The origin of plant cell and tissue culture can be found in a treatise published during the mid-18th century, entitled La Physique des Arbes, that describes the formation of callus tissue following the for mation of a ring of cortex from elm trees. Over the next two centuries, the discovery of plant growth hormones, in particular auxins and cytokinins, and detailed analyses on the nutritional requirements of plants, led to the formulation of media that could maintain actively dividing cultures derived from gymnosperms, and both dicotyledon ous and monocotyledonous angiosperms. However, much of the prog ress and technological development in the in vitro propagation of plant cells, tissues, and organs has occurred during the last 25 years. Recently, plant tissue culture techniques have been used as basic tools in the rapidly expanding field of plant biotechnology for the development and clonal propagation of new and/or improved plant varieties. Plant tissue culture is used for the micropropagation of commercially valuable cultivars that include ornamentals, oil palm, Glycyrrhiza, Pyrethrum, pine, Eucalyptus, sugar cane, and potatoes. Cultured plant tissue is also used for the selection of cells and, ul timately, the regeneration of plants that are tolerant to physical stresses such as pathogens, drought, and temperature extremes, and to chemical stress agents such as salinity, herbicides, proteins, and pyrethrins. In addition, new plants have been produced by the fusion of protoplasts prepared from cultured cells of different species in cluding sunflower and french bean, tomato and potato, and various cultivars of Datura. Finally, bacterial vectors and various mechanical methods have been used to introduce foreign genes into cultured plant tissues. Genetic transformation can result in profound changes in the phenotype and/or biochemical profile of the regenerated trans genic plants that are not characteristic of the wild type. An impressive variety of technologies in tissue culture, genetic manipulation, and molecular biology have been developed for nu merous plant species. Many of these techniques, sometimes referred to as plant biotechnology, have been extensively summarized and compiled in a well-balanced collection of easy-to-follow protocols presented in three separate, but complimentary, volumes. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture consists of 22 chapters (with 86 figures) and 5 appendices. The chapters cover critical aspects of (a) the es sential requirements for the operation of a plant tissue culture lab oratory; (b) the basic procedures of micropropagation, regeneration, and somatic embryogenesis; (c) some specific applications of organ culture systems such as embryo rescue and culture, and anther and microspore culture for haploid and double haploid production; (d) elementary transformation technology; and (e) useful microtechnique and analytical protocols specifically adapted to cultured tissues and cells. The appendices provide a convenient summary of media for mulations and commercial suppliers for the materials described in the text.

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Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture

Conflict between people and felids is one of the most urgent wild cat conservation issues worldwide, yet efforts to synthesize knowledge about these conflicts have been few. For management strategies to be effective a thorough understanding of the dynamics of human-felid conflicts is necessary. Here we present the results of a cross-species, systematic review of human-felid conflicts worldwide. Using a combination of literature review and geographical information system analyses, we provide a quantitative as well as qualitative assessment of patterns and determinants that are known to influence the severity of human-felid conflicts, and a geographical overview of the occurrence of conflict worldwide. We found evidence of conflict affecting over 75% of the world's felid species. The severity of conflict increases with felid body mass and is of greatest conservation significance to nine species: caracal, cheetah, Eurasian lynx, jaguar, leopard, lion, puma, snow leopard and tiger. We also reveal specific gaps in knowledge about human-felid conflicts, and required actions within this aspect of felid conservation. With only 31% of implemented management strategies having been evaluated scientifically, there is a need for greater and more rigorous evaluation and a wider dissemination of results. Also urgently required are standardized reporting techniques to reduce the current disparity in conflict reporting methods and facilitate resolution of patterns and trends in the scale of human-felid conflict worldwide. This review provides a basis both for further synthesis and for the coordination of human-felid conflict management among researchers, practitioners and organizations.

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Human-felid conflict: a review of patterns and priorities worldwide.

A concise review of current lignin production, applications, products and their environmental impact

The demand for fossil derivate fuels and chemicals has increased, augmenting concerns on climate change, global economic stability, and sustainability on fossil resources. Therefore, the production of fuels and chemicals from alternative and renewable resources has attracted considerable and growing attention. Ethanol is a promising biofuel that can reduce the consumption of gasoline in the transportation sector and related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Lignocellulosic biomass is a promising feedstock to produce bioethanol (cellulosic ethanol) because of its abundance and low cost. Since the conversion of lignocellulose to ethanol is complex and expensive, the cellulosic ethanol price cannot compete with those of the fossil derivate fuels. A promising strategy to lower the production cost of cellulosic ethanol is developing a biorefinery which produces ethanol and other high-value chemicals from lignocellulose. The selection of such chemicals is difficult because there are hundreds of products that can be produced from lignocellulose. Multiple reviews and reports have described a small group of lignocellulose derivate compounds that have the potential to be commercialized. Some of these products are in the bench scale and require extensive research and time before they can be industrially produced. This review examines chemicals and materials with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of at least 8, which have reached a commercial scale and could be shortly or immediately integrated into a cellulosic ethanol process.

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A review on commercial-scale high-value products that can be produced alongside cellulosic ethanol.

Livestock predation by large carnivores and their retaliatory persecution by pastoralists are worldwide conservation concerns. Poor understanding of the ecological and social underpinnings of this human?wildlife conflict hampers effective conflict management programs. The endangered snow leopard Uncia uncia is involved in conflict with people across its mountainous range in South and Central Asia, where pastoralism is the predominant land use, and is widely persecuted in retaliation. We examined human-snow leopard conflict at two sites in the Spiti region of the Indian Trans-Himalaya, where livestock outnumber wild ungulates, and the conflict is acute. We quantified the snow leopard's dependence on livestock by assessing its diet in two sites that differed in the relative abundance of livestock and wild ungulates. We also surveyed the indigenous Buddhist community's attitudes towards the snow leopard in these two sites. Our results show a relatively high dependence of snow leopards on livestock. A higher proportion of the snow leopard's diet (58%) was livestock in the area with higher livestock (29.7 animals km?2) and lower wild ungulate abundance (2.1?3.1 bharal Pseudois nayaur km?2), compared with 40% of diet in the area with relatively lower livestock (13.9 km?2) and higher wild ungulate abundance (4.5?7.8 ibex Capra ibex km?2). We found that the community experiencing greater levels of livestock losses was comparatively more tolerant towards the snow leopard. This discrepancy is explained by the presence of a conservation-incentive program at the site, and by differences in economic roles of livestock between these two communities. The former is more dependent on cash crops as a source of income while the latter is more dependent on livestock, and thereby less tolerant of the snow leopard. These data have implications for conflict management strategies. They indicate that the relative densities of livestock and wild prey may be reasonable predictors of the extent of predation by the snow leopard. However, this by itself is not an adequate measure of the intensity of conflict even in apparently similar cultural settings.

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Living with large carnivores: predation on livestock by the snow leopard (Uncia uncia)

New Generation Biofuels: Technology and Economic Perspectives

The present investigation focuses on the effect of a tannery effluent on germination of early seedling growth and of Oryza sativa var. IET-4786. Seedling growth is indicated by root length, shoot length, vigour index, tolerance index and photosynthetic pigment content including chlorophyll (Chla, Chlb and total Chl) and carotenoids. Paddy seeds were procured from the Rice Research Institute, Chinsurah, West Bengal, and selected to grow in Petri plates irrigated with various effluent concentrations [control (0%), 20%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%]. Imbibition was higher in the lower effluent concentrations and gradually decreased with increasing concentrations during the soaking process before they were placed in Petri plates lined with effluent-soaked filter papers. At dilutions up to 50%, the effluent imparted growth-promoting traits, while at higher concentrations (75% onwards), inhibition of germination and reduction in root and shoot length, vigour index, and tolerance index were recorded; photosynthetic pigment (both chlorophylls and carotenoids) content was also found to decline.

Effect of Tannery Effluent on Germination and Early Seedling Growth of Oryza sativa Var. IET-4786

Extensive and intensive field surveys have been conducted in different forest pockets of Malkangiri with a view to assess the floristic wealth of the district. A sum total of 381 species belonging to 275 genera and 92 Families were collected, identified and incorporated. Out of these, 373 species represent Angiospermae (304 species of Dicot and 69 species of Monocot families), 7 species of Pteridophytes (7 species of Ferns belonging to 7 genera) and 1 species of Gymnosperms. The ratio of monocot to dicot families, genera and species are 1:4.25, 1:4.13 and 1:4.40 respectively. Present exploration enumerates 235 herbs, 51 shrubs, 69 trees and 26 climbers. Out of total 84 families of angiosperms, the dominant families in ascending order are Fabaceae, Poaceae, Acanthaceae, Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, Rubiaceae, Lamiaceae, Combretaceae, Cyperaceae, Mimosaceae, Amaranthaceae and Scrophulariaceae. Study highlights the rich floristic diversity of the district.

Flora and Vegetation of Malkangiri District, Orissa, India - an Assessment

Rubinstein Taybi is a rare genetic syndrome with characteristic facial features, broad thumb and toes, mental retardation. Diagnosis is mainly clinical. Here we report a 2 and ½ year old female child with typical facial features and other anomalies characteristics of Rubistein Taybi syndrome. Among the different features described-polydactyly, syndactyly, micrognathia are occasional abnormalities to be found in this syndrome. Bilateral pits on posterior aspect of helix is also a feature described in very few literatures. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jnps.v33i1.7091 J Nepal Paediatr Soc. 2013;33(1):68-69

Soumitra Biswas

Papers

New Generation Biofuels: Technology and Economic Perspectives

Effect of Tannery Effluent on Germination and Early Seedling Growth of Oryza sativa Var. IET-4786

Flora and Vegetation of Malkangiri District, Orissa, India - an Assessment

Rubinstein Taybi Syndrome

A Note on the Distribution of Barkudia insularis a Rare Limbless Lizard from Orissa India