Journal of Applied and Natural Science
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Dental unit water lines: The infectious sources of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Water quality in the dental unit water lines (DUWLs) is important to the patients and dental healthcare personnel as they are at risk of being infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The aim of the present study was to determine the occurrence of P. aeruginosa contamination in DUWLs and to study the antibiotic resistant profile. A total of 101 dental water samples including air/water spray (26), Ultrasonic scalar (24), Air rotor compressor (26) and Distilled water (25) were screened for P. aeruginosa and 67 samples were found to be contaminated by P. aeruginosa. All these isolates were further subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing. Among these, 63 (94.02%) showed resistance to ampicillin followed by 39 (58.20%) to amoxicillin, 11 (16.41%) to cefepime, 5 (7.46%) to aztreonam and 1 (1.49%) to gentamicin
Fungicidal management of Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler causing blight of gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii H. Bolus ex J.D. Hook)
Alternaria, the fungal pathogen has wide host range generally attacks the aerial parts of plants causing leaf spots and blights. Gerbera is a genus of ornamental flower plants. Gerbera plants are infected by many diseases. Different disease management practices are adopted in gerbera cultivation. The fungicidal management of Alternaria blight is one of the important strategies for the disease management in gerbera in polyhouse condition. In this study, preventive and curative fungicidal sprays were adopted for the management of blight disease in polyhouse. This study revealed that preventive fungicidal sprays were significant over curative fungicidal sprays for the management of Alternaria alternata blight of gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii H. Bolus ex J.D. Hook) in polyhouse. The preventive sprays made of Bordeaux mixture (0.6 %), tricyclazole (0.1%) and iprodione + carbendazim (0.1%) fungicides were found effective with 95.85 %, 96.59 % and 95.88 % disease control respectively, under polyhouse condition
Nanoparticles in the soil environment and their behaviour : An overview
The increasing use of nanoparticles (NPs) in industries, soil and water remediation technologies, potential agricultural uses (e.g. fertilizers) and unintentional releases via air, water and sewage sludge application to the land likely leads to the release of such materials into the environment. The unique properties of NPs, such as high specific surface area, abundant reactive sites on the surface as a consequence of a large fraction of atoms located on the exterior rather than in the interior of NPs, as well as their mobility, could cause environmental hazards orpotentially harm soil health.It could be assumed that NPs may not have a direct influence on plant growth but may be responsible for the influence through indirect mechanisms. Light microscopy of root sections showed that the ZnO particles adsorbed into root tissues and cells and damaged the root tissues. Results from ecotoxicological studies show that certain NPs have effects on organisms under environmental conditions, though mostly at elevated concentrations. Nanominerals and mineral NPs in the environment have been present throughout the evolutionary development of hominids, and our exposure to these through inhalation, ingestion are important foci of nanotoxicology and environmental sciences. The more research on occurrence, characteristics of NPs and their behaviour in environment is needed towards a logical conclusion of the effects of NPs on environment
Regional flood frequency analysis of Tripura based on L-moment
The annual maximum discharge data of six gauging sites have been considered for L-moment based regional flood frequency analysis of Tripura, India. Homogeneity of the region has been tested based on heterogeneity measure (H) using method of L-moment. Based on heterogeneity measure it has been observed that the region consist of six gauging sites is homogeneous. Different probability distributions viz. Generalized extreme value (GEV), Generalized Logistic (GLO), Generalized Pareto (GPA), Generalized Normal (GNO), Pearson Type III (PE3) and Wakebay (WAK) have been considered for this investigation. PE3, GNO and GEV have been identified as the candidate distributions based on the L-moment ratio diagram and ZDIST -statistics criteria. Regional growth curves for three candidate distributions have been developed for gauged and ungauged catchments. Monte Carlo simulations technique has also been used to estimate accuracy of the estimated regional growth curves and quantiles. From simulation study it has been observed that PE3 distribution is the robust one
Impact of endomycorrhizal fungi and other bioinoculants on growth enhancement of Glycine max (L.) Merrill
In the present investigation, the contributions of two indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus mosseae and Acaulospora laevis), along with Trichoderma viride and Bradyrhizobium japonicum on growth parameters of Soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill were investigated. The results obtained indicated the dependence of soybean on mycorrhizal symbiosis. The different growth parameters increased significantly after 120 days of inoculation in comparison to control. Among all the growth parameters studied, plant height (162±3.34), fresh shoot weight (31.26±1.45), dry shoot weight (3.52±0.05), fresh root weight (4.07±0.56), dry root weight (1.03±0.03), root length (49.0±4.47) and leaf area (32.58±1.70) were highest in the combination of G. mosseae + A. laevis + T. viride + B. japonicum but arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) spore number (95.2±3.19) and percent mycorrhizal root colonization (93.26±3.96) were maximum in single inoculation of G. mosseae. Second most effective results were observed in the plants treated with G. mosseae alone. Thus the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and other bioinoculants in rhizosphere of soybean had positive effect on the different growth parameters
Analysis of avian-biodiversity in rural wetland environs in Panipat district in Haryana, India
The present study has observed 67 species of wetland birds, belonging to, 10 orders and 18 families from rural wetland Environs in Panipat district located at a distance of 90 KMs north of Delhi on National Highway No.1 (29.39°N 76.97°E) in Haryana, India. Out of 67 species, 35 species were winter migrants, 18 residents, 10 local migrants and four species were summer migrants. Peculiar species of birds recorded in Panipat rural ponds are Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala, White-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus, Asian openbill- Stork Anastomusoscitans, Lesser Adjutant Stork Leptoptilos javanicus, Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus, Oriental White Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus, Black Ibis Pseudibis papillosa, Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus, Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia, Brahminy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea, Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos, Tufted Pochard Aythya fuligula and Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus. On the other hand, familiar species include amongst others, Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus, Common Coot Fulica atra, Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata, Northern Pintail Anas acuta, Common Teal Anas crecca, Common Pochard Aythya ferina, Gadwall Anas strepera and Lesser-whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica etc. Longest stay during winter season was demonstrated by birds like Northern Shoveller, Northern Pintail, Bar-headed Goose, Greylag Goose and Rudy Shelduck, whereas shortest winter sojourn was observed in case of Mallard, Eurasian Wigeon and Common Pochard. It is interesting to note that migratory birds like Northern Shoveller, Northern Pintail, Common Teal, Bar-headed Goose, Tufted Pochard, and Common Pochard come to Panipat rural ponds from very far off places like Central Russia, Caspian USSR, Siberia, Ladhakh and Central Asia, West and Central Asia and Siberia respectively
Study of Caryophyllidean (Capingentidae: Pseudobatrachus) tapeworms of fresh water fishes of Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, India: Part-III
Presently eight species are reported from the World in the genus, Pseudobatrachus, Pathak and Srivastav, 2005 i.e. P. chandrai Pathak and Srivastav, 2005; P. moolchandrai Srivastav et al, 2006; P. chandlaensis Sahu, 2007; P. madhyapradeshensis, Khare, 2008; P. chhatrasali Sahu et al, 2009; P. Sengarii Singh, 2009; P. kenensis Srivastav et al, 2010 and P. ramchandrai, Srivastav and Aditya, 2010. The present form is the ninth one from the Indian subcontinent as well as from the whole world and differs on the basis of various morphometric character viz. size of worm, size and shape of scolex, presence of bothridea and grooved rostellum, size of neck, size and number of testes, size of cirrus pouch, presence of internal seminal vesicle, size of ovary and shape of ovarian lobes, size of vitellaria and their distribution, presence of receptaculum seminis, size of uterus, size and type of eggs and their hosts. The caryophyllidean is unique among cestoidea in having monopleuroide body plane, i.e. without internal or external proglottidization and with a single set of reproductive organ. Thus it is provisionally accommodated as P. ramsagarensis n. sp
Citric acid: A potential permeabilizer against multiple drug resistance enteropathogenic Escherichia coli
Enteric diseases enter through the mouth and are usually spread by contaminated food, water or contact with contaminated vomit or feces. Enteric infection encompasses all the infections of the intestinal tract. These intestinal infections include organisms like Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Klebsiella, Proteus etc. Out of these, E. coli are one of the common causes of enteric infection. In spite the introduction of a wide variety of antimicrobial agents against enteric diseases, life threatening infections caused by E. coli contributes to morbidity and mortality in patients. The present study was conducted to determine the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of E. coli obtained from stool samples and potentiation of antibiotic activity by citric acid against multiple drug resistant E. coli. Out of the 200 isolates of E. coli, 150 were found to be resistant to one or more antibiotics tested. 0.05% and 0.1% citric acid was found to be effective in increasing the potency of the all the antibiotics used in the study
Antennal sensilla of head of poultry shaft louse, Menopon gallinae (Phthiraptera, Insecta, Menoponidae, Amblycera)
Phthirapteran ectoparasites (lice) are very small arthropodan creature which spend their life on different mammalian and avian host body. Many morphological features of these tiny creatures are not visible under simple microscopic study and hence scanning electron microscopic (SEM) study is required for specific details. Antennal sensillum is also one of the special features located on anterior part of the head of the louse. The present study on the sample specimen of poultry louse, Menopon gallinae (Phthiraptera : Amblycera) showed presence of a small, ovoid scape and pedicel (broad cup-like structure having narrower base) seen in antennal sensilla under SEM. In addition to sensory setae, sense organ was present on terminal segment. Tuft organ contain 6/7 small peg like structure. Pit organ was also visible at the sub-terminal area of fourth segment. Presence of any structure resembling coeloconic chaemo-receptor was not observed on any flagellar sub-segment of M. gallinae
In vitro biology of Columbicola bacillus (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera)
An ischnoceran louse, Columbicola bacillus infesting Ring dove, Streptopelia decaocto was subjected to in vitro experimentation. The data obtained through in vitro experimentation was utilized to construct the life table and to determine its intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm). The value of rm appeared to be 0.054. At this rate, the population of C. bacillus is supposed to be double after 12.95 days, indicating that it is moderate breeder