Northwestern Part Of India Research Articles

Study of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) in top soil of Punjab State from the North Western part of India

The concentration levels of 238U, 232 Th, 40K and 137Cs in top soils of State of Punjab located in the North Western part of India were measured using conventional low background gamma ray spectrometric setup as well as Compton suppressed gamma ray spectrometric setup. The radioactivity level of 238U and 232Th was found to vary between 15 Bq/kg and 27 Bq/kg and between 16 Bq/kg and 57 Bq/kg respectively. The radioactivity level of 40K was found to vary between 266 Bq/kg and 799 Bq/kg. The mean radioactivity level of the NORM in general was found to be similar to what is expected as a result of their normal abundance.

Microsatellite genotyping of Trypanosoma evansi isolates from livestock of different agro-ecological zones of India

The present study deals with genetic diversity analysis by microsatellite genotyping of Trypanosoma evansi isolates collected from different livestock hosts (horse, donkey, camel and cattle) inhabiting different geographical location in North and North-western parts of India. Out of 12 microsatellite loci used in the study 10 successfully genotyped 6 T. evansi isolates, and 6 of them were found polymorphic. At 6 microsatellite loci (TB8/11, TB11/29, TB10/1, TB1/8, TB3/3 and TB4/2) observed number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 (TB8/11) to 6 (TB4/2) with a mean of 4.83±1.75 and effective number of alleles ranged from 2.11 (TB8/1) to 5.00 (TB4/2) with a mean value of 3.32±1.16. At 4 microsatellite loci (TB11/13, TB2/19, TB11/1 and TB8/1) observed (na=2) as well as effective (ne=2) number of alleles were the same. The observed heterozygosity varied from 0.16 (TB8/11) to 1.00 (TB11/13, TB2/19, TB10/1, TB1/8 and TB4/2) with a mean of 0.76±0.37. The expected value of heterozygosity (Levene’s) varied from 0.48 (TB8/1) to 0.88 (TB4/2) with a mean of 0.59±0.23. Polymorphism information content (PIC) value ranged from 0.34 (TB8/1) to 0.77 (TB4/2), indicating that TB11/29, TB10/1, TB1/8, TB3/3 and TB4/2 microsatellite loci were highly informative (PIC>0.5). Neighbour-joining tree analysis indicated different clustering of isolates based on allelic sharing. In the present study, 6 microsatellite markers were found useful to determine genetic diversity among Indian T. evansi isolates.

Recent outbreak of scrub typhus in North Western part of India.

Scrub typhus usually affects previously healthy active persons and if undiagnosed or diagnosed late, may prove to be life-threatening. Diagnosis of scrub typhus should be largely based on a high index of suspicion and careful clinical, laboratory and epidemiological evaluation. To describe the diverse clinical and laboratory manifestations of scrub typhus diagnosed in Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Jaipur. All cases of febrile illness diagnosed as scrub typhus over a period of 3 months were analysed. Diagnosis was based on ELISA test for antibody detection against 56 kDa antigen. Forty-two cases of scrub typhus were seen over a period of 3 months (October, 2012-December, 2012). Common symptoms were high grade fever of 4-30 days duration, cough, haemoptysis and breathlessness. Eschar was not seen even in a single patient. Liver enzymes were elevated in nearly all cases (95.9%). Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) was present in 16.66% of our patients (7 out of 42). Hypotension (6 patients, 14.2%), renal impairment (9 out of 15 patients, 60%), acute respiratory distress syndrome (4 patients, 9.52%) and meningitis (4 patients, 9.52%) were some of the important complications. There was a dramatic response to doxycycline in nearly all the patients, but initially when the disease was not diagnosed, seven patients had died. Scrub typhus has emerged as an important cause of febrile illness in Jaipur. Empirical treatment with doxycycline is justified in endemic areas.

Effect of weather on seed yield and radiation and water use efficiency of mustard cultivars in a semi-arid environment

The date of sowing of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) varies from year to year depending upon the harvesting of previous wet season crop in the northern and north-western part of India, which exposes the mustard crop to variable weather conditions. So an experiment was conducted in Indian Agricultural Research Institute research farm to study the interactive effect of variable weather and cultivars on yield, radiation and water use efficiency of mustard. In this experiment, split plot design was adopted with date of sowing (early, normal and late) as main plot treatment and mustard cultivars (Pusa Gold, Pusa Jai Kisan and Pusa Bold) as subplot treatments. Pooled over the years, mustard seed yield, radiation and water use efficiency was significantly (p=0.05) lower in late sowing compared to early sowing (by 46, 32 and 40%, respectively) and normal sowing (by 44, 26 and 41%, respectively). Early sowing and normal sowing were statistically at par with respect to mustard seed yield and water use efficiency. Among the cultivars, Pusa Jai Kisan and Pusa Bold were statistically at par with respect to seed yield, radiation and water use efficiency whereas Pusa Gold registered significantly lower seed yield, radiation and water use efficiency compared to the cultivars Pusa Jai Kisan (by 55, 23 and 52%, respectively) and Pusa Bold (by 56, 20 and 54%, respectively). There was significant interaction between date of sowing and cultivars with respect to seed yield, radiation and water use efficiency of mustard. From the above study it was concluded that normal or early sowing of the Pusa Jai Kisan or Pusa Bold cultivar may be practiced for achieving higher seed yield, radiation and water use efficiency in the semi arid environment of north and north-western part of India

Pathotyping and genetic screening of type III effectors in Indian strains of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae causing bacterial leaf blight of rice

Bacterial leaf blight (BB) caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is one of the important biotic threat in rice production worldwide. Xoo populations vary greatly across the geographical locations. In this study, 780 Xoo isolates collected from 13 different states of north-west and -eastern India were grouped into six races based on disease reaction to 12 near isogenic lines (NILs). Race 4 and 6 were predominant in north-western part of India; while races 2 and 3 were in the north-eastern hills and plains. The detailed analysis of disease reaction, revealed that race 1, and race 2 are less virulent compared to the other races. It is interesting to note the co-existence of both less virulent (like race 1) and more virulent races (like race 5) in the Xoo population in a particular location. Among the R-genes the most vulnerable are Xa1 and Xa2 showing susceptible reaction to all the races while Xa4, Xa11, xa13, and Xa21 were found to be stable showing resistant to moderately resistant type BB reaction. This suggests that genes like Xa4, Xa11, xa13, and Xa21 could be used as promising candidates for resistance breeding programme. Xoo like most of the phytopathogenic bacteria secrets type three effectors (T3Es) directly into the rice cell to induce blight. Thus T3Es effectors, both Xop and TAL, function as major virulence determinants in Xoo. We demonstrated the presence of 21 Xop-T3Es and 18 TAL-T3Es in the most predominant and virulent Indian Xoo race 4. Altogether, the present study brings an updated picture of race status along with T3E profiles of north-west and -eastern Indian Xoo strains, and this insight would be of enormous importance in understanding rice–Xoo interaction through subsequent functional analysis of these T3Es in BB induction.

Management of Cereal Crop Residues for Sustainable Rice-wheat Production System in the Indo-gangetic Plains of India

Rice-wheat (RW) cropping system of the Indo-Gangetic Plains has played a significant role in the food security of India. However, sustainability of this important cropping system is at risk due to the deterioration of soil health, mounting pressure on natural resources and emerging challenges of climate change. Conservation agriculture involving zero- or minimum-tillage and innovations in crop residue management (CRM) to avoid straw burning should assist in achieving sustainable productivity and allow farmers to reduce nutrient and water inputs, and reduce risk due to climate change. High yields of the irrigated RW system have resulted in production of huge quantities of crop residues (CRs). Burning of rice straw is common in north-western parts of India causing nutrient losses, and serious air quality problems affecting human health and safety. Mulch is a good option for rice residue management during the wheat crop, especially with no tillage. Mulch can increase yield, water use efficiency, and profitability, while decreasing weed pressure. Surplus residue from the previous wheat crop can be incorporated into the paddy fields with no adverse effect on rice yield. Residue decomposition in anaerobic flooded soil substantially increases methane emission relative to residue removal. Long-term studies of the residue recycling have indicated improvements in physical, chemical and biological health of soil. Since CRs contain significant quantities of plant nutrients; their continuous application will have positive effect on fertilizer management in RW system. Other plausible option of CRM lies in utilizing a potion of surplus residue for producing biochar (and co-production of bioenegy) for using as soil amendment to improve soil health, increase nutrient use efficiency and minimize air pollution. In this review authors have discussed current concerns and possible options for with efficient management of CRs in the RW cropping system.

Evaluating the Magnitude of Female Foeticide Problem of Punjab and Haryana A - Regional Analysis

Today, female foeticide problem is one of pressing problems of India. This problem has become a stigma and considered a sin in the Indian society. The problem has become aggravated particularly in the north-western part of India. In this context, various studies show that the male-child preference given by the masses which have given rise to skew the sex-ratio particularly the female proportionate figure in the age-group of 0-6 years. The present paper is an attempt to establish a ‘cause-effect relationship for determine the attitude and the mind-set of the people for giving their preference to the male child, particularly in the rural areas. This study is an empirical study, carried out for all the districts of Punjab and Haryana indicate a considerable regional disparity, as revealed by the district-wise study, carried out in Punjab and Haryana. In order to testing the trends of female foeticides for both the states, a t-test has been applied, as a results it shows that the probability of incidence of female foeticides is more or less same in rural and urban areas in both the states, located in north-west part of India.

Medicinal Plants used for treatment of Liver disorders by indigenous communities of Jammu & Kashmir, India

Liver is the largest organ inside human body and its diseases are some of the major causes of morbidity and mortality all across the globe. Traditional medicines are very important part of rural healthcare in the developing counties and may provide important clue for development of new drugs. Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), a predominantly Himalayan state in the north-western part of India is bestowed with a variety of natural resources including various important medicinal plants and is home to large numbers of indigenous communities. Aim of the present review is to provide a comprehensive list ofhepatoprotective medicinal plants used by indigenous communities of J&K for treatment of liver ailments. Scientific literature on ethno-medicinal field studies conducted in J&K state of India was searched to record the hepatoprotective plants used by the indigenous communities of the region. Review of literature revealed that, a total of 103 plant species belonging to 94 genera and 52 families were used by indigenous communities of J&K to treat various liver diseases. Maximum number of species used to treat liver diseases belonged to family Asteraceae (13 spp.) followed by Apiaceae (9 spp.), Ranunculaceae (5 spp.), Lamiaceae (5 spp.), Leguminoseae (4 spp.) and Amaranthaceae (4 spp.). Whole plant (57) was used in maximum number of preparations followed by root (56), leaf (28), flower (20), fruit (19), seed (12) and stem (10). Bupleurum was the most preferred genus for treatment of liver related ailments with maximum number of four species used, whereas 2 species each of genus Delphinium, Adiantum, Iris, Viola, Berberis and Saussurea were used. Some of the listed plants have also showed antioxidant as well as hepatoprotective properties in the earlier studies. The presented information will serve as a baseline data to initiate further research for discovery of new hepatoprotective compounds from these potential plants.

Climatic Responses, Environmental Indices and Interrelationships Between Qualitative and Quantitative Traits in Clusterbean Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L) Taub. Under Arid Conditions

Clusterbean, Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (Family Fabaceae), is a drought tolerant summer legume mainly grown in the north-western parts of India. India is the single largest producer and exporter of guar gum accounting for more than 80 % of total global output and trade. Forty genotypes of clusterbean were evaluated for a period of 3 years (2005–2007) under rainfed conditions to study the climatic responses and the association patterns of gum and endosperm content vis-a-vis morphological traits. The climatic parameters had significant impacts on the seed yield and gum content. Seed yield, yield attributing traits and gum content were markedly differed in their responses to the climate variables. Higher temperature (36.1 °C), lower relative humidity (78 %), more duration of sunshine (11 h) have been observed to be responsible for higher seed yield and gum content in the plant. The highest positive correlations were found with seed yield and pods/plant (r = 0.89), seeds/pod (r = 0.53), secondary branches/plant (r = 0.49), plant height (r = 0.48) and primary branches/plant (r = 0.29). Endosperm exhibited significant positive association with gum content. Plant height, number of branches, seeds/pod and pods/plant are the important characters for improvement of seed yield while higher seed weight may result into higher endosperm and indirectly higher gum content.

Initiation of a convective dust storm over North India on 21 April 2010 inferred using satellite data

Dust storms commonly occur during the pre-monsoon (summer) season in north and northwest parts of India. Characteristics of dust events of the pressure gradient type are well understood. However, comprehensive studies on mechanism of convective dust storms in India are few. A convective dust storm which occurred on 21 April 2010 in association with a western disturbance over North India was hence studied. In the absence of in situ data, we used available satellite data to study the event. Dust storm that occurred on 20 April 2010 on the surface of the Thar Desert transported dust to northern and northwestern parts of India (Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and some parts of Uttar Pradesh). This formed a background of aerosols that affected the thunderstorm formed in association with western disturbance and the strong updraft in the thunderstorm carried the dust lingering in the atmosphere to higher altitudes. Large amount of aerosols carried to higher altitude suppressed the chance of precipitation by affecting the cloud top microphysics. Enhancement in evaporation due to an increase in aerosol concentration and strong downdrafts during dissipation of the thunderstorm resulted in emission of dust particles which led to the convective dust event of 21 April 2010.

First indigenous transmission of Japanese Encephalitis in urban areas of National Capital Territory of Delhi, India

Until 2010, no Japanese encephalitis (JE) had been reported from Delhi. Upon report of four confirmed cases of JE in September 2011, detailed investigations were carried out to determine whether the cases were imported or indigenous. Entomological surveys were carried out and all mosquito pools were tested for the detection of JE virus by ELISA method using specific monoclonal antibody. Human blood samples from contacts of the patients were tested by IgM-captured ELISA method. Pig's blood samples were also tested for the detection of JE virus. Culex tritaeniorhynchus, Culex vishnui and Culex pseudovishnui mosquitoes were found. In contrast to rural areas, their breeding habitats were different in the city. 19 pools were tested. JE virus was detected in two pools of Cx.tritaeniorhynchus females reared from field-collected larvae, indicating vertical transmission. One pool of Cx.vishnui was also positive. This is the first report for the detection of JE virus in mosquitoes from Delhi. JE IgM antibodies in five contacts/residents indicate recent infection. JE virus was also detected in pigs. Present analysis shows that of four reported JE cases, three were confirmed indigenous, indicating that the virus is multiplying in the city. Mapping of infected JE vector mosquitoes in the cities is required for preventive measures to contain further spread of the disease.

Development of an antibody-ELISA for seroprevalence of Trypanosoma evansi in equids of North and North-western regions of India

The importance of Trypanosoma evansi as the etiological agent for surra is often overlooked due to difficulty in accurate diagnosis of the disease. In the present study, an antibody-ELISA was developed using whole cell lysate antigen prepared from purified trypanosomes and used for seroprevalence study of T. evansi in equids. A total of 3695 equids were surveyed and blood samples were collected from each animal during September 2009 to August 2011. Out of these, 420 serum samples were found positive for presence of antibodies against T. evansi collected from equids of six agro-climatic zones of North and North-western regions of India comprising eight states viz., Gujarat (36/479), Haryana (11/275), Himachal Pradesh (14/83), Jammu and Kashmir (32/221), Punjab (1/38), Rajasthan (90/1148), Uttarakhand (141/753), and Uttar Pradesh (65/330). The maximum seroprevalence (19.69%) for T. evansi infection was observed in equids of Uttar Pradesh state with an overall seroprevalence of 11.36% in North and North-western regions of India. The results indicated that surra is endemic in equids of North and North-western parts of India.

Evidence for right-lateral strike-slip environment in the Kutch basin of northwestern India from moment tensor inversion studies

Abstract The Kutch region located in northwestern part of India is an ancient rift basin that was active until Cretaceous period. The region falls close to the India–Arabia and the India–Eurasia plate boundaries and has experienced devastating earthquakes in the past, namely the 1819 Allah Bund earthquake, the 1956 Anjar earthquake and the 2001 Bhuj earthquake. To understand the tectonics of this region with respect to the adjacent plate boundaries, we invert seismic waveform data of 11 earthquakes in this region recorded by a network of the Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) during 2007–2009. The study yields focal mechanism solutions of reverse fault and strike-slip type mechanism. The inferred fault planes correlate well with the local trends of the known tectonic faults while the principal stress directions derived from stress inversion based on a linearized least squares approach, trend agreeably with the ambient stress field directions. A consistently right-lateral sense of shear is found on all the local faults as derived from each of the matching planes of the focal mechanism solutions computed in the present study. It is inferred that in the Kutch region a right-lateral strike-slip environment prevails along predominantly EW to NW-SE oriented deep-seated pre-existing faults in an otherwise compressive stress regime. This, in conjunction with the left-lateral movements along the Girnar mountain in southern Saurashtra, inferred from previous studies, indicates a westward escape of the Kutch–Saurashtra block as a consequence of the northward collision of the Indian plate with respect to the Eurasian landmass.

Genesis and geochemistry of high fluoride bearing groundwater from a semi-arid terrain of NW India

Occurrence of fluoride in natural water resources and the associated health hazards have been reported from many parts of India during the last decade. With the objective of organizing a systematic scientific programme to understand the geochemical behaviour of fluoride in natural water resources in relation to the local hydrogeological, climatic conditions and agricultural use, a typical semi-arid terrain in the northwestern part of India was chosen for detailed study. The present work is an attempt to study the fluoride contamination in groundwater in parts of Jaipur district, Rajasthan state, and to assess the origin and genesis of fluoride in groundwater. The area, falling under the semi-arid tract of central Rajasthan, is geologically occupied by alluvial formations and Precambrian rocks (gneisses and schists) where groundwater occurs under unconfined to semi-confined conditions. A total of 66 groundwater samples was collected during the pre-monsoon period and analysed, which gave a concentration of fluoride in water in the range of 0.35 to 9.3 mg/l with 62 % of the samples in excess of permissible limit of 1.5 mg/l. As compared to alluvial formations, fluoride enrichment in groundwater is higher in hard rock areas. The samples collected from the granite gneissic terrain show higher values when compared to those in the schist. The groundwater of the shallow aquifers (soil–clay complex weathered zone) has a higher concentration of fluoride than the deep (fractured hard rock) aquifer does. The possible sources of fluoride are chemical weathering and leaching of fluorine-bearing minerals present in hard rocks and alluvial formations under the alkaline environment in arid to semi-arid conditions. High pH as well as alkalinity and low levels of Ca, Mg and total hardness suggest favourable chemical conditions for the fluoride dissolution process. A higher rate of evapotranspiration, intensive and long-term irrigation and heavy use of fertilizers are the supplementary factors that further increase the fluoride content in the groundwater. A groundwater management programme is suggested.

Four climate change scenarios for the Indian summer monsoon by the regional climate model COSMO-CLM

[1] This paper discusses projections of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) by the regional climate model COSMO-CLM, highlighting similarities to and differences from its driving model, the global atmosphere–ocean model ECHAM5/MPIOM. The ISM is quantified using the all-Indian monsoon rainfall (AIMR) index and two vertical wind shear indices. To investigate the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions on the ISM, four emission scenarios for the time period 1960–2100 (Special Report on Emissions Scenarios A2, A1B, B1, and commitment) are considered. The COSMO-CLM simulations show significantly weakening ISM trends in all indices for emission scenarios A2, A1B, and B1. Parts of northwestern India are projected to face a decrease in the monsoon rainfall amount of over 70% within this century. For the wind shear indices, the projected decreases are mainly due to changes in the upper troposphere winds. The weakening of the dynamics in the COSMO-CLM is in agreement with the weakening in the driving ECHAM5/MPIOM model. The two models further agree in significantly positive trends of atmospheric water vapor contents and rain day intensities. However, ECHAM5/MPIOM shows no decrease in AIMR. The different AIMR trends in the two models are found to be due to different changes in the residence time of water in the atmosphere: In the COSMO-CLM projections, the residence time is more prolonged than in ECHAM5/MPIOM. This again is the consequence of a decrease in the number of depressions moving toward the northwestern parts of India.

Aerosols optical properties in dynamic atmosphere in the northwestern part of the Indian Himalaya: A comparative study from ground and satellite based observations

The present study deals with the aerosol optical property which carried out during April 2006 to March 2007 over Mohal (31.9°N, 77.12°E) in the northwestern Indian Himalaya. The study was conducted using ground based Multi-wavelength Radiometer (MWR) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor. The daily average aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 500 nm was found to be (mean ± standard deviation) 0.24 ± 0.10. The afternoon AOD values have been noticed to be higher than the forenoon AOD values. Spectral AOD values exhibited larger day-to-day variation in finer aerosols during the observation period. The daily average value of Ångström exponent ‘α’ and turbidity coefficient ‘β’ obtained was 1.10 ± 0.38 and 0.12 ± 0.08 respectively. Higher value of AOD ~ 0.39 ± 0.06 during summer associated with low α ~ 0.73 ± 0.28 has attributed to the increase in the relative dominance of coarse size particles. In winter α ~ 1.21 ± 0.32 indicating a considerable increase in fine size particles, attributed to the anthropogenic activities. The AOD spectra seem to be more wavelength dependent in winter as compared to summer. Comparison of MWR observation with MODIS observation indicates a good conformity between ground-based and satellite derived AOD. The root mean square deviation (RMSD), mean absolute bias deviation (MABD) and correlation coefficient have been found to be ~ 0.08, ~ 0.06 and ~ 0.77 respectively. These results suggest that the AOD retrieval through satellite can be able to characterize AOD distribution over Mohal. However, further efforts to eliminate systematic errors in the existing MODIS products are needed. During the observation period ~ 30%, ~ 47% and ~ 62% air parcels drawn at 4000, 5500 and 8000 m above ground level respectively reached at Mohal which passed through or originated from The Great Sahara. The maximum AOD at 500 nm occurred on 8 May 2006. This has caused a significant reduction in surface reaching solar irradiance by ~ 59 Wm −2. The back trajectory analysis suggested that the highest AOD during summer is due to high degree of human interference in the form of tourism and dust transport from the country lying in the northwestern part of India.

Acute febrile encephalopathy in adults from Northwest India

Background:Acute onset fever with altered mentation is a common problem encountered by the physician practicing in tropical countries. Central nervous system (CNS) infections are the most common cause resulting in fever with altered mentation in children.Aim:In this study, we have tried to analyze the cause of encephalopathy following short febrile illness in adults presenting to a tertiary care center in Northwestern part of India.Setting and Design:A prospective observational study carried out in a tertiary care center in the Northwestern India over a period of 1 year.Material and MethodsA total of 127 patients with fever of less than 2 weeks duration along with alteration in mentation were studied prospectively over a period of 12 months. The demographic variables were recorded in detail. In addition to routine investigations, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, noncontrast- and contrast-enhanced computed tomography, along with magnetic resonance imaging were performed in all the subjects.Statistical AnalysisThe results were analyzed using SPSS statistical software. The values were expressed as mean with standard deviation for contiguous variable as percentage for the others.Results and ConclusionOut of these, 70% had primary CNS infection as the etiology. A total of 33% patients had meningitis, 29.9% had evidence of meningoencephalitis, and 12.7% were diagnosed as sepsis-associated encephalopathy. These were followed by cerebral malaria, leptospirosis, and brain abscess as the cause of febrile encephalopathy in adults. Among the noninfectious causes, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, cortical venous thrombosis, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome were documented in 2.36% each. In 11% of the patients, the final diagnosis could not be made in spite of the extensive investigations. Our study demonstrates that acute febrile encephalopathy in adults is a heterogeneous syndrome with primary CNS infections being the commonest etiology.

Growth and yield prediction in mustard using InfoCrop simulation model

The present study was conducted to calibrate and predict the growth and yield of Brassica juncea under semiarid environment of Delhi region using InfoCrop model. Field experiments were carried out with the variety Pusa Jaikisan (most popularly grown in north western parts of India), sown on 15th and 30th October of rabi, 2005-06 and 2006-07 on sandy clay loam textured soils at research farm of Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. The base temperature at different phenological stages was taken as 50C. The thermal time from germination to flowering was calibrated to 7300D. Crop growth parameters like leaf area index (LAI), biomass and seed yield were simulated using InfoCrop model. The model overestimated LAI and biomass at the initial crop growth stages but underestimated at the peak/maximum level. The model overestimated the seed yield for both the sowings and the seasons. Actual seed yield was of the order of 23 to 37 q ha-1 while the simulated yield was of the order of 37 to42 q ha-1 with a RMSE value of 3.14 indicating significant differences between observed and simulated yield. The model needs further refinement.

Elemental and individual particle analysis of atmospheric aerosols from high Himalayas

Atmospheric aerosols were collected during the scientific expedition to Mt. Qomolangma (Everest) in May-June, 2005. The elemental concentrations of the aerosols were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. This yielded data for the concentration of 14 elements: Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb. The mean elemental concentrations were generally comparable with those from central Asia and the Arctic, while much higher than those from Antarctic. Size, morphology, and chemical composition of 900 individual aerosol particles were determined by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis. Based on morphology and elemental composition, the particles were clustered into eight groups: soot (8%), tar ball (3%), alumosilicates/silica (55%), calcium sulfate (16%), Ca/Mg carbonate (2%), Fe/Ti-rich particles (3%), Pb-rich particles (1%), and biological particles (12%). The sampling site, located at 6,520 m in the Himalayas, is particularly remote and located at high altitude. Nonetheless, high aerosol enrichment factors for copper, chromium, lead, nickel, vanadium, and zinc all suggest the influence of long-range transported pollution, while enrichment in calcium and the presence of alumino-silicates in individual particle analyses indicates a distinct mineral dust influence. The backward air mass trajectories showed that the northwestern part of India may contribute to the atmospheric aerosol in the central high Himalayas.

Genetic affinities among the lower castes and tribal groups of India: inference from Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA.

BackgroundIndia is a country with enormous social and cultural diversity due to its positioning on the crossroads of many historic and pre-historic human migrations. The hierarchical caste system in the Hindu society dominates the social structure of the Indian populations. The origin of the caste system in India is a matter of debate with many linguists and anthropologists suggesting that it began with the arrival of Indo-European speakers from Central Asia about 3500 years ago. Previous genetic studies based on Indian populations failed to achieve a consensus in this regard. We analysed the Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA of three tribal populations of southern India, compared the results with available data from the Indian subcontinent and tried to reconstruct the evolutionary history of Indian caste and tribal populations.ResultsNo significant difference was observed in the mitochondrial DNA between Indian tribal and caste populations, except for the presence of a higher frequency of west Eurasian-specific haplogroups in the higher castes, mostly in the north western part of India. On the other hand, the study of the Indian Y lineages revealed distinct distribution patterns among caste and tribal populations. The paternal lineages of Indian lower castes showed significantly closer affinity to the tribal populations than to the upper castes. The frequencies of deep-rooted Y haplogroups such as M89, M52, and M95 were higher in the lower castes and tribes, compared to the upper castes.ConclusionThe present study suggests that the vast majority (>98%) of the Indian maternal gene pool, consisting of Indio-European and Dravidian speakers, is genetically more or less uniform. Invasions after the late Pleistocene settlement might have been mostly male-mediated. However, Y-SNP data provides compelling genetic evidence for a tribal origin of the lower caste populations in the subcontinent. Lower caste groups might have originated with the hierarchical divisions that arose within the tribal groups with the spread of Neolithic agriculturalists, much earlier than the arrival of Aryan speakers. The Indo-Europeans established themselves as upper castes among this already developed caste-like class structure within the tribes.