Article
Plant Sciences
Girme Aoudumbar Ramesh, Deepu Mathew, K. Joseph John, V Ravisankar
Summary: This study utilized DNA barcoding to identify seven species of Momordica and determine their relationships. Analysis of matK gene sequences resulted in distinct barcodes that could differentiate the species. The study also confirmed M. cymbalaria as a member of the Momordica genus.
HORTICULTURAL PLANT JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Dan Hogan, Anuradha Gupta
Summary: Immunization coverage is high, but there are still millions of children who did not receive any routine immunizations in 2021, making it essential to reach these zero-dose children to meet immunization targets by 2030. Zero-dose children can be found in various locations and face social, political, and economic barriers. Gender, ethnicity, religion, and mobility also contribute to the challenges in reaching them. Reaching zero-dose children is critical as they face multiple deprivations and account for a significant portion of child deaths in low- and middle-income countries, aligning with the commitment to leave no one behind in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Article
Geography, Physical
A. M. Jukar, S. K. Lyons, P. J. Wagner, M. D. Uhen
Summary: Research shows that a low magnitude extinction event of large mammals occurred in the Indian Subcontinent approximately 30,000 years after the arrival of Homo sapiens. The co-evolution hypothesis between humans and animals, as well as robust population networks and climatic refugia, are suggested to have played a significant role in the survival of megafauna in this region.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jin Liu, Ho-Kwang Mao, Yi-Gang Xu
Summary: The deep Earth is the engine of the whole Earth systems, playing a key role in surface evolution and geological hazards. The Chinese Academy of Sciences has established the Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science to support research in this field, aiming to decipher the internal processes that shape our habitable planet.
NATIONAL SCIENCE REVIEW
(2021)
Editorial Material
Immunology
Mahima Swamy
Summary: Full activation of ZAP70 enables T cells to discriminate between TCR antigens of varying affinities and respond only to high-affinity antigens.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Omme K. Nayna, Vedula V. S. S. Sarma, Most Shirina Begum, Jens Hartmann, Sanjeev Kumar, Shafi M. Tareq, Ji-Hyung Park
Summary: Anthropogenic perturbations increase uncertainties in estimating CO2 emissions from large rivers in the Indian subcontinent. This study provides an improved estimate of the total CO2 emissions by measuring the partial pressure of CO2 in major rivers and finds that water pollution strongly influences CO2 emissions, especially in highly polluted urban tributaries. The revised estimates highlight the importance of Indian subcontinental rivers in constraining global inland water CO2 emissions under increasing anthropogenic pressures.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kapil Dev Sindhu, G. S. Bhat
Summary: This study investigated the characteristics of storms in different seasons at Lucknow, Patna, Bhopal, and Nagpur in India using radar reflectivity factor. The results showed that storms exhibit seasonal differences at different locations, with Lucknow having similar characteristics in 87% confidence interval. Additionally, vertical radar reflectivity profiles of storms varied at different life phases, with differences in the vertical gradient observed between pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Hematology
Susan Branford
Summary: The study demonstrated that an optimal benefit-to-risk outcome for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia who had failed prior therapy was to start with a dose of 45 mg of ponatinib, which could then be reduced to 15 mg upon attainment of a response.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Catharina Boehme, Sergio Carmona, Sarah Nogaro, Mwelecele Malecela
Summary: Fit-for-purpose diagnostic tests are crucial for achieving global targets for NTDs, but efforts are currently fragmented, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of coordination among partners. The development of new tools and improvement of existing diagnostics are essential to tackle these 20 debilitating diseases.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Aurup Ratan Dhar, Azusa Oita, Kazuyo Matsubae
Summary: Loss of reactive nitrogen in the agro-food system causes environmental degradation and health risks. This study evaluates the food nitrogen footprint of the Indian Subcontinent (ISC) and proposes reduction scenarios. Results show that improving crop cultivation's nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and altering diets can reduce the nitrogen footprint.
FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dina Nethisa Rasquinha, Deepak R. Mishra
Summary: Recent literature suggests that tropical cyclones enhance mangrove productivity. Studying seven mangrove forests along the Indian coastline, increasing trends in gross primary productivity (GPP) were observed over the past two decades with seasonal fluctuations linked to storm activities. Higher phosphorus levels during post-monsoon-winter period were found in Bhitarkanika, supporting the role of storm-induced nutrient fluxes in mangrove productivity.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
R. Sainz-Amo, B. Baena-Alvarez, I. Parees, G. Sanchez-Diez, P. Perez-Torre, J. L. Lopez-Sendon, S. Fanjul-Arbos, E. Monreal, I. Corral-Corral, N. Garcia-Barragan, J. C. Martinez-Castrillo, A. Fasano, A. Alonso-Canovas
Summary: In our study, institutionalization and oncologic comorbidity, rather than PD-related variables, increased the risk of developing COVID-19 and impacted on its severity. These findings suggest that epidemiologic factors and frailty are key factors for COVID-19 morbidity/mortality in PD.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Trisha Chakraborty, Debashish Das, Rafiq Hamdi, Ansar Khan, Dev Niyogi
Summary: The diverse geography and rapid urbanization in the Indian subcontinent result in significant spatiotemporal variations in urban heating and air emissions. Analyzing aerosol optical depth (AOD) level variability, this study examines heating events in 43 urban agglomerations, 13 industrial districts, and 14 biosphere reserves in the region. The findings reveal the highest pre-monsoon surface heating in western, central, and southern urban areas, and a notable concentration of AOD in the eastern part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. The study also highlights the negative correlation between land surface temperature (LST) and AOD in urban areas during the pre-monsoon season, indicating the impact of aerosol loading on surface radiation and temperature reduction.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lakhima Chutia, Narendra Ojha, Imran Girach, Binita Pathak, Lokesh K. Sahu, Chandan Sarangi, Johannes Flemming, Arlindo da Silva, Pradip Kumar Bhuyan
Summary: In this study, the SO2 trends over the rapidly developing Indian subcontinent during 2003-2019 period were investigated using model reanalysis, satellite data, and emission inventories. The results showed rapid SO2 growth up to 0.4 ppbv yr(-1) from 2003 to 2009, particularly significant over the Indo-Gangetic Plain and eastern India. However, the growth became slower after 2010 and was followed by a stabilization or slight reduction. The findings highlighted the need for studies to assess the impacts of changing SO2 trends in India on the regional and global climate.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Business, Finance
Rachita Gulati, Nirmal Singh, Sunil Kumar, Geeta Duppati
Summary: This study examines the evolution and determinants of bank stability in four major countries of the Indian subcontinent - India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan - from 2004 to 2018. The study finds that banking systems in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh experienced a significant disruption in stability levels during 2013-14, and the recovery was not immediate. Larger banks in India appear to be more stable, while too big to fail hypothesis is valid in Bangladesh and Pakistan. The study also confirms the diversification-stability hypothesis in Nepal and shows that inflation has a negative impact on bank stability in the region.
PACIFIC-BASIN FINANCE JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kamaljit S. Bawa, Asmita Sengupta, Vishwas Chavan, Ravi Chellam, R. Ganesan, Jagdish Krishnaswamy, Vinod B. Mathur, Nandan Nawn, Shannon B. Olsson, Nitin Pandit, Suhel Quader, Prabhakar Rajagopal, Uma Ramakrishnan, G. Ravikanth, Mahesh Sankaran, Darshan Shankar, Reinmar Seidler, R. Uma Shaanker, Abi Tamim Vanak
Summary: Highly populated tropical countries, including India, are facing challenges in balancing economic security improvements and biodiversity protection. Preservation and restoration of biodiversity may be the cheapest and least risky way to mitigate the impacts of threats such as climate change, declining food security, rising healthcare costs, and other issues.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ellie E. Armstrong, Anubhab Khan, Ryan W. Taylor, Alexandre Gouy, Gili Greenbaum, Alexandre Thiery, Jonathan T. Kang, Sergio A. Redondo, Stefan Prost, Gregory Barsh, Christopher Kaelin, Sameer Phalke, Anup Chugani, Martin Gilbert, Dale Miquelle, Arun Zachariah, Udayan Borthakur, Anuradha Reddy, Edward Louis, Oliver A. Ryder, Yadvendradev Jhala, Dmitri Petrov, Laurent Excoffier, Elizabeth Hadly, Uma Ramakrishnan
Summary: Species conservation can benefit from understanding evolutionary and genetic history. Tigers, especially Indian tigers with high genomic diversity, may experience recent inbreeding events due to connectivity loss in fragmented habitats. Demographic models suggest subspecies divergence within the last 20,000 years, with Amur and Sumatran tigers showing different patterns of selection for metabolic and body size regulation genes. Further investigation on local adaptation is recommended prior to genetic rescue efforts.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
B. R. Ansil, Ian H. Mendenhall, Uma Ramakrishnan
Summary: This study in a biodiversity hotspot in southern India reveals a high prevalence and diversity of Bartonella in the most common small mammals, with several lineages related to zoonotic species known to cause infections in humans. The results emphasize the urgent need for further investigation of this unexplored diversity to prevent under-detected bacterial infections.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Arjun Srivathsa, Ryan G. Rodrigues, Kok Ben Toh, Arun Zachariah, Ryan W. Taylor, Madan K. Oli, Uma Ramakrishnan
Summary: Accurate population counts of endangered species are crucial for conservation biology, but reliable density estimates are still unavailable for many species. This study successfully generated dhole density estimates by identifying individual dholes from genetic samples, providing important ecological information for the species' scientific management efforts.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Suzanne M. Simkovich, Lisa M. Thompson, Maggie L. Clark, Kalpana Balakrishnan, Alejandra Bussalleu, William Checkley, Thomas Clasen, Victor G. Davila-Roman, Anaite Diaz-Artiga, Ephrem Dusabimana, Lisa de las Fuentes, Steven Harvey, Miles A. Kirby, Amy Lovvorn, Eric D. McCollum, Erick E. Mollinedo, Jennifer L. Peel, Ashlinn Quinn, Ghislaine Rosa, Lindsay J. Underhill, Kendra N. Williams, Bonnie N. Young, Joshua Rosenthal
Summary: The study focuses on assessing and minimizing risks associated with resuming research activities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic framework was developed to evaluate activities in different countries and implement protective measures based on the risk level. By prioritizing participant and staff safety, the framework aims to maintain research integrity and deliver on research commitments during current and potential future outbreaks.
BMC MEDICAL RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Anubhab Khan, Swathy M. Krishna, Uma Ramakrishnan, Ranajit Das
Summary: Identifying genetic structure within Indian tiger populations using whole-genome data and developing an AIMs panel with a minimal number of SNPs to recapitulate this structure. The study identified four population clusters of Indian tigers and demonstrated the robustness of the AIMs by successfully applying it to a separate dataset from across India. This SNP-based AIMs panel can serve as a cost-effective alternative to whole-genome sequencing for determining the biogeographical origin of Indian tigers and may guide the development of similar panels for managing other endangered species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anubhab Khan, Kaushalkumar Patel, Harsh Shukla, Ashwin Viswanathan, Tom van der Valk, Udayan Borthakur, Parag Nigam, Arun Zachariah, Yadavendradev Jhala, Marty Kardos, Uma Ramakrishnan
Summary: Habitat fragmentation leads to small populations, increasing the risk of inbreeding depression. Small populations can reduce inbreeding depression by purging deleterious recessive alleles. The study on Indian tiger populations found differences in inbreeding levels and mutation load between small and large populations.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mahesh S. Dhar, Robin Marwal, V. S. Radhakrishnan, Kalaiarasan Ponnusamy, Bani Jolly, Rahul C. Bhoyar, Viren Sardana, Salwa Naushin, Mercy Rophina, Thomas A. Mellan, Swapnil Mishra, Charles Whittaker, Saman Fatihi, Meena Datta, Priyanka Singh, Uma Sharma, Rajat Ujjainiya, Nitin Bhatheja, Mohit Kumar Divakar, Manoj K. Singh, Mohamed Imran, Vigneshwar Senthivel, Ranjeet Maurya, Neha Jha, Priyanka Mehta, A. Vivekanand, Pooja Sharma, V. R. Arvinden, Urmila Chaudhary, Namita Soni, Lipi Thukral, Seth Flaxman, Samir Bhatt, Rajesh Pandey, Debasis Dash, Mohammed Faruq, Hemlata Lall, Hema Gogia, Preeti Madan, Sanket Kulkarni, Himanshu Chauhan, Shantanu Sengupta, Sandhya Kabra, Ravindra K. Gupta, Sujeet K. Singh, Anurag Agrawal, Partha Rakshit
Summary: Delhi experienced multiple severe outbreaks in 2020, reaching a seropositivity rate of >50% by 2021. The Delta variant's high transmissibility and immune evasion led to a surge in cases in Delhi.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ashok Kumar Ram, Nabin Kumar Yadav, Pem Narayan Kandel, Samrat Mondol, Bivash Pandav, Lakshminarayanan Natarajan, Naresh Subedi, Dipanjan Naha, C. Sudhakar Reddy, Babu Ram Lamichhane
Summary: The study assessed deforestation and forest fragmentation in the elephant range in Nepal between 1930 and 2020, finding that forest loss and fragmentation have significant impacts on elephant habitat, with long-term consequences for elephant conservation and human-elephant conflict.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Correction
Infectious Diseases
Pilot Dovih, Eric D. Laing, Yihui Chen, Dolyce H. W. Low, B. R. Ansil, Xinglou Yang, Zhengli Shi, Christopher C. Broder, Gavin J. D. Smith, Martin Linster, Uma Ramakrishnan, Ian H. Mendenhall
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ishan Agarwal, Aaron M. Bauer, Tony Gamble, Varad B. Giri, Daniel Jablonski, Akshay Khandekar, Pratyush P. Mohapatra, Rafaqat Masroor, Anurag Mishra, Uma Ramakrishnan
Summary: The study investigates the evolutionary history and species diversity of the leopard gecko using multi-locus sequence data and wide sampling. It reveals that leopard geckos in the pet trade come from a few shallow clades and the current estimate of species diversity is moderately underestimated.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Suvankar Biswas, Supriya Bhatt, Debanjan Sarkar, Gautam Talukdar, Bivash Pandav, Samrat Mondol
Summary: India has led global tiger conservation efforts and doubled its wild tiger population since 2006. To ensure the persistence of these growing populations in shrinking habitats, focused conservation planning is needed across all existing tiger landscapes in India. Through field-sampling, genetic analyses, and GIS modelling, the study investigated tiger population structure, source-recipient dynamics, and functionality of corridors in the Terai-Arc landscape of India.
CONSERVATION GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Suvankar Biswas, Shrewshree Kumar, Meghna Bandhopadhyay, Shiv Kumari Patel, Salvador Lyngdoh, Bivash Pandav, Samrat Mondol
Summary: Large carnivores such as the Tiger strongly impact ecological interactions, but they often face conflicts with humans due to their specific resource requirements. This study investigated the Tiger's food habits and identified hotspots of conflict in the Terai-Arc Landscape in India. The results showed that large-bodied prey species, including Sambar, Chital, and livestock, make up a significant portion of the Tiger's diet. Prey selection was found to be driven by prey abundance and body weight, rather than protection status. The study suggests the need for careful management interventions and community involvement to reduce conflict and ensure the long-term conservation of Tigers in the area.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shiv Kumari Patel, Sourabh Ruhela, Suvankar Biswas, Supriya Bhatt, Bivash Pandav, Samrat Mondol
Summary: Apex predators play a critical role in ecosystem functioning by controlling subordinate populations. This study focused on the intraguild system of tigers and leopards in Rajaji Tiger Reserve and found that tiger competition led to dietary niche separation and physiological stress in leopards. The results highlight the importance of understanding dominant-subordinate interactions to better manage and conserve predator populations.
CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Tista Ghosh, Shrewshree Kumar, Kirtika Sharma, Parikshit Kakati, Amit Sharma, Samrat Mondol
Summary: This study investigates the genetic geography, divergence, and demographic history of the Indian one-horned rhinos using mitochondrial data. The results reveal three distinct genetic clades and support the evolutionary history of the Indian subcontinent. The population demographic analysis suggests a historical decline and subsequent increase in the female effective population size of the rhinos.
BMC ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)