroyed many groves in the past. Due to social transformation, the rate of activities like grazing, encroachment, cutting and collection of fuel wood, fruits and leaves has been increasing and posing a threat to the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem function in the future. Creating awareness about the social and ecological benefits of maintaining sacred groves among local people, especially youth, can help in reviving these practices and conserving them as a natural heritage for future generations is the need of the hour.

Detection of torque teno sus virus infection in Indian pigs.

Background and Aim:Torque teno viruses (TTVs) are circular, single-stranded DNA viruses, which infect a wide range of animals including livestock and companion animals. Swine TTVs (torque teno sus viruses [TTSuVs]) are thought to act as a primary or coinfecting pathogen in pathological conditions such as porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome and post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome. So far, the presence of the virus has not been reported in India. Considering that TTSuVs have the potential to cross the species barrier into humans and that pork consumption is common in North-Eastern states of India, the current study aims to investigate the presence of TTSuV in the Indian pig population.Materials and Methods:A total of 416 samples were collected during 2014-2018, from both apparently healthy pigs and also from pigs suspected of having died from classical swine fever and/or porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome. These samples were screened for TTSuV infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing techniques.Results:The presence of the virus was confirmed in 110 samples from 12 different states of India. Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences obtained from the PCR products indicated the presence of viruses of both Iotatorquevirus and Kappatorquevirus genera in India.Conclusion:The study is the first report on the presence of TTSuVs in India and highlights the circulation of both genera of the virus in the country.

HYPERSPECTRAL REMOTE SENSING FOR TEMPERATE HORTICULTURE FRUIT CROPS IN NORTHERN-WESTERN HIMALAYAN REGION: A REVIEW

Abstract. The North-Western Indian States and the North-Eastern Indian States of Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) are rich of various temperate horticulture fruits such as the Apple, Pear, Peach, Plum, Apricot, Sweet Cherry and Sour Cherry. These horticulture fruits are majorly grown in North-western region comprising of Jammu and Kashmir (J&amp;amp;K), Himachal Pradesh (H.P.) and Uttarakhand (U.K.). These states of IHR share the same type of geographical and climatic condition and having nearly common flora and fauna. Out of the various horticulture temperate fruit crops apple and apricot have the potential to make a positive impact on economy of these states. Hyper-spectral remote sensing due to its capability of identifying the small variations within a particular feature (or land cover) is an important tool for discriminating or mapping the specific land cover among the various existing classes. Contrary to multispectral remote sensing, it is not only capable of mapping the vegetation class among the various classes in the land but also has the potential to discriminate within the different classes of vegetation as well as diseases identification within a class. This specific class level discrimination of vegetation is an important tool for mapping. In hyper-spectral remote sensing this variation is observed through the possible discrimination of spectral signatures of various vegetation classes. Thus, due to its fine spectral bands this type of remote sensing data has the potential to map the horticulture crops. However, the processing of hyper-spectral data always require the in-situ measurements or existing spectral library. Such a type of spectral library is never generated for the horticulture crops of IHR. This can be further useful for identifying the disease affected crops and input for developing model for estimation of biophysical and biochemical parameters. Therefore, in this study, a need for the development of spectral library for temperate horticulture crop has been highlighted. Further, a methodology for the processing of hyperspectral data has also be proposed.

Satellite-based monitoring of recent heavy flooding over north-eastern states of India in July 2019

South-west monsoon of 2019 advanced towards northern parts of India during the first week of July. Heavy-to-very-heavy rainfall events during July 05–16 resulted in severe flooding over Bihar and Assam and caused huge damage in the form of life and property. More than 90 lakhs people have been affected, and about 100 causalities have been reported in Bihar and Assam due to severe flooding. Results presented in this short communication highlight the importance of space-borne near real-time monitoring of flood events. It is reported that few districts of Assam and Bihar received cumulative rainfall in excess of 1200 mm from multiple heavy rainy events during July 05–16, 2019. Heaviest rainfall events were reported on July 06, 11 and 13. Few districts of Assam and Bihar experienced daily rainfall in excess of 300 to 400 mm during these heavy rainy days with peak hourly rainfall exceeding 50 mm at few synoptic hours. Discharge from Kosi and Brahmaputra rivers combined with heavy cumulative rainfall from multiple rainy episodes during July 05–16 resulted in severe flooding over Assam and Bihar causing losses to life and property.

Developing Natural Rubber Based Manufacturing Microenterprise Cluster in the State of Tripura

Being the second-largest natural rubber producing state in India, in the northeastern Indian state of Tripura, there exists a great potential for the development of manufacturing activities related to rubber at Tripura. As of now, the industry is in the initial stage and is struggling. To develop this industry, hand-holding support is required from state government and other support organisations. Over a period of time, development of cluster related to some products like micro cellular sheets, rubber mats, rubber bands, black molded rubber products, may be thought of, based on actual experiences certain product or product categories having distinct comparative advantages over competitors may be chosen and developing clusters may planned followed by forward and backward linkages hence increasing the pace of economic development in the region. This field research article, primarily based on Key Information Interviews, explores the strengths and the opportunities; identifies the weakness and threats in this area and proposes the possible steps which could be taken to develop natural rubber-based manufacturing micro-enterprise cluster in the state of Tripura.

Developing tree volume equation for Parkia timoriana grown in home gardens and shifting cultivation areas of North-East India

ABSTRACTParkia timoriana (DC.) Merr. is an economically important agroforestry tree species grown in home gardens and shifting cultivation areas throughout the North-eastern states of India. This study aimed to establish a best fit volume model to facilitate estimation of biomass and carbon stock of the species without destructive sampling. Stem volumes of 360 trees representing 12 populations were estimated, and the data were used to develop 19 volume models involving diameter at breast height (D) and height (H). These models were then subjected to statistical test, and then cross-validated to select the best fitting model. The coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute deviation (MAD) and Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) were used for model selection, and scattered plot with residuals along with paired t-test were used for validation of the resultant models. Among the models compared, V = 0.12500–2.40265D + 21.43248D2 was found to be the best using single independent variable (D), while V = 0.03177 + 1.032D2H was the best model among the models with two independent variables (D and H). These two models gave high accuracy and hence can be used for future referencing.

Actual and ideal fertility differential among natives, immigrants, and descendants of immigrants in a northeastern state of India

AbstractLittle research has been conducted on the native‐immigrant fertility differential in low‐income settings. The objective of our paper is to examine the actual and ideal fertility differential of native and immigrant families in Assam. We used the data from a primary quantitative survey carried out in 52 villages in five districts of Assam during 2014–2015. We performed bivariate analysis and used a multilevel mixed‐effects linear regression model to analyse the actual and ideal fertility differential by type of village. The average number of children ever‐born is the lowest in native villages in contrast to the highest average number of children ever‐born in immigrant villages. The likelihood of having more children is also the highest among women in immigrant villages. However, the effect of religion surpasses the effect of the type of village the women reside in.