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New quinazolinone-based Mannich bases: Synthesis and in vitro cytotoxic evaluation
Get PDFThis research presents the synthesis of new quinazolinone-based Mannich bases in good yields via a three-step procedure. The first step is the reaction of 6-hydroxyanthranilic acid 1 with an excess of acetic anhydride at 150°C for 2 h to afford benzoxazinone 2 in 87% yield. Compound 2 is then reacted with 4-aminophenol in DMSO at reflux for 7 h to give compound 3 in 75% yield. Finally, the reaction of 3 with paraformadehyde and secondary amines in ethanol affords new quinazolinone-based Mannich bases 4a-c and 5a-e in 55-70% yields. The structure of Mannich bases have been characterized by NMR and MS spectra. The bio-assay results show that some new Mannich bases exhibited weak to moderate cytotoxic activity against SKLu-1 and MCF-7 cell lines
Weather prediction using traditional knowledge in cold arid high altitude region of Ladakh in India
Get PDFThe Union territory of Ladakh in India is a cold arid high altitude region. The subsistence nature of agriculture being practiced (by majority of farmers) in the region is solely dependent on melted glacier water. The present study was undertaken in Leh district of Ladakh to identify, prioritize and understand the traditional knowledge (TK) used by the farming community for prediction of weather. The primary data were collected from 320 households from 20 villages in Leh district from 2015 to 2020. The primary data were aided and validated by Focused Group Discussions with key informants and stakeholders working in the region such as scientists from research institutions and officials from agriculture and line departments. Farmers used combination of indicators including behavioral changes of birds and animals, change in atmospheric events and inferences drawn from Lotho (almanac) to predict weather. Migration pattern of birds was the most ancient, common and widely prevalent TK used for prediction of onset and extent of snowfall and winter season by farmers. Building of nest by birds on poplar tree (Poplus sp.) at different heights and directions was used to predict temperatures in the forthcoming summer season. The duration of hibernation of Himalayan marmots (Marmota himalayana) was an indication of duration of snowfall and winter temperatures. Timing and extent of precipitation (rainfall and snowfall) was used to predict the distribution of snowfall and winter temperatures. Lotho was extensively used for planning agricultural operations till a decade ago. The farming community used different TK in totality to enhance the accuracy of weather prediction. It was found that improved connectivity of the region with the mainland, introduction of modern communication technologies and decreasing dependence on agriculture as a primary livelihood option (because of the emergence of non-farm based opportunities such as services and tourism) have made the use of TK less prevalent among young generation farmers. However, the majority of the farmers expressed the need for blending TK and modern science for addressing location-specific problems
Assessment of indigenous technical knowledge on uses of Alliums in plant protection
Get PDFTraditional indigenous pest and disease management practices followed by Indian farmers were environment friendly, economical and largely non-hazardous to human health. Nevertheless, indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides in today’s modern agriculture has resulted in health hazards, development of insecticide resistance in pests and environmental pollution. Among the traditional practices, the extracts of onion and garlic were effective in indigenous pest management practices. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to document and validate the Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) on ethnobotanical uses of onion and garlic in crop protection practices. The validation of the ITKs was done with 30 experts from the relevant scientific field. Present study revealed that among 36 formulations which were measured on 150 validity score, 30.56% had the validity score above 120, whereas 61.11% scored between 100 to 120. These results showed their wider applicability as pesticide and fungicide to protect various vegetables, cereals, pulses and commercial crops from biological stresses. In vitro standardization of formulation is necessary for effective application on targeted pest. Popularization and commercialization of these ITKs can be a boost for residue free food production.
Indigenous hydropriming practice for fastening seed germination might induce reciprocal effects in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under “on-farm” seed priming scenario
Get PDFFrom the vedic times, the cultivation of crops in India, were meant for sustenance of mankind. The age old practices transferred across generations have being followed by the young and the old without a second thought. The main land agriculture that has adopted several of these practices has witnessed many a kind of ups and downs from replicating these practices. The lack of a strategic scientific validation aided with the misinformation by passing the indigenous knowledge across generations have caused many a kind of deleterious effects too. One of such traditional practice is the soaking of seeds prior to germination that is being scientifically stated as the seed priming which enhances the process of germination. Though the “on- farm” seed priming technology have been pointed out as a sustainable option for the intensification of agriculture in marginal and tribal belts of the country, its recommendation needs prior standardization in and across various crop genotypes. Hence, in this study the effect of different durations of hydropriming on the germination and growth of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) were assessed. BGD 72 variety of Desi and BGD 128 variety of Kabuli were used for the study. It was observed that there occurs wide variation in germination and seedling growth across the intervals of priming and each positive effect is sharply - duration and genotype specific.
India’s rank and global share in scientific research: how publication counting method and subject selection can vary the outcomes?
Get PDFDuring the last two decades, India has emerged as a major knowledge producer in the world, however different reports put it at different ranks, varying from 3rd to 9th places. The recent commissioned study reports of Department of Science and Technology (DST) done by Elsevier and Clarivate Analytics, rank India at 5thand 9th places, respectively. On the other hand, an independent report by National Science Foundation (NSF) of United States (US), ranks India at 3rd place on research output in Science and Engineering area. Interestingly, both, the Elsevier and the NSF reports use Scopus data, and yet surprisingly their outcomes are different. This article, therefore, attempts to investigate as to how the use of same database can still produce different outcomes, due to differences in methodological approaches. The publication counting method used and the subject selection approach are the two main exogenous factors identified to cause these variations. The implications of the analytical outcomes are discussed with special focus on policy perspectives
Design Development and Evaluation of Lever type Maize Sheller
Get PDFAn investigation was carried out to design, develop and evaluate the performance of manually operated Lever type Maize Sheller (LMS). It consisted of a handle, guiding rod, supporting rod, spring loaded ram, cob guiding cylinder, shelling blade, buffer, collection chamber, shutter and frame. The performance of LMS was statistically compared with tubular maize sheller (TMS) in terms of throughput capacity, shelling capacity, shelling efficiency, unshelled seeds and damaged seeds. Statistical analysis showed that individual and interaction effect of length of cobs and type of shellers significantly affected the performance parameters at 1% level of significance. The throughput capacity and shelling capacity was found to be 45 kg cobs/h and 35 kg seeds/h whereas it was 68% and 67%, respectively more as compare to TMS. Moreover, shelling efficiency of LMS was found as 96.34% and it was 3.12% less than that of TMS. The unshelled seeds were 3.66% with LMS and 0.55% with TMS. The seed damage during operation with LMS was around 5%, while it was nil in case of TMS. The total savings on shelling hundred kg seeds was found as ₹428 with average hourly net profit of ₹ 150.22 and payback period of 10 hours
Novel Method for Wind Turbines Blades Damage Classification using Image Processing
Get PDFWind turbine generators are spreading around the world due to its advantages over fossil fuels. Structural monitoring of them is important to increase operation and reduce maintenance times. Visual inspection is highly influenced by the human factor due to the working conditions. Image processing supported by vision systems offers high advantages reducing times, being the software and processing algorithms, which generates added value. In this paper, a novel method for wind turbines blades damages analysis is presented using image processing and a classifier based on dimensional features. The image acquisition is performed using a reflex camera with a telephoto and geo-location enabled. The faults analyzed include cracks, edge erosion, and electric discharge
Antibacterial drug;Carboxy methyl cellulose;Chitosan;Colloidal particles;Drug delivery
Get PDFNanotechnology has provided numerous cutting-edge applications in drug delivery, biosensors, nanorobots, biomedical devices and nanocarriers. Polyelectrolyte mediated nanocapsules contributes a significant development as drug carriers for more than a decade. Majority of the nanocapsules employed in the drug delivery system are fabricated using synthetic materials leading to many health complications. In this research, natural polyelectrolyte capsules are prepared using carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) and chitosan by dip coating technique. The capsules are used for the delivery of antibacterial drug by encapsulating ciprofloxacin hydrochloride into the capsule interiors. The drug release study has been carried out by altering the permeability of the capsule shell. The optimal pH for the drug encapsulation has been established at 2.3 pH and 381 μg of drug is loaded in 60 min. The drug release study is performed at three different pH conditions of 2.0 pH, 6.0 pH, and 7.2 pH respectively and the release media chosen is water and PBS. Maximum amount of drug release (367 μg) is achieved at pH 2.0 within 48 hours. The study demonstrates an easy and effective delivery of antibacterial drug from natural polyelectrolyte capsules
Removal of Chlorpyrifos, Malathion, Dichlorvos and Profenofos by nanocomposite containing AgNP
Get PDFPesticides are frequently used in agriculture, which contaminates both surface and ground water. Surface adsorption, photocatalysis, membrane separation and biodegradation are methods to remove the pesticides. These methods are expensive and time consuming. In this study silver nanoparticles were synthesized by using endophytic bacterial strain VXB8. A nanocomposite (CAB with 20 mg silver nanoparticles) has been designed for the removal of organophosphate compounds from aqueous solution. Individually after passing 100 μg/mL of chlorpyrifos, malathion, dichlorvos and profenofos solution through nanocomposite, the removal efficiency of pesticides has been analyzed by UV/Visible spectroscopy and GC-MS analysis. The removal efficiency of chlorpyrifos, malathion, dichlorvos and profenofos is 88.49, 75.79, 78.2 and 64.1 % respectively. The proposed method is simple, rapid, environmentally friendly with good pesticides removal efficiency
Agro-waste valorization for sustainable economy of sugar mills in India
Get PDFIndian sugar mills produce a large volume of agro-waste sugar cane bagasse (SCB), which, due to its improper use, causes environmental issues. Contrastingly, the valorization of SCB by integrating advanced technologies for biochemical production can alleviate waste disposal problems, enhance resource utilization, and promote a circular economy. The present review explores recent advances in SCB-derived valuable biochemicals such as bioethanol, biogas, xylitol, carboxylic acids, 2,3-butanediol, and furfural using advanced pretreatment techniques and engineered strains. Furthermore, it discusses the challenges and opportunities in bio-chemical production, the economic and environmental assessment, and the implications of the Government of India’s (GOI) valuable schemes for agro-waste valorization