Journal articles on the topic 'Sex role – India – Himachal Pradesh'

Sex-ratio or sex-composition is an important demographic characteristic of the population or society. In India’s population the deficit of women has been documented ever since the first decennial enumeration of people was conducted in the late 19th century, has been progressively increased. This deficit as evident from the sex-ratio of the population i.e. the number of women per 1000 men steadily declined from 972 (in 1901) to 940 in 2011 census. In India, an increase in the deficit of girl children in 0-6 age group, noted in the four decennial census, i.e. in 1981 (962 girls), in 1991 (945), in 2001 (927) and 914 girls in 2011, is an indicator of a strong possibility that traditional methods of neglect of female children are increasingly being replaced by not allowing female children to be born. In Himachal Pradesh juvenile sex-ratio declined from 971 in 1981 to 906 in 2011. The recent decline in the juvenile sex-ratio resulted from the ongoing pace of fertility transition, desired family size, practice of female infanticide, and rapid spread of reproductive technology such as-ultrasound and amniocentesis tests for sex-determination followed by sex-selective abortions in many parts of the country. However, government is taking initiative to stop gender discrimination and preference of boys over girl children. In this direction, stringent law, awareness, gender sensitive approach and change in mindset would be the best way for immediate action. To point out on this problem, the main focus of this paper is on declining sex-ratio, role of society, and government regulation with special reference to Himachal Pradesh.

Forensic anthropologists are not only active in courtroom testimonies but also contribute to disaster victim identification. The timely recovery and identification of victims in any disaster is crucial, and anthropologists play a vital role in this process. In mass disasters such as airplane crashes, tsunamis, earthquakes or terrorist attacks, fragments of dead bodies are usually brought for identification. Each fragment demands special tactics to fulfil any of the basic attributes of forensic identification such as age, sex, stature or ancestry. If sex and stature can be estimated from a single fragment, then it can potentially reduce the identification time and possible victim matches. In this study, an attempt has been made to estimate sex and stature from the second- and fourth-digit lengths. Different predictive and accuracy models have been devised using statistical techniques. No bilateral difference was observed in the digit lengths in either sex. Consequently, an average of the digit lengths was employed for model approximations. The fourth-digit length provided the best sex estimates (M=82.1%, F=79.2%) when binary logistic regression (BLR) statistics were applied. It was also observed that overall sex estimations improved from 78.8% (from BLR) to 79.8% when discriminant function analysis was used for sex estimation. Second- and fourth-digit lengths were used independently and together for stature estimation models for males and females individually and for the pooled sample. In stature estimation models, three major interpretations were perceived: (1) the second-digit length provided the best stature estimates; (2) the estimation models compute better stature estimates for females than their counterparts, that is, standard errors are less in females than males; and (3) second and fourth digits predict more reliable stature estimation when the sex of the digits is known than that of the pooled sample.

Abstract Introduction Midline diastema is a common esthetic problem in mixed and permanent dentition. It is considered attractive in some cultures and unattractive in others. Aim The aim of this study is to compare the perceptions of anterior diastema by dental students and laypersons. Materials and Methods The study was conducted on 100 undergraduate students of Bhojia Dental College (n = 50) and Bhojia Nursing College (n = 50), Himachal Pradesh, India. A self-prepared questionnaire was given, which consisted of two parts: first part had personal details (name, age, sex, knowledge of diastema) and the second part contained an edited photograph of a patient who had reported to the Department of Orthodontics, Bhojia Dental College, with the chief complaint of midline diastema. The photographs were modified by photoediting software and arranged according to the previous studies on anterior diastema by Frush and Fisher, Lombardi, and Simian. A visual analog scale with scores 1–4 (1, most attractive; 2, attractive; 3, less attractive; 4, least attractive) was used to rank these photographs by the students. Comparison between various variables was made by using chi-squared test. Results Smile attractiveness from the most to the least attractive was Simian > Frush and Fisher > Lombardi > midline diastema among both dental and nursing students. Gender and presence of diastema had no relation with the students’ perceptions (p > 0.05). Conclusion The location and width of diastema had an important role in the perception of dental diastemas. Midline diastema was a gap with most negative perception.

Valeriana jatamansiJones is an important medicinal plant that grows wild in Himachal Pradesh, India. Molecular and biochemical diversity among 13 natural populations from Himachal Pradesh was assessed using RAPD and GC-MS to know the extent of existing variation. A total of seven genetically diverse groups have been identified based on RAPD analysis which corroborated well with the analysis based on chemical constituents. The essential oil yield ranged from 0.6% to 1.66% (v/w). A negative correlation between patchouli alcohol and viridiflorol, the two major valued constituents, limits the scope of their simultaneous improvement. However, other few populations like Chamba-II and Kandi-I were found promising for viridiflorol and patchouli alcohol, respectively. The analysis of chemical constitution of oil of the populations from a specific region revealed predominance of specific constituents indicating possibility of their collection/selection for specific end uses like phytomedicines. The prevalence of genetically diverse groups along with sufficient chemical diversity in a defined region clearly indicates the role of ecology in the maintenance of evolution of this species. Sufficient molecular and biochemical diversity detected among natural populations of this species will form basis for the future improvement.

Customary village councils are pre-democratic informal councils found in almost every tribal village in India. Praja is one such customary village council, yet unique in its own terms and is found in villages of Pangi tehsil of Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. It owes its uniqueness to its geographical conditions. This article discusses about the Praja and the role it plays in the lives of the Pangwala. Praja is a social organisation which works in a close relation with the other units of the Pangwala society. Pangi’s rough geographical conditions like rugged topography and harsh climate, and lack of contact with other areas in earlier times led to formation of Praja, whose function was to deal with socio-cultural, developmental and legal matters. However, with time it became quasi-judicial in nature. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it is an apolitical organisation. Though changes have been observed in Praja’ s role, it is still the supreme body responsible for social solidarity of the Pangwala.

Background: Relationship between cholecystectomy followed by postoperative dilatation of the common bile duct is uncertain. Various studies have shown variable results regarding the dilatation of common bile duct after cholecystectomy.Methods: This study was a 1-year prospective study conducted at IGMC, Shimla with consent and ethical approval from the committee. Total 50 cases of symptomatic cholelithiasis belonging to either sex admitted in Surgical Wards of IGMC Shimla for elective surgery were selected for the present study. Cholecystectomy was done in all cases, after doing all the investigations.Results: The mean preoperative CBD diameter in the study group was 4.2mm, 48 hours postoperatively was 5.58mm and at 1-month interval following cholecystectomy was 6.02mm, so the mean postoperative diameter observed was (6.02+5.58=5.8mm).Conclusions: Significant dilatation does occur in CBD which is purely compensatory as there was no evidence of any pathological dilatation. This dilatation occur only in early post-operative period till the CBD adapts to contain bile equal to the Gall Bladder.

Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger L.), an economically important medicinal plant, has an endangered status in Himachal Pradesh (India) that needs appropriate conservation interventions. We have examined seed physiological aspects of H. niger from Lahaul (Himachal Pradesh, India), a cold desert region. The freshly harvested seeds exhibited complete dormancy. Gibberellic acid (GA3) and chilling treatment strongly promoted seed germination which was accompanied by increased α-amylase activity. KNO3, NaN3 and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), an NO donor, also promoted germination. During storage, the seeds retained high viability even after a storage of 72 months under ambient conditions. However, they remained dormant during the entire storage period. The responsiveness of seeds to GA3 and chilling treatment gradually declined with progression of storage period. Concomitantly, the triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) reduction ability of seeds was lowered. The seed responsiveness to KNO3, NaN3 and SNP during storage increased until one year and decreased thereafter. With the progression of the storage period, seeds exhibited elevated lipid peroxidation and reduced catalase activity implying a role of oxidative stress in observed changes. The involvement of phenolics in seed dormancy of H. niger was not evident. The findings are of significance for conservation and cultivation of H. niger through seeds in the arid mountain region.

Pea leafminer, Chromatomyia horticola (Goureau) is an important pest of many vegetable and ornamental crops. The present investigation was carried out to study the parasitoid diversity of this pest in different agroclimatic conditions of Himachal Pradesh, India. Sixteen species of parasitoids viz. Diglyphus horticola Khan, Diglyphus isaea (Walker), Zagrammosoma sp., Pnigalio sp., Quadrastichus plaquoi Reina and LaSalle, Asecodes erxias (Walker), Closterocerus sp., Neochrysocharis formosa (Westwood), Chrysocharis sp, Chrysocharis indicus Khan, Pediobius indicus Khan (Eulophidae), Opius exiguus (Wesmael), Dacnusa sp. (Braconidae), Cyrtogaster sp., Sphegigaster sp. (Pteromalidae), and Gronotoma sp. (Figitidae) were recorded parasitizing C. horticola in different agro-climatic zones of Himachal Pradesh. Agro-climatic zone II (sub-temperate mid-hills) was the richest in parasitoid diversity (14 species) followed by zone I (11 species), zone III (7 species) and zone IV (4 species) which are characterized by sub-tropical sub-montane, wet temperate high hills and dry temperate high hills, respectively. Shannon diversity index, species richness, species evenness and species dominance varied from 0.69-1.71, 1.39-2.64, 0.50-0.71 and 0.29-0.50, respectively. D. isaea and D. horticola were the dominant parasitoids of C. horticola contributing 41.46-80.15 and 9.16-50.65 per cent of the total parasitization, respectively, in different agro climatic zones. The study highlights the role of different parasitoids in natural control of the leaf miner and will be useful for designing the IPM strategies for the pest.

Background: Onset of first menstrual cycle also termed as “menarche” signifies the initiation of sexual maturation of girls. The present study aims to represent an amalgam of menstrual awareness, perceptions and hygiene in light of the associated menstrual practices prevalent in the adolescence girls of Nahan.Methods: A cross-sectional data of 189 girls aged between 10 to 16 years were collected from Nahan, district Sirmaur in Himachal Pradesh. Data regarding perceptions, awareness and hygienic conditions during menstruation were also gathered through an interview based schedule.Results: Menarche was known to be a normal physiological process by only 53.43% girls, while the rest of the participants didn’t know the reason for its occurrence. For 81.2% girls the informant was their mother and a very little role was played by sisters (5.36%), books (0.67%), friends (6.04%) and relatives (5.36%). Most of the girls (95.28%) used sanitary napkin as absorbent for menstrual flow, but the use of single sanitary napkin for 7 to 8 hours by 48% participants was of alarming concern. Stomachache was the most common problem associated with menarche, whereas breast heaviness (16.98%), body ache (16.03%) and backache (26.41%) were witnessed in considerable proportion of girls. A significant number of girls (78.3%) were prohibited from entering in the holy places/temples during this period.Conclusions: Although menarcheal health is acquiring greater significance across the globe, but the age old social restrictive practices associated with menstruation are still common and prevalent in this societies.

The article provides a broad overview of the industrial location policy in India since Independence. In India, the glaring regional imbalances and inequalities have arisen through a complex set of historical, socio-economic, demographic and cultural factors. The pre-reform approach to industrial location policy involved top-down identification of lagging areas and targeting them with interventionist and regulatory measures. In the post-reform period, the process of liberalisation has curtailed the role of government as industrial owner and location regulator, and restricted policy space. Thus, the focus shifted to a targeted approach and subnational strategies. Package for industrial development are in operation for the special category states, namely northeastern states, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. In other regions, the development of industries adopted a cluster development approach. However, the peripheral lagging regions continue to stagnate despite the industrial location policy having tried virtually everything. The persistently growing regional disparity in post-reform period is a matter of grave concern. JEL Classification: R3, L5

Background: The present study was done in a tertiary care centre of North India to know the profile of epilepsy.Methods: Total of 210 patients were selected during the period August, 2017 to July 2018 who attended outpatient clinic of the Department of Neurology, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Detailed clinical history was taken, general physical examination, and routine blood examination were carried out.Results: Of all the cases, sex ratio (male:female) was 2.39:1. A high proportion of cases (43.3%) were from lower-middle socio-economic group. 76.7% patients had generalized seizures. For 38.6% patients, frequency of seizures was more than 8 in the past 6 months. 71.9% of the patients were using only one anti-epileptic drug.Conclusions: Patients with seizures comprise a significant burden in inpatient department of developing countries.

The Trans-Himalayan landscape is a high elevation land. The area is characterized by extreme cold, low precipitation and rugged terrain of mountains. Biodiversity is the variety and variability of all forms of life on earth that plays a great role in human existence. This includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. The exploration of Rakchham-Chhitkul Wildlife Sanctuary present in the Baspa (Sangla) valley situated in remote tribal district of Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh, formed by the two of world’s greatest mountain ranges namely Great Himalayan range and Dhauladhar ranges in India revealed the presence of 2 species of fish belonging to 2 genera, 1 families and 1 order. It was noticed that both species of fish were exotic species which were introduced in India in early twentieth century from European countries.

Today we have entered the 21st century, in which science and technology are playing an important role. This progress has solved many mysteries of another universe. The same has provided many other pleasures of human beings. The environment has always been helpful in these human progress and development, but in the race for this development, we have neglected the environment and exploited it uncontrollably. In the greed for immediate benefits, man himself has put his future in a long-term crisis. As a result, the source of life, the environment is becoming increasingly degraded. This project work is presented in this context. The Supreme Court of India feels that every citizen of India should understand environmental information and accountability and give suggestions for environmental improvement. In the research work, the primary data was compiled by filling the questionnaire using the deviation system (च स ड ड ड जीव जीव जीव जीव जीव तथा तथा तथा सर्वेक्षण) and information was obtained by surveying the university. Primary as well as secondary data were used for research work. Selection of the field After selecting five departments (Arts, Commerce, Research, Computer and other departments) of Himachal Pradesh University, data is obtained by filling a questionnaire from 5 to 5 students of each department. A questionnaire was prepared to understand environmental problem and problem related awareness. Conclusions and suggestions related to the problem are given.Word Key - Student and environmental awareness, environmental awareness. आज हम 21वीं सदी मे प्रवेष कर चुके है, जिसमें विज्ञान और प्रौद्योगिकी एक महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभा रहे है। इस प्रगति ने जहां एक और ब्रह्माण्ड के अनेक रहस्यों को सुलझाया है । वही दूसरी और मानव का अनेकानेक सुख सुविधाएं प्रदान की है। इन मानवीय प्रगति एवं विकास मे पर्यावरण तो सदैव सहायक रहा है, परन्तु इस विकास की दौड़ मे हमने पर्यावरण की उपेक्षा की और उसका अनियन्त्रित शोषण किया है। तात्कालिक लाभों के लालच मे मानव ने स्वयं अपने भविष्य को दीर्घकालीन संकट मे डाल दिया है। परिणामस्वरूप जीवन के स्त्रोत पर्यावरण का अवनयन होता जा रहा है। इसी परिपेक्ष्य मे यह परियोजना कार्य प्रस्तुत है। भारत का सर्वाेच्च न्यायालय यह महसूस करता है कि भारत का हर नागरिक पर्यावरण जानकारी व जवाबदारी को समझे व पर्यावरण सुधार संबंधी सुझाव दे । शोध कार्य में देव निदर्षन;ैंउचसपदह डमजीवकद्धप्रणाली का प्रयोग कर प्रष्नावली भरवाकर प्राथमिक आंकड़ों का संकलन किया गया तथा विष्वविद्यालय का सर्वेक्षण कर जानकारी प्राप्त की गई। शोध कार्य हेतु प्राथमिक के साथ-साथ द्वितीयक आंकड़ों का उपयोग किया गया। कार्यक्षेत्र का चयन हिमाचल प्रदेष विष्वविद्यालय के पांच विभागों (आर्टस्, काॅर्मस, र्साइंस, कम्प्यूटर व अन्य विभागों) का चयन कर प्रत्येक विभाग के 5-5 विद्यार्थियों से प्रष्नावली भरवाई जाकर आंकड़े प्राप्त किये गये है। पर्यावरण समस्या एवं समस्या से निदान पाने सम्बन्धि जागरूकता को समझने के लिए प्रष्नावली तैयार की गई। समस्या से संबंधित निष्कर्ष एवं सुझाव दिए गए है।शब्द कुंजी-विद्यार्थी एवं पर्यावरण जागरूकता, पर्यावरण जागरूकता।

Background: Despite being a low HIV prevalence nation, India has the third largest number of PLHAs in the world. The study aimed to explore the prevalence, pattern of socio-demographic and epidemiological distribution among HIV sero-positive patients in this part of Himachal Pradesh. Objective was to estimate the prevalence of HIV infection among the clients who had attended the ICTC for a period of ten years, i.e. from 2008 to 2017.Methods: A retrospective descriptive analysis of secondary data from the National AIDS control program from the year 2008 through 2017 was done.Results: Overall prevalence of HIV positivity amongst the clients attending the centre was observed to be 2.1%. Out of the total 55610 clients tested for HIV infection, 40.4% were male, 25.4% were female (excluding ANCs) and 34.2% were Ante-natal cases. Overall, seropositivity was higher among males (58%) than females (40%). However, amongst the groups, higher prevalence has been observed to be present in the females (3.3%) over males (3%) and Ante-natal cases (0.12%). Belonging to the female sex [OR 1.99 (95% CI: 1.77-2.24)] and male sex [OR 2.07 (95% CI: 1.84- 2.33)] had higher odds of having HIV sero-positivity than Ante-natal cases [OR 0.04 (95% CI: 0.02-0.05)]. Heterosexual route of transmission was the major route seen in 70.1%. Maximum HIV seropositivity was in the age group of 25 - 34 years (35.4%).Conclusions: The trends over the last 10 years show no steady pattern. Hence, there is a need for scaled up and sustained efforts focused on the males of reproductive age group for the prevention and control of HIV infection.

BackgroundReducing adult mortality by 2030 is a key component of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). Monitoring progress towards these goals requires timely and reliable information on deaths by age, sex and cause. To estimate baseline measures for UNSDGs, this study aimed to use several different data sources to estimate subnational measures of premature adult mortality (between 30 and 70 years) for India in 2017.MethodsAge-specific population and mortality data were accessed for India and its 21 larger states from the Civil Registration System and Sample Registration System for 2017, and the most recent National Family and Health Survey. Similar data on population and deaths were also procured from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 and the National Burden of Disease Estimates Study for 2017. Life table methods were used to estimate life expectancy and age-specific mortality at national and state level from each source. An additional set of life tables were estimated using an international two-parameter model life table system. Three indicators of premature adult mortality were derived by sex for each location and from each data source, for comparative analysisResultsMarked variations in mortality estimates from different sources were noted for each state. Assuming the highest mortality level from all sources as the potentially true value, premature adult mortality was estimated to cause a national total of 2.6 million male and 1.8 million female deaths in 2017, with Bihar, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal accounting for half of these deaths. There was marked heterogeneity in risk of premature adult mortality, ranging from 351 per 1000 in Kerala to 558 per 1000 in Chhattisgarh among men, and from 198 per 1000 in Himachal Pradesh to 409 per 1000 in Assam among women.ConclusionsAvailable data and estimates for mortality measurement in India are riddled with uncertainty. While the findings from this analysis may be useful for initial subnational health policy to address UNSDGs, more reliable empirical data is required for monitoring and evaluation. For this, strengthening death registration, improving methods for cause of death ascertainment and establishment of robust mortality statistics programs are a priority.

Background: Traditional fermented food preparation uses customary processing methods passed on from generation to generation under natural conditions. These fermented foods use native flora without being aware of the significant role of microbes involved in the fermentation process. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the bacterial composition of traditional starters used in different fermented food preparations in Himachal Pradesh region India. Methods: The study investigated the bacterial DGGE (Denaturating Gradient Gel Electrophoresis) profile targeting V3 region of 16S rRNA of two traditional starters known as Malera and Phab. The starters are used in the preparation of fermented cereals product known as bhaturoo and alcoholic beverages. The Shannon diversity and richness were calculated from DGGE profile. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of identified bacterial species were deposited in NCBI database. Results: The DGGE profile identified eleven and seven different bacterial strains in Malera and Phab, respectively. The Shannon diversity index of 1.07 and 0.94 was obtained for Malera and Phab, respectively. The bacterial population was dominated by different strains of Bifidobacterium sp. in both the starters along with the presence of non lactic enterobacteriacae members such as Klebsiella sp. and a pathogenic strain of Dickeya chrysanthemi. Conclusion: The study is the first report on microbial profiling of microflora of starters. A careful examination of individual components and method of preparation of the starters should be taken to avoid contamination by pathogens.

Abstract Background and Aim: Foreign body (FB) ingestion is a common clinical problem in medical practice. Endoscopy is the therapeutic method of choice for the management of FBs with minimal complications. The aim of this study is to report our experience and outcome in a 5-year period in dealing with FBs in the upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT) using upper endoscopy. Materials and Methods: The records of all the patients who presented to the Department of Gastroenterology and who underwent endoscopic management between January, 2010, and December, 2014, were reviewed with details on age, sex, type of FBs and its anatomical location, treatments, and outcomes. Results: A total of 59 patients were analyzed. Their age ranged from 2 years to 87 years. A male predominance was noticed (59.4%). Coins and chicken bone shared the most commonly encountered FBs. Esophagus was the most common site of trapping (49/59). Upper endoscopy successfully resolved the problem by FB removal in all patients, thus the overall success rate was 100%. No complications or mortalities due to FB ingestion or removal were observed throughout the study. Conclusion: In our experience, endoscopic management of FBs in upper GIT is a safe and highly effective procedure.

Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. This vast industry is associated with different services like Accommodation, Food and Beverage services, Travel services, Recreation and Entertainment. These days tourists not only look for vacations and travel—they seek cultural education, historical significance, natural or inbuilt beauty, and to taste local cuisine and beverages. In Beverages especially, wines play an important role. Winemaking has existed throughout Indian history but was particularly encouraged by Portugal and the United Kingdom. The Old Testament in the Bible gives evidence of existence of wines, but there is a definite evidence of its use in China in 2000 BC and in Egypt in 3000 BC. Having a well established name in fruit juices, Himachal Pradesh (a northern hill state in India) has planned to venture in the area of fruit wines. To know the present position of Himachal’s wine industry and the gaps therein, a research was conducted. It was found that Himachal’s wine industry should address issues like availability of multiple flavours of fruit wines and stiff competition with beer and breezer. However, the industry can take advantage of three factors associated with these wines viz. health, flavour, and price. This can help Himachal to set up the same benchmark as it has done in case of juices.

Background: Allergic diseases are very common and are caused by allergen whose role varies according to climate changes. Not many studies are available regarding the same in our region. Skin prick test is a diagnostic procedure for allergy testing. The aim of the present study was to find out the seasonal variation of different allergies in our region.Methods: A total of 686 patients with allergic complaints were assessed for age and sex distribution, seasonal variation of number of allergy patients and seasonal variation of patient symptoms. 608 patients who gave consent and were found fit for skin prick tests underwent the tests and were analysed for allergy profile of the patients in different seasons.Results: The majority of patients were females and of younger age group. The majority of the patients had nasal symptoms and these symptoms were more in summer and rainy season during which pine mix and grass pollen were common allergens. Pulmonary symptoms were maximum in winters with dust mite and moulds being the common allergens. Dust mite was overall the most common allergen involved. Sensitization to allergens was less in winter months.Conclusions: This study focussed on seasonal variation of allergies and found pine mix and grass pollens to be major cause of nasal allergy and dust mite and mould mix to mainly cause pulmonary symptoms.

Abstract Worldwide chromosome number information has been compiled from the literature for monocotyledonous genera whose members have been cytologically studied in the last three years from Kangra District (Himachal Pradesh) and Kashmir (Jammu & Kashmir) in the Western Himalayas, comprising 143 species of 86 genera in 12 families, many in the family Poaceae. Chromosome number information from the literature is supplemented with new and varied reports for 54 species/56 taxa from the present study. Overall, the chromosome numbers range from 2n=10 to 2n=120. Some species in all genera show a large number of cytotypes, clearly highlighting the role of inter- and intraspecific genetic diversity as well as polyploidy and dysploidy. The basic chromosome numbers in all 86 genera are reconsidered. Monobasic genera are more common in Poaceae, and polyba-sic genera are more common in the other 11 families. Polyploidy in the different genera ranges from 3x to 40x, and is quite high in certain genera (18x in Avena, Bothriochloa, Isachne, Helictotrichon and Panicum; 19x in Saccharum; 24x in Tradescantia; 28x in Eleocharis; 32x in Cyperus; 36x in Andropogon; 38x in Poa; 40x in Dioscorea). An updated checklist of chromosome number variability in these genera is given for India and world-wide.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the involvement of adolescents in family vacation and dining out on the basis of the type of family. Also, the purpose of this paper is to refine the Scanzoni’s sex role orientation scale (SSRS) in the Indian context. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires from adolescents in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh (states in India). The response rate is 44.88 per cent. Sex role orientation was measured using the Scanzoni’s SSRS. Findings There is a decline in the involvement of adolescents through the major decision-making stages for both the services, family vacation and dining out. There is no significant difference in the involvement of adolescents in dual-income and single-income families for a vacation and dining out, except that the children from dual-income families are more involved in destination selection for a vacation. Also, the adolescents in modern families are significantly involved in the sub-decision stages, spending and selection of travel agent. Practical implications The marketers should advertise the vacation destinations to adolescent children in dual-earning families. Also, the travel agencies should design their promotion strategies so as to appeal to the adolescent children with modern attitudes. While catering to the needs of a family, travel agencies must present their services in a way that appeals to adolescents in modern families. Also, this aspect must be taken care of in all the pricing strategies and promotions for the modern families. Originality/value Despite the large number of studies in various Western countries in this area, few studies investigate adolescent influence in family decision-making in India. The present study takes into account the type of family, single income or dual income (on the basis of the employment of parents) and traditional or modern (on the basis of gender role orientation).

Tea cultivation has been playing a pivotal role in the sustainable development of the Kangra Valley (in Himachal Pradesh, India). Due to unique local geographical conditions, the aroma and flavour of Kangra tea is different from the tea produced in other parts of India, which resulted in worldwide fame in the past. Kangra cooperative tea factory which was having high productivity is facing the problem of reduced productivity due to reduction in area for tea cultivation and number of farmers supplying raw material. Presently, it is passing through a difficult phase due to certain constraints which need immediate attention for the development of tea cultivation and industry in Kangra valley. The problem does not lie with the tea, but the manner in which it is being managed, processed and marketed within India. The case focuses on analysing the major constraints faced by different stakeholders of Kangra tea value chain and evolve strategy to regenerate and rejuvenate the lost glory of Kangra tea, especially with the increased usage of geographical indication (GI). Cooperative failures, unmarketed GI Label, high labour cost and labour availability problem, seasonal demand, lack of market availability and so on were some key issues identified during the study.

Background: Medicinal phytochemistry involving UPLC-DAD in an exhaustive analysis involving quantification of eight commercially important phytochemicals viz. syringin, cordifolioside A, magnoflorine, tinocordiside, palmatine, 20β-hydroxyecdysone, L-tetrahydropalmatine and berberine has been done in 143 accessions from eight states and the union territories of Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir of India representing three different ploidy levels viz. diploid (2x), triploid (3x) and synthetic tetraploid (4x). The study was done to assess the effect of sex, ploidy level and ecogeography on the expression level of secondary metabolites in stems of dioecious, medicinally important shrub Tinospora cordifolia. Methods: Two different UPLC-DAD methods were used for the quantification of eight selected phytochemicals from the alcoholic stem extracts of T. cordifolia accessions. The Waters Acquity UPLC system hyphenated to the QTOF micromass system, equipped with PDA and ESI-Q-TOF detectors was utilized for the quantitative analysis, Mass Lynx v 4.0 software was used for data analysis. Results: Significant quantitative changes were observed in the analysed secondary metabolites among different accessions of T. cordifolia. The triploid (3x) cytotypes revealed higher amounts of seven out of eight analysed secondary metabolites than diploids and only 20β-hydroxyecdysone was observed to be present in significantly higher amount in diploid cytotypes. Further, at the tetraploid level, novel induced colchiploid (synthetic 4x) genotypes revealed increase in the yield of all of the analysed eight phytochemicals than their respective diploid counterparts. The quantity of active principles in tetraploid cytotypes were also higher than the average triploid levels at multiple locations in five out of eight tested phytochemicals, indicating the influence of ploidy on expression levels of secondary metabolites in T. cordifolia. Additionally, at each of the three ploidy levels (2x, 3x and synthetic 4x), a significant sex specificity could be observed in the expression levels of active principles, with female sex outperforming the male in the content of some phytochemicals, while others getting overexpressed in the male sex. The manifestation of diverse ecogeographies on secondary metabolism was observed in the form of identification of high yielding accessions from the states of Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh and the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir. Two triploid female accessions that contained approximately two- to eight fold higher amounts of five out of the eight analysed phytochemicals have been identified as superior elites from the wild from the states of Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. Conclusion: The paper shows the first observations of ploidy specificity along with subtle sex and ecogeography influence on the expression levels of secondary metabolome in T. cordifolia.

Abstract. Himalayan glaciers are being extensively debated in scientific and public forums, as changes in their distribution can significantly affect the availability of water in many rivers originating in the region. The distribution of glaciers can be influenced by mass balance, and most of the glaciers located in the Pir Panjal and Greater Himalayan mountain ranges are losing mass at the rate of almost a meter per year. The Equilibrium Line Altitude (ELA) has also shifted upward by 400 m in the last two decades. This upward migration of ELA and the loss in mass could have been influenced by changes in temperature, precipitation and by the deposition of black carbon in the accumulation area of glaciers. The deposition of black carbon can reduce the albedo of snow in the accumulation area leading to faster melting of snow and causing more negative mass balance. In this investigation, a change in reflectance in the accumulation area of the Baspa basin is analysed for the year 2009, as the region has experienced extensive forest fires along with northern Indian biomass burning. The investigation has shown that: (1) The number of forest fires in the summer of 2009 was substantially higher than in any other year between 2001 and 2010; (2) the drop in reflectance in the visible region from April to May in the accumulation area was significantly higher in the year 2009 than in any other year from 2000 to 2012; (3) the temperature of the region was substantially lower than the freezing point during the active fire period of 2009, indicating the small influence of liquid water and grain size; (4) the drop in reflectance was observed only in the visible region, indicating role of contamination; (5) in the visible region, a mean drop in reflectance of 21± 5% was observed during the active fire period in the accumulation area. At some places, the drop was as high as 50 ± 5%. This can only be explained by the deposition of black carbon. The study suggests that a change in snow albedo in the accumulation area due to the deposition of black carbon from anthropogenic and natural causes can influence the mass balance of the glaciers in the Baspa basin, Himachal Pradesh, India.

Abstract. Feedback via simulation tools is likely to help people improve their decision-making against natural disasters. However, little is known on how differing strengths of experiential feedback and feedback's availability in simulation tools influence people's decisions against landslides. We tested the influence of differing strengths of experiential feedback and feedback's availability on people's decisions against landslides in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, India. Experiential feedback (high or low) and feedback's availability (present or absent) were varied across four between-subject conditions in a tool called the Interactive Landslide Simulation (ILS): high damage with feedback present, high damage with feedback absent, low damage with feedback present, and low damage with feedback absent. In high-damage conditions, the probabilities of damages to life and property due to landslides were 10 times higher than those in the low-damage conditions. In feedback-present conditions, experiential feedback was provided in numeric, text, and graphical formats in ILS. In feedback-absent conditions, the probabilities of damages were described; however, there was no experiential feedback present. Investments were greater in conditions where experiential feedback was present and damages were high compared to conditions where experiential feedback was absent and damages were low. Furthermore, only high-damage feedback produced learning in ILS. Simulation tools like ILS seem appropriate for landslide risk communication and for performing what-if analyses.

Hydropower is considered as renewable, cheap and pollution free source of energy in comparison to conventional source of energy. The major river system and topographical variation in Indian Himalayan Region(IHR) offer huge hydroelectric potential because of available net head and water discharge. Efforts are being made for sustainable harnessing of hydroelectric potential of IHR to meet the gap between demand and supply of electricity. Most of these hydropower sites are located in remote hilly terrain of IHR with limited infrastructure like access road, market, hospital etc. For timely execution of hydro power projects(HPPs), infrastructure development is required by project proponent at a faster pace. Like any other developmental projects, establishing of HPPs are also associated with some pros and cons however, the benefits of hydro-projects in terms of infrastructure facility such as road, bridge for proper connectivity, job prospects in construction works, market, civic facilities, source of cheap and clean electricity play a pivotal role in socio-economic development of particular region and nation as well.Present study has been conducted for Parbati Hydroelectric Project Stage-III (520MW) constructed on river Sainj in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, India. All the Project components are located in Sainj valley of Kullu district, a part of Beas basin in North-western Himalaya. The objective of study is to assess and evaluate the Local area development (LAD) in Sainj valley following the start of construction of Parbati HE Project-III in the Year 2006 by NHPC Limited (a Government of India Enterprise-miniratna). The assessment of local area development is based on comparison of baseline data of Sainj area prior to start of construction of project and data available during construction phase of project followed by reviewing of Govt. policy for Local Area Development Fund (LADF) in project affected area and consultation with people from project affected gram-panchayats located in the vicinity of construction sites to know their perception about the role of Parbati hydroelectric Project Stage-III in local area development of Sainj valley. The result of study shows that there is substantial increase in developmental activities in and around the project area due to the construction of Parbati HE Project-III. Particularly, infrastructural development (road-bridge) led to improvement in communication and accessibility of villages (Manham, Banau, Sapangini,Talara) in Sainj valley, better transport facility for horticulture products of farmers in Sainj valley to nearby market located on NH-21. The prospects of job opportunities in Project construction works, ancillary activities and in petty contract works also improved. Implementation of community development Schemes of NHPC led to availability of additional medical facilities, educational facility in Govt. Schools and development of socio-cultural aspects (Crematorium, melaground, toilets,watersupply etc) in Sainj valley are attributed to the construction of Parbati HEP-III. During construction phase of the project, in compliance to Govt. policy for LADF @ 1.5% of project cost allocated for execution of developmental works resulted in source of specific fund for development opportunity in Project affected area(PAA) in the valley and nearby areas. Out of total LADF for PAA, 60% was shared equally among three project affected gram-panchayats and remaining 40% among 04 gram-panchayats for taking-up developmental works by resolution of Gram-Shaba and local area development Committee(LADC). Also, during operational phase of Project, the provision of LADF @ 1% share of free power and revenue equivalent to 12% share of free power to State Govt. of Himachal Pradesh from Parbati HEP-III on annual basis through-out the life span of project are continuous source of financial gain from Parbati HEP-III which will act as a stimulus for development.

A field experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with three replications and ten treatment combinations with an objective to study the “Role of different composts and sowing dates on productivity of Gobhisarson (Brasssica napus var. oleracea) under organic conditions” during rabi 2008-09 and 2009-10 at the Research Farm of Deptt. of Organic Agriculture, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur (H.P), India. The treatments consisted of two sowing dates viz. Panchang and Non-panchang and six compost treatments viz. FYM 15 t/ha, BD compost 5 t/ha, VC 10 t/ha, FYM + VC (50:50), FYM + BD (50:50) and VC + BD (50:50). The soil of the experimental site was silty clay loam in texture, acidic in pH, medium in nitrogen, low in phosphorus and high in potassium. The crop was sown in second week of October during the first year of experimentation. Panchang sowing resulted in significantly higher number of pods/plant, seeds/pod and hence, significantly higher seed yield over Non-panchang sowing during the first year of study i.e 2008-09, whereas, during 2009-10 the yield attributes and yield of gobhisarson were not affected significantly due to the Panchang sowing. Pods/plant and seeds/pod were affected significantly due to various composts. Biodynamic compost applied alone and in combination with other composts proved to be the best as campared to the other composts in increasing the yield attributes and yield of gobhisarson.

Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci first coined the term “hegemony” and also elaborated on cultural hegemony. It is a common perception that cultural powers and organisations are hegemonic-centred, resulting in a network of invisible powers. Hegemonic power processes are an integral part of daily social and cultural practices that help to perpetuate power relations. The repercussions of hegemony can be seen in various aspects of society, such as caste, class, ethnicity, occupation, gender, tradition, etc. This paper enlightens on the gendered hegemonic cultural practice of prostitution (sex work) as a traditional institution in the Bedia community. The intensive fieldwork in Habla hamlet, a sub-village of Luhari village (village assembly) of the Bedia community in Sagar district in Madhya Pradesh, India, was conducted to reveal the hegemonic practices in the community. Forty people aged between 50 to 60 years have been interviewed for this study. Twenty females and twenty males were selected for data collection, and observations had been made in the hamlet to understand hegemony through social institutions. Moreover, we have found that the male members are alert to the preservation of the purity and chastity of their wives but compelled their sisters and daughters, with the support of social institutions, to remain unmarried and take up prostitution (sex work). In particular, Bedias' hegemonic traditional cultural behaviour plays an essential role in the continuation of discrimination against Bedia women. Additionally, we explore the mechanism of this hegemonic power through the role of gender, patriarchy, false consciousness, emotions, power of common sense, ideology, and history, which have been responsible for the victimisation of Bedia women for a long time.

Background: Drug resistance has emerged as a major threat to global TB control efforts in recent years. India, with the highest burden of Tuberculosis worldwide, faces a looming epidemic of drug resistant TB due to initial irrational, irregular and incomplete treatment outside the purview of the robust national programme. Himachal Pradesh, a north Indian hilly state with a population of about 7 million has a considerable burden of Tuberculosis with geographical challenges. The present study envisaged to identify the potential risk factors to the emergence of drug resistance TB in the settings of district Shimla.Methods: A pilot case control study, all patients (n=11) enrolled for MDR-TB in Tuberculosis Unit Shimla during the period (2013-14) were included. 3 of who died were excluded. Thrice the number of controls (n=24) were selected after matching for age, sex and approximate geographical location.Results: The univariate analysis showed that, compared with controls, risk factors significantly associated with primary MDR-TB were Socioeconomic status lower than class 3 (OR=13.8; p=0.02), poor ventilation (OR=5; p=0.05), absent BCG scar (OR=23; p=0.002), history of default (p=0.002) and initial treatment from a private practitioner (OR=6.60; p=0.04). The Multivariate analysis showed that the risk factors independently associated with primary MDR-TB were absent BCG scar (OR=28.15; 95% CI=1.51524.38) and initial irrational and incomplete treatment from a private practitioner (OR=16.77; 95% CI =1.12-319.26).Conclusions: In our stud, poor ventilation, lower socioeconomic condition and initial default have been found to be significantly associated with the disease whereas absent BCG scar and initial irrational treatment from private practitioners have emerged as independent risk factors for the emergence of drug resistant Tuberculosis further reiterating the need for strengthening Immunization and early diagnosis and treatment aspect of the disease involving private practitioners. Larger and extensive studies on these aspects are further warranted.

Wheat is the second most important cereal crop and plays a key role in food and nutritional security. The study examines the impact of elevated carbon dioxide and temperature under limited irrigations on wheat crop using crop growth simulation models under sub temperate climate. The Info Crop model was validated using the historical data generated by the research trials of All India Coordinated Research Improvement Project at Palampur, Himachal Pradesh. The model was run for 20 years from 1991 to 2010 for Palampur weather station. The results revealed 3.6 to 4.0 percent and 1.7 to 7.5 percent increase in simulated crop yield with 420 and 470 ppm CO2 respectively. The elevated maximum and minimum temperature by 1 and 20C with 370 ppm carbon dioxide reduced the anthesis period by 5-7 and 9-11 days respectively over the sowing window of November 15th to December 30th. Similarly, days to maturity also reduced by 4-5 and 7-8 days with 1 and 20C rise in temperature respectively. The simulated crop yield showed increase by 17.9 to 63.0 and 33.2 to 133.4 percent with 1 and 20C rise in temperature at 370 ppm CO2 under limited irrigations. The simulated grain yield at 420 ppm CO2 showed an increase of 23 to 69.7 percent with 10C and 39.5 to 123.5 percent with 20C whereas at 470 ppm CO2 level the increase was 27.9 to 76.1 at 10C and 46.4 to 133.0 percent with 20C rise in maximum and minimum temperatures respectively. Hence, simulated results of elevated temperature and CO2 levels proved to be beneficial in rabi wheat with adaptations strategy of limited irrigations under sub temperate climate of North Western Himalayas

Background: Development of peak bone mass and premenopausal bone loss is determined by the menstrual status of women. Decline in bone mass with age becomes accelerated during menopause. Menopausal bone loss refers to the accelerated bone loss that occurs during the BM) of premenopausal and post-menopausal women, to identify the contributing factors associated with BMD among pre and post-menopausal women, to compare the level of BMD and the contributing factors of pre-menopausal women with post-menopausal women.Methods: It was quantative research approach and epidemiological analytic research design was used. Total enumeration technique was adopted in this study.Results: Analysis of data was done in accordance with the objectives of the study. Findings show that among premenopausal women 45.10% of the women had osteopenia and 8.20% of the women had osteoporosis, among postmenopausal women 50.00% of the women had oestriopenic and 41.2% of the women had osteoporosis. The analysis shows that factors such as BMI, Health status, life style, age, economic status and dietary patter plays important role to accelerate the level of T-score more than -1 in both group either premenopausal women or post-menopausal women. It shows the significance at the level of p<0.001.Conclusions: The study was completed in July 2016, concludes that there are many factors that can lead to have risk of osteoporosis related fracture. As age is increased the risk is also increased to get the fracture. Every woman can go for screening of BMD test to control the risk of fracture.

<p>High yielding hybrids can play an important role in increasing the productivity of oil in the oil palm. With a view to evaluate high yielding new oil palm cross combinations, a field experiment was conducted in different agro-climatic regions of India <em>viz</em>., Zone No-10 Southern Plateau and Hills (Gangavathi, Karnataka), Zone No-12 Western Coastal Plains and Ghats (Mulde, Maharashtra) and Zone No-11 Eastern Coastal Plains and Hills (Vijayarai, Andhra Pradesh) involving ten cross combinations of tenera oil palm (NRCOP 1-10). The data from three locations over two years indicated that, significantly higher annual rate of leaf production per palm was recorded in NRCOP-6 (21.7) compared to NRCOP-3 and it was on par with other hybrid combinations. Significantly higher sex ratio was recorded with NRCOP-4 (63.1%) compared to NRCOP-1 (54.6%) and NRCOP-6 (54.8%) and was on par with other hybrid combinations.The hybrid cross combination, NRCOP-4 recorded significantly higher fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) yield 12.5 t ha-1 compared to NRCOP-1, NRCOP-3, NRCOP-7 and NRCOP-9 and it was on par with remaining hybrids and a similar result in bunch weight and number of bunches per palm was recorded. Pooled data on FFB yield for 2013-15 indicated that the hybrid combination NRCOP-4 which recorded higher FFB yield (12.6 t ha-1) at Gangavathi and at Vijayarai (22.6 t ha-1) have better prospects for adaptation under Tungabhadra command area and coastal region of Andhra Pradesh. For Konkan region of Maharashtra, the hybrid NRCOP-8 recorded the highest FFB yield.</p>

AbstractThe meltwater percolation process through the snowpack greatly influences its physical and mechanical properties. The percolation process is important for understanding the spring avalanche phenomenon as well as the meltwater runoff for basin hydrology studies. The permeability of individual snow layers depends on parameters such as porosity, pore connectivity and the geometrical shape of the pores. Snowpack equivalent permeability plays an important role in governing the transmission of meltwater through the different layers of the snowpack. In this paper, we present the design, fabrication and installation of a snowmelt lysimeter at Patsio field research station, Himachal Pradesh, India, and determine the snowpack equivalent permeability using lysimeter discharge data. The snowmelt lysimeter, having a collector area of 6.25 m2and a high-capacity snowmelt measuring tipping bucket, was installed on flat ground near the observatory with a data acquisition system. Snowmelt discharge measurements were made for two melt seasons, 2006/07 and 2007/08. Snow and meteorological data were collected at 15 min intervals using a semi-automatic weather station. The hourly surface snowmelt was estimated using an energy-balance approach. The maximum daily discharge was >2 mm w.e.h−1for most of the observation period. The daily mean wave speed of the meltwater front varied from 109 to 285 mm h−1for a daily mean discharge range of 0.6–1.8 mm w.e.h−1, while wave speeds for a particular melt flux of 2 mm w.e.h−1varied between 113 and 486 mm h−1. The pore-size distribution index was estimated using the power-fit relation between wave speed and discharge. The equivalent permeability of the snowpack was found to vary between 3.4 × 10−8and 9.9 × 10−12m2.

Executive Summary With increased popularity of positive psychology, there is a greater emphasis on exploring positive human resource strengths to address the workplace challenges and augment organizational performance. Previous research suggests that resilience positively relates to desired employee attitudes, behaviours, and performance such as organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB). However, it would be intriguing to understand the underlying mechanism of resilience-OCB relationship. Towards this, the study examines the mediating role of organizational commitment. In the light of identified research gaps, the study explores the mechanism of the relationship between resilience and OCB in the context of Indian organizations. The study sample comprised employees (N = 345) working in the manufacturing industries of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh in India. Data were collected with the help of self-administered questionnaires through systematic random sampling. A model was developed and tested in which the effects of resilience on OCB were hypothesized to be mediated by organizational commitment. The hypotheses testing was done using hierarchical multiple regression and for testing the mediating effects, bootstrapping in SPSS was used. The results provide empirical evidence for the positive relationship between resilience and OCB. Also, the results emphasize that resilience influence organizational commitment as well. As hypothesized, results have also supported the mediating effect of organizational commitment in the relationship between resilience and OCB, explaining the underlying mechanism of resilience-OCB relationship. The mediation is partial which means that resilience influences OCB directly as well as indirectly through organizational commitment. The study offers significant advancements for both resilience and OCB research. The results also offer direction to organizations which desire to stimulate and maintain employee outcomes in their organizations for competitive advantage. Employee outcomes in organizations can be improved by developing resilience among its employees. Implications of promoting resilience at workplace are discussed.

Environments containing significant concentration of NaCl such as salt lakes harbor extremophiles microorganisms which have a great biotechnology interest. To explore the diversity of Bacteria in Chott Tinsilt (Algeria), an isolation program was performed. Water samples were collected from the saltern during the pre-salt harvesting phase. This Chott is high in salt (22.47% (w/v). Seven halophiles Bacteria were selected for further characterization. The isolated strains were able to grow optimally in media with 10–25% (w/v) total salts. Molecular identification of the isolates was performed by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. It showed that these cultured isolates included members belonging to the Halomonas, Staphylococcus, Salinivibrio, Planococcus and Halobacillus genera with less than 98% of similarity with their closest phylogenetic relative. The halophilic bacterial isolates were also characterized for the production of biosurfactant and industrially important enzymes. Most isolates produced hydrolases and biosurfactants at high salt concentration. In fact, this is the first report on bacterial strains (A4 and B4) which were a good biosurfactant and coagulase producer at 20% and 25% ((w/v)) NaCl. In addition, the biosurfactant produced by the strain B4 at high salinity (25%) was also stable at high temperature (30-100°C) and high alkalinity (pH 11).Key word: Salt Lake, Bacteria, biosurfactant, Chott, halophiles, hydrolases, 16S rRNAINTRODUCTIONSaline lakes cover approximately 10% of the Earth’s surface area. The microbial populations of many hypersaline environments have already been studied in different geographical regions such as Great Salt Lake (USA), Dead Sea (Israel), Wadi Natrun Lake (Egypt), Lake Magadi (Kenya), Soda Lake (Antarctica) and Big Soda Lake and Mono Lake (California). Hypersaline regions differ from each other in terms of geographical location, salt concentration and chemical composition, which determine the nature of inhabitant microorganisms (Gupta et al., 2015). Then low taxonomic diversity is common to all these saline environments (Oren et al., 1993). Halophiles are found in nearly all major microbial clades, including prokaryotic (Bacteria and Archaea) and eukaryotic forms (DasSarma and Arora, 2001). They are classified as slight halophiles when they grow optimally at 0.2–0.85 M (2–5%) NaCl, as moderate halophiles when they grow at 0.85–3.4 M (5–20%) NaCl, and as extreme halophiles when they grow at 3.4–5.1 M (20–30%) NaCl. Hyper saline environments are inhabited by extremely halophilic and halotolerant microorganisms such as Halobacillus sp, Halobacterium sp., Haloarcula sp., Salinibacter ruber , Haloferax sp and Bacillus spp. (Solomon and Viswalingam, 2013). There is a tremendous demand for halophilic bacteria due to their biotechnological importance as sources of halophilic enzymes. Enzymes derived from halophiles are endowed with unique structural features and catalytic power to sustain the metabolic and physiological processes under high salt conditions. Some of these enzymes have been reported to be active and stable under more than one extreme condition (Karan and Khare, 2010). Applications are being considered in a range of industries such as food processing, washing, biosynthetic processes and environmental bioremediation. Halophilic proteases are widely used in the detergent and food industries (DasSarma and Arora, 2001). However, esterases and lipases have also been useful in laundry detergents for the removal of oil stains and are widely used as biocatalysts because of their ability to produce pure compounds. Likewise, amylases are used industrially in the first step of the production of high fructose corn syrup (hydrolysis of corn starch). They are also used in the textile industry in the de-sizing process and added to laundry detergents. Furthermore, for the environmental applications, the use of halophiles for bioremediation and biodegradation of various materials from industrial effluents to soil contaminants and accidental spills are being widely explored. In addition to enzymes, halophilic / halotolerants microorganisms living in saline environments, offer another potential applications in various fields of biotechnology like the production of biosurfactant. Biosurfactants are amphiphilic compounds synthesized from plants and microorganisms. They reduce surface tension and interfacial tension between individual molecules at the surface and interface respectively (Akbari et al., 2018). Comparing to the chemical surfactant, biosurfactant are promising alternative molecules due to their low toxicity, high biodegradability, environmental capability, mild production conditions, lower critical micelle concentration, higher selectivity, availability of resources and ability to function in wide ranges of pH, temperature and salinity (Rocha et al., 1992). They are used in various industries which include pharmaceuticals, petroleum, food, detergents, cosmetics, paints, paper products and water treatment (Akbari et al., 2018). The search for biosurfactants in extremophiles is particularly promising since these biomolecules can adapt and be stable in the harsh environments in which they are to be applied in biotechnology.OBJECTIVESEastern Algeria features numerous ecosystems including hypersaline environments, which are an important source of salt for food. The microbial diversity in Chott Tinsilt, a shallow Salt Lake with more than 200g/L salt concentration and a superficies of 2.154 Ha, has never yet been studied. The purpose of this research was to chemically analyse water samples collected from the Chott, isolate novel extremely or moderate halophilic Bacteria, and examine their phenotypic and phylogenetic characteristics with a view to screening for biosurfactants and enzymes of industrial interest.MATERIALS AND METHODSStudy area: The area is at 5 km of the Commune of Souk-Naâmane and 17 km in the South of the town of Aïn-Melila. This area skirts the trunk road 3 serving Constantine and Batna and the railway Constantine-Biskra. It is part the administrative jurisdiction of the Wilaya of Oum El Bouaghi. The Chott belongs to the wetlands of the High Plains of Constantine with a depth varying rather regularly without never exceeding 0.5 meter. Its length extends on 4 km with a width of 2.5 km (figure 1).Water samples and physico-chemical analysis: In February 2013, water samples were collected from various places at the Chott Tinsilt using Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates of 35°53’14” N lat. and 06°28’44”E long. Samples were collected randomly in sterile polythene bags and transported immediately to the laboratory for isolation of halophilic microorganisms. All samples were treated within 24 h after collection. Temperature, pH and salinity were measured in situ using a multi-parameter probe (Hanna Instruments, Smithfield, RI, USA). The analytical methods used in this study to measure ions concentration (Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+, Na+, K+, Cl−, HCO3−, SO42−) were based on 4500-S-2 F standard methods described elsewhere (Association et al., 1920).Isolation of halophilic bacteria from water sample: The media (M1) used in the present study contain (g/L): 2.0 g of KCl, 100.0/200.0 g of NaCl, 1.0 g of MgSO4.7HO2, 3.0 g of Sodium Citrate, 0.36 g of MnCl2, 10.0 g of yeast extract and 15.0 g agar. The pH was adjusted to 8.0. Different dilutions of water samples were added to the above medium and incubated at 30°C during 2–7 days or more depending on growth. Appearance and growth of halophilic bacteria were monitored regularly. The growth was diluted 10 times and plated on complete medium agar (g/L): glucose 10.0; peptone 5.0; yeast extract 5.0; KH2PO4 5.0; agar 30.0; and NaCl 100.0/200.0. Resultant colonies were purified by repeated streaking on complete media agar. The pure cultures were preserved in 20% glycerol vials and stored at −80°C for long-term preservation.Biochemical characterisation of halophilic bacterial isolates: Bacterial isolates were studied for Gram’s reaction, cell morphology and pigmentation. Enzymatic assays (catalase, oxidase, nitrate reductase and urease), and assays for fermentation of lactose and mannitol were done as described by Smibert (1994).Optimization of growth conditions: Temperature, pH, and salt concentration were optimized for the growth of halophilic bacterial isolates. These growth parameters were studied quantitatively by growing the bacterial isolates in M1 medium with shaking at 200 rpm and measuring the cell density at 600 nm after 8 days of incubation. To study the effect of NaCl on the growth, bacterial isolates were inoculated on M1 medium supplemented with different concentration of NaCl: 1%-35% (w/v). The effect of pH on the growth of halophilic bacterial strains was studied by inoculating isolates on above described growth media containing NaCl and adjusted to acidic pH of 5 and 6 by using 1N HCl and alkaline pH of 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 using 5N NaOH. The effect of temperature was studied by culturing the bacterial isolates in M1 medium at different temperatures of incubation (4°C–55°C).Screening of halophilic bacteria for hydrolytic enzymes: Hydrolase producing bacteria among the isolates were screened by plate assay on starch, tributyrin, gelatin and DNA agar plates respectively for amylase, lipase, protease and DNAse activities. Amylolytic activity of the cultures was screened on starch nutrient agar plates containing g/L: starch 10.0; peptone 5.0; yeast extract 3.0; agar 30.0; NaCl 100.0/250.0. The pH was 7.0. After incubation at 30 ºC for 7 days, the zone of clearance was determined by flooding the plates with iodine solution. The potential amylase producers were selected based on ratio of zone of clearance diameter to colony diameter. Lipase activity of the cultures was screened on tributyrin nutrient agar plates containing 1% (v/v) of tributyrin. Isolates that showed clear zones of tributyrin hydrolysis were identified as lipase producing bacteria. Proteolytic activity of the isolates was similarly screened on gelatin nutrient agar plates containing 10.0 g/L of gelatin. The isolates showing zones of gelatin clearance upon treatment with acidic mercuric chloride were selected and designated as protease producing bacteria. The presence of DNAse activity on plates was determined on DNAse test agar (BBL) containing 10%-25% (w/v) total salt. After incubation for 7days, the plates were flooded with 1N HCl solution. Clear halos around the colonies indicated DNAse activity (Jeffries et al., 1957).Milk clotting activity (coagulase activity) of the isolates was also determined following the procedure described (Berridge, 1952). Skim milk powder was reconstituted in 10 mM aqueous CaCl2 (pH 6.5) to a final concentration of 0.12 kg/L. Enzyme extracts were added at a rate of 0.1 mL per mL of milk. The coagulation point was determined by manual rotating of the test tube periodically, at short time intervals, and checking for visible clot formation.Screening of halophilic bacteria for biosurfactant production. Oil spread Assay: The Petridis base was filled with 50 mL of distilled water. On the water surface, 20μL of diesel and 10μl of culture were added respectively. The culture was introduced at different spots on the diesel, which is coated on the water surface. The occurrence of a clear zone was an indicator of positive result (Morikawa et al., 2000). The diameter of the oil expelling circles was measured by slide caliber (with a degree of accuracy of 0.02 mm).Surface tension and emulsification index (E24): Isolates were cultivated at 30 °C for 7 days on the enrichment medium containing 10-25% NaCl and diesel oil as the sole carbon source. The medium was centrifuged (7000 rpm for 20 min) and the surface tension of the cell-free culture broth was measured with a TS90000 surface tensiometer (Nima, Coventry, England) as a qualitative indicator of biosurfactant production. The culture broth was collected with a Pasteur pipette to remove the non-emulsified hydrocarbons. The emulsifying capacity was evaluated by an emulsification index (E24). The E24 of culture samples was determined by adding 2 mL of diesel oil to the same amount of culture, mixed for 2 min with a vortex, and allowed to stand for 24 h. E24 index is defined as the percentage of height of emulsified layer (mm) divided by the total height of the liquid column (mm).Biosurfactant stability studies : After growth on diesel oil as sole source of carbone, cultures supernatant obtained after centrifugation at 6,000 rpm for 15 min were considered as the source of crude biosurfactant. Its stability was determined by subjecting the culture supernatant to various temperature ranges (30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 100 °C) for 30 min then cooled to room temperature. Similarly, the effect of different pH (2–11) on the activity of the biosurfactant was tested. The activity of the biosurfactant was investigated by measuring the emulsification index (El-Sersy, 2012).Molecular identification of potential strains. DNA extraction and PCR amplification of 16S rDNA: Total cellular DNA was extracted from strains and purified as described by Sambrook et al. (1989). DNA was purified using Geneclean® Turbo (Q-BIO gene, Carlsbad, CA, USA) before use as a template in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. For the 16S rDNA gene sequence, the purified DNA was amplified using a universal primer set, forward primer (27f; 5′-AGA GTT TGA TCM TGG CTC AG) and a reverse primer (1492r; 5′-TAC GGY TAC CTT GTT ACG ACT T) (Lane, 1991). Agarose gel electrophoresis confirmed the amplification product as a 1400-bp DNA fragment.16S rDNA sequencing and Phylogenic analysis: Amplicons generated using primer pair 27f-1492r was sequenced using an automatic sequencer system at Macrogene Company (Seoul, Korea). The sequences were compared with those of the NCBI BLAST GenBank nucleotide sequence databases. Phylogenetic trees were constructed by the neighbor-joining method using MEGA version 5.05 software (Tamura et al., 2011). Bootstrap resembling analysis for 1,000 replicates was performed to estimate the confidence of tree topologies.Nucleotide sequence accession numbers: The nucleotide sequences reported in this work have been deposited in the EMBL Nucleotide Sequence Database. The accession numbers are represented in table 5.Statistics: All experiments were conducted in triplicates. Results were evaluated for statistical significance using ANOVA.RESULTSPhysico-chemical parameters of the collected water samples: The physicochemical properties of the collected water samples are reported in table 1. At the time of sampling, the temperature was 10.6°C and pH 7.89. The salinity of the sample, as determined in situ, was 224.70 g/L (22,47% (w/v)). Chemical analysis of water sample indicated that Na +and Cl- were the most abundant ions (table 1). SO4-2 and Mg+2 was present in much smaller amounts compared to Na +and Cl- concentration. Low levels of calcium, potassium and bicarbonate were also detected, often at less than 1 g/L.Characterization of isolates. Morphological and biochemical characteristic feature of halophilic bacterial isolates: Among 52 strains isolated from water of Chott Tinsilt, seven distinct bacteria (A1, A2, A3, A4, B1, B4 and B5) were chosen for further characterization (table 2). The colour of the isolates varied from beige, pale yellow, yellowish and orange. The bacterial isolates A1, A2, A4, B1 and B5 were rod shaped and gram negative (except B5), whereas A3 and B4 were cocci and gram positive. All strains were oxidase and catalase positive except for B1. Nitrate reductase and urease activities were observed in all the bacterial isolates, except B4. All the bacterial isolates were negative for H2S formation. B5 was the only strain positive for mannitol fermentation (table 2).We isolated halophilic bacteria on growth medium with NaCl supplementation at pH 7 and temperature of 30°C. We studied the effect of NaCl, temperature and pH on the growth of bacterial isolates. All the isolates exhibited growth only in the presence of NaCl indicating that these strains are halophilic. The optimum growth of isolates A3 and B1 was observed in the presence of 10% NaCl, whereas it was 15% NaCl for A1, A2 and B5. A4 and B4 showed optimum growth in the presence of 20% and 25% NaCl respectively. A4, B4 and B5 strains can tolerate up to 35% NaCl.The isolate B1 showed growth in medium supplemented with 10% NaCl and pH range of 7–10. The optimum pH for the growth B1 was 9 and they did not show any detectable growth at or below pH 6 (table 2), which indicates the alkaliphilic nature of B1 isolate. The bacterial isolates A1, A2 and A4 exhibited growth in the range of pH 6–10, while A3 and B4 did not show any growth at pH greater than 8. The optimum pH for growth of all strains (except B1) was pH 7.0 (table 2). These results indicate that A1, A2, A3, A4, B4 and B5 are neutrophilic in nature. All the bacterial isolates exhibited optimal growth at 30°C and no detectable growth at 55°C. Also, detectable growth of isolates A1, A2 and A4 was observed at 4°C. However, none of the bacterial strains could grow below 4°C and above 50°C (table 2).Screening of the halophilic enzymes: To characterize the diversity of halophiles able to produce hydrolytic enzymes among the population of microorganisms inhabiting the hypersaline habitats of East Algeria (Chott Tinsilt), a screening was performed. As described in Materials and Methods, samples were plated on solid media containing 10%-25% (w/v) of total salts and different substrates for the detection of amylase, protease, lipase and DNAse activities. However, coagulase activity was determined in liquid medium using milk as substrate (figure 3). Distributions of hydrolytic activity among the isolates are summarized in table 4.From the seven bacterial isolates, four strains A1, A2, A4 and B5 showed combined hydrolytic activities. They were positive for gelatinase, lipase and coagulase. A3 strain showed gelatinase and lipase activities. DNAse activities were detected with A1, A4, B1 and B5 isolates. B4 presented lipase and coagulase activity. Surprisingly, no amylase activity was detected among all the isolates.Screening for biosurfactant producing isolates: Oil spread assay: The results showed that all the strains could produce notable (>4 cm diameter) oil expelling circles (ranging from 4.11 cm to 4.67 cm). The average diameter for strain B5 was 4.67 cm, significantly (P < 0.05) higher than for the other strains.Surface tension and emulsification index (E24): The assimilation of hydrocarbons as the sole sources of carbon by the isolate strains led to the production of biosurfactants indicated by the emulsification index and the lowering of the surface tension of cell-free supernatant. Based on rapid growth on media containing diesel oil as sole carbon source, the seven isolates were tested for biosurfactant production and emulsification activity. The obtained values of the surface tension measurements as well as the emulsification index (E24) are shown in table 3. The highest reduction of surface tension was achieved with B5 and A3 isolates with values of 25.3 mN m−1 and 28.1 mN m−1 respectively. The emulsifying capacity evaluated by the E24 emulsification index was highest in the culture of isolate B4 (78%), B5 (77%) and A3 (76%) as shown in table 3 and figure 2. These emulsions were stable even after 4 months. The bacteria with emulsification indices higher than 50 % and/or reduction in the surface tension (under 30 mN/m) have been defined as potential biosurfactant producers. Based on surface tension and the E24 index results, isolates B5, B4, A3 and A4 are the best candidates for biosurfactant production. It is important to note that, strains B4 and A4 produce biosurfactant in medium containing respectively 25% and 20% (w/v) NaCl.Stability of biosurfactant activities: The applicability of biosurfactants in several biotechnological fields depends on their stability at different environmental conditions (temperatures, pH and NaCl). For this study, the strain B4 appear very interesting (It can produce biosurfactant at 25 % NaCl) and was choosen for futher analysis for biosurfactant stability. The effects of temperature and pH on the biosurfactant production by the strain B4 are shown in figure 4.biosurfactant in medium containing respectively 25% and 20% (w/v) NaCl.Stability of biosurfactant activities: The applicability of biosurfactants in several biotechnological fields depends on their stability at different environmental conditions (temperatures, pH and NaCl). For this study, the strain B4 appear very interesting (It can produce biosurfactant at 25 % NaCl) and was chosen for further analysis for biosurfactant stability. The effects of temperature and pH on the biosurfactant production by the strain B4 are shown in figure 4. The biosurfactant produced by this strain was shown to be thermostable giving an E-24 Index value greater than 78% (figure 4A). Heating of the biosurfactant to 100 °C caused no significant effect on the biosurfactant performance. Therefore, the surface activity of the crude biosurfactant supernatant remained relatively stable to pH changes between pH 6 and 11. At pH 11, the value of E24 showed almost 76% activity, whereas below pH 6 the activity was decreased up to 40% (figure 4A). The decreases of the emulsification activity by decreasing the pH value from basic to an acidic region; may be due to partial precipitation of the biosurfactant. This result indicated that biosurfactant produced by strain B4 show higher stability at alkaline than in acidic conditions.Molecular identification and phylogenies of potential isolates: To identify halophilic bacterial isolates, the 16S rDNA gene was amplified using gene-specific primers. A PCR product of ≈ 1.3 kb was detected in all the seven isolates. The 16S rDNA amplicons of each bacterial isolate was sequenced on both strands using 27F and 1492R primers. The complete nucleotide sequence of 1336,1374, 1377,1313, 1305,1308 and 1273 bp sequences were obtained from A1, A2, A3, A4, B1, B4 and B5 isolates respectively, and subjected to BLAST analysis. The 16S rDNA sequence analysis showed that the isolated strains belong to the genera Halomonas, Staphylococcus, Salinivibrio, Planococcus and Halobacillus as shown in table 5. The halophilic isolates A2 and A4 showed 97% similarity with the Halomonas variabilis strain GSP3 (accession no. AY505527) and the Halomonas sp. M59 (accession no. AM229319), respectively. As for A1, it showed 96% similarity with the Halomonas venusta strain GSP24 (accession no. AY553074). B1 and B4 showed for their part 96% similarity with the Salinivibrio costicola subsp. alcaliphilus strain 18AG DSM4743 (accession no. NR_042255) and the Planococcus citreus (accession no. JX122551), respectively. The bacterial isolate B5 showed 98% sequence similarity with the Halobacillus trueperi (accession no. HG931926), As for A3, it showed only 95% similarity with the Staphylococcus arlettae (accession no. KR047785). The 16S rDNA nucleotide sequences of all the seven halophilic bacterial strains have been submitted to the NCBI GenBank database under the accession number presented in table 5. The phylogenetic association of the isolates is shown in figure 5.DICUSSIONThe physicochemical properties of the collected water samples indicated that this water was relatively neutral (pH 7.89) similar to the Dead Sea and the Great Salt Lake (USA) and in contrast to the more basic lakes such as Lake Wadi Natrun (Egypt) (pH 11) and El Golea Salt Lake (Algeria) (pH 9). The salinity of the sample was 224.70 g/L (22,47% (w/v). This range of salinity (20-30%) for Chott Tinsilt is comparable to a number of well characterized hypersaline ecosystems including both natural and man-made habitats, such as the Great Salt Lake (USA) and solar salterns of Puerto Rico. Thus, Chott Tinsilt is a hypersaline environment, i.e. environments with salt concentrations well above that of seawater. Chemical analysis of water sample indicated that Na +and Cl- were the most abundant ions, as in most hypersaline ecosystems (with some exceptions such as the Dead Sea). These chemical water characteristics were consistent with the previously reported data in other hypersaline ecosystems (DasSarma and Arora, 2001; Oren, 2002; Hacěne et al., 2004). Among 52 strains isolated from this Chott, seven distinct bacteria (A1, A2, A3, A4, B1, B4 and B5) were chosen for phenotypique, genotypique and phylogenetique characterization.The 16S rDNA sequence analysis showed that the isolated strains belong to the genera Halomonas, Staphylococcus, Salinivibrio, Planococcus and Halobacillus. Genera obtained in the present study are commonly occurring in various saline habitats across the globe. Staphylococci have the ability to grow in a wide range of salt concentrations (Graham and Wilkinson, 1992; Morikawa et al., 2009; Roohi et al., 2014). For example, in Pakistan, Staphylococcus strains were isolated from various salt samples during the study conducted by Roohi et al. (2014) and these results agreed with previous reports. Halomonas, halophilic and/or halotolerant Gram-negative bacteria are typically found in saline environments (Kim et al., 2013). The presence of Planococcus and Halobacillus has been reported in studies about hypersaline lakes; like La Sal del Rey (USA) (Phillips et al., 2012) and Great Salt Lake (Spring et al., 1996), respectively. The Salinivibrio costicola was a representative model for studies on osmoregulatory and other physiological mechanisms of moderately halophilic bacteria (Oren, 2006).However, it is interesting to note that all strains shared less than 98.7% identity (the usual species cut-off proposed by Yarza et al. (2014) with their closest phylogenetic relative, suggesting that they could be considered as new species. Phenotypic, genetic and phylogenetic analyses have been suggested for the complete identification of these strains. Theses bacterial strains were tested for the production of industrially important enzymes (Amylase, protease, lipase, DNAse and coagulase). These isolates are good candidates as sources of novel enzymes with biotechnological potential as they can be used in different industrial processes at high salt concentration (up to 25% NaCl for B4). Prominent amylase, lipase, protease and DNAase activities have been reported from different hypersaline environments across the globe; e.g., Spain (Sánchez‐Porro et al., 2003), Iran (Rohban et al., 2009), Tunisia (Baati et al., 2010) and India (Gupta et al., 2016). However, to the best of our knowledge, the coagulase activity has never been detected in extreme halophilic bacteria. Isolation and characterization of crude enzymes (especially coagulase) to investigate their properties and stability are in progress.The finding of novel enzymes with optimal activities at various ranges of salt concentrations is of great importance. Besides being intrinsically stable and active at high salt concentrations, halophilic and halotolerant enzymes offer great opportunities in biotechnological applications, such as environmental bioremediation (marine, oilfiel) and food processing. The bacterial isolates were also characterized for production of biosurfactants by oil-spread assay, measurement of surface tension and emulsification index (E24). There are few reports on biosurfactant producers in hypersaline environments and in recent years, there has been a greater increase in interest and importance in halophilic bacteria for biomolecules (Donio et al., 2013; Sarafin et al., 2014). Halophiles, which have a unique lipid composition, may have an important role to play as surface-active agents. The archae bacterial ether-linked phytanyl membrane lipid of the extremely halophilic bacteria has been shown to have surfactant properties (Post and Collins, 1982). Yakimov et al. (1995) reported the production of biosurfactant by a halotolerant Bacillus licheniformis strain BAS 50 which was able to produce a lipopeptide surfactant when cultured at salinities up to 13% NaCl. From solar salt, Halomonas sp. BS4 and Kocuria marina BS-15 were found to be able to produce biosurfactant when cultured at salinities of 8% and 10% NaCl respectively (Donio et al., 2013; Sarafin et al., 2014). In the present work, strains B4 and A4 produce biosurfactant in medium containing respectively 25% and 20% NaCl. To our knowledge, this is the first report on biosurfactant production by bacteria under such salt concentration. Biosurfactants have a wide variety of industrial and environmental applications (Akbari et al., 2018) but their applicability depends on their stability at different environmental conditions. The strain B4 which can produce biosurfactant at 25% NaCl showed good stability in alkaline pH and at a temperature range of 30°C-100°C. Due to the enormous utilization of biosurfactant in detergent manufacture the choice of alkaline biosurfactant is researched (Elazzazy et al., 2015). On the other hand, the interesting finding was the thermostability of the produced biosurfactant even after heat treatment (100°C for 30 min) which suggests the use of this biosurfactant in industries where heating is of a paramount importance (Khopade et al., 2012). To date, more attention has been focused on biosurfactant producing bacteria under extreme conditions for industrial and commercial usefulness. In fact, the biosurfactant produce by strain B4 have promising usefulness in pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries and for bioremediation in marine environment and Microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) where the salinity, temperature and pH are high.CONCLUSIONThis is the first study on the culturable halophilic bacteria community inhabiting Chott Tinsilt in Eastern Algeria. Different genera of halotolerant bacteria with different phylogeneticaly characteristics have been isolated from this Chott. Culturing of bacteria and their molecular analysis provides an opportunity to have a wide range of cultured microorganisms from extreme habitats like hypersaline environments. Enzymes produced by halophilic bacteria show interesting properties like their ability to remain functional in extreme conditions, such as high temperatures, wide range of pH, and high salt concentrations. These enzymes have great economical potential in industrial, agricultural, chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnological applications. Thus, the halophiles isolated from Chott Tinsilt offer an important potential for application in microbial and enzyme biotechnology. In addition, these halo bacterial biosurfactants producers isolated from this Chott will help to develop more valuable eco-friendly products to the pharmacological and food industries and will be usefulness for bioremediation in marine environment and petroleum industry.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSOur thanks to Professor Abdelhamid Zoubir for proofreading the English composition of the present paper.CONFLICT OF INTERESTThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.Akbari, S., N. H. Abdurahman, R. M. Yunus, F. Fayaz and O. R. Alara, 2018. Biosurfactants—a new frontier for social and environmental safety: A mini review. Biotechnology research innovation, 2(1): 81-90.Association, A. P. H., A. W. W. Association, W. P. C. 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The importance of and focus on educational leadership have been increasing, but there have been insufficient studies in India testing the role of servant leadership (SL) and its impact on the job satisfaction (JS) of teaching staff. The present study examines the role of the SL behaviour of school principals and its impact on JS. Data were collected from 728 secondary school teachers belonging to Himachal Pradesh, a state of North India, using the multi-stage probability sampling technique. Mean, correlation and structural equation modelling (SEM) were employed in the data analysis to test our hypotheses. Statistical analysis revealed that teachers perceive a moderate level of JS and SL. A significant positive correlation was found between SL and JS, and SL was found to have a positive and significant impact on JS. The squared multiple correlation value ( R2) showed a 57 per cent variance in JS among academic teaching staff. Despite being one of the educationally and economically high-performing states, Himachal Pradesh has not been the focus of educational researchers. The present study contributes to build and add knowledge on SL and JS by exploring the relationship between the two.

Performance and efficiency of co-operative banks are the key elements of a country’s financial system at primary level. The co-operative societies in India, in fact, are playing multifunctional role in both rural as well as urban areas. This paper explores the financial growth and performance of Kangra Central Co-operative bank in Himachal Pradesh, which is the largest co-operative banks in the state. The main objective of the study is to analyse the performance and present financial position of the Kangra Central Co-operative bank in Himachal Pradesh with regard to its branches, ATMs, customers etc, using secondary data. The study is set out to apply growth rate for evaluate performance of bank through different variables like share capital, shareholder funds, deposits, assets, outstanding advances, borrowing, profit and profitability and check the management efficiency of the bank through operating ratio. This analytical study of KCCB demonstrates that there are significant differences between different study time periods on the performance of the banks in terms of share capital, deposits, borrowing and profitability, market coverage, outstanding advances, profits, shareholder funds and management quality.

Ecologically Himalayan blue pine (Pinus wallichiana A. B. Jackson) is the most sensitive tree-species found across the high mountain ranges of Himalaya with deciphering tree-line for the region. Earlier studies showed the potential of Himalayan blue pine to reconstruct the past climate for extending observational data back to the centuries from orography-dominated Himalaya. However, tree-growth of the blue pine is largely found modulated by temperature in the western Himalayan region. In the present study, we attempted the first time to develop precipitation records using Himalayan blue pine chronology from cold arid Lahaul–Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, India. The blue pine chronology extends back to AD 1578 and showed significant relationship with the climatic variables. The bootstrap correlation analyses revealed previous year December to current year July precipitation plays significant role in tree-growth advancements. The previous year December to current year July (pDcJuly) precipitation has been reconstructed back to the AD 1730 for the Lahaul–Spiti region. The recorded individual and multi-year periods of low and high precipitation are consistent with existing hydro-climatic records from the western Himalaya. The five driest and wettest individual years are 1732, 1737, 1970, 2008, 1785, and 1730, 1771, 1758, 1734, 1736, respectively. The spatial correlation between gridded precipitation and reconstructed pDcJuly precipitation is significant for the region close to the sampling site. The study based on the Himalayan blue pine tree-ring chronology addressed its dendroclimatic utility for the semi-arid Lahaul–Spiti region and would be valuable to understand climatic variability over the past three centuries. The strong resemblance of the species with the Himalayan cedar growth patterns showed its promising viability to develop a network of multispecies for more robust climatic reconstruction in the future.

Tourism sector has a significant role in the economic development of our country. Tourism sector has contributed 6.88 percent to the GDP and has 12.36 percent share in employment (direct and indirect) in the year 2014. It has also a significant share in foreign exchange earnings. The benefit of tourism mostly goes to the local community (Sonya & Jacqueline, Mansour E. Zaei & Mahin E. Zaei, 2013). In this paper, an attempt has been made to assess how the tourism industry has created an opportunity for the economic, political, social and cultural development of the local community at Manali in Himachal Pradesh (India) and also tried to study the problems that are associated with the tourism in the region. The study found that the tourism industry has been extending its contribution for the development of local community at Manali. It has been providing employment, business and investment opportunities, revenue generation for the government, encouraging the community to promote and preserve its art, culture and heritage, raising the demand of agriculture products, provided opportunities for local people to run and work in the transport business and by promoting MSMEs in the region. Besides the opportunities, the tourism industry has also added many problems to the local community. Traffic congestion, increase in water and air pollution, solid waste generation, degradation of the cultural heritage, ecological imbalances, rise in cost of living, increase in crime, noise and environment pollution, migration of people to the region, negative impact on local culture, and extra pressure on civic services during the tourists season, are the problems associated with the tourism. The study suggest that effective management of natural resources, dissemination of environment protection information, involvement of local community in decision making, professionalization in the working of local administration, extending the support of government in sponsoring the events, infrastructure development, tracking records of migrants with the help of local community to curb the crime rate, promotion and preservation of art, culture and heritage, involvement of NGOs, compliance of the rules can make tourism more beneficial in the development of local community.

Pea is most popular and widely grown, annual pulse grain playing an important role in the upliftment of the economy of hilly area farmers. The application of chemical pesticides have increased in recent time, but has gradually contributed to increased environmental hazards, soil deterioration, thus disturbing the beneficial microbes and biological balance, leading to various dreadful diseases like cancer. Keeping in view the above burning criteria, the studies were conducted focusing on the in-conversion phase of a chemical cultivation system to an organic cultivation system. The results highlight the various parameters like soil health and pesticide residual analysis and their differential behaviour in both the systems (Chemical and Organic). A baseline survey was conducted for comparing differences in behaviour of farmers towards in-conversion phase for which SOGG group (Salogara Organic Growing Group) of Solan-HP was taken in to account, whereas Basal area farmers were selected or chemical cultivation pattern of pea cultivation. A comparative analysis was drawn between two systems. The GCMS analysis highlight the residue of Dinocap (0.58 ppm) in market pea sample and Propiconazole (0.037ppm) in chemical farm’s pea sample were above the MRL limits and no pesticide residues were found in organic pea samples. The pesticide residues were not found in the organic farm’s samples and they were above the limit or at par in the chemical pea samples and market pea samples.

Interface of Geodiversity with human response can be understood simply as, the natural range (diversity) of geological (rocks, minerals, fossils), geomorphological (landforms, topography, physical processes), soil and hydrological features including their assemblages, structures, systems and contributions to landscapes together with the anthropogenic amalgamation in the landscape system. Geomorphosites are those components of geodiversity that have acquired a scientific, cultural/historical, aesthetic and socio-economic value due to human perception or exploitation (Panizza, 2001). The trans-Himalayan district of Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, India is a landlocked district in trans-Himalaya accessible seasonally through high mountain passes; where the interface is manifested though human response to the geodiversity elements. The abiotic factors play a significant role in generating stimuli and the human response varies accordingly in the study area. It is also known as the Tethyan Himalayan region, where the interface (interactive zone/crossing point/edge) of Geomorphosites and human response in terms of geotourism has been analysed and mapped. The data has been collected through extensive field work using structured questionnaire survey and field observations at geomorphosites having unique characteristics. The field work has been done in May–June 2017 and June 2018. The assessment of human response in terms of seasonal economy and geotourism has been done using GIS environment, GPS and SWOT analysis. The study highlights that potential geotourism sites have to be further identified, explored and developed in the region and the existing sites have to be conserved in order to harness the tremendous geotourism potential of the region and thereby boosting the seasonal economy.

One of the major reasons for the degradation of Earth’s setting is inappropriate disposal of solid waste. Mountains of solid waste are increasing in every country making solid waste management a challenge almost everywhere on Earth. It is vital to look for such municipal solid waste management solutions that are financially sustainable, technically possible, socially and legally acceptable and environmentally friendly. Currently vermicomposting is the only biological solid waste treatment process that uses multicellular organisms to biodegrade organic wastes. A few species of insects are capable of digesting lignin and cellulose. Of these, termites are the most numerous and play a decisive role as scavengers. Microflora which inhabit the termites’ gut contribute to their waste degrading potential. Termites act as major soil ecosystem managers and are able to breakdown and recycle organic matter and composite. Although studies in the potential of termites to increase soil fertility are well-accounted for in the literature, the potential of termites for solid waste management still needs to be explored. This mini review presents the state of information on the use of termite species in solid waste degradation focused on the potential application in the Himachal Pradesh region, India. This review highlights different termite species found in Himachal Pradesh and the challenges that are needed to be conquered. The study also aims at encouraging competent authorities/researchers to work towards the improvement of the present system by further exploring the use of termites in solid waste management through suggestions and recommendations.

The outreach of micro-finance programme is considered to be a means enhance the economic well-being among the member means to enhance households through poverty alleviation. A wide cross-country variation in the outreach of micro-finance programme to the poor households is observed in the world. Despite the significant growth of micro-finance institutions and its active borrowers, the penetration of micro-finance lending services to the poor households in India is observed to be limited. In addition, there is a wide inter-state disparity in the achievement of micro-finance outreach in India especially among the poor households. A composite index has been constructed using the penetration, availability and usage indicators of micro-finance outreach to examine the interstate variations in the level of its achievement. Subsequently, attempt has been made to analyse the role of micro-finance in alleviating poverty across the states of India. The result shows that out of 27 states and Union Territories, only in seven states (Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, and Karnataka) outreach of micro-finance programme has made a significant impact on the reduction of poverty.