Browsing by Author "Rashmi Rai"

Now showing 1 - 16 of 16

A recap on quantitative trait loci associated with disease resistance in food legumes
(Apple Academic Press, 2017) Rashmi Rai; A.K. Singh; Sajad Majeed Zargar; B.D. Singh
Legumes come across a number of diseases that are controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTLs) including ascochyta blight (chickpea, faba bean, lentil, and pea), molds (common bean), powdery mildew (pea), rusts (groundnut, pea, lentil, and faba bean), wilt (common bean, pigeonpea, and pea), root, or stem rots (pea, soybean). For most of the important legumes different linkage maps have been developed using different types of molecular markers to study the linkages between different genes with different traits of interest among legumes. The availability of molecular markers on linkage maps are of great value for QTL mapping studies and marker assisted programs in disease resistance legume breeding. QTLs mapping essentially requires knowledge of inheritance pattern of the diseases and segregation nature of molecular markers, along with use of suitable statistical tools. QTL detection is highly influenced by several factors such as type and size of mapping population, effect of QTLs involved (major/minor), heredity of QTLs, density of linkage map, and the technique used for QTL detection. The mapping is more accurate and decisive when diseases are scored using different parameters (components, pathogen strains, different organs, or stages of plants life cycle) in multiple environments. The consistent expression of QTLs by different parameters in multiple environments proves their usefulness for marker assisted breeding. In this chapter, we have reviewed the QTLs detected for different diseases, their causing organism, type and size of mapping population, type of molecular marker, and its further use in marker-assisted selection (MAS) of disease resistance QTLs in legumes. © 2017 by Apple Academic Press, Inc.
Arsenic-induced changes in morphological, physiological, and biochemical attributes and artemisinin biosynthesis in Artemisia annua, an antimalarial plant
(2011) Rashmi Rai; Sarita Pandey; Shashi Pandey Rai
Present study is the first to explore physiological, biochemical and molecular changes in the medicinal plant Artemisia annua under arsenic (As) stress. A. annua grown hydroponically in a nutrient solution was spiked with increasing doses of As (0, 1,500, 3,000 and 4,500 μg l -1) for 7 days. Plants accumulated As in a dose dependent manner with bioconcentration factor 13.4 and translocation factor 0.97. While a similar trend of As accumulation was observed under soil culture experiments, the transfer factor went up to 2.1, depicting high efficiency of As translocation from roots to shoots by A. annua. Plants raised in 0-3,000 μg l -1 As containing nutrient solution registered increase in root length, biomass, and carotenoid contents without any visual toxicity symptoms. A dose dependent increase in the activities of enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase and guaiacol peroxidase followed by a gradual decline at higher concentrations suggested their role in alleviating oxidative stress. Significant increase in the levels of thiols, GSH, and pcs gene transcript up to 3,000 μg l -1 As attested their roles in As detoxification. Enhanced artemisinin production (an antimalarial compound) under As stress and upregulation of the transcripts (measured by RT-PCR) of the genes HMGR, FDS, ADS, and CYP71AV1 involved in artemisinin biosynthesis reaffirmed induction of artemisinin biosynthesis in A. annua under As stress. The results of the present study vividly suggested that A. annua has considerable As tolerance, and thus can be successfully cultivated in As contaminated fields. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
Biochemical and molecular basis of arsenic toxicity and tolerance in microbes and plants
(Elsevier, 2023) Sarita Pandey; Rashmi Rai; Lal Chand Rai
Arsenic is a ubiquitous toxic metalloid abundant in Earth's crust. It is of major concern with respect to its increased accumulation in soils, in the food chain, or in drinking water. This chapter will focus on recent progress on the mechanisms of its uptake, toxicity, and detoxification in microbes and in planta. Due to widespread occurrence in nature, both microbes and plants have evolved a wide range of tolerance and detoxification mechanisms such as reduced uptake, immobilization, chelation, reduction/oxidation, methylation, and efflux. Among microbes, the ars operon is a well-characterized genetic system for arsenic detoxification. The mechanisms proposed for metal detoxification and hyperaccumulation within the plant involve chelation of the metal cation by ligands and binding with thiol groups or sequestration of metals away from sites or metabolism in the cytoplasm, notably into the vacuole or cell wall. Finally, this chapter will also shed light on hyperaccumulators and mechanisms of hyperaccumulation. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Biochemical and Molecular Basis of Arsenic Toxicity and Tolerance in Microbes and Plants
(Elsevier Inc., 2015) Sarita Pandey; Rashmi Rai; Lal Chand Rai
Arsenic is a ubiquitous toxic metalloid abundant in Earth's crust. It is of major concern with respect to its increased accumulation in soils, in the food chain, or in drinking water. This chapter will focus on recent progress on the mechanisms of its uptake, toxicity, and detoxification in microbes and in planta. Due to widespread occurrence in nature, both microbes and plants have evolved a wide range of tolerance and detoxification mechanisms such as reduced uptake, immobilization, chelation, reduction/oxidation, methylation, and efflux. Among microbes, the ars operon is a well-characterized genetic system for arsenic detoxification. The mechanisms proposed for metal detoxification and hyperaccumulation within the plant involve chelation of the metal cation by ligands and binding with thiol groups or sequestration of metals away from sites or metabolism in the cytoplasm, notably into the vacuole or cell wall. Finally, this chapter will also shed light on hyperaccumulators and mechanisms of hyperaccumulation. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Determinants of infant mortality in Pakistan: evidence from Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017–18
(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2021) Kamalesh Kumar Patel; Rashmi Rai; Ambarish Kumar Rai
Background: The infant mortality rate was very high in Pakistan until the early 1990s, at 86 deaths/1000 live births. It has decreased 24 points and declined to 62 deaths/1000 in the last 3 decades, but Pakistan is still in the group of countries with highest infant mortality rate. The present study aimed to assess the magnitude of infant mortality in Pakistan and its causes and associated risk factors. Methods: For this study, data from the 2018 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey were used. Risk factors for infant mortality were first examined in bivariate analyses. Chi-square test was employed to understand the significance level of the categorical difference of independent variables. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to account for potential confounders that function as risk factors for infant deaths. Results: Large differentials in infant survival by socioeconomic and demographic factors indicate poor coverage of social and health schemes for the public. Mothers who did not use the ANC services experienced about 1.5 times higher infant mortality than those who did (52 vs. 36/1000 LB; p = 0.007). The hazard model shows that rich households experienced about 30% (HR = 0.735; 95% CI = 0.614–0.878) less infant mortality than poor ones. The rural-urban differential in public health services and gender inequities are the underlying causes of the stagnation of infant mortality in Pakistan. Conclusion: The low status of women’s education, poor economic conditions and low level of using public health care services are closely tied to higher infant death rates in Pakistan. Health interventions in Pakistan should be designed to reach the most under-served—women and children—especially in rural areas. © 2020, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
Exploring the Perceptions of Vulnerability to Victimization Among Women: A Case Study of Sambalpur City, India
(Springer Nature, 2025) Rashmi Rai; Ambarish Kumar Rai
Vulnerability reflects an individual’s belief in their susceptibility to adverse outcomes and their sense of exposure to potential danger or misfortune. This study explores how women’s perceived vulnerability influences their perceptions of victimization risk in the urban context of Sambalpur city, India. Focusing on females aged 15–49 years, the research employs qualitative methodologies, including in-depth interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs), analysed using a phenomenological approach. The findings highlight that women’s perceptions of physical vulnerability, socio-psychological harm associated with sexual crimes, fear of coercion for sexual favours, and experiences of personal or vicarious victimization significantly shape their sense of vulnerability and fear of crime in the city. These insights underscore the need for proactive measures to address these factors, fostering inclusive and supportive urban environments where women can navigate public spaces confidently and without undue fear or anxiety. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.
Genomic regions controlling components of resistance for pea rust caused by Uromyces fabae (Pers.) de-Bary
(Springer India, 2016) Rashmi Rai; Anil Kumar Singh; Ramesh Chand; Chandra Prakash Srivastava; Arun Kumar Joshi; Brahma Deo Singh
Pea rust caused by Uromyces fabae (Pers.) de-Bary is an important disease in subtropical regions of the world. The use of partial resistance or slow rusting is an important strategy for developing varieties having durable rust resistance. A mapping population of 136 F6:7 Recombinant Inbred Lines (RILs) derived from the cross HUVP 1 × FC 1 was evaluated for disease severity percent (DS%) and three components of slow rusting, number of aecial pustules per leaf (AP), leaf area covered by sporulating pustules (LASP) and number of aecial cups per leaf (TNAC) during crop seasons 2006–07 and 2007–08 in polyhouse and field experiments. The components were governed by four quantitative trait loci, two major (Qruf on LGVII, Qruf2 on LGI), and two minor QTLs (Qruf1 on LG VII and Qruf3 on LGVI). This confirmed the positions of one each of the major (Qruf) and minor (Qruf1) QTLs and also detected two new QTLs Qruf2 and Qruf3. The new major QTL Qruf2 (phenotypic variance 21.3 to 29.6 %) appeared to be the most important component-specific QTL and played key role in deciding disease resistance. The minor QTL Qruf3 appeared environment-specific and contributed by the susceptible parent. © 2015, Society for Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology.
Lignification and early abortive fungal colonies as indicators of partial resistance to rust in pea
(Springer International Publishing, 2016) Chanda Kushwaha; Ramesh Chand; Anil K. Singh; Rashmi Rai; Chandra P. Srivastava; Brahma D. Singh; Chinmayee Mohapatra
Ten recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of pea were selected, on the basis of rust (Uromyces fabae) reaction under screenhouse conditions and molecular makers associated with rust resistance, to study the association of lignification and early abortive fungal colonies in response to attack of U. fabae. The present investigation indicated that partial resistance to rust in pea, as measured by the area under disease progress curve (AUDPC), is negatively influenced by lignification (r = −0.48). Histological studies indicated a higher number of early abortive fungal colonies and delayed development of colonies in resistant RILs than susceptible ones. Furthermore, investigations into the association of phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity and total phenolics during the partial resistance reaction to U. fabae in pea revealed a very low correlation with AUDPC in the RILs. This study infers that lignification plays a major role and is the best indicator of partial resistance towards U. fabae in pea, by influencing colony size and the number of early abortive colonies. © 2016, Sociedade Brasileira de Fitopatologia.
Molecular characterization of Alr1105 a novel arsenate reductase of the diazotrophic cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC7120 and decoding its role in abiotic stress management in Escherichia coli
(Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2013) Sarita Pandey; Alok K. Shrivastava; Rashmi Rai; Lal Chand Rai
This paper constitutes the first report on the Alr1105 of Anabaena sp. PCC7120 which functions as arsenate reductase and phosphatase and offers tolerance against oxidative and other abiotic stresses in the alr1105 transformed Escherichia coli. The bonafide of 40.8 kDa recombinant GST+Alr1105 fusion protein was confirmed by immunoblotting. The purified Alr1105 protein (mw 14.8 kDa) possessed strong arsenate reductase (Km 16.0 ± 1.2 mM and Vmax 5.6 ± 0.31 μmol min-1 mg protein-1) and phosphatase activity (Km 27.38 ± 3.1 mM and Vmax 0.077 ± 0.005 μmol min-1 mg protein-1) at an optimum temperature 37 °C and 6.5 pH. Native Alr1105 was found as a monomeric protein in contrast to its homologous Synechocystis ArsC protein. Expression of Alr1105 enhanced the arsenic tolerance in the arsenate reductase mutant E. coli WC3110 ({increment}arsC) and rendered better growth than the wild type W3110 up to 40 mM As (V). Notwithstanding above, the recombinant E. coli strain when exposed to CdCl2, ZnSO4, NiCl2, CoCl2, CuCl2, heat, UV-B and carbofuron showed increase in growth over the wild type and mutant E. coli transformed with the empty vector. Furthermore, an enhanced growth of the recombinant E. coli in the presence of oxidative stress producing chemicals (MV, PMS and H2O2), suggested its protective role against these stresses. Appreciable expression of alr1105 gene as measured by qRT-PCR at different time points under selected stresses reconfirmed its role in stress tolerance. Thus the Alr1105 of Anabaena sp. PCC7120 functions as an arsenate reductase and possess novel properties different from the arsenate reductases known so far. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.
Molecular mapping for resistance to pea rust caused by Uromyces fabae (Pers.) de-Bary
(Springer Verlag, 2011) Rashmi Rai; Anil Kumar Singh; Brahma Deo Singh; Arun Kumar Joshi; Ramesh Chand; Chandra Prakash Srivastava
Pea rust caused by Uromyces fabae (Pers.) de-Bary is a major problem in warm humid regions causing huge economic losses. A mapping population of 136 F6:7 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the cross between pea genotypes, HUVP 1 (susceptible) and FC 1 (resistant) was evaluated in polyhouse as well as under field conditions during two consecutive years. Infection frequency (IF) and area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) were used for evaluation of rust reaction of the RILs. A linkage map was constructed with 57 polymorphic loci selected from 148 simple sequence repeats (SSRs), 3 sequence tagged sites (STS), and 2 random amplified polymorphic (RAPD) markers covering 634 cM of genetic distance on the seven linkage groups of pea with an average interval length of 11.3 cM. Composite interval mapping (CIM) revealed one major (Qruf) and one minor (Qruf1) QTL for rust resistance on LGVII. The LOD (5.2-15.8) peak for Qruf was flanked by SSR markers, AA505 and AA446 (10.8 cM), explaining 22.2-42.4% and 23.5-58.8% of the total phenotypic variation for IF and AUDPC, respectively. The minor QTL was environmentspecific, and it was detected only in the polyhouse (LOD values 4.2 and 4.8). It was flanked by SSR markers, AD146 and AA416 (7.3 cM), and explained 11.2-12.4% of the total phenotypic variation. The major QTL Qruf was consistently identified across all the four environments. Therefore, the SSR markers flanking Qruf would be useful for marker-assisted selection for pea rust (U. fabae) resistance. © Springer-Verlag 2011.
Navigating Fear: Women’s Perceptions of Safety and Vulnerability in the Urban Landscape of Sambalpur, India
(Springer Publishing Company, 2025) Rashmi Rai; Ambarish Kumar Rai
Vulnerability is the perception of being exposed and susceptible to potential harm or adversity. This study underscores the critical role of individual women’s perceived vulnerability in shaping their sense of safety and risk of victimization within the urban landscape. Focusing on women aged 15–49 years in Sambalpur city and its surrounding areas, the research draws on in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, analyzed through a phenomenological lens. Findings reveal that women’s perceptions of physical vulnerability, sociopsychological harm associated with sexual crimes, apprehension about demands for sexual favors, and direct or vicarious experiences of victimization profoundly shape their fears and perceived risk of crime in the city. Recognizing and addressing these dimensions is vital to fostering urban spaces where women can move freely and confidently, without the shadow of fear or anxiety. © 2025 Springer Publishing Company.
Protein fingerprinting may serve as a complementary tool for the phylogenetic classification of heterocystous (Nostoc, Anabaena, Cylindrospermum, Aulosira and Tolypothrix) Cyanobacteria
(2010) Swati Mishra; Poonam Bhargava; Rashmi Rai; Yogesh Mishra; Teresa Zotta; Eugenio Parente; Lal Chand Rai
A combination of morphology, SDS-PAGE, 16S rRNA gene and the fuzzy approach has been used for the first time to attest the phylogenetic affiliation of the cyanobacterial species such as Nostoc, Anabaena, Cylindrospermum, Tolypothrix and Aulosira. The idea was to ascertain as how far SDS-PAGE analysis and morphological taxonomy work coherently and serve as a reliable tool, compatible with 16S rRNA gene based classification of cyanobacteria. Intermingling of Nostoc and Anabaena species in SDS-PAGE and 16S rRNA gene indicates that the two taxa are not clearly separated at the genetic level and may be polyphyletic in origin. In contrast to this, clustering of Tolypothrix and Aulosira species in the same clade attests the taxonomic coherence of these species. However, Cylindrospermum showed greater phylogenetic relatedness with Anabaena strain in all phylogenetic analyses. Despite a few minor incongruities, protein fingerprint depicted greater similarity with 16S rRNA gene as compared to morphological taxonomy. Thus protein fingerprinting developed using fuzzy approach appears to be more compatible with 16S rRNA gene analysis than morphological taxonomy in discriminating cyanobacteria up to the species level. Copyright Internet Scientific Publications, LLC., 1996 to 2010.
Proteomics combines morphological, physiological and biochemical attributes to unravel the survival strategy of Anabaena sp. PCC7120 under arsenic stress
(2012) Sarita Pandey; Rashmi Rai; Lal Chand Rai
Proteomics in conjunction with morphological, physiological and biochemical variables has been employed for the first time to unravel survival strategies of the diazotrophic cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC7120 under Arsenic (As) stress. Significant reduction in growth, carbon fixation, nitrogenase activity and chlorophyll content after 1. day (1. d) and recovery after 15. days (15. d) of As exposure indicates the acclimation of the test organism against As stress. The formation of akinete like structures is a novel observation never reported before in Anabaena sp. PCC7120. Proteomic characterization using 2-DE showed average 537, 422 and 439 spots in control, 1 and 15. d treatment respectively. MALDI-TOF and LC-MS of As-treated Anabaena revealed a total of 45 differentially expressed proteins, of which 13 were novel (hypothetical) ones. Down-regulation of phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK), fructose bisphosphate aldolase II (FBA II), fructose 1,6 bisphosphatase (FBPase), transketolase (TK), and ATP synthase on day 1 and their significant recovery on the 15th day presumably maintained the glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and turnover rate of Calvin cycle, hence survival of the test organism. Up-regulation of catalase (CAT), peroxiredoxin (Prx), thioredoxin (Trx) and oxidoreductase appears to protect the cells from oxidative stress. Appreciable induction in phytochelatin content (2.4 fold), GST activity (2.3 fold), and transcripts of phytochelatin synthase (5.0 fold), arsenate reductase (8.5 fold) and arsenite efflux genes - asr1102 (5.0 fold), alr1097 (4.7 fold) reiterates their role in As sequestration and shielding of the organism from As toxicity. While up-regulated metabolic and antioxidative defense proteins, phytochelatin and GST work synchronously, the ars genes play a central role in detoxification and survival of Anabaena under As stress. The proposed hypothetical model explains the interaction of metabolic proteins associated with the survival of Anabaena sp. PCC7120 under As stress. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.
Sexual violence and poor mental health of women: An exploratory study of Uttar Pradesh, India
(Elsevier B.V., 2020) Rashmi Rai; Ambarish Kumar Rai
Introduction: Sexual violence has severe and manifold consequences for the health issues of women. It affects more than 50% of women across the globe and has a significant impact on their health and wellbeing. Psychologically, it leads to radical changes in the victim as she draws the images of herself, in her relationships with her immediate social circle and beyond in the community as a whole. Therefore, it has a lasting negative impact on the victim's perception of herself, of events, and others. The objective of the study is to explore the mental health status of the women who faced any type sexual violence. Method and materials: This hospital-based study used criterion sampling in selecting women with mental disorders due to sexual violence for the understanding of the issue. Qualitative method was used to explore the impact of sexual violence on the poor mental health of women. We used a phenomenological approach and conducted in-depth interviews. Results: Findings show that the women who experienced sexual violence were facing mental disorder like anxiety, sleeping disorder, obsession, acute stress disorder etc. More surprisingly, the women who were facing mental disorders due to sexual violence have been and continue to be exposed to further sexual violence. Conclusion: Women who faced sexual violence have been and continue to be in the situation of mental disorders. The roles of sexual violence varied; sometimes it predisposed the disorder, while other times it precipitated or maintained the disorder. The findings can be used for further mixed method research to enrich and quantify our understanding. © 2019 INDIACLEN
UV-B and UV-C pre-treatments induce physiological changes and artemisinin biosynthesis in Artemisia annua L. - An antimalarial plant
(2011) Rashmi Rai; Ram Prasad Meena; Shachi Shuchi Smita; Aparna Shukla; Sanjay Kumar Rai; Shashi Pandey-Rai
Present study was undertaken to investigate if short-term UV-B (4.2 kJ m-2 day-1) and UV-C (5.7 kJ m-2 day -1), pre-treatments can induce artemisinin biosynthesis in Artemisia annua. Twenty-one day old Artemisia seedlings were subjected to short-term (14 days) UV pre-treatment in an environmentally controlled growth chamber and then transplanted to the field under natural conditions. Treatment of A. annua with artificial UV-B and UV-C radiation not only altered the growth responses, biomass, pigment content and antioxidant enzyme activity but enhanced the secondary metabolites (artemisinin and flavonoid) content at all developmental stages as compared to non-irradiated plants. The extent of oxidative damage was measured in terms of the activities of enzymes such as catalase, superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase. Reinforcement in the antioxidative defense system seems to be a positive response of plants in ameliorating the negative effects of UV-B and UV-C radiations. While the carotenoid content was elevated, the chlorophyll content decreased under UV-B and UV-C pre-treatments. The reverse transcription PCR analysis of the genes associated in artemisinin/isoprenoid biosynthesis like 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR), cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (CPR) and amorpha-4,11-diene synthase (ADS) genes at different growth stages revealed UV induced significant over-expression of the above protein genes. UV-B and UV-C pre-treatments, led to an increase in the concentrations of artemisinin at full bloom stage by 10.5% and 15.7% than that of the control respectively. Thus, the result of our study suggests that short term UV-B pre-treatment of seedlings in greenhouse prior to transplantation into the field enhances artemisinin production with lesser yield related damages as compared to UV-C radiation in A. annua. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Validation of SSR markers associated with rust (Uromyces fabae) resistance in pea (Pisum sativum L.)
(Springer India, 2015) Anil Kumar Singh; Rashmi Rai; Brahma Deo Singh; Ramesh Chand; Chandra Prakash Srivastava
Pea rust is a devastating disease of peas especially in the sub-tropical regions of the world and greatly influenced by the environmental conditions during disease development. Molecular markers associated with pea rust resistance would be useful in marker assisted selection (MAS). Utility of molecular markers associated with the pea rust resistance were evaluated in 30 diverse pea genotypes using four SSR markers (AA446 and AA505 flanking the major QTL Qruf; AD146 and AA416 flanking the minor QTL, Qruf1). QTL, Qruf flanking markers were able to identify all the resistant genotypes when used together, except Pant P 31. While, SSR markers AD146 and AA416 flanking the minor QTL, Qruf1 were able to identify all the pea resistant genotypes used for validation, except for HUDP-11 by AD146 and Pant P 31 by AA416. Similarly, SSR markers AA446 and AA505 were able to identify all the susceptible pea genotypes, except IPFD 99–13, HFP 9415 and S- 143. SSR markers AD146 and AA416 were together able to identify all the pea susceptible genotypes used for validation, except KPMR 526, KPMR 632 and IPFD 99–13. On the basis of marker allele analysis it may be concluded that SSR markers (AA446, AA505, AD146 and AA416) can be used in MAS of pea rust resistance. © 2015, Prof. H.S. Srivastava Foundation for Science and Society.