Parkia timoriana (DC.) Merr., commonly known as tree bean, is a multipurpose leguminous tree commonly found throughout the northeastern Indian region. Its pods are consumed as vegetables and fetch high market price during the season. However in recent years the tree is reported to be associated with various pests and infestations accompanied with die-back symptoms leading to mass death in many locations. Thus there is an urgent need to address the issues for the multiplication and conservation of this tree. The rapid multiplication and improvement through conventional means are difficult and limited. The use of biotechnological tools for the evaluation of the genetic status, mass production and genetic improvement provides a viable option. Advances in the studies of genetic diversity, in vitro regeneration and genetic transformation in tree beans are discussed in this paper.

The objective of this study was to investigate relationship between progesterone concentrations in milk and serum during postpartum period in Montbeliard dairy cows in Algerian high plain region. The relationships between the concentration of milk and serum progesterone on different days of postpartum was a significant (P < 0.05) linear, logarithmic, quadratic, cubic and expentiel relationship between the concentration of milk and serum progesterone on each of 30, 40 and 50 days postpartum.

Twenty nine entries during kharif 2011 and 53 entries during kharif 2012 were screened under natural field conditions for resistance to stem borer. During kharif 2011, highest incidence of stem borer as percent white ears was recorded in TN-1 whereas six cultures were resistant with ‘1’ scale, incidence ranged between 1.9-5.1% WE. During kharif 2012, highest incidence recorded in RpPatho-02 with 13.13% WE whereas five cultures are resistant with scale ‘1’, incidence ranged between 2.01-5.13% WE. The culture CR 2711-76 and CR 3005-230-5 were resistant to stem borer at reproductive stage during both the years. The culture CR 3005-77-2 was moderately resistant in both the years where as CR 3006-8-2 was moderately resistant in one year and moderately susceptible in another year.

Solid waste management (SWM) continues to be a major concern in Zambia in spite of the several mitigation efforts by government. This study was conducted to analyse public perceptions of domestic SWM by evaluating the Make Zambia Clean and Healthy (MZCH) campaign in the city of Livingstone. An eclectic approach was employed for this study. Three representative localities (low, medium and high density) with a total of 3940 households were surveyed out of which a total of 202 respondents were proportionately sampled through simple random and systematic methods. Data was collected between February and March, 2013. Coded data were entered into the SPSS version 16.0 to generate descriptive statistics, and application of MANOVA. MANOVA results show that only two independent variables [monthly income having: F (6, 376) = 3.55, p=0.002, Wilks’ Lambda (λ) = 0.89 and partial eta squared = 0.054); and residence classification having: (F (6,392) = 2.09, p=0.05, Wilks’ Lambda (λ) = 0.94 and partial eta squared = 0.031)] reached statistical significant multivariate differences at p ≤ 0.05. This result indicates, first that the demographic factors did not influence public perceptions of the effectiveness of the MZCH programme. Second, there were no major differences in public perceptions of the domestic SWM system among the different socioeconomic households of the city of Livingstone. Further, results of this study suggest that the campaign was viewed as being ineffective and so largely unsuccessful, as the local community members largely felt they did not participate in the decision making and implementation processes of the programme. This was despite 77.0 percent of the respondents having indicated that they had heard about the campaign. Therefore government should involve the public in identifying future SWM solutions and to provide information to all concerned persons about practical aspects of waste management.

Wastewater problem is a never ending hot issue since fast growing industries in developing countries have serious impact on wastewater contamination. A wastewater model was performed using a linear approach corresponding with three elements (lead, copper and zinc) and water parameters (BOD, COD, TSS, pH and temperature) at three stations with respect to food stalls, boarding houses and laboratories area in academic campus. The samples were collected at six different times considering the busiest academic activities and student long break. The linear approach using ANOVA showed that water pH gave no impact on lead concentration at all stations. The Pearson correlation performed very strong relationship between copper and zinc concentrations at station with crowded food stalls. The Univariate General Linear Model with Post Hoc test in Tukey HSD and LSD modes showed significant difference of copper concentration between foodstalls area and boarding houses region.

Among several methods of application of entomopathogenic fungal conidia of Metarhizium anisopliae, injection method was proved to be reliable for generating mycosed cadavers of cockroach. Biochemical changes instigated by the infection of M. anisopliae on Periplaneta Americana were understood by injecting conidia at LC50 dose in to the haemolymph of the insects. Evaluation of antioxidant enzymes Catalase, peroxidases, ascorbate peroxidase and superoxide dismutase from 2nd to 10th hour post treatment revealed that the oxidative stress induced by infection of M. anisopliae was counteracted by insect’s antioxidant defense system in a time dependant manner. Transmission of M. anisopliae among American cockroaches was tested by ingestion of mummified insect through cannibalism and by the method of surface contact with sporulated cadaver. Effective transmission was recorded through ingestion (84% mortality) compared to surface contact demonstrating 23% mortality. Spread of the lethal ‘green muscardine disease caused by the fungus by horizontal transmission through cannabalism among P. americana colonies forms the first report.

The process of photosynthesis always begins with the absorption of light energy. This is done by certain pigments called photosynthetic pigments in plants and cyanobacteria. These pigments are of various types like chlorophyll, phycobilins, carotenoids and certain sunscreen pigments like mycosporine like amino acids (MAAs) and scytonemin. These pigments are mainly involved in the absorption of light energy and also they have certain defence mechanisms like antioxidant property which is helpful in protection of plant or cell against the environmental stress. In this review, the role of photosynthetic pigments and their protection against oxidative damage by antioxidant activity is discussed.

An efficient and reproducible protocol developed for micropropagation of Eulophia nuda L. an endangered terrestrial orchid; using 4mm section of axillary bud segment has been developed. Axillary bud section were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different concentration of harmones (BAP), 5,1.0,2.0,mg/L, [α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 5.0 μM] and Casein hydrolysetes (CH: 5, 10 and 15%).,2,4-D,.2,.5,1.0, 2.0.The explants developed protocorm like bodies (PLBs) within 6–8 weeks on the growth medium. MS+2 mg/l 2,4-D supplemented medium was found best for the induction of PLBs. Upon subculture on basal MS medium, the PLBs differentiated plantlets within 6–8 weeks with in vitro tuber and roots. This simple protocol will be useful for large-scale propagation of Eulophia nuda lind.