Phenological documentation of Lantana camara L. using modified BBCH scale in relation to climatic variables

Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) is cultivated as an ornamental and hedge plant in many countries which is native to American tropics. It’s introduction to the Indian subcontinent dates back around 200 years ago. It is an invasive alien species that has a negative impact on native biodiversity. It is evident that management of L. camara is crucial for the conservation of biodiversity. Studying its phenological characteristics as they adapt to environmental circumstances through time and space will aid in the development of management goals and strategies. This study uses BBCH scale firstly to describe the phenology of L. camara, which is represented by nine Phenological Growth Stages (PGS) in response to environmental conditions during a 32-month period in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, representing its growth. To standardise morphological traits and the phenological observation, photographs of certain significant developmental stages on L. camara in addition to the descriptions have been illustrated. Researchers can utilise this uniform labelling method as a tool to help with weed management efforts. Phenological studies of this invasive weed species may be employed for tracking the gradual impact of climate change on biodiversity and its effect on the key phenological events in the lifecycle

Deep Learning Based Forecasting of Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall

Accurate short range weather forecasting has significant implications for various sectors. Machine learning based approaches, e.g., deep learning, have gained popularity in this domain where the existing numerical weather prediction (NWP) models still have modest skill after a few days. Here we use a ConvLSTM network to develop a deep learning model for precipitation forecasting. The crux of the idea is to develop a forecasting model which involves convolution based feature selection and uses long term memory in the meteorological fields in conjunction with gradient based learning algorithm. Prior to using the input data, we explore various techniques to overcome dataset difficulties. We follow a strategic approach to deal with missing values and discuss the models fidelity to capture realistic precipitation. The model resolution used is (25 km). A comparison between 5 years of predicted data and corresponding observational records for 2 days lead time forecast show correlation coefficients of 0.67 and 0.42 for lead day 1 and 2 respectively. The patterns indicate higher correlation over the Western Ghats and Monsoon trough region (0.8 and 0.6 for lead day 1 and 2 respectively). Further, the model performance is evaluated based on skill scores, Mean Square Error, correlation coefficient and ROC curves. This study demonstrates that the adopted deep learning approach based only on a single precipitation variable, has a reasonable skill in the short range. Incorporating multivariable based deep learning has the potential to match or even better the short range precipitation forecasts based on the state of the art NWP models.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures. The manuscript is under review with journal 'Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing

Prospect and potential of Burkholderia sp. against Phytophthora capsici Leonian: a causative agent for foot rot disease of black pepper

Foot rot disease is a very destructive disease in black pepper in Malaysia. It is caused by Phytophthora capsici Leonian, which is a soilborne pathogenic protist (phylum, Oomycota) that infects aerial and subterranean structures of many host plants. This pathogen is a polycyclic, such that multiple cycles of infection and inoculum production occur in a single growing season. It is more prevalent in the tropics because of the favourable environmental conditions. The utilization of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as a biological control agent has been successfully implemented in controlling many plant pathogens. Many studies on the exploration of beneficial organisms have been carried out such as Pseudomonas fluorescens, which is one of the best examples used for the control of Fusarium wilt in tomato. Similarly, P. fluorescens is found to be an effective biocontrol agent against the foot rot disease in black pepper. Nowadays there is tremendous novel increase in the species of Burkholderia with either mutualistic or antagonistic interactions in the environment. Burkholderia sp. is an indigenous PGPR capable of producing a large number of commercially important hydrolytic enzymes and bioactive substances that promote plant growth and health; are eco-friendly, biodegradable and specific in their actions; and have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity in keeping down the population of phytopathogens, thus playing a great role in promoting sustainable agriculture today. Hence, in this book chapter, the potential applications of Burkholderia sp. to control foot rot disease of black pepper in Malaysia, their control mechanisms, plant growth promotion, commercial potentials and the future prospects as indigenous PGPR were discussed in relation to sustainable agriculture

Diagnostic and treatment challenges in management of allergic fungal rhinosinusitis

Among infections pertaining to head and neck rhinosinusitis holds a significant position both with regard to the prevalence and morbidity. Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) was initially considered a counterpart of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis when first diagnosed by Sa firstein in 1976 due to its clinical presentations and seemingly similar pathogenesis. Initially only Aspergillus was known as the causative, but now various other fungal species are known to cause chronic rhinosinusitis; hence, the terminology allergic fungal sinusitis was preferred. Exposure to fungi results in similar as asthma in atopic individuals, but then, some nonatopic individuals may also present with similar symptoms. It has also been studied that the presence of serum immunoglobulin E does not ensure the presence of allergy. Till date, there are several controversies regarding pathogenesis, whether humoral or immune mediated, population at risk, variations in presentations, diagnostic parameters, and treatment protocols. In this review, we try to revisit and learn from past documented experiences to further our attempt toward better understanding of the disease process, its diagnosis, and management

Environmentally Benign TiO2 Nanomaterials for Removal of Heavy Metal Ions with Interfering Ions present in Tap Water

Availability of clean drinking water is a great challenge in developing countries like India and the presence of heavy metal ions along with interfering ions present in tap water makes them further very difficult to be removed. Following nanotechnology initiatives, we synthesized TiO2 via sol-gel method and tested it for removal of various heavy metal ions like As, Cd, Cr and Pb; highest adsorption and removal efficiency was obtained for Cd when analysed quantitatively using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), bare TiO2 was observed to have irregular shape while surfactant modified TiO2 had regular spherical morphology. These materials were also tested for anti-bacterial studies against two different pathogenic bacteria i.e. one gram negative strain: Klebsiella pneumoniae and one gram positive strain: Staphylococcus aureu; Thus the overall study opens up numerous possibilities for these materials as adsorbents for removal of heavy metal ions in the presence of competing ions present in tap water together being safe and environmentally benign. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Post-Covid mucormycosis presenting as retropharyngeal abscess: a rare case report

Abstract Background Post-Covid retropharyngeal mucormycosis is a rare presentation, and no case has been reported in literature until date. Case presentation A-32-year-old female post Covid presented to our OPD with history of dysphagia and with a history of steroid intake. Radiology confirmed it as retropharyngeal abscess. Endoscopic-guided aspiration was done. HPE (histopathological examination) revealed classic broad aseptate hyphae of mucormycosis. Patient was managed conservatively with broad-spectrum antifungal. Conclusion Retropharyngeal mucormycosis is a rare entity in Covid era. Rapid diagnosis and management are needed to save life of an individual, or results could be fatal

A comparison between nitroprusside and nitroglycerine for hypotensive anesthesia in ear, nose, and throat surgeries: A double-blind randomized study

Context: Blood obscures the operative field and makes precise technique difficult, and to the anesthetist, when the volume of blood lost is large. Practice of induced hypotension in the otolaryngology is a common practice owing to its benefits in providing a better visibility and preventing blood loss. Aims: The aim was to compare controlled induced hypotension for facilitating surgical exposure, and reducing intraoperative blood loss using sodium nitroprusside and nitroglycerin in ear, nose, and throat surgeries under general anesthesia. Settings and Design: A prospective, randomized, double-blind study. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out in 60 adults, American Society of Anesthesiologists grade I and II patients, allocated randomly in to three groups: group A was control group, group B patients received nitroprusside (0.5-10 μg/kg/min) and group C patients received nitroglycerine (1-10 μg/kg/min). Mean arterial pressure was maintained in the range of 50-60 mmHg. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 17.0 (ANOVA) followed by independent samples t-test and Chi-square test. Results: The results of the present study indicate that the use of controlled hypotension provides a better surgical field and reduces the blood loss. Of the two modalities under question, use of sodium nitroprusside gives the desired results in a significantly, shorter time as compared to nitroglycerin; however, the use of sodium nitroprusside must be carried out with caution as it has toxic effects. Conclusions: (1) The achievement of target level was quicker in sodium nitroprusside group as compared to nitroglycerin group. (2) Reflex tachycardia was the main side effect of the nitroglycerin group. (3) Rebound hypertension was the associated side effect of the sodium nitroprusside group

Prevalence and correlates of social networking addiction and its association with adult ADHD and stress among students of a medical college

Introduction: Repeated use of social network is said to cause addiction. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is disorder found in childhood. Studies have shown that such children continue to have the symptoms of ADHD as adults. The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of social networking addiction and Internet addiction and their relationship with ADHD. Also, to assess the relationship between perceived stress and sociodemographic factors with social networking and internet addiction. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 undergraduate and postgraduate students of BMCRI after ethical clearance. Medical students who gave consent were included through stratified random sampling. Those who were taking treatment for psychiatric illness were excluded. Scales like the Young Internet addiction test (IAT); Bergen's Facebook Reporting Scale, ADHD Self-Reporting Scale, and Wender Utah Brief Rating Scale for ADHD, and Cohen Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) for perceived stress have been used. Results: The mean age was found to be 21.56 ± 3 years. 62.6% were males and 37.33% of were females. The prevalence of Internet addiction was found to be 23.3% (n = 35), with 2% (n = 3) were having severe addiction, 6.6% (n = 10) were having moderate Internet and 14.6% (n = 22) having mild internet addiction according to modified Young's criteria (2011). The prevalence of social networking addiction as per the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS) score was 4.66% and adult ADHD was 15%. There was a strong positive correlation (0.76) between Internet Addiction and Facebook addiction scores and between BFAS score and IAT score. A moderate positive correlation (0.46 and 0.47) between Internet addiction and Facebook addiction with perceived stress and ADHD and IAT score with PSS score and ASRS score, weak positive correlation with PSS score and ASRS score was observed. Conclusion: A significant proportion of medical students develop Internet addiction and minority develops social network addiction. Furthermore, perceived stress and ADHD scores are positively correlated with internet and social networking addiction

A Review on Yield Gap Analysis of Millets in India

Millet is a healthy grain that is high in vitamins, minerals, and fibre. It is also gluten-free and has a low glycemic index, making it a suitable diet for persons with gluten intolerance or diabetes. Millet is an important crop for small farmers, in addition to its nutritional importance. Unlike rice or wheat, millet is drought-resistant and requires relatively little water to thrive. This makes it an attractive crop for farmers in dry locations where water scarcity is a big concern. Furthermore, millet has a short growth season and is easy to cultivate, making it an appealing alternative for small farmers with low resources. Efforts have been made in recent years to boost millet productivity and promote its consumption. The Millet Mission, initiated by the Indian government in 2016, is one such project. Another endeavour to increase millet intake is the "Millets for Health" programme, which aims to raise knowledge of millet's nutritional benefits. The initiative includes the creation of millet-based recipes as well as the installation of millet-based food processing plants, which can aid in the creation of a market for millet-based products

Abstracts of National Conference on Research and Developments in Material Processing, Modelling and Characterization 2020

This book presents the abstracts of the papers presented to the Online National Conference on Research and Developments in Material Processing, Modelling and Characterization 2020 (RDMPMC-2020) held on 26th and 27th August 2020 organized by the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Science in Association with the Department of Production and Industrial Engineering, National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India. Conference Title: National Conference on Research and Developments in Material Processing, Modelling and Characterization 2020Conference Acronym: RDMPMC-2020Conference Date: 26–27 August 2020Conference Location: Online (Virtual Mode)Conference Organizer: Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, National Institute of Technology JamshedpurCo-organizer: Department of Production and Industrial Engineering, National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, IndiaConference Sponsor: TEQIP-