Health innovation networks to help developing countries address neglected diseases

Gross inequities in disease burden between developed and developing countries are now the subject of intense global attention. Public and private donors have marshaled resources and created organizational structures to accelerate the development of new health products and to procure and distribute drugs and vaccines for the poor. Despite these encouraging efforts directed primarily from and funded by industrialized countries, sufficiency and sustainability remain enormous challenges because of the sheer magnitude of the problem. Here we highlight a complementary and increasingly important means to improve health equity: the growing ability of some developing countries to undertake health innovation.     

Effects of Different Natural Organic Additives on in Vitro Shoot Regeneration of Raphanus sativus L. Var,Beeralu

Abstract： Raphunus sativus L. commonly known as ＂radish＂ is a popular vegetable crop used by people all over the world for its culinary and medicinal properties. Enhancement of in vitro regeneration system for radish variety beeralu is needed to further tissue culture studied. Therefore, the present study was carried out to find out the effects of different organic additives on in vitro shoot regeneration of Radish （Raphanus sativus L.） Var. Beeralu. Hypocotyl explants of aseptic plantlets were cultured on MS basal medium supplemented with 2.5 mg/L BAP （benzyl adenine） and 0.1 mg/L NAA （1-nphthaleneacetic acid） with different natural additives; 20% coconut water, 20% coconut milk, 10% grind spinach leaves, 10% grind potato tubers, 10% grind carrot, 5% rice flour, 10% green gram, 10% grind pumpkin, 10% banana fruit, 10% orange and control （without any additives）. Complete randomized design （CRD） with five replicates was used. After one month the numbers of regenerated shoots were counted and statistical analysis was carried out using the Student Newman-Kuells Means Separation Test of SAS program （9.1.3）. The highest mean number of shoots （12 shoots/explant） from Radish （Raphanus sativus L.） Var. Beeralu observed in MS basal medium with 2.5 mg/L BAP and 0.1 mg/L NAA with 10% orange juice whereas the 2nd highest shoots were obtained with 20% coconut water. The lowest number of shoots （0 shoot/explant） was observed from medium with carrot juice and pumpkin juice, but they induced callus formation. Media with grind spinach leaves, rice flour, green gram, grind potato tubers and banana inhibit the shoot regeneration.     

Age Related Changes in the Histomorphology of the Adenohypophysis of the Goat

A histologic and histochemical study of the hypophyses of 44 goats was carried out. The ontogenesis of the hypophysis is described utilizing animals aged from birth to one month, one month to six months, six months to one year, one year to three years and three years and above. Correlations are made between age, histologic structure and histochemical maturation of the hypophysis.     

Identification of serum protein markers for early diagnosis of pregnancy in buffalo

Improper or delayed pregnancy diagnosis has significant impact over animal production, particularly in buffaloes which inherently suffer from several reproductive inefficiencies. Thus the present study has undertaken to identify serum protein markers pertaining to early pregnancy diagnosis in buffaloes. Serum samples were collected from 10 pregnant Murrah Buffalo heifers at weekly intervals from days 0‐35 post‐artificial insemination and from 12 inseminated non‐pregnant cyclic buffalo heifers on days 0, 7, 14 and 21. Two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis and densitometric analysis revealed the presence of five protein spots showing average density fold change of ≥4 during early pregnancy. Mass spectrometry analysis identified these up‐regulated proteins as anti‐testosterone antibody light chain, apolipoprotein A‐II precursor, serum amyloid A, cytokeratin type II, component IV isoform 1, which are have established roles in embryogenesis, but over‐expression of the fifth identified protein immunoglobulin lambda light chain in pregnancy has been elucidated as a novel finding in the current study. Further, with bioinformatics analysis, potential antigenic B‐cell epitopes were predicted for all these five proteins. An antibody cocktail‐based approach involving antibodies against all these five up‐regulated entire proteins or their epitopes could be developed for early detection of pregnancy in buffaloes. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science     

Identification of novel quantitative trait loci associated with brown planthopper resistance in the rice landrace Salkathi

The brown planthopper (BPH) is a potent pest of rice in Asia and Southeast Asia. Host resistance has been found to be the most suitable alternative to manage the insect. But varietal resistance has been found to be short-lived. There has been a constant search for alternate resistance genes. We developed an F₈ recombinant inbred population for the BPH resistance gene in Salkathi, an indica landrace from Odisha, India. Phenotyping of RILs against the BPH population at Cuttack, Odisha showed continuous skewed variation with four peaks at 2.1–3.0, 4.1–5.0, 6.1–7.0 and 8.1–9.0 SES score, suggesting the involvement of quantitative loci for resistance to BPH in Salkathi. Mapping showed the presence of two QTLs on the short arm of chromosome 4. One QTL, with phenotype variance of 37.02% is located between the markers RM551 and RM335. The other QTL, with phenotype variance of 7.1% is located between markers RM335 and RM5633. The two QTLs have been designated as qBph4.3 and qBph4.4. QBph4.3 seems to be a novel QTL associated with BPH resistance. We have successfully transferred qBph4.3 and qBph4.4 into two elite rice cultivars, Pusa 44 and Samba Mahsuri. Fine mapping of the identified QTLs may lead to a successful transfer of QTLs into other elite germplasm backgrounds.     

A simple technique for the identification of embryo-carrying seeds from wheat × maize crosses prior to dissection

Embryo rescue is an important step in the wheat x maize system of induced haploidy in wheat. On average, only one-third of the seeds carry embryos, but they all have to be dissected because no morphological distinction is available to distinguish between seeds with and without embryos. We here report a simple technique in which immature seeds from wheat × maize crosses are placed on a transparent surface and illuminated from above. The free-floating embryo, settled at the bottom of the seed, can be seen from below or in an image reflected on a plane mirror. Using this technique 97.8% of the embryo-containing seeds could be detected prior to dissection. The technique will be useful in reducing the time and labour involved in embryo culture, thereby scaling up haploid production.     

Behavioural diversity in fishing—Towards a next generation of fishery models

Despite improved knowledge and stricter regulations, numerous fish stocks remain overharvested. Previous research has shown that fisheries management may fail when the models and assessments used to inform management are based on unrealistic assumptions regarding fishers' decision‐making and responses to policies. Improving the understanding of fisher behaviour requires addressing its diversity and complexity through the integration of social science knowledge into modelling. In our paper, we review and synthesize state‐of‐the‐art research on both social science's understanding of fisher behaviour and the representation of fisher decision‐making in scientific models. We then develop and experiment with an agent‐based social–ecological fisheries model that formalizes three different fishing styles. Thereby we reflect on the implications of our incorporation of behavioural diversity and contrast it with the predominant assumption in fishery models: fishing practices being driven by rational profit maximizing. We envision a next generation of fisheries models and management that account for social scientific knowledge on individual and collective human behaviours. Through our agent‐based model, we demonstrate how such an integration is possible and propose a scientific approach for reducing uncertainty based on human behavioural diversity in fisheries. This study serves to lay the foundations for a next generation of social–ecological fishery models that account for human behavioural diversity and social and ecological complexity that are relevant for a realistic assessment and management of fishery sustainability problems.     

Long-term effects of inorganic fertilizer and farmyard manure application on productivity,sustainability and profitability of rice-wheat system in Mollisols

In this investigation, productivity, sustainability and profitability of rice-wheat system were evaluated using the data of a long-term fertility experiment initiated during 1984 at Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India. Eight treatments (application of N, NP, PK, NK, NPK, NPK + Zn, NPK + FYM and control) were tested in randomized block design. Results revealed that application of NPK + FYM gave the highest and sustainable grain yields for rice, wheat and the system. None of the treatments except NPK + FYM was able to enhance the soil organic carbon content after 31 crop cycles over the initial level. Application of NPK + FYM was the most profitable treatment which provided the highest net return and B: C ratio for rice, wheat and the system. Trend analysis indicated that there were yield declines in all the treatments. Response to P, K and Zn in rice and wheat, and to FYM in terms of system productivity increased over the studied period. The results suggest that continuous application of NPK + FYM would sustain higher yields of rice and wheat over longer period of time with higher profits in rice-wheat system.