46 research outputs found
Megymenum distanti Kocorek & Ghate, 2012, new species
No full textMegymenum distanti, new species (Figs. 1–9) Diagnosis. The new species is similar to M. affine BOISDUVAL and M. brevicorne (FABRICIUS) in its body outline and sculpture; nevertheless, it can easily be separated from both of these species by the characters given in the Table 1. Description. Body dark brown with metallic tinge and light brown membrane, elongate, abdomen slightly broader than pronotum (Fig. 1). Head punctured; paraclypei deeply concave and much longer than clypeus; preocular part swollen with small sharp process in female; eyes rounded, protruding and pedunculate, light-brown, ocelli of the same color, interocellar distance 1,8–2,1; antennae 4 -segmented, 1 st segment short, not reaching apex of head, 2 nd long and broad, 3 rd flattened and broadened, 4 th spindle-shaped; rostrum same color as rest of body, reaching mid-coxae, its 1 st segment extending beyond base of head, bucculae lobed, buccular surface convex and rugose, almost of the same color as head. Pronotum generally of same color as head, with numerous fine ridges, and punctures on anterior border which is drawn forwards to form a small collar-like structure behind base of head, bearing small but sharp spines in female; antero-lateral margins rounded without processes, antero-median tuberosity large and conspicuous; lateral pronotal margins irregularly rugged with a single pointed projection; posterior pronotal angles broadly rounded; posterior pronotal margin straight at base of scutellum. tanti new species. Meso- and metasternum with a deep median groove; scent gland spout large and conspicuous, evaporatoria wrinkled. Scutellum with punctures dispersed over its entire surface; prominent cavity-like depressions at basal angles. Corium shorter than scutellum, membrane shorter than abdomen, cream-colored, with brownish patches. Legs uniformly colored, under-surface of femora with ten small spines (more or less distinct) arranged in two rows with distal spines progressively robust or strong, hind tibia of female slightly dilated. Abdominal sterna of same color as remaining parts of body, sparsely punctured; lateral parts of sterna uncovered by hemelytra, well conspicuous; each sternum laterally with small posteriorly directed apical projection and very small median lobe. Male genital capsule with median swollen process on its ventral rim; paramere with small and triangular growth; anterior part of ejaculatory reservoir strongly coiled. Female 9 th paratergite similar to that of M. affine and M. brevicorne, 1 st valvifers with distinct median elevation. Spermathecal bulb small, pumping region well defined, distal and proximal flanges distinct, spermathecal duct membranous, forming folding sack-like structure with minute spines, ring sclerite present. Measurements (in mm). Male: total body length 13.0; abdominal width 7.1; head length 2.3; head width 2.5; interocelar distance 1.8; antennal segments: I 0.7, II 1.6, III 1.3, IV 1.1; pronotal length 3.8; pronotal width 6.4; scutellum length 3.6; width 3.5. Female: total body length 13.9; abdominal width 8.9; head length 2.4; head width 2.7; interocelar distance 2.1; antennal segments: I 0.8, II 1.7, III 1.4, IV 1.1; pronotal length 4.0; pronotal width 7.0; scutellum length 3.9; width 3.9. Type material. Holotype male: India, Pune, August 2010, coll. H.V. Ghate & Sanket Tembe, preserved in the collection of University of Opole at Department of Biosystematics; Paratype female: India, Pune, August 2010, coll. H.V. Ghate & Sanket Tembe, preserved in the collection of Modern College, Pune; an additional pair of male and female paratypes, coll H.V. Ghate (September 2010, same locality), also preserved in the collection of Modern College. Etymology. The species name is dedicated to W.L. Distant, the eminent British entomologist and the author of the Hemiptera volumes in the monumental Fauna of British India series, as well as for many other papers on Hemiptera. Notes on biology. The new species was collected from Pune in August-September 2010 as adults (Fig. 2) and as instars (Fig. 3) on the host plant Diplocyclos palmatus (Cucurbitaceae) (Fig. 4). This climber grows at several places along the roadside on the campus of the University of Pune. The adults as well as nymphs were found to feed exclusively on tender shoots. Mating pairs as well as all stages of nymphs also fed on the same plant, and not on other plants that grow profusely near the side of its host plant. Neither nymphs nor adults smell strongly or release copious secretions when handled.Published as part of Kocorek, Anna & Ghate, Hemant, 2012, Megymenum distanti, a new remarkable species of the Dinidoridae subfamily Megymeninae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Dinidoridae) from India, pp. 31-39 in Zootaxa 3218 on pages 31-35, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21083
Fighting Patent Wars on Bioresources: The Indian Response
No full text472-478Indian government has piloted three revolutionary
legislations to protect the national
intellectual property rights (IPR), viz. Patents
(Second) Amendment Bill, Biological
Diversity Bill and Plant Variety Protection
and Farmers' Rights (PVPFR) Act. While
necessitated by unfavourable commitments to
the World Trade Organization (WTO),
these legislations attempt to benefit
from the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The pioneering provisions in
these legislations include disclosure of source of material and knowledge, and
grounds for opposition or revocation based on availability of indicative traditional
knowledge. The biological diversity legislation would necessitate registration of
public knowledge throughout the country, Prior Informed Consent (PIC) of the owners
of the resources and knowledge as well as the government, for access to resources
contingent to benefit sharing. It also charges government with monitoring and opposing
IPR infringement of Indian resources and knowledge. Efforts of several NGOs and
the government sponsored National Innovations Foundation (NIF) provide the platform
to build the registration and benefit sharing system at the grassroots. Encouraging
such measures internationally through
the World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO) is advisable
Protection of Fruits through Trademarks: Export Growth in India
No full text134-137Trademarks are increasingly used to protect intellectual property rights (IPR) on fruits such as Avacados by Dole
Company of USA globally. For, trademarks have very long life than plant variety protection with just 25-30 years life.
India’s fruits export is rising rapidly with mangoes (Alphanso), Apples (Shimla), Banana (G9 i.e. Grand Naine), amongst
others. India has started exporting special fruit varieties such as “Nendran” from Kerala to Gulf using special packaging
technique. India can benefit by promoting trade mark for uniform colour, size, shape &taste, aroma fruits by agri-enterprises
for rapid growth in the fruits export. Similar effort is needed for other fruit species & varieties e.g. Guava (Alahabadi),
Pineapple, Black Grapes (Medak), Green Gapes (Nasik) Sapota (Gholvad, Palghar), etc. this will help to improve farmers’
income & India’s foreign investments & exchange
Pancreatic Cancer, Ascites, Diet, Bioactives and Ayurveda Efficacy: Mini Review and a Case Report
Get PDFBackground: Pancreatic cancer (PC) remains one of the deadliest malignancies, often associated with late diagnosis, resistance to chemotherapy, and complications such as malignant ascites. Ayurveda and functional foods have shown promise in both adjuvant and recovery roles, amid interest in integrative oncology. We review a case study and the literature to find promising action pathways. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the anti-carcinogenic activity of the four most important herbs using literature, which were used sans chemo- or radio-therapy or allopathic drugs to improve the well-being and prolong life without pain of a 80 year old male PC patient in Pune city by 6 months. Results and Discussion: The use of Ayurvedic herbs and their bioactives includes (1) Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra – glycyrrhizin, isoliquiritigenin, and licoflavone (A)), (2) Giloy/Heart-leaved moonseed (Tinospora cordifolia – berberine, octacosanol, and polysaccharides), (3) Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare – anethole and flavonoids), and (4) Ash gourd (Benincasa hispida – Cucurbitacin, Terpenoids, and Vitamin C). These are known in the literature to cause apoptosis in cancer cell lines, improve oxidative status by blocking free radicals, boost immunity, and wound healing. Conclusion: The said herbs seem promising medicines in addressing PC, including ascites. Their integration with the current treatments of chemotherapy and radiotherapy demands research
Cheetah Reintroduction in India: Review of Eco-restoration Policy Gaps
No full textRecent Introduction of the African Cheetah in India is more emotion than ecology. These are still kept in the enclosure, and served meat than let them hunt. We find following gap in this inter-continental animal transfer- 1) Cheetah mainly dwell or hunt in the plains savanna habitat and not hill forests of the Kuno National Park (KNP), 2) Cheetah mainly hunt on antelopes (weight< 50 kg) that are rare at Kuno and not on Chital (Spotted deer, weight > 60 kg) prevailing at Kuno, 3) Hares, Pigs and small livestock such as sheep, goat make 30% the Cheetah diet in Africa but ignored/ excluded at Kuno, making it unviable. The imported Cheetah yet await release into the wild due to the risk of prey deficit, pathogens and depredation by Tiger, Leopard, Hyena etc. About 8 i.e. 40% of the 20 Cheetah imported have died, similar to the translocations success rate within Africa. We suggest (1) exploring grassland prevalent sanctuaries in Gujarat-Rajasthan states (2) release Chinkara (Indian Gazelle), pigs, barking deer, wild boars and hares as prey in the wildlife reserve, not just Chital, (3) permit low human disturbance and grasslands in KP & surroundings, including livestock, (4) develop Savanna corridors and network management of wildlife reserves adjoining Kuno (Madhav, Gandhisagar, Ranthambor, Kailadevi) or farther (Tal Chhaper WLS, Churu district & Jaroda closed area, Nagaur district) as the later report multiple times antelope density than KNP
Intellectual Property Rights and Agricultural Technology: Linking the Micro- and the Macro-Scales
Get PDFQuercetin- herbal bioactive nanotechnology for osteoarthritis & elderly health
Get PDFQuercetin is rapidly emerging “bioactive” in the western world in the form of food supplement or healthy ingredient to address several lifestyle issues such as cardiovascular, hypertension and diabetes issues, obesity and cancer. It is a flavanoid found common in some healthy fruits and vegetables/ spices such as Red Onion, Coriander, Pomegranate, Asparagus, Green Tea, Coffee etc. It is highly anti-inflammatory and sold as over the counter food supplement in the western world to address cardiovascular, hypertension and diabetes issues. Osteoarthritis, an auto-immune disease prevails among the musco-skeletal diseases that comprise 4th most disabling conditions among elders globally but no proven drug yet (Shen et al, . Quercetin has shown to attenuate it in vivo, in vitro and even limited human trials by scavenging free radicals that and preventing the loss of bone/ cartilage/ muscle. However, quercetin bioabsorption is low so we propose its conjugation with non-polar amino acid viz. Glycine for multiplier effect. Glycine is a key component of Glutathione, the natural antioxidant in the human body. Glycine alone shown to improve collagen synthesis by articular chondrocytes in vitro and its deficiency may cause osteoarthritis, vide literature. So its conjugate with Quercetin boost the Glutathione level & improve body’s own antioxidant system , to reduce the cartilage loss and prevent osteoarthritis
Doubling Indian Agri Export through Natural Farming Management, Horticulture & African Markets
No full textAims: We explore the scope of escalating agriculture export in doubling farmers income and rational use of the growing Indian agriculture surplus and consequent glut, farmer distress.
Study Design: The study is exploratory type and was conducted by literature survey and discussion with farmers, experts and industry.
Methodology: The study was conducted by field visits to exporting, farmer exporters and experts during 2017 to 2022 by visiting farmers in Amaravati and Palghar districts, exporters in Mumbai city and experts at Pune city. Their data were triangulated with the literature from reputed agri-research institutions.
Results: Doubling agri export can help to doubling farmer’s income (DFI) as export price is premium and profitability higher, besides increasing foreign exchange. Fruits & vegetables (F&V) is the largest agri-export segment globally but meagre 9th rank among Indian agri-export basket. Focussing on larger or costly market segment such as fruits & vegetables having higher productivity & surplus, rather than the cereals can help. Recent natural farming mission can aid in it and safeguard consumer and farmer’s health such as from the cancer. Indian F&V production more than doubled in the past 2 decades to exceed grains production, due to their health benefits. Maximum residue level (MRL) is the export benchmark so promoting low/ no pesticide techniques under the recent Indian natural farming (NF) mission can help to triple Indian agri-exports to 35 billion in 2023, through horticulture, dairy and tea, cocoa that are in demand and valued. African markets can be tapped as it imports majority of its food and has less entry barriers. Policy may focus on fruits like Banana and premium for NF produce.
Conclusion: Focusing on fruits & vegetables (F&V), dairy, lipids & adopting the low/ no “pesticide residue” standard etc. can boost Indian agri-exports
