Indian Journal of Biology

  Parthenium hysterophorus L. commonly known as Congress grass is an aggressive and noxious weed among top worst weeds in the world. Now, it is widely distributed in all the crops of almost all the states of the India threatening natural agro-ecosystems and biodiversity. It a great menace due to causing skin allergy, asthma in human being and animals too. Parthenium has got major weed status in India. This weed alone may lowered the average yield of cropup to 40% and forage production about 90%. Sustainable crop production of many crops, grasslands and orchard ecosystems are being greatly affected by invasion of this noxious weed in the country. Various approaches viz., physical, mechanical, agronomical, chemical and biological have been employed for Parthenium management but most of them are not so effective due to invading characteristics of this weed as well as other limitations. Integrated weed management practices have been found effective to minimize this noxious weed. An attempt has been made to review its impact on various crops production, human and animal health and its effective management.

Keywords: Noxious; Agro-Ecosystem; Forage.

  Quantitative microscopy has strengthened conventional diagnostic scheme through better  understanding of microscopic features from clinical perspective. Towards this, analysis of pathological image analysis havegained immense significance among medical fraternity through visualization and quantitative evaluation of clinical features. Till date, pathological inspection of rodents’ blood is solely dependent on subjective assessment which usually leads to significant inter-observer variation in grading and subsequently resulting in late diagnosis of certain diseases. This paper aims at a systematic approach to morphologically characterize of five types of white blood cells, and its nuclei from light microscopic image of blood samples. Hence, cellular and nuclei based geometric features are computed and statistically analyzed with t- test to show the discriminating potentiality of the species. 

Keywords: Rattus Rattus; Blood Cells; Differential Leucocyte Count; Morphometry.

  The Indian Sarus crane, Grus antigone antigone is the only resident breeding crane of Indian subcontinent that has been declared as ‘State Bird’ by the Government of Uttar Pradesh. This is one of the most graceful, monogamous, non-migratory and tallest flying bird of the world that pair for lifelong and famous for marital fidelity. Population of this graceful bird now come in vulnerable situation due to the shrinking of wetlands at an alarming speed in the country. Present survey is aimed to study the population of sarus crane in the year 2017 in and around the Alwara Lake of district Kaushambi (Uttar Pradesh) India and their comparison to sarus crane population recorded from 2012 to 2016 in the same study area. This comparison reflects an increasing population trend of the said bird in the area studied. It has been observed that the prevailing ecological conditions of the lake, crane friendly behaviour of the local residents and awareness efforts of the authors have positive correlation in the sustainable conservation and increasing population trends of this vulnerable bird. 

Keywords: Alwara Lake; Conservation; Population Census; Sarus Crane; Increasing Trend. 

  Unregulated mining causes pollution of air, land and water. Mining effluents are the main source of degradation of water bodies in their vicinity. Aim: The present study was designed to determine the change in the water quality on account of mining activity and its effect on the growth and development of the fishes. Settings and Design: Water bodies in four mining areas were selected for the study. Upstream site of the river was taken as a measure of uncontaminated water as compared to down stream site which had influx of mining effluents from the surrounding mines. Methods and Material: Catch sampling method was used to compare the parameters in the upstream and downstream sites of eight study sites. Water samples were evaluated for physicochemical parameter and heavy metals. Fishes from these sites were examined for body length, width and weight. Gills, liver and muscle tissues of these fishes were examined for heavy metals. Statistical analysis used: The statistical significance of associations between various qualitative parameters was evaluated through Fisher’s exact test. Results: The study showed degradation of water quality because of the influx of mining effluents in the downstream sites. Physicochemical parameters significantly altered were turbidity, total suspended solids and sulphates in the downstream sites. The metals detected were iron, copper, zinc, manganese, cadmium and nickel. Examination of the fishes revealed decrease in the body weight of the fishes in the downstream site as compared to the upstream site.

Conclusions: We attribute the impaired growth of fishes to the synergistic effect of change in water quality and increase in heavy metal concentration in the downstream region on account of mining effluents. 

Keywards: Mining Effluents; Heavy Metals; Impaired Growth in Fishes. 

  A survey was conducted at fifty different rice fields in coastal areas of Lucknow region to identify most common and prevalent weeds associated with rice. Fields surveyed were done according to the quantitative survey method by using 0.5m× 0.5m size quadrate with twenty samples from each field. Total thirty weed species were collected which related to fifteen families and twenty six generas from the rice field in the Lucknow region. The weed survey of this region was made during August to November 2013. Maximum number of species (eight) belongs to family Euphorbiaceae, followed by Family Asteraceae (three species), Amaranthaceae and Cyperaceae (three each species). Three species were found to be Poaceae, two Solanaceae and Molluginaceae. One species were found to be remaining families. In floristic survey, two weeds were found to be climber, six were prostrate and remaiing was erect. Thirteen weeds were found to be common, eleven were occasional and six were rare in kharif season rice fields. 

Keywords: Weed Diversersity; Rice Field; Lucknow Region; Weed Survey.

  V.C.S.G. College of Horticulture, Bharsar, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand,was established in 2001 under Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar till 2011 as 11th College of the university. V.C.S.G. College of Horticulture, Bharsar. The Latitude of bharsar (pauri garhwal) is 30.060 N. The Longitude of bharsar (pauri garhwal) is 78.990 E and height is 2000 m MSL altitude. An agrometeorological Observatory was established by the sole author of this research paper by the sole author of this paper, Dr. Ravi Kiran who was appointed as Assistant Professor (Agrometeorology) in January 2006 by the Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, during 2007-2008 and daily data recording of different weather parameters has been started by the author of this paper since May 2008 onwards. 

Keywords: Agro Meteorological Observatory; Weather Data; Maximum Temperature; Minimum Temperature; Rainfall; Snowfall; V.C.S.G. College of Horticulture; Bharsar. 

  The present study was conducted on Baghel Taal of Baharaich district of U.P., dealing with the qualitative and qualitative analysis of macrozoobenthic diversity. During the present investigation 36 genera were recorded which belonged to phyla Annelida, Arthropoda and Mollusca. During the present study molluscs show rich diversity contributing about 42%, to the total benthic population as shown in table, arthropods also shoes good diversity contributing about 30% while as annelids contributing only 28% of the total population. The overall benthic population was estimated to be 1712 nos/m2. Highest diversity (15 genera) and population density (752 nos/m2) was contributed by molluscs followed by arthropods (11 genera and 472 nos/m2) and annelids (10genera and 488 nos/m2). 

Keywords: Macrozoobenthos; Baghel Taal; Wetland. 

  Context: Langerhans cells (LCs ) are dendritic cells residents in epithelial tissue, which motivate the immune system against to pathogen entry, self-antigen, commensal microbes and protect the mucosa. Langerhans cells in oral mucosal are responsive to wide microbes such as oral Candida species that play immunological activity in immunosuppressed cases. Aims: The study was aimed at compering the distribution of LCs in in immunodeficiency mice associated with/without oral candidiasis. Settings and Design: Thirty female mice were distributed in three groups; control group (C group), immunosuppressed group without candida infection (IM group) and immunosuppressed group with candida infection (IM+C. albicans group). Methods and

Material: The dorsal tongue surface stained with CD1a marker and the number of LCs was calculated. Statistical analysis used: was performed using analysis to determine the difference in the number of LCs between groups by analysis of variance or Student t test with unequal variances. A P value of <0.05 was regarded to be statistically significant. Results: The statistically examination of lingual sections showed high significantly different in LCs cells number between each group (p< 0.05). The greatest number of LCs was observed in (IM+ C. albicans group) with the Mean±SD: 102±31.30, and the lowest number was observed in (C group ) with the Mean±SD: 17±14.29, while (IM group) recorded Mean±SD: 44.2±9.95.

Conclusions: The increase in (IM+C. albicans group) might return to the role of antigenic exposure that leading to cell mediated immunity in oral candidiasis. 

Keywords: Langerhans Cells (LCs); CD1a; Oral Mucosa; Immunosuppressed; Candida Albicans.

  Zinc is a necessary trace element that contributes cumulative polluting effect to aquatic organism. The effect of sublethal concentration of zinc sulphate was investigated on the serum biochemical parameters of Clarias batrachus. This study was carried out to evaluate the sub chronic toxicity of zinc at three levels (10mg/L, 20mg/L and 30mg/L) for 15, 30 and 45 days. The biochemical changes in plasma showed significant increased in glucose, lipids (Triglycerides and cholesterol), serum phosphatases (acid and alkaline phosphatases) and serum transaminases (SGOT & SGPT) where as decreased in bilirubin and protein level. These results indicate that both concentration and period of exposure of zinc sulphate can alter the plasma’s biochemical contents of Clarias batrachus. Thus it can be concluded that fishes can effectively used as monitors of water quality with respect to heavy metal, zinc as well as toxicant. 

Keywords: Zinc; Chronic Toxicity; Biochemical Changes; Clarias Batrachus.