Stability Analysis and Identification of Superior Hybrids in Pearl Millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] Using the Multi Trait Stability Index.

Pearl millet stands as an important staple food and feed for arid and semi-arid regions of India and South Africa. It is also a quick supplier of important micronutrients like Fe and Zn via grain to combat micronutrient deficiencies among people in developing countries. India has notably spearheaded advancements in pearl millet production and productivity through the All India Coordinated Pearl Millet Improvement Project. There were 21 hybrids evaluated over arid and semi-arid ecologies of the western and southern regions of India. AMMI and GGE biplot models were adopted to recommend a specific hybrid for the particular locality. A joint analysis of variation indicated a significant genotype-environment interaction for most of the agronomical and grain micronutrient parameters. Pearson's correlation values dissected the significant and positive correlation among agronomic traits and the negative correlation with grain micronutrient traits. GGE biplot analysis recommended the SHT 106 as a dual-purpose hybrid and SHT 115 as a biofortified hybrid for the grain's Fe and Zn content. SHT 110 and SHT 108 were selected as stable and high grain yield-producing hybrids across all environments and specifically for E1, E2, and E4 as per the Which-Won-Where and What biplot. SHT 109 and SHT 103 hybrids were stable and high dry fodder yield-producing hybrids across all environments. In this study, the Multi-Trait Stability Index (MTSI) was employed to select the most stable and high-performing hybrids for all traits. It selected SHT 120, SHT 106, and SHT 104 for stability and great performance across all environments. These findings underscored the significance of tailored hybrid recommendations and the potential of pearl millet in addressing both food security and malnutrition challenges in various agro-ecological regions.

The implementation of graphene-based aerogel in the field of supercapacitor.

Graphene and graphene-based hybrid materials have emerged as an outstanding supercapacitor electrode material primarily because of their excellent surface area, high electrical conductivity, and improved thermal, mechanical, electrochemical cycling stabilities. Graphene alone exhibits electric double layer capacitance (EDLC) with low energy density and high power density. The use of aerogels in a supercapacitor is a pragmatic approach due to its extraordinary properties like ultra-lightweight, high porosity and specific surface area. The aerogels encompass a high volume of pores which leads to easy soak by the electrolyte and fast charge-discharge process. Graphene aerogels assembled into three-dimensional (3D) architecture prevent there stacking of graphene sheets and maintain the high surface area and hence excellent cycling stability and rate capacitance. However, the energy density of graphene aerogels is limited due to EDLC type of charge storage mechanism. Consequently, 3D graphene aerogel coupled with pseudocapacitive materials such as transition metal oxides, metal hydroxides, conducting polymers, nitrides, chalcogenides show an efficient energy density and power density performance due to the presence of both types of charge storage mechanisms. This laconic review focuses on the design and development of graphene-based aerogel in the field of the supercapacitor. This review is an erudite article about methods, technology and electrochemical properties of graphene aerogel.

Assessment of quality of life of the patients with diabetic retinopathy using National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (VFQ-25).

BACKGROUND: Diabetes affects most of the organs causing macrovascular and microvascular complications. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) results from the prolonged uncontrolled hyperglycemia which causes impairment of vision. Quality of life (QoL) of patients with DR is affected due to vision loss. National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25) is the questionnaire used to study the effect of DR on QoL. OBJECTIVES: To assess the QoL of the patients with DR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study enrolled 149 (male-104 and female 45) patients with DR. The previous translated and validated version of NEI-VFQ-25 questionnaire was used in the study. RESULTS: Cronbach alpha for internal consistency was between 0.6 and 0.8. The male patient showed significantly higher (p<0.05) QoL scores (60.73±1.63) as compared to the female patients (53.15±2.84). Hypertensive patients showed poor QoL as compared to non-hypertensive patients. The patients with a history of diabetes for 16-30 yrs. showed better QoL as compared to other patients. CONCLUSION: DR affects the QoL of life of patients. Routine assessment of QoL using NEI-VFQ-25 questionnaire would be useful for physicians and health care team.

Population genetic structure and association mapping for iron toxicity tolerance in rice.

Iron (Fe) toxicity is a major abiotic stress which severely reduces rice yield in many countries of the world. Genetic variation for this stress tolerance exists in rice germplasms. Mapping of gene(s)/QTL controlling the stress tolerance and transfer of the traits into high yielding rice varieties are essential for improvement against the stress. A panel population of 119 genotypes from 352 germplasm lines was constituted for detecting the candidate gene(s)/QTL through association mapping. STRUCTURE, GenAlEx and Darwin softwares were used to classify the population. The marker-trait association was detected by considering both the Generalized Linear Model (GLM) and Mixed Linear Model (MLM) analyses. Wide genetic variation was observed among the genotypes present in the panel population for the stress tolerance. Linkage disequilibrium was detected in the population for iron toxicity tolerance. The population was categorized into three genetic structure groups. Marker-trait association study considering both the Generalized Linear Model (GLM) and Mixed Linear Model (MLM) showed significant association of leaf browning index (LBI) with markers RM471, RM3, RM590 and RM243. Three novel QTL controlling Fe-toxicity tolerance were detected and designated as qFeTox4.3, qFeTox6.1 and qFeTox10.1. A QTL reported earlier in the marker interval of C955-C885 on chromosome 1 is validated using this panel population. The present study showed that QTL controlling Fe-toxicity tolerance to be co-localized with the QTL for Fe-biofortification of rice grain indicating involvement of common pathway for Fe toxicity tolerance and Fe content in rice grain. Fe-toxicity tolerance QTL qFeTox6.1 was co-localized with grain Fe-biofortification QTLs qFe6.1 and qFe6.2 on chromosome 6, whereas qFeTox10.1 was co-localized with qFe10.1 on chromosome 10. The Fe-toxicity tolerance QTL detected from this mapping study will be useful in marker-assisted breeding programs.

Linkage disequilibrium mapping for grain Fe and Zn enhancing QTLs useful for nutrient dense rice breeding.

BACKGROUND: High yielding rice varieties are usually low in grain iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) content. These two micronutrients are involved in many enzymatic activities, lack of which cause many disorders in human body. Bio-fortification is a cheaper and easier way to improve the content of these nutrients in rice grain. RESULTS: A population panel was prepared representing all the phenotypic classes for grain Fe-Zn content from 485 germplasm lines. The panel was studied for genetic diversity, population structure and association mapping of grain Fe-Zn content in the milled rice. The population showed linkage disequilibrium showing deviation of Hardy-Weinberg's expectation for Fe-Zn content in rice. Population structure at K = 3 categorized the panel population into distinct sub-populations corroborating with their grain Fe-Zn content. STRUCTURE analysis revealed a common primary ancestor for each sub-population. Novel quantitative trait loci (QTLs) namely qFe3.3 and qFe7.3 for grain Fe and qZn2.2, qZn8.3 and qZn12.3 for Zn content were detected using association mapping. Four QTLs, namely qFe3.3, qFe7.3, qFe8.1 and qFe12.2 for grain Fe content were detected to be co-localized with qZn3.1, qZn7, qZn8.3 and qZn12.3 QTLs controlling grain Zn content, respectively. Additionally, some Fe-Zn controlling QTLs were co-localized with the yield component QTLs, qTBGW, OsSPL14 and qPN. The QTLs qFe1.1, qFe3.1, qFe5.1, qFe7.1, qFe8.1, qZn6, qZn7 and gRMm9-1 for grain Fe-Zn content reported in earlier studies were validated in this study. CONCLUSION: Novel QTLs, qFe3.3 and qFe7.3 for grain Fe and qZn2.2, qZn8.3 and qZn12.3 for Zn content were detected for these two traits. Four Fe-Zn controlling QTLs and few yield component QTLs were detected to be co-localized. The QTLs, qFe1.1, qFe3.1, qFe5.1, qFe7.1, qFe8.1, qFe3.3, qFe7.3, qZn6, qZn7, qZn2.2, qZn8.3 and qZn12.3 will be useful for biofortification of the micronutrients. Simultaneous enhancement of Fe-Zn content may be possible with yield component traits in rice.

Nonintrusive reduced order modeling framework for quasigeostrophic turbulence.

In this study, we present a nonintrusive reduced order modeling (ROM) framework for large-scale quasistationary systems. The framework proposed herein exploits the time series prediction capability of long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural network architecture such that (1) in the training phase, the LSTM model is trained on the modal coefficients extracted from the high-resolution data snapshots using proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) transform, and (2) in the testing phase, the trained model predicts the modal coefficients for the total time recursively based on the initial time history. Hence, no prior information about the underlying governing equations is required to generate the ROM. To illustrate the predictive performance of the proposed framework, the mean flow fields and time series response of the field values are reconstructed from the predicted modal coefficients by using an inverse POD transform. As a representative benchmark test case, we consider a two-dimensional quasigeostrophic ocean circulation model which, in general, displays an enormous range of fluctuating spatial and temporal scales. We first demonstrate that the conventional Galerkin projection-based reduced order modeling of such systems requires a high number of POD modes to obtain a stable flow physics. In addition, ROM-Galerkin projection (ROM-GP) does not seem to capture the intermittent bursts appearing in the dynamics of the first few most energetic modes. However, the proposed nonintrusive ROM framework based on LSTM (ROM-LSTM) yields a stable solution even for a small number of POD modes. We also observe that the ROM-LSTM model is able to capture quasiperiodic intermittent bursts accurately, and yields a stable and accurate mean flow dynamics using the time history of a few previous time states, denoted as the lookback time window in this paper. We show several features of ROM-LSTM framework such as significantly higher accuracy than ROM-GP, and faster performance using larger time step size. Throughout the paper, we demonstrate our findings in terms of time series evolution of the field values and mean flow patterns, which suggest that the proposed fully nonintrusive ROM framework is robust and capable of predicting chaotic nonlinear fluid flows in an extremely efficient way compared to the conventional projection-based ROM framework.

Association mapping reveals multiple QTLs for grain protein content in rice useful for biofortification.

Rice is the staple food for majority of the global population. But, rice grain has low protein content (PC). Mapping of QTLs controlling grain PC is essential for enhancement of the trait through breeding programs. A shortlisted panel population for grain protein content was studied for genetic diversity, population structure and association mapping for grain PC. Phenotyping results showed a wide variation for grain PC. The panel population showed a moderate level of genetic diversity estimated through 98 molecular markers. AMOVA and structure analysis indicated linkage disequilibrium for grain PC and deviation of Hardy-Weinberg's expectation. The analysis showed 15% of the variation among populations and 73% among individuals in the panel population. STRUCTURE analysis categorized the panel population into three subpopulations. The analysis also revealed a common primary ancestor for each subpopulation with few admix individuals. Marker-trait association using 98 molecular markers detected 7 strongly associated QTLs for grain PC by both MLM and GLM analysis. Three novel QTLs qPC3.1, qPC5.1 and qPC9.1 were detected for controlling the grain PC. Four reported QTLs viz., qPC3, QPC8, qPC6.1 and qPC12.1 were validated for use in breeding programs. Reported QTLs, qPC6, qPC6.1 and qPC6.2 may be same QTL controlling PC in rice. A very close marker RM407 near to protein controlling QTL, qProt8 and qPC8, was detected. The study provided clue for simultaneous improvement of PC with high grain yield in rice. The strongly associated markers with grain PC, namely qPC3, qPC3.1, qPC5.1, qPC6.1, qPC8, qPC9.1 and qPC12.1, will be useful for their pyramiding for developing protein rich high yielding rice.

Redescription of Pulvinaria indica Avasthi Shafee, 1985 (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) with new host and distribution records.

The soft scale Pulvinaria indica (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) was described by Avasthi Shafee in 1985 from four females collected on Duranta repens Linn. from Simhachalam, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. The original description, however, was scanty and attempts to locate the type material were unsuccessful. To facilitate the identification and separation of P. indica from other similar species, we redescribe and illustrate the adult female, based on newly collected specimens found on an economically important new host plant. Management options in the event of its future occurrence are discussed briefly.

Role of lactoferrin and lactoferrin-derived peptides in oral and maxillofacial diseases.

The oral cavity harbors different taxonomic groups, the evolutionary coexistence of which develops the oral ecosystem. These resident microorganisms can alter the balance between the physiologic and pathologic conditions that affect the host, both locally and systemically. This highly sophisticated nature of the oral cavity poses a significant therapeutic challenge. Numerous human and animal studies have been conducted to potentiate the efficacy and competence of current treatments of pathologic conditions as well as to develop novel therapeutic modalities. One of these studies is the use of the potent antimicrobial agent lactoferrin (LF), which was originally derived from the host immune system. LF is an 80-kDa glycoprotein that has a free iron sequestration mechanism with evident antimicrobial, anti-tumor, and immunomodulatory properties. A wide range of active peptides have been isolated from the N-terminal region of LF, which possess antimicrobial activities. In this review, we discuss the role of LF and LF-derived peptides under a heterogeneous group of oral and maxillofacial conditions, including bacterial, fungal, viral infections; head and neck cancers; xerostomia; and implantology-bone-related manifestations.

SILAR deposited iron phosphate as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for efficient water splitting.

The development of efficient and earth-abundant electrocatalysts for overall water splitting is important but still challenging. Herein, iron phosphate (FePi) electrode is synthesized using a successive ionic layer deposition and reaction (SILAR) method on a nickel foam substrate at room temperature and is used as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for water splitting. The prepared FePi electrodes show excellent electrocatalytic activity and stability for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The FePi electrode exhibits low overpotential of 230 mV and 157 mV towards the OER and HER, respectively, with superior long-term stability. As a result, an electrolyzer that exploits FePi as both the anode and the cathode is constructed, which requires a cell potential of 1.67 V to deliver a 10 mA cm-2 current density in 1 M KOH solution. The exceptional features of the catalyst lie in its structure and active metal sites, increasing surface area, accelerated electron transport and promoted reaction kinetics. This study may provide a facile and scalable approach to design a high-efficiency, earth-abundant electrocatalyst for water splitting.

Ureterocolic fistula diagnosed on the basis of diuretic renogram and direct radionuclide cystography.

Ureterocolic fistulae are a rare phenomenon and are most commonly seen secondary to obstructive ureteric calculi. These are usually diagnosed on barium enema or intravenous urography. Most of the times, more than one investigation is needed to confirm the findings. We present a case of iatrogenically-induced ureterocolic fistula, diagnosed on renogram and direct radionuclide cystography. This case showcases the possibility of using a renogram study as a diagnostic tool for a suspected ureterocolic fistula. A renogram study also enables to asess the renal function, which is essential in deciding the management.

Direct growth of 2D nickel hydroxide nanosheets intercalated with polyoxovanadate anions as a binder-free supercapacitor electrode.

A mesoporous nanoplate network of two-dimensional (2D) layered nickel hydroxide Ni(OH)2 intercalated with polyoxovanadate anions (Ni(OH)2-POV) was built using a chemical solution deposition method. This approach will provide high flexibility for controlling the chemical composition and the pore structure of the resulting Ni(OH)2-POV nanohybrids. The layer-by-layer ordered growth of the Ni(OH)2-POV is demonstrated by powder X-ray diffraction and cross-sectional high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The random growth of the intercalated Ni(OH)2-POV nanohybrids leads to the formation of an interconnected network morphology with a highly porous stacking structure whose porosity is controlled by changing the ratio of Ni(OH)2 and POV. The lateral size and thickness of the Ni(OH)2-POV nanoplates are ∼400 nm and from ∼5 nm to 7 nm, respectively. The obtained thin films are highly active electrochemical capacitor electrodes with a maximum specific capacity of 1440 F g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1, and they withstand up to 2000 cycles with a capacity retention of 85%. The superior electrochemical performance of the Ni(OH)2-POV nanohybrids is attributed to the expanded mesoporous surface area and the intercalation of the POV anions. The experimental findings highlight the outstanding electrochemical functionality of the 2D Ni(OH)2-POV nanoplate network that will provide a facile route for the synthesis of low-dimensional hybrid nanomaterials for a highly active supercapacitor electrode.

Synchronous behaviour of two interacting oscillatory systems undergoing quasiperiodic route to chaos.

Thermoacoustic instability, caused by a positive feedback between the unsteady heat release and the acoustic field in a combustor, is a major challenge faced in most practical combustors such as those used in rockets and gas turbines. We employ the synchronization theory for understanding the coupling between the unsteady heat release and the acoustic field of a thermoacoustic system. Interactions between coupled subsystems exhibiting different collective dynamics such as periodic, quasiperiodic, and chaotic oscillations are addressed. Even though synchronization studies have focused on different dynamical states separately, synchronous behaviour of two coupled systems exhibiting a quasiperiodic route to chaos has not been studied. In this study, we report the first experimental observation of different synchronous behaviours between two subsystems of a thermoacoustic system exhibiting such a transition as reported in Kabiraj et al. [Chaos 22, 023129 (2012)]. A rich variety of synchronous behaviours such as phase locking, intermittent phase locking, and phase drifting are observed as the dynamics of such subsystem change. The observed synchronization behaviour is further characterized using phase locking value, correlation coefficient, and relative mean frequency. These measures clearly reveal the boundaries between different states of synchronization.

Modified reduced order observer based linear active disturbance rejection control for TITO systems.

This paper proposes an observer based control approach for two input and two output (TITO) plant affected by the lumped disturbance which includes the undesirable effect of cross couplings, parametric uncertainties, and external disturbances. A modified reduced order extended state observer (ESO) based active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) is designed to estimate the lumped disturbance actively as an extended state and compensate its effect by adding it to the control. The decoupled mechanism has been used to determine the controller parameters, while the proposed control technique is applied to the TITO coupled plant without using decoupler to show its efficacy. Simulation results show that the proposed design is efficiently able to nullify the interactions within the loops in the multivariable process with better transient performance as compared to the existing proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control methods. An experimental application of two tanks multivariable level control system is investigated to present the validity of proposed scheme.

Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 outbreak detected in inter-seasonal months during the surveillance of influenza-like illness in Pune, India, 2012-2015.

An outbreak of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was detected during the ongoing community-based surveillance of influenza-like illness (ILI). Among reported 119 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 cases (59 cases in the year 2012 and 60 cases in 2015) in summer months, common clinical features were fever (100%), cough (90·7%), sore throat (85·7%), nasal discharge (48·7%), headache (55·5%), fatigue (18·5%), breathlessness (3·4%), and ear discharge (1·7%). Rise in ILI cases were negatively correlated with the seasonal factors such as relative humidity (Karl Pearson's correlation coefficient, i.e. r = -0·71 in the year 2012 and r = -0·44 in the year 2015), while rise in ILI cases were positively correlated with the temperature difference (r = 0·44 in the year 2012 and r = 0·77 in the year 2015). The effective reproduction number R, was estimated to be 1·30 in 2012 and 1·64 in 2015. The study highlights the rise in unusual influenza activity in summer month with high attack rate of ILI among children aged ⩽9 years. Children in this age group may need special attention for influenza vaccination. Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 outbreak was confirmed in inter-seasonal months during the surveillance of ILI in Pune, India, 2012-2015.

Preventing damage to miniature-loudspeaker by means of dynamic detection of excessive diaphragm displacement.

The rapid development of consumer electronics and the extensive use of mobile devices require the ample use of miniature-loudspeakers for audio applications. The demand for better sound pushes manufacturers to design digital signal processing (DSP) chips (smart amplifiers), which in turn could cause unpleasant sound due to distortion and parameter nonlinearity or transducer damage caused by large diaphragm excursion or voice-coil (VC) burn. This article presents a methodology for nonlinear parameter estimation using an inverse method and displacement limiter for large VC displacement-dependent transducer damage prevention. A set of transduction equations is employed to inversely determine parameters using a polynomial expression. The appropriate selection of an objective function incorporating the unknown vector of nonlinear parameters leads to the adjoint problem that requires a gradient solution. A numerical solver is provided to obtain the VC displacement, current, and derivatives using a robust hybrid spline differential method. The dynamic limiter is proposed to control the peak values of the VC velocity so as to limit an excessive displacement which prevents impulsive damage to the receiver and further application of the DSP board. Numerical and experimental results indicate that the proposed method has high efficiency and can be widely used in transducer applications.

Anti-microbial surfaces: An approach for deposition of ZnO nanoparticles on PVA-Gelatin composite film by screen printing technique.

Initially micro-organisms get exposed to the surfaces, this demands development of anti-microbial surfaces to inhibit their proliferation. Therefore, herein, we attempt screen printing technique for development of PVA-GE/ZnO nanocomposite (PG/ZnO) films. The synthesis of PG/ZnO nanocomposite includes two steps as: (i) Coating of Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) by poly ethylene glycol in order to be compatible with organic counterparts. (ii) Deposition of coated nanoparticles on the PG film surface. The results suggest the enhancement in anti-microbial activity of PG/ZnO nanocomposite over pure ZnO NPs against both Gram positive Bacillus subtilis and Gram negative Escherichia coli from zone of inhibition. The uniformity in deposition is further confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. The phase identification of ZnO NPs and formation of PG/ZnO nanocomposite has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and UV-vis spectroscopy (UV-vis). The Attenuated total reflection Spectroscopy (ATR) analysis indicates the ester bond between PVA and gelatin molecules. The thermal stability of nanocomposite is studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealing increase in crystallinity due to ZnO NPs which could be utilized to inhibit the growth of micro-organisms. The tensile strength is found to be higher and percent elongation is double of PG/ZnO nanocomposite than PG composite film.

Canna edulis Leaf Extract-Mediated Preparation of Stabilized Silver Nanoparticles: Characterization, Antimicrobial Activity, and Toxicity Studies.

A novel approach to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using leaf extract of Canna edulis Ker-Gawl. (CELE) under ambient conditions is reported here. The as-prepared AgNPs were analyzed by UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission emission microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive analysis of X-ray spectroscopy, zeta potential, and dynamic light scattering. The AgNPs showed excellent antimicrobial activity against various pathogens, including bacteria and various fungi. The biocompatibility of the AgNPs was analyzed in the L929 cell line using NRU and MTT assays. Acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining was used to determine whether the AgNPs had necrotic or apoptotic effects on L929 cells. The concentration of AgNPs required for 50% inhibition of growth of mammalian cells is far more than that required for inhibition of pathogenic microorganisms. Thus, CELE is a candidate for the eco-friendly, clean, cost-effective, and nontoxic synthesis of AgNPs.

A study on zoonotic tuberculosis in selected rural areas of Bagalkot and Belgaum districts of Karnataka state.

The close association of cattle/buffaloes to farmers and their family members is a well-known phenomenon in rural India. Cattle are major contributors to the income for the sustenance of families, and for many landless farmers, often the only source of livelihood. The animals are sheltered under the same roof where the family members sleep, cook and eat. This close proximity of humans to cattle/buffaloes exposes farmers and family members to tuberculosis (TB), especially if they are vulnerable (e.g. malnourished children along with adults, diabetics, people with HIV/AIDS, people with addiction to alcohol, or smokers) . Several studies have examined the risk factors that are associated with TB, such as crowding (slum dwellers), poor living conditions, alcohol, and tobacco . Other studies have found a significant proportion of diabetic patients with coexistent TB. This study examines the spread of TB from animals to humans and its public health significance. To achieve this, selected numbers of cattle/buffaloes were tested for TB and the association with humans and animals was examined.

Development of a novel rapid micro-neutralization ELISA for the detection of neutralizing antibodies against Chandipura virus.

BACKGROUND: Chandipura virus (CHPV) is a leading cause of acute encephalitis with high mortality in paediatric population in India. A micro-neutralization ELISA (MN-ELISA) assay was developed for the detection of neutralizing antibodies (Nab) against CHPV. This novel method gives read-out in the form of ELISA optical density (OD) values and has a shorter turn-around time (TAT) as compared to the conventional cytopathic effect (CPE)-based neutralization assay (MN-CPE). The assay was developed using an Indian strain of CHPV. During the development of the assay different parameters such as cell count, dilution of primary and secondary antibodies and time point for the test termination were optimized. The new and conventional assays were run in parallel where known positive and negative human serum samples were used as test controls. The conventional MN-CPE was terminated at 48h post-infection (p.i.) and stained with Amido black, while in the new assay, MN-ELISA was terminated at pre-determined 18h p.i. and the infected cells were fixed with acetone, followed by in-situ ELISA. Results of both the assays were compared. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of the new test was 100% when compared with the conventional MN-CPE method as a 'gold standard'. The MN-ELISA showed two-fold higher antibody titer in one sample and one sample was additionally positive than MN-CPE ELISA. CONCLUSION: The MN-ELISA is rapid, more sensitive and read-out of results is by measurement of OD, which could be more accurate than manual observation of reduction in CPE. This novel test could be used as an alternative to the conventional MN-CPE based assay in sero-surveillance and in future vaccine studies.