Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are ubiquitously present small peptides, which play a critical function in the innate immune system. The defensin class of AMPs represented an evolutionarily ancient family containing cationic cysteine residue and frequently expressed in epithelial or neutrophils cells. It plays myriad functions in host innate immune responses against various infection. Defensin has a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities, including anti-bacteria, anti-viruses (AVPs), anti-fungi, anti-cancers, and also overcoming bacterial drug resistance. In this review, we compiled the progress on defensin, particularly incorporating the mechanism of action, their application as an antiviral agent, prospects in different areas, and limitations to be solved as an antiviral peptide. Defensins were explored, in particular, their capacity to stimulate innate and adaptive immunity by trigging as anti-coronavirus (COVID-19) peptides. The present review summarised its immunomodulatory and immunoenhancing properties and predominantly focused on its promising therapeutic adjuvant choices for combat against viral infection.

Due to complexity of smallholder farms, many times technologies with great potential fail to achieve the desired impact in leveraging productivity and profitability of the farming community. In the Indo-Gangetic Plains there is an urgent need to understand the diversity of farm households, identifying the main drivers deciding their system thus, classifying them into homogenous groups. In the present study, the diversity of smallholder farms was assessed using crop, livestock and income related characteristics and associated farm mechanization. Using principal component analysis and cluster analysis for 252 farm households, 4 farm types were identified i.e. Type 1. Small Farm households with cereal-based cropping system and subsistence livestock (39%), Type 2. Small Farm households with diversified cropping system dominated by cereal and fodder crops with only cattle herd (9%), Type 3. Marginal Farm household with diversified cropping system dominated by cash crop and herd comprising of only cattle (39%), Type 4. Marginal Farm household with diversified cropping system dominated by cereal crops and herd dominated by small ruminants (12%). Based on the constraints identified for different components of farming systems, low-cost interventions were planned for each farm type. These interventions have resulted in 84.8–103.2 per cent increase in the income of the farm HH under study suggesting usefulness of typology-based intervention planning in increasing income of small farm holders.

Acute pancreatitis is caused by various causes such as Gall stone disease, alcoholism, drug abuse but rarely caused by severe hypertriglyceridemia. It typically presents as acute or recurrent pancreatitis. The hypertriglyceridemia can be gestation induced or familial. The family history of the pregnant women needs to be taken in detail. The serum triglyceride levels in the range of 1000 to 2000 mg/dl in patients with type I, III, IV and V hyperlipoproteinemia (Friedrickson's classification) is the identifiable risk factor. The clinical course of hypertriglyceridemia induced pancreatitis is similar to other causes. We hereby report a case of 21-year-old lady G3P1L0A1 with 37 weeks of pregnancy without any family history of hypertriglyceridemia and but with history of recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis.

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Sustaining agricultural systems dominated by small and vulnerable resource-poor farms that are subject to climatic aberrations is a major challenge for most Asian countries. In this context, the role of agriculture requires immediate attention in northwestern India where marginal farmers with less than a meagre 1 hectare of land represent about 67% of the population. Research based on prototype farms is being promoted in the redesign of current farming practices to help give these farmers sustainable livelihoods. We hypothesize that integrating innovative cropping systems into smallholder marginal farms could help to achieve these objectives. The study presented here describes a modelling approach for the ex-ante assessment of the current farming practices of marginal households in terms of economic, environmental, and nutritional indicators in comparison with those of experimental research farms in order to delineate an alternative scope of flexibility to optimize farming practices. We used the FarmDESIGN model to evaluate farmers’ realities, with a focus on marginal farms (marginal poor farmers (MPFs)) and marginal diversified farmers (MDF) with the objective of enhancing profit, soil organic matter balance, and nutritional system yield in terms of dietary energy and reducing pesticide usage. Introducing prototype cropping systems in up to 33% of the farm area, combined with rearrangements of the existing crops, provided ample opportunity to improve farm performance. The improvements were greater when prototype cropping systems were added, and MPFs could benefit greatly from improvements in soil organic matter balance when considering the current negative organic matter balance of most farms. We conclude that the model-based approach of evaluating the potential of new cropping systems, along with the fine tuning of alternative combinations, will support the enhanced adaptability of innovative cropping practices, which will help to improve the livelihoods of marginal farmers.