Browsing by Author "Preeti Kumari"

Now showing 1 - 10 of 10

An overview of remote sensing technology in forest management
(Elsevier, 2025) Aishwarya; Meenu V.V.N.L.Sudha Rani; Preeti Kumari; Pankaj Lavania; Garima Gupta; Prabhat Tiwari; Ram Kumar Singh; Manoj Kumar; Manmohan J.R. Dobriyal; Manish Srivastav; Pavan Kumar
Remote sensing technology has revolutionized the field of forest management, offering unparalleled capabilities for monitoring, assessing, and managing forested landscapes. This overview paper explores the diverse applications and advancements of remote sensing techniques in forest management. It delves into the various remote sensing technologies, including satellite imaging, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), and drones equipped with high-resolution cameras, highlighting their roles in data collection, analysis, and interpretation. This chapter discusses the utilization of remote sensing data for forest inventory, species identification, habitat assessment, and monitoring of forest disturbances such as wildfires, pests, and diseases. Furthermore, it emphasizes the integration of remote sensing with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and machine learning algorithms for enhanced accuracy in mapping, modeling, and decision-making processes. Challenges and limitations inherent in remote sensing applications within forest management are also addressed, including issues related to data accuracy, processing techniques, and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, the paper explores future trends and potential advancements in remote sensing technology, emphasizing the need for continued research and development to further improve its efficacy in sustainable forest management practices. This chapter aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role and significance of remote sensing technology in modern forest management, emphasizing its potential to contribute to informed decision-making, conservation efforts, and the sustainable utilization of forest resources. © 2026 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved..
Assessing soil organic carbon and its relation with biophysical and ecological parameters in tropical forest ecosystem India
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2025) Haroon Sajjad; Pavan Kumar; Prashant Kumar Srivastava; Shakti Om Pathak; Meraj Ahmed; Vikas Kumar; Manmohan J.R. Dobriyal; Preeti Kumari; Prem C. Pandey
Organic matter in soil is an essential parameter for assessing the agrodynamic productivity of soils. Forest productivity and health largely depend on soil organic carbon (SOC). This study aims to assess SOC levels and analyze their relationship with biophysical parameters in tropical forests. SOC was predicted using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values derived from Sentinel-2A imagery. A total of 30 samples were collected through stratified random sampling based on NDVI values to estimate SOC. Regression analysis was performed between the estimated and predicted SOC, showing a strong correlation. The results indicated that SOC decreased with increasing soil depth in the Sariska Tiger Reserve, ranging from 8.27 - 26.54 t/ha at 5 cm depth and 1.9- 12.4 t/ha at 10 cm depth. NDVI was positively correlated with SOC, while the Bare Soil Index (BSI) showed a negative correlation. Additionally, soil pH and SOC were positively correlated, indicating high SOC levels. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Cleavage of cell junction proteins as a host invasion strategy in leptospirosis
(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024) Preeti Kumari; Suhani Yadav; Sresha Sarkar; Padikara K. Satheeshkumar
Abstract: Infection and invasion are the prerequisites for developing the disease symptoms in a host. While the probable mechanism of host invasion and pathogenesis is known in many pathogens, very little information is available on Leptospira invasion/pathogenesis. For causing systemic infection Leptospira must transmigrate across epithelial barriers, which is the most critical and challenging step. Extracellular and membrane-bound proteases play a crucial role in the invasion process. An extensive search for the proteins experimentally proven to be involved in the invasion process through cell junction cleavage in other pathogens has resulted in identifying 26 proteins. The similarity searches on the Leptospira genome for counterparts of these 26 pathogenesis-related proteins identified at least 12 probable coding sequences. The proteins were either extracellular or membrane-bound with a proteolytic domain to cleave the cell junction proteins. This review will emphasize our current understanding of the pathogenic aspects of host cell junction-pathogenic protein interactions involved in the invasion process. Further, potential candidate proteins with cell junction cleavage properties that may be exploited in the diagnostic/therapeutic aspects of leptospirosis will also be discussed. Key points: • The review focussed on the cell junction cleavage proteins in bacterial pathogenesis • Cell junction disruptors from Leptospira genome are identified using bioinformatics • The review provides insights into the therapeutic/diagnostic interventions possible © 2024, The Author(s).
Design, development and characterization of a chimeric protein with disulfide reductase and protease domain showing keratinase activity
(Elsevier B.V., 2024) Preeti Kumari; Chandran S. Abhinand; Ritu Kumari; Astha Upadhyay; Padikara K. Satheeshkumar
Keratin is one of the major components of solid waste, and the degradation products have extensive applications in various commercial industries. Due to the complexity of the structure of keratin, especially the disulfide bonds between keratin polypeptides, keratinolytic activity is efficient with a mixture of proteins with proteases, peptidases, and oxidoreductase activity. The present work aimed to create an engineered chimeric protein with a disulfide reductase domain and a protease domain connected with a flexible linker. The structure, stability, and substrate interaction were analyzed using the protein modeling tools and codon-optimized synthetic gene cloned, expressed, and purified using Ni2+-NTA chromatography. The keratinolytic activity of the protein was at its maximum at 70 °C. The suitable pH for the enzyme activity was pH 8. While Ni2+, Mg2+, and Na+ inhibited the keratinolytic activity, Cu2+, Ca2+, and Mn2+ enhanced it significantly. Biochemical characterization of the protease domain indicated significant keratinolytic activity at 70 °C at pH 10.0 but was less efficient than the chimeric protein. Experiments using feathers as the substrate showed a clear degradation pattern in the SEM analysis. The samples collected from the degradation experiments indicated the release of proteins (2-fold) and amino acids (8.4-fold) in a time-dependent manner. Thus, the protease with an added disulfide reductase domain showed excellent keratin degradation activity and has the potential to be utilized in the commercial industries. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.
Heterologous Expression, Purification, and Characterization of a High-Temperature Requirement A (HtrA) Protease Homologue from Leptospira
(Springer, 2025) Preeti Kumari; Garima Singh; Samarendra Kumar Singh; P. K. Satheeshkumar
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease affecting humans in the tropical and temperate regions. Considerably high mortality rate (60 per 1000 adult) and associated morbidity necessitate the need for efficient diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for this disease. Proteins that play crucial roles in the invasion/pathogenesis are potential candidates for the diagnosis/therapeutics. High temperature requirement A (HtrA) is a protein expressed by many pathogenic bacteria, important for their virulence and survival. In this study, we have amplified, cloned, and expressed one of the HtrA homologues (HtrA1) from Leptospira. The expressed recombinant HtrA was purified using Ni–NTA chromatography. Physicochemical characterization of the enzyme using azo-casein substrate showed the maximum activity at a temperature 42 °C and pH 7. While Mn2+ showed significant positive effect, all the other tested metals inhibited the enzymatic activity, sometimes up to 97% as in the case of Cu2+. All the protease inhibitors inhibited the enzymatic activity with PMSF having maximum efficiency. The host cells expressing HtrA showed growth inhibition in a time-bound manner. Docking analysis identified the crucial amino acids involved in the interaction with cell junction proteins like E-cadherin, occludin, claudin-8, and desmoglein-2. Treating adherent mammalian cells with the recombinant protein showed the disruption of cell adherence, and the western analysis of the protein samples collected from the same experiment indicated the cell junction protein cleavage when probed with anti-E-cadherin antibody. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.
Homocysteine and vitamin B12: Other causes of neural tube defects in Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Western Bihar population
(Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications, 2018) Rashmi Gupta; Preeti Kumari; Sharad Pandey; Deepika Joshi; Shiv Sharma; Sunil Rai; Royana Singh
Background: Neural tube defects (NTDs) are congenital malformations with an incidence of 1-10/1000 live births. Homocysteine and vitamin B12 metabolism have been shown to be associated with NTDs. Aim: To investigate the status of maternal and neonate's folic acid, homocysteine, and vitamin B12 levels and their association with the risk of development of NTDs in the population of Eastern Uttar Pradeshand Western Bihar, India. Materials and Methods: This study is a cross-sectional, retrospective study where 96 mothers who either had a first NTD child or had a history of NTD child in the family and 126 neonates with spina bifida were recruited during the period 2012-2015. Eighty-four control mothers whose previous and current pregnancies were normal, and 87 control neonates who had no defects and were within the same age range as the NTD affected neonates, recruited from the department of pediatric surgery, were enrolled in the study. Plasma concentrations of folic acid, vitamin B12, and homocysteine were compared between cases and controls. Results: The folic acid level in the mothers and neonates was within the normal limit. A significant increase in the level of homocysteine in mothers with affected pregnancy and in neonate cases in comparison to control mothers was obseved. Further, a significant decrease in the level of vitamin B12 in mothers with NTD neonates and in the affected neonates was noted. A negative correlation was found between homocysteine and vitamin B12 levels in case and control mothers. Conclusion: A correlation of an increase in serum homocysteine with a decrease in vitamin B12 was seen in mothers of neonates with NTD. A similar observation as made in the neonates with NTDs. It may be suggested that maternal decrease in vitamin B12, in mothers who have normal folic acid may be associated with NTD in their children. © 2018 Neurology India, Neurological Society of India | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow.
Nutritional Approaches to Augment Production and Profitability in Livestock Enterprises
(Springer Science+Business Media, 2025) Preeti Kumari; Shraboni Shee; M. Satyanarayana Mahesh
Livestock enterprises are integral to global agriculture, providing essential products and livelihoods. However, challenges such as nutritional deficiencies, rising feed costs, and environmental concerns hinder their productivity and profitability. This chapter explores practical nutritional approaches to enhance livestock production and profitability, focusing on strategies such as precision feeding, supplementation, and use of unconventional feed resources. It highlights the role of nutraceuticals, probiotics, and feed additives in improving animal health and feed efficiency. Furthermore, the economic and environmental implications of sustainable practices, including integrating crop-livestock systems, are discussed. By synthesizing evidence from recent research, this chapter offers actionable insights for farmers, policymakers, and researchers, aiming to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and field-level application. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
PRUNE is crucial for normal brain development and mutated in microcephaly with neurodevelopmental impairment
(Oxford University Press, 2017) Massimo Zollo; Mustafa Ahmed; Veronica Ferrucci; Vincenzo Salpietro; Fatemeh Asadzadeh; Marianeve Carotenuto; Reza Maroofian; Ahmed Al-Amri; Royana Singh; Iolanda Scognamiglio; Majid Mojarrad; Luca Musella; Angela Duilio; Angela Di Somma; Ender Karaca; Anna Rajab; Aisha Al-Khayat; Tribhuvan Mohan Mohapatra; Atieh Eslahi; Farah Ashrafzadeh; Lettie E. Rawlins; Rajniti Prasad; Rashmi Gupta; Preeti Kumari; Mona Srivastava; Flora Cozzolino; Sunil Kumar Rai; Maria Monti; Gaurav V. Harlalka; Michael A. Simpson; Philip Rich; Fatema Al-Salmi; Michael A. Patton; Barry A. Chioza; Stephanie Efthymiou; Francesca Granata; Gabriella Di Rosa; Sarah Wiethoff; Eugenia Borgione; Carmela Scuderi; Kshitij Mankad; Michael G. Hanna; Piero Pucci; Henry Houlden; James R. Lupski; Andrew H. Crosby; Emma L. Baple
PRUNE is a member of the DHH (Asp-His-His) phosphoesterase protein superfamily of molecules important for cell motility, and implicated in cancer progression. Here we investigated multiple families from Oman, India, Iran and Italy with individuals affected by a new autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental and degenerative disorder in which the cardinal features include primary microcephaly and profound global developmental delay. Our genetic studies identified biallelic mutations of PRUNE1 as responsible. Our functional assays of disease-associated variant alleles revealed impaired microtubule polymerization, as well as cell migration and proliferation properties, of mutant PRUNE. Additionally, our studies also highlight a potential new role for PRUNE during microtubule polymerization, which is essential for the cytoskeletal rearrangements that occur during cellular division and proliferation. Together these studies define PRUNE as a molecule fundamental for normal human cortical development and define cellular and clinical consequences associated with PRUNE mutation. © The Author (2017).
Short-term statistical forecasts of COVID-19 infections in India
(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2020) Ram Kumar Singh; Martin Drews; Manuel de la Sen; Manoj Kumar; Sati Shankar Singh; Ajai Kumar Pandey; Prashant Kumar Srivastava; Manmohan Dobriyal; Meenu Rani; Preeti Kumari; Pavan Kumar
COVID-19 cases in India have been steadily increasing since January 30, 2020 and have led to a government-imposed lockdown across the country to curtail community transmission with significant impacts on societal systems. Forecasts using mathematical-epidemiological models have played and continue to play an important role in assessing the probability of COVID-19 infection under specific conditions and are urgently needed to prepare health systems for coping with this pandemic. In many instances, however, access to dedicated and updated information, in particular at regional administrative levels, is surprisingly scarce considering its evident importance and provides a hindrance for the implementation of sustainable coping strategies. Here we demonstrate the performance of an easily transferable statistical model based on the classic Holt-Winters method as means of providing COVID-19 forecasts for India at different administrative levels. Based on daily time series of accumulated infections, active infections and deaths, we use our statistical model to provide 48-days forecasts (28 September to 15 November 2020) of these quantities in India, assuming little or no change in national coping strategies. Using these results alongside a complementary SIR model, we find that one-third of the Indian population could eventually be infected by COVID-19, and that a complete recovery from COVID-19 will happen only after an estimated 450 days from January 2020. Further, our SIR model suggests that the pandemic is likely to peak in India during the first week of November 2020. © This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. For more information, see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Study of dystrophinopathy in eastern Uttar Pradesh population of India
(Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications, 2018) Preeti Kumari; Deepika Joshi; Satya N. Shamal; Royana Singh
Introduction: The frequency and distribution of dystrophin gene deletions vary in patients with Duchene/Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD). Objective: In this study, we aimed to analyze clinical, biochemical, and dystrophin gene deletion pattern, by using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the population of eastern Uttar Pradesh and the adjoining districts of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. Material and Method: After clinical assessment, 225 patients of DMD/BMD were analyzed for deletion in dystrophin gene. Clinical features and biochemical parameters were noted. For genetic study, all samples were tested for deletion from 25 exons of DMD gene by using multiplex PCR. Result: Deletions were detected in 169 (75.1%) patients of DMD/BMD. Deletions were observed in both proximal and mid-distal hot spot regions with maximum deletion localized in the mid-distal hot spot region of the gene. The most frequent deletions were observed in exon 50 (14.9%) and exon 49 (10.8%). Conclusion: This study concludes that mid-distal region of dystrophin is highly polymorphic in the population of eastern Uttar Pradesh and responsible for pathogenesis of DMD. The population of eastern Uttar Pradesh shows similar pattern of deletion in dystrophin gene when compared with other ethnic groups of the Indian population. © 2018 Journal of Pediatric Neurosciences | Published by Wolters Kluwer-Medknow.