eChapters

Epigenetics is a new field of research in plant biology, which aims to provide a powerful tool to improve crop productivity, adaptability, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. In recent years, researchers have begun to explore the potential of epigenomics in plant breeding, providing breeders with an alternative to genetic engineering, addressing concerns related to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in agriculture. In particular, epigenetic markers (epimarkers) are chemicals which regulate genes by sitting over the DNA sequence; they explore the consequences of thermal and ionic variation on the behavior of plant under stress conditions. Moreover, epialleles may be promising sources of new variation of traits that are controlled by genes that are not detrimentally regulated. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the current state of the art in epigenomic research, focusing on the impact of next-generation sequencing (NGS) on epigenomes, as well as the potential use of epigenetics in crop breeding.

Introduction

Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression that occur without alterations in the DNA sequence. It involves modifications of the DNA or associated proteins that can influence gene activity and expression. Most cells in an organism share the same genes, although they can be very diverse from one another. This is due to the fact that not all genes are active in all cells at the same time. The epigenetic context of a gene, or its accessibility to transcription, can tell whether the gene is likely to be active or not (Klemm et al. 2019). Indeed, the nuclear genome is found as a dense combination of long DNA strings wrapped around specialized proteins called histones to create nucleosomes (Samo et al. 2021). These nucleosomes can be further packed together to form even denser 3D formations that are sometimes visible under a microscope, giving rise to the term “chromatin”.

Introduction
Nanomedicine, utilizing nanoparticles for therapeutic purposes, has captured significant interest in both research and industry. Numerous FDA-approved products demonstrate its clinical potential. Liposomes, spherical vesicles with phospholipid bilayers, have emerged as a prominent platform for drug delivery. They offer a versatile carrier system for a wide range of therapeutics, including the successful encapsulation of doxorubicin, an anticancer agent, leading to improved efficacy and reduced side effects. Additionally, liposomes have been explored extensively for nucleic acid delivery, such as siRNA and DNA, enhancing cellular penetration and protecting drugs from degradation. Liposomes were among the first nanotechnologies to reach the market in 1995 and remain a major platform today. Notably, the first FDA-approved mRNA vaccine for COVID-19 (2020) utilizes lipidic/liposomal nanocarriers for delivery. However, despite their advantages, formulating, developing, and manufacturing liposomes presents significant challenges.
The complexity of nano formulations and nanomanufacturing stems from the unique physicochemical properties at the nanoscale. A greater number of variables need to be understood and optimized compared to traditional drug delivery systems. This lack of comprehensive understanding often leads to sensitivity and poor reproducibility in nano-preparations and manufacturing. For such complex systems, experimental approaches that identify critical parameters and their influence on the final product are crucial. Quality by Design (QbD) offers a solution, advocated for by various industries and regulatory bodies. QbD begins with defining the Quality Target Product Profile (QTPP), outlining the essential quality attributes (QA) of the final product for safety and efficacy. These QAs are influenced by critical material attributes (CMA) and process parameters (CPP). QbD then focuses on optimizing CMA and CPP by setting target specifications that ensure the desired QAs and ultimately achieve the QTPP (Alshaer et al., 2022).
A proper experimental design is employed to link CMA and CPP to QA. This facilitates establishing targeted specifications for materials, processes, and the final product. Furthermore, QbD enables the evaluation of multiple factors simultaneously and prioritizes QA through risk assessments. Given the success of liposomal-based drugs in clinical use and their diverse pre-clinical applications, a strategic and systematic approach to liposome development is necessary. QbD offers a framework to create better drug delivery systems for enhanced therapeutic efficacy. While previous research has explored QbD for liposomal drug delivery, there is a growing need to understand and describe the latest advancements in using QbD for liposomal formulations. This will pave the way for liposomalbased drug delivery systems with superior therapeutic outcomes and potential for industrial development (Alshweiat et al., 2019).

IoT networks and smart sensors enable continuous livestock monitoring, overcoming the delay and subjectivity associated with manual observation. This chapter reviews sensor types, communication systems, cloud and edge computing, and their applications in animal-health and behaviour tracking. It proposes a framework integrating multimodal sensors with IoT networks and machine-learning models such as CNNs and LSTMs. The system can detect abnormalities, predict health conditions and provide real-time decision support. Practical benefits include earlier intervention, improved welfare, reduced labour and more efficient production. The chapter also addresses implementation problems, costs, connectivity, data security, technical reliability and ethical considerations associated with constant digital monitoring of animals.

1.1 Definition of Statistics

Statistics has been defined differently by different ‘Statisticians’ from time to time. These definitions emphasize precisely the meaning, scope and limitations of the subject.  The reasons for such a variety definitions may be stated as follows:

    i.    The field of utility of statistics has been increasing steadily and
    ii.    The word statistics has been used to give different meanings in singular (the science of statistical methods) and plural (numerical set of data) senses.

In order to have a clear grasp of the subject, we give below some selected definitions of statistics which are grouped under two main heads: ‘Statistics as numerical data’ and ‘Statistics as Methods’.  The former one is in plural sense and the latter singular sense.

ABSTRACT

Eulaliopsis binata (Retz.) C.E. Hubb. is a valuable grass growing in Midnapore district of West Bengal known for their commercial purposes. Livelihood of and many of peoples are depends on the production of this grass. Besides this we try to present their phytochemical constituents mainly alkaloids, flavonoids and phenolic compounds for medicinal study. In this investigation, we studied the morpho-taxonomy and anatomical characterization as well as phytochemical screening of different chemicals. Besides this we make an idea about presence of sugar molecules by HPLC study and chemical bonding properties with the help of FTIR. The detailed study gives an idea about E. binata and its medicinal properties.

Abstract: Tuberose, native of Mexico, occupies prominent position due to long spikes of fragrant flowers, potential in perfume industry and nearly year round growth in tropical and sub-tropical climate. Flowers are used for artistic garlands, floral ornamentals, bouquets and cut flowers for table decoration. Flowers remain fresh pretty long time and stand long distance transportation. Lack of genetic diversity in flower type, size, colour, self incompatibility, sterility, low seed set and limited information on genetics of characters pose significant challenges to breeders. Breeding objectives with high priority include dwarf plant type, novel colours, attractive forms for pot culture/ bedding purpose intense fragrance and high essential oil content. Only two white flowered cvs. Single and Double types are cultivated for commercial production. Salient breeding achievements through planned hybridization and mutation breeding are discussed.

Keywords: Polianthes, cultivars, interspecific/ intervarietal hybridization, transgressive segregants, gamma rays.

Development of the country build is upon the aspect of the human measures. Imaginative, inventive, truthful and persevering persons head the nation in the virtuous path and guide to all aspects of growth in every field. Entrepreneurs drive nation’s growth. Entrepreneurs are familiar for their specific features Acknowledging this reality on growth of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is an ingenious and imaginative reaction to the surrounding. The expression “entrepreneurs” normally mention to person who tackle recently developed capabilities that are imaginative and inventive. Analysis towards the entrepreneurial character has manifest that majority of the successful entrepreneurs share a defined category of personality features. This acquires the peculiarity as to. The existing analysis is an effort to inform the main features of entrepreneurs in food processing enterprises of Assam.

4.1 Introduction
Having explored the direct, “hands-on” approach of in situ observations in the previous chapter, we now turn our attention to remote sensing. In contrast to in situ methods, remote sensing allows us to gather information about the atmosphere without physically touching it. Instead, it relies on the detection of electromagnetic radiation (or acoustic waves) that has been emitted, reflected, or scattered by the atmosphere or its constituents.
This chapter will focus specifically on ground-based remote sensing platforms. Positioned on or near the Earth’s surface, these instruments offer unique advantages for continuous monitoring of the atmosphere above a fixed location, providing valuable insights into vertical profiles, temporal evolution, and localized phenomena. From radars that peer into storms to lidars that probe aerosols and winds, and radiometers that measure emitted radiation, ground-based remote sensing provides a vital link between highly localized in situ measurements and the broader spatial coverage offered by satellite and
airborne systems.
We will delve into the fundamental principles behind several key groundbased remote sensing instruments used in meteorology. This will include an examination of how they interact with the atmosphere, the types of atmospheric parameters they can measure (such as precipitation, wind, temperature, humidity, aerosols, and trace gases), and the strengths and limitations of each technique. By understanding the capabilities of these ground-based “eyes” on the sky, we can better appreciate their contribution to weather forecasting, atmospheric research, and environmental monitoring.

Livestock farms generate large quantities of physiological, environmental, behavioural and production data through sensors, IoT devices and management records. Raw information must be processed before it can support dependable analysis. This chapter explains data cleaning, missing-value treatment, noise reduction, anomaly detection, integration, normalization, transformation and dimensionality reduction. It also discusses feature extraction, categorical encoding, variable transformation and temporal-feature analysis. Machine learning, AutoML, Python, R and other analytical platforms are introduced as tools for preparing livestock datasets. Applications include disease prediction, yield improvement and movement monitoring. The chapter concludes by examining scalability, data quality, privacy and ethical challenges in intelligent livestock analytics.

Local Anesthetic Techniques of Head Region
The following nerves can be blocked in the head region for performing surgery.
    1.    Cornual nerve block 
    2.    Peterson’s orbital nerve block 
    3.    Auriculopalpebral nerve block 
    4.    Supra orbital nerve block 
    5.    Infra orbital nerve block 
    6.    Retro bulbar nerve block 
    7.    Mental nerve block 
    8.    Maxillary nerve block 
    9.    Mandibulo alveolar nerve block 

Rice is the most important cereal crop of India occupying about 44.0 million hectares land. It provides food and employment to millions of people in the country. Despite development of high yielding varieties and technological interventions the yield of rice is still low (3.20 tonnes/ha) in India. The reasons for low yield of rice are:

Lesser area under high yielding varieties

Limited availability of quality seed

Increased acidity/ sodicity in some parts of the country

Declined soil fertility

Unavailability of inputs, like fertilizers and seed, in time

Inefficient nutrient management including imbalanced use of nutrients

Improper crop rotations

Reduced availability of irrigation water

Inefficient management of weeds, diseases and insect-pests

Introduction

India ranks third in sheep population and accounts for 6.13 % of world population (FAO, 2009) with 71.56 million sheep to its record as of Livestock Census 2007 (DAHD, 2012). Out of 71.56 million sheep, 3.73 million are crossbred and 67.83 are indigenous. Sheep husbandry is backbone of rural economy in India. It is important as it helps in sustaining the livelihood of rural poor in difficult terrains characterized by sparse vegetation, marginal land and a high incidence of poverty. These breeds were developed following domestication and natural and artificial selection over the past 12,000 years.

Abstract

The tsunami has struck many coastal countries of South Asia on 26 December 2004 and caused greater devastation along Andaman - Nicobar and Indian coasts. In India, Tamil Nadu coast is worst affected in Kanyakumari, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts. Subsequently, damage assessment, in respect of natural and physical resources, was done using Remote Sensing and GIS in parts of Cuddalore and Pondicherry coasts. The structural damages were studied village wise and categorized as maximum, moderate and least affected areas. As far as the natural resources are concerned, the changes in geomorphology, land use/ land cover, soil and water have been studied. On the basis of the same, the risk maps were also generated in GIS environment.

Keywords: Tsunami, Damage Assessment, Remote Sensing, GIS, Cuddalore, Pondicherry

8.1 Introduction

Rising petroleum prices, increasing threat to the environment from exhaust emissions and global warming have generated an intense international interest in developing alternative non-petroleum fuels for engines. The use of vegetable oil in internal combustion engines is not a recent innovation. Rudolf Diesel (18581913), creator of the diesel cycle engines, used peanut vegetable oil to demonstrate its invention in Paris in 1900. In 1912, Diesel said, “The use of vegetable oils as engine fuel may seem negligible today. Nevertheless, such oils may become, in the passing years, as important as oil and coal tar presently.” Nowadays, it is known that oil is a finite resource and that its price tends to increase exponentially, as its reserves have being decreasing¹.

India ranks sixth in the world in total energy consumption and needs to accelerate the development of the sector to meet its growth aspirations. The country, though rich in coal and abundantly endowed with renewable energy in the form of solar, wind, hydro and bio-energy has very small hydrocarbon reserves (0.4 % of the world’s reserve). India, like many other developing countries, is a net importer of energy, more than 25 percent of primary energy needs being met through imports mainly in the form of crude oil and natural gas. The rising oil import bill has been the focus of serious concerns due to the pressure it has placed on scarce foreign exchange resources and is also largely responsible for energy supply shortages. The sub-optimal consumption of commercial energy adversely affects the productive sectors, which in turn hampers economic growth².

Introduction

Ornamental fish keeping in aquarium has emerged as the second most popular hobby next to photography. As these fishes usually are kept in aquarium, they are popularly known as ‘Aquarium Fishes’. These beautiful fishes form an important commercial component of aquaculture, providing for aesthetic requirements and upkeep of the environment. At present the market for ornamental fish in the world for public aquaria is less than 1% and over 99% of the market is still confined to hobbyist. In India the hobby of ornamental fish keeping is nearly 70 years old. The brilliant, flamboyant color and exotic appearance of fish appeal almost for every one, children and aged alike. According to psychiatrists, placing aquaria with ornamental fishes in the patient’s house could treat certain type of mentally disordered problems. The relatively minimum requirement of space or attention compared to other pet animals is the reason of growing interest in keeping aquaria all over.

1. Prelude

Indian agriculture has experienced spectacular changes in the recent period, manifesting large-scale commercialization and diversification. They broadly include cultivation of new crops and varieties, increase in the share of area under cash crops, large scale spread of livestock activities and fisheries, pursuance of high tech in the areas of aquaculture, bio-technology, horticulture, processing etc. India currently is the second largest food producer. If we look critically the resources available with the country we can say it has the potential to be the world’s number one producing over 600 million tons of food products.

Energy remains the mainstay of civilized world. The priorities may lay in cost economics, environment friendliness, import substitution, or self-sufficiency as strategic objectives.  By the year 2050, worldwide energy demand is projected to be at least twice today’s level. Energy and environment are sectors that are of concern for policy makers and scientists.  Indian scenario is unique and different from other developed or developing countries. It has vast areas that lay waste and are not being utilized for cultivation since these are unfertile, dry, sodic, saline, or alkaline. Majority of its population lives in villages.
 
Energy supply must be sustainable and diverse and energy needs to be used more efficiently. Sustainable energy supply, both in the short- and the long-term, is needed for promoting both economic development and people’s quality of life, as well as protecting the environment. We also need a greater diversification of energy resources to ensure against risk of price rises and supply disruptions.

The bones of skull (Fig 2-1) are divided into two groups, as cranial group of bones and facial group of bones. Most of the bones of the skull are flat bones and a few are irregular bones.

Cranial bones

The cranial bones form the cranium that encloses and protects the brain and organs of special senses e.g. eye and ear. These bones include the occipital, sphenoid, ethmoid, inter-parietal, parietal, temporal and frontal. The first four of these bones are single and the rests are paired.

Occipital

The occipital is a single bone (Fig 2 -1C) and is situated on the caudo- dorsal aspect of the skull. It consists of three parts, the lateral parts are called lateral occipital, the basal part is called the basi occipital and the dorsal (squamous) part is called the squamous occipital.

The decadal Census, 2011 puts India’s population at 121.08 crores (cr.), split into 83.37 cr. of rural and 37.71 cr. of urban inhabitants. Of the total population, the working population was 48.18 Cr. comprising primary workers at 36.25 cr.

Regarding gender analysis, the male and female populations counted 62.32 and 58.75 crores, respectively. The female population was rural-dominated,with 42.77 crores living in villages and 10.51 crores in urban centres.The Census also showed that the women accounted for a substantive size of the working population, 14.99 crores (12.19 rural+2.80 urban). The primary workers of this female working population were as high as 8.93 crores, with 6.77 crores living in rural India and 2.15 crores in urban centres. The details may be seen in Table 1.

Tyzzer’s disease

Tyzzer’s disease is an acute infectious disease of laboratory animals including rats caused by Clostridium spp and Characterized by watery diarrhoea, necrotic hepatitis and death

Etiology

• Clostridium piliforme

• Gram positive, Spore forming, Anaerobe

Pathogenesis

• Horizontal transmission- faecal oral route

• Contaminated feed, water

• Bacteria in gut causing enteritis