Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology

Aim: In this study it is presented a methodology to determine the structural response of a tensegrity system working under the effects of wind, temperature variations and when coupled to a steel spatial grid applied as pedestrian bridge. This methodology is based in applying nonlinear static and dynamic analyzes and the base motion method.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the Graduate Engineering Department, Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico. September 2017 to July 2019.

Methodology: At first instance, it was analyzed the equilibrium configuration of a tensegrity system by only considering self-weight through non-linear static analyzes. In the second stage, it was studied the structural response and internal forces of the proposed tensegrity system under environmental loads as temperature variations and wind forces, which were represented as dynamic effects in a non-linear finite element model. Later, a spatial steel grid was analyzed for such environmental loads but using linear static analyzes. Finally, by applying the principle of superposition to the spatial steel grid, and the base motion method to the tensegrity system, it was represented the coupling of both systems as a single assembly.

Results: The structural response of a tensegrity system when working under different load conditions is obtained. Also, the effects produced by the coupling of both systems are determined.

Conclusion: The study concluded that the tensegrity system shows a stable response for the different load combinations established. There are also denoted the increases in internal forces and displacements for specific loads cases, which may affect locally some components and the overall behavior of the assembly.

Karnal bunt is a major problem in reducing the quality of wheat seed during seed production programmes in Haryana. A survey was conducted to access the status of Karnal bunt in major wheat growing regions of Haryana during Rabi season of 2018-19. During the survey 11 districts of northern Haryana viz., Hisar, Yamunanagar, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Ambala, Jind, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Karnal, Panipat and Sonipat were covered. Under the survey a total of 785 samples of wheat grains were collected from 34 grain markets. Samples revealed the range of Karnal bunt was between 0.05 – 4.70 per cent in these districts which was exceeding the permissible limit of Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards (0.25%) for quality wheat seed production. The infected samples were 395 (50.31%) and rejected samples were 155 (19.74%) having infection more than 0.25 per cent. Maximum average infection was found in Karnal district (0.413%), Hisar (0.278%) and Kurukshetra (0.273%) and the minimum was recorded in Sirsa (0.012%), Ambala (0.077%) and Fatehabad (0.104%). The range of infection was highest in Karnal (0.05 - 4.70%), then Hisar (0.05 - 4.50%) followed by Kurukshetra (0.05 - 3.40%) and lowest was observed in Sirsa  (0.05 - 0.10).

Background: Inadequate health and hygiene practices have direct effect on health of the individual, family, communities and nation as a whole. The knowledge about different health and hygiene practices depends largely upon the sources from where we regularly get information. Women tend to be the primary health information seekers for family and for themselves. Therefore there is a need to study their information seeking behaviours.

Aim: The present study was conducted with the objectives to identify the information-seeking behaviour of women regarding household health and hygiene practices, and to ascertain the relationship of information-seeking behaviour of women with their household and socio-economic characteristics.

Methodology: The study was conducted in Ludhiana district of Punjab. Two blocks and two zones were selected purposively from Ludhiana district. Further two villages from each block and two localities from each zone were selected randomly. Twenty five women from each selected village as well as from each locality in the age of 25-50 years were selected on random basis. Thus, a total of 200 women formed the sample for the study and data was collected with the help of an interview schedule.

Results: Information-seeking behaviour was studied in terms of information needs, use of information source and information source evaluation. Findings of the study revealed that majority of the respondents i.e. 59 per cent had low information needs for selected household health and hygiene practices. Informal sources were the most frequently used sources of information whereas use of all information sources by most of the respondents (98%) was found to be low. Around 40 per cent of the respondents never evaluate the source of information while looking for information on household health and hygiene practices. Half of the respondents (50%) had active information-seeking behaviour regarding household health and hygiene practices.

Conclusion: Information-seeking behaviour of the respondents was positively correlated with their education, occupation and mass media exposure while age of the respondents and the family type were negatively correlated with their information-seeking behaviour.

Anthurium is an excellent cut flower crop commercially cultivated throughout the world. Anthracnose or spadix rot disease leads to massive flower loss to anthurium growing farmers. Survey was conducted for anthurium anthracnose disease during the year 2017-2018 in anthurium growing areas of Tamil Nadu, India. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides cultures (10 isolates) were isolated and pathogenicity test was proved by several artificial inoculation methods. Among this, pin prick plus spraying spore suspension method has recorded the highest per cent disease index of 64.38 on anthurium plants. Molecular analysis based on obtained sequences (MH479426) of the rDNA internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS4) resulted more than 92 per cent identical to ITS sequence of C. gloeosporioides published in GenBank database. The molecular study confirmed that anthracnose disease of anthurium is caused by C. gloeosporioides. The molecular-based clustering demonstrated the genetic relationships of the isolates and species of Colletotrichum and indicated that ITS rDNA sequence data were potentially useful in taxonomic species determination.

Aim: Canine Parvovirus (CPV) is an emerging and re-emerging virus of canines. The study was undertaken to analyze VP2 gene of CPV in the isolates from dogs positive for CPV infection.

Methods: The rectal swabs were collected from dogs suspected of CPV and subjected to PCR and nested PCR. The regions compared in the study were Punjab to represent north part of India and Assam to represent north-eastern part of India. The sequence analysis of VP2 gene of CPV was done using NCBI BLAST from the isolates which were positive for CPV by nested PCR. Further, phylogenetic analysis was done to understand the prevailing antigenic type of CPV from northern and north eastern part of India.

Results: The sequence analysis revealed that all the sequences of VP2 gene from the samples had 98-99% homology with Canine Parvovirus and phylogenetic analysis revealed that CPV 2a antigenic type is circulating in both the regions selected in the study.

Conclusions: The present study revealed that CPV 2a is circulating in the regions of Punjab and Assam part of India. Further sequence analysis of VP2 gene from more number of field isolates can throw better light on the prevailing antigenic type of CPV in various parts of India.

Bael is a medicinal plant with known therapeutic properties. Stevia is a natural, zero calorie sweetener which is 300 times sweeter than sugar. Keeping in view, the properties of these two plants, value added milk based sweet products i.e., kheer and kulfi, were developed using different proportions of bael pulp and stevia. One gram of sugar was substituted by 5 mg of stevia powder in all the products. Organoleptic evaluation of the products was done by the semi-trained and diabetic panel. Incorporation of bael pulp in kheer and kulfi at 40 and 20 percent respectively was found highly acceptable and resulted in significant increase in their fibre, vitamin C, beta carotene and potassium content. Percentage of sugar reduced in kulfi and kheer using stevia powder was 75 and 67 percent, respectively, resulting in decrease in their energy content. Use of bael and stevia need to be encouraged in sweet products as they are natural, safe and possesses therapeutic benefits.

Aims: The aim of this study was to explore the metabolic profile of endophytic fungi, Aspergillus terreus (ENF12) isolated from mulberry leaf and evaluate their antifungal efficacy against Macrophomina phaseolina causing charcoal rot disease of mulberry.

Study Design: Completely Randomized Block Design.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Plant Pathology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu during August 2018 to June 2019.

Methodology: The isolation was done by serial dilution and plating method. The culture was identified by utilizing the morphological, microscopical and taxonomical keys as A. terreus. The macroscopic observations such as colony growth, color, texture, pigmentation, growth rate and microscopic observations viz. hyphal and conidial characters were studied. The molecular confirmation was done by DNA sequencing using ITS 1 and ITS 4 primers. The extracellular secondary metabolites were extracted from A. terreus and screened against M. phaseolina by agar well method. The composition of the metabolites was analyzed through GC-MS.

Results: The septate and hyaline mycelium along with aleurioconidia was observed under microscope and based on the DNA sequencing, the ENF12 isolate was identified as A. terreus. The major compounds identified from the extracellular metabolites of A. terreus were tromethamine, benzenediol, tetracosamethyl cyclododecasiloxane, hexadecanoic acid, benzoic acid and pregnatriene. The ethyl acetate extract of the metabolite at 4000 ppm suppressed the growth of M. phaseolina by 77.78%. The pathway analysis revealed that the metabolites are involved in the metabolism of drug development, cellular processes, organismal systems and other pathways. The major identified metabolites and pathways were grouped under biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites, lipid metabolism and energy metabolism.

Conclusion: The endophytic fungi, A. terreus from mulberry could be an effective antifungal agent against M. phaseolina. The metabolic pathway analysis found that the major metabolites identified from A. terreus were also reported in mulberry plants thereby showed the mutual interaction between the host and endophyte.

In the present day context, the knowledge of the soil, water and its movement in the soil has key importance for optimum plant growth as well as having practical inferences in agricultural, hydrological and ecological situations. Hydraulic properties of soils play a significant role in the adoption of water management strategies capable of improving resource use efficiency and alleviating production constraints of soils worldwide. Hydraulic conductivity is the most important hydraulic parameter to regulate the flow and transport related phenomena in soil. Hence, there is a need for accurate and adequate information regarding the hydraulic properties in relation to soil physico-chemical properties. The aim of this paper is to extend the relationship between the hydraulic properties and other soil physico-chemical properties of soils. Many studies around the world reveal the effect of texture, soil organic carbon content, bulk density, pH, electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio, aggregate stability index and soil water holding capacity on hydraulic properties of soils.